The Kettle UPDATE - Manhattan Beach

 

I liked it better last time, but I didn't hate it this time. 

It's my fault for not making better choices, but the Bananas Foster French Toast is all on them. Walnuts and banana sauteed in brown sugar sounds like a winner, but the walnuts are pretty raw, and, and the bread is extremely limp.

BBQ Pulled Pork Hash sounds like decadent fun, and the execution is pretty impressive inside a take-out container. Love the tater tots, and dumping some pork on top is a good idea. Break the eggs and give it a stir!

Sarah's Favorite...not my favorite. Not bad, though the fruit isn't very ripe.

The orange zest Muffin is nice, but I liked the blueberry better. That said, they still make a mean muffin here. 

No harm no foul. With a menu as myriad as The Kettle, what you order is so important, and it can be a hit or miss. At least at The Kettle, it's usually an even mix. 

The Pan - Gardena

Location, location, location. My move puts me closer to Gardena, but no farther from The Pan.

Is Gardena so different from Lomita? I'm not sure. My favorite Lemon Dream Pancakes are still the same, and I'm sold on the lemon curd. 

Not feeling pancake? Shaki's Strawberry Nutella French Toast will do. The brioche gets a full coat of egg, and it makes a buttery fluff. Plenty of berries for a berry good time, and there's enough nutella and cream to make it count.

Have The Pan's Signature Scramble is you're looking for the savory - there's scads of sausage, onion, pepper, and potato smothered in peppery jack cheese. 

I think Lomita makes a cleaner plate, but Gardena is consistent enough. Same menu anyway, and it's all part of a complete breakfast or brunch. I'd still do Lomita if I got to pick, but I'd pander to The Pan in any place.

The Pan - Lomita

We used to say that breakfast was the most important meal of the day, but these days the opinions diverged. The battle between the “most important meal” crew and team “intermittent fasting FTW” is raging, but The Pan can be their Switzerland. 

Their all day breakfast menu serves up day-starters to break your fast whenever you think is best, and if you don't mind waiting, you and your crew of don't-eat-elites can still clink mimosas at 7 PM or whenever you choose to stop starving. 

Start with some Pancakes if you're looking for a classic. The Pan does all sorts, and all of them are all sorts of awesome. 

Cynical me always said that a pancake never changed my life, but these Pineapple Upside Down Pancakes are an obsession. The pineapple cooks like it's candied, and the syrup infuses that pineapple-y essence into this three-stack.

The Lemon Dream Pancakes are fluffy and sweet with a whipped cream topper that turns curd into chiffon. Enough of a sugary tang to keep the lemon lighter but enough creamy curd to keep it filling and bearably dense. 

A little less sugar in the Georgia Peach Corn Cakes if you’re wanting a little more savor. Cornmeal tempers gooey summer peach in the form of a pancake-and-cornbread love-child.

If you're feeling something savory, don’t let my careless Ubereats guy turn you off to the Short Rib Benedict. The photo makes it look like short rib regurgitated, but the flavors are super fun. The short rib is barbacoa style, and it's full of lots of juice. I’m a sucker for sweet corn cakes and the smooth drizzle of street corn calls to me. The creamy poblano sauce adds some spice to bite through all the goo. Beware: the poached eggs will cook en route so the yolks will lose some run.

Don't overlook the a la carte menu either. Get a Biscuit and Gravy for a sample of southern comfort.

They make a good side of Hash Browns as well, but why settle for just hash browns...

When you can have them Loaded? Pile on sunny side up eggs and interweave bits of sausage and bacon. Melt some cheese on top with stripes of aioli with a bit of spice. It's a heart attack on a plate, but I can think of worse ways to go.

Just want a simple breakfast? The Lumberjack has all the things. Get your bacon, your sausage, your eggs any way you want them, and some notable well-seasoned, evenly-cooked house potatoes. 

Covid has forced all couples to compromise, but at least at a place like The Pan, breakfast doesn’t have to be a sacrifice. Eat it or don't and eat it if they won't, but it's an option anytime you’re willing. 

The Kettle UPDATE - Manhattan Beach

Imagine it. The worst hangover of your life. The head-pounding, eye-bulging, can-hear-an-ant-breathe-in-the-next-room, even-your-hair-hurts kind of drank-like-you're-still-21 walk of shame. 

Now imagine the best case scenario. Your whole day is gone no matter what you do, and there's no way the nausea will abate before bedtime. But there is something that might get you through the next hour if your sunglasses are dark enough. 

Have a seat on the patio at The Kettle. Wear your mask until your food arrives, and believe me, you'll want to because hangovers make everything smell just that much more. Stay away from the people you didn't come with because they are just too loud. Order Banana Pancakes. These pancakes are fluffy but thin enough to make a manageable stack. There’s something about passing the side of your fork through all five layers and seeing them rebound as your molars cut through the stripes. They're soft enough that you don't need a knife on those mornings when you just can't do the extra work, and they do taste like real but slightly sweetened banana. It's the right mix of sugar and carbs to settle your stomach and fuel the rest of a painful day. 

Need protein? Try one of their 6-egg omelets. I don't really know how many eggs they use, but this rock of a Crab Omelet isn't exactly stingy. It really does taste crabby in a fishy manner so I opt for veggies or pork if you have a hangover or are not accustomed to fishy flavors. Just don't skip the side of home fries. They’re well-seasoned and nowadays, that seems to be a miracle. Plus they got the potato just right; soft but not too mushy. Potatoes are a lost art, but The Kettle seems to have found them. They also throw in a muffin. Mine was blueberry. It was TO DIE FOR. Seriously, I could have just eaten 6 muffins.  

I normally hate brunch, and breakfast is a part of the day I usually skip. But The Kettle does cook a good one if you're in the mood, and you'll leave satisfied and way too full even if you're not. I was lukewarm in my previous review, but I think I got a new appreciation for their pancakes and potatoes.