September 2011 Archives

Norms, 807 S. Indian Hill Blvd. (at Auto Center), Claremont

Norms, which opened in Claremont next to the 10 Freeway in August, was the most-anticipated Inland Valley restaurant arrival since Five Guys Burgers in Rancho Cucamonga.

All this fuss for a sort of upscale Dennys? This says a lot about the essential working-class character of the valley, as well as the numbers of repatriated Angelenos in our midst, as Norms' 18 locations are scarce in our part of L.A. County.

The 24-hour diner, heralded by a very un-Claremont sign that looms over the freeway, is still busy a month after its opening, so timing your visit carefully is advised.

I had breakfast there with a friend recently. At 8 a.m., the restaurant, which has an occupancy of 221 seats, had plenty of empty booths, but by the time we left at 9, every seat was full and there was a line to get one. Ditto with a lunchtime visit a few days later; at 11:45 a.m., 25 people were waiting to be seated and there was a line at the cashier to pay. By 1 p.m., when we left, the crowd was thinning out and the pace slowing.

It's a comfortable, coffee shop vibe, with browns and oranges in the color scheme, plush booths, counter seating and tiled walls. One friend said the interior, with its high ceilings, hanging orange lamps and expanse of windows, reminded him of the old Henry's drive-in. There's a surprising amount of outdoor seating as well, wrapping halfway around the building.

At breakfast, I had the Jump Start ($4.99), with eggs, bacon and toast. It was what you'd expect. For an extra buck I could've had the Bigger Better Breakfast, which comes with eggs, pancakes, ham, bacon and (not or) sausage. That's a lotta meat.

My friend had the Country Cookin' ($8.79, pictured below) with chicken fried steak, his baseline meal, and two eggs and hash browns. On a 1-to-10 scale, he gave the steak "a good 8." The steak was processed rather than made on the premises, but the gravy was pronounced "excellent."

Coffee, at $2, was a little steep, my friend said, but Norms is making a fuss about the quality of its coffee, and refills were offered every few minutes.

On my lunch visit, I had a tuna melt ($7.69), my own baseline sandwich by which to judge a diner. It was a decent version and the fruit on the side, thin-sliced crescents of melon, provided a nice balance. My friend had the Avo Gobble ($8.29, pictured at bottom), a turkey and avocado sandwich. (At Nancy's in Rancho Cucamonga they call something similar the Turkado.)

That friend's verdict: "The food's pretty good. Everybody's nice and friendly. They come by and ask how you're doing." Of the crowd, he said: "You wouldn't know there was a problem with the economy." He also observed that the diners didn't look like Claremont people, being working-class types and retirees.

I'm looking forward to dinner there sometime, and maybe to a middle-of-the-night visit too, if only I could stop sleeping soundly and induce insomnia.

An unusual, but vivid, accommodation is offered at the L.A. County Fair.

The valley holds surprises everywhere you look. For instance, this narrow storefront would seem to be the nerve center for two mighty industries. Seen on North Garey Avenue in Pomona.

(Extra credit if you know the origin of the expression referred to in the headline.)

There's no place to buy compact discs at Victoria Gardens (although there's a Best Buy across the street, if that counts). The closest thing to a record shop is this painted ad, artistically aged, for the nonexistent California Soul Records, which adorns a wall near the VG's sheriff's station a few yards north of Johnny Rockets.

This is one of many old signs at the open-air mall that add visual interest and mimic the idea of this being a real downtown with remnants of past businesses still visible. (A portion of another one, reading "Rugs," is at top left.) I doubt if most people get the joke, but I like it.

I also wish there were a California Soul Records for me to shop at.

Pomona has a ton of events planned for its Big Read community reading program centered on Dashiell Hammett's "The Maltese Falcon." Find the calendar of events here.

To single out four of the best: the Oct. 8 kickoff with Hammett's granddaughter and several mystery writers; the Oct. 22 chance to have your police-style mug shot taken in a fedora or feathered hat; the Oct. 29 appearance by Denise Hamilton, Patt Morrison, Hector Tobar and Gary Phillips; and the Nov. 13 screening of "The Maltese Falcon" at the Fox.

But there's plenty more, including book discussions, crafts events for kids (make your own falcon!), an appearance by the Police Department's bloodhound, a classic noir film series and other chances to see the movie.

Meanwhile, Claremont has events surrounding its own reading program, based around "Into the Beautiful North" by Luis Alberto Urrea. You can find a list of those events here.

The Heights Restaurant and Bar, 1883 N. Campus Ave. (at 19th St.), Upland

Part of the Colonies shopping center off the 210 Freeway, The Heights is in a building along Campus and has established a good reputation for its food and bar. I'd been meaning to check it out, especially after it captured "Best Restaurant Bar" honors in the Bulletin's Readers Choice Awards. Recently I met a friend there for lunch.

The interior is casually nice, with comfortable booths, tile floor, gold and deep brown colors and a classy feel. Good place for a business lunch or to impress someone. The dining room is separated from the bar seating, but that area looked inviting too.

I had the fish and chips (price forgotten, sorry), hand-battered halibut with fries and slaw on the side. It's one of their signature items and proved to be among the best fish and chips I've had. The fries were good, the slaw was meh. My friend had the Cobb salad and said he liked it.

Service was attentive and we got plenty of refills. The dining room, almost empty at 11:45, was almost full by 1 p.m. Clearly the Heights is doing something right.

They have burgers, sandwiches, salads, pizzas, lasagna, pork chops and chicken marsala, among other items. Can you believe it's owned by the same family that has the Village Grille diner in the Claremont Village? "Fine dining" is a stretch, but The Heights probably is the nicest restaurant in north Upland.

After his Aug. 22 death, obituaries for songwriter Jerry Lieber ("Poison Ivy," "Hound Dog," "Stand By Me," "On Broadway," dozens more) noted that his fascination with rhythm and blues music began when he heard L.A. disc jockey Hunter Hancock.

Hancock, described as the West Coast's Alan Freed for his influence at bringing black music to white teens, lived in L.A., but he closed out his life at Claremont Manor, where he died in 2004.

A revered music figure, he was revered at Claremont Manor too, where his photographs still adorn the walls and where his irrepressible good spirits enlivened the halls.
Hancock appeared in ads for the retirement home in which he declared cheerfully, "It would take three diesel train engines to pull me out of here."

Almost sounds like a rhythm and blues song.

I met Hancock in late 2002 at Claremont Manor and published this feature story about him in the Daily Bulletin on Jan. 16, 2003. The full text is below.

The former Ellsworth's Stationers at 2317 D St. in downtown La Verne is being replaced later this year by House of Wings.

Ontario had a food truck festival in June that was a major deal, with a repeat scheduled for Oct. 8. Chino beat Ontario to the punch, however, with a smaller festival in April to benefit the Chino Valley Unified School District. A second one took place Saturday, again at Don Lugo High.

Fourteen trucks were represented at the Foodie Truck Festival, as it's dubbed. Very nice event, with short, manageable lines and a good range of trucks selling Korean, Mexican, Italian, Filipino, Japanese, American and other foods. LudoBites, Rebel Bites, Bool, Don Chow, Buttermilk, SliceTruck and Pie 'n' Burger were among the trucks.

Coolhaus, which sells gourmet ice cream sandwiches, had 20-minute waits at its peak, the longest of the day. I was in line twice as long for the same truck in Ontario. The peanut butter ice cream inside chocolate chip cookies hit the spot on a hot afternoon.

Below, the saddest sight of the festival: Someone's spilled cupcake from My Delight.

This is half of the lunch-box display in the Sheets Center for the Arts at the L.A. County Fair, described in my Sunday column.

The photo is a thumbnail; click on the image for a much larger view so you can eyeball the boxes in loving detail.

Did you ever own one of these, or another? (For the record, I had a "Peanuts" vinyl lunchbox.)

Perhaps the most curious of the bunch is the one with the Kellogg's Frosted Flakes logo and Tony the Tiger. Is this a lunch box or a breakfast box?

More lunch boxes, including the Beatles and "Gentle Ben," are in the other half of the faux lunch box case. You'll have to go to the Fair yourself to see those.

Seen on Fourth Street in Ontario: a three-wheeled car.

Corner Bakery Cafe, 12375 S. Main St. (at Victoria Gardens), Rancho Cucamonga

Corner Bakery is a chain, but one with only two Inland Valley locations, fewer than some of our mom-and-pop restaurants, so it's fair game here. I haven't been to the one in Chino Hills (4517 Chino Hills Parkway) but over the years I've been to the Victoria Gardens location many times.

It's one of the more affordable restaurants there, falling into the fast-casual category. A purveyor of sandwiches, soups, salads and pasta, not to mention fresh bread and other bakery items, Corner Bakery is similar to Panera, except for the pasta, and similarly priced $1 or $2 above what you'd like to pay; a sandwich and drink will run you about $11. Still, it's a lot cheaper than a sitdown meal at, say, Lucille's or King's.

A friend prefers Corner Bakery, I prefer Panera. The Corner Bakery menu (view it here) is awfully complex, with a lot of items (I count 21 sandwiches and 19 salads), and you can stand there like a dope for some minutes figuring out what you want. On the bright side, there's usually a line, which buys you time.

The pesto cavatappi pasta (about $8, pictured, as a "Corner Combo" as a small portion with a side salad) is a solid choice. One time I got the full-size order with a side salad for $1 that, mistakenly I think, turned out to be a full-sized salad. I ate the salad and two bites of the pasta and took the rest of the pasta home for an entire extra meal. Best dollar I ever spent. That hasn't happened again.

They also have breakfast, with pastries, oatmeal (including a chilled version), egg paninis and fruit bowls.

A lot of people on Yelp think the VG location is subpar, with indifferent service and crumbs on the seats. That's never stood out for me but then I've never visited other, allegedly better locations. I just take it for what it is.

At the VG, it was easy enough to park in a surface lot nearby, hit Corner Bakery, hit Borders, hit Pinkberry (if desired) and then hit the road. I had three recent meals there during the Borders closeout sale.

I like the VG, but there's not a lot of interest for me there and there'll be even less so without a bookstore. But Corner Bakery will be there when I need it.

They're calling Saturday "ZIP Code Day" in Claremont, when its 91711 ZIP code will become literal on 9-17-11. An overview of the day's multitude of events will appear in my Friday column. Here's the link to the Celebrate91711.com website with a full calendar of events -- and there are a lot of fun ones, especially a community photo at 5:30 p.m. in front of the Claremont Depot.

I saw this restaurant sign in L.A.'s Koreatown neighborhood and can only assume the three words mean something different, and more appetizing, in the Korean language.

* Reader Bob Terry asked a Korean friend for a translation of Soot Bull Jeep, which came back Charcoal Fire House. OK, that makes sense.

As one who has devoted study to the significance of the number 47 to Pomona College, I was tickled recently to receive that number at a restaurant and place it in a stand to receive my order. As numbers go, 47 has more gravitas than most.

Unaware of the awesome power of 47? You can read about it here, in more detail here and about the new clock-chiming tradition here.

Click below to read my own version of 47.

The David Allen Blog, as it's dubbed, today marks four years of existence. Huzzah!

(The subject line above is a Dylan reference, for anyone scratching your head.)

I started blogging Sept. 12, 2007, a bit later than some but earlier than many, and I'm glad I did. The immediacy of a blog compared to print, the control over the material that a blog allows me (in print there may be a photo slated but no room to run it), the give and take with an audience, the compilation of a sort of oral history of the valley through your comments, all make this an enjoyable forum.

It's always a treat, and an honor, really, when a Google search for some old Inland Valley business brings up one of my posts as nearly the only information online on the subject. We get a lot of new readers that way.

How are we doing? Numbers-wise, pretty good. This blog is neck and neck with the IE Courts blog to be No. 1 in readership among the Bulletin and Sun's blogs: Some months it's me, some months it's Courts. (I would do a hyperlink to Courts but why help them beat me?) After that comes Upland Now and RC Now.

Speaking of numbers, we've published 1,370 posts and received 6,064 comments.

How are we doing creatively? That's for you to say. I know this blog could be better. My newspaper column is my primary focus, obviously, and it takes virtually my entire work week to produce it. This blog is shoehorned in as I have time to work on it, an hour here, an hour there. Regrettable, but there you have it. That's one reason there's a lot of photos, frankly; time for original research is scarce.

Still, I hope you enjoy what I'm able to provide here. Any suggestions, comments, questions, criticism or other feedback, please post away. This is your forum too and I'm always curious what you think. And thank you for reading.

A name that's familiar, but a face that's unfamiliar, although perhaps more pleasing, adorn a book on display at Borders Books in Rancho Cucamonga last Wednesday.

With the local store set to close Tuesday, this is the closest I'll come to having a book at Borders. (The author is a well-known productivity expert.) The business-failure signs in the background of this optimistic tome are a nice, ironic touch. Seen and shot by my colleague Wendy Leung.

Jinza Teriyaki, 3425 Pomona Blvd. (at Temple), Pomona

I called a Cal Poly Pomona friend for lunch and suggested Curry Up, a campus-adjacent fast-food restaurant I've wanted to visit based on the name alone. She said Curry Up is nothing special and countered with Jinza. Deferring to the local expert, I met her at Jinza.

Housed in a business center, Jinza's storefront isn't much to look at. If you step inside during a lunch hour, as I did, the first thing you notice is lots of people. There was a line to order at the counter and most of the tables were filled.

The restaurant has a kind of food-hall ambience, with plain wooden tables and chairs, cement-block walls, Japanese screens and paper lanterns. Jinza is so popular it expanded into the space next door.

Jinza is beloved by Cal Poly students and Lanterman employees. On Yelp, one student says Jinza is as close to a a college-town gathering spot as Cal Poly has. It's only open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The specialty is teriyaki bowls and plates, although they also have udon, tempura, yakisoba and a few sushi rolls. I had the vegetable pork bowl with brown rice ($7, pictured); my friend had the spicy chicken bowl.

My humble bowl was actually pretty tasty, my friend loved her spicy chicken, and the portions were large. I wouldn't drive across the valley to eat here, but it was a good experience.

In a nice touch, Jinza offers free green tea and prominently displays glasses for serve-yourself water, both no doubt aimed at the penny-conscious college crowd (although this journalist appreciated it too).

The New Diner blogger likes Jinza. I don't know if he's ever been to Curry Up.

This 7-Eleven, on Towne Center Drive in La Verne, often catches my eye when I drive past on Foothill, a half-block away.

Looks very 1970s, doesn't it? If there's an older 7-Eleven sign in the valley, I'm not aware of it. The store itself, seen below, seems to have been remodeled.

Every time I passed by I worried the sign would be changed out before I could document it, so I took the time to snap these photos recently. Here they are, for posterity.

But I hope the sign remains for a long time; at least 7 or 11 more years.

Claremont, unwelcoming? Ridiculous. We'd love to have you. Just leave by sundown. Seen on Foothill Boulevard at Monte Vista Avenue, but also on other city-limits signs.

(To be fair, there's a Tree City USA placard below the "No Parking" sign, but that's not as funny.)

A few pieces of furniture from the Montclair Borders store have turned up locally in other businesses.

Rhino Records in Claremont snagged three bookcases, which the store is using for its expanded books section, both new and used, as seen at left.

Malibu Bagel in Upland got several tables and chairs from the Borders cafe for customer seating. This table and chairs, seen below, is from the store and it looks like the table at right and the chairs in the corner match them. Thanks to reader Chuck Barnett for the tip.

If you really, really, miss Borders, you could buy a book at Rhino, read it at Malibu Bagel and reminisce about the days of yore.

I've got a four-day weekend (wheee!) and won't be posting again until Tuesday. But I'll be checking in, of course, and will also have a Sunday column. Enjoy your Labor Day weekend!

Books acquired: "Ask the Dust," John Fante; "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," Washington Irving; "To the Land of the Electric Angel," William Rotsler; "Middlemarch," George Eliot; "The Big Book of Adventure Stories," Otto Penzler, ed.; "Bob Dylan in America," Sean Wilentz. (All but one were bought at the Borders closeout at Victoria Gardens. Sigh, again.)

Books read: "Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock," Sammy Hagar; "Blood's a Rover," Harlan Ellison; "Dr. Bloodmoney, or How We Got Along After the Bomb," Philip K. Dick; "Red Harvest," Dashiell Hammett.

August was a hot month, but my reading pace was no more torrid than usual. All four of the month's books involved the color red, or the red stuff that flows through our veins. That's what I read, red.

"Red": I began reading Sammy Hagar's memoir because the early part covered his Fontana childhood and I thought it would make a good column. Perhaps unwisely, I kept going. Even as someone with no interest in Hagar or Van Halen, I have to admit his memoir was breezy, cheesy fun. Chapter 14, about the misbegotten Van Halen reunion tour, is hilarious. But was it time well spent? Not really.

"Blood's a Rover": This is an unproduced screenplay loaned to me by my friend Tom (hi, Tom), who bought it out of a stack of scripts at a Hollywood bookstore. I read it because I like Ellison's work. It's a sort of reboot of "A Boy and His Dog," an Ellison novella (one of the pieces he'll be most remembered for) about a brilliant, telepathic dog named Blood that helps his human "master" survive in a post-apocalyptic world, and that was turned into a cult classic 1970s movie. Anyway, this script, probably from the 1980s, retells and expands on the concept entertainingly.

"Dr. Bloodmoney": Speaking of the post-apocalyptic, this is like a post-atomic version of the author's "Confessions of a Crap Artist," down to the Marin County setting, pastoral landscape and extramarital affairs. Of course, "Crap Artist," being a realist novel, didn't have orbiting philosophers, dead-ish baby brothers and rat-eating TV salesmen, like this one. I really liked both books, by the way.

"Red Harvest": Hammett's unnamed operative for the Continental detective agency cleans up Personville, a town so rotten it's been dubbed Poisonville, and bends every rule in the book to do it. The web of intrigue can be tough to keep straight, but since we're not investigating the case ourselves that's all right; the Op's direct narration carries us right along. Example: "It was a fairly long walk for a man who sneers at exercise."

As for how these books came into my possession, "Bloodmoney" was purchased used an untold number of years ago (possibly as long ago as the '80s, but I don't remember), "Blood's" was loaned to me last fall, "Red" was a comp copy from the publisher this spring and "Red Harvest" was bought in July at Borders VG.

September will bring two or three books with travel-related titles, one of them the Claremont: On the Same Page community reading choice, "Into the Beautiful North."

What have you been reading?