Tucked away in downtown Claremont is truly one of our area's secret spots for wining and dining. So with the help of my friends of the vine George Franov of Rancho Cucamonga and Ron Mittino of Claremont, I share with you today the real juice on La Piccoletta Restaurant (translation: "The Little Place").  Created in 1977 by Ron, La Piccoletta was restored from an abandoned old building, which originally was used as a mechanic's garage and tin worker's shop where smudgepots were made. Later, it was used for artist's lofts.

"According to longtime guests and residents of the area, the building itself has a very rich history," George said. "The first record of it as a building was sometime in the 1920s."