French Toast

What do you think of when you hear, “weekday hotel breakfast?” I pictured cereal, see-through coffee and a tray of crumbs with one decrepit Danish that could double as a paperweight. Apparently, I need to get up earlier or stay in better places. Never having had to book a room in either Burbank, where I live, or Glendale, which I can walk to, I was surprised to learn that two viable options for a savory breakfast included the Courtyard Marriott in Burbank and Glendale’s Embassy Suites — each offers a made-to-order omelet and waffle station.

I am (was) a waitress at Barron's and want to say goodbye to many of the customers who I served everyday. I just don't quite know where to start. Everything has been so shockingly sudden. I thought that I'd be seeing all of my customers forever, and now I don't even know how to get a hold of them to say one last goodbye. So, goodbye to Mike and Jeff, who both got the giant cups of coffee. And to Lucius, Bob and Douglas, who never turned me down for a refill.

Diners are the kind of eateries that appeal to the masses — folks looking for home-style cooking at an affordable price, parties of one who prefer the counter space for easier newspaper perusal and the bedraggled likes of those who over-indulged the night before, looking for the perfect greasy dish to sop up their alcoholic excess. You don’t have to drive too far around Glendale or Burbank to spot these greasy spoons, a distinction more charming than disparaging in today’s culinary terminology.

Salerno's Italian Café on Riverside Drive in Burbank specializes in satisfying the lunchtime cravings of the denizens of nearby studios and offices. But its menu extends beyond office hours, offering both breakfast and dinner. The breakfast menu is topped by a terrific breakfast combo burrito. Egg, cheese, hash browns and three meats ? ham, bacon and sausage ? are rolled up in a soft tortilla and served with salsa. Very tasty and so much meat inside that dogs began to howl when I bit into it. (I'm not kidding!

The Kiwanis Club of La Ca"ada, AM, in conjunction with the La Ca"ada Flintridge Chamber of Commerce, will again serve the traditional French Toast Breakfast to kick off La Ca"ada's Memorial Weekend Celebration. Fruit, sausage, French toast and beverages will be served from 8 to 11:30 a.m. May 27 in Memorial Park. Ttickets are $7, $5 for children. This event is a major fundraiser for the AM Kiwanis, supporting programs for children and youth locally and worldwide.

Breakfast in Glendale is booming. There are lots of places you can find a fine breakfast, but one of the newest is one of the best. On our way to Zeke's Smokehouse to try their new Country Breakfast, people were spilling out onto the sidewalks of other local restaurants, but Zeke's 4-month-old secret wasn't out to everyone yet. Seating was available inside and out, and a few smart people were enjoying this new treat. At first, I wasn't surprised — that fabulous smoky smell had me thinking more about lunch than breakfast.

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.

Standing sentinel just in from the corner of Glendale and California avenues for 30-some years, the Toasted Bun Restaurant remains a welcome and comfortable home for many people to come and visit their community “family.” Flowers overflowing in window boxes and spilling from baskets hanging from the eaves greet you in the tiny parking lot. The freshly redone décor, with burgundy and black upholstery on the booths, little hanging tiffany-style lamps, new counters and reupholstered stools, clean up this old standby.

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE — Fiesta Days, this Memorial Day weekend, will be an opportunity to honor the men and women who have fought and died for this country, but it is also a time to celebrate life, organizers said.   "It's a time for family and friends as well as a time to honor the military," said Pat Anderson, executive director of the La Cañada Flintridge Chamber of Commerce, who has helped organize the event for the past three years. "We observe Memorial Day to remember the sacrifices our men and women have made in the military but it is also a time to celebrate life, and family, and togetherness."

There are several well-known, family-friendly cafés in Burbank, but in the northern reaches of the city lies a contender worthy of consideration. The Hill Street Café on North Glenoaks Boulevard is an outpost of good food and reliable service, and it boasts a menu full of pleasant surprises. Hill Street starts serving early every day with a world tour of breakfast specialties ranging from traditional American breakfasts of two eggs, potatoes and a wide choice of meat sides to Mexican dishes, like breakfast enchiladas to an Italian frittata, an open-face omelet.

What do you think of when you hear, “weekday hotel breakfast?” I pictured cereal, see-through coffee and a tray of crumbs with one decrepit Danish that could double as a paperweight. Apparently, I need to get up earlier or stay in better places. Never having had to book a room in either Burbank, where I live, or Glendale, which I can walk to, I was surprised to learn that two viable options for a savory breakfast included the Courtyard Marriott in Burbank and Glendale’s Embassy Suites — each offers a made-to-order omelet and waffle station.

Diners are the kind of eateries that appeal to the masses — folks looking for home-style cooking at an affordable price, parties of one who prefer the counter space for easier newspaper perusal and the bedraggled likes of those who over-indulged the night before, looking for the perfect greasy dish to sop up their alcoholic excess. You don’t have to drive too far around Glendale or Burbank to spot these greasy spoons, a distinction more charming than disparaging in today’s culinary terminology.

Salerno's Italian Café on Riverside Drive in Burbank specializes in satisfying the lunchtime cravings of the denizens of nearby studios and offices. But its menu extends beyond office hours, offering both breakfast and dinner. The breakfast menu is topped by a terrific breakfast combo burrito. Egg, cheese, hash browns and three meats ? ham, bacon and sausage ? are rolled up in a soft tortilla and served with salsa. Very tasty and so much meat inside that dogs began to howl when I bit into it. (I'm not kidding!

I am (was) a waitress at Barron's and want to say goodbye to many of the customers who I served everyday. I just don't quite know where to start. Everything has been so shockingly sudden. I thought that I'd be seeing all of my customers forever, and now I don't even know how to get a hold of them to say one last goodbye. So, goodbye to Mike and Jeff, who both got the giant cups of coffee. And to Lucius, Bob and Douglas, who never turned me down for a refill.