September 2015 – Page 2

Bruges: The Wednesday Market, De Halve Maan Brewery, Dumon Chocolatier, and the Memling Museum

September 19, 2015 mmm-yoso Beer, Belgian Cuisine and Restaurants, Belgium, Cheese, Chocolate, Markets & Grocers, Travel

It was on our only full day in Bruges where we really got to enjoy the city a bit. Earlier in the morning, on a weekday, we took a walk around Market Square. Even in the drizzly mist we were able to appreciate the Belfort (Bell Tower) which has risen over the square and Bruges since the 14th Century. We wandered around the courtyard and down some side alleyways.

The buildings lining the square, housing various restaurants and tourist focused businesses are built in Neo-Gothic style. This square is considered the heart of Bruges and was once the economical center as there was a canal that came right up to the square.

It was Wednesday…usually market day, but there were bleachers set-up so we saw no market stalls. We did hear a bit of noise from the nearby Burg Square.

I guess the market had been moved here on this day to accommodate whatever event was happening in the Market Square.

It was still early; before 8 and the market didn't get going until 10am, so we just walked along the booths….

And vehicles…..we called this one the Cheese-mobile…..

I love the way this pooch manages to keep dry….under the table and in a box….

While checking out some of the cheese and charcuterie we had an idea…..

We'd ask the wonderful Caroline, who ran our little two room B&B if we could use the dining area and self cater lunch!

As we crossed over one of the canals, I saw a statue that looked familiar. It was Saint John of Nepomok! Remember him from my posts on Prague?

They call Bruges the "Venice of the North", so of course I had to include a couple of canal shots.

We headed back to the B&B and breakfast was served downstairs. It was quite a nice spread.

I'm not quite sure what it was…perhaps the sickly sweet smells that all the shops had; but I'd been avoiding waffles. I know heresy….you're in Belgium and no waffles? Until this morning. Caroline made us fresh waffles, her own secret family recipe and they were delicious.

Light, crisp and creamy, not too sweet…..just perfect. I loved them…and she made me another!

We had discussed having our own self catered lunch in the dining area with Caroline and got the green light. So we headed back out. On the way out, we passed this doorway. I stopped….this was the back entrance to the Old St John's Hospital. Which is now the Memling Museum. We hadn't visited any museums in Belgium and this one had artifacts and displays of medieval medicine as well as art. This is our kind of stuff. And we really enjoyed the Memling.

Our favorites? Well here goes….

Jan Beerblock's painting, The Wards at Saint John's Hospital.

The painting is full of different vignettes of what patient care at St John's Hospital was like, from the Nuns that served as Nurses, to the fact that dogs were welcomed in the wards.

The ambulance? Well, it was a man powered sedan chair…..

Which I believe was this sedan chair…..

While checking out some of the displays, I heard the Missus go, "oh my….check this out. Those are some awesome stones" (it's not what you might think by what she said). Holy smokes! Check out those stones….kidney stones. My goodness, can you imagine the pain?

I'll not go into any great detail of how the stones were removed, but in case you're morbidly interested, here's an interesting link.

The main attraction of the museum is probably Hans Memling's St John Altarpiece. Dedicated to the Patron Saints of the hospital, this work was displayed on an altar situated at a height and distance so all beds in the ward could view this painting.

We then quickly returned to the market which was just starting to get into full swing.

We made our purchases, returned to the B&B, placed them in the fridge and headed off. It was still a bit too early for lunch, so we decided to grab….well…should I call it a "brunch beer"? At De Halve Maan Brewery.

You might recognize the names of the beer brewed by Huisbrouwerij De Halve Maan….Staffe Hendrick and Zot. I went with the Staffe Hendrick Quad, the Missus a Brugse Zot.

I found the quad to have kind of a burnt sugar fragrance, though slightly boozy and mildly sweet. The 11% ABV sneaks up on you. Strangely, I recently had a SH Quad at Iron Pig and unlike my experiences with other Belgians it held up pretty good and tasted quite similar to what I had here.

They also have tours at this brewery but we decided not to take it.

De Halve Maan Brewery
Walplein 26
Bruges, Belgium

After our liquid refreshment, we headed to a quite busy shop on the same street.

Dumon Chocolatier is quite popular.

So we decided to add to the collection of chocolates for my MIL.

Dumon Chocolatier
Walstraat 6
Bruges, Belgium

We meandered a bit, then headed back to the B&B. Caroline had kindly set aside some plates and silverware for us and we had a nice light lunch.

After cleaning up, we headed upstairs for a nice afternoon nap…..

Thanks for reading!

Portland: Ataula

September 18, 2015 mmm-yoso Portland, Oregon, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

*** Ataula has closed

After a badly needed, though seemingly all too short nap and shower(s) we headed off to dinner. And yes, we were walking there.

Past the First Presbyterian Church, headed into a part of Portland called the Alphabet District in Northwest Portland. Up funky and eclectic 23rd (often called "trendy-third") Avenue. Trendy eateries and boutiques, next to dive bars, next to New Age Bookstores, this tree lined street sure has character. The Missus told me; "this is what Adams Avenue wished it looked like…."

Taking a left on Thurman onto quiet NW 23rd Place is a rather new; and much heralded restaurant named Ataula. The Chef, Jose Chesa is from Barcelona and I noticed quite a few familiar names when looking over the menu online; "Montadito", Pa amb Tomaquet, Berenjena….." spilled off the menu. We were just a few months removed from our trip to Barcelona and Spain. Any meal that would vicariously take us back was something to be treasured. I also noticed that Ataula had won many accolades in the rather short time it had been open. So it was really a no brainer…..

What was also a no-brainer was getting there early as Ataula does not take reservations for parties of less than 6. Good thing is; they open at 430pm….and we managed to get there via footmobile at just past that time.

The dining area is pretty simple, with high ceilings, though the hard surfaces really reflect the sound and it was pretty hot in the place on this day.

The best way to describe the nice folks here is….well….enthusiastic with a nice dose of Portland friendliness.

We started with the Pa amb Tomaquet, the classic Catalan bread rubbed with tomato and drizzles of Olive Oil.

The olive oil really lacked the nice, strong grassy flavors that we enjoy and the tomatoes, while sweet, lacked a good acid bite. The kitchen was a bit over zealous in the use of salt in this as well. It wasn't bad, but it won't make us forget the Pan con Tomate we had at Bar del Pla. Sometimes it's the simplest dishes that are the hardest.

The Empanadilla; this one filled with oxtails and Jamon Bellota, no cutting corners here; real Jamon de Bellota, acorn fed Jamon is used here.

Man, these were so crisp, the filling so rich and beefy, without being salty; hints of an almost red bell pepper flavor with a touch of heat. This would have been perfect with some kind of sauce, alioli, or like Galician Empanadillas, where a Sofrito (Spanish style – tomato based) is used in the filling to add that touch of acid.

Still these were delicious.

You might recall in my Le Pigeon post, I mentioned that while the Grilled Short Rib dish was our overall favorite entrée; it was not my favorite single "bite" of the trip. Meet my favorite bite:

This is Ataula's take on the classic tapa, the Cojonudo. It is pretty much a Cojonudo, but the presentation is plain beautiful; the quail egg perfect; the yolk soft and runny, the edges crisp. The chorizo had a mild spice, but lots of smokey paprika flavor; that slice of piquillo pepper just balanced everything out. The crisp crostini added a wonderful crisp component…..the perfect bite.

The theme of taking classic Spanish tapas and adding a spin to make the dish both fun and familiar was on fine display when the Berenjena arrived.

If you've read any of our posts on Spain you'd sort of recognize this dish. In places like, say Los Huevos de Lucio in Madrid, sliced, fried eggplant, would be served with a thick Salmorejo sauce, much like what I make in my recipe. Here, the eggplant is fried with a crisp exterior and creamy interior and shaped like fries. Instead of the salmorejo, a garlic forward romesco sauce is used. The seasoning danced on the edge of being too salty, but the other spices, hints of cumin and coriander, helped balance that out. A really good dish.

The Costilla was interesting.

The confit boned pork rib was wonderfully moist and tender, but I'd have enjoyed a bit of textural contrast. The sauce; which was claimed to be "salmorejo" really cancelled out the flavor of the pork. It was too strong and on the salty side.

I really wanted to try the "Pulpo" and I'm glad we did.

The thinly sliced octopus was super tender and full of flavor….the pulpo flavor hadn't been masked. I loved the simply dressed greens; each type, from the arugula to the various lettuces had their own taste sensation; bitter, aldehyde flavors, and so forth. The pine nuts went so well with the vinaigrette that you could probably just eat pine nuts and dressing. If anything, I thought the shaving of the parmesano reggiano was too thick and large…it was too much for a bite in terms of milky-saltiness. That's splitting hairs though, as this was a fantastic dish.

And the really amazing thing? Along with two "Spiced Sangria", the bill came out to less than $60! Just think what something like this would cost in San Diego? Plus, no tax!

What a wonderful meal….we'll be back…..

Ataula
1818 NW 23rd Pl
Portland, OR 97210

After dinner we headed across the street to the Organic Market where the Missus picked up several different apples…Her dessert.

We then headed down 23rd…….but in a moment of mercy (I think She was feeling the mileage too), I saw that my (now) favorite bus line, the #15 headed back into downtown.

Of course after getting back to the hotel and taking (yet another) shower, the Missus decided that we should….take a walk of course!

You gotta love some of the window displays…..

And then there were the "window displays" that were actually real! This rather scary looking dog with the evil eyes….was an actual poodle. It was standing totally still……

When the dog moved it made us both jump!

As we headed back to the hotel I saw the Missus looking at Her iPhone. She told me, "let's go around the block this way…." When I asked Her why, She said "my app is saying that we've walked 12.65 miles today….I want to make it an even 12.75." Say what? But of course I went along….and according to Her handy-dandy app we walked 12.75 miles and the next morning my body felt every step! But we were on vacation so I'm supposed to feel that way…right?

Portland: Case Study Coffee, Tasty n Sons, and the Cheese Bar

September 17, 2015 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Cheese, Portland, Oregon, Travel

*** Tasty n Sons and Cheese Bar have closed

I'd planned on having one "walking" (aka death march) day in Portland and this Thursday was to be it. Little did I know just how much walking we'd do…..on this day and the next because of some unplanned detours.

Things started as planned. Just a block or so away from the hotel is Case Study Coffee Roasters. Very chill and mellow.

The Missus got a pour-over, which was nice, and She decided that I should get the Lavender Infused Cold Brew…which seemed kind of, well, feminine…..but was nice with a refreshing clean finish.

Case Study Coffee
802 SW 10th Ave
Portland, OR 97205

The plan was as follows…the Missus wanted to walk, so I'd decided to head to Mount Tabor, via the Hawthorne Bridge and Hawthorne Boulevard. A decent 4 – 4 1/2 mile walk. We'd take our time and have lunch at Cheese Bar on SE Belmont Street, then catch the #15 Bus back to the hotel for a nice afternoon nap before walking another couple of miles to dinner. As we left case study, the Missus decided that we needed to try Tasty n Sons. We'd gone to Tasty n Alder twice during our last visit to Portland and She wanted to see how TnS lined up…. So let's just add another 4 miles total to things shall we? One does not argue with the Missus when She gets into "mission mode"…..

So off we went. The Broadway Bridge was undergoing some work as we crossed so the bike lane and pedestrian walk area was a single thin path. Folks were biking to work so we'd stop and move under the scaffolding to let them pass. I'd forgotten how friendly and nice folks in PDX were. Every bike rider who passed us and there were many smiled and said "thank you"……

We crossed over the I-5 over to N Vancouver, then to N Williams Avenue. Man that part of North Williams near the Emanuel Medical Center is kind of depressing….but you soon get close to NE Fremont Street with the ton of bikes (3,000 bike commuters on this street daily is what I read), businesses, and gentrification. We'd arrived…..

The building Tasty n Sons is located in is quite interesting, it's named the Hub and contains almost every single type of new-agey business you can imagine, even a Naturopathic Vet!

Anyway, we were seated quickly upon entering the restaurant….we found the service here to not be quite as friendly or efficient as Tasty n Alder or even Toro Bravo (an upcoming post). Still, we sat at the counter facing the street and had a nice meal.

Seeing Shakshuka on the menu, we couldn't resist…and of course, there's the Missus's love of runny eggs…and my love of grilled bread.

The eggs were wonderfully runny, the bread nicely charred and smokey. The shakshuka could have had a bit more zip; both in terms of heat, sweet red pepper, and tangy tomato flavors. Of course, since we make our own at home quite often, we have a certain expectation in terms of flavor and prep. Still, this was good.

The real winner was the Moroccan Chicken Hash and of course, yet another egg for the Missus.

The spice-salt-earthy flavors was just what we were craving. The chicken was nicely seasoned and the creamy sauce brought everything together.

During the recent hot weather, I've been making a nice chilled heirloom tomato and mozzarella salad with aged balsamic and Arbequina Olive Oil, which is so delicious. So we were excited to try the Heirloom Tomatoes. Well, you can't claim false advertising as it is heirloom tomato slices.

To our tastes it was a little low on both the acid and sweetness scale and the kitchen had been a bit too liberal in the application of salt.

Overall a nice, hearty, but not too heavy breakfast. I had encouraged the Missus to order the Radicchio Salad here, but for some reason She decided not to. Something She'd regret later.

Tasty n Sons
3808 N Williams Ave
Portland, OR 97212

And so with some cajoling I got my butt in gear and we headed east on NE Fremont, then down MLK Boulevard. On this day, the temps were supposed to hit the high 80's (the next day would go into the 90's) and it was getting pretty warm by the time we got NE Belmont. The walk was slightly uphill, but not too steep.

There are quite a few interesting places along the way…..

Over 5 miles later, we got to the place I'd originally planned as our lunch stop; Cheese Bar.

We've really been enjoying cheese over the last couple of years. Cheese Bar along with the new "Chizu" in downtown are retail/cheese-wine bars owned by Steve Jones former winner of the National Cheese Monger Invitational Contest.

I was pooped, hot, and rather sweaty. Strangely, I was also a bit hungryl. Cheese Bar serves up cheese boards, charcuterie boards featuring Olympia Provisions products, sandwiches, beer, wine, and salads. We just ordered two cheese boards and had some highly restorative mineral water.

The House Cheese Board featured three Spanish Cheeses, chutney, and crostini ($11).

Really nice aged Sheep's milk cheeses. From right to left, a Mahón Reserva, a Buenalba, and a very nutty Zamorano. The Mahón seemed a bit behind the other two in terms of assertive flavors. But after letting the flavors open up as it reached room temperature the sweetness of the cheese became apparent.

We also got the "Stinky" Board with Crostini ($8).

The Grayson (on the left) is slightly ripe, though quite mild in flavor. The Vulto Creamery Ouleout has a wonderful texture, a slightly ripe smell but was also a bit mild for our taste. I guess we've gotten used to Harbison.

This was a nice stop for a light lunch. If we'd been doing some self-catering, we'd surely have gotten a couple of cheeses and a baguette.

Cheese Bar
6031 SE Belmont
Portland, OR 97215

I really looked like "Ji-chan" as I stood up….geez, I'm surely not getting any younger…..especially after taking a "nice" over 9 mile morning walk! The Missus was nice enough to allow us to return to downtown on the #15 bus. I crawled back to our hotel room, showered….and then it was time for a short nap. Which I hoped would be restorative since we'd be walking to dinner!

Thanks for reading!

Clearing Out the Memory Card – Yakitori Taisho

September 16, 2015 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

I guess we've finally settled back into a regular routine.

Toronado and Tiger Tiger on Fridays or Saturdays and Yakitori Taisho.

I've done more than enough posts on the place, so you can refer back to those for details.

A couple of updated details, then it's basically just C(learing) O(ut) the M(emory) C(ard).

It's kind of a bummer since we like to eat early, but from Tuesdays thru Saturdays they now open at 6pm. Sundays at 5pm.

Also, Taka now has Thursdays off….I've been there when his back-up is working at it's just not the same. There's something about the almost anal attention Taka pays to what he's grilling…..and you can tell the difference.

Anyway….more photos.

Yakitori Taisho
5185 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117
Hours:
Tues – Sat 6pm – 1130pm
Sunday 6pm – 10pm

Portland: Le Pigeon

September 15, 2015 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Fine Dining, French Restaurants, Portland, Oregon, Travel

Call it unfinished business. You know how that goes….we really need to close that circle; like returning to Istanbul twice to get things right. After our meal at Little Bird Bistro, the Missus really wanted to return to Portland. Which is how we ended up on the Red Line to Downtown PDX watching this couple and their ferret. He, smelling like he'd been knocking back a few….as if to confirm this, taking a "48" out of his bag and having a couple of swigs. She meanwhile, was going goo-goo and gaa-gaa over the little guy. As soon as they told the person sitting across the way from them how sweet the little fellow was, he dropped a huge load on her bag. Life is funny that way.

Anyway, we had caught the late afternoon flight to Portland, took the Red Line…a bargain at $2.50 a person downtown and to our hotel; the Paramount. I'd made late reservations at Le Pigeon….late enough that the Missus decided that we should walk the mile and a half or so to the restaurant.

Which was actually a pretty nice walk, in spite of having to pass all the street folks along the way. It was also quite warm…..and it would get much hotter, though not quite as bad as it was in San Diego at the time.

Since it was late in the evening, Le Pigeon wasn't too crowded and we got in a bit early.

The staff were very professional though I'm not a big fan of the communal seating. Call me anti-social, but we can really do without the fake cheer and really don't want to know your business, whether it's your prostate problem, or how you're getting sued by your patients and can't find a job on the West Coast anymore….and even more so all of your food allergies. The long suffering young lady put on a cheerful front when the guy sitting next to us insisted upon getting the tasting menu…then went down the list of all his allergies…tomatoes, avocados, carrots, garlic, this type of milk product, that type of milk product, gluten, blah, blah, blah…..I really, really don't want to know that the only thing in the world you can consume is breast milk. Why in the world are you getting the tasting menu when you can't eat anything except cardboard?

Meanwhile, our meal was excellent.

From the Foie Gras "Hot Brown" ($25), a wonderful piece of nicely seared foie gras that just melted in your mouth. The turkey, which tasted smoked was full of flavor as was the bacon…..

The egg was a wonderful runny joy, we loved the acid from the tomatoes, and the toast was light and quite crisp. Tell you what….I'll take a slice of foie gras over Mornay sauce on my Hot Brown any day of the week.

And while the Ricotta Gnocchi ($16) was a bit too "squeaky" for our tastes, the cheese and the sauce were wonderful.

Perfect garlic, salt, milky flavors in harmony….the wonderfully beefy beef tongue in the dish just topped things off.

The best overall dish of our trip (not necessarily the best bite…more on that later) in my opinion was the Grilled Short Rib ($29).

The short rib was amazing. Ever had medium rare, thick cut short rib that wasn't on the tough side? This was just toothful enough, nicely seared, beefy, and yes, medium rare. I'm thinking sous vide? And yet, my favorite component was the wonderful mashed potatoes….it had a mild sweetness and I swear, there was a familiar umami flavor to it. We were told that sweet corn and miso was pureed with the potatoes. The smoked corn and tomato salad with soy braised oxtail was excellent. I'd go back to Le Pigeon just for those potatoes.

Our least favorite dish of the night was the Beef Cheek Bourguinon ($28).

While the texture of the braised beef cheek was just perfect; fork tender without being mushy. The sauce was just plain overkill; much too sour and bitter for our taste. The risotto, made with that wonderful, ripe, epoisses cheese, would seem to be just up our alley, but the rice was on the tough side with a hard core and that sauce just killed any other flavors.

While I considered ordering the signature foie gras profiteroles, there was just no way I could put away anything more after all this rich food. We went with the Cucumber-Watermelon sorbet ($6) instead, which was still way too much for us to finish.

The service was friendly, professional, and the timing excellent.

I'm thinking Le Pigeon will be a regular stop on future visits to Portland.

Le Pigeon
738 E Burnside St
Portland, OR 97214

We enjoyed a nice walk back to the hotel after dinner down "colorful" Burnside. It was a warm evening. We'd had a wonderful dinner and this was just our first evening in Portland!

What’s My Craving? Mister Falafel

September 14, 2015 mmm-yoso Lebanese Restaurants, Mediterranean Restaurants

**** Mister Falafel has closed

Mister Falafel, home of some of the sweetest, friendliest, nicest folks I know of.

It had been a while since I last visited and for some reason I was craving some falafel. I was starving so I got a falafel plate, which is a good amount of food for $8.99.

One of the reasons I enjoyed the falafel here were that they weren't dry and gritty. The exterior was crisp and crunchy and the exterior moist and fluffy. It wasn't quite as good this time around as it seemed over fried. The outside of the falafel were too hard and the interior was dry. The flavors are still nice and balanced though and those pickles perked things up. The baba ghanoush was smooth and smoky and quite delicious with the pita.

The tahini as always was mild and creamy. No garlic paste this time around since I had meetings later that day…..bummer.

Not quite a fail, but not satisfying either……I'm hoping the next time, things will be as I recalled. I know the couple working here will still be gracious and friendly as always.

Mister Falafel
4461 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Sonoma: La Salette and Walt and Plaza Park

September 13, 2015 ed fromyuma Marin, Napa, and Sonoma Counties, Portuguese Food, Seafood, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food and travel blog centered in San Diego. Most often Kirk posts here, and Cathy also posts alot, but since they are busy with other things, today you get to read something by Ed (from Yuma) who wants to let you know that he borrowed some of the photos from Tina.

The day before attending her family's annual cookout in Cotati, Tina and I found ourselves in the center of the old town of Sonoma, California. Some buildings date from Mexican colonial times:

That one reminds me of several structures in Monterey, a city that also preserves a lot of mid-19th century buildings.

From a different era, here's the old theater from 1933 which has a strangely familiar name:

And in the middle of this district of historic buildings, shops, tasting rooms, and restaurants is a beautiful park, Sonoma Plaza, including a nice fountain:

Lots of shady places to sit and picnic on a warm summer afternoon:

But we were hungry when we got to town, so our first goal was to find La Salette, a restaurant specializing in modern Portuguese cuisine. It's kind of hidden at the end of the walkway at 452 1st St. East:

Though there was a nice indoor area, we opted for one of the outdoor tables under an umbrella on the patio:

Soon we were given two elegant little glasses that held perfectly clear tomato water, lightly accented with the smoky touch of ham. A drop of extra-virgin olive oil lay on the top and a small cube of ham and a couple of corn kernels rested at the bottom:

Looks like grappa, but it tastes like the essence of a garden ripe tomato. A true amuse bouche, a fantastic start to the meal.

We soon received lightly crusted bread rolls that had a nice firm soft crumb, whipped butter, and a bottle of Pellegrino:

For our first course we chose three items from the Tasca tasting plates list, all served on a wooden cutting board. This photo shows off the tremoco-lupini beans, the slices of Serrano ham, and the rustic nutbread:

The ham was disappointingly ordinary and maybe a little dried out, but the beans were perfectly prepared, al dente – firm with a distinctive mouth feel.

This pic gives a close-up of the boquerones (white anchovies) and the almonds dusted with spicy piri piri:

The almonds were fine, but the white anchovies were the highlight on the board– concentrated ocean fish flavor with a rich creamy texture.

The gazpacho came next:

In contrast to standard California gazpachos, usually a seasoned fresh tomato vegetable purée, the kitchen at La Salette roasted tomatoes and vegetables in their wood oven before puréeing, giving their cold soup a smooth and lightly smoky sophistication.

To accompany our meals, Tina and I each had a flight of three Portuguese white wines, partly because we thought they would match the cuisine but also because we are largely unfamiliar with the white wines of Portugal:

The lightest, and most common in the US, is the fresh tasting vinho verde (on the left). In the middle is a Pomares from the Duoro Valley, a little richer with a nice floral nose. And on the right was the full flavored Esporao Reserva from Alentejo, having a higher alcohol level and a long smooth finish. In general, the wines complemented the food, and it was interesting to compare different wines with different dishes.

Our main courses were the highlights of the meal. Tina chose Sardinhas Asadas, Monterey Bay sardines flash baked in their wood oven. Each of the fish was nearly the size of a small trout, and they were lying crossways across a mound of very tasty warm sweet onion cebolada:

The preparation was remarkable. The fish were fully cooked, yet incredibly moist and flaky tender, sliding easily off the bones. Simple and exquisite, these little fish were also accompanied by a couple slices of hard-boiled egg, roasted black olives, and micro greens:

I opted for the wild caught Bluenose Sea Bass Filet lightly breaded and served on a bed of collard greens and roasted yellow corn:

The fish was excellent – fresh and perfectly cooked, and I was blown away by the collards and corn. The greens were cooked to tender crunchy and had a light touch of bitterness that balanced perfectly the roasted sweet flavor of the corn. The mouth feel of the vegetables also balanced and contrasted with the sea bass, just as the colors on the plate contrasted/balanced each other and made the dish visually appealing as well.

We came, we saw, and we ate:

The meal ended with two little balls covered with toasted coconut. It was certainly enough dessert:

We left La Salette feeling happy – and that wasn't just because of the wine. Considering the quality of the food, the excellence of the service, the tastiness of the wines, and the relaxed ambiance of the location, the price tag seemed quite reasonable:

Speaking of wines, our visit to the town of Sonoma concluded with a stop at Walt Winery:

Owned by the Hall family of Napa Valley, Walt specializes in Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs grown in cool coastal influenced vineyards in California and Oregon.

Tastings are done at tables, not standing at a bar, which allowed Tina and I to talk about the wines, our plans for the rest of the day, and anything else. That day the tastings were $30 apiece and included six different wines. First came generous pours of two Chardonnays, one a single vineyard Dutton Ranch Chardonnay and one blended from several Sonoma Vineyards. Notice also the excellent stemware:

The four Pinot Noirs were likewise served two at a time, allowing Tina and I to try one and then the other and notice their similarities and differences. We enjoyed all of the wines. Here is the tasting menu at the time of our visit:

We sat around Walt slowly sipping and then walked around the Plaza for a considerable time, really enjoying Sonoma and the warm afternoon and our leisurely pace. Contentment.

Filipino Food & Bakery (and brunch) (Barrio Logan)

September 12, 2015 Cathy Filipino Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! still blogging about food after all these years. Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are each enjoying this weekend in other states while Cathy is in California, continuing to write blog posts.

Driving to the Naval Base San Diego is different than driving to MCAS Miramar, in direction as well as the surrounding neighborhoods and their food options. Miramar is where many civilians can enter the base and watch the Blue Angels annual Airshow, afterwards perhaps stopping in at one of the many restaurants listed in the Miramar/Mira Mesa area, while the closest many civilians get to the 32nd Street Naval Base is East Village or Downtown. Many national chain restaurants are located close to that Base and it's great to find a local, family owned restaurant or coffee shop in the Barrio.
Filipino Food & Bakery has been in the corner of this mall, at Main Street near 28th, since early 2013. It's pretty large inside and can get busy during the week. The pan de sal, a sweet, yeast-based bread as well as several other types of pan and several dessert products are baked here daily. More or less a typical Turo-Turo (point-point) restaurant, Filipino Food and Bakery is also typical in its food preparation-every Filipino place (restaurants and homes) where I have had a meal prepares their traditional, similar recipes just a bit differently (as I do with meatloaf).The lumpia here (two for $1) are fresh and tasty. The crisp, thin wrapper is an excellent conduit for the mostly fresh vegetable filling. The plates and cutlery here are throwaways, but useful in that we always have leftovers. The above two item combination ($8) includes either garlic rice or (as above) thin rice noodles with various vegetables (pancit).

That item in the left is pork adobo. (Adobo is essentially a marinade containing vinegar, garlic, salt/soy, bay leaf and black pepper; hence the variations by different cooks) and on the right is sisig (pork cracklings or head meat or liver marinated in sour or vinegar then grilled). I've enjoyed the versions here…many times. This ad, aimed at Comicon visitors, appeared in late June. The brunch menu began on July 11 and still is available on Sunday. I've been most curious about one item…
This looks familiar, you say? Why, yes, a Scotch Egg, but made with longanisa, a sausage, similar to chorizo, but in the Philippines, longanisa is made with various meats and regional flavorings. This one? Garlic (and probably pork)! This version of Scotch egg is wonderful. Perhaps ube (purple yam) waffles with a piece of fried chicken along with the Eggs Boni…we enjoy the food and flavors here!

I hope you are having a good weekend.

Filipino Food & Bakery 2852 Main Street San Diego 92113 (619) 549-5665 Website Open Mon-Sat 8-8, Sun 8-5

The Hills-Local Pub (La Mesa)

September 11, 2015 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Burgers, Pubs and Pub Grub, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is about food. It's a blog of places Kirk, Ed (from Yuma) and Cathy enjoy meals. On this extremely humid Friday, Kirk is out and about, enjoying a mini-vacation while Ed (from Yuma) is staying indoors (in Yuma) avoiding heat and Cathy is at the computer, writing today's post.

Today, I will write about a pleasant adventure The Mister and I had a few weeks ago, when going out to eat did not include a factor of checking whether or not a place was air conditioned before considering (or rejecting) it as a lunch stop.The Hills is located on La Mesa Boulevard, just across from The Lunch Box (in fact that first photo of The Lunch Box post was taken from the front window of The Hills). A quiet part of town (almost a mile from where La Mesa Oktoberfest will be held) this part of La Mesa Boulevard is backed up by a quiet neighborhood area.The beer selection is updated regularly and is quite extensive. Each tabletop condiment container has the current listing.

You can click on the photos or here to see the menu.Above, my choice: Meanie Fries ($9.95). Fried potatoes (nice and crisp) topped with cheddar cheese, ortega chiles, chopped grilled chicken, "meanie sauce" (it's spicy!) and a fried egg. Technically a proper meal, due to the protein toppings. This was indeed, very good with the 'meanie' sauce part pretty much necessitating a few swigs of good, cold beer.The Mister wanted to try the Bistro Burger ($10.95, substitute salad for fries,$1). It's a 1/2 pounder, cooked to order (medium rare for us) and topped with mozzarella, bacon, fried brussel sprouts and a balsamic aioli. The flavors go very well together.Above, crispy remnants of brussels sprouts…which were cleared up after this photo was taken. {Lately been frying and using brussel sprouts leaves as a topping at our home cooked meals. This is a great idea}

I hope everyone has a safe and cool(er) weekend!

The Hills Local Pub 8758 La Mesa Blvd La Mesa 91941 (619) 741-7166 website

Yes, it's sort of an East County 'chain', with catering available.

Azucar, a Cuban Style Patisserie – Sweets and Savories (Ocean Beach)

September 10, 2015 Cathy Bakery, Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Cuban Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping by to read mmm-yoso!!! This is a blog about food. Today, Cathy is writing because Kirk and Ed (from Yuma) are busy with things.

Azucar opened in Ocean Beach in 2008. Its owner, Vivian Hernandez-Jackson, is Cuban, classically trained in Europe and seven years ago realized her dream to open a Patisserie with a twist in Ocean Beach. Located on the Northwest corner of Newport at Sunset Cliffs (just across the street from Village Kitchen), the small storefront seems unassuming.Step inside and be prepared to be overwhelmed. The descriptions and selection of what is available that day are fascinating (as well as delicious).

A cup of coffee along with a cheese roll (pastelito de queso) and coconut-almond florentine (each $2) one day was a relaxing and enjoyable respite of flavors and textures. The delicate pastry surrounding the cream cheese filling topped with coarse bits of sugar is delightful and the chewiness of the coconut and crunchiness of the almonds is so satisfying. Many people order specialty coffees here, but I find those too sweet and interfering with the already natural sweetness of the pastries.There are also five sandwiches on the menu. Above, the Cubano ($8). Slow roasted pork, thin slices of ham, Swiss cheese, mustard and pickles. Pressed and toasted on freshly baked organic bread and served with a side salad. This is the way a sandwich should be. Those items in the refrigerated section are larger and each is around $6. Always wanting coconut flavors, our selection one day was the Artemisa: coconut cake, coconut syrup, pineapple, rum, custard and whipped cream. Topped with toasted coconut shavings. Yes. Dense, deep flavors and wonderful.

There are breakfast items here (quiche, Spanish omelet, croquette) as well as a good selection of coffee based beverages. A nice place to stop on your way to or from the beach.

Azucar 4820 Newport Avenue Ocean Beach 92107 (619)523-2020 Open Mon-Sat 7-6 Sun 8-5 Website