Eggs

CENTRAL GLENDALE — Don’t worry: The eggs aren’t going anywhere, the new owner of Virgil’s Hardware Home Center said Friday. When loyal customers of the family-owned 103-year-old hardware store learned of its sale to Chatsworth-based Lumber City Corp. — the owner of California Do it Center in Burbank and other cities — they were concerned the local gem would lose its quirks and become more like its bigger, corporate counterparts. To customers, Virgil’s, at 520 N. Glendale Ave., is known for its unique selection of goods — everything from eggs and sauerkraut to vintage, one-of-a-kind hardware fixtures.

BURBANK ? Johnny Carson Park will ring with enthusiasm and spring cheer on Saturday, when the city holds its eighth annual "Easter Eggs-plosion of Fun." The event is a joint effort between the Burbank Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department and Radio Disney 1110 AM, which provides the afternoon's entertainment. "It's a complete day of fun and activities," said Natalie Eig, Radio Disney's station manager. The event kicks off at 10 a.m. with an Easter egg hunt geared toward children preschool age to 14. Parents are encouraged to arrive early because the hunt will begin promptly at the top of the hour, said Chris Smith in the Parks and Recreation Department said.

Don't read this column. I don't mean to suggest that this column contains no useful information. It's worse than that. This column accomplishes the scientifically improbable feat of offering good information that actually sucks knowledge right out of your head — a black hole of the brain certain to be the subject of an upcoming Stephen Hawking book, once I tell him about it. I'm talking about the choice between "A box of eggs is on the...

Glendale hosts a wonderful group of coffee shops, ranging from Montrose's City Hall, my morning haunt for the past few years, to Downtown's Foxy's, my brother Don Trowbridge's favorite for ages. Right in the middle is The Toasted Bun. If you want to know Glendale as it is now and as it has been, the Toasted Bun is a good place to go. You will know what makes it a classic as soon as you walk in. Open seven days a week for breakfast and lunch, the Toasted Bun is a friendly, comfortable place.

Since 1980, Burbank residents have been getting to know Ben -- Ben Shiralian of Ben's Delicatessen that is. This family-owned and operated eatery has become a favorite for many a hungry diner. What keeps them coming back for more? Besides the extensive "deli" menu, it's the service that brings hungry eaters back again and again. It's Ben's mission to serve a "home-cooked" meal to his customers, to which most of his clientele, will happily attest. Ben's cheery wait staff know their recurring customers well, remembering favorite dishes, and just how they like their eggs prepared.

Joyce Rudolph 'Tis the season for eggs and bunnies and members of the Burbank Sertoma Club take this literally with their annual Easter Egg Project. Sandie Tomer, wife of club President Bob Tomer, said members have been doing the project for five years. "We're aiming to do 500 this year," she said. Members blow out the eggs and then decorate them. Some members go all out, creating very intricate designs and decoupage, Sandie Tomer said. "It's very labor intensive," she said.

For those of you who were disappointed when the old Bob’s Big Boy on Glenoaks closed, take heart. The new Glenoaks Cafe offers a similar American diner experience. For those who never thought Bob’s was all that great, take heart. . .  you’re vindicated. The new place offers a similar American diner experience. The owners are the same as when it was Bob’s. They chose to cancel their franchise renewal because they wanted to be free of corporate regulations.

Think of Eat Well as a diner with a difference. Your typical diner has a certain vibe ? kind-a retro, kind-a cool. Eat Well's got that. The leatherette booths, the gumball machine, stools at the counter, the vinyl-coated menus ? Eat Well's got those, too. So what's the difference? Well, the logo hints at it. "Eat Well, 'cause your mama told you to." If your mama was into soy and whole grains, she'd be delighted that you're eating well here. Along with the burgers and blue plate specials, the menu features lots of granola, tofu and vegetarian options.

Burbank's primary election will live on after the City Council on Thursday decided not to pursue plans to cut the first of a two-step electoral process in order to save roughly $72,000 a year. Doing so would have required voter approval. The change would have left the city with an extra $144,700 - the average cost of the primary - in its coffers every two years, but the savings was not enough to sway the council. "The cost savings are minimal and I don't think they should be considered in a democracy," said Councilman David Gordon, adding that a one-election system would skew results in favor of incumbents.

Burbank Councilman Gary Bric laments that there is no money in the city's budget for this year's Easter Egg-Stravaganza (“ Council restores Easter egg hunt ,” March 16). He says, “We have to stand up and be able to say, 'I wish we could do it, but we can't.'” Funny, Bric didn't utter those words two years ago when he readily gave his blessing to a $2 million bailout of the DeBell golf Course. Oh, that's right, he's an avid golfer. In Bric's world there exists plenty of money for his priorities, but not a piddling $14,000 for the Easter egg hunt, which probably attracts more people in one day than the failing golf/Frisbee course attracts in one month.

After last year's hiatus due to budget cuts, the Easter Egg-Stravaganza is returning to Burbank this month, despite concerns from city officials that time and funding constraints could compromise the quality of the event. Noting that the holiday celebration has been “overwhelmingly well-received” in the past, the Burbank City Council Tuesday pushed for its rebirth and expressed confidence that officials could pull off a scaled-back version in just two weeks. The event is scheduled for 9 a.m., March 30. Two years ago, roughly 1,600 parents and children flocked to McCambridge Park for egg hunts, carnival games and visits with the Easter Bunny, leaving the city's tab at roughly $14,000.

The resounding answer was "Yes!" when Miss Burbank Ashley Karp asked hundreds of children if they were ready to hunt for Easter eggs. More than 1,000 parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and children descended Saturday morning on McCambridge Park for the annual Spring Egg-Stravaganza. Although Park, Recreation and Community Services officials were expecting 500 children for the three morning egg hunts, families armed with bunny ears and a wide assortment of spring baskets — from traditional colorful wicker baskets to grocery bags to stuffed animals with egg-holding compartments — kept filing onto the baseball field.

Fresh produce and a festive atmosphere are calling people to the farmers market in Burbank, which last month celebrated its 27th year of bringing farmers to town each week. Sarah Dornbos, manager of the market held Saturdays behind Burbank City Hall, said she has a years-long list of farmers who want to get in. While other farmers markets offer everything from kettle corn to custom jewelry, the Burbank market focuses on produce and allows few non-farm stalls among its 34 vendors.

Throughout the last week of March, 4-year-old Wyatt Anderson Wyatt Anderson was busy preparing for the Egg-Cellent Magnolia Bicycle Tour and Treasure Hunt that was held Saturday in Magnolia Park. While event planners, headed up by Burbank Business District Manager Gail Stewart , were deep in the final logistical preparations for the treasure hunt tour, Wyatt was equally engaged. ?He practiced riding all week to make sure he would be able to take the training wheels off his bike for the first time today,?

Although it’s only 7 a.m. on a Thursday, the hustle and bustle inside the Corner Cottage in Burbank is hard to ignore. As dozens of eggs are being skillfully cracked in the red brick kitchen, orders are flying in, the line is gaining strength, and a handful of morning conversations are taking place. Sitting at their favorite table in the affordably priced and modest restaurant, Kevin Jones and Dave Chambers are longtime patrons of the Corner Cottage, and with good reason.

CENTRAL GLENDALE — Don’t worry: The eggs aren’t going anywhere, the new owner of Virgil’s Hardware Home Center said Friday. When loyal customers of the family-owned 103-year-old hardware store learned of its sale to Chatsworth-based Lumber City Corp. — the owner of California Do it Center in Burbank and other cities — they were concerned the local gem would lose its quirks and become more like its bigger, corporate counterparts. To customers, Virgil’s, at 520 N. Glendale Ave., is known for its unique selection of goods — everything from eggs and sauerkraut to vintage, one-of-a-kind hardware fixtures.