Part 3: Cafe 126
by Jennifer Tipton

Located at 11033 Citrus Drive, Cafe 126 has been family owned and operated since 1965. Like the other “East End Eateries”, it has that small diner vibe, but several things set them apart, like having an undeniable sense of family. Surrounding photos show family members and one of Saticoy Grammar School dated 1932. The staff can tell you family member’s names and the history.

Another difference is they serve only breakfast and lunch.

Monday – Friday 6:00am to 2:00pm

Saturday 6:00am to 2:00pm & Sunday 7:00am to 2:00pm

We were there on a Sunday morning and there was a 15-minute wait to be seated. I asked our very nice server, Summer, if they were always this busy and she said, “actually this is slow!”

A large back room was added in the 1980’s and there on the back wall, hangs an old American flag. Summer tells us the flag is pre-Hawaii / pre-Alaska and was a gift to the cafe, but further history is unknown.

There’s an outside patio with several tables and a large sign reading “No Pets”. Usually it’s just a question of being dog friendly, but Summer said someone once brought their cat to lunch…

Also unique about Cafe 126, the patrons are a diverse bunch, we saw families along with motorcycle enthusiasts. Parking is plenty for vehicles with two or four wheels.

The menu lists “Comfort Breakfast Favorites”, and the selections are as diverse as the patrons with choices ranging from simple to a 14oz Ham Bone & Eggs –

“So big it’s served on 3 plates”! Prices $9.25 – $13.95

Simpler egg dishes are available, and each comes with your choice of hash browns or country potatoes, choice of toast, English muffin or biscuit. Prices $6.95 – $9.95

The “Highway Grill” offers Pancake or French Toast Combos served with homemade whipped cream, or the classic “Pigs in a Blanket” (sausage links rolled in buttermilk pancakes). Prices $5.95 – $9.95

There are nine omelets including a California omelet with avocado, fresh salsa and jack cheese, all come with the same side choices as above. $10.25 – $11.25

More sides are available like biscuits & gravy, or you can skip the biscuit and simply order a Cup of 126 Gravy $1.95.

The “Café Dinner Favorites” include a Turkey Dinner, “roasted daily and served with all the fixin’s” or Roast Beef, “right off mom’s table” and of course the classic, Country Fried Steak with “fresh USDA beef dipped in our handmade batter”. All selections come with vegetables, garlic bread, mashed potatoes and- gravy! $11.95 – $13.95

There are eight deli sandwiches, each comes with a choice of homemade potato salad, macaroni salad, coleslaw, French fries, fresh or grilled tomatoes. $8.95 – $9.95

Burgers are made with fresh Angus beef and patrons can choose from a 1/3 lb or ½ lb burger $8.95 – $10.95, same sides but add $1.00 for sweet potato fries or onion rings.

There are twenty specialty sandwiches and dishes to choose from at $7.25 -$10.95 and a full page of soups, salads, chilies and chowders. Cafe 126 does not offer alcoholic beverages. Desserts are homemade daily.

I had the Spinach Mushroom Benedict with country potatoes, perfectly poached eggs on a crisp English muffin, with loads of spinach and mushrooms topped with a rich and creamy hollandaise and the potatoes were seasoned well. The only problem was there was way too much of it and I took enough home for breakfast the next day!

By the way, Cafe 126 has a sister restaurant, Flight 126 located at the Santa Paula Airport.

Robin Nahin, owner of Firestick Pottery, will visit the Ojai Library on Saturday, September 29, at 1 p.m. to teach a hands-on pottery workshop. This interactive workshop will allow participants to learn the basics of working with clay to create art.

Clay is a magical material—use it to turn your fantasy into a real piece of art. You can take your project home with you or go to the Firestick Pottery Studio to have it kiln-fired.

All ages welcome to attend. There is no charge, and all materials will be included. Space is limited, and you can make your reservation by calling (805) 272-8760 or by email at [email protected].

This event is free and open to the public. For additional information, contact Ron Solórzano, Regional Librarian, at (805) 218-9146.

The Ojai Library is located at 111 East Ojai Ave. Hours of service are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

by Jennifer Tipton

When we think of all the great places to eat in Ventura, the east end of town rarely comes to mind because there just isn’t much out that way. There are however three independently owned and operated restaurants on the east end, each with a great reputation and as charming as a country café!

Two Trees is located at 7822 Telegraph Rd. and I’ll admit, although I’ve lived on the east end of Ventura for years, I had never visited this modest little eatery before. On our first visit, the experience was a “wow!”, the server was “Johnny on the spot”, the food was unbelievably good!

On our second visit, the server was “Missing Maria” and the jalapeno burger (when it finally arrived) was missing the jalapeno…

However, the restaurant is always busy, and patrons sometimes line up outside the door even though they can seat well over 100. The interior can be a bit noisy, family friendly with two flat screen TVs showing news and baseball, customers can sit at the counter, a booth or one of many tables and there’s an adjoining room with bistro tables and a traditional bar. There’s also a couple small outside tables, so I guess it could be considered dog friendly and being in the Kimball Shopping Center, parking is plenty.

While wine is available, Two Trees also offers 28 beers on tap with different flights for tasting. On our second visit, there was a special that offered flights of 5 for $15 and a selection of $3 tacos to accompany them. All tortillas are homemade and there is no charge for chips and salsa – also homemade.

The menu is quite eclectic. Starters range from Mini Burgers to Jumbo Wings priced $7 to $13. Specialties such as a crusted Filet Mignon topped with Mushroom Brandy Sauce or Almond Crusted Mexican Seabass topped with lemon garlic sauce each come with the choice of two sides. Specialties are priced $15 to $30. Selections from the fryer include Black Tiger Shrimp and Chips or Fried Chicken. Prices $14 to $22.

There are seven different styles of burgers $12 to $15, nine different sandwiches $10 to $13 and fresh salads that offer salmon and poached pear with chicken breast $12 to $15.

What really makes Two Trees stand out are the traditional Mexican specialties, all homemade plates like the Molcajete with Carne Asada, Citrus Marinated Chicken, Shrimp, Nopal, Chorizo, Scallions and Jalapenos with fresh Mexican Cheese and Tomatillo Sauce served with those homemade tortillas and Rice and Beans, serves 2-3 people for $37.

Other Mexican specialties include Seafood Enchiladas and Blackened Salmon Tacos amongst others. Prices $10 to $16.

All the Mexican plates come with a roasted jalapeno, I had the Sea bass Tacos and although it is a single serving plate, portions are generous, be prepared to share or take some home.

Community Memorial Health System has once again been awarded the American Heart/American Stroke Association’s “Gold Plus Achievement Award” as well as the association’s “Target Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus Achievement Award” which highlights the health system’s dedication to the highest standards in stroke care. Both recognitions will be featured in US News & World Report.

Attending a recent awards presentation ceremony at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura were members of health system administration, the CMHS Stroke Champions, members of the CMHS Stroke Multidisciplinary Team, and American Heart/American Stroke Association Regional Director Bliss Rayo-Taranto.

“Our stroke team works hard to help patients achieve the best outcomes possible when a patient has a stroke. We truly appreciate this recognition for our excellent care and ongoing efforts,” said CMHS Stroke Coordinator Stephanie Lara-Jenkins, RN.

In addition to these recognitions from the American Heart/American Stroke Association, Community Memorial Hospital has been awarded the Primary Stroke Center designation from DNV GL Healthcare and the Ventura County Emergency Medical Services Agency. Their certification programs incorporate elements from hospital accreditation standards as well as requirements from the Guidelines of the Brain Attack Coalition, and recommendations of the American Heart/American Stroke Association. The programs emphasize deploying a disciplined management system and using clinical best practices.

Community Memorial Health System is a not-for-profit health system, which is comprised of Community Memorial Hospital, Ojai Valley Community Hospital, along with the Centers for Family Health serving various communities within and located in Ventura County, California.

League of Women Voters of Ventura County (LWVVC), a nonpartisan political organization, was represented by Betsy Patterson, President, Pat Butler, Membership Director, and Matty Park, Director at Large, at the League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) 53rd National Convention held June 28 – July 1 in Chicago, IL. More than 1,000 League leaders from 49 states and the District of Columbia attended leadership workshops and heard from guest speakers about League priorities.

Founded in Chicago in 1920, the League of Women Voters is active in all 50 states with more than 750 chapters across the country.

“Convention was an incredible opportunity to connect with and learn from League leaders who are actively working in their communities to empower voters and defend democracy,” said Betsy Patterson.

The Convention kicked off with A Conversation on Redistricting where attendees heard from Ruth Greenwood and Nick Stephanopoulos. Greenwood served on the legal team for the plaintiffs in the United States Supreme Court case Gill v. Whitford which the Court remanded back to the lower courts.

Over the four-day Convention, delegates voted on the priorities that the national organization should focus on for the next biennium. The Campaign for Making Democracy Work® includes ensuring a free, fair, and accessible electoral system for all eligible voters by focusing on Voting Rights, Improving Elections, and advocacy for the National Popular Vote Compact, Campaign Finance/Money in Politics, and Redistricting.

The final night of Convention, attendees heard from Elaine Weiss, author of the Women’s Hour at a banquet where Leagues were recognized with awards for their work on Strengthening Democracy .

“Hearing Elaine Weiss recount the final push for women’s suffrage in this country reminded me how important the League of Women Voters is to this day,” said Pat Butler. “The number of women in elected offices does not reflect the demographic makeup of women in our communities. This is an important midterm election year and the League is committed to making sure the voters in California continue to have the resources they need to participate in November.”

About League of Women Voters

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. Membership in the League is open to men and women of all ages. With more than 93 years of experience and almost 800 local and state affiliates, the League is one of America’s most trusted grassroots organizations.

Contact: Betsy Patterson Tel: 805-798-4685
Email: [email protected]

The Ojai Playwrights Conference (OPC), one of the nation’s most acclaimed new play development programs, announces two extraordinary “Intersection” events during its annual New Works Festival, including an opening night cabaret with original works and performances by twelve OPC playwrights and a special performance event with new plays by Jon Robin Baitz and Bill Cain and new music theatre piece by Quetzal.

The Ojai Storytelling Festival will present Scott Ainslie as one of the featured tellers at the 18th annual festival, Oct. 25-28. Ainslie is a man who can speak about the Blues with the same compelling passion and authority that drives his musical performances. On stage, he brings the African and American roots, history, and soul of the music. During the Ojai Storytelling Festival, Ainslie will be featured as a solo artist, but he will also be showcased with poet Glenis Redmond in “Southern Voices: Black, White and Blues”. The two performers will weave stories, poetry and music together in a presentation of power and depth that features the works of Muddy Waters and Zora Neale Hurston; Robert Johnson and Fannie Lou Hamer.

A Cancer Prevention & Healing Class Series will be held on August 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th

from 7-8:30PM at Healing in America 107 W. Aliso Street.

Food Medicine Chef Bianca Rose will share the most powerful cancer fighting foods, spices, herbs and teas to boost the immune system and support natural abilities to heal the body. Includes talk and live cooking demo. Please visit compassionateating.com/classes or call 805-701-9858 for information and sign-up.

Pascal Baudar, author and renowned professional forager for L.A.’s top chefs, will return to Ojai as Herb Walks with Lanny Kaufer’s special guest on Saturday, August 11, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a workshop on brewing wild beers with local plants. He will demonstrate techniques described in his latest book, The Wildcrafting Brewer. A limited number of copies of both books will be available for sale and signing.

Baudar will get back to the basics of making beer. During this workshop, participants will learn about plants that have been used during history as brewing ingredients, how to extract wild yeast, creating sugar sources from fruits and berries and much more.

After the walk, the group will go back to a community kitchen where Pascal will show the group the process of making a simple wild beer on location. The $75 fee includes the walk and all foods and beverages to be sampled. To register, visit www.HerbWalks.com, or contact Lanny Kaufer at 805-646-6281 or [email protected].

Quin Shakra and Goda Trakumaite will visit the Ojai Library on Saturday, August 11, at 1 p.m. to deliver a free workshop titled How to Save Squash Seeds. Shakra and Trakumaite are offering this free seed saving workshop to celebrate the release of their comic Adventures in Seed Saving #1: Squash.

The workshop will cover the process of seed cleaning, extraction, pulp removal via water, seed fermentation, and winnowing and cleaning dried squash seed.

Jill Swaim will visit the Ojai Library on Saturday, August 18, at 1 p.m. to deliver a presentation entitled Road Scholar: Adventures in Lifelong Learning. Do you love to travel? Do you enjoy learning new things, exploring interesting places, and meeting people who share a love of adventure? Join us for a lively discussion of the many programs offered by Road Scholar, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to inspire adults to learn, discover, and travel.

Road Scholar is the world’s largest—and America’s first—educational travel organization for adults, offering nearly 5,500 affordable programs each year in about 150 countries worldwide.

For additional information, contact Ron Solórzano, Regional Librarian, at (805) 218-9146. The Ojai Library is located at 111 East Ojai Avenue in Ojai.

Buenaventura Art Association (BAA)call for entries at Community Memorial Hospital “The Sky’s the Limit”

Deadline Saturday, Midnight, July 14, 2018.

Exhibit July 22 – October 21, 2018.

Clear skies or cloudy skies, sunset or sunrise, azure, atmosphere, heavens or firmament, submit your expanses of sky! Juror CMH and BAA panel.

For entry details go to BuenaventuraGallery.org.

The Ventura Chamber of Commerce held its Spring Carnival Business Expo on May 17 at the Four Points by Sheraton Ventura Harbor Resort. The Expo presented over 80 exhibitors, wonderful food, prizes and the Ventura Breeze. Making sure no one kidnapped the Breeze publisher were Jaime Baker, Ana Baker, Karen Leslie and James Francis Gray who really didn’t care.