Fruit, Vegetable and Other Food, Beer and Wine Festivals In and Around Ventura County

According to the California Department of Food & Agriculture, in 2021, California’s 69,000 farms and ranches generated $51.1 billion in revenue and was the largest producer of commodities in the country, producing 11.8% of the U.S. total. The top ten commodities in the state in 2021 were dairy products, grapes, almonds, cattle, pistachios, lettuce, tomatoes, walnuts, rice and chi

Ventura County ranks 26th out of 58 California counties in geographic size but in 2021 ranked 10th overall in terms of agricultural output, producing nearly $2 billion worth of strawberries, lemons, horiculture, raspberries and other commodities.

All that produce grown in Ventura County (as well as Santa Barbara County) and the hard work that goes into it must explain why we have so many nearby food related festivals and celebrations year-round! Specific dates each year are posted in the Local Events and Events Calendar sections of the site but here's a compilation for you to, ahem, digest. We also opted to include beer, wine and other long-standing festivals for your imbibing pleasure.

The Rotary Club of Thousand Oaks Chili Cook-Off is in the late April to early May time frame each year. It is a charitable fundraiser that has taken place since 1977.

The California Strawberry Festival takes place on the 3rd weekend of May each year. This popular event has taken place since 1984. Up until 2020 the event took place in Oxnard. For the first time in 2023, the festival moved to the Ventura County Fairgrounds.

The Soroptimist International of the Conejo hosts an annual "Margarita Mixoff" event in Thousand Oaks. For many years, the event took place in May. Since 2021, including the 21st annual event in 2023, the event has taken place in September.

The Ojai Wine Festival takes place in the June time frame at Lake Casitas has been around since 1987. They say over 5,000 people attend the event! The 35th annual event will take place in June 2023.

The Knights of Columbus of Simi Valley has been hosting an Annual Chili Cook-Off and Car Show since 1988. The 35th annual event is planned for June 2023.

The Casa Pacifica Angels Wine & Food Festival benefits Casa Pacifica Centers for Children and Families and has been running since 1994. Currently takes place in early June.

The Conejo Food & Wine Fest premiered in 2010 and takes place in Thousand Oaks in the June time frame.

The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History has hosted the Santa Barbara Wine Festival in the June time frame each year since 1988.

The Oxnard Salsa Festival has taken place each summer (currently July) since 1994 (except for 2020-2022 due to the pandemic). It will be back in July 2023.

Since 1988, the Meadowlark Service League has been hosting A Taste of Camarillo Wine & Food Festival. The event currently takes place in late July - the 36th annual event is July 30, 2023.

The California Wine Festival in Santa Barbara in July marks 2004 as its first year.

The Port of Hueneme Banana Festival took place for the first time in 2012 and its 10th annual (2020-2021 were pandemic years) event is planned for the last Saturday of September 2022.

The Calabasas Pumpkin Festival takes place in October. There is a small admission charge.

The California Avocado Festival in Carpinteria goes back to 1987 and claims to be the largest free festival on the west coast. It currently takes place the first full weekend of October.

The Santa Barbara Harbor & Seafood Festival originated in 2001 and offers live lobster, crab, prawns, BBQ albacore, clam chowder, fish tacos, seafood gumbo and other prepared dishes in the October time frame.

The California Lemon Festival also takes place in October in Goleta. Free admission. This one has been around since 1992.

The Oxnard Tamale Festival takes place in the early December time frame each year. It began in 2008. The 2023 event is planned for December 2nd.

List obviously subject to change! Contact us for additions. The list is meant to include recurring, annual events, not one-time events, that focus primarily on food and/or drinks.

Summary of the California Homemade Food Act aka "Cottage Food" Bill

In September 2012, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law AB1616, the California Homemade Food Act, that became effective January 1, 2013.

The law enables home food business entrepreneurs to run businesses, referred to as Cottage Food Operations, without being subject to the same level of regulation as commercial restaurants and bakeries. Before the law was passed, home cooks were required to rent part of a retail kitchen to prepare their products, among other things.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) maintains a list of certain “non-potentially hazardous” foods that can be prepared within and sold from a private home, provided certain requirements are met. County Environmental Health Divisions are responsible for overseeing Cottage Food Operation permits. To learn more about obtaining this permit in Ventura County, visit vcrma.org/en/cottage-home-food-operations.

How to Qualify as a Cottage Food Operation:

• You prepare or package cottage food products at home.

• Your cottage food product(s) are on the state approved list (summary below).

• You have one or fewer full-time equivalent employees, excluding immediate family an household members.

• Your gross annual sales of cottage food are not more than $75,000 for “Class A” foods and $150,000 for “Class B” foods. These amounts were updated effective 1/1/2022 and will be adjusted annually for inflation.

  • Class A: You only engage in direct sales of cottage foods to customers (e.g. at events, farmers’ markets, etc.).

  • Class B: You engage in both direct and indirect sales (e.g. through a third party retailer, like a restaurant or retail shop).

• You file for proper permitting with Ventura County Environmental Health Division.

Approved Cottage Foods:

The CDPH maintains a list of food that are deemed to be non-potentially hazardous as “cottage foods.” These are foods that do not support the rapid growth of microorganisms or toxins that could make people sick when the food is held outside time and temperature control.

• Baked goods without cream, custard or meat fillings - examples include bagels, baklava, biscuits, bread, brownies, buns, cake, churros, coconut macaroons, cookies, crackers, cupcakes, donuts, empanadas (fruit only), flatbreads, fruit, nut or seed bars, macarons (with approved buttercream), muffins, pastries, pies (fruit only), samosas (fruit only), tamales (fruit only), tarts, torillla, torts and waffles.

• Candy and confections (too many examples)

• Extracts containing at least 70 proof or 35% food grade for human consumption alcohol.

• Dried, dehydrated and freeze-dried foods

• Frostings, icings, fondants and gum pastes that do no contain eggs, cream or cream cheese

• Honey and sorghum syrups

• Fruit butters, jams, jellies

• Nuts, nut mixes and nut butters

• Powdered drink mixes made from manufactured ingredients

• Vinegars and mustards

And there you have it. So if you’re wondering why that pie vendor at the farmers’ market is only selling fruit pies, now you know why.

Comparing In-N-Out Burger to Whataburger

Whataburger location that I visited in Birmingham, Alabama.

I was born and raised in Southern California and thus I am very familiar with the allure of an In-N-Out Burger. In-N-Out Burger originated in Baldwin Park, California in 1948 and has grown to over 350 locations in California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Texas, Oregon, and Colorado, In-N-Out Burger is known for its fresh, delicious ingredients and simple menu. I grew up with In-N-Out Burger.

Whataburger was founded in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1950 and was family-owned until 2019, when a majority stake in the company was purchased by a private equity firm. There are currently (as of spring 2022) over 880 Whataburger locations, including over 700 in Texas. But there are no Whataburgers in California at the current time.*

On a recent trip to Birmingham, Alabama, there was a Whataburger directly across the street from my hotel. I've seen Whataburger from time to time in my travels, but never dined at one - nor did I know anything about Whataburger.

The topic of Whataburger came up with some folks I was hanging out with. They noted they were hungry the previous night, late at night, and that their hunger was resolved by a meal from Whataburger. Grandparents Bob and Gloria noted the deliciousness of their Whataburger late night snack. And thus, I decided it was time for me to try a Whataburger for the first time.

The layout of the Whataburger I ate at was very similar to the layout of an In-N-Out Burger. There multiple busy drive-through lines but there was also a large indoor dining area. The clean, bright, fairly spartan layout reminded me of the layout of In-N-Out Burger.

Simplicity of the In-N-Out Burger menu, circa Fall 2020..

Whataburger's menu is much more extensive than the simplistic In-N-Out Burger which I’ve always loved and appreciated. Whataburger’s menu was not overwhelming in size, but includes items such a chicken sandwiches, chicken strips, onion rings, breakfast items and more.

Staff was very friendly and attentive as soon as walked in. The manager was walking by and greeted me. The order taker was prompt. I decided to go with a simple Whataburger combo meal that came with fries and a drink. The burger comes with a 5" bun and beef patty, tomato, lettuce, diced onions and mustard. I also ordered some onion rings just to taste them. Oh, and I went with the sweet tea - which was very good.

I ate right there at Whataburger. They gave me a number to put on the table, and after a 5 minute wait, they brought my meal to me. Along with my meal, the employee gave me an assortment of condiments to choose from - ketchup, spicy ketchup and a few others. I went with the spicy ketchup (which was good, though not particularly spicy).

My first look at a Whataburger after opening up the package. Looked, smelled and tasted good.

The burger was delicious. Everything was hot and fresh - the burger patty was substantial, the tomato, lettuce and onions were very fresh, and the bun was toasted and tasted great.

The only big difference between a regular In-N-Out Burger and a regular Whataburger is the sauce. The Whataburger is made with mustard, while the In-N-Out Burger as we know is made with that delicious, addictive, special spread. Thinking about the taste of an In-N-Out Burger as I type this is really making me hungry.

From my vantage point, the Whataburger and In-N-Out Burger are equally delicious. If you don't like the taste of mustard, you can order the Whataburger with mayo, ketchup, honey BBQ or creamy pepper. If you prefer grilled onions to raw onions, that is also an option at both places. But if the In-N-Out Burger signature sauce is what you have a hankering for, you will be best served with an In-N-Out Burger.

Whataburger fries, with a cameo appearance by onion rings.

I'm ok with In-N-Out Burger fries, though I know some folks that are not fans of them. The Whataburger fries were very good. Cooked nice and crispy and more substantial in size than In-N-Out Burger fries, they also tasted very fresh. I'd have to give a slight nod overall to Whataburger in the fries department. The onion rings were ok to me but were not a standout.

Would I be happy to have a Whataburger in the Conejo Valley? Absolutely! As much as I enjoy In-N-Out Burger along with everyone else, I think Whataburger offers a fresh, delicious product that would do well here in Southern California.

Are there plans for Whataburger to expand to Ventura County, California? Not that I am aware of. But I would certainly welcome, now that I have tried it! Will I continue to be an In-N-Out Burger fan? Is the sky blue?

*Back in the 1970s until the mid 1980s, there were a number of Whatburgers in California, including locations in Thousand Oaks (400 Thousand Oaks Blvd - where Cho Cho San resides today), Oxnard (155 S. Oxnard Blvd - where A-Burger is today), 2250 East Main Street, Ventura (now Taco Bell), 1579 East Los Angeles Ave, Simi Valley (now Jack in the Box) and 1650 E. Daily Drive, Camarillo (now Jack in the Box).

Sweeten Your Day with a Visit to Bennett's Honey Tasting Room in Fillmore

We were in the Santa Clarita area ready to head back home to the Conejo Valley, when I decided, how about if we take Highway 126 for once. So we did.

It was a leisurely drive on a late Sunday morning, when we came across a sign that caught my interest.

After passing the sign, I asked my son if he would like to do some honey tasting, to which he replied, "SURE!" So we turned back!

Bennett's Honey Tasting Room is located just north of Highway 126 at 3176 Honey Lane in Fillmore. It feels really off the beaten path, but is just 5 miles east of central Fillmore.

There's a small parking lot in front of the retail store. We walked up the steps, opened the door, and found ourselves in a small, one room shop, where we were greeted by smiling staff and stacks of honey jars and products.

But what really caught our eye, the reason for our stopping by on this mild, Sunday morning, was the honey tasting kiosk in the middle of the room. We treated ourselves to samples of honey derived from orange blossoms, sage, wildflowers, buckwheat, avocado, clover, eucalyptus and cactus. Honey heaven!

How is honey made? Worker bees suck nectar from a blossom and carry it back to the hive in their honey sacs (i.e. stomachs). On its way home, acid secretions in the sacs start changing the nectar to honey. In the hive, the honey is passed to a receiving bee where it is processed and concentrated for storage in empty honeycomb cells. 70,000 nectar "loads" become one pound of honey. Housekeeping bees "dry" the honey by fanning their wings in unison, then the cells are sealed for beeswax. Honey will keep for years.

My top choice was the cactus flavored honey as well as the "creamed" honey. We inquired about a honey that would be best for combating pollen allergies, and were told the wildflower honey was the best bet. And then we asked about the raw honeycomb shown above.

We were immediately offered a sample of the honeycomb. Heck, why not! Are we supposed to eat the wax comb? Some people do, but most swallow the tasty honey and spit out the wax.  The honeycomb was a delicious treat and we bought one of those too!

Bennett's Honey Farm was founded by Red and Ann Bennett and is currently owned by Chip and Taydee Vannoy. They produce their own honey right here in Ventura County under brands "Topanga Quality Honey" (found at Whole Foods and other specialty markets) and "Piru Canyon Honey" found at farmers' market and fruit stands in local counties.

To learn more, visit www.bennetthoney.com or call 805.521.1375.

Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt Places in Ventura County That Have Closed Since 2009

We’ve been tracking ice cream, frozen yogurt, gelato and other types of places throughout Ventura County and adjacent areas since 2009. The list at THIS LINK is updated periodically.

As we’ve added to the list, we’ve also removed places from the list that have closed over the years. For historical purposes, we have compiled the frozen treat graveyard below.

Frozen Yogurt/Ice Cream Graveyard

• Marble Slab Creamery at Paraiso (now The Village at Dos Vientos) closed Nov 2009

• Blizz Frozen Yogurt Thousand Oaks The Lakes (Closed in Q1 2011)

• Marble Slab Creamery Camarillo 62 Daily Drive (Closed late 2010)

• Polar Bears Ice Cream/Yogurt Camarillo (Closed in Q2 2011)

• Misty Berry Frozen Yogurt Westlake Village (Closed ~Q2 2011)

• TCBY Yogurt Camarillo Outlets (Closed sometime in 2011)

• Marble Slab Creamery Oxnard (Closed late summer 2011)

• Yogreens Camarillo (Opened 9/24/11; Closed 12/2/11)

• Yozen Frogurt Thousand Oaks (Closed early 2012)

• Lotus Yogurt Bar Thousand Oaks (Closed early 2012)

• Chill Frozen Yogurt Ventura (Closed early 2012)

• FroYo and Joe Ventura (Closed at unknown date)

• Golden Spoon 5891 Kanan Road, Agoura (Closed Jan 1, 2013)

• Golden Spoon 796 Wendy Drive, Newbury Park (Closed Jan 15, 2013)

• Marble Slab Creamery 4960 Telephone Road, Ventura (Closed at unknown date)

• Go Yogurt! 2780 Cochran Street, Simi Valley (Closed at unknown date)

• Golden Spoon 2000 Ave de los Arboles, Thousand Oaks (Closed Mid-Summer 2013)

• Luna Blu Frozen Yogurt Cafe Simi Valley Town Center (Closed Mid-Summer 2013)

• Sweet Retreat 525 Los Angeles Ave, Moorpark (Closed 10/27/13)

• Surf'N Yogurt 550-A W. Main St, Santa Paula (Closed mid-Nov 2013)

• Golden Spoon 1404 N. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks (Closed Dec 2013)

• Golden Spoon 1197 E. Los Angeles Ave, Simi Valley (Closed in Dec 2013 time frame)

• Twist Frozen Yogurt 26777 Agoura Road, Calabasas (Closed in late January 2014)

• Chill n Grill Shave Ice 1775 E. Daily Drive, Camarillo (closed 2/15/14)

• Carvel Ice Cream 144 West Los Angeles Ave, Moorpark (Closed at unknown date)

• Fosters Freeze2750 Camino Dos Rios, Newbury Park (Closed at unknown date)

• Melt Gelato Italiano Simi Valley Town Center (Closed at unknown date)

• Cherry On Top in Simi Valley (Closed in Summer 2014)

• Menchie's Frozen Yogurt Promenade at Westlake (Closed in late Summer 2014)

• Tizzy Yogurt Cafe 1404 N. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks (Closed in Dec 2014)

• Tizzy Yogurt Cafe 1197 E. Los Angeles Ave, Simi Valley (Closed in December 2014)

• Swirl Frozen Yogurt in Newbury Park became Krave It in December 2014

• Whirly Cups 377 E. Main St, Ventura (Closed sometime in 2014)

• Ben & Jerry's Pacific View Mall (Closed in late 2014)

• Cold Stone Creamery, 2390 Las Posas Rd, Camarillo became Scoops Creamery in Spring 2015

• Bericup Frozen Yogurt The Oaks Mall Thousand Oaks (Closed sometime in 2015)

• Haagen-Dazs 3825 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd, Westlake Village (Closed in Fall 2015)

• Pinkberry Frozen Yogurt 3835 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd, Westlake Village (Closed Dec 2015)

• YogurtLane 2480 Erringer Road, Simi Valley (805.581.3500) (apparently closed)

• The Ice Cream Lab at the Westlake Plaza, 2728 Townsgate Road (Closed May 2016)

• Cre8 Pizza 1263 Simi Town Center Way, Simi Valley (Closed in 2016)

• Scoops Creamery 2390 Las Posas Road, Camarillo (Closed in 2016)

• Krave It Frozen Yogurt at The Village at Dos Vientos (Closed in Fall 2016)

• YoYumYum Frozen Yogurt 938 N. Ventura Road, Oxnard (Closed in Fall 2016)

• Shave It! Shave Ice 455 Carmen Drive, Camarillo (became The Ice Bar Cafe in early 2017)

• Sweet & Swirly Frozen Yogurt 417 E. Port Hueneme Road (2017)

• Surf'N Yogurt 5233 Mission Oaks Blvd, Camarillo (805.419.4960) (2017)

• The Ice Bar Cafe 455 Carmen Drive, Camarillo (Fall 2017)

• The Ice Bar Cafe 2902 Tapo Canyon Road, Ste C, Simi Valley (Fall 2017)

• Wild Cherry Frozen Yogurt 5100 Telegraph Rd, Ventura (Closed 2017)

• Paciugo Gelato at The Oaks Mall (Closed early 2018)

• Baskin Robbins 2823 Agoura Road, Westlake Village (Closed 6/20/18)

• The Ice Cream Store 313 E. Port Hueneme Road, Hueneme

• Dairy Queen at Pacific View Mall

• Surf'N Yogurt 550 A W. Main St, Santa Paula

• Shave It! Shaved Ice 11 East Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks (closed Dec 2018)

• U Yogurt 5722 Telephone Rd, Ventura (805.644.2020)

• Haagen-Dazs The Oaks Mall (805.371.4440) (closed early 2019)

• Sweet XO 5825 Kanan Road, Agoura frozen yogurt, shave ice (closed Jan 2019)

• Go Greek Yogurteria at The Oaks Mall (closed April 2019)

• Golden Spoon 22259 Mulholland Hwy, Calabasas (closed in summer 2019)

• SweetFrog Frozen Yogurt 2306 Las Posas Road, Camarillo (closed in fall 2019)

• Cold Stone Creamery 4986 Verdugo Way, Camarillo (Closed around Dec 2019)

• Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers 391 Hampshire Road, Westlake Village (closed in the spring 2020 time frame).

• Baskin Robbins 1769 E. Avenida de los Arboles, Thousand Oaks (805.409.7431) (closed in May 2020 but there’s a chance a new owner could reopen it I’ve heard)

• Peachwave Frozen Yogurt 5755 Las Virgenes Rd, Ste B, Calabasas (Opened in 2018, closed in early 2020)

• Dippin' Dots Ventura 6120 Telegraph Rd, Ventura (Closed sometime in 2020)

• Menchies Frozen Yogurt 4776 Commons Way, Calabasas (Closed early 2020)

• Sub Zero Ice Cream & Yogurt 607 E. Main St, Ventura (Closed sometime in 2020)

• Yogurtland at the Camarillo Premium Outlets (Closed sometime in 2020)

• Honeymee Ice Cream at Camarillo Premium Outlets (Closed sometime in 2020)

• Tutti Frutti 2819 Saviers St #C, Oxnard (Location is now called Yogurt Creations)

• GROM Gelateria 3888 Cross Creek Road, Malibu (Closed in mid 2020)

• Shavers Hawaiian Shave Ice at The Oaks mall (Closed in spring/summer 2020)

• Green Leaf’s and Bananas Frozen Yogurt at Camarillo Premium Outlets (Closed in 2020)

• Yogurtland 4960 Telephone Rd, Ventura (Closed in 2020)

• Swirl Frozen Yogurt 267 Village Commons Blvd, Camarillo (Closed in 2020)

• Godiva Chocolatier at Camarillo Premium Outlets closed in April 2021

• Yogurtland 1670 East Gonzales Road, Oxnard (closed in 2021)

• Yofrutii Frozen Yogurt 4275 Tierra Rejada Road, Moorpark (Apparently closed in early 2022)

• Yogurt Creations 2819 Saviers St #C, Oxnard (Closed 2021ish)

• Tifa Chocolate & Gelato 23655 Calabasas Road, Calabasas (Early 2023)

• Raspado House at 540 N. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks (Summer 2023)

• Ben and Jerry's at The Collection at RiverPark in Oxnard (2023)

Restaurants That Opened and Restaurants That Closed in the Conejo Valley During the Pandemic

The World Health Organization labeled COVID-19 as a pandemic on March 11, 2020, when there were 118,000 reported cases in 114 countries, leading to 4,291 deaths. The state of California was placed on “Stay at Home” orders, effective March 19, 2020. The rest is history.

Meanwhile, we’ve been tracking eateries in the Conejo Valley, including Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Newbury Park, Oak Park, Agoura Hills and portions of Calabasas that opened and closed since the pandemic began.

Eateries That Opened Since the Pandemic Began

Wingstop at Janss Marketplace Thousand Oaks (Opened Mid-April)

Nick the Greek Souvlaki & Gyro House at North Ranch Mall in Westlake Village (May 2021)

Cork Dork Wine Bar in Westlake Village (May 20. 2021)

Fierce Ave Korean BBQ in Newbury Park (2021)

Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen in Agoura Hills (January 2021)

O’t Bistro Asian Comfort Food at Janss Marketplace (March 2021)

Bagelicious Cafe at Whizin Market Square in Agoura Hills (December 2020)

Agoura Wine & Beer Co at Whizin Market Square in Agoura Hills

Drive-Thru Starbucks at Janss Marketplace (January 2021)

E+MON Sushi and Ramen at the Westlake Commons (December 2020)

Siblings Bakery in Thousand Oaks (January 2021)

Chef Danny’s Naru Bento at Janss Marketplace (November 2020)

Leone’s Original Italian Ices in Thousand Oaks (November 2020)

Porta Via at The Commons at Calabasas (September 2020)

Limena Peruvian Eatery in Thousand Oaks (July 2020)

Urban Vejjie at The Shoppes at Westlake (June 23, 2020; but closed in 2021)

Sage Plant Based Bistro & Brewery in Agoura Hills (May 2020)

Peebee & Jay’s Newbury Park (May 2020)

La Esquina Mexican Grill in Thousand Oaks (June 2020)

Armando’s Tacos Thousand Oaks (Fall 2020)

Pedals & Pints Brewing Company Thousand Oaks (March 17, 2020)

Eateries That Announced They are Opening Soon

The Waffle Experience in Newbury Park (Coming Soon)

Valentino’s Take & Bake Pizza in Thousand Oaks (Coming Soon)

Wild Fork Foods - Meat & Seafood Market in Thousand Oaks (Coming Soon)

Azuki Tea at North Ranch Shopping Center in Westlake Village (Coming Soon)

Viet Kitchen at The Village at Newbury Park (Opening Soon)

Amy’s Drive Thru Organic Fast Food in Thousand Oaks (Early 2022)

Barney’s Gourmet Hamburgers at The Commons at Calabasas (Summer 2021)

The Waffle Experience in Newbury Park (Coming Soon)

Furn Saj Lebanese Bakery at The Summit at Calabasas (Now Open - Late May)

Everbowl at the North Ranch Mall in Westlake Village (Coming Soon)

Salsa & Beer Mexican Food in Calabasas (Coming Soon)

Parma Pizzeria to open Agoura Hills Location (Coming Soon)

Caribbean Haven in Thousand Oaks (Coming Soon)

Chakaa Tea Cafe in Newbury Park (Coming Soon)

sweetgreen at The Promenade at Westlake (Coming Soon)

Eateries That Closed Permanently

Flame Broiler in Newbury Park

Lemonade Restaurant at The Promenade at Westlake (Feb 21, 2021)

Mimi’s Cafe Thousand Oaks (February 2021)

Currying Flavors in Agoura Hills (Late 2020)

Roma Italian Deli in Newbury Park (November 2020)

Currying Flavors in Agoura Hills (Fall 2020)

Champagne French Bakery at The Promenade at Westlake (Summer 2020)

Jack’s Donuts Thousand Oaks (August 2020)

Champagne French Bakery at The Promenade at Westlake (Summer 2020)

Taco Bell Westlake Village (July 2020)

Pizza Rev at The Oaks mall (Summer 2020)

Edelweiss German Bierhaus in Newbury Park (June 2020)

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf on Moorpark Road in Thousand Oaks (May 2020)

Peet’s Coffee in Westlake Village

Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers in Westlake Village (March 2020)

Starbucks on Moorpark Road (closed, but re-opened up the street as a drive-thru)

E.T. Donuts in Thousand Oaks

Flatiron Bagel in Thousand Oaks

Eateries That Closed Temporarily, Possibly Permanently (TBD)

Stacked at The Oaks mall

Red Robin at The Oaks mall

Pitfire Pizza in Westlake Village

Hot Dog on a Stick at The Oaks mall

Other Local Businesses of Note

K1 Speed Indoor Go Kart Racing in Newbury Park (Late Summer 2021 anticipated date)

Five Below Store at Janss Marketplace in Thousand Oaks (Coming Soon)

Batchoyan Ilonggo Filipino Cuisine in Camarillo (October 2020)

Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers in Oxnard (March 2021)

The Mighty Axe - Axe Throwing & Ales at Janss Marketplace (Coming Soon)

ALDI Thousand Oaks at Janss Marketplace (Opened December 2020)

Amazon Fresh Store at The Promenade at Westlake (Date TBA)

The Best Ever Pumpkin Bread Recipe!

Here's a delicious pumpkin bread recipe from Jill Fisher. Jill has a B.S. in Food Science and Nutrition and is a licensed Personal Chef. She has taught cooking classes at Conejo Valley Adult School and Williams Sonoma in Thousand Oaks and has written articles for local food magazines such as 805 Living.

The Best Ever Pumpkin Bread!

1 cup salad oil (not olive)

2/3 cup water

3 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 cups pumpkin

Whisk together in a large bowl.

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

1 ½ tsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

3 ½ cups flour

1 cup chopped pecans

Whisk together in a small bowl.

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.  Mix well.  Pour into individual mini loaf pans (approximately 4-5) that have been sprayed with Pam cooking spray.

Bake at 350F for 55 minutes.

Cool and slice.  These loaves freeze very well.

Note from Conejo Joe:  This recipe looks so easy that even I, an incompetent nincompoop in the kitchen, can make this pumpkin bread recipe!