True Food Kitchen in Old Town Pasadena is exactly, and I do mean exactly, what this city has been needing! Prior to TFK’s arrival, Old Town Pasadena was in desperate need of a few things: An awesome spot for weekend brunch, delicious hand-crafted cocktails, hip but comfortable spots to get together with friends and family, an ambiance with the wow factor of the West side, and some flavorful and fun eats … all of these voids have been filled and so much more with its arrival! Welcome True Food Kitchen, we are so excited to have you in town!
The entire menu looks amazing, and everything is perfect for sharing! Here’s what we tried on our last visit (there’s soooo much more to try, everything looks so finger-licking good).
Let’s start with the cocktail menu. Every single drink is hand-crafted to perfection with tiny bits and pieces of muddled fruits, veggies and herbs. We tried the Skinny Margarita and the Grapefruit Martini. Both were delicious, not overly sweet, and just mixed to perfection! Be sure to check out some of these refreshing cocktails while the weather’s still scorching, they’re definitely a cooling treat (I’m sure I’ll be enjoying them throughout the So Cal ‘winter’ as well)! They’re priced pretty fairly at $10-$12 per cocktail. The same thing on the West side will easily run you $15+.
Citrus Skinny Margarita (left, $11) muddled citrus, torn mint, cucumber, ixá organic tequila
Thai Grapefruit Martini (right, $12) thai basil, grapefruit, organic vodka
Next up, let’s talk about the starters. We had the Charred Cauliflower and Squash Pizza. First things first, Vegan Almond Ricotta?? OMG quite possibly the best tasting ‘cheese’ I’ve ever had – but without any guilt! Next time I’m definitely asking for extra drops of it! The crust was perfectly crispy in all the right places, and thin enough if you’re not into all those doughy carbs. The Charred Cauliflower was just as delicious. The tahini makes it creamy (without the mayo which is which most places use) and the dates naturally sweeten it up. It’s seasoned just perfectly and feels like a guilty creamy treat, but without the guilt. TFK does a fantastic job of satisfying all of our guilty eating pleasures by making healthy versions of those bad dishes we crave.
Butternut Squash Pizza ($13.50) smoked onion, organic kale, vegan almond ricotta, dried cranberry (Vegan)
Charred Cauliflower ($8) harissa tahini, medjool date, dill, mint, pistachio (Vegan, Gluten Free)
On to the mains … I guess we were feeling a little Italian that night cause we ended up ordering the Lasagna Bolognese and the Spaghetti Casserole (made with spaghetti squash … get the reoccurring theme here folks? All the good tastes, without the guilt)! Both were good portions with a unique twist to somewhat traditional dishes. I added the house-made chicken sausage ($4) to the casserole for some extra protein, I think you should too!
Lasagna Bolognese (left, $16) house-made chicken sausage, mushroom, spinach, lemon ricotta, herbs (Gluten Free)
Spaghetti Squash Casserole (right, $14) organic tomato, caramelized onion, zucchini, fresh mozzarella (Vegetarian, Gluten Free)
And for the grande finale (we couldn’t resist), we shared the Flourless Cake. I simply can’t think of a single improvement I’d make to it, but I did add some Coconut Whipped Cream that I saw listed on another dessert item because I love anything and everything coconut. With just the right amount of bittersweet chocolate, a light crunch and some vanilla ice cream you just can’t go wrong. I don’t generally like caramel, but this one was homemade and I had no issue scooping it straight to my mouth.
Flourless Chocolate Cake ($7) caramel, vanilla ice cream, cocoa nibs (Vegetarian, Gluten-Free)
TFK was definitely love at first sight. We’ve been back 4 times, and they’ve only been open a few weeks. I keep telling myself to slow down because I’ll get sick of it, but I really don’t think that is possible.
Check them out on Yelp, they already have hundreds of folks bragging about how amazing it is. Warning: the food pics are going to make your mouth water!
What’s even more wonderful is that they take reservations! They’ve been really busy every night of the week, so click here to reserve through Open Table.
168 W Colorado BlvdPasadena, CA 91105 (626) 639-6818 truefoodkitchen.com