American/New American Restaurants – Page 43

The Wrangler Family Barbecue – El Cajon

October 5, 2010 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, BBQ

**** The Wrangler Family Barbecue has closed

Late last year, I had another fun meal with our monthly "eating club". This time, Candice chose a spot she was interested in. The choice, The Wrangler Family Barbecue, located right off the I-8's El Cajon Boulevard exit. The Wrangler? I'd never heard of it! I was intrigue because Candice had been told of the place by a Professional Barbecue Judge… and I'd never heard of it? Personally, I thought some of what I had was so-so, except for one item, which I returned for in sandwich form a couple of weeks later. I didn't even bother taking a photo, as it looked pretty lonely and plain, and I snacked on it in the parking lot. Looking over, I realized I was parked next to what could possibly be the last Ford Granada still on the road……. which somehow just seemed perfect.

So now nearly a year later, on a whim, I decided to check out The Wrangler again…..

I was pretty sure that nothing would change at The Wrangler….. you see, the place has been around since 1965. And looking around the dining room, I was pretty sure that most of the customers on this day have probably been coming here since then. And that's the charm, to say that The Wrangler is "old school", from the western motif, to the wood paneling, the peg board menu, the partitioned plates, and the various animals staring at you hanging from the walls…..is an understatement.

Unlike other "old school themed" restaurants, who sells you nostalgia and not food, The Wrangler is a bit different.

Ordering is done at the front counter, it's also where you are handed your cafeteria tray of food.

Behind that counter, to tempt you lies an oak smoked hunk of beef, and the ham.

Only my initial visit to The Wrangler with my friends, I thought there were more misses than hits, but I decided to go for lucky (hopefully this time) #7 the Beef, Ham, and Rib Combo ($12.97). You get two sides and what is called (I assume very loosely) a roll and butter.

It's more like one of those par baked heat and eat buns.

Having tasted most of the sides during my first trip, I went with what I thought tasted best, the beans and coleslaw to accompany my protein-fest. The beans are serviceable, and the coleslaw is simple, but hits all the right buttons for me.

The ribs here are spareribs, and there's an honest to goodness smoke ring. Yes, the elusive (in San Diego) smoke ring. These aren't mushy, par baked or boiled baby backs that lies in, and depends on a heavily spiced sauce (which is a great spicy ketchup), flavored with, and finished over wood to give the facade of smoke (no need to name names, we know who you are). The first time, I thought the ribs were too dry, though it had a decent "bark". This time, not enough bark, but these pulled cleanly without falling to pieces and were very moist.

For something smoked with oak, I thought the overall flavor was mild as well.

I'm not a big fan of the sauce at The Wrangler.

Though it is served slightly warmed, the flavor of cloves just over-powers everything else. In this day of more highly seasoned sauces, this tastes kind of dated. Thankfully, the sauce is served appropriately on the side.

On my initial visit, I thought the beef to be tough, bland, and on the dry side.

This was confirmation.

The one item, that everyone thought was done well on our "eating club" visit, was the ham. It was what I came back for in the form of a sandwich….. a simple one, bun and bread.

There's something about this ham, resplendent in it's simplicity, which just gets to the point of what being a good ham is all about. It's not heavily cloved or glazed. It tastes, well, like good ham, and takes me back to a ham I had during a Christmas party in Columbus Georgia. The person whose home I was invited to had gone all out for the party. There was a ham smoked in his own smoker, and a first for me (this was waaay back in the mid-nineties) deep fried turkey. And as fabulous as the turkey was, it was the ham I enjoyed the most. It was wonderful between Wonder Bread the next day!

I ended up placing the slices of ham between the rolls and making my own sandwich of sorts…. and was perfectly happy.

After contemplating things a bit, I realize that The Wrangler is not a Barbecue destination, but a simple neighborhood barbecue joint, that makes an honest old school ham that I enjoy.

If you wanted to know what Candice thought about The Wrangler, you can read her article in CityBeat here.

The Wrangler Family Barbecue
901 El Cajon Blvd.
El Cajon, CA 92020

Tip Top Meats and a birthday breakfast

September 27, 2010 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, German Restaurants and Food, Markets & Grocers, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog. Just a way for you to peek at what a few people eat. Kirk and ed (from Yuma) are not blogging today. Cathy is.

Hi. Another year has passed and it has been time for the week of feasting for The Mister and me. Yes. He was born exactly a week before I was. This year, our birthdays fell on a Sunday. Our 'tradition' is that he gets to choose where he wants to eat the first three days (Sun-Mon-Tues), we have to agree where and what to eat the middle two days, and I get to choose where I want to eat the last three days. I have photos of all the meals, but will start with my birthday meal first. Because there are no rules.

I chose Tip Top Meats, in Carlsbad, just off the Interstate 5 at Palomar Airport Road. Vicky did a post with us about Tip Top and a delightful dinner more than three years ago and also explained a few things, like it is an Old Fashioned meat store.

Which also makes their own sausages.

Smokes their meats in house.

Has one whole aisle shelf of just licorice for sale.
Another aisle of beers for sale.
Right across from the two aisles of wine. There is a lot more interesting inventory stuff, even though the store seems not too large. I find all sorts of interesting, familiar and new European and Mediterranean products here in addition to all the meats. But really, just walk to the left(West) of the store from the entrance/exit doors.
Look up. There is a menu.
Follow the people waiting in line, just past the refrigerated glass case with fresh pastries and pre-made side salads is the cash register, where you order, pay, get a number and get a coffee cup, which you will fill when you walk into the open seating dining area, which I did not take a photo of because it was crazy crowded at 8:36 on a Sunday morning (The store and dining area open at 6 a.m. daily) when our number was 114.
Since it was my birthday, I did eat my breakfast pastry first. A fresh, flaky traditional(made with raisins) slice of apple strudel ($2.49) with a cup of coffee ($1.79). {On our very first date, The Mister and I went to a German restaurant in Ann Arbor and shared a piece of apple strudel for dessert.}
The Mister ordered the Steak and Eggs ($8.98)- two poached eggs, rye toast, wonderful, crispy, nicely seasoned home fried potatoes and a 6 ounce, perfectly medium-rare cooked Delmonico Steak. Yes Delmonico, which is essentially a boneless rib eye, but how that cut was referred to decades ago. (I did say it was an Old Fashioned meat store there at the start of this post…)
I got exactly what I craved- the European Continental breakfast ($7.49). I almost always order this, because the first time I did, decades ago, the meat I got was in-house made Head Cheese, which was perfect. I know some of you may not know what Head Cheese is, but I bet a lot of you would like it, especially the Tip Top version. (Head Cheese is not cheese, it is an aspic filled with sliced head meat and maybe heart and feet from a cow, calf, pig or sheep and seasoned with onion, allspice, salt and pepper). This time, as a perfect meal for my birthday, the plate came with three slices of a nutty swiss cheese, five slices of a really great Black Forest Ham and about ten slices of hard salami…all my favorites! (I always buy ham and hard salami whenever I get deli meats) Two crusty French rolls accompanied the plate. It was the start of a nice day.

Tip Top Meats 6118 Paseo Del Norte Carlsbad 92011 (760)438-2620 Open 6 a.m.-8 p.m., seven days Website

Big Boy. It’s back and unchanged.

September 7, 2010 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Burgers, What Cathy Eats!

Big Boy is closed.

mmm- yoso!!! is just a diary of food consumed and logged. Today, Cathy is logging in. ed(from Yuma) kind of can't and Kirk kind of doesn't feel like it.

I think most of us grew up at some point in time eating at a Big Boy restaurant. Bob's is the one in California, Shoney's is in the Southeastern part of the USA and in the Detroit area, it's Elias Brothers. The decor and menu at each location is essentially the same.

There is a statue of the Big Boy out in front. bob's all but disappeared from San Diego in the late 80's and one location, on the exterior of Parkway Plaza Mall in El Cajon has re-appeared.

The strangely addictive seasoned salt on every table, along with the pretty much always necessary ketchup is in place.

The Super Big Boy Combo. Two 1/4 lb juicy beef patties, two slices of cheese, shredded lettuce and that ketchup-relish mix on the two-plus sesame seeded bun. Which is toasted. And perfect. All the flavors I grew up with. The fries are well cooked, but nothing I crave. It comes with a small salad which I didn't even photograph. ($7.99)

Pappy Parker's fried chicken. It was three pieces, with sides of vegetable and this baked potato. ($9.99). Ate first, picture later. Lightly flour-breaded and fried until just crispy. Not too greasy. Both plates satisfied all the cravings I had building up inside me.

If you are in El Cajon, it's here. Unchanged.

Bob's Big Boy 937 Parkway Plaza (near WalMart) El Cajon 92020 website

Say Cheese……steaks. A comparison of cheesesteaks in San Diego – Gaglione Bros., Alex’s Brown Bag, Eddie’s Philadelphia Steaks, Hoagies, and Burgers, Pop’s Jersey Style Cheese Steaks, Olde City Grill, Giorgino’s, and The Philadelphia Sandwich Company

July 14, 2010 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Cheesesteaks, Sandwiches, yoso-silly

***You can find some additional Cheesesteak Shops in this post. And part 3 can be found here.

Whew…. talk about some major calories….. so maybe we should start at the beginning. At the end of last year, I was having my usual, at my… usual. That would be an 8" Mushroom Cheesesteak at Gaglione Bros in Point Loma.

I was sitting, enjoying a typical San Diego winter day…… 70 and sunny, eating on the patio, and feeling empathy with this guy.

Whom I believe belongs to one of the managers or owners of the place. Can you imagine, being a carnivore, and having to endure the glorious smell of animal flesh charring??? It must be pure torture, so I hope he/she gets some nice "samples" once in a while. The lab looked down at me, and with a tilt of the head seemed to tell me "you think you like this so much, why don't you do a post comparing cheesesteaks?" Now before you think that I'm headed toward wrapping "mi cabeza" in aluminum foil to prevent Aliens from outer space…. or other food bloggers from reading my thoughts, and am headed with a "ho ho hee hee ha ha to the funny farm." (Though I heard life there is beautiful all the time) Perhaps the lab didn't speak to me, maybe the idea just popped into my head…. but I thought it was a pretty good idea.

Thinking this over a bit, I decided to try to order my usual, and let's be clear, this ain't a "Philly Cheesesteak" comparison… it's basically a Mushroom Steak comparison. It's not that I haven't had the "real thing" though. Over a decade ago, the major vendor of the company I was with was headquartered in Philly. I managed to attend conferences there twice. I had made a few friends, and one of them took me down to the intersection of 9th Street and Passyunk, home of the cheesesteak icons, Pat's who claims to have invented the Philly Cheesesteak in 1933, and Geno's. My favorite cheesesteak of the trip was not from either iconic shop, but from a shop in the Reading Terminal Market called Rick's Original Philly Steaks. Unfortunately, Rick's Steaks' lease was not renewed, which caused quite a flap, and Rick left the market, but has opened elsewhere. By the way, "Rick" is the Grandson of "Pat" Pasquale Olivieri. It is the grandson of Harry Pasquale, Pat's brother who owns Pat's. And then there was the lawsuit… man, the stories themselves are more juicy than the steaks at either Pat's or Geno's. Let's not go into the Cheesesteak I had in another place in Downtown Philly, yuck. Oh, and I actually enjoyed the Roast Pork sandwich from DiNic's more than any of the cheesesteaks…. go figure.

Next question would probably be, "where's the Whiz?" Strangely enough, the faux cheese "whiz" was not invented until 1953. Before that, it was probably American cheeseor provolone. And personally, I'm not a big fan of Whiz…. and prefer the mild milkiness and texture of melted provolone. So onward to the cheesesteaks…..

The Best Cheesesteak I had: Olde City Grill

**** Olde City Grill has closed

I first read about Olde City Grill's Cheesesteaks in Captain Jack's post……

The first thing that struck me about Olde City was how the place looked really sports bar-ish, or just plain Pacific Beach bar-ish.

For some reason I didn't find this very promising with regards to a cheesesteak. But, knowing Captain Jack, whose large heart is only exceeded by his appetite, this place had to be good. You can build your own steak, but I chose the 6" "Aristocrat ($6.99). It's a mushroom steak with sharp provolone and onions…. and oh, the beef is supposed to be "American" Kobe, which is, I suppose Wagyu? Anyway on to the steak:

The roll was a true Amoroso, which has truly become a "marketing" thing. You see, Amoroso now sells their bread through such "boutique" purveyors as SYSCO and US Foods…. so much like how a somewhat unscrupulous Itamae can charge a Gaijin a super high price for sushi telling them the fish "came from Japan" (I've seen this done….in fact twice from a specific Itamae) when indeed that most "farm raised" Hamachi and other fish comes from Japan, it's exactly what all the other upper-mid, and high end sushi bars are selling. Back to the cheesesteak… at first I was a bit hesitant about all the "brown bits" on the sandwich, but I gotta say, it was delicious. The beef actually melted in, or was it just plain melted my mouth. I also didn't notice any cheese at first, until I bit into the sandwich and almost melted my tongue off. I do think that a bit more cheese wouldn't hurt this sandwich, and the roll could be a tad better toasted/heated, but you can't beat the earthy flavors of mushrooms, the beef, and onions that have been grilled to the "sweet zone". Captain Jack mentioned that perhaps the sandwich was not quite as messy as a true Philly, but this oozed onto my hands, causing the loss of several layers of derma….. This 6" was enough for me……

Olde City Grill
967 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109

The King is Dead: Alex's Brown Bag

**** Alex's Brown Bag is no longer

We've been ordering from what many of the "old guard" believe is the best Cheesesteak in San Diego, Alex's Brown Bag for years. We've cut down on our orders over the years, because even though they deliver, we've noticed some deterioration in portion size, and I've gotten more than a few dry steaks over the last two years. In fact, I've started ordering the Pizzaiola – a cheesesteak sandwich with pepperoni, but more importantly, marinara sauce (which we get on the side) which helps moisten everything. Heresy perhaps, but a guy's gotta do, what a guy's gotta do to avoid a dry cheesesteak. I did tell myself that the cheesesteak lost something (that would be moisture) in transport, and I had to eat at the shop to actually see, which is what I did.

Finding the brick and mortar Alex's can be a bit confusing……it is located in the well known Mr. A building on Banker's Hill.

Here I went with the "Philadelphia Cheesesteak"($7.75), which automatically comes with mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, and mozzarella. I'm sure you can get it with Whiz if you really wanted it.

The best part of the sandwich was that the Amoroso Roll was perfectly toasted, not too hard, not too soft. It could also be that the juices didn't saturate the bread because, well, frankly, it was pretty darn dry. The cheese was too mild for the sandwich, though it added a nice gooey stringy texture to everything.

It's sad to see King's lose their luster, though the sandwich still had a well flavored beefy "soul", for me this was like seeing a mid-seventies Elvis, fat, drug addicted, over-gorged on Peanut Butter-Banana-Bacon sandwiches trying to strut his stuff. It's hard to settle for less from the "King".

Alex's Brown Bag
2550 5TH Ave, Suite 171
San Diego, CA 92103

Long live the King: Pop's Jersey Style Steaks

**** Pop's has closed

I've often spoken to folks about the difference between the "best", and our "favorite". We have our favorites because of a combination of factors, and on the visits I did over the course of eight months, my visit to Pop's was my favorite.

And it's all because of family…. you see, on the day I visited "Junior" was running the counter, and seemed to know every customer. His brother(Tony) and "Pop" were manning the flat-top, "Mom" was in the back. I ordered my steak with mushrooms, and had a seat. Junior brought the food out to me, and asked me how I heard about Pop's… and of course, it was through another of Captain Jack's posts. Let me tell you CJ, if you still read this blog…. you're a celebrity here. Once I told him I knew you, Junior insisted on bring out Pop to talk to me. Which is how I found out that this family, the Guadagni's used to own Alex's Brown Bag!

As for the cheesesteak itself…..

There are fliers tacked up around the restaurant telling us they now use Amoroso's. I like the crust, but the bread portion was toasted a bit too hard for me. Pop had told me that he doesn't do gooey and messy steaks anymore because this is "California, and we should be healthy, and why not have the steak evolve…. like the burrito!" He produced old photos from his time at Alex's…. can you tell that I just loved this guy?

The beef here is the most highly seasoned, great pepper flavor. Pop's was worried because some folks think the steak is a bit too highly seasoned, and Pop's gets his beef shipped in from New Jersey.

Which leads me to a photo on CJ's post. I was wondering about the beef that Pop brings in, and CJ happens to have a photo of the box…… I had to laugh. Among the ingredients is Autolyzed Yeast and Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein….. great umami, which of course, we call something else. I'll still keep coming back because the beef does taste really good…. and of course there's the family!

Pop's Jersey Style Cheese Steaks
1730 Garnet Ave.
San Diego, CA 92109

My standby: Gaglione Brothers

**** This location of Gaglione Brothers has closed

There are a few changes since my original post in 2005.

There's a hot and sweet pepper bar which allows you to pep up your sandwich if you so desire.

I still usually get the 8" mushroom cheesesteak($6.95) with provolone. It's not out of this world, but satisfies my cravings. Prices have gone up a bit, but my capability to eat has gone down with regards to quantity.

It seems to me that the bread is not an Amoroso, but a reasonable facsimile. I could be wrong, but it doesn't have as much "bread" as a typical Amoroso. It is essentially moist, gooey, and beefy for me. The provolone cheese is always totally melted, and gives a faint milkiness to the entire sandwich.

And yet, feet to the fire…. it could be that the real reason I eat at Gaglione Brothers are the garlic fries….. I've never eaten here without ordering garlic fries.

The Missus actually asked to have garlic and parsley added to a sandwich here…. and they did it! Which made Her very happy……

Plus, you never know I'll run into that dog who telepathically "talks" to me!

Gaglione Brothers
3944 West Point Loma Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110

A worthy contender: Giorgino's

I had been waiting to check out Giorgino's for a while. After all they claim to make the "Best Cheesesteak in Town".

On my visit, I ordered the Mush Steak ($6.90), which came with White American Cheese, mushrooms, and onions.

To me, perhaps the best bang-for-the-buck. They use Amoroso rolls. But what really made this sandwich stand out was the pronounced garlic flavor, which I enjoyed. when the young man asked me how I liked my sandwich, I mentioned the wonderful flavor of garlic, and asked him if they use "garlic powder" which seemed to irritate him, and he replied snippily, "no… we use only fresh ingredients, it's fresh garlic." Ooops…. though it did make me wonder, if they use only fresh ingredients, it sure seemed like canned mushrooms…. but perhaps they were "fresh" canned mushrooms?

For me, the one "best" that Giorgino's has is the relaxing seating outdoors during a nice day in South Park.

It makes everything taste better…..

Giorgino's
1237 28th St
San Diego, CA 92102

It's not the Cheesesteaks that bring me back: The Philly Grill

**** The Philly Grill has closed

It's Suzanne, the Owner, who has loads of character, and can always bring a smile to my face.

Like I mentioned in this post, the reason I would return to The Philly Grill are not the Cheesesteaks, but Suzanne, and the Italian Sandwiches, which she douses with a mildly bracing balsamic dressing.

The Cheesesteaks here just don't do it for me.

The beef is decent quality, and pretty freshly cut, but there's not enough of it. The bread on my visits was from Gibaldi's and there was too much of it, too doughy, and the crust was not up to the task. The one saving grace was the addition of pickled peppers, much like Giardiniera with added some flavor to the proceedings.

The Philly Grill
2041 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92104

It could have been better: Eddie's Philadelphia Steaks, Hoagies, and Burgers

**** Eddie's has closed

I like the location on 30th street of this place. My good FOY (Friend of Yoso) Howie told me that even though he prefers Giogino's, Eddie's has slowly gotten better over time.

This converted house has a porch, and different rooms where you can have your meal. The menu itself is pretty large with everything from (of course) Cheesesteaks to Prime Choice (what is prime choice???…. is it the prime cut of choice grade meat, or a choice cut of prime grade meat) Rib Eye…. you can see it on the menu yourself here. Of course, it says "Angus Beef" which is a branded beef, but not "Certified Angus Beef" which is a special industry designation. Enough of that, I was here for a Mushroom Steak & Onions with Cheese ($7.75). I of course, ordered mine with provolone.

There were a couple of things that held this cheesesteak back in my opinion. First, the roll was ice cold and flaccid, it could have used a bit of heat or mild toasting. Second, there wasn't enough cheese to create a nice gooey texture, and not much of the milky flavor I want from provolone. The portion size was good, the beefy flavor rather mild. mushrooms sparce, but at least they weren't canned.

Eddie's Philadelphia Steaks, Hoagies, and Burgers
3501 30th Street
San Diego, CA 92104

And there was one: The Philadelphia Sandwich Company

What can I say other than I dreaded coming here. I've never gotten anything better than Tasty Kakes from here. And yet, this place has been around since 1979.

I ordered a 6" Mushroom Steak with Provolone ($5.84). And to be honest it was the most inexpensive of the cheesesteaks I ordered. That's all I'm going to say. The photos speak for themselves.

You can come to your own conclusions.

Philadelphia Sandwich Company
3904 Convoy St. Ste 112
San Diego, CA 92111

I hope you enjoyed this post on various cheesesteaks joints in San Diego. And perhaps you have a few that I missed. It did take me eight months to make these visits…..

Beyond the narrative, which are, as always based on personal preferences, perhaps you'll get out there and try a few of these places!

I hope everyone is having a great week!

Kodiak Seafood in Yuma Foothills

May 25, 2010 ed fromyuma American/New American Restaurants, Seafood, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!, Yuma

The word on the street and in the blogosphere is that Kirk is due back from somewhere overseas soon. Until then, it is Cathy (from San Diego) and, today, ed (from Yuma) posting at mmm-yoso. You are warned.

Kodiak's location is now a good Thai restaurant.

Most of Yuma (such as it is) stretches south from the Colorado River, spreading out from the streets that once funneled north/south and east/west traffic through town. In 1967, a local entrepreneur started selling extremely cheap lots 12 miles east of the city. At the time, many people thought he was a fool, but after his first million dollars, people's minds changed. The Foothills (which is what his development is called) is now a thriving but largely unincorporated part of the city of Yuma. Its population varies from 10,000 to 40,000 depending on the season, and housing out there ranges from shabby trailers that would seem to date from 1967 to some of the most exclusive residences in Yuma County. Up until recently, The Foothills has been devoid of good and interesting restaurants, but over the last few years, more worthwhile eateries have begun to appear.

A wonderful example of this is Kodiak Seafoods, a tiny restaurant (about 10 small tables) located in the shopping center anchored by Fry's grocery store on Fortuna Blvd at the freeway:
It is a no-frills restaurant with a limited menu, and fishing paraphernalia and photos covering the walls (the family fishes commercially every summer in Alaska):
We first heard of it as the "new" fish n' chips place. Indeed, the fish and chips there is excellent ($9):

The two perflectly fried filets of Alaskan cod sit atop crunchy sweet potato fries, which are (imho) the best side available at the restaurant.

On that same visit, we were able to get something not regularly available — an order of crispy fried ocean perch ($10) (here pictured with the regular french fries):
Even though this is a modest little restaurant where you order at the counter and wait for them to bring your food and water or soft drinks, it is possible to enjoy some of the finest wines in the world here. How is that? Well, you just have to bring the fine wine with you. Since this little place has no liquor license, one of the strange laws of the state of Arizona allows customers to bring their own beer or wine (and no, that is not the only strange law of the state of Arizona). So on Tina's and my most recent visit to the restaurant, we brought in a set of stemless wineglasses:

and one of our favorite local wines so that we could complement our seafood dinner with an appropriate beverage:

When I say local wine I don't mean to imply that anyone grows wine grapes in Yuma County. Miraflores winery, located in the Sierra foothills, is owned by a local Yuma physician, Dr. Victor Alvarez. While the winery is most known for its outstanding red wines (I love the Zinfandel and the Bordeaux style blend), the Pinot Grigio is quite good, with balanced pinot grigio flavors, mineral undertones, and a smooth and slightly creamy finish.

We almost always begin our dinners with a side salad ($1), which, as you can tell from the pictures below, consists of a generous helping of fresh baby greens, baby tomatoes, and some other fruit or vegetable accent:

Although the dressings are most likely store-bought, they are of good quality and complement the salads nicely.

In addition to the great wines available, the most important reason why Tina and I love to come out to this restaurant is the wonderful grilled fish. Sometimes swordfish is available:

Often they have mahi-mahi:

Just look at how moist and juicy that piece of fish is. In fact it is the chef's ability to serve flame grilled fish at exactly the right degree of doneness that makes the all the fishes here so delightful.

For example, this piece of halibut certainly looks nice with the char marks from the grill:

But the tender and moist bites of the fish are even more succulent:

The restaurant also allows the customer to choose from various seasonings (that are, I believe, crafted in house) including Caribbean jerk, Cajun, teriyaki, lemon pepper, Southwest, garlic and herb, and their favorite, Kodiak seasoning. If you look carefully at this nicely grilled piece of salmon, you can see all of the herbs and spices that go into the Kodiak flavor:

As with the halibut, you really appreciate the grill master's skill when you look at and taste each wonderful bite of the fish:

That last picture brings me to another point about this place; Kodiak Seafood keeps trying to get better. On our most recent visit, Tina and I were blown away by the new tartar sauce being served. Unlike previous versions, the new tartar sauce is flavored with a large quantity of fresh dillweed, bits of old school dill pickle, and finely diced onion. It was so good, I wish I had a picture of it for you.

The grilled fish options range between $10 and $13 and come with a starch or veggies. Chicken breast and ribeye steak are also on the menu – but I have no idea how they taste. In season, the restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday usually for dinners only. It is often closed in July and August while the family goes fishing. Call before driving all the way from downtown Yuma (or San Diego). Well worth the trip.

Kodiak Seafood Company, Foothill Fry's Shopping Center, 11274 South Fortuna Road, suite C-1, Yuma, 928-345-0433.

Zodiac. Neiman Marcus. Fine dining in Fashion Valley.

May 19, 2010 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Yes, this is mmm-yoso!!! the food blog and really, Cathy isn't the only one who blogs here, it just seems that way. Kirk is on vacation. He will be back. ed(from Yuma) is decompressing and he will blog again also. Cathy is upping it a notch today, just to keep you interested.

So anyhow, I have blogged about quite a few places which have an eating area inside a store where you shop for food…Foodland, Wholesome Choice, Bristol Farms and Harvest Ranch Market are grocery stores with small, eat in areas. Other stores where you shop for items other than food, like The Bass Pro Shop, Ikea and Nordstrom also have very nice restaurants.

Possibly, like me, you haven't really shopped in this store.
It's right here in Fashion Valley Mall in San Diego, just across the door from Nordstrom at the North side of the mall. It's kind of fancy. OK-it's really high end. Don't be afraid.

Walk in, take the escalator to the third floor. Admire the Art Installation of thousands of butterflies made of feathers, gold and silver paint and mirrors hanging from the roof to the main floor. There are other Neiman Marcus Collection paintings and sculptures sprinkled throughout the store. It's a kind of art gallery sprinkled among the various Departments. At the top of the escalator, walk straight ahead, a bit to your right. There is an open doorway, "Zodiac" is emblazoned above it. Step inside. You'll be greeted promptly. If you are carrying bags, you'll be asked if you'd like to check them. Then you'll be seated and handed your menu.

Almost immediately, an espresso size cup of perfect hot chicken consummè, sided by a fresh, small, soft cheese biscuit is placed before you. If you're female, the cloth napkin wrapping your silverware will be shaken open for you. Usually they try to match the color of the napkin with your clothing (dark or light).

You are at the Neiman Marcus restaurant.
Another clue you are at Neiman Marcus: The man with the basket of still warm crispy flaky exterior, soft layered interior popovers (popovers!) and plate of strawberry butter stops at your table and places one on the plate which was on the table when you sat down. The butter is unsalted. The strawberry -with strawberry seeds- flavor is there, not too sweet, not overpowering. You know it is butter.

Your order is taken when you are ready. There is a wine list. There is champagne. There are bottled teas.
There is hot tea, the flavor and leaves which you choose from a box filled with many types- displayed in sort of test tubes- and then the tea is prepared and brought out to you in a press pot. $4. You can have more water added if you wish. You can pretty much have anything the way you wish. Zodiac restaurant is service based, professional.
Here is a surreptitious photo of The Mister's NM Cobb salad ($16). Mixed spring greens, chicken, avocado, blue cheese, red cabbage, egg, tomato served already mixed with a warm bacon dressing. It was fresh and good, but not extraordinary. He also ordered hot coffee ($3.50), refilled constantly. It was very fresh, good and served with real cream. Of course.
The Sampler Plate ($12.50) half a chicken salad (or tuna salad or turkey) sandwich on your choice of bread, toasted or not, served with a cup of soup (either white bean or the soup of the day- in this case chili soup), kettle chips…
and a small ramekin of fruit (in this case, melon and pineapple and topped with a raspberry, blackberry and 1/4 of a strawberry). The sandwich- classic, simple chicken salad of fresh moist chicken breast and real mayonnaise, salt and white pepper. The bread is a hearty whole wheat with excellent flavor. The kettle chips are thick and crispy. The chili soup had ground beef, finely chopped onion and celery and small black beans, was soup and not chili, topped with cheddar cheese that was melty stringy in every spoonful. The fruit was amazingly flavored and ripe. Every piece.
This. The "heart couture" lemon shrimp salad. $17. Two hearts of Romaine, quinoa, Feta, asparagus and toasted almonds topped with a citrus vinaigrette, sided by two very flavorful tomatoes and accompanied by five large citrus marinated plump grilled flavorful shrimp. No way would you think it was only 460 calories. No way would you think it was part of a 'healthy' menu. If everything labeled as being healthy tasted like this, I'd eat this way all the time. Everything in this salad, including the quinoa, was wonderously flavored.

It is not inexpensive to eat here. The food and service are high quality. Your bill comes after you are finished eating. The infamous cookie is $2.50. I have not had one.

Neiman Marcus 7027 Friars Road San Diego 92108 (Fashion Valley Mall) (619)542-4450 Website-Zodiac menu near top right

GIO. Breakfast. La Mesa.

May 16, 2010 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

GIO has closed.

This is mmm-yoso!!, the food blog. Kirk isn't writing, because he is on vacation. Really. He is on another continent, visiting, photographing and eating in an exotic and beautiful country. ed(from Yuma) is in Yuma, working diligently. Cathy is in San Diego's East County, eating and blogging about it.

Hi.  The original Drew Ford was on the triangle shaped block in the Village of La Mesa, at the end of La Mesa Boulevard and Allison Street.  It has moved a few miles away, closer to the I-8 location most of you know and is now Drew Auto Center . This original building was preserved, windows and all. It has gone through many incarnations of restaurants, one I remember fondly was called "The Black Forest", which had a weeknight prime rib special (like two for $12) which was very popular and that restaurant eventually moved to the Mission Hills area of San Diego and closed.
When GIO, more or less an Wine Bar and Bistro, is open so are the windows. All of that courtyard you see in the photo is filled with tables and fountains, and makes a comfortable outdoor eating area.
When you walk in, to your left is the bar area. You can see the open window and original industrial wall that used to be part of the Drew Ford Auto Dealership…
  Just behind the counter is the espresso machine. There are about 6 indoor booths and tables to you right and then the majority of the seating is outdoors.

We were here early (9:15) on a Saturday morning a few weekends ago and were seated quickly. It took a while to have our order taken, but once that happened, coffee ($2.75. Each.) was brought out.
It was an excellent French Roast coffee. Both of our cups were refilled, twice, before our food was ready.

When the food came out, it was prepared properly and was hot. I got the "Eye Opener" ($7) . Three poached eggs, rye toast, homestyle potatoes- shredded potatoes sauteed with onions and bell peppers- not plain hash browns- and 3 slices of wonderful thick sliced applewood smoked bacon. This was served with a side of catsup and strawberry jam- a nice touch instead of tossing bottles on the table as condiments.

Here is a good cross section photo of my poached egg. All three eggs were done properly, were placed in the cup with no excess water draining and I was very pleased with my meal.

The Mister ordered a  Breakfast combo plate ($ 11 ). Three eggs, over easy, with homestyle potatoes, two very nice, skin on link sausages and… a golden Belgium waffle, served with loads of butter and warm maple syrup. The waffle batter was very nice and sweet all by itself, without the need to add the condiments.

GIO is more or less a leisurely lunch and 'date night' dinner place, offering wine tastings, happy hour prices for appetizers and good food. Service is spotty- and has been every time I have been here. It is like they don't have enough staff slated to come in at opening time.  The basic meal I ordered was a good value, but I don't think the waffle was worth the extra $4 in lieu of two slices of toast… and in general I don't usually order a beverage with meals, but in the morning I have to have coffee. It seemed kind of expensive…

GIO 8384 La Mesa Boulevard (at Allison, between 3rd and 4th) La Mesa 91941 (619) 462-9100

Website

Keith’s Restaurant – Miramar

February 6, 2010 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Diner

**** Keith's has closed

I'm pretty sure if you've driven South on the 15 freeway, you've seen the sign for Keith's.

The Missus, who loves diners just could not fend off the pull of this sign forever. So I just knew that we'd eventually be eating here.

On the day we visited Keith's we'd arrive right before what would be considered a normal dinner service. We grabbed a table, and soon enough our menus arrived.

My first thought was that the prices were a bit higher than others, but that could've just been my imagination.

The Missus who loves breakfast for dinner, or lunch, or even a midnight snack went for the two eggs combo. Now, there's just a couple of things that make a diner, well….. a diner for us. Two of them are eggs and potatoes. And though the Foodanistas will criticize something that they think it's below them….it's the potatoes(namely the usually perfectly executed SYSCO hashbrowns) that makes a place like Perry's Cafe (which we hope reopen soon). This is what arrived at our table:

The eggs were an adequate over-medium, though the toast could have been in the toaster a bit longer. The hashbrowns were a letdown. They weren't crisp enough on the exterior, I just don't think enough oil was being used. We really don't go to a diner for "healthy" hashbrowns. The strands of potatoes under the semi-crust were hard, and not good eats.

The entree I ordered started with a Macaroni Soup:

This was really just "meh" for me, but at least they used enough salt in it. The Missus enjoyed it more than I did.

Now one of the other items that makes a diner for us is gravy (and club sandwiches but that's another post). On the basis of a recommendation I ordered the Chicken Fried Steak ($11.79):

Now the steak was fairly good, it was tender and had been processed properly. The flour based coating could have used a bit of seasoning. I expected the vegetables to be mushy and bland, and they were. The fries (potatoes) were a disappointment, as fries with gravy of any kind is weakness of mine. The were the faux "natural" style fries, but were limp, dry, and bland. So on to the gravy….. how can I put this….. think of the texture of thick glue, very gummy…… it actually stood on my upside-down spoon. It also lacked flavor and was badly in need of salt. A disappointment overall.

The woman who served us was very nice…. and even tolerated the two guys who came in later and started asking question about how the mushrooms were sauteed, and stuff like that with good humor….. geeez, this was a diner, not Pampelmousse! We also noticed all the older folk who started coming in while we were living….. what does it say when one has dinner before the "blue plate special" crowd? Oh well, unless someone has a fantastic recommendation, I don't think we'll be back.

Keith's Restaurant
9449 Kearny Mesa Rd
San Diego, CA 92126

Open 24 Hours

Rudford’s Restaurant

September 17, 2009 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Diner

Rudford's has always had a strange pull on the Missus, as light does a moth. I'm not quite sure what it is about the place……

Rudford's does have one thing going for it, in a town where most everything except chain restaurants close by 10 pm, Rudford's stays open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

And having been around for sixty years does say something about staying power, though I must say that many of the customers(and smells) eating at Rudford's seem like they've been coming here since 1949.

If you look up the definition of the word "Diner" in the American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, you'd read: "A small, usually inexpensive restaurant with a long counter…..

and booths……."

Say what you will, being around so long says something about staying power…… We found the staff to be mostly really nice folks, patient with the wide range of customers, from cranky old folks, to people obviously fighting psychological demons, to drunk, post nightclub kids. We found the younger Servers to be much more flexible than the two older women, with chain smoker complexions, who called everyone "honey" in a raspy voice……. tough birds both of them. Half the fun is the atmosphere.

The food ranges from good honest fare, to stuff that harkens flashbacks to the stuff I ate in my Junior High and High School Cafeteria. As I often say, "it's a fine line between comfort and really bad food".

So for better or worse, here's a rundown of a couple of dishes we've had at Rudford's…..

The Hot Roast Beef Sandwich ($9.25):

When I requested Fries with Gravy instead of mashed potato, the young man told me "no problem", and that's what I got. Perfectly fried steak style fries smothered in brown gravy….Sysco heaven! Ever since I visited Canada back in the 90's, I've loved Poutine. The roast beef was tender, but stringy, and reminded me of cafeteria fare, but it was not inedible. There's something about old fashioned white bread soaked in gravy that I enjoy as well….

The Missus ordered the Chicken Fried Steak and Eggs:

Though the pounded beef was very tender, it was super bland. The country gravy was like eating paste. The Missus did enjoy the O'Brien potatoes, and of course She rarely meets an egg She doesn't like.

One quick thing….what is it with these places and toast? They all seem to do toast right, dry but not crumbly, a good tool for sopping up egg, or other stuff…..

On another visit, I wasn't too happy with my Turkey Club Sandwich ($7.95)…. funny thing, to the day She passed on, my Mom always called this a "Clubhouse Sandwich", never a Club Sandwich:

I appreciated the perfect smear of mayo. It's a funny thing, I eschew mayo on most sandwiches, but must have it on my Club(house). I wasn't too happy with the processed turkey and for some reason the American Cheese threw the entire sandwich off.

Lucky for me, I requested and received this for my fries (crinkle cut Sysco-fied this time):

Yes…..brown gravy. Given to me, no charge… a meal saver…..

The Missus got the Monday thru Friday 2 Eggs, Potatoes, and Toast special ($3.79):

No complaints from the Missus……

On Sunday there are two dinner/lunch specials. Like all of these type meals it starts with soup. In this case a pretty decent chicken noodle soup. Noodles kinda mushy, but okay…..

The Missus ordered the Chicken and Dumplings.

Let's just say that for us, this was an example of the worst that restaurants of this ilk put out. Bland, poorly prepared, purely created for the "dead tastebud society". Ick………

I had the Turkey Dinner, which did look kinda cafeteria-like, down to the little thingy of cranberry sauce:

But the turkey was decent, moist and tender enough. I didn't care for the stuffing, which was very mushy. And of course, I got you-know-what-with-you-know-what. Do you see a common thread????

Stay away from the cooked vegetables if you can though, unless you just had dental surgery, or perhaps forgot your dentures. The veggies were also artificially sweet…..

Remember the peas you squished between your teeth with your tongue to gross people out???? Perfect candidates here…..

On one occasion, I tried the Chili and Scrambled Eggs with potatoes and toast ($7.95):

It turned out that the Missus really enjoyed the chili….. so She ordered it on a return visit, and got a bit of "chili revenge"…… She still wants more though……

At the end of the day, the food may ride the mediocre line, but the characters(on both sides of the counter) and attitude can't be beat. I think there's a place for Rudford's, a place where you don't concern yourself with words and phrases like "non commodity", "organic", "sustainable", "free-range", or "fair trade", and for some reason I find that kinda well, refreshing…… in a retro kinda way. I'll concern myself with those other issues on another day.

To quote one of the Server's when asked for Honey-Mustard Dressing; "I can give you honey, and I can give you mustard darlin', but we can't do honey-mustard…. we're old school!"

Rudford's Restaurant
2900 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA

Open 24 hours everyday

Evening Two at Artisan: Paso Robles

August 12, 2009 ed fromyuma American/New American Restaurants, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

Almost everyone likes roadtrips. Cathy and Kirk both travel, but today ed (from Yuma) wants to tell you about a dinner he and Tina enjoyed on their roadtrip north.

Tina and I returned to Artisan on a Monday night after having thoroughly enjoyed our Sunday night dinner. In some ways, we might as well have come back a year later as most of the kitchen staff and waitstaff seemed different. Only the attentive manager and our hard working busser seemed familiar from the night before.

Even the bread that was placed in front of us was clearly different: While decent enough, these slices lacked the thick crunchy crust of the previous bread.

On this evening, we had decided to build a meal around a local red wine, a J Dusi Zinfandel ($40): The Dusi Vineyards have been growing some of the best Zinfandel grapes in the Paso Robles area for many years. These family Vineyards have supplied premium grapes for such outstanding wineries as Ridge. Today, Janell Dusi produces her own wines from the vineyards planted by her grandfather, Dante Dusi, over 60 years ago.

This bottle lived up to its pedigree, and both Tina and I thought it was superb — fruity, deeply flavorful, and incredibly smooth with spicy and earthy notes. It matched the meal well.

For her first course, Tina deecided to try a California Burrata ($13). This type of cheese, based upon Italian custom, is like a combination of fresh mozzarella and cream. It is rich and barely cheesy. In her appetizer, it had been drizzled with olive oil and dominated one side of her plate:
As you can see, it was accompanied by French bread toast, smoked almonds, microgreens, and fresh slices of both white and yellow peaches. Scrumptious and beautiful.

On the other side of her appetizer plate lay paperthin slices of salty old school prosciutto: Her appetizer touched all the bases. Creamy soft and crunchy. Sweet and salty. Rich and fruity.

I opted for the herbed meatballs ($12), which were served with ricotta gnocchi, heirloom tomato ragout, cooked nettles, and grated hard Italian cheese: This appetizer was more focused than Tina's. The herby meatballs were a delight, nicely complemented by the tomatoey ragout, the sautéed greens, and the mellow grated cheese. The gnocchi were light as cumulus clouds in a summer sky and matched perfectly with the other ingredients.

When it arrived, Tina's entrée, from one side, looked like a mushroom and vegetable stirfry: The chard, king trumpet mushrooms, and various pole beans contributed a range of flavors and textures. In particular, the beans were still crunchy and the trumpet mushrooms gave the palate a firm chewy mouth feel.

The main attraction on her plate, however, was the sliced Niman Ranch hanger steak ($26), cooked perfectly — seared but left rare in the center:
It was very tender and flavorful. The bordelaise sauce was a bit salty for my taste, but it was clearly a background note on her plate.

Her entrée was accompanied by a ramekin of what I would call scalloped potatoes, described on the menu as onoway potato gratin: As good as her entrée was, I liked mine even more: This was a pasture raised veal striploin lying on a bed of creamy rich asparagus risotto, topped with asparagus spears, hen of the woods mushrooms, Madeira sauce, gremolata (garlic/parsley oil), and pea shoots ($28) . This tasted so wonderful, that it deserves a second photo: The veal loin was, like Tina's steak, perfectly cooked. The exterior had been seared, but the flesh was still richly pink. The abundant Madeira sauce was sweeter and less salty than the bordelaise. I was blown away!

For dessert, we chose the three chocolate crèmes brûlées ($9): Under the crunchy caramelized skin, each brûlée featured a different flavor of chocolate. The one on the right was white chocolate, in the center Mexican chocolate with notes of cinnamon, and on the left deep dark rich chocolate. The last one was my favorite, but we used our spoons to scrape out every bit of creamy goodness from all of them.

Both Tina and I had thought that our second dinner could not possibly live up to the first. We were wrong.

Artisan, 1401 Park Street, Paso Robles, California 93446, 805-237-8084