I cannot tell you how often I passed Pasadena on my way to Los Angeles. Frequently, I’d think to myself, I really should explore Pasadena sometime. Now that the time had come, I explored it for 2.5 days before heading to a meeting with Visit California at the Intuit Dome.
The first thing I Learned about Pasadena
If you love Starbucks, you will be in Starbucks heaven. It's my fault I didn’t read the note in an email telling me which Starbucks I should meet Visit Pasadena representatives at. I put Starbucks downtown Pasadena into Google Maps and confidently thought I would arrive on time. Wrong move: there are three of them downtown. You guessed it—wrong one; I went to the second one, the wrong one, but then it was too late for coffee, so we opted for lunch at my hotel, Hotel Dena.
Pro Tip: If someone sends you a specific Starbucks to meet, pay attention to the address.
Arriving at the Hotel Dena
I was in for my first surprise. The Hotel Dena is connected to the Pasadena Convention Center. There could not be a better hotel if you were there for a conference. But there is more. Old Pasadena, a 22-block area of preserved historic architecture, is an easy walk from the hotel.
The staff welcomed me warmly. I acknowledged that I was there way before check-in time, but with a bit of checking, they graciously announced there was a room ready for me.
My room was spacious, with every amenity one could ask for and a special touch. I didn’t know if it was because I was a writer—I think so—but over my bed was a large print with a typewriter and a saying. I couldn’t help but smile. Perfect.
Lunch with Visit Pasadena Colleagues
Visit Pasadena Colleagues were waiting for me at Agents Only at a table near a wall of musical instruments. Child-like drawings graced the elevator area on the 4th floor, where my room was.
I was a bit confused by the apparent nod to the arts, so I stopped at the desk for clarification. With a proud smile, the desk attendant said, “We are honoring people's creativity.” Ahh, now this all makes so much more sense.
Our lunch was animated as we shared our thoughts and helped to design my stay in Pasadena. There was a plethora of places to visit, and it quickly became evident I couldn’t cover everything on this short visit. We talked about what we thought Palm Springs residents would be interested in, for making Pasadena a day trip is possible.
Setting out to Explore Old Pasadena
As I mentioned, Old Pasadena was an easy walk from the Dena Hotel. On the walk, I marveled at the large oak trees and admired the flowers flourishing on this fall day.
I found myself in a world where ethnic diversity was alive and flourishing. Many restaurants offered everything from sushi and BBQ to Indian curry meals.
Interspersed through the restaurants, retail stores carried unusual gift items. I did notice national brand hotels such as H&M, Banana Republic, and Sephora. In other words, this area has abundant shopping and dining opportunities.
After my exploration, I went to the Dena Hotel bar, Agents Only, and met bartender Juan Carlos. During my stay, I got to know him well and marveled at his ability to create cocktails, serve food, and make everyone feel special. He also makes terrific Old Fashioneds.
Dinner at the Agents Only
It was a delight to meet General Manager Marlon Gonzalez. His pride in the hotel, which was transformed from a Sheraton to the Dena Hotel about a year ago, was evident. After talking to him, I learned how he honored his staff, trained them well, and fostered an environment where everyone wore smiles.
Marlon brought Chef Raul out to meet me. Chef Raul is a pleasant man who greeted me with a huge smile. I had had a chance to peruse the menu before he came to my table, but I was lost on what to order.
He asked what I would like. I replied, “Would you mind selecting the items for me? Except I knew I would like an order of plantains, which harkened back to my life living in the Caribbean.” He smiled and said, “I bet you haven’t had them like this.” (He was right; they were cut into inch-long chunks and were more like candy.)
First Course
Grilled Romaine Salad: Charred poblano dressing, cotija, spicy pita, pomegranate, hardboiled egg. I could have added chicken, skirt steak, or shrimp, but thankfully, I didn’t, as I felt Chef Raul would have me stuffed by the end of the meal. I thought to myself, this would be such a great lunch meal.
Main Course
Enchiladas Divorciadas – Chicken, salsa roja, salsa verde, crema, queso fresco onion. There were four of them, so my eyes widened when the plate was set before me. Indeed, I couldn’t eat them all. However, I must confess, I had no problem eating three of them, for the flavors blended in a way I had never experienced with enchiladas, and I loved them.
Three people had come to the restaurant because they had heard good things about it. Since we sat next to each other, they learned I was a travel journalist and asked if I wanted to take photos of their fajitas plate adorned with shrimp.
The conversation turned animated, and we shared what we were learning about Pasadena and compared notes about our activities the next day.
Stuffed, Chef Raul suggested I take dessert, flan, to my room to eat later. I confess that not only did I do that, but I also had him box up the remaining plantains. You can imagine my surprise when I opened the to-go box in my room and saw the flan artistically arranged with fresh strawberries, blackberries, and whipped cream.
I smiled, for this touch is indicative of the “little things” I discovered during my stay at the Hotel Dena throughout my stay. In Part II, I will have more to share about the hotel and what I found in Pasadena, making a trip here totally worthwhile.
My first half-day in Pasadena had already made the trip worthwhile. As I crawled into bed, underneath the linens, I was thankful for planning a visit.
Kathy Condon is a travel journalist and award-winning author. Her niche is luxury experiences and communities living in the shadows of large cities. 760-902-3094 www.PalmSpringsInsiderGuide.com kathy@kathycondon.net
What a nice trip. I'm glad you finally made it to Pasadena.