Plate 38

Plate 38 Restaurant Review:

Owner Robert Humphreys, a talented young chef, created this popular hangout in restaurant-poor East Pasadena, and has retrofitted it with a full bar. The space, dominated by the bar, offers limited interior seating as well as a wraparound patio buffered from the street noise. For breakfast, Humphreys turns out lox and bagels, plus several interesting variations of eggs Benedict, while sandwiches, chili and salads dominate the lunch fare. At dinner, you might begin with a tuna poke tower, duck confit “chicken wings,” or a beet salad with Humboldt Fog goat cheese and a splash of blood orange vinaigrette. Entrées range from buttermilk-fried Cornish game hen to cioppino, followed by a beautifully presented cheese plate or apple-chocolate bread pudding. Despite its brevity, the global wine list proposes some intriguing options, and more than a dozen artisan beers are available. Regrettably, something seems to have happened to the consistency of Plate 38 since reopening with the full bar. Service has been slow on more than one occasion and the quality of the fare has also suffered. Even the third-pound truffle burger with wild mushrooms, caramelized onions and chive aïoli --- previously one of the best burgers around --- is hit or miss.