Arroyo Seco Weekend returns to Pasadena this weekend and the line-up is stellar: Korean BBQ, authentic Mexican, crafted cocktails … oh wait, you were thinking we meant music? Yes, of course, Neil Young, Jack White, the Pretenders, Kings of Leon and more are going to kill it with their sets, but we’re also lining up for that amazing food, with over a dozen LA area eateries setting up shop for the festivities. Here are a few foodie highlights:
The House of Machines
The House of Machines (THoM) was created to be the essential bricks and mortar meeting house for a community, a beacon against the white noise of everyday life. It’s the personification of many passions: All things finely curated, well-crafted and purposefully made. THoM exists to serve a deceptively simple goal—bring together man, woman and machine—and celebrate that union in all its expressions.
Executive Chef Bruce Kalman brings his Northern Italian cooking style to THoM, with a strong commitment to indigenous ingredients from local suppliers thereby keeping a low carbon footprint. Winner of a ‘Chopped’ championship title on the Food Network and recent cheftestant on Bravo’s Top Chef Season 15—Bruce delivers old school quality through modern management techniques.
Donna Jean
Donna Jean is a fully plant-based restaurant that focuses on seasonal produce, creative pizzas and refined comfort foods. Donna Jean is driven by Chef Roy Elam and his passion to make delicious food without harming any animals in the process. The restaurant is named after chef Roy’s mom who died at the young age of 55 from aggressive breast cancer. He believes it absolutely could have been prevented if she would have been given the knowledge and resources to seek out a plant-based diet earlier in life. The restaurant stands as an homage to her and strives to create a conversation about what plant-based cuisine can be.
The Spare Room
The Spare Room is an award-winning cocktail lounge and gaming parlor located in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. It is a place built on social interaction, that brings groups together based on their shared appreciation and passion for innovative cocktails, music, design and the camaraderie of game play. The space is complete with two reclaimed bowling lanes that date back to early industrial America, and custom-designed board games for guests to play while they imbibe. Beverage Director Yael Vengroff is known for her whimsical cocktail creations and has received various awards for her craft including Time Out Los Angeles’ 2016 Bar of the Year award, and was recently named in the Top 100 of the World’s Best Bars list.
Get the full roster and more info on the whole weekend here.
