Want free tickets to the I.E. Food Truck Fest? Click here!

Posted on May 20, 2011 by John Plessel

Thanks to the folks who are running the Inland Empire Food Truck Fest, we have two pairs of tickets to give away!

To enter, just make a comment below. Feel free to say something pithy, or mention the name of the food truck you’re most excited to check out.

The festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 18 at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario.

More than 50 food trucks are scheduled to participate.

There will also be live music, skate demos, a kids’ area, food samples and the proverbial “more.”

If you don’t win tickets here, you can purchase them at the arena box office or at Ticketmaster.

Pre-sale tickets are $8 now, but will go up to $10 a week before the event. A limited number of VIP tickets, which will grant you entry into the event an hour early, are available for $25.

Follow the jump to read the rules and leave your comment!
Continue reading “Want free tickets to the I.E. Food Truck Fest? Click here!” »

Nena’s reopening in limbo

Posted on May 19, 2011 by John Plessel

The drama at Nena’s Mexican Restaurant continues.

The longtime San Bernardino fixture shut down a while back, and has struggled to reopen.

First, the restaurant was slated to reopen April 25. That date came and went.

Next, there were announcements on Facebook that the restaurant would reopen on Monday of this week.

That, too, came and went.

They’d still been operating a nightclub — La Cama — at the location on Friday nights.

I was tipped off by a reader that the restaurant’s liquor license had been indefinitely suspended.

Sure enough, it had, on May 12. A giant suspension notice was plastered to the building’s front door.

It’s possible to operate a restaurant without a liquor license, but you certainly can’t run a nightclub without one.

Let’s hope they get things straightened out with the ABC and get back on track.

Inland Empire Food Truck Fest underpromises, overdelivers

Posted on May 18, 2011 by John Plessel

I have to admit, I was a little skeptical that the promoters of the Inland Empire Food Truck Fest would be able to coerce 50 of Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties’ food trucks to come all the way out to the Inland Empire.

I watched on Facebook, Twitter and the festival’s website as the number of participating food trucks slowly crept up and up.

They’ve now got 54 trucks lined up and have not finished yet.

The latest announcements?

Grilled Cheese Truck: Grilled cheese sandwiches
Seabirds: Vegetarian fare
Waffles de Liege: Made with real Belgian pearl sugar
Longboards Ice Cream: Ice cream on a stick
The Lime Truck: California beach cuisine
Don Chow Tacos: Chinese Mexican fusion
No Tomatoes: Indian street fare
Swinging Kitchen: California cuisine
Yalla: Falafel and more falafel
Great Balls on Tires: Meatball sliders
Stella Pierre’s Gourmet Grub: Representing the I.E.!

Also announced are both Rancho Cucamonga’s Suite 106 Cupcakery and Ontario’s My Delight Cupcakery. Just for fun, they should put them just opposite each other. Mwa-ha-ha-haaaa!

The festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 18 at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario. Tickets (including a limited number of early-entry VIP tickets) are available now at the arena box office and at Ticketmaster.

Oh…and get ready for a special announcement from Dine 909 regarding the Inland Empire Food Truck Fest!

Grand opening at La Crperie Caf on Thursday

Posted on May 17, 2011 by John Plessel

It’s been open a couple of months now, but the Chino La Crperie Caf will be celebrating its grand opening on Thursday (May 19).

The best part? All menu items and alcoholic beverages will be half price!

That bears repeating: All menu items and alcoholic beverages will be half price!

The restaurant, 3968 Grand Ave., will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., will close for an hour in preparation for the Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce Monthly Mixer from 5 to 7 p.m., when they’ll have a ribbon cutting.

The mixer is open to chamber members and non-members alike.

Regular restaurant seating will resume after 7 p.m.

And if you decide to have dessert, I wholeheartedly recommend the Martinique crpe. It’s delicious!

El Torito fundraiser for Inland Valley Hope Partners is Wednesday

Posted on May 13, 2011 by John Plessel

Inland Valley Hope Partners, which helps people in need by providing food, shelter and supportive services, is having another restaurant fundraiser next week.

This time, they’re teaming up with the Ontario El Torito.

The fundraiser will take place all day (11 a.m. to 10 p.m.) Wednesday (May 18) at the restaurant, 3680 Inland Empire Drive.

El Torito will donate 25% of your check to Inland Valley Hope Partners when you present this flier when you dine on Wednesday.

The money raised will be put to good use:

Inland
Valley Hope Partners serves Chino, Chino Hills, Claremont, Diamond Bar,
La Verne, Montclair, Mt. Baldy, Ontario, Pomona, Rancho Cucamonga, San
Dimas, Upland and Walnut.
They serve around 75,000 men, women and children annually.
They operate four food banks (in Ontario, Pomona, Claremont and San Dimas) and a family residential shelter.
They sponsor the Pomona Valley Certified Farmers’ Market.

Bring the whole family, and don”t forget to bring the flier!

San Bernardino Greek festival is this weekend

Posted on May 13, 2011 by John Plessel

Lovers of Greek food, rejoice! Your time has come.

That’s because this weekend is the annual Greek Festival on the Hill at San Bernardino’s Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church.

The festival runs from noon to 10 p.m. tomorrow (May 14) and from noon to 9 p.m. on Sunday (May 15) at the church, 1035 Inland Center Drive.

The event costs a mere $2 per person, or an even merer $2 per couple with the coupon available by clicking on the graphic to the left.

In addition to Greek food (and pastries!), the event will feature Greek folk dancing, live music, a kids’ play area, beer, wine, art, jewelry and church tours.

There will also be a raffle, with a total of $7,000 in prizes to be won.

For more information, click the graphic for the flier or click here for the church website.

Get ready to Stamp Out Hunger on Saturday

Posted on May 12, 2011 by John Plessel

This Saturday (May 14) marks the annual National Association of Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger food drive.

You can help the hungry without even leaving home.

Just gather up some non-perishable food items (canned meats, fish, soup, juice and vegetables, and pasta, cereal and rice that don’t require refrigeration — nothing that’s expired or in glass containers, though), bag them up and leave them at your mailbox early on Saturday (before your letter carrier usually visits).

Your carrier will pick up the food and it will be distributed to a local food bank or pantry.

Of course, if you plan on visiting the market to buy items to donate, you can click here for coupons from Campbell’s, who happens to be a co-sponsor of the drive.

Another co-sponsor is Feeding America, which operates in Riverside as the Second Harvest Food Bank, so you
know your donations will be distributed right here in the Inland Empire.

Thanks in advance for your donations!

A few more fest food trucks revealed

Posted on May 12, 2011 by John Plessel

Things have been fairly quiet on the Inland Empire Food Truck Fest front since last week’s big announcements, but there have been a few more names mentioned.

Their website is slowly taking shape and Indian street food truck India Jones is now among those listed.

On Facebook, they’ve announced a few more, in addition to last week’s list:

Me So Hungry: Sliders and other small bites
Komodo: Gourmet tacos, burritos and sides
Ahn Joo: Korean pub food
Short Rib Taco: Korean fusion tacos
Tango Mango: Italian ices
Maui Wowi: Hawaiian coffee and smoothies
Organic Oasis: Organic smoothies

By my count, that’s 43 trucks…just a handful more ’til they reach their advertised 50 trucks. Very nice, indeed!

17th annual Redlands Optimist chili cook off (and car show) is on its way

Posted on May 11, 2011 by John Plessel

For those of you who aren’t chili’d out after Saturday’s fest at the National Orange Show, or if you just want a rematch, you won’t have to wait long.

The 17th annual Redlands Optimist Car Show and Chili Cook Off (as they call it, but we know which is more important) is Saturday, May 21.

The event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Sylvan Park, Colton Avenue and University Street.

Suggested donation is $3 if you’re over 18 and $2 for those 12 to 18.

The Optimist Club of Redlands is hoping to raise $30,000 from the event. The proceeds will be used to plan, run and finance nine major youth events throughout the upcoming year.

The entry fee for the chili cook off is $35. The entry fee for the car show is $20 (or $30 if you want a T-shirt) before Sunday (May 15) and $30 at the door.

For more information and links to registration forms, click here.

Do you like free Arby’s?

Posted on May 10, 2011 by John Plessel

Arby’s is offering a free Market Fresh sandwich when you purchase a 22-ounce Pepsi, although they’re featuring the Grilled Chicken and Pecan Salad sandwich and wrap.

The offer is good until Sunday (May 15) at participating locations — one per customer, and the offer is not valid with other discounts. But you knew that already, didn’t you?

To get the coupon, click here.

As a bonus, if you have a smartphone, you can save paper and ink and just show the screen to the cashier after clicking the link.

Arby’s are located throughout the Inland Empire.

And for those of you who didn’t get the reference in the headline, follow the jump. But don’t say I didn’t warn you about the earworm.
Continue reading “Do you like <i>free</i> Arby’s?” »

Dine 909

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Monthly Archives: May 2011