Out Take Bistro

Hi, I didn’t know this going in, but it turns out I went to this restaurant on the last day it was open (Saturday, 7÷13÷2013). New German owners have taken over and will do a complete remodel and open a new restaurant on this site. I hadn’t been to this re-​incarnation of the Out Take Café that was just west of Laurel Canyon Blvd, but I had been a fan of the old Out Take Café although I didn’t go nearly as often as I would have liked since I lived far away from it in Whittier. This bistro seemed to have a more Italian focus although many of my favorite Russian dishes like borscht and vareniki remained as Out Take Bistro was owned by the former chef at Out Take Café. My server Joe was great and he told me that he would try to get the new ownership to keep some of the more popular and hard-​to-​get Russian dishes on the new menu.
As for my dining experience, I had the Vegetarian Ravioli Trio with a small house salad, ice tea, and sabayon (the French version of zabaglione) for dessert. The ravioli was actually more like pelmeni in it’s texture and was delicious. I noticed the broccoli one as well as the potato one, I didn’t recognize the other ravioli. The sauce it was served with was rather sweet tasting and fit perfectly with the ravioli. I would have liked a larger portion of ravioli though. The sabayon I had was served with fruit fondue mixed in and was extraordinary. Just sensational. Joe, the server, was really nice and very efficient and I wish him well at the other restaurant he works at. I wish this place would still be open but if the new owners keep the Russian dishes, I will gladly try the new restaurant.
Out Take Café and Out Take Bistro – I will miss you! :-(

Awful food, awful service.
1. It took ½ an hour before a waiter even brought us menus. And that was because we practically had to trip someone to get their attention.
2. Then, when the food was finally being brought out (over an hour from when we arrived), the waiter dropped my plate of food on the way to the table. Hey, shit happens, I get it, but I had to wait another 15 – 20 minutes while everyone else in my party ate their dinner.
3. Then when I finally got my Chicken Piccata, it tasted gross. First of all, isn’t Piccata = olive oil, lemon, capers, garlic? Evidently, the Outtake’s Chicken Piccata has tomato sauce! It was also very soupy and wet. I didn’t want to bother to send it back as I was starving, but could really only eat about a third of it, it was so nasty.
4. Then the bill comes — and they charged me full price for my meal. I said something to the waitress, she had the manager come over to tell me that they could not possibly give me my meal for free. Hmm. You would think that they could have eaten the cost of the meal in order to make an obviously unhappy patron happy. A plate of chicken and pasta couldn’t have cost them more than maybe $ 4.
5. The rest of my party also had bad tasting food. The won ton soup was nasty. The burger wasn’t cooked to order, the martini had way too much vermouth. Yuck.
Too bad. They are one of the few places that have live jazz left in the Valley. But I don’t think I’ll be going back.

I love supporting local, family owned restaurants that also support and donate to our neighborhood school.
I eat at Out Take at least once a month and I absolutely love their rib eye panini and prosciutto pizza! Occasionally I eat something different, like the lamb or fish and they’re delicious!
The service is always great and I love that they always accommodate my sometimes picky kids and make them something simple like pasta with butter or cheese quesadilla if they want it.
We always order 2 – 3 deserts and share them. Profiterole, chocolate flourless cake and crem brûlée are our absolute favorite!
If you go here for dinner, try one of their original cocktails like the red velvet martini or the strawberry margarita. You won’t be disappointed!

Friendly & attentive staff, and the food comes out lickety-​split. The pumpkin ravioli is truly amazing! Some of the cocktails are just ‘ok, but the chipotle martini off the seasonal menu is so good! Come here on a weeknight (especially early in the week), the staff will pamper you to bits as it’s pretty quiet. Nice place to come when you want a sit-​down meal more upscale than Jinky’s but not so fancy you can’t just come in jeans. Enjoy!

The GF took me here last nite to see her Girlfriend sing. «Cat» Conner is a treat to experience. Her voice is perfectly suited to Jazz and her experience of that Art Form goes back to her childhood in Toronto. Accompanying her was: Terry Harrington on Saxophone and Clarinet (plays «as» Lisa Simpson on TV), and playing a «Masterful» guitar, the phenomenal Mr. John Chiodini. Bringing up the bottom was Dick Nash on Trombone. All came together and made a perfect fit to «Cat’s» munificent smile gracing the assembled clientele. And her smile and voice is a welcome edge to so many musicians and fans on the LA Jazz scene.
Now, «The FOOD»… EXCELLENT! I got the «Chicken Picatta» (opting for the capellini rather than fettucini) and it was heavenly! The GF got the Turkey Chili
(ordering «Lite“so She could sing as well) and I was so impressed by it I almost felt jealous for a nanosecond or two. We BOTH got the «Dollar» salad and all I can say is I kicked myself for not getting DOUBLE dose of dressing on it! GREAT «Plate Lickin’» dressing…
Back to «Cat» and the boys! Cat was kind enough to invite the GF, «Lee Hartley» up to sing a couple of songs. During the set I noticed that not One, but THREE young couples, as they were walking by on the sidewalk, were drawn in by «Cat ‘n th’ Boyz» and ordered wine and really had a great time appreciating the old style Jazz! They ~really~ dug it, but then, «Cat and her Toms» are «World Class» Entertainers… It was nice to see the great style of this assembled group «Appreciated»… ESPECIALLY «Cat’s» upbeat cover of «St. Thomas». WOW!
«I» had a ball too!!! Can I just move in here??? I’ll sleep in a booth!

Love this place!
They have great food. We try alot of the specials that they have and they are always a good choice. The specials are more pricey from the regullar menu but they are super!
This is a great place to try.

Started off with a delicious bloody Mary.
I had the scrambled eggs with grilled mushrooms, zucchini and eggplant (ala WW points plus selection) and m had the omelette with asparagus, Brie and toasted almonds. Very good! The server even brought me some kick ass Korean style paste-​like hot sauce. Good service and food.

We went for breakfast on a Saturday. I asked for half-​and-​half for my coffee. They gave me milk.
I’m out.
Parking: street, metered.

so far so good the food looks good and taste delicious, great service and really decent prices too! We will definitely be back. The fish and steak is really good here. oh by the way, get the dollar salad.

This is a great bistro on Ventura. Their salads are great, their panini sandwiches are delicious as well.
I had the rib-​eye sandwich and it was just juicy, tender and mouthwatering.

My boyfriend and I Unilocaled a place where I could get a gluten free desert and this place came up, since we had just dined up the street we decided to check it out for there flour-​less chocolate cake. We sat at the bar the place was rather empty but considering it was 9pm on a sunday I am not sure if it is common for this area at that time.
We sat at the bar and the bartender was nice, not overly talkative but engaging and made a recommendation for the apple strudel for my boyfriend, which he loved. I had the flour-​less chocolate cake which was amazing and I will definitely be back for it.
I would have given 5 stars but the 1^st round of coffee was luke warm so I am assuming it was the last of the pot considering my refill was much hotter.
This review can only speak to the desert and bar but I am eager to go back and check out the rest of what this place has to offer.

We came on a Saturday for brunch, and the place was empty– why?! We walked in, and immediately felt like we were in a European restaurant with the décor and quaint street side patio. The service (Christina) was fantastic, and the food was better than expected. At first, I though the brunch menu was a bit limited, but I loved that it was different from what we normally have.
I had a perfectly fluffy omelet stuffed with mushrooms, sausage, and I believe mozzarella. I took ¹⁄₃ home because it was so, so filling (and delicious!). My mother – in-​law had the lox plate, which was pretty standard– she was happy. Hubby had a different omelet than I, and he devoured it so quickly that I don’t remember what it was! Plus, the homemade bread was just wonderful.
Besides Christina, the rest of the staff were extremely friendly. We felt like were regulars. I will most definitely return!

We used to come here all the time when we were vegetarian, but stopped when we switched to vegan a few years ago. Recently, they’ve finally made some additions to their menu and now have a cheeseless vegan pizza (no modifications required), which tastes much better than what is available at the new pizza places across the street. Unfortunately, the service is spotty, so only 3 stars.

So I have this new puppy that I try to take everywhere with me cuz I read in a book that socialization was important in order to have a happy healthy puppy.
*sigh* puppies only look cute! (But, I love him regardless)
But anyways, the point is, the very handsome ashy blonde waiter was so patient with my barking maniac that he even brought him out water in hopes to quiet him down.
It didn’t. Lol But I appreciate it nevertheless.
The crab ravioli tasted more like crab dumplings.

Do not let the façade of this quaint eatery fool you because there is some culinary brilliance hidden behind these doors! The menu is eclectic but somehow all works together.
The potato varenky is simply one of the best apps you’ll ever taste in all of LA, seriously! It’s simply a plate of potato-​filled dumplings with caramelized onions and crème fraîche — but the flavors are the perfect blend, one part comfort food, one part fine dining explosion. The oriental chicken salad is a meal unto itself, with perfectly julienned vegetables making each bite a perfect balance of all the flavors on the plate. Turkey meatloaf was good, but was overshadowed by the lovely steamed vegetables and mashed potatoes.
Even though they were swamped on a late weekday evening, the service could not have been better. We didn’t feel judged for not ordering any alcohol and that’s a welcome change from the rest of LA

I tend to rate upper scale restaurants more harshly, otherwise it seems hardly fair to bestow a five-​star rating upon my favorite divey chinese food place and to give this place a measly three.
It wasn’t that the food wasn’t great – it was. With the exception of the chef/owner’s unfortunate penchant for mushrooms, every item on the menu would probably send me home to rub my belly for an hour in memoriam.
The food here is very, very, very good, but I have a couple complaints. First, the place looks – and sounds – like it’s going to be a cheapie place to grab a meal and enjoy it on Ventura, but the prices are like a big smack in the face. The colors they use in their advertising directly contrast with both their upscale pricing and décor. It’s odd to see neon and primary colors at a place where you’re going to be paying $ 15 for SIX raviolis or $ 20 for linguini.
Just sayin’.

The service was good. The food was okay. The fish was decent but not anything to write home about.
We had the turkey meatloaf… pass and chicken picatta. The chicken was strangely spicy. My gnocchi was good.
I would explore other options. The beer selection was decent.

Purchased a TravelZoo voucher:
2 glasses of wine, 1 appetizer, 2 salads, 2 entrees, 1 dessert
Calamari– nice flavor, good crunch, great fra diavolo
$ 1 Salad– good miso dressing served on just spring mix with some diced tomatoes. I’m not sure if Miso really belongs on the menu but it was good.
Braised Lamb– I wouldn’t say it’s «award winning» like they claim but it was very tender with a good sauce. A little fatty but it was good. Carrots were overcooked and broccoli had no flavor.
Rigatoni with meat sauce– good sauce, normal pasta
Crème Brulee– your typical brulee. the middle was a little cold.
Wine was OK– I ordered the Zinfandel and it had a little aftertaste
Nice restaurant, nice for outdoor seating, good service and very friendly staff
Heard their Happy Hour is great and they take reservations which I always love.

On a Friday night, all of the restaurants along Ventura Blvd. are packed, so I was pleased when Out Take seated me and my pup immediately without a reservation. They have a section of the patio that has couches for a lounge area outside, which is good for groups. If you have a dog and all of the 5 outside tables are full, you will be banished over here.
The 3 waiters I dealt with were all nice. I ordered the «award winning» lamb shank ($ 20). I asked for it to be cooked «medium,» not knowing that shank is baked and would take an hour to prepare. Moral of the story is don’t get indignant (like I almost did) when they tell you the dish is «pre-​cooked.» It sounds bad, but it doesn’t mean not made-​to-​order in this case. Anyway, it was delicious – tender and juicy. I recommend substituting mashed potatoes.
Ordered the Australian shiraz – very good for $ 7. The crème brûlée was okay – more of a pudding, less of a custard inside. I’ve heard the flourless chocolate is great.
Self-​parking situation is horrendous, but $ 3.50 isn’t bad for valet.
Overall, good experience, but I’m a believer that if you live in LA, you need to try as many new restaurants as possible unless something totally blows you away. OTB didn’t only because I wasn’t attracted to anything on the menu besides what I ordered.

I love this place, my favorite in the valley. The service is always excellent and I also wish to defend this lovely restaurant, since they are always consistent with great food and now that they have a full bar I am crazy about the Red Velvet Cake martini prepared by Ursula… She is lovely and everyone who works there is friendly and personable.
I had the best time last night, I tried the potato varenky and it was tasty and light as well. They have jazz on the third Friday of the month, really cool atmosphere, great performance, delicious food and yummy desserts too.
I am a regular here. Love their spinach salad with eggplant and mushroom ravioli. Also they have an amazing pasta with ricotta cheese, nice and light too.
They also have a great dinner menu and I’ve had the sea bass many times and always cooked to perfection and the mashed potatoes with a light cheese heavenly.
Oh this is a great place for brunch too and reasonable as well. My favorite is the Crab Benedict with fresh fruit and fresh mint tea…
Happy Hour — Mon — Friday 4 – 7 p.m. I highly recommend the Red Velvet martini…
truly special prepared with Chambord…
They also have convenient parking in the back which is free, no valet service which is even better…