Wagon Wheel rolls up Victoria
Oxnard’s loss could be Ventura’s gain
By Bill Lascher 10/18/2007
For nearly two years, much of Ventura has been starving for a key urban institution, the neighborhood bakery. Since the Anacapa Bakery shut down in early 2006 after owner Dana Murdock split town, residents have had to settle for store-bought baguettes and forgo morning meetings over fresh coffee and croissants. With Anacapa gone and its spiritual predecessor, the City Bakery, just a fond memory among the starchy set, a void grew in the breadbaskets and stomachs of much of the city.
In the coming months, the long-awaited opening of My Florist Café and Bakery, with its enormous kitchen, may sate some palettes, particularly those of restaurateurs who lost their local bread supplier when Anacapa left. For more than a year, the Savory Café and Bakery has done steady business serving sticky, somewhat expensive treats to the khaki slacks and Hawaiian print shirt crowd, but it has foregone the more standard sourdoughs and ryes.
The picture in Midtown and Downtown may be bleak for the time being, but now it appears East Ventura has quietly enjoyed the offerings of the Wagon Wheel Bakery, which once, shockingly, existed in Oxnard’s Wagon Wheel shopping center.
I first discovered the Wagon Wheel Bakery when a friend of a friend brought us a pack of cookies — coconut macaroons, I believe — the establishment was selling at the 4th of July Street Fair. Impressed, I made a point to find the bakery and further sample their offerings. Finally, a few weeks ago, I ran an errand at the CVS shopping center at the corner of Telegraph and Victoria and discovered the bakery and decided to give it a try.
Late on a Saturday and with the store closed on Sunday and Monday, there was little available, but the service was incredibly friendly. I went home with an enormous semi-baked, half-loaf of bread slathered in garlic butter that I was told I could later finish heating at home. I did, and the product was tremendous (The scent left in my apartment surely kept the vampires at bay). I also bought a package of sugar cookies that were tasty and remained soft for days.
That day, as I pulled out of the bakery’s parking lot I noticed a giant sign advertising sandwiches. I vowed to return, as I also wanted to try a loaf of one of its 14 different types of bread on offer (Wagon Wheel also offers seven dinner roll varieties, dozens of loaf cakes and cookies, and made-to-order birthday and wedding cakes).
Sadly, though, it was not to be. Despite the advertisement, when I returned with the Reporter’s copy editor in tow we were told Wagon Wheel no longer makes sandwiches. Even if they did, without tables, the bakery will never be an East end equivalent of what Anacapa once was: a community gathering space.
A bit downtrodden, I ordered a loaf of sourdough bread. More of a sandwich-style, the loaf was softer and denser than your average country boule, but still good. The cinnamon roll ordered by my colleague was far too dry, although she said the frosting and cinnamon was decent. There are certainly many other options to try, but during that trip the only standout was the pumpkin loaf cake I ordered (Wagon Wheel also sells half-finished pumpkin loaves that you can make at home).
While Wagon Wheel should probably avoid advertising products it doesn’t sell, it has potential. Its proprietors clearly care about their product, using only pure butter and olive oil in its recipes, with no preservatives, additives, trans fats, margarine or other chemicals. There are dozens of items I haven’t had a chance to try.
But when it comes to the best bakery in town, I’m still waiting for the greatest thing since sliced bread.
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