Polly's Pies

Okay, it’s not a diner. It’s not even my kind of “Family Restaurant.” It’s closer to Kick Back Jack’s/BC Café. The place is Polly’s Pies, a So Cal chain of restaurants. Last weekend I hit the one in Norco.

Bright yellow barn inspired building with a faux water tower. Is it charming or slightly insulting? I can't tell. Upon entering we are greeted by the happiest greeter that ever greeted. The yellow exterior follows into the inside. Large yellow umbrellas sprout above the booths that hold down the floor. Smiley the Greeter leads the two of us over to a gigantic booth in a corner (again, slightly insulting?)

Peering down at us was a poster of Miguel and Roberto showing off their sweet onions. Not “SWEET!” onions but rather just sweet onions. All the walls were decorated with posters showing farmers and their various crops.

I assumed these were paid for by the various groups responsible, y’know, the Sweet Onion Advisory Council or the Federation Of Organic Tomatoists.

Polly’s has a lot of odd time restrictions on its menu. Breakfast specials are served until only 10:30am. After that, the breakfast selections are awfully paltry. Other specials are only available until 2pm, Monday through Wednesday.

Number 1 Diner Companion Antoinette ordered the Quiche Lorraine and the corn bread side. I ordered the old fashioned chicken salad sandwich with French fries.

The Quiche came with a nice salad with homemade croutons and a small bowl of fresh fruit with incredibly tasty strawberries.

The chicken salad sandwich came with walnut raisin bread. It was so delicious, a little crunchy, not too sloppy with mayonnaise and just a little bit sweet. I was not a fan of the french fries, though. They tasted almost bland.

Our waitress was a sweet older lady, but she disappeared for a long time after she brought our food. We waited to too long for coffee refills and had to ask twice for the cornbread.

When the cornbread did come, I was delighted that it was the cakey kind and not the crumbly kind. The crumbly is only good for chili as far as I am concerned. No honey was provided, though and we couldn't risk having her disappear again by requesting she bring some.

Now here comes the pie. Polly's Pies has over 40 pies on their menu. Unfortunately, many of these are "Time to Time Specialties," meaning they are season pies or just pies they don't make all the time. The standards are always in but the more outrageous selections are not. Olallieberries are in season right now thankfully, and I was able to order a slice of fresh Olallieberry pie. Antoinette ordered the "Banberry:" Banana cream pie with strawberry topping.

The olallieberry was good but not the best I've had. It really need more berries. The fresh whipped cream was a nice addition.

The Banberry was surprising. I've never been a big fan of the combo of strawberry and banana, but this really worked.

I should point out that you can buy fresh whole pies and frozen ones that you can take home and bake yourself, as well as an assortment of other bakery goods.

Bring your kids!

Overall, Polly's Pies was decent. The food was certainly good. I'd love to try more of their pies, but how often am I going to be in Norco? I was there and I still have no idea where it is.

Food: Good.

Service: "Where did she go?"

Price: 6-10

Pie: LOTS of it.

http://www.pollyspies.com/

Online coupons!

Four 'n 20 - like the nursery rhyme not like the drug code.

I have a very sordid story involving Four ‘n 20 Pies. It’s a story I like to tell, so I will tell it here.




Years ago, I had a Craigslist date. If it weren't for Craigslist, I wouldn't have found my apartment, my first job or...well, let's just leave it at that. The CL has been good to me. However, I knew this particular date would not go well. It was a “Safety Date.” First of all, it was during the day and was for coffee. Secondly, it was at a Starbucks where the girl’s roommate worked and would be working at the time of the date. Can’t you just feel the romance in the air?

The date itself was mediocre at best. She kept interrupting me and not in a “I wanna get in on this hilarious story you are telling me” way, but in an “I'm not listening and am going to interject something, just 'cuz” kind of way. I suffered through the coffee and then it was time to go. She lived nearby and had taken the bus, so, at first, I offered to drive her home, momentarily forgetting that this was a “Safety Date;" I then offered to walk her to the bus stop.

On our way to the bus stop, I saw the sign for Four ‘n 20 Pies. My dour mood immediately brightened and I said, “Let’s go there!” She agreed. Now, once inside and eating pie, the date seemed to be going much smoother. This was solely due to the pie I am sure.




I never went out with that girl again, but I did see her one more time...on the Internet...on a porno site.

Now isn't that a great story about how I found this place? Way better than my usual “I googled it” explanation, I believe.

I go to Four ‘n 20 once every couple of months. Its valley location is just nowhere near anywhere else I frequent. Often on lazy weekend afternoons, especially if I’m feeling blue, I’ll head out that way for some fruit pie or maybe even a full meal.

The regular food at Four ‘n 20 can be a bit pricey; most entrees are about ten dollars. It’s not rare that when ordering an entree, coffee and a slice of pie, with tip, I’m spending close to twenty dollars.

The staff here is always friendly and quick to serve. This comes in especially helpful because of the tiny cups they use for coffee service.




Part of the fun of coming here is the crowd it attracts. It seems squarely split between Valley hipsters and middle-aged housewives. I was wearing my Captain America for President T-shirt here once, and a Valley Hipster walked in wearing the same shirt. He looked like he was about to shit a Von Dutch brick. (You got the shirt at Target dude. Don't front.)

On my most recent trip to Four 'n 20, I was seated next to a lovely pair of moms. One of whom spent most of the time on her cell phone complaining to someone about her daughter who just can't handle living on her own and had to call her daddy to deal with a spider. Oh, and also that daughter was lazy. Then the women got off her phone and talked to the other mom about how that mom's son was just getting into too much trouble at school. Oh, and also she loves her new Land Rover.

On this day I decided to get a breakfast. I ordered the sauteed onions and eggs with home fries and a piece of cornbread.




My eggs were a little wet and the onions didn't seem all that sauteed to me. The home fries were tasty though. The cornbread was excellently moist, but not fully cake. They serve the corn bread with a dish of cinnamon butter that makes it just fantastic.

My motto is usually this when it comes to pie in Los Angeles: House of Pies for cream, Four 'n 20 for fruit. (Four 'n 20 has the best rhubarb pie ever. Rhubarb!...wait.. rhubarb isn't a fruit is it?) This day something new caught my eye on the menu--"Banana Fudge Cream Pie"--I had to try it.



This was a beautiful pie. It was also incredibly rich and thick. I loved the first few bites, but then it seemed as though the whole world (or perhaps just my stomach) was getting heavy. I struggled to finish. Unfortunately, it became a chore, albeit a tasty chore, but a chore nonetheless.

Four 'n 20 is probably one of my favorite out of my way places to go in LA. I recommend giving it a shot. Try the rhubarb pie. ....seriously...is it a fruit? Can't be... it's red celery...anyway....

Food: Good.
Service: Spectacular.
Price: A bit high.
Pie: Yes. Great fruit pies.


4723 Laurel Canyon Blvd,
North Hollywood 91607
Between Riverside Ave & Ventura Fwy
Phone: 818-761-5128