Destinations

DESTINATIONS

The Original Pantry

Los Angeles, California

THERE ARE 8 MILLION STOries in the naked city, and The Original Pantry is one of them. It’s an eatery and L.A. landmark, buried deep in the bowels of downtown, famous for its claim of “64 years—never closed, never without a customer.” In fact, on the day freeway construction forced a move from its original location, The Pantry served lunch at the old address, packed up and then served dinner at the present one, on the corner of 9th and Figueroa Streets.

The Original Pantry offers classic American café

fare—steaks, chops, eggs and the like—amid decor best described as Post-war Institutional. There’s no pretense of haute cuisine here; just generous portions of basic, satisfying food. And with more than 2500 customers daily, the

café goes through mass quantities of supplies, using IOF2 tons of coffee a year, 2400 eggs every 24 hours, and—just to wash dishes— 17 tons of soap annually. The waiters are predominantly middleaged men, old hands at their craft (24 of the employees have been with the café from 5 to 20 years) and possessed of a sense of humor. Don’t be surprised if one says, “If you’re lonely, I can bring you a glass with lipstick on it.”

In short, The Pantry’s no swank, uptown joint. It’s one of that rare breed of 24-hour cafés unique to American cities, where the doors have no locks, the lights never go out and there’s always more coffee. Sam Spade—or Joe Friday and Bill Gannon— would feel comfortable there. If you’ve got a hunger for bright lights and big city, you will, too.

Charles Everitt