Sally Cook and Joe Martinez first met in 1993 while working at Pasadena’s Parkway Grill. They quickly became friends and decided they’d like to join forces in the future. Through the years, the distinguished bakers have enjoyed stints in the high-profile kitchens at Ciudad, Mako, Spago and Valentino (Sally) and Arroyo Chop House (Joe). In 2002, they seriously began discussing a bakery/cafe concept that would offer “classic American food” for breakfast and lunch. To ease their transition from the sweet life to the savory side, they decided to use “quality ingredients” and “keep it simple.”

Sally and Joe orginally planned to open further east on Mission Street, but the deal fell through. Instead, they opened on the ground floor of a new mixed use development, which turned out to be a boon for business. Not only does the location have parking, but Heirloom is across the street from a link in the Metro Rail’s Gold Line. Sally and Joe opened in August 2005, naming their long-germinating establishment Heirloom Bakery & Cafe.

Sally and Joe had complementary reasons for choosing the name “Heirloom.” According to Sally, “When I go to a restaurant and see heirloom tomatoes on the menu, I think seasonal. It’s also a quality standard. Joe said, “It’s also generational, treasured and passed on.”

Sally and Joe decided on “lively and cheery” décor, bright yellow, to overcome the lack of natural sunlight in their “cave.” Adding to the freshness of the space are old-fashioned paintings advertising fresh fruits like apples, pears and peaches. There’s indoor seating at this order-at-the-counter cafe. Plant a stand with your number on the table and wait for your food to arrive. There’s a great patio that’s lined with metal tables. There’s usually a nice sized crowd of locals, including plenty of young families.

These red and orange pumpkins are symbolic of Heirloom’s seasonal approach.

A blackboard lists Heirloom’s daily specials. There’s usually a different omelette, quiche and soup, and sometimes a strata, a savory bread pudding made using Heirloom’s fresh-baked breads. Everything at Heirloom is made from scratch, including breads, pastries, salads and savory items.

Many times, I’ve enjoyed the egg sandwich ($6.75): crisp strips of applewood smoked bacon, fluffy omelette, yellow cheddar, Romaine lettuce and tomato slices on toasted country bread, served with portion of fruit, in this case, fresh pineapple. The toasted bread is astoundingly good, crisp at the edges. The ingredients are clearly top-shelf, leading to a superior breakfast sandwich.

In order to sample other dishes, I limited myself to a half-portion of the Meatloaf Sandwich ($4.75). A slab of juicy turkey meat loaf was brushed with ketchup, which nearly became caramelized in the oven. The sandwich also contained 1000 Island dressing, Tillamook cheddar cheese, raw red onions, lettuce and tomato on two more slices of that terrific toasted country bread. The sandwich was served with another slice of pineapple, but I instantly ate it, so it’s not pictured.

Macaroni (actually ziti) & Cheese ($5) was presented as a cube in the refrigerated display case. The pasta was then reheated until the blend of gouda, cream cheese, Jack and crumbled Parmesan became more free-form and gooey.

Since Sally and Joe both have pastry backgrounds, I had to select something from the counter full of baked goods. I opted for a moist lemon-poppy seed muffin ($2.25) lashed with icing.

Even better was this fat slice of pumpkin cheesecake ($3.75) with a crushed cookie crust, topped with a layer of whipped cream and rich caramel sauce. The filling was rich and creamy, with serious pumpkin flavor, making this an Autumn classic.

On a previously visit, I enjoyed this fabulous chicken pot pie ($7.50) with a flaky, buttery crust and a satisfying filling of onions, mushrooms, chicken and more. Thankfully, the pie was light on gravy, which to me is a plus. As with most Heirloom dishes, the plate featured a portion of fresh fruit - red grapes.

There was a gingerbread cupcake with canary yellow frosting and two matchsticks of candied ginger. This was an untraditional cupcake, but another moist triumph.

On a previous visit, I ordered the crisp of the day: strawberry. The crisp came in a white bowl topped with crunchy oats and was served with pitcher of fresh whipped cream.

Other dishes I’ve enjoyed include a moist square of walnut-laced chocolate chip coffee cake ($3.25), a strata ($4.25) with goat cheese, pesto, and sliced tomato, and sides like sesame soba noodles and green lentil salad with diced scallions, carrots, walnuts and walnut oil.

I’ve enjoyed some dishes more than others at Heirloom, but nothing’s ever tasted anything less than very good. Sally and Joe have deftly transitioned from pastry chefs to chefs, and South Pasadenans should be grateful.

Hours:
Tuesday - Friday: 6 AM - 6 PM
Saturday - Sunday: 8 AM - 5 PM

This entry is filed under American, Bakery, California, Los Angeles, Southern California.