Studio Movie Grill at the Simi Valley Town Center Makes a Great First Impression

Studio Movie Grill Simi Valley opened its doors to the public tonight at the Simi Valley Town Center and I got to check it out!

The theater is located on the east side of the mall behind the new Buffalo Wild Wings. It is beautiful both inside and out.

There are nine screens in the facility with varying sizes and over 950 seats in total.

The stadium style seats look a bit airline-ish but were surprisingly comfortable and supportive and the serving trays pivot for comfort. Tons of leg room too!

When I first saw the seats I thought they didn't look very comfortable. But when I sat down, I realized I was wrong.  I usually squirm in movie chairs with my aging hamstrings, but these chairs were very supportive. I also noticed they don't seem to recline too much, but that was also a non-issue for me during the movie.

Each of the stadium style seats have trays and buttons to press for food service. Pretty darn efficient. I ordered a blended margarita and it was excellent.  A movie with a margarita, chicken nachos, tasty flatbread, burgers and more.  Everything we tried tasted great!

There's a special deal on the menu; $25 for 1 appetizer and two entrees. The price seemed pretty fair to me for the solid quality.

Enjoying a blended Cadillac margarita at the show. Plenty of mixed drinks, beer and wine available at the press of a button.

The trays can be maneuvered around to be closer or farther away from you, which was a nice convenience you don't find on, say airline seats. I was also impressed by the extraordinary leg room/distance between rows, allowing for attendants to scoot by without you having to scrunch up into your chair.

There's also a full bar and eating area in the front of the theater. A bit on the loud side in there but it was really buzzing!

My initial assessment is that the Studio Movie Grill Simi Valley will be very successful. Reasonably priced, great service, tasty food, full bar, nicely appointed and comfortable. Larn more and buy tickets at www.studiomoviegrill.com.

There are some special offers next week highlighted HERE.

Support Our Troops Through the Halloween Candy Buy-Back Program

At Halloween, many of us anticipate massive stockpiles of sugary sweets in our households.

As an alternative to consuming all this candy, consider donating it to our troops overseas. You may think, do we really want to send all that junk food to throughout the world? Sure! Everyone enjoys a treat! And truth be told, the troops themselves don't eat all this candy...much of it they enjoy sharing in the communities they patrol.

The Halloween Candy Buy-Back Program has partnered with Operation Gratitude and local dental practices to channel your candy stockpile to our troops. Local dentists "buy" back Halloween candy in exchange for cash or other items. The candy is shipped to Operation Gratitude and other U.S. Military support groups and in turn it is sent overseas, to children of deployed service members, wounded warriors, veterans and first responders.

There are nearly a number of local Ventura County dental practices participating in this program. Just visit www.halloweencandybuyback.com and enter your zip code for these or other locations throughout the L.A./Ventura County area.

Each practice has their own buy-back incentives. so make sure to call to learn more about their program and related time frames (usually the first several days after Halloween).

Harbor Cove Beach at Ventura Harbor

Harbor Cove Beach (also referred to as "Mother's Beach") is located at the west end of Spinnaker Drive near Ventura Harbor Village and across from the Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center. It is a "still water" beach protected by jetties that is considered one of the safest family friendly beaches in the area.

Waterfront activities include kayaking, kite flying and watching the boats come in and out of the harbor Restrooms and showers are available. Free parking! 

Across the street is the Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor Center at Channel Islands National Park.

Visit www.venturaharborvillage.com/ventura-harbor-village-beaches.htm or call 805.642.8538. Address is 1878-1998 Spinnaker Drive.

COMPILATION OF BEACHES STRETCHING FROM MALIBU TO CARPINTERIA

2015 Pepperdine University Waves of Flags Display in Honor of 9/11 Victims

Once again, Pepperdine University students and volunteers will be staging a display of nearly 2,977 flags in honor of each of the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The display will be at Alumni Park, at the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Malibu Canyon Road. Each victim is memorialized with a flag reflecting their nationality. Waves of Flags will be open to the public for viewing and visitation through September 24th.

"Sitting Pretty: Portrait Photography" Exhibit at Museum of Ventura County Aug 22 to Nov 29

Dr. Manual Antonio Rodriguez de Poli (MVC Collection)

Sitting Pretty: Portrait Photography from the Salon to the Selfie features long-hidden treasures from the Museum of Ventura County’s collection of photographic and painted portraits.  It will open on August 22nd and will be on display through November 29, 2015. 

Formal, framed portraits of well-known city pioneers, such as Dr. Cephas Bard, Dr. Manuel R. de Poli and Mrs. Concepcion Sepulveda de la Guerra, as well as lesser-known names were culled from the Museum’s storied permanent holdings.  The works on view range from elaborately framed formal portraits to light-hearted depictions of children, many of which are from the studio of John Calvin Brewster, a Ventura portraitist who established a studio on Main Street in 1875. The exhibit also offers a chance to see rare daguerreotypes, ambrotypes and tintypes, including one of Jose de la Rosa, the first notable California printer who settled in San Buenaventura in 1880.

The range of photographic processes shown in the more than 30 works spanning 120 years, explores the technical evolution of photography.  The advent of the roll film camera and digital technology have changed the roles of the professional portrait photographer. Also, the relative affordability of the photo gave a broader range of people the opportunity to own an image of themselves and loved ones, a luxury previously reserved for the wealthy who could afford to commission an artist to render a painting.

The current “selfie” craze makes everyone a photographer in the moment, without replacing the need for the trained photographer who has something we could never have—objectivity. 

The Museum of Ventura County is located at 100 E. Main Street, Ventura. Visit www.venturamuseum.org for more information.

Dr. Cephas Bard (MVC Collection)