ALONG COMES MARY

When my boyfriend asked me if I wanted to check out Round 1 over the weekend with some of his buddies, I thought, “Round huh?!” It turns out Round 1 is one of the best destinations in SoCal for an arcade center boasting video arcade games, old school fun like ski-ball, claw machines with huge Hello Kitty & other famous Japanese characters to win, bowling, karaoke, a diner & bar. I didn’t know what to expect, but left anxious to know just when we shall return! 😉

With locations in Bellflower & Moreno Valley, we took the trek out to City of Industry (completely worth it from the San Fernando Valley) for a night of fun & games. They’ve got quite a few options as far as game cards, memberships & how much you want to spend in exchange for credits. I started out with The Game Card, which is a one-time use card for a $1 fee & chose to put $20 on it, aka, 92 points.

(Dance Off Revolution)

Mike was too sweet in his attempts to win me a stuffed animal, which are $2/2 points a try; while everyone around us seemed to leave with a treat, we still need to get our mojo down! These machines are meant to have you win, though & once you get the hang of the claw, which are the larger ones with stuffed animals nestled oh-so-close to the edge, apparently you will always leave smiling, clutching your new toy.

Having grown up going to Chuck E Cheese, I was thrilled they had ski ball! Simple, I know, but an old reliable I found out I still love. Watching those tickets spew out in 10’s & 20’s, I felt totally like a child once again. Mike challenged me to an enclosed game that monitors your heart rate as you wear 3D glasses going through dungeons, hallways & other isolated, scary places when out jumps creepy dead monsters…my boyfriend loves to scare me…it reminded me of the Horror House at Universal Studios!

Like any game center, they want you to stay as you rack up thousands of points for their gift shop. By the time we were heading out, I was up to 393 points on my card, just short of enough for some really cool options (once you hit 500, its smooth sailing), so, I opted to hold onto my points, & you can bet I will be on Mike as to when we’re returning. This would be the perfect spot for a birthday party; while all ages are welcome & its the perfect family atmosphere, it does become 21+ after a certain time. They’re open til 2am, so plenty of time to enjoy some drinks & food in between ping-pong & karaoke, or Wheel of Fortune games!

Before we headed to Round 1, we had dinner at the can’t-make-up-their-mind-best-kept-Valley-secret restaurant, Kings Burgers/Got Sushi; dubbed “Cultural confusion at its finest” by LA Weekly, who have also named it one of the best Sushi bars in The Valley, at Kings, you can order burgers & pastrami at the front counter, then sit down & be given a sushi menu….this is legit, I swear! It is also the perfect place to bring people in your party who may not be as down for sushi as you are; their burgers look fabulous & I love their sushi rolls, especially The Lemon Roll.

If you find yourself around Northridge or City of Industry, these are awesome spots to check out! 😉 xo

(*Disclosure: I am not affiliated with Round 1 Entertainment or Kings/Got Sushi. These are simply great places I recommend!)