November 2014 – mmm-yoso

Sunday Sausagefest: Salt & Cleaver, Toronado, and a little S&M (that’s Sausage and Meat)

November 30, 2014 mmm-yoso Beer, Gastropub, Pubs and Pub Grub

**** All of these places have closed

In my most recent post on Tiger Tiger I mentioned that the Missus has been on a beer and sausage tear….so this meant that we've tried a couple of places. Here are a bunch of one and dones.

Salt and Cleaver:

We visited a couple weeks after Kirbie and CC.

We must be getting old….it just seemed like the music was playing way too loud……

Anyway, since it's about the weiners……

This one is called the Duck.Duck.Pig ($11).

The duck confit was fried crisp, but was alas, also dry as leather. I thought the orange marmalade was a bit too much for the duck and bacon sausage which was fairly mild with mild smokey tones. I liked the grind, but the Missus prefers either a coarser grind or fine and rather loose. The flavor was fairly nice, but this was a bit too much.

Since the Missus doesn't do much bread these days, a sausage board is always welcome. The meat board ($13) comes with 4 sausages.

The Smoked Beer Bratwurst was very bland. The Bacon Cheddar Jalapeno was quite nice, not too sharp or spicy, a very nicely put together sausage. The Smoked Spicy Cajun had a nice kick, but was really salty and I didn't like the casing on this one; it was too tough. We enjoyed the Linguica, a bit on the mild side, but the flavors went together well. The mustards and sauces were fairly routine.

Altogether not bad and we may return……

Salt & Cleaver
3805 5th Ave
San Diego, CA 92103

Toronado:

Granted, I really wanted to come here for the beers, but I walked the Missus into checking the place out for the sausages.

Loved the bartender here……she was very cool, sorta funny, in a rather detached way. She was good at helping folks make beer selections.

There's really no frills about Toronado. It becomes very clear when you order the Sausage Plate ($12)….it comes to the table exactly as ordered….a plate with 3 sausages…..nary a garnish, sauce, mustard, or anything else except the juices leaking from said encased meats.

This was oh-fer-three. The "Morrocan Lamb" was dry and gritty and really needed a bit more seasoning. The Jalapeno Cheddar was a far cry from Salt & Cleaver. The Bratwurst was also too dry and hard as was the casing.

We did enjoy the Pork Belly Skewers ($6).

Loved the texture of the pork belly, crisp on the exterior, creamy like buttah' interior. The sweet chili sauce was too sweet for us, but this was pretty good overall. The jicama-cilantro slaw could have used more flavor.

Of course, like I said, I came here for the beers.

Loved the selection. I was missing Belgium and this was just the fix I needed. I don't think Belgian's travel real well as the flavors are not quite the same as what we had in Belgium, but I'll take it.

Candice and I are trying to talk our friends into doing a 30th street corridor beer crawl. So I'm sure I'll be back soon enough.

Toronado
4026 30th St
San Diego, CA 92104

S & M – That's Sausage and Meat:

So, sorry to disappoint anyone who had thoughts that perhaps mmm-yoso was totally going off the rails. Anyway, this is the latest creation from the folks behind Slater's 50/50. The location is quite familiar….this is the former site of Gulf Coast Grill, which lasted much longer than I ever thought it would.

We visited on Veteran's Day, just a short time after they had opened.

I love the logo…….simple, but to the point. The place is bright and wide open, it'll be great during warmer weather.

Like Slater's the menu is full of, well, interestingly, uninteresting items……twists on stuff I know I can get better elsewhere. So, just trying to play it straight we kept out of the flavored bacon jar, instead playing "straight man" for the main part. Trying to see what kind of clothes the Emporer was wearing…if any.

We started with the Charcuterie Board ($11).

This would be almost the antithesis of a Slater restaurant, in having a very mild prosciutto and soppressata. Not a good value. The one item we both loved was the nicely fermented cabbage and the pickles….the dill pickles were just fantastic.

Since the Missus is still on Her "no bread" shall pass these lips kind of thing we went with the Sausage Board ($15).

I love alligator – pork sausages, so the Alligator-Antelope Andouille seemed like a good pick. Unfortunately, I found it to be very tame and bland, lacking in that paprika-garlic-file-chili, smokey-savory flavors that make a good Andouille. I've cooked with Antelope which has a distinct flavor, I couldn't make that out here. The Missus chose Her favorite sausage of late…..Mexican Chorizo. Man, this was way too mild in flavor, lacking in any heat or zip. I will say, that Whiskey Mustard is a wonderful sweet-spicy-sour-tangy condiment and I could live on those pickles.

I had a Modern Times (Blazing World) Amber, mildly (by San Diego terms) Hoppy with a clean finish and the Missus was happy with Her Almanac sour.

The whole ordering, seating, sign process is both neat and kind of strange at the same time….it's really not clear that you order at the counter (or do you?)…which we did. You get these flip cards which indicate your order, when you don't want to be bothered, and when you want to pay. It's a hybrid of the typical gastropub/bar/fast casual ordering system where you're given a number for folks to bring your order. The twist here is different, even though you order at the register, you don't pay(though you do leave your credit card)…..at least we didn't. You flip the sign and someone comes and brings you your bill….if you pay with cash, this seems kind of strange and redundant….you either have table service or you don't. Oh, and even though we indicated "Scram" folks came by five times to see how we were doing…..though they were really nice and I totally understand having just opened they wanted to do well. I really liked our Servers…..we'd come back just for the pickles and mustard…..

If you'd like to see the other items on the menu; please read Kirbie's post.

S&M Sausage & Meat
4130 Park Blvd
San Diego, CA 92103

And just because I'm feeling silly:

I usually listen to music on iTunes while doing my posts….and yes, they are still usually a one pass deal. Anyway, this song came on…….and took me back. I grew up during the 70's and 80's and this one made me recall the music video…back when MTV actually had music videos. It hasn't aged well, but what the heck. Plus, I always wanted a 'Cuda….though my preference would be for a '70.

The ending is so Miami Vice. One of the guys we knew used to actually dress Miami Vice style…light colored jacket with pastel t-shirts and loafers….white loafers. Egad……he thought he was so cool. He was quite short; like five foot-two, so when we used to see him at the club we used to call him, "Miami mice….."

Recently Consumed

November 29, 2014 mmm-yoso Cooking

It's been a while since I've done one of these….. so why not on a quiet Saturday night.

The Missus loves Her Brussel Sprouts, whether grilled with a balsamic glaze….

Roasted….or with one of those whole stalks brushed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, then finished with a bit of "local style barbecue sauce".

We used some of our Duck Confit, to make a version of Parmentier de Canard Confit….think of it as a duck confit Shepherd's Pie.

The Missus wanted no cream in Her potatoes, so I used duck fat and the liquid from a saute of greens (kale and chard) to moisten the potatoes. Topped with panko and browned in the oven, this was delicious….though super rich. We used the last bit to make croquettes……hoooo man….

Here's the random sausage sandwich shot.

Here's one of the ways I ate watercress growing up…..found some nice watercress at Nijiya.

I think this is kind of "local" thing……shoyu and mayonnaise for watercress. Anyone else ate it like this?

And then, here's the Missus version of Butashiso….nice flavor, but a bit to tough. Nice try though!

Hope you survived T-Day and Black Friday!

Kyoto Day 1: A quick trip to Fushimi Inari, Tōfuku-ji, Nishiki Market, dinner from Daimaru Resutoran-gai, and a stop at Beer Komachi

November 28, 2014 mmm-yoso Beer, Japan, Kyoto, Markets & Grocers, Pubs and Pub Grub, Travel

One of the great things about train stations in Japan is the abundance of storage lockers. For about five bucks US, you get a good sized locker for the whole day. Since we left Tokyo quite early in the morning we arrived way before check in time at the residence where we were staying. We managed to stow our bags….we travel light, I have a Tri-Star and the Missus an Aeronaut 30, which She loves. How the Missus ended up agreeing with me about Her Aeronaut is a story for another day. Anyway, these two bags are European carry-on size and we can easily travel for a month (or more) with what we pack in these bags……mine weighed out at 9 kilos for this trip.

For some reason, we found Kyoto Station to be bit confusing….Tokyo Station was a slam dunk; but Kyoto Station just seemed like a maze at first. After finding the gates to the JR Nara line, which wasn't that hard, we got on the train…..which ended up being the Express, which bypasses the Inari Station! We actually didn't feel too bad, since there were at least a dozen people (all Japanese) who did the same thing. We got off at the first express stop after Inari Station and headed back…with the other folks who took the wrong train and made it to Fushimi-Inari.

Our first impressions of Fushimi Inari-Taisha? It was so strikingly beautiful…….and so crowded!

And while we could enjoy the vibrancy and character to the shrine; the packed crowds, the noise (remember we had spent a couple of days in Tokyo, so it's all relative), and the lines to walk through the colorful torii (gates), were just a bit too much for us. I told the Missus that the shrine opens at dawn…..if we woke early enough, we could get here at dawn, and really enjoy the place…..so we decided to return the next morning. We'd bundle Fushimi Inari and Kiyomizu-dera for the next morning.

Having read enough about our travel, I'm sure you realize that the Missus was not going to stop and proceed to sit on Her hands. She decided we should walk up the street…… It was an interesting walk as the shops gave way to temples, several of which we walked through…..ending up at the impressive gate of Tōfuku-ji.

This massive Sanmon is the oldest in Japan and is considered a national treasure.

The Dragon painting on the ceiling in the Hondou (Main Hall) is by famous Kyoto-born artist Insho Domoto.

The temple is known for the stone and moss gardens and the Tsuutenkyo Bridge.

I can just imagine what this view would be like during autumn when all the leaves turn color!

There are many temples and shrines in the area…..

So we just meandered around…….

We ended up at Shorinji Temple…..

It was nearing noon and our check in time, so we headed down the hill to Tokufuji Station, back to Kyoto Station, where we got confused again….this time trying to remember where our locker was. Once located we headed off to our destination. A Machiya in the Southern Higashiyama area.

First off, the owner wasn't kidding when she said it was one minute from Higashiyama Station….it was literally one minute! Located in a shopping arcade – Furukawacho shopping arcade, this is among the top ten places we've ever stayed….it was huge; two floors, a large kitchen, an awesome bath….of course the sleeping arrangement was traditional Japanese.

Masae was fantastic, so organized, she even had a map of the area around the arcade, with restaurants and shops listed. There was a typhoon, Vongfong headed our way….she kept us appraised via emails. She made our stay wonderful.

Meanwhile, we had asked Reiko about things we should buy in Kyoto. While on the way to the Machiya, Reiko mentioned getting a Furoshiki. And Masae knew just the spot. A few blocks away was Kakefuda. The Missus was taken with the various patterns. The young man here did a demo….a couple of times, showing the Missus how to do some of the basic tying methods. Somehow, no matter how many times She's practiced….it just doesn't look quite right. That's alright though……the Missus got something for herself from Kyoto.

We then headed West, over the Kamo River, finding Nishiki Market. Man, this placed was packed. It was wall to wall people. My first instinct was to bail….but the Missus was hungry and getting a bit grumpy, so we decided to hunt for some "snacks", starting out with an ok Takoyaki….kind of too soggy for my taste. It was just meh……very dull…so I'm thinking a black and white photo describes it best.

We came across a stand selling Hamoyaki; grilled conger eel brushed with a tare. They had a little standing table and we really wanted a respite from the masses. This was actually pretty good. Hamo is very mild in flavor, so it's basically a palette for the tare. We really enjoyed the light texture of the eel.

We made our way further down the market and something caught the Missus' eye.

This place made yakimanju and yakimochi….grilled rice cakes. We tried a yakimanju….

I have to say….I love the fragrance of these….but as a whole, I'm not a fan of yakimochi and this was basically the same thing.

Nothing amazing, but enough to keep us going……we spent the rest of the afternoon shopping around Shijo-dori. When it was time to head back, I asked the Missus what She watned to do for dinner. We'd had a long day; I awoke at 330am and actually did a post. We'd need to wake by at least 5am tomorrow and we were bushed. So, Daimaru's resutoran-gai ("restaurant town") just made sense, especially since the Missus was craving salad, which is rather hard to come by.

This stuff ain't cheap, but the variety is staggering…..as I mentioned previously; large department stores have an entire floor full of food stands and vendors. It's easy to get lost in all of this.

Dinner in hand, we made our way back to the house. Not directly of course……

This thin, alley-like street is named Ponto-chō, it is one of the Hanamachi, Geisha districts in Kyoto. The street runs parallel to the Kamo River and is full of restaurants, bars, and, after being absolutely shocked to see a Geisha walking down the street, Geisha houses I guess?

The wooden buildings and hanging lanterns sure adds to the atmosphere…….

Having come from Shijuku and seeing the Robot Restaurant, then Shibuya and the goth-Hello Kitty chicks, to this in less than three days is something to wrap your head around.

Crossing over to the other side of the Kamo River, we made our way back to where we were staying.

We followed the Shirakawa Canal, into the Gion, another Hanamachi district, and the street folks told me was the most beautiful in all of Japan.

I can see why…….

The sound of the water; the wooden buildings, the trees…..take a photo and ask someone where this is and they'll say, "well, Japan of course….."

Getting back to the machiya, the Missus decided a nice long soak in the wonderful tub was on the agenda. I went upstairs to the sitting area.

I had some tea while watching the folks pass through the marketplace below. There's a meat market and a small convenience type store right across the walkway from the house.

Dinner was a a simple affair……but perfect as we were pretty tired.

As you can see, the Missus got Her "salad fix".

Here's the rather unique Furoshiki the Missus chose. She said it would always remind Her of Kakefuda.

After dinner, we took a walk up Sanjo-dori and some of the side streets in the Gion…packed with bars and Izakayas. There was a Family Mart and a Grocery Store right around the corner from where we were staying as well.

Life is full of happy coincidences. When we arrived, Masae told us that she had just opened a craft beer bar in the same arcade, a few yeards from where we were staying. Really? A craft beer bar? Awesome!

We headed over for a nightcap. The tiny spot was busy, but they found us a small table. Looking at the beer list, I had to crack up; Stone, Lagunitas, Pizza Port, Saint Archer…. you gotta love it!

Of course there was a selection of Japanese craft brews as well. The Missus likes Her sours, so She went with the Morita Kinshachi Fruits Draft Lemon.

I mentioned that we were from San Diego and had recently visited Belgium to Masae….who apparently loves her beer. we had a nice conversation about San Diego breweries, along with a promise that if she visits San Diego, the beer is on us!

I had the Kure Beer Belgian IPA, which was interesting. Less hoppy than an IPA and not veyr boozy; this was on the sweet side and not unpleasant.

Man, it had been quite a long day; from Tokyo and a view of Mount Fuji, to temples, then shopping, and finally a nice quiet self catered dinner, followed by a visit to a craft beer bar……

So this was Kyoto, huh? Though we were dead tired, we were having fun.

Thanks for reading!

Midweek Meanderings: Sang Deuan Thai and Lao Kitchen coming to Convoy and Szechuan Taste opens

November 26, 2014 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Thai Restaurants

Just a quick little post on a warm Thanksgiving eve.

Sang Deuan Thai and Lao Kitchen coming to Convoy:

I actually saw the sign lit up when driving home from Nijiya a couple of nights ago. This shop will take the place of the long running Philadelphia Sandwich Company. As much as I love businesses who have been around forever, the food at PSC seemed dated and a bit tired, so maybe it was time. As for Sang Devan, well, I'm interested and time will tell….

3904 Convoy St #112
San Diego, CA 92111

Szechuan Taste opens:

I mentioned this place a couple of months ago. I drove by yesterday and the place was open!

And yes, I did stop by. You know how I am. I'll eat here a couple of times before posting.

I will say, the servers are very friendly, there are the usual Sichuan suspects on the menu. The menu is a bit disconcerting….along with the to be expected ABC (American Born Chinese) dishes, usually on the menu as a concession to the lunch crowd; there's the very non-Sichuan Xiao Long Bao and Hongshao Rou……. Not quite what comes to mind with regards to "Szechuan Tastes"…..

So we'll see….

Stay tuned!

Szechuan Taste
8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Pacific Ave Taco Truck Food Court: Yuma

November 25, 2014 ed fromyuma Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!, Yuma

Recently, readers of mmm-yoso have been in Japan with Kirk and in Pasadena with Cathy, but today you get to come over to Yuma with Ed for tacos and more.

It is the fall, the time trees turn color and lose leaves, birds (including snowbirds) head for warmer climes, traffic thickens in town, and Yuma's taco trucks flourish.

Way back around November 2005, Kirk came to Yuma and sampled our taco truck cuisine and dubbed a cluster of trucks in an empty lot "a food court." In the fall of 2013, the newest taco court opened on a large concrete pad in a previously empty lot on the west side of Pacific Avenue just about a block south of 16th St. – not really very far from Yuma Palms shopping center:

There are a lot of parking places and tables and chairs:

And currently at least four different taco purveyors:

Let me apologize here for the limitations of this post. Some of the photos are lousy, and they are the best I had because of bad lighting and unskilled photographer. On top ot that, Tina and I have visited these trucks several times when I had no camera with me. So this post is more of a shout out than a report.

On our most recent visit, we tried Blancurri’s, one of the smaller vendors:

The special that evening was $1 pollo asado tacos:

Pretty good, but a little dry. Our favorite taco that night was what's called the mix chilada taco, a flavorful and spicy combination of carne asada and red chile chicharrones (sorry for the lousy picture):

The adobada torta was good as well, the tender pork chunks slightly spicy and the bolillo roll nicely grilled.

Arianna’s, which has been here since the marketplace area first opened, anchors the north side of the lot:

Tina and I have enjoyed the wide range of tacos here – including pastor and chicharones:

Or tripas and asada:

Tina especially enjoyed the nutty earthy flavor of the tripas and we both liked the chicharrones with red chile.

The hot dogs are another specialty, bacon wrapped, nicely grilled, and served in a hot bun with the full range of condiments:

The Monster truck is located at the other end of the food court:

It features a somewhat different menu including some unusual choices:

For most of Monster's dishes, you get to choose between asada, pollo, or pastor, but the pellizcadas includes all three meats, whole beans, cabbage, and onion on a large soft thick corn tortilla:

Tina and I both enjoy the vampires here, the toasted corn tortillas adding crunch to the meats and condiments. Here is one with asada:

The pastor is also excellent:

The monster taco has a soft tortilla, abundant roasted green chili, and your choice of protein and condiments:

The tortas (in this case with chicken) are extra-large here:

But the true monster on the menu is the hotdog:

The extra-large bacon wrapped wiener is slathered with condiments and coupled with a grilled guero pepper and abundant grilled onions. Truly outstanding dog.

In any case, this is a convenient cluster of interesting mobile eateries, which allows folks to wander around and try different dishes. They all have excellent aguasfrescas. Most of the trucks seem open every evening (if not sooner), and we've enjoyed every visit. Take advantage of our nice weather, try some things here, and let us know what you liked.

Guzmán Marketplace (this seems to be the official name of the foodcourt), 1628 S. Pacific Ave., Yuma, Arizona.

Yakitori Taisho revisited

November 24, 2014 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Japanese Restaurants

In just little under a month, Yakitori Taisho has become a regular part of our rotation. We like the mellow ambiance of the place, the rather cozy, somewhat intimate (12seats)interior….and of course the yakitori! The Chef is quite skilled, aided by just one helper and the waiter/server…….I can imagine it must be nuts if the place is packed……which it has not been during our visits. The Chef is a really nice guy, somewhat reserved, but very friendly once he gets to know you. He is from Nagoya,a classically trained Yakitori-man. Nagoya is quite significant here….especially for one of the dishes below. He really started opening up when we started chatting about Nagoya Cochin, the special breed of chicken Nagoya is famous for…..also for lively discussion on torisashi, basashi, okonomiyaki (he is a fan of Hiroshima style, while the Missus argues for Osaka style), and other things……

I'm going to list our favorites in descending order…..excluding the items I've posted on already. I will say, the buta-shiso, tsukune, and teba are at the top of our list, so hopefully you've read that post.

The Beef Tongue:

Shades of Tanyaki Shinobu, this wonderful piece of braised, then grilled tongue would fit right in….

All the classic flavors in one bite. The exterior of the tongue has a touch if crispness from being grilled over the bincho which also adds just a hint of smoke flavor. This is one heck of a piece of meat on a stick. They don't always have it since I was told it takes a bit of time to make. You'll find it on the specials board.

Aka Himo (chicken vein):

I love the slightly chewy texture and this is full of flavor from both the bincho and the dip in the tare.

Kimo (chicken liver):

I'm not a fan, but the Missus just loves this.

On the other hand, I love the….

Sunagimo (gizzards):

For some reason, the gizzards here seem to absorb a nice amount of smokey flavor and it has just the right amount of "crunch" for me.

Tebasaki:

Not to be confused with the really good grilled vesion I posted on earlier. Nagoya is well known for their chicken wings….so when I asked if he served that style of wings….he said, of course.

No miso based sauce on this, but the other qualities of Nagoya-teba was present…..a generous amount of black pepper and sesame seeds. Fried very nicely, crisp and light, touched with a nice sweet-soy; what's not to like?

Chicken Karaage:

Well, of course. A bit lighter than the version at Yakyudori, this has a more pronounced ginger flavor.

A very nice rendition……

The Shiitake:

Was nice and meaty, the katsuobushi adding another layer of savory flavors.

The Aspara Bacon:

Was fine. Pretty much by the book.

Not quite sure why the Missus loves quail eggs so much.

Mekabu with quail egg:

Lovely gooeyness, with a mellow ocean flavor. I'm told that mekabu comes from the base of the sea flora from which wakame grows.

The one item which we felt did not quite reach the heights we wanted was the yaki nasu.

The eggplant just didn't seem to have absorbed any of the bincho flavor and was on the bland side.

Nagoya is known for their chicken, so we fully expected the yakitori to be pretty good….it's that beef tongue which really surprised us. In combination with the other items that are our favorite here, we have a pretty nice rotation going.

We enjoy the almost one-on-one experience here, it's much more personal. Though, like I said, I'm not sure how things are when they're busy. The robata dishes here tend to be less salty than Yakyudori and a bit more refined. And no, it's not a loud and roaring place to grab brews and meat-on-a-stick with coworkers…….which makes it nice for date night. Which we've been having quite often lately.

Yakitori Taisho
5185 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117
Hours:
Tues – Sunday 4pm – 11pm

2015 Rose Parade float road test #7 with a quick breakfast at The Original Tops

November 23, 2014 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Los Angeles County

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog with primary musings about food. To get to that central subject, secondary and tertiary subjects are broached by three of us writing here (Kirk, Ed (from Yuma) and Cathy). Today Cathy is centering in on the food in a roundabout way.

Yes, another weekend, another road test. There have only been six tests announced in previous years, but I checked the Phoenix Decorating Company home page earlier in the week and saw the announcement, so on Saturday morning (at 4:45), The Mister and I were in the car and driving North. We had encountered construction near the I-5 border checkpoint the previous two weeks and wanted to be sure to allot enough time to go North.
Just after 6 a.m., we arrived at Cream Pan, my favorite bakery ever. We purchased a ham and cheese croissant and a raisin pastry (which had yellow raisins overfilling the interior) as well as one strawberry croissant and ate while driving, where we incurred more traffic backups…
Most notably near the Citadel Outlets, which are already being decorated for Christmas. When we finally got to Raymond Street, around 7:20, only two floats were in sight. The Banner float (first one you will see on television), which isn't outlined for the decorators yet and… The Farmers Insurance 2015 entry -"Dream Big: World of Possibility". I did sneak over to the barn and took a photo of work being done.
Then The Mister and I were off, looking for things happening around town, while heading East… Eventually we were in the 3800 block of Colorado Boulevard (far from the end of the parade route) and saw Tops, which I hadn't posted about since my preview of the 2007 Rose Parade. This is a newer, different location than that other post, and is decorated with vignettes of local sights. Along with having the Tops traditional serve yourself condiment choices…how I love condiments! Being a creature of habit, my order of a Classic Egg Sandwich on rye ($3.89) is to be expected. One note, the eggs here are organic Free Range eggs…it says so on the menu. Anyhow, wonderful fresh flavor and standard ingredients of lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. The Mister ordered a pastrami omelette ($7.49)…three of those organic free range eggs, loads of pastrami three cheeses as well as a slice of American cheese on top, along with toast and homestyle potatoes.

Here's a close up of the potatoes- which are the kind I had forgotten mom and dad making for my brother and I…thinly (mandoline)sliced potatoes stacked and cooked with a crunchy top.

All in all a short day trip (we were home by 11:00) and new things to see and places to go. Hope your week is safe and not too hectic!

The Original Tops 3838 East Colorado Boulevard Pasadena (626)449-4412 Website open daily 6:30 a.m.-11:00 p.m., later on Friday and Saturday.

2015 Tournament of Roses road tests: #1 Test #2 Test #3 Test #4 Test #5 Test #6

Fermentation Nation: Smoked Shio Koji Chicken Wings

November 22, 2014 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Cooking, Recipes

A few night back, I met my good friend Candice for dinner….she had been wanting to check out Iron Pig Alehouse in PB. It was a decent meal, hopefully I'll get around to doing a post, but in case you're wondering, Kirbie pretty much hit it on the head in her post, the wings were our favorite item. I brought some home for the Missus who thought they were good….however, She also said, "I think you can do better…." So guess what I did this afternoon? Anyway, I tried three versions of smoked wings, one with a simple seasoning, the other with my "chicken rub", and for the last….well, I decided to go outside the normal playbook a bit and used my Shio Koji Chicken marinade.

Guess which one won out?

It was a pretty simple and quick smoke in my WSM. I used a combo of cherry with a bit of pecan. When the wings were done, they looked quite similar, but the shio koji wings had a very pronounced savory fragrance, think miso-wine.

I decided to give the wings a quick deep-fry….for the shio koji wings, it was about 90 seconds….the sugars cause it to turn black fairly quickly. I'm going to try to figure out how to get these a bit more crisp without burning…..

In the meantime……

The Missus said this was maybe some of the best wings She's ever had. The shio koji adds that amazing savory flavor, a touch of salty-winey-miso like flavors, and also sealed in the juices. It's also got me motivated to start cooking new stuff……..thinking a bit, trying different things again.

The best compliment….."I'd pay money to eat this….ummm, not from you of course, but I would….."

Shio Koji Marinade:

1/3 cup shio koji

1 Tb grated garlic

1 Tb ginger juice

3 Tb mirin

1 Tb hoisin

– Marinate 4-5 hours

– Remove from marinade and smoke at 250-275 for 1 1/2 – 2 hours

– Remove from smoker and deep fry in 350 degree oil for 1 1/2 minutes

Grab a couple of cold one's….this is great beer food!

Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse- goodbye Santee, hello Lakeside!

November 21, 2014 Cathy American Restaurants, Steakhouse, What Cathy Eats!

After 45 years in San Diego, Pinnacle Peak has closed.

This is mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about food. Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are taking the day off, because they can. Cathy is writing, because she can.

Even though it was only three miles away and a regular stop (from the day we purchased our California home*), I had only posted one time about Pinnacle Peak.The Mission Gorge location in Santee has been here more than 30 years, cow on the roof, open only in the evenings…Walls and rafters lined with the cut off neckties labeled with dates and names of patrons who come in 'dressed up' for the famous steak dinners and are subject to the clanging of a triangle and giant shears in a ceremonial removal of such formalities.Steaks are cooked behind glass near the front door, the first 'open kitchen' concept I had ever seen.These photos were taken on a Tuesday in June. My brother and nephew had been on their cross country drive from Michigan, driving and stopping at the same places as he and Dad had done about 25 years earlier. Pinnacle Peak was on the list.

The usual plastic checkerboard tablecloths were not on the tables. It seemed so empty. So we asked.

This location was going to be closing that Friday…soon to be relocating in Lakeside. Perfect timing to be able to share a similar memory. Each meal now came with unlimited warm corn bread and beans (instead of the original 'buttons and bows'-white bread and beans)…and with a simple iceberg with cucumber and onion salad. There were four of us, but we ordered two of each of the same items: the 6 ounce filet mignon ($21.99) with a side of baked potato ($3.25)And two orders of the 15 ounce ounce "Cowgirl" t-bone ($21.99). We shared stories with the nephew about family visits with meals here, showed him around the now almost empty building and enjoyed ourselves. Soon enough the new location, on Maine Avenue in Lakeside, opened. The cow had moved with everything (the cut off neckties) else (and is really difficult to photograph at night). My brother was visiting a few weeks ago and, of course, he wanted dinner at Pinnacle Peak. Some cut neckties are up in the bar area and a lot of the ties are stacked around the waiting areas, still waiting to be placed everywhere. It was quite crowded and we were seated in the last open area (when we left there was a line waiting to be seated). The tables are new and it isn't as dark or 'rustic' anymore.Cornbread and beans are still unlimited (I took one very blurry photo of the bowl of beans; use your imagination). The salad is now made with a spring mix and includes a tomato slice (no onion or cucumber) along with a choice of three dressings: the House (a lemon vinaigrette), Bleu Cheese and Ranch. This time, The Mister chose the 10 ounce Prime Rib ($18.99) medium rare…The filet of tenderloin is now 7 ounces ($23.99). Large baked potato ($3.25). Naturally, I again ordered the 15 ounce Cowgirl (also medium rare).

It was crowded and I try not to take photos of people, didn't see an open cooking area, but will be back soon enough and take more photos. The menu is much larger (two pages instead of one side of the paper leftovers bag) with many choices including entree salads and many appetizers. The quality and service and taste is the same…just a bit more of a drive for us.

Pinnacle Peak 9927 Maine Avenue Lakeside, CA 92040 (619) 448-8882

(*We closed on our home (a VA reposession) on the day before Thanksgiving in the late evening. On Thanksgiving Day, we drove into Santee, keys in hand, to check out the previously unseen interior, and noticed a person dressed as a clown waving in front of this Pinnacle Peak place. He held a sign 'Churches of Santee' … 'free Thanksgiving meal'. We checked out the house (knew we'd have to clean a lot before moving in) and when driving back to our apartment, saw the now sort of sad looking clown waving to us, had no plans for a meal anyhow and drove up, went inside. There were people milling about and five turkeys, sides and a rather large buffet line of food. All of the Pinnacle Peak furniture (picnic tables topped with plastic checkerboard tablecloths) was set up and we had the nicest meal, meeting new neighbors…and not knowing what the deal was with the cut up neckties or even that this was a restaurant. It was a great introduction to our new neighborhood.)

Places we’ve posted on too many times: Tsuruhashi, Aqui es Texcoco, and Koon Thai

November 20, 2014 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Mexican Restaurants, Thai Restaurants

Yep, we've done a ton of posts on these places, so here are mostly photos.

Tsuruhashi:

We've been coming since they first opened, though I haven't posted on the place in a couple of years. Forgot to take a photo of the Yukke, but here's the rest….oh, and we had two orders of the "harami" – prime skirt steak.

Service recently has been really nice…….so we've been enjoying ourselves here.

Tsuruhashi Japanese BBQ
3904 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

Aqui es Texcoco:

The only one of the the Missus's three favorites back in March to survive until winter. Except I was the one who was craving the mixiote.

I never noticed the Plato Azteca on previous visits…basically nopales (cactus) stir fried with two selections….I choose huitlacoche(of course) and flor de calabaza (squash blossom).

delici-oso!!!

Aqui Es Texcoco
1043 Broadway
Chula Vista, CA 91911

As a bonus, I ran into none other than Sawyer at Hogetsu! Great seeing you man!

Koon Thai:

Rather close to the office, there are a couple of dishes I think they do well.

The fried spareribs is not one of them.

The Khao Karr Moo – the simmered pork leg, takes me back to Thailand…..getting off a water taxi, you're inundated by the fragrances coming off the various food stands…..

The Pla Sahm Rod presentation looked sloppy, but it had a decent flavor and the fish was fried well.

Not as good as my previous visit, the rice was terrible, some of it hard as rock, the other hald mushy. Still, we didn't come here for the rice. Service was friendly, even though the place was totally slammed at lunch. Much better than the sometimes surly service I'd gotten here at times in the past.

Koon Thai Kitchen
3860 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111