Chicken

Gourmet and ethnic food trucks may be here to stay. But nothing beats a casual food stand that serves good food and stays put. Now that Kix's BBQ is open, right there between Jack's Lube and Hamlet Auto, you'll always know where to go when you're craving some inexpensive Asian island barbecue. They keep it wonderfully simple here. Basically, there are four items on the menu — three combos and a rib-eye steak plate. The common element to all the combos is a killer barbecued chicken leg. Fried rice and salad come alongside.

Hard to believe that before Wacky Wok came along, there was no Chinese restaurant in current-day Montrose. Yes, New Moon and Sun Palace are down the street, but the walkable heart and soul of Montrose needed a modern, casual Chinese spot. They've got one in Wacky Wok New York Style Chinese Cuisine. My first question, and probably yours, was, "What makes it New York style?" The answer came from the host (who quadruple-tasks as phone order-taker, waiter and bus boy): "It's more intense, spicy and flavorful.

Late-night diners are known for their diverse menu selections and homey atmosphere. The food is never great, but as long as the staff is hospitable, it gets the job done. Conrads Restaurant in Glendale is not your typical Denny's or IHOP. With its friendly servers and classy set-up, it's no wonder this family-owned establishment has been a local favorite for 30-plus years. Oh, and the food's not too bad either. Conrads calls itself a family restaurant, but I see it more as a fine dining/greasy spoon/sports bar hybrid.

To the uninitiated motorist driving down Magnolia Boulevard in Burbank on a given Saturday, one might conclude there's a three-alarm fire, with huge billows of smoke near the intersection of Buena Vista Street. But open the car window and you'll know this fire was deliberately set, on one of the largest smoker grills you've ever seen. The intoxicating (at least for meat lovers) smell of fresh barbecue brings lines halfway down the block, week after week, year after year. The weekly cookout at the Handy Market has become so popular that some customers plan their weekly wait in line to catch up on their social lives and update their kids' progress in school.

There is a chain of chicken restaurants (whose name begins with a Z) that has led the market in succulent, finger-smacking roasted chicken for years. It's definitely delicious, but the next time I'm hankering for garlicky chicken, hummus and pita, I'll be going to the brand new Frechicko. Admittedly, the main reason is that it's closer to my home in La Crescenta. But secondly, this chicken is less greasy and more flavorful. They use a multistep, multiday process to create this wonderful flavor.

Menu through April 13. Meals served at 11:30 a.m. daily at: ? Adult Recreation Center 201 E. Colorado St. Glendale (818) 548-3778 Pacific Park Community Center 501 S. Pacific Ave. Glendale (818) 548-3775 Sparr Heights Community Center 1613 Glencoe Way Glendale (818) 548-2187 ? TODAY: Pepper steak, buttered noodles, peas and carrots, marinated tomatoes, beef barley soup, wheat roll and cantaloupe.

Anyone living in La Crescenta or La Cañada Flintridge noticed the remarkable transformation that took place at the old Chor’s Chinese take-out place at the busy intersection of Ocean View and Foothill. Over the course of a few weeks, the exterior became a mini-Eden of colorful flowers, twinkle lights and a gurgling fountain. But what about the interior and the food? It took me a year, but I found out. While there are a few distinctive items I might go back for, overall, the Garden Grill is a mediocre Middle Eastern restaurant with high prices and only adequate service.

The students in Carol Tensen’s sixth-grade class still eat chicken. That’s despite gutting a bird and putting up with its decomposing smell the past six weeks, all in the name of ancient Egypt. “We learned what happened when pharaohs got mummified,” Balboa Elementary School student Teni Amadian said. “We thought the chicken could be our pharaoh.” Enter King Kluckhamen, whose rancid stench took 30 minutes to leave the room, at least initially, according to student Connor McGarrah.

About 10,000 people were estimated to have attended Montrose’s 97th birthday party Sunday, organizers said. The day of food, moon bounces, shopping, pony rides and petting zoos is a homecoming for many retired merchants and families, Glendale City Councilman John Drayman said. “The reason we created this event is to reinforce the sense of community in Crescenta Valley,” he said. “It’s unique in Glendale. Events that have history help connect new residents with some of the older residents in the community.

Recently on “Dirty Jobs,” a TV show that highlights some of the nation’s dirtiest jobs, Miami was chosen. It seems there are more than 100,000 chickens running around the city. There is a special force of volunteers that tries to catch the chickens. Their success rate is only about one-third of what they try to catch on a daily basis. Seems the chickens can run fast and fly a bit to elude the chaser (“Chicken won’t balk,” Jan. 29). Their only means of catching them has been the old-fashioned net!