Dining On The Water

Boccaccio’s Dockside
The Landing 

Some Good….
Some So- So….
Some ???

There have been many experiences dining on top of buildings in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, Washington, Chicago, New York and even Oxnard.  We have also had many meals on the water in San Diego, Laguna, Newport, Carmel, Ventura and especially in Los Angeles at serious tourist traps like Gladstone's, The Chart House and the Sea Lion (now Dukes).

With only two exceptions, The Everest in Chicago and Pacific Edge in Carmel, (both inordinately expensive) I concluded that there is a direct inverse relationship between the food experience and the height above ground or proximity to a body of water. In fact many of the better meals I have had in my lifetime have been store-front restaurants or those to which you walk down.

The reasons are rational.  The rent is always higher for those scenic locations. That leaves less money to spend on quality food purchases. If there is a view, most people pay more attention to their surroundings than the food they are eating so the restaurant may not have an incentive to produce great meals.

You occasionally might find that the combination of superior ambience and average food can provide an overall satisfying experience. Just realize that you probably are not going for the food and if it is good, you may well pay above the norm. 

There are three view restaurants in the Conejo. They are all near each other on the lake in Westlake. And they actually offer three totally different sets of dining conditions.

Boccaccio’s was the leading restaurant in Ventura County about 30 years ago. It had no real competition for almost 20 years. It also had that great lakeside location which  pulled diners from 25 miles away. But while competition came in and dining habits changed ,Boccaccio’s arrogantly hung on to an outdated menu with a service attitude to match. Business declined and the out of touch original owner finally sold out to noveau food entrepreneurs Jim and Kathy Emmons about two years ago.

The Emmons were faced with a dilemma. They wanted to bring the menu up to current standards to attract new patrons, but faced objections to change from the geriatric well-done steak society.  

Slowly, they have fine tuned the menu, retaining old- time favorites such as Filet Mignon stuffed with Roquefort (31.00), imported Dover Sole Meuniere (32.50) and the high rollers special, Australian Lobster Tail and Filet Mignon (49.00). They added more  Pasta (14.75-21.50), fish dishes such as my favorite, Seared Steam Crusted Ahi Tuna with Shitake Mushrooms and Baby Bok Choy (24.25) and another favorite of mine, the now ubiquitous Ossobuco with vegetable risotto (26.25). Asian Fusion touches can now be found throughout the menu.


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They have remodeled and brightened the restaurant so that the main dining room is one of the most luxurious in the county. An all glass lake view room, great for experiencing the extensive lunch and Sunday Brunch menu is also new. (There is also an outside patio for those lunches during pleasant weather.) In addition, they have worked hard to bring service up to acceptable professional and contemporary standards.

Sunday through Thursday, they offer an attractive special value 3 course Prix-Fixe Dinner (19.95) that may now be one of the great food-ambience combinations in the Southland. In fact, perhaps it voids my original inverse ratio theory…. at least from Sunday to Thursday.

32123 Lakeview Canyon on the Lake in Westlake    818-889-8300 
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Dockside Terrace may be one of the best-kept secrets in Westlake.  It is located at the far end of the Westlake Landing and thus is not an obvious destination. Yet it has an attractive outside lake view patio with a fire pit, an enclosed patio with a view and a recently remodeled and attractive dining room.
The dinner menu takes no risks featuring tried and true American bistro style food. Appetizers include Steamed Clams (12.95), Crab Cakes (9.95), Fried Calamari (7.95) an assortment of salads and French Onion Soup (4.95).

There are Pasta dishes from Penne Rigate (9.95) to Risotto with Mussels, Clams and Shrimp (14.95). A wide selection of fish ranges from Scallops Torremolinos (15.95) to Alaskan Halibut Nautua (16.50). There is Chicken Picatta (16.95), Lamb Chops (19.95), Filet Mignon (21.95) and guess what??? Ossobuco (20.95). All non-pasta dishes are served with vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes or rice pilaf. Soup or a garden salad is offered for $1.50 with dinner creating a dining value.  

The lunch menu is very eclectic with 14 appetizers such as Chicken Fingers, Potato Skins, Chicken Quesadillas and Buffalo Wings. There are 9 lunch salads, 6 burgers including Ostrich or Turkey, 7 sandwiches, 7 pizzas and 7 pastas, all priced fairly for that water view location. The restaurant was recently sold and is now under new management so it will be interesting to observe their ability to execute this very basic but broad menu.

32123 Lakeview Canyon Rd.  at the Lake in Westlake     
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The Landing is a total enigma. It announces that it offers “unique” Continental and Japanese Cuisine including Sushi. Yet there appears to be almost no Continental or Asian faces doing any of the cooking. Even the sushi bar is manned mostly by Caucasians with suspect skills. It takes at least 10 years of training in Japan to produce a skilled and competent sushi master. The one Asian in the sushi bar sounded as though he has never been West of Catalina.
All of this shows up in the food. The supposedly exotic  Bento Boxes, Stir Frys, Udon Noodle Soups and Rice Bowls on the menu initially seem appealing even though prices are higher than most real ethnic Japanese Udon noodle shops. But almost without exception, the food served is bland, ordinary and has no ethnic or interesting flavors.

The sushi menu, is priced similar to other sushi bars. But it offers the very bare selections for the unsophisticated that are a slight cut above what you might find in a super market. If you are really earnest about Sushi or any classic Japanese food, Kaminari, Takahashi,  Akio and Hiyama, owned and operated by true veteran Sushi masters are the real choice of those who understand and appreciate ethnic food. Pastas or “Continental” but simple other dishes are priced from $8 to $19.

On a recent Saturday night, however, the tiny sushi bar was full and people were referred to the unprotected outside lake view patio or the small main dining room. The outside propane heaters barely warmed the patio, resulting in an attractive but uncomfortable setting.  In spite of that, most of the people braved these cold conditions sitting on cheap plastic chairs, preferring that alternative over  the dark and unpleasant dining room without the view..

The Sushi Bar is closed during lunch but Sushi is offered on the patio along with a lunch menu similar to dinner at slightly reduced prices. The view might make lunch reasonably acceptable.  But unless it is a very warm and pleasant evening, the Landing presents an uncomfortable lakeside dining experience. The restaurant does little to void my theory.  

32123 Lakeview Canyon Rd. at the Lake in Westlake      818-706-8887
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