Dos Besos

Paella is what this Old Pasadena restaurant is built around: it's cooked to order with a crisp layer of socarrat stuck to the pan, and it takes about half an hour, so order it first. Pan con tomate under Ibérico ham, octopus and a glass of sangria cover the wait. The owners, chef Alejandro Llobet from Barcelona and his Pasadena-raised wife Kit, catered paella before opening here in 2022. The kitchen sits behind glass in a corner of the brick dining room, and there's a heated patio.