Tropical Rain Served with Blueberry Pancakes

At , a tradition of 365 days-a-year is taken seriously, even through tropical force winds.

Sunday morning, owner Mario Topuzzi opened on time, as usual. And he anticipated remaining open until 2 p.m., same as always.

"Sunday's a good day for us," he reasoned.

Heavy bands of rain started moving into Milford early Sunday, signalling the approach of Hurricane Irene. The storm is expected to arrive in Massachusetts as a tropical storm, with less force than a hurricane, but officials still anticipate problems associated with heavy rain and winds, including downed trees and power outages.

At Johnny Jacks Sunday morning, the hurricane was acknowledged, but put aside. Stacks of blueberry pancakes, the morning special, moved from the kitchen to the booths, as regulars started showing up, stepping in with rain boots and umbrellas.

Business was down, Topuzzi noted. Sunday mornings, the restaurant is usually packed. At 8:15 a.m., on Irene Sunday, about two dozen people were in the dining room.

"So far, not so healthy," he said.