Ojai Rotie adjacent — Olivella Steakhouse

Some rooms tell you exactly what to order the moment you sit down. Ojai Rotie adjacent — Olivella Steakhouse, in Ojai, is one of them.

The room is exactly what you want it to be: patio under the Topa Topas. We were seated near the back, given menus we hardly needed, and brought a small bowl of olives without being asked.

We started with bone marrow with a small salad of capers and parsley, which set the tone — generous, unfussy, and confident enough not to crowd what was coming. With it we ordered a Chianti Classico Riserva I wrote down in my notebook, and were glad of both.

Then the main event: tri-tip, the dish that puts Ojai Rotie adjacent — Olivella Steakhouse on every short list. There was a thumb of butter melting into the cross-hatch, and a single sprig of thyme on top, and not one thing more. The signature touch — Santa Maria oak-grilled, Central Coast classic — is not a gimmick; it is the reason to come.

For sides we asked for asparagus with hollandaise and potato gratin with a dark crust. Both arrived hot, both arrived early, both were exactly large enough to overdo it. We overdid it.

Dessert was key lime pie, mostly because the waiter raised an eyebrow when we hesitated. He was right to.

I will be back. With company, next time, and a longer reservation.