County of Ventura Food Facility Closures in September/October 2012

The County of Ventura Environmental Health Division protect 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 closures were noted as of Thursday, October 25th. Keep in mind when reviewing this that there are many possible reasons for the closures, most of which are very temporary issues.

OCTOBER 2012

 

El Oaxaco, 335 W. 4th Street, Oxnard;
Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;
Date closed - 10/30/12; No reopen date

Bienestar y Emergia, 1023 Ventura Road, Oxnard;

No hot water for utensil and equipment cleaning, no warm water for employee handwashing;

Date closed - 10/29/12; No reopen date


El Rio Oxnard Market, 2585 Vineyard Avenue, El Rio;
Sewage backing up into the facility, no operable toilets or plumbing, unsanitary conditions;
Date closed - 10/25/12; Date reopened - 10/25/12

Domino's Pizza, 2581 Vineyard Avenue, El Rio;
Sewage backing up into the facility, no operable toilets or plumbing, unsanitary conditions;
Date closed - 10/25/12; Date reopened - 10/25/12

Sun Donuts, 2575 Vineyard Avenue, El Rio;
Sewage backing up into the facility, no operable toilets or plumbing, unsanitary conditions;
Date closed - 10/25/12; Date reopened - 10/25/12

Carl's Jr., 1745 S. Victoria Avenue, Ventura;
Sewage overflowing from the facility, unsanitary conditions;
Date closed - 10/25/12; Date reopened - 10/25/12

Barrelhouse 101, 1067 E. Thompson Blvd., Ventura;
Rodent infestation, unsanitary conditions;
Date closed - 10/24/12; Date reopened - 10/25/12

Quiznos Sub, 1780 S. Victoria Ave. C, Ventura;

Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 10/23/12; Date reopened - 10/24/12


La Cita Nightclub, 441 Hueneme Road, Oxnard;
Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;
Date closed - 10/18/12; Date reopened - 10/22/12

Grab N Go Bistro, 2646 Palma Drive., Ventura;
No valid permit to operate;
Date closed - 10/18/12; Date reopened - 10/19/12

Arco Iris #1, 610 S. Oxnard Blvd., Oxnard;
Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;
Date closed - 10/18/12; Date reopened - 10/21/12

The Tavern, 211 E. Santa Clara Street, Ventura;
Rodent infestation, unsanitary conditions;

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Ventura County Sheriff Discusses Recent Recent Residential Thefts in Oak Park

Between late August and October of 2012, Ventura County Sheriff’s deputies have taken report of five residential thefts in Oak Park and one in Casa Conejo.  The thieves mainly stole jewelry and in one instance, an unloaded gun.  None of the stolen property was locked or secured in the home.  Some of the jewelry was hidden in drawers or under clothing, but not secured.  The gun was in a closet and not a gun safe.

A common thread to the residential thefts is the victims all had services come into their homes, such as house keepers and carpet cleaners.   Most of the victims left their homes unattended with the workers inside. 

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office is recommending residents keep themselves safe from residential thefts by following some preventative tips.

  • Keep all jewelry and precious metals in a locked safe.
  • If the safe can be carried away, keep it with you. (While the work is being done).
  • If you don’t have a safe, place all jewelry and precious metals in a container and keep it with you. (While the work is being done).
  • Research all services you plan to use for licensing, reviews and call to find out if they complete background checks on employees.
  • While a service company is in your home, don’t leave or sequester yourself away from the workers.  If you actively watch and interact with the workers, it is less likely your property will be stolen.
  • If law enforcement needs to respond to a theft, it is helpful if there are pictures of the jewelry, the fair market value of the item is known, an inventory of the jewelry was completed, and the date and time it was last accounted for.  This is helpful for any item stolen, along with serial numbers. 
  • Consult your homeowners insurance agent to determine if your jewelry is covered.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office is actively working on the cases and suspects are being questioned. The VC Sheriff's Department website is www.vcsd.org.

Ventura County Crime Stoppers Hot Line:  1-800-222-TIPS

Full Nighttime Freeway Closures at Wendy/101 Interchange in Newbury Park Nights of November 5-9 and 13-14

The 101 Freeway at Wendy Drive in Thousand Oaks will be closed for bridge construction from Monday, November 5th through Friday, November 9th from 11 PM to 5 AM and on Tuesday, November 13th to Wednesday, November 14th.

Beginning at 7 PM on each closure night, travel along the bridge will be limited to one lane in either direction to allow for mobilization of construction equipment and materials.

Motorists traveling northbound will be directed to exit the freeway at Wendy Drive and immediately re-enter the Freeway by making a left turn and using the northbound on-ramp.

Motorists traveling southbound will be directed to exit the freeway at Wendy Drive, turn right onto Wendy Drive, right onto W. Hillcrest Drive, right onto Rancho Conejo Boulevard/Borchard Road, and then use the US-101 southbound on-ramp loop to re-enter the Freeway.

During the freeway closures, construction will include erecting steel bridge girders utilizing cranes placed on the Freeway. During the closures, 15 steel girder segments up to 100 feet long and weighing over 30,000 pounds each will be placed along the bridge. California Highway Patrol units will be stationed at the off-ramps to ensure traffic is properly detoured. 

The 18-month Wendy/101 Interchange Improvement Project is scheduled for completion in August 2013. Residents can visit www.toaks.org/wendy101 to learn more about the project, view detour maps and closures, as well as sign-up for weekly road closure notifications.

International Organic Treats Recently Opened at The Lakes at Thousand Oaks

January 2014 Update: International Organic Treats is no more. Their phone number is no longer in service and The Lakes customer service has no information about them. I'm not terribly surprised as I never saw any customers in there. :(

International Organic Treats has been open several months now at The Lakes at Thousand Oaks, in the space previously occupied by Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, next to California Pizza Kitchen. They offer organic coffee and teas, pastries, paninis, crepes, gourmet hot dogs, organic ice cream and more! Contact them at 805.449.0051.

Akio's Sushi Thousand Oaks Has Been Sold and is Now Called Crazy King Kong Sushi

Akio's Sushi, a Thousand Oaks favorite for decades located at Janss Marketplace, was recently sold and is now called Crazy King Kong Sushi. Yes, that's the name.

Their phone number is 805.496.7106. We've known for awhile that Akio Takahashi was in process of selling the restaurant. Best wishes to the new owners!

As of today, 10/18/12, there appears to be some 50% off coupons posted on Crazy King Kong Sushi's Yelp listing at www.yelp.com/biz/crazy-king-kong-sushi-thousand-oaks. Check it out!

Great Harvest Bread Co. - Newbury Park

2/25/19: The owners of Great Harvest have announced they will be closing their doors on Saturday, March 2, 2019.

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Great Harvest Bread Co. in Newbury Park is a great place to go for fresh baked, delicious bread in the Conejo Valley.

The bread here is outstanding.  Always fresh.  You get there in the morning and there is a large selection of all sorts of breads, from their signature Honey Whole Wheat to the fancier breads that those, like me, with sweet tooths enjoy...we're talking pumpkin breads, banana breads, chocolate chip breads and the like.   There is a detailed menu of breads prepared daily at www.conejobread.com.

The people here are just incredibly nice and also very supportive of the local community.  I see them serving free bread samples at events all over town.  The owners are Jim and Lupe Costello.  They both left careers at large companies to open this awesome addition to our town.  They are extremely friendly.  Walk in and soon you will be offered fresh bread samples.

Great Harvest is extremely clean and you can see them baking the breads.  Everything is made from scratch.  No preservatives are used.  They even make their own whole wheat flour daily.  The bread stays fresh for up to 7 to 10 days, but you won't have to worry about that because in my household as  the bread is usually devoured within a day or two!

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Independent bakeries are a dying breed as the large grocery stores and Costco's of the world have commoditized fresh baked goods.  You may pay a small premium for the moist, warm, mouth-watering breads at Great Harvest but it is well worth it.

Great Harvest also serves up sandwiches during lunchtime hours. I had just a basic chicken salad sandwich on whole grain bread and it was delicious.  Bread really "makes" the sandwich and since the bread here is so good, the entire sandwich is excellent, even down to the last few bites of bread.

Great Harvest Bread Co. is located at 2092-H Newbury Road, Newbury Park (Vons/Longs shopping center to the left of Vons) (805.376.0111) www.conejobread.com

Village Burgers Coming to Thousand Oaks

Update July 2013: Village Burgers has closed. That didn't last long. It is now Golden Dragon Chinese Restaurant.

Update 10/17/12: Conejo Valley foodie Scott B indicates Village Burgers is now open. Their phone is 805.379.8858.

Originally posted 7/19/12: In the space previously occupied by Yozen Frogurt at 2416 E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard, there is a large sign that says "Coming Soon! Village Burgers." Location is just west of Harold's House of Omelettes, which has been a Thousand Oaks fixture since 1961, three years prior to incorporation of Thousand Oaks as a city!

Yes, another burger joint coming to Thousand Oaks, following in the footsteps of Smashburger, Umami Burger, and Red Robin. No word yet on the menu and opening date. But stay tuned....and let us know if you hear anything!

16-Screen Century Theatres to Open at The Collection at RiverPark in Oxnard on Oct 26

In case you hadn't already noticed, there's a big new shopping center being built on the northeast side of the 101 freeway in Oxnard, between the Oxnard and Vineyard exits, called The Collection at RiverPark.

If you're a Target fan, the center already features a 150,000 sq ft state-of-the-art Target store that opened over a year ago in July 2011. I've been there with the kids and I can honestly say this is the nicest, coolest looking Target store I've ever been to. There's also covered parking, which kind of nice.

Shea Properties continues construction of The Collection at RiverPark and has announced a number of great new additions to our local shopping and dining scene!  Here's what is coming:

Century Theatres will be opening a brand new 16 screen location on Friday, October 26th (just in time for Halloween)! Two of the screens will use their new XD (Extreme Digital) technology that features a larger screen, up to 38' × 70' and improvements in audio and digital projection.

In November 2012, they plan to open Kabuki Japanese Restaurant, Panera Bread, Menchie's Frozen Yogurt, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Color Me Mine (do it yourself pottery painting studio) and Massage Envy Spa.

In the spring of 2013 they anticipate the opening of REI Store, (outdoor gear and clothing), a Whole Foods Market and a Starbucks.

For more information and updates, visit shoppingthecollection.com.

Brendan's Irish Pub to Open Newbury Park Location This Summer

UPDATE 1/2/20: Brendan’s announced today that it has closed its doors.

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Brendan's Newbury Park opened on 10/8/12. You will be impressed. Authentic Irish decor, 2 pool tables, 3 dartboards, lots of tables, booths, beverages and good food. The Temple Bar section of Dublin is featured on the wall art below. Hard not to like this place! Visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/brendansnewbury.

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Update 8/27/12: No specific date indicated by Brendan's but it seems we're really close to the grand opening.

Originally posted 4/8/12: The popular Brendan's Irish Pub & Restaurant has announced that it will be opening a third location this summer in Newbury Park where Eric's Restaurant currently resides (495 N. Ventu Park Road at the Palm Garden Hotel). The grand opening is anticipated in the latter part of summer 2012 (Brendan's implies July is a realistic time frame in a recent Facebook post).

Wow! I'm impressed at Brendan's growth! Brendan's Newbury Park will be located just 9 miles from the Camarillo location and 9 miles from the Agoura Hills location.

Visit the Brendan's Newbury Park Facebook page at www.facebook.com/brendansnewbury for updates.

Beer continues to be on a growth spurt in Ventura County.

Eric's will continue to be open for dinner and drinks in the meantime! Call the hotel at 805.716.4200 or Eric's directly at 805.716.4100.