PRICE:
Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

With its easy-to-miss setting in a sleepy part of Pasadena, the Raymond is a jewel even few locals know about. This Craftsman cottage was once the caretaker's house for a grand Victorian hotel called the Raymond. Though the city has grown to surround it, the place maintains an enchanting air of seclusion, romance, and serenity. In 2005, the classic restaurant got a face-lift, as did the haute American- and European-inspired menu, which changes seasonally. A typical dinner may start with a pancetta-wrapped shrimp appetizer tossed in an orange reduction sauce, followed by roast Long Island duckling with raspberry port sauce and the coup de grâce -- chocolate Moelleux soufflé cake with a melted chocolate center served with vanilla ice cream. Tables are scattered throughout the house and in the lush English garden, and there's plenty of free, nonvalet parking (you won't find that on the Westside). Note: If you're a fan of finger sandwiches, afternoon tea (a great excuse to drink champagne under the sun) is offered Friday through Sunday from 1:30 to 3pm.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Los Angeles 2009, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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