Fins - Thousand Oaks, CA

I use YELP a lot to help me navigate me through the restaurant scene. Well YELP you officially let me down...

Beautiful restaurant.

Decent bread with a side of pond scum.

A trio of flavorless soups - Lobster bisque, Spinach and Clam Chowder.

Snapper Tostada - which tasted like frozen fish just thawed out for this special occasion.

Last and least, the worst crab cake (balls?!) I have ever had.

The service was poor and the bill was high! What a day.

The Ranch House - Take 2

Happy Birthday dinner for Jennifer! Kate so generously hooked us up for a fantastic meal.

The Koi Pond - Big boys!

Blurry Mushroom Struedal - Shiitake, portobello & morel mushrooms sautéed with fresh herbs & onion wrapped in filo dough and baked - mushroom & wine cream sauce. I didn't even get a bite!

A semi-boned quail marinated in red wine, dijon mustard, fresh thyme and honey, grilled and served with assorted baby lettuce & pine nuts tossed in toasted sesame oil & gingered rice vinaigrette.

My absolute favorite - The Tortilla Soup. It is so good. I wonder if I can pick it up to go?

Fresh seabass marinated in olive oil, sherry and fresh herbs, broiled with a parmesan lime aioli. I gobbled it up like it was the last fish on Earth.

Beef tenderloin grilled and served on a ragout of crimini mushrooms, onions, merlot and wild mushroom broth – béarnaise sauce on the side. Kathy seemed to like it and that made me happy!

Swordfish steak brushed with lemon thyme butter, grilled and served with a mango salsa on the side.

Holy yum. Ask for the Trio.

This is one sad looking Creme Brulee. Enough said.

I will keep coming back. You cannot beat the atmosphere. Bamboo and white lights make for a special evening at The Ranch House!

Spinnaker Seafood Broiler - Ventura, CA

In the Ventura Harbor there are a lot of great places to eat. We always find ourselves at Brophy Bros. because they have a good Happy Hour and the chowder is usually a sure thing. This time we gave Spinaker's a try.

If I see Lobster Bisque on any menu, I order it. This was a pretty good version, it was very thick. I could only eat about half, I had more food coming!

My dinner. Mesquite Grilled Mahi Mahi with my chosen sides: Mashed Potatoes and Cole Slaw. The fish was cooked well, but I was indifferent about the seasoning. The potatoes were very creamy, it tasted like they mixed cream cheese - nice touch. The slaw was outstanding. It would be perfect on a pulled pork sandwich. Speaking of, that sounds great!

The others ordered the Shrimp and Scallops. Served on skewers, fun and food - nice combo! It was a lot of food no one seemed to be able to tackle the beast. I did try them both and they were cooked nicely.

Hey Lois and Bill! Thanks for a fun night out!

Seaward Fish N Chips - Ventura, CA

Here's the thing about hanging money from the ceiling, walls and such -Money is so dirty! I mean from a cleanliness stand point. I am just sayin'... There was probably $2700 according to our server, although she has never counted.

I read in the VC Reporter that they served up a mean cup of Chowder so i had to do my job and find out! It wasn't bad! Not as thick and gluey as most. Potatoes were still under cooked for my liking but good consistency!

The One Piece, with bonus onion rings! Great job. Perfect breading and a ton of fries.

It is a Hole in Wall but sometimes that is what makes the experience. Go after a beach romp for dark beer and some grease!

Happy Birthday Jennifer!

Wishing Jennifer Good Taste the best birthday ever!

My First Westsuit!

Look out Surf City, here comes Melissa Good Taste!

Thanks Smalls!

PF Changs - Thousand Oaks, CA

I put on my mandarin collar to to get in a festive mood to enjoy a meal at PF Changs! Beautiful location by the way, in "The Lakes" in Thousand Oaks - with shopping too!

Happy Hour! Asian Tacos are always fun. The beef really gets stuck in your teeth though!

Egg Drop and Hot and Sour Soup. Both just tasty enough to get the meal rolling...

The Lettuce Wrap Chicken has always been my favorite here at Changs. However, this time not so. The lettuce had a metallic taste to it! They probably didn't use a plastic knife on this one.

Mongolian Beef and Honey Shrimp. They were tasty. I was just really stuffed at this point. I had more fun spicing up my rice with their "secret" blends. Hot Mustard WILL make you feel alive if you consume it spoonful qualities.

All in all it was franchise food heaven.

Ojai Wine Festival - Ojai, CA

I was very excited to attend my first Ojai Wine Festival. VIP Tickets in tow we made our way inside!

There was supposed to be a cap on how many VIP Tickets were sold. However by the packed tent you would have never guessed it!

The food inside the tent mostly consisted of one plate of cheese and crackers and Sakura Sushi. They are really the only ones who served something worth eating. Good job Sakura!

This is just a sample of how packed it was... My guess is easily over 3000!

First and only experience!

Aloha Steakhouse - Ventura, CA

Our friend Camille has been a long time waitress at Aloha Steakhouse in Ventura. A beach front location makes it a desirable location for people seeking a Happy Hour drink or a terrific supper. I was flagged down by Camille on my beach walk and made my way inside. Low and behold we ran into old time customers and our evening turned into quite the exciting night.

After way too many beers, I was famished. Clam Chowder was brought to the table quickly and I was thankful for that! The chowder is good. Better than Steamers by a long shot. Who makes the best chowder anyhow?

Camille rocked the service and our meals came out lickety split. Scott ordered the Steak Medallions and Shrimp with a Teriyaki glaze. He said the shrimp was really tasty, and the steak was ok. We were really hungry!

This is the Macadamia Crusted Mahi Mahi ordered by your truly. There was a Peanut and mango sauce as well as the Teriyaki glaze. Sweet and salty, my favorite.

I will definitely return to Aloha, mostly if i know if Camille is working. She is a great waitress and will make your dining experience a memorable one!

Steamers - Pismo Beach, CA

Not a bad seat in the house...

My brother told me that they had the best Clam Chowder ever. Hmm... I think I would have to disagree. It was good, maybe a little too thick though. Next!

It was a Fish and Chips kind of day! The Fish was delicious and the fries did the job - nice and crispy!

Fish Tacos anyone? They also were just good enough to fill the tummy. Mehhh...

Surely the Coconut Rum Cheesecake with Mango sauce would be great right? Um. i am sorry I cannot say it was.

The view and brew is all I have to brag on this trip.

Nuevo Mexico - Paso Robles, CA

New restaurant in Paso Robles! Mexican food at that. It is in the old home of an Italian place. I am pretty sure the decor is much the same. The salsa was tasty - lots of cilantro, a plus in my book.

Cheese Enchiladas ala carte. Kind of boring but plenty filling.

Chile Relleno on my plate with Enchilada and Rice and Beans. Lots of food but it didn't do much for me! I was bored with it.

Not bad. Plenty cheap and it may deserve another visit because I hate writing off restaurants.