Avanti Italian Bistro & Bar

Avanti Italian Bistro & Bar
187 N Sierra Madre Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91107
626-817-9180

Avanti Italian Bistro & Bar is owned by the same owners as the now closed Avanti Cafe.  The story is that running two restaurants was just getting too much for the owners. Luckily they brought all the pizza over, but not the wood fire oven!

I went to Avanti Italian Bistro & Bar about 2-3 years ago, had the lasagna and thought it was pretty good.  Of course I didn't do a review.  So, I drove by the other day and figured I should do a review.

Avanti Italian Bistro & Bar is a huge restaurant on a corner lot.  As you enter there is a small bar area.  Then the huge dining room.  They also have a small patio.  At night the lighting is low and it makes for a nice quiet evening.

Calamari, $8 happy hour price at the bar, $12 regular menu price.  This was terrible!  Frozen calamari that was chewy as hell, bland, and just not worth even the happy hour price! 

Spaghetti marinara, $11.  Any Italian restaurant better do a good job of making sauce!  Avanti does a good job!  The marinara was well balance and full of flavor.  The pasta was angel hair and cooked perfectly! A good price for the quality and portion!

I sat at the bar and when the bartender finally came by, I got good service.  It just took awhile for the bartender, or anybody to get there.  Ok, I know it's a slow period.  But, this was an hour or so after the happy hour times had started.  Somebody should be at the bar. 

I may go back and try their pizza.  But, I love the wood fire pizza, and they didn't bring the wood fire ovens!