View this post on Instagram A post shared by Frank La (@flaless) Earlier this month, the 2024 National Championship competitions for the U.S. Barista, U.S. Brewers Cup and U.S. Cup Tasters were held March 15 – 17 at Klatch Coffee’s new warehouse facility in Rancho Cucamonga.  Competitors from around the country showed off major skills in craft, presentation and taste. Frank La of Be Bright Coffee, with its brick-and-mortar location on Melrose Avenue, was crowned the 2024 U.S. Barista Champion. La wowed the judges with presentations on espresso, milk and a signature beverage-making ..read more

It’s time to indulge in special menus and dishes offered by some of Santa Clarita’s best eateries, during SCV Restaurant Week, from Jan. 26 – Feb. 2. It’s a great excuse to try new restaurants or dishes for a good cause, too. (More on that later.) More than two dozen restaurants are participating in the week, and some of the more tempting menus include the $25 three-course dinner at D&D FireArt Chinese Cuisine. Choose from kung pao chicken, beef with scallions and shimp and eggplant with a chicken salad as a starter, and fried cheesecake for dessert. Maginn’s Irish Pub has an awesome three ..read more

The salad and sandwich eatery Mendocino Farms opens its 23rd location in L.A. County on Jan. 23 — right here in the SCV. Located at 24250 Valencia Blvd. in the Valencia Crossroads shopping center, Mendo (as its referred to by fans) takes over the space left vacant by Pei Wei Asian Kitchen. The fast-casual concept is dedicated to sourcing ingredients from local farms, food artisans and vendors when possible, leaving out added hormones, artificial sweeteners, food dyes or artificial flavors from their foods. The introduction of Mendocino Farms gives us another option close to home for elevated s ..read more

Philz CoffeeJacob’s Wonderland with medium cream (almost finished)Philz used to be an old SbuxPhilz’s menuHow to order at Philz If you haven’t heard, there’s a new coffee purveyor in town, Philz Coffee, located in the Valencia Crossroads marketplace at the corner of Valencia and McBean. Philz has been around since 2003, launching in the San Francisco area before expanding further in California and Chicago. Now it’s come to Valencia, which gives local java-holics another option. But before you head to Philz, here’s a quick primer if you’ve never been before. If you want an almond latte or doub ..read more

The new Southern biscuit concept Pa’s Biscuitisserie pops up for six days in August at Coucou in Venice beginning tomorrow, Sunday, Aug. 6. Nick Westbook cooks up Georgia-style “drop biscuits” made using specific soft winter wheat from Kentucky. He’s spent years trying to perfect his grandfather’s (Pa’s) biscuit recipe, in which there’s minimal mixing of the batter, which is then dropped on the pan to cook. Westbrook honors his Southern roots through the biscuits, and we get a chance to taste them right out of the oven. At the pop-up, the biscuits are the main attraction and are serv ..read more

We’re huge fans of Café Ficelle in Ventura, and we went back last week and wanted to try something new. We spied a brick of bread in the case — pain du matin (roughly pronounced pan doo matan) — which translates to “morning bread.” Ficelle’s bread is closer to a brioche, slightly sweet, made even sweeter by a drizzle of a sugar glaze on top. It’s around $7, but it’s perfect for sharing. Add a cappuccino, some fruit, et voilà — a simple but tasty breakfast.   Pain Du Matin at Café Ficelle 390 South Mills Rd. Suite B, Ventura, CA 93003 2024 Ventura Blvd. Unit 110, Camarillo, CA 93010 ..read more

Netflix Bites is a limited-time pop-up restaurant in Los Angeles that brings chefs’ dishes and foods from the small screen to our stomachs. Now open at the Short Stories Hotel (which used to be the Farmer’s Daughter Hotel near The Original Farmers Market on Fairfax), guests can taste dishes created by several Netflix chefs, including Curtis Stone, Ming Tsai, Dominique Crenn and Andrew Zimmern. We had the good fortune of attending Netflix Bites’ preview night last week, indulging in hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and a sit-down dinner that showcased a sampling of dishes from each of the chefs. Despi ..read more

SCVFoodie visited Boston last week for a college reunion, and I was pleasantly suprised by the area’s number of great eateries over my long weekend. It’s a long way from the SCV, yes, but definitely worth the writeup. No matter where I stopped, I wasn’t disappointed. Two reasons probably accounted for the tasty adventures: 1) Friends stayed in Boston after graduation and know the food scene and where to go; 2) It helps that we’re not on college budgets anymore. Here’s a chronological travelogue of eating adventures, and I recommend these places if you find yourself around Beantown in the near ..read more

The Breakfast Pizza is also a great lunch option. | Photo: Christine N. Ziemba The Daily Harvest Cafe & Juicery in Newhall has been a go-to breakfast and lunch spot for many since its doors opened in 2015. Known for its cold-pressed raw juices — made in-house with organic ingredients — the cafe changes its food menus to include seasonal produce and other items. One staple that hasn’t changed on the menu is the Breakfast Pizza ($13), which we had for lunch on Friday. It’s a simple dish that includes two baked sunny side up eggs, breakfast potatoes, green onions and basil on a flatbread with ..read more

Citrus and other fruits/snacks at Francisco’s Fruit Stand. It’s citrus season, and Francisco’s Fruit Stand along SR 126 is worth the 25-30 minute drive from Santa Clarita to pick up oranges, especially in bulk. The Navel oranges are currently 89 cents a pound, with boxes of bulk oranges even available for less. Our favorite varietals — the Cara Cara oranges — were also available for 89 cents a pound. Unfortunately, the pink juicy oranges short season has just ended. Compare those prices to the grocery store, where a Navel (no matter the size) runs about 75 cents each or higher. At local farmer ..read more