Desserts – Page 12

Seattle: Intrigue Chocolates, Sitka & Spruce, Starbuck’s Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room , and some Figgy Pudding

December 14, 2014 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Caffeine Fix, Chains, Chocolate, Desserts, Fine Dining, Seattle, Washington, Travel

The Missus felt refreshed after Her nap and I felt good after taking a walk around the Pioneer Square area.

Before heading off to Sitka & Spruce for dinner, the Missus needed a couple of gifts. Chocolate is always appreciated. I looked up a couple of places and found a listing for Intrigue Chocolate who specializes in truffles.

The kitchen, cum shop is located….well, I'll quote the website:

"The shop, which is also our industrial-style kitchen, can be a little tricky to find because we are not on the street level. Easiest way to find us is to find the entrance to Sake Nomi (Sake bar) and continue up the stairs. Then it's just down the hall which turns to the left, and we are the clearly marked brown door, third on the left."

The two guys running the place were so enthusiastic, they'd let us try everything if we'd been able to stay longer! They also make a nice cold brew concentrate as well!

Our favorites were the Juniper Berry and the Nutmeg & Chipotle.

We loved the place, they just seem to enjoy what they do…..and even though they currently use, high quality Belcolade chocolate, we were given a taste of a work in progress, the chocolate they are developing on their own. It was nice talking coffee and Belgian chocolate. We'll be back.

Intrigue Chocolate
76 S Washington St. Suite 104
Seattle, WA 98104

We headed back to our room, dropped off the truffles, and headed off to….

Sitka & Spruce:

**** Sitka & Spruce has closed

The walk was a tad over a mile, though the hills…..sheesh…anyway we did pretty good time, about 20 minutes to Melrose Market in the popular and trendy Capitol Hill neighborhood. We loved the setting; Sitka & Spruce is located in back of the brick building, understated, in that warm, yet somewhat industrial style, high ceilings, a large communal table, and open kitchen…..

The restaurant itself is not large; just a few tables, counter, and communal table seating. As is our MO, we try to eat early, before the rush and crowds. We usually get a better experience and the restaurant is able to do "it's thing".

My main reason for selecting S&S was the menu, which is nice and tight, focusing on seasonal Northwest products. We both thought the tapas-type dishes were much more interesting and we prefer having a tasting style meal. Our diet has changed quite a bit over the last couple of years and the small dishes at S&S seemed right up our alley. A variety of great local produce with interesting combinations of texture and flavors. So we were quite excited to try this establishment of the Matt Dillon empire.

There was one interesting thing about the beverage selection…..based on our dinner the previous night at The Walrus and the Carpenter and now Sitka & Spruce, it seems that Wine and Cocktails are still king for meals in Seattle. Which I thought strange since I usually see Seattle ranked in the top 10 beer cities in the US. Here it's nothing on tap, five choices Hilliard from a can or Rainier?

Whatever….I guess we'd just go and find the Stumbling Monk, or another place after dinner.

We started with the Charcuterie ($25)

While the air dried ham (aka prosciutto, though they can't call it that) was "meh", really bland and lacking in the deep cured flavor we love, there were some real winner here. The chicken liver, basically a a light, spreadable pate really caught me off guard, sweet molasses at first, giving away to savory, with that chicken liver finish. I'm not a big fan of metallic chicken liver flavors, though I love my pate's. This gave me a wonderful ride. The duck rillette had a tremendous almost condensed duck flavor. The head cheese was nice and balanced and the pork terrine was also very tasty. Loved the variety of flavors present here.

Next up Delicata Squash, Haloumi, and Pumpkin Seeds ($15).

We started seeing Delicata Squash on menus last fall. The Missus loves them; moderately sweet, with a nice texture, and an edible peel….heck, even I enjoy them. So it goes without saying the Missus loved this. I really enjoyed the combination of flavors, the nuttiness of the pumpkin seeds, the light subtle milkiness of the haloumi cheese. I thought the amount of nuttiness and milky flavors went beyond just the haloumi and pumpkin seeds. When I mentioned this to our Server, she also noted that the sauce was made of whey and argan oil. The mint also added another dimension of flavor…….

My least favorite dish of the night was the Charred Celeriac, Braised Quince, Ambrosia Apple and Bread Crisps ($15).

I really didn't care for the amount of almost tart-tannic flavors. The celeriac was lost in the dish. Tongue numbing and not in a good way.

The Smoked Potato, Pickled Seaweed, Anchovy, and Egg Yolk ($16), took me to that edge…..I loved the smoky flavor, the seaweed added a nice oceany brine, the anchovies were teetering on the edge of too salty, but that egg yolk somehow seemed to temper the salt.

I loved the smoked potatoes….why hadn't I tried that before? Smashed potatoes also seemed to be "the thing" in Seattle. The Missus said She'd have preferred bacon, but I told Her, "that would be so TGI Friday's". Loved the crisp skin on the potatoes as well. you can tell by the meal I made the day after we returned, that this dish made an imprint.

By far, the best single dish we had on this trip was the Hen of the Woods Mushroom, Guanciale, Oyster Cream, and Cider ($18).

My goodness, the earthy-savory aroma, meaty texture of the Hen of the Woods mushroom, more familiar to me as Maitake, was just superb. The sage along with the cider added an citrus tone, along with a hint of sweetness. The oysters in the sauce just took the flavors to another level. I'm not sure of the purpose of the guanciale as I couldn't make out any pork flavors. But who cares. In terms of an outstanding dish; this has our votes.

I realize that the dishes we chose and enjoyed at S&S might not be for everyone; especially the hardcore carnivore. There are 3-4 entrees on the menu any given night….this time it was chicken, black cod, and rabbit. I just chose dishes that best reflected the foraging background of Matt Dillon. I believed that this would be the strongpoint of the restaurant and it seemed that way to us. Our check came in at a bit over a hundred and it was worth every penny.

Sitka & Spruce
1531 Melrose Ave
Seattle, WA 98101

We were a bit too full and decided against finding a pub. But, as we headed back toward Pike Street we noticed a crowd of people being let into a building. We walked up Pike a bit, then headed back down. When we passed the building again, the Missus couldn't help it…..we had to go and check it out.

The place seemed buzzing….hip…..totally perfect for the Missus….totally wrong for me.

Arriving at the door, we asked the gentleman inside what was going on. "This is the grand opening of the Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room, please come in……" Wow, it seemed like a big deal.

Just looking at the equipment, it looks like Starbucks is experimenting with going more high end.

I'm not the biggest fan of Starbucks….but kudos to them for seeming to ride the Third Wave.

This place looks fantastic and smells wonderful. Roasters were on hand to explain the different processes and equipment.

These guys really know how to market…….

Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room
1124 Pike St
Seattle, WA 98101

Heading down Pike, we ran into the inevitable shopping crowds…..heck, Christmas is around the corner.

But the crowd seemed extra dense and we heard music in the air……and my goodness…Sugarplum Elves?

Well, it turns out we ran into the Great Figgy Pudding Caroling Competition near Westlake Center. Man, this was cute and fun.

This was the 28th annual contest and it was such fun. The proceeds goes to the Pike Market Senior Center and Food Bank. I'm guessing this is a good cause and event since even the Ferguson protesters we'd seen the night before decided to cancel their demonstration on this evening.

It's a fun event……all ages participate.

It's all these things that makes Seattle special for us….there's always an interesting surprise.

We talked about this as walked back to Whole Foods……the Missus wanted me to get in as much exercise as I could. This was the reason I was thinking of moving here before I met the Missus.

And while I don't think we could live here; it's a bit too cold, there's not enough Asian food within a 2 hour drive, and there's not enough sunshine. The city holds a special place in our hearts. So I guess we'll have to keep coming back.

Peterson’s Donut Corner- snacks (Escondido)

December 6, 2014 Cathy Desserts, What Cathy Eats!

Thank you for (once again) searching and finding us at mmm-yoso!!! food blog. Today, Kirk and Ed (from Yuma) are just having a great weekend and don't want to bother writing posts. Cathy having her own version of a great weekend and does want to write. So, here's a post from her.

Looking back, I've only made slight mentions of Peterson's Donut Corner (in the middle the Ham and Cheese baked in a bread compendium post and in the Elephant in the Room post), a San Diego County Institution since about 1942. So, here's a solo post. (Here's a link to cc's post, Mary's post, Kirbie's visit and Darlene's posting)The Southwest corner of Escondido Boulevard at Ninth is where you will find Peterson's. All outdoors-you can see a menu with prices near the cement picnic tables, which are across from more giant hand chairs. You're going to walk up to one of the three windows, order and pay (cash only).First, you'll want to walk along all the glassed windows…For an idea of what is available before you stand in line to order… I've been on an orange donut quest for a good part of the year. The Mister and I had had donuts with the dough interspersed with orange peel in Italy, decades ago and orange has been a familiar, comforting flavor for me. The orange peel is only in the frosting on top of a cake donut, and very good, but not what I'm seeking.The gigantic peanut covered bear claw is a good choice for sharing.Sometimes, you just want a filled donut and deciding between the jelly or Vienna Kreme is tough…so we get one of each. Beacuse each is so good in its own way…Then there's that one in the back, a new favorite…

It's not just cinnamon, but cinnamon with raisins (look at the menu, bottom of left column: ten cents more for the raisin filled one-so worth it).

Peterson's is open 24/7, but does close from Christmas Eve and opens late on New Year Day each year. Cash only.

I hope everyone's having a great weekend!

Peterson's Donut Corner 903 S. Escondido Blvd (at Ninth) Escondido 92025 (760)745-7774

Ice cream(y) treats: Matcha Love, Moosie’s, Hammond’s and Niederfrank’s

October 12, 2014 Cathy Desserts, Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt, What Cathy Eats!

Matcha Love has closed. Moose's, Hammond's and Niederfrank's are still in business.

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog about various foods we (Kirk, Ed(from Yuma) and Cathy) encounter, usually with a short story. Today, because the guys are busy encountering various modes of transportation and trying to organize their photos and thoughts, Cathy is writing about a bunch of encounters with a common food.

Wow, we had a few weeks of horridly hot and humid days. Usually, a nice cold glass of water or tea is satisfying, but there were days when the sweet tooth kicked in and needed to be part of the equation. Walking just inside Mitsuwa Marketplace, there used to be a bookstore to your right. Recently, part of that floorspace was replaced with Matcha Love. Earlier this year, Kirbie and Elmo both blogged about this Japanese based franchise opening inside Mitsuwa locations. Ito-En, the worlds largest supplier of green tea, is the owner of this business. The limited menu assures quality of the product. The limited variations of product assures freshness. This day we ordered the Triple Ice Waffle Bowl ($4.75) which was three servings: matcha, black sesame and vanilla soft serve ice creams. The other flavor, Hoji-Cha, is roasted green tea-traditionally an after dinner flavor and needs to stand alone; the flavors will not go well together. As it was, the strong, tannic matcha flavor, as well as the deep black sesame flavor each -needed- to be 'rinsed' with the vanilla after a few bites. This is 'adult' ice cream and not sweet at all. Very good and refreshing.

Matcha Love inside Mitsuwa Marketplace locations The San Diego location is closed.While walking down Adams Avenue, after a delightful lunch, we saw this storefront I had read about on cc's blog. Since it was going to be another hot day, we dropped in. Moosie is a nickname of a grandmother of the owner and the ice cream is "super premium hand made" by Alhambra based Fosselmans Ice Cream Company.Lemon custard and pistachio almond were our shared choice this day. The prices are fair for this quality (fat content) of ice cream. The location is in the middle of an area with an overwhelming selection of interesting restaurants.

Moosie's Ice Cream 4073 Adams Avenue San Diego 92116 (619) 634-4185 open noon-10 p.m. dailyDriving East on University, stopping at the signal light was the only way I noticed this signage. I had read Kirbie's opening day post as well as three posts written by cc about this newly opened North Park gourmet ice cream selling destination.Hammonds offers 89 flavors of Tropical Dreams brand super premium ice cream and sorbet, made in Hawaii (super premium means 18% butterfat). Even though you can get samples of the flavors, it's so difficult to decide and Hammonds has the perfect solution!The Hammonds 'Taster'- three, four, five or six small scoops of your favorite flavor on a (very) small cone. ($1.30 each) Our choices this day were all ice creams (we decided next time it will be all sorbets, based on our samples). Cherry Royale, Rum Raisin, Pistachio and Kona Coffee Almond were chosen, so that we tried nuts as well as fruits and all with the various ice cream-iness. Hammonds serves a quality product with great variety.

Hammonds Gourmet Ice Cream 3077 University Avenue San Diego 92104 (619) 220-0231 website open noon-10 Sun-Thurs, until 11 on Fri-Sat

Realizing my most recent post about Niederfrank's was in 2007, I thought another stop (with documentation) was due. Kirbie wrote about her 2009 visit and CC has by far outdone me in Niederfrank's postings since she lives nearby. Niederfrank's has been in National City since 1948 and supplies ice cream to many San Diego County area restaurants and snack shops.The original storefront is barely changed, as the primary business of quality ice cream is unchanged. This day, we chose 'Almond Joy' flavor (coconut with almonds and chocolate) as well as a yellow pistachio and dark cherry. As always, fresh, good and a happy feeling afterward.

Niederfrank's 726 "A" Avenue National City, CA 91950 (619) 477-0828 fax (619) 477-0876 Opens at 11 a.m. daily. Click here for website.

I hope you're having a nice (and extended) weekend!

Fruitmania – A Fruiteria and more(Lemon Grove)

August 14, 2014 Cathy Desserts, Fruiterias, Mexican Restaurants, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

You have navigated your way to mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk is taking a break from posting, Ed(from Yuma) is taking a break from retirement and Cathy is posting and not quite retired.

Broadway in Lemon Grove. A street filled with small storefronts and feeder road parking. Looks like small town America. Every fifth store with a similar footprint. Large side display windows leading into the main area.The inventory is behind the counter, not on display as at some other Fruiterias where The Mister and I enjoy various snacks and meals throughout the year. Fruitmania has been here almost ten years. Family run. Not air conditioned. Friendly people. Great food. We are so lucky to live here.The signage is self explanatory. Eight tables and a couple of couches with clean, comfy seating.Choices are almost overwhelming.

Raspado Tamarindo ($3)- shaved ice filled with fresh made tamarind 'tea', (including the pods) and a more authentic flavor than most syrups. Refreshing and a new favorite during this hot summer.

A small pico de gallo ($5.50). Watermelon, cucumber, jicama and mango, topped with fresh squeezed lime and Tajin make this an automatic order whenever I stop in. You may have noticed one of the front window signs mentioned 'monster sandwich'. They all are – enough to share. Above is a Cuban Torta ($7-worth it). A toasted torta roll, sliced pork, sliced ham, pickles, cilantro, cheese and Dijon mustard. It's served with the extra large pickled jalapenos and the slices of Tajin topped orange..truly a perfect meal.One recent humid day, The Mister and I decided we wanted a dessert…and not one made of fresh fruit nor a beverage. A scoop of ice cream here is $2- and it is a quality ice cream: the vanilla has specks of vanilla in it, the strawberry has real strawberries in the ice cream and the chocolate is very rich and not too sweet. However, a banana split is $6. So we did. It was good.

I hope everyone is staying cool!!!

Fruitmania 7941 Broadway Lemon Grove CA 91945 (619)463-0241 Open M-F 9-6:30, Sat/Sun 10-7

The Donut Man-It’s Peach Donut Time! (Glendora)

July 27, 2014 Cathy Desserts, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!

The first day of peach donuts was July 24, 2014. The last day August 10, 2014. Peach donut time at Donut man is very limited.

Thanks for dropping by mmm-yoso!!! on this humid day (we had some rain and then it hit 80). Nothing is perfect, but maybe a road trip will help. Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are staying cool today.

I mentioned The Donut Man in one of my conglomerate posts last year and a few other local bloggers also drove North, all of us reporting on the infamous fresh strawberry donuts. Early this past Thursday, I checked a Facebook page, took the car to Costco for fuel and told The Mister to get ready. Road Trip!Yes, it's time for the short 'season' of peach donuts and their availability.

The signage is only hanging from the front of the building and not even yet set up on the side windows (as the strawberry signs are in the other posts). Also, the crowds had not yet descended upon this iconic Southern California donut shop.

Walking past the side window, you could see a new tray of the seasonal treats was being prepared…

to be properly displayed in the front window.

I purchased two boxes of exactly the same choices (one box for cc and her family)(a Tiger's Tail, French Cruller and Buttermilk Bar) and drove back to San Diego (after a quick lunch across the street) and our road trip was done. No crowds (except on the freeways) and the peach donut run was history.

Oh-the donut itself is a very large raised and glazed donut, cut partly through and then just the fresh peaches in a glaze placed inside. The resulting confection was heavy in weight, the donut was light and airy with a crispy sweet outer shell. The filling wasn't as sweet as canned pie filling and the peaches still had texture.

The Donut Man 915 E. Route 66 Glendora, CA (626) 335-9111 Website

Señor Mango-fruiteria (University Heights)

May 29, 2014 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Desserts, Fruiterias, Mexican Restaurants, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the name of this food-centric blog. Today, Kirk is relaxing and looking for sunshine, Ed(from Yuma) is indoors, seeking air conditioned comfort and Cathy is trying to find a way to achieve satisfaction from the current San Diego heat wave.

It's been beautiful outdoors the past week, slowly inching to the edge of being a bit too warm. The Mister and I found ourselves on 30th near Adams Avenue the other day, and decided to stop for a quick lunch. Señor Mango's has been in this small non-air conditioned shop, in the middle of a block of homes and small businesses, for more than ten years. When you walk in, to your right is a glass case displaying most of the fresh fruits available today.

To your left is a wall painted with the menu. Prices and menus are in clear plastic pocket folders at the cash register (straight ahead) where you order, pay and wait for your number to be called. There are five tables inside and five tables out in front. Many people call in orders to pick up and many others order their items "To Go". We like to eat "here", so while one of us is ordering, the other is seeking a table. Beverages available here are Smoothies (fruit plus ice plus sugar and OJ, blended), Licuados (fruit plus low fat milk plus sugar plus ice cream, blended), Aguas frescas (fruit plus water, sugar and ice, blended) or Juices. Above, a small Vampire juice ($3.75); squeezed and/or pressed to order, served at room temperature; not watered down. It's made with beets, carrots, celery and orange. Always good; you can taste each item.Above photograph- half a Lomo (grilled pork tenderloin seasoned with guajilla peppers) Torta ($5.50) (The Mister had grabbed his half before I could take a photo of the whole thing). Fresh, toasted bolillo roll, topped with lettuce, tomato, cheese, onion, avocado, some mayonnaise and plenty of still warm lomo. A perfect sandwich and enough to share.Above, a small "Fruity Mix"($5.50) bowl-seasonal fruits topped with cottage cheese (or you could choose yogurt), raisins, granola, shreds of coconut and honey. Seasonal fruits in the bowl this day were banana, apple, orange, cantaloupe, strawberries, honeydew, papaya, mango and pineapple.

Always fresh and delicious, I enjoy the availability of so many Fruiterias in our great County. Hope you're staying cool!

Señor Mango's 4607 30th (between Adams and Madison) San Diego 92116 (619) 584-0041 Open Mon-Sat 8-8, Sun 9-7 link to website, which is horribly out of date (Escondido location is closed, hours are different and menu is "404 not found"

St. Tropez Bakery & Bistro (Encinitas)

May 20, 2014 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Desserts, French Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, the title of a blog about food. Kirk is enjoying his vacation of hearty meals, Ed (from Yuma) is enjoying the end of an exuberant era and Cathy is sharing her enjoyment of a genuinely good little restaurant.

Well, time to get back to some normalcy. The weather has cooled down, the winds have slowed down and the fires are contained.

A few months ago, I met a client for an exchange of paperwork. She suggested St. Tropez Bakery and Bistro, the original location, inside The Lumberyard shopping center, located in downtown Encinitas. Turns out there are now four San Diego locations and two are franchises.

We had coffee, shared a pastry and when I was getting ready to leave, she asked me to wait and went inside, came out and presented me with a bag of what were to become a few meals and snacks.

The packaging contained two of each of the above items- ham quiche, veggie quiche, raisin swirled pastry and an apricot topped pastry. Each item was superb, fresh and of high quality. The crusts, cheesy custard and fillings of the quiches were excellent. I really enjoyed the raisin only (no cinnamon) puff pastry and the custard and crust under the torched, glazed, flavorful apricots were standouts.

Here's a photo of one meal at home. (Parisian Salad mix from Costco).

A few weeks later, I took The Mister for the drive North, so we could try more menu items. You order, pay and have a seat.

The chicken curry croissant ($9.25) (includes the salad, topped with my choice of balsamic vinaigrette- there are several vinaigrette flavors to choose from). A whole grilled (just right; juicy) chicken breast with Swiss cheese covered with a creamy European curry (not a hot curry; more of a sweet mix of flavors-there's cumin and tomato, turmeric, paprika and some garlic flavor. Have you ever had currywurst?) all on a fresh baked croissant. This unique blend of flavors, textures and freshness was excellent.

The classic Croque Madame ($9.75)(with grilled potatoes and fruit) Grilled ham and Swiss with a Bechamel (flour and butter cooked in milk) sauce, topped with a lightly cooked egg all on a hearty toasted white bread. (Croque Monsieur is the same sandwich, but without the egg. Think of a lady wearing a hat made of egg- that's Madame.)

We decided to share an order of Nutella crepes($5.95). The plate was covered with a dark chocolate sauce, real whipped cream on the side and these were wonderful. The familiar chocolate-hazelnut filling hit the spot with a cup of coffee.

All in all, excellent, tasty food. We'll be back to try more of the menu.

St. Tropez Bistro and Bakery 947 S. Coast Highway 101, Suite 103D (next to Starbucks) Encinitas 92024 (760)633-0084 Website Open daily 7 a.m.-8 p.m.

The Food Court at Seafood City (Tapioca Express, Filipino Desserts Plus, Valerios and Grill City)

May 17, 2014 Cathy Chains, Desserts, Filipino Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Stuff, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping by to read mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Usually Kirk is writing posts about food, but right now He is very busy 'researching' so he will have some interesting posts. Ed (from Yuma) is also in a 'researching' mode. Today, Cathy is writing.

More than 14 months ago, I started to write a post about an epic day of visiting a plethora of places to eat in Chula Vista with fellow food bloggers, cc, writer of Pink Candles at Ridgemont High, who has taught me so much and Dennis, who writes A Radiused Corner, another blog that is so informative as well as fascinating. That post seemed frighteningly long and I have left it 'on hold' for all this time. One of the places we stopped that day was the "new" Seafood City, on Orange at Melrose in Chula Vista.

This still is the newest location in the County (new in 2011) and since discovering it, The Mister and I shop here fairly regularly, always having a bite to eat in the adjacent Food Court area before shopping.

Yes, it's a Food Court with nice, heavy wood picnic table seating; so much nicer than plastic seating. Standard Filipino chains are here (I've posted on Chow King, in various ways more than once and Kirk has posted about Jolibee in various ways). The other places here are also interesting…

The colorful wrapped candies are pastillas and made with milk; a favorite.

Other desserts are sold here also. Mostly made with rice flour, I've tried bites of many of them at parties and visits with friends and really like the selection.

The steam trays here are fascinating.

As are the grab and go foods.

On a recent visit, we shared this ukoy (fritter)($2). Onion, potato, plantain and a head on shrimp, fried into a neat patty and served with black vinegar. This is a current craving.

We also grabbed one of these to share ($1)-the cashews are very good, crispy and the cookies were not too sweet. Filipino Desserts Plus Website multiple locations

At Valerio's, we bought this still warm bibingka ($2.50), a coconut milk/rice flour based cake that is baked inside a banana leaf. It's a special item for us. Valerio's Bakeshop, multiple locations, no website.

Almost every visit here ends up with something from Tapioca Express. Snacks of fried chicken nuggets, tofu and squid rings, seasoned as spicy as you wish and served with either ranch or sweet and sour sauce along with some sort of beverage is always a meal. Tapioca Express, multiple locations. Website

A more or less new addition to the Food Court is the freestanding Grill City grill (not in this photo) and steam table area. A chain, all locations are inside Seafood City stores.

Above, fried chicken skins, a pork adobo kabob and a whole stuffed squid. All are really good items; I am always up for fried chicken skins as a snack. Pay attention to that statement.

The squid stuffing is a wonderful mix of vegetables: tomato, onion and bell pepper.

On another visit, a slice of grilled swordfish and a grilled stuffed eggplant (inihaw) was our meal. So good and so fresh. The fish is served with a fresh mango salsa; a perfect condiment. (Prices for a la carte veggies are $3, $6 or $9, depending on size)(Prices for a la cart meat and seafood are $3.50, $6.50 and $9.50).

We enjoy this Food Court area and look forward to our drives to Seafood City market.

Seafood City (also a link to Grill City) website 285 East Orange Chula Vista 91911 (619)621-2050 Open 8am-9 pm daily

Porto: Avenida dos Aliados, Imperial McDonalds, and Confeitaria do Bolhao

April 12, 2014 mmm-yoso Bakery, Breakfast/Brunch, Desserts, Porto, Portugal, Portuguese Food, Travel

We'd had a pretty busy first day in Porto and I really slept soundly. As is typical for us, we awoke pretty early in the morning to stretch our legs and do some exploring. We'd found that mornings are almost always the best times to see things……you'll be in less of a rush and, especially in Portugal the streets are quiet and empty.

We headed up to the area that seems to be the heart of Porto; the Avenida dos Aliados, the "Avenue of the Allies". The street commemorates the marriage of King John (Joao)I and Philippa of Lancaster, creating an alliance between Portugal and England.

The avenue and promenade is lined with some nice examples of Art Nouveau and Art Deco buildings. A statue of King Pedro IV on a horse stands at the lower end of the street and City Hall the top.

I'm sure everything here has a story. It's a nice place to stroll on a cool morning, all the grand buildings around. I wondered about the statue to the right. I could find very little, at least in English on "The Naked Girl – Youth" by Henrique Moreira, sculpted in 1929.

This is also the location of McDonald's….yep, McDonald's. What's the big deal? Well, they call this location, "Imperial McDonald's" and it's supposedly the most ornate and beautiful McDonald's in the world. In case you're wondering….it's not Imperial by declaration. I was told that this was the former site of Imperial Cafe, which became derilict and run down. McDonald's took over the space in 1995.

Man, talk about fancy-schmancy…..I'd feel down right uncomfortable getting my McNuggets on here!

Still, this was just a McDonald's, so we headed back up to the area near Rua Catarina and the large Mercado do Bolhão. Before heading in, we decided on getting breakfast at Confeitaria do Bolhao right across the street.

A large case of pastries, both sweet and savory, a large area to have you espresso and a pastry, this was very "tipico" of what we encountered everywhere in Portugal.

We were mainly after some espresso, but also had a few other items, which were decent, but rather non-descript. The prices were very good….if I recall, two espressos and pastries for like 5 Euros.

We also picked up a Broa de Avintes for later on…..

Confeitaria do Bolhao
Rua Formosa 339
Porto, Portugal

A cup of espresso, carbs in our belly….we were ready for the world, or at least a visit to the Mercado do Bolhão.

Thanks for reading!

Coimbra: Breakfast at Pastelaria Palmeira and Mercado Municipal Dom Pedro V

February 7, 2014 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Coimbra, Desserts, Markets & Grocers, Portugal, Portuguese Food, Travel

After a fairly restless night of Ossos induced sleep, we woke early, veyr typical for us when on vacation. As with Lisbon, we notcied that folks wake a bit later in Coimbra. The Missus was just raring to go, so we headed off…..

We took a short stop on Praca de Maio taking time to admire the Church of Santa Cruz,which looked so peaceful and regal in the morning. As we approached we could hear a buzzing noise in the silence of the morning. Apparently, the building has electrified wires running around it to keep birds away.

A few blocks away, on Rua de Sofia, we found a little bakery that was doing a brisk business with locals.

The name of the place is Pastelaria Palmeira, so of course I had one…..

I had really gotten used to having that cup of espresso and a pastry for breakfast, that it just the right thing to do.

We enjoyed this place and actually returned the next morning before heading out of Coimbra.

Pastelaria Palmeira
Rua da Sofia 13
Coimbra, Portugal

Right up the street on Rua Olímpio Nicolau Rui Fernandes is the local Mercado – Mercado Municipal Dom Pedro V.

Much like the markets in Lisbon and Evora, business seemed slow. It seems that places like this are starting to fade away with younger folks shopping at chain supermarkets.

The place is a multi-level affair, full of little kiosks, the seafood area separated from the other stands.

As you can see, nary a customer in sight. I'm wondering if it was just a timing thing?

I'm hoping it is, since it would be very sad to see a way of life change…….

Mercado Municipal Dom Pedro V
Rua Olímpio Nicolau Rui Fernandes3000-303
Coimbra, Portugal

I did take my sweet old time here because I knew there was a steep hill in my future…..