The COVID world has been filled with twists and turns that have made the restaurant business difficult to navigate. The Canteen by Cammarano’s in Simi Valley, a hidden gem, is no exception. But owner/manager/chief concept engineer Mark Cammarano thinks the major changes he made to his operation to survive the downturn and intermittent closures have given him a winning recipe for success.

“We were formerly Cammarano’s Neighborhood Grill, for about 12 years,” he says. “We rebranded at the end of 2021 and reopened January 16 with a new concept. We had already thought of making changes after 10 to 12 years of being in business. And part of the change comes because we want to expand. We want [the new concept] to be scalable, while we build a brand. We changed the name slightly, but we’re still a canteen—a neighborhood watering hole. A place to go to get a good drink. By keeping our menu small, it allows us to change.”

Change is essential to success, Cammarano says. To deal with supply chain issues and difficulty hiring new staff, flexibility is key. That’s why the menu is online-only and the lineup of drinks and food changes frequently.

Cammarano has been in the restaurant business for his entire career. He grew up in the San Fernando Valley, but lived within walking distance from the restaurant for years before moving to Calabasas.

After high school Cammarano wanted to go to culinary school, but couldn’t afford it, so he embarked on the other time-honored way to get into the restaurant business: He got a job in a kitchen and learned as much as he could.

“You name it, I’ve done it. That’s where my culinary style comes from. That’s why I’m attracted to the gastropub scene. It’s a blend of everything from where I’ve been. This is a place where there’s nothing off limits. We do Italian, Japanese, Mediterranean, Indian, Chinese,” he says of the menu, which features appetizers, burgers, steaks and other dishes.

But the star of the show at The Canteen by Cammarano’s is behind the bar. Mixologist Megan Diaz of Simi Valley creates one-of-a-kind cocktails, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic, that feature the flavors of herbs, flowers, fruit or whatever she can find to create such masterpieces as her Blue Buffalo Sour—which is made with Buffalo Trace bourbon, lemon juice, agave, house-made blueberry syrup and egg whites—or The Buzz—made of Bulldog Gin, lemon juice, honey lavender simple syrup, orange bitters, brut champagne and CBD gummies.

“I love going off and being able to create my own conceptions. I do it at home. I make syrups and shrubs at home. It’s a really fun hobby of mine,” says Diaz.

The simple syrups usually consist of equal parts sugar and water with flavoring mixed in, such as peach mango jasmine from herbal teas and fresh seasonal berries or other fruits. The old-fashioned shrubs introduce vinegar to the mix, which Diaz says really adds depth to the “brightness of the alcohol.”

“I make shrubs every once in a while, with apple cider vinegar, fruits, herbs and spices that I want to work with. I let them sit in a Mason jar for 24–48 hours, before they ferment. I add them to cocktails,” Diaz says. “They’re like kombucha, but not fermented so they don’t even have traces of alcohol.”