Sunday Sandwiches – Waters Fine Foods

**** Waters Fine Foods has closed

The weekend after we got back from CDMX, I had to drop off lunch for the Missus. After picking up my dry cleaning, I was driving home on Morena Boulevard and for some reason Waters Fine Foods came to mind. Sheesh, the last time we'd had anything from Waters was back in the early 2000's at the original location on West Morena which I believe is now their catering location. The Missus and I really didn't care for the sandwiches we had on that visit and we kind of just filed it away.

Waters moved their café to the strip all next to JV's Mexican Food. So, now a good 16-17 years after that visit….well, it was time to check out Waters again.

The interior is set-up sort of like a café-deli-coffee shop…..it's a bit confusing as you order not at the register, but at the counter, pay, and either have a seat or cool your heels.

Though the employees are quite pleasant.

I ordered the Smoked turkey Panini ($10) which seemed a bit "light" as I carried it home. So when I opened it….

Having just returned from Mexico City, mind automatically did the mental calculation…..man, this was 200 $MXN. Still, like I've said about Banh Mi; it's all about proportion. So, there's was barely a sliver of smoked turkey; which would not have been bad if I could actually taste the turkey, which by the way, wasn't evenly spread through the sandwich. There was just way too much pesto in comparison to the meat, few strings of roasted red pepper, and cheese. I enjoy pesto and this version was quite "pine nut" forward if you know what I mean. But that was all there was, pesto and arugula, usually two of my favorite things just overwhelmed everything. Including the nicely crusty bread.

Again, I don't mind having a "Manini panini" mind you; but in a case of a sandwich like that balance and proportion is quite important.

So, this past weekend I decided to head on back. Folks that know me understand that when it comes to places in San Diego, I usually don't let things go after a single visit, and if I do, it's because we thought the meal wasn't very good and the additional investment really wasn't worth it (i.e. Trust, Pardon My French, Juniper & Ivy, etc…). Or the meal was so terrible that I'm not willing to go myself and I can't talk the Missus into returning (Officine Buona Forchetta comes to mind). Or perhaps I've dropped the ball and my last visit was way too long ago and I'll have to start the "meter" running all over again to do a post (Hachi Ramen), or worse of all, I suffer some particular "ailment"…..

But Waters is a café and in my 'hood, so no excuses, right?

Same really nice group of folks working.

This time I went with the Roast Beef ($9.25). And while not being particularly hefty, I enjoyed this sandwich much more.

I used the dinner fork to provide a bit of "scale" for the sandwich. While the baguette was a bit on the "dry" side; the roast beef was moist, tender, and best of all, I could taste it as the horseradish sauce and aioli were used with a nice restrained hand and complemented the meat. Nice crunch from the lettuce, I wish there were more crunchy onions as it would have added even more crispness and a sweet-pungency to this. The tomato added a slight acidity, but would have been had it been more ripe.

Not bad at all.

I'm glad I returned for that second visit. And while I saw some folks eating a pretty good looking salad; I'm not sure I'll return to Waters….at least for a while. It's not quite my style.

Oh and to that couple who were discussing and dissing all the customers in the place; from the colors and skirts the women were wearing to the tattoos on one of  the customers…..try not to talk so loud as I and the guy sitting at the end of the table could hear everything you said. From the guy who you (the woman) said there were "too many of their kind in the neighborhood these days."

Waters Fine Foods
1122 Morena Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours:
Mon – Fri 11am – 7pm
Sat       11am – 4pm