ojai news at The Ojai Post :: blog, newspaper, events in Ojai, California

I had been meaning to check out the Village Jester after hearing about new ownership. One of the students who rides in the van pool I drive to SBCC is the daughter of one of the new owners.

Leslie and I ate there the other night and were happy to see some of the same menu items - including the necessary vegetarian options. This helps provide some continuity in a place with many changes over the years. I had the blackened tofu -- which was really good -- but I wished it had been a little more blackened.

It's great to have another place maintaining a live music scene in Ojai. Yeah! Now, if the rumor of a smoothy bar near there would manifest...

Seems when a restaurant in Ojai changes hands there's always a break-in period. I've gone in a few times under the new ownership, so overall I'm reserving judgment until I enjoy a few more beers and dinners. I've personally said many times that Caleb is the best cook in town, and felt that way since his dreadlock days at the Brew Pub.(God Rest OBP's soul) *here's hoping Alex&Sally are smiling and well* Now that the tarot reader is gone -- which I thought would make the venue much better for musicians -- I feel there needs to be some attention paid to the acoustic qualities of the space. Now there's much more of a dance floor, but the music gets lost in the rafters and sounds like its being projected through a hollow tube, which makes me wonder if the sound is all getting lost in the rafters up there by the corrugated ((((tin roof)))) RUSTED. And when the dance floor is full, I can't see the band. What can I say?! I'm a visual learner.

So if this is beginning to read like a complaint, please forgive my tendencies to find faults, because my desire to find solutions is riding shotgun and ultimately navigating.

Bottom Line: Mad Mad Props to Caleb Klaus who has been feeding this town for nearly a decade now. Ojai is a tough town for any kind of service personnel, I'm thankful we have a handful of quality cooks and servers who are truly dedicated to the communities' indulgent desires. (Mario at Feast, and Richie at Azu come to mind)

Ok, that's enough.

The fact that you had the bar all to yourself on fri nights, leads one to assume that dental hygiene was not the only reason for pulling out.

Since undercover cops hanging out at this place and insulting long time customers, I believe this place will be history pretty soon.

I want to add my props to Caleb, who seems to grow as a cook each year. (Leave that Blackened Tofu on the menu!). I am also excited at having an actual dance floor in Ojai. I have two problems with the place. First, somebody needs to seriously feng shui the room. Visitors arrive to glaring lights pointed right at them and a 30 foot no man’s land to traverse before they get to people…while everyone looks at them. The place is not yet welcoming. They need to put some tables along the wall to the left, surrounding the dance floor and install a hostess table where people may be made welcome. The other issue is the name. What were they thinking? They could have given a nod to the old Topa Bar and Grill, or tie it to the theater as a Backstage Café, or at least named it something less like it is in Solvang. (Although Pangea always sounded like a gum disease to me).
I am not going to sign this one, as I don’t want to bite that hand that feeds me, but they should know what I am rooting for them to break the chain of the dozen or so failed attempts in that spot before them...perhaps all unable to expiate the ghost of Wayne Glascow.

I don't really have anything to say. I just thought I'd start shoving the spambot out of the Recent Comments column.

Note: There was a Backstage Cafe next to the theater about 20 years ago. Toward the end of its life it became a pretty sad and dreary place. The prices were a bit precious, too.

Good luck to the Village Jester.

Remember how you could park behind Pangea in that rutted joke of a dirt parking lot, and how now its fenced and all closed off to anyone and nothing's ever in there and you have to always park on the street now that its the Village Jester? What's UP with that?!
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The property behind the Village Jester is owned by Barbara Bowman. I think there may have been some liability issues with it being open. Since this is second hand, from a causal conversation, I'm sure you can stop in her store to confirm the situation.

Remember how you could park behind Pangea in that rutted joke of a dirt parking lot...

That has nothing to do with Village Jester. Barbara Bowman owns that lot, and has for about 23 years. Remember when the clapboard house on the corner of Topa Topa and Signal used to be Barbara's Nonsense? Well, she lives in that house now, and has for about the past 7 years. I heard that she finally decided she'd had enough with the dust and the overnight parking and illegal dumping and all of the other things that have ever happened in that big dirt lot. I'm guessing that liability finally became an issue, too.

Hello All. this is Nigel. If you've been down to the Jester you'll know who I am and, indeed, may well know who I am even if you haven't visited. I appreciate all of the comments left up to now and feel that I may be able to offer a couple of responses to the issues raised in previous posts. It may not seem to be the case, but Joe was the owner of Pangea (and Calypso) for over 8 years. That is a pretty good run for a guy doing most everything on his own. He achieved what he wanted to achieve and moved on to a different part of his life. I am personally grateful to Joe for being a good friend over the years and for allowing me the opportunity to own the restaurant. It seems to be conventional wisdom that the space has turned over frequently, but the reality is a little different. The vision for the space is as a local pub (not English, Irish, or any other ish)...just a place where everyone is welcome and welcomed). Ojai did not have such a place. It does now.

I thank Lisa and Kenley for their comments and would note that the smoothy bar is not going to happen at the theater because of the Health Department. Don't ask, no one really understands why!

Chris, yes, understood and agreed re the acoustics. I am working on it and hope to have a house p.a. in place reasonably soon to help alleviate the issue. Personally, I think the acoustics are better now than before the Palm Reader wall was removed. Sorry you can't see the band with folks dancing...beats the alternative, though! And, yes, Caleb is a treasure. Mario and Richie both rock, too (don't forget Bo at Azu).

Comment #3 by Anon, yep, it's probably true that Pangea had run its course and that Joe was ready to move on. We all are at some point.

Comment #4 by Anon...except I know who you are. Come on now. This is not appropriate. There are no undercover cops hanging out at The Jester. There are certainly cops who come in off duty and they are welcome, as are you, as long as everyone abides by the rules which are '...have as much fun as you want as long as you maintain respect for all and do not interfere with others enjoyment'. I note that this comment was left at 2:53 am, right after the incident to which you refer. Given that it has been addressed appropriately on both sides, you may want to reconsider your harsh words...especially since you have been in three times since!

Comment #5 by Anon: Yes, a host/ess station is sorely needed. I have known this for a long time and will be putting one in. re the tables to the left, it probably won't happen due to the dance floor configuration and traffic flow issues. Also, that wall leads to the toilets, so probably not a fav place to eat dinner. The name is something to which everyone is entitled to their own opinion, of course. Some really like it, others not so much. It was the issue that lost me more sleep than any other. The Village Jester is a nod to Ojai (Village), a pub (pubby name), and and unnamed someone. The Jester has a special place in history and those of a literary bent will get the point. Additionally, it will become known simply as 'The Jester' which is fun and easy to remember. Thanks for rooting for us (and your business!).

Phalarope, thanks for the good wishes...much appreciated.

Chris: Kenley and Phalarope are correct. The property belongs to Barbara and always has. She decided to close it off and it has nothing to do with The Jester. Frankly, I am happy about it. I prefer parking on the street to breaking my ankle in that dark pit.

That's about it. Come on in, enjoy the menu, the new atmosphere, and music. Make your comments, I'm happy to hear them so that I can provide as pleasant an environment as possible for all. Gotta go...it's pub time!

Nigel - nice to have you participating. Best of luck with your locally owned and operated establishment. Hope you're around until you're ready not to be.

Way to go Nigel; thanks for chiming in and taking the time to respond. This is what makes a blog with comments so rich and helpful and it also enriches our community. Well done.

are u the Nigel who bought/was going to buy Ojai Pizza?

nigel
traffic flow? too close to the dance floor? Take a hint from Movino, where there is no dance floor and everyone dances. People like to be close together. People go out to be together.
Those tables would not be near the toilets, they would just be near the door that goes to the hall that goes to the toilets. They would be prime real estate for people who come to dance, and you can see both dancers and bands from there. Just put a couple of tables there and see if they get occupied.I want a local pub as much as anyone, so good luck in your endeavor.

I may not be "the literary type", but isn't it the Court Jester and the Village Idiot?

Wow, Nigel, thank you for contributing. I have been in twice since I wrote this for a quick bite with girlfriends and see how your pub concept is working. DK wrote recently in the VC Reporter about the bleu cheese burger, which I just had to have based on her description, and when paired with sweet potato fries it's pure pub bliss! I agree with you about the flow and see no reason to add tables in the thru-way. Hope improvements to the restrooms are on the list! Anyway, thanks for bringing us the Jester!

I may not be "the literary type", but isn't it the Court Jester and the Village Idiot?

Maybe you could "write an essay" telling "everyone here" why, "in your opinion", the words "village" and "jester" cannot ever be "paired"? (Oh -- and "if you have time", please include some "side notes" about the "creative but inappropriate" use of "quotation marks".)

Lisa. Thanks for reading and I will HAVE to do the sweet potato fries with the blue burger, excellent idea!
It's as intriguing as the fish n' chips/coffee beignet comment I wrote . I love that combo of savory and sweet!
Regarding the atmosphere: I think it is different and Nigel acts as a wonderful ringmaster/maitre d'. For him to balance a full room of testosterone, fight-watching men and still cater beautifully to two women dining, well it takes panache.
It seems there is a lighter, happier feel to the pub and I have felt welcomed in a different way. Joe was wonderful--but it wasn't always Joe.
The bathrooms: I didn't find room for it in the review nor was it top-shelf priority but we had a gentleman from the band that night come to the table and say, "What amazes me about this place is that you go to the bar bathrooms and they smell
like...." and my friend and I grimaced until we heard the word "Popcorn" come out of his mouth! I thought that was charming!
The other amusement of the bathrooms is that one of the stalls in the women's says, "please flush toilet in a circular motion". As I use my shoes instead of my hands I found out why..because it gets stuck in full flush mode! I had to use my toe to pull the handle back around the circle!
I hope The V.J. does well and they seem to be on the way. There's a real sense of life and caring there. You can tell they want to make it work.
I like that it 'is' small-town and unique. I like that it's both genteel and fight-night wrapped in one. I look forward to more wacky experiences there. How can a place be named The Village Jester and not be full o' surprises?

Hi All. Just checking back in. I remembered that I didn't mention the toilet situation last time. Sorry. Anyway, the toilets are the responsibility of the theater. Mark, the new owner (and a good guy to boot) is completely renovating the toilets. I hate them, my wife hates them, everyone hates them. They are an embarrassment! I asked Mark about the time frame last night and he assured me that they will be done soon. The plan is to close them down one at a time with the ladies getting done first. I also mentioned to him that the pipes may need replacing due to the issue in the ladies. Mark wants to ensure that he has all of the appropriate materials in place so the job can be done with a minimum of inconvenience to everyone. The City has given the okay for the design, so we are on our way.

Just a quick note on 'Fight Night'. Thanks for the review, I really appreciated it and was very surprised to see it. That is the only night that we have ever had like that. It was an unusual situation as I keep telling everyone that we are not a sports bar and don't want to be one. However, times will crop up (SuperBowl for one, I guess) when interesting events occur. I can only say, that the basic rule is that sports will be on t.v., the sound will be turned down, and the music turned up. I will continue to follow that rule even in the event that just one person doesn't want the sound turned up for the sports. However, if no one objects (and no pressure will EVER be placed upon them to agree) the sound may go up for special events. I think that that is okay for all. It was a good fight, too bad Ricky lost!

I have, in fact placed tables along the wall during the Open Mic Night last Thurs. People did sit there but whether it was because they wanted to watch the band(s) or because there was nowhere else to sit, I couldn't say.

Anyway, keep the input coming! I'm off to put up posters for the Jonathan McEuen Christmas Eve show now.

what's going on Christmas Eve? the husband and I need a place to go to eat and be entertained!

Donna,

Just saw your comment. I am sooo busy that I don't get online much these days! I imagine you know what happened on Christmas Eve by now. New Years Eve was fun, too! Just so that everyone knows the general schedule it is as follows:
Open 7 days a week.
Mon, Tues, Wed: 5-11 (kitchen open until 9pm)
Thurs: 5-12 (kitchen open until 9pm)
Fri: 5-1(ish...mostly 2, though!)(kitchen open until 10pm)
Sat: 11am-2am (kitchen open until 10pm)
Sun: 11am-10pm (kitchen open until 9pm)

Monday: Family Night...Jester Pasta $5. Martini Magic with Brian. NFL MNF.

Tuesday: Team Trivia 7:30-9:15. Teams of 6. $2 per person to the Question Master.

Wednesday: Happy Hour 5-7. Open Mic 9:30-12:00(TBC)

Thursday: Date Night (2 Entrees, bottle of house wine, 2 tix to that night's movie next door, 2 sodas, 2 popcorn $49 plus tax. ALSO Karaoke 9-12.

Friday: Happy Hour 5-7 usually acoustic music till at least 8. ALSO from 9 usually live music or a DJ.

Saturday: Open for lunch, soups, salads, and sandwiches. Live Music from 9.

Sunday. Open for lunch as above. When The Ojai Film Society shows movies I do a drawing for a 2 for 1 dinner.

Additionally, Ojai Film Society members with cards ALWAYS receive 10% discount. Folks who attend a society even and show their ticket stub, get 10% off on that day, too.

I want The Jester to become a community resource and am working toward that goal. See you in there.

I just read this - thank you for responding! we went there tonight (I posted in another thread) - we were the couple that you talked to about The Ojai Post. Good luck and we hope you have many wonderful patrons for years to come.

Donna,

Yep, just responded to the other post! Don't want to be rude so I'll respond to this one, too! Thanks for coming in and giving us a chance. Glad you enjoyed yourselves and see you soon.

I loved it as Calypso, I loved it as Pangea and I love the Village Jester. As a Person Who has drank many a shot of whiskey at all three changes, the one thing that is impressive is...I have always felt welcomed and NEVER any drama. Nigel I wish You all the best, congrats to Joe on His new career, and Caleb, what can I say except Your the best Chef in Ojai!!

Joe,

Thanks for the support! As you probably already know, I've upgraded the scotch selection now. We have over 20 on the shelves. I am also in the process of seriously upgrading the tequila selections. The goal (for both) is to encourage folks to sip and enjoy those drinks instead of the 'slam' method! Are there any scotches that you like but don't see on the shelves?

Oh Nigel,
As someone who adores a good single malt do you have Lagavulin?

Yes. It's a good day for one, too!

Okay, Folks. It's been a while. Just a note to say that things are getting really busy down at the Jester lately and if you want dinner between 6pm and 8pm, you should make a reservation on ANY night. We are getting slammed (that's good), and as a result, food is now taking a bit longer to get out. Rest assured though, that all food is cooked to order and tastes as good as ever. I need to get some bread baskets! Caleb and his crew are jamming every night and I am so proud of the work they do. I have no had to ensure that we have more servers on the floor and will now need to add even more on Fridays and Saturdays. The front of house folks work their buns off, too.

If you missed last Saturday with Tony Perry, you missed a treat. Any who's, this week we are back with Open Mic on Wed with a new hosting trio. We all know the deal by now, so I reckon it will go well. Thursday brings us Karaoke and it is great (yes, even I sing). Friday from 7:30-11:00 is Sgt Pepper (Beatles cover band), and Saturday see Azure Sol on at 9pm. They are a new band, with 95% original music (possibly 100%). Jessica, the singer and guitarist has an amazing voice. The musicianship is superb, too. Please come and see them or you'll be missing out.

Oh, I just signed up Tony Perry for our special Valentines Day Dinner. It'll be dinner and a show. 50 folks max, special dinner created by Caleb, and a private performance by Tony and his band. If it is even half as good as the Christmas Eve Dinner and show, you'd be crazy to miss it. Tony Perry is truly an artist.

Bed beckons. Thanks for your support and see you at the Jester.

Hi everyone,

Just sending a little e-hello to Nigel. Am a local DJ and would love a chance to entertain the locals and visitors to The Jester.....when you get the acoustics fixed! Am a huge stickler for sound quality. I have a 5200+ song music library of highly eclectic selections from the 1940's to the present. I never use MP3s, only CDs in their original format. Further I use Lucid digital to analog converters on my CD player and an awesome Firebox on the laptop to greatly enhance sound quality. Check out my site!

In the meantime I will be by to introduce myself and to enjoy whatever you're offering as it's a fun place! Thank you for your efforts. People are excited about The Jester and getting down to some serious dancing and enjoying all the local flavors of music, food and drink you'll be providing.

DJ Kristine