Sushi 661
26850 Sierra Hwy, A10, Santa Clarita, CA 91321

Some menus make ordering easy.

Sushi 661 is not one of them.

The specialty-roll section alone includes the OMG Roll, 007 Roll, Superman Roll, Crazy Boy Roll, Sexy Roll and Crazy Spicy White Boy Roll.

Those are just the names that caught my attention.

Choosing four rolls was going to require some restraint.

This was my first visit to Sushi 661.

It’s a fairly small restaurant, but most of the tables were already taken when I arrived.

At the front, you can see the sushi chefs working behind a counter that wraps around them, with customers able to sit and eat while everything is prepared.

The counter wasn’t completely full.

The restaurant was still clearly busy.

I was ordering takeaway, so I studied the menu and decided to split the order.

Two traditional rolls.

Two specialty rolls.

One chance to find out which side of the menu deserved more attention.

First came the Cali Cut Roll and Spicy Tuna Cut Roll.

Both tasted fine.

Nothing wrong with either of them.

But both rolls were coming apart slightly, which hurt the presentation and made them feel less carefully put together than I would have liked.

They did the job.

They just didn’t give me much reason to remember them afterward.

Fortunately, the specialty rolls were about to make a stronger argument.

The Spicy Tuna Temp Roll immediately brought more personality.

It had a good crunch.

Then came the spice.

A proper kick that made it stand out from the traditional rolls.

This was where the meal started getting interesting.

The Alaska Roll followed with a house sauce that gave it more flavor.

It was another good roll.

The house sauce made it feel more distinctive.

And it gave me another reason to keep exploring the specialty side of the menu.

Total: $57.29

Sushi 661 has a huge menu.

But after trying four rolls, my recommendation is straightforward:

Go for the specialty rolls.

The Cali Cut Roll and Spicy Tuna Cut Roll were fine, although both lost points for coming apart slightly.

The Spicy Tuna Temp Roll brought crunch and a proper spicy kick.

The Alaska Roll used its house sauce to deliver something more distinctive.

And with so many specialty rolls still left unexplored, there are plenty of reasons to return and order something completely different next time.

Just don’t expect choosing one to be easy.

Best For: Exploring a huge selection of unusually named specialty rolls.

Order: The Spicy Tuna Temp Roll and Alaska Roll.

Skip: Playing it too safe with only the traditional rolls.

The Damage: $57.29.

Return Visit: Yes. There are far too many specialty rolls left to try.

Patrons Mexican Bar & Grill
28281 Newhall Ranch Road, Valencia, CA 91355

Fourteen entries into the competition, we thought we knew what to expect from a carne asada burrito.

Then Patrons Mexican Bar & Grill did something completely different.

The familiar ingredients were all there.

Just not where we expected to find them.

It was a small change.

But by the time the scorecard was complete, the top of the leaderboard was suddenly under serious pressure.

Was that one small change enough to send Patrons to the top of the Burrito Belt?

Copper Hill BBQ
28295 Newhall Ranch Rd, Valencia, CA 91355

Copper Hill BBQ entered Smoke Wars with a busy restaurant, trays loaded with BBQ and a strong first impression.

Then the judging began.

One item disappeared almost immediately.

Another divided the table.

And something on the side became impossible to leave alone.

There were clear highlights.

One choice we wouldn’t make again.

And a final score that could change the race for the Pitmaster Cup.

Did Copper Hill BBQ do enough to shake up the Pitmaster Cup standings?

Openings, events and things worth knowing.

No passport required.

Harvest Around the World is taking over The Porch at Valencia this Friday with seasonal eats, free tastings, live demos, artisan vendors and harvest traditions from around the globe.

It’s all happening from 5:30–9:30pm.

Come hungry. Leave cultured.

Not a bad way to spend a Saturday.

GRACEFEST returns to Castaic Lake State Recreation Area with live music, family activities, kayaking, vendors and, most importantly for us, plenty of food.

Gates open at 1:30pm, and admission is free.

Come for the lake. Stay for the food. The music can have some credit too.

Yes, you read that correctly.

The 23rd Annual Duck Dash hits the Santa Clarita Aquatic Center this Sunday, sending thousands of rubber ducks racing for a good cause.

There’ll also be swimming, family activities and food from Jersey Mike’s, XRO Churros and Kaya’s Creamery.

Duck entries are $5, and one lucky racer takes home a family four-pack of Disneyland tickets.

Suddenly, rubber duck racing feels very serious.

11am–3pm.

Next week, we’re sitting down for some serious Italian comfort food.

Pasta, pizza, red sauce, and plenty of carbs are on the table.

We’ll see what hits, what misses, and what’s worth coming back for.

Come hungry for this one.

Then it’s time to cool things down with something sweet.

We’re diving into the SCV ice cream scene, one scoop at a time.

There will be flavors to try and plenty of opinions to go around.

The Sauce is getting dessert.

Another stop. Another burrito. Another shot at the Belt.

The competition is getting tighter, and expectations are getting higher.

We’ll unwrap the next contender and see where it stacks up.

The Burrito Belt journey continues.

SECRET SAUCE