Recently in Irwindale Category

The 49th Annual Renaissance Pleasure Faire and Artisans Market returned its rein over the Santa Fe Dam Recreational Area in Irwindale last weekend and will continue its pillage Saturdays and Sundays through May 22.

From 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., faire-goers, many dressed in period costumes, are transported to the magically recreated Royal shipyard city of Port Deptford during the reign of Elizabeth I and immersed into the music, language, culture and entertainment of the time.

This is one of my favorite times of the year to let the imagination roam free while taking in some history, even centuries later.

Take in one of the many wonderful shows in the various stages throughout the shire, barter with the vendors for one of their handcrafted treasures, practice your knife throwing or canon ball launch, or just chat up a conversation with the hundreds of performers and characters including Her Majesty herself, pirate Sir Francis Drake and playwright William Shakespeare.

Along with the many adult-rated entertainment, the young ones can also take in the games, rides, crafts, story time and more in the Kid's Kingdom.

If you really want to get delved in the era but didn't come fully prepared, don't fuss as costume rental and purchase opportunities abound in the Faire's Marketplace, as well as more than 100 artisans offering Renaissance and contemporary jewelry, home décor and original artwork.

Or be a glutton like me and just come for the food and libations. Food vendors offer something for everyone, whether you have a small or large appetite or crave something sweet. A novelty food item is the roasted turkey leg. This iconic meat is huge for first-timers, but beware, if you don't have a big appetite for turkey or at least someone to share with, this monster leg will end up eating you.

After my share of Faire visits, I have some favorite stops. The first bar is popular for those needing their favorite ale, Port or my favorite, mead or honey wine, with a haste. But those prepared know to just keep walking to the next bar stop and the wait is almost half as long.

Once you're appetite is worked up, I like to take on a "Steak-on-a-Stake", which is pretty much grilled beef chunks on a wooden skewer. Simple but tasty. I'm almost certain curly cheese fries were not common in the Renaissance era but in my circle, this is a must side when dining at the faire - cheese devours these warm and crispy ringlets of potatoes.

My new favorite must-have at faire is the tri-tip sandwich with chili. Now don't be fooled like many, this is not chili like at Wienerschnitzel or spicy chili, this is a hearty serving of simmered kidney beans, tomatoes, onions and spices, all to complement the generous offering of tri-tip beef slices on a roll. A fork is accompanied with this dish because trying to eat this sandwich without making a mess is an impossible mission, even with two hands.

As I said, there is something for everyone. Vegetarian entrees and desserts are available.
My teen cousin was a little wary of the fish and chips and quail offerings so opted for a slice of Renaissance pepperoni pizza instead. Kids!

And on those warm spring days, cool down at the shire with a fruit ice. Flavored shaved ice is frozen into its shell - mango, pineapple, coconut - just a few flavors offered. I treated myself to a coconut ice during my visit and love the fresh flavor with coconut pieces.

For a fun tour, adults can purchase $25 tickets to an exclusive and riotous Pub Crawl offered each day of the faire. The crawl features cold spirits, lusty wenches, bawdy songs, drinking games and a guided tour of the shire. The ticket includes one beverage of your choice at each of the five pubs visited in the shire.

Tickets for faire are $25 for adults and $15 for children aged 5-12. Children under age 5 are free. Adult season passes for $130 and a child's season pass for $65 are available. Tickets can be purchased at the box office or online at www.renfair.com.
The Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area is at 15501 Arrow Highway in Irwindale. A vehicle entry fee of $10 is charged by Los Angeles County. For more information, visit www.renfair.com.

By Amanda Newfield

Fresh, healthy Mediterranean food is hard to find, but Pitas To Go in Irwindale offers light choices that do not steer away from their Greek authenticity.

As we walked into this fast-food restaurant, the smell of fresh ingredients filled my nostrils and intrigued my appetite.

The menu was simple - offering pita wraps, pita pockets and Mediterranean salads. The prices were reasonable even for a poor college student like myself. Small salads start at $2.99, a falafel wrap is $3.99 and a side of hummus is $2.99. 

But for those with more blessed bank accounts, there is the $7.99 beef shawerma with thin slices of beef marinated and seasoned with a special blend of spices and tahini sauce.

I was on a mission to see just how healthy I could be while still experiencing that Mediterranean taste, so I ordered the $5.59 falafel salad.  

One pleasant surprise was finding the Sobe Diet Cranberry Grapefruit option as a fountain drink. Not only was my meal healthy and tasty but so was my beverage.

I ordered my food to-go and it was ready faster than I could fill up my drink. The food tasted as good as it smelled. 

The salad was full of fresh tomatoes, green and red bell peppers, sliced radishes, crunchy lettuce and tasty falafel.

This was my first encounter with falafel and it was a good one. The bite-size pieces were each packed with flavor and still not overwhelming.

Overall, my meal was satisfying and not too filling. The nutritious food gave me enough energy to work and didn't cause the usual lunch food coma.

I give Pitas To Go two thumbs up. I will definitely go back again.

Pitas To Go is at 15652 Arrow Hwy. in Irwindale. It is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and closed Sundays.

For more information, visit the website at www.pitastogo.com or call (626) 962-4111.

By Eric Terrazas

In these tough economic times, I am always hunting for good food deals.

One offer that caught my eye was Quiznos' Toasty Torpedoes, which cost only $4. On a recent Tuesday, I decided to spend my lunch hour at the Quiznos in Irwindale. 

The Torpedo is a foot long and is served on thin ciabatta bread. Five different Torpedo sandwiches are offered: Italian, pesto turkey, big kahuna tuna, turkey club, and beef, bacon and cheddar.

I decided to try the beef, bacon and cheddar, which featured roast beef, bacon, cheddar cheese, chopped lettuce and tomato, mustard and mayonnaise.

When I took my first Torpedo taste, I felt a satisfying feeling from my taste buds. 

I thought the beef, bacon and cheddar version of the Torpedo had a nice mixture of tasty ingredients. The ciabatta bread also enhanced the meal.

Satisfied with my Torpedo experience, I decided to head back to Quiznos the next day. This time, I selected the turkey club Torpedo.

The turkey club consisted of turkey, bacon, mozzarella, chopped lettuce and tomato, mayonnaise and red wine vinaigrette dressing. The red wine vinaigrette dressing gave the sandwich a nice, tangy taste.

The Toasty Torpedoes I haven't yet sampled also sound scrumptious.

Since I'm a longtime fan of tuna sandwiches, I'm probably going to next try the big kahuna tuna, which consists of tuna salad, cheddar cheese, banana peppers, chopped lettuce and tomato, and red wine vinaigrette dressing. I will probably order it without the peppers.

For those with lighter budgets, Quiznos also sells Toasty Bullets, which cost $3.

The five selections available for the Torpedo are also offered for the Bullet, which is a smaller version of the Torpedo.

Quiznos has several locations in the San Gabriel Valley, including: 15660 Arrow Highway in Irwindale, (626) 851-3611; 465 N. Azusa Ave. in West Covina, (626) 732-9836; 14510 Baldwin Park Towne Center in Baldwin Park, (626) 480-0464; 1407 N. Azusa Ave. in Covina, (626) 633-1800.

At only $3 a pop, I tried a few of the five varieties available of Quizno's Bullets, which are the same offerings for the $4 foot-long Torpedoes.

I'm not big on turkey but I thought I would give the Pesto Turkey Bullet a try first.

The sandwich with thin-sliced turkey, red wine vinaigrette, mozzarella cheese, lettuce and tomatoes, topped with basil pesto and toasted in a ciabatta bread was all snuggled in its own paper sleeve for on-the-go munching.

Perfect for when I eat at my desk while checking emails, messages, etc....

The warm and toasty 8 inches of sandwich was just enough to save room for chips and a drink or if you're feeling really ravenous, another sandwich.

Even though this is the first one I tried, I must say it is my favorite and all because of the pesto.

The fresh ingredients were great but the pesto really brought it all together. I usually like to add some peperoncinis or some of their Batch 81 sauce, which has a nice kick to it, to my sandwiches but the pesto sauce was so flavorful it didn't need anything else and I didn't want to ruin it.

The second variety I tried was the Italian with pepperoni, spicy capicola, ham, mozzarella cheese and red wine vinaigrette, and chopped lettuce and tomatoes.

I liked the spicy capicola and ham, but the vinaigrette didn't impress as much as the pesto did so this seemed like a basic Italian sub.

The next sandwich I tried was the Beef, Bacon and Cheddar with thin sliced roast beef, crispy pieces of bacon, mayonnaise and cheddar.

I liked that there wasn't much mayo in this sandwich because I hate when I have to wipe off excess mayo that's oozing out the side of a sandwich or burger. If anything I would prefer no mayo.

The roast beef and cheddar was nice but it was the crispy bacon, not greasy either, that made this one my next favorite.

There is still a Turkey Club and Big Kahuna Tuna that I will try next, but so far these little bullet-sized sandwiches are worth their $3 price tag.

For a few bucks more you can make it a combo with chips and a drink. 

NEXT TIME: SUBWAY'S $5 FOOTLONGS

With the economic recession not looking to drastically improve any time soon, many people are keeping their wallets tight and looking to get more bang for their buck.

Many restaurants and fast-food chains are taking note and lowering their prices or offering more value-menu-style items to their customers.

Just like the grilled chicken wars, there is now the $5 lunch war. This war has three competitors though with Subway, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Quizno's competing for lunch time supremacy.

Subway took the first blow with its $5 footlongs (no, please don't sing the song).

Eight of their sandwich varieties in foot-long size for a simple low price - tuna, BLT, Meatball Marinara, Oven Roasted Chicken Breast, Spicy Italian, Black Forest Ham, Cold Cut Combo and Veggie Delite.

Then Quizno's hit back with Torpedoes at $4. The foot-long sandwiches come in five varieties - Italian, Big Kahuna Tuna, Pesto Turkey, Turkey Club and Beef, Bacon and Cheddar.

Most recently, KFC has introduced its $5 Fill-Up Box working to outdo the sandwich mavens by offering a complete meal. The box comes with two pieces of its new grilled chicken, one side and biscuit and a drink.

And now Quizno's has added a junior version of their Torpedoe sandwiches with Bullets - at just eight inches of toasty sandwich.

To be honest I haven't had a Subway sandwich in over a year. Not since I found Bionicos in Baldwin Park with their freshly made, toasted sandwiches, complete with all the fixins at less than $5 have I craved anything at Subway.

And as soon as I tried for Quizno's for the first time about five years ago, I prefer it over Subway, when I could afford it.

So now with its new value sandwiches I can definitely forego the brown bag lunch at least once a week and eat out.

Over this week going into next week, I will give these $5 lunches a try. I will even give Subway another try.

TELL ME WHICH LUNCH VALUES YOU "SPLURGE" ON.

By Claudia Palma

Always looking for something new to try, I decided to give the new Mexican restaurant near our office a chance.

Casita Taco Mexican Grill added to its family with a new location in Irwindale, or Baldwin Park depending on which map you use (It's on the border of both.) Surrounded by a Vietnamese and a sushi restaurant, it was a welcome sight for those needing fresh-tasting Mexican food.

The menu consists of typical Mexican fare, such as tacos, burritos, tortas and combination plates, among other items.

I ignored the daily specials of arroz con pollo, or chicken with rice, and three-taco plate tempting me at the entrance window and at the counter. Instead, I went for the taco and enchilada combo plate for $5.99.

The combo consists of one soft taco with your choice of charbroiled steak, chicken, pork or carnitas (braised or roasted pork), one cheese enchilada topped with a mild tomatillo salsa and sour cream (which I forgot to ask to be left out), and rice, beans and a small serving of green salad. 

I added a small serving of guacamole on the side for 79 cents more.

The carnitas were perfectly tender and so warm and juicy that by the time I got back to the office the tortillas couldn't hold themselves together anymore. But, like Carl's Jr. said, "if it doesn't get all over the place, it doesn't belong in your face."

After taking off as much sour cream as I could, I was able to enjoy the generously filled Monterey Jack cheese enchilada that I topped with guacamole and spicy salsa verde.

The Spanish rice and beans, as well as the chunky guacamole, definitely tasted homemade. I washed everything all down with a non-alcoholic Senorial sangria beverage (I think it's better than the alcoholic version).

The plate was definitely worth the price since I had plenty left over for a small dinner.

Casita offers something for everyone. For vegetarians and salad lovers, there's the vegetarian lover's burrito or tostada and a Caesar salad. 

Casita also offers shrimp and fish tacos, as well as quesadillas, nachos and popular Mexican beverages such as horchata, jamaica or tamarindo.

Catering is available.

Casita Taco in Irwindale is located at 15646 Arrow Hwy., (626) 856-5670. Other locations include Burbank, North Hollywood, Los Angeles and Studio City.

I can't stand the idea of bugs, flies, spiders or any sort of insect near me, much less in my food. Fortunately or unfortunately, diners have no clue and no control of what goes on inside the kitchens of most restaurants. Who knows what the conditions are like behind the swinging doors. At a few establishments, however, the kitchen or prep area is out in the open. I'm referring to places like Subway, Quizno's, taco stands, and to some extent, Panda Express and El Pollo Loco.

For lunch the other day, I stopped at O Salads, a restaurant in Irwindale that's basically a large salad bar. The last thing I expected to see was flies buzzing around, but I saw at least three. One was a super plump fly resting on the counter. Another was flying wildly all over the restaurant. The third was crawling on the slices of carrots and cauliflower.

You might say that three flies is no big deal. I'm sure there are worse kitchens and more serious health violations at other restaurants. And really, O Salads seems like a very clean, well-run restaurant. But watching the flies buzz around made me lose my appetite for a salad.

I went next door to Xa Vietnamese Grill and ordered a plate of grilled beef over rice.

Reporter Jennifer McLain has a story about Mariscos Uruapan, a Mexican restaurant in Irwindale that may be using a fake permit to serve liquor.

ABC issued a liquor license to Mariscos Uruapan in 2003 for the sale of beer, wine and hard liquor, but a city permit only allows it to sell beer and wine.

Records used for the 2003 liquor license show that a planner, Marcos Bereda, authorized the approval. But city officials said that no planner with that name ever worked for the city.

The city concluded last month that ABC "erroneously" issued the restaurant, at 16034 Arrow Highway, a license four years ago and relied on false records to do so.

Although I've driven past this restaurant several times, I've never eaten there before. Anyone?

I think I've reached my breaking point. As much as I love the flatbread at Quizno's (you can order two pieces on the side for just $1), the long line at Quizno's isn't worth it. Today, I waited nearly 30 minutes for my food.

12:43 p.m. - Walk in, stand in line to place order
12:47 p.m. - Place order for two orders of flatbread (YUM!)

waiting waiting waiting waiting waiting waiting waiting waiting waiting waiting waiting waiting waiting waiting waiting waiting waiting waiting waiting waiting waiting waiting waiting

1:10 p.m. - Pay
1:11 p.m. - Walk out with food

I noticed on my receipt that Quizno's has a customer comment line (1-866-4TOASTED) that, surprisingly, is manned by an actual person. Thanks, Quizno's!

What you have for lunch today? I had a quesadilla and side salad at Caffe Notrellis. The entire dish cost about $7.

Caffe Notrellis has great sandwiches, pastas, soups and salads. They also have a great selection of cookies and baked treats. The people are very friendly, and the food is consistently good! However, service can get very slow when the restaurant is busy.

Caffe Notrellis
4918 Irwindale Ave
Irwindale, CA 91706
(626) 813-1690

Caffe Notrellis

Judging from the wistful gleams in my colleagues' eyes when I tell them I went to lunch at Caffe Notrellis, this little lunch counter is much-loved around the Tribune newsroom, despite being a little more expensive than we poor reporters prefer to pay for lunch.
The Irwindale cafe has a surprising amount of charm for being in an office park. Petite cafe tables, cheery yellow walls and pink bougainvillea over the front patio help the lunchtime business crowd forget their mundane surroundings. The food is good, but still feels overpriced at nearly $7 for a sandwich.
The ingredients in the cafe's paninis, pastas and salads hint at either appreciation of foodie ingredients or perhaps just copy-cat pretension: blue cheese and brie, curried chicken salad, jasmine rice, peanut sauce. Perhaps that's why the Basil Pesto Pasta With Chicken comes to about $9, with tax.

I had a large plate of pad thai from Chant Thai Cuisine in Irwindale. For less than $7 (not including tax), you get a generous portion of pad thai, side salad, two fried wontons (no filling) and rice. It's a carb explosion! The dish was pretty good, except my chicken was a bit dry.

Chant Thai Cuisine
15714 Arrow Hwy (just west of Irwindale Ave)
Baldwin Park, CA
(626) 338-1378

(Google says it's in Baldwin Park, but I think the area is Irwindale)