Union

An unassuming little gem in Pasadena with great food, service, and wine selection. Not an easy place to get a last minute reservation in this 50-​seat restaurant but evidently we knew people who knew people… in Pasadena :) The porchetta was a-​ma-​zing! The meat was savory and delicious, and the skin was crisped to perfection. If you are a meat eater, I’d definitely suggest you get it. This definitely is the spot to be for dinner in Old Town but make your reservations early!

This place is awesome!
I showed up without a reservation and although the place was packed, they were able to seat me in a really comfortable booth in the corner. Every single person I interacted with was lovely (my server, other servers, the hostess, etc). If I owned a business, these are the exact type of people I would want to work for me.
The food was really good! I had some questions about the menu and my server was extremely knowledgeable and offered some (very delicious) suggestions. I love that they shop the local farmer’s markets, cure their own meat, and make their own cheeses. This is definitely a place I will come back to many times!

We had an absolutely delightful dinner at Union for our 20^th wedding anniversary. When we arrived, the hostess offered us a special corner booth table with more room and privacy if we were willing to wait a few minutes and we happily did.
We started with the stracciatella appetizer — homemade cheese with bread, rich and delicious albeit a bit on the heavy side. We finished only half. We also started with the merquez sausage — warm herbs and spices.
The field salad with a cumin dressing and stone fruit was refreshing and light. Our last dish was the squid ink garganelli with Maine lobster, fennel, meyer lemon and truffle butter. This was our favorite dish of the evening.
Noting it was a special occasion, our friendly server brought us a dessert wine with our dessert and coffee. After we finished that, the manager brought us a little sparkling Italian wine and cookies. How sweet is that?
We have been trying to get into Union for some time and were so pleased to finally get there on this special day. Not many places go out of their way to make you feel welcome and special, but Union certainly did. And our meal was fantastic. I can’t wait to go back and it won’t be in another 20 years!

Been here a few times for the squid ink garganelli (now it’s bombolotti), as well as the panna cotta. Consistent.

Stumbled onto this amazing place and it was one of the most delicious mistakes I’ve made. Sat at the bar because every other seat in the restaurant was taken. Apparently other people love this place too.
Spoke to Anastasia at the bar and she took good care of me. I had the spaghetti and beef short rib. It was heaven. The home-​made pasta was perfectly cooked and beautifully presented. The cheese-​marinara sauce (gravy) was out of this world. The beef rib flew off the bone and melted in my mouth.
The atmosphere was upbeat, friendly, happy. There’s a great mood in this place. Servers are excited to be there and this happiness permeates the walls. I love Union — highly recommended. I heard the pork meatballs were top notch too. Can’t wait to come back!

This restaurant is GOOOOOD! It seats 50 people and the ambience is trendy. I thought it was interesting how the hostess’s section is set up. It was quite unique. She has a metal lectern to hold the menu, an iPad to check-​in customers, and she holds a tiny remote to unlock the door for guests. I must say, Union’s customer service from beginning to end, was fantastic.
As we walked in you can just smell the aroma of Cheese in the air. Mmm sexy… lol Our waiter made us aware of which dishes had disappeared and explained that their menu changes every four weeks. The night we were there was the first day for the new menu. Hence, the disappearing of dishes… lol
Instead of thinking what to get, we just left it to our waiter to surprise us with a tasting menu. It was the best idea ever. We were able to try almost everything that was on the menu except for the sold out ones. :(We had a total of 6 finger-​licking, bread sweeping course meal plus yummy goodness heaven desserts. Everything was served family style which was good enough to share with four people. Food was so good, I even asked for more bread just to sweep out the sauce on the plate. You say embarrassing? Pfft! Can’t let the sauce go to waste, that’s the best part! Yes! THAT good! But all in all, we were totally impressed with our waiter!
Thank you Union waiter for the wonderful foodgasm. Sorry I forgot your name. :) Would definitely come again.
By the way, this may be a good romantic spot BUT don’t expect to have a quiet one. The fact that the place is small and everyone is getting tipsy from wine, it can get pretty loud.
So my fellow Unilocalers, if you’re in Pasadena don’t forget to try Union.
Cheers and eat your heart out! :)

My boyfriend and I have come here twice in the last few months. Both times, we have an amazing experience. The first time I ate at Union, I got the bucatini. Let me tell you, it was out of this world. As an Italian-​American, I was NOT disappointed. If you go to Union, I would recommend that the bucatini is the first dish you try. It is timeless, simple (in the best way), and velvety smooth.
The service has been great, atmosphere lively, and I would say it is one of my favorite restaurants in Pasadena.

One of our favorite restaurants in Los Angeles county. When we have a special occasion to celebrate Union (along with Ledlow & Baco Mercat) is at the top of our list.
Must haves: mushrooms with creamy polenta, squid ink pasta with lobster, and pork meatballs.
The ingredients are always very fresh and combined in interesting and exciting ways.

Just wonderful.
My wife and I came here for our 20^th wedding anniversary dinner, and we walked away so happy.
First off, the service was fantastic — our server was incredibly attentive, and George (?) came and checked on us to make sure everything was okay.
It was.
The Spaghetti Alla chitarra was amazing — the texture of the fresh made pasta was perfect, and the natural sweetness of the San Marzano tomatoes was a perfect accompaniment.
The squid ink garganelli was something to behold. It was kinda like a magic show for the palate — the heavy flavor of the truffles gradually faded into the flavor of the lobster. One flavor giving way to another. It was beautifully done.
Then the porchetta — the various textures of the skin, the fat, and the meat, along with the potatoes was wondrous.
The desserts — the pana cotta and the olive oil cake were the perfect complement to an extraordinary meal.
Chef Kalman is straight-​up brilliant. I can’t remember the last time I had such an exquisite, and thoughtfully prepared meal. The wife and I were both beyond pleased. Thank you, Union!

It really bums me out to write this: but the food was kind of underwhelming. We found this place on one of those «top 20 must try restaurants in the SGV» and were super pumped when we saw the Unilocal reviews and heard the waiter say that everything was freshly made in-​house, from the butter to the pasta to even the soda. But overall, we were quite disappointed that the food didn’t live up to the hype.
Between the 2 of us we ordered 4 dishes and we had plenty of leftovers, despite our best efforts. We ordered only the dishes that our waiter recommended.
We started off with the stracciatella– this was tasty but not something I would dream about. It was super garlicky though, so dive in if you don’t mind the after-​breath.
Next we got the mushroom polenta — this was the highlight! Best part of the meal — 3 types of mushrooms over a super creamy polenta, drizzled in truffle oil and a slightly tangy dressing. It smelled and tasted WONDERFUL!
We also got 2 pasta dishes — neither one was really a hit for us. We got the spaghetti that every one raved about — it was simple, the sauce was good but the pasta noodles were a little off-​puttingly hard/​grainy. Same with the shrimp penne — nice light pesto taste with some nuts tossed gently in, but the penne texture felt very coarse. I’ve had plenty of handmade, fresh pastas before, and these just felt very grainy.
Service was great — no complaints whatsoever! Make reservations if you’re going on a weekend night, because it gets really packed!
I personally wouldn’t want to come back though, and will look at restaurants on the «top restaurants in [insert city] list» more skeptically.

Reservations were made about a week in advance and fortunately it was not cancelled. Cancellation of the reservations happened to my friend just a few days ago for a private event.
We arrived on time and our table was seated right away. From the start to the end, the staff was very nice, attentive and hella polite. We had a kid with us and they even offered to make a special/​simple dish for him in case he didn’t want to eat anything from the menu. We ordered a little bit of everything and each dish was delicious. We did find a piece of plastic in one of the pasta, but that did’t ruin our time. The manager did come out to apologize and comp us that one plate.
We just got back from Italy a few weeks ago so it felt good to have some wonderful Italian food. Just call ahead of time to make reservations and enjoy your evening!

I don’t know why foods are so pricy in this restaurant. But, I believe that the service and comfortableness and conviviality are top notch.
The service is really good. Every staff in this restaurant is super nice. They answer any question you have and very friendly. Also, very comfortable. The chairs are comfortable, people are comfortable, I feel like I dine at the neighborhood’s restaurant. This restaurant is kinda hole-​in-​the-​wall but it makes people more convivial asking what kind of food we eating, or people responding two thumbs up like this. Even today my next seat suggested that they gonna share their wine they brought if we want.
Today I am sold what «Eye on LA» said this is the best in Pasadena and I pay with happiness.

Five stars for a near-​perfect meal at Union. Came here with some friends on a weeknight and they were CROWDED. We were there for a later dinner but the place was still packed. I guess all of old town is pretty poppin’ all days of the week but we were lucky enough to snag seats for three at the end of the bar without having to wait too long.
Our server was top notch and made really great suggestions on what we should order since none of us had been there before. We started with the wild mushrooms (G&T polenta, Pedro Ximenez sherry vinegar, sage, rosemary — per menu) and the house made stracciatella (roasted garlic, crostini) they were AMAZING. Both buttery and savory in just the right way. So good we ate the plates clean. We also got the Bartlett pears salad (Bellwesther San Andreas Pecorino, frisée, pear mostarda, buckwheat honey) and while I’m not a huge fan of salads — even fruit salads — it was a nice refreshing break between courses and I would recommend it to those of you sharing plates.
For entrees, we shared the squid ink garganelli (Maine lobster, fennel, meyer lemon, truffle butter) and I think between this and the wild mushrooms I couldn’t give this place anything but five stars. The pasta was wonderful. So flavorful and the lobster and truffle and yumminess. my mouth is watering just remembering the dish. Definitely not one to miss out on if they have it on the menu. We also got the porchetta (Weiser farms potatoes, salsa verde) which has limited availability and was mentioned frequently on Unilocal but was probably my least favorite dishes of the ones we ordered. Go with the squid ink pasta instead!
We ended our meal with the olive oil cake which I’ve never had before and was a little unusual for me but still really tasty. I’d recommend it as something a little more different than classic house made sorbets (which I assume are also really yummy but I prefer to go with something a little weird when the opportunity is there).
Overall a wonderful meal with great service and great food. The space is a little tight, that may be my one gripe with the overall experience but it definitely didn’t detract from how much I enjoyed eating here. You really can’t order a bad thing off the menu, so take a chance! And when in doubt. squid ink pasta!

Great food! Loved their wild mushrooms and squid ink pasta! The smoked pork was just okay, kinda too salty. Olive oil cake was dry.
Also, the room was crowded and customers were very loud, I had to yell to my friend making sure she could hear me.

For an intimate and decadent dinner experience you’ll be hard pressed to find another restaurant in Old Town Pasadena. You may have to venture over to The Raymond for a similar experience.
Union sets itself apart from others based upon the locally sourced foods which are proudly displayed on their website. I did a little research to learn what my experience would be like. The SPAGHETTI ALLA CHITARRA and SQUID INK GARGANELLI were the dishes of choice and I must say these signature dishes distinguishes themselves uniquely and deserve the accolades.
Service was attentive and courteous. Prices are moderately higher than most other places but the quality of the dishes matches the amount.

Chef Kalman’s pasta is to die for & the porcetta! My fav is always the squid ink garganelli with lobster chunks & truffle butter. Other pasta or items on the menu were all so good. The only minus is how difficult it is to book a table! I sometime get lucky with the bar counter by dining solo or another person.

I usually enjoy my visits to Union and am a big fan of Bruce Kalman but my last two visits have been somewhat disappointing compared to my first few. Having tasted the amazing myriad of flavor from the squid ink garganelli in the past, I was extremely disappointed by the absence of it on a friday at 6pm and late week day dinners. I was told it never happens so this is a rarity and have been very unlucky. Earlier in the week, I went to knead and co and they also were unable to serve their squid ink pasta at 11am opening. For a signature dish, it does deliver when it is available! They recommended calling ahead next time.
As for the remainder of my dishes, let me start off with the bad: my halibut came out dry on one side and completely raw on the other. I am no stranger to eating good sushi but this was definitely not intended nor did it taste good. The waiter and manager were very apologetic and offered to make another but luckily this was the last dish of the night. Still not a pleasant experience, but they were very kind about it.
As for the other dishes they were on point with my prior visits:
The wild mushrooms is worth getting since it too has a nice touch of truffle butter and a really nice selection of wild mushroom mix.
The shrimp penne is served in a light pesto and the addition of peanuts adds to both the texture and flavor of the dish.
The spaghetti is well done. Very simple if you are looking for nothing too fancy. The chile adds a subtle and very mild kick.
I found the Fusilli and tagliatelle a little too salty in the past but if you are in the mood for it, they are quite good.
The combination of the absence of my favorite dish on multiple occasions and the raw halibut really overshadowed the quality meal that I am so use to from Union. I hope I have a chance to visit Union again in the future to relive my earlier visits.

Tonight’s (12/​28/​2015) dinner experience was the worst I’ve ever had at a restaurant. We were the first to step foot into the restaurant and sit at the bar. Ordered drinks, the bread, fennel salad, and 2 pasta dishes.
We received our drinks followed by the bread and fennel salad. And then, nothing. Two parties that came in after us, ate and left. We tried getting the bartender’s attention. Finally got a hold of a different server’s attention. So the bartender checked with the kitchen and then the computer. Instead of admitting to his mistake, he blamed the kitchen. Either way, someone at Union screwed up.
We’ve sat at the bar and received excellent service in the past. Not sure we’ll be sitting at the bar in the future.

I’m not a huge fan of Italian food but I think Union does a pretty good job. However, one thing, It is so frickin dark in here. I guess my eyes just aren’t very good, but it really is incredibly dark. I honestly thought that the restaurant was closed because it was so dim when I walked by. Very small restaurant and you could be touching elbows with your neighbors, which, actually, has happened so I guess, be friendly?
Had the wild mushrooms as an appetizer, and a must order for anyone who likes mushrooms. The risotto was cooked al dente (which means a bit crunch) and I enjoyed the traditional Italian preparation of that dish.
To be honest, there aren’t many nice restaurants in Old Town and this may be the only one. Great for a date but be sure to get reservations. We didn’t and had to wait about 40 minutes, which wasn’t too bad considering my other option at Osawa was a 90 minute wait.

I’m all about those magical dinners – you know, the ones where you savor every bite of every dish, the ones you think about for weeks, months, even years afterward, the ones you tell all your foodie friends about.
For me, Union provides that experience.
In order to get in, you’ll have to make reservations ages in advance, or come super early or super late and prepare to wait. The restaurant is small and cozy. Maybe you’ll snag a seat at the bar and get to chat with the staff during the evening.
Our first dining experience here happened just weeks after arriving home from a two-​week tour of Italy, so I was not prepared to be all that impressed. The Union chef was trained in Northern Italy, and he has got it going on.
One of the things that screams fantastic restaurant to me is when EVERY dish is impressive. Not just not bad, but really, really good. Union delivers.
Do not miss the wild mushrooms and polenta. Everything is delicious, but the first time we had this we seriously considered asking for a second order to have for dessert. The textures are great, the mushrooms are incredibly umami, and there’s so much flavor.
The squid ink pasta is really something, too, with lots of lemony brightness, earthy truffle, sweet lobster.
But really, you can’t go wrong.
For dessert, I love the pannacotta with pickled fruit. The pannacotta is the perfect texture, and the pickled seasonal fruit has the perfect tangy/​tartness to offset the sweetness of the pudding.
Don’t miss Union! It’s worth the wait.