After school, many students enjoy hanging out and eating at their favorite spots in the Village. From King Kong Sushi to Loving Hut, there are a variety of places to eat. Recently, there have been new delicious additions to the list including Blaze Pizza, Poke Dot, and Oke Poke.

Blaze Pizza is located at 1 N Indian Hill Blvd, Claremont, CA 91711 and recently had its grand opening on Nov. 22. Many will recognize the building as the former American Apparel that closed down over the summer this This chain has stores all over the country, including places such as Victoria Gardens, Pasadena, Laguna and many more state based locations. Blaze Pizza offers a unique pizza experience as the customer chooses what toppings go on the pizza, and they are made fresh out of the oven. There are choices of freshly made dough and healthful, artisan ingredients. The choice of toppings is bounteous and includes: vegan cheese, goat cheese, mozzarella, pineapple, spinach, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, bacon, grilled chicken, pepperoni, and many more. The environment is light and fun, and Blaze Pizza takes special pride in this.

“I think Blaze is the perfect place for students to go because as students we have extremely busy lives, whether it’s with homework, sports, choir, dance or many other activities,”  junior Katie Rubio and employee at Blaze Pizza said.  “At Blaze it’s one of our mottos to go really fast, so if you want a bite to eat and you’re short on time, this is a good place to go.”  

If pizza is not one’s favorite, there are two new different options that are on another side of the spectrum. Poke, a Hawaiian seafood dish, has recently risen in popularity and can be seen all over social media. ‘Poke’ is the Hawaiian verb to cut and is a dish composed of sliced, raw fish and various mix-ins like rice, seaweed, noodles, salad. The raw fish that is typically used, but not always, is ahi tuna. Salmon, albacore, yellowtail, and crab are also used inside the bowl. Oke Poke is very close to school, which makes it convenient for students to walk down to purchase lunch. It is located at 405 W Foothill Blvd, Ste 103, Claremont, CA 91711 and had it’s grand opening Dec. 2.  Poke Dot is located in the Village at 175 N Indian Hill Blvd, Ste B101A, Claremont, CA 91711 and had its grand opening on Sept. 11. Both locations offer a build your own bowl option or one can choose a bowl off the menu. Bases for a poke bowl include rice, salad, chips, or noodles. Both locations offer a multitude of toppings and sauces. Poke is something that can be made quickly so it is convenient for students who wish to go at lunch.

“People from school would like coming to the restaurant because avocado is a free topping unlike many places and we have a bunch of different shaved ice flavors and it is really convenient because it is a five minute walk from school,”  junior Maddie Sanvictores and employee at Oke Poke said. “If you like sushi, you’ll probably like poke as well.”

The addition of these establishments has broadened the choices of where to eat in Claremont. The three offer creative and unique methods to make one’s own meal. These new food locations will surely be bustling with business and sites of popularity. All three of these locations are unique in their own way, and students and staff alike will definitely enjoy them.