I walked into Mix n' Munch late on a Sunday morning after a street run. I remembered reading a short article in Time a few years back about how cereal cafes were going to take America by storm. It was a quirky concept that, as far as I know, never really took off. Imagine inviting someone out for a bowl of cereal instead of a cup of coffee or some frozen yogurt. In my mind, I pictured a long line of hipsters trying to figure out which vintage cereal box icon they identified with most. But when I decided out of curiosity to look up what had become of this craze, my search led me to this little cafe in South Pasadena on Mission Street.
Mix n' Much offers 25 varieties of breakfast cereal. You can create your own mix or select from a list of their pre-set combinations. The angel on my right shoulder told me to go for the health conscious Runners Choice, a mixture of Honey Bunches of Oats, strawberries, bananas, almonds and ground flax seed. That probably would have been the right choice, but I ultimately listened to the devil on my left and ordered a mini portion of the Rock and Roll Circus Bowl, a mixture of Captain Crunch, Froot Loops, blueberries, rainbow sprinkles and Circus Animal cookies—Breakfast of champions, right?
The Rock and Roll Circus Bowl contains all of those bright and happy breakfast cereals that cause violent tantrums among children in the cereal aisle of the grocery store. To be honest, I could have lived without those frosted and sprinkled Circus Animal cookies. I eventually found myself eating around them. To me, they're the "Green Eggs n' Ham" of cookies. "I do not want them in a box..." or however it goes.
The real star of the show (and what I believe makes Mix n' Munch a sustainable business) is the customized grilled cheese sandwich menu. Much like with their cereal, the grilled cheese menu offers create-your-own sandwiches as well as a selection of signature creations. Of course, they sell a lot of the "Mix n' Munch Breakfast Sammy" perhaps with a side of cereal. I decided to customize my own sandwich, mixing pepper jack and gruyere cheese with tomatoes, avocados, sauteed mushrooms and bacon on wheat bread. It really hit the spot (as a grilled cheese sandwich often does), but I don't care to know what the calorie count was on that. I think on my next visit, I'll try the Mix n' Munch Cristo or the Spamtastic (Yes, I love Spam and I don't care who knows it). If you're not in the mood to reinvent the wheel, they do have a classic grilled cheese available. You don't have to be a "foodie" about it.
The casual cafeteria-like setting makes Mix n' Munch a great place for quick encounter with a friend. You can also hang out and use their WiFi. And yes, I'm aware that I can get a whole box of whatever cereal for the three bucks I paid for my mini Rock and Roll Circus Bowl, but when do I ever have four different cereals, blueberries and sprinkles in my pantry? (#FirstWorldProblems)
Mix n' Munch is open daily for breakfast and lunch. Check out their website for hours and more details.
