To close out each year, the Riverside County Law Library hosts a dinner wherein members of the board and staff from all three branches are invited and treated to an upscale dining experience. Although I have worked at RCLL for several years, this was my first opportunity to attend the annual Holiday dinner. From everyone’s perspective, this was definitely a year to remember, from the quality of the food and the effort of the staff who organized it.

A system of rotation governs the decision as to which branch will host the annual dinner. In 2022, Riverside carried the torch, and this year it was passed onto Temecula, leaving Emily (Temecula’s Library Assistant) with the task of planning the dinner. Under her leadership, the Spanish restaurant, Bolero, located within Temecula’s Europa Village, was chosen as the venue for our dinner. When asked about the decision, Emily said,

When I picked Bolero, I was looking at other locations and we chose to work with them based on the unique cuisine that differs from anything else found in the Temecula Valley. The added bonus was that it was a winery, and the location was beautiful!

And beautiful it was. The Europa Village is a fascinating little enclave of buildings inspired by the architectural styles as various as those of Italy, France, and Spain, all surrounded by acres of lush farmland. Pulling into the rocky parking lot, one is imperceptibly transported from Temecula to the European countryside.

               Inside Bolero, well-dressed dinner guests and an attentive staff give the place an elegant ambience. At around 4pm, we were escorted into the Valencia dining hall, where a table seating twenty was prepared. After taking our assigned seats, we chatted, and got to know those around us a little better. Emily took great care in the details of the table seating with custom made menus, place cards, and thank you notes for each guest’s attendance.

The dinner began with an olive oil tasting, which featured various high-quality infused olive oils and vinaigrettes. The oils and vinaigrettes were poured onto plates, and we were invited to dip fresh baked bread into them. Lauren (Administrative Officer) reported that, when mixed, the lemon infused olive oil and the cranberry vinaigrette tasted just like Fruity Pebbles cereal. The combination inspired her to purchase a bottle of each from the Bolero store. Perhaps not a bit sardonically, a dedicated member of the Indio branch wrote of the olive oil tasting:

Our taste buds were treated to a symphony of tastes, with olive oils infused with garlic, jalapeno, and lemon. The garlic-infused oil added a savory depth, the jalapeno brought a hint of spice, and the lemon offered a refreshing citrusy note. Each oil not only enhanced the flavors of the dishes but also provided a unique and memorable tasting experience.

This portion of the dinner certainty left an impression on me, given that I’ve never tasted olive oil with such rich and complex flavor profiles.

                Following the tasting, we had a four-course meal, filled with delicious Spanish food. Some of my favorite entries were the garlic shrimp, Spanish Chorizo & Date Stuffed Empanadas, and the Seared Jumbo Sea Scallops. The flashiest dish of the evening was clearly the tomahawk steak. Huge slabs of medium rare meat along with a huge bovine rib bone circulated around the table. Emily writing of the event wrote, “My favorite thing about the dinner was being able to spend time with my coworkers and trying delicious Spanish cuisine. I also liked being able to hold to great tomahawk rib.” One of our servers informed us that the meat attached to the bone is the most tender and well-seasoned.

               Following the meal, and to close out the event, Judge Lucky and Andy (User Experience Librarian) made toasts congratulating the law library on making it through another year. Judge Lucky more specifically thanked us for our service as law library employees, and our dedication to the community. To sum up, Andy wrote of the event that:

The Staff holiday dinner is one of my favorite events of the year. Although we are a small team, we don’t get together very often. The dinner was a great opportunity to catch up with staff members and the board about the accomplishments of the year. A big thank you to the staff who planned the event down to each detail to make us all feel welcome and celebrated. 

From the Riverside County Law Library staff, we wish you all a happy holiday season and look forward to another year of providing services to the community!

Written by: Yanis Azzou, Library Assistant