Pardon me for stating the obvious — but Pasadena is a city with a history, and a lot of it.

It goes back thousands of years, to the Tongva, who lived in the Arroyo Seco. To the missionaries, who built the San Gabriel Mission, and gave the S.G. Valley its name. To the Rancho del Rincon de San Pascual land grant of 1834.

To the 1873 visit of Indiana physician Dr. Daniel M. Berry, an asthmatic who was looking for clean air and mild winters for himself and his patients — and founded the Southern California Orange and Citrus Growers Association to fund his venture.

To the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, that carried refugees from Midwest to the mansions of Pasadena. To those who built The Raymond Hotel, The Maryland Hotel and The Green Hotel — and the Mount Lowe Railway that climbed into the hills.

To the Craftsman era of the early 20th century, that made Pasadena one of the most beautiful cities of the West. And, of course, to the Tournament of the Roses Parade, born in 1890 — and defining Pasadena as the City of the Roses.

The City has been around for a long time. And many of our restaurants, though not nearly as venerable, have history.

They have survived, they have persevered — they abide. You won’t get the same sense of history that you get from the top of Lake Avenue, looking down on what Pasadena hath wrought. But you will get a sense of how Pasadena eats — and has for long enough to matter.

Marston’s

151 E. Walnut St., Pasadena, 626-796-2459, www.marstonsrestaurant.com

Truly, the breakfasts served at Marston’s are historic in their wonder and complexity. A sampling:

• French toast — two chunky slabs of sourdough, soaked in egg batter, rolled in corn flakes, and griddled to a perfect tan, served with hot syrup and sweet butter.

• Macadamia nut pancakes (rich with mac nuts), their blueberry pancakes (heavy with berries), their seven-grain pancakes (so many grains!), and

• “Grandma’s Oatmeal’’ — described on the menu as being, “Like you’ve never had before.” It’s served with cream, raisins, brown sugar, honey, sliced bananas, strawberries and chopped nuts — a world-class breakfast dish, and good for you too.

• And how about the ciabatta breakfast sandwich, which elegantly shows up the egg McMuffin for the sad thing it is, in this case crusty ciabatta bread, packed with two eggs (any style), along with bacon, spicy jack cheese and tomato, with crispy breakfast potatoes on the side.

They all make you ready to face whatever the day decides to throw at you, with well-fed grace.

Gus’s Barbecue

808 Fair Oaks Ave., South Pasadena, 626-799-3251 www.gussbbq.com

Just south of the Arroyo Seco Parkway, in a neighborhood that’s one of the routes for the Rose Parade floats the night before the Parade, this venerable barbecue shop has been serving long and slow smoked meats for as long as anyone can remember, in a space that feels as well-aged as the bourbons on the shelves in the bar.

Sit in the back room, where the bar is, and absorb a sense of history with your ribs and brisket. Or sit at the counter in the front, where the staff puts on a show every day, juggling plates, rushing out orders, doing it right — as they have for so long.

Bistro 45

45 Mentor Ave., Pasadena, 626-795-2478, www.bistro45.com

At the highly respected Bistro 45 (named one of the best restaurants in Los Angeles by the Wine Spectator and by the readers of Gourmet Magazine), owner Robert Simon took one of the fussiest spots in town and gave it an Art-Deco-for-a-New-Century look — very angular, very medium cool, very edge of decadence.

He’s also put in some terrifically comfortable new seats; this is art that feels good to sit in, which is not often the case.

The cuisine has evolved from California Bistro to Upscale Gastropub — with a pizza oven cranking out tarts and ties, a large selection of small dishes, many vegetable variations, and a handful of state-of-the-art large plates.

Wines by the glass abound. And the side patio is one of the sweetest destinations in town.

Parkway Grill

510 S. Arroyo Parkway, Pasadena, 626-795-1001, www.theparkwaygrill.com

The Parkway Grill (often referred to as the Spago of Pasadena) is warm, wonderfully open, filled with a small forest’s worth of plants and trees.

When you enter, you stand on a platform that overlooks an open kitchen, in which a bevy of chefs is making pizzas and composing salads. All told, it’s a nearly perfect piece of design.

The design of the menu is fairly perfect as well. Consider appetizers like delicate corncakes with warm oysters, small sausages and a vaguely spicy tomatillo sauce; black bean soup with smoked pork and a lime cream; or roasted chilies filled with smoked chicken, corn, cilantro and cheese.

Think of marvelous pizzas topped with lamb sausage, grilled eggplant, clams and scallops, smoked chicken and cilantro, even black beans and smoked pork. It may sound very new — but the flavors are still traditional. Always have been.

The Raymond

1250 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena, 626-441-3136, www.theraymond.com

The Raymond is, in its own understated way, one of the most traditionally romantic spots in Southern California, a place that doesn’t scream romantic, but subtly lets it get beneath your skin.

It’s the sort of romantic restaurant that guys don’t mind — all that nice wood in this lovingly restored California bungalow (formerly the caretaker’s cottage at the Raymond Hotel) is pleasantly soothing.

The food also is special, without being fussy: Long Island roast duckling with fresh pomegranate and cranberry sauce; softshell crabs with sliced oranges and toasted almonds, rack of lamb chops with fresh rosemary and garlic; medallions of beef with Stilton cheese and port wine cream sauce.

Nothing precious here. But there is music, and wonderful service, and soft lighting. And what more could you want?

The Royce Wood-Fired Steak House

The Langham Huntington 1401 S. Oak Knoll, Pasadena, 626-585-6410, www.roycela.com

This grand room in this grand hotel, is brighter and lighter than it’s been in the past, with a fine view of the Horseshoe Garden down below — and a sense of ease that totally compatible with the essence of The Langham and The Ritz-Carlton before it.

It’s evolved over the years from Continental to New American, to its current incarnation as a high-end destination for beef at its best.

Along with it are fine vintages that emerge from wine rooms packed with the best of California, France and Italy. This is special occasion dining — at its most special.

Mi Piace

25 E. Colorado Blvd., Old Pasadena, 626-795-3131, www.mipiace.com

Mi Piace is a phenomenon that endlessly astonishes and astounds, a restaurant that’s never without customers.

In many ways, this is the restaurant that put Old Pasadena on the map — before Mi Piace opened, Old Pasadena was a destination to be avoided; in the years since it opened, one restaurant after another has tried to emulate its success.

The formula is simple — lots of good food, served in a cheerful setting, at very reasonable prices. The room is warmly high-tech, with massive mirrors hanging from the back walls, an open kitchen, and a busy bar that separates the restaurant from the adjacent bakery.

This is Italian comfort food freshened up with California touches. Which means you can easily mix-and-match a meal of classic pasta dishes, chicken and veal standards, with cutting edge carpaccios, risotti and seafood, all made with state-of-the-art olive oils and balsamic vinegars.

The pizzas are wonderful too, with a good crunchy crust, and enough toppings to satisfy even the most persnickety of pizza lovers. There’s a reason this is one of the busiest restaurants in Old Pasadena; it succeeds on every level. And it doesn’t charge you an arm and a leg for the privilege.

Racion

119 W. Green St., Pasadena, 626-396-3090, www.racionrestaurant.com

To experience the joys of this long-lived Spanish café a block south of Colorado Boulevard, a journey to Iberia in the heart of Old Pasadena, be sure to get the olives — both arbequena and manzanilla, a perfect taste of Barcelona and Madrid.

And they are an excellent lead in to the the salt cod fritters with lemon cream, the white anchovies with crunchy manchego cheese, the beef tongue bunuelos with horseradish cream, the charred spring onions with smoked olive oil, the beer-braised octopus with local squid and chorizo, and so much more.

The flavors are powerful with wines to match. This may be the best Spanish restaurant this side of Salamanca.

Lucky Boy Burgers

640 S. Arroyo Pkwy., Pasadena, 626-793-0120, www.luckyboyburgers.com

Yes, Lucky Boy is just a burger stand. But what a burger stand it is, open early, and open late, with a constant crowd of locals digging into a large menu that begins with burgers and fries, and continues through a multitude of sandwiches, fried things, hot dogs, tamales — the food of reg’lar folks in Pasadena. To go here, especially on a weekend, is to experience the unvarnished life of the city. Dr. Berry wouldn’t recognize it. But the rest of us sure do.

Russell’s

30 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Old Pasadena, 626-578-1404

For many, Russell’s is the place to go for one of the best burgers in town.

And the best pie too — textbook versions of lemon meringue, coconut cream, banana cream, sour cream raisin, chocolate cream, peanut butter cream; two-crust apple, Dutch apple, apricot, boysenberry, blueberry, cherry, mince, rhubarb; custard, pumpkin, pecan, cheesecake; and in season, strawberry, raspberry, peach and the ever-mysterious ollalieberry (half loganberry, half boysenberry, which in itself is a blend of raspberry and blackberry).

What’s not as well known is that it’s a superb destination for omelettes, pancakes, waffles and the like, along with some seriously mixed breakfast drinks. Or just go for the pie — which is good at all times of the day.

Saladang and Saladang Song

363 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena, 626-793-8123, www.saladang-thai.com

Traditional Thai cuisine is the name of the game at Saladang, while Bangkok street food is what you’ll find at Saladang Song —served in the first case in an opulent setting, and in the latter on a large open patio.

In both cases, they touch all the Siamese bases we’ve come to know and love, from fine stuffed chicken wings and mee krob, through excellent Thai soups and salads, with an excellent selection of vegetarian dishes that makes these twins just south of Old Pasadena a superb destination for those in the need of some spice — and has for a very long time.