Lot of Buzz About New Bookstore That Opened Today at The Oaks Mall

UPDATE: This location closed effective 3/1/20 but owners anticipate relocating elsewhere around town.

Conejo Valley Guide Facebook followers were abuzz today about the new The Open Book bookstore that opened at The Oaks Mall in Thousand Oaks this morning. It has been quite a number of years since there was a bookstore at The Oaks, and from the oohs and ahhs shown on Facebook, there are still quite a number of folks chomping at the bit to buy books!

According to its Facebook page, The Open Book was previously located at the Topanga Westfield Mall in the San Fernando Valley. According to owners, The Open Book sells new books and DVDs at significantly discounted prices. The store contains an inventory of an estimated 20,000 items, which also includes out of print and vintage books. In addition to a Sunday children's storytime, the store plans to initiate a book club at a future date.

The Open Book is located on the 2nd floor inside The Oaks in the store that previously was occupied by Coldwater Creek. In, fact, they indicated that dressing rooms were demolished to make room for an amazing kids' department. The store is located next to the doors leading to the outdoor shops, restaurants and Muvico.

Call (805) 494-5056 for more information.

Lal Mirch Indian Restaurant Opening Soon in Agoura Hills

Update 8/27/14: Lal Mirch is now open in Agoura! Their phone number is 818.312.9690. lalmirchagourahills.com  Based on the comments to this post, sounds like they have some great food!

Original post 7/5/14: Jonathan L brought to our attention that Lal Mirch Indian Restaurant is "opening soon" at the former Pizza Hut location at 5146 Kanan Road in Agoura Hills, just north of the 101 near McDonald's.

Lal Mirch has an existing location in Studio City, with solid reviews in Yelp. According to its website at www.lmdining.com:

"Our spices are imported directly from India to preserve the quality and freshness you can taste. If you are a VEGETARIAN, then a warm welcome is extended to you with our comprehensive vegetarian menu.

Lal Mirch means red chili, one of the many spices used in Indian cooking. The role of spices and herbs goes beyond just cooking and great taste. Our chef has learnt to use this knowledge and weave them into our dishes. Ginger prevents dyspepsia, garlic reduces cholesterol and hypertension and fenugreek is a good resistance builder and with pepper often serve as antihistamines, turmeric is used for stomach ulcers and for glow of the skin.

All dishes are made to order. You can choose from mild, medium, or hot for levels of spice and our chef will prepare each dish individually to ensure freshness, quality and your satisfaction."

Police Volunteers Offer Valuable Services to the Residents of Thousand Oaks

The Thousand Oaks Police Department has a team of dedicated volunteers who provide valuable police-related services to residents of the Conejo Valley. The Department's Volunteers in Policing (VIP) can be seen patrolling our streets in specially marked vehicles or staffing Police Resource Centers located throughout the city. Our VIPs are giving back to their community, so please take advantage of the services they offer!

Please call any of the three local Police Resource Centers for the following services:

Vacation House Checks – VIPs will check your home for you while you’re away looking for any signs that the safety of your home could be compromised.

Fingerprinting Services for Job Seekers – for situations when you need an ink rolled fingerprint for background check purposes.

Kid Prints – VIPs will fingerprint your child (from ages 2-17) for free. The card is for identification purposes only and will provide important instructions for the parents in the event your child is lost.

Our VIPs respond to calls for service in the community which is a big help for the deputies. The volunteers have also been instrumental in finding at-risk missing persons by using their vast knowledge of our city’s geography. With a group average of 35,000 hours donated yearly, our team is helping to keep our city safe. Please don’t hesitate to take advantage of the services offered by our Volunteers in Policing!

Police Resource Center locations and phone numbers:

Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza (behind ticket window)
Phone: 805.449.2760
2100 East Thousand Oaks Blvd

The Oaks Mall (1st level outside women’s Macy’s)
Phone: 805.497.3235
350 West Hillcrest Drive

Newbury Park Library
Phone: 805.375.5630
2330 Borchard Road, Newbury Park

9021Pho Opened at The Lakes at Thousand Oaks on Monday, August 18th

9021Pho is opening its doors today, August 18th, at 11am. Grand opening event on August 27th.

About 9021Pho

Created by Vietnamese Master Chef Kimmy Tang, 9021Pho is a unique casual service restaurant that offers a Vietnamese-centric menu with French influences and California flair. Chef Kimmy blends a traditional Vietnamese palette of healthy, colorful vegetables, rich in antioxidants with lean proteins. With her exclusive flash cooking method, all vital nutrients are retained and minimal oil is used. Exclusive to 9021Pho, Chef Kimmy’s dishes are accented with handmade sauces made with fresh herbs, spices, and unexpected notes. Uniquely Californian, each dish is light and clean, and made with only the highest quality ingredients. Chef Kimmy was also a featured chef at the prestigious 2014 James Beard Award Gala Dinner. 9021Pho has four locations for dine-in, take out, or delivery: Beverly Hills (490 N. Beverly Drive), Glendale Galleria (1164 Glendale Galleria Way), Sherman Oaks (Fashion Square Mall, 14006 Riverside Drive), Thousand Oaks at The Lakes (2200 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd.) and West Hollywood (7950 W. Sunset Blvd., Unit E). 9021pho.com

Update 5/14/14: 9021Pho in Westlake Village has closed, but the new location at The Lakes at Thousand Oaks is anticipated to open real soon. On its Facebook page they indicate sometime in June.

Posted 2/9/14:

Yesterday, French Vietnamese restaurant 9021Phoannounced it will be opening a new location at The Lakes at Thousand Oaks by the end of March 2014. It will be located adjacent to California Pizza Kitchen in the space previously occupied by Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (and more recently International Organic Treats).

9021Pho serves up traditional Pho noodle bowls, rice dishes, entrees, salads and more in a casual atmosphere. Other locations at the Glendale Galleria, Beverly Hills and Sherman Oaks. Learn more at 9021pho.com.

Hueneme Fishing Pier Closed through Summer 2014 Due to Severe Sand Erosion

Hueneme Fishing Pier closed through the summer due to severe sand erosion.

Due to severe sand erosion on the beach, the Hueneme Fishing Pier is structurally unsafe and will remain closed through the summer and until repairs are completed. Updates at www.ci.port-hueneme.ca.us.

Dunkin' Donuts Announces Ventura County in Future Development Plans in 2016

Dunkin’ Donuts recently announced it plans to open its first traditional restaurants in California, including planned locations in Downey, Long Beach, Modesto, Santa Monica and Whittier before the end of 2014.

Since opening California for franchise development in 2013, Dunkin’ Donuts has executed store development agreements for nearly 200 new restaurants total to date. The company believes it can eventually have as many as 1,000 restaurants throughout the state.

The company also announced the signing of multi-unit store development agreements with four new franchise groups to develop 54 new restaurants throughout Southern California in the coming years. Among these groups, locally here in Ventura County, The Tasty Group LLC, whose principals include local restaurateurs and developers David Ahn and BJ Kim, existing franchisee Dante Rizzo, and Frank Giardina, plan to develop two restaurants in Santa Barbara and eight restaurants throughout Ventura County over the coming years, with the first restaurant expected to open in 2016.

Dunkin' Donuts offerings include hot and iced coffee, hot and iced tea, lattes, Dunkin’ Donuts K-Cup® Packs, Coolatta® frozen drinks, donuts, muffins, bagels, breakfast and bakery sandwiches, and a DDSMART® menu featuring better-for-you menu items.

To learn more about Dunkin’ Donuts, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com.

Burger Werkz in Westlake Village Closed Its Doors Last Week

For reasons not entirely clear to me, Burger Werkz, located at the northeast corner of Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Lindero Canyon Road in Westlake Village, closed its doors last week. I was alerted by several Burger Werkz fans via the Conejo Valley Guide Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ConejoValleyGuide that Burger Werkz had closed.

There was no specific mention of the closure other than a comment on August 4th: "Our Certificate of Occupancy expired and we were forced to shut down due to reasons out of our control. We will post any updates on FB. Thanks for your support!! BW" The Burger Werkz phone number has been disconnected.

Burger Werkz originally opened on February 13, 2013, about 18 months ago.

Beach Bowl to Open at The Collection at RiverPark in Oxnard This Year

The Collection at RiverPark recently announced that Beach Bowl will be opening later in 2014 next to Settebello Pizzeria Napolentana. Beach Bowl currently serves up Acai bowls, smoothies and cold-pressed juice, frozen yogurt, coffee and tea at its first location in Downtown Carpinteria. Learn more at thebeachbowl.com.

UPDATE: It does not appear that Beach Bowl will be opening at The Collection anymore.

Aroha New Zealand Cuisine to Open in the Coming Months in Westlake Village

UPDATE: Aroha permanently closed its doors in November 2018 after the devastating Woolsey Fire.

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Aroha New Zealand Cuisine opened in September 2014 at 30990 Russell Ranch Road, Suite C in Westlake Village, sharing a parking lot with Lure Fish House and The Counter Burger. 

The restaurant is owned by husband/wife team, chef Gwithyen Thomas and his wife, Justine Thomas, who is blogging about restaurant updates at justinethomasmusic.blogspot.com. What a story...Gwithyen and Justine met and fell in love through his cooking while she and her family were vacationing in New Zealand.

"Aroha" (pronounced Uh-Row-Ha) means love in Maori, the native language of New Zealand. The restaurant is described as classy/casual with a menu that specializes in New Zealand cuisine and draws inspiration from French, Italian, Japanese and Singaporian cuisine. The menu will offer many gluten free, vegetarian and vegan options.

To learn more, visit www.aroharestaurant.com and www.facebook.com/ArohaRestaurant.

Aroha (ˈɑːrɒhə) — love, compassion, or affectionate regard. [Māori]

Aroha is a classy casual restaurant founded by award winning chef, Gwithyen Thomas, and his wife Justine. Gwithyen and Justine met and fell in love through his cooking while she and her family were vacationing in New Zealand.

The menu specializes in New Zealand Cuisine and draws inspiration from French, Italian, Japanese, and Singaporian cuisine. The food is locally sourced and changes seasonally to provide the freshest and highest quality. The menu is allergy friendly with many gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan options. Justine's many food allergies drives their dedication to providing a safe environment for all customers with allergy restrictions.

The opened layout restaurant is designed to provide a relaxing atmosphere for customers looking for a flavorful and beautifully presented meal without a formal setting.

Aroha will be opening in Q3 of 2014