Tallyrand ho! A good, reasonable eatery

Bill Scollon

Students of history, hearing the name Tallyrand, may think of the

18th century French diplomat Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand. But if

you’re a Burbank resident, you think of the Tallyrand Restaurant,

part of our local history since 1959. No offense to Charles, but the

restaurant has nothing to do with him. The founders picked the name

simply because they liked the sound of it. And the rest, as they say,

is history.

Tallyrand offers good, diner-style American food at reasonable

prices. I happen to think it’s one of the best places in town for

breakfast. I can be found there many mornings enjoying a great

omelet, a fluffy Belgian waffle with strawberries (hold the whipped

cream, please) or a traditional breakfast of eggs, potatoes and ham.

And I nearly always order their better-than-you-expect banana-nut

muffin.

They offer several kinds of homemade muffins, but trust me on

this, the banana nut is tops. It’s a rich, moist muffin topped with

walnuts and served warm. One of these with a side of crispy bacon is

a bit of heaven to me.

For lunch, special sandwiches rule. The open-face, hot turkey

sandwich takes me back to a kinder, gentler time. Real, sliced turkey

on white bread with mashed potatoes, all smothered in savory turkey

gravy with cranberry sauce on the side. (Here’s a tip: Don’t let your

doctor see you eating this!) It’s heavy and delicious, just like it

should be. Other good lunch bets include the tuna or turkey melts,

the Reuben and burgers.

Dinner entrees range from steak to chicken, pork chops to fried

shrimp. Most are nicely prepared, but I was disappointed with the

chicken fried steak. It’s admittedly a funky dish to begin with, but

that’s no reason for the beef to be overcooked and the country gravy

flavorless.

On the flip side, I was very pleased with the salmon. I had it

blackened, and it was done just right -- still moist inside. It came

with a nice vegetable medley, featuring snow peas and a choice of

potato. And when they offer you sourdough bread or a muffin -- take

the muffin! Yes, even at dinner these beauties are available. After

all that, if you still want dessert, try one of their homemade bundt

cakes. Delish.

Tallyrand is a comfortable and friendly spot. Menus feature art

from local schoolchildren, and families love the place. But so do

studio execs, laborers, retirees, artists and gadflies. You’ll hear

conversations about glass ceilings and window panes, achy feet and

football plays, scripts and scripture, political news and workday

blues. So forget about that French diplomat and stop by Tallyrand for

good food with a side of local history.

* BILL SCOLLON is a Burbank resident and president of Scollon

Media Arts. You can reach him at ewscollonhotmail.com.