Grand Opening of Urban Pizza in Westlake Village Planned for Thursday, April 2nd

Learn more about Urban Pizza at www.facebook.com/urbanpizzawestlakevillage

Juice It Up Raw Juice Bar Coming Soon to Thousand Oaks

UPDATE August 2018: Juice It Up Thousand Oaks recently closed its doors. They must have just run out of juice, so to speak.

CVG Facebook follower Charlotte H tipped us off that Juice It Up Raw Juice Bar is planning to open its first Ventura County location at the Conejo Valley Plaza Shopping Center, 1414 N. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks, in the former home of Golden Spoon (and more recently Tizzy Yogurt Cafe, which closed in late 2014). UPDATE: Juice it Up opened in June. www.facebook.com/JuiceItUpThousandOaks

What is Juice It Up? According to its Facebook page, "Recognized as Southern California's original raw juice and smoothie bar, Juice It Up! was founded in 1995 by a couple of guys who after spending several unfulfilling years in the corporate world, simply wanted to work for themselves. What started as a single raw juice and smoothie bar in Orange County turned into a California phenomenon spreading like wildfire. Today, Juice It Up has nearly 100 stores across California, Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico."

Juice It Up's menu includes raw juices and juice blends, smoothies, superfruit smoothies and bowls and fruit and veggie fusions like Raw Fusion™ - Kale, spinach, pineapple, apple, banana and Red Fusion™ - Beet, pineapple, red grapes, strawberries, cucumber, banana.

For updates, visit www.juiceitup.com.

A photo posted by Juice It Up! 🍎🍊🍋🌿 Official (@juiceitup) on Mar 23, 2015 at 6:19am PDT

Twisted Oak Tavern Gastropub and Brewery in Agoura Hills

Twisted Oak Tavern is a new Agoura Hills gastropub and brewery that offers guests a fresh twist on the classic tavern concept

Jointly conceived by managing partner Jeff Walker and partner and head brewmaster Roger Bott, the tavern features creative California cuisine made almost entirely from scratch using locally-sourced ingredients; a broad selection of popular domestic, imported, and craft beer to accompany the tavern’s in-house brews produced on site under The LAB Brewing Company brand; a robust wine list highlighted by award-winning vintages from prominent regional wineries; and one-of-a-kind, artisan cocktails made with fresh, locally-grown citrus juices, premium spirits, and house-made ginger beer, tonic water, and cold-brewed coffee on nitrogen.

Designed by Executive Chef Jon Peloso, Twisted Oak Tavern’s menu offers an original, inspired, and highly-innovative array of flavorful starters, salads, sandwiches, flatbreads, burgers, vegetables, entrées, and desserts — nearly all prepared from scratch using fresh, locally-produced, farm-to-table seasonal ingredients.

With over 20 years of professional experience in the culinary arts, Chef Peloso oversees a scratch kitchen in which most menu items and their various components are created on the premises from the ground up:  from tangy dipping sauces, salad dressings, sandwich spreads, and aiolis, and baked-daily tortillas and flatbreads, to the house-ground burgers fashioned from a blend of Angus chuck, short ribs, and pancetta and the tavern’s delectable desserts.

Located just off the 101 Freeway at 30105 Agoura Road in Agoura Hills (just east of Reyes Adobe), Twisted Oak Tavern is open seven days a week, including most holidays, for lunch, happy hour, dinner, and late-night dining and cocktails. For more information, please visit www.twistedoaktavern.pub.

Jeanette’s Edelweiss to Open in Former Home of Brats Brothers in Newbury Park

Update 3/24/15: Grand opening is this Friday, March 27th, at 6pm.

Update 3/17/15: Jeanette's Edelweiss indicates it will be doing a grand opening on Saturday, the 21st for lunch and dinner. Updates at www.facebook.com/jeanettesedelweiss.

Posted 1/19/15: As mentioned on the CVG Facebook page on January 5th, the former Brats Brothers (and prior to that, the beloved Lamppost Pizza) location at 2160A Newbury Road in Newbury Park is slated to become Jeanette's Edelweiss German Restaurant in the coming months.

Jeanette’s Edelweiss will offer classic German food including weiner schnitzel, bratwurst, spatzle, goulish, apple strudel and more, a selection of German beers, friendly service and a live band playing German folk music along with rock ‘n roll. Also on the menu are beef tenderloin medallion sliders, Rhineland Cold Cut Platter, Authentic Bavarian Weißwurst, herb-infused chicken sausage, Bavarian Goulash, Munich Roasted Chicken, Kassler Pork Chops, Atlantic Salmon Filet, Vegan Entrees (made without soy) including bratwurst, sauerbraten and sauteed vegetable casserole and much more.

I also see Black Forest Torte, German Pound Cake, Cheesecake, Cherry Strudel and Apple Dumplings on the menu. Mmmm.

Celebrity German chef Kurt Ehrlich, who has served mouth-watering German specialties to Hollywood stars and several U.S. Presidents, will ensure that patrons enjoy a true taste of Bavaria.

The owners are Jeanette Buerling Milio and Jim Milio. Jeanette is a highly successful German movie producer who has lived in Los Angeles for 15 years. Jim is a successful writer, producer and director who has been involved numerous productions over the years, including Rescue 911 (CBS), Dog Whisperer (National Geographic) and a co-executive producer of My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

Jim will be writing and directing a reality series covering around the launch and behind he scenes of Jeanette’s Edelweiss  Edelweiss in Hollywood.

Can we handle this much excitement in Newbury Park!? Bring it!!

Updates will be posted here when available but visit www.jeanettesedelweiss.com for more information.

Former tenant Brats Brothers that opened in December 2012 and closed suddenly in February 2014

And scenes from the still talked about Lamppost Pizza that closed its doors in December 2011 (Photo Credit: Scott Harrison)

Anarbagh Indian Cuisine Opening Next Month in Westlake Village

Anarbagh Indian Cuisine indicates it will be opening its new Westlake Village location next month at 30853 E Thousand Oaks Blvd, Westlake Village, which happens to be the unexpectedly former home of China Garden in the TJ Maxx Plaza (at Lindero Canyon). Thanks to Mark S for the tip yesterday.

UPDATE: Anarbagh is now indeed open. I believe it opened in May.

According to the Anarbagh website at www.anarbaghla.com, "We have more than 20 years of experience in making delicious traditional dishes, with recipes from the North and the South of India. Our hard work has paid off by winning the recognition of LA Times & Daily News as the best Indian restaurant in Southern California, and being critically acclaimed by AAA Magazine, LA Times and Daily News."

Other Anarbagh locations are in Los Angeles, Woodland Hills, Encino and Beverly Hills. For updates, check the Anarbagh Westlake Village Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/Anarbagh-Westlake/846173025405922.

Urban Pizza Westlake Village is Opening Soon

Update 3/12/15: It's been awhile, but the Urban Pizza sign is up and they indicate they will be "opening soon" at www.facebook.com/urbanpizzawestlakevillage.

Originally posted 7/21/14:

Darts Promoter Extraordinaire L. David Irete tipped us off that this new place called Urban Pizza looks to open in "Late 2014" according to this storefront at the North Ranch Center in Westlake Village. If it looks familiar, it is because this space at 3835 E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Suite A2 is the former home of the Qdoba that closed in June 2013, near the Trader Joe's.

The tagline, "Your Creation, Our Oven" would indicate that this is yet another addition to the make your own pizza trend we've been seeing around town, including Pieology in Thousand Oaks, MOD "Made on Demand" Pizza coming to Newbury Park in September 2014, Pizza Rev locations in Oxnard and soon at the Camarillo Premium Outlets, and Pitfire Pizza coming to the Westlake Plaza at some point soon.

Otherwise I know nothing yet about Urban Pizza other than that their website at www.urbanpizza.com indicates they locations in Simi Valley, Woodland Hills and Westlake Village are coming soon...so stay tuned.

Wingstop Opening This Saturday in Oxnard

Since 1994, Wingstop has served the ultimate buffalo-style chicken wings, boneless wing and strips served with a choice of 11 savory flavors, from "Atomic" (highly spicy) to mild. Wingstop claims to have served up over 3.7 BILLION wings since opening. And speaking of opening, Wingstop will be opening its first Ventura County location in Oxnard at 1941 N. Rose Avenue, Ste 700 (I believe this used to be a Taco Bell location at Shopping at the Rose, at Rose and the 101).

I have been told that the Oxnard Wingstop will be opening this Saturday, March 14th, at 11 a.m. See their menu at order.wingstop.com/menu/wingstop-840-oxnard-ca-93036.

Learn more about Wingstop at www.wingstop.com.

And on that happy note, it sounds like a Thousand Oaks location is possibly in the works, but no details at this time.

Le Pain Quotidien Opened March 2nd at the Westlake Plaza

Le Pain Quotidienis opening soon opened Monday, March 2nd at the Westlake Plaza, 2728 Townsgate Road, Westlake Village in a new building adjacent to Gelson's. The same building is also slated to include the Ice Cream Lab and Pressed Juicery.

Founded in Brussels in 1990 by Alain Coumont, Le Pain Quotidien is a bakery and restaurant that serves simple, wholesome and sustainable food, made with organic and local ingredients whenever possible. With over 200 locations worldwide, including over 70 in the United States, Le Pain Quotidien invites guests to break bread and relax with friends and neighbors around the communal table.

Some of the items you'll find on the menu include croissants, soft-boiled organic eggs, organic steel-cut oatmeal, homemade organic granola and breads, organic vegan soup, roasted turkey and avocado tartine, pole-caught tuna tartine, organic lentil and avocado salad, grilled chicken cobb salad, pastries, tarts, platters, quiche and so on.

Learn more at www.lepainquotidien.com

Now if you're like me, you might pronounce it "Lay Pain Quote-i-deen" and of course know well and good that that is way off. The video below demonstrates the proper pronunciation as "Luh Pan Koh-Ti-Dyan" which may prove helpful.

And that's how we say it... from LePain Quotidien on Vimeo.