Jeannine’s Gourmet Food Hall, opened last September in the Shoppes at Westlake Village, is the Dean & DeLuca-style offspring of a small, family-owned bakery established 30 years ago in Santa Barbara (with another location in Montecito).

Though they’ve grown over the years, the other restaurants are just called Jeannine’s. This appropriately named Food Hall is a cavernous emporium that serves as bakery, charcuterie, coffee shop, cocktail bar, gourmet gift shop, takeout and catering source as well as an elegant dining room. Oh yes, there’s also an expansive patio with glass-filled fire pits glowing beside white rocking chairs suitable for sipping mint juleps on a front porch in the Deep South.

Like several of the restaurants at Westfield Topanga's shiny new The Village shopping plaza in Woodland Hills, Jeannine’s seems to be out to prove that fine dining can exist in happy harmony with big chain restaurants and the likes of Costco. This new-ish restaurant tries to a do a lot and does most of it well.

The news: Jeannine’s Gourmet Food Hall is unveiling a new dinner menu that includes fig and prosciutto flatbreads, burgers and a dinner omelet. The Sauce and Sauce Spouse tried the peppery tomato bisque and the soup of the day, a lightly creamy chowder chock full of tender clams—both delicious. Grilled salmon with quinoa and roasted vegetables offered a fresh bouquet of tastes. Steak ordered medium came rare—but flavorful and tender.

Despite the server’s recommendation, after the fact I wished I’d gotten the plain fries offered with the steak rather than going rogue with overwhelmingly garlicky Parmesan fries. But that’s a problem easily solved by sticking to the menu.

We ended the meal with a brownie and a fresh raspberry muffin that was probably intended for breakfast but was perfect for dessert, with good coffee. With all that it attempts to offer, it seems that Jeannine’s bakery roots shine through.   

30770 Russell Ranch Rd., 818-735-9726