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The guide to visiting and living in the jewel of the Sacramento Valley FALL 2013/WINTER 2014 | FREE

Presented by Chico News & Review and the Chico Chamber of Commerce

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DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

Rape Crisis Intervention & Prevention

Needs your help to get the word out about a new California law All victims of sexual assault will recieve a free forensic medical examination, regardless of whether or not they choose to participate in the criminal justice process.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS about sexual assault. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact Rape Crisis Intervention and Prevention.

WE ARE HERE TO LISTEN.

NO. IT IS A COMPLETE SENTENCE. 530-342-RAPE

Serving Butte, Glenn & Tehama Counties since 1974

24-Hour Hotline

(Collect Calls Accepted)

www.rapecrisis.org Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 3

Contents FALL 2013/WINTER 2014

W

elcome to Discover Chico, the Chico News & Review’s twice-yearly guide to Chico and its beautiful environs.

Not only will this useful guide provide those new to the area with a sense of the cultural vibrancy that makes Chico so special, but it will also come in handy for locals looking for fun and adventure during their downtime.

The fall-winter issue of Discover Chico features an extensive calendar of events (see Highlights, starting on page 6), a guide to popular outdoor destinations (see Excursions on page 42), and an Agritourism section (page 52) featuring some of the best sightseeing and tasting opportunities the North State has to offer. Also, check out our Downtown (page 28) and Campus (page 32) sections for a guide to the hustle and bustle of Chico’s core. If good eats are what you seek, flip to the Dining section (page 60) to see a complete listing of Chico’s restaurants.

And for advice from locals, keep an eye out for our special Insider Tips—suggestions by CN&R editors for fall and winter fun.

Whether you’re new to Chico or a lifelong resident, enjoy flipping through these pages and savoring Chico’s cooler months.

—Christine G.K. LaPado-Breglia

Campus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Fall & Winter Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Lodging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74

Mark your calendar! There’s plenty of fun stuff to do when the weather cools down.

Arts & Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Chico’s arts-and-entertainment scene is top-notch. Check out the many venues and their wide array of offerings.

Nightlife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 It’s hard to get bored with Chico’s virtually-everynight-of-the-week nightclub, bar and music scene.

Eco-friendly Chico State and Butte College provide the region with educational opportunities, economic vitality and intellectual inspiration.

Parks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Expansive Bidwell Park is Chico’s most beautiful feature, so be sure to spend some time there. Also listed are our many smaller local parks.

Excursions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Explore the many places in and around Chico to hike, bike and drive through. These day excursions offer something for everyone, from a family with little kids to the extreme-adventure hiker.

Kid-Friendly Outings . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 This special section filled with kid-oriented destinations is guaranteed to keep children (of all ages) entertained.

Agritourism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Chico’s position in the Sacramento Valley makes it ideal for year-round agriculture-related tourism to wineries, olive orchards and working farms.

Dining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Organized by category, this list of Chico eateries will help keep your palate happy at all times, from breakfast until after the bars close.

Rest up between adventures at one of Chico’s lovely bed-and-breakfasts or at one of the many hotels and motels around town.

Relocation Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 If you’re thinking of moving to Chico, read this section.

It covers the basics, including demographics, politics, schools and health-care facilities.

Downtown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 History and hipness are one in downtown Chico.

Park the car and see some sights!

MAP OF CHICO AREA

Insider tip:

Get your bearings

Look for these tips throughout this guide.

PAGE

47

Cover photo: Fall on The Esplanade by Abram House

4 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

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Discover Chico editor: Christine G.K. LaPado-Breglia CN&R editor: Melissa Daugherty Design: Tina Flynn, Sandy Peters Copy editing: Christine G.K. LaPado-Breglia Photography: Jason Cassidy, Kyle Delmar, Howard Hardee, Abram House, Melanie MacTavish, Paula Schultz/Paulasphotoart and Matt Siracusa Discover Chico is published twice a year by the Chico News & Review, 530-894-2300, www.newsreview.com www.discoverchico.com Copyright 2013 Chico Community Publishing

IMAGES OF DISTINCTION IN JEWELRY

T

Gabrielle Ferrar,

he area’s premier jewelers, opened in 1989 and is operated by the mother and daughter team, Madeleine and Lisa Nolta. They share a love of jewelry that is reflected in the craftsmanship and quality of every piece in their store.

“We are a full service jewelry store of the highest quality”, explains Madeleine.

We also have the highest attainable rating with the jeweler’s board of trade are affiliates of the Gemological Institute of America.

We have the largest loose stone collection in Northern California. The collection includes rare natural Alexandrite...hot pink Sapphires and Tourmalines...leafy green Tsavorites and Emeralds... lagoon Blue Zircons and strands of multi colored South Sea Pearls.

Our diamond selections includes Ideal cut diamonds and rare Fancy shapes that can enhance Classic settings or innovative Contemporary designs.

Lisa’s designs are based on a strong sense of creativity and expertise. Creating IMAGES OF DISTINCTION IN JEWELRY that captures all the power and emotion of fine jewelry design in each of her creations or in each of her pieces of wearable art.

WE BUY: GOLD • DIAMONDS • SILVER COINS • PLATINUM, 14K & 18K

DESIGNS

• LOOSE DIAMONDS

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Gabrielle Ferrar Diamonds & Exceptional Jewelry

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LISA NOLTA

Designer/Owner

MADELEINE NOLTA Owner

214 MAIN STREET • DOWNTOWN CHICO GRADUATE GEMOLOGIST FINANCING AVAILABLE

Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 5

NEWS & REVIEW BUSINESS U

HIGHLIGHTS

Fall and winter activities

SEPTEMBER-MARCH

Gray Lodge Wildlife Area

Throughout the season Farmers’ and crafts markets For local produce sales yearround, check out the grande dame of local farmers’ markets—the Chico Certified Farmers’ Market on Saturdays, rain or shine, from 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m. in the parking lot at Second and Wall streets in downtown Chico. This market features a wide range of fresh, local fruits and veggies, crafts, skin-care products, locally prepared hot foods, artisan breads, top-notch coffee and chai, and more. Call 893-3276 for more information.

Catch the tail-end of Chico’s popular Thursday Night Market, spon-

sored by the Downtown Chico Business Association (DCBA), which runs through Sept. 26 and features free entertainment along with produce and other goods for sale.

Through Nov. 27, the Chico Wednesday Market in the North Valley Plaza Mall parking lot also offers produce each Wednesday from 7:30 a.m. to noon.

Winter Migratory Waterfowl Tour Each year, from September through March, more than 150 species of birds, including mallards, cranes, geese and California gulls, migrate to Butte County. By following a self-guided tour provided by local chambers of commerce and wildlife groups, visitors can cover 100 miles of nature-filled preserves.

Guided 1 1/2-hour walks are available starting at 10 a.m. on Saturdays and 1 p.m. on Sundays through January, departing from the Gray Lodge Wildlife Area outside of Gridley. Call 846-7505 or visit www.tinyurl.com/graywild for more info.

September Skeleton Keys and The Rain Through Sept. 21, 1078 Gallery, 820 Broadway. Art exhibit by painters Josh Olivera and Jeff Rindels. www.1078gallery.org

Play On! Through Sept. 22, Thurs.-Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m. Chico

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Auditorium at Chico State. The Blue Room Young Company on the Laxson stage. $8-$15. www.csu chico.edu/boxoffice

Juicy Karkass Sept. 27, 8 p.m., Monstros Pizza, 628 W. Sacramento Ave. “Rap songs for punk kids.” $5, all ages.

Bidwell Bark Sept. 28, 8 a.m.-noon, One-Mile Recreation Area in Bidwell Park.

Butte Humane Society’s largest fundraiser of the year with a 5K run or 2K walk, bagel breakfast, dog costume contest, live music, silent auction, vendors and more. www.buttehumane.org

Harvest of Quilts VII Sept. 28 & 29, 10 a.m., Silver Dollar Fairgrounds. Annie’s Star Quilt Guild’s exhibit of more than 200 quilts and wall hangings. $7.

519-1361

Mammifer Sept. 30, 8 p.m., Café Coda, 265 Humboldt Ave. Piano-driven soundscapes by duo made up of experimental artist Faith Coloccia and Aaron Turner of L.A. post-metal crew Isis. www.cafecoda.com HIGHLIGHTS continued on page 8

Theater Company, 166 Eaton Road.

Rick Abbott’s comedy about the ins and outs of community theater.

Adults, $20; kids, $12. www.chicotheatercompany.com

Pastels on the Plaza Sept. 21, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Chico City Plaza. Transforms the plaza into an art installation one square at a time, as novice and professional artists alike contribute to “Fine Art Alley.” www.chicorec.com

Aubrey Debauchery CD-release show Sept. 21, 8 p.m., 1078 Gallery, 820 Broadway. Aubrey Debauchery & the Broken Bones—an all-star Chico musical crew—are set to release the local songstress’ first album in five

years, Death of a Dream. $10 cover. www.1078gallery.org

Pastels on the Plaza

The Composer’s Palette Sept. 22, 2 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. The North State Symphony’s Subscription Concert No.1 features pieces by Falla, Ravel and Tchaikovsky, with Yevgeny Kutik on violin. www.northstatesymphony.org

Krewella Sept. 22, 2 p.m., Senator Theatre, 517 Main St. Electronic dance-music group Krewella on its Get Wet Live Tour. $30-$64.90; 18 & up only. www.jmaxproductions.net

Beauty and the Beast Jr. Sept. 25, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 7

HIGHLIGHTS continued from page 7

Victoria Heilweil

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Sept. 30-Oct. 25, University Art Gallery at Chico State. San Francisco photographic artist Victoria Heilweil displays her work. www.csuchico.edu/ art/galleries/univgallery.html

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Corn Maze Oct. 1-31, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Country Pumpkins, 7152 Highway 32, Orland. A fun-filled, twisty-turny, 10-acre corn maze. Proceeds benefit Glenn County 4-H clubs. Country Pumpkins also grows and sells pumpkins, gourds, Indian corn and corn stalks for holiday decorating. $3. Children under 4 free. www.countrypumpkins.net

Artoberfest Oct. 1-31, various venues. More than 120 events, including concerts, art exhibits, lectures and other performances. www.artoberfest.org

Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell Oct. 2, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. The country-music legends share the Laxson stage. $40-$62. www.csuchico.edu/boxoffice

Eve Ensler Oct. 3, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. Author, playwright and TED speaker Eve Ensler on the Laxson stage. $20$40. www.csuchico.edu/boxoffice

art instructor Asa Mittman and students of art and art history present an exhibition that explores “the depiction and meaning of—as well as the reaction to—the monstrous and grotesque.” www.janetturner.org

third annual fundraiser for the Gateway Science Museum and enjoy dinner, beer and wine. Silent auction, live auction and dessert auction. $95. www.csuchico.edu/ gateway

Sierra Nevada’s Oktoberfest

We Came As Romans

Oct. 4 & 5, 4-10 p.m. each day, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. hop field.

Music, food and, of course, beer. $47.50 (designated driver: $30). All attendees must be at least 21. www.sierranevada.com

Oct. 9, Sept. 19, 6:30 p.m., Senator Theatre, 517 Main St. Melodic metalcore outfit We Came As Romans, with Silverstein; Chunk!

No, Captain Chunk!; as well as The Color Morale, and Dangerkids, $20. www.jmaxproductions.net

National Yo-Yo Contest Oct. 5, Chico City Plaza. The best yo-yo gurus in the country square off for all of Chico to see. Free.

893-1414

An Evening to Treasure: Mysteries of the Sea Oct. 5, 6 p.m., Manzanita Place, 1705 Manzanita Ave. Come to the

Deaf Pilots Album-Release Show

Too Short

Oct. 3-5, various venues. Far Northern Regional Center’s ninth annual festival featuring documentary and narrative films celebrating diversity and focusing on the nuance of human experience. Go to www.focusfilmfestcalifornia.com for more information.

Oct. 12, 9 p.m., Lost on Main, 319 Main St. Yep, it’s true—the West Coast O.G. rapper is coming to Chico.

Sierra Oro Farm Trail Passport Weekend Oct. 12 & 13, locations vary. Tour Butte County’s farms and wineries and taste the very best of their wares. www.sierraoro.org

Unsettled Dreams: Monsters in Print

8 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

Oct.10-26, 1078 Gallery, 820 Broadway. The works of photographer/filmmaker Jason Tannen. www.1078gallery.org

Oct. 11, 9 p.m., 1078 Gallery, 820 Broadway. A “very energetic throw-back to the times of psychedelic rock.” $5. www.1078gallery.org

Focus Film Festival

Oct. 3-Nov. 2, Janet Turner Print Museum at Chico State. Chico State

Visual Culture: Photographing Chinatown

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1078 Fest Oct. 13, 5-11 p.m., 1078 Gallery, 820 Broadway. The first-ever 1078 Fest, an all-ages event featuring two music stages, food and drink (including a bar). $10 minimum donation—this is a fundraiser for a new PA system for the popular (nonprofit) venue. www.1078 gallery.org

Richard Cionco Oct. 13, 2 p.m., Rowland-Taylor recital Hall at Chico State. Pianist Richard Cionco performs in an intimate setiing. $6-$15. www.csu chico.edu/boxoffice

SFJazz Collective Oct. 15, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. $18-$32.

Masterful jazz on the wonderful Laxson stage. www.csuchico.edu/ boxoffice

Doctor Faustus Oct. 15-20, 7:30 p.m. (Oct. 1520), & 2 p.m. (Oct. 19). Wismer Theatre at Chico State. Chico State’s School of the Arts presents the play Doctor Faustus. $6-$15. www.csuchico.edu/boxoffice

GWAR Oct. 16., 7:30 p.m., Senator Theatre, 517 Main St. Satirical heavy-metal band GWAR, with Whitechapel, Iron Reagan, A Band of Orcs. $18 advance. www.jmax productions.net

Thee Hobo Gobbelins Oct. 16, 8 p.m., Monstros Pizza, 628 W. Sacramento Ave. “Wickedly catchy mixture of ancient pirate curses, orcish vaudeville, and eldritch hobo semaphore.” $5, all ages.

Food Stories: Corn Oct. 17, 5-8 p.m., Chico Peace & Justice Center, 526 Broadway.

Co-sponsored by CPJC and the GRUB Education Program, this talk will cover the many aspects of corn, including the political and economic. Free. www.chico-peace.org

An Evening of Classic “City” Films Oct. 17, 7:30 p.m., 1078 Gallery, 820 Broadway. Hosted by Jason Tannen. www.1078gallery.org

Stomp Oct. 17 & 18, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State.

Theatrical percussion. $55-$70. www.csuchico.edu/boxoffice

Sierra Nevada’s Single, Fresh, Wet & Wild Harvest Festival Oct. 19, 1-6 p.m., Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. hop field. Help celebrate the hop harvest! Features the wares of more than 50 breweries. $75 (designated driver: $30). www.sierranevada.com

The Gleaming Brass Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m., RowlandTaylor Recital Hall at Chico State.

The North State Symphony’s Special Little Concert I features the orchestra’s brass sections. $22, adult; $6, child/student. www.northstate symphony.org

Autumn Fest 2013 Oct. 12 & 13, 19 & 20, 26 & 27, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Patrick Ranch Museum, 10381 Midway, Durham.

Pumpkin patch, hay rides, barnyard animals and more! $5 (kids 3 and under free). www.patrickranch museum.org

Low Cost Acupuncture Private & Community Walk-ins Welcome Jennifer Conlin L.Ac. Bill Nichols L.Ac. Most insurance accepted Massage available

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Local Goodness Bakery Lunch Cakes Catering

Young Frankenstein Oct. 19-Nov. 10, Thurs.-Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m., Chico Theater Company, 166 Eaton Road.

Musical version of the classic Mel Brooks comedy film. Adults, $20; kids, $12. www.chicotheater company.com

Ari Shapiro Oct. 22, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. The famed NPR White House correspondent hits the Laxson stage. $12-$25. www.csuchico.edu/boxoffice

Open 7 Days a Week!

HIGHLIGHTS continued on page 10

130 Main St Chico (530) 895-3866 Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 9

HIGHLIGHTS continued from page 9

Momix: Botanica Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. Fun with multimedia dance and puppets. $18$33. www.csuchico.edu/boxoffice

Jazz X-Press: Acoustic Telepathy Oct. 26, 7:30 p.m., Harlen Adams Theatre at Chico State. This concert features Chico State’s Jazz X-Press jazz band. $6-$15. www.csu chico.edu/boxoffice

Alton Brown Live!

Oct. 27, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. Take in celebrity chef Alton Brown’s Edible Inevitable Tour performance on the Laxson stage. $29-$45. www.csu chico.edu/boxoffice

For the Love of Frank Oct. 29, 9 p.m., Lost on Main, 319 Main St. Frank Zappa tribute band For the Love of Frank’s super cool Halloween show with Ike Willis.

“Dress like a freak!” $10.

Van Cliburn Gold Medal Winner Oct. 30, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. Hear 26-year-old Vadym Kholodenko, a Van Cliburn Gold medalist, at this classical-piano concert. $15-$27. www.csuchico.edu/boxoffice

Treat Street Oct. 31, 2-5 p.m. Put a costume on the little ones (12 and younger) and head to more than 60 Chico businesses for safe, fun and free trick-or-treating. www.down townchico.net

The Grand Guignol Oct. 31-Nov. 9, Blue Room Theatre, 139 W. First St. A Chico tradition. www.blueroomtheatre.com

James Kuiper and Sheri Simons Oct. 31-Nov. 23, 1078 Gallery, 820 Broadway. Art show by two beloved local artists. www.1078 gallery.org 10 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

November Jack Hanna Nov. 1, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. Into the Wild’s Jack Hanna! $18-$33. www.csuchico.edu/boxoffice

Farm City Celebration Nov. 2-13. Various events at different locations for this week-plus of agri-celebration. The AgriBusiness Bus Tour and Lunch is always a big draw. www.farm city.com

Artisans & Crafters Faire & Bake Sale

Ha’Penny Bridge Nov. 2, 8 p.m., 1078 Gallery, 820 Broadway. Local “California Celtic” group plus guest to be announced. $12. www.1078gallery.org

Erika Navarrete Nov. 4-Dec. 13, University Art Gallery at Chico State. Portland, Ore.-based Erika Navarrete shows her work. www.csuchico.edu/art/ galleries/univgallery.html

Whose Live Anyway?

Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. Improvcomedy show back by demand. $35$48. www.csuchico.edu/boxoffice

Nov. 2, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Honey Run Covered Bridge, the intersection of Centerville and Honey Run roads in Butte Creek Canyon. Visit the historic Honey Run Covered Bridge to pick up some interesting holiday gifts and treats created by 32 artisans and crafters at this annual bazaar and bake sale. 895-0911

Band Classics

From Where the Sun Now Stands

Nov. 11-Dec. 14, Janet Turner Print Museum at Chico State.

Dynamic art professor Masami Toku offers a selection of prints by and/or depicting women; the exhibit is the inaugural tour-stop for the national Shojo Manga touring exhibition. www.janetturner.org

Nov. 2, 7:30 p.m., Harlen Adams Theatre at Chico State. The university’s School of the Arts presents this choral concert. $6-$15. www.csu chico.edu/boxoffice

Nov. 9, 7:30 p.m., Harlen Adams Theatre at Chico State. Symphonic wind concert presented by the university’s School of the Arts. $6-$15. www.csuchico.edu/boxoffice

Girl Speak: Shojo Manga and Women’s Prints

Spring Awakening Jack Hanna

Nov. 13-21, 7:30 p.m. (Nov. 1316 and 19-21), & 2 p.m. (Nov. 16 & 17), Wismer Theatre at Chico State.

Musical theater from the university’s School of the Arts. $6-$15. www.csuchico.edu/boxoffice

59th Annual Turkey Dinner & Raffle Nov. 14, 5-8 p.m., Manzanita Place, 1705 Manzanita Ave. Enjoy turkey and all the fixings at the Work Training Center’s annual dinner, benefiting the nonprofit’s endowment fund. WTC empowers people with disabilities by helping them achieve increased independence at home and at work. 343-7994.

Lyle Lovett & John Hiatt Nov. 14, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. An

acoustic evening with two musical legends. $45-$61. www.csu chico.edu/boxoffice

SCHOOL OF GRADUATE PROFESSIONAL STUDIES M.A. in Counseling Psychology M.A. in Organizational Leadership

Thriller: A Chico Tribute to Michael Jackson’s Classic Album Nov. 14 & 15, 8 p.m., 1078 Gallery, 820 Broadway. Thriller, “retooled via Chico’s best and brightest local musicians.” $10, advance; $12 at the door. www.1078gallery.org

101 Dalmations Nov. 15 & 16. Thurs.-Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m. Chico Theater Company, 166 Eaton Road.

Chico Theater Company children’stheater production of the Disney classic. Adults, $20; kids, $12. www.chicotheatercompany.com

EARN YOUR MASTER’S IN 2 YEARS OR LESS

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New American Portraits Nov. 16, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. The North State Symphony’s Subscription Concert No. 2, featuring pieces by Márquez, Lalo, Neruda and Copland. www.northstate symphony.org

Andrew Bird Nov. 19, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State.

Innovative multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird graces Laxson’s stage. $18-$33. www.csuchico.edu/boxoffice

Ballet Folklorico Quetzalli de Veracruz Nov. 21, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. The wonderfulness of Mexican music and dance. $16-$32. www.csu chico.edu/boxoffice

Christmas Preview Nov. 24, 4-8 p.m., downtown Chico. Local merchants bring out holiday cheer to kick off the season.

Enjoy beautiful decorations and live music along with other sights, sounds and tastes, plus a visit from Santa in a horse-drawn carriage. www.downtownchico.net/events

HIGHLIGHTS continued on page 12 Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 11

HIGHLIGHTS continued from page 11

Run for Food Nov. 28, 9 a.m., One-Mile Recreation Area in Bidwell Park. The annual Jesus Center-sponsored event—a 5K run/walk in Lower Bidwell Park—is a fundraiser to help provide food and shelter for Chico’s homeless. www.runforfood.com

December An Irish Christmas Dec. 5, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. Irish dance and music, both instrumental and sung. $22-$37. www.csu chico.edu/boxoffice

Annual Christmas Faire Dec. 6 & 7, 10 a.m., Silver Dollar Fairgrounds. An annual arts and crafts fair. Prices vary. 345-9652

Christmas at the Patrick Ranch Dec. 6-8, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Patrick Ranch Museum, 10381 Midway. The annual Christmas Artisan Art Show and sale. 342-4359, www.patrick ranchmuseum.org

Glorious Sounds of the Season!

Cinderella

Dec.6-8, 7:30 p.m. (Dec. 6 & 7), & 2 p.m. (Dec. 8), Harlen Adams Theatre at Chico State. A Chico holiday tradition. $20. www.csu chico.edu/boxoffice

Christmas-Tree Auction & Holiday Festival Dec. 7, 6 p.m., Chico Family Masonic Center, 1110 W. East Ave. Hors d’oeuvres, desserts, a no-host bar and live music are part of this special event benefiting the Torres Community Shelter in Chico. Bid on beautifully decorated Christmas trees during a live auction or pick up other great items in a silent auction. Tickets: $35. www.chico shelter.org

Community Tree Lighting Dec. 6, 5:30 p.m. Enjoy a festive musical program and St. Nick arriving on an antique fire engine during this Chico tradition at the downtown City Plaza. www.down townchico.net/events

A Christmas Story Dec. 7-22, Thurs.-Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m. Chico Theater Company, 166 Eaton Road. The theater version of the classic holiday film. Adults, $20; kids, $12. www.chicotheatercompany.com

Community Tree Lighting PHOTO BY CHRIS WOODCOX/ALPINE PHOTO

Breakfast with Santa Dec. 7, 8-11 a.m. Join Santa and Mrs. Claus for a pancake breakfast.

The elves will help make crafts with children, who will receive small gifts at this sell-out event. CARD Community Center in Chico.

Preregistration required. $10. www.chicorec.com

The Eight Reindeer Monologues Dec. 12-14 & 19-21, Blue Room Theatre, 139 W. First St. Jeff Goode’s Christmastime wonderfulness. www.blueroomtheatre.com

Stories Two: Marion Bronson, Peter Jodaitis, Laura Kling, Michael Murphy, Klutch Stanaway Dec. 12–Jan. 4, 1078 Gallery, 820 Broadway. Art on the walls at 1078. www.1078gallery.org

Sounds of the Sacred Season Dec. 13, 7:30 p.m., St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 416 Chestnut St. The North State Symphony’s Special Little Concert II, featuring Baroque music of the season, as well as an audience Christmas-carol sing-along. www.northstatesymphony.org

The Yule Logs’ Christmas Special Dec. 13 & 14, Blue Room Theatre, 139 W. First St. Awesome vocal harmonies from a favorite Chico band. www.blueroomtheatre.com 12 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

Cinderella Dec. 13-15, 7:30 p.m. (Dec. 13 & 14), & 2 p.m. (Dec. 14 & 15), Laxson Auditorium at Chico State.

Presented by Chico Community Ballet. $16-$28. www.csu chico.edu/boxoffice

Bogg’s Christmas Jamboree Dec. 20 & 21, 8 p.m., 1078 Gallery, 820 Broadway. Join local alt-jazz group Bogg for a Christmas party. Bring presents! $12. www.1078gallery.org

January Polar Bear Swim Jan. 1, 1 p.m. Every year, many, many folks show up with their swim gear and a towel to start off a new year at Lower Bidwell Park’s Sycamore Pool at the One-Mile Recreation Area for this Chico tradition of swimming across the chilly creek. Why don’t you join them?

Venus in Fur Jan. 9-25, Blue Room Theatre, 139 W. First St. A two-person play

by David Ives, starring Jeremy Votava and Suzanne Papini. Directed

by Joe Hilsee. www.blueroom theatre.com

Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific Flyway PHOTO BY MIKE PETERS

Polar Bear Swim

Golden Dragon Acrobats: Cirque Ziva

Tommy Emmanuel

Jan. 15, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. Amazing Chinese acrobats! $19-$33. www.csuchico.edu/boxoffice

Jan. 30, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. The guitar master with special guest Martin Taylor. $26-$38. www.csu chico.edu/boxoffice

Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific Flyway

February

Jan. 23-26. Bird-watch in one of the most diverse wildlife corridors of the Sacramento Valley. This popular four-day event includes field trips, presentations, workshops, a banquet and a silent auction. www.snow goosefestival.org

Pink Martini Jan. 26, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. “Global cabaret.” $30-$50. www.csu chico.edu/boxoffice

Pushing Boundaries— Expanding Horizons Jan. 27-Feb. 22, Janet Turner Print Museum at Chico State. The 10th annual Janet Turner National Print Competition and Exhibition, a joint exhibition with the University Art Gallery. www.janetturner.org

Stunt Dog Experience Jan. 28, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. Chris Perondi’s amazing canines. $15-$28. www.csuchico.edu/boxoffice

Béla Fleck & Brooklyn Rider Feb. 6, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. Banjocentric amazingness from this banjo quintet. $21-$35. www.csu chico.edu/boxoffice

Gidion’s Knot Feb. 6-22, Blue Room Theatre, 139 W. First St. Johnna Adams’ play about a mother who confronts the teacher she blames for her child’s suicide. Stars Sheri Bagley and Hilary Tellesen. www.blueroom theatre.com

Sal Casa Feb. 6-March 1, 1078 Gallery, 820 Broadway. The wonderful art of Sal Casa. www.1078gallery.org

TAO: Phoenix Rising Feb. 7, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. Japanese Taiko drumming. $19-$33. www.csuchico.edu/boxoffice HIGHLIGHTS continued on page 14 Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 13

HIGHLIGHTS continued from page 13

Lonestar Feb. 9, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. Popular country-rock quartet hits the Laxson stage. $30-$50. www.csuchico.edu/boxoffice

All You Need is Music!

Feb. 12, 11:30 a.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. North State Symphony concert for kids, with special appearance by Romeo and Juliet. www.northstate symphony.org

True Blues: History of the Blues Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. Featuring bluesmen Corey Harris, Guy Davis and Alvin Youngblood Hart. $15-$28. www.csuchico.edu/boxoffice

An Embrace of Romantic Masters

TAO: Phoenix Rising

Feb. 16, 2 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. The North State Symphony’s Subscription Concert No. 3, featuring pieces by Prokofiev, Puccini, Griffes and Tchaikovsky. www.northstate symphony.org

The Graduate Feb. 20, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. Live radio theater by L.A. Theater Works. $18-$30. www.csuchico.edu/boxoffice

Carlos Nuñez Feb. 23, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. “Powerpacked Celtic music.” $15-$25. www.csuchico.edu/boxoffice

North State Symphony

The Manhattan Transfer Feb. 26, Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. Signature jazz-pop vocal harmonies from a fantastic group. $22-$37. www.csuchico.edu/ boxoffice

March Luke Matjas March 3-28, University Art Gallery at Chico State. From Thousand Oaks, Matjas makes artworks that include “massive digital/analog prints … existing somewhere between paleontology and ‘garbology.’” www.csuchico.edu/ art/galleries/univgallery.html

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Creation Stories March 4-13, 7:30 p.m. (March 4-8 and 11-13), & 2 p.m. (March 9), Wismer Theatre at Chico State. $6$15. Theater from the university’s School of the Arts. www.csu chico.edu/boxoffice

Matthew Tyson March 6-15, 1078 Gallery, 820 Broadway. The works of British artist Matthew Tyson. www.1078gallery.org

Keeping Dance Alive March 7 & 8, 7:30 p.m. & 2 p.m., respectively, Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. An evening of dance cosponsored by Friends of Chico Community Ballet. $14-$18. www.csuchico.edu/boxoffice

Angles and Planes: Janet Turner and the Built Environment March 10-April 12, Janet Turner Print Museum at Chico State. A selection of seldom-seen Turner paintings and prints, in celebration of the centennial of the artist’s birth. www.janetturner.org

Chamber Orchestra Kremlin March 11, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. Russian string orchestra. $18-$33. www.csu chico.edu/boxoffice

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra March 12, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. Led by acclaimed trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. $39-$56. www.csu chico.edu/boxoffice

Elvin Bishop, James Cotton and Ruthie Foster March 15, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. A trio of legends bringin’ on the blues, rock and barroom boogie. $25-$38. www.csuchico.edu/boxoffice

Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons March 16, 2 p.m., Rowland-Taylor Recital Hall at Chico State. The North State Symphony presents its Special Little Concert III, featuring Terrie Baune on violin. $22, adults; $12, children/students. www.north statesymphony.org

Jon Lynn McCallum March 20-29, 1078 Gallery, 820 Broadway. Jon Lynn McCallum’s Chico State MFA show on the walls of this popular SOPO gallery. www.1078gallery.org

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Diavolo Ruthie Foster

March 25, 7:30 p.m., Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. “Thrilling gymnastics and dance.” $18-$38. www.csuchico.edu/boxoffice

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2014 Chico Bach Festival March 28 & 29, 7:30 p.m., Harlen Adams Theatre (March 28) and Rowland-Taylor Recital Hall (March 29) at Chico State. $6-$15. Come experience the glory of the music of German composer and organist Johann Sebastian Bach at this popular annual event. www.csuchico.edu/boxoffice ●

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Arts abound A

s the cultural hub of Butte County, Chico has a wealth of thriving museums, art galleries and theater venues. The beauty of Chico’s manmade and natural environs has long made the city attractive to artists and art lovers alike. And as a reflection of Chico’s general sense of community, artists and venues work together throughout the year during regular events like Chico Visual Art Alliance’s monthly ARTabout walking gallery tours, and Artoberfest, a monthlong celebration of art in Chico held every October.

As a handy reference, here is a directory of the area’s arts and entertainment venues.

Manas Art Space & Gallery

Museums & galleries 1078 Gallery 820 Broadway, 343-1973. This artist-managed, nonprofit gallery is a showcase for experimental, progressive and “not necessarily commercial” art. Hours: Thurs.–Sat., 12:305:30 p.m. www.1078gallery.org

Ambiance Antiques & Art 180 E. Ninth Ave., Ste. 1, 8946900. At Ambiance, you will find an eclectic blend of intriguing antiques and local art in an intimate atmosphere. Hours: Wed.-Sat., 11 a.m.5 p.m.

All Fired Up 830 Broadway, 894-5227. All Fired Up is an open studio with clay-working tools and a ceramic-supply outlet with clays, glazes, tools and raw materials. There are also classes and opportunities for parties and workshops. Hours: Tues., Thurs. & Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Fri., 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; two Sundays per month, noon-5 p.m. (call to find out which ones). www.allfiredupchico.org

Art Etc. 122 W. Third St., 895-1161. The place for art supplies, framing and rotating exhibits from local artists.

Hours: Tues.-Sun., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. www.artetc-chico.com

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The Art House 325 Nord Ave., 894-1843. An urban art garden/gallery with sculpture and ceramics by Dave and Jana Lawton. Hours: 1-5 p.m. Sunday, and by appointment. www.chicoart house.com

Avenue 9 Gallery & Art Guild 180 E. Ninth Ave., 879-1821.

Avenue 9 is an art guild, with 20 artist-members who collectively make decisions about the direction of the gallery and always have a sampling of their work on display. Each guild member is a “featured artist” at the gallery once a year. Hours: Wed.Sun., noon-5 p.m. www.avenue9 gallery.com

AVL Looms 2360 Park Ave., 893-4915.

Located in Chico since 1980, AVL Looms is a world-famous textileequipment manufacturing company.

The company still builds all of its products at its headquarters on Park Avenue. AVL builds a variety of looms, from its smallest—a 16-inch product controlled by an iPhone—all the way up to 20-foot-wide professional rug looms. As of September 2013, AVL had shipped its products to all 50 states, and more than 80 countries. Tours are available via appointment. www.avlusa.com

BMU Gallery Located in the third-floor lobby of the Bell Memorial Union at Chico

Chico Museum

State, 898-5489. The Associated Students run this gallery, which features original student works throughout the school year.

Butte Art & Design Digital Outdoor Gallery (BAD DOG) 222 W. Second St., 899-3223. The Butte Art & Design Digital Outdoor Gallery has two outdoor locations: at the business department on Butte College’s main campus, and in downtown Chico at Second and Broadway.

Chico Art Center 450 Orange St., Ste. 6, 895-8726.

Established in 1956, this nonprofit arts place offers regular exhibits as well as classes for all levels. Hours: daily, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. www.chicoart center.com

Chico Art School 336 Broadway, Ste. 20, 570-3895.

Offers adults and children ongoing instruction in painting and drawing in various mediums. www.chicoartschool.com

Chico Museum 141 Salem St., 891-4336. Housed in a former 1904 Carnegie Library, the museum rotates its exhibits periodically. Currently running: Chico in Black & White: Historical Photos from the John Nopel Collection. Entry is $3 for adults, $2 for students and seniors. Kids 14 and younger are free.

Open Wed.-Sun., noon-4 p.m. Go to A&E continued on page 18

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Monks Wine Lounge & Bistro); contact Dean Willson at dean.willson@gmail.com. www.jamessnidlefinearts.com

Insider tip: Arts oasis In the largely rural expanse of Northern California, Chico is an oasis of arts, entertainment and culture. As a college town, it attracts world-class touring performers of all sorts to Chico State’s Laxson Auditorium and off-campus venues such as the beautifully restored 1905 El Rey Theatre. The homegrown arts, theater and music scenes are also vital and vibrant. Public-art works are common downtown, as are galleries presenting wonderful work in all media. The town’s bars, coffee shops and smaller venues

A&E continued from page 17

www.chicomuseum.org or call 8914336 for more info.

Chico Paper Co. 345 Broadway, 891-0900. In the heart of downtown, this custom framing and retail shop features works by more than 25 prominent local artists, plus an excellent selection of greeting cards. Hours: weekdays, 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.5 p.m.; Sun., noon-4 p.m. www.chicopapercompany.com

Gateway Science Museum 624 Esplanade, 898-4121. Next door to Bidwell Mansion, Gateway offers a few science and natural history exhibits a semester. “Secrets of Circles,” exploring the math, science and engineering of circles, shows through Sept. 1. Hours: Wed.-Sun., noon-5 p.m. www.csuchico.edu/ gateway

Healing Art Gallery 265 Cohasset Road, 332-3856.

Healing Art Gallery features exhibits

by Northern California artists whose lives have been touched by cancer.

Hours: weekdays, 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

18 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

Janet Turner Print Museum host scores of active local bands, and there’s great music to be found most any night. A number of local theater companies, as well as excellent high school and collegiate programs at Butte College and Chico State, ensure that the art of theater is also alive and well. There is even a handful of small film companies and collectives turning out smart shorts and features, some of which debut at the Pageant Theatre, a comfortable community cinema house unlike any other.

—KEN SMITH

James Snidle Fine Arts & Appraisals 254 E. Fourth St., 343-2930.

Based in Chico and San Francisco, the James Snidle gallery offers finearts and personal-property appraisals, gallery shows, art restoration and conservation as well as art shows featuring the works of exciting artists from Chico and beyond.

Hours: Wed.-Sat., 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Lovers of late local artist Lois Cohen will be pleased to know that Snidle’s Lois Green Cohen Collection is open for viewing on Fridays by appointment at 126 W. Second St. (take stairs between The Banshee and

Meriam Library at Chico State, 898-5351. Besides some 2,000 prints from the famous Janet Turner, this print museum (on the first floor of the library) also showcases student print exhibits and sponsors the annual Janet Turner National Print Competition and Exhibition. Hours: Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.-4 p.m., or by appointment. www.janetturner.org

Manas Art Space & Gallery 1441 Park Ave., 588-5183. This funky, new art-for-the-people venue was founded by two of the area’s most energetic and eccentric artists, Christine “Seamonster” Fulton and David “Dragonboy” Sutherland.

National Yo-Yo Museum 320 Broadway, 893-0545. Housed in Bird in Hand (a delightful downtown toy, game, clothing and novelty store), the world-class National Yo-Yo Museum is a fun place to take the kids. Among the exhibits is “Big-Yo,” the largest working wooden yo-yo in the world. Members of the Chico YoYo Club meet there each Saturday from noon-2 p.m. to practice and teach each other tricks (they even give free lessons). Open Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sun., noon-5 p.m. No admission fee. www.national yoyo.org

Wismer Theatre

Orient & Flume Art Glass 2161 Park Ave., 893-0373. Art glass at its finest. This Chico gallery offers interested buyers a variety of vases, bowls and assorted glassworks.

Watch the glassblowers at their trade weekdays until 1 p.m. Hours: Mon.–Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. www.orientandflume.com

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Sally Dimas Art Gallery 493 East Ave., 345-3063. Sally Dimas features original paintings, art pottery, etchings and jewelry by local and regional artists. Hours: Tues.– Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

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University Art Gallery Trinity Hall, Chico State campus, 898-5864. A student-centered gallery exhibiting national and international artists. (Note: during reconstruction of its former home, Taylor Hall, the UAG is occupying the Humanities Center Gallery space.) Hours: Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. www.csuchico.edu/art/galleries/ univgallery.html

The Vagabond Rose Gallery & Framing 236 Main St., 343-1110. This gallery, owned by Marilyn Souza for more than 25 years, features exhibits from local artists that rotate on a monthly basis. Hours: Tues.–Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology Meriam Library, first floor, 8985397. The museum offers exhibitions, lectures, children’s programs and K-12 outreach. Chico State students design and install a new exhibit each spring. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. Hours: Tues.-Sat., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. www.csuchico.edu/ anthmuseum

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Their glass vases and colorful jellyfish pieces are of particular popularity. Hours: Tues.-Sat., 9 a.m.-4 p.m. www.satava.com/studio

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GALLERY SHOWS EVENTS ART CLASSES FRIENDSHIPS

Movies Cinemark 14 801 East Ave. (800) 326-3264 ext.

1101. Chico’s big theater, with 14 screens showing first-run films.

El Rey Theatre help.

450 Orange St 530-895-8726 Supported in part by the City of Chico

230 W. Second St., 892-1838. This historic venue is the perfect place to re-watch cult favorites, such as Pulp Fiction, The Big Lebowski and Jaws. www.elreytheatrechico.com

Pageant Theatre 351 E. Sixth St., 343-0663. This downtown Chico establishment presents art-house films in a casual atmosphere. Get there early for the couches in the front row, and don’t miss out on Cheapskate Mondays: all seats just $3. www.pageantchico.com

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Chico State Little Theatre, Ayres 106, 898-6341. Throughout the school year, a wide variety of interesting U.S. and international films are offered. Suggested donation: $3. www.csuchico.edu/hfa/hc/ filmseries.html

Theater

ranging from the locally written to the award-winning. Year-round productions, classes and workshops by the Blue Room Theatre Young Company offer opportunities for kids. www.blueroomtheatre.com

California Regional Theater 475 East Ave., (800)722-4522. A newer addition to Chico’s theater scene, CRT produces large-scale musicals in CUSD’s Center for the Arts at Pleasant Valley High School and offers educational opportunities for children regularly throughout the year. www.crtshows.com

Chico State Department of Music and Theatre Chico State campus, 898-6333.

Throughout the academic year, the department presents plays in two spaces (Harlen Adams Theatre and Wismer Theatre) inside the Performing Arts Center, as well as a musical production in Laxson Auditorium each spring. www.csu chico.edu/muta

Chico Theater Company 166 Eaton Road, 894-3282. This family-oriented theater company was started in 2003 by locals Marc Edson and Brian Holderman with the goal of showcasing musicals, a focus that continues to this day. www.chico theatercompany.com

Blue Room Theatre

South Side Playhouse

139 W. First St. (upstairs), 8953749. This outfit brings community theater to a professional level with well-produced, cutting-edge and classical dramas and comedies featuring talented local actors, with scripts

2145 Park Ave., Unit 13. The home of Rogue Theatre, a rebellious troupe producing challenging contemporary theater intermittently throughout the year. ● www.chicorogue.com

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NIGHTLIFE

On the town

Scotty’s Landing

W

hen it comes to nightlife, Chico is a city that does not disappoint. Since many local hotspots are downtown, it’s easy to hop between bars, clubs and big-time performance venues for an evening of live music, dancing and drinks nearly any night of the week. For those fond of a little latenight gambling to go along with some wining and dining, neighboring Oroville is home to two impressive casinos, and there’s another just up I-5 in Corning.

Bars, pubs & clubs The Banshee 132 W. Second St., 895-9670 The Banshee is a downtown fixture, fashioned in Irish-pub style with a long bar and a vast assortment of foreign brews in bottles and on tap. The pub grub is first-rate, to boot.

world-class brews, this downtown establishment has a nice outdoor patio in addition to indoor seating.

Open late on weekends.

Café Coda 265 Humboldt Ave., 566-9476 Serving beer and wine, Café Coda hosts an eclectic variety of live music, from local acoustic and rock acts to national touring bands. www.cafecoda.com

The Beach 191 E. Second St., 898-9898 A newer Chico nightclub and bar, The Beach features an ultra-swanky VIP area on the second floor, complete with a pool table, couches and specialty martini menu. Downstairs, you’ll find a large dance floor and access to The University Bar and Panama Bar & Café.

The Beach

Bella’s Sports Pub 134 Broadway, 893-5253 This downtown establishment is popular among sports fans looking to catch a game on one of several highdefinition big-screen TVs. Serves up a bunch of good pub-grub, in addition to a wide selection of beers.

Burgers & Brew 201 Broadway, 879-9100 Serving grass-fed beef burgers and

22 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

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Your Downtown Shoe Store Café Flo 365 E. Sixth St., 514-8888 Café Flo offers an evolving seasonal menu as well as beer and coffee drinks. Look for regular live music, poetry readings and art shows. Check out www.liveatflo.weebly.com for the latest event updates.

Casino 99 1414 Park Ave., 892-2282 Chico’s only card room now offers blackjack, casino games and pub grub. www.casino99chico.com

Crazy Horse Saloon

303 Main St., 894-5408 This large bar specializes in country music. There’s occasional live music and even a mechanical bull to ride (after you sign some legal paperwork).

Crush Italian Cuisine & Lounge 201 Broadway, 342-7000 Well-known for its hoppin’ late happy hour, this restaurant/bar is an upscale option downtown with an awesome patio view. www.chico crush.com

DEX 167 E. Third St., 327-8706 An all-ages venue hosting mul-

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tiple rock, hip-hop, metal and punk shows each week. www.facebook.com/BandCreator

The DownLo 319 Main St., 892-2473 A sports bar with pub grub and 17 televisions, The DownLo’s claim to fame is its expansive billiards room with 10 Diamond tables, darts and occasional live music.

Duffy’s Tavern 337 Main St., 343-7718 A local institution, Duffy’s features an old-school jukebox and an odd medley of wall decorations.

There’s regular DJ dancing and occasional live rock shows. The Pub Scouts play Celtic music for the popular Friday-afternoon happy hour, starting at 4 p.m.

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Edward’s Premium Spirits 968 East Ave., 895-3825 This upscale bar shares an entryway (and owner) with Quackers. With a fireplace, fountain and premium spirits, this is certainly the quieter choice. Available for private parties.

The End Zone 250 Cohasset Road, 345-7330.

A sports bar serving up more than NIGHTLIFE continued on page 24

231 Main St 343-5686 home, gifts & random awesomeness Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 23

Insider tip: Alfresco fun Sharing a drink with friends is most gratifying when done in the fresh air of an outdoor patio, especially during Chico’s endless summer, when the evenings cool off enough for us return outdoors. Some of the most lively choices are downtown; at Tres Hombres, the back patios at LaSalles and Madison Bear Garden, and the upstairs lounges of Crush and the Crazy Horse Saloon. For something less hectic, try the patios at Grana and Monks Wine Lounge & Bistro, or head south of downtown for the outdoor lounges of the Maltese Bar & Tap Room and the Park Avenue Bar & Grill, or the inviting pub patio at the Sierra Nevada Taproom.

—JASON CASSIDY

NIGHTLIFE continued from page 23

a dozen appetizers, along with burgers, sandwiches, salads and weekend brunch. www.theendzonechico.com

The Graduate 344 W. Eighth St., 343-2790 One of the larger venues in town, this sports bar and restaurant offers a variety of yummy eats. It’s located in the middle of the student neighborhood, but billiards and arcade games make it popular among families as well as the college crowd. www.thegraduatechico.com

The Handle Bar 2070 E. 20th St., 894-2337 Offering a German-inspired pub menu to compliment a host of specialty craft beers (with a focus on regional brews).

The Hub

685 Manzanita Court, 345-2491 Formerly known as the On the Rocks Lounge, this club inside the Holiday Inn typically draws a more mature crowd than the downtown bars.

Joe’s Bar

749 W. Fifth St., 894-3612 Recently redone, Joe’s Bar maintains its down-home atmosphere in the south-campus neighborhood, with wood chips on the floor and friendly bartenders.

LaSalles

229 Broadway, 893-1891 LaSalles features two stages—one next to the dance floor in the main barroom and one on the outdoor patio under the trees. Both feature cover bands, touring outfits and local musicians. This is a college-focused club, but popular drink specials and musical acts attract a mixed clientele. www.lasallesbar.com

Last Call Lounge

876 East Ave., 895-3213 If you’re tired of the college scene, head out toward the airport and stop at this bar hiding in the Walgreens shopping center that features two pool tables and a smoking patio.

Monks Wine Lounge & Bistro

128 W. Second St., 343-3408 Bringing a touch of sophistication downtown, Monks offers an extensive wine list and various appetizers, tapas, and delicious gourmet entrées, prepared with fresh, organic ingredients. There are also bottled imported beers, and Sierra Nevada and Guinness on tap.

Monstros Pizza & Subs

628 W. Sacramento Ave., 342-1111 This pizza-and-subs eatery has established itself as the go-to spot for punk-rock shows, catering to punks of all ages.

Nash’s Restaurant

1717 Esplanade, 896-1147 This restaurant/bar on The Esplanade attracts a crowd of regulars on weekends, and features a live blues jam on the first Wednesday of every month as well as occasional live music. www.nashsrestaurant chico.com

Lost on Main

319 Main St., 892-2445 This bar and nightclub features a number of DJs and other live shows in an artrich environment at its spacious downtown location.

Also, they have lasers!

Monstros Pizza & Subs

Madison Bear Garden

316 W. Second St., 8911639 Outrageous hanging decorations make this Chico classic perhaps the worst place to be in the event of an earthquake, but a great place for a raucous night out. Tasty grill items and outside seating draw families by day, while drink specials, karaoke and adult tricycle races draw students by night. www.madisonbear garden.com

Maltese Bar & Tap Room

1600 Park Ave., 343-4915 This south-Chico watering hole’s stainless-steel and wood décor gives it the look of a classic neighborhood bar, which it is. Drink and food specials vary. The bar also boasts a patio, a pool table and shuffleboard.

Oasis Bar & Grill

1007 W. First St., 343-4305 By the railroad tracks near the Chico State campus, the Oasis hosts both students and neighborhood regulars. There are daily drink specials, pub grub, shuffleboard, pool and ping-pong.

Panama Bar & Cafe

177 E. Second St., 895-8817 Panama’s, as it’s known locally, offers a wide array of Long Islandstyle “teas” served in big glasses and NIGHTLIFE continued on page 26

24 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

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made stiff. Good thing they also serve a decent selection of burgers, sandwiches, salads and other dishes to help soak up the booze.

Park Avenue Bar & Grill

2010 Park Ave., 893-3500 A full bar, plus half-pound burgers and fresh-cut fries at this cozy south Chico watering hole.

Peeking Chinese Restaurant 243 W. Second St., 895-3888 A Chinese restaurant by day, Peeking transforms into a fullfledged dance venue on Friday nights during the Bassmint, a weekly electronica showcase. www.facebook.com/BassMintChico

Quackers Lounge

968 East Ave., 895-3825 A bar with a nice dance floor far from downtown, Quackers is full of regulars who are mostly above college-age. They have regular nights for karaoke and DJ dancing, and there are always sports on the television.

Riley’s

702 W. Fifth St., 343-7459 One of Chico’s most popular college bars with an emphasis on the Greek crowd. Thursday through Saturday nights the place is packed, with a line out the door. Riley’s is known for its “power hour” every Thursday, 9-10 p.m., when drinks start at a quarter and progressively increase by a quarter every 15 minutes.

Scotty’s Landing

12609 River Road, 710-2020 Off the beaten path, Scotty’s is where river rats go to drink a cold The Handle Bar

one and munch on something from the grill, or sing the night away during regular karaoke nights. Live rock, reggae and blues bands occasionally perform on the deck overlooking the Sacramento River.

Studio Inn Cocktail Lounge 2582 Esplanade, 343-0662 This recently renovated bar on the north end of town next to Priya Indian Cuisine offers occasional live music.

Tackle Box Bar & Grill

375 E. Park Ave., 345-7499 This is the place to go if you want a little fried alligator or frog legs (or a burger, for the less adventurous)— not to mention live rock, blues and country acts—with your brew. This south Chico hotspot serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and has a full bar. www.tackleboxchico.com

Tres Hombres Long Bar & Grill

100 Broadway, 342-0425 An attractive long bar to cozy up to, by yourself or with a date, and order a margarita made with any one of 120 different premium tequilas.

“Tres” offers delicious sit-down fare in addition to a yummy taco bar and wonderful Euro-café-style seating outside.

University Bar

191 E. Second St., 898-0630 The U-Bar is a popular basement hangout located on the corner of Wall and Second streets. It has everything you need in a college bar—cheap pints, pool tables, an air-hockey table and an extremely loud jukebox.

26 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

Casinos Feather Falls Casino

3 Alverda Drive, Oroville, 533-3885 With gaming aplenty, this casino frequently welcomes touring musicians and other entertainers. Eat at the café or buffet and spend the night at The Lodge, which has a fitness center and an indoor/outdoor swimming pool area. Check out the casino’s newest restaurant, the Feather Falls Casino Brewing Co., featuring house-brewed beers, gourmet food (including fresh sushi and sashimi) and live music. www.feather fallscasino.com

Gold Country Casino

4020 Olive Highway, Oroville, 538-4560 This casino boasts an 87-room hotel, plenty of gaming and an array of other entertainment options including karaoke, bowling, comedy night, live music and wide-screen TVs. The facility also has a steakhouse, buffet, café and an espresso bar. www.goldcountrycasino.com.

Rolling Hills Casino

2655 Barham Ave., Corning, 528-3500 In addition to gaming and a variety of dining options, this complex just off I-5 in Corning offers duck hunting at the nearby Clear Creek Hunting Club and golf at Sevillano Links, an 18-hole John Daly Signature course in the Scottish links style. www.rollinghillscasino.com

Other nighttime hotspots

Jewelry - Lapidary - Museum

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Chico State

Gift Items & Home Decor

400 W. First St., 898-4636 The campus offers several places to catch a band, or even a symphony, to liven up your evening. Laxson Auditorium hosts world-class musical acts and other performers from around the globe, thanks to Chico Perform-ances. www.chicoperfor mances.com

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El Rey Theatre

230 W. Second St., 892-1838 This historic venue has housed a Vaudeville theater, an Elks Lodge and a movie theater. It is now used primarily for touring performers and has resumed showing movies on weekends. www.jmaxproductions.net

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2397 Esplanade, 895-3257 More than a bowling alley, this entertainment center serves beer and has an arcade, a snack bar, pro shop and plenty of fun. www.amf.com/ orchardlanes

Senator Theatre

517 Main St., 898-1497 The ornate Senator Theatre not only offers some great musical shows, but it’s also a major landmark in Chico’s history. Once home to traveling shows, the Senator became a movie theater in the 20th century.

Now, after its renovation and reopening in 2004, the theater has become the main North State stop for some big names in music—Queens of the Stone Age, Modest Mouse, Sublime with Rome, Bright Eyes and Steve Aoki have all performed there—with many more to come throughout 2013-14. www.jmaxproductions.net

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Mountain Sports 176 East Third Street • Downtown Chico • 345-5011 Serving Chico Since 1975

Sierra Nevada Big Room

1075 E. 20th St., 896-2198 The world-famous Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is also home to a famous concert venue—the Big Room. Watch out for an eclectic mix of worldrenowned musical talent, from Victor Wooten to Jackie Greene, two to three times a month in the state-ofthe-art, 350-seat facility. Go to www.sierranevada.com/bigroom/ ● calendar.asp for more info.

Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 27

DOWNTOWN

El Rey Theatre

The hub of Chico

I

n 1860, Chico founder Gen. John Bidwell hired a surveyor to construct the layout of the grid that would become downtown.

The area has continued to thrive in recent decades through revitalization efforts of the city and local businesspeople who have invested a significant amount of time and money into keeping downtown beautiful and welcoming.

Today, downtown is a buzzing center of commerce, featuring impeccably restored historic buildings, such as the one at Main and Third streets that long housed Oser’s department store. Locals and visitors gather downtown for a sense of community and special festivities, such as Friday Night Concerts at Chico’s City Plaza during the summer, yearround and seasonal farmers’ markets, and the community Christmas-treelighting ceremony.

An eclectic range of businesses are found downtown—antique stores,

trendy boutiques, bike shops, hip cafés, crowded college bars and beloved “townie” watering holes.

You’ll find an array of striking architecture and art throughout, including many murals that help bring the area to life. More than anything, these works reflect the creative individuals who help make downtown a vibrant hub.

Points of Interest Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park Bidwell Mansion (at 525 Esplanade) is Chico’s most famous home. The three-story, 26-room, pink-and-brown Victorian mansion was built in 1868 and named for its

Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park

first occupants, John and Annie Bidwell. Now a lovingly restored state park across the creek from Children’s Playground, on-the-hour tours and a local-history display are available in the Visitor Center. Tours cost $3 for children ages 5 to 17, $6 for those 18 and older. Children 4 and younger are free.

Despite recent state-budget cuts, the mansion has stayed open at reduced visiting hours: Saturday through Monday (opens at 11 a.m. on weekends, noon on Monday; closes at 5 p.m.). Go to www.parks.ca.gov or call 895-6144 for more info.

28 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

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Chico Municipal Center At 411 Main St., the municipal center houses administrative offices for the city of Chico. Inside, you’ll find the offices of the city manager, city attorney and city clerk, along with headquarters for the Butte County Office of Environmental Health, Economic Development, and the Finance Office. The building also hosts regular art exhibitions, featuring the work of local artists and clubs. Outside, you’ll find one of Chico’s most recognizable sculpDOWNTOWN continued on page 30

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tures—Our Hands, a giant pair of hands with iconic images of Chico embedded in its surface.

City Council chambers At 421 Main St., the council chambers are right across Main Street from the City Plaza. The council is a seven-member panel that votes on municipal matters great and small, from city budgets to proclamations such as one declaring Chico a “nuclear-free zone.” The public is encouraged to attend meetings held on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 6:30 p.m. For more information regarding City Council meetings, call the City Clerk’s Office at 896-7250. Meeting agendas are posted at www.chico.ca.us.

City Plaza This one-block park in the heart of downtown Chico (between Fourth and Fifth streets, and Main Street and Broadway) includes lighting, a concert stage and an elaborate fountain. The park is a great place to people-watch or just rest your feet.

Downtown Post Office At 141 W. Fifth St., the United States Postal Service office just south of the City Plaza (built in 1916) is

City Plaza

recognized by the National Registry of Historical Places. With its beautiful arched entrance and Renaissance Revival architecture, the post office is a true Chico landmark.

El Rey Theatre This historic venue at 230 W. Second St. has housed a Vaudeville theater, an Elks Lodge and a movie theater. It is now used primarily for touring performers, though lately it has resumed showing movies on weekends. Go to www.jmaxproduc tions.net for more info.

Hotel Diamond The beautifully renovated Hotel Diamond at 220 W. Fourth St. is a classy homage to the original luxury hotel constructed in 1904. After years of neglect, the building had fallen into disrepair by the late 1980s; a complete renovation was completed in 2005. Now, the hotel offers fine dining in Johnnie’s Restaurant, standard rooms and luxury suites. Go to www.hoteldiamond chico.com for more info.

Old Municipal Building At 441 Main St., the Old Municipal Building once housed the Chico Police Department. Originally constructed in 1911, the building

Senator Theatre tower

underwent extensive renovations in 2008-09. The site is now home to the Chico Chamber of Commerce offices and the Visitor Center, along with the Chico Heritage Association, the Butte County Historical Society, and a Chico Police Department substation. Call the chamber/visitor center at 891-5556.

Senator Theatre The ornate Senator Theatre at 517 Main St. not only offers some great musical shows, but it’s also a major landmark in Chico’s history. Once home to traveling shows, the Senator became a movie theater in the 20th century. Now, after its renovation and reopening in 2004, the theater has become the main North State stop for some big names in music.

Go to www.jmaxproductions.net for more info.

Stansbury Home This gleaming-white Victorian at 307 W. Fifth St.—on the corner of West Fifth and Salem streets in downtown Chico—may seem a little out of place surrounded by contemporary brick buildings. But that just adds to the intrigue of Chico’s bestmaintained example of late-19thcentury Italianate architecture. Call 895-3848 for information on tours and rental rates for special events. ●

30 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

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CAMPUS

Wildcat Recreation Center (WREC)

Higher learning

C

hico State, one of only three truly residential campuses within the 23-campus California State University system, injects the surrounding area with cultural vibrancy. Just a few steps from downtown is the 119-acre campus core and its beautiful, red-brick buildings with majestic arched walkways, towering trees and Big Chico Creek, which runs directly through the heart of campus.

It’s a landscape that lends itself to leisurely strolls by visitors, locals and students alike.

The greenery of the campus’ natural environment also inspires learning. With hundreds of species of vines, shrubs and trees interspersed throughout, the Chico State campus was officially designated an arboretum in 1982. Throughout the school year, horticulturists and botanists from the university and Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park lead tours to show off the campus’ 200plus species of trees and plants, including a Southern magnolia planted in the 1860s by Chico

founder Gen. John Bidwell. His donation of eight acres of cherry orchards led to the formation of the Northern Branch of the State Normal School of California in 1887—one of several precursor institutions to today’s university.

The campus environment is a treasure to the Chico community, and university officials and students are committed to keeping it that way by being responsible stewards of the land. For example, all construction projects are developed with the envi-

ronment in mind.

The university’s Student Services Center—a 120,000-square-foot facility designed as a one-stop shop for student programs and services, such as the Office of Admissions—received a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Meanwhile, the Associated Students, Chico State’s student-owned and -operated corporation, adhered to similar guidelines for the Wildcat Recreation Center (WREC), which opened during the 2009-10 school year. The WREC features low-flow shower heads and automated light systems, as well as a 17,000-squarefoot weight and fitness area, a rockclimbing wall and three full-size basketball courts.

The newest addition to the campus is Sutter Hall, a dormitory and dining hall. Like the WREC, it received a LEED silver rating.

While Chico State is gaining attention nationally in the realm of sustainability, it has long been recognized for the quality of several

32 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

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CAMPUS continued on page 34

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Every week the Chico News & Review features your most comprehensive calendar for all the music, art, theater, special events and more happening in our energetic community.

E V E RY T H U R S DAY Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 33

CAMPUS continued from page 32

programs, from computer science and business to nursing and agriculture.

Campus tours are conducted Monday through Saturday at 10:30 a.m., beginning at the Admissions Office in the first-floor lobby of the Student Services Center (SSC). To make a reservation, log onto www.tinyurl.com/csuctour or call 898-6322.

If you decide to take a stroll on your own, here are a few places on the Chico State campus worth noting:

Bell Memorial Union (BMU) Commonly referred to as the BMU, this building is owned and operated by the Associated Students. It is home to the Chico State Wildcat Store, the Marketplace Café, an auditorium, study areas, a coffee shop and the Associated Students offices (as well as many of the organization’s programs). Go to www.aschico.com or call 898-4636 for more info.

Historic Quarter Dating back to the early part of the 20th century, Kendall Hall, Laxson Auditorium, Trinity Hall and Ayres Hall make up the historic

Chico State graduation

quarter. The prominent Mediterranean-style brick structures were built after the original Normal School burned down in 1927.

Laxson Auditorium

Meriam Library is the state’s largest library north of Sacramento and an important regional information resource. Call 898-5862 or go to www.csuchico.edu/library for more info.

One of the four brick buildings that make up the historic quarter, this majestic auditorium also hosts the major music, theater and dance events on campus, including the spring musical, North State Symphony Orchestra concerts and performances by world-class touring artists. Call the University Box Office at 898-6333 or go to www.chicoper formances.com for more info.

Performing Arts Center

Laxson Fine Art Gallery

Turner Print Museum

The Laxson Fine Art Gallery is located in the Laxson Auditorium space formerly occupied by the Turner Print Museum (which was relocated to the first floor of Meriam Library) and features works by students and some of the Chico area’s most prominent artists. Call 898-5331 for more info.

Located on the first floor of Meriam Library, adjacent to the Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology, the Turner Print Museum is in possession of some 2,000 prints by the famous, late printmaker Janet Turner, and also offers exhibits showcasing student works, as well as other compelling rotating exhibits. The museum sponsors the annual Janet Turner National Print Competition and Exhibition. Open Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.4 p.m., or by appointment. Call 8984476 or go to www.janetturner.org for more info.

Meriam Library Named after the late Ted Meriam, a former Chico mayor and California State University trustee, Chico State’s

This large building just east of the BMU is the hub of the university’s extensive performing-arts program. It houses two excellent theaters (Wismer and Harlen Adams) and a recital hall that host public performances, as well as such support facilities as a scene shop, makeup rooms and practice rooms.

University Art Gallery A student-centered exhibition space in Trinity Hall that focuses on original works by regional, national and international artists. The gallery is open Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Call 898-5864 for more info.

Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology Located on the first floor of Meriam Library, this teaching museum features photos and artifacts in historical displays. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. For more information, call 898-5397. Hours: Tues.-Sat., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Go to www.csuchico.edu/anthmuseum for more info.

Wildcat Recreation Center (WREC) Just for Chico State students and faculty, this state-of-the-art facility features a dedicated weight area, 34 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

Insider tip: Walk your bike It’s well known that Chico is a bicycle-friendly town, but that friendliness ends at the Chico State campus, at least as far as actually riding a bike. While there are ample bike-parking spaces on campus, to get to one you need to walk your twowheeled transporter across campus. The university’s official policy is: “The riding of bicycles (including coasting while standing with one foot on a pedal) as well as skateboards, rollerblades, unicycles, scooters and Segways (two-wheeled transporters) is prohibited in the core of the CSU, Chico campus.” The fine for getting caught? Up to $150.

—TOM GASCOYNE

four group fitness rooms, three basketball courts, one multi-purpose court, extensive pool and spa area, a three-story climbing wall and an indoor oval running track. The WREC is also home to Adventure Outings. Call 898-4444 or go to www.aschico.com/wrec for more info.

More education Butte College Opened in 1968, the local community college has come a long way since its early years when classes were held in portable buildings at a temporary campus in Durham. In the mid-1970s, Butte College moved to its spacious campus located on a 928-acre wildlife refuge in the foothills between Oroville and Chico.

In recent years, the campus core has changed dramatically with a complete overhaul and expansion of the library, and the addition of three new state-of-the-art buildings, including the college’s Learning

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Resource Center and Arts Building.

The impressive 77,000-square-foot, two-story Arts Building offers a keyboard lab, a full digital recording studio, a print studio, a cutting-edge graphic-design lab and the fabulous Black Box Theatre.

Butte College also runs a satellite campus in Chico, making it possible for students to attend classes without making the drive to the main campus. The 54,000-square-foot facility boasts 18 classrooms, four computer labs and a bookstore. Butte College’s newest addition is the Skyway Center in south Chico, home to the automotive-technology program.

With exceptional academic programs and impressive computer labs, Butte College has earned a reputation for providing education and job training at an affordable price. The college has also been recognized nationally for its commitment to sustainability practices; its Arts building was certified LEED Gold by the U.S. Green Building Council, the first in the North State to receive such CAMPUS continued on page 36

CAMPUS TOURS (800) 542-4426 UNIVERSITY PUBLIC EVENTS (530) 898-5917 CAMPUS INFORMATION (530) 898-4636

KENDALL HALL PHOTO/PHOTO COMPOSITION: JONATHAN BOHLANDER, SEPTEMBER, 2011. CHICO NORMAL SCHOOL PHOTO COURTESY OF MERIAM LIBRARY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS: PHOTOGRAPHER J.D. ZINK, C. 1905.

Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 35

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recognition. It also has the distinction as the first college campus in the country to go grid-positive.

The accredited two-year college offers associate degrees and fully transferable general-education courses, as well as vocational-certificate programs. More than 21,000 students attend the school, with bus services to the campus included in tuition.

Go to www.butte.edu or call 8952511 for more info.

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Marinello Schools of Beauty For those interested in all things beauty—that is, cosmetology, aesthetics, massage therapy, manicuring, hair design or barbering— Marinello Schools of Beauty in Chico has just what you need to become licensed and employed. The beauty school has two campuses in Chico— one at 2525 Dominic Drive, and the other at 2201 Pillsbury Road, #170.

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PARKS

Chico’s great outdoors

Five-Mile Recreation Area

M

ore than a century ago, Annie Bidwell— wife of Chico founder Gen. John Bidwell— ensured that the generations to follow would be able to enjoy the cherished land that carries the couple’s name.

Her gift of about 2,500 acres to the city of Chico in 1905 established Bidwell Park. Thanks to the city’s additional purchases of land over the years, it has grown into a 3,670-acre preserve and one of the largest municipal parks in the United States.

The park is the natural heart and soul of the Chico community, and it draws visitors from all around Butte County and beyond.

Divided by Manzanita Avenue, the 11-mile stretch of land comprises two distinct park sections. The area to the west of Manzanita bordering Big Chico Creek is known as Lower Park, while the land to the east, which extends into the Sierra Nevada foothills, is known as Upper Park.

Lower Park’s thick canopy of trees provides shade for its many flat, grassy knolls. Picnic areas are scattered throughout and can be reserved by contacting the city of

Chico’s General Services department (896-7800).

Upper Park, which extends five miles along both sides of Big Chico Creek Canyon, ranges in terrain from slight slopes to rugged rock faces. Much of the area is environmentally sensitive, so please obey all special rules.

The park is home to a variety of well-marked trails for hiking and biking, and several popular swimming sites—including Bear Hole, which is bordered by volcanic rocks that form near-vertical cliffs. On hot summer days, the areas adjacent to the water are lined with sun worshippers and their colorful beach towels.

Near the main entrance to Upper Park is Horseshoe Lake. Fishing is allowed there, but be sure to check the regulations. It’s fed by runoff— and gets pretty low at times—but still supports a population of bass, bluegill, crappie and catfish. The

lake’s undeveloped shoreline attracts anglers of all types and is the site of the annual “Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs” fishing derby for children.

For those dog lovers out there, the lake and trail system are also favorites of our four-legged friends.

Dogs are allowed off leash on the north side of Upper Park Road but must be kept under effective control.

If your dog doesn’t come when you call, keep it on a leash. Most dog owners who frequent the area with their pets are responsible, and problems are few and far between.

Within Bidwell Park, there are a number of special spots to relax with friends and family, or go on a hike or bike ride:

Caper Acres Lower Bidwell Park, near the OneMile Recreation Area. A muchbeloved playground for children with a soft, spongy central area full of things for kids to climb on, including an impressive mosaic sea serpent created by local artist Robin Indar. Open Tues.-Sun. through September 2013; on Oct. 1 and afterward, call General Services (896-7800) for days of operation.

38 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

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Cedar Grove Lower Bidwell Park, off East Eighth Street. Cedar Grove offers easily accessible picnic tables and barbecues along with a green place to relax near the creek.

Chico Creek Nature Center Lower Bidwell Park, 1978 E. Eighth St. The family-friendly Chico Creek Nature Center features a non-releasable living animal collection—the Janeece Webb Living Animal Museum—as well as the Howard S. Tucker Exhibit Hall and Kristie’s Nature Lab, along with creek access and picnic tables. Call 891-4671 or go to www.bidwellpark.org for more info about the center and the activities it offers.

Equestrian Center Upper Bidwell Park, off Wildwood Avenue. Horse lovers and their equine friends are welcome on many trails in Bidwell Park. Equestrian events are held in the arena.

Five-Mile Recreation Area At the foot of Upper Bidwell Park, Five-Mile is either a kicking-off point for forays into the canyon or a great destination on its own. Picnic tables, barbecues and ample space make it a popular spot for group gatherings.

Take Vallombrosa east to the end, turn right on Manzanita, left on Centennial, and the area is to the left.

Lower Bidwell Park

Hooker Oak Recreation Area

One-Mile Recreation Area

Upper Bidwell Park, near Five-Mile Recreation Area. Home to the beautiful baseball facility Doryland Field, several softball fields, a children’s playground and the Sherwood Forest Kids’ Disc Golf Course (which is often full of adults). Take Vallombrosa Avenue east, turn left on Manzanita— Hooker Oak will be on your right.

Lower Bidwell Park. Soaking up the sun, swimming in the huge Sycamore Pool, throwing a Frisbee with a friend, taking a leisurely stroll by the creek or picnicking beneath the towering valley oaks and white-barked sycamore trees is what One-Mile is all about. With its barbecues, horseshoe pits and playing fields, One-Mile is located just a few blocks from downtown and is easily reached through entrances on Fourth or Fifth streets.

Horseshoe Lake Upper Bidwell Park. A perfect place to walk the dog (complete with a designated off-leash area) or do some fishing. Horseshoe Lake also serves as a jumping-off point for the park’s miles of rugged trails. Visit nearby Chico Community Observatory for nightly constellation tours (go to www.chicoobservatory.org for more info).

Peregrine Point Trailhead & Disc Golf Course Upper Bidwell Park. Chico’s 18-hole disc golf course offers a challenge for avid disc golfers and breathtaking views of Big Chico PARKS continued on page 40

Horseshoe Lake

Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 39

Upper Bidwell Park

becues, picnic tables and a sculpture of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Go to www.chicorec.com for more info.

DeGarmo Park This park in north Chico features the town’s only dog park, a fully fenced grassy area with doggie drinking fountains and benches for relaxing. The site also includes three ball fields, walking paths, a playground, restrooms, benches and a large, sheltered picnic and concession area. Take The Esplanade north to Leora Court. Go to www.chicorec.com for more info.

Dorothy Johnson Center Located near the heart of Chico’s southside Chapmantown neighborhood, the Dorothy Johnson Neighborhood Center (at 775 E. 16th St.) comprises 3 acres and features a fenced playground, a basketball court, a picnic area, an indoor basketball court and a pool table. Go to www.chicorec.com for more info.

Hancock Park

PARKS continued from page 39

Creek Canyon. The course is about four miles past Bruce Road on Highway 32, with an entrance on the left. Go to www.chico-outsiders.com for more info.

Wildwood Park This 17-acre park near the gateway to Upper Bidwell Park in Chico features state-of-the-art equipment that is second to none. The site also has covered picnic areas and two softball fields. Located at 100 Wildwood Ave., off of Manzanita Avenue.

Other playgrounds and parks Baroni Park Located in a quiet southeastChico neighborhood, family-friendly Baroni Park offers play equipment, a 40 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

full-size basketball court and a large green space. Go to www.chicorec.com for more info.

Chico City Plaza Downtown Chico. This one-block park in the heart of downtown Chico (between Fourth and Fifth streets, and Main Street and Broadway) includes lighting, an elaborate concert stage and a spectacular ground-level fountain. The plaza is host to Chico’s summertime Friday Night Concerts and is otherwise a great place to people watch or rest your feet. The fountain display is a magnet for children who love to play in its intermittent plumes of water.

Community Park East 20th Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway. Officially known as Community Park, but also called “20th Street Park,” this popular 20-acre space features tennis courts, baseball and softball fields, soccer fields, a large playground, bar-

Tucked away in the midst of a north-Chico neighborhood, this grassy area off Marigold Avenue features walking paths and disc-golf baskets.

Humboldt Neighborhood Park For skateboarding and inline skating, this Chico park is located between Orient and Flume streets on Humboldt Avenue. The 10,000square-foot skate track is equipped

Petersen Park

with a pyramid, a rail, a box, two 3-foot-wide steps, curbing and steel coping to supply skaters with enough variation to mix up their moves.

Oak Way Park This popular neighborhood park, at the corner of West Eighth Avenue and Highway 32, offers basketball courts, lighted walking paths and plenty of open field for ultimate disc, flag football or just a game of catch. Go to www.chicorec.com for more info.

Peterson Park Peterson Park in north Chico features a basketball court, a children’s playground and picnic tables. Go to www.chicorec.com for more info.

~ On the Sacramento River ~ • Open 11am Daily • Lunch & Dinner • Live Music • Private Events on Waterfront Venue

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Rotary Park Tiny Rotary Park serves as the goto recreational area for Chico’s southside Barber neighborhood. Its small playground, basketball court, picnic tables and barbecues attract people of all ages throughout the day. The park is a frequent site for pick-up basketball games.

Verbena Fields This 21-acre, rough-hewn nature park was formerly a gravel quarry.

Located between Lindo Channel and East First Avenue near Verbena Avenue, the park features native area plants, a walking trail loop and the colorful Mechoopda Trail Youth Mural designed by local artist Janice ● Hoffmann.

YOUR HOMETOWN

NURSERY Citrus | Bare Root Fruit Trees | Roses | Veggies Perennials | Annuals | Unique Gifts and More

406 Entler Ave. | Chico 345.3121 | www.theplantbarn.com Find us on Facebook!

Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 41

EXCURSIONS

Lake Oroville

Lake Oroville Visitor Center or check out the expansive view of the Sierras and the Sacramento Valley from one of the two high-powered telescopes at the top of their 47-foot tower. Call 5382219 for more info.

Lower Bidwell Park trails Foot, bicycle and equestrian paths run the length of Chico’s Lower Bidwell Park through stately oak groves and near the riparian zone of Big Chico Creek, where creekside trails offer beautiful views of the water amid the seclusion of the park’s many trees. Take South Park Drive or Peterson Memorial Way to any turnoff.

North Rim Trail

Out there

T

he Chico area, with its wide range of topography, from rugged canyons to fertile flatlands divided by lush riparian habitat, is ideal for adventure of all kinds. Throughout the seasons, locals enjoy a vast number of parks, trails, hills, mountains and wide-open spaces that make the region quite the outdoor playground.

Fall is a great time for exploring, and Chicoans are usually happy to share their favorite spots. So don’t be shy—ask around. Local sporting-goodsand bike-store employees are excellent resources for advice and directions.

Whether you’re a competitive athlete or just want to get out of the house, the area surrounding Chico has something for everyone. Here are some suggestions to point you in the right direction, including a list of public golf courses for those who want to hit the links. Some places are closed during wet weather, so it’s best to check ahead of venturing out.

Walking, hiking & biking Big Bald Rock Trail A half-mile hike from the trailhead offers a view of an impressive rock for-

mation similar to the world-famous rock faces in Yosemite National Park. A more extensive hike to the bottom of the Feather River Canyon allows for views of distant Feather River Falls and access to ideal swimming holes. Follow the Oro-Quincy Highway out of Oroville for about 18 miles; take a right at Bald Rock Road. The trailhead will be on your right after about six miles.

Bille Park Nature Trail Located at the back edge of the Bille Park expansion in Paradise, this half-mile, one-way hiking trail is steep in some places but offers spectacular views of Butte Creek Canyon. Keep watch for artifacts from indigenous tribes, such as a boulder used for grinding. Head up the Skyway and take a left on Bille Road (the park is on the right at 501 Bille). A separate entrance nearer to the trail is located at 6261 W. Wagstaff Road.

42 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

Sign off with date:

Comanche Trail Butte Creek Trail Just off the Skyway near De Sabla Reservoir above Paradise. Known for its scenery, Butte Creek Trail offers a rugged path down to Butte Creek. To reach the trailhead, turn off the Skyway onto Doe Mill Road just past De Sabla and pick up the trailhead on your left after crossing the bridge.

Allow for 30 minutes down to the creek and about 90 on the way up, accounting for rest and water breaks.

Chico Oxidation Ponds Wildlife Sanctuary It might sound like an odd place to visit, but you can walk on the levees behind Chico’s Water Pollution Control Plant and find many species of local and migrating waterfowl and other birds and mammals. The trail loops around ponds for about two miles behind the plant. There is even a viewing blind. Take West Fifth Street until it becomes Chico River Road just outside of town, and go another three miles until you see the plant on your left. The gates are open 7 a.m-9 p.m. every day through September; gates close at 7 p.m. October-March. www.altacal.org/sites/OxidationPonds

A one-mile self-guided loop through the Mendocino National Forest’s Genetic Resource & Conservation Center (commonly referred to as “the tree farm”) in south Chico. The hike features many varieties of stately trees bordering a fast-flowing creek. Most of the trail is wheelchair accessible. Open weekdays during the day. To visit, drive to the gate at the end of Cramer Lane. Call 895-1176 for more info.

Skirting the north edge of Chico’s Upper Bidwell Park along Big Chico Creek canyon, the North Rim offers one of the area’s most popular trails. The “B” Trail, which descends from the North Rim, is hiking at its finest— rugged and scenic. For those sturdy of heart, make a day of hiking or biking both the North and South rims, an approximately 6 1/2-hour trek on foot.

To reach the North Rim trailhead, take Wildwood Avenue off Manzanita Avenue, then go 1.5 miles to the parking lot.

Peterson Memorial Way Occasionally referred to as North Park Drive, this 3-mile paved road runs one way from east to west the length of Lower Bidwell Park along the north

bank of Big Chico Creek. Take a walk, ride your bike or drive your car (slowly) through the park. Bring a lunch and relax at one of the numerous picnic-table turnouts along the way. The road is closed to motor vehicles Mon.Thurs., and open at 11 a.m. Fri.-Sun. Enter off of Vallombrosa Avenue just west of Manzanita Avenue at the eastern end of Lower Park.

Sacramento River Famous for its fishing, this waterway is home to many endangered animals, including species of migratory birds. It’s not uncommon to see an array of predatory birds, including osprey, red-tailed hawks and bald eagles. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages several sites along the river, providing a bounty of recreational activities like camping, bird watching, photography, hiking and biking.

Go to www.fws.gov/sacramentovalley refuges for more info.

South Park Drive This paved road runs one way from west to east the entire length of Chico’s Lower Bidwell Park. Cars are allowed from the main entrance at Cypress and East Fourth streets to the Caper Acres playground and from Cedar Grove to Manzanita Avenue. Like Peterson Memorial Way (the park road running parallel to it and connected by a series of pedestrian bridges), South Park Drive offers shady, creekside spots EXCURSIONS continued on page 44

Big Bald Rock Trail

Gray Lodge Wildlife Area Located 10 miles west of Gridley near the Sutter Butte mountain range (at Pennington and Rutherford roads), the Gray Lodge Wildlife Area is made up of more than 9,000 acres of seasonal wetlands favored by birds migrating along the Pacific Flyway, as well as local species. The area features 80 miles of roads, 50 miles of walking/cycling trails and a small wildlife museum, accessible to individuals with disabilities. Admission is $4.32. Go to www.tinyurl.com/graywild or call 846-7505 for more info.

Lake Oroville California’s second-largest reservoir, Lake Oroville offers activities like boating, water skiing, fishing, swimming and camping. Visit the museum at the Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 43

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Lake Oroville

Lake Oroville Visitor Center or check out the expansive view of the Sierras and the Sacramento Valley from one of the two high-powered telescopes at the top of their 47-foot tower. Call 5382219 for more info.

Lower Bidwell Park trails Foot, bicycle and equestrian paths run the length of Chico’s Lower Bidwell Park through stately oak groves and near the riparian zone of Big Chico Creek, where creekside trails offer beautiful views of the water amid the seclusion of the park’s many trees. Take South Park Drive or Peterson Memorial Way to any turnoff.

North Rim Trail

Out there

T

he Chico area, with its wide range of topography, from rugged canyons to fertile flatlands divided by lush riparian habitat, is ideal for adventure of all kinds. Throughout the seasons, locals enjoy a vast number of parks, trails, hills, mountains and wide-open spaces that make the region quite the outdoor playground.

Fall is a great time for exploring, and Chicoans are usually happy to share their favorite spots. So don’t be shy—ask around. Local sporting-goodsand bike-store employees are excellent resources for advice and directions.

Whether you’re a competitive athlete or just want to get out of the house, the area surrounding Chico has something for everyone. Here are some suggestions to point you in the right direction, including a list of public golf courses for those who want to hit the links. Some places are closed during wet weather, so it’s best to check ahead of venturing out.

Walking, hiking & biking Big Bald Rock Trail A half-mile hike from the trailhead offers a view of an impressive rock for-

mation similar to the world-famous rock faces in Yosemite National Park. A more extensive hike to the bottom of the Feather River Canyon allows for views of distant Feather River Falls and access to ideal swimming holes. Follow the Oro-Quincy Highway out of Oroville for about 18 miles; take a right at Bald Rock Road. The trailhead will be on your right after about six miles.

Bille Park Nature Trail Located at the back edge of the Bille Park expansion in Paradise, this half-mile, one-way hiking trail is steep in some places but offers spectacular views of Butte Creek Canyon. Keep watch for artifacts from indigenous tribes, such as a boulder used for grinding. Head up the Skyway and take a left on Bille Road (the park is on the right at 501 Bille). A separate entrance nearer to the trail is located at 6261 W. Wagstaff Road.

42 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

Sign off with date:

Comanche Trail Butte Creek Trail Just off the Skyway near De Sabla Reservoir above Paradise. Known for its scenery, Butte Creek Trail offers a rugged path down to Butte Creek. To reach the trailhead, turn off the Skyway onto Doe Mill Road just past De Sabla and pick up the trailhead on your left after crossing the bridge.

Allow for 30 minutes down to the creek and about 90 on the way up, accounting for rest and water breaks.

Chico Oxidation Ponds Wildlife Sanctuary It might sound like an odd place to visit, but you can walk on the levees behind Chico’s Water Pollution Control Plant and find many species of local and migrating waterfowl and other birds and mammals. The trail loops around ponds for about two miles behind the plant. There is even a viewing blind. Take West Fifth Street until it becomes Chico River Road just outside of town, and go another three miles until you see the plant on your left. The gates are open 7 a.m-9 p.m. every day through September; gates close at 7 p.m. October-March. www.altacal.org/sites/OxidationPonds

A one-mile self-guided loop through the Mendocino National Forest’s Genetic Resource & Conservation Center (commonly referred to as “the tree farm”) in south Chico. The hike features many varieties of stately trees bordering a fast-flowing creek. Most of the trail is wheelchair accessible. Open weekdays during the day. To visit, drive to the gate at the end of Cramer Lane. Call 895-1176 for more info.

Skirting the north edge of Chico’s Upper Bidwell Park along Big Chico Creek canyon, the North Rim offers one of the area’s most popular trails. The “B” Trail, which descends from the North Rim, is hiking at its finest— rugged and scenic. For those sturdy of heart, make a day of hiking or biking both the North and South rims, an approximately 6 1/2-hour trek on foot.

To reach the North Rim trailhead, take Wildwood Avenue off Manzanita Avenue, then go 1.5 miles to the parking lot.

Peterson Memorial Way Occasionally referred to as North Park Drive, this 3-mile paved road runs one way from east to west the length of Lower Bidwell Park along the north

bank of Big Chico Creek. Take a walk, ride your bike or drive your car (slowly) through the park. Bring a lunch and relax at one of the numerous picnic-table turnouts along the way. The road is closed to motor vehicles Mon.Thurs., and open at 11 a.m. Fri.-Sun. Enter off of Vallombrosa Avenue just west of Manzanita Avenue at the eastern end of Lower Park.

Sacramento River Famous for its fishing, this waterway is home to many endangered animals, including species of migratory birds. It’s not uncommon to see an array of predatory birds, including osprey, red-tailed hawks and bald eagles. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages several sites along the river, providing a bounty of recreational activities like camping, bird watching, photography, hiking and biking.

Go to www.fws.gov/sacramentovalley refuges for more info.

South Park Drive This paved road runs one way from west to east the entire length of Chico’s Lower Bidwell Park. Cars are allowed from the main entrance at Cypress and East Fourth streets to the Caper Acres playground and from Cedar Grove to Manzanita Avenue. Like Peterson Memorial Way (the park road running parallel to it and connected by a series of pedestrian bridges), South Park Drive offers shady, creekside spots EXCURSIONS continued on page 44

Big Bald Rock Trail

Gray Lodge Wildlife Area Located 10 miles west of Gridley near the Sutter Butte mountain range (at Pennington and Rutherford roads), the Gray Lodge Wildlife Area is made up of more than 9,000 acres of seasonal wetlands favored by birds migrating along the Pacific Flyway, as well as local species. The area features 80 miles of roads, 50 miles of walking/cycling trails and a small wildlife museum, accessible to individuals with disabilities. Admission is $4.32. Go to www.tinyurl.com/graywild or call 846-7505 for more info.

Lake Oroville California’s second-largest reservoir, Lake Oroville offers activities like boating, water skiing, fishing, swimming and camping. Visit the museum at the Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 43

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www.tinyurl.com/k46tyln for more info.

with picnic tables at which to relax and enjoy a bite to eat. Closed to motor vehicles Mon.-Thurs.; gate opens at 11 a.m., Fri.-Sun.

Teichert Ponds

For the adventuresome soul, this lesser-known but highly enjoyable trail is one of the more rugged in Upper Bidwell Park. The trailhead is beyond Five-Mile, where Centennial Drive deadends at Chico Canyon Road. The trail runs through the old police pistol range, above Bidwell Park Golf Course and up into the south side of the canyon. For a day hike, go up the South Rim Trail to the less-populated south side of Bear Hole and return on Upper Park Road or the creekside Yahi Trail. Go to www.bidwellpark.org for more info.

Dubbed “The Accidental Wetland”

by Chico Creek Nature Center naturalist Jon Aull, Teichert Ponds was created in 1965 “by Woodland’s Teichert Construction Company while mining gravel for the construction of the 99 freeway through Bidwell Park,” as Aull puts it in his essay (go to www.tinyurl.com/teichertaull to read it, and for map of ponds) about the obscure three-pond area visible on the east side of Highway 99, between the 20th Street and Highway 32 exits. The ponds, according to Aull, “host some of Chico’s most interesting wild inhabitants,” including wood ducks, beavers and herons.

Table Mountain

Upper Park Road

This flat-topped “mountain” is actually two plateaus—North and South Table Mountain—featuring waterfalls, caves, lava formations and the impressive Coal Canyon. In the spring, Table Mountain’s wildflowers are in full bloom and the waterfalls are at their most spectacular. Through April, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is offering naturalist-led tours of Table Mountain every Saturday—one group at 10 a.m. and another at 1 p.m.

Call (916) 358-2869 or go to

Wildwood Avenue in Chico turns into a rocky, rutted dirt road 2 miles into Upper Bidwell Park, where it becomes Upper Park Road. It’s usually passable with most vehicles in dry weather, but the gate is often closed in wet weather. The road runs 5 miles to the end of Upper Bidwell Park along Big Chico Creek, with parking available at the lots at the various swimming holes along the way. Three trails parallel Upper Park Road to the north— Lower, Middle and Upper trails. The lat-

South Rim Trail

ter two are favored by mountain bikers and hikers alike for their up-and-down ruggedness and secluded scenery.

Weather permitting, the main gate is open to vehicular traffic daily at 5:30 a.m. Go to www.bidwellpark.org for more info.

Yahi Trail Designated on trail markers as “easiest,” the Yahi Trail runs along Big Chico Creek in Upper Bidwell Park just east of Horseshoe Lake to the end of Upper Park Road. Constructed in 1967 by the local Yahi Group of the Sierra Club, the trail is notable for its lush, shady greenery and access to numerous picturesque spots along the creek.

Erosion is a problem on the Yahi, so no bikers or horses are allowed.

Horseback riding Camelot Equestrian Park 1985 Clark Road (Highway 191) in Butte Valley (about 10 miles from Chico), 354-6079. Bring your horse(s) out to 1,600-acre Camelot Equestrian Park, which features “miles of meandering horse and hiking trails, picnic areas, a beautiful shaded campground, turnouts and paddocks for traveling horses, dressage arenas, stadium jumping arena, a cross-country course, gymkhana arena, and much more.” Use fee is $15 per horse per day, which includes use of arenas, cross-country course, galloping track, trail riding, picnic sites and pipe corrals. Water for horses is located throughout the park and camping area. Camp overnight with your horse, if you like: fee is $15 per horse per night, or $25 for box stalls.

Picnic areas; barbecues and campfires OK in pre-approved vessels, weather permitting. Comfortable handicapped-accessible restrooms and showers on site. Go to www.camelot equestrianpark.com for map and more info.

Public Golf Courses Bidwell Park Golf Course A picturesque 18-hole, 72-par course in Chico’s Upper Bidwell Park.

Professional lessons are available, along with apparel and equipment. Open every day except Christmas from dawn

Teichert Ponds

44 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

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Tuscan Ridge Golf Club

Your Beading Headquarters

• Beads • Semi-Precious Stones • Pearls & More • Classes for all ages & experience

In the Almond Orchard Shopping Center

894-BEAD (2323) www.stringbead.com

FOR RELIEVING TENSIONS, RESOLVING HEALTH ISSUES OR JUST ENJOYING AN INDULGENCE… ESCAPE TO WENDY’S—

LET US PAMPER YOU! to dusk. Regular greens fee, which includes a golf cart, is $40 on weekdays and $48 on weekends and holidays.

About a mile up Wildwood Avenue. Go to www.golfbidwell park.com/course.html or call 891-8417 for more info.

Dingerville USA Golf Known for its friendly staff, this nine-hole course near Palermo is open daily. Greens fees: $10. Located at 5813 Pacific Heights Road. From Oroville, take Highway 70 south, turn right Welsh Road and right at Pacific Heights Road. Go to www.dingervilleusa.com or call 533-9343 for more info.

Lake Oroville Golf and Event Center The nine-hole, 33-par Lake Oroville Golf Course (at 5131 Royal Oaks Drive) was formerly known as the Kelly Ridge Golf Course. Collared shirts are required; scheduling a tee time is also necessary after 5 p.m. Call 589-0777 or go to www.logncc.com for more info.

Lava Creek Golf Course This scenic, year-round nine-hole course and driving range is located at

5235 Clark Road in Paradise. For disc golfers, greens fees are $4. Call 8724653 for more info.

Paradise Pines Golf Course This course (at 13917 South Park Drive) is just a short drive from Chico in the wooded Sierra Nevada foothills community of Magalia. The course offers nine holes plus a driving range.

Call 873-1111 or go to www.paradise pinesgolfcourse.com for more info.

Turning your back on us…

IS A REAL PLEASURE!

The Practice Tee at Sunset Hills The nine-hole course at 13301 Garner Lane has been renovated with sand traps and small target greens to go along with a driving range and practice putting course. Call 342-4600 for more info.

Sevillano Links Golf Course Worth the 45-minute drive from Chico, this scenic, John Daly Signature, 18-hole championship course at Rolling Hills Casino in Corning (2657 Barham Ave.) was named “Best New Golf Course” by Golfweek magazine. Go to www.sevillanolinks.com or call 5284600 for more info.

EXCURSIONS continued on page 46

Wendy’s

MASSAGE 1351 Mangrove Avenue

342-2222 WendysMassageChico.com Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 45

ENGINE REPAIR Tuition SMALL 10% OFF Free Public, Waldorf REPAIR School G&M True Value Hardware With this coupon. Expires 03/01/2014

17th & Park • Chico

343-5948

VOTED CHICO'S BEST LUNCH!

Insider tip: Adventure time For a full day of adventure, look no further than the Dome Trail to Curtain Falls, a less-traveled hiking destination in the Berry Creek area northeast of Oroville. The trail passes underneath Big Bald Rock—an impressive rock face that would look right at home in Yosemite National Park—and down the Feather River Canyon to a series of big, smooth boulders ideal for rock-hopping. To reach the falls, you have to cross the river, but it’s well worth the swim. The hike is strenuous in places and takes about three hours total, so bring plenty of water and food.

—HOWARD HARDEE

8 YEARS RUNNING! EXCURSIONS continued from page 45

Skyway Golf Park

a Cal l f or ur To Scho ol W. East Ave.

.

Ave lly Ho

Cussick Ave. OAK SCHOOL ★BLUE

LOCAL PRODUCE DELIVERED DAILY

ORGANIC GREENS AVAILABLE SAVORY DINNER AWARD WINNING ENTREES SANDWICHES BRICK OVEN PIZZAS ECLECTIC INTERNATIONAL BEERS DECADENT DESSERTS GOURMET SALADS

Esplanade

K-8 WALDORF-METHODS PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL

450 W. East Ave. • Chico 530.879.7483

www.blueoakcharterschool.org

This six-hole Chico course (at 1 Longest Drive) offers lights for night golfing, a driving range and three golf pros on staff. Reservations recommended. Open seven days a week. From Highway 99, head up the Skyway about a mile. Go to www.skywaygolfpark.com or call 899-8108 fore more info.

Table Mountain Golf Course This public 18-hole course (at 2700 Oro Dam Boulevard West in Oroville) is flat and includes fast greens and wide fairways, providing ample landing areas. The facility offers two practice greens and a driving range. Go to www.tablemountaingolf.com or call 533-3922 for more info.

Tuscan Ridge Golf Club

SEE OUR FULL MENU AT WWW.BROADWAYHEIGHTSCHICO.COM

300 BROADWAY ST. (UPSTAIRS) IN DOWNTOWN CHICO

530.899.8075

46 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

DC.F.13 p.46

The club’s challenging 18-hole championship golf course (at 3100 Skyway) winds through the lava rock over undulating foothill terrain bordering the Skyway between Chico and Paradise. The course is open to the public and memberships are available.

Go to www.tuscanridgeclub.com or call 624-7006 for more info. ●

GO FORTH!

Discover!

To Forest Ranch

1

In the Chico Area: 1. Upper Bidwell Park 2. Caper Acres 3. Community Park 4. Patrick Ranch

5. Lake Oroville 6. Chaffin Family Orchards 7. Butte College 8. Gold Country Casino

To Stirling City

To Orland

2

3

4 7

6

5

1st

10

2nd

11 8 12 Downtown Chico: 9. Children’s Playground 10. Chico Museum

11. Yo-Yo Museum 12. Senator Theatre

Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 47

Copyright 2013 Chico Community Publishing

9

Chico State

KIDS

Fun for the children Humboldt Neighborhood Park

W

e’re not saying these destinations aren’t enjoyable for adults. Quite the opposite—the kid-friendly suggestions that follow are sure to be enjoyable for everyone, from children and grandparents to families and individuals looking for an entertaining way to spend an afternoon.

Exotic and native wild animals, oversized yo-yos, indoor skating, outdoor places to romp and have a picnic, and giant telescopes are just some of the fun stuff Chico offers the young and the young-at-heart.

Barry R. Kirshner Wildlife Foundation This nonprofit organization on 19 oakstudded acres cares for endangered and exotic animals that cannot be released into the wild, and teaches responsible ownership of companion animals and the importance of habitat conservation for wild animals.

Bengal tigers, African lions, leopards, foxes, lynxes, exotic birds, bears and reptiles— including alligators and a giant Burmese python—are some of the 100 animals housed at the facility. Located at 4995 Durham-Pentz Road in nearby Butte Valley (near Butte College). Open Tuesday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Call 533-1000 or visit www.kirshner.org for more info.

Caper Acres Lower Bidwell Park, near One-Mile Recreation Area. A perennial favorite for

Caper Acres 48 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

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bring a book and relax under the big trees on one of a number of benches while Junior goes wild. Open Tuesday-Sunday through September 2013; on October 1 and after, call the city of Chico’s General Services department (896-7800) for days of operation.

Chico Creek Nature Center

children, this fenced playground features swings, slides, tunnels, a fortlike play structure and a soft, spongy, central area full of things for kids to climb on, including an impressive mosaic sea serpent made by local artist Robin Indar. Adults can play alongside their children or

The Chico Creek Nature Center in Bidwell Park (at 1968 East Eighth St.) has been growing, both in size and popularity, since the nonprofit organization was established in 1982.

A fabulous interpretive center, called the Howard S. Tucker Exhibit Hall, features exhibits showcasing the natural systems of Bidwell Park. The center offers free nature walks to the public as well as spring and summer

camp sessions and life-science programs for K-6 students. Adjacent to the interpretive center is a museum that houses living animals, a feature of the nature center since 1991.

Enter off of East Eighth Street just beyond Cedar Grove in Bidwell Park, or bike there via South Park Drive.

Howard S. Tucker Exhibit Hall is open Thursday-Sunday., 11 a.m.4 p.m.; the center’s Janeece Webb Living Animal Museum is open Wednesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Closed Monday-Tuesday. Call 8914671 or visit www.bidwellpark.org for more info.

Butte County Library The Chico branch of the county’s public library system offers regular Children’s Story Time for different age groups, including 18 months or younger, toddlers, preschool-age children and those 12 years old or younger. Located at 1108 Sherman Ave. Call 891-2762 or visit www.tinyurl.com/ bwg7pzc for more information.

Chico Community Observatory

Chico Creek Nature Center

The Chico Community Observatory (off Wildwood Avenue on Observatory Way) is a delight for astronomers and amateur stargazers. Located near Horseshoe Lake at Chico’s Upper KIDS continued on page 50 Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 49

Insider tip:

Children’s Playground

Fun for everyone One of the great things about FunLand (2465 Carmichael Drive) is that there are options for funseekers of all ages. Parents can feel nostalgic while roller skating with the kiddos at Cal Skate. Teens can head to the batting cages to show off their b-ball skills. And players of nearly any age can sink some shots at Putters—the 18-hole miniature golf course. Of course, those are just the main attractions at the aptly named FunLand, which is also home to an arcade area, as well as air hockey and other games.

—MELISSA DAUGHERTY KIDS continued from page 49

Bidwell Park, the observatory is home to two huge telescopes with which to see the night sky, and the world’s first outdoor planetarium. It’s a great family outing. Open Thurs.Sun., 8-10:45 p.m., on clear nights.

Go to www.chicoobservatory.org or call 343-5635 for more info.

Children’s Playground Centrally located at 202 W. First St., recently renovated Children’s Playground features lots of play-

ground equipment, picnic tables, and a large grassy area for romping. It’s a good, shady place for an afternoon break from a busy day shopping downtown or touring campus. For those into disc golf (a popular Chico pastime), there’s a practice basket as well.

miles west of Chico in neighboring Glenn County. For a monthly tour scedule, visit www.farmsanc tuary.org or call 865-4617.

Farm Sanctuary

FunLand

This 300-acre farm rescues animals such as pigs, cows, goats and turkeys and protects them from being harmed or turned into dinner.

Farm Sanctuary is located off of Highway 32 near Orland, about 30

A skating rink, miniature golf, and batting cages—what more could a kid want? Cal Skate (at 2465 Carmichael Drive) has a great skating rink—large, clean and well-run. The miniature-golf course, called Putters, is small but fun. The facility is the

Treat yourself to gift certificates up to 75% OFF! Visit www.newsreview.com 50 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

home of the Nor Cal Roller Girls. With activities every day, kids and grownups alike are bound to have a great time. From Highway 99, take the East Park Avenue exit and take the first right. Visit www.putter schico.com or call 343-1601 for more info.

Gateway Science Museum The Gateway Science Museum at 625 Esplanade (next door to Bidwell Mansion) opened in 2010. Interesting for kids and adults alike, the museum offers a range of educational exhibits focused on our region’s natural heritage. Hours: WednesdaySunday, noon-5 p.m.; closed Monday and Tuesday. Admission is $3 for kids 3 to 17, $6 for adults (free for museum members and kids 2 and younger). Call 898-4121 or visit www.csuchico.edu/gateway for more info.

Humboldt Neighborhood Park This skateboarding and inline skating park is located between Orient and Flume streets along Humboldt Avenue. The 10,000-square-foot skate track is equipped with a pyramid, a rail, a box, two 3-foot-wide steps, curbing and steel coping to supply skaters with

Gateway Science Museum

Diamond Alley, directly behind the store, to practice and teach each other (and visitors) how to Rock the Baby and Walk the Dog. Open Mon.Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sun., noon5 p.m. No admission fee. Call 8930545 or visit www.nationalyoyo.org for more info. (And, don’t forget: The National Yo-Yo Contest will be held in Chico on Oct. 5; ask the folks at Bird in Hand for more details.)

enough variation to mix up their patterns. The park is open 8 a.m.9:30 p.m. throughout the summer months; in fall, the park closes at sunset.

National Yo-Yo Museum The National Yo-Yo Museum is housed in the rear of the fascinating Bird in Hand store at 320 Broadway. The largest public display of yo-yos and yo-yo memorabilia in the United States, the museum also has on display the largest wooden yo-yo in the world, dubbed “Big-Yo.” The Chico Yo-Yo Club meets every Saturday (unless it rains), from noon-2 p.m. in

Orchard Lanes More than a bowling alley, this entertainment center (at 2397 Esplanade) has an arcade, snack bar, pro shop and plenty of family fun.

Go to www.amf.com/orchardlanes or ● call 895-3257 for more info.

Orthodontics Exclusively B. Scott Hood, D.D.S., M.S., Inc. Professional, Friendly, & Experienced Dr. Hood and his staff are committed to providing children, teens and adults with the highest quality care and brightest smiles!

Dr. Hood is a member of the American Association of Orthodontics Specializing in Braces and a certified provider for InvisalignTM. 2755 Esplanade Chico CA 95973 Phone 530.343.7021 • Fax 530.343.3672 5657 Clark Rd #5 Paradise CA 95969 Phone 530.877.4951 • www.hoodortho.com Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 51

2x3 (1/10 H)

AGRITOURISM

Agricultural attractions A

gritourism is a fascinating segment of the tourism industry, and particularly popular in agricultural areas like Butte County. That’s because it involves visiting working farms and ranches in rural communities and sampling the offerings, from wine and rice to olive oil and cheese.

Here in Chico, we are fortunate enough to be situated smack-dab in the middle of one of the largest and most productive agricultural areas on the planet— the Sacramento Valley.

The following listings include a host of day-trip destinations that will satisfy your hunger for adventure on the farm (and for delicious, locally produced food and drink).

Some are farms or orchards, some are rural storefronts, and some are

microbreweries (there’s even a strawbale winery). All are open to the public, and definitely worth a visit.

Beer & wine Bertagna Son Kissed Vineyards Bertagna Son Kissed Vineyards (at 3363 Hegan Lane) is the boutiquewine baby of Berton and Carol Bertagna. Named in honor of their two sons, Barron and Colton, the Bertagnas’ winery offers many different varietals made from locally grown, organically farmed grapes.

The tasting room is open noon to

52 DISCOVER CHICO

5 p.m. on the first Saturday and Sunday of each month, and by appointment. Go to www.bertagna wine.com or call 343-8014 for more info.

Feather Falls Casino Brewing Co. Located at Feather Falls Casino (#3 Alverda Drive in Oroville), this tribal-owned brewery is headed up by veteran brewmaster Roland Allen.

Seven beers on tap, including an amber ale called Coyote Spirit and the darker Broken Arrow. Bar hours: Sun.Tues., 9 a.m.-midnight; Wed.-Sat., 9 a.m.-1:30 a.m. Restaurant open daily at 11 a.m. Go to www.feather

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fallscasino.com/brewing-co for more info.

Feather River Brewing Co. This award-winning little microbrewery in the wooded Sierra-foothill community of Magalia (above Paradise) features a smooth Honey Ale, a popular Raging Rapids Ale and a winter-seasonal Dark Canyon Ale. Call to arrange a tour, and for directions. Go to www.featherriverbrew ing.com for more info.

Gale Vineyards Steve and Creasia Gale’s boutique winery (at 9345 Stanford Lane in Durham) is nestled among the shadegiving oak trees on their six-acre property just a short drive south of Chico. The grapes used in Gale Vineyards’ wines are organically grown on site and processed in a cool straw-bale facility. Tasting by appointment. Go to www.galevine yards.com or call 891-1264 for more info.

Grey Fox Vineyards Known for its excellent red wines, Grey Fox Vineyards (at 90 Grey Fox Lane in Oroville) is worth the approximately 45-minute trip from Chico. Owned by the Arrigoni and Cecchi families, Grey Fox produces 17 types of wine and was voted best winery in Oroville by the U.S. Local Business Association in 2008 and 2009. The winery also offers a relaxUniversity Farm

Bertagna Son Kissed Vineyards PHOTO BY JEN LEONARD

ing live-oak picnic area. The tasting room is open on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Go to www.greyfox.net or call 589-3920 for more info.

HoneyRun Winery Founded in 1992 by John and Amy Hasle, HoneyRun Winery (at 2309 Park Ave. in Chico) produces five types of honey wine, or mead— blackberry, elderberry, cherry, cranberry and dry mead. HoneyRun’s wines have no added sulfites or preservatives and are certified kosher. “Simple tastings” available most weekdays between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., but call ahead. Go to www.honeyrunwinery.com or call 345-6405 for more info.

LaRocca Vineyards Family-owned LaRocca Vineyards (at 12360 Doe Mill Road in Forest Ranch) is the oldest and largest producer of 100 percent, USDA-certified organic wine in the North State.

LaRocca’s dessert-style zinfandel has won several awards. Of note, the winery’s organic sparkling wine is created in the traditional méthode champenoise. LaRocca recently opened a tasting room in downtown Chico (222 W. Second St.) open Wed.-Fri., 1:30-8 p.m., Sat. noon8 p.m., Sun. 1:30-6 p.m. Go to www.laroccavineyards.com or call 1-800-808-WINE for more info.

Long Creek Winery & Ranch Long Creek Winery & Ranch (at 233 Ward Blvd. in Oroville) is a boutique winery nestled on a beautiful 30-acre property in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Long Creek offers robust red wines aged in oak barrels, as well as a delightful Grenache Rose and luscious dessert wines, all available

to enjoy in the Italianate tasting room overlooking a creek and 2-acre pond. Take a self-guided walking tour of the ranch to see the vineyards, olive and mandarin orchards, and working cattle ranch. The tasting room is open Saturdays and Sundays, noon-5 p.m., or by appointment. Be sure to check out their new Vaquero brand wine line-up. Go to www.longcreekwinery.com or call 589-3415 for more info.

New Clairvaux Vineyard New Clairvaux Vineyard (at 26240 Seventh St. in Vina) is run by fifthgeneration winemaker Aimee Sunseri along with the Trappist monks of the on-site monastery. The first Cistercian winery in North America, New Clairvaux has a variety of offerings, including a blend called Abbot’s Reserve. The tasting room is open every day (excluding Holy Days) 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Go to www.newclair vauxvineyard.com or call 839-2200 for more info.

Odyssey Winery and Vineyards This attractive, Greek-style winery (at 6237 Cohasset Road) is owned by local dentist Norm Rosene and his wife, Janice. Odyssey features wines made from organic grapes grown on site, a selection of work by local artists, and an array of locally produced foods. The tasting room is open on Saturdays, 1-6 p.m., from May to December. Go to www.sierra wines.com/winery/winery00148.aspx or call 891-9463 for more info.

Quilici Vineyards This 10-acre family-run winery in the Sierra foothills (at 72 Quail Hill AGRITOURISM continued on page 55 Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 53

NOW OPEN Tasting Room

222 W. 2nd Street • Downtown Chico Open 5 days a week Wednesday–Friday 1:30 pm–8pm Saturdays 12–8pm • Sundays 1:30 – 6:30pm 800.808.9463 • laroccavineyards.com

NOT YOUR AVERAGE TASTING ROOM Adventurers Welcome!

OPEN EVERY SATURDAY + SUNDAY NOON TO 5PM

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Visit our new tAStiNG rOOm!

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BertagnaWine.com • 343.8014 Visit our website for a complete list of vendors or scan QR code

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DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

ADVERTISE WITH (530) 894-2300

Lodestar Farms

AGRITOURISM continued from page 53

Place in Oroville) has been around for more than 20 years. Quilici’s varietals are available to taste without charge with the purchase of wine.

Otherwise, the fee is $3. Tasting by appointment only. Go to www.quilici vineyards.com or call 589-5088 for more info.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. The ales and lagers available at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Taproom and Restaurant (at 1075 E. 20th St.) are world-famous. An extensive miniglass sampler of the brewery’s line of beers is a good way to familiarize yourself with Chico’s most celebrated brews. Take an in-depth tour of the brewery, followed by an “educational tasting” in the brewery’s new tasting room. All tours are one hour and 15 minutes in length, followed by a 20minute tasting. Take a self-guided “family tour”—for families with children under 12 years of age—any day of the week. Go to www.sierraneva da.com or call 893-3520 for more info.

Western Pacific Brewing & Dining Housed in a former train depot, Western Pacific Brewing and Dining (at 2191 High St. in Oroville) offers six housemade craft beers on tap, including Belden Golden Ale, Pulga Pale Ale and Chilcoot IPA, as well as a satisfying lunch and dinner menu.

Go to www.westernpacific

Insider tip: Celebrate fall!

Head to the bucolic grounds of the Patrick Ranch Museum (10381 Midway) in October for Autumn Fest 2013, which will take place Oct. 12 & 13, 19 & 20, and 26 & 27, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

This six-day event features a pumpkin patch, hay rides, barnyard animals, a café, and more.

Cost is $5 per person; kids 3 and under are free. Go to www.patrick ranchmuseum.org or call 342-4359 for more info.

—CHRISTINE G.K. LAPADO-BREGLIA

brewing.blogspot.com or call 5349101 for more info.

Olive oil Berkeley Olive Grove 1913 Named for the group of UC Berkeley professors who invested in Butte County land in 1913 and then founded the Berkeley Olive Association, this producer of award-winning organic olive oils is owned and run by Oroville locals Darro and Olivia Grieco. The certified-organic, sustainable, traditional-style business is open to the public for tours of the tasting room and orchard by appointment. The Griecos also offer the opportunity for people to “adopt” one of the olive trees on their 400 acres, harvest their own olives, and learn curing methods. Go to www.berkeleyolivegrove.com or call 533-1814 for more info.

Butte View Olive Co. Owned and run by Lewis Johnson and his daughter, Kristean Eustler, Butte View Olive Co. (at 2950 Louis Ave. in Oroville) presses delicious, boutique olive oils from the olives grown in its Palermo and Wyandotte orchards. Taste Butte View’s yummy Mission and Ascolano olive oils, as well as its delicious flavored olive oils—such as lemon, blood orange, basil and rosemary—in the facility’s tasting/bottling room. Tours, tastings and shopping by appointment phoned in a day or two in advance.

Call 534-8320 for more info.

Lodestar Farms The leafy olive orchards at

Lodestar Olive Oil (at 3719 Foothill Blvd. in Oroville), run by the Johansson family, has produced its extra-virgin, California-style olive oil since 1993. Visit Lodestar’s tasting room to try its Late Harvest Mission, lemon and garlic olive oils, as well as its tasty balsamic dipping oil. The tasting room is open from noon5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Go to www.lodestarfarms.com or call 534-6548 for more info.

Lucero Olive Oil Fourth-generation Northern California olive grower Dewey Lucero’s Lucero Olive Oil (at 2120 Loleta Ave. in Corning) is worth the roughly 45-minute drive from Chico.

The “olive capital” of Corning features a mill, bottling room and tasting room/retail store in which to try its internationally acclaimed (and Gold Medal-winning) olive oils and balsamic vinegars. The tasting room is open every day from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and tours are available via appointment. Go to www.lucerooliveoil.com or call 824-2190 for more info.

Olive A’Sudden Taste extra-virgin olive oils, specialty oils and balsamic vinegars at Olive A’Sudden (at 1380 East Ave., Ste. 108, in Chico). This new tasting room features the likes of such deliciousness as blackberry-ginger, fig, and espresso dark balsamic vinegars, and chipotle- and blood-orangeinfused olive oils. Organic infused olive oils also available. Product selections vary according to season.

Call 896-1124 or go to www.olivea sudden.com for more information.

AGRITOURISM continued on page 56 Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 55

AGRITOURISM continued from page 55

Fruits, nuts, vegetables & more Chaffin Family Orchards This huge, productive, fifth-generation family farm (at 606 Coal Canyon Road in Oroville) boasts a little of everything—old-growth orchards loaded with rare heirloom varieties of fruit, grass-fed cattle and goats, and pasture-raised chickens. Something good to eat—from apricots, figs and pomegranates, to extra-virgin olive oil, heirloom-fruit jams, and fresh eggs, lamb and goat meat—is available year-round; check Chaffin’s “In season” calendar on its website to find out more. The organic, sustainability-focused farm also offers natural, undyed-wool yarn available from the fleece of its Shetland sheep. No-cost farm tours and field trips by appointment. Go to www.chaffinfamilyorchards.com or call 533-8239 for more info.

THINK FREE.

Lundberg Family Farms Since 1937, the organic rice farmers (at 5311 Midway in Richvale) have championed environmental stewardship and responsible production techniques. Their products now include rice cakes, risottos, pastas, brown-rice syrup, flour, and gluten-free and non-GMO options. Their recently opened (and super-swanky) visitor center is stocked full of goodies. Group and individual tours are available by appointment weekdays from 8:30 a.m.4 p.m. Go to www.lundberg.com or call 538-3500 for more info.

Mooney Farms Olive trees, fragrant lavender plants and fountains welcome visitors to family-run Mooney Farms’ lovely tasting room (at 1220 Fortress St.), a great place to sample its healthful Mediterranean-inspired eats, including sundried tomatoes, pesto and pasta sauce from Mooney’s award-winning Bella Sun Luci line. Gift baskets and work by local artists also available. Go to www.mooney farms.com or call 899-2661 for more info.

Morse Mandarin Farms This family-owned citrus farm (at 8 Feathervale Drive in Oroville) began in 2002, and offers delicious “zip-peel” Satsuma mandarins grown using sustainable farming methods. Morse’s mandarin, lemon, navel orange, tangelo and grapefruit season is late November through March.

One can also buy the farm’s Satsuma mandarin and Minneola marmalades and syrups, and meat rubs. Go to www.morsemandarinfarms.com or call 589-2126 for more info.

Patrick Ranch Museum The 28-acre, Valley-oak-studded Patrick Ranch (at 10381 Midway) serves as an “interactive agricultural and natural history learning center.” Its stately Glenwood Farmhouse, built in 1877, houses the official indoor museum, but the expansive acreage surrounding it boasts all the trappings of a working farm, including old-time 56 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

tractors, interesting outbuildings, bucolic fields and a chicken coop complete with a brood of sweet, clucky hens that lay fresh eggs each morning. Open Saturdays, 11 a.m.3 p.m. Go to www.patrickranchmuse um.org or call 342-4359 for more info.

Morse Mandarin Farms

Pedrozo Dairy & Cheese Co. Pedrozo Dairy & Cheese Co. (at 7713 Road 24 in Orland) is owned and operated by Tim and Jill Pedrozo and their children. They produce small batches of gouda-style farmstead cheeses from the milk of their small herd of happy, pasture-grazed cows. Try their Northern Gold—a buttery, semi-firm cheese—or Black Butte Reserve, an award-winning, intense, aged hard cheese. Be sure to bring the kids along to visit the dairy, the cheese plant and the farm animals. Go to www.realfarmstead cheese.com or call 514-3837 for more info.

TJ Farms The 15-acre farm (at 3600 Chico Ave.) is only 3 miles from downtown Chico, but seems like a world away.

The immaculate grounds include waterfalls, fountains, ivy-covered trellises, a gazebo and more. The onsite gift shop (open during seasonal events) sells jams, mustards, vinegars, dressings and pickles. Go to www.tjfarmsestates.com or call 3432294 for more info and/or to schedule a private tour.

Tri-L Mandarin Ranch Visit family-owned Tri-L Mandarin Ranch (on Naranja Avenue in Oroville) to buy boxes of yummy, tree-ripened Satsuma mandarins. Lou and Lola Lodigiani invite you to visit their orchards, and their packing shed, which is open during harvest season. Holiday gift boxes and shipping available. Open daily, 8 a.m. until dusk, November to January. Call 534-4316 or go to www.mandarins 4you.com for more info.

University Farm This working 800-acre farm on the outskirts of Chico (at 311

Nicholas C. Schouten Lane) is used as a teaching facility for Chico State’s agriculture students. Chickens, cows, sheep and pigs all call the University Farm home, and organic vegetables and other crops take up the rest of the space. While it’s the regular site of school field trips, the farm is only open to the public on special occasions—like the Sierra Oro Farm Trail.

Not to fear, though, the Meats Lab is open year-round and offers affordable, fresh, local, USDA-inspected meat. Go to www.csuchico.edu/ag/ farm/index.shtml or call 898-6028 for more info.

AGRITOURISM continued on page 59

Fresh local nuts in bulk or by the bag!

California Almonds Walnuts Free Pistachios tasting Pecans ‘Cashews bar!

Macademias

We’re an almond farmer-owned business proudly supporting other local farmers and producers by offering you a one-stop marketplace, six days a week!

LOCAL MADE: HONEY • WINE • SPICES • OLIVE OILS • SPECIALTY FOODS • BED & BATH • GIFT BASKETS and lots and lots of chocolate, flavored, roasted and just plain naturally good nuts!

www.masiejanes.com

1324 Dayton Road • Chico, CA 95928 • 899-7909 Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 57

THINK

FREE.

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AGRITOURISM continued from page 57

Vincent Noble Orchard Co. Since 1921, Noble Orchards (at 7050 Pentz Road in Paradise) offers tree-ripened stone fruits—cherries, peaches, pluots and nectarines—during the July-September season, and 17 varieties of apples including various heirloom varieties from September to March. Noble’s pole-barn packing shed/farmstand—featuring fruit, apple butter and gift boxes—is open July through March. Call 877-4784 for more info.

The Worm Farm Head down to the Worm Farm (at 9033 Esquon Road in Durham) to see how the red worms are raised or sign up for a worm-bin workshop. While worms are not meant to be eaten, you sure as heck can enjoy the robust vegetables and fruits grown in soil amended with nutritious, worm-casting compost.

While you’re there, chat up friendly Worm Farm staff for worm wisdom and gardening advice, and check out the bulk store. Go to www.thewormfarm.net or call 894-1276 for more info.

Locally made Chambers Harvest Shop Chambers Harvest Shop (at 629 Entler Ave. #9) is owned and run by Chico natives and longtime almond growers John and Peggy Chambers, and features farm-fresh local almonds, walnuts, pistachios and pecans, dried stone fruits (peaches, apricots, etc.) and specialty food items. Gift boxes, bulk nuts and candied nuts are also available. Open Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Call 3451710 for more info.

Chico Certified Farmers’ Market

with selections of olive oil, wine and other locally produced foods like breads and pies. The Saturday market runs year-round from 7:30 a.m.1 p.m. Go to www.chicofarmers market.com for more info.

Made in Chico The name of this downtown store (at 127 W. Third St.) says it all. Made in Chico specializes in locally made gifts, including foodstuffs ranging from jams and spreads to nuts and rice chips. Call 894-7009 or go to www.madeinchicostore.com for more info.

Maisie Jane’s

Nothing quite beats the variety and character of a farmers’ market, and Chico’s (at Second and Wall streets) is unparalleled. Additionally, the Chico Certified Farmers’ Market puts on markets in Paradise and Oroville as well as Chico. Swing by downtown Chico’s expansive market on Saturday mornings for fresh veggies, fruits, meats and cheeses, along

Maisie Jane’s California Sunshine Products (at 1324 Dayton Road) is run by Maisie Jane Bertagna Hurtado, a fourth-generation farmer and believer in the goodness of local food and farming. Open Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Go to www.maisiejanes.com or � call 899-7909 for more info.

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Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 59

DINING

Asian Aonami Sustainable Sushi 1008 W. Sacramento Ave., 924-3168.

Asian fusion and Japanese cuisine made mostly from North State ingredients and served in a sleek, modern atmosphere. $

Big Tuna Sushi Bistro 1722 Mangrove Ave., 345-4571.

A cozy restaurant featuring traditional Japanese sushi, plus a variety of appetizers. www.bigtunasushibistro.com $$

Broadway Market & Deli 128 Broadway, 899-8368.

Serving Chinese food with lunch, dinner and vegetarian specials available, along with an assortment of “bubble teas.” Eat in or take-out. $

Chada Thai Cuisine 117 W. Second St., 342-7121.

Serving authentic Thai dishes, including a vegetarian menu. Lunch, MondayThursday; dinner, Monday-Saturday. $$

Chan Pheng’s Mandarin Cuisine 1140 Mangrove Ave., 894-6888.

Serving Mandarin, Hunan and Szechuan cuisine. $$

Chicoichi Ramen 243 W. Ninth St., 891-9044.

Chicoichi Ramen features a simple menu of authentic ramen, donburi, salads and sushi in a comfortable Japanese setting. Patio dining available; live music on Friday evenings. $

Cocodine Thai Cuisine

Where to eat

2485 Notre Dame Blvd., Ste. 250, 891-1800.

Specializing in flavorful and healthful authentic central and northeastern (Issan) Thai cuisine. $$

Egg Roll King 659 Palmetto Ave., 893-1838.

Chinese-style fast food; drive-through window and indoor seating available. $

Enjoy Teriyaki 450 Broadway, 899-9344.

Teriyaki combos and more for dining in or take-out at this downtown eatery. $

Everyday Vietnamese Cuisine 951 Nord Ave., Ste. A, 893-2888.

New restaurant on the west side of town, offering Vietnamese food, coffee and tea. Open daily, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. $

Ojiya Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar

Key To Symbols $ Entrées less than $10 $$ Entrées priced $10-$15 $$$ Entrées priced $15 and up

60 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

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Gen Kai Japanese Cuisine & Sushi Bar 605 Mangrove Ave., 345-7226.

Try traditional Japanese dishes or the sushi bar at this longtime Chico favorite. www.genkaichico.net $$

Ginger’s Chinese Restaurant

Panda Express

Tony’s Chinese Restaurant

2443 Cohasset Road, 345-7389.

Serving up traditional Chinese favorites and other creations—fast.

Drive-through available. $

951 Nord Ave., 893-8888.

Formerly the Chang Hing House.

Chinese food for dining in or take-out.

Order online for delivery! www.tonys chinese.com $

Peeking Chinese Restaurant

2201 Pillsbury Road, 345-8862.

Specializing in Szechuan, Mandarin and Hunan cuisine. $$

243 W. Second St., 895-3888.

San Francisco chef Ken Zeng presents lunch and dinner specials in a unique atmosphere. Closed Sunday. $$

Happy Garden

Peter Chu’s Mandarin Cuisine

180 Cohasset Road, 893-2574.

Delicious Chinese cuisine served in generous portions. $$

2424 Cohasset Road, 894-8276.

Tasty Asian food at reasonable prices. www.peterchu-chico.com $$

House of Bamboo

Pho C & C

163 E. Second St., 893-8811.

Vibrant Southeast Asian dishes made with locally sourced ingredients. www.chicohb.com $$

3211 Cohasset Road, 892-1415.

A variety of Vietnamese cuisine, including soups, rolls, noodles and traditional grilled or barbecued meats. $$

Hula’s Chinese Bar-B-Q

Rawbar Restaurant & Sushi Bar

2540 Esplanade, 342-8564; 1937 E. 20th St., 342-6304.

All-you-can-eat Mongolian barbecue with fresh vegetables, noodles, meats and sauces. Beer and wine available. www.hulasbbq.com $$

Izakaya Ichiban 2000 Notre Dame Blvd., 342-8500.

The sister restaurant to Big Tuna Sushi Bistro, serving Japanese tapas and traditional Japanese cuisine. $$

Japanese Blossoms 2995 Esplanade, 891-9022.

Offering authentic Japanese food and a sushi bar. $$

Kwando Restaurant 740 Mangrove Ave., 343-6788.

An all-you-can-eat buffet featuring a huge sushi bar, salad bar, carving bar, oysters, shrimp, dim sum, soup, fish, desserts and appetizers. $$

Mekkala Thai Cuisine

ugh $

1196 E. Lassen Ave., 636-4620.

A family-owned and -operated Thai restaurant offering an elevated but casual dining experience. Lunch specials and take-out available. $

ng y. $

Noodle House 605 Mangrove Ave., 345-2022.

Delicious Vietnamese and Asian-fusion cuisine including soups, bowls and wraps. www.noodlehousechico.com $

Ojiya Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar 2477 Forest Ave., 899-1199.

Sit around the hibachi and watch the chefs grill steaks, seafood and vegetarian fare. There’s a sushi bar, too. $$$

346 Broadway, 897-0626.

Downtown’s fab sushi bar and Asian grill offering a full bar, take-out, happy hour, affordable lunches. Reservations accepted.

Open Mon.-Thurs., 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fri., 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sat., noon-10 p.m.; and Sun., 5-9 p.m. Happy hour: Mon.-Fri., 3-5 p.m. www.rawbarchico.com $$

Rice Bowl 2804 Esplanade, 899-9098.

A sit-down restaurant serving Chinese and Japanese cuisine, including a sushi bar, beer and wine. $$

Rice Wok 1354 East Ave., 892-8369.

Asian food served in generous portions quickly. Dine in or take-out. Closed Sunday. www.ricewokchico.com $$

Sophia’s Authentic Thai Cuisine 305 Nord Ave., 342-8842.

Authentic and delicious Thai food at reasonable prices. $$

Teriyaki House 951 Nord Ave., 894-3040; 236 W. East Ave., 894-6127.

A Japanese fast-food restaurant specializing in teriyaki. Nord location open daily; East Avenue location closed on Sunday. www.teriyakihousechico.com $

Thai Basil 121 Broadway, 343-6843.

All dishes made with fresh vegetables and choice of meat (or vegetarian) and spice level. Lunch, Monday-Friday; dinner, Thursday-Saturday. Closed Sunday. $$

Tong Fong Low 2072 E. 20th St., 898-1388.

An institution in Oroville, Tong Fong Low also has a location in Chico, offering authentic Chinese cuisine. www.tongfong low.com $$

Turandot North China Gourmet Cuisine 1851 Esplanade, 893-1156.

Manchurian cuisine at reasonable prices in an elegant atmosphere. Serving lunch and dinner. www.turandot restaurant.com $$

Windy’s Chinese Restaurant 1000 W. Sacramento Ave., 343-1788.

Serving a variety of Asian favorites, beer and wine. $

Wok ‘n’ Roll Asian Food & Hawaiian BBQ 1008 W. Sacramento Ave., 892-1868.

Savory Chinese and Hawaiian entrees, combo plates and sushi rolls.

Delivery or sit-down dining in a casual atmosphere. $

Breakfast Nooks Beatniks Coffee House & Breakfast Joint 1387 E. Eighth St., 894-2800.

Serving breakfast every day—with an assortment of Benedicts, omelets, scrambles, and excellent huevos rancheros—and a weekday lunch menu of salads, sandwiches and daily specials. www.chicobeat niks.com $

Breakfast Buzz 208 Cedar St., 343-3444.

Breakfast burritos, omelets, French toast and more in a college atmosphere. www.breakfastbuzzchico.com $

Brooklyn Bridge Bagel Works 117 W. Second St., 345-3443.

Offering 25 types of New York-style bagels and 11 flavors of cream cheese, as well as deli sandwiches, smoothies and espresso. www.chicobagels.info $

Café Coda 265 Humboldt Ave., 566-9476.

Serving breakfast including scrambles, omelets, burritos and more; lunch served weekdays. www.cafecoda.com $$

Country Waffles 690 Rio Lindo Ave., 345-1149; 2485 Notre Dame Blvd., 345-9905.

Specializing in waffles. Breakfast and lunch daily. $$

DINING continued on page 62 Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 61

Big Chico Burger 1550 East Ave., 891-6100.

A casual restaurant serving fresh chuck patties, hot dogs, sandwiches and salads. bigchicoburger.info $$

Burger Hut 3211 Cohasset Road, 342-4555; 2451 Forest Ave., 891-1430.

A “Best of Chico” living legend with a “Build Your Own Burger” bar. www.burger hut.com $

Burgers & Brew 201 Broadway, 879-9100.

Grass-fed beef burgers and world-class brews in a modern downtown setting. www.burgersbrew.com $$

Mom’s DINING continued from page 61

Italian Cottage 2234 Esplanade, 343-7000; 2525 Dominic Drive, 342-7771.

Serving delicious omelets since 1970.

Also: eggs Benedict, cottage potatoes, fresh-cooked spinach, French toast, homemade biscuits and gravy, Belgian waffles, blueberry pancakes and hash browns. www.theitaliancottage.com $$

Mom’s

Burgers, Delis & Dogs

The Cheesesteak Shop

Applebee’s Grill & Bar

196 E. 14th St., 343-7370.

Check out this full deli with a variety of top-notch sandwiches and salads, and pick up some traditional handmade sausage and specialty meats. www.chico lockersausage.com $

2030 Business Lane, 343-6888.

Famous for barbecue riblets, grilled steaks and Oriental chicken salad. www.jafoods.com $$

995 Nord Ave., 345-2565.

Philly-style cheesesteak sandwiches made with rib-eye steak. Chicken options, too. www.cheesesteakshop.com $

Chico Locker & Sausage Co.

209 Salem St., 893-3447.

Breakfast offerings include crepes, pancakes, omelets and scrambles. Lunch features burgers, sandwiches, wraps and salads, as well as homemade tomato-basil soup. www.momschico.com $

The Banshee 132 W. Second St., 895-9670.

Serving up burgers and a variety of other pub eats, along with an extensive menu of draft and bottled beers. www.bansheechico.com $$

Chili’s Grill & Bar

Morning Thunder Café

Beach Hut Deli 146 W. Second St., 893-0633.

A variety of specialty sandwiches served up in a casual, beach-themed atmosphere. www.beachhutdeli.com. $

1008 W. Sacramento Ave., 894-3641; 1354 East Ave., 894-2242.

Serving charcoal-grilled gourmet hot dogs and sausages. Indoor seating at East Avenue location. www.chicodoghouse.com $

Big Al’s Drive In

EJ’s Dogs & Subs

352 Vallombrosa Ave., 342-9717.

Chico’s popular breakfast (and lunch) café at the foot of Bidwell Park. $$

Nash’s 7th Avenue Omelette House 1717 Esplanade, 896-1147.

Unique omelet selections made with fresh and local ingredients, as well as traditional breakfast fare. www.nashsrestau rantchico.com $$

Roost Café 1144 Park Ave., 892-1281.

This cozy, old-school diner serves real food, real butter and real-good home cooking. Cozy, cool counter seating, as well as a small, homey dining room. $$

Scrambles 880 East Ave., 892-8963.

Serving up its famous three-egg scrambles, plus eggs Benedict and homemade quiche. Champagne served daily. Full-service espresso bar. $$

Sin of Cortez 2290 Esplanade, 879-9200.

Enjoy specialty coffees or teas at one of Chico’s favorite breakfast and lunch places. www.sinofcortez.com $$ 62 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

1844 Esplanade, 342-2722.

Milkshakes are a triple-thick treat at this longtime Chico favorite. $

Big Al’s Drive In

1908 E. 20th St., 345-1687.

Everything from steaks and margaritas to baby-back ribs. www.chilis.com $$

The Dog House

672 Mangrove Ave., 342-3456.

A wide assortment of hot dogs and deli sandwiches. $

The End Zone 250 Cohasset Road, 345-7330.

A sports bar serving up more than a dozen appetizers, along with burgers, sandwiches, salads and weekend brunch. www.theendzonechico.com $$

Fast Eddie’s 788 East Ave., 342-8555.

Featuring tri-tip and pulled-pork sandwiches in addition to a large menu of specialty sandwiches, all made on local bread. www.fasteddieschico.com $

The Graduate 344 W. Eighth St., 343-2790.

Try a Grad Burger, salad, steak, or one of the 50 beers on tap at this rollicking local favorite. www.thegraduatechico.com $$

The Handle Bar 2070 E. 20th St., 894-2337.

Offering a German-inspired pub menu to complement a host of specialty craft beers, including a fine regional selection. $

FULL BAR | INTIMATE DINING | OUTDOOR PATIO BANQUET FACILITIES | LIVE MUSIC

Sunday bottomless champagne brunch at 9am Happy hour 4-6pm Daily & 9pm-midnight Thurs-Sat Dinner Everyday at 5pm 3312 ESPLANADE, CHICO | 530-809-1108 | OPEN 7 DAYS | RESERVATIONS ACCEPTED

Kinder’s Custom Meats & Deli 221 Normal Ave., 342-3354.

Try the marinated ball-tip steak sandwich, a Kinder’s specialty. Catering available. www.kindersbbq.com $$

Kona’s Sandwiches 138 Main St., 893-4344; 965 Nord Ave., 894-1635.

Inexpensive and delicious sandwiches and wraps. $

Madison Bear Garden 316 W. Second St., 891-1639.

Try their famous Bear Burgers, buffalo wings or a scrumptious salad. Close to campus. www.madisonbeargarden.com $

Marcelli’s Sandwiches & More 215 W. First St., 892-1329.

Choose from more than 24 premium deli sandwiches, like the Reuben or meatball, or from their selection of fresh salads. Catering available. www.marcellisand wiches.com $

Come See Why We’re A

Local Favorite!

Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner Sunday Champagne Brunch thru

Nobby’s 1444 Park Ave., 342-2285.

Their motto is, “Nobody does burgers better than Nobby’s.” Enough said. Wait— ask them about their famous “cheese skirt.” Closed Sunday and Monday. $

Oasis Bar & Grill 1007 W. First St., 343-4305.

Great burgers, dogs and sandwiches along with pool, ping-pong, shuffleboard, 15 flat-screen TVs and a full bar. www.oasisbarandgrill.net $

Since 1965!

2525 Dominic Dr., Chico 530-342-7771 Open daily 6am–10pm

2234 The Esplanade 530-343-7000 Open daily 6am–11pm

Cocktails, Beer & Wine Catering • Banquet Rooms

DINING continued on page 64 Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 63

DINING continued from page 63

Subway

Café Flo

Panama Bar & Café

Multiple locations.

“Eat fresh!” www.subway.com $

365 E. Sixth St., 514-8888.

Serving food and pastries with an emphasis on local and organic ingredients as well as coffee, beer and wine. $$

177 E. Second St., 895-8817.

Offering appetizers and American pub food (including 31 burgers) along with a full bar stocked with a wide array of teas made stiff. www.panamabarcafe inchico.com $

Quiznos Sub Shop 2471 Cohasset Road, 891-9500.

Oven-toasted sandwiches made with quality meats, cheese and fresh produce.

Open daily. www.quiznos.com $

S & S Barbeque & Deli

Togo’s 241 W. East Ave., 891-1131; 2009 Forest Ave., 345-7331.

Sandwiches, soups and salads.

Catering, too. www.togos.com $

Zot’s Hot Dogs 225 Main St. (inside Garden Walk Mall), 345-2820.

Steamed hot dogs, deli sandwiches, salad bar and house-made soups. $

1924 Mangrove Ave., 343-4930.

Barbecue lunch and dinner items to go or eat there at the picnic tables. www.ssproduce.net $$

Cafés & Bistros

Scotty’s Landing

642 W. Fifth St., 343-0704.

Serving sandwiches, wraps, desserts and coffee. $

12609 River Road, 710-2020.

Try a River Burger, fresh fish and chips or a homemade soup and salad on Scotty’s deck overlooking the Sacramento River. $$

Smokin’ Mo’s BBQ

100th Monkey Café & Books

Bellachino’s Espresso & Panini Café

131 Broadway, 891-6677.

A small California chain specializing in barbecue beef, pork, chicken and turkey. www.smokinmosbbq.com $$

800 Bruce Road, 892-2244.

Espresso and coffee, breakfast and lunch wraps and sandwiches, soups, gourmet salads and pastries. Garden patio, onsite bakery and catering. $$

Spiteri’s Delicatessen

Bidwell Perk

971 East Ave., 891-4797.

A longtime Chico fave, Spiteri’s serves all your favorite sandwiches, along with daily specialty salads and beer and wine.

Closed Sunday. www.spiterisdeli.com $$

Sub Station 160 Convair Court, 898-1020; 2404 Park Ave., 343-9178.

Sub sandwiches and other deli-style foods. $

664 E. First Ave., 899-1500.

Serving coffee, tea and delectables in a café-style setting. www.bidwellperk.com $

Cabana Café 1293 E. First Ave., 893-2233.

Inside In Motion Fitness, Cabana Café offers delicious paninis, wraps and grilled dishes, as well as a large salad bar and frozen-yogurt bar. $

Cal Java Coffee Roasters Multiple locations.

Serving pastries, teas and espresso drinks. www.caljavacoffee.com $

The Coffee Corner 206 Walnut St., Ste. A, 809-2157.

Coffee, tea and pastries. $

Coffee Ranch 1288 E. First Ave., Ste. 100.

Quiche, muffins, cookies and other baked goods, as well as high-altituderoasted Pablo’s Coffee from Denver, Colo., tea, Chico Chai and hot chocolate. Open Monday-Friday, 6 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 7 a.m.-2 p.m.; and Sunday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. coffeeranchchico.com $

Dutch Bros. Coffee Multiple locations.

A drive-through featuring mochas, lattes, smoothies, the “Dutch Freeze” and various baked treats. www.dutchbros.com $

Empire Coffee 434 Orange St., 899-8267.

Visit a restored 1940s passenger train car for handcrafted, organic specialty coffee and tea. www.empirecoffeechico.com $

Has Beans Creekside 1080 Humboldt Ave., 332-9645.

Cozy Internet café and bakery. www.hasbeans.com $

Has Beans Internet Café & Galleria 501 Main St., 894-3033.

Offering fresh-roasted coffees, teas, pastries, candy, wireless Internet café and gallery. www.hasbeans.com $

It’s a Grind 6 W. Eaton Road, 332-9250.

An Internet café with espresso, coffee, iced drinks, teas and more. www.itsa grind.com $

Java Detour 1055 Mangrove Ave., 893-2828; 2519 Esplanade, 566-9556.

A drive-through offering espresso, coffee drinks, smoothies and Italian sodas. $

Mondo’s Café 995 Nord Ave., 895-0878.

Gourmet espresso and coffee, fresh pastries and bagels. $$

Broadway Heights California Cuisine

64 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

Naked Lounge Tea & Coffeehouse 118 W. Second St., 895-0676.

Mouthwatering mochas, cappuccinos,

premium loose-leaf teas and gluten-free treats served with maniacal attention to detail. Check out their divine Bowl of Soul. $

Peet’s Coffee & Tea 145 Main St., 894-6716.

Coffee, tea, pastries and candy. www.peets.com $

3

GREAT JAPANESE RESTAURANTS

Starbucks Multiple locations.

Serving coffee, espresso and pastries at a corner near you. www.starbucks.com $ Outdoor Patio

Tin Roof Bakery & Café 627 Broadway, 345-1362.

Long known for its hand-crafted breads, Tin Roof has expanded into a café serving upscale pastries, artisan sandwiches, healthful salads and fine coffees at its SOPO (south of the post office) location. $

1722 Mangrove Ave • Chico

2000 Notre Dame Blvd • Chico

Corner of East 20th & Notre Dame (Behind Best Buy)

345-4571

243 W. 9th St • Chico

342-8500

891-9044

Upper Crust Bakery & Eatery 130 Main St., 895-3866.

Serving fine pastries, specialty cakes and pies from scratch, as well as lunch entrees, house-made soups, espresso and teas. Urban patio seating available. www.uppercrustchico.com $

Eclectic Eats

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A .

D U.S.

Bacio Catering & Carry Out 1903 Park Ave., 345-7787.

A popular south Chico eatery that turns out an array of healthful, seasonal, local and delicious food. Take home or eat on the premises. www.baciocatering.com $

E M I PR s

Broadway Heights California Cuisine

k a e St

300 Broadway, 899-8075.

House-baked focaccia sandwiches, specialty salads, gourmet pizzas, Californiastyle dinner entrées and fresh house-made desserts. www.broadwayheightschico.com $$

Five & Eye Island Grill 648 W. Fifth St., 343-4555.

Sandwiches, wraps, burgers, fish and chips, salads, teriyaki bowls and quesadillas served at this island-themed eatery in the heart of the south-campus neighborhood. www.fiveandeye.net $

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Gogi’s Café 230 Salem St., 891-3570.

Indian-Pakistani appetizers, entrées, desserts and specialty drinks served in a café setting near Chico State. www.gogis cafe.webs.com $ Multiple locations.

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DINING continued from page 65 tries as well as sandwiches, panini, salads and soup. Closed Sunday. www.greathar vestchico.com $$

The Kitchen Table 1250 East Ave., 592-3480.

Offering dinner options focusing on local, seasonal produce and sustainable meats and seafood. $$

Leonardo’s 973 East Ave., 342-8840.

Specializing in Spanish tapas, salads and paella, as well as delicacies from France, Italy and Greece. There’s a deli with specialty cheeses and meats, too.

Take-out or eat on the premises. $$

Outback Steakhouse 1990 E. 20th St., 899-8112.

Serving fresh steaks, seafood and chicken in an Australian-themed setting. www.outback.com $$

Pelican’s Roost Chowder House 1354 East Ave., 899-2762 Serving clam chowder and a wide variety of seafood and seasonal specials at affordable prices. $$

Petra Mediterranean Cuisine 138 Broadway, 899-9958.

Mediterranean food fare, including falafel, shawarma and kebabs served for lunch and dinner. Closed Sundays. $

The Pita Pit 240 Broadway, 899-2847.

From falafel to Philly cheesesteak, they roll pitas with your choice of meats, fresh veggies, cheeses and sauces. www.pitapitusa.com $

Pluto’s 201 Main St., 343-0165.

Part of a small, San Francisco-based chain, this popular downtown dining spot features fresh, build-your-own salads and sandwiches, as well as yummy sides and desserts. www.plutosfreshfood.com $

The Pour House 855 East Ave., 893-3000.

Delicious New American cuisine served in a tasteful-yet-casual atmosphere. www.chicopourhouse.com $$

Priya Indian Cuisine 2574 Esplanade, 899-1055.

Specializing in northern and southern Indian cuisine, served in a comfortable setting. Try the lunch buffet. $$

Red Lobster 2010 Business Lane, 893-5595.

Fresh fish, steak, pasta and seafood in a family environment. www.redlobster.com $$$

66 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

Roots Catering & Restaurant

The Albatross

3221 Esplanade, 891-4500.

Specializing in globally influenced entrées and fresh, handmade gluten-free and vegan selections for breakfast and lunch. Closed Saturdays. www.rootscater ing.com $$

3312 Esplanade, 809-1108.

New American cuisine. Open daily at 4 p.m. for happy hour; dinner daily, beginning at 5 p.m. Also, Sunday champagne brunch from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. For reservations and banquet info, call 809-1108. $$$

Sipho’s Restaurant & Café

Basque Norte

1228 Dayton Road, 895-1866.

Fresh, spicy, healthful Jamaican fare served at a groovy eatery on the edge of town. Patio dining available. www.siphos jamaica.com $$

3355 Esplanade, 891-5204.

Family-owned since 1975, Basque Norte offers steak, lamb, chicken, quail, barbecued ribs and seafood served familystyle in a rustic Basque atmosphere. www.basquenorte.com $$$

Sultan’s Bistro 300 Broadway, 345-7455.

Offering gyros/pita wraps, shish kebab, falafel, hummus, baba ghanouj, Greek salads and appetizers, burgers and home fries, along with a large vegetarian selection. $$

T. Tea Bar & Fusion Café 250 Vallombrosa Ave., 895-8100.

A selection of more than 40 teas and fusion, favorites including rice and salad bowls, wraps and sides. www.tbar chico.com $

Wild Oak Café 196 Cohasset Road, Ste. 150, 343-4876.

Offering organic grilled sandwiches, soups, and salads. $

Fine Dining

Christian Michaels Ristorante 192 E. Third St., 894-4005.

Featuring a California-style, Mediterranean and Italian menu, with a full bar and extensive wine list. Happy hour, 4-6 p.m. daily. Reservations recommended. www.chicochristianmichaels.com $$$

Johnnie’s Restaurant 220 W. Fourth St., 895-1515.

Located inside the historic Hotel Diamond, Johnnie’s offers seafood, steaks and tapas, and cocktails. www.johnnies restaurant.com $$$

Leon Bistro 817 Main St., 899-1105.

Freshly prepared California bistro cuisine made from locally sourced and organic ingredients. Menu items include steaks, fish, poultry and vegetarian options.

Closed Monday and Tuesday. www.leon bistro.com $$$

5th Street Steakhouse

Monks Wine Lounge & Bistro

345 W. Fifth St., 891-6328.

A full-service steakhouse featuring USDA prime beef, fresh seafood, housemade desserts and an extensive wine list.

Reservations not accepted Friday or Saturday. www.5thstreetsteakhouse.com $$$

128 W. Second St., 343-3408.

Known for its excellent, extensive wine list, a seasonal menu featuring locally sourced, organic ingredients and a delicious array of appetizers and tapas. www.monkswinelounge.com $$

Petra Mediterranean Cuisine

Nash’s Restaurant 1717 Esplanade, 896-1147.

Fresh, creative, California cuisine with casual and fine-dining options. Breakfast weekdays, brunch weekends. Lunch weekdays, dinner nightly (except Sunday). www.nashsrestaurantchico.com $$

Red Tavern 1250 Esplanade, 894-3463.

A seasonal menu specializing in locally grown produce and artisan ingredients accompanied by a full bar, an eclectic wine list and bocce ball. www.red tavern.com $$$

Sicilian Café 1020 Main St., 345-2233.

A Chico favorite offering a variety of antipasti, seafood, pastas, chicken, veal and beef, decadent desserts and an extensive wine list. www.siciliancafe.com

Sierra Nevada Taproom & Restaurant 1075 E. 20th St., 345-2739.

Bistro fare, award-winning ales and lagers, and an excellent wine list. www.sierranevada.com $$$

Spice Creek Café 230 W. Third St., 891-9951.

An exotic food mecca offering fresh seafood, steak, breads, fresh desserts and an extensive wine list. www.spicecreek cafe.com $$$

Homestyle Angie’s Diner 175 E. 20th St., 592-2282.

Inside Casino 99, Angie’s serves breakfast, lunch and dinner 24 hours a day. $

CJ’s Last Chance Diner 13670 Anderson Brothers Drive, 343-1901.

Order a gourmet burger, the barrelsmoked tri-tip sandwich or the hot pastrami. Open Monday-Saturday for breakfast, lunch and dinner. $$

Country Morning Bakery & Café 2625 Aztec Drive, 899-0527.

Cozy breakfast and lunch restaurant featuring delicious house-baked breads, pies, muffins and cinnamon rolls. Closed Sunday and Monday. www.countrymorning bakerycafechico.com $

Cozy Diner 1695 Mangrove Ave., 895-1195.

Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. Cozy Diner favorites: crepes, Cobb salad, prime-rib burger, broasted chicken, steak, espresso, beer and wine. www.cozydinerchico.com $

Denny’s 675 Manzanita Court, 345-1146.

Straightforward meals served in a family atmosphere. www.dennys.com $

Hometown Buffet 2021 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway, 899-1507.

An all-you-can-eat buffet serving an array of food choices, such as steak, seafood, veggie dishes and a salad bar.

Drink and dessert included. www.home townbuffet.com $$

International House of Pancakes 2040 Business Lane, 893-4988.

Breakfast served all day, plus lunch and dinner featuring sandwiches and burgers. www.ihop.com $

DINING continued on page 68 Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 67

DINING continued from page 67

Jack’s Family Restaurant 540 Main St., 343-8383.

Diner-style food at reasonable prices in a family atmosphere. $

Kalico Kitchen

Oroville Chico hungry? 533 1488 hungry? 898 1388 Tue-Sun 11-9 2051 Robinson St

Mon-Sun 11-9 2072 E. 20th St

2396 Esplanade, 343-3968.

Try Kalico’s breakfast skillets and breakfast burritos in the morning, club sandwiches and crispy chicken salad for lunch, and chicken-fried steak and housemade meatloaf for dinner. www.kalico kitchenchico.com $$

1965, serving local favorites: sandwiches, pizza, pasta, salads and breakfast. www.theitaliancottage.com $$

Logan’s Roadhouse

Olive Garden

1900 E. 20th St., 891-1098.

Throw peanut shells on the floor as you wait for your steak, sandwich, burger, salad or a variety of other fare. www.logansroadhouse.com $$

Marie Callender’s

Big Al’s

Happy Burger • Burgers just the way you like them • Great Fries • Mouth–Watering, Triple Thick Shakes

Always Delicious!

E. 9th Avenue & Esplanade

342-2722

1910 E. 20th St., 345-8800.

Breakfast specials Monday-Friday.

Sunday brunch, cocktails and fresh pies served in a casual atmosphere. www.mariecallenders.com $$

Russell’s Family Restaurant 185 Cohasset Road, 343-5543.

Featuring breakfast, lunch and dinner specials, beer and wine. $$

Italian

Angelo’s Cucina Trinacria 407 Walnut St., 899-9996.

Serving delicious signature Italian dishes, such as veal scallopini marsala, chicken piccata, fettuccine alfredo and calamari. www.angeloscucina.com $$$

California Pasta Productions

AUTHENTIC THAI & VEGETARIAN CUISINE The best Thai food you’ll find, short of Thailand Lunch: Mon-Fri 11am-3pm Dinner: Sun-Thurs 5-9:00pm Fri–Sat. 5–9:30pm

117B W. 2nd St. • 342-7121 Downstairs from Brooklyn Bagel Major Credit Cards Accepted

68 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

VISITOR GUIDE 1 x 3 (1/9V)

118 W. East Ave., 343-6999.

Serving Italian lunches and dinners, such as pasta, seafood, chicken, soups and salads. www.calpastachico.com $$

Crush Italian Cuisine & Lounge 201 Broadway, 342-7000.

Specializing in a combination of traditional and contemporary flavors mixed with fresh, local and seasonal ingredients. www.chicocrush.com $$$

Franky’s 506 Ivy St., 898-9948.

Locally owned for 19 years, serving pizza, Italian dishes, beer and wine.

Delivery through Entree Express. www.frankyschico.com $$

Italian Cottage Restaurant 2234 Esplanade, 343-7000; 2525 Dominic Drive, 342-7771.

Family-owned and -operated since

Teddy Malibu’s

2020 Business Lane, 898-8075.

Serving pasta and other Italian specialties, including drinks. www.olive garden.com $$

Panighetti’s Eatery 2760 Esplanade, 809-1640.

Offering big portions of moderately priced Italian food. www.panighettis.com $$

Pete’s Restaurant & Brewhouse 2495 Carmichael Drive, 891-0611.

Serving the same gourmet pizza, pastas and salads made popular by Original Pete’s in Sacramento. www.originalpetes.net $$

Chico News & Review Mexican Client: Aca Taco Big Al's

Fall Visitors Guide 08

133 Broadway, 894-0191.

Authentic Acapulco-style food, including tacos,1burritos and house-made Size: columns by 3 enchiladas. www.acatacochico.com $

Run date: FVG2008 Rep: VMD 820 Oroville Ave., 898-8488.

Amigos De Acapulco

Mexican favorites include their special enchiladas chile rellenos.

SPELL and CHECKED BY:$ jen

Arsenio’s Mexican Food 969 East Ave., 893-2767.

Serving up carnitas, burritos and other traditional Mexican cuisine. $$

Bulldog Taqueria 995 Nord Ave., 592-3605.

A hit on the Mexican-food scene in Oroville, Bulldog Taqueria is scheduled to open a second restaurant in Chico in midSeptember, featuring an array of Mexican dishes, such as burritos, tacos, tamales, birria, chili verde and menudo (on Saturday & Sunday only). “Quick-serve” lunches. www.bulldogtaqueria.com $

Burrito Bandito 2485 Notre Dame Blvd., 342-2584.

Serving steak, pork and chicken burritos, quesadillas and tacos. www.juan meanburrito.com $

Casa Ramos

Serrano’s Mexican Grill

Taqueria Los Amigos

216 W. East Ave., 894-0119; 2490 Fair St., 893-5050.

Specializing in borrego (lamb shank) and fresh fajitas: steak, chicken and shrimp. www.casaramos.net $$

645 W. Fifth St., 343-1928.

Customize-’em-yourself, authenticstyle burritos made with fresh ingredients.

Located near the university. $

3524 Highway 32, 342-9113.

Delicious family-style Mexican food on the way to Hamilton City. Closed Sundays. $

Chipotle Mexican Grill

Sol Mexican Grill 3269 Esplanade, 342-4616.

Tacos, burritos, tostada salads, chili rellenos, tortas, enchiladas, chimichangas and churros, as well as beer, wine and margaritas. www.solmexicangrill.com $

1002 W. Fifth St., 894-8226.

Try their grilled fresh fish, chicken and steak tacos, burritos and salads. Also featuring chicken fajitas, carnitas, full salsa bar and $1 Coronitas. $

620 Mangrove Ave., 343-8707; 1950 E. 20th St. (Chico Mall), 343-0706.

Fast, made-to-order gourmet burritos and tacos with “endless” combinations of fillings. www.chipotle.com $

Chronic Tacos 119 W. Second St., 895-8226.

Authentic burritos, tacos, tostada bowls, enchiladas and nachos served in a casual atmosphere in the heart of downtown. www.chronictacos.net $

El Patron Taqueria 1354 East Ave., 343-9779; 2454 Notre Dame Blvd., 891-8888 (El Patron II).

Authentic Mexican food served in a casual atmosphere. $

El Rey Mexican Grill 465 E. 20th St., 342-4121.

Affordable and delicious Mexican fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner. $

Gordo Burrito 1295 E. Eighth St., 809-1211.

Giant tacos, burritos and other authentic Mexican food served up quickly.

Open Mon.-Sat. $

La Cocina Economica 905 Wall St., 809-0370.

A local favorite offering affordable and authentic Mexican breakfast, lunch and dinner, conveniently located in downtown Chico. www.lacocinachico.com $

La Comida 954 Mangrove Ave., 345-2254.

Mexican-style food served fast in a friendly atmosphere. www.lacomida restaurants.com $

Speedy Burrito Mexican Grill 1031 Nord Ave., 896-0141.

Great-tasting, healthfully prepared Mexican cooking. Delivery available. www.chicospeedyburrito.com $

Tacos Cortés 1530 Park Ave., 342-3797.

Inexpensive, authentic and generous amounts of Mexican food, walk-up window, outdoor seating. $

Tacos Mary 429 Ivy St., 892-8176.

Reportedly home of the biggest burrito in Chico. $

Tacos Tijuana 1441 Park Ave., 343-6762.

Serving tacos, combination plates and breakfast burritos along with birria, posole and menudo on weekends. Try their delicious homemade flan for dessert. $

Tacos Tonaya 244 Walnut St., 893-8972.

Offering tacos, burritos, nachos, enchiladas, sopes and more. $

Tacos Villa Acapulco 1141 Forest Ave., 892-2858.

An authentic taste of Mexico, serving traditional tacos, burritos and special combos. $

Teddy Malibu’s

Tortilla Flats 2601 Esplanade, 345-6053.

A Mexican restaurant with a patio, full bar and banquet room. $

Tres Hombres Long Bar & Grill 100 Broadway, 342-0425.

Fajitas, seafood tacos, pasta, fresh steaks and more than 120 tequilas available at the full bar. Sidewalk-café seating available. www.treshombresrestaurant.com $$

Pizza Celestino’s New York Pizza 101 Salem St., 896-1234; 1354 East Ave., 345-7700 (Celestino’s New York Pizza & Pasta).

Award-winning New York-style pizza available by the slice or as a full pie, along with fresh salads, hot sandwiches, lasagna, calzones and more. www.celesti nospizzachico.com $$

Domino’s Pizza 324 Walnut St., 891-5888.

Hot, made-to-order pizzas, salads, breadsticks and Buffalo wings. Delivery and takeout available. www.dominos.com $

Farm Star Pizza 2359 Esplanade, 343-2056.

Delicious handmade craft pizzas, along DINING continued on page 70

La Familia Restaurant 1008 W. Sacramento Ave., 898-9029.

Serving a variety of Mexican food, such as fajitas, carnitas and burritos. www.lafamiliachico.com $

Woodstock’s Pizza

La Hacienda 2635 Esplanade, 893-8270.

Traditional and contemporary Mexican cuisine. www.lahacienda-chico.com $$

Ricardo’s Mexican Cocina 2365 Esplanade, 895-9607.

Specializing in fresh, delicious Mexican food, prepared from scratch and served in a cozy atmosphere. www.ricardosmexican cocina.com $$

Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 69

DINING continued from page 69

Round Table Pizza

with beer and wine. Live jazz on Tuesday evenings. www.farmstarpizza.com $$

Multiple locations.

Pizza selections and salads in a casual atmosphere. www.roundtablepizza.com $$

Grana 198 E. Second St., 809-2304.

Artisan wood-fired pizzas and other scrumptious fare with a local focus—along with beer and wine—at this modern downtown hot-spot. www.granachico.com $$

JT’s Oven 1380 East Ave., 892-1122.

Preparing pizza and subs available for pick-up and delivery. www.jtsoven.com $

Little Caesars Pizza 598 E. Eighth St., 894-8300.

Pizza, breadsticks and more available for take-out. www.littlecaesars.com $

Mad Dash Pizza 2391 Cohasset Road, 899-1010.

Yummy drive-through eats featuring personal pizzas, wings with specialty sauces, and fresh-squeezed orange juice.

Small outdoor dining area. www.maddash pizza.com $

Main Street Pizza 331 Main St., 345-6246.

Late-night pizza. $

Mamma Celeste’s Stone Baked Pizzeria 1008 W. Sacramento Ave., 345-1510.

Serving signature Italian sandwiches, “Cracker Crust” pizza, and build-your-own calzones. www.mammacelestespizzeria.com $

Monstros Pizza & Subs 628 W. Sacramento Ave., 345-7672.

Offering pizza and sub sandwiches. www.monstrospizza.com $

Mountain Mike’s Pizza 1722 Mangrove Ave., 893-1923; 1105 W. Fifth St., 899-9115.

An extensive menu of specialty pizzas, along with a salad bar and sandwiches. www.mountainmikes.com $$

Sbarro 1950 E. 20th St. (inside Chico Mall), 345-7266.

Serving pizza, calzones, rolls and pasta salad. www.sbarro.com $

Woodstock’s Pizza 166 E. Second St., 893-1500.

Award-winning pizza, cold beer on tap, fresh salads, appetizers, desserts and new sandwiches. Dine in, take-out and delivery. www.woodstockschico.com $$

Pub Grub The Banshee 132 W. Second St., 895-9670.

Serving up burgers and a variety of other pub eats, along with an extensive menu of draft and bottled beers. www.bansheechico.com

Bella’s Sports Pub 134 Broadway, 893-5253.

Great pub food and a huge beer selection along with sports on big-screen, high-definition TVs. www.bellassportspub chico.com

The DownLo 319 Main St., 892-2473.

A sports bar with pub grub and 17 televisions, The DownLo’s claim to fame is its expansive billiards room with 10 Diamond tables, darts and occasional live music.

The End Zone 250 Cohasset Road, 345-7330.

A sports bar serving up more than a

Papa Murphy’s Take ‘n’ Bake Pizza Multiple locations.

Take-and-bake pizza and breadsticks. www.papamurphys.com $$

Pizza Guys 2471 Cohasset Road, 894-8888.

Pizzas, pasta, salads, wings and more for take-out or delivery. www.pizza guys.com $$

Pizza King & Boba Tea Zone 2190 Esplanade, 892-8688.

Pizza, boba tea and slushies. Drivethrough or dine in. $ The End Zone 70 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

dozen appetizers, along with burgers, sandwiches, salads and weekend brunch. www.theendzonechico.com

The Handle Bar 2070 E. 20th St., 894-2337.

Offering a German-inspired pub menu to complement a host of specialty craft beers.

Oasis Bar & Grill 1007 W. First St. 343-4305.

Great burgers, dogs and sandwiches along with pool, ping-pong, shuffleboard, 15 flat-screen TVs and a full bar. www.oasisbarandgrill.net

Panama Bar & Café 177 E. Second St., 895-8817.

Offering appetizers and American pub food (including 31 burgers) along with a full bar stocked with a wide array of teas made stiff. www.panamabarcafein chico.com

Park Avenue Bar & Grill 2010 Park Ave., 893-3500.

Features half-pound, ground-prime burgers, fresh-cut French fries and a full bar. Catering available.

Riley’s 702 W. Fifth St., 343-7459.

Inexpensive pub-grub eats along with a full bar at this locally owned college hotspot. www.rileysbar.com

Tackle Box Bar & Grill 379 E. Park Ave., 345-7499.

A south-Chico hotspot featuring exotic appetizers like frog legs and fried alligator, along with traditional breakfast, lunch and dinner options and a full bar. www.tackleboxchico.com

DINING continued on page 72

See what the CN&R is cooking up each week in CHOW, with local restaurant reviews and other foodie stuff.

E V E RY T H U R S DAY

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DINING continued from page 70

Terr Bear and the bacon-topped O’Canada Bar. www.donutrising.com $

Sweets

Donut Wheel 2404 Esplanade, 345-4528.

Serving delicious donuts. $

Baskin-Robbins Multiple locations.

Offering ice cream, smoothies, shakes and cakes. www.baskinrobbins.com $

Brain Freeze Yogurt 2760 Esplanade, 636-4525.

Serving frozen yogurt and ice cream. $

Cold Stone Creamery 146 Broadway, 891-3331.

Premium ice cream, sorbet and cakes made fresh daily with your choice of fruit, candy, nuts or syrup “mix-ins.” Shakes, smoothies and banana splits, too. www.coldstonecreamery.com $

Gelayo Frozen Yogurt & Gelato 1380 East Ave., 345-7626.

Frozen yogurt and gelato. $

Hernandez Farm 156 Eaton Road, 809-2489.

Fresh juices and non-dairy smoothies in addition to a small sandwich and salad menu. Fresh produce for sale as well. $

Helen’s Donut Nook 807 Main St., 343-4031.

Serving fresh donuts and coffee daily until 2 p.m. $

Jamba Juice

The Cookie Shoppe

Multiple locations.

Fresh juices and smoothies with vitamin enhancers, plus nutritious breads and wheat grass. www.jambajuice.com $

1600 Mangrove Ave., 899-3385.

Featuring gourmet cookies and gift items. Closed weekends. www.thecookie shoppe.com $

Jon & Bon’s Yogurt Shoppe

Cupcake Crusader 752 East Ave., 899-1100.

Delicious cupcakes—in unique flavors as well as childhood favorites—made fresh daily and to order. Also serving coffee and tea. www.thecupcakecrusader.com $

300 Broadway, 899-9580; 1722 Mangrove Ave., 899-0484.

Delicious frozen yogurt, smoothies, ice cream, frozen coffee drinks and Hawaiian snow. $

Kiwi Blast Frozen Yogurt

Donut Nook 958 East Ave., 342-2118.

Donuts, muffins, Danish, scones, cookies and espresso. Closed from 1-8:30 p.m., Sunday-Tuesday.

Donut Rising 1008 Sacramento Ave., Ste. A1, 894-7847.

This artisan shop features specialty donuts, such as the gummy-bear-topped

645 W. Fifth St., 343-2828.

A frozen-yogurt shop in the heart of college land. $

Krispy Kreme 2060 Business Lane, 891-3492.

Serving donuts and coffee. www.krispykreme.com $

Let us Make You

HAPPY with the Best Chinese Food!

2002-2010

HAPPY GArden Chinese restaurant

Open Daily • Food to Go

180 Cohasset Road • (Near the Esplanade) 893-2574 or 893-5068 • HappyGardenChico.com 72 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

Tannins Wine Bar & Bistro

La Flor de Michoacán Palatería y Nevería 1080 W. Sacramento Ave., Ste. C, 893-9999.

A Mexican ice cream shop with many flavors and toppings, plus other sweet treats. $

Lovely Layers Cakery 131 Meyers St., 828-9931.

Cakes, cupcakes, cookies and more made to order (and delivered). Closed Sunday and Monday. www.lovelylayerscakery.com $

Mim’s Bakery 890 Humboldt Ave., 345-3331.

Carefully crafted baked goodies—such as cakes and petit fours—made from scratch for a quick treat, or in bulk for special occasions. www.mimsbakery.com $

Orange Julius 1950 E. 20th St. (inside Chico Mall), 894-8304.

Julius drinks, fruits, smoothies, pita

sandwiches, hot dogs and nachos. www.orangejulius.com $

Powell’s Sweet Shoppe 121 W. Third St., 332-9866.

An old-fashioned candy store with more than 5,000 treats, including gelatos and sorbettos. www.powellsss.com $

See’s Candies 1947 E. 20th St., 891-3384 The place in Chico to get all your classic See’s goodies. Yum! $

Shubert’s Ice Cream & Candy 178 E. Seventh St., 342-7163.

This local favorite has produced ice cream and confections for 75 years and running. Enjoy banana splits or root beer floats on the benches and at the tables out front. www.shuberts.com $

Synergy Health & Wellness 225 Main St. (inside Garden Walk Mall), 570-1707.

A nutritional club serving healthful three-part meals—aloe, teas and smoothies. www.synergyhealthwellness.com $

Wine

TREAT YOURSELF TO GIFT CERTIFICATES UP TO

75%

OFF!

Creekside Cellars 250 Vallombrosa Ave., 894-7696.

A wine-and-cheese shop offering wine tasting with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and outdoor seating. Store open TuesdaySaturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Tasting room open Thursday-Saturday, 4-7 p.m. www.creeksidecellars.com $$

LaRocca Vineyards Organic Wine Tasting Room 222 W. Second St., 899-9463.

The oldest and largest producer of 100 percent, USDA-certified organic wine in the North State recently brought their fine wine selection to a satellite tasting room in downtown Chico. Tasting room is open Wednesday-Sunday. www.larocca vineyards.com $

Tannins Wine Bar & Bistro 234 W. Third St., 636-4468.

Tannins occupies the space that formerly housed Caffé Malvina. An extensive wine menu is complemented by a selection of moderately priced small plates made with locally sourced ingredients. $$

Wine Time 26 Lost Dutchman Drive, 899-9250.

A renovated early-1900s pig barn is the home of this wine bar serving a variety of small plates, including farm-fresh salads, flatbreads and appetizers. Reservations recommended. Closed Sunday and Monday. www.winetimechico.com $$ ●

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LODGING

Rest and relaxation

Chico Canyon Retreat

A

fter a busy day exploring Chico, it’s time for some much-needed downtime.

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motels and familiar chains are available, of course, but Chico also boasts a number of charming bed-and-breakfasts for those who are looking for some serious pampering.

Durham House Inn

Reservations are recommended, especially for holidays and popular weekends, such as Memorial Day, Labor Day and, especially, the weekend of Chico State’s commencement ceremonies. If you don’t already have reservations for graduation weekend 2014, your graduate’s couch (or even one of the student dorms, which open to parents graduation weekend) might be a good alternative— believe it or not, people are booking accommodations as much as a year in advance.

VICTORIAN COUNTRY ELEGANCE NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK

2280 Durham-Dayton Hwy Durham, CA 95938

530.342.5900

Bed-and-breakfasts

www.DurhamHouseInn.com

Guest Accommodations Garden Weddings | Special Events 5 mins. from downtown Chico

Chico Canyon Retreat Thirty minutes northeast of Chico, off Highway 32, Forest Ranch. 892-8796. This secluded, eco-friendly resort on 287 bucolic acres alongside Big Chico Creek offers two lovely, rustic B&B rooms for an exclusive, pampered stay. www.chicocanyon.com

Cory’s Country Inn 4673 Nord Highway, 345-2955. This peaceful getaway spot features three exclusive art-gallery rooms, a chef-prepared breakfast-to-order and a “secret garden.” www.coryscountryinn.com

Durham House Inn

Elegant, historic home in Downtown Chico • Wireless Internet • Walking distance to CSUC, Bidwell Mansion & Enloe Hospital • Gourmet Breakfast • Small meetings or office gatherings • Weekend Wine Social Hour • Recommended by Sunset Magazine

1362 Esplanade, at 4th Ave • 530-566-0256 www.goodmanhouse.net • Email:proprietors@goodman.net

2280 Durham Dayton Highway, Durham, 342-5900. Just a 10-minute drive from Chico, in a charming little farming town, Durham House Inn—a beautiful 1874 Italianate Victorian formally known as the W. W. Durham House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places—boasts three elegant rooms and a cottage, all furnished in period Victorian furniture. Expansive grounds with fruit trees and a large dining room add to the charm of the place. www.durhamhouseinn.com

Goodman House 1362 Esplanade, 566-0256. This lovely, turn-of-thelast-century, five-room bed and breakfast is conveniently situated on the corner of East Fourth Avenue and The Esplanade, near Chico State and downtown. www.goodmanhouse.net

The Grateful Bed 1462 Arcadian Ave., 342-2464. A full candlelit breakfast awaits you at this cleverly named, charming, twostory 1905 Victorian bed-and-breakfast located in the Avenues. No pets, or children younger than 12. www.thegratefulbed.net

Lodging • Garden Weddings • Special Events & Retreats

THINK FREE.

LODGING continued on page 76 Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 75

LODGING continued from page 75 Heritage Inn Express

Johnson’s Country Inn 3935 Morehead Ave., 342-3073.

Surrounded by a garden and orchards, this well-appointed, fourroom bed-and-breakfast is only five minutes by car from downtown Chico and the university.

Hotels & Motels America’s Best Value Inn 740 Broadway, 343-3286

Best Western Heritage Inn 25 Heritage Lane, 894-8600

Budget Inn of Chico 1717 Park Ave., 342-9472; www.budgetinnofchico.com

Courtyard by Marriott 2481 Carmichael Drive, 894-6699; www.marriott.com

Heritage Inn Express 725 Broadway, 343-4527

Holiday Inn 685 Manzanita Court, 345-2491; www.holidayinn.com

Hotel Diamond

Safari Inn

220 W. Fourth St., 893-3100; www.hoteldiamondchico.com

2352 Esplanade, 343-3201; www.safarichicomotel.com

Matador Motel

Super 8

1934 Esplanade, 342-7543

655 Manzanita Court, 345-2533

Motel 6 665 Manzanita Court, 345-5500

Oxford Suites 2035 Business Lane, 899-9090

American Inn 2573 Esplanade, 566-1000; www.americaninnchico.com

Town House Motel 2231 Esplanade, 343-1621

Quality Inn Thunderbird Lodge

Vagabond Inn

715 Main St., 343-7911

Residence Inn by Marriott

630 Main St., 895-1323; www.vagabondinn.com

2485 Carmichael Drive, 894-5500

Teresa Larson 530 899-5925 top producing agent • Looking for an agent with Initiative, Drive, and a Proven Reputation?

• Teresa is a Chico Native who knows the area.

• She handles all her transactions personally.

www.ChicoListings.com

chiconativ@aol.com • 1101 el monte ave 76 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

License #01177950 Jeffries Lydon

●

THINK

FREE. Love Living in Logs Sierra Log HomeS Design & Manufacture log homes - log siding - parts - railing

3650 Morrow Way • Chico • 530.899.0680 sierraloghomes.com

Locally owned and family run since 1992!

Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 77

RELOCATION

Get to know Chico J

ust a short walk or drive around Chico will give you an idea of what this small, vibrant city has to offer. As a reference for those unfamiliar to the area, we’ve compiled important information on demographics, health care, schools, transportation, local politics and more. Give the following facts and figures a read; even longtime residents might learn a thing or two.

POPULATION The population of the city of Chico—86,187 at the 2010 census— is a little misleading. That’s because there are pockets of unincorporated land scattered about. Residents of those areas use county services, can’t vote in city elections, and most likely are not hooked up to the city sewer system. The population of what’s known as the Chico Metropolitan Area, however, is more than 200,000, and that includes the communities of Durham, Paradise, Magalia, Richvale and others.

HOUSING Compared to the Bay Area or L.A., rents in Chico are quite reasonable. Expect to pay at least $600 a month to rent a one-bedroom apartment; $750-plus for a two-bedroom in reasonable shape. Typically, houses are at least $1,000 a month.

According to the market analysis company Zillow.com, the median housing sale price in Chico is currently $248,000.

DEMOGRAPHICS Like most North Valley towns, Chico is predominantly white—80.8 percent, to be exact. Recent census information also tallied the city’s population as 15.4 percent Hispanic, with Asians, Native Americans and African-Americans comprising the remaining percentage. The median age of Chico residents hovers around 30—no surprise for a college town— while Butte County residents’ median age is 35.8.

BEING SAFE

Five-Mile picnic area in Lower Bidwell Park

Chico is served by the Chico Police Department, except in the case of the unincorporated pockets inside city boundaries, which are served by the Butte County Sheriff’s Office. Chico PD’s non-emergency line is 897-4911. The Chico State campus is also patrolled by its own lawenforcement entity, the University Police Department.

The City of Chico Fire Department, besides doing the

78 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

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demanding job of fighting fires, also has specialized teams that perform technical rescues and respond to drowning accidents and hazardousmaterials calls.

WEATHER Moderate temperatures in spring and fall make those seasons favorites for outdoorsy types. If you don’t like hot summers, you’re out of luck.

Chico’s summer temperatures will rise past the 100-degree mark on occasion, with balmy days sprinkled throughout the season. Winters are fairly mild and wet, with the most rainfall coming in January. The average annual rainfall is about 27 inches.

GETTING AROUND With gas prices on the rise, the bus is a good option for getting around town. The bus-transit systems for Chico, Oroville and Butte County merged in July 2005, creating Butte Regional Transit, or the “B-Line.”

Tickets cost $1.40 and $1.80 for intown and regional services, respectively. Students ages 6 to 18 get a discounted fare. Children younger than 6 ride free (limited to two children per family). Chico State students, faculty and staff ride for free.

Check www.blinetransit.com for complete fare and route information. The B-Line runs seven days a week, except on certain holidays; some routes do not operate every day.

Seniors and the mobility-impaired may catch a ride from the Chico Clipper (342-0221).

And, of course, there are numerous cab companies available to transport you where need to go.

Greyhound and Amtrak leave from the train station at 450 Orange St. in Chico. The largest airport in Butte County is the Chico Municipal Airport, which is serviced by United’s SkyWest with about four flights to and from San Francisco each day.

Five highways serve as the main thoroughfares for Butte County.

Highway 99 is the main arterial route, running the length of the county in a north/south direction, mainly serving Chico. Highway 70 is the main route serving Oroville, also running north/south. Highway 149 connects the two highways and cities. Highway 191 links Highway 70

You should be getting it once a week.

On stands every Thursday

RELOCATION continued on page 80 Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 79

RELOCATION continued from page 79

did

you know that downtown ChiCo haS a

CHINATOWN?

to the town of Paradise. And Highway 32 stretches from central Chico westward over the Sacramento River, hooking up with I-5, and also eastward into the mountainous northeast regions.

LIBRARY

HOUSE of RICE

(530) 893-1794 338 Broadway • Mon - Sat

An important aspect of any community is its public library. The Butte County Library system is composed of six excellent facilities and a bookmobile. Literacy services are also available. For more information and library hours, call 538-7198 or visit www.buttecounty.net/bclibrary.

Visit the well-stocked Chico branch of the Butte County Library at 1108 Sherman Ave., 891-2762.

Hours: Mon. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Tues.Thurs., 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Closed Sunday. (These hours are due to be extended in the fall of 2013.)

ECONOMY

BRINGING YOU TO

PARADISE 5350 Skyway, Paradise

Government, the university and services such as health care and retail trade continue to be the largest employers in Butte County, but dominant behind the scenes is the $450million-a-year agriculture industry (almonds and rice, in particular).

According to recent census information, the average per-capita income was $23,611, and the median household income was $41,632.

While Butte County wages are notoriously low, the cost of living here is lower than in Sacramento or the Bay Area.

Butte County’s unemployment rate came in at 10 percent in April 2013, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

POLITICS

(530) 872-7653

Paradise@C21SelectGroup.com www.C21Skyway.com

1-800-785-7654 80 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

You may have noticed that California has earned a reputation as perhaps the most politically volatile (and most interesting, if you like excitement) state in the union. Don’t expect any less from the politics that play out in Chico and the rest of Butte County.

Newcomers may be surprised by the passion locals exhibit on all sides of issues related to political elections, bond measures and land use.

But the more impassioned the populace, the more likely the town is worth shouting about, and that is certainly the case with Chico.

The city is led by a seven-member City Council; each member serves a four-year term. Elections are staggered every two years—three seats in one cycle and four the next.

Campaigners are often boisterous and bold, and candidates oftentimes raise $20,000 or more to gain a position that pays $600 a month.

Chico generally elects top-notch community members to fill these seats, and these people are accountable to their constituents—everyone within the city limits. Council members are elected at large and thus do not represent separate geographical districts.

The Chico City Council is a weakmayor system, meaning the mayor— currently Scott Gruendl—is not elected to that office by voters but rather is appointed by the elected City Council and possesses only figurative power. An appointed city manager—Brian Nakamura—administers the day-to-day functioning of city government.

Along with the City Council, Chico is governed by the Butte County Board of Supervisors. Most of the county offices are in Oroville. Two of the five elected supervisors—Larry Wahl and Maureen Kirk—represent Chico because of its relatively large population. Like City Council meetings, the supervisors’ meetings can be heated affairs regarding what is best for the people who live here.

Enloe Medical Center

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Skyway Surgery Center

HOSPITAL

Planned Parenthood

Enloe Medical Center

Women’s Health Specialists

1531 Esplanade, 332-7300. www.enloe.org

CLINICS Chico Family Health Center 680 Cohasset Road, 342-4395.

Chico Immediate Care Medical Center 376 Vallombrosa Ave., 891-1676.

Enloe Children’s Health Center 277 Cohasset Road, 332-6000.

Enloe Outpatient Center 888 Lakeside Village Commons Drive, 332-6400.

Enloe Prompt Care 560 Cohasset Road, 332-4111.

Northern Valley Indian Health 845 W. East Ave, 896-9400. www.nvih.org

Shalom Free Clinic 1190 E. First Ave., 518-8300. www.shalomfreeclinic.org

Skypark Walk-In Medical Center 2485 Notre Dame Blvd., 899-9500.

OTHER FACILITIES Chico Surgery Center 615 W. East Ave., 895-1800. www.chicosc.com

Enloe Regional Cancer Center 265 Cohasset Road, 332-3808.

Enloe Medical Center— Behavioral Health 560 Cohasset Road, 332-5250.

Enloe Rehabilitation Center 340 W. East Ave., 332-6138.

121 Raley Blvd., 230-2000.

WOMEN’S WELLNESS & FAMILY PLANNING 3100 Cohasset Road, 342-8367.

1469 Humboldt Road, 891-1917.

Women’s Resource Clinic 115 W. Second Ave., 897-6101.

24-hour hotline: 897-6100.

PREGNANCY RESOURCES Better Babies 578 Rio Lindo Ave., 894-5585. www.betterbabies.org

Paradise Midwifery Services 771 Buschmann Road, Paradise, 872-7579.

Enloe Mother & Baby Care Center 1531 Esplanade, 332-3970. www.enloe.org/baby

Enloe Mother & Baby Education Center & Boutique 251 Cohasset Road, Ste. 120, 332-3970. www.enloe.org/baby

SENIOR CARE Butte Home Health & Hospice 10 Constitution Drive, 895-0462. www.buttehomehealth.com

Enloe Home Care & Hospice 1390 E. Lassen Ave., 332-6050 (home care), 332-6060 (hospice).

Passages Adult Resource Center 2491 Carmichael Drive, 898-5923. www.passagescenter.org

PUBLIC HEALTH Butte County Department of Public Health 695 Oleander Ave., 538-7581. www.buttecounty.net/publichealth RELOCATION continued on page 82

530-342-6100 www.ChicoHomes.com Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 81

RELOCATION continued from page 81

CHARTER SCHOOLS

EDUCATION

Blue Oak Charter School

PUBLIC SCHOOLS Chico Unified School District

Formed in 1964, the Chico Unified School District currently serves approximately 12,000 students. The district has a policy of letting parents send their students to the schools of their choice, as long as there’s room. The CUSD includes 11 elementary schools, one K-8 openstructure-classroom school, three junior highs and three high schools (including a continuation school).

Several campuses have special programs, such as Two-Way Language Immersion, Open Structure and Academics Plus. Test scores and other state measures of achievement are kept at the district offices at 1163 E. Seventh St. (891-3000).

The CUSD offers a home-schooling program and oversees several charter schools. The Inspire School of Arts and Sciences—an “internal” CUSD charter school—offers an innovative high-school curriculum as an alternative to conventional high school.

The CUSD also oversees a community day school, which, by referrals, takes in students who have been on probation or suspension. www.chicousd.org

450 W. East Ave., 879-7483.

Kindergarten-eighth grade. www.blueoakcharterschool.org

Chico Country Day School 102 W. 11th St., 895-2650.

Kindergarten-eighth grade. www.chicocountryday.org

Chico Montessori Children’s House

814 Glenn St., 342-5518.

Kindergarten-sixth grade. www.chicomontessori.com

Forest Ranch Charter School

15815 Cedar Creek Road, Forest Ranch, 891-3154. Kindergarteneighth grade. www.forestranch charter.org

Inspire School of Arts & Sciences

Chico High School campus, 901 Esplanade, 891-3090. Ninth-12th grade. www.inspirecusd.org

Nord Country School

5554 California St., 891-3138.

Kindergarten-sixth grade. www.nord countryschool.org

Sherwood Montessori 746 Moss Ave., 345-6600.

Kindergarten-eighth grade. www.sherwoodmontessori.org

Chico Jr. High

Wildflower Open Classroom 2414 Cohasset Road, Ste. 3, 8929317. Kindergarten-eighth grade. www.wildflowerschool.com

PRIVATE SCHOOLS Champion Christian School 1184 East Ave., 345-8008. Seventh12th grade. www.championchristian school.org

Chico Christian School

2801 Notre Dame Blvd., 879-8989.

Kindergarten-eighth grade, plus preschool. www.chicochristian.org

King’s Christian School 1137 Arbutus Ave., 345-1377.

Kindergarten-sixth grade. www.gokingschristian.com

Notre Dame School

435 Hazel St., 342-2502.

Kindergarten-eighth grade. www.ndschico.org

Pleasant Valley Baptist School

13539 Garner Lane, 343-2949.

Kindergarten-12th grade. www.pvbaptist.org

Progressive Schoolhouse

2400 Notre Dame Blvd., 345-5665.

Kindergarten-eighth grade. www.progressiveschoolhouse.com

Rose Scott Open-Structure School 850 Palmetto Ave., 354-3101.

Kindergarten-12th grade. www.rosescottschool.com

82 DISCOVER CHICO Fall 2013/Winter 2014

●

Stop, Eat, Play, Golf, Hunt, Fish, Play, Sleep, Repeat!

Play Time

Play Golf

Only 30 Minutes from Chico!

North on Hwy. 99 - Le� on South Avenue toward Corning One mile South on I-5 at Liberal Avenue

I-5 at Liberal Avenue in Corning )'$ )&,!')$$ kkk"fc``]b[\]``gWUg]bc"Wca Fall 2013/Winter 2014 DISCOVER CHICO 83

6($621 7,&.(76 $9$,/$%/( 12: AUGUST

JJANUARY JAN ANUARY

Tower of Power

Golden Dragon Acrobats

Funk & Soul Icons

Pink Martini Global Cabaret

Peter Rowan

Stunt Dog Experience

Big Twang Theory

with special guest Martin Taylor

FEBRUARY F EBRUARY

BĂŠla Fleck & Brooklyn Rider

Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell

Banjo Quintet

TAO: Phoenix Rising

Country Legends

Eve Ensler

Japanese Taiko Drumming

Lonestar

Author, Playwright, TED Speaker

Bonnie RaittT

Country Rock

LD OUAward Winner SOGrammy Ten-Time

True Blues: History of the Blues

SFJAZZ Collective

Corey Harris, Guy Davis & Alvin Youngblood Hart

The Graduate

Jazz Masters

STOMP

Live Radio Theatre

Carlos NuĂąez

Theatrical Percussion!

Ari Shapiro

Power Packed Celtic Music

The Manhattan Transfer

NPR White House Correspondent

Momix: Botanica

Multimedia Dance, Puppets & Fantasy

Alton Brown

The Edible Inevitable Tour

Van Cliburn Gold Medal Winner Classical Piano

NOVEMBER

Jack Hanna

MARCH M ARCH

Keeping Dance Alive!

Eclectic Dance Concert

Chamber Orchestra Kremlin Dynamic String Orchestra

Wynton Marsalis

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra

Elvin Bishop, James Cotton, & Ruthie Foster

Lyle Lovett & John Hiatt

Diavolo

Comedy Improv

An Acoustic Evening

Andrew Bird

Multi-Instrumentalist & Musical Innovator

Ballet Folklorico Quetzalli de Veracruz The Music & Dance of Mexico

DECEMBER

An Irish Christmas Celebrate the Holidays!

Jazz/Pop Superstars

Whose Live Anyway?

Into the Wild Live

Cinderella

Chico Community Ballet

FALL 2013/WINTER 2014 | FREE

Tommy Emmanuel

Ukulele Wizard / Chico World Music Festival

OCTOBER

of the Sacramento Valley

Crazy Doggy Antics

Jake Shimabukuro Blue Room Young Company

and living in the jewel

Fabulous Chinese Acrobats

SEPTEMBER

Beauty and the Beast JR.

The guide to visiting

Rock, Blues & Barroom Boogie Thrilling Gymnastics & Dance

APRIL A AP PRIL

San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers High Energy Fiddle Ensemble

Arlo Guthrie Folk Music Icon

MAY M MA AY

Aladdin JR.

Playhouse Youth Theatre

For complete descriptions and tickets: WWW.CHICOPERFORMANCES.COM or call (530) 898-6333 Presented by Chico News & Review and the Chico Chamber of Commerce