LAReview
Included In
Theater-adjacent dinner spots have a reputation for being pretty stale—most are designed to put chicken piccata in people’s stomachs before sitting through two-plus hours of David Mamet. You dine at these places for convenience and practicality, rather than heart-racing originality. Save the excitement for the second-act monologue next door.
But then there’s Bar Chelou, an upscale French-ish bistro on the grounds of the Pasadena Playhouse where the food is spectacular enough to be its own attraction, regardless of whether you have tickets to the show or not.
Let’s be clear though—if you use Bar Chelou as a pre-theater dinner spot, you are by no means doing it wrong. Pasadena Playhouse is one of the premier regional theaters in the country and seeing a show there should be on everyone’s bucket list. And why wouldn’t you eat at the excellent restaurant next door beforehand? Bar Chelou is keenly aware of its real estate, and if you are part of the showtime rush, the staff will ensure you are paid up and comfortably seated before the curtain goes up. Just don’t be surprised when the conversation at intermission revolves around the snap peas and carrots you had earlier.
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
At first glance, Bar Chelou’s menu reads disarmingly simple. Dishes are titled things like “crispy potatoes,” “white asparagus,” and “cheese.” Additional flavor details like apple vinegar, garlic broth, and sichuan au poivre follow in the menu descriptions. It’s tricky to summarize—we still struggle to describe to friends exactly what kind of food Bar Chelou serves—but if you were able to get to the chef’s first restaurant, the unfortunately named Bar Restaurant, you might already know that’s part of the fun. This isn’t a fussy experimental restaurant where enjoying dishes requires long periods of self-reflection. Instead, dishes here tend to be the result of unconventional but bold combinations that taste great together. That might include a heap of shaved carrots topped with shoestring potatoes that’ll remind you of a Thai crispy rice salad or a butterflied rainbow trout bathing in a color-swirled garlic chive pil-pil sauce. There’s nothing subtle or dainty about any of it—this is food with flavor that ripples through your body from the first bite.
At some point in your meal, you’ll probably find yourself trading thoughts about the new Sondheim show or how the beige drapery in the dining room kind of makes it feel like you’re on a date in a Parisian circus tent. It won’t last. The discussion will inevitably be broken up by unbridled verbal affection for what’s in front of you: briny clam toast, floral martinis, and a brûléed cheesecake that’ll have you booking another table as soon as the bill lands. But stealing the spotlight—and putting butts in seats—are what stars are supposed to do. And on this block in Pasadena, Bar Chelou is definitely a star.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Clam Toast
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Crispy Potatoes
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Carrots
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Snap Peas
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Bluefin Tuna
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Pork Chop
Brûléed cheesecake
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Lemon-Chamomile Semifreddo