Little bites of food news
More often than not, fall weather in the inland parts of Ventura County is beastly hot. To beat the heat, head to one of these new(ish) restaurants, bars and tasting rooms. Ojai Avenue is seeing a cluster of new restaurants, despite the challenging times. Ventura has also seen some changes—some exciting, some sad.
JOPLIN’S FOOD, DRINK, ROCK & ROLL
A culinary concert that will blow the roof off.
“Joplin’s is unique. We are doing comfort food and will soon be doing barbecue but we have a rock ’n’ roll vibe. We are very different than anything else in Ojai with our brightly painted walls, rock ’n’ roll playlist and affordable/approachable cuisine with the highest-quality ingredients sourced from local farmers and ranches,” says co-owner Brittany Naing. “The milkshakes are outrageous and fun.
Since we aren’t making fancy cocktails (we only have a beer and wine license) we are getting creative with our milkshakes by adding lots of fun, seasonal ingredients to make them unique and decadent AF.” It is also worth checking out their mocktail menu!
“Chef Saw Naing, known for his work at The Dutchess and Tallula’s, is putting his own twist on barbecue with fresh meat from Motley Crew Ranch and Boek House as well as a ton of smoked seasonal veggies,” says Brittany.
@jopinsojai
JoplinsOjai.com
715 Ojai Ave., Ojai
HIGHLY LIKELY
“Whether you see us at 8am or 8pm, our goal at Highly Likely is to make it like it’s yours. At the core, we aim to delight you with great food and drink—day and night,” according to its website. Highly Likely in Ojai is the latest restaurant co-owned by Chelsea Matthews, Alex Matthews, Cary Mosier and Executive Chef Kat Turner, Season 22 “Top Chef” competitor and two-time “Chopped” winner, with Los Angeles locations in West Adams and Highland Park. The local-sourced and sustainable menu features egg dishes, sandwiches and bowls during the day, while the nighttime menu features a “Seedy Schnitzel,” Pappardelle Bolognese and a vegan wild mushroom frittata, among the choices.
@itshighlylikely
ItsHighlyLikely.com
211 W. Ojai Ave, Ojai (formerly housed Beacon Coffee)
CONDOR BAR EL ROBLAR
Condor Bar at El Roblar features Mexican cuisine. It’s located in the historic El Roblar Hotel in downtown Ojai, formerly The Oaks at Ojai. The hotel has been extensively renovated while keeping the hotel’s timeless charm. “Eric Goode, Ramin Shamshiri, Warner Ebbink and Jeremy McBride have restored the two-acre property to its historical charm and namesake,” according to the website.
The 50-room hotel features two distinct dining venues helmed by Chef Brandon Boudet, (who also runs Bar Lou in Montecito and Little Dom’s in Carpinteria): Condor Bar, serving modern Mexican cuisine and open to the public, and a guest-only café offering breakfast and lunch.
@condorbarojai and @theroblar
TheRoblar.com
122 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai
RADIO ROMA
This mezcal bar and hi-fi listening room in Ojai shares a kitchen with a Mexico City–inspired taqueria next door. The mezcal bar serves tacos, mariscos, agave, cold drinks and fresh sounds. The Instagram account serves up DJ listings with an adorable twist: The photos shared are childhood images.
@radioromaojai
RadioRomaOjai.com
307 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai
THE BLEND SUPERFOOD BAR
Max Jacobs, trainer and the founder of Mad Max Fitness in Ventura, has created special healing smoothies for The Blend. “As a personal trainer, runner and nutritionist, I know firsthand what your body craves before or after a hard workout, long run or scenic hike,” he says. “That’s why I collaborated with The Blend to create a smoothie built for endurance, recovery and hydration—without compromising flavor. Here’s what’s inside and why it works: Pineapple and mango, packed with enzymes and natural sugars to boost energy and aid digestion. Perfect for quick fuel and reducing inflammation.”
The Blend joins another location in The Collection in Oxnard.
@theblendsuperfoodbar
TheBlendSuperfoodBar.com
334 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai
OJAI MOUNTAIN FARM
Workers are busy building the new store/deli/pub in downtown Ojai, with an opening date so far just marked “Autumn 2025.” Behind the scenes it looks like the focus will be regeneratively grown food and house-made spirits.
@ojaimountainfarm
OjaiMountainFarm.com
242 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai
FERMENTATION HOUSE
Anna’s Cider, a family-owned cider house in Santa Paula, has evolved into Fermentation House, which now includes their cider, as well as sister labels Doctor’s Orders Natural Wines and Jungle Tea. The Fermentation House offers a tasting room, hard cider, wine and other beverages, including Jungle Tea. They also host events like trivia nights and have food trucks on weekends.
@fermentationhouse.sp
Fermentation.House
801 E. Main St., Santa Paula
WILDFLOWER WINERY BECOMES NATIVE BLOOM WINERY
“We have changed to Native Bloom Winery due to a trademark dispute. A large winery holds the trademark for ‘wildflower’ as it pertains to wine and sent us a cease-and-desist letter,” says owner/winemaker Natalie Albertson. “I am still the winemaker and the new labels still look the same but with the new logo. It feels right as I do native yeast fermentation, I am Native American-Cherokee, and we are native Californians. We are working with some new vineyards for the newly branded wines such as Coquelicot and Ampelos, now named Groundstar Vineyard. We have created beautiful wines which highlight the terroir of the vineyards in Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Los Angeles counties. Starting with quality grapes, we pick them for optimal acidity and sugar so the wine does not need additions such as water, acid or tannin. We use a minimalist winemaking approach in the cellar so the natural yeast present on the grape skins perform the fermentation to preserve the influence of the terroir.”
@nativebloomwinery
NativeBloomWinery.com
4517 Market St., Unit 7, Ventura
PINYON VENTURA
This neighborhood restaurant specializes in wood-fire cookery, sourdough baking and minimal-intervention wines. Like the restaurant in Ojai, they are committed to sourcing the highest-quality ingredients and wines from local farmers and like-minded artisans.
“Our commitment to sustainability extends to our team as well where we strive to build an equitable, inclusive and fulfilling work environment,” say owners Jeremy Alben and Tony Montagnaro, aka Tony Mont. “The menu is driven by our established relationships with local farmers, anglers and shepherds in order to serve the best-quality seasonal ingredients available. We apply the same ethos to our wine and beverage list, which celebrates small-scale producers who practice minimal intervention in the vineyard and the cellar.”
@pinyonfam
PinyonFamily.com
11 S. Palm St., Ventura
423 E. Ojai Ave. Ste. 101, Ojai
MOTHERS TACOS
Find authentic tacos, including the popular taco al pastor, made with fresh ingredients and handmade tortillas. Founded by Benedict Koenig and Charles Whittaker, Mothers Tacos serves authentic Mexico City–style tacos, made with “amor de madre,” in a typical Mexican market taqueria setting. The Ventura location joins another Mothers Tacos in Napa. The restaurant aims to re-create the vibrant taqueria culture of Mexico City, offering a warm and inviting atmosphere reminiscent of a typical Mexican market.
@motherstacos
MothersTacos.com
1177 E. Thompson Blvd., Ventura
JAGUAR MOON, COCINA JAGUAR AND CORAZON COCINA
Santa Barbara comes to Ventura with Jaguar Moon, from Good Lion Hospitality, a mezcal and tequila cocktail bar located in downtown Ventura sharing the same space as Cocina Jaguar from Michelin Bib Gourmand Chef Ramon Velazquez to create a full dining experience. Velaquez has also opened another Corazon Cocina (in addition to the original in Santa Barbara) at the site of the former Taqueria Vallarta on Main Street next to Rori’s, serving the bold flavors of Guadalajara inspired by local market ingredients.
@jaguarmoonbar
JaguarMoonBar.com
97 S. Oak St., Ventura
@corazoncocinavta
CorazonCocinaVentura.com
278 E. Main St., Ventura
THE LIVERY VENTURA
“The Livery is a multi-experience venue,” says Patricia Solomon of the old brick courtyard that is surrounded by Rumfish Y Vino, and now The Livery, in downtown Ventura. “As a historic landmark it was important to us to maximize the foot traffic for the community to be able to enjoy it.” The Livery is a “sip and shop” experience that features local vendors and small businesses. It’s a space offering a blend of elevated dining, handcrafted cocktails, retail and a unique meeting space. “You can sip and shop, then grab dinner at Rumfish. Then perhaps come back to the Livery for an after-dinner drink at the bar and buy that cute top or candle you saw earlier. Or meet friends in the tasting room for a wine tasting,” says Solomon. “Visitors can enjoy local spirits and wine while browsing curated housewares, apparel, vintage items and local goods from various vendors.”
@theliveryventura
RumfishYVinoVentura.com
34 N. Palm St., Ventura
Recent closures in Ventura include CRAVE in Portside, Top This Chocolate at the Harbor, Harvest Café, and Happy Accidents Wine Tasting room and Lemon y Sal in downtown.
BEYOND OJAI
A note from the editor: Our hearts are with the family and loved ones of Andrew Canepa, beloved co-owner of the Side Street Café in Newbury Park, who was one of three men killed in a senseless shooting in Reno. Guests of the café remember him as “a shining light” and “amazing and unforgettable.” Please consider a visit to the café to support the family.
