An observation: Lake Forest seems like it's becoming prime proving grounds for out-of-state chains. Don't quote me on that. I really only have one other data point to support my argument: Boneheads, which is based in Georgia.
Now, there's Cafe Rio, which reports that it has just signed a ten-year lease at The Shops in Lake Forest. It's address will be 24312 Rockfield Boulevard.
The Mexican eatery will, coincidentally, be right across the street from Boneheads. And just like Boneheads before it, this will be the first store for Cafe Rio in California. The chain already has over 25 restaurants in Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Idaho and Colorado.
So should Lake Forest steal the motto “If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere” from New York? Maybe.
Before becoming an award-winning restaurant critic for OC Weekly in 2007, Edwin Goei went by the alias “elmomonster” on his blog Monster Munching, in which he once wrote a whole review in haiku.