Los Angeles County – Page 5

2020 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade Road Tests #5 and #6, breakfasts at Michael’s Superburgers (Irwindale) and other (regular) stops

November 24, 2019 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Bakery, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is primarily a food blog. So many events revolve around finding a place for a meal. Cathy (and Her Mister) have a regular pastime of viewing the Tournament of Roses Rose Parade floats being tested for mechanics and maneuverability before being decorated and participating in the Parade on January 1. Here's another post.

The Tournament of Roses is only a few weeks away. There are so many activities which will happen the week between Christmas and January 2- you can find comprehensive and updated listings in The Rose Examiner. The tournament is not just the Parade and the football game; there is Bandfest, Equestfest, Sip and Savor, Rose Bowl Bash, Rose Bowl Hall of Fame Induction and the Showcase of Floats. So much to see and do to ring in the New Year!

The past few months have been unusually busy for The Mister and myself that I didn't post the October Float Road Test at Phoenix Decorating Company in Irwindale. Here are a few photos (some are 'before and after') of both test days.

"Planting Seeds of Hope", presented by the Sikh American Float Foundation, describes the 2020 float: "Bhai Ghaneya Singh, a devout Sikh, leads the float as he symbolically pours water from his sheepskin vessel. He is remembered for his selfless service to all humanity with love, respect, compassion and humility. The water flows onto large sculpted flowers each supporting children from diverse backgrounds. A fantasy garden provides the backdrop to a nurturing environment in which we celebrate our greatest hope for the future….our children." Each year, I learn something from the Sikh float.
The SCAN Foundation has a float in the Rose Parade for the first time. The title of "Hope's Heroes" reflects the definition of this organization, "an independent public charity devoted to transforming care for older adults in ways that preserve dignity and encourage independence".
Shriners Hospitals for Children has the theme of "Hope Knows No Limits" and features Fezzy Bear pushing a young girl, with a below the knee prosthesis, on a swing.
Trader Joe, the Fearless Flyer, is depicted on the 2020 float, "It Takes a Flight of Fancy"…
spinning in a pickle barrel!Western Asset's 2020 Rose Parade entry, "Growing a Better Tomorrow" is quite a large float, depicting a series of tree houses in an exotic setting. Magnificent!
The 'Banner Float" is colored in and ready to be decorated to display the theme of the parade at the start.
The final two floats of the parade
will relay the upcoming Tournament of Roses Rose Bowl football game, to be played at 2 p.m. on January 1.

Decorating (dry/detail) begins Saturday December 7 (and the following Saturdays before Christmas) then the fresh flowers arrive and daily decorating from December 26 forward. There are links to sign up for volunteering on the Phoenix Decorating Company site.

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On to the Food portion of the blog. In October, The Mister and I stopped at 'the usual' place- Cream Pan in Tustin for a sandwich, a ham and cheese croissant and a strawberry croissant. After the float road test, we (again) returned to Portos in West Covina, where we shared an "Omelette Plato" ($6.45)-a cheese omelette topped with avocado and tomato which comes with crispy Spanish potatoes and an arugula salad tossed with a lemon vinaigrette. Filling, refreshing and there's enough room for other items…since this was the last weekend of October,
Dia de los Muerto decorated cookies and Pan de Muertos were purchased. The soft, eggy bread was filled with candied orange peel and orange blossom water; a wonderful bread.

Also, seasonal potato balls were available: filled with turkey, gravy and vegetables, rolled in a well seasoned crust, these are a very special treat (and only $1.05!). [photo credit to canine cologne]

We stopped at the Kolache Factory yesterday and the seasonal turkey with stuffing kolache was available (along with our 'always order' of a bacon and cheese kolache). Seasonal offerings are always special.

When leaving the Road Test, we went one signal light South and then East to the next signal light. On the Southwest corner of Arrow Highway and Vincent, this signage made me take a turn into the parking lot.
The breakfast menu behind the counter is straightforward.
I haven't ordered a bacon and egg sandwich ($6.99) in a while; have forgotten what I am missing. White bread, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, four thick slices of crispy bacon and a beautiful runny egg. Simple perfection.
The Mister ordered a chili cheese omelet ($9.99). At least there eggs, filled with cheese, topped with a really good chili that was topped with more cheese. Again, perfection. His toast was sourdough, the hash browns were wonderfully crisp.

Need to stop at the local places; follow the New Year Resolution.

Michael's Superburgers 16350 Arrow Highway Irwindale, CA 91706 Open daily 6 a.m.-midnight Website

The Cowboy Channel has a float in the parade; it's under construction. Link to artist rendition of some of the 2020 Rose Parade floats

Clearing Out the Memory Card – Revisits to Bistro Na’s (Temple City), Tribute Pizza, and is La Catrina Closed for Good?

October 10, 2019 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Mexican Restaurants, Pizza, Road Trip, Taco Shops

Wow, several of my favorite food groups in one post….after all the really wordy posts recently, I thought I'd give you all a break.

Bistro Na's (Temple City):

Yes, again….the Missus was wondering how getting a Michelin Star would affect Bistro Na's. Well, as far as our lunch was concerned; the crowds are larger now, but the service was still top notch.

And our favorites are still our favorites.

I enjoyed the Zui Ji (Drunken Chicken), which was on the mild side in terms of flavor but super tender and moist.

The Missus enjoyed the stir fried cauliflower.

But we'll pass on the Chili Beef with Tofu in the future.

Decent numbingness, but not much else; strangely not spicy and rather plain and bland in spite of looks.

As you can tell that we've done multiple visits over the last couple of months, this place is a favorite of the Missus.

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

Tribute Pizza:

It's been a while since we last visited and our planned dinner destination was closed (see below). So we walked over. It was still Happy Hour so we got two pizzas…..seven bucks each during HH!

This was more food than we needed and had leftovers. The pizzas were better than we remembered; simple but perfectly prepared. The Missus also enjoyed a sangria….. We gotta drop by more often.

Tribute Pizza
3077 N Park Way
San Diego, CA 92104
Happy Hour:
Tues – Fri 4pm – 6pm

Is La Catrina Closed?:

**** La Catrina has closed

The reason we went to Tribute was because our intended destination; La Catrina was closed; with this sign posted on the door.

Strange, because we'd just gone the previous week and everything was just fine. And the Missus loved the Tacos De Flor De Jamaica; jicama, mushroom, and eggplant tacos.

The Carnitas and Octopus Cazuela was a good as always.

I did express concern about this place in my previous post and it doesn't look good.

I hope I'm wrong…..

La Catrina Tapas & Cantina
3139 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92104

The Old Neighborhood – Tasty Noodle House (Hacienda Heights) and Yi Mei Deli (Rowland Heights)

September 22, 2019 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Road Trip

Because we flew back home to via LAX, we decided to use some rental car points for a one way rental and hotel points for a stay in our old neighborhood overnight.

And while the food on our flight wasn't anything to write home about; it did the job and we weren't famished when we arrived at LAX. A good thing too, since traffic on the 105 was terrible.

And so, we decided to just grab something simple near to our hotel and decided on the Hacienda Heights location of Tasty Noodle House.

This little shop wasn't around when we lived here; but we just thought having a couple of smaller dishes would suit us well. As a bonus, there was a buy three dishes get one free thing going on; so, in spite of it being something the Missus didn't care for, I got my Drunken Chicken free.

I enjoyed this version; it was much better than what I've had the San Diego location. This had a nice balance between the wineyness and wasn't over salty. The chicken was tender and moist.

The Xun Yu ("cold smoked fish"), a favorite of the Missus, was much too sweet for our taste.

We also ordered the Spicy Stinky Tofu.

The tofu was a bit dry; but we both enjoyed the earthy-funkiness of the fermented tofu and the mild spiciness. This seems like a good combination.

The final item to arrive was the Shen Jian Bao.

This was actually pretty good; while not nearly as good as the Tianjin Baozi at the San Gabriel location of Tasty Noodle House; this was not bad. The bottoms were not overly thick and nicely crisped without being scorched likw what I've had at the San Diego location. Nice porkiness in the filling, which was moist, the tops were yeasty and adequately fluffy. Not bad at all.

I've always said that all Tasty Noodle Houses are different….this kind of proves the point.

Tasty Noodle House
1611A S Azusa Ave
Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
Hours:
Open Daily 11am – 10pm

We got up fairly early the next morning and instead of sticking around for lunch, just decided to head back home to not encounter any traffic. So, we decided to hit up a place that was a fairly regular stop for us when we lived in the area during the late '90's, Yi Mei Deli. Looking through our 4,195 posts, I see that I've kinda mentioned Yi Mei Deli and even once did a post on the frozen XLB from the place.

Considering how much we used to go here back in the day; I was surprised I haven't really done a post…..

With all the changes in Hong Kong Plaza; it's nice to see that Shau Mei and Hong Kong Fishball House, along with Yi Mei Deli are still doing well.

Strangely, my favorite steamed bun from here has always been the Vegetable Steamed Bun. I always loved the almost smokey-bitterness of the greens, which I think went well with the yeasty-fluffy dough.

There was some sticker shot because when we lived here; these steamed buns were 75 cents….it's now $1.95!

Loved the fluffiness of the steamed bun; but the filling, while having that savory bitterness I enjoy, was on the dry side.

Yi Mei Deli
18414 Colima Rd. (In Hong Kong Plaza)
Rowland Heights, CA 91748

Still, it was a nice blast from the past…….I've many memories of grabbing one or two of these for a quick weekend breakfast before heading off to the Torrance Farmer's Market.

It brought back some nice memories….

Thanks for stopping by!

2020 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade Float Road Test #3. Food from Cream Pan (Tustin), Portos (West Covina) and The Hat (Murietta)

August 31, 2019 Cathy Bakery, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, Orange County, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog. Still, there are so many reasons we end up eating the meals that we share here with you. Cathy is writing today.

Link to Road Test #1

Link to Road Test #2

Link to Road Test #4

Link to Road Tests # 5 and #6

The 131st Tournament of Roses Rose Parade (and 106th Rose Bowl football game) will occur on January 1, 2020; the culmination of a week of many other Tournament events. Preparation begins in mid-January, just after the prior parade is concluded. The Theme for 2020 is The Power of Hope. Some floats for the parade are built by Phoenix Decorating Company, which has monthly road tests noted on their website and Facebook page. The website also notes where you can sign up to volunteer to decorate floats. This Link to The Rose Examiner has a lot of current happenings surrounding the Tournament of Roses.

Last Saturday, a few floats were tested for mechanics and maneuverability. "Hope Keeps Us Going", the entry for the City of Alhambra looks to be ready for detailed decorating. SInce you see the artist rendition here, I thought that showing you the back of the float might be interesting.
This float, ridden by the Royal Court (who will be chosen and announced soon) will be the same float as last year, with fresh decorations.
The same is true for the 'Closing' float- the last in the parade (there's usually someone singing on it). The float reminds everyone to tune in to the Rose Bowl football game, which starts about four hours after the Parade ends. The Opening, Closing, Royal and Honda floats are never in competition for the awards given for float design and decoration.
The Huntington is celebrating its 100th year with a float in the 131st Rose Parade. This was a first Road Test. You may recall this wonderful post, written by Ed (from Yuma) about the lovely visit he and Tina had at The Huntington in 2014.
The City of Hope will enter a float for 2020. It sort of looks like a large tree, with doves, flowers, butterflies and bees randomly scattered in the tree limbs. I bet it's going to be beautiful. Hopefully there will be an artist rendition and more details next month. A quick peek inside the Decorating Barn is showing quite a progression being made on float construction.

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On to the food portion of the blogging.

We leave our home at 5 a.m., get to Cream Pan by 6:20. I have been afraid we are taking Cream Pan for granted and barely even post about our stops here. Not to fear; there was a notice inside that they are hiring for their new store in Fountain Valley! This morning, we chose a ham and cheese croissant ($2.80) (always good, meaty, cheesy and flaky), a (still warm) crispy cheese bread ($2.50) (fulfills cravings) and an 'orange chocolate' ($2)-new to us-It's almost like croissant dough in torn pieces mixed with dark chocolate bits and a great zip of orange flavor; now another favorite.

Cream Pan 602 El Camino Real Tustin, CA 92780 Open daily 6 a.m.-7 p.m. Website

Watching floats and then leaving, we were six miles away and had to stop at Portos, again. (My third ever visit, The Mister's second). Underneath that egg is a wonderful light, soft masa with whole pieces of corn, filled with shredded, slow roasted pork accompanied by a great salsa verde, the Tamal a Caballo ($4.75) is kind of a perfect breakfast.
Since we haven't tried the whole menu (yet), a Medianoche (Midnight sandwich; same fillings as a Cubano, but a different bread) ($5.99) was shared. Fillings are slow roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, Cuban dressing and pickles. Great flavors and another good choice any time of the day.
We also shared a ham croquette (95¢)-smoked ham and parsley in a roux, coated with a crispy layer of bread crumbs. Also one of the trademarked Potato Balls ($1.05)- mashed potato filled with a picadillo (seasoned ground beef with red bell pepper and olives).
Because we were eating in, the Porto's cortadito ($2.69) – two shots of espresso and sweetened condensed milk- was delivered to the table in this cute plastic espresso cup with its own tiny spoon (yes, I brought it home). We also shared an iced coffee ($2.25). There were also lists made of what else to try, both for us and for cc, Bert and TC.

Porto's 584 S. Sunset Ave., West Covina 91790 (626)214-3490 open Mon-Th 6:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m., Fri-Sat 6:30a.m.-9p.m., Sun 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Website

The Mister and I weren't really hungry until at the split of the 15 and 215, in Murietta. The last (or first, if you are heading North) exit is the closest location of The Hat, just East of the 215 exit. The Hat started in Los Angeles in 1951. "World Famous Pastrami Dip" is the primary food item here. But, there are a few other items on the menu.

There's a beef dip sandwich ($10.49)
There are also onion rings ($4.99) (whole onions, a nice crunchy breading and quite a large size).
But no. The Mister has begun looking at photos online. This. This is: chili fries ($6.99) (The chili here is noteworthy, the amount of fries you get in a regular 'small' order fills a paper bag) add cheddar cheese ($1.69) add pickles and tomatoes (20¢) add pastrami ($4.99). It weighed more than two pounds. After ten minutes, with both of us eating, maybe 1/4 of it was gone. We took it home. There were small bites taken for dinner, there were fried potatoes and pastrami for breakfast the next day…
The Hat 40476 Murietta Hot Springs Road Murietta, CA 92563 (951) 304-2244 open daily 10 a.m.-10p.m.Website

Clearing Out the Memory Card – Bistro Na’s (Temple City) Revisited

August 16, 2019 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Road Trip

The Missus had been talking about returning to Bistro Na's since our first visit. So, knowing that's we'd have the Sunday after returning from our Budapest trip free; I made reservations before we left. Little did I know that Bistro Na's would earn a Michelin Star the week we returned.

I wondered how this would affect the restaurant. Well, it was even more crowded (Sunday lunch); but the service, as before was excellent.

And the food? Well, I'm just going to give you the overview here, as we'll probably be headed back to Bistro Na's soon.

The Chili Tofu Skin Salad and signature Crispy Shrimp were still amazing. The Crispy Lamb Brisket was very good; gamey, crisp exterior, and super tender. The Missus enjoyed the Braised Brisket with Quail Egg; but said that the red cooked beef shortribs I make at home is easily just as good. The only clunker was the Fried Mixed Mushrooms; which while crisp, were way too sweet to enjoy.

This place is easily the Missus's favorite Chinese restaurant right now. As for me; as long as they keep making that bean curd skin and crispy shrimp, I have no complaints.

Bistro Na's
9055 Las Tunas Drive
Temple City, CA 91780
Hours:
Sun – Thurs 11am – 230pn, 5pm – 9pm
Fri – Sat 11am – 230pm, 5pm – 930pm

Clearing Out the Memory Card – Never Made the Cut Road Trip Edition

August 10, 2019 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Bun Bo Hue, Chinese Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Orange County, Pho, Road Trip, Santa Barbara County, Vietnamese Restaurants

Here are some photos that I was just going to delete…..I have a bunch of breakfast one's from when I was driving to Irvine almost weekly as well. But since these weren't in San Diego; where I try to visit places more than once; I thought I'd just do one of those "never made the cut" posts.

I went to lunch with the folks I was working with in Irvine a couple of times.

Ngu Binh:

I've posted on Ngu Binh before, but was excited to try the Bun Bo Hue. Unfortunately, the folks that got there first ordered for all of us…….

They like their Bun Bo Hue not spicy with no pork hock and that's what I had waiting for me when I arrived……what the??????

Ngu Binh Restaurant
14072 Magnolia St
Westminster, CA 92683

Pho Lovers:

Which was right in front of Lien Hoa, it has since moved.

loved the herbs which were amazingly fresh.

The pho was seriously defatted, the noodles over-cooked, though the broth wasn't overly sweet or salty.

Now at:

9892 Westminster Blvd
Garden Grove, CA 92844

From other Road Trips.

Chengdu Taste (Alhambra):

The Missus was seriously psyched to try the place that had been declared the "best Sichuan Restaurant in America". We were quite disappointed.

And the service was so terrible, that we got our mapo tofu and Shui Zhu Niu Rou, the beef boiled in hot sauce to go. Both just didn't have enough spice and were seriously defatted versions. The won tons in hot sauce were too sweet and lacked spice, not even close to the version I had at Long Chau Shou (龙抄手).

828 W Valley Blvd
Alhambra, CA 91803

The Lark (Santa Barbara):

This one was from the same road trip where we had a wonderful meal at Yoichi's. It was a super hot weekend; yet they had the fire pit going!

From the mushy brussel sprouts to the teeth rattling sweet duck wings, not our favorite meal.

Though the lamb shoulder confit was quite good.

The Lark Santa Barbara
131 Anacapa St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

So there you go; thanks for indulging me.

I'll be back tomorrow with more San Diego restaurants.

2020 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float road test #2 and multiple food adventures: Porto’s, Iron & Kin Coffee, Cafe 86 and Kra-Z Kai’s Lao BBQ

August 4, 2019 Cathy Bakery, Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Festivals & Events, Lao Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog about food and there is always a reason we find the food. Over the weekend, Cathy and cc woke early to drive to Irwindale, photograph participate in the second float road test and then took many side roads to enjoy some great foods and beverages while heading home.

Link to Road Test #1

Link to Road Test #3

Link to Road Test #4

Link to Road Tests #5 and #6

First, the road testing for 2020 Rose Parade floats. This early morning, multiple floats were being tested at Phoenix Decorating Company for mechanics and maneuverability, some with 'weight' on board. The weight was humans, who will be riding on the floats during the Parade on January 1, 2020. cc and I were asked if we would like to help by sitting on a float while it was driven a short way down the street, backed up, turned around and then participated in a fire drill, making sure that all the people (including the Driver and Spotter of the float) could disembark in 45 seconds.

The 2020 Kiwanis International float, "Soaring with Hope" passed its road test (the open doors are from where the Spotter and Driver exited for the fire drill).

The Rotary International 2020 Rose Parade entry, "Hope Connects the World" was painted in and road tested. (It wasn't yet painted in for the first Road Test).

This is the off camera side view of the Lutheran Hour Ministries float, "Anchored in Jesus". It will appear as if underwater.

"Hope for 2020", the Lions Clubs International float entry was also tested that morning.

"First Responders Bring Hope", the 2020 entry by Oddfellows and Rebekahs was fully color coded for easy placement of natural materials during Decoration Days and also tested. Behind it was the Mrs. Meyers Clean Day float, taking its first road test. If you zoom in, you'll see a wheelbarrow with what looks like squash covered by an umbrella. No artist rendering yet.

It was fun and informative to be able to help with a road test. Use this link to the Rose Examiner to keep up to date with Tournament happenings.

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It was the start of a day of food and adventure! cc was without Bert and I was without The Mister.

Back to Portos! Only six miles and a few minutes away. My second visit ever. Again, not very crowded (before 9 a.m.)

Sandwiches are available all Day. We decided to share a Pan con Lechon ($6.65) Slow roasted pork, mojo garlic sauce and pickled onion on Cuban bread (with plantain chips on the side). Wow. This was pretty much the best sandwich ever.
I was curious about the Tamal a Caballo ($4.75) as a breakfast item and it was another wow moment. The masa, so very soft, had whole pieces of corn, the savory pork filling, a salsa verde and plantain strips.

We purchased more than several items to take home. I had a handwritten list from The Mister. We also enjoyed beverages at the table. The prices here are great, the freshness and quality are consistent. More menu items will be tried next month.

Portos, many Los Angeles County locations. website

Soon it was off to our next planned stop for coffee. cc had researched and found a coffee shop with an unusual caffeinated offerings in Pomona, sort of 'on the way home'. Iron and Kin opened in May 2018 inside a restored downtown Hotel. Half of the shop is a Craft Cocktail Bar, O'Donovan's Pub, open in evenings. The other side is an efficient coffee bar. cc had asked Josh, one of the owners of Iron and Kin, about the special "Affirmation Drinks" menu (she saw photos on Instagram). We wanted to try each of the drinks, but knew we couldn't drink that much caffeine (or liquid).
Josh was kind enough to prepare sample sizes of each of these unique beverages. First, I must say the espresso, on its own, is of very high quality. A smooth, strong, sweet yet not bitter/sour base to each beverage. The unique Affirmation flavors were distinct, fresh and really wonderful: varying from chillies and cinnamon with cloves to turmeric with ginger, cardamom and honey with black pepper to figs with vanilla, brown sugar and black pepper to smoked salt with cream, brown sugar and Old Forester Bourbon as well as the iced matcha/gingerbeer/limeade/yuzu. Beverages not found in San Diego. Quality.

Iron and Kin 101 E. Third Street, Pomona, CA (951)808-7584 Website
We also made a quick stop at Cravings by 99 Ranch, but didn't snack there. One block away is a Filipino Coffee and Tea Shop. Cafe 86 has been on Edison Avenue since 2014 and serves matcha, coconut, mango, hibiscus, ube and calamansi iced and hot beverages, ice cream and pastries in addition to coffees.
I think ube is the 'new' flavor of the year- even Trader Joe's is carrying an ube ice cream. We only purchased the ube/coconut mini bundt cakes and iced Madelines. These were delicious with a cup of hot tea the next morning.

Cafe 86 4110 Edison Ave Chino, CA 91710 Website

cc had one last planned stop- the only Lao BBQ restaurant in Southern California- Kra Z Kai's. It's located in a large mall area anchored by a Sonic. We each ended up purchasing food to go as well as some to eat in-all of the BBQ meats. The distinct Southeast Asian flavors of garlic and lemongrass with the char grilled meats is just so perfect. The house made sausage is coarse ground and has onion and leeks. Of course, sticky rice is the only proper rice to have with these items, even though steamed and fried rice are also offered.

Kra-z Kais 1218 Magnolia Ave #G110 Corona, CA 92881 (Southwest Corner of I-15 and Magnolia) Website

The end of an epic road trip. There were other stops, because we avoided traffic. These were the highlights…plus my view while on the road test…

2020 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float road test #1. Breakfast and snacks at Porto’s.

July 1, 2019 Cathy Bakery, Breakfast/Brunch, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about food. So many reasons to get to the food. Cathy is writing today because the reason to drive North is again happening.

Link to Road test #2

Link to Road Test #3

Link to Road Test #4

Link to Road Tests #5 and #6

A few weeks after the 2019 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade Showcase of Floats, on Sierra Madre Boulevard at the end of the Parade route, the President of the 2020 Parade (Laura Farber) was announced and the Theme of the 2020 Parade- "The Power of Hope" was introduced. “With hope – anything, in fact, everything is possible. Hope is more than simply the possibility of fulfillment. Hope is dignity and respect, joy and happiness, aspiration and achievement. Hope never, ever quits. Through hope, we can aspire to be our best and in turn inspire those around us to reach higher.”. The float designs for the 130th Rose Parade use this as their design inspiration.

Float designs were submitted to the Tournament and, once approved, construction began. The first of a series of "Road Tests" (of manipulation, maneuverability and safety of the floats) of some of the 22 floats to be constructed by Phoenix Decorating Company, occurred on Saturday in Irwindale. There will be about 44 floats total in the parade; Phoenix is one of three float building businesses, (six floats which are 'self constructed' also participate). This online newsletter will keep you up to date with Tournament happenings. Oddfellows Rebekahs float for 2020 is "First Responders Bring Hope". This float will be applauded throughout the 5.5 mile parade route.
The little detail which might be missed in the Lions Clubs International "Hope for 20/20" float is that each character on board is wearing glasses- a nod to one of the Lion signature projects: vision.
The 2020 Lutheran Hour Ministries float, "Anchored in Jesus"- a submerged anchor with three fish surrounding it, is the 70th entry for the only Christian themed Rose Parade float sponsored by the Lutheran Layman's League.
Kiwanis International hasn't released an Artist rendition or title of their 2020 float; I'll add it. So cute!

The above floats are marked with the colors to help with decoration (which begins the first Saturday in December). The following two floats aren't quite as far along in construction.
The 2020 Rose Parade float entered by Rotary International, "Hope Connects the World" is going to appear as if it is a balloon (like the San Diego Holiday Bowl parade) in the parade, with out walkers 'holding it down'. It is in the 'cocoon' stage of construction.
The City of Alhambra will enter this "Hope Keeps Us Going" float, still in the 'skeleton' phase of design.

It looks like the morning of January 1, 2020 will be a great start to the year!

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I know, you are here for the food portion of the blog. There was a small newspaper article in 2017 about a new location of Porto's, a Cuban Bakery Cafe, in the Los Angeles County area since 1976, opening a fifth location. Finally, the West Covina location opened two months ago. I was interested in Porto's because of postings by other blogs: cc has made multiple visits, as have Soo and Maggie, Faye, Kirbie and Mary. In fact, we've been to Azucar and Los Pollos specifically to try Cuban delicacies without having to drive a few hours to a Porto's location..
This store, six miles South of Phoenix Decorating, on the same road (which changes names, but is a straight drive) is so close!
There's an open baking area,
the ordering lines are organized.
There is a Coffee bar just to the right as you walk in. We didn't know the 'system' (you can order beverages when you are ordering Bakery and/or Cafe items in any line) and I sent The Mister off to order beverages here. A mojito ($3.39) and a Double Cortadito ($2.59).

The display cases are just that-displays. They are always full. You order and the Porto's guy (or gal) turns and goes to the kitchen to box your items…which (at least around 8 a.m.) are freshly warm.
A potato ball ($1.05), ham croquette (95¢) and, as I must always order, ham and cheese baked in a croissant ($2.35).
Cross sections- the mashed potato ball is filled with picadillo (I could taste the olives!) before being rolled in breadcrumbs and fried. I could see eating a few of these as a meal. The ham croquette is very rich- just ham chunks and a seasoned Bechamel (flour, butter and milk) sauce. It looks small but is just enough.
Cross section of the Ham and Cheese baked in a bread. A wonderful rendition.
Rellenitos-$1.05 each. Made to order. Listed in the 'Savory' section of the menu.
Mashed plantain filled with black beans, fried then rolled in sugar. This is wonderful.

Since it was breakfast and we were here…Torrejas was ordered ($5.98).
Cuban style French toast, made with croissant dough, served with a more or less tropical fruit salad (that is guava sauce and it's not sweetened) and whipped cream cheese. Decadent and kind of addictive.

We will return-many times- to try out the whole menu.

Porto's West Covina 584 S. Sunset, West Covina, CA 91790 (626)214-3490 Open Mon-Th 6:30-8:30, Fri-Sat 6:30-9, Sun 7-8 Website

Road Trip – Tasty Noodle House (San Gabriel) Revisited

June 10, 2019 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Road Trip

Before our trip, I had to head back to the SGV for an appointment. This was going to be a solo trip. The decent Baozi we'd had at Northern Cuisine had me wondering if my favorite Tianjin Baozi from the Tasty Noodle House in San Gabriel was still as good. Be aware, not all Tasty Noodle Houses are created equal. My appointment was done by 1030, which gave me more than enough time to head over to this tiny restaurant tucked into a corner of a strip mall on West Las Tunas Drive.

The configuration of the place has remained the same; though the color is now more neutral.

The woman working was very nice….I was here for only one thing, but felt that I needed to try something else as well. So, I ordered something called "Chinese Watercress" on the menu. I really did expect Xi Yang Cai….but got this.

Holy smokes, a plate of stir fried Culantro (Ngo Gai in Vietnamese). I can truly say that I'd never seen this much cilantro on a plate before. Sadly, this was greasy and not seasoned well, it was really salty, with not enough garlic.

And then, my Tianjin Baozi ("Pan Fried Pork Buns" on the menu) arrived.

These were quite good; the baozi were crisp on the bottom, the tops light, fluffy, and springy. The yeastiness of the baozi wafted up into the air.

The filling had a nice balance of porkiness, sesame oil, and a light ginger flavor. It's moist and smooth, though not overly light.

It's not quite Guo Bu Li Baozi ("stuffed buns that even dogs would not eat" – a specialty of Tianjin), but whatever….it's still a favorite of mine.

It's great to know that even though it's been five years since my last visit this place still delivered.

Tasty Noodle House
827 W Las Tunas Dr
San Gabriel, CA 91776

And yes, Golden Deli in the same strip mall still has crazy lines…..

Though to be perfectly honest….I'll take this…..

Road Trip – Sea Harbour (Rosemead) Revisited

May 12, 2019 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Dim Sum, Los Angeles County, Road Trip

We had a nice night of sleep after dinner at Bistro Na's. Frankie was staying with one of his favorites Aunties, so I used some points and booked an overnight stay. And though we had enjoyed trying some new places on this visit; when it came to dim sum, the Missus wanted Sea Harbour, especially since it had been about three years since our last visit. Of course we got there a few minutes before opening; the lines don't seem quite as long these days. And were promptly seated when they opened….where we got a close-up view of the spot prawns.

The Missus was specifically interested in trying something She saw in various Instagram posts (and no; I don't do "Insta")

Yep, basically squid ink colored – gold leaf topped har gow. shades of gold leaf topped sashimi (in Kanazawa)! So, this was nearly ten bucks….. But, it was well put together. Sea Harbour really knows how to make their shrimp; these were plump, tender, and full of flavor. The mushroom in the dumplings had an earthy sweetness to them.

Next up was the mushroom tart.

These looked better than they actually were. The mushroom filling was really mild and didn't stand up to the pastry. Meanwhile, the pastry started to break down rather quickly and got quite gummy.

I was really happy to see that the Fish Roe and Scallop Dumpling was back on the menu.

It had been taken off the menu on our last visit a few years back. Perfectly textured wrappers; sweet-oceany scallops, balanced out with the crunchy masago.

Of course the Missus had to get Her Chicken Feet. A favorite of Hers.

And I had to get a favorite of mine, the Shrimp, Dried Scallops, and Chinese Celery Dumplings .

And these did not disappoint, wonderful combination of savory (dried scallops) – oceany and sweet (shrimp), all balanced out with the palate cleansing and textural contrast of the Chinese celery. The wrappers were faultless.

On one of our previous visits we tried the Black Fungus and Celery Dumpling and didn't think it was very good. So, we decided to try them out again.

This time around, it was much better. Great texture, the flavor of the celery coming through. Still a bit on the mild side in terms of flavor, but again the wrappers were perfect.

I was really disappointed in the Soy Sauce Noodles this time around.

Overcooked (even the bean sprouts!) and bland. Where the heck were the scallions?

Things finished off with another favorite of the Missus; the Radish Cake with XO Sauce.

While I don't think the searing of the radish cake was done quite as well; it lacked the light coat of crispness, this literally melted in our mouths. The XO Sauce adds another dimension in terms of flavor. It's still quite delicious.

Overall a nice meal. A big plus was that SH opens at 10am on weekends, so we were able to get back on the road before 11am, and head home.

We need to head up to the SGV more often.

Sea Harbour Seafood Restaurant
3939 Rosemead Blvd
Rosemead, CA 91770