As in, yoso-silly, yoso-hungry, yoso-full, or best of all; mmm-delici-yoso!!!!! A San Diego based food and travel blog. An Ex-Pat Kama'aina and Friends explore food, restaurants, and travel from San Diego and points beyond.
One good thing about not being the most "popular kid" in the San Diego Food Blogging Class is the lack of Spam emails….at least these days. Though once in a while I'll get a couple….they're mostly rather harmless and annoying, but occasionally there would be one like I caught about 3-4 weeks ago. It really ticked (off course I was more than "ticked" but you get the point) me off because it was somewhat racist in content, actually describing Filipino "turo-turo" joints as the breeding ground for Coronavirus, and finished off with a "slogan", you can guess what it was. For some reason, it really bugged me, because as a whole I haven't run into any real xenophobic/obnoxious/racist folks during this pandemic….except for the one guy at Costco who yelled at me "your kind are causing Coronavirus"….while (of course) driving away….there's always once, right? So, instead of letting it stew, I decided to do what would probably bug this individual the most. I'd go and check out those turo-turo places and let's see how they're doing. And to stretch things out; I'll probably do this in two or three parts.
They were doing some decent business when I arrived.
You need to find your box……..it's ok to think (and dream) outside the box….but if you want your food….stay inside the box.
So, you can see that things are pretty well organized. The only issue I saw was that even though there's space for one at the register and one at the steam table….folks are used to walking back and forth….so the customer at the register wanted to look at something on the right, while the person now at the steam table wanted to check out how the sisig was doing on the left and they kept passing each other. Well, at least they had face coverings on.
I decided on the sisig and a nice hot tray of Bicol Express came out while I was in line so I got that.
The sisig, while not perfect, is my favorite in the MM area. The Lechon Kawale is not overly waxy and has a decent texture and there's more spice and a nice amount of vinegar.
I wasn't as fond of the Bicol Express as it had a strong "livery" flavor, lacked spice and not enough bagoong. It was also, as you can see, really greasy.
Overall, I was just happy to have sisig. And as you can see; there are procedures in place to handle spacing and other issues.
Heck, I just might need another sisig fix soon….so, if you see a middle aged Asian guy sporting a "Covid-19-in-need-of-a-visit to-the barber mullet" that might be me! On second thought, that might not be a rare sighting these days!
R & B Filipino Cuisine 11257 Camino Ruiz San Diego, CA 92126
These days, I usually get to work between 515-530am….and sometimes, like on this day, there’s an unending chain of meetings, calls, and fires to put out. It was past noon and I decided to call Smack’N Guamanian Grill to see if they were open. And the young man who answered said they are open from noon from Monday – Saturday right now, so lucky me I guess since if I’d called earlier there might have been no answer and I would have assumed that the place wasn’t open.
Anyway I placed my order, jumped in the car, and went down the street to Snack’N.
At this time, Smack’N is only accepting Credit Card transactions; no cash.
My BBQ Chicken plate was waiting; it was less than 5 minutes to pay, grab, and go.
Returning to the office, I removed the plate from the package and opened it……the first thought that went thru my mind when I saw the plate was; “sheesh, even my lunch is wearing a mask now!”
This might be the best plate I’ve had from Smack’N! The chicken was much better, nicely “grilled”, fairly moist, decently tender, good salty-soy tones, much better then what I had before. The best thing about having the chicken on top of the red rice was that the drippings had permeated the rice; adding additional moisture and flavor, a winning combination.
The Kelaguen was pretty much what I’d had on my previous visit; lacking in coconut and spice, with good citrus tones and not overly salty. Sadly I was given one small container of finedene.
Overall, this did the job….and it was way too much food. The chicken was much better than what I’d had previously and better than what I’ve had at other Guamanian/Chamorro places in San Diego…..heck, I’d even take it over most of the generic Hawaiian BBQ places in town.
I ended up taking most of the Kelaguen home to have the Missus try it out….She wasn’t too impressed and ended up pouring a ton of the stuff I had in the fridge on it. And guess what the Missus had me make that sweltering weekend?
Still, I did enjoy that chicken, so I’ll definitely return.
Smack’N Guamanian Grill
9506 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92126
Currently open at noon (closed Sundays) and only accepting credit cards
Since we had only planned on one full night in Salzburg, the Missus really wanted to make the most of our time; we'd started with the Old Town, then "hiked" up to Hohensalzburg Fortress. We decided to head on back to the room to freshen up and then grab some dinner. We took a fairly "scenic" route, walking thru Kapitelplatz.
"Everyman" was still standing on his golden orb, looking off into the distance at “Frau im Fels”, his female counterpart. We tried to get a photo from here, but it was basically impossible.
We crossed thru Residenzplatz, you can tell what a beautiful day it was…..
We crossed over the Salzach River and headed to the Seminary where we were spending the night….the Missus suddenly realized that She needed some balls……ahem, Mozart Balls that is, for some folks back home. Luckily there was a location of Cafe Konditorei Fürst nearby; Mozart Balls or more properly Mozartkugel was created in Salzburg in 1890 by Paul Fürst, so it was only right that we would get some for the Missus's friends.
It was just up the street from the Seminary, so we stopped by and the Missus got Her gifts.
Cafe Konditorei Fürst Mirabellplatz 5A Salzburg, Austria
We headed back to Gästehaus im Priesterseminar.
Freshened up; no time for nap on this day and went through options for dinner.
We decided on something fairly close to our accommodations in the "New Town" and after looking thru my list decided on Gablerbrau, which seemed to have a nice selection of beer and some good dishes.
The folks here are very friendly and the place did actually "look the part"……
We placed our orders and of course, I got some beer…..which was quite good.
The bread was fragrant, adequately moist, and decent overall.
We ordered one starter, the "Tafelspitzsulze" jellied beef….since we enjoy jellied meat dishes. This however, was fairly uninspired; the jellied meat overly hard instead of chewy.
The produce was good; though the dressing not to our taste.
Right about this time groups of customers started coming in.
And the staff handled things quite well. Service was very good.
The Missus wasn't too hungry, so She ordered the special for that day; the Duck Salad.
That tomato was delicious, as were the crisp and pleasantly bitter greens. The duck was over-cooked and tough though.
I ordered the Oxtail Braised in Red Wine.
Which was served with Parsley Potatoes. The oxtail didn't look very appetizing as it was almost totally black. It was tender, though strangely bland, except for being on the bitter-greasy side. The potatoes were nicely seasoned, but undercooked; the centers still being too hard and crisp.
A fairly inauspicious meal; though, like I mentioned earlier, we enjoyed the service and I liked the beer.
Gablerbräu Linzer Gasse 9 Salzburg, Austria
I was ready to call it a day; perhaps grab a beer or two…..but of course, the Missus had other plans. After a bit of discussion, we (She) decided we should head up Kapuzinerberg the hill which is on the opposite side of the Salzach from the Old Town and Hohensalzburg Fortress.
There are several viewpoints ("Aussicht") along the way and the views are wonderful.
There are ancient walls along the way……this was used to enclose a Capuchin Monastery that was built on this hill during the 16th and 17th century.
Looking down, the Missus and I were quite envious of the folks having drinks and meals on the makeshift rooftop "terraces" below. I'm thinking we'll try to find one of these places to stay at when we're back in Salzburg.
We took in a bit more of the views before finding some stairs and heading back down to Steingasse. There are a bunch of bars and brewpubs on the street, but I was kinda pooped and we decided to head back to Gästehaus im Priesterseminar; the seminary we were staying at.
There's a reason so many love Salzburg……not the least of which is how picturesque the city is.
The Missus asked me if I wanted to stop at a shop to pick up a beer on the way back to the room…..but I had noticed something when we had left the seminary in the morning.
Near the elevators on the bottom floor of the seminary were several vending machines….and one of them had beer…..in a vending machine…..in Salzburg…..in a Seminary Guesthouse!
It was a pretty warm evening; there's no A/C in the rooms, so we left the windows open. Turns out the street right behind the seminary is lined with bars and things were pretty noisy….which kept me up for a while, until the Radler kicked in and sailed off to never-never land.
We got up fairly early the next morning; breakfast was provided with the room……
Since out train didn't leave until 1pm, and the train station was a fairly short walk away, we checked out, left our bags at reception and headed out. There was one site which was almost across the street that I wanted to see.
Mirabell Gardens. Part of the Mirabell Palace complex; yes, the gardens are beautiful, bright, green, wonderful statues…..designed in in the late 17th century, it is quite wonderful. But there's another reason tourists flock here.
It's really hard for kid raised in the 60's and 70's to not have seen The Sound of Music and one of the most memorable scenes was filmed in Mirabell Gardens. Who can forget this one….try NOT to hum along….
So you might recognize this fella…..
And this is a view from the steps…..
I couldn't help but smile…….
And I'm sure many folks were enjoying, if not actually trying to act out (it was more fun watching some of the folks) their Do-Re-Mi moment.
From here we decided to head back to the Old Town for one last stroll…..plus there was one last thing I wanted to see….so we walked past the Salzburg Christ Church.
And crossed over the Makartsteg Footbridge, lined with "Love Locks".
Not sure why; but stuff like Astronomical Clocks and the like always fascinated me. This actually measures the barometric pressure, temperature, and humidity.
Having fulfilled my geekiness we wandered around a bit more.
It was a lovely day and Cafe Tomaselli was doing some major business.
And all the carriages were ready to go in front of the cathedral.
And "Everyman" was still staring off to his love somewhere in the hills above.
So all was well in Salzburg……
We did some last minute shopping…..
Then went to pick up our bags and headed off to the train station.
I think we'll be back someday….I need to get a good meal here after all.
One thing I'll say about our current situation is that I've finally started ordering foodstuff online….and no, I don't mean those food delivery apps….. What I'm referring to is going thru various lists and references to fill our larder and our stomachs……if you're reading our little blog; you know I'm already sold on the quality of Rancho Gordo's beans and nixtamalized corn. It's amazing how quickly the dried beans cook, the flavors are amazing, and it's definitely worth the price.
Having dipped my feet in the water and with the recent almost record setting heat, I went and ordered from two other producers, with success.
So, why not order cheese directly from the cheesemaker? I saw this fantastic post on Madame Fromage's Blog and noticed that one of the cheesemakers mentioned was Stepladder Creamery, which is located in Cambria. So, I placed an order for the Small Cheese Plate Bundle – $50. Free shipping with orders over $50. It was shipped overnight (they ship on Mondays) and arrived in beautiful shape.
Wasn't sure about how we'd enjoy the Fromage Blanc, but the spicy fromage blanc is quite good smeared on bread! Nice and smoky.
The interesting this was; we probably got too excited when this first arrived and set it out right away, with only a 15-20 minute time to bring to temp. It was still a bit too chilled and we weren't too impressed.
But, on our second meal; it was warmer and the cheese came up to temp nicely and we really enjoyed the cheese.
I took to the Paso Vino, which had a nice richness, along with an almost stone-fruit/"pruniness". Loved the texture once it reaches room temp. The Missus really enjoyed the Big Sur, which was smooth, rich, with a nutty finish.
I first read about Greg Laketek and Salumi Chicago in this wonderful post on Fooditor. It's a great story, quote the Chicago Salumi website; "Greg Laketek quit his day job and booked a one-way ticket to Parma, Italy, the home of Prosciutto, seeking to train under the best salumiere in the world." Awesome. Parma? Oh man……memories of eating Ciccioli and Culatello di Zibello in the steps of San Petronio Basilica! Anyway, there was a free shipping with orders over $50 on the Salumi Chicago website. I placed an order….and waited until our package arrived. These products are shelf stable, so it handles the priority shipping well.
We bought an extra Salami Tartufo for Frankie's auntie "Alle"…who, being half Italian, loves all the good stuff from the "old country". We also got Chorizo for the Missus who loves the stuff and a Soppressata (all uncured).
All three were wonderful! The soppressata was a nice surprise as it had a good "kick" from the Calabrian peppers. Nicely balanced pork-salt-fat, great texture….perhaps the best I've had outside of Italy! Only heritage hogs are used, these are really delicious high quality products and we'll keep ordering. Can't wait to try the 'Nduja!
So, a hundred bucks later, I felt both purchases were well worth the money….you got excellent product from the producers. Shipping was free and this was totally worth the money.
Have you been ordering food/products online directly from the producers?
I was wondering if LouZiana Food was open during the current pandemic. I went ahead and called just to see and the nicest gentleman answered the phone. So, I ended up placing an order and fifteen minutes later (man, no traffic on Miramar Road) I was walking into the restaurant.
I decided to get the Red Beans & Rice and the Gumbo. Really liked the gentleman working the front counter, so friendly and warm….so when he said I really needed to try the Bread Pudding….well, even though I'm not a "sweets" guy, I ordered it.
The Red Beans & Rice here is solid, slightly smoky, good amount of sausage this time around…..decently creamy.
I ordered the Gumbo because I really didn't care for it last time. I enjoyed much more this time around; it wasn't quite as greasy this time around and the chicken wasn't reduced to stringy bits, the Gumbo was nice and rice, without the bitter tones I detected last time.
The bread was too dry and crumbly for my taste.
And my coworkers enjoyed the bread pudding!
Overall, I enjoyed the food more this time around and really liked the guy working.
LouZiana Food 7128 Miramar Rd. San Diego, CA 92121
I know we're all making sacrifices during this time. And I know it can get to you. We all need to find that little pocket of comfort that can add some normalcy to our day. Work has been grinding the Missus down, the long hours, and when you do get a day off, well, you need to stay at home…so perhaps it's just better to keep working. So, it was quite a happy moment when FOYs "Yummy Yummy" and "Yummy Kiwi" (I know…what's up with the name….well, they are sisters…..I guess I'll call them the "Yummy Sisters"?) told me that Sushi Tadokoro was opening for take-out starting on May first. So, on Friday, the first, I called in an order for Saturday. The post I saw said they had lunch hours, but the young lady told me they were currently only doing dinner, Thursday to Monday 4pm – 830pm.
I placed my order for a 430pm pick-up.
There's a makeshift pick-up area set-up and I walked on over said hello, paid, and got my order to go.
I got the Omakase Set and the Omakase Sashimi…it ain't cheap, but this Tadokoro…..and as a whole, I don't go for cheap sushi/sashimi. And boy, this was a lot of food……which looked almost too good to eat….
We busted out the tokkuri we had in the cabinet and our chilled bottle of Yaegaki Mu and had ourselves an awesome dinner. It was quite a bit of food.
The Missus and I smiled, enjoying our meal….while the Missus does enjoy my cooking, well, this gave us both a nice break, a bit of an escape.
Man, that buttery toro sashimi……..the scallops……that little mini ikura-Hokkaido uni gohan…….whoa……real wasabi
As we finished dinner; the Missus told me, "we need to do this again".
I replied, "sure, anytime".
She said "like tomorrow….."
And soon I was on the phone ordering tonight's dinner. The young lady laughed when I gave my name and number; "did you finish dinner already?"
Which found me returning this late afternoon at 430 again.
This time we ordered a more manageable amount of food.
The Chirashi Box and the Nigiri Plate….and two pieces of Toro…….oh man…..
Two wonderful and special meals, over two nights, made our weekend where the Missus got called in twice; once at 330 in the morning. It gave us a nice moment of shared enjoyment as we're not able to go out. While it's not quite the sushi bar experience….half the fun is going to a place where the Itamae knows and interacts with you….where, because he understands your tastes and preferences, designs a meal that fits your taste. Still, this is as close as we can get right now and we'll gladly take it.
As I grabbed my to go package and said my thanks to Take-san, the nice young lady bowed slightly and said; "we'll see you tomorrow!"
And if you know the Missus….well, anything is possible!
Sushi Tadokoro 2244 San Diego Ave San Diego, CA 92110
Is a question I've gotten in a few comments and to my surprise in a couple of emails as well.
In some ways, it was quite nice knowing that at least a few folks like those travel posts…….I never quite knew if people actually did. Thanks especially to "Kerri" who made my day with a lovely email.
There are/were a couple of reasons why I've held off on doing those posts.
The first being, that I wasn't sure how all this travel stuff would come across….folks not being able to go anywhere right now. Having to cancel our planned trips really drove home how sad and depressing being unable to travel right now is. But one sentence in Kerri's email – "Love your blog, can't wait to hear the stories because we can't go anywhere right now." Really changed my mind about that.
Secondly, when doing my travel posts, I try to "get things right" as much as possible. So this means those posts actually take 2-3 times as long as my basic "stream of consciousness" restaurant/cooking posts. Things have been pretty busy for me, though I've now had three full days off since mid-February and my weekend work now comprises of just a couple of hours. So, I'll soon have more time.
And I do enjoy doing those posts, whether it's a place that is well known, iconic, a landmark.
Or places a little less known…..
And oh my, the history!
I've had the honor of sharing those places with you……
I've had the privilege of visiting places that a young, poor kid from Honolulu could only dream about.
One that never left the state of Hawaii until the age of 30, crazy huh?
And the Missus always has some interesting adventures in mind……
So let me get my act together as things are starting to somewhat "normalize"…….
I often consider my blog posts as sort of entries in my own personal diary of food and travel experiences……
And I thank you for visiting and sharing in them with us!
I arrived a quarter after eleven, it seems that their current hours are from 11am to "between 230 and 330 PM", Monday to Saturday. There were already three people in line waiting for their order.
I was a bit confused about where the walk up window was as the "order here" mark on the ground was tight in front of a closed door and folks waiting just seemed to be hanging out with no social distancing. But all was fine once the nice young lady arrived at the makeshift counter to the right and greeted me. From there, it was a fast process and my order was ready to go.
There was no confusion as to how good this was. And as "FOY" Loren recommended before, the fries are quite good and hold up rather well for an hour or so.
Plump, moist shrimp, the roll held up well.
Delivered as expected. I actually wished they still did their sandwiches as salads during this time, but totally understand the limited menu.
SuperNatural Sandwiches 7094 Miramar Rd. #122 San Diego, CA 92121
Hope everyone is in good health and staying sane during this challenging time!
The sisig, while not perfect, is my favorite in the MM area. The Lechon Kawale is not overly waxy and has a decent texture and there's more spice and a nice amount of vinegar.
Overall, I was just happy to have sisig. And as you can see; there are procedures in place to handle spacing and other issues.
