As published in Ojai Quarterly, Summer 2012
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| Photo by Bill Snider |
Sundays are for sleeping in, only
to have a dog’s wet nose wake you too early, shuffling in slippers for hours, scoffing
at morning political pundits on the tube, percolating coffee, browsing the funnies
and indulging in a hot breakfast. Breakfast. It just might be my favorite meal
of the day. For me, no other meal conjures more feelings and smells quite like
breakfast.
If I’m lucky, my husband, Bill, will
whip up a frittata - an oven-baked Italian omelet - and stuff it full of
roasted red bell peppers and broccoli to ease the guilt of eggs and cheese.
While the frittata cooks, we talk about the week ahead, forgetting the week
left behind, and linger over fresh berries, caramelized potatoes and the snoring
dog at our feet.
If we wake to an empty fridge, there
are plenty of eateries in the valley from which to savor a top-notch breakfast,
from the usual suspects with traditional sit-down fare like Bonnie Lu’s, Café
Emporium and Eggs ‘n’ Potatoes, to the not-so-usual hidden gems. It’s these
off-the-radar lesser-knowns that make visiting and living in Ojai so special.
Plaza
Pantry
221
E. Matilija Street, Suite G
646-6325
From a small shop tucked behind
the downtown arcade, proprietor Beryl Tognazzini
has been bringing the U.K. to Ojai for 30 years with shelves stocked full of hard-to-find
confections and souvenirs flown across the pond. Her traditional English
breakfast comes with eggs to order, sausage or ham, grilled tomatoes and, if
you’re game, a side of baked beans. A buttered crumpet with lemon curd rounds
out the meal, along with proper tea service that includes your own pot of tea
nestled in a knitted kettle cozy served on a tray with a fine English china
cup. Other specialties include homemade scones,
Cornish pasties, sausage rolls and banger butties (sausage with bread and
butter). Order at the counter and enjoy your breakfast at one of about a
half-dozen indoor tables adorned with mini Union Jacks. Flip through a British
gossip magazine or admire a Princess Kate commemorative mug set while you sip
your tea with your pinky in the air. You’ll feel like you’re dining in an English
grandmother’s kitchen.
Knead
Baking Company
469
E. Ojai Avenue
310-770-3282
This family-run artisan bakery
specializes in breads, pastries and beautiful custom-made cakes, but breakfast
is starting to take center stage. The menu is simple, but manages to satisfy. A
basic egg sandwich turns gourmet with the addition of Vermont white cheddar, La
Quercia prosciutto, and lightly-dressed spinach or wild arugula. Served on a fresh-baked
sourdough bagel, Italian country roll, brioche or whole-grain English muffin,
this is a breakfast you can take anywhere, or simply enjoy in the bakery’s
charming outdoor courtyard. Sleep in late if you want, because in addition to
the breakfast sandwiches, a daily quiche selection, warm-from-the-oven muffins,
cheddar-dill and apricot scones, homemade granola and mini coffee cakes are
served all day (or until they run out). Spilling out of the display case and
onto the surrounding counter tops, a selection of cookies, cupcakes, tarts and
other tempting sweets make leaving here empty-handed nearly impossible.
The
Farmer and the Cook
339
El Roblar Drive
640-9608
Within walking distance of my house
– just down the hill and a few more blocks away – is a local hippie market and
café. Bill and I like to walk the dog there by way of the Ojai Land
Conservancy’s Meadow to get our four-legged friend good and tired before
sitting down to a big organic breakfast on their pet-friendly patio. Owned by a
farmer and his wife – you guessed it, the cook – this small grocery store sells
the daily produce haul from their local organic farm, and also boasts a
full-service kitchen that churns out meals inspired by their harvests. The
breakfast menu offers organic Mexican specialties, including my favorite
breakfast in the entire valley, the huevos rancheros. Theirs features hand-rolled
corn tortillas (spelt is substituted when corn is out of season), scrambled
eggs, sliced avocado, beans and cheese all smothered in a not-too-spicy guajillo
chili sauce, and served with a side of pico de gallo. Everything is homemade
and organic. We like to find our way to one of the dusty rickety outdoor tables
(this place is anything but fancy) so the dog can have a snooze, and we can eavesdrop
on nearby conversations about Mercury going retrograde. The bakery case is not
to be missed; here you will find vegan, raw and gluten-free baked goods that
are as decadent as the real thing. And don’t forget a mug of their signature chai,
made in-house with organic black tea, their own spice blend and soy milk.
So if the dog wakes you too early
and you find the egg carton empty, change out of your slippers and don your
flip flops; a non-traditional Ojai breakfast awaits.
