August 2011 Archives

Folks in Grand Terrace got a grand spankin' new Stater Bros. this week.

The new market is 72 percent bigger than the '70s-era one it replaces.

It's also greener than the old store.

It is one of four Stater Bros. markets to earn the Environmental Protection Agency's GreenChill Award for its energy-saving components, including an efficient refrigeration system and skylights.

As part of the grand opening celebration, the company split $7,500 between the Colton High School band, the Sheriff's Explorers program and a children's program at the Grand Terrace Branch Library.

For more, click here to read Grand Terrace reporter Ryan Hagen's story on the new store.

Baker's Drive-Thru is once again offering free food in honor of an odd food "holiday."

Today's (August 26) free food item is a banana milkshake, in honor of National Banana Lovers Day, which actually falls on Saturday (August 27).

The usual caveats apply: One free item per person or per car. Good today only, and not with other offers, discounts or coupons.

You can either print out the coupon or display it on your mobile device.

Orange you glad Baker's Drive-Thru is so generous?

To access the coupon, click here to visit the Facebook event page.

Baker's Drive-Thru restaurants can be found throughout the Inland Empire.

Pre-sales for Humpty Bump, the second in Hangar 24 Craft Brewery's limited-edition Barrel Roll series, will begin today at 4 p.m. in the brewery's tasting room.

The first Barrel Roll release, Immelmann, was produced in December.

Humpty Bump is a hand-crafted Belgian Strong Golden Ale brewed with apple cider from Oak Glen's Riley's Los Rios Farms and caramelized sugar. It was then aged for eight months in second-fill oak bourbon barrels.

Only 1355 750ml bottles were produced. Sales will be limited to three bottles per person. Each bottle costs $20.

Humpty Bump will be released at 11 a.m. Saturday (August 27).

Hangar 24 is at 1710 Sessums Drive in Redlands.

For more information on Humpty Bump, click here.

As expected, the Claremont Norms Restaurant (807 S. Indian Hill Blvd.) opened this morning (August 23) at 7 a.m.

And if you're planning to head on over and check out the new restaurant, which you can do anytime, since they're open 24/7, you might want to print out this coupon first.

There's more information, including a locator map, on that location's page on the Norms website.

Follow the jump for a promo video.

I wish I'd seen this deal earlier in the week, but you've still got a couple of days left to take advantage.

P.F. Chang's has posted a coupon for a free street fare or dim sum item from its Triple Happiness Happy Hours menu (with food purchase).

Trouble is, the coupon expires Sunday (August 21).

P.F. Chang's happy hour runs from 3 to 6 p.m. daily and is available in the bar or in the dining room.

Click here to view and print the coupon, which is not good on Chang's lettuce wraps.

P.F. Chang's has locations in the Inland Empire in Rancho Cucamonga, Chino Hills, Riverside and Temecula.

Calling all High Desert hot dog aficionados!

The Wienerschnitzel at 12951 Hesperia Road in Victorville will be celebrating its grand opening from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow (August 20).

They'll be offering buy-one-get-one-free chili dogs during the grand opening.

They'll also have a ribbon cutting ceremony, a hot dog eating contest (winner gets free chili dogs for a year and an iPod), raffles and a prize wheel, a bounce house, a DJ and free cake!

Well, I was all set to write about the grand opening next week of the Corona Cici's Pizza and that the first 100 customers to purchase an adult buffet would receive a free buffet every month for a year, but...

I received an email this afternoon letting us know that the grand opening date was to be determined.

When it does open, Cici's Pizza will be at 591 McKinley St., Suite 103, formerly home to a Pizza Factory.

Cici's Pizza currently has locations in Chino Hills (4200 Chino Hills Parkway, Suite 890) and Murrieta (29910 Murrieta Hot Springs Road, Suite S).

Another day, another crazy "holiday."

Today (August 19) is National Hot and Spicy Food Day (definitely not to be confused with International Hot and Spicy Food Day, which is January 16) and Baker's Drive-Thru is helping you celebrate by giving away a spicy rolled quesadilla to its Facebook fans (and pretty much anyone with Internet access).

Baker's has been very generous with the giveaways, offering them every couple of weeks or so, and we thank them for that.

The usual restrictions apply: One coupon per person or car per visit, one offer per coupon and not valid with any other offer or discount...however, they've been known to suggest that you pair it with other deals, such as their Deal of the Week. Go figure. The offer is good today only.

You can either print the coupon or show it on your mobile device to redeem it.

Head to the Facebook event page for the giveaway to collect your coupon.

Baker's Drive-Thru restaurants can be found throughout the Inland Empire.

Gourmet Food Trucks, LLC, which is supplying the food trucks that will be at the Inland Empire Auto Show this weekend, has posted a coupon online which you can print and gain free "admision" to the show.

The auto show, in addition to showcasing new and concept cars and alternative fuel and hybrid vehicles, will have a "Great Taste" event Friday evening, with free samples from over 20 restaurants and wineries, and food trucks each day of the show.

On the off chance you haven't noticed the insanely tall (one foot shy of 100 feet) sign just off the 10 Freeway, Norms is coming to Claremont.

It'll be the second Inland Empire location for the always-open Southern California chain, following a Riverside location that opened several years ago.

The Claremont Norms is at 407 Auto Center Drive (at Indian Hill Boulevard) 807 S. Indian Hill Blvd., where a Chili's once was.

The restaurant looked pretty much complete during a drive-by this weekend, and is a hot topic on the chain's Facebook page. The official response from the company is that it'll open by the end of the month, although it appears they are aiming for next week.

The sign, which dwarfs all surrounding signs, was a topic of one of Daily Bulletin columnist David Allen's column's last month, and he risked life and limb to take pictures for his blog.

You can read the column here and see the pictures by clicking here.

Slow Food Redlands and Hangar 24 Craft Brewery are getting together for an event that will celebrate summer with locally-sourced food and drinks.

The event will be held from 4 to 9 p.m. tomorrow (August 13) at the brewery, 1710 Sessums Drive, Redlands.

The evening begins with tours of the brewery, along with tastings. Hangar 24 will brew a special event brew and will also be brewing a non-alcoholic orange cream soda.

Dinner, featuring organic hot dogs and gourmet condiments, will begin at 5 p.m.

The evening will also include information booths, cooking and brewing demonstrations, beer pairing education and two cooking contests.

Tickets are $20 for adults, and $10 for children. Beer and soda is sold separately. Tickets are available at the door or in advance here.

For more information, visit the Facebook event page here.

The brewery's tasting room will remain open for those not attending the event.

The Riverside Food Truck Festival giveth and the Riverside Food Truck Festival taketh away.

And then the Riverside Food Truck Festival giveth again.

The limited number of 300 V.I.P. tickets sold out earlier this week, and the organizers have authorized the release of another hundred V.I.P. tickets for sale.

The tickets will go on sale at midnight next Friday (August 19).

If you're on Facebook, you can easily enter to win a pair of V.I.P. tickets to the upcoming I.E. Food Truck and Brew Fest at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario.

All you need to do is head to to their Facebook page, and post "IE Food Truck and Brew Fest '11" on their wall, as many have already done.

That's it.

Just make sure you post that by midnight tonight (August 12).

The giveaway is in celebration of the fact that ticket sales for the event begin at 10 a.m. tomorrow (August 13) at Ticketmaster and at the arena box office.

A limited number of V.I.P. tickets, which will grant you early entry and access to a V.I.P. tent and other perks, will cost $25.

General admission tickets will be $8 in advance, $10 at the door and in the few days preceding the event.

Tthe event will take place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. October 8.

For more information, visit the event's website here, or follow on Twitter or Facebook.

We got so wrapped up in the flood of food truck news this week we almost forgot to let you all know that the Colton Food Connection has opened!

This is the fourth location for the family restaurant. The Grand Terrace and Riverside locations have been around for years, and a Norco location opened earlier this year.

Went there and had breakfast for dinner Sunday night, and had a great meal.

They've even added some decent deals to the mix, including a $3.99 two-egg breakfast and a $4.99 chicken-fried steak breakfast.

The restaurant, which has been open a couple of weeks, looks nicer than I ever remember it looking in its previous incarnation as Bob's Big Boy.

Food Connection is at 201 E. Valley Blvd.

Start cleaning out your closets!

Bring your unwanted, but sellable, items and drop them off between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. tomorrow (August 12) to the Upland Goodwill, 1240 W. Seventh St.

In return, you'll get two mouthwatering cake doughnuts from the Buttermilk Truck for free!

Yum!

For more information, click here.

Thank you, Buttermilk Truck!

Even while its long-completed Loma Linda store has yet to open (and had its signs covered over to ensure that folks know the store is not open), fresh & easy has plans to open a store in Claremont.

The store will be built on the northwest corner of the Peppertree Square Shopping Center, replacing a former Wherehouse Music store.

The center is on the southeast corner of Indian Hill Boulevard and Arrow Highway.

Demolition of the existing building is scheduled to take place in January, with construction to follow in the spring.

Click here to read Claremont reporter Wes Wood's article on the forthcoming market.

Riverside's Goodwin's Organics has launched what's being billed as California's first all-organic food truck.

The truck will be on the road, delivering organic snacks and drinks to those hankering for healthier food truck fare.

The store is currently seeking suggestions as to what the truck should be stocked with and where the truck should appear.

Head to Goodwins' Facebook page to chime in.

Goodwin's Organic Foods & Drinks is at 191 West Big Springs Road.

...well, comedy and food trucks!

In case you were wondering how you were going to get your food truck fix the weekend between the I.E. Auto Show and the Riverside Food Truck Festival, here's your answer.

Four food trucks will be included as part of the LOL Comedy Festival from 4:30 to 10 p.m. August 26 and 27 at the California Theatre in downtown San Bernardino.

Here's who's scheduled to be there:

• Stella Pierre's Gourmet Grub: Representing the I.E., Stella Pierre's serves up foot-long hot dogs, burgers, sandwiches and other goodies, including chocolate-covered bacon.
• Jogasaki Sushi Burrito: Burrito-sized sushi rolls wrapped in tortillas or soy paper.
• Lobsta Truck: Lobster rolls, crab rolls, clam chowder, chips, drinks and desserts.
• The Mighty Boba Truck: Taiwanese entrées and sides, and boba drinks, of course.
• Don Chow Tacos: Chinese Mexican fusion cuisine
  

Access to the trucks during the festival is free.

The LOL Comedy Festival itself will be held from August 25 to 28. Admission to the festival is $25 per show (there are 11 separate shows), or $40 for V.I.P. seating per show. Single day admission can be purchased for $63, while a four-day festival pass is $140. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster and at the California Theatre's box office.

The California Theatre is at 562 W. Fourth St.

In addition to all the new and concept cars and alternative fuel and hybrid vehicles, food (and food trucks) will be part of the Inland Empire Auto Show, which will be held August 19, 20 and 21 at the Ontario Convention Center.

From 5 to 8 p.m. Friday (August 19) there will be a "Great Taste" event with free samples from over 20 restaurants and wineries. For more information, click here.

Also, in case you work up an appetite while checking out all the cars, half a dozen food trucks will be parked outside the center each day to satisfy your hunger.

Oh, you procrastinators.

You've waited too long.

The 300 V.I.P. tickets that were available for the Riverside Food Truck Festival have sold out.

You'll have to make do with general admission tickets, which are $8 in advance, and will be $10 at the door.

The festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, September 3, at Third and Market streets in downtown Riverside.

Proceeds will benefit Riverside Arts Council, Asian Pacific Lunar Festival and Riverside County Prevent Child Abuse.

Tickets are available by clicking here.

Update: Feeling lucky? On August 19, the I.E. Shine On blog will be giving away two V.I.P. tickets to the fest. Click here to find out how to enter.

Yesterday (August 10), at the request of Supervisor Janice Rutherford, the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors were given a presentation on hot food trucks by the county's Chief of Environmental Health Services, Terri Williams.

Williams described the range of food sales here in the county: Differences between permanent versus temporary versus mobile food facilities; and the two types of mobile food facilities (those which sell pre-packaged goods versus those which prepare the food then sell it).

She discussed the need to inspect all food sales locations in order to protect public health.

She talked about how food trucks are regulated in other jurisdictions, such as in the city of Los Angeles, where the trucks are required to submit schedules to the city.

Those schedules sometimes change, she said, leading to a sort of "underground," Internet-based truck location system, which she inferred might make them more difficult to find.

At this point, Rutherford chimed in, noting that the goal of the trucks is actually to be found, and that we do have the Internet here, so we should also be able to locate them.

Good one, Janice!

It's time for another Baker's Drive-Thru Facebook giveaway!

Today's (August 10) giveaway is a free bean and rice burrito.

As usual, you can show the coupon on your phone (or tablet), get the deal and save a tree!

The usual restrictions apply: One coupon per person or car per visit, one offer per coupon and not valid with any other offer or discount...however, they've been known to suggest that you pair it with other deals, such as their current $1 32-ounce Coke Zero/Gold Peak Green Tea offer. The offer is good today only.

Baker's Drive-Thru restaurants can be found throughout the Inland Empire.

To print (or to view) your coupon, simply head to Bakers' Facebook "Free rice and bean burrito" event page.

The official discussion begins tomorrow.

The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors will be presented with a report on the ordinance governing hot food trucks generated by the county's Environmental Health Services Department.

Regular readers of this blog know that San Bernardino and Riverside counties are the only two counties in the state which ban the food trucks — a burgeoning industry in Los Angeles and Orange counties — from operating on a daily basis.

The report is intended to get the conversation going on whether to lift the ban or keep the status quo.

Those are two options outlined in the report.

There is a third option, however, which is to create a new "hot food truck event" category within the ordinance, which would allow the trucks to operate on a more regular basis, with local approval.

County reporter Joe Nelson has previewed the meeting in an article you can read by clicking here.

The report is available by clicking here.

The meeting begins at 9 a.m. tomorrow (August 9), with a public session beginning at 10 a.m., at the county government center, 385 N. Arrowhead Ave.

The Upland Farmer's Market is promising (besides fresh produce and other goodies you normally find at a farmer's market) food trucks!

The Farmer's Market is held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays at Third Avenue and A Street (across from the Metrolink station).

In addition, they are advertising "L.A. and O.C.'s tastiest food trucks" from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. today (August 6) and August 27.

According to the Farmer's Market's Facebook page, the following trucks are scheduled to show up:

• Ta Bom
• Sweet E's
• The Yummy One
• José O'Malley's
• Temaki Truck
• Krazy BBQ
• Twist Burgers
• OG Tempura
• Great Balls on Tires
• Macaroni and Cheese Factory

Perhaps someday soon, this will be a more regular occurrence. The county Board of Supervisors are scheduled to discuss the food truck ban during their meeting on Tuesday (August 9). More on that later.

Somehow, I missed this one, but the Claremont location of the Loving Hut opened last month.

The restaurant, one of a global chain of vegan restaurants, caused a bit of controversy earlier this year when it was awarded a $50,000 federal Community Development Block Grant by the city council.

The chain also has a location in Upland.

The new Loving Hut is at 175 N. Indian Hill Blvd.

In Chinese numerology, the number eight is considered to be particularly auspicious.

I wonder if that factored in to Burger King's decision to offer 88¢ Whoppers from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday (August 8), which happens to be 8/8.

The deal is good at participating Los Angeles area restaurants, which includes Inland Empire locations.

Del Taco fans, mark your calendars for Wednesday (August 10).

That's when the chain will be having a customer appreciation event and dishing out regular tacos for only 29¢ from 3 to 8 p.m.

29¢!

The limit? 12 per customer. That means you can get a dozen Del Taco regular tacos for $3.48.

I know lots of customers who will appreciate that rock-bottom price.

Del Taco restaurants can be found throughout the Inland Empire.

Update: A handful of Inland Empire Del Tacos are not participating. These include the three locations in Barstow and the one in Baker. Click here for a full list.

Well, it's official.

Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour, which formerly had Inland Empire locations in Montclair and Riverside, announced today that they will be coming to Rancho Cucamonga this fall. They're projecting a late October opening.

The last we heard was that they were making a presentation to the city's Design Review Committee regarding changes they wanted to make to their building, a former Macaroni Grill at 10742 Foothill Blvd.

Apparently, the committee agreed to the Farrell's changes.

In a unique event, the Chino Hills Chick-fil-A will host a progressive school supply drive next week to benefit schools in the Chino Valley Unified School District.

Here's how it works:

• Tuesday (August 9): Guests who bring in a new pack of 24 crayons will receive a free fudge nut brownie.
• Wednesday (August 10): Guests who bring in two new 8½" by 11" spiral notebooks will receive a free medium waffle fry.
• Thursday (August 11): Guests who bring in a ream (500 sheets) of copy paper will receive a free Chick-fil-A entrée.
• Friday (August 12): Guests who bring in a new, full-size backpack will receive a free Chick-fil-A meal.

The offers are only available at the Chino Hills Chick-fil-A at 3640 Grand Ave., and are limited to one free item per qualifying item brought for the CVUSD.

Of course, you're welcome to bring more than one item.

It's a pretty straightforward process, but if you have questions, you can email CFAChinoHills@gmail.com.

Looking for a little something sweet?

You might want to head to Fontana, where the Smiles Sweet Shop has opened at 15074 Foothill Blvd., Unit E.

The bakery, run by John-Mark and Kimberly Agallar, opened June 25.

Smiles Sweet Shop specializes in what they call Cheesecake Winks, or small cheesecakes with various toppings.

Another specialty is the Graham Cracker Grin, which is a graham cracker, topped with caramel, then topped with different types of chocolate, nuts and fruit.

They also sell mini pies, specialty bottled sodas and Hawaiian coffee.

The bakery is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

Reporter Kristina Hernandez spotlighted the bakery in an article you can find by clicking here.

For more information, visit the bakery's website here.