We've been to Dickey's Ventura and definitely enjoyed the quality of the food, the reasonable prices and the free ice cream! We enjoyed the beef brisket and turkey as well as the barbecue beans, baked potato casserole as well as the green beans with bacon. In fact, I just slobbered on the keyboard as I typed this. Good stuff! Also, they have a Kids Eat Free deal every Sunday!

A second Dickey's Barbecue Pit location will open later this summer, possibly August, at 2902 Tapo Canyon Road, Suite B in Simi Valley. For updates, visit the Dickey's Barbecue Pit Simi Valley Facebook Page.

The City of Moorpark Beach Bus to Zuma Beach is $5 round trip for students and adults and $2 for seniors and the disabled. The Beach Bus is open to the general public. For more information call the City of Moorpark: 805-517-6256 or visit www.ci.moorpark.ca.us. Must have exact change.  Passengers must use the correct return trip from Zuma Beach. Passengers on Trip 1 to Zuma must use Trip 3 to return to Moorpark. Passengers on Trip 2 to Zuma must use Trip 4 to return to Moorpark.

The City of Agoura Hills Summer Beach Bus transports from 3 pick-up locations in Agoura Hills to Zuma Beach in Malibu!  Locations are Lindero Canyon Middle School, Agoura High School and corner of Liberty Canyon and Agoura Road. Bring a photo ID (Driver's License, School ID, or a home-made emergency contact card will suffice) and your exact change of $2.00 each way!  Don't forget your towel, boogie boards, and beach toys, too! Visit www.ci.agoura-hills.ca.us/index.aspx?page=384 or call 818.597.7361 for more information.

Also, the City of Calabasas offers a Beach Bus to Zuma Beach from June 17th through August 16th. $4 round trip or $2 one way. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays ONLY. Visit
www.cityofcalabasas.com/beachbus.html#South for specifics.

The City of Thousand Oaks will launch a special Summer Beach Bus (Orange Route) to Zuma Beach during summer school recess, beginning June 18 through August 22.  This is the first time the service is being offered by Thousand Oaks Transit and is a collaborative effort between the City and Conejo Recreation and Park District.

There are three convenient pick-up and drop-off locations:

• Borchard Community Center in front of the main entrance

• Thousand Oaks Community Center near the loading zone

• Thousand Oaks Teen Center bus stop

Each stop is marked with an orange bus stop sign and timetable. As a regularly scheduled bus service, rides are available on a first come, first served basis with no reservations required.

The City is contracting with Roadrunner Shuttle to provide a 50-passenger motorcoach equipped with air conditioning, seatbelts, and storage for surfboards, chairs, umbrellas and coolers. A lift to accommodate passengers with mobility devices will also be available.

City Transit Program Manager, Mike Houser stated, “This service has been two years in the making. We are grateful for the assistance of the Conejo Recreation and Park District, especially Teen Center staff, and to the Ventura County Transportation Commission for assisting the City in obtaining grant funding to help pay for this service.”

For more information about the Summer Beach Bus, visit www.totransit.org.

Very comfortable setting and a nice covered outdoor area. The decor is contemporary with touches of "old school" throughout.

Nice looking inside area looking towards the bar...you can see textbooks and a globe in the decor. (Photo provided by PS805)Looking up from our booth I saw a wall decorated with 25 old baseball gloves. Now that's old school!My wife was impressed that she was able to order both gluten and dairy free straight off the menu. We shared the Pan Seared Salmon with Cauliflower Couscous and the Pearled Farro and Brussel Salad. They were both delicious to both my wife, the self-proclaimed "Foodie" and myself. I don't eat cauliflower and brussels sprouts often but these were so good I'd dine on them anytime.

Yes I will eat cauliflower if served this way, with pan seared salmon at Public School 805Can't believe how much I enjoyed brussels sprouts in this pearled farro and brussel salad!

My wife didn't share the appetizer with me, mainly because I was off blabbering with a few people. It was the Heirloom Tomato Stack with ruby red grapefruit, balsamic reduction, basil and fire roasted pecans. She loved it and "could eat it every day."

But I got her back. Well, not really, though, as she said she was too full to share the Lemon Meringue pictured below. This was a fantastic finale that left a great taste in my mouth for the next hour. It was so good that I didn't even polish off the beer in front of me.

Other featured menu items include Dragoons Irish Stout Short Ribs, Colorado Lamb Burger, and Roasted Poblano with Quinoa. There's also Scrimshaw Fish and Chips, Chorizo and Shrimp Campanelle and woodfired pizzas among other items. On tap are craft beers from the U.S. and around the world. 24 on tap (16 rotating taps) and bottles and cans. Full bar with wine and cocktails also available.

Full lunch and dinner menus with most items in the $10 to $10 range, plus some great "Recess" (Happy Hour) specials for $4-$6 in the bar area from 4-7PM on weeknights. Doors open at 11:30 a.m.

I get the feeling that this place will be very popular. Has a great look and feel. High quality, yet casual. My wife of course wants to come back...with her friends! :) Learn more at www.publicschool805.com.

PizzaRev "Craft Your Own" pizza will soon be opening at 1831 N. Rose Avenue (at Gonzalez Road) in Oxnard, at the location most recently occupied by Cafe Rio.

With other locations in Woodland Hills, Northridge and Studio City, at PizzaRev you selected your favorite sauce, cheeses and fresh toppings, and PizzaRev builds your pizza right before your eyes. Your artisan quality pizza is ready extremely fast with their two-ton fire-deck oven to bake your pizza in under three minutes.

From the PizzaRev website at www.pizzarev.com:

"We place our expert pizza-crafters right on the front line, customizing your pizza with your choice of multiple sauces, cheeses, and toppings, all right before your eyes! There are literally millions of tasty combinations to choose from. Our revolutionary Fire-Deck oven heats to a perfectly even super-high temperature that cooks each pizza in under three minutes!

Fresh, artisanal-quality pizza has never been faster or more affordable.  For less than $8.00, enjoy unlimited toppings including all the traditional favorites plus many gourmet options including kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, capers, fennel, and many more. Savory sausage, carefully-cured pepperoni, crumbled meatball, ham, bacon, and garlic chicken highlight a menu that will evolve with the seasons to ensure that ingredients are always fresh and natural. At PizzaRev, you CRAFT YOUR OWN pizza!"

A sign of things to come is up at what used to be the Starbucks* at 1025 Broadbeck Drive at The Village at Newbury Park. The Flame Broiler will be "coming soon" to this location. The Flame Broiler originated in Fullerton in 1995 and has grown to over 130 locations in California, Arizona, Florida and Oklahoma.

The Flame Broiler offers up bowls of rice topped with veggies, chicken or beef, as well as plates with rice topped with veggies, chicken or beef, a side salad and fruit. Looks pretty good as well as healthy to me!

This will be first Ventura County location for The Flame Broiler. Other nearby locations in Chatworth and Canyon County. Learn more about The Flame Broiler at www.flamebroilerusa.com.

* Starbucks moved across the parking lot to a new drive-thru location on January 18th.

A few weeks ago, N'Awlinz Bistro of Newbury Park announced on its Facebook page that it would be opening a second location this summer at the Centennial Plaza. Well, the White Rabbit Cafe is located at 221 W. 5th Street and the owners of N'Awlinz Bistro have an on-site beer and wine license pending at that location...so my suspicion is that this indeed is the future home of N'Awlinz Bistro in Oxnard.

Stay tuned...

See scenes from last year's Sand Sculpture Contest at this link.

In late April, City officials announced they are seeking emergency funding to restore the rapidly eroding Hueneme Beach. According to the City, since January, high winds, abnormally high tides and large waves along the Ventura County coastline have reduced the sand relocated by the Army Corps of Engineers from the Channel Islands Harbor last December.

The erosion is threatening infrastructure and flooding to homes, businesses, the deepwater of Port of Hueneme and Naval Base Ventura County. More information at www.ci.port-hueneme.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/340.

The City of Simi Valley has announced that the Simi Valley Public Library will be closed from Saturday, June 15, 2013 through Sunday, June 30, 2013 for refurbishment as it transitions from the Ventura County Library System to a municipal city public library. During the closure, patrons may use their Ventura County Library card to check out materials from other Ventura County Libraries, the nearest site being the Oak Park Library.

Beginning July 1, 2013, library patrons will need a new Simi Valley Public Library card to check out materials from the Simi Valley Public Library. Patrons may pre-register for their new library card online at www.simivalleylibrary.org beginning June 15, 2013 and will have the opportunity to select one of three new card designs. Once they have pre-registered, at their first visit to the Library, patrons will be issued their card.

Patrons who wish to obtain their new card prior to July 1 may register for the new card in person from Monday, June 17 through Friday, June 28 at the Simi Valley Senior Center and City Hall. Representatives will be available at the Senior Center Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at City Hall for Library card registration. No appointment is necessary.

The public is invited to attend the Grand Opening of the Simi Valley Public Library on Monday, July 1 at 10:00 a.m. The event will feature a ribbon cutting of the refurbished facility, presentations by local, elected officials, the Summer Reading Program Kick-off by Mr. Nifty’s Balloon Show at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., tours of the refurbished Library that will feature an enhanced collection of materials, new furniture, a refreshed interior, enhanced technology and computers, new signage, the addition of a Teen Lounge, and more.

The Simi Valley Public Library is located at 2969 Tapo Canyon Road, the Simi Valley Senior Center is located at 3900 Avenida Simi, and Simi Valley City Hall is located at 2929 Tapo Canyon Road. For questions, or more information, call (805) 583-6861 or visit www.simivalley.org or www.simivalleylibrary.org.