Village Pizza and Pasta Coming to The Village at Dos Vientos Ranch in October

Update 1/13/14: Check out THIS POST for an update on The Local Table and its anticipated grand opening on Saturday, February 1st.

Update 11/20/13: A few days ago the Village Pizza and Pasta Facebook page indicated "The Local Table" is coming to The Village at Dos Vientos Ranch on 1/7/14. They say The Local Table will have pizza, pasta, calzones, a great bar and fantastic pastries and baked goods, all at family friendly prices.

This is a slice of pizza from the CVG files. We look forward to sampling the pizza at Village Pizza and Pasta soon!

Posted 9/14/13: There is a new restaurant planning to open at The Village at Dos Vientos Ranch sometime in October. According to its Facebook page, Village Pizza and Pasta will serve up pizza, pasta and sandwiches and have plenty of space for sports team gatherings.

Village Pizza and Pasta will be located at 360 Via Las Brisas in the space most recently occupied by La Cucina di Venti and prior to that, Mama Rita's.

I kind of like the sound of what they are trying to do...create a family-friendly eatery well geared for kids' sports teams and casual dining. Stay tuned...

Additional Information About Proposed Westlake Village In-N-Out Restaurant

Proposed In-N-Out at The Shoppes at Westlake Village (Image courtesy of City of Westlake Villlage)

The City of Westlake Village has published a video highlighting information about the proposed In-N-Out Burger that will be covered at a December 21 Public Hearing. Featured in a Q&A session are City Manager Ray Taylor and City Planning Director Scott Wolfe. The video is embedded below but here is a summary of points covered:

• Construction of The Shoppes at Westlake Village is moving along, with infrastructure (water/sewer) and paving in place and building foundations and initial framing underway. The target date for opening of the Target store is July 27, 2014 (updated July 2014).

• The proposed In-N-Out Burger is planned for the west end of The Shoppes development up against the existing Bank of America building.

• The proposed In-N-Out lies on about a one acre plot, with the restaurant itself occupying about 3,700 sq ft., which is a typical size for an In-N-Out.

• The architecture of the In-N-Out will match that of the rest of The Shoppes, including stonework, natural tile and other "Older European" treatments. It will thus have a different look than a typical In-N-Out.

• In-N-Out originally proposed one bronze colored In-N-Out sign facing the 101 Freeway, with two others in the standard In-N-Out corporate color scheme. Working with the City, the plan has been changed such that all three signs are proposed to be bronze to match the coloring of other stores at The Shoppes.

• The City wanted to make sure there was adequate queuing space for drive-thru traffic. Wolfe indicates typical fast food restaurants have space for 7 to 9 cars and typical In-N-Outs accommodate 15 cars. The City worked with In-N-Out to accommodate in excess of 20 cars for this particular In-N-Out Burger!

• The City is satisfied that In-N-Out and The Shoppes have adequate walls and landscaping planned to ensure car headlights in the parking and queuing areas do not impact drivers on the 101 Freeway.

• In-N-Out has proposed store hours of 10:30 am 7 days a week, closing at 1am Sunday through Thursday and 1:30 am Friday/Saturday. Wolfe indicates this is subject to City Council review.

For more information about the proposed In-N-Out restaurant in Westlake Village, visit www.wlv.org/index.aspx?NID=351.

Ori Sushi Closed Oct 5; Blue Wasabi & Asian Bistro Coming Soon to Thousand Oaks

Ori Sushi at 74 N. Skyline Drive in Thousand Oaks closed its doors on October 5th. Ori Sushi had operated at this slightly off the beaten path location just north of Thousand Oaks Boulevard where Jiffy Lube and Lassen's Health Foods operate since around 2005.

But the positive news is that Blue Wasabi Sushi & Asian Bistro (updated) subsequently opened at this location in 2014. More at bluewasabi-ca.com.

Update: Blue Wasabi subsequently closed and the newest restaurant here that opened in January 2015 is Streets by Bistro Orient.

*Lassen's subsequently moved to The Lakes at Thousand Oaks in March 2015.

El Pollo Loco in Oak Park is Closed and Will Become a Drive-Thru Starbucks

Update 11/2/13: The new Drive-Thru Starbucks in Oak Park is open. And there's already a line...

Original Post 9/28/13:

So long, El Pollo Loco of Oak Park

The El Pollo Loco located at 688 Lindero Canyon Road in Oak Park, adjacent to kid-favorite Bright Child (Bright Child subsequently closed its doors 1/20/14), has been closed to make way for a new drive-through Starbucks location. Following a trend set in Newbury Park early this year, the drive-through Starbucks will open and the nearby Starbucks at 706 Lindero Canyon Road will be closing at that time. According to employees at Starbucks, they anticipate a grand opening date of around October 16th. So get your engines revved up and ready...

New Veggie Grill in Westlake Village Anticipated to be Opening Soon (CLOSED MAY 2023)

VEGGIE GRILL WESTLAKE VILLAGE CLOSED ITS DOORS MAY 8, 2023

UPDATE 10/25/13:Veggie Grill announced today that it will open at 3825 E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Westlake Village on Wednesday, October 30th at 11am! They are giving the first 50 people in line on opening day, between 10am and 11am, a $20 Veggie Grill gift card and 10 lucky guests will win “Veggie Grill for a Year.”

We mentioned back in June that the Veggie Grill is coming to Westlake Village at 3825 E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Westllake Village. The place looks to be moving along quite nicely, with a bright new sign up and recent staff recruitment, not to a mention on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/veggiegrill. Based on the feedback seen on the CVG Facebook page, this place is destined to be a hit! Stay tuned.

Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers to Open in Westlake Village This Summer

Update 10/17/13: What the heck? Grand opening pushed out yet another week again, now anticipated on Tuesday, October 29th.

Update 10/10/13: Grand opening date changed once again, now to an anticipated Tuesday, October 22nd according to the Freddy's Frozen Custard Facebook page.

Update 10/4/13: The grand opening date has now been changed to Tuesday, October 15th.

Update 9/13/13: Freddy's indicates grand opening date is planned for October 8th!

Update 8/17/13: Three months later and they are making steady progress! The targeted opening date is September 10th. Stay posted on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FreddysUSA. As a lifelong So Cal resident I have to say I've never tried frozen custard, so I'm personally looking forward to it!

Originally posted 5/17/13: The Thousand Oaks Acorn pointed out this week that Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers is in process of renovating the space previously occupied by Burger King in front of what used to be the K-Mart in Westlake Village at 391 Hampshire Road.

Learn more about Freddy's at www.freddysusa.com. According to a recent Freddy's press release:

Co-founded by Scott Redler and Bill, Randy and Freddy Simon, Freddy’s opened its first location in Wichita during 2002, offering a unique combination of cooked-to-order steakburgers, Chicago dogs, and other savory items along with its signature desserts prepared with premium frozen custard made fresh throughout the day. Freddy’s founders operate six locations in the Wichita Metro area, three in the Kansas City market, and one in the Dallas metro area. Eighty-three franchise units serve other areas of Kansas, Missouri and Texas as well as Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Utah and Virginia.

For 2013, Freddy’s was again named among Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Franchise 500®”. In 2012, besides Entrepreneur Magazine’s recognition for that year, Freddy’s was included among Inc. Magazine’s 500/5000 list of “Fastest Growing Private Companies”, QSR® Magazine’s “10 Best Franchise Deals”, Franchise Times® Magazine’s “Next 300 Franchise Chains”, and Business Insider’s “8 Better Burger Chains Poised to Conquer America”. Freddy’s has also been listed as the Fifth Fastest Growing Chain Restaurant in the United States and Canada by Chain Store Guide, a sister publication to Nation’s Restaurant News.

Sprinkles Cupcakes Grand Opening Date in Westlake Village is Wednesday, October 30th

Sprinkles Cupcakes announced in July that it is opening a location at The Promenade at Westlake in Westlake Village. It will be located next to the Barnes & Noble.

Recently Sprinkles provided an update via its Facebook page that Sprinkles Cupcakes Westlake Village will be open to the public beginning on Wednesday, October 30th, just in time for Halloween!

The Flame Broiler is Coming Soon to The Village at Newbury Park

Update 9/30/13: We've received word from A. Smith that the Newbury Park Flame Broiler opened today!

Update 8/21/13: Well I'm not sure what the progress is inside the old Starbucks in Newbury Park that will soon be The Flame Broiler, but I do know they have a nice new sign up on the building. Progress! And their website does indicate that they are "coming soon."

Originally Posted 6/12/13:

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.

N'Awlinz Bistro to Open a Second Ventura County Location This Summer in Oxnard

Update 9/26/13: VC Star Food Reporter Lisa McKinnon indicates in this Tweet that the Downtown Oxnard N'Awlinz Bistro will be having a soft opening tomorrow at 11am. Supsequently, in December 2013, N'Awlinz Bistro closed its Newbury Park restaurant to focus on the new Oxnard location.

Update: soft opening of Nawlinz Bistro in downtown Oxnard will start at 11am Friday, 9/27 pic.twitter.com/UyRG54RRRY

— Lisa McKinnon (@805foodie) September 26, 2013

Update 7/26/13: N'Awlinz Bistro has confirmed on its Facebook Page that it will be opening at Centennial Plaza in Downtown Oxnard this FALL.

Posted 5/28/13: N'Awlinz Bistro, which opened over a year ago at the Wendy Kimber Plaza in Newbury Park, recently announced it will be opening a second location at the Centennial Plaza in Downtown Oxnard. No specific date set at this point, but they are targeting mid to late July.

N' Awlinz Bistro serves contemporary New Orleans French-Creole style cooking created by chef and co-owner, Marcus Webster. Fried catfish, Po' Boys, Bourbon Street Seafood Jambalaya, Seafood Gumbo, Blackened Red Snapper and more. Conejo Valley folk rave over this place.

Check out their menu at www.nawlinzbistro.com.

Enjoying my po' boy at a recent visit to N'Awlinz Bistro in Newbury Park.