Cathy – Page 113

Scootz Eatz-New-and good-BBQ/Broasted Chicken/Pizza-in Santee

February 6, 2007 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Unfortunately, Scootz has closed. It will be missed. The only place to get boasted chicken in Santee is Jimmy's.

Hi. mmm-yoso is not on vacation, its just Cathy writing about what she and The Mister ate the other day. Kirk just doesn't feel like writing…I'm sure he has eaten, though…

The Old Boll Weevil is gone from Santee, and I will miss it. They *would* cook the burgers medium rare and the prices were cheaper than at, what is apparently the only Boll Weevil left in the county… I immediately called The Mister when I saw the sign for the new place go up, and told him to check out the website. Scootz Eatz. Funny spelling. Sign says BBQ, Chicken, Salads, Pizza. It opened in December, we found a coupon on get one free dot com, so we went.

They are re-doing the facade of the whole mall, so there is not much lighting, just the plastic banner. Its right across the street from the Santee Post Office, if you don't know the area.

Ah, scooters. Suspended from the walls…the decor is kind of old fashioned Service Station, with metal moldings and stainless lamps and the concrete floor is a kind of swirly stained brown, like maybe oil was spilled on it. Clean. A lot cleaner than the old Boll Weevil.

So we walk in and there is a counter, where you order, pay, get a number and then your beverages, condiments and utensils. The food is brought to the table. While you are ordering, someone from the kitchen brings you a piece of freshly made bread, coated in a butter with chunks of garlic topping. Oh yes, good, not too yeasty, a nice crust. Turns out you get some with your meal. With refills, if you ask. (The people working there were way attentive, asking how the food was, being very helpful).

The coupon was for a free 1/4 chicken, your choice of white or dark meat (reg $7.25) with purchase of another meal…a BROASTED chicken. Oh, the best place we have had broasted chicken is at Jimmy's the next block over. You have to use a special broaster contraption to call it broasted chicken….oh yes. Crispy thin browned crust, juicy meat. (There is an addendum at the bottom of this post explaining what broasted means.)

It came with the aforementioned bread and a choice of one of two salads. This one is the "San Diego", which has a variety of lettuces, feta, grape tomatoes, cucumber, olives, onion slices, and a slice of green and red pepper in a "zesty"balsamic dressing. There is a *lot* of salad in that bowl. The flavors worked very well together.

For our other meal, we chose the 1/4 rack of ribs ($8.75) with the Caesar salad. To be honest, I did not expect much.

Wrong. 4 baby back ribs, meaty, a good smoky meat flavor, light BBQ sauce coating that was not overpowering. Excellent. We asked the Owner and he said he smokes it in the oven. He also asked us if it was too smoky or not, a nice touch. The Caesar salad was all romaine, fresco cheese and topped with tortilla strips and had a very nice creamy lime Caesar dressing. Again, a lot of salad in that bowl.

We were curious about the honey baked beans ($4.25) as a side dish and ordered it.

It was in a large bowl, same size as the salads came in, and so there was a lot, but the price was steep. We did fill out the comment card and that was our only complaint-the price was too high. The flavor was excellent, the beans not mushy, I could taste the honey.

Also on the menu, for only 95¢ were in store made potato chips. Oh, yes. I am from Detroit, where the largest amount of potato chips are consumed per capita. I would eat a bag of chips with chocolate milk for lunch on days when I did not bring a lunch to school. Still, to this day, both my brother and I give out small vendor size bags of chips to the Trick or Treaters on Halloween because we remember how good it was to not get all candy.

These chips- not hot, but oh yes, freshly made that day, crispy and not thin..nicely burned. Salted, but not too much. Excellent. So much that we took the extra home.

This was a nice surprise and right on Mission Gorge Road. They also smoke a tri-tip, which I will get next time…oh and they have pizza, burgers, wraps, gourmet sandwiches …that also next time, and the next time. There is a menu on the website and they are available for catering. It was surprisingly excellent!

Scootz Eatz 9535 Mission Gorge Road Santee 92071 (619) 562-4200 website

After I wrote/published this post I got a few questions about what "broasted" means. It is a combination of pressure and deep frying in a machine made by the Broaster Company of Beloit, Wisconsin. Both the equipment and ingredients are available only to the Food Service and Institutional Industry Customers, not the general public. The result of broasting is a rapidly cooked crispy skinned chicken with a moist interior and it is less greasy than traditional fried chicken.

Giovanni’s- Good Italian food

February 3, 2007 Cathy Italian Restaurants, Pizza, What Cathy Eats!

The part usually played by Kirk is once again being played by Cathy.

Hi. You have probably seen Giovanni’s, either on Clairmont Mesa or on Balboa and hopefully you have gone in. The Mister and I used to go to one or the other location on Football Saturdays to watch Our Team play college football, but alas, both places got to be too crowded with alumni, who all seem to have moved to Southern California after having spent one too many winter/snow seasons in the Great Lake State and so now out alumni now meet here on Saturdays between September and November and, ideally on January 1st.

So, anyhow… We used to meet here. This is the Giovanni’s on Clairmont Mesa, right next to the Registrar of Voters office. The menu is fairly extensive, with pizzas, sandwiches, salads, appetizers, pastas. They also serve breakfasts on Saturday and Sunday also, which was good when a football game started at noon on the east coast….although there were many times we had pizza or a sandwich for breakfast…along with whatever beer was on special…ah, when we were young, and didn’t sometimes have to work on a weekend…

So, on this day, The Mister and I wanted just a little bit to eat. We got the calamari appetizer ($5.75)

Light and crispy, lightly seasoned breading. The calamari rings were tender and not all rubbery. We also got the small antipasti salad ($6.75). That is a low bowl it’s served in, so there is a *lot* of lettuce, (romaine and iceberg) as well as olives, tomatoes, three meats and a really good provolone. Alas, they were out of anchovies that day, but, I lived. The dressing is a standard Italian and good.

We decided to share a cheese calzone. ..Its only $4.50…kind of looks small on the plate….but… it’s got a *very* thin, delicate crust…with good, sweet and olive oil flavors…and it’s FILLED with ricotta, provolone and Parmesan, as well as a small (just right) amount of the home made (i.e. chunky with tomatoes, onions, bay leaf and olive oil) marinara.

All in all, Giovanni’s has very good to excellent food, is large enough to accommodate large parties (and does, regularly…lots of after-soccer groups of teens and pre-teens meet here; there are video games in the back room) and is informal enough for a quick ‘date’ with someone for lunch…or breakfast on the weekend.

Giovanni’s 9353 Clairmont Mesa Boulevard San Diego 92111 (858) 279-6700 and 6133 Balboa Avenue (858) 278-9191

Island Town…inside First Korean Market

January 31, 2007 Cathy Korean Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is not on vacation. Cathy feels like blogging and Kirk doesn't. Thanks for reading my meal adventures.

Hi. Cold again…. If you lived in San Diego forever ago, you remember Woo Chee Chong. It was the first Asian market I ever went to. There were three locations and all of them had a small deli/hot food area where you could buy Peking Duck on Fridays and hot food to go, usually sold by the pound all week long. I remember we would buy the 5 spice BBQ pork for $3.99 a pound…

So, anyhow, they all closed in 1993 and the one on Convoy Street remained a market. Its in the same parking lot as Dumpling Inn and technically the same one as Jasmine Seafood. First Korean Market. I have no idea what the "Orient Bowl" sign is about. It is not as large as Zion, but it has a good variety of foods, fresh meats, fish and vegetables.

On the far Northernmost wall there is a large refrigerator section filled only with Kim Chee.

…and the area where the deli counter used to be is just inside to the right of the front door. There is a menu above it, with photos and also this take home one The Mister brought home for me to look at.

So, you know, I had to go.

There are six (6) CHAIRS total in front of two tabletops configured at a 90° angle from each other at that front door area.

The people working there are all family. They take great pride in making each meal, with mom bringing it around the corner and placing it in front of you, even though they could hand it to you over the counter.

So, I me The Mister here after work one evening and I had to try # 19, the shrimp tempura udon ($6.99)

Three tempura'd shrimp, nice and crispy, topped with the dried seaweed powder. A nice, rich broth and very chewy udon that remained chewy through the whole bowl. The Mister tried the #4, Galbi combo ($8.99).

A nice portion of galbi marinated beef ribs, rice, miso, 4 California rolls and 3 pieces of sashimi. The beef was excellent, and so was the rice. The miso was OK, not too watery and the California roll was with real (not fake) crab. The tuna sashimi was sliced thin and good and the shrimp was not bad. There was a lot of food. We also got hot tea from the hot pot next to the cash register.

On another day, I asked The Mister to bring home something for dinner…and, of course he did. I had a craving for # 24, the spicy tuna and vegetable bowl (Chirashi) ($7.99).

The Veggies(and there were a lot; its heavy and I imagine would be served in a large bowl, as Chirashi is at Happy Meal and Nozomi) are mostly cabbages with some sliced green onions and then it is topped with fish roe and also some tempura crunchies. Rice is sent separately in the "to go" box and there were two servings of what is probably Sriracha, although I did not see any Sriracha at the restaurant. The tuna was fresh, tasty and plentiful, and all at the bottom of the cabbage. I uncovered a bit so you could see, but there was a lot. Like pretty much the whole bottom of the box a lot…which was also part of the weight of it all.

The Mister wanted to try 9, the Shrimp Tempura Roll ($5.50) .

There were two tempura'd shrimp in here, real crab meat and lots of crunchies on the outside . It was refreshing and not as expensive at other places.

The Mister also wanted to try the Cutlet Combo (#13) ($8.99) and it came in two packages. They knew it was a 'to go' and clipped the corners on the Styrofoam box transporting the fish, shrimp and pork cutlet that were fried, so they arrived home still crispy. (If you recall, both Kirk and I complained about the soggy tempura on the "To Go" meals from Chopstix Too….this is the solution). The fried fish was excellent, as was the shrimp and the pork cutlet was juicy and had a good flavor. The combo box also came with four pieces of California Roll (real crab; not bad), shredded cabbage, rice and plenty of the various sauces necessary for a good meal.

Island Town does a lot of catering/makes trays to go. We saw some people picking up a tray of 110 California Rolls ($30) on a Friday night . (I counted: 14 by 7, plus 12 on top: I have no idea how they cut the original rolls).

As I said, its family run, and its inside the grocery store, so they kind of have access to the foods that may be either on sale or close to being thrown away anyhow. There are no lobster dishes on the menu, but they were being cooked on the grill when we walked in…

Island Town, inside First Korean Market 4625 Convoy Street, San Diego 92111 (858)571-7183

Closed Sundays. No credit cards, no checks!

Green Noodles, kim chee, teriyaki and, well a fusion-Nozomi

January 29, 2007 Cathy Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Japanese Restaurants, Korean Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is not on vacation, and apparently never was…but I have a few posts to put up because, well, I eat daily and am now used to documenting each meal. Oh, this is Cathy, BTW.

Hi. You drove by Nozomi…either in Carlsbad, that little corner in La Jolla or probably saw the one on Convoy Street, in the same mall with Convoy Noodle House…and you thought…what??? A Japanese place inside a mall with mostly Korean restaurants (and the Vietnamese Convoy Noodle house) Yep, me too. . .well, it turns out Nozomi is Japanese-Korean.

So, the menu…its extensive…with sashimi, sushi rolls…all kinds…like about 50 different rolls. There are photos in the front window, there are photos over the sushi bar inside..but not the take out menu, which is photocopied…and besides, we didn’t get any rolls. Nope. Soft shell crab was on the menu. We had to ($6.95).

Lightly breaded, crispy, quite large; not like the frozen soft shell crabs sold…in freezer sections of various stores. This reminded The Mister and I of soft shell crabs we’d get fresh back in Virginia. Then we were brought out two bowls of Kim Chee.
The kim chee on the left was more finely chopped, had a soy/salty base…basically was pickles with some red pepper interspersed and very good. The larger bowl was mostly with bok choy and other veggies and had a nice heat. Bowls and spoons came out with it. It was our "salad". The Mister ordered the Green Noodle soup, which we were warned came in a LARGE bowl ($8.95). Oh my… the bowl was 12 inches square…as large as a BIG old floor tile!
This photo was to show you what was in the bowl, after The Mister had removed one large bowl (that was for kim chee) of broth. The broth was *very* light…barely chicken flavored…it ended up needing the kim chee to be added to it. The noodles, by themselves were nice, chewy and a good texture…they had a nice not too deep but discernible vegetable flavor flavor. The soup had 2 full shrimp, one mussel, a lot of small chopped (canned) clams, potatoes, onions, squash and mushrooms in it. Way much food. Way filling. I ordered the dinner Bento Box ($9.95) with BBQ’d pork.
Salad, rice, 4 pieces of California roll (with real crab), tempura’d vegetables, one shrimp and one piece of fish. Oh the pork. First of all, it was a *huge* portion…and the flavor was superb. Grilled just enough to get some smoke into it and a light, not too sweet of a teriyaki sauce…saltier more than sweet sauce.
Lots of food, lots of flavor if you add the kim chee, fresh food, lots of different rolls and good service. Try it.

There are donburi and curries on the menu also.

Nozomi #1 4637 Convoy #104 San Diego 92111 (858) 569-7773
Nozomi #2 4159 Regents Park Row #190 La Jolla 92037 (858) 452-7778
Nozomi #3 3050 Pio Pico Drive #A Carlsbad 92008 (760) 729-7877

A quick breakfast and free wifi-Panera

January 27, 2007 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Chains, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is vacation. Cathy is blogging away…Kirk is on a mini vacation with The Missus. Perhaps he is researching something for a more interesting post than this one…

Hi. Just thought I’d do a short post on …oh, carbs…keeping with the ‘forget about that New Years Resolution’ theme I seem to be running on. Panera is a national chain that bakes breads and sweets inside each store and sells pretty much fresh made carbs from 6 a.m. to about 10 p.m. daily, along with having free wifi available.

Many people go there for lunch to get sandwiches, soups, salads in various combinations. The Mister and I go there for breakfast…bagels, scones, mini quiches and coffee…The Mister reads the paper and I go on line.
The bagels I like here are the French Toast one…its a little softer and fluffier and has only a slight cinnamon mixed with vanilla flavor..and the Asagio Cheese bagel has just the saltiness I crave. I just get a toasted bagel and butter (89¢), no cream cheese…that doesn’t seem to add to the flavor (and costs more…I think the butter is a nice compliment to the fresh toasted bread flavor). The ham and cheese scone has a great texture and just enough herbs, small pieces of chopped ham and shredded cheese to make it satisfy the cravings I have in the morning.

The bear claws cost $1.99 and are, of course, freshly made with a nice filling…it is a sweet marzipan with more chopped almonds added….but I like the crust edges (the "claw" parts) with a little frosting and the sliced almonds that are toasted. My brother craves the bear claws from here.

Then there those little quiches. They make three types, one with spinach and bacon (shown), one with spinach and artichokes and a four cheese quiche. Each costs $3.69 and are kept on a warming tray and have the time two hours after they were taken out of the oven written on the bottom, so you will never get an old one. The crust is a delightful, light, buttery puff pastry and the filling is fluffy with eggs and cream and the fillings.

We usually buy a loaf of fresh made rye here. The small one costs $2.30 and I get it sliced. It is just wonderfully rye flavored with seeds and a nice crisp crust….and, yes, that’s my little iBook….with some very old Colorforms decorating it.

Really, we’ve never had soup or sandwiches here. Just bagels, scones, sweets, the small quiches and coffee. They have a coffee card, you buy 8 cups and get the 9th free. If you are eating in, get the coffee in a ceramic cup; it tastes better and doesn’t cost extra.

Panera, multiple locations Click here

Its cold, you know I don’t really crave sweets, but…Niederfrank’s Ice Cream

January 26, 2007 Cathy Desserts, Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is on vacation so you get to see what Cathy has been eating … in this weather.

Hi again. I know, its been, like, freezing out here in Sunny Southern California…well for 4 days in a row, last week, anyhow. I know better than to complain, but it’s something to do while the rest of the United States is having "their" Winter.

Ah, I blog about food, not weather…Oh…yes…OK. I will confess, when I was young, living in Detroit, we lived a few blocks from the Good Humor plant, and I could get all the ice cream novelties I ever wanted (toasted coconut and strawberry sundae on a stick being my favorites), Senate Sweet Shop and Sanders for banana splits with Dad…and I also went to that newfangled Baskin Robbins because they had those free cones on your birthday (always a sugar cone, always that ‘extra charge for the French Vanilla’ flavor)…and occasionally, I have a craving for one of those Original Drumsticks…but really, when it comes down to it, its the salty peanuts I want more than anything.

Today, I found myself in National City, at I-5 and Eighth Street. Go East, through the light at National City Boulevard, one more block, to "A" Avenue, make a left (north) …there it is on your left: Niederfrank’s. 100% Natural. It’s been there for 59 years, this coming May. 100% Natural. Ice Cream. The real thing. Quality. Small, unassuming, wonderful. As you know, I don’t have cravings for sweets…but gosh, I am here and I know I will like it…again…
There is a website with all the flavors also listed. This is what it looks like when you walk in.
The website has photos of the current (since 1995) owners, the founder and Al Roker…they must have shown this on one of those Food Network Shows I haven’t seen (I must confess, I only watch "Good Eats" with Alton Brown, to learn stuff…and what I like to call "The Lazy Chef Show" with Sandra Lee…good God, have you seen how she makes stuff????!!? She buys it ….and then rearranges it…. and calls it ‘semi-home made’).

ANYHOW… Niederfrank’s. Everything here is made of natural ingredients, extracts, real fruits…and all is made in the building. They also provide ice cream to a few other shops and restaurants around town. Check out the website listings before you tell me the best is from someplace else….it may actually be from Niederfrank’s.

I will admit I went a little crazy today and got two scoops (Its $2.35 for one scoop, $4 for two). Coconut and Lemon Custard. Excellent! The coconut is not too sweet, has flakes of real, not toasted, not dehydrated, coconut which are chewy and flavorful. The lemon custard has a crisp fresh lemon flavor and the custard texture that I crave. They also have sundaes on the menu, but I like the pure flavors of the ice cream. It isn’t aerated…its old fashioned, real, natural. A joy. Even for me, someone who doesn’t crave sweets.

Niederfrank’s 726 "A" Avenue National City, CA 91950 (619) 477-0828 fax (619) 477-0876 Opens at 11 a.m. daily. Click here for website.

Its on Convoy and not pho…Rosa’s Pizza…but, don’t get the pizza

January 23, 2007 Cathy Pizza, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is not on vacation. Kirk is not blogging, Cathy is.

Click here to see my re-visit to Rosa’s

Hi. You’ve seen this place, and so have I. There was a coupon, The Mister was leaving work, I was hungry, blah, blah, blah. If you go to Nijiya then walk to Sakura…well they are in adjoining malls, and this place is right between them…behind the Mexican place that is in the Nijiya/Curry House parking lot and also next to the Wings and Things in the Sakura/Original Pancake House parking lot…directly facing Convoy.

Since we have been to Italy, The Mister and I are always looking for the “correct” flavors and smells that remind us of those fun times we had (well, I had a fun time, The Mister was attached to the USS. John F. Kennedy and technically working while we were there, but at least there was only one airfare to be paid)… so far, as close as we can get is the Filippi’s on India Street, with the grocery store in front…still.

So, the menu here at Rosa’s is a sort of everything Italian deli place: pizza, hot and cold sandwiches, pasta…oh and buffalo wings.

So, this being the first time, The Mister ordered a one topping pizza and chose mushrooms ($9.99 regular price). Pretty much cheese pie is what we usually get. Its hard to mess up…but boy, if I had only bought myself a Lottery ticket that night… odds are I would not have hit a jackpot, not even one number! It looks like a good pizza, right?

Lots of cheese, a hand tossed crust with the edges tightly rolled, fresh sliced mushrooms…and no salt, no herbs, no olive oil flavor, no flavor at all…the sauce was more or less salt free tomato sauce. The cheese was real- it was stringy, but no flavor. The mushrooms were fresh, not canned. The crust was not too thin and not thick, not chewy and…no flavor. It was odd. I ended up putting anchovies, garlic salt and Parmesan on the plate, just to rub chunks of the pizza in to get some kind of flavor. When I had a leftover slice reheated in the toaster oven the next morning…still nothing. Rosas_002 ..and the crust was way crispy and cracker-like.

But, the saving grace was the buffalo wings The Mister had the sense to also buy. One dozen for $6. HOT wing sauce….and a good size portion of a blue cheese/ranch dressing dip. Meaty wings, not too fried or crispy and coated with a lot of the hot sauce. I could have eaten a few dozen of these. The best wings I have ever had were from Foggy’s Notion, across from Kobey’s Swap Meet, but Foggy’s is long gone. The ones here were darn good.

To be fair, I have to go back and try the sandwiches, you can get two 16 inch sandwiches for $12.75, but I really don’t want the pizza again.

Rosa’s Pizza 3860 Convoy Street, #100 San Diego 92111 (858) 278-1223

Everyday Hero Deli-Great food and helping the community too!

January 21, 2007 Cathy Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

Sadly, Everyday Hero is now closed.

mmm-yoso is the blog's name. Cathy is talking about what she ate today. Kirk will talk about his munchings on another day.

Hi. If you've read and remembered everything I've written, you know I try to hit a fruit/vegetable market around town a couple of times a week. Sometimes its just Henry's but then there is Vine Ripe, which I blogged about in October (since there is a restaurant attached to the market) and there are a few others around town. This one, which was named without any imagination or thought whatsoever, is on Santo Road, at the 52, about one mile (its the first exit) east of I-15; so it isn't far away for most of you. Right inside the market area of The Market there has always been a deli/sandwich place, and it was owned by the The Market's owners (heh heh, I love saying that out loud, the The…) and was Mediterranean and good food, some hot plates, lots of different feta's, etc. But it closed and finally, last July, a wall went up and this new place opened…Everyday Hero…. and I figured, eh, Hero sandwiches…no big deal; probably not very good…and I never went in. BIG MISTAKE. HUGE.

The other day The Mister was off from work and we were going to get veggies and stuff from the The Market and it was lunchtime…and I had my camera, and I am now in the habit of documenting all of my eating habits (my physician will love me when I tell her to come to the blog to see how I eat, especially all those fried foods….) so I figured since its still opened after six months, it might be OK and I wasn't that hungry anyhow.

Its nice and clean inside. Casual. Photographs on the walls…of Firemen, Rescue guys, Lifeguards…oh…Everyday Heroes…hmmm.

There is a menu on the wall to the right when you walk in, which photographed badly.

So here is the paper menu, wherein you can read the prices.

and there were some daily specials on the wall also, and everything looked good.

The Mister decided on the Daily Special sandwich, a Pastrami panini, which came with the chips and soda at no extra cost, this being the Special ($7.45). I decided on the "My Big Greek Panini" ($5.95) which cost the same as the "My Big Greek Wrap" and I was interested in how the panini-ized pita would taste. We both were fascinated with the description of the Soup of the Day- White Bean Shrimp Stew, so we got the large size of that also ($3 I think).

When we ordered we were asked if we had ever been there before; we said 'no' and the nice girl at the counter explained that the Deli has partnered with some of the organizations in San Diego, with the goal of assisting them with their "Wish Lists" and that a portion of the profits go to those organizations, and we could choose which organization we wanted our potion of the profits to go to..Fire and Rescue, Lifeguards or a few others. I immediately said "Fire" for many reasons, but maybe will choose a different organization the next time (ah those Lifeguards….<sigh>).

SO ANYHOW, um…let me get my bearings back. While waiting, I was reading some of the stuff on the walls….it seems the three owners were all in the Hospitality Industry; two of them being Professional Hotel Chefs….one of whom teaches at a Culinary institute….and I started thinking…and then the soup/stew arrived.

Tomato based. Hunks of tomatoes. Tomatoes with seeds. Fresh tasting…a little bit of bite (was described on the wall as fra diablo, but wasn't too hot) …white beans that were not mushy. Good sized large pieces of shrimp that were not mushy but still firm and …sweet…fresh…Oh. My. God.

This was a GREAT stew. I mean *really* good. This was made by chefs, from scratch, not from a can. This was wonderful.

Then my panini came out. Hummus, tomato, provolone, cucumber, caramelized onion, roasted red peppers, feta, a spicy cucumber based sauce on a panini-ized pita. Wonderful! Fresh, crispy veggies and the grilled ones were great also. The sauce was a nice spicy heat and this was one of the best "veggie" sandwiches I have had…ever. The side of pickles and peppers was a nice touch and they were good ones.

Also, the sandwich was presented this way, cut and stacked. A nice little attention to detail. I usually have to 'primp' the food for the photographs I post.

The Mister's Grilled Pastrami Panini came out, in this presentation. Beef pastrami, horseradish cheddar, roasted peppers, sun dried tomato pesto, fresh spinach and chopped pickles.

Yes, it was great. The heat from the horseradish cheddar made it unique. The pastrami was not fatty at all, the grilling was just right in that the bread was not overly crispy.

The food here is made *extremely*, unexpectedly good. I could kick myself for walking by here so many times last summer. The whole story, menu and descriptions are on the website along with catering information. If you are on Interstate 15 at 52, just take the exit East; it is the first exit and inside that shopping area to your right, before the first light (you can go to that light and pull into the parking lot there; it is closer to that end anyhow) , but do give it a try. You'll leave happy after a great dining experience and will also have helped "Strengthen the Community One Sandwich at a Time".

Everyday Hero Deli 5950 Santo Road, Suite K San Diego 92124 (858)694-0741

Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

When we were leaving, The Mister and I went to the counter to ask about and compliment that home made stew and we were told we could get on the e-mail list for the daily specials for the coming week. On Saturday afternoon I got the email for this week and I am totally wanting to go back and try the asparagus crab soup on Thursday and the meatloaf hero and…well, everything. You can send them an email and ask to be put on the list: everydayherodeli@sbcglobal.net

Addendum: Went back and got the Tuscan Chicken Hero sandwich…OMG…oh yes…warm chicken breast, tomatoes, olives, capers..and you get a choice of white, wheat or sesame bread for the sandwich. Fresh and, again, wonderful. Totally gourmet. Oh, and the pea soup was awsome…with lots of chopped ham in it.

Extreme Pita- Ch Ch Chain/Franchise and good and healthy!

January 19, 2007 Cathy Chains, Greek Food, What Cathy Eats!

Unfortunately, Extreme Pita has closed

mmm-yoso is not on vacation, and Cathy is blogging while Kirk is not feeling like doing anything today…except maybe recovering from something exciting at his job.

Hello again. Sometimes I have urges for something semi-healthy and also fast. I also like a good cup of coffee. So, I ran into Starbucks the other day, and there wasn’t even a place to sit down. Next door, I saw this new place- Extreme Pita. I *had* to try it, you know.

It is a newer franchise, started in Ontario, Canada and this location on Convoy, in the parking lot of Dixieline, is the first one in San Diego, there is one in Mira Mesa and more are coming. The menu should be the same at all of them, and I suppose prices may vary a little, since it is a franchise.

The larger, color menu has descriptions and these are the price listings.

Basically, its like Subway in that you walk up and order a pita and then they will be grilling some of what you ordered, asking what vegetables(mushrooms, onions and green peppers) you would like grilled with your meat (or falafel) or not and then what cold veggies you would like, and then what sauces you would like (Tzatziki, hummus, light mayo, light Caesar, light Italian, light Ranch, Greek Feta Dressing, Chipotle-Mayo, BBQ, hot sauce, Hot Cajun BBQ, Honey Mustard, Bistro Sauce, Guacamole). The the pita is tightly wrapped and put into an ingenious double paper/plastic wrapper that will tear off at a perforation IF YOU READ IT the first time, as I didn’t… anyhow, so this is an opened small falafel pita ($4.69) with all the grilled veggies, all the available cold veggies, hummus and tzatziki sauce. Small is 6 inches, regular is 9 inches.

It tasted great and was sloppy. The falafel(s) were the small nugget kind and had been cooked on the grill with the vegetables. I liked it. I read the packaging after I was done eating..

OK, went back with The Mister for lunch and got the small turkey pita (reg $4.99 but on Wednesdays its $3.99…there are daily specials posted at the back of the store; the best day to go is Friday when it is $3.99 for any small pita and a cup of soup).

It looks like this wrapped: and then when you tear at the clearly marked perforation, half of the pita is exposed and you can cut it in half..and viola! Turkey that was sauteed with all the veggies, and I had lettuce, tomato, olives, pickle and light mayo added. It was large enough, juicy, not overly turkey tasting but not weird chemical-ly tasting either. The pita was warm and very, very good. It was a good sandwich.

The Mister decided on an Extreme Classic Flat Baked Pita (its pizza style pretty much, with a pita as a crust)… ($5.29) It’s the larger pita(9 inch), topped with a tomato-y (not spicy) sauce and cheese, then the toppings (4 slices of cooked bacon, pepperoni, mushrooms) are put on top and then more cheese. Then its warmed /melted/nicely crisped in a salamander type broiler. As you can see, its quite large…the mushrooms were good in that they were cooked from raw and not pre-cooked, the sauce was good. It was a very nice and more or less healthy (532 calories, according to the Nutritional Info Guide available at the counter).

This is a newer Franchise in San Diego/the US (many in Canada) and there is another one at 8250 Mira Mesa Boulevard more are planned in San Diego.

I like that you can order online or by fax and that their mission is a healthy alternative.

It isn’t authentic Greek by any means, although they do have gyros (its not on a spit, so its that frozen pre-sliced stuff that is sold in the Mediterranean markets around town..but it is pretty darn good)..and for the most part you can say the ingredients are mostly Mediterranian. Its a unique product that can be extremely healthy. If you think of it as food, it’s good tasting and healthy food and a little bit of something different on Convoy Street. Try it. You will like it.

Website for this location is here.(if you want to order online). The link on that website seems to not have the Nutrition Information link working. The Corporate Link does have the nutritional info working.

Extreme Pita 4898 Convoy Street San Diego 92111 (in the Dixieline parking lot, next to Starbucks) Phone (858) 560-0142 Fax (858) 560-0563

International Market and Grill-Persian Kebabs

January 15, 2007 Cathy Persian Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is being played by Cathy today. Kirk is elsewhere.

Hi. I met a friend for lunch the other day, we talked a lot and I did not take my camera. She knew I liked trying different types of food and She likes it here. Its close to UCSD, was great Persian food, in a small mall area, run by a husband and wife. So, I went back with The Mister on Saturday.

International Market and Grill. There is that one table out front; there are two more inside and a bar seating area also with a total of 6 bar stools. They seem to do a brisk phone in – take out business on weekdays, and actually on the weekend also.

The menu is fairly simple. You can get a kebab in a lavash bread sandwich, or on a plate or with a salad.

There are 4 types of kebabs: Chicken, Beef Filet (marinated top sirloin), Fish and House (seasoned ground sirloin, ground fresh daily). There is a Garden, Greek or Caesar salad. The plates come with basmati rice and salad. For $1 more you can get herbed rice, which I like a bit better, but was not available on this Saturday’s visit. I got the vegetarian plate (salad and rice and a pita). ($5.45).

The basmati rice is so aromatic and light, with a dollop of olive oil on top. The salad is mostly romaine, with onions, tomatoes, cabbage, feta and two Bar-B-Qued tomato wedges. It has an olive oil/vinegar/herb dressing and is also served with Must-O-Khair (yogurt, cucumber and herb dip; I tasted mint more than any other herb, it was quite refreshing).

The Mister got the Greek Salad ($5.95) with a House kebab for an additional $2.75. The salad is the same, but larger, with no grilled tomatoes but has more fresh tomatoes, feta and onions and also olives. The kebab, with the ground sirloin and grilled, is very moist and flavorful with herbs.

If you look at the menu there are daily specials Monday through Friday for $9.95 each. They are not ready for purchase until about 1 p.m. each day and are limited in quantity. My friend says she will come here for lunch and then order a plate of the special “to go” and they are excellent. I want to try all five, actually. I will, you know….

I also ordered two glasses of hot tea ($1.50), freshly brewed and nice and strong. The owner said we could have a free refill.

Afterward, The Mister saw this storefront, two doors down, and walked inside while I went to the car.

Well, with a name like “Tiramisu”… you know, they had to have something sweet.

It’s just a fresh made cream puff shell with fresh made custard and fresh made whipped cream…and the nice lady even put a fork in there. All for $2.50 and well worth it.

International Market and Grill 3211 Holiday Court, Suite 100 La Jolla 92037

(858)535-9700 M-F 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Sat 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m.