Caffeine Fix – Page 14

Portland: Case Study Coffee, Tasty n Sons, and the Cheese Bar

September 17, 2015 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Cheese, Portland, Oregon, Travel

*** Tasty n Sons and Cheese Bar have closed

I'd planned on having one "walking" (aka death march) day in Portland and this Thursday was to be it. Little did I know just how much walking we'd do…..on this day and the next because of some unplanned detours.

Things started as planned. Just a block or so away from the hotel is Case Study Coffee Roasters. Very chill and mellow.

The Missus got a pour-over, which was nice, and She decided that I should get the Lavender Infused Cold Brew…which seemed kind of, well, feminine…..but was nice with a refreshing clean finish.

Case Study Coffee
802 SW 10th Ave
Portland, OR 97205

The plan was as follows…the Missus wanted to walk, so I'd decided to head to Mount Tabor, via the Hawthorne Bridge and Hawthorne Boulevard. A decent 4 – 4 1/2 mile walk. We'd take our time and have lunch at Cheese Bar on SE Belmont Street, then catch the #15 Bus back to the hotel for a nice afternoon nap before walking another couple of miles to dinner. As we left case study, the Missus decided that we needed to try Tasty n Sons. We'd gone to Tasty n Alder twice during our last visit to Portland and She wanted to see how TnS lined up…. So let's just add another 4 miles total to things shall we? One does not argue with the Missus when She gets into "mission mode"…..

So off we went. The Broadway Bridge was undergoing some work as we crossed so the bike lane and pedestrian walk area was a single thin path. Folks were biking to work so we'd stop and move under the scaffolding to let them pass. I'd forgotten how friendly and nice folks in PDX were. Every bike rider who passed us and there were many smiled and said "thank you"……

We crossed over the I-5 over to N Vancouver, then to N Williams Avenue. Man that part of North Williams near the Emanuel Medical Center is kind of depressing….but you soon get close to NE Fremont Street with the ton of bikes (3,000 bike commuters on this street daily is what I read), businesses, and gentrification. We'd arrived…..

The building Tasty n Sons is located in is quite interesting, it's named the Hub and contains almost every single type of new-agey business you can imagine, even a Naturopathic Vet!

Anyway, we were seated quickly upon entering the restaurant….we found the service here to not be quite as friendly or efficient as Tasty n Alder or even Toro Bravo (an upcoming post). Still, we sat at the counter facing the street and had a nice meal.

Seeing Shakshuka on the menu, we couldn't resist…and of course, there's the Missus's love of runny eggs…and my love of grilled bread.

The eggs were wonderfully runny, the bread nicely charred and smokey. The shakshuka could have had a bit more zip; both in terms of heat, sweet red pepper, and tangy tomato flavors. Of course, since we make our own at home quite often, we have a certain expectation in terms of flavor and prep. Still, this was good.

The real winner was the Moroccan Chicken Hash and of course, yet another egg for the Missus.

The spice-salt-earthy flavors was just what we were craving. The chicken was nicely seasoned and the creamy sauce brought everything together.

During the recent hot weather, I've been making a nice chilled heirloom tomato and mozzarella salad with aged balsamic and Arbequina Olive Oil, which is so delicious. So we were excited to try the Heirloom Tomatoes. Well, you can't claim false advertising as it is heirloom tomato slices.

To our tastes it was a little low on both the acid and sweetness scale and the kitchen had been a bit too liberal in the application of salt.

Overall a nice, hearty, but not too heavy breakfast. I had encouraged the Missus to order the Radicchio Salad here, but for some reason She decided not to. Something She'd regret later.

Tasty n Sons
3808 N Williams Ave
Portland, OR 97212

And so with some cajoling I got my butt in gear and we headed east on NE Fremont, then down MLK Boulevard. On this day, the temps were supposed to hit the high 80's (the next day would go into the 90's) and it was getting pretty warm by the time we got NE Belmont. The walk was slightly uphill, but not too steep.

There are quite a few interesting places along the way…..

Over 5 miles later, we got to the place I'd originally planned as our lunch stop; Cheese Bar.

We've really been enjoying cheese over the last couple of years. Cheese Bar along with the new "Chizu" in downtown are retail/cheese-wine bars owned by Steve Jones former winner of the National Cheese Monger Invitational Contest.

I was pooped, hot, and rather sweaty. Strangely, I was also a bit hungryl. Cheese Bar serves up cheese boards, charcuterie boards featuring Olympia Provisions products, sandwiches, beer, wine, and salads. We just ordered two cheese boards and had some highly restorative mineral water.

The House Cheese Board featured three Spanish Cheeses, chutney, and crostini ($11).

Really nice aged Sheep's milk cheeses. From right to left, a Mahón Reserva, a Buenalba, and a very nutty Zamorano. The Mahón seemed a bit behind the other two in terms of assertive flavors. But after letting the flavors open up as it reached room temperature the sweetness of the cheese became apparent.

We also got the "Stinky" Board with Crostini ($8).

The Grayson (on the left) is slightly ripe, though quite mild in flavor. The Vulto Creamery Ouleout has a wonderful texture, a slightly ripe smell but was also a bit mild for our taste. I guess we've gotten used to Harbison.

This was a nice stop for a light lunch. If we'd been doing some self-catering, we'd surely have gotten a couple of cheeses and a baguette.

Cheese Bar
6031 SE Belmont
Portland, OR 97215

I really looked like "Ji-chan" as I stood up….geez, I'm surely not getting any younger…..especially after taking a "nice" over 9 mile morning walk! The Missus was nice enough to allow us to return to downtown on the #15 bus. I crawled back to our hotel room, showered….and then it was time for a short nap. Which I hoped would be restorative since we'd be walking to dinner!

Thanks for reading!

Azucar, a Cuban Style Patisserie – Sweets and Savories (Ocean Beach)

September 10, 2015 Cathy Bakery, Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Cuban Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping by to read mmm-yoso!!! This is a blog about food. Today, Cathy is writing because Kirk and Ed (from Yuma) are busy with things.

Azucar opened in Ocean Beach in 2008. Its owner, Vivian Hernandez-Jackson, is Cuban, classically trained in Europe and seven years ago realized her dream to open a Patisserie with a twist in Ocean Beach. Located on the Northwest corner of Newport at Sunset Cliffs (just across the street from Village Kitchen), the small storefront seems unassuming.Step inside and be prepared to be overwhelmed. The descriptions and selection of what is available that day are fascinating (as well as delicious).

A cup of coffee along with a cheese roll (pastelito de queso) and coconut-almond florentine (each $2) one day was a relaxing and enjoyable respite of flavors and textures. The delicate pastry surrounding the cream cheese filling topped with coarse bits of sugar is delightful and the chewiness of the coconut and crunchiness of the almonds is so satisfying. Many people order specialty coffees here, but I find those too sweet and interfering with the already natural sweetness of the pastries.There are also five sandwiches on the menu. Above, the Cubano ($8). Slow roasted pork, thin slices of ham, Swiss cheese, mustard and pickles. Pressed and toasted on freshly baked organic bread and served with a side salad. This is the way a sandwich should be. Those items in the refrigerated section are larger and each is around $6. Always wanting coconut flavors, our selection one day was the Artemisa: coconut cake, coconut syrup, pineapple, rum, custard and whipped cream. Topped with toasted coconut shavings. Yes. Dense, deep flavors and wonderful.

There are breakfast items here (quiche, Spanish omelet, croquette) as well as a good selection of coffee based beverages. A nice place to stop on your way to or from the beach.

Azucar 4820 Newport Avenue Ocean Beach 92107 (619)523-2020 Open Mon-Sat 7-6 Sun 8-5 Website

Lil’ Farmers Cafe-fresh. (Kearny Mesa)

July 28, 2015 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Caffeine Fix, Desserts, Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt, Salads, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!! Cathy is writing today; Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are busily researching places and food items.

Some days, I just want a simple meal-sandwich or salad, maybe a coffee. Ending up at Panera, Subway or Starbucks makes for a dull post. I've taken photos of every food item consumed for almost a decade, those don't necessarily show up on the blog but this time, simple foods from a locally owned place are worth sharing. Just a few weeks ago, while driving along 163 South, we noticed this signage over what had been a Starbucks, turned briefly into Pizza Studio (another one of those 'customizable' pizza places) (which, after six months, had a 'Closed for Remodeling' sign on the window). (I did write a post about Pizza Studio, but it was very negative and proven by the sudden closure so it was deleted). Lil' Farmers Cafe is in the same parking lot as Mitsuwa Marketplace, Chopstix Too and (soon to be open) Nishiki.The ubiquitous, hipster, reclaimed wood wall was already there……as was the walk along refrigerated glassed in area.The simple menu (nothing is priced over $5.99 except for the 'to go' organic beverage packs which serve 12) is pretty much all customizable.You can choose your bread and toppings for a sandwich……as well as salad ingredients if you want something added or not included in the menu selections.The beverage selection is interesting (as is the pricing variance between 12, 16 and 20 ounces) and I really like the organic coffee. The concept of a Bacon and Bean salad ($5.49) is interesting. For the first order, I wanted my personalization to be the lettuce choice and the salad dressing (Oil and vinegar, which was mixed thoroughly and in a perfect proportion). Lettuce, bacon, garbanzo and kidney beans, fresh tomatoes and Parmesan. This was very large, very fresh and just right (I am always afraid when the lettuce is already mixed in with dressing, but the technique used here is correct, with no excess 'pooling' at the bottom of the bowl). The Mister ordered a Farmer Panini ($5.49) Roast beef, cream cheese, tomato, onion and (our addition) sprouts. Panini'd and on sourdough, this was a really good sandwich. We ended up speaking with the manager, a very nice lady, who told us the owner is a former San Diego Socker. We've seen him in the restaurant the times we have visited; he is keeping an eye on things and looking for feedback and ways to improve the menu.Another visit had me craving a simple salad. Farmer Greens ($4.49), a nice mix of arugula, spinach, red pepper and roasted tomatoes (I chose sesame dressing) is very good (roasted tomatoes would be a great salad add-on in the future; such great flavor) and hit the spot. The Mister had another menu item in mind, the pesto-chicken flatbread ($5.99). The flatbread (a whole grain dough; very nice) is first warmed, then the items placed on top, then it's all placed back into the small oven for about one minute to melt the cheese and warm the chicken and the flatbread gets a bit crispier. Pesto, chicken, Mozzarella and shaved Parmesan are the only ingredients and truly is all that are needed needed. Again, the flavors are just right.You may or may not have noticed a small area at the bottom of the small menu. Ice cream. 99¢ a scoop ice cream. Only chocolate, strawberry and vanilla flavors (which can be made into a shake). Excellent, extra creamy, 'old fashioned' (to my tastebuds) ice cream. It reminds me of the 10¢ squared/not round scoops of wonderful ice cream from Thrifty's. The bottom of the menu 'flatbread' choice is a sweet version ($4.99). Again, the bread is first warmed, then spread with Nutella and sliced banana, folded over itself, warmed a bit more (the bread is almost toasty) and topped with caramel and chocolate sauce. This was good, if not a bit too sweet (I think a dollop of fatty whipped cream might cut the sweetness, but really have no complaints).

Each visit we've shared a cup of the organic coffee, which is very good. There are no claims made about other organic items here; the freshness on each visit has been remarkable. It's nice to have a local place to enjoy a good, simple meal.

Lil' Farmers Cafe 4240 Kearny Mesa Road San Diego 92111 (between Ross and Trex, just across from the In-n-Out) (858) 430-6554 Website Open Mon-Fri 8-6, Sat 10-6

Bilbao: Breakfast and Casco Viejo (Old Town)

July 24, 2015 mmm-yoso Basque Country - Spain and France, Bilbao, Spain, Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Spain

How do you top dinner at Azurmendi? Well, you don't really. You just get up the next morning and get breakfast…….

Then walk around town killing time until you check out at noon and catch your bus to San Sebastian at 2pm.

The Missus decided that we should go to Casco Viejo, the Old Town. We decided to walk along the riverside…… Of course, we first had to pass "Fred".

The morning looked overcast and in fact it drizzled off and on until midmorning.

It seems that all dogs walk off leash here….they are very well behaved. Here's a really friendly one!

Most just mind their own business……

The walk from the Guggenheim to the Arenal Bridge, which crosses over the Nervion River takes about 20-25 minutes or so.

This was a quiet Sunday morning……

That's the Teatro Arriaga in the foreground, which greets you as you cross over the river.

We soon found ourselves at Plaza Nueva. This being Sunday, vendors were setting up for the weekly market of used books, stamps, coins, and other miscellanea.

There's something for everyone it seems. If you loved birds, there's a stand for that…..

What, you don't like birds? Not to worry. The very next booth sells slingshots…..

If you're in the Old Town, all streets lead to Santiago Cathedral. It is said that a church was originally built on this site back in the 14th century. There were additions made to the church at different periods and you can see the variations in styles. The church was declared a cathedral rather recently; in 1949.

It's actually fairly difficult taking a photo of the cathedral since the surrounding buildings are rather close. This being Sunday, and rather early in the morning the cathedral is closed to visitors.

As you can figure out by the name; the Cathedral Stands on the Northern route of Camino de Santiago, the Way of St James.

We noticed a little café that was doing some pretty good business and decided to stop for a "caffe" (espresso).

As we sat and relaxed, I noticed the place getting a bit more busy. After paying and leaving, we noticed much more activity in the little alleyways and small arteries in Old Town. Of course! It was Sunday, folks were on their way to church……

We headed out back across the bridge; past the Renfe Train Station….by now I had pretty much finished taking photos. We were just walking. We found ourselves back in downtown….and I knew where we were! Wouldn't you know it, I finally had directions figured out in Bilbao just in time for us to leave!

Oh well. We hadn't seen everything. And there were many more places that I had on my list to eat at. When travelling we always treat a place like we'll return someday….we see the things that are high on our list and don't stress the rest. So maybe…….

Anyway, we returned to our room, packed up a bit, and decided to take a short nap before checking out.

Next stop, San Sebastian…..

Thanks for reading!

Madrid: Ferpal, A Walk Around Madrid, and La Oreja de Jaime

June 12, 2015 mmm-yoso Caffeine Fix, Madrid, Sandwiches, Spain, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

Morning in Madrid is pretty calm. I guess that happens when most folks end their day at midnight. We were in fact, quite pooped. We awoke, had like three cups of espresso a piece and slowly woke up. The Missus had our day pretty much planned by the time we left.

We of course started at the Missus's favorite location the previous day, Puerto del Sol.

Strangely, I don't have a day time photo of the building which faces the Tio Pepe sign and the statue of Charles III. It was the first Post Office in Madrid and is currently the Governor's Office. Right in front of the building's main doorway is this marker on the ground.

This is "Kilometer Zero", which represents the center of Spain. So I guess this is where we were supposed to start, right? A good part of these walks were distilled by the Missus from Rick Steves Guidebook to Spain. The Missus will often combine all the walks into a single long one. We headed left and up (down?) the street and through Calle de Postas, a street that's been around since medieval times. Some of the building here were quite striking.

Like the display on this Watch Shop named Antigua Relojeria, which has been around since 1880.

This little street leads right into Plaza Mayor.

Pop out of the plaza and you end up at the very popular Mercado de San Miguel. Though not open at this early hour.

We weaved through streets, past buildings until we came to this memorial. This statue marks the spot of an assassination attempt on newlyweds King Alfonso and Princess Victoria by Mateu Morral. The statue memorializes the 15 people killed in the assassination attempt. No the King and Queen were not killed.

Further down the street is Almudena Cathedral. Construction started in 1879 and the cathedral was consecrated in 1993.

That's a 114 years!

Right across from the Cathedral is the Royal Palace of Madrid.

We had thoughts of visiting, but the Missus was on a tight schedule here, so maybe next time. East of the Royal Palace is Plaza de Oriente. We saw Mounted Police getting ready for their shift when we arrived.

It's a very nice green space…..

The street we were walking on is named Calle Arenal.

By this time; we had almost circled back to Puerto del Sol and were in need of a break. Some espresso seemed to be just what the doctor ordered. There's a charcuterie and cheese shop named Ferpal (strangely, we didn't even read about it in the guidebook until later – though RS's recommendations are in our opinion somewhat suspect for our tastes) on the street.

What looks like a coffee counter takes up half the shop….and folks were lining up for their morning (late morning) fix. So we decided to join in. The staff at the counter are rather diner worthy. As in grumpy in a somewhat humorous way. You still get served and everything works fine….for some reason, it just reminds me of a diners here in the states.

While waiting to order our "caffe" I noticed a couple of items on signs. The first was a plate of Lomo Iberico Bellota for a mere 4 Euros, which of course we got.

The Missus actually enjoys the less salty, leaner, more meaty cured pork loin (lomo). This was a nice little brunch item for us. I also noticed something on the menu board behind the counter. Under the heading "Sandwichs". Yes, not "sandwiches", but "sandwichs", the "crema" category were the words "foie gras". For .9 Euros, basically a buck. I had to try this…..

It was a nice little half sandwich, with the crust sliced off, just like mom would make. This was basically a light foie gras mousse. It was quite tasty and filling which we enjoyed it with our "caffe".

Ferpal
Calle del Arenal 7
Madrid, Spain

We took a short shopping bread at El Cortes Ingles, the huge multi-floor department store. There's a supermarket in the basement of all El Cortes Ingles as far as I can tell.

The next leg of the walk was up Madrid's version of Broadway; Gran Via.

An interesting study in early 20th century architecture, what makes the street even more interesting is that the buildings were built in groups starting in 1910 and ending in the 1950's. So buildings on blocks were built around the same time.

The area around Cines Callao looks quite impressive and was open for business in 1926.

At the end we took a break at Plaza de Espana and watched these dogs having a great time.

We noticed that the dogs in every city seem to have distinct personalities. In Madrid, they were a rambunctious bunch, having their own mind, pulling their masters along.

Coming full circle we ended up back at Puerta del Sol. We were hungry, it was lunch time. Along the arteries stretching out from the square are tons of eateries. We looked in several of them, a few of which I had on my list and settled on La Oreja de Jaime.

It was quite interesting. There were tons of tourists outside the place, but only Spaniards in this little joint. On occasion someone would walk in, order a Caña…a small beer…polish it off in one large gulp and head on back out. For lunch this was a one man operation; Jaime took orders, cooked, served the drinks, bussed the tables. You name it. There were a couple of older folks eating and having drinks. We simply requested a couple of cañas and ordered from the chalkboard. No crazy equipment here, just a deep fryer, a stove, and a wonderfully seasoned flat top which you can see from the streetside window.

We started with some Padrons.

Thrown in the deep fryer, we quickly found out that Jaime does not go easy on the salt….it was good sea salt. Nice and almost sweet if a bit high on the sodium scale.

You'll notice the name of the place "Oreja"……so what else would you get from here but orejas….ears.

The orejas were only 5€, so we were flabbergasted at the portion size. Get a media (1/2) racione if you go here. These were simply done on the griddle, which, by the flavor, smoky and almost sweet is highly seasoned by who knows how many orders of pig ears. These were crunchy, wonderfully gristle-y, and chewy, with a pretty hefty amount of olive oil, a touch of smoked paprika, and since we love pig ears, quite enjoyable, though the Missus couldn't bring Herself to eat the hairy portions.

The champignons with camarones was also pretty good.

The shrimp was quite tasty, full of that nice shrimp flavor that folks in the states seem afraid of. It was a bit on the oily side, but I'm not complaining.

Man, the prices were quite cheap and we left stuffed. Even more impressive was the couple who walked in after us. Apparently, they come here often as Jaime knew them. The woman, who appeared to be in her 60's polished off an entire order of patatas bravas, as did her husband, they polished off a plate on pardons, another plate of something else I couldn't make out, and then, the husband having fallen by the wayside; the woman devoured a plate of orejas, while enjoying three beers. Not small caña sized glasses, but three bottles of beer…and some olives to boot!

Jaime is quite friendly, always smiling, even though he's a one man show. The prices are quite reasonable and this was a pretty good and simple lunch. No messing about, just good grub.

La Oreja de Jaime
Calle de La Cruz 12
Madrid, Spain

It was getting quite hot and I was starting understand the how's and why's of how things are done here. At least I understood the necessity of a siesta……

Newbreak Coffee & Cafe (Ocean Beach)

June 9, 2015 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Caffeine Fix, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

Thank you for once more stopping to read mmm-yoso!!! Kirk is recovering from his European vacation, Ed (from Yuma) is enjoying his American vacation and Cathy is here in San Diego, sharing part of her Staycation.

We are beginning to have some overcast, warm and humid days now…'bad weather' some call it. Driving down to the Ocean Beach area of the City and parking at the beach makes it all tolerable. North and South views from the public parking lot on Sunset Cliffs near Lifeguard Tower 2 are beautiful and the ocean breeze is brisk and refreshing.Turn around, back to the street and the orange based signage at Newbreak greets you. It's been there since 1993. The seating area can hold around 50, there is free wifi (and plenty of outlets)…but of course, the Cafe is why we stopped here. Fresh baked pastries and bagels and home made breakfasts and lunches. Gourmet coffees and a wall of tea leaves to choose from.Additionally, there is a good selection of gelato available. This day, I decided on soup and a half sandwich ($6.99) Yes, you see full slices of the baked here multigrain bread, but from the smaller end of the loaf, making the small sandwich declared to be a half. The sandwich is the "New-B-Ken-OB": turkey breast, bacon, avocado, Swiss, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise.

Fresh made vegetarian lentil soup in a quite large bowl accompanied my 'half' sandwich. Quite a delightful, fresh meal. That day, there was a chalkboard listing of a Cubano panini ($7.99). You may be able to tell it was double the size of the other sandwich. Ham and chicken breast, pickles and two different house made spreads (one was red pepper based and had a nice spice) properly panini'd served with some thick crunchy potato chips made this another quite large meal.

We also had shared a large pour over French Roast coffee ($2) which was excellent.

Newbreak is a San Diego staple for a number of reasons. There is so much to appreciate in our great County. Thank you for reading!

Newbreak Coffee & Cafe Sunset Cliffs San Diego 92106 Website (619) 226-4471 M-F 6-3, Sat-Sun 6:30-3

Elixir Espresso Bar (Westfield UTC) and Elixir Espresso and Wine Bar (Westfield North County)

June 2, 2015 Cathy Caffeine Fix, Desserts, Stuff, What Cathy Eats!

Thank you for (once again or first time) stopping to read mmm-yoso!!! a blog about food. Since Kirk is vacationing, Ed (from Yuma) decided to also take some time out for a road trip and Cathy is staycationing in San Diego, walking around malls for today's post.

It really has been years since Either The Mister and I have ventured into a Shopping mall. This year, we decided to make our daily walks a bit more interesting and that's worked out.

We went back to Westfield UTC with the intention of stopping here for a respite. This rather large kiosk is in between the Banana Republic and Anthologie stores (and on the way to the parking garage-which was the only reason we noticed it). It opens at 7 a.m. Mon-Fri and at 8 on Saturday, 9 on Sunday…before the mall opens.

You order and pay at one window, find a seat and your order will be called when it's ready.Peeking inside, you can see the crêpe machine and to the right is the espresso machine. That's all that is on the menu here…coffees and crêpes.Calabria Coffee is what's used, and it is excellent and artfully prepared. [That's a small latte above ($3.50)]Since it was early, we decided to share a breakfast crêpe ($5.25). The description is simple 'ham, egg and cheese'…so I assumed the egg would be scrambled, cheese melted in and sliced deli ham would be laid on top and the crêpe would surround it, like a burrito…but no!

Notice the edge of the egg over the edge yet baked within the thin pancake-like crêpe. The ham was *really* good- a smoked ham, cut in chunks, not slices. The cheese added a good tangy flavor with gooey melty component. Far more than I expected at a mall kiosk. Wonderful food here.

Elixir Espresso Bar La Jolla Village Drive 92037 (858) Open daily 9-8 website

The weather started getting warmer a few days later, and we decided to go walking at an enclosed (air conditioned) mall. Westfield North County mall it was!Traveling down the third set of escalators, I noticed this large open eating area from above and was surprised at its name when we stopped to look. Elixir Espresso AND Wine Bar…The menu board was similar, yet had additional food items, and in the seating area, the clipboard menu was most interesting…Sandwiches, bakery items, gelato and wine, all out in the open part of the mall. Crazy. We had to.First, we ordered a Viennese crêpe ($4.75) Simple, filled with honey and cinnamon (and served on an appropriately sized and shaped plate, although I thought the hot dog liner paper was a good way to serve the outdoor crêpe at the outdoor kiosk). This was a nice way to enjoy a sweet crêpe.

The clipboard menu had a 'Flatbread' section on it…and the Pears, Bleu Cheese and Coastal Cheddar ($10.75) sounded nice.

Wow. Thinly sliced pears overlapped and covered this freshly made, soft yet baked to a light crunch flatbread. The toppings of the Bleu and Cheddar, melted in and melded with the bread and pear and this was wonderful. If we had ever thought to do this at home, a nice glass of wine would accompany it.

We have learned to stop and enjoy our breaks and so far, we have been really pleased.

cc has been to the downtown location of Elixir, which has an interesting past…

Elixir Espresso and Wine Bar 200 Via Rancho Parkway Suite 9000 (Westfield North County, in front of Nordstrom and bottom of escalator) Escondido 92025 (760)741-1488 Website

Cafe Cantata- Del Mar

May 31, 2015 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Caffeine Fix, What Cathy Eats!

Cafe Cantata has closed.

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog. Today, Kirk is not writing, Ed(from Yuma) is not writing and it's Cathy's musings you will be reading.

The Mister and I were in the Torrey Pines area before Memorial Day and decided to drive along the coast, turning onto Via de la Valle to check out if the County Fair was being set up (so, you know, I could take photos and stuff…). Unfortunately nothing was going on in that sense, so we continued under the 5 and turned into the shopping mall on the North East corner (where there's Whole Foods, which has the inside the store restaurant, Trifecta Tavern) and I had our default lunch in mind.

Walking through the rest of the mall, we noticed Cafe Cantata, and I recalled reading about it on cc's post from almost a year ago, when she met Kirbie for lunch. Turns out it was during the County Fair and they both were still able to find parking, so that's something good to keep in mind. Here's a link to a more recent visit from cc.Cafe Cantata is on the second floor and used to be a location of Pannikin Coffee & Tea, a San Diego institution since 1968. Pannikin holds fond memories; it was our first 'real' coffee shop experience.Walking in, the wall to your left emphasizes the food. Seeing one person per table emphasizes free wifi. The coffee bar area is well utilized. Pastries are located in a couple of places, there is a chalk menu board as well as paper menus on the counter. It is the standard, order, pay and your food is brought to you. Breakfast and Lunch are served from 6 until 3 each day. I really like that.Ordering a large cup of (plain, regular, fresh)(certified organic, free trade, custom blend) coffee ($2.15) it was served in this asymmetric cup. Think about trying to drink it from the 'wrong' side…Since it was a Friday (when we don't eat meat), the Greek Scramble ($8.95) from the 'Breakfast' side of the menu was my choice. Eggs, Feta, tomato, onion and finely minced olives were expertly (and by that, I mean evenly; a skill which seems to be lacking at some breakfast establishments) scrambled. Served with whole grain toast and fresh fruit (or roasted potatoes), this was a wonderful meal.The Mister ordered a Caprese Panini ($7.95)- roasted and sun dried tomatoes, fresh Mozzarella and (giant) basil leaves on grilled sourdough, along with a bowl of tomato soup (add $1).

Cafe Cantata is a very nice place for a coffee or a small meal. You aren't required to use wifi and can have a nice visit here.

Cafe Cantata 2670 Via De La Valle Del Mar, CA 92014 (858) 925-7297 Website

Bottega Italiana (UTC)…coffee and gelato

May 24, 2015 Cathy Caffeine Fix, Desserts, Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, a food-centric blog with (almost) daily writings shares posts about various cuisines, new and established restaurants, pubs and other places where food can be found, as well as sometimes home cooking. Today, a short post written by Cathy about a small three-location establishment.

Not that I wrote any posts about the holidays or any New Year resolutions, but now, almost six months into 2015, I feel successful. The free "Steps" app on our mobile phones record how much The Mister and I walk each day and the goal of 10,000 steps a day has become easier and almost regular since about mid-April.

The only thing was, it started getting a bit boring, despite the almost daily weather changes. So, we've become 'those people'- Mall Walkers.Parkway Plaza is covered and air conditioned, Grossmont Plaza is also close to home, but not that interesting to us any more, so one day we drove West to Westfield University Town Center, where we haven't regularly stopped in years.

The Ice Rink and surrounding restaurant choices are new to us and so are most of the shops. (edit- the Ice Rink seating area used to be open to the rink and is now enclosed. Most of the food court restaurants and the food court seating area have been redone since we were last here).

There's also a new movie theater building that was added onto the mall.Down the steps near the entrance (or, exit) of the Arclight Cinemas is Bottega Italiana.

Kirbie visited in January. cc visited the other (Coronado) San Diego location selling Bottega Italiana gelati in November. Faye also mentioned Bottega Italiana in the middle of this post. There is an area selling coffees and San Diego made Chuao Chocolates to take home.The menu is simple, the coffee preparation area is observable, there are a few sweets for sale at the cash register. The gelato is made right here. Daily. The fresh made gelato are beautiful…and overwhelming. We've been offered samples and sometimes that makes decisions more difficult. Fortunately, two flavors can be part of a 'small' size.Also, an affogato (small size gelato ($3.80) with a shot of espresso over it (+$1)) can have two flavors within…in this case, panna cotta (vanilla flavored sweet cream; it's different than (the excellent) vanilla) and hazelnut went perfectly with the brisk shot of concentrated coffee.Another day, a small ($3.80) with Speciale (burnt cream, dark chocolate chips, caramel and sea salt: all able to be tasted in one bite) with a scoop of Opera (pistachio, hazelnut and almond nuts and flavors) was enjoyed at the patio tables out front.

Bottega Italiana is a nice place to stop and get a shareable, excellent treat.

Bottega Italiana 4445 La Jolla Village Drive Suite H-17 (just down from the movie theaters) San Diego 92122 (858)404-0799 website Mon-Th 10-9:30, Fri-Sat 10-10 Sun 10:30-9:30

Up 2 Yoü Cafe- Dessert (revisit)

May 23, 2015 Cathy Caffeine Fix, Desserts, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, food blog. Kirk is in another country, Ed(from Yuma) is in another state and Cathy is here, in sunny Southern California, blogging about food.

Another overcast day here and time for a snack. I haven't posted about Up 2 Yoü for about two years, even though The Mister and I find time to stop here fairly often. The overhead has been replaced recently.The menu has stayed with almost exactly the same choices.The decor is also about the same as it was…eclectic.

As always, our order remained eerily similar yet with slight variances…This time, a fresh made crepe ($3.75) filled with egg custard ( 75¢) was a refreshing and not too sweet of a choice…However, still wanting an ice cream as well as a caffeinated product, an affogato ($3.95) with my choice of (unimaginative yet quite tasty) vanilla ice cream was our other shared item.

In the past two years, Up 2 Yoü has remained steadfast, profitable and even opened a second location near Mesa College, around the corner from K Sandwiches. (the pink square on the Up 2 You web page)

Most bloggers went here when it first opened, including Kirbie, cc and Jinxie. There are plenty of seating areas and board games you can check out. It's a nice relaxing local owned spot.

Up 2 Yoü Cafe 7770 Vickers Street (at Convoy) San Diego 92111 (619)663-6388 Website

Still amused by the restroom signage…