Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce sold 1,200 tickets for its annual Taste of Conejo event Oct. 11 at Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village. Epicureans sampled food, wine, beer and spirits from more than 60 local restaurants, breweries and wineries from the region. For proprietors such as Shahed Hasan, owner of modern Indian house Currying Flavors in Agoura Hills, the event provided great exposure. “This is our first time participating in this event, as Currying Flavors has only been open for a month and a half,” he told the Business Journal. “And since we’re new, it’s important for us to become involved.” Agoura Hills confectioner Popped Fresh brought gourmet popcorn samples of such flavors as tuxedo, pumpkin pie and jalapeño ranch, while Celebrate Sweetly Gifting Co., Merley Greenidge’s Thousand Oaks enterprise, offered baked goods. Stacked, an American cuisine restaurant in Thousand Oaks, provided pulled pork sliders, while Steve Bayle’s Moorpark business, Smokin’ Steve’s Pit Barbecue Catering, doled out pulled pork and macaroni and cheese. Exhibitors ranged from boutiques to national companies. For example, Social Monk Asian Kitchen at The Promenade at Westlake, a concept developed by Calabasas-based Cheesecake Factory, lined up take-out containers of kung pao chicken while craft cocktail bar Oak & Iron, of Thousand Oaks, had a drink dubbed Curious George.
