Go Metro to Il Fornaio

It is difficult to survive in the LA Basin without a car. In this vast city a half hour drive to a meeting is a short one by local standards. When I can I take the Metro, especially for a recreational jaunt. Clean and fairly quick, and reminding me for some reason of Berlin's underground system, the Metro is to be encouraged and so patronized as much as possible as an antidote to the automobile. Saturday provided just such an opportunity, and we hopped on at Vermont and Sunset after buying a three dollar day pass. Taking the Red Line underground to Union Station and changing there to the Gold Line, we headed on up to Pasadena. The Gold Line is a marvellous ride above ground as one transitions from downtown LA up into The San Gabriel Valley, passing through Chinatown, Heritage Park and South Pasadena, then, on into Old Town Pasadena. I also like the view inside the train, which transports an eclectic mix of people from the gamut of LA society, and is a reminder that this town is not composed solely of Range Rover owners in fancy threads with money to burn.

We took supper at Il Fornaio, where we shared a warm seafood salad (which precipitated this entry) and I had lasagne interleaved with meat ragu and bechamel sauce, a creamy take on the standard. Matt had spinach ravioli filled with salmon and shrimp in a thin buttery sauce. We each enjoyed a martini with the dinner and it was all very good. I am always surprised that the check is so reasonable: we paid sixty five dollars before tip. Our waitress, Valerie, was very good indeed and she was rewarded for her pleasant contribution.

Il Fornaio is a high end restaurant chain serving Italian cuisine. It originated in Italy via the SF Bay Area. They make the best bread I know of in our town, surpassing LaBrea Bakery's, and I am irritated that Trader Joe's has stopped carrying their ciabatta which is non pareil. They also make their own fresh pasta and all dishes are nicely composed and appetizing. Fornaio's dining rooms are always elegant and airy with open kitchens and a well stocked bar as you can see on the Pasadena page. As restaurant chains go they surely have their act together like few others in the field.

A word about the salad: barely warm clams and mussels in their shells, scallops and small shrimp, perfectly cooked, moist and tender with a clear and light shallot dressing mixed with endive and baby lettuce, and, for me the magic ingredient- finely chopped blanched baby celery all about, softened but still firm. I am a great fan of celery and it was a lovely surprise to see it featured in this most satisfying dish. The salad left us feeling clean and green and rallied after the train ride. We popped over to the excellent gelato shop near the theater for dessert, and stopped in at Crate & Barrel to buy stemless Martini glasses that are individually cradled in bowls meant to be filled with ice to keep each libation a constant cool.