American/New American Restaurants – Page 23

Tobey’s 19th Hole…more meals

October 29, 2016 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping to read this food blog, named mmm-yoso!!! Kirk is out and about and having a wonderful time with His Missus. Ed (from Yuma) and Tina are living the good life (in Yuma) and Cathy is writing today.

Here we are, in beautiful San Diego, 4200 square miles of a County, with thousands of places to eat or grab a snack. Everyone has a place close to home or close to work and even a place close to where they relax.

I've written about Tobey's 19th Hole, the coffee shop/diner located at the start and finish of the Balboa Park Golf Course since 1934, only two times, even though it's where we have a regular stop for breakfast, the occasional lunch and where we take out of town guests for a small meal and great view of downtown, even on overcast days. The delightfully simple breakfast of 2 French toast with 2 eggs (over easy) and 2 sausage ($9) is filling and tasty.

Alternately, you can ask for a 1-1-2 with a pancake ($ 6) and still be satisfied because the pancake is so large and the one ( if scrambled) egg is fluffy and light.

The breakfast sandwich (toasted English muffin with sausage, egg and cheese, $5.50; substitute ham for an additional 50¢) is a tasty, filling $6 meal. There was a day last week when we saw the sandwich board and each of us knew what we would order. We briefly thought of sitting at the counter, but since it was a weekday and not crowded, stuck with a 'view' seat.

The $10.50 option came with soup or salad and the Navy Bean soup (house made, of course) was filled with chunks of bacon and so very tasty. The salad was fresh and crisp and standard.

The house made meatloaf is a favorite. It's juicy, soft and two slices makes it a plentiful meal. Instead of doing (either choice) as a 'sandwich' with top and bottom breads covered with gravy) we each opted for the toasty garlic cheese bread rolls-seen in the background. The hot beef sandwich is filled with a lot of tender roast beef. Of note, the mashed potatoes are real and the fresh vegetables of the day were wonderful.

A great place for food, views and the ability to have a quiet conversation. Other bloggers have been here, too: cc, Dennis, Faye and Mary.

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

Perry’s Cafe (El Cajon) Breakfast revisits

October 26, 2016 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

Here you are, back at mmm-yoso, looking for an interesting post about food in San Diego County and beyond. Kirk is too busy to write anything today and so is Ed(from Yuma), so it's Cathy doing the writing.

Kirk has written about the original location of Perry's Cafe in 2007, 2010 and 2012. cc and I met at the original location last year, Dennis wrote a nice post in 2013 and Mary stopped here in 2014. I wrote about the El Cajon location ("my" Perry's) in 2011.

Both the El Cajon and the Pacific Highway location are known 'truck stops' and have been open since 1985. Each has the same hours (6 a.m.-2 p.m. daily) the same menu, consisting of Breakfasts (Italian, Mexican and traditional American) and lunches (Mexican dishes, sandwiches and salads). The El Cajon location is closer to home and we stop here on weekdays (weekends are a madhouse, with lines out into the parking lot) for a quick breakfast and/or lunch. This post is only about breakfast.

The interior is a step back in time. The food is simple, good, diner food.

One thing about breakfast sides here: you can get toast, an English muffin, biscuit or a fresh, warm from the oven blueberry or bran muffin. Sausage links or patties are available and the hash browns- well, if you've read Kirk's posts, those are his favorite item here. The sausage patty is excellent and the poached eggs are always perfect. The Mister is in a waffle/pancake phase and the strawberry waffle with (properly made) over easy eggs and bacon ($9.25) was his craving this day. Another day, I wanted the French toast, with blueberries ($9.75). This came with (my choice of) bacon and poached eggs. That egg dipped, pan fried bread was just so very nice; crispy exterior and fluffy, eggy interior. The blueberry topping was kind of a pie filling in style, but not at all sweet, other than natural blueberry sweetness. Just right. The smoked pork chop breakfast ($9.25) was an excellent choice, as was the house made baking powder based biscuit which was brought out with a plain (not sausage) pepper gravy. The jiggly, over easy eggs were so very runny, which melded perfectly with the crispy hash browns.

Always a satisfying, tasty and fresh breakfast stop. Traditional diners are the best. We are fortunate to have these two in town.

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

Beerfish and Point Loma Seafoods- Clams two ways

October 25, 2016 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Seafood, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping by to read mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk and His Missus are doing something somewhere right now. Ed (from Yuma) and Tina are relaxing after a really nice little vacation. Cathy is writing this post about some meals she had with The Mister right here, in San Diego.

Briefly mentioned at the top of this post, it was 'birthday week' for The Mister and myself not long ago. A week apart, Mondays this year. Once I started writing about our eight meals out, I had noticed commonalities in our respective choices. Opening in June, there was a lot of buzz on various media sites about Beerfish, a small (1500 square foot interior, 1300 square food outdoor patio area) seafood centric restaurant on Adams Avenue. Walk up, order and pay and your food is brought to your table. There are 30 taps serving local craft beer and also a few wine selections. The limited menu is ever-changing based on availability of fresh seafood. We were here for clams and not beer.

First, our side order of fresh made onion rings ($4) (beer battered, of course) was delivered to the table, accompanied by a fresh, but plain, aioli. The batter was crunchy, not greasy and the onions very mild; really nice in textures but it needed something. I ended up putting Mexi Pep (and eventually some salt) with the aioli to get a complimentary flavor that I wanted. The one item I had been reading about, Clam Toast ($10.90) was my choice. This was a mix of flavors: too many flavors for my palate, unfortunately. Each item was good on its own: sourdough bread (fresh and toasted), topped with a lemon mayonnaise, (very fresh, plump) chopped clams, mixed with a good amount (almost the same amount) of meaty chopped bacon along with grilled sweet onions and topped with fresh herbs, microgreens and fresh chopped garlic. Quite a bit of garlic. This would have gone well with some beer. The Mister ordered the steamed mussels and clams ($13.90). Again, there was a tremendous multitude of flavors, which may have gone well with beer as well as separately. The four mussels and dozen clams were plump, fresh and wonderful. The broth had two whole lemons, shallots, leeks, herb butter and, again, a tremendous amount of fresh chopped garlic. All this was served with a flavorful, fresh sourdough (with an unsalted, whipped butter-which are just right together).

The freshness is there, the clams were what I wanted and I enjoyed them-plain. When we go back, we will have to share a glass of beer and perhaps ask for less or no garlic and perhaps other items on the side.

Beerfish 2933 Adams Ave San Diego, CA 92116 (619) 363-2337 website Open seven days 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

The Mister's birthday meal choice was fried clams fromPoint Loma Seafoods, a place I blogged about first in 2007, again in 2010, 2011, 2012, and most recently in 2014 The fresh, lightly battered, perfectly fried Ipswich clams are in season in September, (about $19 for the plate) and just the perfect childhood food memory for The Mister. I got the fish and chips plate ($12), which is my own 'fish friday' childhood memory. This was really good, as always.

Point Loma Seafoods 2805 Emerson Street San Diego, CA 92106 (619)223-1109 website Open Mon-Sat 9-7, Sunday 10-7

Chicken Charlie’s FryBQ: some daily specials

October 22, 2016 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about food. Kirk is just too busy to write a post right now and Ed (from Yuma) is finishing up a post which you will enjoy soon, so Cathy will be writing today.

This location of Chicken Charlie's has closed. There is a new location in Rancho Bernardo.

A few people noticed that I barely mentioned one particular booth at the San Diego County Fair this year. Chicken Charlie's has been a staple at the San Diego County Fair for 20 years. When someone asks 'what's the new food at the Fair this year?', Chicken Charlie and whatever his new concoction is is brought up. Always something interesting and fried perfectly, quick service. The stop at the Chicken Charlie's trio of booths makes your trip to the Fair is closer to being complete.

Almost two years ago, Charlie Boghosian opened a storefront in San Diego at the corner of Balboa at Genesee. Kirk wrote a post about it . The Mister and I stopped in a few times and after a while, realized the food there wasn't all 'Fair Food'.

In addition, there are almost daily 'specials', mentioned on Facebook…crazy prices on regular items and sometimes a not on the menu board item. The specials have a limit of four and I've found myself walking in just to find out with the special is (because, believe it or not, I am not always on Facebook daily) and staying to try an item. Most of the specials are between $5 and $10.

What is on that regular menu? Most of these items…

Chicken and waffles, two pieces, $6.49 (regular price). I must say that Charlie knows how to fry chicken properly. It's never greasy, always crisp and filled with flavor. The waffles are an added bonus.

The shrimp filled pineapple/Maui Chicken ($9.95, special price, about every two weeks, is $6).

Also about every two weeks, the chicken or shrimp salad is $5. This is a great meal, plus a savings off the regular prices of $6.95 and $7.95.

There are times when we just want a different or additional side dish (if we share a special) and the onion rings ($2.95) and fried zucchini ($3.95) just hits the spot.

One day there was a 5 fried shrimp and 5 wings basket with fries (but I substituted the cucumber tomato salad, which I really like)($8). You can see the large shrimp, which are lightly dusted with seasoned flour and fried.

There was a $12 special not long ago. It was three pieces of fried chicken, five shrimp and three meaty ribs, along with a side of fries (and you can see I substituted cole slaw). So very good and enough to share. This was a 3-4-5, for $6. Three shrimp, four riblets and five onion rings. The ribs here are fried then covered in a very nice sauce. Always meaty. This wasn't a special, just a half rotisserie chicken with one side ($7.95) which is also prepared so well. Charlie knows his chicken.

The only special we did not like was mashed potatoes, topped with chili and bacon, topped with two fried chicken pieces and all of it covered in a cheese sauce, topped with green onion. It was $6. Each item, individually, was good. The combination was insipid. Too much going on, unnecessarily.
The lobster slipper tail basket ($11.95) has never been on special. There were at least ten (I think 12) lightly battered and fried slipper lobster tails-meaty with a thin shell- served with melted butter (and the included side, this time we chose fried zucchini). Really good, again, shared. A couple of weekends ago, the special was…a fried Twinkie topped with chocolate and bacon…$1. Ever so lightly batter dipped, it was like biting through a delicate potato chip to get to the warmed Twinkie filling. Chocolate and bacon on top-bonus!

Chicken Charlie's FryBQ 5407 Balboa Ave San Diego, CA 92111 (858) 279-1111 Sunday-Thursday 10:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10:30-10:30 website

The Summer of 2016 Drive Across the USA – Part Three: What We Ate (the local places)

September 23, 2016 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Detroit, Michigan, Road Trip

Thanks for dropping by to read mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about food. Cathy is writing about her summer drive back East-not a vacation, not planned. After all the hubbub, there was time to eat out at places which were not chains.

Link to Part 1

Link to Part Two

Link to Part Four

This third part of the 2016 foray out of California will not contain places or foods one might typically associate with the Detroit area. (Since this wasn't a vacation, there were time restrictions; I will get to three places in particular on the next trip). All of the restaurants in this post have familiar foods and are places where special meals occurred when I was growing up.

The Midwest. Beef. Sign of the Beefcarver, where we went for Sunday meals out.

Cafeteria style with waitresses who take your tray, seat you and refill your beverages. (The first small photo is where you can hang your heavy winter coat when you walk in; it is Michigan). There are only two locations left, but beginning in 1957, this was THE place to go, with many locations.

Known for hand-carved, slow roasted beef, which is and has always been my choice (and a comfort food) The hot beef sandwich (top on white bread, bottom on pumpernickel) shown with various cafeteria chosen sides and the condiment bar selections of pickles, beets, horseradish and sour cream.Then there is the chopped round steak plate, which my brother chose. Also very good, because…meat (along with mushroom gravy).

There are many Coney Island restaurants in Detroit, with people having a favorite one close to home and another favorite close to work (similar to taco shops in San Diego). Leo's Coney Island is a nearby, local chain. It's been around since 1972. Most coneys also have Greek selections on the menu, like this wonderful avgolemono (chicken/egg/rice/lemon) soup.

But of course the actual 'coney' (on the right- a smokey, natural casing hot dog) topped with beanLESS chili, onions and mustard, along with a 'loose'-(loose hamburger in a hot dog bun, topped with the same) is a typical order.

Long ago, there were Polish restaurants in every neighborhood in Detroit city. Those are now in the suburbs. I went to three differentPolish restaurants this trip and these photos are typical meals.

As soon as you are seated, a basket of breads, crackers and butter are brought to the table. Two slices of each flavor (marble, white and rye) in plastic lunch bags.

Soup is also served at every meal. This one, dill pickle soup, is my favorite. Each restaurant has a 'Polish Plate"which includes everything seen here: kraut, kielbasa, pierogi and Gołąbki (gah WHUMP key)-stuffed cabbage.

Here's a cross section of some pierogi - with mashed potato, cottage cheese and sauerkraut fillings.

Chicken dumpling, chicken noodle and creamy mushroom soup were also consumed at various meals this trip.

Another common food on a 'Polish Plate' is City Chicken, which I wrote about in 2014. I was slightly disappointed in this version, because it was made of chicken (!) instead of the traditional veal and pork…because real chicken is now cheaper, defeating the whole purpose of 'city chicken'.

There are also 'family style' places in the suburbs, similar to Jimmy's, Perry's and other 'diner' type establishments we have out here. comfortable, with comfort food.

Yes, omelets and liver and onions type of comfort food, along with cabbage soup.

Of course, there are the 'Dairy XXX' type places on every street corner. Soft serve, sundaes, flurries, treats.

Interesting factoid- these all open on Memorial Day weekend and close on Labor Day. One of the reasons Michigan public schools don't start until after Labor Day- so that seasonal employees/students can finish up their summer jobs.

Thanks for reading! Hope your weekend is good.

The Summer of 2016 Drive Across the USA – Part Two: What We Ate (the chains)

September 7, 2016 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Chains, Detroit, Michigan, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog and we (Kirk, Ed(from Yuma) and Cathy) try to keep things interesting. This post is written by Cathy, who had a more or less interesting Summer of 2016 adventure which included food.

Link To Part One

Link to Part Three

Link to Part Four

Again, it was not a vacation and the drive *to* Michigan was interesting and rushed (the drive back to San Diego was, fortunately, far more vacation-like). Upon arrival, I was looking for familiar foods. However, I needed wi-fi so I wouldn't use up my monthly data on the phone. There were three places (Starbucks, Panera and Culver's) close by which had free wifi. In the three weeks of my stay, I did patronize (not just hang out to get the free wifi) those businesses at least five times each. By far, my favorite was Culver's, "Home of the Butter Burger" Fresh, never frozen, Midwest-raised beef, seared on the grill after you order served on a lightly buttered, toasted bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and mayonnaise. This is a "Deluxe Double" ($4.79).
Following several Butter Burger meals, I opted for the Pork Tenderloin Sandwich ($4.89). You might notice the sides of cheese curds (this time, Wisconsin cheese).
A 'Wisconsin Swiss Melt" ($3.69, double $5.29)) -grilled onions on a wonderful (cheesy) grilled rye bread was also one meal choice. Culver's is also know for its fresh, frozen custard. Made from real Wisconsin dairy sourced from local farms and prepared fresh throughout the day. There's always chocolate and vanilla available, but also a unique Flavor of the Day. You can have a shake, malt or float made with the custard. There was also something called a 'concrete mixer' on the menu. Big Boy still has locations in Michigan.

For the most part, I enjoyed the traditional "Big Boy" Hamburger (two 1/8 lb patties, double cheese, lettuce, pickles, Thousand Island dressing on a toasted sesame seeded bun, with a toasted plain center bun) while having the occasional "Brawny Lad" (1/4 lb meat, a whole slice of raw onion, pat of butter on a toasted rye bun) with a salad topped with the (less famous) garlic oil salad dressing.
Another 'local' chain is White Castle Not much explanation needed; White Castle is where the 'slider' originated. Small, thin, steamed (there are five holes punched in that piece of meat) and topped with one pickle and a scoop of grilled onion, the taste is unique and so very familiar. As a side note, these are now 79¢ each and I remember when they were 14¢ each (because I am old).

In addition to burgers, there was pizza. Jets Pizza first opened in 1978 in a nearby Detroit suburb and is available in either square or round, cooked with a layer of oil on the bottom, for a nice 'crunch'.
Little Caesars began in 1959 in Detroit. It is a franchise concept and undoubtedly you have seen "Hot N Ready" advertising around here, indicating that you can just walk in and pick up a hot, fresh pizza topped with pepperoni for around $5. In the Detroit area, there are six types of 'Hot N Ready' pies as well as a few other "HnR" sides, which you can pick up via drive-thru (quite convenient on snowy days), or you can walk inside and order a personalized pie and even more. Again, the pizza has that crunchy, oily bottom crust, which I've been told is 'Detroit Style'. {As a side note, Domino's was also founded in Detroit in 1960 as a competitor to Little Caesars and doesn't really have that oily, crunchy bottom crust to their pies}. The downside to using the drive thru for a 'Hot n Ready' is that it is handed to you through the window and you have to place it on the seat next to you…and that surface is not flat.

One other local/chain restaurant/snack stop where we spent some time was Tim Horton's, a Canadian based fast food restaurant (you might notice this location used to be a McDonald's-see the trash cans on the outside of the building?) "Timmy's" is primarily known for its coffee and donuts, although soups, sandwiches and ice cream is also on the menu. We did go to Starbucks for coffee and wifi, but were at Timmy's for a fresh donut quite a few times…

Other meals were made at home after shopping at the local Grocer, Meijer -fondly remembered as "Meijer Thrifty Acres". Michigan based with regional stores, in 1934, it was one of very few supermarket chains that offered shopping carts and the concept of 'self service', then in 1962 it pioneered the concept of a 'Superstore'-everything under one roof. Meijer sells not only groceries, but electronics, clothing, household goods, has a fuel station with an attached Convenience Store. I was here for ham and hard salami and bread: Krakus Polish ham, Kowalski brand salami: many sandwiches were consumed.

Once things settled down, there was time to go out to a few non-chain restaurants and have those foods. That's another post. Thanks for reading!

Spice & Soul

August 30, 2016 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Beer, Salads

**** Spice & Soul has closed

Back in December I noticed that Oasis Restaurant and Lounge had been replaced with Spice & Soul Kitchen + Tap. Oasis, with a bit of a strange combination of food items, plus drinks, plus hookah, just didn't seem to fit in well with the Bay Park/Bay Ho neighborhood, and never gained traction. I decided to drop in on one evening.

I basically dropped by for some grub and a couple of beers and sat on the bar. I like the set-up; small bar, casual dining area, and porch. Decent beer list and the guy who owns the place, I believe his name is Steven, was quite friendly, as was the staff.

I saw Salt and Pepper Wings ($9.50) on the menu and ordered that. It came with two sauces; I chose the Smoked Harissa Aioli and the Blue Cheese. I found the wings to be a bit odd…..it was quite apparent that they were grilled first, then lightly dusted, before the deep fry.

Not my favorite version of wings; these were on the dry side, more flakey than crisp, though the Harissa Aioli was pretty good. Just kind of strange overall.

What I did enjoy were the Crunchy Chickpeas ($4). Basically seasoned fried and roasted garbanzos which were nicely seasoned.

Crunchy, nicely seasoned, great flavors, awesome bar food.

A couple of weeks later, I couldn't decide on dinner, so I stuck close to home and dropped by S&S again. This time I ordered the House Smoked Brisket ($14) which was served as a sandwich on brioche with 2 side salads.

Not my favorite rendition of smoked brisket as this wasn't very smoky, was dry, the texture was also on the mealy side. Frankly, I don't think this was "smoked" in the traditional manner.

The coleslaw was better than the quinoa and rice which was very bland.

The brioche roll had been grilled nicely and the portion size was very generous.

Still, not a great meal in my book. A few weeks later, I decided on a "tie-breaker" and dropped by again.

This time I was pretty hungry so I ordered the Pork Chop ($15), which was very large.

It arrived, oil bubbling, nicely charred…like overhead broiling with something like a salamander had been used. It was nicely seasoned with the coffee and ancho rub that really didn't do well on the brisket. Here, it really tasted great. In fact, this didn't need the compound butter, as it was surprisingly moist for a fairly lean chop. The shoestring fries were nicely fried and crisp, I think they make their own ketchup here as it tasted quite good. The roasted veggies were on the bland side though.

After this meal; I decided to return and retry what I'd had on my first visit; the wings and chickpeas.

Though the wings were better; they didn't look to be grilled then dusted and fried anymore, they are still not crisp enough for me.

Those Chick Peas were still great though…..

And that should pretty much be it, right? Well, I just kind of let these photos languish, and wouldn't you know it, I went back to S&S yet again. This was during a fairly hot spell; so I got the S&S Wedge Salad, which I really enjoyed; simple seems to be the rule here, and even got a side of the brisket.

The wedge of iceberg was fresh and it wasn't over dressed. The dressing was fine, and who doesn't love some bacon to add some savory saltiness to the dish? The brisket was better this time around; more moist, you could make out the flavor of the ancho-coffee rub……you can just tell by the color that it was much improved. It's still not a favorite of mine, but it was better.

It was about time for a post…..but for some reason, I never got around to it. So in the meantime…guess what? Yep, another visit. I wanted those Crunchy Chickpeas, but it was no longer on the menu. Steve did tell me that it is served on the Crispy Kale Salad ($7), which is what I ordered.

The kale was indeed roasted…it almost looked deep fried, which brought out a mild sweetness, no issues with the romaine, nor the dressing which was a nice, light, vinaigrette. It was nicely dressed and of course I enjoyed the crunchy chickpeas and even the pickled onions. I'm usually not a fan of fruit in my salad, but in this case I did rather enjoy things.

The beer list here is pretty good….nothing too exotic, but solid with a nice rotation. I've had Almanac's Saison Dolores, Duckfoot Honey Ale, and those solid regulars from breweries we all know; Alesmith, Ballast Point, Modern Times, and even Bitter Brothers. Honestly, S&S won't make me forget Tiger Tiger, hmmm, we haven't been there in a while; or even Blind Lady. Still, it's great to see places like this opening in our neighborhood. I remember when Bay Park Fish and Baci were the only reasonable choices. Now we've got some choices….and with Red Card opening (a post is forthcoming), things in Bay Park have come a long way since we moved here.

Spice & Soul
4033 Avati Dr
San Diego, CA 92117

Driving across the USA (in our Chevrolet) Part 1- America’s Highways and Byways

August 21, 2016 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!

Follow up links:

Part Two (chains in the Detroit area)

Part 3 (local places in Detroit)

Part Four (the drive back to San Diego)

Kirk and Ed (from Yuma), mmm-yoso!!! writers, have been posting a lot about their recent vacations. Cathy has been out of California for a while also, though not primarily on a vacation. Here is a trip report of her 2016 adventure, including food.

It was not a vacation, nor was it planned. Starting out with a flurry of phone calls, while I was with cc, on another Rose Parade float road test as well as a few other stops. The spur of the moment 2400+ mile, 37 hour drive was highlighted with a start and finish at the Las Vegas airport; meeting my nephew (who flew in to assist with the drive to Michigan) and dropping my brother off for a flight back.

We drove across the prairies and flatlands, through the Eisenhower Tunnel (the longest mountain tunnel and highest point on the US Highway system; the small green sign on the wall to the left in that photo indicates the Continental Divide).

Along the way, stopping for breaks at a variety of interesting and informative 'Rest Areas'. The last photo above is called an "Oasis"- each side has a fuel station and the walkover (over the Highway) and has a variety of fast food eateries, information stands (interestingly, popcorn concessions) and importantly, rest rooms.
Other rest areas have vending machines (which take credit cards).

There are also combination Fuel/Travel Centers, Sapp Bros is one.

Known for the coffee pot/with percolator neon lighting on a small water tower symbol seen from the Highway, the coffee choices ('Awake', 'Smile' and 'Decaf') are always fresh and ready when you drop in. (Note the popcorn machine at the far left in the below photo).

There is only one location of Wings America Travel Center remaining; located in Avoca, Iowa.

It has merged with the Pilot and Flying J travel centers,

This was the first location of a Maid Rite (there were more) on this trip.

Loose meat burger, delicate seasoning-not plain, not overpowering-steamed bun with the 'standard' toppings of chopped onion, mustard and pickles. Delightful, along with the ever traditional midwest snack, cheese curds (made with Iowa cheese, of course).

An even more popular Convenience Store chain that also sells fuel is…

Yes, you are reading it correctly. Kum & Go has been around since 1959 and this location was impressive.

That milk shake machine plays your selection of music while it is preparing the shake you choose from the ice cream selections in the freezer below.

Pick a beverage, a snack or…

Yes, there's beer on tap here, along with free samples and growlers. Those Midwesterners!

There were hotels, too, some with views, most others, not so much. But those with 'breakfast included' had pancake and waffle machines, along with many choices to make a tasty breakfast.

At the end of the drive home, I stopped in Barstow for one final fill up. It was that fateful Tuesday when the Bluecut fire began. The radio informed that the I-15 was closing in both directions as the fire had grown to 1000 acres.

Driving North two exits and taking the 247, through the Lucerne Valley

and into the San Bernadino National Forest, up to 7000 feet above sea level, on winding (10 mph on curves at some points), steep (10% grade, not the usual 6% grade) roads, then back down, to

Big Bear Lake after about two hours of driving, taking a break then driving another hour and a half to get back to the 210 freeway and home. An adventure across America, Summer 2016.

Flat Top Grill Again – Yuma

June 16, 2016 ed fromyuma American/New American Restaurants, BBQ, Burgers, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!, Yuma

While Kirk and Cathy are doing important things like working or resting, Ed (from Yuma) is posting today.

Usually, after I've written a post on a place in Yuma, I don't visit again for a while, maybe feeling a little burned out. And when I do visit, I don't bring my camera. So when I had lunch at Crouse’s Flat Top Grill in early March I didn't have my camera with me, so I didn't take this picture of the entrance that day:

I ordered one of the sandwiches that I hadn't tried, the smoked brisket. When it arrived it looked something like this:

It was a great sandwich – a crunchy long roll filled with two thick smoky slices of brisket, crowned with abundant sweet grilled onion, and served with a choice of barbecue sauces on the side. Even the potato salad, which I had largely ignored before, was wonderful, the sour spicy crunchy pickle pieces adding true zest.

It was a meal so good that Tina and I have been eating at Flat Top Grill regularly, and of course I've been bringing my camera along.

Although the restaurant has a very modest wine list:

and a limited number of changing taps,

I can always find at least one or two interesting beers

On our most recent visit, Tina ordered an amazing watermelon, mint and jalapeño Margarita:

The rim of her glass was coated with Tajin, and that lime chili salt added one more level of complexity to the cocktail. Spicy, sweet, sour, cool, and smooth, with a touch of salt and a hint of mint. A real winner.

Since that last post, we have eaten a bunch of different things. For example, we were dining there with friends and they wanted to try the loaded JoJo's:

That could be somebody's dinner. The potatoes were nicely cooked and there’s bacon, cheese, and sour cream. Glad our friends had their teenage son with them.

Tina enjoys the tri-tip salad:

The fresh lettuces are nothing special, but the meat is well flavored and she loves the cilantro lime dressing that adds a Sonoran accent.

Of course, we often have sandwiches. Recently, Tina had the hot dog – split in half, grilled, placed atop a strip of bacon, and thickly covered with guacamole:

That same night, I had the guacamole bacon burger – we must have had guacamole on the brain:

In the last post, I complained about an overdone burger; this one was on the verge of under cooked, but the flavorful hamburger, ground on premises daily, had excellent flavor. And bacon and guacamole.

My favorite burger is the green chili burger:

8 years ago I posted about the mutant green chilies found in some Yuma Mexican restaurants, which are always made with beef, usually finely diced or ground. The green chili here is another variation on that theme. The beef is coarsely ground and is the focus of the dish. The chili has some good heat and green chili flavor. It is topped with melted cheese, pico de gallo, and chopped scallions (also with sour cream, but I ordered that on the side).

We have eaten several entrées as well. The Turkey dinner is an amazing combination of familiar and unusual:

On the left side of the plate, covered with gravy, was first rate red skinned mashed potatoes. The Turkey breast slices, like the ones on their turkey sandwiches, were grilled and pretty ordinary, but the waffle made with turkey dressing underneath was something I'd never seen before:

Kindof a Thanksgiving dinner like no other.

And yes, during evenings The Flat Top Grill does have good old-fashioned greens as a side dish. I'm talking serious greens, smoky and meaty:

A little less interesting – though still very flavorful – was the chicken with mushroom gravy. Two thick slices of grilled chicken breast rested on a bed of those mashed potatoes, all covered with delectably creamy mushroom gravy:

On a couple of weekend nights, we ordered specials not on the menu. Once it was the rib special:

Wonderfully spiced, deeply smoked, and fall off the bone tender. Though there is barbecue sauce on the side where it belongs, it really wasn't needed. We took the leftovers home and had biscuits, ribs, and eggs for breakfast. The corn was a little tough and flavorless, but I was still happy.

And if you are ever at Flat Top Grill and they are serving chicken and waffles, you should be eating chicken and waffles:

The waffle was crispy chewy and served with two different syrups, one maple and one spicy. The moist chicken was encased with a flavorful hard crust. Wonderful deep frying technique.

This place is so good it is hard to stay away.

Mary Etta’s Cafe (Flinn Springs/El Cajon)

May 30, 2016 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Diner, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog about food. Kirk is traveling today, Ed (from Yuma) is currently relaxing and Cathy is thinking about her future vacation while writing a short post.

A few weeks ago, The Mister and I were in East County and took the exit on Lake Jennings Park Road, driving past the abandoned amusement park, Marshal Scotty's (sometimes referred to as the East County Disneyland). Staying along the interstate on Olde Highway 80, passing Flinn Springs County Park, we spotted parking in front of Mary Etta's Cafe, which has been in this location since about 1935.

The small Cafe has both a high and low counter seating as well as five booths. The clientele is mostly locals.

There are specials on the white board on the far wall and the menu is uncomplicated. A cup of coffee is $2.35 and constantly refilled.

The chicken fried steak plate ($9.50) is a good choice. The breading on the meat is crispy, the sausage gravy is great. Those potatoes are so good; thinly mandolin sliced and crispy fried; not a hash brown nor a home fry.

You can order one, two or three eggs with a choice of meats with potato and toast. This two egg with a (house made!) sausage patty was my choice ($8.50). The eggs were a perfect over easy (runny orange yolks; the eggs are from a local ranch), that sausage is simply wonderful; proper spices, thick corse ground pork and fried to a light crust…and the potatoes: those are the same my mom and dad would make for us on the weekend (and also the same type as I had at the Original Tops in November 2014).