Dining al Fresco.... Local, Fresh and Delicious!

The least likely of evenings... turned out to be a culinary event!! Having passed this delightful looking eatery a couple dozen times....I decided it was time to stop and checkout the dinner fare! (and boy was I glad I did!) :)

 Mike and Anne's is located in a very quaint South Pasadena neighborhood.... on Mission Street. This bistro has a perfect outdoor seating area, as well as a very inviting interior. As the weather was warm but crisp, we took a seat outside and our very delightful server, Emily came to explain the specials of the day and offer us a drink.

We ordered a Cucumber Gimlet... a drink made with muddled cucumber and lime... I chose the vodka version, since I'm not the biggest fan of gin! Ode to the bartender... quite the delicious concoction! (If only I could get that recipe!!)....LOL!

 For an appetizer, we went with one of the daily specials; Spicy Tomato-Herb Risotto with Crispy Calamari. It was topped with black olives, thin slices of red-onion and micro greens. This dish was the perfect starter, bursting with flavor!! The sauce was a bit spicy, but ever so delicious!! They really should consider keeping this on the menu... I would come back more often to have this as a small bite with a few drinks!!

 For our entree... we chose to stay in the "sea" mode and ordered one dish from the daily specials and the other from the regular menu: Red Snapper, which was pan-seared with Grilled Corn Grits, Chinese String Beans, Fennel in a Sun-dried Tomato Nage with Olives. I must say, I was quite impressed by the fusion of flavors the chef used... the tomato broth was bright and light, and though the fish was very fresh and cooked to perfection, this dish, actually its veggies, could stand alone as a vegetarian special, given the outstanding fusion of the veggies over the grits and the broth! Truly delicious!

Then there was the Miso-Sake Braised Black Cod.... cooked to perfection with the skin ever so crispy, it was served over a bed of Edamame, Asparagus and fused with Basil and Scallions... still sitting in some of the sake marinade... light, airy... the fish melts in your mouth at every bite! This is the perfect entree especially for those watching their waistline... but not compromising on flavor and quality!

Considering that we were already pretty full at this point... we still could not resist the offerings in the dessert menu so we went for the Chocolate!! A Warm Nutty Brownie with Hazelnuts, Pecans and Walnuts served over a bed of fresh berries and a scoop of Vanilla Ice cream... the kind of dessert that brings you to that place of appreciating all things simple, yet delicious and decadent! The tartness of the berries complimented the chocolaty goodness of this amazing little brownie!! Somehow... you could never go wrong with chocolate! (Although I will have to say... I MUST try the Brioche Bread Pudding, next time! That was really screaming "Elle-Special"!) :)

For all you Angelenos and locals... this is the perfect spot to break out of the monotony of eating out. Offering great ambiance in a nice-casual setting. Very well prepared food, wonderful fusion of textures and flavor... I will have to say, Mike and Anne's will be one of my new favorite "go to" places!

A special thank you to our server Emily, who put the "cherry-on-top" of the evening's meal, her lovely and cheerful spirit truly complemented our experience!!

Visit the website here.

Until next time....
Bon appetite mes amies!!

Elle :)