It may take The Sauce a while to eat our way around all the restaurants at Westfield Topanga's shiny new The Village shopping plaza in Woodland Hills. But we were lucky enough to get the ball rolling last week with a tasting party at Eureka! Woodland Hills Restaurant. (Yes, we were excited to be there, but the exclamation point is part of the name.)

First of all, the place was packed on a Wednesday night—a good sign that this self-described “elevated American” restaurant and bar is filling a need in an area too long dominated by office plazas, outlet shopping and big-box stores. It exists in the sweet spot between the after-work hangout and a choice for elegant dining. You know, the kind of place where you might choose to celebrate National Beer Day with a lovely glass of chardonnay (though it’s definitely a place to try out craft beers and innovative cocktails … an emphasis on small-batch whiskeys tell you why they call it “Hoppy Hour” here).

The Eureka! menu proves that good things come in small packages: The Sauce could make a meal of the lollipop corn dogs filled with a nifty nugget of Polish sausage, spicy wings, golden ale mussels and honey cinnamon sweet potato fries. The big menu also offers a full selection of dinner salads and entrees.

The Sauce ordered a very nice grilled salmon. But if the rapturous reaction of our fellow diners is any indication, come here for the burgers. Ten varieties include the lean Bison Burger with bacon-infused jalapeño jam and smoked mozzarella; the jalapeño egg burger; the Fresno fig burger; and the bone marrow burger (limited quantity available). All come with signature fries to make sure you are getting the experience Eureka! likes to call “Eatertainment.”

6250 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Suite 1505, 818-857-5544