Club Social

Story: Mike Woodings
Photos: Mike Woodings

We have all eaten pizza and we have been to Toppers, but we keep coming to these monthly socials every third Thursday of the month.  Pizza can be a very balanced meal choice and Toppers is a terrific place to eat, so what is the attraction of our Taste-of-the-Town events?

I would say that when you add the special people attending, coupled with the terrific Corvettes we all drive, you have a combination that can’t be beat and are guaranteed a good and tasty time out…plus no dishes to wash.

Toppers is a locally owned and operated pizza restaurant company based in Ventura County with 9 locations all offering selections that are fresh, healthy and great tasting! They advertise a place that is friendly and comfortable place, which we can all agree it is. Thanks to the Topper’s staff for their great service to our 37 attendees.

Can I say more about Taste-of-the-Town? Why, yes I can. Besides the already mentioned positives, TOT is a gathering where we sometimes witness surprises. There have been plenty of times when old friends have dropped in for a visit and even times when one of us rolled in with a new Corvette. Our Jun 21st social was indeed one of those times, but maybe a step-up from those other times.

At this Taste-of-the-Town, we drove into the lot and immediately took notice of a Sebring Orange Corvette among the several other Vettes present. Dang, you say! That’s a ZR1! Who did it? Who just bought what is surely the fastest Corvette in the club? The answer…Ron Nolan. Dude, what a car!

We will be seeing lots more of Ron, and Donna, at upcoming events as they save their C1 and C2 for those special local events.
Until then, we will meet again at another fine event put together by our Activities Committee and maybe witness another TOT surprise.

Story: Mike Woodings
Photos: Mike Woodings

May is always a good month to eat and Italian is always a good choice, so when the two found themselves together, Olive Garden was the place. Located in the popular Promenade Town Center, parking can prove to be a challenge at times and only about half of our attendees dared drive their Corvettes to the social. One of our own did however find a terrific end-spot located right where he could keep his eye on his Vette all through dinner.

The restaurant invites us to Indulge our tastes from their Mediterranean menu with dishes under 600 calories, but personally I opted for the spaghetti and meatballs with sun-dried tomatoes!

With 36 hungry people arriving all at once, the scene was initially described by at least one of the staff as chaos, but once the bread sticks came and initial beverages were served our crazy group settled down and we went on to have a delightful evening as a well fed body of still crazy Corvette people.

Thanks to the wonderful staff at Olive Garden for handling our group with all of our varied needs and desires. Your restaurant is one of our favorites and surely on we will return to, even between events with your offering of unlimited pasta and salad. Hard to keep it at 600 calories though!

Next up on our calendar will be another “Italian” night out at Topper’s Pizza in Canyon Country. The salad bar alone is worth the drive, but when you can design your own pizza, that is a winning combination. We will be there, hope to see YOU on for the next TOT on June 21st at 6 PM.

Until then, we will meet again at another fine event put together by our Activities Committee.

Story: Mike Woodings
Photos: SCVCC.ORG

April has arrived and so has Daylight Saving Time. The ideal weather and later sunset were a good combination to draw another crowd for our latest Thursday Taste of the Town. This month our affair was at the infamous California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) in Bridgeport.

Our 6 PM meeting/dining time was ideal to find parking, however there were a couple members who created their own special Corvette Corral out by the dumpsters. Who says Corvette people aren’t ingenious?

CPK makes some darn good designer pizza and the report is that our 37 attendees all found something of interest on the menu.

The CPK staff did an excellent job taking care of all of our needs and desires from the time we descended on the establishment and until the time we all filed out. Thanks, CPK, for taking good care of us and for your donation to our club charity fund. We are community partners.

The calendar says we will be enjoying the hospitality of the Olive Garden when we next meet for TOT on May 17th. PM is our meeting time, but hey, Olive Garden has some Happy Hour offerings you might want to check out. Just sayin’…

Until then, we will meet again at another fine event put together by our Activities Committee. If you want to help plan one or more of our upcoming functions, get with the committee and let’s make it happen.

Story: Mike Woodings
Photos: From the Net

March again found us meeting for our third Thursday Taste of the Town at Chili’s. Not quite St. Pat’s Day, but still a great opportunity to sport some green or at least a shamrock as we once again tried the Chili’s menu.

Chili’s is one of those restaurant chains that you know exactly what you’re getting, with even a certain nostalgia of home. So, once again we rolled into one of our standbys at 39 strong, only down one from a year ago

The location offered plenty of Corvette parking and the food is always very tasty and filling. I too can attest that the service was great and we felt appreciated as customers.

Will it be Chili’s again next March? Only time can tell, or maybe our Activities Committee. As we move about our community and gather monthly at one of our many possible sites, we have to appreciate our Activities people for finding locations that will cheerfully handle such a large group. Great job!

Thanks to the Chili’s staff for handling our group as we descended on your establishment with such a large group. You did great and we appreciate your hospitality. You helped make our Taste-of-the-Town experience another delicious one!

Our next Club Social TOT will be at the Olive Garden – Valencia on April 19th. Personally, I am a spaghetti and meatball fan and enjoy the salad with bread, but there is plenty on the menu to choose from. Remember, you’ve got to eat, so come meet Corvette friends at another of our favorite TOT locations. See you there.

Story: Mike Woodings
Photos: Google

Our February Taste-of-the-Town social event was a repeat of last year’s destination and was once again a great evening out. Our crew filled the Casa Vieja Mexican Restaurant in Canyon Country with Corvettes on February 15th, just a day after Valentine’s Day. As usual, attendance was again noteworthy with thirty-five of our club people counted. It was another excellent showing for a chilly and dark Santa Clarita winter evening.

The staff of Casa Vieja as always did an excellent job in handling our group as we filled their establishment. Food and beverages were excellent as well. Thanks go out to Casa Vieja for making our latest Taste-of-the-Town experience another good one!

Our next Club Social TOT will also be a repeat this year, at Chili’s – Golden Valley, on March 15th. Chili’s menu has plenty of options. You’ll find everything from their world-famous Baby Back Ribs or Chili to their hand-crafted sandwiches, enchiladas, and quesadillas. The only thing missing is corned beef and cabbage.