A smooth proposition

Doug Tabbert

A few blocks inland of the tourist Mecca that is Main Street sits

Jan’s Health bar, which has been pumping people full vitamins since

1968. The small restaurant is a slingshot’s fling from Jamba Juice

and offers a decent selection of liquid concoctions.

I ordered the Berry Bonanza ($4) chock full of succulent

boysenberries, raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. Jan’s

smoothies have a unique base, a blend of ice, juice, dates and

bananas. The latter fruits gave my frozen beverage plenty of sweet

thickness without using yogurt or sugary sherbet.

I was thrilled, the superficial environmentalist that I am, when

the smoothie came in a large waxed paper cup instead of the

polystyrene cup that is utterly nonbiodegradable. However, be sure

not to take too much unrefined sweet time while sucking this frozen

amalgam, as this cup has less insulation. As a smoothie lover, this

wasn’t a problem and I managed to avoid the “ice-cream headaches”

that often accompany these expensive drinks.

There are about a dozen sandwiches ($4 to $7) that come with all

the trimmings: tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, mayonnaise, seasonings,

bacon bits, avocado and yes, even sprouts. The Surfer Special is a

popular deal where not only surfers can get half a sandwich and soup

or one of the ten salads. However, I was here at 8:20 on Saturday

morning.

Jan’s isn’t strictly vegetarian; there is meatless (soy) turkey as

well as real turkey, real tuna, real-chicken salad, real-bacon and

real-chicken breasts. Owner Jan Gaffney surprised me by confirming

that she’s been serving soy turkey for at least 25 years. The

sandwiches, small and large come with choice of chips, fruit or pasta

and are served on whole wheat bread.

The breakfast menu is fairly limited. There are two items, a small

bowl of granola with fresh fruit, milk and honey ($6.25), and a large

bowl of granola ($7.25) served with the like. I went large, for a

buck more you get twice as much, and they aren’t kidding about the

fruit. Kiwi, Blackberries, strawberries, apples, peaches, apricots,

honeydew melon, grapes, raspberries and blueberries were heaped on

top of my cereal. Impressively the fruit was without fault, not a

berry too tart or a peach too soft.

Of the 16 photographs in the store, one is of Bolsa Chica, one of

longtime local surfer Bobby Neishe bottom turning on a tropical

overhead wave, and 14 of sprint car racing. Sprint cars are akin to

dune buggies in their edifice and punchy engines, but instead of

flying over dunes these cars never stop turning around a small dirt

oval track. Gaffney has sponsored a car for eight years, and in 1994

her vehicle, steered by professional driver Rip Williams, took first

place in the Sprint Car Racing Assn. Championships.

Gaffney is proud of her hobby and her healthy pit stop on Main

Street. It’s unfortunate that many folks today have palates inured to

artificial processed foods. Jan’s is a place where natural, choice

ingredients and delectable dishes just may refresh and revitalize

you.