Union Pasadena

“In the photos: • Duck breast with figs and blueberries finished with a fig glaze. The glaze added a nice sweetness, and the duck was cooked like a steak — perfectly medium-well ❤️ • Squid ink lumache. I thought the sauce would actually be squid ink, so I expected it to be black. But even though it wasn’t, it was still amazing — tender lobster, a buttery sauce, and a hint of lemon that balanced everything really well. • Grilled octopus. Cooked perfectly — super soft with crispy edges, not chewy at all. • Wild mushrooms with polenta. Every ingredient on the plate worked so well together. The flavors were simple but really delicious!! Only thing i wished for was a brighter ambiance so i can actually see and appreciate what i was enjoying.”

“We’re a party of 8 and ordered 4 appetizers, 5 pasta dishes, and 1 main dish. It was a little too much for our group, but to be fair, half of the party doesn’t eat much in general. I loved almost every single dish we ordered. Each of us had our own favorite pasta, and 4 out of 5 pastas had their own fan(s). That really shows how good their pastas are, an 80% hit rate! You almost can’t go wrong with any choice; it all comes down to personal preference. Our server was excellent and very helpful with recommendations. We couldn’t decide on our fifth pasta, and the one she suggested ended up being my personal favorite. It had butternut squash and pine nuts. Yummmm! Will definitely come back again!”

“This is a great restaurant for gatherings with family and friends. We went on a Monday evening and had made an online reservation, so there was no wait when we arrived. The hostess at the front was very nice, and we were able to get a seat outdoors just like we hoped. Our server was patient and took the time to explain the menu, even recommending a delicious appetizer. We ordered two pasta dishes: One was squid ink lumache and the other was a name ends with Pepe. Overall, everything was really good. The portions were on the smaller side, which was actually nice because it allowed us to try more flavors. The drinks were also well-made — the house-made Italian grapefruit soda was especially refreshing. All in all, we’d definitely come back to try other dishes next time.”

“First time to eat here and we were happy with everything we ordered. Everything was delicious and the server was very helpful in explaining the menu. Although I did feel rushed to eat because the minute my husband and daughter in law were done eating, they took their plate and cleaned the table even though I was still eating.”

“Atmosphere: 5 stars - Restaurant itself was cute and laid out well. We were next to another couple but never felt like we were intruding into their space or vice versa. Service: 4.5 stars - Service was super friendly and mostly attentive. Server checked on us almost immediately after seating but then took a long time to return to take out order and wasn't anywhere where I could wave her down. After that initial bit though, other servers started to assist with our table and they were much more attentive. Food: I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised since we were able to secure a reservation an hour before during the dinner rush but I was underwhelmed with the food. Will start with the stars of the night though.. Favorite dishes were the bread/dip (bread was perfect, crusty on the outside and soft and fluffy inside, the STRACCIATELLA cheese was a great pair) and the squid ink lumache (light sauce with acidic flavor) Everything else was just ok or just missed the mark of being a great dish. The third place dish for me was the torcheii with pork ragu sauce. The caramelle flavor profile was amazing but the pasta itself was a bit odd. I think because if it's shape the outer part of the pasta was a tougher and somewhat flavorless but the brown butter sauce and the crispy sage were amazing and would have been 5 stars with a better pasta. The shape of this pasta was cute but ultimately took away from the dish. The octopus dish had great flavor but I thought it was a little too chewy. Also I was so hungry I forgot to take pictures of all but the last two dishes.”