Rate-A-Restaurant, #37 in a series

Restaurant: Mi Piace Italian Kitchen

Location: 25 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena (Old Town); also in Burbank and Calabasas

Type of restaurant: Italian

They stipulated: No reservations necessary, no wait. Maria and I just wanted dessert, and they were quick to seat us.

What we ordered: Mi Piace Tear Drop ($5.50); Espresso Caramel Cake ($6.50); two house blend coffees ($4.50)

High point: Maria and I were driving around Pasadena, jonesing for dessert, when we decided to hit Old Town. We parked the car and randomly decided to check our Mi Piace. It was a serendipitous choice -- the Italian joint's dessert menu is huge, and goes far beyond the stereotypical tiramisu (which is still available, in case you want to stick with the standard).

Low point: But being a Friday night, the service lagged. And just ordering dessert, we were pretty much second-class citizens. Once our dessert came, we were abandoned. No coffee refills, and we had to practically beg for our check.

Overall impression: It felt like we had stepped into a New York late-night hangout -- and that's actually a good thing. The place was alive, the music was hip and it was late. We joked about taking a cab down to SoHo afterwards. Oh, and the desserts themselves were spot on. Presentation was excellent and both worked. Maria's "Tear Drop" had a chocolate/raspberry flavor, while my Espresso Caramel cake had a nice cinnamon taste.

Chance we will go back: We'll probably stick with the Pasadena location, which offered the kind of atmosphere that the Burbank one doesn't. Still on the fence whether we'll be back for the Italian food, but if we're looking to grab some late-night dessert, Mi Piace is near the top of the list.

For a complete archive of our Rate-A-Restaurant reviews, check out our companion ratearestaurant.blogspot.com website.