Signage up in Old Town. Been seeing construction workers in there for a while now.
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Chef Tony as in Chef Tony in Vancouver?
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Oh shit! If that is the Chef Tony from Vancouver that would be awesome. Expecting Eater LA to follow up and find out unless someone here knows the inside scoop
On Chef Tony’s website it shows that he is still affiliated with Sea Harbour Seafood
Oh Lord, please let this facade be the real deal, and not be up only for a movie shoot…
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More Canto places please!
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There are a few job postings on the windows for hiring various positions like dishwasher, cook, etc. Not sure how close it is to opening. I tried to peek in through the windows but they’re covered up with paper.
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Great intel. Thanks for keeping us Chef Tony fans updated!
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Wow, so excited. I have been meaning to drop a post here to see what was happening with this place. When I visit my mom, this will be within walking distance! Looks like it will be ready in time for a Xmas visit?
If I’ve read the reports here correctly, this place, if it tastes like the Canadian restaurant, should blow away any dim sum in LA?
I’m not having high hopes. My prediction is that the Pasadena food tax will kick in and it’ll only be a middling version of what it’s hyped up to be.
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just the fact it’s in old town (with their rents and PITA parking) is enough to dampen any potential enthusiasm on my part.
maquina tacos on lake has expanded to create more seating by taking the space directly to the north. while slightly upgraded, the decor retains a significant plywood motif. an additional flavor of quirky: there’s an old grand piano in the new space that they’ll let you noodle on if you ask. some of the keys need refinishing and the piano could stand a fine tuning, but the intonation’s not that bad. and i’ve said nothing about the food, but since the’re still open and have expanded, you can imagine that they’re doing ok. tacos/burritos/bowls with upscale fillings such as mole pork belly/octopus/lamb mint/garlic shrimp/ribeye/lobster/oxtail, etc, but they also offer some of the traditional al pastor/carne asada/offal meats as well.
greg’s father mentioned that a lot of their regular clientele seem to be folks recently moved to pasadena from highland park and a few other spots where rising housing costs made pasadena a viable alternative. you folks who study demographics can make of that what you will.
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No idea if this is a big deal, but:
Every time I pass that corner I think of the murder and shudder (which is idiotic, given the number of other locales in the LA area where acts of violence have transpired).
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Used to eat regularly at Dona Rosa (good salsa), yikes!
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Weird to think of Pasadena as more affordable than Highland Park. How times change.
I walked by Chef Tony’s in Old Town yesterday and saw place settings on tables and people who looked like management (? they were guys wearing suits) walking around inside. There’s some decor up inside too. Wonder when they will open.
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IIRC, we’re talking about pasadena north of washington and maybe no more than 3-4 blocks west of lake. i imagine some of the homes there can be more affordable than places in HP that are close to the hipster places on figueroa. i’m curious to see what these hipsters will do if they ever get married and start having kids. i’m not so sure i’d want my kids playing in that neighborhood after dark and i’m not sure they’ll be able to sell for what they’re paying nowadays.
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I see reports on Yelp that Chef Tony is open.