Rancho Zendejas to reappear

Those Zendejas restaurants seemingly have as many lives as a cat.

The Colton restaurant closed in August 2009 and reopened in May of this year.

The Rancho restaurant, formerly located in the shopping center on the northeast corner of Foothill Boulevard and Vineyard Avenue, closed about two years ago and is set to reopen in a new location next month.

The new location is in the shopping center just to the east of the old location.

Rancho Cucamonga city reporter and Dine 909 contributor Wendy Leung fills in the details in her story which can be found here.

However, regular followers of Dine 909 knew about the move back in June, didn’t we?

Great Taste Friday at the Inland Empire Auto Show

The Inland Empire Auto Show is this weekend (August 27 to 29) at the Ontario Convention Center.

One of the events-within-an-event is Great Taste Friday, where you’ll be able to taste free food samples from over 30 of the Inland Empire’s best restaurants.

The organizers say you’ll be able to sample from “Argentina to Zimbabwe.”

A flier for the event says the first 1,000 attendees will receive a free wine glass.

The good news is that the food fest is included with your admission ($7; $5 for seniors and military; kids under 12 are free) to the auto show.

Even better, a limited number of complementary tickets are available at the following Ontario Auto Center dealers:

Savage BMW
Jeep-Chrysler-Dodge of Ontario
Citrus Motors
Romero Hyundai
Romero Mazda
Crown Lexus
Mini of Ontario
Empire Nissan
Ontario Mitsubishi
Crown Scion
Subaru of Ontario
Crown Toyota
Ontario VW
Ontario Volvo

So, if you play your cards right, you could check out the latest in new cars, get a free wine glass and sample some of the finest food the I.E. has to offer…all for free!

The Ontario Convention Center is at 2000 E. Convention Center Way. Friday’s hours for the Inland Empire Auto Show are noon to 9 p.m.

Follow the jump for a list of restaurants participating in Great Taste Friday.
Continue reading “Great Taste Friday at the Inland Empire Auto Show” »

Presenting Hangar 24’s Alt-Bier: The home game

That’s right.

Redlands’ Hangar 24 Craft Brewery has finally begun bottling its Alt-Bier for purchase in your favorite store.

And if you want the opportunity to purchase the very first Alt-Bier 6-pack off the assembly line, head to the brewery, 1710 Sessums Drive, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday (August 28).

If you sample a pint of Alt-Bier during that time, you’ll receive a raffle ticket which will be entered into a drawing.

At 1 p.m., they’ll pick one raffle ticket to decide who will be able to purchase that inaugural 6-pack, which will be signed by the staff of Hangar 24.

Immediately afterward, sales will be opened up to all.

Click here to see artwork of the Alt-Bier 6-packs.

Here’s video of the very first bottle of Alt-Bier rolling off the assembly line:

In other Hangar 24 news, a limited release of Orange Wheat 24-packs will go on sale September 1.

Also, they are now distributing in the San Bernardino Mountains. Follow the jump to see where you can currently buy Hangar 24 up there.
Continue reading “Presenting Hangar 24’s Alt-Bier: The home game” »

Beat the heat and all-you-can-eat for under $10

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If you’ve been curious to check out the re-opened Pharaoh’s Adventure Park in Redlands, this is probably the week to do so.

Through Friday (August 27), you can eat all you want in their Grand Pizza Buffet and ride water slides in their Splash Kingdom until you’re pruny for only $9.99.

Considering that the pizza buffet alone is normally $8.99, and the combo is usually $24.99, I think this is a pretty decent deal.

Dine 909 has yet to visit the pizza buffet, but we hear mixed things about it.

Oh, and if you want to try just the pizza buffet, click here for a coupon.

Would you like a free double ultimate chili cheeseburger…

…with those ultimate chili cheese fries?

From our friends over at Freebie Finds comes this Wienerschnitzel freebie.

They’ve got a coupon for a free double ultimate chili cheeseburger with the purchase of their new ultimate chili cheese fries (ultimate = sour cream, diced tomatoes and onions).

The offer is good until October 2. The usual restrictions apply.

Click it. Print it. Eat it.

Oh, Babs… It could happen! It could happen!

I’m sure Edie, the Egg Lady, would be aghast at the recent turn of events involving her precious ova.

But we here at Dine 909 want help calm your fears over the Salmonella outbreak.

Let’s look at the facts. Nationwide, an estimated 1,300 have been sickened, including as many as 60 people in Los Angeles County.

No cases have been reported in San Bernardino County.

A total of a half-billion eggs from two Iowan producers (initially Wright County Egg, now Hillandale Farms) have been recalled. This represents less than one percent of all U.S. eggs.

The recalled eggs were sold in California and 13 other states: Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin.

The basic advice?

If you’ve got eggs that have been recalled, don’t eat them!

Simple enough.

Return them to the store where you bought them for a refund.

Click here to read Jim Steinberg’s story on the recall and to find out which brands are affected.

Click here for more egg safety information.

Follow the jump to see San Bernardino County’s press release regarding the recall.

Update: A Fontana company is recalling 300,000 eggs related to the outbreak. Click here to read the story.

Continue reading “Oh, Babs… It could happen! It could happen!” »

Greek Festival in Upland this weekend

Greek Festivals = Greek food.

Greek food = yum!

My favorite Greek food is probably the glykismata — the desserts.

If you also crave Greek food, you can get your fix during the 11th annual Greek Festival this weekend at St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church, 1391 Chaffee St., Upland.

Hours will be 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Happy hour — with $2 off dinners and $1 off alcoholic drinks — is from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday and from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Admission to the festivities is $2, with children 12 and younger admitted free.

Parking will be available on Ninth Street between Campus and Grove avenues.

Some of the proceeds from the festival will help offset major operating expenses including the renovation of the church’s interior that was damaged by a 2009 fire.

Click here to read the Suzanne Sproul’s article that ran in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin.

Lobsters invading Blue Jay this weekend!

But don’t worry — they’ll be grilled…and delicious!

The folks at Jensen’s Finest Foods will be flying in nearly a ton of fresh Maine lobster for their Lobster Tent Event Friday (August 27) through Sunday (August 29).

The event, in the parking lot of Jensen’s Blue Jay market (27264 Highway 189), will be held from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day.

Under the tent will be room for 100 crustacean-hungry diners.

For only $15.99, you’ll get a whole 1-pound lobster which will be split and grilled, as well as rice pilaf, cole slaw and a fresh baked roll. Of course, no lobster dinner would be complete without melted butter and lemon, which will also be provided.

If you prefer a Surf and Turf, you can add a grilled USDA Choice Angus steak for only $4 more.

Beer and wine will be available, as well as salads, dessert and soda.

The event is the brainchild of Jensen’s Meat and Seafood director Frank Dorame and Jensen’s Buyer Kim Grotewold.

I’ve been to some of these type of lobster events in the past and had a lot of fun and a great meal.

I’m thinking that eating a whole lobster in the fresh mountain air would be a perfect way to spend part of my weekend.

Perhaps I’ll see you there!

For more information, stop by any Jensen’s to pick up a Lobster Tent Event flyer or call 909-337-8484.

Mr. Morris, tear down this mall!

Much has been discussed at San Bernardino City Hall about the fate of the Carousel Mall.

But what does this have to do with Dine 909?

Here’s my proposal: Keep the parking structure, the Andreson Building and the Harris’ building. Tear down the rest and put in restaurants.

Why restaurants? Because (despite a few notable exceptions) they seem to do well in this town, as anyone who’s had to wait an hour to get into the Hospitality Lane Olive Garden on a Tuesday night can attest.

Not just any restaurants, however. Let’s put in restaurants that people are otherwise driving half an hour or more to go to.

We could start with a few of my favorites from L.A. and Orange County. How about the cousin to Redlands’ Macaroni Grill, Maggiano’s Little Italy. For those who haven’t been to Maggiano’s, it’s upscale (but not pretentious) family-style Italian dining, with a little bit of a retro feel. Usually I head to the one in the Grove near Farmer’s Market in L.A., but they’re also in Woodland Hills and South Coast Plaza. Oh, and Las Vegas, too.

For a more casual Italian experience, we could have a Pasta Pomodoro. I’ve been to both the West Hollywood and Orange locations, as well as the one in Woodland Hills, which has since closed. I’ve always found the food at Pomodoro to be fresh and tasty.

One of my favorite chain restaurants that’s only in L.A. is the Grand Lux Cafe, found at the Beverly Center. This Cheesecake Factory-related chain (same founder) has only 13 locations, and that’s their sole California location (although there’s two in Las Vegas, in adjoining casinos!), but wouldn’t it be a coup to have them open a location in downtown San Bernardino? Take that, San Francisco!
Continue reading “Mr. Morris, tear down this mall!” »

Denny’s new sandwich…one of the seven signs of the Apocalypse?

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Yeah, the Internet has been abuzz for since word of Denny’s new sandwich leaked out earlier this month.

It’s a new addition to their $2 $4 $6 $8 value menu…the $4 portion to be specific.

The sandwich is the Fried Cheese Melt.

In a nutshell, it’s four fried mozzarella sticks stuck inside a grilled cheese sandwich.

That’s right.

Cheese. Surrounded by breading. Surrounded by cheese. Surrounded by breading.

Oh, and accompanied by marinara sauce. Gotta have something healthy to drown all that cholesterol in.

Many are wondering if Denny’s is trying to top KFC’s Double Down sandwich on the outrageousness scale.

To me, it sounds like it’s three steps down from Mimi’s Cafe’s Five-Way Grilled Cheese sandwich.

The only twist is that extra layer of breading separating the two cheeses.

Will it be worth the reported 895 calories? I’ll leave that to you to ponder.

The Fried Cheese Melt, along with four other new value items, will debut at a Denny’s near you next Tuesday (August 24).

Update: Denny’s is unleashing the Fried Cheese Melt early. Saturday at midnight to be exact. Countdown is progressing…