Granville Café
Granville Café (granvillecafe.com)
is an all American restaurant serving unique and creative takes on
classic dishes, with a strong emphasis and commitment to serving
organic salads, meats, and entrees. Their dedication to using organic
produce and hormone-free meats when possible is just a small part of
their pledge in serving their customers the very best in 
gourmet. It
has been growing in popularity since it opened its doors in Burbank in
fall 2006, and will be opening a second location in Glendale,
California very soon. Inside, the atmosphere is loud and boisterous
since it is usually packed, but the dining area is cleverly spaced so
diners are not crowded and waiters have room to glide between tables.
The restaurant has earthy tones of deep browns, with cast iron
decorations on its mauve walls, and mirrored glass squares. A large
colorful mural is displayed against the back wall, while amber orange
lights illuminate the bar. Plush, soft chairs are at every table, while
wide booths sit along one side of the wall, with fans spinning
overhead. Granville Café is casual enough for families, yet nice and
fun enough for couples or large groups.
Granville Café offers Happy Hour from 4-7 p.m. Monday through
Friday, along with specials on food and drinks.
The outdoor patio
facing the promenade on San Fernando Boulevard is the perfect spot to
lounge with friends and people watch while sipping one of their
specialty cocktails. Not many places make a stellar Sangria, but here,
their perfect concoction (made in house and chilled overnight) of
organic wine, fresh citrus juice, and fruit, really hits the spot. From
the first sip, you can taste the fresh juices without feeling that it
overpowers the wine. Another is their famous Tipsy Lemonade, made with
their special house berry lemonade and pomegranate juice, which is not
too sugary, but fruity with a slightly sour pucker.
The great thing about Granville Café is their sharable selections!
These classics are meant to be shared as starters amongst the table and
is a great way to try many of their specialty dishes. The Gourmet
Grilled Cheese Dipper, is a grilled cheese sandwich on country style
bread, cut into four petit pieces for easy dipping, with a side of
garlic tomato bisque. The gruyere and parmesan cheeses are perfectly
melted together with petit basque, caramelized onions, 
and garlic aioli
in between crispy grilled bread. The sharpness of the cheeses and the
crispy layer of parmesan on the bottom of the loaf is what makes this
sandwich so flavorful. Such a simple twist on this comfort food classic
is beyond satisfying. For vegetarians, the Sweet Potato Fries and
Housemade Hummus are excellent choices! The
Sweet Potato Fries as seasoned with fresh herbs and served with Point
Reyes blue cheese dressing. The crunchy fries are faintly sweet and all
the more appealing since they are healthier. The Housemade Hummus is
made with their own garbanzo bean spread, with lemon juice and toasted
pine nuts. The tangy citrus flavor from the lemon perks this hummus up
and gives it completely new and appealing flavor.
The
Uptown Macaroni and Cheese is a healthier grown up version of the
classic, with tender cubes of herbed all-natural chicken, grilled
asparagus spears, and fresh sweet peas, baked and topped with buttered
breadcrumbs. The creamy cheese sauce made with aged cheddar and
Gruyere, oozes between the large elbow macaroni and blends beautifully
with the hearty chicken and fresh vegetables. This is always a customer
favorite, and can be ordered as a sharable or main entrée. Other
creative shareables to try are the Lobster Lettuce Cups, juicy lobster
mix with avocado, mango, and tomatoes in butter lettuce bites, or the
Taco Trio (one lobster, chicken, and rib eye). Granville Café also
offers a variety of vegetarian friendly soups, like the Garlic Tomato
Bisque or the Butternut Squash Soup. The Garlic Tomato Bisque is made
with wine, cream, and basil, and is extremely delicious with its creamy
and smooth texture, bursting with immense roasted tomato flavor. As
well as daily soups, they have specialty soups like Lobster Bisque
Thursday through Saturday, Southwestern White Tortilla on Tuesday and
Wednesday, and a hearty Rib Eye Stew on Sunday and Monday.
Their lunch menu features some delicious sandwiches and burgers. The Granville Bacon and Blue Burger is garnished with applewood bacon, caramelized onions, blue cheese, arugula, sautéed Mushrooms and port sauce. You can even add pastrami for just $2. The Chipotle Chicken Club sandwich is made with all-natural chicken, avocado, red onions, Jack Cheese, bacon, greens, and red wine vinaigrette with their own Chipotle aioli. The Turkey Cranberry and the Rustic Rib Eye sandwiches are also tasty options.
Granville
Café also offers big plates for those with bigger appetites. The Land
& Sea is a great combination for those who cannot decide between
steak or seafood. This surf and turf entrée features tender filet
mignon medallions wrapped in applewood smoked bacon accompanied by
grilled chili-rubbed shrimp with herbed mashed potatoes. The spiciness
from the Cajun gives the plump shrimp some kick but the fresh rosemary
adds a fragrant herbal base. The two filet medallions, glazed with a
port wine sauce and topped with blue cheese, are amazingly tender, and
falls apart as you slice into the pillowy filets. The kitchen is
careful in making sure every order is cooked as ordered, as mine was
perfectly medium rare. 
The
Pork Chop Dinner comes with a 12 oz. thick-cut bone-in pork chop rubbed
with Cajun spices and topped with cranberry-mango compote, and served
with sautéed spinach and sweet potato fries. The pork chops were thick,
tender and juicy while the compote added a fruity spread that was very
complimentary in flavor. The bed of roasted organic spinach was
garlicky and tender. Other notable big plates to try are the Rainbow
Trout Filet, pan-seared with a light Pepita crust, or the Bone-In Rib
Eye Steak, with red chili butter and fried onions.
One of the great things that Granville offers is the ultimate
dessert sampler, featuring three of their most popular dessert items;
Devil’s Advocate Chocolate Cake, Berry Patch Shortcake, and Brulee’d
Banana Brownie. The Devil’s Advocate is a rich chocolate cake with
creamy white frosting and port poached cherries, while the Berry Patch
Shortcake is made of fresh mixed berries layered with sweet cream on an
almond topped buttermilk shortcake biscuit. Lastly, the Brulee’d Banana Brownie is a chocolate pecan brownie with brulee’d banana, caramel sauce, and whipped cream.
Granville Café offers great gourmet food and atmosphere at an affordable price. You too, will be won over by their excellent service and fresh fare. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Weekend Brunch begins at 8 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
121 North San Fernando Blvd.
Burbank, California 91502
(818) 848-4726
