Places to Go for a Little Comfort

Comfort foods are a good remedy for the blues.

Eat ‘n’ Park, 2517 W. Victory Blvd., Burbank, (818) 843-9301. Style: Ex-drive-in serving diner food the way it really used to be. Setting: Leatherette booths, lunch counter, easy listenin’ music. Recommended: Beef barley soup; chicken fried steak with Arkansas gravy; apple strudel. Cost: $4-$10.

Mary’s Lamb, 13624 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, (818) 501-7700. Style: Home cooking for baby boomers. Setting: Cozy storefront dining; lots of knotty pine, quilts and gingham. Recommended: Buttermilk-fried chicken; roast Cornish hen with stuffing; pumpkin raisin cake. Cost: $14-$22.

The Original Pantry Bake & Sandwich Shoppe, 875 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, (213) 627-6879. Style: Offspring of the Original Pantry has diners with neckties sitting next to hard hats. Setting: Industrial. Old photos, celebrity glossies on the walls. Recommended: Turkey sandwich; Pantry coleslaw; chocolate cake. Cost: $4-$10.

Pine Avenue Grill, 100 W. Broadway, Long Beach, (213) 432-PINE. Style: Long Beach’s answer to American nostalgia. Setting: Dark and clubby. Recommended: Meat loaf, stuffed pork chop; sticky buns. Cost: $10-$20.

Yanks, 262 S. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, (213) 85-YANKS. Style: Hearty American fills the thirtysomething gap. Setting: ‘40s New England with lots of prints, pine and paint. Recommended: Chicken pot pie; macaroni and cheese; spice layer cake. Cost: $10-$20.

--Compiled by Kathie Jenkins