The Top Places to Eat in Downtown, Ventura, California

Downtown Ventura, is a special place, settled first by Native Americans about 1,500 years ago, then around the San Buenaventura Mission, with settlers and pioneers, Chinese, Native Americans, and the Church working to build the first landmarks of this coastal port town. The original mission still stands, there are a few museums dedicated to the history of Ventura, all within walking distance from each other. You can view the Pacific Ocean from many places as you stroll down town, working up your appetite. It is a place to watch people, shop, or just window shop. There are lot of tremendous landmarks mixed in with some unique businesses and great places to eat.

First stop: Tipps Thai Cuisine, 512 E Main St, Ventura, Phone: 805-643-3040, serving both Thai and Vegetarian dishes. My first tasty treat there ever, was just a glass of Thai Iced Tea. Can't consume too many though, because, they are rich, rich, rich. I am not the only one who loves the food at Tipps Thai Cuisine. My sister-in-law Pu, is Thai, and this is one of her favorite places to dine when she comes to visit me. I love any of their dishes that combine their great vegis, cashews and chicken or shrimp. I have to allow an extra 20 minutes when I visit them, because their huge menu requires extra time. I like to order different dishes with whomever I dine with, so we can share! See some more reviews about Tipps: http://www.ventura.com/dining/review_
read.asp?pk_restaurant=550

When you walk outside, you will be on the corner of Main and California Streets. Look toward the hills and you will be one block from City Hall, our original jail, and where our courts used to be housed. It is one of the most beautiful buildings in our entire county. You can find some great photos of this local jewel, which crowns the top of California Street, at: http://www.ventura.com/points_of_interest/cityhall/ . If you stand on the steps, looking back down toward the bottom of California Street, you will be gazing at the Pacific Ocean. And you will notice you are surrounded by some of the other original buildings, built at the turn of a couple of different centuries! This is a great place to just walk, look, and take photos.

When you leave Tipps, look across the street, and down toward the ocean about 1/2 of a block and you will be looking at the offices of the writer of the Perry Mason stories. This is considered the birthplace of fictional attorney/detective Perry Mason which was created by Attorney Erle Stanley Gardner who rented an office in the building at 21 California Street, and which looked up the block at the original court house. (http://www.beachcalifornia.com/mason.html & http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/gardner.htm), This is just two blocks from the ocean and the longest pier, in California. (http://www.ventura.com/points_of_interest/citypier/)

If Thai is not your favorite, just past the offices of the writer of Perry Mason, is the Sportsman Restaurant. It's the first place I ever had Lobster Thermador. It melted in my mouth! They have good brunches and friends and I often stop in on Saturday early afternoon for a feast. Sportsman, 53 S. California St., Ventura, 805.643.2851. They serve a pretty elegant version of the main-stream American menu. It's a great place for first dates, anniversaries, business meals, or any time you want to "roll out the red carpet," as a host. (http://www.vcreporter.com/article.php?id=3538&IssueNum=78)
You may want to just stretch your legs, and keep on walking down California Street taking in the magnificent view and stopping by the Ventura Visitors and Convention, 89 S California Street, to pick up some information about the best-of-the-best, in Ventura. They have a great website that tells about the history of Ventura, and points of interest in our Coastal and eclectic town. (http://www.ventura-usa.com/listings/index.cfm?action=showListings&catID=5&ptitle=2)
If, instead, you continue down Main Street, you will pass art shops, the Busy Bee Café (50's era founded by the locally famous Restaurateurs, the Warrens), Franky's funky and fun Restaurant (with a health conscience menu), The Peruvian Bead Store, Golden Lion, thrift stores, jewelry stores, specialty clothing stores (there is a coffee place that has original art by Jonathon Winters on Main St., Ventura), and where they filmed that the big crash scene from Swordfish for days on end. Look hard and you may see some of the stars who work in Hollywood, but live in Ventura or Santa Barbara County, wandering around. It's rare, but it happens.
Finally, as you get closer to the old Mission, you will see a hot dog stand on the corner of Palm and Main Streets. It is the place for chili dogs, burgers, fries, and outdoor, old-style hot dog stand feasting. Don't bother trying to watch your calories and people, at the same time here. Let go and enjoy. Soak up the local flavor of downtown historic Ventura. This little stand is famous and notorious. It has great short order foods. And, it is the place of a murder, which was solved, in the first case in California in which DNA made the conviction. It has been saved by signatures of Ventura residents, on at least one occasion. And it is just smack dab in the middle of everything. Check out the scrape book pages of owner, Charlotte Bell - http://tophatburgerpalace.com/scrapbook.html.
Finally, it is said, that some of our restaurants are haunted. If you would like some additional company for dinner.... Check it out.... (http://www.venturahaunts.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=313&whichpage=1).
Hope to see you all real soon, in downtown, Ventura, California. Ya all come back now, hear?