"With a small, old-fashioned dining room and a quiet front patio, there’s nothing particularly flashy about this family-run spot in Pasadena—and that’s exactly why we like it. Perle keeps things simple, providing an unfussy, romantic atmosphere and a menu of well-executed bistro food. Our favorite dish is the frisée Lyonnaise salad, which comes topped with bacon lardons, poached egg, chicken liver mousse crouton, and dijon vinaigrette. It’s a savory, rich salad that’s still light enough to categorically remain, well, a salad. And that’s important, because you should also order the moules-frites with soft, garlicky mussels and crunchy fries, and the tangy French onion soup." - brant cox, sylvio martins, arden shore