Sometimes you just say “OMG! This is the best thing I’ve ever tasted!”

There were a few moments like that this weekend. We are going to talk about them all!!

First, nothing better than GOOD sushi. Saturday at Cho Cho San in Thousand Oaks we feasted on 911 rolls and their AMAZING new eel/avocado/mascarpone cheese sushi! It didn’t have a name, but I could think of a good one…maybe the Sally Sushi? (ala Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally…) ya…it was THAT good.

The picture does not do it justice, but believe me, it was goooooooooood.

Another sinful treat we love are onion rings. The ones at Zoey’s Cafe in Ventura are the best! GOOD onion rings hardly exist, and we’ve tested a LOT through the years. Zoey’s surpassed every other ring out there! And we were there for the music, not the food!

And kudos to The Clearman’s Village in San Gabriel for redoing The Boat (Clearman’s Galley) in style with a taste of the place that make Sunday late lunches great for everyone. Though this is a trek for us Out Here, it is a great stop if you are traveling toward Pasadena or further on the 210. We’ve been going to The Boat for years, and my husband’s family before that. Two years ago Clearman’s Village “sold out” a bit and closed The Boat while a Kohl’s and other stores were built in it’s place. But it’s back! The food is as good as ever. They are known for their chili, burgers, salads (the blue cheese salad is great, and the red cabbage unique and flavorful!) It’s a great place to watch a game (or 5…they have big screens EVERYWHERE). Go hungry, because portions are big, and you’ll want at least two of their cheese bread slices.

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Excerpted from my article originally published in American Way

Some of Malibu's best eatin' is found in the casual restaurants along the coast.

Despite Malibu’s rich reputation and movie-star residents, the most popular eateries in town aren’t the high-priced, highfalutin’ establishments, but the casual watering holes and beachfront dives where beach-lovers wearing board shorts and flip-flops seek good food and camaraderie by the sea. Beginning at the southern end of town near Santa Monica to the city limits 27 miles north on Pacific Coast Highway, here’s an insider’s guide to Malibu’s best munchies. You needn’t even brush the sand from your toes before being seated.

1. REEL INN
18661 PCH (across from Topanga State Beach)
(310) 456-8221
Don’t be deceived by the shabby exterior or decor consisting mostly of neon beer signs: This is one of the best places in town for fresh fish cooked to order. Join the queue at the walkup counter; choose from the chalkboard menu; grab your own tableware and condiments; then sit on a picnic bench and listen to piped-in blues while waiting for your name to be called.  * What to eat: lobster-shrimp combo.

2. JOHN’S GARDEN
3835 Cross Creek Road
(310) 456-8377
This gem of a combo health-food store/sandwich shop in the chic Malibu Country Mart has aisles stocked with everything from gourmet groceries and organic potato chips to Pez, Hawaiian ware and vintage toys. * What to eat: “The Princess” — a turkey-avocado sandwich and fresh peach shake

3. COOGIE’S
Malibu Colony Plaza, 23750 PCH (at Malibu Canyon Road)
(310) 317-1444
This sunny  coffee shop with skylights, cobalt-blue farmhouse chairs, and ceiling-high palms is a Malibu institution.  * What to eat: “Malibu Style” chopped salad

4. MALIBU SEAFOOD
25653 PCH (a mile and a half past Pepperdine)
(310) 456-3430
This fish market isn’t much to look at and doesn’t have a liquor license, but it enjoys a loyal following. Pick up your food from the takeout window outside, and carry it to the patio, which offers good ocean views (the beach is right across the street). Some locals bring their own bottle of wine to enjoy with their lunch. * What to eat: fish tacos, fish & chips, ahi tuna burger

5. CORAL BEACH CANTINA
29350 PCH (past Heathercliff)
(310) 457-5503
Camouflaged by trees, this restaurant is undiscovered by tourists who don’t notice it as they zoom right by. Patio dining here means plastic tables under paper lanterns. Sadly, you can’t see the ocean from here. But local families and surfers come for the excellent margaritas, huge burritors and hearty Mexican food at good prices. * What to eat: Chicken enchiladas covered with mole sauce .

6. NEPTUNE’S NET
42505 PCH (past County Line)
(310) 457-395
This restaurant is a bit of a dive — but it’s a must for its Sunday afternoon So Cal biker-beach scene. Grab a beer from the fridge, place your order at the counter, then sit outside on the well-worn picnic benches and mingle with the Harley riders. Note to the squeamish: If you need to use the bathroom, you’ll find outhouses in the parking lot. * What to eat: calamari basket,  fish & chips

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Ever wish you had the lowdown on the best farmer’s markets in our area? Now you do…

Oxnard Farmers Market

Thursdays, 9 am – 1 pm

Plaza Park at Fifth and C Streets, Oxnard  483-7960.

Also visit the interactive, indoor play space for children Gull Wings Children’s Museum nearby:  http://www.gullwings.org/

FRIDAYS

Simi Valley Town Center Farmers Market

SATURDAYS

http://www.ci.camarillo.ca.us/main.aspx?q=6070&p=9147

Moorpark College Farmers Market

Saturdays, 8 am – 12 noon

Parking Lot G1 at Campus Park Drive

Seasonal market and closed in the winter.

New location: Oak Park Farmers Market

Saturdays, 9 am – 1 pm

Oak Park High School, 899 N. Kanan Rd.

http://www.malibufarmersmarket.net/#

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My six-year-old takes an after school Spanish class at the home of a wonderful woman who lives in Thousand Oaks. After one class, he came out carrying a fistful of large brown seeds. They reminded me of avocado pits but were a quarter the size. The next class he came out with a handful of small apricot-colored fruits, resembling tiny peaches or apricots. As far as fruits and vegetables go, I like to think I’ve really been around. However, I had no idea what these fruits were. And my son was absolutely crazy about them. After subsequent classes he would continue to raid his Spanish teacher’s backyard tree. Once, she told us they were kumquats (she actually knew the correct Spanish word for the fruit but didn’t have the English one right). I knew they weren’t kumquats. Since the kid was obsessed with them, we made a special scouting trip to Whole Foods. The first trip we came up dry, but the next we found just a few containers with the magic fruit: loquats! My son started devouring them in the car and by the next day they were completely gone. At Whole Foods a medium-sized container of the small fruits was $10. So, indeed, we were left with the impression that they were magic, or gold, or rare, or something like that.

Imagine my surprise when I was walking my dog with a friend the other day and looked up and thought I saw one of these trees in our neighborhood. Upon further inspection, it was a loquat tree absolutely bursting with fruit. Later that day I was out with my husband and son and down our very street there were several loquat trees also bursting with fruit. We nabbed a few and could barely keep Nicolas from devouring them before we got home. We’ve lived in this house since late 2001 and I never once came across a loquat (or maybe I dismissed them as some other fruit). A few of my friends who have lived here even longer also told me they didn’t know about the fruits.

Loquats are native to China and Japan but the coastal areas from here to San Diego also have loquat trees. There is a reason, however, that they aren’t widely known. They’re a delicate fruit that is hard to mass harvest and even more difficult to transport to large grocers. At times you may see them at farmer’s markets or speciality grocery stores, but you’ll probably never see them in Ralph’s or Von’s. There’s some lore associated with the loquat too. In Japan they are sometimes babied during growing and cultivation and them presented — unbruised, of course– in special boxes, much like we do a box of prized chocolates. In China, loquats are sometimes sold in clusters, still on the branch, tied with string and emitting an alluring scent. In traditional Chinese lore, the loquat and its blossoms are linked with courtesans!

The taste is hard to describe. To me, it’s a blend of apricot, plum and cherry — with perhaps a little pear mixed in. There are recipes for loquat tarts, etc. but they are small fruits and seem to be best when simply eaten. Each fruit contains between one and five large seeds. One interesting fact I found is that when eaten in larger amounts the loquat is said to have a mild sedative effect. Of course, I’m encouraging my son to eat as many loquats as he can handle. But if you want to partake, hurry up. The loquat season here winds down come the end of June.

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We know, you’re only saving $5 or $10…but, as they say, it all adds up. Maybe as a nod to the tough economic times, these restaurants offer kids eat free nights! On Monday evenings, the kiddies dine gratis at Greenhouse Cafe in Thousand Oaks. On Tuesday evening, it’s Islands in Newbury Park, and on Wednesdays it’s El Torito in Thousand Oaks. So we have three out five weeknights covered. If you know of other area restaurants with reasonably edible food doing similar promotions, please let us know. And, yes, somebody is bound to write in and say the best way to save money is to eat at home. But who at home will prepare a nice chinese chicken salad for you, serve it and do the dishes afterward — without complaining? Nobody, that’s who.

MONDAYS

Greenhouse Café

652 East Janss Rd (23 to Janss Rd exit)

Thousand Oaks, CA

(805) 373-6500

TUESDAYS

Islands

935 Broadbeck Dr # A (101 to Wendy Dr exit)

Newbury Park, CA

(805) 498-7481

WEDNESDAYS

El Torito Mexican Grill

449 North Moorpark

Thousand Oaks, CA

(805) 497-3952

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