Food4Less giving Groceries4Guns

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What better way to celebrate the holiday season than by getting guns off the streets?

Food4Less and the San Bernardino Police Department will be doing just that.

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on December 18, SBPD will be exchanging guns for Food4Less gift cards. The event will be held at Arrowhead Credit Union Park, 280 S. E St.

Rifles, pistols and shotguns are worth $50 gift cards. Assault weapons are worth $100 gift cards.

Food4Less has given $10,000 for the program, which is a first for SBPD.

You don’t have to be a San Bernardino resident to participate, however. Just toss your unloaded weapons in your trunk, take them to the stadium and collect your gift cards. No questions asked.

Click here to read Andrew Edwards’ story on the exchange.

AAA to San Bernardino County: Better luck next year

The Auto Club of Southern California released its list of 2011 AAA Four Diamond Award restaurant and hotel winners today.

A total of 70 hotels and 34 restaurants earned the award, AAA’s highest rating.

A grand total of four restaurants from Riverside County made the list.

And San Bernardino County?

Um…zero. None. Zilch.

Sorry, Farm Artisan Foods.

Too bad, Le Rendezvous.

Maybe next time, Christophe’s.

Keep trying, Citrone.

Aim a little higher, BIN189.
Continue reading “AAA to San Bernardino County: Better luck next year” »

Hangar 24 rolls out the barrel

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Redlands’ Hangar 24 Craft Brewery is getting ready to roll out the barrel on the first beer in its Barrel Roll series.

Hangar 24 created their Immelmann: Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Porter by taking their Chocolate Porter and aging it longer than six months in one-use Oak Bourbon Barrels.

The Immelmann can either be consumed right away or can continue to age.

It’s being packaged like Champagne…in 750 mL cork and cage finished bottles. Only around 1,000 bottles are being produced.

How can you get your hands on this limited-run beer?

Follow the jump to find out.
Continue reading “Hangar 24 rolls out the barrel” »

Cool fundraiser for shelter pets

The Town of Apple Valley is teaming up with Rainbow Yogurt to raise funds for its animal shelter.

From Sunday (December 12) through Saturday (December 18), simply purchase a cup of frozen yogurt at Rainbow Yogurt, bring a copy of the event flier and 20% of your purchase will go to benefit the animals at the Town of Apple Valley Animal Shelter.

Fliers are available at Town Hall, 14955 Dale Evans Parkway, at the Animal Shelter, 22131 Powhatan Road, or you can just download it here.

Rainbow Yogurt is in the Apple Valley Commons shopping center at Highway 18 and Dale Evans Parkway — 14891 Dale Evans Parkway, Suite 200.

For more information, visit www.avanimals.org.

Mandarin Garden crosses the county line

A while back, I wrote about longtime restaurant survivors.

One of those survivors which had gone missing has resurfaced.

San Bernardino’s Mandarin Garden, which for a long time had been at Highland and Del Rosa avenues before taking over the old Imperial Palace location (868 E. Highland Ave.) when they vacated, has relocated to Riverside.

Mandarin Garden has opened in the space where another longtime Chinese restaurant, Chan’s Oriental Cuisine, had been.

Whew!

The restaurant is now at 1445 University Ave.

Christophe’s collecting Toys for Tots

If you’re in the mood for a great meal, you might want to head to Toys Us.

Not for something to eat, mind you, but to pick up a toy for a kid whose family might not be able to afford to give them toys.

In the spirit of the holiday, Christophe’s Restaurant and Lounge in downtown Upland has signed up to be a collection spot for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program.

Christophe’s is collecting new, unwrapped toys and monetary donations through December 17.

Click here to read the full story from the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin.

Girl Scouts collecting food donations in the West Valley today

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today (December 4), Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles will be collecting food donations in front of various Vons and Pavilions stores in Los Angeles and western San Bernardino counties.

Scouts will be set up at six Vons locations in the Inland Valley:

  • Chino Hills: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., 4200 Chino Hills Parkway.
  • Claremont: 1 to 3 p.m., 550 E. Base Line Road.
  • Diamond Bar: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., 240 S. Diamond Bar Blvd.
  • Rancho Cucamonga: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 8788 19th St.; 1 to 3 p.m., 6351 Haven Ave.
  • San Dimas: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1160 Via Verde Ave.

Their goal is collect 65,000 pounds of food to donate to the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank and its local affiliates. If they’re successful, the scouts will have collected enough food for 50,000 meals.

Click here to read the full story from the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin.

Freedom Courtyard fundraiser December 6

Wahoo’s Fish Taco is participating in a fundraiser for the proposed Freedom Courtyard Veterans’ Memorial and Reflection Area to be built at Central Park in Rancho Cucamonga.

The chain’s Rancho Cucamonga location (11561 Foothill Blvd.) will donate 20% of sales on Monday (December 6) for those who present a flier when making their purchase.

This is the first restaurant fundraiser for the project.

To participate, simply download the flier here, then head to Wahoo’s on Monday and give them the flier when you order. Then, enjoy your meal!

To learn more about the project, click here.

Tamale festival this weekend

Last year around this time, I wrote about the Indio International Tamale Festival and how I love tamales, yet had never been to the festival.

I can’t say the same this year, because I went to the festival last year.

I had a great time!

I tried to sample tamales of every flavor that I found, from turkey to strawberry to pumpkin.

One of the things that makes the festival more fun is that many of the tamale booths have some sort of gimmick — dressing in traditional garb, for example — to entice you to visit their booth and try their tamales.

It’s not all about the tamales, either. They have plenty of other food to enjoy, rides and entertainment on four stages. Also, many of the old town shops open their doors for browsing and shopping.

If you love tamales and have never been to the festival, I encourage you to take the drive out to Indio. I plan on going again this year.

The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday (December 4) and Sunday (December 5). It takes place in downtown Indio, between Highway 111 and Indio Boulevard, along Miles Avenue, Towne Street, Smurr Street and Requa Avenue.

It kicks off at 10 a.m. Saturday with a parade that begins at Miles Avenue Park.

Free parking (with a free shuttle to the festival) is available at the Larson Justice Center on the corner of Highway 111 and Oasis Street. Last year we just found street parking on Oasis Street near Miles Avenue, a short block from the festival.

Admission and parking are free. Tamales run from about $2.50 to $4, depending on the vendor and ingredients.

For a schedule of the weekend’s events, click here.

Hope to see you there!