Carpinteria, Ventura, & Ojai

[Enorah]

Need breakfast, lunch, & dinner recs for the area. Traveling back and forth a couple of times
over the next few weeks.

We like:
Well........everything

All the better if it is affordable, down-home, made with love and delicious.

Your help is greatly appreciated, oh fellow food lovers :)

[Enorah]

Thanks all, very much appreciated as now we are moving to Ojai!

[dgasser]

Ojai:

Bodee's: Fancy home-style food in gorgeous location with generally great service.

Boccali: Decent family-style Italian.

Manny's Oak Pit: Tasty hybrid Texas-California BBQ. Service was real rocky at opening, not sure if they've fixed since.

The Robin Hood: pseudo-English pub. Decent food, live music, fun atmosphere.

Ojai also has a very good farmer's market.

Ventura (sneaking it in here since you asked and it *really* doesn't belong lumped in with all of L.A.):

Brooks - Most innovative and interesting local place by far. Great food, nice locals specials.

The Watermark/W2O - Good, although occasionally over-trendy and/or uninspired food in a stunningly refurbished art deco building. Awesome staff and front-of-house operation. Upstairs lounge has a small plates menu that's very good value.

Taqueria Tepatitlan - Good authentic Mexican

[Steve]

Below is the link to my review of tacos at Rincon Alteno. I was floored.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/5530...

[sdnativa]

Was in Ojai and Carp two weeks ago.
Ojai: dinner at Suzanne's Cuisine - outstanding and a good value.
Ojai: breakfast at The Emporium - solid food and supported heavily by the locals.
Carp: breakfast or lunch at Esau's Good basic food. I love the tuna melt with jalapenos.

[Enorah]

Thank you everyone for your recs. I will do some reading and research and report back after eating. Open to any more suggestions :)

[sdnativa]

But wait, there's more....
Zookers in Carp: 5404 Carpenteria Ave. Nice dinner menu and is a good value
Corktree Cellars on Linden Ave in Carp. Small plates and nice selection of wines. Good for a light lunch.

If you get a chance check out the beautiful store Porch, right around the corner from Corktree. And Ojai has a very nice farmers market on Sunday morning.

[glbtrtr]

Carpinteria: Gianfranco's for very creative Italian on Linden Avenue
Ojai: Boccali's for their real shortbread strawberry shortcake in season right now, more trandtional casual Italian -but the ravioli al burro were first rate and plentiful.

[PolarBear]

For Ventura you'll need to post on the LA Board.

[honkman]

The breakfast at the Working Bee in Carpinteria was quite good. Nothing fancy but good omlette, biscuit and a good coffee. I don't know where you are staying but since you are looking into restaurants in Carpinteria I would also recommend to drive to Santa Barbara which is only 10 minutes away.