From Gayot -the guide to the good life

Bistro 45 a Contemporary California-French cuisine and bistro classics in an art-filled Art Deco bungalow with a tranquil outdoor terrace.

A charming Art Deco bungalow has been transformed into a contemporary, art-filled restaurant that is both cosmopolitan and homey. Ever-present owner Robert Simon does a fine job of warmly welcoming guests, keeping service standards high and maintaining one of Southern California's best wine lists (the restaurant is well known for its elaborate winemaker dinners). The menu offers a few bistro classics like seared foie gras, but the cooking is predominantly contemporary French with California influences, reflected by dishes such as marinated ahi and tuna tartare, seared diver sea scallops with creamy saffron sauce, duck breast with orange ginger sauce, and roasted pork chop with curry potato gratin. Some patrons looking for quiet conversation favor the outdoor terrace, with its retractable roof, over the bustling dining room.

from the L.A. Times

Bistro 45 offers a dining experience that combines classic tradition and contemporary flair. The restaurant is dissected into several intimate rooms with long skirted tables, whitewashed walls, and tasteful gallery art. Hands-on owner Robert Simon, a protégé of Alice Waters, consistently conceives inventive seasonal menus combining traditional bistro dishes, California-French specialties and Pacific Rim-inspired items.

Starters might include a soul-warming French onion soup; crispy veal sweetbreads drizzled with a green peppercorn-basil vinaigrette; or ravioli filled with smoked chicken in a curry cream. Entrées feature a modified version of the traditional cassoulet; crispy roast duck with a honey-anise demi-glace; mushroom-crusted Chilean sea bass in a red wine reduction; and game renditions.

The wine list includes moderately priced selections from California, Oregon and the Rhône Valley for the cost-conscious, and more expensive choices from Burgundy and Bordeaux.
-- Roger J. Grody

from Citysearch.com

The Scene

A small, jewel-like Deco building on a quiet Old Pasadena street unfolds a series of three intimate, connected dining rooms tastefully adorned with champagne wallpaper, French silk lanterns, landscape paintings and white tablecloths. Lunches or evening parties are pleasant in the ivy-walled patio, and the vibrant, ochre-toned entrance bar room is inviting. Well-heeled Pasadena regulars range from romantic couples to Cal-tech professors, toasting choice wines among lively conversations and classic jazz.

The Food

The menu seamlessly dovetails French techniques and California culinary philosophy into a seasonal menu studded with luxe bistro classics. Starters include escargot braised dipped in a velvety, pungent garlic flan, or day boat scallops resting in a heavenly smoked salmon sauce. Tender, roasted Cervena elk medallions are a standout, and a generous hunk of sea bass adorns a delicate, fragrant shellfish bouillabaisse. Desserts are artful and grand, especially the German chocolate cake-style brioche bread pudding with red currant ice cream. --Martha Burr