Curious where Pasadena's in-the-know crowd is eating and drinking? It's easy to spot lines out the door, but some underlying trends are harder to see.
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to discover which eateries have been getting outsized attention this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at Pasadena businesses on Yelp by category and counted how many reviews each received. Rather than compare them based on number of reviews alone, we calculated a percentage increase in reviews over the past month, and tracked businesses that consistently increase their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance.
Read on to see which spots are on a hot streak this winter.
The Mixx Pasadena
This New American cocktail bar, restaurant and live music venue is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp.
Citywide, New American spots saw review counts increase by a median of 1.5 percent over the past month, but The Mixx Pasadena saw a 25 percent increase, maintaining a sound four-star rating throughout. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis review counts increased by more than 270 percent.
It's not the only trending outlier in the New American category: Foothill has seen a 19.8 percent increase in reviews.
Located at 443 E. Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena, The Mixx Pasadena offers fare like mushrooms stuffed with spicy tuna and balsamic aioli, coconut pineapple shrimp and more. It often hosts live music from jazz and blues performers: you can see the lineup of upcoming artists here.
The Pan
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Pasadena's The Pan, the New American breakfast and brunch spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp increased their review count by a median of 1.5 percent over the past month, The Pan bagged a 21.7 percent increase in reviews within that timeframe, with a slight downward trend from a 4.5-star rating a month ago to its current four stars.
There's more that's trending on Pasadena's breakfast and brunch scene: Superba Snacks + Coffee has seen a 16.2 percent increase in reviews, and Nick's Pasadena has seen a 7.9 percent bump.
Open at 57 E. Holly St., The Pan offers a popular version of loaded hash browns: bacon or sausage and two eggs any style, all topped with green onions, jack and cheddar cheese and a chile aioli.
Cafe Chimichurri
Pasadena's Cafe Chimichurri, open since last May, is also making waves. Located at 181 E. Glenarm St., Suite 110, the Brazilian steakhouse has seen a 9.9 percent bump in reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.3 percent for all businesses tagged "Steakhouses" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis review counts increased by more than 120 percent.
There's more than one hotspot trending in Pasadena's steakhouse category: Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar has seen a 4.8 percent increase in reviews.
Cafe Chimichurri offers classic Brazilian dishes like fraldinha (premium skirt steak), lombo (New York strip loin) and feijoada (beef, pork and black bean stew). Over the past month, it's maintained a solid four-star rating among Yelpers.
