Celestino

Pasta fans rejoice!  Get your fix at Celestino.  The place is run by the Drago brothers.  No doubt you've already heard of the rave reviews given to their restaurants.  Now here's another one to tack on to your to-dine list if you're around Pasadena.

I must apologize for the mediocre photos.  Not my usual quality of work.  This was all hand-shot without a tripod in very poor lighting.

Fried Mozzarella:

Battered and fried cheese is always delicious.  Fancy fried cheese is doubly delicious.  Can't go wrong ordering this starter.  What?  Did you just mutter something about calories?  Shush.  Just do it.


Jumbo Scallops w/ Cannelini Beans and Sage:

A very hearty and satisfying appetizer.  Will probably fill you up if you are a light eater.  Textures were great.  Beans had enough 'tooth' in them.  Scallops were spot-on.

Black and White Tagliolini w/ Scallops and Saffron Sauce:

Yeah it looks plain, but actually the pasta packs a huge whollop of flavor and aroma.  This was a personal recommendation from Charlie (clayfu) and I'm going to slap on my seal of approval as well.

White Truffle Linguine:

$24+ special of the night.  Worth it? Fuck yeah.  Any truffle fans want to give me some high-fives?  This was such an intense dish that palate fatigue set in a third of the way in.  Enough truffle and umami to short-circuit your brain's pleasure center.  What I especially enjoyed was how long the taste and aroma lingered in my mouth even after swallowing.  As good as this special was, I strongly suggest splitting it.  About half-way through your plate, I promise you won't even taste truffle anymore.  Wasn't kidding when I mentioned fatigue earlier.  I was going back and forth between this and the Half-moon duck ravioli to maintain my sensation of taste and smell.

Topped all this off with a sorbet trio.  Nice and refreshing after all that cheese and creaminess.



Absolutely fantastic pasta.  I know I didn't make a convincing argument, but come on guys.  I haven't made many bad calls over the years right?  Definitely my #1 dining option if I'm in the area.




Celestino Ristorante & Bar
141 South Lake Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91101
626.795-4006

Mariscos German

I grew up with sidewalk vendors/carts/food trucks in Taiwan. Street food = awesome taste:cost value (for the most part). I've heard people poke fun or turn their noses up at the idea of eating from a "roach coach". Suckas didn't know what they were missing until the recent food truck craze popularized street eats. So apparently now it is "cool". Can you see me rolling my eyes right now?

Mariscos German has been around long before the craze and have a huge fan base, so this is likely to be old news for many. Fish tacos, fresh seafood tacos, ceviche, tostadas, & complimentary seafood soup can be had at super low prices. Best bang for the buck is the $1 fish taco, which I daresay easily ranks in San Diego's top 5. You could either fill up on that, or have something more interesting.

Marlin Taco - smoked marlin, bell peppers, onions, celery & cheese

Seafood tacos at Mariscos German kick ass. Choose your (shell)fish and they'll stir-fry it up for you with bell peppers, onions, and celery and then dump it all into two toasty soft corn tortillas w/ melted cheese. Tacos of note: Marlin and Gobernador(shrimp). From experience, the smoked marlin may be a hit-or-miss, though usually it's a hit. This is my favorite taco from the truck because it is such a mouthgasmic experience. Hell, it's my favorite taco in San Diego. That marlin tastes like bacon from the sea and with each bite of the taco, your tongue will get hammered with a huge spectrum of taste and sensation. The play of sweet/savory from caramelized veggies and marlin coupled with the rich creamy mouthfeel of the cheese are complimented by the marlin's smokiness and bacon-like umami. Eat fast enough (before they tacos get soggy) and you'll be able to enjoy the texture contrast of the taco filling and the lightly crisped tortilla exterior.

Grab a handful of napkins and a fork. You're gonna need 'em.

After a heavy hitter like the Marlin taco, I like to have something light and refreshing:

Seafood combo tostada

Mariscos German serves various kinds of ceviche-topped tostadas. Each one comes with a nice big hunk of avocado too! The tostada is pretty huge and is a lunch entree in itself, so if you're not a big eater, I would suggest sharing with another person.


Oh, and don't forget to pick up your free cup of seafood veggie soup. It's good stuff.

Uncouth Gourmands

Hola! New posts are going to start rolling in soon. In the meantime, scope out Uncouth Gourmands, a new food portal that has popped up in LA. Ran by three playful and media-savvy ladies, this is sure to become a big hit. What's even more awesome is the fact that the growing UG network spans across America! Searching for good eats in major US cities has just been made even easier.

Yes, I am fully aware of this thing called "Yelp". I am not a fan of Yelp. My reasons are many, so if you truly are curious about why I'm such a hater, just e-mail me and I'll send you an essay response.

Soon to come: Celestino or Drago Centro, possibly Pie & Burger, Afghan Palace.

Lastly, I've been cleaning up the blog layout and decided to scrunch up the blog listings into two links: LA/OC and SD. While I would love to proudly display the work of all food blogging enthusiasts on my home page, it can get rather hairy. Sorry folks!

Dim-sum catch-up in Taipei

I'm baaaaack! No. Just kidding. But in the meantime, here are some photos to drool over. Can't believe I never posted them after Xi Men Ding...and of course any Taiwan related post requires a shout-out to the lovely Miss joanh, author of internet sensation The Hungry Girl's Guide to Taipei.


This set is from a quick catch-up w/ my father's college pal's family near the Taipei train station. It was actually an ambush, really. They wanted to set me up with their daughter. What a cutie! But sorry, girl, Roger is taken!

Quick shots in jpg_small, ISO 800. Not all dishes are pictured....again. G'damn I've been slackin'.


Enjoy:

I want to see this every time I walk into my kitchen.

Dim-sum ain't dim-sum w/o shumai.

That's duck.

STUFF.

These come in various fillings of your choosing--shrimp is my fav.

Too tired to write more. Those of you who still swing by here, thanks for your continued patronage. Another photo set from Taiwan coming soon!