mmm-yoso!!! is the blog and Cathy is one of the bloggers. ( That would be me). There is Kirk and also Ed. They blog when they feel like it. Today, I feel like it. Here goes!
Hi, I’m back. We have had some record heat out here lately and I must admit that blogging has not been in the forefront of my ‘things to do’, but I have a lot of photos in the camera and want to share some meals with you before I forget about the details completely.
This past weekend (Labor Day and all the days preceding it) the weather was crazy. 108° in Santee, with 40% humidity making the heat index read 116°. The Mister and I headed downtown- closer to where the temperature was "only" about 95°.
We went to Horton Plaza, an outdoor shopping mall. 
The top floor is crawling with outdoor eating places and there was a light breeze. Then I remembered where I go when it is "winter" out here {The definition of winter in San Diego consists of raining outdoors-rain that is measured in 1/100ths of an inch, by the way}. 
Yes, when it is raining out, it is pretty much "soup weather" and Nordstrom’s not only has an indoor Cafe, but also the best tomato basil soup, ever. I crave it and treat myself to a bowl when I can. I just didn’t blog it this past January.
So, the Nordstrom Cafe menu:
(click on it if you want to read it)
You walk up, order, pay and then find a seat at any of the lovely, cloth covered tables. Some with a view of the bay. So civilized. So air conditioned.
We were not too hungry in this heat and didn’t even want some of the good coffee they serve endlessly for $1.25, and were also so undecided, (except I knew I wanted the tomato basil soup) that we each got the soup-salad-1/2 sandwich combo($8.50)
First the soup: the tomato-basil is always available and the clam chowder was the soup of the day this day.
Each are served with the in-store-made Parmesan ‘crouton’ shown here. You get two of those lovely, crispy, toasty croutons with a bowl of soup. The tomato-basil is so thick it seems to have cheese as an ingredient, but I have asked and there isn’t any. It is just made with fresh tomatoes ground down to a fine grind/ever so slight lumpiness that is very rich and deep tomato flavor with a light basil undertone.
The clam chowder was not as thick, broth-wise and had celery and potatoes in it. The clam flavor was not overwhelming but the clam pieces were fairly large and juicy. Not the best bowl of clam chowder, but not the worst. Each of the soups had no salt and/or pepper added. A good option for those who are watching out for such additives.
I got the salad with balsamic dressing and a 1/2 tuna salad sandwich on marble bread.
The salad was mixed baby greens topped with julienned red and yellow bell peppers and carrots and, of course a cherry tomato, halved ( I hate biting into whole cherry tomatoes; they pop in your mouth, like eyeballs…)
The tuna salad is nice and made with mayonnaise and onions- but you taste the tuna more than the other ingredients. Lettuce and tomato slices are also on the sandwich.
The bread is very fresh here, always. A nice hearty rye.
The Mister got the same salad with blue cheese dressing (a good one, He said) and the 1/2 turkey sandwich on multi grain roll. Even thought the bread itself was smaller than the slice I got, the amount of meat on the sandwich was plentiful and the same amount you would get on a 1/2 sandwich made with bread slices. The turkey had a very good roasted flavor; higher quality than you get in sandwich shops these days. The roll was soft and had a good chewiness to it, very fresh.
Our water glasses were continuously refilled and when we were done we were presented with two of those lovely dark chocolate mint filled sticks. 
It used to be that all the stores offered fine dining options, but most of those stores (and their restaurants) are gone and missed, but Nordstrom’s is still here. Stop in. The food is excellent and not too expensive and the service is divine.
Nordstrom’s Cafe- inside all stores. There is also a coffee cart area outside all the stores. With snacks.