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.
Post other items directly to the Community Announcements section of the site.
Photo from Freebirds
We have learned from Tony S via the Conejo Valley Guide Facebook Page that Freebirds World Burrito in Agoura Hills has closed its doors. It follows the footsteps of Freebirds World Burrito locations in Ventura and Simi Valley that closed over a year ago. All three locations opened in 2011.
If you are still having cravings for Freebirds, the closest location is now in Granada Hills.
The Santa Barbara Zoo’s Masai giraffe Audrey has given birth to a calf, and the two are currently bonding, off view to the public, in the Giraffe Barn. Audrey, aged eight, gave birth to the calf on March 26 at 9:28pm in the Zoo’s Giraffe Barn after approximately five hours of labor.
The calf will have its first medical exam Sunday or Monday when height, weight, general health and sex will be assessed by the Zoo’s animal care team and vet staff. The results of the exam will determine when the calf will leave the Barn. Until that time, Audrey and the newborn calf are not on view to the public or available to media. The calf has not been named yet.
The Zoo’s giraffe herd is part of the population of 120 Masai giraffes that live at 28 North American zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Michael, the calf’s sire, is considered the most genetically valuable male Masai giraffe in captivity, because he has few relatives in zoos other than his offspring born here at the Zoo, which now numbers five.
“Michael’s genetics greatly help the diversity of the North American Masai population,” said Sheri Horiszny, director of animal care. “Every Masai giraffe born here is critical to keeping the gene pool robust.”
This is the fourth birth for Audrey at the Zoo. Her last calf, Buttercup, born in November 2014, is currently part of the Zoo’s giraffe herd. The Zoo’s other female giraffe, Betty Lou, is also pregnant, and is expected to give birth in July 2016. This is her third pregnancy and her other offspring are at other accredited zoos as part of a cooperative breeding program of the AZA’s Species Survival Plan (see below). Giraffes have a 14.5-month gestation period. Audrey is sponsored by the Dreier Family.
The public can help the Zoo welcome this long-necked arrival by becoming a Foster Feeder sponsor of the giraffe calf. A donation of $50 helps with the cost of feeding the growing giraffe family. New giraffe Foster Feeders receive a baby photo of the calf along with a certificate, giraffe fact sheet, and recognition on the Zoo’s Foster Feeder board. For information, visit www.sbzoo.org.
Audrey and Betty Lou arrived in Santa Barbara in March 2010, from the Los Angeles Zoo. Betty Lou was born at the San Diego Zoo on August 2, 2007, and Audrey was born on February 6, 2008 at the Los Angeles Zoo. Michael arrived from Parc Safari in Quebec, Canada, in January 2012.
Besides the new calf and Buttercup, Audrey’s other offspring include Dane, a male calf, born on April 18, 2014, who currently resides at the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco, Texas. She was also the mother of “surprise calf” Daniel, born in January 2011. Unknown to anyone, she was pregnant when she arrived at the Zoo, and gave birth to Daniel just short of her third birthday, which is extremely young for giraffes. She refused to nurse, so Daniel was hand-reared by Zoo staff. Daniel died in October 2012 after being anesthetized for a dental procedure to treat a life-threatening abscess and infection in his lower left jaw. Though his procedure went well, he went into respiratory arrest and could not be revived.
Betty Lou gave birth to a female giraffe, Sunshine, in April 2013, just 10 days after Dane was born. Sunshine has moved to the Phoenix Zoo as part of the AZA program. Her most recent calf, Asha, was born in March 2015 and has recently moved to the Toledo Zoo.
There are an estimated 37,000 Masai giraffes in Kenya and Tanzania, but a more thorough census is required. They are at risk due to poaching and habitat loss and degradation. Giraffes are the tallest land mammal, and the Masai is the largest subspecies, growing up to 17 feet tall and weighing 2,700 pounds.
CJ's BBQ opened a second Ventura County location, this one at 1708 Victoria Avenue, Ventura in the former home of Gandolfo's New York Deli. More info at cjsbbq.com.
UPDATE: Opened on Friday, April 29th.
Honeyfish Poke is coming soon to the former home of Pinkberry at 3835 East Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Westlake Village.
Poke (pronounced Po-Kay) is raw fish salad made popular in Hawaii. Honeyfish Poke offers customizable Poke bowls with tuna, yellowtail, albacore, salmon, shrimp, cooked crabmeat, cooked lobster meat, tofu and other options combined with toppings like edamame, carrots, wasabi peas and sauces. Sounds pretty darn good to me!
Honeyfish Poke is expanding to the Conejo Valley from its other location on Tampa Avenue in Northridge. Stay tuned! Learn more at www.honeyfishpoke.com.
Thanks for the heads up from Amelia S. via the Conejo Valley Guide Facebook Page!
Vintage Grocers, a curated community-minded market and retailer of gourmet, organic, natural and conventional foods, will be coming to The Promenade at Westlake in fall 2016. Vintage Grocers' first location is at the Trancas Country Market located in Malibu.
Double the size of the current store, the Westlake Village Vintage Grocers location will offer an even wider range of in-store products from the finest meats, produce and seafood to fruits, vegetables and more— sourced from Southern California’s leading food establishments and local artisans.
Further enhancing the new space, Vintage Grocers at The Promenade at Westlake will feature a private wine tasting room, fresh poke, olive bars, as well as pressed juices daily. In addition, the new store will include expanded bakery, meat and seafood selections, and a variety of grab-and-go stations such as burrito, pizza, ice cream and coffee bars.
Vintage Grocers at The Promenade at Westlake is scheduled to open in fall 2016. For more information about Vintage Grocers visit www.vintagegrocers.com and for more information about The Promenade at Westlake visit www.shoppromenade.com.
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 facility closures were noted in January and February 2016. Keep in mind when reviewing this that there are many possible reasons for the closures, most of which are very temporary issues.
February 2016
B & J Drive In, 1323 Los Angeles Avenue, Ventura; Unsanitary conditions, serious and repeated violations; Date closed - 02/25/16; Date reopened - 02/26/16
Burger King #1783, 1152 Los Angeles Avenue, Simi Valley; Sewage overflowing within the facility; Date closed - 02/25/16; No reopen date
Ralph's Grocery #62 (Fish/Seafood only), 615 W. Channel Islands Blvd., Port Hueneme; No hot water available for hand washing or utensil washing; Date closed - 02/24/16; Date reopened - 02/25/16
Stagecoach Station, 12679 Ojai-Santa Paula Road, Ojai; No toilet facilities available for employees; Date closed - 02/24/16; Date reopened - 02/24/16
Jasmine Thai Restaurant, 1145 S. Victoria Avenue, Ventura; Inadequate refrigeration resulting in unsafe food temperatures; Date closed - 02/18/16; Date reopened - 02/19/16
Carniceria Mexicana El Rio, 2651 Vineyard Avenue, Oxnard; Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions; Date closed - 02/08/16; Date reopened - 02/11/16
Galletto Bar & Grill, 982 S. Westlake Blvd., Westlake; Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions; Date closed - 02/04/16; Date reopened - 02/05/16
Thousand Wok Asian Bistro & Sushi Bar, 450 N. Moorpark Rd., Thousand Oaks; No hot water available for hand washing or utensil washing; Date closed - 02/04/16; Date reopened - 02/05/16
La Terraza, 1000 E. Main Street, Santa Paula; Blocked drainline resulting in inoperable plumbing; Date closed - 02/04/16; Date reopened - 02/05/16
Joi Cafe, 2855 Agoura Road, Thousand Oaks; Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions; Date closed - 02/04/16; Date reopened - 02/05/16
January 2016
Exotic Thai Bistro, 1555 Town Center Way, Simi Valley; Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions; Date closed - 01/29/16;Date reopened - 01/31/16
El Tapatio, 663 S Oxnard Blvd., Oxnard; No valid permit to operate; Date closed 01/21/16; Date reopened - 01/29/16
Buenaventura Bar & Grill, 5880 Olivas Park Road, Ventura; Inoperable plumbing; Date closed - 01/25/16; Date reopened - 01/25/16
Del Taco #177, 2990 Cochran Street, Simi Valley; No warewashing sink, or food preparation sink available; Date closed - 01/22/16; Date reopened - 01/23/16
Mercado Numero Uno, 1616 E. Los Angeles Avenue, Simi Valley; Rodent infestation, unsanitary conditions; Date closed - 01/21/16; Date reopened - 01/22/16
Prime Steakhouse, 2009 Thompson Blvd., Ventura; Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions; Date closed - 01/20/16; Date reopened - 01/21/16
Outback Steakhouse, 2341 Lockwood Street, Oxnard; Sewage overflowing within the food facility, unsanitary conditions; Date closed - 01/19/16; Date reopened - 01/20/16
Thousand Wok Asian Bistro & Sushi Bar, 450 N. Moorpark Rd., Thousand Oaks; Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions; Date closed - 01/13/16; Date reopened - 01/14/16
Peking Restaurant, 5960 Telegraph Road, Ventura; Serious and repeated violations, failure to adhere to a compliance agreement; Date closed - 01/12/16; Date reopened - 01/13/16
Marisco El Campeon, 1175 E. Harvard Blvd., Santa Paula; No hot water available for hand washing or utensil washing, failure to adhere to a compliance agreement; Date closed - 01/12/16; Date reopened - 01/13/16
Sushi Ichiban, 207 E. Channel Islands Blvd., Port Hueneme; No hot water available for hand washing or utensil washing, Inoperable hand washing facilities and unsanitary conditions; Date closed - 01/12/16; Date reopened - 01/13/16
Rachada Thai Cuisine, 525 New Los Angeles Avenue, Moorpark; No hot water available for hand washing or utensil washing; Date closed - 01/11/16; Date reopened - 01/11/16
Mia's Place, 1129 Petit Avenue, Ventura; Serious and repeated violations, failure to adhere to compliance agreement; Date closed - 01/11/16; Date reopened - 01/12/16
Sea Casa, 1014 S. Westlake Blvd., Westlake; Cockroach infestation, leak through ceiling into food preparation area, unsanitary conditions; Date closed - 01/07/16; Date reopened - 01/08/16
Las Sirenas Bar and Grill, 2091 N. Oxnard Blvd., Oxnard; Inoperable equipment, unsanitary conditions, failure to adhere to a compliance agreement; Date closed - 01/06/16; Date reopened - 01/11/16
Blenders In The Grass, 1225 S. Victoria Ave., Oxnard; No hot water available for hand washing or utensil washing; Date closed - 01/06/16; Date reopened - 01/07/16
Popeye's Chicken, 1900 N. Ventura Road, Oxnard; Facility not fully enclosed ceiling/roof water leak, unsanitary conditions; Date closed - 01/06/16; Date reopened - 01/06/16
Pookie's Thai Westlake, 900 Hampshire Road, Thousand Oaks; Rodent infestation, leak through ceiling into food preparation area, unsanitary conditions; Date closed - 01/05/16; Date reopened - 01/06/16
Melissa B tipped us off via the Conejo Valley Guide Facebook Page tonight that today was the last day that the Red Lobster at The Oaks Mall in Thousand Oaks was open.
Yes, you heard that right. After operating at this location for 5 years and 2 months, the Red Lobster Thousand Oaks is closed. This was confirmed with a phone call to the restaurant, which indicated "As of February 28, 2016, this restaurant is permanently closed" and referenced locations in Oxnard and Canoga Park.
What's next for this location, sandwiched between Olive Garden and Bank of America in the east Oaks Mall parking lot? We shall see.
As previously mentioned, The Napa Tavern at 101 S. Westlake Blvd, Westlake Village closed its doors on Tuesday, February 23rd. But coming soon to the vacated spot is Cut 360 Steakhouse. For updates, visit cut360steakhouse.com.
UPDATE: It soon re-opened after this post in early March.
Melissa W gave us the heads up via the Conejo Valley Guide Facebook page that The Napa Tavern at 101 S. Westlake Boulevard has closed its doors. The official note on its website reads as follows:
To all of our loyal friends and customers,
We would like to thank you for your support and patronage over the last 5 years. We are saddened to inform you that as of February 23rd, 2016 we will be closing our doors. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you. It was our privilege to be a part of this community and we greatly appreciate all of the years you have allowed us to serve you.
Sincerely, The Napa Tavern
Melissa also indicated that it appears a steakhouse will be going into the spot. Stay tuned.
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