March 4, 2009

  • ojai trip2

    So I didn't finish posting about Ojai, and I have so many restaurant reviews backed up, so here's the rest of my trip to Ojai/Santa Barbara... (click photos to enlarge)After my facial I prettied myself up for a dinner at Downey's.

    Dress-Bebe, Shoes-Steve Madden, Necklace- Givenchy
    Downeys is a cozy and quaint family-run restaurant in Santa Barbara California. I read many great reviews about the place so when we stepped inside, I was surprised at how whimsical and un-intimidating the ambiance was. It was almost like stepping into the warm living room of a friendly relative (or neighbor if your not white). The decor was plain, but inviting, I believe the paintings local scenic paintings on the wall were done by the co-owner and chef's wife, Liz Downey, who also happened to be our gracious host.
    View from my seat.

    The food was great. I would say was similar to bouchon. They use fresh organic local ingredients, but the food is more homestyle. Very delicious and filling. Here's what was ordered...

    Downey's Prosciutto with Bosc Pears, Arugula & Roasted Walnuts

    ^Extremely delicious the cure and age there very own proscuitto. It was salty, sweet, and a bit tangy with a lovely texture. The pears were fresh and ripe tender/crisp...perfect. This dish did not disappoint. My mouth waters just thinking about it.Fresh Pea Soup with Creme Fraiche and ChivesThe soup of the day. Haha. okay, my mind was in the gutter...it looked like someone jizzed a cocknball display in the soup. I actually tried to fashion it more and added a penis tip with my fork to make it more appetizing. It was fucking creamy and delicious, just how one would imagine. Not to mention a work of art. MMM MMM, Bitch!Penn Cove Mussels with Tiny "beluga" Lentils, Tomatoes, Watercress and Light Curry dressingMmm I love me some mussels. These were nice and plump and very fresh. The curry sauce was not over powering. You could still taste the freshness of the mussels which were not overcooked. Very yummy.Natural Beef Filet Mignonettes with Porcini Sauce, Roasted Beets, and Phillip's PotatoesMy main course. Very delicious. The portion was huge. 2 filets perfectly cooked and seasoned to perfection. Oh so juicy and delicious. The sauce was nice and earthy. Fucking yum...Michael, soon you will join me on the dark side and delight in some carnivorous acts... You can't tell me this doesn't look appetizing...Local Lobster and Seabass Ragout with Chanterelles, White Beans, Tomatoes, Leeks^This is one of those, "you had to be there" moments. This might not look too pretty, but it was awesome. It tasted like a delicious home cooked main course that nana would be proud of. Every thing was perfectly balanced in flavor and texture. Hearty, buttery, creamy....god I'm getting hungry.I always have to get my  cheeses. These were both lovely. I like my cheese like I like my men- strong, aged, and smelly. hahaThe dessert cart... I love how the cakes are left whole and sliced up right in front of you. It's so deliciously erotic. mmmm. Can you guess what caught my eye...Hell yes! I forgot what this was called, but it was fucking perfect. Not too sweet, a nice velvety texture. We demolished this thing in 2 minutes flat. I shit you not. This was Soooooo gooooood.
    The next morning I got up and got ready for Sunday Champagne brunch at the Four Seasons in Santa Barbara. This is one of the best brunches I've been to. It's similar to the brunch at La Mer. I guess this one's a bit fancier, but the one at La Mer in Hawaii just has that awesome island vibe...island air...ahhh Hawaii....Where was I? Oh yes, the champagne brunch.It's beautiful at the four seasons in SB. I think I might stay there during my next visit. It's right on the beach. Very lovely grounds. The brunch=awesome. The pics will show it all. They have lots of different stations. Everything is fresh and fucking delicious. I'm not a "buffet" kinda gal, but this is top notch brunch shit.
    Cheeses and hor dourves
    Caviars and accompaniments that you serve a top those fresh mini pancakes that a chef prepares periodically.Super fresh seafood
    This guy makes fresh waffles, pancake, and crepes to order. Oh man it smelled so good.Some of the desserts.Me at the dippin some fresh strawberries. I always have this urge inside of me that makes me want to rip my top off and dip my tits and face in chocolate fountains. Good thing I have that filter in my brain that controls my impulsive thoughts. Such an innocent smile with thoughts behind it...many thoughts.There were lots of other displays, but taking pictures of all of them would have seemed a bit obtrusive amongst all the wasp folks who were just trying to enjoy a regular Sunday brunch. There were meat carving stations that had duck, lamb, and kobe beef.  An  omelet station where a chef made eggs/omelets any way you like. More desserts, more hor dourves, sushi, the works.Some of what I hadLove me some good lox with herbed cream cheese, home made relish, etc. I had them toast my bagel. Also crab salad, seared ahi, chicken satay, eggplant/tomato/cheese hor dourve, caviar on my mini pancake.Fresh oysters, shrimp, crab claws, another tomato/eggplant hor dourve (it was good), corned beef  hash ( my Scot side had to try it), Lamb with mint jelly, potatoes.My waffle with whipped cream, almonds fresh hot syrup, chocolate covered strawberries and other desserts.More dessertAnd the last of my dessert. Notice how I cut it real thin towards the end. haha.We've come to the conclusion that no weekend getaway in the Santa Barbara area would be complete without the FourSeasons Champagne brunch. It's a must, people.

    After brunch we headed back to Ojai Valley resort for my very first golf lesson. haha. We headed down to the resorts golf shop and I purchased a new pair of golf kicks (who likes to wear rentals?) and a Ojai visor. haha. If I was sure that we were gonna go golfing on this trip, I would've bought a bunch of plaid and argyle gear and bought a cute golf assemble. haha. We had to settle with what they had in their golf shop.

    One of  my all time favorite movies is Happy Gilmore. Whenever I'm holding a club, or hockeystick or  bottle of alcohol, this the first pose that comes to mind.You can tell by my pose that my tits are totally in my way.

    It's all in the hips...it's all in the hips. I think I missed the ball, but at least my ass looks great. Thanks, mom.My conclusion about golf. I'm not sure if DD's and golf mix. I felt like my boobage was totally in the way. There goes my chances of becoming a pro female golfer, I knew that boob job would come and bite me in the ass sooner or later. -shakes fists with anger towards the science gods-

    After golf I had my last treatment which was the LILIAN TERRY MASSAGE A therapeutically tailored massage that uses a unique combination of homeopathic remedies and essential oils to target the 3 most commonly stressed areas of the body: the back, shoulders and neck. After choosing your Aromeopathic complex you may continue ongoing therapy at home.  This was great after playing golf. It was very relaxing and I loved the oil she used. I chose the formula for anti stress/anxiety. They let you keep a bottle of the Lilian Terry oil for continuing at home therapy. (I think I'll take it to the Massage Place on Overland for my weekly massages. Sometimes they use shitty oils at that place. )After the massage, I got dressed for my last dinner in Ojai before heading home.  We decided to eat at the Oak Grill restaurant at the Ojai resort since it would be easy for us. Since their fine dining restaurant, Maravilla was closed during our stay, we gave Oak Grill a try.What I wore
    Dress- BCBG Max azria, shoes-steve madden (only brought one pair of heels on this trip)

    Oak Grill is very plain and not nearly as beautiful as Maravilla, but it had a nice simple rustic charm with a nice fireplace to warm up the ambiance.The menu was actually sort of similar to Maravilla's which is great. The manager was the same manager from Maravilla and he was super accommodating and friendly. He let us know about some food events that may be coming up at Maravilla in the future that we might attend.The food...

    Ahi tuna tartare. Quite standard. fresh. yummy.Wild mushroom toast. Really yummy and hearty. Similar to the wild mushroom ravioli I had from them during the lunch hour. It was better because it had the crispy toast base.filet mignon with green beans and gratin potatoes. This was pretty good. Not outstanding though. It was tender and juicy, beans cooked to perfection, but nothing really stood out. the potatoes weren't cheesy enough for me.Lobster risotto with pork belly on the side. This was really great. the risotto was so creamy and cheesy. The pork belly gave it a nice crunch. Very savory and delicious.

    After dinner, we packed up and hit the road back to SmelLA. Another fun, relaxing, and successful trip. High five!