Added 1/31/11: For the month of FEBRUARY 2011, Mediterraneo at the Westlake Village Inn is offering FREE BREAKFAST for kids 12 from the Kids Menu with purchase of adult breakfast. This looks quite scrumptious if you ask me. Check it out! Call 818.889.9105 for details!

Added 1/16/11: We noticed the Carl's Jr in Newbury Park is offering FREE Cool Kids Combos all day on Sunday with the purchase of a regular combo. There are nearly a dozen Carl's in Ventura County so call your local one to determine whether or not they are carrying this deal. The Moorpark and Westlake Village locations did not have the deal when I called. www.carlsjr.com/locations

Added 12/29/10: Thanks to CVG visitor Wendy! SUTTER'S MILL STEAKS & SEAFOOD at 3885 Cochran Street, Suite A in Simi Valley offers Kids Eat Free ALL THE TIME for kids 8 and under. Dinners include salad, side and soft drink! Only $4.95 for ages 9 to 12. Visit www.sutters4dining.com or call 805.520.4797.

New 9/16/10: NATE 'N AL DELI at The Lakes in Thousand Oaks has a TUESDAY/THURSDAY Kids Eat

Adobe Cantina (no website) is at 29100 Agoura Road, Agoura Hills (818.991.3474). CVG reader Stephanie says the Adobe is her favorite Mexican place in town and really loves the ribs and wonderful outdoor seating. I have been to Adobe Cantina many times over the years and my best recollection is the good margaritas and to relax outdoors there.

Agave Maria's is located at 106 S. Montgomery Street, Ojai (805.646.6353). This restaurant was newly renovated and re-opened in 2010, having been a Mexican restaurant since the 1960s (I believe it used to be called Antonio's Mexican Cantina). Have heard nothing but good things but haven't been there yet myself. Visit www.agavemarias.com.

The Alamo Mexican Grill is at 2311 Borchard Rd., Newbury Park (805.498.3115).  Also at 5617 Kanan Road, Agoura Hills (818.889.5092). Good, traditional Mexican food. This is a comfortable, casual sit down restaurant. Reasonably priced. They have been around over 25 years. Can’t go wrong there. There is also a take out window. You can get a full blown rotisserie chicken meal for your family for around

My personal favorite is the chorizo and egg dish. Savory, perfectly cooked every time. And I'm a sucker for their "O'Brien" style pan fried potatoes (one of many side dish options).

My personal favorite at Eggs N Things...chorizo and eggs with O'Brien potatoes.

But everything I've ever eaten at Eggs N Things has been satisfying. Burgers, egg dishes, pancakes, breakfast burritos and more. The kids meals are substantial and at $5.95 are reasonable deal, not to mention, are enjoyed by the kids.

And of course another unique aspect to Eggs N Things is their complimentary Swedish pancake before any breakfast meal. A small crepe with powdered sugar and jelly before the main meal. Basically their equivalent to the pre-meal tortilla chips at a Mexican restaurant. Don't bring your kids if you like these as they will eat yours. Mine do.

Who can't resist the scrumptious Swedish pancake at Eggs N Things!?

Incredibly, the original Eggs N Things opened in 1974 in the same building they are still located! Now that is staying power! I've eaten at the Camarillo and Thousand Oaks locations and there are other Ventura County locations in Ventura and Simi Valley, as well as Valencia. Don't plan on eating dinner at Eggs N Things as all locations close at 2pm.

More information at www.eggsnthings.net. Ventura County location specifics below:

92 East Daily Drive, Camarillo (805.987.4497)

2955 Cochran Street, Simi Valley (805.527.0055)

1542 Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks (805.497.1711)

4020 E. Main Street, Ventura (805.642.3190)

Brent's Deli, established in Northridge in 1967, opened its second location at 2799 Townsgate Road, Westlake Village (in front of the Westlake Hyatt) in Summer 2006.  Phone is 805.557.1882.  Their website at www.brentsdeli.com contains a menu.  This place was immediately popular.  Big, beautiful, well-appointed restaurant.  Great place to have breakfast!    A roast beef sandwich with a side order and pickles is $11.95.  Sounds pricey, but when you see the size of the sandwich you'll understand.  The only minor complaint I have about Brent's is that they don't have a kids' menu.  I've never been disappointed here.

NOTE: The VC Star reports that Roxy's is closing its doors at this location the morning of 6/26/11 but is seeking another location. Established in 1991, Roxy's Deli WAS located at 1345 E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Thousand Oaks (just east of Rancho Road).

Agoura's Famous Deli is located at 5915 Kanan Road, Agoura Hills.  It was opened in 1997 by the Lovi family.  Though I don't get over there often, I have enjoyed the food there when I have.  This deli doesn't have the ambience of Brent's or Roxy's, but they serve excellent, New York style food  In fact, I believe the food at Agoura's Famous Deli is better than at Roxy's...just my humble opinion.  Same $11.95 price here for a roast beef sandwich.  Website http://robjordan.biz/Pickles/Agouras_Famous_Deli.html and phone 818.889.9113.

A friend of mine loves the soup at Pickles Deli in Newbury Park, located in the Kohl's Center at 1940 Newbury Road.  My 5 year old loves the chicken strips and hot dogs there.  My 2 year old loves the eggs.  So you can't go too wrong there.  Pickles was opened by the Lovis (see Agoura's Famous Deli) in 1996.  Once again, $11.95 for a rare roast beef sandwich.  Staff are always very pleasant.  Website http://robjordan.biz/Pickles/Pickles_Deli.html and phone 805.480.4800.

Jack's Deli WAS located at 966 Westlake Boulevard in Westlake Village, but it was announced that they closed their doors on Sunday, November 20th, 2011.

The Old New York Deli & Bakery Co. has been in business in Camarillo (4972 Verdugo Way 805.484.DELI) since 1994 and it is a popular joint.  On 11/18/08 they opened a new location at 2700 Teller Road, Newbury Park (805.375.DELI) in the new Loehmann's Shopping Plaza. They have tables but unlike the other delis listed you order from the counter and seat yourself.  So this place is kind of a combination of a bagel/bakery shop and a deli.  The menu is pretty large like the other delis, which to me makes the ordering process intimidating because you're standing there with your neck craned up at a menu the size of the Bible while they await your order.  So to alleviate this just grab a paper menu as you walk in the door. 

The food is pretty good!  Roast beef sandwich is $8.59.  The Turkey Reuben was o.k., though a tad dry.  The hot dog was huge and delicious on a homemade bun!  The fries were decent.  The onion rings were a bit soggy but I'd try them again.  Baked goods are awesome.  Nice selection of colorful little cookies for the kids (AFTER their meal of course!).  Every single employee I've interacted with in both locations has been very nice.  They seem well trained, friendly and focused on the customer.  I tried the FREE WiFi with my laptop in Newbury Park and it worked well, with download speeds at moderately fast 2.9 Mbps.  Visit www.OldNewYork.com for more information and a menu.

UPDATE 1/4/12: Today Nate 'n Al Thousand Oaks closed its doors. In November 2009, the venerable Nate 'n Al Deli that has operated since 1945 in Beverly Hills opened a new location in what used to be Sushi Ko at The Lakes in Thousand Oaks (2200 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Suite 150).

Feel free to submit additions to us or add comments to this post!

Today, Bandits is located in a nearly brand new HUGE stand-alone, beautiful restaurant/bar adjacent to the old location and the Janss Marketplace Car Wash and the food is better than ever.  Bandits has a fun, Western feel to it. Everything I've ever eaten at Bandits is delicious, including ribs, tri-tip, BBQ pulled pork sandwich, burgers, sandwiches. Everything. But I do like to eat "healthy" so I often order the Barbecue Chopped Salad or the Tri-Tip Salad.  Be prepared to eat half the salad and take the rest home, as portions are huge.

Recently I dined at Bandits Thousand Oaks with my 7 year old. I value his opinion on restaurants, but actions speak louder than words.  The way he downed his BBQ pulled pork sandwich and corn on the cob, followed up by his Build-Your-Own-Sundae, it was quite obvious he LOVED the food.  He also thoroughly enjoyed the entertaining kids' menu games and puzzles.  As I kicked back with my kid, cold beer and delicious food, I observed many, many families enjoying the woodsy, busy, buzzing atmosphere of Bandits.

As of March 2010, all the kids meals on the "Young'un Menu" for kids 10 and under were $4.99, including beverage. Meals include tri-tip sandwich, tri-tip plate, cheeseburger, mini corn dog, chicken strips, BBQ pulled pork sandwich, grilled cheese or baby back ribs (these were $6.99 for 4 ribs), plus choice of side.  The sundae was only $1.79.

I'm also a fan of the Camarillo Bandits in Old Town Camarillo. Quality of the food here is consistent with Thousand Oaks.  This location is not quite as large as Thousand Oaks but big enough, also with a Western feel, with a hitching post saloon! What I like at this location is the huge barrel of peanuts that you scoop up, place on your table, then throw the shells on the ground (at least that's what I do...it's cool...its part of the atmosphere). Problem is, sometimes I eat so many peanuts I have little room left for my meal!

More recently Bandits has expanded their menu with more healthful choices, including more salads and fish dishes. I recently (December 2011) tried the red trout lunch (see pic) and thoroughly enjoyed it. So if you aren't a big red meat eater, there's plenty of alternatives available.

Bandits locations are at 589 N. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks (805.497.7427) and 1980 Ventura Boulevard, Camarillo (805.445.4742). Visit www.banditsbbq.com for more information.

Well on several of those nights I've been able to get out and over to The Grill on the Alley, located at The Promenade at Westlake in Westlake Village.

The Grill is slightly hidden away, behind the rest of The Promenade behind Bristol Farms and the CPK ASAP. But the good thing about that is that there's extra parking back there, not to mention valet parking is available.

The restaurant is well appointed and beautiful; a place worthy of a fine dining experience or just a plain old hot date (or both LOL).

Some of the things I (or those with me) have tried include the filet mignon, shrimp cocktail, lobster bisque and Santa Fe Chicken Wrap (lunch menu). All delicious. The other appetizers and salads have also been perfect here.

But what really made my head spin was the out-of-this-world American Kobe Burger. This incredibly mouth-watering burger came with black and white truffle mayonaise and perfecto jumbo fried onion rings. A friend loved the truffle mayonaise so much that he asked for a second helping. It was so good I'd trade in 3 Double Doubles and 3 Five Guys burgers for one of these. I meant to take a pic of the burger but the salivation was steaming up the lens.

The one measly time I splurged for dessert after my meal I had the Double Chocolate Layer Cake, which was so good that I completely ignored the fact that my caloric consumption for the meal probably equated to 3 days of meals. It was so good that instead of worrying, I made a mental note to dream about running a marathon that night to burn off the calories.

So needless to say, you won't go wrong at The Grill on The Alley. They also have a nice, quiet, private dining room that seats up to 28 people.

For more information, visit thegrill.com/locations/the-grill-westlake-village-california or call 805.418.1760.

Ameci's Pizza and Pasta is at 1560 Newbury Road, #3, Newbury Park (805.499.8300), 30651 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd, Agoura (818.889.7722), 1724 Avenida de los Arboles, Thousand Oaks (805.493.2914), Westlake Village (DELIVERY ONLY) (818.889.7778), 302 W. Los Angeles St., Moorpark (805.529.3399) and 2780 Tapo Canyon Blvd., Simi Valley (805.581.9770) www.amecipizzaandpasta.com  (Check the Ameci's website for coupons!) Fifteen years or so ago when I was on a tight budget I would cut coupons and buy the largest Ameci pizza and eat it for days. A nice, thin, simple pizza. And cheap! Good place to go on a budget. Mostly delivery and take out.

Cafe Topanga is at 171 North Reino Road, Newbury Park (805.498.2166) Decent food at this place. They deliver. I've only had their pizzas a few times and they were pretty good. Anyone have comments?

California Pizza Kitchen is at 2200 East Thousand Oaks Blvd.,Thousand Oaks (at The Lakes) (805.777.1778), 100 Promenade Way, Westlake Village (CPK "ASAP" fast service CPK with limited menu), (805.374.2727) and 1555 Simi Town Center Way, #790, Simi Valley (Simi Valley Town Center) (805.522.0030) www.cpk.com Tasty pizza with a large selection. Can't go wrong. Beautiful, clean chain of restaurants. I like the pasta dishes there more than the pizza.  Recently visited the Thousand Oaks location with the kids and they both ordered the Mac and Cheese kids' meal.  Large adult-sized portion came in a large bowl and I thought it was tasty.  But they only ate 4 or 5 bites of it.  Problem is that kids envision Kraft Mac n Cheese everywhere they go and usually at decent places like CPK they serve regular Fusilli pasta with cheesy sauce.  Like I say, I liked it but they didn't.  Live and learn.  Next time it'll be back to pizza.

Chuck E. Cheese's is at 130 West Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks (805.497.2522) and 4714 Telephone Road, Ventura (805.644.9777) www.chuckecheese.com (Prior location in Simi Valley has been closed.) I'm embarrassed to admit that I actually enjoy taking the little ones to this place. Where else can you enjoy yourselves with the kids (well, maybe 100 of them running around at the same time), drink beer, enjoy decent chicken ciabatta sandwiches, watch the kids enjoy their PIZZA (which by the way has the consistency of chewy cardboard, but that's o.k....they love it and I consume their crusts), and play some fun games.

Costco is at 5700 Lindero Canyon Road, Westlake Village (818.597.3900), 2001 East Ventura Blvd., Oxnard (805.983.4200) and 2660 Park Center Drive, Simi Valley (805.578.3301). (And allegedly one of these days we will see a Newbury Park Costco near the 101 and Wendy). www.costco.com I love Costco pizza.  Huge slices of pizza for small sums of money.  My top choice for bargain pizza that is well stocke

In addition to pastries, drinks and chocolates, Chocolatine serves a variety of sandwiches, salads, quiche and other items at reasonable prices. Though they are generally not open for dinner, Chocolatine offers a special monthly multi-course dinner that sounds pretty amazing. Lastly, take a look at their made-to-order cake selections.

Visit www.chocolatine.net or call 805.557.0689 for more information. Currently open Tuesday through Sunday (closed Monday).

My family and I purchase and devour over 30 sandwiches a month, so I have an opinion or five about the most prolific sandwich franchises in town.

I'll start with my personal favorite, Jersey Mike's. Jersey Mike's started operations in 1956 and has grown to 475 stores nationwide, including 14 locally. I believe Jersey Mike's has the freshest, highest quality ingredients of the 3 sub shops.  They slice meat and cheese for each individual sandwich and their bread, which comes in the nice and simple assortment of white and wheat, is a standout.

Order it "Mike's Way" and you get lettuce, onions, tomatoes, vinegar, oil and spices. Absolutely delicious every single time...and I eat there 3 times a week. The consistency of their sandwiches is outstanding among locations. And the bread is soft and fresh. My most frequent purchases are the #7 (Turkey/Provolone), #6 (Roast Beef/Provolone) and #8 (Club Sub). The amount of meat and cheese is always very ample. But what prompted me to write this is that, for kicks, I ordered a #14 (Veggie) yesterday and lo and behold, it was also outstanding and delicious. I didn't even miss the meat it was so good!

Pricing at Jersey Mike's is overall somewhat higher than Subway and Quizno's but I never feel value is an issue. Sign up for the Jersey Mike's email club and receive monthly coupons as well as a free birthday sub and drink.

My 7 year old is a huge Subway fan and while my nod goes to Jersey Mike's, I have no problems dining with him at Subway. Subway provides great valued and pretty darn consistent quality there amongst the dozen or so Subways that I've been to. Subway has been around since 1965 and has over 30,000 locations worldwide, 65 or so in the Ventura County area!

My family usually orders the Turkey or Roast Beef 20% subs. Subway has so many breads to choose from that frankly it just confuses us. The kids get their standard white bread and I get the 9-Grain wheat bread. We all gobble up the sandwiches and they get the job done. But the quality of the meat in my humble opinion is more along the lines of what you buy in the prepackaged deli section of the supermarket.

My 7 year old has the Subway ordering process nailed down. Its fun watching the interaction between employee and kid. And he surprises me sometimes when he adds a new ingredient to the sandwich, like cucumbers.

I try to replicate the taste of Jersey Mike's at Subway by asking for the "Mike's Way" ingredients and no mayo, but it just never quite gets there...the bread is pretty good but not as desirable to me and it doesn't have the spices. But I don't complain. My kid enjoys his turkey, cheese, lettuce and mayo and I enjoy hanging with him. I can feed 3 of us for $16 or so there and that's a good thing. Subway does provide excellent value for a meal that's a lot healthier for you than a burger and fries.

Quiznos began operating in Denver in 1981 and now has over 4,000 locations, including 12 (8*)in Ventura County. Quiznos toasts their subs and I feel I get excellent value for my money there. For just under $8 I get a nicely sized toasted roast beef sub, chips and a drink. In fact, that's what I had for lunch today.

I had no problems with the sandwich. It was filling and tasty. No complaints. It was warm and toasty and I ate every last drop of it. The meat was reasonable, but it just doesn't reach the quality of the meat at Jersey Mike's. That doesn't mean I won't be back at Quiznos though. When I have a hankering for a toasted, value-priced sub, I go to Quiznos.

I've tried other Quiznos subs like Baja Chicken, Honey Bourbon Chicken and Mesquite Chicken and they are good. Though they often have more mayo in them than I'd prefer. They leave me feeling satisfied though not in a fresh and healthy way.

I've tried to get my kids into Quiznos but they don't like the setup as much as Jersey Mike's and Subway. At the latter two, they can actually see the ingredients and the sandwich maker and interact with them, making it more of an interactive experience. At Quiznos, the set-up is different and it is difficult for the kids to have that interaction.

Quiznos confuses me with some of the names of their sandwiches...Torpedos, Bullets and Sammies. I dunno, I just don't feel like figuring out what this terminology means. Just give me a damn sandwich in small, medium or large and I'm happy. Simple is better.

That wraps up today sub discussion. Feel free to add comments as I know there will be disagreement on which subs are the best. I am particularly interested in reading comments from those of you who, like me, have eaten frequently at all three of these places!

*As of March 2011 there are stores in Camarillo, Oxnard (3), Simi Valley and Ventura (3).

I've been eating at Peking Inn for many years now and continue to enjoy it, as do my fellow lunch buddies. Some of our favorites are the Kung Pao Chicken, Mandarin Beef, Lemon Chicken, Beef Szechwan Style, and Sweet and Sour Shrimp. They also serve a nice Ginger Fish dish that I enjoyed so much, so often, that I finally burned out on it.

For non-meat eaters, they make some really tasty bean curd dishes. I order one dish that I don't believe is on the menu...bean curd (cubed) that is NOT fried, with vegetables in brown sauce. One gal that I know ordered the Vegetarian Kung Pao Chicken and while it didn't look too appetizing to me, she seemed to enjoy it.

Meals come with fried wonton chips, hot tea, soup (Hot & Sour or Egg Flower Soup...most people I know get the Hot & Sour), rice and fortune cookies. They keep you busy eating the whole time you're there!

Peking Inn also serves up dim sum on weekends and...shame on me...I've still not tried it. I'll have to make plans to try it out with my family.

Service is generally really responsive. From time to time if they get really busy there are slight delays, but what I like is that I can get in and out easily. Pricing is quite reasonable. You'll leave quite satisfied for $9 or $10 at lunch. The decor is a bit dated but I guess if you've ever been to Beijing it would fit in. They could spruce it up quite a bit but I'd prefer they just leave it be and continue satisfying my Chinese food appetite at reasonable prices.