Urbane Café Ventura - Restaurant Reviews

I stopped for lunch today at one of the most potentially interesting of Ventura restaurants: the Urbane Café over by Barnes & Noble. Yes that's Urbane with an E, not urban.

Urbane Cafe - Ventura Restaurants

The Urbane Café is interesting for a couple of reasons. First the menu is fairly reasonably priced. Next that same menu is full of seemingly delicious sounding items that also appear to be relatively healthy to consume.

While the place tries to give you the sense that it's a tiny local eating establishment, the truth is the Ventura Urbane Café is one of six locations, so far, in a rapidly growing restaurant chain.

I've eaten at the Ventura location several times over the past few years, with mixed results. I really want to like the place. I really do. Just listen to some of these sample items from their menu: Rosemary Chicken Sandwich - grilled rosemary chicken, roasted red bell pepper, provolone cheese, green leaf lettuce, and aioli sauce. Sounds good, yes?

Heirloom Tomato aka Heritage Tomato - Bagel & Cream Cheese Picture

Oh, Ashkenazi Jewish Soul Food nirvana! The only things missing were Lox, red onions and capers. Next time. In this picture of food - delicious food, we have a garden fresh heirloom tomato, something the British call a heritage tomato I've learned, sliced atop a bagel spread with cream cheese.

Food stock photo courtesy AeronauticPictures.com - used with permission.

This delightful combination makes for a great breakfast, brunch or lunch side dish, or with the Lox and friends included, the centerpiece of a meal.

Trader Joe's Greek Style Apricot Mango Yogurt Review

Trader Joe's Greek Style Apricot Mango Yogurt Review

I just tucked in to an 8 ounce container of Trader Joe's Greek Style Apricot Mango Yogurt. I bought it because I like Yogurt, and having had this flavor before, I liked it too. Man does Trader Joe's have a gift for messing up a good thing.

While most of the employees are happy, smart and really helpful people projecting this Utopian image of good old Trader Joe's, my sense is behind the scenes at corporate HQ either "Joe" is being held captive while his company is being slowly destroyed or there is a clearly defined plan to very gradually squeeze every penny from the good will the brand enjoys while hoping nobody in the buying public notices. Well I have been noticing for some time. And it sucks.