By the Secret Diner –
From my last review, did you figure out where Mrs. Secret Diner and I ate dinner? We were at Mai’s Cafe, 1967 E Main St, Ventura. Do give them a try. Tell them The Secret Diner sent you.
Now for my latest review – can you figure out where we ate dinner?
A waning moon still shined bright enough to push shadows out in front of us, leading the way on our most recent dining adventure. Mrs. Secret Diner and I found ourselves downtown again acting on a tip about a new place. From the parking garage, we cut through alleys to find a jungle themed spot lit by neon. Local restaurateurs with a couple interests in Ventura have spun up a cocktail bar in space where you were once able to sell off old memories or tune up a second-hand guitar pawned for a bad habit or pepperoni pizza.
We managed to catch the last thirty minutes of Happy Hour, so primed our appetites with a pair of citrusy palomas. A couple chunky ice cubes topped off the pour, and we toasted another week and pondered our surroundings, weighing our food options from a menu set firmly in the Yucatan Peninsula.
Exposed ductwork snakes across the ceiling, metallic boas pumping in cool air. Bottles of juices and house made syrups stand in formation ready to season your margarita or house crafted cocktail. Careful of the jungle cats hiding in the wallpaper as you make your way through a neon tunnel to the restrooms.
We chatted up a busy bartender, shouting over the rattle of ice in his shaker. We learned, among other things, that a patio with outdoor seating was near completion. With our food order determined, we snuck in another happy hour order. I went for a cocktail named for the place, and Mrs. Secret Diner went with the house margarita. Ingredients in my drink that may read as contrasting: cucumber and sherry, mezcal and green pepper meld together in that apothecary’s shaker, a very satisfying emulsion. Of her margarita, Mrs. Diner remarked on the balance, no flavor overpowering others, each working in harmony.
It is likely you’ve heard of this new place and may have assumed it a spot of nightlife and inebriation, worthy pursuits both. However do not sleep on the food coming out of a kitchen obscured by colorful and opaque glass. Behind these panes works a magician.
The menu offers a selection of botanas, bites or snacks. You can follow your appetizer with a choice of seven different tacos. To start, we ordered the Flauta de Papa. For our dinner, I was tempted by the Pollito Frio; I’ve never had fried chicken in a taco. Mrs. Diner considered the Tixin Xic for its exotic name. She has a passion for both language and food. I went, however, for the Mole Taco, and Mrs. Secret Diner finally decided on the Costra.
In this jungle, counter service is the rule. I placed our order and returned to the bar with a cute metallic #2 on a small stanchion, placed it prominently so our server could easily find us.
As our food arrived, the place was filling and loud with laughter and conversation. Our tacos arrived on beautiful, pewter-colored plates. Flatware was wrapped in a paper napkin, tied with a piece of twine.
I would return just for the Flauta. Mrs. Diner was less enthusiastic about the sweet potato filling, so I happily ate her portion, sweeping up a dollop of the árbol almond salsa with the last bite. Mole can be overpowering, too chocolatey. Not this. I quickly followed my first bite with a second and a third. Mrs. Diner insisted on a taste before I finished, and again she used the word balance—perfectly balanced she said.
A few weeks ago, I purchased a ribeye. I seared it, finished it in the oven, sliced it thin and served it on a toasted roll with onions, mushroom and some horsey sauce. Mrs. Diner said it was the best thing I’ve made. I can cook, but she is the chef. It may be, she continued, the best steak sandwich I’ve ever had… until her Costra arrived. We can debate whether or not a taco is a “sandwich,” but suffice it to say, my steak sandwich comes up second to the Costra.
We settled our bill and walked, satisfied, back into the night!
So, any idea which restaurant this was?
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!
