The Bad Idea at Paty's in Toluca Lake: Off Island West Coast Adventure Part I

You ever see a good idea, a real stellar idea, just have horrific results?
This past week we were in Southern California.
For a few days on our trip we stayed around our old stomping grounds, our old haunts.



One of my favorite places was Paty's. Paty's is a coffee shop/diner in Toluca Lake. Nothing phenomenal, just serves a standard old fashioned no nonsense breakfast. Decent coffee. Fresh squeezed orange juice. It has sidewalk seating, the youngest waitress fondly recalls the Truman administration, and it is dependable.

In that, it is fantastic.

Just as importantly we could walk there from our apartment and never experience a wait for a table on a weekend morning.
Every crucial metric to be the reliable breakfast option was in place, and it never failed us.


This, I celebrate. Because we should openly celebrate that which fills it role perfectly. Not just the restaurants with dramatic vistas and michelin award winning chefs. They get plaudits and praise and renown. But the solid breakfast destination that hit a solid double each time up at the plate? That is an achievement of admirable consistency. That should be exalted.

So on our trip back to the greater Los Angeles area we had to stop there, and we met up with some old friends for breakfast.


Nothing much changed.. except:
a) They mounted a flat screen tv on one of the walls. I'm not sure why. This is not a sports diner. The tv was playing regis and kelly. It was not offensive, but not really necessary.



b) They instituted one page of "healthy" menu options into the stalwart menu.
This is where they went of the tracks.



You see, nothing is wrong with a "healthy" menu.
That in itself is commendable. Giving the people that option is very sound.

They had the clever idea if naming these new dishes with terms usually associated with a health club.
Nothing is inherently wrong with using health club terms as the theme to name the items on the new healthy menu.
It could be cute. A "gardenburger and brown rice" dish called the "treadmill meal".
Sure, why not?

Here is why not. There IS something wrong with this.... see attached picture.

No one should ever have the option to order a breakfast meal called "The Power Squat".

Not ever.

Even if it does come served with a bran muffin.
Especially if it does come served with a bran muffin.