American/New American Restaurants – Page 38

Las Vegas: Around the Strip and Honey Salt

February 11, 2013 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Las Vegas, Nevada, Road Trip

I am without a doubt somewhat of a creature of habit, there are certain "rituals" that I follow……in Vegas after dropping the Missus off, I'll take a walk up and down the strip to see what's new. I'll usually do this in the morning to avoid the crowds. It had been four years since our last trip here and for me, the biggest change was the massive City Center complex…..

Things had shifted a bit since our last visit….there are now a good number of suite-style offerings; larger rooms, small kitchens, away from the hustle, bustle, cigarette smoke, and noise of the casinos.

We actually stayed at the Fairfield, not quite on the strip, good sized rooms, and away enough from it all to kind of chill. It was easy to get to the strip though….the shuttle to the Mandalay Bay, the tram to Excalibur, a short walk through Monte Carlo to the tram station from Aria to the Bellagio…..

Soon enough you're staring at the Paris……

Which was enough time for me to head back and catch the shuttle at New York, New York, back to the Fairfield.

As for lunch; well, I usually go off the strip. I'd heard about a newer place in Summerlin, that did…well, that much too often used description, "farm to table comfort cuisine"……yet it came highly recommended. So I took that 20 minute drive. I'm sure the distance really wasn't that bad, it just seemed that way. The restaurant, named Honey Salt, was tucked away in the corner of a strip mall…..

Looking very unassuming from the outside, this place was really happening….so many "women doing lunch". It reminded me of places I've been in say, Scottsdale or Buckhead in Atlanta….. The Hostess was very nice telling me they would have a table for me in a few minutes….but I opted for the mellow bar area……

Which must have been fate….I asked the bartender if "it's okay if I sit here…." His response? "Eh, you from Hawaii, huh?" We call "Vegas" the "9th Island", so many visit and so many have moved there…you can't help but run into someone from "home". And once he introduced himself as "Bozo"…..I knew he was the real deal. This was going to be a great lunch……regardless of the food.

Anyway, beyond the pleasantries…..there were many of the typical, "whea' you from" discussions…, eventually things headed to the menu. I had a couple of things in mind, Harissa crusted strip steak salad and Big Eye Tuna Tartar with Crunchy Quinoa came to mind. But MrB told me the two most popular dishes, at least on his watch, which led me to order items I would never had considered.

Starting with the Turkey Meatballs ($9)…….really, turkey meatballs, when was the last time I ordered these? Try never…..

Caramelized onions and a touch of horseradish added some sweetness and pungency. And though the acid was a bit too much, I gotta say, these were the most moist and tender turkey meatballs I've ever had…literally melting in my mouth. You could easily have mistaken them for veal.

For my main, Bozo told me the Biloxi Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich ($13) was the best seller.

The chicken was very moist, though I would have appreciated a bit more "crunch" to it. The brioche was mildly buttery without being too sweet. The slaw completed without overpowering and added a bit more texture to the sandwich.

Actually, I really enjoyed the salad….the kale and edamame really balanced things out…to the utter joy of the Missus who eats and juices kale by the bushel.

I actually enjoyed the food here more than Urban Solace……

Of course, during our meal, another "Bruddah" stopped by for take-out….what can you say? In the end this was a nice meal made better by eating at the bar and talking to another ex-pat Kama'aina and also the young lady from South Africa who convinced Bruddah Bozo (in slang that means "Boy"), a third generation "Bozo", that he needed to check out Lotus of Siam soon. I also got a nice tip on grabbing some poke too…….

Honey Salt
1031 S Rampart Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89145

Curly Jones Cafe- when the traffic is bad, take the exit. (Norwalk)

February 7, 2013 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!

Here you are, back at mmm-yoso!!! This blog is about food. Sometimes, like today, it's a diary of why, where and what. Other days it's blog/diary about who, when and how as well as hundreds of other combinations of those interrogatives. Kirk is busy, ed (from Yuma) is also busy; Cathy is writing.

One recent weekend, The Mister and I were headed North and hit a terrible patch of traffic somewhere on the older (three lane section) of Interstate 5 just past Disneyland. Since I would rather be moving than just idling in traffic, we took the closest exit and drove the surface roads, trying to parallel the freeway. At some point we saw this building and signage.

Of course the car went straight to the parking lot. When we walked in, the grill and counter seating were to the right and tables and booths to the left. It was crowded, but a few tables were empty (There weren't two seats together at the counter).

There must be a fascinating story behind this place, but it wasn't written inside the menu. The customers all seemed to be locals and our waitress made it a point to welcome us 'strangers' warmly. The interior was a mishmash of decorating styles and photos of that didn't happen. The menu choices were also a bit of a mishmash.

The menu had a few Greek, Italian and Mexican selections, a lot of American/Diner selections and the above Homemade chili section. Since we may not ever find our way back here, we had to order what we may never get a chance to order again…

Eggs and chili ($6). Probably the best chili I've ever tasted. No beans (of course) meaty, spicy (I could detect cinnamon, garlic and cumin and the chili heat level was pleasant). Homemade. The chili was rich and almost like smooth chocolate…a mole of sorts. Poured over nicely scrambled eggs topped with cheese, served with the garlic bread. (I asked for onions on the side -and that bowl appeared with the plate-). This was wonderful and the new thing I learned that day – chili goes with eggs.

Just as wonderful was the chalkboard special of machaca and eggs ($7). Beef, onions, peppers, tomatoes along with more spices (I tasted garlic, oregano and cumin) cooked long and slow into a great stew until the beef falls apart, creating machaca. The stewed meat and vegetables were cooked in a pan with eggs. It was served with really good beans and rice as well as tortillas and a homemade salsa. Wonderful.

A great find, all because of traffic. I hope someday you have gridlock turn out as well.

Curly Jones Cafe 13220 San Antonio Norwalk, CA 90650 Open until 2 or 3 p.m. daily. (562)864-4399

COMC Calorie Bomb Edition: Carmen’s Mexican Food, Harry D’z BBQ, a Caliente Burger, and one repeat

January 24, 2013 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, BBQ, Burgers, Mexican Restaurants, Plate Lunch, yoso-silly

I know that my timing tends to suck……I have a tendency to do these posts right after the New Year. It’s really not on purpose…really. What happens is that I try to close out the previous year and always seem to have some of these “one-off” type photos, so I basically have stuff for a “COMC” (Clearing Out the Memory Card) type of post. So anyway, here’s some “stuffs” from the last quarter, of last year.

Carmen’s Mexican Food:

A couple of folks have mentioned Carmen’s to me and I tell them that I had eaten at Carmen’s back when they were located in Linda Vista, across from what is now K Sandwich. I really wasn’t impressed with the food, which seemed more Am-Mex, then Mexican. Eventually that whole area was razed and Carmen’s was gone. I did feel a twinge of sadness, because even if I didn’t care for the place, a lot of folks did. Then a couple of years ago, Babylon Cafe closed down, and Carmen’s reopened in that location.

I was still not really motivated to eat there, but more than one person mentioned how good their Carne Asada Fries were. After my post on Yesenia’s, I actually received two recommendations for Carmen’s. So after a short CAF recovery period, I decided to drop by for lunch.

The crew here was friendly and all the customers seemed to be regulars, talking about kids, vacations to Disney, Disney cruises, relatives, not seeing “so and so” for a while….you know, that kind of stuff. I actually kind of felt like an outsider, but this gave me an understanding of how the place has cultivated a customer base over the years.

Everything was cooked to order so it took a couple of minutes before my Carne Asada Fries were ready.

This really wasn’t my cup of tea. First, thought I love my dinner fries, I’m not fond of them in my CAF. Since there’s always some guac-crema-salsa action going on, I prefer a higher ration of crispness. Second the guacamole was kind of pasty with no flavor. Third, the carne asada was a lot more tender then it appeared, but was rather tasteless. I’m sure they make their own salsa here, but for some reason it reminded me of Pace Picante. Nothing against Pace, but several decades ago I had a coworker whose second favorite hobby was….how shall I say it…partaking of the “cash crop”. We’d go over for beers and would instantly know when he was enjoying himself….he’d be having this concoction of melted Philadelphia Cream Cheese mixed with Pace Picante and chips. Ick……

The rather substantial pool of oil at the bottom of the plate could either be an added treat or not…depending on your point of view.

Still, like I’ve said many times…there’s a big difference between “favorite” and “best” and I understand that. There are many reasons why folks hold a place close to their hearts and the food may not be the main reason(hey, I’m just as guilty). Based on the rapport between the two guys working on this day and the regulars, I’m thinking this is one of those places.

Carmen’s Mexican Food
4937 Diane Ave
San Diego, CA 92117

Harry D’z BBQ:

During one of the early days of the Morena’s Farmer’s Market…..having not been back in a while, I’m wondering if it still running? I passed a couple of weeks ago and na-da?? Anyway, it was getting close to evening and I hadn’t had lunch and this little stand looked interesting.

Actually, there should be some kind of law against sticking pork in front of a starving man’s face…..

So I decided on the pulled pork sandwich, which was a reasonable $6.50.

The pork was quite moist, but I had a hard time believing it was really smoked based on the mild flavor. The sauce was too sticky sweet and what seemed molasses heavy for me……

The Caliente Burger at Tommy’s:

**** This location of Tommy’s has closed

I’m not sure what it is about San Diego’s Tommy’s, but it just doesn’t seem to be the same as the Tommy’s back in LA…even the one in our old neighborhood. But there I was, standing in line at Sprouts and the two customers in front of me were going on and on about this “new” burger at Tommy’s that was “oh so good, but so spicy”. Now what kind of bonehead would actually go visit Tommy’s after overhearing two women talking about something “oh so good”??? Hello, I’m bonehead, nice to meet you……

The young lady at the counter was really friendly and told me that they top the chili burger with pickled cascabel chilies and chipotle cheddar. She was very nice and even gave me a little tray with some extra chilies in them. Funny, these reminded me of the bottled Del Monte Chilies I used to eat when I was a kid.

The burger was actually better then I had during my last visit, maybe five or so years ago now. The chilies weren’t really that hot. I’ve kind of noticed that the chili at this location is heading into two divergent directions….as it becomes more and more like refried bean glue in texture, the flavor becomes more watered down. Right now it just seems like heartburn fuel…..though I’ve only had heartburn once in my life(a funny story) and it wasn’t from Tommy’s

Serves me right to eavesdropping on folks in the grocery line……

Original Tommy’s
7415 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111

So there you go….man, that’s more then enough calories and saturated fat…sheesh.

I think I’ll go and quietly have my plate lunch in the corner now.

Izzy’s Cafe-Breakfast (El Cajon)

January 19, 2013 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! the food blog is here, where you are. Kirk and other friends write here. Cathy is writing today.

In an effort to keep with my New Year Resolution to patronize local businesses, Izzy's in nearby El Cajon is a natural choice for us. A Mom and Pop Diner that's filled with locals enjoying breakfasts and lunches and occasional dinners (on Thursday and Friday only) almost every day of the week. (Izzy's is closed on Sunday).

Located on the corner of Broadway at Crosby in nearby El Cajon, there is some parking in the lot behind the building, but if you spy a spot on the street, grab it. It's quite large inside and has a Patio area along the side of the building.

Uniquely decorated with memorabilia of all sorts, the seating is comfortable, service is efficient and everyone we have ever met here is friendly.

The condiments on the table should satisfy any craving. The coffee cups are random.

This was The Mister's breakfast one day- a massive (4 egg) fritatta, filled with his choice of fillings (sausage, mushrooms, and spinach)… An Italian omelet, baked in a that large pan shaped dish then topped with cheese and avocado – with a side of grits.

The fresh, fluffy-crisp homemade bisuits topped with homemade sausage gravy were an additional side we shared. We *really* like the biscuits with gravy here…

I ordered my usual of two eggs (poached) with bacon and rye toast.

Perfectly poached, fresh fresh orange yolked eggs. Comfort food and a great way to start the day.

Barbeque is the specialty here and is available as a breakfast meat (BBQ brisket, smoked carnitas, pulled pork), as well as in the lunches. On dinner days, racks of ribs (slow smoked) are available until they run out.

Izzy's Cafe 1252 Broadway El Cajon 92021 (619) 447-5067

Mon,Tues,Wed 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Thurs-Fri 7 am-8pm Sat 6am-2pm Closed Sunday.

Old Mill Cafe (North Park)

January 18, 2013 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! -a blog. Kirk, ed(from Yuma), Vicky (SFBay area), Cathy and a few others contribute to this food centric online diary of sorts. Today, Cathy is blogging.

Long story short- while looking for a parking spot when going to a business on 30th street, we happened to turn onto Ohio Street and found one. Walking back to the car, saw this older looking restaurant and made a mental note to stop here one day.

That day finally arrived.

We got here after the lunch 'rush'. Over the holidays.

The decor is …neat and clean… in a 1970 sort of way. The mural of the Old Mill is on the wall to your left when you walk in. By the footprint, the building looks like it may have been a Ponderosa/Bonanza/buffet steakhouse at some point in time (like the 1970's). In any case, we were told to sit anywhere and did so and quickly the nice Waitress came over with menus, brought us water and coffee ($1.99).

I was happy to see that breakfast was served all day and ordered the machaca ($7.99) which seemed to be prepared just for me. The beef was chunky and moist, the peppers and onion were fresh/slightly raw and the eggs that were binding it all together had a lacy edge of crispness. The beans and the rice were better than usual (the rice must have been simmered in broth or stock, the cheese on top of the beans was plentiful and the beans must have been cooked in lard). This was a great meal.

The Mister's choice of pea soup was excellent. It had chunks of ham, was not overly salted and tasted very fresh.

Ahem. Yes, he ordered the Fish and Chips ($7.29, including the soup). Despite the looks of this plate, the fish was light and flaky and the coating on it was thin, crisp, not oily and had a nice flavor. The crinkly fries were also nicely crisp and not oily and the vegetables were not mushy. This meal oddly brought back fond memories…of the 70's…and comfort.

We will be going back and will order other items from the menu.

Your weekend is here, enjoy it!

Old Mill Cafe 3949 Ohio Street San Diego 92104 (619) 294-3804

To The Point-lunch

January 17, 2013 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

You are here at mmm-yoso!!!, the food blog. A few people write on this blog and today Cathy is writing about a recent nice day and meal.

It seems that The Mister and I have been busy almost every day since Halloween. One place we go to in December and January is Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery to see the Wreaths Across America.

2012 was the 21st year of the nationwide wreath distribution honoring of Veterans buried in military cemeteries across America. The wreaths are set up by volunteers by December 15 and will be taken down by volunteers on January 26. There is still time to see this small 'thank you' to our Veterans, done by this organization that has the motto "Remember. Honor. Teach."

On our way back toward the freeway, at the South East corner of Voltaire at Catalina Boulevard is this cottage-y looking restaurant, aptly named "To The Point". We've passed it many times, seeing people eating at tables out front on weekends and on this day decided to stop.

It's quite large inside…

and is decorated in a mismatched casual theme. We were greeted promptly by a nice Young Man, who offered us both the breakfast and lunch menus, which mention that the food is seasonal, local and sustainable.

As we were seated, we asked what the 'soup of the day' was and he went to the kitchen and brought us out small samples of the two available soups – a carrot ginger and a tomato basil and described the ingredients. Nice touch.

We ordered and were kind of overwhelmed by the beverage menu, so asked for 'plain' water and not long after, a refillable bottle of cucumber water and jelly jar glasses were brought to the table. Lunch soon followed.

The Mister's Cobb Sandwich ($8.50) on artisan French bread. Pan roasted turkey, (thick, flavorful, crispy) bacon, avocado, tomato, leaf lettuce, Blue Cheese: a salad in a sandwich. It comes with a choice of a 'gourmet side', so he chose the tomato soup. This was *really* good.

Here's a cross section view of this very filled -and filling- sandwich.

I ordered the Four Cheese Panini on multigrain bread. ($8.50) and chose the organic mixed green salad which was topped with crispy fried onions, included cucumber and tomatoes and had an oil and vinegar based dressing on the side. (See the water bottle and jelly jars?)

I don't remember the four cheeses, but the combination and meltiness was quite wonderful. Also in the sandwich were sauteed onions and mushrooms and tomato as well as fresh organic baby spinach.

The breads are from a local bakery, the meats, the vegetables – everything was so fresh…and I found out later that the beverages are interesting and wonderful and was told to try the fresh pressed apple juice and lavender mocha…which we will do next time.

To The Point 4161 Voltaire Street San Diego, Ca 92107 (619)226-6222 M-F 7 am -3 pm Sat-Sun 8 am-3 pm Website

Meals with Friends: Mariscos Godoy, Luce, and Roseville Cozinha

December 27, 2012 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Chicken Wings, Mexican Restaurants, Pizza, Pubs and Pub Grub, Seafood

As you can tell; I’m trying to get all these round-up type posts done before the end of the year. Of course, this is the time of year when folks get together and celebrate….here are a couple of “meals with friends” we’ve had recently.

Mariscos Godoy:

**** Mariscos Godoy has closed

What better place for a festive time with a group right? Mariscos Godoy is a great place to just get together and grub with friends….unless of course, there’s a major soccer game on…or when one of the bands are playing, which makes conversation impossible. On this night, we got both…..and the band even had a tuba player! yikes…..

Still, as you can see, we didn’t leave hungry……..

And I even forgot to take a photo of the pulpo…..

Mariscos Godoy
651 Palomar St
Chula Vista, CA 91911

Luce’s (again):

My buddy JohnL has moved back into the neighborhood. We decided to grab some drinks and felt that Luce was close by. Plus, I was really unimpressed with the food on our last visit. Well, at least the charcuterie board was decent…..

The wings on the other hand were totally one note in flavor….sweet, with not much else going for it.

The fries were ok….a bit mushy and dry, but flavored decently.

I like the friendly service and the small, but good beer list (and a mule or two). But is Bay Park so starved for a place like this, that there would be lines waiting outside on a cold evening? Well, I probably just answered my own question.

Luce Bar & Kitchen
1959 Morena Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110

Roseville Cozinha:

**** Roseville Cozinha has closed

One great thing about having a group gathered for a meal is that you get to try a bunch of things. We decided on a porcine party post mortem and Peter thought the newly opened Roseville Cozinha would be just the place.

There’s a a beautiful wood fired oven in the place and I think they are still fine tuning and getting the hang of beast. My favorite items were the “local Salumi Plate” and the Salt Cod Fritters. Roseville tips its hat to the Portuguese and Italian fishing communities which formed the backbone of the Point Loma area. I benefited with some nice bacalao fritters.

Compare this salumi with what Luce’s serves…..the price is pretty close as well. This wins hands down.

The wood oven roasted shrimp must have been good…..I never got a shot at it!

Ervilhas Stew…….good thing the Missus wasn’t here….that egg would have never lasted 5 seconds on the table.

Of course you need some greens……

My favorite pizza was the “Chef’s Special” a fresh clam pizza……

Fennel and sausage…..

Wild Mushroom…..

What a meal…….what a great time with good friends!

Roseville Cozinha
2750 Dewey Rd Suite 104 (Liberty Station)
San Diego, CA 92106

Retasting Bud’s Louisiana Cafe – Six and a half years and three locations later

December 17, 2012 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Cajun, Southern, and Soul Food, Seafood

Man, here's another one that really dates us……. I first posted on Bud's, when it was Bud's Louisiana Food Shoppe on Kettner back in August of 2006. We then visited a couple of itmes after they moved to Tierrasanta in August of 2008. We thought the food had slipped a bit and before we knew it, Bud's was gone…….

Only to find out that Bud's Cafe had reopened on a small side street of Balboa Avenue in an area that looked like a business park.

After the move to Tierrasanta, the hours had gotten a bit different, and here it was Monday and Tuesday, breakfast and lunch, 7am to 3pm. Wednesday thru Friday 7am to 9pm, and Saturday 12 noon to 9pm. Since I'm fairly close to the location, I decided on grabbing some lunch to see how things were at Bud's.

It's the same paintings and furniture, but for some reason, I liked it in this setting more. There's also a nice outdoor area, for those non-rainy, winter months. The menu looked pretty much the same and I've always enjoyed the option of a cup of gumbo or bisque to pair with a sandwich. So I went with something I hadn't had in a while, a cup of Jambalaya ($4).

This was better than I recalled; a nice tang, decent seasoning…..the food at Bud's has never struck me as spicy, so I didn't expect that. It was a decent bowl, even overcoming my dislike for converted rice.

I paired that with the New Orleans BBQ Shrimp Po' Boy ($9).

Bud'sRev 04

The sandwich came with some "by the book" Cajun seasoned fries. The bread was crusty and the shrimp was just plain perfectly sauteed. I had forgotten that Bud's tends to drench stuff with tartar sauce……the BBQ sauce wasn't particularly spicy and this isn't a "super stuffed" sandwich, but I wasn't expecting that. Not bad…..

My server was excellent, friendly, but not too buddy-buddy, efficient and professional. I thought the service was actually a notch above the food…..

I returned a couple of days later and ordered a Spicy Andouille Po Boy ($10).

The bread was again crusty, whole grain mustard went well with the sausage, which I was told was Comeaux's Andouille, a pretty well known brand out of Lafayette. The spices were nice, with a bit more ooomph then I expected. The only thing I didn't enjoy was the very tough casing of the sausage, which was really hard to bite through with pulling the whole darn thing out on your lap. Nitpicky perhaps, but overall a decent meal…..

I had mentioned having lunch at Bud's to the Missus. She was curious to see if the food had changed over the years……and I noticed that Bud's has a Happy Hour from Wednesdays through Fridays, from 3pm to 6pm. 15% off appetizers…..I thought some appetizers would be enough for a meal for me and since they also had the lunch/dinner menu, She went for the Crawfish Etouffe ($15).

This seemed a tad lighter (in a good way) then what we'd experienced at Bud's before, it was not as rich, but the great flavors of the shellfish base came through nicely. It was also devoid of the gummy textured, floury taste that sometimes came along with this pretty looking plate. The Missus thought the crawfish taste came through better as well.

I almost forgot about the Caesar Salad that came with the etouffe…….it was actually decent in size. But take a close look and you'll find that the romain lettuce is dripping wet. It hadn't been dried well after rinsing……watering things down.

The cup of Red Beans and Rice was a total fail for us. Other then the nice tasting Andouille, I really thought it second rate. First, there was a total lack of flavor in this….no beans, no spice, no smokiness. It was more watery then creamy, and the beans were tough….. I mean c'mon, this is something I make at home all the time. I know it can be done better…..

I was fascinated by the Creole Caviar, so of course I ordered it.

I loved the flavor of the "pate", a blend of shellfish base with shrimp, crawfish, the Cajun trinity….it was rich in a good way. The Missus didn't care for it at first, mostly because the "toasts" were a bit too buttery, taking the richness over the top for us, and making the dish a bit too salty. This would have been great with just plain bread ot toasts. It didn't seem like much, but sure filled us up. We'll have this again….though maybe order a baquette instead of the toasts.

Thinking that I hadn't had a fried item here, I ordered the Soft Shell Crab Appetizer, a simple floured and deep fried soft shell crab. First, I thought the tartar sauce in this case really helped the soft shell crab….the capers in the sauce did wonders, mainly because the flavor was pretty mild. We also didn't enjoy how this was fried….preferring light and crisp, over gummy and chewy. Sad, I'd always thought they did a good job of frying here….perhaps this is an aberration.

Dinner did seem a bit of a mixed bag, but we left in a positive state of mind. Service had been nice and professional, and though I've heard folks complain about the price to quantity ratio……I'd point to our $30 tab for two burgers we recently ordered at the bar, which was more expensive then this meal!

We'll probably be back in the near future….I still need to see if their gumbo and seafood bisque is still any good.

Bud's Louisiana Cafe
4320 Viewridge Ave
San Diego, CA 92123

The Roxy Restaurant, Cafe and Bar- Encinitas

November 30, 2012 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Welcome (back) to mmm-yoso!!!, the food blog. Kirk and ed (from Yuma) are busy anticipating a time to relax. Cathy found that time and is sharing a food adventure today.

A few weeks ago, The Mister and I drove North on Highway 101 along some of the 60 miles of San Diego County coastline, enjoying where we live.

We had worked up an appetite while getting in some walking and stopped when we got to the Encinitas sign.

We had parked just across the street from the restaurant which provides my favorite San Diego County Fair food fix-

I've posted that this was the one booth we must stop at every year.

This year, we did go to the Fair several times and got both the falafel burger …

as well as an artichoke sandwich. Both of these sandwiches are on the menu at the Restaurant and the price is the same as at the Fair!

We stepped into Roxy's just before it started to get crowded and chose a table on the North half of the restaurant.

After reading the mainly vegetarian menu (some dishes are made with chicken, squid or fish) I decided to try a cup of the 'everyday' soup ($3)- Bean Soup, made with lentils, soy and pinto beans. The spices made this taste like a good chili and I really liked it. The soup was served with a piece of toast…the same bread that's used for the Fair sandwiches. (I found out it is The Baker's Wife from Bosch Baking bread brand, made in San Marcos and available at some of the weekly farmer's markets and sold in the grocery part of the Tip Top Meats store.)

I selected the avocado burrito ($7.99). A very large whole wheat tortilla with cheese, onion and olive melted onto the tortilla,

which was then filled with at least two smashed avocadoes, lettuce and tomato. This was served with a good, spicy salsa and a very large lettuce, spinach, cabbage, tomato, broccoli and cauliflower 'side' salad. So very fresh, tasty and filling.

The Mister ordered the Fish and Chips, one of the white board specials that day ($7.99, regular $8.99). This was four large pieces of excellent fried fish (probably tilapia) served on top of a pile of quite memorable, thin cut, perfectly cooked fries with an absolutely wonderful house made tartar sauce.

On the South side of the restaurant is a small area where ice cream is sold. It is Niederfrank's, a National City based company (which I posted about in 2007). I can foresee taking another few drives on the 101 before the 2013 San Diego County Fair to try out more of the menu at Roxy's.

It's Friday! Enjoy your weekend.

The Roxy Restaurant 517 Highway 101, Encinitas, CA 92024 (760) 436-5001 Mon-Sat 11:00 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Website

Pasadena Farmers Market and lunch at The Slaw Dogs (Duarte)

November 2, 2012 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Farmer's Markets/Night Market, Hot Dogs, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!

You are reading mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk, ed (from Yuma) and Cathy blog here, with the primary subject 'food'. Today, Cathy is blogging, because Kirk and ed (from Yuma) are just plain busy.

This is a continuation of our Saturday road trip to watch a road test of the 2013 Rose Parade floats. When we got to Euro Pane, The Mister grabbed a few of those free newspapers stacked at the door and was reading while we were eating while I was checking my phone for spam on the blog. He saw that The Pasadena Farmers Market was held on Tuesday and Saturday and we knew the exact location- in the parking lot of Pasadena High, on Sierra Madre Boulevard, where the Rose Parade floats line up end to end, after the Parade.

So we drove until we saw vehicles parked on the street, parked, walked across the median and into the vendor area.

and enjoyed the vast selection of fruits and vegetables in the two long aisles of booths.

I must say, the selection and prices were overwhelming- we walked through, noting prices, taking a few samples,
enjoyed the three musicians (two with guitars and one playing a zither) spread out in separate areas,

as well as checking out the fresh seafood vendor-

There was one 'taco stand', several vendors selling baked goods, one egg rancher, one olive oil stand and a honey vendor.

Then I saw these, and learned what fresh picked jicama looks like! We made some purchases and started driving East, knowing we were heading home.

At some point, we were on the Original Route 66 and in Duarte. I spotted this building

drove two blocks and turned around. The name alone…

We walked in and looked at the menu…and it was overwhelming. Because the possibilities of combinations of available ingredients and preparations is overwhelming.

-There are five dog types(1/4 lb Vienna, natural casing Vienna, 1/4 lb turkey, Kosher beef or veggie)

-Six choices of links (Vienna Jumbo 12" all beef, 7" spicy Polish, 1/4 lb spicy chicken or chicken apple, 1/4 lb Bavarian bratwurst or 1/4 lb ghost pepper pork hot link) types, three preparation choices(steamed, charbroiled or 'ripped' (deep fried and the casing bursts).

-Then there is a choice of 11 Sauces: ketchup, mustard, BBQ, curry ketchup, spicy sesame aioli, chipotle mayo, roast garlic aioli, horseradish mustard, dijon and buttermilk ranch

-Three from a list of 15 (or 39¢ for more than three) toppings: diced onions, grilled onions, relish, pickle chips, dill pickle spear, jalapeños, sport peppers, pepperocini, sauerkraut, cole slaw, diced tomato, celery salt, chopped Romaine, garlic salsa verde or habañero pickled onion…

-And you can choose from 23 custom toppings for 99¢ each: Beer chili, veggie chili, bacon, pastrami, ground beef, jalapeño bacon, fried egg, Cheddar, Pepper Jack, Parmesan, Nacho cheese, Goat cheese, Feta, Blue, Kimchi, avocado, guacamole, mushrooms, sauteed bell peppers and onion, olive mix, truffle oil or roast garlic pieces.

Fortunately the menu is not only "Build Your Own", but does have a choice of ten 'Slaw Dogs'. Of course, we decided to share "The Traditional"

1/4 lb Vienna beef dog, beer chili, cheddar, mustard, onions and slaw ($4.99) (the only choice was between Cole Slaw or Thai Slaw, and we decided on Cole Slaw).

A cross section view- the chili was really good and the slaw was excellent- crispy and lightly dressed with mayonnaise and a bit of spice (The flavor could have been Lawry's Seasoned Salt…very pleasant and mild)

Then there were Sides available. Not only fries and sweet potato fries, but onion rings, tots, potato salad, slaws, chili cheese bowl, small tossed salad…but 1/2 skin on fries 1/2 sweet potato fries as well as chili cheese fries, truffle fries, parmesan fries, garlic fries or, our choice…Kimchi sweet potato fries ($5.99) (yes, more than the Slaw Dog). Sweet potato fries, perfectly nicely fried and topped with spicy sesame aioli (the 'spice' may have been Sriracha)bacon pieces (large, real bacon pieces), fresh made kimchi (not too spicy; a great version) and an over easy fried egg.

There were burgers and salads on the menu also- the salads all came with a choice of butterflied, chargrilled link. The kimchi fries was a perfect melding of flavors and textures and was a meal in itself. So glad we stopped.

When leaving, I asked about breakfast , since the sign out front advertised it Friday, Saturday and Sunday only…not only French Toast, pancakes (buttermilk or seven grain), oatmeal, and egg dishes (all served with fruit and either rosemary potatoes or potato tots), but some of the omelet selections contain available links (a Ghost Buster omelet using a ghost pepper sausage, with bell peppers, onions and fresh jalapeño and cheddar cheese is $7.99) and the bottom of the list- a Belly Buster scramble (diced pork belly, cilantro and green onions ($8.99)) has the only mention of pork belly on the menu.

The Slaw Dogs 1355 Huntington Drive (the original Route 66) Duarte, CA 91010 (626)358-8898 website