Italian

Pasadena, April 10, 2014—

WE DECIDED TO LOOK for a new place for supper tonight, the four of us, down here to see three plays at the rep company A Noise Within. Our cheap motel is a ten-minute walk from the theater, but there's no decent place to eat nearby, so we looked at the map online to see what was close.

Ah; there we are: an Italian restaurant whose website promised comfort and utter lack of pretension. Forgetting for the moment what I'd had for dinner last night, I ordered a dish I like but rarely choose: Fettucini Alfredo. This wasn't bad, though the green salad that came before it was perfunctory. 

Not the dessert, though: Spumoni! The pink ice cream tasted properly of Nesselrode and a hint of bubblegum; the chocolate was decent; the green pistachio full of nice meaty nuts. I haven't seen this for decades, and was pleased to enjoy it this evening.

Pinot grigio in the glass, the first tasting of refrigeration, the second passable

• Nikki C's Restaurant & Bar, 470 S Rosemead Blvd, Pasadena, California; (626) 792-7437