The Old Place Restaurant

The Old Place Restaurant

29983 Mulholland Hwy., Cornell (aka Agoura), CA 91301 – Tel: (818) 706-9001

To most, the City of “Malibu” conjures fantasy-like images of the rich and famous, basking on picturesque beaches, and cliff-side houses you’ll never afford.  But, as a former resident of “the ‘Bu,” I can truly say the place offers far more than these iconic images, serving as a legitimate Shangri-La within an otherwise congested and overpopulated city – sprawling mountains, deep valleys, souring peaks, offering wineries, amazing hiking and rock climbing, mesmerizing camp sites, and of course, world class surfing.  I am still amazed by the abundance of hidden gems tucked away in the tiny corners, nooks, and crannies of the Santa Monica Mountains.

Last week, I made a concerted decision to get back into rock climbing and hiking, and as part of this resolution, I used the Labor Day weekend to take a break and drive up to Malibu – to do a rock scramble above Malibu Lake, and take advantage of some of the weekend’s epic surf (compliments of Hurricane Ileana).  After finishing a 4-hour hike off Deer Leg Trail, I returned to my car and decided to take the scenic route back to the beach.

And while driving along Mulholland Highway, deep in the mountains between Malibu and Agoura Hills, I stumbled upon another one of Malibu’s best hidden secrets:  The Old Place Restaurant.

Technically, The Old Place is not in Malibu – it lies halfway in a residential neighborhood and halfway in the Peter Straus Ranch, in an unincorporated district in the mountainous wine country area of the Santa Monica Mountains, still within Los Angeles County, in a once-established town called “Cornell,” now sharing the Agoura Hills zip code.

And if that doesn’t make the place seem hidden enough, The Old Place actually resides in the dilapidated remains of what was once Cornell’s post office, from 1884 to 1904.  And at first blush, The Old Place seems like it hasn’t been updated since that time, appearing to be a distressed wooden warehouse, somewhat like an old cowboy saloon, or one of the Cajon river homes lying on the bayou in the beginning of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride [or the House of Blues, to those who haven't been to Disneyland].  But despite The Old Place’s odd, out-of-place look, its surroundings – standing directly beside the quaint Cornell winery and downhill from an obscure art gallery – suggest the exterior is merely an unassuming façade, concealing some kind of…je ne sais quoi. (Keeping with the Cajun theme.)

And The Old Place doesn’t disappoint, as walking up the rickety wooden steps and stepping inside the restaurant gives way to an unexpected, almost magical experience.  The ceilings are low and the place is dark, lit by dim hanging lamps that look like old-fashioned mine shaft lanterns.  The place is packed and loud, but still intimate, with 5 booths, 3 tables, a private room, and a 20 foot antique bar that runs down the center of the restaurant and serves as a giant dining table.  The place is crowded and compact, with an oddly unbalanced symmetry – on the left, the booths sit low with a high back, nearly sunken into the ground, making you feel like you’re inside a Hobbit hole waiting for Bilbo Baggins to come out and tell you about the night’s specials; but on the right, the bar is so tall that ordering a drink feels like standing below a pharmacist counter and asking for a pinot gris.

The Old Place was founded by Tom Runyon after he moved out West from New York, some 70 years ago.  Runyon was an avid hunter, trapper, and fisherman, and the restaurant reflects this aura through its rustic, pioneer-like, stereotypical Western vibe.  While Tom passed away in 2009, his son, Morgan, continues to operate the restaurant, and pays tribute to his father’s establishment by featuring Tom’s original menu of “Steaks, Clams, and Baked Potatoes.”  The restaurant features a delicious menu, serves beer, and has an excellent selection of wine from the surrounding local wineries, as well as other top producers from California.

All of this is to say that dining in The Old Place is a truly charming, almost transcendent experience – reminiscent of the days when pioneers would ride into town on horseback to get a drink at the local watering hole before heading back to Malibu Creek to pan for gold.  The old saloon and the surrounding mountains take you back to a time when the West was new, unsettled, and unexplored – a romantic era in American history.  So, if you’re interested in drinking some wine, eating some steak, and playing a gold-digger for the evening, The Old Place is a must – a truly genuine experience that can’t be recreated.  [And by “gold-digger” I mean the 1849^er/SF-type, not the stereotypical LA-type.  Go to Surfrider beach for that type.]