Local Buzz covers new businesses, restaurants, closures, local politics, goings on around town and other buzzworthy items in the Conejo Valley and Greater Ventura County. Have a lead? Contact us. Click here for an archive of Local Buzz postings.
Local Buzz covers new restaurants, closures, local politics, goings on around town and other buzzworthy items in the Conejo Valley and Greater Ventura County. Have a lead? Contact us. Click here for an archive of Local Buzz postings.
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Update: Simply Fish Grill closed in January 2019. Its new tenant will be the Cuckoo Rooster, serving up hot fried chicken and wings.
Simply Fish Grill at 5653 Kanan Road in Agoura Hills a few months ago. It is located next to the Italia Deli. Serves up fresh fish including salmon, mahi mahi, tilapia, mussels and more. No website or phone number handy but their Facebook page is www.facebook.com/pages/Simply-Fish-Grill-Casual-Eatery/984214264936127.
Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches is opening two Ventura County locations this summer. I've never been to a Jimmy John's, but based on the initial reaction on the CVG Facebook page, it sounds like a great place:
According to its website, "What makes Jimmy John's different from the rest is that it's honest, it's damn good, it's damn fast, at a decent price! Jimmy John's definition of fresh is worlds apart from everyone else's. Bread is baked in-house everyday and served fresh. Meat and veggies are sliced fresh in-house everyday. The turkey is real turkey, the roast beef is real roast beef – no additives, no vegetable-based fillers, no fake stuff. Nothing is delivered pre-sliced. Real Hellmann's mayo, real Grey Poupon, real olive oil and red wine vinegar – it's the best of the best."
The Camarillo location will be at 5021 Verdugo Way across the parking lot from Roxy Stadium 11. The Moorpark location will be at the Moorpark Marketplace on New Los Angeles Avenue near Kohl's and Jamba Juice. Visit www.jimmyjohns.com for more information.
UPDATE: Jimmy John's Camarillo opened July 7th and Jimmy John's Camarillo opened later this summer.
Streets by Bistro Orient Vietnamese Street Food opened at 74 N. Skyline Drive in Thousand Oaks (formerly Ori Sushi) in January 2015. Streets offers up sushi as well as Vietnamese fusion "street food" such as pad thai, Sriracha Honey Hoisin Ribs, special rolls, egg rolls, papaya salad with shredded chicken and much more. Visit www.eatatstreets.com or check out their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/StreetsbyBistroOrient for some mouthwatering photos.
And another update...The Melt Westlake Village closed its doors in December 2015.
Update: Official grand opening date is Monday, May 18th.
The Melt will be opening this spring at The Promenade at Westlake, in the former home of Pick Up Stix (which in turn is in process of opening a new location at the Shoppes at Westlake).
The Melt is a fast casual eatery that "combines chef-inspired, all-natural, wholesome food with innovative online ordering technology in an eco-friendly environment."
The company is headquartered in San Francisco and has expanded to 11 locations in California, including Burbank. The menu includes burger melts, chicken melts, grilled cheese melts, mac & cheese, soups, salads and more.
If you take a look at their menu at www.themelt.com, you'll see an interesting, customizable menu concept which gives you plenty of options. For example, the "Italian Job" grilled cheese melt comes with fontina and provolone and mushrooms on spicy garlic bread for $4.95. You can add charred jalapeno, fresh tomato and grilled onions for no charge. For an additional $1.50, you can add bacon or spinach. Add another $2.95 for Caesar salad on the side.
UPDATE 5/19/15: Stir will be opening to the public this afternoon.
Last week, the Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village announced that Stir Coffee Bar and Gourmet Eatery will be opening in the Hotel's lobby sometime this month.
Stir will feature "grab and go" style dining options and will serve artesianal Stumptown Coffee. Executive Chef Jesse Hansen and Pastry Chef David Couch are creating a selection of housemade menu items for the eatery.
Stumptown Coffee Roasters is a Portland based coffee roaster, sourcing the highest quality coffee beans from throughout the world. Stumptown fosters a direct relationship with coffee farmers, ensuring quality and fair prices, and allowing Stumptown to provide input in the coffee bean growing and harvesting process. Stir will be the first Four Seasons partnership with Stumptown and will feature Stumptown’s signature and seasonal coffee blends, along with the brand’s acclaimed cold brew coffee.
Stir will transform the Hotel’s lobby with a bright and airy design, complete with coffee bar, bistro tables, indoor and outdoor seating, retail shop, and central self-serve “smart coffee” display. One of the first to implement this technology, Stir will serve a barista-less custom coffee experience where guests will order and pay for their drinks from their smartphones. Is that cool or what?
Menu items at Stir will include a selection of fresh baked pastries such as the Westlake citrus marmalade scone with orange glaze, gluten-free chocolate chip muffin, and zucchini walnut bread to compliment the variety of coffee drinks. The fast casual dining outlet will also serve a variety of gourmet bites on-the-go including panini sandwiches, seasonal fruit parfaits, and salads such as the EVOO salmon salad with baby kale, blueberries, spiced sunflower seeds and avocado vinaigrette, and the veggie protein salad with grilled marinated tofu, edamame, purple spinach, quinoa and green harissa vinaigrette. Pressed juice, housemade gelato, chocolate confections and energy bars round out the menu.
To learn more, visit www.fourseasons.com/westlakevillage/dining/lounges/stir.
Update: No update other than EMC still indicates this location is "coming soon." Hmm.
EMC Seafood and Raw Bar opened in Koreatown in 2013, serving up fresh seafood, oysters, live uni and more. The Collection at RiverPark announced that EMC will be opening sometime this year. It will be located behind Maria's Italian Kitchen and across from H&M. EMC is also planning to open a Canoga Park location by this summer. www.emcseafood.com
Posted by EMC Seafood & Raw Bar on Thursday, March 21, 2013
Update 5/4/15: There's a Dickey's Westlake Facebook page to track progress at www.facebook.com/DickeysBBQPitWestlakeVillage.
Update 11/5/14: Progress...but no new news as of 12/31/14.
Originally posted 6/28/14:
Thanks to tip from Rebecca P of Agoura Hills, we enjoyed a free ice cream cone at the new Haagen Dazs Scoop Shop at North Ranch Plaza, 3825 E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Westlake Village and we also learned that a new Dickey's Barbecue Pit will be "coming soon" to the 2,100 sq ft storefront (previously North Ranch Cleaner, which has relocated to a new location) adjacent to Haagen Dazs and Western Bagel. Specific timing not known at this time.
This will be the third Ventura County area location of Dickey's, which opened its first location in Ventura in February 2013 and second location in Simi Valley on January 1, 2014.
Travis Dickey opened the first Dickey's Barbecue Pit in Dallas, Texas in 1941. His sons Roland and T.O. took over in 1967 and they expanded in North Texas and started franchising in 1994.
According to its website, "Today, every location smokes all of their meats on-site at the restaurant the same way it was done in 1941. Dickey's serves up beef brisket, pulled pork, ham, polish sausage, turkey breast and chicken, with an extensive array of home-style sides from jalapeño beans to macaroni and cheese. Buttery rolls are served with every meal along with the complimentary ice cream and dill pickles. And just like always, kids eat free on Sunday."
Yes indeed. Kids Eat Free on Sundays and free soft serve ice cream when you eat there, next door to Haagen Dazs. Similarly, the Ventura Dickey's is located next to a Dippin' Dots retail location and the Simi Valley Dickey's is located near a Cold Stone Creamery.
Update: MOD Pizza Simi Valley opened in the Fall of 2015.
MOD Pizza is gearing up for opening its second location in Ventura County, at 2941 Cochran Street in Simi Valley in the Sycamore Square Shopping Center. Current anticipated opening date is this June. MOD "Made on Demand" Pizza opened its first VC location in Newbury Park last October. For updates on the Simi Valley MOD, visit modpizza.com/locations/simi-valley.
MOD’s individual artisan-style pizzas are made on demand, using organic fresh-pressed dough and signature sauces. Guests can create their own pizzas and salads, using any combination of 30 featured toppings, or they can choose from a menu of MOD classics. Pizzas and salads are the same price regardless of the number of toppings. Pizzas are hand-cooked in an 800 degree oven in less than 3 minutes and salads are hand-tossed in front of the customer. MOD also serves local draft beers, wine, handspun milkshakes, and house-made lemonades and iced teas. www.modpizza.com
"Make your own" pizzas are definitely the latest rage around town. Other players include Pieology (2 locations in the Conejo Valley), PizzaRev (Oxnard, Camarillo), Urban Pizza (Westlake Village) and Pitfire Pizza (soon to open in Westlake Village).
Update Feb 2020: Barone’s Westlake Village has closed its doors.
Update 4/18/15: Barone's The Pizzeria Express will premiere on Monday, April 20th at 30990 Russell Ranch Road, Westlake Village. Visit www.facebook.com/baronespizzeria for additional updates. Barone's introduced the first pizza to Los Angeles in 1945.
Original Post: December 26, 2014:
That's what the sign says at 30990 Russell Ranch Road, Westlake Village, in the former home of 9021Pho (that moved to The Lakes at Thousand Oaks) and the extraordinarily short-lived Kora Bistro and Sushi Bar, directly adjacent to The Counter Burger.
Barone's has a location in Woodland Hills and that serves up rectangular shaped "gourmet pizzas made from the healthiest ingredients and dough made from the finest flour available, fresh salads, hearty pastas, hot sandwiches and delicious deserts that will finish any meal." See more at baronespizzeria.com.
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