Stop to eat at Carrara Pastries and cool yourself off on a hot summer day with their amazing gelato. This is a real treat!

D'Amores Pizza doesn't just serve stellar pizza. I would actually STOP TO EAT at any of their locations because they serve a wide variety of exceptional dishes. Their garlic knots are irresistible, the pizza is crisp and delicious, their salads are chopped well and filled with fresh items, and their cannoli is homemade and outstanding! This is a family owned establishment that is dedicated to a high standard of excellence. Definitely worth the stop!

http://www.pieology.com/

There are numerous locations for this stellar stop, and I have frequented the one on 593 N. Moorpark Road in Thousand Oaks. It's a genius idea! A pizza bar, where you make customized, personal pizzas. They provide the dough and all the toppings, and you tell them what you want on your pizza--kind of like the Subway of pizzas. One attractive feature to this stop is that it's only $7.50 per pizza, and each pizza is quite large for one person! Delicious and affordable--two qualities that make Pieology a stellar stop!

http://www.mamadsnewport.com/

This is what I have dreamed of for a restaurant. Attention to detail, detail, detail!!! From the moment I arrived, I could tell that Mama D's employees had been trained well. If guests were asked to wait, the hosts all thanked them profusely for waiting. Lemonade, cold water, and fresh bread were all offered to guests as they awaited their table. The wait staff were friendly and extremely helpful. The meal was OUTSTANDING. The pink sauce for my pasta was amazing, the specials were tasty, and the portions were generous. Complimentary chocolate chip cookies were even given at the end of the meal. The whole experience was stellar! I HAD TO find the manager before we left to let him know that I would be bragging about his restaurant, that I noticed all the details, and that I appreciated the effort he put in to creating this unforgettable dining experience for us. He thanked me and then asked me to wait so that he could run to the back to get a business card for me to treat me to a complimentary appetizer during my next visit. All I have to say, is that I'll see you soon, Mama D's!

So...I know that I have blogged about Maggiano's before but I must underscore my suggestion to dine here after some recent experiences.  We celebrated a few birthdays here recently, and the service and pricetag for the amazing meal never cease to amaze me.  Ordering "family style" is the only way that I know to do it here. Family Style Menu: http://tinyurl.com/4akrblv  There is enough variety to please everyone, and you can even PRE-ORDER it all so that the food just keeps coming out after you sit down. The other piece that I cannot rave enough about is the fact that they clear your plates from the table, and keep the table well tended to throughout your dining experience. This is why we pay for service, people! Finally a restaurant who has got it right. For the amount of money you are spending, the amount of food you are getting, and the amount of attention you are paid, Maggiano's is a STELLAR STOP.

Our favorites: Bruschetta (so fresh!), Calamari (melts in your mouth), Rigatoni "D" (no brainer), Chopped Salad (much better than the boring Caesar), Cheesecake and Chocolate Zuccotto.

Now GO...RUN THERE if you have not done so already!!!

http://www.padrirestaurant.net/
Everything at Padri - from the service to the food to the atmosphere is spectacular. The overall experience was so satisying that I am already trying to figure out how to get back there. They have a large martini list, excellent wine offerings, delicious dishes that range from risotto to seafood pastas, and perfect desserts to cap off the evening.

http://www.maggianos.com
Maggiano's is a chain restaurant, so there are many locations. I usually go to the one in Woodland Hills, CA, which is attached to the Promenade Mall.
There is NOTHING bad to eat at Maggiano's. Our favorite dishes are the Chopped Salad, the Rigatoni D pasta dish, Chicken Parmesan, and for dessert, you MUST have the strawberry cheesecake and the chocolate zuccoto cake. It's difficult to describe just how luscious and creamy the cheesecake is...it's not like any other cheesecake I have ever tasted. Amazing.  The chocolate zuccoto cake just leaves you speechless.
One of the best deals and options is the family style menu. It's about $27 per person and it is like a buffet of non-stop goodness that comes to you. You order two salads, two appetizers, two pastas, two entrees, and two desserts, and they just keep coming until you tell them to stop. It's heaven.
I have also had a special party in one of the banquet rooms and the service and food were exceptional. If you haven't tried Maggiano's, you MUST stop to eat there some time.

Carrara Pastries
476 W. Los Angeles Ave., Unit A-13, Moorpark, CA 93021
(805) 552-4250
http://carrarapastries.com/contact.html
Local newspaper article: http://tinyurl.com/c8zpcx6 

I love to support local businesses, and that's easy to do when you have one that creates delicious pastries like Carrara Pastries in Moorpark. It's like having a piece of Italy in my own backyard--c'mon...a trained pastry chef from Italy--this is the real deal! The owners are extremely friendly and happy to give you samples and explain what is in each pastry. My favorite is the fritelle, which looks like a small sugar covered doughnut that has the most delicious chantilly cream that you have ever tasted! You can't go wrong with anything that you order at Carrara. It's all stellar! Buon Appetito!

Topper's Pizza Place
(805) 385-4444
http://www.topperspizzaplace.com

There are a number of Topper's Pizza Places in Ventura County, and I have visited most of them. The one in the Channel Islands Harbor is beautiful, with views of the boat and water just outside (2701 Peninsula Rd., Oxnard 93035); it is a two-story restaurant with a magical touch screen soda fountain that everyone loves. You must plug Topper's phone number into your phone contacts because if you are ever near one and just want to pick up a pizza on the way home, it will take no longer than 12 minutes for your pizza to be ready.  We are not in a delivery zone, so I often will phone my order in and pick it up on the way home. Let's talk about why this place is so stellar
though--besides being efficiently run, it has deliciously made pizzas with crispy crusts and fresh ingredients, and the salad bar is the most exceptional one I have ever seen in ANY restaurant! The containers at the salad bar are
always full and the counter is consistently clean.  In fact, I feel bad when I drop some dressing or a kidney bean on it, but there is ALWAYS someone right behind me to wipe it up! My son said that they have also added dessert cookie pizzas to their menu, and they are delicious as well. Topper's Pizza is truly stellar.