For years, a Saturday in Calabasas had a predictable shape. Coffee in Old Town, a loop through the farmers market, then a drift toward The Commons for lunch, a movie at the theater, and dinner somewhere between Toscanova and SUGARFISH. That routine is being rewritten right now, and not because of anything dramatic. A theater closed. A permit got signed. A new counter opened next to a burger stand. Small moves, but they add up to a real shift in where the center of gravity sits.
Here is the argument in one sentence: the dining energy in Calabasas is migrating from The Commons back to Old Town this year, and the residents who adjust their weekend template first will get the better tables.
The Commons Is in Transition, Not Decline
The single biggest change is one nobody is putting on a marquee. The theater at The Commons closed at the end of 2025, with demolition and new construction beginning in early 2026, and the redevelopment plan adds housing to the center. Work began in January 2026, and the July through September update says construction is underway on new shops, restaurants, and a parking structure for the planned apartment homes. Existing stores and restaurants remain open, surface parking is still available, and weekend valet service is listed near SUGARFISH from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
That is a meaningful change to how the property functions on a Friday night. No movie means no natural post-dinner second act inside the property line. Caruso is leaning into that gap with programming rather than pretending it isn't there. Live performers are at The Commons every Thursday this season, from now through Labor Day weekend, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., between Toscanova and Marmalade Cafe. And there is a Monday-through-Wednesday dining play built for the quieter shoulder nights:
| The Commons Night Out | Days | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Prix fixe menus | Mon–Wed | BLVD Steak, Marmalade Cafe, Superba Food + Bread, Toscanova |
| Affogato deal | Mon–Wed, 3 p.m. to close | 50% off at Bacio di Latte |
Every Monday through Wednesday, participating restaurants offer prix fixe menus made for date night, girls' night, or dinner with the whole family, and guests can cap the evening with 50% off affogatos at Bacio di Latte from 3 p.m. to close. If you have historically gone to The Commons on a Saturday, the smarter move for the next several months is a Tuesday.
The Real Story Is Happening in Old Town
While The Commons is in construction mode, the more interesting reshuffling is a mile east. The former Mulholland space at 23538 Calabasas Road, across from Sagebrush Cantina, is about to become the Calabasas outpost of a restaurant that carries genuine weight in the Los Angeles dining scene. Jon & Vinny's is hiring for all positions at its new location opening soon at 23538 Calabasas Road, across from Sagebrush Cantina, and serves California-Italian comfort food including handmade pastas, wood-fired pizzas, and produce-driven dishes in a casual, diner-style setting, founded by chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo.
Two things matter about this. First, the address itself. That block already has Sagebrush Cantina, the Leonis Adobe Museum, and the Saturday farmers market within a two-minute walk. Dropping a genuine destination restaurant into that cluster is what tips Old Town from "cute stop" to "the plan." Second, this is the same operator team the Michelin Guide describes at their original location, where the team works the wood-fired grill and blazing oven with ease, plenty of pizzas come with lightly charred edges topped with everything from smoked ham to vodka sauce, and the house-made pastas are superb. That is the caliber quietly moving into a space that had been dark since last October.
The anchor next door has not moved. The Old Town Calabasas Farmers Market runs Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at 23504 Calabasas Rd., Calabasas, CA 91302. If you have not been in a few months, the market rewards a slower pass than most locals give it, and the parking calculus is easier than people assume. There is a small parking lot adjacent to the market and another lot across the road in front of the Leonis Adobe Museum, both charging a flat $5 for the day.
For a Saturday that used to end at The Commons theater, the new template looks like this: market at 9, museum at 10, lunch at Sagebrush, and by fall, dinner at Jon & Vinny's on the same block. All within a walkable radius that did not exist as a coherent evening plan a year ago.
Two Openings Worth Actually Trying This Month
For a resident who wants something concrete to do in August, two newer arrivals reward a visit before the crowd builds.
The first is a small counter that opened this summer inside The Commons. Cheesesteaks by Matū opened on Tuesday, July 14 at The Commons in Calabasas, bringing a 100% grass-fed Wagyu Philly Cheesesteak made with First Light Farms beef, a custom seeded bun, Cooper Sharp cheese, grilled onions, and a long hot pepper to a casual walk-up spot next to HiHo Cheeseburger; each cheesesteak is made to order and served with house-made chips, located at 4799 Commons Way, Suite I, open daily 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. This is the kind of tenant that would have been buried by the theater traffic a year ago. Right now it is easy to find, easy to park for, and the price of admission is a single sandwich.
The second is Superba, which has been quietly settling in since spring and is now on the Night Out prix fixe list. Superba Food + Bread opened at The Commons at Calabasas, a destination for curated dining and retail experiences within the neighborhood, with a modern design inspired by European cafes and classic American diners, building on the hospitality established by founder Paul Hibler and CEO Jeff Goodman of American Gonzo since the restaurant's introduction to Venice Beach in 2014. What the menu preview pages rarely tell residents is that a handful of dishes are exclusive to this location, not on the Venice or Pasadena menus. New Calabasas-exclusive dishes include an Egg White Frittata, Superba Hash Browns and Osetra Caviar, Bluefin Tuna Carpaccio, and a Market Vegetable Fritto Misto. Order those, not the greatest hits you can get at another Superba.
A Third Data Point, and What to Watch For
One more move is worth logging, because it hints at where the next year of Calabasas dining is headed. Salsa & Beer Mexican Grill appears to have signage up at 4895 Las Virgenes Road in Calabasas, and owner Gabriel Huerta has said they are finishing construction on the space and planning to open soon; a location was in the works in 2020 but never came to fruition. Las Virgenes is a corridor most locals treat as a car-to-freeway zone, not a destination. A well-run casual restaurant with a genuine following can change that read.
Taken together, the moves are consistent. The Commons is layering programming and quick-service concepts to hold attention through a multi-year construction cycle. Old Town is quietly upgrading its dinner options. The corridors between them, like Las Virgenes, are picking up spillover. If you have been doing the same Calabasas Saturday since 2019, this is the summer the routine stops fitting.
A Better August Template for Someone Who Lives Here
For anyone rebuilding their weekend on the fly, here is a resident-friendly version that uses what is actually open right now:
- Saturday morning: farmers market at 23504 Calabasas Rd., 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Park in the Leonis Adobe lot for $5.
- Saturday lunch: walk to Sagebrush Cantina or grab a Matū cheesesteak at The Commons at 4799 Commons Way, Suite I.
- Tuesday or Wednesday dinner: The Commons Night Out prix fixe at BLVD Steak, Toscanova, Marmalade Cafe, or Superba, then 50% off affogatos at Bacio di Latte.
- Thursday evening: live music between Toscanova and Marmalade Cafe, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., through Labor Day.
- On the calendar for fall: Jon & Vinny's opening at 23538 Calabasas Road.
Small print worth respecting. The valet setup and hours near SUGARFISH can shift as construction progresses, and vendor lineups at the farmers market change week to week. Confirm before you plan a birthday around any of it.
Let's Talk Calabasas
Knowing which block is heating up and which one is in transition is not just useful for a Saturday plan. It shapes how homes trade in the pockets closest to Old Town, the Commons corridor, and the Las Virgenes edge. If you would like a read on your own street through that lens, or a quiet conversation about what your home would do in this market, Kevin Goldman is a Calabasas native who watches these shifts for a living. Request a home valuation or let's connect over coffee in the neighborhood you already know best.
