September 2010 Archives

An email dropped in our inbox this week here at The Sun.

The "historical" (sic) Iron Hog Restaurant and Saloon has re-opened.

The structure was built in 1931 on Route 66 in Oro Grande.

It was featured in the movies Easy Rider, Poker Run and Erin Brockovitch.

Over the past 70-plus years, it has been (among other things), a biker bar, a strip club and a farm equipment sales office.

Now they're serving up steaks and barbecue dinners. They have a vintage ladder fire truck and other memorabilia on display.

I've been past the building several times over the years and never really given it a second thought. It's kind of off the beaten path, though it might make an interesting side trip on the way to Vegas.

Follow the jump to see how far off the beaten path they are.

Calling all Panda Express devotees!

Today, you'll be able to get a single serving of their new Kobari Beef free with a coupon.

According to the chain, "Kobari Beef is thin slices of marinated beef with fresh, wok-seared peppers, mushrooms and leeks, all wok-tossed in our sweet, smoky, spicy Kobari sauce."

The dish is said to be inspired by Korean BBQ flavors. Get it? KOrean BARbecue?

The usual restrictions apply...one coupon per person, not valid with any other offers or discounts, participating locations only, etc.

Click here to get your coupon.

Panda Express can be found throughout the Inland Empire.

September is Make-A-Wish month, and the folks at Cold Stone Creamery are helping out by giving away ice cream during their 9th annual World's Largest Ice Cream Social, which takes place from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday (September 30).

This year's Make-A-Wish Creation was designed by 11-year-old Kate. Kate's Creation is Caramel Apple Ice Cream mixed with chocolate shavings, graham cracker pie crust and apple pie filling.

Find out more about Kate's wish here.

Visitors to Cold Stone during the event will receive a 3-ounce portion of Kate's Creation for free. Guests are encouraged to make a donation to Make-A-Wish.

Throughout the month, Cold Stone has been raising funds for Make-A-Wish by selling paper stars for $1.

An estimated 85 percent of all donations collected by Cold Stone this month will benefit the wish-granting organization.

So, show up, get some free ice cream and help make some kids' wishes come true!

Cold Stone Creameries can be found throughout the Inland Empire.

The Los Angeles County Fair is winding down, but there's one more thing I'd like to mention before they close.

Some of you may be old enough to remember the Gingerbread House in the Inland Center, which was in what is now the Macy's wing, I'm guessing about where the Regis Salons is today.

I have vague memories of it. I'm sure I must've had a gingerbread cookie or two from there. I do remember that they had a little patio-like area where you could sit and eat your gingerbread.

And apparently, before that, they sold gingerbread at Santa's Village.

Well, now you'll find them at the county fairs.

Happy California Family Day!

Family Day was begun in 2001 by the National Center on Addiction Substance Abuse at Columbia University

They based it on their research that found that the more often kids eat with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or abuse drugs.

National Family Day was celebrated yesterday, but here in California, we're so laid-back, we celebrate it a day later.

As California's First Lady Maria Shriver (and honorary chair of California's Family Day puts it: "Family Day is a great reminder for all of us to simply eat a meal with our loved ones."

Indeed.

The California Restaurant Association has also joined in the celebration.

Nearly 750 restaurants across the state have signed on to participate in the event, which includes free meals for children with the purchase of an adult entrée from 4 to 8 p.m. today (September 28).

Among the participating restaurants are all California locations of El Pollo Loco, Rubio's, Chick-fil-A, Chili's and Ruby's Diner. Other participating Inland Empire restaurants are Togo's in Palm Desert and Billy Reed's in Palm Springs.

For more information, and to find a participating restaurant, click here.

Dine 909 was among a group of people invited to a dual celebration at the Ontario GameWorks recently.

One celebration was of their partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles and Inland Empire.

The other -- the topic of this post -- was the debut of their new menu created by Executive Chef David Sonzogni.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that, when I think of eating at Ontario Mills, GameWorks is not first on my list. In fact, it might not have even been on my list.

The new menu might just change all that.

While not everything I tasted was a winner, there were many items on the new menu that I enjoyed.

Follow the jump to find out how the new items fared.

Ah, but as their anniversary is one day only, so is this deal.

So, today (September 27) only, you can order any dessert (up to a $9.95 value) for only 77 pennies.

Why 77¢? Claim Jumper was founded in 19...you guessed it...77. They're celebrating 33 years of serving up humongous portions.

The details: Limit one offer per table, per visit, per check. The offer can't be combined with any other offer.

My favorite? The chocolate chip calzone, but there are others who swear by the ginormous Chocolate Motherlode cake. Which one will you pick?

For more information, click this tweet.

So, we've been chronicling the saga of the Highland In-N-Out.

Well, Rialto has its own little Double-Double drama playing out at Riverside Avenue and the 210 Freeway.

The city council voted last week to move forward on plans to bring the burger purveyor to the site of the former Fire Station 202.

There's still a little bit of work to be done on the site -- including moving two cell towers -- but officials are hoping to have the restaurant open in the middle of next year.

Click here to read Josh Dulaney's story on the quest.

The Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce has designated next week (September 26 to October 2) Chino Valley Restaurant Week.

Several restaurants in Chino and Chino Hills will be offering special discounts all week.

Here are just a few examples:

• Riverside Grill: First Champagne, Mimosa, or Chamberry during breakfast is $1. First Hangar 24 Orange Wheat during lunch or dinner is $2.
• Swasdee Thai Cuisine: Get $5 off a $25 food purchase.
• Felipe's Mexican Grill: Get 20% off your bill.
• Tropical Smoothie Cafe: Before 10 a.m., get a free classic breakfast sandwich with the purchase of a smoothie. Buy any wrap, sandwich or salad and get a low-fat smoothie for $2.
• Papachino's Grill & Greens: Complete meal daily special is $6.95. Spend $20 or more and be entered into a drawing for $250 in catering or gift cards valued from $10 to $100.
• Owen's Bistro: $15.95 three-course Italian dinner offered Tuesday through Saturday.
• Cannataro's: Mention "restaurant week" to get a free appetizer with the purchase of an entrée.
  
• Honolulu Harry's: Four lunch plates offered at $6.99. $2 off two signature dinner plates.
• Shima: Get two teppanyaki/shabu shabu entrées and an appetizer for $20 (lunch) or $30 (dinner).

Other participating restaurants include City Broiler, Larios' Meat Market and Sandra's Mexican Grill.

Participating restaurants will have a "Restaurant Week" logo in their window.

Not like you need an excuse to support local restaurants, but this is a good one!

For more information, follow this link.

Achtung, meine Damen and Herren: This year, for the first time ever, Hangar 24 Craft Brewery is creating an Oktoberfest Lager.

To celebrate, they're having a release party from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. tomorrow (September 25) at the brewery, 1710 Sessums Drive in Redlands.

In keeping with the theme of the festivities, Mill Creek will be selling two types of barbecued bratwurst, as well as hot dogs and hamburgers, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Guests are encouraged to dress in Oktoberfest attire, so break out that dirndl and join the fun!

Click here for a preview of the seasonal brew.

Yep, it's been two years since we started Dine 909.

Since our first anniversary, we've:

• Begun a newspaper column
• Continued our obsession with the Freestyle
  
• Witnessed the unveiling of "Cowboy Bob"
  
• Seen CiCi's Pizza Buffet finally open in the Inland Empire
• Seen some high-profile closures
• Visited fresh & easy HQ
• Goaded San Bernardino city hall
• Paid homage to some restaurant survivors

Among other things...

We pledge to keep bringing you the latest in Inland Empire food news. And if you have anything you want to let us know about, please feel free to email us.

As before, if you want to keep informed of the latest from Dine 909, be sure to bookmark us and follow us on Twitter, as if you haven't already done so. Oh, and get your friends to do the same!

Thanks again for reading, Inland Empire!

I can't believe I ate the whole thing...and then kept going!

Since the end of July, California Pizza Kitchen has been handing out "Thank You" cards to diners which are then opened on a return visit to reveal either a dining discount (10%, 20% or 50% off) or a prize.

Prizes range from a year's worth of frozen CPK pizzas to $25,000 cash.

Well, according to this tweet today, they haven't given away the $25,000 grand prize yet.

Have you been to CPK, received a card and not returned?

You could be holding onto that $25,000 card.

Or perhaps they haven't even given the card out yet.

You've still got a couple of weeks to get in on the promotion. It's scheduled to last until October 8.

You'll find CPKs in Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino, Riverside, Chino Hills, Palm Springs and Palm Desert.

Good luck...and if you win, be sure to let us know!

And indeed it is.

CiCi's Pizza Buffet has lowered their price yet again from $4.99 to $3.99 beginning today and lasting until October 3.

It's part of their continuing 25th anniversary celebration.

CiCi's finally landed in Chino Hills earlier this year after bombarding for years with their TV and radio ads.

(There will at some point in the uture be two CiCi's in the Inland Empire, as their website lists a Coachella location under their "coming soon" listings.)

I've been to the Chino Hills location a couple of times and found it to be a great bargain for the price. I may take a trip out there to take advantage of this deal.

The Chino Hills CiCi's is at 4200 Chino Hills Parkway.

The Gourmet in San Bernardino is one of those places that would've made our list of restaurant survivors had it not closed a couple of years ago.

Well...guess what?

They're back!

And they're offering some great deals during their grand re-opening Wednesday (September 22) through Saturday (September 25).

Take a look at some of the mind-blowing deals:

• Hawaiian Mahi-Mahi: $4.95
• Steak and lobster: $11.95
• Lobster tail: $9.95
• Grilled northern halibut steak: $7.95
• Lamb chops: $9.95
• Veal parmigiani: $4.29
• Filet mignon: $9.95
• Caesar salad: $4.95
• Coffee, ice tea, milk: 25¢
• Spumoni: 75¢

In other words, you need to be there.

And if you happen to go there around 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, you may spot a certain blogger/newspaper columnist.

The Gourmet is at 1445 E. Highland Ave., just west of Del Rosa Avenue. For more information, call 909-883-2613.

Share Our Strength's Great American Dine Out began yesterday and runs through Saturday (September 25). Several Inland Empire restaurants (mostly chains) are participating.

I finally made my annual trek to the Los Angeles County Fair on Sunday, and on the way I stopped to follow up on a tip that Fatburger was soon going to open on Garey Avenue, replacing the old Hamburger House.

I was thinking that they were working on it and it would open sometime in the next couple of months, but...

It's open now!

I'm keeping my fingers crossed, since I haven't been too impressed with most of the other Inland Empire Fatburgers (in Rancho Cucamonga, Riverside and Cabazon -- Palm Springs has been OK).

The new Fatburger is at 3109 Garey Ave. (at Grove Street).

The big question is not whether or not you want to go. The big question is -- fat fries or skinny fries?

Another Zendejas restaurant has closed...this time it's the one on University Parkway in San Bernardino.

A little over a year ago, the Colton restaurant closed, only to reopen in May.

The Rancho version closed a while back, but is reopening in the next shopping center over from where it used to be.

Perhaps Zendejas will resurface again here in San Bernardino.

That seems to be their modus operandi.

I saw on The Sun's website that the Fontana Masonic Lodge is holding their annual Texas-style pit barbecue fundraiser from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. today.

Proceeds will go to the building fund for improvements to the interior of the lodge. Suggested donation for the barbecue beef meal is $8.

The Fontana Masonic Lodge is at 16650 Arrow Blvd.

For more information, call 909-213-6406.

It's been a while since we've had any news about fresh & easy, so here's a quickie:

You can get a free canvas shopping bag (regularly 99¢) just by spending $20 or more and bringing in this coupon.

The coupon is good 'til the end of the month.

In addition to the previously mentioned $20 Wednesday deal from McDonald's, those looking to save a few bucks on a trip to the Los Angeles County Fair have another sweet deal.

The folks at Ralphs are teaming up with the fair folks in a food drive for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.

Here's how it works: Head to Ralphs and buy at least five cans of Ralphs-brand food for each person going to the fair. Then, take the cans to the fair between noon and 6 p.m. on any Friday during the fair (September 17 and 24 and October 1). Exchange the cans for your free admission ticket (worth $12!). Enjoy the fair!

All canned food collected will be donated to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.

Last year, they collected a record 60,000-plus cans!

Will they beat that record this year? With your help, they will!

Congratulations go out to Jason Ward of San Bernardino, who -- for the second year in a row -- has taken home the Grand Prize for Best BBQ at the Los Angeles County Fair.

Jason's "Big J's Spare Ribs" earned him $300 for winning the Grand Prize, and also $100 for capturing the top prize in the Pork Class of the competition.

Judging took place September 5 at Wilderness Ridge, near the fair's Home and Gardens pavilion. In addition to the Best BBQ contest, judges chose winners of the Best BBQ Sauce and Best Chili contests in the afternoon-long event. Judges also evaluated overall table themes of the competitors. Ward's paid tribute to the Dodgers.

However, he picked a different L.A. team to describe his win, saying he felt "just like the Lakers with this repeat."

Placing second in the Pork Class to Ward was Dan S. Kamps of Chino Hills with his Big Boy B.B.Q. Triple Pepper Pulled Pork Butt recipe. Jerry L. Perser of Winnetka was 3rd prize winner with his Baby Back Ribs.

Follow the jump to see the other winners that day.

Wienerschnitzel will celebrate the grand opening of its first location in Phelan with a ribbon cutting ceremony from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. today (September 11) as part of Phelan Phamily Phun Day.

The new restaurant is at 4145 Phelan Road (at Sheep Creek Road) and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The celebration will include free activities and games for guests, including a hot dog eating contest, where the winner will receive an Apple iPod Shuffle and Wienerschnitzel chili dogs for a year.

They'll also have a free raffle with a bicycle and Apple iPod Shuffle as prizes, as well as a special appearance by "America's Most Wanted Hot Dog" - The Delicious One.

The event will also feature a bounce house and a spin-the-prize-wheel with free t-shirts, antenna toppers and free chili dog and Tastee-Freez soft-serve ice cream cone coupons. Vic Slick From KOLA 99.9 FM will do a live radio broadcast 10 a.m. to noon.

Hmmm...I'm getting a feeling of déjà vu.

I went to check out the new Qdoba Mexican Grill in south Ontario last night and got a pleasant surprise: They have a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine!

So, I went to the Freestyle's Facebook page to check on location updates and found that there are now four Freestyles installed in the Inland Empire!

In addition to the previously-known Rancho Cucamonga Boston Market and the new Ontario Qdoba, you'll also find Freestyles at the Hometown Buffet in Loma Linda and at Zorba's in Riverside.

Another little twist: The Ontario Qdoba Freestyle is the first I've seen that includes Dr. Pepper and Diet Dr. Pepper instead of Pibb Xtra and Pibb Zero. Earlier this summer, Coca-Cola paid $715 million to the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group for distribution rights for certain Dr. Pepper Snapple Group brands. Part of the deal is a 20-year agreement for Dr. Pepper and Diet Dr. Pepper to be included on the Coca-Cola Freestyle. They're the only non-Coke brands to be distributed on the 106-choice Freestyle.

To read our original encounter with the Freestyle, click here.

The new Qdoba Mexican Grill has opened at 2200 S. Grove Ave. in Ontario.

Through Friday (September 10), you can get any entrée for half price.

The details? No coupon necessary. Not valid with any other offer or promotion. Sides, add-ons and drinks are full price.

For those who haven't tried the Jack-in-the-Box-owned Chipotle competitor, that's basically what it is. A Chipotle competitor.

Both began in Denver, Colorado. (Chipotle was first by a couple of years.) Both specialize in burritos, bowls and salads created as you travel down the assembly line (think Subway). Both pride themselves on fresh (never canned or frozen) ingredients.

Qdoba does have a bit more variety than Chipotle, though. They have a good selection of sauces (three-cheese Queso, poblano pesto, ancho chili BBQ) for their burritos that you won't find at Chipotle.

I still prefer Chipotle over Qdoba, but I love Qdoba's Mexican Gumbo. Yum!

Also, if you live far from the south Ontario location, don't feel like driving that far and still want to try a little Qdoba goodness, they've currently got a campaign to "Fight Burrito Boredom" where you can get a coupon to try their food for free (and get a chance to win burritos for a year!).

In addition to the Ontario location, there are Qdobas in Redlands, Upland and Moreno Valley.

Update: Went to the new Qdoba for dinner tonight and was pleasantly surprised to find they have a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine (the first I've seen with Dr. Pepper instead of Pibb Xtra)! An extra incentive for those who haven't yet experienced it. For those who don't know about the Freestyle, click here.

OK, so after labeling Denny's new Fried Cheese Melt sandwich as an abomination of biblical proportions, I figured I had to at least give it a chance.

And you know what? It's not half bad.

I'm not gonna say that it's a nutritious part of a balanced diet (830 calories with marinara sauce, 2920 mg of sodium), but for a rare meal, it'll do.

The mozzarella sticks weren't greasy at all and the mozzarella cheese was definitely detectable in the sandwich.

Dipping the sandwich into the marinara sauce kind of freaks your mind out a little, though.

Your brain recognizes the familiar taste of the fried mozzarella sticks with the marinara sauce, but then realizes you're eating a sandwich and does kind of a double-take.

The marinara sauce also does something else...it cuts the overall cheesiness of the whole affair.

The accompanying wavy-cut fries were perfectly crisp and tasty, too, though they'll add another 430 calories and 23 fat grams to your meal.

The Fried Cheese Melt is only $4 at your local Denny's. (Nutritional information can be found here...although I recommend looking at it only after you've eaten the sandwich)

Try it yourself -- if you dare!

Chicken griller El Pollo Loco turns 30 this month -- well, the American version anyway (the original opened in Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico in 1975).

What does this mean to you?

If you're a fan of El Pollo Loco, that means you can get a different deal every day this month, from $3 original Pollo Bowls (today's deal) to 30¢ small sides and $3 chicken Caesar salads to 30¢ chicken taquitos.

September 15, which happens to be National Chicken Day, brings a free leg or thigh with tortillas and salsa.

You've got to print out a coupon for each deal, however, and that deal is only good for one day.

Of course, the usual caveats apply: One coupon per customer and the coupons can't be combined with any other discount or offer.

Click here to see the calendar of deals.

We here at Dine 909 are big fans of the Los Angeles County Fair, so we're excited that the fair is upon us.

Not literally, of course.

The folks over at McDonald's have cooked up an excellent deal for everyone who shares our enthusiasm for the fair.

Wednesdays (September 8, 15, 22 and 29) at the fair, you can get admission and unlimited carnival rides for only $20.

Let's break this down, shall we?

Regular weekday admission to the fair is $12. An unlimited ride wristband is $50 on the fair's website.

So, you're getting a $62 value for only $20. That's a $42 savings! Just think of all the deep-fried peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chocolate-dipped bacon-wrapped Oreos that would buy!

Thanks, McDonald's!

However, the savings is not the best part.

The best part is that a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California.

So, go to the fair, spend $20, see the sights and ride a bunch of rides.

Just don't eat too many zucchini weenies before heading onto the spinny rides.

Click here to view and print the voucher, which is good for six admissions.