• Restaurant Chatter

First up is the unexpected closing of D'Canters. They've been around for years, and were practically an institution.

The lettering had been scrapped off the entry door and window.

It had a full bar and it was one of the few places that live music could be heard in town. I'd only eaten there a handful of times over the years, but had been there for other functions. 

If you look closely at the top of the image, you can see where it had said D'Canters.

I remember the 2014 election watch being held there, along with the Rotary meetings before they were moved to the Elks Lodge last year. The radio program Chords and Vines broadcast from there before too.

I checked online and over at Yelp this recent review was left.
When I went over to their website there was an "under construction" image.

I didn't hear the reason, though there was a bit of talk on social media. Still, most times that a popular business goes under, it's a money/management issue... sad no matter what. It'll be interesting to see what ends up in that space.

Link to the D'Canter's Yelp page

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UPDATE

Since this blog was published, the former owners of D'Canters made a statement that was sent out by email.

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While I was out getting a picture of the door that had been freshly scraped, I snapped a shot of The Hive (which has never opened, and I'm not sure they ever will at this point). It's supposed to be a sports bar. 

At the northwest corner of Clinton Keith and Palomar.

The talk around the water cooler is that the new owners were getting geared up to open when the county stepped in and informed them that, what was ok when it was Tesoro Italian Restaurant was no longer within code. The cost to bring it up to code was the key stumbling block as I remember it.

We're still bee-ing patient, but are loosing hope. This sign has been up for about a year.

It's great to have the county health department/code enforcement looking to keep things safe for us all, but if they were to ratchet up their vigilance more than it currently is, their only option would be to swaddle everyone in bubble wrap and disallow any food sales... ANYWHERE. ☺

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While completing the circuit I drove by the STILL unopened Wildomar Square (other than Taco Bell, which was wise enough to find a way to be on their own schedule). 

Like you've read in Wildomar Rap several times before... Dunkin Donuts, Jersey Mike's, Robeks, Angelo's Brick Oven Pizza, Sushi Ka, The Habit, Country Kitchen and Super Cuts are on the verge of opening. 

September 18th blog discussing the impending opening

Though no one would talk on the record, this can be laid at the feet of the developer (the stories I've been told, yikes). It has to be costly to NOT be able to open when you were told you'd be able to open, back when you signed your lease.

One case I know of, though I won't name the business, was told that that they'd be able to open by Veterans Day 2016. Not Veterans Day 2017 (next week) but an entire year earlier. Then it was bumped to Spring of 2017, then September. As it is, they will be lucky if they can open by the first of the year.

There's still no indication that construction on their 65 foot, LED paneled sign has even begun yet.

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In the same shopping center as the former D'Canters is a new food place that is getting ready to open called Poke Port. According to Google, it's pronounced like Pokémon, not like poke in the eye.

This is where the old Submarina sandwich shop was. Next to Tacos Tijuana.

I found the following definition of poke at People.com. 

Poke means “to slice or cut” in Hawaiian and refers to chunks of raw, marinated fish — usually tuna — which is then tossed over rice and topped with vegetables and umami-packed sauces.

One sushi chef stated:
“It’s the next generation of sushi, but easier to eat.”

I can't wait to try a bowl of raw fish salad. Sounds de-lish! ☺

Sushi and Sashimi are great, and now Wildomar will be having three such establishments (unless I'm over looking one somewhere). No, I'm not counting that one sign, that's never going to amount to anything, between the freeway and the USA gas station.

Funniest practical joke in town.

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Over at The Barn (located on the northeast corner of Palomar and Clinton Keith) there is a new place called Boba & Tea.

The place still has that new car smell to it. ☺

Boba comes in a variety of flavors. It's milky tea with tapioca balls at the bottom. An interesting drink, not my favorite, but my wife can't get enough of it. You should give it a try sometime.

Better than a 'Chai Tea Latte with 2 extra pumps' any day. ☺

I showed up there around 8am. The door was opened but they weren't opened for business yet. I was told that they open at 10am. 

It was obvious that they were still getting things together. If you look closely in the picture above, there's a stool propping the door opened... and it still has foam protectors on the feet. 

A few doors down at The Barn, there is a coffee place that looks to be several weeks from opening. 

I read this as 3 Bean, as in coffee beans.

I couldn't see any details about what the establishment is going to be like. It's a rather good sized place, but not sure what they'll be doing beyond coffee. (If I were ever to open a storefront business like this, I'd have clear information marked so my future customers knew when the projected opening was, and what the business was going to be. I'd also have a website up and running with clear links to it. I'm just weird that way.)

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UPDATE

I've since learned that it's going to be called Bean Coffee Roasters. They also have a location in Temecula from what I've been told.

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I used to be a Starbucks person, even though many people have told me that their coffee tastes burnt, but with their most recent price hike ($2.65 for 20 ounces) I'm ready for an alternative. Perhaps this place will be it. 

One thing is for sure, once all these food places open, there will be quite a few more options for casual dining in town. Being someone that still prepares meals at home, I have to wonder where are all the customers going to come from?

Aren't their prepared food needs already being met? 

In any event, I look forward to all the new places opening. Trying them out might make for fun blog topics. ☺

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"Victory goes to the player who makes the next-to-last mistake."
- Chessmaster Savielly Grigorievitch Tartakower (1887-1956)

Wildomar Rap is victorious no matter when the last mistake occurred.