Dining, Arts & Entertainment

Who knew that while dining at Numero Uno Pizza in Valencia as a young boy, Danny would eventually own the restaurant and bring his own family?   
Bringing 20 years of experience to the table, owner Danny is pleased to provide the best pizza in town in a casual and fun dining location.  Bring the family, bring your friends and enjoy a fun afternoon or evening at Numero Uno Pizza.  

Homayoun and Mandana Daryani owners of Persia Restaurant and Mom & Pop’s Market have dedicated their skills and time to serve Santa Clarita Valley for over eight years.  This little Market carries more than what you can imagine.  From Middle-Eastern groceries to fresh produce and hard to find fresh herbs and dried herbs to freshly ground Armenian Coffee, Halal Deli meats, Italian cold cut and Feta chesses with a variety of cookies, fresh pastries, bulk nuts and seeds. 

Norooz indicates the first day of Spring and the start of a new Persian year.  This is normally on the 21 of March.  This year Norooz is on March 20.  This holiday has been seen recorded in Persian records as early as the second century A.D.  A huge part of this holiday is also the “Haft Seen” or the Seven S’s.  The Haft Seen consists of Sabzeh (grass), Sekkeh (coins), Samanu (a special pudding), Senjed (a dried tree fruit), seer (garlic), serkeh (vinegar), Seeb (apples), and sumac.

I have had a few girlfriends in my life, but not until after my divorce have I encountered what I am going to share.  It actually started a couple years ago.  I started dating this very nice “fortyish” lady.  We hit it off right away.  Our first date was great; yes a coffee date that lasted a couple hours.  There was even a quick kiss when it ended.  Things were looking good.  We talked and texted daily and went out every weekend for a month.  Everything was perfect; okay here it comes, except for one little thing.  It happened on our fifth date. 

My memory of dating in my 20s is that I had so much in common with so many more men than I do now.  Maybe it’s because I was still trying to define myself, my interests, my priorities, etc. and everything was a possibility.  Lately, however, I’m feeling more defined, more empowered than ever, and less willing to give up my accomplishments for “True Love,”
I “met” a man online last month.  I use the term “met” loosely, because it’s just as unclear to me as the term my friend uses when speaking to a new man on the phone.  She calls it a phone date.  Again, we would need to define the term “date”, but in my view, arranging to speak on the phone wouldn’t qualify.

Come visit one of Santa Clarita Valley’s favorite eateries-Zapp Simply Asian.  Located in the heart of Valencia, Zapp is one of the newest and coolest Asian cuisines.  A favorite among locals, its colorful, contemporary and vibrant atmosphere coupled with delicious Southeast Asian cuisines makes Zapp Simply Asian, the happening place to be. 

According to Real Simple Magazine, February 2011 issue, these are the 30 most healthiest foods: skim milk, mushrooms, whole-grain pasta, walnuts, peanut and almond butters, oatmeal, barley, quinoa, lentils, bulgur, almonds, eggs, nonfat Greek yogurt, chicken breasts, wild salmon, sardines, kale, kiwi, blueberries, broccoli, avocados, black beans, sweet potatoes, extra-virgin olive oil, edamame, chard, kidney beans, oranges, spinach and pumpkin.
When I first tried Weight Watchers, it was back in 1992.  If I remember correctly, probably three-fourths of this list would have been prohibited on WW back then.  It was all about eliminating fat.

Forever Geisha Japanese Fusion Restaurant boasts all the delights of cultural Japanese cuisine as well as new and exciting dishes that will keep you palette singing praises for days.  Somewhat familiar with Forever Geisha, I was especially looking forward to this particular review to see what new items they had in store for me.  Beginning with something I truly enjoy, the Miso Soup was bursting with flavor… and tons of fluffy tofu, which I simply love!  Warm and delightful, this was the perfect way to begin my dining experience.

Hey Everyone!  We here at J.R.’s Comedy Club are off to a furious start to the new year.  We always love the month of February because it means we get to bring you our fabulous Valentine shows.
We start the month on February 4 and 5 with Peter Berman, who has his own special in heavy rotation on Comedy Central.  Peter does some hilarious observational comedy material that is uniquely his own.  Also appearing with Peter is Dana Eagle, who was just featured on Last Comic Standing, and on The Craig Ferguson Show.

The perfect date that almost was.
Let me start by asking if you are familiar with the saying, “This never happens to me.”  Well that’s how I felt until just recently.  It was a cold day in January.  I had just finished a long day at work and decided to pick up a few things at the store on my way home.  Little did I realize what was about to happen? 

This past October, I turned 50.  There.  I’ve said it out loud.  Fifty.  I can’t tell you what a relief it was to finally be 50.  For the last five years, when asked my age, I would reply with a countdown to 50.  “How old are you?”  “I’ll be 50 in five years… I’ll be 50 in a year… I’ll be 50 in a few months.”  I stopped stating my exact age.  Now, however, I’m relieved of the burden of the mathematical conundrum and, consequently, life has become more enjoyable.
It’s not that I’ve ever dreaded 50.  I’m very lucky to state that I have never been an adult age I didn’t love.  I love being 50.  I mean, really, what’s the alternative?  I’m guessing – dead.  Fifty, regardless of the societal implications for a woman, is far more preferable than dead.

Your favorite neighborhood restaurant has taken big steps to ensure this is not only a new year, but our best to date.  We’ve continued our popular kids eat free program, from Sunday to Wednesday with the purchase of an adult entrée.  Much needed break after work – our happy hour drink and menu specials are the perfect reward.

Spring is just around the corner and it’s time for every one to mark their calendars to attend Santa Clarita’s perfect combination of fun and fundraising, Child & Family Center’s Taste of the Town on Sunday, May 1 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.  Now in its 23rd year, this annual community highlight was recently voted “Best Charity Event in the SCV” by a poll of local residents.
As everyone who has attended will agree, Child & Family Center’s Taste of the Town is all about “Food, Glorious Food”.  This year’s event, presented by Bank of Santa Clarita and Aquafine Corporation, will again feature over 30 of Santa Clarita’s finest restaurants, caterers, wine and ale purveyors, all offering samples of their finest in the beautiful garden setting of Mann Biomedical Park.

The Santa Clarita City Council unanimously agreed to join the Inland Library Network, a collaboration of eight independent library systems totaling 76 branches, allowing for over one million unique titles to be available to Santa Clarita library visitors.
The member library systems of the Inland Library Network share a library catalog of library materials including books, audio books, music CD’s and DVD’s.
By joining the Inland Library Network, Santa Clarita Public Library patrons will be able to search for and borrow library materials from all of the catalogs of the Inland Library Network member libraries.  Items selected will be available for pickup at Santa Clarita’s three city libraries.

On my recent trip to New York City, I passed over some very delectable treats.  Loving food as much as I do, you are probably wondering how this would happen.  New York City Health Code Section 81.50 requires covered food service establishments that hold New York City Health Department permits to post calorie information prominently on menu boards and menus.
Fast forward two months and a trip with the kids to Target.  Sure enough, in their food court, the calories are posted on their menu items.  The California menu labeling bill (SB 1420) applies to fast food and other chain restaurants having 20 or more outlets in California and took effect on January 1, 2011. 

February is the best month to watch romantic movies with your sweetheart. However, I believe some of the best love stories often slip by unnoticed. This lover’s season, be sure to give these not-so-popular movies a chance. You and your special someone will be glad you did!
People often overlook the British romantic comedy, Love Actually. The gushy flick directed by Richard Curtis includes actors like Hugh Grant, Keira Knightly, and Emma Thompson. It’s an interrelated mix about eight different couples getting by during the holiday season in London, England. Along with the lovely accents, the flick will have you smiling the whole way through. So grab your honey because, believe it or not, Love Actually is the perfect movie for Valentines Day.

After many years of working in the corporate world, we decided to take the plunge and do something fun… something that we could bring to our community that everyone will love and something that our community needed.  It was scary, but we knew we had to try.  We have had great success since the store opened just five months ago.
Cupcakes are the “it” for birthday parties, weddings, showers, bar/bat mitzvahs, corporate events and more! 

Up to this point, The Poached Pair has been a strictly catering bakery, making deliveries all over the Santa Clarita Valley and even as far as San Francisco.  But we are excited to announce the impending opening of our flagship store in Downtown Newhall early this year!
As a pair, we are lovers of great food. We prefer simple food done right - fresh, flavorful, and made with care!  We specialize in scones, cookies, cupcakes, and more, all of which are baked fresh from scratch each day.  Our scones are something special—buttery, flakey, and perfectly moist.