May 2017 Weekend Rundown

I’ve been to Pann’s a few times since they’ve changed to daytime only hours and a shorter menu. The patty melt is still very good. I thought the rye bread wasn’t quite as crisp as it used to be but it was a minor quibble.

The fried chicken on the other hand, I was bummed out. So far, everytime I’ve had it, the fry job wasn’t quite up to previous standards. Slightly overcooked and the white meat dry. I’ll probably give it a shot a couple more times just in case. But I’ve noticed a lot of the older wait staff is no longer there and it makes me wonder if there’s been turnover with the cooks too.

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They have definitely gotten better. I’ve been through the ups and downs, and they seem to be in an upward curve at the moment.

I miss Pepe’s Galley so much! People went mostly for breakfast, but they served nice dinner items too. The salmon was always well-cooked, and they made soups from scratch, which is becoming more and more rare in coffee shops and diners.

Oh definitely give Serving Spoon a try. I love their homemade sausage patties. Their chicken wings have gone a bit downhill IMO. Size has shrunk some and the batter isn’t as crisp. But overall, I still like them a lot and bounce between Pann’s and Serving Spoon depending on what we feel like and hours. I was really bummed out when they stopped having late night hours. It was a nice option on this side of town to go there after midnight and have a good soul food breakfast. Although I will say I got some puzzled looks walking in. I guess it was unusual enough to see a few asian american guys dressed in shorts and t shirts strolling in at 1 a.m. :grin:

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Oh I love a good sausage patty. Thanks for the suggestion! I’ll have to give it a try soon.

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This!

Hi @Jase -

Yah, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. The place is always packed. The 2 times I’ve had Gus’s it was overcooked, and I like skin that adheres to the meat but peels off easily (when that naughty urge overtakes you :flushed:.) But even a positive review on Eater (I think) mentioned the skin is so seared to the meat it is almost non-existent. That might actually be what some like about it… not me. Plus I like to vary my heat and they have one level. But as @Luluthemagnificent said about not liking Howlin’ Ray’s, that leaves more for everyone else.

Now as far as Pann’s and other country-style fried chickens go, that is apples and oranges and can’t accurately be compared to hot chicken.

Okay, I’ll flip my switch off now.

Hope all had a great weekend. We’re thinking about hitting up Mariscos El Bigotón.

:kissing_heart: to all.

Hi @Sgee -
Do you know what times the trucks close-up shop for the day?

Thanks!

Hi @TheCookie,

Nothing wrong with you! I don’t like Gus’s either. :wink: After 3 visits (and trying a bunch of other places), it just doesn’t stand out or do it for me (or my friends).

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I’ve only been to Gus’s in Tennessee, but I like making a sandwich out of their white bread, orange coleslaw, and fried pickles.

It’s like a faux “Impossible Chicken Sandwich”

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My comment wasn’t meant to disparage either one of your tastes. It was regarding how poorly I think of Dinah’s fried chicken. The couple of times I had it all those years ago, it was severely below Pann’s and this was before the current wave of great fried chicken. Again, I"d love it if things have changed in the intervening years.

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Yeah, we went there for dinner frequently. We were big fans of their non-traditional patty melt. How do you compare Dinah’s chicken fried steak to Pepy’s. I thought Pepy’s version was alright, one of their weaker items.

Did you ever go to Coppelia’s when all the Pepy’s cooks and half the waitstaff moved over after Pepy’s closing. We liked it a lot, the chilaquiles were good, they also added a green chile version. But then there was a fallout with the new co-owners, they left and there was some consistency issues and they changed the menu slightly. I’ve been meaning to go back and see if things have settled down.

Stan’s and Kogi

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Hi !

Yes, I understood and didn’t take it that way at all; just the opposite.

Thanks :slight_smile:

Damn skippy. Nice pics.

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Hi!

We sought, we found, we ate. No need for pictures, it’s been done. Not only is it as good as it looks it’s better. And I might actually have eaten the cherry on top, eyes and all @PorkyBelly, but it plopped to the ground… There is a God.

Tip: take wet wipes.

We got 8 tacos to go. :yum:

Btw… Mariscos El Bigoton will be at Tacolandia.

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Sunday SGV Bang Bang, Bang Bang Bang:

Bang #1: Sea Harbour for dim sum… Got the live spot prawns steamed WITH them shrimp heads fried, which met and exceeded expectations.

Bang #2: Fragrant Jerky… Pretty great Singaporean-style pork and beef jerky (spicy and non-spicy); I’d say 90% as good as the stuff in Singapore and 80% as good as the stuff from Taiwan. Worth the trip and the cost (USD$25 per pound).

Bang #3: Corner Beef Noodle House… That bowl of half tendon/half meat beef noodles was, of course, our mission objective. The beef shank and tendon were top notch, and the noodles had superb ‘Q’. BUT that broth fell a bit short for me. Still, a really, really good bowl of noodles.

The XO noodles were tasty as advertised, albeit a bit reliant on the MSG. However, this was a dish I’d likely order again.

Our usually intrepid Chowpup is going through a “no noodles” phase these days (I am debating whether to offer therapy or outright disown him). So, we ordered the Taiwanese pork chop rice also - A good call, as this was delicious. He (and I) gobbled this up real quick.

Dessert: Warm peanut & black sesame mochi duet… Delightful.

Bang #4: Nanjing Kitchen… Having relocated from Las Tunas to Valley about a year ago, the parking is much better and the dining room is more spacious. And the same affable boss/chef is still doling out one of the best duck dishes in Southern California: The brined Nanijng-style duck. For a Nanjing eatery, the Shanghai -style meat zongzi ain’t bad either! (I took mine to go; sorry no photos…)

Bang #5: Vesak (Buddha’s birthday) celebration at Whittier Narrows Recreation Area… Thanks to @ipsedixit for cluing me in on this really chill and (vegetarian) food-laden event. Got some classic oily rice and fried turnip cakes, with the requisite lychee jelly tea. Good times.

Bang #5a (bonus round!): 99 Ranch Market (San Gabriel) for some SGV re-stocking. The seafood and produce here are always of very high quality.

Fun times!

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You ate two lunches with your kid? I can’t imagine doing that with the boy, he eats until he’s not hungry, then he’s done.

Those Singapore noodles look great, so does all the dim sum, especiall th dumplings. I need to get over the hill one of these days.

@TheCookie glad you enjoyed it! Did you get any dessert from the Churro Don Abel?

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You’re assuming he actually ate something everywhere we went. ;-D

From a behavior standpoint, he’s very used to growing up in a FTC family - 19 Michelin Stars under his belt before he turned 2 years old. Kiddo patiently waits for the adults to finish the meal, and correctly (and discreetly) comments on the service when there are lapses.

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Charcoal Venice for dinner last night. Had the beef tartare, rib eye, short rib, fries and banana smores for dessert. We were greatly disappointed to learn they currently do not carry the lamb ribs. Supposedly they cannot get a consistent quality source. We loved this dish, hope they can find a new source soon.

The beef tartare was a disappointment. This was our first time trying the beef version, we’ve tried the other ones before and liked them. But the entire dish just didn’t pull together well for us. One of the joys of eating a tartare for me is the meat taste and texture that is almost like a meaty butter spread on top of a piece of bread. This dish had cut up pieces of flat bread mixed into the dish, it really threw the texture off for me and biting into a soggy piece of bread on top of a toast point was not good. The pepitas and quinoa also didn’t match up well for my tastes. Out of all my visits to Charcoal, this is the first dish that is a complete miss.

The rest of the dishes were up to the usual standards, we enjoyed them as usual. I really do like how well they prepare the fries here. Service was attentive and very good as usual. A walk down to the beach afterwards to work off some of the meal. A great way to complete a beautiful Southern California weekend.

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