County of Ventura Food Facility Closures in April 2016

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

P.J.'s Boulevard Cafe, 2157 Ventura Blvd., Camarillo

Inoperable plumbing, no hotwater for washing and sanitizing of utensils;

Date closed - 04/22/16; Date reopened - 04/22/16

Jolly Kone, 113 W. El Roblar Dr., Ojai

Inoperable plumbing, sewage backup within the food facility;

Date closed - 04/22/16;Date reopened - 04/22/16

Ranchero Restaurant, 131 W. 2nd Street, Oxnard;

Cockroach infestation and unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 04/19/16;Date reopened - 04/22/16

El Dorado Restaurant (bar only) 601 S. Oxnard Blvd, Oxnard;

Inoperable warewashing sink at the bar due to clogged drainlines;

Date closed - 04/19/16; Date reopened - 04/22/16

Discovery Ventura, 1888 E. Thompson Blvd, Ventura;

Rodent infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 04/14/16; Date reopened - 04/15/16

Cafe Nouveau, 1497 E. Thompson Blvd, Ventura;

Rodent infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 04/14/16; Date reopened - 04/15/16

Sky High Sports Camarillo, 166 N. Aviador Street, Camarillo;

Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 04/12/16; Date reopened - 04/14/16

Agave Maria, 710 Arneill Road, Camarillo;

No valid permit to operate;

Date closed - 04/11/16; No reopen date

Green Leafs & Bananas, 740 E. Ventura Blvd., FC-5, Camarillo;

Sewage backing up inside the facility, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 04/11/16; Date reopened - 04/12/16

McConnell's Fine Ice Cream & Yogurt, 3241 E. Main Street, Ventura;

Rodent infestation and unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 04/11/16; Date reopened - 04/12/16

New Flavor, 2950 Johnson Drive, Suite #134, Ventura;

Fly infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 04/11/16; Date reopened - 04/13/16

Starbucks #6609, 2991 Cochran Street, Simi Valley;

Sewage backing up inside the facility, inoperable toilet facilities, unsanitary conditions inside the facility;

Date closed - 04/11/16; Date reopened - 04/11/16

Salad Gourmet Eatery at Janss Marketplace Recently Closed Its Doors

Not sure of the specific date it happened, but recently we discovered that Salad Gourmet at the Janss Marketplace food court area is now closed.

Salad Gourmet opened in this spot approximately three years ago

Speaking of eateries at Janss Marketplace, if you're looking for great, New York style pizza, check out Greco's New York Pizzeria for perhaps the largest pizza slices you will ever find. And delicious!

 

Unusually large pizza slices at Greco's Pizzeria at Janss Marketplace

A photo posted by Conejo Valley Guide (@conejovalleyguide) on

Oil Painting Exhibit at Santa Monica Mountains Visitor Center in Calabasas 5/1-6/8

Summer Days are Here Again (Marnie Smart Piuze) 12x24

Summer Days are Here Again (Marnie Smart Piuze) 12x24

Flowing out of over three decades of exploring and enjoying the coastal shores, bluffs, and mountains, Marnie Smart Piuze’s plein air oil paintings are a grateful expression of the peace and wonder they impart.

“I feel like I’m having a vacation every time I’m painting,” says Piuze, who has lived in Malibu since 1971, always taking advantage of the trails and scenery. “I love nature. That’s why I’ve always hiked and raised my kids to value natural resources.”

Piuze has been painting for 15 years and is a member of the Allied Artists of the Santa Monica Mountains and Seashore. Her work will be on display May 1 through June 8 at the Santa Monica Mountains Interagency Visitor Center. An opening reception will be held there on Sunday, May 1 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

The visitor center is located at King Gillette Ranch, 26876 Mulholland Highway, Calabasas. For more information, call 805-370-2301

Institution Ale Moving Soon to New, Larger Brewery and Tasting Room in Camarillo

Update April 23, 2016: Obvious progress being made but no word yet on timing.

Posted November 20, 2015:

Renovation work in process at the new Institution Ale Company in Camarillo

Renovation work in process at the new Institution Ale Company in Camarillo

Local craft brewery Institution Ale Company is building out its new location at 3841 Mission Oaks Boulevard in Camarillo in the former home of Price-Leho Precision Metal Stamping.  This is a highly visible location adjacent to the Camarillo Ranch House seen by thousands of cars passing by each day on Highway 101.

But that old Price-Leho building, vacated more than a few years ago, already looks completely different, as the new occupant is giving the place a dramatic face lift. 

The building will look completely different from this old school Price-Leho building

The building will look completely different from this old school Price-Leho building

Institution Ale's new tasting room will consist of 1,500 sq ft, plus an additional 800 sq ft outside patio area, a combined total over five times its existing tasting room at 438 Calle San Pablo in Camarillo. Food options will be limited to include just pizza and soft pretzels, created from scratch, as the owner focus on the beer!

The new brewing area will also be five times larger than its current space, which will allow for up to 12,000 barrels of freshly brewed beer a year.

Opening date will be announced in the coming months at institutionales.com.

In the meantime, Institution Ale continues to operate at its current location, serving up a variety of micro-brewed beers in its tasting room.  Open 4-10PM Tuesday through Thursday, 1-10PM Friday, noon to 10PM Saturday and noon to 6PM Sunday. Closed Mondays. Call 805-482-3777 for more information.

Sport Chalet Announced on Saturday It Is In Process of Closing All Stores

This morning we heard the news that Sport Chalet is closing all of its stores and will no longer sell merchandise online. The competitive world of retail sporting goods finally caught up to Sport Chalet, which operates 51 stores in four states. The company was founded on April 1, 1959.

There are (soon to be were) Sport Chalet stores in Thousand Oaks in the Conejo Valley Plaza Shopping Center on Moorpark Road south of Janss Road) and in Oxnard near Fry's.

Although it was a shock, it is not a complete surprise. Sport Chalet, previously a publicly-traded company, was acquired by a private equity group in 2014 for $17 million in cash and the assumption of $50 million in debt. According to a July 1, 2014 LA Times article, the company had reported annual losses every year since 2007. That's quite a long time.

Dinosaurs Unextinct Exhibit at the Los Angeles Zoo April 15 to October 21, 2016

The Dinosaurs Unextinct exhibit will be on display at the Los Angeles Zoo from April 15 to October 21, 2016. Come face to face with 17 life-size, lifelike animatronic dinosaurs for fun, fossils digs and photo opps. Dinosaurs planning to make an appearance for this event include Suchomimus, Carnotaurus, Citipati, Diabloceratops, Dilophosaurus, Utahraptor, Pachyrhinosaurus, Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus Rex and more.

There is a separate ticket price of $5 (in addition to Zoo admission) for ages 2 and up for this exhibit. Visit www.lazoo.org/dinosaurslosangeleszoo to learn more and to purchase tickets in advance.

A NEW EXHIBIT, 65 MILLION YEARS IN THE MAKING Dinosaurs are back, for a limited time! A different kind of animal is coming to the Zoo: dinosaurs. For a limited time, ferocious, magnificent creatures of the mighty Mesozoic era will be "unextinct" -brought "back to life" in a previously off-limits corner of the L.A.

The Charhouse BBQ & Grill is Now Open in Oak Park

The Charhouse BBQ & Grill is now open at 706 Lindero Canyon Road, #788, Oak Park (northeast corner at Kanan). It has been open for about a week but there will be a grand opening celebration with live music on Saturday, April 16th. 

Charhouse BBQ's menu features an assortment of burgers, sandwiches, entrees and salads. Some items that have my attention are the Ahi Tuna Sandwich, Hardwood BBQ Grilled Chicken, BBQ Tri-Tip Platter, Angus Filet Mignon, Fire Roasted Artichokes, Sweet Potato Waffle Fries, Ribs, Blackened Ahi Sashimi Salad, Cashew Kale Salad with Roasted Chicken and more. 

Their website (still under construction) will be www.thecharhousebbq.com.