A Grill With a Generous Streak

It seemed that every table at Georgie’s Bar and Grill, 16624 Ventura Blvd., Encino, (818) 986-2237, was sporting a Chinese chicken salad the day I ate lunch there. So of course I ordered one, too. It came in a big bowl lined with romaine lettuce leaves--a hefty portion of chicken, mandarin oranges, chunks of iceberg lettuce, crispy rice sticks all bound together by a sweet sesame-laced dressing. Against my better judgment I found myself liking it.

Georgie’s, the press release tells us, is the “quintessence of the ‘80s dining scene.” And perhaps that is exactly what this airy, open, pink-and-blue room, with its neon lighting and its high-visibility bar, is. The menu is eclectic and laid back, embracing everything from gourmet pizzas to half-pound hamburgers to grilled fish and Greek gyros. There are no gastronomic breakthroughs here, but Georgie’s is lively and friendly, and the reasonably priced food is served with a generous hand.