helen slater

IN THE MIX: Pancake Review with Special Guest, Photographer & Equestrian, Kelle King!

July 30, 2012

Jul 18th, 2012

Last weekend Photographer/Equestrian Kelle Deeter – whoops, I keep forgetting she just got married and became a KING! – joined me as a guest reviewer for Ma’amCakes!

Kelle, Photographer and Owner of KelleDPhotography, has made quite a name for herself around LA. Shooting anyone from professional dancers, to up-and-coming actors, Kelle knows how to capture smiles of even the furriest friends! Although talented behind the camera, it is Kelle’s zealous passion for animals (in particular, horses) which has earned her a title of 5-Time National Champion in the Arabian Horse Division!

For our Ma’amCakes review, Kelle picked Toluca Lake joint Paty’s Restaurant, located on Riverside Drive.

For some reason I was expecting there to be only a couple of pancake options, so you can imagine my surprise when I saw this excitingly diverse menu:

Note to pancake lovers: when having difficulty choosing one dish… combine ’em! “I’m going to have the Multigrain Pancakes with Blueberries,” said Kelle. After taking a few minutes to decide, I went with the Bada-Bing Cakes, but asked for the chocolate chips inside the batter, and kept the bananas atop. Although re-looking at this menu… I think I’m gonna have to go for the Butter Me Not Cakes next time, right?

Anyway!

Bada-Bing Bada-BOOM! These pancakes hit the spot Friday morning. The chocolate chips were melted perfectly into these delectable pancakes, and the bananas were amazingly fresh. I wish the batter was a little less greasy, but other than that, these pancakes were great. The whipped cream topped on the side was a bit… strange. As this blog is PG I will try and keep it that way, but; based on this image, it looks like someone visited the actual Bada Bing and got a little too excited, if ya know what I’m sayin’! I do appreciate the creativity though. Maybe the whipped cream needs to be a little more “whipped” next time, and a little less runny? Onto the Multigrain Pancakes!

“The blueberries are as fresh as your meal’s bananas,” said Kelle, “and the pancakes are delicious and on the healthy side!” It makes me laugh when guest reviewers are surprised there can be healthy pancakes (see my review with guest star Helen Slater, for example). Being in Los Angeles, (one of the biggest locations with dieting “issues”/requests), the city is our oyster – er, pancake! And yes, health(ier) pancakes are possible!

After completing her meal (well, most of it), Kelle’s words of wisdom for future Paty’s visitors included, “You definitely need to come with an appetite! I kind of wish they had an option for two pancakes, instead of three. I hate wasting food!” While we all know which Ma’amCakes I’d get on my next outing, Kelle is interested in ordering the “Banana Berry next time!”

Overall, the pancakes at Paty’s were really good. That being said, the best pancakes I’ve had in LA with the chocolate chip batter + bananas-on-top-combination was at Jinky’s Cafe in Santa Monica. However, I definitely recommend Paty’s Ma’amCakes, and look forward to my next visit!

Thanks so much Kelle, for being a part of Friday morning brunch with Ma’amCakes! Be sure to keep a lookout for Kelle’s new business venture, a photo book combining her love of horses and photography called, Tails of the Ring! In the meantime, for anyone looking for amazing headshots of themselves, their children, pets, or families, reference this Ma’amCakes review and receive 20% off your first photo session! Just email Kelle at KelleDeeter@gmail.com.

IN THE MIX: Pancake Review with Special Guest, Actress, Helen Slater

July 29, 2012

Apr 17th, 2012

This weekend I had the incredible honor of having actress Helen Slater – famously starring in films such as Supergirl, Ruthless People, The Secret of My Success, City Slickers, and currently starring in The Lying Game – join me as a guest reviewer for Ma’amCakes.

Helen and I decided to check out Vivian’s Millennium Cafe located on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City, CA.

Not only was I anticipating this review because Helen is a very talented actress, with such a diverse acting – and singing – resume, but mostly because the last time I saw Helen, I was a flower girl in her wedding! Yes folks, Helen and I are cousins. And somehow we have not seen each other since I was three years old! What better than a family reunion over Sunday Ma’amCakes?!

After taking at least a half hour to catch up, when finally checking out the menu, we simultaneously announced to the server “I’ll have the Ultimate Pancakes, please.” Can you tell we’re related??

Apparently the most popular pancakes on the menu are the Banana Pancakes & the Ultimate Pancakes. As Helen and I were both hungry, we were sure to order the 2+2+2 combo, and substituted the buttermilk pancakes for the specialty pancakes. Brownie – er, pancake – points for Vivian’s for having this newly popular 2+2+2 option on their menu.

Based off the menu, to be honest: I’m not much of an oatmeal eater, don’t like macadamia nuts, I’ve been eating too many banana pancakes lately, and yet I wanted to try something different. Well the Ultimate Pancakes at Vivian’s Millennium hit the spot perfectly!

Now, a seven grain oatmeal pancake with walnuts and granola could instantly transport you back to Woodstock, if not cooked properly. But I must say, this concoction was cooked perfectly, and properly combined all ingredients – this is not easy to do. Hats off to the chef.

Helen very much agreed with the tastiness of this pancake as she said, “Oh wow, I like these. They are a little heavy and chewy, but they’re definitely good.” One interesting point Helen made was “They feel very healthy – can’t believe I’m saying that about pancakes!” I bet if you placed the pancake on your face, it would cleanse your pores and sooth your skin – spas do use the same ingredients! The healthiness of the pancake is most certainly related to the seven grains, oatmeal, and granola – with hardly any butter at all. In fact, my only critique of the pancakes was their dryness; I had to constantly pour syrup on them. While it’s vital the pancakes don’t taste like they were first run through a butter churn, they also can’t taste like a day in the desert either.

Overall, the Ultimate Pancakes at Vivian’s were very good, and certainly nothing like I’ve previously tasted. As Helen stated, “I really like the texture of the grain,” I nodded while enjoying my breakfast. Next time Helen and I go to Vivian’s, we both want to try the Banana Pancakes. Surprised??

Thank you so much Helen, for being a part of Sunday brunch with Ma’amCakes! And be sure to check out Helen’s latest album, Shine, now available on her website.