I am pretty much over celebrity restaurants. Living in L.A., you hear of another celebrity opening his or her new trendy bistro everyday. Once you have been to a few of them, you quickly learn that they have poor service, mediocre food, and inflated prices. The entire game is marketing a name with a restaurant and hoping that that is all you need. So when family came into town and wanted to try the Jennifer Lopez’s restaurant called Madre, my expectations were low.
The restaurant is located in a quieter area of Pasadena, just off Lake Street, hardly the glitzy area I would have expected to find J. Lo's eatery. It's fairly simple - a low modest building. However, once you step in - WOW! The interior was designed by Rachel Ashwell of Shabby Chic fame. It’s white and gray, with wonderful padded furniture. Huge chandeliers hang everywhere. All the rooms are filled with fresh roses and candles burn. A wonderful Cuban band with a singer is playing behind the bar. The booths have privacy curtains. The tables are set to perfection with hand-picked vintage china. There is a romantic feel to this place. It also feels like Old Havana, not Pasadena.
We order mojitos. They are the best I have had since my trip to Cuba. They are the real deal, not the sugary, overly sweet drinks most bars in America call mojitos.
Our waiter is charming. His name is Leo, and he could not be more helpful with the menu and its offerings. He is great with the kids, and his smile makes you feel more like family than a customer.
I ordered the Cuban flank steak. I was not disappointed. Flank steak is not a high-end cut of meat, and cooked incorrectly, it can be tough. This was marinated for hours and pounded with Cuban herbs and mojo. It was great. I assure you that I ate every last morsel of this wonderful steak. It was served with plantains and mashed potatoes.
Please save room for dessert. A tray of wonderful cakes and Cuban flans and puddings is part of the evening. I chose a Tres Leche, which again reminded me of dinners I had had in Havana. It was delicious.
After the perfect dinner, we went to the bar to listen to the outstanding Cuban band. The kids got up and danced. The lead singer played to the kids and flirted with Patrick, who had quickly developed a school boy crush on her.
Jennifer Lopez's goal was to make this eatery feel like her family home, and as the name suggests, mom's cooking. She has achieved her goals and surely won over this group.
One footnote: Our son was determined that he was going to see Jennifer Lopez at Madre. The bartender filled him in that she was not in Pasadena but in New York. The staff sensed his disappointment and introduced him to J. Lo's father.