Emily DwassNamed for the original owner, Jeannine’s started out selling cookies and muffins in a little bakery in downtown Santa Barbara. That eventually grew to three restaurants serving a full breakfast and lunch menu. Now they've opened a new eatery in L.A.
The 7,500-square-foot Westlake Village spot, billed as a “gourmet food hall,” ramps things up by also offering dinner – and a whole lot more. There’s a Peet's and Intelligentsia coffee bar; a juice bar; a deli and salad station; pizza and sushi; a grill; a section devoted to cheese and charcuterie; a bakery; and, finally, a wine, craft beer and whiskey bar.
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Jeannine's; Credit: E. Dwass
“While the perception of the venture is big, it is really only an expansion of the Jeannine’s brand to meet the demand of a new, larger market,” says Gordon Hardey, who is in charge of the new site. “It has taken two years of planning and hard work to bring the project to fruition. We have even taken a house to reside in in Westlake, to better know our customer, so we are able to tailor the concept to meet the expectations of the community.”
The Hardey family has owned Jeannine's for nearly 30 years. Mom Eleanor enlarged the original bakery and still is involved in planning menus and managing kitchen staff in Santa Barbara and Montecito. Those locations close in the afternoon, but the new locale will stay open into the evening. “We are excited to expand our service into the twilight hours, featuring our wood-fired rotisserie Mary’s Chicken, in addition to many options of flatbreads, salads and sandwiches,” Hardey says, adding that there are family-friendly dinners to eat in or take out, such as lasagna, meatloaf and pastas. The bar will have happy hour specials from 4 to 7 p.m.
Hardey studied baking at a culinary school in Switzerland; the tradition of homemade baked goods continues in the new location. The morning we visited, the kitchen was slammed by a flood of customers eager to try out the new place. One of the friendly servers brought us a complimentary coconut scone to keep us happy while we waited for our meal. (It worked.)
Jeannine’s is part of the new Shoppes at Westlake Village, off the 101 Freeway at Lindero Canyon. When plans for the plaza were announced, an informal survey determined that residents were clamoring for an In-N-Out Burger. That will open soon, along with an eclectic mix of other restaurants, including two other Santa Barbara eateries: Olio e Limone Ristorante and Los Agaves Restaurant.
Evidently, someone has determined that folks in Santa Barbara and Westlake Village have similar tastes in food.
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