A Flaky Identity Crisis

According to Google, it's Southwestern but also Pacific Coast-inspired.  Yelp claims it's Latin American.  The restaurant's own website states Pacific Islands and Latin American street vendor inspiration.  A few posts, even inside the restaurant, claim Caribbean.  Yet, several histories reported origins in Spain, Argentina, ancient Mayan Mexico, and Portugal.  But that's history.  Right now, according to Yelp and Foursquare, Johnny Pacific is rated top ten best empanadas in Los Angeles, and K-ABC reported Johnny's as number one out of the top five Latin American eateries around L.A..  I mentioned to a couple friends that a friend of mine took me out for empanadas and they all knew exactly where I'd gone and proceeded to go on about how they loved Johnny's.  I was shocked.  It's about a mile from my mom's house and I drive passed it to go home at night from work, down Winnetka Avenue, so how have I never heard of this legendary eatery?  

A friend of mine and I hadn't seen each other since last Christmas.  She's worked with me every holiday season for the last several years and having her on the same team means I don't have to even think or give direction, as she is already two steps ahead of me.  She's the holiday gift I look forward to receiving every year at the Disney Store.  Another thing I love about her is that her and her little sister share a great relationship like myself and Little One.  Even calls her Kiddo too.  I originally met her through her younger brother who worked with me as well, as a permanent Cast Member until a few years ago when he moved to Oregon.  Her little sister recommended the place and it was a good halfway point for each of us to meet.  My first thought at the idea of crispy, flaky, sweet pastries was how well it would go with a cup of coffee.  Upon seeing the menu, I knew I wasn't walking away with just dessert.  

As it would turn out, where empanadas originated had zero to do with Johnny's unique fusion of Pacific Island style skewers and fish, Cajun spiced fries, and multinational sweet and savory turnovers.   I approached the counter to ask the question I felt I already knew the answer to, "Do you serve coffee?"  "No.", as I figured.  Not to be defeated, I knew two doors down was a donut shop, which would of course have the cheese to its macaroni, coffee.  I zipped by the adjacent "greenery" stop, or as my dad would say in his outdated lingo, "the head shop", to the corner occupant.  Run of the mill, strip mall donut shop.  The large parking lot sign called it something completely different than what was above its door so I can't give you an accurate name but the window advertised freshly brewed coffee.  That might have been true earlier in the day but for fewer than 2 dollars, I received about 6 pumps from an all-day thermos with a postcard sized label that just said Colombian.  I added my creamer and sugar and reunited with my friend at a table for two by the window under an AC vent blowing like a Hawaiian breeze.  Was this atmosphere or a Fry shop keeping cool in 90 degree Southern California?  

The options were separated into categories:  How many, type of savory, type of meat, dessert style, and a list of sauces at the bottom.  As my friend and I have been known to do, we made a plan in our own heads and it basically matched the other persons without much discussion or fuss.  Sold in one, four, or dozen, we picked four empanadas, 3 savory and one dessert, to half and share, with a side of fries.  The busy boy behind the counter gave us 4 sauces without charge.  Mushroom, chicken al pastor, Kailua pig, and banana Nutella.  Our sauces: chimichurri, chipotle, sweet-sour Thai, and caramel.  I drank my coffee as we waited for the freshly prepared food to come to the table.  It was neither fresh, nor stale; Luke warm and quickly cooling with the indoor breeze.  As we sat and played catch up, I noticed that there was sizable diversity of ethnicities and ages for Johnny Pacific's customer base.  Two older white men seemed to be also playing catch up over dinner, college aged Asian and Hispanic boys came in and placed to-go orders.  I only saw one other woman come in as someone's date that became a take-out order.  The clientele was just as ubiquitous as the past of the empanada itself among the hand painted beachy paintings on the walls. 

Our food arrived in to-go containers, Styrofoam, which was points off in my opinion.  Upon opening, the steamy, fried goodness didn't give off the usual deep fried thick air that usually comes in a fish 'n' chips fry up shop.  Nothing dripped of oil and only a tiny bit of grease stuck to our fingers as we dipped and bit.  Our favorites from our choices were identical.  The meaty but meatless mushroom pie was the best savory, followed closely by the pig, which is just smoked, shredded pork, and in last place was the chicken al pastor.  I had to try it based on the rave reviews it received online.  Good, but not a top contender.  Options we didn't order were ham and cheese, and chorizo with potatoes, which I know certain readers would have chosen over our picks.  The banana Nutella pie was leagues ahead of my coffee which just means I'll have to bring my own brew next time.  Chunky banana pieces in a slurry of Nutella and banana pudding: Amazing!  As for the fries, never order a side of the fries alone.  Be sure to bring three or four friends as the portion overfilled the box it came in and so did the flavor.  They weren't spicy but the added spices complemented the In n Out style starchy, common fry taste.  The choice for my next visit will be to try the caramel apple dessert.  

My friend and I promised to not wait until another holiday hiring event to see each other again.  We could get the Kiddos together and discover another secret food treasure together.

What's Hot In Phoenix

Flat, yet mountainous.  Dry, yet botanically diverse.  Sizzling hot temperatures, yet an oh so cool vibe.  This is how Phoenix, Arizona can only be described.  As the 5th largest populated city in the U.S., Phoenix has a way of blending realness with irony.  The desert scene hosts some of the most record breaking, driest and hottest temperatures in the States.  A speedy six hour drive from my cozy L.A. apartment, through San Bernadino County, passed the famous Cabazon dinosaur stars from Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, and just beyond the Indio date farms, Phoenix lies its sprawling downtown, not far from the California border.  And this is now where my newlywed Little One calls home.  More bang for your buck than L.A. living and overwhelming job opportunities convinced her and my newest kin to start their journey to happily ever after here.  I have had family in and around this Arizona hub since the late 90's but now that Little One is here, I'm finding myself visiting more than ever and truly relishing in discovering new places with her.

In the area of this capital city that is closest to my sister's home, the 120 degree weather doesn't seem to faze its residence.  The golf courses on every other corner are still green, people are using public transportation without breaking a sweat, and the baking sun doesn't deter anyone from their mandatory coffee run.  Something I really enjoyed about my recent visit was learning that within just a few streets of my crash pad are my favorite kinds of places: Used (independent) bookstores, breweries, and coffee shops.  In fact, there was a place that almost combined all three, but as they were on the pricier side, I didn't get to review them... yet.  (First Draft Book Bar/Changing Hands Bookstore in case I intrigued you enjoy for a visit without a review.  I kept wanting to call it Read and Mead)  

As I toured with my sister and our friend throughout the city, she seemed to know exactly how to tickle our fancy.  She first took us to a place that has been on my blog must-try list for years.  By her place, instead of Starbucks dotting each crossroad, Dutch Bros sits in their place.  Fewer than 10 of the 309 Dutch Bros locations are in California and are hours away.  However, I'd heard about Oregon originated company (started in 1992) when I worked at a hotel and would do research as part of my concierge job title.  Guest would come in and ask if there was one of these drive thru coffee houses nearby and would rave about their great coffee.  

Dutch Bros, not Brothers, was started by 2 Dutch descendant brothers who had begun their lives as third generation dairy farmers.  Once forced to move from the family business, the two experimented with beans in the double-head espresso machine they purchased, using anyone who was within arm’s reach to try their brew, and within a month, they were on track follow their mission, "Spreading the Dutch Luv".  The company has a great commitment to the community and charities, including the Muscular Dystrophy Association, as one of the brothers passed away from Lou Gehrig's disease in 2009.  The company has three core values, which are apparent, even to someone sitting in the drive thru for their very first time.  Speed, Quality, and Service.  But more than that, their value of each other as a team.  Comradery oozes from each person as they help each other and the customers.  One person hands another a bright safety vest from the freezer and they make sure each other stays hydrated in the summers broil.  The kid taking our coffee order looked like a Jungle Cruise skipper with his khaki hat and had the corny jokes to match.  He was fun and friendly and incredibly helpful as we were still a ways from the menu board and didn't want the usual steamy, milky latte that would feel like room temperature if we stepped out of our car.  

With The Skippers advice, my sister got a blended mocha, our friend got a fruity iced tea, and I went for the suggested monthly special (August) The Islander.  If the lines weren't so long, I would have had my sister swing back around to thank my cruise guide.  Chocolate Macadamia nut, coconut, vanilla, and their espresso blended with ice and cold enough to burn your hands when you held it.  It was full of flavor but not one overtook another.  Just enough of each to make a perfectly cool pick me up.  Just like that, we were part of the Dutch Mafia.  That's the loyalty stamp program.  Ten drinks and the eleventh is free.  

We took our refreshments to the second and final stop for the afternoon, Bookmans.  Only two stops, you ask?  Bookmans is a used bookstore that we spent almost two hours in.  Calling Bookmans just a bookstore is an understatement.  The Phoenix location we visited, hands out a map when you enter the store.  Not only is it huge in size, but it would do better to just list what they don't sell.  "Buy, sell, trade" books, music, movies, video games, board games, comic, jewelry, toys, home goods, and an entire area dedicated to musical instruments.  I was floored and my sister could only laugh.  She knew I would be blown away by all of it.  As I thumbed through the vintage toys of my youth, Little One and our friend knew this was going to be a wallet damaging day.   Ceiling high red bookcases took over the majority of the center of the sales floor.  Books separated by genre and coordinating Knick knacks and art.  Some of the tchotchkes sold there were homemade.  A few looked like they were created by a blind toddler; with their diaper leave ins... I mean not everything was my taste.

I couldn't help but feel the toy section gripping at my heart.  There were Barbie’s from the 80's and 90's, tiny bags with Tsum Tsums, old action figures and new ones.  What took me back to a very special moment in my childhood was seeing an original, in box, The Chipmunks theater playset.  My older sister and I loved that interactive toy so much.  You pull a tab on the back of the stage and the floor drops out, leaving Alvin, Simon, or Theodore in a drawer to be rescued before the next costume change or backdrop replacement.  

The books had staff recommendations that lead you to similar reads (love that idea).  In the video games wing of Bookmans, old Atari 2600s sold for $60 and they had games for every console released, even grab bags of games.  My sister had found a video game she had been wanting so she picked that up, our friend got a few books that I believe are still sitting in her TBR pile, and I got one little writing prompt book, that I also have just sitting on a pile with my other like journals.  We went easy this time but it was extremely hard.  Pins, pop culture pencil cases, and Japanese erasers were the impulse buys at the checkout counter.  Spin around from there and there is a discrete, locked, wooden wardrobe that housed materials for the 18 and older audience. 

They had an original Pee-Wee doll in its box still.  It was a sign that this wouldn't be our only time here.  Little One has her work cut out for her for my next visit.  We went to the Grand Canyon on this trip as well.  Will she find something even more fun when I come back in cooler weather?  I loved how much fun we had but in all honesty, if I go back and just get to see her (and new hubby), then the trip is always amazing.  

Calm, peaceful Arizona butte at 120 degrees mid day