Husband-and-wife chefs Monique King and Paul Rosenbluh have made every effort to make their little bistro feel as casual as a friend's backyard, and it feels as if it's taken no effort at all.

Tucked away on a leafy South Pasadena street, the main dining area nestles under a peaked tent lined with plants and blue-and-white twinkle lights. Even when it's cool outside, it feels like a summertime garden (or, when the flaps are down and the heat pumped in, like a greenhouse). The menu is a combination of King's former Louisiana-style restaurant in Chicago and her Southern California sensibility. One of the signature dishes, pecan-crusted catfish with an andouille sausage and sweet potato hash, is great with an ice-cold beer (or even a crisp Oregon pinot gris, as expertly suggested by a server). Some other standouts include crab and portobello rellenos, five-spice shredded pork eggrolls and paella brimming with seafood. The South Pas farmer's market, which takes over the neighboring streets (and the restaurant's parking spots) on Thursdays inspires a night of small plates like sauteed clams with bacon and spinach, roasted veggie and brie paninis, and creamy broccoli bisque. —Lesley Balla