LOUNGE A STUDY IN INTIMACY.

Byline: Larry Lipson

Restaurant Critic

You can drive by the 99-room Graciela Hotel in Burbank and not notice it.

It somehow blends in with the residential structures nearby.

But surprise, this secluded building on Pass Avenue happens to possess a small public bar and comfortable dining lounge right off its small, serviceable lobby.

It's one of those relatively undiscovered, nifty meeting spots for drinks in a relaxing setting enjoyed with or without a meal.

Actually, the fairly recently built Graciela, which describes itself as a luxury boutique hotel, evidently intended to construct a separate, complete dining room and kitchen adjacent to its current facility.

But it recently changed ownership without doing such.

It continues however, to serve a tapas-style menu of a dozen small dishes and a 10-item menu of main plates that includes salads.

But don't expect food to arrive in a hurry. It's prepared somewhere below in a subterranean kitchen.

It certainly was the perfect, last-minute choice recently for an intimate Valentine's Day dinner.

And at a second visit, a full dinner was served at the bar.

Understandably, this is not the most innovative food in town. After all, the kitchen is, first and foremost, concerned with providing nourishment for hungry hotel guests who might not appreciate anything too adventurous.

But you'll find a thick, juicy, fairly tender filet mignon ($35) -- decidedly better than the Kobe steak ($38) alternative -- to satisfy primal meat urges.

The steak arrives in a red wine reduction with crunchy baby vegetables and au gratin potatoes.

For beginnings, the kitchen makes a creamy corn chowder ($8) studded with shrimp, and there's also a mix of baby greens in a balsamic vinaigrette ($8) with poached pear and candied walnuts for those who prefer a salad.

Also from the tapas/starter list, a hungry diner might prefer the quartet of delicate, baby lamb chops ($16), each chop offering tender bites of lamb meat sweetened with a pomegranate-molasses glaze, or a generously portioned bowl of house-produced, ground beef chili ($10).

The latter, served with a basket of multicolored tortilla chips, additionally could easily fulfill a lunch or light supper need.

Chicken potstickers ($12) though, are less than thrilling.

The simple but effective pan-seared halibut entree ($26) should please fish fanciers. But take note: The kitchen needs insistence on slight under-cooking to make sure of moistness.

This is delivered with a tasty potato and artichoke hash, a welcome tomato compote and the same baby veggies that accompany the steak.

Graciela also grills a nice sized Black Angus hamburger ($16) with lettuce, tomato, pickle, Tillamook cheddar and fries. Again, make sure it's ordered rarer than desired, because there's always that lurking tendency to overcook here.

Graciela's library-themed lounge has only a handful of tables for meal-takers, and its minimal, capable and very friendly staff does its best to please under the circumstances. Unfortunately, it could easily get popular and overcrowded.

As long as most everyone driving by doesn't realize there's a neat hotel bar and dining lounge here, perhaps only a few of us will continue to know about its existence.

Larry Lipson, [phone]

[e-mail]

GRACIELA LIBRARY LOUNGE

Food: Two and one half stars - Service: Three stars - Wine: Two stars

Where: 322 N. Pass Ave., Burbank.

Phone: [phone].

www.thegraciela.com.

Meals/hours: Dinner and snacks served from 5 to 11 p.m. nightly.

Food type: American.

Cost: Starters (small plates) from $8 to $16, salads and main plates from $16 to $38, desserts $8 each.

Credit cards: AE, MC, V.

Patio dining: No.

Parking/valet: Valet only. No specified fee.

Full bar: Yes.

Wine/Corkage: Small changing list. Corkage: $10.

Music/entertainment: No.

Takeout/delivery: Yes on takeout, no on delivery.

Reservations: Helpful.

CAPTION(S):

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Photo:

Filet mignon with au gratin potatoes, vegetables and basil aoli with a red wine reduction is an architectural work of art at Graciela's Library Lounge.

Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer