An hour's drive from our home in the San Fernando Valley, Claremont is not just the home of several colleges, but of the delightful Claremont Village, a four-block square of art galleries, restaurants, at least one live music venue, and specialty shops. While our favorites included a gourmet olive oil/liqueur (Vom Fass, only two doors down from our hotel), the Cheese Cave, and A. Kline Chocolatier, you will likely find venues that reflect your interests.
We chose to stay at the Hotel Casa 425, a boutique hotel located across from the Packing House shopping area. After checking in on Friday afternoon, we took off to explore the village. Vom Fass caught our attentions first. Vom Fass means "From the Cask" and that's how you taste the oils, vinegars, and liqueurs from a tiny disposable spoon. Daughter Lisa, an adventurous cook, delighted in finding new flavors to take home to try.
Having wandered two or three blocks we discovered that we were hungry and I had left the handy Village map in my car, we caught sight of Aruffo's Italian Cuisine on Yale Avenue. Lovely ambiance - perhaps we were fortunate that we were nearly the only patrons. I wish I could regale you with specifics on what we enjoyed (besides the wine) but you'll have to trust me; it was a delightful lunch.
Are you a knitter? Find Phebie's NeedleArt in the Packing House. If it's Friday, the Friday knitting group will have gathered at the table near the front door. And don't miss Colors, 91711 a short walk away at 248 Harvard Avenue. I especially like the way it's laid out in several rooms - probably used to be a house.
A rest was in order, so we returned to our pleasantly large room at Hotel Casa 425. I purposely chose this hotel for its small feel and location. It also included a seating area (so one needn't read one's newspaper and drink coffee in one's bed) and a balcony.
An evening of fondue and live music being in order, we walked across the street to the Hip Kitty, where we enjoyed very live hip music courtesy of Catfish & The Hollywood Hound Dogs. We chose non-fondue dinner items (so don't be put off by the fondue-only vibe). I am not one for note-taking in dark jazz clubs, but whatever we had was very fine. We could not resist fondue for dessert which, I believe was in the chocolate family and quite tasty. Four martinis, a bottle of wine, two dinners, and dessert (hey, we were there a long time and were walking only across the street to the hotel) cost about....$170? Really? Oh, and $5 each cover charge which was so worth it because we were seated near the dance floor and enjoyed watching quite an eclectic group of folks work the dance floor. Catfish and his Hound Dogs did not disappoint.
Daughter is a big spa fan, so I wisely booked our massages at a larger venue than the day spas offered in Claremont Village. So that night, back at the hotel, I pulled up the internet site for the Claremont Hotel and Spa, a luxury resort where we would enjoy soft robes and pampering in first class surroundings. Sadly, and you really must pay attention here, the Claremont Hotel and Spa is located not in Claremont, but in Berkley. As you may know, Berkley is about a 7-10 hour drive north from Claremont, depending on your route. Discovering this error at 10:30 in the evening allows for little if any chance to cancel one's appointment for the next day. The next morning I was successful in explaining that my current location in Claremont prevented us from keeping our appointments; I was, happily, charged no penalty and therefore hope you will, if you have the opportunity, patronize this fine establishment on your next Berkley visit.
I can recommend the Ambiance Day Spa at the Claremont Club. My persistent daughter found it and while it is not a luxury venue a la Burke Williams or The Four Seasons, our massages were marvelous. And SURPRISE. Before leaving we were given complementary wash/blow dries in the hair salon on site. Just because. This was the only venue we had to drive to but we agreed it was worth the short trip.
A quick lunch at Casablanca Mediterranean Bar & Grill - also across the street in the Packing House was OK but someone needs to tell the staff to clean used tables, especially when one is located next to two ladies on a getaway weekend who don't intend to clean up after themselves, much less other people. Service was poor although we could find only one other table occupied.
The afternoon was spent visiting shops we'd missed Friday and catching Nebraska at the Laemmle movie theatre only 1/2 block from the hotel. The 4:40 show allowed us to enjoy a cocktail in the hotel courtyard (carful of the later-than-happy hour prices unless you don't mind $10 and $12 martinis). Happy and tired, we retired to our room to watch Anchorman 2 with leftovers from lunch and a bottle of wine we had found earlier in the day at Packing House Wines. Yes we are early birds.
I have a rule involving outdoor events: Lower your expectations. You are unlikely to be disappointed. From the brochure, The Claremont Farmers & Artisans Market would be awaiting us the next day between 8 am and 1:00 pm. The weekend had gone so well, I anticipated showing up to the Second Street and Indian Hill Boulevard location to find three card tables of limp produce. My expectations could have been higher and Daughter and I would still have been delighted. The closed-off street offered a plethora of goodies, including jewelry and art. She was intrigued by the mushrooms, raw honey, blood oranges, and herbs. The Market was a delightful conclusion to our Claremont getaway. Be sure to talk to the vendors, ask questions. You won't be pressured to buy.
I've not noted breakfast spots because ours was included with our hotel room. Hotel room - See the website for rates; we chose the large with two queen beds, sitting area with sofa, large soaking tub and balcony. Depending on the season, the room runs $235 and up per night.
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