mmm-yoso – Page 23

Where on the Road Were We? Part 2

May 5, 2025 mmm-yoso Dog Friendly, Marin, Napa, and Sonoma Counties, Northern California, Road Trip, Travel

It was interesting leaving an area of the state we were fairly familiar with, to an area we hadn't been before. And add JJ to the mix!

Still, it was fun, if a bit tiring.

Our next stop was a harbor/fishing village and very popular tourist spot.

It had a lovely harbor front; though the lack of walking paths between stop made it a lot less fun for us. Seemed like everyone drove everywhere here; even though the harbors, shops, malls, hotels were just a couple of hundred yards apart, there was no real sidewalks or walking paths and actually walking on highway 1, well…….

The area is also famous for being a filming location of one of Alfred Hitchcock's most well known films…..

We loved our accommodations….we'd do takeout, purchase a nice bottle of wine from the Inn (at a very decent price) and eat in the covered "Wine Shack" with JJ.

From here we headed up the coastline…making a few stops to stretch our legs, fuel up, and even get in a lovely hike!

Until we got to our our next stop, a charming village that reminds me almost of a town in New England. The water towers, the buildings were lovely. JJ enjoyed some nice attention as well.

The town is perched on the cliffside above the Pacific and the trails right off Main Street led to some wonderful views.

IMG_8057b

And we even got a "sign", literally, that our lovely Boy was looking over us.

We ate quite well here!

We loved it here and can't wait to return. It was one of our 2 favorite stops on this road trip.

Thanks for stopping by! I'll try to have something more relevant to dining in San Diego tomorrow before we head home!

Paris Sandwiches Revisted

May 3, 2025 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

My revisit to Banh Mi Express had me wondering how Paris Sandwiches was doing, after all it had been almost a year since my last visit. So, I drove on over for an early lunch.

Paris Sandwiches Rev 01

What I quickly noticed as I walked toward the shop was that there weren't any "old timers" having coffee outside. This was when I first noticed the sign for Saigon Corner, which has seemed to taken over that duty in this strip mall, at least on a couple visits I made.

I kind of consider Paris Sandwiches to be like Banh Mi Express as a "tweener" banh mi shop; attempting to please a varied customer base. Looking at the posted menu; English descriptions, though the Vietnamese names are displayed below. The place was doing some steady business on this day.

Paris Sandwiches Rev 02

I got the Cha Lua (Pork Roll on the menu – $7.05). The two women working the line were super fast and my banh mi was ready in less than five minutes.

This is what it looked like unwrapped.

Paris Sandwiches Rev 03 Paris Sandwiches Rev 04 I've always enjoyed the bread from Paris Bakery and this is basically the same. Nice and light; "crackley", slightly yeasty. The Cha Lua was sliced fairly thin and layered nicely. Not much pate. Also light on the mayo which suited me well.

Not enough pickled veggies on this visit and of course the cucumber was MIA. I had to make some "adjustments" to the fillings as all the jalapenos were piled in the middle and a lot of the cilantro leaves were yellowed; which I removed. Kind of sloppy in my opinion.

Paris Sandwiches Rev 05

While this was an ok banh mi; I felt that the proportion was a bit off and it was kind of sloppily put together. On the good side; this led me to wonder about couple of other banh mi shops that I hadn't been to in a while!

Paris Sandwiches
10606 Camino Ruiz
San Diego, CA 92126
Current Hours:
Mon – Sat 730am – 630pm
Closed on Sunday

Circling Back to Kindred

April 30, 2025 mmm-yoso Cocktails, Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants

Our visit to Kali's Garden Cafe had us wondering how Kindred was doing. It had been almost four years since we visited, which was during the pandemic. As a plus, we knew they had outdoor seating so we went just after the 5pm opening time during the week and got seated along the counter on Beech.

Kindred Rev 01

As always, the service was friendly, though things got a bit tight as the clock ticked along.

Kindred Rev 02

We placed our order and I decided on a cocktail. I asked for something smoky and not too sweet and the "Akuma no Uta" was recommended. I should have known that something titled "The Devil's Song" would be pretty darn stiff.

Kindred Rev 04a

Kindred Rev 04

This was no joke as it made its way down my throat. I actually enjoyed it, but one of these was more than enough!

Our food soon started arriving. Starting with the "Doom Bloom"; basically tempura mushrooms.

Kindred Rev 03

So crisp and light; the earth and almost sweet Shimeji, the savory Oyster, and the meaty Trumpet Mushrooms were really tasty. We both thought the watery-mayonnaisey yuzu sauce was a bit too mild and the mushrooms could have used more salt. But overall, a very nice dish.

I really like Yuba, so of course we got the BBQ Yuba Skewers.

Kindred Rev 05

Grilled in this manner, the yuba attains and interesting crisp, yet chewy texture. The BBQ sauce was interesting, perhaps a bit too sweet, but the pungent hot mustard really cleared our sinuses in a very enjoyable way.

The Chimichurri Seitan has always been a favorite. And it seems they've made it even better.

Kindred Rev 07

The gluten was crisp on the exterior, yet slightly creamy inside. It just went well with the spicy Harissa like sauce and the mild horseradish sauce. This is indeed Satan's Seitan….so good it's evil!

The last item was the "Charred Remains" – charred broccoli.

Kindred Rev 08

The broccoli crowns were nicely charred, the stems a bit too hard. The ricotta cheese really seemed to clash with the spicy chili oil. This was pretty sizeable portion.

Overall, we really enjoyed our meal at Kindred. And even though they won't convert me to "Vegan-ism", they just put out tasty food, and I feel better for eating it. Service was friendly as usual. We'll be sure to not let 4 years go by before revisiting!

Kindred Rev 00

Kindred
1503 30th St.
San Diego, CA 92102
Current Hours:
Mon – Thurs 5pm – MN
Friday 5pm – 1am
Saturday 10am – 1am
Sunday 10am – MN

Where on the road are we?

April 29, 2025 mmm-yoso Monterey/Carmel/Santa Cruz - Monterey Bay/Peninsula, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Santa Barbara County, Travel, yoso-silly

I'm sure you've noticed that my posts have been somewhat sporadic, over the last week or so. Well, what's going on is that after four short road trips with JJ, we're off on a two week one right now. On previous road trips I managed to get a couple of posts done beforehand and thought with two in the can, I would have time to do some posts from the road…well, how wrong I am! I did manage a couple, but with the driving, meals, walks, hiking, shopping, and having JJ around well…..you get the picture.

Anyway, it's been quite fun so far.

I designed it so we started in some rather familiar locales.

Finding dog friendly accommodations and restaurants has been interesting. Though, I must say California has many options.

And we were able to get a nice walk in.

We had dinner at our favorite cocktail bar in the city since it was dog friendly and had a nice time.

Then it was off to what is considered to be the most dog friendly town in California. We stayed at the same accommodations as before. I must say, the place is bustling, but mornings and evenings were quite relaxing. There were so many pooches and scenes like this seagull holding up traffic!

We also did a rather well known drive….which we last did over 20 years ago!

And of course, JJ got into the act.

It seemed that all the restaurants here are dog friendly.

And our favorite meal so far was in this town.

It's been quite a fun adventure so far.

Thanks for letting me share this with you. I'll try to get posts done as JJ allows!

Thanks for dropping by!

Kali’s Garden Cafe (Julian)

April 28, 2025 mmm-yoso Sandwiches, Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants

Back at the end of March, we decided to take JJ up to Julian. I know it might sound strange, but we hadn't been back to Julian since like 2003-2004…over 20 years ago!

And upon parking, we were instantly thrust into the charming old west-mining town. Several businesses were dog friendly and the Missus enjoyed doing some shopping. First at the fun, tourist kitschy, old Americana wielding, Old Julian Garage.

Julian Garage 01

Julian Garage 02

Julian Garage 03

The Old Julian Garage
2126 Main St.
Julian, CA 92036

We also enjoyed The Olde Goat.

Julian Olde Goat 01

Julian Olde Goat 02b

Where we ended up getting some freeze-dried goat milk and freeze-dried goat milk ice cream for JJ.

Julian Olde Goat 03

It's too bad The Olde Goat doesn't include these for mail order, because JJ really enjoyed them.

The Olde Goat
2106 Main St.
Julian, CA 92036

And JJ waited while Momma went and did some pie shopping…..

Julian JJ 01

Though in the end, the Missus decided to go without. She'd never taken to the pies from Julian.

We then had to find a place for an early lunch. We settled on a place with outdoor seating close to where we parked that served Vegan style cuisine named Kali's Garden Cafe.

Kalis Garden 01

The Missus went in and ordered while I hung out with JJ in the patio. After ordering, we just enjoyed the clean, crisp air…..it had been snowing as recently as the week before, but we didn't come across traces during our visit and drive.

Soon enough, the friendly, cheerful young lady brought over our food.

The Missus got the Avocado Toast.

Kalis Garden 02

The bread was nice and crisp-yeasty. A decent sourdough. The avocado was a thin layer of mashed with a sprinkling of a smoky-spicy powder. The bread was the best part of the dish.

The Missus ordered me a jackfruit burger.

Kalis Garden 04

Like the avocado toast, it was the bread; in this case a brioche like bun that had been nicely toasted that was the best part of the dish. The jackfruit "burger" had a mushy texture, and I really couldn't make out much in terms of flavor as it was slatered in a very sweet BBQ sauce and there was a lot of Thousand Island like dressing poured over it.

All in all, an ok meal. We'll explore other options in the area the next time we visit.

Kali’s Garden Cafe
1921 Main St.
Julian, CA 92036
Current Hours:
Fri – Tues 830am – 3pm
Closed on Wed – Thurs

JJ did have a fun time exploring Julian.

Julian JJ 02

As a postscript…..I'm sure most of you know. But three weeks after our visit a 5.2 magnitude earthquake with an epicenter outside of Julian occurred.

Screenshot 2025-04-16 082935

I'm relieved to note that even thought there was some minor damage, that there were no fatalities. As for me; I was driving east on the 52 when my phone went off. I didn't notice a thing. I guess this is a good warning for us to be ready…..

Banh Mi Express Revisited

April 26, 2025 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

Getting the rather "Americanized" banh mi from Poppy Boba had me wondering how some of regular banh mi stops were doing. So, I set out to do some revisits. I decided to start with my most "recent-decent" banh mi, which was from Banh Mi Express, which provides one of the few pre-lunch options that is not fast food or premade bento's in the area on a Saturday morning.

Banh Mi Express Rev 01

The place was doing some pretty good business on this morning. Remember when this was Phuong Nga Bakery and Cafe? Banh Mi Express is kind of interesting as I think of it being a bit of a "tweener" between the more traditional banh mi and more Westernized versions. For instance, the menu only features westernized names for the sandwiches.

Banh Mi Express Rev 02

For instance, I decided on the Cha Lua….which is on the menu as "Pate – Meat Loaf" ($7.75). It seems that the going price for banh mi seems to run in the 7-8 dollar range these days. I couldn't believe the version at Poppy was over ten bucks!

Once back home I unwrapped my Banh Mi.

Banh Mi Express Rev 03

I was glad to note that the house made bread was back to normal, not the rather strange version I got on my previous visit. There was a bit too much mayo for my taste, but a good amount of funky pate was provided. The cha lua were sliced thinly, which I kind of liked. The jalapenos were quite mild and I noticed that the cucumber slices were MIA. The cilantro had quite a bit of think stems.

The bread was crusty and yeasty. There were proportionally less pickled vegetables than I would have enjoyed.

Banh Mi Express Rev 04

Not a bad banh mi; but it did fuel my curiosity even more. It was time to "make the banh mi rounds" as it were.

Banh Mi Express
9353 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92123
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 7am – 4pm
Saturday 8am – 3pm
Closed on Sundays

Spicy Pot from Zhang Liang Malatang (Clairemont Mesa)

April 24, 2025 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants

Well, in a blink of an eye, Sizzling Pot King became a location of Jiang Liang Malatang! Now, on my last visit to Sizzling Pot King just last month, the woman, whom I believe is one of the "owners" of the franchise told me they were "adding" Malatang. I thought they were just going to start serving hot pot in addition to the dry pot, but a drive past the place a couple of weeks later revealed what was going on!

Zhang Liang 01

Whoa! So, it seemed that Sizzling Pot King has become a location of Zhang Liang Malatang. From what I could gather it's a pretty big chain. I know of locations in Rowland Heights and Irvine to name a few places.

It took a bit of work, but I managed to talk the Missus into visiting, because they do a version of dry pot, which they call the "Stir Fried Spicy Pot". We found parking on Engineer Road since the parking lot was full. Upon walking in, I recognized the previous owners of Sizzling Pot King. They explained that we'd fill up a bowl of ingredients just like Malatang and just tell the folks we want "dry pot". So, it was off to the races.

Zhang Liang 02

One good thing I liked about this process was you get to choose your ingredients. I've noted that over time Sizzling Pot King had stopped offering or removed items from the dry pot. Now I could pick my own and there was tripe, Chinese cauliflower, even stuff like Konnyaku Knots, several types of bean curd.

Zhang Liang 03

Of course, all this comes at a price. It's $13.99 a pound for ingredients and another $3.99 charge for the dry pot. Rice is $1.50.

You can season and et things as spicy as you want by adding items from the sauce bar.

Zhang Liang 04

What we picked ended up being $40, with the dry pot upcharge, and one rice. Even with us getting a bunch of different bean curd and mostly offal, this was cheaper than before.

The place filled up pretty quickly. The clientele seemed to be on the younger end of the scale.

Zhang Liang 05

Soon enough our order was delivered. It doesn't look like a whole lot of food, but there was enough for me to have the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Zhang Liang 06 Zhang Liang 07 Not quite as "numbing-hot" as what we had before; though it had more of a pronounced soy sauce – white pepper flavor. It was still decently spicy; but the "stuffs" from the sauce bar made up for things and then some.

The rice was mushy and not very good.

Zhang Liang 08 Zhang Liang 09 We enjoyed the frozen tofu; there was a firm bean curd we didn't care for. The intestine and two types of tripe were lovely….of course the Missus loves quail eggs. The lamb and sliced beef were meh…..at least to us. It seemed that offal was the way to go for this dish. At least for us.

And so, we decided to see what takeout would be like. And I returned and put together a bowl.

Zhang Liang 10

And got a variety of various sauce mixes…….

This came out to be $35.

Zhang Liang 11

The Missus enjoys the raw garlic- chili flakes – raw chilies – sesame oil combination the best.

Zhang Liang 12

In the end Zhang Liang does a decent job of replacing Sizzling Pot King for takeout. Which is what we'll be visiting for.

Zhang Liang 00b

Zhang Liang Malatang
8058 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 1130am – 3pm, 5pm – 930pm
Sat – Sun 1130am – 930pm

Pho Kha

April 23, 2025 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

During my first try at checking out Phonomenal the place was packed. I drove by and saw a line down the block and of course no parking to be found. I hadn't even considered a "plan b". Then I recalled a place that was mentioned to me a while back. I parked on the side of 8th Street and looked up the address. The only reason I remembered the place was that the guy recommending the shop said something that sounded like "Fa-Kha"…….now this was right after we got back from a visit "home". I think ex-pat Kama'aina's like Mar, Kyle, Bruddah James, or Alan might understand why my first response was "what you called me?" Of course I started cracking up when I realized that was the name of the restaurant. The guy had no idea why I was laughing to myself…..he gave me one odd look and went back to having his beer.

Anyway, looking up the place, I noticed the address 2424 Hoover Avenue……whoa, this was in a part of National City I hadn't been to in ages! I think the last time I was close by was when Mi Pana was open. I drove on over and found the shop in that strip mall, with a Starbucks, Denny's, Jersey Mike's and Handel's.

Pho Kha 01

It's a tiny shop, this was a weekend, if I recall, with all businesses, weekdays are busier here. Plus it was 1030 on a Sunday, thus the place was empty.

Pho Kha 02

I was pointed to a table, had a seat and given a menu.

Pho Kha 03

I was here to see how the basic pho was; so I went with the P3 – Rare Steak, Brisket, Tendon, and Tripe; regular size ($15.75).

And then the utensils arrived……

Pho Kha 04

And along with the single sprig of basil….well, you know.

Pho Kha 05

The bowl didn't look to bad when it arrived.

Pho Kha 06 Pho Kha 08 The broth was super salty and "San Diego sweet". It was really defatted, thin, and lacking in richness. There was an abundance of scallion which was nice, but not enough cilantro to overcome the overly salty-sweet soup.

The most interesting was when I took a look at the proteins. Check out the "rare steak"……all the pieces were fully cooked, dry, and tough. There was one piece of hard tendon. The brisket/flank was sliced a bit thick, but had nice beefiness. The best item was the abundant tripe; nice and crunchy.

Pho Kha 07

There was a generous amount of noodles which were decently prepared.

Pho Kha 09

I guess this is what a sixteen dollar bowl of pho is these days?

I'm glad to have tried the pho here, but see no reason to return.

Pho Kha 10

The service was all business and my bowl came out fairly quickly.

Pho Kha 00

Pho Kha
2424 Hoover Ave.
National City, CA 91950
Current Hours:
Daily 9am – 9pm

Wildland and a Revisit to Sleeping Tiger Coffee (Carlsbad)

April 21, 2025 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Dog Friendly

Between all our Road Trips, we’ve taking JJ out to “explore” a bit. On one fine morning, we decided to head up to Carlsbad. We had enjoyed Jeune Et Jolie so much, that when the team behind that restaurant opened a breakfast-brunch-bakery we really wanted to try it out. I had read that dogs were allowed on the patio area, so we decided to head on up.

We easily found parking on State Street and when we passed Wildland, it wasn’t very busy at all. So we took JJ on over for a walk thru the village and along Carlsbad Boulevard.

But first, we decided t get our caffeine fix at a familiar locale, Sleeping Tiger Coffee inside of Witch Creek Winery. The two tables fronting Carlsbad Boulevard were empty, so the Missus sat with J, while I went in and ordered us a Tanzanian Pour Over and a cold brew.

Witch Creek Rev 01

We find it interesting that Starbucks next door is quite busy, while there’s no one getting coffee here.

The Missus enjoys the pour0vers from here and the cold brew is pretty strong and wakes me up.

Witch Creek Rev 03

We sat and relaxed for a bit. We both think the coffee at Sleeping Tiger is much better than the Starbucks next door and wonder why folks aren’t supporting a local business with a superior (in our opinion) product.

Meanwhile; JJ was wondering where “All the witches” were?

Witch Creek Rev 99

**** Sleeping Tiger Coffee is no longer

Sleeping Tiger Coffees (In Witch Creek Winery)
2906 Carlsbad Blvd.
Carlsbad, CA 92008
Current Hours:
Thurs – Mon 7am – 5pm
Tues – Wed 7am – 3pm

Fortified by caffeine we took JJ on a nice stroll along Carlsbad Boulevard overlooking Carlsbad State Beach, finally turning back near lifeguard tower 35. Walking back thru Carlsbad Village and along State, we arrived back at Wildland, which was still not very busy, so we grabbed a table on the patio.

Wildland 01

I sat with JJ while the Missus went to peruse the menu.

Wildland 02

The Missus decided on the three item Smoked Fish Plate ($18). Meanwhile, my food friend “LL” recommended the Shakshuka ($20), and after a pretty “meh” version at Flora, I was interested in trying this one.

Wildland 04

Ordering is done at the counter; you’re given a number and your food is brought to you.

Wildland 03

The Smoked Fish Plate was quite good. We chose the Smoked Salmon, Olive Oil Poached Yellowtail, and the item that really made this for us; the Hot Smoked Pastrami Kampachi, which was full of smoky-peppery-herbaceous flavors.

Wildland 05

Loved the veggies, so fresh, the tomatoes sweetly-fruity-acidic; man, those cucumbers crisp and palate cleansing. The vegetables were excellent. The weak point of the dish was the bread, too chewy, with a hard crust.

As for the Shakshuka.

Wildland 06

I thought this was going to be herb overload, but the dill actually complemented the acidic tones of the dish and the celery leaves added a mild “grassiness” to the dish. It seems that the versions in San Diego use za’atar and leave out the cumin and harissa. The eggs were nice and runny, with a hint of smoky-savoriness.

Wildland 07

As with the smoked fish plate, the bread was the weak link here, being too chewy and the crust hard. Still, the dish was pretty good overall.

We did enjoy our time at Wildland and will make sure to return for that smoked fish plate and JJ enjoyed visiting Carlsbad.
Wildland 00
Wildland
2598 State St.
Carlsbad, CA 92008
Current Hours:
Sun – Thurs 8am – 9pm
Fri – Sat 8am – 10pm

Road Trip – Cailloux Cheese Shop (Solvang)

April 19, 2025 mmm-yoso Cheese, Cocktails, Dog Friendly, French Restaurants, Road Trip, Santa Barbara County, Travel

After our rather "busy" morning and afternoon, we settled back into the Viking Inn for a nice afternoon nap. When dinner time arose, we didn't want to go very far. There was a place we'd seen the previous day, that was actually open on a Tuesday (many businesses are closed on Monday and Tuesday in Solvang). Cailloux Cheese Shop is located in a courtyard that also houses McClain Cellars, Dascomb Cellars, and Cordon Tasting Rooms. It is a cheese shop – restaurant, you purchase cheese – charcuterie – wine to go, or have access to a menu of French style dishes along with accoutrements for a cheese plate along with beer and wine by the bottle or glass.

We were having an early (430) dinner, the place closes at 6pm, and this seemed perfect. So, I went in and placed our order, paid, and we had a seat in the patio. The folks working here are so very friendly and kind. We were immediately asked if we needed the heaters turned on. Which we didn't.

The Missus went with a Chardonnay and I had a Savignon Blanc.

The Missus wanted to try the Cassoulet, which seemed like a bargain at $18, so we started with that.

At this price, I didn't expect anything like what I make at home, but this was pretty good. The Guanciale added a nice rich, porkiness to the dish, which wasn't overly salty.

There was a decent amount of duck in the dish; kind of chewy, but flavorful. The beans unfortunately, were pinto, I didn't expect Tarbais or even Flageolet beans at this price point, but thought even Cannelli would have been better. I did mention this to the kind older woman who helped bring out our dishes; I believe she is the owner, who said pinto beans are the only thing they can afford to keep the price down. I totally understand!

Our Cheese and Charcuterie plate was huge!

I liked the fact that they "flagged" the cheeses for us. I especially enjoyed the Mitica KM39, firm and flavorful, it went well with the bread. I'm a fan of blue cheeses so I enjoyed the Stilton. I wish they sold Port by the glass, which would have been perfect with this; but unfortunately they don't. The Missus enjoyed the Spanish Chorizo and I the prosciutto and pate. The Pico went well with the candied walnuts as well.

This was a generous and well put together plate. The staff are wonderful. I was curious about the name of the place, "Cailloux" translates to "Pebbles" in English, but we weren't near a beach or river bed. I asked and was told that the owner named the shop after her late pooch, named "Pebbles"! You gotta love it! I know JJ did!

We were finishing right before the 6pm closing, but were told "please take your time – we won't be leaving until after 730". Very nice! It was a perfect early dinner for us and we'll make sure to return!

Cailloux Cheese Shop
1623 Mission Dr. Suite L
Solvang, CA 93463

We strolled back to the motel; the Missus relaxed in the little grass area reading. I took JJ for a nice stroll in the neighborhood. After JJ had his dinner, I took JJ to get a nightcap. During our last stay in Solvang, we discovered Vaquero Bar, attached to the Coast Range Steakhouse. The place seemed to have quite a few locals. I decided to take JJ and head on over.

The place was empty, except for one other customer, who seemed to be a regular.

I had a fairly "stiff" Old Fashioned and a nice chat with the Bartender, who also works with the county doing road repairs. He confirmed my "observations" on the morning and evening traffic patterns. He told me that this was indeed "slow" season. Things start picking up at the end of March, going all the way thru summer/early fall.

Vaquero Bar (In Coast Range Restaurant)
1635 Mission Dr.
Solvang, CA 93463

This was a perfect end to an enjoyable stay.

Though we had yet another road trip coming up in a few weeks!

Stay tuned!