Dining, Arts & Entertainment

Hello comedy lovers!  We have another killer month of March booked for you at J.R.’s comedy club.  We start on March 2 and 3 with Tracey MacDonald who was a grand prizewinner on Star Search, and has appeared on Comic’s Unleashed.  She is clever and self deprecating and hilarious.
On March 9 and 10 we have a very special event with Bobby Collins. 

Newhall is rich with culture, most would never know.  The town’s inception came with the railroad, back in the 1870s, around the time gold was first discovered in California!  That’s right!  Gold was first discovered in Placerita Canyon.  This lead to the rapid development of the Newhall area.  Main Street (now Railroad Avenue) was a thriving western town, stacked with hotels, trading posts and saloons. 

Santa Clarita Valley volunteers anxiously await to find out who will be the 2012 Man and Woman of the Year. The nominations for the SCV Man of the Year are:  Steve Kilker, Tom Dierckman, Steve Sturgeon, Gary Choppe, John Lutz, Jim Lentini and Bill Lively.

The Second Annual Santa Clarita WineFest takes place March 3, at the Bridgeport Marketplace in Valencia.  Over 300 wines, brews, spirits will be poured along with food, and exclusive classes being led by world-class instructors.  The one-day event benefits local charity the Michael Hoefflin Foundation and has already garnered generous support from the local community.

Experience the tastes of Italy at Italia Panetteria & Deli.  With their freshly baked breads made on the premises daily, imported cold cuts, fresh salads, hot entrees, and desserts, you won’t be disappointed.
Italia Panetteria & Deli is a family-owned authentic Italian deli and bakery. 

The City of Santa Clarita is showcasing artwork submitted by local and regional artists as part of the Black and White exhibit, located in the First Floor Gallery at City Hall.  The exhibit is available to view until Friday, April 13.  The community is invited to enjoy this exhibit.
The exhibit displays black and white artwork of various subjects and styles including: traditional, contemporary, abstract, surreal and conceptual art.  

Kick off the Super Bowl early with former Green Bay Packer and NFL coach and scout, Boyd Dowler. Dowler, whose 11 seasons as a Lombardi Packer included three world championships, two Super Bowls, NFL Rookie of the Year and NFL’s All-Decade team of the 1960’s, will share practical leadership lessons learned from world-renowned coach Vince Lombardi and his experiences in the NFL.

Hello comedy fans!  February means we are celebrating Valentine’s Day again at J.R.’s.  This year we have outdone ourselves with a very special three-headliner show.  We will have James P. Connelly, who is a favorite on Sirius XM radio and on KLOS.  For the female point of view, we have the very funny Bernadette Pauley, and to top it off we have club favorite, Don McMillan.  Don is the hi-tech comedian, the only comedian working in power point.  We will have a very special dinner, champagne toast, and a rose for the ladies. All of this is just $79 per couple.  Dinner will be from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and the show will start at 8 p.m.  Make plans now.

The flavors of the Middle East are rich in history and tradition.  Foods that have been daily staples in this part of the world have been gaining in popularity in other parts of the world over the last decade or so.
In particular, Persian cuisine has long been rich in vegetables, fruits and herbs that have recently been gaining appreciation for their health benefits.  For example, onions and garlic, pomegranate, and sabzijat (various green herbs) foods that have been have regular ingredients in many Persian dishes for generations are now widely being appreciated for their nutritional value.

I am very happy to say, as we move into our second year, that the loyalty and support of our regular guests has made MIXERS the success that our dedicated staff has worked so hard to develop.  We feel that it’s only fair that we give back to the many adventurous people that were willing to explore our menu and try something new.   So, in honor of Santa Clarita’s population of foodies, beer geeks, winos and all around culinary thrill seekers, we present our exclusive members club! Once you join this unique group, you will enjoy a very long list of “members only” perks, such as; half price wine bottles, complimentary champagne and fresh strawberries, discount beer from one of our signature “Draft Tables”, special “Off Menu” items, private dinner parties, discount special event tickets… the list goes on and on!

Fillmore & Western Railway provides a nostalgic trip back in time for those who fondly remember the early days of rail travel and for those who just love trains.  Besides being the location of many feature films and television productions, the trains are the setting for daytime excursions, weekday group tour trains, murder mystery dinners, and a themed train ride for nearly every holiday.  The vintage 1930’s and 1940’s coach and dining cars have been restored to their original décor.

Get ready for a day of fine wines, spirits, brews, food, classes and live music, as the WineFest returns to Santa Clarita on Saturday, March 3 at the beautiful Bridgeport  Marketplace in Valencia.  This exciting one-day event will return for the second year in a row, all to benefit the Michael Hoefflin Foundation.
Owner/CEO and founder, Joel M. Fisher, PhD, created the L.A. WineFest in 2006 and brought it to Santa Clarita in 2010 and  last year’s event had over 1,000 in attendance.  

Formerly called Pho Nga, the new management renamed this conveniently located restaurant Pho Viet.  Serving authentic and delicious home style Vietnamese food.  Come try the different variations of pho noodles, such as the traditional beef pho, chicken pho, or meatball pho.  Pho Viet also serves combination rice dishes, vermicelli, egg and spring rools, as well as some specialty menu items.  For example, the “pho ap chao” dish takes pho noodles, deep frying them with eggs and serving it with a large plate of cooked vegetables, seafood, and beef.  In addition to our entrees, Pho Viet also serves Thai tea boba and various fruit boba smoothies.

OMG… I cannot believe this happened to me again.  Before I explain what happened, I want to tell you that I have finally ended all contact with Internet dating sites.  I am sure this works for some people, but I had found out over time that it just was not for me.  Lately every time I saw a dating site commercial, I would start laughing out loud, “sarcastically.”  I mean really, showing an actual first date with two actors is pretty funny.  Seriously though every time I went online I saw the same people.  It seemed nothing changed, and after this last date of mine, I decided to cut the cord for good.  From now on if I happen to run into someone who looks interesting, I will just suck it up and ask her out.

The City of Santa Clarita is proud to announce that former technology services employee Ryan Resella is the winner of a national competition to develop a cell phone application to help Americans access government services.  
Resella was one of 75 applicants from across the country to participate in the “Applications for Communities” challenge hosted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).  His award-winning cell phone application was selected because of its ability to help low-income or underserved residents connect to government services.  

So here we are, another year has just disappeared.  Am I the only one who thinks time is going faster?  I want to slow it down for a moment and thank everyone who has read my articles, and of course the ones that took the time to email me.  I have enjoyed reading all the responses, good and bad.  The year did not end the way I had hoped. 

Egg Plantation is Recognized for Eggs-tensive Sustainability Efforts. The California Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery recognized Egg Plantation in Old Town Newhall as one of the winners of the Waste Reduction Awards Program (WRAP) for outstanding environmental business practices.

Hello Comedy Fans!
J.R.’s Comedy Club just celebrated our 14th year anniversary.  Diana, Emil, and I have been working hard to bring something special to you every weekend.  We hope 2012 will bring you lots of laughter and prosperity.  We are going to start off the year with our two incredible New Year’s Eve shows, which have sold out every year.