Smitty's Grill

Smitty's Grill Restaurant Review:

A venture of veteran Pasadena restaurateurs Bob and Gregg Smith (Parkway Grill, Arroyo Chop House), Smitty's is a tribute to all-American comfort cuisine. The clubby dining room is sophisticated yet inviting, with taupe banquettes framed with rich wood and walls lined with archival photos --- the faces of American icons like Liz Taylor and Joe DiMaggio --- from what some believe to be a more innocent era. A quiet bamboo-ribboned patio, a remnant from a previous Asian concept, remains a relatively undiscovered dining area. The menu offers few surprises, but almost everything delivers solidly. For starters, standards (e.g., popcorn shrimp, lettuce wedge, crab cakes) share space on the menu with slightly more contemporary dishes like seared ahi with a tempura crust and a sesame-chile vinaigrette. You can score a decent steak or prime rib here, but it's better to stick with the more moderately priced signatures like chicken potpie, cornmeal-crusted trout and meatloaf. Mac ‘n’ cheese, braised short ribs and grilled salmon are all more than reliable, as is a blue cheese-laden filet mignon burger. Be sure to order the sweet cornbread, baked and served in a cast-iron skillet. For dessert, there's Key lime pie or a hot fudge sundae made with Fosselman's ice cream. A long granite-topped bar (always crowded but not overly distracting for nearby diners) dispenses classic cocktails, and the almost exclusively Californian wine list offers plenty of value.