Contributed by: Dani Klein | Last Date of Travel: August 2008

Kosher Info: Oxnard, CA houses the Herzog Wine Cellars, one of the U.S.’s finest kosher wine brands. Within the complex there is Tierra Sur, a classy glatt kosher meat restaurant, obviously with a wide selection of kosher Herzog wines. I was only able to try the burger but I was not disappointed! The burger came with sliced heirloom tomatoes, red and yellow, with options to add on: Homemade hickory and maple smoked lamb bacon, sautéed balsamic onions, and Sweet potato fries instead of regular fries. Not only was the burger amazing, but the sweet potato fries were awesome!

As far as I know, Tierra Sur is the only kosher eatery in Oxnard, and the Gold Coast of California, which includes Ventura, Ojai, and Oxnard.

Tourist Info: Oxnard is a quiet city 60+ miles north west of Los Angeles accessible by Amtrak. The city has nice houses, nice beaches, and acres of fields to go strawberry picking. Oxnard hosts the California Strawberry Festival each year. The beaches are sparsely filled, except for some of the locals and few tourists surfing and sunbathing.

Also, the Herzog Wine Cellar offers a 15-30 minute self-guided tour.

Not far off of the coast of mainland California are the Channel Islands, beautiful and untouched. You can only access the islands by boat or small plane.

Jewish Info: While in Oxnard I bumped into many Jews, not Orthodox Jews, but Jews nonetheless. I also passed by the Chabad of Oxnard, which seems to be the only Orthodox shul in town.