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Road Trip – Smokeyard BBQ and Chop Shop and Emberz BBQ (Mammoth)

American/New American Restaurants, BBQ, Road Trip, Salads, Sierra Nevada, California, Travel

So yes, here we were in Mammoth. The Missus loved the hiking with JJ….on this day we headed back out to the Horseshoe Lake Parking and then took the McLeod Lake Trail. Of course JJ just loved it out here.

And the views were outstanding.

And while the lake was lovely….it was what we saw near where w parked the car at the Horseshoe Lake Parking lot. While the lake views were lovely…..

This section looked totally different.

All those dead trees. We walked over and read the signage.

Apparently, there were a series of small earthquakes under Mammoth Mountain in 1989. This caused the magma to push CO2 up thru the soil, which caused the roots of the trees to die. Testing by the USGS in 1994 confirmed this. Crazy, huh?

We headed back to the Westin to…well….you know what….

After resting up a bit; we headed across the way to the Village. There was a place we were interested in dining at; but because it was still early in the season, the place was not yet opened for outdoor dining.

So, we walked over a bit and found this place.

Which had a large outdoor eating area and also a Happy Hour menu.

We ordered a couple of appetizers and a salad…..

We started with the Tri-tip skewers.

The cubes of tri-tip was really dry and tough. The sauce overly sweet.

We also got the Peri Peri Wings. We were warned by the really nice Server that it was going to be spicy.

Which it wasn’t. The sauce was quite tangy and salty. The chicken had been really overcooked and was tough. It did have some decent smokiness though.

The Missus did enjoy the Wedge Salad, especially the Blue Cheese Dressing which had a nice funky tanginess along with a not overly sweet balsamic glaze.. This is why the Missus had me start making Blue Cheese Dressing from scratch at home.

Lots of crumbled bacon…nice refreshing salad.

Overall; very nice service, but I don’t see us returning here.

Smokeyard BBQ and Chop Shop
1111 Forest Trail Suite 201
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

We did sleep well. And JJ did fine staying on an upper floor. There’s quite a bit of open space around the hotel and I even saw some wildlife while taking JJ out to potty early…think 5am in the morning!

Up early the next morning, we did the hike from Lake George to Emerald Lake.

Where JJ could show off some of his newly found balancing skills…..

You actually pass five lakes along this hike. This is Lake Barrett.

Even though it was early June, there was still snow on the ground in places.

And of course you know JJ and snow, right?

Making it to Emerald Lake, we headed on back.

We had lunch at Old New York Deli & Bakery and then had a well earned nap. Upon awakening, we decided to take a drive around…we did the Mammoth Scenic Loop…then went to by JJ some toys and snacks at Tailwaggers. By now it was just about 430. The Missus was really not into hitting up the Village again. I had found a BBQ truck/trailer of sorts while doing some research. It was located in a business park, next to Devils Creek Distillery.

We got a combo plate with Ribs and Elk Sausage, plus a tomato salad.

The tomato salad was excellent…using sweet-acidic-tangy tomatoes.

The slightly sweet-acidic balsamic dressing was wonderful.

Our favorite item was the Elk Sausage, very savory, nice and smoky, quite rich. The ribs were nothing special…though decently smoked.

That mashed potato salad had a bit too much mayo in it, though the greens were really refreshing.

The gentleman working was really nice. And he even gave us some moist and tasty cornbread….which was gobbled up so quickly, so no photos.

Anyway, we enjoyed our meal and even returned here the following month! We made sure to schedule that stay with the days the trailer is open – only Thursdays thru Sundays.

Emberz BBQ
120 Commerce Dr.
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

As we took in the view of the Village from our patio, the Missus had me planning a return trip to Mammoth the following month. She, and JJ had really taken to the place.

Sabores Colombianos Revisited

Colombian Food and Restaurants

Well, after having the Lengua en Salsa from Antojitos Colombianos twelve years later….you know I just had to revisit Sabores Colombianos right? And it had been 9 1/2 years since I last visited as well!

Located two blocks down from FredCel which I probably need to get back to as well, I found parking on 37th Street.

The interior of Sabores has changed a bit as well…..what’s with all the blue dining rooms these days?

Anyway, the nice woman guided me to a table and I was handed a menu…..which I glanced at, even though I was here for one thing….

The Lengua en Salsa here is now $23.99.

Though it came with a small bowl of Ajiaco to start.

It’s always interesting to have ajiaco…because of the earthy-grassy flavor of the rich broth. Made with guascas. It was hearty and a nice way to start a meal on a cooler day.

And soon enough my Salsa en Lengua arrived. If you read my post yesterday, you’d say that this was a totally different dish from what I got at Antojitos Colombianos, right?

I’ve always enjoyed the plantain, sweet, rich, and creamy. A nice foil to the other flavors and textures. The salsa criolla here was different from what I had experienced on previous visits. A lot more onions, less watery, tangy, a hint of sweet-pungency. I enjoyed it more than what I’d had before. The lengua, as before was on the chewier side, but still nice and beefy and it was a large rather thick slice.

The rice was a bit mushy for my taste.

And the Yucca, as before was on the hard side…I prefer it more creamy.

Still, a very hearty meal.

So, what’s my preference? Well, SC has larger more generous portions, I like that plantain and ajiaco come with the meal. And this time around preferred the salsa criolla from here. AC had a more tender lengua, the salsa criolla was more tangy, and the yucca was nice and tender. I guess in the future, it’s what I’m craving for that day? I know, sounds like I’m taking the easy way out, right?

This visit also had me wondering how “FOY” Mr Black Belt Jonez was doing. He was the one who recommended Sabores to me all those years ago! I hope you are doing well Black Belt Jonez!

And I hope all of you are doing well!

Sabores Colombianos
3695 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92104
Current Hours:
Sun, Mon, Wed, Thurs 11am – 7pm
Sat – Sun 11am – 8pm
Closed on Tuesday

Antojitos Colombianos Revisited

Colombian Food and Restaurants

My how time flies……recently, someone who is new to reading our humble little blog reached out to me asking if I was the same person who wrote this a billion years ago. This got me craving some Lengua en Salsa from Antijitos Colombianos. Checking out my last post, I was shocked to see that my last visit was over 12 years ago and at the former location several blocks further down Imperial!

So, I decided to head on over to get my fix!

This newer location shares a small parking lot with a bank and some other shop…there’s limited parking, but because I got there right a opening time; 11am, I got one of the spaces right in front of the restaurant. The small storefront belies the rather spacious, and very “blue” interior.

The gentleman seated me quickly….as I was the only customer in the place for the entire meal.

I was handed a menu and of course I had expected prices to have gone up….but sheesh…the Lengua en Salsa is now $25……

It did give me pause; but I was here on a “mission” and I just had to have my fix. My order didn’t take very long to arrive.

I quickly noticed that the stewed beef tongue was sliced crosswise instead of being one long lengthwise, almost steak-like slice. Still, it was nice and beefy.

The rice was really mushy, though fragrant.

I did enjoy the starchy and very tender slices of yucca….it used to be that I enjoyed yucca frita; but for some reason this version did well with the tangy sauce.

The texture of the tongue varied from slice to slice. One piece was so wonderfully tender and beefy, that I could slice it with the fork. The other really tough and chewy. Still, the intense bovine flavor came thru clearly.

The Hogao, salsa criolla, was nice and tangy, mildly pungent, though a bit more watery and lighter than I remembered.

Still, not a bad meal…hope you enjoyed this post “Arby”!

On another note, this visit had me wondering how the Lengua en Salsa was at another place….

Stay tuned!

Antojitos Colombianos
2040 Imperial Ave.
San Diego, CA 92102
Current Hours:
Daily 11am – 7pm

Where on the road were we?

Flagstaff/ Sedona/Winslow/Northern AZ, Phoenix/Scottsdale/Chandler/Central AZ, Road Trip, Temecula/Idyllwild/Palm Springs - Riverside, CA, Travel

We just got back from our first road trip with JJ for 2026. It was a fun and interesting drive; starting in a place that JJ has already been to.

This time there wasn’t record heat and JJ enjoyed things more…..

And we did a couple of hikes and enjoyed the views….

And ate well…..

The next stop was one we had last visited during he waning days of Covid…..

And this is where JJ enjoyed hiking the most. And of course the views were fabulous.

It was interesting as we did a favorite hike of ours…but this time around…well, it was still icy.

Which JJ loved!

What he also loved was the place that served a Doggie menu; with a version of beef tartare he loved.

We actually returned the following evening….

On our previous visit, we hadn’t been too impressed with the food; but his time around…well, we found our spot.

Which served up a dish that is a favorite of ours; especially when we visit Paris, but is not allowed in California….

Definitely our favorite meal of the trip.

We’ll definitely be back!

Our last stop was a city; with definite retro vibes. We last visited back when we lived in LA. It had been a while and we recall not being particularly taken by what seemed a superficial, image driven vibe. But time changes things. And while there’s still a strong commerciality, we’ve come to appreciate the history…..

And of course everything with JJ in tow makes things more entertaining…..

Anyway, thanks for stopping by. We’ll be back to our regular programming tomorrow!

Eastern Dynasty – More Dishes

Chinese BBQ, Chinese Restaurants

I know, I just did a revisit post back in December. But seeing that ED is now the Missus’s go-to Cantonese spot these days and we’ve been going just about every week since that December visit, I thought I’d go over the dishes we’ve tried that I haven’t posted on before. Plus, I know “FOY” Kenneth is interested in visiting ED, so this might help.

Other than one item at the end that was surprisingly good, I’m not going to go over any dishes that I’ve posted on before.

Anyway, here goes:

Must Order:

This is called Sauteed Intestines with Chinese Pickles ($19.95) on the menu. Since the first time we tried this, we’ve had it on every single visit – five times! Each time it was prepped nicely.

When eaten at the restaurant the intestine texture is amazing. Chewy at first bite; giving way to almost creamy tenderness.

The black bean comes thru cleanly. Love the tangy-sour preserved vegetable. As you eat the leftovers; that flavor get magnified. It’s a must order for us!

The Missus loves the Steamed Minced Pork with Salted Fish ($19.95).

Welcome to Funky Town…well sort of. The secret to getting the salty-savory-funky fish salted fish flavor is to include one piece of the salted fish; which you see sprinkled on the top of the pork, in each bite. Don’t do too much; it’ll be so salty and overwhelming.

Westlake Minced Beef Soup ($17.95).

We’ve had this three times. Be careful; it’s really rich and thick and will melt your lips (and tongue) off. Give it time to cool a bit before consuming.

The secret to this dish for us is the cilantro, scallions, and sliced Thai chilies. It just enhances the savory tones so much. In fact, the second time we had this, there wasn’t any in the soup and we actually asked for some.

The Missus and I decided to try the Pepper Beef ($22.95) on our last visit. Not something we order often; but we’ve had some pretty good dishes so far and the price seemed very reasonable. And this ended up being another good dish.

The beef was so tender! The pepper sauce had a nice balance of savory and sweet, with a touch of ginger notes. It was so good with rice. The peas were crunchy and sweet, also adding a nice textural contrast. Another “keeper” dish.

Inconsistent:

The most expensive dishes on the menu are of course the seafood items. The Missus was wondering about the Steamed Blue Diamond Shrimp with Garlic Sauce ($26.95). In case you were wondering what Blue Diamond Shrimp are. I’m not totally sure these are Blue Diamond Shrimp, but they are pretty tiny and comes served split in shell.

The shrimp were quite sweet; the meat fairly firm. The sauce the first time was so savory and garlicky; the Missus especially loved the bean thread under the shrimp, which soaked up all that flavor!

Though, on the second time….which was the same visit where the Westlake Soup was missing our favorite ingredients, there was a shortage of garlic and sauce. You can easily see that here.

The shrimp was also a lot tougher…so perhaps the back-up cook was on this day?

Fish Filet with Black Bean Sauce ($20.95). Again, the first time we had this, the dish was pretty good.

Generous amount of savory black bean. The fish nicely velveted, almost creamy, very mild in flavor. The onions and red bell peppers enhanced the dish nicely.

And then there was the version on that “second visit”…..

Was there a fermented black bean shortage? At least there was in this dish! Like one slice of red bell pepper. The fish was not as wonderfully velveted and there was a muddy taste to it.

Luckily, on our third try with this dish, things were back to how it was the first time we tried this dish.

Other Dishes:

There’s a “Hot Pot Rice” ($19.95) that you can get for dine-in only and only from Mondays to Thursdays. The Missus was intrigued, so we ordered the version with Chinese Sausage.

This was pretty good; there’s pork belly in addition to the lup cheong. Decent rice crust forms and enough sauce to coat. Funny thing is. We won’t be ordering this again because we make even a better version at home!

But in case you want to try it out.

The Shrimp with XO Sauce ($22.95) was fine.

Shrimp was decently cooked; perhaps a bit firmer than I enjoy. The sugar snaps peas were crisp and sweet. I’d like a bit more XO sauce in this dish.

Speaking of XO Sauce. The Seafood Fried Rice with XO Sauce ($19.95) was not good. The rice super hard and not coated evenly. A true lack of Wok Hay!

Not enough XO sauce for us either. One and done.

Another one and done is the Pork Belly with Tofu Clay Pot ($19.95). This was really salty, but other than that lacking in other flavors.

The tofu was dry and the pork belly strangely tough. It was even worse as leftovers.

And one surprise:

So, the one menu item that surprised us was ordered on our most recent visit. We had thought the roast duck here was ok. And that other versions were better. But, on our last visit, we just decided to get a half roast duck ($21). And man was this pretty good!

Nicely roasted with a fairly crisp skin; fat nicely rendered. Decent five spice flavor and those drippings! Now we both think the meat could have been a bit more tender and flavorful, perhaps Noble Chef still tops ED in that department….but a half duck there was $28 on my last visit! This was definitely better than what we had at Taste of Hong Kong on our last visit. Did we hit the lottery on this one? Who knows…… I think we’ll order this again to find out!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this collection of dishes form Eastern Dynasty. Kenneth, I not sure you enjoy the same type of Cantonese dishes as we do, but I hope you find this post helpful!

Eastern Dynasty
4690 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111
Current Hours:
Daily 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 830pm

Marufuku Ramen (Sky Deck at Del Mar Highlands Town Center)

Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

During my visit to Zen Modern Asian Bistro at the Sky Deck, I came across a place that I’d had on my “list” but had totally forgotten about. Marufuku Ramen. I recall reading how popular Marufuku was when it opened in San Francisco’s Japantown in 2017. And since it was “ramen season” for me; I decided to return to try the place out.

Marufuku is located in the rear of the Sky Deck. The place was kinda dark at 11am, so pardon my photos.

I was seated by the very friendly and efficient Sugui, who told me he also works at Glass Box next door.

The prices, as anticipated were on the higher end of the scale, especially for what I consider to be a Food Hall.

I went with the Hakata Tonkotsu – regular size ($18.00). What arrived was about the same size as the small bowl I had at Santouka recently. Of course it didn’t have the toroniku and other stuffs.

The broth was fairly light, in spite of the dots of oil floating on the top. It was pretty straight forward, mild in flavor, though not salty.

It was rich enough to coat the thin, straight Hakata style noodles. Which were unfortunately a bit overcooked and too soft for my taste.

At least the tamago, which was edging on being overcooked for my taste was still warm. I’d say that’s a definite plus these days.

There were two bacon-thin slices chashu that were nicely flavored, with a nice toothsome texture.

And was probably my favorite thing in this bowl. The ginger would have helped to cut the richness if the broth were a bit thicker, but really wasn’t necessary in this case.

Overall, not a bad bowl of ramen, perhaps below what I last had a Menya…maybe what I’d consider level B+ ramen. Though priced like level A+ ramen. I’m not going to be in a rush to return.

Marufuku Ramen (In the Sky Deck at Del Mar Highlands Town Center)
12841 El Camino Real Suite 204
San Diego, CA 92130
Current Hours:
Sun – Thurs 11am – 9pm
Fri – Sat 11am – 10pm

Road Trip – Old New York Deli & Bakery (again), The Eatery at Mammoth Brewing Company, and Shelter Distilling again (Mammoth Lakes)

American/New American Restaurants, Cocktails, Road Trip, Sandwiches, Sierra Nevada, California, Travel

The Missus was so excited to be in Mammoth…She couldn’t wait to take JJ hiking. And so first thing in the morning we headed out. She had decided on doing the Skelton Lake Loop, which started at the large parking lot at Coldwater Creek Road. This was an interesting hike as there was still snow and ice at some parts of the trail. It was only 3 1/2 miles long, but seemed longer. What we did find out on this trail was that JJ loved snow….

And the views of the different lakes we passed were gorgeous.

Including Skelton Lake which we got to at the end.

We then headed back to the Village. The Missus decided that we should hit up Old New York Deli & Bakery again. She had really taken to those Sweet Potato Fries. This time we went with the Vegetarian Sandwich ($16.99) + Sweet Potato Fries ($1.89).

The sandwich was not nearly as good as what we’d had the day before. Very bland and routine, the red bell pepper hummus was not up to the task of adding flavor.

Still, the Missus loved the sweet potato fries.

From this point on, we’d stick with the club sandwiches all the way.

Old New York Deli & Bakery
6201 Minaret Rd. Suite 105
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

After a short afternoon “siesta” I headed out to the Earthquake Fault Trail. A place where one could actually see an actual earthquake fissure which was initiated 500-600 years ago!

It’s not really a hiking trail per se, but an amazing thing to see…….

And then we headed back to the Westin to relax before dinner.

For dinner, we decided to walk down basically a block from where we were staying to Mammoth Brewing Company. We weren’t looking for any beer; there’s a restaurant on site called the Eatery.

The Missus went with the Quinoa Falafel Bowl ($18). The looks of the falafel tells it all.

The menu said “crispy falafel”; this was actually overcooked, dry and gritty falafel. That tzatziki tasted a bit odd….then I read that it was coconut tzatziki. The quinoa was fine as the lemon vinaigrette paired well with it.

I saw a Pork Belly Banh Mi ($16) on the menu and I couldn’t help myself.

While there was so much “not right” about this sandwich…starting at the bread which was not a banh mi….so basically this was a banh mi in name only. The cabbage and carrots was basically the shredded stuff you can buy at the market. The pork was hard and dry, though it had a some hints of savory and sweet. At least that egg was decent, crispy edges, slight soft interior.

Totally “con-fusion” cuisine.

The Eatery at Mammoth Brewing Company
18 Lake Mary Rd.
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

As we crossed back to the Westin thru the Village, we decided to stop at Shelter Distilling. While not being fans of the food there, we had enjoyed their cocktails.

This time; instead of sitting in the front of the restaurant, we took JJ thru to the rear which had four tables with views of the ponds and courtyard.

We had the “Crib” again and also tried out their Old Fashioned. Both of which were really good.

While still on the search for something good to eat for dinner, at least we knew where to get our cocktails….

Shelter Distilling
100 Canyon Blvd. #217
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

The next morning, the Missus (and JJ) were rarin’ to go. This time I chose the Sherwin Lakes Trail, which was a 8 1/2 out and back.

There was a 800 foot elevation gain, but JJ had no problems with that at all.

Sherwin Lake is quite beautiful…..

I was just glad to be done with it…..because then we could get some lunch….

Pelicana Chicken and Sieu Sieu BBQ Revisited

Chains, Chicken Wings, Chinese BBQ, Chinese Restaurants, Korean Restaurants

Just a couple of recent revisits.

Pelicana Chicken:

Way back when I did my post on Pelicana…like over three years ago now! I did 2 takeout visits and really wasn’t impressed. Though fellow blogger Soo commented that the chicken there is much better dining in. Which I can understand. So now several years later; in the mood for some KFC, I dropped by.

There was basically one very sweet young lady working. She greeted me and led me to a table. These days, ordering is done via a tablet……I’m sure it saves labor costs.

Anyway, I preferred the Original Fried Wings to the Crunchy for takeout, so that’s what I ordered.

Some water was brought to the table and interestingly, no mul kimchi…I guess they’ve changed it up for shredded cabbage with sesame dressing?

The wings arrived, nice and hot.

The lacquered wings were over battered for my taste, crunchy, but got soggy quickly and a bit on the greasy side. Other than salt, still very mild in flavor. I just wanted to taste the chicken without it obscured by sauces. At least the flesh though chewy, was moist, but there was still a good amount of darkened meat.

Good sized, but I think I’ll pass on Pelicana in the future.

Pelicana Chicken
7767 Balboa Ave.
San Diego, CA 92111

Sieu Sieu BBQ:

So, on New Year’s Day, the Missus suddenly wanted Roast Duck??? Sending me out on a mission. I dropped by several places, some of which were out of duck, others had massive lines. I took a peek at Sieu Sieu and there were only three people in line, so I decided this was where we’d get our last minute NYDuck.

There were several of these folks hanging around….

In fact a woman and a young man; who I believe is her son picked up two of them! Came to over $600! Now that better be a “porky pig”!

When I got to order my duck; the woman told me “today, only whole duck, no half…..” So, that’s what happened. Got a whole duck, $34.99. Really not a bad price for these days…..

A bit better than what we’d had on our previous visit. Very meaty and on the drier side. The skin wasn’t quite as rubbery as before, but like the meat, in need of more flavor.

Good thing we had a lot of jus…..

And the air fryer….it was still on the bland side….

Sieu Sieu BBQ
7420 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111

Honolulu – Ireh Restaurant

Honolulu, Korean Restaurants, Oahu, Travel

So, after our revisit to the Alley and Ko Olina we actually went to Australia, before returning to Oahu. But recently, Bruddah Kimo asked me if there were other places than Kimchi II to get some Meat Jun. He is staying at Pagoda Hotel. Well, during our return from Australia we actually stayed again at the Ala Moana Hotel. The Missus had finally taken to meat jun during this trip and I had heard of a place right on the corner of Ke’eaumoku and Makaloa in the Azure Condo complex named Ireh. So, I’m kinda doing this one out of sequence so that Kimo can get an idea…..ok?

So yes, we were staying in the Ala Moana Hotel, yet again. Because of our stays at Accor Hotels, I had a nice discount and got us an upgraded room.

Even had a kitchen….but nah…I’m “home”…I going eat out….

Still, it was comfortable room and I didn’t get the “Ji-chan treatment” (jjk) when we checked in.

With our some what jetlagged schedules going, we wanted an early dinner. I asked the Missus what She wanted and wouldn’t you know it! She wanted Meat Jun! You gotta love it!

A couple of places came to mind. Choi’s Family Kitchen used to be a favorite way back when I lived in McCully and they used to be on King Street, but we didn’t feel like driving. I searched a bit and noticed that there was a place name Ireh right on the corner of Ke’eaumoku and Makaloa. It’s a huge condo complex now; but I remember when Green Papaya and a Jewelry Store used to occupy a small two story building on the corner.

Anyway, we walked on in…since it was still early, the place was pretty empty. The woman working greeted me in Korean! I had to crack up…..my friends used make fun of me because I’d often get mistaken for being Korean when I lived in HNL!

Anyway, we were seated and handed menus; but the Missus had already made up Her mind. Since it was pretty warm I got the BiBim Naengmyun.

The baechu kimchi revealed that this was more of a true “Korean” restaurant, than a local style one. It was more pickled, but still had some fermented tones to it. The Yangpa Jjangachi had good soy-garlic-slightly sour tones and was kinda refreshing.

The Bibim Naengmyun ($16.95) was a disappointment.

The noodles weren’t very stretchy….there was no need for scissors for these. The sauce was quite watered down, having more of the sweeter mul naengmyun type of flavor. It really needed some umph!

This made me somewhat worried about the Meat Jun ($18.95), but it was quite good.

A pretty large portion of meat jun. Which was on top of the rice, which was a bit on the hard side. But of course, this was about the beef….

The dipping sauce was good; savory soy, a hint of palate cleansing vinegar.

As for the meat….this was quite good. It was very tender, the savory egg batter batter had spots of light crispness rather than the usual sogginess. The marinade had flavored the meat well; soy sauce, some sweetness, a hint of garlic.

The Missus really enjoyed this and She said it was a step above Kimchi II. Hmmm………

Ireh Restaurant
629 Ke’eaumoku St. Suite 104
Honolulu, HI 96814
Current Hours:
Daily 10am – 10pm

Bruddah Kimo; if you check this place out, let me know what you think?

Relic Bakery & Kitchen

Bakery, Croissants

I first heard about Relic Bageri back in early 2024 at their weekends only location in a commercial kitchen on Commerce Avenue. They started doing preorders, but that just wasn’t my thing. I did try to visit, but the lines were crazy. Now you just know that a place so successful was going to grow, right? And finally, in October of last year they opened a brick and mortar shop in East Village.

With all our road trips, I waited a bit to finally visit the shop in East Village. The area seems a bit sketchy, but heck, SDPD HQ is there and there always seems to be parking available.

It’s a nice looking shop, in a sort of transitional area.

Anyway, it wasn’t overly busy on this day and I strolled on in.

Lots of pastries to tempt you…and the price point is lower than Izola!

The same really nice young lady was working on each of my visits.

There’s both indoor and outdoor dining available, a coffee stand, and breakfast and lunch is served. But you know I was really only interested in one thing at the moment, right?

So, I got myself a Butter Croissant, which was $5. And a couple other savory stuffs.

As for the croissant aux buerre……I like the lamination, nice and flakey, good, light, fluffy and airy interior.

In terms of flavor; it’s got a lighter butteriness than I prefer, and perhaps a bit too much salt for our tastes. Still, not overly sweet, nice texture, not over baked as many versions.

As for the rest; well I just had to get this beast.

This is the Chinese Five Spice Sausage Croissant. Well, let me tell you, this is pretty huge.

Nice porky flavor, good, not overpowering anise tones. There’s a bit of herbaceousness and the size and texture reminds me of Lao/Thai sausages. And with a croissant wrapper around it?

Still, I really enjoyed the Jalapeno, Speck, and Cheese Croissant the most.

Love the tangy-sour spice of the pickled jalapenos, with the mildly smoky-savory speck, and the light milkiness of the cheese. If anything, I think a stronger cheese might be even better. Along with the crispness of the croissant, slight buttery-sweetness. There’s something about this combo I enjoyed.

The Missus tried all three and them asked me why I didn’t get anything for “Her”. So of course that issue had to be rectified.

I got the Double Pain au Chocolate which the Missus absolutely loved. And she enjoyed the texture of the Bear Claw, but it was too sweet for Her.

As for me…well, it was another Croissant aux Buerre. Now this one had a bit more butteriness and was still wonderfully light and fluffy. Except that it seemed to have been over baked and was too flakey…as in croissant laminate shrapnel everywhere.

Still, this might be my current favorite croissant aux buerre in San Diego. And of course, there’s a certain someone who was volunteering to “clean up” the fragments.

The Missus enjoyed the pain du chocolate so much that She sent me back on a Saturday to get more. This time, I decided to forgo the regular croissant…..

There was a line on this day and the dining area was almost full.

Still, the folks working have always been so pleasant.

So, this time around in addition to the Jalapeno, Speck, and Cheese Croissant – which I still really like and the Double Pain du Chocolate; I got a couple of others to try.

The Missus absolutely loves the “Mocha Bomb”.

I didn’t care for the Lamb Rillette Croissant.

The pastry itself had a really great texture, flakey and crisp, but the rillette was really chewy and it didn’t feature the typical aromatic-rich-gaminess that I associate with lamb rillette.

Still, we’ve enjoyed exploring various items from Relic. I have gone back 3 more times since this last visit. And the croissant aux buerre has been my favorite in SD so far…. It’s not perfectly to my taste….I’m thinknig a bit more butter but I’m not expecting say…what we get at La Maison d’Isabelle, our favorite boulangerie in Paris, which I’ve posted on like four times. But it has still been enjoyable. I need to revisit Wayfarer….or maybe do both in a side by side comparison, right? Meanwhile; the Missus has been craving that Mocha Bomb! And we need to check out the various kitchen offerings as well.

Relic Bakery & Kitchen
845 15th St.
San Diego, CA 92101
Current Hours:
Wed – Sun 8am – 2pm
Closed Monday – Tuesday