al fresco Dining

Yesterday I went to a delightful late breakfast, as long as you consider the company I had, which overshadowed the food a hundredfold. I had a Belgian style waffle, which was similar to every other waffle I've eaten and differed only in being served with clarified butter.

I'm not sure what that's about, but my hunch is either they're not certain their waffles will be warm enough to melt butter or clarified is, somehow, cheaper. Maybe it's supposed to be fancier, I just don't know.

In addition to the above-mentioned company, this late breakfast was noteworthy because of the location, a genuine 1950s coffee shop, as well as our decision to eat on the "patio." I use the term loosely, the same way Pann's must. What passes for a patio for many of the LA eating establishments is no more than a section of sidewalk, hermetically sealed in plastic and overheated by those huge propane devices.

It would be funny if it weren't such a sad commentary on 21st century humanity.

Los Angeles may be many things, but clementis one of the more used words to describe our temperature. This year we had a brief battle with sub-fifty degree nights, only to emerge safely. It may not yet be summertime temperatures, but no one would complain about being outside, not unless you asked those eating on patios or driving.

The cars on the road were all sealed up, all the residents isolated with the temperature safely under their car's control, and the other patrons at Panns were all protected from even the slightest breeze by thick plastic curtains, which served to intensify the sounds of our fellow diners.

My parents, at one time, poured the thinnest possible covering of concrete on the ground just outside the back door, This we called the patio, and it was open to the elements and supported a barbecue and not much else. I'm not sure what the dictionary definition of a patio is, but I think it carries with it some notion of being outside, not merely extending the indoor experience to an adjoining paved area.

This brunch didn't feature any music, only the welcome sound of conversation.