Sanamluang Cafe, 1648 Indian Hill Blvd. (at San Bernardino), Pomona

The only Pomona restaurant with a twin in North Hollywood, Sanamluang is located on Indian Hill Boulevard a few blocks south of the 10 Freeway, coincidentally enough in the same block as Mix Bowl Cafe, another well-regarded authentic Thai restaurant.

Sanamluang's interior is pretty funky, done in avocado, orange and brown, with an open feeling and odd angles. A friend and I got a booth and ordered three items: the Thai salad ($5.95), basically an American salad but with peanut sauce; seafood soup ($9.50), with shrimp, squid and mussels; and General's Noodle, the dried version ($6.50), with noodles, shrimp, beef and pork.

The food was fine, but we weren't wowed, not even by the well-reviewed noodle dish. Sanamluang is certainly popular. It was a Friday night and the place was packed, with several large parties and a line out the door by the time we left. But service was poor. The restaurant was understaffed and no one even refilled our water glasses.

I used to be a regular at Sanamluang, a streak that ended a few years ago when a roach crawled across our table, a server casually killed it and no one apologized or gave us a break on the bill. A friend enticed me to Mix Bowl and I came to love the place.

I wouldn't argue anyone out of liking Sanamluang. (Yelpers are evenly split, giving Sanamlaung and Mix Bowl identical 3.5-star ratings.) The interior is a step up from the neon garishness of Mix Bowl and some would prefer the food. I think Mix Bowl has better food and it inarguably has better service. Also, as my (female) friend put it after a close observation of Sanamluang, "The waitresses are prettier at Mix Bowl." The importance of these things can't be discounted.

I'm out for the rest of the week. However, columns will appear in the Daily Bulletin in my absence, and a Restaurant of the Week will pop up here on Friday. Be patient if leaving comments. As usual, they won't show up online until I can approve them, and I don't know if I'll have computer access.

* Noon Thursday: I'm at an Internet cafe in Portland and posted the most recent comments.

Movie buffs and car buffs, not to mention theater buffs, gathered Sunday to watch "American Graffiti" at the Pomona Fox Theater. At right is Clay and May Daily's 1956 Ford Thunderbird that was used in the movie. I had my flash turned off, darnit, so you can't read the license plate: GRAFITI. Below is the marquee at night after the show let out. You can see a gallery of photos here or here. Warning: I'm in a couple of them.

I watched Sunday morning as the old railroad bridge in Rancho Cucamonga was removed. (Click here for 28 photos by DB photographer Jennifer Cappuccio Maher.) I took a few photos myself, presented here.

The first shows the bridge being lifted. (That's Councilwoman Diane Williams at right taking photos!)

The second shows the bridge a few minutes later, being swung parallel to the road.

In the third, workers hurriedly build blocks for the bridge to temporarily rest on as the 165-ton structure is suspended above them. Yikes.

From there a trailer was slipped under the bridge and it was moved a few yards east to a turnout for dismantling. It was resting there Monday morning.

The final photo shows the crossing on Monday morning, looking east, mimicking the photo here from last Wednesday, only without the bridge this time. To quote John Lennon: "Above us only sky."

* My Wednesday column is about the bridge removal.

The charming "sign" for El Roble school in Claremont seems to be ailing. Either that, or the school has changed its name to "El Rolli."