A Mighty Toast to the Taste of La Verne on a Night to Remember

The Sound Bytes

The Chamber of Commerce is going to have to do a better job of naming their events. Last night, its 9th Annual Taste of La Verne wasn’t just a touch or a taste or trace or a hint or a nibble of La Verne, it was a moveable feast and food-a-palooza of great food and beverages that attracted about 300 savvy people who knew better than to pass up this opportunity to sample the offering of 28 local restaurants, including two wine bars and domestic and imported beers from The Finish Line Sports Grill, for $30 a ticket.

The deal was a steal. If you tried to sample their best offerings one at a time, you’d be out hundreds of dollars. It was a buffet for the unbashful, with restaurateurs serving their guests almost anything and everything from their menus.

Palace Pet Salon's Mark Levy poureth the wine.

Orlando and his wife, owners of The Local Deli in downtown La Verne.

Yvonne kept the beer cold on tap, courtesy of The Finish Line Sports Grill.

Mi Ranchito served great Mexican food all night long.

The sinfully sweet ladies from the Sinfully Sweet Apple Co. in La Verne -- Cheryl Cling, Martha Henderson and Maria Neufarth

Theresa Macalino and Massage Envy's Jennifer Blaz with her husband.

The Doubletree Claremont, home of runaway entertainment sensation, PianoPiano.

Nick and Jeff Tortorelli of Tortorelli's

Cafe Allegro's Amanda Curtis and Ashly Simpson

East 180's Josephine Siu and Jessie Chen

Fairplex Sheraton McKinley Grill's Jorge Cortez, Jeff Hernandez and Steve Maxwell

Norm's Hangar

Leonora from Pomona Valley Mining Co.

Ernest Dorado and his wife (left) and Mickey Rehm and her 6:30 a.m. walking partner.

Sheryl Fox, Joe Franzen and Theresa Macalino shared some emcee duties.

Hillcrest's Katherine Kahau-Lopez and top chef Christian whose scallops were devine.

Tina Gannon, Chef Ricky and Corner Butcher assistant chef

TAK's Marlysann Kreiensieck and daughter

Dippin' Dots Terry and Ron Eaton

And Their Son

Von's Bill Drayer and top assistants

Saffron, the area's top caterer, serving delicious lunches and dinners daily at the Walker House in San Dimas.

Mariano Palpallatoc, left, and assistant, from L&L Hawaiian Barbecue

David and Faustino Lazaro from La Verne's No. 1 Foothill Blvd. coffee shop, Garden Square

Jacqueline from Costco satisfied everyone's sweet tooth.

Brian Scotti-Belli and Christopher Moreno from Tony's Italian Restaurant in Via Verde, San Dimas

Santa Maria Barbecue and Grill's Michael Hockenhull, which also has a restaurant in Chino.

Naturally, Arun Tolia, of Express Cash, had his eyes on the evening's receipts and revenues.

Angels Place's Alexis Galanin and Justin Crutchfield

The Honorable Mayor Don Kendrick with Dottie Sullenger

All good things have to come to an end ...

Mark Levy and Rodeo Jewelers' Koko Vartanian

Samplings were offered by

Angels Place, Café Allegro, Coco Plam, Costco, Dippin’ Dots, East 180, Garden Square, Hillcrest, Mi Ranchito, Norm’s Hangar, The Corner Butcher Shop and Saffron.

More came from Von’s, Sinfully Sweet Apple Company, Tony’s Italian Restaurant, Santa Maria BBQ, Sierra La Verne Country Club, Pomona Valley Mining Company, Tortorelli’s, L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, The Local Deli, The Doubletree Claremont, McKinley’s Grill, the Packing House Wine Merchant, Rubio’s and Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center Food & Nutrition Services.

“I’m hearing that this year’s Taste of La Verne is the best ever,” La Verne Chamber’s CEO and President Brian McNerney, who cut short his stay at Notre Dame in South Bend to ensure he would be there in the midst of all the food and drink. “It was strictly a social occasion for our local restaurants to showcase their food and menus. It’s been a huge success.”

Since of “Taste of La Verne” is already taken, how about a “Toast to La Verne” to all the following who made this terrific event possible.

Shout outs go to The Taste of La Verne Organizing Committee Co-Chairs Jody Gmmeiner and Ken Armour and committee members Mark Levy, Sheryl Fox, Mary Bottjer, Janice Baxter, Koko Vartanian, Gary Howarth, Arun Tolia and Mickey Rehm.

The sponsors and raffle donors almost outnumbered the guests.

They included title sponsor Waste Management, Exciting Windows, Craig Barnes of State Farm, Micky’s Jewelry Studio, Curves, Deborah Reyes Insurance Services, Detective Justin Newman of the City of La Verne, Nationwide Insurance’s Daniel Neale, Rodeo Jewelers, Bob Sharpe and Verena Somer of Videbytes, Marianne Stark’s Accounting, Bookkeeping & Tax Service, Dow Hydraulic Systems, One West Bank, Sanders Lock & Key, Doug Sanicola and Outdoor Elegance.

Further contributions and support were furnished by California Bank & Trust, the University of La Verne, Mark Levy’s Palace Pet Salon, Arun Tolia and Express Cash, Sheryl Fox of Prudential Real Estate, Steven Takamatsu of Family Dental Care, Pension Portfolios, Elizabeth Johnston of AAA Travel, Jennifer Blaz of Massage Envy Spa and Attorney Howard R. Hawkins.

Also helping make the event possible were Pet Bath, System Resolutions, TAK Termite & Pest Control, First Security Lending, Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, Ernest Dorado of New York Life Insurance, Maria Ortiz of Little Kuts,, Marshall Canyon Equestrian Center, LED Message Signs, Fairplex, Eden Day Spa, Perfectly Nuts, Linco Picture Framing and Print Connections.

See you next year – it’ll take that long to digest all the food and other wonderful fare that made the Taste of La Verne a night to remember!