Ojai Monthly - July 2023

TWIN PALMS: RANCHO MATILIJA LUXURY

On a private, park-like lot in Rancho Matilija, this Mediterranean-style home boasts mountain views, refined design, and high-quality materials. The light-filled 5br/4.5ba main home has high ceilings, a chef’s kitchen, and a luxurious primary bedroom suite with two walk-in closets, a spa-like bathroom, a sitting area, and French doors that open to a private patio. Includes pool house/guest house with studio, kitchen, fireplace, bathroom, and an outdoor kitchen/dining area.

1000ShokatDrOjai.com

Offered at $5,100,000

Over 25 years of experience matching people and property in the Ojai Valley

Hike a lot? Give a little!

OVLC has permanently protected 2,400 acres of open space and maintains 27 miles of trail for all to enjoy. This is all done with donations from you—our community.

El OVLC ha protegido permanentemente 2.400 acres de áreas naturales y mantiene 27 millas de senderos para el disfrute de todos. Todo esto se hace con sus donaciones—nuestra comunidad.

Photo by Nathan Wickstrum

A MOMENT OF FIVE-STAR LUXURY.

Once again, we are overjoyed to be named a Five-Star Recommended Spa in Forbes Travel Guide’s prestigious 2023 Star Awards—making Spa Ojai one of only 119 spas in the world to obtain this designation. Our iconic 31,000-square-foot oasis features two pools, a state-of-the-art fitness facility, Mind & Body classes, Spa Boutique, and Spa Café, offering serene, signature indulgences. We invite you to celebrate your wellness journey amidst an inspired natural setting of oak trees, fresh lavender, and idyllic vistas. Make a reservation today to escape in a moment as transformational as our mountain surrounds.

(855) 600-9479 OjaiValleyInn.com

Bradigan

THE JOY OF BEING WRONG

"Think it sirs, in the bowels of Christ, that thou may be wrong." — Oliver Cromwell

The Honor Farm off Baldwin Road used to be a minimum security detention facility, as you would expect with the name. It opened in 1939 and closed in 2003, once housing as many as 400 inmates, operating as a farm with gardens, fruit trees, pigs, goats, chickens and rabbits. It also held a woodshop with a reputation for first-rate carpentry from the inmates. In 2007, Help of Ojai leased it from the county for $100 and then subleased it out to the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy, C.R.E.W. (Concerned Resource and Environmental Workers) and the Ojai Raptor Center.

My concern at the time was the remoteness of the 42-acre facility would isolate these nonprofit groups from the community. For example, the Land Conservancy office was behind the Arcade in a tiny closet-sized space stacked to the ceiling with land-use agreements, maps, blueprints and archives, and had clearly outgrown itself. But it was also a community center where people came and went, exchanging information and tips and the incidental encounters that are key to a flourishing organization. That would be lost.

At the time, I disputed the plans of then-county supervisor Steve Bennett and we had a few back-and-forths about it, with me criticizing the county for relieving themselves of an obligation at the expense of Ojai's nonprofit groups. However, not for the first time, I was wrong. In fact, it became its own community, with ample space for larger projects, storage space, collaboration especially between the OVLC and the CREW. Help of Ojai coordinates everything smoothly. The Raptor Center's open houses bring in hundreds of people, and the ease of dropping off at the collection site of Help's Second Helpings Thrift Store means a more efficient system for converting unwanted items to wanted, while raising revenue for good causes. It is a village of volunteers.

It does set me to wondering, what else have I been wrong about? Once you let go of your certainties, you open yourself to a world of endless possibilities, growth, and a deeper understanding of the human experience.

Soren Kierkegaard remarked, "People understand me so poorly that they don't even understand my complaint about them not understanding me." This is the essence of our intellectual stubbornness. We become so attached to our beliefs that we fail to recognize our limits. We assume that our understanding of the world is the ultimate truth, dismissing others' views as inconsequential or misguided.

Yet, the pleasures of being wrong lie in the liberation from this self-imposed intellectual confinement. When we allow ourselves to question our preconceived notions, we embark on a journey into the unfamiliar. We cultivate a sense of humility, recognizing that what we know is a droplet in the ocean of human understanding.

Mark Twain wrote, "It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." Having our minds changed is not a sign of weakness. It requires courage to dismantle the mental constructs we have built. It is also hard work, but it leads to empathy and understanding, exchanging rigidity for serendipity. In a divisive and polarized world (and community), the ability to have our minds changed fosters dialogue, understanding, and the possibility of meaningful progress. By recognizing that our truth is not the only truth, we create space for collaboration and the collective pursuit of knowledge. Empathy, curiosity and possibility result. The alternative is dark.

Bret

11385 Puesta Del Sol | $1,199,000

11950 Mustang Court | $825,000

Offering spectacular western mountain views, this Ojai Valley home is presented in turnkey fashion. Recently remodeled in 2020, this 3 bedroom/2 bathroom (plus office), 1,744 sq. ft. home features many upgrades that were completed during a recent 2020 remodel. Upgrades include the remodeling of the kitchen and family room.

Phone: 805.272.5218

Located on a cul-de-sac in the Mirror Lake community, this 3 bedroom/2 bathroom, 1,284 sq. ft. home is a gem. It has been lovingly maintained — and it shows. Updated features include kitchen, newer HVAC system, dual-pane windows, flooring, and drought-tolerant landscaping. The backyard provides two private patios and several fruit trees!

DRE# 01761150

DRE# 01859199

concerts podcasts

JULY 7

Lyle Lovett

Date: Friday

Time: Gates open at 5 p.m.

Show starts at 7 p.m.

Location: Libbey Bowl

210 South Signal Street

Contact: LibbeyBowl.org

The Texas troubadour returns to Ojai where he recorded several albums. According to Esquire magazine: “The secret of Lyle Lovett’s endurance comes down to the three C’s: class, charisma and consistency... he’s spent two decades gracefully matching genuine songcraft with A-list musicianship.”

JULY 13

Happy Together Tour: The Turtles, Little Anthony, Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, The Vogues, The Classics IV, The Cowsills

Date: Thursday

Time: Gates open at 5 p.m.

Show starts at 7 p.m.

Location: Libbey Bowl

210 South Signal Street

Contact: LibbeyBowl.org

The Happy Together Tour is back in 2023! The touring sensation that has criss-crossed the nation delighting audiences for over a decade returns this summer with a show full of chart-topping hits from the ‘60s and ‘70s – an undeniable 61 Billboard Top 40 smashes.

JULY 21

Al Jardine’s Family & Friends Tour

Date: Friday

Time: Gates open at 5 p.m.

Show starts at 7 p.m.

Location: Libbey Bowl

210 South Signal Street

Contact: LibbeyBowl.org

Beach Boys co-founder joins bandmates’ daughters Wendy and Carnie Phillips with songs and stories from his seven decades of musical adventure.

AUGUST 6

Chris Isaak

Date: Sunday

Time: Gates open at 5 p.m. Show starts at 7 p.m. Location: Libbey Bowl

210 South Signal Street

Contact: LibbeyBowl.org

The reverb-laden rockabilly revivalist comes to Ojai with his catalog of songs including “Wicked Game” and “Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing.”

RECURRING EVENTS

JUNE 3, 10, 17 &24

Historical Walking Tours of Ojai

Date: Every Saturday

Time: 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Location: canvas & paper gallery Museum, 130 West Ojai Avenue. Contact: 640-1390

JULY 9

Coffee & Cars

Dates: Second Sundays of the month

Times: 8 to 10 a.m.

Location: Westridge Market parking lot Come check out classic and luxury cars from the area’s proudest collectors. Have a chance to learn from the owners about the history and importance of some of the world’s most incredible automobiles.

JULY 12, 19, 26

Ojai Summer Band Concerts

Dates: Wednesdays

Times: 7:30 to 9 p.m.

Location: 210 South Signal Street, Libbey Park.

The Ojai Rotary-West continues the tradition of family-friendly music from the Ojai Band, with as many as 40 local musicians.

THURSDAYS

“ Ojai: Talk of the Town” Podcast New episodes come out Thursday evenings through OjaiHub.com newsletter. Guests have included Malcolm McDowell on the 50th anniversary of “A Clockwork Orange,” and Sergio Aragonés on his 60 years as a cartoonist at Mad Magazine. With more than 150 hour-long episodes, the Ojai podcast is an important part of our community’s collective wisdom and insight. Sign up at OjaiHub.com for a free newsletter of Ojai events, news, arts, entertainment, history and culture.

DOMONIC BREAUX

BY SARAH MONKS

domonic breaux

Above: Domonic Dean Breaux

Below: His work, "Bright-Colored Root."

Portrait of an Artist in Paradise

Maybe you know those Ojai party nights. Whether Ojai is your home or you’re lucky enough to find yourself here, you’ll recognize the picture I’m about to paint. A little buzzed and more than a little loved up, you head for a breather or you head for home – and you walk out into a nocturnal landscape of devastating beauty, galaxies above you, sparkling moonlit terrain before you, and the rustling of dark spreading oaks all around. Behind you, the party’s still glowing. And there where the sky meets the mountains, the faintest remains of the day — or, if it’s been a good one, the first glimmer of tomorrow. Once seen, never forgotten: spellbinding.

This is the scene that Ojai-based artist and musician Domonic Dean Breaux has explored in a quartet of new paintings, which will feature in his solo exhibition “Do What You Love Until You

Die” at the Ojai Art Center, on show through July and August 2023.

You’ve probably encountered Dom’s artistry already. He helped create the distinctive look and feel of two hotels in town, the Blue Iguana and Emerald Iguana Inns, including the giant sculpted iguanas that seem to prowl around their gardens.

In 2021, he transformed two dull electricity boxes in Libbey Park into a funky vision of orange blossom and Birds of Paradise, after winning a commission from the City of Ojai Public Art Fund Project. If you visit the Casa Barranca Winery, up on Foothill Road in one of the finest Greene and Greene houses of the Arts and Crafts style, you’ll see Dom’s huge mural of moonlit oaks, a subject that he’s also explored in a stunning

recent work at the Taft Gardens. And if you make an appointment, you can see Dom’s extraordinary restoration of mid-century decorations at Meditation Mount, following their destruction in the Thomas Fire of 2017. You might even have seen the Grumann Motorhome that Dom decorated for a client, covered in a dazzling pattern of metallic green and gold flickering forms, like a Gustav Klimt painting trundling along Ojai Avenue. All the while, he’s been performing with renowned Ojai musicians like The Tribal Loungemen, Euphoria, and Tony Khalife, bringing the swirling yet languorous energy of his paintings to his saxophone and flute.

Nattily dressed, occasionally mustachioed, always walking to a distinctive beat, Dom has loved playing with patterns, both visual and musical, since childhood. Born in Los Angeles to Louisiana Cajun and Creole parents, he grew up at a time when the city’s public schools offered intensive arts programs, allowing children to explore their creativity to the max. This propelled him towards study at the California Institute of the Arts and the Brandes Art Institute, before an extensive career as a commercial artist in the city.

He has painted billboards on Sunset Boulevard, created set designs and storyboards for major Hollywood studios, and contributed to group exhibitions in venues such as the ACE Gallery and the Los Angeles County Department of Arts & Culture, all while moonlighting as an avant-garde musician on the city’s underground club scene.

Then one day in 2017, while struggling to find an affordable apartment in LA, he got a call from a friend in Ojai with accommodation for him. He’d always wanted to live here, blown away by what he’d seen of the community and the landscape. “When I first saw it, I think I was in my early 30s, coming over the East End and seeing the valley, it looked like Tuscany. I thought, ‘We’re so close to Los Angeles, I can’t believe this is here’.” So he grabbed the opportunity, and found himself living in a place that felt like paradise by contrast with the concrete jungle he’d left behind.

Ojai is “sublime, tranquil, dark at night. You’ve got the sage-y creek smells and the orange blossoms and the wildlife. It has all the trappings of my childhood in the San Fernando Valley, but better. And I get to share that with my daughter Maile. She’s going to have all these great childhood sensory experiences, just like I had.”

And the community here? “Unlike LA, where you can live down the street from your friend and never see them, you actually bump into people you know when you go out here. You can’t go run an errand without having a 45-minute esoteric conversation with someone along the way!”

Above: "Swimming Pool." Below: "Inauguration."

His new home also presented new possibilities for his art. “At last, I had room to set up an oil painting studio. In my little single unit in LA, I’d mostly worked in acrylics. I’d never had the space to really bust out the oils.” Now, canvases he’d been holding onto for years came alive as he started responding to the Ojai landscape. His first oil painting in 20 years was Soule Rocket, a prismatic vision of the playground in Soule Park, whose towering shape and joyful subject matter expresses the sense of optimism and opportunity that Dom feels here.

Soule Rocket forms the centerpiece of his new exhibition, alongside the wide range of artworks he’s made since, liberated from the grind of urban life and able to really explore his creativity. For Dom, that means listening out for what calls to him. “A lot of things here — cactuses, roots, skies — they’re telling me to paint them. My job then is to make them look like how they want to look –almost like my mind has very little to do with it. It’s like I’m tapped into something

beyond me and my daily life.” The result is some fifty exhibited artworks — paintings, sculptures, and drawings — which offer a playful, meditative, and enigmatic vision of Ojai as seen through the filter of Pop Art, Surrealism, and Dom’s sensibility. “I love anything with shape, form, where your eye travels, where it pulls you

in, anything that evokes the hand of the person that made it. That’s why I struggle with the whole AI thing: you don’t feel the history of the person whose hand is in it.”

The title of Dom’s exhibition similarly invites us to celebrate life itself, and repeats the phrase uttered to him by his sister at his mother’s deathbed. “She said, ‘Do what you love until you die’, and I said, ‘Right on, OK, I’m going to go ahead and do that’. And I was lucky enough to be able to do that in Ojai, which has really opened up the meaning of that phrase for me. I hope the exhibition encourages people to revel in the intricate beauty and splendor of our surroundings here. If you do that, if you look closely at the world in all its details, you’ll never get bored. There’s always something breathtaking ahead of you.”

“Do What You Love Until You Die” is on show from July 1st to August 30th at the Ojai Art Center, 113 South Montgomery Street, Ojai. Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Above: Breaux's "Couches," and below, "Slinky Green Plant."

Photo by Stephe Johnsom

There's no place like home. Let me find yours.

COMPOUND $4,250,000 FOR SALE

Perfectly situated on just under four acres lies the historic and unique Casa de La Luna compound. Comprised of over 8,000 sq. ft, with 11 bedrooms and 16 bathrooms, this magnificent estate is likely the best value estate compound available anywhere in California. The approximate 5,000 sq. ft. main house has 3 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms, with limestone and hand-scraped wood floors, magnificent wrought iron doors, huge new gourmet kitchen, and numerous other upgrades. Guests and visitors can stay in the 2-bedroom, 2-bath guest house or any of the four other residences making this property perfect for a large family or an individual with an entourage. Massive outdoor patios and cooking areas, two large fountains, indoor pool with gym and recreation center make this property feel like a mini Hearst Castle. Private and gated.

$2,133,000

El Viaje was inspired by the architectural design of an Italian Luxury Villa where Old World Charm and the modern conveniences of every day life come together perfectly.

As you enter through the gates to a private, secluded yard you will love the mix of mature trees, the flower lined barranca, and the romantic dining area.

Once inside, you will appreciate the elegant but simple lifestyle. With the polished concrete floors downstairs and Brazilian Cherry wood floors upstairs you will feel the warmth of this home. The cozy living room opens to the kitchen and dining room and is perfect for entertaining. There are Venetian plaster walls throughout, granite counter tops, top of the line kitchen appliances, and Smart Home’’ technology. The brilliant finishing touches and attention to detail cannot be ignored so don’t miss seeing this lovely Villa.

There's no place like home. Let me find yours.

Nestled perfectly in a quiet neighborhood within walking distance to downtown Ojai you will find this wonderful family home.It has a perfect mix of indoor/outdoor living with light-filled rooms. You will love the open, spacious floor plan, large living room with floor-to-ceiling windows framing the mountains and showcasing the pool, private backyard, and lovely gardens. The kitchen is open to the dining room; large enough for all of your family and friends to come and gather. There are four bedrooms and four bathrooms so everyone can have their own space. The backyard begs you to meander down pathways leading you to a variety of fruit trees or to sit in the shade under the one of the Majestic Oak trees. There is an outdoor kitchen, great pool and even a roof-top deck to take in the mountains or maybe even a sleepover under the stars.

Five Tips for Summer Entertaining

By Aimee Jo Davis-Varela

Summer is here, which means the weather is warmer, the days are longer, and we are using our outdoor living areas even more than usual. Here are five quick tips to help you prepare for entertaining this season.

1. Increase shade: Shade sails, umbrellas, and canopies are portable, affordable ways to easily increase shade to keep your guests comfortable and make your outdoor entertaining spaces more usable throughout the year. You can position them to increase privacy if you live close to neighbors or set them up to provide protection from the sun without blocking your favorite view of the mountains. My friend just introduced me to welding umbrellas, which are wind- and fire-resistant, so if you are concerned about bringing textiles into your home’s defensible space, you might want to check those out.

2. Set up a drink station: If you entertain frequently, simplify your social gatherings by setting up a drink station on your patio. Depending on what you like to serve, this might be a bar cart with glasses, cocktail napkins, and a corkscrew, or it could be a table with a large tub to fill with ice and canned beverages. Having a drink station already established will make entertaining a bit easier and setup a bit quicker.

3. Prep your outdoor kitchen: Al fresco dinner parties and weekend grilling are mainstays of summer, so now is the time to make sure your outdoor kitchen is ready for this entertaining season. Clean the grill, stock your beverage refrigerator, make sure all your kitchen’s features are functioning properly, and make sure you have everything you need for successful entertaining, like beverage dispensers, recycling bins, serving trays, and

fuel for your grill.

4. Add festive lighting: Longer days still eventually grow dark, so create welcoming spaces with warm, ambient lighting from string lights, fairy lights, LED candles, or solar-powered landscape lighting.

5. Prepare your fire features: If you do not currently have a fire pit or patio fireplace, now is the perfect time to consider installing one. If you do not have the time or budget to install a fire feature before your next social gathering, you can always get an inexpensive, portable fire pit that will do the trick until you can consider a more permanent option. For fire features that you already have, now is the time to clean them, perform any necessary maintenance, and make sure they are functioning safely and properly.

FOUNDING FATHERS & MOTHERS

While Edward Drummond Libbey is rightfully regarded among Ojai’s chief benefactors — having been behind the building of such Ojai landmarks as the Ojai Valley Inn, St. Thomas Aquinas Church (now the Museum), Post Office Tower and the Arcade — others have been very influential in shaping Ojai’s identity. Here’s a few:

Annie Besant. Free-thinker, feminist and noted Theosophist. Though she only spent a few days in Ojai, she brought Krishnamurti to Ojai, and helped buy hundreds of acres of property in Ojai, (now the sites of Besant Hill School and, along with A.P. Warrington, the Krotona Center) which she called “the smiling vale.” She is considered one of the pioneers of introducing Eastern mystical thought to the West, and was an early advocate of India’s independence. and the labor movement.

Jiddhu Krishnamurti. The spiritual teacher and writer, came to Ojai in 1922, sponsored by the Theosophical Society, though he later broke with that group (“The Leaderless Path.”) He gave talks to many thousands of people each year, in the Star Camps in the oak groves west of Ojai (now the site of Oak Grove School. He once held the Guinness Book of World Records for having spoken to the greatest number of people.

Weather in Ojai

Beatrice Wood. The famed ceramicist’s (“The Mama of Dada”) greatest work of art may well have been her life. The irreverent, avant-garde Wood lived and worked in Ojai for decades until her death in 1998 at age 105. She inspired two classic movies, Francois Truffaut’s “Jules et Jim,” and James Cameron’s “Titanic.” She attributed her longevity to “chocolate and young men.” Her autobiography was appropriately titled, “I Shock Myself.” Many of her distinctive, whimsical, luminous luster-glazed pieces are on display at her former home, now the Beatrice Wood Center, in upper Ojai.

Sherman Day Thacher . After coming West to farm and care for an ailing brother, the Yale-educated Thacher realized that he was going to need another source of income. So he founded The Thacher School in 1887. Now one of the most prestigious preparatory academies in the country, its founding creed was “teach a boy to ride, shoot and tell the truth.” Also, in 1896, his brother William founded “The Ojai,” the country’s oldest amateur tennis tournament. Among Thacher’s more illustrious students were industrialist, aviator and film producer Howard Hughes and three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and novelist Thornton Wilder, who wrote his first play while a Thacher student.

OJAI QUICK FACTS:

The name “Ojai” is believed to be derived from the Ventureño Chumash word ‘awhaý, meaning “moon.” In 1837, Fernando Tico received a land grant and established a cattle ranch. Thomas A. Scott, who had financial success with oil and railroads, bought the Ojai Valley in 1864 for oil exploration. By 1868, Scott, through his agent Thomas Bard, began selling properties to homesteaders. By 1874, R.G. Surdam plotted out the town he would call Nordhoff, renamed Ojai in 1917.

Ojai is about 90 miles northwest of Los Angeles and 30 miles east of Santa Barbara. The valley is about 10 miles long by 3 miles wide, surrounded by hills and mountains; the rare east-west orientation with a slight southward tilt gives the valley an extraordinary sun exposure; Ojai’s citrus and avocado crops are highly prized. This orientation also gives rise to Ojai as a spiritual destination.

It was due to the resources and organizing energy of Ohio glass manufacturer Edward Drummond Libbey that Nordhoff was rebuilt and renamed Ojai, inspired by the City Beautiful Movement. By 1917, with the construction of the Arcade and Post Office Tower, the town took its present shape.

The city’s self-styled nickname is “Shangri-La,” based on the story that Ojai was the backdrop (later left on the editing room floor) from the 1937 movie as the mystical sanctuary of James Hilton’s novel “Lost Horizon.”

Ross Falvo Keller Williams Realty

“The Ojai Real Estate Guy” RossFalvo.com 805-207-5094

WHO’S WHO IN OJAI REAL ESTATE?

Dennis Guernsey LIV Sotheby’s International Realty

805-798-1998

Logan Hall Logan Hall Photography 805-798-0337 loganhallphotos. com

Clinton Haugan LIV | Sotheby’s International Realty 727 W. Ojai Ave. Ojai, CA 93023 C: (805) 760-2092 O: (805) 646-7288 chaugan@livsothebysrealtyca.com DRE# 02019604

Nora Davis LIV Sotheby’s International Realty

OjaiValleyEstates. com

805-207-6177

Therese A. Hartmann is a local loan consultant affiliated with C2 Financial Corporation, and is a Licensed Broker, California BRE #01048403. NMLS # 298291. Call Therese today at (805) 798-2158.

Vivienne Moody LIV Sotheby’s International Realty

805-798-1099 vmoody10@ sbcglobal.net OjaiLifestyle.net

Larry Wilde LIV Sotheby’s International Realty Wilde-Wilde. com 805-640-5734

Kristen Currier LIV Sotheby’s International Realty

805-798-3757 thehoffgroup. com

Donna Sallen Remax Gold Coast Realtors

Donna4Remax@aol.com DonnaSallen. com 805-798-0516

Amanda Stanworth LIV Sotheby’s International Realty Phone: 805-2188117 • E-mail: amandastanworth77@gmail. com

Web: Rooney-Stanworth.com

Erik Wilde LIV Sotheby’s International Realty Wilde-Wilde.com 805-830-3254

Patty Waltcher LIV Sotheby’s International Realty

Call me for your Real Estate needs. 805-340-3774

Team Deckert Keller Williams Realty

Ray Deckert, Broker Associate ContactUs@ TeamDeckert. com

805-272-5218

Dale Hanson Ojai Valley Real Estate 211 E. Matilija Street, Ste. J, 206 E. Ojai Ave. 805-646-7229 dale@ovhl.com

Kirk Ellison LIV Sotheby’s International Realty KirkEllison@ me.com

805-340-5905

Anne Williamson LIV Sotheby’s Anneshomesinojai.com 805-320-3314

Hildegard Tallent CalBRE# 02047013 Keller Williams Realty, 109 N. Blanche Street Tel: 805-7981872 email: hildegard.tallent@ kw.com

Kathy Hoff LIV Sotheby’s International Realty (805) 290-6907 thehoffgroup.com

Marsha Kaye Home Mortgage Consultant Phone: 805640-0654 Cell: 805-7469055

marsha.kaye@ homebridge. com

Rachelle Giuliani Realtor 805-746-5188

DRE:02047608

Keller Williams Realty Rachelle@peraltateam.com

AGAVE MARIA

Fresh, wholesome Mexican food & drink

106 South Montgomery Street (805) 646-6353 agavemarias.com

AJ’S EXPRESS CHINESE EXPRESS

Gourmet Chinese food to eat in or to go

11566 North Ventura Avenue (805) 646-1177 ajchinesecuisine.com

BOCCALI’S

Pizza & Pasta, from our farm to our tables 3277 Ojai-Santa Paula Road (805) 646-6116 boccalis.com

BONNIE LU’S COUNTRY CAFE

Traditional American breakfast & brunch

328 East Ojai Avenue (805) 646-0207

THE DEER LODGE

An Ojai legend since 1932

2261 Maricopa Highway (805) 646-4256 deerlodgeojai.com

FARMER & THE COOK

The best of organic Ojai

339 West El Roblar Drive (805) 640-9608 farmerandcook.com

YUME JAPANESE BURGER

254 East Ojai Avenue (Arcade) (805) 646-1700

JIM & ROB’S FRESH GRILL

Mexican-American & regional favorites

214 West Ojai Avenue #100 (805) 640-1301 jimandrobsojai.com

HIP VGN

Vegan sandwiches, salads & bowls

201 North Montgomery Street

hipvegancafe.com (805) 669-6363

HOME KITCHEN OF OJAI

Breakfast and lunch in a warm space

1103 Maricopa Highway (805) 646-5346

HomeKitchenofOjai.com

MANDALA

Pan-Asian Cuisine

11400 North Ventura Road (805) 613-3048

THE NEST

401 East Ojai Avenue (805) 798-9035 thenestojai.com

LO>E SOCIAL CAFE

205 North Signal Street (805) 646-1540 nosovita.com

OAK GRILL @ THE INN

Al fresco dining under vine-covered pergola 905 Country Club Road (805) 646-1111 ojairesort.com

OJAI COFFEE ROASTING COMPANY

Salads, sandwiches & superb service 337 East Ojai Avenue (805) 646-4478

OJAI PIZZA COMPANY 331 Ojai Avenue (Downtown Ojai) 545-7878

TheOnlyGoodPizza.com

OJAI PIZZA COMPANY (Oak View)

The go-to place for food & sports 820 North Ventura Avenue

OJAI ROTIE

Rotisserie, sourdough, winebox

469 East Ojai Avenue (805) 798-9227

ojairotie.com

OSTERIA MONTE GRAPPA

Rustic menu of Northern Italian fare & seafood dishes. 242 E Ojai Ave, Ojai, CA 93023 (805) 640-6767

omgojai.com

PAPA LENNON’S

Family owned, original & traditional Italian cuisine

515 West El Roblar Drive (805) 640-7388 papalennons.com

RAINBOW BRIDGE

A community gathering place 211 East Matilija Street (805) 646-6623 rainbowbridgeojai.com

THE RANCH HOUSE

An Ojai culinary destination for more than 60 years 102 Besant Road (805) 646-2360 theranchhouse.com

SAKURA OJAI

A locals’ favorite for Japanese food 219 East Matilija Street (805) 646-8777

sakuraojai.wix.com

SEA FRESH

Serving Ojai for 30 years 533 East Ojai Avenue (805) 646-7747

seafreshseafood.com

ZAIDEE’S BAR & GRILL

Patio & indoor dining with Ojai’s most tranquil views 1033 East Ojai Avenue (805) 646-5685

soulepark.com

CHEF RANDY’S LIFE OF SPICE grilled avocados

Here’s a summer appetizer that our son, Robert, shared with us. It is a Caprese salad folded into a grilled avocado. Who’d a thunk it! It is easy to prepare and full of nutrition, and it doesn’t hurt that it looks and tastes fantastic.

Randy Graham is a noted chef and writer and has been a lactoovo vegetarian for over 38 years. Chef Randy has written and published a series of seven cookbooks with original recipes developed over the period 1975 through 2020. He writes for the Ojai Quarterly, the Ojai Monthly, and the California 101 Travelers Guide. His vegetarian recipes are published in newspapers throughout Central California under the header, Chef Randy. He and his wife, Robin, live in Ojai, California, with their dog Cooper. Robin and Cooper are not vegetarians.

INGREDIENTS:

1 clove of garlic (minced)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus more for the tomatoes

1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lime juice

3 avocados

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

18 grape or mini-heirloom tomatoes

12 Ciliegine Whole Milk Fresh Mozzarella balls

1 serrano pepper (stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced)

2 tablespoons basil (chopped)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat grill to medium-hot (about 400 degrees)

Place garlic in a medium-sized bowl. Add oil and lime juice, and whisk together. Cut the avocados in half (lengthwise) and remove pits. Brush some of the oil mixture onto each avocado half. Reserve the balance of the oil mixture. Season the avocados liberally with salt and pepper.

Skewer the tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil — season with salt.

Tip: for a vegan dish, substitute out the cheese for vegan alternatives such as Miyoko’s or Open Nature.

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF RECENT HOME SALES

410 Church Road #55, 1 bed, 1 bath, 742 sf, $610,000

1385 Cruzero Street, 2 bed, 1 bath, 1,020 sf, $699,000

63 W. Calle El Prado St, Oak View, 4 bed, 2 bath, 1,584 sf, $775,000

1227 Cruzero St, 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,178 sf, $880,000

210 S. Ventura St., 2 bed, 2 bath, 1,266 sf,$895,000

1119 Mariano Drive, 4 bed, 2 bath, 1,311 sf, 955,000

325 Descanso Avenue, 4 bed, 3 bath, 2,163 sf, $1,190,000

12456 Sisar Road, 2 bed, 1 bath, 1,010 sf, $1,227,000

1961 S. Rice Road, 5 bed, 5 bath, 4,000 sf, $1,250,000

711 Drown Avenue, 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,156 sf, $1,325,000

1175 Moreno Drive, 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,685 sf, $1,343,000

1990 Valley Meadow Drive, Oak View, 4 bed, 2.5 bath, 2,709 sf, $1,450,000

208 Topa Topa Drive, 2 bed, 2 bath, 1,348 sf, $1,650,000

1449 N. Montgomery St, 4 bed, 3 bath, 3,175 sf, $2,745,000

310 E. Matilija Avenue, 4 bed, 3.75 bath, 3,293 sf, $3,200,000

1001 Palomar Road, 2 bed, 2 bath, 1,708 sf, $3,450,000

828 Foothill Lane, 4 bed, 5 bath, 4,650 sf, $4,200,000

1 SHELF ROAD 3.5mi

EASY | Elev. Gain: 200 ft | Overlooks downtown Ojai.

VENTURA RIVER

PRESERVE | 7mi

EASY TO MODERATE | Elev. Gain: 520 ft (Wills-Rice). Trailheads at end of Meyer Road, South Rice Road and Baldwin Road. Great for birding.

HORN CANYON 5.5mi

STRENUOUS | Elev. Gain: 1,600 ft. Trailhead near Thacher School’s gymkhana field. Goes to shady stand of 80-foot tall pines.

ROSE VALLEY 1mi

EASY | Elev. Gain: 100 ft

Trailhead at Rose Valley Campground. Leads to a spectacular 300-foot, two-tiered fall.

PRATT TRAIL 8.8mi

STRENUOUS | Elev. Gain: 3,300 ft | Trailhead off North Signal Street. Goes to Nordhoff Peak. Clear day? See forever.

GRIDLEY TRAIL 6-12mi

MODERATE | 3 mi to Gridley Springs (Elev. Gain: 1,200 ft) 6 mi to Nordhoff Peak. Trailhead at north end of Gridley Road.

COZY DELL 2.2mi

MODERATE | Elev. Gain: 740 ft | Trailhead 8 miles north of Ojai on Maricopa Highway. Short, intense hike that also connects to trail network.

SISAR CANYON 22mi

STRENUOUS | Elev. Gain: 4,800 ft to Topa Topa Bluffs. Trailhead at end of Sisar Road. Only for experienced, fit hikers.

MATILIJA CANYON 12mi

MODERATE | Elev. Gain: 1,200 ft | Middle Fork. Trailhead at end of Matilija Road. First 1.5 miles of trail well-maintained, the rest a scramble.

SULPHUR MTN. 22mi

MODERATE | Elev. Gain: 2,300 ft | Trailhead on eastern side of Sulphur Mountain Road. Views are unsurpassed.

We know Ojai.

Nora Davis

BRE License #01046067

805.207.6177

nora@ojaivalleyestates.com

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