Local Buzz covers new businesses, restaurants, closures, local politics, goings on around town and other buzzworthy items in the Conejo Valley and Greater Ventura County. Have a lead? Contact us. Click here for an archive of Local Buzz postings.
Local Buzz covers new restaurants, closures, local politics, goings on around town and other buzzworthy items in the Conejo Valley and Greater Ventura County. Have a lead? Contact us. Click here for an archive of Local Buzz postings.
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Lucky’s Steakhouse opened earlier this week at Malibu Country Mart, 3835 Cross Creek Road in Malibu, in the former home of Mr. Chow, offering up steaks, chops, seafood and cocktails. Learn more at www.luckysmalibu.com.
Solstice Canyon, a National Park Service site, will close Monday, March 23, according to officials at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA). All other sites, which include hiking, biking, equestrian trails, parking lots and restrooms, will remain open for now.
David Szymanski, the park superintendent for SMMNRA, says he does not want to limit access to trails, but public safety is critical and overcrowding at the popular site had become a concern because the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and public health department guidance could not be met. Park and public health officials are closely monitoring public use and may close other locations if social distancing cannot be maintained.
“The health and safety of visitors, employees, volunteers and partners is our number one priority as we work to limit the threat of exposure to the virus,” said Syzmanski. “There are more than 300 points of entry into the Recreation Area and this may be the ideal opportunity for visitors to explore less visited trails while we battle the COVID-19 pandemic. Hiking and being outside is healthy, but we must follow the local, state and national guidelines that have been set by maintaining a safe distance of six feet from others who are also out enjoying nature.”
NPS is strongly urging visitors to avoid crowded areas and seek out lesser visited places at less busy times. Trail hiking apps, like https://trails.lacounty.gov/, can offer ideas for hikes in Los Angeles County.
Szymanski also recommends that visitors wash their hands before coming to a park, avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth; covering their mouths and noses when coughing or sneezing, and most importantly, to stay home if they are sick.
“If visitors show up and it’s really busy, please consider returning at another time or day,” he urged. “The ability to maintain social distancing is key to keeping these places open so please do your part.”
Law enforcement park rangers are working seven days a week monitoring activities in the park. As services are limited, the NPS urges visitors to continue to practice Leave No Trace principles, including pack-in and pack-out, to keep outdoor spaces safe and healthy.
The Santa Monica Mountains Visitor Center at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas and Satwiwa Native American Culture Center in Newbury Park are also closed until further notice. Rangers at SMMNRA are available to answer questions at 805-370-2301 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
When the park resumes full operations, the public will be notified via the website www.nps.gov/samo and our social media channels (Twitter, Instagram and Facebook). For updates regarding general NPS operations, visit www.nps.gov/coronavirus.
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) is the largest urban national park in the country, encompassing more than 150,000 acres of mountains and coastline in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. A unit of the National Park Service, it comprises a seamless network of local, state, and federal parks interwoven with private lands and communities. As one of only five Mediterranean ecosystems in the world, SMMNRA preserves the rich biological diversity of more than 450 animal species and 26 distinct plant communities. For more information, visit nps.gov/samo.
Signs are up and construction is moving along for a new Whole Foods Market coming to the Civic Center area of Malibu (Civic Center Way at Cross Creek Road). Anticipated opening date is Spring 2019.
The Whole Foods and the Park projects totals nearly 6 acres and consists of a 38,425 sq ft shopping center, including a 24,549 sq ft Whole Foods Market and four smaller commercial retail buildings totaling 13,876 sq ft.
More information at www.malibucity.org/401/Whole-Foods-the-Park-Shopping-Center.
The Malibu City Council voted to prohibit the sale, distribution and use of single-use plastic straws, plastic stirrers and plastic cutlery within the City during the City Council meeting on Monday, February 12 in order to protect the environment from plastic pollution. The ordinance goes before the Council for a second reading and vote on February 26, and, once finally adopted, will go into effect on June 1, 2018.
The ordinance is part of the City’s campaign to eliminate the use of all kinds of single-use plastic items in order to reduce the plastic pollution that has become pervasive and devastating to the environment. An estimated 500 million plastic straws are used and discarded every day in the United States — enough to wrap around the earth 2.5 times. In California, the annual “Coastal Cleanup Day” has tracked the amount of trash collected since 1992, and plastic straws and stirrers are the sixth most common item collected. Plastic cutlery is the fifth most common item collected.
The ordinance also covers the commercial use and distribution of compostable and biodegradable petroleum or biologically based straws, stirrers, forks, spoons, and knifes, since these items are not easily composted and often cause issues at compost facilities. In other words, the City will only allow the commercial use and distribution of straws, stirrers, forks, knifes, sporks, and spoons that are made from non-plastic materials, such as paper, wood, bamboo, etc.
Plastic straws, stirrers, and cutlery never biodegrade. The plastic is broken down into smaller pieces that become difficult to manage in the environment. Nearly all plastic, regardless of whether it has been recycled, still exists. It is estimated that there are over five trillion pieces of plastic in the ocean. Tiny plastic fragments in the ocean are eaten by marine wildlife and enter the food chain.
To raise awareness among the business community of the need to eliminate single-use plastic straws, the City will provide a box of environmentally safe paper straws to each local food service business. The paper straws, which carry the City’s “Keep it Clean Malibu” slogan, will demonstrate to both businesses and consumers that the single-use plastic straw can be easily replaced. For those who wish to use them, sustainable, reusable straws and cutlery are available in metal, wood, glass, bamboo and other materials.
To read the staff report or learn more about the City’s efforts to reduce plastic pollution, visit www.MalibuCity.org/plastic.
Malibu previously banned polystyrene foam products effective January 1, 2017. That ordinance bans the sale or distribution of food ware, meat and fish trays, packing materials ("peanuts" and shipping boxes), coolers, ice chests and similar containers and other items made of polystyrene.
Starting January 2nd and lasting approximately 8 months, the Malibu Canyon Road tunnel will be closed for construction from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. 5 nights a week, Sunday nights to Thursday nights (until 5 a.m. on Friday mornings). The tunnel will remain open weekdays between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m as well as all day on weekends (until 9 p.m. Sunday night).
During these closures, Malibu Canyon Road traffic will be detoured onto Kanan Dume Road and Topanga Canyon Boulevard.
Los Angeles County Public Works is undertaking this massive 7 month project in order to improve the tunnel’s interior lining by replacing steel plates inside of the tunnel. Other improvements will be made to the roadway in order to improve road safety and driver comfort. The project will also bring water quality benefits with the construction of a vegetated swale, which will filter pollutants from storm water and help replenish groundwater supplies.
For more information, visit the LA County Public Works website at dpw.lacounty.gov/pdd/proj/MalibuTunnel.
The Malibu Country Mart announces the introduction of CURVE, a woman’s boutique offering well-known designers from Phillip Lim to Alexander Wang and more.
CURVE boutique brings a collection of luxury pieces and provides shoppers with a personalized experience, with trained stylists who hand-select styles from numerous designers. CURVE carries brands including Jean Paul Gaultier, Proenza Schouler, Emanuel Ungaro, Rodarte, and CURVE founder Nevena Borissova’s own signature line sold exclusively at CURVE stores.
The Malibu location is CURVE’s fifth store, with other locations in New York, San Francisco, Miami and Los Angeles. Its interior features an industrial aesthetic with concrete floors, marble countertops and oversized mirrors. Track lighting and exposed beams create more of an art-gallery feel with muted colors to make its signature designer pieces stand out.
The store is located at 3835 Cross Creek Road, Suite 17. Open seven days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m
Having started as a standalone store on Robertson Boulevard, CURVE was first founded by Nevena Borissova, who opened the Los Angeles store in 1997 at just 22 years old. With a discerning eye for detail and what would be popular each season, Nevena began to discover and promote new fashion talent and became known for being a buyer that was always “ahead of the curve.” Today, with an extremely loyal clientele and a devout following of costume designers, stylists, editors, celebrities and fashionable women worldwide, CURVE remains one of the original pillars of cutting-edge style in retail.
For more information, please visit www.shopcurve.com or call 310-456-9944.
About the Malibu Country Mart
The Malibu County Mart encompasses six acres of prime real estate in the heart of Malibu. The 67 unique tenants comprised of high-end retail, dining, and service offerings are housed in an eclectic mix of architectural styles including Mediterranean, modern and rustic influences. The structures are complimented by world-class gardens, unique sculptures, outdoor dining and picnic areas, and the popular children’s playground. The Malibu County Mart is leading the trend in Malibu in eco-friendly practices, from three electric car charging stations to a chemical-free sandbox in the children’s playground. www.malibucountrymart.com
Malibu Pier Restaurant & Bar opened today, May 15th, at the foot of the Malibu Pier (previously occupied by The Beachcomber), 23000 Pacific Coast Highway. Executive Chef Jason Fullilove and his team will be serving up fresh seafood in a casual environment. Their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/malibupierrestaurantandbar displays a some of what's to come, including fresh oysters, California White Sea Bass Carpaccio, Tuna Crudo, Malibu Fennel Salad, California Striped Bass, Malibu Seafood Stew, black rice gumbo with octopus, pork sausage, peas, Thai basil, and prawns, Strawberry Pie and more, accompanied by a full bar. Visit malibupierrestaurant.com for more information.
UPDATE 12/29/12: Ringing in 2013 with style, Mr. Chow officially opens its Malibu Country Mart location on New Year's Eve (December 31).
MALIBU COUNTRY MART WELCOMES THE LEGENDARY MR. CHOW
Masterful Chinese cuisine meets the beach, scheduled to open prior to Christmas
Originally Posted 9/13/12: Malibu Country Mart, Southern California’s premiere lifestyle center, welcomes Mr. Chow, the internationally known upscale Chinese restaurant, scheduled to open this winter.
Joining the well-known designer boutiques, glamorous jewelers and unique local retailers, Mr. Chow will bring its distinctive restaurant experience to the well-heeled Malibu Country Mart crowd. The Malibu location, designed by Michael Chow, will be in the incomparable Mr. Cho
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