As you, dear readers, will recall, we first visited the newish Del Frisco’s Grille way back on Cheeseburger Week. We returned soon after for Dine LA Week, and this is what we’ve learned: Any day and any week is a pretty good time to be visiting this place. In fact, in a great food town like this one, this place is quickly becoming one of my favorite restaurants in Pasadena.
The Dine LA menu offered a specific menu for the week’s promotion and we chose the Grille Salad—Crisp Mixed Greens, Tomato, Carrot, Bacon, and Vinaigrette to begin. At least my associate did. Though it wasn’t part of the Dine LA menu, I couldn’t resist ordering their Corn Chowder with its chunks of crabmeat, smoked bacon bits and fingerling potato chips. I had also ordered it during my Cheeseburger Week visit; it’s that irresistible. It vanished within minutes.
My lunch partner opted for the Steakhouse Salad, featuring buttery broiled prime sliced steak with deviled egg, crunchy cress, avocado, bacon, parmesan, bleu cheese and a zippy lemon-horseradish dressing. Not only was it delicious, it was a lot, and it happily made the drive home with me, seated comfortably and quietly, until it was devoured later that evening.
I opted for what Del Frisco’s calls its Simply Roasted Chicken. There is a scene in one of my favorite Albert Brooks movies, “Defending Your Life,” where’s Brooks’ character, transported to some Spiritual way station after dying in a car accident, is seated in a restaurant. The waystation serves as much food as you want, as quickly as you want. So, as he twists off a leg of his roast chicken and takes a bite, Brooks gasps, in ecstacy.
“This is the best roast chicken ever. Ever!,” he tells his “attorney” (It’s a long story. Go rent the movie.) But that’s the way I felt about the chicken at Del Frisco’s—succulent, juicy and delicious. It comes with mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus, and is of course, served au jus.
We may have mentioned this last week, but it bears repeating. Much of what we love about Del Frisco’s is its commitment to quality and detail. You’ll see that in every aspect of your visit. And while they claim to be a casual dining spot, don’t go in wearing shorts and sandals, okay? I’m trying to enjoy my meal.
Del Frisco’s Grille is at 55 South Lake Ave., Suite 150, Pasadena. (626) 765-9913. www.delfriscosgrille.com.