Monthly Archives: January 2011

Eyes wide open

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Just in case a Starbucks Venti beverage isn’t enough to get your engine going, the ubiquitous coffeehouse is going bigger.

After test-marketing in Phoenix, Tampa, Fla., and Atlanta, the coffee giant is rolling out a giant coffee — the Trenta.

The Trenta (30 in Italian) is 31 ounces of your favorite iced brew, tea or lemonade, and is seven ounces larger than their current largest offering.

It’ll be a 50 upcharge from the Venti.

The new size was made available yesterday in 14 states.

Inland Empire residents will have to wait until February 1, when it becomes available here in California.

It’ll be available nationwide by May 3.

Pizza fundraiser for Summit Intermediate School is Tuesday

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The Pizza Factory, 12273 Highland Ave., Suite 132, Rancho Cucamonga, is hosting a fundraiser for Summit Intermediate School on Tuesday (January 18).

Pizza Factory will donate 15% of proceeds from all orders, either dine-in or delivery, for those who present a flier with their order.

You can download the flier here.

The fundraiser will run all day, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

62 years? That’s a lot of pizzas!

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John Weeks’ column of a few days ago told of Tony Trozera’s talk at the January meeting of the San Bernardino Historical and Pioneer Society.

Trozera, along with his mother and brother, founded The Mug in San Bernardino way back 1948. It’s still in business today.

It’s an interesting glimpse into the history of one of San Bernardino’s landmark restaurants.

Click here to read John’s column.

The Mug is (still) at 1588 W. Highland Ave.

Hangar 24 crosses the (county) line

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Redlands-based Hangar 24 Craft Brewery’s offerings will soon be widely available in Los Angeles County thanks to a distribution deal with Ace/Mission Beverage. This is their first deal with an outside distributor.

The first Ace/Mission truck stopped by today to pick up a shipment of Hangar 24 beer.

The brewery will continue to sell and distribute here in the Inland Empire.

In other Hangar 24 news, their new patio is complete, and they’re celebrating with a party and a new beer, unsurprisingly called Hangar 24 Patio Beer.

The celebration begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday (January 15) at the brewery, 1710 Sessums Drive. Guests are encouraged to wear beach and summer clothes. They will have extra heaters on hand in case the weather doesn’t live up to the mid-70’s forecast.

In still more Hangar 24 news, this Friday’s (January 14) Cask Night brew is their Alt-Bier with locally grown tangerines added. Yum! Cask Night begins at 4 p.m.

San Bernardino Long John Silver’s goes belly-up

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I drove by the remaining San Bernardino Long John Silver’s on Highland Avenue the other day and noticed it’s still “closed for remodeling.”

Um…yeah…it’s been “closed for remodeling” for months now. However, the signage was still up, so I thought for a split second that they might actually be doing work inside the boarded-up restaurant.

When I got home, I checked the restaurant’s website for nearby locations.

The San Bernardino location was no longer listed.

They are closed.

Through a Google search I found a couple of listings which indicate to me that they might be trying to sell the franchise and keep it as a Long John Silver’s, perhaps combined with a KFC. I think that’s a good move.

For those of you who are now craving fried seafood, just down the street from the closed LJS is the H. Salt Fish & Chips at 1484 E. Highland Ave. They’ve been there for ages and the folks that work there are the best.

Cafe Rio opens

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“Put on your party pants” says a small sign planted in Citrus Plaza advertising the newly-opened Cafe Rio.

OK.

The Utah-based restaurant opened for business Monday. I dropped in for a visit Tuesday evening.

The dcor was inviting, with punched tin mirrors and lampshades and colorful crackle-paint furniture.

The restaurant was packed. Every table was filled. The line, however, was fairly short.

As I stepped into the ordering line, I was mesmerized by the rotating grill on which one of the employees was cooking fresh tortillas. Yum!

I ordered a grilled chicken burrito, which was made right in front of me and dropped onto a conveyor belt to be heated in a small oven.

It was a decent enough burrito, but at $7.25, I was expecting perhaps a little something extra.

For that price, I could get seven Beefy Crunch burritos over at Taco Bell, or 14 bean and cheese burritos at Del Taco, and still have change left over. Not that I would want to, mind you.

For a closer comparison, Chipotle’s grilled chicken burrito will set you back $5.85.

As I moved toward the register the dozen or so employees in the kitchen sang a song to first-time diners behind me in line.

Whew…dodged that bullet!

My dining companion remarked that it was like Cold Stone Creamery meets Chevy’s Fresh Mex.
Continue reading “Cafe Rio opens” »

Redlands’ Farmers Market goes year-round

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You’ve been to the Thursday night Market Night on State Street in downtown Redlands.

But have you been to the Saturday morning Certified Farmers Market?

Begun in 2009, the Farmers Market had only been in operation during the spring and summer. However, there was a demand for fresh fall and winter produce, so the city, the Downtown Redlands Business Association and the market’s other sponsors decided to go year-round.

The city council approved the change last month.

As of last Saturday, the Farmers Market will operate from 7 to 10 a.m. every Saturday, excluding holiday weekends. It’s held in the city parking lot on the south side of Redlands Boulevard, between Fifth and Sixth streets.

The Saturday Morning Certified Farmers Market is sponsored in part by
the Downtown Redlands Business Association, the University of Redlands,
Bon Appetit, the Redlands Daily Facts, the Redlands Conservancy,
CapitalSource Bank, Citrograph Printing Company and Emerson-Farrar
Jewelers.

Two Guys helps out

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49101-TwoGuys-thumb-125x253-49097.png

And yes, that is proper English.

Since Monday, the Italian restaurant has been raising funds for the victims of the recent Highland flooding.

You’ve still got today (January 9) and tomorrow (January 10) to do your part.

There are several ways you can help:

  • Pay $10 for a food certificate worth $20. Half of your $10 will be donated.
  • Give any size donation and receive a $5 off coupon.
  • Dine there on Monday, when 10% of all sales will be donated.

Two Guys Pizza and Pasta is at 2566 E. Highland Ave., Highland.

Taco joint finds new hut

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I was bummed when Rancho Cucamonga’s Taco Hut (Foothill between Archibald and Hellman) nearly burnt down in September. There are many other Mexican eateries
in the Rancho Cucamonga/Ontario area and some just as tasty but Taco
Hut is the only place I know where they play Madonna’s “Like a Virgin”
for first-time customers and the only place that serves fish tacos so
big, I feel like a glutton for eating two.

Taco Hut closed after major fire and smoke damage. They’re in the process of remodeling.

But
in the meantime, they’ve opened a new location at the site of El Loco
Cantina on 11815 Foothill Boulevard. Their Ontario location is on 1150
E. Philadelphia Street

Cafe Rio to open Monday

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According to this tweet, the Redlands location of Cafe Rio Mexican Grill will open Monday (January 10).

I drove by yesterday to check on progress and discovered that they were on the last day of their hiring process. There was a long line of potential employees queued up outside.

I’m curious to see what they’re all about…and to see how the Utah-based chain stacks up against Chipotle and Qdoba, both of which also have locations in Redlands.

It’ll be the chain’s first Inland Empire location. It currently has six restaurants in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

The soon-to-open Cafe Rio is in Citrus Plaza, 27510 Lugonia Ave, Suite B1A, across from Famous Dave’s.