Past Stories
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Magnone Trattoria cooks food the way it was meant to be cooked
Every new Italian restaurant that opens up in the Riverside area inevitably confronts the Mario’s Place question—namely patrons on their first night eating at s...
A Pizza History
Filippi’s Pizza Grotto—serving up deliciously authentic Italian food since the ’50s
It’s been a while since I’ve eaten at a good Italian restaurant. With all of the gourmet burgers, Asian-fusion and experimental cuisi...
Fresh and Frisky
Feisty Chicken’s “Classic Burger” (Photo by Bill Gerdes)
Feisty Chicken is raising a feathery fist at fast food
Feisty Chicken and Grill—the name suggests a plucky (or plucked) fowl bravely fighting for its...
Tacos! Burritos! Brain!
Tacos Del Rio puts an end to Eastvale’s commonplace dining choices
Eastvale is now considered to be a city but it’s commercially run with big business eateries like McDonald’s, Domino’s Pizza and Panda Express. Is t...
Beer N’ Burgers
Don’t blow past The Rookery because of its appearance, the appeal lies in its patties
You might be forgiven for blowing past the Rookery in downtown Pomona on your way to a place that looks more how shall we say…
Successful Complexities
Sorrel Bistro has a vibe and menu that you can’t help but dig
Temecula is well known for its wineries and fancy-pants restaurants but most of the time, I prefer a casual dining experience. Fortunately, right on the border...
Hearty Tacos for Every Hangover
Kogi BBQ and the The Lime Truck bring some major flavors to the desert for Coachella
The famous Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival has finally arrived, causing ticket wielders to jump with glee and non-ticket holders to...
Fish with Lip
Rawken Sushi is Pomona’s new fresh fish joint with attitude
Sushi has gotten tough over the last 10 years. I’m not talking about the cuts of fish, although sometimes that too, but the marketing of Japan’s culinary gif...
Desert Pho-usion
Feasting on the Asian experience in the Unofficial Asian gambling capital of Southern California
Here is a well-known fact: if an Asian eats at a pseudo-Asian place, there has got to be some legitimacy to it. In the case of&hel...
Make Your Own Mess
Rounds Premium Burgers: You won’t’ be able to hate it, even if you want to
I wanted to hate Rounds Premium Burgers from the moment I walked in. I wanted to hate the layout of the place, a third traditional…
Welcome to the Jungle
Tropical BBQ’s got the game to make turn your backyard into an exotic Caribbean vacation
Xiomara Hall has a lot to be excited about. First off, she’ll pitch her sweet and zesty jerk sauce to industry execs on Lifetime’s S...
In With the New
Jiao: Home of today’s best Asian infused flavors
Oh Palm Springs. How I enjoy your warm sunny days that set behind Mt. San Jacinto, bringing chilly but pleasant evenings of people watching. Your wide expanses of desert are re...
Fish Out of Water
Fish tacos are the bomb at Morongo Casino’s newest Tex-Mex restaurant.
It’s a blustery Friday in Cabazon, but inside the Morongo Casino, busloads of Chinese have parked their asses on bar stools, inhaling a numbing anesthet...
Simple by the Mouthful
Farm Artisan Foods brings some real in-season ingredients to the table
The ceiling fans beat slowly on a Saturday at Farm Artisan Foods and the Haunted Mansion-style candelabras flicker somewhat randomly. There’s no hurry to ...
Noodles Enough
Pho Ha’s famous beef bowl is extremely comforting in cold weather
A wave of sickness has rapidly spread through the IE, infecting everyone in its wake. It has completed its course but a few weeks ago, everyone I knew seem...
Rock the Bells
Photo by Bill Gerdes
Las Campanas proves that it’s much less bland than it used to be
Who doesn’t love the Mission Inn, that hodgepodge of architecture, that pastiche of the Spanish Mission, the Asian Garden and the Pr...
Don’t Blow Your Stack
Photo by Ashley Bennett
The Original Pancake House has some sweet signature items right in the heart of Norco
In my family, we have a Fathers Day tradition of visiting The Original Pancake House in Orange at opening time (6:30...
Living in the Lap of Luxury
Photo by Nancy Powell
Taking the waters never felt as satisfying as it does on the decks of Café Sole
There is nothing like a good dose of pampering to jump start my resolve for health and wellness, and no…
Think Inside the Box
Photo by Ashley Bennett
Touché to the tray—discover flavor and variety served up nostalgically at Bento Box
It was an evening for adventure. The kind where you strive to break a monotonous food routine by trying something n...
Savory In Spain
Sevilla brings both traditional and new Spanish tapas to the table
Tapas, those wondrous bits of just about everything meant to be savored over an early afternoon, late night or really any time, are something of a tough find â€...
Where Cliché Meets Satisfaction
Photo by Ashley Bennett
Aztlan Tacos & Grill shows all the signs of a great Mexican restaurant
Let’s roll through a few great restaurant clichés: many of the best restaurants are hole-in-the-walls, some of the best ...
Cold Night, Warm Stomach
Photo by Bill Gerdes
Grazie’s in Upland has all the wine, Italian food and sports that you’ll ever need
I could start off this review by going on about how Grazie’s in Upland is a throwback Italian joint, a family-st...
Healthy in Both Body and Wallet
The Solei Bistro will make the “eat healthier” resolution of the new year easier than…a chicken wrap
Christmas is right around the corner and for the first time, I’m prepared. My shopping list is complet...
Better than the Average Bar
Drive to The Hood where you’ll discover tasty bar meals and fresh, live music
I don’t expect much in bar food. I don’t expect every dive bar to suddenly become a gastro pub. I don’t expect porcini mushrooms on my&he...
Flying High
Hangar 24’s Secret Recipe For Success
Why exactly is Ben Cook always smiling? As the owner and brew master of local Redlands brewery Hangar 24 that was recognized recently as the fastest brewery ever to reach regional status,...
Satisfying Since 1997
Photo by John Bergano
Chino’s Riverside Grill is one personally owned restaurant that lies in the heart of the city as well as its inhabitants
From humble beginnings to a bustling weekend staple, Riverside Grill in Chino has...
BBQ Covered Gem of the Desert
Meat is treated just right at this steak and BBQ joint—don’t forget the reservations!
The Saturday I went to Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, it was packed with people. Some were there to feel like they were ba...
Waffles Are The New Buns
Photo by Ashley Bennett
Bruxie reinvents the waffle and there’s no way you’ll be able to pick just one
You can eat a breakfast biscuit or dainty lemon tart in its regular form but there’s a world of differenc...
