Many are the times I've passed this Pepto-Bismol pink building with green awnings on Towne Avenue at Third Street and thought I should go in sometime. They seemed to sell food in addition to housemade tortillas, but would they have seating? Not knowing what to expect, I put it off.

With business in Pomona on Wednesday afternoon, I decided to try Nancy's for lunch while I was in the neighborhood.

Nancy's is three businesses in one. Their business card calls it Nancy's Tortilleria Carniceria and Deli. Besides the tortilla operation, Nancy's is a small market with a large meat section. Up front the deli sells takeout tacos, burritos, sopes and other items.

The white-jacketed counterman lifted lids off a series of metal containers to show off the various meats. They all looked good; I had planned to get carne asada but went with chicken instead.

I got a chicken burrito and a small horchata to drink ($6.23 total). There is no seating inside but two tables outside in the parking lot. Not the most pleasant seating on a blazingly hot day, but at least the building cast a shadow over them.

My lunch was very good, helped along by the very fresh and tasty tortilla. I'd go back, and if you don't mind takeout, I'd recommend Nancy's to you too. With that color scheme you won't have trouble finding it.

The main blogger is my colleague Wendy Leung, with some kibitzing from colleague Canan Tasci, and there's some fun stuff there.

Even if you don't live or work in Rancho, I recommend the very funny posts Councilman on the Job Hunt Part 2, Children Say the Darndest Things, RC Day at the L.A. County Fair and Government Containment. You might also find the news about the Archibald Library remodeling and a possible Morton's Steakhouse of interest. (Those are two separate projects; Rancho isn't pioneering a library/steakhouse.)

For two neighboring businesses on Claremont's Indian Hill Boulevard, it's fire vs. water. If you stagger out of the first with a fire within, the second would seem well-equipped to douse it. Although you might not appreciate their angle of attack.

(Actually, A Fire Within is a pottery studio. Colonics is just what you think it is.)

The photo was taken by me but was suggested by Marshall Taylor, the mayor's husband. Um, did you want credit for that, Mr. Taylor?

"The statue is located in The Country Club Plaza, Kansas City's legendary shopping, dining and entertaining district," Shapton says.

I'd never heard of the place, but according to the Country Club Plaza's website, the plaza was built in 1922 as "America's first shopping center" and contains 14 blocks of shops, artworks and fountains. "Only Rome has more fountains than Kansas City," the website brags. Who knew?

As for the figure in question, "down the street in a quiet courtyard sits an original bronze of Pomona by Italian sculptor Donatello Gabrielli," the center's website continues.

According to the plaque at its base, "From his original model only two figures have ever been made -- this bronze casting and a marble carving that stands in the king's palace, Bangkok, Thailand."

Wow!

Anyone want to visit Thailand and send me a photo?

Shapton, by the way, sees a marble Goddess daily in her display case in the Library. That one is more modestly attired than the one in rollickin' Kansas City.

Sorry this (ahem) innovation took so long but your blogger isn't the savviest at tech-oriented stuff. I procrastinated at trying to figure it out. It didn't help that I barely have time to write these furshlugginer posts anyway in between columns.

But a colleague has helped me out on the computer aspect of posting photos, and while I still can't do so on my own, I'm slowly absorbing the multiple steps required.

(Sizing photos to fit has been the big challenge, each requiring three or four attempts, the post going up in a dead period in an afternoon, coming down for resizing, going up, coming down, etc., until the photo looks right and the post can be safely scheduled to pop up automatically the next morning.)

Readers of my column -- and that's all of you, right? -- occasionally send me funny photos from around the community. The way my column is presently configured, i.e., vertically, it's virtually impossible for me to use photos in the paper anymore.

But what I've decided to do is post such photos on this blog from time to time, amidst the texty stuff you've come to expect. I've saved a few submissions from readers over previous months that may still be relevant. I'll take photos myself.

Look for the first submission Wednesday.

As we approach The David Allen Blog's first anniversary, who says this blog can't learn new tricks?

Hearst Castle: an embarrassment of riches

Midway up the California coast, there's a celebrated dwelling, built on a hill by a famous eccentric, that today is a tourist draw and an official historic landmark.

Actually, there are two.

Joanne's is in an A-frame building on Mountain near Fourth Street and was most recently Home Kitchen. Longtime residents will recall it as the Pie Place. *

I ate there months ago, without reviewing it, when it was still Home Kitchen, and on Friday thought I'd give it a try under the new name. The place seems virtually the same.

Inside it's a moderately-sized open room, somewhat updated from the classic coffee shop -- there are chairs at the counter, for instance, not swivel seats, and carpeting rather than tile -- and with a lot of pink, green and orange. Cheery and colorful. I didn't notice the fish tank until on my way out.

The prices seem reasonable to me. You can get a meatloaf dinner (the menu's come-on: "Mom's old recipe will find a new friend in you!") with vegetables, mashed potatoes, gravy, garlic toast and soup or salad for a mere $6.99. The five "senior breakfast" specials ("value-priced for seniors 55 and up") are priced under $4.

If you want dinner, you'd better have it for lunch: Hours are 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., seven days.

I had a tuna melt ($5.99), with cole slaw rather than fries or fruit. Big and piled thick, on sourdough with cheddar, the sandwich was pretty good. The slaw, kind of tasteless. The server kept the ice tea coming. Overall, an unexciting but pleasant enough experience.

Disappointing, though, that the onetime Pie Place * is now pie-less. But if you need to indulge, there's a Baskin Robbins next door.

* By acclimation (see all the comments), this was actually an outpost of the House of Pies chain, not The Pie Place. Thanks for the correction.

One question: Is the city's name pronounced Ven-tura or Ven-chura? More on that in a moment.

At a record shop, I finally broke down and bought a used copy of America's "Greatest Hits." It's a CD I've eyed warily for years, the '70s band being a guilty pleasure, one I was cautious of making official. Seeing the disc for $8, and thinking on my drive the day earlier about that ol' Ventura highway that was the subject of one of their songs, I chuckled and figured the time was right.

"Ventura Highway" came up just as I was entering the freeway to return home. The disc, by the way, was about what I'd expected: Neil Young Lite, plus the uncommonly (for them) exciting "Sister Golden Hair," plus (ugh) "Muskrat Love." But on balance I'm glad I have it.

Now, back to the pronunciation. I'd concluded some time ago the correct way was Ven-tura, but I'm not sure why. The name was never said by anyone during my stay and, having assumed the matter was settled, it didn't occur to me to ask around.

On my way out of town, though, I was shocked to discover that America, as official a band as the city has, pronounced the name Ven-chura.

Since my return, SoCal natives among my colleagues to whom I mentioned my destination have said the name both ways. I dunno. How do you say Ventura?

The operation was supposedly at 2nd and Valley, which would be way out on the west edge of town. Under the "Fresh Orange Juice" sign, two waitresses pose, waving.

Marilyn adds: "Looks like a friendly little place, don't you think?"

Fullmer Construction donated a building to Ontario for use in fire-training exercises. In response, at the meeting a Fuller rep was given a large, horizontal plaque with a gold-plated fire ax attached.

Photos were taken, handshakes were exchanged, Councilwoman Sheila Mautz hugged everyone and seats were resumed.

Then one worry was belatedly expressed.

Mayor Paul Leon said, "Councilman Bowman is concerned we just gave Fullmer the ax."

The sign originally stood at Foothill and White near the Mount Baldy Drive-In sign, which featured three images of a skier on the slopes; when the neon blinked, the skier appeared to be in motion.

The drive-in was in existence from about 1960 to 1984, when it was replaced by a Target store, according to Charles Phoenix's "Cruising the Pomona Valley" guidebook. The fair sign was there in approximately the same span and, after being taken down, was preserved in a Fairplex warehouse until its recent restoration.

"That was a little miracle they found it," Phoenix told me. He was pleased to know it was restored, and by the same company that made it originally, Pomona-based Williams Sign Co.

It looks pretty sharp, and I'm looking forward to driving past there at night to see the neon.

Keep checking back here, though, because blog posts will continue appearing, as will a column in Wednesday's paper.

* Chino Hills and Ontario councils on Tuesday, Rancho Cucamonga council on Wednesday and Ontario-Montclair school board on Thursday. What was I thinking?

Boston: Come for the history, stay for the accents

Trying to decide on a vacation spot? Consider Boston, the picturesque city from which yours truly just returned.

Hey, you could do a lot worse than Boston. But you might not do worse than I did, which was to arrive in Boston during a "nor'easter."

After an incredibly long gestation of more than a year, Mel's finally opened recently in the Signature Center across from Ontario Mills. (The north side of 4th is in Rancho.) There's nothing "drive-in" about it. Forget car hops; Mel's is in a pleasant but corporate-looking shopping center.

It's part of a chain. The original Mel's was used in "American Graffiti" and was later razed. The restaurant name and style were revived in the 1980s on San Francisco's Lombard Street; I've been to that one a couple of times. You can read the history at the chain's website.

Inside the Rancho Cucamonga location, Mel's has rather successfully updated the diner motif for 2008. High ceilings and a somewhat industrial look, yes, but a chrome-edged counter, mini-jukeboxes at some tables and employees in white paper hats and bow ties.

I've now been to this Mel's twice. Last week I had the half-sandwich, half-salad combo ($6.95) with a meatloaf sandwich and spring salad. The salad was better than average and I wasn't disappointed with the meatloaf. On Friday I returned for a 1/3-pound Mel Burger and fries (also $6.95). They came on a real plate and passed the taste test. There seems to be an attention to quality ingredients here.

They have a long, varied menu of American comfort food staples, some in healthier style than the originals. I suspect Mel's will become part of my lunchtime circuit.

The only obvious flaw: The awning over the entrance reads "Where the Local's Meet to Eat." Ditch the apostrophe and you're golden, Mel's.