American/New American Restaurants – Page 10

Ramona Cafe (Breakfast)

May 8, 2022 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Diner, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping by to read mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Today's post (again, written by Cathy) takes you a bit inland of this 4200 square mile County.

The Mister and I found ourselves in Ramona one morning, saw cars parked on Main Street and knew that we should stop. (FYI, there is parking and an entrance from the alley)
The breakfast menu is on one page; lunch on the flip side. Our friendly waitresses were familiar with just about every patron on this weekday. (I did not notice the top left corner; next time).
The Mister ordered the Farmer's Omelet ($12.50) with home fries- and was asked if he wanted onions with the home fries(!). Hash browns were not an option (which is nice; limited menu) and the fresh, cubed potatoes were crisped and nicely browned.
The three egg omelet was filled with cheddar cheese and ground breakfast sausage, topped with sausage gravy and more cheese. A large amount of mild breakfast sausage which went well with the eggs and (mild) gravy. We ended up adding pepper to the sausage halfway through.
Of course, the only 'bread' that The Mister could consider ordering with this particular omelet was a fresh baked biscuit. (There is also a choice of toast or English muffin).
The tall, fluffy-interiored, crisp crusted biscuit was quite large and arrived with its own container of honey. A different type of hand made biscuit, which we shared.
I decided to order the California Eggs Benedict ($13.50) (a traditional Eggs Benedict with tomato and avocado for an additional $1).
Nice amount of thicker cut smoked ham on top of a toasted English muffin topped with the avocado and tomato, a light-medium poached egg and house made hollandaise (not very lemon-y but a perfect consistency).

Another Covid-19 survivor. We will be back.

Ramona Cafe 628 Main Street Ramona, CA 92065 (760) 789-8656 Website Open daily 6 a.m.- 8 p.m.

Verbena Kitchen – A Quick Look

April 25, 2022 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants

*** Verbena Kitchen has closed

*** As we continue our "quick look" series – be aware that these posts are based on single visits

After dining at Wolf in the Woods and Black Radish, the Missus implored me to find yet another new place to have an early, not-crowded or outdoor dining place to try. I recalled that a restaurant named Verbena Kitchen had opened in the spot where Splash Wine Lounge used to be. I sent a the Missus a link to the website and She just didn't seem interested!!! I then sent Her the link to the Happy Hour menu….which starts at 4pm, which for us, in these times where we really don't want to be around too many people sounded perfect. So I made reservations for an outdoor table at 4pm.

We arrived exactly at 4pm and was met with the most friendly, gracious guy whose name I believe is Dallas. He was wonderful to deal with. And since it was a bit windy on this day, he even saved us a table indoors in case we didn't want to eat outdoors. But we found an outdoor table in the corner, where sun still shone on us that we liked. Even though the outdoor seating is located street side and the traffic light meant buses and cars stopped right next to us; we enjoyed watching all the pooches walking by and the staff were so very nice.

And he was quick to tell us about the Happy Hour menu.

The Missus had a sangria which She enjoyed….in fact She had a second one!

The Missus enjoys Deviled Eggs so we got 5 at $2 a piece for HH, versus $15 on the regular menu.

The Missus cracked up at the micro cilantro…..if you've seen any of the soups I make, you'll notice that we use a heck of a lot of micro cilantro these days. This was our favorite dish of the evening. Even though the crab on the deviled eggs were pretty much an afterthought we loved the mustard forward flavor of the egg yolk mixture which was texturally nice and creamy. The whites were cooked nicely as well.

The Oysters were our least favorite dish on the evening $1/each HH, versus $18 for a half dozen regular menu.

If you've ever read any of my posts where we eat raw oysters, you'll know that I don't put a lot of "stuff" on my oyster. I prefer at most, a touch of lemon and really savor the "finish" of the raw oyster. These Baja oysters were super briny, almost salty, without the nice "cucumbery" or "briny raw beef" finish. It just seemed to lack nuance. Still, at six bucks……

We also got the Peruvian Shrimp Ceviche $14HH, $17 regular price.

So, while this didn't use a "leche de tigre" for the cebiche as they would do in Peru; it was not bad. The aji amarillo was quite mild and this wasn't overly acidic. I did like the combination of Inka Corn, Furikake, tomato, red onion, and the aji. For some reason, I really liked it matched up with those sweet potato chips…perhaps I was channeling camote? The one thing we didn't care for was that the shrimp was fully cooked….not in lime juice, but actually fully cooked, rubbery, and tasteless. Heck, I could have just had everything but the shrimp and be perfectly happy.

We weren't sure about the Wagyu Beef Tartare ($18) when it arrived at our table.

It seemed drenched in mayo, which turned out to be a decently flavored Dijon based aioli. We liked the grated cured egg yolk, which tasted like good salted egg yolk. We weren't sure about the fermented mushrooms, but they were very meaty in texture, and the capers really, well "capped" off the dish. The beef was cut a bit too coarse, but this was a pretty good dish overall. The slices of cucumber seemed to have had rice vinegar drizzled on it. I'd have this again.

Overall, a decent meal, for a very nice price, the most inexpensive of these "quick look" dinners. A big plus was the friendly and gracious staff. "Dallas" told us to return on a Thursday when it's Happy Hour prices all evening. I do think we'll return.

Verbena Kitchen
3043 University Ave.
San Diego, CA 92104
Current Hours:
Wed – Thurs 4pm – 9pm
Friday 4pm – 10pm
Saturday 10am – 10pm
Sunday 10am – 230pm
Happy Hour from 4pm – 6pm and all evening Thursdays

Roadtrip (During Covid) – LP Espresso (Page), Amigo Cafe (Kayenta), and the Lee Cly Trail (Monument Valley)

April 15, 2022 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Caffeine Fix, Flagstaff/ Sedona/Winslow/Northern AZ, Mexican Restaurants, Native American, Road Trip, Travel

We left Zion fairly early in the morning. I was looking forward to our next stop; Monument Valley…after all, my late Mom was a big time Western fan, and I recognized photos from Monument Valley as scenes from some of her favorite Westerns. Plus, Monument Valley, located in both Arizona and Utah and on the Navajo Nation Reservation is not quite as heavily visited as other places we've been to.

We headed out the East exit of Zion National Park, down the 89 thru Kanab. We decided to stop in Page, which we were somewhat familiar with, to grab some provisions and for a coffee break. We took a short stop at the Glen Canyon Dam Bridge before heading into Page.

A nice little stop to stretch our legs…..

In Page we stopped to fuel up and then at the Safeway for water and a couple of other items; then drove over to LP Espresso for our caffeine fix.

Part espresso/coffee bar, part wine/beer pub, the young ladies were very friendly, though our Espresso and my Cold Brew (???) took a while.

There's not much choice for decent coffee in Page……so we took what we could get.

LP Espresso
612 North Navajo Drive
Page, AZ 86040

From here we headed down the 98, then to the 160 East. At the point where we needed to take the 163 (no, not THAT 163) North to get to Monument Valley is the town of Kayenta, which is part of the Navajo Nation. I had marked off a place to grab lunch, Amigo Cafe, mainly because I wanted some Fry Bread.

The restaurant is located past the usual fast-food suspects, right as you take the left onto highway 163.

This small restaurant was doing some steady business. They had some great Covid protocols in place and we had to actually sign in and leave our contact information for contact tracing. The Navajo Nation was hit hard by Covid-19 and at one time had the highest per-capita infection rate of COVID-19 in the US. But due to their response they've beat back Covid and according to several articles I've read is now one of the safest areas with regards to Covid in the nation.

All the tables were cleaned super well, all employees (and customers we saw) wore masks. The staff was friendly and warm.

The Missus got Pork Posole with Fry Bread ($10).

Which was on the bland side and really needed more porkiness and seasoning. The base also needed more chili paste as this was lacking in the fruity-smokiness of dried Guajillo and Ancho chilies. The Fry Bread was light, crisp, and yeasty, reminding the Missus of youtiao.

She was also provided with some pretty plain guacamole and chips.

I got the "Navajo Taco" ($11).

Basically Fry Bread (think of it as a unsweetened funnel cake if you will) with a smear of refried beans, shredded lettuce, onion, and tomato. A side of Spanish rice was also provided. Very Ameri-Mex toppings.

Well, the fry bread was a bit oily, but yeasty, and I got to try it out.

The folks working seemed to know all the other customers, so I'm guessing quite a few locals eat here. The service was very nice and efficient and I thought prices were quite reasonable.

Amigo Cafe
US Hwy 163
Kayenta, AZ 86033

From Kayenta you head up Highway 163 and then take a right on Indian Route 42 right after crossing the border to Utah. Taking the right on the roundabout takes you right back into Arizona, take a left, you're in Utah….straight ahead is Mexican Hat. Many folks stay at Goulding's Lodge down Monument Valley Road. But I decided that we should stay in the only hotel in Monument Valley; the View Hotel. There's only one entrance to Monument Valley, you drive up to the booth and pay the entrance fee, $20 per vehicle. We got to the hotel; which was also under Covid restrictions, so the restaurant was closed and so forth, a bit early. So of course the Missus wanted to "stretch Her legs"……. There are two hikes in the area; the Wildcat Trail and the Lee Cly trail, a 2 mile loop that we took. These are the only two hikes you could take without a Navajo guide. The trail starts just East of the hotel.

And yes, Monument Valley was every bit as beautiful as I thought.

From the left to the right; the "West Mitten", the "East Mitten", and "Merrick Butte".

A wonderful, pretty easy hike to the South of the hotel.

Upon completing the hike our room was ready. The View has hotel rooms, cabins, and a camping area. I took a top floor room for both this view at dusk.

And the night sky…..it was so totally dark, we saw so many falling stars……

Because of Covid, the hotel restaurant was closed, but bag meals, basically brown bag sandwiches and chips were provided. We were enjoying the view so much that we really didn't fdeel like driving out for dinner. Also, no alcohol can be sold on the Navajo Nation.

We walked over to the gift shop before picking up our sack meal. We really liked the gift shop and ended up buying some certified Navajo items as gifts.

It was so quiet, we slept so soundly, and got up before sunrise the next morning, because we wanted to see this.

Beautiful, isn't it?

We had a full day planned out with a Navajo guide and were really looking forward to that!

Thanks for stopping by!

Postscript (04/18/2022) – this one is for FOY Junichi who said he enjoys the Westerns filmed in Monument Valley:

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

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.