by | June 24, 2009 · 11:14 pm

If it’s called Fins the seafood should be good, right?

by Brian

My Mom and I went out on Sunday for Father’s day.  Since my Dad passed a few years back, we’ve kinda made it into a little family tradition.  Usually we go someplace nice because that’s what Mom deserves.  This year, I gave her three options to choose from and since she was in the mood for seafood, she picked Fins in Westlake.

Fins – Westlake Blvd. and Townsgate in Westlake Village

I was pretty excited to eat here because I had heard good things.  The decor is upscale and the service is professional, if not overly so.  We got there on time for our reservation and were sat immediately.  Things seemed to be starting off quite nicely.

It has been a long time since I’ve had a waitress put my napkin in my lap for me.  I find the practice annoying and was put off when the waitress grabbed my napkin and unceremoniously dropped it in my lap.  I was even more annoyed when she did the same thing to my mom.  I mean, this is Westlake Village, not Beverly Hills.  Here’s my new rule:  If jackets aren’t required to dine, don’t touch my damn napkin. Continue reading →

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by | June 23, 2009 · 10:56 pm

Deadliest Catch – Lockout

by Mikey

Well it appears out of all the episodes to miss last weeks was the best one.  I was able to watch it before “Lockout” started and realized I didn’t miss all that much.  This episode finds us almost to the mid-way point of opi season.  Captains are fighting Mother Nature and she has been taking kung fu. Continue reading →

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by | June 22, 2009 · 6:14 pm

Wasting Away at Margarita Villa

by Mikey

Any trip to Ventura should always include a trip to the Harbor.  There are a lot of restaurants to choose from, so over the next few months EatMeCalifornia will try to get you a good idea of where to go for the best views and the best food.  We’ve already given you the Seafood Broiler.  Now it’s time to spend some time at Margarita Villa.

Margarita Villa – Ventura Harbor

Margarita Villa is on the top deck, right above the carousel.  They have one of the best views of the Harbor and a great deck to eat and enjoy the view. Like most of the restaurants in the harbor, it has the hand painted walls, lots of windows and a full bar.  There are a few TVs to catch a game and they have a live band a few nights a week.  On this particular night there was a band and for the most part they played cover songs.  All I remember of the talent is a horrible rendition of Johnny Be Good.  I hoped the food would be better then the music, because I think I saw Chuck Berry crouched in a corner, ready to hit the lead singer with his guitar. Continue reading →

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by | June 21, 2009 · 8:32 pm

My Crappy BBQ Experience at CJ’s

by Brian

As most of you know, the majority of my reviews on EatMeCalifornia are positive ones.  After all, we want to promote local businesses that have great food, great service and all the things that make a meal memorable.  CJ’s had none of that.  In fact, when scouring my experience for positive things to say, I only found two.  First, CJ’s serves barbeque.  Second, their spicy barbeque sauce is really good.  Unfortunately, they don’t serve anything that I’d like to put the aforementioned sauce on.

I didn’t take a picture of the front of this place, mostly because I don’t want you guys to go there.  Here’s why… Continue reading →

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by | June 19, 2009 · 6:55 pm

Tia Babe’s and the Return of Me!

by Mikey

First off, many thanks to B-hizzle for filling in for me while Time Warner did some work on the lines.  If you all have an opportunity to get internet from somebody else, go ahead and do that.  At least you all got to enjoy all Brian all the time.    On to Tia Babe’s! Continue reading →

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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 →

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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 →

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