Cathy – Page 116

Meat by the Side of the Road-really

November 20, 2006 Cathy Cooking, What Cathy Eats!, yoso-silly

mmm-yoso!!! is NOT on vacation. Cathy is blogging while Kirk is not. You are here. Continue reading.

Hi again. This is a good, true account of my life.

One day, about 7 years ago, I had occasion to be driving to the house of a friend, daily, in Valley Center (Just north of Escondido, where the Wild Animal Park is located). It was the week before Easter and I noticed, in front of Fat Ivor's (one of 4 restaurants in Valley Center- google it) this yellow trailer, off the side of the road …it says "Optimist Hams and Turkeys" (for now, the turkeys is crossed out..more about that later)…and I drove on by. I asked my friend about it and she had lived in Valley Center and said she saw it there, on occasion, for all the years she had lived there (about ten years at that point) . As I was driving home, I had to stop (you all know I *had* to stop). Here is a better photo, with Fat Ivor's, which is perpendicular to the road, in the picture:

As you can see, some friendly, Valley Center Optimists are sitting under a cover, waiting to chat with you.

I was curious that first time…and back then they were selling half and full smoked hams and also smoked turkeys. The Optimists were using the smoke pit at Fat Ivor's after hours and then sealing the meat in double wrappers. They had a handout, indicating 100% of all proceeds would be used to help Youth in the area, like this handout this year:

Oh, and I happened to be *very* hungry that first time. Back then the half ham was $25…today its $35 and it is *well* worth the price.

The ham is not at all salty nor is it dry. It is deeply smoky, not artificial, and anyhow, I recall I tore through the two layers of thick plastic on the way home, while driving, to tear off a piece of that ham.

Remember, The Mister, born in Finland; smoked meat is something he craves, and he knows what he likes (smoked cheese by the way, is just plain *wrong*).

I've been getting a half ham every holiday since. The half ham is $35 this year, the full ham is $55. It became less cost effective to smoke turkeys. (Something about having to have them reach a very cold temperature within two hours after smoking).

Note that sometimes they run out, but you can order and pay and pick up another day. It's only available these three Holidays a year (Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter) and is *worth* the drive.

Aren't you glad I stopped? I am.

The yellow trailer, in front of Fat Ivor's 27961 Valley Center Road, Valley Center, CA 92082. Starting the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the Saturday before Christmas and the Saturday before Easter

Lolita’s-Don’t say they did not warn you

November 19, 2006 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is NOT on vacation. Kirk is taking a day off from blogging, and Cathy has found-surprise- another Taco Shop to talk about…and she has an add on..

You have driven on Clairmont Mesa Boulevard, I know it. 99Ranch is right across the street, and Teri Cafe and Pho T Cali is right in this mall. You’ve seen this place, it used to be a Souplantation, which moved down the street to an area with less parking but apparently more table space. ( I do so like planning ahead).

As you walk in, on the wall to the left it’s written: "Patience is the essence of fine Mexican food"

That’s your clue…its not really fast food. Its still a taco shop. You walk in, order, pay and wait…look at the receipt: Its written there, too..

So, here is the main menu, and there are some handwritten specials also.

You can see the full menu here ..you know, while you are waiting… (look at the site-Under the "Lolita’s Taco Shop" logo…there it is..that darn talk about patience)…so load up on the salsa bar..it has radishes,scallions, jalapeños and limes! You can eat those while you wait…

AND FINALLY your number is called…

The carne asada torta (beans, carne asada, guacamole on a fresh, toasted telera roll) was excellent, as was the mashed potato taco.

This is one of the breakfast burritos: Eggs, cheese, potato and bacon.

This is the unrolled breakfast burrito, so you can see more of the filling. The potatoes were sliced and crispy-sauteed..nice.

So, yes you will wait, and yes, its worth it. Its a nicer atmosphere and a better quality of food.

Lolita’s Taco Shop 7350 Clairmont Mesa Boulevard San Diego 92123 (858) 874-7860

And now, a little diversion…

I tend to write about cooking at home, Taco Shops and Mediterranean style foods…and just wanted to let you know, I do frequent fast food places…for a reason. On Halloween, I decorate…oh, sure not like my neighbor does-

But I save my fast food bags, throughout the year, and line the driveway, making interesting luminaria:

When its dark, it looks more like this photo from last year-

..and I didn’t take a photo of it in the dark this year…

because Oct 31, 2006 at 5:50 a.m…well, I was walking up at the top of the hill in my backyard: (that is Nutmeg, by the way) the hill is higher up that these stairs indicate-there is a deck, two more stairs up and one step down..oh, it doesn’t matter…gravity, displacement, Colle’s fracture of the distal radius…

This was at about 11 hours after it happened. On November 15, because the healing wasn’t quite right, I was casted twice:

You might notice the palm of my hand is 90° in a different position than in the other photo. This is the 4th cast, in 15 days…and as a side note, my elbow is immobilized, so the cast goes to my shoulder….

Oh, I drive a manual transmissioned car…and I worked for the Registrar of Voters, as a "Troubleshooter", manning 4 driving locations, on November 7 (as did The Mister). I am not complaining. Its just I am now realizing how much, even though I am ambidexterous, how much we use two hands a day….dental floss anyone?? Kirk knows of the plans I had for Thanksgiving that are now on hold, and how upset I was, especially with the latest cast. I appreciate all of your kind notes hoping for a speedy recovery. It probably won’t be, but hopefully I won’t need surgery.

So, that’s it, mystery over…and in summary, go with the fall, don’t try to stop yourself with one hand…it doesn’t work.

Chopstix Too

November 14, 2006 Cathy Japanese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

About a week or so ago, I mentioned that Chopstix Too, a sort of "Casual-Fast" version of Chopstix had opened in the same strip mall as Mitsuwa Marketplace. Talk about setting yourself up for success.

So I finally walked on up to check out the menus attached by clothespins to chairs….and sheesh, talk about cheap grand opening specials! Bargain-City…..

Okay, so I’m sold, I’ve got to check this out. At this time of the morning 11am the place is empty, yet bustling. Seems like the employees are still getting used to the surroundings. The interior is pretty fast-foodish, with simple booths and tables, and a sushi bar crowning the cavernous interior.

I didn’t bother opening the menu; I ordered the Chicken Teriyaki & Tempura Combo($4.95 – Grand Opening price – $5.95 regular):

The special came with a bowl of so-so miso soup, a green salad with Asian-style dressing, rice, some chicken(dark meat) teriyaki, with a sauce that was less sweet than the usual American-style teriyaki, and3 pieces of tempura. The tempura was not bad; it was not as crunchy, nor did it have the lacquered texture of the version at Chopstix. Pretty fast-foodish, but well worth the $4.95. It’s much better than picking up a pretty much cold bento from Mitsuwa or Nijiya.

But that’s not all…..there’s a "To Go Only" menu, that has specials like Curry Bowl($3.50), Chicken Katsu Bowl($3.95). Wait a second, Chicken Katsu Bowl for under four bucks? Sheesh…Bargain City!!

So being the sucker for Chicken Katsu that I am, I ordered the Chicken Katsu Bowl($3.95).

But wait, I’m not done….because it was inexpensive, I also ordered the Fish Katsu($3.95):

It’s hard to tell which is which, huh? This was a styrofoam soup sized bowl, with a nice amount of rice on the bottom. A layer of shredded cole slaw mix(shredded cabbage), and few pieces of broccoli acted as a buffer for the fried product. Honestly, it was a bit on the greasy side, but still will fill you up. The other item that I didn’t care for were that first off, teriyaki sauce was used instead of katsu sauce, and the whole thing was slathered with spicy mayo, like what is used for those spicy rolls. As if the dish needed any more fat! Is this worth $3.95…you bet, but next time I’ll order it without any sauce(or mayo), and use some of those leftover katsu sauce packets.

I’m sure that I’ll do another post on the regular menu items in the future…sort of a Chopstix Too, part too…he-he-he, sorry couldn’t help myself.

Now comes the fun part, it was bound to happen! Cathy and I ate at Chopstix Too during the same week. So you get a "double post", a two-for-one special so to speak. Actually, I’m letting Cathy go so She won’t serve me with a food stalkers warrant from the Food Police! LOL! So without further ado, heereee’s Cathy!

mmm-yoso is NOT on vacation. Kirk isn’t even taking a break off from posting. We both went to Chopstix Too-didn’t even see each other- and have pretty much the same observation of pretty much everything on the menu…here’s the rest of it.

Hi Everyone…I just want you to know I think the Mister went to Chopstix Too *before* Kirk did (The Mister works within walking distance)…for lunch…and that evening he brought home some of those "Grand Opening Take Out Only" specials.

The crunchy roll served with salad ($4.95) (Crunchy Roll is pretty much that fake krab stuff and avocado..its larger than most rolls..wrapped in seaweed and the rice and rolled in tempura leftovers…crunchies…topped with a sort of katsu (sticky sweet) sauce and the spicy mayonnaise).

This is a meal in itself-crunchy roll is quite large. The same one Chopstix has been having on ‘special’ forever. The salad is light, crispy and topped with the "Asian salad dressing" that is standard-more or less vinegar and sweet..no garlic or ginger.

He also brought home the Spam sushi ($3.50) made with avocado and pickled radish. It was nice. He also brought home some of the generic bowls Kirk apparently got (after perhaps stalking The Mister…) One of these is the calamari katsu, which held up quite well in the traffic home. The other is the chicken katsu, which was tasty but not crispy (the calamari was on a bed of shredded cabbage to maybe keep the steam from the rice from softening the crust). {ooh, I just looked at the photos and two are the same…that’s how well I could tell the bowls apart}… and then there was the tempura bowl:

The tempura coating does not fare well inside a bowl with steam for about 15 miles in rush hour traffic. There is a shrimp, carrot, zucchini and pumpkin..the veggies and shrimp were good, still crispy, not mushy…but the coating was not as much fun as you get with fresh tempura inside the restaurant….by fun, you know, crispy, light, airy…making you think it has no calories…

So, we decided to meet up for dinner, off of the "regular" menu one day. This is probably your first view of the building, when you take the exit off of 163:

Its kitty corner from Mitsuwa, in the same parking lot, attached to the Taco Bell. Originally that half of the building was a Sarah Lee Outlet Store, where I happened to be one of the first, and a regular customer.

We seem to have sat in the exact same booth as Kirk did, with that view of one of the two flat screen TV’s in the place… The regular menu looks more like this: Its a little bit different from the regular Chopstix menu, with lots more sushi items. You may notice the "miso butter corn ramen". We asked our polite waitress what it was. She said:’its miso with butter and corn and ramen noodles’. Maybe next time.

We opted for a few "standards", to test the kitchen:

The seaweed salad, ($3.50) nice and fresh…not much different than elsewhere. The mabo ramen ($5.95) seemed to have a richer broth and was excellent. I really like fresh ramen noodles.

I opted for the Seafood Katsu ($8.25). Served with miso, salad and rice. Three shrimp, two pieces of fish and two pieces of calamari, all lightly battered. I liked all of it. The shrimp is made from shrimp paste and is larger and denser than just a single piece of shrimp would be…and there is still a tail attached…which I always eat anyhow…its fried, crispy…fiber…

The grand opening specials will probably stop at the end of November…or not I suppose. The Mister and I went to the original Chopstix and with our bill, we got a coupon for a free California roll with purchase of any meal at Chopstix Too. Its a smaller California roll (6 pieces) and the coupon was stamped with an expiration of November 30.

All in all, Chopstix Too is the same as the original Chopstix, with an added sushi bar and *much* better parking. The Grand Opening Specials make it worth the trip also. I saw quite a few people with "to go" foods just eating in the parking lot….besides all the people following me around in general….ahem!

Chopstix Too 4380 Kearny Mesa Road San Diego 92111 (858) 565-1288 open 7 days 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. Closing hours may change.

Road Trip-Yang Yang Sushi and BBQ

November 8, 2006 Cathy Japanese Restaurants, Ontario/Riverside/San Bernadino, CA, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is NOT on vacation. Cathy is blogging while Kirk is not. You looked in, why not stay and read?

Hi. So, my best friend from 4th grade all through High School was attending a seminar this past Saturday, in Ontario, a less than 2 hour drive (she lives in San Jose) and so I had to take that little drive to visit for a few hours…emails and birthday and Christmas cards just can't summarize what your life has been like.

Neither of us knows the area, but I can say that the address of her hotel, being on North Vineyard, is *not* located north of the 10 freeway…and I can also say this was the least-infiltrated with Starbucks area of Southern California I have been to.

So, I saw this sign inside a Stater Bros grocery store parking lot, and we stopped.

The hours said it was open until 10 on Saturday and it wasn't even 8, but tables were empty.

There are only 8 tables inside, but it seems they do a very brisk phone in/pick up business. That is the menu overhead and here is a paper menu:

Since Yang Yang is closed on Sunday and this was late Saturday night, apparently they don't keep much of an inventory, so when we tried to order, quite a few things (mostly the raw fish) was out…still, we managed to get a few, nice and interesting quick bites.

The miso soup was nice, but unremarkable except for the thicker, fresh tasting seaweed.

I was pleasantly surprised by the appetizer of baked green mussels ($5.45).

Six mussel shells, each with 3 small mussels in the shell, covered in a spicy, creamy orange colored sauce and baked and topped with some sweet tonkatsu sauce on this pleasantly decorated plate…with cherry tomatoes, ginger, sliced oranges and limes…interesting and it tasted very nice.

I had been craving poke ever since Kirk's report on it from Hawaii (and the great deal at Safeway) and when I saw the Spicy Tuna Salad on the menu for only$6.95, I wanted to try it. This is a HUGE serving, nicely very spicy served with picked veggies on top, lots of onions, radishes, pickled ginger and, more sliced limes and oranges…pretty and filling and tasty.

Then, since the place is called Yang Yang Sushi *and* BBQ…well, I thought we should try some BBQ…seems logical, right? hmmmm…The nice waitress told us they did not have Japanese BBQ beef available, but they did have some Korean BBQ beef…bulgogi..cool. I like that..in a bowl, fine. Price was the same ($5.95). Picture showed beef and some kind of salad on top of rice…

Oh, please, click on the photo and make it larger…words cannot describe how this was served, but I will try.

It was a good sized, heavy bowl of rice, covered with a lot of *excellent* bulgogi..and then there was some shredded cabbage, radishes, limes and then on top of that, yes..that party mix stuff, pretzels, croutons, cheese crackers, pieces of shredded cereal…and miniature marshmallows… yes, THAT mix…

I dunno. It did taste good, and I admit the flavors were nice, but I guess I need to get more creative in the kitchen next time.

I know I've told you to not be afraid to try someplace new…this wasn't scary..and it was quite interesting. Good food. An adventure.

Yang Yang Sushi and BBQ 1953 East Fourth Street (at Vineyard) Ontario, CA 91764 (909)948-9838 Tues-Sat 11 a.m-10 p.m.

Greek Style Chicken-mmm!

November 5, 2006 Cathy Greek Food, Mediterranean Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is NOT on vacation. Cathy is merely blogging about food while Kirk has a day off. You tuned in to see what was new, didn’t you? Here it is.

Hi, again.

So, say you are driving north on Highway 67…hmmm, most likely the reason would be to go see Autumn colors in Julian, or perhaps you are really going to a casino. Whatever your reason, on the south end of 67, close to Interstate 8, you see this sign at that first exit, Bradley.

I know you’ve asked yourself.."Self, I wonder if that place is any good?…" and you kept driving. You really should stop.

This used to be the Fosters Freeze next to the DMV (hey, if you live in East County, you’ve been to the DMV), so it still has the drive though lane (yes, if people can drive through Starbucks for a beverage, they could also drive though for soft serve ice cream).

This place took over the Fosters Freeze about four years ago now and makes the best flavored Greek Style foods, served in great sized portions in the East county.

You order, pay at the front counter, sit down, wait for your number to be called and pick it up to take back to your table. You don’t have to buss your table at the end.

This is the gyros sandwich ($4.25) and I bought a small side of zucchini sticks ($1.75)…yes, that is the "small" order. The zucchini is cut like french fries then breaded with cornmeal and fried. You can see some of the zucchini skin in the photo and the cut is just thick enough you do taste the vegetable. The gyros is tender, well seasoned, served an a remarkable fresh textured/tasting bread with tomatoes, onions and the tzatziki sauce is on the side, also very fresh made with cucumber. The zucchini is breaded with a *very* light crust that has a light herb seasoning to it and is served with a quite large container of ranch dressing. I cannot convey enough the breading is light and crispy.

This is the #6 Combination: 1/4 of a chicken, with a beef kabob and a side of onion rings as well as a quartered pita bread. ($8.55)

The chicken is so nicely marinated with Greek herbs and lemon. It is cooked so the skin is wonderfully crispy and the meat also has the flavor of the lemon and herbs. The kabob is placed on the skewer interspersed with thin sliced onions and is marinated before cooking just enough for the meat to cook but remain very juicy. Oh those onion rings… fresh made, thick sliced with that light crispy slightly seasoned crust. Delightful!

The Greek chicken salad is always a favorite($7.45).It is really the Greek salad-with onions, cucumbers, feta and topped with warm, herb infused chicken meat..a *lot* of chicken..I swear, this bowl weighs close to a pound. Yes, this is the small side of onion rings, again…($1.75)..fresh made, lightly corn meal breaded and wonderfully not greasy.

This is the fish and chips plate ($6.25) with the zucchini fries substituted for the "chips" part (no extra charge)(ALL of that stuff under the 3 pieces of fish is zucchini; I think that is what the "large" side order consists of, but I have never been that hungry to order it) ..and a banana shake: vanilla soft serve blended with a fresh banana ($2.25). The fish is cod, but it isn’t the preformed, frozen with batter on it stuff; its made for you, with a very light egg and herb infused batter…very nice..and also served with garlic bread.

Next time you are on Highway 67, take that exit and stop in. The portions are huge and the food is quality.

Greek Style Chicken 1468 Graves Avenue (at Bradley) El Cajon, CA 92021 (619) 401-0700

11 a.m. to 8 p.m. 7 days

Episode 18/week 3- The End and a couple of taco joints

October 18, 2006 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, Stuff, Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is on vacation. The part usually played by Kirk will be played by Cathy in the interim.

Hi. Yes, I know you have been wondering when Kirk will be back…He is back and he is ready to tell all of you what He did on his Autumn Vacation.

I want to summarize some stuff and thank all of you for your support these past few weeks. It has been my first time blogging and sharing my opinions about foods and places to eat in San Diego. I have learned a lot from you and hope I have informed you of things. I suppose the main point I hoped to get across is to not be afraid to just stop and walk in to any particular place.

Sure, this looks like an oversized Fotomat booth and you could miss it if you drove over the speed limit or only cared about the Liquor Store….but it has been there in Santee forever and is always busy.

There are all of three booths, three tables (two of them are outside) and Bertha’s makes this:

Carne asada nachos. I like to call it "a pound of nachos" , although I have never weighed it. Fresh chips, great refried beans, carne asada, chunky guacamole, sour cream and cheese. $4.25. But if you don’t stop and go inside, or drive through, you won’t know what you are missing.

Its the same with all of these places:

In general, if you see the words "Cocina, Taqueria, Panderia and/or Tortilleria" written on the outside, GO inside. They are cooking up some of the most wonderful foods inside. Realize that they used no imagination in naming the place, but move past that.

Same thing here. If the place has been there forever and the patrons are of the ethnicity of the signage that you are having difficulty reading, its good. (also, when you do go in to order and the person taking your order says "you no want that", trust them and order something different).

If the windows of the store have interesting food items written on them, items that are usually seen on a menu and not as items you buy in a grocery store…go inside. (Oh, and that small "Taqueria" sign is a clue).

Then again, if the signage shows both Mexican and Greek foods…well, you just have to stop in and see…

If a place is open 24 hours, shares a parking lot with a 24 hour Landromat and *always* has cars in the drive through lane, stop and see why…

I had never stopped here at Bueños Dias before and was on one of my "no meat today because it is Friday" days and I was just going to get a quesadilla, but looked at the menu…mashed potato taquitos….hmmmm…. Mexican Food combined with mashed potatoes, my next favorite food group… and all of it fried in a taco shell, topped with lettuce sour cream and cheese ($1.50)…oh, yeah…now I wait for Fridays. Its kind of not a sacrifice…

Bueños Dias makes the best salads, perfect for those on a no-carb kick…a lettuce spring mix, carrots, cabbage and cheese which melts onto the freshly grilled chicken breast for only $3.50. This is also one of those "one pound" salads, again, I haven’t really weighed it, but it is substantial. In the top of the photo there are the 3 rolled tacos with guacamole ($3). Made (and not pre-made)with fresh corn tortillas.

The carne asada tostada ($2.80) made with beans, carne asada, lettuce and cheese comes with an extra fried tostada shell…either because they know the first one will get soft, or that all the stuff will fall off of the first one and you will just need more corn tortilla shell…. and that quesadilla ($2.50)- huge and wonderfully melted and oily cheese!…and Bueños Dias gives you a mild green sauce as well as a very nice hot red sauce. Oh- and those are the marinated carrots on the bottom there…thinly cut strips and a jalapeño. Nice and hot!

So, that’s it. I think you have figured out that its kind of fun to stop and explore and not be afraid to try anyplace…and look for those parked Mail Trucks out front…those people know what is good on their routes. (Thanks, Trent!)

Bertha’s Mexican Food 8667 Fanita Drive Santee 92071 (619) 562-0143

Mon-Sat 8 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

Bueños Dias 5100 Jackson Drive La Mesa 91942 (at Glen) 24/7

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Oooooh…and you don’t know this, but I am definitely *not* a chocolate person at all. BUT…go to Trader Joe’s and pick up a box of these little gems for $2.99

these teensy, tiny little peanut butter cups pack some powerful flavor and are just a perfect sweet and salty snack…

………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………..

Again, I am so happy I could help Kirk keep up the interest in his blog while he and his Missus took a well deserved vacation. I am happy that so many of you thought enough to write in and comment, and that you did like what I talked about and my style of writing.

If we don’t "talk" again, have a good Halloween and please don’t forget to VOTE on November 7. (Or earlier at the Registrar’s office…and if you are there, go West on Clairmont Mesa and turn south at that next light (Overland) and then take a right, into the parking lot…there is this new Indian place there…next to the 7-11….)

Now, this blog is formally back in Kirk’s hands. Bye!

-Cathy

Episode 17.Week 3=Oishii in Santee: Japanese and Thai Cuisine and Sushi Bar

October 17, 2006 Cathy Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi, Thai Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is on vacation. The part usually played by Kirk will be played by Cathy in in the interim.

So, you are thinking to yourself "Did I read that title correctly?"…Japanese and Thai cuisine and Sushi Bar…in Santee…?!?

Yes, you did….and it is something you can’t miss. All three types of food are prepared here to excellent standards.

Located in a nondescript strip mall, across the street from the Albertsons in Santee, Oishii has been in its present location for about 3 years. Before that, it was a Thai Buffet and before that it was a kind of American Restaurant that sold some really good prime rib. It is small inside, with 10 seats at the sushi bar, 5 booths and 7 tables.

Editor’s Note: The owners of the Thai Buffet are still the owners and are family members/have worked at Lotus of Siam in Las Vegas.

This post will be long, since the Mister and I have tried all three types of foods here. First, the Japanese menu:

The sushi lunch special ($8.50), 3 vegetable rolls, 4 tuna rolls, sunomono (cucumber salad) and albacore sashimi. The albacore was soooo tender. This is served with an excellent miso soup, filled with silken tofu cubes and seaweed.

The mixed tempura appetizer ($5.00) includes one very large shrimp. The breading is very light and delicate, not oily.

The combination lunch ($9.50), in this case beef teriyaki and spicy tuna roll. The beef is cooked medium rare and is tender and flavorful. The spicy tuna is very fresh and the spice is on the edge of being overwhelming and is highly complimentary to the tuna. This is served with soup, salad and rice. The portion size is quite large for lunch.

All of the Japanese dishes on the menu are very fresh and well prepared.

The Thai menu. Most of the people working here are Thai. When the restaurant was a Thai Buffet, I really liked the foods.

The fried soybean cake appetizer ($5.00), served with a homemade sauce that was neither too sweet nor too salty. The soy cakes were nicely crispy and not too thick, so the soy was warm throughout.

The fried calamari appetizer ($5.00). Lightly breaded squid which was very tender. The accompanying sauce is nice and spicy.

The pad see ewe with beef ($7.95)…the thick noodles were very nice textured, made with a black soy sauce and broccoli and carrots, this is a mild dish and the beef was not as tender as I would have liked. Not disappointing, but not exciting. I like the Pad Thai here better. However, the chicken Panang ($7.95) was excellent. It is made with coconut milk, red peppers, basil and green beans, the amount of heat that kicked in was wonderful. This is the way Panang should be cooked. The description on the menu, mentioning onions and mushrooms, is wrong and was not prepared that way.

I enjoy the Thai food here because they ask how spicy you would like it and almost always when I order Thai, the cook comes out from the kitchen to ask how I liked t.

Now, on to the sushi menu:

Along with the Special Rolls menu:

The sushi and nigiri served here is always fresh and wonderful. There is never a night when the sushi bar has no patrons. Even on Monday or Tuesday.

We always have edamame with sushi. ($3.50). A good sized plate.

The oyster shooter ($3.50) is made with 2 oysters, ponzu sauce and topped with masago and ginger. The lime slice in the side is a nice touch. The oysters were fresh and mildly flavored, very tender.

The albacore was so very tender and wonderfully flavored, the nigiri is not served with wasabi on it. It is not needed. Dipping the fish lightly into shoyu is enough to bring out the flavor. The rice is very well made sushi rice and worth the $4.50.

The amabei (sweet shrimp) ($6.00) were served with the fried heads (atama) at the same time and with the hamachi (yellowtail) ($5.00). Excellent, all three.

The Mister an I opted to share three rolls This is the Santee Roll ($6.50) Described as "Crispy tuna, (no rice) topped with the house sauce". The tuna is wrapped in seaweed, dipped in batter and fried, so the tuna cooks. Its different and good.

The spicy crunchy albacore roll was on sale for $5.50 the night we were there. There are usually five or six specials listed on the chalkboard. The albacore was again, fresh and tender and crunchy bits of tempura were dispersed throughout the roll, which also had cucumber inside had toasted sesame seeds on the exterior.

Finally, we had to try the most popular roll sold here, the Cindy Roll, ($12), made with tempura shrimp and asparagus, topped with tuna and the special sauce and surrounded with house and ponzu sauce. Excellent crispy, still warm shrimp and the asparagus is fresh cooked crispy with beautifully brought out flavor.

All in all, no matter which cuisine you order here at Oishii, you will leave very satisfied.

Oishii Japanese and Thai Cuisine and Sushi Bar

10251 Mast Boulevard Santee 92071 (619) 596-4852

Open Monday-Sat 11:00 a.m.-9 p.m., closed Sunday

Episode16/week3-Charley’s Famous Hamburgers, Shakes, Kabobs…and bacon!

October 16, 2006 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Burgers, Diner, Mediterranean Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is on vacation. The part usually played by Kirk will be played by Cathy in the interim.

Its been there since 1973. No advertising. Word of mouth. You probably have seen it… Click onto the picture…you are on Broadway in Lemon Grove, heading east, toward Sweetwater Springs Road. They have *finally* finished all that construction…there…sort of to the left, the red sign…Charley's Famous Hamburgers.

It isn't a sit down restaurant, although there are picnic tables in the back and out front. Most people seem to drive though. They all know to order, drive up and shut off the engine. You have to wait for the food to be cooked.

This is it- you drive through on one side of this small building, or walk up to the front and order. All the cooking goes on inside there.

The menu, as seen via the Drive Through.

You will notice bacon on here, a lot.

I will admit to not bothering to having bacon on most items at restaurants, because I just can't taste it…its usually thin and fairly flavorless. Not here….The bacon is always thick, always not greasy and wonderfully flavored. This, combined with the fact that not much food is frozen, makes Charley's one place I will continue to patronize.

Lets take breakfast, for example. This is the breakfast croissant ($ 3.39) egg, bacon, ham and cheese on a fresh, fluffy croissant. {The extra charge to make a breakfast a combo is worth it if you like OJ-you get a large prepacked container along with a hash brown patty}

There is the famous Kabob-seasoned ground beef patty grilled and in a pita with lettuce, radishes, green pepper, onions and mayo.…and bacon, of course…

This one is the single kabob with bacon ($4.49)

This one is the double kabob with bacon ($5.49). I really like the idea of radishes and green pepper on a hot sandwich. It's a wonderful flavor combination.

Then of course there is the famous hamburger.

This is a the double cheeseburger ($3.29) The hamburger meat is more coarse ground than I have had, more flavorful and definitely not frozen.

There are of course, sides to order.

This is the small Chili Cheese Fries ($2.49) and the onion rings ($1.99)

The chili here is unique and has a nice spice to it. They use those spicy chili beans and not much ground beef. (The cheese melted into the chili before I got a good photograph)..and the onion rings are made of whole real onions, in a cornmeal batter…nice crunch! The plain fries, I am not overly thrilled about, but they have good potato flavor.

OOOH- Look behind the onion rings. That is the plain old, simple BLT ($3.69)…SIX (6) yes, six slices of bacon on that seeded burger bun, with lettuce, tomatoes and mayo…the *absolute* best BLT …EVER.

The part of the menu you may have missed and no photograph could do it justice are the milkshakes…Oh, you *have* to try them. Fresh made to order…my favorite is the banana, made with a real banana, of course… that peanut butter shake…salty and sweet…..absolutely wonderful shakes….the root beer float…just get that as a treat one evening. Its wonderful. The one I haven't tried yet is the apple turnover shake. But, since there are apple turnovers on the menu…well, I can imagine how the shake is made and pretty much what it tastes like…that can be for next time.

So, the next time you are driving, please don't just pass by. Stop. It *will* be the best food you have had in a long time.

Charley's Famous Burgers, Kabobs and Shakes,

8213 Broadway, Lemon Grove 91945 (619)460-2690

Open 7:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m., until 10 p.m. on Friday

Episode 15/Week 3-Crispy Fried Chicken

October 15, 2006 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is on vacation. The part usually played by Kirk is being played by Cathy in the interim.

So, say you are driving on El Cajon Boulevard, and you see, like, 40 places Kirk has mentioned and there is so much Pho and Bahn Mi and you are almost overwhelmed…then at the SE Corner of El Cajon Blvd and 49th..you see:

Crispy Fried Chicken

oh…you have to stop….

(as long as its still daylight)

menu on the front window…

menu inside….along with television..note "truth in advertising" in the 2nd column up there on the wall- taped up are boxes for the fried mozzarella, jalapeños and zucchini.

and the convenient menu to use for phone ins…

You will note on this menu, the coleslaw, potato salad, corn bread, corn and steamed rice are the non-fried items, along with beverages of course, and possibly the biscuits….

Now, have you been paying attention the last three weeks? The name of the place is "Crispy Fried Chicken"…Get the chicken!

The three piece mixed chicken meal:

with cole slaw and hush puppies as sides ($4.79). Excellent cole slaw, light fluffy hush puppies and really *really* good fried chicken. Light, crispy batter, lightly seasoned. Large pieces, compared to most chicken places.

The seven piece fried oysters with cornbread and onion rings. ($5.49). The oysters were large in the sense that there were more than one in some of the fried pieces. They were very juicy and in a cornbread-based batter. The cornbread was with a sweet flavor, not too fancy but fresh. The onions rings were made with diced onions…all the same size and passable: not great.

So, if you get that fried food craving again and are on El Cajon Boulevard, stop in. The fried catfish is really good, better than the snapper. If anything, get the popcorn chicken…that will satisfy your craving for a while.

Crispy Fried Chicken 4919 El Cajon Boulevard San Diego 92115 (619) 582-3938

Mon-Sat 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Episode 14/Week 2-Mien Trung – The best “spicy beef soup” ever!

October 14, 2006 Cathy Bun Bo Hue, Vietnamese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is on vacation. The part usually played by Kirk will be played by Cathy in the interim.

Hi. I’ve been watching the Blue Angels Air Show all day today it seems. (There was a night show..little joke there…).

So, it is cold out…rained on and off all day and I’d like a little spice…and I know exactly the flavors I want. They are here: The one on the right, Mien Trung. (I told you about La Basil, the one on the left, in Episode four.).

Mien Trung has been in the same location for almost 10 years now. They do not advertise. They don’t have to . When you are good, word of mouth is your best advertisement.

Its family owned and run, the menu is simple and, technically, there is no Pho on the menu. The soup is listed under Bun- rice noodles. The broth is the *best* I have had in San Diego, bar none. The menu is

short and simple. 24 items total to choose from, not including beverages.

What we had tonight:

The #2- Bun Bo Hue Dat Biet (Large) $4.99- rice vermicelli soup with spicy beef…

Mom (in the kitchen) toned the spice down just a touch for us and it was perfect; I did not leave with my mouth glowing. The add ins were shredded cabbage and shredded lettuce and sprouts along with lime to squeeze in…

The broth here is unique- oily and with such deep, rich flavor. The rice noodles are not in a clump, but properly cooked and spread apart in the bowl. The beef, tendon and meatloaf are extremely flavorful, thicker cut, juicy. Every time we have eaten here, the broth is wonderful and the food has been very fresh tasting…and we have always been asked upon leaving if it was to our liking.

My little "test" for a Vietnamese restaurant is what condiments are on the table.

There is NO soy sauce, NO hoisin sauce, TWO hot chili pepper sauces AND the shrimp paste, white pepper and fish sauce. (All of these places have fish sauce in Kikkoman soy sauce containers…what happens with the soy?).

The #9- Bun Cha Gio ($4.50) is unique here. The bun (rice noodles) are abundant, not in a clump, the bottom, ‘salad’ part of the dish is the same cabbage and lettuce mix that is used as the mix in for the Bun Bo Hue and not too much. The toppings are the traditional chopped peanuts, but then you get pickled vegetables, fried garlic and cilantro. The cha gio are filled with pork and some fungus and rice noodle, but are mostly meat. The sauce served with has a good bite to it and is not sweet nor too salty.

A lot of food for a small price.

This time we also opted for #22, Banh Bot Nam La, rice cake steamed in banana leaf. It was topped with ground pork and shrimp, which more like the #21 (Banh Bot Loc La) but in any case, tasted very good.

You get 8 banana leaves filled with the mixture. It is a nice add in to your other foods and had a good salty topping flavor. ($3.75) It is served with the same dipping sauce that was served with the Bun Cha Gio. It takes about 15 minutes for them to be steamed for you, but that timing works out so you can eat it with the rest of your food, since that will come out pretty fast.

We have also ordered the #8 Bun Thit Nuong- Bun with BBQ pork- $4.99-and it is excellent, tender and crispy with great flavor. Also the #12 Hen Xuc Banh Trang -pancake with baby clams- $4.99- is excellent. Baby clams are an acquired taste, though…

You should notice there is no mint and no basil served here, as sides or toppings, making this a different style of Vietnamese than you have probably tasted. From what I can tell from Google-ing, it is authentic Hue food.

There are all of eight tables and a brisk phone in/take out business. You really will like it here. Not for any fancy tables, chairs or plates (although pleasant music is playing at all times and the TV is set to interesting channels I don’t seem to be able to get ). You will like it for the quality of food and service. Care is taken with every plate served.

Mien Trung 7530 Mesa College Drive(at Linda Vista)(Next to K Sandwiches) San Diego 92111 (619) 576-0962

Tues-Sun 11a.m. to 8 p.m.