It helps if the economy is booming and the location is a high traffic hot spot. Maximilian’s in the No Ho Arts District had neither advantage but the unique venture does have the boundless enthusiasm and experience of talented Chef Laszlo who had to make it the hard way with favorable word of mouth and media praise…. His tenacity is beginning to pay off.

Deliciously different, Maximilian’s Austrian, Hungarian and French Cuisine skillfully prepared to order, provides a welcome, authentic Euro dining adventure at remarkably sensible prices. There’s a lack of pretense plus the sense of casual elegance that persuades particular patrons to relax and sip an award-winning vintage whilst considering the tempting menu. Every dish on the lunch or dinner menu is prepared by Lazslo in his open kitchen where miraculous culinary classics happen….

With its one of a kind setting, Maximilian’s has the feel of a smartly converted residence magically converted to a mini-palace setting complete with a lovely rose garden adjoining ample self parking at 11330 Weddington St. An inviting outside patio seats up to 60 guests in private cabanas ideal for personal or business events and the mural charmed smaller party facility adjoins the carpeted central dining room where patrons relax at smartly set tables with full white linen at lunch as well as dinner served daily except on Mondays … from 11:30 and after 5:30 for dinner. Its dinner service is only on Sundays.

Lazslo is justly proud of his award winning imported wine and champagne list that includes an impressive number of sensibly priced vintages named among the finest 100 imports in the prestigious Wine Spectator. Many are available by the glass for patrons’ personal appraisal and preference. Browse the wines or beers before you sip and sup in subdued grandeur.

and finally made it there for a mid-afternoon weekday lunch date. The inviting storefront café was surprisingly busy at that hour and I’m told there are waiting lines of eager breakfast and brunch regulars who rave about the omelets and the banana nut French toast. The Sunday Brunch when the Farmer’s Market is going strong on the avenue is also very popular.

We were seated promptly and presented an immense menu from creative burgers to fresh fish. We latched on to the excellent quartet of Sand Dabs that were delicately breaded and grilled to perfection. The steaming hot gourmet coffee was the best I’ve had of late and the crusty bread was fresh. Portions are generous and menu prices are quite moderate. Beer and wine are available but the café is both kid and pet friendly.

There’s street and rear lot parking; foods are handsomely packaged for take-out orders by swift and efficient young servers. I’m not crazy about the café’s name, but it’s hard to forget. The Black Cow doesn’t moo on Mondays.

A word or three about pink slime. The key word is disgusting and the Palate is embarrassed for the millions of markets and restaurants that willingly added the gunk to fresh ground beef in the name of profitable greed. My grandfather recalled a far lesser scam by 10-cent burger stands during the Great Depression when they saved a penny per pattie by sprinkling oak sawdust into the raw meat. “Folks thought it was pretty tasty and it soaked up the fat,” he observed. Illegal of course but a penny was precious. The “pink slime” purveyors have soaked up millions in vaguely legal but immoral food tampering. Most of their customers have now disdained and discontinued the vile practice. Better late than never, but still “slimy”….

The CART Company in last season’s production of “Inish.”

CART’s next show is Spring Cleaning, a matinee, on April 21, starring Samantha Eggar, Jo Anne Worley, Janet Waldo, Diane Mercer, Marvin Kaplan, Richard Herd, Johnny O’Callaghan, Tom Williams, Bob Legionaire, James Lancaster, John Lee, Joe Flood, and special guest star Jane Withers! John Harlan is the host.

Excerpts from Shaw’s Pygmalion, Tarkington’s Clarence, Wilson’s Ruggles of Red Gap, and Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer will be performed. Accompanying music will be arranged and performed by Jay Munns. Reservations are available at (213) 683-3422. Please leave your telephone number and how many tickets, or they may be ordered through PayPal (or you may pay at the door). The Program will appear at the Beverly Garland Little Theatre on the grounds of the Vineland Holiday Inn in North Hollywood. Show Time is 1:30 p.m. matinee and runs until 3 p.m. Tickets are ten dollars for seniors (55+) and students and twenty dollars for general admission. Parking is seven dollars on the grounds of the Holiday Inn. Street parking is also available.

CART is heard on Sirius XMRadio Monday and Friday evenings.

Some especially popular items, notably the fresh shrimp, mussels, and roast beef, were gone for the day. We also noted only a few pieces of sushi and a single slice of pizza on display.

The attractive, well-maintained place, originally the full-service Shaker Mountain Inn, serves until 10 p.m. nitely so there were many well-stocked choices of international cuisine to sate any appetite. That‘s not to promise gourmet quality but the broad selection offers an interesting array of Mandarin, Szechwan, American, Thai, BBQ, Cantonese, Hunan, Japanese, Italian, and Filipino items. Authenticity issues aside it‘s a lavish array of self-serve courses.

On weekends the QQ spread goes for $13.95 all day and that price prevails for weekday dinner. The Monday thru Friday lunch tab til 3:30 is $8.99. Kids under four feet tall eat for half price while tots under age three eat for free. Seniors over 65 get a 10 percent discount with I.D. All soft beverages are $1.79 with a free refill. No alcohol served. It’s a solid value.

The QQ has a carry-out menu that can accommodate groups up to 300 patrons and provides plenty of free adjoining self parking.

The place did well enough at lunch but in those days you could’ve fired a canon down the all-but-abandoned boulevard after daylight business hours.

Undaunted, the enterprising Williams pair next introduced Glendale to its first full-out fish and seafood place and Clancy’s Crab Broiler clicked on the corner at 210 N. Central Ave. where it remains family operated today. Fresh fish brought the sweet smell of $uccess.

The well-maintained and picturesque period seaport setting puts patrons in the fervent mood for platters piled with their favorite catch of the day at lunch or dinner seven days a week and there’s a full bar for libations.

Daily specials include all you can eat choices priced from $14.75 Monday thru Wednesday. There are pan-fried Dungeness Crab Cakes and a surf ’n turf platter of Baby Back Ribs and Fried Shrimp. The Palate savors the breaded Sand Dabs or herb-crusted Salmon, as well as pan-fried cornmeal-crusted Scallops under $20. Start any meal with hearty Clam Chowder, for an extra $2.50.

There are three comfy seating areas, a full selection of wines and cocktails from the Blue Whale Sports Bar worth a visit with its plethora of 14 flat screen TV events. There’s ample parking behind Clancy’s.

Also in Glendale, the Williams clan operates Jax, a swinging, intimate watering hole on North Brand Boulevard featuring solid live Jazz at no cover charge and tasty American cuisine washed down by a convivial full bar.

Another featured dish is a BBQ-charged turkey salad, and there are sundry sandwiches with the expected sides. Talk about nostalgia. The décor at Smoke City features memorabilia from the Lone Star State, wagon wheels and a 1941 Coca-Cola poster.

As you’d expect there’s seating outside with a pet-friendly area and lotsa’ carryout business.

The “Howdy, friend” counter service was especially helpful for a first-time patron. Prices are reasonable at 5242 Van Nuys Blvd. in Sherman Oaks where they serve from 11 in the ayem til 10 at nite.

Well worth a looksee is the visual tour of the distant but different Flavors of Belize located at 1271 S. La Brea Ave. near San Vicente in L.A. Log online for a visit to the intimate spot where Zelda creates a complex treat called Chirmole, a high-intensity black sauce that is poured over tender poached chicken and a hard-boiled egg, and other rare dishes. It’s a complex Oaxacan dish featured weekends til 9 p.m. at the friendly place. It could be well worth your timer and fuel.

Some years ago — I lose count these days — my Celebrity Table broadcasts originated from the Tam. Popular actor Cesar Romero recalled the restaurant’s early era when he would tether his mount for a coffee break when Los Feliz Boulevard was little more than a bridal path adjoining Griffith Park.

Today the Tam is the oldest family-owned restaurant still in its original location — and that’s no small distinction.

To mark the occasion the Tam is featuring a monthly roster of its classic menu and, for at least 20 natal occasions, I‘ll blow out my birthday candles there come March 21. The Tam and I are growing old together and the March classic entree choices include ‘50s favorites Shrimp and Crab Combination Louis, Hamburger Deck Steak (twin patties and cheese with onion rings), Prime Rib Steak Delmonico, and a Sirloin Steak Sandwich. The March dessert of the month is Cheesecake. How sweet it is. Executive Chef Ryan Wilson insists the only difference between the ’50s originals and today is the 2012 menu prices. I guess we still can‘t quite live in the past. The Tam is a Lawry’s Restaurant and has a complete bar and fine wine list.

There’ll be different classic dishes in April, May, and June. For the record Frank and Walter Van de Kamp of bakery fame launched The Tam O’Shanter Inn at 2980 Los Feliz Blvd. five blocks east of the 5 Frwy, way back on June 22, 1922. For reservations, visit www.Lawrysonline.com.

Ever since McDonald’s cracked the great divide twixt fast food and a real breakfast with its Egg McMuffin innovation, other chains have attempted to ting the breakfast bell with mixed results. Subway and Wendy’s are in the swim and now it’s time to say “Buenos dias” to Taco Bell, best recalled as the home of a Spanish speaking Chihuahua, diving in the deep end with many items from 89 cents to $2.29 at 800 of its 5,600 stores nationwide. Time will tell if folks want Eggs Ranchero on a paper plate.

The fact is that fast food purveyors have made giant leaps during the recession because their fare is fast and cheap. For the Palate there’s nothing more satisfying than nestling into a comfy booth with a full menu and my very own server. She or he is the professional link to a satisfactory dining experience. Unhappily there‘s a generation almost unaware of the gratuity system that supplements servers paid a minimum wage per hour. That person delivering your food is not a robot but an individual reliant on tip income to pay for studies, survival while waiting for that big career break, or supporting a family.

Poor service does not rate a big reward but special attention deserves a bonus when you pay out. Add an extra buck and a big smile to your server and feel good all over. Generosity pays off!

For more than three decades (and counting) I’ve eaten breakfast, lunch, and dinner at this family-owned and -operated dining landmark located at 697 N. Victory Blvd. in Burbank. It’s the ultimate full-service family restaurant with everything from a kiddies menu to a cocktail bar. There’s literally something for everybody on the diverse menu.

A hot breakfast is available anytime with thick slices of French toast and perfect pancakes, ham, crispy bacon, tender grilled steak, and eggs prepared any style known to man and served with hash browns or golden fries and fresh-baked breads plus mugs of hearty, steaming hot coffee.

Thru all the years I’ve never departed Lancer’s hungry, disappointed, or wanting more for the money. Portions at the meticulous and comfortable restaurant are — to put it mildly — generous. Steaks and sandwiches are thick at slim prices.

Check out these daily meal deals offered in addition to the regular menu:

There’s crisp and tasty ½ Broasted Chicken, $7.99 after 3 p.m. on Monday.

Two for Tuesday is a pair of dinners for $15.99 with a choice of tender BBQ Beef Ribs, Liver and Onions, Meat Loaf, or grilled Red Snapper.

My favorite Wednesday dinner special is the choice grilled Rib Eye Steak, $9.99, but there’s also Lasagna, Spaghetti & Meatballs, or Chicken Parmigiana.

Thursday’s choice entrée is a tender, broiled Top Sirloin Steak, $9.99.

The TGIF special is a thick, juicy cut of Prime Rib of Beef, slow cooked from rare to medium and priced way less than the competition at just $11.99.

Saturday is Lancers’ official Steak Night with a New York at $10.99 or a 12 oz. T-Bone Steak at $11.99. Succulent Baked Chicken every Sunday, $7.99, is a family Lancers tradition.

All these budget-priced dinners include a crisp green salad and a hot and hearty home-style soup (I favor the lentil or chunky chicken and rice), choice of potato (except with pasta dishes), a veggie, and freshly baked bread. They even include a light dessert of Jell-O or a big scoop of ice cream — but the fresh-baked fruit and crème pies are irresistible extras.

Why settle for a greasy fast food bite when Lancers offers a wholesome weekday bargain express lunch served 11 ‘til 3 or a fulfilling choice from the endless list of sandwich treats?

Busy as they invariably are, staffers always smile, extend a greeting, and provide extra service touches. Seven days and nites they more than live up to the house motto.

If your notion of a good meal starts with a smart cocktail or a cold brew, Lancers has a full bar as well as convivial lounge dining. Another plus is the spacious self-parking. For more menu details or to place take-out orders, dial (818) 843-3433.

For instance, those crispy home-style potato chips that I can make a meal of and the very original zucchini nut bread that is not only delectable but also nutritious.

The broad menu at Green Street includes sensibly priced and superior omelets, salads, sandwiches, quesadillas, and tempting entrees that are nicely presented in bright, pleasant surroundings at its longtime address, 146 S. Shopper’s Ln.

An egg dish I savor is the Eggs Benedict with Black Forest Ham and an ultra-rich house hollandaise sauce with potatoes. Treat yourself to avocado slices with brunch.

Try Charlie’s Breakfast of scrambled eggs with bacon, grilled onions, and cheddar cheese topped with sour cream and salsa. Served with toast or that great zucchini bread and potatoes….

The special Cornucopia Salad offers mixed greens tossed with breast of chicken, avocado, raisins, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, green onions, apples, toasted almonds, and crumbles of blue cheese, tossed with citrus blue cheese vinaigrette for great taste and good health….

Green Street’s Monte Cristo sandwich is made with Black Forest Ham, Swiss cheese, Dijon mustard with sourdough dipped in egg batter and golden fried. Served with mango chutney. Very tasty….

Among dinnertime entrees are charbroiled fresh salmon with garlic smashed potatoes and herb roasted chicken from Petaluma Poultry served with fresh veggies and a wild rice medley….

There’s much more to enjoy including Mexican dishes and home-style desserts served seven days and nites at Green Street.

Closed for renovations since mid-December, the popular Water Grill at 544 S. Grand Ave. in downtown L.A. re-opens at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 24, with an expanded dinner menu.