After driving north along an industrial stretch of San Fernando Road that parallels the concrete trash flume called the Los Angeles River, I arrived for lunch at Maran, an Armenian/Russian restaurant that’s best known for their weekend extravaganzas. During daylight hours, don’t expect singers, dancers or streaming vodka, but it’s still worth visiting Maran to sample Chef George Egezaryan’s food.

Robert Chargchian, the owner of Robert’s Russian Cuisine in Hollywood, debuted Maran in 2006, naming his Armenian/Russian restaurant after the traditional oven.

From the outside, Maran doesn’t look like much. Inside is another story, with faux stone walls lined with old wine barrels and Armenian carpets, and wood beams supporting decorative pottery, a bongo, even a jackalope “skull.”

A complimentary basket of rye bread and something akin to focaccia came with a pitcher of zesty pepper-studded tomato sauce.

Jajegh ($4.99) was basically a big dish of tangy tzatziki – yogurt flavored with garlic, flecked with cucumber and plumed with a single mint leaf. It was good slathered on the bread.

My entrée came with the soup of the day, in this case, a hearty bowl of borscht. The traditional Russian soup was loaded with julienned beets, carrots and potatoes and served with a dish of sour cream.

In order to sample as many dishes as possible, I ordered the Combo Entrée ($12.99), receiving a single lamb chop and skewers of chicken shish kabob and beef lula kabob. The luscious meats were laid on lavash and paired with seasoned steak fries and an uncooked waffle-cut carrot.

Energized by the Russian options, my friend ordered Chicken Kiev ($10.99). The chicken breast was breaded and deep fried, kept juicy from the stuffing of butter and dill, which melted during cooking and streamed out of the meat when cut with a knife. The entrée even featured decorative doilies, which are normally reserved for lamb chops.

Maran is a top-level option for Armenian food, even after considering the heavy competition in Glendale. Next time, I’ll opt for a weekend dinner show, since it’s uncomfortable being outnumbered by servers, but there will be a next time.

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4. Elena’s Greek Armenian Cuisine – Glendale, CA
5. Oasis Pastry & Cafe – Glendale, CA – October 26, 2007

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