The husband and I took a 5 minute drive from our house to
The Commons in Calabasas, a mix of upscale boutiques, casual eateries, and
general strip mall shops. It's well-lit and dog friendly. Ample
outdoor seating options and a large man-made pond for turtles and fish.
Every person you come across greets you with a smile. As you walk the
area, from end to end, classic Frank Sinatra music is pumped through speakers
that are hidden away in the beautiful, fragrant landscapes. Kids are
bouncing all over with their phones, catching Pokémon and texting each
other to meet at the movie theater or for ice cream. Behind The Commons
is the Calabasas Library (and Civic Center), which is usually very
quiet, maybe because it's so well hidden or because the Barnes and Noble, just
feet away, has a Starbucks Cafe in it.
To get to The Commons from our place, you take a small
street behind the freeway, and down to Calabasas Road. There
you find the road shrinks down to one lane each way as you're met with a wooden
sign that reads, "Welcome to Old Town Calabasas". This Old
Town is only a block long, and The Commons is just on the other side. Old
Town is set up as an ode to the old Western facades. There are wooden
planked sidewalks, hitching posts, and wood siding on some of the older
buildings. The popular Leonis Adobe structure sits in this area
as well, dating back to 1844 and is one of L.A.'s oldest surviving
buildings. Right across the street from this historical landmark is a
newer eating establishment that has been on my 'to visit' list for about a year
now, The Six Chow House.
Leaving our car parked at The Commons, we took the half mile
walk into Old Town. The Six, has been a quiet little hot spot for some of
the Hollywood's stars that reside in the more reserved L.A. area of Calabasas,
like the Kardashian's and Justin Bieber. There were no Pop
sightings for us when we reached the front door of the eclectic eatery.
Right away, a host took us to a massive suede plush booth. The ceiling
had tin shingles, there were sliding barn doors hiding away a private party,
and in a separate room was a good sized, backlit bar.
One side of the menu featured a full page of sharable
appetizers and dinners, and on the opposite side were the drinks with options
such as soda, wines, beers, hard alcohol, and Machtails (alcohol free
cocktails). Next to the Machtails was a tiny red logo that I
was thrilled to see, Illy, a fantastic espresso based coffee
brand. One Please! The husband went with the Will I Am Machtail as
a refresher from our walk. But as we sat and gaze upon the menu
while waiting for the drinks, the food started to beckon to us. We had
come for just a drink each, but the chicken Mediterranean flatbread caught our sight and got our taste buds salivating faster than we could realize that we still had to walk back to the
car. Now, we might be waddling back. It was worth it though.
The flatbread was phenomenal. It could have easily fed
four people but we couldn't risk having to carry those leftovers for the whole
half a block back. I ordered a second cup of coffee before we made our
departure. I truly enjoy Illy coffee for its richness without
bitterness, and the way The Six presented it when ordered, adds to that.
You taste with your eyes first, so being able to watch the cream mix into the
dark coffee through the glass is very satisfying.
Near the restrooms is a story painted on a wall above a
booth. I'm not sure how true it is but it claims to be the backstory for
the restaurant’s name. Being named for six artists seems believable, but
in a block long, old west style suburb, it could also be as made up as this
street. On the walk back to the car, we agreed to do a few more laps
around the center, putting in for an easy three miles total.
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