There's no passing this place up—it's the only non-apartment building on the block across from Memorial Park—but the line will be a dead giveaway.

Ask any Pasadenan about this cheery cottage-cum-breakfast spot, and the first words you're bound to hear are "French toast." Thick slices of fresh brioche are covered in a corn flake-type cereal and fried to crispy, decadent perfection. Butter and syrup clings to every nook and cranny. There's a crunch in every bite, and yet the bread is so soft and fluffy inside. It's pure breakfast nirvana. Of course, the omelets are good too, thick with fillings like chicken sausage, peppers, spinach and cheese, with a heaping side of potatoe. There's never enough room on the tiny tables for everything, but that's part of the gluttony charm. Servers are quick with the coffee refills; lunch and dinner menus include fresh salads, sandwiches, pastas, risottos and California cuisine classics. Sadly, Marston's has not yet invented a dinnertime-appropriate French toast. —Lesley Balla