45 South Mentor Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91106
www.bistro45.com

Tiffany attended a charity auction last year and won something called the Passport to Pasadena, which included two tickets to the symphony, two tickets to the Huntington Library, and a $100 gift certificate to Bistro 45. We attended the symphony a few months back, but we had been saving the trip to Bistro 45 for a special occasion like our anniversary.

This past Saturday, a few days shy of our two year, we decided to dine at Bistro 45. Tiff started with the Marinated Ahi Tuna Tartare while I ordered the Spicy Colossal White Shrimp with a mascarpone risotto comprised of Spanish peppers and zucchini. Though her small plate was well prepared but unsurprising, I found my dish was excellent. The flavor and textures of risotto complemented the shrimp quite well.

Our main courses included Grilled Aussie Lamb Chops for the lady and Skillet Seared Diver Sea Scallops. Tiff suggested that they were the best chops she’s ever had and thoroughly enjoyed the black truffles in the reduction. I would concur that the chops were grilled to perfection and lacked any vestige of gamie flavor. My scallops were inspired, the soubise sophisticated and the Porcini mushrooms, hidden away in the custard, a pleasant surprise.

We selected the White Knights (Pino Grigio, Muscat Canelli, and Rieseling) and Red Sideways (Cabernet Sauvignon, Rioja, Syrah) wine flights to supplement our meal and took turns paring morsels of our delectable food with different sips of wine. I highly recommend adding a wine flight to a meal at this restaurant which is widely regarded as having one of the best wine selections in Southern California. One word of caution. Make sure to finish off the Muscat before a single bite of dessert! Muscat after a mouthful of dessert doesn’t taste as sweet.

To finish the evening, we ordered the Chocolate Soup, which came with a small chocolate souffle, a wonderful vanilla bean ice cream and a separate container of chocolate syrup. Very sweet and very good.

Top Thirty Restaurants in Souther California (1994-2007) says the Zagat. Top Ten Restaurants and Wine Lists in LA says Wine Specatator. Tiff and I have had the pleasure of dining at many of the nicer restaurants in Los Angeles. Hands down, Bistro 45 is our current favorite. The food is well executed and sophisticated but not inscrutably complex. The wine flights were an absolute delight and a great value. This is our new restaurant of choice.