Prawn & Basil Coming Soon to Thousand Oaks (Closed Fall 2021)

UPDATE: Prawn & Basil will be reopening as Roast & Rice Kitchen at 30990 Russell Ranch Road, Westlake Village in 2022.

Prawn & Basil closed in the fall of 2021 and a new place is coming soon “Phil’s.”

Update: They opened in early August 2017.

I've driven by the sign numerous times while driving down Thousand Oaks Boulevard recently but today finally stopped to document the excitement. The former home of Geppino's Sicilian Kitchen (which closed earlier this year) and Vitello's before that will soon be home to Prawn & Basil. 

The liquor license sign in the window at 3316 E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard (just northwest of Duesenberg Drive) says "Prawn & Basil by Exotic Thai" so there appears to be a connection with another Thai place around town. We shall see. No timing at this point but the sign sure looks good. Stay tuned.

Hatch Café & Market Now Open in Agoura Hills

Hatch Café & Market is now open at 30651 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Agoura Hills. While I have not had the opportunity to see their menu as of yet, their Instagram page gives a little peek, including a Chorizo & Potato Flatbread Benedict, delicious looking cookies and more.  

Chorizo ➕ Potato Flatbread Benedict.🍴🍴🙌🏻🙌🏻 #hatcheatery

A post shared by Hatch Café & Market (@hatcheatery) on Jun 19, 2017 at 6:09pm PDT

White Elephant Thai Cuisine in Thousand Oaks Closed After Ten Years in Business

In a visit yesterday to the soon-to-be-owned-by-Amazon.com Whole Foods Market on Moorpark Road in Thousand Oaks, we noticed a sign on the door of White Elephant Thai Cuisine. The sign said "Thank you for being with us for 10 years. We will be looking for opportunities to re-open."

And the nearby J&J Doughnuts (previously Stan's Doughnuts) was also vacant. Smashburger is still there though!

Sushi Haru at The Village at Dos Vientos in Newbury Park Has Closed Its Doors

Update 6/23/17: Sushi Haru has closed its doors. 

Posted 5/19/16:

Red Coral Sushi at The Village at Dos Vientos Ranch in Newbury Park closed its doors on April 30th, after seven years in business. 

But the good news is that Sushi Haru, Japanese Fusion Restaurant opened June 4, 2016 (according to Brian).

The Park Restaurant and Bar in Oak Park Now Open (Closed in Spring 2021)

Annnnndd another update 5/29/21: The Park is now closed and the space is available for lease.

Update 6/22/17: The Park Restaurant and Bar is now open. www.facebook.com/theparkrestaurantandbar  Specializing in "California's finest foods, wines."

Original Post: 5/5/17

There is a new eatery coming to the former home of On The Thirty (closed last December) and Leila's (closed April 2015) at 706 Lindero Canyon Road, Suite 752 in Oak Park. 

The notice on the door indicates The Oak Park Restaurant and Bar has filed for a transfer of the license to sell alcoholic beverages at this site.

No further details at this time, so stay tuned.

Go Fish Sushi Bar Opening Again Soon at Simi Valley Town Center

Update 6/20/17: Go Fish Sushi's grand opening was this past Saturday, June 17th.

Originally publish date: 2/25/17

We stopped by the Simi Valley Town Center the other day to grab a bite to eat and explore a bit. As we meandered over to the west side of the mall near the Studio Movie Grill and koi pond, we noticed that Go Fish Sushi Bar was under construction adjacent to the theater.

This koi pond is located next to Go Fish Sushi Bar. Koi, don't worry, you're safe.

Go Fish Sushi Bar was shut down for construction on Friday, August 8, 2014. The specific grand re-opening date has not been announced as of yet but according to a post on its Facebook page, it appears to be in the next month or two.

Amazon Announces it is Acquiring Whole Foods Market

Amazon and Whole Foods Market announced today that Amazon will be acquiring Whole Foods for $42 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at nearly $14 billion.  Whole Foods closed at $33 per share yesterday and is up 29% to over $42 today.

Whole Foods Market will continue operating under the Whole Foods Market brand.

In its latest fiscal year ended September 25, 2016, Whole Foods had 456 stores, 17.8 million square footage of stores and 85 stores in California (including local Ventura County stores in Thousand Oaks and Oxnard). Total revenue for the fiscal year was $15.7 billion.

Amazon's 2016 revenue was $136 billion.

The transaction is anticipated to by the end of 2017.

Julian's Restaurant & Bar Opened Last Month in Old Town Camarillo

UPDATE; Julian's subsequently closed in the latter part of 2017 in late January 2018 re-opened as Que Pasa Mexican Cafe.

Julian's Restaurant & Bar opened last month at 2433 Ventura Boulevard in Old Town Camarillo, in the historic "J.F. Lewis & Sons - 1916" building previously occupied by JJ Brewsky's, The French Bulldog and then, the Old Town Tavern.

Julian's was opened by brothers Jerry and Julio Perez and their uncle Jorge Contreras after closing Verona Trattoria this past February after 20 years in service. This new concept, named after Jorge's late brother, serves gourmet California cuisine.

Entrees on the dinner menu include Steak and Enchilada, Filet Brie, Salmon Mediterranean, Enchiladas Poblanas, pastas and more.

Visit www.juliansrestaurantandbar.com.