The top line: LA-native Julian Denis has converted a former Thai café in Stoke Newington into a California-style diner, but not the type with neon lighting, chrome piping and thick shakes. Instead, Johnny Boy’s takes its cues from the California cafés dotted around the Golden State that served its immigrant communities, whether they be Mexican, Jewish, Greek, or Japanese.
On the menu: Denis, who was born and raised in Southern California to a Portuguese mother and Puerto Rican father, has stayed true the approach by the cafés to borrow ingredients and dishes wherever they found them with a menu of LA comfort food that defies borders. The menu is split into breakfast/lunch and dinner, with options that include all-day breakfast burritos; French toast with whipped butter and maple syrup; and steak and eggs while for dinner the offer is more expansive with the likes of crab tostada with crab-mayo, pea salsa, and carrot escabeche; pastrami dip with mustard pickles and consommé; patty melt with caramelized onions, Russian dressing, Swiss and American cheese on rye bread; and a chicken dinner of fried chicken with mac salad, and Hawaiian roll. A trio of plates are also on offer in the evening including its deluxe breakfast plate of bacon, sausage, hash browns, egg and toast for those who like a later breakfast; and a steak plate of grilled bavette, rice, beans, tortillas, salsa and pickles. The drinks menu continues in this theme with cocktails such as the Carajillo, made with mezcal, horchata (rice milk) and cold brew; and a Michelada made with beer, clamato, salsa, tapatio, and chamoy.
The vibe: Denis appears to have gone for a 1970s feel, a golden age for California, with a brown and orange colour palette, retro signage and food served on patterned plates of the era (as well as drinks in brown-cloured glasses and mugs). It’s all very cool and low-key and not much to look at from the outside, but that is all part of its charm.
And another thing: The name Johnny Boy’s is a nod to the typically generic names restaurants were given in California at the time to help them assimilate into local culture,
3 Northwold Rd, London, N16 7HL / eatjohnnyboys.com