Dine 909

Valentine's Day treats in the Inland Empire

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:04:27 -0800

Who allowed Valentine's Day to fall during the week?

Doesn't that just mess with everyone's plans?

Inland Empire restaurants nonetheless are offering up indulgent treats (and specially-priced deals) for lovebirds.

Follow the jump to see a sampling.

Threepeat for My Delight Cupcakery

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:06:13 -0800

Congratulations go out to Ontario's My Delight Cupcakery, which captured the top spot for an amazing third consecutive year at Saturday's (February 4) L.A. Cupcake Challenge.

My Delight introduced a new breakfast cupcake at the challenge: Western Breakfast Cupcake.

How's this sound? Cornbread cake with bacon, sweet corn and a sprinkling of black pepper, honey butter frosting with bacon, a drizzle of honey and a pinch of black pepper on top.

Savory-sweet breakfast not your thing? The bakery also brought Red Velvet Raspberry Cheesecake cupcakes to the competition.

To celebrate, the cupcakery will give away mini cupcakes of either variety to the first 50 customers beginning at 1 p.m tomorrow (February 9).

My Delight Cupcakery is at 1520 N. Mountain Ave., Suite B-108.

Live the Chocolate Fantasy Saturday in Redlands

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:40:21 -0800

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Redlands' major fundraiser is Saturday night: Chocolate Fantasy.

In addition to chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate, the event will include samplings from Two Guys Pasta & Pizza, ABTsolutely Gourmet Catering, Tess' Place, Michelle's, Mill Creek Cattle Company, Bon Appétit, Jose's, State Street Winery, Joe Greensleeves and Farm Artisan Foods.

The event will be held at the Mitten Building, 345A N. Fifth St. Doors open at 6:30.

Tickets are $75 and available at the Boys & Girls Clubs office, 1251 Clay St., Redlands.

For more information, click here to read Michel Nolan's article from the pages of the Redlands Daily Facts.

Candy creator dead in Illinois

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:38:50 -0800

You might not recognize the name Nello Ferrara.

However, candy lovers might recognize the name of the family business he took over from his father: Ferrara Pan.

You can thank Nello Ferrara for the creation of Lemonheads and Atomic FireBalls.

No word on whether he was buried in a cardboard box.

You can read the Associated Press obituary here.

Palm Springs Food Truck Festival a big success, more to follow

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:45:25 -0800

Congratulations to Cliff Young!

News accounts estimated the crowds at Saturday's (February 4) inaugural Palm Springs Food Truck Festival, curated by the KVCR-TV Out to Eat host, at nearly 10,000.

The event helped raise money for the Palm Springs High School music program and marching band, victims of a burglary last month.

The band played (beautifully) for attendees and students staffed the beverage stations.

The weather was plentiful and most folks seemed to be enjoying themselves.

I don't expect this to be a one-off event. Cliff is hoping to make this a semi-annual event, and is thinking of incorporating food trucks into other events he organizes.

We had a great time chatting with Inland Empire food truck operators, including Yucaipa-based Stella Pierre's Gourmet Grub (offering a caramel-Sriracha sauce with chocolate-covered bacon is sheer genius), Apple Valley's Where's the Fire? Gourmet Pizza (regulars at Redlands Market Night and the High Desert Farmers Market) and Suite 106 Cupcakery (which had yet another sell-out).

More food truck events are on the horizon, including three later this month. Click the jump to see a list.

The bacon shake does exist

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:54:56 -0800

Business reporter Andrew Edwards has a few minutes out from his busy day to review Jack in the Box's bacon shake for us here at Dine 909.

He declares it "better than I expected," which I guess is as good of an endorsement as any.

The bacon shake is available for a limited time at participating locations.

Follow the jump to watch the video review.

Yogurtland giving free frozen yogurt for National Frozen Yogurt Day Monday

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:22:01 -0800

Another ersatz holiday brings another food giveaway.

Monday (February 6) is National Frozen Yogurt Day and Yogurtland will be celebrating by giving away free frozen yogurt and toppings at more than 160 stores across the U.S., including Inland Empire locations in Claremont, Chino Hills, Riverside and Corona.

The giveaway will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. while supplies last.

Yogurtland will even have special commemorative cups and spoons for the event.

The giveaway will take place at the following I.E. locations:

Claremont: 101 N. Indiana Hill Blvd.
Chino Hills: 4505 Chino Hills Parkway
Riverside: 1242 University Ave.
Corona: 135 E. Ontario Ave.

Steak dinners and karaoke return to the Rancho Cucamonga VFW tomorrow

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:14:25 -0800

Tomorrow (February 4) marks the return of steak dinners and karaoke to VFW Post 8680, 8751 Industrial Lane, Rancho Cucamonga.

Steak dinners include a 10-ounce choice sirloin, salad, baked potato, veggie, roll and butter.

Diners choose their own steaks and seasonings, then the steak is grilled to order.

The dinners are served from 6 to 8 p.m. A $10 donation is requested.

Karaoke is free and begins at 7:30 p.m.

Hangar 24's Vinaceous released tomorrow

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:04:51 -0800

Hangar 24 Craft Brewery will release the first beer of its "Local Fields" series at 11 a.m. tomorrow (February 4).

The brew, Vinaceous, was created to combine the best characteristics of wine and beer. It was made by adding crushed Mourvedre grapes sourced from Wilson Creek Winery in Temecula.

For more information, click here.

Hangar 24 is at 1710 Sessums Drive in Redlands.

Toby Keith's I ♥ This Bar & Grill update

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:45:33 -0800

Rancho Cucamonga reporter (and Dine 909 contributor) Wendy Leung has written about the lengthy transformation of the former West Elm at Victoria Gardens into Toby Keith's I ♥ This Bar & Grill.

Her story details some of the reasons for the delays in the restaurant/bar's opening, originally scheduled for January 2011, now pegged for mid-March.

The story will appear in tomorrow's Inland Valley Daily Bulletin.

You can read it now by clicking here.

Palm Springs Food Truck Festival is tomorrow

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:51:36 -0800

This is just a reminder that the Palm Springs Food Truck Festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow (February 4) at the Spa Resort Casino, 401 E. Amado Road.

The festival is being curated by Cliff Young, host of KVCR-TV's Out To Eat show, who has lined up 58 trucks for the event.

Tickets are $10 for general admission and $40 for V.I.P. Kids six and under are admitted free.

V.I.P. ticketholders get early admission (10 a.m.), free water and soda, participation in a meet-and-greet with some of the truck operators and entry into drawings for a Las Vegas weekend.

Tickets are available online or at the door.

A portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit the Palm Springs High School music program and marching band, victims of a burglary last month.

Some of the heavy-hitters lined up for the event include the Ludo Truck, the Border Grill Truck, Calbi and Grill 'Em All.

Also scheduled to participate are I.E.-based Stella Pierre's Gourmet Grub, Where's The Fire? Gourmet Pizza and Suite 106 Cupcakery.

This is going to be a big event...hope to see you there!

Head over the jump for a full truck lineup.

Pay once, eat twice at Sonic

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:35:38 -0800

The Rancho Cucamonga, Victorville and Apple Valley Sonic Drive-Ins are participating in a Super Bowl Double Play this Sunday (February 5).

The concept is simple. Just place an order at any of the above locations on Sunday and hang on to your receipt. (The receipts will be pink).

Bring your pink receipt back to the location before the end of February and receive your order again...for free!

Restrictions: You have to have your original pink receipt. The offer is valid at participating Sonic Drive-Ins only. You have to redeem your entire receipt in full. Gift card purchases are excluded. The offer expires February 29, 2012.

La Verne's Charlie's Italian Cafe gets Kitchen Nightmares airdate

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:26:41 -0800

Followers of this blog might remember back in October of last year when La Verne restaurant Charlie's Italian Cafe was overhauled as part of the Chef Gordon Ramsay's Fox reality show, Kitchen Nightmares.

Ramsay and his crew worked with restaurant staff for a week (and beyond) to root out any problems in the restaurant's operations in an attempt to revive it.

The intensive week culminated in a dinner service featuring a trimmed-down menu and a remodeled dining area. Dine 909 was invited to be a part of this special dinner.

The transformation process was captured on tape for airing at a later date.

We now have that date: 8 p.m., February 17 on Fox.

The restaurant will be closed that day so that the staff can enjoy the premiere with a private event.

Explains Charlie's owner Tatiana Leiva, "I'm excited for the episode to air and to finally relive the experience I went through. I want people to see the passion I have for my restaurant and understand why I have been able to fall in love with the food and ambiance all over again. It was a necessary journey I will never regret and I hope I can make Chef Ramsay proud!"

If you want to prepare for the episode, you can experience Charlie's for yourself.

The restaurant, 2445 Foothill Blvd., is open from 5 to 9 p.m. nightly except Mondays. Call the restaurant at 909-392-3734 for reservations.

You can watch previous episodes of Fox's Kitchen Nightmares by clicking here.

Sonic's winter deals extended through February

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:55:11 -0800

It seems like just a week or so ago we were bemoaning the end of Sonic Drive-In's daily winter deals, which we found out about a week before they were to expire.

Well, today we spotted this tweet that changes everything:

Extending our daily deals til the end of February! WEDNESDAY = 3 Piece Chicken Strips for $1.49. Only at Sonic, America's #1 Drive-In!
-- Sonic Drive-In(@Sonic_Rancho) February 2, 2012

The deals are fairly substantial. The Sonic burger, which is on special for 99¢ on Tuesdays, is normally $2.99.

Follow the jump to see the rest of the deals, which are now good until February 29.

Free onion rings at Burger King this weekend

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:23:35 -0800

After revamping its French fries, Burger King turned to its other popular side, onion rings.

As it did with its fries, the chain will give away orders of rings as a promotion.

The giveaway will happen both Saturday (February 4) and Sunday (February 5) at participating restaurants.

Detalils? Customers will receive a value sized order of rings while supplies last. One free order per customer. Not valid during breakfast hours.

For more information, click here or here for the Facebook event page.

Burger King restaurants can be found throughout the Inland Empire.