April 2018 – mmm-yoso

Maestoso

April 30, 2018 mmm-yoso Italian Restaurants

**** Maestoso has closed

The Missus had really loved the pasta in Emilia-Romagna. The simple, yet perfectly executed, fantastically textured pasta. And She was craving it from the time our plane landed back in San Diego. So, I've been toying around with various pastas, some fresh, some dried, but when you get the chance to have some house made pasta, at a place where your friend from Italy (my good buddy "Al"), and even the Eater endorses, you gotta give it a shot.

Which is how we ended up in Hillcrest, in the strip mall that houses TJs, Ike's Place, and many others. Things tend to turn around quickly here…..the Hillcrest location of Tokyo Deli came…and went in the blink of an eye.

And if memory serves me right; I think this used to be Napizza. Anyway, I'd heard the place can get crowded, so the Missus and I got over to Maestoso right as they opened.

They've done a nice job with the space; there a large bar area where all the action takes place.

The menu is small and tight, with flat breads, pastas, and the rest (i.e. starters/mains).

There's also the interesting concept called "passage" ("to pass by") whereupon carts with various dishes, a la dim sum, will circulate in the dining area.

The Missus always has to order the Meatballs whenever She spies them on the menu. It was no different ere.

The two most delicious things about this dish were the amazing Parmesan sauce; milky, but not salty, tongue coatingly perfect. And the confit tomatoes, which added brightness to the dish. The meatballs were fairly mild in flavor and on the dry side, though the Missus enjoyed them.

We got the La Selvatica as the pinsa, this flat bread topped with duck and wild boar salami.

We both loved the light, but crisp texture of the bread. But this was way too sweet, which really interfered with all the other flavors.

We were both thrilled when the Tagliatelle arrived. We loved that it wasn't over sauced, it also smelled lovely.

The tomato sauce and tomato confit were very good……I always say, "it tastes like sunshine", so bright, perfectly acidic, just wonderful. We weren't as pleased with the pasta as it was too "brittle",,tearing too easily, and lacking the springy pull that we enjoy. Regardless, we loved the flavor of the dish.

The big winner of the night was the Strozzapreti, the texture of this rolled-tubular pasta was just perfect. Tender, with a nice chew to it. The texture totally reminded the Missus of the wonderful spinach strigoli we had in Modena.

The oxtail was so beefy and there was just the right amount of it, any more of it and the dish would be too rich. There wasn't much tomato in this and the "mirepoix", added some nice textural contrast as well. There's ground cocoa on the pasta, which really didn't add much to the dish. The portion size of this dish was quite large, I took the leftovers for lunch the next day and "R", who is from Torino asked me where I got this……I'm guessing he'll be visiting soon.

As we were eating, the cart came by……

And we got a nice beet salad.

That pasta….and the meatballs, meant that we'd be returning. Which we did a week or so later.

This time the meatballs were amazing……so moist and tender. There was a pleasant mild gaminess that had us almost thinking there was lamb in these.

This was just plain wonderful.

This time around we tried the Maccheroni, basically macaroni, though thinking of the typical American tubular pasta would be an insult to how good this was.

The description "al dente" is perfect for how the pasta was cooked, perfect firmness, but not hard. The tomato sauce had the brightness that we'd experienced here before. The protein was pork cheek, but we'd have been happy with the tangy-acidic tomato sauce and that wonderful Parmesan sauce.

Of course we ordered the Strozzapreti again. Though this time it was bit different.

This one had much more oxtail, which nicely balanced out by more tomato sauce this time around. It seemed like a different dish, but the flavors were just as good. The pasta was a bit too under cooked this time. Still, we're going to definitely order this again next time.

We got the quinoa salad off the cart as it passed by. It was nothing special.

We enjoyed our meals at Maestoso. I'm thinking because our meals were quite early, before the place started getting busy; there wasn't much in terms of "passagi". But that's ok, we're going to keep coming here for the pasta. Service was efficient……there's some colorful characters here; which remind us a bit of Rome; without the attitude (aka "typical Roman service per our friends from Italy"). This place just might be on our rotation soon.

Maestoso
1040 University Ave.
San Diego, CA 92103
Hours:
Open Daily 5pm – 10pm

Kyoto – The Keage Incline, the Philosopher’s Path, and Kogashi (“burned”) Ramen at Gogyo

April 29, 2018 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Kyoto, Ramen, Travel

Based on what we saw during the previous afternoon and evening, the Missus decided that we should head back to the Philosopher's Walk, something we did on a previous visit. This time, we decided to do it from the South side.

So we headed off. While there was the possibility of rain in the forecast, it was a very nice morning.

We walked along Lake Biwa Canal, intending to cross over at the intersection near Lake Biwa Museum.

That's where we came across this interesting statue. I'm not sure what it is….all I was able to come up with is something along he lines of "statue of Huge Shine".

The other neat thing we saw were people walking below street level, along the pretty cherry blossoms.

This is the Keage incline. According to what I read, this was once a rail line which was used to carry goods to both channels. These days it's lined with cherry blossom trees. Which make for a nice photo-op. Especially for the folks taking wedding pictures….in the bottom right of the photo below.

From there, it was an easy walk to Nanzenji temple complex. You can't miss the large Sanmon; the main gate.

We didn't spend a whole lot of time here……I'm sure we'll return in the future…..

We did take a few minutes to take a peek at what I believe is Chou Shouin Temple.

A few minutes later we passed Eikando Temple…..

It was early and the temple wasn't yet open. Plus, the Missus was determined to get to the Philosopher's Path.

And a turn or two later….we were there.

There are quite a few….well interesting, but somewhat eccentric folks in Japan…..

Like this Cat Lady giving this feline a "massage"….you could the purring yards away.

Notice that colored cloth to the right of the woman?

Well, it was this.

Just when I think I've seen it all……

Of course the Sakura were beautiful.

The Missus even bought a cup from this lovely ceramic shop.

Everytime She uses it; She's reminded of the Sakura and Kyoto.

Man, check out all the waiting taxis at the North end of the Philosopher's Path.

"We" had decided that I needed more exercise. So we walked all the way back to the Nishiki Market area.

For lunch I had a ramen place on my radar, Gogyo Ramen, which specialized in "kogashi"……translated to "burnt" ramen. In this case, lard is heated, then ignited, giving the broth a deep black hue. And while it seemed like a gimmick, the parent company was Ippudo, which might be my favorite ramen chain in Japan. And this shop was just two blocks from the Ippudo shop in Kyoto.

We got there about 15 minutes before opening and there was already a line.

Which meant that once the doors opened, the place was instantly full.

Gogyo's signature "burnt" shoyu broth starts with a standard broth, then a few ladles of lard is put into a wok and is heated to 300 degrees Celsius….it basically ignites. This is tipped into the bowl and you get the deep, dark, black, soup.

As you can see, we ordered an extra ajitama for our bowl. The egg was very nicely done, the yolk the perfect golden orb, but ice cold. The pork was dry and also cold. The noodles were over-cooked and lacked a nice al dente pull. The broth was really thick and obviously due to the scortched lard pretty oily….but it was super hot, which kept it from getting too greasy. There's a mild bitter-smokiness and bitterness, to the broth and it wasn't overly salty. We enjoyed the broth, but everything else was average to below average in execution.

The Missus got the Kyoto Pork Bowl combination, which She enjoyed.

It looked pretty bland, but I had a taste and the pork was fairly moist, the soy-mirin-sake flavoring was nicely balanced.

Though, to be honest, I was focused on the ramen. And, while it was fun trying this, I don't think we'll be back.

Service was excellent. The space is quite large for a typical ramen shop in Japan.

Gogyo
452 Jumonji-cho
Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

Even though this was our third time in Kyoto; things seemed to be different. Folks were walking around with smiles on their faces. There seemed to be levity in the air.

And walking back to the apartment, I found myself smiling at certain things I saw…..

Perhaps the Sakura does have a certain magic to it?

Kyoto – Kinkaku-ji, Hirano Jinja, and a Revisit to Torito

April 27, 2018 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Kyoto, Travel

As much as we enjoyed Kanazawa, the Missus was excited to be heading to one of cities She feels right at home in; Kyoto. She was also interested to see if the Sakura Forecast was right. We were either too early or too late at all the other cities so far, but were supposedly getting to Kyoto at the perfect time.

We don't go crazy seeing stuff when on vacation. We just have a list of what we want to accomplish and if we have time for other things….well, we go for it. We act like we'll return someday and in Kyoto's case, it's lucky visit number three.

The one place on the list for the Missus this time around was Kinkakuji. Originally the home of Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. Upon his death in 1408, the property was turned into a Zen Buddhist temple according to his wishes.

We got off at Kyoto Station, stored our bags and caught the bus up to the area. The only reason we'd never visited before was that the temple wasn't on any of the train lines. Well, if the Missus has Her way; I don't think we'll ever catch the bus in Kyoto again….it was stuffy, crowded, and She just wasn't pleased.

But of course, we got to see this.

It was quite stunning to say the least. I'm sure all the other folks thought so too.

This structure was actually rebuilt in 1955. You see, on July 2, 1950, a novice monk named Yoken Hayashi burned down the temple, then tried to commit suicide. He was tried and convicted, sentenced to seven years in prison, but was eventually released due to mental illness. One of Yukio Mishima's most popular novels, The Temple of the Golden Pavillion is based on these events.

There are more interesting facts about the temple here.

We strolled around the gardens taking in the sights, like the White Snake Pagoda.

Eventually, we headed back out. Because we weren't catching the bus back to Kyoto station, we headed down Nishioji Dori, stopping for a cup of coffee, and window shopping until we noticed this.

Looking at the signs, I figured out this is Hirano Shrine and it seemed like they were having some kind of fair/festival so we decided to check things out.

And while folks were having a great time…….with those reserved sitting areas….

Or with folks who did their own thing…..

It was the cherry blossoms that were the focus of attention.

It was getting close to check-in time at the apartment we were staying at. So we walked on down to Emmachi Station for the short ride to Kyoto Station, then onward to Higashiyama.

I love the signs in Japan…..

We got in, had some time to freshen up and headed out the door to dinner. One of the Missus's coworkers was in Kyoto at the same time. She loves yakitori, so we met her at Torito. I've posted on Torito before, plus, this was more of a social outing, so I'll just do photos this time around.

The young lady did kind of freak out at the tori tataki…..but she did try it.

And even tried some items we hadn't had before.

We did a pretty good job overall…..

The Missus ordered Her favorite "shime", the "finishing dish", the chicken bone broth with meatballs.

I got the lovely, nutty, slightly smokey, delicious yaki onigiri….

And all was good in the world……

Torito
9-5 Higashi Marutamachi
Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

We took a nice walk after dinner……

And it sure did look like our timing was right with regards to the sakura.

But we'd be confirming that in the morning!

Thanks for stopping by!

Ramen Revisits – Tajima Mercury, Ramen Yamadaya (Clairemont), and Ototo

April 26, 2018 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

Before leaving the Kearny Mesa area, I did ramen rounds at some of the places that I don't visit very often or had only visited once or twice over the years. Starting with…..

Tajima Mercury:

Remember when they called this place Tajima Sushi & Japanese Tapas Restaurant (we called it Tajima 2)?

I'd actually never had the ramen at this location, usually choosing Tajima's original Convoy location. On this day; I arrived right as they opened and there was already a line!

One interesting observation while I sat and waited to order. The only folks of Asian descent were working……….

I went with the Tajima Ramen ($11) with the thicker noodles.

The broth had a tinny-salty-bitterness that I recalled from past visits. The noodles were over-cooked, the fried garlic just seemed to add to the bitterness. The pork was a pile of crumbly-salty-chewy meat. In fact, one of the customers at the table next to me actually asked the Server if they had changed the way the chashu was made. The ajitama was a nice and supple.

Too bad, because a couple of years ago I actually had a fairly decent bowl at their Hillcrest location.

I still miss the original "Tajima" back in the late 90's.

Tajima Mercury
4411 Mercury St.
San Diego, CA 92111

Ramen Yamadaya:

**** Ramen Yamadaya has closed

Man, had it been nearly two years since I last visited? Though it did seem that over time, Yamadaya seemed to be heading on a slow downhill slide. Still, it had been a while.

It was strangely not busy during lunch when I visited. Strange, because Yamadaya used to be pretty busy on previous lunchtime visits.

I ordered my usual; the Tonkotsu Kotteri, with the noodles "extra firm".

Man, this broth was terrible. Fatty yes, but barely over lukewarm, it was like licking lard….and heck, this from a guy who had seabura (pork backfat) ramen in Japan. There was a greasiness and weird blandness to the broth that even the sweet and slightly pungent black garlic oil couldn't solve. I mentioned this to the young lady serving me…..something I would rarely do and got a blank stare, then an "ok, I'll let the kitchen know…." And then not another response for the entire meal. Like previous visits, the chashu here was dry, tough, and cold. The noodles were fine as was the egg…….though it was ice cold.

I had ordered some chicken karaage……is it just that I missed things or is the Tori Nanban no longer on the menu?

Anyway, if there was anything worse than the ramen, it was the karaage.

Good lord; no color, no crispness, gummy, with no flavor. What's up with the temp of the oil?

Man, this was pretty bad……really sad because the place had to much potential when they first opened up here in 2012.

Ramen Yamadaya
4706 Clairement Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Ototo:

After my terrible ramen at Yamadaya, I thought I should give Otot…um, Ototo another shot even though I thought the ramen here was typical of a "roll and teriyaki" joint….in other words, third tier. Still, it had been about two-and-a-half years since my visit.

I went with the White Tonkotsu Ramen along with some Chicken Karaage.

I went with the shoyu tonkotsu this time around, rather than the shio version I had on my previous visit. While lacking in richness and having a mild bitterness, the broth was fine…..a least it was hot. The noodles were the standard issue, mass produced stuff that's everywhere and it was a bit on the mushy side. The egg….well, it wasn't ice cold, which helped things. The chashu was rubbery.

And guess what? While the chicken karaage wasn't amazing….it was moist and had a "by-the-book" karaage flavor – soy sauce, a touch of ginger, a bit too salty.

It could have used a bit more crispness and a more complex flavor, but this was decent. And it actually looked like chicken karaage.

One more thing. The young lady who waited on me was amazing. There was a family with a young son who came in a few minutes after me. Apparently they were regulars. She was so friendly and engaging, taking time to chat and play with the young boy, while still remaining on top of things. She had that balance of efficiency, friendliness, and professionalism. So heck, I might come back one of these days. Maybe…..

Ototo Sushi Co
5651 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111

Florence – Snack Time. Grom Gelato and Eataly

April 25, 2018 mmm-yoso Desserts, Florence and Tuscany, Italy, Italy, Markets & Grocers

It's been a long day. Just a quick post for this evening……

Having a nice meal puts you such great state of mind. Everything just looks better…..

Besides the fact this was Florence……

At this time of the night, Piazza della Signoria was quite relaxed at this time of the evening. A far cry from the day time crowds. Though folks (like me) were still out taking photos.

Though the shadows made some of the statues in Loggia dei Lanzi look kind of creepy at night.

As we approached Piazza del Duomo, the Missus decided She wanted some gelato. So we stopped by the nearby Grom Gelato Shop.

I realize Grom is a chain with locations in LA, NYC, and if I recall even Japan.

But the Missus said this was pretty darn good.

I'll take Her word for it.

Grom Gelato
Via del Campanile 2
Florence, Italy

The views of the Duomo and Baptistry probably made it taste even better.

Speaking of chains; the Missus wanted to check out the Florence location of Eataly. We visited the Copenhagen location last year and the Missus really enjoyed Herself.

On the way there we saw these street musicians.

They were really good. But what made things great was the little Pinocchio on a string that danced along to the music….it had better rhythm than me!

We ended up getting a pretty decent bottle of red wine and a nice snack to share.

Eataly
Via dei Martelli 22/r
Florence, Italy

It was a wonderful end to a wonderful day.

Revisits – Tu Thanh and Tan Ky Mi Gia

April 24, 2018 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

I finally had some time for breakfasts this past weekend and decided to head up to City Heights.

Tu Thanh:

This one I was actually craving for some reason.

It was a bit chilly and I wanted some noodle soup…..and not Pho nor Bun Bo Hue. It had been quite a few months since I last visited, though my relationship with this Bun Mang Vit goes back nearly a dozen years. Not as much banana blossom in the salad nor rehydrated bamboo shoot these days; though it seems like more duck. The duck had a nice toothsomeness and a nice dunk in the gingery and sweet nuoc mam gung does the trick in terms of flavor. The noodles were done right; the broth had a bit more richness than usual.

Though I think it's still that wonderful nuoc mam gung that makes this dish tick.

While working my way through the soup I suddenly had a realization. Because of what we'd been eating at home and out and our trip to Italy, I hadn't had rice in over a month! Crazy.

Even more crazy……

I wasn't craving rice at all.

Tu Thanh
4804 University Ave. #A
San Diego, CA 92105

The next day, after making my usual stop for bread at Con Pane in the morning; I headed back up to City Heights. It was just after 8 and many places were still closed. I'd recently been to Minh Ky and I wanted to wait awhile before checking out Mi Quang Mien Trung again. A place popped into my head. I hadn't been there in several years.

Tan Ky Mi Gia:

**** Tan Ky Mi Gia has closed

Like maybe over three years. Tan Ky Mi Gia is so discreetly hidden, I wasn't even sure the place was still open……

Same owner as in the days it was Tan Ky Mi Gia, then Hing Ky Mi Gia, then back to Tan Ky Mi Gia again. There must be a story here…..and I've heard one or two different one's. The place hasn't aged real well. In the past I'd go with a egg noodle soup, or a duck and egg noodle soup. But this time I went with the Beef Sate Egg Noodle "dry".

And while this didn't look particularly inspiring, it did the trick. The beef was surprisingly tender, the egg noodles cooked perfectly, there was a good amount of savory-pungent sate sauce, and the tomatoes added some nice acid. That broth was not very good though….too much MSG, not much other flavor for my taste. Still, this did the trick.

The one interesting thing I noticed was how much the prices here have gone up. This was now $8.25…..strange because down the street Minh Ky's version is $6.75. Times must be tough.

I need to return to see if the duck is still decent here……

Tan Ky Mi Gia
5237 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

To me, it's places like this that make San Diego tick…….

Florence – Basilica de Santa Croce, Piazzale Michelangelo, and Dinner at Il Magazzino (“The Warehouse”)

April 23, 2018 mmm-yoso Florence and Tuscany, Italy, Italian Restaurants, Italy, Memorable Meals, Travel

After a morning of visiting Uffizi Gallery, the Bargello Museum, not too mention a wonderful lunch at Sergio Gozzi, we had a nice nap. Upon wakening, the Missus was ready to go. Her destination, the view from Piazzale Michelangelo. We decided to not even look at the map and just headed off in the direction of the Arno River. We walked past a hospital, down some side streets, then crossed busy Via Verdi and ended up in front of this wonderful looking church.

At which time I took out the map. This was Piazza Santa Croce.

And the church? It was the Basilica di Santa Croce. Since it was covered by the Firenze Card, we decided to visit, and we were really glad we did.

The largest Franciscan Church in the world, it houses and impressive crucifix, of which there's a story. In 1966 Florence suffered a devastating flood, the Arno overflowed and in the Santa Croce area, the high water mark reached 22 feet! The Crucifix, built by Giovanni Cimabue in 1287 was damaged. you can read more about that here. We'd see that crucifix later on.

Another interesting set of stories is of who is….and isn't buried in the church.

There are many notable people buried here; Galileo, Rossini, Ghiberti, and Michelangelo. The photo I took of his tomb is to the right. In 1564 Michelangelo died in Rome. Pope Pius IV gave instructions that the great artist, architect, and poet was to be buried in Rome. Lionardo Buanarroti, Michelangelo's nephew, under the guise of taking care of his uncle's estate and belongings, coordinated getting Michelangelo's body smuggled out of Rome by merchants. There are more stories here. As for who isn't buried in Santa Croce, but have what I guess we can call "monuments" is Dante, who was exiled to Ravenna. When Florence demanded his remains, Ravenna refused. And so, he has a place waiting here I guess. We'd see Dante's tomb later on during the trip.

In the sacristy, you'll find the original crucifix that has been restored as much as possible.

It was approaching 5pm so we decided to head on out.

As we approached the Arno River, we could see our destination.

That's the Torre San Niccolo, once a gate to the city walls. Piazzale Michelangelo is visible on the hill above.

We crossed the river on Ponte alle Grazie and headed up the hill.

From the stairway, you can actually see parts of the old city wall.

Needless to say, the view from Piazzale Michelangelo is wonderful.

And lots of folks walk, cab, and drive it up here. Many, to take in the view, and then have some nice refreshment.

After walking down, we decided to stay on the south side of the river. I had a restaurant in mind which was located in the Oltrarno neighborhood.

A few blocks off of busy Via de Guicciardini is a quaint little square.

Sadly, our destination wasn't open yet. Nor were the doors unlocked so I could ask for reservations. On the other side of the Piazza della Passera was a café, by the name of Caffè degli Artigiani. This was one of those places…..that I wish we had here; serving everything from espresso, to beer, to wine, to cocktails, to Spritz. Feeling a bit hungry? Well, for one euro, you can fill up your plate with Apertivo, basically snacks. I'm not sure if it's all you can eat, but we saw one guy come in a fill up his plate three times!

I'd been waiting to finally get my hands on a Negroni, which was created in Florence. I've done a couple of posts on meals I've had with a Negroni or two.

This was not bad……but most of the fun was just sitting and watching all the folks come in; grab a spritz, stand at the bar or hang around the square and come back to drop off the glass when done.

Caffè degli Artigiani
Via dello Sprone 16/r
Firenze, Italy

By this time, the restaurant, named "Il Magazzino", aka "the Warehouse" was open.

Sadly, we were told they had "no tables….all reserved". The Missus asked about the outside tables and the really nice guy said, "oh no…too cold". I was a bit bummed, but that's the way it goes. As we thanked him…..he looked at us and said, "ok, you want outside….is ok…..is ok." That's how we got our dinner at Osteria Tripperia Il Magazzino.

We started with a very beefy, really nice beef tongue carpaccio.

The cheese added just the right amount of milky-saltiness to the tongue. The greens were very bitter, which I kind of enjoyed, but the Missus did not.

The Missus's favorite dish of the evening? The Ravioli di Lampredotto con Cipolla di Tropea.

I gotta say; this was super delici-yoso! The tomato sauce was just tangy enough, it tasted like sunshine! The sauce was thick and the flavor condensed which helped to balance out the strong flavor of our friend, the "fourth stomach" of the cow, which was almost buttery when minced. There was a small amount of red onion "Cipolla di Tropea" which added a bit of texture to the ravioli. The Missus is still talking about this dish.

Of course I had to try the Trippa alla Fiorentina here.

The tripe was oh so tender, and I really like the tomato sauce here. This was really good.

The Missus, still fascinated by Lampredotto ordered the Lampredotto Salcicca e Fagioli.

A nice, slightly smoky, almost Spanish style sausage, with those oh-so tasty local beans, and mildly offal-ly – beefy lampredotto.

A couple of glasses of wine; the very warm and amiable service.

Being able to watch the happenings on the local square.

The big, jolly guy working here wasn't so jolly when a guy sitting on one of the benches threw some litter on the ground. He saw it….went to the guy and made him pick it up and throw it in the trash can. We loved it!

This was our favorite meal in Florence. It was just the kind of place we like.

Osteria Tripperia Il Magazzino
Piazza della Passera
Firenze, Italy

As we took our leave, Caffè degli Artigiani was still doing good business.

I'd eaten quite a bit on this day; but one look at my phone and I knew why.

Meanwhile, the Missus was on the look-out for some Gelato!

Thanks for reading!

Chicago Fire Grill

April 22, 2018 mmm-yoso Burgers, Hot Dogs, Sandwiches

After moving to our UTC location last year, I drove down to Renaissance Towne Center to see what were some of the lunch options. I quickly noticed that JK Burgers & Hot Dogs ( it replaced the long standing Chicago on a Bun which I first posted on back in 2005 a few years ago)was gone and had been replaced by a shop named Chicago Fire Grill.

I love my Chicago Dogs (the Missus especially enjoys SuperDawg), so much so that I even ordered one at Hot Doug's (after I ate the Foie Gras and Sauternes Duck Sausage of course). So, I decided to stop by.

The design of the place remains the same….though now it's bright yellow. another very unique thing about this shop id the Owner, George, who chats everyone up, has very unique opinions, and always cracks me up. He does remind me of the colorful characters I've met from or in Chicago.

So of course I got the Chicago Dog, priced nicely at six bucks, which comes with what I call very typical Chicago "Natural" style fries.

The fries were very hot, potato-ey, and really reminded me of what you'd get at places like Jean and Jude's Red Hots. Usually not my favorite style since it can get soggy and there not much crispness; but this was pretty good.

The dog; from Vienna Beef had a nice snap, the dog had, in the typical way been "dragged through the garden", with tomatoes (a bit too unripe), sport peppers (a favorite), the radioactive fluorescent green relish, and the typical, standard issue poppy see roll. I didn't ask if it was a Mary Ann Poppy Seed Bun, but it sure looked the part.

The roll didn't stand up for very long. It was also cold; so I don't think it had been steamed. Other than needing celery salt; this was a good facsimile, and a good deal at six bucks. Plus George's unending rambling to customers cracked me up.

I was told to come back and get the Lamb Burger. Being a good soldier, that's exactly what I did. A lamb burger and fries for nine bucks ain't too bad these days. It was pretty hefty.

The fries didn't hold up too well on the very short drive to the office.

The burger itself looked fairly messy, but the bun really stood up well.

Loved the gaminess. When I was asked for doneness, I answered "medium", thinking, like many burger places in San Diego, this was just a question and my burger was going to be well done regardless of what I said. I was wrong; it was moist, with a nice chew, and totally medium.

Loved the milky-saltiness of the feta cheese, and the nice mild acidity and creaminess of the tzatziki. Nice pungent onions helped cut through any richness….though again, the tomatoes weren't ripe enough to add anything to the sandwich.

Overall, a pretty good burger.

Having been quite satisfied with my previous two choices, I decided to revisit and order the one item that call Chicago home that I enjoy more than a Chicago Dog……an Italian Beef sandwich. Which I ordered "wet"……..

While the roll; a perfectly respectful Gonnella Roll; I'm thinking par-baked, held up well. The beef was really tough and surprisingly dry. It also lacked flavor and the jus, of which the folks at the shop nicely packed for me wasn't beefy; it had way too much herbs in it and was quite greasy.

The fries this time around were also on the greasy side, I'm thinking from the jus that had dripped on it.

Well, two out of three ain't bad.

I'll keep coming by; basically for the Chicago Dogs and the prices. I'll definitely try some of the other sausages and burgers….but that Italian Beef is definitely a "no go"…..oh, and I'm definitely looking forward to George's "words of wisdom" as well.

You can read Soo's post on Chicago Fire Grill here.

Chicago Fire Grill
8935 Towne Centre Dr.
San Diego, CA 92122
Hours:
Mon – Fri 11am – 9pm
Sat – Sun Noon – 9pm

From Amsterdam to Paris and Self Catering on Rue Cler

April 21, 2018 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Amsterdam, Desserts, France, Markets & Grocers, Paris, France, Travel

It was a quiet Saturday morning as we finished packing, had some coffee, and checked out of the apartment we were staying in.

The streets were quite empty, except for the local street market; the Lindengracht Market.

Our favorite statue of Theo Thijssen cracked us up. Remember, on our first night in Amsterdam, which was rather chilly, the sculpture of the child in the display was covered with a blanket? Well, I guess since it was market day…..he was now covered in kale!

The one thing the Missus really took to in Amsterdam were the Stroopwafels and She had quite a collection to take home with Her.

The walk to Amsterdam Central Station was uneventful….even sedate.

Purchasing our tickets early on Thalys, I netted us a good deal in First Class. So we had had some time to relax in the lounge. Folks here were nice. The really friendly young woman in uniform saw us; approached us, and lead us to the waiting area, and then since we had first class tickets, walked us to the lounge. Great service.

Here we found a nice quiet corner, had some water and coffee. There was a group of Japanese businessmen in the lounge as well.

It was a smooth (and ontime) three hour – fifteen minute ride from Amsterdam to Gare Nord in Paris.

From there it was a taxi ride and viola! We were back on Rue Cler.

The 7th is (for now), the Missus's favorite district in Paris. In fact, She was toying with the idea of trying to buy property in Paris (more on that later). So, I decided to get a studio apartment basically one street over from Rue Cler.

And while we stayed in the area previously, we had never been able to take advantage of all the wonderful looking shops in the area. On our previous trip, we had always wanted to just relax, grab some cheese, wine, and a baguette, but weren't able to find the time. This time, we made sure to enjoy the late afternoon (after a nap of course), by doing some shopping at places that had multiple recommendations on sites like Paris by Mouth and others….to many to name.

First off, the cheese, Fromager Marie-Anne Cantin a highly revered and recommended shop was basically just down the street.

Amazing selection of cheeses, many unpasteurized, so you won't find these in the states.

Great service; the butter……is so….."buttery"…..

Fromager Marie-Anne Cantin
12 Rue du Champ de Mars
75007 Paris, France

Next, the baguette, "bien cuite, s'il vous plait" – well cooked is our preference.

Les Gourmandises d'Eiffel has three top ten placements in Grand Prix de la Meilleure Baguette de Paris over the last decade.

For some reason, we didn't care to much for our baguette from here; perhaps it was too late in the day.

Les Gourmandises d'Eiffel
187 Rue de Grenelle
75007 Paris, France

Circling back to Rue Cler. We had wonderful help picking out a wine to go with our cheese from the local outpost of Nicolas.

Nicolas
39 Rue Cler
75007 Paris, France

And picked out some lovely tomatoes and since we bought butter from Marie Cantin; I convinced the Missus to get some radishes from Les Halles Bosquet.

Les Halles Bosquet
50 Rue Cler
75007 Paris, France

Along with that excellent Gouda we purchased in Amsterdam. This made a nice meal….with cheese leftover for the next day's lunch.

Though the Missus still doesn't get the radish with butter thing.

After freshening up a bit, we decided to head out for a stroll.

More than one person I know has told me that the Rue Cler area is more for tourists, it's the "Paris the mind expects", but not the "real Paris". I don't know…..seems like lots of locals around, along with tourists of course.

And we were having a great time. We loved the dogs in the area. I'm just sorry I never got a photo of our favorite, whom we saw 4-5 times….he really got around. This mutt was so obsessed with whomever preceded him and would keep sniffing the walls, sign posts, trash receptacles. We named him "Wall Sniffer"……and we kept seeing him all over the place!

Of course we had to finish the evening off by viewing the Missus's favorite landmark in the world.

From both sides of the Seine.

As we watched the Eiffel Tower light show go off; the Missus muttered to me, "it's so nice to be back in Paris".

Kanazawa – Japanese Breakfast and we’re on our way…..

April 20, 2018 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Kanazawa and Ishikawa Prefecture, Travel

Just a quick post tonight. I was wondering if should have just included this in a combined post. But we'd enjoyed Kanazawa so much and of course those that know me understand how much "Japanese Breakfasts" have special place in my heart. And the breakfast we had the previous day at the Hotel Nikko was something to behold. During our travels to Japan, the Missus has also developed and affinity for it as well.