Breakfast/Brunch – Page 11

Stuttgart – Weingut Franz Keller, Breakfast, and You Know Where We’re Headed Next, Right?

December 19, 2020 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Germany, Travel, Wine Bars/Wineries

After dinner at Alte Kanzlei we headed back to the hotel. We took the "scenic" route, passing thru Schlossplatz once again. It was nice to see folks out and about…..everyone socializing (before Covid-19 of course), no one glued to their smartphone.

The "Golden Hour" was fast approaching and the square took on a different look in the light of fading afternoon

We decided to sit at one of the benches for a few minutes to just watch folks coming, going, and some were having a drink too!

We walked on over to the Neues Schloss and it looked quite stunning at this time of the day.

After which we headed back down Königstrasse……

And took a quick look at the Hauptbahnhof; the train station which was basically right across the street from our hotel.

As we were about to head into the hotel, the Missus and I spotted the external entry to the hotel restaurant…….there was a wine bar named Weingut Franz Keller next to the restaurant.

During our trip the previous winter, the Missus developed a fondness for the wines of Alsace and She was curious if She's enjoy German Rieslings and Muskats as well.

The prices were nice for half-pours, the wines aren't a sweet as American Rieslings, it was a nice digestif stop for us, as we had two glasses each.

The young man who Served us was so sweet, very kind, friendly…..a really nice guy and made the whole experience fun.

Weingut Franz Keller
Schillerstrasse 23
Stuttgart, Germany

Our train the next morning wasn't until almost 11am….so, we could sleep in…….which we kind of did. We usually wake quite early when travelling….well, check that, I wake early all gthe time these days. Our room had a nice view of the park next to the hotel.

Since we wouldn't be getting into our next stop until after 2pm; we decided to take advantage of the hotel buffet breakfast.

Which, like most buffet breakfasts in Europe was actually not too bad.

And after heading back to our room…where I actually took a perfect 20 minute nap, we were soon enough heading to our next stop; to the Missus's favorite city. You know where right?

Thanks for stopping by!

Golden Bagel Cafe (El Cajon)

November 11, 2020 Cathy Bakery, Breakfast/Brunch, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

After 23 years, Golden Bagel Cafe has closed, a great loss. It will be missed. Cheers Deli remains open (but does not have bagels).

mmm-yoso!!! is being written by Cathy today; Kirk is still on a vacation with His Missus.

The Mister and I have tried to avoid patronizing chain businesses during this time of COVID-19 and lockdown. The Golden Bagel, located at the intersection of Navajo and Fletcher Parkway, in El Cajon (right on the border of La Mesa) is locally owned and prides itself on fresh made, preservative free items. It is a sister store of Cheers Deli which has been in business for 20+ years and is located about a mile west. (I know, I have to do a post)
Stepping inside, the selection of bagels (25 flavors) is good in the early morning. There are a variety of beverages available (although many opt for the Starbucks next door). There is plenty of out front seating. Here's a quick sampling of some of our breakfasts here.
Pumpernickel bagel with cream cheese ($2.99) You can taste the rye flour in this bagel and it is so very fresh and bright. On the right here is a bialy- a baked bread (the bagels here are water boiled) topped with poppy seeds and onion. A lighter, softer (yet chewy) bread, I like the differences between a bialy and a bagel. Toasted and buttered is a wonderful treat. The cheese topped bagel is also a favorite (with butter, $1.99).
Ham and cheddar with avocado and tomato on an everything, open face. ($8.99 plus $1 for the avocado=$9.99; we went for it). There is a choice of cheeses, the avocado made this kind of perfect. Open face, warm and melted- shareable! (The open face sandwiches cost more than a regular bagel sandwich. You can see each half is substantial).

The open face smoked salmon ($11.99) (of course on pumpernickel) . Pacific Northwest Smoked salmon (lox), cream cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, red onion, dill and capers (and a slice of a really good pickle). Quality as well as quantity; more than enough to share.

There are wraps, focaccia, pizza melts, salads…a nice menu. Always nice people work here. We had always passed by and are so glad we have finally stopped (and stopped in again and again!)

Golden Bagel Cafe 2744 Fletcher Parkway El Cajon 92020 Open Mon-Sat 6 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun 7 a.m.-3 p.m. (619) 464-2243 Website

Arely (one more time, eating outdoors)

November 9, 2020 Cathy Bakery, Breakfast/Brunch, French Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog. Usually Kirk writes here, but he is taking a short vacation with His Missus. Cathy is writing today.

In this time of COVID-19, everything has changed. Although I haven't written about Arely since 2017, The Mister and I have dropped in pretty regularly.
There is seating out front as well as indoors. When you order and pay, the table where you will be seated is noted and food will be brought to you.The strawberry cream cheese stuffed French Toast (a white board special, $8.95) is wonderful. The cream cheese melted inside the middle of the thick sliced egg and cinnamon battered bread; the fresh strawberries on top added enough sweetness (it did not need the accompanying 'breakfast syrup').
The Arely Scramble ($12.95) is served on top of a toasted English muffin. The eggs are scrambled with a lot of bacon. There is sliced avocado and the freshly made hollandaise, which was almost-but not quite- breaking (either the egg yolks were too hot or there was too much butter, darn it!). The bites of this were kind of perfect.

We usually always order the French onion soup when here for lunch. It is flavorful and the broth is not salty. The melted cheese and crunch of French bread/'crouton' make it perfect, even though eating out of a reusable bowl is different. A slice of quiche is accompanied by a small salad and some slices of baguette. This is ham and cheese and there are many chunks of ham, a great custard (with a slight nutmeg flavor) and plenty of cheese.
The chicken Florentine (mushroom-spinach) crepe ($10.25) was covered in a delightful cream sauce which went well with the
accompanying side of home potatoes. Bell pepper and onion and crispy browned potato chunks made for a good leftover portion. We can't resist ordering some sort of sweet from the bakery counter. The fresh made (still warm) almond croissant is always a good choice.

Still going strong after all these years and during COVID-19 times. A great neighborhood bakery cafe.

Arely French Bakery 4961 Clairmont Drive San Diego 92117 (619) 270-1910 Currently Open Monday 7 a.m.-4 p.m., Tues-Sat 7 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m.

Bonny’s Cafe (El Cajon) revisits (Breakfast and Lunch)

January 22, 2020 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

Kirk is busy at work and mmm-yoso!!! is being written by Cathy today.

I wrote about Bonny's Cafe in 2018. This Mom and Pop East County Diner which serves breakfast and lunch has been around now for more than 25 years. The interior is quite large with tables, booths and a sizable counter/bar stool area.There are white boards with Specials listed at both doors (there is a large parking lot next door (opposite the Veterinary Hospital side) with a back entrance next to the Tatoo Parlor). This was the order of banana walnut pancakes ($6.95) add bacon and eggs ($3.25). The fluffy with crisp-edged, buttermilk cakes were wonderfully flavored-and even better topped with the fresh bananas and walnuts. The eggs were perfectly poached and the bacon added a good salty bite. Yes, that's some 'would you also like some whipped cream?' in the soup cup.
The Breakfast sausage croissant with a side of cottage cheese ($10.95) is large, hearty and very tasty. There were leftovers to take home.
Dropping in for lunch, I couldn't decide and ordered that way- Soup, salad and a half sandwich ($10.50). That's really the charge for a half sandwich and a choice of two sides. Side choices are (in addition to the soup and salad): slaw, steak fries, waffle fries, Cajun fries, onion rings, cottage cheese and potato salad. There were several soups available and I chose Navy Bean; a wonderful version is made here. The Mister and I each had a house salad, His with Blue Cheese and mine with Thousand Island.
The tuna salad sandwich is made on grilled sourdough bread with American Cheese and a tomato. The tuna salad itself is simple and made with sweet relish. The dill pickle along with the sour, crispy, buttery grilled bread added the right amount of salty to the meal.
This is why we are here for lunch. A proper Monte Cristo. ($11.95) The three slices of bread, with the center slice separating Ham and Swiss from the Turkey with Swiss, quartered, battered and flash fried then sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with strawberry preserves is the way a Monte Cristo should be prepared; not half battered and fried then cut-less area to soak up the custard, leaving the bread a bit dry. This is an absolutely wonderful, memory inducing sandwich.

Always a great stop with friendly servers and great food, Diner Style.

Bonny's Cafe 596 Broadway El Cajon 92021 CLOSED TUESDAYS, otherwise Open Wed-Mon 7 a.m.-2 p.m. (619)579-3464

El Huevo Estrellado (Chula Vista)

January 20, 2020 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

Here's another mmm-yoso!!! post about food, written by Cathy while Kirk and His Missus are enjoying a little vacation elsewhere.

As The Mister and I tend to do, driving and stopping and not researching ahead of time lead us to this lovely Taco Shop down the street from the bakery where we ordered our Rosca de Reyes for 2020 (photo of the Rosca at the bottom of this post). We were at the corner of Broadway and Naples and stopped at the signal light, saw the signage and turned into the parking lot.
Stepping inside the storefront at the far end, we noticed a second room of tables was available (the 'addition' is new and can accommodate about 30 people) and were told to 'sit anywhere'. A two sided menu was brought over.
Fresh chips and a good, house made, medium heat salsa was also brought out.
The Mister immediately honed in on #23, Chile Relleño with shrimp on top ($14.50). (We asked and the menu is served all day). A wonderful Oaxaca cheese filled mild poblano, dipped in egg white then fried is under the plump, large shrimp and topped with a wonderful garlic-y green salsa. Every bite of this plate was wonderful.
Since the name of this Taco Shop has 'huevos' in it, I felt the need to try an egg/breakfast dish. Chilaquiles ($10.99) just sounded right. There was an option of red, green or mole sauce with the chips and I opted for the red because The Mister had ordered green sauce.

This was a "proper" plate of chilaquiles- tortillas fried then placed in the sauce (not tortilla chips, which are thin and already fried) with the eggs on the side. So very good. The beans and rice were just so much better here than elsewhere.

We are already planning what we want to order on our next visit. Mary and Jake were here in 2017!

El Huevo Estrellado 1096 Broadway (at Naples) Chula Vista 91911 (619)498-1286 Open Daily 7:30 a.m.-9 p.m.

Our Rosca for 2020 was purchased at Sweet bakery Mexico Lindo
The Rosca was filled with a wonderful custard/cream and much more interesting to eat this while taking down the Christmas decor on the 12th Night following the holiday.

Sweet Bakery Mexico Lindo 212 Broadway (at E Street) Chula Vista 91911 Open Sun-Thurs 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Fri-Sat 8-8

Home Sweet Home Cafe (Escondido)

December 6, 2019 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

This is a food blog named mmm-yoso!!! Kirk usually writes here, but is busy navigating various forms of transportation in Europe while vacationing. Cathy is writing a short post today.

I've often said that everyone has two 'go-to' places to eat a quick meal; one near home and one near work. Usually those places involve fast food or chains but sometimes the 'near work' choices are even more limited to food trucks or an obscure, long time hole-in-the-wall eatery on a side street in a commercial area of town. After driving through the Escondido "Mile of Cars", continuing North into the area with all the various businesses located in large industrial buildings (even some repurposed quonset huts), there it is. The name and ownership changed in 2010 but it's been a breakfast-lunch restaurant for more than 20 years.
There's a 12 seat counter area and two rooms of tables. None of the coffee cups match, there are quirky signs (as well as anything with "Home Sweet Home" imprinted), the tables have advertising for neighboring businesses embedded in the tops (tables were made by a neighboring business). There is some holiday decor. I think we interacted with each of the friendly waitresses (who greet 'regulars' by their first name). A calm, familiar, cozy place.
The Mister tried the "Devon" Benedict ($11.50)- corned beef hash topped with poached eggs topped with Hollandaise sauce, all on top of a toasted English muffin. He chose home fries on the side. Not fancy, but very good. The hash was plentiful, probably from a can (the diced potatoes were a bit too perfect), the Hollandaise was house made, but didn't have lemon in it (I notice stuff like that). The potatoes were fried to a crisp edge with creaminess in the center, along with the bell peppers and onions.
I decided to try the 'French Toast Special' ($11) with three halves of French toast. Ignore the color; it is not burned. I was asked if I wanted cinnamon on my toast and I asked for it to be on two of the three halves. The bread was eggy and soft on the inside with the exterior just the right amount of light crisp. The over-easy eggs were perfectly runny and I had a choice of bacon or sausage links or a sausage patty…oh yes, an excellent sausage patty.

A great find. Breakfast and lunch are served all day.

Home Sweet Home Cafe 662 Enterprise Street Escondido, CA 92029 (760) 743-2233 Open Mon-Fri 5 a.m.-2 p.m., Sat 5 a.m.-1 p.m., Sun 7 a.m.-1 p.m.

Sunday Stuffs – the “My ‘Hood Edition: It’s Chef Jun Sushi and Kappo, Breakfast at Bay Park Coffee, and Spam at Poseidon Project

November 10, 2019 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Japanese Restaurants, Pizza, yoso-silly

So, here's a few updates and other "stuffs" in our neighborhood.

It's really Chef Jun Sushi and Kappo:

So, as "Friend of Yoso FOY" Derek, mentions in the comments of my earlier post; Chef Jun is a Sushi and supposedly "kappo", which I'm assuming really stretches the definition, style restaurant. So says the sign which I saw this past Saturday.

Okay……I'm not sure why I feel kind of disappointed……

4033 Avati Dr
San Diego, CA 92117

Breakfast at Bay Park Coffee:

So, Noel from Bay Park Coffee apparently reads this blog….and gave me a bit of grief about my post. Which I stand by. The croissant from Bread and Cie, works best when the lack of butter, salt, and sweetness is supplanted with eggs, ham, and cheese. The flakiness of said "faux croissant" works well with this.

And is a nice breakfast sandwich.

Though, like I told Noel…."I'll know when you've got some influence when I see a Spam, egg, and cheese croissant"…..

Bay Park Coffee
4130 Napier St
San Diego, CA 92110

And Speaking of Spam….and Pizza – the Poseidon Project:

So, I don't really mention the Poseidon Project much. But, over the last couple of years, they've become my "pau hana time" choice…..I usually visit twice a week. About two years ago, they added a pizza oven and have been making pizzas.

While the woodfired pies there won't make me forget Tribute or even Bruno's, it's a nice neighborhood place. And then there's a pie called the "hot honey", that has a sweet and (very) mildly spicy sauce that's made with soppressata. I felt that it would really taste great with Spam®. Nate, the owner always wrinkled his nose at the thought of Spam®. But, Chris one of the pizza guys, made us a pie……..we provided the Spam® singles……

Man, this was good…..the salty-savory, well caramelized Spam® (Chris – you are the man!), with the mildly sweet-spicy hot honey….. Even Nate, who hadn't ever had Spam® before thought it "was pretty good"….in other words….it was delici-yoso…..

And of course…..no bogus pineapple…….

Poseidon Project
4126 Napier St
San Diego, CA 92110

2020 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade Road Test #4, Breakfast at Burger Depot (La Puente)

September 29, 2019 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Festivals & Events, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about interesting meals and how said meals came to be. Today, Cathy is writing; Kirk is exhausted with work.

Link to 2020 Road test #1

Link to 2020 Road Test #2

Link to 2020 Road Test #3

Link to 200 Road Tests #5 and #6

Another Road Test weekend for the floats participating in the 2020 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade. The Mister and I woke at 4, left home at 5, drove through on and off light rain to Tustin for some snacks at the Kolache Factory then headed to Irwindale to the Phoenix Decorating Company to watch floats for the Rose Parade being tested along Ornelas Street.

"Plant a Garden, Believe in Tomorrow" presented by Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day. Mrs. Meyer's makes household cleaners with scents inspired by a backyard midwest garden. The white 'outline' on the float resembles the outline on the label of each of the Mrs. Meyer's products. The flowers -both the sunflowers at the back and the roses along the sides- are animated and will be tilting (and smiling) along the parade route.
It looks like the City of Hope float will simply have the same title, going along with the "Power of Hope" theme of the parade.
Here is progression of construction of the float "Cultivating Curiosity" presented by The Huntington, a Pasadena Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens celebrating its 100th year in 2020. Ed (from Yuma) and Tina enjoyed a lovely tea and visit here in 2014.
The Royal Court (which will be announced on Monday September 30) will be riding on this float during the Parade. The Court serves as year round ambassadors for the Tournament and each member receives a small ($7500) education scholarship. Follow The Rose Examiner for more information about the Royal Court and other information about the Tournament activities.
The Shriners float and the United Sikh Mission also had their floats tested this day. The float barn is filling up! 22 of the 44 floats in the parade will be constructed here.

The Mister and I headed home down Vincent Street, one block East of Irwindale Avenue. We passed a few places that looked interesting. Vincent turns into S. Glendora Avenue which then turns into N. Hacienda Boulevard. There's a five way signal light at the triangle corner of N. Hacienda and N. Unruh. Look at those signs. Look at the shape of the building. You know we had to stop.

The menu, above and on the counter by the order and pay register, isn't too overwhelming.

You can watch your food being cooked in a non-hipster open kitchen concept. It's brought out to your table.
The chicken breast and eggs breakfast ($7.55) comes with flat-top crisped potatoes and toast. The eggs were over easy (even that broken one still oozed yolk), the chicken was moist and tasty. A great, healthy breakfast.
Chilaquiles ($7.99) were made to order (I saw fresh tortillas being grilled up before being drowned in the home made, chile de arbol based sauce (spicy!)). Topped with perfect over easy eggs with sides of refried beans (also made here; many were whole) and more crunchy potatoes. We are going to return to try hamburgers here, since the name is Hamburger Depot. They are probably pretty good.

Hamburger Depot 1169 N. Hacienda Blvd. La Puente, CA 91744 (626) 917-1872

Sunday Sandwiches – Breakfasts at Bay Park Coffee

September 8, 2019 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Sandwiches

A few months ago; I took the long way to Costco on my Sunday fuel run. I decided to finally stop by Bay Park Coffee. I usually drop by the Poseidon Project next door about once a week for a pint or two, but had never really thought about checking out Bay Park Coffee.

If I'm headed this way in the morning; I'd usually drop by Bird Rock on Morena. But on this day, I decided to drop on by.

I just had a cold brew; which had a bit more sweetness and acidity than what I'd had at West Bean. And I really enjoyed the no frills neighborhood feel of the place.

I also recognized the person running the register on this day, he was very familiar and was a bit surprised that I remembered him. My good buddy Candice confirmed that the owner, Rio helped open Menya Ultra and even worked at Ota for awhile!

While the cold brew wasn't as good as the version at Bird Rock, I decided to return the following weekend after looking at the simple Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch menu. I'd enjoyed my simple breakfast sandwiches from West Bean and thought I should give this place a try. Especially after seeing all the folks having breakfast.

So, I returned the following weekend. It was already pretty hot and humid out, so I ordered a cold brew.

I decided on getting a Croissant Sandwich; the ham, egg, and cheese was nicely priced at $6.75. When I asked where the croissant came from; I was told Bread & Cie….sigh, not my favorite baker in San Diego; but what the heck…..they make a fairly huge croissant.

And, as you can see; this was pretty hefty. Based on the tiny kitchen; I expected IQF scrambled eggs; but these were fairly creamy, moist, and the cheddar did well. The saltiness from the ham along with the eggs really helped to temper what I don't care for about the B&C croissant. While nice and flakey, a fairly light, it really doesn't have the buttery-saltiness I look for in a croissant. Used as a sandwich though; it did well.

The young lady working the register was smiling and full of sunshine on this morning as well. I noticed a couple of tables eating something I would usually never think to have at a coffee shop. So, the next weekend, on the way to Catalina Offshore I stopped by for breakfast. Things weren't quite as warm on this weekend morning so I had an Americano to start off.

I had seen folks eating a ton of avocado toasts….which, well, I would just eat at home. But, I had also noticed quite a few folks having the Lox & Levain. Now, to be perfectly honest, I'd usually not have lox (I haven't lox in a while….I should make some soon) at a coffee shop. But, since Rio had worked at Ota; I thought perhaps the quality of the lox would be decent.

And while I'd have enjoyed a bit more salmon on my bread, what there was tasted perfectly fine. Like I said before; this place loves their avocado; which did well on this sandwich along with the nice smear of cream cheese. It really did a good job of balancing out the usually too chewy bread. Good amount of dill which helped to carve through all that fat. Not bad at all. The open faced sandwich rested on a bed of arugula, and the bitterness acted as a nice foil to the richness as well.

After back-to-back road trips over the last two weekends and some scorching, muggy weather to boot, I decided to drop by for a cold brew and a bite before heading off on my weekend errands. Immediately after placing my order, the guy manning the counter asked me if I was from Hawaii. I said yes and he started talking in Pidgin! His name is Noel, he lived in Hawaii, in my old neighborhood, Kaimuki!

I got his story; he moved to Honolulu to study Taiko Drumming with the legendary Kenny Endo! He now runs his own troupe here in San Diego and is also the General Manager of Bay Park Coffee. You go bruddah!

I had ordered the Pesto Turkey Sandwich and Noel recommended some cheese scrambled eggs to go with it.

There was a good amount of pesto, lots of rich-nutty-earthy flavors to the turkey sandwich. Again, I enjoyed the arugula, which added a nice, pleasant peppery-bitterness. The bread was a bit too chewy and the crust was tough. The scrambled eggs was passable and this was more than what I could consume for breakfast.

In the end; while I prefer the cold brew at Bird Rock, I prefer the food and coffee here to West Bean. I also really like the relaxed vibe and friendly staff here. Plus, I got a kick talking to Noel….he makes me miss "home". I guess I have another option for a unfussy, light breakfast, and coffee in the neighborhood. Plus, I run into folks from the neighborhood and on my last visit folks I knew from Thai Papaya who were looking at a nearby property for expansion. Now wouldn't that be a nice addition to the 'hood?

Bay Park Coffee
4130 Napier St
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours:
Mon – Fri 7am – 5pm
Sat 730am – 5pm
Sun 730am – 3pm

Tip Top Meats (Breakfast and Lunch)(again)

September 2, 2019 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, German Restaurants and Food, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping to read this food blog, mmm-yoso!!!. Cathy is writing today, while Kirk and His Missus are 'vacationing' and celebrating the long Labor Day weekend.

The Mister and I drive to Carlsbad every so often just to enjoy a nice meal and pick up some German and/or European treats to enjoy at home. OK, we stop here a lot. This post, from two years ago, has links to my other five posts in the top paragraph. (Yes, seven posts in 13 years is a lot for one restaurant, but it is just so good). Breakfast can be glorious here. The Big John (still $7.98) includes toast, herb-y home fried potatoes, three eggs (any style) and *all you can eat meat*. Except bacon. You can only order bacon once, at the first order. People abused the privilege and now everyone must suffer. Pictured here is bacon and bratwurst. There is a house made breakfast sausage, kielbasa and ham also available as part of your meat selection. There are photos of Big John meats on the other posts; things here don't change.
The European Continental Breakfast ($8.99) is always interesting. First, I crave the bread rolls (which you can purchase in the Deli section for 50¢ each), the Swiss cheese is thick sliced (creamy/buttery soft and a slight nutty flavor) then the meats which are on the plate are always varied. This day, there were two slices of six different lunchmeats (including braunschweiger(!), two salamis, a mild headcheese, veal bologna and thick slices of Black Forest ham). To me, this is a perfect breakfast.

Eggs Benedict ($8.98) House made hollandaise (not very lemony at all) (compared to the hollandaise made at Costa's in West Covina). Perfectly poached eggs on top of a quality (thicker than usual) toasted English muffin and served with the home fries (potatoes and herbs-nice).
Meat Lovers Omelet ($8.99) Choice of two breakfast meats, three eggs.
Ham and bacon were the two chosen meats. There was more of that than egg or cheese wrapped in the eggs.

On some weekdays, we drive up for lunch. Smoked pork chops with both (sweet red and sour white) krauts, mashed potato and beef barley soup ($11.49). Thick, lean, smoked in-house chops. When we left, we purchased more in the market for an at-home feast. The soups here are, of course, house made; thick, flavorful and really wonderful. Beef steak sandwich (from the hot sandwiches menu) on marble rye toast and a side of Cole slaw ($8.99). Oh my. I've never ordered the Big John cheeseburger here; thought it would be 'average. So wrong…this was a perfect medium rare cook of wonderful flavorful beef. The other hot sandwiches as well as cold sandwiches are flavorful, fresh made, quite large and make a wonderful meal.

I hope you are having (or had) a wonderful Labor Day celebration!

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