National Train Day is Saturday

Metrolink trains and Union Station have posters for National Train Day, which is May 9. What’s that? Curious, I looked it up.

It’s an event in its second year to encourage train riding. It commemorates 140 years (minus one day) since the “golden spike” was driven to complete the transcontinental railroad. Amtrak is sponsoring Train Day and is hosting events in D.C., Philadelphia, Chicago and, surprisingly, L.A.

Or maybe not so surprisingly: Union Station opened in May 1939, or 70 years ago.

There’ll be live music and other events at Union Station from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit the website to learn more. But don’t drive to Union Station — that kind of defeats the purpose.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Plusone Linkedin Digg Reddit Stumbleupon Tumblr Email

Inland Valley Photo Quiz No. 1

27249-flosbooth.jpg

Every now and then I’m going to put up a photo of an Inland Valley sight and challenge you to guess what it is and where it is. You won’t win anything, other than praise on this blog as a sharp-eyed observer — which, come to think of it, doesn’t sound like a bad prize, does it?

Here’s the first one. It depicts one of the valley’s few remaining working phone booths. But where is it located? Start guessing.

To avoid spoiling this for anyone, what I’m going to do is not post any of your comments, or at least not post any of the correct guesses, until Tuesday morning, when the correct answer will be revealed here. So check back.

UPDATE: OK, pencils down. The contest is closed as of 10:22 p.m. Monday, as I’m typing this. This phone booth, as several of you guessed, is at Chino Airport, specifically, just steps from Flo’s Airport Cafe. Congratulations to those who got it right: Annie, Richard Delman and Larry. And to those who got it really right by also naming Flo’s: Bob Terry, Ronald Scott and Scott in R.C. But thanks to everyone for playing.

Sixteen guesses? Hey, we’ll have to do this again!

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Plusone Linkedin Digg Reddit Stumbleupon Tumblr Email

From RC to Mexico City

My friend Lesley Tellez, a Rancho Cucamonga native who once interned at the Daily Bulletin before moving on to Texas, now lives in Mexico City, the city of 20 million people and untold numbers of swine flu viruses.

How’s she doing? Fine, according to her blog. In fact, she made orange bread pudding with gooey raisin sauce.

Her posts are a nice antidote (the literary equivalent of Tamiflu?) to swine flu hysteria. From her main page, start with “Are We All Going to Die From Swine Flu?” on April 25 and work your way up.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Plusone Linkedin Digg Reddit Stumbleupon Tumblr Email

Restaurant of the Week: Pacific Fish Grill

27172-pacificfish.jpg

Pacific Fish Grill, 13865 City Center Drive (at Peyton), Chino Hills

Pacific Fish Grill is at the Shoppes at Chino Hills and, from what I can gather, is a single-location restaurant, although it could be a chain in the making. It’s located between a Panera and a Johnny Rockets near Barnes & Noble.

Like Louie’s Chicken and Fish Grill in Upland, featured here last week, Pacific Fish is a rarity, a seafood-based fast-casual restaurant. Grilled fish plates run $8 to $15 and come with rice, salad and pita bread. They also have salads, fried fish, sandwiches, wraps and tacos. View the menu here.

I ate here in February after the library dedication when I bumped into friends and we decided to have lunch. That meal I ordered the tilapia plate ($8.95) with lemon-oregano seasoning. Not bad.

I returned recently (this time with my camera) and ordered a salmon caesar salad with Cajun seasoning ($10.95). I liked it. Not an outstanding piece of fish or anything, but it was fine, and there was enough salmon for each bite of salad.

There’s an open kitchen, high ceilings with visible piping and slowly revolving ceiling fans.

A place like this (or Louie’s) seems like a fairly inexpensive, no-fuss way to get more seafood in your diet. People on Yelp say the fish tacos are good; on Tuesdays they’re 99 cents.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Plusone Linkedin Digg Reddit Stumbleupon Tumblr Email