On a recent trip to Oceanside, we popped into a stylish place called Communal and I made a mental note to revisit this stretch of cool I later discovered called the “Tremont Collective.”
Communal is the multifaceted space that anchors the Tremont Collective, which is actually a community of like-minded businesses, offering a private patio, flower shop, full café experience, and a retail and event space called “The Annex.”
Communal is a sexy mix of coffee shop, wine bar, restaurant, workspace and flower shop, with an eclectic mix of patrons that gives Oceanside its charm.
It features a mural created by North Park artist, Chelsea Smith, seating indoors and outdoors in a comfortably designed space.
With two large skylights, the Oceanside space mirrors the natural tones and coastal palette of Communal’s other locations in North Park and South Park, with elevated elements like the winding wine bar and a lounge with leather couches and chairs and of course, a communal table.
The menu was created by Chef Jeannette Silva and features a full line of breakfast sandwiches including Smoked Salmon Bagel, Maple Sausage Sandwich and Turkey Pesto Sandwich, along with bowls that are served all day.
The toast bar also served all day includes a few of my favorites including Croque Madame and Herbed Cucumber Avocado.
Pizzettas and salads are served from 12 p.m. – 7 p.m. and include a nice mix of delicious Pizzettas, which are basically small pizzas, and some very healthy yet satisfying salads. Healthy is good but it was nice to see a Pastrami Melt, Bahn Mi and Rosemary Three-Cheese Melt should your hunger need a bit more to quell it.
Desserts include some fun options including Chocolate Chia Pudding, Crème Brule Toast and Banoffee which is a banana, cream sweet butter tart with an espresso whip.
While the “cocktails” are actually wine-based, they do have some creative options including the Ginger Pear Cocktail, Sparkling Sangria, or simply a glass of wine to be enjoyed from the seaside-inspired wine bar. It’s a perfect location to unwind after a day of work and the residential setting on Tremont, a block west of Coast Highway 101 provides the perfect atmosphere.
I’m also a big fan of fresh flowers so the flower shop element really appealed to me. I could see utilizing this space for a light bite to eat, catch up on some work, and leave with a fresh arrangement of flowers that have a bit more personality than your local grocery store.
The Communal Annex is a separate space attached to a larger event room where they will hold classes in calligraphy, macrame, flower arranging classes, and more. That room is also available to rent for events such as baby or bridal showers, company parties or whatever the occasion may be.
The Annex is also home to a larger selection of Communal retail products, including everything from gift cards to baby items and home accessories.
Communal and the surrounding stores in the Tremont Collective are a perfect example of how to tastefully incorporate commerce into a neighborhood, blending in with the community and providing products and services that enhance, rather than detract from the area.
It’s as though Communal has been a part of the community for years, so kudos to the team behind this multi-use gem.
From the design to the vibe to the menu and the welcoming attitude of the staff, they nail it on every level.
To start, the Communal outpost in Oceanside is open from 7 am to 7 pm but will soon be open until 10 pm. For those local to the area, this should be a welcome addition to the neighborhood and for folks outside of Oceanside it’s worth a visit or considering for your next event.
Find them at 602 S. Tremont, Oceanside or www.communalcoffee.com
