By Rylee Holwager and Perry Smith
Sen. Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, honored chef Daniel Otto’s restaurant The Old Town Junction as December’s Small Enterprise of the Month with a Senate decision Friday on the restaurant.
Glasses clinked and forks dinked inside The Outdated City Junction in Newhall for the popularity ceremony earlier this month.
“I really feel actually honored,” stated Otto, “I admire you for accommodating us, having this chance. I wish to thank our group and all our dignitaries or leaders out right here for giving us the chance to open up an important place to serve all of our folks, so I couldn’t do it with out this wonderful crew and clearly the assist of the group.”
Wilk has been giving out the Small Enterprise of the Month recognition for 10 years now, since he was elected into the state Meeting in 2012.
Nevertheless, the story of Outdated City Junction’s location goes again a lot farther, to a time when Newhall’s Essential Road was in its early improvement.
In actual fact, the placement’s historical past features a story that exemplifies the enduring spirit of California entrepreneurs, and the way they’ve been in a position to adapt to challenges all through the state’s historical past.
Albert Swall constructed the two-story brick constructing that homes Outdated City Junction on the intersection of Market Road and what was then Spruce Road in 1914, in line with the restaurant’s web site, after Swall’s landlord, Wiliam Mayhue, raised the hire on his basic retailer.
Various different enterprise homeowners on the time adopted Swall’s lead, and Spruce Road grew to become the Essential Road that we all know of at the moment. With a purpose to catch as a lot because the foot site visitors as doable from the close by Railroad Avenue prepare station that was by his outdated location, Swall constructed am outsized “Medication” signal to assist promote his wears.
The façade was broken within the 1971 earthquake, and the occupants have modified through the years,however the location has been residence to considered one of Santa Clarita’s hottest restaurant choices since its grand opening in 2018.
“The rationale for that’s you actually must respect somebody who’s an entrepreneur in California,” stated Wilk. Being an entrepreneur in California can present distinctive challenges due to the excessive taxes and extreme regulation that small companies face, he added.
“This unimaginable institution right here, which is de facto in my view, is the anchor of Outdated City Newhall,” Wilk stated.
When requested what influences his culinary decisions on the restaurant, the place the menu consists of all the things from a 40 oz hand reduce prime tomahawk steak to chilean seabass to a Maple Leaf Farms duck breast, Otto stated “sustainability, studying and rising with the tendencies and staying passionate and inventive.”
His purpose for buyer is to create “seasonal delicacies, maintaining folks’s pallets guessing,” and creating an expertise and never staying stagnant.”
Otto and the Outdated City Junction crew have supported the Santa Clarita group in some ways, he stated throughout his recognition. They’ve labored and contributed to Faculty of the Canyons Basis, Carousel Ranch, Circle of Hope, Want Basis, SCV Charity Chili Prepare dinner-Off and Feed SCV.
“While you consider anyone who companions with our nonprofit group, I can’t consider anybody who has been a greater accomplice than Chef Otto,” stated Wilk.
Along with Wilk, Santa Clarita Metropolis Council members Laurene Weste and Invoice Miranda, a consultant for Congressman Mike Garcia and a consultant for county Supervisor Kathryn Barger had been in attendance and introduced certificates of recognition.
“I really like Chef Otto’s meals, I really like the restaurant,” Weste stated to Otto, “I’m so happy with you.”
