The Container Store is Coming to The Collection at RiverPark on Saturday, November 14th

Update 11/6/15: On grand opening weekend, November 14-15, The Container Store Oxnard will give away prizes every hour, including a $1,000 elfa ® space makeover.

The store is set to have 10,000 ingenious storage and organization products in 16 lifestyle sections.

They have announced that 10% of grand opening weekend sales will be donated to local Casa Pacifica Center for Children & Families.

Store hours are 10am to 9pm, Mon to Sat and 11am to 7pm on Sunday. www.containerstore.com

Update June 2015: Grand opening date of November 14, 2015 is planned for The Container Store at The Collection at RiverPark in Oxnard. www.containerstore.com/locations/showStore.htm?store=OXN

ContainerStoreRiverPark.jpg

Original post 2/20/15: Last week, The Collection at Riverpark in Oxnard announced that The Container Store will be opening later this year. The Container Store, the nation’s originator and leading retailer of storage and organization products, will offer more than 10,000 products to help customers save space and, ultimately, save time. The 25,000 square foot building is under construction next to H&M and is scheduled to open in late 2015.

The Container Store opened its first store in 1978 and has 70 store locations nationwide. The company has been named to FORTUNE magazine’s 100 Best Companies To Work For® – 15 years in a row. Visit www.containerstore.com for more information.

This is quite a nice development for The Collection and all of Ventura County, as this will be the first and only location of The Container Store here. The closest locations are at the Los Angeles Farmers Market, Century City and El Segundo.

County of Ventura Food Facility Closures September/October 2015

The County of Ventura Environmental Health Division (EHD) protects public health and the environment by ensuring conformance with State laws and County ordinances pertaining to food protection, hazardous materials, hazardous waste, individual sewage disposal systems, land use, medical waste, ocean water quality monitoring, recreational health, solid waste, underground fuel tanks and vector control.

The EHD publishes food facility closures at www.ventura.org/rma/envhealth/community-services/consumer-food/closures.html.

The following closures were noted in September/October 2015. Keep in mind when reviewing this that there are many possible reasons for the closures, most of which are very temporary issues.

October 2015

Ben & Jerry's of Ventura, 523 E. Main Street,Ventura;

Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 10/30/15; Date reopened - 10/31/15

Doc's Meat Market #2 (Meat Department only), 630 S. A St. Oxnard;

Unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 10/27/15; Date reopened - 10/30/15

Win's Drive-In, 310 N. A St. Oxnard;

Unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 10/27/15; Date reopened - 10/28/15

Ralph's (meat, deli & bakery areas only), 3963 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks;
No hot water provided for hand washing or utensil cleaning;
Date closed - 10/26/15; Date reopened - 10/26/15

California's Pizza & Drinks, 509 South C Street, Oxnard;

Hand wash sink was removed in the food preparation area, resulting in no means to wash hands when preparing food;

Date closed - 10/26/15; Date reopened - 10/27/15

Sugar Lab, 2745 Sherwin Avenue, Unit 1, Ventura;

No hot water available for hand washing or utensil washing;

Date closed - 10/22/15; Date reopened - 10/22/15

Pho Oxnard, 722 N. Ventura Rd., Oxnard;
Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;
Date closed - 10/15/15; Date reopened - 10/16/15 

Jim & Rob's, 1876 E. Main Street, Ventura

Inoperable refrigeration resulting in unsafe food temperatures;

Date closed - 10/13; 15; Date reopened - 10/14/15

R.V. Produce, 40 N. Wells Road, Santa Paula;

Rodent infestation, unsanitary conditions, no water available for hand washing;

Date closed - 10/13/15; Date reopened - 10/22/15

Ventura Inn, 487 E. Main Street, Ventura;

Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 10/12/15; Date reopened - 10/13/15

Los Arcos Restaurant, 978 E. Main Street, Santa Paula;

Rodent infestation, unsanitary condistions, failure to adhere to a compliance agreement;

Date closed - 10/12/15; Date reopened - 10/15/15

White Elephant Thai Cuisine, 668 N. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks;

No valid Permit to Operate;

Date closed - 10/08/15; Date reopened - 10/08/15

Omega Sushi, 5830 E. Los Angeles Avenue, Simi Valley;

Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 10/07/15; Date reopened - 10/09/15

The Melting Pot, 3685 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks,

(bar section only);

Hand wash sink inoperable at bar area;

Date closed - 10/7/15; Date reopened - 10/08/15

La Tapatia #4, 1069 E. Main Street, Santa Paula;

Inoperable plumbing resulting in inability to properly wash utensils; unsanitary conditions inside the facility;

Date closed - 10/06/15; Date reopened - 10/06/15

September 2015

El Preferido Taco Shop, 654 W. Harvard Blvd., Santa Paula;

Inoperable grease trap resulting in wastewater flowing inside the facility; unsanitary condtions;

Date closed - 09/30/15; Date reopened - 09/30/15

Menchies, 5944 Telegraph Road, Ventura;

No permit to operate;

Date closed - 09/28/15; Date reopened - 10/01/15

Bindi Food Market, 11025  Violeta Street, Saticoy;

Unsanitary conditions resulting in contamination of food and fly infestation;

Date closed - 09/28/15; Date reopened - 09/28/15

Simi Deli USA, 2248 Tapo Street, Simi Valley;

Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 09/28/15; Date reopenend - 09/30/15

Players Card Club (restaurant only), 6580 Auto Center Drive, Ventura;

No operable sinks in the food preparation area; unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 09/24/15; Date reopened - 09/30/15

Peking Inn, 330 N. Lantana Street, Camarillo;

Rodent and cockroach infestation; failure to adhere to a compliance agreement; serious and repeat violations; unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 09/23/15; Date reopened - 09/25/15

Tresierras Supermarket (meat section only), 280 E. Harvard, Santa Paula;

Inoperable plumbing, wastewater overflowing onto the floor;

Date closed - 09/22/15; Date reopened - 09/23/15

Alamo, 2311 Borchard Road, Newbury Park;

Rodent infestation, cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 09/22/15; Date reopened - 09/23/15

Tacos Jalisco #1, 2292 E. Main Street, Ventura;

Inoperable plumbing, sink not available in food preparation area to wash hands;

Date closed - 09/21/15; Date reopened - 09/22/15

Moorpark High School Snack Bar, 4500 Tierra Rejada Road, Moorpark;

Rodent infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 09/16/15; Date reopened - 09/18/15

Domino's Pizza, 431 N. Ojai Road, Santa Paula;

Inoperable refrigeration in food preparation area resulting in no means to maintain potentially hazardous foods at safe temperature;

Date closed - 09/16/15; Date reopened - 09/17/15

Country Harvest, 3345 Kimber Drive, Newbury Park;

Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 09/15/15; Date reopened - 09/16/15

Montezuma Restaurant, 112 Stroube Street, Oxnard;

Vermin infestation, unsanitary conditions, failure to adhere to a compliance agreement, serious and repeated violations;

Date closed - 09/09/15; Date reopened - 09/10/15

Jimmy's Slice, 586 E. Main Street, Ventura;

No hot water available for utensil washing or hand washing;

Date closed - 09/08/15; Date reopened - 09/09/15

Der Wienerschnitzel #314, 2172 E. Harbor Blvd., Ventura;

Rodent infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 09/04/15; Date reopened - 09/05/15

McGraw Hill Financial Announces it Seeks "Strategic Alternatives" for J.D. Power

Last week, McGraw Hill Financial announced it will be exploring "strategic alternatives" for J.D. Power, our local Westlake Village based marketing information services company. McGraw Hill indicates 2016 revenues will approach $350 million.

"Strategic alternatives" basically means seeking a buyer. Reuters indicates J.D. Power could fetch as much as $1 billion in a sale.

J.D. Power and Associates was founded on April 1, 1968 by J.D. "Dave" Power III with his wife Julie at their home in Calabasas. On April 1, 2005 the company was acquired by The McGraw-Hill Companies (renamed McGraw Hill Financial in 2013 to more closely align the company name to its core business).

McGraw Hill did not disclose the purchase price of J.D. Power and Associates in 2005, but it did indicate in its 2006 annual SEC filing that it paid $461.8 million to acquire several businesses, including Vista Research, J.D. Power and 49% of CRISIL, Limited.

J.D. Power contributed $144.7 million of revenue to McGraw Hill's bottom line from 4/1/05 to 12/31/05, which translates to about $190 million in annual revenue that year.

Learn more about J.D. Power at www.jdpower.com.

Peking Duck Restaurant Looks to Be Opening Soon in Simi Valley

We were on an outing to Harley's Valley Bowl the other day when we saw the Peking Duck sign up at 5225 Cochran Street, Simi Valley. The sign says "coming soon" so stay tuned. 

UPDATE: Peking Duck opened the last week of December.

TWELVE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS TO DO IN SIMI VALLEY

Sephora Coming to The Promenade at Westlake This November

Nov Update: Sephora is now open.

SephoraWLV.jpg

Posted 8/17/15: Caruso Affiliated’s The Promenade at Westlake will welcome beauty retailer Sephora this November. A visionary beauty-retail concept, Sephora's unique, open-sell environment features an ever-increasing amount of classic and emerging brands across a broad range of product categories including skincare, color, fragrance, body and haircare, in addition to Sephora's own private label, SEPHORA COLLECTION. From unparalleled beauty advice to professional makeovers, guests will be able to tap into the latest products, skincare and expertise, as well as shop favorite brands like Marc Jacobs Beauty, Formula X, Bite Beauty, Fresh, Drybar, and more.

The Promenade at Westlake is located at 100 Promenade Way, Westlake Village and is open Monday – Thursday: 10am-8pm, Friday – Saturday: 10am-9pm and Sunday: 11am-7pm

www.sephora.com  / www.shoppromenade.com

Butler's Pizza Now Open in Former Home of Mulberry Street Pizzeria in Thousand Oaks

A couple weeks ago, Mulberry Street Pizzeria at 1655 E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks changed ownership and became Butler's Pizza, a family-owned pizza parlor.  I called them (same phone number as before 805.379.1121). Visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Butlers-Pizza-1388453068128799.

Mulberry Street originally opened at this location in April 2013, about a month after the previous occupant, PizzaSalad, closed its doors after five years in business.

Thanks to Alison F for the heads up!

$2.00 slices and $1 sodas with a local student ID BUTLER'S PIZZA

A photo posted by Butler's Pizza (@butlerspizza.to) on

Gino's Bistro in Newbury Park Indicates Gino to Retire in the Coming Months

Gino's Bistro (circa 2010)

Gino's Bistro (circa 2010)

Gino of Gino's Bistro in Newbury Park has announced he will be retiring in the coming months, with an anticipated closing date likely the first week of January 2016. (FOLLOW-UP: Gino's last day of operation was December 31st.)

Gino has been in the restaurant business over 40 years and has owned a number of restaurants, including Gino's Bistro (since 2008), Di Gennara in Woodland Hills and Dolcetto's in Agoura Hills.

He is hosting what looks to be his last wine tasting dinner this Sunday, November 1st. 

On a personal note, I've enjoyed Gino and his food over the years and I know many others that have too. He will be missed, but we hope he enjoys retirement!

Gino's is located at 1620 Newbury Road in Newbury Park, next to Cronies. Phone is 805.498.3188. 

ginosbistro.com

(Note: Thanks to Julie Freedman of Newbury Park, who gave us the heads up.)

 

Five Threads Brewing Company Opening Tonight in Westlake Village

Five Threads Brewing Company is opening its doors tonight at 31133 Via Colinas, Suite 109, Westlake Village (west of Lindero Canyon Road) offering locally brewed craft beers in its tasting room. 

Five Threads? The five threads represent the five ingredients of beer: Water, Malt, Hops, Yeast and "You and Me." 

Open Wednesday through Sunday (closed for brewing on Monday/Tuesday). Visit www.fivethreadsbrewing.com for more information.