As published in
Ojai Quarterly Summer 2013
 |
| Photo by Bill Snider |
Each summer, my family heads to
the South Carolina coast - a tradition we’ve had since the eighties. We sprawl
our pasty white selves across old rickety chaise lounges, down too many cheap
beers from my brother-in-law’s Igloo or frozen lemonades from the push-cart guy
and burn ourselves to a crisp. After we’ve had enough of the sun, the waves,
the sand and a game or two of ski ball at the corner arcade, we take refuge
from the sweltering heat in the upstairs condo’s air conditioning. My sister
wrestles Kroger’s finest deli meats, cheeses and condiments from the fridge,
and I join her in the assembly line, painting bread slices with mustard and
mayo, and quickly doling out slapped-together sandwiches for her hungry kids. Then
there’s the secret behind what we now call her famous Myrtle Beach Turkey and
Cheese Sami: 15 to 20 seconds in the microwave. I’m not sure why lukewarm grocery
store deli meat and weeping American cheese on softened white bread tastes so
good, but it does. It tastes just like summer.
At home on the left coast, my
husband, Bill, prefers to take his time building the perfect sandwich. One of
his specialties is an adaptation of the classic BLT, taking full advantage of
the local summer tomato haul. He layers crisp bacon, thick slices of heirloom
tomatoes, chunks of fresh avocado, a slab of Buffalo mozzarella and piles of
arugula, wedging the whole lot between slices of toasted sourdough wheat. The
pièce de résistance is the addition of his own pickled shallots, thinly sliced
and steeped overnight in one of his favorite vinegars with fennel, peppercorns
and sugar. A pickled dill carrot from Ojai’s Kult Kitchen and a pepperoncini
seal the deal. I call it the Bacon, Lettuce and Awesome! sandwich, and I’m not
sharing. Well, on second thought, maybe I will. Here’s why:
Several months ago, my friend and
local graphic designer, Evan Austin, invited me to join him in a campaign to
get actor Robert Downey, Jr., who has visited Ojai once or twice, to join us
for lunch. He’s a big fan of the Golden Globe winner’s movies, and I’m a big
fan of the local food scene, so Evan figured we had a winning combination. He
launched a Web site and pages on Facebook and Twitter, which we shared with a
few friends. Soon, “I’m having lunch with RDJ” snowballed from a silly
conversation into a crazy idea that resonated with more than just us. And it
might be crazy enough to work. “It’s so Ojai,” they say.
We don’t do fanfare or paparazzi
in this town, which actually makes us a magnet for real celebrities who aren’t
looking to get their mugs onto magazine covers. That’s what makes this whole
idea plausible, because it really is as simple as a sandwich – tablecloth and
utensils optional – shared in good company on one of our town’s breezy intimate
patios, packed to-go to enjoy on a bench on the Shelf Road trail, or devoured quietly
while perched on a barstool at the local watering hole. Here’s where a
celebrity – or an average citizen, for that matter – can get an opportunity to
experience the real Ojai – and a damn good sandwich.
To me, a sandwich is simply perfection
served between two slices of bread. A whole meal right in the palm of your hand
– barbaric and sophisticated all at once. Ask any of the locals where to get a
good sandwich – and I’m not including burgers, wraps or burritos here – and
you’ll get barraged with too many excellent choices.
I’ll
get some of the usual suspects out of the way right up front. The Pulled Pork
at Feast Bistro, the Tuna Stack at Rainbow Bridge, the Tarragon
Chicken Salad at Marché Gourmet Deli, the House Sandwich at Knead Bakery,
the Caprese at Papa Lennon’s, the Jamon Serrano at Azu and the Carnitas Torta at
Diaz Bakery are all amazing,
but let me tell you about a few other gems.
Bonnie
Lu’s Café
328
E. Ojai Avenue
646-0207
A quaint diner in the heart of the downtown
arcade serves up the typical diner fare you would expect for breakfast and
lunch, but with an Ojai spin. Most of the dishes are named after local
celebrities (friends and family of the owners), including the Titus Scramble,
made with egg whites, chicken breast, spinach and mushroom, and Bubba’s
Benedict, served with sausage patties and poached eggs on flaky biscuits and
topped with their hearty homemade sausage gravy. Lunchtime favorites include
Joanne’s French Dip (I like it with turkey, but you can order beef if you
prefer), Alicia’s Yuppie Hippie with no shortage of sprouts and veggies, and
the one I dream about, Niles’ Monte Cristo with white bread, ham, turkey and
Swiss, dipped in egg batter, fried until golden brown, dusted with powdered
sugar and served with strawberry jam. A few dishes have yet to be named, so I’m
sure there’s room for an RDJ special sandwich.
Giorgio’s
914
E. Ojai Avenue
646-0854
A choice hangout for the local
softballers, this casual sports bar at the far end of town has big screen TVs
tuned to the big games, and they make their own dough and tomato sauce daily
for their New York style thin crust pizzas. Their submarine sandwiches are all
the rage because with any sub purchase, you can add a beer for a just a quarter.
Now, that beer is limited to Budweiser, Bud Light or Coors Light, but you can
certainly upgrade to any of their other 19 beers on tap. Popular sandwiches
include the Club
Double Decker – one deck has turkey, ham and Swiss;
another deck has bacon, lettuce and tomatoes – the Philly Cheesesteak, the Pesto
Turkey Melt, and a traditional Central Coast institution, the Tri-Tip,
marinated in their special Italian seasoning blend, slow cooked and bathed in
barbecue sauce.
Ojai
Coffee Roasting Co.
337
E. Ojai Avenue
646-4478
A coffee house is the last place I’d
think of for a sandwich, and though they are best known for their small-batch
in-house specialty coffee roasting, it’s the first place many of the locals
think of for a great sandwich. With a lunch menu a mile long, some of the
stand-outs include the Roast Beef and Brie, the Muffaletta with provolone, ham,
salami and their own tapenade, and everyone’s favorite, the Messy Pita with
turkey, onions, tomatoes, feta, greens and their own creamy yogurt tzatziki. This
is the kind of place where if you’ve been in once, they’ll remember your name
and what you ordered, and they’ll probably ask about your kids and your pets,
too. It’s like most of the places in Ojai – you get treated just like a
celebrity.
So what do you say, Mr. Downey?
Will it be my sister’s microwaved turkey sandwich, my husband’s Bacon, Lettuce
and Awesome!, or a proper sit-down at one of Ojai’s finest establishments?
We’ll let you decide, but if it’s OK with you, we’ll get the check.
