mmm-yoso – Page 97

Paris (Before Covid) – Revisits to Jefrey’s and Boulangerie Régis Colin and Lunch at Artisan de la Truffe BHV

November 12, 2021 mmm-yoso Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Cocktails, Croissants, France, French Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

**** I know that "FOY" Kerri has been kind of looking forward to these posts; so here goes

Man, November of 2019 seems so long ago….. I've kind of held back on these posts; but thought I'd just better get them done. I'm going to do rather condensed posts. This was a trip the Missus was really looking forward to; Her favorite city; Paris, travel to Israel, Jordan, and Provence. And though it didn't end up quite the way we planned (more on that later) it was still quite memorable.

We arrived in Paris at around 730pm, which, since we'd been to Paris a couple of times already wasn't a big deal. We caught the RER from CDG and got off at Les Halles. We were staying at the same apartment that we'd booked for our last stay in Paris, so we knew the drill. How to pick up the keys; where the apartment was located, etc……

We'd eaten on our flight to Paris; but really wanted a nightcap; so we headed off to a cocktail bar we enjoyed on previous visits; Jefrey's.

**** Jefrey's has closed

They were having some special cocktails during this week; so we tried a few…..

And of course I enjoy Monkey Shoulder; so we enjoyed ourselves. Folks here are very welcoming and since it was a Thursday night the place wasn't overly busy.

Jefrey's
14 Rue Saint Sauveur
75002 Paris France

We enjoy Paris at the end of November……

As the Christmas season swings into gear.

The next morning I was up early as usual. The Missus wanted a croissant from a place we had enjoyed during our last trip; Boulangerie Régis Colin, so I headed on out.

**** Boulangerie Régis Colin has closed

Sadly, the croissant was disappointing this time around. Unevenly baked, lacking in butter, and too doughy…..

Boulangerie Régis Colin
53 Rue Montmartre
75002 Paris, France

After having our light "breakfast" the Missus needed Her caffiene (and people watching fix), so we headed on down the street to Café Montorgueil for our Café Allonge.

And to check out folks heading out for the day and doing their "morning stuffs"…….this pooch was focused on something in the gutter…must have smelled good.

Café Montorgueil
55 Rue Montorgueil
75002 Paris, France

And then we headed out….with no plan, we just wanted to wander around and take in Paris. You know, the Flâneur/Flâneuse thing. We headed up Rue Saint-Denis to start things out. I'm sure you've heard of the Arc de Triomphe, but did you know there's one located on Boulevard St Denis. The Porte Saint-Denis was originally the site of a gate of the city walls of the city. The arch was built in 1672 by François Blondel to honor and celebrate the King Louis XIV's victories in the Rhine and in Franche-Comté.

From here we wandered over to the 4th and then the 3rd Arrondissements…….

Until we were getting a bit hungry. Since we had enjoyed eating at Maison de la Truffe during an earlier visit, I thought we'd hit up Artisan de la Truffe located in the BHV Department Store.

We got the Foie Gras with Truffle along with the Charcuterie with Truffle "Planche". For several reasons, we didn't enjoy this as much. The temperature of the foie gras, cheese, and charcurterie were too cold, the bread seemed to be getting a bit "old"….it just didn't do it for us. But hey, we did get enough calories to keep us going for the rest of the day, right?

Artisan de la Truffe (in the BHV Department Store – 3rd Floor)
52 rue de Rivoli
75004 Paris, France

From here we headed off and just enjoyed the city…..

And of course we had to see what was going on at Notre Dame……there didn't seem to be much happening on this day.

We eventually headed back up to the area where we were staying. While walking thru Passage du Grand Cerf…..

I had an idea for another stop…….

Stay Tuned!

Takeout from Koon Thai

November 7, 2021 mmm-yoso Thai Restaurants

Thai cuisine is usually something for warmer weather for the Missus and I. But, for some reason, I was craving the Khao Karr Moo from Koon Thai. The last time I did takeout, waaay back in June of last year, they were out of Khao Karr Moo. This time I was thinking of getting some "Pad Cha Pork Wing", but now that's no longer on the menu.

Anyway, I did an online order and got the Khao Karr Moo now priced at $15. I arrived at the time specified and my order was ready……and I also counted seven other takeout orders lines up behind the counter. Good for them; it seems that they are doing pretty well.

Things were wrapped up nicely.

And the portion size was pretty large.

This had much more "gravy" then what I'd had before and was a lot sweeter and more greasy then I recalled. The pork was tender though and it did have that bit of "comfort" in the dish. The boiled eggs were fine if a tad overcooked and I do wish there was bit more preserved mustard greens as it helped to cut the greasiness a bit.

There was a ton of rice provided; which was done decently.

I also saw a Pork Belly Larb ($14.50) on the menu; so I ordered that as well – medium spice.

They weren't shy with their use of the roasted rice powder and I appreciated the nuttiness it added. The pork had been deep fried and was tending more toward the hard, then the crisp end of the spectrum. Still, it wasn't bad. The overall flavor was on the mild side, I would have appreciated a bit more spice, I guess I need to order things "hot" here. Could have used a bit more lime as well. No, it won't make me forget the pork belly larb from Soi 30th, but this wasn't too bad.

I was hoping the Khao Karr Moo would take me back to a meal we had in a food court in Nong Khai. The flavors of the KKM on previous visits did just that, taking me back to two meals we had in that food court….of a hospital, that we enjoyed! But this time it kind of fell short. You can't win 'em all…..

Koon Thai Kitchen
3860 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

San Francisco (Before Covid) – The Croissant Files and Angler

November 3, 2021 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Bangkok, Croissants, Fine Dining, San Francisco and Silicon Valley, Travel

I was cleaning out photos that I didn't think I needed or wanted anymore and came across two sets from our trip to San Francisco right before the "official" start of the pandemic. It was January of 2020….I had thought about just deleting this…..but after pondering after a couple of minutes, I thought I'd just do a quick post, especially since I'd done posts on other places during that same visit. So here goes with a minimum of "chatter" from me.

We awoke to a nice sunrise…….and on this day, I thought we'd do a bit of walking and grab some croissants at places along the way. So we headed down Sutter Street to the first location I new was open on this day; Le Marais Bakery……which brought a smile to our faces since Le Marais is a frequent stop on our trips to Paris.

We grabbed some coffee and a Croissant aux Buerre to start things off.

The croissant was a bit dry and the amount of butter to salt was quite low. Though it was nicely flaky/crusty…so decent texture, but nothing I'd return for.

Le Marais Bakery
1138 Sutter St.
San Francisco, CA 94109

From here we headed up Sutter Street passing some beautiful looking houses…yes, that architectural walking tour in Pacific Grove has developed a mild fascination with all these historical houses. Like the "Payne House", which is now a hotel.

On left here is the JACL Headquarters…..

And then walked thru a very quiet Japantown to our next destination.

To the bustling Jane the Bakery.

This would be the best of the three Croissants we had during this walk.

Jane The Bakery
1881 Geary Blvd.
San Francisco, CA 94115

From here we headed down Geary, taking a right on Divasidero…..

Then a quick left on California to a place that had been recommended to me named B Patisserie.

This place was quite popular…..

Though I don't think it's for their plan croissants which lacked butter, was dry, and just not to our taste.

b. patisserie
2821 California St.
San Francisco, CA 94115

The great thing is; these three places are still open….so you can check them out and make your own decision…..

From here we headed down Divasadero and took a left onto Hayes Street; taking some time to watch the pooches having fun at Alamo Square Park.

We had fun watching the dogs……and I think next time I might pay more attention to the architecture in the area.

We headed back west on Hayes Street to the area known as the Hayes Valley, which seemed quite hipster to us….and took a break at a park named Patrica's Green, which is home to Tara Mechani.

There was also this structure which grabbed our attention.

From here we headed west and then took a left on Market Street, where we encountered the San Francisco I recall from visiting in the 90's.

After taking a short break (nap), we headed out for dinner. I'd made reservations at Angler.

Which is kind of known for the seafood and such; but the Missus was interested in the vegetable dishes. It seemed like a great place (this was before the Michelin star) for a nice, light dinner. And, to be perfectly honest, in spite of the spotty service, it was the best meal of the trip.

We went with mostly vegetables; except for the Antelope Tartare.

Which I loved…..great balance of savory-gamy flavors and acidity.

The grilled cauliflower was meh…..

The Missus loved the potatoes….the cloying cheese sauce, not so much.

The texture of the potato was amazing…..which is how She "convinced" me to make Hasselback Potatoes, which was not nearly as wonderful in cut and texture as these.

The Parker House Rolls were very nice; especially with the seaweed butter.

We loved radicchio, so was really excited about the radichio with XO sauce…..

The actual radicchio was fantastic; lightly bitter, savory, prepared well. But the "XO" sauce….well, it brought nothing to the dish. Really……..the Missus still prefers what I make at home.

The last dish to arrive was the Hen of the Woods Mushroom, which was delicous!

I've heard about the $500-$600 meals here…..I guess folks were having lobster and crab; our was not even close to that……and so we'll probably eat here again.

Angler
132 The Embarcadero
San Francisco, CA 94105

And I especially feel like I earned this meal.

And here are some signs for you……

Turo Turo Tuesday – Revisits to Nanay’s Best BBQ, R & B Filipino Cuisine, and Manila Fast Food and Desserts Revisited

November 2, 2021 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Sisig

Back in the office; I decided to do the "rounds" and check out some of the turo-turo ("point-point") places around Mira Mesa. Sadly, there was one place that became a "casualty of Covid" – Mama Cinia closed earlier in the year.

So, packing a good appetite I headed on out.

Nanay's Best BBQ:

I'll be honest and say that Nanay's has been my least favorite of these places (except for Grill City….where I had a "reaction" to the food) even back when it was Tem's. I looked over the offerings and ordered back in June of last year; the Chicken BBQ and Sisig-ish Spicy Pork, with "half rice".

So, if this is what they consider "half rice"….yeeesh. This was indeed a carb-meatfest. But, to be perfectly honest, this was probably the best plate I've had from Nanay's.

Other than the rice which was on the dry side as usual.

The pork was moist, though it's still on the overly mild side with regards to spice and sour tones.

The "BBQ" Chicken was a pleasant surprise. I did mention in my June 2020 post that I thought the chicken was getting better here and this was undoubtedly the best I've had either Nanay's or Tem's.

Fairly tender and moist, nice balance of sweet to salty; it went real well with the rice.

So, it seems that Nanay's keeps getting better!

Nanay's Best BBQ
6715 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92121

R & B Filipino Cuisine:

R&B had long been a favorite of mine since I first visited in 2008. In fact, when I received that racist email about these type of places back in May of 2020, R&B was the first place I visited to make a point.

I usually get the sisig, which while being flawed still has my favorite overall flavor profile of the turo-turo joints in the area. Along with that; I'll get what looks like just came out of the kitchen…in this case, the beef kaldereta was just brought out while I was waiting in the two person line.

The woman always asks me if I'm "on a diet" when I order half rice here; it cracks me up.

The rice was fine; somewhat moist.

The beef in the kaldereta was on the tough side. Also, all the pieces of meat and veggies were really large which made for a ponderous eating experience . The flavor was decent, definitely not bland, though a bit on the greasy side.

The sisig was on the dry side and cut too large as well. But it still had the amount of sour-salty tones with adequate spice. While not on the same level as what Conching or Ed's Bistro used to serve, this is my favorite in the MM area.

And look at the spiffy new menu at R&B:

And our own Cathy has recently been here as well.

R & B Filipino Cuisine
11257 Camino Ruiz
San Diego, CA 92126

Manila Fast Food and Desserts:

Man, have I really been going here since 2006 (albiet under different ownership)? Even though it was just past 10am; the place was pretty busy.

I saw the pan of kare kare come out as I was waiting, so I got that along with…duh, sisig of course. The folks here added sinigang, I would usually have to ask for it. Along with the perfect amount of rice I requested.

Of the three places, the rice here was the best; soft and fluffy.

I terms of texture; this sisig was moist, but waxy and could have used more crispy bits. It was nice and full of porkiness, but could have used more sour and spicy tones…it definitely needded more onions and chilies….but of course, lots of folks want all that meat.

Much like the kaldereta at R&B, the pieces of meat and vegetables were cut very large in the kare kare. Though I have to say; the everything was so tender; I especially loved the buttery texture of the tripe. I wish the kare kare had more flavor, I ended up using all the bagoong alamang.

Actually, the item I enjoyed the most was free….it was the sinigang which was bracingly sour…..it perked me up…..made me feel alive!

And these days….well, if there's anything I want to feel; it's alive!

Manila Fast Food and Desserts
8979 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

You know, I was looking at my initial Covid-19 turo-turo posts and remembered that it was a racist, xenophobic email that set it off.

Which just leads me to what I wrote at the end of this post on Mama Cinia:

"Food should bring us together; my grandparents working on the plantation enjoyed an interesting variety of dishes…..because, even though the plantation management tried to keep all the nationalities apart to control them, they all had lunch together in the fields. A shared experience, one where in spite of the jokes we make about natto, balut, and harm ha, respect for each other is gained, smiles and food are shared, a wonderful cultural exchange. As travel has taught me….we are more alike than we are different."

"We are more alike than we are different" – which I believe with all my heart.

Take care and have a great week!

Roadtrip (During Covid-19) – Hunan Chilli King (San Gabriel) 7 Seven Years Later

November 1, 2021 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Road Trip, Travel

On the way back from Oxnard and our visit to Anacapa Island we decided to stay the night in San Gabriel at the newly opened Courtyard which is huge and convenient being right off the 10 Freeway. We had made reservations at the Missus's current favorite restaurant, Bistro Na's. We had made reservations for right when the place opened and were seated quickly.

We placed our order and the tea arrived and then……

Bang…..the power went out. The always friendly and accommodating staff at Bistro Na's told us we could leave if we wanted to or just wait a while and enjoy our tea to see if the power would come back on……which it didn't. After about 20 minutes one of the gentlemen came over and told out the power was out thru all of Temple City, so we decided to leave.

As we stepped out, we noticed that many folks had gathered in the parking lot…….

From here we needed to determine where we'd get dinner. I had an idea; the Missus has always been somewhat underwhelmed with the Hunan style food in San Diego, so I broached the subject to see if She was in the mood for possibly getting something "big spicy" from a place we hadn't been to in years; Hunan Chilli King. It had been a while since we'd been there and it would be interesting to see how we'd tolerate the super spicy cuisine. So, we headed on over. I parked on Valley to avoid the psycho parking lot.

The restaurant was barely one-third full, but the counter was filled with take-out orders….I counted a dozen to go orders lined up on the counter! Crazy.

We were seated at a small table near the kitchen…..right next to the chilies…..

Ah; just like old times…..

The menu at HCK has changed quite a bit since our last visit and it sees like all our favorites were gone and they seemed to have been replaced with dishes we've seen on the menus of Hunan restaurants here in San Diego…..oh well, times have changed I guess or perhaps they've changed ownership?

And around this time; the Missus was getting a bit gun shy and when we placed our order asked the young lady if we could get things "medium spicy"……there was a short pause and then the young lady shrugged and told the Missus "okay" in Mandarin.

The place started filling up as our first dish arrived, we were getting a bit nervous….the phone never stopped ringing and orders were being placed. As the first dish arrived; the La Rou with Dried Radish; I told the Missus that we're getting dishes according to how the kitchen feels they should make it. She asked how I knew and I told Her that three plates and two containers of the same dish came out of the kitchen at the same time so they were making things in large batches. So this "medium spicy" thing was just a pipe dream.

And yet, this was definitely not as spicy as I recalled; though it was quite good. Loved the smoked pork, balanced saltiness, the dried radish crunchy, but not hard, a mild bitter-sweetness to it. This was spicy, but tolerable.

We cracked up as our next dish arrived (one of three of the same that left the kitchen at the same time)…….they didn't even bother to put it on a plate!

This rather novel dish was fried boiled eggs, sautéed with chilies. Now this one was pretty darn spicy and I grabbed the handkerchief from my back pocket. Whew….. The Missus loves Her eggs so this really hit the spot for Her. The variety of chilies had varying degrees of heat and fruity-smokiness. The flavor of the eggs came thru clearly in spite of all the chilies; a nice savory-nutty-sweet-umami, with a hint of sulfur…not in a bad way. The texture of the boiled eggs was excellent as well. That extra coating added a mild crispness to things.

Of course I wanted to get some Pork Intestine and man, it seems like the dishes were getting spicier and spicier…..

And yet, while I had a waterfall of perspiration flowing by this point, I was enjoying the food! Loved the perfect texture of the intestine; a mild crunch, some firm toothsomeness, the mild offaliness…..and nothing seemed salty at all!

By this point, the place was almost full and the Missus and I started feeling really uncomfortable…in fact, I'd end up getting tested at 3 then 5 days after returning from this trip. I had no symptoms; but just wanted to make sure I wasn't asymptomatic and possibly pass Covid on to someone.

Thankfully, our last dish arrived, one that was very familiar to us….since it seems to be the signature Hunan dish here in San Diego…..we just had to try the now ubiquitous Eggplant and Chilies with Century Egg.

While it didn't look very promising; this might be the best version we've had to date. The pidan was quite creamy….I just don't know how they do that. The eggplant wasn't mashed to death, but was so smoky and velvety soft, and the chilies gave everything a bit of texture and had some heat to go with things.

By now we were ready to leave…..but not without some SGV "drama". So, there as a large table in the rear of the restaurant with what looked like two families seated. Apparently, one of the men at the table wasn't happy with something. So what he did was ignore the guy and older woman working; waiting until they walked past and then went after the quiet, rather timid young lady, and just stood up over her and screamed at her; clenching his fists and doing his best to intimidate her and unloaded……geez, really? I just wonder what kind of example he's setting for the three kids at the table?

You know; I really miss the food in the SGV….but I don't miss stuff like this.

We couldn't get out of the place fast enough.

That's what things looked like as we left. You can see the line of folks waiting for takeout.

Well, we made it out in one piece and enjoyed the food…….but I'm not sure we'd want to put up with this again….at least not during the pandemic.

Hunan Chilli King
524 East Valley Boulevard
San Gabriel, CA 91776

Funny thing, just like our visit to Yai Restaurant on the way to Oxnard; it had been 7 years since our last visit to Hunan Chill King! What a coincidence.

Best Wishes for a Happy (and safe) Halloween!

October 31, 2021 mmm-yoso Cooking, Exploring San Diego, yoso-silly

I thought since I didn't do one of these last year (you know why, right?), I'd go ahead and do one for this year as I've done many times in the past. Like I noticed last Christmas, it seems like folks are really going all out with the decorations; even in our neighborhood.

Man, talking about putting in some work here…..

I didn't see this one crawling out of the ice plants and it kinda startled me……

Folks have put in some effort this year!

Have you noticed the same thing?

We're still keeping a low profile this year as well, but wish everyone a safe Halloween.

I'd usually leave things right here; but thought I'd add in a couple of interesting, perhaps a bit scary things this time around.

Here goes…..

Is the House from the Movie Psycho Located in Bay Park?:

Well, of course not. The set used for the Bates Motel is located on the back lot of Universal Studios.

However, I recall a conversation back in the times "BC" (Before Covid) at my favorite local watering hole, with an old timer who grew up in the area. He told me that when he was going to Bay Park Elementary in the late 60's there was a rumor going around that one of the houses in the neighborhood was rumored to be the house used for Psycho……. I asked which one and was told it was the house on he corner of Denver and Milton which gave me pause. We had actually looked at this house when it was on the market in the early 2000's………

And of course it's not the house from Psycho….though it does bear some resemblance. Anyway, it was built in 1888 (!) and is known as the Stough-Beckett Cottage. You can read an entertaining article here. I also read that it is the only site in Clairemont listed in the City of San Diego Historic Site Board Register.

And then there are the graves still buried under San Diego Avenue:

So, I've recently done a couple of takeout orders from Congress Cafe (I'll post on those soon). While I'm waiting for my order, I'll often take a walk…..there's not much happening at 8am on a Sunday morning in Old Town, so it's a fine time to explore. On my first visit, there was one thing I wanted to find; especially after reading this.

Yes, there's the Whaley House, once named the most haunted house in America. But what I wanted to see was past the Whaley House….near the El Campo Santo Cemetery.

And I'm sure there are so many stories…..

But what I was interested in was located on the sidewalk in front of the cemetery. There are discreet, small brass medallions like this one.

Yep……"Grave Site".

In 1942 San Diego Avenue was widened and many graves were paved over. In 1993 ground penetrating radar was used and 17 more graves were found. Notice the plaque reads "more than 20 men, women, and children who lie buried beneath San Diego Avenue". And only one grave was exhumed and moved……you can figure out why I think.

Man, no wonder they say Old Town is haunted! And this stirred up old memories of a similar situation in my old neighborhood. Anyone recall the faceless ghost at Waialae Drive-In? Here's something from the Honolulu Advertiser back in 1959!

And I grew up a half block from this house…..

Spooky yeah?

And because this is a food blog; here's what we had for dinner tonight.

Have a great week!

Soup Weather – It’s the Cabeza en su Jugo from De Cabeza

October 25, 2021 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants

The Missus sure is enjoying the recent cooler weather; She's going for all of Her "greatest hits", Bun Rieu, Moomiok, Menya Ultra, and this past weekend it was the Cabeza en su Jugo from De Cabeza. Other than visits to De Cabeza, I haven't spent any time in Chula Vista….but to please the Missus! Well, that's a different story. I hadn't been back to De Cabeza since April and I was happy to see Jesus hard at work when I arrived.

There were tables at each end of the restaurant with customers….so it seems they are spacing things out rather well. Jesus greeted me with a big smile saying; "welcome back……it has been a while, it's so good to see you!" What a great guy. We managed to chat for a bit while I placed my order. I actually placed an order for two portions of cabeza en su jugo…..I'd be dropping one off at the Missus's work and I'd have my own portion for lunch.

Our dolsot and butane stove are coming in real handy right now. I have a tortilla warmer that I can use in the microwave….it does a pretty good job reheating tortillas and even pitas.

You know, the deep bovine-beefiness, the hearty stock, cut by lime and pungent onions and cilantro is so nice. Steaming hot, it just has that "aaaah" (or is it "moooo") effect. It's just plain wonderful and comforting on a chilly day.

If you want to read descriptions in more detail; check out my previous posts on De Cabeza.

I know the pandemic has been hard on all of us; it's changed the way we work, eat, travel, and live….all aspects of life have been affected. We are so thankful for places like De Cabeza that serve up food that comforts us.

And I am so thankful for all the "Friends of Yoso" who have kept visiting and commenting during these times. We hope all of you are well!

De Cabeza
1043 Broadway
Chula Vista, CA 91911
(619) 349-2505
Hours:
Daily 8am – 8pm

Sunday Sandwiches – Sandwich Island

October 24, 2021 mmm-yoso Cheesesteaks, Sandwiches

Sometimes little "happy accidents" occur. For instance, I had some meetings over the normal lunch time and decided to head to Creative Deli. Thinking about all my meetings I kind of spaced out and before I knew it, I had passed Carroll Road. Sheesh….. I decided to turn around on Trade Street. I took a right turn and headed down Trade Street for a bit. For some reason, I decide to turn around in a parking lot where I saw this signage.

Sandwich Island? Sandwich Island! Wow….well this hit home….I'm from the Sandwich Islands. So, of course I had to stop here since the open sign was lit.

The shop is quite a bit larger than it appears from the outside. A dining area, then a rather long counter area with some additional seating.

The menu was pretty darn large, with everything from Reubens to Club Sandwiches, to Quesadillas and Wraps, to Breakfast options.

Looking at the names of various items on the menu cracked me up….anyone for a "Humuhumunukunukuapua'a" (breaded fish sandwich)……can you even say it? That's always been fun way to test if you're really "local" back home….along with "Kalanianaʻole" and if you can correctly pronounce "Likelike".

Anyway, as I placed my order, I asked the woman if they were from Hawaii and was told that the former owner was; bummas…..

I ordered the Island Club ($8.95) and it felt quite hefty….and when I opened it up…..

Holy smokes….look at all that white bread. This was fine; wish the bread was toasted, but perhaps that was asking for a bit much. Also, wish it had more bacon, but again how could I complain since this was…..in these times, a good value. So, processed ham and turkey, just like "small kid" time…..when we always called this a "Clubhouse". And I couldn't finish this……and had leftovers with dinner.

During my visit, I noticed daily "specials".

Just eight bucks, so I decided to try some of these out.

First was the Haoli, which was spelled Hoali on the lunch special menu, versus Haoli on the menu….I'm assuming this means Hau'oli (happy) versus "Haole"…..which means….well, you know. I got this with the Cabbage Almond Salad.

So, the Italian Roll was actually slightly toasted and fairly crusty and even though it was a bit "too much bread" it wasn't bad. The "salad" was basic almond coleslaw, with very little "dressing on it. Basically coleslaw mix with a bit of dressing.

The sandwich had ham, cheese, and turkey, all standard issue; though the tomatoes were quite ripe and added a nice fruity-acidity to the sandwich.

A bit too much mayo for my taste, but again, you could do a lot worse for eight bucks….like perhaps some interesting "mystery meat"?

So, as things cooled off a bit, I visited on a recent Friday and decided to get the "Special A" for the day….the "Philly" Cheesesteak with fries ($8). And, in all honesty, you couldn't fault the potion size.

These days, here in San Diego, what can you get for eight bucks? Really…. The roll was again decently toasted, the beef surprisingly tender……not enough mushrooms and peppers and the cheese used was really bland and while quite gooey didn't add anything else to the sandwich.

The generous portion of fries didn't hold up well on the 15 minute drive back to the office and was really salty….though some may like that.

I don't want to give you the wrong impression; this is one of those places that is a good value and keeps folks fed. I will say that I prefer Sunrise Deli, Creative Deli, and Kim's Deli to Sandwich Island. Though it again is one of those Mom-and-Pop Delis that keep folks fed for a reasonable price. And I saw some rice bowls and bentos on the menu….so maybe I'll give those a try.

After all, I'm from the "Sandwich Islands"…….

Sandwich Island
7350 Trade St.
San Diego, CA 92121

It’s Getting to be Soup Weather Again – So it’s Emperor’s Soup from Woomiok

October 21, 2021 mmm-yoso Korean Restaurants

Usually, during normal times; I really look forward to cooler weather where I can avail myself of various soups…..of course, with the pandemic….well, I don't think I'll be dining in at your local neighborhood pho shop for a while. But that doesn't mean "no soup for you (me)" during this time. We've found what works (and doesn't), though there's still much to try. And Woomiok does real well as takeout. And it had been a while since I'd done takeout. So, it was the typical drill, head on over, place my takeout order, then head to Nijiya to do some shopping. By the time I'm done shopping, my order is ready…….two birds with one stone and all of that.

We've got the drill down at home as well.

The set-up with our dolsot and Iwatani Butane Stove at the ready. The panchan was quite good this time around, with the baechu kimchi having some nice fermented tones.

I tend to eat more rice with my soup, with the Missus enjoying the tendon, trumpet mushrooms, and leaving most of the rest of the meat to me. The Missus enjoys more salt in Her bowl, while Ill go for the carbs.

Man, having this at almost a rolling boil really does provide that "aaaah" factor.

Sure did hit the spot!

Woomiok
3860 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 737-4599
Current Hours:
Daily 11am – 9pm

So, what have you been eating/craving now that the weather is cooling off?

Patio Dining at Tribute Pizza

October 19, 2021 mmm-yoso Italian Restaurants, Pizza

You might recall in one of our posts from back in June, that the Missus was missing Her visits to Tribute Pizza. As we passed by back in June, the nice fellow told us that if things worked out right they'd be reopening for dining in July. And it did take a while, but Tribute did reopen….but then the Delta variant attacked and we put things on hold. As our latest road trip approached, we understood that we'd be eating in various restaurants along the way and Tribute had started taking dining reservations for both dine in and patio seating. So, we decided to go ahead and make some reservations for the patio……on a Wednesday, which would be slower than, say….the weekend, at 4pm, the earliest time.

We arrived right at the appointed time and were seated on the patio. The woman who was our Server was fantastic and we saw really good processes in place; almost everyone, except the bartenders were masked….there were three parties after us all of whom were dining in; they were all seated at different ends of the restaurant.

The Missus went straight for one of Her favorites here; the meatballs made from grass fed-finished beef and pork.

This was a bit different than what we'd had before; the meatballs are still very tender and a bit lighter than what we'd had before. The sauce had a mild tanginess; though we really couldn't make out the roasted peppers and onions this time around…..we missed the sweet-vegetal-pungency. The Parmigiano Reggiano added the requisite milky-saltiness to the dish….which went nicely since the meatballs aren't overly salty. Funny, everytime I get a sniff of Parmigiano Reggiano, it takes me back to Emilia-Romagna and one wonderful day where I learned so much. The texture of the bread was wonderful….they do bread pretty well here. The only downfall was the olive oil used for the bread, which seemed to be rather low quality to us.

Speaking of bread, you know I had to get my favorite here; the Sea Salt Foccacia with the Sea Salt Foccacia with 'Nduja.

As my good friend "Alle" who is Italian-Venezuelan says; "this isn't foccacia….but who cares what it's called, when it's this good." Wonderful texture, love the mildly spicy, slightly funky 'nduja, though over the years it's become thicker….it still reminds me of a good pork spread with Harissa.

As mentioned a bit earlier; there's something different with the olive oil these days……..still, that didn't detract from how nice the foccacia was.

And of course, we needed to get a pizza and so stuck with the Biancoverde with Prosciutto.

For some reason, this seemed much larger than what we recalled. The crust, well was ice and yeasty, light, though perhaps I'll request it a bit more charred next time. Love the combination of flavors; the bitter-peppery arugula, savory-almost cheesy prosciutto……nice textures; though after the meatballs and "foccacia" there wasn't much room left.

We enjoyed the service, which was warm, friendly, as it always is at Tribute. And while we're still picking our spots; heck the only other place where both the Missus and I "ate in" at in San Diego was Prime Grill back in June when things were looking good here in San Diego. I'm hoping we can stay the course, we do miss eating out…..

Tribute Pizza
3077 North Park Way
San Diego, CA 92104
Current Hours
Wed – Thurs 4pm – last seating 8p
Fri – Sat 4pm – last seating 9p
Sunday 4pm – last seating 8p
Closed Monday – Tuesday
Patio seating available by reservation

Red Devil; I know you've been waiting to visit; have you made it back to Tribute yet?

Funny thing, you can tell we're missing travel so much……for some reason, my love of culatello came up……oh man, it was just love at first bite, I just couldn't get enough of the stuff when we were in Emilia-Romagna. Of course, the funniest thing was when I mentioned this to Massimo Bottura during our dinner at Osteria Francescana and to our immense surprise he called out to the kitchen and personally brought us a plate of his own 46 month aged culatello which he makes for his staff and himself. I love to watch the Missus roll Her eyes when I do the old man thing and say; "did I tell you about the time Massimo Bottura served me culatello"? Sigh…….we're looking forward to the day we feel comfortable travelling internationally again.

Hope everyone is safe and in good health!