Dining, Arts & Entertainment

From the gorgeous murals on the walls, to the authentic aromas that fill the air, you can’t help but experience all the flavors of Mexico at Margaritas Mexican Grill.  As I walked into the family-owned restaurant, I was immediately greeted with a smile from the friendly staff.  The atmosphere was warm and inviting, and a perfect place to dine.

The Princess Cruises Community Foundation donated $15,000 to Single Mothers Outreach of Santa Clarita (SMO) to help single parent families during the holiday season. Employees of Princess Cruises in Valencia purchased gifts for the selected families and gathered for a gift-wrapping party. The presents were then given to 100 local families during a holiday celebration.

You can go to Sisley to experience exciting new menu options, more of the fish you love, and new ways to choose your favorite meals, including small plates, plus an expanded breakfast/brunch menu, and more.  All at their best prices in years.
In addition to the exciting happy hour and fresh new dish options, Sisley has expanded to include even more glutton-free options.  Some of your favorite specials have been added to the menu, and the highest quality meat choices will be there to enjoy daily.

The Fillmore & Western Railway is a working railroad, privately owned and is a collection of lovingly restored dining cars, flat cars, dance cars, a gift shop inside a boxcar, cabooses, and a variety of diesel engines.  Excursion trains operate year-round with weekly three hour excursions each weekend that travel through the Ventura County landscape of orange, lemon and avocado orchards. 

As I sit here reminiscing about this past year, I could not believe it, I am still single!  I have been blessed to be able to date some very nice women out here, and to also write about some of my exploits in my column.  I am very thankful for this opportunity.  So what did I learn this year?  One thing is that in this family community, there are a lot more singles out there than I ever imagined. 

Perfect Mate Wish List
The New Year is upon us and with it, our list of resolutions.  Can we put “Find Soul Mate” on that list?
About a year ago I read an article about finding one’s Soul Mate.  There was a twist to the traditional views regarding how to go about it.  The author believed that if you put your desires on paper, listing every quality you wanted in your Perfect Mate, then took that list and put it away somewhere safe, the powers that monitor this stuff out in the universe would fulfill your wish. 

After five successful years of the LA Winefest in Hollywood, founder Joel M. Fisher, PhD is now moving the wine fun to the Santa Clarita Valley.  On February 12, 2011 local wine lovers will meet at the Embassy Suites in Valencia, CA to sample some of the best local food and wine from Sonoma to Temecula.

Happy New Year everyone.  I hope this issue arrived in time for you to make last minute reservations to one of our legendary New Year’s Eve Comedy shows.  We have two shows at J.R.’s Comedy Club in Valencia.  This will be our 13th year.  We have on show at LeChene in Agua Dulce, where we have brought a show the last six years.  We also have two shows at Headliners Comedy Club at Fiamme in Thousand Oaks, and two at Ventura Harbor Comedy Club.  We are starting off 2011 with a bang!

For those of you that missed it, the book launch party on Saturday, December 4 for the first in The Truth Helps Financial Planning Series: How to Have a Successful Financial Planning Experience, by Jerry R. Citarella, was truly amazing. With over 220 people in attendance and a line of people at the book signing table, the event featured top notch entertainment and dancing with plenty of delicious food. You may have even seen the searchlight in the sky! But more importantly, over $2,000 was raised for two local charities: the SCV Youth Project and the American Cancer Society/SCV Relay for Life!

If you haven’t tried one of our yummy cupcakes yet, make 2011 the year that you do.  All of our cupcakes are baked from scratch in our Santa Clarita bakeshop using only the finest, high-quality fresh ingredients.
We offer a variety of traditional, unique and seasonal flavors to satisfy every sweet tooth.  Our traditional flavors include the widely popular Nothing but Chocolate, moist Vanilla and our signature Red Velvet cupcakes.  For the more dramatic taste bud, we offer flavors such as Pistachio, Margarita, Key Lime, Champagne and 50/50 (the irresistible blend of vanilla and orange).

My name is Dawn Walker and I’m the owner of Dawn’s Dinners, Inc.  Here are some of the most common questions I get asked.  Did you go to culinary school?  Yes, I went to Westlake Culinary Academy in Westlake Village, CA.
Why don’t you work in a restaurant?  I have four daughters who all live at home.  I want to work when they are in school and spend time with them when they are home.  Generally, the restaurant industry thrives evenings, weekends and holidays - all time I need to be with my family.  

Maru Sushi will be going through a lot of changes in the upcoming year, one of which will be the addition of a nice television for your viewing pleasure.  As with all things we do, it will only be the best.  It will be on for major sporting events, so that all-important game can be enjoyed over a nice steak or sushi.

It’s not often both editors get to attend a restaurant review so when the opportunity arose this month with Origami Burger & Bar,  both Stephanie’s jumped at it.  With Origami’s long standing reputation of superior service and excellent food we new that the meal would be a deleicious treat, but I had no idea how good it was... seriously!
Our evening was hosted by Origami Manager Shane, whose extensive knowledge and gracious service surpassed any expectations I had to begin with. 

Belgium: Belgians have a festival especially dedicated to children; which is Saint Nicholas (Sinter Klaas) on December 6. The Great Patron of Schoolboys, who is supposed to bring candies in their shoes, brings in fact toys by the thousands to our children.
France: Christmas is dedicated to children. The streets and the houses are decorated several weeks in advance. French people have lots of Christmas customs: Christmas Markets, the Christmas tree, the Christmas Dinner, Christmas gifts, stories, songs, Christmas turkey, The Christmas Crib, the Yule Log, and so on. In Alsace, however, Saint Nicholas predominates on Santa Claus.

Fillmore & Western Railway Co. hosts Santa Claus aboard their variety of Holiday Trains beginning the Saturday after Thanksgiving, November 27.  The vintage train departs and returns to the quaint little town of Fillmore, in East Ventura County, only 20 minutes West of Six Flags Magic Mountain.  Bring the family and start your holiday season aboard the Christmas Tree Trains, where you ride to a private Christmas Tree Farm, search for the perfect tree, cut it down and then transport it back to town on a flatcar.

I cannot confirm this but I suspect that many folks eat fast food or dine out often.  We all know the hazards of eating fast food but there might be a misconception that the food you eat at “chain” type restaurants is better than fast food.
Let’s talk about salads, which most people assume are the most healthy menu items you can order. 

It was the early 90s and the world had just survived what was the crazy 80s.  Mesmerized by the idea of different cultures, Roza Hamzei left her country to study life, art, language and love in Perugia, the artistic center of central Italy.  While in school, Roza worked hard in a few family-run restaurants and began to fall in love with the Italy she dreamt of in her childhood.  What began as a quest for enrichment turned to a fire for food.  Her passions for love, family and authenticity were awakened again and again by the aromas of the Italian coast.  She began tasting… and cooking everything from central Italy and then Northern Italy, Sicilia and Napoli as well.

The work of five young artists from Child & Family Center of Santa Clarita Valley was featured in a free art showcase sponsored by the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health to celebrate its 50 years of providing services in the Santa Clarita and San Fernando Valleys.
The showcase featured the work of artists who have benefited from local mental health services.