{"id":10188,"date":"2020-03-06T17:11:46","date_gmt":"2020-03-07T01:11:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=10188"},"modified":"2020-03-06T18:16:35","modified_gmt":"2020-03-07T02:16:35","slug":"menu-mergers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=10188","title":{"rendered":"Menu Mergers"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"805<\/a>

805 Living March 2020, Menu Mergers story by Leslie Dinaberg.<\/p><\/div>\n

Crazy culinary mash-ups can sometimes turn out to be pure gold. Here\u00a0are three such surprisingly delicious creations in the 805.<\/p>\n

The Homemade Breakfast Lasagna at Ventura\u2019s Immigrant Son\u00a0Caffe<\/strong> (facebook.com\/immigrantsoncaffe<\/a>) quickly attracted a following\u00a0after the restaurant opened on January 1. The traditional strips of pasta\u00a0are layered with spinach and prosciutto cotto in a b\u00e9chamel marinara\u00a0and topped with a fried egg.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of our dishes come from a long line of family traditions and\u00a0recipes that are incredibly special to us personally,\u201d says Matt Coulter,\u00a0who co-owns the restaurant with Alessandro Tromba. \u201cGrowing up\u00a0in the family business, Alessandro knew that if he could create [a\u00a0restaurant with] the warm feelings of home and bring that atmosphere\u00a0to downtown Ventura, it would be a special place for so many friends\u00a0and family to create lifelong memories.\u201d<\/p>\n

History also plays a role in the Reuben Egg Roll at Lovejoy\u2019s Pickle\u00a0Room<\/strong> (threepickles.com<\/a>) cocktail lounge in downtown Santa Barbara.\u00a0The hybrid dish was created to honor Jimmy\u2019s Oriental Gardens,\u00a0the Chinese restaurant that previously occupied the space and was a\u00a0favorite of the Lovejoy family, founders of the Pickle Room<\/a> and Three\u00a0Pickles Subs & Sandwiches, which now share the historic landmark\u00a0building.<\/p>\n

In what owner Clay Lovejoy<\/a> calls \u201ca great conversation\u00a0starter,\u201d the classic ingredients for a Reuben sandwich (hot pastrami, sauerkraut, Russian Dressing\u00a0and Swiss cheese) are wrapped\u00a0in eggroll skin and deep fried.<\/p>\n

Why put a waffle on a plate\u00a0when it can be served on a\u00a0stick? Inspired by Mexico\u2019s\u00a0mangos and other treats on\u00a0sticks, \u201cDon\u201d Francisco Lara\u00a0decided to go vertical with his\u00a0Don Waffly waffle on a stick<\/strong>\u00a0(instagram\/donwaffly), making\u00a0it from scratch and dipping\u00a0it in milk chocolate, white\u00a0chocolate, matcha-flavored\u00a0white chocolate, or cajeta\u00a0(Mexican caramel sauce) before\u00a0sprinkling it with toppings like\u00a0shredded coconut, crushed\u00a0Oreo cookies, Fruity Pebbles\u00a0cereal, chopped almonds, or\u00a0sprinkles. The waffle sticks\u00a0are available at Dolce Vita\u00a0(805-746-5009) in the Oxnard\u00a0Transit Center and can be\u00a0ordered for on-site catering.<\/p>\n

Lara\u2019s son Javier says he and\u00a0his father plan to expand the\u00a0offerings to include savory\u00a0varieties and add a food truck\u00a0to the mix. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u2014Leslie Dinaberg<\/p>\n

\"805<\/a>Click here to read this story as it appeared in 805 Living<\/em><\/a>\u00a0magazine, (805 Living Pulse March 2020<\/a>).<\/p>\n

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