2nd Annual Pasadena Restaurant Week

Thank you to the thousands of people who came out to dine during Pasadena Restaurant Week this past March.

Come out to Pasadena on August 15th as we raise our glasses and toast America’s first (and Pasadena own) celebrity chef Julia Child on the 100th anniversary of her birth. Restaurants and bars throughout Pasadena will be hosting a toast and grand cocktail party commemorating the birth of Julia Child. Organized by the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce with restaurants and bars all over the city, Pasadena hosts a giant indoor cocktail party. Watch for participant information and details as the great day draws closer.

Congratulations to Kate F. who won the grand prize in our free online raffle. Kate won a wine gift basket from Ruth’s Chris Steak House and a gift certificate worth $100 generously donated by the restaurant.

In the meantime, we will post information about food-related events and the activities of our participating restaurants throughout the year.

You will be able to find information on special deals from Pasadena’s best restaurants here. You can also find exclusive invitations to culinary events in Pasadena. In addition, we will post the activities, special dinners, sales and promotions of our participating restaurants.

We may even give away a few prizes to those who sign up to receive our monthly Pasadena culinary e-newsletter.

Pasadena Restaurant Week is an annual citywide event featuring the cuisine of many of Pasadena’s top dining establishments. You can see who took part in 2012 by viewing our complete list of participating restaurants.

For 2013, you will again be able to Take the Challenge and vote for your favorites.

Pasadena Restaurant Week was conceived to promote Pasadena as a restaurant destination and remind Southern California and our restaurant patrons that Pasadena offers dining experiences to satisfy all tastes at every price range. Participating restaurants will be preparing special meals at extraordinary introductory prices.

Restaurants that participated in 2012 included some of Pasadena’s finest and most unique eating destinations such as  1810 (eighteen ten), a/k/a An American Bistro, Bistro 45, Cafe Bizou, California Pizza Kitchen, Cameron’s Seafood, Celestino Ristorante, Clearman’s Northwoods Inn, Clearman’s Galley, El Cholo, The Counter, CREPEstudio, El Portal, Green Street Restaurant, Japon Bistro, Malbec New Argentinean Cuisine, Maria’s Italian Kitchen, Noir Food and Wine, Pie ‘n Burger, Quadrupel Brasserie, Robin’s Woodfire BBQ and Grill, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, The Terrace at the Langham Huntington Hotel and Spa and Vertical Wine Bistro.

New restaurants offering cuisine for Pasadena Restaurant Week include a/k/a an American Bistro, Haven Gastropub, Kings Row Gastropub, Market on Holly, Pita Jungle, Roxolana, The StillRoom and Toro Sushi Bar and Lounge.

Here are the restaurants that offered special meals and deals for Pasadena Restaurant Week 2012:

Any time of year you can revisit an old favorite, try someplace new and even experience some of Pasadena’s newest dining destinations.

Many of the Pasadena Restaurant Week participants are award winners. Noir Food and Wine was named best new restaurant in Los Angeles by Zagat in 2011. Bistro 45 regularly appears on Wine Spectators Best Of lists. Celestino has received the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, as well. Pasadena’s Pie ‘n Burger was recognized by  Gourmet’s  epicurious.com on its list of Top 10 Burgers in the US for 2010.

The Pasadena Chamber of Commerce organizes the event which takes place in late March each year at restaurants throughout Pasadena.

Sponsors for 2012 included Platinum Sponsor The Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, Gold Sponsors The City of Pasadena and Merrill Lynch/Bank of America, Silver Sponsor the Pasadena Convention and Visitors Bureau.

We are very grateful to the local newspapers and magazines that are supporting Pasadena Restaurant Week as media sponsors. Platinum Media Sponsors are Hometown-Pasadena.com/Prospect Park Media and Pasadena Magazine. Gold Media Sponsors are Outlook Newspapers, Pasadena Independent, Pasadena Star-News/The Rose Magazine, Pasadena Weekly/Arroyo Monthly, Pasadena NOW and the San Marino Tribune San Gabriel Valley Edition.

Many thanks to Open Table and DineLA for supporting and helping promote Pasadena Restaurant Week.