Compilation of Italian Eateries in the Conejo Valley

Where can you sit down and be served a plate of pasta and other delicious Italian food in the Conejo Valley (including Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, Westlake Village, Oak Park, Agoura Hills and portions of Calabasas)? Here goes, in alphabetical order, starting with M, for manicotti.

Made in Italy Bistro, 3825 East Thousand Oaks Blvd., Unit F, Westlake Village (in the North Ranch Shopping Plaza) opened its doors on March 4, 2019 by chef Antonio Sessa. www.madeinitalybistro.com 805-370-8667

Marcello Ristorante at 140 West Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks has served fine Italian food in the Conejo Valley for well over 30 years. www.marcelloristorante.com 805-371-4367

Maria’s Italian Kitchen, 29035 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Agoura Hills originated in the Los Angeles area in 1968 and now operates in eight locations, including this one in the Conejo Valley. www.mariasitaliankitchen.com/agoura-hills 818-865-8999

Noi Due Trattoria and Pizzeria is located in the Agoura Village Center, 29020 Agoura Road and opened in February 2019. No website. 818-852-7090 Noi Due means “the two of us.”

Nonna Ristorante, 951 S. Westlake Blvd., #102, Westlake Village nonna.restaurant 805-497-8482

Novo Cafe, 30770 Russell Ranch Road, Westlake Village opened at The Shoppes at Westlake in June 2019. Novo also serves its authentic regional Italian cuisine at its original location in Burbank. www.novocafe.com 818-318-1466

Rustico Ristorante, 1125 Lindero Canyon Road, Ste A1, Westlake Village serves the cuisine of central Italy. tuscany-restaurant.com/rustico/index.html 818-899-0191

Spumoni Italian Cafe, Pizzeria & Bar, 1714 Newbury Road, Ste E, Newbury Park has served delicious Italian cuisine since 2007. www.spumoninewburypark.com 805-499-6200

The Original Pizza Cookery, 75 West Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, has been operating since 1975 - it relocated from Woodland Hills to the Conejo Valley in June 2019. www.pizzacookery.com 818-887-4770

Tuscany il Ristorante is located in the Westlake Plaza at 968 S. Westlake Blvd, Suite 4, Westlake Village, where it has operated since 1987. tuscany-restaurant.com 805-495-2768

Vincitore Italian Restaurant is located in the Agoura Hills City Mall at 5869 Kanan Road. The name Vincitore means “winner” in Italian. www.vincitorerestaurant.com 818-706-2200

Basta is located in the Whizin Market Square at 28863 Agoura Road, Agoura Hills (it opened in Fall 2019) and the grand opening of its 2nd location at 299 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks is Thursday, December 5, 2024. www.bastaagoura.com 818-865-2019

Boccaccio’s Restaurant is located at The Landing at Westlake Lake, 32123 Lindero Canyon Road, #110, Westlake Village, operating since 1968. www.boccacciosrestaurant.com 818-889-8300

Buca di Beppo Thousand Oaks is located in the Janss Marketplace, 205 N. Moorpark Road. www.bucadibeppo.com/locations/thousand-oaks 805-449-3688

Casa Nostra Ristorante, 717 Lakefield Road, Ste H, Westlake Village is located in an industrial park but has a beautiful indoor/outdoor seating arrangement. casanostrala.com/westlake-village 805-495-0053

Cedro Italian Restaurant, 2385 Michael Drive, Newbury Park opened by three Italian friends in January 2024 and in May has been added to the Michelin Guide California. www.cedrorestaurant.com 805-498-7035

Farfalla Trattoria is located at The Promenade at Westlake, 160 Promenade Way, Westlake Village. It opened in 2008, serving authentic dishes by chef/co-owner Santino Coccia, who is originally from Milan. www.trattoriafarfalla.com/location/westlake-village 805-497-2283

Tell Me About the History of the Street Names in Casa Conejo in Newbury Park

Casa Conejo is an unincorporated Ventura County community of about 1,000 homes located in Newbury Park. Casa Conejo is a rectangular shaped island within Thousand Oaks city limits, but is not part of the city. Although Casa Conejo is considered part of Newbury Park, it is not part of the majority of Newbury Park within the boundaries of the City of Thousand Oaks.

Premiering in 1960, Casa Conejo was the first planned community in Newbury Park. Several folks have asked about the origin of the street names in Casa Conejo. Here goes (with the help of a relative of the original developers):

Louis Lesser Enterprises developed Casa Conejo. Members of the Lesser and Malat families created the street names; hence Lesser and Malat Drives, Rudman Drive came from Louis Rudman, also related through marriage to the Lessers, and who managed home sales.

William Malat (William Drive) had twin sons, Melvin (Melvin Ct) and Gerald (Gerald Drive). William's wife was Ethel (Ethel Ct). Louis Lesser's wife was Jeanne (Jeanne Ct). Louis Lesser's brother, Alvin "Sonny" was married to Martha (Martha Dr). Louis Rudman's wife was Shirley (Shirley Dr), who was also Ethel’s sister. One of Sonny's daughters is Dena (Dena Dr).

Ben (Ben Ct) and Lily (Lily Ct) were Louis and Alvin Lesser's parents. Michael (Michael Drive) is a cousin (by marriage) of the Lessers and Malats. Cathy (Cathy Dr) and Francine (Frankie Dr) were two of Louis and Jeanne’s four children. Lisa Rudman (Lisa Ct) is related to the Rudmans (I suspect their daughter).

The jackpot winner was WENDY, who has by far the longest street, not to mention a freeway on/offramp and overpass, named after her! Wendy, who lives in AZ, is a granddaughter of William Malat and daughter of Melvyn. Before it became Wendy Drive in mid-1961, it was called Avenida de la Felicidad.

There are a couple dozen other streets in Casa Conejo that I don’t have the source for at this time, but perhaps I’ll do some more digging:

North/South Streets: Jenny Drive, Gerst Drive, Ruth Drive, Lois Ave, Dorena Drive, Kitty St, Bella Dr, Randy Dr, Debbie St, Cay Ct, Henry Dr, Devia Dr, Virginia Dr, Nellie Ct, Bob Ct, Elinor Ct.

East/West Streets: Gloria Dr, Carl Ct, Alice Dr, Lynn Ct, Lois Ct, Verna Ave.

Ten Things To Do in the City of Moorpark

The City of Moorpark has the distinction of being the youngest city in Ventura County,  incorporating July 1, 1983.

According to the Moorpark Historical Society, the city originated when land investor Robert W. Poindexter of Los Angeles and his wife Madeline purchased the plot of land that is now Moorpark after Southern Pacific Railroad announced plans to relocate its tracks Los Angeles to San Francisco route from the coast to Chatsworth.

For many years, Moorpark was mostly farmland, with dry land crops including apricots, hay and lima beans, then later, walnuts and citrus when irrigation systems were improved. Moorpark became known as the "apricot capital of the world" and held an annual apricot festival by the late 1920s

So where did the name Moorpark come from? Apparently, Poindexter named the community after the Moorpark Apricot. Simple as that. Heck, he could have named it Poindexter!

So in any case, Moorpark is now a full-fledged city of 12.8 square miles with a population of approximately 35,000. Here is a selection of things to do within the City of Moorpark.

• The Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College is a five acre zoo housing 200 exotic animals as part of the Exotic Animal Training & Management program. Great place for a quick weekend wild animal fix right here in our backyard.

• Happy Camp Canyon Regional Park is a 3,000 acre wilderness area with over 12 miles of trails.

• Ambush Paintball and Airsoft Park

• Moorpark City Library

• Underwood Family Farms offers fresh produce, kids' activities, special events, farm animals and more.

• High Street Arts Center

• Poindexter Skate Park

• Tom Barber Golf Center Driving Range

• Arroyo Vista Recreation Center

• 18 community parks in Moorpark

For more things to do in Moorpark, visit the Do Something, Kid Fun and Fitness & Sports sections of the site. And of course the Events Calendar highlights daily goings on around the county.

A DOZEN FUN THINGS TO DO IN SIMI VALLEY

Volunteer Opportunities in Ventura County

Looking for a job? Why not help yourself by filling in the gaps in your resume with new experiences while helping others! Or if you are just looking to give back to the local community, there are hundreds of opportunities to volunteer throughout Ventura County. Here's where to find volunteer opportunities:

The United Way of Ventura County hosts www.VolunteerVenturaCounty.org, which lists numerous upcoming volunteer opportunities.

Since 1998, VolunteerMatch.org has helped volunteers find over 4 million volunteer matches at over 60,000 non-profits across the country.

Or visit the Local Charities section of Conejo Valley Guide and you'll find over 100 Ventura County area non-profit organizations, most of which could use your help. I clicked a few and found plenty of volunteer needs publicized on each entity's website, like MANNA Food Bank, L.I.F.E. Animal Rescue in Agoura, Hospice of the Conejo, Friends of the Thousand Oaks Library, and CareGivers - Volunteers Assisting the Elderly.

You could also join one of over 80 service organizations in the Service Clubs section of CVG. The Rotary, Kiwanis, Optimist, Assistance League, Lions Club and other organizations provide needed services to others in need. 

ActionVC is a non-profit that seeks volunteers to serve the vulnerable in our local community. www.actionvc.org/volunteer

Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County seeks volunteers at www.habitatventura.org/volunteer.

The Ventura County Resource Conservation District seeks volunteers to further its mission to conserve the natural resources of Ventura County at www.vcrcd.org/volunteer.

The Ventura County Medical Reserve Corps is a volunteer network that provides support for public health, emergency response, first aid services for local events and other local needs. www.venturacountymrc.org

Volunteer opportunities in Thousand Oaks: toaks.org/departments/human-resources/volunteer

Volunteer opportunities in Simi Valley: www.simivalley.org/index.aspx?page=355

Volunteer opportunities in Camarillo: www.cityofcamarillo.org/departments/city_manager/volunteers.php

Volunteer opportunities in Moorpark: moorparkca.gov/389/Volunteering-in-Moorpark

Volunteering in the City of Westlake Village: www.wlv.org/index.aspx?nid=320

Volunteering for the County of Ventura: hr.ventura.org/volunteer

How about the National Park Service? Check the local Santa Monica Mountains volunteer opportunities and Channel Islands National Park volunteer opportunities.

Also check out the volunteer opportunities with the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority. mrca.ca.gov/educational-outreach-programs/volunteer-2

And more links to volunteering opportunities:

Conejo Recreation and Park District www.crpd.org/support/volunteer

Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District www.pvrpd.org/volunteer

Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District www.rsrpd.org/recreation/volunteers.php

Los Robles Hospital volunteer opportunities for adults and high school students www.losrobleshospitalvolunteers.com

Thousand Oaks Library www.tolibrary.org/services/get-involved/library-volunteers

Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley www.bgcconejo.org/get-involved/volunteer

Food Share of Ventura County foodshare.com/volunteer

Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (Oxnard, Ventura, Camarillo and Port Hueneme) www.oxnard.org/recreation/senior-services/rsvp-volunteer

St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo www.dignityhealth.org/central-coast/locations/pleasantvalley/about-us/volunteering

Ride On Therapeutic Horsemanship in Newbury Park www.rideon.org/volunteer.php

Shelter Hope Pet Shop in Thousand Oaks shelterhopepetshop.org/help

Conejo Players Theatre in Thousand Oaks conejoplayers.org/volunteer

Rancho St. Francis in Newbury Park www.ranchostfrancis.org/Volunteers.htm

Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Volunteers in Policing Program www.venturasheriff.org/volunteers/volunteers-in-policing

New West Symphony in Thousand Oaks newwestsymphony.org/volunteer

Conejo Free Clinic www.conejofreeclinic.org/volunteers

Interface Children & Family Services www.icfs.org/volunteer

Boys and Girls Clubs of Conejo Valley www.bgcconejo.org/get-involved/volunteer

Senior Concerns in Thousand Oaks seeks volunteers for its Adult Day Care Center, Meals on Wheels and other programs. www.seniorconcerns.org/volunteer

James Storehouse in Newbury Park seeks volunteers for its work supporting children in need. Visit www.jamesstorehouse.org/volunteer to apply.

Cancer Support Community Valley/Ventura/Santa Barbara seeks volunteers cancersupportvvsb.org/about-us/volunteer-opportunities

Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency seeks volunteers for trail watch, trail work days, Adopt-a-Trail and more. conejo-openspace.org/about/volunteer-opportunities

The Conejo Senior Volunteer Program provides opportunities for adults age 55+ to use their life experience and skills to meet local community needs. www.crpd.org/programs-sports/conejo-senior-volunteer-program

School on Wheels seeks volunteers to tutor children experiencing homelessness. schoolonwheels.org/apply-to-be-a-volunteer

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary seeks volunteers ages 17 and up to join its local Channel Islands flotilla. Bring the USCG AUX your skills or join to develop your leadership skills through numerous free classes and workshops offered. The USCG AUX was established by Congress in 1939 to assist the Coast Guard in promoting boating safety. Volunteers assist the Coast Guard in non-law enforcement programs such as safety patrols, search and rescue, maritime security, vessel safety checks, public safe boating classes and watchstanding. Visit www.d11s.org to learn more.

Non-profit Step Up Tutoring seeks volunteers ages 16+ to tutor students online in underserved communities. Learn more at www.stepuptutoring.org/volunteer-tutor.

Trolley Services in Ventura County and Surrounding Areas

Trolley seen around town in Westlake Village

The term "trolley" is derived from a grooved conductive wheel attached to a pole that "trolls," or pulls along, an overhead wire to transfer electricity to a streetcar. The first large-scale trolley line in the world, the Richmond Union Passenger Railway, was a 12 mile system that opened on February 12, 1888 in Richmond, Virginia. This trolley service operated until November 25, 1949. 

You don't see many trolley buses anymore (San Francisco's historic streetcars are a well known exception), but here in Ventura County and adjacent areas we do have some electric trolleys in operation!

Camarillo: The City of Camarillo provides trolley service seven days a week, with 10 stops at various shopping centers in town in a 30 minute cycle. Fare price is $1 for adults and students, $.50 for seniors and ADA riders.

Ojai: The City of Ojai's Ojai Trolley Service has operated since 1989, providing low cost fixed route service with 45 stops over roughly five miles in Ojai, Meiners Oaks and Mira Monte.

Calabasas: Just east of us, City of Calabasas offers free trolley service on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 24 stops at various shopping and other venues.

Santa Barbara: The Santa Barbara Trolley Company is a commercial service that provides trolley tours to some of the area's great tourist venues Thursday to Monday.

Trolleys No More:

Ventura:  The Downtown Ventura-Harbor Trolley provided year-round free service to local shopping, tourist and hotel locations over an hour-long route, Wednesday through Sunday…until it closed operations at the end of March 2019.

Westlake Village: Previously provided a free trolley service on Fr/Sat nights during certain seasonal time frames in 2019. Program has been on hiatus since then but has been under consideration. Could be reinstated at some point; visit www.wlv.org for updates.

What Happens When You Turn 18 in the State of California?

Age 18 in the United States is considered the "age of majority" and is a major milestone.

Age 18 has been the age of majority since the 26th Amendment, signed into law by President Nixon in July 1971. Historically the age of majority was 21, but when Franklin D. Roosevelt lowered the military draft age to 18 during World War II, there was a push to align the voting age with the military draft age.

So what changes when you turn 18? The State Bar of California previously published a nice guide for teenagers to help better understand how their rights and responsibilities change at age 18.

Here's a summary of these rights and responsibilities, excerpted from the California Lawyers Foundation booklet (updated in 2021), “When You Turn 18 - A Legal Survival Guide” (pdf file) (Spanish language version):

1. Enter into binding contracts - for example, leases, opening bank accounts and applying for loans (of course, to obtain the loan, you may still need a co-signer).

2. Buy or sell property, such as real estate and stock.

3. Marry without written consent of parents or guardian.

4. Sue or be sued.

5. Compromise, settle or arbitrate a claim.

6. Make or revoke a will.

7. Inherit property outright.

8. Vote in federal, state and local elections. (Since 2016, 16 and 17 year olds may pre-register to vote at age 18.)

9. Consent to all types of medical treatment.

10. Join the military without parental consent. Male U.S. citizens or immigrants living in the U.S. generally must register with the Selective Service System within 30 days of turning 18. (Females are not currently not required to register for the draft.)

11. Get a job without a special work permit.

12. Serve jury duty.

13. Be subject to more serious consequences for breaking the law.

14. Prior to June 9, 2016, you could buy tobacco products. The law changed, however, and now you have to wait until you are age 21. This also includes e-cigarettes and vaping products.

15. At age 18 you can give blood without parental consent in California (written parental consent is required for 16 and 17 year olds).

16. At age 18 you may become an organ donor without parental consent. www.organdonor.gov/about/donors/child-infant.html

17. Apply for credit in your own name, though you will likely need to show proof of income or have a co-signer.

18. You can get a tattoo at age 18 and can do so without parental consent. You cannot get a tattoo under the age of 18. It is a misdemeanor to give or even offer to give a tattoo to someone under the age of 18 in California. (PC 653)

19. You can get a piercing without parental consent at age 18.

20. You can file a petition to change your name at age 18.

21. You can play the Lottery at age 18 in most states (except Iowa and Louisiana - party poopers).

22. In California and most states (except Arizona, Iowa, Nevada and Texas), you can bet on horse races (e.g. pari-mutuel betting).

23. You can play charity bingo at age 18 in California.

What you still cannot do:

1. Purchase tobacco products, e-cigarettes and vaping products (mentioned above). You must be age 21. In fact, federal law changed in December 2019 to require all states to change the minimum age for tobacco purchases to 21.

2. Purchase and consume alcoholic beverages. The minimum age for drinking in all states is 21.

   Some states have minor (so to speak) exceptions to the age 21 requirement. In Kansas, under 21 may drink “cereal malt beverages” under parental supervision on their own property. What is a cereal malt beverage? A beverage with no more than 3.2% alcohol by weight produced by fermentation, not by distillation. Coors Light has 4.2% alcohol as a comparison. The states of Alaska, Connecticut, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Ohio and Wisconsin have exceptions that allow individuals under age 21 to drink when parents or guardians are present. If you are 18 and really want to drink, the territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands allow legal drinking, unencumbered by the presence of parents, at age 18.

3. You cannot sell or serve alcoholic beverages for consumption on-premises until you are age 21. However, it is allowable for someone 18 to 21 to serve alcoholic beverages to consumers in a restaurant along with food for consumption on premises.

For more information about the “When You Turn 18: A Legal Survival Guide” publication and/or to request physical copies of the booklet at calawyersfoundation.org/our-work.

Veterans Day Services in Ventura County

Veterans Day is celebrated as a Federal holiday on the 11th day of November in honor of those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Veterans Day coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, which are celebrated in other parts of the world and also mark the anniversary of the end of World War I, which formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, when Armistice with Germany took effect.

Here are some local Veterans Day 2024 service options to honor those who have served our country:

• Mon, Nov 11: Veterans Day Parade in Oxnard (9am)

• Mon, Nov 11: Veterans Day Event at Reagan Library (11am)

• Mon, Nov 11: Veterans Day Services in Simi Valley (11am)

• Mon, Nov 11: Veterans Day Ceremony at Conejo Creek Park North (10:30am)

• Mon, Nov 11: GCVF Veterans Day Ceremony in Ventura (11am)

• Mon, Nov 11: Veterans Day Ceremony in Oxnard (11am)

• Mon, Nov 11: Veterans Day Celebration in Malibu (11am-1:30pm)

A sampling of free Veterans Day offers for Active Military and Veterans with ID:

• Chili’s: Free meal on 11/11/24 for all veterans and active military. Dine-in only for select items. Must present military ID.

• CPK: Free entree and non-alcoholic beverage on Nov 11th.

• Starbucks: Free tall brewed coffee (hot or ice) for veterans, active military and military spouses on 11/11/24.

• BJ’s: Receive free Chocolate Chunk Pizookie on 11/11/24.

• Applebee’s: Free meal to veterans and active military on 11/11/24.

• Golden Corral: Free thank you meal from 4pm to close on 11/11/24.

• Red Robin: Free Red’s Big Tavern Burger and fries on 11/11/24.

• Farmer Boys: Free Big Cheese with proof of service on 11/11/24.

• Wienerschnitzel: Free Chili Dog, Small Fries and Small Soda for Veterans and active military on 11/11/23. Must present military ID.

Vietnam veteran David Stull stands guard while supporting a flagpole carrying the American flag at the Garden of Valor at Valley Oaks Memorial Park in Westlake Village. This was one of three 30 minute shifts he stood guard. November 1984 photo by Scott Harrison/The News Chronicle

Back in the 1980s, Conejo Valley residents would observe a 24-hour vigil during the Veterans Day holiday. I took photos several times, but this 1984 photo at dusk remains my favorite. The current full name of Valley Oaks is Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Memorial Park. The flame is still burning at the Garden of Valor.

Prior Events

• Sat, Nov 2: Trucks for Troops - A Veterans Day Experience at Camarillo Library (10am-2pm)

• Sat, Nov 9: Veteran’s Day Event at Stagecoach Inn Museum (1-4pm)