After lunch at Yume Japanese Burger Cafe we decided to take a short drive and headed east along Highway 150. The winding road headed uphill and we stopped at the Ojai Valley Lookout. From here you have a wonderful view of Ojai Valley and are surrounded on all sides by mountains.
We drove a bit further, before returning to Ojai to check in at our accommodation.
We showered, relaxed, and even took a short nap before heading out to dinner. Our dinner destination was a nice stroll away; Ojai Rotie.
Ojai Rotie describes themselves as being:
"Chef/Farmer driven, fast casual patio-restaurant offering French-Lebanese style rotisserie chicken".
The atmosphere is relaxed, the large patio is a wonderful place to eat on a warm summer's evening.
We had reservations and were shown to one of the tables. I then went into the main building and placed my order and paid at the counter. I was given a number and placed that on the table.
You then go to the small detached structure to order wine and beer.
The young man working asked me if I was from out of town (folks in Ojai are really friendly), and when I replied yes, he asked where I hailed from. When I mentioned San Diego, he told me he went to college in SD and we had a nice chat.
People watching was quite interesting. There seemed to be quite a few "locals" or at least regulars. I hadn't seen so many folks wearing Birkenstocks in one place.....also interesting choices of slippers. Folks seemed to wear shorts and many women wore flowing "new agey" dresses with dangling earrings to match.
Soon enough our order arrived at our table......
We had ordered the "Dippity Dips"........
Three different "dips" with Manuoche; the typical Lebanese flatbread with a light sprinkling of Za'atar on it. The Bread was warm, slightly yeasty and very pleasant eating.
Our favorite of the three items was the White Bean Hummus; so beany and creamy.
This was delicious; though I think a touch of lemon would have taken this to another level.
The Muhamarah was pretty good.
This was much smoother and creamier than what we're used to; but it matched quite well with the Manuoche. The generous amount of pomegranate molasses made this a bit too sweet for our tastes; but it was still a nice dish.
I was looking forward to the Charred Eggplant, but it proved to be a bit disappointing.
While adequately creamy, this was missing the smoky-savory tones of a nicely charred/grilled eggplant. It was also lacking adequate salt for our tastes.
Still that White Bean Hummus was really good and the Missus has been asking me to make some.
Of course we had to try the rotisserie chicken and I'd heard good things about the pommes rotisserie. So we got a quarter chicken meal with the roasted potatoes and caramelized cauliflower as sides.
First off, we weren't big fans of the chicken which was on the dry side. The seasoning also seemed quite mild. The saving grace was the bold and piquant garlic paste, which was sooooo good, but stayed with us for the entire evening if you know what I mean. The roasted potatoes were cold, but we both enjoyed the lemon-aioli. The Missus really enjoyed the cauliflower which was generously seasoned and had some great "role players" in the form of pine nuts, golden raisins, and baby kale.....each adding in a layer of complexity.
We'd gladly eat here again. While sitting and watching the "regulars" get their orders we noticed that the house made sourdough bread and lamb kafta were popular and looked quite good.
We really enjoyed the vibe and setting.
And then there are the people.....we would really come to enjoy and appreciate the warm and friendly folks we ran into in Ojai.
For instance, that gentleman in the photo to my right. As he walked by, I noticed his t-shirt, which I really liked, so I took a photo of him. Apparently he saw me taking his photos and came on by and asked me if I liked his shirt and we had a short chat. His name is Dave and he is in charge of restoring and renovating the Ojai Playhouse. We had a really nice conversation and he headed off....only to return a few minutes later with a t-shirt for me!
Yes, it says "Ojai Psychic Friends Network" and I love the t-shirt....plus I got a nice story to tell about how generous folks are in Ojai. And how in the world did he know I was admiring his shirt? Psychic perhaps???
Thanks Dave!
Ojai Rotie
469 E Ojai Ave.
Ojai, CA 93023
Hours:
Wed - Thurs 4pm - 830pm
Fri - Sun 12pm - 3pm, 4pm - 9pm
Closed Mondays and Tuesdays
That's awesome you got a free shirt! Bummer the chicken was dr.
Posted by: Soo | Thursday, 07 July 2022 at 04:08 PM
It was a very nice gesture Soo. Really enjoyed the white bean hummus!
Posted by: Kirk | Thursday, 07 July 2022 at 08:26 PM
Good to know the story about the t-shirt. Then again, maybe I did know the story... Cravings for a good hummus have begun.
Posted by: Cathy | Saturday, 09 July 2022 at 03:28 AM
Yes, it's a t-shirt with a story now Cathy!
Posted by: Kirk | Saturday, 09 July 2022 at 09:29 AM
That shirt is amazing!
Posted by: sawyer | Saturday, 09 July 2022 at 05:07 PM
It is Sawyer!!! ;o)
Posted by: Kirk | Saturday, 09 July 2022 at 06:36 PM
Those encounters are the best part of traveling!
Posted by: Junichi | Wednesday, 13 July 2022 at 09:30 AM
It's what really makes the trip Junichi!
Posted by: Kirk | Wednesday, 13 July 2022 at 09:40 AM
Cool shirt
Posted by: Som Tommy | Thursday, 14 July 2022 at 10:27 AM
It's my favorite t-shirt right now ST!
Posted by: Kirk | Thursday, 14 July 2022 at 12:09 PM