"Fried chicken has been the menu's star since Pann's opened in 1958. From a good list of side dishes that includes mac 'n' cheese, roasted yams, and pickled beets, I chose mashed potatoes with white gravy and sauteed fresh spinach: the squarest of square meals."
Michael Stern
"The chicken meat is quite alright, but the crust that envelops it is sensational: crisp, just a little bit salty and seasoned, and luxurious beyond measure."
Michael Stern
"The Sunrise is a half-and-half mix of lemonade and orange juice."
Michael Stern
"Extra-large lipstick-red booths are available at both ends of the dining room. Note the stone wall."
Michael Stern
"Pann's biscuit isn't svelte, but it is satisfying."
Michael Stern
"Counter seating is an essential element of coffee shop design. Look at the stylin' hanging rectangles at ceiling level."
Michael Stern
"Check out the font on the address above the front door."
Michael Stern
"The letters on this sign illuminate one by one."
Michael Stern
"Johnie's, now defunct, was designed by the same architect who created Pann's, Helen Liu Fong. Legend says that she was so particular about interior design that she actually used nail polish in certain places to get just the right color. Her firm also designed the original Denny's and Bob's Big Boy. "
Michael Stern
Pann's is like the polymorphous Flubadub on the old Howdy Doody TV show: a single entity composed of wildly different characters. In this case, the culinary crazy quilt is part medieval grotto (ponderous stone walls), part spaceship-boomerang panache, and part plush tailfin automobile upholstery. In other words, it is a perfect example of what is known as Googie style, aka Do-Wop design, that thrived in mid 20th century America, especially in Southern California.
