I always thought Simi was LA county, my bad. 
I believe Rustic is actually located in Moorpark. A town known for its lack of decent restaurants. Also in Ventura County.
Obviously you don't get to Rustic Canyon, or Moorpark very much.
Recently, Cafe Firenze has not only been celebrated with coverage on Bravo Network's Top Chef, where owner/head chef, is competing for the title of Top Chef. (Wednesday nights @ 10:00pm)
You can check out the restaurant on their website:
http://www.cafefirenze.net/home.cfmFrom his bio:
Fabio is the Owner and Executive Chef of Café Firenze Italian Restaurant and Martini Bar, one of the most recognized restaurants in Ventura County. Born and raised in Florence, Italy, he has traveled across Europe and is trained in classic Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. He incorporates Italian, French and Spanish influences in his dishes and believes that cooking is a craft. He is currently working on opening the Firenze4Kids Foundation, which will emphasize the promotion of health and wellness for kids through good nutrition and will also launch kidshealthcafe.com, the largest informative resource library available online, designed to enhance a healthy and safe lifestyle for children. Additionally, Fabio also works as William Shatner's private chef.Also, Wood Ranch Grill is no slouch when it comes to great BBQ. You should try them some time.
Also, I'm of the opinion that any town that has an In-and-Out Burger has good dining. I know about 20 guys in the golf architecture business and around 50 participants of this website that would agree with me!
On to the next guy....
Joe, Yes, your the one that doesn't like Santa Anita or at the very least discounted it. Honestly, I think that's says it all, but you owe it to yourself to look a little closer again. Santa Anita is a hidden gem. (I hope your doing well by the way!)
There is no doubt in my mind how poor of quality of turf conditions can get sometimes at "The Molester." The superintendent probably did deserve a medal, of not some recognition for that amount of crew for two courses and the amount of money he was given for a course that purportedly gets 120,000+ rounds a year. (Didn't someone on this website already prove that figure close to impossible?
) Still it is impressive--and stupid. (and people wonder why these courses are a shadow of their former designs.)
The one thing you don't hear the superintendent talking about is the history and most, the architecture of Chester Washington, pre-Western Avenue; where two men-- a developer named R.C. Noble and a former UCLA legacy, turned LA High School Principle, C.C. Hollingsworth, who would go on to be the owner and developer of San Diego's Singing Hills Golf Course--created a links that I feel at one time may have been some what inspired by Pine Valley, as well as other famous courses from the East Coast. the bones are there. They are undeniable. However in this modern day, not worthy--all because of being cost prohibitive.
And thats a shame.
I've posted before images of the course's "Chasm"/"Biarritz hole which is now part of the approach to the 14th, and is in fact, easily recoverable. But there are other golf holes of incredible panache, just in somewhat more run down shape; areas grassed over, which were obviously at one time part of a more alluring nature. We're talking sandy, scrubby waste areas just off of tees that were loaded with cop bunkers and the like as well as some interestingly placed strategic green-side bunkering that can still be found lying dead and grassed over. The contours on the 16th green are a work of art; even in their top-dressed-to-death state.
Don't expect to see a lot of quality golf on the first four holes. It isn't there. Architecturally, these holes aren't bad holes, but more out of character with what once existed there and more then likely the reason why the course gets such lack of respect. (beyond the maintenance issues that so many seem to complain about, and that I have never really experienced) The original holes--which you can still see part of the 3rd, lying fallow out in the driving range, went due west and crossed what is now Normandie Blvd. way before Normandie, or any road existed there.
I could go on and on; but mostly, I will tell you that some of you are blind to what at once existed there. You just can't see it, as well as the history that has occurred there. (Joe Louis, when he lived at one time in LA, was once a regular here; this is where he and many other great athletes once called their home course. Babe Ruth, also played there on many occasions on visits out west) The place was a proverbial gold mine in its day--and certainly another missing link in Southern California's once great golfing past.
One of the greatest thing a golfer; or for the most part, a history buff like myself can do is talk to the older members. At "The Molester," You'll actually be talking to former caddies who at one time weren't even allowed to play the course, but still to this day know it like the back of their hands. They are a plethora of information--and most, back up most of my observations of what once existed there in a different age. They hold the course sacred, and honestly, they are just as much the Gold.
Now the next guy after him:
Please, go enjoy the golf at Skylinks. This allows me to see that Ran does not have any idea of the quality of people we allow on the website these days! (you see, I know I'm sounding like a snob--and maybe I am--but I do have purpose and I do understand that this art, this architecture has meaning. You won't find it at Skylinks. I know this as fact. that's the reason why its empty now, and more or less the complaint of many of the residents who couldn't fathom making it an upper-tiered/priced course when the city didn't need that. Honestly, this is a minor mistake for the city, who deserves great praise for being the best owners of muni courses in Southern California. No other certainly comes close.
They just made a huge miscalculation regarding Skylinks.
Next time your in town, please do not hesitate to contact me so we can go play Skylinks and you can personally show me why you think its such a great design. (I didn't know beer played a huge part in the architecture--SCRATCH THAT--yes it does. LOTS OF IT! To kill the pain of having to follow closely Cal Olson's plans)
Meanwhile, I'll show you why I think its a complete waste of city money and where it could have put into so much better use. Like dumping it all into Recreation Park for a COMPLETE RESTORATION, making it one of the premiere public courses to play in LA County if not Southern California. The poor problem is that it already is that.