Cuisine:

• Lounge, club, bar
• Tapas
• Cajun
• Soul Food

Charlene's Urban Tapas & Wine Description:
Homesick Southerners find haven at Charline's, where classic ingredients like okra, collard greens, black-eyed peas and catfish are served with cool jazz. Not for the timid, the "Cajun soul food fusion" is huge on flavor---the small-plates approach works well. (Really, how many deep-fried pickles should one eat?) Smoky fried mac 'n' cheese balls come with a dipping sauce made from chipotle peppers and ranch dressing. A similar sauce, with the addition of red peppers, accompanies the deep-fried artichoke hearts, which alone are worth a visit. Another highlight is the buttermilk-fried chicken. Peppery and moist, it's served with sweet potato waffles and syrup. Despite the name, this is no wine bar; in fact, the wine list is very limited. The full bar tended by generous bartenders, live jazz music and Southern-style small plates offer a taste of something entirely new in downtown Ventura.


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