Just when you think South Pasadena couldn’t possibly support another bakery, along comes Great Harvest to prove you wrong. A franchise operation opened by a local couple, the bakery is a little too franchise-perky, but what they do, they do well. The heart of the operation are the breads, notably the honey whole wheat and the excellent Dakota, which is basically the honey whole wheat topped with seeds and crunchy things. The cinnamon chip bread is another winner, studded with swirls of cinnamon and not too sweet. Less impressive are the scones — the blueberry cream cheese is overwhelmed with too much cream cheese. Coffee’s from Peet’s, and there are a half-dozen tables to sit with your tuna salad on honey wheat sandwich.

As for which bakery is best for what in this bakery-blessed neighborhood: Heirloom for breakfast, atmosphere, lunch salads, cookies and desserts; My Sweet Cupcake for, you guessed it; and this newcomer for fresh loaves of whole-grain bread to take home.

1019 Mission St., South Pasadena, 626.441.4786, greatharvestsouthpasadena.com. Daily from 7 a.m.

Related Posts:

1. Tropicana Bakery & Cuban Café

   WHY Sweet Cuban classics and worthy sandwiches and entrees. WHAT Like Porto’s, Tropicana Bakery blurs the line...

2. Scones

   I only lived in London for a short while, but it was long enough for the charm...

3. India's Flavor

   It’s week two of Hometown Pasadena’s campaign to root out good, inexpensive little restaurants in a diverse...

4. Holiday Pies

   Pie season is nigh, and sure, we all know we can turn to Marie Callender’s if need...

5. Blu Jam Café

   WHY Mouthwatering omelets that don’t weigh you down and are made with fresh ingredients. WHAT This trendy...

6. Two New Cafés, One's a Winner

   I’ve been noticing two new spots for a while and finally got around to stopping for taste-sees....