#TBT: Discover a Huell Howser Favorite

BY TAMARA PALMER

The late broadcaster Huell Howser had a flair for finding wonderful human interest stories in the Golden State through his series California’s Gold and various specials. My friend Richard Henderson recently took me to a restaurant that has come to be one of his favorites, thanks to Huell: The Tallyrand Restaurant in Burbank.

Opened in 1959 and named after a soup at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco that was created as a tribute to 19th century French diplomat Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, the Tallyrand still remains owned by the children of original owners Al and Dolores Thomas. The restaurant quickly became known as the place for turkey, and today they roast 200 pounds of poultry daily. Huell drove past it randomly one afternoon in 2004 and returned to film a particularly tender episode of Visiting with Huell Howser there.

I wouldn’t normally gravitate towards a gravy-covered Thanksgiving dinner of a turkey sandwich, but Richard and Huell both insisted that I try it, and now I’m hooked.

The Tallyrand Restaurant, 1700 W. Olive Ave., Burbank