Cathy – Page 31

J & M’s Family Restaurant (Escondido)(again)

November 11, 2018 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

Well. Here we are, reading mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk and His Missus are taking a break and Cathy is doing the blogging for a while. Enjoy.

The last time I posted about J & M's was more than three years ago. I've since realized the "Chili Extravaganza" is an annual event; each month has different specials in addition to the "added value meals" on the menu. The Mister and I drive up here to shop at the Vallarta Market (in the same parking lot) and stop at J & M's pretty regularly if not eating inside Vallarta or Farmer Boys (also in the same parking lot). There are lots of choices when running errands.
The decor here is comfortable, the waitresses friendly' and the clientele are mostly locals.

We were fortunate to be here when some freshly made cinnamon rolls were offered ($3.49). Quite large, buttery, soft and filled with a nice cinnamon-sugar paste. Trying out house made cinnamon rolls have become a new obsession ever since we finally broke down and purchased one at the 2018 San Diego County Fair. This version is so very good.
Since breakfast is all day, I ordered the Florentine scramble (chalkboard special, $8.99, regular $10.49) with rye toast. Bacon, egg, cheese, spinach, red onion topped with fresh tomatoes…a hearty, tasty, filling meal. The home fries were mostly potato with some onion and green peppers; the potatoes had a nice crisping (bonus!) and were also plentiful.

The Mister had a craving for Liver and Onions ($9.99- from the 'added value menu') and received two very large pieces of calves liver (it was at least 8 if not 10 ounces in total) which was fried just right (the center was medium and the crispy edges were a treat)…of course I got to eat all of the onions. The steamed vegetables were a nice contrast and gave a semblance of healthy eating. The salad and garlic 'toast' (it's a half of a sandwich roll, just like we do at home) were both refreshing (the Bleu cheese salad dressing was excellent) and complimentary to the meaty main course.

A great little family diner since 2013.

J&M's Family Restaurant 1215 E Valley Pkwy Escondido, CA 92027 (between Harding and Ash) (760)745-3710 open 6-11 daily website

SHOMI NOODS @Cravings by 99Ranch (Chino)

November 10, 2018 Cathy Markets & Grocers, Ontario/Riverside/San Bernadino, CA, What Cathy Eats!

Well. Here you are wondering about that (scandalous!) title while looking at mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Cathy is writing today while Kirk and His Missus are busy doing other things.

The other day, while recovering from a long day working for the Registrar of Voters, the internet showed up on my iPad. Something about a 'new concept' for 99 Ranch, the local grocery that has two locations in San Diego, each with small Food Court areas. Cravings is in Chino (a 90 minute drive on the weekend with no traffic if you leave early), opened on October 20 and is half warehouse, half Food Court and very interesting.
Walk in and to the right is the Food Court area. We weren't very hungry (had had breakfast and this was a spur of the moment drive) and decided on the Takoyaki ($5.45) and Karaage ($5.95) from the ramen place (I didn't say the name out loud until we were driving home and realized the alliteration and literally did Laugh Out Loud).

{There are ten businesses in the Food Court area; not all were open and several were very crowded. Photos to follow this food portion of the blogging}

The takoyaki, crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside filled with minced octopus were wonderful - you can see the flaky skin, the gooey interior and some of the octopus in this cross section bite. The thick slices of dried bonito flakes were 'dancing' on the freshly fried octopus balls. Six pieces made a great snack.
Do not be afraid of the karaage. It is dark,
does looked burned,
but it has been marinated and only lightly coated in flour and was moist inside, crispy and light. Also, there was plenty of chicken. Another perfect snack.

So, you may be wondering about the rest of the Food Court. Here are some photos.
Piju (adult beverages and bar snacks) (launched by Cravings)Madbun (meat or ice cream stuffed house made baked or steamed bao/buns)
Wingman (fried chicken with rice, fries or in a cone)
Dos Chinos (Latin Asian Grub)
Oi Asian Fusion (Filipino) Cauldron Ice Cream ( https://www.cauldronicecream.com )
Pinky Promise, a patisserie/modern Taiwanese bakery.
Tenori (Japanese- rolls and rice bowls)
Red Envelope (freshly fried and grilled fish and shrimp and chips(Cajun style)). To the left is where you can park your cart after paying, so as not to crowd the Food Court area.

Views from the Food Court toward the Warehouse area. There are bulk items and plenty of freezer items and the fresh produce area has one entire refrigerated/closed door area as well as an open shelving area, but almost everything is pre-packed, unlike the regular 99 Ranch store.

Cravings by 99Ranch 4024 Grand Avenue Chino, CA (Chino Spectrum Mall) (909) 760-8899 website Market open daily 10 a.m., Food Court open daily 11 a.m.

Pho Van (new 2nd location- in Santee)

November 8, 2018 Cathy Vietnamese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the food blog with posts from Kirk or Cathy. Kirk is unavailable today, so Cathy is writing.

At the end of August, a second location of Pho Van opened in the old Pho Santee spot, across the street from the Sheriff office. The change has been a great addition to the Vietnamese choice in this East County city.
The interior is neat, clean and busy almost every time we have stopped in for lunch. There are televisions on each wall.
Two shrimp and pork spring rolls ($3.75) had to be a first order, sort of a 'test'. These were not pre-made and the shrimp and pork were both still warm when brought to the table (very much a plus). Another visit required me to order fried egg rolls (4 for $6.50) {both the spring(#26) and egg (#27) rolls are priced the same per order} and these were very interesting- you can see the elongated shape, nice fry as well as the fillings being plentiful. Great starts to our meals.
During those first three weeks of Grand Opening, all the bowls of Pho were half off. This large bowl of Ga Tom Bo (chicken, shrimp and rare steak) (#16) is normally $8.36. It is worth it. The flavors of everything- broth, beef, chicken and shrimp- were each excellent. The noodles were chewy but not clumpy. The add- ins, though sparse, were just enough with so much else in the bowl.

#98 on the menu, charbroiled pork with bean curd shrimp paste ($8.50) was at first 'warned' to us when we ordered…that it wasn't whole shrimp and that it was bean curd sheets, not tofu. {We know what tau hu ky is; look at the results when you type that in the Search Bar (top left of this page).} Anyhow, this version of shrimp paste stuffed into tofu skin was excellent; crispy, filled and flavorful. The grilled pork is very well grilled and flavored and the rice is a better quality. The vegetables here are always extremely fresh.
#65- Beef stew with french bread ($7.87) was both a wonderful surprise and slight disappointment. The stew was great; tender beef (though not much tendon), carrots and onion. The serving was huge (it's served in a large pho bowl). The disappointment? The bread. It was warm and with a crispy crust, but for some reason the interior/bread part tasted like yeasty french bread and not a bahn mi. Not a biggie, and you can order beef stew with rice, rice noodle or egg noodle.
Bun cha gio (#46, $7.87) was ordered the one time I visited and wanted the egg rolls but also the salad and chilled noodles. The salad part included cucumber, shredded mint and bean sprouts and was served in a fairly large (I'm guessing the small pho sized) bowl. This satisfied my cravings, especially because the pickled radish and carrot along with the fresh chopped peanuts added so much texture and flavor to all of the things under the egg rolls. The 'House Specialties' part of the menu is also interesting. #25- rare lemon beef salad ($13.50) is wonderful- large and lemon marinaded beefy with shredded radish, onion, fresh herbs (mint, basil and sawtooth) and topped with chopped peanuts and fried garlic. There is enough to share on this plate.
Also from the 'House Specialty' menu…the bottom item (#29 C) "Bowl of soup wonton" ($3.50). Small, but just enough if you want to eat light or have a small side dish. The wontons are so fresh, nicely filled with both shrimp and pork and the soup broth is not salty, with a chicken flavor.

If you are in Santee, this is the place.

Pho Van 8790 Cuyamaca Street, Suite K Santee, CA 92071 (619) 631-7878 open daily 9-9

2019 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float road tests 4/5. Breakfasts at Costa’s (Covina)

November 7, 2018 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog. This particular post is about food discovered while checking out another Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float road test. Kirk is taking a break from blogging and Cathy is writing.

For your convenience, here are links to 2019 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float road Tests #1/2, Road Test #3, and Road Test #6

I'll start this post out with the food. The Rose Parade float road testing at the end of September was a "closed set" and no photos were allowed. Of course we didn't know and drove the two hours that Saturday morning anticipating photos and a meal as a post. Since we saw what we could and left kind of soon, we were barely hungry, so drove East on the 210 and randomly took the Grand Avenue exit, driving South. At the signal light at San Bernadino Road, we saw this and decided to stop in.

Costa's was opened in 1991 and has quite a few dining areas- inside and outside. The decor is home spun and eclectic. The menu shows breakfast and lunch/dinner specials Monday -Friday and different specials on weekends. The prices are more than reasonable.
The chicken fried steak ($8.99-from the regular, not weekend special menu) comes with three eggs and your choice of toast (raisin in this case) was wonderful! Lightly breaded, fried crisp, this large piece of cube steak was way more food than expected. The country fried potatoes were vegetable heavy (in a good way) and those three eggs were cooked to a perfect over easy; runny with crisped whites. Oh, the gravy is from scratch and is great without the addition of the sausage, which brings it to another level.

The breakfast special of Eggs Benedict ($9.29) came with a peach half or I could have substituted a few other items, but I decided to go with the chef's vision. I think the presentation was pretty. Also, I haven't had canned peaches in forever and this one was not 'heavy syrup' sweetness. The hollandaise sauce was from scratch and very lemony- a good thing. The perfectly poached eggs on top of the triangle cut ham steak slices on top of toasted English muffin halves was just heaven in every bite.

When the October road test was happening, we got to take photos and decided to stop at Costa's again. This time, the waffle breakfast ($7.99) with over easy eggs and sausage links. This was quite wonderful; a sweet, malted flavor to the waffle, perfect over easy eggs and the sausage seemed nicer than normal, with a 'skin' and good flavors.
The most expensive weekend special breakfast is $9.99 and we went for it. Steak and eggs. Rye toast, the wonderful home fries and perfectly poached eggs. The steak was surprisingly large and perfectly cooked to a medium-rare and wonderfully flavored.

We may stop here again after the November road test, or after decorating floats in December; it's a great place…all locals.

Costa's Family Restaurant 851 E. San Bernadino Road Covina, CA 91723 Open Daily 5:30a.m. – 9 p.m.

Float road tests Number one and two, the third road testing had been completed and we were looking forward to the one in late September. This was the only photo I was able to snap before being told that no photos would be allowed that day. The second float there (behind the Theme Float you see in front) is Trader Joe's. Apparently there is a part of the mechanics that they want to remain a surprise. The design is cute. In June, I took this photo at the road test; you can see it's sort of an eagle's head and the float looks like a pirate ship (indeed, the the title of the float is "Ride, Captain, Ride", in keeping with the Rose Parade theme of "The Melody of Life", which will have each float with some sort of musical instrument on board) At the October road test, I snapped this photo of the colored in float in the back of the barn. You can see the front of the pirate ship with the eagle head and a sort of hot air balloon in the middle of the float. That's where the 'surprise' will be on January first. At the August road test, we saw this beautiful basic float being driven , testing for maneuverability and mechanics.
At the end of October, the 'cocoon' was covering the float and it was being tested for safety, with people onboard, who had to be able to exit the float in 45 seconds- in case of a fire. The float is by the American Legion – a first time in the parade.
The closing float for the parade in 2019 is a new one and is showing the rest of the Tournament of Roses- the football game. It's a replica of the Rose Bowl and inside, is
a replica of the prize winning trophy. A nice tie into a magnificent New Year Day.

I got a peek of this float being screened in. It's from Western Asset and has a sort of spaceship appearance. There will be another road test later this month and quit a few floats still have to be tested. Decorating (details and dry decorating) begins the first of December and continues for each Saturday then Decorating Week (using live flowers) from December 26-31.

Thanks for reading.

Point Loma Seafoods (again)

October 19, 2018 Cathy Seafood, What Cathy Eats!

Welcome back to reading mmm–yoso!!! a food blog. Kirk is enjoying work so much that he just isn't bothering to go out to eat or write posts, so Cathy is writing again today.

The Mister was born on a Thursday and I was born the following Thursday many, many, many years ago. Our habit has been to go out for a meal each day from his birthday until mine. This year we chose local spots. Point Loma Seafoods, was, of course, a joint choice.

The day began as overcast, which was such a relief after the horrid summer heat we had just a few weeks prior.

You walk up, order from the overhead menu and/or the black board, pay and wait for your number to be called.
There are several seat yourself areas, all with nice views.

The fried clam plate ($22) was ordered and the order-taker guy immediately grabbed a container of fresh belly clams from the counter and handed it to the kitchen. Perfectly breaded, lightly fried, wonderful, fresh belly clams. The fries are thin and crispy and just the crunch needed and the slaw here has some bell pepper in it, which is so refreshing. A craving fulfilled.

For some reason, I was feeling like we should share a light/not fried meal and chose a smoked fish salad ($14). The photo is deceptive and there was a lot of lettuce as well as a variety of house smoked fish; hamachi/yellowtail, (albacore) tuna, swordfish and salmon. As always, I chose the traditional, house made Louie dressing, because it is just the perfect accompaniment for the lettuce.

A nice day for lunch and walk along the docks .

Point Loma Seafoods 2805 Emerson Street San Diego 92106 (619) 223-1109 Open Mon-Sat 9 a.m-7 p.m. Sun 10 a.m.-7 p.m. (hot foods served after 10:30 daily)website (NOTE: closing is at 6 p.m. once Daylight Saving time change occurs)

Barbecue Pit (El Cajon) (again)

October 18, 2018 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, BBQ, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog with posts about food. Cathy is writing today, while Kirk enjoys another long day at work.

Since 1947, the Barbecue Pit has been a family owned restaurant located in El Cajon.

It is next to the Baskin Robbins, shares the parking lot with a 99 Cent Only store and is kitty corner from Beef 'n Bun (I'll have an updated post for BnB soon).
Walk in, stay in line to the right…
order (there are some white board specials to the right)
watch your meal prepared, pay
and find a seat.
The pulled pork plate ($10.49) is a BBQ pork sandwich (sauce on the side; there is some sauce on the meat but I like to eat just the 'basic' sandwich first then add more sauce to the second half) and two side orders (slaw and potato salad here, but also choices of baked beans, macaroni salad and French fries). The BBQ here is "pit' style- slow and low heated oak wood smoking in a sealed above ground oven. The flavor is unique yet familiar.
However, that was The Mister's order. I was here for my comfort food on this chilly day. The soup and sandwich plate ($8.99) Split Pea soup, made from scratch daily (as is the Navy Bean soup). Carrots and celery and ham and peas. There may be potato in there, but I've never gotten chunks of potato, so if it is an ingredient, it is sparse, smoothed out and used as a thickener.
The BBQ (smoked) ham sandwich. Plenty of ham…warm, juicy, flavorful. The combination of a ham sandwich with soup is just so right.

Another birthday meal for our eight days …you see the theme now…local, long time restaurants.

The Barbeque Pit 2388 Fletcher Parkway El Cajon 92020 (619) 462-5434 Open M-Sat 10:30a.m.-9 p.m. Website

Hanaoka (National City)

October 17, 2018 Cathy Japanese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping by to read mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk is very busy with work today, so Cathy is writing.

Hanaoka opened in January 1986 in this National City location, West of the 805 on the South side of Sweetwater road. Hanaoka Enterprises is now the umbrella group for itself, North Park Sushi & Grill as well as Junz Teriyaki &BBQ. A good Japanese restaurant in the South Bay area of the County, almost taken for granted.

A series of several rooms (originally it was a sushi bar with three tables but when Swensen's Ice Cream closed, Hanaoka bought up the attached building), Hanaoka is quite large inside. The menu is fairly large and sushi is predominant (but now there is no sushi bar seating area). We were here at lunch.
The green tea ($2.25), which is not matcha is remarkably good- a roasted tea leaf and very strong brew, was kept filled throughout the meal. The miso soup is also quite good. I ordered the Hanaoka lunch bento ($13.95): two pieces of California roll (real crab), five pieces of sashimi, tamago, rice, salad, beef, chicken, fish and a tempura shrimp. Everything was fresh, flavorful and plenty! The teriyaki sauce is not too sweet nor sticky.
The Mister ordered the beef teriyaki and fried fish lunch plate ($13.95), just for the fried fish. It was very well made with a crisp yet light crust. The tartar sauce is house made and quite nice.
The green tea ice cream ($4) which was matcha and had not much 'tea' flavor (other than a small 'background' tannin hit) and was a pleasant desert.

A very nice birthday lunch for one of our eight days of feasting.

Hanaoka 1528 Sweetwater Road National City, CA 91950 (619)477-5173 Open Mon-Fri 11-3 and 5-10, Sat 11-10, Sun 12-9 Website

cc has been to Hanaoka (in 2008) and more recently, to Junz. Mary has been to North Park Sushi & Grill (in 2011)

Marie Callender’s (revisits)

September 3, 2018 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Bakery, Desserts, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog since 2005. Sort of an old fashioned way of communicating about meals enjoyed with people nowadays posting photos instantly on other forms of social media. Usually there's a story involved with meals, sometimes, there isn't. Cathy is writing while Kirk is enjoying another day off.

In the 1930's, Marie Callender began a pie business, delivering to restaurants in Orange County. In 1964, she opened her own pie and coffee shop and in 1969, a full service restaurant. Today there are over 50 restaurants in the USA and Mexico and some products are sold in grocery stores. We are fortunate to have a nearby restaurant.

I posted about a birthday meal here two years ago. Comfort foods with a slice of pie for dessert.

Every meal begins with a large piece of fresh baked, still warm cornbread and butter brought to the table.
This golden bread is sweet and tender and unique. I've tried various 'copycat' recipes, but in the end, purchase the mix sold in grocery stores.
There is a "Pair and Share" special for $25 or $30. It includes an appetizer; we chose the cheesy artichoke dip-decadent and wonderful. Good thing they included a spoon, so there would be no leftovers or dirty fingers…
Two entrees are part of the P&S meal. This is the 'Traditional Frisco'- a 1/3 lb burger served on sourdough grilled with Parmesan.
This is the "Traditional French Dip" (the bread wasn't as soft as I'd like; needed to be dipped). Both came with fries and were part of a nice meal.
The meal includes two slices of pie. This is the French Apple, with a cinnamon crumble topping.
This is the German chocolate: chocolate cream, coconut, chopped pecans over a layer of chocolate on the crust.

We returned recently with a vacationing visitor. The cornbread was brought to the table.

Vegetable soup was chosen instead of an appetizer for both of our "Pair and Share" $30 meal. It was a great soup, filled with non-mushy vegetables.
A Hot Turkey Sandwich was one choice-Thanksgiving in the summer! Just right.
The other choice was a Meatloaf Dinner; again, great comfort food done well.
The mini pot pie ($11.99) was a perfect serving size and included a salad and dessert.
We had to get the slices of pie 'to go'. Double cream blueberry (vanilla custard and sour cream), coconut cream and double cream lemon (lemon custard and sour cream).

Marie Callender's 6950 Alvarado Road San Diego, CA 92120 (619)465-1910 Mon-Sat 8 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Website

Rice Noodle King (Hunan) (Kearny Mesa)

September 2, 2018 Cathy Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog with almost daily posts. While Kirk is enjoying a three day weekend, Cathy is writing.

I lightly glossed over a factoid about The Mister a while ago. He's been undergoing some medical issues since 2014 and periodically receives adjustments or changes in medications. For some reason, the primary side effect on Him is a craving for spicy food. One day we were headed for (another) lunch at Little Sheep and passed this (new to us) signage, so popped a U turn and stopped to read the menu. (It has been open since March).

A simple menu, reasonable prices and the same owners as Sizzling Pot King, which I posted about in April.
Clean, a refrigerator of appetizers, pitcher of water on every table. Condiments on each table are chili oil, white pepper and black vinegar.
We decided to go simple for a first visit and ordered the cucumber salad ($4.99). This looked terrible and I (who never sends anything back) was prepared to, because of the slimy appearance. Looks are deceiving. Apparently this is what "Smacked Cucumbers" means to the chef here (not to be confused with Kirk's extremely meticulous (and spicy) recipe). The crispy, garlic-y, seedless, wonderfully random cut cucumbers were addictive in flavor and complimented our meal. The serving/bowl is deep and quite large.
We ordered the first soup on the menu (it only has one chili amount of heat)- Beef Stew Noodle (large, $10.99) with flat noodles. This was an excellent choice. There isn't much soup broth, the amount of heat is enough to keep the flavors of the (considerable amount, tender, deep flavored) beef, bok choy and noodles interesting. Would order again.
The fried pot stickers ($5.99) were also a good addition to the meal.
A nice, thin skin, lightly crispy and with a plentiful (flavorful) pork and cabbage filling.

This was a great find for a random stop and we will return to try more of the menu.

Rice Noodle King 8046 Clairmont Mesa Blvd San Diego 92111 (858)598-5182 Open daily 11 am-3 pm and 5 pm-9:45 pm

Sage Cafe (Barona Casino) -Cathy’s way of beating the heat (again)

September 1, 2018 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

Well, here you are on your device looking at mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Perhaps you are looking for ideas of places to eat. Today Cathy is writing because Kirk is enjoying this Labor Day weekend by not using a device.

Like many of you, I lurk more than I comment on other blogs, websites and Facebook pages. With the hot and humid weather (the longest heat wave in 34 years), people were asking 'what restaurant has good air conditioning?' and having online conversations, looking for a place to cool down. I had two immediate answers-bowling alleys and casinos. This is the casino post.

Yes, I did write about Sage Cafe, inside Barona Casino, just a few months ago. The food here is very good. The air conditioning is wonderful.

Sage Cafe is the restaurant at the Hotel entrance to the casino. which has a view of the Golf Course. The menu is available 24/7. Breakfast choices are simple.

Coffee and orange juice along with fresh fruit and a chocolate croissant and banana nut muffin, is the Continental Breakfast here ($7.95) The banana nut muffin was really good; tall, banana fresh flavor and crispy pecans on top.
The chocolate croissant was meh too sweet, not really flaky. Still, a really good, easy breakfast. The Ilpay Eggs Benedict ($9.95) Wonderfully perfect poached eggs, Canadian bacon, a lemony house-made hollandaise sauce on top of a toasted English muffin. This was served with some really well made hash browns. All in all, a great breakfast.
We returned for lunch about a week later (gosh it was so nice to be in air conditioned comfort). Fresh rolls (sourdough and wheat) were brought out before we ordered. Fluffy with a crisp crust; didn't really need butter.

One of the choices of soup that day was turkey chili. Just enough heat and plenty of turkey and beans. Would order again…in the bowl size, as a meal.
The chili was the side chosen with the fish and chips($11.95). Lightly battered, the two large pieces of solid cod were amazing in flavor. The skin on fries were plentiful and expertly fried.
French onion soup ($4.95) was one of the best I've ever had.
I combined this with a wedge salad ($5.95) and receiveda $2.50 discount on the soup; so that worked out and I had all the flavors and textures craved. Another great experience at a casino.

Sage Cafe at Barona Resort and Casino 1932 Wildcat Canyon Road Lakeside Ca 92040 1-888-7BARONA open 24 hours website