January 2015 – Page 3

COMC: So much beer, so little time

January 9, 2015 mmm-yoso Beer, yoso-silly

I really have to say, I never ever thought this would happen. But over the last year or so, the Missus has come to enjoy a nice cold one. Like my good friend Candice, She's partial to sours….though a nice clean witte is always welcomed with a nice meal. And while I'm still kind of a "Bud Light – bucket ice" kind of guy when "back home". I've come to really respect and enjoy beer in San Diego (and Belgium of course).

Still, I never thought my best beer buddy would ever be the Missus!

It's not strange for us to try a couple of different beer with various foods out side when the weather is warmer.

The Missus has the beer She loves; Monk's Cafe, Duchess, La Fun du Monde, White Rascal, Rueuze (The Bruery), Anderson Valley Brewing's Gose.

We've also been checking out beers we really enjoyed in Belgium; Hop-ruiter was especially memorable, as was the Karmeliet Tripel I had in Antwerp. Unfortunately, it seems that something is really lost when these bottles have to travel all the way here.

My taste varies depending on the day and how I feel.

I do enjoy the Nut Brown from Rip Current and Alesmith. I do like Indra Kunindra and Sculpin (with Blue Cheese!). I too enjoy La Fin du Monde and Blanche de Chambly….if I'm just having beer with no food, I love my dubbels and tripels…..

There seems to be something for every mood and preference……

One thing I did notice about beer………I often approach it like a restaurant. In spite of what folks will tell me, it's an open book….I'll give it a shot, with an open mind…sometimes more than once. Also, like food, I understand the Missus's taste and mood on specific days…… she'll defer the ordering of beer to me. When tasting a beer, I automatically know if She'll like it or not…. I guess it's called being married for so long.

I don't always take photos of what we're having at home, but I think it's a bit more realistic than saving bottles….which I'm sure would drive the Missus crazy.

We've had more than our share of beer we don't care for. But much like how we approach restaurants and food; it's the journey that makes it worthwhile. And once in a while you find a winner. And all is good in the world.

Aaaah….so much beer, so little time!

A Shopping Day lunch at Bristol Farms

January 8, 2015 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, What Cathy Eats!

Kirk, Ed(from Yuma) and Cathy are the usual writers here on mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Today, Cathy is writing.

The rush of a multitude of holidays with corresponding activities is winding down, with individuals cleaning up, rearranging and perhaps following some new patterns. Businesses are 'clearing out' holiday-centric food and decorating items. The Mister and I have been out and about, looking for some bargains, and, as always, manage to squeeze a meal into the midst of the shopping. Yes, both Kirk and I have written a few posts about Bristol Farms, an upscale market (the parent company is Albertsons) located in La Jolla.There is both a self serve area (salad bar, soup, hot foods) where you can select, package and then pay for your items and find a seat here in the Bristol Cafe (or just outside), or you can walk up and order items 'to go' or you can seat yourself and a friendly waiter/waitress will bring you a menu and you'll have table service. This Wednesday, the special was a cup of any Soup and Sandwich of the day for $7.49. The Mister chose the carrot ginger soup- which was fascinating in its complimentary flavors and excellent.The 'sandwich of the day' was a "Malibu Melt"…and the description made us simultaneously fearful and curious. Toasted sourdough, the top with soft grilled red onion, Monterey Jack cheese, tuna salad…on top of grilled honey ham and a basil aioli spread. Yeah, we ordered it, ate it and liked it (except for the onion; a bit too many flavors there and it was removed after a bite). The tuna salad alone was excellent, as was the grilled honey ham. No idea who concocted this in their brain, but it works.Playing it safe, I ordered the quiche of the day with a salad ($8.49). The simple salad was accompanied by the most wonderful Thousand Island dressing. The quiche (which you can purchase unbaked in the store) had melange of (at least three types) of roasted mushrooms and spinach baked into a wonderfully flavored custard which was all baked in a crispy, flaky shell.

Yet another day of trying something new, and it worked.

Bristol Farms 8510 Genessee Avenue San Diego 92122 (858) 558-4180 Website

Solano’s Ice Cream in Yuma

January 7, 2015 ed fromyuma Desserts, Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!, Yuma

Kirk and Cathy are busy elsewhere, so today a short post from the banks of the Colorado River. Although it may not seem like ice-cream weather in much of the US, Ed (from Yuma) and the Yuma Visitors' Bureau want you to know it is always summer here (OK, almost always).

At about the same time Arizona inaugurated a governor who made his reputation and fortune selling gimmicky ice cream franchises (yes, you heard me, Cold Stone Creamery), I thought it appropriate to focus on a local, family-owned, independent ice cream shop in Yuma:

Like Baskin-Robbins, Solano's offers you a lot of flavor choices, but unlike Baskin-Robbins, the friendly folks at Solano's are creative, inventive, and maybe a little weird. Every time you come in there will be at least 18 different flavors of ice cream arranged in tubs with labels explaining your choices:

Here's another photo of some tubs:

While I don't have a complete list (maybe one doesn't exist), we have encountered flavors like balsamic strawberry, sweetcorn raspberry, cinnamon toast, maple walnut, vanilla bean, fruit loops, Yuma Fire Dept (with red hots), malted milk balls, coconut, toasted coconut, pineapple, orange dream sicle, Oreos and cream, sweet cream, rocky road, chocolate, red velvet cake, butter pecan, pistachio, strawberry rhubarb, blueberry habanero, and everybody’s favorite maple bacon (okay maybe not vegetarians’ favorite).

You can buy cups of ice cream with three different flavors – and more than three scoops it seems. If memory serves, on our first trip, Tina chose Yuma fire department , maple bacon, and sweetcorn raspberry:

She liked them all.

More conventional, I picked maple bacon, cinnamon toast, and?:

Maple Bacon is an idea that should spread. Just perfect flavor. The cinnamon toast had the right flavors of cinnamon and toast, but lacked the crunch I was hoping for.

Of course, you can get single scoop waffle cones (maple walnut?):

Or single serving cups – here Solano’s sweet cream:

And if you're really hungry they have a range of Sundaes:

Here's a Sand Dune Sundae (I think):

And a Pecan Grove:.

It took me three evenings to eat this sucker; it was so rich and sweet and filling. And good!

Solano”s is truly a family operation:

I believe I've seen at least three generations working together to make the place of success. I don't have a current price list, but you like good ice-cream, you will find the prices fair and portions large. Some hot evenings in the summer, the service is a little slow, but it is friendly, so I have always enjoyed the weight – correction, the wait.

Solano's Homemade Ice Cream, 1452 South 4th Avenue, Yuma, AZ 85364, open noon to 10 PM every day except Wednesday

Squid Beaks and Babylon Snails – Checking out the specials board at Yakitori Taisho

January 6, 2015 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

I can say with a good amount of certainty that since they opened at the end of October, Yakitori Taisho has been a favorite of the Missus. It is one of our two current favorite places (I'll do a post on the other) to have dinner. I mentioned in our last post on Taisho, some of the great items we've had from the specials board. And while none of them made the same impact as that stewed beef tongue, we've had two items recently that we really enjoyed.

Fried Squid Beaks:

Nope, not that kind of squid beak, but this kind.

Loved the batter on this; somewhat lacquer like with a nice crunch. The almost sweet flavor of the squid comes through very nicely. Loved the chewy texture….this was much better than I thought it would be. We went back recently and they had it on the board, but had just run out…….bummer!

Babylon Snails:

From what I could gather, these are Babylonia Areolata? Regardless, the mildly toothsome snails really absorb the bincho flavor.

It does so well with a moderate amount of salt….sadly, we've only seen this on the menu once.

Fried Baby Octopus:

This was a nice version. Chewy but not tough……

I enjoyed it more than the Missus…loved the crunch, the flavor, the chew.

Gizzard Skins:

The outer layer of the chicken gizzard. Quite chewy.

Grilled Beef Tongue (gyutan):

As a whole, just ok. I prefer mine a bit more charred on the edges and crisp. Good seasoning though, not too salty.

And then there are the items we always get. On many occasions, akahimo (chicken vein) will be put right on the grill as soon as we walk in the door.

Along with chicken livers for the Missus.

As I mentioned in my previous post we'll always get these (when they have the akahimo).

Along with the Tsukune.

We were once coyly asked if we preferred the version here to the version at Yakyudori. Though they both have the same owners, I'm sensing a bit of competition. The version at Yakyudori has changed over the last 2 years or so, the flavor has gotten milder and there seems to be a bit too much filler. So it was easy for us. We preferred Taisho's version. That's when the Missus asked how he got the meatball so moist and tender. The answer……with a laugh, "sorry….it's my secret!"

The one "secret" that was shared with us, was the ingredient that gave the karaage here and Yakyudori that extra umami……

Wouldn't you know it's Shio Koji one of my favorite ingredients….I'm going to need to try that soon.

There are, of course other items that are fine.

But we've pretty much got the core of our meals here set. Of course, I'm looking forward to what will be on the specials board the next time we visit!

If you're planning a visit, you might want to make reservations – (858) 752-0468. Also, the hours have changed slightly.

Yakitori Taisho
5185 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117
New Hours:
Tues – Sat 5pm – 11pm
Sunday 4pm – 10pm

San Diego Restaurants

2015 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade Post Parade Showcase of floats, snacks at Cream Pan (Tustin), House of Cookies (Pasadena) and lunch at Corky’s Place (Azusa)

January 5, 2015 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Bakery, Festivals & Events, What Cathy Eats!

Welcome to food blog mmm-yoso!!! where Kirk, Ed(from Yuma) and Cathy (for the most part) write food centric posts, sometimes interspersed with activities surrounding the acquisition of the food. Cathy is writing today.

The ritual of celebrating a New Year can be exhausting and The Mister and I slept through it, but were wide awake before 8 a.m. on January 1 to watch the 126th Tournament of Roses Rose Parade and all three Bowl games on television.

The next morning, we were in Pasadena (with 100,000 other people) enjoying the Post Parade Showcase of Floats, where we could walk along the two miles of roads and see up close details of all the 40+ floats which participated in the parade this year. Each float was designed to reflect the theme of the Parade, Inspiring Stories.

This is a snippet of all we saw. Information overload, provided by the 'white suits', official representatives of the Tournament of Roses, who stood around each of their respective floats, answering questions about symbolism of the particular float as well as decorating materials used, made this two mile plus walk most interesting.

Links to 2015 Rose Parade float road tests and decorating: 2015 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float road tests: #1 Test #2 Test #3 Test #4 Test #5 Test #6 Road Test 7 Decorating floats

So, our food this day… Obligatory stop at the wonderful, open at 6 a.m., Cream Pan Japanese bakery resulted in a purchase of a loaf of sesame bread, container of still warm chicken karaage, cheese cracker flat and a fresh blueberry (on top of a layer of creamy pudding encased in a buttery, flaky crust) pastry.

Cream Pan 602 El Camino Real Tustin 92780

Arriving in Pasadena, we knew our next stop, because we were going to park in this neighborhood and walk to the North entrance of the Post Parade Showcase…House of Cookies Still owned and run by a very nice older Armenian couple, this small bakery makes cookies, cakes and other snacks, selling at very reasonable prices. The items on the counter are different daily and we chose two of the cheese puffs ($1.65-total).

House of Cookies 2451 East Washington Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91104 (626)794-4280

Inside the Showcase of Floats, there are several food and snack areas.We stopped at the Pie N Burger truck for a $3 slice of (still warm) boysenberry pie. It was at this point my phone told me I could not take any more photographs. I deleted every App while eating the delicious pie.

Not wanting to brave the tourist filled areas of Pasadena, The Mister and I discussed places we had seen while driving on side roads previously and began the drive home East on Huntington, the original Route 66. Previously, this small restaurant in the midst of an industrial area in Azusa, had us curious. We thought today would be good for a light meal.
Small, with a seating capacity of 39, Corky's Place has been here for decades and run by family, who are respectfully memorialized. Prices are extremely fair and the short orders of phoned in breakfasts and grilled sandwiches were constantly being filled. However, we decided to order from the 'Mexican' side of the menu.The Mister ordered the two green enchiladas plate($6)-cheese filled. The sauce was excellent and the enchiladas were very cheesy, with a good stringy Oaxacan.We were given some good salsa with some average chips while waiting.Then there was this…a shrimp and avocado tostada ($5). There's a tostada shell with a layer of (very good) beans, lettuce, cheese, some fresh made guacamole and many, many tiny shrimp. Warm, not sauteed and the kind of shrimp you need to eat three at a time to get the flavor. The rest was filling and we made a note to come back and order from the American side of the menu.

Corky's Place 1050 Foothills Blvd. Azusa, CA 91702 (626)969-7861

I hope your year will be filled with daily adventures and inspirations.

Welcoming back an old friend: Sultan opens in the Gaslamp

January 4, 2015 mmm-yoso Turkish Food

I got some interesting news right before Christmas, my good FOY (Friend of Yoso) Candice and also Som Tommy emailed me asking if I'd heard anything about Sultan opening in the Gaslamp. I hadn't heard a thing, but went to their website where I found an announcement they were opening on Christmas Eve! In the Gaslamp…. Needless to say, I was excited. Sultan has been on of our favorites. In fact, it was the food at Sultan which inspired us to travel, not once, but twice to Turkey. It was a sad day when the owner of Sultan decided to go back to doing only confections.

But now it seemed that Sultan was opening in the Gaslamp? The Gaslamp? I made it a point to drop by right after Christmas.

This restaurant was located on the street level of Horton Plaza and business was doing quite well. There were a ton of worker's, none of which I recognized. The menu though, looked exactly the same. I was shown a small table and actually ordered without looking at the menu; I knew what I wanted; the Adana Kebab. I looked over at the kitchen area and finally recognized one of the cooks from the "old Sultan". Things seemed a bit chaotic, they had only been open for two days after all…… Lot's of employees needing lots of training. What didn't need to be fixed was my Adana Kebab……..

While not as spicy as I recalled; this was every bit as moist, flavorful, beefy, with spices dancing in my mouth as I could remember. My memory told me that the rice was fluffier, with more flavor……I texted this to the Missus who told me that I "was just missing it so much". Whatever, that cacik cut the flavors of the kebab like a yogurt flavored knife….

As I finished my meal, I felt a hand on my shoulder…..it was the owner, smiling, thanking me for dropping by. We had a short, but nice conversation. He's dropped out of the Hillcrest Farmer's Market and his daughter had returned from school in Turkey. He wanted opportunities for some of his family and thought this would allow "each one of them to have a home of their own." The American dream. He also insisted that I try his latest baklava, the pistachio-date…….less sweet, it was more to my taste…delicious.

Whether this incarnation of Sultan will deliver the dishes that inspired us to travel to Turkey, and me to write stuff like this, well, that remains to be seen. I will say that I can't wait to meet up with some of my old favorites here, the lahmacun, acili ezme, saksuka, and patlican salatasi….they're all calling my name.

Welcome back Sultan, we've missed you!

Sultan Baklava Mediterranean Cuisine
770 4th Ave
San Diego, CA

Prague: Our last evening, dinner at U Tri Ruzi

January 3, 2015 mmm-yoso Beer, Czech Food and Restaurants, Czech Republic, Gastropub, Prague, Pubs and Pub Grub, Travel

We had really enjoyed our time in Prague. While a bit more edgy than other places in Europe, there's an interesting sense of humor, the sights are quite stunning, as is the architecture. The lively city isn't full of itself, folks don't appear quite as jaded by the mass of tourists as other places, and the food is hearty. We had gotten to enjoy our large and spacious apartment, especially the fact that it wasn't located in tourist central….yes, there were the loud drunks pouring out of the bar in the basement at closing time and the place had so much security, locks, and gates, that you sometimes felt like you were settling into a fortress at night. Still, I think we got a lot out of staying just close enough to the sights, but far enough to interact with locals. The Missus has already put Prague on the "must return" list.

For our last meal, the Missus selected U Tri Ruzi. She had really enjoyed the beer, food, and ambiance of the brew pub the night before. And She really wanted the duck rillette again. So U Tri Ruzi it was.

I mentioned previously how much we loved the wall paintings, many of which involve the Czech history and love for beer.

And that Vienna Red went down as smoothly as on our previous visit.

We ordered the duck rillette, but were given the duck pate. We notified the folks of the mistake and they were going to swap it out, but we decided to just go ahead and have the pate….which was nice and creamy.

The Missus ordered the duck confit and asked if She could replace the potato dumplings with cabbage. They were nice enough to comply and so the Missus was in braised cabbage heaven with both red cabbage and braised sauerkraut.

The duck decently done, fairly moist with a simple, but good duck flavor. They braised the sauerkraut with bacon, so it was double delish for the Missus.

I saw the roasted pork knuckle on the menu, the price, something like 260 CZK, about eleven bucks sounded right. I was amazed at what arrived at the table…..holy smokes.

For some reason, I really didn't think they'd serve me an entire pork knuckle…..sheesh. The skin was adequately crisp, it could have been better, but the meat was very moist and tender, slipping right off the bone without being mushy, the seasoning simple and balanced. Unlike many cases of "the other white meat" here at home, this was nice and porky.

Our Server told us that people do actually finish all of it! He also said that they will be indicating that the portion will be enough for two on future menus.

We saved the leftovers and had it the next morning with all our other leftovers for breakfast before leaving for our flight.

U Tri Ruzi
Husova 10
Prague, Czech Republic

The Old Town Square is just a block away from U Tri Ruzi. Being one of the Missus's favorite places we took a walk over one last time.

Tourists we strolling up and down the square as the shadows grew longer marking the coming of dusk.

Not bothered by the crowd and noise, a solitary dog bathed in the early evening sun.

We spent a few minutes soaking it all in, then headed back to drop off our leftovers.

Taking a few moments to reresh ourselves, we took our last walk in Prague. We decided on a walk down the Vltava River, just strolling, taking everything in.

Near the Most Legii (The Legion) Bridge we saw something that made us smile…….

Do you see it? Here's a closer look:

Two women, faithful canine in tow, heading off into the sunset in their paddle boat. This just seemed the perfect time to call it a day……time for us to head off and think about the next stop on our trip.

Thanks for reading!

And if you want a bit more about our time in the Czech Republic:

Prague: Hospoda u Novaka and getting oriented

Prague: A little self catering and Wenceslas Square

Prague: The Charles Bridge, the Little Quarter, the Lennon (not Lenin) Wall, the Jewish Quarter, and lunch at Kolkovna

Prague: Havelske Market, a walk along the Vltava River, and the Dancing House (Tančící dům)

Olomouc: The Plague Tower and Drapal

Olomouc: The Astronomical Clock, Turtle Fountain, St Wenceslas Cathedral, Svatováclavský Pivovar (St Wenceslas Brewery), and Museum Night

Olomouc: Side trip to Kromeriz and lunch at Minipivovar Moritz

Brno: Lunch at Spalicek and a walk around Brno

Brno: The "Indecent Little Man" of St James Church, a Mediterranean Festival, and a little self catering

Brno: The Cabbage Market, Spilberk Castle, and Sklizeno Foodie Market

Brno: The Dragon of Brno, Jiří Birk's Wheel, and other secrets of the town hall. Dinner at Stopkova Plzeňská Pivnice

Returning to Prague: Lunch at U Tri Ruzi and all those familiar places

Prague: A walk to the Castle Quarter and Lokal

January 2, 2015 mmm-yoso Beer, Czech Food and Restaurants, Czech Republic, Prague, Pubs and Pub Grub, Travel

The day after returning to Prague, we started things early. We'd been to areas like Wenceslas Square, the Charles Bridge, and Old Town Square countless times. But after all of this itme, we hadn't visited one area, Hradčany – the Castle Quarter. Located up the hill from the Little Quarter, it seems that the Missus was "saving" this place for our last day in Prague.

Of course, the Missus couldn't just head on out to the Castle Quarter….ooooh no. Just like the day before, we started out at the Powder Tower and the Municipal House. I gotta say, it looked much prettier sans the crowds, cars, buses, and tour groups.

The sun was shining brightly, even this early in the morning.

Though it was kind of weird seeing the Old Town Square so empty. Kind of eerie in the bright sunshine.

We had gotten used to the crowds, which made us fell like we were almost on a movie set. Strange, we usually enjoy having a place all to ourselves, but it just didn't feel right. Though it was great for taking photos.

Not dodging folks ocming right at and past you, we had a chance to notice other things….like this sign I love; "Techo! House! Jungle Rap ! disco duck?" You gotta love it.

The Charles Bridge was sedate, peaceful, sprakling in the morning sunshine as we looked up at the Castle Quarter.

The Missus decided we'd walk up the hill to the Castle Quarter (of course). Walking up steep Nerudova Street, you can't help but notice the charming buildings that line the street, various restaurants, embassies, hotels, most of which sport very distinctive signs above doorways.

These signs used to indentify the location/residences. Thing of them as addresses of a sort…..

Soon enough, we'd made it to Castle Square…..

Th courtyard area is quite impressive, though nothing tops St. Vitus Cathedral whose spires rise high above Prague and can be seen from quite a distance.

We had arrived pretty early and the ticket offices weren't open yet.

We wandered around just taking in the area, relaxing, grabbing a cup of coffee.

And then, one of those "only in the Czech Republic" moments happened. Every hour, there's a changing of the guard. Nothing odd about that. The band was playing, the sun was shining….then the music stopped and a motorcade appeared, though the car only had a driver. A demonstration of precision driving I assume?

They drove around the courtyard doing figure eights, loop-de-loops, and other patterns from the precision driver's handbook……

Then the motorcade drove away into the distance and the Castle Guards appeared, looking quite dapper and cool behind those shades. They went through a drill routine and marched to music from the band. I stopped when I recognized the music….I swear, it was the theme to "Mission Impossible"! Da-da-da-duh, da-da-da-dah…. Yikes! I actually filmed part of it on my iPhone but it never came out. Bummer……

A few minutes later, we had gotten our tickets and headed off…with the theme from Mission Impossible still playing in my head. Quick, try not to think of that catchy tune right now. Couldn't, could you?

The very Gothic looking Cathedral has quite an history. It was started in 1344, but plagues, wars, deaths of the various Master Builders, and lack of funds delayed the completion of the Cathedral until 1929, almost 600 years!

There's quite a bit to see here; the Royal Mausoleum, amazing stained glass work, The Czech Crown Jewles reside here, displayed once every 8 years. I was especially taken by the wood carving of Prague, which was done in 1630. You can still see familiar landmarks.

As we left, a visiting choir, walked to the middle of the cathedral and began an impromptu performance in an area that seemed to have perfect acoustics….it was amazing; beautiful and haunting. It actually gave me "chicken skin".

The view of the Cathedral form the back is no less impressive….

Close by is the Old Royal Palace, once Bohemian Princes governed from here. The most impressive part is huge Vladislav Hall.

It is so large that it was used for jousting tournaments. In fact, that large stairway used for exiting the building was where the Knights and their horses entered the Hall.

The views of Prague are quite tranquil. It hard to believe that in 1618 two Catholic Governor's were thrown out of the windows of one of the offices in the Ludwig Wing by angry Protestants. Luckily, a dung heap saved them from certain death. This act, called defenestration, started the Thirty Years War.

As you exit the Palace, you can't miss the understated, yet stunning in its own right, the oldest existing church within Prague Castle, the Basilica of St George.

Originally founded in 920, the interior is fascinating and haunting, built in the medieval Romanesque style.

A few steps downhill and to the left is a small street of tiny dwellings called "Golden Lane".

Named for the Goldsmith's that originally worked and lived here, this tiny street also housed castle servants and was in use until World War II. Number 22 is quite popular since it was inhabited by Franz Kafka from 1916 – 1917. Ah, if those walls could talk…..

You exit via a staircase and thru a cannon tower, cum prison which is stocked with a few examples of….well….let's just say "devices".

I know, it's a loooong post and you're wondering "where's the food?" I know by this time we were getting hungry. Though the Missus has a way of making me earn my calories and this was no different. We walked the couple of kilometers to Dlouha, pretty close to Kolkovna to a place I'd read about perhaps 2 dozen times. A pub named Lokal.

The interior itself is quite interesting…..one long hallway….the smoking section is (thankfully) in the back. We arrived a bit early so managed to get a table with no problem.

I had read that the Servers here were actually supposed to be gruff and short with you….it's part of the…well, theme, I guess. But the guy serving us didn't have a nasty bone in his body.

It was a pretty hot day as you can tell by the photos. If there's anything Pilsner Urquell was made for, it was to quench your thirst…..amazingly, the Missus had two!

We started with the "Pork terrine with onion and vinegar dressing". This basically a head cheese, a very nice head cheese!

This was lovely, they don't screw around with flavor here. This was nicely porky, sour, pungent, and probably the best head cheese we had the entire trip.

The House Sausages with Mustard and Whipped Horseradish was fine, if not particularly memorable.

Meanwhile, the sausage made from Prestice Pig, a Czech breed, was very nice. Moist, very much like a tender Kielbasa….a very tender and moist Kielbasa.

The pork neck was very nice as was the gravy. You can order bread dumplings as a side…….which is all you can eat. Even though these might be the best I'd had in Prague, who could eat more than one serving of these belly bombs?

A pretty nice meal.

Lokál
Dlouhá 33
Praha 1, Prague, Czech Republic

We rolled out of the place and walked, quite slowly back to our apartment…..those bread dumplings meant a nap was in order. We'd enjoy our last evening in Prague after a nice nap.

Happy New Year!

January 1, 2015 mmm-yoso Cooking, Markets & Grocers, yoso-silly

I hope 2014 was a great year for you all. And we send our best wishes for a great 2015 as well.

I worked a bit early on NYE, then headed off to complete was has become a tradition for me. On every New Year's Eve since 2005, I go to the various Japanese markets to check out the Osechi offerings.

Things have changed over the years, it's more of a pre-order kind of thing nowadays and there aren't too many extravagant items for sale on NYE anymore.

In fact, Marukai had almost nothing.

Mitsuwa had some interesting items, but nothing too interesting.

What I really did enjoy about my visit to Mitsuwa was a young couple, the girl, Japanese, the young man, blue-eyed, blond haired. The young lady went down the shelves explaining the significance of each of the osechi ryori items….stuff that I didn't even know! I just stood there and watched, quite taken with the moment…. At the end, she turned to me and gave me a smile and a wave. Nice job!