American/New American Restaurants – Page 4

Breakfast with JJ – Flora (North Park)

April 11, 2025 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Dog Friendly

During one of our walks with JJ in North Park, we noticed that Truffle Neighborhood Cocina had been replaced by a restaurant named Flora. After doing a bit of research, I found that the place was dog friendly, so we decided to head on over for brunch one morning.

The outdoor area, while on busy University Avenue was separated from the sidewalk traffic by planters.

Flora 01

We were greeted and seated in the nice patio area. The folks working here are wonderful, they immediately brought JJ some water while delivering our menus. He got served before us! Like I said; there's a difference between "Dog Allowed" and "Dog Friendly". Flora is definitely in the latter as the Servers came out to meet and greet JJ.

Flora 02

Flora 03

I think I've been out of touch with regards to breakfasts and brunch. There was Shashuka on the menu; one of my favorite dishes. We'd end up having Shakshuka three times in two weeks! When did that become mainstream?

The Missus got the Avocado Toast ($18), which came topped with poached eggs (a bit overcooked) and a pile of arugula.

Flora 04

Taking a closer look we noticed that the mashed avocado (the Missus prefers slices) was turning a bit brown. The highlight of the dish for the Missus was the sourdough which was toasted to crisp perfection.

Of course I got the Shakshuka ($17). The menu said the eggs were "sunny side up", but these seemed to be have been just cracked into the tomato-bell pepper sauce right before serving.

Flora 05 Flora 06 The toasts were again really good. The tomato-bell pepper compote was over processed and runny; I prefer something more rustic and thicker. It also lacked the seasoning I like; cumin, smoky tones, harissa, herbaceous flavors, and garlic. This had a decent acidity, though I'm not quite sure about feta cheese in my shakshuka. I really wasn't expecting anything close to what we had in Tunisia or Jerusalem, and I tend toward Tunisian style Shakshuka when I make the dish at home. But this was just mediocre to me.

Of the three versions we had; this was my least favorite. We were told that they use sourdough from Bread and Cie and also that the ownership is the same as when the place was Truffle Neighborhood Cocina. The Missus told me the interior of the restaurant is quite nice; but I didn't have a chance to check it out. And to be completely honest; I'm more about food than the "vibe".

We enjoyed the service and JJ had a nice visit to the park afterward as payment for being a "good boi" while we ate.

Flora 07

Flora
3021 University Ave.
San Diego, CA 92104
Current Hours:
Sunday 8am – 3pm
Mon – Wed 9am – 3pm
Thurs – Fri 9am – 3pm, 4pm – 10pm
Saturday 8am – 3pm, 4pm – 10pm

Road Trip – Shalhoob’s Funk Zone Patio and Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. (Santa Barbara)

April 4, 2025 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, BBQ, Beer, Dog Friendly, Road Trip, Sandwiches, Santa Barbara County, Travel

After our stroll along State Street, we settled into our hotel; the Moxy. We took a short nap and then had to decide on dinner. A couple of places on my "list" were closed; several of them for "Employee appreciation parties"! Pretty nice; I'm guessing Super Bowl Sunday is pretty quiet round these parts. There was one place I wanted to try; Santo Mezcal, but they don't do reservations and there was a 90 minute wait.

There was one interesting place I had on my "list", it was all outdoor dining, which was perfect for JJ. Shalhoob's Funk Zone Patio was just barely two blocks away. An extension of a company that runs several butcher shops, the menu has everything from tacos to burgers to BBQ, and beer of course. So, we walked on over.

The Funk Zone is an interesting location; there are wineries, restaurants, breweries, shops, and even some houses sprinkled among auto shops, warehouses, it has a real industrial transitioning to hipster feel.

The actual restaurant used to be the main "cutting room" for the butcher shops and has now been converted.

While the few parking spaces were taken….the place was maybe half full. There was a large screen television mounted on a large golf cart showing the Super Bowl pregame.

You order at the counter, they give you a number, and you have a seat at one of the tables or barrels. The Missus wanted a beer! Go figure! The features brews made inhouse. Not quite knowing what the Missus would want; I got a Funk Zone Blonde to go with what the Missus ordered; the Funk Zone Lager.

Turns out the Missus preferred the Blond Ale….whew…good thing I got that, right?

The Missus wanted a 1/4 Rack St Louis style BBQ ribs ($10.95), with a side of Street Corn ($8.95). I went with the Oak Smoked Tri-Tip Sandwich ($16.50). The woman working the counter was very nice.

The Tri-Tip Sandwich was pretty good; the meat a bit on the drier side, but tender enough. There was a very nice smoke ring, and so I knew the assertive smokiness of Oak would be front and center.

IMG_5697a

I think the pico de gallo was kind of overwhelmed by the smokiness of the tri-tip, though the garlic bread and aioli came thru nicely; adding some moistness and a rich-mild pungency to the sandwich. The BBQ Sauce, which I believe is St Louis style was a bit too sweet for my taste, but this was an enjoyable sandwich overall.

IMG_5697c

The "street corn" was sweet and maizey; though it had too much other "stuffs".

Was still pretty good.

I had reservations about the ribs; but they turned out to be pretty good.

Like the tri-tip, the BBQ sauce was a tad on the sweeter side; but the ribs were tender, quite smokey. It might be a bit much for some folks, but the Missus enjoyed the smokiness and the "fall off the bone tenderness" was quite good.

This ended up being a relaxing and enjoyable meal for us. Just what we needed on this day.

Shalhoob's Funk Zone Patio
220 Gray Ave.
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

After dinner, we walked back to the hotel. JJ was pooped as was the Missus. I'm not sure why since I had been the one doing the driving up from San Diego! I decided to take the opportunity, since JJ wouldn't be displaying his yappy separation anxiety, to walk over to the Figueroa Mountain Brewing tap room a block away and watch the end of the Super Bowl. Like the rest of the area, things were pretty mellow. There was only one table taken and a couple of folks over at the bar.

I had a Frozen Goat Weizenbock.

Fairly boozy, fruity – yeasty notes.

And I took in the last quarter of the Super Bowl and chatted with one of the local guys, who told me that the sports bars around the area are pretty busy, but many places close during Super Bowl Sunday. He lives on State Street and walked on over here.

Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. Santa Barbara
137 Anacapa St. F
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

It was a lovely end to a fun day.

Road Trip – A Revisit to Madeline’s (Cambria)

March 22, 2025 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Dog Friendly, European Restaurants, French Restaurants, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Travel

Another one of the reasons for us returning to Cambria was to dine at Madeline's once again. We first dined here back in 2020 and enjoyed it so much that we returned a year later. I big plus is that the wine shop by day, restaurant by night has several outdoor tables and allowed dogs. I made sure to request our favorite, known as "patio 1".

After shopping and lunch, we drove over to El Colibri, it was before the published check in time, but our dog friendly room was ready! Lucky us. So we managed a short nap. When JJ woke, while the Missus relaxed and read, I took him for a stroll along the Moonstone Beach Boardwalk which I've posted on before. The boardwalk is basically right out the hotel's doors!

JJ enjoyed the walk and made some new "friends" and the view is just a lovely as I remembered.

And I don't recall seeing deer around here before!

I think that it is a "seasonal" thing?

After returning and freshening up; we were ready to head out for dinner a bit early.

Also close to the hotel, right down the road is Shamel Park. We love walking along the beach and the sunsets here are lovely, though on this evening we had to get to dinner.

We headed on back up Windsor Road and crossed over Highway One onto main street. West Main was very sedate on this evening.

As we passed Mushrooms on Main, this friendly gal popped up!

We gave her a treat and the friendly owner invited JJ in for a "play date". Unfortunately, we had to get to dinner, so we took a rain check. We'll definitely return here on our next trip.

We arrived at Madeline's and were directed to our table. The Server was quite friendly to JJ. The Missus looked over the wine list and immediately ordered a Sauvignon Blanc.

We looked over the menu which is seasonal and ever changing. It did have several items that we'd enjoyed on our previous visits.

And there seemed to be so many mushroom based dishes….it was our lucky day! We placed our order and then bread service arrived.

Sadly, the bread, while nice and warm was not ready for prime time. It had been smushed down and the middle was still wet. It was probably pulled out before it was ready.

In keeping with our usual ordering at Madeline's we went with all appetizers and a salad. This way we get a nice variety of dishes that tend to be more interesting.

The only real "clunker" of the meal arrived with the first three dishes; the Bruschetta ($20).

With the sweet balsamic glaze, the sour tower of goat cheese, this was a bit too much for this dish. You really couldn't make out the eggplant which had been breaded and fried, but got soggy quite quickly.

The ship was quickly "righted" as the Baby Spinach Salad ($13) arrived.

As I mentioned before, we love the Bacon Vinaigrette here! It adds a wonderful smoky-savory component to a salad.

Another item we've always enjoyed have been the scallop dishes, and the Scallops Saint Jacques ($20) was no exception.

I had thought that the duxelles would be a bit too much for this dish; but as usual, the scallops were perfectly cooked, perfectly rare the way we like it. The lemon buerre blanc added a nice refreshing note to the dish.

We ordered two additional mushroom appetizers, both of which were quite hearty.

The Duck and Wild Mushroom ($20) featured two of our favorite ingredients. But man, combined with the cream sauce it edged on being a bit too much!

And the Tartine Forestiere ($20), featuring both local and smoked mushrooms was a study in umami.

Even the goat cheese and balsamic glaze could not temper the wonderful flavors of the mushrooms!

I finished as always with a Tawny Port.

Overall, this was yet another wonderful meal at Madeline's. And since we can always bring JJ….and get "Patio 1", I'm sure we'll return again, Hopefully soon.

Madeline's Restaurant & Wine Tasting Room
788 Main St.
Cambria, CA 93428

The next morning, the Missus decided to sleep in, so I took JJ for a walk to Cambria Coffee which I've posted on a couple of times before and had a cold brew and just relaxed.

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

And soon enough we headed back home.

This short road trip was a test to see how JJ would handle things. He always seemed to enjoy riding in the car. And he did enjoy Morro Bay and our stops in Ojai and Cayucos. He did well in Cambria and on the drive home. So, you could say he passed with flying colors. And since we can't really travel Internationally….we want to wait until JJ is a bit older before leaving him with his Aunty, this meant more road trips were in store!

Thanks for stopping by!

Breakfast with JJ – Parkhouse Eatery

March 5, 2025 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Dog Friendly

We like taking JJ out to "explore". The new smells, sounds, and sights! And then we'd grab a bite to eat at a dog friendly place. I'm not sure if it's just me; but there seem to be many more dog friendly places post-pandemic. JJ seems to really enjoy Trolley Barn Park, which I've posted on before, and strolling along Adams Avenue. So, one morning, the Missus and I thought we'd take him for a walk, then have breakfast at Parkhouse Eatery. It had been over 20 years since we'd eaten there!

Parkhouse JJ 01

Once arriving we were pointed to a table and we had a seat.

The place looked so familiar, but one thing that had truly changed since we last visited were the prices!

Parkhouse JJ 02

Up until JJ came along we really weren't big breakfast-brunch folks, so the prices really caught us a bit off guard!

The gentleman waiting upon us was professional; the Missus got a latte and I got an Americano to start.

Parkhouse JJ 03b

The Missus got the Avocado Toast with 2 eggs and bacon. ($10.75 + $4.40)

Parkhouse JJ 04

The Missus didn't care for the bread as it wasn't quite toasted to Her preference. She did enjoy the basil; which was a nice addition to the fresh avocado. The eggs were nice and runny, though the bacon was on the chewy side.

I got the Carnitas Stuffed Roasted Polenta Cake ($19.50).

Parkhouse JJ 05 Parkhouse JJ 06 The eggs were again nice and runny; no oof flavors. The polenta cake nice and crisp, good mild corn flavor. The carnitas a bit on the mild side in terms of flavor and also slightly stringy and dry, but not bad. The Mozzarella was fine, though the tomato added some good acidity to the dish. The "salsa" was also on the milder side in terms of spice and acidity. Still, this was not bad.

This was a decent breakfast and the Missus now wants basil on Her Avocado Toast! And JJ entertained himself by noodling with the pebbles.

Parkhouse JJ 07
Parkhouse JJ 08 And we learned something from our meals with JJ. There's a definite difference in "Dog Friendly" versus "Dogs Allowed". This was simply dogs allowed. They are just ignored by the staff. Perfectly fine with us. It's been interesting finding places to dine with JJ!

Parkhouse Eatery
4574 Park Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92116
Current Hours:
Sun – Wed 830am – 2pm
Thurs – Sat 830am – 2pm, 5pm – 9pm

The Shed and Sidecar Bar

February 9, 2025 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Cocktails, Pubs and Pub Grub, Sandwiches

I'm sure you've noticed that we've been taking JJ everywhere…..looking for places the little ball of energy would be able to hang. I'd been wanting to check out the latest food stand that's opened next to Sidecar Bar, a favorite of the Missus, which we hadn't been back to in a while. It's called The Shed and took over the "shed" next to the bar back in the middle of 2023 if I recall.

The Shed 01

It's basically a burger stand, but I'd been told that the tri-tip sandwich was quite good. So, with JJ in tow, we thought it was time for him to hang at Sidecar.

The menu is brief; but covers burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries, and such.

The Shed 02

To order, you basically press that little button, right under "Anthony Bourdain's Middle Finger Salute" and the friendly guy will come out to take your order.

The Shed 03b

And for a modern touch, you're given one of the buzzer/beeper contraptions.

The Shed 04

And you go to the counter and press that "button" again. I think it would just be perfect if the button would be on a plastic "half-peace sign salute" thing. It would just make the experience complete, right?

I ordered the "Just the Tip" ($17.70) and an order of Garlic Parmesan Fries with Chimichurri ($8.30). The portion of fries was generous.

The Shed 05

This was a bit disappointing for us as the fries were gummy and dry and for some reason, the savory-saltiness of the Parmesan was quite muted. We'll pass on this in the future.

The tri-tip sandwich on the other hand…..

The Shed 06

Was pretty good! The trip-tip, though not smoked, was very tender, beefy, nicely seasoned. The brioche bun had a touch of sweetness that complemented things nicely. The fried onion rings…well, that's always a great touch. The chimichurri sauce was fine, though both the Missus and I noted that something a bit more pungent, like perhaps a horseradish based sauce might be really good with this. Still, we'd gladly have this again.

And of course, the Missus loves Sidecar…..

Sidecar Rev 01

And since we needed to…ahem, work on our "immune system", well, we thought some Penicillin would do the trick. Prices have gone up $2 since our last visit and this cocktail is now $12.

Sidecar Rev 02

I like the combination of Scotch, Mezcal, and Ginger in this. And also the fact that it isn't overly sweet.

Now that Sidecar has the Shed to provide some eats, I think the three of us will be dropping by a bit more often.

The Shed 07

Sidecar Bar
1310 Morena Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92110

The Shed
1312 Morena Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92110

COMC – Mad For Cheesecake Revisited, NYE Dinner at Et Voila, Dinner with Friends, and an Update on Zion Market’s Move!

January 19, 2025 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Desserts, French Restaurants, Memorable Meals, yoso-silly

Just doing some cleaning of my photo folders here…so it’s time to C(lear) O(ut the) M(emory) C(ard). Just short posts…

NYE Dinner at Et Voila:

The Missus wanted to something special for JJ’s first New Year, so we decided on going to Et Voila for the NYE dinner. We had NYE dinner there before Covid and they have an small outdoor area with heaters. The one thing being, you can’t make reservations online for that. So, we took JJ and dropped by to make reservations in person. Not wanting to be out on the road too late during the eve, we made reservations for the first seating at 430pm.

We ordered every item available, one of each when there were a choice of two courses.

Et Voila NYE 01

We didn’t think much of the amuse and the first course and were quite disappointed that they didn’t serve the typical baguette either! Et Voila NYE 02
Et Voila NYE 03

Et Voila NYE 05

That “faux” foie gras was very disappointing as it was mushy, metallic-too livery in flavor.

Et Voila NYE 04

But things turned around with the second course; the Bay Scallop Gratinee.

Et Voila NYE 06

And the mains were quite good.

Et Voila NYE 08

Especially the Veal Loin; you can see JJ peeking at it in the background.

Et Voila NYE 07

We took the desserts home as we were quite full.

Et Voila NYE 09a

Et Voila NYE 10a

And I think JJ enjoyed his first New Year Eve.

Et Voilà!
3015 Adams Ave
San Diego, CA 92116

Dinner with Friends:

I’ve been blessed with having some great friends like Candice, “Yummy Yummy”, and “Xiāng Jiāo”. I’ve even posted on some great meals I’ve had with friends over the years! They are such wonderful folks, thoughtful, kind, generous….

JeffP who I’ve mentioned in several posts and who even shared in doing the One Chip Challenge with me one year is such a person, as is his wonderful bride “LL”. I’ve been honored to get to know them! They are both so kind, fun, and generous. And it was in true display when they invited me out to dinner! At their “special place”. As it’s a small, intimate, setting that’s already pretty darn full, I’m not going to give it away. But since I do use our little blog as a food-travel-personal diary of sorts, I thought I’d just post the photos here.

JP and LL Dinner 01

JP and LL Dinner 02

JP and LL Dinner 03

JP and LL Dinner 04

JP and LL Dinner 05

JP and LL Dinner 06

That LL and JeffP, who both have busy schedules, their careers going full blast, thought of having dinner really touched me!

Friends enrich our lives, broaden our horizons, bring joy, and laughter to us, and create wonderful memories.

Thanks so much LL and JeffP for a wonderful, memorable, and fun evening!

And Mad For Cheesecake is still the Missus’s favorite in San Diego:

**** This location of Mad for Cheesecake has closed

So, we’ve been doing the Japanese cheesecake rounds again, revisiting several places again.

And in the end, the Missus’s favorite was still…..

Mad for Rev 01

Mad for Rev 02

Yep, it’s still Mad for Cheesecake.

Mad for Rev 03

We even got one for our neighbor, who is also from Honolulu, and she agrees with the Missus, that this is the best she has had in San Diego.

Mad For Cheesecake
1420 E Plaza Blvd Suite B-5
National City, CA 91950

One last note – news on Zion Market’s Move from Candice:

*** Yes, Zion Market has finally opened, if you’d like to see my post on the new location you can find it here.

I’m not sure folks know this yet, but our good friend Candice is now on Instagram. And just announced that Zion Market is opening in their new location on Thursday, January 23! Well, finally!

8330 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111

Hope everyone has a fabulous week!

Lunches with JJ – The Crack Shack (Little Italy)

January 13, 2025 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Chains, Dog Friendly, Sandwiches

So, now that we have JJ I've been looking at places that are pooch friendly. I quickly noticed something; there are several places that I had actually visited years back, but really weren't too impressed. In those days I would always try make at least two visits before doing a post. These places were pretty much a "one-and-done". So those photos just ended up in the recycle bin. These days, with prices and such, I feel less tied to having to make multiple visits. Plus, with JJ in tow, it makes for additional points of interest, right? I did my one visit to the Crack Shack in Little Italy probably somewhere back in 2015, I recall the portions being large, but not being too impressed with what I'd had and not bothering to return (BTW, even Juniper and Ivy met that same fate as well).

But now, with JJ in tow, perhaps there's a new wrinkle to my priorities. And perhaps the food has improved? Plus, since I go to the Little Italy Mercato almost every Saturday, parking on Ivy Street, this location is in my view every week.

I liked the fact that the place opens at 10am daily, so I decided to see how it would be at 10 on a Sunday. I found parking on Kettner and was surprised how quite things seem. Perhaps folks were still recovering from New Year?

Crack Shack JJ 01

So, it was time to finally return to see how things were. I was greeted as I strolled up to the ordering window by a very cheerful young lady, who also smiled and greeted JJ when she saw him. She was very nice and friendly.

Crack Shack JJ 02

Looking at prices, I was pretty surprised that they hadn't gone up too much since my visit way back when. It looks like about a $2-$3 increase in like 9 years?

In the end, just wanting an idea of the how the chicken sandwich is compared to what I recalled, I went with the Coop DeVille ($14) and the Fries in Schmaltz ($4.50), which I didn't order last time. JJ and I had a seat overlooking Kettner.

Crack Shack JJ 03

The gentleman who delivered our tray to the table was very nice and even said hello to JJ…..so this place is obviously dog friendly, at least it was on this day. JJ of course, just wanted to play with everyone!

Crack Shack JJ 04 Crack Shack JJ 05 Man, those were quite a bit of fries! Unfortunately it was over fried and super salty…way too salty to enjoy. I love the richness of schmaltz, which also has a savory component to it; but this was just too salty. I couldn't finish the fries…..

As for the sandwich. Well, the brioche handled the mayo ridden slaw well; I do wish for a bit more acidity and the cabbage was chopped too thick for my taste. More pickles would have also been a nice touch. The batter did well and held up even with the generous amount of slaw.

Crack Shack JJ 06 Crack Shack JJ 07 Now I understand that Jidori chicken is a bit chewier, but this was very tough and rather leathery. Also, having had my share of Jidori, which flavors differ from region to region, I expected some interesting poultry flavors. None were to be found.

It was a good size sandwich, priced reasonably, though I think the version I had back in 2015 was better! With locations in Las Vegas and the OC, has CS taken on the chain restaurant model?

Crack Shack JJ 09

Though JJ did enjoy the service! The staff was wonderful and it was a nice, sunny, San Diego winter day.

Crack Shack JJ 00

Still, unless my "FOYs" can come up with a recommendation of what to order….and please; no "Mexican Poutine" which is basically pollo asado fries and has no cheese curds! I think I need to find other options to check out.

Crack Shack JJ 00b

The Crack Shack
2266 Kettner Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92101
Current Hours:
Sun – Thurs 10am – 10pm
Fri – Sat 10am – 11pm

Farmer Boys (Again)

October 19, 2024 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Salads, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

Thank you for stopping by to read mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog sometimes with details of adventure of finding the foods blogged. This isn't one of those posts; Kirk is the one having adventures while Cathy is here, blogging in between being busy.

I wrote about Farmer Boys the first time in 2015 and mentioned another meal in 2017 and just haven't blogged about all of our many visits over the years. This family owned franchise of almost 100 locations in California and Nevada with the motto of "Farm Food Ain't Fast Food" purchases locally grown fresh ingredients and prepares a fresh cooked, made to order meal, serving delicious flavorful food.

There are two locations in San Diego County, both in Escondido.

The Farmers Chopped Cobb salad ($ 14.99) includes greens, grilled chicken breast, diced Hass avocado, chopped tomato, hickory smoked bacon, that tiny hard boiled egg and cheddar cheese and is served with a chili ranch dressing (but you can ask for any of the available house made dressings). The Mister really likes Cobb salads and says the one from Farmer Boys is his favorite, often asking me to bring one home when I am in the area.

The Sourdough Chicken Avocado Sandwich ($11.99) also includes grilled chicken breast, thick slices of bacon, a smashed Hass avocado, tomato, cheese, lettuce and mayonnaise on locally baked (Galasso's) sourdough bread. The toasting of the bread and combination of ingredients is just so satisfying. This is a very hefty sandwich and easily shared or half can be saved for a later meal.

Four piece Fried Zucchini sticks ($6.49) was our choice as a side. Very large pieces, hand sliced and hand battered are served with some house made Ranch dressing and perfectly fried; the zucchini is cooked through and the cornmeal based batter is light, crispy and not greasy.

Farmer Boys serves quality food all day (you can see breakfasts in my prior posts; the menu is pretty much the same as it was nine years ago).

Farmer Boys Website

-1333 East Valley Parkway Escondido 92027 Open Mon-Sat 6-midnight, Sunday 7-midnight

-925 West Mission Center Escondido 92025 Mon-Fri 0530-10, Sat 6-10, Sun 7-10

Road Trip – The Dog & Bear Tavern and Where We Met (Tahoma)

September 27, 2024 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Gastropub, Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt, Lake Tahoe, Pubs and Pub Grub, Road Trip, Sierra Nevada, California, Travel

After a satisfying lunch at My Thai in South Lake Tahoe, we headed up the 89. It was a quick half hour drive to our destination in Tahoma, a town on the west shore of Lake Tahoe, with a population of just over 1,000. The area was recommended by one of the Missus's coworkers. I really wasn't too sure about the location, but we ended up enjoying the area.

Other than all the outdoorsy stuff, there's not much going on in the area. The town has one pretty nice Market/Deli, a burger place, a pizza/gastropub/wine bar, and a coffee/gelato shop. We had an Vrbo just a few blocks from the restaurants and coffee shop. The little cottage was very comfortable, though we had to get used to using "bear fences", making sure to arm them whenever we left.

Once we got settled, we walked the couple of blocks down Pine Street to check out the two restaurants and coffee shop.

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The coffee-ice cream shop was open. And the Missus decided on a coffee while I went in a different "direction".

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I went with a small Pink Grapefruit Gelato, which was nice and refreshing.

Look who else wanted a Gelato!

Where We Met
7000 West Lake Blvd.
Tahoma, CA 96142

We then crossed over West Lake Boulevard and walked to the end of Pine Street. There's a small beach with a beautiful view of Lake Tahoe.

We strolled back to the cottage, then drove on over to the General Store for a few things and headed back. After relaxing for a bit, we decided to head out for an early dinner at the Dog & Bear Tavern, which was in the same little mall as Where We Met.

It was only 430 and the place was pretty busy. We got one of the two tops. It seems like the place really specializes in pizza, but we found the rest of the menu quite interesting.

The menu was totally not what we expected and we took some time to look over things. The Missus had a nice glass of wine. I got a crisp Pilsner.

We decided on two items; the first being the Chicken Liver Mousse Flatbread. The portion was quite generous.

Well, this was quite a surprise; in a good way. The flatbread was fluffy and yeasty, I can understand why folks would like the pizza here. The duck liver mousse was creamy, smooth, slightly offal-ly, rich, with a slight bitter-sweet finish. There was a touch of pungency and the duck cracklins' were like….well, "crack". The strawberries added a sweet-fruity-acidity to the dish. This was quite nice.

The other dish we got was the Duck & Kimchi Loaded Potatoes. It just seemed like a bit of an odd combo, so we were interested in trying it.

This one might have been a bit too much; the rich-gamy duck was over taken by the sourness of the kimchi. Goat cheese and that gochujang mayo just piled on with tart sourness. The potatoes, roasted in duck fat were really tasty on their own, but this was a bit over-the-top for us.

Still, this was by far our favorite meal during this road trip. The folks working were very friendly and so were the locals. We would end up returning the following evening.

The Dog and Bear
7000 West Lake Blvd.
Tahoma, CA 96142

After dinner, we decided to take a walk. The Missus's coworker who comes up here a lot recommended heading to Sugar Pine Point Beach for paddle boarding. We planned to head on over the next morning, but decided to take a walk over, about a mile and a quarter each way. There's a path that follows the road that is lined with soaring trees.

Gosh, it was so beautiful. We got to the park, strolled thru the parking lot, and then walked over to the shore.

I can understand why people love it here!

We'd return early the next morning to ensure a good parking spot.

We walked on back…..

We decided to head back into the Dog & Bear for a nightcap. This time we had a seat at the bar. The Missus got a glass of wine and I got an Amber Ale.

It was a nice way to end the day!

Thanks for stopping by!

Road Trip – Silver Lake, Silver Lake Resort Cafe, and Hiking the Gardisky Lake Trail (June Lake)

September 1, 2024 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Diner, Road Trip, Sierra Nevada, California, Travel

After having a little taste of SUP at Gull Lake the previous afternoon, the Missus was up and ready to go at sunrise the next morning. After getting organized, I thought that heading to Silver Lake early in the day might work out well. So, we headed out. We had no problem finding parking near the Silver Lake boat ramp and the Missus was off and ready to go in no time at all!

Like the day before, I took a walk, taking in the beauty of Silver Lake. I loved the light and reflections at this time of the morning.

It was breathtakingly beautiful.

And all you have to do is turn around……

Silver Lake is home to the oldest "resort" in the Eastern Sierra's; formerly known as Carson's Camp which was established in 1916, it is now the Silverlake Resort which has cabins, an RV Park, and most importantly (to me) a store and cafe, which opens at 7am.

There were folks waiting in when the place opened at 7. I decided to take a walk along the lake and returned about 20 minutes later.

I walked into the shop and over to the entrance of the cafe. I was going to write my name down on the waiting list, but I was waved on in. There were some seats at the bar, so I lucked out.

I loved the very "old school" look of the place!

The guy expediting behind the counter was super efficient and quite nice. Of course, I had to start with a cup 'o Joe, right?

Be it Folgers, Maxwell House, Kirkland, or whatever, I enjoyed this!

There were lot's of choices on the menu, I started looking over the specials.

Since I sat right across the window, I could see the breakfasts coming out. Some looked pretty hefty and I really wasn't in a position to head back to the motel for a nap. I did want to have a couple of items and I knew what to order when I saw the special.

So, I got the "Fisherman's Breakfast", nicely priced at $9.99.

With not too much of anything, I could try the biscuits and gravy. The gravy wasn't too salty or greasy, the texture was on the lighter side of things, but it wasn't bad. The egg was perfectly easy over, the yolk having no off flavors. The breakfast potatoes nice and crisp on the exterior, the breakfast sausage routine. This was good enough to bring back memories of old school – diner breakfasts I'd had in my younger days.

It wasn't too much and actually was better than I had thought it would be. No wonder the place is so popular! There were about 8 people waiting in line as I left.

Silver Lake Resort Cafe
6957 Hwy 158
June Lake, CA 93529

As I walked back to the boat ramp I could hear the whistling of air being released…..as I figured, it was the Missus deflating Her paddle board. I had perfect timing! Once squared away, the Missus told me "it's too early, we need to do something else before lunch, and you need to burn off your breakfast!" Luckily, I had something in mind. We headed north on the 158 loop, then turned north on the 395 to Lee Vining. From there we headed west on Tioga Road, which was somewhat familiar to us as we had driven here when we visited Yosemite in 2021. Tioga Road heads to the Tioga Pass entrance to the park. We wouldn't be driving quite that far. We took a right onto Saddleback Lake Road and eventually after driving a bit on a dirt road found some parking and the trailhead to Gardisky Lake.

I believe I mentioned before how the Missus enjoys Her non-switchback straight up and down trails. Well, according to Alltrails, this was but a 1.8 mile out and back, but with a 750 foot elevation gain.