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Cannonball (South Pasadena, CA)

Cannonball Restaurant
1010 Mission St, South Pasadena, CA 91030
310-954-9279
www.cannonballla.com
Sun 06/21/2026, 08:00p-10:30p





The last time I wrote about Matthew "Matt" Molina was all the way back in September 2015, shortly after the Chef opened Everson Royce Bar in concert with Joseph "Joe" Capella and the husband-and-wife duo of Randy Clement and April Langford. Things seemed to be going well at the Downtown watering hole, and the foursome eventually teamed up again for Triple Beam, a Roman-inspired pizzeria in Highland Park that also brought Nancy Silverton into the mix. Triple Beam debuted in February 2018, and was joined just five months later by Hippo, an Italian-leaning eatery from the same quartet situated inside the same building. This was followed by Triple Beam outposts in Echo Park (August 2019), Glendora (December 2023), and Santa Monica (June 2024).

However, Molina and Capella later decided to strike out on their own--just the two of them--and partnered up once again for Cannonball, a bistro-ish spot in South Pas that bowed on May 2nd last year. I was recently looking for a new place to try for a San Gabriel Valley birthday dinner, and Cannonball fit the bill quite nicely.


Cannonball takes over the old Edwards & Faw Building, constructed in the early 1900s. The space was previously home to Piccolo (and Crossings before that), and the same basic layout remains, though the decor has been refreshed by the team over at Fettle Design. Shown above is my view from the second-floor dining room, which is where the bar is located.



And here we see the first-floor dining room and kitchen counter seating area, cleared out at the end of the night. Do note that there's also a patio out back.


Cannonball's menu is pretty compact, which I appreciate, and has a bit of a Mediterranean influence. We also have here the restaurant's cocktail list (from Varnish alum Wolfgang Alexander), beer list, and wines by the glass list. Click for larger versions.


Unfortunately, corkage isn't offered, but Cannonball's wine list is surprisingly legit, albeit young, boasting a particular strength in Burgundy, and does sport good pricing for some of the higher-end bottles. Also impressive are the spirits available, especially the wide array of whiskies. What's pictured above only represents an abbreviated selection, so see here (10.8MB PDF) for the full offering. Click for larger versions.


flaky buttermilk biscuits, honey butter [$14.00]
Our server basically assumed that we were going to put in an order of biscuits right up front (they take 20 minutes), and it turns out there was good reason for her confidence. They were indeed some of the best I've had: shattery outsides, fluffy insides, and flaky to point of shearing apart at the slightest touch. The bread was thoroughly enjoyable just by itself, but was improved with a smear of that wonderfully airy, sweetly-spiced cinnamon-honey butter--a consummate pairing.


Monterey Hills (manhattan) [$16.00] | rye, apple brandy, pineau des charentes, punt e mes
The Manhattan is undoubtedly a go-to of mine, and our first cocktail was a smart riff on the classic. I quite liked the dark-fruity funk present, along with the drink's notes of sweet spices, while its backbone of apple possessed its own charms.


yellowfin tuna tartare, yuzu ponzu, togarashi, scallion, cilantro [$24.00]
Tuna tartares are pretty ubiquitous these days, but tonight's turned out to be one of the better ones I've had in a while. I think the crux here was the sheer zestiness of all that green onion, which worked beautifully against the umami from the yellowfin. At the same time, the ponzu's tanginess helped with cohesion, while a slight underpinning of heat served as the perfect finishing touch.


Pachinko sour [$17.00] | ohishi whisky, maraschino, fresh lemon, orange bitters
The evening's second cocktail was a twist on the sour, one that melded a bevy of bright, citrusy nuances with the bitter, pungent, grain-y complexities of a whisky-maraschino two-way.



roasted carrots, gioia burrata, ceci, frisée, cumin vinaigrette & grilled fett'unta [$21.00]
The carrots were a surprise standout thanks to how well their signature sweetness married with the warm, zippy, familiar spicing of cumin. Cool, creamy burrata functioned as a moderating force while endive lightened the mood, and I liked the additional texture imparted by the chickpeas, too. I actually didn't even need the bread on the side.


Mission St. Martini martini [$15.00] | gin or vodka, fino sherry, vermouth, pickled onion
The martini (or Gibson?) variation met the mark, with the gin linking up swimmingly with the cocktail's sweeter, nuttier, more saline elements.


fideos, clams, chorizo, saffron, sweet sherry aïoli [$27.00]
We were quite a fan of the fideos as well. The noodles came out slick, supple, and slightly reminiscent of rice vermicelli (mífěn) in terms of texture. They set the stage for the back-and-forth between briny clams and the sour-savory heat of chorizo, the whole thing spiked with the sting of saffron. Finally, completing the equation was the gratifyingly creamy-onion character of that scallion-topped allioli.


crispy calamari, horseradish cocktail sauce [$18.00]
Fried squid weren't overly-battered, as is often the case, but instead came out with properly light, crisp exteriors and tender insides. The calamari were certainly tasty alone, but were indeed improved with a squirt of lemon, while the sweet-piquancy of that cocktail sauce certainly made sense as well.


Red Tanager swizzle [$16.00] | mezcal, meletti, fresh pineapple & lemon, float of bitters
This reimagined rum swizzle was the funnest, most festive cocktail of the bunch. I enjoyed the earthier, smokier flavors contributed by the mezcal, while crucially, the bitters certainly made its presence known.



white shrimp from the griddle, aïoli [$29.00]
Prawns showed off a satisfyingly smoky, savory salinity that spoke to their griddling process, but really sang when paired with that creamy, zippy aioli on the side--a superb match.


Roy Hargrove old fashioned [$17.00] | bourbon, barolo chinato, hint of maple, bitters
Our penultimate cocktail was the booziest of the lot, but also quite effective, bringing together heady notes of maple, brown sugar, and bittersweet fruit in a rather familiar fashion.


herb roasted sea bream, spring leeks, asparagus, squash blossoms [$45.00]
Seabream was the evening's main dish, and arrived just as I was hoping for in terms of its cookery. However, the key here was that combo of asparagus/leek/squash blossom, which offered all these aggressively bright, vegetal qualities that served as a delightful counterpoint to the fish.


La Dominicana after dinner [$15.00] | aged rum, coffee liqueur, float of cream, sea salt
The requisite coffee-based dessert cocktail delivered. The drink showcased the creamy, dark fruit, coffee-fueled flavors I was expecting, but what I appreciated more was how all the salt and bitterness kept everything in check.


chocolate "pot de crème," caramel, salted roasted spanish peanuts & crème fraîche [$15.00]
Our chocolate custard veered Snickers-like according to my fellow diner, which isn't a bad thing in my book. The interaction between chocolate, caramel, and peanuts worked for me, while that crème fraîche definitely lightened things up.

I generally don't bother with the South Pasadena dining scene, finding it firmly on the ho-hum side of the spectrum. Thus, I'm glad that Cannonball was able to capture my interest, as we ended up having a strong meal here, with Molina's cooking doing a commendable job combining comfort with some more unexpected touches. The place captures that neighborhood-y feel that I think they were going for, but also functions as a bit of a destination spot as well. I have to imagine that this must be the best place to dine in the area, and I'm guessing it'll become my go-to.