American/New American Restaurants – Page 18

2019 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float road tests #1 and 2 and Cream Pan (Tustin), The Donut Man and Peppertree Cafe (Glendora)

August 6, 2018 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Bakery, Breakfast/Brunch, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, Orange County, What Cathy Eats!

Usually there are reasons as to why we stop and eat somewhere. Cathy is showing you some meals and snacks consumed while on the way to and from a regular event, as well as the event. Kirk is busy.

Other float road tests for the 2019 Parade: Road test #3, Road Tests #4/5 and Road Test #6.

I'll write about food in the first part of this post.

Wake at 4 a.m., leave the house at 5 a.m., drive North, exit at Red Hill Avenue. There's a Starbucks. Two lights North, take a left and there is Cream Pan.We hadn't been here since January Everything is fresh (Cream Pan opens at 6 a.m.) and wonderful here. Ham and cheese baked in a croissant ($2.60) (a common order wherever I go) and, of course, a strawberry croissant ($1.50). We also purchased some raisin rolls ($3) for later snacks.

Cream Pan 602 El Camino Real Tustin, CA 92780 (714)655-8239 Website 6 am-7pm daily

Glendora, East of Irwindale and 'on the way home'/Route 66. I've written a short combination-post then a specific post about The Donut Man, a Glendora treasure. It is indeed 'Peach Donut Season'. This was the line before 9 a.m.. This walk up donut shop is almost always open. It's easy; the line starts to the left in the photo.
Check out the donuts in the window,
order and pay. Done.
The fresh peach donut ($4.50) and a Tiger Tail ($1.95) were all we wanted…this time. Fresh peach has been out Since July 21 and usually are only available for three or so weeks a year. So good. So fresh.

The Donut Man 915 E. Route 66 Glendora, CA 91740 (626) 335-9111 Open 24 hours, closed some holiday weekends. Website

Just across the street and East (into the sun) from Donut Man, Is the Peppertree Cafe.

Located in Glendora more than 20 years, this Family Style restaurant can get very crowded on weekends. Fortunately we were here before 9 a.m..

My order from the whiteboard at the front- Grilled Club Sausage links with two eggs and two sides ($9.99). The "sides" to select from were plenty: not only toast, hash browns and O'Brien potatoes, but french fries, biscuits and gravy, refried beans, tortillas, cottage cheese, fresh fruit, cup of oatmeal, one pancake, peach halves, pineapple, sliced banana, sliced tomatoes or a baked muffin. As you can see, I chose a single pancake and the sliced tomatoes. This was wonderful. The Club Sausage links were *so good*- skin on, coarse grind, a good spice blend.

The Mister ordered the Chicken Fried Steak ($9.99) and chose cottage cheese and fresh fruit as his sides. This huge serving (there are three large eggs included along with two sides) really hit the spot. The 'crust' on the fried steak was right on the edge of being burned by about ten seconds, but managed to turn out quite perfect and amazing. If we lived closer, Peppertree Cafe would be a regular stop.

Peppertree Cafe 1020 E. Route 66 Glendora, CA 91740 Website Sun-Thurs 6 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri-Sat 6a.m.-10 p.m.

Now, the reason we were 'up north'…

In mid-January, the Theme (with banner design) and President of the 2019 Tournament of Roses were announced. Float designs were submitted, reviewed, accepted and float building began. In June and July, The Mister and I drove to Phoenix Decorating Company in Irwindale to view some of the floats undergoing testing of safety and maneuverability.
The theme for 2019 is "The Melody of Life". Each float will have a reference to music in some shape or form on each float. "Service Rocks" the 2019 Rotary International float, looks to be a reference to the song 'Crocodile Rock', with the crocodile playing a keyboard and wearing heart shaped (Elton John-style) glasses.
Kiwanis International float is a Jukebox and will have an Elvis impersonator onboard. The 2019 float title is "Helping Kids Rock Their Future"; a great way of combining the theme of the parade with the goal of this Service Organization.

The International Order of Oddfellows and Rebekahs 2019 float, "200 years of Harmony" is commemorating the longevity of this Service Organization in North America. The calliope as the music source on this float should be fun!
"Joy To The World, The Lord Is Come" is the 2019 entry by the Lutheran Hour Ministries. This will be the 69th year for the only Christian themed float in the parade, decorated by about 5000 "Petal Pushers" volunteers who also assist with decorating other Service floats. The 'music' portion of this float will be performed by a choir. Of course.
A month ago, the Lions Clubs International float, "Rockin The Vest", was rebar, plywood and screening.
The other day, it was in a 'cocoon' and will be colored in for the testing next month. The title "Rockin' The Vest" is in reference to the yellow vests which Lions Clubs International members wear when volunteering (Lions Club is the world's largest Community Service Organization) AND it is also in reference to a 2011 'Rap' video, 'Rockin' The Vest', a fun music video designed to appeal to younger potential members. So fitting in this 2019 theme of 'The Melody of Life'. That's a boom box on the back of the car.

There were more floats tested, you'll see progress next month.

La Mesa Bistro and Bakery (revisits)

July 25, 2018 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Bakery, Breakfast/Brunch, Salads, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

Here you are, looking at mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk is relaxing after a long day at work and Cathy is writing today's post.

I've only written about La Mesa Bistro and Bakery two other times and it's been a while. I apologize. This restaurant, hidden in a far corner of a busy group of storefronts (including Chopsticks Inn) on La Mesa Boulevard (just behind Dieter Fischers, the Mercedes repair shop) has been here since at least 2009. Almost everything is made from scratch, is quality. The menu is amazingly similar to that of Swami's, which has one location just down the street.

Using the word 'menu' is incorrect. Sure, there's a large paper menu you can grab before ordering, but so many other choices are at the doorway, along the walls behind the cash register, on chalkboards around…nothing is repeated.
So, order, pay, find a seat and you can grab some water or some coffee (pick a country of origin; only two of those pump pots has flavored coffee). The paper menu touts "Old Fashioned Baking"- the breads, bagels and muffins here are fresh made and wonderfully perfect.
Reuben "The Chef" salad ($10.95). Reuben is the chef's name. This is a wonderful salad of mixed (organic) greens, cucumbers, sprouts, swiss and cheddar cheeses and the three meats…
ham, turkey and roast beef. Served with (house made) sourdough garlic cheese toast.
The Blue cheese dressing is made here. It's filled with chunks of blue cheese…almost too much (!)
The Lunch Sampler ($8.50) is 1/2 of any of the gourmet sandwiches served with a salad or cup of soup.
One of the daily soups is clam chowder. It is wonderful, filled with clams, clam juice, some potatoes and celery. Creamy (see that skin that formed on the top?) and just good.
I chose the 1/2 "Bistro Delight" sandwich. Turkey, Swiss, avocado, lettuce and tomato. A simple (turkey packed) and wonderful sandwich; the turkey is a great quality, the sourdough is just sour enough and the flavors are quite perfect. We returned because The Mister had a craving. Soup and salad. He got the Caesar salad (which was very nice)
and a bowl of the clam chowder…oh yes, he wanted this. It was, again, excellent.
I was wanting to order breakfast…and there was a chalkboard 'chicken omelette' listed ($8.95). Mild green chiles, tomato, eggs and plenty of meaty chicken pieces, avocado..house made salsa (not too hot; good) and rye toast (seedy and good) served with house made jam: cranberries, blackberries and apples. Oh, a side of fresh fruit (they make smoothies here you know; fresh fruit is always available).

A great local place.

La Mesa Bistro and Bakery 8697 La Mesa Boulevard La Mesa 91941 (619)589-0806 Open seven days 5:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Website

Tobey’s 19th Hole Cafe (revisit)

July 24, 2018 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Burgers, Diner, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog, covering meals consumed near and far. Kirk is busy with meetings all day, so Cathy is writing a short post.

The Mister and I tend to take guests out to 'local' rather than 'trendy' places. The other day was no exception. I've written about this San Diego City golf course (since 1934) restaurant only a few other times in the past years, yet it is a regular stop, usually for a breakfast meal and the view.

The parking lot nearest the main building is sometimes crowded, but there are nearby 'overflow' lots.

Stepping inside the Clubhouse, the restaurant is to your left, the view is straight ahead. There's a bar area as well as tables and booths.
Have a seat by the window and notice how the menu cover reflects your view.
Breakfast is served all day here. You can get a one egg, one pancake two bacon (or sausage) meal for $7 or two eggs, two pancakes and two bacon (or sausage) for $9.25. The (extraordinarily large) pancakes are light and fluffy and really tasty (sweet without needing syrup). The eggs were perfectly over easy and the bacon was very good. All in all, a very large breakfast if you order the 'two' instead of 'one'. Coffee here is $3 and is constantly kept filled.
The menu board out front has breakfast and lunch specials and on this day, a choice of a hot roast beef or hot meatloaf sandwich ($10.25) were the lunch specials. I did order the hot beef, but received this hot meatloaf sandwich. Instead of returning it, I decided to try it. Good choice. A very nicely seasoned (chunks of tomato mixed in with a light breadcrumb) meatloaf on (my choice) wheat bread with gravy and mashed potatoes. A quite large serving and flavor filled.
The Mister ordered a Chili Size ($13.50), onions on the side (for me) and tots as his side dish choice. This is a wonderful meal. The bread is on the side; knowing it gets soggy, it's served this way. Kind of perfect. The chili, as always, is meaty, lightly spicy, has beans. Tots are the best choice of side here, unless you are craving a salad (or regular french fries or potato salad).

Another great meal with a great view in a San Diego neighborhood.

Tobey's 19th Hole 2600 Golf Course Dr. San Diego, CA 92102 (619) 234-5921 Open daily 6-6

Talkeetna – Twister Creek Restaurant & Denali Brewpub

July 17, 2018 mmm-yoso Alaska, American/New American Restaurants, Beer, Gastropub, Travel

It had been a pretty long day by the time we were able to check-in at lodge we were staying at. We decided to take a short nap. Upon waking; we realized it was like 7pm! That's the thing about Alaska at this time of the year. The sun didn't set until 11pm…..and, like folks told us; the weather can change by the minute here. Like the "polar winter" we experienced in Tromsø it was a bit disorienting at times….it was 730 pm when we left the lodge for dinner and this is what things looked like.

It could have been 2pm anywhere.

We walked into Talkeetna. Things had quieted down a bit from earlier in the day….folks gone for the day. Plus, this was still early in the season and Talkeetna was still kinda "sleepy" once many of the tourists were gone.

All the restaurants seemed empty; except for one; Twister Creek Restaurant, which is run by Denali Brewing Company.

After our previous experience at Seward Brewing Company we thought; "why not?"

The place was three-fourths full when we arrived; but soon filled to the brim.

I started with….well a beer of course. I liked the fact that Denali Brewing offered many Belgian style brews; I went with the Belgian Golden Strong dubbed "Abaddon".

Served at a perfect temperature; slight banana tones; somewhat boozy in the Belgian way….no joke at 9.1ABV.

Our Server whose name I believe is Nastasia was a joy. So nice, so friendly, awesomely efficient, and she also made one fantastic recommendation.

This being heavy pub-grub; we shared an order of Sweet Potato Wedges….the Missus loves this stuff.

This was strange as it was fairly crisp; nice flavor, the Missus loved it; but it was still slightly cold in the center. Still; while the Missus would soon tire of pub-grub; we weren't at that point yet.

They were out of a couple of appetizers and mains. We ended up going with the Reindeer Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy.

The meatloaf was fairly lean. The flavor was mild. The gravy had quite a bit of black pepper and was nicely seasoned, rich, and smooth. But it was barely past lukewarm. Ditto the slightly water-logged mashed potatoes.

But, there were two reasons we really enjoyed this meal. The first was the amazing service by Nastasia. The second was; when I wanted an digestif; she recommended they newly released single malt whiskey. We were told that the first run of the whiskey sold out in hours; but the restaurant still had a stock.

This was fantastic….we loved the vanilla tones of this rather smooth spirit. We really wanted a bottle….but of course; there was none to be had.

So, we'd just have to return again.

Twister Creek Restaurant/Denali Brewpub
13605 E Main St
Talkeetna, AK 99676

Our Server chatted with us a bit about working in Alaska. She told us that you either loved it here….or you left. She was lucky as, unlike many of the folks who work two-three jobs during the high season, the brewpub was open year round and she enjoyed Talkeetna.

Many of the places were closed; but we visited those places that were still open.

As we left one of the shops; it seemed like the weather was turning a bit……

So we headed back to the lodge. By the time we walked the half mile back, the weather had cleared up a bit, so we walked along the Susitna River and enjoyed the view.

After wandering around for a bit we returned to the lodge and while the Missus showered and got ready for bed, I had a nightcap.

The Denali Flag Stop Mile Post 2 is a Flanders Red; mild stone fruit, slightly tart, no, it wasn't Duchess, or as we learned in Ghent, "Doo-Chezz", but this was perfectly fine.

As was the view out our window.

You could do a lot worse than this…..

Thanks for stopping by!

Smokey’s Lake Wohlford Cafe (a revisit)

July 10, 2018 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the name of this food blog. Cathy is writing today while Kirk is busy at His job.

It's been almost eight years since I wrote about Smokey's, yet not much has changed.

Oh sure, there's some updated signage.

Stepping inside, the small store to the left, bar and tables in front of you and general atmosphere, with friendly waitresses, is comforting and familiar. The menu (at the bottom of this post) is pretty much the same (there's still catfish as a breakfast meat choice). We were here in the afternoon, so chose from the lunch menu.
The cheeseburger, ($8) 1/3 lb angus on a toasted sesame seeded bun with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle with crinkle cut fries was a wonderful quality and size. Excellent flavor.
The soup and Sandwich ($7) was a great choice. I wanted a tuna sandwich and was asked if I'd like it to be a tuna melt. There was no upcharge and the flavors of the Swiss cheese and tuna salad on the random sliced toasted rye were so very comfortingly perfect.
The soup of the day was Vegetable Beef and it was so good! Hamburger, tomato, onion, celery, green pepper and those macaroni noodles. It tasted so much better than when I toss similar leftovers in a pot.
Of course, since we were here, we had to have catfish and the two piece meal ($10.50) was just enough food to hit the spot. The light cornmeal dusting on the perfectly fried fish along with cole slaw and
delicately fried herb filled hush puppies were just perfect textures and flavors for a lunch at this long time (since 1947) classic diner.

Smokey's Lake Wohlford Cafe 25484 Lake Wohlford Road Escondido 92027 (760) 749-6585 Website Open 6 a.m. daily

Brunch at Urban Solace (and the “secret menu” item)

July 5, 2018 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Cajun, Southern, and Soul Food

**** Urban Solace has closed

It's kind of strange; I thought I'd done a large post on Urban Solace before, but all I could find was a "burger week" post from back in 2009. Kind of strange since US was a favorite of the Missus for a couple of years. Regardless, the Missus had never had brunch at Urban Solace. And with us both having a nice leisure weekend day for a change, it felt like the right time to reacquaint ourselves.

We found parking rather quickly on Ray Street and stopped a couple of times as we made our way around the block to Urban Solace; which was pretty empty on this weekend morning.

I have to say; the service on this visit was outstanding, genial, professional, and the staff just seemed to have perfect timing.

Of course we started with the biscuits, which we just about perfect this time around.

Moist with a nicely balanced texture, hitting that sweet spot between fluffy and dense. It had a mild cheese flavor, which didn't over-power the biscuit, and we didn't even need the Orange-Honey Butter or Smoked Tomato Jam.

Since it was going to be noon-soon….we decided on some cocktails. The Missus picked something off the cocktail list; while I asked what the "Dealers Choice", basically the bartender's special was. And was rewarded with a refreshing, smokey, slightly herbal Mezcal-Chamomile Spritz. This was super good and not too sweet….in fact, the Missus ended up ordering one as well. Once She finished what She was drinking.

The Shrimp and Grits have always been a favorite of ours here; and this did not disappoint.

While the grits are perhaps…well, too refined (creamy) for my taste, it is still quite good. The shrimp….and there were five good sized ones in that little cast iron skillet were cooked and seasoned perfectly. Overall a very nice dish.

We also ordered the Beef Cheek Hash, which was probably our least favorite dish of the meal.

The beef cheeks were shredded finely, nice beefiness, but there wasn't very much of it. The eggs were cold. The potatoes were nice; but man, we're used to food being too salty these days; but this was a rarity as it really needed some salt! We ended up taking almost all of this home (except for the eggs). I fried up some lardons and added it to the leftovers for lunch the next day. And it still needed more salt!

Our wonderful Server asked us if we were interested in the daily special or per their definition the "secret menu"? As soon as she said "torchon de foie gras", we both answered "yes" at the same time. This was a huge portion and pretty good.

The torchon had a perfect texture; creamy, but with substance. It was a touch too sweet, but asked for some salt which brought the flavor back into balance. The toasts were nice; but for some strange reason; I loved having the foie gras with the biscuits. This is definitely a must order when we return….if they have it.

Here's the deal; when the torchon is available they only have enough product for five orders. I was told to call on the day of our visit to see if they had this or any other "secret menu" items. She also mentioned that for some reason; it's not very popular. Strange…..though I'm hoping it isn't popular the next time we visit!

Excellent service, nice cocktails that aren't overly sweet, and foie gras. Now that's a fairly successful brunch, don't you think?

Urban Solace Restaurant
3823 30th Street
San Diego, CA 92104
Hours:
Mon – Thurs 1130am – 930pm
Saturday 1030am – 1030pm
Sunday 930am – 230pm, 5pm – 9pm
Brunch on Saturdays and Sundays

Seward – Seward Brewing Company and Dinner at The Cookery

June 26, 2018 mmm-yoso Alaska, American/New American Restaurants, Beer, Gastropub, Seafood, Travel

We loved the town of Seward. Tucked in the Kenai Peninsula; this town of about 3,000 had character and charm. Instead of staying at one of the hotels near the boat harbor; we decided to stay at a B&B in the historic downtown area. And driving down Ballaine Boulevard to the B&B indicated I'd made the right decision.

This was the view across the street from our unit.

When we checked-in we found that there were some severe storms at sea and our whole day wildlife tour was cancelled. After travelling for a while you understand that no one controls Mother Nature and you have to go with the flow. We were given some Resurrection Bay alternatives. Major Marine was given as the company to use. We decided to wait until the next morning to book our tour. And headed off to explore Seward.

We were steps from the Alaska Sealife Center, but our schedule didn't allow us time to visit. Though there were some musicians and this really interesting vendor there as we walked past.

Now there must be a story here…….

Downtown Seward had the feel of a touristy-kitschy-artsy-"wild frontier" kind of vibe. It is also "framed" by some wonderful views.

Things were quite mellow when we arrived. We were told that the first cruise ship of the season had just left, so things were quiet until the next one came in.

It was still too early to head to the spot I wanted for dinner, so we wandered around a bit.

It was a bit too early for our dinner destination; so we decided to grab a drink at the Seward Brewing Company.

We enjoyed the vibe of the bar area. The Missus had a white while I had a red ale. Folks here just start talking to you…….

Our bartender was from…….San Diego! Encinitas if I recall. She was here for the summer, working, like many folks we ran into, several jobs during the busy season. Her other job? Well, working at Major Marine. Go figure……

We really enjoyed the Seward Brewing Company and returned the following evening.

Seward Brewing Company
139 4th Ave
Seward, AK 99664

Our dinner reservations was at a place called The Cookery. I'd looked over their menu online, and the small plates seemed like just the thing we'd enjoy.

First off, this place gets really busy, really fast. The crew is quite nice, though they seemed a bit harried. We enjoyed the menu….perhaps a bit hipster, but quite interesting and perfect for folks who don't want to stuff their face.

The Amuse was a ceviche of sorts.

This was quite nice. A good acidity; meaty fish……

I love my oysters so we started with a half dozen.

The Halibut Cove were really briny reminding me of Atlantic/French oysters. The Jakalof Bay oysters were still a bit too briny for my taste, but had an interesting, almost sweet finish. It had been too long since I'd had good oysters, so I really enjoyed these.

The fish of the day was Halibut Cheeks…….how could we not order this?

I actually enjoyed what the light curry sauce and the mango added to the dish. The Halibut Cheeks would have been amazing, except it was over-cooked, therefore losing that rich fattiness that would take this to the "delici-yoso" level.

The Roasted Brussel Sprouts had been cooked well, as in not mushy, still crunchy.

The Missus, who loves Brussel Sprouts simply said; "not savory enough and not enough flavor" in Her assessment.

The "Wild & Tame Mushroom Toast" was a nice dish; nice earthiness, but a bit too sweet for our palate.

I told the Missus to order dessert……but knowing how much I missed oysters…….

We enjoyed our meal at the Cookery. In fact, if hey had not been closed on the following evening, we'd have eaten there.

As is; this was the second best meal we had during our trip to Alaska.

The Cookery
209 5th Ave
Seward, AK 99664

Hours
Tues – Sun 5pm – 10pm

Sage Cafe-inside Barona Casino

May 29, 2018 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, the food blog you are reading, has been around for more than 13 years. It's a compilation of meals enjoyed. Cathy is writing today; Kirk is relaxing after his vacation.

So, we have an out of town guest who has never been to a casino. It was lunchtime and the closest casino, Barona, came to mind. The Mister and I haven't been here in years and noticed how much things had changed. There's a hotel and more parking out front as well as in the covered garage. A sort of 'farm' theme is the exterior decor.
Look at the beautiful view East from the fourth floor of the garage.

I avoid taking photos of people and am pretty sure I couldn't take any of the casino floor, so just know it's beautiful, light filled, exciting and caters to just about any vice you may have, except for alcohol (the road to get here, Wildcat Canyon, has only one lane each way and up until a few years ago, no alcohol was allowed in the casino or any restaurant but now the Steakhouse does serve alcohol). There is a food court area as well as an All You Can Eat buffet and several restaurants at various price points.

The restaurant we headed to, Sage Cafe, is open 24 hours and basically right next to the hotel; the farthest point from the parking garage.
While perusing the menu, a basket of warm rolls and butter was brought to the table. The toasted ones were (a good, sour) sourdough and the brown ones were a soft yet chewy wheat. Both went well with the salted butter. One of our meal choices came with a choice of soup or wedge salad and this was great. The thin sliced onion and cucumbers as well as the tomato wedge and bits of Gorgonzola went well with the (iceberg) lettuce, which was tender and trimmed free of any hard, white leaves or parts.
One of the soup choices was green posole- pork and hominy filled, the tomatillo based soup was just so tasty, with a bit of chile heat creeping up at the end of each taste.
The chicken tortilla soup was also meaty and cheesy. Chicken, jack cheese, avocado and tortilla strips, along with a bit of chile heat, made this soup memorable.
The El Capitan French Dip ($9.95) with a side of onion rings (there was a choice of fresh fruit, fries or creamy slaw as well as the rings) was plentiful and had good quality beef. The warm French roll was soft and held up to a dip in the au jus. Those onion rings were quite perfect- the fry, the crisp, the whole onion slices…
The Sage Custom Cobb ($12.95) was presented in this non-traditional way.
The bacon, avocado, Gorgonzola, tomato and eggs in a formed mound made it a shame to have to split up and mix in. The 'custom' part? A choice of chicken breast, broiled salmon, New York steak, chilled shrimp or grilled tuna. As you can see, the grilled tuna was grilled to a nice medium-rare; a great choice. The mixed greens were plentiful and fresh and there were quite a few olives mixed throughout.
I only took one photo of "Mom's Fried Chicken" ($11.95) and it is a blurred, non-flattering photo. Just know the batter on this was very crispy and had a nice, light spice. The meat stayed tender and juicy even after the leftovers were chilled. In addition to the choice of soup or wedge salad, this meal came with both creamed corn and baked macaroni and cheese. Wow. The flavor of the sweet, fresh corn mixed with cream was so very, very decadent…as was the baked with sharp cheese macaroni.

We will return and try more of the menu.

Sage Cafe at Barona Resort and Casino 1932 Wildcat Canyon Road Lakeside Ca 92040 1-888-7BARONA open 24 hours website

Tommy’s Restaurant (San Clemente) after a visit to the Mission San Juan Capistrano

May 27, 2018 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Diner, Orange County, Stuff, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for reading this food blog named mmm-yoso!!! Kirk has been away for a few days, resting and Cathy has been taking some 'staycation' time and is writing today.

Having an out of town guest is always a reason to also do something out of the ordinary. We want to show friends how and where we live and not do too many typical touristy things. The Spanish Missions in California are a strong part of our history and always fascinating as well as educational. We thought a short drive up the coast would be fun. Mission San Juan Capistrano, the "loveliest of the Franciscan ruins",provided us with insight as to how the missionaries and indigenous natives lived and built their self sufficient compound, with gardens for food, vineyards (for wine used during mass), a baking area, stables and all in all a small city
with a church next to the cemetery. (This is the second church built on the grounds, the original 'Great Stone Church' with its Greco-Roman style architecture was felled by an earthquake on December 8, 1812).

A great day of walking, listening to a well recorded self guided tour and learning so much.

Mission San Juan Capistrano Website

We left just after 1 p.m. and although hungry, didn't want to stay in town, instead driving a few exits south to the signage we had seen so many times over the years.Yep. Tommy's Restaurant. We had always been curious but usually were 'almost home' so had never stopped.
The view from the parking lot is of the ocean.
Inside…well..look for yourself…

A 50's diner with beautiful upholstered booths and a fresh flower on each table. We had just missed the 'lunch rush'.
The menu accommodated each of us. The "2x2x2" breakfast ($8.99) had some really great, sweet fluffy and tender pancakes along with perfectly over easy eggs and two slices of quality, thick meaty bacon.
The Monte Cristo ($9.99 plus $1.50 for substitution of onion rings) was really well made, with plenty of ham and turkey (and melted Swiss) on a nicely fried eggy french toast. The rings were surprisingly good; whole onion slices in the crispy corn batter.
The 1/2 sandwich (with soup or salad, $7.99) was a wonderful choice. The clam chowder (soup of the day) was definitely made from scratch, had a clam juice based broth, filled with clam pieces as well as finely minced (yet still crispy) celery and with several (but not too many pieces of) skin on diced potato. Tuna salad on marble rye bread with lettuce, tomato and pickle was a great sandwich. It wasn't a 'solid' tuna, which meant it accommodated the various ingredients and had more flavor.

We will definitely stop here again.

Tommy's Diner 1409 El Camino Real San Clemente, CA 92672 (949)498-7000 Open Daily 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Website

The Hat (Murietta location)

May 23, 2018 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Ontario/Riverside/San Bernadino, CA, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! never takes a vacation, but sometimes Kirk or Cathy leave the general San Diego area and food is involved. Today, Cathy is writing about a place just North of the San Diego County line.

In 2006, I wrote about The Hat, with another post written on the last day of 2009. This longtime (since 1951) casual, Los Angeles based diner, open for lunch and dinner, known for 'World Famous Pastrami', opened a location in Murietta in September of 2015.

The architecture mimics the original locations,
even the wallboard menu. Hot and cold sandwiches, chili and a few sides along with beverages are the offerings.
Order, pay and your number is called. The bag on the left is filled with a small french fry order ($3.19).
Three of us shared the fries (and we each ate a lot) and this is what we ended up taking home.

The roast beef dip ($9.99). The bottom piece of the bread is dipped in au jus before the meat is put onto the fresh French Roll (you can get au jus or gravy if you want to dip more of the sandwich…or your fries…) is my favorite item here. Thin sliced, tender, lightly seasoned beef is great in its simplicity. (Although I am spoiled by Philippe The Original, this location and the dip sandwich is close enough to satisfy.)
The World Famous Pastrami ($9.99) with mustard and pickle is what The Mister always chooses. The peppered smoked corned beef is deeply flavored, sliced thin and served on the same French Roll, unless you ask for it to be served on rye bread. Either choice is going to be great.
The side by side of the two sandwich halves shows the dipped beef sandwich was not filled with as much meat as the pastrami, but had only one sandwich been ordered and not knowing the possibility of more filling, the beef dip is satisfactory in size.
This side order of chili ($1.99) was quite large, meaty (no beans) and spicy (in a good way). It went well with the fries as well as on its own.

It's nice to have an outlet of a longstanding traditional restaurant so close. Mary has been to The Hat.

The Hat, 11 locations. Website open 10 a.m.-11 p.m. daily