November 2011 Archives

Sisters are "suite" entrepreneur winners

| No Comments |
Congratulations to the ladies of Rancho Cucamonga's Suite 106 Cupcakery!

Sisters Christiana Grammer and Rebecca Grammer-Ybarra were the winners of this year's Small Enterprise award at the ninth annual Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards.

The awards are presented by the Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship at California State University, San Bernardino. The ceremony was held last month in Riverside.

The sisters got their first big push by winning an episode of the Food Network's Cupcake Wars. They are currently planning their second retail location and second food truck.

Suite 106 Cupcakery is located in Victoria Gardens at 12434 N. Main St.

And if you haven't tried it yet, they make a mean organic Pumpkin Pie cupcake. Delicious!

Other food-related winners include Lifetime Achievement award winner Jack H. Brown, Chairman and CEO of Stater Bros., and Social Entrepreneur award winner Barbara Wormser of Redlands' Inland Harvest.

For a complete list of award recipients, click here.

Indio International Tamale Festival is this weekend

| No Comments |
The Indio International Tamale Festival takes place this weekend.

Over the last couple of years, it has become a tradition in the Dine 909 household to shlep out to Indio on Saturday, gorge ourselves on tamales and other goodies and then take in the Palm Springs Festival of Lights parade that evening.

The tamale fest runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both Saturday (December 3) and Sunday (December 4), with a parade kicking off the whole shebang at 10 a.m. Saturday.

The featival takes place in downtown Indio between Highway 111 and Indio Boulevard, along Miles Avenue, Towne Street, Smurr Street and Requa Avenue.

Admission and parking are free.

Of course, it's not all about the tamales. For this year's entertainment schedule (Rose Royce!), click here.

Click here for parking and other event information.

Head to Corona for cheap chili fries today

| No Comments |
That's because the Original Tommy's in Corona is one of the locations participating in today's Tommy Tuesday.

In continuing celebration of the chain's 65th anniversary, Tommy's has been offering deals at select locations on Tuesdays.

Today's (November 29) deal, good until 10 p.m., is chili fries for 99¢. You can get up to five orders at that price.

All you have to do is say the secret phrase: Happy Holidays!

The Corona Tommy's is at 2280 Compton Ave.

For more information, or to see all participating locations, visit the Facebook event page.

Other Inland Empire Original Tommy's can be found in Barstow, Chino and Riverside.

Taste of Lake Arrowhead is Thursday

| No Comments |
The annual Taste of Lake Arrowhead returns to the Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa on Thursday (December 1).

The event will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the resort, 27984 Highway 189, Lake Arrowhead.

It kicks off with the lighting of the resort Christmas tree.

In addition to food samples provided by local restaurants, there will also be desserts, wine and beer tastings and entertainment.

Three awards will be given away at the end of the event: Best of the Taste of Lake Arrowhead, Critic's Choice and Most Creative Display.

The cost is $25 per person along with either a toy or gift card for Operation Provider.

For reservations or more information, please contact the Lake Arrowhead Communities Chamber of Commerce at 909-337-3715, or purchase tickets online by clicking here.
BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse is hosting a series of five-course beer-pairing dinners beginning tonight (November 29) at the San Bernardino location, 1045 E. Harriman Place.

The event will also be held on Monday (December 5) at the Rancho Cucamonga restaurant, 11520 Fourth St.; on Tuesday (December 6) in Chino Hills, 4585 Chino Hills Parkway, and Temecula, 26500 Ynez Road; and on December 7 in Corona, 2520 Tuscany Street.

Cost is $30 and you must be at least 21 years of age.

For a complete list of dates and to reserve a spot, click here.

Ra Pour restaurant and lounge opens Monday

| 2 Comments |
The long-anticipated Ra Pour restaurant and lounge will open to the public on Monday (November 21).

Ra Pour aims to bring an upscale food and drink experience to the Inland Empire, not unlike what one might expect in Las Vegas or Los Angeles.

The cuisine is billed as globally-influenced Californian-fusion, accompanied by inventive, hand-crafted cocktails.

Sneak peeks of menu items have been popping up online via co-owner Karim Webb and freelance food writer Brooke Burton: Lobster Pops, Margherita Pizza, Truffle Popcorn and Gambas al Ajillo have been spotted.

Other items from the eclectic menu include Kobe carpaccio, duck Bolognese, chicken and waffles and cola-brined pork.

Wheel Food Fest Saturday in Walnut

| No Comments |
I know, I know.

Walnut is not in the Inland Empire.

But, we've ventured beyond our borders in the past.

This event benefits a couple of worthy causes, so I'll mention it for those of you on the western edge of the I.E. or who happened to wander in from the San Gabriel Valley.

Plus, I've got relatives who live in Walnut.

The Wheel Food Fest will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday (November 19) at the Walnut Valley Unified School District Office, 880 S. Lemon Ave., Walnut.

Beneficiaries are the Walnut Valley Education Foundation and the Walnut Valley Food Bank.

Admission is only $1 and a canned food item (or $2, for those of you unwilling to part with your canned goods).

Food trucks scheduled to participate are the Lime Truck, Nom Nom Truck, Don Chow Tacos, Coolhaus, Jogasaki Burrito and Twist Burgers.

For more information, click here.

And if Walnut is too far of a drive for ya, there's also this...perhaps you can hit both!

Dripp opens tomorrow in Chino Hills

| 1 Comment |
A new coffee bar, Dripp, opens in Chino Hills tomorrow.

It's not just any coffee bar, however.

They've got something special.

Several somethings, in fact.

It all starts with individually ground and brewed drip coffees and espressos.

They also prepare Turkish coffees.

If tea is your preference, they carry only Harney & Sons Fine Teas...everything from English Breakfast to Hot Cinnamon Sunset.

Then things really get interesting.

They've got a pair of rare-in-the-U.S. Japanese Oji coffee drip apparatuses, which slowly brew coffee one drip at a time. It takes anywhere from six to ten hours to brew, but because they're constantly brewing, you won't have to wait that long for your iced coffee.

And we haven't even gotten to the "Cream Bar."

Pizza for Thanksgiving?

| No Comments |
Who says you have to have turkey for Thanksgiving? Or even ham?

Some of my favorite holiday meals were homemade spaghetti or lasagne, made with love by Mom.

But how do you feel about pizza?

John's Incredible Pizza (no relation), which gave us a scary good $5 deal on Halloween, is offering a similar deal for Thanksgiving.

For $7 per person, you and the family can have all the pizza, salad, soup, pasta, desserts and non-alcoholic beverages you want.

In the Inland Empire, the deal is only good at the Riverside and Montclair locations, so you Victorvillains will have to trek down the hill if you want this deal.

The deal is good from noon to 9 p.m. Thanksgiving day. No coupon is necessary.

For more information, click here.

Claremont High School food truck fundraiser is Saturday

| 3 Comments |
We here in San Bernardino County are relative newbies to the food truck game, with the first major food truck festival happening earlier this year, and a lessening of restrictions by county officials happening during the summer.

Claremont, however, is in Los Angeles County.

How come I haven't heard of food truck festivals happening there?

Well, it just so happens there's one coming this Saturday (November 19).

It's being put on by the Claremont High School Music Boosters and will benefit the school's bands and color guard.

Dubbed the Food Truck Mania, it's a smallish event -- 14 trucks are currently in the lineup -- but in my experience, smaller events are better if you want to actually eat something. The lines tend to be smaller and shorter lines usually translate to quicker prep times.

The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Claremont High School, 1600 N. Indian Hill Blvd.

Admission is $3 for CUSD students with ID, and $5 for everyone else. Those under five are free.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, click here.

(Update: In addition to the food trucks, various student groups will also have booths there, as well as the Mt. Baldy and Claremont chambers of commerce with coupons for local businesses; Claremont Toyota, which is having a drawing for an iPod Touch; and SolarGem giving away a $50 gift certificate. Also, the Garlic Scapes truck has joined the event.)

Follow the jump for a list of the current lineup.

Free biscuit day Wednesday at Carl's Jr.

| No Comments |
Well, according to this press release, Carl's Jr. is celebrating the recent addition of Hardee's biscuits to the menu of many (but not all...see below) of its Southern California locations by giving away biscuit sandwiches on Wednesday (November 16).

Dine-in customers in the Inland Empire (plus Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties) can receive a free sausage biscuit during breakfast hours (generally 6 to 10:30 a.m.).

Of course, there are caveats.

First, not all restaurants are equipped to bake biscuits yet. Click here to see which locations near you are offering them. For instance, only two of the four Carl's in San Bernardino are. Downtown yes, uptown no. (Update: The map icons may not be up-to-date. The location nearest work -- on University Parkway -- is advertising the biscuits, even though the map indicates they don't have them yet. Sigh.)

One fish, two fish, eat fish, view fish

| No Comments |
mbaotp.pngMarket Broiler has partnered with Seafood for the Future and created a new sustainable seafood menu.

Order any item from the new sustainable seafood menu and you'll receive a free ticket to the Aquarium of the Pacific.

However, it's a limited time offer and will end at the end of the year, if supplies last.

Market Broiler has Inland Empire locations in Ontario and Riverside.

For more information, click here.









Girl Scout goes nuts in Wisconsin

| No Comments |
DakotaMark.pngEarlier this year, we told you about this year's record-breaking cookie sales by the Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Council.

The top seller was Caitlin Loret of Perris, who sold a staggering 4,051 boxes.

However, coming in this close behind her was Dakota Gregory of Wildomar, who sold 4,000 boxes.

Turns out that Dakota isn't just a whiz at cookie sales. It seems she's also great at selling nuts and candies.

In fact, last fall, she was the number one seller of those items for the council, racking up $1,700 in sales.

Back in August, in recognition of her achievement, the council flew her and her mom, Dani, to Waukesha, Wis., to visit the family-owned company where the products she sold were made.

Free cappuccino or latte at Baker's

| No Comments |
I had seen this earlier in the week and thought it was expired, but it turns out you've got 'til the close of business tonight (November 10) to get either a free cappuccino or a free latte from Baker's Drive-Thru.

Click here for the Facebook event page and either print out the coupon or display it on your mobile device.

Baker's Drive-Thru restaurants are located throughout the Inland Empire.

Eateries honor veterans

| No Comments |
Many restaurants are honoring veterans and active duty military with free meals and special discounts this week in conjunction with Veterans Day.

Here's a sampling of the chains with Inland Empire locations that are offering deals for those who have served:

  • Applebee's: Receive one of seven Applebee's Signature Entrées free on Friday (November 11). Click here for more information.
  • T.G.I. Friday's: Receive a free entrée with the purchase of another entrée on Friday. For more information, click here.
  • Chili's: From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, receive any lunch combo or one of six select entrées for free. To see the options, click here.
  • Outback Steakhouse: Through Friday, get a free Bloomin' Onion and Coca-Cola. For more information, click here.
  • Olive Garden: On Friday, receive a free entrée (from a special menu). See the menu here.
  • BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse: Free lunch entrée or one-topping mini-pizza for dinner on Friday. Click here for details.
  • Golden Corral: From 5 to 9 p.m. Monday (November 14), the chain is hosting its annual free "thank you" dinner. Click here for details.
  • Hooters: On Friday, get 10 wings free with the purchase of a drink. The Ontario and Riverside locations are participating. For more information, click here.
  • Sizzler: On Friday, receive a free six-ounce steak entrée with the purchase of another. Click here for more information.
  • Mimi's Cafe: On Friday, receive $10 off a $20 check, with coupon. Click here for the coupon.
  • Original Roadhouse Grill: On Friday, receive a free entrée (up to $18.99 value). Click here for details.
  • Ruby's Diner: Free cinnamon roll French toast with coupon, Friday until 11:30 a.m.. Click here for the coupon.
  • Famous Dave's: Receive a 25% discount on Friday. The Rancho Cucamonga and Redlands locations are participating. Click here for more information.
  • Little Caesars: Get a free order of Crazy Bread on Friday. For more information, click here.
  • 7-Eleven: Get a free small Slurpee from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday. Click here for the "Slurpee Salute" Facebook event page.
For most of the offers, you have to show proof of service to receive your discount or free meal. Be sure to visit the links above to get all the specifics before heading over to the restaurant.

For those about to eat, we salute you!

That's a lot of coupon books!

| No Comments |
The numbers have been crunched, and this year, Baker's Drive-Thru (with your help) has raised $227,000 for Easter Seals Disability Services through sales of its "Safe Halloween" coupon books!

Wow!

That means that, since starting the campaign in 1989, Baker's has raised $2.8 million for Easter Seals Southern California!

Double wow!

Let's try for $3 million next year!

A big Dine 909 thank you to Baker's and to all of you who purchased coupon books.

Breakfast burritos in Beaumont

| No Comments |
From 8 to 11 a.m. Tuesday (November 8), the Beaumont Police Department will host a breakfast burrito fundraiser at the Beaumont Civic Center, 550 E. Sixth St.

Burrito tickets are $4 each and advance tickets are available for purchase at the Police Department.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Adopt-a-Cop program, which assigns one police officer to each school in the Beaumont Unified School District.

Officers volunteer their time at the designated school and interact with the children through hands-on activities, mentoring and behind-the-scenes field trips.

The program also rewards students with perfect attendance with an all-expense paid field trip to an Angels baseball game.

For more information about the fundraiser or the Adopt-a-Cop program, please call the department at 951-769-8500.

Arby's out, George's in

| No Comments |
Driving through Colton, I saw that the former Arby's at 1320 E. Washington St., which closed earlier this year, is being replaced with a George's Burgers.

George's currently has locations in San Bernardino, Rialto and Fontana.

George's has lots of good breakfasts, sandwiches, burgers and Mexican food on its menu.

But, sadly for Arby's fans, no roast beef.

'Champagne' on tap at Trio anniversary

| No Comments |
Trio Restaurant, 707 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, will celebrate its second anniversary with a party on Monday (November 7).

An open bar and appetizers will be available from 4 to 7 p.m., followed by regular dinner service and a special musical performance by R&B songstress Evelyn "Champagne" King.

The restaurant is also giving back, with 10% of the dinner service proceeds benefiting the AIDS Assistance Program and the Palm Springs High School Arts Institute program.

Reservations, which are required for dinner, may be made by calling 760-864-TRIO (8746) or at www.triopalmsprings.com.

With a legendary disco diva joining the fun, to miss this party would be a ...shame.

Last chance for the next Grub Club

| No Comments |
Today (November 3) is your last chance to get in on the next Let's Dine Out Show's Grub Club, which will take place at a long-time San Bernardino favorite, Lotus Garden.

Registration will close tonight.

The dinner, which will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday (November 5), will be a traditional Chinese banquet service.

The banquet will include four appetizers, eight entrées, a dessert...and a partridge in a pear tree!

Oh wait...the partridge thing is next month.

The cost of the dinner is $25, which includes the banquet, tax, tip and a non-alcoholic beverage.

Click here to see the the evening's menu and to register for the event.

Lotus Garden is at 111 E. Hospitality Lane in San Bernardino.

My Delight Cupcakery's Social Sunday grows

| No Comments |
MyDelightSS10.pngThis Sunday (November 6) will see the 10th Social Sunday at My Delight Cupcakery, 1520 N. Mountain Ave. (at Sixth Street), Ontario.

The event will take place from noon to 5 p.m. at the bakery.

Usually, they have two (or sometimes three) food trucks participating in the event. This time, they've got seven trucks lined up, including My Delight's own truck:

In addition, My Delight's neighbors -- Toro Sushi, New Age Comics and Juice It Up -- will also be having specials.

Those who RSVP on Facebook will receive a 10% discount on their cupcake purchase.

Also, My Delight is partnering with Samaritan's Purse's Operation Christmas Child campaign. Those who pack and bring at least one shoebox (click here to find out how to pack and what to put in it) to the event will receive an additional 10% off their purchase.

How cool is that?

For all the details, including how to RSVP, click here to visit the Facebook event page.

Christmas comes early to the Sun newsroom

| No Comments |
MarthaGreenXmas.pngA whole passel (three boxes, actually) of holiday cookies arrived in the newsroom today courtesy of Redlands food goddess Martha Green today.

Macaroons, a Macaturtle, Death by Chocolate, Russian tea cakes, a pumpkin cookie and scores of artfully-decorated sugar cookies (almost too beautiful to eat...almost) for us to sample.

Jealous? You should be. They were delicious!

You'll be able to see more professional shots of the cookies in an upcoming issue of Redlands Magazine, accompanying an article by staffer Jessica Keating.

Thank you, Martha!




Chili cook-off in Riverside on Saturday

| No Comments |
The Second Annual Adams Fast Track Chili Cook-off will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday (November 5) at Adams Motorsports Park, 5292 24th St., Riverside.

The $5 admission fee includes your tasting kit, to sample all the chili you want.

In addition to the chili cook-off, the event will feature a motorcycle show, a vintage kart show, Miss Chili and Mr. Hot Sauce contests, a 50/50 raffle, and games for all ages.

The event is a fundraiser for three non-profit organizations: Karting to Live (Hand Control Kart Days at AMP), Act-So and the Children's Foundation of America.

Presale tickets are eligible for a special prize drawing.

For information or to purchase presale tickets, please email Timel Sebastian at Timel@adamsmotorsportspark.com or call 951-686-3826.

About this blog


Fine and not-so-fine dining in the Inland Empire.


About this Archive

This page is an archive of entries from November 2011 listed from newest to oldest.

October 2011 is the previous archive.

December 2011 is the next archive.

Find recent content on the main index or look in the archives to find all content.

Powered by Movable Type 4.25

Breaking News

Dining reviews

Lunch with 'Lainey

Advertisement