CA, Moorpark, Camille's Sidewalk Cafe

Camille’s Sidewalk Café, 706 Los Angeles Av., Moorpark CA 93021

East, North and south of Moorpark are rocky hills, small enough that roads and houses can be built providing superb views over the valley, but too rocky and barren for growing crops or flowers or raising horses. Though a few budding entrepreneurs have planted vines and are constructing vineyards to take advantage of the grapevines natural inclination to prefer poor sub-soils.

There is not much industry in Moorpark, though a few companies have warehouse distribution centers on the south side of town, so most of the working residents in this town of 36,000 commute 50 miles or so to Los Angeles every day or lesser distances to offices and small factories in Simi Valley or Thousand Oaks. The western edge of town sits on the edge of the lush valley that stretches all the way to Ventura. In the valley, Peaches (from which the town got its name in 1876) are still grown as well as acres and acres of orange and lime groves.

There are a few good places and a number of mediocre places to eat in Moorpark. Camille’s Sidewalk Café is one of the better ones. They offer sandwiches, salads, wraps and paninis to order. The dining area has enough room to accommodate 30 or so diners seated at plastic topped cafeteria tables. There are three outside wrought iron umbrella tables with four chairs each that are in a pleasant open area looking out on the parking lot.

The wraps are excellent. I tried the Mexican Daredevil grilled hot wrap served with a mixed field greens salad with vinaigrette dressing. The wrap contained grilled chicken breast, black beans, red onions, pepperjack cheese, cilantro, roasted pablano dressing and daredevil BBQ sauce wrapped in a jalapeno-cheddar tortilla and toasted in an electric sandwich maker. (how do I know? The ingredients are on the menu) During toasting the wrap flattened somewhat so that when it was served it was oblong in section rather than round, the toasting melted the pepperjack and helped all the flavors combine into a delightful whole.

On my second visit I ate a Chicken Caesar wrap containing grilled chicken breast, parmesan, romaine, tomatoes and creamy Caesar dressing wrapped in a herb garlic tortilla. This wrap was served with tri-colored tortilla chips and fresh salsa. It was also very good. Wraps are $6.99 cold or $7.29 hot. Worth every penny.