422811 Thu Jul 19 13:26:59 -0700 2007 8 2 Los Angeles Area 0 2765468 I searched but haven't seen any recent comments. I'm going there with some friends on Sat. night for a long-overdue celebration dinner. Recommendations anyone? Thu Jul 19 13:26:59 -0700 2007 63148 jimverbose 1 2765539 it's really one of the better restaurants for food and service in pasadena in its category. the menu is seasonal, although it seems as though they keep on the protein static and change the accompaniments. some of the entreés are too heavy for summer IMHO, so we don't tend to go in this season. we always like the short ribs, salmon and whitefish. i'm sure they're on the menu with a different medley. decent wine list. we don't prefer the pizza and like the chocolate bread pudding. our favorite table is in the window. Thu Jul 19 13:41:59 -0700 2007 2765468 22959 revets2 1 2765771 I was recently there for lunch. The ambience is elegant and the service is attentive. I had a special of lamb shank which was tender and had a nice reduction with it, but I found the lamb a bit tasteless. Crab cakes were good, but not outstanding. The chocolate molten cake with ice cream was a nicely done version of this dessert. I found the food to be basic, nicely prepared, and elegantly presented, but I don't have any urge to go back soon. Thu Jul 19 14:38:18 -0700 2007 2765468 20504 hpcat 1 2765856 We have been going to the Parkway Grill since 1990 and have been there numerous times for birthdays, holidays, Mother's Day or just to take a friend out for a nice meal. We never had a bad meal yet which is more than I can say for 99% of the restaurants we have been to in the past 17 years. The staff/service is always professional and we have yet to find another restaurant in the SFV/SGV that can offer such consistent good food and service. Other restaurants come and go but we can always depend on the Parkway Grill. Whether it's seafood, beef, pork, chicken or pasta, everything is fresh, tasty and well presented.Even the valet attendants know us and park our old beater Honda up front next to the Jags and Benzes. If you are more into steaks/chops, the Arroyo Chop house is next door and owned by the same management. We tried the ACH and we prefer the Parkway Grill because the menu has a much wider choice of food. Our favorite table is by the fireplace. Thu Jul 19 15:03:47 -0700 2007 2765468 108431 rad818 2 2765881 Thanks for the updates, all of you. I've only been once before, over a year ago, and was hoping the good experience I had then wasn't just luck. Sounds like my odds are pretty good. I'm looking forward to Saturday... Thu Jul 19 15:11:19 -0700 2007 2765856 63148 jimverbose 1 2766084 You'll have a great time. They seem to excel in their fish dishes. The meats are decent.. but nothing to rave about. On my last visit, a couple weeks ago, I got the braised short ribs and while it was ok, I was wishing I ordered fish instead. The white fish is always a winner - and if they have John Dory on the menu, get that! For aps - I'm not crazy about the crab cake - the but the lobster crepe is delish and usually consistent. The oysters are good - and salads don't disappoint. I'm a sucker for the s'mores dessert. On my last visit we ordered the molton chocolate cake, and it was 'ok' - (I'm still swooning from the one I had at Saddle Peak and think I'm ruined forever on moloton chocolate cake, thanks to that one!) I seem to recall their cheesecakes being good, although, I haven't tried them lately. Thu Jul 19 16:20:32 -0700 2007 2765468 12842 The Oracle 2 2766625 agreed...i've never been disappointed by their fish...if they have the halibut filet, get it! also any of their salads, (favorite is the golden and red beet), composed of goods generally grown just outside the backdoor. the sorbet sampler for dessert is a good choice if you've overindulged - citrus or berry flavors are always the most intense and best! Thu Jul 19 20:11:30 -0700 2007 2766084 15170 Local 1 2889941 Thought I'd jump back on with a review, a bit belatedly. Overall: Loved it. Got a nit or two to pick, but this is a place that obviously knows what they're up to. Best (and most expensive) dinner out I've had in a long, long time. We showed up a bit early to grab a drink in the bar. My friends who'd never been were completely wowed and charmed by the beauty of the room -- as were we, again. We slapped two bottles of vintage Dom Perignon (gifts we'd been given after selling a TV pilot, one of the reasons for the big celebration dinner, along with the birth of a child and the surviving of a bout of cancer...this was a really, really big occasion on many counts.) into the hands of the host, asking if they could take care of them 'til the appropriate time. They were all over it, smooth, efficient, no fuss or snot over a BYOB situation. High marks for the door -- very polite & friendly service. Then we hit the bar. Nit pick #1: what space wasn't occupied in the bar was almost wholly given over to reserved tables. Okay, I get it, we squeezed in & finally claimed a table. But then it took forever to place an order, which then appeared to get lost, except for one bottle of water that appeared without everything else -- and for about 10 minutes one of us had a beverage, no one else. From the glances we were getting, the waitress & bartender had finally figured out they'd blown things and were trying to correct it when our table came up & we cancelled the drinks order. Not something I'd ordinarily do, but we were heading for the table and the champagne, the cocktail window had closed. The bar stop shook the celebratory vibe a bit, but just a bit -- we soldiered on. From there on, everything went swimmingly. Our server was completely relaxed and charming, yet impeccably professional throughout the meal. He knew his stuff, no fuss about losing the wine sales to just a corkage fee, and was genuinely psyched when we offered him the chance to try the champagne. A manager showed up with the champagne, unprompted, the second bottle appeared in due course -- all perfect. Of course, we were also being great diners, which tends to reassure staff. We ordered 4 apps for 4 people, then hit a second round of the oysters. They were Malpaques, beautifully fresh & tasting "like the bottom of the sea" as my friend said. Not sure that's an image which evokes shivers of delight for me, but he meant it as a huge compliment. We had a tuna tartare mixed with avocado, truffles, soy and pine nuts that was sushi-fresh and, frankly, as good as anything of its kind I've ever had. The crab cakes were bursting with crab and wonderfully seasoned, the lobster crepe revealed why it's a menu staple there -- all terrifically prepared. Shared around, a few bites each, the apps did exactly what they should: impress and inspire anticipation of the entrees. And the entrées lived up to the "advertising." I had the NY Strip. I felt like I was copping out a bit going for something so basic, but I rarely get to have steak, so what the hell? Just as on my first visit, it was spot-on delicious, cooked exactly to the temp I requested with just a bit of char and nicely complementary seasoning. My wife's king crab pasta had great flavor balance, the pasta was perfect -- all good. I can't describe our friends entrées because, to be honest, I was floating around in a champagne cloud at that point and can't remember the dishes. I think they were both specials, one of which was a fish. I did try them both, however, and they held up their end. The desserts were a delight. We got an ice cream sampler, some sort of chocolate-brownie based item and what was I think a crème brulée of some kind. It's all lost in a blur of extra glasses of wine and digestifs. But we were all happy as clams, especially the chocolate-fetishists, so they must have been good. All in all, it was the perfect venue for such a long-delayed, hard-earned celebration. Even better, when the bill came, I was both surprised and deeply impressed that they'd dinged us only once for corkage -- many places would've hit us once for each bottle we'd brought to make up for the lost sale. (Hmm, I guess I only had one nit to pick). Four stars. Parkway is my default Pasadena recommendation now for this type of experience. Thanks to everyone for the tips. And just as note to anyone reading this down the road: this place has their world nailed down, they've been doing it for a long, long time without sliding into complacency. Aside from small issues of personal taste or the odd "off" experience, I'd trust Parkway to continue to deliver into the forseeable future. Tue Aug 28 12:22:53 -0700 2007 2765468 63148 jimverbose 1 2890721 I've dined there once, but it was fantastic. We had the flatbread to start. It was delicious. We all had steak, and it was really tasty. However, the service was wonderful. The manager came over and spoke to us often. We were celebrating a birthday, so the manager brought our friend a small bunch of orchids. Later, we received a little thank you note in the mail. It's that type of attention that I love. I just wish I lived closer to Pasadena. :( Tue Aug 28 16:10:41 -0700 2007 2765468 115771 foodientraining