If you head west on the 210, La Canada is nice but no hotels I can remember. But if you get up to my old neck of the woods, Sunland/Tujunga don't stay there . Wouldn't recommend Glendale either from what I have been reading I would stay in Pasadena
Now if you want restaurants quite a few in good local in Pasadena.
In Arcadia, the old Spaghetti Factory was one of my wife's favorites kinda a chain that died or is in the process.
In Eagle Rock, Casa Bianca. Kinda like a Pinks Hot Dogs of pizza and Italian food. Must be a dozen pics of Ed Asner on their wall of celebs.
In Burbank, Pinocchio's. Decent Italian food. Still in the same decor as Colombo and Quincy episodes. I swear their food line was the inspiration for Seinfeld's Soup Nazi Decor.
Hope this helps give you the tourist flavor and decent places to eat