Markets & Grocers – Page 7

Paris (2022) – Bo & Mie, Ippudo, and Getting Reacquainted

May 20, 2022 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Bakery, Croissants, France, Japanese Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Paris, France, Ramen, Travel

And so it came to pass…..almost two-and-a-half years since we were last in Europe, we headed back. There were so many thoughts going thru our heads as we planned and then left for our first stop; Paris. Would it still be our favorite city? Was cafe culture going to be impacted…..what kind of precautions were in place? How would traveling during these times be?

On our flight outward it seemed that the quality of the food on our flights and in the lounges seemed to have taken a hit….generous portions; but not very good eats…

That shrimp salad was surprisingly the best item we had during transit.

As for masks? Well, almost nil on our flight from San Diego to LHR and in the airport. Required on the flight from LHR to CDG and also on the RER Blue Line though very sparse in Paris as a whole.

We arrived in Paris at around 10m and since we decided to stay at the same 'ol AirBnb off Rue Montorgueil, we were familiar the RER Blue line drill, getting off at Les Halles, then the short walk for key pick-up at the Key Cafe Kiosk on Rue Marie Stuart, before heading to the apartment. We were shocked at how busy all the businesses on Rue Montorgueil were….places seemed packed to the gills! The crowd also seemed much younger than I recalled. I guess I needn't have worried too much about all the cafes going out of business as overflow customers were actually standing on the sidewalks having their drinks and socializing. I thought that perhaps this was because it was a Friday night; but it seems that on almost every night all the cafes/bars were packed until at least 10pm.

The next morning I woke early, the Missus was still sleeping off the jet lag, so I decided to head on out and grab some croissants. Rue Montorgueil seemed totally different at this time of the day.

Place Goldoni seemed so peaceful.

I headed down the rather "gritty" Rue Saint-Denis past Passage du Grand Cerf….

And at the intersection with Rue de Turbigo was Bo et Mie, a place I had in my "Croissant Files" list.

The place was quite modern and what we found on this trip was that just about everywhere in Paris now takes plastic; albeit folks instantly knew you were American once you busted out the card since most US Credit Cards will not do chip and pin and/or need a signature.

It was very easy ordering in line, paying by card, and heading out. Bo & Mie has three locations in Paris and is obviously not a Artisan Boulanger, but I had read some pretty good things about the place.

Bo & Mie
18 Rue de Turbigo
75002 Paris, France

I took a different way back; heading past Les Halles and onto Rue Montorgueil, where things were still quite peaceful this morning.

Saint Eustache looked quite lovely in the morning sun.

Once back at the apartment; the Missus made me some coffee via the "pod machine" and we had the croissants.

This was not bad….lacking in enough salt and butter, though it had a decent flakiness and the interior was light and fluffy.

By now it was time to head on out for our "morning assignments". Mine was to pick-up our pocket wifi. The company that I'd been dealing with over the years now had a splashy new store on Opera and the Missus had Her sights on Chanel Cambon; so we headed on out in that general direction. One thing we noticed is that Paris seems to be getting smaller for us. We got to Place des Victoires so very quickly.

At this pace we'd be getting to our destination before opening time; so I decided to take a detour to what I read was the longest passage in Paris; Passage Choiseul.

According to this wonderful post, Passage Choiseul has only been reopened to the public since 2013.

There seemed to be quite a number of eateries in the passage.

We took our sweet old time…..and in doing so we noticed things we had before like Place Gaillon.

We popped out on always busy Opera and picking up our pocket wifi….or as they call it here "weefee"…..

And then it was time to hit up Chanel Cambon; which I've detailed in earlier posts. After which we explored the "high rent district" before deciding to head on back to the apartment.

On the way back; on Rue du 4 Septembre, we passed a Picard. Tomorrow would be May 1st, which is Labour Day in France. It is a major holiday here and many places would be closed. I had dinner reservations, but we decided to head into Picard to see if we could get something for that day's lunch.

Picard is a frozen food grocery store chain, with over 900 locations in France. It's fun checking out these shops….think of Trader Joe's frozen food section on steroids….

We bought some frozen morels and an eggplant dish for our Labour Day lunch.

On the way back we were getting a bit hungry. In spite of it being late April, things felt a bit on the chilly side. Before our trip, having been to Paris once or twice a year since 2016 (except for those Covid years) we had decided to treat Paris like a home away from home….sure, we'd indulge in a Michelin meal or two, but since we sincerely believe we'll be returning until we're not able to travel any longer, we'd just have fun, exploring, but not overdoing the sights, museums and such.

And since our last real meal in Paris was Ramen, we thought it would be fun to have some slurping for lunch! And, having been to Ippudo locations in Osaka and Kyoto, I was interested to see how the Louvre location would compare…..so why not, right?

We arrived a shade past the noon opening time and went with an outdoor table….yes, it was a bit chilly, but the ramen would cure that. We were surprised at how quickly the restaurant filled up….though no one chose an outdoor table until there were none left inside.

As we usually do at Ippudo and other ramen shops in Japan; we ordered a ramen, this time the Akamaru Special and also a rice bowl, which in the case here was a Teriyaki Pork Don.

First off, the broth was totally Ippudo; not overly salty, nice and rich tongue coating thickness, porky, the black garlic oil adding a nice nutty, sesame flavor with a pleasant pungent-sweetness.

The tamago was a perfect orb of egginess.

The weak link was the noodles. This was a total Hakata style noodle fail as the thin noodles were very brittle and hard; lacking any "pull".

The rice bowl was fine….

The rice was cooked decently; something that we'd find was not the norm in Paris. The pork crisp and light…..

The customers were all Parisians as far as we could tell; no other Asians in sight. This was quite interesting as we'd find Parisians had quite diverse tastes during this trip to Paris.

Ippudo
74-76 Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau
75001 Paris, France

As we headed back to the apartment, the sun had come out…..and with that, all of the Parisians……

Enjoying the sun and socializing. It was as if Covid never happened. Or perhaps folks were relishing and celebrating a hopeful return to normalcy? It was just a tad too crowded for us, so we decided to head on back to the apartment and rest up. We'd be headed to a favorite of ours for dinner.

Thanks for stopping by!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Coffeeholic
1240 Lakes Drive Unit B
West Covina, CA 91790

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

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

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

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

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

We then topped off our tank and headed to Vegas.

EddieWorld
36017 Calico Rd.
Yermo, CA 92398

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

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

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

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

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

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

We arrived at the designated time and were seated.

The menu card has the story of Partage.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And the Missus enjoyed the desserts…..

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

Partage
3839 Spring Mountain Rd.
Las Vegas, NV 89102

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

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

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

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

And tomorrow we were headed to Zion!

Thanks for stopping by!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

She's hoping they bring it back.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The next morning we got home easily.

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

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

I used some cherry and sun dried tomatoes…..

The Missus loved it.

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

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

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Roadtrip (During Covid) – Rush Creek Lodge and Spa, Hiking Around Rush Creek, and Yosemite Valley

March 10, 2022 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Beer, Burgers, Markets & Grocers, Road Trip, Sierra Nevada, California, Travel

Here's a fairly quick post about our trip to Yosemite in October of last year.

After heading out from Paso Robles, we took a bathroom break and filled up our tank at Bravo Farms outside Kettleman.

Bravo Farms is one of those…..well road side stops with everything from a diner – food court – mercantile, which means all kinds of stuff you never knew you needed, it has some places for kids to play….all in the middle of…well…not much.

I did really enjoy the signs in the very clean restroom which cracked me up.

It was a good place to stretch our legs since we wouldn't be stopping until we got to Rush Creek Lodge and Spa. I chose the place, which was kind of remote mainly because of the location, 1 ile from the west entrance to Yosemite and size of the rooms; we got a Hillside Villa with our own private and a nice view.

We arrived a bit too early to check in. I had told the Missus that there were hiking trails around the lodge…..so guess what we did?

I parked the car in the lot where our Villa was located and we headed up to where the trails were.

I asked the Missus which trail She wanted to do…big mistake….Her answer? "All of them." Which is what we did.

It did us a nice "taste" of the beauty of the area.

And once we returned, our "Villa" was ready……it was quite large.

And the view….

There were a couple of shortcomings with the unit. It had no microwave, so you'd have to eat in the resort or drive the 20 or so miles to Groveland. But, there was a Restaurant, Tavern, and a General Store.

I had made reservations for dinner at the restaurant….during these times of Covid, it was optimal to do so. And on this day, we were seated in the Tavern.

The tables were nicely spaced out.

I started with a Big Sky Brewing Moose Drool ($9), a nice Brown Ale.

I was interested in trying the Crispy Fried Cauliflower ($17), which proved to be a mistake.

This wasn't particularly crisp and the sauce…..was like something from Panda Express; it was teeth rattling sweet.

We also got the Tomato and Roasted Garlic Soup ($14).

This lacked garlic flavor. Though it still wouldn't have been too bad if it had been served at a better temperature. It was barely lukewarm.

The Missus ordered the Rush Burger ($20).

After the two appetizers, we didn't expect too much….especially when they asked the Missus how She wanted the burger done. In many places, asking that question is just going thru the motions and you'll get your burger well done. This burger however, was cooked exactly how the Missus wanted. It also had a nice char adding a nice smokiness. The fries had a decent crispness.

I ordered the Lamb Shawarma ($21).

This wasn't very good either. The flatbread was really tough; so was the dry lamb which really lacked flavor.

Overall, very corporate food…our dinner was a $100 without tip! I guess most folks were a captive audience and there's no microwave in the rooms. At least the Missus enjoyed Her burger. And I guess we really weren't staying here for the restaurant, right?

The Restaurant at Rush Creek Lodge
34001 CA-120
Groveland, CA 95321

One of the reasons we stayed at Rush Creek was the distance to the West Entrance to Yosemite; it was less then a mile!

We got an early start and headed into Yosemite, making several stops along the way.

And then we entered the park.

The Missus was so excited about doing some hiking; unfortunately both of the trails we selected we closed as trail, road ,and parking lot work was going on. Sigh…..

We then headed to Yosemite Village and the visitors center, spoke to some rangers and decided just to do some trails in the area.

We first did the Lower Yosemite Falls Trail, an easy trail. The water was just a trickle on this day….and few weeks later there would be a major storm and waterfall would be going like crazy. Just our luck on this day.

From here we walked thru Cook's Meadow….I really enjoyed the views from here.

And from here we headed to Mirror Lake via the Valley Loop.

Because parts of the trail parallels the road, there was a lot of vehicle noise; it's also a pretty busy bike path…..and of course, because of the season, Mirror Lake was dry. It was still quite beautiful though.

And we took the loop back to Yosemite Village and our car.

We drove back to Rush Creek and relaxed for a bit. The Missus and I just weren't up to having another meal in the restaurant and we didn't want to drive to Groveland. We went over to the General Store and picked up a bottle of wine for the Missus and a beer for me. I had done some planning and brought along a self-heating Omeal and also a portable heater-lunch box; we had brought packaged meals. I put my package of basmati rice in the Omeal bag, so it heated up along the vegetarian chili.

The 110 volt hot plate didn't get things super hot, but it did the trick.

It was an ok meal……but the view just couldn't be beat.

And we were sure that tomorrow would be a better day!

Thanks for dropping by!

Midweek Meanderings – The Missus is Juicing (from Stehly Farms), Kumi Cafe Replacing Chopstix Too, and Saying Goodbye to Chowhound

March 9, 2022 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, yoso-silly

Some "stuffs" for a Wednesday.

The Missus is Juicing (from Stehly Farms):

Sorry, couldn't help it. The Missus has been wanting fresh juices and it seems that only Stehly Farms fits the bill. Sadly, the the Morena location closed at then end of 2020. So, Kensington, here I come.

The young lady who works the juice bar on weekends is so sweet; I think her name is Joanna.

I've been going almost every week…..she knows my name now….sheesh….

Anyway, she works really hard in making fresh squeezed carrot and beet juice for the Missus.

The Missus blends the juices with some stuffs….I think tumeric, etc….and either Grapefruit or Blood Orange juice. Super healthy!

It's one Her latest "things"……..

Stehly Farms Market
4142 Adams Ave.
San Diego, CA 92116

Kumi Cafe Replacing Chopstix Too:

Well, I hadn't been to Mitsuwa in a while. So I dropped by to do some shopping and was surprised to see that Chopstix Too was gone! Whoa, this one was a surprise. Over the years Cathy has posted on Chopstix Too several times, the last time back in January of 2019. Heck even Vicky did a post back in 2009.

I did a quick search online and found this from Eater. So perhaps another ghost kitchen is going brick and mortar?

Sadly, it's the end of an era it seems.

4380 Kearny Mesa Rd.
San Diego, CA 92111

Saying Goodbye to Chowhound:

Talk about the end an era……

I was looking thru some CH posts and found this post. If you don't want to follow the link; here a bit of the post:

"After 25 incredible years of sharing culinary insights and mouth-watering recipes, we are saddened to inform you that Chowhound will be closing down on Monday, March 21, 2022.

This incredibly difficult decision is due to limitations in the capabilities and resources required to maintain the site on an ongoing basis. Rather than allowing the site experience to degrade, we have opted to close down the site."

I'm certain many of you have never heard of Chowhound….but for me, it was a nice source of dining information after we moved to San Diego in 2001. I had read some stuff when we lived in the SGV, but it became a good source for dining info for San Diego. Of course there were many changes over the years and participation waned…….I'll just leave it at that.

I have met some great folks from CH and after hosting a CH dinner at Ba Ren I met the wonderful Ed from Yuma and we became fast friends.

I think my FOY "Candice" put it best; it's "the end of an era". 'Nuff said.

Midweek Meanderings – Yum Yum Africa Coming to Old Town and Bristol Farms (UTC) Closing at the End of the Month

January 19, 2022 mmm-yoso African Cuisine/Restaurants, Markets & Grocers

Yum Yum Africa Coming to Old Town:

I saw this on a recent visit to Taqueria Tuetano (post upcoming) right across the street from was this banner:

In the former location of El Charro Grill…….it seems like Old Town is going thru many changes; hope this will be a good one!

2543 Congress St.
San Diego, CA 92110

Bristol Farms Closing at the End of the Month:

I pretty much saw this coming with the mall being renovated. Even though I've basically done two posts on Bristol Farms (Cathy has done quite a few) it's a regular shopping stop on the way home form the office.

So, after not dropping by in a couple of weeks; I visited last week on the way home from work…..

I went in to take a peek and man the place was pretty empty and quite depressing.

I spoke to a couple of the folks that I knew from all my visits over the years and was told that they were closing at the end of the month. I asked about all the employees (I've known quite a few that have left over the last few months) and was told that many are being transferred to Lazy Acres locations in Encinitas and Hillcrest. I'll probably still see some of them as Lazy Acres is a regular stop on the way home from the Little Italy Mercato.

Even the return of Bristol Farms after renovations of the mall is not certain. I was told that Bristol Farms had successfully made preliminary negotiations with the mall's owners; but that went down the tubes when the mall was sold to new ownership.

Sad to see Bristol Farms go….yes, the prices were on the high side; but it was always a good stop for certain items.

Still, if you want to make a last stop at Bristol Farms, all remaining inventory will be sold at 50% off starting tomorrow, January 20th.

I'm hoping they do return….

Bristol Farms
8510 Genessee Ave
San Diego, CA 92122
Limited Hours:
Daily 10am – 7pm

Happy New Year!

December 31, 2021 mmm-yoso Cooking, Markets & Grocers

Or is it really? Well, it been a pretty rough two years…….unlike last New Year when I kept away and did my Osechi search on the 30th….this time, like I'd done every year since it seems forever, I decided to head on over to Nijiya today at 9am. Somehow, I must have missed the memo and found the place packed when I arrived at 5 to 9…..apparently, they decided to open at 8am!

Needless to say; it was a zoo around the osechi and I gave up taking photos after taking a few of the seafood….

I quickly grabbed some Osechi for a good friend whose mom and dad is visiting from Italy and went to look to make something for the Missus…..but go figure; they were out of daikon and tofu??? What the heck. Oh well, I guess it just kinda fits into the pattern of the last two years?

I headed on over to Marukai….which, just like Nijiya, decided to open at 8am as well….they've recently renovated, probably due to being acquired by Don Quijote, and changed the whole layout….but no decent Osechi, but I did get tofu and daikon.

And so, the Missus got some humble Niku Dofu for dinner….which She had been craving anyway. And like usual we plan a quiet New Year anyway…..

Anyway, we'd like to wish everyone a safe New Year…with our best wishes and hopes that you are all safe and in good health.

Tel Aviv (Before Covid) – HaBasta, Abu Hassan, and Falafel Ratzon

December 20, 2021 mmm-yoso Beer, Israel/Palestine, Israeli Food, Markets & Grocers, Mediterranean Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Seafood, Travel

*** Here's a condensed post as I try to finish up all our pre-Covid trip reports.

Our flight from Paris to Tel Aviv on EL AL was on time and uneventful.

We were fed pretty well on the flight and arrived at Ben Gurion Airport right before 5pm. Getting a taxi to our hotel was also very easy and took about half an hour. Not quite sure about how long it would take, I made reservations at a restaurant I wanted to try, which was a nice walk from our hotel at 8pm. The restaurant is right next to the Carmel Market and I'd read a bit about the place.

On this Sunday evening, things were pretty quiet….and we really enjoyed the wonderful flavors and freshness of the food.

From the Cauliflower with Tahini….

To the Creamy-Smoky eggplant, to the slightly tangy-acidic Matbucha (a Arabic/Moroccan Roasted Tomato dish).

And the savory Cured Fish with Soft Egg…..

This was a wonderful meal and a great way to start our visit to Israel. I wish we were a bit more hungry and were able to try more dishes, but we left quite satisfied.

HaBasta
HaShomer St. 4
Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel

The next morning; our only full day in Tel Aviv, we headed out early. Taking a walk thru the very quiet (on this morning) Carmel Market.

The fragrance of spices floating thru the air…..

And then past Hassan Bek Mosque….

To Charles Clore Park, where we could see Old Jaffa ahead of us.

We walked along to the beach area, where we saw this cat…..

Who was undoubtedly checking out these pooches having a great day at the beach!

We took a quick detour to check out the the Clock Tower and Saraya House in the old town.

There is so much much history here.

We took time to check out the Clock Tower which was built by the Ottoman's in 1901.

That structure to the left of the clock tower is the Saraya House and was once the residence and offices of the Turkish Governor. It was blown up by the Lehi a militant group.

We walked along the street checking out various churches and folks just going thru daily life.

There was quite a bit to take in here…… from the Monastery of St Nicholas to many other places which had no signs…….

There always seemed to be something that would catch your eye.

I was starting to get a bit hungry and really wanted to try a place that wasn't too far away so we headed up the stairs from Nemal Yafo Street connecting to HaShahaf Street….

To a place I'd a good deal about Hummus Abu Hassan, a very low keyed, but very busy little shop.

The folks here were very nice and even though the place was bustling we ordered and found a table.

Even though it was not even 10am, the place was busy. Our order arrived in minutes and just look at this will ya'….it is by far the most delici-yoso hummus I've ever had.

The Masabacha was amazing. And one of the old timers even showed us the proper way to eat it. You take the wonderful pita and dip it in the peppery lemon sauce, then the hummus, then you eat it was some of the sinus clearing onion! It was sooooo good.

During our short "brunch" we saw two taxis stop in front of the restaurant and older women get out of the car, walk up to the counter and pick up their hummus! This place really lived up to what I had read. In fact, twice during our stay in Jerusalem we mentioned this place and kinda impressed the locals!

Hummus Abu Hassan
Ha-Dolfin St. 1
Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel

We finished up and walked back to our hotel.

And wandered the streets along the way.

We had a nice cup of tea back at the hotel…..

And then it was nap time.

We awoke later that afternoon and went back out for a stroll…spending most of our time around the beach area, walking from one end to the other.

The people (and pooch) watching was fun.

This being near the end of November, the sun would set around 430pm, and we were treated to a beautiful one.

After the sun went down we wandered around a bit more; then decided on some dinner. We just wanted something quick and easy and another place; fairly close to our hotel came to mind; Falafel Razon.

I had wanted to try some falafel; so this was our chance….

And whoa; much like the hummus, this was a game changer for us. I'd never had falafel that was so crisp outside, but almost creamy inside.

Man we were eating well.

Falafel Razon
King George St. 17
Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel

We really enjoyed Tel Aviv; it was laid back and the folks were nice. We had only one full day in the city, but it was fun.

Tomorrow would be a busy day; we'd headed to Masada, the Dead Sea, and then off to Jordan!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From here we headed to our next stop…..

The Mercado de Artesanías La Ciudadela.

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

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

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

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

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

And saw this group practicing ballroom style dancing.

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

We enjoyed the green spaces in the city.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can read more about it at Atlas Obscura.

CDMX is indeed an international city!

And full of surprises.

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

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

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

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

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

Pastelería Ideal
República de Uruguay 74
06000 Ciudad de México

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

Which proved to be just what we needed.

Cafe Jekemir
Calle Regina 7
Mexico City 06000 Mexico

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

Thanks for stopping by!

The Little Italy Mercato and Pozole Blanco From My Pozole

October 4, 2021 mmm-yoso Farmer's Markets/Night Market, Markets & Grocers, Mexican Restaurants

This past weekend was the Little Italy Art Walk….a great event to be sure, but I felt kinda sad…..you see for the last couple of months the Little Italy Mercato has become a routine for me. I would grab some coffee and park on Ivy Street…..you know, we aren't able to get back to Paris, where I'm able to shed pounds just doing the the Flâneur thing, so every little bit of walking helps.

And then I'll just walk up Kettner or India and do the opposite back to the car. It's been quite fun for me……after all there's a lot to see.

From places that I'm quite familiar with….

To that which I'd never seen before……

In fact, the first time I saw the statue of Frankie Laine in front of Nonna, it brought a smile to my face. As I mentioned in an earlier post my late Mom enjoyed country music….and I grew up to the sounds of Rawhide and Mule Train playing on the record player….in Kaimuki of all places. More about Frankie Laine in San Diego can be found here.

Often times, I'd arrive a bit early and would just walk along the streets.

On one visit, I was taken with the houses on State Street that are from a different time in San Diego's history….it reminded me of our walk in Pacific Grove.

And of course, Little Italy would not be complete without a Catholic Church and Our Lady of the Rosary truly fits the bill. It just looks like it belongs here. I haven't been in the church yet…..but perhaps I'll be invited to a wedding soon!

And it's interesting to see how Little Italy has pivoted to outdoor dining with parklets and such.

And of course, it's always interesting to see how long the line for Morning Glory will be……

I do hope they are checking out the market after their breakfast/brunch…..

And there's always something to keep you entertained.

But, of course I'm here to shop. And after almost three months I've got my favorites.

My favorite is this one – Indian Summer Farms.

It's a one man show, the proprietor, Andrew is so kind, friendly, and gracious. And he has some really great chard, kale, shishito, radishes, and whatever else comes out of his farm in Ramona. The Missus also loves the eggs he sells which he says comes from his neighbor.

I'm sure you want to know what I've been getting the last couple of months…..well, in a previous post I mentioned that the Missus had started to enjoy gooseberries….

Dragon Tongue Beans are so delicious…..it is stringless, sweet, easy to sauté, and if I recall in season until mid-November.

Shishito of course…..

And oh man; purple okra….so sweet and tender, you can eat them raw. While the Missus loves them roasted, She'll eat them dipped in hummus…..

Of course there's all the prepared food and similar vendors….though for us, it's been a mixed bag. On one visit I went ahead and picked up pozole from this stand.

It was pretty good….pozole blanco. The pork was much better than the chicken version.

It's mildly "porky", has a nice velvety texture…. while not quite as rich as "homemade", it's still really nice overall.

Until, of course, the Missus demanded that I make pozole blanco…….which you have to understand is to Her taste. You might want to try this out. It also feeds the "cabbage versus lettuce" thing which I'll go into at a later time.

As a bonus, whenever I see the sign, there's a certain beat that goes off in my head….to the tune of "My Sharona"……"Da da da da dum dum….my pozole!"

I know the Little Italy Mercato is also going strong on Wednesdays, but have only been to the Saturday Farmers Market, so will only list that time for now.

Little Italy Mercato
Saturday 8am – 2pm

I seem to notice something new on every visit. And sometimes, it seems like Little Italy is trying to communicate with me……