Sandwiches

Burbank residents are lining up to get a taste of Jersey Mike’s Subs, a shop that is being touted as having the best new sandwich in town. “It’s the greatest food around,” regular David Allen said. “It’s unlike other places like Subway and Quiznos that use presliced meat and frozen vegetables. Everything you get here is so fresh.” The shop prides itself on its meats and cheeses, flown in weekly from the East Coast and sliced to order for every sub, store owner Leonard Babaie said.

Tallyrand Restaurant has a new fan in Huell Howser. The TV icon who tours the state looking for interesting stories is spreading the word about the restaurant's hometown feel and hot turkey sandwiches on his show "California's Gold," which airs on public television station KCET. Tallyrand is owned by siblings Karen Ross of Toluca Lake and Mark Thomas of Valencia. It was opened in 1959 by their parents, Al and Delores Thomas. Howser had stopped by for lunch and met some of the employees and customers.

In the battle of man vs. food, man must always win. Otherwise, it's just sad to say it was bologna that did you in. Almost a year ago, I tested my gastronomic threshold for sandwiches. What started as an innocent tour of Burbank's sandwich shops became an adventure of Homeric proportions - a fight to the death wherein one of us ham-stuffed Spartans would be left shattered and/or digested. I tackled the Italian offerings at Tony's, then again at another Tony's. A third Tony offered the zenith of the pastrami arts, while Giamela's steak-stuffed heart-buster made my taste buds dance and my arteries beg for mercy.

Ready for gastric rivalry competition Although the big Burbank-Burroughs football rivalry football contest isn't until Friday, players from both teams will get a chance to go at it a few days earlier. On Monday from 7-8 p.m. at Memorial Field at Burroughs High, the Bulldog and Indian players will compete in the seventh annual Big Game Eat-Off, a gastric competition to see which team has the bigger appetite. The food of choice will be submarine sandwiches from Burbank's Santoro Subs.

A happy hubbub percolates throughout Frank's Famous Kitchen and Bakery. To regulars, the place is known as Frank's, or Frank's Famous. In fact, that's their website — franksfamous.com. Friends greet friends, give menu recommendations and ask about families while at the counter, orders are cheerfully taken and called out, and a hum of conversation keeps the comfy dining area lively. At lunch, Frank's is a beehive. If you can't find something that piques your palate at Frank's, you really aren't hungry.

Annie Bettelli BURBANK -- I'm always curious when a restaurant touts itself as having "the best" of a specific dish. The green and white awning outside of Ben's Delicatessen's in Burbank claims to serve the "world's finest corned beef," and being one that appreciates this tastiest of deli meats either between rye bread or with boiled cabbage, I had find out if this was true. While the word finest is subjective at best, Ben's corned beef is very lean and not greasy whatsoever, like many corned beef sandwiches I've tried.

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!

What's in a deli? Well, cold cuts, of course, and sandwiches, definitely. Salads are a plus for a deli, and some sweets are good, especially if they are strategically placed for impulse buying. But a deli is more than the coolers of sodas and beer, Lotto tickets and chips. A good deli's gotta have a vibe. A great deli's gotta have heart. Glenoaks Deli has a big heart ? just ask the many local schools, churches and other fundraisers who rely on the 6- or 8-foot sandwiches or lavish lavosh trays, at lovingly reasonable prices.

Gary Moskowitz MAGNOLIA PARK -- Just when he thought he could not fit one more ounce of food into his stomach, Kent Kramer grabbed his fourth overstuffed submarine sandwich, rammed it into his mouth, chewed and swallowed, a sweaty, uneasy, greasy grin on his face the whole time. "I made my goal," said the queasy 17-year-old varsity nose tackle from Burbank High School as he stumbled off the eaters stage of champions. Kramer was one of eight designated eaters at the fourth annual Burbank-Burroughs Eat Off, an experiment in self-determination and school pride and a contest to see which team can eat the most food as a prelude to Friday's big game between the two teams.

In the battle of man vs. food, man must always win. Otherwise, it's just sad to say it was bologna that did you in. Almost a year ago, I tested my gastronomic threshold for sandwiches. What started as an innocent tour of Burbank's sandwich shops became an adventure of Homeric proportions - a fight to the death wherein one of us ham-stuffed Spartans would be left shattered and/or digested. I tackled the Italian offerings at Tony's, then again at another Tony's. A third Tony offered the zenith of the pastrami arts, while Giamela's steak-stuffed heart-buster made my taste buds dance and my arteries beg for mercy.

This is the epic conclusion to Bryan's two-part sandwich tour of Burbank. Read part one here. I've heard a meat sandwich described as a lot of things. Until recently, though, never “buttery.” We sat on hard benches at McCambridge Park, barely taking time from bites of pastrami to offer our customary assessments of the food. It was late in the day, and Jack Swiker, of the Danger Sandwich blog (thedanger sandwich.blogspot.com), and yours truly had already tried several of Burbank's delis.

There are three things in life that make many men very happy — barbecue, beer and football. A brand-new sports bar called the Hollywood Way in Burbank specializes in that trifecta of pleasure. Even though it's an expansion restaurant, with a few lucky breaks, this upstart establishment could make the dining playoffs in its first year of business. For the better part of a lifetime, on the corner of Hollywood Way and Burbank Boulevard stood a majestic old dive bar called Mr. B's. Many locals also remember that location as the romantic little hideaway, Bamboo Terrace.

Tallyrand Restaurant has a new fan in Huell Howser. The TV icon who tours the state looking for interesting stories is spreading the word about the restaurant's hometown feel and hot turkey sandwiches on his show "California's Gold," which airs on public television station KCET. Tallyrand is owned by siblings Karen Ross of Toluca Lake and Mark Thomas of Valencia. It was opened in 1959 by their parents, Al and Delores Thomas. Howser had stopped by for lunch and met some of the employees and customers.

San Francisco Sub in Glendale might be the ?little sandwich shop that could.? Several factors during our visit indicated they are still working out the kinks but the signs are quite promising that they are moving in the right direction. The décor, ambience and layout of toppings are no different than any of the national sandwich chains but there?s a definite earnestness in their desire to please. They offer two sizes ($4.50 small and $6.50 large) for most of the sandwiches. They used to offer a size in between but that is now covered up on the menu board.

Bakery - Porto's Bakery 315 N. Brand Boulevard, Glendale 818-956-5996 . Dessert - Mignon Chocolate Finding something easy and unique is always a challenge when entertaining. Glendale's "Best Dessert" winner, Mignon Chocolate , has many solutions, but one of the most interesting is the Mignon Chocolate Fountain (see photo). Simply dip strawberries into the cascading chocolate for a spectacular addition to any event.

Burbank residents are lining up to get a taste of Jersey Mike’s Subs, a shop that is being touted as having the best new sandwich in town. “It’s the greatest food around,” regular David Allen said. “It’s unlike other places like Subway and Quiznos that use presliced meat and frozen vegetables. Everything you get here is so fresh.” The shop prides itself on its meats and cheeses, flown in weekly from the East Coast and sliced to order for every sub, store owner Leonard Babaie said.