By the Secret Diner –
With holiday travel plans, we’ve let the fridge and pantry dwindle to just a few staples. We hardly need a reason to eat out; however, this seemed a good rationalization. We agreed a midweek date-night was in order and began that ritual repeated in households all over – where should we go? Come along, and see if you can guess where we ate.
As we walked the downtown sidewalk to our chosen eatery, my wife and I debated whether we had eaten here before. I was certain we’d stopped for a bar-time slice of pizza a few years back, but she maintained this was our first visit.
Shiny black tile, and black and white signage adorn the facade of the restaurant – a refresh of the former establishment. We learned the previous owner sadly and suddenly passed, and new ownership relaunched the place with promises to keep the chef and stay true to the spirit of the original. So perhaps we were both right. We have and have not eaten here before.
Inside, a narrow walk leads to the bar and point of sale. This restaurant offers counter service. We were handed laminated menus and given a moment to peruse. A couple sat at the L-shaped bar, and there were two two pairs of diners at the banquet seating along one wall. A mix of high and low top tables provided additional seating in the dining area. Wooden caddies corral paper napkins, condiments, salt and pepper. Mounted on exposed brick above the banquet seating, seven large TVs broadcast a variety of sports and news programs. If you are a fan of an out-of-market NFL team, this would be a great place to catch your game.
While I am still in search of my favorite pizza in Ventura County, I passed on their pies and went for the double-smash burger and buffalo wings. My wife ordered the chicken philly which comes with fries. To drink, I ordered a light offering from Transmission Brewery, and my wife ordered a Santa Barbara chardonnay.
We chose stools at the elbow of the bar and debriefed our days. House music played but soft enough to allow conversation. Other diners scrolled on their phones and holiday shoppers walked by the large, open, street-side windows. On this weekday evening, the mood was easy, pleasant – the perfect foil to the chaos that is our work day.
The drinks were light and delicious, cold. One of my dining pet peeves is a warm beer. We were only sips in when the food arrived. Anthony Bourdain would disapprove of the brioche bun, but I found it held up well. Together with the bread and butter pickles and caramelized onions, the brioche worked to balance the savory patties and cheese. The double smash is definitely the way to go; a single just isn’t enough to make the bread-patty ratio work. They do serve a Western Smash if you like the busyness of bacon and barbeque on your burger.
The wings might have come from a pterodactyl! Slab flats and kettle-drum drummies, coated in ranch make a wonderful bite. The wings are breaded, fried, tossed in sauce. We suspect they might also get a finish in the oven as the sauce is “baked” in and not slippery or slimy. Just enough heat for me, maybe a bit much for my dining companion.
My wife devoured half her sandwich in a few bites, savoring a bit of spicy cheese sauce from the corner of her mouth. She loved the toasted hoagy, not over-stuffed, and remarked on the large pile of batter-coated fries. We did tilt our heads a bit at the up charge for ranch…until it arrived. This delight did not come from a bottle – a thick and herby, oregano my wife surmised, concoction.
A second round of drinks brought with it another surprise. The eighteen local and craft selections are delivered to your pint glass from the bottom! If this is a clever ploy to sell more beer, it worked on me. Watching the glasses fill like magic is mesmerizing. And, you can keep and collect the magnetic tabs which prevent the beer from spilling out.
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the restroom – a single-seater at the end of the hall beyond the bar. The black and white color scheme is maintained in the hexagonal floor tile. The room was spotless with techy charm: a space-aged hand dryer, a mirror with buttons neither of us could figure out. The standout feature? A little ledge atop the tp roller to hold your phone.
In each issue of the Ventura Breeze newspaper, Mrs. Secret Diner and I review a local eatery – can you guess where we ate? Put on your detective cap and check the next review, when all will be revealed!
