Danny Margolis knows a thing or two about showing people a good time: He’s the owner of Command Performance Catering, where he started working while he was still a student at Moorpark High School about 30 years ago.
So when Margolis decided to open his first restaurant, M on High, in the center of Moorpark’s historic High Street, he wanted it to offer something for everyone in a community he loves but that’s not necessarily known for its restaurant scene. According to its patrons who enjoy fine cuisine in the restaurant’s elegantly decorated dining room, or a large outdoor area that includes fire pits and a bar built from a shipping container, Margolis has succeeded.
“We felt it was kind of a natural progression for our business to open a restaurant,” Margolis said. “And we always wanted to do it in Moorpark, being from Moorpark, just trying to create something for the community that was different and at the same time we could do special events there. So we do rehearsal dinners, birthday parties, little corporate functions and things like that. So it kind of stays in our wheelhouse.”
The restaurant opened in October of 2021 in a historic location which may have originally housed a creamery for making products like butter and ice cream. The building sits directly across High Street from the historic and long-vacant Moorpark Train Depot, slated to be renovated into a new mixed-use development with restaurants, shops and 79 apartments.
The interior of M on High has a retro yet modern feel combining industrial elements like exposed brick and steel beams with elegant fixtures and furnishing in shades of blue and green. Some of the best-selling dishes on the menu include a Tomahawk pork chop with a tangy fig sauce and black sea bass with black rice risotto and tomato compote on top. A burgundy-braised short rib dish is also popular.
“It’s slow cooked in its own juices and spices so that it’s really tender, you know, just comes off easy, and then just very, very flavorful. And then the wild mushroom risotto is just a real complement to it,” Margolis said.
The restaurant also offers a selection of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dishes to satisfy a variety of palates and dietary needs including a charred corn and avocado salad with gorgonzola cheese, split grape tomatoes, crispy chickpeas and green goddess dressing.
A few signature dishes from the catering business also made the menu, such as the beloved macaroni and cheese. Command Performance Catering handles about 600 weddings a year and all the catering for the Los Angeles Rams at their Thousand Oaks practice facility. The company also provided food for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library for over 20 years…which is how Margolis learned that chicken pot pie was one of Nancy Reagan’s favorite dishes.
“We used to do events for her up in the private quarters. And at the time she really loved pot pies. So our chef created that for her,” Margolis said of the dish that’s also become a favorite for patrons of M on High.
Another item inspired by the Reagans is M on High’s carrot soufflé.
“She used to have something similar over at Chasen’s, which is the famous restaurant in L.A. back in the day,” said Margolis.
The one-time hot spot in West Hollywood was frequented by film stars, politicians and other dignitaries before it closed in 1995, and was even the site of the Academy Awards party for many years. It no doubt occupied a significant space in the Reagans’ hearts: It’s rumored to be the place where Ronald proposed marriage to Nancy.
“They kind of posed the question, ‘Can you make something like this?’ And that’s what we came up with,” Margolis recalled. “And it’s actually been one of our signature sides. It’s a carrot base but almost like a muffin or tart. It’s very, very soft. So again, that was something that we created for Mrs. Reagan and President Reagan.”
Live music is featured at the restaurant on many Thursdays and Sundays. While M on High is generally open during dinner hours, it also holds occasional special events earlier in the day. One of these will be a special Mother’s Day Brunch. The brunch has two seatings which accommodate about 250 people each, and the event sold out the first year it was offered.
The restaurant is also known for its decadent desserts including a pistachio and white chocolate bread pudding with warm whiskey glaze and a gluten-free flourless chocolate cake with raspberry coulis.
Margolis says he wants M on High to offer something for everybody, and be a place suitable for everything from a fancy date to watching sports on the outdoor screens. He’s even developed one unusual menu item that’s fun for kids of all ages.
“We have s’mores on our menu so kids can actually make s’mores in the fire pits. And at the same time, if you want to go there with a couple of friends, have a few drinks, enjoy the game, or you can go there for a nice date night,” Margolis said. “Seeing as it’s Moorpark, we try to fit as many different things as we could because it’s a small community and you can only support so many restaurants. So we figured we would try to make it friendly for all.”
M on High
255 E. High St., Moorpark
805-991-4100
