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.

Lassens Thousand Oaks Confirms It Will Be Moving To The Lakes at Thousand Oaks

Final Update 3/11/15: Lassens is now open at The Lakes at Thousand Oaks.

Update 12/30/14: It has been 9 months since the initial update on Lassens Thousand Oaks moving to The Lakes at Thousand Oaks. They indicate they will be coming in "early 2015." Stay tuned.

Originally posted 3/4/14:

It is now completely official that the Thousand Oaks location of Lassens Natural Foods & Vitamins, currently located at 2857 E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard (at Skyline) to The Lakes at Thousand Oaks "soon" according to The Lakes' website. Lassens will be occupying the space recently vacated by Claim Jumper.

Lassens was founded in 1971 by Hilmar and Oda Lassen with their first store in Camarillo and has expanded over the years to nine stores, including Ventura County locations in Oxnard, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks and Ventura. 

On its Facebook page, Lassens noted "We are excited to be moving to the new location in order to provide a better shopping experience and more parking options. We hope that you will come and check it out."

Specific timing of the move has not been announced but stay tuned...

Learn more about Lassens at www.lassens.com.

Mountains Restoration Trust Seeks Volunteers at Rancho Sierra Vista in Newbury Park

Mountains Restoration Trust (MRT) has received a $94,469 grant from the Ventura County Tree Mitigation Fund and will work closely with the National Park Service (NPS) to to revive native trees and plants at Rancho Sierra Vista in Newbury Park. Rancho Sierra Vista is part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

Elementary school students plant native plants at Rancho Sierra Vista in Newbury Park. The National Park Service and Mountains Restoration Trust are seeking volunteers to help plant nearly 5,000 native plants and trees. (Credit: National Park Service)The project encompasses 24 acres and consists of planting, monitoring and regular maintenance of 2,000 trees, including coastal live oaks, valley oaks, walnuts and sycamores. In addition, there will be 3,000 understory plants, including shrubs such as sage, bunchgrass and herbs. All plants and trees will be maintained and monitored over a 10-year period.

"This is an exciting and important restoration because we are connecting to 10 acres we planted last year in the upper reaches of Potrero Creek," said Irina Irvine, a restoration ecologist for the National Park Service. "We will be creating a functioning, self-sustaining riparian corridor which will benefit overall watershed health, reduce flashy fuel loads and provide water, forage and shelter to wildlife."

The public is invited to volunteer either a few hours or on a more long-term basis to help with planting and weeding. More information is available at www.volunteermatch.orgsearch/opp1943238.jsp.

All trees and plants will be grown locally at native plant nurseries operated by the two agencies.

Mountains Restoration Trust is a non-profit land trust dedicated to preserving natural land in the Santa Monica Mountains through restoration, education and land acquisition. Founded in 1981, MRT collaborates with government agencies in an ongoing effort to maintain a cooperative relationship between urbanization and native land. More information is available at www.mountainstrust.org.

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is the largest urban national park in the country, encompassing more than 150,000 acres of mountains and coastline in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. A unit of the National Park Service, it encompasses a seamless network of local, state and federal parks interwoven with private lands and communities. As one of only five Mediterranean ecosystems in the world, SMMNRA preserves the rich biological diversity of more than 450 animal species and 26 distinct plant communities. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/samo.

The Ventura County Tree Mitigation Fund distributes funds for projects that result in the planting and maintenance of protected trees, including restoration and/or maintenance of their associated habitat. The program is administered by the Ventura County Planning Department.

City of Thousand Oaks Special Election on June 2nd to Fill City Council Vacancy

Former City of Thousand Oaks City Councilmember Jacqui Irwin resigned from City Council on November 25, 2014 to assume her newly elected role as California District 44 Assemblymember.

As a result, the City of Thousand Oaks is holding a Special Municipal Vacancy Election on Tuesday, June 2nd to fill her term that expires in November 2016.

The estimated cost of the election to be incurred by the Ventura County Clerk's Office is $200,000 and will be reimbursed by the City of Thousand Oaks.

The City Clerk's office started accepting nomination papers for the special election on February 9th and will continue accepting them until 5 p.m. on Friday, March 6th.

To run for office, you must be a registered voter in the City at the time of nomination, must be a City resident and at least age 18. You must also obtain a minimum of 20 valid signatures of other City of Thousand Oaks registered voters to run.

The newly elected councilmember will start his/her new role in the June/July timeframe, after election results are certified.

Contact the Thousand Oaks City Clerk at 805.449.2151 or visit toaks.org/news/displaynews.asp?NewsID=2677 with questions.

So when will start seeing political signs around town? Signs may be posted starting 45 days prior to the election, which will be April 18th.

The last day to register to vote in this election is May 18th.

More on the City Council:

The City Council has five elected members that serve four year staggered terms. Elections are normally held in November of even-numbered years. The Council's meets at least two Tuesday night each month, except for August and its duties include appointing a City Manager, City Attorney and members of City Boards and Commissions, adopting a two year budget, enacting legislaton and establishing City policy. The Council also appoints one of its members as Mayor each year to preside over its meetings.

Councilmember compensation is currently $1,750 per month. Benefits include health insurance, vision and dental insurance, 7% retirement plan contribution and other benefits highlighted in City Council Resolution 2011-070.

The winner of this Special Election will be joining councilmembers Al Adam (Mayor), Joel Price (Mayor Pro Tem), Andy Fox and Claudia Bill-de la Pena.

Bottle & Pint Specialty Craft Beer Store and Tap Room Recently Opened in Newbury Park

Bottle & Pint is a specialty craft beer store and tap room that opened last month at 1714 Newbury Road, Suite G, Newbury Park, to the right of Holdren's and Spumoni, and to the left of Road Runner Sports. Heck, buy some shoes, go for a run, eat, drink, repeat!

Bottle & Pint's tap room offers a rotating list of over a dozen craft beers. The bottle shop has craft beers that you can drink there or take home. And for food, they encourage grabbing grub at the nearby eateries.

More information at www.bottleandpint.com or call 805.795.2254.