There's a new menu at Bar Celona

Chef Josef Centeno left Lot 1 in Echo Park in July, with the aim of opening his own place, but meanwhile, he has spent the lastmonth consulting at Bar Celona in Pasadena. The menu, which was more "Old Town" than truly Spanish-inspired, has received an overhaul. Now there are Catalan-inflected dishes such as charred Padrón peppers with Spanish sea salt and a version of pan con tomate (toasted bread rubbed with garlic and tomato, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt). Here the pan con tomate is served with salbitxada sauce -- this one with hazelnuts, baby pear tomatoes, sherry vinegar, lemon juice and zest, and parsley. "Spanish cuisine has been a fundmanetal part of my cooking," says Centeno, who still is planning to open his own restaurant. "But these are a modern take on classic dishes with really fresh ingredients." Other tapas are crispy eggplant with honey and spiced yogurt; whipped salt cod and potatoes (bacalao); tortilla española; pork shoulder conserva; and Spanish flatbreads with basil, mint, Manchego and figs.... The dinner menu includes olive oil-marinated Spanish tuna with fennel and Granny Smith apples and an aromatic seafood stew with bass, mussels, clams and saffron. And the dessert menu now, thankfully, features crema Catalana (Catalan custard with a caramelized crust) -- along with chilled cinnamon rice pudding with candied pecans and caramel and a bittersweet chocolate mousse with olive oil and Spanish sea salt. There's a reason why Colman Andrews quotes Eliane Thibaut-Comelade in his book "Catalan Cuisine": "El català es llaminer" -- "The Catalan is fond of sweets."

The considerable skills of Chef Josef Centeno have been brought in to completely overhaul the menus at Bar Celona and the result has won over the hearts (and stomachs) of Pasadena. Chef Centeno received his formal training at the Culinary Institute of America (NY) and his experience includes New York restaurants Vong and Daniel, Manresa in Los Gatos, and Aubergine, Meson G and Opus in Southern California. In building his palate and refining his cooking style, Spanish cuisine has remained a fundamental part of his work. Now with his tenure at Bar Celona, Chef Centeno brings his modern take on Spanish classics to Pasadena with a focus on fresh, seasonal ingredients. His deservedly popular cooking style has won fans for its fresh and wild creativity, layering complex sauces and juxtaposing both unusual and unassuming elements to create unique and memorable flavor combinations. Menu highlights include Catalan-inflected dishes such as charred Padrón peppers with Spanish sea salt, pork shoulder conserva, crispy pork belly with Brussels sprouts, fried egg and salbixtada, quail stuffed with tart cherries, apricots, chorizo and roasted figs, crispy eggplant with honey and spiced yogurt; whipped salt cod and potatoes (bacalao); tortilla española; and Spanish flatbreads with basil, mint, Manchego and figs....

The romantic and modern interiors of Bar Celona are the work of designer Sat Garg, of Akar Studios in Santa Monica, California. Under deep red awnings, sidewalk tables on busy Colorado Boulevard give diners an up-close view of Old Pasadena streetlife. Spanish music drifts throughout the space with the aroma of saffron emanating from the display kitchen, filled with busy chefs in red bandanas. The Venetian-plastered walls of red and yellow interspersed with historic walls of rough-hewn brick are the canvas for works of art by Spanish legends Miro and Picasso. Diners may choose between the intimate, main dining room and the lively Tapas Bar, a beautiful showcase bar where specialty charcuterie including Spanish meat and cheese platters are prepared to order. Diners perched on the comfortable Spanish red barstools can enjoy a drink, some tapas or an entire feast at the Tapas Bar. In the spacious adjoining Lounge, an expansive cocktail and wine bar, specializing in the Spanish wines and sangrias, presents a sleek, clubby atmosphere with low-rise tables and stylish sofas. A gigantic 40-foot video wall projects images of flamenco dancers and Spanish guitarists overlooking the Pit, a large recessed seating area lined with sleek banquettes and low tables. A private dining room is available for groups of up to 50 people. Diners can also enjoy the lush Spanish courtyard, the perfect place to retreat for after dinner drinks. The gentle murmur of a burbling fountain adds to the ambiance, perfectly complementing a space that is wrapped in the warm glow of candlelight.

Bar Celona features entertainment options throughout the week, including live music, Flamenco dancers, and late night DJs in the lounge, where Bar Celona is offers weekend service until 1:30 am. Hours are Sunday-Thursday 11:00 – 11:00; Friday-Saturday 11:00-1:30am.

The Old Pasadena Group, owned by Jack and Karen Huang, a former aerospace engineer and a former investment banker, has created a collection of three enormously successful and inventive restaurants that frame historic Colorado Boulevard in Old Pasadena.

The initial, overwhelming success of WOK n ROLL, their popular Pan-Asian Sushi Bar, now in its' ninth year of business, led to the reinvention of neighboring SORRISO ristorante and martini bar. SORRISO, an Italian supper club currently enjoying its' eleventh anniversary, is renowned in the Pasadena area for its Northern and Central Italian cuisine as well as its lively Martini Bar and Late Night Lounge. Their latest venture, Bar Celona, a Modern Spanish Restaurant & Tapas Bar, will be unveiled in Old Pasadena in early 2004. Their unique catering division, Old Pasadena Caterers, draws on the resources of all three restaurants to deliver creative special event menus. The Old Pasadena Group's corporate mantra, the ancient Chinese maxim "Eat, Drink, Play, Have Fun!" infuses their catering company and all of their restaurants, dictating style and design, from menu development to interiors.

The Huang's passion for food and design, and especially creating that spark of "having fun" that sets a restaurant apart, defines their sensibility as restaurateurs, and is clearly evident in all three locations. That "spark" comes alive in the person of Jack Huang. Growing up amidst his own family's restaurants, he worked his way through college, earning not only his credentials, but also gaining a breadth of restaurant experience, ranging from casual concepts to four star dining rooms. Today, Jack lives and breathes restaurants and everybody knows Jack! He has become so well known in Old Pasadena that whether it be valet parking attendants, business and property owners, city council members, or customers that work and dine in the area, he can't walk from one end of the district to the other without stopping and talking, every few feet, to his neighbors and friends.

Aside from the business of their own restaurants, Jack believes in being vitally involved with the community, currently serving on the Board of the Old Pasadena Management District, and is a past President of the Old Pasadena Business & Professional Association, Parking Commissioner of the Old Pasadena Parking Meter Zone Commission, and as a director on the Board of the Pasadena Senior Center. Working 'behind the scenes,' Karen Huang handles everything from negotiating leases, contracts, and financing, to overseeing public relations and the catering division, to researching and developing new restaurant concepts and business plans. Together, this creative pair share a passion for food and design, evident in their menus with the "Ahi Tuna and Two Caviar Napoleon" appetizer, served on an upturned martini glass at SORRISO, to the wildly flavorful "Burnin Down the House Roll" at WOK n ROLL, the signature dish of the house, which defines THE Spicy Tuna Roll to end all spicy tuna rolls!

In December, SORRISO is relocating into a larger, one-of-a-kind location at the western gateway to Old Pasadena and will transform into the Bar Celona. Picture a Mediterranean Villa with a lush, sunlit patio, a splashing fountain, a crackling, outdoor fireplace, and romantic, outdoor cabanas. Downstairs, the perfect location for catching up with friends, whether in the glowing Martini Bar and Lounge or in the warm and inviting dining rooms. Upstairs, a velvet rope guards the way to a sanctuary for a members-only private club reminiscent of the private library of an exclusive residence, furnished with plush leather sofas and ottomans, fine wood paneling, library collections, and an intimate, private bar space.
An elegant portal will grace the entryway to the Villa, formerly occupied by Clearwater Seafood and the Old Town Bakery (168 West Colorado Boulevard), the two spaces now combined into the Huang's vision of a luxurious, modern villa, the new Bar Celona. The new space will feature live entertainment, dancing and DJs to liven up the late night lounge, outdoor bar and patio. In addition to classic Italian favorites, Executive Chef Jeff Rowley and Chef de Cuisine Raul Mercado will be broadening the menu to include an oyster bar, hot and cold seafood platters, grilled lobster and king crab legs, as well as daily fresh fish specials and a wide selection of steaks and chops. And yes, the very popular Martini Bar will most definitely be a part of the equation for the new Villa. The same wonderful architectural team responsible for the unique design at the original location, Akar Studios, has developed an equally stunning new design concept for the Villa.

Now just to make Old Pasadena that much more fabulous, Jack and Karen will be unveiling Bar Celona, a wonderful Modern Spanish Restaurant & Tapas Bar, in the former SORRISO space. Calling it a "modern Tapas restaurant" with roots firmly in the tradition of the great tapas bars of Spain, the restaurant will feature the popular concept of "small plates." Set in a soaring, art gallery-like space with brick walls, the restaurant will feature a lively Tapas Bar with an assortment of Spanish-Mediterranean charcuterie and tapas frias (cold tapas) in glass and steel cases from which diners can make their selection as well as tapas caliente (hot tapas) served from the open exhibition kitchen, and a variety of paella and Spanish entradas (entrees). Tapas will range from $4 to $12 and will rotate seasonally. A wide selection of Spanish, Italian, French and California wines will be offered by the glass, carafe and bottle, as well as specially-blended house sangria. Monthly wine tasting dinners will be featured. Late night lounge will feature live Spanish music and dance performances, as well as DJs in the evenings. Diners can choose between the beautiful, candle-lit dining room, an late night bar and lounge, the flower-filled outdoor patio, sidewalk dining, or the lively tapas bar. Look for the Grand Opening of Bar Celona in early 2004!

Three culinary jewels in Old Pasadena. So whether you're in the mood for Asian, Italian or Spanish, stop in and say hi to Jack!