April 2015 – Page 2

Utah: Temple Square and Lunch at Red Iguana (Salt Lake City)

April 20, 2015 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Travel, Utah

We slept in on our last morning….well, if you call sleeping until 730 sleeping in. Our food experiences in Utah seemed a bit disappointing, but we decided to give one last popular restaurant a shot. Since they didn't open until 10am, we decided to walk on over to Temple Square, the headquarters for the LDS.

It was nice and fairly crisp and we were enjoying the day as we passed the convention center.

We passed the Creek Shopping Center, with shops like Tiffany, Nordstrom, and the Apple Store….and closed on Sundays! I'm guessing it has something to do with being right across the street from Temple Square. We were greeted as we entered and asked if we'd be visiting "Music and the Spoken Word", which is the Sunday morning televised broadcast. We were interested, but told the nice folks that we would have to leave fairly quickly. We were told it was no problem since the rehearsal was going on. We were free to leave anytime before the 930 start.

Which is how we got to watch part of the choir's morning rehearsal in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. Quite impressive.

Speaking of impressive, the entire complex is dwarfed by the towering Salt Lake Temple.

The grounds features beautifully manicured gardens, a huge conference center, administrative buildings, several historic houses; the "Lion House" which used to be Brigham Young's residence. It had to be large because Brigham Young had 57 biological children, and the connected "Beehive House".

Temple Square is Utah's most visited tourist attraction, with as many visitors a Utah's 5 National Parks combined!

We saw a lot of folks taking photos….they all seemed overjoyed, almost giddy, at being here.

From the Beehive House, we headed North and got on North Temple Street and headed west. SLC's streets are set-up in a very simple (once you get sued to street with the same name with North/South/East/West) grid system. Our destination was on North Temple and was just under a mile and half walk. Things did seem a bit more "gritty" as we crossed over the I-15. A mere half block later we were at our destination; Red Iguana.

We arrived a few minutes before opening. The exterior looks a bit worn and shabby, but I had read that this is one of the most popular restaurants in the city….Mexican….in Salt Lake City? The place opened and we were told to sit anywhere our hearts desired. Our server; I'm hoping my memory isn't mailing me was named Stephanie. She was super outstanding, so very friendly, accommodating, and gracious.

Within a flash chips (not very good) and some salsa (nice and picante) found its way to our table.

We had come here to try the mole….but was having a difficult time deciding. So Stephanie said not to worry, they put together a sampler for us to try.

What really shocked me was how much I enjoyed the version of Mole Amarillo, not quite the traditional version; this one had raisins and habaneros…sweet with heat. We whittled down the sauces to versions we liked….but was stuck on four. Again, making us half and halfs were not a problem. You gotta love the service.

We choose chicken; which was simple simmered bird. The first combo was half Mole Verde and Mole Poblano ($15.99).

The verde was nice and nutty, but was over-shadowed by the rich, sweet, and spicy mole poblano, which tasted closest to versions I've had before.

The second was Mole Negro and Mole Amarillo ($15.99).

The mole negro was fine, though not nearly as good as say……El Tejate. The unconventional mole Amarillo, sweet and spicy stood up well. It was by far our favorite.

The rice and beans (and the tortillas) were pretty routine and not very good.

And while the food fell short of amazing, it was good, easily our best meal during this trip. And the service was wonderful. Our server is a fairly recent transplant and we chatted about SLC's uniqueness, things that caught her off guard when she moved here. The affinity for sandwiches and burgers; how you can look down Main Street on some days and not see a single car….. She made our meal a pleasure.

Red Iguana
736 W North Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84116

We walked back to the Residence Inn and managed a short catnap before leaving for the airport.

Perhaps the food really didn't stand out on this trip. But the views, well they were priceless.

Thanks for reading!

Iron Pig Alehouse

April 19, 2015 mmm-yoso BBQ, Beer, Gastropub, Pubs and Pub Grub

**** Iron Pig has closed

This post really underlines why I like to make multiple visits to places when possible. It's not always practical. But if a place shows promise, I try to visit more than once if possible. Iron Pig is a good example, though sometimes it takes a while.

Back in November, Iron Pig Alehouse opened in PB; you can read Kirbie's post on the place. soon after opening, I visited with a friend of mine…..

And while the service was nice and the beer selection decent; I thought the meal left a lot to be desired.

From the nicely flavored but rubbery skinned smoked wings, to the baby backs with a decent rub, but quite dry and mealy texture, to the mushy brisket. The sauce seemed what my friends would call "competition sauce"…..tasting like a doctored up base. Not bad mind you, just quite generic.

And yet, there seemed some potential here; the flavor of the wings were quite good……..

So it took me six months to convince my biggest BBQ critic, the Missus ("your rubs is too bitter"…."the ribs you made are too dry"……."that pork butt needs to be smoked a bit longer") to check out Iron Pig. And we're glad we did.

Take a look at this version of the smoked wings ($9.99).

Nice and crisp, smoky, perhaps edging on being too salty, but I'll never complain about anything being too smoky. The wings were also moist and tender….just about perfect for us.

Of course the Missus "needed" a salad….sigh…..but, She made the right choice in ordering the "Man Salad" ($12.99).

Our Server/bartender was awesome…..she actually warned us that the "salad has French fries on it….and some folks take exception to that!" Really? It's ok to have fries in the burrito, but not in a salad? This was a huge salad. The blue cheese, brisket (much better than previously encountered), and arugula worked really well for us.

The only item we both didn't care for were the rib tips. I'm a big rib tip fan….I love maneuvering around the chewy cartilage, through all that rich fatty tissue, and the burnt crust for that perfect bite. This was too mushy, mild, and frankly ruined by all that sauce. You really didn't get the joy of having a nice rib tip. Perhaps I'm in the minority, but crunchy, crusty, fatty, rib tips just do well on their own with sauce on the side.

Overall, we had a nice meal. The service was very friendly….actually, I wish I got the name of our bartender/server. She was awesome. I'm sure we'll be back…especially since most draft beers are half price during Happy Hour. I need to have those wings again…..just to see….which version is the norm.

Iron Pig Alehouse
1520 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109

Saturday Stuff: Xian Kitchen coming soon and other stuff

April 18, 2015 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, yoso-silly

Too bad Jin's Pot couldn't make it. I drove by the other day and saw this sign:

I know that asking for a good Yang Rou Pao Mo or Rou Jia Mo might be stretching it. But one can always dream.

4690 Convoy St. Suite B109
San Diego, CA 92111

Here's some other odds and ends. I'd always wondered what was going to take the place of Lucky Star. On a recent visit to Northgate Market the question was answered.

Apparently, it's become a banquet space.

I'm a little bit late on this one, but a favorite of some folks I know closed at the end of the year. I nevre posted on the Hungry Stick, though I'd been there a few times.

I heard it's being turned into a Dentist Office.

3993 54th St.
San Diego, CA 92104

That's it for today. Hope you're having a great weekend!

Utah: The Copper Onion (Salt Lake City)

April 17, 2015 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Travel, Utah

After a light lunch (and interesting beer) we checked in at the Residence Inn, SLC. This room was even bigger than the Provo location and things looked new. We then had a nice short nap. The staff here was quite friendly and nice. The location is right on 300 South aka West Broadway.

The Greek Orthodox Church is right across the street as is Pioneer Park.

The location was quite convenient. Our dinner destination was just a half mile walk down the street. A couple of things we noticed right away…..there are tons of chain restaurants in SLC. And in spite of all the cars parked; the streets looked empty.

I had made dinner reservations at The Copper Onion. The menu looked perfect for us. Man, in spite of how the streets looked; this placed was packed to the gills. The dining room seemed on the hot and stuffy side, so since the weather was mild we asked if we could get a table on the patio. They only too happy to oblige.

Our server was a really gracious, friendly, and knowledgeable young man named Michael. He made the meal a seamless process except for the time they took our plates and silverware away then brought us our next course…leaving us stranded. But other than that, we enjoyed the service.

We started with the Wagyu Beef Tartar ($11).

Man, look at all that crostini. This didn't quite do it for us. The beef was too chewy, it was under seasoned…I really missed that velvety egg yolk which adds richness without interfering with the refreshing aspect of the beef, which the salsa rosa did. The arugula, fresh, crisp, not overly bitter, dressed simply was the best part of the dish.

The Escarole Salad ($10) looked quite sloppy.

The greens were really nice and crisp, but I wasn't a fan of the balsamic they used which was extremely sour, lacking the rounded balance, and touch of sweetness that we love in a balsamic vinegar.

The best item of the night was the Wagyu Roasted Bone Marrow ($18).

Man, that marrow was awesome….simply prepared, rich, smoky, with a touch of salt which was provided on the side. The Missus made sure to have every single little morsel.

Luckily, we made sure to keep the salt provided for the bone marrow. We needed it for the Griddled Duck ($23).

Funny thing; several items seemed in need of salt…which led the missus to say, "hey, this is SALT Lake City, right?" The duck, with a light sprinkle of salt tasted fine. It was cooked a nice medium rare. It was cut a bit too thick. also, the plating seemed a bit dated and ponderous. That red stuff you see on the butternut squash puree is actually duck blood……I don't think the duck rested long enough after prep. Loved the upland cress, peppery and refreshing. The Portobello was totally under-seasoned and the gills hadn't been cleaned, so it left a huge black blotch in the orange-blood tinged, plate.

The Missus did love Her order of Beets ($4), though.

The service here was excellent. The food however, seemed a bit uneven to us; in terms of flavor, presentation, and finesse. Still, I'm glad we tried the place.

The Copper Onion
111 E Broadway
Salt Lake City, UT 84111

After dinner, the Missus decided we needed to burn off that bone marrow so we walked all the way to Trolley Square, then back to the Residence Inn.

We passed the modern looking public library and the City and County Building along the way back.

Man, so this was Saturday night, huh? We finally passed a couple of groups of people as we walked up South Main Street. As we got close to the hotel, we stopped by Squatters Craft Beer, which was packed in spite of the empty streets (strange, I know) and picked up a couple of bottles to try as a nightcap.

The Squatters Bumper Crop Honey Ale was fine, nice head, hints of citrus and honey (of course). The Wasatch Evolution Amber Ale is pretty blah…..

Still, the weather was nice…we kept the windows open all night and the Missus sure slept well!

Tomorrow, we'd have one last chance for a good meal in SLC before heading to the airport. Would we find it?

Stay Tuned!

Eating at my Desk: Nijiya, Tita’s Kitchenette, Nanay’s Best BBQ, Yum Cha Cafe, and Artisan Bento

April 16, 2015 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Filipino Restaurants, Japanese Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, yoso-silly

Things have been pretty busy the last year and a half or so. I've noticed that I eat more lunches at my desk than I ever did before. Yes, I know it's spposed to actually hurt productivity. But there are those things called conference calls, web meetings, and the ever looming and shifting deadline.

Most often, I'll run out and pick up something from Nijiya; probably at least once a week. So many of the lunches I have at my desk look like this.

I'm definitely not complaining about this one….it's comfort food.

Nijiya Market
3860 Convoy St Ste 109
San Diego, CA 92111

"MG" is a good family friend; the Missus is one (I didn't know that folks can have as many as seven) of her son's Godmothers. We used to work in the same department and had some really fun potlucks. We're now in different departments, but she will sometimes drop by to make sure I'm getting fed. Like bringing me hamanado and tapa from Tita's for lunch. Good lord……how in the world was I able to finish this before?

For some reason, it seems time, at least in my mind, hasn't been good to Tita's…the grey color, the tough beef…though I still like the hamanado. In spite of it being on the tough side I like the mild sweetness and the salty tones.

Yes, it's pretty much about quantity….the love of abundance. It's enough for at least two meals.

Tita's Kitchenette
2720 East Plaza Boulevard
National City, CA 91950

One day she dropped off this:

I recognized it immediately…I asked if it was from Tem's and was told "no, it's from Nanay's". Which left me a bit confused, until I found out that Tem's is now Nanay's and apparently the food is basically the same. I will say I enjoyed the "spicy chicken" much more than the pork version I had when the place was Tem's. The "BBQ" chicken kind of reminds me of food court stuff, but it's not terrible….which the rice was, with quite a bit of hard grains in it.

Nanay's Best BBQ
6715 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92121

Speaking of bad rice…….

**** Yum Cha Cafe has closed

Just because I have to eat at my desk doesn't mean I can't have stuff to post on. So on the way back from a meeting I stopped by Yum Cha Café. I hadn't been here in ages. I got the Hainan Chicken Rice….mostly because I must be a glutton for punishment. I mean, the place used to have passable cheap grub, but if this is any indication, they've really taken a dive. Dry tasteless chicken…the rice was hard and dry….ick.

Yum Cha Cafe
6933 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92111

And then there are the times I get to follow-up on a place I had been wondering about. In this case Artisan Bento. I got the Delux Bento…which clocks in at $13.95! I chose Ginger Pork, Shogayaki…which, being on the more salty side really reminds me of what my mom used to make.

**** Artisan Bento is no longer

I gotta say that these folks seem to have it down. From the time I ordered to leaving the place, less than 10 minutes!

I still enjoy the ohitashi. The kyuri (cucumber) was really bland. The miso soup seemed much more watered down. I usually cringe at the thought of multi-grain rice. But for some reason, I like the version at Artisan Bento….sheesh…what next? Macramé???

For dessert I chose the strawberry cheesecake which I proceeded to give away. I think I can do the regular bento next time.

Artisan Bento
2505 5th Ave
San Diego, CA 92103

One change from my previous post. They now open at 11….so no more walking in at 10 to find out they don't serve food until 11.

So, let me ask you…..do you eat at your desk? If so, what's your go to meal to have there? and what do you think about having to eat there?

Utah: Island in the Sky (Canyonlands National Park) and Wasatch Brew Pub

April 15, 2015 mmm-yoso Beer, Pubs and Pub Grub, Travel, Utah

I woke at 530am on our second morning in Utah. The previous day, had been quite amazing….well, the views, not the food. We decided to head off to a district of the massive (337,598 acres) Canyonlands National Park, known as Island in the Sky, a mesa that towers a thousand feet over the rugged and picturesque terrain below. I got the Missus up at around 6am….we showered, packed up and headed out into the dark morning…..pretty much like the day before. This time though, our target was much closer, a bit over 30 miles or so away. The classic location for viewing the sunrise in the Island in the Sky district is the Mesa Arch which frames the East rising sun. We had run into maybe two cars on our drive to the Mesa Arch, but were surprised when the parking lot was almost full! Taking the short half mile walk to the arch, we could see an entire line of paparazzi folks with camera gear already set-up!

It was crazy. I heard one guy telling another he'd camped out overnight and got to his "spot" to set-up at 5am! Serious folks!

I just headed off to the side to photograph the dramatic sunrise.

The Missus hung back and took a photo of the sunrise through the Mesa Arch.

And while it was a bit of a hazy morning, the views were still quite dramatic.

We walked back to the car and headed off to the Grand View Point Overlook and took the 3 mile hike around the rim of the mesa.

I really enjoyed this hike. The views were just stunning. I probably enjoyed this more than the Delicate Arch, which was the Missus' favorite.

You can see for miles in the distance; view the amazing terrain, and just try to take it all in.

The hike is easy, you can read more about it here and here.

And no, there aren't any fences or barriers……which just adds to the drama. (Click on the photos to enlarge)

We made one last short stop at the Shafer Canyon Overlook, before hitting the road and making the 200 mile trip back to Salt Lake City.

I made a short stop in Green River to refuel, then drove all the way through.

Our destination? The rather hip neighborhood in SLC called Sugar House. During our stop at Whole Foods a couple of nights back. I got into a nice conversation with the very friendly young lady at the deli counter. When I mentioned we were from San Diego…she bent over and whispered; "do you like to drink beer???" I whispered back, "we sure do….but why are we whispering?"

Anyway, she recommended a stop at the Annex by Epic Brewing. So that's where we went. The place has this "club license" which means they can serve alcohol without having to serve food. The server was really nice and explained things to us…took our IDs and scanned them and did the whole thing.

I would have really enjoyed this place except for one thing….the bartender was a jerk. Apparently he didn't like us, and decided to serve and chat to his "friends" rather than pour us our beer, which took 25 minutes to get to us. Other than the three people at the bar, the place was totally empty. I think the last straw was when a group of eight came in after us and got their drinks before us. Even our server profusely apologized telling us, "I'm sorry, but I don't have control over pouring your beer". Too bad, my Belgian Style Golden Ale was quite nice.

I felt really bad for our server when I told her, "I think we'll be headed out." And asked for the check….so I left her a nice tip…after all, it wasn't her fault the wanna be hipster behind the bar was a jerk. Nuff said.

**** The Annex by Epic Brewing has closed

The Annex by Epic Brewing
1048 E 2100 S
Salt Lake City, UT 84106

In retrospect, maybe it was fate that drove us from the Annex to Wasatch Brew Pub next door.

This place was a bit more busy and our server was wonderful. I also loved the names of the beer; Chasing Tail Golden Ale, anyone? This almost made me forget I was in SLC.

And then the Missus saw the beer I "just had to order"…. the Polygamy Porter on Nitro….yep, you heard that right. I just can't help but crack up. I loved the glass….in fact, the Missus and I should have bought a couple for our friends. And then there's the beer's tagline; "Why have just one…." You gotta love it…

This was pretty light, mild coffee, nice and creamy from the nitro. Not the best Porter I've had….but surely one of the best names!

The Missus ordered the Jalapeno Cream Ale, which was quite good. Unlike a lot of chile beers, this one had a nice kick that came through. Great fragrance of jalapenos as well. It went well with the food we had.

The Shishito Peppers could have been roasted a bit more.

But the Missus really enjoyed it…..the portion size was quite large. It needed a bit more salt, but the peppers were really fresh. Some of the larger, older ones had a bit of sneaky heat as well.

The Missus really wanted more veggies and we had dinner reservation for what I thought was going to be a rather rich meal, so I didn't veto the "Super Food Beet Salad". The beets were really tasty, having that balanced sweetness I really enjoy. The vinaigrette was nice, slightly citrusy, never getting in the way of the ingredient's flavors.

I honestly have to say; I'm still not a fan of fruits in my salad…especially mandarin oranges…though the Missus enjoys them.

In the end, I'm glad we ended up here. The service was pleasant, the food, while nothing special was ok, and we got a couple of good laughs as well. The beer will not make you forget about San Diego, but you'll never forget that sign…..

Wasatch Brew Pub
2110 Highland Dr
Salt Lake City, UT 84106

Utah: Arches National Park and Moab Brewery

April 14, 2015 mmm-yoso Beer, Pubs and Pub Grub, Travel, Utah

Thanks to Cathy, you probably didn't even notice I was gone for a few days, did ya?

A few weeks back, I could tell that the Missus, who had been working really hard was just itchin' for a trip. I had just finished watching an episode of Inside Man…a rarity for me since I've been too busy to watch television over the last couple of months. The episode was about America's National Parks. When the little tidbit about the average age of the typical visitor to a National Park was mentioned, I was shocked. Can you guess what it was? 57? I recall living vicariously thru the stories that kids I knew whose parents would take them to Yellowstone, or some other national park over the summer would tell. We were too poor to travel, but I'd always told myself "someday….." The Missus had been wanting to visit Arches National Park for a while; so I guess "someday" had arrived.

So I quickly planned our escape. An evening flight to Salt Lake City. I decided to stay in Provo since it would cut off an hour of our drive time. We'd be getting to Provo by about 830 pm or so. I did a bit of research to see what was open after 9pm……yikes….not much in Provo or Orem. So what I decided to do was to take an extra hour out, head to Whole Foods in Salt Lake, grab a salad, some nuts(which would keep us the whole weekend), some charcuterie, and head to Provo. So our first real interaction with folks in Utah was at Whole Foods and let me tell you….I just couldn't believe how really nice the two young ladies who helped us were. I'll have more on the young lady at the deli counter later. Strangely, Whole Foods was almost totally empty, at 730 pm…so were the streets of downtown Salt Lake City. We loved the Residence Inn in Provo, full fridge, sofa, living room…even though we'd only be staying the night it made us feel at home.

We headed out before 6 am the next morning. It was hard to see much since the sun didn't come up until almost 7 am.

The drive was interesting….we saw unmelted ice by the side of the roads….snow had fallen as recently as the week before we arrived and if I recall correctly, more snow is set to fall there Wednesday into Thursday this week!

We stopped for fuel, some vitamin D, and a good stretching of our legs in Price.

We arrived at the gates of Arches National Park at around 845am, and managed to drive past the gates by 9am. The Missus wanted to check out the Visitor's Center so we made a stop there. Here's the deal. We had made no plans (except for one must see) and decided just to let the road be our guide. I knew it was going to be amazing just by the view out the window of the Visitor's Center.

I had printed a map earlier, off the National Park Service Website. Maps tell you distance, you can determine location….but they don't indicate what the area looks like. Which was pretty darn beautiful.

We stopped at the trailhead called "Park Avenue" because it resembles the towers that line the famous boulevard in Manhattan.

We then drove just a short distance when I couldn't help but stop and just look in wonder.

In this panoramic shot (click on to enlarge), you can see "the Organ" (second from the right) and the "Three Gossips" (three little nubs to the left of the Organ).

If you ever visit, Balanced Rock should be a must stop. there's an easy short trail…we saw a woman using a walker on the trail. It's pretty amazing…..the Missus kept saying "who knows…..this might just fall and crumble any day now" during the entire time here.

There's this strange sense of scale when looking at these large sandstone formations…it really doesn't look that large from a distance….but up close….. So including people in our photos actually helps to illustrate scale.

From Balanced Rock, it gets a bit more crowded. After all, the Windows area is a must stop.

This is another very easy trail. You can visit the North and South "Window" and also the Turret Arch across the way, via a very easy trail.

It's a very popular area.

As is the "Double Arch" (right across the parking lot), two arches that meet at a single spot….formed by water in a "pothole" according to the signage.

My favorite view were the formations named "Parade of the Elephants"….which really looked like elephants!

Our next stop was the one the Missus was really looking forward to. It meant stopping near an area called Wolfe Ranch. Near here is a side trail where you can view petroglyphs……one of my favorite sites on this trip.

Beyond this point lay what the Missus wanted to see. It was easy trail to this point. Beyond this was a fairly steep trail of what they call "slickrock". Still, I saw many a mom and dad making their way up the side of the mountain with a baby strapped to their back. Granted, they were decades younger than me….but still……

The big payoff here was a close-up view of a iconic symbol of the state of Utah. the Delicate Arch.

It is striking….and as the Missus said, "you know…..this might just fall and crumble any day now!"

The descent was actually harder on my joints than the ascent. But we finally made it back to the car and onward to Moab. I wasn't really inspired by any location in Moab, so I let the Missus choose. She decided on Moab Brewery.

Utah has some of the most restrictive alcohol laws in the US. And Moab Brewery is located almost at the end of the one major thoroughfare, Main Street.

We decided to eat in the bar area. The woman who served us was so nice. We asked about the local liquor restrictions and apologized for not quite knowing it. Her reply, "oh, no problem……I tell everyone who is not a local anyway, so they know." Anyway, anything draft is less than 4 percent ABV, you can get bottled beer, which is considered "liquor", as in hard liquor. There are "tasters", but no "flights".

Anyway, I went with a Hefeweizen, which was decent, non-descript, fairly generic, though quite refreshing.

The Missus had two tasters and went with the Pilsner. Which She said was refreshing, though even lighter than what we had in Prague. Still, it was nice after hiking in the sun…..

We weren't too hungry and decided on two things……

Starting with the Jalapeno Beer Fries ($6.59).

We both actually enjoyed this. The Jalapeno Powder gave this a bit of a "kick", the fries had been dusted with flour and were crisp. The "beer sauce" was like nacho cheese with salsa….but was strangely addictive…in a "college dorm room" kind of way.

We also ordered the Gazpacho Salad with Grilled Chicken ($9.99).

The vinaigrette was decent, this hit the spot as we wanted something cold and light for lunch.

The service was nice, the food…well, I've had much worse in San Diego.

Moab Brewery
686 S Main St
Moab, UT 84532

And so we hit the magical hour of check-in. Which we did….followed by a short nap.

Upon getting up, we decided to head back to Arches for the sunset.

First we visited the area called the "Garden of Eden".

Then it was off to the Windows for the sunset.

The difference in views and how things look at various times of the day is fascinating. Also, you start noticing more on your second visit.

And so we watched the sunset from the Turret Arch…….

Revisits: Pho Ban Mai and New Mandarin Canton

April 13, 2015 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Chinese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

Here's a couple of places I haven't been to in a while.

Pho Ban Mai:

A couple of weeks ago, when it was super hot, Lily and "YZ" wanted to grab some lunch. Everything just seemed a bit "too much" for the heat and this being a Monday, places like Sab E Lee were closed. We ended up going to Pho Ban Mai, which I seem to visit about once a year. I ended up doing the ordering and we started with the Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings:

While the seasoning wasn't bad; I thought these were greasy, the bones in several were broken and the meat tasted a bit off like it had been thawed and then refrozen. Not good eats.

I also went with what I call the "Brodard South" dishes; the Nem Nuong Cuon and the Chao Tom Cuon. Like I mentioned before, these were right out of the Brodard playbook.

As before the Nem Nuong, the pork "sausage", was much better, more flavor, nicely grilled, and the addition of a touch of herbs along with the scallion complements the flavor of the meat. The Chao Tom, is a bit too rubbery and "squeaky" for me and is quite bland….which comes to the sauce….I keep on meaning to just get nuoc mam cham, the sauce here is not very good, very bland, lacking in flavor.

I've always enjoyed the banh xeo here; I think it is crisp and light, and I appreciate the ratio of fillings to the crisp "crepe". It's all about proportion to me when it comes to banh xeo.

Lily and "YZ" had never had banh xeo before, so I thought this would be a nice introduction. Man, Lily went after this like there was no tomorrow…..apparently, she loves bean sprouts, and the combination of the light crunch of the crepe with the crisp lettuce and herbs, dipped into nuoc mam cham was just what the doctor ordered for a hot day. This was a nice specimen, perhaps as good as what I had here in 2011.

Overall a decent meal; though there's one area that seemed lacking. When Pho Ban Mai first opened, the folks seemed friendly and attentive, during my last visit, the guys seemed more interested in socializing. This time around, they seem to want nothing to do with customers. In other words, it's getting almost borderline rude here. Not a good trend. I hope the next time I get my banh xeo fix, the pattern will be reversed.

Pho Ban Mai
8991 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

New Mandarin Canton:

Speaking of salt and Pepper Chickens Wings….we've been eating pretty good for a while and just needed to get our ABCDE (American Born Chinese Dining Establishment – "ab-cee-dee) fried food fix. It had been a while since we indulged in one of our guilty pleasures.

I'd always thought the Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings here were pretty good and was disappointed that they weere closed during our Salt and Pepper Wing Challenge. Though we were even more disturbed that the owner had been stabbed and beaten to death.

As far the wings go, they've never been quite the same, but were still good, and usually held up well. The Missus had always enjoyed the salt and pepper shrimp without shell here as well. Which is what I ordered.

Man, what is going on here? The chicken, while crisp, had basically no flavor…..I had to roll it in the garlic-scallion mixture to get any flavor at all.

It had also been fried to death……dry as a mouthful of sand. Kind of sad. Looks like I'll have to start making the rounds searching for some good S&P wings.

To make things worse, the shrimp were even more pathetic.

Very bland, under fried and gummy batter….this was pretty bad.

It's quite sad when an "old standby" doesn't deliver….

New Mandarin Canton Chinese Restaurant
543 Telegraph Canyon Road
Chula Vista, CA 91910

Phils BBQ (Santee)

April 12, 2015 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, BBQ, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!! today. Kirk is out and about, enjoying the beautiful countryside. Ed(from Yuma) is out and about enjoying the Yuma countryside. Cathy is here, blogging and noticing the sky out the window.

Phils BBQ. On weekends, lines form and snake outside the door at each of their (currently) three locations from 11 a.m. into the evening. Visitors from back East mention Phil's as one of their 'musts' when asked where they would like to eat…They've heard of it. Even Ed(from Yuma) and a friend have stopped at Phil's to enjoy a meal. These rare (both because of no line and there was rain) photos were taken in January on a Monday, because 'back then', Phils was closed on Mondays, but now Phil's is open an extra 52 days a year.Really. Mondays.That's the whole menu. You should be able to order quickly and efficiently when you get to the front of the line, yet many people seem overwhelmed. Hence, the line moves slowly.Many people just call in 'To Go' orders and get in and out quickly. We like to sit and eat inside.There is much visual and auditory stimulation. Mentioning that beer is available here is redundant. Beer is San Diego. Other beverages and to-go containers are self serve and self explanatory.Any condiment you might need is on every table.

On to the food!

While not open pit smoked/authentic BBQ, the food here is very good. With the constant influx of customers, every item is fresh.Starting with the only item I order, the 'Beefy Rib Tickler'($8.95). One BBQ'd beef rib bone with 2 onion rings, cole slaw and fries. Your choice of BBQ sauce on top or on the side.

The beef rib is (as always) from a cow and therefore very large, meaty. It is falloff the bone perfectly cooked after being seasoned with a dry rub and good by itself or dipped in the sauce. The fries and onion rings are perfectly fried/not greasy and the cole slaw recipe here is one of my favorites; crispy and a bit tangy. This plate is perfection and, really, after trying the entire menu, my only choice.However, I digress. For those times (or guests) wanting something lighter, you can choose a small or large salad ($2.95/$4/95) and for an additional $3, top it with seasoned BBQ chicken. (The option of a small/large Caesar salad is $3.95/$5.95)(The amount of chicken for $3 is the same on either size salad).There are small ($1.75) and large sides($3) available. Above, a small side of sweet baked beans, another version that I enjoy because it is both sweet and tangy. Other small sides are cole slaw, fries, potato salad and macaroni salad. Large sides include all of those plus steamed veggies, a baked potato and corn on the cob.One item most people seem to order here is the "BBQ Broham sandwich"($6.95), seasoned and then char-grilled pulled pork on a toasted bun served one top of (or placed on the side, as above) cole slaw.For those who prefer pork ribs, the "Baby Back Ribs Tickler" ($6.95) is a good choice. Three baby backpork ribs, parboiled then grilled (using the same dry rub as on the beef ribs) and served with 2 rings, fries and coleslaw.

Sauce on the side for me! A unique (sweet, tangy and peppery) sauce and to fully appreciate, I think tasting the meat first, then the sauce by itself, then the meat with the sauce is the only way to appreciate sauces (and salsas).There is no need to run to the restroom or deal with disposable wipes to clean up when you are finished eating…

Phils BBQ 9816 Mission Gorge Road Santee 92071 (619) 449-7700 website 11-10 Sun-Th, 11-11 Fri-Sat

El Mango Manila (National City)

April 11, 2015 Cathy Fruiterias, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping to look at mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog, today. Cathy is writing again because the guys (Kirk and Ed(from Yuma)) are not having anything to do with blogging at this point in time.

A few months ago, The Mister and I were in National City and did another random stop when we saw a very bright, interesting bit of signage. According to the owners (all family), El Mango Manila has been open here since 2011. The menu is fairly extensive. Breakfasts here include molletes (my favorite) and there are tortas, sandwiches, green and fruit salads, juices, smoothies, licuados (milk based) and raspados (ices) and a variety of 'Crazy' menu items ('crazy' means cups of fresh corn topped with cheese, tostilocos, churrolocos, Takilocos and fruitilocos as well as a few other items).Recall that I said we were here a few months ago… Our order consisted of a medium Vampire juice (beets, carrots, celery and apple), small fruit salad of what was in season (strawberries, bananas, watermelon, green apple) topped with cottage cheese and granola with a side of honey and a mixed meat torta. The total bill was $12.

The torta was served on very fresh toasted bread, spread with a spicy lime mayonnaise and had ham and turkey and a melted Mexican cheese as well as lettuce, tomato, pickles and avocado.

This was a very tasty and fresh meal for us.

I do enjoy finding new places as well as stopping at fruiterias. Hope you are having a good weekend.

El Mango Manila 2303 Highland Avenue National City, CA 91950 (619)336-0507