Photo by Carmen Smyth, Carmen Smyth/Special to The Star

When I heard that Watermark on Main was offering a brunch menu on Sundays, I had to take a look, and taste. The exquisitely restored historic building turned upscale restaurant is one of the more striking buildings in downtown Ventura. Handsome from the outside and highlighting 1920s murals painstakingly resurrected during the years-long renovation by owners Mark and Kathy Hartley, the inside should be seen at least once during the day when the ornate carving and paneling can be most clearly appreciated.

We missed the opportunity to examine the architectural features when the restaurant first opened and we had dinner in a corner of the mezzanine that allowed no view of the décor. On a return trip to check out the W20 lounge on the top floor, we zipped through the main room and up to the top on an elevator, and again didn’t get a chance to appreciate the intricate features. So brunch was a welcome way to both dine at Watermark and take in the early 20th century look of the building that has housed many businesses over nearly a century.
Executive chef Peter Edwards, overseeing the contemporary cuisine for more than a year, is an Aussie with ample experience in the trade. The brunch menu is somewhat eclectic, but touches on most of the bases diners would expect at brunch. The one surprise was that there is only a single “sweet” entree on the menu, the stuffed brioche French toast ($12).

Fortunately, it’s a fine representative of the genre. A tribute to berry season at the moment, the light, plump toast was generously piled with a mixture of berries topped with a dollop of whipped cream. The warm maple syrup mentioned in the menu description didn’t appear, but it certainly wasn’t needed as the concoction oozed with wonderful berry juice. The thick brioche was sliced through the center and spread with sweetened mascarpone cheese, adding to the allure.On our first brunch visit — it was on a return visit that we had tried the French toast and an order of crab cakes — we started with one of the multiple brunch items that could serve as a first course, for those so inclined. The chili-dusted prawns dish ($14) sounded enticing with its marinated Pacific Ocean shrimp served with crostini and rosemary garlic oil. We somehow assumed that it would be served cold but were surprised when it arrived in a flat earthen bowl sizzling from the oven. The shrimp were hot in the spicy sense, but only to a tasty degree, and the sauce was perfect for soaking up a bit more with the crostini.

Our two entrees both had Latin origins, though the breakfast burrito ($10) piqued my curiosity because it was made with braised beef short ribs, which offered the bonus of knowing exactly where the prime protein came from. The meat was mixed with the more customary breakfast potatoes, scrambled eggs and cheddar cheese and served with a good ranchero salsa and tortilla chips. The short ribs gave a distinctly different flavor to the mix, which otherwise was quite traditional. The large, thin tortilla wrap was excellent. Huevos rancheros ($12) repeated the salsa and breakfast potatoes, all served on a plate overflowing with corn tortillas, a bit of bacon, lots of black beans, queso fresco and two fried eggs (the eggs can be ordered any style).

The California crab cakes from our second visit ($14) were excellent: tender, moist and full of flavor, enhanced by touches of capsicum and avocado coulis and plated with a small citrus and avocado salad.

On both visits minimuffins swiftly brought to the table with honey butter were fluffy inside and slightly crisped with a sugared topping. A complimentary glass of Champagne is offered with the brunch items, though we didn’t need it with the excellent coffee available. On our first visit the Champagne wasn’t mentioned, on our second it was. We did have a large, bracing glass of Ruby Red grapefruit juice, which really hit the spot.

The brunch menu is designed so that guests can select morning-style dishes, or veer toward lunch possibilities. There are a trio of eggs Benedict options, more Latin dishes, included posole, plus oysters on the half shell, fried calamari, smoked salmon, beet and arugula salad, penne with chicken and a caprese salad.

Brunch at Watermark is a very relaxing way to while away an hour or so in a Ventura icon of a building, where the setting is special, the food wide-ranging and the service most helpful.

Rita Moran visits restaurants unannounced and pays for her food. It you know of a new, unusual or just plain good restaurant, please contact her at

Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/mar/11/at-the-watermark-on-main-theres-a-lot-to-see-and/
– vcstar.com