Cannonball

American Bistro Cannonball Makes a Splash in South Pasadena | Eater LA

"A line out the door at 5:30 p.m. along Mission Avenue should tell you something: South Pasadena needed a restaurant like this. From the team behind Highland Park’s Hippo — chef Matt Molina and operating partner Joe Capella — this charming “all things for all people” spot leans into a trend-averse timelessness, even if the menu throughline wanders from traditional Spanish to seasonally driven Californian to… a burger. The mile-high buttermilk biscuits with honey butter take an extremely specific 18 minutes to bake and are worth the wait, though some salads and starters (like a gloopy, though tasty, fideos with clams) can feel overdressed; go simpler with smoky griddled prawns, steak with pommes aligot, or pan-roasted ocean trout with cranberry beans. If you ever had his beguilingly modest miracle of a burger at Everson Royce Bar, you’ll know why Molina’s version here is a must-order, served with a cone of medium-thick, fresh-cut french fries. Think “nostalgic tavern” — frilly curtains on the windows and a choo-choo train motif (the location sits right on the Metro Gold line) — spread across two floors and a back patio that, on peak evenings, packs in date nights, friends catching up, and empty-nest locals toasting to a good night. There’s a standalone, big boy wine menu (as one might expect from a team with ties to the Silverlake Wine crew), an impressively diverse list of glass options, and lightly riffed classic cocktails like the Raymond Hill (a manhattan with mole). Insider tip: find the cool, semi-private lounge tucked away upstairs next to the wine room for a mid-size group celebration." - Lesley Suter