Betsy

The inspiration

Betsy began as a restaurant called Bernee, which opened in Altadena about a month before the January 2025 Eaton Fire tore through the community^1,2 . Nearly everything on the dinner menu meets the heat of a roaring wood-fired hearth, and the menu shifts with whatever arrives from farmers and fisherpeople Wells knows^3,4 .

What to order

• Charred vegetables: seasonal produce blistered over the hearth, like chili-crunch broccolini or grilled cabbage .^5,2
• Basque cheesecake: extra blackened on the outside, still supple inside, and baked in the wood oven .^5,2,4

What people are saying

Critics at Eater LA, the Los Angeles Times, and The Infatuation all describe Betsy's warmth, from the hearth at the center of the room to the intimate, unhurried atmosphere that invites lingering^1,5,2 . Bill Addison of the Los Angeles Times writes that dining there you feel the neighborly goodwill and the rightness of being together as Altadena recovers¹ . Pasadena Magazine credits Wells and the restaurant with becoming a symbol of revival and resilience in a town rebuilding itself⁴ .

Why you should try it

If you're staying nearby, Betsy offers a chance to eat at a restaurant that feels genuinely rooted in its neighborhood, where Altadenans and visitors alike gather around a live fire^3,5 . The food is simple and rustic, but the cooking, the room, and the story behind it make it a dinner you'll remember^1,4 .