mmm-yoso – Page 104

Mike’s Red Tacos Truck

July 18, 2021 mmm-yoso Food Trucks, Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops

**** Mike's now has a Brick and Mortar location. You can read an updated post here

I've been reading how birria has been one of the latest food "fads" over the last year or so. Of course, it isn't Birria de Chivo (goat) being mentioned, but Birria de Res, the beef version. Folks who've been reading our little blog for a while know that I really enjoy birria and over the last 7-8 years, I've found my favorite birria de res….from Fernandez Restaurant in Nestor, which has become a favorite of mine. The birria de res is so flavorful, tender, the consommé is so well seasoned that you can just squeeze in a bit of lime, add onions and cilantro and make a meal of by itself. The tortillas have been dipped in the comsomme and placed on the comal, but are always still pliable and up to the task of handling the well flavored, tender birria (must get the tacos "nervio" – topped with buttery tenson)…….you get the point, right?

The popularity of birria tacos hit home when I read about Mike's Red Tacos in Eater. You see, the food truck was going to be stationed in Bay Park! I guess birria really has hit the mainstream now. The truck was scheduled to be in the parking lot of the long running, but now closed Old Trieste restaurant on Fridays, from 4pm. My good buddy Candice was also kind enough to inform me of the opening as well since it's in my 'hood. I was working from home on the first day of business and since I normally start around 530-6 and with no late meetings, I could call "pau hana time" by 330 and headed on down to Morena. I got there at 345….and oh my…..

Man, check out that line!

In some ways it was quite heartening. It showed me that folks in the area really want more variety and (hopefully) quality.

On the other hand; it was 40 minutes in line and then the wait. Another 40 minutes later, I got my tacos. I really felt for folks as the line kept getting longer. The girl taking orders and working the register was very friendly, though of course this was "opening day" and I'm not sure they expected this kind of reception. I know I didn't.

So, two birria tacos and consomme……

So, first off; the tortillas did well, they held up to the barrage of sauce and meat juices quite well. I liked the fact that they were dunked in the "consomme"….however….

The consomme was so bland and devoid of flavor that the only leg to stand on was mouthfeel…..and at this point it just felt like I was drinking and dunking my tacos into a vat of grease. The actual beef in the tacos was a bit on the dry and stringy side….and the flavor was quite mild, though it had a bit of beefiness to it. I had hopes for some nice savory-smokey flavors. So…..this was closer to "food not too offend" then birria de res to me. I had requested salsas, but with all the customers and such it had been left out.

And so, because this food truck is in my neighborhood, I decided to wait a month before revisiting. By this time, the hours had changed to Saturdays from noon until they ran out of product. They were still quite busy at noon on Saturday when I arrived.

The service was still smiling and friendly and the wait much shorter than before. Things I expected after that initial grand opening surge.

This time around I ordered a birria taco….with queso, a mulita, and of course some consomme.

The first thing I tasted when I got home was the consomme. It was still very bland which left me with a greasy mouthfeel….I'm thinking that Mike believes that the consomme is just for dipping and should not be consumed on its own.

The taco with queso was better than on my last visit. A bit more flavor, the meat more tender….the cilantro, onions, and a squeeze of lime helped things, but it was the cheese….which added a nice textural addition as well as some milkiness that did help. It was still really mild for my palate. I think the tortilla could have spent a bit more time on the comal, which would have added more crispness and a bit of caramelization. But that's just me.

As for the Mulita……well, it was a bit too much for me.

A lot of cheese as both sides were coated…..think of this a sort of a quesadilla if you will. Again, if the tortillas, which were quite good had been a bit charred adding some crispness and caramelization….perhaps it would be a different story. This was just a bit too rich for me and the beefiness seemed a bit lost here.

As for the salsas….I enjoyed the salsa verde the most. The acidity really helped to cut the richness. And yes, lime is your best friend here.

In then end; well, like I always say, I'm not happy "just to have something". And yet, I'm pleased to see folks out to support this business. And hope it's a bellwether of things to come.

On my first visit to Mike's, while waiting for my tacos, a nice, friendly gentleman walked over to me and asked me if I'd ever had Birria before…….I'm thinking that he's used to the more "hip" folks…I named off a couple of places and then mentioned Fernandez and also how much I enjoy birria de chivo…..which led to an interesting surprised look and an "ok….I hope you enjoy yourself" as he walked away…….

Mike's Red Tacos – Currently in the parking lot of Old Trieste
2335 Morena Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92110
Current Hours:
Saturday – Noon – 7pm

Roadtrip (During Covid-19) – Returning to Cambria and a Revisit to Madeline’s

July 17, 2021 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, French Restaurants, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Travel

Just trying to finish up posts on our May road trip here.

After having a wonderful dinner at Les Petites Canailles in Paso Robles, then enjoying a nice walk the following morning at Montana de Oro State Park, we headed to our next destination. We had enjoyed Cambria so much during our November road trip that we decided to return for an evening.

It was a bit early for check-in when we arrived, so I headed over to the East Village where the Missus "caught up" on some shopping at the charming little shops.

Not sure why this pooch was so tuckered out, but he didn't move a muscle as customers came and went……it was quite amusing.

We decided to pick up some snacks for lunch and headed over to Soto's True Earth Market.

It's a lovely little market with everything from sandwiches and cheese, to local produce and snacks. Folks were very friendly and we enjoyed the little shop…..I even purchased a shopping bag.

Soto's True Earth Market
2244 Main St.
Cambria, CA 93428

I had noticed tables and seating arranged outside the charming Cambria Historical Museum which was closed due to the pandemic.

It was a beautiful day, so we decided to have our snacks here.

Though we did ask permission from the local "security detail".

Soon enough I received a text message letting me know our room was ready. Just like Paso Robles, we were doing a repeat stay….we had really enjoyed the El Colibri Hotel & Spa on our previous visit to Cambria, the staff at El Colibri are very welcoming and friendly, we enjoyed the quiet location as well, just a short walk to the West Village where I had made dinner reservations at yet another "repeat" location. We had enjoyed our meal at Madeline's during our November road trip, so the Missus and I decided for another visit. It was just as good….so I won't dwell too much on the details and leave you mostly with photos.

The Missus loves the scallops and the "Spanish Octopus", but also really enjoyed the seasonal salad……. Which had….a bacon vinaigrette.

So guess who had to make bacon vinaigrette when we got home? Actually, it was pretty easy as our Server asked the chef about the recipe…..we didn't get a recipe; but got a ingredient list.

They even split our main; the Aubergine Gratin without us having to ask.

The weakest dish of the meal as for some reason the bechamel really didn't bring out the flavors of the eggplant…….

But that's ok as the other dishes were wonderful.

And the Missus enjoyed the Chocolate Truffle Mousse Cake for dessert, while I enjoyed a nice Tawny Port.

And we got the same lovely outdoor table as on our previous visit. When I mentioned that we enjoyed this table, we were instructed to request "Patio 1" the next time we visit. And….I think there will be a next time. There's something about the vibe and staff that we really enjoy here.

Madeline's Restaurant & Wine Tasting Room
788 Main St.
Cambria, CA 93428

We finished up dinner and walked back to the hotel. Since this was at the end of May, the sun wouldn't set until after 8pm. So, like we did on our previous visit to Cambria we took the short walk down to Shamel Community Park and took in the beautiful sunset.

A perfect end to our day. Back at the room, I had a brew as a nightcap as I will often do on trips. It always gives me time to think about and ponder how blessed we are…….especially during these times to have our health, each other, and even though we'd obviously love to be in Paris, I've come to appreciate a part of California that I think is vastly underrated.

Thanks for stopping by!

Boss Bird Kitchen – B(efore)C(ovid), D(uring)C(ovid), D(uring)R(eopening)

July 14, 2021 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Chicken Wings, Sandwiches

**** Boss Bird has moved to La Mesa. This location is now Kusina

Here's a post that was 17 months in the making. Chicken Sandwiches…..especially Nashville Hot Chicken has become (yet another) fad in recent years. And back in February of 2020 Boss Bird Kitchen took over the spot that seems to be a revolving door of restaurants; being Capetown Bar & Grill, then Sarap, and finally Gaya Gaya before Boss Bird took over the spot. My first visit was in February 2020. I then did a takeout visit early in 2021. At that time, I wasn't even sure I'd be doing a post….until I decided to return last week. You can think of this as happening during three distinct phases in time, pre-Covid, during lockdown, and during reopening. It does seem to be much longer of a timespan then that as well.

The place looked essentially the same as Gaya Gaya, minus the interesting artwork.

I thought about trying the "Hot Mess" Chicken "Burger", but decided to just get the "Standard". Basically, buttermilk fried chicken breast sandwich. The size of the chicken breast filet was quite generous.

I did like the roll it was served on, which had a mild hint of yeasty sweetness and held up quite well to the sorta "secret sauce" (Thousand Island dressingish). The chicken was underseasoned for my taste and while it was quite a hunk of chicken it hadn't been evenly fried and also suffered from "chicken breast syndrome"……as it was on the dry side.

The portion of fries was also very generous; nicely seasoned, though it was also on the dry side and got rather soft quickly. Still for under ten bucks (at that time), this was a bargain.

Even though the price was right and the young lady working was so friendly, I didn't really have any intention of returning. Then came the lockdown and I was still working from the office quite a bit….I'd be driving past Boss Bird every so often and while they were open, it seemed totally dead. So, I decided to go ahead and place an online order. I didn't think the chicken sandwich and especially the fries would hold up real well on the drive back to the office, so I ordered the "Nickle Box" ($9) of wings. While driving over, I realized that it had been over a year since my initial visit.

Man, had the pandemic changed things! Things had been moved around and when I spoke (even with my mask muffling my voice) there seemed to be an echo!

My order was ready when I finally found a live human being……seems like everyone was in the boss bird "kitchen", so I cooled my heels for about 10 minutes. But all was well once the nice gentleman saw me waiting.

I wasn't overly hungry and this five piece box of wings, which came with 2 biscuits (I gave one away) was more than enough for my lunch on this day. I actually enjoyed the pickles the best.

I had ordered the Wings with Garlic Parmesan, but I think there was a "malfunction" somewhere as the wings seemed to just be plainly seasoned. Like my previous experience the chicken was unevenly fried and some of the pieces had rubbery skin and were on the dry side.

I wasn't a big fan of the biscuits which was too crumbly and not buttery enough for my taste. The person I shared the biscuit with said he could barely finish half of it……so I guess it wasn't just me.

And well, two visits in I guess I needed to get a post done, right? And on June 15th, San Diego was fully reopened, though I waited a while to return to Boss Bird. When I finally decided to return, it was just as the restaurant opened, early in the week. I had the whole place to myself.

The only other customers I saw during my stay were two customers doing takeout. And since I wasn't doing takeout; I decided to go with the "Hot Mess" ($11).

I enjoyed the chicken sandwich. This was by far the best item I've had at Boss Bird; a decent spicy rub, you can tell that this time around the chicken had been nicely fried. While it was still on the drier side, it was moist and tender enough for me. Like I said before; there's something about the pickles here I enjoy and the slaw, while quite plain really helped balance out the sandwich.

The fries were a bit thinner this time around and still nicely seasoned; though it's still on the dry and soft side for my taste.

Still, I'd have this again….one of these days.

So there you go. A post 17 months in the making.

For another view on Boss Bird, please check out Lynn's post.

Boss Bird Kitchen
7580 Miramar Rd.
San Diego, CA 92126
Current Hours:
Mon – Sat 11am – 8pm
Sunday 11am – 4pm

Kindred

July 13, 2021 mmm-yoso Beer, Cocktails, Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants

And so it came to pass. A couple of weeks after driving past Kindred and seeing the place really busy on a Thursday, the Missus wanted to give it another try. Granted, it was early in the week; one of the benefits of getting into work super early is that on occasion, I can get home rather early. And this was one of those days. We decided to head on down to South Park and see what was going on. We got to South Park at just around 4pm and went and took a walk, returning right when Kindred opened. It was pretty quiet when we arrived and we requested and got our favorite seats….on the outside corner.

And guess what? Our favorite Server Tracy was working and she remembered us! I guess it's because we always like to sit in the same area. It had been a rough year-and-a-half and it was good to see a familiar smiling face.

We started with some cocktails.

The Missus had the "Octave Museum" which featured Bourbon, Sherry, red wine(???), and green apple.

Which She enjoyed.

I got the "Twist of Faith"…I described my taste to Tracy…smokey, not too sweet, etc……and they did a great job creating me a custom cocktail.

As for the food….well, sadly, they still don't have their "secret menu" item, so I'm not able to get the "Dip".

We started with "Fried and Pickled" ($10).

We both loved the fried pickles, not overly sour, a hint of sweet, perfectly crunchy…..it didn't even need the "ranch dressing". The cauliflower was crisp, but way to sour for me….the Missus enjoyed it though.

We always get the "Skewers" ($10).

And while seiten will never make me turn my back on my carnivorous ways, the texture is fine, and man do we love the layers of flavors from the mildly spicy – earthy harissa, the garlicky chimichurri, and the pungent-punchy horseradish sauce.

I decided to try the "Grill Cheese" ($9).

I don't think we'll be ordering this again….the tapioca mozzarella was really weak in flavor and other than a bit of gooeyness didn't add anything to the sandwich, which seemed a bit too greasy for me. Wish it had a bit more kale and the bechamel just put this over-the-top in terms of rich-greasy textures.

I decided on a La Fin du Monde for "dessert"……man, it's been a while since I've had one…..it hit the spot. We had an enjoyable meal with the friendly Tracy waiting on us. It almost felt normal……

Kindred
1503 30th St
San Diego, CA 92102
Current Hours:
Mon – Wed 430pm – 10pm
Thur – Fri 430pm – 11pm
Saturday 10am – 2pm, 430pm – 11pm
Sunday 10am – 2pm, 430pm – 10pm

And we were oh so thankful!

Sunday Stuffs – Urban Eats Kitchen &Tap replaces Hi Street, Nice 2 Meet U on Convoy, and Jim Morrison in Bay Park:?

July 11, 2021 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Exploring San Diego, yoso-silly

Just a couple of places I've seen on recent drives and one little excursion down the "rabbit hole".

Urban Eats Kitchen & Tap replaces Hi Street:

**** Urban Eats has closed

I had been wondering what was going on at 7767 Balboa since Hi Street (and a couple of other short lived places) closed down. I saw the rather interesting Help Wanted sign to the right a while back – I wonder if they ever found a "Weitress"?

And I finally saw signage for Urban Eats a few weeks past….wonder if it has any relationship to the Urban Eats that was open in Hillcrest for a couple of years?

7767 Balboa Ave.
San Diego, CA 92111

Nice 2 Meet U Coming to Convoy:

I noticed that the space next to Da Nang Corner looked to have been filled so I drove on into the parking lot……

Well, "Nice 2 Meet U" too (two???). Wonder how its related to Nice 2 Meet U in the SGV? Hmmm……

4428 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

Jim Morrison in Bay Park?

Last Saturday, the Missus mentioned that it was the 50th anniversary of Jim Morrison's death. Jim Morrison had kind of stuck in Her mind since our visits to Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris several years back when we stopped by his grave.

I had recalled that Jim Morrison was a Navy brat and had spent some time in San Diego. So, like I said, Google is my friend and I decided to spend a couple of minutes to see where he lived…… and oh my, I came across this.

And discovered that Jim Morrison, who lived in San Diego between the ages of 9 and 13…actually lived a few blocks from us on Arnott Street! I'm not going to list the address because I've walked and driven past that house thousands of times. And am wondering how many folks have bothered the current tenants of the house there.

He also went to Longfellow Elementary where he graduated the sixth grade and was a Cub Scout.

Longfellow still exists, but is now a Spanish Immersion Magnet School for K-8.

The most interesting item was that the Morrison's attended Pioneer Congregational Church. Which basically right at the end of the street.

I've also walked past here thousands of times in the 18+ years we've lived in Bay Park using the public walkway on the west side of the parking lot to walk down to Western Hills Park. I used to walk Sammy and Frankie down to the park and up around Kane, then Arnott, then back home.

In fact, I will still take walks down that sidewalk to Western Hills Park at times…..

This was quite interesting for me and other folks I know in Bay Park.

The Croissant Files – Izola Bakery (aka “signs signs, everywhere a sign……”)

July 7, 2021 mmm-yoso Bakery, Croissants

So, I'm trying to remember who recommended Izola to me…..I searched thru various comments, but couldn't find the rec' was it you Derek? Or maybe Dereck?

I was in the East Village doing take-out from the Missus's latest favorite restaurant and was told it would be a bit of a wait. So, since it was going to be at forty minute wait; I decided to try and find Izola. I'd go ahead and have a croissant for lunch and then the takeout for an early dinner.

So, I headed up 13th Street and on the corner of 13th and G came across my first (of many signs) sign for Izola.

Right across the street and up the block I believed I found the place.

Not because of the door…..but by looking up. You see, Izola has kind of become quite the hit for the unique "curbside", distanced, pick-up method. Phone and online orders can be delivered via a basket and rope from the shop. It's quite fun and Izola has quite an interesting story that you can read here.

I, of course wanted to see what the "shop" looked like….so I followed the instructions on the sign and dialed "003" on the call box.

And was buzzed into the lobby…….where I met my next sign…..

Which led me up the stairs.

And then…..well, a few more signs……

Until I arrived at the sign that let me know I had arrived…..

I hadn't read that article by the UT yet, so really, other than having read about the basket delivery system, didn't know what to expect when I walked thru the doors.

And saw a "delivery" in process…….

The two gentlemen working the front of house were really friendly and explained that this was (and is again since the reopening) a commercial photography studio/business. When the pandemic started they went and changed up to be a bakery! I really admired and respected the flexibility and wherewithal….even though I only ordered two croissants (this time). I was told that everything was done small batch and were being baked constantly during the days the place is open.

I really appreciated the "croissant care" instructions on my box as well.

The croissants were still warm when I opened up the box back home.

In terms of texture this was excellent, flakey, crisp, light, and airy……everything I look for in a croissant.

Though in all honesty, I prefer a bit more butteriness in my croissant aux beurre. So, while we definitely prefer the butter-salt balance of the croissants at Wayfarer, they tend to over brown their pastry. In terms of texture Izola wins out. Of course I still need to post on our favorite croissant; from La Maison d’Isabelle in the 5th Arrondissement in Paris. I'll get to that one of these days. I'll definitely be trying a croissant from Izola again.

And if you're wondering what they have available check out yet another sign to the right.

Izola Bakery
710 13th Street Suite 300
San Diego, CA 92101
Current Hours:
Wed – Fri Noon – 6pm
Saturday 8am – 2pm

Eating to Beat the Heat – Takeout From Iron Pig Alehouse

July 5, 2021 mmm-yoso BBQ, Gastropub, Pubs and Pub Grub

**** Iron Pig has closed

Well, I had a pretty interesting end of last week. A sinus infection combined with the rather warm days really had me on my back! Luckily, I'm feeling much better, though it's still kinda warm out there. I wanted something with some flavor and looked back at some of our "eating to beat the heat" posts and Iron Pig Alehouse popped up! Man, has it been over 3 years since we ate there? Well, we weren't feeling like eating at Iron Pig, but I noticed that online ordering was available….so I thought what the heck, and placed an order. A combination of summertime and rush hour traffic makes it a bit of a chore, but I arrived right at the designated time and my order as ready to go….just hop back in the car and fight the traffic out of PB.

So, was this worth it?

Well, feast your eyes on this.

It's the dish formerly known as "the Man Salad". It's been renamed to the "Gender Neutral Salad"….ohhhkay……

Regardless, the Missus absolutely loved this. I ordered it with the add on of an fried egg and you know the Missus with fried eggs, right? While I'm not a fan of the brisket ala carte at IP, it's wonderful on this salad, adding a nice beefy-smokiness, that goes so well with the pickled onions, goat cheese….and of course, those french fries. The arugula adds a nice mild bitterness to things. We don't even need the dressing. The salad seemed huge, but we polished it off with no problem.

The Missus also loves the Rib Tips and She really loved this as well.

Rib tips tend to have bit more fat and porkiness in my opinion. These were much more tender than what I'm used to with rib tips. Nice smokiness, nice swine to dine flavor. A decent rub…..don't need much more. The Missus likes these straight up without BBQ Sauce….She just loves the texture and the smokiness.

I was kind of excited to get the Smoked Wings, which I hadn't had in a while.

In the past, the wings were a bit inconsistent, but when they were slightly crisp, super smokey they really hit the spot.

Sadly, these were not. It was weak in terms of smoked flavor, decently seasoned, but dry, tough, and the skin quite rubbery.

This is what the wings look like when I know they're done right…….

Still, no complaints about the meal at all……

Still, the Missus did present the question of "why didn't you get this earlier?" My answer? Pointing to Her plate: "Hey, it looks like you missed some salad there….."

The online ordering was easy, as was pick-up. I don't know if I hit the lottery on this afternoon, but I found parking close by.

So, I guess more Man Salad, ummmm, "Gender Neutral Salad" is in our future. Especially when temps rise.

Iron Pig Alehouse
1520 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109
Current Hours:
Mon – Tues 4pm – 9pm
Wed – Thurs 1130am – 9pm
Fridays 1130am – 10pm
Saturdays 10am – 10pm
Sundays 10am – 9pm

The Seven Bridges Walk, Hillcrest Farmer’s Market, and Sabor Piri Piri

July 2, 2021 mmm-yoso African Cuisine/Restaurants, Exploring San Diego, Farmer's Markets/Night Market, yoso-silly

*** This is kind of a long one with just a bit of food at the end.

While going thru photos of our latest roadtrip(s) and of past trips to our favorite cities in the world it's always quite surprising how much walking I do….and even more; how much I enjoy it. While the Missus is more of a "real" hiker, I prefer nice walks, and even more so Urban walks, something I should do more of. A while back I was looking thru the Alltrails app and noticed something called the "Seven Bridge Walk". After walking thru the North Park Farmer's Market right after reopening, I decided that I'd go ahead and do the walk that Sunday. And to make it more fun; I'd throw in a visit to the Hillcrest Farmers Market to grab some fruits and stuff for the Missus as part of the 6 mile loop.

The walk….I really hesitate in calling it a hike; starts at Balboa Park, roams thru Banker's Hill, then Hillcrest, before ending back at Balboa Park. It's a nice 6 miles or so. I know, you're thinking Balboa Park on a Sunday? But, I'd be starting just after 7am and Balboa Park was pretty empty, no parking issues, and most of the folks out were taking their pooches for walks.

And of course, this time of the morning belongs to the "critters"…..

Everything started at the Park Boulevard Bridge….you recognize this one, right?

This is the pedestrian bridge that crosses over Park Boulevard.

It was a quiet morning as I passed the Bea Evenson Fountain and headed down El Prado.

Walking past Casa del Prado and Casa de Balboa made me realize that even though I've been to Balboa Park many times over the years; that I really didn't know much about it. Isn't that how it is? We've been to a few other countries and many cities in the U.S…..but I still need to learn so much more about the city I live in.

I walked down El Prado to the next bridge and passing the Museum of Us….which used to be the Museum of Man. The name change occurred in August of last year.

You know the next bridge up, right?

Completed in 1914 for the Panama–California Exposition, the Cabrillo Bridge. It's a multi-arched Cantilever Bridge.

These days the 163 Freeway runs below the bridge which was completed in 1948.

El Prado becomes Laurel as you cross Sixth Avenue.

I headed down Laurel and took a right turn on 1st Avenue – at this wonderful looking house.

Which made me recall the wonderful self walking tour we took in Pacific Grove.

A few blocks up the street is the First Avenue Bridge.

It is a steel truss bridge – you can read about the history of the bridge along with why it is known as the "People's Bridge" here.

It crosses over Maple Canyon…….where I should probably do a hike one of these days to get another angle of the bridge.

A bit further up 1st, you take a right on Quince Street and where Third Avenue meets Quince you come across the wooden trestle Quince Street bridge. One of my favorites on this walk.

Here's a wonderful post on the bridge and how it was almost set to be demolished in 1987. It's a wonderful bridge, built in 1905 and also crosses over Maple Canyon. It was built to allow residents of Western Bankers Hill access to the Fourth Street Trolley.

It's worth walking across the bridge, then back again.

After walking across the bridge and back, I headed back west and took a right on 2nd Avenue. I started noticing some of the grand and unique houses along the way and took some time to "stop and smell the roses".

I really need to find a nice self guided architectural tour of the area.

I took a left on Spruce Street and found the bridge that first got me interested in doing this walk; the Spruce Street Suspension Bridge.

Down at the end of a cul-de-sac, the location seems rather discreet.

The bridge was completed in 1912 over Kate Sessions Canyon to allow access to….you guessed it the trolley lines.

Since it is a suspension bridge, it will rock back and forth, not as much as the Capilano Suspension Bridge, but you will get a slight thrill out of it. If you don't like heights and motion; you may want to skip this one.

Once across the bridge I took a right on Brandt. From here, it's rather long walk to the next bridge. Though I did see some interesting things on my way up to University Avenue.

On Brandt, I saw an honest to goodness Horse Hitching Post!

I'm wondering when, or if, a horse has ever been hitched to this post!

On West Walnut, I saw the tree above. It's an Angel's Trumpet Tree, which is extinct in the wild! The leaves and flowers are sometimes used to make hallucinogenic concoctions that can cause paralysis and yes, even death.

From here it was walk up 1st until University, to Hillcrest.

And all those familiar sites and sounds.

It was pretty quiet still on this morning; it was now around 845. I had thought about grabbing a "cup o' Joe", but decided to just keep on walking to the next bridge.

To get to the next bridge, I headed east, crossing over the 163, and took a left on Vermont Street, past the mall with Ralph's and Trader Joe's.

If you've ever driven East on Washington, you've come across this bridge.

Though I must say that I've never walked across it before.

From here I deviated a bit and walked east on Pascoe Street, which seems more like an alley, then crossed on Lincoln Avenue, then on over to Normal Street and the Hillcrest Farmers Market. It was just past 9am, so I had timed it well.

Still a bit leery in crowds, I decided to get there early to grab the Missus some produce from Her favorite vendors. Covid is still on my mind.

It felt somewhat strange and a bit surreal……and shall I say very "normal on Normal Street". Something that had definitely been missing for the last 15-16 months.

I also decided to grab something for a light lunch and decided on the Sabor Piri-Piri Stand.

By this time, it was starting to get more crowded….it was time for me to head out and get to that last bridge.

Hillcrest Farmers Market
Normal Street – Hillcrest
Hours:
Sunday 9am – 2pm

Much like the Vermont Street Bridge; if you've ever driven East on University I'm sure you drove under this small bridge – the Georgia Street Bridge.

And like the Vermont Street Bridge; I'd never walked across this one either.

I walked down to Park Avenue and took this photo…..which is probably the view of the bridge you've seen when driving on University.

From here it was a walk back to my car at Balboa Park.

It had been quite the morning and was still before 10am! I'm glad I had planned to visit the Hillcrest Farmers Market, which broke things up for me.

Back home, I broke open the Piri-Piri Chicken and Black Eyed Peas with Kale I had ordered from Sabor Piri Piri.

The piri-piri chicken wasn't very spicy to me; I'd had my share of piri-piri in Portugal and other places; this was rather mild and tame. The chicken was decently cooked, not overly dry. I enjoyed the green bell peppers. The black eye peas were nicely cooked, but kale was chopped in large pieces with large portions of the stems of the kale. The sauce was a bit too sweet for me as well. But after my 6 mile plus walk….I wasn't going to complain much at all.

Thinking over this morning made me realize that I really should spend more time exploring the city I live in…San Diego. I'm also hope that with our vaccination rates, even with the variants coming into things that this reopening is successful.

The Pad Thai Stand

June 29, 2021 mmm-yoso Thai Restaurants

During one of my late afternoon trips to Carnival Market, I noticed that the Thai Burger Company which Cathy has done a post on; had changed concepts and was now called the Pad Thai Stand.

The Missus was working until rather late on this evening, so I decided to check the place out.

It's a nice little stand that serves four different regional versions of Pad Thai – you basically pick the regional style and then the protein, check off the ingredients, add some extras, and then you'll have your Pad Thai.

The place has some outdoor seating……

And even some interesting fold down tables where you can eat standing.

The young lady working the counter was very friendly.

I decided to go with the "old style" Pad Thai – the "Boran" with chicken, medium heat. In a few minutes my boxed noodles were ready to go -it felt pretty hefty.

Thing were packed pretty tightly.

I unpacked and tried separating things out on a plate and finally got things looking like a proper dish.

I immediately realized that the pork rinds, one of the reasons I had ordered this version of Pad Thai had gotten soggy. When I order this again; I'll ask them to pack the pork rinds separately. And yes, I believe I'll order this again. Even though the chicken was as expected, tough and dry, the rest of the dish was pretty good. The heat level was perfect; the noodles al dente with a nice stretch and were evenly coated in a savory, dark soy based sauce, with just a touch of sweetness. The bean sprouts added a some textural contrast and the squeeze of lime elevated the dish with some acidity.

As you can see the portion size was pretty good as well. This was much more than I could eat and I saved some for the Missus to try when She got home.

And She really enjoyed it!

In fact, on one early evening when we couldn't decide what to eat, we headed back to the Pad Thai Stand for takeout.

We got the "basic" Pad Thai – Bangkok style.

With tofu. This was a bit mild in flavor for us; not enough salty-savory tones and the noodles weren't evenly coated and were overcooked.

We also got the Northern (Chiang Mai) style; which featured a curry base – also with tofu.

The medium heat did nicely with this; but I thought it a bit too salty and "soupy" for my taste. At least the noodles were perfectly cooked. This might be a version where adding in the "extras" – dried shrimp and fried garlic may come in handy. The coconut flavor in the curry and the saltiness pretty much overwhelmed the dish.

So, I think I'll stick with the Boran style for now.

The young lady working here is a joy; the food is decently priced, and heck if you're in need of some major carbs give the place a try. In terms of protein; we'll probably stick with tofu. I've also seen these folks at various Farmer's Markets – so maybe you can check them out there.

The Pad Thai Stand
3520 Ashford St.
San Diego, CA 92111
Hours:
Daily 11am – 2pm, 4pm – 9pm

How are all of you doing…….

June 28, 2021 mmm-yoso yoso-silly

So, here I was typing away. Getting my next post done, when I suddenly stopped……..

Yes, this is a food blog….something we've been doing for 16 years now. I've come to treasure all those who have become part of our little blog over the years. It got me thinking…..how are all of you doing? It has, without a doubt, been a tumultuous 16 months….one that will be part of history. But beyond that; I'd like to know, and hope that all of you are still out there and in good health.

I know this has changed me; it's made me appreciate so many things I took for granted.

I've often mentioned to folks I know that it will be interesting to see how history will define these times.

But…….we're living this. And I want to know, how has living through this time changed you, changed your outlook on life, your values, and what you hope the future will bring.

My apologies for not focusing on food in this post; but I think of you all as my "friends of yoso"………..