Festivals & Events – Page 7

Vancouver/Richmond – The Alibi Room and the Richmond Night Market

June 10, 2017 mmm-yoso Beer, Canada, Chicken Wings, Desserts, Festivals & Events, Pubs and Pub Grub, Vancouver, Canada

After a nice afternoon nap, we headed off to the Gastown area.

It was a nice day to be out and about, if a bit on the warm side.

The Missus enjoyed window shopping and we stopped at a few places; like at Kit and Ace near the Steam Clock. Where this guy was hanging out.

It was indeed rather warm, so we headed down the street to a place named the Alibi Room. The place was pretty much full. But the nice Server told us that if we weren't eating anything and didn't mind not having table service, we could head on downstairs.

Which turned out to be a comfortable place to grab a few beers. There are over 50 pulls in this place. And they do half pours as well; which we appreciated.

What we had is lost to posterity, but I recall really enjoying the vibe.

A nice stop; we'll be back the next time we're in town.

Alibi Room
157 Alexander Street
Vancouver, BC V6A 1B8
Canada

We needed to first catch the bus; then the SkyTrain to get to our next stop. We had day metro passes and I had the bus stop indicated on my phone. We found our stop and a guy who looked homeless came up to us. I immediately thought he'd be asking for some cash….but instead he told me, "sir, this bus stop has been temporarily moved to the street above." Thanksful, I offered him some money, but he refused, saying "this one is on me." Only in Canada!

We got off at the Bridgeport SkyTrain Station and followed the well marked signs.

So, we followed this group of people who were having a great old time and got to what looked like ticket booths and a gate. A really nice young man came up to us and asked us if we were customers of 'xxx' and had our customer number. We explained that we are from out of town and have obviously found the wrong entrance. The young man pointed across the way to a line of what looked like 200-300 people. He told us "that's the general admission line; this line is for 'xxx' customers, 'xxx' is sponsoring tonight's night market and if you have either a zoom pass or are one of their customers you can come in this way." Now, if I recall a the passes were like $25 a book, good for so many entrances, so that would be a waste. So we thanked him and were headed to the line when he asked us where we were from. We told him San Diego. In a hushed, conspiratory tone he told us to "wait here". A minute later he returned with two tickets. You are now officially customers of 'xxx', if anyone asks you if you are customers of 'xxx', make sure to tell them yes. What a nice gesture….you gotta love Canada.

The Richmond Night Market claims to be the largest Night Market in North America and I don't doubt this claim as the choices, and crowds are staggering.

Now, if you read the blog quite often, you know I'm way behind on some of my travel posts and our visit was during early August of 2016. The Missus had seen a bunch of stuff posting to Instagram……about a dessert…..She just had to have it.

The dessert "du jour" of that period of time was the Raindrop Cake (you can see Kirbie's recipe here). It's based on Japanese Mizu Shingen Mochi. And kind of looks like a breast implant if you ask me.

The Missus got Her confection and we took a seat.

And soon folks started coming around asking what this stuff was….we actually offered them a taste if they wanted one….but most of them just looked kind of, well, puzzled. Anyway, this was "meh", sugar water and agar…..I prefer just straight up Warabimochi coating in kinako to this.

Our table was next to the Prehistoric Park area and while taking a look at the photo of the T-Rex below, it wasn't the replica of the dinosaur that caught my attention; but the sign to right that said, "FanTuan Delivery, Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere"…..I don't think San Diego is included in the "Anywhere" though.

While the Missus went for the sweets; I had one place in mind.

Little Phnom Penh is famous for their Chicken Wings with Lemon and Pepper sauce. So I placed my order and watched them make my wings.

Notice that container with the spoon; the wings are fried, then mixed in a wok with garlic, scallions, and a spoon full of that mysterious white substance….which I'm fairly certain isn't only salt.

The wings are light, though not as crisp as I prefer, the garlic could be cooked a bit more; it's still on the bitter side. The wings are tender and moist, but I'm not a big fan of the lemon sauce; which tastes like bottled lemon juice with black pepper. Still, this was good overall.

There sure was a huge variety of "stuffs" available…….some quite interesting.

This seemed more "County Fair – Carnival" than Night Market and the place was starting to get packed.

As we wove our way around people; we heard this guy……..voice like an old fashioned Carnival Barker, with a Chinese accent of course.

As we walked up; the smell of cumin danced in the air……we both love yang rou chuan and this guy cracked us up.

We got lamb and lamb kidney and while not great, this was pretty tender, though it could have used more cumin.

This "Chef James" had me wondering who he was. If you'd like to find out his story you can read it here.

Overall a fun time for us.

Richmond Night Market
May – October
8351 River Rd
Richmond, BC V6X 1Y4
Canada
Fri-Sat 7pm – MN
Sun 7pm – 11pm

By the time we got back to the apartment, the sun had set. It was a beautiful clear night. We finished the rest of the Roast Duck and Rice and I cracked open a brew…..

And sat in the Solarium of the apartment watching the weekend action on the Street below.

Life was good…..

2017 San Diego County Fair- “Where the West is Fun”- Part One, Before it opens

June 2, 2017 Cathy Festivals & Events, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!is primarily a food blog. Today's post is about anticipated food consumption and a summer tradition, the San Diego County Fair. As usual, Cathy is writing about this event; Kirk isn't around and Ed (from Yuma) is in Yuma.

Link to Part Two

Later today (4 p.m.) the official opening of the San Diego County Fair will occur. Tomorrow morning (at 7:30), in Downtown San Diego, there will be a Cattle Drive to promote the Fair theme of "Where the West is Fun". I've been at the Fairgrounds watching the preparations for this, the 6th largest County Fair in the United States. Here are a few photos and links of what to expect this year.

The front gate is set up. The statue of Don Diego, Fair Ambassador, is appropriately dressed. The historic clock tower has been moved to the front entrance area after repairs.
The Midway was repaved a couple of weeks ago in anticipation of the Fair, the race season and Autumn Breeders Cup and is now set up, with the far West end ferris wheel is in sight when you walk in.
Chicken Charlie's corner, at the first right off the Midway, was set up in its usual location, before some other food booths got here (and Chicken Charlie's has an additional location on the Midway this year).
The first left off the Midway is also set up. The entrance to Bing Crosby Hall (filled with the latest gadgets, goodies and items you never knew you needed) is at the end of this food filled corridor.
The Plaza de Mexico is set up, awaiting so many daily events. That buildings next to and behind the Plaza house the Fair entries and events. Go up to the second floor,
and you are greeted to Home and Hobby, what I consider to be the 'heart' of the Fair.
The Preserved Foods have been judged and are on display.
As have all the craft entries Two days ago, baked goods were brought in to be judged. Ribbons and prizes have been awarded.

There is so much to see and do at the Fair. This is a link to some of the new events.

It doesn't have to be expensive. This is a local news link to deals and discounts. (You can buy the multi day entrance pass ($26) until July 3, because paying for it is less expensive than paying admission two times.

But, I know you are wondering about the foods here. I noticed a few items which are not listed in this newspaper article and will be reporting on my finds in Part 2; I know that bacon wrapped cactus and sarsaparilla anything will be on my radar as well as deep fried octopus. I had also heard that the cauliflower sandwich (third photo from bottom in this linked post )was back and if it is, there will be a purchase.In any case, enjoy the start of summer and the 2017 San Diego County Fair!. It's going to be a good one.

2017 San Diego County Fair website June 2-July 4 (closed all Mondays except July 3 and the first three Tuesdays)

Deals and Discounts (Fair website version)

Deals and Discounts (Local news version)

What's new at the Fair?

New foods at the 2017 San Diego County Fair

2017 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade Showcase of Floats and snacks at House of Cookies and Egg Roll Express (Pasadena)

January 13, 2017 Cathy Bakery, Chinese Restaurants, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!

Welcome to another edition of mmm-yoyo!!!, the food blog with variants on the acquisition of said foodstuffs. Kirk is very busy with work this week and Ed (from Yuma) is very busy with retirement (in Yuma). Cathy is writing today.

Last Monday, January 2, was the official New Year holiday and the Tournament of Roses held its annual parade and Bowl Game. The following morning, The Mister and I drove North to see the parade floats lined up end to end, at the Showcase of Floats. The Banner float, which was first in the 96 unit parade entries (floats, bands, equestrian units), reflected the theme of this year, "Echoes of Success". Of the 44 floats in the parade, five are not judged (this is one of those) and 24 of the remaining floats are trophy winners. I'll just show you some details from some of the floats. Walking along to view takes at least two hours and that's if you aren't paying attention to the details that went into the meticulous decorations. You can see the work and thought that went into the design and execution of each float.

Cal Poly Universities entry, 'A New Leaf' featured three chameleons, with that yellow one changing color via an elaborate system of dowels. (YouTube video, 1:45 in length). The California Milk Advisory Board, with its entry "Legacy of Generations" provided a surreal view of a good variety of California Dairy products and emphasized the generations of California dairy families who helped to make California the most successful dairy state in the nation (The 'raisins' are covered with real raisins and the 'cereal flakes' are dried apple skin).

Ragu sponsored this "Simmered in Tradition" float, which was meticulously detailed in its design.
Dole Packaged Foods, "Spirit of Hawaii" won the Sweepstakes Trophy for the most beautiful entry in parade with outstanding floral presentation and design (The inside of the robe is lined with dried banana chips). The float that The Mister and I helped to decorate in early December was finally revealed and left in this position to display at the Showcase. The meaning of 'We Came, We saw, We Covered' was finally revealed during the parade. We were happy to be a part of the Farmers Insurance entry.
So much detail went into the decoration of every float. I will add some thumbnails to the end of this post and you can enjoy a few more photos, but now…it's time for the food portion of this blog post.
We had parked near the North entrance for the Showcase of Floats (there are three entrances) and walked, so on the way back to our car, we again stopped at the House of Cookies/Arsen Bakery, where we were recognized and warmly greeted.

Such a small area holds a great deal of delicious treats. This box was $4. Everything was so fresh, crispy, creamy and flavored wonderfully. A great, local, family run bakery. Arsen Bakery House of Cookies 2451 East Washington Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91104 (626)794-4280

A block away,

we'd been seeing this signage (and outside lantern decor) for years, but never were here when Egg Roll Express was open. We had finally the chance to dine here!

Simple decor, a pitcher of hot tea and weekday lunch specials!

Each lunch special comes with a choice of either hot and sour or egg flower soup. This was a wonderful, fresh, chicken based, creamy and very eggy egg drop served in a quite large bowl. I wanted more.

The serving plate of the special(#30-fish filet with Szechuan sauce)($7.29)was so cute! The food was even better. The spicy fish and vegetables were so fresh and flavorful.

The egg roll? Well, it was fried right (not greasy and nicely crispy) and filled with fresh and bright flavored vegetables. Quite good.
Since this was our first visit to a new Chinese restaurant, our standard , Egg Foo Young (with chicken) was ordered ($8.99). Wow! Every restaurant makes EFY their own way and The Mister and I liked this version. Filled with bean sprouts, onion and eggy goodness, the pancake was crispy even under the (not salty) gravy, chicken and fresh vegetables.

Egg Roll Express 2397 E. Washington Blvd Pasadena, Ca 91104 (626)791-2398 open daily 11a.m.-9:30 p.m. Website

We walked over 6,000 steps that day- starting off the year with a good habit. Soo and Maggie were here too, each wrote their own post! Here are some thumbnails of a few more floats. Here and Here is a link to 2017 float road testing, This is a link to one of the 'dry decorating days'.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Another really great Corona restaurant.

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

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

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

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

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

One last breakfast, a repeat visit.

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

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

Rose Parade preparations. Diners for breakfast. America.

See artist renditions of some 2017 floats here.

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

2016 San Diego County Fair, “Mad About the Fair”, Part 3-the postscript

October 12, 2016 Cathy Festivals & Events, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about food and the various ways to get to the food. Kirk is working late today and Ed (from Yuma) has had some long days, even in retirement. Cathy is writing this post.

Yes, it is October and the 2016 San Diego County Fair culminated on July 4 with fireworks. Two other posts were written- before the opening of the Fair and one while it was open. Today's post is a compilation of some displays, events and foods which weren't written about, (plus a note about the theme of the 2017 San Diego County Fair at the end of this post).

1,609,481 people attended the 2016 San Diego County Fair, which was open 26 days this year. There were 4,187 different attractions and exhibits. Concerts, festivals, entertainment, contests and shopping were available each day within walking distance.
There were special dinners, one Farm to Table and some special Sunday 'Tea Time' events. There were also some 'over 21' festivals: Toast of the Coast Wine Competition (which had 929 guests at two tasting sessions), the San Diego International Beer Festival (had over 8,500 guests over three days) and Distilled: Spirit and Cocktail Festival (1,033 gusts in one day).
When you walk through the Main entrance, to the right always is the building highlighting the Fair Theme. Since this year was a combination of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland with steampunk influences…well there was a lot to see and do inside this building.

During the Fair, livestock were judged and the winners were auctioned on July 3 (so they could be removed from the Fair site before fireworks on July 4). The non-ribbon winners are also sold at this time and overall, $432,031 was raised for scholarships for 4H and FFA students, who were both happy and sad to see their work appreciated and their animals leave on this day.

There were so many food items I did not mention.

The 'Grilled Cheese A-Fair' booth is a sometimes choice for us. This year we tried a 'breakfast' – ham, eggs and cheese on a waffle, served with 'syrup'. It was very nice and gave us ideas for some special breakfasts at home.

Each day we visit the Fair, there is usually one meal of fried something and this day it was clam strips with zucchini. Properly made and not greasy.

Then there was the day when we just had to try the "French Toast Bacon Bombs" from the 'Bacon A-Fair' booth. Cinnamon bread dough filled with cream cheese, wrapped in bacon then fried…topped with whipped cream, just because. These were good and four were quite enough for the two of us. We always stop at Roxy's, a booth run by a local restaurant (almost always ordering an artichoke or falafel sandwich) and this year a new selection- an eggplant sandwich-was offered. Thick slices of fresh eggplant, lightly crunch (cornmeal?) breaded and fried, topped with Parmesan cheese and a nice red sauce all served on the toasted fresh whole grain rolls with a salad. This was great.

Then I noticed a pattern.

One day, I wanted a sweet and the 'apple fries' signage at the 'Mexican Funnel Cake' booth caught my eye. These were a tart (maybe green) apple, sliced into 'french fry' shapes, lightly dusted with flour, fried, then rolled lightly in a fine sugar with just a touch of cinnamon and served with whipped cream- just delightful!

Another day, I was looking at the menu board at the 'Chuck Wagon' booth and noticed at the very bottom right 'deep fried cinnamon apple rings', so that was all we ordered (bad photo, since the Chuck Wagon area is covered with red tarp, but nice to eat here because it is always nice to be out of direct sunlight). These apples still had a skin on (red) and more batter, were dipped in a cinnamon sugar and also served with whipped cream. Completely different with the same basic components and good, really good. There was another day when I wanted apples again. The "Apple Tower' booth on the midway had a short line. Red and green apple slices, warm caramel, nuts and whipped cream…so good and such a different way to have apples at the Fair.

I think this Fair was a bit more fun because of all the characters walking around the Fairgrounds, greeting people, posing with them for photos, or
just taking a break, like the rest of us.

I held off with this summary, not wanting to overwhelm you immediately after nor during the summer.

Yesterday the 22nd Agricultural District announced the theme of the 2017 San Diego County Fair.

Updates on the website and planning have begun!

2016 San Diego County Fair-Mad About the Fair- Part Two- It’s (been) open!

June 26, 2016 Cathy Festivals & Events, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the name of the food blog you have found. Kirk, Ed (from Yuma) and Cathy share in the (almost daily) musings here. Cathy just got around to writing a post for today.

Things have been unusually busy for The Mister and myself. I apologize for not finishing this post earlier. I wrote a Pre-Fair post, giving you some ideas of the theme, what would be happening, as well as a lot of links.

There is so much to see and do at this, the sixth (as of 2014) most attended County Fair in the USA. I hope many of you have gone; the 1 Millionth visitor passed through the gates yesterday.

Heading straight ahead on the Midway, you will find the rides and games of chance. At the entrance, if you go to your right, just after the Theme Exhibit building, to the "CA Grown" Exhibit Hall (the green building with a Wyland Whale painted on it), you'll find all sorts of exhibits about California agriculture, like bugs (good and bad, along with a "Bug Bar" where you can eat a bug and get a pin proclaiming such), a small animal petting farm, cow milking demonstrations and learn about California's farms (It is the number one farming state with 65% of California farms under 50 acres) and agricultural commodities (more than 400) via an interactive question and answer area as well as several guest speakers. The livestock barns are next door.

Going out the back door of the CA Grown exhibit, you'll see Crutchees:
Where you can buy Dole Whip, a soft serve frozen dessert.

If you walk in the main gate and go to your left The first building past the entrance is O'Brien Hall and has quite a few vendors as well as the flower specimens.

The next building is the Bing Crosby Hall, which has aisles and aisles of vendors, selling the latest and greatest of gadgets and services. At the back wall of Bing Crosby is this popular place to buy a snack:

Dixie's usually has a long line of people, but we were here early. Always fresh (made in front of you as you walk along the line) and tasty! In front of Bing Crosby Hall is our usual stop for a cream puff (shells made fresh daily, real whipped cream) and coffee (they will put real half and half in the coffee for you).

Head down the Midway, cross to the other side and find Home and Hobby

Where the displays of contest entries of table settings, collections, multiple crafts (as well as preserved foods, baking and cake decorating) and various demonstrations take place all day. The East end of Home and Hobby is where One Day Contests are held (above are photos from the "Mad Hatter's Hat Contest" and "Make a Child Smile" contest). Check out the link, follow the rules of the particular contest, fill out an entry form and you'll get into the Fair for free and maybe even win a prize or ribbon.

Head over to the Infield where "Family Funville"is located- child size rides, a farm, sunflower maze, lots of informative displays (honey bees, chickens, mushrooms, butterflies and much more!) along with Elementary School contests and displays.

Walking back out of the Infield, the "Bacon A Fair Booth, featuring a 'Porkabello Kabob' was calling. Mushrooms stuffed with Gouda cheese and wrapped in bacon the grilled. Yum! Easily shared.

We were looking for something more 'normal' as a late lunch/early dinner and walked over to the Paddock area: which does look like a small racetrack from above. There's a restaurant in here with a sort of 'secret' special (closer to the Fine Arts exhibit) which The Mister noticed in the free Fair Guide which he picked up (stacked at numerous locations inside and outside the Fairgrounds). Not mentioned on the menu, but when we ordered, the people working know about it. The "Paddock Trio" ($10): a choice of Coors or Heineken and two sliders. We chose the (Brandt) roast beef and the turkey, because we also ordered the large "Jimmy Durante" ($11) (corned beef),
thereby ordering each of the fresh daily roasted meats here. The meats were each excellent, as were the breads and toppings.

There's much more and you just have to jump in and try things for yourself. Get there early, get the free parking(it's nice to sit on the bus before going back to your car), check out the entertainment and enjoy! I'll have a 'final' post after the Fair ends- Monday July 4 after the fireworks show.

2016 San Diego County Fair "Mad About The Fair" Website

Other San Diego Food Bloggers posts about the 2016 Fair: Kirby from Kirbie's Cravings, Mary from This Tasty Life, Soo from Hungry Ones and this, Part One, just the sights from cc Part Two, the food

Otaru: The Shako (Mantis Shrimp) Festival

June 17, 2016 mmm-yoso Festivals & Events, Hokkaido, Travel

Since we're supposed to have record heat this weekend, I'd initially planned on doing yet another Bun Bo Hue post. But in the end, common sense prevailed and I decided that doing a short little post of our early winter visit to Otaru might be a cooler option…..

We had a fun time in Asahikawa on our first day in Hokkaido. On our second day we hit the rails again; this time to the charming port town of Otaru. We headed out with no firm plans, not quite sure of what to expect and in the end, in spite of the place being rather touristy, we really enjoyed ourselves. It's a short 30 minute train ride on the Hakodate Line from Sapporo Station to Otaru. As we walked out of the station, we were greeted by light flurries of snow….those little dots in the photo below.

Chuo Dori is the street that goes straight from the train station to the canal. It's lined with hotels and other interesting diversions.

Along the way, there are more than a few markets/shops where you can pick up seafood which they'll cook up for you.

At the intersection right before the canal stands what I was told is Hokkaido's Oldest Standing Commercial Warehouse, built in 1893, which now houses the Tourist Information Office, some souvenir shops, and a pretty interesting "Christmas Tree" made out of glass floats.

I'm fascinated by those because I'm old enough to remember finding the small glass floats from time to time on the beach back home!

Inside was a tower made of wine glasses. Otaru is known for their glasswork, so I guess this makes sense.

Meanwhile, outside was a certain character I remember reading about in Kat's post. That nattily dressed statue is of a famous firehouse dog named Bunko. According to this post, Bunko was a brave mutt who would help the firefighters and apparently rode to a thousand fires. I actually saw the children's book about Bunko!

Crossing the street we reached the canal, but really had no plans.

It had warmed up to a balmy 34 degrees Fahrenheit.

Upon crossing the street and noticed a bit of hustle and bustle as folks walked into a parking lot. It looked like some kind of festival was taking place. Then I came across the sign and read the one little English sheet on the poster, "Looks Strange Tastes Good", then below, "Shako"……oooh, Mantis Shrimp!

I guess this was a mantis shrimp festival! Talk about my lucky day. Man, when was the last time I had mantis shrimp?

Things were just starting up when we arrived…….

But there was a fairly long line forming on the other side of the parking lot. The Missus, not one to miss an opportunity grabbed some money and went straight into the line.

I walked up to the front to have a peek……

And noticed the gentleman dumping baskets of mantis shrimp into a cauldron.

Yep, this was the right line…….

Miso soup with a very sweet mantis shrimp; quite nice! Of course, man (nor the Missus) lives on miso soup alone. We wanted something to warm us up a bit, even if it was only 1030 in the morning!

We could not ignore the simple three letters H-O-T….plus the Missus could make out some of the Kanji.

Nothing like a nice steaming cup of umeshu to warm you up. Just the right thing to make you almost forget about the cold!

Just then, there was a little commotion on the other side of the parking lot. It was a Taiko Drum Group!

Man, it was freezing……but check out the folks in shorts!

Of course, it's the "old timers" who really have a good time!

We stayed for the whole performance and slowly drifted away after. Here's the festival website.

We saw the interesting "fellows" above while headed to Sakaimachi Hondori. At first we thought he was just a rather eccentric local walking his dog. Then he whipped out a camera and starting taking photos. So I'm not so sure….does he travel the country with his faithful canine? Then the Missus read the dog's jacket which said "In Memory of….." with a caricature of a dog…..so does this dog wear a sweater in memory of this guy's previous dog? Hmmm……. Well, at least we were finding that Otaru was far from boring!

Thanks for reading!

2016 San Diego County Fair-Mad About the Fair- Part One: Before it opens!

May 31, 2016 Cathy Festivals & Events, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk is resting up after his short vacation, Ed (from Yuma) is busily writing a post and Cathy has this post ready to go, so here it is.

Yes, it is that time of the year. The San Diego County Fair, (6th most attended in 2014) will open on Friday June 3 at 4 p.m. with its theme "Mad About The Fair".

The front gate and Midway are being set up. The Fair Theme will be explained in the first building to your right when you walk in the main gate. The theme is a mix of Lewis Carroll classic Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, fused with influences from steampunk, cosplay, great literature, wacky machinery, and all the fun and magic you have come to expect at the Fair.

Food booths are being set up.

Home and Hobby has had items brought in, judged and set on display.

I do usually post twice: before the fair and during, but always neglect to post after the Fair ends. The Fourth of July morning is the event that local 4H clubs wait for all year. The auctioning of the livestock they have raised is both education for the Club members and a community event. Many of our local restaurants purchase animals at the Fair for processing and use as menu items.

One place we stopped at last year was the Pan Fried Chicken booth- on the Midway. The chalkboard special $12 grilled plate was a great find (mushrooms, peppers, asparagus, green beans, peas, zucchini and a slice of pineapple) grilled properly and so tasty, this will be a regular stop for us.

There are daily contests (some require pre-registration), regular contests (like this pie- eating competition each day at noon), one day contests for adults (admission is free if you are entering one of these) and upstairs in Home and Hobby, daily demonstrations. There are also demonstrations going on in the Woodworking and Gemstone areas, a Farm to Table Dinner, a Spirit and Cocktail Festival, Wine Festival and Beer Festival (all requiring an additional fee, see the link for information). Of course, Concerts and other entertainment. Basically something for everyone and then more. There even will be a Sunday Teatime event held (additional fee, reservations need to be made).

New foods available are at the bottom of this link (Some of these don't appeal to me at all, but we'll see what I end up trying).

There is still time to purchase a "Best Pass Ever" and some other discounts, like the Costco deal for $65, before the Fair opens. That will save you some cash (as will utilizing the free parking areas and maybe entering a daily contest). There are also three days (June 3, 4 and 8) when you can get in for only $4, if you purchase your tickets at Albertsons or Vons (along with a $10 regular purchase). There are so many deals and discounts listed on the website, listing here would just be confusing.
It's going to be a great Fair again this year.

2016 San Diego County Fair Open Friday June 3 at 4 p.m. until July 4 (The Fair is closed on Mondays, except July 4, and the first two Tuesdays.) Website

2017 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float road test #1 -Tan Hoang Huong (Tustin), Copenhagen Pastry (Pasadena) and Burger Basket (Corona)

May 21, 2016 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Bakery, Banh Mi, Breakfast/Brunch, Burgers, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, Orange County, Road Trip, Vietnamese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog with contributions about food consumed from various places under various circumstances. Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are relaxing today. Cathy is writing about her circumstances.

Yes, it is that time of year again. The President, Theme (Echoes of Success), Marching Bands and some float designs for the 128th Tournament of Roses parade were announced not long after the 127th Parade ended on January 1, 2016. Floats are in the beginning stages of being built and a "T-1" (first float road test of mechanics and maneuverability) of floats built by Phoenix Decorating Company (who built 22 of the 44 floats in the 2016 parade) was held on Saturday morning at 7 a.m.

Listening to traffic reports, an accident had the North 5 with all lanes closed, so The Mister and I left home before 5 a.m. and stopped at Tan Hoang Huong (THH) in Tustin, since we were there before 6 a.m. (when Cream Pan (our usual stop) opens). Located just West (under the 5) of Cream Pan, it is good place to grab a sandwich and other treats. I knew about it because of several posts on CC's blog.

We ordered two egg rolls (@65¢) and a pork pate chaud (85¢) to eat while we waited for our bahn mi to be prepared. Yes, that's a 'spam' and egg sandwich ($4.25).

Fresh items, great tasting. Not the same as K Sandwiches, but very good. THH 14081 Newport Ave Tustin, CA (714)731-1366 Open Mon-Sat 5 a.m.-7:30 p.m., Sun 7 am-4 pm website

We detoured around the accident (which blocked the North 5 for more than six hours) and arrived at the Road Test just after 7 a.m.

Raymond Street is the place. The floats were lined up. The Rotary International float is in a very basic stage. You can see exactly where the driver and spotter are seated. They are communicating via headsets, as they will during the parade. The spotter on the Odd Fellows and Rebekahs float is the lady to the left in the photo. She will be seated below the floor of that gazebo-like structure. The Kiwanis float is taking shape. The City of Alhambra float has a fire engine being driven by both a fireman and a fire dog… Lions Clubs International is celebrating 100 years of Service in 2017. I can tell this float will be even more magnificent once it is decorated.

There were more details, but you get the idea. We were off to our next stop, Copenhagen Pastry (again, I knew about it from CC's blog), located East on Colorado Boulevard. The truck (and a few cars) parked in front of the otherwise quiet street made the subtle storefront easy to find. The fresh selections were so tempting- yes, that's about everything offered- We bought a loaf of Rye bread ($6) the dense, chewy style, made with rye berries, sunflower and black flax seeds, a Spandauer ($1.95) flaky pastry topped with almond paste and custard and a slice of Kringle ($1.95) also filled with almond paste, custard and sugar. We will return.

Copenhagen Pastry 3731 Colorado Blvd Pasadena 91107 Open Tues-Fri 7-5, Sat-Sun 8-4 Website

This location of Copenhagen has closed

We began heading home, stopped at a Super H-Mart for some items and then hit another accident prone area of the 91 freeway, exited and decided to stop at
Burger Basket, which we have driven past during prior sidesteps from traffic. Order, pay, have a seat…watch the char grill happen. A double cheese burger- (charred to perfection)($5.49) Gosh, I haven't had such a great burger since Sima's. My semi-usual morning order of an egg sandwich with sausage ($5.89). Let me say, this was heavy and huge with unexpectedly large tasty breakfast sausages (skin slightly burned), a lot of egg and lettuce with tomato and mayonnaise. Burger Basket has been at this location since at least 2007 and again, wish we had stopped here sooner. We will be back.

Burger Basket 1058 West Sixth Corona, CA 92882 (951) 734-1331 Open 7 days 6:30-9:30 Website

It was a long morning and we were home before noon. I hope you are having a good weekend!