Saturday, October 23, 2021

The Bunker House Lounge Part One,
               The Afternoon
The Bunker House in 1886
A Quiet Place for an afternoon retreat from the madding crowd. A Place where a glass of wine, a good book, and a tasty treat add up to a little paradise in the Heart of Oceanside. I spent a Thursday afternoon here with the above attractions and whiled away the hour thinking about the yesteryear of this very old building. The Bunker House is the oldest commercial building in Oceanside. 


As a visual artist, I see the cars, the long dresses, the top hats, and the autos of that era. I see them strolling along the pathways leading to the Sea, and knowing that they have a room in the boarding house with view of the blue Pacific to come back to. The New Bunker House is a venue for the endeavors of two industrious entrepreneurs who have been so successful in the creation of the O 'side Bakery in East Oceanside. Their French Bakery has been the go to place for breakfast and lunch for the past many years. Stevie Rohano and Kevin Briens, the owners have taken their culinary skills to the Bunker House Lounge in the heart of Downtown Oceanside with new upgraded decor, expanded hours, and wine for patrons of the grape. 


 Plans for evening entertainment are in the works, and the arts too, will find a home in this vintage building with a cosmic vibe. It is interesting to me that the old is so entrancing. In the minds eye, the visuals of past patrons parade before me, entreating me to spend an hour, to breathe in the salty air, and to take a minute to reflect on my luck to be here in this quiet place. The many different uses of the Bunker House have been, a boarding house, hotel, a meeting place, church services, Music business, City offices, Art Studios, and lastly The Apotheque a spa with a Green Aesthetic.

 The Bunker house hours are 7 AM to & PM everyday, except Thursday, Friday, and Saturday when they are open 7AM -9PM. The Address is 322 Cleveland Street Bring a book, a sketch pad, a friend and find in this place of calm, a perfect venue to feel the vibe of yesteryear, and yet embrace the new, with the delectable food and friendships to be found here in Downtown Oceanside by the Sea. The smiling face of Stevie Rohano will welcome you to share this adventure at the Bunker House Lounge. 


 I listen the to the trickling of the nearby fountain, sip my wine cup, and draw in the limitless imagination of the minds eye, the breeze soft on my face, and find a sweet solitude from this frantic world,  this world of the now.


Part II will be the Bunker House Lounge at Night.