Tracy is a voracious reader and likes to dine out with her favorite husband (who can sometimes be a voracious eater), so when she read about a Ventura “cave” restaurant in Jonathan Kellerman's latest novel, she put on her Sherlock Holmes hat and attempted to decipher the name of this mystery dining establishment. Using her power of inductive reasoning (and Google), Tracy was sure the restaurant in Ventura she had read about was called "The Cave" (can’t put anything past her). We had a lovely dinner there with friends, only to find out from our server that Tracy might be wrong. The restaurant is also part of a wine store that carries 100s of wine varieties, some which made it back home with us.

On our second visit, this time for lunch with our four-legged daughter Remi (her first drive with us since we had lost Frankie), Tracy and I would make a costly wine error that would seriously impact our wallet. It’s a cautionary tale of not listening, and then paying a hefty price, but it makes for a good story, so its all good. Enjoy our meals (and mindless mistake) in the link below with photos. (story without photos below photos)

https://travelswithmaitaitom.com/the-cave-ventura-ca/








Following is the true tale of discovering a very good restaurant thanks to a passage in an engrossing novel, while making an embarrassingly expensive error when we returned for a second visit Thus, the mystery of The Cave restaurant in Ventura begins.

Tracy had been reading the most recent Jonathan Kellerman novel (Serpentine) that mentioned one of the characters dining at a restaurant behind a wine store in an industrial area near Ventura, where he ordered the hamburger and Charcuterie platter. With Google’s help, super-sleuth Tracy deciphered it must be The Cave at Ventura Wine Company (restaurant behind a wine store in an industrial area …. check!). We emailed our friends in Camarillo and immediately set up a dinner.

In our dining experience throughout the years, some of the better restaurants where we’ve dined have been located in rather non-distinctive settings. The Cave was no different. Situated in an industrial park, The Cave’s rather plain exterior hides a cool interior (well, it is a cave) and some delicious cuisine.

Before entering the restaurant, Tracy and I, along with friends Steve and Adelaide, found ourselves inside the Ventura Wine Company, a warehouse retail shop featuring more than 1,000 wines, some of which would certainly find a home in our car for the long ride home.

There’s also an open kitchen, where the staff was working diligently.

After being seated, our server asked how we had found their restaurant, which is more than a tad off the beaten path (yes, in an industrial area…check!). Tracy proudly and happily relayed the story about her diligent research only to learn to her utter dismay that, unfortunately, The Cave was not the restaurant discussed in the book. According to our server, the Kellermans frequently dine at nearby Herzog Wine Cellars.

However, looking at the The Cave menu Tracy spied a Chef’s Choice Charcuterie and Cheese Board, further thickening this perplexing plot.

(We have a subscriber who is a neighbor of Mr. Kellerman, and we’re hoping she can get to the bottom of which restaurant he was writing about)

While waiting for dinner, we saw the device that dispenses wine samples for tasting. Because of Covid restrictions, it was not being utilized on this night. Our server explained the details, but since it was not in use, we failed to listen closely. Tracy and I would pay for that non-attentiveness a half year later.

The room adjacent to where we dined is The Barrel Room, which can be set up for larger parties or events. The people looked to be having a barrel of fun.

The starters set the bar high for the rest of the evening. I loved my Corn and Clam Chowder; House made … Boston style.

Tracy and Adelaide started with a very delightful Belgium Endive Salad (Belgium endive, imported gruyere cheese, Granny Smith apples and chopped walnuts in a lemon champagne vinaigrette)

Steven’s Butternut Squash Puree; seasoned Butternut squash with Goat Cheese also made the grade.

The dishes that followed were also cooked to perfection, including a tremendous Dijon and Herb Panko Crusted Australian Lamb Chops; with Sweet Potato Puree in a Mustard Cream Sauce.

Also delicious was the Short rib dinner; mashed potatoes, baby green beans and carrots …

… and a Gorgonzola Crusted Filet of Beef; 8 oz. filet of beef with mashed potatoes, baby green beans and carrots.

They also have some good-looking (and I’m sure good-tasting) pasta dishes. (below photo courtesy The Cave website)

On the way out, we did purchase a number of bottles of wine, including my favorite blend from the evening.

On a glorious autumn afternoon in late November Tracy and I returned for lunch with our four-legged dining companion Remi. We ate outside. This was her first car trip with us since her brother Frankie’s passing the month before. Yes, we are those kind of dog parents.

We noticed the wine store was featuring Opolo wines, so we decided to taste some with lunch, using the dispensing device that we had seen on our previous visit. Our server asked whether we’d been here before. I replied, “Yes, a few months ago.” She followed up with the question, “So you know the drill on how everything works?” In an answer I would shortly regret, I answered, “Yes, we do.”

She then asked us to put down a $100 deposit on our credit card for the wine tasting, and anything under that amount would be taken off the bill. Tracy and I looked at each other with the thought, “There is no way we’re going to spend anywhere near that amount.”

I had left my reading glasses in the car, so Tracy went inside to get our wine. The wine machine (for lack of a better term) dispenses tastes in 1 oz./3 oz./5 oz. sizes with the dollar amount displayed below. Tracy purchased a 5-ounce pour and brought the glasses back to our table.

Our lunch was delectable, starting with that tasty Corn and Clam Chowder I remembered loving on our first trip here.

Tracy ordered the Crabby Patty Sliders; 3 sliders with warm crab salad on a brioche bun with spicy aioli and julienne romaine were spectacular.

So was the Ventura Cave Burger; half pound all beef patty, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, red onion, basil aioli with French fries.

Before paying our bill, we bought another bottle of the Beckman blend to go.

I received the bill, and while perusing it, I saw that we had spent quite a bit of money for our wine pours. “There must be some mistake,” I said. Well, the only mistake turned out to be ours. I guess I should have listened more attentively on our first visit. Our five-ounce pour that we believed was only $6 total turned out to be $6 per ounce, so our two glasses of wine actually cost $60. The moral, which has seemed to escape me for nearly my entire life is “learn to pay more attention to instructions.”

Remi, on the other hand, showed us she is a much smarter shopper and purchased a bottle of Prosecco at a nominal price. At least someone in this family listens.

Our foolish wine mistake aside, The Cave is a delightful and unique spot for lunch or dinner. The service was friendly and professional, while the food we’ve enjoyed here on both visits were top-notch. They also occasionally offer four-course winemaker dinners, which I’ll be on the lookout for in the future. With all the enigma surrounding which restaurant Kellerman was referring to in his book, dining at The Cave was certainly a Novel experience.

For the few who have read this little story, the person I know who happens to be Jonathan Kellerman's neighbor will find out the answer about our restaurant.

I hope it was really good wine!

Lee Ann

I guess you will go back anyway. I think I gain weight just reading your reports. Thanks