Bites and Sights: The Market on Holly

There’s really nothing I like more than a restaurant that offers really good gourmet food and also sells really good gourmet products. The Market on Holly in Pasadena has been one of my favorite spots since it opened a few months ago.

In the mornings, I love walking there to pick up my morning latte and on occasion one of their deliciously buttery chocolate croissants that are baked fresh daily in their kitchen. I’m a sucker for pastries so I had really only tried their sweets, including the brownie, the nutmeg donut and their chocolate chips cookies – all really good!

But when my brother came to visit earlier this week I decided to take him there for lunch so we can taste some of their menu items. I ordered the chicken sandwich. Before you think this sounds like a boring choice, thing again. This sandwich consists of roast chicken breast, roasted bell peppers, feta cheese, kalamata olives and basil mayonnaise.

The flavors all meshed so perfectly together and the basil mayonnaise was the perfect spread to accompany the deliciously roasted chicken breast.

My brother ordered the pork sandwich. He let me have a taste which turned out to be a big mistake because as good as my sandwich was, his sandwich made me want to abandon my plate and take over his.

The pork sandwich had a tasty roast pork, caramelized onions and an espresso brown sugar barbecue sauce – yum!

And to help digest our great lunch, we took a stroll around the little marketplace they have to the side of the restaurant. Here they sell gourmet pastas, olive oils, salts and so much more.

If you’re ever in the area, give The Market on Holly a visit. You’ll be so glad you did.

Garinee Soudjian is a writer, blogger who is passionate about food and community. She can be reached at garinee@gmail.com.