Watermark

Special occasion dinner for four on a Wednesday night. Very professional waiter Tony took great care of us. I had the crab cakes for an appetizer. Delicious. For an entree I had the seared scallops with Lyonnaise potatoes. Delicious again. My wife had the swordfish. Delicious. The other couple each had halibut fixed as requested. Nods of approval. For dessert we shared Meyer Limoncello Zabaglione and Chocolate Indulgence. Super-duper. Great meal!

The food was okay, nothing fabulous, tasted pretty much like what you could get at a nicer chain restaurant, pricey for what you received.  The building itself is nice, good location in downtown Ventura.  The worst part was the band playing in the dining room.  They were so loud we couldn't hear each other talk. I was not impressed and will not return.

Ok, I'm going to say something about Ventura you might not like:

It's Ventura.  

Not Manhattan, not Sunset Blvd....not even Montecito.  

It's Ventura.  

So when I hear people talk ill of Watermark for being pretentious or over priced, I have to say, "Get over yourselves".  It really isn't.  

And the atmosphere, outside of requiring you to not wear your faded Slayer shirt and camo shorts on weekends if you want to eat there, is good for Ventura.  There are other restaurants in Ventura that charge more for say, Filet (what I always get there) and are only comparable in quality.

Anyways, I just wanted to clarify that I reject any negative reviews of this place based on their being "snooty".  Good, I say.  We need some of that.  Now on to the food.  

I give this place a five star based on its location.  In New York (pretentious remark incoming!) I would give it a four.  But here, there is nothing quite like getting dressed up on a weekend and having a few (well poured) martinis here and then perhaps going to the upstairs bar for music.  It's a treat.

The food is wonderful, compared to the price point.  Oysters on the half shell have always been fresh with a perfectly balanced Mignonette.  Medium rare Filet comes out actually  medium rare, with the sauces being quite good.  Oh and the wedge...they throw together a phenomenal wedge.  

Breakfast!  They have an Arnold Palmer that will knock your socks off.  It has some sort of spicy thing going on with it, and is perfect with their Eggs Benedict.  Their Hollandaise is some of the best in Ventura and should not be missed.  

On a last note, their upstairs bar is my favorite in Ventura.  Love the feel of it, love the view of the city, love the fact that the bar lights up (I have a weakness for bars that light up for some reason) and love sitting in front of the fireplace if you're lucky.  

There you have it.  Watermark isn't for some, and takes some getting used to to enjoy.  I know 10 years ago I would have hated the place.  But sitting back, taking your time to make conversation and not be in a huge rush for whatever reason is a commidity I don't mind paying for.