Cathy – Page 79

Pho Xpress: tasty, fast, food.

March 1, 2012 Cathy Pho, What Cathy Eats!

Welcome back to the blog named mmm-yoso!!! Kirk does not have time to blog today and neither does ed (from Yuma). Cathy has found some time.

Hi. Today is starting out to be another rainy and chilly day. I'm already wanting a big bowl of something hot for breakfast and think I know what I want for lunch. Located just East of the Stadium, in the Vons/Rite Aid Center, next to Longhorn Cafe at the intersection of Mission Gorge and Friars and Zion (see Kaiser Hospital in the background?) is Pho Xpress, which Kirk posted about in December 2010.

The storefront of the building is narrow, but there is seating for about 40 inside. Right at the door is a steam table filled with a variety of Chinese selections if you are in a hurry or just want something 'to go'.

The tables are set with the standard condiment and utensil selections.

On this day, The Mister and I decided to share two items. Above, the papaya salad ($6.50) is listed as an appetizer, but is quite large and the dried beef makes the combination of shredded green papaya and basil a nice balanced meal. The fish sauce/garlic/lime/chili sauce is not very sweet (not much sugar added) and I really, really like (and crave) this version.

I really enjoy each of the pho broths offered here; the beef and chicken are very rich flavored and great eaten without all the fillings; I sometimes consume all the broth first. The vegetarian pho ($6.25) that I chose this day also has a really flavorful broth-I could taste carrot and celery and onion, combined with all the fillings you see-onion, zucchini, carrot, broccoli, bok choy and fried tofu, as well as the slightly soft noodles, this soup is just as flavorful and filling as any of the meat based soups.

Hot tea does have a 75¢ per person charge, and I don't mind, since they will refill the pot if necessary. Service is very fast (probably because they know their clientele is on lunch break from the hospital, or because it is a Pho place) and they have a constant pick up/take out crowd. This is very good choice to stop if you are in this part of town.

Pho Xpress 6533 Mission Gorge Road San Diego 92120 (619)284-3268

Nahrain Fish and Chicken Grill (with a short visit to Shakira)

February 29, 2012 Cathy Bakery, Desserts, Iraqi Food and Restaurants, Mediterranean Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Welcome (back) to mmm-yoso!!! the blog of food. Sharing meals with you is what we do. Today, Kirk and ed(from Yuma) are lurking while Cathy is sharing.

Hi. The Mister and I have noticed signs for Nahrain and Shakira while on Main Street, whenever we are going to Valley Foods Mediterranean Market, where we shop (and eat in the store) fairly regularly and finally decided to stop one day. This is the view from the parking lot, but from the street, while stopped at the signal light at Ballard, you may only notice "Shakira", the top sign for the mall right next to the parking lot flower stand. Shakira is a bakery.

Over there, to the right, on Main Street is Nahrain- the blue sign.

When you walk in, the fresh fish are in the counter next to the cash register. Those on the far end, next to the catfish, under the tray of shrimp are yellow pompano, which are only served fried with rice according to the menu. All the other fish are sold by the pound.

To the far left are the very large Grass Carp fish.

On the side of the dining room is…a fountain.

It's filled with even fresher fish.

Just so you know, the live catfish are $8.99/lb, the ones in the counter are $5.99/lb. The live tilapia are also $8.99/lb and the ones in the counter are $6.99/lb. Strip bass are $8.99/lb, Grass Carp are $5.99/lb and the red snapper are $7.99/lb.

On our first visit, we weren't certain what to order, asked about the tandoori chicken (because we noticed a Halal certification for the restaurant) and were told it would take 40 minutes to prepare, so we ordered this side of hummus ($3.99) was very good, fresh and not too large.

Then we each ordered a sandwich. These were served on fresh sammoon bread.

My Chicken Cream Chop sandwich ($4.99) was freshly fried and crispy. Cream chop is a chicken breast (or beef ) marinated in a seasoned cream sauce and 'chop' means then rolled in bread crumbs and fried (I've seen potato chop on menus). The rest of this sandwich was onions and tomatoes. All the flavors melded perfectly.

The Mister ordered a beef tikka kabob sandwich ($4.99). Finely ground beef mixed with onion and parsley and seasonings and grilled. This was very moist and flavorful. This sandwich was served with all those pickles, tomatoes as well as onions and flat leaf parsley.

When we were leaving, the owner came over and told us we can always call in and order a tandoori chicken, masgoof chicken or masgoof fish and it would be prepared and ready by the time we got there.

Masgoof. We had to research. Masgouf. The national dish of Iraq. The fish(or chicken) is split down the middle, leaving the back intact, sort of a large circle. Then the animal is coated in olive oil, salt, turmeric and tamarind then cooked over fire. (Masgouf was the downfall of Saddam Hussein)

We called in that Friday, telling them we were driving in and would like a tilapia, around 2-3 pounds; that there would be two of us sharing a meal inside the restaurant. We arrived pretty quickly and the food wasn't quite ready and so we decided to order a salad. We could not decide on fatoosh or Arabic salad, and since both are $3.99, we were offered half of each.

The Arabic salad, on the left, is mainly lettuce, cucumber, green pepper and tomatoes and a delightful dressing that has fresh mint. The Fatoosh salad has fried pita bread croutons and an equally delightful, fresh and different dressing. This is a large plate.

Soon, a giant flat folded wheat bread as well as plates and sides and hot tea (which was brought out early because we asked, but it is included in the meal and usually brought out at the end)

The condiments (in that cute fish shaped platter) are tomatoes, onions and pickled mango…mango chutney..salty and not too sweet and it is complimentary to the fish:

The tilapia was proudly presented to us by the chef. Beautifully cut, seasoned and cooked, this meal was wonderful, fresh, filling and..less than $20. Yes. Everything is included and the fish ($6.99/lb) was less than three pounds.

Here is (the now) obligatory photo of The Mister's fancy fish carcass cleaning work. The skin of the fish was not as tasty as other fish skin I've had, but the fins were crispy good. Also, this was tilapia, a fish with a double skeleton going on…so not as easy to eat as other fish.

So. We walked next door, to Shakira and were overwhelmed with choices. We were not hungry after that awesome meal-but knew at some point we would be hungry again.

We decided to take home one of the cheesy flatbreads. This is not as large as the bread that accompanied our meal, but more the size of a very large pita bread. It is $1. It was a fresh and soft bread topped with a soft mild cheese. There were several differently topped flatbreads, all vegetarian and all $1 each. I will be returning.

Then we exercised restraint and each of us chose one sweet piece of dessert. The top/square piece is filled with chopped pistachios and topped with shredded filo. The bottom round one has whole pistachios. Sold by weight ($8/lb) the price for these two pieces was $1.08. These were not too sweet and made with a light syrup rather than honey. The filo dough remained crispy until the next morning.

All in all, this is yet another great place to eat in El Cajon.

Nahrain Fish and Chicken Grill 1183 E. Main Street #A El Cajon, CA 92021 (619) 334-3222

Shakira Pastry 1183 E. Main Street #B El Cajon 92021 (619)440-6068

Rocky Port Grill and Fish Market-Mariscos in El Cajon

February 27, 2012 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, Seafood, What Cathy Eats!

Rocky Port has closed

Link to another visit to Rocky Port Here

Welcome back to mmm-yoso!!!. Kirk and ed (from Yuma) are just too busy to blog today, so Cathy is sharing another meal with you.

The last rainy days we had, I was craving a bowl of fish soup and The Mister and I headed to El Titanic in El Cajon, which I have posted about twice. We hadn't been to El Titanic since September (as one of my birthday week meal choices). Sadly, we saw it had closed. Happily, it seemed to have turned into another mariscos place.

The interior has been cleaned up and all the drawings of sinking ships were painted over. New tables and chairs filled the room.

The area where the pool table had been has been replaced with a fresh seafood counter, offering some pretty good prices on the seafood.

Fresh chips and salsa, along with a bowl of limes and a nice size sample of fresh fish ceviche were brought out to the table with our menus.

The bowl of fish soup ($10.95) was filled with large pieces of fish, green peppers and tomatoes and cooked in a very flavorful broth. This was quite large and very filling.

The menu offered whole fish, grilled with garlic or fried and the red snapper and snook are sold by the each for $16.95. The smaller tilapia were $10.95. Larger fish from the counter were sold by weight. This is a fresh red snapper that I chose to have fried. It came with unlimited corn tortillas (which were layered/flaky fresh and very tasty) and the salsa, rice and salad shown. This was a very good preparation and the fish was moist and really tasty.

We ate every last bit of it, and the soup.

The menu has a good variety of seafood choices, including lobster (griddled or grilled), fish plates, seafood cocktails and the other usual suspects of tacos, burritos and shrimp plates-all served with a choice of preparations and sauces. There are also daily specials and even a kid's menu. This is a bit nicer and pricier than El Titanic and a very nice addition to the neighborhood.

Rocky Port Grill and Fish Market 1771 North 2nd Street El Cajon 92021 (619)593-0637 Website

Cafe Hue- crepes!

February 26, 2012 Cathy Caffeine Fix, Stuff, What Cathy Eats!

The mmm-yoso!!! guys, Kirk and ed (from Yuma) are both having a busy time this week, so Cathy is going to blog, since she has been eating and taking photos the last few weeks while they were blogging and has a few meals to share. This post is short.

Hi again. If you've been in the parking lot at the corner of Convoy and Ostrow, which is a mall housing an international compendium of eateries anchored by Nijiya Market, Mignon Pho+Grill, Okan, Sage French Cake, Spicy House and Koon Thai Kitchen as well as Sunrise Buffet, Subway and Palomino Taco Shop #2, you have probably seen Cafe Hue (and it's predecessor in that space, Red Berry Yogurt).

I have been fascinated by the "Lunch Crepe Special" sign hanging over the doorway and decided to finally stop in. [Actually, The Mister and I had stopped in when Cafe Hue first opened a few years ago and shared a pretty lousy snack consisting of a cup of stale espresso and a stale, warm waffle topped with whipped cream. I didn't want to write a post about that experience.] So we walked in and ordered (and were asked to choose from a variety of sauces when we ordered the crepes; most salad dressing flavors), paid and sat down.

A very good cup of espresso was prepared, a good sign of things to come. The interior is filled with tables, chairs and a few couches along with board games and books for people to share.

The description of my order, the "healthy veggie" ($4.25), mentioned lettuce and spinach and so I figured there was a small salad on the side…but the salad was inside the crepe and my 'sauce' order of balsamic Italian was spread on top of the lightly cooked flavorful batter crepe.

Actually, there was a light layer of cheese cooked into the crepe and then the lettuce, spinach and corn-yes corn- was placed inside the crepe. Unusual and a very nice little lunch.

We also had ordered the $3.95 crepe- ham and cheese and (not knowing) asked for Thousand Island as the sauce. This combination of flavors did work. The photo of a cross section of this crepe didn't work.

Anyhow, I am still on my quest for a perfect crepe and the ones at Cafe Hue are in the running. They serve a great variety of beverages, gelatos, crepes and waffles. It's a nice place to sit and catch up with friends.

Cafe Hue 3860 Convoy, Suite 106 San Diego 92111 (858)571-7947

La Casa Maria – Good soup on a cold day

February 2, 2012 Cathy Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

La Casa Maria is closed.

Well, you're back again, at mmm-yoso!!!, the food blog. Kirk and ed (from Yuma) are still crazy busy and Cathy found a moment to write a short post on her busy day.

Hi. We had some cold and rainy days a few weeks ago (and it looks like we'll have some more this weekend). On one of those days, I happened to be near SDSU -on El Cajon Boulevard just West of 70th- and decided to stop at La Casa Maria, because I wanted a nice bowl of soup.

I knew I could get soup here, because I have been getting soup and mariscos at this sit down shop for many, many, many years, just never blogged about it…the mariscos are excellent, by the way.

Usually people walk up, order to go items and sit down to wait. This family owned and run restaurant is efficient and makes some great food.

You can also eat in. When you do, fresh salsa and chips are brought to your table.

My tlalepeño soup ($7.99). Served with fresh corn tortillas. Tlalpeño is basically a pollo (chicken) soup with a chipotle kick. It is one of the more expensive soups on the menu, but I really wanted no rice and the flavor and heat of a smoked jalapeño.

This *very* large bowl of soup had two skinless (but still bone-in) chicken breasts, carrots, onions, flat beans, cauliflower and garbanzo beans in addition to the chipotle sauce. Of course, it's topped with sliced avocado. I like that it doesn't have rice (like most of the other soups) and the chipotle flavor was just the amount of heat I needed on such a chilly day. The chicken broth/stock here is very richly flavored.

There are quite a few menu items here, in addition to the wonderful Birria soup and all the mariscos- buche, lengua, cabeza and tripa tacos are realy good. In the summer there are several 'specials' which include a beer as part of the meal-you have to read all the outdoor signs.

Even if you don't stop here, you can find some great soups at most taco shops. It's another choice on these cold days when maybe you don't want pho…

La Casa Maria 6969 El Cajon Blvd (between 69th and 70th)San Diego 92115 (619) 444-5869 website

Loïc Patisserie and Restaurant- Bistro dining in North County

January 31, 2012 Cathy Bakery, European Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Loic has closed.

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog with a bunch of interesting posts, centered around food. Kirk and ed(from Yuma) are the guys who post here. They're both otherwise engaged at the moment, Cathy isn't otherwise engaged, so she's putting up a post today.

Hi again. As you know, I pretty much drive about and stop whenever someplace looks interesting; it's a fun way to live. Last year, I stopped and drove past this signal light at the intersection of the Del Dios Highway and Calle Ambiante a total of six times while passing through Rancho Santa Fe going to and from the I-5 to the I-15. The mental sticky note to stop here finally was finally at the top of my list.

The sign at the light is "Cielo Village". Cielo means 'heaven' or 'in the clouds' and is the gated residential community straight ahead on Calle Ambiante, the Rancho Santa Fe neighborhood Fire Department is to the left and businesses are to the parking lot when you turn right from this street.{Loïc is the chef owner's name, you may have met him selling baked goods and crepes at the Sunday Rancho Santa Fe Farmers Market.}

Pulling into the parking lot, the buildings all have the façade of being built in the South of France, or Northern Italy. The Bistro menu reflects pastries, breakfasts, salads and crepes as well as panini sandwiches, pizza and hamburgers. There is also a dinner menu which isn't online; it is seasonal. Dinner is served only on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights (that will be another post).

Fresh pastries are on display when you walk into the 'Coffee Shop' entrance, which serves some great beverages as well as the pastries. You order and pay here, just like you were at a Bistro in France. You are given a number and find a seat, food is brought out to you and are free to take your time visiting with friends while enjoying your meal.

There is plenty of outdoor seating, with views South. Loïc is located in Rancho Santa Fe, but it is very close to Escondido and not very far from the 15 at Via Rancho Parkway.

There is very large indoor seating also available. The bar area is also reminiscent of France and the bistro scene. A wide selection of wines to have with your meal are available along with a pretty extensive choices of dessert-ish liqueurs (fancy brandies, dessert wines, cognacs; no hard liquor)

The wine refrigerator is centrally located.

You can see more tables if you look through this display case, filled with colorful, empty bottles.

On my first visit, I brought The Mister. We ordered and paid and brought our coffee (fresh brewed, $2.25. Cream and sugar are added for you; as with Bistros- no condiments on the tables) and huge, flaky, buttery croissant ($3) to an indoor table.

We munched on this perfect, flaky, buttery wonderness while we waited for our salad to be delivered. This is how a croissant is supposed to be- a crispy, flaky crust and fluffy layered innards…not a soft crust with layers. That's a regular sized butter knife (8.75 inches) on the plate (9 inches), to show you some perspective of the size of this wonderful fresh pastry.

Soon, our Garden Salad ($10.50) was brought to the table. Mixed greens, topped with a house made dressing that had an olive oil and vinegar base, but also anise, herbs and a very distinct heat to it. Since I did not see black or red pepper flecks, I am assuming it was white pepper, which to me has a nutmeg-undertone. It was very complimentary to the greens. The freshly grilled zucchini and red peppers were flavored with Herbes de Provence and the cucumber, tomatoes and chives were perfectly sliced. A wonderfully perfect mix of heat (temperature as well as spice) and chilled (the thinly sliced, flavorful cucumbers) and textures.

While we were ordering, the abundance of pastries was overwhelming. I finally decided on a slice of this rectangular Pithivier, a classic tart, which I justified to myself as being a "safe" desert because it wasn't as sugar based as the other selections. This slice was probably 8 x 4 inches (and 1/3 of the pie in the display window). I could feel the weight of the puff pastry dough combined with the ground almond filling when I carried the glass plate to our table. This went perfectly with the coffee; it was not too sweet, the buttery puff pastry was crispy and the very slightly sweet crumbly almond filling was so satisfying. I will order this again, to share.

A few weeks ago, I had occasion to meet a friend here for breakfast. We decided to eat outside. This is the parking lot as viewed from one of the tables; the Loïc buildings are to the left. You can see some of the homes up in that slice of heaven, Cielo, all the way at the top to the right.

I let Mr. C. choose a pastry and he wanted this chocolate filled chocolate chip covered puff pastry ($4.25) (again on a 9 inch plate) was shared and enjoyed by both of us. It was still warm, crispy fresh on the outside and fluffy pastry on the inside with a very, very nice melted chocolate throughout.

During the week, until about 11 a.m., only breakfast croissants are prepared to order. Five or six choices are listed and all are $6.95. This morning, we both chose to order spinach egg croissants. Served on fresh baked, crispy and fluffy croissants, the egg spinach filling is fluffy and delightfully fresh tasting. The baby spinach is tender and adds great flavor.

Another morning the same week, Ms. T and I met here for breakfast. She got the bacon egg croissant (in the back) and I just had to get the spinach egg again. We ate at one of the two tables inside the coffee shop because it was chilly outside.

Last Saturday, I realized I was still craving a perfect crepe (which I have been looking for for almost a year) so, it was back to Loïc. A perfectly flavored and cooked -thin but not dried out as in too thin- and filled Crepe de la Reine.($10.50 includes the salad). Filled with chicken breast, tomatoes, mushrooms and a fresh Mornay sauce (a cheesy Bechemel), this crepe was indeed perfect in flavor, texture and fillings.

The Chef Salad includes large pieces of diced Black Forest ham, sliced turkey and large diced Prosciutto as well as raw mushrooms, tomatoes, cucumber and those olives- those wonderful, different savory brown olives. The mixed greens were again dressed with the light, herb flavored dressing with a slight heat. The combination of flavors of this substantial salad was excellent.

Really good food, with a really good view. Loïc is becoming a regular destination this year.

Loic Patisserie and Restaurant 18021 Calle Ambiente (in Cielo Village) Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067 (858)759-4409 Website

Pie N’ Burger (burger, no pie)- Pasadena Road Trip

January 19, 2012 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Burgers, Los Angeles County, What Cathy Eats!

Hey, you found mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Welcome (back). Cathy is posting today, while Kirk and ed(from Yuma) are resting…or something.

Hi. I mentioned that we've been busy daily since Thanksgiving and have a bunch of meals to share. One of the days in December, The Mister and I returned to Pasadena to visit Rose Parade float decorating and stopped at a Starbucks and I was checking my email and had a note from Dennis, who writes A Radiused Corner. I mentioned where I was and he told us to go to Pie N' Burger, where he used to go when he was at University in Pasadena. I used the handy dandy "maps" app on my iPhone, found we were 1.1 miles away and that became our lunch venue.

When we got here, we found out that Pie N' Burger also sells breakfast and bakes their own white and wheat bread as well as pastries other than pie. They also serve fresh squeezed orange and grapefruit juices and items other than burgers. PLUS- when you order a soda, they pump syrup into the glass, then soda water…real soda. Mental notes were made for our return visit.

Located inside this rectangular building, with a small streetfront presence, Pie N' Burger has been in this location on East California Street since 1963.

The menu on the wall, above the pie display, near the back of the building, has current prices. The Formica counter with chairs and swivel stools runs from the front of the store all the way to the back- about 20 seats. Near the front of the building is the grill, which had the seats I coveted (and did not photograph, since so many people were sitting around it).

The Mister, in his quest for a great chili,ordered a Chili Size ($11.50)- two patties topped with chili, cheese and onions (of course The Mister did not order onions…) This comes with a toasted bun on the side. In this article about the history of chili, the 8th paragraph from the bottom describes the origin of "chili size".

This was my hamburger ($6.75). You can see the patty is hand-formed and not at all perfect.

We ordered all of our burgers to be cooked medium rare. The burgers were seasoned, although the bean-filled-chili with deep flavor overwhelmed the burgers on The Mister's plate. The meal itself was very filling.

Here is my burger in my (small) hand. It comes on a toasted bun with Thousand Island (made fresh here), pickles and lettuce as well as onions (I got both raw and grilled onions, to make up for The Mister's misguided belief that onions are evil). I found out later that you have to ask for tomato (which does not cost extra…you just have to ask).

As you can see, they cooked this fresh ground, hand formed burger perfectly. I did add salt at some point, but it was at the last 1/4 of the burger and I wanted to 'spice up' the lettuce and onions. Plus, I had eaten all of the pickles…

We plan to go back (when hungrier) and try out other menu items. Thanks for sharing your hangout, Dennis!

Pie N Burger 913 East California, Pasadena, CA (626)795-1123 Website

Country Kabob Restaurant #2- Point Loma

January 10, 2012 Cathy Greek Food, What Cathy Eats!

Welcome back to your bookmark of mmm-yoso!!!, the food blog. Kir is busy today and ed(from Yuma) is busier. Cathy has a post about one of her meals.

Hi. As I may have mentioned, the days from Thanksgiving until this past Monday have been filled with some sort of appointment/event/errand. I've felt like Sisyphus just trying to accomplish something each day, only to have to start over the next morning. Fortunately, I do know the importance of taking a bit of a break to reconnect with friends, usually over a meal (or at least a hot beverage). One day in December, I found myself in Point Loma, on Rosecrans near the former Loma Theater, now a Bookstar.

Look over there to the right; you can see the tables and umbrellas out in front of Country Kabob.

Yes, we were there in December. The interior of the restaurant is clean, with tablecloths, even for lunch.

It was a chilly day, and my meal came with a bowl of lentil soup. Unlike any lentil soup I've ever had, this vegetarian version was smooth/not as chunky, with the lentils almost falling apart in the very flavorful broth. I liked this soup very much (and will order it again, even if it isn't part of a combination plate).

We decided to share the fried zucchini appetizer ($3.95). It wasn't outstanding, but was fried perfectly and not too greasy; pretty much standard. If I were to rate the meal items ordered on some sort of scale, this would be last, but only because everything else was outstanding. The sauce to dip the zucchini was home made, yogurt based with cucumber and fresh garlic and really good.

My friend ordered the gyros sandwich($5.95) and it was A. Huge. 2)Fresh-with a wondrous fresh/hot pita bread and tasty, moist, lamb and beef. iii. Topped with sumac(!) and the *really wonderful* home made tzatziki (which was the fried zucchini dip) as well as tomatoes, onions and parsley. Honestly, this was one of the best gyro sandwiches I have ever tasted and I've tasted a lot.

I decided to try the spanakopita-falafel plate ($9.95), so that I could try a bunch of items, in a sort of appetizer-ish way. The Greek salad had a very, very good dressing. It was olive oil based with fresh as well as dry herbs, the Feta on top had a nice tang and was fresh; a bit different than 'standard' restaurant Feta; it made me want to go to Vine Ripe Market on my way home to buy one of the imported Feta cheeses they sell, to try and find this Feta. [As a side note, the imported, more expensive Fetas are wondrous.] The falafel were made from fresh garbanzo beans -and parsley- and were light and flavorful. The spanakopita was with flaky filo, creamy (I think Ricotta cheese was mixed with the Feta, or it was a really different Feta in this version or maybe there is egg.) (Oh, there was some rice in this spanakopita also) and the spinach just tasted fresh…there were fresh herbs flavoring this also (definitely dill and parsley). As I was leaving, I asked about the pita bread, and found out it is parbaked and then heated when ordered, explaining the soft, freshness.

Yet another great find. So glad we stopped here.

Country Kabob Restaurant #2 3145 Rosecrans Street Suite A San Diego, CA 92110 (619) 226-2524 Website

Tropical Fruit Paradise- a fruiteria on Friars Road

January 5, 2012 Cathy Fruiterias, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

Hi. You've found mmm-yoso!!! the blog about food. Kirk and ed(from Yuma) are doing chores and other things and Cathy is blogging today.

Well, it's time for a new calendar and maybe some new habits, or at least a resolve to develop new habits. I feel so fortunate we live in Southern California and have access to fresh produce daily, and that so many fruiterias are in our large County. Many are in East County and I suppose are pretty ubiquitous, since I've posted only of one other fruiteria, merely dropping in to grab a beverage, salad or sandwich when I'm on the run; Fruiterias do not only sell fruit salads and smoothie drinks, but regular salads, sandwiches and sometimes mariscos. A fruiteria location opened last year on East Friars Road, where it crosses Mission Gorge Road-across from the Black Angus. I had been meaning to stop here, but was always in the wrong lane and on my way home to Santee. The other day, I made Tropical Fruit Paradise a destination.

If you miss the driveway from Friars, you can turn at the signal light (Riverdale) and drive up behind the building then into the parking lot in front of the strip mall.

The bright and clean interior has menu suggestions everywhere when you walk in. I suppose some people only buy a packaged beverage and/or piece of fresh fruit…

The beverage selection include shakes (licuados) made with milk, juice blends (jugos), freezes/smoothies and you can make your own with up to three choices for either $3.50 (small) or $4.00 (large), with an add protein shot for 99¢. fresh fruit and vegetables are good to have at any time of the year, not just as a 'resolution'.

Sandwiches on torta, salads and wraps are also part of the menu. While we were eating, several people came in to pick up some large phoned in orders.

The Mister ordered a "Cubana" sandwich($6.99), which ended up larger than the photograph on the wall.

Not at all a Cuban Sandwich, a Cubana includes (perfectly lightly breaded) milaneza, grilled chicken, grilled ham, grilled chorizo, a freshly cooked egg, American and Jack cheeses on the toasted torta bread, topped with mayonnaise, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, onion and jalapeño made this sandwich well worth the price (and I am glad we decided to share; this was huge and a super good sandwich).

I wanted to try a pico de gallo salad (small, $4.99) and I must say this was absolutely the tastiest, freshest, nicest pico I have ever had. The jicama, cucumbers, oranges and watermelon were covered in fresh lime juice and the chili seasoning was really the perfect amount and really complimented every item in the container. Let's just say I have a new food obsession for January and possibly the New Year. I wish everyone resolve a positive and fun change for 2012.

Tropical Fruit Paradise 10387 Friars Road San Diego 92120 (619) 584-4786

Sunrise Cafe-San Clemente

January 4, 2012 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Road Trip, San Clemente, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping by to look at mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about food. Cathy is blogging today, appearing organized. Kirk and ed (from Yuma) are busy with things.

The other Saturday, The Mister and I woke at a decent hour and then a leisurely drive North, to Pasadena, and on our way, took the El Camino Real exit from the I-5, in San Clemente, looking for some place open for breakfast. This caught our eye.

So we stopped, parked in back and were greeted by one person cleaning a table outside and another nice lady as soon as we walked in the door.

We were seated in the adjacent room, which was set for the soon to be crowd, with each table sporting jams, jellies, sugars, syrup, salt, pepper and a bowl of half and half containers, each with one green Irish Cream flavored coffee whitener container. (Coffee is $2 here, good and refilled constantly). Our waitress was very friendly and seemed to know everyone else eating here and made us feel at home.

The Mister ordered what he wanted- corned beef hash with over easy eggs, home fries and a biscuit with gravy ($7.75)

The biscuit was fresh made, home made and quite large. The gravy had sausage and some pepper in it (had to add more). The corned beef was pretty standard and good and those eggs were jiggly-over easy, cooked the proper way. The home fries were really nice and flavorful; probably fried in butter.

I ordered the veggie omelet($8.50). This menu item caught my eye, because in addition to avocado, spinach, tomatoes, broccoli, mushrooms,onions and cheese, the menu listed cauliflower as an ingredient.

It was a three egg omelet and I asked for tomatoes on the side (instead of potatoes) as well as rye toast. The omelet was very good, even with the mushrooms being canned. All the other ingredients were fresh and tasty and the omelet was really filling.

We really liked the food, homey feel and the super friendliness at Sunrise Cafe as well as being in San Clemente without the summer crowds. This may become a regular stop for us, in the off-season. I'll have to post where we eat when we visit this beach city in the summer…

Sunrise Cafe 701 N. El Camino Real San Clemente, CA 92672 (949) 498-6379 Open 7 a.m. M-F and 7:30 a.m. Sat-Sun, closes at 2:30 p.m. every day