IF DECEMBER... is the time of year for the most traditional foodstuffs in our lives -- the cookies we've baked, without fail, for the last two decades, the same pot roast the whole family asks for, the pie recipe we know by heart -- then January is the month for adventurous eating, for new horizons, for fresh starts that encompass our food-focused interests. It's the ideal stretch for California Restaurant Month, and for all of the city- and county- and regional Restaurant Months that fall within the 31-day, state-big stretch. Temecula Valley celebrates its local eateries during that time period, and the robust, variety-impressive roster gives a peek, and a taste, inside some of the area's biggest names, winery and otherwise.
THE ROSTER INCLUDES... Baily's Old Town Temecula, which is offering a chicken schnitzel for fifteen dollars at lunch and baby back ribs for twenty bucks at dinner time; The Broken Yolk Cafe, which is doing a minute steak & eggs at breakfast for a fiver; and Creekside Grille at Wilson Creek (think signature sandwiches and salads, plus chocolate lava cake, for fifteen dollars).
NEED A REASON TO GO VALLEY? In addition to taking in a few fresh eating spots during January? Probably not, right? When paired with wine tasting, it feels like a fine Saturday road trip. But if you want to burnish your Temecula Valley itinerary a little further, there's a calendar to consult. As for wine tours and tastings, make your sip-worthy start here (and get to talking about all of the tasty deals you'll score during Restaurant Month while planning away).
