Caffeine Fix – Page 7

Paris (2022) – It’s Labour Day (La Fête du Muguet), Café du Centre, La Maison d’Isabelle Revisited, Dinner at Les Enfants Rouges, and Motors Coffee

May 22, 2022 mmm-yoso Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Croissants, Fine Dining, France, French Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Paris, France, Travel

**** This is a pretty long post; though it does feature our favorite meal of our recent trip.

We slept well after having done a good amount of walking the previous day. While we had reservations for dinner on this evening; which I was lucky to get since our initial dinner reservations we had made were canceled just a week before our trip….I think the restaurant had forgotten that it was going to be Labour Day. And even more interesting, it was both a Sunday, when many businesses are closed anyway. But I was told that museums were going to be closed as well as most shops and restaurants; much as indicated in this blog post. On May 1st, France celebrates worker's rights and also "La Fête du Muguet" (Lilly of the Valley Day)….we saw many folks carrying little bouquets of Lily of the Valley. I read that on Labour Day, it would be fun to just go to a park and see families enjoying the day.

And so we just headed out, walking the few steps to Rue Montorgueil to find that both Café Montorgueil and Café du Centre were open. As I've mentioned before, one of our favorite things is to sit outside at a café on a street like Rue Montorgueil and watch the world go by during the day; before or after the lunch crowd and before apéro time. Over our visits I've kind of gotten the signal down as to if it would be ok to occupy an outdoor table for just coffee and sit. To me it's a simple rule – if the table has place settings, that would be forks, knives, etc; it means that folks sitting would be expected to eat some food. If the table is bare….with perhaps an ashtray (yes, folks still smoke when dining/drinking on the sidewalk) or a menu, it's okay to just grab a seat at an empty table and have some coffee or tea….or perhaps a glass of wine. Our favorite at Café du Centre is right on the corner, where we can watch life passing by…..

And of course there are the many pooches….

Many of which believe they are "in charge"……

We saw this couple walking down the street with the cutest, obviously loved, and pampered pooch being carried and I had to take a photo…..

The gentleman saw me and waved, I waved back and smiled and they decided to come on over for a more "formal" photo.

Remember all those folks who told you that people in Paris were uptight and not friendly?

Café du Centre
57 Rue Montorgueil
75002 Paris, France

From here, I thought it might be nice to head on over to Jardin du Luxembourg to see how folks were enjoying the holiday.

So we set off, past Les Halles and then down Rue des Déchargeurs. Crossing Rue Rivoli we saw this distinctive building.

According to Atlas Obscura, 59 Rivoli was:

"An artist squat for years before being renovated by the city and returned to a collective of artists."

We crossed over the Seine and decided to take a detour to see if our favorite Croissant Bakery, La Maison d’Isabelle was actually opened on this holiday. We were in luck, the place was open, but the line was rather long.

It seems like Parisians are fine with waiting in line….so, why not?

Sadly, they were out of Croissant au Beurre; so we settled for the Croissant Ordinaire (the version made with margarine).

La Maison d’Isabelle
47T Boulevard Saint-Germain
75005 Paris, France

From here it was a straight shot down Rue Valette to the Pantheon, which I posted on before. Of course it was closed on this day.

Though as you can tell; folks were out and about….enjoying the sunny day.

And then right down Rue Soufflot to Luxembourg Garden; where everyone seemed to be having a great time.

The folks renting out the little boats were during some bang up business on this day.

We strolled around a bit; then found a nice bench and tried out the croissant.

While the texture was every bit as good as the "butter" version; we definitely missed the balance of butter to salt and this seemed a bit "bland". Not bad though.

We sat and enjoyed our time sitting on the bench in the shade; though there were quite a few people just enjoying the sun.

After a period of people watching, we decided to head on back to the apartment for our afternoon nap.

We really love all the green spaces in Paris.

Wew passed Hotel de Ville where there seemed to be some kind of fair going on.

And heading down Rue Aubry le Boucher at Place Edmond Michelet (in case you're wondering who Edmond Michelet was) we saw this mural.

We had enjoyed the morning and enjoyed our nap even more.

Before our trip I'd tried to make dinner reservations for the first of May……but because it was either a Sunday OR a Holiday I was having a difficult time. Then, I did manage to get reservations to a place I'd been wanting to try, Automne, only to have them cancel on me. After going down my list a bit; I found that another place from said "list" actually had early (at 7pm) reservations. The restaurant, located in a part of the Marais I'd always wanted to check out, right around the corner from Marché des Enfants Rouges, named Les Enfants Rouges. It was, as many of the places we'd tried in the past like ERH, Pertinence, and Alliance helmed by a Japanese Chef along with Michelin Stars. There's something about French cuisine with Japanese touches and sensibility that we really enjoy.

We headed back up the now bustling Rue Montorgueil to Rue Reamur. By the time we got the point where Rue Reamur became Rue de Bretagne we were running ahead of schedule. So we decided to take a break and people watch at Square du Temple. It was such a nice stop; it's hard to imagine that this space was where the Knight Templar once had their castle in the 17th Century!

From here, it took us less than 5 minutes to reach our destination.

As we turned down the alley like Rue de Beauce….well, a certain "fragrance" permeated the air…….the Missus wasn't sure that She'd really wanted to eat here. And well; at least we know why they wouldn't have any outdoor seating!

We were kindly greeted when we arrived….the Hostess spoke to me first in Japanese, which I fumbled badly thru, switching to English! The restaurant was tiny and I was glad we'd made early reservations.

The staff here were wonderful and accommodating which was really on display when a couple came in and when it was time to order……apparently the woman was allergic to stainless steel and nickle (?!?) and made it known that she could not consume foods that had been exposed to certain metals nor anything that had been braised. The hostess came out and even brought out the cookware that was going to be used to make their dishes for inspection!

The Missus went with some wine off the carte…..

Of course we kind of shared things….starting off with the Roasted Padrons and of course I had to get the Foie Gras on Toast.

The Padrons were nicely fired and salted…..there was of course the "pepper roulette" as a couple were nice and spicy.

The Foie Gras was from Landes in the Aquitaine region portion was quite generous.

Both appetizers were good, but nothing amazing.

But after the bread and "Trou Normand" the show really started.

The White Asparagus with Smoked Haddock was a show stopper.

My goodness; the wonderful sweet and tender white asparagus, we were so glad to be here during asparagus season; along with the smoky, yet not overwhelming smoked fish…the cream sauce tasted like there was some dashi in it….this was wonderful.

I got the Lamb Terrine which was also a winnah!

The texture was terrific; just enough toothsomeness. Loved the balance of gameyness, wine, and mild sweetness. I could eat this everyday. The tarragon based pseudo Sauce Gribiche was too good to put to waste. Lovely pickled radishes and shiso helped to restore one's palate between bites.

Then came the dish of the night; the Tempura Merlu.

The batter was light and crisp; the Merlu (hake), from a place we'd visited before Saint Jean de Luz, had a mild sweetness and was so moist and tender. Though it was that sauce; made with seaweed…it did look like nori, was amazing! Deeply savory, with umami for days. This was a really Japanese cuisine leaning dish. Man, some rice with this would have been amazing!

I ordered the Pork Belly.

Of course the Missus poached that tender, crisp asparagus spear. The tempura broccolini was nicely crisp as well. The morels and the risotto was nice and earthy-sweet. The pork belly really did taste like a cross between Vietnamese Thit Kho and Buta Kakuni and it was delici-yoso!

I decided to celebrate the dinner with a nice glass of Yamazaki.

Whilst the Missus enjoyed the desserts……in line with the Japanese touches; the desserts weren't overly sweet.

That Lychee granita and grapefruit supreme was wonderfully refreshing.

Like I mentioned earlier, the service was wonderfully accommodating. We noticed that many of the customers were Japanese. Our dinner, with wine, drinks, etc was $265/US! Cheaper than some places in San Diego!

I think we'll be back to this somewhat hidden, cozy spot.

Les Enfants Rouges
9 Rue de Beauce
75003 Paris, France

We had a nice, relaxing walk back to the apartment. And slept soundly……

Our flight to Edinburgh wasn't scheduled until the afternoon, so we didn't have to check-out until 11 or so.

While scheduling and researching this trip I started noticing more craft coffee places in Paris, something I didn't come across during previous trips. There were two places within walking distance and on this morning, I walked on over to Motors Coffee on Rue des Halles.

It's quite the modern craft coffee shop and wouldn't be out of place in San Diego.

They even did cold brew and pour over….called "drip" here….they even had 3 "Geisha's" on the drip menu! I ended up getting the Missus a natural brew and we'd return later for Her to try the pour overs.

I actually had an Americano, which I thought was pretty good.

Motors Coffee
7 Rue des Halles
75001 Paris, France

I even grabbed a Croissant au Beurre from Bo & Mie since it was kind of on the way back to the apartment.

We seemed to be just getting into the groove here in Paris and were somewhat reluctant to leave. But Edinburgh beckoned and we'd be returning for a few more days on the way back!

If you've stuck around to the end of this super long post; I thank you so much! Have a great week!

Roadtrip (During Covid) – LP Espresso (Page), Amigo Cafe (Kayenta), and the Lee Cly Trail (Monument Valley)

April 15, 2022 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Caffeine Fix, Flagstaff/ Sedona/Winslow/Northern AZ, Mexican Restaurants, Native American, Road Trip, Travel

We left Zion fairly early in the morning. I was looking forward to our next stop; Monument Valley…after all, my late Mom was a big time Western fan, and I recognized photos from Monument Valley as scenes from some of her favorite Westerns. Plus, Monument Valley, located in both Arizona and Utah and on the Navajo Nation Reservation is not quite as heavily visited as other places we've been to.

We headed out the East exit of Zion National Park, down the 89 thru Kanab. We decided to stop in Page, which we were somewhat familiar with, to grab some provisions and for a coffee break. We took a short stop at the Glen Canyon Dam Bridge before heading into Page.

A nice little stop to stretch our legs…..

In Page we stopped to fuel up and then at the Safeway for water and a couple of other items; then drove over to LP Espresso for our caffeine fix.

Part espresso/coffee bar, part wine/beer pub, the young ladies were very friendly, though our Espresso and my Cold Brew (???) took a while.

There's not much choice for decent coffee in Page……so we took what we could get.

LP Espresso
612 North Navajo Drive
Page, AZ 86040

From here we headed down the 98, then to the 160 East. At the point where we needed to take the 163 (no, not THAT 163) North to get to Monument Valley is the town of Kayenta, which is part of the Navajo Nation. I had marked off a place to grab lunch, Amigo Cafe, mainly because I wanted some Fry Bread.

The restaurant is located past the usual fast-food suspects, right as you take the left onto highway 163.

This small restaurant was doing some steady business. They had some great Covid protocols in place and we had to actually sign in and leave our contact information for contact tracing. The Navajo Nation was hit hard by Covid-19 and at one time had the highest per-capita infection rate of COVID-19 in the US. But due to their response they've beat back Covid and according to several articles I've read is now one of the safest areas with regards to Covid in the nation.

All the tables were cleaned super well, all employees (and customers we saw) wore masks. The staff was friendly and warm.

The Missus got Pork Posole with Fry Bread ($10).

Which was on the bland side and really needed more porkiness and seasoning. The base also needed more chili paste as this was lacking in the fruity-smokiness of dried Guajillo and Ancho chilies. The Fry Bread was light, crisp, and yeasty, reminding the Missus of youtiao.

She was also provided with some pretty plain guacamole and chips.

I got the "Navajo Taco" ($11).

Basically Fry Bread (think of it as a unsweetened funnel cake if you will) with a smear of refried beans, shredded lettuce, onion, and tomato. A side of Spanish rice was also provided. Very Ameri-Mex toppings.

Well, the fry bread was a bit oily, but yeasty, and I got to try it out.

The folks working seemed to know all the other customers, so I'm guessing quite a few locals eat here. The service was very nice and efficient and I thought prices were quite reasonable.

Amigo Cafe
US Hwy 163
Kayenta, AZ 86033

From Kayenta you head up Highway 163 and then take a right on Indian Route 42 right after crossing the border to Utah. Taking the right on the roundabout takes you right back into Arizona, take a left, you're in Utah….straight ahead is Mexican Hat. Many folks stay at Goulding's Lodge down Monument Valley Road. But I decided that we should stay in the only hotel in Monument Valley; the View Hotel. There's only one entrance to Monument Valley, you drive up to the booth and pay the entrance fee, $20 per vehicle. We got to the hotel; which was also under Covid restrictions, so the restaurant was closed and so forth, a bit early. So of course the Missus wanted to "stretch Her legs"……. There are two hikes in the area; the Wildcat Trail and the Lee Cly trail, a 2 mile loop that we took. These are the only two hikes you could take without a Navajo guide. The trail starts just East of the hotel.

And yes, Monument Valley was every bit as beautiful as I thought.

From the left to the right; the "West Mitten", the "East Mitten", and "Merrick Butte".

A wonderful, pretty easy hike to the South of the hotel.

Upon completing the hike our room was ready. The View has hotel rooms, cabins, and a camping area. I took a top floor room for both this view at dusk.

And the night sky…..it was so totally dark, we saw so many falling stars……

Because of Covid, the hotel restaurant was closed, but bag meals, basically brown bag sandwiches and chips were provided. We were enjoying the view so much that we really didn't fdeel like driving out for dinner. Also, no alcohol can be sold on the Navajo Nation.

We walked over to the gift shop before picking up our sack meal. We really liked the gift shop and ended up buying some certified Navajo items as gifts.

It was so quiet, we slept so soundly, and got up before sunrise the next morning, because we wanted to see this.

Beautiful, isn't it?

We had a full day planned out with a Navajo guide and were really looking forward to that!

Thanks for stopping by!

Postscript (04/18/2022) – this one is for FOY Junichi who said he enjoys the Westerns filmed in Monument Valley:

Roadtrip (During Covid) – Perks at Zion, the Canyon Overlook, the Scenic Drive, a Walk Thru Springdale, the Riverside Walk, and Zion Canyon Brewpub

April 14, 2022 mmm-yoso Beer, Caffeine Fix, Road Trip, Travel, Utah

For our last day in Zion…well, the Missus really had quite a day planned out. But first, while She was waking up; I strolled on over to the Coffee Shop located in Zion Canyon Village, Perks at Zion.

Which was the one place that seemed a bit busy.

I got the Missus a double espresso, myself and Americano, and brought it back to the room.

Perks At Zion
147 Zion Park Blvd.
Springdale, UT 84767

And the Missus was ready to go once I got back to the room.

Since, like I mentioned earlier, we were visiting right after Thanksgiving and things were pretty quiet. The shuttle had stopped running so if you got started early enough you'd easily find parking. We headed over to East Zion, thru the Zion Tunnel and parked in the small parking area right past the tunnel.

A trail started right across the street from the parking; the Canyon Overlook Trail.

This was my favorite trail of the trip. It's not very long, just a mile out and back, but I loved the amazing, diverse scenery, and the wonderful views.

There are areas with switchbacks and cliffsides, though there are railings in place at some of them, where you can see the canyon below.

At the end of the trail you are treated with an amazing view (to the right of the Missus), the West Temple, Sundial, Altar of Sacrifice, and the Beehive.

In spite of my fear of heights; I found this beautiful.

The Zion shuttle doesn't run to this area; so you'll need a car to get here.

After heading back to the car, we decided to take a drive thru East Zion along the Zion – Mount Carmel Highway. We stopped several times to take photos and just breath in the wonderful, clean air.

We stopped at the Checkboard Mesa viewpoint to take in the wonderful Sandstone Summit of Checkboard Mesa.

We then went out the East entrance and turned around. We decided to take the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive to check out places we didn't see on the previous day.

We stopped at "Big Bend" to have a look at the formations.

To the left below is the Organ, to the right, Angels Landing….I actually prefer this view to the one I had the previous day.

We drove until the end of the road, turned around and headed back to Zion Canyon Village.

However, there was a bit of a traffic back-up near the Park Lodge. First, some deer were crossing the road; then a bit further down, this fellow…..

The Missus asked me "what the heck is that turkey doing walking down the middle of the road?"

My answer? "He's celebrating that he made it through Thanksgiving!"

We got back to our room and decided to take a walk to the town of Springdale just next door.

It's a quaint village with a population of about 350…….

We saw kids getting out of school, which made me wonder how it would be growing up here.

We stopped at Sol Foods Supermarket and picked up a couple of items.

Which we had for lunch with some beef jerky back at the room.

Sol Foods Supermarket
995 Zion – Mount Carmel Hwy.
Springdale, UT 84767

After refueling, the Missus was ready to go…….so, we decided to head on back up Zion Canyon Road and this time we parked at the end and did the Zion Narrows Riverside Walk, most of which is a paved, easy, almost two mile hike.

This was an easy, almost relaxing walk along…well, the riverside of course.

At end, if you're like the Missus, you could continue and hike in the Virgin River in what they call the Narrows. But of course I was here and we didn't have the equipment necessary….

So the Missus just decided to give Her feet a soak in the Virgin River.

Before heading back to the car……

We'd had a nice relaxing day.

We really didn't feel like having more fried food or burgers and the places in Springdale we were interesting in were closed for a break following Thanksgiving. So we decided to heat up some of the packaged food we brought.

But first, we walked over to Zion Canyon Brewpub, just like we had done the previous two nights; except we'd be just having some beer before dinner. We stuck to the brwery side of things and the Missus got us one of the small tables alongside the river.

And we each had a beer before heading back to the room…..

It's hard to beat the view here…..

After the beer we strolled back to the room and proceeded to heat up our packaged meals for dinner.

We'd enjoyed our time in Zion. But tomorrow we'd be heading out to our next stop. Monument Valley!

Thanks for stopping by!

Roadtrip (During Covid) – Coffeholic (West Covina), Eddie World (Yermo), and Dinner at Partage (Las Vegas)

March 27, 2022 mmm-yoso Caffeine Fix, European Restaurants, Fine Dining, French Restaurants, Las Vegas, Los Angeles County, Markets & Grocers, Road Trip, Travel

My attempt at using up all my vacation days led us to schedule another road trip a mere 6 weeks after returning from Yosemite. This time we'd be headed to Zion, Monument Valley, and Sedona….with a couple of stops along the way; which included the SGV and Las Vegas, We again stayed at the Courtyard Monterey Park and again ate at Bistro Na's; so I won't even post on that.

The next morning we headed out to Vegas, first stopping for our caffeine fix in West Covina at a place named Coffeholic.

This shop was in an interesting location; in the Lakes Mall, near Edwards Cinema, near a bunch of shopping center-chain looking places, banks, and offices. Needless to say, at 8am on a Tuesday, there was not another soul around.

So….service was quick, I had my usual….and the Missus got a pour over (of course), which was super cheap at 5 bucks…..and of course, She got what She paid for.

Regardless, we got our coffee sat and sat for a bit.

Coffeeholic
1240 Lakes Drive Unit B
West Covina, CA 91790

Since we hadn't been to Old Town/Downtown in ages…..like over 20 years we also took a stroll down South Glendora Avenue…..it was so quiet here, almost spooky in a way…..hard to believe this is West Covina.

And after getting in our fix, we headed off…..

It used to be that we'd stop in Barstow for fuel and a "bio break"….but the last time we drove up to Vegas, our usual stop, the Barstow Outlets seemed to be getting somewhat run down. So, I decided that our refueling stop should be at place in Yermo named "Eddie World", which is supposedly the largest gas station in SoCal….. And much like Bravo Farms has restaurants, a huge candy shop….

And all kinds of snacks and "stuffs" that you never knew that you needed. The restrooms were super clean and it was fun walking around checking things out.

Also, we usually bring nuts and beef jerky on our road trips to cure the pangs of hunger should they set in. This time we hadn't brought jerky; so I bought some stuffs from Jedidiah's Jerky in Eddie World.

We then topped off our tank and headed to Vegas.

EddieWorld
36017 Calico Rd.
Yermo, CA 92398

We got to Vegas in good time. As I mentioned before, the Missus isn't a big fan of staying on the strip, so we stayed at the Homewood Suites on the other side of the I-15 from the strip. Man, had it been over 8 years since we'd been in Vegas? And then of course, there was the question of "where to eat"? Of course, there were places off the strip that had been favorites of years past.

But since we'd be staying on or near National Parks and such, there's not a lot of great choices for eating. I figured we'd be back on the "burger bandwagon" again….so like our previous road trip, I set-up nice "bookend dinners" for us.

After doing a bit of research, I found a French inspired tasting menu only restaurant named Partage, located on of all places Spring Mountain Road, Las Vegas's unofficial "Chinatown" where many of the best Asian restaurants in the city can be found.

I had full intended on driving to the restaurant, but of course the Missus had other ideas and decided we should walk the almost two miles to Partage.

And so it came to be that we walked to the restaurant.

Partage is located in the same strip mall complex as places such as Shokku Ramen, Pho Kim Long, King Fu Thai and Chinese, and Lee's Sandwiches; so yes, it does kind of stand out.

We arrived at the designated time and were seated.

The menu card has the story of Partage.

The Missus and I both took the 7 Course Tasting ($125) menu; the Missus took the wine pairing ($55) and I selected the Foie Gras and Oxtail supplement ($27). Service was quite professional if a bit stiff and our Server was quite sweet but really didn't know the dishes too well.

Thing started with the Amuse – a Pomme de Truffle. Which was delicious.

A crunchy potato round with truffle….man, this was good!

The first dish was the Butternut Squash Veloute with a Coffee-Truffle Foam.

Loved the earthy mushrooms, which also, along with the croutons added a nice crunch. The coffee-truffle foam tasted a bit odd and the dish was perhaps a bit too sweet for my taste.

The Lobster Cannelloni with Leek Foam, and Lobster Bisque was good.

For me, the wonderful bisque was the hightlite of the dish; wonderful sweet-oceany flavors, velvety texture. The Mimolette cheese in the cannelloni added a nutty texture; though I wish the lobster flavor came thru a bit more in the cannelloni.

The Rabbit Boudin Blanc was amazing, while the Rabbit Brulee had a wonderful texture, but was again on the overly sweet side.

Love the seasonings in the sausage and the mildly gamy flavors of rabbit seemed to fit in so perfectly in a boudin blanc.

The Missus and I shared the Foie Gras supplement, which was quite generous in size.

The foie gras was seared perfectly and was so wonderfully decadent. The passionfruit powder was a perfect addition to the dish and the gingerbread wasn't overly sweet. The was delici-yoso!!!!

The Halibut and Sunchoke two ways was a good dish; the hailibut perhaps a bit overcooked, but still moist and tender.

We enjoyed the unique nutty-sweetness of the sunchoke puree and the hazelnut crusted sunchoke was also quite tasty. A nice variation of textures.

The Oxtail Supplement was an Oxtail Croque Monsieur, which like the Foie Gras supplement was worth the price of admission!

Such amazing beefiness! Having the shaved black truffle didn't hurt at all either!

By this point in the meal, the Missus wasn't really wow'd by the wine pairing. We quickly noticed that almost everyone in the restaurant were having cocktails and not wine. And with good reason….they made some very good cocktails.

The meat course for the evening was a pretty much by-the-book preparation of Beef Tenderloin.

The beef was a bit tougher than I prefer; though I loved the sweet-buttery leek confit and the brioche went surprisingly well with the jus. The red wine reduction wasn't overbearing and added to the flavor of the beef as well.

And the Missus enjoyed the desserts…..

Even though the Missus wasn't too impressed with the wine pairing; I think the very innovative pairing from Six Test Kitchen was still fresh in Her mind; this was an enjoyable meal and a nice start to our road trip.

Partage
3839 Spring Mountain Rd.
Las Vegas, NV 89102

While having dessert, the Missus mentioning wanting to walk back to our hotel via the strip and the sweet young lady looked surprised and recommended we take an Uber. But of course the Missus wasn't having any of that……

And so, we walked down Spring Mountain Road and onto Las Vegas Boulevard. We were kid of freaked out at all the folks milling about maskless…….

It seems like Vegas, looked just like….well, the Vegas we remembered.

We walked all the way to the MGM, before heading back to the hotel. Well, at least I got my walking done on this evening, right?

And tomorrow we were headed to Zion!

Thanks for stopping by!

Roadtrip (During Covid) – Odds and Ends Edition; Ragamuffin Coffee Again (Oxnard), Bistro Na’s Yet Again (Temple City), and Stuffs from Etto Pastificio (Paso Robles)

March 26, 2022 mmm-yoso Caffeine Fix, Chinese Restaurants, Cooking, Los Angeles County, Markets & Grocers, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Travel, Ventura County

*** Just a quick post to tie up "loose ends" of our road trip to Yosemite and Groveland.

The morning after our dinner at Six Test Kitchen we headed on out. We had decided to just take our time back and spend a night in the SGV. There was one place the Missus wanted to revisit in Oxnard; Ragamuffin Coffee in Oxnard, so we stopped at the Collection at River Park for our caffeine fix.

And man, the place was doing some good business on this Saturday morning.

I got a cold brew and the Missus…..well She got a Pour Over (of course) – a barrel aged Ethiopian named "Strawberry Fields Forever" and really loved it.

So much, that we ended up getting it thru mail order until they ran out a couple of months ago.

The Missus has now moved on and we've ordered a couple of other roasts, but according to the Missus, none are quite as good as the Strawberry Fields Forever.

She's hoping they bring it back.

Ragamuffin Coffee Roasters
550 Collection Blvd. (In the Annex Food Hall)
Oxnard, CA 93036

Getting to LA, we had decided to stay at the new Courtyard by Marriott on Atlantic….a huuuuge place. We loved the freeway access; right off the 10 and the rooms were large.

Though the view…..well, it left something to be desired……

For dinner; well we went to Bistro Na's which I've posted on a bunch of times already, so I won't drone on about it.

We ordered our usual dishes and a couple of new ones.

Funny thing about trying newer dishes at Bistro Na's, there always seems to be a clunker in the mix. The "Princess Sweet and Sour Fish" was terrible! It had a "muddy" taste and was super sweet, lacking in nuance…..it was more Panda Express than "Imperial Chinese Cuisine" in our book.

The Smoked Duck Breast was amazing though! We ended up getting another order to go.

Bistro Na's
9055 Las Tunas Drive
Temple City, CA 91780

The next morning we got home easily.

For dinner, I decided to use some of the items I'd bought from Etto Pastificio in Paso Robles. We had been served some pasta from Etto at Les Petites Canailles and while we weren't fond of the overall dish, we loved the texture of the pasta. So, on our way to Six Test Kitchen we stopped by the shop…..the photos didn't turn out; so all I have is a photo of what we bought.

And then the dish I made using that pasta and the Pesto Genovese (you can get this Pesto at Mona Lisa in Little Italy), which is now my go to for bottled Pesto (when She's not having me make it from scratch).

I used some cherry and sun dried tomatoes…..

The Missus loved it.

Etto Pastificio (In Tin City)
3070 Limestone Way
Paso Robles, CA 93446

So that's it…….though even before we left on this road trip, the Missus had me planning another one! Stay tuned!

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Roadtrip (During Covid-19) – Revisits to Les Petites Canailles, the Alchemist Garden, and Spearhead Coffee (Paso Robles)

February 19, 2022 mmm-yoso Caffeine Fix, Cocktails, French Restaurants, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Travel

At the beginning of last October, the Missus and I decided to do yet another roadtrip……this time to Yosemite. We decided to make stops in Paso Robles at both ends of the trip. We were excited to revisit a couple of our favorites, Les Petites Canailles and the Alchemist Garden. I'll keep verbiage to a minimum since I've posted on these places several times already.

We started the evening at Les Petites Canailles and this time were seated indoors. Things were spaced out quite nicely and we felt comfortable with the set-up.

Sadly, the Rabbit Terrine we had enjoyed so much on our previous visit was no longer on the menu.

And overall, this meal did not quite hit all of the "high notes" as the last time we had visited.

Still, LPC makes one of my favorite versions of Beef Tartare, served at the perfect temperature, great balance in flavors and textures.

Still a winnah!

The Spanish Octopus was not quite as good this time around as it was on the the tough side.

I was interested in the pasta dish since the conchiglie, basically shell pasta was made locally by Etto. The texture of the pasta was perfect and it was dressed well. Sadly, the pistachio pesto was way too mild and there just wasn't enough acidity brought on by the sun dried tomato.

We would however, drop by Etto's shop in Tin City on our way back and bought some of their pasta.

The Mushrooms en Persillade with confit egg yolk was fairly good….though it needed a bit more salt and seasoning in our mind.

The Leeks a la Plancha was quite good, as the leeks were nicely charred, bringing out the herbaceous sweetness, the Espelette Pepper added a nice smokiness and just the lightest touch of heat; we actually wished there was more. Loved the mild sweetness, nutty – butteriness, and distinct flavor the pine nuts brought to this dish…..which it surely would have added to the pasta dish.

Overall, I enjoyed this meal more than the Missus (I could have that beef tartare weekly)…….I'm not sure we'll be returning here for a while.

Les Petites Canailles
1215 Spring St.
Paso Robles, CA 93446

Of course our next stop was the Alchemist Garden….it was our third visit and it did not disappoint.

While the Missus got one of the cocktails off the menu……I wanted something custom made….so, I asked for an Old Fashioned, mentioning I like smoky tones….and the Mixologist was off to the races.

He torched some sage and then covered it to get a more smoky flavor and made me an amazing Old Fashioned.

I guess the Missus really wasn't too satisfied with our meal LPC….She ordered some fries; which were pretty good.

Which meant that I could have another cocktail. This time the gentleman had something else up his sleeve. He asked me if I'd ever had a "Clear Old Fashioned"….I told him that I'd heard of it; but had never had one…….so….we were then off to the races!

He explained making the cocktail to me while putting it together. He took his time trying to finds the perfect ice cube; saying that "it had to be clear enough that after stirring a bit, it would be transparent when the cocktail was served"!

He told me that in his opinion Rosemary was the perfect match for this cocktail and set off to smoke some for the drink.

And yes, it's difficult to make out the ice cube when the drink was served.

Man, these folks are artists……….

The Alchemists' Garden
1144 Pine St.
Paso Robles, CA 93446

The next morning; while I went to refuel the car, the Missus went across the street to get us some coffee at Spearhead Coffee.

The Missus got Her pour over and I a cold brew and were we ready to hit the road.

Spearhead Coffee
619 12th St.
Paso Robles, CA 93446

There's something we really enjoy about Paso Robles…the vibe, the people….the sense of humor and artsiness…..

Thanks for stopping by!

Blossom de Cafe (Poway)

January 31, 2022 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Desserts, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

Blossom de Cafe has closed. It will be missed.

mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog, is being written by Cathy today. Kirk is busy.

The Mister and I were driving on Poway Road, looking for a breakfast spot. Across the street from the North Park Produce location, we saw this signage and stopped. Formerly a Bank, the large interior with what looks like former offices with doors and windows removed has open rooms and areas which could be set up for a small, private party as well as a playroom for children. The interior space is efficiently used and (since the building had been a bank) there is a drive through window.

After we were home, I did some research. Blossom de Cafe is locally owned, family run and opened in February 2020. This is another survivor of Covid.

There are menus outside, inside and behind the counter. We were here at breakfast time. The mention of "Croffle" had us curious. We ordered two.
An almond croffle ($5.80) A croissant toasted in a waffle maker topped with sliced almonds! Why hadn't I thought of this?!! Simple, delightful and a refreshing change. The maple croffle ($4.80). Simply toasted with maple syrup. A great breakfast idea.
We also ordered a bacon omelet sandwich (8.99). A better quality, thick white bread filled with a cheesy omelet/scramble and plenty of bacon made this an easily shareable sandwich.
There are coffees, teas, boba drinks, lattes, a great selection of beverages along with (Bingsu) desserts. Bowls and other lunch choices are also available-we will be trying out more of the menu. Soon.

Blossom de Cafe 12305 Poway Road Poway, CA 92064 (858) 842-2211 Open M,W,Th 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Fri and Sat 7-7 Tuesday 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Website

Mexico City (Before Covid) – The Two Day Taco Crawl and Other “Stuffs”

December 11, 2021 mmm-yoso Caffeine Fix, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Mexico City, Taco Shops, Travel

**** Just summing up our last trip before the pandemic to CDMX.

It was quite apparent that during our visits to CDMX we hadn't addressed one important "food group"…..tacos! And so, before our trip I set about trying to create a nice "taco crawl" of sorts…which ended up stretching into two days. So here's a brief summary.

We started off at the farthest stretches from where we were staying….to an interesting (at that time) concept called El Auténtico Pato Manila.

The place was quite busy….though we were both amused and confused by the name and what was on the menu.

On one hand you had the name…"Manila"…on the other hand; you had a statue of Chairman Mao…..

And the place was known for their "pato" – duck tacos served in a flour tortilla, in place of the usual pancake….

With hoisin sauce to say the least……not quite sure…..but this really didn't hit the spot. The proteins were dry….not sure what I expected; but it wasn't this.

El Auténtico Pato Manila
Culiacan 91
06100 Ciudad de México

Next we moved up a couple of blocks and got an outside table at Taquería El Califa.

Which seemed quite popular.

This would end up being our favorite for the evening…great service and heck, they don't mess around when you order a side of avocado.

The Al Pastor was crisp and flavorful and I ordered the bistek "campechano" which came topped with chicharrons……

Our favorite place by far.

Taquería El Califa
Altata 22
06170 Ciudad de México

The next stop I picked because of it supposed "historical" significance….you see; El Tizoncito claims to have invented Tacos Al Pastor….it sure is quite busy to say the least.

We sat next to an amazing young man (like 6 years old) and his dad…..the kid was game for anything and I admired him….for he was from the Midwest US but was just willing to try it all!

The Al Pastor was disappointing though; tough and lacking in caramelization and quite bland overall.

El Tizoncito
Tamaulipas 122
06140 Ciudad de México

Our last stop was one that I'd read much about, Taqueria el Greco…..which served what they call "Arab-style" tacos. It's quite popular as you can see in the photos, though we did fins a table inside the small restaurant.

The Missus went with a typical taco of grilled steak…i.e. carne asada; while I went with a "Doneraky" (spit roasted) style taco in Arabian Bread (sort of like a pita).

The Missus's taco fared better than mine; which I thought was quite bland, overshadowed by the cheese and avocado.

Taqueria El Greco
Michoacán 54
06100 Ciudad de México

From here we headed back to our hotel and called it a night.

The next morning we headed out to stretch our legs…coming across a "bike day" on Avenida Mazatlan.

After taking care of a couple of things; we headed off to a taco shop a couple of blocks from where we were staying……Tacos Don Juan

We had passed this place during one of our walks in the area and I wanted to check them out.

Both the Arrachera-Tocino and the Chuleta Ahumada were quite good. Very solid, delicious tacos.

A solid no frills neighborhood spot – we'll be back.

Tacos Don Juan
Calle Juan Escutia 35
06140 Ciudad de México

From here we walked on over to Parque Mexico….it's always a fun walk and on this day they had a dog adoption program going on.

After which we stopped at Volador Café for a caffeine fix.

They sure love their pooches in CDMX.

Volador Café
Amsterdam 135
06100 Ciudad de México

As I often have said; there's something about his area in CDMX that reminds me of Europe.

When dinner time arrived; I had yet another taco shop in mind….but first we returned to a place close by; Temporal, for a Suerte de Dragon (Lucky Dragon) and some Gulf Crab Sopes…..just so we'd have enough energy to make it to dinner…right?

Restaurante Temporal
Saltillo 1
06140 Ciudad de México

It was a bit of a walk to to El Farolito, which I had seen the night before.

The place seemed quite popular with the locals…..

Maybe because the Al Pastor is roasting right in the dining area?

We sat at the counter and had some cerveza and al pastor and buche tacos……which were quite good.,

El Farolito
Altata 19
06100 Ciudad de México

Funny thing is…..El Califa is right across the street….hmmm….maybe next time….

And then we had a nice stroll back to our room….we had an early flight the next day. We thought we'd be back to CDMX in no time at all and then the pandemic hit…..so, until we're back again!

Thanks for hanging in there for this rather onerous post!

Mexico City (Before Covid) – La Casa de Toño, Mercado de Artesanías La Ciudadela, Mercado de San Juan, Museo del Calzado, Pastelería Ideal, and Cafe Jekemir

December 10, 2021 mmm-yoso Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Markets & Grocers, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Mexico City, Travel

Here's another (hopefully) quick post (abbreviated) on our last trip before Covid struck from back in February, 2020.

The Missus decided that She wanted to do some "exploring" the day after visiting visiting Teotihuacan, so of course I had to plan something out. Of course I wanted to start out with something to eat, so we headed to La Casa de Toño…..because the Missus wanted some Pozole at the Zona Rosa location.

So, basically, I'll equate this to something like a Denny's….a chain that's very popular. The Missus wasn't enamored with the pozole….there are several choices in terms of meat available….She stayed safe with Maciza….while I went full "cabeza de cerdo" (pig's head) which turned out to be the better choice.

This was pretty mild in terms of porkiness…at least it made the Missus appreciate the pozole I make.

La Casa de Toño (Many locations in CDMX)
Londres 144
06600 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

From here we headed to our next stop…..

The Mercado de Artesanías La Ciudadela.

Which…my goodness, had a huge selection of items you never knew you needed….

Man, there sprawling alleyways and shops……I ended up needing a break after a while.

Luckily we found a cafe….and a cafe de olla came to the rescue.

Lest you think this marketplace is for tourists, I've been told that many local come here to shop for various items though I never did ask what those items specifically were.

We also took a walk thru Ciudadela Park across the street.

And saw this group practicing ballroom style dancing.

It was so sweet and charming. Notice the fellow dancing by himself? I'm wondering what the story might be behind that?

We enjoyed the green spaces in the city.

The next stop was purely for me….the Mercado de San Juan.

I always enjoy visiting these markets when I travel. There's always something interesting.

The "Chinatown" street, Dolores (which I've posted on before) is just a about a block away, so we headed up the street.

From here, I had an interesting place I wanted the Missus to see….the Museo del Calzado….yep, the footwear museum.

Up a discreet stairway is an interesting collection of footwear…from the historic…to, well, the famous.

It's a fun stop whether you have a "foot/shoe" fetish or not.

Museo del Calzado"The Borcegui"
Calle de Bolívar 27
Mexico City, 06000 Mexico

Right down the block was another interesting sight….an Ottoman Clock – the Reloj Otomano.

You can read more about it at Atlas Obscura.

CDMX is indeed an international city!

And full of surprises.

The next stop was a recommendation of an acquaintance who said it was his favorite "bakery in the world".

Pastelería Ideal is located a few blocks away and is easy to identify…..just look for the towering cakes in the window.

You can't miss it! And the throngs of folks shopping for their favorite pastry. Everyone is in sugar heaven!

I was instructed to head to the second floor…..

Where there was a "showroom" of sorts for cakes. I cracked up as each cake was labeled with how much it weighed? Just in case you wanted that 10 kilogram panda cake!

Pastelería Ideal
República de Uruguay 74
06000 Ciudad de México

Boy, after inhaling all that sugar. I needed something to wake me up! Luckily, I had a cafe on my "list" that was just a few blocks away named Cafe Jekemir.

Which proved to be just what we needed.

Cafe Jekemir
Calle Regina 7
Mexico City 06000 Mexico

In spite of the caffeine I was bushed….so we called an Uber and headed back to Condesa for a short nap….which would come in handy since we'd end up walking quite a bit for the dinner I had planned.

Thanks for stopping by!

Paris (Before Covid) – Revisits to Jefrey’s and Boulangerie Régis Colin and Lunch at Artisan de la Truffe BHV

November 12, 2021 mmm-yoso Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Cocktails, Croissants, France, French Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

**** I know that "FOY" Kerri has been kind of looking forward to these posts; so here goes

Man, November of 2019 seems so long ago….. I've kind of held back on these posts; but thought I'd just better get them done. I'm going to do rather condensed posts. This was a trip the Missus was really looking forward to; Her favorite city; Paris, travel to Israel, Jordan, and Provence. And though it didn't end up quite the way we planned (more on that later) it was still quite memorable.

We arrived in Paris at around 730pm, which, since we'd been to Paris a couple of times already wasn't a big deal. We caught the RER from CDG and got off at Les Halles. We were staying at the same apartment that we'd booked for our last stay in Paris, so we knew the drill. How to pick up the keys; where the apartment was located, etc……

We'd eaten on our flight to Paris; but really wanted a nightcap; so we headed off to a cocktail bar we enjoyed on previous visits; Jefrey's.

**** Jefrey's has closed

They were having some special cocktails during this week; so we tried a few…..

And of course I enjoy Monkey Shoulder; so we enjoyed ourselves. Folks here are very welcoming and since it was a Thursday night the place wasn't overly busy.

Jefrey's
14 Rue Saint Sauveur
75002 Paris France

We enjoy Paris at the end of November……

As the Christmas season swings into gear.

The next morning I was up early as usual. The Missus wanted a croissant from a place we had enjoyed during our last trip; Boulangerie Régis Colin, so I headed on out.

**** Boulangerie Régis Colin has closed

Sadly, the croissant was disappointing this time around. Unevenly baked, lacking in butter, and too doughy…..

Boulangerie Régis Colin
53 Rue Montmartre
75002 Paris, France

After having our light "breakfast" the Missus needed Her caffiene (and people watching fix), so we headed on down the street to Café Montorgueil for our Café Allonge.

And to check out folks heading out for the day and doing their "morning stuffs"…….this pooch was focused on something in the gutter…must have smelled good.

Café Montorgueil
55 Rue Montorgueil
75002 Paris, France

And then we headed out….with no plan, we just wanted to wander around and take in Paris. You know, the Flâneur/Flâneuse thing. We headed up Rue Saint-Denis to start things out. I'm sure you've heard of the Arc de Triomphe, but did you know there's one located on Boulevard St Denis. The Porte Saint-Denis was originally the site of a gate of the city walls of the city. The arch was built in 1672 by François Blondel to honor and celebrate the King Louis XIV's victories in the Rhine and in Franche-Comté.

From here we wandered over to the 4th and then the 3rd Arrondissements…….

Until we were getting a bit hungry. Since we had enjoyed eating at Maison de la Truffe during an earlier visit, I thought we'd hit up Artisan de la Truffe located in the BHV Department Store.

We got the Foie Gras with Truffle along with the Charcuterie with Truffle "Planche". For several reasons, we didn't enjoy this as much. The temperature of the foie gras, cheese, and charcurterie were too cold, the bread seemed to be getting a bit "old"….it just didn't do it for us. But hey, we did get enough calories to keep us going for the rest of the day, right?