Kings Row: Gastropub

20 E. Colorado Blvd.

Pasadena, Ca. 91105

626.793.3010

http://www.kingsrowpub.com/

$$($10-$20)

What is a "gastropub?" Originally, pubs in the UK were places where you could drink, but in terms of food you'd only be getting bread, cheese and chutney, cooking is for your wife. Considering our new obsession with being fat, pubs understand that people want something to eat while getting drunk on tasty beverages... Let's be honest, a gastropub is a pub where you are paying a premium for eating and drinking at a place pretentiously self-titled and self-aware. 

Next on the list of words I feel need to be defined is "cicerone." A cicerone is a certified expert on beer, they are trained and tested on storage, styles, cultures, flavors, brewing ingredients and processes, and pairings with foods. Something else you are paying a premium for. 

Now that we can put the dictionary away let's talk about Kings Row. Kings Row is a great place for a date. The ambience is intimate, comfortable and romantic. You order at the bar and soon after food comes out to you. I really enjoyed that the bar tender was knowledgable about the menu and the drinks. But what I loved was the fact that the bar tender wasn't dicking around; if you didn't have any questions or didn't look ready she continued attending to people who had questions or knew what they wanted and would get to you once you were ready to say something other than "uhm."Also, the drinks are wonderfully strong and not watered down.

Bubble & Squeak [$11]
smoked salmon + fingerling potatoes + asparagus + créme fraiche + dill + fried egg

 The Bubble & Squeak was served to us on a hot skillet. The dill flavor is very prominent and pairs nicely with the smoked salmon. The créme fraiche is incredibly rich and filling and starts to over power you once you are nearing the bottom of the skillet. There are pieces of asparagus scattered with the potatoes, but, aside for, maybe color, they don't bring anything extra to the dish. The "bubble" is the fried egg(sunny-side-up) which is perfect but there is no squeak, unless Salmons squeak... do they?

Crispy Portobello Fries [$9]
house-battered portobello mushrooms + pesto aioli

The crispy portobello fries were hands down my favorite dish on the table. The pesto aioli was... I just don't like condiments, I can't understand why I need to alter the flavors of a dish with an overpowering condiment -- but, considering they are placed on the side, they aren't required to enjoy the dish. I tried the aioli, and yes, as I suspected, it completely overpowered the fries.

Portobello fries were lightly battered, firm, and slightly crispy. The meatiness of the portobello mushroom fries were not compromised by the oils in which they were fried. This is something I would definitely come back for.

Proper Fish N' Chips [$14]
IPA beer-battered fresh alaskan cod + kennebec french fries + house tartar

I have never had a "proper fish n' chips." Either the chips are unimpressive or the fish -- in this case it was the former. Looking at the short bucket before us I made note of the large pieces of (Alaskan cod) and their seemingly crisp exterior sitting on french fries. On the side we have ketchup, house tartar sauce, and half a lemon. Immediately I drained each quarter of lemon equally on both pieces of fried cod.

Cutting into the cod, I noticed the batter wasn't crisp and the fish easily broke apart. The fish is fresh and perfectly cooked, there is no fishy after taste or oily flavor in the least. The fries on the other hand were saturated in oil and are very lackluster in comparison to the portobello fries.    

Kings Row: Gastropub -- "A Noted House For Fine Food & Ales." If the titles don't give it away, I am sure the cicerones will give you that pretentious hipster vibe. Kings Row has a fantastic ambience for hanging out with friends or going on a date. It's pub food done up nicely and can easily be shared as tapas. It's an interesting place with plenty of variety, I would recommend gathering your friends for some drinks and getting fat here.