Linoln Lunch: kabob, rice, tomato

...Grillicious Grill about two months ago. The father cooks, the daughter runs the register and the mother keeps a low profile. In an attempt to gain customers, they are overly-friendly.

While ordering the kabob special the daughter asked me where I worked and how I found out about them (I provided few details; announcing that I write about lunch spots for a newspaper leads to biased treatment.)

As soon as I sat down the daughter popped in to ask me if there was anything I wanted to watch on the large flat screen TV that was hanging in one corner. The news, which was already on, was fine, I said.

A few minutes later she popped in again to ask if there was anything I wanted to drink. Their green tea is excellent, she said. I was okay with water, I told her.

My food arrived on a plastic plate with a napkin and flatware. Never to be dismayed by a reticent customer, the daughter shared a tip.

"It's really good if you mash the tomato into the rice," she said as she put my plate down. For all her chatter, the cashier was right. The rice was very tasty with the tomato mashed in, though it does not make for the best picture, above.

The mixture's mild flavor was a perfect compliment to the well-spiced kabob, a thick strip of ground beef about eight inches long. I had no trouble finishing and got up to clear my plate.

"How was everything?" asked you-know-who. Very good, I said. "So we'll be seeing you again?"

Visit Grillicious Grill at 18531 Burbank Blvd. behind the Exxon Station in Tarzana. (818) 881-8881.