May 2015 – mmm-yoso

Cafe Cantata- Del Mar

May 31, 2015 Cathy American Restaurants, Caffeine Fix, What Cathy Eats!

Cafe Cantata has closed.

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog. Today, Kirk is not writing, Ed(from Yuma) is not writing and it's Cathy's musings you will be reading.

The Mister and I were in the Torrey Pines area before Memorial Day and decided to drive along the coast, turning onto Via de la Valle to check out if the County Fair was being set up (so, you know, I could take photos and stuff…). Unfortunately nothing was going on in that sense, so we continued under the 5 and turned into the shopping mall on the North East corner (where there's Whole Foods, which has the inside the store restaurant, Trifecta Tavern) and I had our default lunch in mind.

Walking through the rest of the mall, we noticed Cafe Cantata, and I recalled reading about it on cc's post from almost a year ago, when she met Kirbie for lunch. Turns out it was during the County Fair and they both were still able to find parking, so that's something good to keep in mind. Here's a link to a more recent visit from cc.Cafe Cantata is on the second floor and used to be a location of Pannikin Coffee & Tea, a San Diego institution since 1968. Pannikin holds fond memories; it was our first 'real' coffee shop experience.Walking in, the wall to your left emphasizes the food. Seeing one person per table emphasizes free wifi. The coffee bar area is well utilized. Pastries are located in a couple of places, there is a chalk menu board as well as paper menus on the counter. It is the standard, order, pay and your food is brought to you. Breakfast and Lunch are served from 6 until 3 each day. I really like that.Ordering a large cup of (plain, regular, fresh)(certified organic, free trade, custom blend) coffee ($2.15) it was served in this asymmetric cup. Think about trying to drink it from the 'wrong' side…Since it was a Friday (when we don't eat meat), the Greek Scramble ($8.95) from the 'Breakfast' side of the menu was my choice. Eggs, Feta, tomato, onion and finely minced olives were expertly (and by that, I mean evenly; a skill which seems to be lacking at some breakfast establishments) scrambled. Served with whole grain toast and fresh fruit (or roasted potatoes), this was a wonderful meal.The Mister ordered a Caprese Panini ($7.95)- roasted and sun dried tomatoes, fresh Mozzarella and (giant) basil leaves on grilled sourdough, along with a bowl of tomato soup (add $1).

Cafe Cantata is a very nice place for a coffee or a small meal. You aren't required to use wifi and can have a nice visit here.

Cafe Cantata 2670 Via De La Valle Del Mar, CA 92014 (858) 925-7297 Website

Maldini’s Pizzeria (San Carlos)

May 30, 2015 Cathy Pizza, Salads, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! Food blog. Kirk usually is writing, but he is out of the country. Ed(from Yuma) does some posting, but he is getting ready to travel to a different state. Cathy holds down the fort when the guys can't. This is her blogging.

It started out innocently enough. A friend handed me one of those doorknob hanger ads for a pizza place, telling me it was really good-and that they have a carry out only special for $4.99.

I tossed it onto the car seat and forgot about it. Until one night when I was hungry, in the neighborhood and knowing I did not want to go home to make dinner.There-right next to the Dominos and about 100 yards from a Papa Johns pizza place is Maldinis. It's been there since 2013, a family pizza restaurant that sells a 14 inch large cheese pizza for $4.99.Dough and sauce made fresh daily. A really good, simple pizza. Friendly guys working…and a larger menu.

I had to bring The Mister back for our next 'date night' meal-our standard when we were starving college students and newlyweds. We ordered, paid and took a seat at one of the eight tables. The large Greek salad ($6.99) was brought out in a very large bowl. Lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, onions and Feta cheese. There was a lot of everything to this salad. The simple Italian dressing was complimentary to the fresh flavors of the produce and toppings. The small (12 inch) cheese calzone ($7.99). A folded pizza, filled with Mozzarella and Ricotta, brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with herbs and cheese and baked. Served with sauce on the side.

Perfect. Crispy. Cheesy. Memory jogging. I hope your weekend is as pleasant.

Maldini's Pizzeria 8734 Lake Murray Blvd (at Navajo)( in the mall with a McDonalds and an Albertsons) San Diego 92119 (619) 644-5600 Website

Cocotte Cafe Bistro (University City, near UTC)

May 29, 2015 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, French Restaurants

Thank you for (again) stopping and reading mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk is gathering photos and food memories to share. Ed(from Yuma) is preparing to take photos and write stories about his food adventures. Cathy is here today, writing about photos and a meal which has happened.

More than seven years ago, I wrote about a semi-regular part of our rotation, Wired Bistro. It closed, turned into some other French Cafe (which I did not write about) and recently has come to life again, in the form of a French Cafe Bistro named Cocotte. (Notice the first "o" in the signage. A cocotte is a covered heatproof dish or casserole, with two handles.) There is seating both inside and out in front.Fresh pastries are in the refrigerated case when you walk in. The Wine Bar area behind the counter and ceiling covered in burlap coffee bags remain as decor; same as the prior iterations.Double espresso ($2.50) using Lavazza beans was perfectly pulled.Bacon-Cheddar omelet ($9.50) comes with a fruit cup, oven roasted rosemary potatoes and slices of fresh baguette. The three egg omelet is made in a way we are now going at home. The bacon (smokey and thick pieces) seems to have been in the pan first, with the whipped eggs placed over those pieces, then cheese is placed on top of the cooked eggs and then folded, resulting with cheese in the middle and bacon on the outer edges of the fluffy omelet.Ordering the Meli-Melo crêpe ($8.50), I wasn't expecting much. The menu description of 'two crêpes filled with scrambled eggs and melted Swiss' seemed generic. Wrong! The perfectly cooked, slightly sweet extra large (instead of two) crêpe was packed solid with softly scrambled eggs smoothly mixed with a nutty tangy Swiss cheese. Those sides of a fruit cup and rosemary roasted potatoes made this quite a large meal.

I hope you'll all have a great weekend. Thanks for reading.

Cocotte Cafe Bistro 8935 Towne Center Drive 92122 (858) 450-0880 Open 7a.m.-10 p.m., 7 days

This is the breakfast menu, which will magically appear upright if you click onto it (my iPhone update combined with Typepad are having some wonky issues).

Where in the world are we part 2

May 28, 2015 mmm-yoso Basque Country - Spain and France, Bilbao, Spain, San Sebastian, Spain, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

Can you believe we're almost two-thirds into our trip? Time is flying by. Anyway, we haven't ever eaten as well in recent memory. Three cities in two nations and the home to a proud people, who eat quite well.

On our first stop we did two huge tasting menu dinners. Amazing.

What could possibly be my favorite piece of artwork in the world. I just couldn't pass it without taking a photo.

Here's one of my favorite…..if a bit spooky photos.

We did a day trip to a town with a famous tree.

Which was the site of a tremendous devastating bombing which inspired this painting.

Next stop is a must for the food pilgrim.

At this point, I started wondering how long it would be before the Missus hit the Foie Gras wall.

Amazingly, it hasn't happened yet.

Last stop was another wonderful seaside town.

Where we had a comforting and delicious dinner.

We headed into the sunset happy with full bellies.

Roma Market (Escondido) shopping and eating “The Sandwich” inside the market

May 27, 2015 Cathy Italian Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, What Cathy Eats!

Thank you for stopping by to read mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about food. The episode you are about to read takes you to Escondido, where Cathy has ventured. Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are out and about enjoying more exotic places.

Heading back to the 15 freeway on Valley Parkway, there is a mall at the North East corner. Just behind the McDonald's, this signage looked familiar.

It turns out there is a Roma Market in Pasadena (mentioned in this post) which we've passed on our way from many Rose Parade float tests. This family market began in Boston after WWII, moved to Alhambra in the early 1950's then settled in Pasadena and has now (in late 2014) opened a second Southern California Roma Market in Escondido.Not a very large footprint, each small aisle is packed with items from Italy as well as locally sourced. Wines, fresh fruits and vegetables, trays of Italian cookies and fresh basil are at the entrance.There are a few different areas of dried and imported pastas as well as fresh and frozen -made in store- selections also. We've had the cheese manicotti and tortellini and they each were wonderful.Pasta sauces as well as canned and shelf stable tomatoes are sold on the shelves. If you look back to those freezer doors on the right side of the above photo, also made in house and fresh and frozen sauces are available. Again, excellent. There are a few other aisles of Italian staples and treats as well as closed door and open refrigerated sections. There's a deli selling Roma Market brand premium meats as well as imported meats and cheeses…and, as any good Italian Deli, Baccala. Notice the bread in the back; it's made here daily.Moving along, there's a section of hot foods, a small menu board…Desserts, beverages (there's also a Coca Cola Freestyle machine and an espresso/coffee area). Notice the small sign to the right, taped to the glass case. Then, of course, there's gelato.

Eat in the store we did. Here's a meal enjoyed last week.

Slice of cheese pizza ($1.95) (If you shop here on a Monday, after 3 p.m. and spend $10, you can get a whole cheese pizza for $1.99). Fresh dough, fresh sauce, plenty of mozzarella.Notice the 'hot foods' photo above. Two links of sweet or hot Italian sausage with peppers and onions $4.95. Yep. made here. Wonderful, fresh, you can see a fennel seed in the cross section above. The two pieces are enough for a meal. The Sandwich ($5.50) essentially a grab and go/no substitution deal. Mortadella, Mild Capicola, Soppressata (or some type of dry salami) and Provolone cheese. That's olive oil on the fresh bread/hoagie roll. The simplicity of three meats, cheese, olive oil and fresh bread is wonderful.There is a pretty large dessert selection as well as coffees available. We were offered a sample of the gelato, any flavor and the pear…had pieces of pear in it. The tiramisu and orange are also excellent. We'll be trying the other flavors soon.

I am so glad we stopped at Roma Market and will do so at the original location in Pasadena, soon.

Roma Market 1054 West Valley Parkway Escondido 92025 (760)233-8003 open 8-8 daily Website

Van Hoa Vietnamese Restaurant (City Heights)(revisit)

May 26, 2015 Cathy Vietnamese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog about food that's been around for a very long time. Kirk is usually here writing, but he's on vacation right now. Ed(from Yuma) is sometimes here, but he is planning his vacation as this is being written. Cathy is here and now.

Van Hoa has been in this corner location of the strip mall at the North West corner of University at 54th since at least 2007, when Kirk wrote a two-part post about it. I followed up about seven years later with my own post about this regular stop before shopping at the Vien Dong Supermarket (to the right in the photo below).You have most likely seen the Van Hoa label on spring rolls and desserts sold at 99Ranch Market, Thuan Phat and World Foods. Ordering at the restaurant means the rolls are even fresher than the ones delivered to those stores daily. I must say the rice paper wrap is never 'rubbery', because the rolls are just made. There is only one choice of flavors- shrimp with pork. ($3.25). The fresh vegetable fillings(lettuce, mint, cucumber, carrot, daikon) are refreshing and what I crave. The peanut butter based dipping sauce lends a good umami to it all. The egg rolls here are also above average ($5.95). Mostly meat with mushroom filling, the frying is proper and never too greasy.Now that the warmer weather is coming (and going), sometimes bun (it's pronounced 'boon') is an order. Chilled vermicelli on one side of the bowl, salad (lettuce, mint, cucumber, sprouts) on the other half and, in this case, topping of Tau Hu Ky (shrimp wrapped with tofu skin) and the usual pickled radish/cucumber and peanuts ($6.50) makes an exceptional meal.Then again, my most favorite version of Banh Xeo ($6.50) is at Van Hoa, so as we are being seated I place that order (it takes a while to make the rice flour/turmeric pancake) The crunchy light pancake is delightful, the shrimp and pork are plentiful along with the onion/bean sprout/mung bean filling. Eating bits of this wrapped in lettuce and mint is also refreshing.

Thanks for reading. I hope your week is going well.

Van Hoa 4016 54th San Diego, Ca 92105 (619)582-2642 Open Mon-Sat 6-8, Sun 7-7

Breakfast at The Lunch Box (La Mesa)

May 25, 2015 Cathy American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

Here we are once again, mmm-yoso!!! and you, the reader of our food blog. Kirk is still having a good time in Europe (enjoying a long needed vacation). Ed (from Yuma) is planning to paint the town red (not in Yuma) and Cathy is delighting in places available in San Diego County and sharing with you.

During certain months of the year, it's easier for me to meet clients elsewhere than an office. Usually that place ends up being a Starbucks, but sometimes I am offered a meal and am asked where I'd like to go. Being aware of their financial situations, I have tended to recommend The Lunch Box, a small, family owned place on the Southwest corner of La Mesa Boulevard at Jackson in a strip mall anchored by a 7-Eleven. It's been here since 2009 and the food is great.The Lunch Box opens at 7:30 daily (closed on Sunday), closes by 2 (at 1 on Saturday) and starts serving the lunch menu at 8:30 in the morning, for those true 'early birds' among us. The seating area is filled with tables and chairs (no booths) and people who arrive in larger groups can make their own size seating area.

I finally decided to bring The Mister here one day, so he could see the menu and I could take photos of a meal.

The raisin French toast, topped with bananas ($4.95). The toast consistently has a lightly crisp exterior and soft, fluffy interior. I think I've mentioned only one time ordering raisin bread, as well as paying the extra 10¢ for a raisin filled cinnamon roll. However, if I ever am given a chance to order raisin filled anything, I just do it. Adding two eggs and a sausage patty ($2.95) balanced out the French toast, making it a meal. The sausage is mild in flavor, the eggs are always perfectly made.The Mister opted for the $5.95 weekday special with 2 bacon, 2 eggs and 2 pancakes. Again, very nicely made and just right. Coffee is $1.75 and constantly refilled.

All in all, this is a nice, local place which, again, has withstood the test of time. I tend to post more about these sorts of places because they are comfortable and comforting. I bet you have someplace in your part of town that is similar.

Hope you are going to have a good week. Thanks for reading us all these years!

The Lunch Box Cafe & Deli 8751 La Mesa Blvd La Mesa 91941 (619)463-4013 Open Mon-Fri 7:30-2, Sat 7:30-1 Closed Sunday

Bottega Italiana (UTC)…coffee and gelato

May 24, 2015 Cathy Caffeine Fix, Desserts, Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, a food-centric blog with (almost) daily writings shares posts about various cuisines, new and established restaurants, pubs and other places where food can be found, as well as sometimes home cooking. Today, a short post written by Cathy about a small three-location establishment.

Not that I wrote any posts about the holidays or any New Year resolutions, but now, almost six months into 2015, I feel successful. The free "Steps" app on our mobile phones record how much The Mister and I walk each day and the goal of 10,000 steps a day has become easier and almost regular since about mid-April.

The only thing was, it started getting a bit boring, despite the almost daily weather changes. So, we've become 'those people'- Mall Walkers.Parkway Plaza is covered and air conditioned, Grossmont Plaza is also close to home, but not that interesting to us any more, so one day we drove West to Westfield University Town Center, where we haven't regularly stopped in years.

The Ice Rink and surrounding restaurant choices are new to us and so are most of the shops. (edit- the Ice Rink seating area used to be open to the rink and is now enclosed. Most of the food court restaurants and the food court seating area have been redone since we were last here).

There's also a new movie theater building that was added onto the mall.Down the steps near the entrance (or, exit) of the Arclight Cinemas is Bottega Italiana.

Kirbie visited in January. cc visited the other (Coronado) San Diego location selling Bottega Italiana gelati in November. Faye also mentioned Bottega Italiana in the middle of this post. There is an area selling coffees and San Diego made Chuao Chocolates to take home.The menu is simple, the coffee preparation area is observable, there are a few sweets for sale at the cash register. The gelato is made right here. Daily. The fresh made gelato are beautiful…and overwhelming. We've been offered samples and sometimes that makes decisions more difficult. Fortunately, two flavors can be part of a 'small' size.Also, an affogato (small size gelato ($3.80) with a shot of espresso over it (+$1)) can have two flavors within…in this case, panna cotta (vanilla flavored sweet cream; it's different than (the excellent) vanilla) and hazelnut went perfectly with the brisk shot of concentrated coffee.Another day, a small ($3.80) with Speciale (burnt cream, dark chocolate chips, caramel and sea salt: all able to be tasted in one bite) with a scoop of Opera (pistachio, hazelnut and almond nuts and flavors) was enjoyed at the patio tables out front.

Bottega Italiana is a nice place to stop and get a shareable, excellent treat.

Bottega Italiana 4445 La Jolla Village Drive Suite H-17 (just down from the movie theaters) San Diego 92122 (858)404-0799 website Mon-Th 10-9:30, Fri-Sat 10-10 Sun 10:30-9:30

Up 2 Yoü Cafe- Dessert (revisit)

May 23, 2015 Cathy Caffeine Fix, Desserts, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, food blog. Kirk is in another country, Ed(from Yuma) is in another state and Cathy is here, in sunny Southern California, blogging about food.

Another overcast day here and time for a snack. I haven't posted about Up 2 Yoü for about two years, even though The Mister and I find time to stop here fairly often. The overhead has been replaced recently.The menu has stayed with almost exactly the same choices.The decor is also about the same as it was…eclectic.

As always, our order remained eerily similar yet with slight variances…This time, a fresh made crepe ($3.75) filled with egg custard ( 75¢) was a refreshing and not too sweet of a choice…However, still wanting an ice cream as well as a caffeinated product, an affogato ($3.95) with my choice of (unimaginative yet quite tasty) vanilla ice cream was our other shared item.

In the past two years, Up 2 Yoü has remained steadfast, profitable and even opened a second location near Mesa College, around the corner from K Sandwiches. (the pink square on the Up 2 You web page)

Most bloggers went here when it first opened, including Kirbie, cc and Jinxie. There are plenty of seating areas and board games you can check out. It's a nice relaxing local owned spot.

Up 2 Yoü Cafe 7770 Vickers Street (at Convoy) San Diego 92111 (619)663-6388 Website

Still amused by the restroom signage…

Where in the world are we part 1

May 22, 2015 mmm-yoso Barcelona, Madrid, Spain, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

Yep, it's that time again. A couple of weeks ago, one of my coworkers noticed I was getting a bit grumpy. He told me, "I think it's time for another nice long trip, right?" And he was so right…..

Anyway, we're having a great time at our first two stops. The sights are amazing.

And things go long into the evening…..well, morning.

The food ain't too shabby either.

As you can tell. We're eating well.

We're headed to our next stop tomorrow. It's been a long couple of days with tons of walking but I'm having blast. Folks are pretty relaxed and we had a marvelous dinner at I believe a fast rising restaurant here.

As always, I leave you in the capable hands of Cathy. Here are a couple more photos for your troubles.

Thanks for reading!