I love that Ojai embraces the unconventional, particularly with the food they eat.  I’ve never met so many vegetarians in my life.  Some don’t eat meat for health reasons, or so I’ve been told by one who was downing a fistful of Lay’s while chasing it with a can of Coke.  Others choose a meat-free diet for ethical reasons, spouting vociferously about animal cruelty while zipping up a swanky pair of designer leather boots.  Okay, sure there are a few of the “real deals.”  I’ve seen them at the Farmers Market, looking gaunt and pale and like they could use a shower and a couple of cheeseburgers (organic, free-range of course) to release their inner child.  Don’t get me wrong, I completely get the whole wheatgrass, tofu, nuts and twigs vibe.  Heck I even order something from their menu at least once a week.  I guess I was just pining for a glimpse of the more elusive side of Ojai; the one seen through the eyes of a devout meatatarian.

When my husband and I first moved here from San Diego, we just didn’t understand all the fuss about tri-tip sandwiches…until we tried one.  It was from the Optimist’s booth at a Nordhoff Rangers football game.  It was a simple preparation of meat, sauce and bread.  We each ordered one and I spent most of the first quarter trying to figure out how to eat the gigantic sandwich without a fork and knife since everytime I took a bite, half of it ended up exploding out the sides and onto my neighbor.  At about halftime I came up for air and asked who was winning.  There was sauce in my hair.  This has now become an annual tradition and I’ve learned to use the foil wrapper it is served in to keep the meat from catapulting into my lap, and I bring a rubberband to pull my hair back.  I also grab about a dozen napkins.  Next year I’m bringing a finger bowl to the game.

So I decided that this Central Coast tri-tip phenomenon merits further exploration, and I loaded my car with essentials for a carnivore caravan: plates, utensils, rolls, water and lots of napkins.  I met up with the Ojai posse at our first stop, Westridge Market. 

I parked when I saw something smoldering in front of the market, and this soon became the caravan’s mantra for the day, “If you see smoke, pull over!”  The posse arrived and started to resemble a more grown-up version of the Breakfast Club: a journalist, a hospital marketing chief, two non-meat eaters (vegetarians who eat fish), a baby, a Sierra Club member, a hunter and me.  All were ready to put their canines to use, well except for the non-meat eaters, oh and the baby. 

We were soon met by Westridge’s BBQ Master, Donald, who detailed the grill menu to me: pork chops and pork ribs with a citrus pepper marinade, chicken with a white zinfandel marinade and, of course, tri-tip with a secret dry rub.  I slyly got two of the secret rub ingredients out of him, though: salt and pepper, but you didn’t hear that from me.  Westridge will sell you the rest under their private label in a container lacking an ingredients list.  Donald explained that their meat is USDA choice, all natural with no injectables of any kind.  All of the meat was cooked over an open flame fueled by oak and served Santa Maria style (no sauce).

I asked Donald if they had any tofu to grill and he said they do that upon advance request.  Inside at the deli counter, there was a wide variety of freshly prepared side dishes, many that would meet a vegetarian’s requirements.  We tried all of the grilled meats and there was unanimous agreement (the baby abstained) that everything was tasty, moist and overall just superb.

So we were off to our next stop.  A short drive down the 33 brought us to the Oak View Market.  You can’t miss it.  It’s the one with all of the colorful larger-than-life homemade signs boasting what’s in store.  The marketing chief thought it was genius.  And there is a huge smoker in front producing a billowing cloud of heavenly aromas that draw you in.  We went inside and discovered a fish counter and deli.  Rick and Alicia Tharp of What A Deal Seafood provide a daily selection of fresh fish, smoked fish, ribs and, of course, tri-tip sandwiches.  Someone behind the counter was portioning a freshly caught six-foot swordfish into fillets and urged us to try a live shrimp.  He cut the head off, removed the shell and presented it to one of the non-meat eaters.  She tossed it back and squealed with delight.  Unfortunately the rest of the posse was not up for raw shrimp, so we settled on the smoked salmon and the tri-tip.

Outside we found a bench that looked like it might not last the afternoon and used the window sill as our make-shift buffet.  The Smoke Master came by and opened up the smoker to reveal about 100 filets of salmon.  Our smoked salmon was to die for with the right amount of smoky sweet spice.  The non-meat eaters were swooning.  The baby was laughing and chomping on a roll.  The hunter was juggling a tri-tip sandwich with a salsa-barbecue sauce and a fistful of napkins.  Everyone who tried it ended up with the tasty sauce all over their hands and face.  With lively conversations ensuing over the sound of cars whizzing by and a few of us teetering on the nearly broken bench, the ambiance was undeniably unforgettable.  If only there had been a garden hose to rinse off with.

After the Sierra Club member found a recycle bin, we decided to back-track into Miramonte, where someone remembered seeing something ablaze earlier.  Sure enough, we ended up at the Red Barn Liquor Store.  There was another smoker out front and inside was a “Deli.”  We discovered that it wasn’t so much a deli as it was a taco stand that also happened to make tri-tip tortas, the Mexican version of a tri-tip sandwich.  The smoked tri-tip was brought out rare, sliced, then finished inside on a griddle before being placed between two slices of thick torta bread with salsa, guacamole, lettuce, tomato and red onion.  It was delicious and easy to eat.  Not as tender as our previous samplings, but tasty nonetheless.  We also tried a few of their one-buck tacos, offered with pork, chicken or carne asada – yummy.

By now the posse was thinning out.  The non-meat eaters’ bellies were full from the salmon and the baby was ready for a nap.  The marketing chief had a previous engagement.  Four stalwarts remained: the Sierra Club member, the journalist, the hunter and I.  The journalist felt further investigation was needed, so we ventured on. 

We found our way to Meiner’s Oaks and, sure enough, an open flame presented itself.  We were at Q-Time, where we had our choice of shady outdoor seating or an indoor sports bar with football on several televisions.  After sampling a tri-tip sandwich, I met up with one of the owners, Poppy, who was stoking the oak fire under the grill in the parking lot.  Their secret: trimming off all of the meat’s fat and marinating for 24 hours.  They also offer chicken, pork and ribs, and in the evenings they offer steak.  And had the non-meat eaters stayed on, they would have discovered a bounty of fresh salads to choose from.  There are also some great beers on tap, so we tried their Q-Time Ale to quell our impending meat hangover.  Everyone agreed, and it wasn’t the beer talking, that the tri-tip was excellent.

Four hours later, four stops later, we had had our fill of meat.  But it wasn’t just about the barbecues or what was grilling.  It was about camaraderie, conversation and the journey.  It was a great adventure with an eclectic bunch of Ojaians ready to try something new.  Still, I was ready for a nap followed by a late dinner of hormone-free tofu slaw with organic sprouts and cage-free carrot sticks. 

So if you see something smoldering, pull over and check it out.  You’ll have an adventure for sure!

Westridge Market

802 E. Ojai Avenue

646-8220

Oak View Market/What A Deal Seafood

690 N. Ventura Avenue

746-0864

Red Barn Liquor

11558 N. Ventura Avenue

646-5445

Q-Time BBQ & Sports Grill

100 E. El Roblar

640-8620