805 Living Dining Blog: Angie Eats
Welcome to the 805 Living Dining Blog where our Dining Editor, Angela Pettera, keeps you up to date on restaurant happenings in the 805. To send her your tips and comments, email angela@805living.com. Happy eating!
Events listed on the blog are subject to change. Please contact the restaurants to confirm availability and details.
Les Dames D’Escoffier Online Auction
month of October
The Les Dames D’Escoffier International auction is underway online at http://www.cmarket.com/auction/AuctionHome.action?vhost=ldei. This once-a-year auction acts as a fundraiser for the women-only group of culinary and hospitality professionals. The money is used in the philanthropic arm of LDEI to provide culinary scholarships and to promote sustainable eating practices. LDEI members consisting of chefs, authors, and restaurant/hotel owners provide the goodies to be auctioned off. You’ll find items like cheese baskets, cookbooks, and bottles of wine. Some of the more elaborate auction items include a food-walking tour of Chicago ending with dinner in Frontera Grill donated by Deann Bayless, and a penthouse party in Palm Springs. There’s even the chance to have dinner with restaurant reviewer Gretchen Kurz of Orange Coast Magazine and the Zagat Survey as she critiques a place. The auction ends October 31st.
Taste the Harvest at Four Seasons Santa Barbara
month of October
Take a sipping tour of the fruits of our local wine-country harvests by visiting Ty Lounge at the Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore in Santa Barbara this month. Ty Lounge will be offering revolving flights of wine from Santa Barbara County vintners. Each flight will consist of three glasses of wine–one red, one white, one rose. The flights cost $9 each and come with appetizers like Koble sliders or crab and corn blinis.
Ty Lounge, 1260 Channel Drive, Santa Barbara, 805-565-8270
www.fourseasons.com/santabarbara
Wine Dinner at Fleming’s
Friday, October 23rd, 6:30 p.m.
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar is throwing a European wine dinner Friday night. Guests will start with a passed hors d’ oeuvres (scallop-risotto cake with gazpacho salsa) paired with a Spanish Brut. A Panzanella salad appetizer complements a Pinot Grigio from Trentino, Italy. The main course of bistro steak with truffled fries comes with a Chateau Senejac Haut-Medoc from France. And dessert is a raspberry linzer torte and a cup of coffee or tea. The price is $55 plus tax and tip.
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, 6373 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Woodland Hills, 818-346-1005
Wine Deals at Saddle Peak Lodge
Throughout the month of October on every night but Saturday, Saddle Peak Lodge will be selling certain bottles of wine for their cost plus $10. Wine Director Joshua Buckner wants to winnow down the over 400 labels that the restaurant now carries in order to have a more streamlined list. So about 75 labels are being let go at very reasonable prices. Get ‘em before they’re gone.
Saddle Peak Lodge, 419 Cold Canyon Road, Calabasas, 818-222-3888
Sheila’s Place Wine Bar & Cafe
Musical Dining Continued:
Sheila’s Place is a long, cozy wine bar with a fabulous menu of California cuisine. The mostly mellow acoustic music can be enjoyed from any of the small tables or the seats at the long bar. You’ll hear jazz in combos and trios every Friday and Saturday night from around 8:30 p.m. to midnight. Some of the delicious small plates of food include a boursin-cheese ravioli with mushrooms and a Mediterranean olive pizza.
Sheila’s Place Wine Bar & Cafe, 330 N. Lantana, Camarillo, 805-987-9800
Galletto Bar & Grill
Musical Dining Continued:
You’ll hear live music every night at this Italian/Brazilian restaurant. During the week, things are a bit quieter while the weekends can be somewhat raucous. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights classical guitarist Alberto Dal Pino plays many original arrangements. You can sample his music at Galletto’s website. Thursday and Friday nights have rotating musicians, but the schedule can be found online. Friday and Saturday nights, expect full bands cranked up and energetic crowds.
Galletto Bar & Grill, 982 S. Westlake Blvd., Westlake Village, 805-449-4300
Beachcomber Cafe
Musical Dining Continued:
The Beachcomber Cafe straddles two sides of the Malibu Pier. There’s full dining on the north side of the boardwalk while a few steps away, a fun tiki bar serves drinks and snacks. Steel drummers do their thing on the tiki bar side every Sunday at 2 p.m. and every Thursday at 5 p.m. The setting is casual, the food is good, and the view of the ocean is unbeatable.
The Beachcomber Cafe, 23000 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, 310-456-9800
Rockin’ Steak House
Musical Dining Continued:
On Friday night, Rockin’ Steak House owner Bobby Kimball (lead singer of the 80’s hit group Toto) will be performing with the band Time Machine. The music starts late, around 9:00 p.m., so grab a seat in the bar area and prepare for a good show.
Rockin’ Steak House, 30315 Canwood St., Agoura Hills, 818-991-2170
Bistro Garden at Coldwater
Musical Dining Continued:
The beautiful piano in the middle of the garden-like dining room is put to good use here. Four different players rotate out during the week. On Tuesday the pianist is matched with a saxophone player. On Friday, a bass player makes the other half of the duet. Saturday nights, Richard Berman plays the keys. He also holds court at Sunday brunch (a recently added meal) from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
The Bistro Garden at Coldwater, 12950 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, 818-501-0202
Mastro’s
Musical Dining Continued:
The lounge of this swank steakhouse is laid out around a baby grand piano. Someone’s tickling the ivories every night beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday nights, it’s Wayne Boyer. He’s either playing the piano or the trumpet. Oh, he sings as well. Sunday and Monday nights, Luca, a Frank-Sinatra impersonator, performs.
Mastro’s Steakhouse, 2087 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, 805-418-1811
The Sunset
Musical Dining Continued:
On Wednesday nights, live jazz plays in the bar area from 5-10 p.m. while chef Jake Rojas serves a grilled cheese and soup menu. The atmosphere is laid back, the food is delicious, and the beach is just across the street.
The Sunset, 6800 Westward Beach Road, Malibu, 310-589-1007
Sagebrush Cantina
Musical Dining Continued:
The bar area covers a lot of ground at this maily outdoor space that’s tented and dotted with trees. Musicians set up in the center of all the patios so you can hear the music (but not really see the bands playing) from the full dining areas. The Mexican menu lends itself to margaritas and nachos. The food won’t blow you away, but the bands are good and people like to get up dance. Musicians perform Wednesday through Sunday. The entertainment calendar lists bands and playing times.
Sagebrush Cantina, 23527 Calabasas Road, Calabasas, 818-222-6062
Blues, Brews & BBQ Festival
October 22nd, 6 p.m.
The Bob Ledner Blues Band will serenade you while you dine on BBQ prepared by chef Jamie West of the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa. The meal will be paired with beer from Firestone Vineyards in Santa Ynez. The price is $65.
Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, 905 Country Club Road, Ojai, 805-640-2100
Limon Latin Grill
Musical Dining Continued:
Catch every style of music from rock to reggae to jazz to acoustic folk singers at this pan-Latin grill in the Simi Town Center Mall. Tuesday through Thursday nights the bands go on at 6:30 p.m. On Fridays there’s an afternoon set starting at 3 p.m. with an evening set at 7 p.m. On Saturday they play from 7-11 p.m. On Sunday, the music begins at 4 p.m. The bands set up on the outdoor patio, but the small restaurant’s doors remain open so that you can listen from the main indoor dining room. The Latin specialties are the best dishes on the menu but there are all kinds of munchies and main courses available.
Limon Latin Grill, 1555 Simi Town Center Way, Simi Valley, 805-955-9277
Cantara Cellars Dinner at Safire
Tuesday, October 13th, 6:30 p.m.
Chef Michael Muirhead of Safire Bistro in Camarillo is cooking a 5-course meal paired with wines from Cantara Cellars, also in Camarillo. The dinner is part of Safire’s Gateway to Wine Country Dinner Series. There is only room for 28 guests, so book early. The price is $89 plus tax and tip. Parties of four or more will receive a 10% discount.
Safire American Bistro, 4850 Santa Rosa Road, Camarillo, 805-389-1227
Older Posts »