3 Best Restaurants in The Inland Empire, California

A favorite of college students and their visiting parents, this storefront dining room has a warm and cozy feel and menu choices that include long-bone pork chops, osso buco, and pan-roasted salmon with blood-orange rosemary sauce. Bruschetta, fried calamari, truffle arancini, and other small plates, some seasonal, always entice.

Elegant and dimly lighted, with wood paneling, lace curtains, and an oft-glowing fireplace, "The Gnome" is where locals go for a romantic dinner. The overall feel is French, but the menu goes beyond the Gallic, with entrées such as calamari amandine, sausage pasta, and bacon-wrapped scallops and shrimp. The French onion soup always satisfies, and the roast duck with orange sauce and barbecued pork ribs are excellent as well. The crème brûlée makes for a sweet finale. For lighter dinner fare, check out the café menu.

Built in 1921, the Sycamore Inn occupies the site of a stagecoach stop on Historic Route 66. The specialty here is USDA dry-aged prime steak—portion sizes range from 8 to 22 ounces—but also on the menu are Chilean sea bass, Australian lobster tail, and Colorado rack of lamb. The wine list includes selections from the best Napa and Sonoma wineries; France, New Zealand, Australia, and South America are also well represented.