Breakfast/Brunch – Page 20

Breakfasts of Champions – El Borrego, Manila Fast Food and Desserts, and the “Moco Loco” at the High Dive

December 18, 2016 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Filipino Restaurants, Loco Mocos, Mexican Restaurants, Pubs and Pub Grub

While I might grumble about the food and restaurants here in San Diego from time to time; I do realize that there is a nice variety available to you if you take the time to enjoy things. Take breakfast/brunch for example. Over the last couple of weeks, I found myself getting something different from the usual noodle soup while doing my Saturday morning errands.

El Borrego:

**** As of 12/28/2025 El Borrego has sadly closed

It’s easy to overlook El Borrego. The street parking is limited and it’s in sort of a no-man’s land right before the main City Heights shopping area. Heck; it’s been about four years since I’ve last visited.

But with temps now dipping into the 40’s at night, I just wanted some Lamb Consomme.

The lovely warm embrace of the gamey lamb broth ($2.25) was just the thing I needed to warm me up and get me going. As was the Mexican coffee.

Being a bit hungry, I also ordered two Quesadilla Rellenas ($2.75/ each); one with flor de calabasa and the other with; of course, huitlacoche….I’m thinking that Black Belt Jonez comment on huitlacoche had me craving it.

The huitlacoche here is fairly mild with just a bit of that fungi flavor; the squash blossom goes really well with the cheese; which adds in a slightly milky touch. That salsa roja is no joke either.

Nice and comforting, but not too much food; it was what I needed to get all systems ready for my errands.

El Borrego Restaurant
4280 El Cajon Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92115

Manila Fast Food and Desserts:

I was here just a few months back, but decided to get my Longsilog fix since I was in the neighborhood.

Manila Breakfast 02 The Garlic Rice was decent; miost and the garlic wasn’t too burnt and bitter. The steam table eggs weren’t bad; still soft and runny in the middle; though I do enjoy my eggs with crisp edges. The eggs weren’t seasoned, so adding your own salt is a must. The standard issue longanisa was fine; I’d prefer bit more char, but it had a nice snap, wasn’t dried out, and had that sweet longanisa hamonado flavor.

Manila Fast Food and Desserts
8979 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

The “Moco Loco” at the High Dive:

So, I’ve been going into the office during most weekends since we got back from vacation. Some were necessary; on other days, it was just to catch up on admin stuff. I ran to Birdrock on Morena to pick up some coffee beans for the Missus. I’d done my Sprouts – 99 Ranch Market – Nijiya – Costco shopping and was going to grab something quick and head off to the office when I decided to “F that”……I deserved a day off and maybe a nice long weekend nap.

The car took over and parked alongside the High Dive. And my 11am Ommegang Gnomegang clinched the deal.

I haven’t been the biggest fan of the food here, but hadn’t seen the Brunch menu before. THD opens at 8am on Saturday and Sunday and they had something called the “Moco Loco” ($15)….you know me and Loco Mocos.

This really was a mixed bag. The egg seemed kinda small, but was fine, the yolk still runny. The gravy was straight up mushroom gravy which had a decent texture; not overly gluey, and wasn’t too salty. It was just a tad over lukewarm though. The rice had an odd texture……not sure what was going on.

The best item was the burger; which, while being pretty lean and toothsome, had a really nice char with a good beefiness to it.

One word of warning; if you’re ordering this and can’t take something less than medium, I think you should let them know as what I got was pretty darn rare. Though it didn’t bother me.

High Dive Bar and Grill
1801 Morena Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110

Well, at least I actually did take a “day off”. And I got something other than noodle soup for my weekend breakfast.

2017 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade- float decorating, meals at Kolache Factory (Tustin) and Tops (Pasadena)

December 13, 2016 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Burgers, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping to read our food blog, mmm-yoso!!! Kirk, Ed(from Yuma) and Cathy contribute to various posts about various foods and various activities. Today is that kind of a post, by Cathy.

Yes, it is that time of the year. The countdown to the 128th Tournament of Roses Rose Parade has begun, floats are being decorated. We volunteer with the Petal Pushers at the Phoenix Decorating Company Rose Palace barn. We had to check in at 9 a.m. to begin work, left home at around 6 a.m., stopping in Tustin.

In the same mall as THH, where we stopped for breakfast before the first road test this year, the Kolache Factory has its sole California location. Kolach, Czech or Slovak in origin, are soft, puffy, slightly sweet dough 'circles' filled with various ingredients. These portable, almost 'hand pies' are fresh made all day. As you can see, quite a variety are available. In the back, a sausage, egg and cheese ($3.19), the middle is a 'Kolache of the month'-turkey with stuffing- ($3.88) and in the front is a cream cheese kolache ($1.62). Each of these were warmed, so very fresh and really tasty. We have such a variety of places to choose from on that street (Cream Pan is less than a mile away, just East of the 5) Kolache Factory 14091 Newport Avenue Tustin 92780 (714) 730-2253 Website We got to the Rose Palace as the sign-in area was being set up. Just inside, the Crew Chiefs were getting last minute instructions. This barn would be busy soon. The Lions Clubs International float: 'Celebrating 100 Years of Service' is magnificent! Shriners Hospital for Children, with the float titled 'Anything Is Possible' is so whimsical. The Odd fellows and Rebekahs float, 'Through The Ages' features a gazebo, wedding cake, diploma and mortarboard and a book with pictographs of prior events. The Lutheran Laymans League has their 67th entry into a Rose Parade with the float 'Celebrate Jesus', observing the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.
The American Armenian Rose Float Association has a parade entry for the third year, 'Field of Dreams'. The United Sikh Mission, with its float 'Together We Rise' is also in the Rose Parade for the third year. This float will be so beautiful! All that stuff in the foreground of that photo? Construction in the barn. It's the NHL float (which The Mister and I really had hoped to work on).

Then there is the Farmers Insurance float. It looks so …'plain'…just like a large Recreational Vehicle (especially compared to the 2016 float (at bottom of this link). We were specifically asked to not photograph the secrets of this float while decorating, but the title of 'We Came, We Saw, We Covered' is a clue. You'll love it when you see it! So what did we do this day? "Dry Decorating", or "Detail Decorating" is its own job. Scissors and glue… Beans, peas, poppyseeds, dry flower petals…more glue…In a cold barn for eight or so hours. It was fun, but a long day. By the time we got down Colorado Boulevard, the sun was setting and we were hungry!The Original Tops, (Since 1952) is always a tasty stop (I wrote about breakfast here two years ago). The meal was simple, a bowl of chili ($4.59) (made from scratch daily; no beans, a bit of heat and unique great taste), 1/4 lb burger ($3.79) charbroiled on that constantly used grill, imparting a delightful flavor on the toasted bun and simple toppings and a SMALL order of onion rings ($3.39) Thick cut onions in a light, seasoned batter. We had leftovers and were so satisfied.

The Original Tops 3838 East Colorado Boulevard Pasadena, CA 91107 Open daily 6:30 a.m.-11:00p.m. Website

The Rose Parade is in January 2, 2017 (never on a Sunday) Artist rendition of most of the 2017 Rose Parade floats

Tip Top Meats European Delicatessen(Carlsbad)- Meaty Breakfasts (and a meaty dessert)

December 7, 2016 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Desserts, Markets & Grocers, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog with some 'regular' people who post. Today, Cathy is posting while Kirk is working and Ed(from Yuma) is out and about (in Yuma).

I saw an advertisement that Tip Top Meats (which I've posted about many times) was going to serve Thanksgiving dinner for $12.95 beginning at 1:30 that day. Trying to keep with our now non-tradition of going out for our Thanksgiving meal, The Mister and I planned our day around this time, but so did many other people; the line was to the door when we walked in. We turned around and did something non-traditional ( same as Kirk's Thanksgiving Day). A few weeks later, we drove North to Tip Top for breakfast. The breakfast menu is to the left as you approach the cash register, where you order and pay (food is brought to your table; you get your own beverage and water).
The Mister chose the 'Big John' breakfast($7.98). Three eggs, potatoes, toast (rye) and -all you can eat- meat. Bacon is a choice, but because some people have been overly greedy in the past, now you can only have a single order/it's not all you can eat. Because we like but don't go crazy over bacon, the breakfast sausage and ham were part of the first order, with a return trip requesting the Polish sausage (bratwurst is also a meat choice). The sausages are made here; the breakfast sausages are large and have a hint of spicy red pepper as part of the ingredients. The thick slice of ham is quite wonderful and the Polish sausage is garlicky, peppery and smoked. All in all a great tasting meal. My 'Continental Breakfast' ($8.99) consisted of two thicker slices of cheese along with two quite large, crusty fresh fluffy rolls and two slices each of liverwurst, an in-store deli meat made in aspic with ham, mustard seeds and peppercorns (it's not head cheese, but a milder flavored, pleasant deli meat), two types of salamis and two thin slices of a wonderful Black Forest ham. This was a perfect breakfast for me. Walking through the store, we checked out the refrigerated section, countertops filled with fresh breads and pastries and the freezer area. Then, there were shelves just past the cash registers where you pay for the store purchases. That rack is for the Tip Top brand baked items. Mincemeat- made with beef suet–real mincemeat! The fresh, buttery and flaky pastry filled with the mixture of apples, raisins, currants, lemon and orange peel, sherry wine, brandy, citrons, spices and beef suet just tastes like Winter. Only made until December 31, it's a favorite holiday treat.

Tip Top Meats and European Delicatessen 6118 Paseo Del Norte Carlsbad, CA 92009 Website open daily 6 am-8 pm

Tokyo – Breakfast at Yaesu Hatsufuji

November 29, 2016 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Tokyo, Kamakura, and the Kantō Region, Travel

The previous day had been wonderful; breakfast for 325 yen at Mugimaru and a visit to the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace, lunch at Otakou Honten and a couple of beers at the Hitachino Brewing Lab, and then dinner with our good friend Reiko at Suzunari. So what would we do next? Well, the Missus decided that She hadn't had enough of Kamakura and wanted to return. So we woke rather early and walked down the street to Tokyo Station. We entered into the Tokyo Station underground…"B1" thru the Yaesu exit/entrance and came across this place.

Curious, I walked over. There was a ticket machine and it looked like they served Japanese breakfast. If you've read our blog long enough; you know that I hold a special place in my heart for Japanese breakfast. And while in Sapporo, the Missus developed a fondness forthis as well. So, it was off to the ticket machine.

The Missus beat me to the Natto Combination….so I got the Nikudōfu (simmered beef and tofu) combo. Both were an inexpensive 570 yen! The seating was interesting; salarymen were seated together, sometimes sharing tables. But because I was with the Missus we were seated in a booth.

The Server took our tickets and soon enough our food arrived.

Think of this the next time you grab something from Mickey D's or the like for breakfast. For about $5.50, the Missus got tofu, natto, and even some sashimi with Her combo. Which, BTW, She really enjoyed.

What I got wasn't exactly slim pickins' either.

The beef and tofu; while not amazing were both nicely flavored; not too salty, not too sweet. When did I start enjoying mentaiko for breakfast? I'm not sure, but I really like the saltiness…and perfectly cooked rice.

Don't need much more than that.

Hatsufuji was an interesting place. We passed by several times during our stay. After breakfast, the ticket machine is rolled to the side and you'll notice a collection of set lunches, displayed in full plastic glory in the window.

During the evening, the place becomes an Izakaya. I find it fascinating and I'm hoping we'll be back in Japan more sooner than later. And if we're around the Yaesu exit of Tokyo Station Underground you can be sure we'll be back at Hatsufuji.

Yaesu Hatsufuji
Yaesu underground shopping center North 1, 2-1, Yaesu, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 103-0028

2017 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float road testing and breakfasts: Chuck Wagon (Corona); Rod’s Grill (Arcadia); Silver Dollar Pancake House (Corona)(revisit)

November 20, 2016 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Diner, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, Ontario/Riverside/San Bernadino, CA, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the name of this food blog. Kirk is not writing today, neither is Ed(from Yuma). This is just another Cathy posting.

Chuck Wagon has closed. In February 2023, Rod's Grill closed but will open under new management. Both are sadly missed.

This year has been different. In addition to having a tremendous amount of friends and neighbors die (I stopped counting in mid February, after there had been 23), I tried to keep things more or less normal, writing a post about the first Float Road Test for the 2017 Rose Parade. The Mister and I drove to subsequent monthly road tests (and afterwards, breakfast) and took photos. This post is a summary of what we ate and some of what you will see on television on January 2, 2017 (there's never a parade on Sunday).

Trader Joe's will have another three part float in the 2017 parade, (parade theme is Echoes of Success), titled 'All Aboard! 50 Years of Serving the Best'. The American Armenian Rose Float Association road test in August showcased a magnificent looking float. The road test two months later showed the color outlined (coloring outlines are there to help decorators as well as help if there are any problems with decorations during the actual parade: you'll still see color) fully expanded float, titled "Field of Dreams", depicting the 'Echoes of Success' of the American Armenian diaspora success story.

I'll take some breaks from floats and road tests, interspersing breakfasts enjoyed driving home.

Because we got stuck in traffic (again), we stopped at a place we have been passing for several years. The old fashioned sign (which must look very cool at night) is a friendly welcome to the naugahyde, paneled, not recently updated interior; half of the building is a 'bar' area, open in morning hours. The breakfast menu is served all day. Let me preface this by saying that we took home a lot of leftovers. The 'Chuck Wagon Country Breakfast' ($11.95) was absolutely wonderful in quality and flavors! Three eggs (poached, of course), two (large, flavorful) link sausages, two thick pieces of smoked meaty bacon and a slice of country style ham with a side of thinly sliced, crispy home fries topped with green pepper and onions. There was also a choice of toast or pancakes with this plate. Ever since the summer road trip and meals across the USA with either my brother or nephew, pancakes have become a slight obsession. The ones at Chuck Wagon are notably good; from scratch flavors, slightly sweet, fluffy with a delicate crust .
The perfectly prepared, real cube steak chicken fried steak was lightly breaded and fried perfectly ($11.50). The flavors were fresh, the country gravy (again, from scratch: there were flour lumps) and even the crispy hash browns were wonderful. The fresh made from scratch biscuit-flaky layers with the golden, crispy crust- was great.

Another really great Corona restaurant.

Chuck Wagon Cafe 1070 6th Street Corona, CA 92879 (951)737-7162 open daily 6:30a.m.-10 p.m.

Returning to some float road tests… Rotary International's float, 'Doing Good in the World' is just so cute even without the coloring outlines added! Shriners Hospitals for children, 'Anything is Possible', is adorable! From the artist rendition(see end of post for a link), it looks like the mascot, Fezzy Bear, will be riding on the float in January. Union Bank has again teamed up with the American Heart Association for the float 'Keep the Beat Alive'. Last month, we didn't even bother going on the freeway to get home, took side roads parallel to the 210 and noticed Rod's, a corner coffee shop that's been in Arcadia since 1957. Taking seats at the counter, because all the aqua naugahyde booths were full, we took note of some posted daily specials (even on weekends!)

The 'pork sausage w/ fresh apples- cheese omelet' ($9.95) was most unexpected (and in keeping with my penchant for fresh apples). Yes, breakfast sausages and sautéed fresh apples filled this large eggy-cheesy breakfast omelet! There were some great home fries and toast which accompanied this surprising menu special. These banana walnut crepes which came with two eggs and sausage ($8.95) were filled with a fluffy cream cheese-cottage cheese mix and topped with toasted nuts and nicely ripe banana slices; not crazy sweet at all. These are not delicate flat crepes, but also not thick pancakes…more of a Swedish pancake.

So glad we stopped here! Rod's Grill 41 W Huntington Drive Arcadia, CA 91007 (626) 447-7515 open 6 am-9 pm daily

United Sikh Mission USA has another beautiful float, 'Together We Rise', which I think will be a prize winner not only for its beauty, but also for the message. Western Asset (an investment group) is sponsoring this float, 'Prosperity in the Wild' which won't have any riders, but instead much animation. This rather simple looking float from Farmers Insurance has a 'reflection' of the parade route in the front 'window' (including the rose colored line that is in the center of Colorado Boulevard, a guide for float drivers, who drive 'blind' while speaking to the 'spotter' who each has a small window in front to observe the activities in front of the float). The title of 'We Came, We Saw, We Covered' is a slight clue as to the 'surprise' you will see on January 2. (see the bottom of this post)

One last breakfast, a repeat visit.

If we find ourselves in Corona and notice there is no line waiting for seating, we stop at Silver Dollar. This day, it was convenient to sit at the counter instead of waiting for a table to be available.
This is the two egg, two pancake deal (the second egg was brought over later)($5.49, additional .69 to substitute sausage patty for links-worth it!) was particularly good. The 2 bacon, 2 egg (and biscuits with gravy instead of toast) ($8.59) was enjoyed by The Mister. The country gravy and fresh flaky not too large biscuits were just right with the perfect over easy eggs and bacon.

Silver Dollar Pancake House 710 East Sixth Corona, CA 92879 (951) 737-5977 Open Mon-Sat 5 a.m.-4 p.m., Sun 6 a.m.-4 p.m.

Rose Parade preparations. Diners for breakfast. America.

See artist renditions of some 2017 floats here.

What's going on under that Farmers Insurance float? Here's a sneak peek:

Seattle – Walks, breakfast, some familiar places, and Icelandair

November 12, 2016 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Breakfast/Brunch, Markets & Grocers, Seattle, Washington, Travel

So you might be wondering; what's up with Seattle again? I mean the last over night visit was an involuntary overnight stay.

Well, here's the abridged version. One of my projects….a really huge project, was delayed. All trips had been put on hold. As soon as I got official word of the dates being pushed back, I pinged the Missus and went to work, first requesting time off, then doing the logistics. It came together in an instant. You see, a few months earlier, one of the folks I occasionally work with mentioned the Icelandair free stopover program. Basically, you fly out of one of the airlines hub and you get up to a 7 night stopover in Iceland at no extra charge (there's even a "Stopover Buddy" program that's offered on occasion). I started quickly checking prices and found that Business Class from SEA to ORY was really affordable and we could easily fit in a 3 night stopover on the way back.

Sold!

This meant we'd have 1 night in Seattle on our way to and from Paris.

We've been here so many times, way back to pre-blogging days, and I used to visit regularly while living in HNL….in fact, before I met the Missus, I was considering a move here.

But that's ancient history now and here we were….staring at this!

I had just been mentioning what a clear night it was when we came upon Fernando Botero's "Adam". (Click the link – It's a great article). So perhaps the night was a bit too clear for us?

We had a perfect night of rest and since breakfast was included in our room rate, we ended up having a satisfying breakfast at the Renaissance.

Pretty standard stuff. What made this for us was the awesome service. Friendly, efficient, just really perfect. Before we left one of the Servers brought us more coffee….in take out cups….a "little something for the morning". The Missus whispered to me, "increase your tip". Now that's a new one! I know it doesn't cost the Servers anything to do these little things, but they make all the difference to us; the customers.

So while we hadn't stayed at the Renaissance in ages, I think this is where we'll be when we return.

Renaissance Seattle Hotel
515 Madison St
Seattle, WA 98104

Plus, check out time isn't until noon, so we took another nice little walk.

It had drizzled in the morning, but things had cleared up……but not everyone was enjoying their walk…..

Though by the time we headed down the Waterfront Steps, things were under control.

We headed up Post Alley to another "landmark", the Seattle Gum Wall, which is kinda neat or pretty gross, depending on your point of view.

Regardless, it seems to be here to stay. You can watch video of a ton of gum being washed off the wall in 2015….and a year later…well…IT'S baaaack!

I've done posts on Pike Place Market a couple of times over the years and honestly, I still love the place. There's always something new….like what part of Rachel, the Pike Place Pig are these kids checking out?

Much of it is so familiar….which is part of the charm.

The Missus loves watching the tanks at Beecher's……

Stopped and had some refreshment at Pear Delicatessen.

Pear Delicatessen & Shoppe
1926 Pike Pl
Seattle, WA 98101

And were shocked at the line at Piroshky Piroshky

Which was once a favorite of ours, but during our last visit things seemed to have gone downhill a bit. Still, it seems more popular than ever.

Still, there's always something interesting to see or experience at Pike Place.

Our flight wasn't until almost 5 pm; as I mentioned earlier check-out time at the Renaissance is at noon, I'm sure I could have requested a late check-out, but we decided to just catch the Link out to Sea-Tac. Icelandair flies out of the 'S' terminal at Sea-Tac, which is our least favorite, but since we were flying Business we got to use the "Club at SEA"…….even though there wasn't anything special in terms of food or drink, the comfort and low stress vibe is a welcome change from the usual cattle call.

Flying Business Class on Icelandair was a mixed bag. The seating is like domestic first, which means nothing lies flat….the movie selection is dated…..however, the service is fantastic, and in all honesty, the food was not bad.

All of which made our flight that much easier….

Thanks for reading!

Marie Callender’s and San Diego Chicken Pie Shop- chicken pie two ways

November 3, 2016 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog with daily posts ranging from the unusual to common foods, is back again today with a post from Cathy because Kirk is very far away right now, too busy eating than writing, while Ed(from Yuma) is busily composing a post while eating.

This is yet another post of the coincidental birthday week foods enjoyed by The Mister and myself. We enjoy a meal out each day, beginning on His birthday and ending on my birthday (Mondays this year) and there have been coincidentally similar foods ordered by each of us when we had our individual choice of birthday meals.

I've never written about Marie Callender's, a restaurant chain which is headquartered in California and had its beginnings here in the 1930's, selling pies. It used to be considered a 'fancier' family restaurant we stopped in to visit regularly, which fell off our radar years ago. The fireplace in the back room has been overtaken by a television set! We were here because The Mister was wanting some of that old fashioned 'comfort' food as His birthday meal. As always, a large piece of still warm Marie's famous cornbread with whipped butter was brought out to the table before we even ordered. I remember when Marie's began selling a lot of their products on the shelves and in freezers, especially cornbread mix. It's nice to enjoy some of that memory evoking food at home. On this day, I decided to try the lunch special quiche and salad sampler ($8) choosing a Caesar salad and spinach-based Lorraine quiche. Out of the oven fresh and warm, with the light, flaky crust, this quiche was a filling, custard based, spinach filled, cheese and bacon topped great meal. The mini pot pie meal ($10.99). A classic pot pie (with only a golden crust on top) is quite large and also served piping hot. The filling with cubed white meat chicken, peas and carrots in a not-salty gravy is the same as always, comforting.It's called a 'meal' because not only do you get a pot pie and salad, but also your choice of a slice of one of the famous dessert pies (there are more than 20 available daily) is included! After much discussion (of what I called The Misters meal choice a 'pie-pie' meal), we decided to share a slice of double cream lemon pie for dessert. So tasty, creamy with that perfect crust. A great birthday meal.

Marie Callender's , multiple locations. Website

One morning The Mister reminded me it was a was 'my' birthday day (it does get boring going out to eat daily, especially near the end of that week, closer to 'my' day). We started driving,

noticing that the San Diego Chicken Pie Shop, which I had only written about twice, was already open. This classic diner, open in San Diego since 1938, began in 2009 serving breakfast from 10 am-noon on weekdays and 8 a.m.-noon on weekends. The Mister was not in a 'pot pie' mood and ordered a Hot Turkey Sandwich ($7.29), which is typical: turkey surrounded by white bread, topped with the same gravy placed on top of the chicken pot pies and served with mashed potatoes.

We had walked in while the breakfast menu was still available. I wanted breakfast, but also chicken pie; 'The Neighborhood Grind' ($9.25) was my choice. There were choices of egg prep, gravy and breakfast meat. The Grind is a classic Chicken Pie Shop chicken pie (which is filled with chicken, turkey and gravy; no vegetables), topped with two eggs and country gravy, accompanied by hash browns. My choice of sausage instead of bacon was great! Those sausages were tasty, large, fresh and something I will order again; hash browns were perfectly crispy; the pie, fresh and as I remember. The eggs on top of the pie and eaten with the crust were a great taste combination and the whole plate was extremely satisfying.

San Diego Chicken Pie Shop 2633 El Cajon Blvd, San Diego 92104 (619) 295-0156 website

There you go, six birthday meals in only three posts. We hadn't planned our cravings and realizing the coincidences, a pleasant bonus. I hope your week has been going well.

Tobey’s 19th Hole…more meals

October 29, 2016 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping to read this food blog, named mmm-yoso!!! Kirk is out and about and having a wonderful time with His Missus. Ed (from Yuma) and Tina are living the good life (in Yuma) and Cathy is writing today.

Here we are, in beautiful San Diego, 4200 square miles of a County, with thousands of places to eat or grab a snack. Everyone has a place close to home or close to work and even a place close to where they relax.

I've written about Tobey's 19th Hole, the coffee shop/diner located at the start and finish of the Balboa Park Golf Course since 1934, only two times, even though it's where we have a regular stop for breakfast, the occasional lunch and where we take out of town guests for a small meal and great view of downtown, even on overcast days. The delightfully simple breakfast of 2 French toast with 2 eggs (over easy) and 2 sausage ($9) is filling and tasty.

Alternately, you can ask for a 1-1-2 with a pancake ($ 6) and still be satisfied because the pancake is so large and the one ( if scrambled) egg is fluffy and light.

The breakfast sandwich (toasted English muffin with sausage, egg and cheese, $5.50; substitute ham for an additional 50¢) is a tasty, filling $6 meal. There was a day last week when we saw the sandwich board and each of us knew what we would order. We briefly thought of sitting at the counter, but since it was a weekday and not crowded, stuck with a 'view' seat.

The $10.50 option came with soup or salad and the Navy Bean soup (house made, of course) was filled with chunks of bacon and so very tasty. The salad was fresh and crisp and standard.

The house made meatloaf is a favorite. It's juicy, soft and two slices makes it a plentiful meal. Instead of doing (either choice) as a 'sandwich' with top and bottom breads covered with gravy) we each opted for the toasty garlic cheese bread rolls-seen in the background. The hot beef sandwich is filled with a lot of tender roast beef. Of note, the mashed potatoes are real and the fresh vegetables of the day were wonderful.

A great place for food, views and the ability to have a quiet conversation. Other bloggers have been here, too: cc, Dennis, Faye and Mary.

Tobey's 19th Hole 2600 Golf Course Dr. San Diego, CA 92102 (619) 234-5921 Open daily 6-6 Website (old menu prices)

Perry’s Cafe (El Cajon) Breakfast revisits

October 26, 2016 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

Here you are, back at mmm-yoso, looking for an interesting post about food in San Diego County and beyond. Kirk is too busy to write anything today and so is Ed(from Yuma), so it's Cathy doing the writing.

Kirk has written about the original location of Perry's Cafe in 2007, 2010 and 2012. cc and I met at the original location last year, Dennis wrote a nice post in 2013 and Mary stopped here in 2014. I wrote about the El Cajon location ("my" Perry's) in 2011.

Both the El Cajon and the Pacific Highway location are known 'truck stops' and have been open since 1985. Each has the same hours (6 a.m.-2 p.m. daily) the same menu, consisting of Breakfasts (Italian, Mexican and traditional American) and lunches (Mexican dishes, sandwiches and salads). The El Cajon location is closer to home and we stop here on weekdays (weekends are a madhouse, with lines out into the parking lot) for a quick breakfast and/or lunch. This post is only about breakfast.

The interior is a step back in time. The food is simple, good, diner food.

One thing about breakfast sides here: you can get toast, an English muffin, biscuit or a fresh, warm from the oven blueberry or bran muffin. Sausage links or patties are available and the hash browns- well, if you've read Kirk's posts, those are his favorite item here. The sausage patty is excellent and the poached eggs are always perfect. The Mister is in a waffle/pancake phase and the strawberry waffle with (properly made) over easy eggs and bacon ($9.25) was his craving this day. Another day, I wanted the French toast, with blueberries ($9.75). This came with (my choice of) bacon and poached eggs. That egg dipped, pan fried bread was just so very nice; crispy exterior and fluffy, eggy interior. The blueberry topping was kind of a pie filling in style, but not at all sweet, other than natural blueberry sweetness. Just right. The smoked pork chop breakfast ($9.25) was an excellent choice, as was the house made baking powder based biscuit which was brought out with a plain (not sausage) pepper gravy. The jiggly, over easy eggs were so very runny, which melded perfectly with the crispy hash browns.

Always a satisfying, tasty and fresh breakfast stop. Traditional diners are the best. We are fortunate to have these two in town.

Perry's Cafe 475 North Magnolia El Cajon, CA (619) 440-5724 open daily 6 a.m.-2 p.m.

Butler’s Coffee House (Spring Valley)

October 21, 2016 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, What Cathy Eats!

Butler's has closed, but the location remains a Coffee Shop

Well, here you are, looking at a food blog named mmm-yoso!!! Three of us write about food and happenings in and around San Diego, parts of California, other states across the USA as well as various countries around the globe. Kirk needs a rest (and maybe a vacation), Ed (from Yuma) is resting (after returning from a mini-vacation), so Cathy is writing today about a place in East County.

The Mister and I went driving early in the morning, while it was still chilly and overcast, looking for someplace to stop for breakfast. As is our habit, there was no planning and we merely drive and the passenger yells out 'turn here!'. This fine day got us to Campo Road and we noticed this new (to us) aqua colored signage.

Driving around the building, we realized it used to be a bank. The Drive Up Menu looked fairly interesting, so we went inside. With some research, I found out that Butler's opened in May. The interior is decorated for Halloween. In addition to the wall menu, there are more items written on that black glass area. There is also a small pastry shelving area and a refrigerated item area. You can see the interior is quite large. That's the bank safe there on the right (with the zig zag 'caution' tape across the front). I must admit that since the advent of Direct Deposit and ATMs, I don't recall the interior of my Credit Union, but guess it's probably as spacious.

We only ordered a large 'bold' coffee (beans from local company, Cafe Moto ) to share, because I had been awake since about 3 a.m. that morning and had finished an entire press pot already. The sandwiches are made to order. I chose a spinach, egg and cheese ($3.95) (choice of cheese: Provolone, American or Pepper Jack. Of course I chose Provolone). Toasted, buttered English muffin topped with the egg fluffily lightly scrambled with fresh chopped spinach and topped with melty Provolone. This was very good. The Mister chose the ham, egg and cheese sandwich ($4.25) (same cheese as I chose). You can see the ham is not from a deli package, it is an off the bone slice – a nice sized portion, not salty. The Provolone was also melted, the English muffin toasted and the egg scrambled to a fluffy lightness.

All in all, great quality and another local business found.

Butler's Coffee House 9631 Campo Road, Spring Valley 91977 (619)433-8913 Open Mon-Sat 6 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday 6 a.m.-3 p.m.