Apple Pan: Classic Burgers

The Apple Pan has been in business since 1947 on Pico Blvd just east of Westwood Blvd, in West LA. It has a limited menu, the centerpiece of which are the two varieties of burgers - the Steakburger and the Hickoryburger (which has barbeque sauce on it). Several sandwiches, french fries and pies complete the menu.

The slogan of the Apple Pan is Quality Forever. They have maintained the same style of operation with the same limited menu in the over 60 years they have been in business. Soft drinks are served in a paper cone in a metal stand which has been refrigerated, which keeps the drink cold once poured, an old fashioned touch.

The only seating are 26 stools at a U-shaped counter, which encircles the kitchen.

The burger is served in paper bag standing up vertically. I tried the Hickoryburger, no cheese. It is described as served with mayonnaise, their own sauce, pickles, lettuce. The amount of lettuce in the burger was almost comical. I removed most of the lettuce after the first bite as it dominated the burger. The burger is served on a plain bun, which has been toasted on the griddle. They were more pickles on the burger than many places serve, which is a nice touch. The burger patty is thin and overall this reminded me of an In n Out burger, but lacking some of the salt and pepper flavor I have found typical of that chains burgers. I prefer the In n Out burger to the Apple Pan burger.

They have been doing many things the same way for 60+ years and that is how the customers like it. The waiter pours ketchup from the bottle onto a small cardboard plate in front of you soon after you order french fries. As the menu is so short and the kitchen operates efficiently, you may find yourself in an out of a stool in well under 30 minutes. The french fries came just moments after ordering, hot and crispy. These were great french fries. The sodas which don't come from a fountain and are served in the cone, the long term employees and the no tomato on the burger are all traditions at the Apple Pan.

Overall I think the nostalgia factor rather than the food is the offer at the Apple Pan. A burger, fries and a soft drink was over $11, plus tip. Not cheap for a basic burger meal.

I did not sample the pies, of which both my parents recommend the cream version. Both of my parents lived in the neighborhood near the Apple Pan before it opened, and my aunt spoke about eating there with my grandmother on a weekly basis (Tuesdays) when she was growing up, so the restaurant has been a tradition in my family for decades. I have always enjoyed it but more for the legitimate authentic old school vibe than for the food.

Where Johnny Rockets feels like the chain it is, the Apple Pan feels lived in, and that is an essential component of its charm. Surprisingly the Apple Pan is open until midnight during the week and 1 am on friday and saturday. It is closed on Sunday.

The Apple Pan: 10801 W. Pico Blvd @ Glendon, West LA. Phone: (310) 475-3585. No website.

Sushi Gen - classic lunchtime bargain

Some compatriots and I tried and failed to eat dinner at Sushi Gen prior to the Radio Room at the Edison on Tuesday night as they were booked solid the rest of the evening. We made do with a very eh meal at Manten, a Japanese take on Chinese cuisine, across Honda Plaza, which I recommend be avoided.

This reminded me of Sushi Gen's well known Sashimi Lunch Special: a platter of sashimi, a bowl of miso soup, a dish of sunomono a bowl of rice and a bowl of tofu in a beef broth all for $15. I had not had this deal in a few years and was curious to see if it was still good or was coasting on its reputation so stopped by for an early lunch on Friday.

The menu was on the menu when I sat down and a waitress came by to take my order within two minutes before I had even had a chance to look at the menu. Fortunately I knew what I wanted - the sashimi lunch special. After ordering the lunch special ($15) and a hot tea ($1.50) the waitstaff set a land speed record for delivering waiter ordered food to the table. Not two minutes later the sashimi platter, miso soup, sunomono and tofu all arrived at the table, followed by the bowl of rice a minute or two later.

The sashimi platter is generously portioned and included tuna, yellowtail, toro, spicy tuna, diced yellowtail with scallions and cooked salmon among others. While the fish is plentiful, some of it is cut more like scraps than like sushi, so purists be aware. The toro was rich and buttery, full of fatty flavor and mouthfeel. Toro is not something I expect to see on a combination or special plate, let alone one priced at $15, so that is even more of a special treat.

The tofu is cubed and cooked and arrives in a broth in a bowl, like Agedashi Tofu, only not fried. It is a fine prelude to the main event but not especially flavorful or interesting. The miso soup was piping hot.

The overall verdict was that the sashimi lunch special at Sushi Gen is not only a great value but a great lunch. The deal is no secret so crowds begin to form from 11 am onwards through the end of the lunch hour and expect a wait of ~30 minutes or longer at peak times and ~15 minutes early or late. They turn the tables quickly here, so this is not the place for a leisurely lunch to catch up with friends you haven't seen in a while. I was probably at my table for about 30 minutes and when I left the line to get in was longer than when I had arrived. The fast turnover accounts for both the fresh fish and the lickety-split arrival of the food.

Note that the sashimi lunch special (and all lunch specials) are only available at tables, not at the bar. The bar requires a minimum of four orders of sushi/sashimi.

Sushi Gen is located at 422 east 2nd St @ Central, in the Honda Plaza minimall. Parking is available for $1.50 with validation at lunch time ($2.50 at dinner time). Telephone: (213) 617-0552

Pann's - fried chicken in a classic diner

Pann's Restaurant & Coffee Shop has been in business at the intersection of La Tijera and La Cienega for over 50 years, since 1958 to be precise. It has been used for filming scenes in numerous movies, most memorably Pulp Fiction. It has the classic Googie look of a 50s California diner and made me miss the late lamented Ships on Wilshire Blvd in Westwood of my childhood.

There is a large black and white photograph of the interior of Pann's taken in the 50s up on a wall. The inside looks exactly the same except the customers were wearing hats and there was even a construction worker in a hardhat at the counter. Back then it also appears that the clientèle and staff were all white. The same terrazzo floors, booths and long counter. Amazing to see a classic still in business and still looking the same.


But what brought me to Pann's recently was their fried chicken. I had heard it reported that Pann's serves some of the best fried chicken in town and I have been continually craving fried chicken lately - I blame you for that Ludo! Monday - Friday they offer a 2 piece (light or dark) fried chicken meal with sides for only $6. That is an outstanding deal. We were there on a weekend so got 2 half chicken meals for the 3 of us, at $12 for each order. Each order came with two sides plus a biscuit (there were other bread options but once we heard biscuit we knew what we wanted).

Sides available were: Chef's Vegetables, Real Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Herb Rice, Sautéed Fresh Spinach, Macaroni & Cheese, French Fries, Cole Slaw, Potato Salad or Pickled Beets. We tried the spinach, mac & cheese, french fries and cole slaw.


Our waitress warned us that the chicken could take a while as it was fried to order. Not a problem we told her. I'd rather wait for fresh hot food than have it sitting around waiting for some fool like me to order it. After a shorter wait than I was expecting the fried chicken arrived. Two hot plates full of food, preceded by hot biscuits with butter and honey for each of us. The portion sizes were enormous. Each dish was enough to feed two comfortably, even a glutton like me.

One of my dining companions commented that they had not had food come to the table this hot anywhere in recent memory. The fried chicken was crisp and indeed steaming hot once you cut into it.


It was juicy and tasted like real chicken. Sometimes when you go to casual restaurants the chicken is just bland because they purchased mass produced birds - I am not sure where they source their chickens but these birds have flavor. Exceeded expectations was the unanimous verdict. French fries were good as was the spinach. The mac & cheese was very blah, cole slaw fine.

I ended up with some of the leftovers and the chicken held up for lunch the next day. Not as good as fresh from the fryer but more than respectable.

We were too full to even consider the dessert menu. As we walked out we saw the dessert case which had cakes of such height even Homer Simpson would be impressed. I imagine one piece would be enough for a family of 4 to split.

Pann's is located at 6710 La Tijera Blvd @ La Cienega Blvd. Phone: (332) 776-3770. Website: www.panns.com