Breakfast/Brunch – Page 18

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.

P.L.Bagels (and some Point Loma exploring)(A stop at the new Jensen’s Foods)

August 24, 2017 Cathy Bakery, Breakfast/Brunch, Exploring San Diego, Markets & Grocers, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the name of this food blog. Writing of posts is shared by three friends. Today, Cathy is writing because Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are busy tying up loose ends.

Yes, I've written about P.L. Bagel a few times, 2012, 2013 and most recently in 2014. It's a regular stop, because it's good..and on the way to a place where The Mister and I can take a peaceful walk.
Prices for a 'Breakfast Special' with a coffee have gone up by 25¢ since 2014, which is minuscule for this family owned and run business. A plain bagel (as well as a bialy) is still 95¢. The mini bagels are now 50¢ Here's a size comparison. That's a Bialy on the left, only available on weekends. I enjoy the baked chewy dough, which has a bit of chopped onion in the center top. This was a nice breakfast, with eggs and cheese. The salt bagel (as are all the bagels here) is covered on both sides with toppings. Not many bagel shops make salt bagels anymore. The bagels here are a 'proper' size- not crazy large nor crazy fluffy.

We've enjoyed visiting this local longstanding business (which makes a great product!).

P.L. Bagel 3704 Voltaire Street, Suite 107 San Diego 92107 (619) 223-4788 open daily 6a.m.-1 p.m.

Our regular walks take us to Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, where we enjoy the overcast mornings and peaceful quietness. Earlier this year, the only market on Catalina Boulevard (the main road on The Point) re-opened as a new location for Jensen's Foods (it had been a Fresh and Easy before that chain left the U.S.). Jensen's slogan is "Make Every Day an Occasion". If you have been paying attention, it is Hatch Chile season and Jensen's is one of the many participating roasters (the prices for Hatch Chiles here are less than other locations).
There are many interesting items at Jensen's, including a by the pound salad bar and (at least on weekends) a breakfast bar. It's quite a nice store. This is the only San Diego location and we are taking advantage of the offerings. (It's been in business since 1940!).

Another nice weekend 'staycation'. Thanks for reading!

Jensen's Foods 955 Catalina Boulevard San Diego 92106 (619)550-2097 Open daily 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Website

D.Z.Akins- quick breakfast

August 11, 2017 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

Thank you for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Cathy is writing a short post today; the guys are busy.

Located just East of San Diego State University since 1980, D.Z.Akins is a Restaurant, Delicatessen and Bakery which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. I've written a total of two posts, along with a mention of a sandwich here, but had my first tastes of food from here when I worked nearby and have, indeed, tried most of the (very large) menu.

Earlier this week, the dreaded "Check Engine" light appeared on my dashboard and I dropped off my car before the Service Center opened. The Mister picked me Up (I was walking back home) and said that we should go out to breakfast. Since D.Z.Akins opens at 7 a.m., we were some of the first people in this normally crowded parking lot.
When you first walk in, there is the bakery and deli in front of you, a Gift Shop to the right and the Hostess Stand to the left. The walls are decorated with murals, cartoons, portraits, photos of prior (famous) patrons and all sorts of things that catch your eye.

After perusing the menu, The Mister decided on the Monday-Friday breakfast special ($4.99)
Two pancakes, two eggs, two sausage (or bacon). (Coffee is $3.50 and always kept filled). The eggs were perfectly over easy, the pancakes were not sweet and were quite fluffy and the sausage was really good- spicy, juicy, large. Since I was preparing myself to spend money on this day, I figured I would order what I wanted- the smoked whitefish platter ($16.95). Looks small, you say? Nope. There were at least 6 ounces of cream cheese in the middle/under the cucumber, carrots, onions and olives. The (very large) piece of smoked whitefish was just so perfect- smoky, salty, meaty, filling. It was exactly what I wanted that morning. I did ask for rye toast instead of a bagel and it was so very perfect of a rye…the kind I grew up eating from the corner Polish Bakery in Detroit.

I hope your weekend is good!

D.Z. Akins 6930 Alvarado Road San Diego, CA 92120 (619)265-0218 Open Sun-Thurs 7 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri-Sat 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Website

Saturday Stuffs – How About a “Poke-silog” for Breakfast (Zarlitos), The Fire Spot Coming to Convoy, and Other “Stuffs”

August 5, 2017 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Filipino Restaurants, Poke

**** Sorry, no moa' poke at Zarlitos

Pokesilog?:

So the Missus wanted a nice, early weekend breakfast at one of Her favorite spots. We were met by the same very sweet and pleasant young lady, that usually works on the weekends.

We were seated and handed the usual brown, sticky, well-worn menus. I was going to get "the usual", a Chicksilog. But as we sat, the young lady handed us this additional menu. "Zarlitos Family Restaurant Secret Poke Menu" it says.

Along with the poke on one side, it also lists….good lord….Poke Fries? Shades of Pokiritto; Poke Burritos? Even more hilarious, something called "Hashbrown Thing". Hashbrowns topped with spicy tuna, Spam, and an egg? I think this takes the poke on everything fad a bit too far…..

Somehow, the Missus talked me into ordering the Pokesilog ($9).

Ok, so the Missus got the egg, which She enjoyed, the rice was hard and not so good. You know what I think about the so-called "Seaweed Salad", but the Missus had no qualms about that and the Tuna Scrape; you know, the stuff they put into that spicy tuna roll you get at those gringo sushi shops; probably from True World Foods, was nice and spicy. That was a large batch of surimi…all fine. I chose the Spicy Garlic Poke, which was perhaps a bit too sweet, but I couldn't complain about the quality of the fish on this visit. And only nine bucks…..take that "Chi-poke" shop!

The menu is currently only available from 8am to 2pm during weekends.

And, if you actually do try that "Hashbrown Thing", tell me about it, ok? I'm probably going back to my Chicksilog next time.

Zarlitos Family Restaurant
505 East 8th St.
National City, CA 91950

The Fire Spot Coming to Convoy:

I noticed that some work was going on at one of the shops in that strip mall with the worst parking on Convoy. So I took a quick look and found that something called "The Fire Spot" was taking the Print Shop's place.

Couldn't find much online.

So your guess is as good as mine……hot pot? Sichuan? Meat Skewers?

I guess we'll find out soon enough.

4646 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

My favorite license plate frame of the week….or maybe year:

Obviously a very proud mom!

Is the 'C' supposed to be a 'G' or am I supposed to add an 'R':

I noticed this sign while waiting at the traffic light on the corner of Convoy and Clairemont Mesa.

I never noticed this sign before, but am pretty sure it's been here for a while. You'd think they'd fix it, right?

It did have me thinking what the correct spelling should be….'Massage' or add an 'r' and it becomes 'Massacre'…..

And then I got this texted to me:

Wow, who knew…..

Though I did ask the question; shouldn't it be 2 eggs and 1 wiener?

Hope you're having a great weekend!

2018 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float road test, Breakfast at Penny’s Family Restaurant (West Covina), Snack at Kolache Factory (Tustin)

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

mmm-yoso!!! a blog about food, and events leading up to acquiring said food. Cathy is writing today; Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are staying away from warm things (like computers and the outdoors).

Yes, it is that time of year again. Posts about Rose parade float road tests, float decorating and the Showcase of floats will be on the blog about once a month until January of next year. The related food/meal posts, will be changing quite a bit. The Phoenix Decorating Company, which constructs the floats where The Mister and I volunteer to decorate in December, has moved its barn about 20 miles East of Pasadena, to Irwindale. The drive there from here is a bit quicker, but we still left at 5 on Saturday morning, to see the floats lined up at 7 for their mechanical and maneuverability testing.

The Theme of the 2018 Rose Parade is "Making A Difference" and each float entry has its own interpretation of those words. Here are some previews of floats that were tested. We will get to the food in a moment.

The Shriners Hospitals for Children 2018 Parade float, "Caring for Kids Around the World", depicts their mascot, Fezzy Bear, in a space suit surrounded by planets and satellites.

Kiwanis International has a tiger driving a race car on its "Racing to Serve Children" titled float.

"Planting the Seeds of Service" is the theme of the Rotary International 2018 Rose Parade float entry.

The Odd Fellows and Rebekahs float, "Sacrifice To Serve" has another patriotic float entered in the Rose Parade, the title is in line with the 'Making a Difference' Theme. Western Asset is going to have at least a whale and turtle on their 2018 float entry.
The Lutheran Hour Ministries 68th entry into the parade is titled "Bringing Christ to the Nations".

There were two other floats (Armenian and Lions) which were in the 'rebar' stage of assembly which were also tested that morning.

Phoenix Decorating Company 5400 Irwindale Avenue Irwindale, CA 91706

Now, on to the food section of this post.

The first stop of the day (at about 6:05 a.m.) was at the Red Hill exit, to get to the Kolache Factory, mentioned in this post
We enjoyed the ham, egg and cheese stuffed dough ($3.19) and the simple, wonderful bacon and cheese stuffed treat ($2.26). The modern version of an Eastern European pastry roll was enough to keep us satisfied before arriving in Irwindale.

Kolache Factory 14091 Newport Avenue Tustin, CA 92780 (714) 730-2253 Website

When we left Irwindale, we took side roads South, looking for a place to get breakfast and also scoping out possibilities for dinner after we decorate floats in December… We saw a variety of Mexican restaurants and taco shops, several 'Diner Type' places and then somehow got to this "HK2" mall. Kirk wrote about visits there 12 years ago. (Krua Thai is still there).

Because we were here before 9 a.m., only workers were showing up for early morning openings of the shops (I counted at least 20 restaurants, of so many ethnic varieties-Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, Korean, Taiwanese, Japanese, Mexican and…the only one that was open when we were there- the American place, Penny's.

Signage, Specials, Services offered, Penny's has it all, especially good food.

The weekday breakfast specials are 40¢ more on weekends. I went with a "Mini Breakfast" ($6.95 plus 40¢), two eggs (over easy-perfectly cooked) 2 sausage (or bacon) and home fries (also rye toast). This was great, really good; I love those sliced fried potatoes. The sausage was a good quality.
The Mister chose the corned beef hash and eggs plate ($8.59). Very flavorful corned beef, with diced potato and crispy grill top fried. Those perfect over easy eggs and more of those delightful home fries.
He chose a biscuit and gravy as the side. Great gravy, a really nice baking powder biscuit.
Now that we (sort of) know this mall is here, we will be back a bit later in the morning to try some of the other restaurants when they are open.

Penny's Family Restaurant 969 S. Glendora Avenue West Covina, CA 91790 Open 7-2, daily

I hope your week is good so far!

Breakfast Revisits – Zarlitos Family Restaurant, Elijah’s Restaurant & Delicatessen, and Poke Etc

July 19, 2017 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Filipino Restaurants, Local Kine Stuffs in San Diego, Poke, Sisig

A couple of breakfast revisits.

Zarlitos Family Restaurant:

It's already been established that Zarlitos is the Missus's favorite breakfast stop. Basically, it's poke for breakfast. And the Missus can sometimes put away a pound of this stuff.

I however, had to still work and find the perfect breakfast counter-point. It became a real "Goldilocks" type of moment. No, not that Goldilocks; this Goldilocks!

The first time…well, I just had to try the sisig. But man, this was way to sour for breakfast.

As a whole not too bad in terms of sisig; but I wanted a bit more spice. The pork was crisp and not overly chewy, but it was just missing something….and perhaps was not the best choice for breakfast.

On another note; a friend sent me a bunch of postings last month….apparently Anthony Bourdain anointed Sisig as the next big thing. I dunno, I think my first post on sisig was way back in April, 2006. Hey, even an old fuddy-duddy unhip food blogger enjoys a moment where one of his favorites dishes; one with its own category list hits the spotlight. As for the next big thing? Hmm…….

Next visit; I went the ex-pat local boy route…..the Spamsilog.

Man, talk about too much of a good thing……I expected like maybe two slices, max. But this was three fairly substantial slices. Way too much saltiness. Even though the Spam looked undercooked; it was strangely crisp. I think it was dumped in the fryer. In spite of this not working out, I did find part of the equation. First off, I'm not a big fan of the standard garlic rice here…and they do give a lot of rice. I got steamed rice and found that the Missus sharing a good amount of it….and one of my eggs to boot.

So we were at two out of three here…….almost there.

And then I ordered the Chicksilog; the fried chicken quarter, rice, and eggs.

The chicken is simply fried; but the fat has been rendered out from under that crisp skin. It's obviously been double-fried. That skin was nice, light and crisp, with a enjoyable level of greasiness that just goes well with some vinegar…..yes, vinegar is a must as it really cuts the fattiness.

That's two easy-over eggs hiding below the fried chicken. I share one egg and about a third of the rice with the Missus, along with a bit of the chicken….of course She loves that skin dipped in vinegar. I place the egg on top of the rice; break the yolk, and add shoyu.

As Goldilocks said; "this one is just right"…….

Zarlitos Family Restaurant
505 East 8th St.
National City, CA 91950

Elijah’s Restaurant & Delicatessen:

I'd managed to bring back a pound of Schwartz's smoked meat from Montreal and the Missus wanted me to track down some Rye Bread. For some reason; I recalled that Elijah's sold their own rye bread. "AlanH" had also recommended the goulash soup, which was a Wednesday special at Elijah's, so I got there right before 11am on a Wednesday to check it out.

This being a breakfast posts; you can kinda figure out how I fared. The really nice gentleman informed me that they weren't serving the goulash soup at this time.

So I took a look at the menu.

Breakfast I believe is served all day….for some reason the Reuben Omelette ($10.95) jumped out at me. So I ordered it. Man, talk about a load of food.

And to be perfectly honest; I kinda enjoyed it…….slight sour and crunch from the sauerkraut; sliced corned beef added meatiness and saltiness, the Swiss cheese a blanket of milky comfort, and for some reason Russian Dressing…..now, when I used to work in a restaurant during my younger days; we added a dollop of mayonnaise to our scrambled eggs for extra richness…here it's the ketchup in the dressing, along with the mild acidity from the cheese that really helped things along.

The potatoes were nicely fried and seasoned….the Missus really likes the potatoes here, so I saved most of it for Her. Along with half the omelette which I had later on for dinner.

So I struck out on the goulash soup, but didn't do badly at all.

Elijah’s Restaurant & Delicatessen
7061 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Poke Etc:

I know poke at Zarlitos and Longanisa at Poke Etc? What can I say? I'd actually been wanting to try the Ilocano Longanisa, something that I haven't had since my days "back home". Like I mentioned in my Poke Etc post last year. My Filipino friends back home were Ilocano and that was the type of longanisa I was used to. Man, when I had my first Longsilog here on the mainland!

Anyway; the Ilocano Longanisa here comes with eggs and rice, with an amazing price of $4.95! So finally, a year later, I made my way back and ordered it.

For some reason I expected easy over eggs; but man, that's a lot of eggs and longanisa for five bucks. The eggs weren't seasoned and were on the gummy side. The rice was better than on my previous visits. Maybe because it was 10 in the morning. Something was not right with the longanisa; I'm used to garlic hints with a sour, vinegar bite….but these tasted, well, almost rancid, bitterness. It also smelled kind of strange…..sort of cheesy…which I love in cheese….but not quite here. I'd actually taken this home before eating or I'd ask the really nice woman about it. So basically decided to cut my losses.

I'll probably go back to the poke here during future visits.

Poke Etc
916 E 8th St
National City, CA 91950

It’s been a while week – Nate’s Garden Grill

June 28, 2017 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch

I had been wondering about how Nate's was doing for a while. I thought it would make a nice little IBAW post, so dropped by this past weekend.

I'd been trying to talk the Missus into revisiting; but in typical fashion She just wasn't motivated after tasting the results of….ahem, playing with my butt.

Still, I'd always rather enjoyed the vibe at Nate's.

The rustic interior, the really friendly folks who work here.

I'm thinking it being 8am on the weekend, it was much too early for the Hipster crowd….just a couple of families enjoying the wild west of South City Heights.

My food took a while; which I actually enjoyed. It made me relax and notice the "small things"…..

Like….did they always have air conditioning here? Well, it was welcomed because it was getting warm outside.

I had decided on getting the Pulled Pork Hash, which I really enjoyed during my previous visit. It was such a nice and vibrant dish back then.

Sadly, this wasn't quite as good as that.

While I thought the sourdough bread was nicely crisp and toasted; the eggs, well one of them was nice and runny…the other had leaked out, I really missed all the wonderful textures and flavors from the variety of vegetables I'd had before. This had a ton of pork; of which the smoke flavor was rather over-powering and was a tad too salty. What potatoes there were hadn't been browned very well and while this might be a pork-aholic's choice, I missed the balance in what I'd had before.

And yes, it was still way to much food. I did take almost two-thirds of this home and actually redid it with some proper vegetables…..topped with some Greek yogurt to cut the salt and ate the left-overs for two more meals. There's no arguing about portion size here.

I do like Nate's and will probably return….the folks here are so nice…..though I'm not sure what I'll order next time.

Over the years, I've recommended Nate's to several folks I know. One couple really didn't care for the place. I should have known based on where they lived; they didn't like ordering at the counter, wanted better table service, and gave me a lot of grief about looking out at stuff like this while eating.

Sigh……

Nate's Garden Grill
3120 Euclid Ave
San Diego, CA 92105