Original Pancake House / Ft. Lee

[Gifted Gourmet]

will there be a link for those of us who don't get the NJ Times?

[Jason Perlow]

will there be a link for those of us who don't get the NJ Times?

←

In about a week or so, they are a bit slow on getting their Sunday

NJ content to the web.

[Daniel]

Thats awesome.. Congratulations..

[M.X.Hassett]

Great "Quick Bite" as always Jason, kudos.

[hitmanoo]

I did a search and found this article

Jason, is your article on lline?

[M.X.Hassett]

Hitmanoo

will there be a link for those of us who don't get the NJ Times?

←

In about a week or so, they are a bit slow on getting their Sunday

NJ content to the web.

←

upthread

[Jason Perlow]

An editorial response from the OPH folks in Portland:

Jason -

  I just saw the Fort Lee piece and saw your byline and remembered you

from the egullet.

  Thanks from all of us who also love the food.  I won't take it

personally that you like the Apple better than my favorite, the Dutch Baby.

The apple photographs better and has more intuitive appeal anyway.

  We think the franchisees connection to us at the original Original (now

over 100 franchises) is more than recipes and a trademark, but the way it

reads does reflect our fundamental business model: franchise to people who

love the food, teach them the way here in Portland side by side with our

chefs and family, and then rely on them to give it the daily mom and pop

lifeblood that distinguishes us from the dime for dozens mediocrity.  We do

have a kitchen plan that all franchisees follow, and we are constantly on

guard against changes in product or equipment that require procedural

changes as well as looking to get some savings for franchisees from our

overall cooperation.

  I personally supervise the openings (more for new franchisees but I was

there for Fort Lee too) and my father in law (he is the son of the founder)

and I travel often to visit the locations and give our friendly advice.  We

even learn a thing or three now and then.

  I say all this only to fill out a picture of The Original, and not in

the nature of errata or otherwise.

Thanks again,

Jon Liss

Chef and General Counsel

[dbrociner]

When I went to college in Evanston, Ill back in the early 1980's we used to go to Walker Brothers in a nearby town (Winnetka, Willmette, some Chicago suburb starting with a W) which people went ga-ga for. I was in the West Caldwell location of the OPS a few years ago and realized, when I saw the apple pancake going by, that this was the same chain. The fuss here is nothing like it was there. I was in Chicago on vacation in 2003 and drove by Walker Bros. on a Saturday and they were still standing in line in the street.

BTW, the Whippany location is nowhere near as good as West Caldwell. Since this is the same family running the place I don't understand why but I've been there several times and always been dissappointed. Maybe its time for a trip back. From where I work in East Hanover its not much difference between those two locations.

Jason, the place you mentioned in Florham Park was called Vermont and it closed because it was lousy.

Great peanut-bean analogy by Menton. You wouldn't consider Jean-George's restaurants part of a chain, a brand but not a chain. Burger King is a chain.

[Jason Perlow]

For those who missed it last week:

A Chain Restaurant Unbound

[tommy]

am i becoming too high-minded or does this look disgusting.

[Jason Perlow]

Well, it is a Treo picture, dude. This is the same type of omelette taken with my Nikon:

[tommy]

much better. looks like a different version, though, with a lot less cheese product. are they consistent?

[Jason Perlow]

There's some minor variation I think between whatever cook might be on duty. That particular omelette does have a -lot- of cheese in it. I've had that omelette at least twice, once on a Sunday morning and the other during the week in the evening, it was very good both times, but I believe there was a slight difference in the preparation of the tomato sauce and the amount of cheddar cheese used. Cheddar unfortunately is one of those cheeses that doesnt melt evenly, and even between samples of cheddar from the same vendor you dont get the same results every time.

I had a Spinach/Feta omelette there the other night that had the mushroom sauce on top of it that they use for the Eggs Michael, it was really good.

[M.X.Hassett]

Just in case anyone is interested they are open until 9pm on sunday, I could not find hours posted on this thread, I will edit in there full hours in a few hours .

Edit: 8am-9pm 7 days a week

Edited October 10, 2005 by M.X.Hassett (log)

[pbrodsky]

I went there yesterday evening. Right now they have added some post-breakfast specials (after 11 weekdays, after 3 weekends). These include a few chicken crepes, burgers, cheese blintzes, and a few other items.

[Pam R]

Whether or not there is a connection between my Pancake House and your Pancake House, I wanted to bump this to remind people to go eat an Apple Pancake. Now.

They look a little different here (looks like less of a caramel, more of a cinnamon sugar topping) :

This one was from Sunday brunch, but I'm telling you - now. Don't wait for breakfast.

[Beth E.]

I went to the Original Pancake House in West Caldwell with my younger daughter. I had the Apple Pancake -- my regular order. For my daughter I discovered that the Junior plate off the regular menu is a better deal than the children's menu. She got 3 regular size pancakes with chocolate chips and a glass of chocolate milk for $3.95 (I think). The children's menu had 6 silver dollar chocolate chip pancakes for the same price. Then you had to buy the beverage.

Our waiter was not the best though. His section was pretty empty, but I still had to flag him down for refills of coffee and water. More than 1 time too.

Then when the check came he charged me for the junior plate for my daughter and for a separate chocolate milk. the manager took the chocolate milk off the bill for me.

Came home with lots of leftover apple pancake.