Twohey’s Tavern is an east Pasadena spinoff of a classic Alhambra diner that Jack Twohey founded in 1943. Current owners Greg Mallis, Tanya Christodoulelis, and husband Jim and have led the concept into an exciting new phase, which started with hiring Chef Travis Limoge to dial up the ingredients, presentation, and seasonality. The chef is fermenting, pickling, and preserving as part of Twohey’s Tavern nouveau retro comfort food.

Ham Steak ($23) is an early highlight from their brunch menu. Limoge brines premium Peads & Barnetts ham steak with salt and plenty of brown sugar for 15 days. The juicy, fat-streaked pork slab is smoked with hickory for 10-and-a-half hours until forming a beautiful rosy hue. The meat’s seared, topped with naturally sweet summer peach preserves, buckwheat honey designed to mimic sorghum, charred orange, and toasted sage leaves. To balance sweetness, each hefty plate comes with a substantial pile of roasted sprouting broccoli. Sweetness and thickness are the only similarities to ham steaks I enjoyed in New Jersey diners growing up, and I’m more than fine with the differences.

Dose of Vitamin P spotlights my favorite pork dish from the previous week.