MALL GROWS WITH VERVE NEW RESTAURANTS, STORES COMING TO TOWN CENTER.

Byline: Kathleen Sweeney Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Whether it's taking a gander through a children's clothing store or dining with friends at a high-end restaurant, Valencia Town Center is offering it all.

The Newhall Land and Farming Company is finishing its plan to construct a place for residents to eat, shop and live.

By next spring, five new restaurants will open their doors, along with a children's clothes shop, a children's hair salon and a jewelry store.

And down the street at the Town Center mall, more stores are setting up shop.

``We've been working on finding the right tenants to complete the street and we're almost there,'' said Marlee Lauffer, Newhall Land spokeswoman.

Construction has already begun on Roma's Jewelry, and the Vie de France, Maru Sushi and Rio Lobo restaurants. And work's about to begin on Cafe Melisse, a Santa Monica-based restaurant expanding to Santa Clarita.

The French-American restaurant is taking over the picturesque facade of stone and twin chimneys that once was occupied by the Twin Palms restaurant, which closed last year.

Maru Sushi is finishing construction and is scheduled to open the week of Oct. 15, and Vie de France and Rio Lobo are both scheduled to open after the holiday season.

Soup Plantation, which needed more space before construction began, relocated to the ground floor of the four-story office building on Town Center Drive. It should open next spring while something sweet, the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Inc., is opening in the Princess Cruises building by November.

Cowboys and Angels, a children's clothing store, and Lolicuts, a children's hair salon, will also open in the office building next month.

Inside the mall, a Journeys shoe store opened a few weeks ago, along with NYB Underwraps in the food court.

The trendy American Eagle Outfitters will open its doors in the mall within the next week. Its shop will be on the lower floor next to Victoria's Secret.

This store offers teens, college students and twentysomethings laid- back and casual clothes, officials said.

``A number of exciting things are going on,'' said Charles Gill, Town Center mall general manager. ``We are very impressed with the husband and wife team who runs the restaurant.''

Officials are also working on plans to fill the 40,000-square-foot space that Edwards Cinema occupied, including turning the space into retail shops, and hope to start construction next spring.

Across the street, a new restaurant will be opening 27063 McBean Parkway. The Elephant Bar Restaurant opens Oct. 15, featuring hot artichoke dip, Kona barbecue ribs, fajitas and Caribbean pot roast.

It offers more than 35 entrees priced under $10, and a special kids' menu starting from $2.95 complete with entree, soft drink and an ice cream sundae.