Sherman Oaks Chamber Announces Golden Oak Award Winners

The Sherman Oaks Chamber of Commerce has announced the eight winners of its Golden Oak Awards. The winning businesses will be honored at an Award Gala at Club Aston on the lot of Galpin Motors in North Hills on July 20. In the Sherman Oaks Community Support category, the two winners are Ralphs and Dog-E-Den. Ralphs, a unit of supermarket giant Kroger Co., invested in a new store in Sherman Oaks several years ago, and the company supports local nonprofits and schools. Dog-E-Den sponsored a mural on the side of its building, providing public art for residents and visitors. In the Pillar of Sherman Oaks category, Westfield Fashion Square and Casa Vega are the award recipients. Westfield Corp. is investing in new restaurants and a mall upgrade. Casa Vega is a family-owned Mexican restaurant that has operated in the San Fernando Valley for more than 62 years. In the Sherman Oaks Groundbreaker category, Bluebird Brasserie and Sherman Oaks Film Festival are honored for offering new concepts to Sherman Oaks. Bluebird Brasserie is a restaurant inspired by a monastery in Brussels. It serves Belgian fare and beers brewed onsite. The Sherman Oaks Film Festival showcases undiscovered movies from Los Angeles, screened in the neighborhood where “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” was filmed. In the Business Excellence category, both LA Ballroom Dance Studio and Pilate-ology are the winners. LA Ballroom Dance Studio was founded by Elena Grinenko, who performed on “Dancing with the Stars” and was Russian National Champion in various dance competitions. Pilate-ology is a boutique Pilates studio that puts an emphasis on fun, motivating classes that create a loyal customer base.