Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery

Step through the massive barn doors of Agnes and you’ll find yourself transported to somewhere between a refined Iowa supper club and a bustling downtown Pasadena dining room. The space, housed in a former horse stable, features soaring wooden rafters, a full market and cheese shop up front, and an open hearth where meats sizzle over live fire. It’s the kind of place that wraps you in warmth before you’ve even looked at the menu.

The kitchen, helmed by Iowa-born chef Thomas Kalb alongside cheesemonger Vanessa Tilaka, reimagines Midwestern comfort food with finesse. Start with the cornbread eclair topped with velvety chicken liver mousse, then move to the saffron cavatelli with braised lamb—a dish made impossibly rich by lamb fat gremolata and sharp aged cheese. The ribeye from the hearth arrives glistening with garlic-herb butter, a showstopper meant for sharing. And yes, you absolutely need to end with the soft serve crowned with puppy chow, that nostalgic chocolate-coated Chex snack that might just trigger a wave of childhood memories.

Cheese is serious business here, and the curated boards reflect Tilaka’s expertise and playful approach to dairy. Whether you order one to start your meal or as a sweet-savory finish, it’s an essential part of the experience. You can even grab some to take home from the market on your way out.

Agnes excels at making you feel taken care of—it’s the rare restaurant that works equally well for dinner with your parents, a pre-show meal before a performance, or a celebration worth remembering. Come hungry, order generously, and let the heartland hospitality do the rest.