March 2020 – mmm-yoso

Eating (and drinking) in the Time of Covid-19 – Chicago Fire Grill, Bay Park Fish, and Beer From Harland

March 31, 2020 mmm-yoso Beer, Hot Dogs, Sandwiches, Seafood

How is everyone doing? Here are a couple of stuff-to-go and a couple of cold ones. I'm not going to go into the food much here….it's just not the time for that.

Chicago Fire Grill:

I went to grab a quick lunch for the few souls who are still in the office….plus I wanted to see what "words of wisdom", George, the owner had. Anyway, upon getting there, I ordered from the doorway….George asked me if I could hear him……I told him, "I could hear you from Orange County….."

We all had a zillion calls during the day and with all the self-quarantine, it actually felt good to get out for 20 minutes to grab lunch and scurry back to the office and yet another call.

George says that he'll hang in there; though he wasn't totally sure about the hours….he's trying to keep it going at least for lunch.

Chicago Fire Grill
8935 Towne Centre Dr.
San Diego, CA 92122

Bay Park Fish Company:

During my short shopping stop at Seisel's, I saw this sign in front of Bay Park Fish.

And while BPF has kinda fallen from favor for us over the years; it along with Siesel's were the subject of one of my first posts back in 2005. So I went in and placed an order before I went to Siesel's. When I got out of Siesel's and walked over, my food was ready…….I decided not to take the 30% off and also tip a bit…….it's almost like my responsibility.

Got the shrimp torta and smoked fish stack.

Currently open from noon to 5pm for take-out.

Bay Park Fish Co.
4121 Ashton St.
San Diego, CA 92110

We've been trading food with Frankie's favorite auntie "Alle", who lives close by. One day, she had gone on a "beer run" to Harland and graciously gave some brews.

Here's the Harland Japanese Lager.

And something really special; the Harland MoMo Mochi IPA.

Nice, slightly fruity, mildly sweet, in the session IPA hoppiness scale….very nice Hazy IPA made with…well "Momo" (peaches) of course.

Thanks Alle!

Be safe everyone!

Recently Consumed: The Covid-19 Edition – It’s mostly soup (and beans)

March 27, 2020 mmm-yoso Cooking

Sorry for the time gaps between posts; I've been working quite a bit and after making dinner and stuff, am pretty wiped out.

Anyway; here's a bunch of stuff I did, by request of the Missus….who is working even harder than I am right now.

In my previous post, I had a photo of the roped off area for Seisel's….I basically went there to pick up bacon and the ham hocks, my favorite in San Diego. I used up the bag of red beans from Rancho Gordo and made some Ham Hock and Red Bean Soup.

We've been trading dishes with Frankie's two favorite Aunties and each got some of the soup….Aunte "Alle" said it was really good.

For some reason, the Missus is requesting cream type soups, which are kind of a pain….but She's working really hard….so what the heck.

Her favorite is the Mushroom Soup I make, I'm basically using Jacque Pepin's Creamy Leek and Mushroom Soup recipe; except with more….a lot more mushrooms, both dried, and fresh.

I finally got to use the really high quality porcini we got in Italy. I also use tried and true additions (white wine) and techniques (starting the mushrooms in a dry pan), with twice the amount of dried porcini (1 ounce) and 12 ounces of cremini, with white mushrooms added at the end.

Of course the Missus added truffle oil and extra virgin olive oil….from the bottle we brought back from Avignon.

Of course you saw the cauliflower soup in an earlier post, and I made some potato leek soup, the base of which I used to make Cream of Asparagus Soup….which turned out to be another favorite of the Missus….go figure.

I've gone ahead and used leftover beans and veggies to make Cassoulet/One Pan Dishes as well.

This one is inspired from a recipe in Joe Yonan's wonderful cookbook, Cool Beans.

Much like I do for my Cassoulet, I mix the panko with duck fat….and in this base rendered bacon fat as well before topping the dish.

Having more leftover beans, I added some sausage, sliced zucchini, tomatoes, and red bell peppers….leftovers from other dishes and did kinda the same thing in my small cast iron pan.

I think the next time I make this; I'll forgo the panko and just top with a couple of easy over eggs….cooked in duck fat of course.

And while I forgot to take photos of the potato leek soup I made; I was amazed at how large the potatoes and leeks I bought were…..so I decided to measure them, using Frankie as a reference point.

While I assured "F" that he wasn't part of the recipe….he doesn't look convinced, does he?

Hope everyone is safe and healthy!

Grocery Shopping in the Time of Covid – 19…..Mostly a Bunch of Photos

March 22, 2020 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers

***** Some really great comments on this post. Check them out!

Unless you've just returned from several months on another planet; you know about our current Covid-19 outbreak. So, I'm just going to mostly go with photos….with just a smidge of text.

The first time I really ran into things was when I needed to make food for Frankie….I needed chicken thighs; I usually get them from Costco…but heck, there's no way I was going to make it in there. So, I tried to find some….going to everywhere from Sprouts….to Smart and Final….to Zion Market…..etc, etc, etc……

I finally found some at Sprouts on Genesee and managed to make him some food….I'm going to have to make more this weekend; but things have gotten a bit under control…..though I think rice (and toilet paper) seem to be in demand.

And soon enough, there were limits placed……

Along with modified hours.

And now, with social distancing in place……there are limits on amount of folks allowed in at once. I first ran into this at Seisels.

Here's the line today at Nijiya around 1030. They are opening at 10am and will close at 6pm.

It was very orderly and wonderful young lady working would ask if you want a basket or wagon and would spray sanitizer on it before turning it over to you.

And overall, I have noticed that people have been kind, thoughtful, and patient……other than that guy at Costco Gas who yelled at me, "you people are why we have Coronavirus". There's always one, isn't there?

And heck, if you're wondering if you have enough TP; you might want to use this tool (???). According to this I should have enough for 48 days at least.

I hope you are all in good health. Hang in there!

Eating (and drinking) in the Time of Covid-19 – Soup, Sandwich Emporium, and Beer from Bay Hill Tavern

March 19, 2020 mmm-yoso Beer, Cooking, Pubs and Pub Grub, Sandwiches

First off; we sincerely hope that your family, friends, and loved ones are in good health.

It's been an interesting couple of weeks for me; I haven't had a day off in a couple of weeks. Still, we've had to make due with all the restaurant and bar closures.

I'm figuring most of you are eating like us….here's some Cauliflower Soup I made.

The secret ingredient, other than the truffle oil and bacon fat; is that I use saved up Parmesan rinds when making the soup. It adds a nice, milky-savory flavor to soups. So, go ahead and freeze those rinds; don't throw them away.

While the rational part of my brain wasn't surprised when the order came down to end dine-in service at restaurants; another part of me was jolted….I mean…..I kinda like eating out (in case that wasn't obvious). So what to do?

Well we are eating at home and such, and many places are closed, but there are lists like this one and of course Social Media, where you can find places that will deliver. And since one of those places and I go back to the beginning of the blog, I got some of the folks in the office to team up and place a pick-up order.

It was, like most times a decent sandwich. I think the fact that we were able to help out a place that is close to home made it taste even better.

Sandwich Emporium
3054 1/2 Clairemont Drive
San Diego,CA

Give them a call at one of the three locations to see what the hours are.

Speaking of close to home. I was driving home when I saw this……

While I'm sure there was a hint of humor here….after all, the crowds on most evenings from Wednesday to Saturday! I still felt something stir inside….perhaps I was thirsty?

So, I went into the parking lot; which is usually packed, today…..it was desolate. And decided, while I wasn't hungry, I was going to make dinner at home, I did need a digestif, right?

So tonight after dinner; I'll have my Duchesse…or as we were correected and laughed at in Belgium; a "Doo-Chezz"!

And nope, I haven't actually had a drink, nor eaten at Bay Hill Tavern yet……wouldn't it be funny if the first meal I had there would be during the Coronavirus outbreak?

I was told that they are open afternoon and evenings, with to-go brunch on weekends. You can check their website.

Bay Hill Tavern
3010 Clairemont Drive
San Diego, CA 92117

Of course, who knows what tomorrow…or even tonight will bring?

Take care and best wishes from us!

Today its not about food…….

March 16, 2020 mmm-yoso Blog

I'm not going to overload you with information, there's a lot of that available elsewhere…….we here at mmm-yoso is hoping everyone remains healthy and gets through this.

Be safe, healthy and we'll see you on the other side.

Take Care!

Recently Consumed and a Recipe for Chile de Arbol Salsa

March 12, 2020 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

Like I mentioned previously, it's been a pretty busy week. So here are some of the things I made recently and a recipe for the Chile de Arbol Salsa that I've been making recently.

Like my previous Recently Consumed post; we're still working thru the beans from Rancho Gordo. Here's a White Bean and Kale Soup.

The Missus had been requesting that I make Her favorite mushroom soup….so I finally made some…..last night.

She likes a ton of truffle oil on Hers……I go with some shaved Parmesan Reggiano and Extra Virgin Olive we bought in Provence.

I opened a can of Chipotle Chilies en Adobo and didn't want to waste, so I made some Chipotle Cauliflower.

And of course, pozole during the weekends.

And of course, one of the salsas I have on hand is one made with Chile de Arbol; I mentioned finding some from India in an earlier post. Love the heat in these; makes a pretty spicy, heady salsa.

Chile de Arbol Salsa:

8oz (weighed out) Dried Chile de Arbol, stems removed, wiped clean

1/2 cup Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice

1/2 Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Tb Tomato Paste

1 Tb Ground Cumin

1 Tb Agave Syrup

4-6 Cloves of Garlic

1/3 – 1/2 cup chopped onion

Salt to Taste

Combine Apple Cider Vinegar and Lime Juice in a bowl

Warm a dry cast iron pan over medium-high heat and toast (do not burn) the chilies

Add the chilies to the Vinegar and Lime Juice, mix well and let the chilies soak for 20-30 minutes

Once hydrated add the chilies, cumin, garlic, Agave syrup, onion, tomato paste, and enough liquid in a blender and process to achieve the texture you desire. You can strain if you want to, but I just remove any stray seeds. I usually end up using almost all the liquid.

Taste and salt to taste.

Enjoy…..

The Missus really liked it with the Chipotle Black Bean Tostadas I made.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

TJ Dumplings – Almost Gou Bu Li (and no “TJ” does not stand for Tijuana)

March 10, 2020 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Xiao Long Bao

**** TJ Dumplings has been replaced by Tenkatori.

It's been a busy couple of weeks, so not much time to have lunch. I headed out to grab a sandwich and noticed a new business in the former location of Lai Chen and BT Chinese Kitchen, so I headed into the parking lot.

TJ Dumplings????? Even though the sign said they open at 1130; it was 11 and the place was open, so I decided to head in.

The menu was quite small; Xiao Long Bao, Baozi, Guotie, Jiaozi, and stuff like Pineapple Fried Rice and Kung Pao Chicken? No Chinese, all in English.

I asked the nice gentleman behind the counter about the name and was told; "it's our hometown". To which I asked "Tianjin?" He immediately brightened up and let out a sigh; "I know, we didn't think when we named the place….people think we mean Tijuana!" I was also told that they had just opened two weeks prior.

I immediately asked if the steamed bun was "Gou Bu Li" (the famous baozi of Tianjin) and he smiled and said; "it is based on Guo Bu Li; even the amount of folds!" So, of course, how could I resist. I got an order of the steamed buns and potstickers to go. I liked that the baozi took about 15-20 minutes, it meant they were steamed to order. I was happy that they packed Chinese black vinegar with my order.

When I got back to the office, I noticed that Calvin had finished his lunch, but still seemed hungry, so I shared some of this with him. It was too much for me. The bun was decent; it was slightly fragrant and fluffy, the filling by the book; moist, porky, good savory tones (slight ginger/scallion), fairly tender. Not bad at all…..no, it's not the best I've had, but perfectly fine for lunch.

The baozi had 15-18 folds which puts it in gou bu li territory.

I didn't enjoy the guotie much though.

It was mostly about the wrapper and cooking technique than the filling; which was basically the same as the baozi. The wrapper was too thick; chewy, and it had a certain greasiness to it that I didn't particularly care for. Call me spoiled by QingDao Guotie….yes, I've been indoctrinated.

Still; those baozi were pretty good. So, on one of the days where I was able to get away and Calvin had a meeting running thru noon, I headed back over to TJ Dumplings for baozi. Upon entering I quickly noticed all the "Peach" insulated bags on the tables and seats.

So, I guess delivered food is a big part of the business here.

I got the baozi, jiaozi, and Calvin was really curious about the Xiao Long Bao, so I ordered that as well.

First things first; the baozi on this visit was better than on my previous visit. The dough fluffier, though it also had a bit of sweetness this time; not sure if they are stilling trying to get their formula right. The filling tasted the same; but there was a bit of "soup" in the baozi making it very moist. Also, the meat in the baozi wasn't formed as tightly, making it very tender.

The jiaozi was just ok…..here's one I'm not going to order take-out in the future as the wrappers stuck to the take-out container. The wrapper were fine, a bit more doughy-chewy than I prefer.

While not even close to being my favorite or my MIL's, this would have been decent home-made jiaozi. One funny note; the lady working asked me how I knew the Chinese names of the dishes and I told her the Missus is from Qingdao. As I took my package to go she told me; "sorry, no pounded garlic for you." Which cracked me up. Pounded garlic with black vinegar is the signature accompaniment to jiaozi in Qingdao.

As for the XLB.

I was surprised they made it back to the office intact. The wrapper is thinner than most; but a bit too brittle and lacking in a nice pillowy pull.

The filling was basically the same as the jiaozi, but with a tad more sweetness and just a few drops of soup in them.

This wasn't bad; I've had worse, but it's definitely not the headliner here. For me, it's the baozi.

Which is not bad. A solid version.

And so, I'll try to drop by and actually eat in the place when things slow down a bit.

So there you go; it's "TJ" as in Tianjin, not Tijuana. And almost Gou Bu Li.

TJ Dumplings
6780 Miramar Rd.
San Diego, CA 92121

Soup Weather, the Old Standbys Episode – Mien Trung and Santouka. Plus, a Little Quiz at the End

March 9, 2020 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Ramen, yoso-silly

Well, that spot of warm weather didn't last very long, did it? To be perfectly honest; I enjoy cooler weather since it means I can hit up my old standbys. Like these two. I'll keep the post short; cause I've done so many posts on these two places.

Mien Trung:

Ok, I think I have at least a dozen posts on Mien Trung…..going way back to 2006! They seemed to have hit a rough spot for a while; but this last bowl was the best I've had in a while.

The Bun Bo Hue really hit the spot; the broth didn't have too much msg, there was a decent spice, nice lemongrass tones; the noodles were cooked to a perfect slipperiness. And to add to the joy of a nice bowl of bun bo hue; I got little red dots all over my shirt…..oh well, it was definitely worth it.

Mien Trung Restaurant
7530 Mesa College Dr
San Diego, CA 92111

Santouka:

Funny thing; my first visit to Sanoutka when they first opened in San Diego in 2008 was auspicious. But over the years they've righted the ship and is a favorite of the Missus……let me beat that dead horse again; to the point that the Missus just had to visit the flagship shop in Asahikawa…in winter!

The funniest thing to the Missus is; that "even in Japan, Santouka's boiled eggs are terrible…." So there's some consistency for ya'. For us; it the Shio Toroniku style all the way. Rich, hot tonkotsu broth; noodles with a good chewy-crunch to them, pork cheek that tastes great with a short dunk in the broth……

Santouka Ramen
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd(In the Mitsuwa Marketplace)
San Diego, CA 92111

And as a little bonus:

So, I was cleaning out some old photos, deleting most of them; when I came by a couple of oldies, but goodies…..places that are gone but not forgotten, at least by me.

So, can you guess the first two?

That's an easy one, right?

Here's a place that didn't last very long; but I really enjoyed……..

Boy do I miss this place…..

Now here's one that lasted for even a shorter time….but man, we really enjoyed the place when it was around.

Did you get all three???

Happy Monday everyone!

Noodling Around City Heights – Trieu Chau Revisited

March 8, 2020 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

After doing my Hu Tieu Nam Vang Kho comparison post, I realized that I hadn't revisited Trieu Chau in years. So I made it a point to revisit and have some noodle soup in over the last couple of weeks.

The service here is all business…..an older woman helps in the kitchen and busses, either a gentleman or a woman who I think is his wife takes orders, waits tables, cooks, and works the register.

The noodle soup menu is quite long. I soon realized that I had never had the egg noodle soup at Trieu Chau; so I decided to go ahead and get the House Won Ton Egg Noodle Soup ($7.50).

This bowl had way more than just won tons in it. It had some shrimp (nicely deveined and fairly plump); slices of pork (good flavor, but tough), ground pork, and a piece of rather tough chopped chicken, in addition to won tons, which were on the tough side; though nicely flavored.

The broth was salty and overly sweet; though it had a slight porkiness to it. It was delivered absolutely steaming hot with a decent amount of tongue coating richness. The lime came in handy.

The egg noodles were of the thinner type and prepared decently; it had a nice crunchy-chew to it.

A few weeks later, on a rather cooler and somewhat wet day, I decided to drop by on my way to Northgate Market.

I had my eye on the "Duck Soup with Egg Noodles" ($8.00). I was pleasantly surprised by this bowl.

The broth was much more fragrant and darker than my previous bowl. It became obvious that the drippings/sauce from the duck was used to help flavor the soup. While the broth was still on the saltier side; the added flavor boost did a nice job adding a bit of complexity and savory tones to the soup. It was also pleasantly rich.

There was a good amount of sliced duck; including the leg in the soup. All the bones and such made it somewhat ponderous to eat. The duck was fairly tender, the skin was soft, and the meat still had some gamey-savory tones to it.

There was a smaller portion of egg noodles in this bowl, but like my previous visit, it was prepared nicely.

This was not bad and I'd surely order it again.

So, it looks like Trieu Chau is on my noodle rotation in City Heights. There's still much to try from the menu. Like Lotus Garden, I need to try the Beef Sate Egg Noodle here.

Trieu Chau Restaurant
4653 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92105
Hours:
Daily 8am – 8pm

Salzburg – Hohensalzburg Fortress and a Stop at Stiegl-Keller

March 6, 2020 mmm-yoso Austria, Beer, Pubs and Pub Grub, Travel

*** Not much food in this one; just a couple of "cold ones"

Revived by our coffee at Cafe Tomaselli, the Missus had one more item to check off our "list". On the cliffs above the Old Town is a pretty imposing castle.

This is Hohensalzburg Fortress; first constructed in 1077 by Archbishop Gebhard during a power struggle between the Holy Roman Emperors and the Roman Catholic Church called the Investiture Controversy. The Archbishop first built a fortress on Festungsberg as a symbol of the power of the Catholic Church, directed at Henry IV.

There's a funicular that can take you quickly to the top off the hill….but you know the Missus….we walked up. The walk isn't super long; but it's pretty steep. I was somewhat glad to see, that there were other folks, most much younger than me, huffing and puffing their way up the hill as well.

And I gotta admit, the views on the walk up weren't half bad.

And while there are a bunch of various room, tours, and such, we had really come here for the views; which were wonderful on a beautiful day like this one.

We wandered along the perimeter of the courtyard, making time to take in the fantastic view. I'll say it again; it was a beautiful day.

We then took some time to visit some of the rooms and also St George's Chapel; a little church that dates back to 1500, with marble reliefs of the Apostles that date back to 1501.

From what I read; the Chapel is named after St George, who is the Patron Saint of Horses.

The small domed ceiling and bright white colors really made the chapel come alive.

There's even an interesting sundial on the outside wall of the Chapel that you can see in this photo.

Still, for us, it was about the view.

You understand what I mean; right?

Walking across the courtyard we were rewarded with another wonderful view.

Looking off to the Berchtesgaden Alps in the distance….I got it. All together now, "The hills are alive with the sound of music ……"

Then it was time to head back down.

I had noticed a place on the way up.

The Missus doesn't drink much beer these days (though She did on this trip); but Stiegl's Grapefruit Radler is a favorite of Hers. Stiegl's Headquarters and Brewery is located in Salzburg and we just happened to be passing their "Gastgarten"……how convenient wouldn't you say?

There was some outdoor seating available; but we weren't going to be eating anything and decided to just head into the bar area. Where we both got Grapefruit Radlers.

The clean, bright citrusy grapefruit, with a hint of sweet, low ABV at 2%, it was so refreshing on a rather warm day.

And the Missus got Her Stiegl Grapefruit Radler in Salzburg.

Stiegl-Keller
Festungsgasse 10
5020 Salzburg, Austria

It was time to head back to the room; freshen up and find a place for dinner.

Thanks for stopping by!