Beloved institution Danny’s Deli embraces its community with traditional recipes, a caring staff and a taste of Jewish culture. By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer | Photos by Viktor Budnik Brisket roasted to melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. Bagels made fresh daily. Matzo ball soup. Fat...
Shepherdess Land and Livestock integrates land management with sustainable wool production. By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer | Photos by Viktor Budnik Wide open skies. Rolling hills softened by velveteen carpets the color of emeralds. Oak trees, the Topatopa Mountains and a...
by Kit Stolz About five years ago, Michelle Ellison, a young mother living with her family in bucolic Ojai, experienced what she calls “a climate awakening.” This was not a joyous, uplifting experience. A story she encountered about the existential...
By Mike Nelson | Photos by Viktor Budnik Need chocolate? Of course you do. But what kind? You can wander through any supermarket or drugstore candy aisle and find plenty of mass-produced chocolate items — boxed, bagged and barred, some better...
Omar Reyes Benítez | Photos by Viktor Budnik Ventura nonprofit STEMbassadors is leading the way. Through programs like its IDEA Center and professional development initiatives, the organization is helping students get precious experience in a pricey industry. It was founded in 2017...
Friends of the Santa Clara River provide education and restoration for a precious ecosystem. By Tim Pompey | Photos by Viktor Budnik Where is the Santa Clara River? Your answer to this question might depend on where in Ventura County or Los...
According to Wendy Collings, her own Hanukkah celebrations involve the whole extended family getting together and sharing a traditional Jewish meal — usually featuring food from Danny’s Deli. They also do a white elephant-style gift exchange. At Ventana Monthly’s request,...
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer In Ventura County, picturesque locations for the most memorable wedding abound. Beautiful beaches offer seaside romance, sprawling ranches provide rustic elegance. For something chic, consider a winery or elegant property with sweeping views. We are...
By Alex Wilson | Photos by Viktor Budnik Alexa Coughlin enjoyed crafting and sewing clothes with her mom growing up in the town of Mākaha on the west side of Oahu, Hawaii. “I was basically a craft nerd. I loved...
By Mike Nelson | Photos by Viktor Budnik It’s not unusual, driving around greater Los Angeles, to see bright fluorescent signs attached to lamp posts or fences, with notices bearing an arrow and a code word that means, essentially, the...