Best local place to eat - your recommendations? (Thousand Oaks, Camarillo: foods, cheapest)

[Crystal is a mess]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

For breakfast, lunch, and dinner;

I would try the Busy Bee down town Ventura. They are oppened 7am - 10pm and have a good variety of food. It is a 50's style place complete with the word "Airconditioning" on the window, something that you will only find on a place from the 50's. The city almost didn't let them put that up because of an advertising ordinace in effect at the time when they opened in 1989. The city figured that they were advertising the AC. The owners were able to show that it was nestalgia because who now would advertise AC in a building? Then again who needs to advertise for AC in Ventura anyway? Busy Bee Cafe

A good Italian place or at least the best I have been to is Cafe Fiore downtown Ventura. They are open for lunch and dinner. This is a nice place to spend an evening if you have some time. My wife and I have had a lot of fun here. Very nice atmosphere and a nice bunch of people. Fiore Restaurant in Ventura (http://www.fiorerestaurant.net/ - broken link)

For lunch and dinner you could also try the Hong Kong Inn for Chineese and American food. If you go on the weekends say hello to Tina and the cast of her Polynesian Revue dancers. The show is family friendly and starts at 9PM Friday and Saturday evenings. Tina is a family friend of ours. Hong Kong Inn

If you love breakfast or want lunch you could head over to Eggs and Things. They have locations all over the county. Eggs 'n' Things

For a good burger many may tell you to visit In and Out and yes they do OK for fast food. I would send you over to The Habit. You can find locations all over now, but not in the early days. I don't know if they have drive ups at the habit. This isn't really fast food. It is good food fast lets say. Habit Burger » The Story

Not exactly only local to Ventura County as you will also find locations in LA and Orange county, you may still want to try out Wood Ranch. This is always a favorite with the guys at work. We have them cater our department lunches a couple times a year. Wood Ranch American Restaurants & Catering, Orange County "Best BBQ, Best Caterer, Best Take-Out", Premium Dining & Catering in Southern California - Restaurant

For Pizza and pasta I like Santinos. Try Betty's Spaghetti if you want a white sauce spaghetti that is very good. This place has pizza that taste like pizza. They are open for lunch or dinner. Santino's Pizza Parlor - Home

And finally If you want an old time 1960's diner then try the Vagabond Cofee shop. It is attatched to a hotel but I have to tell you that the food is good and lots of locals like to eat there. The young girls that work there probably started back when the place opened, still they are quick on their heals and can get your food delivered to your table. As far as I know they don't have a web site and aren't looking to get one anytime soon. I posted a cool article about the Vagabond and the people who run it today. For all who enter, the Vagabond Coffee Shop is as warm and familiar as home » Ventura County Star

I second the Vagabond and Wood Ranch. Has the food improved at Erik Erickson? Great views but thats about all it had.

[HSP1161]

Originally Posted by user_id

Never been to sidecar, the reviews don't paint a good picture and it seems very overpriced, but I will take a look next time I'm up there.

What stock do you place in reviews?

[LadyKLO]

Originally Posted by OpenSky

What stock do you place in reviews?

They won't let me rep you anymore......

I have read some really horrible reviews from places I love to eat at...then I go to these places and wonder, what were those people thinking! Reading reviews aren't everything...fortunately you and I know this well.


There are so many culinary delights in this area and I definitely appreciate what is offered here. I'm from the south (the real south..lol, Memphis!) and used to the "down home southern hospitality cooking" so having variety here definitely appeals to me. I really don't think I have had a bad meal here at all in this area.

[user_id]

Originally Posted by OpenSky

What stock do you place in reviews?

Assuming there is a significant number of them, I put a good deal of stock into them. With the caveat that Americans tend to have a positivity basis and as a result the reviews tend to be better on average than reality.

I've eaten at numerous places without looking at the reviews first (though, probably won't happen much anymore since I was recently "forced" into getting a smartphone...) and I've yet to experience a case where I thought the reviews underscored the place. They were always about right or too high in my estimation.

So anyways, yes I think reviews are fairly accurate, though at times they overstate the quality of a place. My last experience of that was with Sweet Arleen's in Westlake Village. Good reviews, they even won "Cupcake wars" twice. The cupcakes weren't that great....

[Winston Smith]

Originally Posted by user_id

I was recently "forced" into getting a smartphone...

Sorry to go off topic, but this stirred my curiosity. Did the Conejo Valley wing of the AT&T-Verizon-TMobile goon squad come to your door and threaten you or something?

[user_id]

Originally Posted by Winston Smith

Did the Conejo Valley wing of the AT&T-Verizon-TMobile goon squad come to your door and threaten you or something?

No, rather they become so common place that people would act as if I had one... As soon as the oldsters (in my circle) got them it was difficult to put off, it just wasted time.

So anyways, now I can look at reviews before I eat somewhere.

[katnip kid]

RE: Yogurt and lactose intolerance
I am lactose intolerant as well. We can eat yogurt as opposed to ice cream because yogurt is cultured with bacteria. The bacteria consume the lactose, making it possible for us to eat yogurt. Just make sure that the yogurt contains LIVING cultures. Even the frozen yogurts I purchase at the store have living cultures. Gotta check the label, however.
Lactose intolerant or not, if you really want a culinary treat, get 10% milkfat Greek yogurt made with cream!! It is like eating velvet, or an entire container of the thick, firm layer of genuine cream that forms on the top of unhomogenized milk in the glass bottle, only thing is you have an entire container to enjoy!! Now there is something that simply is absolutely not a lowfat treat!

Now I am so in the mood for frozen yogurt, I'm going to make a trip to the store and break my diet and EAT DESSERT FIRST!!

[LadyKLO]

Originally Posted by katnip kid

RE: Yogurt and lactose intolerance
I am lactose intolerant as well. We can eat yogurt as opposed to ice cream because yogurt is cultured with bacteria. The bacteria consume the lactose, making it possible for us to eat yogurt. Just make sure that the yogurt contains LIVING cultures. Even the frozen yogurts I purchase at the store have living cultures. Gotta check the label, however.
Lactose intolerant or not, if you really want a culinary treat, get 10% milkfat Greek yogurt made with cream!! It is like eating velvet, or an entire container of the thick, firm layer of genuine cream that forms on the top of unhomogenized milk in the glass bottle, only thing is you have an entire container to enjoy!! Now there is something that simply is absolutely not a lowfat treat!

Now I am so in the mood for frozen yogurt, I'm going to make a trip to the store and break my diet and EAT DESSERT FIRST!!

Froyo is ok...most places have the non-fat version and if you don't add any toppings, most froyo is about 30 calories an ounce....typically serving is about 5 ounces or so (at least for me, that's enough).
Tonight I had froyo from a place call U Yogurt in Ventura. I have never been there but I was in the area...they had Pecan Praline and it was FAT FREE...I just about died right there...then they had the nerve to have vanilla which was no sugar added plus organic granola....yes, I went to heaven tonight but no worries, I am back!!! Definitely going there again!!

U Yogurt
5722 Telephone
Ventura, CA

For those on yelp:
U Yogurt - Ventura, CA

[user_id]

When you make something fat-free and sugar-free is it still actually food? Isn't it at that point just some synthetic chemical subsistence?

[LadyKLO]

Originally Posted by user_id

When you make something fat-free and sugar-free is it still actually food? Isn't it at that point just some synthetic chemical subsistence?

Froyo tastes good to me.