The Great Grill: Why classics never go out of style

No wonder there’s so much nostalgia for the 1950s. It was the golden -- or should we say, chrome -- era of American classics: rock

‘n roll, tail fins, and jukebox diners with the best food on earth.

Those were the days of home-made meatloaf and banana splits, of

milkshakes and chicken-fried steak. Those days were so great that

some folks just won’t let them go. Thank goodness.

One such ‘50s devotee is Burbank-local George Martin. About eight

years ago, he got a job at a restaurant on Glen Oaks Boulevard called

The Great Grill. The owner, Pete Micalchuck, loved the ‘50s as much

as Elvis loved Cadillacs. Micalchuck’s kitchen had been putting out

wholesome American favorites since the early ‘70s, ranging from

open-faced turkey sandwiches with mashed potatoes, stuffing, and

cranberry sauce, to home-made apple pie and hot fudge sundaes. He

themed his restaurant with the slogan, “Back to the ‘50s.”

Since then, The Great Grill has moved to a new location in Burbank

Village. It is decorated top-to-bottom with red and white vinyl,

checkered floors, tabletop jukebox selectors -- plus a full-size

floor jukebox, and lots of chrome and glass. And although Micalchuck

doesn’t own The Great Grill anymore, he still has breakfast there

almost every day; the guy who usually cooks it is his former employee

George Martin, who, with partners Samvel Yerkanyan and Grigor

Mkrtchyan, bought the restaurant three years ago.

Martin is always glad to see his old boss because “any questions I

have, he can answer them,” Martin explains. He and his partners, with

the help of waiter extraordinaire Victor Safire, take pride in the

fact that while the ownership has changed, everything else has pretty

much stayed the same. There’s still the same family atmosphere, and

the same home-style cooking; Elvis, Frankie Avalon, and Buddy Holly

are still the favorite picks on the juke box; and banana splits and

chicken-fried steak still top the list of favorites.

About the only thing that’s different is an increasing clientele,

which Martin attributes to a growing and prospering Burbank.

The Great Grill is located at 126 N. San Fernando Blvd. in

Burbank. For more information, or to ascertain their hours, call

(818) 567-0060.

--J. Anderson