Old Town Temecula does December properly. The storefronts get decorated, Santa arrives the Friday after Thanksgiving, and the parade lights up Front Street. If you're putting together a holiday outing for family, friends or the office, it's one of the easiest places in Southern California to build a whole day around.

Every December the same group chat wakes up. Someone has to find a place for the office party, someone else wants one long table for the whole family, and by the second week of November half the good dates are gone. The nights that go well almost always start with the same few decisions, made early.