Author Archives: Brian

Brian's avatar

About Brian

I am awesome.
by | June 18, 2009 · 10:48 pm

Best Appetizer of 2009 and maybe of all time…

by Brian

I will be very happy when Time Warner decides to give Mikey his cable and internet back.  I’ve been relegated to stealing internet from neighbors just to get posts up and I must say that it sucks the big one.  So anyway, I apologize for missing last night’s post and hope that this one will make it up to you.

Also, I don’t have pics of this place because I only had my cameraphone and this restaurant was darker than Wesley Snipes, so sorry.

Sunset Terrace Restaurant and Lounge– In the Janss Mall on Moorpark Rd., Thousand Oaks

So I went out last night to see Angels & Demons with a friend.  Before we saw the film, which I was disappointed in quite frankly, we decided to stop in at Sunset Terrace to have a couple drinks and some dinner.

Sunset is a little dark even in the day.  The furnishings are nice, but the lack of light makes the bar seem out of place considering it’s in a mall in Thousand Oaks.  Still, they are always busy and right next to the theater so it’s a great place to get drinks before a show.  I personally need at least 3 beers before seeing anything with Tom Hanks. Continue reading →

2 Comments

Filed under Thousand Oaks, Ventura County

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | June 16, 2009 · 9:26 pm

Old School Breakfast in Old Town Camarillo

by Brian

Unfortunately, we must interrupt our regularly scheduled programming due to technical difficulties.  Normally, on Tuesday nights, Mikey would be bringing you his latest recap of Deadliest Catch.  However, because some vandals destroyed the cable box for his entire community, poor Mikey is instead listening to the Angels game on transistor radio and attempting to boil hotdogs on his diesel powered hotplate.  Good luck with that, Mike.  I got your back…

Dorothy’s Chuck Wagon Cafe – Old Town Camarillo

The reason why I decided to give this place a try was because my Mom told me to.  No other reason, really.  When Mom says go, I go, but it ended up making for a nice little Saturday morning.

Camarillo is not a town that I spend a lot of time in, but I might make more trips out from now on.  The town boasts a nice little farmer’s market every Saturday morning and it’s right down the street from Dorothy’s Chuck Wagon Cafe.

chuck wagon cafe

Continue reading →

5 Comments

Filed under Camarillo, Ventura County

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | June 15, 2009 · 7:02 pm

Magical Monte Cristo at the Happiest Place on Earth

by Brian

Before I get into this post, I’d like to thank everyone who reads us, for helping EatMeCalifornia get its first 10,000 visitors.  Mikey and I are thankful for your support.  Now, on to the review…

I spent my Sunday at Disneyland, also known as the happiest place on earth.  It was an awesome day and I hadn’t been to the magic kingdom in the better part of a decade.  Unfortunately, this trip wasn’t for pleasure.  It was all about business.  The business of sandwiches.

One of our great readers, Andy, read our review of Jack’s Deli in Westlake and recommended that I try the monte cristo sandwich at Disney’s Blue Bayou restaurant for a direct comparison.  And that, my friends, is exactly what I did.

The Blue Bayou Restaurant – Disneyland’s New Orleans Square, Anaheim, CA

blue bayou

Continue reading →

12 Comments

Filed under Anaheim, Orange County

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | June 13, 2009 · 10:54 am

It’s All Greek to Me – Ventura Greek Festival 2009

by Brian

I didn’t get to post this last night because I went to see The Hangover.  Sorry, but even bloggers need a night off every now and then.  The other thing I accomplished last night is the topic of this post.  I went with a few of my coworkers to the opening night of the Ventura County Greek Festival.

Ventura County Greek Festival – At the Camarillo Airport (see website for driving directions) June 12, 13 & 14.

Honestly, for a history major, I don’t know a lot about Greek stuff.  I know that Greeks invented democracy and city-states and gyros.  Other than that, I’m pretty ignorant on the whole topic.  Which as most of you know, is extremely painful for me to admit.  And it’s for that reason (and the fact that I got a free ticket) that I chose to take this chance to learn a little more about my greek brothers and sisters.

This festival is going on all day today and tomorrow.  The hours for today are 10:30am to 9pm and tomorrow they’re open from 10:30am ’til 7pm.  Rather than giving you a review on the event and then making you wait an entire year to actually attend, (strawberry festival/cajun festival) I’ve decided to give you a few highlights and hopefully encourage you to check it out this weekend.

The Ventura Greek Festival is held at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Camarillo.  The price of admission is $4 but if you bring the coupon from their website, it says that you’ll get $2 off the price of your ticket.  Either way, it’s a dirt cheap price to pay for a festival.  As usual for these events, kids get in for free.  In this case that includes all non-teenagers (12 & under).

dancing

Continue reading →

7 Comments

Filed under Camarillo, Ventura County

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | June 10, 2009 · 7:29 pm

PJ’s Pub – Home of the Mega Burger

by Brian

I don’t know why, but Mikey seems to have unfairly usurped my title of “man of the people.”  Maybe it’s because I use words like usurp when I write.  Who knows?  In an effort to get my title back, I’ve decided to bring you a post on the only “dive bar” in Thousand Oaks:  PJ’s Pub.

PJ's

PJ’s Pub – At Moorpark Rd and Avenida de los Arboles in the Trader Joe’s shopping center, Thousand Oaks.

Say what you want about PJ’s.  No, really, say what you want about the place, they don’t give a damn.  This is a bar that makes no apologies for what they are: a place to play some pool, get drunk and eat greasy bar food.  In my opinion that’s what makes them unique to Thousand Oaks.  PJ’s is a little bit of Bakersfield, thrown down in the middle of the Conejo Valley. Continue reading →

4 Comments

Filed under Thousand Oaks, Ventura County

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | June 8, 2009 · 6:52 pm

Cafe Fiore Has It All

by Brian

I usually leave Ventura reviews for Mikey, since he’s local and all.  But last Friday night I got an opportunity I just couldn’t pass up.  My friend Tiffany happens to be friends with the executive chef at Cafe Fiore and since I was craving a little decadence, I decided to give Fiore the EatMeCalifornia treatment.

Cafe Fiore – On California St. near Main, in Downtown Ventura

What ended up happening was that EatMeCalifornia got the Fiore treatment.  We arrived right on time for our 8 o’clock reservation and were whisked away to a nice little booth in the back of the restaurant.  The place was packed with 20-30 somethings drinking cocktails and having a great time.  I instantly loved the vibe of this place and it didn’t hurt that it was gorgeous too.  The look is rustic, with high ceilings, dark wood and wine racks everywhere.  It reminded me a lot of what the guys over at Cafe Firenze were trying to accomplish, but this smaller, more intimate space carries it off even better than Fabio and his crew have managed. Continue reading →

1 Comment

Filed under Ventura, Ventura County

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | June 5, 2009 · 6:36 pm

We Love BJ’s

by Brian

Mikey and I spent last night at a cigar tasting event.  The cigars were pretty good, I think.  But then again, I don’t really know anything about cigars, so they could have been horrible and I wouldn’t have known it.  The place that had the tasting was the little cigar shop on Agoura road, next to Bad Ass Coffee, in Westlake Village.  The owner does these tastings every couple of months and there was a pretty decent turn out.  We just sat around, smoked a free cigar, watched the Lakers beat the tar out of Orlando, and had a wee dram of good Kentucky bourbon.  All in all, it was a very nice evening.

After the event, Mikey and I were starving.  Because it was pretty late, our options were sort of limited.  We ended up at BJ’s on T.O. Boulevard and although I usually don’t review chain restaurants, I just couldn’t resist doing a post on BJ’s.

BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse – Near the intersection of Westlake Blvd and T.O. Blvd, Thousand Oaks

I really like this place.  It’s too bad that I hardly ever get to go back to restaurants because we’ve got so many awesome places to review thanks to you guys.

BJ’s is very similar in feel to Rock Bottom in San Diego.  It’s a fun place to watch the game, hang out with friends, or grab after work drinks.  I’m betting that most of you guys have been there already so I won’t waste too much time talking about the restaurant.  Instead, I’ll just give you a few of my favorites. Continue reading →

9 Comments

Filed under Thousand Oaks, Ventura County

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,