Original Pantry Cafe   

877 S Figueroa St
Los Angeles, CA 90017
213-972-9279

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Now in its eighth decade in business -- and showing every last day of it -- former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan's restaurant definitely has its own special charm. It's a noisy, no-nonsense, open-into-the-wee-hours landmark with elderly waiters, plain ol' American food and a very mixed crowd. The air near the kitchen is warm and smoky, while underneath the air-conditioning vents it's positively frigid. The aroma of pan-fried food hangs heavy in the air. The menu isn't printed; instead, it's posted on the walls. The dining room is usually filled to capacity with a mixture of retirees, blue-collar types, families, college students, businesspeople from the nearby office buildings and every other kind of person imaginable. Breakfasts and pan-fried steak dinners are the Pantry's main domain. Roast beef, short ribs, roast pork and various other comfort food classics are also available for dinner, though the kitchen runs out of many entrees by the end of the evening. Everything comes with coleslaw, sourdough bread, a large bowl of potatoes and steamed-till-soggy green vegetables. At breakfast, there's a line out the door of people waiting to scarf down the omelets, egg dishes and breakfast potatoes. Preparations are as simple as can be, and prices can't be beat.