Offbeat Eats

Sometimes we get into comfortable patterns. Much earlier in my career, I had project assignments that had me visiting Edwards AFB frequently, and for a variety of logistical reasons it was far easier for me to fly into LAX than other area airports, and then drive up to Palmdale. Usually I’d take a late arriving flight (to avoid the worst of LA-area traffic), and on the way out of town, I’d stop off at Pink’s Hot Dogs for a late evening treat.

After a day out and about, we wanted to grab some dinner close to our hotel, but that stretch of Pico in West LA doesn’t have a lot of offerings, especially on a Friday night. It’s a heavily Jewish neighborhood, a lot of places are closed on Friday evenings, and just like I’ve found elsewhere, “extended operating hours” were one of the first casualties of the Pandemic, an effect that continues to linger. So if you are in this part of West LA and not wanting to venture far, your options are pretty limited. A notable exception to this, however, was Melanee Thai Asian Cuisine, which was obviously quite popular with the locals.

After relocating to a new hotel in Beverlywood, we decided that we’d spend two of our days in LA revisiting some of my favorite museums from previous visits. Before hitting up LACMA for an afternoon of art, we decided to find a light lunch. The Meyers Manx Cafe, located in the Petersen Automotive Museum just across the street, was both convenient in location, and had just the sort of light lunch menu we were hoping for.

The Apple Pan is exactly the sort of place you should have in mind when you think “California Burger Joint,”, if, for no other reason, this place has a solid legacy around making California-style burgers. Founded in 1947, The Apple Pan has been churning out burgers from it’s modest wooden house in West Hollywood, CA for over 60 years. Walking in through the door, it’s immediately obvious that this not just a burger joint, but a bit of a time capsule. The central feature of the Apple Pan is the central kitchen area, with a grill filled with buns and burgers, a deep fat fryer, and a counter where all the condiments are prepped and the burgers assembled. Around this is a U-shaped counter with 20 or so vinyl-clad swivel seats, staffed by gentleman wearing white aprons and hats. Heck, they even use those little paper cones in the metal holders for your beverages…

Anyone that knows me knows that I love hot dogs. I’ve made it a point to seek out iconic hot dogs at places such as Blackie’s in CT, Lafayette Coney Island in Detroit, various Chicago spots, Ted’s in Buffalo (and Arizona), as well as any number of additional places. One noticeable omission in my reviews has been Pink’s in Los Angeles. I’ve been here before, but not in many years. But, with a late night flight arrival, I had an opportunity to visit on the way out to Edwards AFB.

As part of a project at work, I travel fairly regularly (at least 4 times a year) to Edwards Air Force Base, which involves at least 7 hours of flying, usually arrive late at night and leaving late in the morning (since the return flight is usually a red-eye). So, we’ve come up with a tradition that every trip out there, we stop at Roscoe’s House of Chicken n’ Waffles, either as a way of restoring our spirits after a day of flying, or as a way of preparing ourselves for an upcoming red-eye flight (since it’s basically dinner and breakfast at the same time) Roscoe’s itself is an institution. Unless you’ve either been to Harlem, or been to Roscoe’s before, most people haven’t run into the particular combination of fried chicken and waffles served at the same time.