Cathy – Page 23

Golden City (yes, more visits)

December 11, 2019 Cathy Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is still blogging about food. Today, Cathy is back at Golden City, a favorite (and underrated) Chinese restaurant located at the SouthEast Corner of the 163 and Clairmont Mesa Boulevard. Kirk is adjusting to the time zone.

Kirk's latest post about this wonderful restaurant was in January, where he linked back to his first post in 2005. My latest post was in May of 2018, so it's about time for an update. Here are two lunch visits. {The Lunch menu is available from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and again after 9 p.m.} {The Late Night menu does not include soup or rice with the meal; rice is $1 per bowl at that time}

Same location, some of the interior has been updated since 2005. Consistency. Always fresh tablecloths. Always friendly service.
Seafood Noodle Soup ($9.50)
Filled with shrimp, squid and fish as well as bok choy, carrots and plenty of eggy noodles, this chicken-broth-based soup is satisfying on many levels. Of course the flavors as well as textures and freshness make this a very satisfying meal on its own.
Fish Filet with Black Bean Sauce ($9.95). Plenty of fish, fresh and moist. Large pieces of sweet onion and a variety of bell peppers along with the saltiness of black bean sauce make this one of my cravings. The lunch meals (not the soup bowls) include egg rolls and a choice of egg drop or hot and sour soup as well as those magical 'crunchies' and plum sauce. Rice is included and hot tea is still free here; I like that it is made with loose tea leaves.
The egg rolls are cooked fresh and vegetable filled.
Fish with Lemongrass ($9.95) Breaded and properly fried, this is an indulgence. The lemony sauce, mixed with basil and spicy peppers make a great flavor combination.
Kung Pao Three ingredients ($10.95) is not too spicy. There are chilis and onion stir fried with the beef, chicken and shrimp. The peanuts mixed in help 'neutralize' any real spiciness you might encounter. Again, a mix of flavors (you can taste each ingredient) and textures and just a satisfying meal.

Golden City Chinese Cuisine 5375 Kearny Villa Road San Diego, CA 92123 (858) 565-6682 open Mon-Th 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Fri-Sat-Sun 11 a.m.-midnight

Pancho’s Mexican Restaurant (El Cajon)

December 10, 2019 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Cathy is writing today.

Heading East on Fletcher Parkway, just across the street from Barbecue Pit (two blocks same side of the street from Beef 'n Bun,

We always see this signage and continue on our way. We finally stopped the other day. Pancho's has been here since 2004. It is family owned and operated.
Driving by, we never noticed the front door or facade.

Step inside and the decor is amazing. There is a Bar area and various seating areas.
Chips, fresh and tasty salsa, the Lunch as well as a Regular Menu are brought to the table.

Tostada Compuesta- with carnitas- was my choice ($6.99). A very large, fresh made fried flour tortilla on the bottom, topped with excellent refried beans, a lot of really flavorful, moist and well made pork, lettuce, tomato, two cheeses and avocado slices. Really a filling meal.
The Mister tried the flauta lunch ($6.99) which was also made with a fresh flour tortilla wrapped around flavorful shredded chicken (stewed chicken with onion and bell peppers, drained so it wasn't 'soupy') which was properly fried and cut in half. The side of rice was well made-flavorful on its own and the salad came with ranch dressing. Again, a nice, filling meal.

Really good food. We should've stopped in sooner. Will be back and become one of the 'regulars'; there were many.

There is brunch, which includes either three glasses of champagne or one margarita.

Pancho's Mexican Restaurant 2257 Fletcher Parkway El Cajon, CA 92020 (619) 460-4202 Open Mon-Sat 11:30-9, Sun 9-8 Website

Hong Kong BBQ Kitchen (inside Vinh Hung Supermarket) (Mira Mesa)(again)

December 9, 2019 Cathy Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

This is a food blog named mmm-yoso!!! Kirk usually writes about meals and various food he enjoys from nearby and afar. Cathy is writing a short post about a nearby place while Kirk is 'on vacation'.

A central location to meet clients, colleagues and friends is at the former movie theater converted to grocery store and restaurant (as well as a few other businesses in the former hallways). Kirk posted about a dinner here in April. I last wrote a post (with links to prior posts of both mine and Kirk) back in 2017.

Hong Kong BBQ and Dim-sum, near the front of the store, at the former concession stand and stairway to the (former) upper level seating was quiet enough to carry on conversations.
Fish XO sauce ($9.95) is always a favorite order here. The salty, dry scallop and dry ham base, which is cooked with chilis, onion and garlic is always mouth watering. Onions and bell peppers as well as some black beans round out the lightly battered and expertly fried fish in this dish. Always good.
Beef string bean ($9.95), stir fried simply with onion and garlic is also a good choice. The meat is thin and tender and flavorful. The green beans are fresh and flavorful. Dessert! Never a fortune cookie…steamed rice cake!

Hong Kong BBQ and Dim Sum 10550 Camino Ruiz San Diego 92126 (858) 408-4888 Open Sun-Thurs 9-9, Fri-Sat 9-9:30 Website

2020 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float decorating. Dinner at Peppertree Cafe (Glendora).

December 8, 2019 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!! is primarily a food blog. There are many reasons food is acquired. Cathy is posting today about another year end event when she and The Mister volunteer, along with their meal following the long work day. Kirk and His Missus are still 'on vacation'.

In January, the New President of the Tournament of Roses was announced and she announced the theme of the 2020 Rose Parade. (Details at the top of this post, along with links to all 2020 float road tests). This Saturday was the first day of float decorating. Check in kiosks, light rain and an excitement surrounded the Phoenix Decorating Company decorating barn in Irwindale. Soon enough, we were called in and met our Crew Chief who escorted us to the float where we would be working on this first of the 'dry' decorating days. Live flowers show up around December 26 or 27, so they will be fresh on the floats. These Saturdays before Christmas are decorations made with glue and tiny details of dry materials: peas, beans, lentils, coffee grounds, straw, dry flowers, dry parsley and so much more.
Walking past numerous floats
and material product (these are statice flowers, which are cut, dried and blended into a powder to be spread on floats needing large areas of blue or pink colors).
Colors are painted for easy material application. ('Soaring with Hope' presented by Kiwanis International).
Here's part of a thatch roof effect, almost finished before lunch. ('Growing a Better Tomorrow' by Western Asset).
Glue and onion seed being applied. ('Planting Seeds of Hope' by Sikh American Float Foundation).
Rotary ('Hope Connects the World') had a lot of volunteers this first day.
Shriner's Hospitals for Children ('Hope Knows No Limits') completed quite a bit.
These ladies, first time volunteers, were applying bended straw flowers to one of the homes on the SCAN Foundation float, 'Hope's Hope'.
The Lions Club float ('Hope for 2020')really has so many cute details all related to vision, one of their five tenants.
Part of the SCAN Foundation float had coffee grounds (on the frame of the window), sesame seeds (the yellow 'bricks') and poppy seeds (the darker half circle castle pieces). Across the way is the Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day float, 'Plant a garden, Believe in Tomorrow'.There's the Cowboy Channel float, 'Walk, Ride, Rodeo'.
Here's Trader Joe on 'It Takes a Flight of Fancy'. He's in a pickle barrel and holding a pickle in his left hand. Two floats are still under construction- Wescom Credit Union and Farmers Insurance. There's plenty of time(!)

Details, dry materials, glue: what a day.

Details for volunteering and artist renditions of some of the floats are on the Phoenix Decorating page. Details of Tournament activities are on The Rose Examiner page and more other Tournament activity details on the Tournament of Roses page.

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We stopped at Cream Pan for a quick breakfast on the way up, brought our own lunch for our 30 minute break and decided to head East, to Glendora, for dinner once we finished working. I posted about a breakfast here in 2018 There is a regular menu as well as a Special Menu on weekends.

Italian Wedding Soup-very good long simmered chicken broth along with the spinach and carrots, tiny beef-pork meatballs and tiny orzo pasta.
The house made thousand Island is excellent. A refreshing salad.
An eight ounce Top Sirloin along with five coconut shrimp and choice of potato or fresh vegetables (sautéed in garlic butter) ($13.99) Look at all those vegetables! The Top Sirloin was cooked to a perfect medium rare and had great flavor, the crispy coconut shrimp were so nice; plump, juicy and crispy.
Prime Rib ($15.99) was great- medium rare, large and flavorful, and the salted baked potato made this special meal after a long day just a bit more special.

We had really liked the breakfast here…dinner was also excellent.

Peppertree Cafe 1020 E. Route 66 Glendora, CA 91740 Website Sun-Thurs 6 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri-Sat 6a.m.-10 p.m.

Home Sweet Home Cafe (Escondido)

December 6, 2019 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

This is a food blog named mmm-yoso!!! Kirk usually writes here, but is busy navigating various forms of transportation in Europe while vacationing. Cathy is writing a short post today.

I've often said that everyone has two 'go-to' places to eat a quick meal; one near home and one near work. Usually those places involve fast food or chains but sometimes the 'near work' choices are even more limited to food trucks or an obscure, long time hole-in-the-wall eatery on a side street in a commercial area of town. After driving through the Escondido "Mile of Cars", continuing North into the area with all the various businesses located in large industrial buildings (even some repurposed quonset huts), there it is. The name and ownership changed in 2010 but it's been a breakfast-lunch restaurant for more than 20 years.
There's a 12 seat counter area and two rooms of tables. None of the coffee cups match, there are quirky signs (as well as anything with "Home Sweet Home" imprinted), the tables have advertising for neighboring businesses embedded in the tops (tables were made by a neighboring business). There is some holiday decor. I think we interacted with each of the friendly waitresses (who greet 'regulars' by their first name). A calm, familiar, cozy place.
The Mister tried the "Devon" Benedict ($11.50)- corned beef hash topped with poached eggs topped with Hollandaise sauce, all on top of a toasted English muffin. He chose home fries on the side. Not fancy, but very good. The hash was plentiful, probably from a can (the diced potatoes were a bit too perfect), the Hollandaise was house made, but didn't have lemon in it (I notice stuff like that). The potatoes were fried to a crisp edge with creaminess in the center, along with the bell peppers and onions.
I decided to try the 'French Toast Special' ($11) with three halves of French toast. Ignore the color; it is not burned. I was asked if I wanted cinnamon on my toast and I asked for it to be on two of the three halves. The bread was eggy and soft on the inside with the exterior just the right amount of light crisp. The over-easy eggs were perfectly runny and I had a choice of bacon or sausage links or a sausage patty…oh yes, an excellent sausage patty.

A great find. Breakfast and lunch are served all day.

Home Sweet Home Cafe 662 Enterprise Street Escondido, CA 92029 (760) 743-2233 Open Mon-Fri 5 a.m.-2 p.m., Sat 5 a.m.-1 p.m., Sun 7 a.m.-1 p.m.

Pappalecco

December 5, 2019 Cathy Italian Restaurants, Pizza

Welcome back to the food blog, mmm-yoso!!! Kirk and His Missus are somewhere in Europe, dealing with some transportation issues. Cathy does eat and takes photos, so enjoy her post today.

13 years ago, the first location of Pappalecco opened in the Little Italy area of town, eventually expanding to three other locations and then one location closed, so at present, there are three locations total. Each of the Tuscan influenced restaurant locations offer coffees, panini, croissant, salads, pizza, baked desserts and gelato-as well as breakfast on weekends. We were on Adams Avenue at 42nd and decided to drop into this neighborhood location.

Walk in, order and pay. There is a menu above the cash register as well as some printed menus. Your food will be brought to you. There are quite a few tables and seating areas, inside and out front.
We decided to try a Margherita pizza ($10.75). The wood fired oven bakes an excellent (thin!) crust with a good chew. The (imported) San Marzano tomatoes are unadorned and have a perfect, fresh picked tomato flavor. The Fior Di Latte Mozzarella, Parmesan, fresh basil and olive oil make all the flavors of each ingredient stand out. Really a perfect pie.
We added a side salad (for one) ($5.99). Mixed perfectly, each item (mixed greens, onion and cherry tomatoes), coated lightly with a garlic-y Caesar dressing, making each bite of the (quite large/easily shared) salad uniform and not in need of any condiments. (Lime Vinaigrette and Olive Oil & Balsamic are also choices).
When you walk in, just to the right is the gelato display. We had to try 'something'.
So, we ended up with three flavors ($5.75). On the bottom in the center, you can slightly see the Strawberry Balsamic-such a delightful flavor blend. The scoop on the left is a wonderful, nutty pistachio. The serving on the right in the above photo is "Thanksgiving" and has pumpkin, ginger, cinnamon and glazed pecans…what a perfect bit of every Thanksgiving dessert available!

We will be back to try more of the menu.

Pappalecco 4202 Adams Ave. San Diego 92116 (619)255-4770 Open Mon-Thurs 7-9, Fri 7-9:30, Sat 7:30-9:30, Sun 7:30-9 Website

K Sandwiches (again)

December 4, 2019 Cathy Vietnamese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog. Kirk and His Missus are having an adventure in travel right now and Cathy is writing today's post.

Kirk's second post about K Sandwiches, written in 2005, was complimentary about the (newly opened) banh mi joint. K sandwiches thrived for a bit more than ten years.

There was a fire in August 2015, requiring a major rebuild. The eatery finally reopened in January 2018. Lines were long. The menu was refined. It is still a sandwich place with banh mi, French bread loaves, croissants and various sweets baked daily.

K Sandwiches is a 'regular' stop for The Mister or myself when out and about and eating alone as well as a place for sharing items when we are together. The food items to be found here are various.
Bahn mi sandwiches are always made to order. This is the #6, meatball ($4.75), which is quite good combined with the 'usual' banh mi toppings of pickled carrots and radishes along with cilantro and jalapeño slices and some mayonnaise. The corse ground meat is very 'meatloaf' in style and flavor.
Fresh made spring rolls, in a variety of meat choices ($3.49), are always a good choice. These shrimp and pork rolls were filled with lettuces, herbs, cucumber, carrot and sprouts.

Pretty much every beverage we choose here is a black coffee, add half and half ($2.75).

The 'sweet croissant' ($1.65) was a new-to-me item from the grab-it-yourself baked goods area. Soft yet flaky and still warm; satisfying.

The Honey Mayo Shrimp Croissant ($8.25) is the highest priced sandwich on the menu. Worth it. Lightly covered in rice flour then fried, the shrimp still have a slight crunch even with the mayonnaise coating. Simply served on shredded lettuce along with a fresh made croissant, this is a wonderfully decadent meal.
The Mister has been ordering the Chicken Curry ($7) since 2007, when he saw someone enjoying it at another table. You can get it with a banh mi or rice; the banh mi seems to be easier to work with, with all the sauce. There were three chicken legs in this bowl, along with the onions and potatoes. Such a great curry flavor!
Not much is inedible. That is a very deep bowl. Sometimes a simple #9, grilled pork banh mi ($4.75) is my craving. Always fresh and tasty. I think the warm, grilled-to-order, flavorful pork is part of the comfort.
There are a few small menus taped to various display racks in the small store. The Mister saw a "Rice or Noodle Combo, choose two items $7.25". He chose noodles (rice noodles served warm) and his items were grilled beef and pork cha (steamed egg minced pork meatloaf). There are lettuces, cucumber, pickled sprouts and carrots along with the jalapeño. The dressing is topped with peanuts. Combine all these flavors and you have Bun Cha, one of my favorite meals at every Vietnamese restaurant.

K Sandwiches 7604 Linda Vista Rd San Diego, CA 92111 Website Open Mon-Sat 6-9, Sun 8-8

Crafted Greens (El Cajon)

December 3, 2019 Cathy Salads, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

Here we are, back at mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about food. Cathy is writing today while Kirk and His Missus are enjoying sights and meals elsewhere.

For about a year, this former Starbucks location has operated in the strip mall which includes Junction Steakhouse and Harvest Ranch Market. Finally, The Mister and I dropped in. We should have tried it sooner.

The menu is above as you walk to the cash register to pay.
You can see the fresh ingredients and side dishes for the day. Once you pay, you get a number, find a seat and everything is brought out to you.
There are two scratch-made soups available, always the tomato-basil ($3.45) and a rotating flavor. The tomato-basil has a fresh tomato and basil flavors (I know, I need a thesaurus) with a rich, creamy texture and the size of the bowl is good. Easily can be considered a light meal.
The flatbreads (there are five to choose from) are all priced the same ($7.95). Margherita was my choice on this Friday (I know, kind of redundant with the tomato soup, but it was a first visit and I wanted to try the 'basics'). A nice, crispy (not overly fluffy/chewy) bread with a good olive oil flavor topped with the Mozzarella, tomatoes and basil. This is, also, a large portion and enough to be a light meal.
The Nicoise Salad ($9.95, add a protein $3(ahi tuna)) was wonderful! Romaine, Mesclun, green beans, egg, tomatoes, ﬁngerling potatoes, capers, olives, dijon balsamic vinaigrette…all very crisp/fresh/bright in flavors. The medium rare Ahi tuna was seared with a Cajun seasoning, which was just enough to not need any of the other condiments offered.

If you order a beverage, you get it yourself the first time (the machine is next to the cash register), but someone is always checking on how your meal is going and will refill your beverage (even water) from the soda machine.

We will be returning to try more of the menu very soon.

Crafted Greens 745 Jamacha Road El Cajon, CA 92019 (619) 328-4044 Website Open Mon-Sat 11-8:30 Sun 11-8

Sichuan City (Mira Mesa)

December 2, 2019 Cathy Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! welcomes you back after the long Thanksgiving weekend. Kirk and His Missus are still enjoying their country hopping vacation and Cathy is holding down the fort here in San Diego.

In the first San Diego H-Mart location, the north end of the parking lot has been home to three restaurants; one has changed names a few times recently. It had been Golden State Seafood (where Faye used to go with family) for more than 20 years and then in early 2018 the owners sold and it changed to Spicy Hut, which abruptly changed the name in May of 2018 to Sichuan City (it's the same owner).

As with all Szechuan restaurants, there's an area of Cold Dishes to choose from, located in the dining area. A plate is $7 with up to three choices.
On this visit, we chose only two- the smoked chicken and smacked cucumbers. We munched on the flavorful smoked chicken and tried a few cucumbers while waiting for our order. The garlic-y crisp cucumbers were saved to accompany the meal.
On another visit, we shared an onion pancake ($3.99) with our meal. Wonderfully layered and light crispiness complimented that meal and the onion flavor was not overpowering. Juicy Dumplings ($8.99) were fresh made and did have a thin skin, with only one losing it's soup filling when I accidentally tore it when lifting from the papered steam basket. The soup filling itself was flavorful and the pork filling was meaty; a good sized bite. The single cooked noodle soup (rice noodle) ($7.99) was a good choice one chilly day. Ground pork, pickled vegetables, fresh cilantro and green onion along with a rich flavorful broth rounded out the bowl, complimented by the round and thick chewy noodles.
The fish filet in garlic brown sauce ($12.99) included tofu and mushrooms as well as carrot and onion. A filling plate of garlic goodness. We did order a side of rice ($1.50) to go with this (well, to go with the sauce) and the plate was a meal in itself.
Shredded pork with pickled vegetable ($10.99) was not quite what we expected, but it was good. (I had expected pickled vegetables like those on top of the noodle soup, above). The pork, by itself…I could taste the flavors, including ginger, and it was a good stir fry of pork. Those fresh chilis…good (and sweet/spicy) on their own, but when combined with a bite of pork, overwhelmed all other flavors. Not really a complaint (the menu did show two chilis indicating heat) but the fresh chilis were a surprise. We did take home leftovers and separated the chilis from the pork and the heat level was just right for a second meal.

We will be back to try more of the menu Faye's post includes photos of the whole menu, linked here

Sichuan City 9460 E8 Mira Mesa Blvd San Diego 92126 (in the HMart parking lot). (858) 578-8818 Mon-Fri 11-3, 5-9:30 Sat-Sun 11-9:30

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

November 28, 2019 Cathy yoso-silly

It is finally THE day.

Maybe you are busy preparing your home and a meal to welcome family and/or friends or are just preparing a side dish to take along to a feast elsewhere or maybe you are busy getting ready to go to work or just relaxing at home alone. This last Thursday of the month is a day to reflect, give thanks and the 'official' beginning of a busy holiday season.

While Kirk is off in foreign lands, enjoying wonderful meals with His Missus, Cathy and The Mister have already prepared two complete turkey-centric Thanksgiving meals since October and also aren't going to have a 'traditional' meal today.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at mmm-yoso!!!