DINING OUT: Fresh from Nature’s Pantry

Eating healthy at fast-food restaurants is a formidable challenge. At some places, it’s all but impossible. But, the owners of a small storefront restaurant in Burbank want to change the way customers think about fast food and offer a healthy and fresh alternative ? right from Nature’s Pantry.

To me, “vegetarian burger” is an oxymoron. The secret to enjoying them is not thinking of them as burgers, but as a sandwich in its own right. And at Nature’s Pantry, it is. The patty is a concoction of ground nuts, brown rice, oats, fresh mushrooms, onions and seasonings. It holds together nicely and is surprisingly good. It can be dressed with one of three sauces ? barbecue, teriyaki or even curry ? along with all the standard toppings. And, you won’t have that lead-belly feeling all afternoon.

Keeping on the fast-food track, you might want to pair that faux burger with the Pantry’s French non-fries. These are French fries that have been spared the deep fryer and are instead prepared in a “unique high-velocity oven.” (The image of a flying oven cranking out fries was too good to spoil by asking what that actually means.) The trade-off here is in crispiness ? as in, they have none. The flavor is all potato and they are satisfying in their own way. Their slogan should be “Our fries are flabby so you don’t have to be.”

The main attractions at Nature’s Pantry are the stir-fry dishes. Wonderfully fresh veggies ? broccoli, carrots, squash, mushrooms, cabbage, cauliflower ? are mixed up into various combinations and paired with noodles, tofu, grilled chicken, soy chicken and brown rice to create a myriad of creative dishes. I also am fond of the Pantry’s “melties” ? grilled sandwiches of chicken, tuna, turkey or avocado paired with tomato and jack cheese. The multi-grain bread is fresh and gently grilled just until the cheese is nicely melted.

Homemade and hearty vegetarian soups are also a tasty choice. I had the split pea, which was aromatic and chock full of vegetables, so much so that they somewhat overpowered the flavor of the peas, but it was still enjoyable.

And, of course, salads are on the menu, but my experience with them is that they are Spartan affairs consisting largely of lettuce topped with whatever ? chicken, turkey, tuna salad or chicken salad.

I will say the sesame oil dressing on the Chinese chicken salad is terrific, but overall I’m partial to other areas of the menu.

Lunchtime gets quite busy due to traffic from the nearby office buildings, so for faster service, you may want to call in your order. I haven’t tried them for breakfast yet, but I plan to. Who knows, maybe a scrambled tofu with soysage will be my new favorite.

FYI

WHAT: Nature’s Pantry

WHEN: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday

WHERE: 3917 Riverside Drive, Burbank

COST: Breakfast $3.25 to $3.75; Lunch $4.50 to $9.95

PHONE: (818) 841-0123

FAX: (818) 841-9093