Agnes

Part hearth-fired restaurant, part market, part cheese shop, Pasadena's Agnes, from husband-and-wife team Vanessa and Thomas Tilaka Kalb, serves homey, comforting fare with an elegant edge. Fresh handmade pastas, fire-roasted pork collars, textured and seasonal salads, and starters such as chicken-liver-mousse–topped corn eclairs prove enjoyable in this patio-laden space, while the day-to-night market offers a bountiful selection of gourmet snacks that immediately had us planning an Agnes-bought picnic in the park.