American/New American Restaurants – Page 10

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

Wolf in the Woods – A Quick Look

March 22, 2022 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, European Restaurants

*** Here's another one for my "a quick look" week of posts. Hope you're enjoying these posts.

One thing our visit to Wormwood did for the Missus was to inspire Her to dine out again. Yes, we'd be exercising some caution because we're not out of the woods (no pun intended) with regards to Covid yet….so outdoor dining or having early meals seemed to fit the bill. I had read about a place that served tapas style dishes named Wolf in the Woods opening in Mission Hills; so I made 430 reservations for an outdoor table.

The restaurant is located pretty deep in Mission Hills on Fort Stockton next to a Yoga studio. I can't say I'd ever been around this part of Mission Hills……….

The place was already humming when we arrived, I'm glad we got outdoor seating. It seemed like most of the customers were from the area and the demographics skewed toward an older set.

Our Server was fabulous and even though the table was small, it worked for us as we basically shared small plates. We also loved watching all the pampered Mission Hill pooches walking by…..there were even more dogs to be checked out than what we saw at Wormwood on 30th Street!

The Missus started with a nice white wine.

We got the Calvados Chicken Liver Pate ($16).

The Pate was sealed with clarified butter, which the Missus didn't care for, but I enjoyed. The pate was quite good, great texture, just enough richness and balanced delicious, savory liveriness. It went quite well on the brioche toast; the baguette was a bit too chewy (a la typical San Diego style) for our taste. The pate's flavor was so balanced that we didn't need the chutney or salt…..though I'm never gonna turn down cornichons.

The Missus loves Her corn soups, so I made sure to order the Sweet Corn and Pinon Soup ($14).

Whoa….this was our favorite dish of the meal. The soup wasn't overly sweet and had that wonderful mildly-sweet maize flavor. The pine nuts added a layer as well with that distinctive nutty-sweet-buttery taste. The Hatch Chili Powder added some zip and the corn fritter some bulk and texture. The Missus already wants to have this again!

Of course I ordered the Beef Tartare ($20).

This is the classic Beef Tartare I look for, clean and refreshing to the palate. Capers and Shallots for flavor counterpoints a quail egg to add creaminess. The arugula was a nice touch as it added crunch and bitterness to the dish. The Missus thought this was superb; but I graded it as good. This was minced too finely for me, giving the tartare a more mushy texture than I prefer. But the flavor and seasoning was spot on.

The last dish was the only "clunker" of the evening; even though the presentation was quite good – the Harissa Octopus ($18).

First off, the texture was excellent; just the right amount of toothsomeness. The seasoning however was quite weak and the harissa (lining the plate) didn't have enough "oomph" or salt to elevate the dish. The octopus would have been just fine with some textural contrast and the addition of a decent amount of salt, olive oil, perhaps something with a touch of pungency, smokiness, or light sweetness, and lemon juice. Yes, for once I was wanting more salt in a dish. Too bad, because the octopus cooked nicely.

Still, the Missus enjoyed this meal and Her two glasses of wine. The place was pretty busy, but the service was friendly and attentive. I'd say if Wolf in the Woods was in our neighborhood, we'd drop by regularly. So yes, I guess we will be returning….hopefully soon.

Wolf in the Woods
1920 Fort Stockton Dr.
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 234-2597
Hours:
Tues – Thurs 4pm – 9pm
Fri – Sat 4pm – 930pm
Closed Sun – Mon

Roadtrip (During Covid) – Tuolumne Grove (Yosemite), Mountain Sage Coffee, Iron Door Saloon (the oldest continuously operating saloon in CA), and Dinner at the Groveland Hotel

March 12, 2022 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Cocktails, Pubs and Pub Grub, Road Trip, Sierra Nevada, California, Travel

After a restful night of sleep at Rush Creek Lodge, we woke early to check out. You see, there was one other place I had on "my list".

Since we were in Yosemite, the Missus and I really wanted to see sequoias. And the usual place for this would be the Mariposa Grove. There are however, three giant sequoia groves in Yosemite and one of the reasons I chose to stay at Rush Creek was that it was just a mile from the Bog Oak Flat entrance to Yosemite and the Tuolumne Grove is just a fifteen minute drive from that entrance. The strategy was to checkout and drive back into Yosemite, hike the short trail (less than 3 miles in and back). We found that much of it was paved, we loved the tree stump with the rings and date places were built….man, would you believe we've been to six of the seven places listed!

We weren't overly impressed at the beginning of the trail….but then, you come across a huge sequoia….the photo doesn't do it justice.

And then the amazing Tunnel Tree.

From this point on, you could really enjoy the majesty of the sequoias. There were trees with huge burn scars and trees that didn't have a sizeable (it's relative) circumference, but seemed to rise to the heavens. It was such an impressive site and possibly my favorite hike of the trip.

Since this is a nature walk, mostly paved, the grove is actually a short loop trail, we started seeing families and pooches arriving.

Along the way there was a fallen tree; I believe the NPS left it in place so one could really see and experience the grand size in person.

The second photo below if of the Missus walking into the trunk! Amazing!

We spent a good 2 1/2 hours exploring the Tuolumne Grove. It was now time to head on back to the car and our next destination.

It was good thing we had a bit of an early start since we had no problems finding parking. And like the other places we parked in Yosemite, there were cars waiting for parking as we left……..it was good to get an early start.

A tad over 20 miles from the west entrance of Yosemite is the town of Groveland. Founded in 1848 as "Big Oak Flat" Groveland was a gold rush town, it then became the headquarters of the Hetch Hetchy water project which provides water to San Francisco. I thought it would be fun spending the night in this interesting little town.

We first stopped at the local market; Mar-Val Food Store where we restocked on water and a few other "stuffs".

Mar-Val
19000 Main St.
Groveland, CA 95321

I booked us a room in the historic Groveland Hotel which was built in 1849……don't worry, it was renovated in 2018.

And, much like our experiences at other historic hotels, Groveland Hotel is said to be haunted, by the spirit of a miner named "Lyle". No, we didn't book "Lyle's room"….nor did we see anything strange during our stay.

We were of course too early to check in; so we dropped off our luggage; the folks at the front desk were very friendly. And then headed out down the one main street of Groveland. Two blocks down from the hotel was a quaint coffee shop – art gallery – gift shop named Mountain Sage.

The Missus had a Pour Over (of course), I had a cold brew….and I also ordered a brownie for the Missus. We grabbed a table out on the porch and just relaxed.

The Missus really enjoyed the brownie. This was such a nice stop.

Mountain Sage
18653 Main St.
Groveland, CA 95321

After this really nice break; we decided to take the short walk back to the hotel…..while checking out the shops along the way.

After which we headed to the hotel and luckily our room was ready. The rooms were predictably small, but we were given one on the opposite side of Main Street which was much more quiet. Once we freshened up, we decided to head back out.

We'd be having dinner at the Hotel restaurant, Provisions Restaurant in the back courtyard of the hotel.

We had reservations at 5pm, so we decided to head over to a place I had wanted to check out.

Iron Door Saloon is the oldest continuously operating bar in California!

The place definitely had character; that's for sure….

Check out the dollar bills on the ceiling!

The Owner was awesome; his name is Chris and is Asian! I believe he and his wife are from Oakland and own the bar.

He also makes a decent Old Fashioned!

It was chatting with him and also the gentleman sitting next to us who is a contractor….we were told it was great we were here on Thursday; from Friday on the place is filled with tourists. Apparently he has a bunch of projects going for folks who are building homes in the area.

The Missus was feeling a bit peckish so we ordered some Sweet Potato Fries which were pretty good; crisp outside, creamy inside.

Chris was great; he shared a bunch of stories with us…..we really enjoyed Iron Door.

Iron Door Saloon
18761 Main St.
Groveland, CA 95321

After our drink we headed back to the hotel and went to check in for dinner. I was looking forward to the dinner BBQ menu….but sadly, it wasn't available on this evening, oh well.

So, I got the fried vegetable plate……

And the Missus the Bratwurst.

The Missus enjoyed Her Scotch Tasting….

As the sun went down a guitar player appeared and there was live music.

It was a nice and relaxing time.

Provisions Taproom & Bourbon Bar (In the Groveland Hotel)
18767 Main St.
Groveland, CA 95321

We slept well.

The next morning we took a walk down Back Street which parallels Main Street for a couple of blocks.

We headed back to Mountain Sage….

And got some coffee to go….and another brownie for the Missus.

Before checking out then heading off to our next stop.

Yosemite sure was an amazing experience and we had fun in Groveland

But I was kind of tired of diner and fried foods………so…..we were headed back to Paso Robles!

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Roadtrip (During Covid) – Sentinel Dome, Taft Point, and Dinner at Rush Creek Lodge (again)

March 11, 2022 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Burgers, Road Trip, Sierra Nevada, California, Travel

After a having a nice night's sleep at Rush Creek Lodge, the Missus was raring to go. After a light breakfast we jumped in the car and headed on out. We had place in mind and wanted to beat any possible crowds. It was going to be a bit of a drive first onto Wawona Road…where we stopped at the super popular Tunnel View…..it was early enough in the morning that there was no one else around. We had the wonderful view to ourselves.

From here we went onto Glacier Point Road and easily found parking at the beginning of the Sentinel Dome Trail. And so we headed up Sentinel Dome, which for some reason, I didn't find too difficult. You start in rather sandy ground and forest, eventually making your way up the granite slope.

And end up with an awesome 360 degree view of Yosemite.

That view of Half Dome is priceless.

And then there's this……

This fallen Jeffrey Pine was once the subject of one of Ansel Adams most iconic photos. Unfortunately, it died during a drought in 1977 and fell over in 2003.

From here we scrambled on down then took a detour through the forest to Glacier Point.

Which way too crowded for my taste….so we headed back up the switchbacks to the trail and then headed around to Roosevelt Point.

The view from Roosevelt Point was outstanding.

Though that could be said about much of Yosemite. From here it was back on the trail.

Taft Point was also a great stop……

Not only for the fabulous views of the valley and El Capitan…..

Which are fantastic…….of course, with a lookout like this…..we enjoyed this much more than Glacier View.

Still, it's the fissures in the seemingly impenetrable granite that we found so fascinating.

It was amazing to see these fissures carved into the mountainside.

Once we were done, we headed back to the loop trail which led us to our car.

Coming early was a good decision; there were cars lined up looking and waiting for a parking spot as we left.

We spent the rest of the afternoon in Yosemite Village (mostly window) shopping and then headed back to Rush Creek, where we had a short nap.

Since we went the packaged food route the previous night and the Missus wanted to have Her burger again, I made reservations at the restaurant at Rush Creek again. This time they sat us in the main dining room. It was a Wednesday and there were significantly more people at the resort.

We started with the "Garden" Board ($21), which wasn't such a big deal.

The Missus got the burger again ($20).

Ordered exactly the same as on our previous visit; this time it was overcooked…..so not nearly as good as before.

I went with the Brisket Tacos ($19).

The actual BBQ and seasoning wasn't too bad, but the brisket was dry and tough.

So…pretty much the same a before.

The Restaurant at Rush Creek Lodge
34001 CA-120
Groveland, CA 95321

Still, our room was super comfortable and the folks working at Rush Creek were really friendly.

And we'd had a wonderful of hiking in Yosemite.

We'd be checking out in the morning; but I had one more place on my list to check out…….

Roadtrip (During Covid) – Rush Creek Lodge and Spa, Hiking Around Rush Creek, and Yosemite Valley

March 10, 2022 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Beer, Burgers, Markets & Grocers, Road Trip, Sierra Nevada, California, Travel

Here's a fairly quick post about our trip to Yosemite in October of last year.

After heading out from Paso Robles, we took a bathroom break and filled up our tank at Bravo Farms outside Kettleman.

Bravo Farms is one of those…..well road side stops with everything from a diner – food court – mercantile, which means all kinds of stuff you never knew you needed, it has some places for kids to play….all in the middle of…well…not much.

I did really enjoy the signs in the very clean restroom which cracked me up.

It was a good place to stretch our legs since we wouldn't be stopping until we got to Rush Creek Lodge and Spa. I chose the place, which was kind of remote mainly because of the location, 1 ile from the west entrance to Yosemite and size of the rooms; we got a Hillside Villa with our own private and a nice view.

We arrived a bit too early to check in. I had told the Missus that there were hiking trails around the lodge…..so guess what we did?

I parked the car in the lot where our Villa was located and we headed up to where the trails were.

I asked the Missus which trail She wanted to do…big mistake….Her answer? "All of them." Which is what we did.

It did us a nice "taste" of the beauty of the area.

And once we returned, our "Villa" was ready……it was quite large.

And the view….

There were a couple of shortcomings with the unit. It had no microwave, so you'd have to eat in the resort or drive the 20 or so miles to Groveland. But, there was a Restaurant, Tavern, and a General Store.

I had made reservations for dinner at the restaurant….during these times of Covid, it was optimal to do so. And on this day, we were seated in the Tavern.

The tables were nicely spaced out.

I started with a Big Sky Brewing Moose Drool ($9), a nice Brown Ale.

I was interested in trying the Crispy Fried Cauliflower ($17), which proved to be a mistake.

This wasn't particularly crisp and the sauce…..was like something from Panda Express; it was teeth rattling sweet.

We also got the Tomato and Roasted Garlic Soup ($14).

This lacked garlic flavor. Though it still wouldn't have been too bad if it had been served at a better temperature. It was barely lukewarm.

The Missus ordered the Rush Burger ($20).

After the two appetizers, we didn't expect too much….especially when they asked the Missus how She wanted the burger done. In many places, asking that question is just going thru the motions and you'll get your burger well done. This burger however, was cooked exactly how the Missus wanted. It also had a nice char adding a nice smokiness. The fries had a decent crispness.

I ordered the Lamb Shawarma ($21).

This wasn't very good either. The flatbread was really tough; so was the dry lamb which really lacked flavor.

Overall, very corporate food…our dinner was a $100 without tip! I guess most folks were a captive audience and there's no microwave in the rooms. At least the Missus enjoyed Her burger. And I guess we really weren't staying here for the restaurant, right?

The Restaurant at Rush Creek Lodge
34001 CA-120
Groveland, CA 95321

One of the reasons we stayed at Rush Creek was the distance to the West Entrance to Yosemite; it was less then a mile!

We got an early start and headed into Yosemite, making several stops along the way.

And then we entered the park.

The Missus was so excited about doing some hiking; unfortunately both of the trails we selected we closed as trail, road ,and parking lot work was going on. Sigh…..

We then headed to Yosemite Village and the visitors center, spoke to some rangers and decided just to do some trails in the area.

We first did the Lower Yosemite Falls Trail, an easy trail. The water was just a trickle on this day….and few weeks later there would be a major storm and waterfall would be going like crazy. Just our luck on this day.

From here we walked thru Cook's Meadow….I really enjoyed the views from here.

And from here we headed to Mirror Lake via the Valley Loop.

Because parts of the trail parallels the road, there was a lot of vehicle noise; it's also a pretty busy bike path…..and of course, because of the season, Mirror Lake was dry. It was still quite beautiful though.

And we took the loop back to Yosemite Village and our car.

We drove back to Rush Creek and relaxed for a bit. The Missus and I just weren't up to having another meal in the restaurant and we didn't want to drive to Groveland. We went over to the General Store and picked up a bottle of wine for the Missus and a beer for me. I had done some planning and brought along a self-heating Omeal and also a portable heater-lunch box; we had brought packaged meals. I put my package of basmati rice in the Omeal bag, so it heated up along the vegetarian chili.

The 110 volt hot plate didn't get things super hot, but it did the trick.

It was an ok meal……but the view just couldn't be beat.

And we were sure that tomorrow would be a better day!

Thanks for dropping by!

La Mesa Bistro and Bakery (again)

February 5, 2022 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!! while Kirk is enjoying a short vacation. This is Cathy posting.

I wrote about La Mesa Bistro and Bakery in 2010, 2011 and 2018. The menu has remained the same- chalk boards everywhere which match up with a physical menu you can grab and look at before ordering, paying and finding a seat. You also serve yourself coffee and water. A great choice of different coffees are offered.

Smoked salmon scrambler ($12.95) is probably my favorite breakfast here. I do enjoy smoked salmon and the scoop of cream cheese, tomatoes and onions rounds out each bite. Scramblers here are made with two eggs and are quite large. With all the scramblers, you get a choice of fresh fruit or house potatoes and toast. House made salsa and a quick made berry 'jam' are wonderful, fresh and flavorful condiments.
Italian sausage and cheese scrambler ($12.95) was The Mister's choice one morning. A fresh, mild Italian sausage (can taste the fennel) along with cheddar, tomatoes, bell pepper and green onion was a great savory breakfast. The pan fried, crisped potatoes are always wonderful.
The Egg Florentine ($11.95) is essentially a meatless Benedict. Two poached eggs on top of toasted English muffin halves with spinach and tomato topped with a lemony hollandaise is very satisfying. Waffle with bacon and eggs ($11.95) is a more 'traditional' breakfast and quite wonderful- the waffle had a slight taste of vanilla and was quite large, crisp edges and a fluffy interior. It was good with and without syrup. Stuffed French toast with bacon and eggs ($12.95). A bit 'fancier' than just French Toast-stuffed with cream cheese and strawberries then dipped in egg and fried and topped with fresh berries. The bacon here is always crisp and not too salty. Eggs are properly cooked 'over easy'.

Behind the cash register are some 'Specials' and this is the "One, Two, Three" ($8) It includes coffee and is one pancake, two eggs and three slices of bacon or sausage patties. Perfect for a quick, seated breakfast.

Of course there are lunch items on the menu.
A clubhouse sandwich (1/2 sandwich with soup)($10). Turkey, ham, bacon, Swiss on white bread with from scratch clam chowder. An absolutely wonderful New England style chowder, flavorful and filled with clam pieces and skin on potato, creamy and great. All three soups (also chicken tortilla and vegetable) here are made from scratch and very good.
The albacore tuna salad ($11.95) served with a Green Goddess dressing, on top of lettuce, shredded carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, walnuts and fresh strawberries. Grilled bread is on the side and this (quite large) salad is perfect for lunch.

Don't be afraid of the menu or menu boards, basically it's a listing of combinations of basic ingredients. If you are craving something, just ask.

La Mesa Bistro and Bakery 8697 La Mesa Boulevard La Mesa 91941 (619)589-0806 Open seven days 7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Website

Golden Egg Omelet House (Escondido) (again)(no omelet)

January 30, 2022 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, an old fashioned food blog. Kirk is not writing today because He and His Missus are enjoying some free time, while Cathy has some free time to write.

It has been more than six years since the last post about this mainstay (more than 35 years) restaurant in Escondido. Golden Egg survived the the shutdowns and is still going strong. The whiteboard of specials is still at the front door.

The menus of omelets (and other breakfast choices), lunch choices and baked potato casserole choices remain the same (other than, of course, prices).
It was lunch time and I was pretty sure what I would order- avocado stuffed with tuna salad ($13.69). (The menu choices are a tomato or an avocado stuffed with tuna or shrimp salad). This very large meal is a mini smorgasbord! Large scoops of a tasty (mostly) tuna salad inside avocado halves atop mixed greens with artichoke hearts, tomato, pickles, cucumber and cheese. A large slice of grilled bread and salad dressing are served on the side. Yes, there were leftovers- enough for another meal.

The Reuben ($13.79) is served on a great seeded rye (grilled) and is quite overfilled with a quality corned beef, plenty of sauerkraut and Swiss. It comes with side choices of fries or salad or soup. The soups are made here. The choice for that day was a creamy broccoli chicken. It was decadent-the old fashioned flavor of Vegeta, a condiment (primarily salt with dehydrated vegetables (carrot, parsley, onions, celery and parsnip)) I grew up enjoying in my Polish home.

Golden Omelet is crowded early on weekends, which is good to see. Always quality, fresh made food and friendly service.

Golden Egg Omelet House 316 West Mission Ave, Suite 102, Escondido, CA 92025 (760) 489-6420 Website Open daily: 7-2:30

Teeny tiny oyster crackers!

2022 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade floats and a few meals

January 4, 2022 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Cuban Restaurants, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is being written by Cathy today. She's the one who does these Rose Parade posts. Kirk is taking a break.

So, it's 2022! Happy New Year. A time to start anew, change habits. For starters, most of the photos in this post were taken on December 31, unlike when The Mister and I attended the Showcase of Floats-following the Rose Parade in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

With Covid-19, not many people were volunteering to decorate the floats and we had been receiving daily emails and noticing all of the float builders asking for volunteers. We had helped decorate floats in early December, and were wide awake around 1 a.m. on December 31, saw a live video of the float barn and how much help was needed, especially since final judging is around 10 a.m. on the 31st. We got in the car and drove to Irwindale.

Here are some photos of floats and details at the Phoenix Decorating Company barn.

Trader Joe's, "You're Invited"
Kiwanis International, "Dream To Achieve"Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day, "Seeding Tomorrow"

Lutheran Hour Ministries, "Jesus Teaches"
Oddfellows and Rebekahs, "Arctic Adventure"
The Century anniversary of Shriners Hospitals for Children, "Celebrating 100 Years of Believing in Dreams". This float depicts a young girl with scars from Spina Bifida repair, spinning in a looking glass, dreaming of being the spinning ballerina in a jewelry box. There were three color florographs on this float, celebrating the providing of care to children with complex medical conditions regardless of their ability to pay.

"Wild Kingdom" by RFD-TV and Mutual of Omaha.
The Closing float, reminding people of the Rose Bowl Game.
Rotary International, "Changing Lives Through Education"

Lions Clubs International, "Quest For Kindness"

Best wishes to you and yours. Dream, Believe, Achieve.

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It was after 11 a.m. and The Mister and I still had not had breakfast so we left and began driving to a favorite stop, The Peppertree Cafe. Another Covid-19 survivor.

Since it was a Friday, the regular menu (and specials) were available. We were so tired and overwhelmed. The Soup, Salad Half Sandwich ($9) was great- clam chowder, ranch dressing, turkey sandwich. There was a half order hot beef sandwich available ($9) so I tried it. Just enough food. A very long day. Peppertree Cafe website

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In November, we finally made it back to Porto's, where we had not been since October, 2019. So happy it survived Covid.

The menu (bakery and meals) is limited, dine in capacity is at 50% (tables removed), most cold beverages are bottled but the food items are consistent.
Torrejas (Cuban French toast) was just perfect-crisp exterior, fluffy interior.
Pan con Lechon- slow roasted pork with pickled onion and a green garlic mojo sauce on the fresh Cuban bread was a nice, salty contrast for breakfast. Portos Bakery Website

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Also in November, The Mister was craving a good pastrami sandwich, so we drove up the 15 to The Hat, which also survived Covid-19.

Things are about the same, other than you have to ask for condiments.

The sides are still enough to share-a large serving. The pastrami is still kind of perfect. The Hat website
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2022 Rose Parade Float decorating, dinner at Costa’s

December 8, 2021 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog with some reasons as to how the meal occurred. Cathy is posting today.

I've posted about Rose Parade float decorating for the parades of 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. Last year, there was no parade to celebrate 2021, but things are a bit more 'normal' and this past Saturday, the first 'Dry Decorating' day happened at Phoenix Decorating Company, where The Mister and I volunteer with hundreds of others as Petal Pushers. The Kiwanis also coordinate volunteers for decorating at Phoenix). They need volunteers, so if you aren't doing anything this Saturday or next, sign up now-it's fun and an easy way to cross something off of your 'Bucket List'.

Since you've seen some 2022 float road tests (all linked on this post), I'll try to be a little different this year with photos. Some floats are not ready to be decorated. At all.
But by the end of the day on Saturday, quite a bit was accomplished on the Rotary float. Many materials were used for this owl!
Lentils had been tediously applied on this 'urn'.
Cotton for the polar bear fur.
The Mutual of Omaha/RFD-TV float "Wild Kingdom" had every other feature being decorated, even the Burmese python.
Shriners had a few volunteers. Tedious work!
The dark purple statice petals were carefully applied.
More beans!

The Lutheran Laymans League (and organizer of Petal Pushers volunteers) has their 71st float in the Rose Parade. It's the only Christian themed float in the Parade, this year themed "Jesus Teaches".
You Are Invited! by Trader Joe's has so many features to be decorated.

So many floats, so many details, so much more work to be done!

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After we finished for the day, we were cold and exhausted and drove to a close, familiar place for a meal, Costa's Family Restaurant. The last time we were here was after our visit to the Showcase of Floats, following the 2020 Rose Parade, unaware of what the year had in store for us. We were seated when the sun was still out, but it was dark when we left.
Starting the meals with a bowl of house made vegetable soup and beet covered salad had us reminiscing the familiarity of this home style restaurant and we are happy it has survived.
Just a simple side of dinner rolls with butter.

Beef and Gravy ($12). Served with wonderful, lumpy, mashed potatoes and the vegetable of the day. Tender meat, thick brown gravy, comfort food. As was the Liver and Onions plate ($12). Tender calves liver, thin, light crusted, pan fried, caramelized onions and the same mashed potato and vegetable sides. We really enjoyed this.Each meal includes dessert. I chose tapioca pudding, The Mister chose chocolate pudding. Both were made here…and were wonderful.

Costa's Family Restaurant 851 E. San Bernadino Road Covina, CA 91723 Open Daily 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. Website