M Street Kitchen is sort of a head scratcher. It serves good—but not great food—at fair—but not exemplary—pricepoints. So it's sometimes hard to figure out why Santa Monicans perpetually pack the place. Weekend breakfast and dinner walk-ups sometimes are even greeted with a 45-minute wait—and get this: customers actually wait it out!
While I don't quite understand the popularity with the sit-down portion of the restaurant, I cannot say a negative word about the bakery in the back (or in the front, depending on how you approach the restaurant).
The shelves are consistently stocked with big cookies and brownies, and it is hard to go wrong with any of the buttery delectables. The morning pastries, specifically the muffins, rise above the pack. Softball-sized (plus some), the muffins come in a variety of everyday flavors such as blueberry, blackberry bran and chocolate chip With orange glaze (pictured above) and also in a select "muffin of the day" flavor. Decadent and fresh, these are top notch muffins.
They're even better when they only cost a dollar... which is every day. Well, after 3 p.m at least. Yep, every day after 3 p.m, M Street offers all remaining muffins in the pastry case for only $1. No limit. I often find myself at a nearby coffee shop around that time and take a quick stroll over. There's usually plenty to choose from and it isn't unusual for me to buy a few and store them away in the freezer. Then when I'm craving a sweet morning treat (which, let's be honest, is almost ALWAYS) a few days later, I pop the muffin in the mircrowave for 30 seconds or so and there I have a filling, delicious, fresh muffin for breakfast. And it only cost me one smackaroo.
Note: Please leave me one.
For more Westside food musings, check out The Unemployed Eater.
