So I leave the Coffee Gallery and hop into Josephine, my sweet 1938 Buick and she says "Hey when are you going to write up Chef Jeff?" I grumble. I know its the right thing to do, but I don't want to do it. You see there is a dirty little secret the one of tripple chins has: He doesn't like to write about the best stuff for fear it will become too popular, and the chubby one won't get a table, the prices will go up and the quality will go down. Dilema ensues on the drive back with Josephine saying "be a good boy, be a good boy, be a good boy" as we roll down the street. Those '38 Buicks can be SO insistant.
O.K. Dear Reader, here is the deal, I've been holding out on you, trying to keep the best for myself. Mia Culpa, Mia Culpa, Blah blah blah, so sorry excuse please.
No one seems to know exactly where Chef Jeff came from or exactly how he was trained to cook. In this day and age when it is common for even mediocre cooks to have a pedigree matching a championship dog, it seems almost shocking that a seemingly normal guy can be a great cook. Isn't that however, the American promise, that even the little guy, who does it on his own can rise to the highest, or in this case the most lip smacking heights? Yes and Amen!
Somehow Julie who runs the Coffee Gallery, made a deal with Jeff to let him cook breakfast at the Coffee Gallery. Jeff now operates the "Beat Kitchen" at the Coffee Gallery every weekday morning. Jeff is obsessed with high quality ingrediants, unusual and tasty combinations, and that sacreed tenant; good value. O.K O.K. enough of the preliminaries, Whats to eat?
There is the LA Podcaster A , bagel, cream cheese, sliced onion, tomatoes, black volcanic sea salt. This is the best Bagel plate you will ever have, unless you get version B that has Lox with it. Jeff finds the best most juicy, flavorfull tomatoes, and you wont believe how the Black volcanic salt brings out each seperate flavor. Wonderful.
There is the Kerouac Sandwich, named for the Father of Beatdom, Jack Kerouac, scrambled eggs, goat cheese, Harissa ( A delightful smoky chili sauce) on grilled Sourdough. Hey this is good and different.
On every Tuesday Jeff prepares a special hash. Sometimes Roast Beef, sometimes Chicken, sometimes Crab, always succulent, hearty and excellent.
There is the Fly Guy, named for Coffee Gallery Barista Fly, Spam, Pinapple chuncks, scallions, rice, and two eggs (best over almost, not quite hard)
Often on Fridays Jeff makes special Japanese pancakes full of veggies, crisp on the edges, and covered with a sweet chili sauce.
O.K. Thats nice you say, but what about price? Well, compared to the factory produced pre prepared gunk at your average chain diner and many a not chain diner too, this is high ultra high quality food, prepared with care and attention, a multicultural celebration of food, and a local business. Prices range from $3.50 for a LA Podcaster A to $8.00 for an exquisite omelette. Friends, its a deal!
There now, Josephine, are you happy?
The Beat Kitchen at the Coffee Gallery
2029 N. Lake Avenue
Altadena, Ca. 91001
626 398 7917
Thursday, September 25, 2008
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