This next article is more so about the man who created it all rather than just the place itself. This story begins circa 1980...when Jon Stocking went to Europe for the opportunity to play basketball. At some point, however, that came to a halt when he broke his ankle. As luck would have it, being handicapped from playing basketball allowed him to take an opportunity he was given to work with a French chef, making this the pivotal point that launched his culinary career.
Jon then went on to start a very successful chocolate company. Yes, that's right. A chocolate company. But that quickly turned into a good deal gone bad once he decided to join forces with a partner. Nevertheless, with lessons learned, he pushed on.
Having a knack for baking pies, Jon put his French cooking skills into use and opened the famous Republic of Pie in North Hollywood. Another hit. With its selection of both sweet and savory pies, Jon was able to build a business and sell it off for the tune of....ok we didn't really get into specifics, but I can assume it was for a hefty price because, well, he retired after that.
But he wasn't done there, since, you know...retirement can only last so long before one might get bored and want to get back into the saddle again. Jon decided to come out of retirement to open High Horse Dinette.
High Horse Dinette serves breakfast, brunch and diner food. You can get your fair share of healthy and not so healthy but healthy cuz it's homemade delicious food. Case in point, what I ordered...
The healthy...Breakfast Bowl. This is easy to summarize...a bowl with mixed greens, egg whites, asparagus, sprinkled with sliced almonds. Really healthy. The lettuce didn't even have dressing on it. I would imagine its people like body builders or people really looking to be lean who would order this. Obviously not my style, but I have to say I was curious to see their breakfast bowl. I would only recommend this if you are a soul-less human being who does not care for enjoyment out of their meal. Just straight to the point, protein and vegetables.
The "homemade" healthy...The meat quiche. Ok maybe "healthy" isn't the right word, but what I'm trying to get at is that they bake it themselves from scratch, using whole ingredients, not canned or processed food. So once in a while, this ain't such a bad thing. In fact, making your stomach happy can be good for you, but that's just my opinion. And the quiche, made me very happy.
Of course I ordered the Mac and Cheese. I thought it was really nice and creamy, but like most mac and cheese, I did need to add salt. Not a big deal because I'd rather add it myself than have someone decide for me and put too much. Yes, you want this.
Now, I have to admit, I've very surprised this next one is my favorite thing I ate, mostly because mac and cheese is usually the fave, but the Palomino Burger takes the cake on this one. Its their most popular burger, and only when you order it will you know why. I really can't describe it. It's not like its got crazy ingredients, its just free range meat, smoked bacon, avocado, jack cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles...see, nothing out of the ordinary. BUT, it happened to be a pretty damn good burger. Juicy, tasty, I would go back for this, or recommend it for others if they're trying to decide which burger to go with. The picture does not do it justice!!
As if that wasn't enough, Jon expanded to the empty shop next door and opened up Basecamp Coffee. What's cool about High Horse Dinette is that its all outdoor seating, but if you really do want to sit indoors, just hop on over to Basecamp, grab a table, and feel free to order off the High Horse menu, and they'll bring it right to you. No need to go anywhere either to get you coffee fix.
From High Horse Dinette to Basecamp Coffee...It took me a good 5 minutes just to decide which tea to go with because they were all so unique and gourmet-like. Their coffee machine is one of a kind, and all the wood fixtures at Basecamp and High Horse Dinette all come from the same tree that Jon used to create all the counters with. And the flourless chocolate cake? So decadent, and all homemade! I really don't know how they find the time. Their floors, which I fell in love with, also done by Jon...real life true Macgyver.
Check out this cute little video I made of my experience at Basecamp...
Cheesy, I know. Thanks for watching! If you made it to the end of this article, don't forget to give it a little "like". Xoxo
Myself and Jon Stocking
