DINING OUT:Granville lives up to name
The publicity for Granville Casual Gourmet Café says it is “upscale yet unpretentious, satisfying yet healthy, gourmet yet generous.” Well, after several meals there, I can tell you there is something strange about the restaurant’s marketing hype. It’s actually true.
To begin with, I love the décor of this restaurant. It’s done in a mostly arts-and-crafts style, with warm earth tones and soft lighting. I really like the way they pushed the front entrance back to create an angled patio space. The only distraction is an inexplicable huge science fiction-themed painting at the end of the room.
The menu begins with “Shareables,” better known to us as appetizers. The baby-back ribs were smoky, fall-off-the-bone tender and served with a sweet barbecue sauce. Also on the starter menu are sweet-potato fries. They’re served in a paper bag with a garlic aioli dipping sauce. Crispy, sweet and lightly salted, these are a personal favorite of mine. In case you’re wondering, aioli is a light mayonnaise-style sauce flavored, in this case, with garlic.
The restaurant’s signature salad has a Mediterranean flair with romaine, watercress, mint, feta cheese, Kalamata olives and topped with lemon oregano vinaigrette. It’s a terrific combination and very fresh.
I thought I’d be equally gaa-gaa over the Thai sesame salad. The description sounded terrific — spring greens, avocado, mango, carrots and peanuts with a sesame dressing. And while the salad was good, it was mostly comprised of the greens. I kept poking around to get at the good stuff. If the proportion of greens to other ingredients were more balanced, I would’ve loved it.
Soup-wise, Granville’s has a terrific split-pea soup that literally stands up to a spoon — thick and oh so good. My wife really got a kick out of the grilled-cheese dipper sandwich.
What makes it a “dipper” is the small bowl of tomato bisque that you dip the sandwich into. Oh, and don’t get me started on the homemade potato chips. They are simply great. Golden brown and lightly salted, they are so much better than what comes out of the bag, you may never go back.
For dinner, my grilled salmon and mashed potatoes was quite good and well prepared, and the rib-eye stew was good, but heavy on the gravy. Also, the “Uptown Mac & Cheese” was a bit disappointing, being somewhat deficient in the cheese department.
But dessert always cheers me up and the Berry Patch Shortcake, big enough for four, was excellent. Served in a giant martini glass, shortcake biscuits were smothered in sweetened cream and fresh strawberries, blueberries and blackberries. I’m glad I left room.
While I hate to sound too enthusiastic, I must tell you the gourmet pizza I had instantly became an all-time favorite — chicken and bleu cheese.
The menu says “trust us on this one,” and am I glad I did. A thin crust is topped with chicken, bleu cheese, fig spread, cheese, prosciutto, onions and pine nuts. Oh my. The way the bleu cheese complements the sweetness of the fig spread is just … well, indescribable. You’ll just have to trust me on this one.
It’s the kind of originality that makes me want to go back just to try something new. Not a bad formula for a new restaurant, and a welcome addition to our local culinary scene.
FYI
WHAT: Granville Casual Gourmet Cafe
WHEN: 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 7 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday
WHERE: 121 N. San Fernando Blvd., Burbank
COST: Lunch, $7.95 to $12.95; Dinner, $9.95 to $24.95
CONTACT: (818) 848-4726, fax (818) 846-4726 or www.granvillecafe.com