Freda's Pizza & Woodfired Kitchen is Now Open in Westlake Village

What a lucky find on this rainy New Year’s Eve! We just happened to be in the North Ranch Plaza at lunchtime today, Saturday, December 31, 2022, when I noticed there was a small sign on the door of Freda’s Pizza & Woodfired Kitchen. Upon closer inspection, the side said “Welcome to our soft opening - we are currently offering a limited menu.”

So OF COURSE we immediately walked in to be one of the first lucky folks to enjoy this delicious pizza. Freda’s serves NY style and brick oven pizzas and also offers it by the slice, which was my preference today. We tried the Cheese, Margherita and a pizza topped with Short Ribs and BBQ sauce, all of which tickled our taste buds. I was particularly impressed with the crust - it crunch, but not burnt, and not soggy whatsoever. It was perfect.

Learn more at www.fredaswoodfiredkitchen.com.

Served by the slice!

Pizza Twist is Now Open in the Conejo Gateway Plaza in Newbury Park

UPDATE 6/6/23: Pizza Twist Newbury Park is now open.

Yet another new local eatery coming in the new year. Pizza Twist will be located in the Conejo Gateway Plaza at 711 Wendy Drive in Newbury Park. Pizza Twist makes pizzas that you’ve probably never tasted before, with fresh cut vegetables, dough that’s made daily and fresh ingredients. Pizza Twist offers a variety of pizzas that include Traditional Pizzas, Twist Fusion Pizzas, Chicken Tikka Masala, Butter Chicken and Curry Chicken. They also offer Gluten Free (Cauliflower Crust) & Vegan Options, along with wings, pastas, breadsticks, calzones & lots more. Learn more at www.chicagospizzatwist.com

Board & Brew Coming Soon to The Shoppes at Westlake Village (Soft Opening May 12th)

UPDATE: Soft opening of Board & Brew Westlake Village was May 12, 2023

As mentioned in September, "Board & Brew" will be coming soon to The Shoppes at Westlake Village, serving specialty sandwiches and craft beer. It will be located in the former Pick Up Stix location across from Guitar Center. boardandbrew.com

Timing TBA.

UPDATE: We’ve heard the May time frame.

Progress Slow But Steady at the Former Corrigan's Steak House in Thousand Oaks

UPDATE 4/16/24: Signs are up at the remodeled building - “Old Oaks Steakhouse.” No specific timing at this point, but stay tuned.

Corrigan’s Steakhouse was originally opened in 1982 by Tom Corrigan, the son of legendary stuntman/actor Ray “Crash” Corrigan. Crash Corrigan passed away on August 10, 1976. Tom Corrigan passed away on March 14, 2018.

Corrigan’s Steakhouse, located at 556 E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard, closed its doors later that year in 2018 and it changed ownership. Since then, over the last four years, there has been slow, and more recently very steady, progress in the remodeling of the site.

Rumor has it that the new place will also be a steakhouse, with a cigar room in the back. “Old Oaks Steakhouse” is one name that has mentioned as a possibility. We shall see.

Corrigan’s Steak House did not originate at this location. Its roots were in the Park Oaks Shopping Center at Janss and Moorpark Roads in Thousand Oaks. It relocated to Thousand Oaks Blvd at Long Ct in 1990. This location has a bit of history in it, so it is good to see, as you can tell in the photos below, that some of that history has been retained.

House of Orlando Italian Restaurant operated here from 1960 to 1977. It subsequently became Le Normandie French Restaurant for awhile. Then in 1990 it became Corrigan’s.

Here is a view of Hosue of Orlando Italian Restaurant at 556 East Thousand Oaks Blvd during the 1966 Conejo Valley Days parade. (Photo from the Thousand Oaks Library Conejo Through the Lens Collection.)

Corrigan’s Steak House in 2018, before it closed.

A view from the side - Corrigan’s Steak House - Seafood, Burgers & Chili

A view of the inside of Corrigan’s after it closed.

Side view while undergoing reconstruction in October 2021

Progress continuing in December 2021

April 2022

Christmas Eve 2022

RED O Restaurant Taste of Mexico Coming Soon to The Promenade at Westlake in Thousand Oaks

As noted when The Grill on The Alley at The Promenade at Westlake closed its doors on October 29th, the future occupant of that space will be RED O Restaurant - Taste of Mexico.

With locations in Newport Beach, La Jolla and Santa Monica, RED O serves Mexican cuisine such as enchiladas, tacos, tortas, fajitas, fish and other specialties in a beautiful setting. www.redorestaurant.com

Timing TBA.

Schatzi Smoothies Opening January 7, 2023 at Whizin Market Square in Agoura Hills

Photo Credit: Kira K (@natureveggiegirl via Instagram)

Schatzi Smoothies is opening on January 7, 2023 at the Whizin Market Square in Agoura Hills. Schatzi, located a few doors down from Carrara Pastries, will offer smoothies, juice, cookies and coffee. For updates, visit schatzijuice.com.

Currying Flavors Now Open at The Oaks Mall in Thousand Oaks (Now Closed)

That didn’t last long. They’re now closed.

Currying Flavors opened recently in the food court at The Oaks mall, offering fast casual Indian cuisine.  Currying Flavors previously operated from August 2019 to November 2020 on Canwood Street in Agoura Hills. Worth a try if you are at The Oaks. No website at this time.

Hundreds of Sea Lions Continue to Occupy Kiddie Beach at Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard

Hundreds of sea lions continue to reside at the Kiddie Beach at the southeast end of Channel Islands Harbor, south end of Victoria Ave near Silver Strand Beach.

The migration started last month. Here are some photos at the scene from local resident D. Platt. While they are an amazing spectacle to see, be sure to keep your distance - at least 50 feet. No selfies with seals and sea lions. Marine mammals are federally protected; disturbing them can result in significant civil and criminal penalties. If you get too close, mother sea lions may abandon their pups. If you do see an injured or distressed marine mammal, call the NOAA hotline at 866-767-6114. bit.ly/SharetheShore