For The Win Smash Burgers/Kettle Glazed Doughnuts

 

A rainy day road trip with my son and a craving for a good hamburger led us to For The Win for smash burgers.

First, what is the difference between a smash burger and a regular burger? The smash burger is a patty cooked on a hot grill, smashed down with the spatula so that more of the patty is in contact with the high heat. The idea is that more proteins in the meat break down, giving the meat a more charred flavor, while still retaining some of it's juiciness.

 

 A Double with Cheese

 

Apparently, it's proper to use a soft bun as well, and keep the extras to a minimum.

 

For The Win started during the pandemic, the remnants of the owner's high end restaurant. It's a small space, but since it was raining, my son and I were easily able to find in door seating.

He's a young man, and ordered a triple cheese with bacon. I just can't eat that way anymore, and wanted to get a doughnut from the place next door after, so I went with the double with cheese. We bought french fries and brussel sprouts, too.

So at twice the price of a comparable In-N-Out burger, was it worth it?

Maybe. The smash burger technique does add a more complicated flavor, toasty across each bite instead of just the edges. I liked the potato buns better than In-N-Outs, too. The cheese was nothing special and might have benefited from being a sharp cheddar. The fries were ordinary. 

The brussel sprouts were very good, though. They were grilled and had a very strong hint of citrus that really set off their flavor, and I wish we'd have gotten a second order of those and skipped the fries altogether. 

 

The staff was friendly, even allowing me to buy a Mexican Coke from the liquor store next door and bring it in since they were out. The service was fast, too.

I won't make a special trip, but if I'm in the area and don't feel like a Tommy Burger, I'd definitely eat there again. They're open until 9 PM.

Kettle Glazed Doughnuts, next door, was also good and not too expensive. My son went with the s'mores, which he said was good.

I had this, which was also good. We were there late in the day, and the doughnuts were still soft and fresh, not like a stale doughnut that's been sitting in a case all day. With the burgers, it was a tasty, high calorie meal.

 

 

Wexler's Deli / Blue Bottle Coffee

Several entries mention pastrami. I like pastrami, and good pastrami is hard to find.

Often, if pastrami is not cooked well, it is chewy and bland. Sometimes, it'll be chewy and way too salty, and it's very salty if I say it's too salty. Or, I'll order it, and it'll be just a couple of pieces on bland bread, and still very expensive.

Pastrami is expensive, more so than just a burger, so if I'm ordering it, I want it to be good.

Recently, I was at the Grand Central Market in Downtown Los Angeles, and decided that pastrami would be a good call. So, after circling the premises, I decided to try Wexler's.

Wexler's occupies a counter space in the center of the market, and after watching the guy in the back for a few minutes, I went ahead and placed my order for the O.G., a basic pastrami on rye. The reason I watched the guy is something I learned while watching a video on Langers Deli, (another great pastrami place), and that's if they're cutting with a machine, or just making a bunch of parallel cuts by hand, you end up with some really chewy pastrami. A good deli guy will cut against the grain, and to do that, you need to spin the meet on the cutting board at different points to stay against the grain, and that's what the deli guy was doing.

I took my seat at the counter-I really wanted to sit at the counter, although there were tables near by. The counter just seemed right for eating pastrami, and my order actually came up pretty quick. It came a pickle and either cole slaw or potato salad-I went with the slaw. The pickle was crisp and the slaw a bit tart, both very good. The sandwich, too, was solid. Not too much salt, a bit of smokey flavor, not chewy, everything that I could have hoped for. A good lunch choice.

 

 After, I though a bit of coffee would be nice, so I went over to the Bradbury Building, (one of the premier architectural buildings in the city, seen in many movies and T.V. Shows), and had the pour over coffee at Blue Bottle Coffee. 

I want to say that I liked it. At twice the cost of Starbucks, I really want to say that it was a transcendent experience that no coffee drinker should miss. But, frankly, it wasn't. It wasn't bad, mind you, but it wasn't worth twice what I would normally pay. The place looked nice, though.

Meditation, Fire, and the An Lac Mission/Ventura Buddhist Center

Everyone in Ventura has a fire story. Some aren't too bad, people inconvenienced by stores, schools and other businesses being closed. Others are really bad, waking up in the middle of the night, no power in their house and just enough time to quickly grab what they could and hop in the car to drive off into the night.

My story is in the middle. We were supposed to evacuate but didn't. We lost power and had to boil water, and we were close enough to the fires to watch and hear houses burn to the ground. But my house, though covered in ash, came out okay.

So, my fire story starts with a book called Buddhism for Dudes, by Gerry Stribling, that I picked up at a used book store in Arizona. I've felt that my mind has been a bit cluttered of late, and I thought that perhaps some meditation might help me clear it out. Buddhism for Dudes was short and cheap, and the first chapter is "Buddhism, No Bullshit." Written by an ex-marine, I knew it couldn't be too fru-fru, so I gave it a whirl.

It was a short read, and I'm probably going to read it again in the next few weeks. One of the things it said was that if you want to learn to meditate, most Buddhist temples offer meditation sessions a few times a week for free! The monks in the temple are more than happy to welcome beginners, and host a discussion after the session. The book suggested leaving a small donation, which seemed more than reasonable.

So, if you ever look at the other site I was working on, Pictures of Ventura Churches, you'll see a picture of the An Lac Mission. I checked their website, and sure enough, The Ventura Buddhist Center does offer meditation on Monday and Thursday evenings. So, I psyched myself up for a new experience, and on Monday, Dec. 4, I got into my car to drive to the east end of town.

While driving down Foothill, I noticed that the moon seemed huge-the effects of the 'Supermoon' of the night before. Then, Foothill curved toward Santa Paula, and as I approached Saticoy Ave., I could see a glow in the distance. I wasn't sure, but thought it could be a fire in Santa Paula. It was a warm evening, with the predicted Santa Ana winds starting to blow, but I wasn't overly concerned, and went into the temple to try meditation.

About a dozen of us were gathered in the temple, which was filled with incense and the sound of recorded chanting. I thought I'd try sitting on a pillow, though next time I think I'll be better off sitting in a chair. It was peaceful, but as I tried the basic meditation technique of focusing on my breathing and counting to ten, my mind would constantly wander off, and I'd have to start over again. The highest I got to was three, and even that I don't think I truly hit. Still, at the end of it all, I was calmer, and since then I've been able to focus a little better.

The monk, a very friendly and happy man, did gather us together after the session, and happily asked and answered the questions of those who stuck around. I left a $5 donation, and felt good about the whole experience.

It was around 8:30 PM when I stepped outside, and the wind had really picked up. It was very warm, unusually so for a December evening-I think I was in shorts and a sweatshirt. And when I looked toward Santa Paula, I could tell it was definitely a fire, and it had definitely grown. I could even smell the burning, meaning that the wind was blowing in my direction.

I drove up to Foothill, and on impulse, decided to drive a few minutes toward the fire. I got close enough to tell that it was big, and that I really didn't want to get any closer. I needed to walk my dog, anyway.

So I turned around and headed home. I got my dog, and we headed out. It was after 10, now, and still very warm, with the winds blowing very strong. We walked, and as I decided it was time for bed, the power went out. I was curious as to what the city looked like in the dark, so we walked up the hill behind my house, and then down one of the streets, looking out between the houses (houses that are no longer there), at the darkened city below us. A few spots were still lit, like the hospitals and a few random buildings, but for the most part the city was dark. It was fascinating.

It was also 11, and though interesting to see the city in the dark, I needed to get to bed. I started to walk down the street and down the hill. The wind was still blowing hard, and I could smell the fire, wherever it was. I continued toward home, but as I did so, I looked behind me and up the hill.

I could see the glow, and knew that the fire had gone from Santa Paula to the hills behind my house. The wind was blowing hard, and I realized that there was now a fast moving fire coming over the hill.

Twelve years ago, a fire burned the hills behind my house. It wasn't windy that time, and it happened during the day. I stayed home from work, watching the planes as they hit the deck and dropped fire retardant, and the bulldozer driver drive seemingly straight up the hill cutting fire lines. The neighbors said that the hill burnt every ten years or so, and had set up lawn chairs on their roof to watch.

So I expected the same thing to happen this time. It didn't, and I spent the night watching houses burn. Actually, watching wasn't the scary part, but listening-that was scary. I could hear the houses as they fell apart. Car alarms would randomly start as the garages the cars were in burned around them. I took pictures, but there are plenty of better ones out there.

As a side note, if your house phone is bundled with your cable, like mine, when the power goes out you lose your telephone. We got a mandatory evacuation call, but since we didn't have power, we didn't get it until the next day when the power came on again.

So as a result, I haven't been back to the Buddhist Center for meditation. I don't believe the fires and my first meditation session are related, but...

With this practice of dhamma may I be free from birth, decay, disease, and death.

Diddy Riese Cookies, Westwood, CA

Diddy Riese Cookies

926 Broxton Ave.

Westwood, CA  90024

When I arrived at UCLA in 1984, I looked forward to seeing lots of this particular image. I remember it being around the house of the older couple that had babysat for me back in the early 70's. Old Ray Ortega was a huge UCLA fanfollowing UCLA basketball and the glory of the John Wooden days. Ray's son my Uncle Paul and all of my cousins in that branch of the family still keep the UCLA faith, more so than me, though I'm the only UCLA grad in my family.

I didn't follow college sports much though, and in the 80's, the glory of UCLA basketball                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           was long gone. I did have some classes with future Pacer legend Reggie Miller as well as NBA journeyman Pooh Richardson, but even with those great players, it was easy to get tickets to see the team play at the old Pauly Pavilion during the Walt Hazzard years. 

Along with a less successful basketball team, UCLA changed mascots, and the Joe Bruin that I remembered fondly from my youth metamorphosed to this. I worked at the ASUCLA bookstore, and on one wall there was a framed poster of Vintage Joe Bruin that I would look at longingly, no longer for sale, and no possibility of me ever owning it. I would complain about that, along with the school colors and several other things, all masking the fact that I personally unhappy and couldn't get my act together to take advantage of all the great opportunities that surrounded me.

The sticker on my car is one of the old Joe Bruin.

But just before I got to UCLA, Diddy Riese had opened in Westwood. At the time, I remember enjoying Mrs. Fields cookies, and I'd pilgrimage to Famous Amos on Sunset in the early 80's, so it took me a while to warm to Diddy Riese. But when I finally went in, I was hooked. For starters, it was much cheaper than Mrs. Fields or Famous Amos, an important consideration to a starving undergrad. But along with that, the cookies were really good. The turnover was such that cookies were always being baked, so the shop smelled amazing walking in. The cookies were always warm and fresh, and if memory serves, they were just a quarter.

Five or six years ago, my wife and I were in Westwood to see a play, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that Diddy Riese was still there, still as good as I remembered and still cheap. So on a recent Sunday, after visiting the ASUCLA Bookstore to buy a new sticker for my car and a new UCLA Water Polo t-shirt, I took my daughter and her friend to Diddy Riese for an ice cream sandwich. For $1.75 you get to pick out any two fresh cookies and some Dreyers Ice Cream which they will then smash together for an ice cream sandwich. I've paid a lot more for desserts much less satisfying, and needless to say, my daughter, her friend and I were all very happy.

They have a wide variety of cookies, all baked fresh and all $0.35 each, or three for a dollar. Expect to wait in line whenever you go, but it is worth it.

Romeo/Juliet 1140 Productions

Romeo/Juliet

Presented by 1140 Productions

July 18-27, 2014

The Oinkster

Rick's Notes: I finished the updates on 8/2, adding the Oinkster and Snow Station pix as well as doing some basic editing. I like this post better now-better flow, you know.

As I mentioned in a previous post (7/24/14 The Rubicon Theatre), being in So Cal means there's a wealth of talented performers all over the place, and they pop up in productions everywhere. My daughter has been fascinated with Romeo and Juliet, and after watching Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, I promised that I would find a live production for us to see.

I saw one listed at the beginning of summer, but we were tied up on all the performance times, and then it sold out. But I knew I'd find another if I kept looking. I found the site Shakespeare in LA, which I'd check, and looking at it last week, I found a listing for the 1140 Production.

Still, I was a bit wary.  I googled the company, and found that this performance of Romeo and Juliet was funded by Kickstarter. It was also affiliated somehow with USC graduate students. The director posted the Kickstarter notice on June 25, with the first showing scheduled for July 18. It reminded me of those old Mickey Rooney-Judy Garland movies-"I know what we'll do! We'll put on a show!" Still the tickets were only $10, so I bought them, knowing we'd have to drag my son along kicking and screaming. He had read Romeo and Juliet in his freshman English class, and hadn't liked it.

Boxed Water

We got dressed for the Saturday, July 26, showing and as we drove down to Eagle Rock, I warned my kids that I wasn't sure what to expect on this trip. I said that I was a bit wary about this production, and so we were going to stop at the Oinkster, so at least I knew that we'd have a great pastrami sandwich.

A moment to talk about the Oinkster. It has far and away the best pastrami I've had in LA. Tender, salty, not chewy at all, in a great bun, it is excellent and highly recommended if you are anywhere close to Eagle Rock and need a sandwich. Their burgers are good too, and they usually have some pretty interesting beers on tap-I had a Dogfish Head Festina Peche, a citrusy beer that the counter person warned me about and strongly suggested I taste it first. The Festina Peche, apparently, is an acquired taste. There's always a line, but it moves surprisingly fast. The Belgian french fries are very good as well, crunchy but not greasy, and served with a garlic aioli sauce, which I really like. It is one of the few places where the fries are still good even after they get cold. Go with the Oinkster, which is made with cabbage, caramelized onions and Gruyere cheese.

The theater, Live Arts LA, is a space, used for all manner of arts, and it was just a few minutes from the Oinkster. We arrived and were greeted by a young woman wearing the same Hawaiian shirt that I had bought from the ABC Store in Kona on my last trip there, which I mentioned to her. We crowded into a tiny reception room, and as more people arrived, I began to wonder why we were being kept in this small space.

While being crowded, I read the Director's Note in the program. Director Shaya Mulcahy admitted that she'd taken liberties with the play, and bravely added that "it was all for the best." I immediately thought that the director has changed one of the most famous plays by possibly the greatest writer in the English language, and was saying essentially her version would be better. Pretty brave, and either a recipe for disaster or a pretty good play. She also noted that she'd condensed the play so much that she'd even removed the "and."



When we were finally allowed in to the performance space, about the size of a small basketball court, with two rows of chairs running lengthwise on either side, I understood why we were held outside. As we walked in, all 9 actors were standing in the center of the floor, frozen, and waiting to be brought to life. On the internet, I'd read that all parental figures were eliminated, and I immediately noticed that all these actors were quite young (20 somethings in my 50 something perspective) and generally small in stature. The actors portraying Romeo and Juliet were standing in the middle, locked in an embrace with Juliet bearing a dagger.

They stood that way for a good ten minutes, until Mercutio came to life and performed the prologue, weaving among the standing actors and starting the play. The play whipped along at a pretty good clip, which I liked. Without the adult figures you lose the 'us against our parents' aspect, which makes the play popular in high school English classes. It felt vaguely like those 80's John Hughes movies where the parents are largely absent from the film, making it more like the teenagers are the center of the universe. Still, with quick pacing and solid acting, the play was entertaining to watch.

Like at the beginning, the play ended with actors left on stage-Romeo and Juliet lying prostrate on the floor, and we had to step around them to leave. No actors came out for bows after, adding to the tragic nature of the show-four of the nine actors were playing characters that died (unlike the original play, Paris does not die), and we didn't get to see them come back to life for their curtain calls. It left a vague feeling inside, and my kids and I were the last to leave the theater. The young lady in the Hawaiian shirt assured us that it wasn't method acting and that the two dead actors would awaken when we stepped out of the auditorium.

Out on the sidewalk outside the performance space, the 50 or so people in the audience gathered to congratulate the actors. Most seemed to know, at least peripherally, the performers, and though I wanted to compliment the actors and the director, if I could figure out who that was, the actors were having such lively conversations that my inherit shyness kicked in. My kids have some of that, too, so we stood on the outside of the groups, like the new kids on the playground, until we finally decided to go.

I very much enjoyed the show and my daughter and I seem to have a knack for getting front row seats on short notice (like at the Rubicon-see 7/24/14). My daughter did as well, and though my son bitched and moaned before and after, I think he was okay with it.

It was still hot at 10 pm, so we decided to make one more stop before leaving Eagle Rock. We had passed a place called the Snow Station, a shaved ice joint that looked okay. I didn't think much of the decor, but the counter person was very enthusiastic, going through how their 'snow' was better than shaved ice, in that they freeze their juices and then shave that. We were going to order three Mini-Bears, but then saw the Hungry Bear, which seemed to be a much better value. We had the watermelon and salted caramel, topped with Oreo cookies and mochi with white chocolate syrup and honey. It was excellent-it did have the texture of snow and was very light on the tongue.

Then, back to Ventura.



Rick's note: the 1140 productions logo and cast shot for romeo/juliet are from facebook.

Rubicon Theatre Company

The Rubicon Theatre Company

1006 E. Main Street

Ventura, CA  93001

I went to the Rubicon once before, just after they moved into this historic, 1920's era church, and I don't remember it being bad. I just don't remember it being really good. 

I seem to remember that the seats were a mess, and it was really uncomfortable watching whatever production was on stage. It was a bit pricey, too, but I think that might have had something to do with the babysitter I had to hire, which factors into the cost. I do like live theater, but I just don't remember enjoying my Rubicon experience that first time.

But, a friend of my daughter's was in the Rubicon summer production of Beauty and the Beast, Junior, and my daughter wanted to see it. It was a busy weekend for us, but we were able to get home Sunday, take a short rest-I took a very rare nap-and get dressed up to go. I wanted my daughters to have the experience of live theater, and I wanted them to be somewhat rested so that they could enjoy the experience. I also wanted them to get the idea that live theatre is something to dress up for, and I wanted to make sure they had time to put on dresses and fix their hair. My high school aged son wasn't interested, and though the experience would have done him good, I'd like to take him to see something that he might enjoy more, so he was off the hook.

On a side note, I think it's great that my daughter wanted to support her friend by seeing the show. It's something that I wasn't real good about when I was my kids' age, and I'm trying to get better about now, and I encourage my kids to do the same.

Middle school students putting on a play sounds like a recipe for badness, but it wasn't. One of the more interesting aspects of living in Southern California is that there seems to be a wealth of stage talent, even in a place 75 miles from LA, like Ventura. And with a good director and choreographer, quality stage productions take place everywhere. The Rubicon has some fairly well off benefactors, and has been getting really good reviews over the years.

So we went. First, if you can, buy tickets online. It's cheaper, and it was a bit of a hassle buying tickets at the door. The tickets were sold at a table in the vestibule. Those who had printed their tickets online were able to go right into the lobby-those of us who didn't had to wait awhile. The theater seats just about 200 people, and the show was almost sold out, so I'm glad we were early. My daughter had spoken to her friend, who had told her that there would be plenty of seats-it's always best to double check the information gathered from middle-schoolers.

They had three seats together, center stage, in the very front row. I almost passed, but was assured that I wouldn't have to look to far up, and the other seats in the theater would have split us up, so I went with it.

The lobby has a small snack bar area, which was selling messages to cast members starting at $1, a really cute idea for the middle school aged actors, and my daughter bought one for her friend as we went in. 

Secret Picture. Note my ear.

I tried to take some pictures in the theater itself, but was told that it wasn't allowed. I snuck a few anyway. I found our seats, and the thing I liked about being in the front was there was lots of leg room. The seats, which I remembered being horribly uncomfortable, had been repaired, too, and were actually quite nice. I asked my girls if they were okay, and they said they like being really close. We did need to look up  slightly, but it really wasn't bad, and we had a great view of the actor's expressions. 

The play itself was very good. with great costumes and very good sound. All of the children sang their own songs, and though there were a few flubbed notes here and there, overall the singing was much better than I expected and really quite good. Both my daughters were mesmerized by the performance, and after we all talked about seeing another show.

The cast posing for pictures

After the show, my daughter's friend rushed out to say hello, and all the cast welcomed their friends and family, a fun thing to watch and another way it's different from the movies. 

So now I'm looking at the Rubicon schedule, both to see about another kids play, and to see what's playing for the adults.

Stiix Billiards

Stiix Billiards

2520 E. Main

Ventura, CA 93003

There’s trouble,

Right here in River City

That’s trouble with a capitol T

That rhymes with P

That stands for Pool!

Robert Preston as Professor Harold Hill, The Music Man

I’ve always liked shooting pool, and I’m not bad. That’s not to say that I’m good, but I manage to string enough good shots together where some of the people that I’ve played with will tell you that I’m really good. My normal game involves two or three impressive shots, followed by some interesting flukes and the occasional win.

And I had a few favorite pool halls down south, like Yankee Doodles in Long Beach, a kind of grungy, cavernous place where I smoked big cigars and spent quality time in my 20’s, and Jakes of Pasadena, down in their basement pool room where I would take dates when I was a Pasadena resident. (Interestingly, I never had a hamburger at Jakes, which is what they’re known for). I also convinced the 20 somethings I worked with at Nordstrom Glendale that I was a pool shark, when I took down my Nordstrom manager in the 90's at Charles Billiards in Glendale. He was actually much better than I was, but I got a lucky run, sinking 5 in a row to pull the win and impress the crowd.

I have good associations playing pool. My father was pretty good, and I remember one of my Aunts had a table that my sister and I enjoyed playing on at family gatherings. Latter, in college, realized that I didn’t drink as much when I was holding a pool cue, and I since I never really liked the idea of just going out for a drink, shooting pool was perfect. And finally, you could tell how much a woman liked you by how much they leaned over and how many buttons were unbuttoned while shooting a game of pool.

Of course, that last one doesn't matter to me anymore, and now when I'm playing pool it's just like when I'm playing poker. I'm out with friends, and the conversation is more important than the game. The game is the backdrop, making it easier to talk.

And Stiix Billiards is perfect for that. I've been there Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and I've been in in the afternoon, too. Every time it's the same. It's clean, and the tables are very well maintained. They serve beer, but the beer is a by-product of the surroundings, not the reason that people are there. There is a small bar/snack area, and there's always some people there, but they're having a drink between games, not shooting pool between beers. The guys that work there are always friendly, and know the regulars well.

I'm not a regular, but I'm in often enough to be recognized.

I've brought my son in, (the staff usually comments on how much he's grown) mostly to show him where he could have a cheap evening out, and a possible double date location, and I've brought my daughter in too, much to my wife's chagrin. ("Ladies don't go into pool halls").

You rent tables by the hour, and it's a touch more pricey on the weekend. But on a recent Sunday evening, my kids and I were in, each had a root beer and played for an hour for under $15, including a tip. As I was trying to explain to my son, a double date, two hours of pool in a clean, safe place, sodas and a $1.25 hot dog, and he could be out of there for under $20. It allows for interaction with his date, too, unlike the movies.


It's not a bar with pool tables, but a pool hall that serves beer. It's a great place to go.

The Vagabond

The Vagabond Coffee Shop and Restaurant

760 E. Thompson Ave.

Ventura, CA

In my 5/30/14 post on the Main Street Restaurant and Steakhouse, I wrote that I miss the old diners and coffee shops that seemed to be so prominent when I was growing up back in the 70's, lamenting on how they've been replaced by Mexican places and restaurant chains. I had forgotten that Ventura also has the Vagabond Coffee Shop and Restaurant, adjacent to but not affiliated with the Vagabond Inn.

First, a few words about the Vagabond Inn. If you need a place to stay, and you don't really plan on spending much time in your room, the Vagabond is perfect. It's clean, and two blocks off the water. It has a pool, which is also well maintained. That's really about it-nothing special. My in-laws like it because it's reasonably priced and gives them some level of privacy when they stay up here for a few days. 

When my in-laws were up for this year's Roadshow Revival (the headliner, who I've seen many times in the past 30 years, was Los Lobos, but the show itself wasn't as much fun as last year's-see 7/31/13), we had both dinner and breakfast at the Vagabond. 

About the wait staff...we had two different waitresses, both older than dirt and neither very happy. But they did bring our food to us in a quick and professional way, no muss, no fuss. Both answered questions in a brisk and business like fashion, neither wanting to be engaged in much small talk. On both Friday night and Saturday morning, the restaurant was busy, and they didn't waste any time with chit-chat, either with my father-in-law, who'll talk to anybody or anyone else that I could see. Here's your food, here's your coffee, and I'm moving on. As I thought about it after, I wouldn't want to spend my 60's-and they were in their 60's if they were a day-slinging hash in a coffee shop in Ventura. My in-laws tip well, and I'm certain that both these waitresses put the time in and deserved every bit.

The decor is likely unchanged from the 70's, and somehow appeared to be dark, even with the wealth of windows on a sunny summer morning. Maybe it's something about the muted earth tones, formica and naugahyde that keeps places like this in dark light, but it always reminds me of those early 70's cop movies, where everyone is a bit ugly.

For dinner, I had a rare indulgence that both my doctor and my wife say I should never eat, the Chicken Fried Steak. There's a choice of sides, and I think I went with a green salad and a desert. At $12.95, my initial thought was it was a bit much, but as I thought about it more, I'm not sure where else I can get chicken fried steak, so it was a rare delicacy. Though not exceptional, it was good.

For those of you unfamiliar with chicken fried steak, it's breaded cheap steak pan fried and then smothered in gravy. It's a southern dish that was common in coffee shops in my youth, but kind of hard to come by now, and is bad for you on a variety of levels.

Breakfast the next day was also good. It could be something about flavors accumulating year after year on a grill, or it could be that places like this have no worries about things like "cholesterol", but breakfast food always seems to taste better at a coffe shop. My father-in-law had the Vagabond Style Huevos Rancheros, while I went with the Vagabond Original Hobo Omelette. Neither was stop the world good, but they weren't bad. They were the same as millions of breakfasts served at coffee shops around the country. 

And that is the charm of the Vagabond.

San Buenaventura State Beach

San Buenaventura State Beach

It's the beach, right? What's to write about?

Glad you asked. San Buenaventura State Beach is like most beaches in So. Cal. It has water, sand, bathrooms, showers and parking. Sometimes the water is warm, relative to when it's really cold, and sometimes it's really cold. There are lifeguards in the summer, and crowds on the weekend. Parking seems a bit pricey, especially since it's walking (a long walk, but walking) distance from the house.

Many years ago, before we remodeled, we were thinking about just moving to a bigger house, and my wife entertained the idea of moving to Camarillo. I said that I wouldn't move to Camarillo, that it reminded me of living in Downey, and I wanted to live close to the beach. She asked me why, since I never went to the beach anyway. I don't surf, and I don't like getting in the ocean particularly. I told her that I liked knowing it was there if I ever decided that I did want to go.

While my kids were in Junior Guards, a great program that I should probably write about at another point, I went daily. Since I was there anyway, I would usually go in my running clothes, and take a run. Then, I'd have my workout in for the day, and all was right with the world.

If you start at the Jolly Oyster, an oyster shack where they preach the gospel of fresh oysters to everyone willing to listen, and to those that aren't as well, and take the bike path all the way past the Fairgrounds to the Main Street Bridge, the distance round trip according to my iPhone is just a touch over 4 miles.

For the most part, it's all flat. Most of it is blacktop, which is easier on the feet than concrete, but there is a concrete section by the pier. There's no shade, so on a sunny day it can get warm, but it's still the beach, with plenty of water faucets, showers and bathrooms en route.

Looking South

From the Jolly Oyster and the Wheel Fun bike rental stand and the fancy bathrooms near it, heading north, you first pass the Lifeguard Headquarters, and Sanjon Road, where there is generally some free parking.

Continuing, the Pier and the businesses (see Beach House Tacos,  3/11/13) at the end come next. This is the spot where you'll most likely run into crowds. The playground on the north side of the pier is really nice. That's my iPhone photo of the pier at the top of the blog.

Looking South again.

Next is a slight uphill on the concrete boardwalk, past the Crown Royal Hotel and some condos. From this point to the mouth of the Ventura River is where the waves break for some nice surfing, and many people are preparing their boards, talking about the surf or just watching the long waves break.

Surfer's Point

This would be Surfer's Point in the parlance of the locals. In this particular area, there's erosion of the beach, and a few organizations are creating plans to, I dunno, I'm reluctant to say "restore" because erosion is part of the beach, too. But some of the erosion is due to the damming of the Ventura River, which effects the amount of silt coming from the inland. That lack of silt, as well as the various breakwaters nearby, effect the beach. I'm just going to leave it alone for now.

Estuary

Continuing brings you to the estuary at the mouth of the river. Many birds inhabit this area, and the trestles and freeway bridge add an interesting contrast to the view. The back of the Fairgrounds are opposite.

Back of Fairgrounds

Rounding the corner and crossing the train tracks takes you away from the beach and up the river trail. The bike path at this point runs all the way to Ojai, and it is the course for the different marathons that take place in Ventura (that I'd like to someday try).

As you head inland, there is a slight rise in elevation, which makes sense since if it dropped lower it would be below sea level. At Main Street, which makes a good turn around point, there is a free parking lot and some public art, like this large tuning fork or compass, depending on how I look at it. At the base is the pithy phrase, "Who Marks to leave a mark" (sic).

Heading back 

Even in the morning, there are a few people walking or jogging, as well as bicyclists, skateboarders and dogwalkers. Like every place in the United States these days, there are homeless who gather in spots to do a bit of panhandling. But, it's still the beach.

And running down the boardwalk beats working.