Home Sweet Home Cafe (revisit) (Escondido)

mmm-yoso!!! is being written by Cathy today; Kirk and His Missus are vacationing.

The last time I wrote about Home Sweet Home Cafe was 2019-BC (before Covid-19).   Time for an update, because this oddly located Breakfast-Lunch mainstay has survived (for more than 20 years). 254A0335-A93B-4EFB-9B04-B8D0E4B117D3In the midst of a very industrial area of West Escondido, this nondescript restaurant storefront is open only for breakfast and lunch.  Parking is in front and along the side of the building.
1696DA64-BA79-4384-B63A-7214808A931D Many customers are 'regulars'. 
1F17DF77-E83B-45B7-9C0E-6326E305EA5A1F17DF77-E83B-45B7-9C0E-6326E305EA5A1F17DF77-E83B-45B7-9C0E-6326E305EA5A1F17DF77-E83B-45B7-9C0E-6326E305EA5A1F17DF77-E83B-45B7-9C0E-6326E305EA5A1F17DF77-E83B-45B7-9C0E-6326E305EA5A1F17DF77-E83B-45B7-9C0E-6326E305EA5A The menu is served all day. 
254A0335-A93B-4EFB-9B04-B8D0E4B117D3 586457D7-5230-4D3F-AD58-9135DDED1010
AB76CA8F-D769-4F32-8D46-98CD6BF1E9EA My usual order is a ham and egg sandwich ($12) on rye, made with a good amount of juicy, non-salty ham steak.  The plate comes with a choice of potato.  The home fries are excellent, can be made with or without bell peppers and/or onion.  Optional home made gravy on the potatoes ($2.50) is worth it- it is bacon gravy (not sausage); a wonderful version.
254A0335-A93B-4EFB-9B04-B8D0E4B117D3 F9D64BDE-7715-470E-9F75-0BA9FFA8905B The Eggs Benedict ($12.50) are made with perfectly poached eggs and plenty of ham on top of a toasted English muffin, covered in a home made, lightly lemony hollandaise- (we asked for added spinach on this day).  Instead of potato on the side, a request for corned beef hash was accommodated ($2.50).  A good quality canned hash and fried to a nice crisp. 
82ABA8E0-A192-4190-BEE2-75A58D174469 On another visit, The Mister ordered the corned beef hash and eggs ($12) substituting homemade corned beef ($1)- it's just corned beef!  A wonderful, lighter carb breakfast.  (The hash browns were nicely crisped, the over easy eggs were perfect and even the sourdough toast is a better/nice sour quality).

One day, I'll do a lunch post. Soo was here in 2021 and had a burger, among other items.

Home Sweet Home Cafe  662Enterprise Street Escondido, CA 9202 (760) 743-2233 Open Mon-Fri 5-2, Sat 5-1 Sun 7-1
39C5EDD9-AB45-487D-B86D-14819E643FB9 The Christmas tree is decorated seasonally and there are small gifts (one per child) underneath always.  A fond, old fashioned memory.

Smokin’ Joe’s Soul Food Weekends at the Poseidon Project – A Quick Look

I had to make a quick run to Siesel's last week. At that time finding parking was just horrible and I managed to find a spot several blocks away from the shop. While walking back to the car I noticed a huge set-up in back of the Poseidon Project.

Smokin Joes 02 Smokin Joes 01   I went in and chatted with the nice folks at Poseidon and they told me that they were starting BBQ on weekends starting on the 5th of August, running from Fridays to Sundays.

Sure enough, I drove past the place yesterday and saw the signs up.

The BBQ is being done by the folks from Smokin' Joe's BBQ. If I recall, these were the folks doing BBQ in at Iowa Meat Farms a while back.

Since I'm all for more variety in our area, I decided to drop on in and get some takeout.

The drill is; you order from the friendly folks here, get a receipt, pay inside Poseidon, and return back with a ticket and pick up your order.

Before ordering, I asked what style of BBQ this was…especially since the menu had Pork Ribs, Beef Ribs, Tri-Tip, Sausage, and Brisket on it. Having worked and travelled thru some of the south during an earlier life, I was quickly educated on the BBQ of different regions. The guys working looked surprised when I asked, but quickly replied, "Mississippi style".

So, at least for me, unless it's Mississippi Smoked Pot Roast (it's really good, try it if you have a chance) it's basically pork products. I was tempted with pulled pork, but really was craving some ribs and rib tips, which is what I got. Speaking of what I got; the meal also gets you three sides…..aaah, the good 'ole "meat n' three" in spirit.

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And also some (rather mediocre) corn bread.

Smokin Joes 04 Smokin Joes 05  The rib and tips both had a very nice, deep, distinctive smoke ring and a decent, almost "crisp" if uneven bark.

The amount of run used on the baby backs made it really salty, though strangely, the amount on the rib tips were perfect. 

The rib tips were very tender, moist, with the porky flavor shining thru and was my favorite. If the baby backs weren't as salty; they would have been quite good as the meat came off the bone perfectly.

The sauce was on the sweeter side; though the spicy version had a good amount of spice. I really didn't use any of it for my ribs/tips.

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As for the sides. Well, I had wanted Black Eyed Peas but they were out.

My favorite item was usually one of my least favorite' the Breen Beans. Can you tell why?

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Yep, that's fatty pork parts in the beans. It added some good flavor. Also, as you can tell, unlike many versions the beans aren't overcooked and are tender, but still somewhat firm. I'm not a fan of mushy green beans….mushy peas maybe, but not green beans.

I thought the texture of the collard greens, usually one of my favorite items was good.

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But this was much too salty and acidic. I also like a nice touch of smokiness in my collards which this lacked; perhaps it was shrouded by all that salt?

The Mac and Cheese was like one giant lump and not my favorite.

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Still, not a bad start. And I'll try them out a again in a couple of weeks. It's a nice addition to the neighborhood and I hope they stick around. I enjoyed the BBQ from Joe's much more than other places that had opened (then closed in the area). It might be a good option if you're grabbing a cold one from Harland or Poseidon; or just looking for a picnic at Mission Bay across the freeway.

And sometimes, because I'm getting and such….these type of posts bring back blogging memories.

And also is a reminder that I need to start using the 'ol smoker again.

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Anyway, if you check out Smokin' Joe's, let me know what you think.

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Smokin' Joe's Soul Food Weekends at The Poseidon Project
4126 Napier St
San Diego, CA 92110
Every other weekend (Fri – Sun) starting on August 5th

Roadtrip (2022) – Ragamuffin Coffee (Oxnard), Ojai Certified Farmers Market (Ojai), Olive Hill Farm, and Lunch at Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Cafe (Los Olivos)

Whew, ever sine we got back from Ojai, the Missus has been wanting the amazing produce we got from the Ojai Certified Farmers Market. In addition, there was a place I'd been eyeing out to try in Santa Barbara county. So, we planned a overnight road trip to hit up some favorites, old and new, then grab dinner, and as it would turn out lunch from what is a new favorite of ours.

We first drove up to Ventura County and stopped at a place I've posted on twice before; Ragamuffin Coffee.

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I needed a caffeine boost for all the driving and the Missus wanted some natural process beans.

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Just what I needed.

Ragamuffin Coffee Roasters
550 Collection Blvd. (In the Annex Food Hall)
Oxnard, CA 93036

Next up a quick drive up to Ojai to the Farmer's Market.

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We got three baskets of tomatoes from this stand…..last time we chowed it all down before we left town!

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More broccolini.

And some eggs…..which are so good.

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The Missus eyed some nectarines from this stand.

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And ended up buying a half dozen….

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And She's already has me planning our next trip up!

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Ojai Certified Farmers Market
300 E Matilija St.
Ojai, CA 93023

I then made the 90 minutes drive to Los Olivos. We'd be having dinner and spending the evening in Los Alamos (California, not NM) and our room wouldn't be ready for a while; so I thought a stop in Los Olivos would be nice.

We stopped in at our favorite Olive Oil stop during our last visit here Olive Hill Farm.

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We did a light tasting and the wonderful, no-nonsense young lady working was amazing with spot on flavor profiles.

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We ended up getting a bottle of the Lucca.

Olive Hill Farm
2901 Grand Ave
Los Olivos, CA 93441

I'm thinking that we have a pretty large collection of Olive Oil right now…maybe I should do a tasting post. What do you think?

It was around time for lunch, so we took a look at a couple of places. Unfortunately, even thought the Fess Parking Inn is still there.

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The restaurant we enjoyed in the Inn, the Bear and Star has been replaced.

So, we took a look across the street and decided to have lunch at the Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Cafe.

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Along with the outdoor dining, there was a wind shop, bar, and restaurant.

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The Missus had seen a salad being brought to one of the tables when we walked pass, which is how we decided on this place.

It was the Grilled Romaine Wedge.

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I will often grill romaine or cabbage these days which the Missus enjoys, so this was a no-brainer for Her. She enjoyed the bacon and gorgonzola, and the salad wasn't over-dressed.

I looked over the daily specials menu. It was pretty hot, so I decided to order a bowl of the Japanese Cucumber Gazpacho.

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While I would have preferred this a bit smoother with more of the vegetal "chorophyllic" cucumber flavors, it was quite refreshing with a clean finish.

I also ordered the Zucchini Sticks.

IMG_0252  IMG_0259 While some of the pieces of zucchini were under cooked and too hard for my taste, there were a couple that were nice and creamy. These were nicely seasoned and not overly salty.

This was a decent lunch, though nothing special; the staff was quite busy, but were professional and doing their best.

Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Cafe
2879 Grand Ave.
Los Olivos, CA 93441

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IMG_0258 IMG_0261  As we strolled on over to our car, the Missus and I remarked about how much we enjoyed the vibe of Los Olivos. We just wished there were better accommodations (like under $400/night) and perhaps a nice destination restaurant.

It was a nice visit though….and it had been almost five years since we were last here!

We got back to the car and headed off…..Los Alamos beckoned.

Paragon Deli Cafe (Point Loma)

Paragon Deli Cafe closed in September 2024.  It is very much missed.

mmm-yoso!!! will be written by Cathy over this Independence Day weekend; Kirk is doing things with His Missus.

It was three years ago when Kirk first posted about Paragon Deli Cafe.   I had commented about something on the menu.
4EB1F681-8E60-4F4A-9655-CAAA30C789A5Recently, I had a craving for tomato stuffed with tuna salad, an old fashioned menu item rarely seen (and very missed), I checked out the menu at Paragon.067FF715-67C7-40A0-BD53-A9157846B07B  12D849CC-9DE9-4430-82E6-76C76D3AACB3 First, it was great to see they were still in business.  Second- the tuna stuffed tomato ($10.95) was still on the menu!7E9F9554-A11C-4290-874C-6211F0ECBBA8 A wonderful, refreshing, flavor filled version of this simple diner classic.  Served on top of a bed of lettuce with a house made dressing, this is a great lunch.
F7353EF9-0187-46D2-A70A-E37674BC962DThere is a chalkboard next to the cash register.53CE95F7-1063-4103-9335-BA4A6155D463 A bowl ($5.75) of the Soup du Jour (from scratch mushroom)
6C86AD6A-F552-4296-9016-7407272CF7BD as well as a cup ($5) (vegetarian pea) were enjoyed on visits.  The 'everyday' soups (tomato basil and chicken noodle) are priced $4 and $5.25.
7E9F9554-A11C-4290-874C-6211F0ECBBA8D658C09F-13EB-4AE0-9D43-8D5C8F188BD2 Of course, we wanted to try the Portuguese Francesinha ($15.95), which Kirk had written about in his post.  Wow! Linguica, ham, roast beef, cheese, topped with a runny fried egg and sauce covering it all-including the fries.  The sauce-you can taste the beer as well as the whiskey.  Magical and it makes me understand why Kirk craved (then raved) about this wonderful sandwich.

You will notice on the menu the namesake Pacific Paragon Sandwich ($12.95), which originated at Marston's Tea Room.  Marston's was a downtown San Diego Department Store before being sold to The Broadway in 1961.  This sandwich won a 1960 American Restaurant Magazine award for "Best Sandwich".

16FACFFA-BE49-4724-94E1-297B681C147019CFE281-384C-411F-9018-564035E438B4 Fresh roast turkey (as in roasted here, today), crispy thick quality bacon, shredded lettuce, house made Blue cheese dressing (excellent) served open faced on rye.  This- THIS sandwich is fancy as well as wonderful. 201A21DB-CF2E-47BD-B495-BE836362E1FE A similar item (in that there are crossover ingredients) is the California Cobb Salad ($12.95).  Freshly roasted turkey (remarkably good), bacon, crumbled blue cheese, avocado, tomato and pickled egg.
C5F6BE27-4295-48E6-9328-9DBDE43CC978C5F6BE27-4295-48E6-9328-9DBDE43CC978C5F6BE27-4295-48E6-9328-9DBDE43CC978 There is quite an interest in eggs here; deviled egg dishes are used in the refrigerator and there is a collection on the wall above the kitchen.  

Speaking of eggs, Paragon opens at 7 a.m., so there is breakfast.2A282A78-6238-4417-83B9-B5CDC129B8AA
486CD16F-6710-4A69-B379-1FC9E64825B8 The Croque Madame ($13.95) is made with French ham, gruyere and a house made béchamel.  Very tasty and filling.  

2A282A78-6238-4417-83B9-B5CDC129B8AA6AEE7D6F-493B-4B5A-829B-4E327AF57E65 The Eggs Benedict ($12.95) served on an English muffin with ham and a very proper (unbroken) Hollandaise along with fruit and a hash brown patty is also filling and flavorful. 

Paragon Deli Cafe serves quality food and has the friendliest people working here; most are family. 

Paragon Deli Cafe 2724 Shelter Island Drive San Diego 92106 (619) 888-4997 Website Open Mon-Sat 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Closed Sunday

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Speaking of Department store restaurants, you might remember this post  or this post or this one, this one or even this different type of Department store with a restaurant inside.

Roadtrip (During Covid) – Dinner at Kai and Caffeine Fix From WhereUBean Coffee (Phoenix)

We could have easily just headed home upon leaving Sedona, but I had one more overnight stop in mind. On this road trip, I had decided to bookend our travels with some more upscale meals. On the way to Zion we stopped in Las Vegas for dinner at Partage. On the way back home, I decided we should spend a night at the Sheraton at Wild Horse Pass and have dinner at Kai Restaurant, the only AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five Star restaurant in Arizona. Beyond those accolades, I was fascinated by the menu which is described as having "distinct interpretations of Native American cuisine using fresh local ingredients for elevated dining." I thought it would be a nice end to our road trip.

Upon checking in to this rather posh resort, we relaxed in our room.

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We had a nice view. 

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We got ready for dinner and left our room a bit early to do some shopping in the gift shop before heading off to the restaurant. With Covid measures in place, it seemed like reservations were staggered and until one third way through our meal, we were the only folks dining. The service, while discreet is definitely professional and polished; the Servers all knew our names, crumbs cleared off the table between every course, silverware changed, and still, the service wasn't hovering and did not feel stuffy in the least.

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The decor is low-keyed, the walls festooned with the craft and artwork of the Pima and Maricopa Tribes and each menu has distinct artwork featured on it as well. I was told that the watercolor on my menu was of the Maricopa Butterfly Dance.

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The meal is tasting menu only, with several choices for the "Birth", "Beginning", "The Journey", and the "Afterlife". We decided to share a wine pairing with dinner.

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The Amuse was a very nice Sablefish wrapped in Basil Flower. The Olive Oil served with the bread was outstanding and we were told it was from Queen Creek Olive Mill.

As always, the Missus and I shared our course which would give us tastes of a good range of items.

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The Escargot with Wild Mushroom was an interesting mix of textures, the truffle crema added some decadent touches to the dish. There was a bit more sweetness then I expected in this dish from the black garlic, bread, and the caramel goat cheese.

We both loved the "Pee-Posh Garden".

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While it might have seemed to be a bit much when reading the ingredients on the menu, it was a symphony of textures and flavors, from the fermented white asparagus, to the crunchy and mildly sweet pecan "soil", to the pickled beets, nutty-sweet sunchoke puree, and buttery confit potatoes.

IMG_1401 IMG_1399  I'm sure you know if foie gras is on the menu, we'd be ordering it, even with a $20 supplement. The fois gras was nicely seared, the interior nice and smooth, rich, earthy, though the roasted and compressed apple was perhaps a bit on the sweeter end of the spectrum for us.

The Pork Cheek and Crisp Belly was nice and "swiney". Perfectly done; the Anasazi Bean adding a nice, sweet-earthiness to the dish.

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The mains…ummm "Journey" were prepared well, if a bit on the "standard" side.

The "Kachk", black cod with fennel puree was cooked well, nice and creamy. We appreciated the fact that the fennel puree did not overwhelm the dish.

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This could have used a bit more aggressive seasoning in our opinion.

Kai's signature dish is the Grilled Tenderloin of Tribal Buffalo was cooked to a perfect medium rare.

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It is of course buffalo….thus a bit on the "toothsome" side. A bit milder in flavor than what I expected, the corn puree and saguaro syrup made this a bit sweeter than I like as well.

The cheese plate was quite routine.

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Dessert was served with some fanfare…..

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Both desserts were outstanding and not overly sweet.

The Chocolate and Queen Creek Olives.

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The Mousse "stones" where wonderful, so decadent and creamy inside, with the "hidden" olive cake adding a touch of savoriness, and the lemon foam had just enough cirtus-acidity for the dish.

The Cactus Melange was also stellar.

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That Nopales and Lime sabayon was outstanding and it's really hard to describe the taste of the nopales sherbet.

We loved the parting gift.

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Definitely not a inexpensive dinner at almost $600 with tip.

Kai
5594 W Wild Horse Pass Blvd. (At the Sheraton Grand At Wild Horse Pass)
Phoenix, AZ 85226

After dinner we took a stroll around the property.

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The next morning we headed home; stopping for coffee and a light breakfast at WhereUBean Coffee.

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Nice, relaxed coffee stop; really friendly staff. When I grabbed a Earl Grey cake for the Missus, the guy working pointed me to the "Happy Little Accident" discounted slice….he must've known how much I paid for dinner the previous night!

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The Missus got a pour over and I an Americano….

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And soon enough we were on our way.

WhereUBean Coffee
4804 E Chandler Blvd.
Phoenix, AZ 85048

It had been a fun road trip:

Starting with our first visit to Las Vegas in over 8 years.

And then to Zion, Angels Landing, and a Ghost Town.

Moving on to Mystery and Monument Valleys.

And I even got to do my best Forrest Gump impression and "Stand on a Corner".

We even got our "selfie" moment at a sandstone arch.

Thanks for coming along!

Circling Back to Main Chick Hot Chicken (Clairemont) and Golden City

I often say that I would not still be posting if not for all the folks who comment of our posts. The same can be said for all the great emails and recommendations I get. There’s a whole group of folks who don’t comment on our posts, but are thoughtful enough to send me emails with recommendations, observations, and really great comments. One of these folks is “ChrisR” who often has some pretty interesting and sometimes funny observations and recommendations. I look forward to his emails.

Hailing from the Big Island, Chris will often have the most interesting “Subject Lines” to his emails. Here are two of them and my subsequent revisits to those places. Main Ch 01

“The last pretty good food bargain in San Diego?”

Actually, ChrisR was the reason that I visited Main Chick in the first place….I’m not one to follow fads and at that time it seemed that all these Hot Chicken shops were popping up everywhere. Having had some good Hot Chicken in Nashville during my consulting days; all of these shops fell short. Main Chick was no exception.

But, moving away from the Hot Chicken Sandwich; Chris had this to say about Main Chick:

But there is still one bargain left: The leg-thigh quarter at Main Chick

Very juicy. Comes with the same spicy aioli as the dark meat sandwich. Gotten it several times in recent months.

Well, this location of Hot Chicken is less than three miles from our house, so why not try it out, right?

The young lady working was a joy and I liked that they have outdoor seating. I ordered it “Spicy” this time, instead of “Supreme” like I did last time. My heat tolerance has gone down in my old age…..

I was asked if I needed a “fork and knife”? Huh? This is still chicken, right? And I raised up my left hand and said “fork”; then my right saying “knife”. The young lady cracked up. I did pay a small price for this as I will note later on.

I sat outside and opened my container and I have to say; in contrast to what I’d had before; chicken with burnt spots on it and such, this looked quite nice.

Main Ch 02_02  Main Ch 04 Turning things over was a different story as it was pretty greasy. The meat was very moist, tender, and it had that flavor of dark meat chicken that I prefer. The batter was quite crunchy but the seasoning dust is pretty gritty, though quite spicy; but there’s a lack of other flavors….at Hatties, I remember the chicken being very spicy, but it still had some smokiness, most likely from Paprika and even a hint of garlic tones.

Maybe I just need to order this with no spice next time? Though I recall the “naked version” being quite bland.

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But, at least it was moist and tender. And at $5.75, Chris is right, these days it’s a bargain.

And the chicken had the last laugh as I had a nice thrill when I removed my contact lenses that evening.

Main Chick Hot Chicken (In Clairemont Town Square)
4705 Clairemont Dr.
San Diego, CA 92117

Subject: Did Golden City hire a chef from Royal Mandarin?

**** Golden City has closed

Whoa, let’s talk about how to get my attention!

While I waited, a waitress (one who in the good old days automatically brought me a fork for years despite my never using it) brought out salt-and-pepper chicken wings twice that looked crisp and dry and had a good portion size for $13.

So the next weekend, I got the wings. I have had them two more times since.

As good as the Royal Mandarin, IMO“.

Okay! Sold!

GC TO 01

I went and did a takeout order from Golden City. To cover myself, I also ordered the Kwai Fei Chicken, which has been a favorite of mine for years.

It did smell quite good in the car, better than a “new car fragrance” for sure. And I made the fifteen minute drive back to the office wondering if the wings would be looking like this:

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Opening things up, the wings looked like this.

GC TO 02  GC TO 03  Unfortunately, the batter of the wings didn’t hold up well, much of it getting a bit mushy and flaking off. So, if you’re ordering this, it’s probably in your best interest to eat them ASAP….maybe even in the parking lot! Lot’s of burnt garlic which was on the bitter side, though I enjoyed the spice. The flesh of the wings were nice and moist.

And to be perfectly honest; these were light years better than what I’d had from Golden City years back. So it does look like the wings have improved over time.

GC TO 04

On a sad note; it seems like the Kwai Fei Chicken has gone downhill as well.

GC TO 05 GC TO 07  The chicken really just tasted boiled lacking in the mild hints of anise-wine and devoid of any salt or mild ginger tones….just plain bland. The sauce provided had brown specks in it and tasted a bit rancid and off. The chicken while cooked nicely, just didn’t taste right.

GC TO 08

Man, what a bummer……where do I get my Kwai Fei Chicken from now? Maybe I need to revisit Eastern Dynasty?

Golden City Restaurant
5375 Kearny Villa Rd.
San Diego, CA 92123

Regardless of my opinions, I want to make it clear that I really enjoy and treasure these emails. It gets me “out there” checking things out and keeps it “fresh”. It’s always fun hearing from all of you and I’m flattered that you would think of me when you have an interesting or enjoyable meal.

Thanks again ChrisR!

Roadtrip (During Covid) – Forrest Gump Point, Meteor Crater & Barringer Space Museum, Standing on the Corner….., and Lunch at the Turquoise Room (Winslow, AZ)

We had really enjoyed our tour of Mystery and Monument Valley. After returning to the hotel we went back to the gift shop and then went for a walk around the hotel a bit.

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There were some really great views from the patio of the closed (because of Covid) restaurant.

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Man, it was pretty……

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I noticed a sign and well, wouldn't you know it…..

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Not wanting to drive, we just had packaged food for dinner. 

And of course we awoke very early for the "show"…….

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Man, this never gets old…..

We had some nuts and bars for breakfast before heading out. Our next stop was Sedona; but instead of heading South, I headed Northeast on the 163. Why? Well, this was going to be my "fun day". There were a couple of novel, perhaps obscure, and just plain fun stops. A couple of miles south of Mexican Hat is this little stop.

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Beautiful scenery isn't it? But I had a reason for stopping here. This is Forrest Gump Point. Recognize it from the movie? This is where Forrest Gump, after 3 years, 2 months, 14 days, and 16 hours decided it was time to stop running.

Heck, I just "needed" to stop here……

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Cue up Running on Empty by Jackson Browne! 

It's a pretty popular stop.

After a couple of photos we turned around and headed back to Kayenta for one more stop….this time at the Burger King. No, it wasn't to eat, though I did get a Diet Coke. This Burger King was established in 1986 by Richard Mike, whose father was a Navajo Code Talker in World War II. This BK features a Navajo Code Talker Exhibit.

IMG_1252  IMG_1256 An important part of our history that wasn't even revealed until 1968! 

If you're ever in the area please stop by.

Burger King
Highway 160
Kayenta, AZ 86033

From here I headed down the 160 to the 89. Driving thru Flagstaff I went East on I-40. Not the way to Sedona you say? Well, you'd be right. There were a couple of places I had on my "list" and thought this short detour would be fun.

The first I'd read about and thought that perhaps it might be a tourist trap of sorts. 

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I think folks often mistake this for a state or national type. Depending on your interests, you may or may not enjoy it here. And it's $25 a pop for admission.

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There's some nice displays, a movie, and also a 40 minute rim tour if you're so inclined.

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For us…well, it was about the giant crater……

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A big hole in the ground. More about the crater here.

Meteor Crater & Barringer Space Museum
Interstate 40 Exit 233
Winslow, AZ 86047

Now the next stop got me quite excited. Depending on your age….well, I'm in the demographic that remembers a certain song. And of course that line:

"Well, I'm a-standing on a corner
In Winslow, Arizona
Such a fine sight to see
It's a girl, my Lord
In a flat-bed Ford
Slowin' down to take a look at me"

Speaking of Jackson Browne and all that.

So our next stop?

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Yep, we drove into Winslow, Arizona, parked and strolled to Standin' on the Corner Park. And it was indeed a fine sight to see….heck there was even a mural of a girl in a Flat Bed Ford! 

And a Flat Bed Ford parked at the corner as well.

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Yes, it's corny, cheesy, cliché, but if you're of a certain age, you'll remember that. And I'm of that age and even the Missus enjoyed this stop.

We saw folks taking photos and selfies. I even went and took a photo of this woman and her pooch….on the corner….in Winslow, Arizona. A fine sight indeed.

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Unlike most of the other folks; who just got back into their vehicle after taking their photo, we strolled around town a bit; after all, this is part of historic Route 66.

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There was a place I'd read about in Winslow; a hotel that was once a prize jewel and destination during the golden age of train travel, when Fred Harvey and the architect Mary Colter, whom I've mentioned before built a hotel named La Posada which has been restored to it's former grandeur.

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We walked on over, strolled around a bit and decided to have lunch in the hotel's restaurant, the Turquoise Room.

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It's a beautiful space.

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We were quickly seated, the folks working were warm, friendly, and still very professional.

We placed our order and soon some complimentary cornbread arrived.

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I ordered the Arizona Grown Vegas Salad Bowl….yes, you read that right. All that National Park Food and "stuffs" had me craving veggies…….yes, it doesn't happen often….

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Lovely quinoa (when do you recall me typing that out before?), corn, crisp kale, refreshing jicama…..this really hit the spot.

The Missus really got a winner with the Lamb Posole.

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Man, this was so good! Just gamy enough, wonderful lamb flavors; the hominy was cooked perfectly, a hint of spice, a wonderful comforting dish!

One of our favorite meals of the trip. If we're ever back in the area, we'll definitely return here.

Who knew…Winslow….

Turquoise Room (in the La Posada Hotel)
303 E 2nd St.
Winslow, AZ 86047

It was just enough food for lunch.

As we headed out of town, the Missus started up Spotify……and you knew which song She started with, right?

All together now:

"Well, I'm a-running down the road
Tryin' to loosen my load……"

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Take it easy everyone!

Roadtrip (During Covid) – Mystery Valley, Monument Valley, and Lunch at Goulding’s Stagecoach Dining Room

On our full day in Monument Valley we had gotten a private tour. Since Monument Valley  is on Navajo land, the only "real" way to visit is to hire a Navajo Guide. I had also wanted to see Mystery Valley as well. So, I booked a private all day tour with 3 Sister Navajo Guided Tours. Based on our short hike the day before and the amazing sunrise; I just knew it would be money well spent. And it was. Our guide Amory was raised in Mystery Valley, he clarified a lot of things for us, one thing we learned quickly is that the Navajo call themselves Dine', which means "the People". Amory also passed on things he learned from his grandmother and was a great guide.

There was just so much information, so much to learn, that if I ever return, I'm going to take notes. As it is; I'll mostly share photos with you all.

There were two reasons I really wanted to visit Mystery Valley, which is still inhabited….we passed farms raising livestock along the way. I really wanted to see the various arches and the Anasazi ruins.

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We were taken in a four wheel ; a must for a tour like this.

That's the Square House Arch above, which was the first stop. Which then led to one of the places I really wanted to see; the vehicle maneuvers along some fairly slick rocks, we stop and Amory walks us into a small valley and points up.

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This is known as the Square House Ruins.

A closer look.

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During the tour Amory told us what he learned from elders and his grandmother. Seeing these ruins high up, we are often told that the Anasazi used ladders to get to these dwellings.

Amory was quick to point out the walls of the canyon.

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He told us that that over time floods had eroded the soil away and pointed out former soil levels. So ladders weren't necessary at that time.

He also asked us to take a look around to see if we noticed anything…….and then pointed out the petroglyphs…..

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And then pottery shards…..

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Which we had totally missed! We'd be paying more careful attention for the rest of the trip!

It seemed that every turn yielded another arch – this is called the Honeymoon Arch – see how it meets in the middle?

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This is the Stout Arch.

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This is the Baby House Ruins.

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The House of Many Hands.

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See the hand prints?

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It was just plain amazing.

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Soon, it was time for a lunch break. Amory took us back to the hotel.

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And we got in the car and drove into Utah and over to Goulding's Lodge, which was once upon a time really the only place to stay near Monument Valley. Since the restaurant in the View Hotel was closed due to Covid, the only other real option for us was Goulding's Stagecoach Dining Room.

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It pretty much a diner…..and service was a such

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The Missus got the Turkey Soup with Fry Bread.

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Fairly bland and dry turkey meat. 

I got the Navajo Taco.

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This fry bread was kinda "doughy" and not as crisp as the version at Amigo Cafe. Sour cream and generic salsa, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, and chili con carne…….

Very generic, simple food for the masses.

Goulding's Stagecoach Dining Room
1000 Gouldings Trading Post Rd.
Oljato-Monument Valley, UT 84536

Walking out of the restaurant we ran into this friendly fella'.

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I went to the car and got him a treat; which he quickly gobbled up. We had finished lunch fairly quickly, so we went to check out the gift shop. Guess who was waiting by our car when we got out of the shop? It was great "valet service"!

Goulding's has quite a history and Harry Goulding is credited with bringing Hollywood to Monument Valley

The original Trading Post is now a museum.

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And of course the star of many of those movies needs no introduction….

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And when She Wore a Yellow Ribbon was filmed in Monument Valley, structures on the grounds of Goulding's were used in the movie.

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We headed back to the View and met back up with Amory and then headed into Monument Valley.

First stop was John Ford Point.

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Which was one of Director John Ford's favorite filming points.

It's got quite a view!

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Because we had a guide, we were able to get off the main road and thru various gates; getting some wonderful views.

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That's the "3 Sisters" above.

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And there are arches here as well. That's the Mocassin Arch above.

IMG_1215  IMG_4658 While looking at my photos, I noticed that they really don't do scalar justice to the arches. So, take a look at the photo of the Big Hogan Arch above and then for a reference point take a look at the photo to the right.

And all of the arches and rock formations have names!

It can be quite overwhelming!

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The last two stops where mainly for taking photos!

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And it was so easy to compose some pretty nice photos……

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Which made this an unforgettable day!

Thanks for stopping by!

Wolf in the Woods Revisited

Before we left on our last trip the Missus wanted to have a nice dinner out. Going thru our recent "quick visits" it ended up being between Black Radish and Wolf in the Woods….and Black Radish just seemed to be priced too high…heck, we ate at a Michelin Bib Gourmet listed restaurant in Paris for much less than Black Radish. And WitW starts service at 4pm with outdoor seating, so I ended up making reservations there.

And because we had dinner early, there was actually parking in front of the restaurant and we were the only customers when we arrived.

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Our service was just as good this time around. The Missus made sure to ask for a stemmed wine glass as we remembered getting served wine in tumblers. The tables are a bit on the "cozy" side, but since we're used to eating in Europe, the tiny tables really don't bother us too much.

As we'll often do; we made a meal out of just appetizers and we stuck with the one item the Missus loved on our previous visit and tried three "new" items.

Starting with the Calamari ($14). We don't often order fried calamari since it tends to be hard and chewy; but this was light and crisp.

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The red pepper flakes was a nice addition….the sliced fried padron peppers and the overly strong sauce were really not necessary. We'd definitely have this again.

The Sweet Corn and Pinon Soup ($14) was just as good as on our last visit.

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Lovely, great, not overly sweet maize flavor; loved the smoky-mildly spicy Hatch Pepper powder and the pine nuts just added a nice layer of flavor to the dish.

Next up; the Yellowtail Aqua Chile ($19).

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The hamachi was of good quality; quite buttery in texture. I prefer my aguachile to have nice acidic-citrus tones and this was on the weak side. The avocados did well in this dish and the slices of serrano added a much needed punch to the dish.

We finished things off with the Maize and Hen of the Woods Mushroom ($17).

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This was a pretty good dish. I wish it had more earthy mushroom flavor. As it was, the polenta and shaved Pecorino ruled the dish.  The addition of Marscapone made the polenta very creamy. Like I said pretty good; though I would have liked more mushroom.

This was a enjoyable meal overall. I do wish Wolf in the Woods was in my "neck of the woods" as we'd be having a nice dinner of appetizers every couple of weeks.

Wolf in the Woods
1920 Fort Stockton Dr.
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 234-2597
Hours:
Tues – Thurs 4pm – 9pm
Fri – Sat 4pm – 930pm
Closed Sun – Mon

 

Tom’s Famous Family Restaurant #23 (Escondido) (revisit)

Today, mmm-yoso!!! has another post about food for you to read.  It's written by Cathy, since Kirk is still on vacation. 

I wrote about Tom's #23 last November and some things here are pretty much the same, but some changes have occurred.4C329104-D03B-4A62-8C86-2F87D81AB8C3 Walk up, order, pay…and you are asked where you will be sitting- the table numbers are tall and visible from the cash register; you aren't handed one to put on your table.  Why?994F16C1-90A5-4852-97F6-4E0E24B8C9BE Because your food will be delivered to your table by Tomcat!

A8CBC287-BC95-4AD7-A1EF-80EE30A6B89B  DEDDD3A9-EF32-4623-9187-D6FA26C4D7C6 The Mister ordered a chicken fried steak breakfast ($10.99), with home fries and over easy eggs.  Beautiful, orange-yolked eggs.  Perfectly crispy fried steak, wonderful sausage gravy, crispy. skin-on potato chunks. FC5503AD-8D5C-4AFD-91A3-BB560412D5EE Instead of toasted bread, He chose French toast ($1.99) Eggy, crisp with a fluffy interior.  Really nice. 

A8CBC287-BC95-4AD7-A1EF-80EE30A6B89B I decided on a breakfast sandwich with ham on rye toast ($5.49).  I nice, thick slice of ham with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise along with the folded egg omelet.

Good food and a fun time. 

Tom's Famous Family Restaurant #23, 505 West 5th Avenue (at Centre City Parkway) Escondido 92025 Open daily 6 a.m.-10 p.m. Breakfast served all day

CB31A466-5A3C-4360-936B-773830D59937 Tomcat talks to you, politely (even says "goodbye") and knows when all of your order has been removed from the shelves.