Vivoli Cafe & Trattoria in Westlake Village is Closed; Looks Like Veggie Grill is Coming

Vivoli Cafe & Trattoria at 3825 E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Westllake Village, is closed. The owner of the chain indicated on the Vivoli website that due to a partnership dissolution he had to close the restaurant and others. But he does indicate he is looking to re-open at some time and place in the future.

Look carefully at the photo and you'll see a notice on the window. The notice is from North Ranch Properties, landlord of the property, indicating 1) improvements/alterations are being made to the property that they are not responsible for and 2) The Veggie Grill, Inc. is leasing the property.

So it appears we will be getting a Veggie Grill here! This should make some people happy! According to a recent press release, "Veggie Grill’s menu features a satisfying and energizing variety of hot sandwiches and burgers, entrée salads, homestyle plates, daily soups and housemade desserts made from hearty “veggie-proteins” and wholesome ingredients. With 16* locations in California, Oregon and Washington, Veggie Grill renders the impossible possible: 100-percent plant-based food that is convenient, affordable and craveable."

* Now 19 locations, with the closest one in Encino.

Visit www.veggiegrill.com to learn more about Veggie Grill.

Thousand Oaks Deputies Recognizing Good Citizenship by Youngsters with 7-Eleven "Operation Chill" Slurpee Coupons

Thousand Oaks Deputies Recognizing Good Citizenship by Youngsters with 7-Eleven "Operation Chill" Slurpee Coupons

School’s out for summer and kids in Thousand Oaks may actually look forward to their next encounter with the “heat” this summer, thanks to 7-Eleven® stores’ popular Operation Chill program that rewards positive behavior with a very cool treat.

Through Operation Chill®, Thousand Oaks Station patrol officers can “ticket” youngsters caught in the act of doing good with Slurpee® beverage coupons. Appropriate “offenses” might include helping another person, deterring crime or participating in a positive activity in the community. Each coupon can be redeemed for a small Slurpee drink at participating 7-Eleven stores. The Thousand Oaks Police Bike Team began handing out the coupons in June this year to reward kids for wearing helmets while riding bicycles or skateboarding. The program is expanding to all Thousand Oaks Station patrol officers and is focusing on the summer and back to school months to promote good citizenship. The coupons are great for officers who are on patrol in the community. It’s an icebreaker, a way to encourage dialogue in a non-threatening, non-law enforcement situation.

Since its inception in 1995, Operation Chill has grown to include several hundred law enforcement agencies in the United States and Canada each year, and more than twelve million coupons have been distributed to officers on the beat in cities and towns where 7-Eleven does business.

Operation Chill was developed by 7-Eleven, Inc. to positively reward and encourage good behavior by kids during the hot summer months, when communities may experience increases in loitering, shoplifting and graffiti, and to support law enforcement agencies’ community relations projects. The Thousand Oaks Police Department uses the Operation Chill program to reward youth for their good deeds as well as to enhance their relations with the young people of their city.

Source: Ventura County Sheriff's Office www.vcsd.org

Studio Channel Islands Art Center Moves to New Location on Ventura Boulevard

Art Center Celebrates Move To New Location With Rededication Ceremony on Saturday, August 3rd

A rededication ceremony on Saturday, August 3 will celebrate the conversion of Pleasant Valley School’s former auditorium to Studio Channel Islands Art Center’s regional offices and new Blackboard Gallery.

State and local dignitaries will speak at the ceremony which begins at 2:00 p.m. with speakers including state and local officials, as well as school district and art associations’ dignitaries. The school auditorium was added to the Pleasant Valley Elementary School in 1949, when it was dedicated by then School Board Chairman Adolfo Camarillo.

The celebration will continue with a ribbon cutting ceremony, live music, refreshments, art activities for children, and artists’ demonstrations. From 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. a free public art reception will open in the new Blackboard Gallery for the exhibit “Unlimited,” juried by contemporary artist Gary Lang.

The Art Center move will unite all their activities, classes, exhibits and programs on the former elementary school campus in Old Town Camarillo. Since 2010, more than 40 working artist studios have been located in converted classrooms behind the former auditorium. The new facility includes not only the new Blackboard Gallery which is three times the size of their former space, but an enlarged art gift store, a stage for performances, and offices.

The new address for Studio Channel Islands Art Center offices and gallery is 2222 Ventura Boulevard in Old Town Camarillo. Hours are Tuesday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The artists’ studios behind the new gallery are open to the public every First Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, please visit our website www.StudioChannelIslands.org or call the office at 805.383.1368.

Qdoba Mexican Grill Locations in Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village and Simi Valley to Close on Friday, June 28th at 3PM

This morning in an email Qdoba Mexican Grill announced "We're sorry to announce that your Qdoba location at 265 N. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks will be closing permanently on Friday, June 28 at 3:00 p.m. It's been great serving you, and we hope we can share delicious meals with you again in the future."

Upon further review on the Qdoba Southern California Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/qdobasocal, I discovered that ALL Ventura County Qdoba locations, including the Simi Valley and Westlake Village locations, not to mention seven other So Cal locations including the Valencia location, will also be closing tomorrow. Wow!

They did note "We’re still serving your Qdoba favorites at our other Southern California locations including Hope St. downtown, Hawthorne, Upland, Duarte and Culver City."

So if you're a Ventura County Qdoba fan, you best be getting over to Qdoba tonight or for lunch tomorrow to get your final fill.

City of Thousand Oaks Seeks Entries for 2nd Annual Photo Contest

Deadline extended by the City to August 1, 2013 5pm.

Photographers of all ages and skill levels are invited to participate in the City of Thousand Oaks “Faces, Places, & Open Spaces” Photo Contest. The photo contest is returning for a second consecutive year featuring a new Instagram category!

Photos may be submitted in four categories: Environment, People & Places, Mobile, and Instagram snapshots using hashtag #FacesPlacesOpenSpaces. Winning photos will be judged based on creativity, photo quality, and representation of Thousand Oaks and featured on TOTV, in citywide print and electronic marketing materials, and social media channels. First, second, and third place winners in each category will be awarded a certificate by the Mayor at a future City Council meeting.  

There is no cost to enter and contestants may submit up to five photos per entry by Mail or drop-off to: City of Thousand Oaks, Attn: Photo Contest, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd; Email mobile photos to rwagner@toaks.org; Upload Instagram photos to the Instagram mobile application using hashtag #FacesPlacesOpenSpaces. A signed entry form and participation agreement is required for eligibility and entries must be received by July 1, 2013 at 5:00 PM (EXTENDED TO AUGUST 1, 2013 AT 5PM).

Visit www.toaks.org/photocontest for contest details and to download entry forms.

See some of the winners of last year's contest at this link.

Santa Monica Mountains 2013 Spirit of the Mountains Photo Contest

Share the wonder of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and enter the Spirit of the Mountains Photo Contest. Let your photographic imagination capture the essence of this hidden jewel. Open to amateur photographers only. Digital or film prints are acceptable. Entries accepted September 1 - September 30, 2013. Submit only photos of the Santa Monica Mountains Zone. For a map of the zone, contest flyer and more, visit www.nps.gov/samo/photocontest.htm.

SUGARFISH by Sushi Nozawa Coming Soon to The Commons at Calabasas

SUGARFISH by Sushi Nozawa at The Commons at Calabasas is now open. Visit sugarfishsushi.com/calabasas or call 818.223.9966 for more information.

ORIGINAL POST November 30, 2012:

SUGARFISH embodies the philosophy of celebrated sushi chef Kazunori Nozawa, concentrating on the purity of his basic ingredients— nurturing relationships with the finest fish purveyors across the globe, cutting his fish with an artisan’s painstaking care, and even making his own fresh soy sauce and ponzu.

So what, you say? Well, soon there will be a SUGARFISH by Sushi Nozawa at The Commons at Calabasas just a dozen miles east of Thousand Oaks! No specific date at this point in time.

According to the SUGARFISH website: "Nozawa shuns “American-style” extravagant rolls and fusion dishes. Our menu, while always featuring the highest quality items, is greatly simplified. Diners choose from three core menus called Trust Me’s, a takeoff of the traditional Japanese omakase that Nozawa pioneered. The biggest change is there are no visible sushi chefs behind the sushi bar. By moving our sushi making to the kitchen, we are set up for maximum efficiency (and not for show). All of this allows us to deliver great sushi at a fair price."

Sounds pretty good to me! Visit the SUGARFISH website at sugarfishsushi.com to learn more or try it at locations in Brentwood, Downtown L.A., Marina del Rey, Santa Monica, Studio City and the Santa Monica Farmers' Market.

Sliders Bar & Grill at Simi Valley Town Center Announces It Has Closed Its Doors

Sliders Bar & Grill at the Simi Valley Town Center announced via Facebook today that it has closed its doors. Sliders originally opened on Thursday, November 18, 2010 and thus it was open for a total of exactly 31 months.  The occupant of that space prior to Sliders was Spark Woodfire Grill. No word on what will be the next occupant of this space.

Best wishes to the Sliders staff. For those looking for new restaurants to work at (or try out for that matter), in and around Ventura County, check out this link.