Cathy – Page 104

The Pita Pit- a new franchise out here

March 31, 2008 Cathy Chains, What Cathy Eats!

The Pita Pit is closed.

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog about food and you get to vicariously enjoy-or not- what Kirk and/or his Friends ate. Today, once more, it is Cathy talking about a small meal she had.

Yep, Cathy here. Kirk is still gone. You get me and a meal, again.

So, anyhow, if you own a home in San Diego County and don't have an escrow account, you have to pay your Real Estate Tax to the County Assessor's office. If you actually drive to the Office, this place is in the plaza right next door. It is new and a franchise. Editor's Note: There is a location on College Aveneue near SDSU and also one on Mission Boulevard in the beach area, according to the website link below. Cathy's Note: It was new to me.

The Pita Pit- "Open and Rollin' " it says on the door.

Interesting concept.

This is a copy of the fax menu.

Kind of a Subway sandwich shop with pita (white or wheat) or put all the toppings onto lettuce and make it a salad.

Standard toppings include: shredded lettuce, romaine, spinach, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, cucumbers, pickles, black olives, pineapple, pepperocini, sprouts, mushrooms and jalapenos.

Cheese choices are: Cheddar, American Swiss, Feta and Parmesan.

Sauces are: Cesar, Tzatziki, ranch, spicy vinaigrette, mayo, BBQ, sour cream, hot sauce, teriyaki, catsup, mustard (yellow, honey or Dijon), salsa, horseradish Dijon and chipotle.

The various meat pitas to choose from are: gyros, turkey, Black Forest ham, roast beef, chicken breast, bacon, chicken souvlaki and tuna . Pretty much any combination is available. Prices are around $6.25.

For an added charge you can get hummus, babaganoush, double meat or double cheese.

My only mistake was treating the pita with gyros like it was a pita with gyros.

You can see it in the white bread here, not as stuffed as the whole wheat chicken souvlaki.

I only wanted gyros with feta, onion, tomato and tzatziki and that was what I got. The meat and also the sauce was kind of dry: the pita bread had a wonderful fresh flavor though, as did the meat. I should have chosen more toppings. The meat was flavorful, but not juicy. It was pre-sliced thin and fried until warm and almost crispy, so no juiciness that sometimes happens with an unevenly cut off the spit piece of meat was evident.

The sandwich was, however, not sparse in the amount of meat on it. Very filling.

I suppose I complain because I compare.

The Mister got the chicken souvlaki with feta, lettuce, tomatoes, green pepper, cucumber and the "secret" sauce (which is a spicy vinaigrette). This was an excellent sandwich that was full, moist and tasty.

I will go back, but will more or less think of the food here as sandwiches in a bread pocket rather than a pita, per se. Despite the name above the door.

The Pita Pit 9119 G Clairmont Mesa Boulevard ( in the mall with San Diego County Credit Union) 92111 phone: (858) 560-7482 fax:(858)567-7482 M-F: 8 a.m.-8p.m, Sat/Sun 10-8

Website

Chulo’s Food Truck-Mariscos, tacos and caldos!

March 27, 2008 Cathy Seafood, Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the food blog. A little peek into an anonymous diary of what Kirk and some of his friends ate. Kirk is gone. Cathy is here. Today, you can read what Cathy ate. Or not.

Hi. No, Kirk is not back yet.

So anyhow, I was driving North on 54th, to meet some friends who live on Easy Street. Really. San Diego 92105. Easy Street. People live there. Not me, though.

At the signal light of 54th and Redwood, I was waiting and saw this Food Truck. I made a mental note (since I didn’t have a pen) and on my way home, I was hungry, remembered and drove to it.

Technically, it is on the feeder road on the Northeast corner. You can’t miss it, no other businesses on the other corners.

I parked and walked up and looked at the menu.

Very cool- mostly seafood, except for the menudo, Carne Asada and Chorizo.

I decided on the fish taco for 99¢ and the camaron quesedilla $5- but my total charge was $7. Exactly. So maybe the listed prices are wrong, or something else… doesn’t matter.

There was a table with three chairs under the awning attached to the truck and there were a plethora of different hot sauces to choose from, along with bottled and canned beverages in ice.

I did recall seeing a line of people waiting to order and eat here last year when I was visiting my friends . Since this truck was still here, it must be pretty good, I thought to myself while waiting.

So, I ordered, put some money in the tip jar and the nice gentleman asked me if I would like some seafood caldo (soup) while I waited…of course!

A rich tomato based broth with onions and celery and chunks of fish in my portion. Excellent, deep flavor.

I had to wait a bit for the food to be finished cooking, but did not mind.

It was fascinating to see the cocteles the other people had ordered and were eating. Not overly large, but they appeared to be fresh made.

This was my fish taco. Not great, but not bad…for 99¢. I won’t complain.

The quesedilla was the best surprise ever. There were 15 juicy fresh quite large shrimp which were sauteed with sweet red onions and green peppers, slightly burned from the pan frying, on a huge, very cheese filled tortilla. It was heavy with filling and cut into 5 pieces.

I am *so* very happy I stopped here. I was hungry and knew I needed to get something interesting for the blog.

Mental Note: Do this more often…just stop and eat.

Chulos Food Truck 54th at Redwood (North East corner) San Diego 92105

Los Palmitos- A Very Good Taco Shop-and quick lunch

March 26, 2008 Cathy Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog, written by Kirk and friends, about places we eat, what we eat, and what we thought of it. For a short while Kirk is on a vacation, so the friends are taking over.

Hi. Cathy here, with yet another taco shop to blog about.

Los Palmitos is in the same mall as La Playita, just more able to be seen from Clairmont Mesa Boulevard. (It is in the same mall where the Smart N Final is located).
The Mister and I have looked at it so very many times before, but always have been craving ceviche or some other type of coctel when we are in the area and never bothered stopping here. However one day, we did. There is only a menu above the cash registers-no take out menu- and I didn’t get to snap a photo of it.
The prices are no better nor worse than other taco shops, and there is a nice seafood selection- ceviche, fish tacos, burritos and seafood soups.

When you order to eat there, you get chips and can take more advantage of the salsa bar.
The chips are made here, and are thicker than prepackaged corn chips, fresh and not too greasy. There are three salsas to choose from, none so hot as to affect the taste buds and the mildest one was very tomato sauce-y flavored. The grilled chile was wonderful and the carrots and onions were nicely heat-spiced.
I did feel I needed a ceviche camaron tostada ($2.95)
the fish and shrimp tasted freshly marinated and were juicy and plump. The sauce consisted of finely chopped jalapeno and cucumber, onion, tomato and cilantro, all very fresh and crispy. It was all topped with sliced avocado and the tostada was placed on top of some sliced lettuce, so if some marinade dripped off, the tostada would stay crisp, a thoughtful, professional touch.

The Mister got the #2 Combination ($6.95)
At first, I thought the price was kind of high for a taco shop combination. But this combo consisted of:
-a chile relleno, freshly made- a California chile, stuffed with jack cheese, then dipped in egg batter and fried and then topped with a sauce just for the chile.
-a freshly made cheese enchilada, a medium sharp flavorful cheddar cheese filling a thick, very fresh tasting corn tortilla, topped with its own enchilada sauce, some really nice rice and really, really good, not watery, but very flavorful refried beans. Lots of food. Way much. We shared.

Everyone else eating here were getting soups and tacos, so we knew we would have to go back very soon to see what that was about. More about that later. You can try it now and not be disappointed.

Los Palmitos 5185 Clairmont Mesa Boulevard (at Limerick) San Diego 92117

Mimi’s Cafe, a very good ch-ch-chain!

March 25, 2008 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Chains, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog written by Kirk and Friends. As you all know, Kirk and His Missus are on vacation and Cathy is your blogger.

Hello. Hope you aren’t too traumatized that Kirk is away from San Diego for a little while. I am just trying to keep the blog going, with talks of food I ate.

The Mister and I got a gift card from a friend for Christmas and the other night we were hungry and didn’t want to spend any cash, so we ventured into "downtown" Santee and went to Mimi’s, a nationwide chain. We had never been and had not heard anything bad about it, and quite a few people had told us they liked it here. We wanted to try everything on the menu, and decided on a variety of things to share.

Almost as soon as we sat down, a basket of warm, fresh crusty white bread and some slices of warm date nut bread and a serving of butter were placed on our table. We tasted as we perused the menu.

The bread is excellent, as is the date nut loaf. Both very fresh. The date nut loaf is moist and the nuts are crispy and the dates are not sticky.

I noticed the other tables also had mismatched colors of plates, but the silverware did all match…unlike some other restaurants we have been to.

I wasn’t sure what to order and the soup and petite salad "Small Bite" looked good ($9.39) It came with a choice of freshly baked muffin, so a carrot raisin nut muffin was ordered. It came out fresh from the oven, had good, deep flavor, a crispy crust (I like crusts and edges of breads, casseroles, and just about everything I eat). It was also..um..huge.

I chose the French Onion Soup , because I could smell the cooked onions when I walked in the door of the restaurant and suddenly had a craving for it.
The broth was deep and rich and tasted as if it had been simmered for days to get every last taste of beef from a bone.

It was topped with a nutty tasting Gruyere cheese that was melted and burned so perfectly. Of course under the cheese and on top of the soup was a nicely toasted slice of bread that stayed crispy for a while until it absorbed some broth. This was an excellent soup.

We ordered the golden fried calamari "fritti" style ($ 8.49) which you will note is not on a current menu since the menu changes "seasonally", which, near as I can tell, is every six weeks or so. Fried calamari tossed with garlic butter, green onions and sliced cherry and banana peppers. It was served with a citrus based remoulade and was very, very good. If it is on the menu when you go, do try it.

The Mister got the Half Pound Burger ($7.79) with optional onion rings for an additional 50¢ as the side. He asked for it to be cooked medium rare, and it was! (There has been much frustration when we ask for medium rare and the meat is never cooked that way)

Served with lettuce,tomato, pickle and a thousand island sauce, on a fresh toasted hearty, nicely chewy white bread bun, it was excellent.

The salad I chose was the Bleu cheese and walnut salad, which had dried cranberries, bacon, tomatoes and strawberries in it. It was tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette and though it looked small, was very filling.

Last week I went to lunch with a friend (Mrs. L) and ordered the Pot Roast sandwich for lunch ($8.99). Warm pot roast served on a warm sourdough baguette simply made with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. Excellent flavors! I opted for the 50¢ extra onion rings, which were batter fried crispy and had excellent flavor. Sweet onions…

Mrs. L is so kind and thoughtful and decided I needed dessert…but to share, you know, and she let me pick. So as soon as I saw Bananas Foster Mud Pie ($5) listed, I smiled…

Oh yes, it is as large as it looks- more than 6 inches high at its peak. Banana-vanilla swirl ice cream, with sliced bananas in it; caramelized pecans, a graham cracker crust, served with a sliced fresh banana, real whipped cream and carmel sauce. Excellent. We could not finish it all, although I did finish up the bananas and whipped cream…

All in all, the food here has been excellent, fresh and has an attention to detail. I do not consider it to be "Sysco-ised" at all and have liked everything I have tried. Many people tell me they come here for a sit down breakfast (it opens at 6 a.m.) and I do know it is a french roast coffee served. I will return and won’t be afraid.

Mimi’s Cafe website

The Fish Bucket Seafood Market and Grotto- Great Seafood in Tierrasanta

March 23, 2008 Cathy Seafood, What Cathy Eats!

Fish Bucket Grill is under new ownership: New Website

mmm-yoso is just a blog. Really. It's about food. Sometimes we tell you how we happened to stop and eat at a particular place, or why we found it, and sometimes we just write about a meal. While Kirk and His Missus are on their adventurous vacation, Cathy is writing about …you know…food.

Hello again. I am back…So, anyhow, I had occasion to be in Tierrasanta very early one morning and saw this place, on Santo Road, just off the 52, next to the Post Office. It is kind of new-opened in late December. I made a mental note to come back when the business was open.

So one day, it was lunch time. I decided to get the Fish and Chips, to go.

I only got the 1/2 order, (1/4 pound of fresh fish) with the spicy salted waffle fries for $5.95. You can substitute sweet potato fries for an additional $1.50, but I wanted to try a "basic" meal here.

As you can see, a very good serving size. Four large pieces of hand breaded with panko fresh fish, fried to a golden brown, a good serving of fries which were still crispy when I got home, a pretty large serving of cole slaw and a half slice of grilled garlic-butter bread.

As I was waiting, I snapped a photo of the fresh fish in the refrigerator. Prices are comparable to Anthony's and Point Loma Seafoods. Very fresh fish; no fishy smells in here.

I had to bring The Mister back one day and sit inside for a meal. We chose the Grilled Salmon Caesar salad ($9.95)- two salmon filets lightly charbroiled. The lettuce was Romaine and the dressing was good and garlicky and creamy, but I don't think made in house. The croutons were packaged and unnecessary and the grilled garlic bread was wonderful, crispy and fresh. A filling salad.

The Mister got the Fish and Shrimp plate ($11.95)- the panko breaded fried fresh fish and light lightly panko breaded fried shrimp, which were very large and juicy and quite flavorful. There were 6 shrimp and four pieces of fish on the plate.

All the fish served is fresh and when they are out, they are out. It is worth the stop to come here to eat.

Only seven tables inside and one outside and there was a sign on the awning about a Sunday Champagne Brunch, which I will be looking into very soon.

The Fish Bucket Seafood Market and Grotto 6030 Santo Road, Suite G, San Diego 92124 (858) 715-0221

Fast Food Breakfasts-without regard to calorie count, of course..

February 23, 2008 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog and Cathy is today’s writer of her recent adventures in eating. Kirk will be back soon.

Hi again. Just a post showing what I eat/have eaten lately for breakfast, mostly while driving (yet never using a drive though window)-(that was my New Years Resolution a few years ago: I park my car and walk INTO fast food places…to save on fuel and get that little bit of exercise in my day) around town, apparently aimlessly… Anyhow…

It looks like this, wrapped.
Yes, the ubiquitous Chick Fil A breakfast biscuit and side of tater-tot-ish potato nuggets(about $4). A light, tender, crispy edged biscuit with a lightly crispy batter fried 1/3 chicken breast that is nice and tender. The potato nuggets are fried correctly: crispy and kind of cooked through in a good way on the inside. This is the only chicken breast biscuit breakfast I like (McDonald’s has tried one and so has Hardee’s back East; it isn’t the same) Chick Fil A only cooks…um…chicken fillets, and they do it right.
By far, my most favorite fast food breakfast…
Because you get all the flavors in every bite…and it is all good. For $3.22, including tax, you get a 1/4 lb burger, topped with cheese-and bacon-and a fried egg-and on the bottom there are Tater Tots-and ketchup.

I crave this sandwich. I just do.

I don’t care about calorie count (obviously). I do care about the taste, and this has *every* flavor and texture I want for breakfast.

Then there is the ever popular

McDonald’s Sausage McMuffin (2 for $3)- The Mister craves these: I don’t. They are OK and not bad, just not a craving…and those hash browns, I do admit I ..um…do crave. However, pretty much any potato I think is good with me…

McDonald’s has a new item- the McSkillet Burrito (less than $3 everywhere) and I was curious. Looks kind of plain…
But, as you can see, it is the only item McDonald’s sells that has *real* chunks of potatoes in it, along with a whole sausage patty and eggs and cheese and salsa. A nice little meal in one bite. The salsa is not mild, ot too hot-just enogh of a bite-and I like how the flavors blend.

There are more places where I eat when I am having busy days (as have been happening lately) and I do enjoy a a bit of variety sometimes. I hope you do, too.

www.chickfila.com

www.carlsjr.com

www.mcdonalds.com

Sage French Cake and Coffee-quality food and a New Year Resolution I have kept!

February 18, 2008 Cathy Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Desserts, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is the blog, written by a bunch of friends about food we eat, sometimes with some side notes about other things we do while eating. Today, Cathy is blogging.

Hello. Cathy here. Part of my New Year Resolution for 2008 was to take time to relax every day. Even if only for a few minutes…an hour a least I think I told myself.

So, the other day The Mister and I were shopping at Nijiya Market and finally got ourselves over to French Cake, located in the same parking lot. Many people have told me to try it here, and I have said I would…and now, finally, in 2008, I have.

Should have done it sooner.

We tried the banana split mousse ($3.75)- a very gelatinous, firm mousse, with very strong, rich flavor of banana and blackberry syrup with a dense flavored thin slice of chocolate cake on the bottom and an unsweetened whipped cream on top. Perfect flavors for me- I don’t crave sweets and do appreciate the true flavors that were in each bite. Even the cocoa in the cake.

We got regular coffee from the pump pot. It was strong flavored and fresh.

One of my recommendations from Yummie Yummy was to try the tiramisu ($4), and I am so glad we did. An excellent rendition that was very fresh and very non sugared down, with fresh marscapone with cocoa and cake which was perfectly textured.

I will be stopping here regularly, as part of my wanting to stick to my New Year Resolution to relax for at least one hour daily- and not eat or drink in the car while driving…

Yeah…I made a New Years Resolution and somehow turned it into a reason to stop at a bakery at least once a week…I don’t want to hear it…

Sage French Cake and Coffee 3860 Convoy Street, Suite 112 San Diego, CA 92111 (858) 571-3484 Tues-Sat 10-8, Sun 10-6, Closed Mon

A Trip to the new Fresh & Easy

February 17, 2008 Cathy Stuff, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog and today it is Cathy’s turn. Kirk is busy.

Hi again. Hope you day has been going well. Fresh & Easy has come to Southern California, and the one closest to our home has (finally) opened, so I thought I’d show and tell what our sort of "average" purchase is in a quick post..

For those who don’t know, Fresh & Easy is a mini grocery store concept, brought here by Tesco, the third largest retailer in the world, British based (Wal-Mart and Carrefour in France are #1 and #2) international grocery and general merchandising retail chain.

The products in the store are not from Britain, per se, but this one item I look for that seems to be sold out rather rapidly.

The "british-brand" uncured back bacon. ( no nitrates added except for naturally occurring nitrates in sea salt and celery juice) It is hand trimmed and hickory smoked.$5.59 a pound and *wonderful* stuff. The slices are not at all uniform- some thin and some thick, but I don’t cook a lot at once, so can keep an eye on the bacon in the pan.

Other items we buy on a sort of "regular shopping trip include:

Jewish Rye bread ($1.77)-this is thick cut, light(not dense) and has a hearty rye flavor. A pack of four cheese Danish ($3.59), light and crispy, buttery crust with a not too sweet, creamy filling. Smoked Polish kielbasa ($2.49) a one pound ring of not bad-but not like I grew up with- garlic-y kielbasa is a staple in our fridge …OH and that pint of Roasted banana gelato for $2.98 is my personal new addiction- it is pretty much Bananas Foster in cream form. Every flavor- butter and burned brown sugar- is there along with a wonderful, non-artificial banana flavor. I can’t wait for summer so I can maybe try other flavors, or just keep getting this stuff.

I also like the freeze dried banana/blueberry/raspberry mix ($2.50 for a 44g bag). This is a wonderful snack or add in to plain yogurt, or on top of salads and costs almost double when sold under other brand names in regular grocery stores. Freeze dried-light and airy crisp-not a hard and crunchy crispness-wonderful! The 24 ounce bag of carrots is only $1.03 and the 16 ounce low fat cottage cheese is $2.28, a good price in Southern California nowadays, where dairy prices have gone insane.

I don’t usually like orange juice from concentrate, but for $2.19, I tried it this time. It is not bad at all. The Greek yogurt (honey flavor and fig flavor) at $1.18 each, are a great deal. This time we bought the regular hot dog buns ($1.19) and a jar of sauerkraut (99¢) because we have some good skinned wieners at home that I think will be tomorrow’s lunch. The hot dog buns feel not soft, but the expiration date is about 5 days away- they were the freshest marked bread product there, so I am going to toast and butter the buns before eating and see how that works out. I think it will be dense but fresh bread…unlike the 99¢ generic hot dog buns sold in regular grocery stores.

Oh, the Huntsman Cheese is only $10.48/lb and one of my favorite treats, along with cured, dried meats, which we did not buy this time.

The store is known for its concept of having foods that are easy to prepare or eat (hence the name) and the refrigerated section is quite large. Sandwiches, salads, side dishes are not expensive and rather interesting. I just like to cook, so I only have purchased occasional of those items, when I am in a hurry. The lasagna is particularly good and, as I recall, $3.99 for a one pound serving.

As well as easy to eat and prepare items (make your own shrimp and salmon skewers- with sauce and a tomato on each of the 4 skewers -$5.99 for 13 ounces) (boneless skinless chicken breasts ready to bake with bell peppers, cream cheese and butter sauce for $7.99/lb), there are also other grocery items, like whole chicken legs for 79¢ a pound (they are 99¢ a pound at Costco) and 5 or 6 types of ground beef , including Angus (th 80/20 ground beef is $2.59). There are breakfast cereals, pancake mixes, syrups and baking goods, canned tuna, soups, oils and vinegars, both in popular brands and (about half the store is) Fresh and Easy brand. They sell plenty of Indian curry items, both fresh and frozen items (a 24 ounce frozen Mac and Cheese is $2.99) and some regular grocery store items, such as pet food, baby needs, cleaning items and drug store sundries, although not a full selection. Kind of a few notches above 7-11 in convenience and fanciness for those quick stops on the way home after a busy day.

It is an easy one stop shop, where you scan and bag it yourself. There are no sales: just everyday low prices. {They did have Whitman Chcolate 2 pound heart shaped boxes for $1.67 sold at the cash registers after Valentine’s Day, so I assume the prices were higher within the store prior to the holiday, but there are no sale flyers or things like that. } I do like it here and can do some regular, as well as some fancy shopping here. Addendum: The "fresh" items are marked down to half price after about 3 p.m daily (Including the flowers). The end unit you first hit when walking in the door has mark downs anyhow, but the half price stickers are fairly obvious on the items in the regular bins. There are no ‘weekly specials’ per se.

www.freshandeasy.com

Soup Weather! A revisit to Palomino’s-yes, soup but not pho.

January 5, 2008 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog. The bloggers are friends. The bloggings vary and are mildly interesting, informative and sometimes bizarre. Today, its Cathy, with her blogger-ish perspective of mildly interesting food.

Hi again. We are having lots of rain storms this weekend. If you are daring to venture out of the house and driving about and maybe want soup, but *not* pho…well, there are options, you know. Here are a few choices. Really. If you are going to any taco shop, you may have noticed (and ignored) the “soup” part of the menu. This weekend (and any time, actually) would be the perfect time to try some.

You may recall I did a post about non-pho soup abou this time last year, but that restaurant (Los Michoacaños) is in Santee and so this time I am doing a more central location, and showing more of the variety Palominos has to offer, just on the “Soups” (or “Caldos”) side of the menu.

There are 11 caldos listed on the menu on the wall above the cash register and I will only show you five, however know the “basics” of pozole and menudo have been extensively enjoyed by The Mister and myself, are plentiful and really good.

These first two photographs are of Caldo Talapeño ($5.99)..Yes, chicken soup…but there are three “chicken soup” choices listed on the menu board-the bottom one that is simply called “chicken soup” for $5.99 is just the “American” menu listing of Caldo de Pollo-the third soup I will be telling you about-below.

This soup was made with all chicken breast meat and had hominy as the starch.

As you can see, a LOT of chicken breast meat. There was no “add in” plate to top this soup. There was a chipotle pepper in it and that added enough spice. The usual vegetables- carrot, and celery as well as zucchini are in large chunks and barely cooked (i.e, not mushy). Also, there were a smattering of garbanzo beans, same size as the hominy at the bottom of the bowl. All in all, a good, home made chicken soup stock base topped with sliced fresh avocado.

The Caldo de Camaron(Shrimp Soup)($8.50) is an absolute delight! There are more than 15 of these large, juicy plump, flavorful shrimp in the bowl and the broth, tomato based, was a deeply rich and flavorful seafood stock and quite filling. The vegetables in the soup were carrots and celery. A simple and wonderful meal.

This side plate of cilantro, onions, limes, pepper and dried herbs(a mix or marjoram, thyme and some oregano) as well as a choice of corn or flour tortillas accompanied this soup. You can mix in at the start, or after you are eating. I usually enjoy the initial soup “plain” and then do add ins, to give myself a whole new soup later in the meal.

This is the Caldo de Pollo ($5.99), yes, a different, more basic chicken soup which comes with the sides plate, above, as well as the tortillas and the cup of rice as the starch, although, as you can see, there are corn, carrot, zucchini and potatoes in the soup…as well as a *lot* of dark, flavorful thigh meat. I really kind of was hoping this soup would have had more broth, but am not complaining. It is the same base stock as the first chicken soup (caldo de talapeño) pictured above.

Caldo de Res (Beef Soup) ($6.25) By far, the deepest, richest broth of those shown here. Plenty of non-fatty stew beef, potatoes, carrots, zucchini, corn and cabbage, served with tortillas and rice. This broth will satisfy you even more than the chicken broth if you are losing your taste buds due to a cold or flu. There also was almost too much meat in the bowl. Again, not complaining.

I’ll just end this post with the traditional Albondigas Soup ($5.99). At least five of these large meatballs, made with rice, celery and onion as well as the dry spice mix(again, mostly oregano) and in the mix, corn, potato, zucchini, cabbage and carrots. The broth of the albondigas is the same as the pozole broth(not pictred and usually what I have for breakfast when I come here)…kind of what I call “hollow” and absolutely the only broths here that I feel I have to add in those side items to give it a deeper flavor- the lime automatically enriches the flavor and the onions, cilantro and pepper flakes give the depth needed, especially on cold, wet days such as are in our midst right now.

To summarize: there are five main broths for ten soups: chicken, beef, seafood, the pozole/albondigas broth and the menudo. All are used for homemade, flavorful and filling soups. So, don’t be afraid to enjoy the soup at any of your local taco shops – not at all your everyday “Taco Shop” meal. If you are on Clairmont Mesa near the Registrar of Voters office, stop in at Palominos. Parking is tight at lunchtime, but not in the morning or after 3 p.m.

Palomino’s #2 9353 Clairmont Mesa Blvd, suite I San Diego 92123 (858) 292-8470 Mon-Fri 6:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m., Sat 6-9, Sun 6-8

The Very Last Day of 2007-and a preview of 2008! Behind the scenes at the Tournament of Roses! Oh, food, too.

December 31, 2007 Cathy Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog about food..and what some of us do to get to eat said food. Cathy is having her annual adventure North of San Diego and you get to vicariously enjoy!

Hi. It is the 31st of December and here we are. We made it through 2007, relatively unscathed and 2008 is right there staring at us. We have to learn a little different way to type or write the date; new calendars are out on the walls and on the desk, filled with so many blank pages, papers can be filed and gotten ready to start inputting into the new Tax Program on your computer, or in a folder to hand to your Tax Guy or Tax Gal…and still, there is time to relax, because the the first day of the year is a holiday! A lot of people have breakfast at home with family or friends and watch the Rose Parade on television. A spectacular event, planned almost a year in advance, yet assembled only a few weeks before it actually can happen, because every visible portion of each float must be covered with something that is, or was alive…thousands of volunteers have been working on the float decorations, sleeping overnight in Pasadena, waking to sticky, glue covered hands and clothing and going at it the next day…and yet, nobody will see these lovely pieces of art and architecture until tomorrow on television…except for you, dear readers!

Oh yes, The Mister and have this on our agenda every year…We just are skipping the sticky glue covered hands part this year. Yes. we merely woke up about 4 a.m. today and drove north to Pasadena, to have breakfast with the Pasadena Host Lions Club at the Historic Castle Green Hotel and then take a VIP tour of the final float preparations.

The Hotel is now mostly an apartment building and the eating area is still used for parties and such. We got some food from the buffet: Kind of standard stuff; scrambled eggs, potatoes, fruit, muffins, danish, ham and sausage. One trip only…coffee, cranberry and orange juice too. We didn’t care- we were here to take the VIP tour of the final decoration of the 2008 Rose Parade Floats! I am trying to give you views you will not see on television. This 25,000 pound Indian (Native American) float will be one you see on television, mid parade.

Remember, every square inch of every float has to be covered with something that is or was alive. The smells up close are wondrous…and also glue-like.

This is the back of the Lions Club International Float.. and this is what it looks like from the front. As I said, every square inch on every float must be filled in, and judging was about to happen in less than three hours. If you look close, you can see glue on the back of these Marguerite flower heads and the blank space they were being placed onto the float just behind. Other flowers had been cut and placed in water vials and were also ready to be used for ‘spot fills’. OK, here are some other floats…for a sneak peek! AND SO ANYHOW…It was lunch time and we were hungry, but the streets of Pasadena were starting to line up with people claiming a spot along the parade route and we wanted to stay away from those crowds, so jumped on the freeway, started heading East, and decided the"Covina" exit at Citrus Avenue sounded nice…and we saw this sign in a non-descript mall…and stopped The menu was simple- So. we ordered…The pastrami sandwich ($5.25).

Very large, lots of meat, juicy, nicely spicy(not too much pepper), good fresh bread. No jus to dip in, however, there was enough juice on the bread to make it wonderful as a last bite. I wanted the gyros sandwich special ($6.99) included fries and a medium drink…the gyros was wonderful, meat cut in thick slices from a spit and perfectly juicy and flavorful, topped with a tangy tzatziki sauce, chopped onions and chopped tomatoes. In my quest for wonderful onion rings and knowing they are pretty much always perfect from these Mediterranean places that have gyros, I ordered the SMALL size ($2.59). I was not disappointed in the size, nor the quality and spice of the breading and crispiness; I was merely disappointed in myself that I could not finish it all…

P&G Superburgers 1030 N. Citrus Avenue, Covina open 7 am-11 pm, seven days

We wish everyone out there a Very Happy 2008! (or "2000 ate" as ed so succinctly put it) Have a safe day!