DQ Grill & Chill Coming to Camarillo Premium Outlets in Late May

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DQ Grill & Chill is now open!

ORIGINALLY POSTED IN MARCH: According to the Camarillo Premium Outlet website, a new DQ (Dairy Queen) Grill & Chill restaurant is opening May 29th (est). What is a DQ Grill & Chill? I dunno...never been to one...but here's what the DQ website says about them:

The DQ Grill & Chill® restaurant is our flagship concept, offering a total program that includes the full line of our famous DQ treats and a fresh food menu designed to excite and satisfy guests. These restaurants strike the perfect balance between yesterday and today, featuring on-trend food favorites while preserving our legendary DQ treat heritage. The interior décor is warm, welcoming and stylish – easily differentiating your establishment from the typical quick-service restaurant.

They also have a Facebook page up and running, with the latest (and only) status update so far dated January 30th "opening at camarillo premium outlet very soon."

The location of this DQ Grill & Chill is at the very back of the Fashion Court section of the outlets, behind the main outlets, in what I believe used to be where TCBY used to be located.

There are other Dairy Queens and Orange Julius places around the county, but this will be the first DQ Grill & Chill in town. I'm sure we'll hear more real soon!

Ventura County Star Reports That Chuy's Thousand Oaks Has Closed

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The Chuy's located in the plaza where Whole Foods Market is located (northeast corner of Moorpark Road and Wilbur in Thousand Oaks) closed effective June 30th. Well there's still the Chuy's in Simi Valley and Camarillo. Not to mention the brand new Qdoba that opened down the street at Janss Marketplace.

See pictures of the vacated Chuy's at the VCS Eats Facebook page at www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150249402481561.326363.141616711560&type=1, including the eviction notice. RIP.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf at The Lakes at Thousand Oaks to Close July 18th

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Thanks to a tip from a friend via Facebook I learned that The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf at The Lakes at Thousand Oaks is closing as of tomorrow, Monday, July 18th. Bummer. This is the location next to California Pizza Kitchen. Coffee Bean joins Ben & Jerry's and Blizz Frozen Yogurt as The Lakes Alumni.

But the good news is that there are other 4 other CBTL locations in town, including the The Oaks mall. Also locations in Simi Valley, Camarillo and Calabasas. For specifics, visit http://coffeebean.com/location.aspx.

Lesley Leighton Promoted to Associate Conductor of Los Angeles Master Chorale

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Lesley Leighton, an established choral conductor and long-time singer with the Los Angeles Master Chorale who was appointed assistant conductor of the chorus a year ago, has been promoted to the newly-created post of Associate Conductor of the Los Angeles Master Chorale (LAMC) it was announced by LAMC Chair Mark Foster. Her three-year term begins July 2011 and continues through the 2013-14 Season.

In this capacity Leighton will continue to work closely with the Chorale’s Music Director, Grant Gershon, to provide increased input on artistic programming and educational outreach projects, provide assistance at rehearsals and support Gershon’s leadership. In addition, during the 2011-12 Season, she will ascend the podium twice: on opening night, October 16, 2011, she will conduct Tarik O’Regan’s Tal vez tenemos tiempo, and on the season’s penultimate concert, “Andes to the Sea,” on April 29, 2012, she will also be featured. Leighton will conduct the Chorale in subsequent seasons as well.

“Lesley has been an invaluable asset to the Los Angeles Master Chorale,” says Foster. “By promoting her to Associate Conductor, we are acknowledging her significant artistic role in our organization.”

“Lesley is a tremendous musical talent with keen sensibilities and wonderful conducting skills,” states Gershon. “It has been a pleasure to work with her over the past year. A consummate musician with a deep knowledge of and passion for choral music, Lesley has been an amazing resource for both the Chorale and me. Her promotion is well deserved, and I look forward to continuing to build upon our successful artistic partnership.”

Leighton, a native Angeleno who attended Westchester High School, was appointed Assistant Conductor in July 2010 and will begin serving as Associate Conductor in July 2011. She sang with the LAMC from 1991 to 1997, before moving to New York City to continue her professional freelance music career and to serve as Director of Development for the Office of Mayor Michael Bloomberg. She rejoined the Los Angeles Master Chorale in 2007. Since 2008, Leighton has served as Artistic Director of the 100-voice Los Robles Master Chorale and its Consort Singers for which she also established, in 2010, its annual High School and College Choir Festival. In addition, she directs the newly established New West Symphony Chorus, which debuted in May 2011. Among other professional highlights, in June 2011, she prepped a choir for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 for the Japan Relief concert held at Disney Hall and has performed with some of the world's most eminent conductors, including Pierre Boulez, Zubin Mehta, Loren Maazel, Simon Rattle, and Esa-Pekka Salonen. Her opera credits include principal appearances with New York City Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Köln Opera, and Glyndebourne.

Leighton studied with LAMC Music Director Emeritus Paul Salamunovich at Loyola Marymount University, where she earned her BA in choral conducting. She obtained a Master of Music in vocal performance from the University of Southern California, where she is currently working on a Doctor of Musical Arts in choral music with her mentor and nationally recognized choral conductor, Jo-Michael Scheibe. The recipient of a two-year teaching assistantship from the Thornton School of Music at USC, Leighton was also honored in 2009 through the university's “Remarkable Women Awards” program in recognition of her "outstanding accomplishments and endless dedication" in the area of choral music.

New Sprouts Farmers Market to Open in Westlake Village in May

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Here is what the beautiful new Sprouts in Westlake Village now looks like. Located at 1012 S. Westlake Boulevard (at Agoura Road). Phone 805.917.4200.

Originally posted in March 2011: Sprouts Farmers Market cannot tell me the exact date yet, but tells me that the new Westlake Village store is slated to open sometime in mid-May 2011. That's not too far away. That would be the 2nd mid-May opening in a row for Sprouts, which opened its first Conejo Valley (or Ventura County, for that matter) Sprouts in the old Circuit City building at Hillcrest and Lynn Road in Thousand Oaks on May 12, 2010.

This new Sprouts as you can see below is work in process and I'm sure it'll be looking might nice for opening day. This is great news for the other businesses surrounding Sprouts, which should benefit from the added traffic.

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Free Pet Pantry for Needy Cats and Dogs in Ventura County

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A free "Pet Pantry" program is open every Sunday in the east county due to the generous outpouring of donations that Ventura County Animal Services (VCAS) has received from private residents, and regular contributions by local merchants including Wal-Mart and Do It Center.

The Simi Valley VCAS Pet Pantry is located at: 670 W. Los Angeles Avenue, Simi Valley on Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 11 a.m. or when supplies run out.

The Camarillo VCAS Pet Pantry is located at: 600 Aviation Avenue, Camarillo, Sundays from 10:00 a.m. - 12 noon or when supplies run out.

VCAS is accepting donations for this program, including cash, pet food, accessories and supplies.

Volunteers are needed to run the Pet Pantry Program, particularly at the Simi Valley location.  Interested individuals can contact the Animal Services Volunteer Coordinator at VCAS.Volunteer@ventura.org or call 805.388.4341.

For updates, visit www.vcas.us.