All-Aboard La Grande Orange Café

If you’ve lived in Pasadena for any length of time you’ll remember going to the train station on Raymond and Del Mar to catch a train, see off relatives or just watch the trains go by. For years it was all but lost, sitting empty and forlorn. Not anymore! A new restaurant has taken up residence in this historic building: La Grande Orange Café.

The interior of the restaurant is much like I remember the station, with the same beamed ceiling, light fixtures, and Batchelder tiles. The color of the walls has changed from white to a rich green with deep red and burnt orange accents.  The café is split into three dining areas: a bar with dark wood looking out towards the Del Mar Station, the main dining room and a patio with an open fireplace facing Central Park.

After receiving an excellent glass of Santa Barbara Winery Pinot Noir and “Holy Cow” Merlot, my companion insisted we try the Brussels sprout salad. The one thing on the menu that didn’t appeal to me was that salad. I hate Brussels sprouts. Ever swallowed one whole to avoid the flavor? I have. It isn’t easy. But go figure – because I loved this salad! Full of shaved Brussels sprout leaves, strips of manchego, dried cranberries, bacon, almonds and dressed with a simple vinaigrette. It was crunchy and had a whole lot of flavors going on. Tart, sweet, salty and savory, this salad had it all. I look forward to having this again, but I still maintain I hate Brussels sprouts!

Planks of grilled swordfish served in freshly-made corn tortillas followed the salad. Shredded cabbage, guacamole and tomatoes combined with the excellent, flavorful grilled swordfish; add to that those tortillas and charred tomato salsa and you’ve got the Cadillac of tacos. Served along with the tacos were black beans and basmati rice.

Short ribs in an herb and red wine jus arrived just as I was finishing off the last of the tacos, strikingly presented topped with a fried egg. Mashed potatoes and vegetables accompanied the ribs. These ribs were fork-tender and the red wine jus was a rich complex reduction. I couldn’t suppress the “umm!” as I bit into the melt-in-your-mouth short ribs.

For dessert we were served a piece of key lime pie and olive oil cake. The key lime pie had a graham cracker crust with a tart lime filling and was topped with a generous amount of whipped cream. The tartness of the lime made my mouth pucker and my taste buds dance. The olive oil cake was accompanied by homemade raspberry-strawberry preserves, fresh whipped cream and an olive oil drizzle. The cake was moist and dense, slightly sweet with a citrus finish. Coupled with the preserves and cream it made an unusual but delicious dessert.

La Grande Orange Café is located at 260 South Raymond Avenue, Pasadena. Parking in the Del Mar garage is free for the first 90 minutes and the restaurant will validate for an additional half hour to provide 2 hours of free parking. For more reservations and more information call (626) 356-4444.