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Mission Inn, Las Campanas Good for a Quick Recharge

Why did I go all the way to Rancho Cucamonga to try out a restaurant? For one thing, I was combining it with another enjoyable stay at Riverside’s legendary Mission Inn (now named Mission Inn Resort and Spa).

The historic inn, in addition to being newly defined and refined, has a restaurant called Las Campanas that is a bustling place for both locals and tourists. We usually eat there when in the vicinity, but this time, we were going to stay in the Mission Inn overnight, enjoy the property by day and drive over to Rancho Cucamonga to have dinner in the brand new free-standing Las Campanas Mexican Cuisine & Cantina restaurant that the owners of the Mission Inn, Duane and Kelly Roberts of Laguna Beach, recently launched.

In a recent story in this paper, it was noted that Roberts is entertaining the idea of turning Las Campanas into a chain of restaurants serving upscale south of the border food and that one of them could be coming to Orange County. That would be a while off though. In the meantime, we took in the vibe and the food over in the Inland Empire. It was a terrific overnight stay and dinner.






Shrimp cocktail: Las Campanas serves Latinized version of the dish

The inn greets you with complete serenity where furnishings from a much earlier era meet long indoor pavilions of beautiful tiles and wood and outdoor passages lined with bougainvillea and distinctive greenery. The many carillon towers in the main courtyard catch everyone’s attention. And a quartet of restaurants, from a fancier steak and chop house to more casual dining, present themselves along the indoor walkways.

We preferred to spend a little time in the Presidential Bar and Lounge that’s tucked at one end of the hotel lobby. The presidential lounge is so named because it was originally a four-room apartment for visitors to the inn. President Theodore Roosevelt was among eight U.S. Presidents to visit the hotel, some staying in the apartment suite that later served as the setting for the wedding and honeymoon of Richard and Pat Nixon and it was the honeymoon suite for Nancy and Ronald Reagan. Today, portraits of each of the visiting presidents adorn the walls of the lounge.

The drive to Rancho Cucamonga from the Mission Inn took about 20 minutes. If you’ve not been to that enclave of newer homes and centers, including Victoria Gardens,it is one of the most intriguing and lovely walking malls (a brand new Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Bar is located in that hip shopping center too),then it’s worth finding a reason to get there.

As for the flagship, free-standing Las Campanas (it means “the bells” in Spanish), Roberts spent upward of $4.5 million on the building. That was incentive enough just to see what might be in the offing for us in OC somewhere in the future.

The architects, in concert with the decorating talents of Kelly Roberts, who served as the design team leader, fashioned a building with a wrought iron facade,inclusive of a bell motif on the upper reaches,that ushers you in through an outdoor courtyard. Inside, a major statement is made by a 16-foot-high water wall that’s viewable from most seats in the dining rooms. It’s all nicely appointed with a warm palette of earth and jewel tones, partial booth seating and an easy open flow.

The food centers on upscale and modernized versions of south-of-the-border fare. In the house specialties section of the menu, we see that grilled filet mignon is used in their signature tacos, enchiladas and quesadillas. Hand-cut filet mignon is also used in their bistec adobado (in a rich chile adobo sauce). Fresh halibut or sea bass is quickly seared and you’re given a choice of housemade Mexican sauces to go with it. I fully enjoyed my grilled pork tenderloin in a honey-pasilla chile sauce. Likewise for the prime rib eye steak with chipotle-honey glaze that’s served with marbled mashed potatoes (rather than the old hat rice and beans) and creamed corn intensified just a bit with roasted poblano peppers.

As an appetizer, the ceviche is high on the lovability list. It comes in a very large martini glass and the chunks of Alaskan halibut cured in fresh lime juice with a splash of tequila mingle in the glass with onion, serrano chile and tidbits of bell pepper. Add a dollop of superb mango-cilantro salsa on top of it all and it becomes even more embraceable. There’s also a Latinized shrimp cocktail that gives the ceviche a run for its money.

The menu also lists many old standards such as combo plates with, yes, rice and beans; flautas, quesadillas in various formats and a variety of soft or crispy tacos; and even rellenos and enchiladas.

Bottom line is that they have a concept to parlay upscale versions of Latin tastes into the mainstream of our dining.

The restaurant is open every day for lunch and dinner. Lunch entrees run $10.50 to $16, dinner entrees are $10.50 to $26. It is at 8106 Milliken Avenue (at Foothill Blvd.); phone (909) 466-2766.

And, when there’s not time for a full-fledged vacation, a day or two at the Mission Inn Resort and Spa can help you repack your mental suitcases nicely. The inn is located at 3649 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside; phone (888) 326-4448.

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