mmm-yoso – Page 118

Rei-men to go from Karami Ramen

September 7, 2020 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

Man…..this says it all for the past Sunday.

In Bay Park no less…..a 114 in El Cajon? What is going on? And with the Valley Fire raging away….all the evacuations and during the midst of a pandemic…..can we just turn the calendar over to 2021 now?

I needed to head out to Nijiya to do some grocery shopping, I decided to go ahead and continue trying take-out from all of the places in the strip mall. Next up….

Before you think I'd gone off the deep-end…..it was a 102 degrees on Convoy; Karami was doing their Reimen. Which I've had before. And though I left thinking it was quite mediocre, it seemed like a decent remedy for the heat on this day.

I placed my order, went shopping at Nijiya, and returned to find my stuff bagged and ready for pick-up.

Just for the heck of it; I ordered the karaage as well; which I though was fairly decent on a previous visit, In terms of packaging; well, the cheapo two part cardboard container had leaked so I lost some of the broth in the package.

At least things were nicely separated. First thing I did after getting the containers our of the saturated packaging was to put my thick ceramic ramen bowl in the freezer to help keep things chilled.

I had a taste of the karaage; which wasn't bad at all. I didn't expect it to be super crisp; and it wasn't. But it had a very nice savory-salty-mildly sweet flavor that I enjoyed. I really didn't need the sriracha mayo thing at all. I'm looking forward to having this again….when I'm ready to eat in.

As for the ramen…….

Not having to worry about a cold ajitama in the reimen works to Karami's benefit here. The egg was nicely marinated; if anything, the ajitama from Menya can be too salty at times. Loved the curly and nicely prepped noodles; which still had that nice chewy-crunch to it. For some reason, I really enjoy corn in my reimen (do you remember what one of the Gaijin customers at Ichiro's called it? I still have to stifle a laugh when I order this). But, much like the previous time I had this; the broth was super salty and had a weird tininess…….that; while I don't want to insult the place; tastes like mass-produced stuff. Bummer, because I'd enjoyed this much more than the last time I had it. But I just couldn't finish that broth.

Oh well…..at least I can look forward to having the karaage again when things get back to normal.

Karami Ramen
3860 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111
(858)430-6300
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 1130am-3pm, 430pm – 9pm
Sat – Sun 1130am – 9pm

Speaking of things getting back to normal….so we now have the Valley Fire; which as of the last time I checked the news had burned over 17,000 acres and was under 5% contained. I took this photo of the sun from my driveway. Though it's not as bright red as what I took in 2007 during the Witch Fire; it still looks other-worldly.

To all our "FOYs" out there, we hope you are safe, in good health, and managed to keep cool during the record heat of this Labor Day weekend.

postscript:

With all the craziness that's going on these days; I thought I'd end with a Frankie pic. I was changing our beddings this weekend. As usual, I remove the sheets and such a pretty much leave them on the floor while I put on the new set. When I turned to grab the beddings for the washer; I noticed someone had made himself at home……..

I don't recall F doing this before. It really cracked me up.

Have a safe and productive week!

Getting the Missus Her Croissant Fix – Wayfarer Bread & Pastry Revisited

September 4, 2020 mmm-yoso Bakery, Croissants

August was a pretty brutal month at work for me. During dinner a few nights ago; the Missus asked how many days off I had during the month…..I had to stop and think….and was shocked when I counted two! Of course, I did have the 30th off (but not the 29th), so let's hear for three whole days off for August! I had been grinding away so had even lost track of that fact.

During one of those days off, the Missus had to work. She had mentioned really missing a decent croissant. Her favorite in San Diego thus far has been the version from Wayfarer. So, since I was off that weekend day, I decided to stretch out my "roaming range", and head out to Wayfarer. I arrived at 815 (they open at 830), thinking the line wouldn't be too long….boy as I mistaken! The line stretched half way to the corner of Midway Street.

At least I kept myself entertained by doing some people watching. I did notice that all the folks in line had masks, but about a third didn't put it over their face until they got closer to the bakery. About half the folks walking around didn't wear masks either. I'm guessing that folks in the zip codes in my usual range have been pretty good after all.

I managed to get to the ordering "doorway/window" after about 45 minutes.

Heck, after waiting over 45 minutes in line; there was no way I was going to order just a couple of croissants….I ended up spending over $50 here on pastries….you know; it ain't really that hard to spend that much on a dozen pastries at Wayfarer.

As I crossed the street and headed to my car' the line stretched all the way down the block and around the corner of Midway Street.

So the folks the Missus worked with on that day had some stuffs from Wayfarer….and I was told that they really liked the Ham and Cheese Croissant, the Tomato Tiles, and Prosciutto Scones. So, maybe I'll check those out when I have a chance.

I did save an extra croissant, which She thoroughly enjoyed. She said the while they tend to over-bake the pastry here; the Missus says that the butter-salt balance is decent. It made Her day; and that also made mine. So it was worth the wait in line; at least on this day.

Wayfarer Bread & Pastry
5525 La Jolla Blvd.
La Jolla, CA 92037
Current Hours:
Wed – Sun 830am – 230pm
Wayfarer will be closed from Sept 7th – 15th, Reopening on the 16th.

In case you're wondering how far I've roamed since mid-March; I updated my map……

I mentioned getting a swamp cooler for Frankie – I actually have two. I use one in our home office. I've noticed that F has a certain part of his anatomy that is a priority to keep cool…..guess where that is?

It's going to be a scorcher this weekend, so please keep cool!

The Menya Ultra Stay at Home Tonkotsu Ramen Kit

September 1, 2020 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

I'd been trying to get the Missus to try Menya Ultra since they first opened in February 2017; but there was just something that made Her refuse to go….call it "spouse syndrome"….you know the drill; I say "black", She says "white", I go "it's too hot", no She says it's "too cold"…going up? Heck no, we're going down….. And the more I tried to convince Her, the more She dug Her heels in. Until She was feeling a bit tired recently….don't worry, it wasn't Covid-19. The weather had cooled off (before our last scorcher) and I knew She could use some nice, rich, tonkotsu broth. So, I got the "Tonkotsu to go" for the Missus. And She did love that broth; though, for some reason, She didn't care for the noodles….even though I did my usual drill…I thought it was decently firm; but of course She likes Her noodles "katame" (firm). Which gave me an idea……I know that "FOY" Jason mentioned really enjoying Menya's "Stay at Home Ramen Kit". I also noted that the noodles provided are fresh, not cooked. A few days later, the Missus wanted more ramen and I went and ordered the Tonkotsu Stay at Home Kit from Menya ($38).

Like before, the drill when you pick things up at Menya was smooth as silk.

As you can see; this comes with four ajitama, chashu, green onions, and wood ear mushroom.

It also comes with four servings of fresh thin noodles.

And some instructions; which I basically ignore.

I basically use the same approach which I noted here; with a couple of differences.

The tonkotsu broth is provided cold; I measured the first time I ordered and it comes to six cups. So, I portion out three cups and slowly simmer until scalding.

The noodles are fresh; so I boil for 90 seconds, before doing a quick rinse and drain.

I still heat the bowls and then use the heated noodle water to heat the bowls even more.

I also now heat the ajitama for 20 seconds in the microwave before serving in the hot broth.

And the noodles are perfect after a minute-and-a-half.

After trying this for the first time; we noted that there was no way we could finish 2 servings of noodles and the Missus really mainly loves that broth. So, I get two-thirds of the noodles, and the Missus gets two cups of the broth…..sometimes "spouse syndrome" works to our benefit!

And what about those leftover noodles? Well, I'll make either Sichuan Liang Mian, Sesame Cold Noodles, or some other noodles dish with them…..which works just fine since these noodles are better than anything you can get at the market.

As I'm sure everyone who enjoys eating in San Diego knows; restaurants can now open at 25% capacity. On my visit to Menya this week, I noticed they were open for dining in. I was not inspired by the set-up in the least….tell me; doesn't this look like perhaps a makeshift ER or Urgent Care……or gasp; even a Covid-19 Testing Tent?

I think I'll stick to takeout for a while longer. Especially when it can be something like this. The menma in this bowl I had in the fridge and didn't come with the kit.

Menya Ultra Ramen
8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111
858-571-2010
Hours:
Daily 11am – 2pm, 5pm – 8pm
From my experience they start doing takeout orders a half hour before opening

Road Trip (Before Covid) – Bistro Na’s

August 31, 2020 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Road Trip

After our dinner at Mister Jiu's in San Francisco; the Missus really wanted to head on over to Bistro Na's in Temple City, which also has a Michelin Star and has become a favorite of Hers. Since my Birthday was on a weekend, we decided to head on over for lunch.

At this point in time the first positive cases of Covid-19 had been reported and infections were still in the single digits and the first confirmed cases were reported in the UK and Spain….man, that just seems so long ago.

At this point; we could tell that folks; especially in the Chinese community were getting a bit leery as was clearly indicated by how empty Bistro Na's was during our visit.

Even though it was my birthday; the Missus took charge of ordering, and She quickly found another dish to add to Her "favorites list"; the Okra in Seasoned Dressing.

The okra had been nicely presented in a wonderfully balanced salty-sweet-savory sauce that heightened the pleasantly earth-grassy flavor of the okra. The Missus loved the combination of the crunchy, yet slippery (gotta love that "neba-neba") okra as well. We have another one for the list.

Man, that spinach with sesame sauce was slathered in the stuff.

There was a deceptively large amount of spinach in this as it had been compressed into a square shape. Just a bit too much sesame paste in this for us.

Of course; my favorite is the Chili Tofu Skin. We always place a full order and get another order to go.

So refreshing, crunchy, with a touch of spice, the cilantro adding a nice, bright, mild pungent-lemony touch to things.

We did not care for the Stuffed Lotus Root; it was too sweet and the texture quite mushy.

And two other favorites – you can read about those in my previous posts.

Of course the Crispy Shrimp is a must.

And the light and crisp; super tender, but wonderfully gamey Crispy Lamb Brisket.

While we still haven't roamed very far yet; we are sorely tempted to get takeout from Bistro Na's….which is what they are doing right now.

Who knows; we might just give in and treat ourselves…..though driving 120 miles each way might just be pushing it a bit, don't you think?

Bistro Na's
9055 Las Tunas Drive
Temple City, CA 91780
(626) 286-1999

What have you been doing to treat yourself and make things more bearable these days?

Takeout from Gourmet Artisan

August 30, 2020 mmm-yoso Burgers, Sandwiches

**** Gourmet Artisan has closed

Back in June, after I called and got a strange message from A Sandwich A’Fare and before I ended up going to the Philadelphia Sandwich Company, I called Gourmet Artisan and got an “voicemail full” message….which seemed kind of ominous. Were they closed temporarily, or permanently, or what? On a recent takeout revisit to SuperNatural Sandwiches, I noticed that Gourmet Artisan was open. So, a few days later, I decided to call….and I got a real person answering and placed an order for takeout.

I went with the Prosciutto Sandwich ($12). Upon opening the box at my desk I was rewarded with the distinct fragrance of parmesan and garlic from the fries; which made me quite happy as on my last visit it seemed that they had stopped with the parmesan, garlic, and truffle oil on the fries.

On the not-so-good side; the fries hadn’t been fried enough and were really pale and of course, quite soggy.

The ciabatta could have been more toasted and was too chewy and doughy and over-powered the unevenly made sandwich. Enjoyed the peppery arugula; but everything else just fell flat.

There was one interesting thing that I noticed during my visit. There were three orders before me….each of them ordered burgers. Hmmm…..

So, a few weeks later; I decided to order a burger…..man, when was the last time I had a burger? What the heck is wrong with me?

I ordered the Tex-Mex Burger ($12). And, I was really happy to note that this time around, the fries were crisp and had a good amount of Parmesan and garlic.

The burger was not bad; I enjoyed the brioche style bun; which was not quite up to the task, but really just displayed how moist the burger was. The patty was fairly lean, but had a pleasant beefiness, was decently seasoned, and was not bad at all. It was perhaps a tad on the mealy side in terms of texture, but was perfectly serviceable.

The fries, while not quite to level of what it used to be….lacking in truffle flavor, was nicely fried, and far from bland with a good amount of Parmesan.

I actually enjoyed the milky, melted Swiss cheese and a the sneaky jalapenos on this….heck, I may have another burger next time.

Gourmet Artisan Fine Sandwiches
7094 Miramar Road
San Diego, CA 92121
(858) 860-5814
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 1030am – 215pm

Banh Mi To Go from Mignon Pho + Seafood (+ Grill)

August 24, 2020 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

Hoooo boy; was it humid this past weekend! The Missus was working as was I this past Saturday, but I got off at a reasonable time and had to head to Nijiya to do some shopping. It was already 11am; kinda late for a typical weekend visit to Nijiya during these times and man, the line into the place was no joke……with temps hitting the 90's and humidity around the same.

I decided that a Banh Mi might be just the thing on a day like this. I'd already tried Cali Banh Mi's Convoy location on a trip home form Nijiya back in June….so, I thought why not give Mignon Pho + Grill another try…make that Mignon Pho + Seafood….and I hadn't tried the Banh Mi there yet.

As always, the folks working here are very nice. I mentioned that I'd be running to Nijiya, so I probably wouldn't pick up my order for another hour, and she told me "no problem, I'll wait and we'll time it for you!" And you know what; I got thru the line and out of Nijiya in around 45 minutes…..as I walked into Mignon to pick up my order; it was just at the window, and ready for me in the blink of an eye. By this time, two of the outdoor tables were filled with folks ready to eat.

I've pretty much considered Mignon to be Vietnamese Fusion, so heck, why not order the "California Banh Mi" ($8). I'd totally missed the part where it says these come with fries…..if I thought the fries would hold up; I would have ordered the Lemongrass Fries, which were the best thing I've had at Mignon to date. I'm glad I didn't because the fries were shot when I opened things up after the 15 minute drive home.

As I figured; this was a pretty "stuffed" banh mi. The bread was dry and crumbly; the egg was nicely fried….large slices of cucumber, and even more scary, look at those thick slices of jalapeno! Spicy too. The pickled carrot and radish were nicely pickled. The marinated beef….being rather bland seemed like it needed more marinating and too thickly cut and chewy. The menu said there was ponzu on his; but I really couldn't taste it…..I would have settled for a nice pate.

Well, I've just one more place to do takeout from in this strip mall……

I really like the folks who work here and just wish the food was a bit better…..

Mignon Pho + Grill
3860 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Sunday Stuffs, the “Works in Progress” Edition – CoCo Ichibanya, Da Nang Corner, and Greenhaus Vegetarian Eatery, (hopefully) Coming Soon

August 23, 2020 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

Boy, this past week has been some kind of humid, huh? I'm just going to do a short post today of places that look like are current works in progress.

CoCo Ichibanya:

Last I heard, CoCo Ichibanya was supposed to open during this summer. Well, it's near the end of August. So, during one of my shopping trips to Nijiya, I decided to see what was going on.

Well, doesn't look like much yet. So perhaps it might not be ready for prime time this month? Or perhaps they are using my "endless March 2020" calendar…which would still make it March……176th!

I guess it's a bit too hot for curry right now anyway, right?

4428 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

Meanwhile, right next to CoCo Ichibanya was a place I hadn't noticed.

Da Nang Corner:

The restaurant's Facebook Page mentions that the restaurant is taking a bit longer than expected to build out. I'm hoping we get some good Mi Quang?

I'm kinda excited about this place.

4428 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

Greenhaus Vegetarian Eatery:

The Missus and I were taking a little drive around the 'hood, when I noticed that the long time Chinese Fast Food shop Wok in Express next to JV's and Waters was gone and is going to be……yep, a Vegetarian Shop! You gotta say…. Morena sure is changing, ain't it?

Now, if we only get a bakery selling really got croissants!

1118 Morena Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92110

Hope you're keeping cool and staying safe!

Have a great week!

San Francisco – Mister Jiu’s (Before Covid)

August 20, 2020 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, San Francisco and Silicon Valley, Travel

If you recall; back in January, before the "you-know-what-hit-the fan" the Missus and I took a trip to San Francisco over the long MLK Day weekend. We had enjoyed ourselves at the Chinese New Year Flower Market Fair…man, looking back at those photos kinda sends a shiver up my spine right now…..that's how ingrained all the Covid-19 precautions have become.

We decided to head back to the hotel for a short nap before heading out to dinner.

Heading down Kearny Street I saw this on top of the building near the corner of California Street.

Take a closer look.

I wondered what these shrouded, hooded, ghostly, Grim Reaper looking statues were. Well, after doing a quick search I found that these are the Corporate Goddess Sculptures, created by Muriel Castanis. As to what they are…from the Atlas Obscura post:

“They are empty, toga-draped forms from which the figures have been removed, rendering the sculptures as abstracted reinterpretations of the neoclassical masterworks of Lorado Taft and Augustus Saint Gaudens.”

Okay then…..

We got back to the room rested, took a short nap, when we awoke, the sun was setting.

After catching up on emails and other things we headed out for dinner.

I had read been reading about Mister Jiu's since the much anticipated restaurant opened in 2016. And the Cantonese (with other regional touches) based fare had garnered Mister Jiu's a Michelin Star. Both the Missus and I were interested; since the other Michelin Star Chinese Restaurant on the West Coast we've visited, Bistro Na's has become a favorite of the Missus. So I made reservations in advance for dinner.

We liked the décor, a very tasteful design, and we especially enjoyed our cocktails for this evening.

We didn't enjoy our lead Server, who was a bit snobby and very condescending, acting like he was doing us a favor by just waiting on us…….. I guess that just meant I needed another cocktail.

We decided on items that interested us; most of which were riffs on staples both the Missus and I enjoy and dishes that I had read about. It was to be a rather light dinner, since we weren't super hungry.

First up was a very basic, simple item….but one which is very important to the Missus. to the point that we make a version of it at home every year. The Fermented Cabbage.

This version, crowned with a touch of spice was quite good….a nice slightly funky fermented nose and taste. A light spice really cleaned things up and the cabbage was nice and crunchy. A well done basic dish.

I love jellied pork dishes, so I had to get the Chicken Feet Terrine, which was also quite good.

Loved the contrasting firm textures of the terrine; it was obviously crafted with skill. Nice mild savory flavors with a touch of sour. Very nice.

Since we enjoy our Liang Cai (cold dishes) we also went with the Chilled Beef Tendon, which unlike the previous two dishes was not quite to our taste.

The chili oil was on the weak end of the scale for us and while it looked quite spicy, it wasn't. There was a real lack of the complex flavors (suan, tian, ku, la, xian).

The Missus loves Her Turnip Cake (and has been grumbling that I don't make it much anymore), so She wanted to try the Crispy Scarlet Turnip Cakes.

This was another non-starter, mainly because, while the exterior was slightly crisp; the interior was quite dry and lacked a light pungency….it was definitely not our favorite. The sauce was much too acidic as well. Give me the version Sea Harbour anytime.

The Missus wanted something with rice; so we ordered the Mapo Doufu.

I gotta say; the rice was absolutely perfect; in texture and fragrance. The mapo doufu, not so much. It was really bland, with a greasy mouthfeel, and really lacking in the basic ma-la we were looking for. I was looking for that numbing-hot (of course my tendency is toward Chongqing in terms of Sichuan), a deep savory – fermented bean flavor, a hint of pungency, all of which seemed to be missing.

Oh well, I had another Cocktail which was another winnah'.

As our final dish, we chose the Sourdough Scallion Pancake. Man, this was very impressive; a definite riff on the typical Chinese Scallion Pancake….texturally, this was amazing; a slight crisp-crunchiness in the exterior that gave way to a airiness, with a bit of a slight chew. The pancake was fragrant, with a definite hint of sourdough and scallion. This was delicious and a nice way to end the meal.

And while Mister Jiu's is now doing takeout during the time of Covid-19; the Missus and I might return once all of this is over and we feel comfortable with travel again. Though it might just be sitting at the bar enjoying a few cocktails and small dishes….and definitely that Scallion Pancake.

Mister Jiu's
28 Waverly Place
San Francisco, CA 94108

You can read Faye's post on Mister Jiu's here.

We enjoyed strolling around Chinatown after our meal. Things were much more quiet, though still quite bright and colorful.

While passing Portsmouth Square we noticed a small group of Chinese Women getting their "exercise"……we decided to sit and watch; just us, two homeless guys and the women getting their groove on. This just reminded us of China and we walked back to our hotel with smiles on our faces.

Takeout from Prime Grill

August 18, 2020 mmm-yoso Korean Restaurants

Man, talk about hot…..man, talk about us being wimpy….especially after reading that Death Valley recorded what might be the second hottest temperature ever! I mean, we've been getting mid to high 80's here in Bay Park and we're complaining. Though we don't have A/C…..we did purchase two portable units; but our place was built in the 50's…..before the time of air conditioning it seems. So, we've been kinda sweating it out. Usually, we'd be heading out, trying to beat the heat, with cooler dishes and some nice A/C. Which, well, just isn't possible this year. Still, I'd been wanting some Bi Bim Naengmyun, one of my favorite hot weather dishes. So the Missus told me to just go ahead and order takeout from Prime Grill.

Here's where it gets kinda funny….I call and order the Bi Bim Bap for the Missus and then try to order the Bi Bim Naengmyun. The woman on the phone quickly asks me how far I live from the restaurant. I tell her about 15 minutes and she says "too far away, bi bim naengmyun is no good after that time….too far away…..no good to order!" Wow…ok….. I guess some folks would get a bit upset; but I took her statement to mean that she wanted me to have the best experience with the dish. The Missus told me to order some Dak Bulgogi; so I went with that.

I drove on over to pick up our order and cracked up. Not only had the side portion of the parking lot Prime Grill shares been converted to what almost looked like a Pojangmacha! There was a huge sound system blasting in front of the restaurant which the folks sitting outside of Min Sok Chon were enjoying as well. A older gentleman was working with a saw on a couple tables…..more capacity for the outdoor eating area I guess.

I went up to the older woman who was working and told them I was here to pick-up my order. She quickly got it and as I was leaving told me; "come back and have the bi bim naengmyun here…." I had to laugh.

Anyway; I got home and unpacked things.

The Missus and I quickly realized that something was definitely missing when ordering this way. The bim bim bap had kind of lost its personality….. The rice had lost it's heat; the heat from fried egg had started making the other items slightly soggy. Of course; there would be no wonderful crustiness from a dolsot, but we expected that.

The panchan, specially the baechu kimchi, which Prime Grill usually does fairly well was missing a nice slightly funky, but delicious fermented flavor.

The Dak Bulgogi (BBQ Chicken) didn't have any caramelization and looked a not-so-appetizing grey in pallor.

In terms of flavor, it wasn't bad, but the texture was too chewy and gummy, and I missed the extra texture and charred deliciousness of some browned and crisp edges.

Perhaps we've been pushing our luck a bit with all of our takeout successes and this was a bridge too far.

I guess when I feel comfortable actually eating in a restaurant (parking lot); I may just give in and have the bi bim naengmyun…..might be more sooner than later if this weather keeps up. Probably not though…..

Prime Grill
4620 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

On a side note….we worry about Frankie keeping cool; so I bought a little swamp cooler for him. We get a kick checking on Frankie when we have it on……he'll cool off a side of his body; then move around to get another area cool. He's doesn't enjoy having a fan blow directly on him; so the gentle breeze of the swamp cooler does just fine.

What a character.

He is enjoying that little portable cooler.

Frankie hopes everyone is being safe and keeping your cool; physically and mentally!

He sure is…..

Thanks for stopping by!

Zgara Greek Grill Returns – Now on Morena

August 16, 2020 mmm-yoso Greek Food

I was admittedly quite excited to see that Zgara was reopening. A big bonus was that it was a lot closer and less of a hassle then driving to PB….though to be perfectly honest; I would have probably driven to Chula Vista for what I considered to be some of the best Gyros (yes, it's pork) outside of Greece. For the rather short time Zgara was open in PB, it had become a part of the rotation and I was quite sad when they closed.

And then things ramped up a bit when "Stacy" mentioned they were opening on either the 13th or 14th…..so, since I had to go home to check on Frankie both days…..I just had to "pass by" to check to see if they were open…..let's call it stalking if we have to; but heck, I was missing that Pork Gyro Sandwich…..

I only had to wait a single day; because as I drove up on the 14th; I saw that they were open. So, I quickly parked and walked on in.

I was greeted by the owner as I walked in….I was surprised that he remembered me from the PB days……

And there revolving on the spit….the holy grail of porcine loveliness ….. Even though the menu now is quite large; there was no doubt about what I was going to order. I love how things are made to order here; this isn't fast food…..and I excitedly took my sandwich home and unwrapped it.

Man, the lovely light, citrusy, porky fragrance. Man, was the amount of pork always this much? The milky, yet cleansing acidity of the tzadziki, the light pungency of the red onions, mild bitterness from the greens, all in a still warm, nicely toasted, pita. Everything played a nice supporting role to that pork……I love the nice crisp bits.

As lovely as a bright Rhodes sunset.

So, of course I returned the next day…..this time I got the Pork Souvlaki Sandwich.

Which is good in its own right. Nice chunks of mildly toothsome, nicely marinated pork shoulder I believe. For me; I thought the tomatoes and onions really do well in this pita. I also enjoy the fact that the pita is fairly fluffy and not overly chewy or brittle.

Like I mentioned earlier, it seems like the menu now has a few more items on it than before, like a Chicken-Bacon Souvlaki, a vegetable platter….still, it'll probably be the pork gyros for me.

These times have been rather tough…..the social distancing, the quarantines, the caring enough about others to wear your mask, doing the "right" thing…..the inability to travel; which we've done three, four, or maybe more times each previous year…..to explore, not only the sights, but the cuisine as well….so yes, it's been tough….but not tougher than coming down with Covid-19; or worse yet, having to deal with the possibility that I've put someone else at risk…..

So, I have the, right now, not-so-small comfort…..of places like Hawaiian Fresh Seafood Fish Market, which, while it doesn't replace the trip "back home" we had to cancel this year, gives us a little taste of "home". And just taking in the fragrance of that pork gyro has me wandering thru Rhodes Town, or Chania, or Iraklios…….and….just for that moment in time…..I can feel that we will get past this.

Welcome back Zgara Grill, I've missed you!

Zgara Greek Grill
1229 Morena Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours:
Sun – Thurs 11am – 9pm
Fri – Sat 11am – 10pm