Crown City Brewery   

If you're looking for a quiet, dark pub to share intimate secrets with a pal in, you'll shortly realize you're in the wrong locale when you pop in to this popular Pasadena brewery. Sports airing on the 15 TVs can dominate the decibels and make it a crowded hot spot when there's a big game, but the extensive beer choices keep the bar busy on regular days. The most popular brews are the Mt. Wilson Wheat Beer and the brewery's acclaimed Arroyo Amber Ale, plus specialty seasonal brews like Irish Ale for St. Patrick's Day, Doo Dah Apan-Ale for Thanksgiving, and October's Black Forest Dunkelweizen. The massive selection of "beers of the world" includes ales from Israel, China, Belgium, Brazil and Italy in addition to more traditional brews from Germany and England. Those hearty or brave enough to eventually try 100 different brews get a T-shirt and their name inscribed on a plaque. The food tends to be your basic pub grub, with hamburgers as the main attraction, though the pizza appetizer scores points for originality. Happy hour is daily from 4-6PM, with three or four featured beers on tap usually at a dollar off per glass. Patrons tend to be twenty- and thirtysomethings and, especially when there's a big game on TV, full of energy. -- Daniel Bernstein