2018 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float road test, breakfast at Tom's Farms

mmm-yoso!!! is the name of this food blog.  Kirk has been very busy with work, is eating but not posting.  Cathy had an eating adventure after a short excursion North. 

It's getting closer- the 2018 Tournament of Roses, with its many pre-New Year Day activities culminating in the January 1, 2018 parade of floats, equestrian groups and marching bands as well as the football game will soon be upon us. The theme of the parade is "Making A Difference" and floats following that theme are still being constructed and going though one of three road tests for maneuverability and safety.  Last Saturday, The Mister and I drove up to Irwindale to Phoenix Decorating Company to see the progression.  These are links to other road tests from earlier this year. 

 Honda, the sponsor of the Parade, will have this three part float, "Power of Dreams Express" (you can see artist renditions of the Phoenix Decorating Company floats HERE ). 
 This "Banner" float will feature the theme design on the front.

 The City of Hope float, "Transforming Lives with Hope" was tested with riders on board (Usually the final test of maneuverability is with weight on board, plus a test that everyone can exit the float within 45 seconds in case of an emergency).
 The United Sikh Mission USA, "Serving Kindness" is a depiction of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, where 100,000 people are fed daily without being charged.  This Sikh langar (free kitchen) expresses the ethics of sharing, community, inclusiveness and oneness of all humankind...an embodiment of the "Making a Difference" theme of this parade.   
  This is listed as the 'final' float in the parade and the artist rendition is not online.

 In the barn, the Trader Joe's float (one of three parts) was still being constructed. 

We had left home late and hadn't stopped for breakfast and then were heading home, getting to the 15 South when real hunger hit.  
The signage for Tom's Farms (also posted in 2014 and again in 2015) beckoned.  Tom's Farms is a multipurpose area of various attractions,  restaurants,  furniture, grocery and produce sales, with areas for picnicking as well as a train, merry-go-round and seasonal activities geared toward children.  We usually stop here to see what is on sale and grab some snacks to take home.  

 There's always something interesting in the candy and condiment aisles.

The Southernmost building is 'Tom's Burgers', which has breakfast in the morning. 

The Mister wanted French toast ($3.99). The two slices of thick (Texas toast) soaked in egg batter and fried were crispy on the exterior and soft on the interior.  Quite nice. 
He splurged and ordered a side order of ham ($2.99).  The pan-griddled ham slices were very good and not too salty.   Since I had never had breakfast here, my order would be simple, a breakfast egg sandwich with sausage ($5.59).  Well, at first I saw the egg, lettuce and tomato...
and you can see the side view- and the breakfast sausages! Wow!  This was fresh, would be quite enough without any added protein, but those skin on, fresh breakfast sausages were a really high quality add in and great choice.  

There will probably be some more regular stops here for meals as well as shopping.  

Tom's Farms 23900 Temescal Canyon Road Corona CA 92883 (951) 277-4012 website

Comments

[Caninecologne]

The floats will look so amazing once fully decorated. It's really cool seeing the different stages. I'm looking forward to seeing them on tv on New Year's day. Tom's farms is always a fun place to stop

[Soo @ hungryones]

Floats look cool! Good looking breakfast too!

[Nicole @ bento momentos]

The parade looks like fun! I forget about pan fried deli meats - adds such a great crispy diminish to cold cuts. Happy Monday!

[Cathy]

I can't wait for 'Decorating Days' to start, cc! So many of these floats are looking like prize winners. Tom's Farms is such a unique place and always interesting.
Really liking what I've seen of these floats, Soo. Having all in one (new) decorating barn is going to be a great decorating experience. The breakfast here was *really* good.
Planning begins around January 15 for the Tournament of Roses, with the new President and Theme announcement, Nicole. The parade is an American tradition (go to sleep watching the ball drop in New York; wake up and watch the parade in California)that was one of my 'when I grow up' dreams. The food at Tom's Farms is always great, and the added short order touches are just perfect.