It would seem that most owners of home-style restaurants come from homes where cooking means opening a can and defrosting a pie. It's Cristof's, which opened a few months ago in Glendale, occupying the space that was the Tearoom at Glendale. Kathleen Muhsam, the owner, was the pastry chef at the Tearoom. She serves European-inspired homey dishes and excellent desserts. The ceiling is tin.
Lighting is provided by a collection of unmatched chandeliers.
The front room looks out onto the street, while the back room offers the seclusion of high-backed booths. There are pieces of carousel art, including a winged bench. Prints of Indian chiefs share wall space with paintings of Wagnerian characters. Every table has a Magic 8-Ball, which comes in handy when deciding what to order. Outlook good,'' it says, and it's right.