mmm-yoso – Page 91

Jerusalem (Before Covid) – Dinner at Pergamon

April 9, 2022 mmm-yoso Israel/Palestine, Israeli Food, Travel, Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants

After returning from our tour of Bethlehem, we relaxed and I took a short nap. Before you knew it the sun had set and Shabbat was over. I hadn't made any reservations for dinner on this night. After having the wonderful vegetables during our Shabbat dinner at Mamilla Rooftop; I thought we'd try our luck at a place known for their vegetarian Mediterranean cuisine named Pergamon. So we headed out to see if we could get a table.

We headed down Shamai Street, then crossed Jaffa Street and found the restaurant. And guess what? They had just opened and there were no customers, so we easily got a table!

I started with a "cold one" and the Missus had a glass of wine while we perused the menu.

We started with the Beets with Pistachios. Man, this was good!

The perfectly roasted beets were tender and sweet; the salty-savory-milkiness of the Manchego cheese really balanced the dish out.

The Eggplant was nicely roasted, tender and smoky.

Of course the nutty and slightly bitter tahini is the perfect foil for the eggplant. The pseudo Tabouli and the peanuts finished off the dish nicely.

The Missus loved the Roasted Butternut Squash and Lentils.

I thought the curried tahini and chilies was a really nice addition to the dish.

They key to the dishes for us here was that the sauces and additions really complemented the main focus of each dish without overwhelming the key element. We were really enjoying the vegetables in Jerusalem.

Pergamon Restaurant
Heleni ha-Malka St. 7
Jerusalem, Israel

It was still pretty early when we finished up dinner; so we decided to walk on over to the Old City.

Entering thru the Jaffa Gate we wandered around David Street……

It was quite interesting as we'd pass something we totally expected…..

And then come across something…well totally unexpected in Jerusalem…..

Roll Tide????

After wandering around a bit more, we ended up at the Damascus Gate.

And decided to head back to the apartment.

I went and picked up a couple of bottles of beer on the way back to the apartment and enjoyed a beer while sitting on the balcony.

As I watched the street below, I still was amazed that I was here; having a beer on a porch…..in Jerusalem.

Thanks for stopping by!

Palestine (Before Covid) – Visiting Bethlehem

April 8, 2022 mmm-yoso Israel/Palestine, Travel

**** Not much food in this one – so, unless you want to see and read about our visit to Bethlehem, you may want to return on another day.

After a nice night of sleep, the Missus and I got up fairly early and had some coffee. It was still Shabbat, so the streets in front of the apartment was very quiet.

We decided to take a short walk into the Old Town.

We passed the sculpture above, called the Center of the World Sculpture on our way to the Jaffa Gate.

Before heading back to the apartment to meet our driver.

We had arranged a half day private tour with Elijah Tours and our driver was right on time. We drove past a barrier check points to meet our guide. I was surprised to find when I returned home many folks I spoke to didn't know the city of Bethlehem is actually located in Palestine.

We met our guide who explained to us that this was a very special day. We saw a stage being set-up near the huge Christmas Tree, as of 2018, about 12% of Bethlehem's population was Christian.

We were guided to the Church of the Nativity, which was constructed under the orders of Constantine on what is believed to be the site of Christ's birth.

We entered thru the tiny Door of Humility, which had been made smaller during the Ottoman period to prevent looters from bringing in large carts into the Nave.

Once inside, I quickly noticed the painted columns lining the Nave.

Along with the "trap door" which displays some of the original mosiac pavement from the 4th century basilica.

The item that really caught my eye were the wall mosaics; which were truly spectacular.

The mosaics date back to the 1160's and were restored between 2015 and 2016.

You can read more about that here.

Our guide walked us to the back of the Nave and pointed to some stairs leading downward. We were told that "if you are Christian, this will be the most important part of the visit." These were the steps to the Grotto of the Nativity; where Jesus was born.

The place where Jesus was supposedly born is marked by a star.

There's also a spot where the manger lay, called the Grotto of the Manger. Whew…..intense stuff that I had only read about and never thought I'd ever see….

Arising from the grotto we were lead thru the Nave into the Church of Saint Catherine.

Which was built in the 1880's by the Franciscans and is the parish church for Roman Catholics in the area.

When we got back out to the street area we noticed barriers up around the street and crowds lining up…….

Our guide told us; "you are very lucky…..today is a very special day. Today the Vatican is returning a piece of Jesus's manger to Bethlehem as a gift from Pope Francis." Whoa….

There was quite a procession; marching bands…and soon enough the folks bringing the relic back to the Church of the Nativity; right at the beginning of advent.

More on this story from the BBC's website. Talk about getting lucky……such serendipitous timing.

Our guide also pointed out the "Popemobile"; the vehicle used by Pope Francis when he visited Bethlehem in 2014.

We were told to take a quick look at the chair the Pope sat in……..which cracked us up…..it's a modified Barber Chair!!

We then had a short visit to the Chapel of the Milk Grotto.

Our next stop was a a short drive outside of central Bethlehem, to the Shepherd's Field. This is where the "Annunciation to the Shepherds" reportedly took place. First, the Chapel of the Shepherd's Field, built by the Franciscans in 1953,

It was beautiful……

Then we were taken to nearby caves which have now been turned into small chapels for worship. These are the very caves that were used by shepherds as shelter.

And it appears that there is still archaeological work going on in the area.

From the hill you can see the new settlements and walls that surround Bethlehem.

We were then taken to a quick tour of Bethlehem which culminated in seeing Banky's iconic Love Is In The Air, Flower Thrower.

From here, we visited the offices of Elijah Tours where we were kindly fed…..

And were given some gifts made by this hard working young man……

And we ended up buying a few items for our more religious friends "back home".

And then our driver appeared and we were driven back to the apartment we were staying in. The Missus and I were pretty quiet on the drive back trying to take in what we had seen on this day. We aren't religious, but it had been quite a day; one that I'm certain we'll never forget.

Kerri; this one is for you, I know you've been waiting for these posts, I hope you enjoy them!

COMC: Jerusalem (Before Covid) – A Wine and Cheese Tour with Israel Wine Journeys and Shabbat Dinner at Mamilla Rooftop Restaurant

April 7, 2022 mmm-yoso Cheese, Israel/Palestine, Israeli Food, Travel, Wine Bars/Wineries

**** I'm trying to get these pre-Covid trip posts done; so I'm not going too deep on this one. So consider this a C(learing) O(ut the) M(emory) C(ard) post.

For our first day in Jerusalem, I booked a wine tour with Israel Wine Journeys, mainly for the Missus. And just let me say that Yakov was a joy to work with and tailored the two tastings to the Missus.

While for me; Yakov decided to take us to a Dairy and Cheesemaker for a light lunch – a goat farm; Iza Piziza Dairy.

Yakov was amazing…..we do recommend Israel Wine Journeys; they did a custom tour for us.

This was a Friday; so Shabbat started at sunset. There are specific rules to food preparation on Shabbat; no cooking or baking or using any heat source for preparation of food is allowed. Many restaurants are closed on Shabbat, but I really wanted to have a Kosher Shabbat meal. After doing a bit of research I found that the Mamilla Hotel's Rooftop Restaurant had a cold Shabbat menu. So we made our way down the eerily quiet streets of Jerusalem and got to the Mamilla Hotel and the rooftop restaurant.

Which was really quiet…..

The view was wonderful though…..

And we had a light dinner of cold dishes. The vegetables we had during our time in Jerusalem were excellent and this was our first real exposure to it; the tomatoes were especially wonderful.

The two young "kids" serving us were a bit green, but very sweet……

This was a nice, light and refreshing meal.

Rooftop (In the Mamilla Hotel)
Shlomo ha-Melekh Street 11
Jerusalem, Israel

After dinner we headed back to the apartment along the quiet, almost silent streets of Jerusalem.

We had a busy day planned; so it was time to get some sleep……

Chicken Wing Wednesday, the Food Court Edition – Revisits to Krispy Krunchy Chicken, Katzya, and Gala Chicken

April 6, 2022 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings

My recent visits to bb.q Chicken got me back into a "chicken wing thang". So the quickest way out of those cravings was to; well, just some wings, right? I decided to revisit three food court chicken locations and see what was up. So here goes.

Krispy Krunchy Chicken:

**** Krispy Krunchy Chicken is now a location of Cluck n Sip

I have to admit, KKC is the easiest target for me; since the location, in 99 Ranch Market on Balboa is never crowded and there's always parking. Though without folks in the office these days; I can't order the 10 wing minimum that's necessary for it to be cooked to order…..and these days; there's just no way I can finish 10 wings without qualifying for bypass surgery. So, just like the last takeout order from KKC, man, that was like July of 2020; I'd be just going for the five piece with potato wedges.

Sorry for the dated photo above; but I basically ordered and went shopping in 99 Ranch, so I forgot to take a photo of the place.

As for the chicken; well they do have a consistently C(K)rispy, C(K)runchy product in my opinion.

My timing must have been pretty good as the wings were still hot and pretty juicy when I arrived home. Yes, crunchy, moist, and these were the saltiest of the three places I tried, but not too bad. I still automatically think of Popeyes whenever I have these, though I do think they are better than that chain now. I always either get the Louisiana style hot sauce at KKC or if I'm eating at home, the bottle of Crystal comes in handy….to help cut thru the fryolated saltiness.

Unlike the chicken; the potato wedges were dry and starting to get soggy.

Krispy Krunchy Chicken
5950 Balboa Ave (In the 99 Ranch Market Food Court)
San Diego, CA 92111

Katzya:

**** Katzya has closed

It had been a couple of years since I'd been to Katzya. So, after my visit to KKC; I thought it would be good to do a revisit.

The specter of Covid dies hard…..things had always seemed to be at rather close quarters in the H Mart food court. Even though I arrived right when the place opened; it got crowded quickly. I placed my order and decided to wait by the front door of H Mart as my wings were fried.

In order to compare to the chicken from KKC, I went with the regular fried chicken wings.

This would turn out to be my favorite of the three set of wings I had. The wings were still crisp and pleasantly (not overly) crunchy (or crumbly) when I got home. Moist and decently seasoned…balanced in a way….as I didn't need to add anything to cut salt, richness……and not greasy in the least. The chicken was much better than I recalled.

I did think the Mul Kimchi here was a bit too sweet for my taste.

The only hesitation I have is the price – $14.99 for 7 wings…….

Katzya
(In the H Mart Food Court)
7725 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111

Now this was going to be it….except, I wondered if Gala Chicken had wings back in stock. If you recall on my previous visit Gala was out of wings and I was told they weren't sure of when, or even if they'd have wings again. Still, I decided to head on over to check.

Gala Chicken:

**** Zion Market has moved and Gala did not make the move with the market

And guess what; wings were back on the menu. So, I went ahead and ordered the wings to go. The wait here was the longest, almost 30 minutes, but at least they'd be cooked to order, right?

I really like the gentleman who works here; he seems to be very nice.

Eventually, my wings were ready….I actually should have gone and done some shopping while I waited; but I really didn't need anything from Zion.

I got home and opened the container ASAP.

It would turn out that this would be my least favorite of the three places I visited. First off; the batter was getting soggy by the time I got home; it was unevenly battered, and for some reason the chicken was on the greasy side. I mean things were bad enough when Gala first opened and they used to cut into the chicken with a knife to check doneness; but this just wasn't very good in my opinion.

I will say that I prefer the Mul Kimchi here to the version at Katzya.

Gala Chicken (Inside of Zion Market Food Court)
7655 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Hope you're having a good Wednesday; whether you're having chicken wings or not!

Hoxton Manor – A Quick Look

April 5, 2022 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion

**** Hoxton Manor has closed

So, I thought I'd better get around to to this one….this is the visit that had me wondering if I should do these "quick look" posts. Hoxton Manor seemed to make a bit of a splash when it opened; mainly on the name of chef Ryan Costanza, who opened acclaimed Dija Mara in Oceanside. And so I thought it might be worth a visit. I went and let the Missus preview the menu and She was all in.

This visit was just before the Omicron surge….we hadn't dined indoors in San Diego for ages and the Missus was really excited to try this discreet, signless restaurant in the former location of the North Park Breakfast Company. So I made reservations for the earliest possible time.

The interior look nicely styled, though the hard surfaces really amplified the sound in the restaurant and the music was very loud during our visit.

The menu looked wonderful; with seemingly reinvented-modern renditions of classic Asian dishes. As is our MO we stuck with apps and starters so we could get a wide ranging set of dishes.

First up was the Duck Confit & Oyster Mushroom Imperial Roll.

This fancy Cha Gio was quite beautiful. However, with all the "stuffs" garnishing it a key component was lost……the wrapper was not crisp/crunchy; more chewy and hard. Good amount of oyster mushrooms, which presented with a nice earthiness but made the whole spring roll overly chewy and we could not make out any flavor from the duck confit.

The Marinated Hamachi was waaaaay too sour.

Man, if done right, the shiso would have added a wonderful anise brightness to the dish; but there was way too much of it, which seemed like a bit of a waste and the pickled cucumber and marinade for the super thin slices of yellowtail just overwhelmed the dish.

We saw some yakitori type items on the menu and were intrigued; so we ordered the Pork Meatball and the Oyster Mushroom Skewers.

The oyster mushrooms were really tough and rubbery and was super salty. I expected a bit more smokiness; as in the "touch of binchotan", but that was lacking as well.

I just had to order the pork meatballs……after all I've often said that whether in San Diego or in Japan (this is the original Yakyuudori in Nagoya); I tend to judge the skill of the cook by the Tsukune (here's one of our favorites from Torito in Kyoto). And even though this was pork not chicken there's the combining of the meat and fat at the appropriate ratios along with how it is mixed…….to make it moist, tender, and almost airy that appeals to me. And adding the perfect amount of salt and tare to create a nice caramelization and crisp exterior as well. I had wondered if Hoxton would be able to do this with pork….and sadly; this was super tough; the tare of nuoc mam might have worked; but this was just too tough and dry.

The best dish of the evening was the Taiwanese Fried Chicken.

The chicken was crisp and light, perfectly seasoned, tender, just a joy to eat. It paired well with the basil; but the pickled cucumbers; sort of like kyuri amazu-ae detracted from the dish.

The last item out was the "Vietnamese Crepe" a version of Banh Xeo. Much like the version of Cha Gio; this was quite over wrought.

It really didn't need an overdose of perilla leaf (Tia To). Also the crepe was not light and crisp, but just hard and rubbery. The pork was very salty and this was just hard for us to enjoy….so hard that we just had to leave most of it.

To say this was a disappointing meal…well……we had not eaten in a restaurant for ages at this point in time and were really looking forward to this meal. The presentations were interesting; but the combinations just didn't seem to work for us. Aspects of certain dishes (the "soul") had been lost. It just seemed more "con-fusion", then fusion, this coming from a kid from Hawaii…you know, the home of Hawaii Regional Cuisine???

You see why I was torn when trying to figure out if I should do these posts based on one visit. In the days before Covid; based on price and the experience we would never have returned and this post would never had seen the light of day and the photos would have been sent to the recycle folder.

Tell me what you think?

The Missus and I always look forward to our dinners out and the pandemic has just magnified how much we missed dining out. We and our pocketbook take no joy when we have disappointing meals.

Hoxton Manor
3131 University Ave.
San Diego, CA 92104

Circling Back to 777 Noodle House

April 3, 2022 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

My visit to Minh Ky was really encouraging in a way. It used to be that I'd head up to City Heights a couple of times a month to see what was going on. And every so often there would be something new…..whether it was a new Peruvian place or maybe that a long time BBH place would be moving. You never know….back in 2010; I noticed that a billiard place on University had closed and was becoming something called 777 Noodle House. Which started a long chain of visits; some of which was documented here. 777 has always been a nice stop for reasonably priced grub for me; though my last visit was one for takeout back in February of last year. And strangely, the circumstances were the same. Like the last time, I had been trying to visit Tu Thanh, but there was no parking to be found in the area. So, I headed on over to 777.

There's one woman there who is always so friendly and noted "I haven't seen you in a long time" when I entered. I told her that unlike the last time; I'd be dining in. Especially since there was only one other table occupied during my visit.

My usual when I'm dining solo at 777 is the Hu Tieu Nam Vang ("Phnom Penh Noodles") Kho ("Dry"); but this time I was craving some "Mi" (egg noodles), but I still wanted to gnaw on that pork shank. So, to mix things up a bit; I went with the Mi Trieu Chau (Chaozhou – Chiuchow) Kho (Dry). Like most everywhere else, prices have risen, but here at least it's still under ten bucks at $9.97 and if you just wanted the version that's just noodle soup it would be $7.97.

Soon enough it arrived. This time around the broth the pork shank was in wasn't overly salty and the shank had a good amount of tender gnawable meat.

The noodles were nicely firm, with a good stretch…..this is where takeout often falls short. Good amount of savory-mildly sweet sauce as I mixed everything together.

I'm used to slightly over-cooked shrimp here; but today, it wasn't bad at all.

Don't diss the blanched bean sprouts as it adds a mildy sweet-earthiness to the dish along with textural contrast. I use the broth from the shank soup to even out any saltiness and also at the end to get every bit of flavor from the bowl. There's no rocket science here; it's simple, comforting (for me) good grub, which is what I really wanted on this morning. Something I'd been missing during Covid.

And as always, the food gives me insight…..into the diaspora of ethnic Chinese from Chaozhou, who emigrated to Cambodia, then Thailand, ending up in Vietnam, and then finally San Diego.

I've mentioned that I had heard Annie; that wonderful, friendly woman who has been working here; along with her sister, and the gentleman who always calls me "sir", for 12 years now; speak to customers in Vietnamese, then Mandarin to another family, and then Spanish to another before. Amazing!

To quote the late Ed from Yuma who, in his last post wrote:

"I just want to dedicate this post to ALL our immigrant mothers, fathers, and ancestors. We/they are America."

777 Noodle House
4686 University Avenue
San Diego, CA 92105

Saturday Stuffs: Lucy Ethiopian Replacing FireBirds Chicken, the Sign for Kumo is up, and Taking a Drive in Serra Mesa

April 2, 2022 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Exploring San Diego, Japanese Restaurants, Sandwiches, Thai Restaurants, yoso-silly

Just a couple of things for a damp and chilly Saturday.

Lucy Ethiopian Replacing FireBirds Chicken:

I had been wondering when I'd see signs (no pun intended) that the Hot Chicken fad was hitting saturation point. Well, on a recent visit to City Heights I drove past what is now the former location of FireBirds Chicken. It looks like it'll be replaced by "Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant".

So, like Poke Bowls, Ramen, Korean Style Hot Dogs………

4155 University Ave.
San Diego, CA 92105

The Sign for Kumo Is Up:

Back in June of last year, I read that a Japanese Sando shop was opening in the Plaza Sorrento Food Court. According to what I read, both in the Eater post and on what I'm assuming is the businesses website, it was going to open during the summer of 2021.

During my visits to Nanay's and Sue's Korean Kitchen I took a look around and did see empty businesses but no definite sign of the place.

Fast forward to my last last visit to Sue's….well, there it was.

The shop is actually suite 108, right next to Sue's.

I'm guessing all this Covid-ness and such has caused a delay in the opening.

6755 Mira Mesa Blvd.
Suite 108
San Diego, CA 92121

Taking a Drive in Serra Mesa:

I'm finally starting to get out a bit more; though I'm still a bit cautious and "gun shy".

Recently, after doing some shopping at Nijiya; I decided to take "the long way home", via Aero Drive. For a few years our office was located near Montgomery Field. But I really never visited the area much once we moved our offices. And since Covid, other than a single takeout visit from Kokoro; I can't say I've been in the area at all.

So, I decided to just take a quick drive to see how things are.

Just along Aero Drive; well, there are noticeable changes. The long time Argentinian restaurant Pampas Grill closed in 2019 and the spot is still empty.

Though Pear's Thai, which was previously Ka Ti Thai is still there.

Down on Murphy Canyon Road; well, there's a lot more changes.

Pho SaiGon Bliss is now Luxe Boba & Tea.

3755 Murphy Canyon Rd
San Diego, CA 92123

And the mall seems to have a lot of vacancies.

And the Sizzler closed down in 2020, around the time the chain filed Chapter 11. This space is also still empty.

I believe there's one location left in San Diego….not that I'm going to plan on eating there anytime soon. Though Sizzler was a regular stop after working the evening shift back home in Honolulu, though that location closed down years ago as well.

It does seem things are a lot more stable around the strip mall off Sandrock and Greyling.

I'm sure "Mr Z" will be happy to note that Thai Pepper Cuisine is still open! Hope all is well Mr Z!

3361 Sandrock Road
San Diego, CA 92123

And both Kokoro and Maggie's Cafe are still open.

3232 Greyling Dr
San Diego, CA 92123

And heck, I passed this business with the Grand Opening sign……but no other signage….I'll check them out; along with Soup Du Jour (formerly Carve Modern Deli) hopefully soon.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Roadtrip (During Covid) – Angels Landing (Zion), Grafton Ghost Town (Rockville), Pa’rus Trail (Zion), and Dinner (Again) at the Zion Canyon Brewpub (Springdale)

April 1, 2022 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Beer, Chicken Wings, Pubs and Pub Grub, Road Trip, Travel, Utah

*** This is a pretty long post with not much food; so I wouldn't mind at all if you'd just like to return on another day!

I knew that our first full day in Zion was going to to be a full one. The Missus really wanted to do Angels Landing. I wasn't too thrilled about doing the trail, but I knew the Missus had it on Her "list". So, to avoid the crowds and such; I planned for our visit to be during the first week after the shuttle stopped running and more importantly, the week after Thanksgiving. We drove into Zion early and easily found parking. The place was pretty quiet and we crossed over the Virgin River to get started.

The initial walk up wasn't too bad and the view was very nice.

And then we entered a pretty area known as Refrigerator Canyon.

And soon enough it starts getting a bit more strenuous.

And then there are the 21 fairly steep switchbacks; known as "Walter's Wiggles"…..sheesh….

Which culminated in an area called Scouts Lookout.

I thought it would be a good place for me to stop and let the Missus do Her thing.

This isn't "Angels Landing" you might say. Why do you want to stop here?

Well…….

But I just couldn't let the Missus go on alone.

And the last portion of the hike is called the Spine…..for a simple reason……

That last portion is is done on what feels like the edge of a cliff…..which it basically is; made of sandstone no less. There are chains bolted into the side of the cliff to use as hand holds as you make your way up. And, btw, that "little person" you see in the background in the photo to the right is me. Oh, and did I mention that I don't like heights?

The Missus tried to motivate your truly by shaming me a bit. Telling me that an ex-coworker, the one who met us for dinner in Kyoto did Angels Landing.

And if she could do it, well I should be able to; so forth and so on. In the end, I just went ahead and did it. The sandstone is a bit slippery, but I made it.

Of course the Missus was in "Her element" and this was just a breeze for Her.

It was actually more difficult (and scary) descending.

And here's the kicker; after finishing up the hike, the Missus sent a text to the young lady telling her that even I managed to climb up to Angels Landing. Her response? "Really, I stopped before the chains!"

What?!?!?! Needless to say, I felt just a tad betrayed here.

And even "Mr Hiking" himself; Calvin stopped at Scout's Lookout.

Hmmm……like they say; "there's one born every minute….."

Though I did feel a bit proud when I saw a guy waiting at Scout's lookout for his significant other, a young lady who I passed on my way down from the top.

I'd say the hike down was a bit harder on the knees and joints; but we did pretty good time, less than 2 1/2 hours.

It was a stroke of luck that we'd arrived the week after Thanksgiving as things weren't very crowded; though we passed quite a few folks heading up on our way down.

Angels Landing is quite popular, I just read that you will now have to get a permit to hike Angels Landing from April 1st.

Because it was still early when we completed our hike; we decided to head into Springdale to fuel up and then head off to a place I'd read about called Grafton Ghost Town.

I read that Grafton was the most photographed Ghost Town in the US and was also in quite a few movies, including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It was featured in the famous Bicycle Scene; along with a small-kid favorite song of mine; Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head. I just can't help believing (sorry BJ Thomas "dad joke" insertion) humming that tune as I type this.

Five of the original thirty structures have been restored by the Grafton Heritage Partnership.

The Grafton Heritage Partnership site has a history of the town; established in 1859, the last resident left Grafton in 1945.

The place was so very quiet; we were the only visitors, so we strolled around the buildings. The large Alonzo H Russell home was open so we took a look inside and also walked down into the cellar.

Which provided a peek into a different time.

On the way back, we made sure to stop at the Grafton Cemetery, which gave us a deeper look into the struggles of the folks who settled here.

The surroundings are stunningly beautiful; but the stories are of hardship and tragedy.

This is a wonderful post on Grafton.

After visiting Grafton we headed back to our room, had a super light lunch and relaxed for a while.

Of course, after a while the Missus was itching to do something. So, we decided to take a nice stroll along the easy, paved, Pa'rus Trail, which follows the Virgin River.

There were many instructional-informational signs along the way.

It's one of the few trails that allow leashed pooches and we ran into a couple of happy ones; along with folks biking and families.

All while listening to the comforting sound of the Virgin River….

The mighty Virgin River…..

And like on all our hikes in Zion; there was wildlife to be seen.

We walked until the Canyon Junction Bridge before turning around and heading back to our room.

By now it was getting close to dinner time. Now, in spite of getting the right location and timing the crowds and access for our road trip; there was one thing I'd missed. It seems that many of the restaurants; especially the ones we wanted to eat at in Springdale close for a break following the Thanksgiving weekend. So, we decided to head back across the parking lot to the Zion Canyon Brewpub.

We sat on the back patio again. This time there were several feral cats roaming around. One of them decided to entertain him/herself with one of the customers bags.

There would be no burgers for us this time. We decided to go full on "fry mode" and ordered the Chicken Wings ($12), Chimichurri Fries ($6), and Beer Battered Onion Rings ($6). Actually, this was pretty cheap dinner.

I gotta say; those onion rings weren't bad. Crisp, not greasy, fairly light, and nicely seasoned.

And of course, a cold one.

Zion Canyon Brew Pub
95 Zion Park Blvd.
Springdale, UT 84767

As we walked back to our room we noticed that the Christmas Tree was up in the parking lot.

It was time to relax and then head off to sleep…..

Roadtrip (During Covid) – The Watchman Trail (Zion) and Dinner at the Zion Canyon Brewpub (Springdale)

March 31, 2022 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Beer, Burgers, Gastropub, Road Trip, Travel, Utah

After our dinner at Partage we had a nice night of sleep. And then we headed off for Zion early the next morning after fueling up the car.

As for where we stayed….well, I'd learned some lessons during our road trips and made some adjustments. First, we stayed near Springdale, at the Cable Mountain Lodge, in Zion Canyon Village. There was a grocery, a brew pub, and the town of Springdale was a short walk away.

Zion Canyon Village is also right at the west entrance to Zion as well. We arrived too early to check in; but there were some trails nearby, so we got our parking pass, and then I headed off to the Entrance Station right across the Virgin River. However, the station wasn't manned, so I walked over to the Visitor Center where there were two Rangers sitting at a desk and asked them about getting my entrance passes and paying my fee. I was told that I'd need to drive to the Toll Booth, pay for my 7 day pass, then return and start hiking……the other Ranger, who was really nice asked me how long we were staying and I said 3 nights…..he said since the pass was for 7 days and no one is manning the booths, that I could just go ahead and do the Watchman or the Pa'rus Trail and we'd just pay when we enter the park in the morning. I jokingly said; "if I do that; you won't send the FBI or CIA after me on the trail will you?" I heard someone cracking up nearby. A young lady was poaching wifi on her laptop and heard me. She laughingly said; "that's exactly the same thought I had……" Anyway, the two Rangers just cracked up and gave me their names; you know, "just in case a black helicopter tried to abduct me." These guys were hilarious.

So, there are three trails nearby; the easy, paved Pa'rus Trail, the Archaeology Trail, and the Watchman Trail which is a bit over 3 miles in and back with a 600+ foot elevation gain….well, you know which one the Missus picked, right?

The Watchman Trail. We found the trailhead after passing the Watchman Campgrounds right past the Visitor Center and Stores and headed off.

We saw way more wildlife in Zion than Yosemite.

It was a beautiful trail.

And the views….

There's a little loop trail at the top so you get a nice view of the valley below.

I actually really enjoyed this hike; it wasn't too hard, the views were amazing.

By the time we finished up our hike; it took us a bit under 2 hours, we were able to check in.

Now, there's another thing I learned after our stay near Yosemite….we'd need at least a small fridge and a microwave. Well, our room at Cable Mountain Lodge was huge. It also had a real kitchen; stove, oven, microwave, dishwasher (!), and full sized refrigerator.

As well as quite a view from the patio!

For dinner we walked across the parking lot to the Zion Canyon Brewpub.

And while there was ample seating inside; this is right at the doorstep of Zion, so we requested a table on the back patio.

I got a nice Amber Ale to start.

And the Missus….well, She got a burger (of course).

The burger was ok, it was anointed with Swiss Cheese, jalapeno bacon jam, and garlic aioli. But what the Missus really enjoyed was that onion ring and the Chimichurri Fries; which were crisp and had a decent amount of garlic and olive oil flavor.

I decided on the Elk Burger, which wasn't bad.

I enjoyed the mushrooms which had been sautéed in the amber ale; nice earthy-sweetness. I had seen that they put something called "Utah Fry Sauce" on the burger. I cracked up when I tasted it……it's basically the "poor man's thousand island dressing" I grew up eating; "mayo and ketchup"! The burger was mild in flavor, kind of gritty, and a bit over done.

Overall, this is what we kind of expected…….though as a whole it might had more "personality" (and was cheaper) then what we had at Rush Creek.

Zion Canyon Brew Pub
95 Zion Park Blvd.
Springdale, UT 84767

After dinner, I crashed early. The Missus already had some plans for tomorrow and it would be a full day.

Thanks for stopping by!

Black Radish – A Quick Look

March 29, 2022 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, European Restaurants, Seafood

*** So here's another of those "quick looks"…..

The Missus had really enjoyed Wolf in the Woods, so of course She wanted me to find another place for the following week. I did a couple of searches and up popped a place named Black Radish. Hmmmm……I hadn't even heard of this place. Apparently, the building on the corner of University and Villa Terrace had been restored. It's an area I call the "dead zone"…between Hillcrest and North Park. I probably drove past this place several times and never even noticed it!

So, I made reservations for 5pm during a weekday. Which was great since we were the first customers in the place and there were only three tables occupied when we left.

There's a bar area and various tables; the woman who served us was quite friendly and the Missus enjoyed Her glasses of wine.

There's a prefix dinner option for $69, but we often find that starters/apps are often more interesting; so we decided on something from the "bar snacks menu", 3 starters, and one main to share.

Things started off with a decent amuse; white halibut, which was done in a "ceviche-style".

Nice and refreshing; a good start.

Of course, I just had to try the Beef Tartare.

We enjoyed the basil microgreens and the fruit provided. The goat cheese added a light acidic-milky tone to the dish. I thought the dice was a bit too coarse leaving the beef on the chewy side. I could have used a bit more acidity and some light pungency in this.

I believe I mentioned that the Missus isn't a big lobster fan; I think She's had too many bad versions. However, I insisted on ordering the Lobster Toast.

Which was a good move. The lobster was cooked perfectly, so tender, it was oceany-sweet, and the brioche added a buttery-mild sweetness, along with textural contrast. We both enjoyed the leaves of what seemed like radicchio….lovely bitterness that went so well with the brown butter. There was some nice citrus tones as well. This was quite good.

The item we selected from the Bar Snacks menu was the Roasted Pork Belly.

In terms of flavor, this was quite good; the Gooseberry Jus was rich and yet had some tartness which helped to cut said richness. The pork was on the "hard" side; not chewy, hard…..too bad because we really enjoyed the combination of flavors.

The Scallop was perfectly cooked as well; very rare, it could have been perhaps seared a bit more; but it was so sweet-savory.

I wish there was more than one! This was very good.

We also ordered the "special" for the evening; the Lamb Chop "Cassoulet"….you know me and Cassoulet!

The lamb chops was cooked to a perfect medium rare; it was nice and mildly gamy. The beans was also cooked to a tongue coating creaminess. Sadly, the lamb chops needed more seasoning and the beans were really bland. I mean, really bland….I could have used some thyme, salt, pepper, garlic, acidity, pungency….well anything. Oh my. As is often our experience when ordering the "plat principle" we are often left somewhat disappointed. Too bad, this really could have been good!

The Missus ordered dessert and espresso which She really enjoyed.

As a whole, we really enjoyed the vibe and service here….it was much more relaxed than Wolf in the Woods. Of course we were the only customers during half of our meal. Of the three recent meals we had; this was the most expensive at $170 for 2. The Missus enjoyed the wine She had; so like Wolf in the Woods, we'll probably return.

Black Radish
2591 University Ave.
San Diego, CA 92104
Current Hours:
Wed – Sat 5pm – 10pm