Jan's
On Jan's Health Bar, Huntington Beach, the Golden Bear, Duke Kahanamoku, and the salad we always ordered.
Jennifer Ann Blair writes. Food, wine, a German Shepherd named Archie, and whatever the day brings.
Jan Gaffney was one of the first female surf stars in California. When she wasn’t in the water in the 1960s, she was making smoothies and sandwiches out of the back of George’s Surf Center on Main Street. Jan’s Health Bar grew from there to the iconic Huntington Surf and Sport in 1990, then on to its own location on Main Street. In business for more than 50 years, it’s a Huntington Beach institution, alongside the surfers she fed. She was one of them.
She chose a good spot.
Poppy Holguin was a Huntington Beach High School student when she took her first job at Jan’s. Years later, when Jan retired after 38 years, she passed the business to Poppy. Same name, same food, same goodness. Now in eight locations throughout Southern California, with new dishes on the menu and catering available, and still the same warmth you felt from Jan and her original staff. Her mission was to respect the product she created. Poppy kept it that way.
It was always the first place we stopped, the first place anyone stopped. To shop, to hang out, to pick up a smoothie from Jan’s.
My family moved to Huntington Beach when I was seven. I grew up there.
As a kid, I had a lot of freedom. The rule was simple: go have fun, be home by six. My sisters and my friends did just that. Hop on a bike, ride toward the ocean, the beach, the surfers, the vibe, and always a stop at Jan’s. Just for a smoothie.
Our neighbors were Huntington High people. My parents sent my sisters and me to Mater Dei in Santa Ana. Both great schools. Each different in their own way. We all still knew each other.
We tried our hands at surfing and walked the 1,850-foot Pier. We checked out the surfers in their wetsuits and the musicians rolling in for a night. The Golden Bear on Main Street hosted everyone. The Red Hot Chili Peppers played there in January 1989, right before Blood Sugar Sex Magik made them global, testing new material with John Frusciante and Chad Smith, who had just joined. Reel Big Fish, Avenged Sevenfold, ska-punk, heavy metal, hippies still going strong, bands from the 60s and 70s who weren’t done yet.
In 1994, Huntington Beach earned the nickname “Surf City USA,” cementing its long-held status as a surf hub after Duke Kahanamoku popularized the sport in 1925.
Between the freedom we enjoyed and the proximity to the ocean, we were a lucky group. It still hosts Surfing Championships. Huntington Surf and Sport is still open. The Pier is still standing. It’s busier there now, more developed. But the memories don’t disappear.
When we arrived at Jan’s, it never took long to place an order. Ninety percent of the time, the choice was always the Classic Vegetarian Salad, the sandwich, a smoothie, or all three. Everything always delicious, filling, and satisfying. A perfect meal before heading back out for another swim or surf. Served with Have’a Corn Chips, naturally. Substantial enough to keep Duke Kahanamoku out in the water all afternoon.
My sisters, my friends, my mom, her friends, our colleagues. Anyone we grew up with ate at Jan’s. Picked up a salad daily, regularly. The best thing about these salads was how fresh they always were, and how fun it was to walk up Main Street, or bike, to Jan’s. Get a salad. Have chips. Enjoy the sun, the ocean breeze, and the afternoon.
My sister, the spinach salad sister, was obsessed. I thought I was. But she really, really loved those salads, with the vegetarian turkey, avocado, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, sprouts, sunflower seeds, and an herb vinaigrette. No mushrooms for her, or my other sister. Loving mushrooms only made its way, DNA-wise, to my mom and me. The rest of the family. No thanks.
Ivy, a Jan’s regular, said it best: Amazing. Incredible. Nothing compares.
She’s right.
I made each of my family’s favorites. Jan’s Classic Salad. Jan’s Sandwich. And a smoothie inspired by Jan’s and my hometown, Surf City. With the summer sun upon us, these are refreshing, easy to make, and good for you.
And, if you’re far from the ocean, like I am, imagine being there.
If you ever want to taste the real thing, visit Jan’s Health Bar. Be the first in your family to do so.
The Recipes
Jan’s Health Bar Classic Salad with Vegetarian Turkey, Avocado and Herby Vinaigrette
We always ordered the same thing. Jan’s Classic Salad with vegetarian turkey, avocado, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, sprouts, sunflower seeds, and an herb vinaigrette. My sister, the spinach salad sister, was obsessed. So was my family, my friends, my mom’s friends. The choice of protein was always the vegetarian turkey. No mushrooms for my sisters. Loving mushrooms only made its way, DNA-wise, to my mom and me. The rest of the family. No thanks.
Jan’s Health Bar Turkey Sandwich with Avocado, Microgreens and Spike Seasoning
Vegetarian or not, gluten-friendly or not, cheese or not. Jan’s turkey sandwich is endlessly adaptable and always good. Oven-roasted turkey, avocado, microgreens, cucumber, tomatoes, and Spike seasoning on Ezekiel sprouted grain bread, ciabatta, or gluten-free bread. Served with Have’a Corn Chips, naturally. The perfect sandwich before heading back out for another swim or surf. Substantial enough to keep Duke Kahanamoku out in the water all afternoon.
Surf City Sunrise Smoothie with Strawberry, Pineapple and Apricot
Inspired by Jan’s Health Bar and built from what summer offers best. Apricots, strawberries, and pineapple. A sweet-and-sour balance of citrus and berries, tropical and tangy. Named after Huntington Beach’s nickname, “Surf City USA," secured in 1994, considered a surf hub since Duke Kahanamoku popularized the sport in 1925.
Next Time
Tomatoes, peaches, prosciutto, burrata, basil, and olive oil. Summer on a plate.
Before You Go
What did you always order?
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Jennifer Ann Blair writes about what’s worth remembering — a recipe, a person, a surf shop.
Great stuff - love the history and the feel you put into it. Keep it up-awesome