American/New American Restaurants – Page 22

2018 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float road test, Breakfast at Penny’s Family Restaurant (West Covina), Snack at Kolache Factory (Tustin)

August 1, 2017 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! a blog about food, and events leading up to acquiring said food. Cathy is writing today; Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are staying away from warm things (like computers and the outdoors).

Yes, it is that time of year again. Posts about Rose parade float road tests, float decorating and the Showcase of floats will be on the blog about once a month until January of next year. The related food/meal posts, will be changing quite a bit. The Phoenix Decorating Company, which constructs the floats where The Mister and I volunteer to decorate in December, has moved its barn about 20 miles East of Pasadena, to Irwindale. The drive there from here is a bit quicker, but we still left at 5 on Saturday morning, to see the floats lined up at 7 for their mechanical and maneuverability testing.

The Theme of the 2018 Rose Parade is "Making A Difference" and each float entry has its own interpretation of those words. Here are some previews of floats that were tested. We will get to the food in a moment.

The Shriners Hospitals for Children 2018 Parade float, "Caring for Kids Around the World", depicts their mascot, Fezzy Bear, in a space suit surrounded by planets and satellites.

Kiwanis International has a tiger driving a race car on its "Racing to Serve Children" titled float.

"Planting the Seeds of Service" is the theme of the Rotary International 2018 Rose Parade float entry.

The Odd Fellows and Rebekahs float, "Sacrifice To Serve" has another patriotic float entered in the Rose Parade, the title is in line with the 'Making a Difference' Theme. Western Asset is going to have at least a whale and turtle on their 2018 float entry.
The Lutheran Hour Ministries 68th entry into the parade is titled "Bringing Christ to the Nations".

There were two other floats (Armenian and Lions) which were in the 'rebar' stage of assembly which were also tested that morning.

Phoenix Decorating Company 5400 Irwindale Avenue Irwindale, CA 91706

Now, on to the food section of this post.

The first stop of the day (at about 6:05 a.m.) was at the Red Hill exit, to get to the Kolache Factory, mentioned in this post
We enjoyed the ham, egg and cheese stuffed dough ($3.19) and the simple, wonderful bacon and cheese stuffed treat ($2.26). The modern version of an Eastern European pastry roll was enough to keep us satisfied before arriving in Irwindale.

Kolache Factory 14091 Newport Avenue Tustin, CA 92780 (714) 730-2253 Website

When we left Irwindale, we took side roads South, looking for a place to get breakfast and also scoping out possibilities for dinner after we decorate floats in December… We saw a variety of Mexican restaurants and taco shops, several 'Diner Type' places and then somehow got to this "HK2" mall. Kirk wrote about visits there 12 years ago. (Krua Thai is still there).

Because we were here before 9 a.m., only workers were showing up for early morning openings of the shops (I counted at least 20 restaurants, of so many ethnic varieties-Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, Korean, Taiwanese, Japanese, Mexican and…the only one that was open when we were there- the American place, Penny's.

Signage, Specials, Services offered, Penny's has it all, especially good food.

The weekday breakfast specials are 40¢ more on weekends. I went with a "Mini Breakfast" ($6.95 plus 40¢), two eggs (over easy-perfectly cooked) 2 sausage (or bacon) and home fries (also rye toast). This was great, really good; I love those sliced fried potatoes. The sausage was a good quality.
The Mister chose the corned beef hash and eggs plate ($8.59). Very flavorful corned beef, with diced potato and crispy grill top fried. Those perfect over easy eggs and more of those delightful home fries.
He chose a biscuit and gravy as the side. Great gravy, a really nice baking powder biscuit.
Now that we (sort of) know this mall is here, we will be back a bit later in the morning to try some of the other restaurants when they are open.

Penny's Family Restaurant 969 S. Glendora Avenue West Covina, CA 91790 Open 7-2, daily

I hope your week is good so far!

It’s been a while week-Sima’s Grill and Deli

June 30, 2017 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Greek Food, Salads, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

Here you are, on a lovely Friday 'cool down' day, reading this food blog, mmm-yoso!!! Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are preparing to enjoy the Holiday weekend and Cathy is writing.

The last time I posted about Sima's was in 2013. The Mister and I haven't driven on Miramar Road unless avoiding traffic. There has been a three week period in the last month when we had to be at daily appointments West of here and taking various routes to get lunch on the way home became a priority. When Kirk mentioned he was writing 'It's Been a While Week', I knew what my contribution would be.

This unassuming end building in a mall anchored by a McDonald's, across from Miramar Marine Corps Air Station has been here since 1984, providing breakfast and lunch six days a week. Run by a husband, wife and their daughter, it's another 'local' place that has withstood the test of time.

The interior has remained the same, the menu has also, although there have, of course, been price increases.
The gyros salad ($9.95) is served with warm, fluffy pita bread with house made tzatziki. The wonderful house made, herby salad dressing is so fresh and perfect with the crispy fresh Romaine, cucumber, tomato, onion and olives. The grilled gyros is just crisped on the edges and there is plenty of it on this salad.

The hot pastrami sandwich ($8.75) is toasted and served with plenty of grilled, smoky, peppery, flavorful (it is Boars Head brand) meat topped with Swiss. The fries are quite good. The char-grilled cheeseburger is still my favorite (window special #1- $9.95, 1/2 lb, includes fries and a drink) burger. It is made from fresh (not frozen) Angus Pride beef and…well..that char grilling is what makes it for me. I was alone one day and decided to stop in again, opting for a cold/deli sandwich (roast beef) ($7.95) on an onion roll (light toasted). It's served simply, with lettuce, tomato, a smear of mustard and of mayonnaise…and plenty of the Boars Head roast beef as well as a very good dill pickle. Just right on a hot day.

Have a great Independence Day weekend!

Sima's Grill & Deli 7160 Miramar Road San Diego 92121 (858) 578-2582 M-F 7:30-4:30, Sat 10-4 Closed Sunday

It’s been a while week – Nate’s Garden Grill

June 28, 2017 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch

I had been wondering about how Nate's was doing for a while. I thought it would make a nice little IBAW post, so dropped by this past weekend.

I'd been trying to talk the Missus into revisiting; but in typical fashion She just wasn't motivated after tasting the results of….ahem, playing with my butt.

Still, I'd always rather enjoyed the vibe at Nate's.

The rustic interior, the really friendly folks who work here.

I'm thinking it being 8am on the weekend, it was much too early for the Hipster crowd….just a couple of families enjoying the wild west of South City Heights.

My food took a while; which I actually enjoyed. It made me relax and notice the "small things"…..

Like….did they always have air conditioning here? Well, it was welcomed because it was getting warm outside.

I had decided on getting the Pulled Pork Hash, which I really enjoyed during my previous visit. It was such a nice and vibrant dish back then.

Sadly, this wasn't quite as good as that.

While I thought the sourdough bread was nicely crisp and toasted; the eggs, well one of them was nice and runny…the other had leaked out, I really missed all the wonderful textures and flavors from the variety of vegetables I'd had before. This had a ton of pork; of which the smoke flavor was rather over-powering and was a tad too salty. What potatoes there were hadn't been browned very well and while this might be a pork-aholic's choice, I missed the balance in what I'd had before.

And yes, it was still way to much food. I did take almost two-thirds of this home and actually redid it with some proper vegetables…..topped with some Greek yogurt to cut the salt and ate the left-overs for two more meals. There's no arguing about portion size here.

I do like Nate's and will probably return….the folks here are so nice…..though I'm not sure what I'll order next time.

Over the years, I've recommended Nate's to several folks I know. One couple really didn't care for the place. I should have known based on where they lived; they didn't like ordering at the counter, wanted better table service, and gave me a lot of grief about looking out at stuff like this while eating.

Sigh……

Nate's Garden Grill
3120 Euclid Ave
San Diego, CA 92105

Dunkin’ Donuts- sandwiches and donuts

May 11, 2017 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Desserts, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog. Today, Cathy is writing; Kirk is busy (again) at work and Ed (from Yuma) is enjoying a beautiful spring day (in Yuma).

Its been a busy year so far. Since I tend to not plan ahead much, finding meals is an adventure and quite interesting. When leaving a quick breakfast stop at Winchell's in National City last month, I passed Dunkin' Donuts, two blocks West. Dunkin' began in 1950 in Quincy, Massachusetts and I remember a few locations in the Detroit area when growing up. Nothing stood out in those memories, though.

A mental note was made, research occurred, this location (2139 East Plaza Blvd, National City 91950) is open 24 hours and I had no excuse to not drop in.

Once I noticed one of the many door signs, indicating that "Dunkin' Donuts of San Diego are proudly owned and operated by local disabled military veterans", I felt good that the 'chain' concept was still local. As an aside, the location in Ramona (1410 Main Street, Ramona 92065, phone (760)789-0210, open daily 5 a.m.-10p.m.) is a combined Dunkin'/Baskin Robbins store. Anytime you stop in, a craving can be fulfilled.

So, there's a nice menu board with the third section a good choice of various sandwiches- the breads are Texas toast, croissant, flatbread and ciabatta.
The donut selection comes into full view once you get to the front of the line to order. There's quite a bit of seating in both of the locations I've been to.

The coffee here is very good. I've seen the ads, heard the raves, read about cravings for their coffee, but now know this for myself. For this visit, two basics. The "Big n' Toasted" ($4.29) Two eggs, bacon and cheese on Texas Toast. Wow. Unexpectedly overfilled with bacon, very good. Only ordering a simple grilled cheese ($1.99) and seeing there were two types of cheese on it (Swiss and a mild Cheddar), I 'borrowed' one of the eggs and made that grilled cheese sandwich special. It was really tasty. A side of hash browns (99¢) was a great choice (there were six in the bag; very flavorful with parsley mixed in the potato).
The ham, egg and cheese english muffin ($4.09) was another unexpectedly great choice. The ham, as you can see, is a better quality with thick slices and the sandwich was quite filling. Then there was this. It's right in the center of that third menu board. The 'Pretzel Croissant Breakfast Sandwich' ($3.79). The first two times I was here, the pretzel croissants were sold out. My lucky day, my wonderful breakfast. Crispy exterior; pretzel- topped with large grains of salt- fluffy flaky interior of an excellent croissant, filled with bacon, egg and Swiss. Oh wow, now I have another craving.

The donut choices, overwhelming and although fresh, not overly interesting. Chocolate Butternut and a French Cruller; both pretty basic. Good cake donut topped with 'butternut morsels'-not peanuts- and fresh cruller with egginess of the pastry. Small, just enough to go with coffee. There was a whiteboard of specials inside the Ramona location and a 'peanut butter delight croissant donut' ($2.49) sounded good and tasted better. The peanut butter was mixed with the regular Bavarian Cream filling (so not too sweet) and injected into the 'croissant donut'…which is a delightful conveyor of a crispy, light dessert.

So glad I rediscovered this childhood favorite.

Dunkin' Donuts, multiple locations nationwide Website

Buck & Rider – Seafood Dining in Phoenix

April 19, 2017 ed fromyuma American/New American Restaurants, Phoenix/Scottsdale/Chandler/Central AZ, Seafood, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

Ed (from Yuma) finally has the functional tools and the time he needs to write a post for the blog. Kirk and Cathy get a break today.

Not long before my computer became nonfunctional, Tina and I were in the Phoenix area to get together with her brother and wife and catch a spring training game. But we also wanted to have another lunch at Buck & Rider since our last meal there had been pretty good, and their menu contained a lot of dishes that we wanted to try. We arrived soon after they opened:

Since we were heading home after lunch, we decided to avoid drowsy driving and stick to sparkling water, refreshing on that hot day:

The choices of oysters were impressive considering Phoenix is in the middle of the desert:

We could watch the shucker (or is it shuckster?) at work:

We could even look at the oysters in their shells and inspect their documentation (papers please):

We ordered two High Rollers from Washington (Hood Canal) on the right of the picture, and two Madhouse from the Maryland Chesapeake:

They were served with lemon wedges and our choice of condiments; we picked cocktail sauce, which was spicy and tangy (but which I didn't use) and horseradish, which was pungent and freshly ground. With the horseradish, the taste of the bivalve was emphasized.

A close-up of a High Roller:

And a Madhouse:

While both were certified extra small, both were extra tasty, especially the one from the Hood Canal. Outstanding.

Tina's tuna burger, the next item to arrive at the table, fell short of outstanding:

The slaw was probably very healthy and certainly very bland. The bun was homemade and nicely grilled. The burger itself was large, filled with ground ahi, breaded and fried. The avocado portion was generous, but the sandwich never came together to my taste. The teriyaki like sauce on the burger and the chipotle mayo spread on the bun seemed an odd combination. And the fried exterior seemed an odd complement to the raw interior:

Likewise, the fries were just okay:

The portion was generous and the potatoes tasted fresh, but they lacked crispness and maybe had sat under a heat lamp for a little too long.

So I felt like I'd hit the jackpot by ordering the Port St. Lucie French Seabass sandwich:

Except for the slaw, this was excellent. The fish tasted fresh and flavorful. The roll, the breaded filet, the tomato, and the tartar sauce along with generous dill pickle made a flavorful combination.

Here's the check:

Was it worth it? Heck yes. The oysters (even though pretty spendy) and the seabass sandwich were outstanding. The tuna burger and the fries were okay; only the slaw was truly disappointing. We'd come back again.

Buck & Rider, 4225 East Camelback Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85018, (602) 346-0110. website

Pegah’s Kitchen (Escondido) Breakfast and Lunch

January 26, 2017 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

This is a food blog named mmm-yoso!!! Cathy is writing today; things are busy in the worlds of both Kirk and Ed(from Yuma).

Not much of a story as to how we found Pegah's-driving through Escondido after a trip to the Swap Meet: World Marketplace, traffic was backed up, took a side street and passed this small restaurant, made a mental note to go back when nearby.

If you take the Ninth Street/Auto Park Way exit from the 15 (and go East, on Ninth) you'll see this restaurant at the corner of Redwood. Open from 6 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., the parking areas next to and in front seem to always be full.
There's a small counter area, booths, tables and a sort of larger area to the right with a few tables pushed together, where we saw some groups of people meeting. The tabletop condiment selection indicates both breakfast and lunch are served.
There's a White Board at the entrance, indicating daily specials. Pea Soup was available on one daily day…and you know we had to have some. This is a Bowl ($5.99) (cup is $4.99) It was a vegetarian pea soup (good, because this visit was on Friday, when I don't eat meat) and quite excellent, made with carrot and a bit of onion. The Mister had been craving fried chicken and ordered another whiteboard special plate ($9.99) perfectly fried in a light, not spiced batter, fresh and hot along with the vegetable of the day and (real) mashed potatoes with gravy, this satisfied cravings. I was more in a 'breakfast' mood so ordered a 'Sunrise Breakfast'($7.99) which came with two eggs and home-style potatoes. I substituted raisin toast ($1). The potatoes were made perfectly, as were the poached eggs. Of course, raisin toast is always my choice. When we returned, The Mister seemed to still be in a 'fried chicken' mode, but made his choice a the chicken strip salad with Blue Cheese dressing ($10.99). This was very large, filled with fresh ingredients (the chicken strips, again a simple batter fry and served hot on top of the cool, crisp salad ingredients). I liked it a lot when we traded plates. Being more in a 'comfort food' mode, the hot turkey sandwich ($9.99)was my choice. Served open face, on top of toasted, buttered, de-crusted sourdough. Thick sliced, skin on, fresh roasted turkey along with a wonderfully 'thanksgiving-seasoned' gravy, more of those real mashed potatoes and the similar vegetable of the day really hit the spot.

Taking a detour and finding local, family owned, established in 1987 with friendly servers and quality food. Such good fortune.

Pegah's Kitchen 912 S. Redwood Street (at Ninth) Escondido 92025 (760) 739-9265 Open daily: 6 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Website

Gus’s Subs and Pizza-(La Mesa)(Revisit)

January 15, 2017 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch

mmm-yoso!!! is the name of this blog. Kirk is not posting today and neither is Ed (from Yuma); Cathy has free time.

There are several diners that The Mister and I tend to frequent. I wrote a short post about Gus's in 2011 and we've been here many times since then. You'll see menu specials on the exterior windows and there's a sandwich board at the door…
along with the menu above the cash register, which mirrors the one handed to you and there are more specials listed on an inner wall.We seem to be here for breakfast most of the time. The Top Sirloin and Eggs (now $10.99) is (still) a good deal, served with home fries or hash browns and toast or pancakes. French toast with eggs and sausage (that is a very large, very flavorful sausage) or bacon ($8.25) is also a tasty choice.

Most of the lunches come with a choice of soup or salad and the house made pea soup is always a choice. Liver and onions ($8.95) is also a choice of mine at many lunches. The calves liver here is prepared nicely: tender with a floured/light crunch.

The gyros topped Greek salad ($9.25), served with garlic toast and a very good (house made) dressing usually results in leftovers and my enjoying another meal later that day.

One of the exterior window specials is for a large (one topping) pizza and salad ($11.99) and that is a definite meal with leftovers for us. The pizza over here is cheesy and is nicely crispy. The crust sometimes seems a bit 'fluffy' and tastes better the next day, but really I have no complaints. The sausage topping is, again, unique in flavor and texture; really good.

The pastrami sub (12 inches, $12.75) is one of the best we've ever had. Fresh bread, toasted and brushed with mustard and layered with a plentiful amount of quality smokey pastrami, griddled thoroughly, with crisped edges and melted provolone which is then pressed before serving…it is perfection. Taking home half results in enough meat for two omelets the next morning.

Ending this post with a rather sloppy set of photos is not intentional. A 1/2 lb chili cheese burger with fries ($9.95) is a comfort meal sometimes. The chili is made with beans and has a good spicy kick. The charred part of the burger went with the chili. The fresh, toasted bun and side of fries made from gigantic potatoes is, again, more than enough food for a single meal.

Gus's Subs and Pizza 5620 Baltimore Drive La Mesa 91942 (619)462-4877 Open 7 a.m.-9 p.m. 7 days

Daily Grind(s) Cafe (Rolando)-Breakfasts

January 10, 2017 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch

Thanks for taking a break to read this food blog, mmm-yoso!!! Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are too busy researching places to post about so Cathy is writing today's post.

In early October, cc and I met up for a Saturday breakfast at a location which has changed owners and business models a few times in the past 30 years. (In the late 80's, The Mister and I came to this location for fried chicken every Sunday and I also recall it being only a coffee shop for a short while, until the Starbucks opened across the street). Located across the street from Ralphs (and on the other side, from Starbucks) in the general area of SDSU, you may have noticed the small building with a large sign on the roof if stuck at the signal light. The interior hasn't changed much over the years. It isn't hipster, just clean and comfy. Family owned, with customers from the neighborhood as well as from the University, Daily Grind(s) is steadily busy.

That Saturday morning, cc ordered her usual, a chicken fried steak and eggs plate ($9.95) -tender cubed steak with a crispy, light batter topped with a good peppery sausage gravy. I ordered the pancake special($9.95)-three fluffy (with lightly crisp edges) pancakes wrapped around a filling of scrambled eggs and sausage (there was a choice of sausage or bacon). This was a quality, tasty basic breakfast.

A few weeks ago, there was finally time for The Mister to come back to this great place with me. It was a weekday and there is a special Monday-Thursday menu offered.

He chose the bacon and cheese omelet ($6.95) which comes with home fries and toast. This was a large, heavy omelet and very filled; I only have blurred photos of a cross section, though.
I decided on the french toast plate ($7.95) which comes with two eggs and a choice of bacon or sausage. The french toast was properly made (crispy outside and fluffy/gooey innards), the eggs were properly over easy and the bacon was of good quality; thick and smoke flavored.

All in all, a really nice neighborhood diner.

Daily Grinds Cafe El Cajon Blvd San Diego 92115 (619)697-0750 Open Daily 6a.m.-4 p.m.

2017 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade- float decorating, meals at Kolache Factory (Tustin) and Tops (Pasadena)

December 13, 2016 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Burgers, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping to read our food blog, mmm-yoso!!! Kirk, Ed(from Yuma) and Cathy contribute to various posts about various foods and various activities. Today is that kind of a post, by Cathy.

Yes, it is that time of the year. The countdown to the 128th Tournament of Roses Rose Parade has begun, floats are being decorated. We volunteer with the Petal Pushers at the Phoenix Decorating Company Rose Palace barn. We had to check in at 9 a.m. to begin work, left home at around 6 a.m., stopping in Tustin.

In the same mall as THH, where we stopped for breakfast before the first road test this year, the Kolache Factory has its sole California location. Kolach, Czech or Slovak in origin, are soft, puffy, slightly sweet dough 'circles' filled with various ingredients. These portable, almost 'hand pies' are fresh made all day. As you can see, quite a variety are available. In the back, a sausage, egg and cheese ($3.19), the middle is a 'Kolache of the month'-turkey with stuffing- ($3.88) and in the front is a cream cheese kolache ($1.62). Each of these were warmed, so very fresh and really tasty. We have such a variety of places to choose from on that street (Cream Pan is less than a mile away, just East of the 5) Kolache Factory 14091 Newport Avenue Tustin 92780 (714) 730-2253 Website We got to the Rose Palace as the sign-in area was being set up. Just inside, the Crew Chiefs were getting last minute instructions. This barn would be busy soon. The Lions Clubs International float: 'Celebrating 100 Years of Service' is magnificent! Shriners Hospital for Children, with the float titled 'Anything Is Possible' is so whimsical. The Odd fellows and Rebekahs float, 'Through The Ages' features a gazebo, wedding cake, diploma and mortarboard and a book with pictographs of prior events. The Lutheran Laymans League has their 67th entry into a Rose Parade with the float 'Celebrate Jesus', observing the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.
The American Armenian Rose Float Association has a parade entry for the third year, 'Field of Dreams'. The United Sikh Mission, with its float 'Together We Rise' is also in the Rose Parade for the third year. This float will be so beautiful! All that stuff in the foreground of that photo? Construction in the barn. It's the NHL float (which The Mister and I really had hoped to work on).

Then there is the Farmers Insurance float. It looks so …'plain'…just like a large Recreational Vehicle (especially compared to the 2016 float (at bottom of this link). We were specifically asked to not photograph the secrets of this float while decorating, but the title of 'We Came, We Saw, We Covered' is a clue. You'll love it when you see it! So what did we do this day? "Dry Decorating", or "Detail Decorating" is its own job. Scissors and glue… Beans, peas, poppyseeds, dry flower petals…more glue…In a cold barn for eight or so hours. It was fun, but a long day. By the time we got down Colorado Boulevard, the sun was setting and we were hungry!The Original Tops, (Since 1952) is always a tasty stop (I wrote about breakfast here two years ago). The meal was simple, a bowl of chili ($4.59) (made from scratch daily; no beans, a bit of heat and unique great taste), 1/4 lb burger ($3.79) charbroiled on that constantly used grill, imparting a delightful flavor on the toasted bun and simple toppings and a SMALL order of onion rings ($3.39) Thick cut onions in a light, seasoned batter. We had leftovers and were so satisfied.

The Original Tops 3838 East Colorado Boulevard Pasadena, CA 91107 Open daily 6:30 a.m.-11:00p.m. Website

The Rose Parade is in January 2, 2017 (never on a Sunday) Artist rendition of most of the 2017 Rose Parade floats

River City Grill – A Dinner in Yuma

November 26, 2016 ed fromyuma American/New American Restaurants, Fine Dining, Yuma

mmm-yoso!!! is Kirk's blog with his amazing posts from San Diego and around the world. Cathy posts here too, about San Diego County and beyond. But today, it’s Ed (from Yuma) writing about somewhere in Yuma.

I had a birthday coming up, and Tina offered me a dinner – my choice of restaurants. It was an easy decision; over the years, I have celebrated more birthdays and special times at River City Grill than any other place in town. About the same time I moved to Yuma, over a decade and a half ago, Nan and Tony Bain opened River City Grill (website) in a nondescript building at the corner of 3rd Street and 6th Avenue:

It soon became my favorite restaurant in town. Its eclectic menu might include curries, pestos, hummus, or spring rolls. There were always vegetarian and vegan dishes, a wide range of seafood entrées, and more. While the food was not consistently great, it was usually pretty good, generally adventuresome, and occasionally outstanding; the service always professional and friendly.

The seating in the inside dining room is pretty standard:

But the room has always featured at least one hip and edgy mural:

Even the restrooms have unusual decor:

So why have I never posted about this restaurant before? Well, laziness explains a lot, but also River City seemed like a comfortable old friend by the time I started blogging. But River City really deserved a post, and my birthday dinner offered a perfect opportunity.

We arrived in the early evening, and enjoying the mild weather, chose to eat outside on the adjacent patio:

We were each given a chunk of baguette accompanied with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping:

Tina usually likes to begin with a martini from the cocktail list – this evening a lemon drop martini ($7):

Made with citrus vodka, triple sec, and lemon juice shaken together and served in a sugar rimmed glass, it was tasty.

While we were figuring out entrées, I looked over the wine list, and since it was my birthday, I decided on a bottle of Cakebread Chardonnay ($68):

It was (IMHO) an excellent wine, full-bodied with good balance, nice structure, and pleasant flavors and aromas of pear and melon and other fruits. River City has always maintained a well-chosen, if limited, wine list with reasonable markups (double retail or less). That's been one of the reasons I've kept coming back.

As an appetizer we ordered the Thai curried mussels ($10), something we'd enjoyed previously. The mussels arrived looking like this:

At first I thought the kitchen was using some type of green curry, but it didn't taste like curry. "Pesto," Tina said, "that's basil pesto flavoring." I tasted again, and yeah, that's what was going on.

We mentioned it to our server, who looked kind of puzzled, but when he checked with the kitchen that's what it was. I should say the mussels themselves were excellent, but the basil/coconut milk combo seemed weird.

The entrées at River City always come with a choice of soup or salad. Tina wanted the roasted tomato and red pepper bisque, which arrived looking beautiful:

I've never quite understood why they call this soup a bisque since it doesn't seem to have any cream in it, but it is an excellent soup, full of the flavor of roasted red peppers, their sweetness balanced by just a hint of vinegar tang.

I opted for the Mediterranean salad:

While smaller than it used to be, this has always been my favorite salad choice. The fresh greens, chopped marinated tomatoes, roasted yellow peppers, Mediterranean black olives, feta cheese and balsamic dressing work well together.

Tina's entrée, mustard crusted tofu with spinach ravioli in Alfredo sauce ($18) arrived at the table:

This was quite good. Tina was delighted with the tofu because it was not thick and dense, but almost fluffy with a perfect light crunchy crust. The ravioli and sauce were flavorful and rich. The olive tapenade provided a bridge between the Asian/Mediterranean flavors. The mixed vegetables were . . . mixed vegetables.

I ordered the tequila snapper with black beans and rice ($20):

The two small fillets were lightly breaded, spicy and moist, and laid across a generous portion of black beans and basmati rice. Overall, the entrée had a nice spicy kick accented by the pico de gallo and roasted pepper/corn topping. Really good. And there were mixed vegetables.

For dessert, we shared a cinnamon apple bread pudding ($6), drizzled with caramel and served with whipped cream and a small scoop of vanilla:

It was soft, almost creamy, and very satisfying. And you gotta love the birthday candle.

While River City in 2016 is no longer cutting-edge and its menu does not change much any more, Tina and I will gladly return. The dishes are generally good, the kitchen prepares seafood very well, the decor is enjoyable, the servers are well trained, and the prices are extremely reasonable. In fact, the bottle of birthday wine cost more than all the rest of the meal – heck yes, we'll be back!

River City Grill, 600 W 3rd St, Yuma AZ 85364, (928) 782 – 7988.