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Downtown Riverside is home to a few ambitious restaurants, along with the familiar chains. The college town of Claremont has creative contemporary and ethnic fare. Innovative cuisine has become the norm in Temecula, especially at winery restaurants, some of whose chefs specialize in farm-to-table cuisine. The options are more limited in the smaller mountain communities; typically, each town supports a single upscale restaurant, along with fast-food outlets, steak-and-potatoes family spots, and perhaps an Italian or Mexican eatery. Universally, dining out is casual.
A favorite of college students and their visiting parents, this storefront dining room has a warm and cozy feel and menu choices that include long-bone pork chops, osso buco, and pan-roasted salmon with blood-orange rosemary sauce. Bruschetta, fried calamari, truffle arancini, and other small plates, some seasonal, always entice.
The clientele is as beautiful as the food at this intimate jazz and supper club across the street from the Mission Inn. The northern Italian cuisine is first-rate—try the penne rigate with oxtail ragù followed by the orange blossom–water panna cotta for dessert. On the last weekend of the month, jazz groups play on Friday and Saturday night.
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