Restaurant

MEDIA DISTRICT WEST — Construction crews are renovating the former Dalt's Grill space in anticipation of McCormick & Schmick's seafood restaurant, which is expected to open its doors near the end of this year. The national restaurant has long had its sights set on Burbank as a location where they think patrons would appreciate the high-quality dining and comfortable atmosphere, Chief Executive Officer Saed Mohseni said. "We have been looking at Burbank for a number of years for opportunities to expand in the area," he said.

Residents opposed to a California Chicken Cafe moving into their neighborhood have filed an appeal protesting the Burbank Planning Board's unanimous approval of parking exceptions and allowing the restaurant's patrons to bring their own alcohol. Neighbors of the proposed restaurant, planned for 2921 W. Magnolia Blvd., will meet Monday to discuss the restaurant's impending arrival. "Since the city Planning [department] staff had recommended not approving the application, we felt we should pursue this further, just to make sure," said Penny Church, who lives along Niagara Street, which intersects Magnolia.

Jenna Bordelon HILLSIDE DISTRICT -- Facing a mandatory county restaurant ranking ordinance in effect in the city since Nov. 4, one local eatery has had trouble making the grade. La Bamba Island Cuisine at 2600 N. Glenoaks Blvd. has been closed for vermin infestation three times in the past three years. On Nov. 9, county inspectors went in on an owner-initiated inspection, paid for by La Bamba in the hopes of getting a good grade. The restaurant received a "B," which owner Gladys Poorman said was a big step in the right direction.

Crowds packed into Genio's restaurant Sunday to bid farewell to a restaurant that has been a Burbank fixture for more than 50 years. "This is a real sad time for us," owner Marvin Cecchini said. "Many of us are heart-broken — especially my son, because the business is closed and he took such good care of it." Marvin Cecchini's son, Jim Cecchini, ran Genio's as his father's partner for the last 25 years. What kept Genio's, which opened in 1952, so popular over the years was great Italian fare and service combined with a cozy ambience, Jim Cecchini said.

There's a new steakhouse in town. Former Burbank resident and 32-year restaurant veteran Ray Lasher has brought prime steaks to Downtown Burbank in the second of his family-owned Lasher's American Steakhouse eateries. Right across the street from Burbank City Hall, on Olive Avenue, Lasher's is a little hard to see. "You definitely have to look for us right now," Lasher said. But that will all soon change. In the coming weeks, new awnings will be added to the outside of the building.

When former Burbank resident Janell Bukey returned to the city to visit her son, she was looking forward to taking him to lunch at Genio's restaurant, a childhood favorite of hers. Word had not reached Bukey that Genio's, a Burbank fixture for more than 50 years, had closed its doors in October, much to the chagrin of its many loyal customers. Instead of the great Italian fare and cozy ambience that she remembered, Bukey showed up at Genio's in the midst of an auction, where the furniture and kitchen supplies were going to the highest bidder.

1949. It was the year the first Emmy Awards were given in Los Angeles. It was the year the first Volkswagen Beetle arrived in the United States. It was the year the People?s Republic of China was founded. It was the year Bob?s Big Boy began flipping hamburgers, in what 60 years later is one of the most popular burger joints and oldest remaining Bob?s Big Boy restaurants in the country. Bob?s Big Boy, at 4111 Riverside Drive in Burbank, began operations that year in a building designed by the late Wayne McAllister, a Los Angeles-based architect responsible for resorts and hotels from Las Vegas to California and Tijuana.

After almost 20 years in Burbank, the Riverside Café will serve its final meal on Sunday as it closes because of a dwindling number of customers, and because the owner says he can no longer afford to invest in the failing business. Matt Peek took over ownership of the café at 1221 W. Riverside Drive in October 2009 from its original owners, Paula and Michael Kidby, who continue working as customer service manager and chef, respectively. But Peek said that since the recession hit, the restaurant has seen fewer and fewer patrons, particularly from nearby movie studios during lunchtime.

Jackson Bell The Hooters restaurant chain is setting its sights on Burbank, and could open in the Media City Center as early as May, mall and restaurant officials said Tuesday. The beach-themed sports restaurant, famous for its provocatively dressed female servers, has submitted an application for a building permit for the site at 600 N. 1st St., city officials said. The 7,000-square- foot space was occupied by Crabby Bob's seafood restaurant.

Changing a lease between the city and the operator of the Castaway Restaurant drew a large crowd at Tuesday's City Council meeting who wanted to voice concerns over traffic, noise and other issues related to the popular hillside eatery. The council delayed a vote on the amended lease with Specialty Restaurant Corp. until Oct. 4 to allow staff members to make changes the council wanted. "In the big picture, they are not major issues, but do impact your business," Mayor Jef Vander Borght said to the restaurant operators.

Marisa Sanders remembers when television icon Huell Howser wandered into Burbank's Tallyrand restaurant two years ago. She gushed when he sat in front of her in a swivel chair at the diner's counter. “I said, 'I just want you to know - I know who you are,'” she recalled. “'My husband is your No. 1 fan.'” [For the Record, Jan. 14, 2013: A previous version of this story mispelled Marisa Sanders' first name. ] By the end of Howser's meal, the 20-year Tallyrand waitress had shared the whole history of the family-owned diner, including that both owners had met their respective spouses at the restaurant, and that it's famous for its hot turkey sandwich.

Burbank police are seeking leads in a burglary this weekend at a restaurant supply store in which $100,000 worth of cooking equipment was stolen. The burglary occurred sometime between Friday at 8 p.m. and Monday at 9 a.m., when the suspects broke into Cook's Warehouse -- located at 2504 North Ontario St. -- and stole three large storage boxes containing pots, pans, knives, tables and chairs, said Burbank Police Sgt. Darin Ryburn. Upon entering, the suspects taped over the security cameras.

After almost 20 years in Burbank, the Riverside Café will serve its final meal on Sunday as it closes because of a dwindling number of customers, and because the owner says he can no longer afford to invest in the failing business. Matt Peek took over ownership of the café at 1221 W. Riverside Drive in October 2009 from its original owners, Paula and Michael Kidby, who continue working as customer service manager and chef, respectively. But Peek said that since the recession hit, the restaurant has seen fewer and fewer patrons, particularly from nearby movie studios during lunchtime.

Good morning, readers. Today is Sunday, July 22, 2012. Cal State Northridge has managed to keep its summer drama program for teenagers running, despite cuts to the campus. The program offers six weeks of acting, singing, dancing and improvising . Daily News A Sherman Oaks restaurant worker was shot and killed outside a business on Ventura Boulevard last month, but no suspects have been found . A $50,000 reward is now being offered. KTLA Miss Oregon 2012 Rachel Berry has given up her title and glistening crown after it was revealed she didn't move to the region by the cut-off date . She was a previous resident of Burbank.

A new restaurant planned for San Fernando Boulevard will bring lush landscaping to create a park-like atmosphere and nearly 900 square feet of outdoor dining. The restaurant, to be located at 546 S. San Fernando Blvd., will incorporate an existing 2,494-square-foot building that was once a landscaping nursery. With two large outdoor dining areas, there will be a total of about 3,600 square feet of restaurant space, according to plans approved by the Planning Board last month. Applicant Aram Mnatsakanyan had requested an outdoor stage for unamplified performances by musicians, but planning commissioners nixed that feature because of two nearby apartment buildings.

As several residents oppose construction of a Taco Bell at the intersection of Buena Vista Street and Burbank Boulevard because of the number of accidents there, new traffic figures indicate the problem may be worse than first thought. Earlier this year, Burbank officials looked at traffic-collision rates along Buena Vista from the beginning of 2006 to mid-2010 and found 20 accidents at the intersection with Burbank Boulevard, making it the second-most accident-prone intersection along Buena Vista.

An armed man attempted to rob the El Torito restaurant on Olive Avenue Monday morning, prompting the manager to call police while locked inside a back office. At about 1 a.m. Monday, police say a Latino man confronted the manager and demanded money. After calling police from behind a locked office door, the man fled empty-handed, said Burbank Police Sgt. M. Ferguson. No one was injured. The man was described as 25 to 30 years old, about 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 9 inches tall, with a black and white striped shirt, black mustache, black pants and short brown hair.

The Granada restaurant, a Victory Boulevard landmark for nearly 40 years, re-emerged from an eight-month closure Monday with sizzling fajitas, cold margaritas and new owners who will probably look familiar to longtime patrons. A group of employees bought the former Alfredo’s Granada out of bankruptcy after it closed in October and hosted a grand opening Monday. Longtime waiter Sergio Ugalde is now also part owner. “Almost all the employees are coming to work again,” Ugalde said as he helped touch up the interior of the restaurant, now just called the Granada, before reopening day. “The people don’t want to miss anything.

A Burbank man pleaded not guilty this week to robbing a bank inside Pavilions Market last month. Jimmy Barbarino, 44, was arrested after getting in a traffic accident May 6 in Glendale, said Burbank Sgt. John Pfrommer. A warrant was out for Barbarino’s arrest after he was identified as a suspect in the May 2 bank robbery. He is being held in lieu of $90,000 and is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing May 23 in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Barbarino allegedly told the bank teller inside the grocery store at 1110 W. Alameda Ave. that he had a handgun inside his black backpack when he demanded the cash.

Restaurants take over Thursday night The Taste of Downtown Burbank is taking over the North San Fernando Boulevard on Thursday, with organizers working to keep trash and waste at a minimum. From 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. celebrity guests, live entertainment and over 40 restaurants will light up the evening between East Magnolia Boulevard and East Orange Grove Avenue. Hosted by the Downtown Burbank Partnership, organizers say they want to reduce waste by 75% compared to the previous year with compostable and environmentally friendly eating utensils and recycling stations.