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Re: THe Slicked Burrito (was fierce competition for l & s)





>Hey your Durham-ites, what's up with the Pan Pan diner?  I've heard
>it mentioned on this list before, and as my friend and I were driving
>by it the other night, we were talking about how we should try it
>sometime.  So is it a real diner?  How's the food?

Pan Pan inspires mixed emotions....people seem to love it or hate it.  I am 
one of those who love it.  Given that it's not a real diner, it's something 
undeniably all its own.
And it is indeed open 24-7.

Good food IMHO:

1)  the lunch and dinner all you can eat buffets.  Awesome fried chicken, OK 
ribs, awesome barbecue (pulled, not chopped, piggies supposedly pit-cooked 
on premises), great greens, pinto beans, blackeye peas, decent cornbread, + 
much much more.  They usually have chitlins & pigs feet for the brave. 
 Dinners usually feature tasty fried oysters.  A real deal, esp. if you're a 
hog like me.  CAUTION: The awesome barbecue is prohibitively expensive as an 
entree if you miss the buffet serving times.  Also, other folks have told me 
that they've had bad, dry barbecue on occasion.  Hasn't happened to me yet, 
but just soes you know.

2) the HUGE NY deli sandwiches.  Meats flown down from NYC.  All the usual 
plus the _real_ stuff like tongue and chopped liver (yum).  Darn good 
pickles for North Carolina, too.

3) the patty melts - 3 am dinner of choice (assuming you eat red meat). 
 Nice & greasy with about a pound of swiss cheese and appropriately limp 
fried onions, on good rye bread.

4) the sauteed cabbage.  I get cabbage no matter what else I get - 
hamburger, eggs, whatever.  I guess I just like cabbage.

Bad food:

The country ham is a mite too salty.  I never thought I'd say that about 
country ham but dang, it's salty.

Don't bother w. the french fries.  Onion rings are pretty good but too 
expensive.  If you're ordering a la carte deal w. the complimentary cole 
slaw & pickles, you can always stop for fries elsewhere on the way home.

Other reasons why I like Pan Pan:

The friendly policemen who greet you at the door

The really cool head cook/chef who often comes out to see how you like his 
food.  Once he trusts you he _may_ even cook your burger rare for you, but 
don't tell him I told you that.

The wait staff.  Ranging from classic diner-type slightly caustic but 
concerned & gabby waitresses to surly youts to you name it.  Almost 
invariably entertaining.

The clientele.  Go on a Friday or Saturday night or anytime Sunday & you'll 
be surrounded by huge masses of gloriously dressed up extended families 
chowing down post-church, as well as the more typical tipsy and boisterous 
post-bar/party crowd.  There will be many more Black folks than white folks 
(the Pan Pan is one of Durham's few very visible Black-owned businesses). 
 No one appears to care.
The Power Company crowd used to come in en masse late Friday nights/Saturday 
mornings, but I haven't seen 'em in a while.

General atmosphere - It's fine to go by yourself - I do it all the time.  I 
like places where you aren't made to feel weird for going out by yourself, 
esp. at 2 in the morning.  You will not be rushed or pestered.

The buffet serving staff.  If you look/act like a Yankee they will be 
concerned and try valiantly to warn you if you decide try the chitlins, and 
will laugh and say "I told you so" when you spit them out.  They will give 
you huge portions of everything (except chitlins) no matter what you say to 
the contrary - "a little bit" is not part of their vocabulary.  If this 
bothers you, be _very_ firm and stand your ground.  However, you will be a 
disappointment.

Anyway, I know some other folks on this list hate Pan Pan with a passion, so 
maybe you'll get an opposing view as well.  Definitely worth folks checking 
out me thinks, regardless.

Holly
 

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