L.A. Confidential

BB: I did a little more reading and Pulp Fiction was filmed at a now defunct Pann's location which was on Hawthorne Boulevard.  Not the current Pann's.
 
However, many films other than Pulp Fiction were filmed there.
 
Your French Toast looks very different from that which I had when dining there with the Chips.
 
Did you order a half order?
 

 
I enjoy The Original Pantry, both food and atmosphere although it isn't consistent.  Glad that you all enjoyed your meals.. on time.

BB:  One of my favorite movies is "Pulp Ficton"  Tarantino is from Knoxville and has a movie coming out Christmas Eve whic I believe is "Django".  I will be sure to see it as well as "Jack Reacher" which is another favorite of mine.
 
Your burger sure brought back memories.
 
Your write is outstanding and the pics as well.
 
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Also found a picture of Du-Par's coffee machine.  Looks more impressive in person;
 

Paul-
I am also a big fan of Pulp Fiction and would put itinto my all-time top 10 favorites.  While Mariton and I were at the theater yesterday, we saw an ad for Django Unchained and it sure does look like a typical Quentin Tarantino movie, which is a good thing.  There was also a preview for Jack Reacher.  Now, I personally can not stand Tom Cruise.  But, I may see this movie anyway, simply because it was filmed in Pittsburgh and my hometown looked good in the preview.
 
mar52-
Thanks so much for that information.  And what a gorgeous photo from The Original Pantry.  It does not say in my notes that my french toast was a half order, so I assume it was a full order.  I did read ahead of time that the reviews for the place were mixed, but we have nothing but good things to say about the place, other than the long line.  Our food didn't just taste really good, it looked really good!
 
And thanks for the photo of the coffee machine and everything you have added to this thread.  It is much appreciated!
 
Glenn1234-
Sorry you weren't able to include The Original Pantry on your trip last year, because you missed a good one.  It gives you another good reason to return! 

Saturday November 24, 2012 (cont.)
 
The Los Angeles Conservancy offers several different walking tours of downtown Los Angeles.  We were interested in the art deco tour, which leaves from Pershing Square at 10:00AM every Saturday.  I dropped off TTM and Mariton to get the tickets, while I parked in the square's underground garage.  By the time, I made it up to the surface, our group was just about to leave.  There was so many people taking the tour on this day, that they split them into two groups, with us ending up in the smaller group.  This was not good, because our guide was obviously inexperienced and although she was undoubtedly knowledable about the subject, she just wasn't a very good communicator.   
 
Regardless, we still got to see plenty of impressive art deco architecture, along with some other styles she pointed out along the while. 





















 
So many beautiful buildings downtown and that just scratched the surface.  There was several others that we were able to visit, but were not allowed to take photos for security reasons, especially in the Jewelry District.  And we also passed Roadfood favorite Clifton's Cafeteria

during our stroll.  I would love to see how the renovations are going.
 
The tour took a solid 2 1/2 hours on another hot and humid day and despite learning a lot, I was quite happy when it was over.  And now, we were definitely hungry and thirsty.  Luckily for us, a legendary Roadfood restaurant was just a short distance away.

I know where you're going!
 
I didn't know about those tours.  Interesting!  What did you think about the Pershing Square Parking Lot?  It fascinates me.
 
Isn't Union Station beautiful?  You even got a picture inside Tracks!
 
Well done, BB!

mar52-
I'm sure you know exactly where we had lunch!  The garage was a little confusing, but it sure was convenient.  If we had to look for parking, we would have never made the tour on time.
 
I remember reading about Clifton's being in a bad neighborhood and that sure isn't the best area.  Still, I wouldn't hesitate to park in Pershing Square again and walking over once they reopen.  Is there any kind of date on that?

Oh, one more photo from the tour.  They have an ice skating rink in the middle of the square. 

Coming from a cold climate city, this fascinated me.

No date yet.  Can't wait.
 
I don't think the area is bad during the day and with all the studio apartments/condos being built or rebuilt above the older buildings the night time is becoming safer and a place to be.
 
I'm really enjoying your report as I can almost taste it.  It's nice knowing exactly where you've been.

Saturday November 24, 2012 (cont.)
 
It look only about three minutes to drive from Pershing Square to Philippe The Original. 



Philippe has been open since 1908 and claims to be the inventor of the french dip sandwich.  Knowing how popular this place is, I was little concerned about there being a big crowd.  Easily finding a spot in the parking lot gave some false hope because as soon as you walk in the door, you face this:


Nobody likes standing in line, but that does seem to be part of the experience here.  While killing time, we admired the sawdust on the floor,

to make sweeping up at the end of the day easier.  Luckily, the lines moved fairly fast and we were up to the counter

in less than 15 minutes.  Having not been here in almost a decade, I ordered quite a bit of food.  Once they told me how much it cost, the order taker moved a small tray in my direction.  Not knowing what it was for, I started to grab it.  That is when I realized that you are supposed to put your money on it.  They returned the change on the same small tray. 
 
We apparently also got lucky with finding seats in the huge dining area,

getting a nice open booth towards the back.  But right after that, there were quite a few patrons circling, waiting for someone to finish and a seat to open up.  First thing we dug into was the french dip sandwich. 

Mariton is a big roast beef lover and names Schwabl's (of beef on weck fame, though she eats it without the bun) as her all-time favorite Roadfood stop.  Unfortunately, she didn't really care for this sandwich, saying that it was too salty.  She is apparently very sensitive too salty, because she thinks many American foods are too salty.  As for me, I thought the sandwich was going to be bigger, but it was tender and juicy and I loved it.  They do have some mustard on the table, which I tried by itself and it was indeed very hot.  Still, I put some on the sandwich and the other ingredients seemed to temper the heat and it seemed to bring out the other flavors.  You can also see a pickled egg on the plate, which looks gross and although this was indeed salty, tasted better than expected.
 
Besides the french dip, they also offer other kinds of dip.  Being a big fan of ham, I couldn't resist. 

Although it was a pleasant enough sandwich, it was nothing out of the ordinary.  As a side, we split some cole slaw,

which was a wet mayo style and a little on the sweet side.
 
They had some nice looking pies at the register when we ordered and we couldn't resist trying a few.  I am almost always disappointed in pineapple pie. 

As much as I love pineapple, the fruit is always straight from the can and it just doesn't work.  Shockingly, this was real fruit inside and along with a fine, flaky crust, this was a big hit with both of us.  As was the banana cream pie. 

While I could have done without the nuts on top, the dense whipped topping tasted homemade and there was one whole length of banana right through the middle of pie.  I have never seen a banana cream pie like it.  TTM went for apple,

which had some of the thickest crust ever.
 
Philippe The Original
1001 N. Alameda Street
Los Angeles, CA
213-628-3781
 
Just a short distance down the street is Union Station, Los Angeles' train station since it was built in 1939.  We parked, went inside and checked out the beautiful details of the place. 




And then we decided to just sit down and relax for a spell.  The old-fashioned seats here are comfortable, but maybe too comfortable, since TTM quickly dropped off. 

I was tempted to put a sign on him, saying "Free to a good home", but he woke up before long.
 
A nap sounded like a great idea, so we got back in the car and headed for the hotel.   

BB:  You are dead on with Tom Cruise.  He is the antihero of Jack Reacher who is 6'5 and weights 250 and a ex MP.   Cruise is a midget.  Why they selected him?  My guess is marketability.  Great shot of Mariton with the Louis Vitton bag fast asleep with TTM also passed out.

Saturday November 24, 2012 (cont.) 
 
On the way back to the hotel, we passed an In-N-Out Burger in Hollywood on Sunset Boulevard.  As fate would have it, this is the location that is mentioned in the Roadfood review.  Even though this is part of a big national chain, I had never been to one before and thought it was high time I tried it.  Neither TTM nor Mariton were interested in eating, so I thought about going through the drive-thru.  But there was at least 25 cars in line.  And just parking in the lot and going in was an adventure because of the big crowds.  Anyway, I looked over the small menu board 

and decided on the double-double, which is double meat and double cheese.  And despite the fact that this was my first visit, I knew enough from reading about it here on Roadfood that they have a secret menu and told them to make it animal style.  The young man

who was calling out the numbers for the order was efficient, extremely polite and did it with great style.  His name?  According to the nametag, Justice.  How come my parents didn't give me a cool name like Justice?  While I was inside, TTM and Mariton told me that my vehicle was hit twice by other car's doors.
 
Back in my hotel room, I found out exactly what animal style was.  Apparently, this means they put a small animal on your burger, because whatever it was, it ate right through my bag.  

For a fast food burger burger, this

was a keeper.  The meat actually tastes like real beef and they use fresh ground meat, never frozen.  And that makes a big difference of why they are significantly better than the McDonald's and Burger King's of the world.  While this was not even close to being the best burger I ate on this trip, I would not hesistate to eat at an In-N-Out Burger again.  BTW, the fries were cold by the time I started to eat them and most of them got thrown away.  But, the strawberry shake was thick and good.  TTM also asked me to get him something off their (not so) secret menu and he drank a neopoloitan shake.
 
I spent the next few hours napping and yelling at the tv during the Clemson-South Carolina (don't want to talk about it)  football game.  Around 9:00PM, the three of us were ready to head back out again and make up for all eating we didn't do so far on this day.  I had previously asked TTM if he was interested in going to Killer Shrimp in Marina Del Rey.  He said he had eaten there before, loved it, but they were now closed.  When I mentioned that they had reopened, this made him very happy and we decided to make the place a priority.  
 
The restaurant

is right next to the water, but unfortunately, we did not get seated next to the big window.  At night time, how much could we really have seen anyway?  The atmosphere was young and hip and it did seem like we were a little out of place, at least late on a Saturday night.  TTM kept mentioning how completely different this incarnation of the restaurant was from the original.  They do have a fairly big menu of seafood and non-seafood items, but all three of us stuck to what they are best known for, Killer Shrimp.  They make this very spicy sauce, which according to the menu, simmers for ten hours.  Just because I love rice, I ordered the dish over a bed of white rice. 

Mariton loves noodles, so she got hers over angel hair pasta. 

And TTM made the veteran move by ordering the original unshelled,

which means it is just the sauce, shrimp and a basket full of really good bread

for dipping.  The shrimp were plump, juicy and tasted incredibly fresh.  The sauce was full flavored, vividly spicy and delicious.  It tastes like it has Cajun spices in there and I swear I tasted Worcestershire sauce, but TTM was fairly certain that isn't the case.  Anyway, everybody loved their dish.  Mariton caught on with the bread and started mopping up that great sauce with it, too.  I tried to do that one time and the sauce, undiluted by the rice, tore right through me.  Thanks goodness I ordered what I did, because I could not have handled either of their dishes.  Still, it was hot enough that I needed almost constant refills of my water and iced tea to keep going. 
 
As a side, Mariton and I are both huge lovers of sweet potato fries and the version they serve here

was as good as we have had anywhere.  Thin, extra-crispy, creamy on the inside, we could have eaten many baskets of these.  Killer Shrimp was a rousing success!
 
Killer Shrimp
4211 Admiralty Way
Marina del Rey, CA
310-578-2293
 
But this was no time to rest, for we still had plenty more eating to do!            

Phillipe's sandwiches when eaten as is aren't special.  Add the cole slaw to the sandwich with a bit of that mustard and you have my favorite sandwich in the city.
 
Killer Shrimp is biking distance from where I live.  I don't walk anywhere.
 
It gets horrible reviews similar to those that The Stinking Rose get, but I LOVE it!
 
I've eaten all three of the varieties the three of you chose and I like the original, plain in the bowl the best.  I found that the rice or pasta absorbed and negated some of the wonderful taste of the cooking broth.
 
I want to go there NOW!
 
The original owners reopened in the new location which was once home to a long gone favorite... Castagnola's Lobster House. 
 
They added many items to the menu hoping to increase their customer base.  I added the macaroni and lobster to my order when I was there.  I like macaroni and I like lobster but I sure don't like them together.
 
In January there was a Change of Ownership sign near the front door.   I don't know if it affected the operation, but from your pictures I'd say no.

mar52-
Now I regret not putting the cole slaw (along with the mustard) on the french dip.  That sounds wonderful!

I only have a couple of supplemental photos to add. This is the cross-section of the Philippe's roast beef dip. I like the sandwiches the way they are served, and the fact that they are not modern, over-stuffed sandwiches encourages a second stop somewhere else to grab the next bite!
 

 
The Neopolitan shake from In-'N-Out is chocolate, strawberry and vanilla, as you might expect. While shakes are never an easy subject to photograph, you have to be impressed by In-'N-Out's ability to keep the three flavors separated in the cup!
 

TTM-
Love that shake photo!

I thought the sandwiches at Philippe's were dipped like in a French Dip sandwich. Is the bread crusty or soft?

mar52


Killer Shrimp is biking distance from where I live.  I don't walk anywhere.
It gets horrible reviews similar to those that The Stinking Rose get, but I LOVE it!

Why?  The shrimp ordered by Los Tres Turistas look quite good and I certainly trust their collective opinion!

TTM, you've taught me something.  I didn't know about the Neopolitan Shake.  I must have one.
 
The fries at In-N-Out Burger are never good and never hot.  I still order them.
 
The thing I like about their burgers is that I can have grilled onions on mine.  They're an okay burger.  Not fantastic, but good for a quick bite.
 
I once waited in line at the drive-thru and the car in front of me (I might have written about this in the pat) was full of kids and the mother was on the phone ordering for the entire little league team.  She kept changing her order as she was ordering.
 
I finally got out of my car, walked up to the window and asked the person there if they could ask her to go inside to place her order as the line was now out in the street.  I was nice about it and the person at the window was more than happy to not finish with her.

That 1939 LA train station is incredible.  I can just picture the screen stars passing through on their way to and from NYC

Chris - Along similar lines, I was thinking that there was a time when all the men in Union Station would be wearing suits, ties, and hats (not caps) and the ladies dresses and jewelry.

You went to Philippe's - Good now I'm all set... I still say the Lamb Dip is the way to go.. I honestly had no idea they had pie- since I never got past the sandwiches, I never looked!
 
Can't wait for the really regional stuff later in the trip....
 
BTW, did TTM find his "celebrity cougar" while you guys were in Hollywood?

It's not often you go to a lot of places where i have been BB but I must admit I have enjoyed your takes on some familiar places. i loved The Original Pantry almost as much for the history as for the food. The historic sign out front mentioned how Bogey and the Duke ate there a lot. Love the history of the place. IN N Out got a lot of publicity here in Oregon because Oregon State football coach Mike Reilly celebrated road victories by taking his players to IN N Out after wins. When an InN Out is close by I always make a stop.

Re: In 'n Out fries --
 
Mar, order them crisp or well done. You'll be happy.  Since you're ordering grilled onions [I do, too], it doesn't take that much longer than the average order to be delivered.

Great report!  Glad to see you made it to In N Out.  
 
Just to clarify one thing about Pulp Fiction....it was filmed at the Hawthorne Grill.  Its no longer there but it was right there on Hawthorne Blvd and 137th st. . (I grew up in Hawthorne and ate there many times).
 
Recommendation next time you are in town..... Titos Tacos in Culver City.  Some people love them, some hate them and think they are overrated.  They are an institution though and are like no other hard shelled beef tacos you have had before.  

Loving this report!

JRPfeff


Chris - Along similar lines, I was thinking that there was a time when all the men in Union Station would be wearing suits, ties, and hats (not caps) and the ladies dresses and jewelry.

And they all talked like this, too.

Saturday November 24, 2012 (cont.)
 
Next up was the place I most wanted to visit during our trip to Southern California, The Apple Pan. 


After reading about it so many times on Roadfood and in the Hamburger America book, I had a feeling that this place would be a real favorite.  And it did not let me down.  It was close to 11:00PM when we arrived and we had a short two minute wait for three seats together to open up at the "U"-shaped counter. 

Neither Mariton or TTM were particularly hungry after Killer Shrimp, but that sure wasn't going to slow me down.
 
The menu was bigger than anticipated and I would love to spend a couple weeks eating my way through it.  One part of the menu clues you into the essentials,

describing them as original family recipes.  The first thing brought out were the drinks (mine was root beer) and instead of a glass, you get a cone shaped paper cup,

filled with ice, placed in a holder.  I always love these little touches!  Next out was the fries. 

When they are delivered, your counterman gives you a seperate plate and dumps ketchup on it for your dipping convenience.  Truthfully, the fries were nothing special.
 
Burger-wise, I went with the hickory burger. 

For 50 cents extra, you can add Tillamook cheddar cheese and how can you say no to that?  This isn't one of those huge burgers people make nowadays, only about a 1/4lber.  But, you can definitely tell this is made from fresh ground beef.  The burger is topped with mayo, lettuce, pickles and a specially made, slightly smoky hickory sauce.  Everything works perfectly together to make a memorable burger.
 
For dessert, The Apple Pan is famous for their pies. And with apple right in the name, you would think apple pie would be the way to go.  But even an apple pie lover like TTM knows that banana cream pie

is the way to go and we each got a slice.  Once again, they use real whipped topping and there is a tall stack of fresh bananas inside a perfectly flaky crust.  This was a great slice of pie!  Even Mariton, who had been a casual observer so far, dug in and was talking about how good this pie was for days afterwards.
 
If the food wasn't enough to win my heart, the atmosphere most certainly was.  The countermen were white shirts, aprons, along with paper hats.  There is an open window into the kitchen,

where you can watch your food being prepared.  And the entire place has the feel straight out of seventy years ago.  Clark Gable used to be a regular and I understand Jack Nicholson still is.  While we were eating, a young African-American came in by himself and ate.  During the meal, some other customers came over and had their photo taken with him, but we had no idea who he was.  
 
I absolutely loved The Apple Pan and this was my second favorite experience of the trip.  What surprises me is that this place does not have an official Roadfood review yet.
 
The Apple Pan
10801 Pico Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA
310-475-3585
 
One last stop to go on this night.....  Mariton had been very patient so far, eating where TTM and I wanted to go.  But, she had been craving pho for days now and so we stopped in at that 24 Hour pho restaurant we spotted the night before.  It is called Pho Citi

and is part of a small a small local chain.  Here

is the main part of the menu.  She ordered the rare steak version and she was happy to finally get her pho. 


Well, that was the plan.  She didn't really care for the flavor of the soup and complained how little meat was in it.  I felt disappointed for her and decided we would have to hit another pho place before the trip was over.  Being full, all I ordered was a honeydew boba smoothie

and TTM ate somekind of fried rice dish.

 
Pho Citi
4319 W. Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA
323-644-0888
 
After this we were tired and retired to the hotel for the night.         

Buffetbuster,
 
You know I don't share the same enthusiasm as you and TTM as far as In and Out is concerned.....Better than Burger King and McDonalds- Absolutely ! But ordinary at best.  I've had much better fast food style burgers. Apple Pan on the other hand was my favorite in LA- not for the beef (which I still thought was tasteless) but for that  hickory sauce. If  ever found myself in LA again, I would return, but just for that banana cream pie and nothing else.
 
So how was that smoothie at Pho Citi?

WJ-
They called it a boba smoothie, but it tastes exactly the same as what other places call bubble teas.  If there is a difference, I don't know what it is.  I really like those and enjoy sucking up those tapioca pearls through the straw.  And it was good, though Mariton did not care for it.