Dear Losanjealous,

This is Pasadena H reporting to you from Magnolia on Wednesday, June 21, 2006. I was happy because it was happy hour at this lovely lounge. Me buddy Kevin and I partook in some chicken fingers that was battered in corn flakes and we had some beutious onion rings that was volcano shaped with the most excellent BBQ sauce and garlic aioli (ask for this, it is not offered). Let me write now that I love this place. I feel relaxed and at ease when I come here. This place is so cool that I do not tell the people that I work with about this place. I only take close friends. And they do not tell the people they work with to come here. This place is my hideaway and sanctuary. This place opens after 5:00 PM. Thus my peace begins shortly thereafter.

ATMOSPHERE
Pasadena, for all that it is worth, is a suburb to Los Angeles. We know this and are fine with it. I know that there is a Magnolia in Hollywood and I don’t care. I can walk to this one in Pasadena and stumble back. I think that all of the wait staff is cute and that I want to cuddle with them, but not the dudes.
The inside room is cool and relaxing with nice chairs and wallpaper that you wish you had. . If you is wanting a smoke stay to the inside because the inside is outside (pretty cool huh?). If you like to see how a bar like this works wait until they close the doors and they have to open the basement to get more wares for the whole operation to run. Kinda cool.

FOODS
You should know this about the reviewer. More food, less cost make me happy. During happy hour food is half off. Make sure to order the fries. They rock are is served with three different type of sauce. I mentioned the chicken, very good but if I had the chef’s ear I would say to add some cayenne pepper or some smoked paprika to spice it up a bit. The pizza is very good but it is only a fall back option. Be brave my fellow Pasadena-ans.
In the past I have had the burger (very good during happy hour for five dollars) and several of their desserts. Very nice indeed. Any time that you can get their version of macaroni and cheese, DO IT. That alone is a full price option. In all, the foods is good here. Make sure to buys it.

DRINKS
I, being a happy hour slut will order whatever is happy. On Wednesdays before 7:00 PM the drink of choice is a well martini. I had three dirty ones. I was a happy slut. I was both refreshed and thoroughly happy. Drinks arrived quickly and because I have met my seductive server, Faye, I got one ordered before the happiness ended. Joy.
I have had a dirty martini at several places and only here does a dirty well taste so good. Might be the glasses, might be the ambiance.

CROWD
The crowd differs from time to time. I think that before 10:00 PM it is the 40 and over pack. I have been there when most of the crowd is silver haired. Not so bad if you want to find a sugar something or other.
After 10:00 PM, anything goes. Meet up with friends to people watch. Want to avoid Old Town; this is a nice place to meet up. It is always something different.

DRAWBACKS
See above.

CONCLUSION
I dig this place. They have stuff that they project on the wall without sound so that you can fill in your own dialogue.

Pasadena H is a ten-year-old food and alcohol critic living and working in Pasadena. His column, Pasadena H Reviews Pasadena Magnolia, is syndicated on more than 250 blogs nationwide.