Bakery – Page 5

Sunday Sandwiches – Revisits to Barrio Donas (Clairemont) and San Diego Bakery & Cafe

January 14, 2024 mmm-yoso Bakery, Mexican Restaurants, Sandwiches

A couple of breakfast sandwich revisits lie ahead…..

San Diego Bakery & Cafe:

I've been back to San Diego Bakery & Cafe a couple of times since my post. Finding a decent, not overly expensive breakfast spot in Linda Vista/Convoy isn't the easiest thing to do these days. I mean, you could go ahead and spend $9-$12 for what I consider to be a mediocre Banh Mi. But heck, I'd rather spend $5 for a light, tasty Breakfast Bolillo.

Sd Bakery Rev 01

And I believe I found my favorite in the Huevo con Tosino ($4.99).

Sd Bakery Rev 02

Nothing fancy mind you. A nice airy, light, and yeasty bolillo.

Queso and bits of bacon mixed into eggs. Some jalapenos to "surprise" your palate, and frijoles. It is a fairly messy sandwich.

Sd Bakery Rev 03

Definitely not a hefty breakfast, but it's perfect for me. I do wish the beans were spread a bit more evenly, but I'm not going to complain for five bucks.

Sd Bakery Rev 04

San Diego Bakery & Café
6959 Linda Vista Rd.
San Diego, CA 92111

Barrio Donas (Clairemont):

My visits to SD Bakery had me wondering how Barrio Donas was doing. I had noticed changes during my last two visits. But that was back in 2021…..my goodness how time flies. I decided to return on a recent weekend morning.

Barrio D Rev 01

Barrio D Rev 02

I was surprised to see that the place wasn't overly busy.

Barrio D Rev 03

It was my intention to order the Preparado which was still nicely prices at $5.50; but of course, I got distracted and ordered the "Prepa Pig" ($7.50), which came with Ham, Chorizo, and Bacon.

Barrio D Rev 04

The bread was a cheesy-spicy roll. Like I mentioned in my previous post; the bread here is more dense these days and a lot fancier.

Barrio D Rev 05

It's a fairly refined sandwich; not a big fan of mozzarella on this as I prefer a cheese with a bit more milkiness. Loved the beans which were spread evenly on the roll. Would have enjoyed perhaps a bit more bacon to add some saltiness to the sandwich. Still, not bad at all.

As I said earlier, what's made here is much more refined than what SD Bakery does.

Barrio Donas
4714 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117

In the end; it's good to have choices. For a simple, rustic, lighter breakfast sandwich, I'll take SD Bakery. For something more refined and heavier, it's Barrio Donas.

Paris – Bercy Village, Kodawari Ramen Tsukiji Revisited, and Takumi Patisserie

January 6, 2024 mmm-yoso Bakery, Desserts, France, Japanese Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

It was a winter Sunday morning in Paris and after my morning croissants we had to decide what to do for the day. We had already spent nearly two weeks in Paris and the Missus was getting fidgety and really needed different stuff to do each day. So, I thought that Paris might be pretty crowded on this day, so why not head out to Bercy Village, formerly wine storehouses the area was converted into a "shopping village" in 2001. It was just a 15 minute metro ride from Chatelet to Cour Saint-Émilion. Plus, we'd never really visited the 12th Arrondissement.

It was an easy walk to the Village.

It was a nice paved, pedestrian street. Surprisingly quiet for a Saturday morning.

We'd arrived just before most of the shops opened, at about 945. And just strolled up and down the courtyard. The Missus explored some shops, but didn't find anything of interest. There were quite a few chains represented; Sephora, Five Guys, Nicholas, etc. I'm thinking this must be nice for locals, but it was not very interesting for us. Except for a few things.

There is a really nice park right across the street from the mall and we really enjoyed our walk there.

Then we decided to head on back. While on the metro, the Missus decided that She wanted the ramen from Kodawari Tsukiji again. The Pyramides stop was just one further from Chatelet.

The shop still had open seats in this most interesting seafood market themed ramen shop….

Not being too hungry, we got the Sea Bream Tatare.

Loved the shiso in this dish as it added a nice palate cleansing mintiness to the dish. The fish was tender; the rice a bit mushy, but the beany-sweet miso and shiso tones carried the dish.

Like on our previous visit; we got the Sea Bream Paitan Ramen.

And any doubts about the Missus having truly enjoying this on our previous visit was erased as She loved it just as before. Maybe She is ready to have niboshi ramen again on our next visit to Japan! The broth as a bit richer this time around, the noodles slippery with a nice chew. As you can see, that tamago was perfect and still warm….you know my pet peeve regarding cold eggs. The sea bream was tender and we finished the entire bowl…again.

Looks like the Missus has Her favorite ramen spot in Paris now!

Kodawari Ramen Tsukiji
12 Rue de Richelieu
75001 Paris, France

The Missus wanted something for Her "tea time" and I thought that perhaps getting some Japanese Cheesecake might fit the bill. It would also be interesting to see how that measured up in Paris. And since we were in the area of the city dubbed "Little Tokyo", I thought it might be fun. I had a place named Takumi Patisserie on my list which was close by on Rue des Pyramides, so we headed on over.

There's quite a selection here. The young man working was really friendly as well.

The Missus inquired about the cheesecakes and then decided upon Her "test". She asked about how "jiggly" the cheesecake was. Apparently, the young man was ready for this as he brought out a cheesecake and proceeded to show us how it jiggled like a true Japanese cheesecake. The Missus was sold. So we bought one. And when it became le goûter (tea time) the cheesecake was presented.

So, this was bit sweeter and more dense than what is preferred for Japanese Cheesecake. It wasn't bad. And…….when I tried to wiggle it around; it didn't do the "jiggle". Hmmmm. To this day, the Missus and I joke about seeing that jiggling demonstration at the shop. We think they have a "stunt cheesecake" on hand to show folks!

Takumi Patisserie
29 Rue des Pyramides
75001 Paris, France

Sunday Sandwiches – San Diego Bakery & Cafe

December 10, 2023 mmm-yoso Bakery, Mexican Restaurants, Sandwiches

Back at the end of last year, I noticed a new business near the corner of Linda Vista and Ulric.

San Diego Bakery 01

Yes, this was once the location of BaLe, then Farm Market and Sandwiches, then Pho Tommy. You know, one of those locations that seems to turn over every couple of years (or less). Initially, I thought it was simply a Mexican Bakery and just kinda left it at that. But, as the months passed I noticed taco trucks in the parking lot and the ever expanding signage.

So, just before we left for our last international trip in October, I decided to just head on over and check the place out. Walking to the shop, I noticed the opening hours. The place opens at 530am Tuesdays thru Fridays and 6am during the weekend!

San Diego Bakery 02

The rather cavernous space is pretty large, especially for just a bakery.

San Diego Bakery 02b

Well, like that classic informercial saying goes; "but wait, there's more!"

Yes, to one side is a case of bakery items and a case of various cakes for sale.

San Diego Bakery 03

And there is a coffee stand, but I've never seen it open…..

San Diego Bakery 09

But what really got my attention was the "menu".

San Diego Bakery 04

And there were items less than $5!

I decided to get one of the Breakfast Bolillos; the Mexicana which was $4.99. What was quite interesting and refreshing to note that when I paid by credit card I did not get a "tip" prompt! So, of course I left a tip…in cash. Also of note, I looked at my receipt and it said "La Princesita Bakery". I asked the nice woman working who told me that the place had the same owners as the La Princesita trailer, Which by the way, I noticed as I left. It is in the parking lot and now painted pink!

San Diego Bakery 05 San Diego Bakery 06 It did seem like my sandwich was sticking "its tongue out at me"……perhaps mocking me? To use a single word to describe this would be "light". From the slightly crusty, yeasty-airy bolillo to the filling. Other than a good amount of heat from the jalapenos this was quite light. In my mind, it could have used a bit more salt (when was the last time I wrote that?), tomatoes, and onions. Still, it was a decent breakfast and the price was right.

On my way out, I decided to get something for the Missus.

San Diego Bakery 07

And I decided to get Her a slice of the tres leches cake.

San Diego Bakery 08

She thought this was not bad, if a bit on the sweeter side.

A couple of weeks ago, I was in the area fairly early in the morning, so I decided to drop by. This time I got the Preparados Mixto which was also priced at $4.99.

San Diego Bakery 10 San Diego Bakery 11 This came on a by-the-book, yeasty telera roll. The chorizo was nice and smoky, with a hint of spice. The jamon was a rather thin slice and was made irrelevant by the chorizo. The gooey cheese was the glue (no pun intended) that added a slight milky flavor to things. There was a bit of jalapeno for some zip, but I could have used more beans on this. I think I'll have the papas con chorizo version of this next time.

And with those two visits I was going to do my post. But then I wondered how the most expensive sandwich, the $10.49 Torta Milanesa was. So, I decided to head on over and did a takeout order. This was an interesting visit as my sandwich took 20 minutes. Perhaps they weren't ready to make this at 930 in the morning.

San Diego Bakery 13

This was a fairly hefty sandwich. I didn't care for the milanesa as it was very tough. I enjoyed the amount of onions and jalapenos, though I would have appreciated more beans.

San Diego Bakery 14

Of course, I couldn't help but compare what I've had here with Barrio Donas. Personally, I think the actual sandwich in terms of composition and proportion is better at BD. Though on my last two visits to Barrio Donas it seemed that the telera had changed and based on that I prefer the bread here. So, I guess this means I need to get back to BD.

As for San Diego Bakery, I'm glad I finally visited and will keep on stopping by when I want a five dollar breakfast sandwich.

San Diego Bakery 15

San Diego Bakery & Café
6959 Linda Vista Rd.
San Diego, CA 92111
Current Hours – The Bakery only. The taco trucks and such are open during the evening.
Tues – Fri 530am – 5pm
Sat – Sun 6am – 5pm

Strasbourg – Exploring, Lamian Restaurant, and L’Atelier 116

November 29, 2023 mmm-yoso Alsace, Bakery, Chinese Restaurants, Croissants, Desserts, Festivals & Events, France, Niu Rou Mian, Travel

One of the great things about being in Europe during the last of November until the end of the year are the Christmas Markets. We had really enjoyed the Christmas Markets in Strasbourg when we visited several years earlier. And the Missus just couldn't keep still for the two weeks we were in Paris, so I decided to book two nights in Strasbourg. It's less than a two hour train ride from Gare de l'Est. Because this was a rather last minute decision, I wasn't able to book anything on Grande Île. Instead, we stayed at the Hotel Tandem, which was quite comfortable right next to the train station.

It's quite convenient and just a short walk (or you take the tram) to the Grande Île. That first evening, we just wandered the Christmas Markets, which brought back wonderful memories and ate at the market. I'll do an out-of-sequence post on that when we get closer to Christmas.

The next morning, we had a light breakfast and coffee at the hotel and decided to do a bit of exploring. During our previous visit, we hadn't spent much time in the area known as "Petit France", a neighborhood which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, with lovely cobblestone streets and half timbered houses. You might be thinking "wait, but this is France, right?" Well, Alsace is right on the border of France and Germany and thus, has changed hands many times. The area named Petit France is not named after it's nationality, but as I mentioned in an earlier post:

"the name "Petit France" is not named for its architecture, but because of a 16th century hospital that treated "zum Franzosel" (the French disease), aka syphilis while still a free city in the Holy Roman Empire. Apparently, the citizens of Strasbourg believed the disease was the fault of the French. Basically, the idea was to isolate those with the disease in a structure in this district."

There was one structure we saw on our earlier trip that we didn't visit. On the River Ill stands the Barrage Vauban a dam and bridge.

That passageway on the bridge is the Passage Georges Frankhauser. There's a terrace and crossing above the passage with what looked like a nice view so we decided to cross into Petit France that way.

What I hadn't read was about the passage itself.

Lining the passageway were gates that almost looked like jail cells. And within the "cells" were various sculptures and castings.

And the view from the roof was quite nice.

From here we crossed the Ponts Couverts.

And we were in Petit France…..

Love the charming houses and streets……

And the canals…..

If we hadn't already done it on our previous visit, we would have taken the canal tour.

We wandered thru more Christmas Markets.

Before ending up at Place Gutenberg and familiar territory…..

We grabbed a light lunch at one of the Christmas Markets and headed on back to the room. We took the ever popular Grand'Rue back to the Canal du Faux-Rempart to get back to the hotel.

Along the way, we passed a Boulangerie I had on my "list". The Missus wanted to get something to have with Her afternoon tea, so we stopped in.

Man, the place was super busy, but the line moved quickly and the Missus got Her treats.

She enjoyed these and we decided to head on back for some croissant and coffee before catching our train the next morning.

L'Atelier 116
116 Grand'Rue
67000 Strasbourg, France

We relaxed then once the sun set, headed on out to check out the markets and lights…..

Soon enough, it was time for dinner. The Missus had already had Her fill of Alsatian Christmas Market cuisine and because our trip was made at the last minute, I wasn't able to make reservations at any of the places I as interested in.

So, we decided on……well, Chinese of course! There was a noodle soup shop I had on my "list" and while the Missus was highly suspicious of my choice She went along. The shop was also along Rue du Fossé-des-Tanneurs, on the way back from Place Kléber. The name; Lamian.

The place was pretty busy when we arrived, but there was no wait for a table. There was one of the chefs working the "lamian" action for all to see.

So yes, they made their own hand pulled noodles here. Of course, we had to order that.

We started with a nice cold beer and some Cacahuetes au Vinaigre Pimente (3,5€/$3.75US), basically boiled peanuts with vinegar and chilies.

As for our noodle soup, we got the Soupe de Nouilles au Boeuf Braise – Legerement Pimente (14,9€/$16.35US), basically Beef Noodle Soup, slightly spicy.

No, this wasn't cheap, but the meat, while being a tad more chewy than I prefer was quite beefy, the broth had a nice beefiness, was decently rich, with good five-spice tones, not overly salty, with a mild spice to it.

The noodles, were slippery and stretchy and quite good as well.

The boiled egg was overcooked, the yolk hard and dry.

We got the Canard Laque (5,5€/$6 US) – literally translated to "Peking Duck". This was not quite Beijing Kaoya, but the skin was fairly crisp, the flesh on the dry side, but the flavoring wasn't too bad.

And for the equivalent of six bucks US, this was perfectly fine. The version of "duck sauce" was terrible though.

We also ordered some Jiaozi, the Raviolis au Bouef et Celeri (5,5€/$6 US).

The dumplings were quite large; the wrappers too brittle and chewy. The filling for the jiaozi were very beefy, with nice celeri tones, seasoned quite well, but quite tough. We were surprised that the black vinegar-soy dipping sauce was not half bad. This was our least favorite dish of the meal.

Half the fun was watching all the customers; about one-fourth were Asian, the rest were not. We got a kick watching the woman on the table next to us eat Her noodle dish. She used a fork to twirl the noodles, like you'd do with Italian pasta. She was really enjoying her meal and seemed to relish her Tsingtao! She ordered a second one, but wasn't able to finish. And at the end, she went and made sure to take some photos of the noodle maker.

Adorable! We had fun watching French folks eating Asian food on this trip; whether it was Jiaozi, Ramen, A Sando, Sichuan, hot pot, or yes, Niu Rou Mian, they seemed up for it!

There was quite a line when we left.

IMG_4624a

After all, what better on a chilly winter evening but some noodle soup, right? Even in Strasbourg.

Lamian Restaurant
20 Rue du Fossé-des-Tanneurs
67000 Strasbourg, France

We headed back to the hotel and had a nice night of sleep. The next day, we awoke our train back to Paris wasn't scheduled to leave until 1044, so we headed back to L'Atelier 116 to get some espresso and a croissant Au Buerre.

The croissant was nothing to write home about; the exterior was decently flaky, but it needed more butter and was too doughy.

As we were enjoying ourselves, an interesting thing happened, the Missus heard someone call Her name! Oh my, it was one of Her coworkers! She was visiting Strasbourg with her parents to check out the Christmas Markets. The woman's parents were so much fun; they had just come from….well, Paris of course! And loved France. We had such a great time talking to them that we had to force ourselves to leave in time to check out and catch our train. Such a fun coincidence; running into the Missus's coworker and her parents, at a random Boulangerie….in Strasbourg!

Life is amazing, huh?

Thanks for stopping by!

Secret Sister – The Missus’s Current Favorite Sourdough

November 18, 2023 mmm-yoso Bakery

The one great thing we loved at Mabel's Gone Fishing was the Sourdough Bread. If you read this blog regularly, you'll know that ever since the Missus had the sourdough at Boulenc in Oaxaca, it had been a regular item in our kitchen. After trying a few places, we had settled on Con Pane, which became a regular part of my "six stop Saturday mornings." The young lady working at Mabel's told us that they get their bread from Secret Sister, which along with the wine bar and restaurant The Rose, makes up the company's trio of businesses.

So, of course, soon enough I was assigned to get the sourdough from Secret Sister. I actually headed down to the bakery in South Park in the restored Rose Grocery Building at the end of errands on one Saturday and struck out. I then went one afternoon during the week and struck out again, though I did get a baguette, which was too hard and chewy. I was given some good intel from the "secret sister" on duty. They will usually run out of sourdough by noon from Thursdays onward and often by 2pm earlier in the week.

So, I headed over on a Sunday, found parking, and walked on over.

Secret Sister 01

I had gotten to the shop around 9 in the morning.

Secret Sister 01b

And they had a couple of loaves left.

Secret Sister 02

And even though the price gave me pause – $8.50……

Secret Sister 03

The loaf is huge! They sliced it for me and the rest is history. I've gone back 4 times since. I actually wasn't going to do a post on this, but I felt guilty about keeping a "secret" from my "sisters" (and brothers…). So, I actually took a photo of the most recent loaf. I had Thursday off, so I got this in the morning.

Secret Sister 04

Like I said; the loaf is huge. My only petty complaint is that on occasion; like on this visit, the crust is a bit over baked and on the hard side. But considering that this is a "country style" sourdough, we expect a bit of a thicker crust and that we usually toast (though we've been enjoying it untoasted with Duck Rillette and Beurre de Baratte (Butter from Normandy)) this is kind of a moot point.

I'm not sure you noticed it in my photo, but the menu board indicates that the starter for the sourdough is 152 years old! I keep forgetting to ask about that. Though I did read that it was from "a local family" in this post.

Secret Sister 05

Anyway, the bread is yeasty, with a nice sour-tanginess. It is fluffy and lacks that "chewiness" that so many bread products in San Diego have.

It's the Missus's current favorite, She's the sourdough bread lover in the family. Other than the baguette, I haven't tried anything else on the menu. I'll do a post if I do.

The folks working at Secret Sister have always been quite nice, even when they are faced with a line.

Secret Sister
2215 30th St.
San Diego, CA 92104

Usually, there's not much parking near the shop, so I end up parking a couple of blocks down near South Bark Dog Wash or on Dale, Hawthorn, or Grape. It's a nice walk.

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Secret Sister 09

Paris – Kodawari Ramen Tsukiji

November 17, 2023 mmm-yoso Bakery, France, Japanese Restaurants, Paris, France, Ramen, Sandwiches, Travel

Even though we had quite a bit of walking during the day, we decided to head back out toward the 1st and 2nd Arrondissement for a nice evening walk.

Heading West on Rue Reamur, then up Saint-Denis an interesting and "colorful" area.

I've posted on some of the interesting characters in this neighborhood, the former red-light district that is becoming more gentrified with every visit.

Walking thru Passage Choiseul yet again.

The Missus exclaimed how distances in Paris were seemingly a lot shorter these days……

There was one church we had been wanting to check out in the area; Église Saint-Roch.

We had walked by many times; but had never gone in. We decided to pop on in for a look.

The church itself was built between 1653, when Louis XIV laid the first stone, completed in 1740.

Within its walls hung works of the most renowned artists of the day. Of course, the French Revolution was right around the corner and the church was looted and sacked. In fact, the famous French writer Denis Diderot was entombed at Saint Roch. When the church was looted, his grave was sacked and his corpse was left on the church floor. And his final resting spot is not known.

It's quite an impressive church! We should have visited earlier.

We decided it was time to get some dinner so we headed out. We could see the Ferris Wheel from the Tuileries Christmas Market down the street.

Things did seem much "closer" in Paris these days…..

As for dinner; well, the Missus thought some ramen would be nice on a chilly winter night. There was a ramen shop I'd been wanting to try since I first read the story of a retired French Air Force pilot who opened a ramen shop because of his love of of the dish. Jean-Baptiste Meusnier first opened Kodawari Ramen (Yokochō) in the 6th Arrondissement. The restaurant's theme was a "Yokochō" a food alley. Since we were in the 2nd, we headed to Kodawari's second location, Kodawari Ramen Tsukiji, which is based on…yes, Tsukiji. We arrived at a fairly early dinner time, so the restaurant, while busy, did not have a queue.

The interior was festooned with boxes of fish and fish market themed items stacked everywhere, the floor had even been wet to give it a real fish market feel….lucky for us, the "seafood" in the boxes weren't real nor was there the "parfum de poisson" lingering in the air. It was pretty tight quarters in the restaurant.

Of course I needed to start with a "biru".

By the time we placed our order there was a line outside of the restaurant. So we had some good timing.

Looking over the menu, I knew this was going to be an interesting meal. Based on the theme of the restaurant; this location of Kodawari featured a broth that was based on sea bream and chicken. Now, I wasn't sure how the Missus would handle that; but this would turn out to be the Missus's favorite ramen in Paris!

There are some nice appetizers on the menu, we ordered 3 apps along with the Sea Bream Paitan Ramen.

The "Sardine Shelter" was savory, umami-land.

A bit smoky, briny, good oil, rich lardo.

The Missus loved the Sea Bream Carpaccio.

The fish was fresh and firm; the grilling added a nice smokiness, the miso sauce added a layer of savory.

The Sea Bream Tartare was refreshing, with a clean flavor.

The sauce had a nice savory-slightly sweet miso and the shiso really did a nice job refreshing the palate.

As for the ramen; well, I ordered the Sea Bream Paitan Ramen. Based on previous experiences with similar versions of ramen; I wasn't sure the Missus would like this.

I was wrong; the Missus loved this. The broth was rich enough to nicely coat the tongue; the chicken flavors weren't overly strong and there was a nice balance with the flavors from the bones of the sea bream that were simmered for 5 hours. The shio tare wasn't overly salty and the sea bream was so very tender and moist. The Pata Negra Chashu was quite porky f on the more chewy side. The chili paste was totally unnecessary as this was packed with umami. The tamago was decently cooked and marinated and was warm. The noodles, made inhouse were nice and firm, with a good chew.

The Missus loved the broth.

I was worried when we got here that it was all kitsch and concept over substance, but I gotta say, Kodawari Tsukiji went past the over-the-top setting.

Look at the line outside as we left!

So yes, it was a fun setting, but the food was quite satisfying and by the Missus' request, we'd return later during our stay.

Kodawari Ramen Tsukiji
12 Rue de Richelieu
75001 Paris, France

Bellies warm and full, we enjoyed the walk back to the apartment.

Needless to say, we slept well.

To give us a nice break, I had made reservations to stay in Strasbourg, so we could once again enjoy the wonderful Christmas Markets in the city. It's only a hour and forty-five minute train ride to Strasbourg, but of course, I needed to do the very French thing and get us some sustenance for the ride. On one of my earlier visit to Boulangerie Pezeril I noticed the group of police getting sandwiches from the shop….so heck, if they are getting food from there…..

Our train left Gare l'Est right on time at 1255 and we enjoyed our lunch and desserts on the train.

Boulangerie Pezeril
183 Rue du Temple
75003 Paris, France

And we were looking forward to two fun nights in Strasbourg!

Stay Tuned!

CroBean Cafe and Bakery (Alpine)

November 8, 2023 Cathy Bakery, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for, once again, stopping to read mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about food. Cathy is still writing posts while Kirk and His Missus are vacationing.

The Mister and I found ourselves in Alpine, headed East, paralleling the Interstate 8 and stopped when we saw the sandwich board and outdoor seating with umbrellas.

CroBean has been here since November 2019. It's family owned.
There are menus on the wall, we wanted to try everything.
There were many choices of fresh bread. We ended up with a basic baguette and it was very good.

There were display cases and choices all looked good. We were overwhelmed this first visit.
So, we ended up with a ham and cheese croissant (you knew it had to be a choice, right?). This was *wonderful*- layers of buttery croissant goodness; great lamination of the pastry. The ham-so much and a great quality with just the bit of saltiness necessary. The Swiss cheese was a better quality. There was a layer of béchamel, making this a hand held Croque Monsieur. This was a meal, even though we shared.

On the counter under a dome were these sort of cookie bars. The shortbread crust was made with oatmeal flour and butter…It was thick and salty and then turned delicate, crumbling when you bit it. The layer of raspberry jam was super flavorful and not sweet. The strudel topping was also buttery and sweet and really nice.

I didn't note the prices, but all the above items and a (very good) cup of coffee were about $30 with the tip.

We will return the next time we are out East.

CroBean Cafe and Bakery 2806 Alpine Blvd Alpine, CA 91901 (619) 764-8714 Open Mon-Tue 0530-1400, CLOSED Wednesday. Th-Fri 0530-1600 Sat: 0630-1600 Sun 0630-noon

ASA Bakery a Quick Look

October 2, 2023 mmm-yoso Bakery, Desserts

**** An updated post on ASA Bakery can be found here.

So, the Missus on Her forays thru social media asked me if I knew about the new Japanese Bakery that opened in the East Village. Well, I'd seen the sign for ASA Bakery while taking a walk and waiting for our takeout order from Sovereign and I'd read the post on Eater. So yes, I knew about the place being opened by the owners of BeShock Ramen, they also opened a speakeasy type establishment and a omakase only sushi bar discreetly hidden on the premises. Now, in spite of my love of croissants, I was going to wait this out a bit as I figured the opening hype machine was in full swing. But since I had a weekday off, the Missus wanted me to check the place out. So, I figured I'd at least get a croissant out of it, right? Seeing that they opened at 9, I headed on down to East Village, found some parking and arrived at 920, only to see the line. On a weekday!

Asa Bakery 01

Sigh…… You know, we love lines in Taiwan, but our experiences here….well, not so much. But I'd already found parking and had walked on over…..so I guess I was (or should have been) committed.

Asa Bakery 02 Asa Bakery 03 Well, along with lines, I found that ASA likes their signs. Like the one above that states only 3 pastries per person. Good thing I didn't promise anyone else some goodies from here right?

The line moved rather slowly, though folks seemed quite excited about the place which I took to be a good sign. The gentleman to the right in the photo seemed to be a regular because he knew the employee checking the line and they had a nice chat while waiting.

Asa Bakery 04

And more signs……

Asa Bakery 05

Wow, they open at 8 and pastries are only available until 1030. Well, according to this "sign" they had opened at 9am on this day.

Well, that's some demand I guess. Speaking of demand, the clock had nearly hit 950 when I got my turn to order and take a look at what's available!

Asa Bakery 06

Whoa…it was barely 930 and there were only four items left. On a weekday.

Asa Bakery 07

I think the back kitchen must be pretty small to only be able to make small batches; for such a large space? And sigh…..no croissants aux buerre. I ended up getting my allocated three items and walked out at 940. Check out the line as I left. I'm wondering if these folks were just getting coffee or drinks because, ahem, according to the signs other stuff wasn't available until 1130?

Asa Bakery 08

On the way to the car I did get to check out some interesting machinery on display along 14th street.

After doing a bit of "Googling", I came to find out these are "Industrial Artifacts" from the Sinclair Collection, in case you're interested.

I drove home and the Missus opened things up.

Since there were only four bakery items left, I got three. One of the items was the chocolate-macadamia "baguette".

Asa Bakery 09 Asa Bakery 10 This is baguette in name only and absolutely does not have any attributes of bread. It was hard as rock….hope you have good teeth if you get this. You basically didn't tear this; you cracked it into pieces. The chocolate was fine, not too sweet, but since whole macadamia nuts were used, the distribution was haphazard and you'd only occasionally find one.

I also got the Custard Choco Crunch and the Chocolate Danish.

Asa Bakery 11

The Missus had a bite of each, made a face and put them back in the carton. She was going to throw it away; but I told Her "I spent over forty minutes in line for this, so you're going to have to finish them." She told me to have a taste of the Chocolate Danish. The chocolate on top was fine, but the pastry was hard and dry, like cardboard. Wow. I left the carton on the dining table and it "mysteriously disappeared" a few hours later. Hmmm…….

Man, this was so disappointing. We'd been to our share of Japanese style bakeries in Japan, here in the states, and other countries as well and never had anything close to this. Perhaps there was a reason these were the only items left? Though folks before me seemed to be buying them up? Oh well, after this and our visit to Jiou Chu Dumplings, if the Missus wants to check a place out and mentions Instagram, I may just run away. As for ASA, well, unless folks tell me their croissants or if any other items here are outstanding, I'm just going to stick with Izola Bakery when I'm in the area.

ASA Cafe & Bakery
634 14th St. Suite 110
San Diego, CA 92101

(They seem to keep changing hours so I'm not going to be listing any)

Paris – Trois Croissants, Ernest & Valentin Reaumur, Boulangerie Pezeril, and Liberté Turbigo

September 24, 2023 mmm-yoso Bakery, Croissants, France, Paris, France, Travel

If you've been reading our little blog long enough, you know I've got a thing about croissants. A good croissant aux buerre is a thing of beauty to me; crisp, light, buttery….. And of course France, and especially Paris, home to over 30,000 bakeries would be the place to try them, right? Thru trying a bunch of croissants during our trips we've come up up with our favorite, which we've revisited several times. There is one interesting thing though. When I ask folks that own the apartments or work at the hotels we stay at about their favorite, they'll undoubtedly name a place within a block or two. When I mention our favorites, I'll often get an odd look. I've kinda figured things out; the French believe that a croissant, like the baguette is a birthright and with all those bakeries there's bound to be one in close proximity. I was once told that within the main arrondissements there will be one within a short walk and being a regular means that you develop a relationship with the folks in the boulangerie. The owner of our apartment told me that there were two boulangeries within a block of the flat. Well, he was wrong as there were three! One opened during our two week stay!

So, at least in terms of croissants, I decided to do the "live like a local" kinda things during our two week stay. So here goes…….

Ernest & Valentin Reaumur:

We saw this location of Ernest & Valentin, I believe there are six locations within the city limits of Paris, right when we arrived as it had a prime location on Rue Reaumur right by the stairs exiting the Arts et Métiers metro stop.

This shop was bustling, but the service was efficient and somewhat friendly.

This would be my favorite croissant aux buerre of the three I tried. It was decently crisp and flakey.

It was light and fluffy. While it could have used a bit more butter, in terms of a balance of butteriness to salt, this was the best of the three.

I would end up having this four times during my stay.

Ernest & Valentin
42 Rue Réaumur
75003 Paris, France

Boulangerie Pezeril:

A block to the East on Rue du Temple is Boulangerie Pezeril.

This was by far the busiest of the three boulangeries. There was always a line in the morning.

This place had a nice local vibe and the employees seemed to really know their regular customers.

Unfortunately, the croissant was quite over baked and hard.

While it had a decent butteriness, I didn't care for the texture. I also noticed that folks really didn't go for the croissants here. There was one good things about this visit. While paying for my croissants I noticed three police officers walk in. They knew exactly what they wanted. Each got Jambon Buerre – the ham and butter baguette sandwich. This was a great clue for me. I would end up stopping by for a sandwich to eat on the train when we did day trips. As it was pretty good.

Boulangerie Pezeril
183 Rue du Temple
75003 Paris, France

Liberté Turbigo:

One the third day of our stay I needed to head on over to the local Carrefour City and noticed that a Boulangerie was opening up.

This was to be the sixth location of the Liberté chain. A few days later they were open and I dropped by.

During my 2 visits, it seemed like the demographic skewed to the younger crowd. If I recall these were also the most expensive.

These were the largest croissants; quite substantial, but lacking in enough butter for my taste and a bit doughy as well. Still, not bad.

Liberté Turbigo
63 Rue de Turbigo
75003 Paris, France

Spending a couple of weeks in one location was fun, at least for me. And can you imagine having three bakeries all within a block of where you're staying? I was told that in Paris "there's a boulangerie on almost every corner". And, at least in this case, it seems that saying is true!

Thanks for stopping by!

Hola Paris

August 22, 2023 mmm-yoso Bakery, Breakfast/Brunch, Desserts, French Restaurants

**** Hola Paris has closed

Back in May, I was doing a morning walk around Old Town, when I walked into Old Town Urban Market mainly to see what was going on with the location of Barrio Donas that was opening there. You can read about my visit to Barrio Donas here. When I noticed that the shop opening right across from Barrio Donas had some activity going on. It was called Hola Paris, a name which harkens to some of our favorite places to travel, so of course I was interested. There was a nice couple setting things up, when I inquired about the name, the nice owner named Gabby is Mexican and her Husband who is handling the chef duties named Benjamin is from the outskirts of Paris! Thus, Hola Paris! Of course, I then cracked them up when I left saying "merci, adios, au revoir"!

The place opened a couple of weeks later. Looking at the menu, which featured pastries and crepes was perhaps not going to be our cup of tea. We had spent two weeks in Paris during our last trip to the city and one of the places we tried was the ever popular crêperie Breizh Cafe. It turns out that we didn't care for the savory crepes there.

Still, the owners of Hola Paris seemed so nice. So, I decided to check things out. I went on one quiet morning to the very "Instagrammable" looking shop in the Urban Market.

Hola Paris 01

Benjamin broke into a big smile and laughed when he saw me…….I guess he remembered me! We had a nice conversation and I mentioned I don't care for sweets much. I also mentioned that during our last stay in Paris, we tried crepes and didn't care for it. He asked where and I told him Breizh Cafe. Benjamin quickly explained that Breizh Cafe makes Bretonne style crepes, which uses buckwheat. The style made here is based on the sweeter style crepes made with wheat flour. He also pointed out, because of the Mexican touches, the several of offerings are quite savory and even have some spice.

Hola Paris 03

He recommended I try the Ham y Queso ($13), which includes jambon and queso fresco.

Upon turning, I noticed this sign, which gave me flashbacks!

Hola Paris 04

I asked him about it and was told Gabby loves Chanel! I mentioned the Cambon location….and apparently Gabby loves that location as well! Oh boy…….

Anyway, I went and had a seat and soon enough my crepe was delivered.

Hola Paris 05

The crepe was light and at first a bit too sweet for me.

Hola Paris 06

But as I tucked into it, the saltiness from the ham and the mild, rich milkiness of the queso fresco started coming to the forefront. While this was still a bit too sweet for my taste it was not bad!

I waited about a month, before revisiting. And Benjamin greeted me with a smile. In thinking about what I'd had on the previous visit, I thought that a bit of heat might really spice up things a bit. So, I decided to order the La Suiza ($14), which included tomatillo sauce and a green salsa.

Hola Paris 07 Hola Paris 09 This time the crepe was delivered with a fork and knife. I wasn't sure I'd enjoy chicken in a crepe, but it wasn't bad at all. Actually, the bite of tangy-sour heat from the sauces/salsa really made it enjoyable to my palate. The sweetness was tempered and the cheese really helped to balance out the flavors. I do think this could have used a bit more salt. And heck, even more spicy too!

Hola Paris 10 Hola Paris 11 I'm glad I tried Hola Paris. While it's not something I crave, Benjamin and Gabby are so nice and friendly. I really enjoyed chatting with Benjamin about Paris.

It'll be interesting to see what other savory items make it to the menu…and heck, I might even just have a Kir Royal here once day!

Hola Paris
2548 Congress St.
San Diego, CA 92110
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 9am – 6pm
Sat – Sun 9am – 7pm