SHOP CHOP

A not-so-hidden gem in the heart of Ventura's midtown district, The Grape is a "House of Jazz and Spirits" that features live music five nights a week in a warm, welcoming and, some may say, spiritual space. On any given evening, owner and operator Adam Randall can be seen tending bar, adjusting sound equipment, or appearing on stage to remind the crowd that jazz is about love and community, and t...

Lisa McKinnon, aka "805 Foodie" on Instagram , has been covering food and culture in Ventura County for many years, bringing good vibes and amazing restaurant recommendations to our corner of Southern California. In this conversation, we talk about her history as a journalist, the pleasures and pains of being an online food influencer, and the amazing evolution of Ventura's food culture from the 1...

In a Southern California landscape overflowing with craft breweries, Ventura's own Topa Topa Brewing Company has carved out an impressive name and reputation since first opening on Thompson Boulevard in 2015. In this conversation, I talk with Topa Topa co-founder Jack Dyer about the ideas and values that drew him to the brewery business, and how a relatively small project quickly grew into somethi...

Since opening in 2018, Findings Market has become a fixture of Ventura's rising craft culture, with a "general store" stocked with a rotating selection of beautifully designed, independently created goods in the heart of downtown, and a series of extremely popular market and fair events throughout the year. In this episode, I talk with the shop's founder and proprietor, Whitney Reed, about how she...

This week I talk with Tony and Jeremy, co-owners of Pinyon , a restaurant in Ojai serving some of the most incredible house-made pizza, bagels and bread in Ventura County – well worth a regular visit. In this conversation they explain how they've crafted a business model that reflects their values: delicious food made with local ingredients, family friendly atmosphere, and a healthy dose of social...

On the very first episode of SHOP CHOP, I talk with Jess the baker, aka the Awkward Pastry Chef. Jess is one of the hardest working creators and artists in Ventura, California, and her cakes, pies, and baked goods are truly next level. In this conversation, she talks about her path to becoming a baker, her indie business ethos, and the challenges of running a small business in the often daunting p...