Gary: Good Morning everyone. We didn’t get to ride on Saturday because we both had to catch up on the domestic shit that sits there while we toil out there in the real world during the week. So Sunday, I woke up hungry, rested and ready to go. I walked outside at to get the paper and noticed that the pavement was wet. What? Not again, not more rain but when I looked up at the sky the clouds were moving away and revealing a clear blue sky and I smiled and said to myself, ‘Not today mother nature, not today’. As I was just getting my shoes on the phone text beep is g oing off. Guess who? You’re right, my lovely riding partner informing me that we are changing the venue for the day to brighten up the adventure. We are going to add a bit of culture to our day of eating and riding. For a crusty old biker like me, a little culture could mean many things, but I will keep it clean. LOL
Hope: Despite the no-so-great weather forecast, we decided to once again brave the anticipated elements, get on our scoots, and venture to Ojai (pronounced O-Hi) for some good food and culture. Being that it was Memorial Day weekend, we weren’t sure if the roads and restaurants would be deserted or insanely crowded, but that only added to the adventure. We were originally thinking of visiting a Mexican restaurant in Oxnard
Gary: As I was riding up to Fillmore the weather was g etting better and better. The sun was shining, the air was crisp and cool which seems to make everything so much ‘clearer’. I love riding in this type of weather. You breathe deep and it just makes you feel alive. I was very content this morning because I was doing what I love to do and I was doing it with my favorite woman on the planet. Even riding the 5 freeway was an Ok putt because the traffic was very light so I was able to move along at a brisk 85mph. Also, no matter how many times I ride the 126, I totally enjoy it. With all the rain that Southern California has received this year, all the hillsides are green, green and more green. You throw in some native flowers along the roadside and you have an award winning picture right in front of your eyes. As I arrive at Hope’s, she is warming up her bike and is ready to go. She must be hungry.
Hope: The ride to Ojai was a fast and furious one, taking the 126 to the 101 to the 33, and then winding through the sleepy little town of Oak View and into Ojai. The Ojai Cafe Emporium is planted on a non-descript street lined with local artists’ galleries and offers plenty of street parking as well as their own parking lot. Upon giving our names at the entrance on the patio, we were greeted with the warm smile of the hostess and an abundance of colorful flowers in bloom. In past visits, I’ve encountered up to a 25 minute wait, but this morning was a mere 2 minutes before choosing a table on their large outdoor patio. The Ojai Cafe Emporium also offers two indoor seating rooms, both offering beautiful paintings from local artisans (displayed artwork changes every 3 months). Their outdoor patio also has an abundance of heaters and an electric awning that covers sections of the patio, if needed.
We were promptly greeted by a server offering drinks, mentioning that the restaurant offers three types of coffee; house blend, dark blend, or vanilla. You know that put an immediate smile on Gary
Gary: I was totally overwhelmed at first by the smiling face of the hostess who seated us promptly, and secondly, by the smiling face of the waiter wanting to know what blend of coffee I wanted. We have been to many cafes in the past few months and this was the first time I was offered a choice of coffee. What a great way to start. I chose the ‘dark blend’ because I enjoy coffee that is strong and very rich in flavor. I was not disappointed because this coffee was excellent. We both joked that I would be shaking for the rest of the day from an OD of caffeine but who cares, it would be worth it. As it turns out, I didn’t shake for the rest of the day but it definitely helped in the walking department. Since we wanted to try a variety of their breakfast food, we each picked an omelet. Hope helped me decide (wink, wink) on the portabella omelet with Swiss cheese and I also wanted the rose potatoes with my usual sourdough toast.
Hope: The first to arrive was our warmed blueberry muffin (that came with the spinach and provolone cheese quiche). I’m a big fan of blueberry muffins, but I already knew from past experiences that they make theirs with oats and while they are tasty and display a good amount of juicy berries, they’re a bit too dense for me. No worries... Gary
Gary: I was very happy with Hope’s decision not to have any of this very tasty muffin (although she did taste it, in case it changed from her last visit) because I had no problem eating this myself with some fresh butter spread on it. It was real butter too, not that fake stuff. If breakfast ended there, I would have been totally happy because with this g reat coffee and yummy muffin, who cares what happens next...but it gets better.
Hope: Shortly thereafter, the rest of our smorgasbord arrived and it took every bit of self-control to take pictures before diving in. First, we tried the quiche...a wonderful blend of spinach and tasty provolone cheese served with a bowl of fresh fruit (golden pineapple, honeydew, cantaloupe and strawberries). Truth be told, if I didn’t have my own plate of food in front of my now salivating mouth, I would have inhaled the quiche in its entirety. My omelet was filled with yummy ingredients and melted in my mouth. The potatoes were seasoned to perfection with red onions and peppers (and were so tasty that I decided to forego the ketchup) and my only regret was that I could only fit so much into my stomach!
Gary: My omelet was absolutely wonderful. It was cooked perfect with the eggs being fluffy and filled with plenty of mushrooms and cheese. The potatoes, as Hope has said, didn’t need any help in the flavor department and the sourdough toast was like it was homemade bread (although I don’t think it is) and it was not overly buttered. The quiche, which is something that I would not normally order (real men don’t eat quiche is bullshit) was a meal in itself. It was really good and we both had no problem consuming its entirety. There was not a crumb left for even the birds to find and the fruit that came with it, especially the pineapple, was chilled, juicy and just great.
Hope: The service was g reat; Kelly was a wonderful waitress and didn’t make fun of us for ordering three breakfasts. She checked on us regularly and made sure everything was perfect. From the outdoor patio, we sat along-side a beautiful purple flowering plant that only added to the experience. The restrooms are immaculate and have lots of personality. And, there is an adjacent coffee shop and bakery. After we gorged ourselves (something like that really should be illegal), the check arrived and much to our shock, it was the same price as most of the other places we’ve visited where we ordered only two entrees! Cool! The Ojai Emporium is a MUST!
We saddled up and rode a whopping three blocks and then spent the next 45 minutes viewing the local artwork displayed at Libby Park. We then headed to the Farmer’s Market and then to a new frozen yogurt shop for dessert.
Gary: The art show was a really nice way to walk off that exceptional breakfast and get us ready for dessert. I could have spent the entire day looking at all of the local artist work. There were a vast variety of paintings, photos, and sculpture, with handmade jewelry and pottery. The Farmer’s Market is Ojai is a pretty large venue with all sorts of vegetables, fruits (dried and fresh) and nuts (raw or roasted), including organic varieties. There were musicians playing their guitars for some donations (some very good, some not so good) and it seemed everyone was having a great time. We bought some roasted almonds, dried fruit, a special blend of olive oil and hand made soap all from local farmers and vendors. How great is that? Then we went to the yogurt shop for some kiwi-strawberry and chocolate frozen yogurts. What a great day of riding and eating.
Hope: Then we had the pleasure of winding our way through the mountains above Ojai Valley heading back toward Fillmore. The weather, while crisp, offered an abundance of sunshine and a lack of the usual weekend traffic. A great eating and riding adventure! The Ojai Cafe Emporium gets and “Off the Charts” rating, as it offers quality food and service, is large (two indoor dining areas as well as a full-sized outdoor patio, has g orgeous outdoor gardens, and beautiful artwork adorning the walls. This place is/was a well-kept secret...until now...We will definitely be looking forward to a return visit!!!!!!!
Ojai Cafe Emporium
(805) 646-2723
