Bakery – Page 8

Roadtrip (2022) – Bob’s Well Bread and Lunch at Bells (Los Alamos)

August 12, 2022 mmm-yoso Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Croissants, French Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Road Trip, Santa Barbara County, Travel

After an excellent dinner at Bell's, the Missus and I were looking forward to our return for lunch. But what to do in Los Alamos before lunch? We had pretty much seen the entire town the day before.

I thought that the Missus and I should ponder that over some caffeine and perhaps a croissant? And I had a place in mind.

At the Eastern edge of the (4 block) downtown area in a structure that was formerly a gas station resides Bob's Well Bread.

The business has quite a story. You can read it here. Bob's Well Bread has quite a following, mainly for the artisan, small batch bread made from all natural ingredients. I've heard the phrase "like European" artisan breads in several posts I saw. We wouldn't be grabbing a loaf on this trip; but since it said "Croissants" clearly in the window sign, how could I not try that?

We went in and ordered a Cortado for the Missus, a cold brew for me, and a croissant. The Missus also got several cookies as well.

We then went and had a seat sat one of the picnic tables outside.

I was expecting to have my name called, but the very nice young woman working actually brought us our coffee and croissant. How nice!

So, how did this croissant lineup? In terms of the looks department, it was beautiful; perfectly baked. It was crisp and flakey; the interior so moist and almost creamy in texture. Unfortunately it was really lacking in butteriness and since I love my croissants au buerre, this failed at the "third point". Bummer…..

The Missus did love the cookies we bought however, and I think if we're in the area we'll stop for those and perhaps a baguette.

Bob's Well Bread Bakery
550 Bell St.
Los Alamos, CA 93440

As for our plan? We decided to head on over to Solvang which is just 20 minutes away and get some cookies for the Missus's coworkers. We then took a stroll around Danish Disneyland and just chilled.

We then returned to Los Alamos, relaxed a bit, then checked out. I parked the car and we crossed the street to Bell's right at 11am.

We had requested to sit on the patio again. Same relaxed and friendly service. A lot of the Servers were wearing "Franch" t-shorts…..Bell's say they serve Fr(ench R)anch cuisine.

We looked over the tempting menu and placed an order for four dishes and then went one step father. There was a sandwich we wanted to order, but knew we wouldn't be able to finish, so we got a takeout order as well!

My two favorite dishes came out first.

The Steak Tartare ($25) was amazing. It is now my favorite version in the U.S. it was just so perfect.

Just the perfect cut, the beef was super tender, like the night before, all items were perfectly seasoned. Perfect amount of capers, and that egg yolk, oh my! This was just so clean tasting and refreshing.

I also loved the Country Pate ($18), it was tender and had just right amount of wine in it.

Nice amount of offal-ish flavor for me; the cherries didn't overwhelm anything, and the fried shallots in the pate was perfect. Was not a big fan of the baguette as it was typical hard and chewy American style. The frisee was a lovely addition to the dish.

I was shocked that the Missus ordered the Escargot ($16). While the Missus loved the Escargot in Burgundy, She had never found a version here in the States that She enjoyed.

Well, mark this as the first Escargot She liked outside of France….leave it to "Franch" to deliver. Good amount of garlic, nice balanced flavors. The menu noted that these were "wild snails" and they were much more tender than I expected. Still, that baguette……

I was also surprised that the Missus ordered the La Brujula Tinned Mussels in Escabeche ($20)!

These Spanish tinned mussels were quite good, nice and tender. We didn't care for butter and the ketchup like sauces, but the homemade saltines were wonderful.

This was wonderful meal, we actually enjoyed it more than our dinner. And we really want to do it again soon.

Bell's
406 Bell St.
Los Alamos, CA 93440
Current Hours:
Thurs – Mon 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 830pm
Closed on Tuesday – Wednesday

And as the postcript. On the lunch menu there was Braised Beef Cheek Sandwich that sounded so good. So, after consulting with our Server, we got it to go with the bearnaise aioli on the side.

It was still in fine shape after the five hour drive home. The bread, in this case a ficelle held up fine; the meat was so intensely beefy; I loved the pickled Basque peppers…..

I guess we'll need to return again soon!

Midweek Meanderings – Sunmerry, The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, and Kitakata Ramen Coming to Kearny Mesa, Palomino’s #3 and Matador Mexican Grill “Under New Management”

August 3, 2022 mmm-yoso Bakery, Chains, Greek Food, Japanese Restaurants, Ramen, Taco Shops

It's amazing what you can find during one short drive. Here's what I noticed when I went to get some groceries and lunch from Nijiya. I took the "long way"; which meant starting on Clairemont Mesa, then down Convoy, then all the way down Linda Vista to Morena.

Here's what I saw.

Sunmerry, The Great Greek, and Kitakata Ramen Coming to Kearny Mesa:

Even though I haven't done a post on Sunmerry; a bakery chain from Taiwan, it's a must stop on our road trips North and during visits to Bistro Na's. We'll also stop in at the Rowland Heights location as well. For some reason, this past week, I mentioned that Sunmerry was opening somewhere near Convoy to the Missus, so She'd be able to get Her Pineapple Cake fix locally. I was thus instructed to find out the location. Finding the location was simple using our friend……Google.

In the same strip mall as Costco Business and Target I saw three structures and this sign:

So, I got three for the price of one here.

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, a small chain out of Nevada and Sunmerry will occupy one building.

7951 Othello Ave.
San Diego, CA 92111

And Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai which according to Eater, originated in Fukushima in another.

8001 Othello Ave.
San Diego, CA 92111

Looks like I got a "three for one" here…..

Palomino's #3 "Under New Management":

I go to Nijiya so frequently that I usually just head on in and then back to my car without a glance; but today I noticed that the Taco Shop in the strip mall had a "Under New Management" sign. Which I believe means new ownership.

Cathy has done several posts on Palomino's #2, but not on this location. I last visited in the days BB ("before blogging").

3860 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

So maybe…..and no, I haven't tried Two Hands Corn Dog yet either…..

Matador Mexican Grill Reopening:

On my way back, heading down Linda Vista, I took a look at the spot that used to house Matador Mexican Grill which closed several months back and noticed they were reopening. Of course; it's under the ubiquitous "under new management".

I'd never been; though an ex-coworker of mine used to like the place.

5201 Linda Vista Rd.
San Diego, CA 92110

And under the you never know what you'll see label……

I noticed a bit of a crowd on the Convoy side of Jasmine as I stopped at the light. There were news teams and bit of a hubbub. While sitting at the light, I noticed someone holding a freeway sign. And then it became clear. I know that there was an effort to raise money for six "Convoy Asian Cultural District" signs and it looks like they've raised the money and the signs are done.

Good for them!

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Starbread Bakery (Chula Vista) Senorita Bread

July 23, 2022 Cathy Bakery, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog. Cathy is writing a short post today and might do so again tomorrow.

Starbread Bakery opened in 1988 in Vallejo, California. The small bakeshop began selling fresh made sweet treats, specializing in Señorita bread, a Filipino Spanish bread. The family owned business has grown (via franchising beginning during the Covid-19 pandemic) and a location opened in Chula Vista a few months ago. DBE88D4D-90D2-4288-B30D-4A1CCDA9A2C4 Located at the South East corner of Broadway at H Street, next to the new/current location of Aqui Es Texcoco (Kirk's most recent post was at the 'old' location).
Señorita bread is sold hot from the oven; that's why there is a short wait; it's never 'day old'…even if you take it home… DBE88D4D-90D2-4288-B30D-4A1CCDA9A2C4
3D93243F-16E3-4594-BE5D-428D00BACC71 You can buy it by the bag or the box. You really should at least buy the minimum of five pieces as long as you are in the neighborhood. Buy more to give to friends. Buy some to eat in the car while driving home. Seriously, 60¢ for one piece. A piece of happiness. Joy. Deliciousness.

This is why you are here. The Señorita bread. A sweet bread roll/pastry made with butter and sugar, sprinkled with breadcrumbs. It is simple. The simple things are the best.
88663F66-71B9-43EC-BAAB-1F5FCA60CB92

Starbread Bakery 520 Broadway (At H Street) Chula Vista, CA 91910 Open daily 6-6 (619) 500-5352

You might have noticed there are other bakery items in the glass case and on the counter. Many (sweet) baked goods are here (donuts, cupcakes, small poundcake). This is a guava jelly filled malasada ($2); delicious!

Frank’s Bakery-Gibaldi’s Italian Bread (Spring Valley)

July 3, 2022 Cathy Bakery, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! continues to be written about food and by Cathy over this Independence Day holiday weekend. Kirk is in the midst of a great vacation with His Missus.

This post is about one of the reasons I write other posts. An errand.

Since 1948. Cash Only. The signage. A simple storefront. Park in front.
B5B5AC6F-F915-417E-9CEE-BFEB60F7EF11 This is the view from the doorway.
Depending on the time of the day you arrive, or maybe just the day of the week, the shelves will be filled…or already empty.
Over to the right is a small refrigerator. I usually also pick an item from here.
The round Squaw bread ($4) is a craving that The Mister has had lately. The molasses sweetened, rye and wheat flour based bread is soft, chewy and has a thin, chewy crust, topped with oats. This size and shape allows for various uses at meals (breakfast side toast, a smaller sandwich, or several small sandwiches). It also seems to stay fresh a day or two longer than most breads. The fig cookies ($6) (from the refrigerator) are one of my favorites.
The baguette shaped Squaw bread ($3) allows for more consistent slices. The cheese Danish ($2) is soft and delicate and sweet and wonderful to share for dessert at home.
Same with the Bear Claw ($2).
The walnut cranberry bread is unsliced and the flavors are an excellent compliment to a simple ham and cheese filling. Toasted with a bit of cream cheese is a nice treat.
The pignoli Cookies ($6)-soft and chewy interior with a lightly crisp exterior are *very* almond flavored. Traditional recipe- almond paste, sugar and egg whites, topped with pine nuts, these are a special treat some weeks.
864B2F3A-4DA7-4679-B0F8-6F9731C90074 The rye bread ($4) here is an especially good version, filled with seeds and surrounded by cornmeal. I appreciate that it is already sliced.

Everything here is fresh and an adventure to try.

Frank's Bakery-Gibaldi's Italian Bread 9935 Campo Road Spring Valley 91977 (619) 296-0245 Open Sun 1-6, Mon-Fri noon-6, Sat 9:30-3:00 Website CASH ONLY!!!
4991D1C1-DF46-4CC3-9D5B-083EAF27A661 Just realized I neglected the Italian bread (also $3 or $4) it can be plain or topped with sesame seeds and is a quality White bread. The above Italian rolls also available ($4/dozen). A good size for small sandwiches or burgers.

Sunday Stuffs – Flour Atelier, YikoYiko, and K-Food & Meat Coming to Kearny Mesa. The Bum Statue and Does Okeanos “Move You”?

June 19, 2022 mmm-yoso Bakery, Exploring San Diego, Markets & Grocers, yoso-silly

Here are a couple of "coming soon" places I've seen while doing errands in Kearny Mesa:

Flour Atelier Coming to Hawthorne Crossings:

Aka, the Mitsuwa Marketplace Mall. Saw this when I went to pick some stuffs up recently.

SunS 01

Not sure why this caught my eye….probably the "Atelier" in the name.

Looks like this will be a specialty bakery.

4240 Kearny Mesa Rd.
San Diego, CA 92111

YikoYiko Coming to Mercury Village Shopping Center:

On a recent takeout visit to Sizzling Pot King, I noticed a sign for something called "YikoYiko" in Mercury Village Shopping Center (aka mall with the "Sign of Doom"), next to Chaba Thai.

SunS 02

Not quite sure what this is going to be….but it sure looks like a slice of cake or perhaps cheese?

Stay tuned!

8008 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111

K-Food & Meat Replacing Dduriba:

I saw this earlier today when driving to Nijiya to do some shopping.

SunS 03

Dduriba lasted for quite a while….I'm guessing this is a small market/deli kind of thing?

4425 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

And from the "not about food files…."

Statue of Bum the Dog:

You know me and random "stuffs", right? I think things have escalated during these Covid times, though folks have called me a "Cesspool of Useless Information" for a good many years. A couple of months back, before our last trip, the Missus wanted takeout from Sovereign Thai. I had forgotten that there was a Padres game on that evening and the only parking I could find was way over on Island, near Fourth Avenue.

Well, at least it gave me a chance to check out a statue I'd been wanting to see. In the courtyard of Davis-Horton House, is the statue of Bum the Dog, who was a stow-away on a ship that arrived in San Diego in 1886. Bum became the unofficial mascot of San Diego with his exploits documented by James Edward Friend who documented many of Bum's exploits.

Bum 01

You'll notice that part of Bum's right leg is missing. During one of his explorations he was hit by a train which severed part of his leg.

This link has Bum's story. I'm posting this right now, because there's a "Edinburgh link" to it. Look for it in an upcoming post!

Getting to the Bottom of Okeanos:

**** Warning, you may not want to read this if you are eating…or even thinking about eating right now.

An acquaintance asked me where my office was located and I mentioned the area. His response was; "oh, are you located by the turd?" The turd?

And then I remembered this post by CC (hoping we get some new posts soon CC!). I decided to perform my "doo" diligence and find out where this was. And lo' and behold, it was a couple of miles from our offices, so I decided to "drop" by on my way home. And yes, there on the corner of John Jay Hopkins Drive and General Atomic Court was the sculpture that was supposed to resemble:

"a rippling curve that seems to spew out of the earth and curl up like a wave"

You be the judge.

Okeanos 01

It was commissioned in 1987 by Scripps Green Hospital for $200k from artist William Tucker. It was then completed and put into place in front of Scripps Green. Apparently, after years of ridicule and earning the nickname the "Scripps Turd", Scripps paid another $40k to have it, ahem…"moved" to location "number two". Where it was dumped stands in "relief" today. And if you want to "grab a stool" and check it out; its on the corner of John Jay Hopkins Drive and General Atomic Court.

Where you can also find this sign….

Okeanos 02

Monday Meanderings – Da Kine’s Opening in La Mesa , Paris Sandwiches Coming to Mira Mesa, and Sau Voi Deli Closes

June 6, 2022 mmm-yoso Bakery, Banh Mi, Local Kine Stuffs in San Diego, Plate Lunch

Well, this post was supposed to go up on Saturday except that I ran into all kinds of issues with uploading photos and comment notifications. Things finally seems straightened out today. And perhaps there's a silver lining on this one….read below:

Da Kine's Opening in La Mesa:

**** This location is closed and Nelson is currently only doing catering

*** You can find a post on Da Kine's here.

2022-06-06_12-21-31

KerriK has been a wonderful "FOY", keeping me updated on what's happening with Da Kine's reopening in La Mesa.

Anyway, last Friday Kerri emailed me, letting me know that "Uncle Nelson" had updated his Facebook page informing folks that Da Kine's was (finally) (re) opening sometime this week.

That's a screenshot on the right.

So, this was all ready to go…and then I suddenly couldn't upload photos! Sheesh…..

But I guess it was fate; because Kerri, via our good old "Coconut Wireless" shot me an email this afternoon with the simple line:

"Nelson has declared tomorrow, June 7th, at 11:00am, as the opening."

So perhaps the delay was meant to be?

Thanks so much Kerri, for always thinking of us, and for all the support over the years! We appreciate it so much!

Da Kine's
7436 University Ave.
La Mesa, CA 91942

Paris Sandwiches Coming to Mira Mesa:

After picking up lunch recently at R&B, I saw the sign for Paris Sandwiches while driving back to the office. I needed to run some errands on Saturday so I went to check things out. Located next to Luong Hai Ky, now known as LHK.

The place really looked like it was open already; but a quick glance as I was passing by revealed that work is still going on.

I was wondering about the place and the name; so I followed the URL posted on the sign out front and guess what? The other address listed is for Paris Bakery on El Cajon Blvd!

I guess we know where the bread is coming from, right?

10606 Camino Ruiz
San Diego, CA 92126

Sau Voi Deli Closes:

I guess I haven't been to the Clairemont Mesa location of 99 Ranch Market for a while. On a recent shopping trip, I was shocked to see that Sau Voi Deli had closed!

And from what I could gather, they've been closed since the end of February!

Even though SVD was never a favorite of mine, it's sad to see such a long standing business shut down.

7330 Clairemont Mesa Blvd Ste 109
San Diego, CA 92111

Anyway, hope everyone is in good health.

Take care and have a great week!

Paris (2022) – It’s Labour Day (La Fête du Muguet), Café du Centre, La Maison d’Isabelle Revisited, Dinner at Les Enfants Rouges, and Motors Coffee

May 22, 2022 mmm-yoso Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Croissants, Fine Dining, France, French Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Paris, France, Travel

**** This is a pretty long post; though it does feature our favorite meal of our recent trip.

We slept well after having done a good amount of walking the previous day. While we had reservations for dinner on this evening; which I was lucky to get since our initial dinner reservations we had made were canceled just a week before our trip….I think the restaurant had forgotten that it was going to be Labour Day. And even more interesting, it was both a Sunday, when many businesses are closed anyway. But I was told that museums were going to be closed as well as most shops and restaurants; much as indicated in this blog post. On May 1st, France celebrates worker's rights and also "La Fête du Muguet" (Lilly of the Valley Day)….we saw many folks carrying little bouquets of Lily of the Valley. I read that on Labour Day, it would be fun to just go to a park and see families enjoying the day.

And so we just headed out, walking the few steps to Rue Montorgueil to find that both Café Montorgueil and Café du Centre were open. As I've mentioned before, one of our favorite things is to sit outside at a café on a street like Rue Montorgueil and watch the world go by during the day; before or after the lunch crowd and before apéro time. Over our visits I've kind of gotten the signal down as to if it would be ok to occupy an outdoor table for just coffee and sit. To me it's a simple rule – if the table has place settings, that would be forks, knives, etc; it means that folks sitting would be expected to eat some food. If the table is bare….with perhaps an ashtray (yes, folks still smoke when dining/drinking on the sidewalk) or a menu, it's okay to just grab a seat at an empty table and have some coffee or tea….or perhaps a glass of wine. Our favorite at Café du Centre is right on the corner, where we can watch life passing by…..

And of course there are the many pooches….

Many of which believe they are "in charge"……

We saw this couple walking down the street with the cutest, obviously loved, and pampered pooch being carried and I had to take a photo…..

The gentleman saw me and waved, I waved back and smiled and they decided to come on over for a more "formal" photo.

Remember all those folks who told you that people in Paris were uptight and not friendly?

Café du Centre
57 Rue Montorgueil
75002 Paris, France

From here, I thought it might be nice to head on over to Jardin du Luxembourg to see how folks were enjoying the holiday.

So we set off, past Les Halles and then down Rue des Déchargeurs. Crossing Rue Rivoli we saw this distinctive building.

According to Atlas Obscura, 59 Rivoli was:

"An artist squat for years before being renovated by the city and returned to a collective of artists."

We crossed over the Seine and decided to take a detour to see if our favorite Croissant Bakery, La Maison d’Isabelle was actually opened on this holiday. We were in luck, the place was open, but the line was rather long.

It seems like Parisians are fine with waiting in line….so, why not?

Sadly, they were out of Croissant au Beurre; so we settled for the Croissant Ordinaire (the version made with margarine).

La Maison d’Isabelle
47T Boulevard Saint-Germain
75005 Paris, France

From here it was a straight shot down Rue Valette to the Pantheon, which I posted on before. Of course it was closed on this day.

Though as you can tell; folks were out and about….enjoying the sunny day.

And then right down Rue Soufflot to Luxembourg Garden; where everyone seemed to be having a great time.

The folks renting out the little boats were during some bang up business on this day.

We strolled around a bit; then found a nice bench and tried out the croissant.

While the texture was every bit as good as the "butter" version; we definitely missed the balance of butter to salt and this seemed a bit "bland". Not bad though.

We sat and enjoyed our time sitting on the bench in the shade; though there were quite a few people just enjoying the sun.

After a period of people watching, we decided to head on back to the apartment for our afternoon nap.

We really love all the green spaces in Paris.

Wew passed Hotel de Ville where there seemed to be some kind of fair going on.

And heading down Rue Aubry le Boucher at Place Edmond Michelet (in case you're wondering who Edmond Michelet was) we saw this mural.

We had enjoyed the morning and enjoyed our nap even more.

Before our trip I'd tried to make dinner reservations for the first of May……but because it was either a Sunday OR a Holiday I was having a difficult time. Then, I did manage to get reservations to a place I'd been wanting to try, Automne, only to have them cancel on me. After going down my list a bit; I found that another place from said "list" actually had early (at 7pm) reservations. The restaurant, located in a part of the Marais I'd always wanted to check out, right around the corner from Marché des Enfants Rouges, named Les Enfants Rouges. It was, as many of the places we'd tried in the past like ERH, Pertinence, and Alliance helmed by a Japanese Chef along with Michelin Stars. There's something about French cuisine with Japanese touches and sensibility that we really enjoy.

We headed back up the now bustling Rue Montorgueil to Rue Reamur. By the time we got the point where Rue Reamur became Rue de Bretagne we were running ahead of schedule. So we decided to take a break and people watch at Square du Temple. It was such a nice stop; it's hard to imagine that this space was where the Knight Templar once had their castle in the 17th Century!

From here, it took us less than 5 minutes to reach our destination.

As we turned down the alley like Rue de Beauce….well, a certain "fragrance" permeated the air…….the Missus wasn't sure that She'd really wanted to eat here. And well; at least we know why they wouldn't have any outdoor seating!

We were kindly greeted when we arrived….the Hostess spoke to me first in Japanese, which I fumbled badly thru, switching to English! The restaurant was tiny and I was glad we'd made early reservations.

The staff here were wonderful and accommodating which was really on display when a couple came in and when it was time to order……apparently the woman was allergic to stainless steel and nickle (?!?) and made it known that she could not consume foods that had been exposed to certain metals nor anything that had been braised. The hostess came out and even brought out the cookware that was going to be used to make their dishes for inspection!

The Missus went with some wine off the carte…..

Of course we kind of shared things….starting off with the Roasted Padrons and of course I had to get the Foie Gras on Toast.

The Padrons were nicely fired and salted…..there was of course the "pepper roulette" as a couple were nice and spicy.

The Foie Gras was from Landes in the Aquitaine region portion was quite generous.

Both appetizers were good, but nothing amazing.

But after the bread and "Trou Normand" the show really started.

The White Asparagus with Smoked Haddock was a show stopper.

My goodness; the wonderful sweet and tender white asparagus, we were so glad to be here during asparagus season; along with the smoky, yet not overwhelming smoked fish…the cream sauce tasted like there was some dashi in it….this was wonderful.

I got the Lamb Terrine which was also a winnah!

The texture was terrific; just enough toothsomeness. Loved the balance of gameyness, wine, and mild sweetness. I could eat this everyday. The tarragon based pseudo Sauce Gribiche was too good to put to waste. Lovely pickled radishes and shiso helped to restore one's palate between bites.

Then came the dish of the night; the Tempura Merlu.

The batter was light and crisp; the Merlu (hake), from a place we'd visited before Saint Jean de Luz, had a mild sweetness and was so moist and tender. Though it was that sauce; made with seaweed…it did look like nori, was amazing! Deeply savory, with umami for days. This was a really Japanese cuisine leaning dish. Man, some rice with this would have been amazing!

I ordered the Pork Belly.

Of course the Missus poached that tender, crisp asparagus spear. The tempura broccolini was nicely crisp as well. The morels and the risotto was nice and earthy-sweet. The pork belly really did taste like a cross between Vietnamese Thit Kho and Buta Kakuni and it was delici-yoso!

I decided to celebrate the dinner with a nice glass of Yamazaki.

Whilst the Missus enjoyed the desserts……in line with the Japanese touches; the desserts weren't overly sweet.

That Lychee granita and grapefruit supreme was wonderfully refreshing.

Like I mentioned earlier, the service was wonderfully accommodating. We noticed that many of the customers were Japanese. Our dinner, with wine, drinks, etc was $265/US! Cheaper than some places in San Diego!

I think we'll be back to this somewhat hidden, cozy spot.

Les Enfants Rouges
9 Rue de Beauce
75003 Paris, France

We had a nice, relaxing walk back to the apartment. And slept soundly……

Our flight to Edinburgh wasn't scheduled until the afternoon, so we didn't have to check-out until 11 or so.

While scheduling and researching this trip I started noticing more craft coffee places in Paris, something I didn't come across during previous trips. There were two places within walking distance and on this morning, I walked on over to Motors Coffee on Rue des Halles.

It's quite the modern craft coffee shop and wouldn't be out of place in San Diego.

They even did cold brew and pour over….called "drip" here….they even had 3 "Geisha's" on the drip menu! I ended up getting the Missus a natural brew and we'd return later for Her to try the pour overs.

I actually had an Americano, which I thought was pretty good.

Motors Coffee
7 Rue des Halles
75001 Paris, France

I even grabbed a Croissant au Beurre from Bo & Mie since it was kind of on the way back to the apartment.

We seemed to be just getting into the groove here in Paris and were somewhat reluctant to leave. But Edinburgh beckoned and we'd be returning for a few more days on the way back!

If you've stuck around to the end of this super long post; I thank you so much! Have a great week!

Paris (2022) – Bo & Mie, Ippudo, and Getting Reacquainted

May 20, 2022 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Bakery, Croissants, France, Japanese Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Paris, France, Ramen, Travel

And so it came to pass…..almost two-and-a-half years since we were last in Europe, we headed back. There were so many thoughts going thru our heads as we planned and then left for our first stop; Paris. Would it still be our favorite city? Was cafe culture going to be impacted…..what kind of precautions were in place? How would traveling during these times be?

On our flight outward it seemed that the quality of the food on our flights and in the lounges seemed to have taken a hit….generous portions; but not very good eats…

That shrimp salad was surprisingly the best item we had during transit.

As for masks? Well, almost nil on our flight from San Diego to LHR and in the airport. Required on the flight from LHR to CDG and also on the RER Blue Line though very sparse in Paris as a whole.

We arrived in Paris at around 10m and since we decided to stay at the same 'ol AirBnb off Rue Montorgueil, we were familiar the RER Blue line drill, getting off at Les Halles, then the short walk for key pick-up at the Key Cafe Kiosk on Rue Marie Stuart, before heading to the apartment. We were shocked at how busy all the businesses on Rue Montorgueil were….places seemed packed to the gills! The crowd also seemed much younger than I recalled. I guess I needn't have worried too much about all the cafes going out of business as overflow customers were actually standing on the sidewalks having their drinks and socializing. I thought that perhaps this was because it was a Friday night; but it seems that on almost every night all the cafes/bars were packed until at least 10pm.

The next morning I woke early, the Missus was still sleeping off the jet lag, so I decided to head on out and grab some croissants. Rue Montorgueil seemed totally different at this time of the day.

Place Goldoni seemed so peaceful.

I headed down the rather "gritty" Rue Saint-Denis past Passage du Grand Cerf….

And at the intersection with Rue de Turbigo was Bo et Mie, a place I had in my "Croissant Files" list.

The place was quite modern and what we found on this trip was that just about everywhere in Paris now takes plastic; albeit folks instantly knew you were American once you busted out the card since most US Credit Cards will not do chip and pin and/or need a signature.

It was very easy ordering in line, paying by card, and heading out. Bo & Mie has three locations in Paris and is obviously not a Artisan Boulanger, but I had read some pretty good things about the place.

Bo & Mie
18 Rue de Turbigo
75002 Paris, France

I took a different way back; heading past Les Halles and onto Rue Montorgueil, where things were still quite peaceful this morning.

Saint Eustache looked quite lovely in the morning sun.

Once back at the apartment; the Missus made me some coffee via the "pod machine" and we had the croissants.

This was not bad….lacking in enough salt and butter, though it had a decent flakiness and the interior was light and fluffy.

By now it was time to head on out for our "morning assignments". Mine was to pick-up our pocket wifi. The company that I'd been dealing with over the years now had a splashy new store on Opera and the Missus had Her sights on Chanel Cambon; so we headed on out in that general direction. One thing we noticed is that Paris seems to be getting smaller for us. We got to Place des Victoires so very quickly.

At this pace we'd be getting to our destination before opening time; so I decided to take a detour to what I read was the longest passage in Paris; Passage Choiseul.

According to this wonderful post, Passage Choiseul has only been reopened to the public since 2013.

There seemed to be quite a number of eateries in the passage.

We took our sweet old time…..and in doing so we noticed things we had before like Place Gaillon.

We popped out on always busy Opera and picking up our pocket wifi….or as they call it here "weefee"…..

And then it was time to hit up Chanel Cambon; which I've detailed in earlier posts. After which we explored the "high rent district" before deciding to head on back to the apartment.

On the way back; on Rue du 4 Septembre, we passed a Picard. Tomorrow would be May 1st, which is Labour Day in France. It is a major holiday here and many places would be closed. I had dinner reservations, but we decided to head into Picard to see if we could get something for that day's lunch.

Picard is a frozen food grocery store chain, with over 900 locations in France. It's fun checking out these shops….think of Trader Joe's frozen food section on steroids….

We bought some frozen morels and an eggplant dish for our Labour Day lunch.

On the way back we were getting a bit hungry. In spite of it being late April, things felt a bit on the chilly side. Before our trip, having been to Paris once or twice a year since 2016 (except for those Covid years) we had decided to treat Paris like a home away from home….sure, we'd indulge in a Michelin meal or two, but since we sincerely believe we'll be returning until we're not able to travel any longer, we'd just have fun, exploring, but not overdoing the sights, museums and such.

And since our last real meal in Paris was Ramen, we thought it would be fun to have some slurping for lunch! And, having been to Ippudo locations in Osaka and Kyoto, I was interested to see how the Louvre location would compare…..so why not, right?

We arrived a shade past the noon opening time and went with an outdoor table….yes, it was a bit chilly, but the ramen would cure that. We were surprised at how quickly the restaurant filled up….though no one chose an outdoor table until there were none left inside.

As we usually do at Ippudo and other ramen shops in Japan; we ordered a ramen, this time the Akamaru Special and also a rice bowl, which in the case here was a Teriyaki Pork Don.

First off, the broth was totally Ippudo; not overly salty, nice and rich tongue coating thickness, porky, the black garlic oil adding a nice nutty, sesame flavor with a pleasant pungent-sweetness.

The tamago was a perfect orb of egginess.

The weak link was the noodles. This was a total Hakata style noodle fail as the thin noodles were very brittle and hard; lacking any "pull".

The rice bowl was fine….

The rice was cooked decently; something that we'd find was not the norm in Paris. The pork crisp and light…..

The customers were all Parisians as far as we could tell; no other Asians in sight. This was quite interesting as we'd find Parisians had quite diverse tastes during this trip to Paris.

Ippudo
74-76 Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau
75001 Paris, France

As we headed back to the apartment, the sun had come out…..and with that, all of the Parisians……

Enjoying the sun and socializing. It was as if Covid never happened. Or perhaps folks were relishing and celebrating a hopeful return to normalcy? It was just a tad too crowded for us, so we decided to head on back to the apartment and rest up. We'd be headed to a favorite of ours for dinner.

Thanks for stopping by!

Champagne French Bakery Cafe

May 14, 2022 Cathy Bakery, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Cathy is writing while Kirk is traveling.

We started driving, took an exit, kept driving, saw cars in a parking lot and stopped. This is how The Mister and I find restaurants in unfamiliar areas in the early morning. I remembered seeing a Champagne Bakery in Del Mar when working for the Registrar of Voters, years ago, but never went there. That location has closed.
Walking inside, there are three cases of freshly baked goods, with a kitchen menu along the back wall.
When I saw a Jesuite in the display case, I knew I had to order it. I did not notice the giant poster on the wall until downloading this photo.
A Jesuite ($5.29) is a triangular, flaky pastry filled with frangipane (a soft, spreadable custard cream) and topped with sliced almonds and powdered sugar. The pastry originated in France and the name refers to the triangular shape of a Jesuit's hat. I knew of it but had never seen this particular pastry in San Diego.
The pieces of flaky/crisp crust and creamy filling are delicious. The coffee is Lavazza ($2.69).

But, we were here for breakfast.
The Mister chose the Breakfast Crépe plate with bacon and potatoes ($11.29). Two fresh made, thin crépes filled with soft scrambled eggs and Swiss cheese. The herbed, crisp roasted potatoes and smoky, quality bacon rounded out this meal.
I decided on the Le Metro Sandwich ($7.75). Wow. A folded omelet, tomato, avocado and herbed cream cheese served on a fresh baked, toasted whole wheat, seeded ciabatta. Flavors, textures, quality.

I hope we find ourselves back in the area so we can try more of the menu.

Champagne French Bakery Cafe website

Two locations: 162 S. Santa Fe Road, Encinitas (760) 944-9446 Open daily 6:30 a.m.-7 p.m.

11925 Carmel Mountain Road Suite 801 San Diego 92128 (858) 613-7767 Open daily 6:30 a.m.-8 p.m.

mmm…cakes (Chula Vista)

December 15, 2021 Cathy Bakery, Desserts, What Cathy Eats!

mmm…cakes has closed after three years. It will be missed.

mmm-yoso!!! is being written by Cathy today; Kirk has no internet access.

The Mister and I were driving the other day and a bakery on the SouthWest corner of Third at F Street in Chula Vista caught our eye. We parked in the Parking Garage behind this central location (it's still free) and walked over.
Decorated for the Christmas holidays right now, this space is a good size for being able to sit and have a dessert and coffee. There are several tables outside also.

After we left, I went to the website and found out the whole story. Chula Vista native Jose Barajas had participated in several television baking competitions following his 2013 start as a home based cake and dessert business and this shop is the natural progression where he can meet his full creative potential.
The pastry display caught our eye first.
The basic cheese danish ($4.50) was exquisite,with a delightful filling (not the standard cream cheese chunk as from other places; lighter) with a multi-layered (but not laminated) Danish pastry that was crisp-fresh, buttery and sweet. It was brought out warmed. Yes, this is how it was served for eat in. Special.
The almond danish (a bear claw) ($5) was equally wonderful and, as you can see, presented beautifully after warming. The filling is light and very almond flavored and that dough…wow.
The separate cake display case. The choices. The reason for the name. Of course we ordered cake.
A slice of Hummingbird cake, ($8.50) which is what I consider a 'standard' for upscale cakes was our choice. The spice cake base, pineapple, banana and finely chopped pecans each had discernible flavor in this multi-layered, buttercream frosted seasonally decorated slice. (It is *not* fondant which is designed for cakes that do not need refrigeration; you can see the cakes are all refrigerated). Can't wait to try other flavors.

Beverages offered here are hot and cold-a good variety of coffees and teas and smoothies. Weekend pastry offerings include a rotating selection of seasonal flavors! Happy to have found this family owned, friendly, quality shop.

mmm…cakes 310 Third Avenue Chula Vista 91910 (619) 500-5162 website Open Mon 7-10 a.m. Tues-Wed-Th 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Fri 7 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat 8 a.m.-5p.m. CLOSED SUNDAY