Jinky’s Cafe Santa Monica

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.

Pancake Review at: JINKY’S CAFE

July 29, 2012

Feb 21st, 2012

-Hidden treasure people, hidden treasure.

After a 40-minute ride in traffic, followed by a drive through two full parking lots, I (finally) made it to Jinky’s Cafe on 2nd street and Broadway in Santa Monica, California. Fortunately for the sake of the restaurant (and the review) we didn’t have to wait in line upon entering. Based on the ambiance of the restaurant and the diversity in the menu, I had a feeling breakfast would be worth the trek. Well, not only was I right, I was very pleasantly surprised with the deliciousness of this entire meal.

The photo itself (see above) pretty much speaks for the decor of the restaurant, as well as the creativity in the menu. According to the blurb at the beginning of the menu (see below), the food is a “fusion of American, Southwestern, and international flavors.” It is this fusion which generates a delicious breakfast at Jinky’s Cafe.

When checking out the menu and attempting to choose from one of the 15 PANCAKE-OPTIONS (Jinky’s automatically gets major brownie – er, pancake – points for this alone), there were a couple of major pros I wanted to first point-out.

First of all, Jinky’s has pancake-options I have never seen before (i.e. Tropical Pancakes, Oaty Oaty Cakes, and Caramel Creme Pancakes). Between the creativity of the menu and the hippie coloring along the border, this read more like a menu of pancakes from Ben & Jerry. Uh, yes please!

Secondly, and major props to Jinky’s for this: per the menu above, the option to choose the location of your toppings (“Fruits inside the batter only on request”) is a major pro, and almost makes your breakfast customizable. This is a fantastic option, particularly if you’re a blogger, but also equally wonderful if you’re simply a pancake-lover. Now for the best part. Choosing my meal and enjoying every bite!

Besides pancakes, I was craving eggs as well – it was a long drive! – and luckily, Jinky’s caters to such cravings. I went with the 2+2+2 option of eggs, bacon, and buttermilk pancakes BUT for $2 more, you may also substitute for a specialty pancake. So, I substituted for the Banana Chocolate Chip Cakes. You should know that unless asked, ALL toppings remain on top of the pancakes. I, however, decided to put the chocolate chips inside the batter, and keep the bananas on top.

I must say, looking at this photo my mouth is watering again. From the second the plate was placed in front of me, the smell was overbearingly amazing. I was instantly tempted by this pungent scent of fresh bananas, warm chocolate chips, and homemade pancakes practically made by Aunt Jemima herself. Sure, the eggs and bacon were wonderful too; but these pancakes were just incredible.

The Banana Chocolate Chip Cakes were fluffy on top, yet soothingly crispy on the bottom. The chocolate chips appear as little dots in the pancakes, but instantly melt in your mouth within the first bite. When looking at this photo, you can see the morning glisten on the bananas atop of the cakes; as per my review from Blue Plate I explain how important this glisten is in determining the freshness of the fruit. Well, these bananas must have been collected directly from the banana tree – aka the local Saturday Farmer’s Market on 3rd Street – before being placed on my pancakes. And finally, the end of the meal was not capped with the button of my jeans flying across the room; these pancakes were not greasy at all, and they don’t cause you to faint upon completion. As I was smiling from ear to ear after the first bite, the Banana Chocolate Chip Cakes from Jinky’s are a wonderful way to say “Good Morning, Sunshine.” Jinky’s Cafe is now officially my second restaurant with a 5 star rating. It should also be noted that Jinky’s serves breakfast ALL DAY!

All in all, for a Cafe called Jinky’s, it’s anything but.