Weekend Fun! - Ventura + Ojai, CA

I have just had the most lovely weekend. Scott and I went into Ventura on Friday night for a bit of a staycation. We had dinner at Lure Seafood Restaurant (my favorite!) for a nice meal and a little pre-party for our big night out to celebrate Dana's birthday. After dinner we checked into the Crowne Plaza and changed into more formal attire, it was time to celebrate his little lady.... 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANA! 

We were asked to come in our most sparkly, 1920's glam fashion. Nichole knocked the theme out of the park! From her hair, fringe dress, pearl necklaces and long fur coat. Stunning!

 We had such a nice time visiting with our friends, playing pool on a really bad table and getting dressed up. I love a good theme party!

My ladies of the night, these gals sure know how to have a good time. 

The next day with VC Reporter in hand i decided to try the new Asian Fusion Garden which took over the old Chinese restaurant in Ojai. Upon entering not much is changed. There are less tables in the dining area and things do look a bit more streamlined. I decided to go for a lunch special and started with the Hot and Sour Soup as my starter. It was nice, it is a huge improvement from the previous owner's recipe.

A pretty standard lunch plate of Orange Chicken, Fried Rice, Mini Spring Roll and some broccoli garnish. Nothing about this dish was bad. Nothing. However nothing just sand out as delicious to me. It  filled my empty tank up and provided fuel versus providing this foodie euphoria. I will say I was craving larger pieces of white meat chicken rather than so many connective pieces of dark meat. 

The price is fair for the amount of food you receive just about $10. I am happy to support all new restaurants in my area so now it is your turn. The menu is scaled down tremendously so you can easily explore it all in a few visits. I cannot wait to try the Honey Walnut Shrimp next.

Azu - Ojai, CA

Last week Dana and I went into Azu just for a little late lunch and sampling of the Ojai Alisal Wines. When I heard about the Upper Ojai based winery I became a little sentimental because that is where I come home. We both sampled the Viognier and it was served cool and frosty in a large beautiful glass. It was a total winner and is the type of wine that could be eaten with all sorts of food.

We decided to order a bunch of tapas so we could share and have a little bit of each. Dana went for a nice salad and the honey baked brie with candied walnuts. I order the gambas (shrimp) and bacon wrapped dates. They all were delicious but that brie was just unreal. We finished our lunch and left totally satisfied with everything we had that day.

What great day for Ladies Who Lunch!

Rosti - Calabasas, CA

A couple days ago I had to make a trip to LAX to pick up my dear friend Dana. The trip was an exhausting one for the both of us and we were craving a nice lunch. Dana had been to Rosti before and wanted to share her experience with me. Upon entering you can see that it is a casual eatery featuring Tuscan cuisine. 

After reviewing the two sided menu and reading through selection after selection of salads, pizzas, sandwiches and pastas I was totally undecided on what I should order. After a few bites of the bread that was brought to the table I knew what I was going to go for...

You know I am a total sauce girl so when I saw the Tilapia with Spicy Pink Mushroom Sauce I thought that might be worth a try. The sauce was in fact a little spicy, but mostly totally flavorful from the rich mushrooms. The sauce leaned heavy on the salty side but as I ate it with bites of fish and mashed potato I thought it was a perfect component to the dish. I ordered sauteed spinach with roasted garlic with it as a side and did have a couple bites. The entire plate was a win as a whole!

 Now this dish is so Dana. She loves a good Caprese Sandwich but when you add Milanese to the party it is just awesome! The breaded chicken cutlet, mozzarella, arugula, tomatoes and pesto on the ciabata baked in house was crazy good. French fries were served on the side and could not have been better. Hot, crispy and salty!!

I left feeling full and totally satisfied. That is the way you want to feel leaving any restaurant but on this day it just felt lovely because it was also affordable. I cannot wait to go back and explore the menu further, the salads in particular all sounded amazing. Ciao!

Osteria Monte Grappa - Ojai, CA

I have to admit I have had some previous visits at this restaurant that were less than stellar but lately, they have been knocking it out of the park. Just to make sure they were on a roll I dined here three times before giving them a solid thumbs up. The olive oil and balsamic on the table that greeted me with the bread was terrific. Everything I look for for a go to nosh while deciding what to eat. 

I got a Risotto special that featured Seared Scallops, tomato, onions, diced arugula and finished with cream. It was delicious. My only complaint it wasn't on the menu the next time I dined there. It was totally fantastic and look forward to when it is on the menu again. 

Dana orders the same thing every time and lucky for her the Panino Canoviano is on the menu constantly. The sandwich features mozzarella cheese, arugula, tomato, avocado and proscuitto. It looked as good as it sounded! I am impressed with its price too, what a deal for $8.

I do have to say that Osteria Monte Grappa is on top of its game and I am happy to give it my good review. Restaurants are hard to leave people feeling satisfied and I have left feeling ecstatic her latelly. Go get a bite for yourself!

Santa Barbara Public Market - Santa Barbara, CA

I am so lucky to have met my dear friend, Dana, not only is she a wonderful person but she is a total foodie just like me! We love a good lunch/food adventure so we loaded up and high tailed it to Santa Barbara to check out the Public Market. We both heard it is lovely so we gave it a try!  

As you walk inside you are immediately welcomed by a gourmet grocery store. The items are familiar to those you would find at Whole Foods and other smaller boutique groceries.

The cheese monger is just a few stall down ready to answer any question you might have when wanting to pair with wines or to make the most ultimate grilled cheese sandwich. 

You will make your way to the next stall that is complete with all things balsamic vinegar and olive oil. The prices are extremely reasonable for what you are getting. I could have spent all day sampling but my cheeks were getting drawn up from all the tart goodness so i headed out. My favorite was the Ancho Vinegar - I had some kick!

Across the stall is the fresh pasta booth. How convenient would it be to pop in and grab a selection of hand made ravioli for dinner!? 

The meat selection comes up next and it was a beauty to look at all the selection of beef, pork and lamb. Everything looked so perfect!

 It was neat to see the butcher in action!

There is even a space that has an industrial kitchen for rent. It would be fun to take a cooking class featured by a local chef. I guess it would even be fun to have your friends over and make a whole bunch of enchiladas too - freezers and and freezers of enchiladas! The possibilities are endless! 

They have a stall of prepared food like these salad and sandwich combos. 

I though these tartines were cute!

 I really wanted to try a cupcake from the dessert stall but the worker ignored me so I took a photo of the precious little gems and moved on.

Our last stop was the seafood monger because we knew we had to do a little recon work before we left...

OYSTER SAMPLING!

I thought I was always a number one fan of kusshi oysters. I swore they were the best of the best. However, after trying Carlsbad Luna's I now know those are my absolute favorites. Totally briny, clean and absolutely stunning. These are the bomb.com!

It was a fun experience wandering stall to stall at the market. I just wish we had brought maybe a iced cooler to be able to bring some of these treats back to Ojai. The hour long car ride would be an absolute spoil for some of these precious ingredients. I will be back.

Capriccio - Ventura, CA

I AM SORRY!

I must apologize for not blogging in like, forever... I was busy being a supportive horse show wife and competitior. I wear many hats! And lets resume with our regular blogging schedule...

 Main Street in Downtown Ventura is a happening place. When I was new to the area I used to stroll the sidewalks and enjoy the blocks of stores, restaurants and bars. One place I had not dined yet was Capriccio so I rallied my two foodies, Dana and Darla for a visit. Inside the corner restaurant it has a lot of local art on its brick laid walls, which made for a lot of visual interest. 

We were starving so torn into the bread the second it was set on the table. The olive oil and basalmic was lovely. We ate more than we should have.

When Dana and I heard the "Soup of the Day" was lobster bisque we got a little excited and ordered it. The bowl was a large one and I instantly knew I over ordered but didn't care at all. The soup was nice and I used the remaining bread as a vehicle to get more of the creamy bisque inside of me. I forced myself to stop eating so I would have room for my entree.

Darla was a good little eater and ordered the Walnut Salad with addition of chicken. It is complete with field greens, roasted pears, candied walnuts and blue cheese. That is my kind of salad! If I was craving lettuce that day, I would have followed her lead!

There was a special of Salmon Almondine served with a Vegetable Risotto and I jumped on that train. I love the trout version so I decided the salmon must be just as delicious. The fish was cooked perfectly and the almond coating was nice. However, I do wish it was served with some kind of sauce. The thick piece of fish and nuts made for a dry bite if you did not include the risotto in each forkful. The risotto itself was nice but the large chunks of al dente vegetables distracted me. I think the pieces should be served smaller and cooked to resemble the rice, soft and creamy.

It was a nice meal, totally comfortable atmosphere and service on point. A great place to stop in for lunch. If you are lucky enough to snag a table outside you will be entertained by the people watching!

Pierre Lafond Wine Bistro - Santa Barbara, CA

Today was a really beautiful day in Santa Barbara, almost to the point of being too warm. Dana and I tried to shop but felt that the heat was really wiping us out so we decided to break for lunch sooner than later. I had never been to Pierre Lafond Wine Bistro so when she suggested it I was game on. The seat outside was worth the price of admission, the people watching was totally entertaining.

I am sure something was amusing me at this point... 

Like I said above I was hungry, a little lunch salad was not going to quite cut the mustard for me. I settled on the Roasted Beet and Farro Salad complete with arugula and goat cheese and the addition of Salmon. It was plenty and did the job right. I left feeling satisfied but not too full. This would for sure be something I would like again. 

Dana went for the Cobb Salad and I am not going to lie it was something that caught my eye. Chocked full of chicken, bacon, tomato, avocado, egg and olive it certainly ate like a meal. I knew it looked good but I was happy to have my salmon.

What a pretty place to sit and have a meal with a wonderful friend. I have walked passed it a bunch of times and was glad to have had the opportunity to have dined there today. It gets a "yes" from me.

Cafe Firenze - Moorpark, CA

Last week I had the opportunity to meet a few of my gal pals for lunch and I was just thrilled about it. Darla and Dana met me at my favorite out of the way restaurant, Cafe Firenze in Moorpark. They had never been so I was happy to share with them the goodness of Fabio from Top Chef. I arrived to the destination first so I got first dibs of the focaccia and marinara. Such a lovely start to any meal!

I have been denying myself the pure joy of Lobster Bisque as of late so when I saw it on the menu I knew that is exactly what I wanted. I started my meal with the liquid gold and I practically licked the bowl clean. There are not actual chunks of lobster but it is heavily saturated with the flavor.

I followed my creamy bowl of soup with another creamy concoction, Butternut Tortellacci. It is wonderfully filling almost to the point of button popping exhaustion but worth every calorie. If I had to critique the dish the dough on the pasta was quite thick. If it was a smidge thinner it would have been a more pleasant mouth feel. The fried sage is always my favorite. I try to get a piece in every forkful. 

Dana went the pizza route and ordered the Arugula and Prosciutto pie and it was totally amazing. I never crave pizza the way she does but if I did, it would be this type of pizza. I like the saltiness of the prosciutto, freshness of the arugula and the crust was perfectly crisp and could standup to the ingredients on top.  

Lastly, Darla ordered the Filet Mignon Sandwisch special and it was filled with steak, arugula, horseradish creme and served on focaccia. It was a tasty sandwich as Darla sliced off a bite for me. I appreciated that they left the steak medium rare, usually sandwiches are filled with meat that had maybe been over cooked. Great sandwich.

I loved this day at Cafe Firenze. It is perfect for lunch and also romantic enough for a date night out. I look forward to coupling up and inviting a possee to share an evening out with our husbands... They deserve the great food of Cafe Firenze as well!

Rabalais Bistro - Santa Paula, CA

My sweet friend Dana and I have started a tradition of our own. Most Mondays she and I meet for lunch to catch up with each other's lives and enjoy a great meal. This trip we decided to meet on the other side of my mountain, Santa Paula, and partake in a little bit of Southern fare.  

I am not sure if this Arugula Salad with apples, candied walnuts, blue cheese and creamy balsamic considers itself "Southern" but it was a lovely way to kick off our meal. I cannot resist an arugula salad. 

I opted for a cup of Seafood Chowder to finish my meal and it was nice. It was not the best ever and contained a lot of potato vs. seafood but it still made for a nice creamy treat. I may or may not have dunked my bread too. 

Dana ordered Shrimp and Grits for her closer and she seemed to like it just fine. There were plenty of grit to shrimp ration so ordering a cup will fill a little gal up! 

The meal was very affordable if you are looking for a meal other than Mexican food while in Santa Paula. There is one literally on every block so if you are feeling for something different Rabalais is your place.

"Ladies Who Lunch" Lure - Ventura, CA

As I sit here at the computer writing this post I am procrastinating on packing my clothes for our next horse show. We will be in Fort Worth, Texas for the next few weeks and it made me realize how much I am going to miss this little lady, meet Dana Doyle - owner of Queen of Tarts Catering. She and I meet once a week, usually on Monday's, to catch up on food, fashion and all things fabulous!

She and I both flip for Lure Fish House so as we both had errands to run in Ventura we met up there. The location on California Street is easy access, the only bummer being you pay for parking on the street.

She and I split a half dozen Oysters and had a ball dressing them up with too much horseradish and lemon. Good oysters make me feel like absolute royalty.

Their New England Clam Chowder is pretty solid. It is not the best that I have ever had but it does cure a craving. It is not filled with potatoes or thickened with gobs of flour so it is something I can proudly recommend when feeling the urge to get your chowder on.

I went big at this lunch and ordered Crab Cakes to wolf down with my meal. The cakes are great and spicy aioli served on top is solid. Truly though, the main reason I love this is because of the tasty corn slaw served underneath. The ingredients remind me of summer and I cannot wait for fun parties held on our wrap around porch in months to come.

I look forward to more "Ladies Who Lunch" posts with my gals from the 805 but in the meantime I get to meet up with my old, fabulous roommates from my college days in Fort Worth. I am beyond lucky to have so many fine gals in my life to lunch with!