By Brett Callwood
Local mini chain The Pan has five locations, including two in Gardena and one in nearby Torrance (Long Beach and Lomita complete the quintet). We found ourselves at the location on South Western Avenue for breakfast on a Monday, and were not disappointed.
Straight away, it’s clear that this is a popular spot. Most of the tables were taken, and there was a line of people waiting for take-out food. That said, the staff were helpful and welcoming, and the short wait wasn’t unpleasant at all.
A glance over the breakfast menu was enough to leave us wondering what to order. Everything looks tempting, including Zola’s Crab Cake Benedict (two crab cakes topped with sauteed spinach, poached eggs, and red pepper gravy, served with a side of house potatoes), and the Shrimp N’ Grits (Cajun seasoned shrimp sautéed with andouille sausage, tomatoes, onions and peppers in a red pepper cream served over two eggs any style and cheesy savory grits).
But in the end, we opted for a decadent classic: Chicken ’n’ Waffles. The sweet and savory combo on that meal isn’t for everyone, but it’s played to perfection by the chefs at the Pan.
“Buttermilk fried chicken breast with waffle, blackberry butter, blackberry syrup and powdered sugar,” is how it’s described on the menu. Again thought, the sheer audacity of putting breaded chicken on a plate with syrup and powdered sugar is something that can be a challenge to get your head around. For this born Englishman, it’s an alien concept.
Yet sometimes, those oddities work. The touch of glamor here is the blackberry butter and blackberry jam – both deliciously fruity and both soaking into the waffle while lightly grazing the buttermilk-coated poultry.
The waffle is light and fluffy, sweetened by the aforementioned syrup and sugar, The meat is juicy, and perfectly crisped on the outside. Everything about this oddly American gem is beautifully considered and masterfully executed.
We had sides of bacon and sausage, just to finish the job. The former was crisp, hot and delicious. The sausage, meanwhile, was tender and seasoned with just the right amount of pepper.
On the way out, we noticed that the lunch and dinner menus looked equally appealing – apparently it’s never a bad time to dive into the Pan.
The Pan is located at 16601 S. Western Ave., Gardena 90247, and at 1425 Artesia Blvd., #24, Gardena 90247. Call 310-329-7266, or visit thepan1.com.
