Embarking on a Cultural Journey
JOEY Woodland Hills offers guests a modern American dining experience through a locally and globally-inspired handcrafted menu served in a vibrant and refined setting.
For president and CEO of JOEY Restaurants Jeff Fuller, life in the culinary world didn’t start at the top – in fact, his remarkable journey began with flipping burgers, washing dishes and sweeping parking lots. In “paying his dues,” as he calls it, he learned the restaurant business literally from the ground up, taking the time to understand what it takes to succeed. Absorbing valuable lessons from his family’s successful businesses before he ventured on his own to introduce a brand-new concept in casual premium eateries, Fuller opened the first JOEY in 1992, growing to encompass a network of four Canadian province locations, one in Washington state and a venue catering to the wide-ranging palates of the Woodland Hills, California crowd.
Situated in what many residents call the beating heart of the San Fernando Valley, JOEY Woodland Hills is located at 6344 Topanga Canyon Boulevard, exuding a design aesthetic that grabs patrons before they even glance at the awe-inspiring menu. Both warm and inviting, JOEY’s interior and exterior elements are a synthesis of casual new and reclaimed materials utilized in complimentary textures and patterns; playful accents in artwork, signage and furniture, meanwhile, compliment the backdrop of natural materials, a touch which was overseen and ultimately perfected by JOEY’s project designer Megan Pitt.
“We are extremely excited about the design of this location,” she explains. “It is important to us to have connections within the communities we work with, partnering with studios that share the same focus on craftsmanship, timelessness and innovation, and nowhere is this more evident than under the roof of JOEY Woodland Hills…from the menu right down to the ingredients used in the dishes and even the art featured on the walls.”
Supporting this dazzling design aesthetic are local artists and their work, including Alexandra Grant and Michael Joyce whose pieces – “Body” and “Thigh,” respectively – hang in the restaurant’s waiting lounge in addition to those of Ray Reyes, an L.A. photographer who has taken the art of snapping pictures to new heights. Adds Pitt,“Supporting local artists is important to us because we want to reflect the communities we’re part of. In so doing, we’ve collaborated with other fabricators including IWorks Custom Lighting out of Los Angeles on large-scale dining chandeliers and oversized patio drum pendants.”
Finishing off JOEY Woodland Hills’ interior draws is a custom steel and antique mirror liquor display, which creates a focal point at the patio bar and reflects the area’s social buzz to the surrounding dining section. Central to the patio is a 23-foot New Zealand Christmas tree, salvaged from a ranch-style property on the bluff at Point Dume in Malibu.
By way of a strong partnership with a local metalworker, JOEY Woodland Hills features a 12-foot-high backlit wine wall with antiqued mirror and brass angled shelving, in addition to custom steel-glazed windows surrounding the landmark open kitchen. With everything including a sushi station, these design elements allow guests to see the culinary team in action at all times.
As lorded over by Executive Chef Chris Mills, the JOEY Woodland Hills menu promises a modern American experience with locally and globally-inspired handcrafted dishes served in a vibrant and polished setting. Mills and his team, in getting to know an array of local businesses, farmers and suppliers, have fused their classic culinary training with a passion for travel, global cuisine and regionally-sourced ingredients, an approach that has yielded everything from casual classics like the hand-pressed burger to more internationally-inspired dishes such as the signature sushi cone.
With the aforementioned quality ingredients at the forefront of every menu item, the JOEY Woodland Hills dining experience begins with an offering of select fresh juiced and crafted slush cocktails, a locally and globally-inspired beer program and an award-winning wine list compiled by the restaurant’s in-house sommelier. In partnering with local vendors such as La Brea Bakery and Santa Monica Seafood, JOEY’s culinary team brings the freshest of ingredients to the menu, with Executive Chef Mills featuring such items as Monterey Bay Octopus “a la Plancha”with fennel, dried olives, octopus bacon and smoked mayo – a signature dish concocted for his recent James Beard Dinner and exclusively served by JOEY Woodland Hills.
“We look for experts passionate about growing and mastering their culinary and hospitality skills,” says Mills.“Whether it’s JOEY’s apprenticeship program, the sommelier certification by way of beverage training or the opportunity to work towards restaurant management through education programs, this company and its eateries reflect what it means to be a well-respected food service representative in 2016…and beyond.”
For president and CEO Jeff Fuller, his vision for a premium casual dining locale in L.A. has culminated in a delicate balance of a refined modern industrial aesthetic and materials that lend a sense of warmth, reflecting the mid-century flare seen throughout California.
“We travel the world to discover bold flavors, then turn them into signature dishes,” concludes Fuller. “Our people are masters of their craft, committed to creating a memorable experience for every guest, while our dining rooms are vibrant and polished yet devoid of any pretension. We live by a simple credo: ‘Get it right the first time,’ and while each JOEY restaurant is unique, they all have plenty in common – great food, fun times and exceptional dining experiences.”
JOEY Woodland Hills features 215 interior seats and a patio area that adds 101 more.
The Woodland Hills location is situated at 6344 Topanga Canyon Boulevard, and can be reached by calling (818) 340-5639. For more information visit www.JOEYRestaurants.com.
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