Original Pantry 85th anniversary special

[TomSwift]

You've probably heard about this. To celebrate its 85th anniversary, the Pantry is selling a short stack (two cakes) and a coffee for 85 cents today. I had planned on having breakfast there today and heard a news report of this event on my way downtown. I thought: God, what a madhouse it will be and the crowd will be terrible. Well. The LAFD was out in force with engines ablaze, collecting donations, and of course blocking two lanes on 9th Street. I snagged tha last parking place in the lot, was interviewed briefly by KFWB while crossing the street and, although the line out the door was the longest I've seen it, there was no wait for counter seats. The cooks were stockpiling an inventory of short stack plates so I avoided them and had eggs instead. Delicious as usual with well done potatoes and sourdough toast. The atmosphere inside was carnival-like, with the place packed, people tooting kazoos, a mariachi band blasting away and 2 TV news crews shooting. Look for me on FOX 11. On the way out everyone got a Pantry T-shirt and a nifty 85th anniversary key chain with a flashlight in it. Not nearly as bad an experience as I had feared. And IIRC, their buttermilk pancakes aren't bad at all.

[monku]

You seem to be a fan of Frisco sourdough....I saw you mention Frisco on an old sourdough bread post.

You can get it wholesale at their bakery fresh or day old.
621 W Avenue 26
(San Fernando Rd)
Los Angeles, CA 90065
[phone]

[Tom P]

Have you all ever had the salsa at breakfast made by one of the guys behind the counter? OMG. It is some of the best fresh salsa I've ever had. So good with the eggs.

[monku]

Always have to have the salsa.
Put it on everything except the sourdough toast.

[Servorg]

Some of my eggs and potatoes go on the toast and the salsa goes on top of them.

[monku]

That could work for me.
All goes to the same place anyway.

[ChinoWayne]

You gotta hand it to Dick Riordan, he knows how to bring in customers to his restaurants.

My favorite Pantry meal, lunch: A old fashioned relish bowl, a big hunk of sourdough, pot roast, mashed potatoes and brown gravy, canned green beans, apple sauce. As Will says, authentic Prole food.

[monku]

You forgot the cole slaw.
You're dating yourself........they haven't had that relish bowl for 20 years.

[ChinoWayne]

Oh yeah, the cole slaw. Dating myself, hey, when I started working downtown there was nothing but dirt on every lot surrounding our building at 5th and Figueroa, the places to eat were the Pantry, Italian Kitchen, Cole's, Dario's in Chinatown for meatball sandwiches, Clifton's, Paul's Kitchen and the catering truck that would pull in to our building's underground lot at lunch time.

[monku]

You're definitely out dating me.
They got rid of the relish bowls because they weren't sanitary. I remember the open bowls and then the plastic cake cover over them and then they were gone.

I used to like the orange marmalade they had in the open jars and they went around the same time as the relish bowls.

[Will Owen]

Thanks for taking one for the team, big guy!

I must return to TOP. Everyone (almost) goes on about what a dull greasy mess the food there is, and I remember only comfy delight and anticipation of exploring the menu further (roast pork!!). Perhaps I'm simply more tolerant of Prole Food than most, but for me the only downside about the place is getting to it when I don't have any other reason to be down there.