union

union is a small, farmer's market to table style restaurant in old town pasadena, california. chef bruce kalman was the winner of chopped (season 13) on thefoodnetwork. he is an expert with charcuterie, pickled/ fermented foods, and fresh pasta. his cuisine is diverse but generally northern italian and mediterranean.

thefoodwas generally good and flavorful. the portions were small. 5 tortililins for 24 bucks. you need to order two dishes each to fill up so that is $55 each. noisy and tight. waiters were good.

wild mushroom with polenta and truffle butter - must have!

it is a quaint small place with the nicestfoodever! the wild mushroom with truffle and polenta is decadent. we ordered one and then ordered one more, just because it is that good. great wine list. can get quite crowded, even on a weeknight.

i had expressed to duc one day that it had been years since i had ventured to downtown pasadena so in an effort to re-expose me to the wonder that is the street of colorado blvd and its offerings, he set aside a walking plan for us both which included an early dinner stop at a restaurant whose name he didn't want to reveal to me. that restaurant turned out to be union which is a sweet 50-seat modern take on northern italian cuisine combined with the power of sourcing ingredients locally and responsibly. the seasonality of the menu reflected the nuances of californian cuisine and produce as transposed on what would be classically northern italian food. i for one am a big fan of both styles so was pleasantly surprised not only with the intimate but chic decor inside but also thefoodand service.