Category Archives: Thousand Oaks

by | January 29, 2013 · 8:57 pm

Back to Umami

by Brian

So I reviewed this place shortly after opening last year. Let’s just say that I wasn’t impressed. I’ve been in since, but I was bored tonight so I decided to give them the full EMC treatment.

Umami Burger – Thousand Oaks (The Lakes shopping center)

I went into Umami tonight because, honestly, I felt sorry for them. The whole shopping center felt void of human presence. In fact, when I asked the barman (who is also the manager) why it was so empty, he told me that January is the worst month for restaurants. I’m not going to argue with him because it seemed as though myself and the party of six out-of-towners were the only patrons tonight.

photo 5

Still, I decided to sit at the bar and have dinner. I figured that, at the very least, my food would be up quickly. The first drawback, though, was trying to actually sit down. It seems that the seats at the bar are constructed from re-purposed bug zappers, fashioned into the shape of ass-hammocks. See exhibit A below:

photo 2 Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under Thousand Oaks, Ventura County

Tagged as , , , , , ,

by | June 13, 2012 · 9:46 pm

Umami Mia!

by Brian

So it’s been a year since Mikey has posted and more than two since I’ve been able to come up with anything good to write.  First, I’d just like to say that, no, I wasn’t on hunger strike.  I was working my way toward a law degree and all the fame and fortune that comes with it.  Ironically, I am now in the exact same state as I was when Mikey and I started this site a little over three years ago.  I am currently unemployed.

Alas, a kid’s gotta eat.  So here’s a little post about one of my latest dining adventures at the newest Thousand Oaks hotspot, Umami Burger.

Umami Burger – Thousand Oaks

Okay, I’ll be the first to admit.  I love me some burger goodness.  After all, we’ve had some great ones here at EatMeCalifornia.  The best among them, in my humble opinion, is the Father’s Office burger.  We’ve also had great burgers at The Apple Pan and, of all places, PJ’s dive bar.  With that said, I have to admit that I’ve been hearing the siren’s song that is Umami for quite a few years now, and this, this!, was my chance to dive right in. Continue reading →

5 Comments

Filed under Thousand Oaks, Ventura County

Tagged as , , , , , ,

by | July 12, 2009 · 8:41 pm

Hungover? Let a UCSB Grad Help

by Brian

Hey everybody,

With all the eating (and drinking) that I’ve been doing lately, I thought I would dip into my well of knowledge and share a couple things about man’s greatest affliction.  I’m not talking Cancer, Heart Disease or anything like that.  I’m talking hangovers, people.  The hangover is a menace that has plagued society from the time of the ancient Egyptians and the sad thing is that we are no closer to curing it today, than we were so many thousands of years ago.

I know some of you will say that the only cure for a hangover is to not drink.  To those people I say, “Shut it!”  Why should we avoid the greatness that is booze.  I mean, even Benjamin Franklin considered beer to be a gift from God and if it’s good enough for Ben, it’s good enough for me. Continue reading →

7 Comments

Filed under Thousand Oaks, Uncategorized, Ventura County

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

by | July 5, 2009 · 9:54 pm

Thousand Oaks Elks BBQ For The Community

by Brian

Hey Everyone!  Mikey and I hope you had as memorable a 4th of July as we did.  But now, we’re back to the business at hand: bringing you good food that you might not have known existed.  Occasionally, I also like to spotlight organizations that give back to the community.  After all, EatMeCalifornia.com is all about the little guy. (Mikey, that wasn’t a fat joke)

Elks BBQ – On Conejo School Rd. north of T.O. Blvd, Thousand Oaks

photo-3

As the sign on the right of this picture says, they BBQ every Saturday.  The 4th of July was no exception.  I’ve known about these guys for years, but am always surprised that a lot of people don’t.  They are really close to where my Mom lives and on a breezy day, I swear that the delicious, smoky scent can be detected from her front door.  Yesterday, I had a craving for the one thing they make that I always fall back on: the tri-tip sandwich.

photo

For six bucks, you too can have a fist-sized portion of juicy, tender tri-tip, on a garlic roll and slathered in their own sweet barbeque sauce.  It’s fantastic and the other great thing about it is that all the profits from your indulgence go back to the community.

The Elks are the third largest provider of college scholarships in the United States, behind only the federal government and the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.  Mikey and I are all for education, especially when it seems that people nowadays are only getting dumber. (Except those of you who read our site, of course.) Continue reading →

1 Comment

Filed under Thousand Oaks, Ventura County

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

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 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 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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,