Cafe Sapientia Now Open in Oak Park

Temporary sign up at Cafe Sapientia in Oak Park. Permanent sign in a few weeks.

Cafe Sapientia is now open in the Oak Park Plaza, 706 Lindero Canyon Road (cross street Kanan). Cafe Sapienta is a coffee shop offering high-quality single-origin based coffee drinks, teas and and an assortment of other drinks. I had the blended Orange Refresher and it was cold and refreshing - reminded me of an Orange Julius.

Also featured at Sapienta are snow cremes - a combination of snow-like shaved ice and ice cream, with flavors that include Oreo, Matcha, Mango, Strawberry and Original. These premium desserts include fresh fruit and other ingredients.

Learn more at www.facebook.com/pg/cafesapientia or call 805.883.8199.

Oreo Snow Creme

Marie's Cafe Simi Valley Opening in August

Marie’s Cafe opened August 2019 in the Sinaloa Plaza / Stater Brothers shopping center at 660 E. Los Angeles Avenue, #660K, Simi Valley.

Marie’s Cafe offers Vietnamese style sandwiches (banh mi), a full boba bar and shaved snow (a hybrid of ice cream and shaved ice).

For updates, follow their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Maries-Cafe-844588375907985.

POG (passion fruit, orange and guava) shaved snow.

The Oaks Welcomes Six New Retailers, Restaurants and Experiences in 2019

The Oaks today announced five new retailers, restaurants and experiences coming to the high-performing property in the second half of 2019, plus a full phased renovation of AMC Theatres set to begin this July. The theatre will remain open during construction improvements.

The Oaks is welcoming Peloton (Opened May 2019); H&M (Opening Q4 2019); Salon Republic (Opening winter 2019); Pedals & Pints Brewing Company (fall 2019); and OR Authentic Thai Cuisine (Opening Q3 2019).

Peloton, the fast-growing, high-tech home fitness concept that started in 2012, just opened at The Oaks in May 2019. Much more than a location to purchase cutting-edge equipment, Peloton stores offer exercise enthusiasts the opportunity to fully explore the brand’s world-class indoor cycling studio experience, designed to be enjoyed in the comfort of their own homes.

H&M, the tremendously popular fashion retailer from Sweden, will debut at The Oaks in Q4 2019. H&M is one of the world’s largest fashion retailers famous for offering fashion-forward apparel at affordable prices in a sustainable way for women, men, teens and children.

Salon Republic, opening at The Oaks this winter, offers guests a luxurious salon experience with personalized, celebrity-level treatment from one of the company’s talented beauty professionals. This growing brand offers independent professional stylists everything they need to deliver high-end services to people seeking the latest styles and products from world-renowned beauty brands.

Pedals & Pints, opening at The Oaks this fall, is a local community pub that celebrates cycling and brews its own specialty ales, lagers and pilsners on site and pairs these with phenomenal craft pizzas and salads in a rustic, industrial setting. The company’s tagline and philosophy is, “Enjoy the Ride!”.

OR Authentic Thai Cuisine, formerly White Elephant Thai Cuisine, is returning to the Conejo Valley with a new location at The Oaks in Q3 2019, offers delicious Thai dining and takeout. OR Authentic Thai Cuisine is known for its modern interpretation of classic Thai dishes and its insistence on only using high-quality fresh ingredients.

The Oaks offers more than 170 world-class shops, restaurants and experiences for discerning shoppers of all ages. The property’s signature mix features six anchors – DICK’S Sporting Goods, Nordstrom, Macy’s and Macy’s Men’s & Home, plus JCPenney and AMC Theatres – alongside top specialty retailers including Apple, Anthropologie, Arhaus, Bath and Body Works, Disney, Godiva, L’Occitane, Pottery Barn, PB Teen, Sephora, Urban Outfitters, Vans and more, as well as restaurants such as The Cheesecake Factory, Lazy Dog Café and many others.

Visit the property’s website at www.shoptheoaksmall.com and follow the shopping center on social media @ShopTheOaksMall.

Namaste Spiceland Is, or at Least Was, a Hidden Vegetarian Gem in Thousand Oaks

Namaste Spiceland Indian Grocery Store and Vegetarian Indian Cuisine relocated to its new, larger, standalone location this past February at 821 Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Thousand Oaks (cross street Houston Drive, a block west of the SR23). Take the Rancho offramp from the 101 and turn left on T.O. Blvd.

Namaste Spiceland is no longer a “hidden” gem as it is so clearly visible to the community now compared to its former location in the Palm Plaza. You cannot and should not miss Namaste Spiceland now as they offer such a delicious, nutritious and quite reasonably priced assortment of Indian specialties.

Namaste is an Indian grocery store specializing in vegetarian/vegan items. Quite an interesting assortment of things you would never find at an Albertson’s or Ralph’s!

But the big draw for many, like me, is their fast casual vegetarian Indian cuisine. While I haven’t mastered the names of the items or know what they mean when I attempt to pronounce them, I come prepared to point at the items that I want. Or just ask.

And on the “or just ask” note, on the moderately busy Saturday that I visited, I felt a casual, family-like vibe that was so relaxing. Very nice folks here, more than willing to answer questions with a smile. Adding to that feeling was the fact that after we ordered, we were told we could pay after we ate. Quite a trusting, relaxed feel. So nice to see.

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So in any case, there are combo plates that are very much a bargain - ek, do and te3n - which I’m assuming mean 1, 2 and 3. For $7.49, ek includes two vegetable dishes, basmati rice, chapati or puri, pickle, onion and raita. For a dollar more, “do” includes a samosa.

“What’s a samosa?” I asked the girl in line in front of us. Kind of a baked pastry with potato, peas, onion, lentil and other items inside of it. We did try it and it was delicious, along with the other items squash and lentil dish, potatoes, chana and other items. Nice assortment of items. There was so much food on my plate I couldn’t finish it!

A CVG Instagram acquaintance, Nilofer, told me to try the Hot Chai. When I saw the prices, I thought, these must be tiny cups…$1.25 for a small, $2 for a large. How could that be? I pay $4 to $5 for Hot Chai at Starbucks and Coffee Bean. The $2 Hot Chai was basically the deal of the century! Tasted great and easy on the wallet!

Namaste Spiceland is open daily from 9am to 9pm. Visit www.namastespicelandthousandoaks.com or call 805.373.6761.

How cool is this outdoor covered eating area at Namaste Spiceland!

Westlake Brewing & Libations Closed Its Doors This Month

Westlake Brewing & Libations, which opened its small volume brewery in early 2016 at 31111 Via Colinas #200, Westlake Village, announced that it closed its doors this month. This is an unfortunate bit of news as this was one of the first microbreweries operating here in the Conejo Valley.

CRAFT BREWERIES AND TASTING ROOMS IN VENTURA COUNTY

Huarache Xpress at the Simi Valley Town Center

Huarache Xpress opened at east end of the Simi Valley Town Center in March. A huarache (pronounced WAR-A-CHAY) is large, thick, handmade corn tortilla with beans inside, topped with things like onions, lettuce, meat (carne asada, chicken, carnitas, al pastor, chorizo, etc.), cheese, avocado, sour cream and more. Other specialties include quesadilla, burritos, tacos, enchiladas and more.

Visit www.facebook.com/HuaracheXpress or call 805.422.8858.

Surf Boba Opened Last Weekend at the Simi Valley Town Center

Surf Boba opened this past weekend at the Simi Valley Town Center in the former home of Jamba Juice (n the east end of the mall, across from Coconut Crab and California Pizza Kitchen), offering smoothies, frappes, milk teas, blends, wraps, sandwiches, salads and more. Learn more at surfboba.com.

SpireWorks Modern Döner in Westlake Village Has Closed Its Doors

Nessa M gave us the heads up viia the Conejo Valley Guide Facebook page that SpireWorks Modern Döner at the Westlake Plaza in Westlake Village has closed its doors. SpireWorks opened in July 2018.

Prior occupants of this space next to La Pain Quotidien have included Big Fish Poke and Ice Cream Lab since March 2015.

What’s next? We shall see.

Westlake Village Trolley to Run Fri/Sat Nights From May 24, 2019 through Labor Day Weekend

The Westlake Village Trolley is back in service. The free Trolley returns on Friday, May 24, 2019 and will operate on Friday and Saturday nights through Labor Day weekend. The Trolley begins its run at Westlake Village City Hall at 3:00 pm and concludes each night at 10:00 pm. With stops at all major retail centers, including the Shoppes at Westlake Village, hotels, and neighborhoods, the Village Trolley is a great way to get around town.

Free, live entertainment on board the Trolley from 6-8pm only enhances the experience!

Riding the Village Trolley is easy. Simply hop on at one of 16 stops and hop off whenever you want. The Trolley is outfitted with a GPS locator device allowing riders to use their smartphone to track the trolley’s progress. The Trolley is not just transportation; it is a mobile City event perfect for residents and visitors of all ages. Check the City website for the up-to-date entertainment schedule. The Village Trolley is the smart and safe way to get to your favorite restaurant, park, or City special event. The Trolley rolls to Berniece Bennett Park for the three concerts in the park and the movie night this summer.

For more information, including locations of all Trolley stops, visit www.wlv.org/villagetrolley.