The Derby Menu

The Derby Restaurant Review:

In the shadow of Santa Anita Racetrack, this storied landmark has been a popular after-the-races hangout since 1931. Famed jockey George Woolf --- the mount of legendary thoroughbred Seabiscuit --- owned this place until he died when thrown from a horse at the nearby track in 1946, and it’s loaded with history. The sprawling establishment is pleasantly old-fashioned, with white-linened tables, roomy red-leather booths, a fireplace and a lively bar. More than a century of racing memorabilia (including a good deal relating to Seabiscuit) is scattered around the restaurant. The signature dish is filet mignon wrapped in bacon, but the extensive menu offers many other classics, such as sirloin with béarnaise, prime rib and rack of lamb, as well as some Italian dishes. Start with a large and very respectable shrimp cocktail or iceberg wedge drizzled with blue cheese dressing. House-made desserts include crème brûlée and bread pudding. The wine list is almost exclusively a California affair. Hip The Derby will never be, but it provides some thoroughly enjoyable nostalgia, especially for sports fans.