The Apple Pan tradition

The Apple Pan in west Los Angeles is right up there when I think about food establishments that feel like home.  Open since 1947, this is a place you can always count on for a satisfying meal in the all-American tradition of burgers and fries.  

After a week hard at work, their burger was just what I needed: classic, unpretentious, and somehow just as juicy as those $14 burgers that keep popping up on menus across the city.  The servers at the Apple Pan really hustle, but they still give you just the right amount of hospitality.  Order a burger and fries, and in front of you they'll place a small paper plate, on which they will ceremoniously pour a generous squirt of ketchup in its center.  It's the kind of gesture that makes you feel cared for, an exchange not unlike your local bartender pouring you a cold, well-deserved beer at the end of a long work week.

Though there is a disclaimer: you're going to have to do some legwork before you get this treatment.    When you walk into the Apple Pan, you have to be ready to survey the scene and keep your eye on the prize: a place to sit.  The AP is a popular place, and the limited seating is first come, first serve.  You must expertly analyze the crowd to anticipate who might be leaving first-- it could be the bunch of UCLA volleyball players, the couple, the man with his toddler, or the single diner enjoying his burger at a rapid speed.  No matter who they are, look out for your best bet: those at the pie and coffee stage of their meal.

I don't suggest going to the Apple Pan with more than two people, and the absolute maximum is three.  But if you insist on defying my Apple Pan seating philosophy, you're going to need patience while you wait for enough seats for your group.  With counter seats only, it's the ideal place to go with that one friend who really appreciates a great burger.  It's also the perfect spot if you're the type of burger lover who will stop for some solo eats with a paperback as your companion.  At the same time, you're likely to be in cozy proximity to your countertop neighbor, so don't expect peace and quiet.  The unpredictable factor is what makes it interesting--I've had more than a few Apple Pan customers strike up conversations with me -- it's just that kind of place.

Eating here feels like taking a trip to the past, not just because of the diner setup, but because of the people.  Last time I went, it was during a quick return to Los Angeles after being out of town for work.  I had no cash on me, so took out my credit card to pay.  The man next to me looked surprised-- "Do they take credit cards now?," he asked.  "I've been coming here for 15 years and they've never taken credit cards."  I looked at the vintage cash register--no credit card technology in sight.  I was unprepared to pay my bill.  Though I've been to the Apple Pan many times, I was so voraciously hungry when I arrived that I hadn't considered how I would pay.  Luckily, they let me run down the street to the ATM so I could settle my debt.  I had offered to leave my driver's license or credit card, but they waved them away.  It was the kind of trust between neighbors that I imagine existed back in a simpler times, when the Apple Pan first opened.

Thanks to the Apple Pan for always being there for us.  As long as I'm in Southern California, I'll be back for many more burger breaks.