The Vintage & Handmade Market
The shrinks say you’re probably insane if you tend to repeat certain negative behaviors and anticipate a different result—like eating pancakes and expecting not to get sick. I don’t know what it is about pancakes, but it never fails that I want to blow a lapful of serious chunks right after I scarf ’em. And, fool that I am, I have to tempt fate every so often, thinking that last time was just a fluke. Perhaps, I once reasoned, all that sugar and flour triggers some exceedingly rare allergy. Or, more likely, maybe I’m just allergic to the whole concept of sanity.
A recent visit to The Mission, though, has given me cause for hope. This North Park eatery features some very good Latino-style breakfasts alongside its pancake-centric fare—but the other morning, my stubborn streak won out, and I ordered three strawberry-banana pancakes with scrambled eggs and bacon ($8.95). My delight at all the scrumptiousness (especially the banana part) was tempered with vague thoughts of the upset to come—but not only did the meal slingshot me into my day; I felt like a million bucks, after taxes, all the way to bedtime and beyond! I even went so far as to ask my server about the nature of this sorcery. She answered that the meal was prepared like all the others, with no special ingredients at hand. “All the others,” by the way, includes an array of salads and sandwiches, none of which costs more than $10.50.
The point is that those of you not so afflicted have twice the reason to visit The Mission—the food’s great, and it’s clinically proven not to induce illness. Try it out at 2801 University Ave. between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. any day of the week you choose (phone is 619-220-8992; there are also locations in Mission Beach and Downtown). For you, it means a fantastic meal. For me, it means a ticket to an uncharacteristically clean bill of mental health.
