Limon y Sal

Limon y Sal
598 E. Main
Ventura CA  93001

My wife and I would pop into the old Watermark for Happy Hour snacks and cocktails. It was a classy setting, with a 1920's, art-deco vibe that we enjoyed while sitting at the bar, and the food and drinks were served quickly and everyone was friendly. We always said that we should go for dinner sometime, but never made it.

Then the placed closed.

The owners of El Pescador bought the place and reopened as an upscale Mexican restaurant, Limøn y Sal. 

So first, I must confess that I've never eaten a meal here. But it's a great place for margarita's, and Margarita Monday is a great time to come. On several occasions, groups of friends and I have enjoyed appetizers and cocktails on their beautiful rooftop bar. It overlooks the roofs, mostly, but Main Street, the hillside, and the ocean as well. There is something special about being up high and enjoying a cocktail. The old Watermark bar is still downstairs, and it's rich art-deco flourishes make it a classy place to sit, but here in Ventura, the rooftop just seems better. The roof is enclosed, but with the ability to open and shut many doors and windows, depending on the weather.

The art-deco vibe is still in place, but with that is a reminder of the dark woods that I remember in the Mexican restaurants of East L.A. that my father would take us to when I was growing up. The food always smells good, and there's usually a crowd.

Friday and Saturday nights the joint is generally jumping, with lines going outside, so I've never been on those nights. Midweek is still kind of crowded, but the service on the rooftop bar is generally quick, and comes with chips and salsa. On my last visit, there was a dj as well as big screen tv's showing both the Dodgers and the World Cup. There are always signs in for Rico and Mambo, morning jocks on a local hip-hop station, who make regular appearances, as well as occasional mariachis. 

A good, margarita vibe.

Ventura Spirits Company

I'm really beginning to enjoy Groupon. I don't use it often, but every now and then, something comes up that I want to try. In Vegas a few years back, I used it for tickets to Zombie Burlesque, (for the adults) and Nathan Burton Comedy Magic, (for the family), both well worth it. I've used it for Red Tandem Brewery last year, which I was thankful for because I now know that I won't likely head back there. I've used it for Gloria's Kitchen (one of my first entries, from 1/13/13, before I knew how to put pictures up), which I go to no matter what.

But when I saw a Groupon for Ventura Spirits Company, I was ecstatic. I knew it was there, but I had never tried any of their spirits, and I didn't know they had a tasting room. I bought it, mentioned it to a friend who bought one also, and suddenly it was couples night.

Located way up on the Avenues, in the basement of an old factory space, the distillery is a bit out of the way. It is, however, right off the Ventura River Trail bike path, if you happen to be out riding. Inside, it is very much a small scale, small batch kind of place, and there is a short, interesting tour led by James, one of the four owners.  He explained how they went about making their own still, and how they've repurposed various items to suit their needs. James mentioned that when it's bottling time, everyone in their distillery, plus family and friends, touch every bottle in some way.

James also discussed how they get their fruit for alcohol, and the types of alcohol they're making. Their alcohol is fruit based, and their fruit comes from local fields.

And as a reward for being good on the tour, there is the tasting!

The tasting room is a result in a change in their license, and has been open for about a year. Henry, another owner, was pouring each spirit, and then he also mixed a couple of simple cocktails to show how to use the alcohol. It's only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The actual tasting room space is quite small, being the former office of the distillery, and the eight or so other people there pretty much filled up the room.

I'm not much of a gin drinker, but I did like their gin. They also had two types of vodka, both of which I liked. There was a subtle flavor difference between the two, but too subtle for me to understand how one would work better for a martini then the other. My favorite, though, was the Opuntia, made with prickly pear, which means it is a close cousin of tequila. I thought it was very smooth, like a good tequila should be, and I could see how it would brighten up a margarita.

The whole adventure took about an hour, after which (since it was date night), we all headed to Lalos, just a few minutes away.

James mentioned that the goal was to open a restaurant at some point, and to have limited run spirits (the Persimonn Brandy was only available in the tasting room on this trip) in the tasting room, a reason to return. Also, if you buy a bottle there, they'll let you do a tasting for free.

I brought home a bottle of Opuntia, and I'm looking forward to using it for a margaritas on the rocks this summer.

VenTiki II

Let's start with this-I like VenTiki. I like the look and feel of the place. I like the vibe from the employees, and the idea of tiki lounge and lanai in the beach city that I live in. The place goes well with my collection of Aloha shirts and ukuleles, and I really, really, want to like the drinks.


And that's the issue. The drinks are not cheap, and I find the drinks to be, well, something to drink. You might make a case that I'm drinking the wrong drinks, and that might be true. But with VenTiki, I've ordered drinks based on a few things. I know that I like rum and whiskey. I'm okay with tequila and vodka, but don't really care for gin. So using that bit of information, I stick with rum, whiskey, tequila and vodka based drinks, and VenTiki has several of those. And then I check the name. A good name-like say "The Alter of Sacrifice", should lead to a good drinking experience.

But it doesn't quite seem to. The drinks are generally a bit too much of something-usually sweet, but interestingly, occasionally too strong.  And you'd think too strong would be a good thing, but this is a cocktail bar, and I'm ordering a cocktail, not a shot.

Yes, the drink is on fire!

The food on my last visit was better than before, and generally seems to be improving, so that's a good thing. It's fun food, but not great food. And your really only ordering food to have something in your hand between cocktails.

There's always a crowd, and I'd be lying if I said my complaints were enough to keep me away. The outside sitting area is comfortable, and they'll light the heaters on cold nights, as well as keep the fire pit going. The inside bar area is tiny, so outside is the place to be. I'd recommend going on Tsunami Tuesday for the all day Happy Hour, and bring friends. I also like their gift shop next door, but I can't quite figure out when they're open-the gift shop hours seem to be a bit random.

And if you get the $25 Mai-Tai, it comes in a custom VenTiki mug!

I really haven't blogged much lately, and I'd forgotten that I wrote about VenTiki back in 2014, when they first opened. My opinion hasn't changed, and like I said, I'd go back again.

Poseidon Brewing Company, Ventura

Poseidon Brewing Company

5777 Olivas Park Drive, Unit Q

Ventura, CA  93003

I've been trying to get Poseidon Brewing Company for a few weeks now, and finally made it in a few minutes before last call. The downside of these breweries is that they generally close at about 10 PM, placing last call at about 9:30-9:45. But I was able to roll in at about 9:25, so I got to order. Using no logic at all, I picked a Sea Monkey, and sat down.

The Sea Monkey is a smoked scotch ale, whatever that means. Actually, what it means is that it was pretty smooth, and was easy drinking on it's own. I find that often a microbrew will be a bit strong and better paired with a good food offering. Though I thought some food would have been nice, Poseidon only serves their beer, unless you count the little dish of pretzels and goldfish that we asked for. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
It's a small space, too, with seating for maybe 25 people total. I liked all the wormwood used for the bar, tables and wall frames, as well as the diving helmet bar lights.

The Sea Monkey was brewed for the upcoming Highland Games, and was a new addition to the menu released a couple of days ago. Of the four beers that I tried tonight, this one was a best.

Sea Monkey Scottish Red

None of the beers were bad, though. The servers were both pretty nice and friendly, offering some tips in buying the beer, and chatting up everyone who was in the room.

The brewery is in an industrial park off Olivas, and can be a bit challenging to find. It's located behind the auto center, with ample parking nearby.

They do seasonal beers and you can fill up a growler for home consumption at a later time. There appears to be at least 6 different beers on tap at any given time. Alcohol content of the beers ranges from 4.9% to 6.2%, making the beers from 10 to 12 proof. The cost is $6-7 for a pint, $3.50 for a half pint and $2 for tasters.

Tasters

Barrelhouse 101

Barrelhouse 101

545 E. Thompson

Ventura, CA 93001

Up until June, Barrelhouse 101 was a rather pleasant tan color that really didn't stand out much. Then in the two weeks time between my first and second visit, it turned into a Blockbuster Video. Or maybe, there was a close out on the custom Blockbuster Video paints, because suddenly Barrelhouse 101 turned blue and gold.

The first visit was a retirement party, and we arrived late so we didn't order food. I did have one of the zillions of beers that were on tap, and powered down plate after plate of their beer battered, donut size onion rings, which were really good. My wife saw several things that she wanted to try, so a few weeks latter, we were out without the kids and went back.

This time, we ordered food. She had the Steak Salad, while I went with Argentina Steak Sandwich. Both were good, though I wish I had more onion rings instead of the house made potato chips. But really, what the food is for is to balance out the beer selection, and the beer selection is where Barrelhouse 101 shines. 101 beers on tap, with a revolving line-up and most around $6, the choices almost overwhelm you when you walk in.

I had different beers each time I was in, and whatever I had was good, so it's more about knowing what type of beer you like. The food is heavy-even the steak salad-to balance the beer, and works well for that. It's a loud restaurant, so it the kind of place to come with friends or if you want to feel like you're out with friends. The wait staff was friendly, too.

So other than the whole Blockbuster thing, I'm looking forward to coming back with a few buddies and trying some more beer.

Ventiki

VenTiki

701 E. Main Street

Ventura, CA

With a collection of Aloha shirts that would fill a fair size Hawai'ian shirt shop and enough ukuleles to cover the ukulele section of Guitar Center, I believe that I do have some of that "Tiki Vibe" that is necessary to live the kitsch-ee lifestyle of the 50's Tiki Trader. And when VenTiki opened up last year, I knew that I wanted to try it out.

So why did it take a year?

A modest friend

A couple reasons. First, I just don't hit the bars that much. Second, and more importantly, my wife didn't want to go.

But after the Ventura ArtWalk, a pleasant Saturday evening of strolling Main Street and looking at art, we decided to give VenTiki a try. 

Most of the activity at VenTiki takes place on the lanai out front, and just at the edge of the business district, the lanai makes a great location to people watch and enjoy the sunset. I especially enjoyed the blue glass fire pit that was lit just after we sat down, a feature that I'd like to someday put in my own backyard. Bamboo tables and chairs placed under large umbrellas and an aluminum awning create a comfortable outdoor space.

Though we split the ahi tuna roll, and it wasn't bad, I wouldn't consider this a food place.Like most of Hawai'i, I don't think the food goes beyond edible-my apologies to those who think that Spam, eggs and rice are the pinnacle of tropical cuisine. It was an ahi tuna roll, no more, no less. The other food I saw coming out of the tiny kitchen, which I could look into from my seat, seemed the same way. 

But it's not the food you're here for. In the tradition of Trader Vic's, (quoted on the VenTiki website) VenTiki is:

"Dedicated to those merry souls who make drinking a pleasure, Who achieve contentedness long before capacity; Who, when they drink, prove able to carry it, enjoy it, and remain ladies and gentlemen."

VenTiki is a drinking bar, but in a good way. The drinks are a bit expensive, and also a bit strong. The idea is that you're going to be there awhile. Though my wife and I were at a table for two, the lanai is conducive to larger groups, and there were groups in attendance.

In hindsight, I wish I'd have tried a traditional tiki drink, which is generally rum based, and I will on my next visit. Instead, my wife and I both had the 'modern' tiki drinks. I had the 'Shrunken Head,' which is whiskey based, while the wife went with 'The Fuzz,' which is a hibiscus fused, tequila drink. Both were strong but good. Still, when you think of classic tiki drinks like a mai tai or a zombie, you're thinking of a combination of light and dark rums. Again, at about $10 a drink, they were on the high side.

Rumor is that VenTiki is going to expand, and though I'd like the cocktails to stay the same, a more adequate 'tapas' style kitchen would be a welcome addition. 

A great place to spend the afternoon.