“The 25 Essential Dishes to Eat in Los Angeles” was a recent food feature in the New York Times. As a somewhat dedicated diner, I’ve eaten at 10 of the 25 restaurants over the years, although I haven’t always ordered the dish in question.
But the list is respectable, and the Inland Empire (depending on your definition) makes two cameos.
One dish is the crispy shrimp tacos at Mariscos Jalisco, which the NYT notes has two lunch trucks in L.A. “and one small storefront in Pomona.”
Another essential dish, the Olimpia’s tagliatelle at DTLA’s Rossoblu, is said to be “made with Comet eggs from Chino Valley Ranchers in Colton, Calif., known for their deep-orange yolks.”
I haven’t been to Rossoblu, but when Mariscos Jalisco opened that “small storefront in Pomona” in 2018, yours truly made a beeline, interviewed owner Raul Ortega and wrote about his venture and his signature item, the taco de camarones.
As I put it: “Lightly fried, the shell has fresh shrimp inside, but clinging to the outside are bits of shrimp and avocado and a smear of salsa. Like a midcentury modern home that merges the indoors and outdoors, you almost don’t know where the taco begins or ends.”
I hadn’t been to Mariscos Jalisco for a while, maybe not since the pandemic. So on Monday I went there on my lunch break and got two tacos, as tasty and reliable as ever.
On the wall behind the order counter was a sight unique in the IE: Michelin Guide decals from 2021 and 2025, indicating that humble Mariscos Jalisco had made the prestigious list. No other Inland restaurant can make that claim.
The dining guide’s rave mentions the “modest but cherished site in Pomona” and says this about the shrimp taco: “It’s an unequaled version, complete with a crunchy shell that collapses like tempura, as well as a rich and savory filling. First-time customers start with a single order, while regulars get right to business with a whole plate of them.”
Or at least a plate of two.
Three Dog Night (more)
The band Three Dog Night performed at San Bernardino’s Swing Auditorium on Sept. 27, 1969, as noted here Feb. 13 in the wake of founding member Chuck Negron’s death.
At least one of the photos on the back cover of “Captured Live at the Forum” was shot at Swing, not the Forum. Negron was seen from the back, shirtless, with fans at the lip of the stage looking enraptured.
Already noted here was Bina Rosales of Colton, who is prominent. Reader Dennis Lloyd adds to the story.
“A group of friends from Redlands High attended that concert at the Swing. The face beneath Negron’s left hand belongs to Tony Newfield. In front of him and adoringly looking up at the stage is Linda Nye. Both were class of ’70,” says Dennis, who now lives in Claremont (the Redlands of the west) and was class of ’69.
While none of the other classmates are in the photo, “the wreath Negron is wearing was made and tossed onto the stage by Chris Merrill, class of ‘69,” says Dennis. “Thanks for the memories.”
As for the front cover of “Captured Live at the Forum,” The Sun wrote after the Swing concert that photos had been shot for an album cover and that the audience was asked to hold matches aloft. I saw a lot of lights in the photo and thought I was connecting the dots by writing that the cover was shot at Swing.
That was a swing and a miss.
“I’m reasonably certain that fisheye photo really is from the Forum. The seating and the scoreboard give it away,” says eagle-eyed Sid Robinson of Upland.
He’s probably right. Yours truly never went to Swing and has never been to the Forum. Also, “Never Been to Spain.” (That’s a Three Dog Night song.)
Bob Weir (more)
After Grateful Dead co-founder Bob Weir’s death in January at age 78, memorialized here, I noted the band’s five performances in the Inland Empire, all in or around San Bernardino, between 1969 and 1982.
Reader Terry Rabone of Fontana says he recalls seeing the Dead perform at UC Riverside’s gym circa 1975. But there’s no confirmation online that such a show took place, and Dead fans are nothing if not dedicated about documenting every scrap of information and piece of tape.
At my request, one such reader, Ethan Horan of Redlands, did turn up four Dead spinoff concerts: two in Riverside, two in San Bernardino.
While the Dead were on hiatus, Weir joined a band named Kingfish. That band performed at San Bernardino’s Swing Auditorium on April 18, 1975, opening for Joe Walsh, and again a dozen years later, on May 29, 1987, at Riverside’s De Anza Theater.
Incidentally, a newspaper ad for the De Anza lists some surprisingly big names over a six-week span of 1987: the Gregg Allman Band (May 6), Dwight Yoakam (May 8), Leon Russell and Edgar Winter (May 14), Kingfish (May 29) and Bonnie Raitt (June 12). Imagine having seen any of these shows, or all of them.
Meanwhile, the Jerry Garcia Band, a side project of the Dead’s leader, performed here twice.
The band was at Palomino Station, a club outside Riverside (and in today’s Jurupa Valley) on Oct. 3, 1983, and at Glen Helen’s Blockbuster Pavilion, site of the band’s 1982 US Festival appearance, on May 13, 1994. The latter show is on video and can be watched on YouTube.
With that, perhaps we can lay the Dead to rest.
brIEfly
Ralph Cavallo was a tireless volunteer around Upland, leading and coaching Upland National Little League and organizing the effort to build an elaborate veterans memorial in the Upland Civic Center plaza. Cavallo died Feb. 7 at age 80. A celebration of life takes place at noon Saturday (Feb. 28) at the Fleur De Lis Chapel, 525 W. 18th St., Upland.
David Allen writes Friday, Sunday and Wednesday, more to celebrate. Email dallen@scng.com, phone 909-483-9339, and follow davidallencolumnist on Facebook or Instagram, @davidallen909 on X or @davidallen909.bsky.social on Bluesky.