March 2008 – mmm-yoso

The Pita Pit- a new franchise out here

March 31, 2008 Cathy Chains, What Cathy Eats!

The Pita Pit is closed.

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog about food and you get to vicariously enjoy-or not- what Kirk and/or his Friends ate. Today, once more, it is Cathy talking about a small meal she had.

Yep, Cathy here. Kirk is still gone. You get me and a meal, again.

So, anyhow, if you own a home in San Diego County and don't have an escrow account, you have to pay your Real Estate Tax to the County Assessor's office. If you actually drive to the Office, this place is in the plaza right next door. It is new and a franchise. Editor's Note: There is a location on College Aveneue near SDSU and also one on Mission Boulevard in the beach area, according to the website link below. Cathy's Note: It was new to me.

The Pita Pit- "Open and Rollin' " it says on the door.

Interesting concept.

This is a copy of the fax menu.

Kind of a Subway sandwich shop with pita (white or wheat) or put all the toppings onto lettuce and make it a salad.

Standard toppings include: shredded lettuce, romaine, spinach, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, cucumbers, pickles, black olives, pineapple, pepperocini, sprouts, mushrooms and jalapenos.

Cheese choices are: Cheddar, American Swiss, Feta and Parmesan.

Sauces are: Cesar, Tzatziki, ranch, spicy vinaigrette, mayo, BBQ, sour cream, hot sauce, teriyaki, catsup, mustard (yellow, honey or Dijon), salsa, horseradish Dijon and chipotle.

The various meat pitas to choose from are: gyros, turkey, Black Forest ham, roast beef, chicken breast, bacon, chicken souvlaki and tuna . Pretty much any combination is available. Prices are around $6.25.

For an added charge you can get hummus, babaganoush, double meat or double cheese.

My only mistake was treating the pita with gyros like it was a pita with gyros.

You can see it in the white bread here, not as stuffed as the whole wheat chicken souvlaki.

I only wanted gyros with feta, onion, tomato and tzatziki and that was what I got. The meat and also the sauce was kind of dry: the pita bread had a wonderful fresh flavor though, as did the meat. I should have chosen more toppings. The meat was flavorful, but not juicy. It was pre-sliced thin and fried until warm and almost crispy, so no juiciness that sometimes happens with an unevenly cut off the spit piece of meat was evident.

The sandwich was, however, not sparse in the amount of meat on it. Very filling.

I suppose I complain because I compare.

The Mister got the chicken souvlaki with feta, lettuce, tomatoes, green pepper, cucumber and the "secret" sauce (which is a spicy vinaigrette). This was an excellent sandwich that was full, moist and tasty.

I will go back, but will more or less think of the food here as sandwiches in a bread pocket rather than a pita, per se. Despite the name above the door.

The Pita Pit 9119 G Clairmont Mesa Boulevard ( in the mall with San Diego County Credit Union) 92111 phone: (858) 560-7482 fax:(858)567-7482 M-F: 8 a.m.-8p.m, Sat/Sun 10-8

Website

Chulo’s Food Truck-Mariscos, tacos and caldos!

March 27, 2008 Cathy Seafood, Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the food blog. A little peek into an anonymous diary of what Kirk and some of his friends ate. Kirk is gone. Cathy is here. Today, you can read what Cathy ate. Or not.

Hi. No, Kirk is not back yet.

So anyhow, I was driving North on 54th, to meet some friends who live on Easy Street. Really. San Diego 92105. Easy Street. People live there. Not me, though.

At the signal light of 54th and Redwood, I was waiting and saw this Food Truck. I made a mental note (since I didn’t have a pen) and on my way home, I was hungry, remembered and drove to it.

Technically, it is on the feeder road on the Northeast corner. You can’t miss it, no other businesses on the other corners.

I parked and walked up and looked at the menu.

Very cool- mostly seafood, except for the menudo, Carne Asada and Chorizo.

I decided on the fish taco for 99¢ and the camaron quesedilla $5- but my total charge was $7. Exactly. So maybe the listed prices are wrong, or something else… doesn’t matter.

There was a table with three chairs under the awning attached to the truck and there were a plethora of different hot sauces to choose from, along with bottled and canned beverages in ice.

I did recall seeing a line of people waiting to order and eat here last year when I was visiting my friends . Since this truck was still here, it must be pretty good, I thought to myself while waiting.

So, I ordered, put some money in the tip jar and the nice gentleman asked me if I would like some seafood caldo (soup) while I waited…of course!

A rich tomato based broth with onions and celery and chunks of fish in my portion. Excellent, deep flavor.

I had to wait a bit for the food to be finished cooking, but did not mind.

It was fascinating to see the cocteles the other people had ordered and were eating. Not overly large, but they appeared to be fresh made.

This was my fish taco. Not great, but not bad…for 99¢. I won’t complain.

The quesedilla was the best surprise ever. There were 15 juicy fresh quite large shrimp which were sauteed with sweet red onions and green peppers, slightly burned from the pan frying, on a huge, very cheese filled tortilla. It was heavy with filling and cut into 5 pieces.

I am *so* very happy I stopped here. I was hungry and knew I needed to get something interesting for the blog.

Mental Note: Do this more often…just stop and eat.

Chulos Food Truck 54th at Redwood (North East corner) San Diego 92105

Los Palmitos- A Very Good Taco Shop-and quick lunch

March 26, 2008 Cathy Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog, written by Kirk and friends, about places we eat, what we eat, and what we thought of it. For a short while Kirk is on a vacation, so the friends are taking over.

Hi. Cathy here, with yet another taco shop to blog about.

Los Palmitos is in the same mall as La Playita, just more able to be seen from Clairmont Mesa Boulevard. (It is in the same mall where the Smart N Final is located).
The Mister and I have looked at it so very many times before, but always have been craving ceviche or some other type of coctel when we are in the area and never bothered stopping here. However one day, we did. There is only a menu above the cash registers-no take out menu- and I didn’t get to snap a photo of it.
The prices are no better nor worse than other taco shops, and there is a nice seafood selection- ceviche, fish tacos, burritos and seafood soups.

When you order to eat there, you get chips and can take more advantage of the salsa bar.
The chips are made here, and are thicker than prepackaged corn chips, fresh and not too greasy. There are three salsas to choose from, none so hot as to affect the taste buds and the mildest one was very tomato sauce-y flavored. The grilled chile was wonderful and the carrots and onions were nicely heat-spiced.
I did feel I needed a ceviche camaron tostada ($2.95)
the fish and shrimp tasted freshly marinated and were juicy and plump. The sauce consisted of finely chopped jalapeno and cucumber, onion, tomato and cilantro, all very fresh and crispy. It was all topped with sliced avocado and the tostada was placed on top of some sliced lettuce, so if some marinade dripped off, the tostada would stay crisp, a thoughtful, professional touch.

The Mister got the #2 Combination ($6.95)
At first, I thought the price was kind of high for a taco shop combination. But this combo consisted of:
-a chile relleno, freshly made- a California chile, stuffed with jack cheese, then dipped in egg batter and fried and then topped with a sauce just for the chile.
-a freshly made cheese enchilada, a medium sharp flavorful cheddar cheese filling a thick, very fresh tasting corn tortilla, topped with its own enchilada sauce, some really nice rice and really, really good, not watery, but very flavorful refried beans. Lots of food. Way much. We shared.

Everyone else eating here were getting soups and tacos, so we knew we would have to go back very soon to see what that was about. More about that later. You can try it now and not be disappointed.

Los Palmitos 5185 Clairmont Mesa Boulevard (at Limerick) San Diego 92117

Mimi’s Cafe, a very good ch-ch-chain!

March 25, 2008 Cathy American Restaurants, Chains, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog written by Kirk and Friends. As you all know, Kirk and His Missus are on vacation and Cathy is your blogger.

Hello. Hope you aren’t too traumatized that Kirk is away from San Diego for a little while. I am just trying to keep the blog going, with talks of food I ate.

The Mister and I got a gift card from a friend for Christmas and the other night we were hungry and didn’t want to spend any cash, so we ventured into "downtown" Santee and went to Mimi’s, a nationwide chain. We had never been and had not heard anything bad about it, and quite a few people had told us they liked it here. We wanted to try everything on the menu, and decided on a variety of things to share.

Almost as soon as we sat down, a basket of warm, fresh crusty white bread and some slices of warm date nut bread and a serving of butter were placed on our table. We tasted as we perused the menu.

The bread is excellent, as is the date nut loaf. Both very fresh. The date nut loaf is moist and the nuts are crispy and the dates are not sticky.

I noticed the other tables also had mismatched colors of plates, but the silverware did all match…unlike some other restaurants we have been to.

I wasn’t sure what to order and the soup and petite salad "Small Bite" looked good ($9.39) It came with a choice of freshly baked muffin, so a carrot raisin nut muffin was ordered. It came out fresh from the oven, had good, deep flavor, a crispy crust (I like crusts and edges of breads, casseroles, and just about everything I eat). It was also..um..huge.

I chose the French Onion Soup , because I could smell the cooked onions when I walked in the door of the restaurant and suddenly had a craving for it.
The broth was deep and rich and tasted as if it had been simmered for days to get every last taste of beef from a bone.

It was topped with a nutty tasting Gruyere cheese that was melted and burned so perfectly. Of course under the cheese and on top of the soup was a nicely toasted slice of bread that stayed crispy for a while until it absorbed some broth. This was an excellent soup.

We ordered the golden fried calamari "fritti" style ($ 8.49) which you will note is not on a current menu since the menu changes "seasonally", which, near as I can tell, is every six weeks or so. Fried calamari tossed with garlic butter, green onions and sliced cherry and banana peppers. It was served with a citrus based remoulade and was very, very good. If it is on the menu when you go, do try it.

The Mister got the Half Pound Burger ($7.79) with optional onion rings for an additional 50¢ as the side. He asked for it to be cooked medium rare, and it was! (There has been much frustration when we ask for medium rare and the meat is never cooked that way)

Served with lettuce,tomato, pickle and a thousand island sauce, on a fresh toasted hearty, nicely chewy white bread bun, it was excellent.

The salad I chose was the Bleu cheese and walnut salad, which had dried cranberries, bacon, tomatoes and strawberries in it. It was tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette and though it looked small, was very filling.

Last week I went to lunch with a friend (Mrs. L) and ordered the Pot Roast sandwich for lunch ($8.99). Warm pot roast served on a warm sourdough baguette simply made with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. Excellent flavors! I opted for the 50¢ extra onion rings, which were batter fried crispy and had excellent flavor. Sweet onions…

Mrs. L is so kind and thoughtful and decided I needed dessert…but to share, you know, and she let me pick. So as soon as I saw Bananas Foster Mud Pie ($5) listed, I smiled…

Oh yes, it is as large as it looks- more than 6 inches high at its peak. Banana-vanilla swirl ice cream, with sliced bananas in it; caramelized pecans, a graham cracker crust, served with a sliced fresh banana, real whipped cream and carmel sauce. Excellent. We could not finish it all, although I did finish up the bananas and whipped cream…

All in all, the food here has been excellent, fresh and has an attention to detail. I do not consider it to be "Sysco-ised" at all and have liked everything I have tried. Many people tell me they come here for a sit down breakfast (it opens at 6 a.m.) and I do know it is a french roast coffee served. I will return and won’t be afraid.

Mimi’s Cafe website

The Fish Bucket Seafood Market and Grotto- Great Seafood in Tierrasanta

March 23, 2008 Cathy Seafood, What Cathy Eats!

Fish Bucket Grill is under new ownership: New Website

mmm-yoso is just a blog. Really. It's about food. Sometimes we tell you how we happened to stop and eat at a particular place, or why we found it, and sometimes we just write about a meal. While Kirk and His Missus are on their adventurous vacation, Cathy is writing about …you know…food.

Hello again. I am back…So, anyhow, I had occasion to be in Tierrasanta very early one morning and saw this place, on Santo Road, just off the 52, next to the Post Office. It is kind of new-opened in late December. I made a mental note to come back when the business was open.

So one day, it was lunch time. I decided to get the Fish and Chips, to go.

I only got the 1/2 order, (1/4 pound of fresh fish) with the spicy salted waffle fries for $5.95. You can substitute sweet potato fries for an additional $1.50, but I wanted to try a "basic" meal here.

As you can see, a very good serving size. Four large pieces of hand breaded with panko fresh fish, fried to a golden brown, a good serving of fries which were still crispy when I got home, a pretty large serving of cole slaw and a half slice of grilled garlic-butter bread.

As I was waiting, I snapped a photo of the fresh fish in the refrigerator. Prices are comparable to Anthony's and Point Loma Seafoods. Very fresh fish; no fishy smells in here.

I had to bring The Mister back one day and sit inside for a meal. We chose the Grilled Salmon Caesar salad ($9.95)- two salmon filets lightly charbroiled. The lettuce was Romaine and the dressing was good and garlicky and creamy, but I don't think made in house. The croutons were packaged and unnecessary and the grilled garlic bread was wonderful, crispy and fresh. A filling salad.

The Mister got the Fish and Shrimp plate ($11.95)- the panko breaded fried fresh fish and light lightly panko breaded fried shrimp, which were very large and juicy and quite flavorful. There were 6 shrimp and four pieces of fish on the plate.

All the fish served is fresh and when they are out, they are out. It is worth the stop to come here to eat.

Only seven tables inside and one outside and there was a sign on the awning about a Sunday Champagne Brunch, which I will be looking into very soon.

The Fish Bucket Seafood Market and Grotto 6030 Santo Road, Suite G, San Diego 92124 (858) 715-0221

It’s that time again……

March 22, 2008 mmm-yoso Travel

The Missus and I are headed out…….and mmm-yoso!!! is once again in the most capable hands of Cathy! I need to thank Cathy, for taking the time out, and taking care of our little blog….she’s quite busy, and is still finding time for us.

So, where are we headed?

Well, Miss Oishii Eats has been there. Wandering Chopsticks as well. So has the Gastronomer. And of course, there are those bloggers who live and blog from there as well.

I’ll be checking in when I’m able to!

See you all in a few weeks…we’ll miss ya’!

Taqueria El Chipilon 2: A World of Tacos

March 19, 2008 ed fromyuma Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!, Yuma

Kirk is the wonderful host and main writer here at mmm-yoso!!! , but he lets others play in his sandbox too. Today ed (from Yuma) is here to tell you that more than just vampires lurk at this Taqueria.

Just wanted to do a quick post about the huge taqueria where I found the vampire tacos in San Luis, Sonora. Usually we think of getting tacos at stands, trucks, and carts. Of course, you can also get tacos at most Mexican restaurants, but real restaurants have all kinds of other things on the menu. El Chipilon is remarkable for being a large restaurant that serves primarily just tacos.

On my last visit there, the pollo asado taco was exceptionally flavorful, though you can’t tell that from this picture:

The chicken had a wonderful flavor, a hint of char, and a moist and succulent interior. Much better than the rather undistinguished version I had had previously. A quick visit to the charcoal grill showed me why the taco was so much better that day:

That afternoon the chicken came straight off the grill and onto my taco. From this next pic, You can see that this taqueria prepares meats in vast quantities, so the quality of any item will vary depending on how long it has been on hold:

The positive side to this mass production is that the cooks can satisfy 50 to 60 tables full of hungry partiers all at once, chopping up the meats with skill and speed:

Friends tell me that the place is busiest and completely packed at 2:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights (more precisely, on Saturday and Sunday mornings). After all, what better way to end an evening of drinking and clubbing (and the drinking age in Mexico is 18) than to have a few great tacos?

And of course, all the tacos come with the wheel of condiments (and grilled veggies and house salsa):

Along with vampire tacos, this place does one other unique and distinctive taco – the Super Taco Chipilon:

Basically, just a cheese and carne asada soft taco (which is called a caramelo taco – see this link (thanks Alex)), this Super Taco Chipilon is loaded with moist and flavorful beef, and the white cheese lays atop a roasted green chile. What’s not to like? The combination of mild white cheese, carne asada, and green chile all enfolded by a yellow corn tortilla – with its touch of natural corn sweetness – provides a nice balance of contrastive flavors.

As good as these two types of tacos are, my favorite non-vampire at El Chipilon is their version of al pastor:

They don’t skimp on the meat. Most al pastor in Yuma is done with a dry rub, but this succulent pork flesh is carmelized and almost glazed and has a slightly sweet flavor note that surprised me the first time that I tasted it. It was only later, when I looked at this close up of the meat, that I began to speculate about the origins of this style of al pastor with its distinctive flavor:

Doesn’t this look a lot like Chinese barbecued pork – if it had been cooked over open flames? I’m not saying that al pastor estilo El Chipilon is unique, because I’ve eaten similar looking Mexican pork before, but the hints of sweetness in this meat made me wonder if there might be some Asian connection. Someone more knowledgeable than me has pointed out the profound influences that Mexican and Chinese food have had on each other along Mexico’s northern border with its large Chinese population. Some claim that Chinese cooks invented the chimichanga, so maybe it isn’t too fantastic to suggest that this shepherd style pork, which is often cooked on a Lebanese style spit, sometimes exhibits the finishing touch of some Asian pig herder (which seems appropriate considering that no one has ever shepherded pigs). Small world really.

How are the prices at El Chipilon? Well, no prices are listed on the menu, and I didn’t do any bargaining before ordering, so I suspect we paid the gringo rate. Nonetheless, 16 tacos (8 deluxe and 8 regular), 4 Pacificos, an order of beans, and a large jamaica came to $30 American. Seems fair to me.

Cafe Dore Revisited

March 18, 2008 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Cafe Dore has closed

Cafe Dore has been a favorite of mine when it comes to Banh Mi. And though there's been the odd day when the bread perhaps did not quite live to billing, I've been content to just roll into Cafe Dore every now and then. As is my habit, after visiting a place, I usually keep my camera stowed, and go on with life. But after having discussions with a few friends, some of them quite humorous, I thought I'd do an updated post on Cafe Dore.

One of the first things I noticed at Cafe Dore(other than the huge television), is that typical of Vietnamese Coffee Shop culture, the place is male dominated. Guys out-number the Gals about 8-12 to one. On our visits, the Missus has been the token female in the place….not that it bothered Her one bit. The other amusing thing about Cafe Dore, that I noticed, was the amount of attention paid the two "video game machines" in the back of the place. It immediately dawned on me that middle aged men had no reason to be paying so much attention to a video game…sometimes there's a little crowd around the game. I'll stop there……you get the point!

FOY John told me that other than the television, Cafe Dore hasn't changed since he's been going there….over 10 years…..same video games, same carpet, you get the idea. The giant TV has either various info-mercials, or Vietnamese Variety Shows on. Once, while waiting for my Banh Mi, I found myself watching a nice travelogue….I didn't understand a word, but thought to myself, "wow, that place really looks like Vegas…." Until I realized it was a Vietnamese travelogue of Las Vegas! Another constant at Cafe Dore is the total disregard of the "No Smoking" signs posted around the place. You'll several Guys smoking with surreptitiously hidden ash trays at every table. And yet, where I would normally find these quirks and habits irritating at other places….here at Cafe Dore it's just another day. I'll even go as far to say that there's a kind of charm to it; during the busy mornings you'll see bleary eyed Guys waking up with their morning Cà phê sữa đá, and having their breakfast Banh Mi….by 10am, there's usually at least one card game going…or checkers. And because English is not the primary language you'd hear at Cafe Dore…..if you have a vivid enough imagination, you'll feel transported.

Here's a run down of some recent(last 4 months) eats from Cafe Dore.

Hu Tieu My Tho($5.75):

The somewhat mushy rice noodles were covered with chicken(very soft), BBQ Pork(the stuff you find in their Banh Mi – yum), and some shrimp that needed some fattening up. The sauce was a savory tomato based concoction that featured minced pork and dried shrimp. The dried shrimp was a burst of flavor that always caught me off guard. The whole shebang was served with Tong Ho (Garland Chrysanthemum – what I grew up calling Shingiku), some lettuce that was really in need of a wash, and sliced Jalapeno Peppers. Overall, this wasn't the most inspired Hu Tieu I've ever had, but it sure wasn't bland!

The Hu Tieu also came with a nice and rich broth, with some pretty good meatballs:

On another occasion when the Missus was having Her favorite Banh Mi, I ordered the Banh Mi Bo Kho(Beef Stew with Baguette – $5.75):

I found this version of the beef stew to be not as oily as others, if a bit weak in the spices and flavoring department as Bo Kho goes. The meat was moist and fairly tender, but lacked a beefy punch. I did enjoy the pieces of tendon that were soft and buttery.

And I like the bread at Cafe Dore, which more than made up for any shortfalls.

On one visit the Missus tore Herself away from Her usual Banh Mi and ordered the Com Tam Bi Cha Thit Nuong(Broken Rice with shredded pork, steamed egg cake, and grilled pork – $6.75):

I found the Com Tam to be dry, and not very fragrant…and the Missus told me it was like veggies provided had been moved from plate to plate uneaten.

The big winner was the steamed egg and pork cake, which was soft. moist, and bursting with flavor.

Don't ask me about the Bi….I never got a chance to taste it.

The grilled pork had decent flavor, but was on the dry side:

All of this came with a very nice Nuoc Mam Cham, and a small bowl of broth which was a bit on the salty side this time around.

So did I just pick stuff off the Missus's plate…..of course not. In a moment of Banh Mi envy, I ordered a Banh Mi I saw someone else eating….I don't even know what it's called….I don't even know if it's on the menu. But I just knew I had to have it. I mean, how can you resist this?

Nice runny egg, Cha Lua that had been on the griddle, the same with some fatty pork, cilantro, cucumber, a dash of Maggi(like I needed any more salt?)………pretty good stuff.

As you can see, for me it all comes back to the Banh Mi at Cafe Dore, and though you can read about the Banh Mi Dac Biet here, I thought I'd provide another photo:

Than there's the Missus's favorite at Cafe Dore, the Banh Mi Bi($2.75):

I tried the Banh Mi Xiu Mai one day(Meatball – $2.75):

And even though the meatballs were studded with large pieces of shrimp, I'm just not a fan of the tomato sauce used for flavoring this Banh Mi. I prefer the version from Saigon Sandwiches and Deli next door.

We consider most of the food(minus Banh Mi) at Cafe Dore to fall into the Vietnamese Diner category….not a bad category by any means. Like the place or hate it; you gotta say Cafe Dore has got tons of personality.

Cafe Dore
4135 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92105

Birrieria Los Gueros

March 17, 2008 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops

*** Birrieria Los Gueros has closed.

This little shop is located near the corner of El Cajon Boulevard and Winona Avenue, and is partially hidden by the bus stop near that corner. And though I've passed the place hundreds of times, I don't think I've ever seen a single person in the place. Though it just may be that the aged and smudged windows just obscure my view.

Recently, the large sign above the front of the restaurant went up, and on a recent weekend morning, stomach growling, I decided to grab a bite here.

The interior is decorated in a random fashion, from the just ever so slightly tilted bull horns(I was expecting goat horns….), to the Chargers poster, and even though the place is relatively clean, you just get the feeling that everything is covered in a layer of dust. The menu sits on the wall, with former prices taped over, and yellowing edges….there is a kind of haphazard charm to this place. Though let it be said that I've had many great meals on places like these.

As is the norm for shops like these, the prices are quite reasonable. With tacos going for $1.25, Burritos $4.00, and Menudo and Birria $5.75. After speaking to the very nice young lady I learned, no Barbacoa de Borrego(lamb), only Barbacoa de Res(beef). I decided to have a few tacos, and placed my order, 1 Taco Al Pastor, 2 Birria de Chivo. I was asked if I wanted onions and cilantro on my tacos, which was something a bit different….I'm used to getting my tacos, and adding cilantro, onions, and salsa from a bar. But here they put them on the tacos for you.

In a few minutes 3 nicely wrapped tacos arrived at my table. Along with some very, very good pickled carrots and onions, and in something else new to me…..wedges of lemon, instead of lime. I'm wondering if this is some regional preference? A bottle of nicely spiced salsa roja was also brought to the table.

The Al Pastor, was nothing special, not very tasty, and on the tough side. The corn tortillas were also mediocre….

The Birria de Chivo was very interesting.

You could tell the meat had been simmered for a good long time, and while it didn't look it, I found the flavor to be better than the Birria I had from Birria's Chivo and Cheves, more spice, more salt, nice fat content…but there was just one thing about the flavor that got to me. Even though there was some depth to it, there was a graininess and after taste to the birria that was much like liver…something that I'm not a big fan of. I don't know if it was just this batch of meat, or what…..

The young lady who served me was very nice. But I think I'll wait a while before returning….. Maybe someone has a recommendation for this restaurant?

Birrieria Los Gueros
4944 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

Just one more thing…..

Every once in a while, I see something that just makes my day. While perusing Sarah's wonderful blog The Delicious Life, Sarah did a post to summraize items she came across during the week. Among the items (french fry coated hot dog), was a YouTube impromptu Food Court Musical:

For some reason it just made my day! Can I get a napkin please? Have you ever had the urge to just break out in song? Well….maybe not ….. Thanks Sarah!

Paris Bakery, and everything tastes better on a Banh Mi, right?

March 16, 2008 mmm-yoso Bakery, Banh Mi, Sandwiches

Our frig is a bit over-loaded with left-overs, so what to do??? Well, I’d been told that, "anything is good in Banh Mi…" So I decided to Banh Mi-size my left-overs….. Being in the neighborhood quite early in the morning, I stopped by Paris Bakery on El Cajon Boulevard.

I dodged several women carrying paper sacks full of bread out to their cars left running on El Cajon Boulevard……I don’t know why they were in such a rush; but perhaps they felt a sense of urgency that only hot, steaming, Vietnamese Baguettes can exercise…..

I went in grabbed a bag of 4 Banh Mi($1), which I opened and let breath once I got home. The bread at Paris is pretty good, with a good bit of crackle without being crumbly, and there is some bread in the Banh Mi, it is not "all crust", the bread is a bit chewy, which I enjoy in a Banh Mi.

Paris Bakery also makes sandwiches, which I’ll post on a bit later on. I’m not quite sure what time they open, but getting their the earlier, the better.

Paris Bakery
4481 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

So what did I do with the Banh Mi?

Glad you asked….well, unless you’re really interested in the left-overs in our frig, perhaps you should leave now. So let’s see if you can figure this out….

Its……Fuqi Feipian from Ba Ren, along with some shredded cucumber, and cilantro leaves. (If you’ve read my posts on Banh Mi, you know that one of my pet peeves are the stringy stems of cilantro, so I guess I can’t be a hypocrite, can I?) This tasted pretty good, the flavor of the Fuqi Feipian stood up well to the bread.

Next one:

This is an easy one…..it’s the left over Cumin Lamb from Dede’s, along with thinly sliced red onion, and cilantro leaves. This sandwich tasted fairly good, but was missing something…… The solution was quite simple, just as some people believe everything tastes better on a Banh Mi, most people know that everything will taste better with Maggi Seasoning Sauce. The savory "umami" that the Maggi brought to the sandwich was discernible.

So, does everything really taste better in a Banh Mi?

Its story time; at one of my first jobs back in High School, one of the Security Guards used to bring his own "special" sandwich to lunch several times a week. This guy loved this sandwich…the aroma rising from the sandwich was quite unusual, I thought that I could make out the individual ingredients, but didn’t believe anyone would eat that combination…. So one day I asked, and yes indeed, it was…. A peanut butter and Kimchi sandwich! With mayo! Elvis had nothing on this guy. Apparently, he acquired a taste for this while stationed in Korea. Over the years, I’ve mentioned this unique sandwich to many….and beyond the "ewwwws", wrinkled noses, and gagging noises, I couldn’t find anyone who’d ever heard of such a combination. Earlier his year, for reasons still unknown to me, I did a search on "Peanut Butter Kimchi Sandwich" and did find an actual article that mentioned it, though only in passing.

So to finally see if everything tastes better on a Banh Mi, I decided to make a:

Peanut Butter and Kimchi Sandwich, sans the mayo! But with Maggi of course…in hopes that it would make anything taste better….. As per instructions I received several decades back, I used "Chunky" peanut butter……

So what’s the verdict? Not as bad as I thought, the kimchi overwhelmed the peanut butter….sort of kimchi upfront, with a peanut finish. The Maggi actually brought out the savory fishiness(in a good way). The Missus could not sit in the same room, with me while I ate this, and while I don’t think I’ll have it again soon, it wasn’t too bad at all.

So maybe everything does taste better on a Banh Mi? What do you think?

You can find Guilty Carnivore’s Kimchi Banh Mi(albeit a bit more conventional) here, along with a BBQ Pork Banh Mi here.

Fellow San Diego Food Blogger mscinda, has a home made Banh Mi post here.

And of course Wandering Chopsticks has home made Banh Mi posts here and here.

And if you really want a silly sandwich, this was seen walking along Clairemont Drive this afternoon:

I guess I was destined to do a sandwich post today!