REDLANDS: Food Truck and Brewfest event June 30

It's all about variety. Fried chicken, sushi, gourmet cupcakes, frozen yogurt and fried potatoes will all have a place at next week's Food Truck and Brewfest hosted by the city of Redlands.
This is the third and final showcase in the June is Jumpin' series of events intended to promote tourism and enliven the downtown area.

Sixteen food trucks, two wineries and one brewery plan to be present at the municipal parking lot at the Redlands Mall from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 30. Read More >>

RIVERSIDE: Evergreen Cemetery sets Front Row Fireworks event

The Evergreen Memorial Historic Cemetery’s third annual Front Row Fireworks will be held on the 4th of July in the city’s oldest cemetery, built in 1872, at the corner of 14th and Pine streets. It will run from 5 to 10 p.m. and offers the best seats in town to watch the fireworks from Mount Rubidoux.

Bring lawn chairs and picnic food to this beautiful setting for a unique way to spend the afternoon and evening. Food will also be available for purchase, including In-N-Out Burgers and Schwan’s Ice Cream. There will be plenty of activities for children, local band the Shameless Dawgs will be playing, and there will be guided walking tours of the final resting places of Riverside’s earliest “celebrities.” Full Story >>

Moreno Valley: Taste of the Valley

Moreno Valley Chamber of Commerce is hosting its 7th annual "Taste of the Valley. Event will feature over twenty local restaurants, diners, and wineries. Event Website >>

Redlands Bowl: Season begins June 22

The musical “Oliver!” provided the theme for this year's Redlands Bowl summer concert season, “Music, Glorious Music.”
Sticking with tradition, the season provides a mix of classical, jazz, folk and big band music, much of it family-friendly.
Full Story >>

Website >>

Highlights from past seasons:

CORONA: Kaiser Permanente opens certified farmer’s market

Kaiser Permanente, Corona is set to celebrate the grand opening of its certified farmer’s market on Friday, June 15, at 8:45 a.m. The market is located at the main entrance of the Corona medical office building, at 2055 Kellogg Ave., and is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Friday. Read More >>

Cool Down at Inland Water Parks

One thing about the Inland Empire that I'm not too crazy about is the heat. While we are sweltering in 90+ degree temps, the beach communities are usually enjoying temps in the mid 70's. And if you live in Oxnard, you rarely hit 80 degrees. On the plus side, we have more than just a few water parks in which to cool down. Here is a list of the largest water parks in the IE.

Castle Park / Buccaneer Cove

 

Location:
3500 Polk Street
Riverside, California 92505
(951) 785-3000 
Website: http://castlepark.com/rides_buccaneercove.html

The Cove

Location:
4310 Camino Real
Riverside, CA 92509
(951) 360-1974
Website: http://www.covewaterpark.org/

Fiesta Village

Location:
1405 E. Washington St.

Colton, CA 92324

(909) 824-1111

Website: http://www.fiestavillage.com/index.php

Fontana Park Aquatic Center

Location:
15610 Summit Ave.
Fontana, CA 92336
(909) 854-5111
Website: http://www.fontana.org/Facilities.aspx?Page=detail&RID=56

Jerry Lewis Swim Center

 

Location:
Jerry Lewis Family Swim Center
831 E. Highland Avenue
(909) 384-5419
Website: http://www.ci.san-bernardino.ca.us/cityhall/parks/aquatics_programs_n_facilities.asp

Riverside to celebrate Old-style Independence Day

Riverside Metropolitan Museum’s Heritage House invites the community to enjoy an afternoon at its 19th Annual Ice Cream Social from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 24. Each year, the Heritage House and its volunteers and docents host a day featuring free ice cream (chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, or pineapple coconut), homemade lemonade, and musical entertainment as one may have celebrated in Victorian Riverside during the 1890s. Full Story >>

IE's Top 10 BBQ Restaurants

What makes for good BBQ? Well, it takes more than a hunk of meat with BBQ sauce drizzled over the top. It takes quality wood smoked meat, patiently cooked to tender perfection. Fortunately, we have many BBQ restaurants to choose from in the Inland Empire. They range from small, family owned operations, to local and regional chains.

One of the biggest challenges for any restaurant is consistency. One day the food could be fantastic, while another day the food might be awful. Even chain restaurants can have issues with consistency.

So many things must come together for a restaurant to achieve consistency: consistent quality of ingredients, consistent skill and training of the cooks, and consistent courtesy and efficiency among the waitstaff. For that reason, I have only selected restaurants with at least 50 reviews and a rating of at least 3 stars.

What I found is that a rating of 3+ stars is a worthy achievement. However, to make it into 4 star territory is a truly Herculean task, and three restaurants managed to do just that.

The score for each restaurant is an average score based on their ratings from Yahoo, Yelp, and Zagat (where available).

10 - Gram’s Mission Bar.B.Q

In business for 25 years, Gram’s also offers Soul, Cajun and Creole dishes. 
Average Rating: 3.22 stars / 87 reviews
(951) 782-8219
3527 Main St,
Riverside, CA 92501 
Hours:
Mon-Wed 11 am - 9 pm
Thu-Sat 11 am - 3:30 am
Sun 2 pm - 8 pm 
Website: http://gramsmissionbbq.com/

9 - Mill Creek Cattle Company (Mentone)

 

Mill Creek has two locations: one in Mentone and one in Redlands. The Mentone location had the highest average score of the two. Unfortunately, at only 51 reviews, it also has the fewest number of reviews on our list.
Average Rating: 3.44 stars / 51 reviews
(909) 389-0706
1874 Mentone Blvd
Mentone, CA 92359
Website: http://www.millcreekcattlecompany.com/

8 - Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que (Rancho Cucamonga)

Lucille's is one of three chain restaurants to make the list. In addition to the standard fare, Lucille's also offers Fried Green Tomatoes and Southern Fried Okra. Nice touch!
Average Rating: 3.61 stars / 368 reviews
(909) 463-7427
12624 N Main St
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739

Hours:

Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am - 10 pm

Fri-Sat 11 am - 11 pm
Website: http://www.lucillesbbq.com/

7 - Wood Ranch BBQ and Grill (Corona)

At 580 reviews, Wood Ranch is, by far, the most reviewed restaurant on our list. That has to say something about consistency, quality, and word of mouth.
Average Rating: 3.67 stars / 580 reviews
(951) 667-4200
2785 Lakeshore Dr.
Corona, CA 92883 
Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11:30 am - 9:30 pm
Fri-Sat 11:30 am - 10:30 pm 
Website: http://www.woodranch.com/restaurants/Corona

6 - Smokey Canyon BBQ

 

Average Rating: 3.72 / 98 reviews
(951) 782-8808

5225 Canyon Crest Dr. Ste.9

Riverside, CA 92507

Hours:
Mon 11 am - 2 pm
Tue-Thu 11 am - 9 pm
Fri 11 am - 9:30 pm
Sat 11:30 am - 9:30 pm
Sun 11:30 am - 9 pm  
Website: http://www.smokeycanyon.com/

5 - Famous Dave's (Redlands)

Famous Dave's comes in at the middle of the pack at #4, and #5 on our list. The Redlands and Rancho locations share a very similar rating, indicating good consistency with this chain.
Average Rating 3.72 / 107 reviews
(909) 792-4151
27500 Lugonia Ave
Redlands, CA 92374
Website: http://www.famousdaves.com/

4 - Famous Dave's (Rancho Cucamonga)

Average Rating: 3.72 / 196 reviews
(909) 481-2271
11470 E 4th St
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
Website: http://www.famousdaves.com/

3 - Hogg's Gourmet Grill

Hogg's Gourmet Grill is the first restaurant on our list to break into that exclusive "4 Star" territory.
Average Rating: 4.11 / 186 reviews
(951) 653-1353
12625 Frederick St.,Ste E-9
Moreno Valley, CA 92553 
Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 10 am - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 10 am - 10 pm
Website: http://www.hoggsgrill.com/home.htm

2 - Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que (Chino Hills)

Lucille's occupies two spots on our list, #8 and #2. Here we have an example of a chain restaurant with vastly different score's, indicating that there is a difference in the service and quality of the food. Good job Chino Hills!
Average Rating: 4.28 / 170 reviews
(909) 597-1227
4611 Chino Hills Pky, Chino Hills, CA 91709

Hours:

Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am - 10 pm

Fri-Sat 11 am - 11 pm
Website: http://www.lucillesbbq.com/

1 - Calhoun's Texas Barbeque

 

Drum roll please... and the winner is Calhoun's Texas Barbeque by a wide margin. Calhoun's has racked up some impressive numbers, including a perfect 5 Star rating on Yelp.
Average Rating: 4.67 / 130 reviews
(951) 698-3777
24710 Washington Ave, #11
Murrieta, CA 92562
Hours:
Mon-Sat 11 am - 8 pm

Lake Perris: Watercraft racing returns

More than 150 racers will compete this Saturday (6/16/12) at the Lake Perris racing competition. The competition is sponsored by RPM Racing Enterprises. Spectators must pay the regular day use fee of $10 for entry into the park.

Event Website >>

Cycling: Just do it!

The Inland Empire is a great place to enjoy a bike ride, and cycling is a great form of exercise for all ages. Cycling elevates the heart-rate, strengthens muscle, and has a low impact on the joints. The key to really enjoying a bike ride (rather than just tolerating it), is a quality bicycle. That's true whether you're a cycling enthusiast, or just a casual rider like me.

So what is a quality cycle and where can you find one? Unfortunately, a quality ride can't be found at your local Wal-Mart or Target for $150 bucks. I have nothing against Wal-Mart or Target mind you. I shop there all the time. But, when it comes to cycling equipment, you'll be better served by an independent bike shop.

Do yourself a favor and visit (and test ride) a quality bike at a quality bike shop. If you have never ridden a decent bicycle, you'll be amazed at the difference. For every stroke of the pedal, you'll feel like you've taken two. Also, with the light-weight components you'll barely even notice the weight of the bike.

Now I know what you're thinking, because I also bristled when someone first told me that my $120 Wal-Mart special was was a poor excuse for a bicycle. Nevertheless, I reluctantly took their advice. The difference was like night and day, and I was hooked. I gave away my Wal-Mart special and never rode it again.

Last word, don't be intimidated by the hefty price tags you'll see at independent cycle shops. Although they sell bikes ranging from several hundred to several thousand dollars, if you're a casual rider like me, you can find a quality bike for a few hundred dollars. Many cycle shops sell very affordable used bikes as well. In fact, I bought my bike used over twenty-years ago, and it's still a great ride.

Related articles

• Inland Bicycle Trails
• Cyclery USA

Peter Pan

Peter Pan, Fox Theater, Riverside
Friday, June 29, 2012 - Sunday, July 1, 2012


Cathy Rigby reprises her Emmy award-winning role as the fantastical boy who wouldn't grow up, in a brand new production on its national 2011/2012 tour. Coming to the Fox for four performances. Website>>