As Midtown Ventura grows, with more options for food within strolling range, the sense of neighborhood grows.

A small group of strollers, parents and little ones were sitting at the Buena Bodega enjoying soft-serve ice cream. Local Chase Roselli says, “There are a lot of young families in the area. It’s becoming a hub—it’s a place for people to congregate.” As the kids played nearby, customer Madeleine Carter-Ignon says that the atmosphere is great for families. “I like the little shopping carts for kids, with ice cream and coffee that’s really good.”

Owner Tessa Bigtree, who runs the bodega along with husband, Rich Bigtree, says she wants the atmosphere to be welcoming to families. As the mother of 3½-year-old Harley, she’s sensitive to having children around. “It’s not too precious. They can run around while moms enjoy their coffee [from Dune Coffee Roasters].” The specialty market features women- owned, BIPOC-owned and other underrepresented brands. “I like to have things that bring little sparks of joy. That are a little cheeky, which are needed right now in the world. That’s why we have root beer floats and soft-serve,” she says.

Buena Bodega features a chopped lox bagel—dubbed the “Bodega Chopped Bagel” using fish from the Santa Barbara Fish Market, among others—which is especially lauded online.

Next door at the tiny strip mall in Midtown Ventura, Luke’s offers sandwiches that are not only delicious, but also very popular. The restaurant is co-owned by CEO Luke Tada and roommates Tyler Gray and Will Costigan.

“We wanted to have a quiet opening (in mid-December) in order to get our feet under us. But we vastly underestimated the number in terms of reception. And turnout was way beyond what we expected. There were lines around the corner,” Tyler says. “We had to learn quickly. We’re super grateful for it. It’s a good problem to have.”

Luke is the chef among the co-owners. He developed the menu, which includes classic sandwiches, such as a BLAT, club, roast beef and Italian. As of this writing, he is working on developing new sandwiches and some seasonal specials as well.

“I was a sous chef at Lazy Dog [Restaurant and Bar] for more than three years,” Luke says. “Before that, I worked in kitchens in San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly.” But it wasn’t just his experience that shaped his cooking. “I was always a picky eater,” he says. “My grandma was from Japan but raised my dad in Montana, and we visited there a lot. So there was a mix of country cooking, hunting deer and we would catch trout.”

He had noticed that Ventura didn’t have dedicated sandwich shops. “One thing about San Luis Obispo is that there is a specialty sandwich shop every half mile. Everybody loves a good sandwich,” Luke says. “I don’t like too much pretentiousness. I love food that comes from the heart. A sandwich is a great transport for that ideology.”

Both the sandwich shop and the bodega started working on their respective shops within weeks of each other. Tyler says they helped each other get ready to open.

“We and Tessa started building out the inside of our spots around the same time and we ended up opening within a week of each other. We helped each other out. It’s been a really cool experience. We could see what business is like right next to us,” says Tyler. “It was interesting to see the small ways our approaches diverged and gave our spots their own personalities. It creates kind of a friendly competitiveness as well. It became a bit of a measuring stick of progress.”

Luke says the current Midtown renaissance has been interesting. “I went to Ventura High School. I remember walking around this area looking at all the empty shops. There’s an appetite for growth in Ventura, especially this Midtown area. In big cities like Portland, Seattle, and even LA’s downtown, tourists find a semi-suburban fun street where all the people who know arts look for chefs who are doing fun new things,” he says. “I think that of Midtown. It’s kind of what it has become. It’s really cool. It’s a healthy change.”

Will jokes that Luke is the brains behind the kitchen and he and Tyler are there to be his emotional support, but when asked for clarification, it quickly becomes clear that the three of them are a great team. Now that they have had a chance to dial in the service and prep, we may even see more from this trio in the future.

A DELIGHTFULLY MESSY BLAT

I was hungry and I really wanted to try a good sandwich for dinner. So I ordered a BLAT (bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato) to share with my husband. I’ve always felt that you can tell the quality of a restaurant from their most basic dish. It was amazing. Like all BLATs, it was messy. But boy, was it delicious. The focaccia almost held up. But the fresh tomato (which was a real treat—tasting like homegrown) and the avocado made the bottom layer a bit mushy. Like I said, I’ve never been able to make a BLAT that didn’t get soggy, which isn’t helped by my love of extra, extra mayonnaise. My poor husband didn’t get his half, I’m afraid to say. I’ll be back to try more from Luke’s. And also Buena Bodega. That chopped lox sandwich sure looks enticing. *Please note that I pay for anything I ever review.

Buena Bodega
1803 E. Main St., Ventura
@buena_bodega

Luke’s
1807 E. Main St., Ventura;
lukesonmain.com