Hugo's Restaurant to Open at Whizin's Center in Agoura Hills this August

Originally posted 6/8/11: Hugo’s, the popular family restaurant with the highly eclectic menu, will open its third full-service location in Agoura Hills on SEPTEMBER 26th!

The new Hugo’s will be located in the revitalized Whizin’s Center just off the 101 Freeway.  It will be 4200 square feet with 120 seats.

The opening marks a return of sorts for co-owner Tom Kaplan, who attended high school in Agoura before its growth into a sizable Los Angeles exoburb.

Tom’s father, Terry, opened the first Hugo’s in West Hollywood 30 years ago, turning his prime butcher shop into a breakfast spot for the local residents, many of whom were Hollywood big shots who would have their morning “Power Breakfasts” there.  It was not uncommon to see the likes of George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg hanging out over a cup of coffee and strategizing their next big movie.

Hugo’s has evolved from veal to vegan and now sports a menu that includes not only one of the best Burgers in town, but a vast array of vegan and vegetarian options and a commitment to what Tom calls, “our Stealthy Healthy menu.” Mustard and ketchup are gluten-free as is most of the menu and special attention is paid to food allergies and to creating delicious vegan alternatives to traditional fare.

Hugo’s Pasta Mama, originally designed as a breakfast item featuring pasta, eggs and Italian seasonings, is so popular it has been featured “The Best Thing I Ever Ate,” and Hugo’s is at the top of many Best Breakfast lists.

“The idea behind Hugo’s,” says Tom, who lives on the street behind the Studio City restaurant, “is to introduce a lot more people to health food without them even knowing or thinking about it.”

Hugo’s Restaurants has locations in West Hollywood and Studio City and operates Hugo’s Tacos in Atwater Village and Studio City.  The company is owned and operated by Tom and Emily Kaplan, Richard and Leslie Brenner and Bill Kohne.

For more information on Hugo’s, visit www.hugosrestaurant.com and go to http://twitter.com/HugosRestaurant and www.facebook.com/hugosrestaurant

Conejo Valley Guide is a Finalist in CBS Most Valuable Blogger 2011 Competition!

Vote Daily! Click This Link!Conejo Valley Guide has been nominated for the CBS Los Angeles Most Valuable Blogger Award 2011. There are 6 categories of blogs...Dining/Entertainment, Local Affairs, Sports, Health/Fitness/Medical, Lifestyle and Everything Else. CVG was nominated to the Lifestyle category and is competing with 3 dozen other blogs.

Vote for CVG by CLICKING HERE every day until September 9th. No signups needed. Takes literally 1 second. CVG is the other Ventura County based website on the list from what I can tell. Thanks for your votes! Forward to your friends!

Winners will receive $50 Amazon gift cards. I certainly will be giving this card away via a Facebook contest. So help me win by VOTING EVERY DAY!

I did notice there is one more local nominee, in the Local Affairs category. Vote for Westlake Revelations in that category. In fact, his chance at winning are 3X better than mine because that category has only 11 entrants! Nice!

Looks Like Ranch Hand BBQ is Relocating to Another Newbury Park Location

Since this original post on July 17th I've spoken with several people who say they can't live without their tri tip and ribs. They opened on September 1st. We've been there and my kids love it. Popular place already!

Ranch Hand BBQ currently is located at 3321-B Kimber Drive in Newbury Park. However, there's a brand spanking new Ranch Hand BBQ sign up next door to Tutti Frutti at 1015 Broadbeck Drive. Given these two locations are only 1.5 miles apart, one might presume that Ranch Hand BBQ will soon be moving to this new location.  I believe my wife and kids have eaten at Ranch Hand before and I heard no complaints. And that is all.

Visit http://ranch-hand-bbq.com/ or call 805.375.4252 to learn more about Ranch Hand BBQ.

Bike Thefts on the Increase in Northern Portion of Thousand Oaks

There has been an increase in the thefts of high-end bicycles in the northern portion of Thousand Oaks during the months of July and August of this year. The suspects have entered the victims’ open patios and garages. They have used bolt cutters to remove the cable locks to steal the bicycles. Thefts have occurred during the night hours, late morning and into midday hours.

On 8-15-2011, a witness saw two Hispanic males attempt to steal a bicycle.

Suspect 1 was described as a Hispanic male, 25-30 years old, 5’-10”, 160 lbs, slender build, medium complexion with no facial hair. He was wearing a gray baseball cap.

Suspect 2 was described as a Hispanic male, 25-30 years old, 5’-8”, 180 lbs, medium build, medium complexion, and short dark hair.

Both suspects were wearing royal blue T-shirts with “We Will Floor You” written in white letters on the back of the shirt. There were other words written on the shirt, but the victim could not see what they were.

If you have any information about these crimes, please contact Detective Mike Ferguson of the Thousand Oaks Police Department.

Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

Two Recent Zumba Flash Mobs in Ventura County with Amanda Welti

Flash mobs are all the rage around the world. Haven't heard of many local ones, but Thousand Oaks fitness instructor Amanda Welti has made her mark with two recent Zumba flash mobs at the Ventura County Fair and Janss Marketplace. Planning a flash mob somewhere in Ventura County? Contact us so we can get the scoop! WE LOVE FLASH MOBS!

Belated News: Enoteca Toscana Wine Bistro in Camarillo Closed May 1st

Enoteca Toscana Wine Bistro in Old Town Camarillo closed on May 1st of this year. Somehow I never got wind of this one. The food was very good there in my opinion. My only beef with the place was that it was a bit on the pricey side. In fact, I specifically recall dining there several years back. We ordered something light, like a panini, along with a cup of minestrone soup. The soup was delicious. But when we received the bill, we discovered the soup was like $10. For a cup, not even a bowl. We kind of looked at each other in shock, thinking it had to be a mistake. But it wasn't. We asked. That was the price. That delicious $10 bowl of soup prevented me from other going back I hate to say...though if anyone offered to buy me lunch there, I'd certainly have gone. In any case, I know Enoteca will be missed.

Fallen Sign at Wendy Drive and Potrero Road in Newbury Park

There's a popular trailhead to Sycamore Canyon/Rancho Sierra Vista at the corner of Wendy and Potrero Roads in Newbury Park. This morning you'd only know that by looking down and finding this sign on the ground. No visible clues as to how this happened. Something/somebody knocked it over during the last 24 hours. Kind of a bummer to see.

For more local hiking and trails in the Conejo Valley and surrounding areas, CLICK HERE.