The Melting Pot, 88 W. Colorado Blvd., 2nd Floor, Pasadena, Ca. 91105, (626) 792-1941

The atmosphere and ambience at the Melting Pot is above average but the service is below average. The server was friendly but very slow and when one of our guests decided to order al la cart, the server became very confused and could not get the order straight.

This is a gimick restaurant where they serve fondue and you, in effect, cook your own food in various dipping sauces. If I or my wife want to cook our own food we will stay home. I seems, however, that a lot of people enjoy paying to prepare their own food as the restaurant was very crowded. Our guests, in fact liked the idea and would have enjoyed the experience if it hadn't been for the poor service and the poor quality of the 'cuisine'. This is not the most expensive restaurant in Pasadena but then again it is not the least expensive. It is expensive enough that one would expect to be served food of above average quality. Instead, the quality of the food items we were served was such that most people would not use those items in their own home. Even the strawberries, which were served for chocolate dipping, were not ripe or sweet.

As you can tell from the foregoing, none of us enjoyed our experience at The Melting Pot enough to return.

On the other hand, maybe we were all just to finicky as a lot of people there seemed to be having a good time and enjoying themselves.

Rob Tesser
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The Union Cattle Co., 42 South De Lacey Ave., Pasadena, Ca.,
(626) 405-0007

According to the Union Cattle Company website

The Union Cattle Company is the American chophouse, serving steaks, seafood, whisky and smores. Our Executive Chef, Edgar Ardon, uses only the highest quality ingredients and our bar is abundant with everything from our home-crafted brews to great single malt scotches. The restaurant is characterized by Western-chic décor with historical artifacts adorning the walls and a mechanical bull for those who are ready to cowboy up. Whether you ride or not, our relaxed upscale environment promises to deliver a truly unique dining experience in this day of corporate unoriginality.

Well, the atmosphere is 'western' although I don't think I would call it chick or upscale. The service is not great but it is decent, the drinks are fairly inexpensive and the crowd, while slightly rowdy is not overly obnoxious. In fact in can sometimes be fun to watch some of the guests play at being cowboys or cowgirls or watch some of the people of my age group (older but not that old) pretending that they are twenty years younger while they sometimes make fools of themselves.

The menu prices aren't bad considering you can get a 14 oz. prime rib for just $21.00, a 24 oz. porterhouse for $36.00 or if you want seafood, the oven baked halibut for $22.00. All meals include, as they say, two sides but not a salad. The quality of the beef is above average but doesn't match JJ Steakhouse or Monty's but then the prices are lower also. The main problem is that I don't think they know the meaning of rare. It's very hard to get a piece of beef that's cooked less than medium.

This is not a dress up place. Jeans and tee shirts or western attire seems to fit best.

If you like to ride or watch people ride a mechanicle bull, like to dress very casual or have a hankering to be a 'cowboy or cowgirl' or if you like rock music while you dine, the Union Cattle Co. may be just the place for you. However, if you are like me and want a relaxing meal with top quality beef and superb service, pay the extra and go to JJ or the more casual Monty's.

David G. Hallstrom, Sr.
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Colonial Kitchen Restaurant, 1110 Huntington Dr., San Marino, Ca. 91108, (626) 289-2449

Colonial Kitchen may not be in Pasadena but it's right next door in San Marino and because I like the restaurant I felt that others in Pasadena should know about it.

First, I would like to state that I have never visited this restaurant for dinner. Most of the time we go there for Sunday breakfast or lunch. Once in a while we go there for breakfast or lunch during the week.

Although most of it's patrons are over fourty, Colonial Kitchen is a family restaurant. This is a clean well kept nicely decorated place that is too nice to be considered a coffee shop but not fancy or expensive enough to be called a fine dining restaurant. In fact it's prices are on par with a high end coffee shop.

On Sundays, this is a very busy restaurant with waits, sometimes, of up to one half hour. As busy as they are the service while not superb is still very good and everyone who works there is courteous, friendly and attentive. In all the times we've gone there I have only been unhappy once and after I complained everything was fine. The manager, waiter and one of his helpers all came over and apologized and then proceeded to take very good care of us.

The main reason we go there is the food. They serve the best turkey dinner (served all day on Sundays) that I have found in any restaurant (note: My wife and I are usually very finicky about our food.). I usually have that. My wife usually has something different every time and has always liked whatever she ordered. My mother in law amost always orders the prime rib medium and has never complained. My son usually has steak, rare, and eggs and only once has he been unhappy with the steak, however, when he mentioned it to the waiter, the waiter promptly brought another steak. My daughter in law usually orders the turkey dinner or a patty melt depending on how she feels that day.

Another reason we go there is the clientel. Almost everyone there is courteous and thoughtful about other diners. No screaming kids running around (most of the children who go there seem to be well brought up and know manners), no one yelling into cellphones, no people arguing with each other, very few loud voices and no one yelling out to the waitstaff. All of this allows for a fairly relaxing and enjoyable meal. Note: No place is perfect and every once in a while you do get some ill mannered child or loudmouthed idiot, but that doesn't happen that often. So if you are a loudmouth or if you are a parent that won't or can't controll your children please ignore my review and don't visit Colonial Kitchen. Let the rest of us enjoy our relaxing meals.

In summary, nice place, good prices, very good service, excellant food and a good clientel.

David G. Hallstrom, Sr.
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Tops, 3838 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, Ca. 91107 (626) 449-4412

I eat at Tops every once in a while and I like it. Not because of the atmosphere as there isn't any. Not because of the ambience as there isn't any. Not because the place is fancy because it's not. Not because of the service as they do not provide table service and not because of the high end artisticaly prepared 'cuisine' because they don't serve 'cuisine'. They serve fast, greasy huge portions of comfort food that tastes great.

In my opinion they serve some of the best if not the best pastramis you can find in Pasadena. These pastramis are huge greasy, over filled with fatty meat and they taste fantastic. The fries and onion rings may not be heart healthy but they are delicious and the so called small order is more than large enough for two. They make a great chicken breast sandwich and although I have never tried one of their burgers other people tell me those burgers are the best fast food burgers around. Their shakes are so thick you are forced to use two straws or a spoon and they taste like they were made at an old fashion soda fountain.

Their prices are very inexpensive and they are almost always very crowded, however even though they are so busy the order takers are always patient, courteous and polite and they always have enough cooks to insure that you do not have to wait long for the food.

I normally do not care much for fast food restaurants but every once in a while I get a craving for a great pastrami so I usually end up at Tops.

David G. Hallstrom, Sr.
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Islands Restaurant, 3533 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, Ca., 91107
(626) 351-6543

The other day my wife and I were driving down Foothill Blvd and trying to decied where to have lunch. My wife decided that she felt like a large juicy burger with fries. She didn't however, want a fast food burger. She wanted a restaurant burger so I sugested that we go up to Conrad's or Coco's and try one of their burgers (believe it or not, hamburgers are not normally on our lunch list wish, so we had no idea where to obtain a good restaurant burger). At the time we were passing Island's on Foothill Blvd. and I told her that I had read several very good reviews about the restaurant, so we decided to try it.

When we entered the restaurant (about 1:20pm) we found that it was almost empty. There was a couple with two screaming kids running around, another couple that were involved in sometype of an argument, a quiet older couple, four young women who were having a very loud good time and several restaurant employees sitting around doing virtually nothing.

The hostess was very busy talking to another employee and ignored us untill I interupted her and asked to be seated. The employee who looked a little put out took us back to a booth that was between the couple with the two screaming children and four very loud women. I asked to be seated elsewhere and the employee reluctently took us to another booth a little further away, told us someone would be with us shortly and left.

Several minutes later when no one had come over to even offer us water or ask if we wanted something to drink I got up and walked back to the hostess to find out if we could get some service (by this time I was beginning to wonder if there was a rip in my suit pants or if there was something wrong with my wifes dress or if maybe one of us had stepped in something that smelled bad). The hostess signaled to a young man talking on a cell phone and told me someone would be right over.

The waiter slowly walked over to our booth, still talking on his cell phone. When he finally got to our booth he told the person on the other end to hold on and then asked us what we wanted. I told him two waters, one coffee with no cream and two menues. He said ok and walked away, again talking on his cell phone. When he returned he brought with him two coffees, cream, no waters and two menus.

After we finally got everthing straightened out he took our orders, a Big Wave burger, medium rare with fries for my wife and Tiki Tenders (listed as crisp chicken tenders) with ranch dressing for me. We also asked for ketchup, mustard and hot sauce.

About fifteen minutes later he returned with our orders minus the ranch dressing, ketchup and hot sauce. I asked for the missing items and a refill on my coffee. He came back with the ketchup and the hot sauce but no ranch dressing or coffee. Again I requested the two missing items. A few minutes later he returned with the ranch dressing but still no coffee. Finally I got a refill.

As to the food. My wife's burger was well done and very dry. My wife said that she could get a better burger at McDonalds. My chicken tenders were crisp but not tender. They were very thin chicken strips with a lot of over done batter and almost no chicken. The only item that was halfway decent was the fries. We decided that we were not that hungry and asked for the check. I also asked to speak to the manager but was told that there was no manager on premises at this time. I then asked to speak with whoever was in chargeand was told that the hostess was the one in charge but that she was currently on break.

I gave up, threw $25.00 on the table and we left.

Later that day I was talking to an associate and he stated that he could have told us not to go to that Island's. He said that in his opinion it was one of the worst run restaurants in Pasadena and that the only way you could enjoy that restaurant was if you had already had several drinks.

David G. Hallstrom, Sr.
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