Four Seasons Westlake Village to Open Stir Coffee Bar and Gourmet Eatery

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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.

EMC Seafood and Raw Bar to Open at The Collection at RiverPark in Oxnard

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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

 

VC Star Reports That Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill in Oxnard Has Closed

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Just 11 months after opening its doors, the Ventura County Star reported tonight that Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill at The Collection at RiverPark in Oxnard has closed its doors. This was confirmed by checking the Toby Keith's website at tobykeithusa.com, where there were no signs of an Oxnard location.

Dickey's Barbecue Pit "Coming Soon" to North Ranch Mall in Westlake Village

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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.

CSU Channel Islands Graduate Gary Cushing to Receive Distinguished Alumnus Award

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A Camarillo civic and business leader who earned his college degree at 55 will once again don a cap and gown at the CSU Channel Islands (CI) commencement ceremony.

On May 16, Camarillo Chamber of Commerce CEO and CI graduate Gary Cushing, now 60, will accept CI's Distinguished Alumnus Award for his success and generosity in a number of different arenas.

"Gary is the definition of the CI Way," said Tania Garcia, Director of Development, Alumni Relations. "He gives back to the community on a regular basis. He is on so many different boards I can't even name them all. He is the community go-to guy because everyone knows they can trust him, and no matter how busy he is, he gets the job done."

CI gives the award to an alumnus who has had success in his or her career field, is active in the community and contributes time, talent and other resources back to CI.

Cushing says receiving this award is "very special" to him, adding that he does all he can to promote CI because he believes it provides an opportunity for a higher education for a population that wouldn't otherwise be able to pursue a degree.

Cushing offers himself as a perfect example.

His life was going well at age 52. He had worked his way up through the restaurant ranks—starting as a teen busboy in Burbank—to become the owner of three Marie Callender's restaurants in Ventura County and one in Santa Barbara. He still owns the restaurant in Camarillo, which opened in 1989.

He had a wonderful wife, eight children and 13 grandchil

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MOD Pizza to Open Simi Valley Location in June Time Frame

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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.

PizzaMod_Pizza.jpg

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).

Leila's Restaurant in Oak Park to Close Its Doors on Sunday, April 26th

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Leila's Restaurant in Oak Park announced on the 19th that it will be open through dinner on Saturday, April 25th, then will be closing its doors. Leila's "sister" restaurant, Pearl District, opened in Westlake Village late last December. Thanks to Karen G for the heads up via the CVG Facebook page.

 

New salmon dish!!! Sardinian couscous, roasted heirloom carrots, romesco, cucumber raita, sumac. Yumm!! #oakpark #bestrestaurantslosangeles #lafoodie #foodiela #foodporn #conejovalley #westlakevillage #thousandoaks #salmon #yum

A photo posted by @leilasrestaurant on Mar 6, 2015 at 3:52pm PST

 

Nico's Cafe also closed in that same location at the northeast corner of Lindero and Kanan roads a few weeks ago. Nico’s opened its doors in May 2006. But more recently, Margarita's Mexican Grill opened in the former home of Cigale Cafe in that same retail corner.