KFC craving...

So I have had the worst craving for fried chicken for a couple weeks now. I broke down yesterday for lunch and ordered a couple pieces with mashed potatoes and a biscuit from good old Kentucky Fried Chicken. At first bite it was love! Not feeling too proud of my nutritional calorie bomb but what is a girl to do?! Almost Friday...

Little Melissa Good Taste

I have loved food since the beginning!

My sister has been downloading slides and negatives this week so she has been sending me some vintage photos!

How cute am I?!

Treasure Beach & Cafe - Ojai, CA

I am not sure how long Treasure Beach has been here but I must have driven by a hundred times without even noticing it! I saw an ad in a local publication and declared, "I must eat there!" On the way into town and without a decision on where to eat, we decided that today was the day we tried Treasure Beach & Cafe.

We decided on a forgetable glasses of Pinot Noir.

It was very fruity - wish I remembered the name!

My entree was Branzino with quinoa. Branzino is very similar to sea bass - pan roasted and very tasty. The quinoa was quite bland, pretty much what it tastes like all the time though!


Scott ordered the Penne in sage pesto. Charred tomatoes, caramelized onions, toasted pecans and shaved parmesan finished out the dish. It was served kind of luke warm, almost cold.

Last, we ordered a Berry Crumble. Just ok. Nothing so special it had to be ordered again.

Wish there was more to say other than it was a darling location, ok food and the ability to shop while you dine! There is a corner of the cafe that has cook books, cookware, place mats and candles for sale! There are cool couches for lounging as well. I had high hopes for Treasure Beach, it was worth the try! You be the judge...

Dinner by Dallas!

Steak, grilled summer squash and beets with goat cheese.

Nice work Dicki - Looked great!

Maria Bonita - Ventura, CA

I brag on Downtown Ventura all the time. There are so many places to eat, drink and listen to music! Sometimes places get overlooked due to their position on the street. Maria Bonita is down all the hill - next to all the lovely Thrift Stores. Not exactly the most ideal spot for their restaurant but if your brave enough to wander down the beaten path you need to eat here!

Their chips and salsa are of course homemade. Everything is so fresh and wonderful. There were two employees working when we visited the restaurant. The first being the greeter/waiter and the other the cook! Such simplicity, and so efficient too.


The picture does not do this dish any justice at all. This was Mahi Mahi in a sweet and spicy sauce. I can't remember what exactly what was it in it besides honey. There were chile's too! At first bite it was a sweet taste, then slowly you would feel the burn. But, it was not an unbearable heat. It was just perfect. I ordered the petite sized meal - which leaves off the rice and beans and it was just the right amount of food!

Shrimp in a tequila cream sauce with peppers and onions was Scott's order. The dish was exactly what I had hopes for! This too was the petite order and had so much food. They served corn tortillas on the side and of course they were made in house as well!

As you can see this was not your typical Mexican food but something much more high end and fresh. They make several types of moles, fish dishes and other exotic specialties. Not your typical taco or burrito joint, that is for sure! I am excited to try more items on the menu. Melissa Good Taste gives Maria Bonita two thumbs up, easy!

Fresh off the Farm.

Ranch raised beef - filet mignon to be exact. Swiss Chard and Zucchini harvested that day! The black beans were fresh out of a can, that was the only thing not fresh! Eating pretty clean... Thank you Mother Earth!

Eric Ericsson's - Ventura, CA

When you drive down the 101 you should recognize this building. It is on the Ventura Pier and is a huge. It screams: ERIC ERICSSON'S as you make your way south. Have you ever stopped in to give it a try? I have heard Happy Hour is really the time to go, they have quite the following.

This is their Clam Chowder - I am quite the connoisseur by now. And it was good. Served piping hot and a blend of clams with the right ratio of potatoes - which means not too many!

The Crab Cakes also passed my test. They were full of sweet, lump crab and they didn't mess with it too much. Large pieces and nicely breaded - definitely panko.

Worth a try while in Ventura. Pick a nice sunny day - "June Gloom" has settled so wait until July to visit. Maybe sit on the the patio, order a few cocktails and appetizers. The list of specials usually is a page long so be prepared to bring your reading glasses!

Johnny's Bar and Grill - Hollister, CA

Want some history? You got it! "In 1947 Wino Willie and his Boozefighter's came to Hollister for the Fourth of July Gypsy Tour Races.They cut loose in town after the races and one the guys drove through Johnny's on his motorcycle. They were a little rowdy but the mayhem that was depicted in the July 1947 issue of Life Magazine exaggerated the event. The article inspired the 1953 movie The Wild Ones with Marlon Brando and Lee Marvin. The Boozefighters have made it a point to come back to Johnny's for the fourth of July weekend ever since." - This is directly quoted from the current owner herself! Enjoy that? Now lets enjoy the food!

Inside the famous - "Johnny's"

My order of Fish and Chips - your typical pub grub! Yum.

Rob's Cheeseburger with pepper jack cheese and bacon! Cooked to a perfect medium. I tasted it, it was very good. A serious contender in the burger contest downtown.

Jennifer ordered the Special of Grilled Cheese and cup of Tomato. It looked like a great rainy day meal!

All in all I was pleasantly surprised by my meal at Johnny's. I am sure most locals assume it is just the rowdy bar located downtown. But, it really pumped out good food. Affordable too. They also serve breakfast! Who knew? Check it out for yourself!

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

I made this! I have always wanted to make my own Homemade Macaroni and Cheese! I was told that sour cream and salsa on top would really make it a hit. I smiled, nodded and thought, "Well I guess that would be good." But, after really thinking about it I figured out what that actually meant... A cardboard box covered in sour cream and salsa would taste good. So, that pretty much summed up what my Macaroni and Cheese tasted like.

No recipe to follow.

The Garden is 3 Weeks Old!

Growing, growing, growing!

Tomato plants and Snap Peas (they don't look so good)

Pepper Variety.

Early Girl Tomato plant.

Ace Tomato plant.

Red Romaine, more Peppers and Swiss Chard.

Zucchini and Squash.

Melons.

Cabbage and Strawberry Patch - with a stray cat!

Onions, Tomato, Squash and Corn. Maybe the cat scared the gopher away!

Romano's Macaroni Grill - Ventura, CA

Hungry. A little passed lunch and just before dinner. And, you don't want to wait. Hungry. Like, feed me now! What are you to do? Well, stop by a franchise restaurant and order an in-between meal. How about Romano's Macaroni Grill? Sure. Lets go!

When I glanced the Appetizer Menu I knew right away I wanted the Crab Stuffed Mushrooms. Fresh mushrooms filled with lump crabmeat, shrimp and Italian seasonings, then baked until golden, yes please! Well, the lump crabmeat and shrimp were not exactly present in this little rodeo. The mushroom, all by itself, stole the show!

Trying to eat something healthy yet sinfully delicious? That was my plan of attack... Roasted Vegetali - Roasted yellow and red peppers, eggplant, zucchini and red onions with fresh mozzarella and basil. Doesn't that sound fabulous? The crust was a little hard to maneuver a knife and fork through so I mostly just ate the toppings!

Romano's Macaroni Grill - your service was lovely, restaurant beautiful and totally affordable. So that makes me happy! Melissa Good Taste thinks your a-ok!