Introduction

Hello there!
My name is Charlene and I'm a foodie. :)
I've lived in the Los Angeles area a majority of my life. My husband and I bought a house in Rancho Cucamonga because we loved the area. We moved here in July of 2013. 

I guess you could say that I've been a "foodie" most of my adult life. My first job was as a cashier at a restaurant when I was 16 years old and I worked as a hostess and server in a restaurant from age 17 to 21. I've been taking photos of my food even before iPhones came out! While planning our wedding, I realized planning and being super detailed comes natural to me. We love to travel and I found myself planning our trips/vacations around food. 

In 2006, I was introduced to TripAdvisor and wrote reviews there.

In 2010, I started writing reviews on Yelp after a bad experience. Isn't that the reason most of us start writing reviews?! LOL. I write my reviews like I'm talking to a friend who's going to eat there or if I'm writing to my future self! I'm becoming forgetful these days so obviously my reviews are really detailed and talk about the small nuances that people want to know, but most people don't talk about (e.g. parking, price, ambiance, owner's names, seat was uncomfortable, how something made me feel etc.) I've been an "Elite" Yelper since then and have met some friends from Yelp events.
What finally did it was when my husband and I traveled all over Europe in May 2013 (right before we moved to Rancho Cucamonga). I was introduced to so many new flavors and ingredients. After we returned to California, I was on a hunt for some serious food, quality food...that tasted delicious!

There are so many food bloggers and accounts for the LA areas. Other than Yelp, I felt like I didn't have anywhere or anyone to turn to in my search for places to eat (at least for the Rancho Cucamonga area). We still didn't know anybody in the area so it was trial and error at the beginning.  We searched online for some places to eat and were very disappointed in the first handful of restaurants we ate at. I was feeling kind of bummed and was like "Gosh, aren't there any good places to eat around here?" Eventually, we did find some gems in the city and of course all of it being documented with photos and reviews. A LOT of new eateries and restaurants have opened and are opening up in the area! I guess the timing worked out for a foodie like me!

I started my own Instagram account in the summer of 2015 since I'd accumulated so many food pics! I use it to share photos of places I've eaten at in the area. 

July 2015: @Rancho_Cucamonga_Eats was born and I urge people to either tag me or use #RanchoFoodies if they want to share one of their photos with me. The number of followers on the account has grown in one year. What I've learned at least is that my followers either live, work or visit the area. I've found some greats places to eat from people on Instagram and have also met some great people in person. (Who would have known!?) Since starting my Instagram, a lot more "Foodgrammers" have popped up covering the Inland Empire and I have also met a handful of them which is pretty cool. 

SIDE NOTE: In case you're wondering, I don't get paid for anything and don't get free food for posting about a place. I do this for fun and I enjoy it. I dine in at or contact businesses like any other person and purchase my own meals and/or items.  However, once in a while there are some grateful owners who are thankful for the exposure and give me food as a gift and of course I will not deny it! (LOL)

I started this blog because I don't think Yelp or Instagram is the place for it, plus I hate typing on my iPhone. 
I'm really glad that people find what I do useful and even I have to look back at my own reviews and photos for information! HAHA. 

Other than food, I'm a big dog lover and own 3 Shih Tzus. You may have noticed that they make special appearances in my photos every now and then.
So with that said, here they are..... 
Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and blessed 2017!

Photo by True Emotions Photography (Upland, CA)