Brunch in Pasadena is a big winner at this restaurant

We live in a land of villages. Uptown Whittier is a village, along with Old Pasadena, downtown Covina, Mission Drive in San Gabriel and downtown Alhambra. So, very much so, is Mission Street in South Pasadena.

Anchored by the 110-year-old Fair Oaks Pharmacy at its eastern edge, Mission Street is a fine destination for those who want to park their car and set out on foot, looking in on such local landmarks as the Dinosaur Farm Toy Store, Tomato Pie Pizza Joint, Mission Wines, Aro Latin ...



and very likely Mike & Anne’s before heading for the cooling breezes of Orange Grove Park.If Fair Oaks Pharmacy is the prototypical village soda shop, then Mike & Anne’s is the somewhat less prototypical café for brunch, first and foremost, and for dinner under the trees on a warm evening. It’s also a pretty good place in which to bend an elbow at the affable bar, while considering the sundry pleasures of the spiced pear martini, the cocktail of bourbon and blackberries, and perhaps a locally brewed 1903 Lager Craftsman, or a very tasty Spanish Albarino — long one of my favorite grapes, like Chardonnay with a college education.

Steamed mussels are served with tasty bread at Mike & Anne’s in South Pasadena. (Photo by Merrill Shindler)Greeters are ready to welcome diners at Mike & Anne’s, which is open for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner, Tuesday through Sunday, in South Pasadena. (Photo by Merrill Shindler)Show Caption1 of 2Steamed mussels are served with tasty bread at Mike & Anne’s in South Pasadena.

(Photo by Merrill Shindler)ExpandSeated under the trees at Mike & Anne’s, it’s hard to believe you’re just a short drive from the devastation in Altadena. But Mission Street is, in its own way, a world apart. It’s a haven, a refuge from the chaotic world around.

A place to settle into an Early Riser Brunch Cocktail, made with espresso, vodka, Cointreau and cream — and imagine, for just a moment, a better world.A world where brioche French toast coated with an orange-vanilla batter is served, and the lemon ricotta pancakes come with caramelized blueberry compote. Pure joy!The morning menu doesn’t worry itself about quirky dishes old and new; there’s neither an eggs Benedict nor an avocado toast among the options, though there is a nice chubby breakfast burrito, packed to the gills with rice, chorizo, pulled pork, bacon, eggs scrambled with both jack and cheddar cheeses, black beans and pico de gallo sauce.

(Those of the meatless persuasion can replace the pork and bacon with mushrooms and roasted peppers.) Crispy Morning Potatoes are served on the side, as well they should be.Otherwise, this is a breakfast of pancakes and French toast, eggs scrambled and sunny side up, and huevos rancheros, served over corn tortillas.

There’s granola and yogurt, oatmeal and corned beef hash. At 11 in the morning, the menu expands from Americana to Californiana, with the addition of kale and quinoa salad — both absurdly good for you, and neither of which get my heart thumping with anticipation.They’re helped along with the addition of cucumber, grilled corn, red peppers, napa cabbage, walnuts, edamame, red grapes, mint and feta.

All of which pushes the kale and quinoa into, at least, a co-starring role. Sort of.Kinder to my delicate culinary sensibilities is the Mission Street chicken Caesar.

The Asian chicken salad, with very tasty ginger-sesame dressing. Anne’s Cobb. And the salad niçoise with seared ahi.

I like seared ahi, and I like hard-cooked eggs. Capers, too. It’s my salad of choice.

And then, there’s the chicken salad sandwich, made special with the addition of golden raisins; it’s amazing how a single unexpected ingredient, even one as small as a raisin, can change a familiar dish so radically. The same can be said of the bleu cheese on the house hamburger, which has not jumped on the smash burger bandwagon.Come dinner time, the golden raisins reappear, this time on a cauliflower “steak,” a decided dish of the moment (how and why, I do not know) that’s tricked up with walnuts, capers and brown butter.

Cauliflower seems to be the vegetable of the moment. Though how cauliflower beat out broccoli is a mystery. (Broccoli, after all, is green.

And green beats white when it comes to food.)Though the hamburger may not be smashed, there’s chicken cooked under a brick. And there’s a mac and cheese made with spicy pepperjack.

Which made me wonder what it would be like with bleu cheese.On a daily special menu, there was an order of shrimp and grits. A brief sojourn to N’awlins.

The bouillabaisse takes us to the south of France — a far distance from the Mission Street village. But a lot closer eaten under the trees, where the sense of place fades away.Merrill Shindler is a Los Angeles-based freelance dining critic.

Email [email protected] & Anne’sRating: 2.

5 starsWhere: 1040 Mission St., South PasadenaInformation: 626-799-7199When: Breakfast, lunch and dinner, Tuesday through SundayDetails: Full bar; reservations helpfulCuisine: Old school American cooking with a California edge, and lots of good options for brunch, served in an indoor and outdoor setting.How much: About $45 per personSuggested dishes: For breakfast and brunch: 7 Brunch Favorites ($15-$19), 7 Egg Dishes ($12-$20), 6 Soups and Salads ($12-$20), 10 Sandwiches, and more ($13-$23), 10 Sides ($4-$8); for lunch and dinner: 8 Starters and Salads ($6-$21), 9 Mains ($27-$35), 3 Burgers and Sandwiches ($21), 4 Sides ($9-$12)Credit cards: MC, VWhat the stars mean: 4 (World class! Worth a trip from anywhere!), 3 (Most excellent, even exceptional.

Worth a trip from anywhere in Southern California.), 2 (A good place to go for a meal. Worth a trip from anywhere in the neighborhood.

) 1 (If you’re hungry, and it’s nearby, but don’t get stuck in traffic going.) 0 (Honestly, not worth writing about.)Related ArticlesChinese dumplings are delicious at this Rosemead restaurantGreat BBQ in Whittier is a must-try at this popular restaurantMediterranean food in Pasadena is best served on a skewer at this restaurantHere are 5 unexpected places that serve great Italian food in the San Gabriel ValleyPancakes are big stars for breakfast and brunch at these Whittier restaurants.