Pasadena Italian Restaurant: Marina

Catching up on my Dine LA experience from August. Before going, two groups of friends had already tried it and gave pretty good reviews, which raised my expectations. After eating… well, let’s just say food reviews are subjective. 😅 Food: 2.5/5 3-course menu for $65 — a bit pricey considering what was served. 🍸 Red Beets and Tomato Gazpacho Shooter Rich and intense — actually quite tasty, and ranked second-best of the whole meal for me! 🌼 Squash Blossom Reminded me of fried pumpkin blossoms from childhood. The ricotta filling was nice, but the sauce underneath was bitter. The waiter said it was intentionally layered for complexity. 🐟 Hamachi Crudo The best dish of the night! Sauce was perfectly balanced. After this, we thought the meal was on track… but it turned out to be the peak. 🎢 🍤 Shrimp alla Vodka Okay for the first two bites, then got way too salty. Loved the pasta texture, but the sauce was overwhelming. 🐠 Seared Striped Bass The crispy skin was great, but the fish itself was overcooked. Sauce was also too salty. Both main dishes were letdowns. 🍦 Hazelnut Gelato Pretty standard — the crushed nuts were nice though. 🍰 Tiramisu Not bad — I liked the moist texture. But ours looked like it was scooped from a big batch, while my friend’s version before was served elegantly in a tall glass. Overall, not what I hoped for after the hype — but hey, taste is personal! #DineLA #PasadenaEats #ItalianFood #RestaurantReview #FoodieThoughts #HonestReview 🍝