Brunch is served at Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery. (photo by Jill Weinlein)

Tinned fish, pimentos, fried pickles, cheese curds and crispy tater tots are all on the menu at Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery. They offer “Tinned fish of the day” served with crackers, seasonal pickles and country style mustard.

Years ago, “fish in a tin can” meant tuna and sardines. This centuries-old way to preserve and eat fish has been a part of daily life in many parts of the world. Now it’s a craze in California. Tin tops peeled back reveal glistening fish and oysters enhanced with a variety of spices and oils to complement their natural sea flavors.

Agnes Restaurant and Cheesery opened a few years ago in a former horse stable for the Pasadena fire Department. Built in 1922, the historic brick-walled building in Old Town Pasadena is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. At one point, it was Firehouse Recording Studios.

Chef and partner Thomas Tilaka Kalb, along with his cheese monger wife Vanessa, met while working at Flour + Water.

When they acquired the building, they thoughtfully renovated it and named it after Thomas’ beloved grandmother Mary Agnes. The front of the restaurant is a market where you can purchase interesting bottles of wine, the aforementioned tinned fish and, of course, cheese. They carry a wide selelction of domestic and imported cheeses and will happily help curate your selection. Cheese boards and tinned fish trays along with bottles of cold rosé wine are some of the most popular items.

The restaurant is decorated with retro, mid-century chairs and tables, plaid upholstered banquettes, and a beautiful soaring wood beam ceiling. The light and bright room overlooks the open kitchen, bar and lounge, and the cheesery market.

Chef Thomas inspects every dish before it leaves the open kitchen. He signals to servers that a dish was ready to be delivered.

My husband and I went to Agnes for brunch. The menu offers an array of classic American regional comfort foods. A sweet warm banana nut muffin was plated on a beautiful Franciscan Desert Rose plate. My grandmother used to serve meals during family gatherings on Franciscan apple pattern plates.

We ordered a mushroom frittata that looked more like a quiche and was served with a side endive salad. The Cuban melt sandwich arrived on housemade bread with melted ivory colored Riojana cheese. The tangy butter pickles and Dijonnaise spread added zest to the slices of ham and pulled pork cooked in a mojo sauce. Crunchy and lightly salted plantain chips accompanied the sandwich.

For dessert we ordered a stack of sticky toffee pancakes made with chopped medjool dates and topped with slightly sweet toffee caramel and whipped cream.

Other popular brunch fare includes a smoked salmon provolone melt served with a spicy tartar sauce; a turkey Monte Cristo, and a summer quinoa bowl topped with crushed avocado, summer squash, blistered and chilled sweet peppers, Essex St. feta and a six-minute egg.

Chef Thomas gave us a tour after our meal. He pointed out some nostalgic items displayed around the restaurant. One wall honors Grandma Agnes’ beautiful plates. Another wall displays a sentimental canvas piece painted with soil, charcoal, crushed rocks and seashells.

“It’s a commissioned piece by Melissa Dickenson,” he said. “It represents some of our favorite travel destinations around the world.”

The artist crushed some shells given to her from the couple’s travels.

“We also gave her a handful of soil taken during the renovation to honor the building and earth it stands on,” Kalb said.

“Agnes liked to drink just one gin and tonic cocktail when company visited,” he said as he stopped at the full bar.

“Our wine list is extensive with a variety of sparkling wines, whites, reds, rose and skin contact wines,” Kalb said.  “We also make our own jams, crackers, pickles and chips that guests can purchase for their own picnic.”

The refrigerated case holds 60 to 80 different cheeses from all over the world.

“We have a great Mid-Western selection,” he said.

The secluded outdoor patio in the back of the restaurant has a retractable roof. It’s a picturesque spot to dine outside on a warm summer night.

“Green tile tabletops are a nod to the street name, and also to the sea foam color green that Mary Agnes liked,” Kalb said.

A private dining room can accommodate 20 guests for dinner.

“This is great for parties, and is also used for cheese making and classes,” he said.

The dinner menu features some new seasonal dishes including a Reuben ravioli filled with corned beef and sauerkraut soubise, topped with a mustard cream sauce. A fried pickles and cheese curd appetizer is served with buffalo blue cheese dressing, and a carrot and celery salad. They also assemble a Pachamama picnic platter that includes grilled pork belly, jalapeño cheddarwurst, mojo pork shoulder, bacon pimento Mac n’ cheese, marinated pea salad and cornbread muffins.

During the month of July, picnic boxes for two people are available for takeaway. Go online to select a tinned fish box for $60 or a cheese and crudité box for $65. They can customize the box with alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages.

Also online, cheese fans can learn more about the quarterly cheese club starting at $75. Members receive a variety of cheeses, accompaniments, tips and a few surprises.

Hands-on cheese classes are taught by Vanessa Kalb. Classes kick off with a glass of bubbly, and students learn how to properly buy and store cheese, create interesting pairings, and build beautiful cheese boards of their own. The intimate, two-hour sessions capped at 12 students includes tastings of different milk types of cheese styles.

Come be enlightened to the rich world of cheese, tinned fish and comfort food at Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery. Open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Brunch is available Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and they offer a midday menu on Wednesday through Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m. Reservations can be made on Resy. Walk-ins are welcome. agnesla.com. $$-$$$ 40 W. Green St., (626)389-3839.