Markets & Grocers – Page 14

Montreal – Notre-Dame Basilica, Vieux – Montreal, Maison Christian Faure, and Atwater Market

June 17, 2017 mmm-yoso Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Canada, Cheese, Croissants, Markets & Grocers, Montreal, Travel

After arriving and getting into Montreal rather late the previous evening. Both the Missus and I had a long (for us) and deep sleep. After waking and taking care of a few things we were ready to go. There was rain in the forecast, so we decided to head on out. Our location was very convenient for checking out Old Montreal.

There's an interesting vibe to Montreal, artsy and trendy, yet down to earth, international and diverse, it does indeed feel like "somewhere else", but the people are friendly and not stuffy.

And just after our first evening! Things that were going through my head as we strolled past Place Jean-Paul Riopelle, which is named after the Artist. The fountain is one of his works named "La Joute" (The Joust), which was once located at Olympic Park, but was moved here when this park was created. It actually runs over Autoroute 720.

There was really only one place that I really needed to see in Montreal; everything else on my list was food. I'd made dinner reservations for five of the six nights we were in Quebec.

I just wanted to see this:

The interior of the Basilique Notre-Dame de Montreal ("Notre-Dame Basilica"). It is indeed as beautiful as the photos I've seen. At this time of the day not too crowded either. From the intricate wood carving to the 24 carat gold stars in the ceiling it is quite a site. You can find a nice concise history here.

Of course many famous events have taken place here; from the funeral of Pierre Trudeau to the wedding of Celine Dion. Here's one interesting fact I got from one of my favorite Websites (and books) Atlas Obscura. There's only one person buried in the crypt under the basilica. It's the American who designed this version of the church; James O'Donnell. According to Atlas Obscura, O'Donnell wished to be buried in his most renowned work. The problem being, well, he was not Catholic. On his deathbed, he converted, and thus, became the only soul buried in the crypt….which he designed.

The square in front of the Basilica is Place d'Armes; surrounded by some pretty impressive structures like the Banque de Montreal Building.

At two corners of the building at 500 Place d'Armes are two interesting statues. Each is facing away from one another, but the pooches in their arms know better.

We then headed down Notre Dame Street passing the Palais de Justice and the Vieux (Old) Palais de Justice, now the Service des Finances building, then the Hotel de Ville (City Hall).

Things didn't seem very busy on this morning; perhaps because it was quite overcast and it was supposed to rain. We headed further down the street and took a right on Rue Bonsecours. Right down the street is pretty looking church; the Chapelle de Notre Dame de Bonsecours. This is known as the "Sailor's Church" because this is where seamen came to give thanks for being saved at sea. It was still rather early in the day and the church wasn't open yet.

Taking a right at the church, you run into a building you can't miss; the dome of the Marche Bonsecours. Opened in 1847; this was home to the Parliament of Canada in 1849, it was the Montreal City Hall from 1852 – 1878. It also served as the city's main market for over a century. It closed as market in 1963 and I read that it was scheduled to be demolished. But, as you can clearly see, that, thankfully didn't happen.

The iconic structure now houses various shops and restaurants. Again, we passed before the place opened, but it was nice a quiet. More on the history of the Marché Bonsecours here. Walking pass, you enter the popular cobblestone streets of Old Montreal.

We decided to stop for a caffeine fix and something small to eat at the highly recommended Maison Christian Faure.

Christian Faure is the recipient of the Meilleur Ouvrier de France in Baking a very prestigious title. This shop was right of Place Royale and seemed perfect for a short stop.

The place however, in spite of the best intentions of the staff was a hot mess….I watched customers sitting around waiting for espresso…we were seated and left stranded without menus for 10 minutes….after flagging down the harried young man and placing our order, we then waited 30 minutes for a croissant, espresso, and iced espresso. Customers were just getting up and asking for their checks. The poor Server apologized telling us it was his first day….but where was his support?

The croissant was not my our liking; as it was too chewy, lacking in the flakiness or the light buttery flavor we look for. It was also a bit dry as well.

The espresso were fine.

We felt bad for the staff….and the customers.

Maison Christian Faure
355 Place Royale
Montreal, Canada

Upon leaving, the weather seemed to be holding out. The Missus decided that She wanted to visit Atwater Market….and She wanted to walk there! So we did.

So we headed down Rue Notre Dame….I got to show Her other places I had on my "list" that we wouldn't have time to check out like Joe Beef and Liverpool House. We took a turn at Atwater Avenue and……

The place wasn't very busy on this morning and it was too early for the food stands.

There were the usual suspects….a location of Premiere Moisson, etc. But nothing caught the Missus's attention.

As we turned and made our way out, we decided to check out this cheese shop.

The shop carried all types of produce, the Missus got some Kombucha, and then we headed to the cheese counter where we met the nicest, friendliest gentleman who chatted with us about our preferences in cheese. We monetuioned enjoying strong and pungent washed rind cheese and he explained that Quebec really doesn't specialize in that type of cheese, but made a recommendation; a L'Origine de Charlevoix from Laiterie Charlevoix and one he gave us a sample of, which was fantastic; a Tomme de Grosse Île from Fromagerie Île-aux-Grues.

That Tomme de Grosse Île was really good; semi-soft, mildly grassy and sweet, slight acidity and butteriness, with mild salt. Very complex flavors, none of which over-powered the other.

Even better than the cheese was how gracious the gentleman at La Fromagerie Atwater was. We'd gladly return.

La Fromagerie Atwater
134 Avenue Atwater
Montreal, Canada

As we left Atwater Market, it began to drizzle. We ducked into the Lionel-Groulx station and still having that 24 hours metro pass, caught the Green Line back to Place-des-Arts which was two blocks from our hotel.

It was time to relax, enjoy some cheese, and take a nice nap.

Thanks for reading!

Eating in the store before shopping in the store: Zion, Carnival, Bristol Farms and Whole Foods

May 31, 2017 Cathy Markets & Grocers, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog about food. Kirk is still on vacation and Ed (from Yuma) is still retired. Cathy is still blogging about a few meals.

I've written quite a few posts about eating in a grocery store before going shopping. It gives The Mister and I a chance to (perhaps) not go crazy when shopping and stick more to our list, while providing a chance to take a break before our usually hectic days. This is a post about meals consumed in various stores before the shopping trip begins.

In 2015, I wrote about eating at Zion Market, the former space occupied by a K-Mart/Sears which has half of the store dedicated to groceries and the other half to a food court. There is a piano in mid court, sometimes automatically being 'played' by a stuffed bear and sometimes there are musicians and singers entertaining the lunchtime crowd.
I've been known to go into the store and grab a mixed sashimi salad ($7) and california roll ($4) along with a can of tea (conveniently placed near the cash registers)($1.10).
There's also a hot foods section and a pickled/preserved food section along the back wall inside the grocery part of the store. 'Krab' pancake ($5.99/lb), fried mixed vegetable ($3.49/package of three) and seasoned pickled cucumber ($8.99/lb) was another meal with leftovers.
The generically named "Korean Food" storefront has a good choice of meals for around $9. There is enough to be shared (or taken home as leftovers). This is the fried pork meal and it comes with everything you see plus a complimentary cup of hot tea. The spicy sauce at the bottom of the photo is quite addictive.

Zion Market 7655 Clairemont Mesa Blvd San Diego, California 92111 open 7 days 9 to 9 website

I've written about many Mexican Markets before and do shop at Carnival Supermarket when I'm in the neighborhood. The steam trays always offer something interesting.

There was a fried fish filet special ($5.99) when I was shopping on a Friday and so I decided to try it (instead of the whole fish that I usually opt for). This was excellent and, again, more than enough food. I also decided to take home the empanadas ($1.50 each) beef picadillo and chicken for The Mister's dinner and he said the crust was excellent and the fillings plentiful and had just enough vegetable mixed in. These have since become a regular 'snack' whenever I'm near the store.

Carnival Supermarket 3560 Ashford Street San Diego 92111 (858) 277-1505 Open 7 am-10 pm, seven days

There is always a reason to be in the La Jolla area of town and since I signed up for the Bristol Farms newsletter, the weekly specials are attractive. The wonderful Cafe at the store entrance is not busy on weekday mornings and we've stopped here many times.

The 'Sweet and Savory' plate ($7.99, tabletop ad) is quite hearty and tasty. The breakfast sausages have a nice 'snap' and excellent flavor. Sold in the meat counter, the sausages are a good way to 'sample' before purchase. The eggs are always perfectly over easy and the pancakes are just wonderful; sweet without needing syrup.

The 'Sunrise Sandwich' ($8.99, includes a side of potato or fruit) on sourdough toast, light and fluffy eggs scrambled with sautéed mushrooms, topped with pickled onion, thick, smoky bacon (also sold in the meat counter) and cheese combine for a very filling breakfast sandwich.

Bristol Farms 8510 Genessee Avenue San Diego 92122 (858) 558-4180 Website

Also when in the La Jolla/UTC area of town, (just down the street from Bristol Farms), is Whole Foods, where many 'by the pound' breakfasts have been consumed.

The breakfast pizza is also available ($3.50 for one slice, $6 for two slices) and this is also a temptation. The cheese slice is wonderful as a lunch, especially if you get your own toppings from the salad bar ($8.99/lb) The turkey breakfast sausages are excellent and there are fried chicken pieces next to quartered waffles if you want to make yourself a special breakfast. I just like the mushroom gravy.
Whole Foods 8825 Villa La Jolla Drive La Jolla 92037 (858)642-6700 open daily 7a.m.-10p.m. website

Almost every grocery store has an in store restaurant. Such a nice reason to go shopping. I hope everyone is having a good week!

Nagoya – Morning Service, Yanagibashi Market, and Shikemichi Historic District

May 22, 2017 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Japan, Markets & Grocers, Nagoya, Travel

After hiking part of the Nakasendo Trail from Magome to Tsumago the day before; I was kinda bushed. The Missus though; was ready to go. She decided that we needed to check out Nagoya Castle. And we'd be walking there. As we crossed thru Nagoya Station, we noticed that even at around 730 on a Saturday morning, folks were milling around the "Golden Clock" right across from Takashimaya. This is the most popular meeting spot in Nagoya Station.

As we crossed the street and headed down Sakura-Dori; I spied this place on the lower level of one of the buildings.

The sign said "Morning Set – 390"; that's 390 Yes; about $3.50 for coffee and a small breakfast; something known as "Morning Service" and was created in Nagoya. We had first enjoyed at Komeda Coffee in Kamakura. Heck, we even splurged and got some "green juice" with our meal.

Which was just 100 Yen more. It was a satisfying start to the day.

Pronto Caffe & Bar
4-6-17 Meieki
Nakamura-ku, Nagoya

On one of the corners, the Missus pointed out a bit of hustle and bustle down a side street. It looked to be a market. I then remembered that Taka-san from Taisho had written down Yanagibashi Market as being a place we should check out in Nagoya.

It was indeed Yanagibashi Market; though things looked fairly calm when we arrived. Except for the 24 hour ramen stand…….

Since we weren't in any rush we spent some time wandering around the market.

I love checking out markets when we travel…….

The Missus ended up spending a couple of hundred bucks on tea during this trip. When the really nice guy running this tea shop waved us in….he knew what he was doing as he plied us with samples.

And the Missus ended up buying a couple of bags of tea from him.

Yanagibashi Central Market
4-11-3 Meieki
Nakamura-ku, Nagoya

For some reason, we took a left before the river. I was told to cross the Gojo Bridge on my way to Nagoya Castle, so we went down a street before the river.

A few blocks in we came across this shrine.

This is the Fuji Sengen Shrine.

We had noticed that the structures and the character of the street had completely changed.

According to the sign, this is Shikemichi Historic District.

When Nagoya Castle was being rebuilt in 1610; Tokugawa Ieyasu commanded that all the inhabitants of the previous seat of the Owari Clan, the city of Kiyosu move to Nagoya. So from I read all Sixty Thousand plus people moved to Nagoya. Moving houses, shrines, temples….everything.

This district is where the merchants used to live.

Several of the large buildings look interesting.

As do the windows. The street is also wider than in most historic districts.

In 1700, there was a huge fire which they called Genroku-no-Taika destroyed over 1600 structures and 15 temples and shrines. When planning the rebuilding of the city; Tokugawa Yoshimichi decided to widen the streets to a width of Four Ken, which depending on which source of conversion you use is about 23 feet wide as a firebreak.

So; "michi" means street; "shi" is four…..you get Shikemichi.

There are some nice little shops and cafes on the street; though most were still closed when we walked through

I'm not sure why we took the turns that we did. But I'm glad we did as we ran into things like this interesting looking shrine sitting on the roof of this building. According to the sign; these Shinto Rooftop Shrines are called "Yanegami" whose purpose is to ward off disease and disasters.

I hadn't really read much about historical Nagoya and folks I asked about the city really didn't tell me much in terms of history. So running into places like Shikemichi just adds that much more to things.

Soon enough we came to an intersection with modern buildings all around. To the left was the place we were looking for; the Gojo Bridge whose history dates back to 1610. The current structure was built in 1938.

We headed across the bridge; then left in the direction of Nagoya Castle. But who knows what would happen when we took a left after crossing the bridge? After all; we took a random left turn and ended up in Shikemichi!

Thanks for reading!

Burgundy – From Dijon to Beaune, with Visits to Les Halles, Gallet Traiteur, and Fromager Alain Hess

May 20, 2017 mmm-yoso Burgundy, Cheese, France, French Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Travel

Our train for Beaune would not be leaving until noon, so we decided to wander around Les Halles, Dijon's market hall. On this morning; things were very quiet.

We picked up a slice of Jambon En Croute and a really good baguette at one of the bakeries north of the market.

While walking near Chez Leon we came across this little shop. The friendly young ladies were basically "waving us in".

A Traiteur is basically a take-out/catering company. We kind of got the feeling that this shop was celebrating its grand opening. Quite a few people entered after we walked in.

We were tempted by the Foie Gras items; but went with a few "salads".

Gallet Traiteur
10, rue des Godrans
21000 Dijon, France

The train ride from Dijon to Beaune takes less than 20 minutes. We managed to polish off half the baguette and some of the Jambon en Croute while waiting for the train.

We arrived at the quaint train station in Beaune; went and made arrangements for a rental car to picked up later in the day, and walked down the street and to our apartment inside the city walls of the "old town". I was instantly smitten by the town. It helps that we loved our accommodations. The unit's owner was a lovely, cheerful, and friendly woman. And the place had everything we could have needed or wanted….even an "honor system" wine cellar.

It was a bit too cold to eat outside; but man, we would have loved eating outside if the weather was warmer.

The location was fantastic as while it wasn't in the middle of everything, it was a mere block away or so. The place was peaceful and quiet, yet close to things. The perfect combination.

Speaking of close to things; once we dropped off our bags, the Missus was ready to go. The old town is fairly compact, the main business here is wine, in fact Beaune is considered Burgundy's "Capital of Wine" as many of the wine producers actually store their wine in Beaune. The big event in this town is the is the annual Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction, which takes place in November.

We walked almost diagonally across the old town.

Passing thru the ramparts on other side and across the "ring road" and over a stream.

To a beautiful park that looked like something out of a painting.

This is Parc de la Bouzaise.

That seems to be a favorite of both our two legged and four legged friends.

It seemed like the duck knew that this was their property as they displayed little fear of humans and dogs.

Near the edge of the park you see a fence.

Walk through the opening in the fencing and you'll be rewarded with this beautiful sight.

Yes, this is wine country indeed…the Cote de Beaune. Walk to your left a bit and you are ground zero of Beaune Les Teurons.

The map shows how the land is divided up; many of the "clos" (plots) have belonged to the same family since medieval times.

You can walk along the vineyards and feel like you are viewing a real life Impressionist painting.

As we walked up the hill above Beaune, folks in the vehicles actually smiled and waved to us…..as if to say "welcome"…..

Walking back into town, we stopped near the central square.

When we were in Dijon; I noticed a truck delivering cheese to several businesses….with the name Alain Hess printed on the side. After a quick "Google check"; Fromagerie Hess became a "must stop" on my list. Right off the main square (Place Carnot) is the shop.

It is a very busy shop….with cheese, charcuterie, and other products on the ground floor.

And wine and cheese tastings in the basement.

We bought cheese, foie gras, and a nice bottle of wine for a late lunch.

Fromagerie Hess
7 Place Carnot
21200 Beaune, France

Back at the apartment, we had a late lunch.

Which featured the bounty of what we had collected during the day. The champignons from Gallet Traiteur was quite good, though the puy lentils were much too salty and hard. The foie gras terrine from Alain Hess was amazing; great smooth liver flavors, yet rich, it was very good. And a nice crisp, but not too buttery white.

This was a nice meal.

Which kind of displayed how good the food can be, even when self-catering in France.

COMC: Lima – Mercado de Surquillo

December 9, 2016 mmm-yoso Lima, Markets & Grocers, Peru, Travel

We had a nice stroll after our Sanguches de Chicharron at Dona Paulina. We then headed off across the freeway to the District of Surquillo.

After crossing above the freeway you come across Mercado Surquillo No. 1.

And while we didn't intend on spending much time checking out the market we just couldn't help ourselves. I'd forgotten how much we loved the Mercados in Peru. Though it looks like things have changed up a bit as the largest crowds here were for the "Bioferia"; the tents selling organic items.

The rest of the market was also fairly busy; especially the food and drink section.

Though we were almost waylaid by the "Festivo Gastronomical".

Which had a neat "food court" kind of feel to it.

Where some of the smells were just plain intoxicating…..

We were tempted but the Missus had Cebiche on Her mind and there was no stopping Her.

It was nice being back in Peru. It had been too long.

Mercado Surquillo No.1
Paseo de la Republica block 53
Surquillo, Lima, Peru

And there was some Cebiche calling our name from behind the market!

Seville – Mercadillo de la Alameda and Basilica de la Macarena

December 8, 2016 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers, Seville, Spain, Travel

On our last full day in Seville we got a bit of a late start. But it was Sunday after all. As we stumbled out of our apartment over to the Plaza del Salvador we could hear the crowd before we actually saw it.

Good lord, all these young people, many having beers, at 830 in the morning! On a Sunday! I guess Saturday night just wasn't enough.

We decided on something a bit more suitable for breakfast. I mentioned my growing fondness for the simple tostada de aciete (toast with olive oil) in a previous post.

We just stopped at a corner shop and got our tostadas and espresso and were ready to go.

As we passed the very humble exterior Capilla de San José (Chapel of San José), which was open as we passed. The interior however, was a whole 'nother story. As you can see by the elaborate Baroque altarpiece.

My goodness!

From here we headed back in the direction of La Alameda where we had passed the night before.

This park was originally built in 1574 and was once the oldest public garden in Europe. I really like the Roman Columns. Hercules stands on the left and Julius Caesar on the right.

We saw tents set-up. Apparently there's a Sunday Market in the Plaza. So we decided to check things out.

It was a charming little "Mercadillo", full of locals…….

We even bought a very nice bottle of olive oil from one of the vendors. Then had a seat at one of the cafes to enjoy some espresso and watch the world pass for a while We even saw a character from the previous night; the "Smug Pug" making his way around; as smug and oblivious to all who gave attention as the night before. As we strutted from tree to tree, I again automatically started Overture to the Barber of Seville. I should have taken a photo, but we were just having too much fun.

Hard to believe that in the late 80's and 90's this area was a drug infested neighborhood that was once home to 35 brothels. Yes, gentrification, now it's one of the most trendy neighborhoods in Seville.

We headed North to the Macarena District.

The main reason for walking up here was to visit the Basilica de la Macarena.

It's quite a beautiful church.

But there was one thing we both wanted to see. During Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Seville, there are processions of floats (pasos). On Good Friday, the most popular and beloved is La Macarena – the Virgin of Hope of Macarena.

The "Weeping Virgin" has tears made of crystal, real human hair, looks down upon you with a handkerchief in her right hand and a rosary in her left. She wears five emerald brooches donated by The famous Bullfighter "El Gallo". In fact, I read that after Joselito El Gallo was gored to death, La Macarena was dressed in black for the only time in history.

And she moves many. I saw a couple of women start weeping at the sight of her. We saw women give up their babies to the staff to be brought in front of the statue.

You can actually walk in back of the statue as well. I gotta say; for some reason I really felt kind of spooked.

Still, this is pretty impressive. So impressive that many babies in Seville are named Macarena. Which does of course have ties to this song.

So yes, we've come from the Virgin Mary and Semana Santa to Human Hair to El Gallo the Bullfighter to Los del Río in a few sentences.

Seville does that to you.

Tip Top Meats European Delicatessen(Carlsbad)- Meaty Breakfasts (and a meaty dessert)

December 7, 2016 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Desserts, Markets & Grocers, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog with some 'regular' people who post. Today, Cathy is posting while Kirk is working and Ed(from Yuma) is out and about (in Yuma).

I saw an advertisement that Tip Top Meats (which I've posted about many times) was going to serve Thanksgiving dinner for $12.95 beginning at 1:30 that day. Trying to keep with our now non-tradition of going out for our Thanksgiving meal, The Mister and I planned our day around this time, but so did many other people; the line was to the door when we walked in. We turned around and did something non-traditional ( same as Kirk's Thanksgiving Day). A few weeks later, we drove North to Tip Top for breakfast. The breakfast menu is to the left as you approach the cash register, where you order and pay (food is brought to your table; you get your own beverage and water).
The Mister chose the 'Big John' breakfast($7.98). Three eggs, potatoes, toast (rye) and -all you can eat- meat. Bacon is a choice, but because some people have been overly greedy in the past, now you can only have a single order/it's not all you can eat. Because we like but don't go crazy over bacon, the breakfast sausage and ham were part of the first order, with a return trip requesting the Polish sausage (bratwurst is also a meat choice). The sausages are made here; the breakfast sausages are large and have a hint of spicy red pepper as part of the ingredients. The thick slice of ham is quite wonderful and the Polish sausage is garlicky, peppery and smoked. All in all a great tasting meal. My 'Continental Breakfast' ($8.99) consisted of two thicker slices of cheese along with two quite large, crusty fresh fluffy rolls and two slices each of liverwurst, an in-store deli meat made in aspic with ham, mustard seeds and peppercorns (it's not head cheese, but a milder flavored, pleasant deli meat), two types of salamis and two thin slices of a wonderful Black Forest ham. This was a perfect breakfast for me. Walking through the store, we checked out the refrigerated section, countertops filled with fresh breads and pastries and the freezer area. Then, there were shelves just past the cash registers where you pay for the store purchases. That rack is for the Tip Top brand baked items. Mincemeat- made with beef suet–real mincemeat! The fresh, buttery and flaky pastry filled with the mixture of apples, raisins, currants, lemon and orange peel, sherry wine, brandy, citrons, spices and beef suet just tastes like Winter. Only made until December 31, it's a favorite holiday treat.

Tip Top Meats and European Delicatessen 6118 Paseo Del Norte Carlsbad, CA 92009 Website open daily 6 am-8 pm

Seattle – Walks, breakfast, some familiar places, and Icelandair

November 12, 2016 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Breakfast/Brunch, Markets & Grocers, Seattle, Washington, Travel

So you might be wondering; what’s up with Seattle again? I mean the last over night visit was an involuntary overnight stay.

Well, here’s the abridged version. One of my projects….a really huge project, was delayed. All trips had been put on hold. As soon as I got official word of the dates being pushed back, I pinged the Missus and went to work, first requesting time off, then doing the logistics. It came together in an instant. You see, a few months earlier, one of the folks I occasionally work with mentioned the Icelandair free stopover program. Basically, you fly out of one of the airlines hub and you get up to a 7 night stopover in Iceland at no extra charge (there’s even a “Stopover Buddy” program that’s offered on occasion). I started quickly checking prices and found that Business Class from SEA to ORY was really affordable and we could easily fit in a 3 night stopover on the way back.

Sold!

This meant we’d have 1 night in Seattle on our way to and from Paris.

We’ve been here so many times, way back to pre-blogging days, and I used to visit regularly while living in HNL….in fact, before I met the Missus, I was considering a move here.

But that’s ancient history now and here we were….staring at this!

I had just been mentioning what a clear night it was when we came upon Fernando Botero’s “Adam”. (Click the link – It’s a great article). So perhaps the night was a bit too clear for us?

We had a perfect night of rest and since breakfast was included in our room rate, we ended up having a satisfying breakfast at the Renaissance.

Pretty standard stuff. What made this for us was the awesome service. Friendly, efficient, just really perfect. Before we left one of the Servers brought us more coffee….in take out cups….a “little something for the morning”. The Missus whispered to me, “increase your tip”. Now that’s a new one! I know it doesn’t cost the Servers anything to do these little things, but they make all the difference to us; the customers.

So while we hadn’t stayed at the Renaissance in ages, I think this is where we’ll be when we return.

Renaissance Seattle Hotel
515 Madison St
Seattle, WA 98104

Plus, check out time isn’t until noon, so we took another nice little walk.

It had drizzled in the morning, but things had cleared up……but not everyone was enjoying their walk…..

Though by the time we headed down the Waterfront Steps, things were under control.

We headed up Post Alley to another “landmark”, the Seattle Gum Wall, which is kinda neat or pretty gross, depending on your point of view.

Regardless, it seems to be here to stay. You can watch video of a ton of gum being washed off the wall in 2015….and a year later…well…IT’S baaaack!

I’ve done posts on Pike Place Market a couple of times over the years and honestly, I still love the place. There’s always something new….like what part of Rachel, the Pike Place Pig are these kids checking out?

Much of it is so familiar….which is part of the charm.

The Missus loves watching the tanks at Beecher’s……

**** Pear Delicatessen & Shoppe has closed

Stopped and had some refreshment at Pear Delicatessen.

Pear Delicatessen & Shoppe
1926 Pike Pl
Seattle, WA 98101

And were shocked at the line at Piroshky Piroshky

Which was once a favorite of ours, but during our last visit things seemed to have gone downhill a bit. Still, it seems more popular than ever.

Still, there’s always something interesting to see or experience at Pike Place.

Our flight wasn’t until almost 5 pm; as I mentioned earlier check-out time at the Renaissance is at noon, I’m sure I could have requested a late check-out, but we decided to just catch the Link out to Sea-Tac. Icelandair flies out of the ‘S’ terminal at Sea-Tac, which is our least favorite, but since we were flying Business we got to use the “Club at SEA”…….even though there wasn’t anything special in terms of food or drink, the comfort and low stress vibe is a welcome change from the usual cattle call.

Flying Business Class on Icelandair was a mixed bag. The seating is like domestic first, which means nothing lies flat….the movie selection is dated…..however, the service is fantastic, and in all honesty, the food was not bad.

All of which made our flight that much easier….

Thanks for reading!

Sunday Stuffs – 99 Ranch Market’s Soft Opening, Poke and Pintxos at Poseidon Project

October 16, 2016 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers, Poke, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine

A few things for a slow Sunday.

99 Ranch Market on Balboa's Soft Opening:

Like many other folks I know, I've been watching for any indication the new 99 Ranch Market would be opening. The other day I noticed some notices were posted. I drove on over to the parking lot and took a look.

The flier says – Soft Opening October 20th; Grand Opening October 22nd.

So there you go.

5950 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92117

Poke and Pintxos at Poseidon Project:

Like I mentioned in a previous post; I've kind of taken to the Poseidon Project, the little beer bar and bottle shop in my 'hood; Bay Park. It's a nice, neighborhood place, but it's a beer bar and bottle shop and doesn't serve food. Which can be a bit of a problem in this area.

I'll usually drop by on Saturday evenings when the Missus needs to work and have noticed that there's usually one and sometimes two catering folks coming in to serve food.

The usual Saturday stand is by a company named ILNLYF Foods, which you might know from the Little Italy Mercado. And yes, these guys serve poke.

I've yet to find decent poke in San Diego and I really had my doubts about these guys. And the first two times I tried the poke I was underwhelmed. I did enjoy that this isn't the typical San Diego "Chi-poke" set-up; the fast-casual fish with sauce thing. I did find the fish to be on the mushy side and the poke sort of waterlogged; as if they dumped a bunch of frozen fish into the marinade.

However, the guy serving the poke is very nice, friendly, Samoan, who has family and spends a good deal of time in Hawaii.

And wouldn't you know it; the last two times their version of shoyu poke has been pretty good. As you can tell; not too much "suji" (connective tissue) in the fish. It's been marinated….not just sitting around with some sauce thrown on it. I'd like a bit more onions, but the kimchi cucumbers are a decent addition. I was told that because their customer base at the Mercado's said it was too salty; they've had to change to low sodium shoyu….so they told me to visit them at the PIF and other festivals where they "don't hold back".

Tried it again recently and I gotta say; it's a two fer two…though i'm not a big fan of the "fried rice", which was too hard and dry. I'll stick with the white rice….though they did have a decent mac salad a few weeks back.

Also, on occasion there's young lady who makes paella, and later on some Saturday evenings she'll bring in some Pintxos……you know what that is, right?

They'll tell most folks this is "tapas", but the young lady is from Bilbao. In Basque country, they call this Pintxos.

Some Tortilla Espanola, maybe a version of Champinones Al Ajillo, Boquerons, or Crouquettas de Pollo. Nice folks.

I'm not sure what the entire lineup of food purveyors is; so you may want to call ahead on a Friday or Saturday to see if they'll have anything; 619-230-5334.

Over the last couple of weeks; I've noticed a couple of things; the beer cooler doesn't have the variety it used too; they don't always have all 8 pulls going. I really like this place and hope this isn't a bad sign. I've enjoyed meeting some of my more like minded neighbors, the two and even four-legged ones…..so I'm hoping Poseidon hangs on and maybe gets a kitchen, or something.

Poseidon Project
4126 Napier St
San Diego, CA 92110

Saturday Stuffs – Char House and Yum Cha Cafe Closes and the Sign for the New 99 Ranch Market is up.

September 17, 2016 mmm-yoso Chinese BBQ, Chinese Restaurants, Dim Sum, Markets & Grocers, Vietnamese Restaurants

Here are a couple of items Cathy mentioned to me.

Char House Closes:

Man, they just opened in April! Cathy sent me a text about this and I went to check out their Facebook Page:

"Char House
September 14 at 9:03pm
To our valued guests, Char House is now CLOSED. Thank you for your support and we hope to continue serving you at our other location in Hillcrest: Pho Fifth Ave. 3807 5th Ave, San Diego, CA 92103."

I drove by yesterday…..

Geeez…..the Grand Opening sign is still up…..

7765 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111

Yum Cha Café Closes:

Cathy also mentioned this to me as well. Notice the trash bins in front of the door. The place caused a bit of buzz and opened to lines. But slowly got worse and worse and based on what I had during my last visit, they really did seem like they were circling the drain.

6933 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92111

Since we've been on 99 Ranch Market watch here at mmm-yoso…… The sign has been up for a couple of weeks.

5950 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92117

Hope you're having a great weekend!