FOR BOTH FAMILIES AND SPORTS FANS, JJ'S GRILL SATISFIES.Byline: Larry Lipson Daily News Restaurant Critic For a while it seemed that the fad was to name restaurants by their street number like 72 Market Street, Bistro 45, 2424 Pico, 2087 An American Bistro and 2117. But suddenly we have three comparative newcomers on the scene sporting the initials JJ sans periods. And they're completely unrelated. Obviously, my partiality is to the initials L.L., but with no apparent eating places utilizing a double shot of my own beloved members of the alphabet, here's the scope on the trio of local JJs. There's a sporting and collectibles theme at JJ's Grill in Encino, the replacement for the BeachHead beach·head n. 1. A position on an enemy shoreline captured by troops in advance of an invading force. 2. A first achievement that opens the way for further developments; a foothold: Cafe. Jerseys of sports superstars - including Wayne Gretsky, Joe Montana and Pete Rose, also boxing champ Sugar Ray Leonard's robe - hang prominently in frames around the dining room. There are also intriguing collector's items, such as a still of John Wayne when he was honorary mayor of Encino and a Beatles photo with autographs. Yet despite the obvious sports-bar lure of several television screens broadcasting daily sports events along with the wall decorations, this casual restaurant has an obvious family approach, even to the point of producing a kiddie kid·die or kid·dy n. pl. kid·dies Slang A small child. kiddie Noun Informal a child menu of six meal items. They include a beverage, and none is priced more than $5. A kiddie-size ice cream and chocolate syrup dessert can be had for 99 cents. The menu here shows good range, with the kitchen skillfully preparing food that, for the most part, may not be particularly innovative but certainly rates as adequate or better. Appetizers meet the munchy needs of draft brew-sipping (Newcastle and Sam Adams) sports fans: a scattering of popcorn shrimp ($7.95) with crunch and verve, served with decent fries and red cocktail sauce; a pound of Buffalo wing-style chicken drumettes ($6.95), spiced up a bit and delivered with barbecue sauce; crispy, battered, moist chicken ``strip'' tenders ($6.50) with a honey-mustard dipping sauce; and an artichoke artichoke, name for two different plants of the family Asteraceae (aster family), both having edible parts. The French, or globe, artichoke (Cynara scolymus and spinach ``dip'' ($5.95) that is chopped rather than blended or finely minced, making it difficult to actually dip, but not without flavor. Incidentally, the dip, tenders and wings come with onion rings as an assorted appetizer plate titled JJ's Crowded House ($7.95). Pizzas are flavorful, with a biscuitlike instead of doughy thin crust, and baked to order in a wood-fired brick oven. A recommended choice is the applewood n. 1. wood of any of various apple trees of the genus Malus. Noun 1. applewood - wood of any of various apple trees of the genus Malus apple tree - any tree of the genus Malus especially those bearing firm rounded edible fruits chicken sausage and peppers rendition with mushrooms, onions, basil and mozzarella moz·za·rel·la n. A mild white Italian cheese that has a rubbery texture and is often eaten melted, as on pizza. [Italian, diminutive of mozza, a cut, mozzarella, from mozzare, ($8.95). Soup by the cup ($1.50 when served with a main item, otherwise $2.75) actually arrives in a white mug. On Fridays it's an extra-thick and creamy clam chowder chowder, stew of fish or shellfish with potatoes, onions, and pork (usually salt pork), thickened with crumbled hard bread. The name chowder seems to have originated from the French word chaudière . A bowl costs $3.50. The chili here, a soup alternative in the same cup deal ($1.50, $2.95 and $3.95), projects sweet overtones, is of medium spicy heat, offers plenty of meaty flavor as well as a good vegetable texture mix. There's a fair clam and mussel mussel, edible freshwater or marine bivalve mollusk. Mussels are able to move slowly by means of the muscular foot. They feed and breathe by filtering water through extensible tubes called siphons; a large mussel filters 10 gal (38 liters) of water per day. serving ($7.95) and a satisfying half-pound ``alligator pear'' burger on a wheat bun with avocado, jack cheese and bacon ($7.95). Unfortunately, a medium-rare order resulted in a dryish medium patty one day. Several salads, sandwiches, pastas and under-$12 entree plates (except swordfish for $13 and a New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of steak for $15) round out the fare. But perhaps the most intriguing dish on the JJ's Grill menu is a penne pasta creation with a designated New Orleans accent. It's a creamy, spicy-sauced tossing of well-executed penne noodles noo·dle 1 n. A narrow, ribbonlike strip of dried dough, usually made of flour, eggs, and water. [German Nudel. with pieces of grilled chicken, black beans, corn niblets and sauteed veggies Veggies of Nottingham, also known as Veggies Catering Campaign, is a campaigning group based in Nottingham, England, promoting ethicalbum alternatives to mainstream fast food. ($9.50) - quite a gratifying grat·i·fy tr.v. grat·i·fied, grat·i·fy·ing, grat·i·fies 1. To please or satisfy: His achievement gratified his father. See Synonyms at please. 2. creation with a welcome kick. And JJ's Grill makes it easy to come back, with its inexpensive Sunday buffet brunch ($7.95), Friday and Saturday night $1 drinks (well, wine and beer) between 8 and 10 p.m. and weekday happy hour drink, draft beer and appetizer specials between 4 and 7 p.m. Seems like JJ's could easily become a neighborhood hangout. THE FACTS The restaurant: JJ's Grill. Where: 17200 Ventura Blvd., Encino. When: Open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, for dinner from 4 to 9:30 p.m. nightly, to 11 p.m. Friday and to 1 a.m. Saturday; Sunday brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Recommended items: Popcorn shrimp, clams and mussels, applewood chicken sausage and peppers pizza, chicken tenders, New Orleans pasta, chili, clam chowder (served on Fridays). Children's menu: Six plates for children under 11 (cheese quesadilla que·sa·dil·la n. A flour tortilla folded in half around a savory filling, as of cheese or beans, then fried or toasted. [American Spanish, from Spanish, diminutive of quesada, , angel hair pasta or grilled cheese sandwich A grilled cheese sandwich, (also known as cheese toasty or toasted cheese sandwich) is a form of toasted sandwich that consists of two slices of bread and at least one slice of cheese melted in between. , $4 each; happy face pepperoni and cheese pizza, chicken strips and fries, or 3 mini-burger sliders sliders a species of tortoise kept as pets. They have a black shell and a red stripe behind the eye. Called also Chrysemys scripta elegans, red-eared sliders. , $5 each) includes soda or milk. How much: Starters from $2.75 to $8, sandwiches and salads from $6 to $9.50, pizzas from $7 to $9.50 plus extra charge for toppings, entrees from $9 to $15, desserts from $3 to $5. Full bar. AE, MC, V. Wine list: Very limited list of Californians, from $15.50 to $17.50 per bottle, from $4.25 to $4.95 per glass, sparkling wine $5.95 a split (Cook's). Corkage: $5. Reservations: Taken for parties of seven or more. Call (818) 501-7600. Our rating: Three Stars for food; Three Stars for service; One Star for wine. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Chef Henry Serulnic, left, manager Jon Fritts and head chef Joaquin Gonzalez fill a booth at JJ's Grill in Encino, where pizza, pasta, bar fare and soup are available. David Sprague/Daily News |
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