Hope: Once again, Mother Nature seems to playing tricks with the weather, as its nice and warm during the week but come the weekend, June gloom sets in and you can’t tell whether the clouds are going to give way to rain or sunshine. Despite the predicted 58% humidity, we decided to try a new place and see what the day offered. Today, we decided (well, I decided) to try Hozy’s Grill in Santa Paula. Mind you, it’s only a quick 10-mile ride from Fillmore, so we decided to make our way to Ventura afterward to enjoy some of the beautiful agricultural sights and smells along the way.
Gary: Well, you have to remember when Hope says that 'she's decided' on where to go I am at a bit of a disadvantage. We keep riding in an area she is totally familiar with because she lives there. I live in 'the Valley' and since we have tried the 'experiment' of going to 'civilization' for one ride (and that ain't happening again), I do rely on her for this part. Plus my job is picking up the check, so it is the least she can do. LOL…
Since our quest for quality food is something we both desire, I trust her to find that 'right spot' for all of us. I do have a few places in mind for us to venture out to but so far, the weather has not been on our side.
Hope: If I’m not mistaken, the plan was for Gary to be at my house at 10:00, but we all know how much he enjoys being late, so at 10:30, he arrived and we started our day. I’m sure he’ll blame his tardiness on our friend Rob, but don’t believe him. Despite the fact that Gary wakes up early has nothing to do with his arrival time. He just moves slow; I guess that’s just what happens when you get old…lol…
Gary: Listen, getting old is something I never expected to happen, especially the way I lived my life for the first 42 years, so Hope can make fun of me all she wants, I am just grateful for waking up, never mind moving fast. Rob and I arrived @ 10:10 AM (her clock is a bit fast) and I will not 'blame' Rob but he was certainly in on it.
Hope: So, we pull out of Fillmore and in the blink of an eye, we arrived in the parking lot of Hozy’s. When I told Gary to make a left-hand turn into Hallock, he looked at me with that, “are you crazy” kind of look, and for good reason; Hozy’s is nestled in the middle of a non-descript industrial complex with no other signs of life. Hozy’s is the kind of place that no one knows about unless you’re a local or someone goes out of their way to tell you about it and so far, it seems to be a pretty well-kept secret and quite a surprise. Upon walking in, you are met with bright and colorful walls of yellow and orange decorated with an abundance of car and truck-related racing pictures and posters. The interior is very contemporary and fresh flowers are also a highlight and offer a beautiful touch to an already pretty interior.
Gary: Hope is right, I thought, where the hell are we going? To have breakfast at a roach coach? This place is a well hidden secret and a very pleasant surprise. I loved the colors of this place with it being orange and yellow. Orange is the color of my club patch so I felt immediately at home. This place is also spotless. Of all the places we have been to, this place has to be the cleanest. Even the restrooms were totally sanitized. There must be someone coming in right after you’re done to clean up because when I went in, it looked as if no one had used it. The only thing missing was an attendant. The parking here is also very good so if you bring along your biker friends parking will not be an issue.
With it being in an industrial area and off the beaten path, there was nice crowd of people in the cafe. I would imagine it was all repeat customers because all the businesses close by appeared closed for the weekend. That gave me a hint of how the food was going to be. If people are willing to come here on a Saturday, out of their way, into nowhere land, then there must be something here that gets them back.
Hope: Despite our history of saddling up to the counter, we had a friend join us today, so we opted for a large corner booth and started with tea (for me) and coffee (for the boys). By 11:00 am, we were given a choice of breakfast or lunch and had a hard time deciding between the two but hey—this is Breakfast for Bikers, not Lunch for Bikers, so you know which menu grabbed our attention! I ordered Canadian bacon and eggs, my eggs scrambled with jack cheese and onions. I also had homefries (thick-sliced potatoes cooked with onions), and an English muffin. The Canadian bacon was sliced thick and very, very tasty. Hozy’s also offers fresh seasonal preserves, today’s being cinnamon peach. Rob ordered French toast that looked mighty scrumptious, scrambled eggs and bacon. Breakfast was served in no time at all and was absolutely delicious. I asked Rob how he enjoyed his breakfast and then noticed that he polished off every morsel of food on his plates; I take that as a sign that he enjoyed it all. I think it’s safe to say that Hozy’s Grill just earned an “Off the Charts” review.
Gary: I did miss sitting at the counter because that is where you see all the action in the kitchen and watch the servers coming and going. We have had our most memorable meals at counters and for me it was like something was out of place, but the food made up for it. I had my usual of corned beef hash and eggs with sourdough toast and country potatoes. I really liked the potatoes because they were sliced like fat potato chips with fresh onions and cooked to perfection. The hash was not the best I have ever eaten but very good and the eggs were right on, cooked over easy and very fresh. Added with the toast are fresh peach preserves in a little cup which was excellent. The coffee is very good and they kept it coming. So, I am in agreement with Hope on this place. It gets an "Off the Charts" rating.
Hope: Hozy’s uses fresh ingredients, much of which is locally grown. Their organic tomatoes are some of the tastiest tomatoes I’ve ever eaten in my life, as are their homemade fruit preserves. Hozy’s is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and offers a few breakfast specials that are only served on weekends only (Eggs Benedict).
Since it wasn't much of a ride to get to breakfast, we opted to visit downtown Ventura afterward, taking Cummings and Foothill through the avocado, orange, lemon, and strawberry fields. When we arrived at Palermo’s, we treated ourselves to some yummy sorbetto and enjoyed the people watching and sights. The ride home on Telegraph and Harvard, offered a picture-perfect view of the mountains and lots of flowers where ever the eye could see. What a great day! You’re in for a big surprise if you visit Hozy’s…
On a side note, Gary and I have previous engagements that will keep us from checking out new places to eat and ride for all of you, but rest assured, we’ll be back the weekend of July 9th. If you live in the Southern California area, Fillmore is one of the only places where you can purchase legal fireworks and booths will soon pop up all over the 126 (It is illegal to take them out of the city limits). On the 4th, Fillmore events include our annual antique car show and chili cook-off as well as fireworks display. However you chose to celebrate, make sure it’s a safe one…
Hozy’s Grill, 1760 E. Lemonwood Drive, Santa Paula, CA 93060 805.525.1068 or http://www.hozysgrill.com/
