POP Champagne & Dessert Bar is one of a kind! It’s sexy and swanky, but warm and intimate environment is welcoming to anyone. Whether you’re on a first date, going to happy hour, a passionate foodie, or catching a night out on the town, you’re sure to have a fun and memorable experience at this Pasadena gem.
Chef Ray Vasquez has been with POP since it’s opening in 2008. His personalized creations are unique and mouth-watering! He’s always using new ingredients and ideas to create an ever changing and exciting menu. He offers a different Souffle every single night of the month. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you’ll definitely want to look ahead and check out the Souffle calendar so you can plan your visit on the perfect night for your taste buds!
I’ve visited POP on multiple occasions, and as a self-proclaimed “foodie,” I’ve always been impressed with what I’ve ordered.
We dined at the bar last night, as we frequently do. We ordered a couple glasses of the wonderful Testarossa Chardonnay ($14 glass), an excellent recommendation by Nathaniel. We started with the soup du jour, the Chicken Tortilla. It was garnished with a baked tostada, queso cojita, onions and cilantro. I was so excited to dig in and try it that I forgot to take a photo! But, I assure you it was fantastic! For dinner entrees, we selected the Margarita Flatbread Pizza and the Trio of Sliders (pictured below). The pizza was perfectly panned out, crispy in all the right places, with a delectable balsamic reduction drizzled on top.
Margarita Flatbread Pizza $14: cherry heirloom tomatoes, basil, parmesan, marinara
Trio of Kobe Beef Sliders $19:
- Surf and Turf- Shrimp, Jack Cheese, Cocktail Sauce, poppy seed bun
- POP Burger- Garlic Aioli Mayo, Bacon, Port Salut Cheese, port wine reduction, on onion brioche
- “BBQ Burger- House Made BBQ, Bacon, Cheddar, Crispy onions, on sesame bun
Of course we saved room for the souffle of the day. It takes about 20 minutes to prepare, so you may want to order it when your entrees come out. I appreciate that the Vanilla Anglaise is a generous portion that will make it through the whole souffle! I don’t think we left a single crumb behind, it was amazing!
Cookies N Cream with Vanilla Anglaise $12
The moral of this story is: indulge yourself in this experience, you won’t find it anywhere else. POP’s extensive selection of champagnes, wines and artisanal beers (for those manly men that wont partake) will please everyone. Chef Ray and his team do an outstanding job of keeping the menu fresh and tasty, with a menu of delectable entrees, small plates, gourmet cheeses, caviar, charcuterie, and of course the house made desserts that will tantalize your taste buds.
If all the talk about amazing eats hasn’t convinced you to, perhaps you need to know about POP’s best kept secret, Speakeasy champagne Sundays. Every Sunday, from 5-10pm, look for the secret password on POP’s Facebook and Twitter page, and get deeply discounted bubbly all night long! You’ll even get live music, every Sunday starting at 7pm.
Check them out on Yelp.