Sossy's BBQ Sandwiches Opening in Newbury Park This Spring

Final Update 7/24/13: Sossy's will be opening for business at 11 am this coming Friday, July 26th. The place has been completely re-done and is really nice, with an adjacent outdoor dining area. Sossy's menus includes BBQ sandwiches with meats including tri-tip, brisket, pulled pork and a "Sossy Joe" made with ground beef and chopped brisket. They have a couple chopped salads, three kids' meal choices (sandwich, hot dog or Mac & Cheese), and a variety of sides. People I spoke with who ate at a pre-opening event tonight enjoyed everything they tried, including the cole slaw and potato salad. Sossy's also has about six draft beers available. Follow their Facebook page for updates.

Update 5/23/13: Sossy's will begin the hiring process in the next few weeks. Visit www.sossys.com/Contact to apply. Sossy's says they will be doing "soft" openings in late June and official opening to the public soon thereafter.

Originally Posted 1/31/13: Sossy's BBQ is slated to open at the location previously occupied by Burger Express at 2140 Newbury Road in Newbury Park.

Sossy's is pronounced like "Saucys." On its Facebook page, the owners indicate Sossy's name was inspired by a restaurant in Mexico that had was delicious and covered by a great sauce...and they blame the misspelling of the word "sauce" on the margaritas. Sounds like these guys have a great sense of humor.

On its LinkedIn profile "our Sossy's original bbq sandwiches are mouth-watering delicious. And yes we use only the finest quality ingredients. And yes we use USDA Choice meats and locally grown farm fresh vegetables."

Shave It Camarillo Opened to the Public on Saturday, July 13th

As previously indicated in April, the new Camarillo Shave It location opened this past Saturday, July 13th. This location is at 455 Carmen Drive, in the Carmen Plaza, conveniently and perhaps appropriately located next door to the 24 Hour Fitness! Their phone number is 805.445.4423 (4ICE).

Owner Arla tipped us off that this coming Saturday, July 20th, they will be hosting a grand opening event featuring the Chainsaw Chicks, as featured on America's Got Talent. Everyone is invited and the Ice Queen and her court will be performing 4 afternoon shows - at 1, 3, 5 and 7. The Chicks expertly carve giant blocks of ice with their chainsaws. Now this looks quite interesting!

Sprinkles Cupcakes Coming to The Promenade at Westlake in the Fall of 2013

Sprinkles Cupcakes Opens in Westlake Village This Fall

The Promenade at Westlake welcomes the world’s first cupcake bakery

Sprinkles Cupcakes at The Promenade at Westlake is scheduled to open its newest location at Caruso Affiliated’s The Promenade at Westlake in fall 2013.

Known for its mouth-watering treats and long lines of devoted fans, Sprinkles Cupcakes at The Promenade at Westlake will offer a sugar rush to shoppers and tourists looking to indulge in these gourmet treats.

Sprinkles will be located between Barnes & Noble and Brighton Collectibles, next to the popular outdoor fountain area.

For updates, visit www.sprinkles.com and www.shoppromenade.com.

About Sprinkles: Candace Nelson is the founder and pastry chef of Sprinkles Cupcakes, the world's first cupcake bakery. Started in Beverly Hills in 2005, Candace's sophisticated take on the classic American cupcake made Sprinkles an overnight bakery sensation. Today, Sprinkles has twelve locations nationwide, a traveling Sprinklesmobile – the world's first cupcake truck, and sells its cupcake mixes at over 250 Williams-Sonoma stores throughout the U.S. and Canada. In 2012, Sprinkles debuted the world's first Cupcake ATM and continued its foray into classic American desserts with the launch of Sprinkles Ice Cream. Future expansion plans include a franchise agreement that will bring 34 Sprinkles Cupcakes bakeries to the Middle East beginning in 2013.

The Collection at RiverPark in Oxnard Announces Openings of Gen Korean BBQ and Yard House Restaurant

The Collection at RiverPark recently announced its latest restaurant openings. Gen Korean BBQ opened on Friday, June 21st, and Yard House will open on Thursday, July 11th.

Owned by veteran restaurateur Jae Chang, Gen Korean BBQ has a devoted following for its high-quality, all-you-can-eat cuisine, moderate prices and large selection of meats. Whether you like marinated or not marinated, chicken or pork, bulgogi or kalbi/galbi, vegetables or not, there's enough of a selection to get your fair share and to keep everyone in your party happy. Learn more at www.facebook.com/genkoreanbbq.

Yard House offers an award-winning and extensive menu of American fusion cuisine featuring appetizers, salads, pastas, sandwiches, street tacos, grilled burgers, individual-sized pizzas, seafood, steaks and ribs.  And it’s not just for adults -- the Kids Klub menu includes fresh-to-order favorites and a selection of healthy items.

Yard House is also known for its wide selection of imported, craft and specialty ales and lagers -- more than 100 different types on tap. The lively environment is created by colorful abstract artwork, classic rock music and flat screens in every direction showcasing the day's news and sporting events.

Learn more about Yard House at www.yardhouse.com or more specifically the Oxnard location page at www.yardhouse.com/CA/oxnard-restaurant.

Learn more about The Collection at RiverPark at www.thecollectionrp.com. Directions at www.thecollectionrp.com/directions.

Agoura Hills Diner Opened in Early December 2012 and Closed in Summer 2013

UPDATE 7/5/13: Hmm, the picture below says it all. The space previously occupied by Johnny Rockets and briefly occupied by the Agoura Hills Diner from December 2012 to I believe sometime in the last month is now vacant. Hmm, this is located next door to Agoura Hills Dance Center. Dancers eat healthy.  Maybe this is a good spot for a health food place!

ORIGINALLY POSTED 1/5/13: Johnny Rockets in Agoura closed on December 3rd but within a week the same crew opened up a new restaurant in its place called Agoura Hills Diner at 5015 Cornell Street. Taking a look at their website at agourahillsdiner.com, they serve up hamburgers, sandwiches and hot dogs, salads, brunch, kids meals, hand-made milk shakes, floats and freezes and more. Their 1/3 pound hamburgers are made with "100% Fresh Natural Beef," fresh, never frozen. Fries are cooked with 100% trans fat free fryer oil. Open 7 days a week at 11 a.m. Call 818.735.0513 for more information.

Vivoli Cafe & Trattoria in Westlake Village is Closed; Looks Like Veggie Grill is Coming

Vivoli Cafe & Trattoria at 3825 E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Westllake Village, is closed. The owner of the chain indicated on the Vivoli website that due to a partnership dissolution he had to close the restaurant and others. But he does indicate he is looking to re-open at some time and place in the future.

Look carefully at the photo and you'll see a notice on the window. The notice is from North Ranch Properties, landlord of the property, indicating 1) improvements/alterations are being made to the property that they are not responsible for and 2) The Veggie Grill, Inc. is leasing the property.

So it appears we will be getting a Veggie Grill here! This should make some people happy! According to a recent press release, "Veggie Grill’s menu features a satisfying and energizing variety of hot sandwiches and burgers, entrée salads, homestyle plates, daily soups and housemade desserts made from hearty “veggie-proteins” and wholesome ingredients. With 16* locations in California, Oregon and Washington, Veggie Grill renders the impossible possible: 100-percent plant-based food that is convenient, affordable and craveable."

* Now 19 locations, with the closest one in Encino.

Visit www.veggiegrill.com to learn more about Veggie Grill.

SUGARFISH by Sushi Nozawa Coming Soon to The Commons at Calabasas

SUGARFISH by Sushi Nozawa at The Commons at Calabasas is now open. Visit sugarfishsushi.com/calabasas or call 818.223.9966 for more information.

ORIGINAL POST November 30, 2012:

SUGARFISH embodies the philosophy of celebrated sushi chef Kazunori Nozawa, concentrating on the purity of his basic ingredients— nurturing relationships with the finest fish purveyors across the globe, cutting his fish with an artisan’s painstaking care, and even making his own fresh soy sauce and ponzu.

So what, you say? Well, soon there will be a SUGARFISH by Sushi Nozawa at The Commons at Calabasas just a dozen miles east of Thousand Oaks! No specific date at this point in time.

According to the SUGARFISH website: "Nozawa shuns “American-style” extravagant rolls and fusion dishes. Our menu, while always featuring the highest quality items, is greatly simplified. Diners choose from three core menus called Trust Me’s, a takeoff of the traditional Japanese omakase that Nozawa pioneered. The biggest change is there are no visible sushi chefs behind the sushi bar. By moving our sushi making to the kitchen, we are set up for maximum efficiency (and not for show). All of this allows us to deliver great sushi at a fair price."

Sounds pretty good to me! Visit the SUGARFISH website at sugarfishsushi.com to learn more or try it at locations in Brentwood, Downtown L.A., Marina del Rey, Santa Monica, Studio City and the Santa Monica Farmers' Market.

Olympic Grill Opens in Moorpark

Olympic Grill opened its doors yesterday at 6593 Collins Drive in Moorpark, close to Moorpark College. Olympic Grill is owned by the previous owners of Burger Express in Newbury Park, who announced the name change yesterday on their "old" Facebook page.

Olympic Grill's specialties are breakfast (including their highly desired breakfast burritos that were so popular at Burger Express), burgers and Greek and Mediterranean specialties. My stomach is grumbling just thinking about it.

The new Olympic Grill Facebook page is at www.facebook.com/pages/Olympic-Grill/508422342545082. To confirm their hours, either visit their Facebook page or call 805.552.9178.

Grand Opening of Public School 805 in Westlake Village is Monday, June 17th

As we heard a month ago, Public School 805 is opening at The Promenade at Westlake on Monday, June 17th. The restaurant/bar built from the ground up adjacent to The Grill on the Alley (same ownership) features craft beer and a chef-driven menu by Thousand Oaks native, Executive Chef Phil Kastel. I got a sneak pre-opening peek!

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.