A Big Wood-Fired Dinner Spot Comes to Calabasas Soon | Eater LA

"Coming this fall to 23538 Calabasas Road, I’m looking forward to Ampersand Calabasas, an upscale far valley hideaway in a town normally known for its wealthy locals (read: Kanye West, the Kardashians, Drake) instead of its cuisine, but perhaps there’s room for both after all. The ambitious restaurant will add 160 seats across a wide, U-shaped bar, dining room, and patio; that bar will seat 40 by itself and should act as a focal point at the front of the restaurant, giving walk-in diners there a look at the action throughout the whole place. That action includes pizzas and animal proteins tossed into a big wood-fired hearth, plus ice cream and drinks, with Chef Juan Carlos Olvera, formerly of Long Beach’s Sky Room, overseeing the kitchen. Ampersand comes from father-son restaurateurs Bernard and Jonathan Rosenson—who owned and operated Cielo and The Sky Room in Long Beach and run the upscale First & Oak in Solvang as well as wineries and other holdings across the state—and they’re aiming for a California-cool vibe with reclaimed wood, farmers-market ingredients, and simply-grilled meats." - Farley Elliott