When I was out in Los Angeles earlier this year, I got together with a guy who I've known for years through a list serve that we've both belonged to for a number of years. I reached out to him to let him know that I'd be in L.A. for a few days and suggested that we get together for dinner at some point. He agreed and he came up with a couple places that might work for us to have dinner. One was an old Midwestern-style supper club in the San Fernando Valley called the Valley Inn. I told him that would be great, fully not expecting to go to a supper club in the greater Los Angeles area.
There wasn't much to Sherman Oaks in 1947 when Jim and Otto Nassar built and opened the Valley Inn. The town was just 20 years old at that time and there was still a lot of agriculture in the valley - as in orange groves as far as the eye could see - before the westward population push began in the 1950's turning those farm fields into houses.
After World War II, Indiana natives Jim and Otto Nasser started the Pink Pig, a supper club-style restaurant in the San Fernando Valley. Movie stars became regular patrons of the Pink Pig and the popularity of the restaurant caused the brothers to open another restaurant not far away.
The Valley Inn was elegant with its dark wood paneling, its pin-cushion booths, and its charming, romantic ambience. Stars such as Cary Grant and W.C. Fields migrated over to the Valley Inn. Later on, many TV Western actors would visit the Valley Inn as a number of shows were shot in the hills and valley near the Valley Inn. It later became a hangout for stars such as Shirley MacLaine, Betty White and UCLA men's basketball coach John Wooden who lived nearby.
Jim Nasser eventually moved back to Indiana and the Nasser brothers sold the restaurant in 1952 to three gentlemen - Ricky Biagi, Alan Caplan, and Leonard Einhorn. The three shepherded the Valley Inn through its golden years of where it became the place to see and be seen in the quickly expanding San Fernando Valley. The group ran the restaurant for 28 years before selling to another group of investors in 1980 headed by Jack Gold. Gold and various investors owned the Valley Inn for another 18 years before Sophia and Boris Brodetsky bought the business in 1998.
The Brodetsky's were both Russian immigrants and fully grasped the history of the Valley Inn when they bought the restaurant. The restaurant was in deep need of repair when they took over. But they were keen on preserving the key elements of the restaurant. Nearly all the original booths, tables and chairs were refurbished with an attention to detail to the original late-40's look of the restaurant.
Their gracious nature and outgoing qualities endeared the Brodetsky's to their patrons giving the Valley Inn a family-feel when you would walk into the place. The pandemic in 2020 almost forced the Brodetsky's to close their doors, but with the help of their loyal customers they were able to forge through the tumultuous times and continue in business as strong as ever.
It was a bit of a drive for me to go from Hollywood up to Sherman Oaks. Not being in L.A. for a number of years, it took me awhile to figure out that distances are not discussed in miles, but in the time it takes you to travel from Point A to Point B. It was about a 35 minute drive for me before I pulled up in front of the Valley Inn just off the 405 on Sherman Oaks Ave. near Ventura Blvd. (see map) I was able to find parking on a side street around the corner from the Valley Inn and went inside to find my friend.
The front of the Valley Inn is obscured by a large tent over some parking spaces in front of the restaurant that was put up during the pandemic three years ago to allow for outdoor dining when indoor dining was temporarily banned in Los Angeles County. It was a nice evening - one of the few nice nights during my trip to Southern California - but it was cool and there were no customers seating under the tent.
Inside the Valley Inn is a small entry/waiting area with the hostess stand. A number of autographed photographs of celebrities in the entertainment industry as well as famous Los Angeles sports figures. There was an electric piano in the room that someone - don't know if he was an employee or just a patron - was playing for a bit. Next to the piano was a trophy case that was sort of a shrine to UCLA basketball coach John Wooden, longtime Los Angeles Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn and a couple other athletic figures who have been regulars at the Valley Inn over the years. I was told that current UCLA football coach Chip Kelly is now a regular at the Valley Inn.
The bar is in a small room off to the right as you walk into the Valley Inn. The bar, itself, has a bit of history behind it. It was custom-made in England in the 1880's and shipped over to the port in San Pedro just south of Los Angeles. When the Nassers built the Valley Inn in 1947, they bought the bar and backbar from an old saloon and had it placed in their bar room that was specially sized for the bar. The bar and backbar were ornate and really eye-catching. I immediately liked the bar.
I waited in the bar area for my buddy to show up. The bartender that night was a pleasant lady by the name of Ishla who introduced herself to me right off the bat. I told her that I was waiting for someone to show up and I ordered up a Ballast Point Sculpin that they had on tap.
It wasn't long after that when my buddy showed up. In a bit of a pleasant surprise, he had his longtime lady-friend with him. She was definitely my buddy's anchor in the relationship and was fun to be around.
My buddy suggested that we eat in the bar, but he said that I should take a look around before we made a final decision. Off the entry room with all the memorabilia and signed photographs is the John Wooden Room, a small dining area with burnt orange fabric walls and old-time light fixtures hanging from the ceiling. My buddy - who had been to the Valley Inn many times and was a wealth of information on the place - said this was the room that John Wooden would hold court with friends and donors during the hey-day of UCLA men's basketball in the 60's and 70's.
The main dining room looked like you stepped back into the late 40's/early 50's. The elegant booths and linen-covered table tops haven't changed in over 75 years. While it was quiet and intimate in the main dining area, I sort of liked the idea of sitting at the bar.
There is a bar menu at the Valley Inn, but it's primarily appetizers. My friend said that he's eaten at the bar many times over the years. Ishla confirmed that when she said that we could order off the regular menu with her. "It's more fun at the bar," Ishla said as she handed us menus. My buddy got a Moscow mule to start out with while his lady friend ended up with a martini.
The menu at Valley Inn has evolved over the years, but there are some mainstays that have been part of the menu since 1947. Baby back ribs, sautéed calf livers, oven-roasted chicken and fried chicken are part of the menu that includes steaks, lamb and pork chops, some seafood dishes, and a few pasta entrees. The prime rib at the Valley Inn is aged for 28 days and hand-patted with a blend of spices and herbs. There were some things on the menu that I doubt were available when the restaurant first opened - the sesame peppercorn encrusted ahi tuna appetizer was one. The Valley Inn's famous garlic cheese bread got my attention on the appetizer side, as well.
I was told that the steaks at the Valley Inn are all Midwestern-raised, possibly in Iowa. And that's what I ended up getting. I got the prime New York strip steak, cooked rare. A side of seasonal vegetables and mashed potatoes were my choice for the side. (I should have gone with the steak fries.) A small tub of hollandaise sauce came on the side. I asked Ishla if I could get some ground horseradish and she quickly obliged.
The New York strip was cooked perfectly, tender, juicy, and full of flavor. I dipped a couple pieces into the hollandaise sauce and it was a nice complement to the taste of the meat. The cut of beef and the way it was cooked rivaled anything I've had at a Midwestern steakhouse. It was an outstanding steak.
My friend got one of the specials that evening - a breaded pork chop with a side of vegetables. It was a thick cut boneless pork chop It looked pretty good and he said it was very good.
His ladyfriend ended up getting the chicken marsala pasta - a lightly breaded and sautéed chicken breast on a bed of linguine and topped with a marsala wine and mushroom sauce. She said it was one of her favorite dishes on the menu at the Valley Inn. It did look delicious.
The Valley Inn was a real treat - an old-school Los Angeles eatery steeped in history. My Midwestern-raised New York strip was cooked perfectly and was surprisingly very good. (I know - I'm a Midwestern beef snob.) My friend and his lady friend said their meals were great - just like every time they've visited the Valley Inn. He was telling me of some more old-school supper clubs in the area and we made a preliminary date the next time I get back to L.A. to meet up at one of those places. But I don't know how it could be much better than the Valley Inn.
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