American/New American Restaurants – Page 12

Perry’s Cafe (El Cajon) breakfasts-again

October 10, 2021 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Diner, What Cathy Eats!

This location of Perry's has, sadly, closed. Only the Old Town location remains.

Thanks for stopping by to read mmm-yoso!!! Cathy is writing today while Kirk is taking a break.

I've written about the El Cajon location of Perry's Cafe only twice, but it has been a regular breakfast stop for us over the years. During some of the more restrictive COVID-19 days, there was outdoor seating in the parking lot and the condiments were ready to be put on the outdoor tables. One day, The Mister chose the strawberry French Toast breakfast ($11.99). There are a choice of fruit toppings in addition to plain French Toast (menu at bottom of this post). The over easy eggs were, as always, perfectly made. The bacon is crisp and the toast is crisp on the exterior and fluffy on the interior; perfect. These were the condiments brought out: warm syrup and lemons and tartar sauce. You might wonder why.
Well, it's because fish and eggs ($13.25) are on the breakfast menu. This meal, with a choice of potatoes (home fries for me, of course) as well as toast or muffin (banana nut was a choice this day), perfect over easy eggs (the grill is utilized perfectly in this diner) and pan fried, lightly floured fish is always satisfying. I fondly remember my catfish breakfast at Smokey's back in 2010. The Mister chose the Italian Sausage Frittata ($12.99) one day. The mild sausage was plentiful, with scrambled eggs, mixed cheeses and tomato baked in a pan and lightly firm. The sides were a pumpkin muffin and home fries. As always, we choose items we don't want to prepare at home.
From the "Mexican Breakfast" side of the menu, I decided to try the Huevos Revueltos con Nopales ($11.50). Scrambled eggs with cactus, onion, mild chiles and tomato. This was wonderful, filling and something I will order again. The meal included refried beans with cheese and warmed tortillas as well as a vey nice salsa. The cactus is soft and not salty; has a distinct yet subtle flavor.The chicken fried steak ($10.75- a white board special at the front door on this weekday) had a crisp, yet light coating and the chopped steak was quite nice, as was the country style gravy and the perfect eggs. The hash browns were nicely crisped and the biscuit, well, it wasn't quite right at this meal; it was dense instead of fluffy, but the top 'crust' was good with butter. (The dogs got a treat).
I had to get the fish and eggs again. (still $13.25) and this time the fish pieces were quite thick and still lightly floured with a crisp pan fry. Poached eggs and a blueberry muffin this time along with the crispy home fries. Always satisfying.

Hope you are having a nice, cool, Autumn weekend!

Perry's Cafe 475 North Magnolia El Cajon, CA (619) 440-5724 open daily 6 a.m.-2 p.m.

Main Chick Hot Chicken (Clairemont)

September 20, 2021 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Sandwiches

Main Chick, a chain from LA opened two locations in San Diego during the winter of 2020, yet another entry feeding the Nashville Chicken fad. I thought of doing takeout, but hesitated thinking that the chicken sandwich might not hold up well, even with the short 12 minute drive home from Clairemont Town Square. But, after I had the Chicken Sandwich from Bay Hill Tavern (all the way back in April of this year), which held up pretty well as takeout, on one of the days I was working from home, I decided to do takeout.

I arrived just as the place was opening at 11am. The young lady manning the counter was quite friendly and I placed an order for Combo #1 ($14), which consisted of 1 chicken sandwich, which I decided to get naked as a first try, thinking that sauce would probably contribute negatively to the integrity of whatever bread product was used, 1 chicken tender, fries, pickles, and MC sauce…….ahem…yet another "secret sauce-ish" concoction.

The wait was fairly short and I got my order and headed home.

Here's what things looked like when I opened the combo box.

To get a better look at things I placed everything on a plate.

Man, look at all those fries! I liked the "dust" used for seasoning, but the fries were quite dry, though the MS sauce helped things out a bit.

As for how the chicken sandwich handled the short trip home, well…..

I think you can see that it really didn't do well. The bottom bun was mush – can you imagine if I had gotten sauce, the batter for the chicken was no longer crisp, and this being breast meat, it was dry. I also thought the seasoning was way too mild.

And I quickly noticed something about the chicken tender.

What the heck are all those black spots? They had just opened…..did they need to reheat this on the flat top? Was this leftover from the previous day? Of course those black bits were quite bitter and the chicken super dry.

This was quite terrible overall. I made up my mind to just call it quits and forget about Main Chick…..so since only one visit; there'd be no post.

Then back in July I did a post on Boss Bird, which was 17 months in the making. FOY "ChrisR" was quick to send me an email telling me:

"(Boss Bird) has been a huge to medium disappointment in the three times I went.
Main Chick in Clairemont Mesa has a Nashville dark meat chicken sandwich that has been really good to great on four different visits."

I quickly sent Chris an email with photos……still thinking that I was done with Main Chick…….but then; thinking about a dark meat version. Well, I decided to give Main Chick a couple more tries (this was before the last crazy Covid-19 surge). So three days after Chris sent me that email, working from home, I got to Main Chick just as they opened and ordered a Dark Meat Chicken Sandwich $6)….and in a moment of insanity ordered it "Supreme". A quick gander at the menu reveals five flaming chickens next to "supreme".

And while I don't think this was as all around spicy as the XHot from Prince's Hot Chicken Shack in Nashville, it was pretty darn hot. My tolerance for spiciness has gone down as I get older; so this got a nice amount of sweat going. This was much better than what I'd had previously; it had a decent crunch, was more moist, though all that spice pretty much blocked out any other flavors, even with the Thousand Island Dressing…ummm MC Sauce – "Because, you know, You can't touch this….." This was fine, albeit somewhat one-dimensional in terms of flavor, which I can easily say was my fault for ordering "five flaming chicken" hotness.

And so, since I was scheduled to work from home the very next day…..guess where I ended up. This time; I just went with the Dark Meat Chicken Sandwich – Medium.

Before I go on, a quick note….notice the size of the sandwich alongside my ancient iPhone 7….I just wanted to put that into perspective so you know. In this day, while I ate my sandwich, the guy right after me ordered a 3 chicken tender combo…which comes with that huge order of fries along with 2 chicken sandwiches…which I assumed he was taking out. But I was wrong, he sat a few tables down and proceeded to attack everything. Now, according to my calculations; this is like $27 of food for lunch!

I do say that this was nice and moist; though whatever rub they use sure seemed pretty weak as this was really "one note cayenne" being played over and over.

I will say that Chris does have one thing right; the dark meat is the way to go here in terms of some flavor and moisture. Thanks for the recommendation Chris!

It seems that having had Hot Chicken in Nashville and "down South", even all those years ago has left me somewhat jaded. Perhaps my memories are playing tricks on my palate and mind?

After having had three versions of Hot Chicken here in San Diego…….I've been less than impressed. I guess I'll need to try Dave's; though I think I'll wait until they open in Mira Mesa.

Main Chick Hot Chicken (In Clairemont Town Square)
4705 Clairemont Dr.
San Diego, CA 92117
Hours:
Sun – Thurs 11am – 9pm
Fri – Sat 11am – 10pm

Check out Soo's post on Main Chick here.

Takeout From Bay Hill Tavern

September 8, 2021 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Gastropub, Sandwiches

During my time working from home, I had my regular stops, Zgara, Bay Park Coffee, Clairemont Coffee, Sandwich Emporium, and so forth….. Still I needed some variety for lunch when I wasn't in the mood for making lunch or eating leftovers. During the beginning of the pandemic I had bought some beer from Bay Hill Tavern. And during the months after they reopened I went and did some takeout from BHT. The online ordering was a snap; the place is so close to the house, and my orders were always ready on time.

The place can get pretty busy; especially starting in the late afternoon. I made it a point to avoid all of that….parking is limited and such, and always placed an order right after they opened at 11am.

The one item that had been recommended to me since BHT opened was the Fried Chicken Sandwich ($13). Even though BHT was fairly close by I had my doubts that the sandwich would hold up well as takeout; but it did.

The fries however did not as it as soggy and under seasoned.

Now to be perfectly honest, the chicken breast had been fried nicely, and was good n' crunchy, but was on the dry side and really could have used a more aggressive seasoning. It was actually, the herb mayo, napa cabbage slaw, and the "zippy" Fresno chilies, along with the mild sweetness of the brioche bun that made this sandwich. It's almost as if the chicken was just there for texture.

The Reuben Sandwich ($14) was another "almost there" dish. This time I tried the truffle fries (+ $1.50).

Which, if it was possible, was even more soggy and limp then the regular fries I'd had before. The fries could have used more truffle oil and I'm not sure what to make of the partially melted shavings of cheese on the fries. Perhaps it was meant to be fully melted and nice and gooey/stringy? I dunno.

The sandwich though, was almost there…the rye bread nicely toasted, the Swiss cheese melted, the pastrami thinly sliced and warm, the "secret sauce" you know, a modified Thousand Island had some zip to it. I could have used more sauerkraut which might have resolved my biggest issue with this sandwich…..it was so darn salty.

On my last visit I went with the special, called the "Cali Cheesesteak" and this time ordered it with the Curly Fries.

As you can see, in terms of fries, the third time's a charm…..I guess this is the way to go with regards to takeout spuds. The fries were crisp and nicely seasoned.

As for the sandwich, well, the roll was nicely toasted. There were three different cheeses used for this a beer cheese, mozzarella, and provolone which provided alot of gooeyness but not a lot of flavor to add to the beef which while more tender than it looked needed a more aggressive seasoning.

I really think that the sandwich could have used more onions and bell peppers for texture. The avocado just made everything more mushy.

I will say that I enjoyed the somewhat elevated pub grub from BHT more than other options nearby. BHT is owned by the same group that runs Working Class in North Park. The folks are professional and quite nice. My orders have always been ready for pick-up at the designated time. And the items I tried were quite close to being good. Like I mentioned earlier, BHT can get pretty darn crowded, so I plan my pick up times carefully.

So, even though I'm no longer working from home much, perhaps in the future, when we're thru the pandemic and I'll go ahead and have a cold one or a cocktail at BHT and a bite to eat as well.

Bay Hill Tavern
3010 Clairemont Drive
San Diego, CA 92117
Hours:
Mon – Thurs 11am – 9pm
Friday 11am – 10pm
Saturday 9am – 10pm
Sunday 9am – 9pm

2022 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float road test #2, Breakfast at Flo’s Coffee Shop (Azusa)

September 1, 2021 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog and there are many reasons we find places to eat. Cathy is writing today about the reason and the place. Kirk is busy at work.

Link to 2022 Rose Parade float Road Test #1

Link to Road Test #3

This past Saturday, The Mister and I woke around 4 a.m., let the dogs out and got ready to drive North. We left the driveway at 5 a.m. and got on the foggy, dark, empty freeway. There was a stop for coffee and treats in Tustin and then the sun was out and we were in Irwindale, at Phoenix Decorating Company, where we have not been since we decorated floats for the 2020 Rose Parade back in December of 2019. Floats were already on the road, being tested for mechanics and maneuverability.

"Arctic Dream", the 2022 entry by Oddfellows and Rebekahs, a service organization, is so cute!
The Lutheran Hour Ministries will have their 72nd entry in the 2022 Parade. "Jesus Teaches" goes with the Theme of the Parade, which is celebrating education.
The Royal Court will ride in the same float as in the past few years. The exterior 'beaning' looks good; other details and, of course, flowers, will be added during decorating.
The Farmers Insurance float underwent its first test. I can see pine and palm trees-and the driver (in the center of the float). The driver looks down and follows the 'rose colored line' along Colorado Boulevard during the parade and does not see the route; there is a 'spotter' at the front of every float.
You can see the 'spotter' seated in the front of this rebar shell of a float undergoing its first road test. Unsure of who the sponsor is, but suspect it might be Trader Joe's, because of the banana shape near the back.
The 'spotter' will be out in the open-on the 'jeep'- of this float, sponsored by Mutual of Omaha. It looks like and ode to Wild Kingdom (a classic conservation educational television show since 1963, currently found on social media and digital channels).
The Kiwanis International, "Dream to Achieve" is another cute entry. Seeing the whimsical floats rolling down Colorado Boulevard on January 1 is a great way to start the year.

We were finished taking photos pretty early, since the testing started sooner than 7. Drove North, over the 210 and headed East on Foothill Boulevard; Route 66. Look at the sign; we had to stop.
Flo's has been in this location since 2012; it had been a Mexican restaurant for decades prior.

Breakfast has a good amount of choices. Thing is, we really did not want any coffee, since we had been awake since 4 a.m., so I can't comment on the 'coffee shop' part of their name. It was pretty crowded and we sat at the counter.
The Mister ordered the Waffle Combo ($10.45) with over easy eggs and link sausages. The sausages were very good, eggs cooked properly and the waffle had a distinct vanilla flavor and was soft.
Not being able to decide and wanting savory, the Huevos Divorciados ($10.45) was my choice. Two wonderful distinct salsas covering two over easy eggs along with (very good) rice and beans. The red salsa had a distinct heat and texture: finely diced onions were still crisp (and not part of the heat factor; the chilis had a great heat) the tomatoes added sweetness and were chunky. The green salsa was great, with a garlic an citrus undertone and smooth tomatillo tang.

All in all, a great breakfast on an early Saturday.

Flo's Coffee Shop 248 West Foothill Blvd Azusa, CA 91702 (626) 334-6600 Open Daily 6:30-2

Patrons of all occupations eat here. The fire station is on the next block.

Shirley’s Kitchen (La Mesa) (breakfast) (again)

August 18, 2021 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

Thank you for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!! today. Cathy is writing while Kirk is attending endless meetings.

It's been about seven years since my last post of Shirley's Kitchen. The Mister and I would stop here quite a bit, then there was COVID-19 and things changed. Fortunately, Shirley's Kitchen adapted by adding tables to the parking lot. while keeping the same menu and cooks.
The Shirley's Breakfast Special ($7.49) is a standby. One meat (I am unsure why we received two this time, other than we are 'regulars'), two eggs and two pancakes. The sausage patties here are quite good. The over easy eggs are always perfectly cooked and the pancakes are slightly sweet (don't need syrup) with a crisp edge and a fluffiness I enjoy. The Biscuits and Gravy plate ($11.99) is a great choice when you are hungry. Two (properly) poached eggs, two sausages, crispy hash browns and two freshly made biscuits smothered in a tasty, peppery sausage-y gravy.
The Classic Benedict ($11.49) is a toasted English muffin topped with a good size slice of ham (you can see an edge of it at the 1 o'clock point), two poached eggs and a Hollandaise sauce. The home fries are always good/crisp with plenty of onions and bell peppers.
The Florentine Benedict ($11.49) is also a good choice, with sautéed spinach and the poached egg on a toasted English muffin. You can see that the hollandaise is made from scratch and sometimes different from day to day, but in a good way.

Since 1994, this La Mesa classic diner has been a great local gem.

Shirley's Kitchen 7118 University Ave La Mesa, CA 91941 (619)462-5732 Open daily 7 a.m.-2 p.m.

Roadtrip (During Covid-19) – Sidecar Cocktail Co. and Old San Luis BBQ Co. (San Luis Obispo)

August 14, 2021 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, BBQ, Cocktails, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Travel

On the way back to the motel after dinner, I asked the Missus if She'd like to stop for a cocktail. I was somewhat interested in a place we had passed earlier in the day named Sidecar….no, not "that" Sidecar; this Sidecar, located on Broad Street.

This was the place we passed that had seating along the the creek. They also had tables lined up outdoors as well.

Unfortunately, none of those tables were available….plus, we weren't eating anything, so we just got one of the tables in the bar area which was nicely spaced.

The folks working were quite friendly….the Missus ordered one of the specialty cocktails….called "Walk on Home Boy" ($15).

Strange this supposedly had both Bourbon and Mezcal, but was quite mild in flavor and on the sweeter side/

I asked for an Old Fashion made with Mezcal – which wasn't too bad at all.

We decided to call it quits after one drink each and decided to head back to the motel.

We enjoyed the service and vibe was very nice.

Sidecar Cocktail Co.
1040 Broad St.
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

A half a block away, we stopped by this nice piece of public art named "Web of Life".

Close by was the Old San Luis BBQ Company – also known as "Old Slo BBQ". It was basically a window and small attached dining area.

Along with a small outdoor dining area along the sidewalk. The menu had tri-tip "sliders" on it, so I talked the Missus into ordering one ($4.25) to take back to the room.

It was a short wait, but soon enough our little slider was ready and we walked back to our room.

Old San Luis BBQ Co.
670 Higuera St.
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

Returning to our room I opened things up……

The rather dry tri-tip was served on a standard issue sourdough-ciabatta style roll. The tri-tip had a strong smokiness with not much else in terms of seasoning and was quite tough and dry. The actual flavor of the bread was stronger than the meat….except for all that smoke.

That BBQ sauce was overly sweet for my taste. I guess we'll stick with our "old faithful" if/when we're back in SLO……

Roadtrip (During Covid-19) – Dinner at Koberl At Blue (San Luis Obispo)

August 8, 2021 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Travel

After that nice lunch at Firestone Grill, we walked back to our motel and had a nice afternoon nap.

For our dinner in SLO; I created a list for the Missus to choose from and after looking at various menus; She chose Koberl at Blue. The appetizers and vegetarian menu items interested Her. And you know how we enjoy ordering a selection of appetizers to create sort of our own "multi-course" menu to share.

The interior bar area is very "old school" looking….I should have taken a photo. We did enjoy eating outdoors and the service while on the "SLO-side" (how appropriate, right?) was friendly.

The Missus had a glass of wine to start and I ordered the Yuzu Gimlet, which needed a bit more gin in my opinion……

Recalling our regret for not ordering the scallops at Les Petites Canailles, we decided to order the Seared Sea Scallops ($22).

The scallops were on the overcooked side for our taste and the artichoke duxelles was quite bland. There wasn't enough bacon to elevate the flavor of the dish and the brown butter sauce was a bit too cold in temp which led to a slightly greasy mouthfeel. I'm thinking that under normal circumstances the radish would provide a spicy-bitter zip….but it just didn't work out in this case. Not a terrible dish, but not good.

A menu item that fascinated both the Missus and I was the Crispy Snowe Crab "Chinois" ($18).

The crab was nicely formed, breaded, and fried but it was so darn salty. And that dressing reminded me of….well "secret sauce" if you know what I mean. We actually just had one each and as much as we hate to waste food, we just couldn't bring ourselves to finish this. We did mention the sodium level to our gracious Server….not to have it taken off our bill; but just to let the kitchen know.

My favorite dish of the evening was the Beef Carpaccio ($17).

The beef ethereally melted in my mouth. It did have a bit too much "stuffs" with all the celeriac and Parmesiano Reggiano. Just having the capers, less horseradish sauce, and onion would have done the job. Still, I enjoyed this.

The Missus was excited about the Wild Mushroom Ravioli ($20), but it ended up being disappointed.

The basil vermouth sauce was on mild side and really didn't help to bring out the earthiness of the mushroom in the ravioli….I think the Missus was expecting an elevated version of my porcini-cremini sauce. The spinach was perfectly sautéed, but the texture of the ravioli was on the mushy side.

After this dish, we decided to call it a night at Koberl.

Koberl At Blue
998 Monterey St.
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

We headed back to our room….though while walking down the pedestrian only Monterey Street, we decided to make one more stop….which would end up being two more stops before calling it a night.

Thanks for stopping by!

Roadtrip (During Covid-19) – Walking Around San Luis Obispo and Revisiting Firestone Grill 7 Years Later

August 6, 2021 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Salads, Sandwiches, Travel

After yet another nice meal at Madeline's in Cambria (and that beautiful sunset), we slept well. And after a wonderful night's sleep, I got up early, and just as on our previous visit walked on over to Cambria Coffee Roasting Company to get the Missus Her pour over and a Cold Brew for me.

Like Paso Robles; there's something about Cambria that is very comfortable and on this, our second trip here within a year, it all felt familiar.

Cambria Coffee Roasting Company
761 Main St.
Cambria, CA 93428

We just relaxed and took our sweet time. We had one more stop before heading home and it was basically a 45 minute drive South. Finally, fully awake we headed off….to San Luis Obispo. We had made a stop in SLO years back, but I had wanted to stay for a night. But man, those hotel prices in the downtown area….over $300 a night! Yikes. So, I booked what was basically a motor inn right off the 101 and a short 15 minute walk into the heart of "SLO". Of course we had gotten in quite early; check-in wasn't until 3pm. So, the motel was nice enough to let us park in the lot and we decided to stretch our legs and grab some lunch.

We basically walked up Higuera Street then took a left on Broad Street. We were playing by ear.

The Missus had decided that She wanted to see Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, so we headed off in that direction. We meandered along, crossing over San Luis Obispo Creek; stopping to check out some of the public art.

The creek has nice green spaces and a creekside trail. And some of the restaurants and bars have what seems like serene creekside seating.

It was such a bright and beautiful day in May.

We passed the History Center and headed up to Palm and the garden area of the Mission.

It was a nice, peaceful area to take a break. The Mission is well known for the bells and bellringers.

After a short break we headed off to the front of the Mission.

And the bells went off just as we turned the corner.

The Mission was founded in 1772 by; you guessed it; Junípero Serra. The site itself is fascinating as the area was called Ilano de los Osos (though some say it was La Cañada de los Osos – "Valley of the Bears") "Plain of the Bears" by Juan Crespí, a Franciscan Missionary who documented Gaspar de Portolá's expedition thru what is now California.

There was a nice art display in Mission Plaza and all along SLO called the May Flower Initiative, with some wonderful, colorful displays.

There was something I wanted to check out just a block over. You see; once upon a time, like many cities in California, SLO had a Chinatown (there's a great article here). A block over from the Mission are the remnants of that Chinatown. The most well known being the Ah Louis Store.

Ah Louis is probably the most well known and most successful of those that settled in SLO. The Ah Louis Store still stands; though it's now called "Karson Butler Events at the Ah Louis Store".

Another business that still exists is Mee Heng Low; you can read a wonderful article on the business here. One can only imagine what challenges these folks had to overcome. The anti-Chinese sentiment, the Chinese Exclusion Act……and there are times…at least these days, where I think we haven't evolved very far from the racism and hate of those days.

By this time, the Missus was getting a bit hungry…..after a short discussion….a very short discussion, we thought it would be kinda cool to revisit Firestone Grill, which we really enjoyed over 7 years ago! My how time flies……

So we walked on over.

They were doing great business; but folks were all wearing masks and distancing and other processes were in place.

We placed our order at one counter; found a table outside. They had closed tables in order to distance diners….a nice job overall.

Soon enough our number was called and I headed off to another area to pick up our food. We had ordered the exact same items as on our previous visit.

The Missus got Her massive Steak Cobb Salad ($11.99), which She plowed thru like there's no tomorrow.

Yes, that tri-tip does well on this; but man, it's the bacon and blue cheese that makes the salad in my opinion. And with all that flavor, who needs dressing.

I got the Trip-tip Sandwich (no BBQ sauce please).

They still gave me BBQ sauce; but at least it was on the side….that sauce is way too sweet and for me doesn't bring anything to the sandwich. Not quite as much tri-tip as I recall; but it is still moist and tender, beefy with mild smokiness….I do like the roll they use; lightly toasted, a bit of garlic butter…yeasty. This was quite good……..even 7 years later!

Firestone Grill
1001 Higuera St
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

We were happy with lunch and were looking forward to dinner….but first; a nap of course. I got a text telling me our room was ready so we headed back.

There was one additional stop I wanted to make; Bubblegum Alley….but when we got there, the Missus was so grossed out that She told me I'd be napping in the car if I walked in…..

I dunno; we had been to the Gum Wall in Seattle……but maybe being surrounded by stuff that's been chewed…saliva and all that….in the heat of mid-day?

That's fine……at this point in time, that nap in air conditioned goodness was more important to me!

Thanks for stopping by!

The Rule of Three – Revisits to GyroGrill, LouZiana Food, and Smack’N Guamanian Grill

August 4, 2021 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Cajun, Southern, and Soul Food, Greek Food, Guamanian/Chamorro, Sandwiches

So, I recently started returning to places fairly close to the office and when setting up this post I noticed something about three of these places. The number three comes into play. All three places are on Miramar Road. This is my third post on these places since the pandemic started…..yes, it’s been that long. And all three are, well….take out visits. The one big difference is in my ordering mechanism.

So here goes.

GyroGrill:

**** GryoGrill has closed

Gyrogrill actually opened during the pandemic and my first post was back in October of last year.

Since service and turnaround is fairly quick at GG….a big plus is that they open at 9am so I can get our lunches at around 10 and the place is empty and the parking lot isn’t crazy. I actually order at the restaurant.

As I mentioned in my follow-up post, I….and my coworkers basically get one thing here. The pork gyros combo with handcut potatoes.

So even though the pork gyros here isn’t in the same league as Zgara, it’s sometimes a bit on the dry side and could be more aggressively seasoned, it’s way better than the ubiquitous Kronos stuff you get almost everywhere else. Decent pork flavor and everyone enjoys the crispy hand cut potatoes. And I’ve kinda gotten used to the really thick Tzatziki.

Gyrogrill
6780 Miramar Rd.
San Diego, CA 92121
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 9am – 7pm
Sat 9am – 6pm
Closed Sunday

LouZiana Food:

**** LouZiana Food has closed

I think I’m pretty good at taking direction and on my last post on LouZiana Grill back in January of this year, “FOY” Dereck wrote this in the comments:

“Kirk, I don’t know how you can get out of there without a roast beef po boy. It isn’t like the debris sandwiches from NOLA, but it sure as hell does taste good when I want a fix!”

So, ok I decided to try the roast beef po’ boy. My mechanism for ordering here (there’s no online ordering) is to call in. LZ can get a bit busy at times and I still am a bit put off by crowds. The folks working are always friendly and my order is always waiting when I arrive.

I mentioned in my previous post during the pandemic, that I’m not a big fan of the bread here. But in this framework it does real well. Because sheesh…..

Oh geez, look at all that remoulade sauce! But that bread holds up real well and is almost tailormade for all that mayo goodness. In fact, when I bit into one end of the sandwich…it basically “sharted” remoulade out the other end. Luckily, I ate over the wrappers! The sauce was fairly balanced; not too much sour-pickle juice tones, though I like my remoulade to be more garlicky and spicy this was not bad. Standard issue shredded iceberg and tomatoes. The one thing about not having and overly strong sauce is that I could actually taste the roast beef.

A messy, but pretty good sandwich. Thanks for the recommendation Dereck!

LouZiana Food
7128 Miramar Rd.
San Diego, CA 92121
Current Hours:
Daily 11am – 8pm

Smack’N Guamanian Grill:

**** Smack’N Guamanian Grill has closed

Much like GyroGrill, I pretty much get the same thing from Smack’N Guamanian Grill during my pandemic takeout visits. The Chebot Plate, the combo of BBQ Chicken and Kelaguen (I sub out an extra scoop of Kelaguen for the cabbage slaw), with Red Rice. Smack’N has online ordering which I use.

And even though on my previous two pandemic visits the chicken was “masked” (i.e covered with foil)….I guess with new CDC guidelines, masking is now optional!

Smack’N has been pretty consistent over the last couple of visits and I know what to expect. The Kelaguen is very moist, though lacking in coconut tones and spice. It’s not overly salty, has mild citrus tones, and is quite easy to take. The finedene is also fairly mild as well. I actually take the Kelaguen home and use my homemade finedene…..because, as you can tell, this a generous amount of food.

The BBQ Chicken is nicely grilled, fairly tender, and has really good salt-soy balance. It’s much better than what you get from many of those “Hawaiian BBQ” places.

The Red Rice does a fine job of soaking up the chicken drippings and is quite moist.

Smack’N Guamanian Grill
9506 Miramar Rd.
San Diego, CA 92126
Current Hours:
Mon – Sat 11am – 7pm
Closed on Sundays

You know, it’s hard to believe that I’ve now done three posts on these places during the pandemic……it just seems to go on and on. My hope is that the next time I do a post on one of these places; I’ll be eating in and the worse will be but a tiny speck in our “rearview mirror”.

Take care everyone!

2022 Rose Parade float Road Test (One) Breakfast at Norm’s

August 2, 2021 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog. Today, Cathy is writing the post; Kirk is having a really busy Monday at work.

Link to 2022 Rose Parade Float Road Test #2

Link to 2022 Road Test # 3

We couldn't wait any longer. Our last road trip to Pasadena was on January 2, 2020 to see the Showcase of floats of the 2020 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade. If you are a reader of this blog, you know that The Mister and I enjoy "Start to Finish" (as well as Decorating) Rose Parade floats. Last year, the Parade was canceled, however the Theme had been chosen and it will be used for 2022.

Road tests hadn't been announced online, but we drove North on Saturday and, indeed, "our" decorating barn (Phoenix Decorating) was not open, so we drove about two miles North,

saw several news trucks and parked. The Fiesta Parade Floats barn was having a road test of three of their 2021 floats.
You can see this float, by the City of Torrance, will be adorable! The elephant's head sways back and forth and it looks like there will be a water feature.
The base of the Donate Life float (facing opposite of the drawing) will have people in the small boats at the bottom. You can see where the "spotter" is sitting in the front. The driver is way in the back (inside the boxed in area), since all he sees and follows is the 'Rose Colored Line' along Colorado Boulevard during the parade.

This one might be difficult to envision now, but you can see by its size that it will be magnificent! The UPS Store float will have to be able to 'collapse' along the parade route, that's why all the hydraulics are there. Again, this is the 'off camera' side view of the float-the "basket" is at the front of the float. The smaller photo is where the rooster tail feathers will be- and I think they will be moving.

After this wonderful semblance of 'normal', The Mister and I drove about six miles, South East. We had to stop. Norms, one of the first 24/7 Los Angeles restaurants, an icon since 1949, has a Norms Junior location in West Covina, in a former Spires Restaurant building. Because of new protocols, the menu is simple,

as is the order and pay area.
Beverages and utensils are ready at the end of the counter and you can carry those to wherever you would like to sit. Soon the food is brought to your table.
The Mister chose the "Bigger Better Breakfast" ($8.99). Wow, two pancakes, two eggs, two bacon, two sausage, a large slice of ham and hash browns. So much flavor! Perfectly cooked over-easy eggs, really nice pancakes. What a great meal.
I chose the breakfast sandwich ($5.99). I used to always try breakfast sandwiches following road tests for the many years and somehow got out of the habit. I am now back in the habit. The toasted eggy brioche bun was quite large. There were two eggs (I asked for over medium and they were). The cheese and sausages were just the perfect compliments; quality sausage and a better American cheese. A great meal.

So happy we stopped here.

Norms Junior 501 N. Azuza Avenue West Covina 91791 open daily 7 a.m.-11 p.m. Website (626) 859-2375