In Friday’s column, I write about catching my first Bruce Springsteen concert, during his stand this week at the Sports Arena. And then there’s the postscript, about the little boy who met him. Above, one of the moments discussed in which the Boss sang from a platform midway in the audience.
Saca’s Mediterranean Cuisine, 248 W. 2nd St. (at Harvard), Claremont; open daily
In business since 1992, Saca’s has always been a fast, affordable option in the Village. Many were the evenings that I stopped in for a falafel sandwich and spent under $4. Right across from City Hall and the library, it’s had location going for it too. It’s been the closest thing the Inland Valley has had to a Zankou, at least until Zaky got going.
Not everyone liked Saca’s. One Claremont friend refused to go there, and while I liked it okay, I’m not sure I’d have traveled for the privilege. In 2014, the founders retired and sold the small restaurant to a couple of neighbors, who are French. The interior was lightened, the menu updated and the hours expanded. Saca’s is now open for a late breakfast and on Sundays.
I’ve been in a couple of times since the handover and, in a possibly heretical comment, found the falafel improved; before the crust was crunchy to the point of seeming burnt, but no longer. Recently I went in for a Sunday lunch with three friends, none of whom had ever eaten there.
The menu has pita sandwiches, salads, rotisserie chicken and platters, and it’s friendly to vegetarians, vegans and people who want dairy-free and gluten-free items, all marked. Our table got a falafel salad ($6.29, above), falafel sandwich ($4.89), maza platter ($8.29) and lamb shawerma platter ($10.39).
Everybody liked their food. The most poetic said of his salad: “It was fantastic. It was light, delicious and invigorating.” The sandwich man said he was very happy with his order, above, although he admitted there might have been too much of it; not trusting Saca’s, he had spent $2 to add more of almost everything to his sandwich, which he then had to eat with a knife and fork.
The maza platter, above, had two falafels, hummus, two dolmas (grape leaves), a small salad, pickled turnips and two pitas. The friend who got that liked it, only being disappointed by her $3 side of rice, which didn’t have much taste.
My lamb platter was the most expensive thing I’ve ever ordered at Saca’s. It had small strips of lamb, rice, pickled turnips, hummus and two pitas. Somehow I was expecting more from this plate, but it was good enough. Oh, and we got pieces of baklava ($2) — the bakery case is right by where you place your order — and I got a Moroccan mint tea ($1.59). Invigorating!
Wednesday’s column revisits the matter of Frank Zappa’s apparent attendance at Claremont High in the early 1950s — with the discovery of a yearbook with his signature in it. Other pieces of Zappa information are also explored.
As is well documented, Frank Zappa lived in Ontario in the early 1960s, near the musicians’ store Ontario Music. But it was still cool to see these business cards unearthed by his son Dweezil recently and posted on Twitter.
Three vacant spaces in downtown Pomona were being prepped Friday for filming for an ABC pilot, “White Sheep.” Roving photographer Ren sent me these images. Above, the former Bunny Gunner storefront at 266 W. 2nd St. was transformed into Kim’s Academy Martial Arts. Below, a former Mexican restaurant (and prior to that, Chung King) at 280 W. 3rd St. was being turned into Land Lock Lobster. Crews were just getting started on a third storefront at 2nd and Parcels streets.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the family comedy “follows a teenager’s struggles to be the one nice guy in a family full of jerks.”
It’s impressive the amount of effort that can go into Hollywood productions. Thanks, Ren.
Remember the dispute between Ontario and Upland over a baseball field, not to mention a golf course? It continues. Upland isn’t satisfied with Ontario’s latest attempt to resolve the standoff. I’ve got more news from Ontario, as well as two Culture Corner items from Claremont, a plug for this blog and a Valley Vignette, in Sunday’s column.
In 1966, Nancy and Ronald Reagan campaigned for an hour at the L.A. County Fair. I have information and a photo from that, as well as other visits by her or them, in Friday’s column, followed by four Culture Corner items and a Valley Vignette.
My first day at the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin was March 10, 1997. Above, a newsroom photo from that year. I’m at right, Adriana Chavira at the next cubicle; on the left are Bob Page, front, and Mike Cicchese. The room and the bodies stretch off into near-infinity, all of us toilers in the cube farm.
Eddie’s Pizzeria, 1065 W. Foothill Blvd. (at Towne), Claremont
Eddie’s replaced a Straw Hat Pizza a dozen years ago in the Stater Bros. center in Claremont, and I had slices there at lunch a few times before moving on. In more recent years, a friend has raved about the place. Finally we met up for lunch.
The interior is much as I remember it: a faux New York with ceiling fans, street-like signs and lampposts. Cute. We settled into a red booth and examined the menu, which has pizza, pasta, salads, soups and sandwiches, including burgers.
We decided to share a medium Eddie’s Special ($17.45), which has sausage, onions, tomatoes, black olives and ricotta, and also an order of bruschetta ($8.45), which my friend said was a personal favorite that had rotated onto the menu again.
The bruschetta was pretty good, a nice appetizer. The pizza was good too. “I love the ricotta. It’s like little bursts of creaminess,” my friend rhapsodized. We each took home two slices, and mine made for a light dinner a few nights later.
The sign says Eddie’s New York Pizzeria, the original sign, but the website (eddiesnypizza.com) calls the place Eddie’s Pizzeria and Eatery. I wouldn’t say the pizza is New York style, but it’s thin crust, and it’s good. There are some weekly specials that are tempting, like cioppino on Fridays ($19), roasted half-chicken on Mondays ($14) and meatloaf Italiano ($14) on Sundays, each with roasted potatoes or fries, quinoa or the daily vegetable.
Since its opening, Eddie’s, which I believe from the start was an offshoot of Spaghetti Eddie’s in Glendora, has been folded into the group that owns the well-regarded Tutti Mangia in the Village, which may account for the upgrade. So, while I’m not raving about Eddie’s, I’m glad I returned, and I may be back again.
Near the entrance, by the way, there’s a Ms. Pac-Man machine.
The Chino Valley Unified School District board is appealing a judge’s order to stop praying and proselytizing at its meetings. I was there for the 3-2 vote Monday (and the prayer circle afterward) and spoke to the attorney Tuesday. The latest in the Chino culture wars makes up Wednesday’s column. Above, board president Andrew Cruz speaks with supporters as he leaves the board room; that’s Chino United Methodist Church across the street, an appropriate backdrop.
