When I went to Taste of Conejo, I met John Damas, one of the partners at Crawford’s Social, and he invited me to come do a tasting. But what I didn’t know was how incredible the food is at Crawford’s Social, everything I tried was just off the charts amazing!
When you first walk in you can see this huge rustic dining room, with a wonderfully engaging bar area as well as a wraparound patio. There are lite up trees, and the whole ambiance is very inviting. The interior is sleek but comforting; you just get a cool vibe that is enhanced by all of their great menu items.
Here’s What I Tried:
Cocktails:
Traditional Martini, with blue cheese olives, done right it makes me so happy; I had a big smile on my face.
Fig Easy, with gin, fig, lime and ginger, this was a delicious cocktail, with the sweetness of the fig, the gin disappears into this drink.
Share & Socialize:
Rustic Bread with whipped butter and Maldon Sea salt. This bread is served warm and slathered in the butter; it is one for the record books.
Sweet & Spicy Shrimp, with spicy-honey aioli, frisee, and candied walnuts. This was a surprise as well, an item I did not see online, but I would order this dish every time. The spice is subtle, and the shrimps are fried, but the frisee and the candied walnuts add the right amount of crispiness and punch.
Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, with lump crab and lemon-remoulade. They give you 3 very large cakes; you can see and taste how fresh the crab is, and the remoulade will make your taste buds dance.
Crispy Lobster Tails, with aji chili aioli. This was a complete surprise; in doing my research, I never saw this on the menu online. So, when I saw another happy customer trying this, I asked, and it was delivered. I would order this every time; it was just such a treat!
Chilled:
Hamachi Crudo with jalapeño and fried caper. The yellowtail fish is succulent and fresh, the fried capers add an extra layer, so perfect.
Pasta Bolognese with pork & beef ragout and pappardelle pasta. The noodles are wide and thick, and the sauce has everything you would want in a slow cooked sauce. It’s the kind of sauce a Nonna would make!
Jumbo Diver Scallops with brown butter vinaigrette and
shaved asparagus. These scallops are huge and perfectly cooked, brown on the outside and warm and inviting on the inside. The brown butter and shaved asparagus are just the best addition. All I can say is, Oh my goodness.
Seared Chilean Sea Bass with corn and scallion vinaigrette. Crawfords Social can do no wrong! This menu item is rich and flavorful; the fish is delicate and buttery; truly amazing flavors with wonderful nuances.
8 oz. Filet Mignon, you do not need a knife with this filet, and they serve 3 sauces: Bordelaise, Maître d’ butter and Chimichurri. This dish should be celebrated; next time I would come and save a lot of room with a great glass of Cabernet, all I need.
Sides:
Whipped Potatoes, they come in a mini pot with a lid; they are simple and delicious.
Sautéed Baby Spinach, a perfect accompaniment with my steak.
Roasted Cauliflower, it’s a huge portion, with a delicate cheese sauce, just what the doctor ordered!
Wines:
Sandhi, Chardonnay, Central Coast, 2021. So many choices with all of the seafood options but pairing this with the lobster was my favorite.
Y3 Taureau, Bordeaux Blend, Napa Valley 2021. Of course, you would drink this complex fruit forward wine with the steak, it’s just the perfect combo. But is also paired nicely with the pasta Bolognese. They have a very extensive wine list, so have at it!
My lovely server, Aubry Ryan was beautiful inside and out; she gave me much information and added to my delightful experience. She knows this area well, being from Newbury Park. Her story is bittersweet; she was one of the survivors at the Borderline mass shooting back in 2018 and has done some hard work on herself to heal. It goes a step further – she went to high school with the shooter, but she recalls the friends that she lost on that horrible day. Meeting her and talking to her, you would never know she went through such a tragedy; she was graceful and stoic, and Aubry was one of my highlights of the night. I was so taken by the food that I really didn’t get to ask my normal questions, but I do know that Crawfords Social opened late last year and has been picking up speed since it inception. I will definitely help spread the word. Their very lucky customers are locals of all ages, people celebrating anniversaries, birthdays, business meetings; you really do not need a special occasion to try this glorious fare.
About Crawford’s Social: The partnership originally conceived of the concept with the notion that Westlake Village has so many great spots for dinner but was lacking in a full-service bar/lounge offering where customers could enjoy brunch, lunch, dinner all while enjoying world class cocktails and socializing in an upscale yet casually refined environment. With that in mind, they really wanted to embrace the Westlake/Southern California lifestyle with indoor/outdoor seating, fire pits, and comfortable lounge furniture. Their culinary and operations team members were formerly with the Gibsons Restaurant Group in Chicago and C’s beverage director came from London where he ran the award-winning Satan’s Whiskers bar. Chef Scott Jambrosek really delivers great inventive fare with an eye for delicious, scrumptious food. From what I could tell, Beverage Director – Ruairi Gilles has hit all of the right notes.
The whole restaurant seats approximately 400 guests, with 65 percent of it being the patio seating. The space is 16,000 square feet, with plenty of room for all sizes of parties and private event groups. The music is wonderful, ranging from Steely Dan to Roxy music, and everything in between. The interiors have a rustic modern feel, with black and white ratan chairs and mini alcove type seating called the Sinatra booths; there are four of them throughout the restaurant, which adds a sort of private experience. Andrew Althaus (principal) 360 Architecture in Westlake Village did the architectural. Eddy Bitton (principal) from Bitton Interior Designs in Malibu made all of their design esthetics so beautiful. They have the same LED lite trees as they do at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. They really pay close attention to detail; there is a collection of first edition vintage cocktail books in the hallway near the restrooms. You can see on a beautiful fall or spring evening taking in what the patio has to offer. During balmy summer nights it could be nice, or the inside dining room is fully airconditioned. Cold winter nights, the inside dining room is also very inviting. They have a nice brunch menu, and their Happy Hour allows you to try some of their yummy signature menu items at a really great discounted price. No matter where you chose to dine there, Crawfords Social’s star of their show is their food.
There have been many celebrity sightings; Britney Spears, Jamie Foxx, Hailee Steinfeld, Josh Allen, and the Los Angeles Rams team, many singers and comedians. This whole area is the new playground for the rich and famous, so it makes perfect sense.
Crawford’s Social is a great way to spend the evening; if it’s a destination meal or you’re coming back from wine country, whatever the occasion, you should really try it.
Crawford’s Social
Hours
Mon – Thurs
11:00 am – 11:00 pm
Friday
11:00 am – 12:00 am
Saturday
10:00 am – 12:00 am
Sunday
10:00 am – 10:00 pm
