As some of you may know, I used to live up in San Luis Obispo during my time at Cal Poly SLO. This meant several family meet-ups and stops in Santa Barbara and Ventura – 2 of our favorite places packed with so many great memories. After we first discovered and dined at a “Lure” loooooooooooong ago, we could never stop returning whenever in the area. So this past weekend as a special Father’s Day treat, my dad and I were staying in the Ventura/Santa Barbara area and I knew I had to treat him to a treat dinner at a Lure Fish House – after not having been for 6+ years!

Saturday night as we walked right over from our hotel in Ventura, I could hardly contain my excitement, as I had been dreaming about that meal the prior 2 weeks (no shame). Having a reservation, we were seated right away and greeted by our grinning server, Greg, who was very attentive and patient with “Shelby’s million plus one” questions throughout the night, despite the place being packed (literally til past closing!).

We started off with drinks, of course, and Greg was swift to deliver us the extra special Lure bread – so warm, fluffy, a little savory, and partnered with creamy, easy-to-spread butter: the perfect type of butter that I want to eat with a spoon. After going back and forth through all my options, I landed on their Roasted Blueberry & Basil cocktail, which sounded way too intriguing to pass up. And I was right. A perfectly balanced drink that was not bombarded with sweetness. The “roasted” concept might turn you off, but trust me, it just works. My dad selected their Riesling from the extensive wine list, which was one of the best I have ever tasted.

Moving on, it was time to get the show really started with appetizers. Although I wanted them all, we settled on “Spicy Seafood Ceviche,” “Poprock Shrimp,” and “Crispy Calamari.” Without going on for pages and pages, let me just say- you will never have a better calamari dish anywhere. I don’t know what it is, but they just get it perfect. Trust me. As for the Poprock Shrimp, this is not the typical heavily breaded and deep-fried crispy shrimp appetizer you would expect. Instead, it is very lightly breaded and super quickly flash fried so as to be not too heavy or drowning in a creamy sauce. Don’t fear adding this on top of your entrees. It won’t slow you down.

Now for the final of the trio…. I’ll start by saying for someone who does not like ceviche, let me just tell you that my dad’s favorite thing was the Spicy Seafood Ceviche- and I cannot lie, that was simply incredible. It was loaded with the freshest shrimp and rockfish I have ever put in my mouth. Honestly, I cannot even start on the seafood quality throughout the entire night. This was the one thing in particular I kept harping on and on about… I have ever been a lot of places and countries and ate a lot of seafood, but I have never had as GOOD, clean-tasting, and fresh quality as I did consistently with each and every dish that night. It was unbelievable and I don’t ever recall feeling this way when previously dining at Lure.

When it was finally time to indulge in the entrees, we knew we would split a Classic Caesar salad, the Trout Almandine with our choice of Maple Miso Brussels Sprouts and Organic Balsamic Carrots, along with the Alaskan Halibut from the Daily Catch selection, which we were BLESSED to be recommended to order “Sand Dab Style-” their signature light herb crusting and lemon caper sauce. PRO MOVE. WOW. That sauce and light, flavorful crusting was so divine and complimented the fish very well.

The Classic Caesar was the best I have ever had, and I get these everywhere. Something about the little crisps on top, a slight amount of parmesan, and just the dressing. It’s all part of that Lure magic I guess.

Of the 2 fish entrees, again, all I can continue to tell you is that the quality just shines. The flavors are incredible and they know what they are doing in creating perfectly-balanced flavor profiles and keeping everything well-rounded. Nothing is greasy. Nothing is make-you-feel-yucky heavy. Everything just tastes like you are down under the sea in Ariel’s Grotto indulging as some magical chef God is catching fish swimming around him, picking fresh vegetables and herbs from a little garden, and cooking it all right then and there. I don’t know how else to describe everything.

When the night ended, I had to take my Key Lime Pie to-go, and I am so glad I did. A few hours after getting back to the hotel as my dad snored (…..love ya dad..), I cracked open the little package and before I knew it, it was gone and I was wondering why on Earth I did not get 5. BEST Key Lime Pie ever. So light. The freshest key lime-flavor ever. A slightly sweet yummy crust.

Ok. Seriously I am drooling writing all of this and I think that had to be Heaven on Earth. Yup.

Now finally, I cannot conclude this article without raving about the service. If our waiter, Greg, wasn’t great enough, let me tell you about the manager, Riley, who came to ensure our night was stellar as we celebrated Father’s Day weekend. She was phenomenal. Probably the best manager I have encountered anywhere. So hospitable, genuinely caring, willing to chat without sacrificing the service of other guests, ready to go above-and-beyond, and just passionate about her work and the brand. No question asked. It was a pleasure meeting her and I do hope to see her again soon!

Between the food, the drinks, the atmosphere, the company, and the service, I have to conclude with my completely honest statements. I could not have expected to be blown away the way I was that night. The type of “blown away” that leaves you speechless and makes you struggle to fully describe your joy. This is why I love food. You meet amazing people. You have amazing experiences. And you realize how passionate and committed people can be to their craft- whether is is service, cooking, or being a brand that cares about quality, and sharing a love with others.

Thank you Lure, for an extremely memorable night and showcasing people what real food, flavor, and service should be everywhere.

For more information on the brand and locations, check out their site here.