THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Ración

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Ración Restaurant Review:

An intimate restaurant in Old Pasadena, Ración offers contemporary interpretations of traditional Spanish and Basque dishes. Chicken croquetas can be a bit dry, but the accompanying membrillo and goat cheese mousse compensate for most shortcomings. Better execution is evident in the bacalao fritters, tiny crispy balls of salt cod served with lemon cream. Lamb meatballs with a tomato glaze are nicely seared but pleasantly soft beneath the crust, and baby squid stuffed with duck sausage arrives with two sauces, one a mildly spicy brava salsa, the other an addictive squid ink sauce. A plate of charcuterie includes a velvety chicken liver-tangerine mousse, and melt-in-your-mouth jamón Ibérico is available for an extra tariff. Fideua negra, black pasta with mussels, topped by a poached quail egg, is a dramatic looking dish. Desserts include a version of crema Catalana and a unique almond-olive oil cake paired with black sesame paste. The wine list is exclusively Spanish, which is unusual even for Spanish restaurants in L.A., and Ración also serves a first-rate sangría. The narrow skylit space is sparsely decorated but for some colorful eclectic art lining the walls.