Oil Painting Exhibit at Santa Monica Mountains Visitor Center in Calabasas 5/1-6/8

Summer Days are Here Again (Marnie Smart Piuze) 12x24

Flowing out of over three decades of exploring and enjoying the coastal shores, bluffs, and mountains, Marnie Smart Piuze’s plein air oil paintings are a grateful expression of the peace and wonder they impart.

“I feel like I’m having a vacation every time I’m painting,” says Piuze, who has lived in Malibu since 1971, always taking advantage of the trails and scenery. “I love nature. That’s why I’ve always hiked and raised my kids to value natural resources.”

Piuze has been painting for 15 years and is a member of the Allied Artists of the Santa Monica Mountains and Seashore. Her work will be on display May 1 through June 8 at the Santa Monica Mountains Interagency Visitor Center. An opening reception will be held there on Sunday, May 1 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

The visitor center is located at King Gillette Ranch, 26876 Mulholland Highway, Calabasas. For more information, call 805-370-2301

Institution Ale Moving Soon to New, Larger Brewery and Tasting Room in Camarillo

Update April 23, 2016: Obvious progress being made but no word yet on timing.

Posted November 20, 2015:

Renovation work in process at the new Institution Ale Company in Camarillo

Local craft brewery Institution Ale Company is building out its new location at 3841 Mission Oaks Boulevard in Camarillo in the former home of Price-Leho Precision Metal Stamping.  This is a highly visible location adjacent to the Camarillo Ranch House seen by thousands of cars passing by each day on Highway 101.

But that old Price-Leho building, vacated more than a few years ago, already looks completely different, as the new occupant is giving the place a dramatic face lift. 

The building will look completely different from this old school Price-Leho building

Institution Ale's new tasting room will consist of 1,500 sq ft, plus an additional 800 sq ft outside patio area, a combined total over five times its existing tasting room at 438 Calle San Pablo in Camarillo. Food options will be limited to include just pizza and soft pretzels, created from scratch, as the owner focus on the beer!

The new brewing area will also be five times larger than its current space, which will allow for up to 12,000 barrels of freshly brewed beer a year.

Opening date will be announced in the coming months at institutionales.com.

In the meantime, Institution Ale continues to operate at its current location, serving up a variety of micro-brewed beers in its tasting room.  Open 4-10PM Tuesday through Thursday, 1-10PM Friday, noon to 10PM Saturday and noon to 6PM Sunday. Closed Mondays. Call 805-482-3777 for more information.

Sport Chalet Announced on Saturday It Is In Process of Closing All Stores

This morning we heard the news that Sport Chalet is closing all of its stores and will no longer sell merchandise online. The competitive world of retail sporting goods finally caught up to Sport Chalet, which operates 51 stores in four states. The company was founded on April 1, 1959.

There are (soon to be were) Sport Chalet stores in Thousand Oaks in the Conejo Valley Plaza Shopping Center on Moorpark Road south of Janss Road) and in Oxnard near Fry's.

Although it was a shock, it is not a complete surprise. Sport Chalet, previously a publicly-traded company, was acquired by a private equity group in 2014 for $17 million in cash and the assumption of $50 million in debt. According to a July 1, 2014 LA Times article, the company had reported annual losses every year since 2007. That's quite a long time.

Dinosaurs Unextinct Exhibit at the Los Angeles Zoo April 15 to October 21, 2016

The Dinosaurs Unextinct exhibit will be on display at the Los Angeles Zoo from April 15 to October 21, 2016. Come face to face with 17 life-size, lifelike animatronic dinosaurs for fun, fossils digs and photo opps. Dinosaurs planning to make an appearance for this event include Suchomimus, Carnotaurus, Citipati, Diabloceratops, Dilophosaurus, Utahraptor, Pachyrhinosaurus, Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus Rex and more.

There is a separate ticket price of $5 (in addition to Zoo admission) for ages 2 and up for this exhibit. Visit www.lazoo.org/dinosaurslosangeleszoo to learn more and to purchase tickets in advance.

A NEW EXHIBIT, 65 MILLION YEARS IN THE MAKING Dinosaurs are back, for a limited time! A different kind of animal is coming to the Zoo: dinosaurs. For a limited time, ferocious, magnificent creatures of the mighty Mesozoic era will be "unextinct" -brought "back to life" in a previously off-limits corner of the L.A.

The Charhouse BBQ & Grill is Now Open in Oak Park

The Charhouse BBQ & Grill is now open at 706 Lindero Canyon Road, #788, Oak Park (northeast corner at Kanan). It has been open for about a week but there will be a grand opening celebration with live music on Saturday, April 16th. 

Charhouse BBQ's menu features an assortment of burgers, sandwiches, entrees and salads. Some items that have my attention are the Ahi Tuna Sandwich, Hardwood BBQ Grilled Chicken, BBQ Tri-Tip Platter, Angus Filet Mignon, Fire Roasted Artichokes, Sweet Potato Waffle Fries, Ribs, Blackened Ahi Sashimi Salad, Cashew Kale Salad with Roasted Chicken and more. 

Their website (still under construction) will be www.thecharhousebbq.com.

Q Sushi and Kieu Hoang Wine Lounge in Westlake Village to Open on Thursday, April 14th

Q Sushi and Kieu Hoang Wine Lounge has announced that it will be opening its doors at The Shoppes at Westlake on Thursday, April 14th. Looks like quite a nice place! Visit www.qsushi.com.

County of Ventura Food Facility Closures in March 2016

The County of Ventura Environmental Health Division (EHD) protects public health and the environment by ensuring conformance with State laws and County ordinances pertaining to food protection, hazardous materials, hazardous waste, individual sewage disposal systems, land use, medical waste, ocean water quality monitoring, recreational health, solid waste, underground fuel tanks and vector control.

The EHD publishes food facility closures at www.ventura.org/rma/envhealth/community-services/consumer-food/closures.html.

The following facility closures were noted in March 2016. Keep in mind when reviewing this that there are many possible reasons for the closures, most of which are very temporary issues.

March 2016

La Cita Nightclub (restaurant only), 441 W. Hueneme Road, Oxnard;

Inoperable warewashing sink resulting in no means to adequately wash utensils;

Date closed - 03/30/16; No reopen date

The Grove Bar and Grill, 341 Williamsburg Way, Thousand Oaks;

No permit to operate, no plans submitted;

Date closed - 03/30/16; No reopen date

Big Daddy O's Beach BBQ, 2333 Roosevelt Blvd., Oxnard;

Repeated and serious violations;

Date closed - 03/29/16; No reopen date

4-Way Meat Market, 403 Cooper Road, Oxnard;

Rodent infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 03/28/16; Date reopened - 03/29/16

Papa John's Pizza, 5722 Telegraph Rd, Ventura;

Overflowing sewage in the facility, unsanitary conditions

Date closed - 03/25/16; Date reopened - 03/26/16

Pizza Man Dan's, 2736 Vineyard Ave., Oxnard;

Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 03/23/16; Date reopened - 03/24/16

Senior Nutrition, 533 Santa Clara Ave., Fillmore;

Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 03/22/16; Date reopened - 03/24/16

Campo Vanessa's, 1700 E. 5th Street, Oxnard;

Rodent infestation, unsanitary conditions, equipment not working properly resulting in the contamination of food;

Date closed - 03/21/16; Date reopened - 03/25/16

Keystone Catering, Mobile Food Facility, License # 8Y31411;

Inoperable equipment resulting in unsafe food temperatures;

Date closed - 03/20/16; Date reopened - 03/22/16

World Famous Franks, Mobile Food Facility, License # 16818F1;

Operating without a permit;

Date closed - 03/17/16; Date reopened - 03/17/16

Subway, 2031 Statham Blvd., Oxnard;

Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 03/16/16; Date reopened - 03/17/16

Pizza Man Dan's, 2390 Las Posas Rd.#J, Camarillo;

Sewage overflowing within the facility;

Date closed - 03/13/16; Date reopened - 03/15/16

Burger King, 5950 Telegraph Rd., Ventura;

No hot water available for handwashing or utensil washing;

Date closed - 03/11/16; Date reopened - 03/11/16

Siesta Market, 1372 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks; 
Rodent infestation, cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions; 
Date closed – 03/09/16; Date reopened 03/10/16

Ay Chi Hua Hua, 1145 Ventura Street, Fillmore;

Repeated and serious violations, failure to adhere to a compliance agreement;

Date closed - 03/02/16; Date reopened - 03/03/16

Reyes Creek Bar & Grill, 26905 Scheideck Road, Maricopa;

Rodent infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 03/02/16; Date reopened - 03/03/16

The Taj Cafe, 574 E. Main Street, Ventura;

Rodent infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 03/01/16; Date reopened - 03/02/16

Cal Lutheran Begins Hub101 Incubator Program as Part of Co-Working Space Re-Launch

The California Lutheran University Center for Entrepreneurship is beginning a startup incubator program as part of a re-launch of its co-working space.

The Hub101 Incubator Program is an intensive three-month series of one-on-one mentor sessions, workshops, speaking events and investor meetings for entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses. The inaugural program will begin April 11 and culminate in a pitch night to investors from throughout Southern California.

Originally opened in 2014 along with the Center for Entrepreneurship in Westlake Village, the co-working space is now run by the university rather than a contractor. Clients will benefit from the university’s educational resources and professional network. The School of Management’s entrepreneurship program is located in the Westlake Center.

Daniel Ball and Greg Monterrosa joined the center in February to run the co-working space, the incubator and other programs. Ball, the program manager, has served as the co-director of Startup Next Los Angeles and worked as a product and marketing consultant for early-stage companies. Monterrosa, the community manager, co-founded Westlake Village-based MyLLC.com and last year mentored more than 100 startups through Startup Weekend Europe.

Ball and Monterrosa organized Conejo Valley Startup Week, which was hosted by the Center for Entrepreneurship in February. Entrepreneurs and startup enthusiasts participated in a series of events that culminated in a pitch competition at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza that drew more than 200 audience members.

The co-working space for regional entrepreneurs is designed to promote collaboration among clients, community members, faculty and students. Located just off Highway 101, the open high-tech area offers desks, private offices, classrooms, conference rooms and event space. A coffee bar and patios with fire pits provide additional areas for individual and collaborative work. Memberships begin at $49 a month.

“The center offers a place to work that is quieter than Starbucks and provides a sense of community that you don’t get working from home,” Monterrosa said.

For more information on the incubator program, go to Hub101.LA or call 805-493-3661. For more information on the co-working space, contact Monterrosa at gmonterrosa@callutheran.edu.

Freebirds World Burrito Has Closed Its Agoura Hills Location

Photo from Freebirds

We have learned from Tony S via the Conejo Valley Guide Facebook Page that Freebirds World Burrito in Agoura Hills has closed its doors. It follows the footsteps of Freebirds World Burrito locations in Ventura and Simi Valley that closed over a year ago. All three locations opened in 2011.

If you are still having cravings for Freebirds, the closest location is now in Granada Hills.