The Quieter Pleasures of San Marino

San Marino will never be considered cutting edge, and that’s just fine with the people who live there. It’s a wealthy area, and it seems that most of that money is as old as the towering trees that line the streets.

Roots run deep too. People who grow up in San Marino tend to return here to raise families of their own.

Rather than being trendy, places in San Marino have a quiet charm. On Huntington Drive near San Marino City Hall, the blocks are long but there is plenty of shade. The shops along here haven’t changed much in the last 30 years. The proprietors know their customers well. There’s no hard sell.

The nights are quiet, dull by some standards. There are no bars or dance clubs, no movie theaters or bowling alleys, no neon signs or banners. The businesses are not allowed to remain open past 10 p.m. without a permit, and those are hard to come by.

But if a simple meal, a little quiet shopping and a nice long walk sound good, Huntington Drive between Bedford Road and Del Mar Avenue is just the place for you.

1. The Fresh Gourmet. The Olivas family owns this snug little place. The aroma of the soup cooking in the back is delicious as you walk in and are greeted by Norma or her daughter Nikky. They do most of the cooking from scratch. Nikky bakes the bread for the sandwiches. The salads are big, and the ingredients are really fresh. They make the soup daily. You can choose ham, turkey, roast beef, chicken, tuna or egg salad sandwiches served on a variety of fresh bread, with fruit and a homemade cookie. Take it to the park.

The Fresh Gourmet, 2004 Huntington Drive. (626) 308-1720. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., 5 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday

2. Sushi Bar Yoshida. Though this is primarily a sushi bar, it also has seven or eight tables. There is usually a wait for these, so phone ahead and reserve a seat. There’s a very extensive sushi menu, and the chefs seem to know most of the people at the counter and are helpful in deciding what their customers might like. Also on the menu are a couple of Chinese appetizers--pot stickers and shiu mai dumplings--and other traditional Japanese dishes. The lobster tempura makes a great appetizer.

Sushi Bar Yoshida, 2026 Huntington Drive. (626) 281-9292. 5 to 9:45 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

3. San Marino Hardware. For 40 years San Marino matrons have been coming to this hardware store for silver polish. That’s the No. 1 seller, followed only by lavender sachets with mothballs. But this place could put some of the trendiest kitchen stores to shame. You may have to dig around a little, but you’ll find all sorts of mixing bowls: glass, copper and stainless steel. There are lots of utensils, stacks of linen dish towels and beautiful tablecloths. They also carry dinnerware: Wilton Armetale and Portmeirion. And there’s lots of Pyrex and Emile Henri for the microwave-to-table-to-refrigerator crowd. There are Henckel knives and Chantal cookware, cast-iron skillets and a huge variety of colorful bowls. They also carry small appliances. There are several sizes of walnut, beechwood or maple salad bowls. And of course hammers, nails and screwdrivers. Whatever, Carol or Gregg Minoux, the owners, will steer you to the right aisle.

San Marino Hardware, 2134 Huntington Drive. (626) 282-6536. 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

4. San Marino Stationers and Party Shop. This party store is, well, sedate. They have a nice selection of Caspari, Gibson Creative Paper and Amscan paper goods. “We don’t carry a lot of what I call the Westside patterns,” says the owner, Barbara Allison. “We have the more traditional floral designs and colors.” There’s a section of party favors for kids, with hats and horns, confetti and balloons, bubbles, card tricks, plastic teeth and fire hats, and lots of fake money.

San Marino Stationers and Party Shop, 2140 Huntington Drive. (626) 289-9661. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

5. For Goodness Sake. This is a vitamin store and sandwich shop, with an extensive candy counter. It’s also the only place in town that sells lottery tickets. Judith Waring owns this shop with her sister Carol Giddings. Originally from Essex, England, they also carry a small selection of English groceries: Typhoo and Quick English tea, Bird’s sherry trifle mix, shepherd’s pie mix, Heinz baked beans, Robinson’s Barley Water, Hob-Nobs and various English jams. “This area reminds me of a small English village,” says Waring. “We know everybody that comes in and what they’re likely to buy.” The place is full of kids after school. They sit at the tables and do their homework and have a smoothie or a sandwich--and candy, of course.

For Goodness Sake, 2150 Huntington Drive. (626) 943-9618. 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

6. Wine Connections. Proprietor Alan Chen is not much for warm greetings, but the mustard-colored walls and the smell of pine from the wine crates in this small, well-chosen wine store are welcoming enough. It’s not a huge space, so the wine inventory is manageable and not overwhelming. There are a few expensive, first-growth Bordeaux: Margaux, Latour, Mouton-Rothschild and Haut Brion. And Chen also carries a selection of high-end California wines.

Wine Connections, 2154 Huntington Drive. (626) 289-1066. 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.

7. San Marino Grill. In 1966, the year it opened, grills like this were everywhere. Their menus were largely identical: hefty breakfasts served with a bottomless coffee cup, grilled sandwiches and burgers, milkshakes and homemade pie. Not much has changed here, from the red leatherette booths to the daily special (lamb shanks with mashed potatoes). Have a short stack, eggs and bacon over the morning paper. It’s also one of the only places in town that is allowed to have newspaper racks on the sidewalk out front.

San Marino Grill, 2494 Huntington Drive. (626) 286-2500. 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

8. Mijas. This restaurant is also owned by the Olivas family from the Fresh Gourmet. Whenever they made Mexican food at that restaurant, they sold out immediately, so they started this one. Everything here is homemade except the tortillas. They sell a lot of soft tacos served with rice, beans and salsa. Ask for some guacamole. It’s good.

Mijas, 2506 Huntington Drive. (626) 287-1021. 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

9. Tony’s Pizza. It opened in 1973, and the pizza is still good. “It’s an old secret recipe,” says Vincent Croce, preoccupied with tossing dough in the air. The place is full of teenagers eating mostly pepperoni pizza. After work, men still in their ties dash in and grab a pie to go, and the phone doesn’t stop ringing. If you happen to live in San Marino, they’ll deliver. Otherwise call ahead and pick it up.

Tony’s Pizza, 2555 Huntington Drive. (626) 793-4114. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.