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Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: Pasadena
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I had to up my review to 5 stars. Shakers in Pasadena is gone. Replaced by more condos. There are so few genuine breakfast places left that it breaks my heart. Come to Central Park for breakfast! They have great breakfast, leisurely service - hey who wants to rush in the morning anyways - nice view of the park, parking on the side, friendly staff.
My recent experiences at Central Park Cafe have been top notch. Excellent food, friendly staff, good service, and no one rushing us at all. I love their breakfasts!
Central Park was opened by the same group that owns Shakers, a local coffee shop. Central Park is a… Read more »
The food was good, but not amazing. Especially for being on the expensive side. Also, this place can feel a little stiff. The typical clientele seem a bit snooty.
I didn't have a bad experience here, but there's nothing to draw me back.
3.5 stars for this place.
My friends and I came here for brunch. We found this place on Yelp while we were driving out to Pasadena. We were planning on hanging out in Old Town Pasadena afterwards. We had passed by this place several times and didn't know that it was a restaurant. We were glad that we stopped by to try it out. The staff was friendly and the food was good. The spicy hawaiian pizza that one of my friends ordered was pretty good. The portuguese sausage omelet that I ordered was pretty good as well. This is a place that will be on my brunch list when I am in the Old Town Pasadena area.
This is a small cafe that has a kinda old school comfort cafe feel to it. The parking lot is small so you might have to park on the street. I ordered the atlantic benedict and the chick ordered a bacon avocado omelette. Food took quite a long time even though it wasnt that busy. Luckily, the food was pretty good. The salmon & shrimp cake on my benedict was very flavorful. My only qualm was the poached egg was too hard. For a benedict the poached egg should be soft. Had some of the chick's omelette and that was very good. There were also waffles, pancakes, and french toast on the menu. I'll have to try those next time.
In an attempt to explore restaurants other than the ones on Colorado i landed at this place. It is about 3-4 blocks walk from old town. By the time i got there i was really hungry as the walk was longer than anticipated. It is a casual dining place which offers above average service. I ordered the wild mushroom pizza and my friend ordered the seafood fest. there pizza redefined the statement of delicious thin crust pizza. The mushrooms were greasy and extremely flavorful. Not sure if they saute them or what , but all i remember is i couldn't help myself from finishing it :)
The free appetizer bread is fresh and toasty. Hint of herbs on the bread accompanied by olive oil & pesto made a very good appetizer. A complete Italian food experience for under $20 is not bad as long as you driver there ;)
The bad:
Had to wait a while to be served due to servers "not knowing who was responsible for our table"
Server dropped my food in back (honest mistake) but brought out my date's food promptly...mine was brought out when he was almost done.
The good:
Inexpensive grapefruit juice (I'm used to paying as much as 8 bucks a glass- this was less than $3) as well as totally reasonable food $$$
Braised Short Rib hash is pretty good- onion-y and rich.
My meal was COMPED, and the server was really sweet. That made up for everything.
Thanks for not making things awkward, Central Park. (Except for your sparse interpretation of a Manhattan skyline) ;-p
I came here quite a while ago and have been meaning to finish my review, which I realized was too long for what I wanted to say, so:
From what I remember, it was a disappointment
I circled the block about 4 times (all the way to green street) before I found a space to park (I had to wait for someone to leave the lot). Now I'm wondering why because my experience wasn't that memorable - why was this place so busy?!
Service was okay, nothing exceptional; she was busy and took a while for the bill.
Atmosphere - I liked that everything was woodsy and bricksy, and that there were B&W photos of all kinds of old movie stars.
Food was good enough, but....
Prices were steep, but I guess that's just what people charge for breakfast anywhere outside your home.
Well, I haven't been back and don't plan to be. I'd rather make breakfast at home.
Breakfast/brunch menu is great. The lunch, its less than spectacular, not like their breakfast in which everything is amazing. When friends visit from out of town, I always take them here for breakfast.
I went for lunch once and was not impressed with the menu. I was also subjected to this crazy waiter who not get the F*** away from my table, he was that annoying.
I gave this place two chances for breakfast and unfortunately, it did not pass muster. The first time I had the breakfast quesadilla. It was decent, but nothing that really stood out. Service was OK - not exceptionally friendly or attentive. About an hour after eating there, I went to the Flea Market and well, lets just say I'm glad the Rose Bowl has toilets everywhere.
The second time I went (I know, I know - what was I thinking) I ordered the California omelette and hoped for the best. Again - it tasted OK but nothing really stood out. I prayed for a trouble free stomach and luckily I was OK. Just really disappointed by the food. My son had the French Toast and hardly ate it - and he LOVES French Toast. But I could see why. Usually you dip the toast in egg, but this looked like an omelette with some bread inside. This French Toast was bright, egg-yellow. And the syrup was like water.
So far Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles is still on the top of my breakfast list in Pasadena.
Decent. Met a friend here for a casual dinner/meeting. I love that they have their own parking lot which is hard to find in the old pasadena neighborhood. The wait staff is very friendly. They are attentive and if you are chatting away, they wont come and bother you every 10 minutes or make you feel rushed.
I had the tomato stack which had a very sweet delicious balsamic reducton. My friend had the napa valley salad which I believe he likes.
The OK part came with our pizza. We got the wild mushroom pizza. One word...HEAVY. It had a lot of bacon, garlic, flavorful mushrooms and a pretty good crust. I mean it was just so overwhelming in terms of flavor that I could only eat two slices.
It looked like a lot of older couples make this place their "regular" Monday night dinner spot.
I would come here again if I wanted to catch up with someone or have a quick meeting.
ohhhh I got it....Upscale diner!
Utterly disappointing! The eggs benedict with salmon cake was borderline disastrous. The poached eggs were over cooked, while the salmon cake seemed like the frozen-then-warmed variety. The hollandaise was also barely warm and not flavorful. I even watched another patron who had ordered the same dish take a couple of bites, then with a look of disdain on his face, had his waitress take it back! The accompanying side of fruit was fine, decent, but I didn't like the fact that I wasn't given a choice for the side. Who's to say I feel like fruit, maybe I'm in the mood for hash browns! Don't tell me what to do! Nyeah!
As for my dining companion's waffles with bananas and walnuts? Those waffles could cut up your mouth, they were so over crispy and again, cold! The fresh bananas were good, but only half thanks to nature.
Fairly pricey considering the lacking food and furthermore lackluster service. The waiter was very inattentive, and then at one point just placed the check on the table without saying a word, just very quickly, casually and while in passing. Hella whack. Quite a shame considering the nice location and set up of the restaurant. Perhaps better cook and wait staff, or reducing the prices so that they more appropriately reflect the quality of food...otherwise? No.
I came here for breakfast today with a few girl friends and I really enjoyed it! The place was kinda sneaky to find because the sign wasn't really visible from where I was driving.
I had an omelette- Farmer's Egg Whites. It was really delicious! Not too cheesy either. It had a lot of mushrooms for my taste but for about 9 bucks it was a good deal. I got the omelette, hash brown and buttered toast. Needless to say I was very full! The waiter was very friendly and attentive to us so we all had a good time.
Pro:
Food is delicious
Service was great
There is free parking in the back
The place is really clean and has a nice touch of Hollywood
Cons:
Most of the food is a wee bit pricey
Every time I come here, I really want to like this place. Every time I come here, I go away completely disappointed by some element of my meal. it is different every time.
First visit: PRO: ordered a fantastic french toast confection that tasted amazing. Coffee was great. CON: service was slow and spotty (that's putting it nicely), plus the place was kind of a mess, with a lot of unbussed tables.
Second visit: PRO: coffee really great. Ordered an omelette, which was just okay, but I'll stick it in the plus column. Everyone else's food seemed to be good, so a plus there. CON: Service! They couldn't figure out who was supposed to be waiting on our table? Something. It took them forever just to get us set up with drinks then get back to take orders. Disappointing as I took a friend here who I really wanted to like the place.
Third visit: AWFUL! PROs: The great coffee was the only good thing about the meal. That and, my waiter was pretty attentive and on the spot/quick, as well as somewhat pleasant, though he kept calling me ma'am which made me look around for my mother... but I won't hold that against him. :-P CONs: Ordered a pretty basic meal, scrambled eggs, turkey sausage patty, and hash browns. The eggs were burned (I ordered them 'hard' which just means NOT MUSHY, it does not mean actually browned and crispy), hash browns were half raw, greasy, lukewarm and did I mention they were not adequately cooked through (mmmm, half raw potato, NOMS!) and the turkey sausage was... grey. And cold. Seriously. Most unappetizing breakfast out I've had in a long time. I ordered pretty simple food, people. If you can't get the simple food right, you have no business being IN business, no matter how good your froufrou french toast concoctions are.
So. Two stars because as much as this place could be amazing, they just routinely don't seem to make it that far. It is always something, which I suppose is a sort of consistency, but I'd love to see them be consistently good in every aspect. I think they could be. But I don't know if I'll bother going back a fourth time to find out if they ever get there.
Good to decent food. Great place to go for work lunches. I think they should work on their sides more and offer a vegie and starch with each order.
We were driving past Russels the morning after a wedding, and decided to skip the line and keep driving. Our very hungover compadre in the backseat spied Central Park Cafe and yelled "Stop! No line!".
Four stinky haggard patrons were immediately sat, and received amazing super speedy service from our awesome blonde waitress. I hope she reads this. One of us drank three large glasses of tomato juice. She was totally on it. the food was great! the brunch options were insane. I got the farmer's egg white omelette, in an attempt to reconcile a weekend of red meat, booze and buttery goodness. Our table also had the frittata omelette, and two of the brunch specials, one was a rib benedict fabulous kinda thing, the other was a crap/shrimp benedict program. Good times, great taste. coffee cups were kinda small, but the coffee was good, and refilled in a timely fashion.
I really like the decor of this place. It's very different, and provides ample conversation topics for your table.
This cute little restaurant overlooking Pasadena's version of Central Park sits in a small lot with a little hair salon. Get here early or prepare to park on the street - luckily, there are a lot of spots around the park in case the teeny lot gets full.
I had the atlantic salmon provencal for lunch. It was pretty much as expected, no better, no worse. I love salmon, and it didn't disappoint. But in no way did the dish wow me either.
I really wish I had more to say. This might be a cute place for brunch. I'd come here again.
PRETTY GOOD PLACE (3.5)
We've been here many times for Sunday Brunch and last Friday was the first time for dinner. It was wonderful.
We started with the truffle parmesan fries and a bowl of lobster bisque--just like the picture on their site. They were really, really, really good. Our entrees were the following: salmon with truffle mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables, and the cioppino. The salmon was just so fresh and the truffle mashed potatoes were really good. The cioppino was full of octopus, salmon, shrimp, mussels, and manila clams. There was a tomato broth that was a little too salty, but the seafood was just fine.
I would have given them a full 4 stars if the tomato broth was perfectly seasoned, even though I found it a little salty, the warm bread made it just right for dipping.
Yes, we've been here almost a dozen times for Sunday Brunch, and we'll be returning. And for dinner? Definitely return sometime soon.
After driving around endlessly trying to find a different restaurant one night, my friend and I found Central Park in passing. I screamed for him to stop and he u-turned so we could take a closer look. It was nearing 10pm and we were starving so we decided to give Central Park a try.
Central Park was everything I could have wanted it to be and more with a small dimly lit covered patio (perfect for dates) and tables inside, I was in restaurant heaven. These are the restaurants I live and yelp for. We sat out in the atrium/patio area as I took in my surroundings and all I could mutter was how much I loved it.
I ordered the penne mushroom pasta with a vodka sauce, I don't remember the name but I highly recommend it because it was delicious! My friend had the short ribs which melted in your mouth and were covered with a sauce with a side of whipped mashed potatoes. My mouth waters as I'm writing this. And of course, I couldn't resist the truffle fries which were on the menu. These were the best truffle fries I've ever had.
Capping off dinner with a glass of riesling and a two scoops of icecream, I couldn't have been more satisfied with my meal. Probably why I quickly fell into a food coma as soon as I hit my pillow that night.
The service was great, our waitress was very attentive to us and recommended great dishes when we asked. Management was accomodating since we walked in around 9:30 and the restaurant closed at 10. Fellow yelpers, I highly recommend this place!
Since I have family that lives in Pasadena I've passed this place I'd say at least one hundred times.....and almost every time I've passed, I've thought "I must go there one day" What's Central Park all about? Well, let me tell you....a must go to on Sundays for brunch. Their menu is perfect! Perfect? Really? Yes. and the reason I say yes, is because there is something for EVERYONE!!! The Alaskan Benedict is truly delicious! And lets not discuss the french toast....OMG!!! Citrus batter dipped, croissant bread, sprinkled with CHOCOLATE shavings AND powdered sugar! Get outta town!!! Its directly across the street from Central Park in Pasadena so you can walk off your Moulin Rouge French Toast and get all sober after you've had countless Mimosas!
Central Park gets my vote!!!
YES THEY CAN!!!!
This place use to be a 50's diner, right? And wasn't it called "Circle Jerks" or something like that? Ewwww
Anyways, this place is pretty recommendable. It's pretty kick ass that they have their own parking lot, but that's not the best part. Their menu is tasty, but even THAT'S not the best part. The best part, in my opinion, is the lighting. I'm a sucker for a dimly lit place, and on some occasions the food and drink is inconsequential. This place has the right kinda dim! Lucky for you, the food and drink is just as comfy.
Yes, as in FRIEND's.. But this place 4-sho, is overall pretty good. Breakfast is always packed till 2 p.m., (that's when they stop serving the morning goods). For lunch and diner, I really can't review this menu, as i truly haven't tried it personally.
HA-HA,
But my cousin did, and she ordered the chicken sandwich, which; for the price, was notsoogud!!
Stick to breakfast, and I think you'll be safe!! (though everyone doesn't always want to be safe; Old Town Pasadena has way too many options to consider, instead of just getting a chicken sandwich that is equal to Norms!!
I came here for dinner and was debating on having either the crab tower or the special which was the Ono. I asked the server which would he do and he said the Ono but I wasn't that hungry so I ended up ordering the crab tower.
It looked a lot better than it tasted. The flavors did not contrast each other and it all seemed to taste the same and the crab didn't have much flavor or maybe it was because of the other things that dulled my senses.
I did end up tasting the Ono and I realized that I should have listened to the server and order that. It was really good!.
Cute restaurant, the hostess was very nice and the server was great too!
Only been here once but the breakfast was definitely worth mentioning. I enjoyed the:
"Alaskan Benedict
Two Poached Eggs over Salmon & Rock Shrimp cakes with Chipotle Aioli on a toasted English Muffin. Topped with Hollendaise Sauce & served with Fresh Fruit."
and had the opportunity to taste the:
"Moulin Rouge French Toast -Croissant dipped in Citrus Batter, Grilled & Sprinkled in Chocolate shavings & Powdered Sugar and Served with Fresh Sliced Strawberries."
We ordered both of these since they were very unique and satisfied both the sweet and savory desire. Although the server was helpful he had not personality and kinda took away from the whole experience. Even with that said, I would go back again and again.
This place was so good. I went during the week and we had the best meal.
First off it was a cold day so we got soup and decided to go with the crab bisque!!! Whoa- huge fresh chunks of crab. I have never had anything like this. We also ordered the seafood salad that was super fresh: shrimp, clams, calamari and salmon...with a light vinegrette...superb! Lets not forget the garlic fries.
Everything was awesome and I think the cafe is a cute little spot to just go intimately with another person. Sitting by the window is always lovely since Pasadena is beautiful!
Food was great once we got it. Service was slower than a dead turtle! Had to ask for coffee four times! food was cold the first time it came out.
Cute place... Go if your not in a huge rush or starving. ;)
Located on the corner right across from Pasadena's Central Park, this restaurant is supposed to be reminiscent of New York's Central Park. The interior has old pictures of celebrities and a simple wall painting of the NY skyline. The mood of the restaurant is darker (some might call it romantic?) than a brightly lit diner.
I went here for breakfast, and might I say, the typical American breakfast is not vegan friendly. They offered french toast, waffles, omelets, steak and eggs, bagels, etc. I decided to order the oatmeal and a side of hash browns. (It was either that or make my own meal from sides orders.) The oatmeal was very thick, and very plain. It was served with a tiny bit of brown sugar and raisins/ (The menu also indicated it came with milk, but I opted-out). For an additional fee I added strawberries and bananas. The strawberries were firm and sour, but that's not CP's fault, since they're not quite in season yet. Hash browns were yummy-- thinly sliced and extra crispy. I would have liked the side of hash browns portion to be a little bigger.
The waitress and staff were friendly, although the service was a tad slow. I really wished more breakfast places served healthy items without animal products since animal products = cholesterol.
Pros: Cute ambiance.
Cons: This restaurant is a little bit small, but not tiny. Service was a little slow. The parking lot is really small and filled. Metered street parking is available.
Clear skies, 75 degree weather @ 11am in the middle of January! You gotta love Los Angeles. Even better, doing breakfast with a good friend @ Central Park with good conversation. How can you beat that??? I know, dining al fresco. Unfortunately which they don't have. Regardless, its all about the food.
We shared the Alaskan benedict and the braised short rib benedict both are their house specialties. The Alaskan benedict was . . . wow wow we wow wow!. It was very tasty. On top of it was a few olives. You must have an olive with each bite. It makes it so decadent!
What's unique for braised short rib benedict is that they don't use an english muffin for a base. But rather, they use the braised short rib ("pulled") meat as the base with everything layered on top. While still very delicious, I would have prefered to also have an English muffin on the bottom, which I suggest you request if you decide to have this.
Service was friendly, quick, attentive and my friends coffee cup was never empty. Gotta love that.
I came here with low expectations. In my experience in LA, the places that are billed as 'new american/california cuisine' generally suck ass....as previous reviewers have commented, often these places remind you of those food-service quality bland oversauced american style chain restaurant food (like coco's, carrows, etc...). for me, those places are reserved either for when you're stuck in Big Box Towns with no other choices, or when it's late nite, nothing else is open, and you may or may not have tossed back a few or even pickled thy liver...otherwise, fuggedaboudit!
I'm happy to report, this place is GOOOD.
we came here on New Year's Eve day for a LATE lunch at like 2:15pm, so these two factors combined musta been the reasons for its generally empty state. Therefore, perhaps i'm unqualified to call the service good, though it was, due to not going during 'peak' restaurant time.
What I do have to go on is food quality, value, and ambience.
First of all, it's a relaxing hang. High ceilings, a lot of glass. We sat by the window and it's a pleasant view of the Park and it's set far enough back from the street (or is well insulated enough) that you don't hear the traffic buzzing by on Fair Oaks.
The FOOD--
We ordered the Tomato Stack for starters. It came together with the two entrees, which were the Napa Valley Salad and the Crab Tower Salad.
My conclusions?
INGREDIENTS---fresh. I am a tomato addict and the 'Stack' did me up (including yellow heirloom tomatoes)! It was also a great combo with crisp sweet red onion, basil, pine nuts, mozzarella and gorgonzola cheese.
SALADS--this is indeed a really good place to get 'em.
I was skeptical of the Crab Tower Salad in particular, b/c crabmeat is usually fake, and also loaded down with mayo. This one was neither. The cole slaw portion of this dish was also more on the cabbage and was not drowned in mayo either--and still tasty.
The Napa Valley Salad was notable for big juicy brandied (dried) cherries .
PORTIONS--HUGE. Normally a huge portion is not a good qualifying point, but when it's coupled with fresh and good food, then I oblige (and don't mind taking back the leftovers at all)....
VALUE-- two iced teas, and the above starter and two entrees, all came to like 40 bucks with tip. And as mentioned, you get A LOT of food for this deal.
I am curious to try their breakfast/brunch menu next time i'm there.....
The name gives off the impression of a cute, quaint little cafe, and it is. It is as easy going and relaxing as if you were going to Central Park.
I just had a standard ham and egg breakfast, but it was cooked great. The egg yolks were runny just right, that together with the hash brown and ham, just were so yummy. Ohhh, that's right, and it had hollandaise sauce on it, and usually most places its too creamy or rich, but I didn't mind this one at all.
My friend had a deviled egg which I also got to try, and that was pretty great as well. That about made my morning, and actually made me think the new year was going to be pretty great (as I ate here after the Rose Parade).
So its a nice location and quite "central" too, being on fair oaks. This is a recommend.
Where to find breakfast in Pasadena???
We find this cozy lil spot with limited parking....
and with what appears to be seating in a sun room area.
It's a homely lil brick and wood decor. I ordered the eggs Benedict..not the one with the hash...just plain old eggs Benedict. After all its my first time here so I don't want to go to crazy. The waiter looked like a certain actor....Christopher Walken. He wasn't but...I wanted to ask him if he could just say "cowbell" just once. Buhahahaha!
Honestly, this place reminds me of Bills from Willow Glen area...
if Bills opened up a branch in Pasadena and offered food during the rest of the day and subtract the bar then yeah this would be it. They serve wine...but nothing else.
*minus one for the lack of a full bar
Coffee cup never emptied, always hot (and strong) thanks to great service. Banana walnut pancakes were crisp and yummy. Cool looking décor -- like the photos. Looking forward to dinner one day.
Great for Sunday brunch! It's not crazy crowded and the restaurant has its own parking lot. A few of us met at 10am and got seated right away.
Food was yummy - I got the breakfast quesadilla with some coffee.
Overall, I was please... until the check came. No free refills - but no one told us. Paid $5 for coffee! GRRR.
Let me begin with the hostess AKA Ms. Stoic. She had no smile, no personality, and hardly a greeting. I was running very late to meet a friend and when I walked in, she looked at me with a blank look and a hardly audible "hi". I told her I am here to meet someone who surely should be here. I asked her if she had seated *description of my friend* who was by himself and waiting for someone. She told me she didn't know and that I could look around. Why wouldn't she know? She's the hostess. It is not a big restaurant, and it was not busy. Turns out my friend was later than me!
Then the waitress. She was nice and friendly. Almost as soon as we sat down, she asked if we were ready. We weren't. Then she came back a loooooooooooooooooong time later. I didn't time her but many conversations had passed before she came back.
The food. I ordered the 'Central Park's Huevos Rancheros' and it was bland with a pile of cheese melted on top. My friend just had 2 eggs and some hash browns, neither impressive nor horrible.
In conclusion: I would not return and would not recommend anyone to this place.
One of the few places with a strong breakfast, lunch AND dinner. I've been here several times after a round of golf in the morning or dinner with friends in the evening, and it's been great almost every time. (There was *one time* where our order somehow got lost between the server taking it and the kitchen, and we waiting for about 30 minutes with no food. However, I very politely explained what happened to the manager and he made it right, so no problems there. For all those who have unfortunately been burned by the service, I would recommend that you explain your situation to the manager. At least give the restaurant the chance to make it up to you. If you still feel like they are not willing to meet you halfway, then yeah I understand if you don't want to come back. If you read Jim's review below, it really would have been a shame if he and his wife never gave this place a 2nd try because he ended up actually liking this place.)
Anyway, my favorite spot to sit in is the what I would call a sun room, where there are windows both overhead and to the side. It overlooks the parking lot, but I still think it's the most pleasant part of the restaurant. My fave things on the menu: Breakfast - ham and eggs. The ham is NOT salty. Most places will serve you this super super salty ham. Not here! Lunch - the chicken caprese sandwich or the dagwood burger. Both are excellent. Dinner - the short ribs or the balsamic brick chicken. The chicken is served with a reduced balsamic vinegar that is sweet and almost syrupy. Just excellent. Price wise, I really think this place is an excellent value. Short ribs are a fairly fancy thing to prepare and I think that on the menu of other places it's $25 or more. Nearly everything on the menu is less than $20. Mrs. C likes the crab bisque soup and the tomato stack (it's a caprese salad with tomato and mozzarella).
I had a very good burger here. The best part for me was the hamburger buns, they looked like to shiny buttocks smeared in oil, but they tasted so much better.
I also had a spoonful of the butternut squash soup, I think in that one spoonful I was convinced, I may like butternut squash.
Also tried the tomato stack salad, that was also delicious! I'd come back, this place was pretty darn tasty.
OH MAN, almost forgot, the best part was the Triple Layer Carrot cake, that was so good, and the best part, no raisins, I hate raisins.
After visiting a friend in the hospital, we found ourselves driving up Fair Oaks and hungry. Mojito's restaurant was on my mine, but Central Park loomed up ahead of us. "Wanna try it?" Sure! Especially since I had a faint memory of just reading Peter D's review and how this was a favorite of his.
It's a favorite of ours also now. The atmosphere is quaint and cozy, dimly lit, clean lines, and movie legends portraits adorn the wall. We ate with Marilyn, Elvis, Rhett Butler and Scarlet, and the Rat Pack. We were sooo hungry it was hard to decide what to get, but we finally made our choices while we snacked on focaccia. I liked that they offer it with olive oil and what appeared to be balsamic soaked bits of sun dried tomato? Delish.
My Wild Mushroom Penne with truffle oil was the bomb! Plenty of mushrooms and perfect sautéed in garlic. The entrée ordered was the Asian Baby Back Ribs. Sooooo tender and the garlic plum BBQ sauce was excellent. The Asian slaw with sesame oil complimented it perfectly. No the AuGratin potatoes with it I thought was just weird. Cheese and Asian food just don't go together in my book, but my friend loved the potatoes and said cheese goes with ANYTHING. Whatever. The potatoes were good, but maybe a garlic fried rice would have been a better pairing. We sat in silence devouring, savoring, and smacking our lips. And everything reasonably priced.
Aahh, full and satisfied. Dessert?? Okay. The dessert menu was small and simple. I opted for the Brioche Bread Pudding and Caramelized Apples per the waitress's suggestion. And it was unique. A refined bread pudding if you will. Delicate and light with a fine smooth texture and almond flavor.
Perfectly satisfied. It's actually a nice date place. Cozy, excellent food, and won't break your wallet.
So my friend and I were looking for somewhere different to have breakfast or at least get a cup of coffee and happened to pass by Central Park Cafe. We had no idea it was even there, but I'm glad we decided to try it. She had the egg, bacon and avocado omelette which was full of big chunks of avo.... so good. I had the belgium waffle and I was really impressed. Flaky on the outside, moist on the inside, and it even soaked up the syrup so it didn't get all over my eggs.
The only slight down side is the staff. The hostess forgot about us...literally forgot, she threw the list of people's names away and left us sitting outside forever. It took us 10 minutes to flag someone down to get a cup of coffee and water and we had to ask to get silverware.
Overall, great food, good place to take kids... just needs a little work in the customer service department.
I wasn't that hungry when we came here a few minutes before 4pm - when they start serving from the dinner menu.
What's the main difference between the lunch and dinner menu? Other than a few extra items, the dinner menu items cost a couple bucks more.
The menu contains the standard American fare with burgers, salads and sandwiches. Apparently it is affiliated with other local restaurants- Shakers and Wild Thyme. I haven't been to either, so I'm unable to make a comparison. CP is supposedly an upscale version of those restaurants. It is a nice place with dark wood interior and white table cloths.
I ordered the tomato stack. It wasn't such a stack as much as it was more of a scatter. The balsamic and the basil complimented the tomato and two cheeses (mozarella & gorgonzola) very well. It was freaking good. I had wished there was more of it though even when I wasn't that hungry. The other folks in my group liked their burgers, fish and chips and salad. But after reading some of the other reviews and skimming through the menu, I'm thinking that breakfast is where Central Park shines. I'll have to come back for that one day soon. If there is one thing I love in life, it's a good breakfast.
Parking was ample. Service was good and they take the KCRW Fringe Benefits card for a 15% discount. w00t.
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I went to Central Park for dinner one night when my original restaurant nearby was closed, so I went in with no expectations. I saw that it was Zagat rated, so I thought the food would be decent.
However, the food was beyond decent--it was spectacular! I ordered the Sweet Braised Short Ribs, and it was cooked to perfection. The meat was super tender. My dish (and just about every other dish) came with a side of Yukon Gold mashed potatoes, which were also mouth-watering. The presentation of the meal was pleasing to the eyes.
Our hostess and waiter were friendly, and the restaurant's layout and decor were interesting. It was definitely a relaxing and delicious experience, and I will definitely be back.
OK here it goes......review the old SODAJERKS to the now CENTRAL PARK!!!
I always try to make these reviews more difficult than needed...so i give you the basics.
i have been to this quaint little restaurant many a time with my family. My mother being a very picky eater has ordered their PIZZA' MMMM Prosciutto and arugula pizza excellent combo
BBQ chicken even better choice. The cilantro gives it a nice twist and they do not drown the pizza in BBQ sauce.
My sister the meat eater WOW i had to steal more meat from her plate Juicy and cooked to perfection glazed nicely and the veggies PERFECTLY cooked to my pallet.....
Salads are always fresh their ingredients are very nice comparing with their price.
This is a nice place for a reasonable 2nd or third date ...friends gathering for chit chat and lunch etc.... I highly recommend to try this place at least once trust me it wont hurt your pocket!! let me know what you thought!!!
BON APETIT! phew done
Slamfest starting at $3.99
Rosemead, CA
10% off
Neighborhood: Glendale
Neighborhood: Pasadena
Category: Coffee & Tea
South Pasadena, CA
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: Pasadena
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Pasadena
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Pasadena
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
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