Every family has that one birthday where half the room is singing Happy Birthday while someone else is secretly checking the football score under the table.

This was one of those birthdays.

Mexico happened to be playing in the World Cup, so attention was split between the cake and the kickoff.

I'd not been back since this place was still called Mountasia, so I walked in expecting a quick hit of nostalgia.

Instead, I barely recognised it.

We had a private room for the afternoon with pizzas, chicken wings, wraps, pork rolls, hummus, pita, soft drinks and enough food to keep everyone happy before the real reason we were there took over.

The renovation is what surprised me most.

The old Mountasia is still there underneath, but MB2 feels like it's grown up with its audience. Alongside the arcade are duckpin bowling, axe throwing and a proper bar, while outside you'll still find the go-karts, mini golf and batting cages that many Santa Clarita families grew up with.

We spent most of our time bowling before heading outside for mini golf.

That's when you realise why places like this work so well.

Nobody's staring at a phone.

The kids are running around.

The adults suddenly become far more competitive than they intended.

And before long, everyone's forgotten what time it is.

If you're looking for somewhere to host a family birthday, MB2 makes a strong case for itself. There's enough to keep kids entertained for hours, enough activities to stop the adults getting bored, and the private party rooms make the whole day feel organised rather than chaotic.

Some venues are just somewhere to throw a party.

This one actually gives people something to do once they get there.

Maria Bonita Mexican Restaurant
20655 Soledad Canyon Rd, #6 Canyon Country.

Maria Bonita is a casual Mexican restaurant where the menu leans heavily into comfort food rather than trying to reinvent anything.

By now, the order is automatic.

One carne asada burrito, exactly as it comes.

Unlike most of the contenders so far, this one arrived wet style, covered in red sauce and melted cheese, looking more like something from La Cocina Bar & Grill than a traditional grab-and-go burrito.

Alongside it came a basket of tortilla chips, fresh guacamole and a house salsa that packed a proper kick. A strong opening before getting stuck into the main event.

Then came the first surprise.

No rice.

No beans.

Just carne asada, pico de gallo and cheese, wrapped tightly inside the tortilla.

For the first time in the championship, the Rice Crimes Unit had the day off.

After weeks of burritos padded out with rice and beans, it was refreshing to find one that put the carne asada front and centre. There was nowhere for the meat to hide this time.

6 of 16 challengers down.

Remaining Contenders: 10

Piccola Trattoria
28124 Newhall Ranch Rd, Santa Clarita.

We've been lucky enough to eat our way around Italy more times than we can count from tiny family kitchens in Puglia to fine dining restaurants across the country.

That doesn't mean we're comparing every plate in Santa Clarita to Italy.

It simply means we've seen what great Italian food can be.

This review judges whether Piccola Trattoria is worth your money here in Santa Clarita.

I've been lucky enough to eat my way around Italy more times than I can count.

Tiny family kitchens. Grandmas cooking recipes they've perfected over decades. Fine dining restaurants with more forks than necessary.

And here's what I've learned.

Grandma almost always wins.

I still think about one plate of homemade meatballs I ate in a tiny village outside Lecce, in Puglia. Nothing fancy. Just incredible ingredients cooked with complete confidence.

That's still the best plate of meatballs I've ever eaten.

Piccola Trattoria certainly doesn't need my sympathy. It's Google's highest-rated Italian restaurant in Santa Clarita, for what that's worth. On a Friday night it was completely booked, and after calling ahead we just managed to grab a 7:15 table.

The dining room was packed.

That part, they've earned.

The papaya salad was pleasant enough but suffered from one rather obvious problem.

There wasn't much papaya.

Somewhere in the kitchen, a papaya is probably filing a complaint.

The Prosciutto di Parma special, served with melon and caramelised figs, was the low point of the evening.

The prosciutto itself was exactly what you'd expect, beautifully cured, salty and delicate.

The melon and caramelised figs weren't.

Both were hard.

Not firm.

Not textured.

Just under ripe and chewy.

The figs, in particular, had become tough and shrivelled after caramelising, almost more like dried fruit than the soft, sticky sweetness the dish needed.

Instead of balancing the saltiness of the prosciutto, they distracted from it and turned what should have been one of the simplest dishes on the menu into the weakest.

For a restaurant with this reputation, it was a disappointing start.

Thankfully, the kitchen found its rhythm.

The Bucatini con Polpette di Angie landed with pasta that was right on the edge of al dente. Any more time in the water and it would've been overcooked, but the timing held. Combined with a light spicy tomato sauce and homemade meatballs, it comfortably outperformed anything we'd eaten to that point.

The Scallopine di Pollo was the standout dish of the night.

Tender chicken, creamy mashed potatoes and vegetables that all arrived exactly as they should.

Nothing flashy.

Just excellent comfort food executed well.

The Risotto ai Funghi quietly did its job too.

Creamy, earthy and well seasoned. Not a dish you'll spend the next week talking about, but one you'd happily order again.

Dessert rounded things off nicely.

The nocciolina looked exactly as you'd hope.

Hazelnut, chocolate and just enough sweetness to finish the meal without feeling overdone.

Nothing spectacular.

Nothing wrong either.

$153 before tip.

(2 starters, 3 mains and dessert.)

The mains saved this restaurant.

The starters nearly sank it.

At $153, every course needs to justify its place on the bill.

Two of them didn't.

Piccola Trattoria is clearly capable of producing very good food.

We ate some of it.

We also paid for dishes we'd never order again.

That's why this lands on a 6/10.

Good food.

Noticeable flaws.

And not the value we'd hoped for.

Would I come back?

Absolutely.

But next time I'd walk straight past the starters, order the Scallopine di Pollo or the Bucatini, leave room for dessert, and spend a little less doing it.

Best For: Friday night Italian with family or friends

Order: Scallopine di Pollo & Bucatini con Polpette di Angie

Skip: The Prosciutto di Parma special (and we'd probably skip the starters altogether)

The Damage: $153 before tip

Return Visit: Yes but we'd order very differently.

Openings, events, and things worth knowing.

Friday night means free movies under the stars.

City Cinemas returns to Central Park on Friday, July 24, with a screening of Cars (G). Food trucks start serving from 7pm, the movie begins around 8pm, and all you need is a blanket, a chair and a little optimism that the evening cools down before Lightning McQueen hits the screen.

Newhall gets its own night market this week.

The Newhall Night Market takes over 24510 Lyons Avenue on Friday, July 24, from 7-10pm. Expect local vendors, food, live entertainment and family-friendly activities right in the heart of the neighborhood.

If you're nearby, it's worth a wander.

The summer concert series keeps rolling.

This Saturday, RagDolls bring an Aerosmith tribute to Central Park. Food trucks arrive from 5pm, the music starts at 7pm, and as always entry is free.

The series continues every Saturday through the end of August.

There's still a wait, but this one's firmly on our radar.

Round1 Bowling & Arcade is set to open at Valencia Town Center in early 2027, bringing bowling, billiards, karaoke and Japanese arcade games to Santa Clarita.

More importantly for us, anyway it'll also introduce YUU Japanese Food Hall.

We'll be first in line... for the food.

Burrito Belt Championship – Entry #7

Another challenger steps into the ring. Can anyone catch the current leader, or will the Burrito Belt leaderboard get another shake up?

The Sauce Express

The search continues for Santa Clarita's ultimate coffee cocktail. One café. One signature drink. One simple question...

Can anything dethrone the Mint Mojito?

Next Month's Competition

A brand new giveaway is on the way, and this one is for the coffee lovers. We'll reveal what's up for grabs and how one lucky subscriber can win.

The Secret Sauce Review

What if you lived alone in Santa Clarita?

No partner. No family. Just you and the question every evening...

"Where should I eat tonight?"

Next week, we're setting out to find the perfect solo dining spot.