Calibirthday

Black Friday arrived at midnight on Friday, and I awakened barely two hours later to head to the airport for the early flight to Los Angeles. This is a brutal schedule for anyone who lives an hour away from the airport, but since I can only be gone max three days, I have to make every minute count. Listening to the news frightened me about parking at the airport the day after Thanksgiving, but parking problems and TSA lines did not materialize.

I arrived in L. A. to a gloomy morning lessening the appeal of a mostly outdoor trip looking for Christmas trees and lights. Our first adventure was to the Ojai Valley to visit The Ojai Valley Inn. Jude and family are big fans of the place, and every time I ask for a”nature”experience in beautiful California we wind up at a glamorous resort. I am a fan of such places, but I was thinking more of hiking until I remembered that most of the party has little legs. 

But I had never been here before. The family is very high on the place in general, and the food specifically. Expectations strike again, which always leads to disappointment. We were a party of six on the patio which was populated with dogs of all stripes. It was a big family weekend full of large parties. 

We were seated immediately and at least the bread came quickly  It was Parker House Rolls with soft butter. This was warm, soft, and fluffy, There isn’t usually a crust on Parker House rolls, but these had some shiny brown crust to them. 

We also got a white bean hummus, a few salads, a tortilla soup, and a Mediterranean bowl. And a s’mores kit.

Because of the volume of people, service was slow, so it took forever to get the food. And it was disappointing when it arrived. The white bean hummus was served with a very nice flatbread. My standard-bearer for this dish is the one served at Del Porto, and these two were not even in the same arena. But white bean hummus is inherently good, so, okay.

My Cobb salad was maybe the worst I’ve ever had and in its home state birthplace! Invented a mere 90 minutes away. I’m sure a number of celebs who escaped for the weekend to Ojai were regulars at The Brown Derby. I hope it was better then. The chicken wasn’t especially flavorful, there wasn’t much Bleu Cheese, and the dressing was barely noticeable.

The Mediterranean Bowl was the most interesting-looking thing on the table but not appreciably better. At least that chicken had more flavor with the spices from that area.

A gigantic Caesar Salad with gigantic grilled shrimp was part of this array. Reviews were the same.

One of the kids ordered what he thought was a grilled cheese and it arrived without the grilling. I’ve never been at a table where the grilled cheese was sent back for grilling. The one thing that got rave reviews was the tortilla soup.

Another of the kids had chicken nuggets and fries, and this was the best thing at the table if you don’t count the s’mores kit which we immediately took to a fire pit.

On the way out I popped my head into the pub and the food looked much better there. But usually at a resort like this, the restaurants offer food on the same plane.

The place is stunning. The open landscape is dotted with trees and little rolling hills, all framed by mountains. Eucalyptus trees are everywhere. We stopped by a building and the smells collided in a way that was enchanting. Literally.

Our next adventure the following day was to a tree farm a little closer to home, but still out of the burbs. I learned something about Christmas trees that I should already have known. The Christmas trees in the ground were unusual. There were two types: bushy pines with long needles and not a lot of shape, and cypress trees that were more of a sage color. “Real” Christmas trees cannot grow in California, so places that sell them import the familiar ones. We got one of each.

It was wonderful to just be out there with the big sky and mountainous backdrops. We headed back home through Calabasas, a place other than Malibu, Santa Barbara, and Montecito where most celebs who want out of the city live. Pedaler’s Fork is a weird little place in Old Town Calabasas where Jerry Seinfeld did an episode of his Celebs in Cars Series. The place is one of the most interesting dining establishments I’ve entered. It started as a bicycle shop and repair shop, both of which are still part of the operation. It’s set above a creek and lush plants are everywhere. My expectations were high.

We ordered a brisket plate, kale salad, pancakes, a breakfast burrito, a burger, and chicken nuggets. Everything on the table looked great, and it had better be, I thought since each plate was in the $28 range (except the pancake and nuggets.) The brisket plate was a generous portion of brisket with a dense smoke ring. It was thick and cut with the grain. It came with purple cabbage coleslaw that was very creamy and gorgeous French fries. Ketchup, BBQ sauce, and pickles dotted the plate. The brisket was good enough. Smoked meat is ipso facto good, but that was it. The French fries, on the other hand, were terrific. They came in their paper carton and were perfectly uniform, fluffy inside and crispy outside, and golden brown.

The burger was grass-fed beef with melted cheddar on a nice bun and fresh dressings. The meat itself had a mild flavor, or no real flavor, but the combination of ingredients worked. There were more great fries on the plate. These were Cajun-spiced fries. 

It was the pancakes that made the greatest statement. Extra thick, the stack of three was quite tall, and the top pancake had a layer of jam, with more jam on the side. This was the most interesting stack of pancakes I've ever seen. They were fine, in keeping with the theme.

The breakfast burrito was a large thing with scrambles eggs with cheese and bacon wrapped inside. This was also not exceptional in any way, but fine. The berry bowl that came with it was exceptional. Blackberries on steroids overflowed from the top, and gigantic blueberries were underneath.

The best things at the table were the kale salad (words I was convinced I’d never utter) and Mary’s Chicken nuggets. Mary’s Chicken is a Los Angeles organic chicken company family-owned since 1954. It is a mark of excellence, and it is indeed excellent. The breading was flaky and crispy, and the chicken itself was exceptionally flavorful. The kale salad had a delicate vinaigrette and some other greens in it. It was the best kale salad I’ve ever encountered.

We had a terrific waiter who even advised us that the tip was already included. He got an extra tip for that, and just in general. 

Pedaler’s Fork is an exceptional place. Not for the food, which is fine but nothing more, but it is a most interesting place in a most interesting place,

In the evening we went to the Enchanted Forest at Descanso Gardens. This is no ordinary Christmas lights show. It is set among tall trees, i.e., in an actual forest, with haunting colors of the rainbow and a haze. Mesmerizing.

We had reservations to dine at Mother Wolf that evening, but I chose the Christmas light show with the kids. Mother Wolf will be there next time, but Christmas won’t.

I am still sad that the best food on the table at two separate meals were chicken nuggets. That’s just wrong. The consultation prize was a birthday trip with my favorite people, who happen to be small.