Armon's Restaurant: Where Eagle Rocks Dare

It's named Armon's. It's staffed by Asians. There's a story there.....er, probably not, actually.






Armon's Restaurant sits near the intersection of Colorado and Eagle Rock Blvd. It is not too far from Pat and Lorraine's, which in turn is only a few blocks from Auntie Em's (review coming next month). I believe that makes Eagle Rock the Los Angeles hamlet with the highest density of breakfast joints. Sadly, Armon's is the lowest wrung on that ladder.


When I went there with diner companions Paul and Antoinette, I appreciated the effort made to make it look like a diner and not a hotel(cough cough Hungry Fox and Kick Back Jack's, I'm looking at you!) If you notice in the background, those are full boxes of cereal. Not those tiny boxes you'd normally get if you were foolish enough to order cereal at a restaurant. Armon's gets kudos for that. It's more a decorative kudos than anything, really.

The food was decent. We ordered the applewood chicken sausage and eggs breakfast. Our sausages were a tad on the burnt side of crispy. The large chunks of potato for the home fries were cooked perfectly, but could have used a bit more seasoning.

The biscuits and gravy were just adequate as well. The biscuit looks like it came from a KFC.

The real stand out was the bagel breakfast sandwich. Overflowing with egg and cheese it really was a delight. Note that it does come with mayonnaise, which may be a turn-off for some breakfast sandwich purists.

Although clearly not homemade, the apple pie was good. Yes, it was eaten with a spoon. I have recently discovered the spoon pie is slightly more fun than fork pie. Why? Because the smoothness of your mouth caressing the food off the curved metal is better than sucking it off some prongs.

Food- Decent.

Service- Very friendly.

Price- $6-11

Pie- Basic fruits.

5056 Eagle Rock Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90041-1924

Phone: (323)478-1440

Places I will probably not review but check out their food.

I take pictures at just about every place I go nowadays. A lot of them fall into the "Close to but not quite" review-worthy or "It's been too long since I went there to write a review." I decided not to waste those pictures.

Hot Turkey Sandwich, Bob's Big Boy in Burbank:





Large meal at Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles in Hollywood:


Breakfast Burrito and Hot Turkey Sandwich at the Brite Spot on Sunset:



All delicious meals.

BC Cafe- Kick Back Jack Attack!

I pulled into the parking lot as the sun was just starting to rise. The timer which controlled the lights in the parking lot had already called it a night and shut off. The parking lot was dark and incredibly creepy. I parked and waited a moment to see if the rain would let up and if some other lights would come on to make the trip from the parking lot around to the front of the restaurant less "murdery." Neither occurred.

Out in the exotic far East of Los Angeles there is a place called the BC Cafe.



Diner? Kind of. It's in the Family Restaurant category. Dinery food just with more space to serve it in.



The place was nearly empty as they had just opened and again I find the crane machine. Like the Hungry Fox, like Dolores', a game of chance is found. I sat at the counter and picked up its sizable menu.

BC Cafe features interesting combinations (someday I'll try the Crispy Shrimp Skillet or the Pot Roast Frittata) and a surprising "Southern Comfort" food section. They are also well-known for their ridiculously huge portions. I heard about something called the Plantation Breakfast but it was nowhere to be found on the menu. I had also been recommended to/warned about their stuffed pancakes and decided to go that route. I also foolishly ordered a side of scrambled eggs.

The menu bragged about their "Giant Buritolle" but when I tried to order one- not really having any idea what it was- I was told they didn't have any and to try a muffin instead. I could see the muffins in a glass display case from where I was, I passed. Even though I saw a delivery truck from "Puritan Bakery" parked out back, the muffins looked exactly like Costco muffins.

BC Cafe has something that not enough restaurants have nowadays; a whimsical cartoon mascot. It's basically down to the Big Boy and BC Cafe's Kick Back Jack. He's a little bit Bugs a little bit Spuds (Mackenzie).



My Strawberry Preserves and Cream Cheese Stuffed Pancakes arrived and I dug right in. It was delicious. Incredibly rich and heavy of course. I made it through the first one and felt like I had just swallowed a 20 pound weight. I soldiered on and ate my eggs and pounded down another pancake.



After that I was done. That sole-surviving pancake was left untouched on the plate. It's true. The portion and flavor is huge!

I soon waddled out of the restaurant and into the morning light.

Not that many weeks later I found myself at the other BC Cafe location. It was now, however, called-



They went for it. "Boom! Let's put the mascot right up there in the name!"



This location was far more Hotel Lobby than the other. Construction was still going on when Antoinette and I went inside. There was no counter to be seen. Just columns and plywood and newly purchased pastel furnishings. And lots of fake plants as well. The walls were classily painted with scenes of Kick Back Jack, the rascally rabbit, doing various sports. Soccer.

Deep sea fishing... which he is apparently new at since he is way underwater and that snorkel isn't doing a damn thing but let in lung crushing water. Way to go Kick Back Jackass!

The menu is basically the same. It is dense and it is impossible to make a snap decision. The menu also features local advertising. The take-out menu even has coupons.



It should be noted that they do not serve apple pie at KBJ or BC Cafe. They do have a ton of different shake flavors and a Basketta Cobbler which is described as a cross between a donut and a scone topped with a choice of various compotes.



The coffee was surprisingly good. Not great though.

We got the Stuffed French Toast (stuffed with boysenberry) and the #1 Country Breakfast, basically biscuits and gravy, an egg and hash browns.



It was all heavy and delicious.



And way too much of it.

Food- Good, with giant portions.
Service- Good.
Price- $7-15
Pie- No.

BC CAFE
701 S Indian Hill Blvd.
Claremont CA 91711

Kick Back Jacks
10123 Foothill Blvd.
Rancho Cucamonga CA 91730

Note the hours- 6am to 3pm every day.

On the Road: Seattle's Diner- Roxy's

And then disaster struck: Okay readers, it has been a long time. I'm dealing with a busy work schedule, moving AND my hard drive crashing, so a load of Dinerwood goodies (half-written articles and a ton of pictures) have been lost.

So let's get through what we can as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Think of this as a vignette of a review.



Roxy's was a place I had heard of while I lived in Seattle. I have no idea why I never went there. I missed out.

Roxy's is probably the most "Seattle" of any diner you can find in the Emerald City. It's a mix of free-spirited whimsy and old home traditions. Bright murals decorate the walls and veggie and kosher option pepper the menu as well as meals promising "hunks" of meat.

As evidenced by the sign it sets out to blend East and West Coast diner life together. What other place can list Biscuits and Gravy right below Matzoh Brie?

I got the Pumpkin Pancakes and a Salt Bagel. Sandy, my old housemate and dining companion got the Latkes and an Asiago Bagel. It might have been the other way around but we shared so it doesn't really matter, does it?

The food was delicious. I was surprised at how well I liked the pancakes. It was the special that day so I figured I should go for it. the latke were also good. I like mine a bit grainy and not to smooth. Too smooth makes me think too much about mashed potatos and I usually pass on the mashed potatos.

Food- Good.
Service- Seattle lax. Just lazy enough to annoy but not bad enough to really care.
Price- $6-14
Pie- Cheesecake, of course.

462 N. 36th St.
Seattle Wa
206-632-3963
www.pastramisandwich.com
I shit you not, that's the website.

Back in LA: Astro Family Restaurant and Coffee Shop- It's not out of this world. HA. Ha. ha.

Back in Los Angeles with a quick review.

To Los Angeles residents Astro Burgers are a mainstay of our homegrown fast food chains. Not as beloved as the over-hyped In-n-Out Burger or name-checked by rappers as much as Fatburger, it is probably #4 right behind the famous Tommy's.

I had no idea that Astro had branched out into the Coffee Shop/Family restaurant world. Taking an unfamiliar route to the Doll Factory one day before practice (I'm a roller derby referee in my other-other life), I found this place.





It's not like it's hidden away; it is right off a main street in Silver Lake, just a street I never need to take anywhere. After maneuvering into the parking lot, which can be a hassle with traffic and one way streets, I found a great parking spot right behind the building. Not knowing which side the entrance was on, I took a chance and chose left. I chose poorly. I ended up having to walk around to the complete opposite of the building.

The decor inside was a wonderful wash of 70's kitsch with oranges and browns and other ugly design choices. It oddly reminded me of the house I grew up in.



What is with turquoise seat covers? I swear, 7 out of 10 of the places I go have these. Harry's Family Restaurant did, Dolly's in Spokane did, and now this place. Turquoise and orange and brown don't seem like they go together. Then again what do I know? #1DC Antoinette thinks my green sweater and milk chocolate colored slacks make me look like an Andes Mint, and I think my socks should match my shirt not my shoes.

The menu was hard to chose from, not because it all sounded so good but rather it all sounded so mediocre and even boring. Even Denny's or an IHOP can pull off a surprising menu item. Rootie Tootie Fresh and Fruity anyone? It sounds like something you should order regardless of taste.

The menu was also shockingly expensive and lacked any sort of combination to make a full meal without popping over to the double digits.


I ordered the pancakes. I was so unimpressed by them that I nearly forgot to take a picture until I was finished.

The coffee was especially weak. It tasted like coffee that had been made from the grounds that had been run through the machines twice already.

The only positive thing I can say is that they have a massive orange juicer at the front of the restaurant that looks wicked industrial.

They also offer a patio for outside dining. Cancer up, my smoking friends.

Sitting at the booth in front of mine were two cops. They were talking about getting drunk and riding their bikes home from parties. After all, they are smart enough to know not to drink and drive...bikes must be okay then.

Food: Meh. I just got the pancakes.
Service: She was good until it came time to get my check.
Price- 8-15
Pie: Yes

2300 Fletcher Drive
Los Angeles, CA
323-663-9241
Their Website

UPDATE- 11/19/2010
I've been back to Astro a few times since this review and I have softened on the food a bit. It's okay, but still too pricey for what you get quantity and quality-wise.

I also have never been in there where there wasn't a table of cops also eating. I think I've seen more LAPD here than when I ate at the diner at the police academy.

On the Road: Olympia's Black Bear Diner.

Okay, I know I said I'd return to Los Angeles to do a quick review of another Dinerwood home base place, but I'm having some issues with pictures right now. Therefore, we shall continue on our Northwest adventure for a just a bit longer.


I went to college in Olympia, Washington. I lived there for four years and for several years afterward, I made nearly weekly return trips there to perform with my improv troupe.



The location that is now the Black Bear Diner used to be a Coco's. A Coco's I had never once visited. I don't think I had ever actually eaten at a Coco's until I went to Japan. Yes, Japan, but that's a story for another time....



If you've never been to a Black Bear Diner, you are really missing out. It's a chain of diners in the greater Northwest that is not run like a chain. The first one I ate at was, I believe, in Bend, Oregon. The menu stated that each Black Bear Diner prepares things a little differently so don't go expecting the same thing at another Black Bear somewhere else.















Black Bear Diners are going for a rustic atmosphere. In fact, if it weren't for the fact they call themselves a "Diner," I might dismiss it for just the surface elements. It's nice. It's cozy. It feels like home...you know, if you lived in a restaurant.




















Part of this homey-ness is that the menu is presented to you like a newspaper. The place mat gives you the history of the chain and its establishment in 1969.

On this day, I was treated to just how unchain-like a Black Bear Diner can be. The heater was broken in the restaurant and it was getting quite a bit chilly in there. I heard someone order a fresh squeezed orange juice and be informed that the juicer was broken and they only had regular juice. When it came my time to order, I was debating between the Beary Crunch French Toast or the Praline Pecan Sauce French Toast. I asked my waitress which one was better. She replied "We don't have any pecans so you have to get the crunchy." Yes, she said I "HAD" to. I wasn't going to argue. She clearly knew her stuff.

"What makes it crunchy?" Don't get ahead of yourself, Turbo. Let me first add that these are three slices of sourdough bread, battered and then rolled in crushed cornflakes. My god! This was delicious. It's probably one of my favorite things that I'd had on this entire trip.

Food: Great.

Price: 6-11

Service: Friendly.

Pie: Technically no, but look at all this cobbler!

PS- the menu does suffer from a little too much "bear" cuteness, like my Beary Crunchy French Toast or the Beary Nice to Meet You Eggs Benedict (okay I made that one up).

955 Black Lake Blvd SW

Olympia, WA 98502

(360) 352-1219

On the Road: Spokane's Diners Pt. 5- Hogan's. Nostalgia and broken glasses.

One of the first questions I asked when I found out we'd be going to my old neighborhood in Spokane was if Hogan's was still open. Hogan's was the closest thing to a Peach Pit or The Max my high school friends and I had. Well, that's not true; we hung out more at Senor Froggy's and Baskin Robbins, but that was because half of us worked at one of those places. Hogan's was special, though. It was our kitsch.

Various groupings of us would head there after school on Friday and get Green River sodas and an order of french fries with a side of hollandaise sauce. And without fail, every time we were there, we'd hear the shattering of a glass. Someone in the back had butter fingers. Jon said that even the last time he was there a few months prior, a glass had broken. Could the streak still be alive?


Bill, Jon and I went to the grand old spot in the South Hill Shopping Center, and for me the only things there that hadn't changed were Hogan's and 2nd Look Books, where Bill worked in high school. Everything had remodeled or moved out or closed down.


We sat down and I immediately asked our young, yet familiar looking* waitress if they still served Green River soda. She had no idea what I was talking about. I then spontaneously grew a three foot long beard that tapered off to a point at the end. One of the bus boys happened by at that moment and I asked him if he remembered Green River. He said that he did and that Hogan's had stopped serving it years ago. My beard then shrunk down to a tasteful Sam Elliot style mustache.

When our waitress came by again, I tried to sound as creepy as possible. "This is weird but you look really familiar. Did you have an older sister who went to Ferris [High School]?"
"Yeah."
"Oh, what was her name?"
"Shelby blah blah."
Jon, Bill and I looked at each other. No bell's rung.
"Yeah. That's not familiar at all. Sorry for sounding creepy."
"Oh no problem!"

Jon ordered the biscuits and gravy. This kid must be going through his own B&G phase. The plate was smothered with greasy goodness.



I ordered the meat loaf sandwich because I was hankering for some brown gravy. The gravy was thick but edged on too salty, but the meat loaf was perfectly moist. I asked for french fries instead of mashed potatoes, as mashed potatoes are a side dish I'm never in the mood for.



Yes, the keen the observer will note, those are mashed potatoes on my plate and not french fries. When our waitress realized the mistake, she brought out a jumbo basket of fries. We also inquired if we could get Hollandaise sauce for our fries. It was missing from the menu, but the waitress had no problem bringing us out a little dish. You can tell from the picture that it wasn't of the highest quality, but it was still good enough to assuage our sense of nostalgia.



The real star of the meal was Bill's order of the "Big Bopper." It's a load of food. Three pieces of toast (Why three? Simple math. Three is better than two), hash browns (unfortunately not the Spokane-style I was hoping for), two eggs and some bacon. Toss a couple of pancakes on there and you get...well...a LOAD of food.



It was fun being in this old haunt again. Oddly, a lot of the places that held significance for me in Spokane aren't around anymore. The Denny's on Sprague is now some Mongolian Grill. The place where we had dinner before prom has burned down. It was good to see old Horace Hogan depicted on the interior wall, greeting me with a burger.



There was only one disappointment during this little trip down memory lane: Nobody dropped a glass.

Food: Good
Price: 6-9
Service: Friendly.
Pie: Yes.


2977 E 29TH Ave,
Spokane, WA 99223-4811
Tel: (509) 535-7567


This bring us to the end of the Spokane portion of the "On the Road" journey. I'm making a quick sojourn back to Los Angeles to review a place and then I'll continue with my Northwest reviews. Look for Wenatchee Washington's Prospector Pies soon.