Breakfast/Brunch – Page 17

2018 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float road test and breakfast at Farmer Boys

November 24, 2017 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Chains, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog and today is probably the most non-food seeking day of the year after a huge Thanksgiving Day of snacking, feasting and now, having a refrigerator full of leftovers. Kirk (and his Missus) are enjoying some time off and Cathy is writing.

Prior 2018 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float road test posts: July, August, September, October

Want to get more updates about the entire Tournament of Roses? Look at this website!

Last weekend was the final day of announced road testing for the Phoenix Decorating Company and their 17 entries of floats for the 2018 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade. As you will see, some of the floats are not complete yet (but the artist renditions at the link give you a good idea). There are three other float building companies and six of the floats entered in the Parade are 'self built'. The Mister and I have volunteered with the Petal Pushers for many years, decorating various floats over the years (you can, too!). The Opening Unit float, with the Parade Theme (Making A Difference) banner, will lead off the Parade (following the Opening Show, presented by Honda).
The Closing Unit float will be the final float in the parade.
Farmers Insurance is sponsoring a large float, "Honoring Hometown Heroes" which has both an old fashioned Fire Ladder Truck and Police Car and is still in the beginning construction phase. In this photo, you can see where the 'Spotter' will sit, guiding the 'Driver' (who only looks down at the Rose Colored line permanently drawn on Colorado Boulevard, following it throughout the parade route) via headset about possible upcoming driving hazards.
The Forum, A Los Angeles world class music venue, is celebrating it's 50th year with "The Story Lives On" as the float title.
The Trader Joe float, "Hat's Off~" is still under construction and I can't wait to see it, based on the artist renditions!
The floats ready for 'dry decoration' (scissors and glue are used)(the days before fresh flowers are delivered; before Christmas Day) and stored inside the Phoenix Decorating barn.

Phoenix Decorating Company Website

After we watched some of the floats driving down Ornelas Street, tested for maneuverability and safety, we drove North, crossed over the 210,
and, after a block or so, turned into the Farmer Boys parking lot (which is shared with a McDonalds). ( At the bottom of that post is a link to another Farmer Boys meal). HERE is a link to a Hungry Ones blog post.
Breakfast is served all day, the menu is simple, fresh and prepared after you order and brought to your table.
The Mister ordered a Ham and Cheese omelet (made with three eggs and chopped ham) which came with (his choice) hash browns and (again, his choice) rye toast ($7.79). Excellent, as always. I I also wanted ham and cheese, but chose the 'Daybreak' ($4.59)
It's made with two eggs
and has two whole (grilled) slices of ham. Another great meal, especially on the toasted (and buttered) roll.

Farmer Boys Website

I hope everyone is having a nice post-Thanksgiving Day (and weekend)!

2018 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float road test, breakfast at Tom’s Farms

November 5, 2017 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, Ontario/Riverside/San Bernadino, CA, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the name of this food blog. Kirk has been very busy with work, is eating but not posting. Cathy had an eating adventure after a short excursion North.

It's getting closer- the 2018 Tournament of Roses, with its many pre-New Year Day activities culminating in the January 1, 2018 parade of floats, equestrian groups and marching bands as well as the football game will soon be upon us. The theme of the parade is "Making A Difference" and floats following that theme are still being constructed and going though one of three road tests for maneuverability and safety. Last Saturday, The Mister and I drove up to Irwindale to Phoenix Decorating Company to see the progression. These are links to other road tests from earlier this year.

Honda, the sponsor of the Parade, will have this three part float, "Power of Dreams Express" (you can see artist renditions of the Phoenix Decorating Company floats HERE ).
This "Banner" float will feature the theme design on the front.

The City of Hope float, "Transforming Lives with Hope" was tested with riders on board (Usually the final test of maneuverability is with weight on board, plus a test that everyone can exit the float within 45 seconds in case of an emergency).
The United Sikh Mission USA, "Serving Kindness" is a depiction of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, where 100,000 people are fed daily without being charged. This Sikh langar (free kitchen) expresses the ethics of sharing, community, inclusiveness and oneness of all humankind…an embodiment of the "Making a Difference" theme of this parade.
This is listed as the 'final' float in the parade and the artist rendition is not online.

In the barn, the Trader Joe's float (one of three parts) was still being constructed.

We had left home late and hadn't stopped for breakfast and then were heading home, getting to the 15 South when real hunger hit.
The signage for Tom's Farms (also posted in 2014 and again in 2015) beckoned. Tom's Farms is a multipurpose area of various attractions, restaurants, furniture, grocery and produce sales, with areas for picnicking as well as a train, merry-go-round and seasonal activities geared toward children. We usually stop here to see what is on sale and grab some snacks to take home.

There's always something interesting in the candy and condiment aisles.

The Southernmost building is 'Tom's Burgers', which has breakfast in the morning.

The Mister wanted French toast ($3.99). The two slices of thick (Texas toast) soaked in egg batter and fried were crispy on the exterior and soft on the interior. Quite nice.
He splurged and ordered a side order of ham ($2.99). The pan-griddled ham slices were very good and not too salty. Since I had never had breakfast here, my order would be simple, a breakfast egg sandwich with sausage ($5.59). Well, at first I saw the egg, lettuce and tomato…
and you can see the side view- and the breakfast sausages! Wow! This was fresh, would be quite enough without any added protein, but those skin on, fresh breakfast sausages were a really high quality add in and great choice.

There will probably be some more regular stops here for meals as well as shopping.

Tom's Farms 23900 Temescal Canyon Road Corona CA 92883 (951) 277-4012 website

Newbreak Coffee & Cafe (Ocean Beach)(revisit)

October 15, 2017 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping and reading mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk is still with His Missus on a mini vacation and Cathy is writing.

It's been a little over two years since I first posted about this local owned Cafe, which was founded in 1993 and has two locations in the Ocean Beach area.
There's a stack of menus at the front door as well as a menu board of beverages behind the cash register (where you order and pay) along with other boards of 'specials' sprinkled throughout the space. If it's your first time here, look around before ordering…there's a lot to take in. This was one of the chalkboard specials on a weekday ($10). Flat bread topped with pesto, Feta, Black Forest ham and two eggs. This was an excellent meld of flavors and ingredients. An excellent choice.
This is a "Super Sunrise" sandwich ($7.75) Scrambled eggs with sausage, bacon and cheese plus (making it a 'Super', opposed to the 'Sunrise Sandwich') a layer of hash browns. Choices of bread here are bagel, croissant, pita, sourdough or a multigrain thin. Each bite of this sandwich has exactly what I want in a breakfast. The fresh eggs, meaty bacon, (Italian, not breakfast) sausage, melted cheddar and crispy layer of hash browns are all perfectly cooked with various textures and fresh flavors.

A good local place.

New break Coffee and Cafe 1959 Abbott Street (between Santa Monica Avenue and Newport Avenue) San Diego 92107 (619)224-6666 Open 6:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily Website

Corner Bakery Cafe (return visits)

October 13, 2017 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Chains, Salads, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a long running blog about food. We write about meals and sometimes other stuff. Today, Cathy is writing about meals; Kirk is working a bunch of overtime.

I wrote about Corner Bakery Cafe in 2010 and again in 2014. A small corner bakery that began in Chicago in 1991 is now a chain of 192 locations in the USA, with five San Diego County locations.

Fast-casual breakfasts, gourmet sandwiches, homemade soups, salads and pasta along with (of course) bread and pastries are the menu. The restaurant is very similar to Panera, including free wifi in all locations.
Commuter Croissant ($5.69) Scrambled eggs, smoked bacon, cheddar and tomatoes on a toasted, flaky, fresh croissant is an easy and tasty meal. Berry Almond Swiss ($6.49) Large bowl of Chilled Swiss Oats (muesli) topped with toasted almonds and fresh strawberries & blueberries served with plain low fat yogurt/skim milk and a homemade raisin pecan sweet crisp. This is always my choice in the summer. It's tasty and refreshing. (There is a chilled Swiss oats choice made with green apple, banana, currents and dried cranberry that I also crave). The Pancake Combo ($8.29) is a simple meal made with some tasty buttermilk pancakes. The bacon here is smoky, thick and a better quality than some other places. Anaheim Scramble($7.99) with a side of fruit and Harvest toast (nutty and seedy) is simply eggs scrambled with tomatoes, green onion, cheddar and avocado. Really good.

When we stopped in for lunch one day, there was a special seasonal salad advertised on the front door poster (I forget the name; it was $8.49). Strawberries, blueberries, glazed nuts and blue cheese as well as a good portion of grilled chicken. This was served with a (sweet) strawberry vinaigrette which wasn't necessary. The blending of flavors and textures was just right. I do enjoy trying limited time offerings. The roast beef and cheddar sandwich($8.99), served on a soft sesame bread with lettuce, tomatoes and a cracked pepper balsamic mayo was unexpectedly wonderful. I asked for the side of potato chips (and took those home for later) but I could have ordered a side of raw carrots instead.

All in all, tasty and 'sensible' choices for a fast breakfast or lunch.

Corner Bakery Cafe website Multiple locations

Elijah’s (breakfast)

October 10, 2017 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Diner

This is mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk is taking a break from blogging to concentrate on his job, which is crazy busy this time of the year. Cathy is writing.

A few weeks ago, Kirk wrote about sandwiches at Elijah's after mentioning breakfast here a few months earlier. The Mister and I were curious, in the area one weekend morning, so dropped in for breakfast. As Kirk Mentioned, it's the former Players Sports Bar, located just next to Niban, mentioned in the middle of this post (in that post, there are links to three other Niban posts). Even though we are in this area a lot, we've never tried Elijah's.

There's an additional dining area behind the main area, for parties, meetings or large crowds. Neat, clean with friendly and efficient people working. Coffee ($2.25) and water were kept filled the whole time we were here.

Deli Scrambled eggs ($9.95) (with corned beef in this case; pastrami or turkey were other meat choices) was filled with meat mixed in with the large amount of eggs, served with that square of hash browns (or home fries if you chose) and a toasted bagel (a variety were offered) with butter and cream cheese.
I ordered the Smoked White Fish Platter ($16.95), because I had a craving for it, recalling the Smoked White Fish Platter that I had in August at D.Z. Akins. You might notice some fine bones in the smoked fish; that was my only complaint. The lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and capers as well as the rye toast were all fresh, complimentary and so tasty with the nicely smoked white fish.

Elijah’s Restaurant & Delicatessen 7061 Clairemont Mesa Blvd San Diego, CA 92111 Website Open Daily, 8 a.m.-9 p.m.

Paris – Breakfast, Notre-Dame de Paris, and the Marais

October 6, 2017 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, France, Paris, France, Travel

Like I mentioned earlier, we really enjoyed our stay at the Hotel Monge. Even Krista at Passport Delicious agrees.

Breakfast at the hotel was simple, but more than adequate.

I actually ate a bit more than usual as I was sure we'd be doing a good amount of walking on this day.

And breakfast acutally held us (other than a snack of gougères and coffee) until dinner later that evening.

And then we were off……..

We strolled up Rue Monge, onward to the Siene, crossing the Petit Pont (Little Bridge) to Île de la Cité, this island, which shaped like a ship, is considered to be the historical center of Paris.

In fact, if you head on over to Parvis Notre-Dame – place Jean-Paul-II, the square in front of Notre-Dame, you'll find Kilometer Zero (aka Point Zero), the point from which all distances are measured and, depending who you ask, either the center of Paris or France as a whole.

This is just the second Kilometer Zero we've actually visited; the other being in Madrid.

The main reason we were here was to visit Notre-Dame de Paris, one of the most well known examples of Gothic Cathedrals. With the two towers rising over 220 feet above the ground, it was quite a site to see. During the construction of the cathedral, as the rather thin walls were built higher and higher, stress fractures started to occur. To combat this, the architects decided to combat this by supporting the walls using flying buttress.

We were lucky; there was just a short line to get into the church on this day.

We entered and were engulfed by history.

For me, it was more about some of the more interesting items were in the chapels. Like this one.

This was in the Chapel of the Holy Childhood. Notice the hair on the sculpture of the young boy. This is the shrine of Saint Paul Chen who was executed at the age of 23 in 1861, one of the Martyr Saints of China.

This is the Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

And then there's the statue of Joan of Arc, hero to Parisians, who claimed to have heard heavenly voices and rallied the French to several swift victories. Captured by the Burgundians she was turned over to the English, she was burned at the stake in 1431. Pope Callixtus III found her innocent and declared her a martyr in 1456. She was Canonized in 1920.

Notice that Joan is looking upwards…..to this beautiful stained glass window.

Leaving Notre-Dame was crossed over to Île Saint-Louis, the other of the two "natural" islands in the Seine.

Crossing over to the other side of the Seine we entered the district known as Marais.

In the center of Place de la Bastille resides the Colonne de Juillet. Topped by a Statue of Mercury, which looked like it was reaching for the contrail in this capture.

From here we strolled up Rue Saint Antoine, pausing to take in the vibe……

This is the Temple du Marais. It was originally a Catholic Convent, but was given to the Protestants after the French Revolution. It remains a Protestant Church to this day.

From the 13th to the 17th century, Le Marais was home to the nobles who built their mansions (hôtel particulier) in the area.

One that I read about is the Hôtel de Sully.

The courtyard seemed so peaceful, a world away from the busy streets on the other side of the building.

We enjoyed watching this bird taking a refreshing bath…..

This sparrow must have really been having a great time as soon enough, a friend joined in the festivities.

Right out the back of the Hôtel de Sully is Place des Vosges. Originally known as Place Royale, this square was built by Henri IV in 1605.

The buildings that surround the square were once the home to the nobles and aristocracy of Paris.

From here we walked thru the bustling Rue des Rosiers (the Jewish Quarter) and past the Pompidou Center, then decided to head back to the hotel.

With a short stop at Hôtel de Ville (City Hall).

After crossing the river; the Missus wanted to make one more stop.

I'd promised Her that She could get a Hermes scarf during every visit to France. It was time for Her to collect on that promise. So we headed on over to the Hermes shop on Rue de Sèvres, which was a pretty long walk.

We passed this sculpture along the way; it's named Le Centaure de César.

From the Hermes Store back to the Hotel Monge was a bit of a truck and we were rather tired.

We had some late afternoon plans, after all, we had only one full day in Paris on this leg of the trip and the Missus wanted to make the most of it.

But first, a nap!

2018 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float road testing, breakfast at Aroma Craft Coffee (Walnut)

October 1, 2017 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!is a blog about food. Todays post includes activities leading to consumption of food. Cathy is writing.

The Mister and I were on our way to Irwindale at 5 a.m. on Saturday, arriving at Phoenix Decorating Company after 7. Four floats were being road tested for the January 1, 2018 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade, which has the theme "Making a Difference".

The float sponsored by Western Asset, an investment company, with it's title "Oceans of Possibility" will have no riders and will appear to be underwater (see the concentric circles on the larger dolphin nose? There are also a few more at the tips of the taller pieces of seaweed, to depict breaking the water surface) (also, water reflections on the backs of the larger mammals).

"Armenian Roots", sponsored by The American Armenian Rose Float Association (click the link to see the artist rendition of this beautiful float) was in the second phase of testing. You can see the slotted out area where the float 'spotter' will be seated. (The driver looks down, at the rose colored line down the center of Colorado Boulevard; the spotter communicates with the driver with instructions and also has their own set of brakes in case of an emergency). "Transforming Lives with Hope" is sponsored by the City of Hope Hospital system and will be a beautiful with its florals hanging from above.

The United Sikh Mission will have its third entry in the Parade in 2018. (photos of the two previous floats are at this link).
Peeking in the float barn, we saw a bit of construction happening…and then were off to find breakfast.
Last month, after leaving BMC Pho (following float road testing), we stayed on the side roads and stopped at a Starbucks in Walnut before jumping on the 60 to drive home. After leaving the Starbucks, we drove through the parking lot and had noticed

Aroma Craft Coffee, made a mental note and remembered to stop in on Saturday.

The Diedrich coffee roaster in the front window had me intrigued; it was being used to roast fresh, green coffee beans by the time we were leaving.

Walk in, order and pay, find a seat and your beverages and food are brought out to you. A perfect espresso ($3), accompanied by sparking water, was brought out first. This is how an espresso should taste; the strength yet slight sweetness of the beans came through. The Mister ordered the Prosciutto Benedict ($12). The toasted english muffin had a layer of baby spinach 'protecting' it from not getting soggy, being topped with (a generous amount of ) thin sliced, quality prosciutto, topped by perfectly poached eggs, topped with a lemony fresh made Hollandaise sauce.

I saw this item being delivered to a table while waiting in line to order. Avocado Toast ($10). Since I've never ordered avocado toast before, I technically can't give a comparison of flavors. Since I know what I like, I can say this was absolutely wonderful. The toast: multigrain-I could taste rye- there were seeds and texture and flavor to the thick slice of toasted bread, which was protected by a layer of spinach and mixed lettuces and topped with a great portion of soft scrambled eggs, topped with sliced avocado, topped with a mild soy based sauce with fresh dill.

We weren't done:

There were several these Siphon Coffee makers at the ordering counter. We ordered a cup ($7) made with this week's special roasted bean, Columbian.

This turned out to be about three (proper, 6 ounce) cups of coffee. A small shot glass 'snifter' of the grounds was provided. This was a beautiful, clear smooth cup of coffee.

A wonderful meal on a beautiful day.

Aroma Craft Coffee 20265 Valley Boulevard, Suite Q Walnut, CA 91789 (909) 869-0001 Website Open Mon-Fri 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sat-Sun 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

Yuma – Tacos Mi Rancho and Los Manjares de Pepe

September 24, 2017 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Mexican Restaurants, Road Trip, Taco Shops, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!, Yuma

A few weeks back, I headed on over to Yuma, to visit my good friend and fellow mmm-yoso contributor, "Ed from Yuma". I'm sure, based on the previous post you know the reason. Sadly, it had been almost a dozen years since I'd visited Yuma. I never meant for it to be that way; after all, I had a great time during that all-too-short visit, which was capped off with a wonderful dinner. But time just seems to get away from us.

Since I've been doing a good bit of driving recently and the Missus was busy working, I decided to stay the evening. Strangely, it was drizzling during my entire drive east……scattered large drops of rain dribbling about…..I mean, summer didn't officially end in these parts until a few days ago.

While it was great seeing Tina and Ed, I could tell that he was getting very tired, it was time for me to take my leave.

I needed a place for dinner. I could have eaten at "that restaurant" across the parking lot…..

But this is Yuma…..

So, I decided to drive around a bit. I hadn't been around this part of Yuma on my last trip….it's basically the mall….though I had to send the Missus a photo of Dillard's. I haven't seen a Dillard's since I used to work in Arkansas and Georgia back in the 90's.

Tina had mentioned that a branch of Sprouts had recently opened, and there it was on 4th.

For dinner, I decided to head to a place Ed had recommended to me on my first visit to Yuma, Tacos Mi Rancho. Funny thing, Ed never did a post on the place until 2013, but it was obviously a favorite of his as well. On my previous visit, I had stayed right across the street from this reclaimed fast food stand. And there it stood; looking just the same twelve years later.

Just as on my previous visit; I sidled up to the counter. The very friendly young lady asked me if I wanted a table, but I told her he counter would do just fine.

The place was just as I recalled, basically two rooms, news and sports on the televisions…….colorful and cozy.

I went with three tacos; Al Pastor, Lengua, and Chicharon. But first, some chips.

To me, the big winner was the lengua; beefy, buttery, a squeeze of lime took the "edge off". The salsa here is on the milder side, but the tangy flavors helped to cut the richness.

The Chicharon had a nice smokey, spice, though it was a bit too chewy for my liking.

The Adobada kind of threw me off; it lacked the red achiote color; but was nicely flavored.

Overall, three nice tacos.

And very nice service.

Tacos Mi Rancho
188 S 4th Ave
Yuma, AZ 85364

I spent the evening studying for a couple of certifications I needed to renew.

I'm an early riser these days….I think what they say about needing less sleep as you get older might actually be true. I was ready to hit the road and head back to San Diego. It was 630 am and I got into the car and….decided to make one more stop. There was one place that Ed said I should try….he mentioned regretting not being able to take me there. I wanted to have no regrets floating in the air; so I headed off to Los Manjares de Pepe; which Ed has called "the best Mexican restaurant in town" and possibly the "best overall restaurant in town" in two posts over the years; Los Manjares de Pepe.

So I drove on over to West 8th Street and waited a bit in the parking lot of this converted residence until the open sign lit up.

The warm and friendly woman working quickly seated me; handed me a menu, and asked me if I wanted some coffee, which was exactly what I wanted. The morning was already fairly warm and the previous day's moisture had made things a bit muggy. The nice A/C swirling around me really stimulated my appetite.

There was one item from Ed (from Yuma)'s posts that had caught my attention all those years ago. The Pepe's special. Pork stewed in what is described as a tomatillo sauce on the menu.

Man; this was delici-yoso. The pork was moist and tender; that sauce, as Ed noted, wasn't very tangy, but had a nice balance of flavors. The smokiness from whatever pepper was used for it came through nicely. The salsa added a touch of heat, but was still mild, but really helped to cut any richness. The tortillas were excellent; I ate them all….and of course those runny eggs, adding another layer of velvety richness to the dish. The beans were good as were the breakfast potatoes. But it was all about that pork.

I saved that last tortilla to mop up all that sauce.

Ed my friend; I can only imagine how even more enjoyable this meal would have been with you!

Los Manjares De Pepe
2187 W 8th St
Yuma, AZ 85364
Open Daily – 7am – 9pm

For those who want to know a bit more about Ed's life; you can find that here. And a very nice post here. As to how Ed got the moniker "Ed from Yuma"? Well, I think only Ed and I know that one……

Clearing Out the Memory Card, Brunch Edition – Luce, Red Card Cafe, And Tiger Tiger!

September 10, 2017 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Gastropub

Man, finally a wonderful Sunday here in San Diego. Still a bit humid, but I really can't complain. The Missus has the weekend off so we did brunch….which made me remember I had a bunch of photos "collecting dust". So without further ado; is "COMC – Brunch Edition". As with all these COMC posts, mostly photos, little verbiage…

Luce Bar & Kitchen:

Braised Lamb Hash ($14)

Wished for more veggies; lamb nicely flavored, but on the tough side. Decently poached eggs. Enjoyed the dill in the Hollandaise.

Luce Bar & Kitchen
1959 Morena Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours
Mon – Fri 11am – 10pm
Sat 10am – 11pm
Sun 10am – 930pm

Red Card Café:

**** Red Card Cafe has closed

Chicken Confit Hash ($14).

Enjoyed the potatoes; hefty portion, eggs too cold, chicken confit good, but on the salty side.

Red Card Café
4140 Morena Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117
Brunch
Sat – Sun 9am – 3pm

Tiger ! Tiger!:

**** Tiger! Tiger! has closed

I've done a brunch post before. Still enjoyable.

I still love the smoked potatoes. Something I should make more often.

Cheese omelet; more like a cream cheese omelet.

The Pastrami hash was quite good; though the hot sauce was overkill.

Man, if they used the smoked potatoes in this….I'd totally lick the plate.

Summer Squash Tostada.

Loved the beans in this; the flavor of epazote came through nicely. Nice vegetarian option.

Woodfired Eggplant, another vegetarian option.

A fairly small portion size; the eggplant nicely roasted, the hummus creamy, but on the "sweet" side.

Tiger! Tiger!
3025 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92104
Brunch
Sunday 1030am – 2pm

Arely (Again)

September 3, 2017 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, French Restaurants, Salads, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!! on this sweltering day. I hope you are staying cool! Kirk and Ed (from Yuma) are busy today. Cathy is writing this post.

Beginning in 2007, I posted twice about Arely, then waited until 2014 for an update, with Kirk writing his observations in 2016 and I chimed back in most recently in June 2017. Well, here we are again…because A) We like it here, and 2. It's convenient with recent events bring us to this part of town. One morning, the Breakfast ClubSandwich ($10.50) was a choice. The fresh baked (here) whole wheat bread, in three slices, is filled with fried egg, ham, bacon, avocado and Romaine. It's a wonderful sandwich and is quite large. This Ham and Cheese Crepe ($8.20) is filled with ham, eggs and cheese. It's wonderful! "Monkey Breakfast"($7.49) {listed as a whiteboard special, behind the cash register} was priced slightly less than the 'regular' French toast (which is $7.75), so we ordered it, thinking it was just a banana sauce over regular french toasted bread- but it was the most delightful use of leftover banana bread turned into French Toast! I'm quite fond of various quick breads and to have slices dipped in egg then fried to a light crisp, with the center still being a (quite great version) of banana bread…wow! Unexpectedly wonderful. One visit here was on a Friday (when I don't eat meat) so the Brie Cheese Salad ($8.25) was my order. A quite large salad of various lettuces, fresh tomato and bell pepper, onions…a nicely tart strawberry balsamic and a split baguette, toasted and topped with melted slices of a quality Brie cheese…just a perfect accompaniment.
A visit here usually includes an appetizer; French onion soup ($3.50/cup, $4.80/bowl). It's just wonderful-the stock made with fresh herbs, the onions…the cheese…slices of French bread…
The pastry cases, seen when you walk in…leaned against while waiting to order… The almond croissant ($3). A reason to stay seated, relax and enjoy with a cup of coffee. Just delightful.

Arely French Bakery Cafe 4961-A Clairemont Drive 92117 (858)270-1910 Tues-Sat 7:00 a.m.-9 p.m. Sun-Mon 7:00 a.m.-7 p.m.