Actress Nancy Travis on her Favorite Places to Wet her Whistle in the Valley

Actress Nancy Travis may live in Brentwood, but she spends most of her time on this side of the hill. For the past seven years she has filmed the Fox sitcom Last Man Standng at CBS Studio Center on Radford. She works on the show five days a week and spends Tuesday nights taping in front of a live audience. “So Studio City is like a second home,” she quips. “It is the best place to film a series because the lot is so ideally located. Everything I need is literally within walking distance. I can use the bank, get something to make for dinner at Trader Joe’s, get a mani-pedi from a myriad of places, clothes and shoe shop, buy a book at Bookstar.”

When it comes to eating out, Nancy also has a lot of familiarity with the turf. Here are a few of the actress’ choice spots to wet her whistle.

1. Joan’s on Third

I am at Joan’s virtually every day. Ventura Place, where it’s located, is one of my favorites streets in all of LA. I love Joan’s soups, bowls and their southwest salad. Their avocado toast is amazing as well. It is a great place to meet a friend for lunch or have a meeting. Afterward, I’ll often hit Habit Footwear. I have bought more shoes from Habit than I care to count.
12059 Ventura Place, Studio City

2. Alfred Coffee

This is my go-to place for coffee. I usually swing through on the way to the set. I am a coffee snob. Not that I need a fancy cappuccino; I just love amazing, freshly brewed, artisanal coffee. Just a drip or a pour-over with almond milk. Alfred’s has a very vibrant atmosphere. It always seems to be filled with young artists or writers as well as very fit people who take classes at the cycling place next door. It’s always bustling, especially in the morning. I love the organic snacks and lunches they have to go. They even have a daily burrito special, which would tempt me if I weren’t a vegan.
12077 Ventura Place, Studio City

3. Bamboo Cuisine

This place holds a lot of memories for me. When my parents lived on Hortense Street in Studio City, we came here a lot on the weekends. My mom loved Chinese food, and orange chicken is always the dish we get here. The wonderful thing about Bamboo is that it serves great food that is also comfort food—all the dishes we’ve come to love at a Chinese restaurant. And it survives on Ventura Boulevard, where restaurants seem to come and go. This is my go-to when I’m craving Chinese and I want a bit of nostalgia.
14010 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks

4. Royalty Juice Bar

This little gem was originally behind a florist’s shop on Ventura if I’m not mistaken, and it now has its own storefront on the Boulevard. For great fresh juices, I typically order the Green Machine and Brain Juice. They’ve also got tasty wraps and salads. Everything is so healthy. When I feel like I’ve OD’d on coffee I like to come here for a juice or smoothie—anything with ginger or a ton of greens in it.
11948 Ventura Blvd, Studio City