Markets & Grocers – Page 8

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……

COMC, The B(ack) I(n) T(he) O(ffice) Edition – The Market at HFS, TJ Dumplings, and Sue’s Korean Kitchen

September 22, 2021 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Korean Restaurants, Local Kine Stuffs in San Diego, Markets & Grocers, Poke, Seafood

Here's a round-up of places I've been catching up on since I've been "BITO" (back in the office). I hope you don't mind a few "reruns"…..

Another interesting observation is that all of these places opened just before or during the pandemic. Kudos to them for being agile enough to survive for over a year-and-a-half.

The Market at HFS:

A favorite from the first time I walked thru those doors. Real poke, not some concept "Chi-poke" kinda place.

I have noticed that prices have gone up a bit on my last couple of visits….for fish by the pound. The poke bowls are priced the same.

These days I get my poke bowls with half the rice….they tend to give a ton of rice and I can never finish. In fact, when I order for the Missus and I; I just get one medium poke bowl and two half pound containers….of course the Missus needs all the other "stuffs" for Hers.

The Market at HFS
6491 Weathers Place
San Diego, CA 92121
(858) 282-0591
Covid-19 Hours:
Daily 10am – 4pm

TJ Dumplings:

**** TJ Dumplings has closed

I just wanted something small for lunch; so I decided to head on back to TJ Dumplings.

Of course I got the Baozi. Opening the box back at the office I noticed two things. First, unlike my last visit, there was no leakage. Second, there's now only six baozi instead of eight. The filling was more moist and tender than what I'd had on my previous visit and the baozi was lighter and more fluffy. It's not going to make me forget my favorite; but these are ok.

TJ Dumplings
6780 Miramar Rd.
San Diego, CA 92121
Hours:
Tues – Sun 11am – 830pm
Closed on Mondays

Sue’s Korean Kitchen:

Like the Market at HFS, I like the fact that Sue's opens at 10am as I often have meetings that stretch thru lunch.

It's funny, the woman working here….I think it might be "Sue" remembers me. She told me; "it's nice to see you, it has been a long time"……I guess a bit over three months can seem like quite a while.

Of course I got the Kimchi Fried Rice with Spam ($9.99). Rustic, hearty, lots of Spam. I like the kimchi they use; there's some nice fermented tones. This is always more than I can finish, so I'll take the rest home and have it for breakfast during the weekends with a couple of eggs.

Good prices, portion size, and the woman who works here is so nice.

Sue’s Korean Kitchen
6755 Mira Mesa Blvd.
Suite 109
San Diego, CA 92121
(858) 352-6511
Current Hours:
Mon – Sat 10am – 9pm
Closed on Sundays

So there you go……it's nice getting back into sort of a routine.

Hope everyone is having a safe and productive week!

Sunday “Stuffs” – Lalo’s Closes, JJ Chicken Coming to Towne Center, Taco Stand on Convoy, Nijiya’s Hokkaido Festival, and Other “Stuffs”

September 19, 2021 mmm-yoso Cheese, Markets & Grocers, Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops, yoso-silly

Here's some odds and ends for a nice Sunday.

Lalo's Tacos Al Pastor Closes:

I noticed that Lalo's had closed when I recently had to drop by Penzy's. I have to say I was a bit surprised since they've been in this spot since we moved to San Diego over 20 years ago. I was never a big fan; but folks I worked with when my office was in Hillcrest enjoyed Lalo's.

I guess maybe the pandemic did them in.

1266 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92103

JJ Chicken Coming to To Renaissance Towne Centre:

Well, at least that's what the sign says.

Since I'm back in the office I dropped by one of my usual stops in this strip mall to see how they were doing (they were quite busy). And noticed the sign in the photo to the right in the window of what I think used to be Edo Sushi?

Doing some quick searches, I wasn't able to find much. Perhaps the next time I stop by they'll be more info…..

8895 Towne Centre Dr.
San Diego, CA 92122

Work on the Taco Stand on Convoy:

Driving down Convoy, headed to Nijiya this past morning, I noticed work on the Taco Stand was going on (read more about it on Eater). So, I took a quick drive into the parking lot from hell….which thankfully was quite empty at 850 on a Saturday morning.

According to the post on Eater, they were "Slated to open in early 2021"……..but of course with the pandemic, difficulty in finding staff, etc, etc, etc….

4646 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

The Hokkaido Fair at Nijiya – Until 09/22:

I dropped by Nijiya last Friday on my way home from work and was amazed at how busy they were! I waited over 20 minutes in line to get to the cashier, who happened to be a young lady that also works at Bay Park Coffee. I mentioned how busy they were and she told me it was because of the Hokkaido Fair……Hokkaido Fair? How the heck did I miss that memo?

Anyway, I went home and mentioned this to the Missus and guess what? Well, we headed back down to Nijiya later that evening. Luckily; even though the parking lot was packed, Nijiya wasn't overly busy. Even though there seemed to be less items then I recalled from previous "fairs" we had a blast. And things were selling fast!

I think that perhaps folks are missing the travel, the variety, the fun and comfort these days. I know I felt a wonderful nostalgia seeing labels and items I recalled from our trip to Hokkaido. And the Missus just enjoyed Her puddings and cheesecake….oh, and those chocolate covered strawberries so much; guess who had to head back the next morning? Which I how I noticed the construction on the Taco Stand.

Anyway, here's some of what we got.

For some strange reason; I have an affinity to Hokkaido cheese…..

Anyway, things seem to be selling fast, so head on down if anything pictured above interests you.

3860 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

And speaking of cheese – well, since I won't be riding the metro in Paris anytime soon:

Talking about the feeling of happiness and nostalgia. I had a surge of joy when I saw this at Bristol Farms.

At that point, the Missus and I decided to do charcuterie and cheese for dinner.

And since, due to the pandemic, I don't think we'll be travelling to France this year, where Epoisses is supposedly banned on public transport, this would have to do. We're really missing international travel and I guess anytime we're able to travel with our tastebuds….well, for now that will have to do.

Take care everyone; be safe, have compassion and empathy during these times!

Saturday Stuffs – BBQ Chicken Returning to San Diego, Dogs & Aguas Coming to Linda Vista, and Other “Stuffs”

June 26, 2021 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Cooking, Hot Dogs, Markets & Grocers

Just a couple of things for another warm Saturday.

BBQ Chicken Returning to San Diego – In the Former Ichiro Spot:

**** You can find a post on BB.Q Chicken here.

I saw a sign over the former location of Ichiro's which closed at the end of January after over 35 years. I drove on in and was somewhat surprised…….

Looks like BBQ Chicken is returning to San Diego. I'm sure some folks will be happy…..I hope they've improved the recipe a bit as I was not a big fan of the chicken; at least when they were open in San Diego.

4344 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Dogs & Aguas Coming to Linda Vista:

I saw this sign as I was driving past Linda Liquor the other day.

Looks like something called "Dogs & Aguas" is coming soon. I'm assuming in the Linda Liquor shop?

I know our "FOY" Junichi lives in the area…..so perhaps he might know more?

6950 Linda Vista Rd.
San Diego, CA 92111

And to my surprise:

Early in the week I made one of my regular visits to Nijiya. Walking toward the market, I stopped dead in my tracks. You see; this is what the storefront looked like.

Anything look out of place to you? I'm not sure why; but not having the "line-up" area, the distancing spots, the attendant, and all the other "Covid set-up" kind of threw me for a loop. Shows how much I'd gotten used to all the precautions. It felt kind of surreal in a way as I'd gotten used to that set-up….was this actually happening, or was it perhaps a mistake???

This is how it was…….

I will say, that most folks are still wearing masks when shopping and there still social distancing when going to the cashiers.

Nijiya Market
3860 Convoy St Ste 109
San Diego, CA 92111

It's been pretty warm out there and frankly, I'm kinda tired of cooking, so we've been keeping things pretty simple around here……

We hope everyone is doing well and having a wonderful weekend!

Frazier Farms (La Mesa) (Grab and Go)

June 23, 2021 Cathy Caffeine Fix, Desserts, Markets & Grocers, Pizza, Sandwiches

mmm-yoso!!! is the name of this food blog. Kirk is very busy with work and Cathy is writing today.

Family owned Frazier Farms Market opened in 1971 in Escondido. It expanded and contracted over the years and now has three San Diego County locations. In September 2020 the La Mesa location on Fletcher Parkway at Jackson (in the former Circuit City building) made its debut. The grocery aisles have a variety of natural and organic products as well as standard selections with very good prices. However, it's the 'edge' of the store where we stop for a snack before shopping. (There are a good number of picnic tables at the shaded front of the building). Yes, there is pizza by the slice. Two for $6 (only on Tuesdays the slices are two for $5).
The white slice is always good. The red sauce is not spicy; a good tomato sauce. The sausage is remarkably good. Vegetables are fresh and really kind of perfect. The crust is not thick and is good meld of crispiness with chewiness.
There is a sandwich area. You can pick one of the standard choices (filling out a paper listing items you might not want). The Frazier Cubano is made with smoked pulled pork, ham, Swiss, pickles and mustard and butter as well as strawberry preserves and, of course, panini style.
The sweet saltiness as well as crisped bread and plenty of meat filling makes this sandwich enough to share. The same with the Ranch Chicken sandwich, made with warm chicken breast, bacon, Meunster, tomato, onion, dill, lettuce and Ranch dressing served on white (ask for the bread to be toasted).
Those above sandwiches are $7.99 each, you can order a half sandwich for $3.99 and you can also 'Create Your Own" for $5.99 (adding cheese is another 50¢) and my only advice would be to ask for the bread to be toasted. The rye here is a very good quality (flavor) and I really like the pickles.
There is an area with sushi rolls and bowls being freshly made. During the pandemic, a variety of sides could be found, pre-packed. There are also a good variety of salads in the deli counter. There is only one potato salad made here(there seem to be way too many varieties of potato salad in other deli counters) and it is really good; eggs as well as potatoes with just enough mayonnaise based sauce.

As of last week, a by-the-pound salad bar has opened. (You wear disposable gloves to handle the utensils). There's a juice and coffee bar, offering organic coffees and smoothies and açaí bowls. It is located near the entrance next to the bakery area and also the refrigerated bakery area.
The Ricotta filled cannoli ($2.50) is a perfect snack to go with a cup of coffee.
The carrot cake ($3.99/slice) is kind of perfect. Again, enough to share.
There is also a gelato bar area. The flavors are a good variety and a small is, again enough to share.
Not photogenic, but a good combination was the banana gelato along with butter pecan; a sort of fancy banana split in each bite.

Family owned, quality products. A great store.

Frazier Farms. 8401 Fletcher Parkway, La Mesa, CA 91942 (619) 309-4024 Open Daily 8 am-9 pm Website

Roadtrip (During Covid-19) – New Frontiers Natural Marketplace (Solvang) and Les Petites Canailles (Paso Robles)

June 5, 2021 mmm-yoso French Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Memorable Meals, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Santa Barbara County, Travel

We had enjoyed our time in Solvang and this was the view we awakened to at the Hotel Corque.

It was quite charming in some ways…..during the night before we saw an older couple sitting on the patio having a Dominos Pizza, just enjoying themselves….later during this morning I spied them sitting outside once again having their morning coffee….it's all good, different strokes for different folks and all that.

We saw a market on the way into town; called New Frontiers Natural Marketplace that we decided to stop into before heading on our way. It's really somewhat "Whole Foods" like, but perhaps even better focused on snacks…

They even had Ojai Pixie Tangerines which had just come into season.

However, unlike the watermelon and cherries we were already lugging along the Missus wasn't too interested.

So, I just grabbed some light snacks while the Missus went and got us coffee…..

I'm not quite sure what "Bird Friendly" coffee is, but this was not bad.

And the rest of the "snacks" I had held me over until dinner…..

The folks here were so very friendly…….that I'd gladly come back here again…..after all, who doesn't want to be "bird friendly".

New Frontiers Natural Marketplace
1984 Old Mission Dr.
Solvang, CA 93463

Solvang seems to have changed a bit since we last visited.

We made the hour-and-half drive up to Paso Robles with no problem. Our hotel wasn't quite ready for an early check-in, but that wasn't an issue as the Missus had really enjoyed Paso Robles the last time we visited. As on the last visit, we were staying at the Oxford Suites a couple of blocks from downtown. We parked our car and headed up to downtown…..

All the while enjoying all those familiar sites from our previous visit.

Once arriving in the charming downtown area around the city park, the Missus immediately headed to the General Store…..where one could spend a good amount of time (and money).

Yes, it touristy, but the folks working here are so nice…..and it's full of things you never knew you needed……

It's a fun stop, at least for us……we ended up visiting twice! It's just a nice place to stop and visit.

General Store Paso Robles
841 12th St.
Paso Robles, CA 93446

Our friends love the cookies from the Brown Butter Cookie Company, though we've never actually bought them for ourselves….so that was an obvious stop for us as well.

And on this trip, the Missus wandered in and out of various shops….it gave me the chance to take a look at the Downtown City Park.

I wondered about the statue next to the Paso Robles History Museum of Ignacy Jan Padereweski, wondering why this Polish musician and composer is featured here in Paso Robles. It's quite the story, Paderewski was born in Poland in 1860, while in his late 20's he became well known in places like Vienna, Paris, and London. His talents were in high demand and over work resulted in problems with his hands. His friends in San Francisco recommended a stay in Paso Robles, with treatments from the hot springs to bring relief to his pain. He eventually bought property in Paso Robles on which he planted Zinfandel and started a winery, York Mountain Winery. His wine and music are celebrated in Paso Robles each November at the Paderewski Festival.

After making one last stop, to restock on olive oil from Pasoilvo Olive Oil, we headed back to the hotel and our room was ready. We took a nice breather before dinner.

As for dinner; well, after our last experience, I spent a bit more time looking over menus and such and decided on a fairly modern French restaurant named Les Petites Canailles. We opted for outdoor seating and this being a Monday didn't expect the place to be very busy. Well, we were quite surprised when we arrived for our reservations and seeing the place almost full! Tables were nice spread out and we sat outside the tent area for more circulation.

The staff to customer ratio was amazing as was our Server, "Ally" who knew all the dishes, preparations, wine, by heart. She told me that she often eats here on her days off….that says something. The other thing we quickly noticed was that all the customers knew each other and the staff by name. I guess Monday is the local's night to eat out.

Even though it seemed like we were part way into the parking lot, we loved our table. In fact, one of the women on the other table told me, "you have the best outdoor seats"! It was interesting to watch the flow of customers…….

And by the time we placed our order, the place was full.

We had pretty much decided on our dishes for the evening, we'd be sharing four appetizers and a "side". Ally took our order and said, "wonderful, it's a five course meal"! And we left it to her and the kitchen to decide the order of the dishes. One note, just to give you a hint on the service here….our plates and silverware were changed with every course!

We started with the Jaune et Rouge (Yellow and Red) Endive Salad ($17).

This was very refreshing, the endive had been nicely prepared, crisp, cold, the bitterness smoothed out and went quite well with the classical pairing of a blue cheese, in this case Fourme d'Ambert.

The next dish was superb; the Rabbit Terrine ($17).

Served with wonderfully crisp and smoky toasts; the terrine was surprisingly light in texture, it had a mild gamey-sweetness…..this was so good!

The Octopus "a la Basquiase" ($22) was solid in preparation.

Served over chorizo veggies, with tapioca chips, the texture was perfect…..the highlite of this dish was the wonderful sweet-pungent black garlic oil paired with a nice parsley oil. It just went so well with this dish.

Hands down; my favorite dish of the night was the Beef Tartare ($24).

Served at the perfect temperature; made in a fairly classic style, capers, shallots, and with the perfect amount of pungency from horseradish. The acidity helped cut the richness of the dish. The beef had a tender and almost creamy texture…..and of course that confit egg yolk just added more creaminess to the dish…..this was just a decadent version of steak tartare.

We had also wanted to try the Grilled Asparagus ($14) with Confit Egg Yolk.

This is on the menu as a side dish. It fell kind of short as the asparagus sorely needed more acidity to bring out the sweetness in the asparagus.

This was my favorite meal of the trip. From the service to the presentation, to the wonderful flavors, an excellent meal overall. When Ally asked us about dessert we told her we'd be going to the Alchemist Garden for liquid refreshment, she laughed and said "perfect. If you're there long enough you might even see me there!" Like I mentioned before, there's something about the vibe and people in Paso Robles that we love.

Les Petites Canailles
1215 Spring St.
Paso Robles, CA 93446

And I'm pretty sure we'll return here.

Roadtrip (During Covid-19) – Ventura Harbor and Copenhagen Sausage Garden (Solvang)

June 2, 2021 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers, Nordic/Scandanvian Food and Restaurants, Road Trip, Santa Barbara County, Travel, Ventura County

*** I figured that since my latest posts have been on our November 2020 roadtrip, why not just keep on going and do our latest roadtrip? Think of this as "Roadtrip Week".

I'm sure that I'm not the only one dealing with wanderlust withdrawals during these days of Covid-19. It had been over six months since I'd been out of town, a bit of a new record for me. I just needed a break. After talking to the Missus a bit, we decided to hit up SLO County again. We really wanted to return to a couple of places and I'd discovered some interesting things while doing a bit of research. Frankie's wonderful Auntie "Alle" said she'd be happy to watch him though I didn't want to burden her with too long a time away. So, we put together a plan for four nights. We left on a Sunday; I just didn't want to deal with the possibility of crowds and such.

After doing some research, I decided that we'd spend the first evening in Solvang, which even though it seems really touristy, I had a surprise up my sleeve. Plus we hadn't ever spent the night there.

I had also planned to take a break at Ventura Harbor to stretch our legs and to check out a few places. The Missus wasn't overly keen on this, but we needed a break. And then She saw the produce stands once we got off the 101 on Olivas Park Drive.

We first checked out Rodela's, then Santiago's right across the street.

And ended up buying a watermelon which we lugged with us the entire trip and some cherries which She really enjoyed.

Rodela Produce and Flowers
4550 Olivas Park Dr.
Ventura, CA 93003

Santiago's Fruit Stand
4551 Olivas Park Dr.
Ventura, CA 93001

From here it was basically a straight shot to Ventura Harbor, which houses a shopping center. It was nice to park the car and stroll around a bit on such a beautiful day.

We strolled along the waterfront….there were so many pooches!

And ambled our way to the end of the walkway to a place I wanted to check out – The Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor Center at Channel Islands National Park. I've been fascinated by Channel Islands National Park, five islands, right off the coast of Ventura. The least visited National Park in the United States…….often called the "Galapagos of California". The islands has it's own endemic species of fox.

While the tower and some of the displays were closed off due to Covid, it was still an interesting visit.

The Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor Center at Channel Islands National Park
1901 Spinnaker Dr.
Ventura, CA 93001

After checking out the Visitor's Center, we took a stroll across the street and walked around Harbor Cove Beach for a bit.

While walking back to the shopping village we noticed this memorial.

I was curious and read the story of Officer Korber's ultimate sacrifice saving the lives of others.

The shopping village was getting a bit crowded so we knew it was time to go.

We made good time to Solvang. We staying at the Hotel Corque, which was right off Alisal Road. We parked, went in, and wouldn't you know it, our room was already ready!

After freshening up for a bit, we decided to grab a light lunch. Heading out we noticed that Copenhagen Drive had been blocked off to traffic with outdoor dining areas set-up. I thought the Missus and I could share a sausage from the Copenhagen Sausage Garden, so we headed on over. Man, the place was doing some pretty good business.

But they had a really good system in place. You went ahead and placed your order at the host stand; paid and found an open table.

The last time I'd had a Currywurst we were in Vienna….man was I missing travelling, so I ordered a currywurst and a "side" of potato salad. The young man manning the condiment station was amazing….we dispensed various sauces, got drinks for folks, and in our case got us sauerkraut. The Missus loves Her sauerkraut so I asked him for four small containers……he asked me to wait for a second, ran into the restaurant and brought out a cup and gave us basically half a cup! The Missus ate most of it straight away, even before our sausage arrived.

Soon enough our sausage arrived. It was decent, with a nice "snap" the roll was slightly toasted and yeasty. Nit bad at all……I'm still not sold on the sweet-ketchuppy sauce that is the norm for currywurst though.

We were a bit shocked at the amount of potato salad ($3). Which was not overly dressed; you could actually taste the potato…..quite simple….which is sometimes for the best. The Missus enjoyed it more than me!

We liked the friendly service and the food. A nice pleasant surprise for us.