December 2009 – Page 2

Tortas Y Mas – Chula Vista

December 15, 2009 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Sandwiches

**** Tortas y Mas has closed

On this past rainy weekend, the Missus decided She wanted some manju from Hogetsu Bakery, so I made the drive down to Chula Vista. Unfortunately, possibly due to the weather, when I arrived at Hogetsu at 10 am they weren't open yet. I waited about fifteen minutes, until my stomach told me to grab a bite to eat, and return later. Rather than the usual suspects, I decided to drive around a bit and find someplace I hadn't eaten yet…… so even while I was tempted, Tacos El Gordo was not an option. What I did notice was that the former La Torta location on H street had become Tortas Y Mas:

I didn't quite know what to expect from this tiny, sunny little restaurant.

I guess part of me expected La Torta "regurgitated" and indeed some of the menu was the "torta gringo style" theme, though there are burritos and even Alambres (think fajitas) on the menu. I quickly removed any thoughts of The Torta Factory from my mind.

The Owner, an energetic and very friendly gentleman named Silvio took my order. I went with one of my favorites, a Torta Milanesa ($7.25):

This Torta Milanesa came dressed without frijoles, but with a thin slice of ham and some cheddar cheese which gave it a nice zip. The avocado had a really nice flavor as well. The birote (roll) was very run of the mill, and not nearly as good as what I recently had at La Abejita.

I really enjoyed the potatoes, which truthfully could have been more crisp, but was much more aggressively seasoned with salt, pepper, and chili powder than what La Torta puts out. In fact, I finished the steaming potatoes before anything else.

The best part of the torta for me was the milanesa, beef very thinly sliced, lightly breaded, and fried to a crisp….. the edges were pleasurably crisp like bacon. It was also pretty tender…. I've had my share of gristle filled tough milanesa, so this was very nice.

For some reason, I ate all the potatoes, and could only manage half the sandwich. I asked if I could get my half sandwich wrapped to go, and was told with a smile, "oh yes, no problem". A few minutes later, I was handed a large styrofoam take out container. Surprised I told the gentleman that he didn't need to go through all the trouble, he could have just wrapped up the torta. His response? "I saw how much you enjoyed the potatoes, so I gave you a little more to take with you". How's that for nice……. if anything, just that gesture will have me back when I'm in the area……… Sometimes, simple acts like that can just make your day a bit sunnier, in spite of all the rain and cold.

So maybe next time, before you catch the trolley and you need something to tide you over…..

Tortas Y Mas
730 H Street
Chula Vista, CA 91910

Das Bratwurst Haus – German Cuisine in Yuma

Luckily Kirk and Cathy and Vicky have been sharing their meals with you yosoers since ed (from Yuma) has been busy working (and eating). So today it is time for something completely different, something echt deutsch.

March 2011 update: Although this place closed for the summer, it is still going strong. It now has a liquor license and offers an excellent selection of unusual and satisfying German beers — but that means that diners cannot bring their own (weird AZ law).

I should make it clear from the start that I rarely seek out German restaurants, even though my ancestry is 50% German and my maternal grandparents emigrated to the US in 1923 and always spoke with an accent. Nonetheless, too many German restaurants in the United States are long on fake gemutlichkeit and oompah music, their food being heavy, fatty, and salty. All the better, I guess, to sell beer.

So it was not my idea for the lunch bunch to try this new German restaurant located in the same space at the corner of Second and Madison that once housed Mustard's:
It was hard to tell what to expect from the menu as it contained most of the usual suspects — sausage plates, schnitzel, rouladen, saurbraten, and sandwiches. We were all pleased to see that the entrées were available in a lunch portion that came with two sides for only $7.50.

I ordered the pork schnitzel "Weiner Art" (in the style of Vienna) with a gurkensalat (cucumber salad) and a kartoffelsalat (potato salad):
I was impressed — no make that blown away. The pork cutlet was absolutely perfect, seriously crunchy on the outside and moist and tender on the inside. The mild pork flavor was perfectly accented by a squeeze of lemon.

The sides were good as well. The potato salad, truth be told, was unlike any that I had had in my family or in Germany, but it was still very good with a mild vinegary flavor and just a hint of mustard. The thinly sliced cucumbers were spiced with dill weed and swam in a tangy sour cream sauce. It was a perfect salad, both creamy and crunchy.

At this point I need to thank my friends who are used to my peculiarities and automatically allow me a chance to photograph their meals and even let me taste them sometimes. For some reason, they still dine with me.

Here is a lunch sized serving of rouladen:

The little rolled beef roast was tasty and I was very impressed by the perfectly cooked blaukraut (red cabbage), though the cabbage was not accented by cloves or allspice the way my grandmother did it.

My family prepared sauerbraten peasant style — strongly marinated and then cooked like pot roast. At Das Bratwurst Haus, the dish is made with a better cut of beef and receives a more sophisticated treatment:

The marinade flavor, and hence the sourness, was mild, and the meat was perfectly balanced between the beefiness of the flesh and the slight sour tang of the marinade. The accompanying sauerkraut had been perfectly prepared so that it reached a degree of sweetness. I can't do it any better. This lunch made me want to return soon for dinner.

So soon Tina and I sat down in a corner table to sample some German dinners. We were pleased to see the friendly and competent server we'd enjoyed at Mustard's (he joked that he came with the property). Service at dinner was especially good that evening.

Tina ordered jaegerschnitzel, the pork schnitzel topped with mushroom gravy, red cabbage (oddly enough, called blaukraut, blue cabbage, in German), and spaetzle (sorry about the nighttime lighting in the photos):

Again the schnitzel and red cabbage were very good. Although shaped more like mini dumplings than noodles, the spaetzle were tender and flavorful, the lightly flavored mushroom gravy allowing the taste of the pasta to shine through.

That evening I opted for the rouladen:
Notice that the dinner sized portion contained two of these little rolled roasts. Each roast is like a large slice of beef round rolled around bacon, onion, and in the center, a thin slice of dill pickle. A classic German dish prepared well here.

In addition to more of the addictive cucumber salad, I chose semmelknoedel (bread dumplings) as my other side dish, getting two slices from a larger dumpling as my portion:
Although Tina thought they weren't heated through quite fully enough, we both certainly enjoyed their flavor, which is much like a savory turkey dressing.

Speaking of turkeys, we were both stuffed by this time, but we had admired the pastries coming into the restaurant and just had to have some desert (only because I wanted to do a complete post — really, that's the only reason).

So we sampled the apple strudel, which was good, but not breathtaking:

The Black Forest cake, on the other hand, was breathtaking:
The combination of dense, dark chocolate cake, sweet and fruity whole Bing cherries, and plenty of homemade Schlagsahne (whipped cream) was just about perfect. The range of sweet flavors and the overall richness were outstanding. This desert was a perfect ending to a good meal.

As we finished dining, we learned that the older gentleman at the next table (who had been listening to us critiquing the meal) was the owner/chef's husband, and he explained that his wife was from Bamberg in the far north of Bavaria (Franconia), which has its own cuisine, and that this restaurant grew out of a popular catering business she had. This explains why the food seemed so authentic, but not exactly like what I grew up eating.

The local paper recently announced that Das Bratwurst Haus has received its BYOB license, so diners may now bring a bottle of wine or up to 24 ounces of beer per customer for a five dollar set up charge. Can't beat that either. Prost!

Das Bratwurst Haus, 204 S. Madison Ave, 928-329-4777. Open 11 – 8 daily.

Kinda Local Kine Oxtail Soup

December 13, 2009 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

This one along with Portuguese Bean Soup and Chicken Hekka will complete my "trilogy" of old-school local kine dishes. The "local kine" version of Oxtail Soup with the use of ginger, citrus peel, and star anise is undoubtedly Chinese in origin. In fact, when I make this, the Missus will always remind me that the scents involved remind Her of China. It sure does warm you up on a cold day…..

There's a major difference between what I make and the traditional clear broth Oxtail soup. Many years ago, I was doing sales work. Part of the job was helping these Mom and Pop markets and superettes do inventory. It was basically done during nights and weekends. At the end of the process, we'd be fed, and the food was provided in pretty large quantities, as the poke and deli cases would be emptied, and several hot dishes would be provided. At one of those markets, one of the owner's Father, an elderly Chinese Man made some killer Pig's Feet and Oxtail Soup. It was on the dark side and full of flavor. After downing two large bowls of the stuff, I mentioned how much I loved the Oxtail Soup. The old man put his hand to the side of his mouth and stage whispered; "it's nothing, just shoyu(soy sauce), whiskey, and sesame oil." I've made my soup with shoyu ever since then.

As for some of the details; I trim about two-thirds of the excess fat off the oxtails. I also do a quick blanching of the oxtails, followed by a rinse to remove blood, and other impurities. In the place of whiskey, I add Shao-sing wine (drinking quality). I garnish with cilantro and scallions, with a dish of grated ginger and shoyu. I also place some chopped greens in the bottom of the bowl before ladling in the soup. I like the mild bitterness and the crunchy texture that the greens add to the dish.

I also rest the soup overnight, this allows the flavors to set. I can also skim off excess fat, controlling the oil in the broth. I place the carrots in the broth right before removing it from heat. The residual heat will cook the carrots, the lack of a boiling motion will allow the carrots to keep it's shape. As for simmering time, it's usually 2-3 hours. I like my oxtails soft, but not disintegrating into a zillion little pieces.

This might sound like a lot of work, but like everything I make, it is pretty easy. As always, feel free to adjust to taste. Some folks want a clear broth Oxtail Soup, so refrain from adding the shoyu and wine. If you like more ginger, go for it, and so forth.

Kinda Local Kine Oxtail Soup:

3-5 lbs of Oxtails, excess fat trimmed
1/2 lb skinned raw peanuts
2 medium onions sliced in wedges
2-3 star anise
1 3" piece of ginger crushed

2 cloves garlic smashed
2 pieces dried citrus peel
1/2 Cup premium soy sauce
1/3 Cup Shao-sing wine
3-4 carrots chopped
Salt to taste
A Dash of White Pepper
Sesame Oil to taste
chopped mustard or similar greens (optional)

Garnishes – scallions, cilantro, a small dish of grated ginger and soy sauce.

– Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add oxtails and par-boil briefly. Empty the pot into a large colander and rinse the blanched oxtail under running water.
– Place oxtails in a pot and cover with cold water to about 4 inches over the oxtails
– Bring the oxtails to a boil, and skim off the scum and foam.
– Add peanuts, onion, ginger, garlic, citrus peel, and star anise.
– Bring the soup back up to a simmer. Add soy sauce, wine, and a dash of white pepper.
– Simmer for 2-3 hours until oxtails are tender, but not falling into pieces.
– Remove from heat, add carrots and let cool.
– Taste and add salt, sesame oil, and more soy sauce if desired.
– When the soup has cooled, place in the refrigerator overnight.
– Before heating, skim off fat to your desired taste.
– The soup should be piping hot when served. When heating be sure to check and adjust flavor.
– Place greens, if using on the bottom of the bowl, and ladle soup out.
– Garnish with cilantro and scallions.

Santos has a wonderful recipe for Oxtail Soup which you can find here.

Sandwich Emporium I & II

December 12, 2009 mmm-yoso Sandwiches

I think every neighborhood should have a “go to” sandwich shop. For us it’s Sandwich Emporium, which I posted on way back in May 2005. Over the years, we’ve been in the shop often enough to get to know the owners, twins John and Peter Le, and Peter’s lovely, warm, and friendly wife, Angela.

And without a doubt time does fly, I remember chatting with Peter and Angela one day, and suddenly realizing they’ve owned Sandwich Emporium for six years! On one visit, while waiting for the Missus’s sandwich, the “Triple Decker” on sourdough, no mustard, no mayo, no cheese, with sprouts and pickled jalapenos(that’s the nice thing about these neighborhood places, you get to know the folks, and they’ll make every effort to make what you want), I noticed that I hadn’t seen John in a while (thank God Peter wears glasses and the wedding band, or I’d have problems telling them apart). I was told that John had moved up North, and had opened a second branch of Sandwich Emporium…..

So one recent day, I headed up the “15” to Escondido, and the new Sandwich Emporium.

The shop, is pretty tiny, but the menu is basically the same, and it was nice to catch-up on things with John.

And the sandwiches are the same as well, like the Jersey Reuben, which is turkey, corn beef, with coleslaw (in place of sauerkraut – though I’ll on occasion I’ll ask for sauerkraut).

On nice and toasty rye, this is a good honest sandwich. Both messy and satisfying. You can get even more meat on your sandwich….. but I think those over-stuffed sandwiches have really taken things a bit far, and I’ve learned a nice lesson from Banh Mi and good Tortas, it’s all about things in proportion. Sure beats what comes out of most chains…..

There are usually weekly/monthly specials that are sometimes kinda interesting. One of my favorites is the “Gobbler” which I posted about here, though now they’ve included some gravy, which completes the sandwich for me.

On this day, I decided to try the CaliMelt:

The melted provolone and turkey went amazingly well with the avocado. As usual, I left satisfied.

As with most places, there are items that I enjoy more than others, but it’s the same with every place I’ve been to. After this post in December 2006, I received an email from someone who had checked out Sandwich Emporium, and was rather unhappy with my post…… to quote “What’s the big deal, it was priced right, and the service was good, the sandwich was tasty, but what’s the big deal?” To which I responded simply, “Dude, sounds like you enjoyed the sandwich, had good service, and thought the prices were reasonable. What was it that you expected?”

Some places make a big splash and grow quickly….. see Sab E Lee. Some like Sandwich Emporium take a bit more time. It doesn’t minimize how impressed I am with two guys buying the sandwich shop of their youth, and making a successful go of it.

Sandwich Emporium
3054 1/2 Clairemont Dr
San Diego, CA 92117

and

**** The Escondido Location of SE has closed

2750 Auto Parkway, Suite 18
Escondido, CA 92029

So tell me, what is your “go to” neighborhood sandwich shop?

You know, sometimes I think that John and Peter are everywhere(I guess they can cover twice the space). I once had the radio on in the morning, and to my surprise Peter and John were on! One night I’m watching the news, and whoa, Peter and John were on……

Scary…….

Johnny’s R Family Restaurant

December 10, 2009 mmm-yoso Diner

**** Johnny's R has closed

Yes, it's really Johnny's R not Johnny R's…….. If you've been driving on El Cajon Boulevard, how many times have you passed this place? It's right down the steet from Rudford's which has a strange pull on the Missus. It's pretty good when in the mood for a trip to "Diners-ville". Because of that, the Missus decided that we should try Johnny's R, you know, equal time, and all that stuff……

I gotta say, Johnny's R looks a bit prettier than Rudford's, the folks are very friendly, and the attitude is very laid back.

Perhaps a bit too laid back…… we watched as three tables got their food after we placed our order completely finish their meal, pay the check, get into their cars and drive off and still no food. As you can see, the place wasn't very busy. And it's not like we ordered anything too difficult, the Missus got two eggs (over-medium), hash browns(the menu says "home fries", but this ain't that), with rye toast dry($5.50)….they didn't even have to butter the bread.

The toast was perfect, the eggs done adequately, eggs were perhaps a bit under-done for over-medium, but better for soaking up with the toast. The hash browns were terrible….have you ever tried making O'Brien or Hashbrowns in a non-stick pan? Or perhaps with just a touch of cooking spray? You'll never develop a nice crust and your potatoes would be dry as heck, which is what this was. Also, there didn't seem to be a grain of salt on anything at all.

I ordered the Hot Roast Turkey Sandwich ($8.40):

The fries were purely SYSCO, but were fried decently, but lacked salt. The gravy seemed to come from a jar, but was (barely) passable. Who doesn't love white bread soaked in gravy?

The Missus was feeling pretty sorry for Her hashbrowns and Herself, until She saw me pull out my three thin slices of "turkey". As you can tell, calling this "turkey" might be a stretch, and "roast turkey" an even bigger stretch:

Grey, bland, flaccid……. not a great combination. I was quickly wondering what species of turkey this came from. The oddest thought entered my cabeza while looking at this….you know how we're taught to cut "with the grain" or "against the grain", what do you do when there is no "grain"? It really looked like that stuff in packs selling for 79 cents in the deli section. I've had my share of processed turkey, but this was over-processed turkey…….. I rarely add salt to anything I order, mainly because I like to taste the food as served. But in this case, I had to add a ton of salt….though I couldn't bring myself to eat that "turkey". As I stared at my mystery meat, the Missus said to me, "you know, there's a Coco's right across the street….. and I know you've never set foot in a Coco's." (And the Chicken Pie Shop next door, Rudford's, and even a Denny's nearby….)

While we were having our meal, we noticed that most of the customers seemed to be regulars. It's too bad our meal didn't turn out. Even with the very slow service, the folks here are so very, very nice.

In the end, unless we get some great rec's on something from this place, Johnny's not (ou)R Family Restaurant.

Johnny's R Family Restaurant
2611 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92104

Road Trip: Banh Cuon Tay Ho – Garden Grove (Orange County)

December 9, 2009 mmm-yoso Orange County, Road Trip, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** This location of Banh Cuon Tay Ho has closed

On one of trips to "the OC", we were in need of a snack, and was in the Garden Grove/Westminster area. The Missus and I thought some Banh Cuon would do the trick, especially since the Banh Cuon in San Diego really doesn't match up to what you can get in the Little Saigon area. Because we were close by we stopped at the Garden Grove location of Banh Cuon Tay Ho which looks very clean. And we arrived just at the transitional time when the breakfast folks were headed out and right before the lunch crowd.

This location looks newer and a bit cleaner than the Westminster location, but the tables and chairs are packed in close together. The snorting and slurping older man on the table behind the Missus kept bumping Her during the entire meal….. I offered to switch seats with Her, but She refused. So what the heck….. maybe it made Her feel like She was back in Vietnam?

Another thing we like about BCTH is that they don't fool around with the Nuoc Mam Cham……two pitchers of the stuff was delivered to our table. This pitcher of the spicier version was full when it arrived…….

I just went with the Banh Cuon Dac Biet – the house special ($6.35):

Though not as thin and sticky as the versions we had in Vietnam, I still enjoy the Banh Cuon, the rice sheet has a nice mild pull, and is still thin enough to enjoy. The standard pork and wood ear fungus has decent flavor. Along with the standard accompaniments of Cha Lua and blanched bean sprouts, a version of Banh Tom (deep fried shrimp and sweet potato fritters) and Banh Cong, a sort of mung bean and shrimp fritter is included.

As are all the garnishes:

We also had an extra order of Banh Cong($6), and were warned "it is vegetarian, you know"….. I wonder what kind of vegetable shrimp is? In all fairness, there's only one shrimp attached to the outside of each cake.

Think of this as a savory, dense, mung bean "andagi" if you will. It is quite substantial, and I'm certain that it multiplies in volume once it hits your stomach.

Since the Missus saw it on the menu, She had to order the Bun Rieu ($6.35):

We both thought that this was a subpar version of Bun Rieu; it lacked the flavor of tomato, and was so superbly red that I was wondering if they use food coloring. The noodles were the appropriate thin version, but were super mushy and overcooked. The broth was terrible, much like water with shrimp paste. Not very good eats……

Still, we had come here for the Banh Cuon, and tough I've been told that the shop in Westminster is better, I left satisfied.

Banh Cuon Tay Ho
13876 Brookhurst St
Garden Grove, CA 92843

Of course nothing quite matches the appeal of Banh Cuon made fresh in the morning………

Ali Baba Restaurant – El Cajon

December 7, 2009 mmm-yoso Iraqi Food and Restaurants, Mediterranean Restaurants

A couple of weeks before our visit to Village Grill, the Missus and I took a drive down Main Street in El Cajon, just to take a look around. Not quite sure where to stop, we saw a packed parking lot…..and decided this was where we'd be stopping. It turned out to be the very colorful Ali Baba Restaurant, which Cathy had done a post on earlier.

As Cathy noted, the interior is quite "Arabian Night-ish"…… in a somewhat kitcshy kind of way.

We made two visits over the next couple of weeks, and what follows is a summary of the dishes we tried.

Overall, of all the items we had at Ali Baba, our second favorite was the Baba Ganouj (small – $5):

The Baba Ganouj had a wonderful smokey eggplant flavor, that went so very well with our favorite item at Ali Baba….. which would be the flat bread called "Khubz". On our visits we were served two hot large dinner plate sized bread to start.

The Jajeek (small – $5), the Iraqi version of the refreshing yogurt and cucumber dish that many folks know as Tzatiziki, was good.

The Jajeek was very creamy, but was a bit short on salt. I also thought a bit more lemon juice and garlic would bring up the flavors a bit for me. Of course, I'd eat anything with that bread.

Of all the Entrees we tried, I'd say the Shawarma (Gus – $10.95) was the best.

The beef was nice and chewy, but was much drier than the version at Village Grill. It was also a bit short on salt, I ended up adjusting the flavor with a good amount of sumac. The rice was also quite bland. It was quite a bit of food, as the Missus and I shared this, and we still had leftovers…. of course we had two pieces of bread…..

I did enjoy the "Turshi", the variety of pickles and other "mezze". The pickled turnips were good and sour.

On one visit, the Missus ordered the Kousi, braised lamb shank and rice ($13):

The dish came with a stew of choice, and the Missus went with Her usual, the Okra Stew they call Bamia. Man this was quite a hefty meal. This version of Okra Stew was fairly mild and didn't have any meat in it. The lamb shank was cooked to perfection, but was a bit underflavored for our tastes. I love the version of the Okra Stew at Village Grill which is full of whole cloves of stewed garlic.

I think the item we enjoyed the least at Ali Baba is the Lamb Tekka ($13):

The first thing I'll note is how difficult it is to take photos of food on reflective metallic plates…… The chunks of marinated and grilled lamb was badly in need to of salt. It was also tough and dry, not my favorite combination in the world.

From this post, you might get the idea that we won't be going back to Ali Baba anytime soon, but that would not be accurate. We will probably stick to maybe the Baba Ganouj, a salad, or maybe the Potato Chop or perhaps a sandwich. And of course that bread…….. Which of course would be part of the reason we'll be back. But there's another reason. The service is not the fastest, and the men working there are on the indifferent side, but there's one woman who works there who is wonderful. She has a very warm, kind, and welcoming personality; every child get's a warm smile and a pat on the head. She always seemed pleasantly surprised that we finished all of our bread, and asked if we wanted more on both of our visits. We were even asked if we wanted more bread with our doggie bags. And even though we wanted to say "yes", we really didn't want to impose. And we especially didn't want to seem like gluttons. On our second visit, as we were grabbing our leftovers, the Missus asked if they made their bread fresh since it was always hot when it reached the table. The woman smiled warmly and beckoned us to "come and follow me, I'll show you". And we got a quick tour of the kitchen! We were led to the back of the kitchen where the fresh bread was made.

We watched as another woman, who smiled at us strangers in her baking area like it happened all the time, cut and rolled out the dough, which was then placed in a oven that looked much like a tandoor.

A few moments later a hot flatbread was brought out of the oven. Our guide, that wonderful lady, then grabbed the bread and popped it into a white paper sack and handed it to me and said, "ok, now this one is for you to take home" as she walked us to the back door. As we left she said "see you soon", and I think she will….see us soon…… And we'll do a post of course.

You can't put a price on that……

In a nutshell, it is probably the most accessible Iraqi Restaurant in the area. The prices are reasonable and the portions are very generous. The lunch crowds are, well, crowds. It is perhaps better to go for an early or late lunch. Limited parking in the small parking lot, but there's ample street parking.

Ali Baba Restaurant
421 East Main Street
El Cajon, CA 92020

Road Trip- Las Vegas- A day

December 6, 2009 Cathy Las Vegas, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!, yoso-silly

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog about food written by a group of friends who eat. Today, Cathy is blogging about both food and an adventure.

Hi. The other day, my brother sent me an email that he had a pass to a convention Las Vegas and would be flying in, accompanied by his son, my 15 year old nephew, who couldn't go to the conventionor any adult ventures because of his age. and anyhow, he was wondering if "Aunt Cathy" maybe could drive out for a bit and visit. So I did.

I left Santee about 7 a.m. and drove, keeping the speed limit.

Soon I was at my destination, called my nephew on the mobile, announced I was hungry and was happy he was also ready for lunch.

We drove out of Sunset Staion, took a left and started looking and found a Sammy's California Woodfired Pizza place: Unique for my nephew. So we stopped.

We shared a small Caesar Salad ($7) which was fresh and not too garlic-y.

We asked for bread and a basket of fresh made white bread and some crackers was brought to the table.

Since we could not decide, the "New York" pizza was ordered ($10)- wood fired dough topped with sausage, pepperoni, salami, mushrooms and block olives. Very good.

My brother came back from his meetings and was ready for dinner. We went to Blueberry Hill, a 24 hour, Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner place and he ordered one of each of the soups of the day-a tomato turkey and a beef zucchini; both were very good.

My nephew ordered this- fried chicken, mashed and vegetables. Gravy came on the side.

Along with a breakfast of corned beef hash, poached eggs and ribbon cut hash browns (aren't they pretty?)

I ordered a breakfast, because I wanted a blueberry muffin, grilled.

My brother ordered chicken fried steak. Which came with the gravy on it.

I started noticing flooring in the hotel. Like this birds eye view of hot dogs in the elevator. I knew I needed to sleep.

The view from the hotel room was glorious the next morning, only to be set aside by my dear brother and nephew both telling me "don't fool yourself Aunt Cathy, you snore"…

With that, we went bowling.

There was time for breakfast at the 24 hour coffee shop (Coco's).

As well as lattes and pastries from the Casino Starbucks.

But I did need to start driving home, and greatly anticipated my next stop.

In Baker. The Mad Greek.

A gyros.

A banana shake.

Home before sunset.

We hope everyone is having a nice weekend!

Just a quick reminder – The 3rd Annual Somerton Tamale Festival.

December 5, 2009 mmm-yoso What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!, Yuma

Ed from Yuma wanted to remind folks that the 3rd Annual Somerton Tamale Festival is taking place on December 19th, from 11am to 10pm in Somerton, on Main Street between Union Avenue and Somerton Avenue.

You can find more information on the website.

Ed has also posted on the first festival, and a two parter on last year's festival.

Sounds like a great time…..who knows, you may run into Ed!

Sab-E-Lee 2, Cathy’s visits, so far

December 3, 2009 Cathy Thai Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!is a blog. About food. Written by various friends. Who don't eat out together much, if at all. We just write about our various adventures here. Today, it's Cathy doing the writing.

Hi. Things have been busy for me in the last month or so. Without getting into much detail, one entire day of my life was wasted spent doing my Civic Duty with this view and these vending machines.

On the plus side, I have at least a year until I have to do this again.

(for those of you who don't know, this is the East County Jury Duty room where you are instructed and then wait (and wait) to see if you are called to be screened for a jury).

So anyhow, Sab-E-Lee 2 has opened in my neck of the woods, Santee. It is, in fact, walking distance from my home, less than 2 miles away. It's just that it is uphill to go back, so I have so far only driven here for some meals.

I thought I would share what menu items The Mister and I have had here so far.
Pork Larb ($7.95), hot tea, sticky rice ($2.25). I got this on opening day. Kobe and the crew greeted me so warmly and it was very nice. The larb, of course, was excellent and really satisfied my cravings.

010 The next time, I went with The Mister for lunch (he has been working late and now seems to also get into work late…) and we each got a bowl of 'egg drop' soup, a chicken based soup broth (very rich) with tomatoes and onions. There was a lemon note to it and the egg part was very fine. It was not spicy, as Tom Yum Gai would be.

I got the salted fish fried rice ($8.95), which I had been craving. This also was something The Mister tasted and wanted no part of (more for me!). Perfectly fried rice intermingled with excellent salted fish (kind of anchovy- like in flavor) . This really is one of my cravings.

The Mister got one of the lunch specials- the pineapple curry with chicken ($7.95). This was something we never had had and it was very nice. Moist chicken, a rich, flavorful, coconut milk based curry. The portion size is very large, despite my wonderful illusionary photography skills.

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On this day, we splurged and got dessert (The Mister really did not want to go in to work). The mango sticky rice ($6.95), The rice is made with coconut milk, when you order it (takes some time) and the mangoes are in season and wonderfully flavored. A seemingly simple yet so complex dessert. A very nice treat for us.

The other evening, The Mister was leaving work late and wanted to know what I had for dinner…I told him "Sab E Lee". He thought I meant take out, silly man.

This is the Prawn Tempura from the "Nibbles" section of the menu. ($7.95)

4 shrimp and carrots, onion and broccoli light dusted in rice flour and fried to a good crispness. It was served with a sweet sauce which I tried but was just as happy eating it plain. Or with the sauce from our primary course:

Fish Garlic ($12.95). This was a catfish I believe. Topped with a wonderful garlic sauce, this seemed to be delicately fried and was served on the fish shaped plate on top of cabbage and carrots. It looks like a whole fish, but was boneless- and the broccoli taking the place of the head was so cute.

The Mister had been craving papaya salad ($7.95)and we had that as our 'dessert'. Spiciness level 2. We wanted to taste the ingredients…

That's all for now.

Sab-E-Lee 2

9157 Mission Gorge Road Santee CA 92071 (619) 328-1568

Open daily 10:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m.

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