County of Ventura Food Facility Closures in March 2016

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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 March 2016. Keep in mind when reviewing this that there are many possible reasons for the closures, most of which are very temporary issues.

March 2016

La Cita Nightclub (restaurant only), 441 W. Hueneme Road, Oxnard;

Inoperable warewashing sink resulting in no means to adequately wash utensils;

Date closed - 03/30/16; No reopen date

The Grove Bar and Grill, 341 Williamsburg Way, Thousand Oaks;

No permit to operate, no plans submitted;

Date closed - 03/30/16; No reopen date

Big Daddy O's Beach BBQ, 2333 Roosevelt Blvd., Oxnard;

Repeated and serious violations;

Date closed - 03/29/16; No reopen date

4-Way Meat Market, 403 Cooper Road, Oxnard;

Rodent infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 03/28/16; Date reopened - 03/29/16

Papa John's Pizza, 5722 Telegraph Rd, Ventura;

Overflowing sewage in the facility, unsanitary conditions

Date closed - 03/25/16; Date reopened - 03/26/16

Pizza Man Dan's, 2736 Vineyard Ave., Oxnard;

Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 03/23/16; Date reopened - 03/24/16

Senior Nutrition, 533 Santa Clara Ave., Fillmore;

Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 03/22/16; Date reopened - 03/24/16

Campo Vanessa's, 1700 E. 5th Street, Oxnard;

Rodent infestation, unsanitary conditions, equipment not working properly resulting in the contamination of food;

Date closed - 03/21/16; Date reopened - 03/25/16

Keystone Catering, Mobile Food Facility, License # 8Y31411;

Inoperable equipment resulting in unsafe food temperatures;

Date closed - 03/20/16; Date reopened - 03/22/16

World Famous Franks, Mobile Food Facility, License # 16818F1;

Operating without a permit;

Date closed - 03/17/16; Date reopened - 03/17/16

Subway, 2031 Statham Blvd., Oxnard;

Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 03/16/16; Date reopened - 03/17/16

Pizza Man Dan's, 2390 Las Posas Rd.#J, Camarillo;

Sewage overflowing within the facility;

Date closed - 03/13/16; Date reopened - 03/15/16

Burger King, 5950 Telegraph Rd., Ventura;

No hot water available for handwashing or utensil washing;

Date closed - 03/11/16; Date reopened - 03/11/16

Siesta Market, 1372 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks; 
Rodent infestation, cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions; 
Date closed – 03/09/16; Date reopened 03/10/16

Ay Chi Hua Hua, 1145 Ventura Street, Fillmore;

Repeated and serious violations, failure to adhere to a compliance agreement;

Date closed - 03/02/16; Date reopened - 03/03/16

Reyes Creek Bar & Grill, 26905 Scheideck Road, Maricopa;

Rodent infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 03/02/16; Date reopened - 03/03/16

The Taj Cafe, 574 E. Main Street, Ventura;

Rodent infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 03/01/16; Date reopened - 03/02/16

Cal Lutheran Begins Hub101 Incubator Program as Part of Co-Working Space Re-Launch

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The California Lutheran University Center for Entrepreneurship is beginning a startup incubator program as part of a re-launch of its co-working space.

The Hub101 Incubator Program is an intensive three-month series of one-on-one mentor sessions, workshops, speaking events and investor meetings for entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses. The inaugural program will begin April 11 and culminate in a pitch night to investors from throughout Southern California.

Originally opened in 2014 along with the Center for Entrepreneurship in Westlake Village, the co-working space is now run by the university rather than a contractor. Clients will benefit from the university’s educational resources and professional network. The School of Management’s entrepreneurship program is located in the Westlake Center.

Daniel Ball and Greg Monterrosa joined the center in February to run the co-working space, the incubator and other programs. Ball, the program manager, has served as the co-director of Startup Next Los Angeles and worked as a product and marketing consultant for early-stage companies. Monterrosa, the community manager, co-founded Westlake Village-based MyLLC.com and last year mentored more than 100 startups through Startup Weekend Europe.

Ball and Monterrosa organized Conejo Valley Startup Week, which was hosted by the Center for Entrepreneurship in February. Entrepreneurs and startup enthusiasts participated in a series of events that culminated in a pitch competition at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza that drew more than 200 audience members.

The co-working space for regional entrepreneurs is designed to promote collaboration among clients, community members, faculty and students. Located just off Highway 101, the open high-tech area offers desks, private offices, classrooms, conference rooms and event space. A coffee bar and patios with fire pits provide additional areas for individual and collaborative work. Memberships begin at $49 a month.

“The center offers a place to work that is quieter than Starbucks and provides a sense of community that you don’t get working from home,” Monterrosa said.

For more information on the incubator program, go to Hub101.LA or call 805-493-3661. For more information on the co-working space, contact Monterrosa at gmonterrosa@callutheran.edu.

Freebirds World Burrito Has Closed Its Agoura Hills Location

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Photo from Freebirds

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.

Masai Giraffe Calf Born March 26th at the Santa Barbara Zoo

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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.

Support the Herd

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.

About the Santa Barbara Zoo’s Giraffes

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.

Honeyfish Poke Coming Soon to Westlake Village

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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 to Open 2nd Location at The Promenade at Westlake in Fall 2016

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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.