In 1949, Mike Scarantino opened a restaurant, Dino’s Italian Inn. Named Dino’s (the name of one of Mike’s brothers, Dino Scarantino) it was one of Pasadena’s first Italian Restaurants. In a time when most of Southern California’s residents had never eaten Italian food, Dino’s enjoyed great success and a loyal following. Throught the 1950’s and 1960’s Dino’s was owned and operated by Mike and his brothers, including Jesse Scarantino, the founder of the family’s second restaurant, Scarantino’s Italian Inn in Glendale, California.

Established in 1967, Scarantino’s Italian Inn was another instant success in an area still unframiliar with homestyle Italian cooking. In the late 1970’s, Jesse retired and left the restaurant to his nephew, Jim Scarantino. Jim had started his restaurant career washing dishes for his uncle in the kitchen and worked his way up to the owner of Scarantino’s, and co-owner of Dino’s.

By this time, Dino’s had been serving food for over 27 years. Mike and his brothers had long retired, and the restaurant was left to Jim Scarantino and his cousin, John Russell. When Jim left Dino’s to concentrate on taking care of Scarantino’s, John Russell became the sole owner of Dino’s Italian Inn.

Things would continue this was until June 4 th, 2006, which was the day Dino’s was to close it’s doors and serve it’s final meals. After 57 years of serving Italian food, Pasadena’s oldest Italian restaurant was going to be shutting down and closing up.

Knowing the amount of history and importance Dino’s held to it’s many customers, the Scarantino family decided to reopen Dino’s. After being closed for over a month and receiving some needed renovations, the restaurant reopened it’s doors on July 20 th 2006 as Scarantino’s Italian Restaurant. It’s new owner, Jesse Scarantino, is the son of James Scarantino (the owner of Scarantino’s in Glendale) and great-nephew of Mike Scarantino, the founder of Dino’s.

Now in it’s third generation of family ownership, and still Pasadena’s oldest Italian restaurant, Scarantino’s in Pasadena is proud to serve the same homestyle Italian food that has made us successful for the last 58 years.

All of our recipes have are exactly the same as they were in 1949, passed down from our great grandparents and kept alive for 6 generations. Just like then, our food is prepared daily from fresh ingredients and everything is made to order. It’s nothing too fancy or flashy, just the same food our parents and grandparents served at our home dinner table.

We hope to meet you soon!