January to June 2015 Restaurants New and Restaurants Adieu in Ventura County

Here's the latest compilation of restaurants in the Conejo Valley and throughout Greater Ventura County that opened, announced plans to open or closed during the period January through June 2015.

(Click here for previous 2014 activity.) Let us know of any we missed!

Consistent with previous reports, the number of new eateries in the area continues to outnumber closed eateries by quite a large margin.

Restaurants That Have Opened Since December 2014

• Luna's Mexican Tradition opened in Oxnard's Centennial Plaza in January
• Plata Taqueria & Cantina opened in former home of The Latigo Kid in Agoura in January
• Tifa Chocolate and Gelato opened at The Shoppes at Westlake in late January
• Maria's Italian Kitchen opened at The Collection at Riverpark in January
• Streets by Bistro Orient Vietnamese Cuisine opened in Thousand Oaks in January
• Mendocino Farms Sandwich Market opened February 2nd in Westlake Village
• Pieology opened its Westlake Village location in mid-February
• Twisted Oak Tavern opened in former home of The Lab in Agoura Hills in February
• Dog Haus Thousand Oaks opened on February 21st
• Le Pain Quotidien opened in Westlake Village on March 2nd
• Wingstop opened in Oxnard on March 14th
• Ice Cream Lab in Westlake Village opened in late March
• Bangkok Avenue Thai Cuisine opened late March in former home of Los Agaves in Thousand Oaks
• Jeanette's Edelweiss German Restaurant opened in Newbury Park on March 27th
• Urban Pizza opened in Westlake Village on April 2nd
• Pick Up Stix at The Shoppes at Westlake opened in early April
• Margarita's Mexican Grill in Oak Park opened in April
• Barone's The Pizzeria Express opened April 20th in Westlake Village
• Urbane Cafe Thousand Oaks also opened on April 20th
• The Gallery Restaurant at The Shoppes at Westlake opened in mid-April
• Simply Fish Grill in Agoura Hills opened in April
• The Melt opened at The Promenade at Westlake in mid-May
• Four Seasons Westlake Village opened Stir Coffee Bar and Gourmet Eatery on May 19th
• Anarbagh Indian Cuisine opened at former home of China Garden in Westlake Village in May
• Urban Pizza opened in Simi Valley in mid-June
• Rokabab Mediterranean Grill opened in Thousand Oaks in June
• Juice it Up Raw Juice Bar opened in Thousand Oaks in June

Restaurants That Are Planning to Open Soon

• Dickey's BBQ Pit will be opening soon at the North Ranch Plaza in Westlake Village
• Eight Ventura County Dunkin' Donuts locations will be opening in 2016
• Still slated to open soon at The Shoppes at Westlake Village are Los Agaves Restaurant, Olio e Limone Ristorante, Olio Pizzeria, Which Wich® Superior Sandwiches and Figueroa Mountain Brewing.
• Sharky's Woodfired Mexican Grill is currently hiring and will be opening soon at Janss Marketplace
• Pitfire Artisan Pizza is currently hiring and is expected to open soon at Westlake Plaza
• Buffalo Wild Wings is under construction and will be opening at the Simi Valley Town Center in the late summer time frame
• Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches is opening locations in Camarillo and Simi Valley
• Levity Live Comedy and Dinner Theater is opening in the former home of Toby Keith's later this year
• Hook Burger to open a Simi Valley location this summer
• Mama's Hummus will be opening a 2nd location - in Camarillo - this year
• Sabra Fish Grill is opening sometime this year at The Collection at RiverPark
• EMC Seafood and Raw Bar to open later this year at The Collection at RiverPark
• Charhouse BBQ & Grill coming soon to former home of Nico's Cafe in Oak Park
• Green & Bean Organic Juicery & Coffee Lab also coming to Oak Park
• Q Sushi is coming soon to The Shoppes at Westlake
• Ragsdale Kitchen & Bar to open at former Chicago's Ribs location in Ventura
• Kreation Juicery is coming this summer to The Promenade at Westlake 
• Petra Mediterranean Cuisine looks to open at former home of Fiamme in Westlake Village 
• Ragamuffin Coffee Roasters looks to open its storefront in Newbury Park soon

Restaurants That Have Closed Since December 2014

• Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que Thousand Oaks closed in January
• The Ranch eatery in Westlake Village closed in early January
• Zzyzx Café in Camarillo closed its doors on January 26th (looks like a Thai place will be opening there soon)
• Steve's un-Original Pizza in Newbury Park closed on March 1st
• China Garden in Westlake Village closed in the March time frame
• After an ownership change, Coco's locations in Camarillo, Calabasas and Ventura and Carrow's locations in Oxnard and Ojai closed in early April
• Bada Sushi in Thousand Oaks closed in April
• The Counter Burger Westlake Village closed in early April
• Tacone Flavor Grill in Camarillo closed in April (soon to be Mama's Hummus)
• Letty's Mexican Restaurant in Newbury Park closed in April
• Bada Sushi in Thousand Oaks closed in April
• Leila's Restaurant in Oak Park closed its doors on April 26th
• Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill (or used to at least) closed in early May

Breaking News: Gigantic Tarantula Seen Yesterday on Tarantula Hill in Thousand Oaks

Gigantic tarantula on Tarantula Hill (Photo Credit: Ivana Getoudaheer)

Yesterday, several readers reported sighting of an approximately 100 foot tall tarantula on Dawn's Peak (more popularly referred to as Tarantula Hill) off of West Gainsborough Road in Thousand Oaks, between Grand Oak Lane and Camino Manzanas. Standing at 1,057 feet at its peak, Tarantula Hill is perhaps the most well known mountain in the Conejo Valley.

Conejo Valley spider expert Arik Nafobia indicated that typically, tarantulas have leg spans of 3 to 12 inches. "I'm not sure what caused this tarantula to grow so large, but don't worry, there are no recorded instances of tarantulas preying on humans."

"It could be a coincidence," added Thousand Oaks Police spokesman Hugh Jarthrowpod, "but the entire beef supply of Bandits Grill was stolen on Monday night."

The massive tarantula was last seen attempting to navigate Highway 101 west of the 23, where traffic slowed to a crawl; which seemed fine to him (or her).

APRIL FOOLS'!

Happy April Fools' Day!

April Fools' fun in prior years

The First and Only Netball Court in Thousand Oaks at Oakbrook Neighborhood Park

On the recent Mother's Day Sunday I was out and about with the kids giving their mother the ultimate present - peace and quiet. We ate breakfast and explored, but of course, the Conejo Valley. One park I hadn't seen for some time was the recently renovated Oakbrook Neighborhood Park at the corner of Erbes and Pederson Roads in Thousand Oaks.

This 14 acre park more than doubled in usable size last year with the addition of a jogging/bike path, grassy areas, basketball court, expanded playground area, restroom and even several horseshoe pits. I was thoroughly impressed at the upgrades.

Then we noticed something odd. The backboards were missing on one of the basketball courts! Wait a second...how could this happen?? 

As my kids were laughing I noticed the large sign explaining the game of netball, a sport I'd never heard of in my nearly half century on this earth. Well, now I know a little bit about netball. With a little investigating on the Conejo Recreation & Park District website I learned that this is the first (and as of May 2013) the only netball court in Thousand Oaks.

CRPD has placed this sign explaining some netball basics to clueless folk like myself.

The seven minute video below proved extremely useful in providing the basics of netball, a sport consisting of two teams of seven players looking to score goals in the baskets while holding the ball for no more than three seconds at a time. Looks fun! Also visit www.wikihow.com/Play-Netball.

Original Posting Date: 5/22/13

UPDATE: Caltrans Announces Point Mugu State Park Trails/Beaches Now Open

Update 2/3/15: Caltrans today announced that nearly six miles of the nine mile closure on Pacific Coast Highway (SR-1) between Las Posas Road and Yerba Buena Road are open to public access.  SR-1 is now open from Las Posas Road to the Sycamore Cove Day Use Area.  The public will now have access to trails and beaches in Point Mugu State Park.  The highway remains closed between the Sycamore Cove Day Use Area and Yerba Buena Road.  The damaged section of SR-1 is expected to be closed until the end of February. www.dot.ca.gov/dist07/pch

Update 1/27/15: Today Caltrans announced that Pacific Coast Highway between the Sycamore Campground and Yerba Buena Road will continue to remain closed until the end of February. The slopes below the highway washed away, requiring extensive repairs that will require the highway to be closed another month. No motorists, pedestrians or cyclists will be permitted access beyond the campground.

Union Engineering of Santa Paula, California was awarded this $7 million emergency contract. The state will be reimbursed for the costs of this project under the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Fund.

Due to the closure of Pacific Coast Highway and weather-related damage to Point Mugu State Park, the park is also closed to the public through the end of February. This includes Thornhill Broome campground, La Jolla Day-Use, Mugu Beach, Sycamore Cove, Sycamore Canyon Campground and the Boney Mountain Wilderness.

For updates, visit www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=712 or the California State Parks Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CaliforniaStateParks.

Point Mugu State Park, located in the Santa Monica Mountains, features five miles of ocean shoreline, with rocky bluffs, sandy beaches, sand dunes, rugged hills and uplands, two major river canyons and wide grassy valleys dotted with sycamores, oaks and a few native walnuts. There are more than 70 miles of hiking trails. The beach also features swimming, body surfing and surf fishing. The park includes the jagged pinnacles of the Boney Mountain State Wilderness Area.

Looking for other local hikes? No worries! Check this link.

Mid-July to December 2014 Restaurants New and Restaurants Adieu in Ventura County

Here's the latest compilation of restaurants in the Conejo Valley and throughout Greater Ventura County that opened, announced plans to open or closed during the period mid-July through December 2014.

(Click here for previous 2014 activity.) Let us know of any we missed!

Consistent with previous reports, the number of new eateries in the area continues to outnumber closed eateries by quite a large margin.

Restaurants That Have Opened Since Mid-July 2014

• Lovi's Delicatessen, Bakery/Restaurant/Bar opened in mid-December in Calabasas
• Larsen's Grill opened at The Collection at RiverPark in Oxnard in December
• Sprinkles Cupcakes Westlake Village briefly closed its doors re-opened a few doors away as Sprinkles Cupcakes, Ice Cream and Cookies!
• Smashburger opened at the Camarillo Premium Outlets in November
• Additionally, Chipotle, PizzaRev, Yogurtland and Pick Up Stix also opened at the Camarillo Premium Outlets in the November/December time frame. Fast food heaven!
• The acclaimed Westlake Village In-N-Out Burger opened to much fanfare and traffic jams on November 5th
• Veggiemore Restaurant opened in Agoura Hills in the latter summer time frame
• Greens Up! opened at The Shoppes at Westlake in October
• Bowl of Heaven Acai Bowls, Smoothies & Juice Bar opened in Westlake Village in Oct
• Jeannine's Gourmet Food Hall opened at The Shoppes at Westlake in October
• Hook Burger also opened at The Shoppes at Westlake in October
• A new McDonald's opened near The Collection at RiverPark in Oxnard
• Jax Pizza opened in Moorpark in July at the former home of Lamppost Pizza
• The Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery opened at the former home of The Mermaid Tavern (and previously Roxy's Deli) in Thousand Oaks last October
• MOD Pizza opened "superfast" pizza eatery in Newbury Park in October
• Cronies opened its new Agoura Hills location on September 11th
• The Joi Cafe opened its organic, plant-based food eatery in Westlake Village in Sept
• Nekter Juice Bar opened in Westlake Village in late August
• The spacious new Starbucks opened on the Thousand Oaks CLU campus last summer
• Lal Mirch Indian Cuisine opened in the former Agoura Hills Pizza Hut location in August
• 9021Pho opened at The Lakes at Thousand Oaks on August 18th
• Aroha New Zealand Cuisine opened in Westlake Village in September
• Rita's Roman Recipes Take-Out Kitchen and Coffee Shop opened in Agoura Hills in July
• Hummus Brothers Greek Grill opened at The Oaks Mall last summer

Restaurants That Announced They Are Opening Soon

• Dickey's BBQ Pit is still "opening soon" at the North Ranch Plaza in Westlake Village
• Margarita's Mexican Grill announced they are opening in Oak Park in early 2015
• Barone's The Pizzeria Express to open in Westlake Village in early 2015
• Ice Cream Lab indicates Westlake Village location will open in the March time frame
• Luna's Mexican Tradition is opening 2nd location at Centennial Plaza in Oxnard
• Mendocino Farms Sandwich Market is targeting a January opening in Westlake Village
• Pieology is opening a 2nd Conejo Valley pizzeria at former ZPizza in Westlake Village
• No less than eight Ventura County Dunkin' Donuts locations will be opening in 2016!
• The Beach Bowl will offer acai bowls, smoothies and juices at The Collection in Oxnard
• Tifa Chocolate and Gelato anticipated to open at The Shoppes at Westlake in mid-Jan
• Urban Pizza in Westlake Village appears to be on the verge of opening soon
• Still slated to open at The Shoppes at Westlake Village over the coming months are Los Agaves Restaurant, Olio e Limone Ristorante, Olio Pizzeria,Which Wich® Superior Sandwiches,  The Gallery Seafood and Figueroa Mountain Brewing.
• Sabra Fish Grill is opening sometime this year at The Collection at RiverPark in Oxnard, as well as Maria's Italian Kitchen Pronto and a Ben & Jerry's.
• Rokabab Mediterranean Grill is coming soon to Thousand Oaks
• Dog Haus is coming soon to Thousand Oaks in the former Denny's spot next to also forthcoming Urbane Cafe Thousand Oaks, which says it is opening in early 2015
• Sharky's Woodfired Mexican Grill hopefully is still "coming soon" to Janss Marketplace

Sharky's Thousand Oaks...we waited patiently for you in 2014 but we're still here in 2015!

Restaurants That Have Closed Since July

• Cigale Cafe in Oak Park closed in October
• Kora Bistro and Sushi Bar in Westlake Village closed after a short stint
• N'Awlinz 805 Grill opened and subsequently closed in Oxnard
• Wolf Creek Restaurant & Brewing Company in Calabasas closed its doors last fall
• Mandarin Buffet Closed its doors sometime last summer
• The Moorpark Lamppost Pizza closed sometime last year
• Burger Werkz in Westlake Village shut its doors last August
• On the frozen yogurt front, Tizzy Yogurt Cafes in Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks and Menchies Frozen Yogurt at The Promenade at Westlake closed last year

New Farm Motif Playground at Borchard Community Park in Newbury Park

Borchard Community Park is located at Reino Road and Borchard Road in Newbury Park. Recently a new play area was completed in this cool barnyard motif. Based on initial response on the CVG Facebook page, this new playground is already a big hit!

This nicely appointed park and community center also has softball/soccer fields, restrooms, tennis courts, a labyrinth and fitness area, skate park, basketball courts and more. Visit crpd.org for more information.

Scenes From Saturday's City of Thousand Oaks 50th Anniversary Parade

The weather was perfect for today's 50th Anniversary City of Thousand Oaks Parade down Thousand Oaks Boulevard.  The theme of the parade was "Remembering the past, honoring the memories" and the event lived up to it. The 1 1/2 hour parade featured marching band, color guards and drill teams from Westlake, Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park High Schools, the Redwood Middle School Marching Band, dozens of dignitaries from Thousand Oaks past and present, vintage cars, floats, equestrians and much more.The following video footage and photos capture just a small fraction of the fun! There were smiles all around. More photos on the CVG Facebook Page at this link.