Breakfast/Brunch – Page 26

Portland: Tasty N Alder and other “stuffs”

March 3, 2015 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Portland, Oregon, Travel

*** Tasty N Alder has closed

Ever since we've been doing a good amount of travel internationally, the Missus really hasn't been too keen travelling much in the US, other than heading "home" to visit Her parents and such. But, we had such a great time on our recent visit to Seattle, a city we used to visit almost yearly, that the Missus asked me if I'd like to take a belated birthday trip to Portland. I'd heard that the food scene in PDX has really taken off in the last couple years and it had been over 7 years since our last visit. In other words, we were overdue. I always enjoyed the city, folks are very nice, almost borderline too friendly at times….even the street kids are often quite polite. We did notice a few changes since our last visit immediately; many, many, more hipsters…..man, I don't think they sell many razors in PDX anymore. Folks seemed even more eccentric….some of the outfits wouldn't be out of place in Shibuya! Loved the gal who walked out of one of the business high rises; briefcase in tow, rockin' shiny tap dance shoes featuring bright red bows, a polka dot mini skirt, and a mouse-ear barrette! Keep Portland Weird indeed….or were the folks just doing a reverse satire of Portlandia?

Did I mention the easy $2.50 Max Red Line from the airport to downtown. That, added to being able to check in at 945am at the Paramount, and things were starting out well.

We were of course starving….and downtown Portland is a very easy walking town. Tasty N Alder had been on my list for a while and the Missus and I enjoy family style……

The place was quite full when we arrived….mid-morning and all. Our Server was the most amazingly cheerful and friendly woman. I wish I got her name….friendly, efficient, did a great job talking to us about the menu. She made our visit so pleasant and pleasurable.

always on the look-out for veggies, we started with the Radicchio ($6), which turned out to be the Missus's favorite dish of the trip. In fact, She requested a return visit just for this supposedly simple looking salad.

This dish was just so subtly excellent, from the nice crisp thick cut bacon lardons, to the ice cold radicchio, prepped perfectly, without any of the bitter bite. Topped with crumbled egg…you know how much the Missus loves Her eggs, right. The manchego cheese was shredded so fine that I asked if it was done using a microplane (it is). The cheese melted into the wonderful dressing thickening it….I also think there's some bacon fat in the dressing as well. It was thick and rich in a pleasant way……almost like the best possible Caesar dressing. Wonderful!

Curious, we ordered the "Saigon Brussel Sprouts". Actually, the flavor is more Thai influenced.

The Missus took one bite and said, "I know this flavor….you know this flavor….you make stuff using these flavors". This indeed had the Palm Sugar-Fish Sauce-Garlic flavor I use for making my Thai Garlic Shrimp. Though this is much more sweet and is glazed. I loved the idea and knew I'd be making this after we returned home.

The Smoke Trout Board ($10) was our least favorite item of the day. The trout was decently smoked, but nothing special, the 6 minute egg was over done, though the pickled beets are really great with a nice, balanced flavor.

I was fascinated with the Patatas Bravas, which turned out to be a huge portion for $7. And to make the Missus even more happy it was topped with….you guessed it, two more easy over eggs. That make about five eggs if you're counting.

The garlic aioli had a wonderful "punch", the potatoes had the great texture of spuds that had been twice fried as the interior was fairly creamy. It was a bit too salty and the sauce seemed a bit heavy handed with regards to paprika, but you can't say it was bland.

So this with coffee….what do you think this would cost in San Diego? Here it was $33…….almost a shocking bargain for us. Plus no sales tax. I'd forgotten how reasonably priced things were in Portland.

Like I mentioned before, the woman who waited on us was just a joy. While the Missus went to the restroom, she stopped by and we had a nice chat about the food scene in the city. She told me that the last 3-4 years have been quite amazing for the city. Man, I was looking forward to the rest of our trip.

Tasty n Alder
580 SW 12th Ave
Portland, OR 97205
Hours:
Sunday – Thursday 9am – 10pm
Friday – Saturday 9am – 11pm

Mary visited Tasty n Sons on her visit.

After brunch we headed off to see some familiar sites and to make one important stop….Powell's Books. To quote something from an earlier post that included Powell's; "yes, it's all true; the bookstore takes up an entire city block. And yes, you do need a map to get around. And yes…..used books are mixed in with the new. And yes, I think there are people living in Powell's, that may have not left in years" I managed to pull myself away from Powell's…….

Powell's Books
1005 W Burnside
Portland, OR 97209 USA

I really enjoyed the "Pearl" district on my previous visits so we walked on over….man, it's gotten even more upscale since our last visit. Lots of development. The Missus couldn't resist dropping by the Whole Foods to take a peek and even bought some goji berries which were $7/lb cheaper than in San Diego.

The beer selection was pretty darn good as well. This looked like a nice Whole Foods.

We walked a bit more, then headed back to the hotel for a nap. We both woke a 4am to catch our flight, so a nap was in order……

Thanks for reading!

Farmer Boys- farm fresh food, not fast food (Escondido)

February 26, 2015 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Burgers, Chains, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog, tries to entertain and sometimes amuse you with almost daily posts centered about food. Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are not blogging today; it's Cathy writing this post.

You've probably seen signage while driving along the freeway or along side streets. Perhaps you've been curious. Here's a post giving you reason to stop.

Farmer Boys first opened in 1981 in Perris, California. Founded by the five Havadjias brothers, the idea of 'Farm to Table' wasn't spoken of as part of the dining experience, yet that's been the business philosophy of this small (79 store) Southern California, Central California and Nevada restaurant chain of both company owned and franchised locations. Yes, it's a chain, but with locations primarily California, it fits into my 'new year resolution' of patronizing locally.There are two locations in San Diego County, both in Escondido. The 'newer' location, pictured above, is near a Home Depot and in the same parking lot as the Escondido Vallarta Market location.You walk up, order and pay and your food is brought to the table. The decor is country and home-like, as is your freshly prepared meal. The restaurant serves breakfast all day, and my go to item is the 'Daybreak Sandwich' ($4.19 or $4.99 with meat). Pictured above, the Daybreak with a sausage patty (other options are bacon or ham). It's on a potato bun and made with two eggs and a slice of American cheese. Good any time of the day. I really like the sausage served here; it's not greasy and has just the right amount of spices.The hearty pastrami sandwich ($6.99) is served on a toasted garlic ciabatta roll with mustard and pickles. The oven roasted, smoky pastrami is of excellent quality.

That's a 7 piece side of 'Colossal onion rings' ($4.19) [a four piece side order is $3.49 if you want to avoid temptation and/or can't do math]. Not only are those rings colossal in size, but also in flavor…the fresh hand battered rings are usually ordered with any meal here. The fry is perfect and never greasy. There are also zucchini and harvest fries available as sides; both are also excellent, fresh and never frozen.The menu has had a 'Natural' (hormone free, antibiotic free, fresh never frozen) burger ($6.29) on the menu for quite a long time. It's 1/3 lb, served on the potato bun (all other burgers are served on sesame seeded buns) with American cheese, onion, pickle and 1000 island dressing. Juicy and flavorful (and *much* better than the Carls Jr 'Natural'), this is my burger of choice here, even though the 'Bacon Boy' and 'Farmers Burger' are a bit heavier and larger in size, the Natural Burger has the flavor I enjoy.The Mister and I came here on a Friday and ordered the 4 piece hand battered fish dinner ($9.99) to share. Hand battered, wild caught, pollock filets (each filet was quite large; the above photo shows two pieces; one is butterflied so it would cook evenly. The photo above it has all four filets as it was originally served.) served with Harvest Fries, two onion rings,the garlic ciabatta bread, toasted…andyour choice of soup or salad. The soups are made fresh daily. The choices are almost always clam chowder or cream of broccoli. Both are excellent.

The menu has enough choices to satisfy almost any craving or dietary restriction. The shakes are made with real ice cream, need I say more?

Farmer Boys 1333 East Valley Parkway Escondido 92027 (760)739-0770 Mon-Sat 6-midnight, Sun 7-midnight Website

Dolci Cafe Italiano (Breakfast)(Rancho San Diego)

February 8, 2015 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Italian Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Good morning/afternoon/evening. You have found mmm-yoso!!! a food blog. Kirk is extremely busy with work and Ed(from Yuma) is extremely busy with retirement. Cathy, who is also extremely busy, is writing today.

We had some heavy rainstorms back in January and The Mister and I were driving on side streets instead of freeways, finding ourselves in El Cajon one morning.

In the mall on the curving corner of Jamacha Road ending, turning into the 94 (just before the Cuyamaca College entrance) are many businesses. Right next to the Ralphs Grocery store (across the parking lot from McDonalds), I had spotted this restaurant for a few years now. We saw people walking in and decided to park and follow.Once seated (in the 'outside' area, which had heat lamps and protection from the rain), we ordered a cappuccino ($3.75) to share while perusing the menu, which mentions 'local farm to table cuisine'. It was excellent, as was the regular coffee.Indeed, we were some of the first customers of the day, since Dolci opens at 8 on weekends for breakfast (9 during the week). Dolci Benedict ($10.95) was prepared with perfectly poached (organic) eggs on top of toasted ciabatta with pancetta, gorgonzola, spinach and a pesto hollandaise. Served with country potatoes and seasonal fruit, this was tasty and yet another version of Benedict we enjoyed.The description of the stuffed salmon crepes ($11.50) had me curious. Smoked salmon, cream cheese and scrambled eggs, overfilling two delicate, slightly sweet crepes and topped with a very thin slice of smoked mozzarella cheese…the blend of flavors was just right (I had feared that the smoked cheese would be overwhelming but instead it was flavor enhancing, because it was very thin).

All in all, an excellent breakfast. We are already planning lunch and snacks here.

Dolci Cafe Italiano 2650 Jamacha Road #121C El Cajon, CA 92019 (619)660-2012 Website (there is loud music involved when you log on)

ecb (El Cajon Bistro)

January 25, 2015 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

Hello again from mmm-yoso!!! a food blog. Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are a bit busy today and Cathy is writing a quick post.

After posting about El Cajon Bistro and Bakery in 2013, it became a regular spot to drop in for a quick snack before grocery shopping at either Kaelins (which has been upgraded in a great way), or Valley Foods when we didn't want to eat at the hot food area in either of those stores. (ecb is equidistant from each of those grocers).The name has slightly changed, removing the 'Bakery' portion and dinner is now offered here. This location is in the same parking lot as Saray and Sultan Bakalava, which are also regular stops for snacks. The ordering area is the same, as is the dining area with an emphasis on juices and fresh fruit along with the still tremendous coffee offerings.This day we decided to have breakfast and The Mister ordered his favorite item- the berry pancakes with bacon and over easy eggs ($8). The fresh berries baked into the house made pancake batter is just a perfect flavor combination and always satisfying.The chalkboard at my eye level on the counter had me curious. I asked what the difference was between this and the 'regular' eggs benedict was and the answer was 'green Hollandaise sauce'. For some reason, I have been asking for the 'green' sauced items at quite a few places this year (tomatillo, suizas, culichi, chimichurri and pesto easily come to mind) now this was a choice. Had to! Well, this was just wonderful! The eggs were poached hard and the sauce was great, with that bit of difference than plain Hollandaise as well as a good amount of fresh veggies making this an excellent breakfast treat.

Similar to its sister location (La Mesa Bistro and Bakery), the lines are out the door on weekends, unless you get here early.

ecb 109 Jamacha El Cajon 92019 (619)590-0278 Website Open 7 a.m. daily (closes 4 p.m. Sun-Mon, 8 pm other days)

Miyajima: Momiji Manju, morning at Itsukushima Shrine, and breakfast at Yamaichi Bekkan

January 16, 2015 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Desserts, Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Miyajima, Travel

There was a certain kind of stillness as I looked out our window in the morning.

This was Miyajima before the throngs of tourists arrive….the quiet of the streets…you could almost hear the falling leaves hitting he ground, or at least you thought you could.

We had chosen a Japanese style room at our hotel, Yamaichi Bekkan. While small, the rooms were comfortable in this tiny four room hotel. One of the amenities was of course, a tea pot. We'd bought some Momiji Manju, a manju in the shape of a maple leaf, which is the local specialty. As a whole, I don't have much of a sweet tooth, this was fine…..

After some tea and manju, we headed downstairs. We told the very nice owner that we'd be coming back later for breakfast which was included in our room package.

There was one reason I booked a night on Miyajima.

And no, it wasn't to frolic with our four legged friends…..

Rather, it was to visit what is now one of the Missus's favorite sights…….the "floating torii" of Itsukushima Shrine. I had planned being here even when it wasn't "floating". You see, at low tide, you can actually walk out to the gate.

Having seen it during high tide, this seemed quite impressive in its own right……

We'd seen a large group of kids arrive the night before. They were having a fun time. We recognized an older couple. I'd tried to give them my seat on the tram from Hiroshima Station the day before. They gave us a smile and a wave. Ah yes, the island was indeed getting smaller…..

We hadn't actually visited the shrine yet….I'd kinda saved it for the morning….less crowds so we could enjoy things a bit more.

I mentioned a bit about the history of the island and shrine in my earlier post.

This is one of those places that just doesn't take a bad photo.

It was fun watching the "classes" take photos…."say cheese!!!"

We exited on the otherside of the bay. Taking a seat, we could sit and absorb the whole scene.

And do our parody of the ultimate Asian "selfie peace-sign shot".

I sent this out to friends, and "TFD" mentioned that she had never seen the Missus look so happy….

It was time to head back. We decided to cross the "bay area"….after all, this place is covered by water a good part of the day, so couldn't get nice shots like these without getting into a boat during those times.

We walked back via Omotesando Street…basically the shopping arcade which was not ready for prime time at this hour.

Here's a bit of trivia….I was told that the "Shamoji" the rice paddle was "invented" on Miyajima. According to various stories a monk named Seishin had a dream the product of which became the traditional rice scoop. And, in case you're so inclined, you can find the world's largest rice scoop here on Miyajima.

Arriving back at Yamaichi Bekkan, it was time for breakfast. We had a choice of a "Western" or "Japanese" breakfast. You know which one we chose, right?

I'd had my share of what I call Japanese breakfasts. The basic is what I would call "tamago meshi"…which we had at home. Hot, fresh, rice, natto, green onions, with a raw egg cracked over the mess. What I had at Fukagawa reminded me of growing up…before the days when you'd want to "Leggo my Eggo".

Here it was a much more formal breakfast.

And totally wiped me out. Good thing it was still early. I was able to head up back to the room and take a 20 minute nap!

Soon enough we were on the ferry, leaving Miyajima.

I could tell by the Missus's body language that She really enjoyed Her time here.

And if I were a betting man, I'd say that we'd be returning someday……..

Thanks for reading!

Seattle: Brunch at The London Plane

December 27, 2014 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Breakfast/Brunch, Seattle, Washington, Travel

**** The London Plane has closed

I don't sleep in much. Remember what they say about needing less sleep as you get older? I'm not sure I buy into that, but I usually wake at 5am on work days and by 6:30 or so on weekends. But there's something about the weather and coziness of Seattle that just makes you want to sleep in. Or perhaps it was that wonderful dinner and the rather long walk we had the night before. Regardless, by the time I threw back the curtains on our hotel room, it looked like a glorious day.

Our flight wasn't leaving until 5pm, so I had arranged for a late check-out. We'd just loaf around until then. But first, we needed sustenance.

We'd passed by The London Plane, a wine bar, cum bakery, cum specialty food shop, cum cafe the day before. I'd heard of the place, so we stopped in and looked at the brunch menu. The menu looked interesting, so we decided on yet another Matt Dillon shop for Saturday brunch.

Though the rest of the "in transition" Pioneer Square area looked pretty empty, the London Plane was almost half full.

Much like The Walrus and the Carpenter we just got some really nice seats….upstairs…overlooking the open kitchen.

Our Server told us, "I think you got the best seats in the house…." And I don't doubt him. I love watching the timing and coordination of the different stations. An open kitchen means you've got to work really clean….which this place totally did.

Wanna make a food blogger's day? Give them seats at the counter or open kitchen.

We started with the Smashed Avocado and local Albacore Toast ($12).

I believe the albacore was oil poached…still, it was rather dry, and a bit "fishy" to my tastebuds. Guacamole on toast….why didn't I think of that before? I actually enjoyed the avocado – olive oil…the sourdough, which I think is one of the shop's hallmarks is very good and the red pepper…well, not flakes, but crumbs brought a nice mild smoky, pungent, heat to the whole deal.

Take a look at some of my coolking posts over the last couple of years and you'll notice how various vegetables have started to really take up a bigger part in our diet. So there's no wonder that the Missus decided She wanted brunch here after seeing different assortments of vegetables available for brunch.

By far, my favorite were the Roasted Baby Carrots and Red Emporer Onions with pistachios and mint (far left). I really enjoyed the levels of savory sweetness….it never went too far, the light touch of mint really added a nice touch. The Missus loved the roasted delicata squash (duh…) and kale (double duh…) with tahini and pumpkin seed. Nice balance here as folks tend to be rather heavy handed with tahini.

The raw beet, apple, fennel, and celery slaw with walnuts was definitely no shrinking violet, but was a bit too tart for my taste.

One bad thing about having several enjoyable dishes is that as the meal goes on, the higher the expectations. Since I make gravlax at home, the Missus expected the lox in the Salmon lox, potato, pickled peppers, and creme fraiche was going to be something sublime. I guess simply being "lox" was not good enough……

Of course the Missus loved the romanesco……..but was less than impressed with the rest of it. Deconstructed; the potato is the "bagel", the pickled peppers the red onion and capers, and the creme fraiche….well, creme fraiche. I would love a bit more dill and something more herbaceous to set this off. Not a bad dish by any means….but while carried out well, quite mundane.

As we left, the dining room was packed, and the shop quite busy. We'd enjoyed our meal here and the service(and the coffee) was quite good as well.

The London Plane
300 Occidental Ave S
Seattle, WA 98104

This was a bit more than we'd usually have for breakfast….which left us ready to roll back in bed. Having a late check-out, that's exactly what we did. After all of the walking the last two days, the extra rest was welcomed.

After our nap, we walked around a bit, then checked-out and headed off to SeaTac. Man, the light rail makes everything so easy.

We managed to grab a beer at the airport since we got there early.

And even a grilled cheese and some cheese curds from Beecher's near Concourse C.

Like I learned in Madison; those cheese curds will hold you for a good long time……they were really good; garlic and herb flavor. We didn't get to the grilled cheese until getting home!

Anyway, we had a blast in Seattle; it remains one of my favorite cities. And we surely won't wait another 7 years to return!

Corner Bakery Cafe-revisits (Mission Valley)

December 26, 2014 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Salads

Here you are, at the food blog named mmm-yoso!!! Today's quick post is written by Cathy.

During the pre-Thanksgiving and pre-Christmas hustle and bustle of the vehicles carrying groups of people shopping at local malls, The Mister and I tried to get to places as they opened, or during weekday 'lulls' in foot traffic. We found that, just as before shopping in grocery stores, a quick meal before walking about was helpful in keeping to our planned excursions. On the ring road of Mission Valley Mall, on the spot where the Montgomery Ward Tire Center had been located, is Corner Bakery Cafe, a franchise which began on a corner, in Chicago, in 1991. There are now 184 locations in 19 States and the District of Columbia.The business model is similar to Panera in that you walk up, order, pay and your meal is brought to you, there is free wi-fi and the menu includes freshly baked goods, both sweet and savory with breakfast and lunch/dinner choices. Opening at 7 a.m. on weekdays, it's the perfect spot for breakfast before mall stores open. There is a good selection of coffees. This is a made to order 'Anaheim Scrambler' ($7.79) Freshly scrambled eggs mixed with applewood smoked bacon, tomatoes, cheddar cheese (and also green onion, which we asked not be mixed in) and topped with avocado slices. This is served with breakfast potatoes (or fresh fruit) and "Mom's Harvest" toast- grainy and seedy and tasty. Above is my favorite breakfast item, because it is unique to CBC. Swiss oatmeal ($4.49) –muesli– raw rolled oats, mixed with dried (raisins and cranberries) and fresh (apples and bananas) fruit and yogurt. Yes, a cold cereal breakfast. It's far more interesting than hot oatmeal and I enjoy it for breakfast. On the side there is a sweet crisp, sort of a thin biscotti made with dried fruit and topped with sugar crystals.One of my usual meals (here and everywhere) is a bowl of chili ($6). The version made here is excellent- two types of beans, ground beef, tomatoes, onions and mild peppers along with a great chili spice blend which is slightly sweet. It's served with a piece of fresh sourdough.

A fallback menu item we order is the Trio ($7.49) (which is really four salads, because a small order of field greens salad is always included). This day, the choices were: 1) tuna salad (which is tuna, red and green bell peppers, green onion and mayonnaise with some Dijon mustard and basil) 2) D.C chicken salad (chicken, green apples, currants, redonion, celery, mayonnaise and toasted almonds) 3) the new toasted sesame kale salad (fresh kale, shredded carrots and toasted sesame seeds with a ginger soy dressing). Each salad is so refreshing, perfectly dressed and bright tasting.

The year has been filled with mainly local places and a few franchises for meals out. We have had more meals at home than out, which I haven't posted about. It's been fun to share and so nice to see the good wishes to all of us here. Enjoy this final weekend of 2014!

Corner Bakery Cafe Camino de la Reina (SE corner, at Mission Center Drive) (619) 692-0423 Website

Seattle: Breakfast at Lola, Pike Place Market and Piroshky Piroshky, a visit to Tom Bihn, and other familiar places

December 12, 2014 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Markets & Grocers, Seattle, Washington, Travel

After putting in the miles the previous day, we awoke to what I consider a rather typical Seattle morning.

It always makes me want to jump right back in bed…… We usually wake very early when travelling. Getting up at 4 or 5 am is the norm, whether in Hanoi, Prague, Antigua, or Istanbul. When in Seattle though, we usually get a great, long, night of sleep. And usually awake famished……

The Missus picked the spot for breakfast; Lola in Belltown. I was interested as well, since this is part of the Tom Douglas empire. In spite of all my visits to Seattle, I'd only eaten in one Tom Douglas restaurant; Dahlia Lounge back in 1994, when he won the James Beard award for Best Chef: Northwest.

It was 8am on a Friday morning and the place was packed!

The Missus ordered the "Lola Breakfast" ($15)…..and for some reason ordered Her eggs boiled…6 minute eggs. One of the eggs that arrived had cracked and the albumen was oozing out sloppily. She asked about it and the Server grumpily removed the plate and it was brought back very quickly….so we knew they had just scrapped off the egg whites and dropped the plate back on the table…. the eggs, were also way past 6 minute territory.

Other than that, the smashed garlic potatoes were wonderful….I enjoyed the fingerling the best. We had potatoes this way twice in Seattle, something that I had done at home a while back, but now I've been inspired to do potatoes this way again. The bacon was very nice, great flavors, crisp around the edges, chewy in the center.

I ordered Tom's Favorite Breakfast ($19). I had read that Lola is Greek inspired and this "hash" of sorts featured octopus, which did not disappoint.

The octopus was among the best I've had in ages, perfectly tender, yet slight crisp from the griddle. The winter squash added a wonderful, mild sweetness to the dish, the bacon, salty-smoky flavors, and let's not forget the leek, which brought the entire dish together.

The poached egg was adequate, though I'm not a fan of the sourdough toast here….they are still into hard and chewy breads here.

We both enjoyed the coffee and instead of feeling weighed down by breakfast, both thought this hit the right balance in terms of portion size.

Lola
2000 4th Ave
Seattle, WA 98121

We then headed off to this Seattle landmark and truly one of my favorite places in the world.

No matter how many times I've visited Seattle; I've never gotten tired of checking out Pike Place Market.

We have our favorite places; the Missus never gets tired of watching donuts being made at the Daily Dozen Doughnut Company and I enjoy checking out Beecher's Cheese.

And then of course, as I mentioned back in 2007, Piroshky Piroshky is a must stop……

Well, make that "used to be" a must stop. I got a Sauerkraut, Cabbage, and Carrot ($4.20) which seemed to be a shadow of its former self….did they change the recipe somewhere in the recent past? First, the filling was pretty cold and strangely bland, second, the pastry lacked the buttery-yeasty flavor that we both recall.

Kind of sad since this used to be a tradition for us…….

Piroshky Piroshky
1908 Pike Pl
Seattle, WA 98101

Still, it's always grest to visit Pike Place Market and to check out places that weren't around the last time we visited……I did want to taste the shot of the brine at Britt's Pickles, but no one was around….so we'll just have to go next time.

We then started off to our next stop when it started to come down a bit. So we ducked into Seattle Coffee Works…the Missus had Her V60 pour over and I had some iced coffee.

When things settled down a bit we caught the route 131 bus down to SODO. Now, I might joke about the Missus and Her love for Chanel bags and such……but I've got a bit of a bag fetish as well. You see, I'd been searching for the perfect carry-on bag for years. We only do carry-on when we're travelling, unless we'll be bringing stuff back….we have a foldable duffle for that. A few years back, I got a Tom Bihn Tri Star, basically a European sized carry-on and I loved it. The Missus complained about spending so much for luggage, ya-da, ya-da, ya-da…..Until the Aeronaut 30 came out and I got Her one…..now She's a Tom Bihn-nite as well.

Anyway, Tom Bihn's factory and only showroom is located on Ohio Ave South. So we caught the bus, got out at the South Dawson Street stop and walked to the showroom.

The showroom is basically a partitioned off section in front of the factory floor. But…. I was in travel bag geek heaven! Anyway, the Missus determined that I should get an Aeronaut 45, which can actually hold a lot more than I believed. So yes, another bag for me…….

Tom Bihn

4750A Ohio Ave S
Seattle, WA 98134

We caught the bus back to Pioneer Square. By now we were getting a bit hungry. So we stopped by this fast casual shop named Sprout, ordered a Cobb Salad and went back to the room and shared it. By now it was nap time for the Missus and usually, I'd be joining Her. But, for some reason, I was still a bit jazzed. I guess that 10 hours of sleep I got he night before really did me good….except for my legs of course….

It had dried out a bit, so I decided to take a walk around the area….to some of those places I hadn't been to in a while.

Man, the last time I actually visited the Waterfall Garden was back in the 90's.

And though the area is still kind of gritty…..kind of like the Tenderloin in SF, things look a lot better than I remembered. It looks like folks are starting to move into lofts, we saw folks walking their dogs…..

I had a destination in mind…..funny, how you get into a pattern of things. By habit, I went to the "old" location of Uwajimaya…..and then remembered it had moved over a block back in 2000!

Picked up some bottled tea and water and walked back to where we were staying. I was kind of suprised to smell so much reefer in the air as I walked around Seattle. I don't ever recall that before!

I'd been gone over an hour, so the Missus had a nice nap. It looked like it was going to be a nice evening…..

And we had reservations at Sitka & Spruce for dinner…..

2015 Rose Parade float road test #7 with a quick breakfast at The Original Tops

November 23, 2014 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Los Angeles County

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog with primary musings about food. To get to that central subject, secondary and tertiary subjects are broached by three of us writing here (Kirk, Ed (from Yuma) and Cathy). Today Cathy is centering in on the food in a roundabout way.

Yes, another weekend, another road test. There have only been six tests announced in previous years, but I checked the Phoenix Decorating Company home page earlier in the week and saw the announcement, so on Saturday morning (at 4:45), The Mister and I were in the car and driving North. We had encountered construction near the I-5 border checkpoint the previous two weeks and wanted to be sure to allot enough time to go North.
Just after 6 a.m., we arrived at Cream Pan, my favorite bakery ever. We purchased a ham and cheese croissant and a raisin pastry (which had yellow raisins overfilling the interior) as well as one strawberry croissant and ate while driving, where we incurred more traffic backups…
Most notably near the Citadel Outlets, which are already being decorated for Christmas. When we finally got to Raymond Street, around 7:20, only two floats were in sight. The Banner float (first one you will see on television), which isn't outlined for the decorators yet and… The Farmers Insurance 2015 entry -"Dream Big: World of Possibility". I did sneak over to the barn and took a photo of work being done.
Then The Mister and I were off, looking for things happening around town, while heading East… Eventually we were in the 3800 block of Colorado Boulevard (far from the end of the parade route) and saw Tops, which I hadn't posted about since my preview of the 2007 Rose Parade. This is a newer, different location than that other post, and is decorated with vignettes of local sights. Along with having the Tops traditional serve yourself condiment choices…how I love condiments! Being a creature of habit, my order of a Classic Egg Sandwich on rye ($3.89) is to be expected. One note, the eggs here are organic Free Range eggs…it says so on the menu. Anyhow, wonderful fresh flavor and standard ingredients of lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. The Mister ordered a pastrami omelette ($7.49)…three of those organic free range eggs, loads of pastrami three cheeses as well as a slice of American cheese on top, along with toast and homestyle potatoes.

Here's a close up of the potatoes- which are the kind I had forgotten mom and dad making for my brother and I…thinly (mandoline)sliced potatoes stacked and cooked with a crunchy top.

All in all a short day trip (we were home by 11:00) and new things to see and places to go. Hope your week is safe and not too hectic!

The Original Tops 3838 East Colorado Boulevard Pasadena (626)449-4412 Website open daily 6:30 a.m.-11:00 p.m., later on Friday and Saturday.

2015 Tournament of Roses road tests: #1 Test #2 Test #3 Test #4 Test #5 Test #6

2015 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade Road Test #6-plus. Breakfast at Lucky Boy(Pasadena), Lunch at Tom’s Farms (Corona)

November 17, 2014 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!! This food blog has been around a while now and most posts are written by Kirk, who is taking a bit of a rest today. Ed (from Yuma) also shares food-based musings here and he is also resting. Cathy is all rested up and so she is writing this post.

Two weekends ago, yet another safety and maneuverability road test of 2015 Tournament of Roses rose parade floats occurred at Phoenix Decorating Company. Only three floats were being tested that day.The Princess Cruise Line float is now completely colored in and those sort of 'tiki' faces (one on each side of the ship) will have small 'waterfalls' within.This super long float (see the viewer way in the back, above the float (second photo up) as well as the one in the front looking out (above photo)?) It's by Honda and the first one you will see after the Banner float on January 1, 2015.You can see the seated Spotter and Driver in the United Sikh Mission float, above.

Here's the 'plus' part: my brother was in town on business last week and I asked him to delay his flight departure so he could see the float barn and a bit of Pasadena.
Welders were assembling rebar, floats were being taped off for coloring and foam additions and we got to see a bit more of the real work on the float building process. Then we all went for breakfast. Yes, a simple breakfast it was… The simple egg sandwich (now $3.50) on rye toast… Along with the slightly more complicated egg sandwich with bacon ($5.55) and cheese (40¢) on wheat. There was a *lot* of bacon on that sandwich; enough to share.

Lucky Boy 640 Arroyo Parkway Pasadena 91105 (626)793-0120 website

We drove and saw things around town (Rose Bowl Stadium, the street markings for the float drivers to follow along the entire parade route, bleachers being set up for the parade (those need to be tested for safety before January 1 too) and the Farmers Market, then started the drive back toward San Diego.
Taking the long way, along Route 66. Then we got to the 15 and headed South, stopping at the ever curious signage for Tom's Farms. (which I wrote about for 2009 Burger Week).
Coincidentally, we ordered similarly to that 2009 post, and inflation has barely batted an eyelash here. The 1/3 lb Tom's Burger is now $3.99 (it was $3.95) and the 1/3 lb chili size is now $5.99 (it was $4.95) The whole onion lightly breaded perfectly fried onion rings are $3.99 ($3.69 back then). The food was as good and fresh as ever (the buns are made here; vegetables same as the ones sold here and the meat was cooked to a nice medium-rare) and the small vacation was fun.

Tom's Burgers 23900 Temescal Canyon Road Corona 92883 (951)277-4103 website