LisaTuwell

In mid-December I'll be in Woodland Hills, staying at the Marriott at Warner Center (on Oxnard near Topanga Canyon Blvd). Looking for suggestions for dinner within walking distance Sunday and Monday night, and a special lunch on Monday. Also, any wine bars of bar/restaurant with good wine by the glass selections. As for food, anything but sushi. Good food, quiet enough for conversation to catch up with long lost sister. Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Iregeo

Hi Lisa. You'll be in the heart of suburbia and directly across the street from your hotel is a large mall with many restaurants. Most are chains, such as PF Chang's China Bistro, Corner Bakery, Maggiano's, Wink's, Ruth Chris Steak House,and a few others. Up the street, also within walking distance, is a Roy's Hawaiian Fusion and a Fleming's Steak House. The steak houses and PF Chang's have good wines by the glass.

I know of a great new wine bar, called Vino's Wine and Tapas Bar, on Ventura Blvd. in Tarzana. Can't walk there;you'll need a car.

I live in the neighborhood so if you want a recommendation for a particular kind of food, just say the word!

My favorite restaurant in Woodland Hills is Brandywine, at the corner of Ventura Blvd. at Fallbrook Ave. It is a lovely, tiny, continental restaurant. Not sure if it's open on Monday for lunch.

LisaTuwell

Thanks Lregeo! I did find some restaurant listings online, but wasn't sure what was within walking distance. Maps can be deceiving. We have a PF Changs here in San Diego, so that's good to know about. I have heard of Brandywine. If its not open for lunch, will try to get there for dinner. My sister isn't into wine, and is on a diet, so it may be lost on her, but I will enjoy it! Thanks for the help!

anna_roz

I am not lregeo (although it sure sounds like we are neighbors) but am pretty sure that Brandywine is not open for lunch on Mondays or any other day, and it would not really be within a walking distance from the Marriott. It should be about a two mile walk but not really feasible, not in December, not with the heavy traffic in that area.

PF Chang's is directly across the street from the Marriott and is always a good bet. Another idea may be Kate Mantelini's around the corner from the Marriott. It is a great place as long as you stick to American basics. There is a reasonable Italian place a little East of you on Oxnard Street, Milano's. Not a gourmet restaurant by any stretch of the imagination but is good for a salad and a plate of pasta.

All three would be a three-minute walk from the Marriott.

Anna Roz

Iregeo

Hi anna roz. sure does sound like we are neighbors!

as it turns out, brandywine is open for lunch every week day except monday. and no, it's not walking distance from the warner center marriott. i assumed that lisa's sister might have a car. anyway, it's such a nice restaurant, i think it would be worth the cab ride.

out of curiosity, what would traffic have to do with walking anyway?

LisaTuwell

Thanks to both of you! Yes, a good restaurant will be worth a cab ride, so if at all possible, I will go for dinner. Or maybe I'll delay my return so I have time to have lunch there Tuesday. I hate to confess it, but as a pedestrian I'd be a bit timid about crossing a multi-lane road with heavy traffic, so Anna may have guessed correctly!

Ok next question, I know there is a Westfield shopping center across the street. Any special shops there that might be fun browsing? I'm thinking maybe book store, cookware, etc. Oh, and is there a wine shop in the immediate area? Since sis doesn't drink much, I may want to take a bottle of wine to my hotel room.

Iregeo

These are the websites for the 2 malls withing walking distance. While your hotel may be able to send up a bottle of (expensive) wine, I'm not aware of a wine shop in walking distance. However, the Woodland Hills Wine Company should have anything you need.

http://westfield.com/topanga/
http://westfield.com/promenade/
www.whwc.com

anna_roz

On the other side of the Wesfield Mall from your hotel, there is a pretty nice Barnes & Noble book store with its own coffee shop with indoor and outside sitting. As you are sitting on the outside patio, look across the road and you will note Cost Plus World Market with a pretty good selection of wines, both imported and domestic.

There is also a gas station one block to the east of Marriott that has a minimart and, no doubt, some wine.

By all means,if you are intrigued enough, take a cab ride there and back to Brandywine. It is a small and non-atmospheric place, with a narrow corridor for access through the alley parking lot, no front patio, no view from one window, densely set tables. Like with everything else in life, Brandywine does not have a universal appeal.

Anna Roz

anna_roz

Woodland Hills Wine Company would not be within a walking distance from the Marriott.

Should you decide to hire a car, and (I believe) there is Hertz Rent-a-Car counter within Marriott, there are few fabulous restaurants within a 30 minute or less drive, but that is another issue altogether.

Anna Roz

LisaTuwell

Thanks Iregeo for the websites. Woodland Hills Wine Co sounds great, I see on their site they do have a winebar. Pity not closer, but good to know anyway.

Thanks Ann for the info on B&N -- yes, that's what I had in mind, patio and all. And the Cost Plus would be fun for browsing, and I can get a bottle of wine there to take back to my room. Or maybe I'll try to be more sociable and go to the bar in the hotel for a glass or two.

From what I've read on numerous review sites, Brandywine does sound like the kind of place I would enjoy, but thank you, Ann, for your prospective.

Since I'll only be in Woodland Hills 2 nights, you two have given me more than enough options -- I greatly appreciate the help!

win2ski

Lisa,

Iregeo & Anna have really covered the area for you. If you do end up driving with your sister, there are quite a few other options not too far away. Brandywynne (close drive), but easy walk to Kate Mantellini"s, Roy's (have drinks & appetizers in the bar...restaurant itself boring), Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, Fleming's best in that area. A slight drive to the adjacent town has King's Fish House which is also wonderful (on the patio) and there's a movie theater right there. Woodland Hills Wine Co. is a comprehensive, terrific (best) liquor store in the whole West Valley area, but Cost Plus is close. (The streets are not intimidating and are easy to cross at the corners.) Enjoy!

LisaTuwell

Thanks Win2Ski! Esp for the tip about Roy's -- that's my favorite thing to do anyway, have a bite at the bar. There is a Kings Fish House here in San Diego that I enjoy, so that's a possibility too. And thanks for the reassurances about the streets. I hate to sound like a wimp, but I've seen car-vs-pedestrian accidents, and its not pretty. I'll cross carefully at corners! Since my sister will be in classes during the day, I may go to a movie, since I don't do that often at home, so glad you mentioned theaters. Thanks to all the suggestions I've gotten here, I am really looking forward to this trip!