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Now on any weekend evening, you will conclude that most of the young adults within 50 miles line Colorado and other streets of “Old Town” Pasadena . It looks like an exponential of 80-90s Westwood. The limitless number of casual restaurants are jammed. Besides the ubiquitous and edible alphabets of STB, McD , KFC, BK, W, ET, SUB, ETC and 50 assorted pizza and sushi joints you will find serious food adventures at Japanese, Thai, Indian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Mexican, Cuban, Italian, Caribbean …even French and American food up and down the streets. Making the scene is essential. But often there are also Jazz concerts at the contemporary museum, an interesting show at the wonderful Asian museum and free eclectic concerts in the park. Upscale dining spots such as Café Bizou, Parkway Grill, Yujean Kang, Xiomara, Maison Akira, Celestino’s and Tre Veneziane are all in the area. A 5 minute drive South on Fair Oaks to Mission brings you to Shiro justifiably rated among the best in the Los Angeles area. But we have discovered an alternative that may provide, overall a more satisfying evening of setting and food than Shiro. At Shiro, the cuisine is extremely gratifying but the ambience is a bit tight and sterile. A few blocks West of Shiro on El Centro just south of Mission in South Pasadena is Firefly Bistro. It is satisfying in all aspects.
The entire staff is amazingly energetic, naturally friendly, comfortably attentive and remarkably competent. Prices are moderate. A short wine list is creative, very reasonably priced and designed to complement all the dishes on the menu. Corkage is $10. Seating for two against a garden wall is pleasant but a bit New York tight. Most of the larger tables are comfortably spaced. The entire menu is excitingly aggressive and changes often so individual descriptions may be somewhat of a waste of time. But we will review some to give you an idea of the food. The L.A. Times food critic S. Irene Virbila, who I learned today had
reviewed Firefly earlier glowingly described the food as Eclectic global or
exuberant California cuisine. I think Ms. Virbila is far and away the best
food reviewer-writer in the United States so the former description is
certainly good enough for me; though I am not fond of the latter term.
However it is exuberant. California cuisine to many seems to mean lots of creative and fresh salads. Firefly Bistrto has them. Since I love beets, my favorite has farm fresh beets on grilled Belgian endive with carmelized pears and fresh toasted walnuts. There is a spinach salad with roasted cherries, Maytag blue cheese and bacon- thyme vinaigrette. A farmers market operates just outside the restaurant on Thursdays so if you go on the weekend you will know what fresh is. There are other appetizers such as a remarkably priced spiced single and sensuous quail, ceviche with shrimp and Dungeness crab fritters. The first time, I ate there I had a great Chinese Style Duck Breast and Confit Duck Leg with scallion ginger rice, snap peas, shitake mushrooms and candied orange peel cooked very slightly rare. Great. Recently I had Pecan Coated Catfish over sweet potato andouille sausage hash with sauted fresh spinach and mustard pan sauce. Virbila raved about a lamb sirloin, grilled medium rare with caramelized garlic sweet potatoes and very fresh Brussel Sprouts. But I didn’t see it on the menu any of the three times we were there. It still sounds wonderful. Clearly the chef is not bashful about strong flavors. We agree with the approach. Thus, you just have to get a feel for what is being offered and take yourself on a dining adventure. Dinner appetizers, $5.50 to $9.75; main courses, $14 to $24.50; desserts, $5.75 to $6.50; lunch items $5.50 to $13; Sunday Brunch items $6.75 to $15
The Firefly Bistro staff has serious chops. Monique King, the owner- chef was the former executive chef at Border Grill, the supposed habitue of those two Food Channel “Hot Tamales”. Since those two ladies seemed to be on television most of the time, it would seem that Monique was a recent driving force. Her active co-owner husband, Paul Rosenbluh was King’s sous chef at Soul Food a popular restaurant she operated in suburban Chicago. Chocoholic Pastry Chef Kristin Ferguson may be part of the reason (along with Monique) for the exuberant adjective applied to Firefly Bistro. She bicycles down (and back up) from near-bye Mount Washington to South Pasadena most days to put passion into the dessert list. Ferguson does a new take on Jean George Vongerichten’s now classic Chocolate Liquid Center ‘Bacio’ Cake with hazelnut ice cream and glandula caramel, Then there is Farmer’s Market Peach Cobbler( right now) with homemade toffee pecan ice cream and often a lemon tart. Pudding with Cookies change weekly. FireFly Bistro 1009 El Centro Avenue, South Pasadena 626-441-2443 Lunch Tuesday to Friday- Dinner Tuesday to Sunday- Brunch Sunday Most Credit Cards- Easy Street or Rear Parking-Wine and Beer Only
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Firefly
Bistro
(Reviewed August 2004)
If you park on the street, you enter on El Centro via an understated
archway decorated with grapevines and amusing glass ornaments. There is also
parking in the rear. The room is actually a large high top multiple tent that you
often see used for outdoor events in parking lots or at garden weddings. It
has been architecturally enhanced structurally as well as with sophisticated
and intriguing ceiling lighting that provides a true inside-outside sense of
being in a garden while casually being protected from the elements. It might
be very romantic to dine there during a light rain. Heaters are on hand for
use when needed. 
