Week 4 – Adventures in Dining Out…

We love eating out and, like most people, we visit a lot of chain restaurants like Red Robin, Red Lobster (some study must have shown that using the word “red” in a name is a good thing), Lucille’s, Buca di Beppo, Lone Star, CPK, Panera and, my favorites, PF Chang (& Pei Wei). And that’s not even going into the fast food chains we frequent, Taco Bell, El Pollo Loco, Wendy’s and McDonalds (for ice cream cones). One thing I can think of about these places is they’re good but not really great or outstanding. But you know what to expect—the food and service is predictable.

But, our family likes to be adventure eaters – and for us, that means many things like buying pretty much anything from street vendors and food trucks -- Mexican fruit ice bars, tacos, barbeque as well as having food and drink challenges at family get togethers (the more disgusting, the better). Part of our adventures in dining means trying as many locally owned places/joints as we can. With that, we’ve come upon a few great one of a kind restaurants and a lot more of just “ehh, OK” places, and, well, some pretty bad stuff too. With locally owned restaurants, you know how it goes -- sometimes ya win, sometimes ya lose.

So, when April and Wes invited John and me to meet them at the Avocado House on Central Avenue in Chino, of course we said, “sure, why not?” And, oooh baby, am I’m ever glad we did! I can't say enough about how great the breakfast at this place is!

The Breakfast Taco

The Cinnamon Swirl French Toast

They were both perfect (we ordered both and split them). Really, the cinnamon swirl French toast is a cinnamon roll cut in half and made into French toast....
They serve it with absolutely "out of this world" homemade caramel sauce (and maple syrup).

It was the first time in years that I had to just stop thinking about anything and just concentrate on and savor the absolutely awesome taste phenomenon happening in my mouth. This was definitely a meal I'll remember the rest of my life. (The first time is always the best!)

Relaxing on the porch It was another gorgeous January morning -- what we love about So Cal
Baby Peyton and Me

We took a little walk around the back yard after breakfast.
We looked at the strawberry field behind the house and rabbits in a hutch.

John and I even enjoyed a nice time in the tree swing while we waited for April and Wes.

I totally recommend this place for a delicious breakfast.
I can’t wait to go back and try their lunch offerings!

http://theavocadohouse.blogspot.com/2009/02/now-open.html

So, later that same Saturday night, we headed out to Redlands with Heidi and Ned to try the new Café Rio that just opened up out there. You'll see I'm still wearing the same blouse (just donned a sweater over it)

Café Rio is a chain now, but I fell in love with the original restaurant in St. George back when it was a one of a kind local joint. So, its expanded to maybe 15+ locations but the food still tastes as good as it did 12+ years ago when we got to eat it only in St. George.

OK, so the food there is phenomenal – I love the chicken tacos and anything that has the pork barbacoa in it – tacos, salads, whatever. But the most fun thing about eating at Café Rio is people watching and specifically -- Mormon watching. So, yeah, we’re Mormons and that’s why we’re so good at spotting others of the species. We play a spotting game at Disneyland where we accumulate a point for every group of Mormons we spot – it’s pretty easy to pick ‘em too -- a big family is the first tip off. Here are a few tips on Mormon spotting.

You look for cute young Moms & Dads with 2, 3 or more kids (like Heidi and Ned); Mormon women dress “modestly” and often layer their tops – so you’ll see tee shirts with camisoles or other tee shirts underneath. We generally hang out in groups -- lots of extended families --sisters, aunts, grandmas, & friends. You’ll generally won't see a lot of tank tops, short shorts, skirts or tattoos; and the women almost always wear make-up and look like they get "ready" to go out. And, if they're like me and from Utah, they're drinking "pop" not soda.

And, yep, we're a pretty cheerful bunch as a rule. President Howard W. Hunter said, "Knowing what we know, and living as we are supposed to live, we really have no place, no excuse for pessimism and despair." So, yeah, I guess my family and I are pretty typcal Mormons.

There’s an LDS temple in Redlands, so when you see women in dresses or skirts and men in white shirts and ties, that’s a dead giveaway. Last Saturday night, we ran into 3 couples we know from Ontario headed to the temple and President and Sister Reeves of the Riverside Mission. Cafe Rio is just off the Alabama exit in the Target Shopping Center north of the 10 freeway.

http://www.caferio.com/

Now, my eating adventures for the week aren’t done -- this week, Danny and Sarah took John and me to see “The Sound of Music” at the Landis Auditorium in Riverside. Before the 2:00 matinee, we met at Tio’s Tacos on Mission Boulevard for lunch. Now, the food there is just fine -- pretty typical So Cal Baja-style Mexican fare.

Check out the fresh juice bar.

But the thing you’ve got to come to Tio’s Tacos for is the CRAZY ART! It’s hard to describe the large yard there– somebody said it was like Fred Sanford meets Disneyland. This huge double or triple lot is filled with crazy stuff which is hard to describe – I guess I’d call it Mexican American Recycled Folk Art.

There are several buildings made out of bottles

There's a mini Catholic chapel (complete with ceiling frescoes, pews, and an alter with candles)

There's a fun creepy factor here --
this overall-wearing dead guy doll in a glass coffin was near the alter.

And this "anaconda-wrapped figure hangin' in the tree

A creature made of hundreds of naked Barbie dolls,
lots of human and robot forms shaped from paper mache

Luche Libre-style wrestlers & chicken wire filled with toys, bottles, shoes, sea shells, and pretty much anything you can imagine.

The patios are covered with a crazy mosaics – I liked the walk of fame tribute to the human rights heroes…

Abraham Lincoln’s name was right by Poncho Villa’s - interesting combination.
Anyway, when you’ve got a little time to wander and enjoy the prolific fruit of one very creative man’s imagination and talent, come on over to Mission Boulevard (just east of Market Street) and enjoy a nice little meal to go along with your very alternative art experience.

Happy Eating!