Chow Time: The Apple Pan

There are times in your life when you are doing fine, sure in the knowledge that you are doing your utmost to put your best foot forward.  Confidently striding along the precipice of disaster, you take one teeny-tiny false step and find that you are slipping down that old proverbial slope, realizing that the substance that makes it so slippery is grease - specifically french fry grease.  Aaaarrrgh!  Why are french fries so darn tasty?  It is impossible to just try one french fry.  French fries from The Apple Pan in Westwood are, of course, no exception to the rule.

Mr. Tiny looking sheepish after he answered
the siren song of french fries...and hamburgers.

I really have been trying to "eat better" (vague enough to allow for a multitude of sins).  Sometimes, however, in my quest to bring you good people the best in wacky tacky, I make selfless sacrifices, yes, even my health and well being.

The Apple Pan
"Quality Forever"

To be honest, The Apple Pan is as close to my idea of perfection, in terms of the type of restaurant that I would like to own, as an existing building could be.  It looks like a 1930's roadside cabin painted a creamy white with green trim and awnings.  The horseshoe counter accommodates no more than 25 guests, the kitchen (such as it is) is visible behind a brick facade, ceiling fans circulate the air so a fine coating of french fry and hamburger grease is evenly distributed throughout the restaurant and upon each guest, and then, of course, there is the tartan wallpaper.

The screen-door entry
The building could not offer any more charm.

Button-tufted barstools

The tartan plaid wallpaper

With all of its old-timey charm, The Apple Pan is in no way my idea of a perfect operation.  I realized, after not offering my patronage for many years, just why I had been absent for so long.  Firstly, the seating is limited to whatever stools happen to be vacant around the counter.  Let's just put it this way, the seats at The Apple Pan never have a chance to cool down between uses; it's always extremely busy and names are never taken.  Thusly, getting a seat is akin to an ancient Roman blood sport.  I hate waiting in line more than I hate people who refuse to use their turn signals.  I hate even more that someone who might have come into the restaurant after me gets a seat before I do because they happened to be staking out an area of quicker eaters than I.  Seriously, in the above picture you can see the culture of hovering (which isn't pleasant for anyone) and the one guy who chose to eat standing up because he could not get a seat.  Secondly, the service at The Apple Pan is, shall we say, gruff.  The staff is extremely efficient but efficiency and ungraciousness need not be synonymous.  Obviously, they are doing something right because they have been serving the same menu in the same location for 65 years but a little gentility wouldn't hurt the operation.

The french fries....pure evil.

In spite of my quibbles with the seating and customer service, there are things that I genuinely like about The Apple Pan.  Although it isn't a dining car, it is definitely reminiscent of the kind of joint where one could catch Wimpy offering to "Gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today."  The cups are wax paper cones set inside those metal, tulip-shaped stands (in all honesty I prefer a glass and a straw but this practice gets major nostalgia points).  Plus, once one is actually seated, it is the kind of place that feels perfectly old-timey; when one's eyes are squinted, it is hard to tell if it is 1947 or 2012 - that's a very good thing!  And then there is the food....

It doesn't look like anything particularly special but the spice-filled relish is
quite good and all of the ingredients add up to a harmoniously balanced burger.

Caught in the act

I really shouldn't bad mouth the service too vehemently; noticing that her meatless hamburger (she's always trying to one-up me in the "eating better" arena) took an inordinate amount of time to prepare, the server slung Mary a free piece of pie.  Such is Mary's life; she pretty much gets free stuff/preferential treatment wherever we go.

No pie for me...but can I keep the plate?
Except for the pie, nothing at The Apple Pan is served on a proper plate;
if I had these plates, I would probably save them for special occasions too!

Just like Disneyland's candy store, there is a viewing window in the
restaurant so diners can see the preparation of pies.  What I saw was puzzling.
The baker holds in his left hand some kind of sweet slurry which he adds,
through a hole in the top crust, to already baked apple pies.
I'm sure it was tasty, but have you ever heard of such a practice???

I'm at a loss as to the exact explanation of the restaurant's name.  As is evidenced above, they have pie, even apple pie, but there is absolutely no apple pan dowdy to be seen.  In it's glaring absence, I bring you some shoo-fly pie AND apple pan dowdy of a different variety.

"Shoo-Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy" - June Christy

Pay no attention to the sexy lips, this is a very chaste

 song about homemade dessert...or is it???

The Apple Pan
10801 Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA
(310)475-3585


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Chow Time: Chili John's

I have always dreamed about owning my own cafe.  I will freely admit that it has as much to do with The Whistle Stop Cafe of Fried Green Tomatoes fame as it does with the joy I find in preparing simple, tasty food.  I would LOVE to do some old-fashioned cooking for a manageable crowd in an old-fashioned setting.  For not really being an outgoing, people-person type, I really enjoy interacting with folks on a level that is afforded by a more intimately-scaled establishment.  Much like the best kind of grandmother, I truly love feeding people.  Fortunately there are still places that show me that my dreams are more than just the stuff of literary and movie land magic.  Chili John's in Burbank, CA is proof that a little bowl of heaven can still be had - even in Los Angeles. 

"As you like it"

The original Chili John's is in Greenbay, WI and has been serving
 hungry chili-philes at various locations for over 100 years!

The menu at Chili John's is small and at first glance, it seems like the options may be limited.  Tut, tut, given all of the possible combinations, variety abounds.  There are three kinds of chili - veggie, beef (spicy or mild), and chicken;  because we were newbies, they allowed us a sample of each kind.  Each tasty in its own right, I preferred the chicken.  Your choice of chili can be served over pink beans, spaghetti, rice, a tamale, a hot dog, or unadorned on a pillowy bun.  In fact, the menu boasts three different sandwich options but upon closer inspection, they are all exactly the same thing (chili on a bun) with the exception being the sandwich that offers additional "bean juice."  Mmmmmmm...bean juice.

Crackers, onions, peppers, and hot sauce are available to every diner

Chicken chili over beans and spaghetti with onions and oyster crackers.
DID YOU KNOW that John "Chili John" Issac, the Lithuanian immigrant behind the chili,
 was also integral in creating the oyster cracker?  Working with an executive at Nabisco,
he developed a spoon-size cracker to eat with his chili!  Since then, a carafe of oyster
 crackers has stood at the ready for every Chili John's diner.

Mary's monster mess!
Veggie chili with rice, cheese, and sour cream.
Be warned, Mary liked the veggie chili but she wasn't too fond of the rice;
it was filled with fennel seeds.  Sensing her dislike, they promptly
replaced the rice with beans and a chili refill!

Only twenty four seats in the whole place,
all of them stools around a horseshoe counter.

Chili John's is famous for it's pie too.
They have two kinds - lemon and pineapple; both are pudding-like with a graham
 cracker crumb base and whipped-cream topping.  Because I am supremely intolerant
of lactose (among other things), they brought Mary a mini slice for free!!! 

In the corner, they had a cool, succulent terrarium on a cracked ice dinette table.
Did they know we were coming?!!!

Perhaps this was the most poorly timed post considering all of the recent Thanksgiving indulging, but I think enough time has passed to where the leftovers are gone and you're ready to start thinking about food again.  Plus, they don't have turkey chili at Chili John's, so I figured it was safe.  If you're ever in the Burbank area, stop by for some chili "as you like it," or take some home!

Chili John's of California

2018 W Burbank Blvd

Burbank, CA

(818)846-3611

www.chilijohnsca.com

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

p.s. Don't forget to enter our AWESOME GIVEAWAY!!!

Chow Time: Silver Dollar Pancake House

Sorry, that last blog really took it out of me and I'm lagging a bit on the next/final installment of our Spain adventure.  Until then, how about some hot jacks? Flap cakes?

How do you feel about the word "retarded?"  Frankly, I use it far too often but sometimes it is such an apt description of my social behavior, that another adjective just doesn't cut the mustard.  During my recent foray into performing in front of huge crowds of people, a friend paid me a great compliment by saying that she couldn't detect an ounce of fear or awkwardness in my countenance...that is because I save it all for interpersonal interaction.  I am shy, and meeting people or engaging in small talk is much more nerve wracking than public speaking - or singing for that matter.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not all sweaty-palmed and tongue tied; I try to be cool.  I don't think I embarrass myself too much but it is definitely an area in my life that could endure a good measure of improvement.  I figure the only way to improve is to practice.  So, I skipped what I learned about "baby steps" from Bill Murray in What About Bob? and, taking a huge leap, I did something that I, under normal circumstances, would never do; I went out to eat - by myself!  Having heard great things about the Silver Dollar Pancake House, I decided to make may way out to Corona, CA.

Dining alone, in and of itself, took me a great distance outside of my comfort zone.  A true masochist at heart (I guess I love testing my tolerance for misery), I took things a step further by changing barstools and inviting people to sit next to me AND striking up a conversation with the couple to my left.  I was a MADMAN!!!  I couldn't help being Mr. Congeniality at Silver Dollar; the Cheers theme song has spoiled the sentiment, but sometimes you do want to go where everybody knows your name.

 Cheers Theme Song

I tell you I stuck out like a sore thumb when I first sat down at the horseshoe-shaped counter because everyone there was a regular and on familiar terms with the whole staff.  It didn't take long for me to feel welcomed and included in the pancake house community.

The Silver Dollar Pancake House is a bit of  comeback kid.  Opened in 1922 and operating under a few different names over the years, SDPH has faced two devastating fires in the last twenty years.  Committed to keeping the landmark restaurant open for the people of Corona, the current ownership rebuilt each time and continues to serve breakfast all day (among other coffee shop favorites).

On my quest to expand my capacity for the unusual, I did something else that was highly unusual for me - I ordered breakfast.  Luncheon food is my bag but I figured it would only be appropriate to order pancakes (not my favorite food by a long shot) while supping at Silver Dollar.  I decided to order the house special (the Silver Dollar Special) and I tell you, it continued the pattern of "firsts."  That meal was my first meal in a very long time where there was just too much food.  My sausage fingers just tremble at the mere typing of those words "too much food;" who's ever heard of such a thing?  Even I, Honorary Co-President of the West Coast Chapter of the Clean Plate Club, couldn't finish all the food they brought me.YIKES!!!

Eggs, salsa, bacon AND sausage.
My new pal, Doug, asked me if I was taking pictures
 to show the doctor why my heart had stopped.

I got the pineapple pancakes. (Kind of weird that the "Silver Dollar Special"
at the Silver Dollar Pancake House does NOT come with silver dollar pancakes, right?)

They were about as huge as my face and not too dissimilar
 in complexion. Can you believe that they wanted to put a mountain of
 whipped cream on top of this?!!!  Except for lactose intolerance in the
extreme, I probably would have taken them up on the kind offer!

My adventure into breakfast was a success; the food was delicious and the people were cool.  In spite of the fires and subsequent contemporary/country decorating missteps, there is plenty of old-timey fixturing and finishes to earn Silver Dollar Pancake House the wacky tacky seal of approval.  Most of that honor is due to the friendly atmosphere and small town nature of the little Pancake House that could.

If there is one thing that wacky tacky loves more than decorative
 block , it is decorative block painted sea green!

If you're driving  through Corona and you need a bite to eat, just belly up to the old horseshoe and grab yourself a seat!!!



Silver Dollar Pancake House
710 6th St
Corona, CA
(951)737-5977

www.silverdollarpancakehouse.com


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny