Mi Piace

Came here after 15 years or so and was a little skeptical because my palate has changed since high school. However, handmade pastas at $ 18 bucks? YES please!
Had the Chicken with lemon sauce– Excellent, light and tangy.
The fettucine alfredo was out of this world. SO DAMN GOOD. I’d have paid $ 30 or so for the same dish on the westside.
This place is a great go-​to for large groups, casual but upscale dining and just solid italian food. Service is a little spotty if youre on the patio outside, but its fun to people watch on Old Colorado.

Hey guys. Whatever you guys do, don’t sit in the back of restaurant, unless you like sweating. We sweated plenty. Reason being, we were right by the kitchen. Too much heat was generated. The food was aight but there was so much heat, I felt like if I was eating in front of the BBQ grill. Paid $ 20 to sweat? We were uncomfortable.
There was a reliever at the end, which was dessert. Get the tiramisu! It cool us down … Momentarily.

Very Very Brave for an Italian restaurant to put A burger and fries on the menu. So I dared to go for it. I skipped pasta and chose the All American. They call it the Black burger. I skipped the cheese and chose Medium rare (chef recommendations).
Well… The fries were really good. Cut thick, but not wide. There is a difference. Done crunchy and served very hot. These were a ⁸⁄₁₀. Really good.
My burger was a let down. I like «wet» burgers. Meaning they are so moist, nothing slides off because the juice keeps it a «squish-​able» burger. This one was dry, sorry to say. For have such top ingredients it didn’t make it my book.
My Moscato was great. Priced well at $ 8 for 4 ounces.
The fries are great, the burger needs work.
Next time I will try the pasta.

Loved it.
The atmosphere was great.
Food was very delicious.
The Linguine Alfredo sauce was very good. I usually don’t like the cheesiness of Alfredo sauce but theirs was great and light.
The specialty Salmon was great, and the mash potatoes on the side was delish and the more importantly the Salmon was wild caught! woohoo (unlike the main Salmon course which is farm raised)
Then a little music and lounge after the food.
a little pricey but good food, and I heard their Pizza is great as well!

Dinner with my LA BFF was a flash back of the good old days when we’d come here and just drink! Haha
My bestie is a vegetarian so I had the Carpaccio, was very, very good. I’m pretty picky when it comes to meat so, it’s major that I enjoyed it as much as I did. It was topped with baby arugula and capers and an aoli drizzle and some fresh shaved Parmesan. I highly recommend it!
We also shared the tomato and burrata salad. I love burrata! It’s so delicious and creamy and so much better than regular motz! That was the a followed by the veggie spaghetti with tomato sauce, simple but tasty and full of seasonal veggies. All an all it was a fantastic evening catching up over a good meal in the old stomping ground.

PHENOMINAL CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!
Sunday night was my first time eating at Mi Piace. I met a few coworkers for dinner and drinks. Two of them are Pasadena locals and they chose Mi Piace to start our night! I could not have been happier.
We sat near the bar and Mark was our bartender/​waiter. First two rounds were «Old Fashions»… With the tasty drinks came a little history on the difference between rye whiskey and bourbon! Mark was extremely knowledgable and sociable! After a few Old Fashions, we ordered dinner. Mark’s suggestion of the «Scottish Salmon» was on point! I loved my dinner, as did my buddies. (I believe they ordered roasted chicken.)
My big thing when I am out is if I have to always ask for refills– that aggravates me to no end. Somehow Mark was manning the bar, keeping up with all his customers, cleaning the bar top and keeping our glasses filled with water or bourbon!
All in all, just a great dining experience. The other tables around us all seemed to be enjoying themselves. Small crowd but it was Sunday of Memorial Day W-​end.
Great alcohol selection. (Try a glass of Red Breast, 15yr Irish Whiskey!) Lots of drinks to choose from. Mark made some kind of Vodka, grapefruit and something shot for my friends. (Vodka is poison!)
Food was very good! Good sized portion. Reasonably priced.
Service, again, was fantastic!
Cannot wait to go back!

I really liked the atmosphere of this place.
The waiter was extremely courteous and told us the food would be delayed just like our coffees.
When my cappuccino arrived I was pleasantly surprised that instead of using packets of sugar they gave us rock candy (just ordinary sugar attached to the wooden stick).
Normally when I get my cappuccinos they’re always slightly bitter but this didn’t have it at all and I was indifferent about it. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t good.
I ordered the rigatoni con salsiccia and I wasn’t mad. The pasta was cooked very nicely and the sausages as well. I didn’t like now they cooked the vegetables though because it had that almost raw like snap of vegetables not cooked. But I would say overall it was good.
Finally I finished with a Crème Brûlée Cheesecake which I wasn’t very happy about. I thought the idea of it was quite intriguing but when I tasted it wasn’t very good. The Crème brûlée was quite stiff and the cheesecake itself overpowered the Crème brûlée itself. The sugar on top was thicker than I expected and it was almost somewhat difficult to break.
My meal overall was okay. There are +2000 reviews and the rating was 3 ½ stars. I can see why but this meal was satisfying just not as good as I expected it to be.

Best Spaghetti I have ever had!!! That is what I say when I tell people about this place. I came here with a group of 4 on a busy evening of a Saturday night and this place was packed. There is seating inside, at the bar and outside in a type of patio area. There was no heating system outside so I would not recommend seating outside on a cold day. So, back to the review, we were told we had to wait about 45 minutes for a table inside so we ended up just walking into the bar area and came upon an empty table for four. When we sat down the nearby waitress told us that this table was empty because a larger party was going to be coming in an hour and they had reservations. Just when we were going to get up to go wait outside again, she told us it was fine to take the table since the large party was not here yet. So we ordered our glasses of wine and were having a good time.
Once the food came, everything got better! I ordered the seafood spaghetti and it was amazing! Like seafood? Like spaghetti? Order that plate! It was delicious! On top of all that, the waitress was really sweet, she didn’t rush us out, but encouraged the wine to keep on coming! Overall, great experience and I will definitely return!

It’s been awhile since I’ve hit up Mi Piace… other than the night I ripped my fav jeans on one of their outdoor tables as I fled to my car on a freakin’ rainy night… lol!
Otherwise, Mi Piace continues to be a place to hang when you’re the new kid in town, you want to see and be seen, or you’re an outta-​towner who wants to see and be seen.
Yeah, it’s pretty much like that and on a Saturday night it was no different. The place was super busy and the service was a tad slow… but even so… it’s times like these that I’m thankful to be in the company of good friends. Yeah, you know what I’m talking about.
Bottom line… Mi Piace has a chic comfortable atmosphere and continues to be a hot spot in Old Town Pasadena… you seriously gotta hit this place!

Weekday lunch and the place was about ¼ full at 11AM. Mi Piace is clean and looks inviting from the outside. The food, however, is meh. I got the ravioli stuffed with short ribs in a port wine reduction. The dish was simple, but the flavors did not stand out. The dish was also lukewarm and a bit under seasoned. Service was not attentive and below average.
Ravioli: 2.5÷5
Bathroom: ⁴⁄₅ (clean during lunch service)
Service: ²⁄₅
Parking: (structure parking around old town)

This place is amazing. Gorgeous lighting, first class service, the food is delightful! I am in heaven.
The morel risotto gave me an orgasm in my mouth.

YUM! I love this place. Definitely my favorite Italian restaurant ever!
First off, before you order anything, ask for bread. It’s soooooo good. It’s garlic-​y and crispy and they bring it with the olive oil/​balsamic vinegar dip.
Their fettuccine alfredo is extremely flavorful and doesn’t taste oily/​buttery and that’s very important!!! The sauce is key! LOL
If you want to eat more on the lighter side, their salads are very good (I recommend the insalata Greca – Greek salad). It’s pretty small but if you add chicken on the side it’ll definitely fill you up!
Waiters are always great, never had a problem with bad service!

Great place to come when you’re feeling overwhelmingly flush w cash and are in immediate need to drop like its hottttt… And ur stuck in Pas for some reason haha
I’m in full support of paying for quality food/​service/​ambience/​yada yada yada but when ur lunch specials are running 20+ a pop id hope to have some darn near pristine looking and tasting food to fill my belly. Fish was overcooked, charged for bread service (again, would be fine if it was any kind of special but beyond lackluster) which turned out to be the lil lumps of near croûton-​ish pieces of focaccia (?). Medi salad was total blah and completely left unfinished. Can’t speak for the rest of our crew but they seemed decently satisfied (or managed to keep their whininess under wraps, unlike me hah) w their pesto, caprese sammie, chicken lasagna, n veggie lasagna dishes. Guess if ur lookin for bread n pasta basics it may be suffic. For dessert, we tried the choco tart, crème brûlée and fruit tart which were decent but I’m not a huge sweets fan so none of this seems worth it to me.
Service was ok but when we asked if it’d be possible to add shrimp to the salad we were told it was 4 $ so we said it was fine — she then wanted to know how many we wanted, as that price is PER PiECE! Pricey. Yowza. Can’t they offer them 2 for 5 $ or something just slightly more reasonable as a salad addition?
I won’t be back, primarily cause I’m not ballin’ like that yet… but I think I’d prefer holding out to find better ways to blow through my wads of cash. Perhaps I’ll take up origami or something and just hand them out as gifts to strangers on the street.

My gf and I were walking in Old Town and found this place for lunch. It was a nice afternoon so we opted to sit outside. I ordered the rigatoni with sausage in a garlic and white wine sauce. I tried my friend’s rigatoni bolognese as well. Both were delicious! I wouldn’t hesitate to order both again. We got the lunch portion so smaller portion and saved a few bucks.
Service was sort of spotty. I felt forgotten especially the beginning. Maybe because we sat outside?

Used to go here years and years ago… way before Unilocal existed. Mi Piace is as good as I remember. They seemed to have enlarged it since I remember but there were still people waiting. Didn’t have to wait long for our party and the servers were very polite and helpful. Lots of homemade pastas and great selection of salads. The garlic bread is complementary and so good. Their ice tea is awesome! I had three glasses. Freshly brewed.
It was a very relaxing lunch and we were not rushed. I will definitely go back!

Nothing was «right».
DRINKS: The strawberry mojito was flat and boring. The Gin & Roses was so strong that everyone at our table struggled to even drink it. As my friend described the drink, it was as if they just put food coloring in the gin.
FOOD: Bland. I got the Ravioli di Costine and it was so dry.
AMBIANCE: Loud. Crowded. Didn’t like it as a girls night out, would definitely NOT recommend it for a date night.
PARKING: Valet is pricey, but there is a 90-​minute free lot across the street. Enter on Green Street.
OVERALL:
Mi Piace leaves a lot to be desired.

I was really reluctant about coming here since I got so many mixed reviews from friends. Anyways, I came here with a friend for a late lunch and I actually had a great experience. Our waitress was very tentative, kind and patient. We took a while on what we wanted to order, but our waitress was quick to come by our table whenever we needed her.
We both shared a fried calamari platter, which was cooked to perfection! Every piece was crispy and I did not once get a piece with just batter. Just what I like. Also, the dipping sauce was to die for! It was very light, compared to places with a creamier texture. It was lemony+cilantro-y, which was a perfect combination!
I got a pasta dish with shrimp and that was amazing! There was a mix of regular egg noodles and spinach noodles and it was all beautifully combined. The shrimp was perfectly grilled and everything was all so yummy together! The sauce wasn’t heavy at all. I could only finish half of this dish because they gave such large proportions.
I will definitely be back to try more things on their menu and definitely their dessert! I love how they have an outdoor seating place also.

Mi Piace was a good place, I’d rate as «A-​OK» in Old Town Pasadena on Colorado Blvd.
The prices are okay and portions a bit small for the price, so the overall value is decent given the quality but not awe inspiring.
The service was sort of hit/​miss through the experience, generally okay, somewhat attentive at times, other times maybe not so much. When we entered there wasn’t much of a wait, then we waited a short bit only to be brought to a back room area that was empty and unoccupied. Maybe they try to balance the customer to server ratios and stagger the seating. Oddly, when we were seated, and there were 4 of us, they gave us 1 menu to share saying they were short on menus, only to then see another party get seated concurrently with us where they all had menus for each person sitting. That seemed strange. The table settings that were there had one set which was food stained (I happen to have a photo but giving the restaurant the benefit of the doubt, I’m not posting that image here as a picture often says a thousand words and wouldn’t want them to be penalized by that visual).
The food was tasty, but not super filling given the relatively inexpensive COG’s (Cost of Good) of Pasta, it doesn’t have to be Olive Garden/​Bucca sized portions per se where the presentation gets lost by the volume, but it should be a tad bigger on their pasta dishes.
The average price is about $ 30 per person after tax/​tip with an appetizer or salad or drink thrown into the mix.
I’d consider coming back here, so it wasn’t bad at all, I think there are definitely equal or better options in the area, but if you crave Italian and have a petite appetite, it’s a reliable place. The atmosphere and décor is nice.
Parking is… well it’s Old Town, so depends when you come here.

It’s been so many years since we have had a meal here, and this Italian restaurant is still here after so many places closed down in old town Pasadena in recent years. Obviously they had some nice remodeling, entire place has become more open and bright, the tables aren’t as cramped as before, which is much better. The bar and lounge area looks modern and elegant.
A casual dinner date before our movie, still there is always a long wait at this place, why don’t ppl use OpenTable to make reservations? We arrived a bit earlier than our reservation time, had 2 drinks at the bar, usual Goose vodka lomon drop and Vesper martinis. Bartender did a great job, both drinks were yummy and strong.
Got seated at a window table, started off with sparkling water as usual. The menu has changed quite a bit, they have more steaks I think.
Starters:
Table bread, not free though: they were so good, loved the garlic.
Split angel hair pasta with sea scallops: the angel hair was definitely the best I have ever had, the flavors were amazing, sea scallops were so fresh and tender.
Entrees:
Petite filet in rare plus: perfect rare plus, tender cut, the sauce was so delicious.
Spaghetti with shellfish in fish soup: the broth was very good, flavorful and comforting, but most of the seafood was a bit hard and chewy, also too much squid.
Dessert:
Gelato in pumpkin spice and chocolate flavors, the pumpkin spice one was heavenly delicious, perfect with my 20 yr old Tawny port.
Food was mostly delicious, service was attentive and friendly, a good place for a casual Italian dinner date, or some down time with good drinks at the lounge.

3.5 stars for this place.
Pros:
1. We were given 2 appetizers on the house because we were seated 1 hour past our time of reservation.
1. Calamari Fritti
Fresh calamari with house made limejuice, cilantro and jalapeño dipping sauce. The sauce was more lime than anything else but it was still edible.
2. Bruchetta. Avocado and tomatoes on top.
Their basket of bread was delicious! Best free dish of the night. Everyone gets a basket of this at their table, so eat as much of this as your heart & stomach allows. Crispy almost fried bread on the outside, and soft and warm on the inside. Outside was coated with oil and parmasean cheese… and when dipped in the vinegar and olive oil blend… omg. orgasmic. Wanted more to take home…
I got the Mi Piace Polpette — Signature hand rolled mini meatballs topped with Parmigiano and basil chiffonade. Basically it’s a classic speghetti dish with delicious handmade meatalls. Meatballs were good.
I was so full at the end of the night. Carbs on top of carbs!
My friends and I also shared 2 desserts.
Banana Pyramid
A crunchy chocolate base with a fresh banana cream, dipped in milk chocolate. Banana and cream filling covered by a thick fondant sheet that is shaped into a pyramind. The outer layer of coco late fondant was sweet but lots of fun to eat… much like eating peanut butter.
And the salted chocolate tart.
The chocolate base was difficult to eat with just a spoon. A knife may be needed. In the middle of the chocolate was warmed and liquified salted caramel blend. And topped off with vanilla ice cream.
Sugar overload. Period.
Presentation was great. Service was great.
Cons: umm… fire hazard? No walking space for waiters/​waitresses let alone customers. If a waiter drops a glass and breaks it… there is no way he will be able to clean the glass because THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO OPEN SPACE. Waiters’ butts were touching my arm all night because I was THAT close to the next table… where people had to turn sideways to get to the kitchen or the restroom.
Food was slow to come out.
The only cons is that it was ridiculously crowded on a Saturday night. Expect a long wait line. Parked on Raymond and green parking structure.

Will never come back! Had a table booked at 7.30. Waited for half an hour standing with my wife in the middle of a crowd. There was no organization whatsoever and people were almost fighting with the waiters to get seated. A lady with a reservation at 6.45pm was still waiting at 8pm. This is when I decided to leave. This was a speci occasion for my wife and myself, they spoiled our Saturday night!
Managing the number of tables booked vs your capacity is a basic of the restaurant business. If you are not able to do this, open a McDonald and leave the restaurant business to serious people.
Will never come back and will make sure my friends do not either. That will help them to manage attendance!

Mi Piace is a pretty big letdown. They’re located in the heart of Old Town Pasadena with hip décor and lots of patrons, but I’m not a fan of their ambiance or their food.
The tables are tiny and crowded together so that you can’t help but hear the two guys sitting a foot away from you discussing their deodorant preferences. There’s no real privacy if you’re trying to be romantic on a date.
We got a fairly plain cheese pizza, which was super thin, like paper, and very bland. I can understand that pizzas come in different styles and that these are thin ones, but that doesn’t excuse the lack of flavor. I’ve also tried their pasta, which was even more of an embarrassment. It was basically dry noodles with a few sad pieces of chicken and vegetables. I’d expect the pasta to be coated in a delicious sauce, but Mi Piace couldn’t deliver that. Plus, the portions are small for how expensive they are (but I suppose you’re paying for the ambiance… Wait, what ambiance? Exactly.).
I give this place two stars because I love their Ahi Tuna Tower. When I bite into it I think about how the chef knew exactly what he was doing when he put all these flavors together. Unfortunately, at $ 15 for a few bites, it’s too overpriced for me.
To sum it up, Mi Piace is very cramped, lacks privacy for a date, has bland food in small portions, and is overpriced.