With its promise of leisurely conversations over poached eggs and bottomless mimosas,brunch may be the most important meal of the week. And thanks to theVentura County-area restaurants listed here, the brunch bunch has four new menus – and at least one new patio –to add to the rotation.
MEDITERRANEOat the Westlake Village Inn: After six months of renovations, thisfree-standing restaurant on the grounds of the Tuscan-style resort is back in business for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.
The look is lighter and brighter, with rusticchandeliers, tan upholstery and blonde-wood plank flooring throughout the main dining room. The bar has tripled in length, with seating for 18under a row of customlight fixtures imported from Murano, Italy.The front patio is dog-friendly and furnished with a fireplace. A second, larger patio overlooks a pond with fountains and visiting ducks.
During brunch service from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, the revamped menu by executive chef Lisa Biondiincludes five variations on eggs Benedict ($16-$19), savory options likehuevos rancheros ($15) andshakshuka with crispy polenta ($15), and sweet treats that range from lemon-mascarpone berry crepes ($14) to Belgian-style yeasted waffles ($15).
Lighter fare includes ricotta toast with egg and avocado ($10), a quinoa breakfast bowl with chickpeas ($15) and the vegan tortino, made with a gluten-free zucchini quinoa patty, tomato, marinated cucumber salad and avocado puree ($17).
For brunch diners who prefer lunch overbreakfast, choices include a chicken brie melt on multigrain bread ($17), the Med Saladaugmented with grilled chicken, candied pecans, apples and blue cheese ($17), andThe Burgertopped with aged Cheddar and served with shoestring fries ($18).
And to drink? Prosecco-based mimosas, bellinis and fragolas are $7 each. The same price is in effect for Bloody Marys, micheladas and sangria in your choice of red or white.
MORE:Camarillo company makes German sausages for the 'wurst' of times
(Brunch menu in effect 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays at32037 Agoura Road, 818-889-9105,https://www.med-rest.com).
OJAI PUBin Ojai: Craft beer and vegan-friendly dishesare the focus atthis family friendly spot, opened in late December by the same Artisanal Brewers Collective crew that operates Mohawk Bend in Los Angeles andTony’s Darts Away in Burbank.ABC partners includeTony Yanow, who co-founded, and then sold, Golden Road Brewing in Glendaleand now has a home in Ojai.
But dinersaren't limited to beer. The pub's beverage listincludes sparkling waters, mocktails, wines from California, Spain, France and Germany, kombuchas from Revel of Ojai and – of particular interest to brunch goers – bottomless mimosas ($18) and co*cktails like the Superbloom Spritz, a mix of cava, Pixie tangerine juice and Greenbar Distillery's Grand Poppy amaro($12).
Brunch service from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays joined the pub's existing mix of late-lunch, dinner and happy hours in mid May, when it also unveiled a front patio furnished with picnic tables and flower boxes.
Food orders areplaced at the bar for delivery to your table. Dishes includeStrawberry Chia Fields 4ever, a combination of strawberry chia pudding and maple pepita granola topped with whipped coconut cream ($8), and the Backcountry Biscuit, which pairs an oat milk biscuit with diner's choice of bacon or vegan sausage and chipotle aioli-scrambled eggs or tofu with vegan Cheddar ($11).
Activated avocado toast is a that's-so-Ojai plating of activated charcoal sesame sourdough bread with smashed avocado, sunflower sprouts, snap peas and pickled red onion ($12). Add a poached egg or scrambled tofu for another $2.
(Brunch menu in effect 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays at914 E. Ojai Ave., 805-669-7729,https://www.ojaipub.com).
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:Slate Bistro unveils new decor, menu at familiar Camarillo address
SLATE BISTRO + BARin Camarillo: Unveiled by local restaurateur Vince Pillard in early December,Slate will introduce Sunday brunch on July 14, with service from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Pillard promises three flavors of endless mimosas, including a pomegranate, lime, elderflower and rosemary combination he's callingBoujee Behavior. (For more about boujee as the intentional misspelling of bougie, which in turn is slang for bourgeois, go to https://bit.ly/2Xqej7L.)
Fresh from a first-place win in the savory category of last month's Yummie Top Chef culinary competition at the Casa Pacifica Angels Wine, Food & Brew Festival, executive chef Abdu Romero is planning an a la carte menu that starts with complimentary beignets. Diners can then choose from a range of dishes that include pecan-crusted French toast with maple-bourbon glaze and orange whipped cream andpork belly eggs Benedict with chipotle Hollandaise.
Brunch will be served in the lounge area and on the dog-friendly patio.
MORE:Chefs share details of Casa Pacifica's Yummie award-winning dishes
(Brunch menu will launch 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 14 at4850 Santa Rosa Road, 805-388-9888,https://theslatebistro.com).
WINCHESTERSGRILL & SALOONin downtown Ventura: After celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2017, the western-themed steakhouse with more than 40beers on tap (finally) added Sunday brunch to its lineup in late May.
"Millennials are bringing back brunch in a big way. They are asking for it, and so we thought we'd take a stab at it," said co-owner J.R. Ford.
FROM THE ARCHIVES:Winchesters Grill in Ventura ready to mark 20th (2017)
Available indoors and on Winchesters' two patios (the one closest to Main Street welcomes smaller, well-behaved pooches), thebrunchmenu is served from9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays.
It includes dishes both light (witness the Yogurt Schooner with granola and fresh fruit, $7) and hearty (the all-day breakfast sandwich with a 50-50 bacon/beef patty and fried egg, $14.75). Other options include sourdough French toast with peanut butter whiskey syrup ($9), Deschutes Brewery Black Butte Porter tri-tip chili ($13; vegetarian version, $10) anda lamb bacon stack with two poached eggs and breakfast potatoes ($14).
Patrons who prefer Winchesters' everydayfare are welcome to slip into a seat at around 1:30 p.m. Sunday and nurse a drink until the transition from brunch to the regular menu takes place about 30 minutes later, Ford said.
"Our tiny kitchen unfortunately isn't able to do both menus at the same time," he said.
Adult libations include raspberry-Champagne co*cktails ($5), mimosas by the glass ($5) or bottle ($24, including a side of juice) and scratch-mix Bloody Marys in their "house" ($5)and "loaded" ($11) forms. The latter come garnished with shrimp and bacon.
But if you're still there when a band shows up and starts playing blues, folk and/or country rock, your brunch may have been a bit too leisurely: Winchesters offers live music from 5-8 p.m. Sundays.
(Brunch menu in effect 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays at632 E. Main St.,805-653-7446, http://winchestersgrill.com).
IN THEFIELD, ON THE RANCH
Feast in the Fieldwill include farm tours, a live auction and a three-course dinner served just steps from where many of the ingredients were grown when it takes place 4:30-7:30 p.m. Aug. 24at The Abundant Table Farm in Camarillo.
The farm-to-fork event is a fundraiser for the nonprofit group'sprograms devoted to environmental stewardship, farm education and ecological justice. It will also honor Abundant Table partnersBartimaeus Cooperative Ministries and Ventura County Farm to School.
Dinner will be prepared by Ventura-basedSeasons Cateringusing organic produce from Abundant Table andlocal beef and pork from Watkins Cattle Co.Dishes will be paired with beer from Leashless Brewing Co. of Ventura and wine fromTopa Mountain Winery of Ojaiand Four Brix Winery of Ventura.
Tickets are $45 for youths (ages 6 to 20) and $95 for adults. Click on https://bit.ly/2XlR21G.
Meanwhile,The Abundant Table farm store is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. most days at 1012 W. Ventura Blvd. (805-983-0333).
For a ranch-to-restaurant experience that combines wine tasting and apicnic lunch with a 90-minute horseback ride,check out the new package offered by theFess Parker Home Ranchin the Santa Ynez Valley. The ride through the715-acre ranch dotted with oak trees and vineyards will be followed by a special portfolio tasting at Fess Parker Winery, with lunch supplied by The Bear and Star, the "refined ranch cuisine" restaurant at the Fess Parker Wine Country Inn in Los Olivos. Reservations, $200 per person, are limited to 10 or fewer guests at a time (805-688-7788, https://www.fessparkerinn.com/Activities/Horses).
WINE TIME
Old Creek Ranch Winery in Oak Viewjust expanded its hours. As of July 4, the winery will welcome visitors to its rustic outdoor tasting area from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays as well as the previous Fridays-through-Sundays schedule.
Wines are available by the glass, bottle and tasting flight. Check out the progress of the newly planted estate vineyard while you're there(10024 Old Creek Road,https://oldcreekranch.com).
Lester Family Cellars in Ventura will offer barrel tastingsduring ticketed sessions from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 2-3:30 p.m. July 13. For reservations, $10 per person, click onhttps://bit.ly/2XmHJhS. Regular tastings take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays (6650 Crescent St., Unit 8,https://lesterfc.com).
The Wine Tasting US Openwill give oenophiles a chance to compete or just taste along when it takes place 1-4 p.m.July 14 at the Pierpont Innin Ventura.
For competitive types, the blind-tasting event is a necessary step on the path to being named to Team USA for the World Wine Tasting Championship happeningOct. 12 in France.
For observers, it's a way to sample 12 unknown wines while checking theirguesses (is that a Sta. Rita Hills pinot?) against an app created by Wine Acuity, LLC, the Agoura Hills-based organization that manages the Wine Tasting US Open.
Competing on July 14will be Kristen Shubert, former owner ofVinTura Tasting Room & Wine Rackin Ventura, and Lisa Stoll, owner of the Camarillo-based tour company Explore Wines. Last year, they andtheir Los Angeles County-based teammates advanced to the World Wine Tasting Championship in France, where they tied for 14th in a field of 23.
FROM THE ARCHIVES:Local women will lead Team USA at wine-tasting competition in France (2018)
In Ventura, Shubert and Stoll will be joined by other wine enthusiasts in tasting 12 wines – six white, six red – from around the world and attempting to properly identify each one by varietal, region, producer and vintage. Points are awarded for each correct answer. The two teams with the highest scores will be combined to form the four-person Team USA. (Airfare and accommodations will be paid for by Wine Acuity.)
Entry is $90 for tasting-only attendees and $250 for competitors. For information, go to https://wineacuity.com/us-open.
The Pierpont Inn is at 550 Sanjon Road.
OPEN, SHUT AND IN BETWEEN
In case you missed it, the Open and Shut column published in the June 29 Business section of The Star included information about the soft opening of DW's Country Cafe, the debut of Missy's Cupcake Creations, the return of Seaward Sushi and the closings of Carrows and CJ's BBQ, all in Ventura.
MORE:DW's Country Cafe rejoins Ventura dining scene
END OF AN ERA:Carrows closes last Ventura County location
Also featured: the coming-soon status of Singing Sun Coffee and Top This Chocolate in Ventura, and of a second Conejo Valley location of Little CalfCreamery & Cafe. To read it, click onhttps://bit.ly/2IWCEJk.
Lisa McKinnon is a staff writer for The Star. To contact her, send email to lisa.mckinnon@vcstar.com.
