Local eatery serves up local ingredients in a unique boutique
By D.K. Crawford 02/26/2009
Treasure Beach and Cafe
928 East Ojai Avenue
Ojai
640-0611
$2.50 - $15
A buzz has been generating about a little boutique/café hidden away in Ojai.
“It’s a store?” I’d question. “Yes, and the restaurant’s in back.” How had this escaped me?
As it turns out I had heard of Treasure Beach from my local Slow Foods chapter (an organization that encourages slowing down to enjoy food and life), shortly before it opened. The café specializes in preparing local, seasonal foods.
After I found a clever way to make a U-turn in Ojai, I pulled up to the black awning. We entered a world of Uggs, slinky-but-wearable clothing, brightly glazed salad bowls and metallic placemats. “The clothing and shoes are 40 percent off,” said Mary, the owner. It took all my resources to ignore the goodies and ask her where the restaurant was.
She led us to a back room dressed in large whitewashed planks, lace curtains, wicker chairs, a sprinkling of gilded mirrors and sparkly chandeliers. “I feel like I’m somewhere other than Ojai,” said my sister. I, too, felt like I’d been transported to another place, perhaps a back parlor in the Deep South where restaurants are commonly tucked into the back of stores.
As though part of that southern dream, the waitress asked if I’d like to start with some iced tea. I had Zhena’s Passion Fruit Black Tea ($2.50) and added sludgy raw cane sugar.
The menu is small and changes weekly, depending on what produce is available. Two ladies lunching nearby asked the waitress if there were any specials to which she replied, “It’s all special.” Robert Dautch, Churchill Brenneis Orchard, Brewer’s Eggs and Niman Ranch are listed as “sources” at the bottom of the menu. It felt comforting to know some of the local farms our lunch had come from.
I started with the roasted beet and shaved fennel salad with citrus vinaigrette ($9). The presentation was luscious. On top of tiny lettuces were shaved pieces of fennel, surrounded by caramelized yellow beets the size of Hershey’s Kisses, and a furry fennel frond danced on top.
The lettuces were little mouthfuls of delight, the fennel a crunchy slightly bitter liquorice bite, and the beet kisses held a dark caramel note that coaxed out their sweetness. The dressing was light with a touch of honey.
My sister tried a salad that featured little gems lettuce, butter lettuce, shaved parmesan and a house-made Caesar Salad ($7). “It’s lemony and fresh,” she said. I tasted hers and was struck by slight heat, the type that comes from raw garlic. All the lettuces were tender and crisp.
My main dish was sliced flatiron steak on warm cabbage and Applewood smoked bacon with a warm balsamic vinegar and shallot dressing ($15). My dish was hearty and its flavors expanded in my mouth. The braised cabbage with sweet bacon crunched around the warm medium-rare steak slices. The all-natural Niman Ranch steak had much more flavor than what one buys in a regular grocery store. It was tender and earthy, and the balsamic glaze lent another sweet yet acidic component.
My sister had the shrimp summer roll plate with a chili soy dipping sauce ($14). The rice paper-wrapped spring rolls featured soba buckwheat noodles, cooked shrimp and fresh vegetables. The chili oil floated on top of the soy sauce and coated each dipped bite with a hint of heat. Lys enjoyed them so much I had to coax her into letting me have a taste.
We finished the meal with the Meyer Lemon semifreddo with chocolate covered cocoa nibs and walnut brittle ($7). Taking a bite was a sensual delight. It was the smoothest, creamiest ice cream I’ve ever had, and its flavor was like lightly tart lemon curd. The chocolate covered nibs floated throughout like crunchy candy caviar — simply delectable.
Treasure Beach and Café wins on so many levels. The boutique is adorable, and the food comes straight from local farms, which benefits both the community and makes for an unusually fresh, flavorful dining experience.
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