Category: Breakfast/Brunch

Local Krave (PB/Bay Ho) and SPC Cafe (Clairemont)

Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Croissants

Here are a couple of places I stopped by for a “caffeine fix”.

Local Krave (PB/Bay Ho):

Had to take the Missus’s vehicle in for servicing off Mission Bay Drive. As far as I’m concerned, trying to find a bite to eat in the area at 8-9am in the morning is a bit of a challenge. And then one day as I was coming down the 5 I noticed a shop named the Local Krave on one of the back streets in a business building. I checked the hours and took note and the next time I took the Missus’s car in for servicing, I walked on over to the corner of Bunker Hill and Del Rey Streets. Basically right across from Tango Del Rey.

The little shop was very quiet during my entire visit. There’s a counter area, a shared table and a few seats inside.

They had an interesting menu….calling their tea and coffee pour overs and drinks “Kraveman”! So, I went and had a Kraveman Pour Over – medium roast ($7.99) and needing something to munch on, the version of avocado toast called Bravocado Toast, which at $6.99 was cheaper than my coffee!

Nice head on the pour over; smooth with a good kick! Maybe I’ll try the Nitro Cold Brew next time?

As for the “Bravocado Toast”? Well, it’s served on a croissant “loaf”.

Crisp and somewhat flakey; but way too sweet for my taste. A good amount of butteriness to it though.

The bacon was chopped in slices and seemed to have been premade as it was on the soggy – chewy side. The avocado mix was fine.

Still, for $6.99 these days???? I can hopefully find a food item on the menu that I’d want to have or I may just have to hit up the taco shop on Garnet the next time.

Local Krave
3033 Bunker Hill St.
San Diego, CA 92109
Current Hours:
Daily 7am – 2pm

SPC (Sweet Petite Confections) Cafe:

I’d been seeing this sign while driving on Mt Acadia for a while.

Seems like Sweet Petite Confections, the little chocolate shop in the same strip mall as the Tri-Tiperia is now serving up coffee and some pastries. Even though I’ve never posted on the place….the last time stopped by was years ago for some chocolate for the Missus, I recall the couple running the place being so very nice!

So, on one of my drives with JJ to Mt Acadia Park to play fetch, I decided to stop by……not a great move because JJ don’t like to wait, if you know what I mean….he pretty much has major FOMO.

And there on the door was the sign explaining things.

They basically serve Cafe Moto Coffee, so I knew what to expect. But they also had croissants….which I had to try. I asked if they baked their own and the woman laughed and said that it’s from Lulu’s Buns which I understand is a wholesaler of pastries.

Anyway, I had a nice chat with the couple while JJ was going berserk in the car. It seems that all the construction has really hurt the businesses here….so I’m thinking I need to return.

Though it’ll be for the coffee, which was fine.

That croissant was too doughy, not laminated enough.

Though the interior was decently “honeycombed”, it was bit on the soggy side and lacking butteriness.

I’m hoping this business survives all the construction. I might need to get the Missus some chocolates from here I guess….

SPC (Sweet Petite Confections) Cafe
3582 Mt Acadia Blvd. #A
San Diego, CA 92111
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 7am – 630pm
Saturday 7am – 5pm
Closed on Sunday

Revisits – Nate’s Garden Grill and Village Kitchen

American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Chinese Restaurants, Dog Friendly

Nate’s Garden Grill Revisited:

Well, the Missus has the “gardening bug” going really strong! We’ve been hitting up Walter Andersen Nursery at least once a week these days! Yeesh….

Anyway, She mentioned wanting to check out City Farmer’s Nursery on Euclid…..well now; opportunity knocks! Since Nate’s Garden Grill is right next to the nursery and my goodness, we hadn’t been to Nate’s since right before Covid! So, with JJ anxious to do some more exploring we headed out for breakfast.

Man, the place was pumping on this Sunday morning!

We got what was an old favorite of ours; the Pulled Pork Hash and an Avocado Toast on Pretzel Bun. The Missus went in to order while I got us a table on the patio.

Where JJ made himself right at home. There was some live music, so I made sure we sat on the other side of the patio out of the way of folks.

The Pulled Pork Hash was a bit of a disappointment.

Other than the crisp, perfectly buttered, and tasty sourdough toast. The pork lacked smokiness and was really chewy, the eggs overdone, and the dish was on the bland side. In a rare move, we had to grab some salt from the condiment table…and then went back for more hot sauce. Too bad, because this was one of our favorites from previous visits.

I’ve always enjoyed the Pretzel Buns at Nate’s and which didn’t disappoint with the Avocado Toast.

Slightly chewy, mildly salty-nutty, and crisp crust. The avocado was really creamily mashed, wish there was more of it. Didn’t care for the bacon which was really thick cut and chewy, rather than crisp like I enjoy.

Overall, not an especially pleasing breakfast. Though the two young ladies loved JJ and asked us if he could have some steak! Good lord……we got bland pulled pork and chewy bacon…..he got steak? What is this world coming to? So, I guess if JJ had his way; we’d be here often…..

Nate’s Garden Grill
3120 Euclid Ave.
San Diego, CA 92105
Current Hours:
Tuesday 11am – 730pm
Wed – Thurs 11am – 9pm
Friday 11am – 9pm
Saturday 8am – 9pm
Sunday 8am – 5pm

Dining In at Village Kitchen:

It’s become a standard routine that when we return from one of many road trips that the first thing the Missus wants is…….well, Chinese food of course! And after returning from one of our road trips, the Missus was thinking of visiting Village Kitchen. I had thought we had just done take out recently….but no, that was from all the way back in November of last year! Man, time has flown by!

Another interesting tidbit is that She wanted to dine in…..looking at all my posts on Village Kitchen it seems that my last seven posts on the place were takeout visits! And the last time we’ve actually eaten in the restaurant was….yes, you guessed it, before Covid!

Over time we’ve noticed that several of our favorite dishes are no longer on the menu. We stuck with one old favorite, one that has been +/- over the years, and one new item from the menu.

Our old favorite, the La Rou with Bamboo Shoots Skin was quite good. We actually wanted the version with radish skin, but they were out.

Though not as spicy as we’d like; the smoked pork was more tender than usual; the bamboo shoots slightly crunchy and earthy. Not overly salty, nice savory tones.

I consider the Eggplant and Green Chili with Preserved Egg to be the “signature dish” at Village Kitchen, though we’ve had mixed results ordering over the years.

These days it seems to have a lot less chilies, thus making it less spicy…but oh my; so much pidan! Which the Missus enjoyed…She loves that savory-complex umami flavor, with the ammonia like finish! Well, there was a ton of it here! The eggplant was very creamy and smoky, there was a hint of sweetness as well. This was a huge portion.

The one new item on the menu we tried was the Smoked Bamboo Shoots with Pork Belly.

Not enough black bean to really add much flavor to the dish; which was really salty. The pork belly was tough and chewy as was the bamboo shoots. This one is a “one-and-done”. Lacking in spice.

Overall, not a bad dinner….we’ll stick with our old favorites. We’ve noticed that the portion sizes here sure have gotten bigger over the last couple of years. It was good to actually dine in rather than do take-out for a change.

Village Kitchen
4720 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117

Hope everyone is having a nice post-Xmas weekend!

Road Trip – Trillium Cafe (Mendocino)

American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Dog Friendly, Mendocino, CA, Road Trip, Travel

After having a nice afternoon nap and relaxing for a bit, we headed out to dinner.

Our destination for dinner was basically a half block away at the place much like MacCallum House Inn where we were staying. Trillium Cafe & Inn did double duty as well; both accommodations and a restaurant.

Like MacCallum House, the menu featured local produce; but seemed a bit more “hipster” to us and we seemed to enjoy the more eclectic menu as well.

And it’s always nice to be able to start with a Kir Royale, right?

As is the “norm” for us; we ordered a couple of appetizers and shared a main.

Things started off with some perfectly seared scallops in the Sauteed Wild Scallops ($22). So very oceany-sweet and tender.

I thought the balsamic glaze might be overkill; but it actually paired well with the earthy-slightly smoky asparagus puree.

The one item we found quite interesting was the Vegetable Galette ($13).

Here’s a better view.

Loved the texture of the pastry, sturdy enough to hold the veggies, but crisp really crisp layers of puff pastry. Nice combo of vegetables. And that lemon pesto was rich, but had a nice crisp-acidity as well.

The Broccolini ($12) was straight-forward, sort of like how I make at home…..though we prefer it a bit more “charred”.

The Vegetable Gnocchi ($37), had a nice array of veggies, but overall was the weakest dish of the meal.

The potato gnocchi was a bit tougher than we prefer but not bad. The pepito pesto had a mild nuttiness, but this dish needed a bit more flavor overall….though perhaps the objective was to enjoy the veggies in their true state?

I had a nice Tawny Port as my digestif.

While the Missus had the “Dubai Bar” ($14) for dessert.

Which She really enjoyed.

Overall, a very nice dinner under a lovely tent. The place was quite busy; but the service was quite friendly and they treated JJ well. We’d gladly return!

Trillium Cafe & Inn
10390 Kasten St.
Mendocino, CA 95460

After dinner we took a short walk to the bluffs and on the way back we saw this little one having a “bath”, just staring us down…..and an old phrase from “back home” came to mind as the raccoon seemed to be saying “wot, boddah you“?

We got back to our lovely accommodations and just hung out…..

The next morning we got up early…..

And took a walk up Lansing Street.

Past the very nice Harvest Market, then up the hill past the cemetery.

Past the lovely St Anthony’s Catholic Church.

That wooden sculpture above is of a woman and child looking toward the sea. It was created in the memory of two fishermen lost at sea.

We strolled on back to MacCallum House to have our breakfast, past some wonderful structures.

We had our breakfast on the patio again…..

Before packing up…resting for a bit….then heading out to our next stop!

Thanks for stopping by!

Saturday Stuffs – Nutmeg Bakery & Cafe Coming to Bay Park, 85°C Bakery (Balboa) Closing 12/19, and Other “Stuffs”

American/New American Restaurants, Bakery, Breakfast/Brunch, yoso-silly

Just a couple of things I’ve come across recently.

Nutmeg Bakery & Cafe Coming to Bay Park:

While having my coffee with JJ at Bay Park Coffee this morning, I noticed a new sign on what used to be the weed growers Hydroponic Shop next to Poseidon Project.

Whoa, now this was quite a surprise as I hadn’t read or heard anything about this. Could it be? Well, at least the sign says Nutmeg Cafe & Bakery is coming soon! The place has locations in Poway and Scripps Ranch, which Cathy has posted on twice.

This is exciting news….though I’m kinda worried that the place is going to take away business from Bay Park Coffee….and the parking in the area, with the new yoga studio is kind of at a premium, so we’ll see! I know there have been plans for up to 14,000 new housing in the area, near the trolley, so they might be putting down roots? It’s going to be an interesting couple of years.

4122 Napier St.
San Diego, CA 92110

85°C Bakery (Balboa) Closing 12/19:

I’d already read about this on other sites; but when I did a quick trip to the bank recently, well, the sign was up.

Yep, they closing on 12/19. There was something that did stir that sarcastic humor of mine. Notice the sign on the left says “Time to Party”? And right next to it is the “We Are Closing” sign?

Anyway, 85C was a most welcome addition to the area when they opened back in 2014. I was told that the cause was the rapidly increasing rent.

Though since Covid, the place always seemed short staffed and opening hours changed quite frequently.

85°C Bakery Cafe
5575 Balboa Ave.
330 San Diego, CA 92111

Hillcrest Sandwich Co. Has Closed:

I made an exploratory drive up to Hillcrest, aka the “new ramen central” to see if I could find a parking spot and get my fix. I was amazed to find decent parking on Fifth Avenue. While walking down Fifth, I looked over and noticed that the Hillcrest Sandwich Co. looked closed.

Checking online, it looked like they closed in February! Oh my….they’ve been around forever. I used to get sandwiches there when I did consulting here in SD back in the late 90’s! And when my office was in the area we used to order from them every so often….though I hadn’t actually been in the shop since my pre-blogging days! Looks like more development in the area is driving a lot of change.

Man, just in the last year El Cuervo, then La Posta de Acalpuco, and many other businesses have closed in the area.

3780 Fifth Ave.
San Diego, CA 92103

And finally…it’s pronounced you-ree-nay:

So, I noticed that Nijiya had Lily Bulb in stock today. And while taking a look, a young lady saw the name and asked the mom if it’s really what she thought it was…..

Like I noted on my Instagram post…..you know what she thought this was, right?

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend!

Talitha Coffee Roasters (Bay Ho) and TP Tea (Clairemont)

Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix

Just a quick post for today…..

Talitha Coffee Roasters (Bay Ho):

While driving on Morena, I noticed that Talitha Coffee Roasters had replaced WestBean Coffee Roasters. I made a note to drop by….of course it did take me a while….

I did finally make it, parking on Morena I walked on over. The place was not very busy at just past 8 on this Sunday morning.

The menu is broken up into three parts. Classic (latte/espresso), Trendy (with names like “Oh Snap!” and “Fallin’ For You”), and Breakfast items.

Never thought of myself as being “trendy” per se; but I did order a Nitro Cold Brew ($6) and a Spicy Avo Toast ($12).

My cold brew was ready in the blink of an eye.

And I decided to take a seat on the patio while my Avocado Toast was being prepared.

The Nitro Cold Brew was nicely chilled, fairly smooth, and had a very creamy tongue feel. It did have a decent “kick” to it.

I’d gladly have it again.

As for the “Spicy” Avocado Toast.

Well, this for twelve bucks, huh? The sourdough was barely toasted and got soggy fairly quickly. The eggs were over boiled. The “spicy” was just a drizzling of Chili Crisp. Worse of all was the avocado, can you see why?

Yep, the mashed avocado was starting to oxidize. There were a couple of bites that had hints of bitterness. The mild earth-sweetness of avocado was missing. A definite lack of “QC” here.

So, while I’ll probably return for a caffeine fix; I’ll probably stay away from the food here.

Talitha Coffee Roasters
4140 Morena Blvd Suite A
San Diego, CA 92117
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 7am – 2pm
Sat – Sun 8am – 2pm

TP Tea:

The Missus was excited to try TP Tea which recently opened in Clairemont Town Square. I think the full name “Taiwan Professional Tea” which brought back memories of all Her Tea Adventures in Taiwan. I did warn Her that I think this is mostly a Boba Shop….but then again, She had really enjoyed that in places like Chiayi and Taichung as well.

So, between our recent rain storms we headed on over.

The Missus was quite impressed with the prices. Very reasonable for San Diego. Since this place is named “Taiwan Professional Tea”, the Missus wanted to see just how good that tea was and ordered the Signature Black Tea ($4.95).

Man was this weak.

It really lacked the natural sweet-floral flavor we like with Taiwanese Black Tea. This tasted really watered down and weak.

I asked the Missus if She wanted to try something else, but She told me “look, the place has Professional Tea in the name. If it can’t even make black tea properly….”

So, I guess this is a one and done.

TP Tea
4711 Clairemont Dr.
San Diego, CA 92117
Current Hours:
Daily 1130 am – 930pm

Road Trip – Breakfast at MacCallum House, the Mendocino Bluff Trail, Mendocino Market

Breakfast/Brunch, Dog Friendly, Mendocino, CA, Road Trip, Sandwiches, Travel

The Missus woke on our first full day in Mendocino ready to go. Breakfast was included in our stay at MacCallum House which was nice.

The Missus had a nicely made latte; I had an Americano.

The Missus chose some poached eggs and bacon.

While I got the standard two eggs breakfast – easy over with bacon, which was a $20 value.

Meanwhile, JJ got a nice stick to chew on…..

After a short break we decided to do the entire Mendocino Headlands Trail, which we had done a part of the previous day.

We headed back down Church Street and headed off until the trail ended with a view of Big River Beach.

We then walked along the bluffs; where the scenery was quite beautiful.

We then took the trail into Headlands State Park.

Even more lovely views….the coastline here is beautiful.

And as I mentioned before, it’s hard to believe the town is but a few steps away.

JJ was enjoying the scenery as well.

As you head toward the rocky end of the bluffs, things get a bit more dramatic.

It’s an easy 5 mile walk.

Did you know that Miasa (Omachi) in Nagano is Mendocino’s Sister City?

After our morning walk, the Missus wanted to drive up to Fort Bragg, which we did. Though once we got there; the Missus didn’t feel like stopping anywhere, though I think the next time up there we’ll take JJ on the Skunk Train. Anyway, I turned and headed back to Mendocino.

Once back, the Missus wanted to do some shopping, so we headed on out. We came across this honor system farm stand.

Pretty cool, huh?

We zig zagged our way around, in and out of shops. This was the Missus’s favorite.

Where She actually did “Spend-o-cino” if you know what I mean.

Even though they must have to deal with many tourists; folks here were very laid back, relaxed, and friendly.

Circling around Ukiah Street we came across and honor system pottery shop.

The town was giving off major quaint small town vibes!

We decided to grab a sandwich from Mendocino Market, a small shop that sells sandwiches, deli items, snacks, and even wine.

It’s one of those places where you check off your order on one of the handy-dandy forms, pay, then pick up your order at the counter.

After our breakfast we just wanted something light; so I got the Hummus Avocado ($9) on Sourdough.

I’ve come to enjoy pesto on my avocado toast, but never thought of having hummus with it! The nutty-earthy – slightly tangy hummus actually went quite well with the creamy-rich avocado.

The lovely alfalfa sprouts and tomatoes made the sandwich complete. Not haute cuisine, but just a nice, light sandwich for lunch.

Mendocino Market
45051 Ukiah St.
Mendocino, CA 95460

After which it was time for…..you know what, right?

Thanks for stopping by!

Road Trip – Earthbound Farm Stand (Carmel) and Ginochio’s Kitchen (Bodega Bay)

American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Dog Friendly, Farmer's Markets/Night Market, Marin, Napa, and Sonoma Counties, Monterey/Carmel/Santa Cruz - Monterey Bay/Peninsula, Road Trip, Travel

After our wonderful dinner at L’Escargot and a nice night’s sleep we woke ready to head on to our next stop. Of course we needed our caffeine fix and I needed some breakfast, so we headed out east on Carmel Valley Road to a place I had on my “list”; Earthbound Farm Stand.

In addition to being a large farm stand; the shop served coffee, breakfast and lunch, and the garden grounds were lovely as well.

Dogs were not allowed in the market.

But JJ got to hang outside while I went in to get coffee and some breakfast to share.

The Missus got Her latte; I got a very smooth Cold Brew.

And I was shocked that the Croissant Breakfast Sandwich was $16; but it was huge and came with a salad as well.

Of course, this was a “Croissant” in name only as it was doughy, not crisp, etc, etc…..

There was a sizeable omelet with bacon and cheese in the sandwich.

Which was more than enough for “brunch”. Nothing amazing, but quite filling.

And after eating we strolled the charming grounds.

And JJ enjoyed all the smells and sounds……

Earthbound Farm Stand
7250 Carmel Valley Rd.
Carmel, CA 93923

From here it was about a 4 hour drive to our next destination. And JJ got to drive on a famous landmark.

We drove up to Bodega Bay, a place we hadn’t visited before. We were staying at the Bodega Bay Inn, which was right on the corner of Highway 1 and Eastshore Road.

We were staying in one of the units in the back of the parking lot which had its own parking spot.

It was rustic, but quite charming. Good thing it wasn’t raining since the lot was a basically all dirt.

The Inn had a couple of nice amenities which I’ll go into in the future post.

We had arrived early and our room wasn’t quite ready yet; but the nice gentleman at the front desk told us to go ahead and park our car and maybe get some lunch.

We decided to head on down Eastshore Road to the Marina area to grab some lunch. Looking at Google Maps I thought it would be a nice walk and not on crazy Highway 1. However, Eastshore Road doesn’t have true pedestrian walkways.

And the cars were zipping past us…..not a great walk for JJ and us, but we made it to the marina area in one piece.

For lunch I chose Ginochio’s Kitchen since it had outdoor seating.

And of course we had to try the Dungeness Crab Sandwich and some Clam and Scallop Chowder.

That sandwich was not cheap at $28!

The Missus didn’t care for the sandwich much as it had too much mayo-cheese which detracted from the flavor of the crab in Her opinion. We did like the nicely toasted sourdough which was crisp and light.

Was not a fan of the overly gloppy and thick chowder. Really too salty as well.

We like to be able to taste the seafood when having these type of dishes, which wasn’t the case here.

Ginochio’s Kitchen
1410 Bay Flat Rd.
Bodega Bay, CA 94923

We did enjoy walking down to the marina at the end of Eastshore Road.

It was quite relaxing and JJ had some fun as well!

Before we took our lives into others hands and walking back up the road. Our timing was perfect as our room was ready when we got back. It was time to relax and have a nice afternoon nap.

Wildland Revisited for Brunch (Carlsbad)

Breakfast/Brunch, Croissants, Dog Friendly

Recently, the Missus was craving that smoked fish platter we had at Wildland in Carlsbad. So, since Wildland has a nice outdoor area and JJ likes the area, we decided to head on up.

We thought we’d take JJ on a walk thru the Village and along Carlsbad Boulevard, first hitting up Sleeping Tiger Coffee; which we sadly found is no longer open. Still, JJ enjoyed the stroll all the way down to Tower 35 and back. We had parked a block away from Wildland, which was getting to be pretty busy when we arrived.

I went in to place my order….if you haven’t read my previous post; Wildland is one of those places where you order at the counter and take a number to your table.

Well, disappointment numba 2….I didn’t see the Smoked Fish Plate on the menu and when I walked up to the counter I as told by the very nice guy working that they no longer offer the Smoked Fish Plate. Bumma! He told me that it was a favorite of his as well, but they just didn’t sell enough of it. So, I quickly had to go to “plan B”….which was readily in sight.

Well, at least I’d have another entry for my “Croissant Files“, right? And at least it was $5…..not one of those over $10 one’s I’ve seen recently! The gentleman also recommended the Breakfast Sandwich ($16).

I was handed a number placard and my croissant and headed back to the table. The Missus was indeed disappointed…but the croissant looked much better than the over baked looking one on display.

The exterior was nicely laminated and crisp…flaking away nicely.

The interior layered decently; a bit on the wetter side, but most importantly, lacking in butteriness. Decent by San Diego standards…..’nuff said.

As for the Breakfast Sandwich. It looked quite nice.

That egg was perfect; runny yolk, crisp edges. The Pain au Lait; French Milk Bread was toward the brioche end of the scale to us….sweeter and denser than versions we’ve had in France. The fennel sausage was toothsome, though the anise tones were a bit overwhelming….like having licorice for breakfast.

Not a bad breakfast, especially if we’re on a staycation, but nothing worth the drive all the way up to Carlsbad for…..which to us, that Smoked Fish Plate was. Perhaps one day that dish will return to the menu at Wildland.

Wildland
2598 State St.
Carlsbad, CA 92008

Sunday Sandwiches – Gourmet Island Bistro

Breakfast/Brunch, Sandwiches

Well, I haven’t done one of these in a while…..

Recently, I had an appointment in the Ruffin Road area, between the 52 and Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. I’m not super familiar with the location, but there was what seemed to be one of those mom-and-pop sandwich shops nearby, and you know how I have a weakness for those places. The name of the shop also caught my attention….Gourmet Island Bistro! Hmmm……could it be?

Doing that Google thing; it seems like the shop opens at like 6am! So, I drove on over and I arrived at just after 9am. There are several stalls reserved for the shop, which is located in a business building.

The nice woman working greeted me as I entered. There seemed to be several to-go orders ready for pick-up at the counter. Like I’ve said, these are the places that keep workers fed.

I took a gander at the menu and focused on the breakfast sandwich offerings.

I decided on the Bistro Pastrami Sandwich ($10.95). I also noticed something interesting with regards to the menu. Much like Sandwich Island sandwich shop, there were Hawaii influenced names….like the “Big Kahuna”, the “Haoli (which I think is actually supposed to be Hau’oli – happy…not Haole, which means….you know) Hero”. But the nice older woman, who seemed to be the owner did not seem like she was from the islands. Anyway, I got some water and had a seat.

And went to pick up my sandwich when ready.

The croissant of course, was nothing to add to my “Croissant Files“, which I expected. Basically Costco-ish massed produced croissants used as a bread replacement. Which did fine in this case as it added a mild sweet butteriness to the sandwich.

Overall, it was a nice breakfast sandwich. The pastrami adding a salty-savory-light smokiness. The egg was nice and runny, with no off flavors. And I could even make out the milkiness of the Swiss Cheese, which was melted adding some nice gooeyness to things.

This was pretty good!

And then it happened. The woman walked on over and dropped off a cookie for me! Such a nice gesture!

Which gave me an opportunity to ask about the name of the shop and some of the sandwiches. I came to find out that much like Sandwich Island Deli; the previous owners were from the Islands!

When this family bought the place; they added soups and hot dishes, thus adding “Bistro” to the name!

A few weeks later, I decided to make a return visit. This time to try one of their lunch sandwiches. While the Island Club called to me, I decided on the Lucky Roast Beef ($12.30)…..I guess I just wanted some horseradish sauce to clear my sinuses on this day! This time I took my order to-go.

I unpacked things at home. The bread’s crust was quite friable, flaky quite easy, the standard issue roll did fine. The Sysco-ish roast beef was decently sliced, it was lean as advertised and a bit chewy. The portion size was fine as well.

There was a combo of Ranch Dressing and Horseradish Sauce…and not enough of the latter for my taste as I wanted more pungency and too much of the former as it just overpowered everything; especially the mild milkiness of the Swiss Cheese.

Still, I can’t complain about the portion to price ratio….I may try the Club Sandwich next time. Very nice folks working here. I’m glad there are still places like this and will try to keep giving them business. To me, they are the heart and soul of our neighborhoods.

Gourmet Island Bistro
5625 Ruffin Rd. # 140
San Diego, CA 92123
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 6am – 2pm
Closed Sat- Sun

Wildflour

Breakfast/Brunch, Dog Friendly, Sandwiches

Wildflour, another one of Phillip Esteban’s projects opened in Liberty Station opened at the end of February. I’ll head down to Liberty Station if I’m not hitting up Secret Sister for sourdough and I noticed that the place didn’t look too busy.

JJ enjoys walks along the Esplanade and I thought if I got here early enough, I could grab some breakfast with J and then take him for a stroll along the park. So, we headed on over. The hosts stand is on the patio which makes things really great. I often feel bad taking JJ into a restaurant when it’s just the two of us.

There’s an small indoor section with a bakery/deli area for takeout and some seating.

Though the patio is nice and stretches along Decatur Road.

We checked in and choose a table along the end of the patio. We do this to be mindful of folks who don’t like being in the company of pooches.

There was small and pretty limited menu for breakfast.

The two folks waiting on us were wonderful! They treated JJ so nice….like he was a VIP (Very Important Pooch)!

I thought my Americano was pretty good; fairly strong, but smooth.

Of course seeing Beef Tartare on the menu….well, I just had to try the Ribeye Tartare ($15).

The bread, a Country Levain was excellent…wonderful, more airy than I’m used to with Levain, but really good. A mild sourdough like flavor, it was quite satisfying.

The Beef Tartare was quite over-the-top; the Chemoula Aioli; basically a herb mayo, was fine, but there was just too much of it. The rib eye was nicely chopped, but too chewy for my taste.

The Bearnaise sauce was much too thick and gloppy, thicker than the aioli! It was also too sour for my taste. And like the aioli, there was just too much of it. This was like a mayo on mayo open face sandwich. Quite over-the-top!

Still, the service was so nice, that I decided to bring JJ over for an early lunch; arriving just at 11am.

And we sat on the patio; basically in the same location. The young lady working was quite nice, though not as friendly with JJ as on the previous visit. Still, he had no complaints, having a nice area to settle in the shade.

Having already had my caffeine fix for the day; I just settled on Half a Sandwich and some chips.

I really enjoyed the chips…though at $4 a small bag!!!!

Loved the texture and wonderful salty-sour flavor. I think I’ve seen this at Target, so…..

I had heard some nice things about the Mortadella Sandwich (Half – $10) so I ordered that. I cracked up when it arrived. Man, was it a carb load!

Again, the bread, a nice toasty focaccia was my favorite part of the dish, though there was just too much of it. I had really developed a taste for Mortadella while visiting Emilia-Romagna, gaining a fondness for the oinkiness of the salumi. The entire bread to filling ratio was skewed and the mild Stracciatella, of which there was a small amount really didn’t contribute to the sandwich.

I do think that Mortadella already is fairly mild in flavor and given the amount of carbs…well, it was nullified. I vote for “More – Mortadella” please!

I liked the relaxed and friendly service as did JJ, but having a meal where a bag of chips was highlight…… Though if you do need a “carb load”….

Wildflour
2690 Historic Decatur Suite 103
San Diego, CA 92106
Current Hours:
Wed – Fri 8am – 2pm
Sat – Sun 8am – 4pm
Closed Mon – Tues

At least J got to cruise around Liberty Station…..