Mi Piace
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 7:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
Mon-Sun 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Mon-Thu, Sun 4:00 p.m.-12:30 a.m.
Fri-Sat 4:00 p.m.-1:30 a.m.
Sat-Sun 8:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Garage, Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Music: DJ
- Best Nights: Fri, Sat, Thu
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: No
- Coat Check: No
43 reviews
Neighborhood: Eagle Rock
"I came here for dinner with some friends of mine that live in Pasadena / Eagle Rock. I have always wanted to come here because the place…" read more »
173 Reviews for Mi Piace
Mi Piace... eh, it's ok. I had the calamari, which was good, not great. Can't mess up fried foods... the pasta (I can't remember the name!) was good also, but again, not great. I dunno, I really wanna like Mi Piace but I think what's cool about this place is the ambiance, good-looking servers, and wine list! The food just doesn't stand out for me. But it's still worth trying again the next time I'm in Old Town. Maybe I just need to order something different, like the gnocchi other Yelpers are raving about.
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Very Chick and modern setting. The food was decent, the drinks were strong and overpriced- like oh so many of the places I happen to venture into lately are.
Reminded me of South Beach, FL..where the people are gorgeous and so are the waiters- which makes people watching and sucking in the atmosphere of the place fun and almost a necessity to enjoy oneself.
I got the watermelon martini which was delicious and fresh. Try the calamari as well as the steak. Skipped the dessert, the service was mediocre. I felt like she could been more attentive, but enjoyed my time overall.
I don't give 1-star reviews really often, but my lunch at Mi Piace deserves one in a major way.
First off, the food: I had salmon pasta with veggies, and it tasted like a microwave meal. The pasta was completely overcooked, soft, soggy and gooey--unforgivable in my book for an Italian restaurant! If I had made this pasta at home, I would have thrown it away and cooked a new batch. The salmon was soft and mealy.
None of my friends' dishes were good either.
The service: OMG. I haven't had worse service in awhile. My friend's daughter spilled ice on the table, and the waitress MADE US CLEAN IT UP OURSELVES. Literally. She stood there and pointed to the cup and said, "can you put the ice in the cup so I can take it away?" Now, I probably would have helped her clean it anyway if she didn't ask, but I can't believe she just stood there refusing to lift a finger! And it wasn't like this was pasta or sauce or anything that would make her exasperated at the kid--it was just ICE CUBES.
On top of that, we asked for more bread, because we were still hungry, as our food sucked and we didn't want to eat much of it. The waitress looked at us, paused, and asked.. "MORE bread???" in a tone that implied we had had far too much bread already.
We had to ask four times for lemons for the water, and twice for water refills. Come to think of it, they didn't give us anything we didn't have to ask for more than once. I'm usually a laid-back customer, but this kind of service is inexcusable if you have bad food. If you serve heavenly, excellent food, then fine, yell at me, be rude, I'll still come here for the food. But bad food + bad service = WTF are you thinking??
One star for the decor--very chic, and I love the huge mirrors. Maybe this place would be good for just dessert and coffee, but I'm never going to eat an actual meal here again.
I must disagree with most of the reviewers here. This place serves up average Italian cuisine with bad management and worse service. We went there for dinner today. Even though we had made reservation at 7, they still made us wait for 30 minutes for a table. The place was extremely busy when we arrived and it was evident that the hostess was overwhelmed. The whole waiting to be seated experience felt extremely messy. We finally had to complain to the hostess in order to get seated.
Our waiter was friendly but incompetent to handle such a busy night. He didn't bring our drinks until our appetizers had arrived and he forgot about the bread. After taking our orders, we did not see him for the entire night, not even when we were ready to pay our bill. We looked everywhere for him because we just wanted to get out of that noisy place as quickly as possible. He finally showed up after another 20 minutes.
Needless to say, we will not go back again.
The atmosphere was great. Very Modern. We got seated right away because we made a reservation. The calamari was one of the best I've tasted. Theres more calamari than breading. So why the 3 stars? For one, the waiters (Not the main server) that brought us water and bread got attitude problems. The bread plate was so small, so i asked for another. The waiter never brought the bread so I asked again. then he replied, "no bread right now" with major attitude. Alrite amigo. Note to self, don't ask for bread from amigo. The main server was great though. Our entre came quickly though and the food was good. Not as good as Louise or Buca though. and the portions are ok.
If anyone that works at Mi Piace is reading this. Please get a bigger LCD TV. That TV that you there is like 13inches. My computer monitor is bigger than that. I was watching the Lakers game and those players look like ants. I can't tell whos who.
I went there for the first time last night with a friend. I admit that everytime I've passed it by it looks daunting. So many beautiful people in their beautiful attitudes in a beautiful setting. It seemed like the Westside had invaded us lowly eastside suburbanites.
After reading Wife Goes On by Leslie Lehr I was intrigued by her description of the pasta pomodoro. She did mention that the waitstaff, specifically the hostesses, were too busy to deal with a lonely single diner (a.k.a. Loser). So, I was expecting attitude, as if this isn't found in abundance in L.A. County restaurants. I was pleasantly surprised to find the service, food and ambiance very pleasing. I wanted simple pasta without having to apologize for not being from Naples or Rome.
I ordered the pomodora pasta and found it to be simple and yummy. With the bread and a glass of Sinsky merlot it was the perfect mid-week meal. Afterwards I had a cappuccino and my friend had a 20yr old Tawny port with our shared fruit tart. By mistake we were first served another fruit dessert but the waitress suggested that although this dessert was also good the fruit tart was a better choice. I never disagree with agreeable suggestions. I was not disappointed. I made reservations through Opentable and literally waltzed right in at the appointed time. The hostess took my name and 10 seconds later seated us in a nice banquette area.
The atmosphere was very clubby and open but intimate. Every request for food, bread, extra sugar and bathroom location were handled promptly. Our waitress, although busy, took good care of us and made good suggestions. I did notice one of the hostesses working the room and asking diners how their meals were. This was a nice touch. Although I was expecting less I walked away satisfied with the food, wine and service.
I'll have to try this place again and see if I get the disappointing service I expected. But for this trip I was happy.
I really like Mi Piace. The food is average but the atmosphere of the restaurant, I really dig. It's simple, modern, and relaxing. The price is not bad and I personally never had a problem with seating.
Food: The garlic bread that they give are the best! I get full even before my meal arrives, just eating the bread alone. I also enjoy their vegetable lasagna and one of the fusili pastas.
But what's really worth trying at Mi Piace is their desserts! Their tiramisus are to die for! It's so so so so so so good. It's not too sweet, but just right. Their new york cheesecake is also very delicious. Knowing how fattening those dessets are, I still go all out when I visit Mi Piace because it's just THAT GOOD!
Please do yourself a favor next time and order their tiramisu. You won't regret it!
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Best Italian Gnocci EVER!
I had the Spinach/Goat cheese gnocci and it was to die for. So delicous, perfect texture, melts in your mouth, and so so flavorful.
the waitress was a ditz who obviously was an aspiring actress or singer or whatever... and didn't pay attention to the water glasses, needing napkins, an extra set of silverware, etc. Dumbass.
But the food was great. Dad's entree was yummy. He got the tri-mushroom fettucine alfredo I think. I think it was on the specials list, but if you go and there's a fetuccine alfredo with 3 types of mushrooms, it's really tasty!! Mom got minestrone (didn't try it).
I went there on a Friday afternoon with my parents and sat outside. Bring your sunglasses because you may face the sun. Homeless smelly guys wander around reeking of urine and keep going back and forth (total mood killer). They need to enforce some homeless controls, it really kills the excitement of food when you get a whiff of urine/fecal matter/stink/sweat. Patron kept egging the hobo on by offering him cigarettes. Don't encourage them!!!!
5 stars for food.
-1 star for ditzy inattentive waitress and smelly hobo
would have deducted a separate star for the hobo problem. But, it's not really Mi Piace's fault. Food was still awesome.
Great BRUNCH!!!
I do think that their mimosas are a little small and a little weak, but I guess that is why you normally order more than one at brunch! My salmon fritatta was cooked perfectly and I am definitely a person who always LOVES breakfast food. The salmon and capers combo with the eggs was absolutely delicious. The waffles my boyfriend got were also fluffy and light which is a plus in the breakfast market, and all of the items were extremely affordable especially for how nice the decor is for this restaurant right on the main strip of Old Town Pasadena.
Oh and their dessert case, which I haven't been able to try yet in the front of this place always looks so incredibly tempting and I hear they make everything fresh there each morning!! If you try these items let me know!
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Its a minus zero rating for this place.
Before I begin to rant on this place, I'm not a hard person to please. I've had bad food and had bad service and I'll still consider tipping and brush the bad aspect aside - given the circumstances. I don't mind waiting more than an hour for a table or if the waiter didnt hear me the first time but this restaurant has service "that broke the camel's back"
Came here about 2 years ago with some girlfriends. Had the worst experience ever and this one tops it off. Waited 1 hour for table. Fine. 30 minutes just for water! should have known, we ordered drinks, yah, too them 30 minutes also. WTF?! but fine. 1 hour for food to come out. WTF?!WTF?! our ceasar salad came out an hour later!! yah, we just sat there fuming but also tried to give our waiter a chance to speed things up -not like as if we didn't "remind him" that we've been waiting over 45 min for our dishes! and yes we sure timed him.
Overall, the table service ruined my experience there. The food looked good, but the crap service made the food taste foul.
We ended up leaving a shiny quarter and penny as tip.
I never came back here again and never will.
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I've eaten here a couple of times and I have never been disappointed. The Stockholm Martini is something that you should consider trying. The combination of vodka, chambord, and champagne make the martini taste like a dessert.
The food a refreshing twist of Italian-California fusion. It's small, and seems to always be crowded. The service is so-so.
A friend and I had lunch there last week and were very disappointed.
We both had a large salad entree but it was not of good quality. There seemed to be no taste whatsoever and the promised salami and kalamata olives, etc. could have only been seen with a magnigying glass. The iced tea was weak and lacked flavor. The price for this dismal lunch was quite high. I would not return.
I've walked by this place a billion times and have heard good reviews about this place a billion times, so when a friend was visiting from Vegas and was hankering for some Italian food, I decided to take him to Mi Piace. First off, the restaurant is designed beautifully, very trendy and modern. The food is solid. Nothing to write home about but definitely satisfying. I had both the caesar salad and the linguine alle vongole which were both above average. If you ever want some good Italian food, give this place a try.
Not bad. Mi Piace doesn't really let me down, nor does it blow me away. The culinary experience is really not going to knock your socks off.
I personally think this is a great date place, or a great place for a business lunch. I often take customers here because the atmosphere is comfortable, the area is nice and hip and the food just ain't bad. I do think it's a bit overpriced, but honestly -it's downtown Pasadena, what do you expect?!
Give Mi Piace a chance, but don't bend backwards for it. Leave real Italian food to real Italians!
In the past, I thought Mi Piace rocked. Now, it's a bare notch above Buca di Beppo. Okay, to be fair, it's more hip and less kitschy than Buca. And admittedly, my palate has evolved since the years I started going to Mi Piace. But Mi Piace's food is not particularly memorable and it is always crazy crowded.
It has been several years since I've eaten at Mi Piace. When a friend and I were looking for a casual Italian restaurant to dine on a Saturday night in Pasadena, I remembered how I used to like it and suggested we meet there. They take reservations, which is a giant plus in my book. Heck, one star for that alone!
However, my revisit was marred by horrible service. Our server was completely head up ass the entire time. We never got a bread basket, even after I asked for one. He was slow and inattentive. The things that came quickly were the things we asked the busboys for. What a pisser! There's nothing I hate more than crappy service at restaurants. It's not as though we were difficult customers. Basic service, people! It's not too much to ask, even at a chain restaurant like Mi Piace.
I ate the Mi Piace chicken, which is chicken tenders sauteed in a garlic wine sauce, accompanied with veggies. Standard fare. We shared a dessert, the pistachio dream. It was white cake in a dome shape, covered with a chocolate ganache, sprinkled with pistachio pieces. Good, but nothing I'd definitely want to eat again.
I was a bit bummed out by our experience. The fond memories I once had of Mi Piace were rudely replaced by reality this past Saturday. Oh well. I still love Pasadena and there are many wonderful places to eat there. If you're looking for an outstanding Italian restaurant, go to Trattoria Tre Venezie on Green Street.
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WOW, very nice place, good service and delicious food.
I live in San Francisco, and when I visited LA my friends took me to MI Piace in Pasadena. The atmosphere of the restaurante is very nice. I spent the whole day there, We had dinner first, then we had drinks in the lounge. Very nice place. A++++
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Mi Piace is a pretty Americanized Italian joint much like Louise's Trattoria. It's not really much better, yet it's definitely on the higher end than places like Olive Garden and Buca. I've been here on four occasions, in which I ordered the Salmon alla Mi Piace, Lasagna Di Carne, Pollo Al Sesamo, and Piccanta Di Vitello. Overall, their food is solid. Fairly tasty, well cooked, and filling. The appetizer bread is also pretty good. If I could've given this place a 3 and 1/2 stars, then I would have. Yet, the cuisine at Mi Piace is nowhere as exceptional as some of the more authentic fare you could find at places like Angelini Osteria or Ristorante Di Giorgio Baldi. Yes, it's nice cuisine, but not something that takes a "5 star chef" ability to cook.
In conclusion, I give Mi Piace a fair recommendation, especially if nothing else is around. Their food is good. But if you're willing to drive farther to find more exceptional Italian food, then skip on this. My 3 star rating goes to food taste/quality only.
Mi Piace is one of my favorite restaurants to dine at in Pasadena. The food selection is quite nice and the food is flavorful. Service can be slow like at any restaurant, though my experience has been quite alright. I've had my birthday celebration there and everyone I invited enjoyed the food.
Parking is somewhat convenient as the restaurant is situated in old town Pasadena. I think mi piace is a nice place to take a date to as you can afterwards go walk around old town Pasadena's active night life and if you're in the mood for some dancing there's a bar/club not too far away. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who's interested in good food and wonderful ambiance.
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the place itself.. is nice. the decor, the colors, the high ceilings. the calamari was good, but the dipping sauce.. not so much. the calamari came out in good time, but me & my mom's entrees took more than 30 min to come out?! 2 tables that came AFTER us, had their entrees before us. the people directly next to us were about to order dessert when we started our entrees (they got there AFTER us). i didn't understand why? ..it was mother's day, so i understand.. some extra waiting is in order. but WHY THAT LONG? seriously? i had some chicken dish & my mom had fettuccine bolognese. NEITHER of which needed extra preparation time. after our entrees were taken away.. it took forever for the server to offer us dessert menus, but whatever. the thing is... my mother & i didn't complain once. i heard all the other servers apologizing about them waiting.. when only waited like 10 min maybe. OURS didn't apologize once, and didn't check up on us ONCE (during appetizer, entree, OR dessert). ok, so the food.. was ok. the dessert was ok. neither the service nor food will make us want to come back here.
I guess this is really a place for hip down tempo atmosphere more than anything else. Still, I can't honestly say that I've ever had a bad experience here. Be it brunch, lunch, dinner, or drinks, its always been a pleasurable experience. Their food doesn't wow me, but its definitely quite good. The bar is charming and there are always at least a few hotties floating about.
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I love this place. The squash ravioli is awesome. The drinks are awesome. The chocolate souffle is beyond awesome.
I'm sure everyone has said everything to be said but I'd like to give my personal kudos to the bartenders. They are knowledgeable and highly skilled. We were introduced to V vodka and Ultima, a-mazing.
The table service is hit and miss. I have great waiters and really REALLY bad waiters.
My guy friends really like this place and we've gone there twice. I love it.
I like the fact that they play some dope house music and it gets played louder toward the end of the night. I wish they made this place a real lounge.
So far I've had the Linguine Al Pescatore and it is REALLY tasty... a great value with all the seafood you get. The portion is huge!
My friend got this grilled chicken plate and it just looked mediocre.
The fried calamari and bready is really excellent. Crispy and delicious.
Looking for a great place to eat after shopping at old town? You might want to check out this popular spot.
The atmosphere is lively, with a variety of patrons of all shapes and sizes. Start up with a few drinks at the bar if there is a wait, they have a few Italian beers that are uniquely familiar to the domestic beers we're accustomed to.
Their focaccia bread will definitely hold you off 'till the entrees roll in.
You can't go wrong with anything on the Chef's menu, it might be a little more pricey, but you won't regret it.
There is public parking across the street on Green St. I believe you get the first 90 minutes free, and it's $2/hr thereafter.
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Mi Piace, still my favorite Italian restaurant of all time! LOVE this place! Been here more than two dozen times if not more, Service is great, decent portions, just Everything on the menu is truly delicious!
The pastries/desserts are scrumptious too! Expect a small wait even with reservations but that's because the Food is incredible?! :-)
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So I was thirteen when this place became the hip place for twentysomethings to hang out in like '90. I went a bunch of times with my parents and with cousins who were twentysomethings or thirtysomethings. It was always crowded, and although I was fascinated by all the beautiful women, it was the early '90s, so their hair really wasn't that beautiful, and the food wasn't that good. Or maybe it was, but I don't remember it. I just remember it being crowded.
This place does serve good Italian food. I loved it a lot actually when it was my first time. I did notice though that the service was not that great. I had a hostess that was working both the inside and the outside and the people on the outside were complaining on how slow the service was and how they were no satisfied on not receiving their bread or drinks. I thought our drinks were given to us very fast but for the bread it took very long time and once we did get it there was no olive oil with if for 10 minutes. I do like the place though and will go there again sometime soon when I'm craving some food from them. Also the music is very fun and nice ! :) I enjoyed a lot and think this place is a nice setting with friends and if you want to just sit and relax for a long time and talk over some things with your friends.
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Been here twice! Once for a friend's bday dinner and another time for lunch! Both times, we had a party of over 10 and although we had reservations...we still had to wait!
Luckily, both times the bar on the right side of the restaurant was empty so we were able to wait and chill there! Their food is good..the first time I had the al pollo in bbq pizza and it was fine. enough to share. the second time i came, i wasn't very hungry so i settled for the insalata mi piace! Both dishes were very mediocre...nothing to really scream about!
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This is always a great choice if you want to eat some good Italian food with great drinks at a reasonable price. I've never been dissapointed but never fully impressed. The wait can be a drag if you fail to make a reservation. I suggest making a reservation for any night of the week. Great for parties, celebrations, chatting with friends or even a date.
Someone once told me this place was ridiculously expensive, so I was anxious when my high school pals decided to go there for our reunion. Turned out it was only $20/ person for the 6 of us. We ordered 2 pastas, 1 rice, 1 pizza, and 4 desserts to share, and it was just right.
The food was good, but the restaurant was extremely crowded. There was hardly room to move between tables. No wonder their waiters were so skinny (well, maybe not all of them)! Our reservation was for 7pm (and I was stupid to have arrived on time), but we didn't get seated until close to 8pm (partly because our people were late). The servers were a tiny bit pushy/rude as well. In general, making a reservation is highly recommended for the weekend, because this place is hugely popular in Pasadena.
There's valet parking outside the restaurant for $7 with validation and $10 without. Public parking structures are $6 flat rate, or $2/hour after the first 90 minutes.
after 147 reviews, i have nothing new to add, but i would like to reiterate certain points.
1. nice date spot in pasadena
2. cool hip decor
3. beautiful crowd
4. full bar
5. busy on weekend evenings
6. decent food but not fabulous
7. affordable
8. nice date spot
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Always a good eat. I used to come here for the shell pasta, but they no longer have that on the menu.. I highly recommend the Mojito here (:
I've eaten here a couple of times, and each time was enjoyable. Calamari is delicious! In general, the food is good and the prices are not bad either. The atmosphere is pretty nice, but not too fancy. They also have some delicious-looking pastries and cakes in the front of the restuarant too...never tried them, but they look good.
After many family members and friends raved about this place, I finally decided to eat lunch there one day. My two friends both ordered a pasta with a cream sauce a bits of meat in it. It was neither tasty nor well-made since halfway into our meal, the pasta's oil (??) started oozing through the crevices. It looked repulsive, knowing all that would be going in our system. I ordered a simple sandwich, half salad special and it was just mediocre -nothing special. In the end, we left the pastas uneaten and paid the hefty bill. Mi Piace's did not step up to all its hype. I'd rather eat at Macaroni Grill..
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This is my all-time favorite Italian spot to eat. Their Polo Mi Piace is awesome. The lasagna is made fresh per order. The shrimp scampi is better then anywhere else I have had it. They have this spinach salad with dried cherries & sweetened walnuts that is like desert but only enough to enjoy it still as a salad. & the deserts are all at worst, pretty good.
I was a frequent patron here before the big remodel when it was waaay smaller then it is now & would always tell anyone who wanted a great meal in Pasadena to go their & I still would today. My only gripe is that since the big remodel, this place has gone a bit on the "trendy" side and has been flooded with people ever since. The service has suffered a bit because of it, but for the price, it's def. something worth dealing with.
Before the renovation I would easily give this place 5 stars, but since the service isn't what it used to be, it gets four from me.
Even though there is the service issue to deal with and it can get full on the weekends, I still highly recommend it. Do yourself a favor & be sure to make reservations.
Mr. Food and I hit up this place for the first time last friday after feening for some new italian grubbage. We were seated right away in the back where I had a full view of the entire restaurant.
I ordered a caesar salad that was big enough for two people (and i dont know if they mean to make the portions that big, but everyone around us seemed to be sharing the salad) . He ordered the minestrone (again.. ginormous bowl) then settled on sharing a fettucini alfredo (again split. their portions were big enough for us to go home very very full.)
it was fantastic. I believe Mi Piace is my new favorite dinner place. The waitress jenn was super nice, constantly filling up the parmesan crusted bread and teasing me for still having room for the 15 minute wait chocolate soup. The dessert was literally melt in your mouth fantastic.
For a cafe, the price may be a little much. but so worth it. There's even an outdoor patio on the sidewalk where you can people watch which i love.
Great date place.
and if youre feeling frisky after your date you can visit the hole in the wall adult store two window fronts down (:
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The first and last time I went to this restaurant was a very unenjoyable experience. I ordered some pasta (forgot which one).. it was swallowable and definitely nothing to write home about. I went with my family. My parents both ordered coffee (big mistake) because the waittress poured their coffee from an almost empty pot (she even poured in the grounds at the bottom in front of them!!) ... Didn't even offer asking them if they wanted to wait for a new batch. i may not have much life experience in general, but this tells me that the service there is horrible. The hostess that day was also unpleasant.
This place deserves one star, but i'll give 'em two because the atmosphere was at least somewhat enjoyable
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"Hungry hungry!" said this svelte little hippo last night. "Me too!" said another hippo. "Me three!" said the third.
I had just driven from West LA to pick up the boy in Los Feliz and head out to Pasadena to meet a friend from NorCal for dinner. "Here on business!" she said. Dinner was ON.
In lieu of having an actual location to meet at, we decided to rendezvous us at the corner of Fair Oaks and Colorado. Gotta love Old Town and how not old it is.
But 10 steps were taken before one of the hippos said, "Hey, I've eaten here. You want Italian?" "Food!" we replied.
In we walked. Biotch McBitchy-Pantaloons (she hyphenated, not wanting to lose McBitchy as her surname) was working the hosting station. "We have this super shitty table by the door right where everyone hovers..." she basically said. "Maybe we'll go elsewhere," one of my fellow hungry hippos suggested. Suddenly overwhelmed by a desire for Italian food, I began operation, "Nah, let's wait for another table." I was so stealth, no one even noticed my conniving. "We'll wait at the bar for a non-shitty table, por favor." And with that we slunk off to the "Lounge" which in Pasadena Italian means, "tiny white living roomish bar type area with loud music blasting-o."
Drinks were mixed by a friendly bartender. And he poured a mighty fine drink. Both under $10, which was cool, especially considering one of us was all picky about the vodka. Not really, but he got fancy anyway.
After a shorter than expected waiting time, we were ushered to our table by Biotch McI'll Seat You Now. Menus. More drinks. Food. I couldn't decide between the Shrimp Scampi (my new go to, no idea why) and the special shrimp pasta, and the waiter assured me to go with the special. When in Rome. Or something that means listen to your waiter.
Such a good decision! My pasta was delicious. It was pappardelle with a light saffron lobster cream sauce (not at all heavy) with a hugemongous shrimp (love the irony) that looked like a small lobster, and was cooked thus. Very nicely prepared and presented. The other hippos enjoyed their meals too. Pumpkin raviolis and pasta arrabiata. Yummy noises ensued between excited conversation about the environment.
Their dessert menu was like a novel with many chapters. In a flurry, I selected the chocolatey chocolate cakeuhmabob to share between us three. It was very good, and I am PICKY about my chocolate cakes. Even I was satisfied.
We paid and left after a long time talking. I appreciated not being hurried by our waiter. They were attentive, but not hovering. Other folks say the service is crap, but that wasn't the case for us.
Then we began the loooong hike back to my friend's car, since she'd parked just east of Are We There Yet on the way to Where the Hell Are We. She drove us back to our car, all roundabouts and stuff. But we made it. And then we parted ways until we meet again, hopefully soon.
I don't really have much to say that's bad about Mi Piace. It fit the bill and served us well. I really appreciated the drinks too, since the ride to Pasadena had a raised voice or two in the car. But thankfully, the boy (excuse me, MAN) intelligently suggested a truce once we arrived. Wise move, Mr. It worked. I highly recommend it if you can swing it. I hope to try that again in the future if my vocal chords get stuck on 11. Turn down the volume, take a breather, try again later. Oh yeah, and don't forget to eat. :-)
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I planned a little dinner party with some friends a couple of weeks ago and I chose Mi Piace. So I set up reservations a week early for 8:30pm on a Friday.
We all arrived and stood by the bar as we waited for our table. The drinks I have to admit were moderately priced, I ordered a tanqueray ten martini which cost at only $14.00. Pretty low if you ask me. After a drink or so, we all sat and ordered. I had the Penne Al Cinque Funghi which was phenomenal! We had also ordered some Bruschetta and Calamari Fritti to get us started. Overall, our meal was delicious. I think we were actually the loudest group in the place cause we were all tanked on liquor and meatballs.
I almost forgot, I'm not a huge fan of desserts after a meal however, I decided to order the "Midnight Fantasy" and damn, sorry to go ghetto on you but "It was off-the hook".
For a party of 6 people, two appetizers, heavy alcohol drinks for everyone, and an entre with two desserts in the end; our bill came to around $236.00. Pretty good cost for a great dine and wine and tons of laughs. I definitely recommend this place for a small get-together or even a date.
Reason why I took off a star: As we got there 5 mins prior to our reservation, they made us wait 20-25 min until we were seated. Like, what the EFF! I made "reservations!".
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It was a hectic day for me on Valentine's Day. Expecting dismal service at a busy place as Mi Piace on Valentine's day, I was seriously thrown off by their well organized well trained staff sans the bar.
Our reservation was for 9:30 and we checked in at 9:00 and headed to the bar. The bartender had the worst attitude and he mumbled half of the things he said. I ordered a martini for my GF and a Sam Adams for myself with a glass. The glass literally tasted like it came half-washed from the washer with a taste of blended bleach and detergent so strong it felt like Clorox made the beer. By 9:25, a friendly hostess came by and sat us before our reservation time, on Valentine's Day. It was simply amazing.
Our waitress was even nicer than the hostess. She had a great attitude, followed up in proper time, and even dissuaded us from getting a certain wine which I actually appreciated.
The bread that comes at Mi Piace is absolutely devine. Very garlicy and not too oily, it was a great start to a great meal. We ordered the Mi Piace Salad which was pretty forgettable. Chopped iceberg tossed in a vinaigrette with 2 olives, 2 slices of cucumbers, 2 slices of tomatoes, and 2 pieces of peppercinnis.
I ended up getting the veal with mashed potatoes and though it was a little too capery, I have a personal proclivity towards capers so it worked in my favor. The slices of veal were fairly tastey with vegetables steamed to almost perfection. My GF got the linguine with mussels tossed in a white wine sauce. It was the better part of dinner. The mussels weren't overcooked and neither was the pasta. The white wine sauce was a tad on the bland side but again, I prefer my pastas a little bland so it worked out for the best.
Almost everything went perfectly at our first visit to Mi Piace. Within our meal alone, we had 2 other follow-ups by 2 that weren't even our waitress and the service was straight up service from a 3 star restaurant. I'm hopeful that my next visit will be just as great as my first, just as long as I forget to go to the bar.
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I like this place. Every time I have been here, the food is always good, and consistent. Service can be a little rushed during peak hours, but that is sometimes what you get in a popular spot, such as this one. I've also eaten at their other location in the San Fernando Valley, and the Pasadena location does far and away better with service than the valley location. The portions of everything are pretty large, so be prepared to split your meal or bring some home.
People watching is pretty good here, too, so if you're into that sorta thing, sit outside or near the windows.
On the weekends, in the evening, it can be a bit of a scene, and quite loud, but some people like that, I guess.
EDIT: the last time I went here to meet an old friend for lunch, the server was great but it took well over 30 minutes to get our food, um, I got a panini!!!--without any meat!--wtf?! So, yeah, if they start giving you a song and dance about this dish usually takes a while, I would complain...that was ridiculous and the only reason we stayed was b/c a) I knew it would be good, once it got there and b) no point in trying to start over somewhere else, but ugh, how annoying!