Dining Review: Random spots for tasty eats

Like finding a pearl within an oyster, sometimes you find a gem of a restaurant inside something else. This week’s roundup considers notable eateries found in unexpected places.

Nestled inside the Burbank Tennis Center in McCambridge Park, 40-Love Cafe serves Thai food, smoothies and other snacks in full view of the tennis courts. Shaded outdoor cafe tables make for a pleasant place to while away the afternoon or evening. Counter service and Styrofoam plates bring the vibe down to very casual but the food is pretty good. I like the larb, the green curry and the tea with boba.

40-Love Cafe in the Burbank Tennis Center, 249 E. Amherst Drive, Burbank

The deal of the week is at the Deli Counter inside Sprouts Market in La Cañada. For $3.99, they’ll make you a thick sandwich with everything on it. Quality deli meats, beautiful breads, mustard/mayo and unlimited fresh vegetables are a matter of course. Cheese and avocado are a little extra. For a dollar more, you get a bag of chips and a drink. Call ahead, if you prefer, and it’ll be ready when you get there.

Deli Counter in Sprouts Farmers Market, 920 Foothill Blvd., La Cañada Flintridge

The Coast Annabel Hotel is an unassuming lodge catering to Burbank studios and their tourists. It may live in the shadow of its sister hotel, the Safari Inn, that midcentury treasure next door, but the Coast Annabel has Olive’s Bistro, a comforting restaurant with surprisingly sophisticated food and cocktails. There’s something about the ambience at Olive’s that makes you feel like you’re on an road trip, a feeling I personally love. The friendly wait staff, especially LeeAnne, put you at ease and take good care of you. The burgers and pastas are satisfying, the martinis dry.

Olive’s Bistro in The Coast Annabel Hotel, 2011 W. Olive Ave., Burbank

The turnover is swift at Willie’s Grill & Deli & Fish & Chips. Tucked inside Alameda Liquor at the corner of Victory Boulevard and Alameda Avenue, Willie’s attracts people who drop in for a soda or six-pack, pick up a sandwich or fish and chips and head on out. Sandwiches are easy to find all over Burbank but fish and chips are another thing. That’s why, in spite of the fact the oil is less than fresh, I recommend them. The deep-fried, battered cod fillets are moist, flaky and piping hot. Ask for extra vinegar.

Willie’s Grill & Deli & Fish & Chips in Alameda Liquor, 929 S. Victory Blvd., Burbank

HK Market is the supermarket of Korean grocery stores. It’s got every noodle, soy sauce and soju you can name. In the northeast corner of the store is a little eight-table restaurant called Bontobagi serving Korean fried chicken, barbecue, tofu soups and noodles. Nursing an impending cold, I got some spicy beef and tofu soup to go. It tasted great with its silky tofu, spicy broth and accompanying banchan and made me feel a lot better. I can’t speak to whether an eat-in meal is pleasing but they are pros at boxing up to-go orders in easy-to-carry bags while you shop.

Bontobagi in HK Market, 831 N. Pacific Ave., Glendale

Perhaps the oddest location for a restaurant is Central Park Pizza inside the BatCade Batting Cages in Burbank. You can eat your pizza accompanied by the cracks of bats hitting fastballs or do like most people and order the delicious New York-style pizza to go. Delivery is also popular. A hit with Nickelodeon and other nearby studios, Central Park is known for their specialty pies like the Broadway Special, the Hot Mama and the Big Apple. What sets their pizza apart? “Homemade sauces, hand-thrown dough and fresh veggies,” says the friendly woman behind the counter.

Central Park Pizza in BatCade Batting Cages, 220 N. Victory Blvd., Burbank

None of the restaurants mentioned above deserve five-star ratings and the service can be less than stellar, but they all have something to recommend them. So if you’re in the mood for tennis or baseball practice, if you feel like taking a road trip to nowhere, or if you need to get some grocery shopping done, you might as well satisfy your hunger while you’re at it.

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LISA DUPUY has written for Times Community News, Arroyo Monthly and Westways. Send comments to LDupuy@aol.com.