Order Near the Court

Next time you go to the Van Nuys courthouse for jury duty or maybe traffic court, give yourself a lunchtime respite from the utilitarian grimness of the place by following the crowds across the street to Dr. Deli and the Salad Queen.

The lawyers, judges, police officers and county employees who work in the courthouse, not to mention the jurors on trials there, make a beeline for this place at lunchtime for its salads, hearty sandwiches, burgers and other items, all at decent prices.

Bettyanne Bradley runs Dr. Deli and the Salad Queen with her son, Stephen, and when you ask her about the provenance of the name, she laughs and says:

“That was the name it had when we bought it nine years ago. A couple owned it back then, and I guess he was Dr. Deli and she was the Salad Queen. Don’t ask me why.

“We kept the name because we couldn’t think of anything cuter.”

She and her son serve up some inventive wraps--”rainbow” wraps, they call them, 12-inch tortillas made plain or with spinach or sun-dried tomatoes and stuffed with tuna salad, chicken salad, egg salad, barbecue chicken, etc.

They also offer hot dishes like shepherd’s pie, spaghetti Bolognese and lasagna; no fewer than 16 salads and half a dozen burgers, including the “Arresting Officer” with bacon and cheese.

The sandwiches include the “Clerk’s Club,” “The Judge,” “The Tax Man” and “The D.A.,” in honor of the regulars. The fillings--turkey, roast beef, barbecued chicken--have no connection to the names.

Prices go up to $7.95 for the sandwiches, to $6.95 for the burgers and to $7.45 for salads. The wraps sell for $6.45.

Dr. Deli and the Salad Queen is at 6310 Van Nuys Blvd. in Van Nuys, (818) 908-0957.

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Herb Newman opened the Oyster House in Studio City 16 years ago this month, and to celebrate, he offers a number of menu items at the original prices through the middle of December.

Starting today until Dec. 15, Newman’s clam chowder will set you back only $3.95 and the seafood primavera or the mussels or calamari with linguine only $9.95. Other items on his long menu are similarly priced.

Newman also has a new heated outdoor patio for smokers, and a cigar night the second Tuesday of each month.

The Oyster House is at 12446 Moorpark St., Studio City, (818) 761-8686.

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Juan Hovey writes about the restaurant scene in the San Fernando Valley and outlying points. He may be reached at (805) 492-7909, by fax at (805) 492-5139 or via e-mail at jhovey@gte.net.