Road Trip – Page 13

Roadtrip (2022) – Some Hiking, Shopping, Bart’s Books, and Dinner at the Dutchess (Ojai)

July 11, 2022 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Burmese Food and Restaurants, Road Trip, Travel, Ventura County

We did quite a bit during our first full day in Ojai.

Starting the day with some hiking. We decided to head out to Rose Valley Falls for a quick hike. Getting an early start meant we easily found parking near the camp grounds. The hike was quite short and for the Missus unexciting….except for me taking a fall and smashing up my iPhone. The actual trail took us like 20 minutes and the photos came out looking much more dramatic than how things looked. All the Instagrammers were out having a fun time with their selfies here.

After this short hike we got back on Rose Valley Road and did the Piedra Blanca Formations Trail, which was an easy and enjoyable hike.

The start was thru chaparral shrubland for about a mile. At that point you start getting a peek at the amazing white rock formations.

We found the formations to be quite interesting. Upon closer look you'll see caves, crevasses, and striations.

And if you're like me….if you stare at the formations long enough you start seeing shapes. I thought this one looked like an elephant. What do you think?

While this was a super easy hike for the Missus, She enjoyed the solitude. We didn't run into another hiker on the trail until we were almost on our way out. Plus, those formations were quite interesting.

On our way back we decided to stop in at the Arcade again. We dropped into Heavenly Honey, which was on the busy side. so, we just bought some gifts and headed on out.

Heavenly Honey Company
206 E Ojai Ave.
Ojai, CA 93023

One of the Missus's coworkers who loves Ojai mentioned a wonderful "resort" nearby that we should take a look at. So we headed off to Ojai Valley Inn. This being the Saturday before the 4th the place was pretty busy but we found parking and had a nice little stroll on the property.

It was a nice setting, but not our kind of thing. We checked out the menus at the two restaurants, but the Missus wasn't too interested.

On the way back to our hotel, I decided to make a stop at Bart's Books, which claims to be the "world's largest outdoor bookstore."

We easily found parking and walked on over.

The books that line the shelves facing the sidewalk are available 24 hours a day and you pay via an honor system.

The bookstore is located in the original home of the founder of the shop Richard "Bart" Bartindale in established in 1964.

While the Missus perused various travel books, I asked the staff up front where the food and cookbooks were. They were located in the "kitchen", duh…..

The shop was quite empty during our visit and the Missus really enjoyed the shop and even found a book She wanted. We would return the very next day to explore a bit more.

I later figured out why She enjoyed this shop so much. It seems that "Bart" was inspired by those little wooden book carts along the Seine….which is of course, in the Missus's favorite city…..must be the Ojai Psychic Friends Network at work?

Bart's Books
302 W Matilija St.
Ojai, CA 93023

We then headed back to our accommodation at Hummingbird Inn. Located just outside the main "strip" in Ojai, it's pretty peaceful and relaxed…well, Ojai is quite relaxed as a whole. The Missus really enjoyed the shaded outdoor area out front where She could sit and read.

The hotel is very dog friendly, as is all of Ojai, and in the mornings all the folks staying in the place would have their pooches out doing their morning rounds.

While the Missus enjoyed the day, I took a stroll over to the IGA a few blocks down the street to get some sparkling water.

We enjoyed the markets in Ojai….man, the produce looked quite good and I should have taken photos of the nice selection of cheeses and such…..

For dinner, I made an interesting choice at a restaurant called The Dutchess.

Located next to Ojai Rotie; the Dutchess is a bakery/coffee shop during the day, which then converts to a Burmese Restaurant for dinner service. Even though I wasn't convinced this combo would work, I thought it might make for an interesting dinner. I booked indoor seating for 7pm.

We arrived and were seated immediately. Good thing I made reservations as all tables, especially for outdoor dining were booked.

The service was very warm and friendly; though a bit slow and disorganized. Our main Server seemed only to be able to do one thing at a time…..I ordered a cocktail and the Missus asked to have a taste of one of the wine….well, the woman brought the wine, then left….not returning for almost 10 minutes, at which time the Missus said She'd take the wine….the Server then disappeared to return with my cocktail….then vanished again for another 10 minutes to get the Missus's wine. Oh, and then she got us our water. This would pretty much be the pattern for the whole meal. She was very nice however.

Thankfully, the food, which seemed like a Burmese fusion had it much more "together"

We started with the Chickpea Tofu ($10).

The Missus loved this dish! The perfectly crisp exterior gave way to a wonderful creamy and light interior. The beany-nutty flavor came through nicely. Though I thought the dish was a bit on the salty side, a dip into the tamarind sauce just evened things out for me. The Missus didn't need the sauce at all and just loved this dish.

For us, the only disappointing dish of the evening was the Tea Leaf Salad ($20).

While I was glad this dish used cabbage; the dressing way too sour, the dish really lacking in the fermented bitter-tartness I enjoy from laphet.

For me, my favorite dish of the evening was the Puri ($18). Lest you think this is just fried bread with perhaps a chickpea dip, think again.

This version came with a fabulous Chicken Liver Mousse. The Dutchess's "baking chops" really delivered here as well as the puri was light, yeasty, full of flavor with a nice hint of salty-sweetness.

The Chicken Liver Mousse had a smooth-creamy richness, nice savory-earthy offal tones that were tones down with the plum jam. This was so good!

The Dutchess also displayed some good "baking chops" with the Danbauk (Biryani – $31) topping the dish with puff pastry.

The puff pastry was very light with a wonderful texture. The rice in the dish was tender and the complex seasoning, while again on the saltier side, did well with a touch of raita, which added a nice, refreshing component to everything. Wish there was a bit more lamb in the dish; what we tasted was wonderfully gamey.

We were pleasantly surprised with our meal and would dine here again.

The Dutchess
457 E Ojai Ave.
Ojai, CA 93023

Ojai was indeed full of surprises…..good ones!

Roadtrip (2022) – Ojai Rotie

July 7, 2022 mmm-yoso Lebanese Restaurants, Middle Eastern Restaurants/Cuisine, Road Trip, Travel, Ventura County

After lunch at Yume Japanese Burger Cafe we decided to take a short drive and headed east along Highway 150. The winding road headed uphill and we stopped at the Ojai Valley Lookout. From here you have a wonderful view of Ojai Valley and are surrounded on all sides by mountains.

We drove a bit further, before returning to Ojai to check in at our accommodation.

We showered, relaxed, and even took a short nap before heading out to dinner. Our dinner destination was a nice stroll away; Ojai Rotie.

Ojai Rotie describes themselves as being:

"Chef/Farmer driven, fast casual patio-restaurant offering French-Lebanese style rotisserie chicken".

The atmosphere is relaxed, the large patio is a wonderful place to eat on a warm summer's evening.

We had reservations and were shown to one of the tables. I then went into the main building and placed my order and paid at the counter. I was given a number and placed that on the table.

You then go to the small detached structure to order wine and beer.

The young man working asked me if I was from out of town (folks in Ojai are really friendly), and when I replied yes, he asked where I hailed from. When I mentioned San Diego, he told me he went to college in SD and we had a nice chat.

People watching was quite interesting. There seemed to be quite a few "locals" or at least regulars. I hadn't seen so many folks wearing Birkenstocks in one place…..also interesting choices of slippers. Folks seemed to wear shorts and many women wore flowing "new agey" dresses with dangling earrings to match.

Soon enough our order arrived at our table……

We had ordered the "Dippity Dips"……..

Three different "dips" with Manuoche; the typical Lebanese flatbread with a light sprinkling of Za'atar on it. The Bread was warm, slightly yeasty and very pleasant eating.

Our favorite of the three items was the White Bean Hummus; so beany and creamy.

This was delicious; though I think a touch of lemon would have taken this to another level.

The Muhamarah was pretty good.

This was much smoother and creamier than what we're used to; but it matched quite well with the Manuoche. The generous amount of pomegranate molasses made this a bit too sweet for our tastes; but it was still a nice dish.

I was looking forward to the Charred Eggplant, but it proved to be a bit disappointing.

While adequately creamy, this was missing the smoky-savory tones of a nicely charred/grilled eggplant. It was also lacking adequate salt for our tastes.

Still that White Bean Hummus was really good and the Missus has been asking me to make some.

Of course we had to try the rotisserie chicken and I'd heard good things about the pommes rotisserie. So we got a quarter chicken meal with the roasted potatoes and caramelized cauliflower as sides.

First off, we weren't big fans of the chicken which was on the dry side. The seasoning also seemed quite mild. The saving grace was the bold and piquant garlic paste, which was sooooo good, but stayed with us for the entire evening if you know what I mean. The roasted potatoes were cold, but we both enjoyed the lemon-aioli. The Missus really enjoyed the cauliflower which was generously seasoned and had some great "role players" in the form of pine nuts, golden raisins, and baby kale…..each adding in a layer of complexity.

We'd gladly eat here again. While sitting and watching the "regulars" get their orders we noticed that the house made sourdough bread and lamb kafta were popular and looked quite good.

We really enjoyed the vibe and setting.

And then there are the people…..we would really come to enjoy and appreciate the warm and friendly folks we ran into in Ojai.

For instance, that gentleman in the photo to my right. As he walked by, I noticed his t-shirt, which I really liked, so I took a photo of him. Apparently he saw me taking his photos and came on by and asked me if I liked his shirt and we had a short chat. His name is Dave and he is in charge of restoring and renovating the Ojai Playhouse. We had a really nice conversation and he headed off….only to return a few minutes later with a t-shirt for me!

Yes, it says "Ojai Psychic Friends Network" and I love the t-shirt….plus I got a nice story to tell about how generous folks are in Ojai. And how in the world did he know I was admiring his shirt? Psychic perhaps???

Thanks Dave!

Ojai Rotie
469 E Ojai Ave.
Ojai, CA 93023
Hours:
Wed – Thurs 4pm – 830pm
Fri – Sun 12pm – 3pm, 4pm – 9pm
Closed Mondays and Tuesdays

Roadtrip (During Covid) – Dinner at Kai and Caffeine Fix From WhereUBean Coffee (Phoenix)

June 23, 2022 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Caffeine Fix, Fine Dining, Memorable Meals, Native American, Phoenix/Scottsdale/Chandler/Central AZ, Road Trip, Travel

We could have easily just headed home upon leaving Sedona, but I had one more overnight stop in mind. On this road trip, I had decided to bookend our travels with some more upscale meals. On the way to Zion we stopped in Las Vegas for dinner at Partage. On the way back home, I decided we should spend a night at the Sheraton at Wild Horse Pass and have dinner at Kai Restaurant, the only AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five Star restaurant in Arizona. Beyond those accolades, I was fascinated by the menu which is described as having "distinct interpretations of Native American cuisine using fresh local ingredients for elevated dining." I thought it would be a nice end to our road trip.

Upon checking in to this rather posh resort, we relaxed in our room.

We had a nice view.

We got ready for dinner and left our room a bit early to do some shopping in the gift shop before heading off to the restaurant. With Covid measures in place, it seemed like reservations were staggered and until one third way through our meal, we were the only folks dining. The service, while discreet is definitely professional and polished; the Servers all knew our names, crumbs cleared off the table between every course, silverware changed, and still, the service wasn't hovering and did not feel stuffy in the least.

The decor is low-keyed, the walls festooned with the craft and artwork of the Pima and Maricopa Tribes and each menu has distinct artwork featured on it as well. I was told that the watercolor on my menu was of the Maricopa Butterfly Dance.

The meal is tasting menu only, with several choices for the "Birth", "Beginning", "The Journey", and the "Afterlife". We decided to share a wine pairing with dinner.

The Amuse was a very nice Sablefish wrapped in Basil Flower. The Olive Oil served with the bread was outstanding and we were told it was from Queen Creek Olive Mill.

As always, the Missus and I shared our course which would give us tastes of a good range of items.

The Escargot with Wild Mushroom was an interesting mix of textures, the truffle crema added some decadent touches to the dish. There was a bit more sweetness then I expected in this dish from the black garlic, bread, and the caramel goat cheese.

We both loved the "Pee-Posh Garden".

While it might have seemed to be a bit much when reading the ingredients on the menu, it was a symphony of textures and flavors, from the fermented white asparagus, to the crunchy and mildly sweet pecan "soil", to the pickled beets, nutty-sweet sunchoke puree, and buttery confit potatoes.

I'm sure you know if foie gras is on the menu, we'd be ordering it, even with a $20 supplement. The fois gras was nicely seared, the interior nice and smooth, rich, earthy, though the roasted and compressed apple was perhaps a bit on the sweeter end of the spectrum for us.

The Pork Cheek and Crisp Belly was nice and "swiney". Perfectly done; the Anasazi Bean adding a nice, sweet-earthiness to the dish.

The mains…ummm "Journey" were prepared well, if a bit on the "standard" side.

The "Kachk", black cod with fennel puree was cooked well, nice and creamy. We appreciated the fact that the fennel puree did not overwhelm the dish.

This could have used a bit more aggressive seasoning in our opinion.

Kai's signature dish is the Grilled Tenderloin of Tribal Buffalo was cooked to a perfect medium rare.

It is of course buffalo….thus a bit on the "toothsome" side. A bit milder in flavor than what I expected, the corn puree and saguaro syrup made this a bit sweeter than I like as well.

The cheese plate was quite routine.

Dessert was served with some fanfare…..

Both desserts were outstanding and not overly sweet.

The Chocolate and Queen Creek Olives.

The Mousse "stones" where wonderful, so decadent and creamy inside, with the "hidden" olive cake adding a touch of savoriness, and the lemon foam had just enough cirtus-acidity for the dish.

The Cactus Melange was also stellar.

That Nopales and Lime sabayon was outstanding and it's really hard to describe the taste of the nopales sherbet.

We loved the parting gift.

Definitely not a inexpensive dinner at almost $600 with tip.

Kai
5594 W Wild Horse Pass Blvd. (At the Sheraton Grand At Wild Horse Pass)
Phoenix, AZ 85226

After dinner we took a stroll around the property.

The next morning we headed home; stopping for coffee and a light breakfast at WhereUBean Coffee.

Nice, relaxed coffee stop; really friendly staff. When I grabbed a Earl Grey cake for the Missus, the guy working pointed me to the "Happy Little Accident" discounted slice….he must've known how much I paid for dinner the previous night!

The Missus got a pour over and I an Americano….

And soon enough we were on our way.

WhereUBean Coffee
4804 E Chandler Blvd.
Phoenix, AZ 85048

It had been a fun road trip:

Starting with our first visit to Las Vegas in over 8 years.

And then to Zion, Angels Landing, and a Ghost Town.

Moving on to Mystery and Monument Valleys.

And I even got to do my best Forrest Gump impression and "Stand on a Corner".

We even got our "selfie" moment at a sandstone arch.

Thanks for coming along!

Roadtrip (During Covid) – Elote Cafe and the Devils Bridge Trail (Sedona)

June 12, 2022 mmm-yoso Flagstaff/ Sedona/Winslow/Northern AZ, Latin American Cuisine, Mexican Restaurants, Road Trip, Travel

After doing the Oak Creek Trail, the Missus and I picked up some stuffs from Whole Foods and had a simple lunch. By dinner time; well, I was ready for some "grindz". Luckily, our dinner destination was basically right around the corner from our accommodations. Even more lucky….I'd made reservations for dinner as there was already a line when we got to the place at 5pm! Our reservations were for 515! I pity the folks with no reservations.

We worked our way down the reservations line and got a nice table with some good distance from other folks. The service here was more friendly and things seemed much more laid back than dinner the night before.

The Missus really loved the chips here! In fact, She cleaned it out pretty quickly and our friendly Server quickly got us more!

After the days hike I was pretty darn hungry, so we actually ordered three apps and two mains!

And since this place is named "Elote" (corn)….well you know what our starters revolved around, right?

Things started with the Elote ($11).

There was a bit too much mayo in this, which nullified the sweet-smokiness of the fire roasted corn.

Next up the Huitlacoche Corn Soup (a small – $8).

You could really make out the corn here! Nice sweetness, the chili de arbol powder added some nice heat to the dish. Not enough huitlacoche to really make much of an impact in our opinion.

Sweet Corn Salad ($12).

We enjoyed the Chipotle Vinaigrette and this was nice and refreshing, but again it was kind of short in the elote department. But not bad overall.

We had explained that we'd like to dine "family style" and the folks here cheerfully accommodated us with separate plates and even plate changes! Great staff.

The Duck Carnitas ($29) was bit more chewy and fatty then I had anticipated.

Pasilla chilies, which have a nice fruitiness was a nice match and the guacamole really helped to refresh the palate cutting thru the richness of the dish.

The Smoked Pork Cheeks ($28) was my favorite dish of the evening.

The pork was indeed smoky and the texture was good, not falling apart but quite tender. And this part of the swine has a wonderful porkiness. I wasn't sure about the buttermilk-cumin drizzle, but it worked well in this framework, a bit of acidity, nice earthiness. I also enjoyed the cascabel chili sauce, a nice nutty-earthiness.

Overall this was an enjoyable meal, the service brought it up a notch.

Elote Cafe
350 Jordan Rd.
Sedona, AZ 86336

The next morning the Missus wanted to do one more hike on our way out of Sedona. She wanted to hike to the Devil's Bridge. During Her previous previous visit, the Devil's Bridge was packed with the "selfie crowd" and She never got to walk out onto it. And se we headed on over. Even though it was December, the parking lot was already filled when we arrived. A really nice guy in a brand new Corvette had parked….he saw us, waved and moved up to make room for us to park! What a nice guy!

The trail, other than the last portion up to the bridge is flat and easy to navigate. And you get really nice views of the Sedona "Red Rocks".

And when we arrived at the Devil's Bridge, there was only one couple ahead of us.

And that couple was the folks from that new yellow Corvette. We were just going to take a stroll on the Devil's Bridge and maybe do a selfie. But the really nice guy told me; "I'm going to rest here a while, so why don't you walk on over and I'll take a picture of you!" And he didn't take just one photo, but an entire set! You know, people like him really do make travels just so much better!

And so, our time in Sedona was up.

But there was one more stop for us left!

Stay tuned!

Roadtrip (During Covid) – Mariposa Latin Inspired Grill and the West Fork of Oak Creek Trail (Sedona)

June 11, 2022 mmm-yoso Flagstaff/ Sedona/Winslow/Northern AZ, Latin American Cuisine, Mexican Restaurants, Road Trip, Travel

After leaving Winslow, we headed west on the 40 and then down the 89 to Sedona. The Missus had really enjoyed hiking in Sedona during Her roadtrip and wanted to torture me to enjoy some of those hikes. Wow was the place crowded with tourists! And there seemed to this interesting vibe…almost like Lahaina meets New Age, that I got from the place.

I did enjoy our accommodations which was close to everything downtown, our dinner destination for the next night was just steps away. And the location while being close to everything had convenient parking and was pretty quiet.

After checking in, we headed out to do some shopping in the Uptown area….man, there were a ton of tourist traps here. After passing shop after shop of "stuffs", we finally found one where we could find some good gifts.

We enjoyed shopping here and purchased gifts for folks back home. The staff was also quite knowledgeable.

After which we headed back to the room to relax and refresh.

I had made dinner reservations at a place recommended to me by an acquaintance. It was located a bit over a mile down state highway 89A named Mariposa. Well, because the Missus thought that I hadn't had enough exercise, She decided that we needed to walk there. The walk wasn't bad, though we were the only folks actually walking. And after taking the right where 89A turns right and 179 goes straight it seemed like we were walking on the freeway. For a place that had been described to me as being "spiritual" they sure seemed to have a lot of large strip malls!

We found the restaurant, walked up past the parking lot and entered.

The place was quite busy and many parties looked like they were here to celebrate various occasions.

The menu featured "tapas" styled dishes, grilled red meat, interesting sounding Latin influenced mains, and a host of sides The service was a bit on the "cold" side, at least to us. Apparently he knew folks on his other tables and spent his time with them and barely uttered a complete sentence to us.

We chose a couple of "tapas", a main, and some side dishes for our "family style" meal.

First up was the Pulpo Parilla ($26).

We were a bit surprised at the prices, which seemed on the "high" end of things; but this was a good sized plate. The octopus was nicely cooked and hit a nice balanced texture, toothsome, but not overly chewy. In terms of flavor, it was again nicely balacned in terms of sodium. The garbanzo bean puree was nice and hearty and the shredded fennel added an interesting anise flavor to things. This was, by far, the best dish of the evening. We also enjoyed the Biquinho Peppers; which weren't overly hot, but it really brought a bit of spice to the dish.

The Gaucho Plate ($22) arrived next.

The chorizo was a bit too mild in terms of spices….it really could have used a bit more chili in it. The bread was a bit on the crumbly side for our taste. The best item on the plate were the butter beans which which had a nice, firm exterior, but were quite creamy inside.

The one main we ordered was the Veggie Nirvana ($28). After having those pretty hefty tapas, we cracked up when this arrived as it was actually smaller than the previous dishes.

This was a bit overdone in terms of having so many things going on; the Romesco Sauce, black beans, pepitas, and cheese overpowered any subtle smokiness from the roasted poblano.

We also ordered the Wood Roasted Mushrooms ($12).

This was fine, if a bit on the bland side.

The most disappointing dish was the Roasted Cauliflower with Romesco ($10).

The cauliflower had been charred, but was still quite hard and for some reason, didn't seem to be seasoned. As I mentioned previously; not a fan of the Romesco sauce as it really didn't have that "zippy", garlic-smoky-mildly spicy and tangy flavors I enjoy.

Overall, well….this felt like a meal in a very "corporate" restaurant…..for some reason it reminded me of eating, in say, a Fleming's???

I had read about the wonderful view, but it was past sundown when we arrived so I can't comment on that.

Mariposa Latin Inspired Grill
700 West Hwy 89A
Sedona, AZ 86336

We had a quiet walk back to our room. I had started noticing random items on our walk back that sometimes looked a bit out of place. Like what is this Torii doing here?

Maybe I missed something in the darkness?

The next morning the Missus wanted to show me one of Her favorite hikes in the area. It's the West Fork of Oak Creek. We got there early and found parking and paid the $11 fee.

It is a nice hike and I loved the rock formations. Now this is what I envision when I think of Sedona!

The hike was a bit over 6 1/2 miles round trip and wasn't too bad.

There were 13 river crossings though! But I managed to make it without falling into the river once….much to the Missus's disappointment. Just kidding.

Not too many people hiking on this morning; though it seemed like folks were arriving as we were leaving.

We passed some ruins as we were leaving the trail.

I was curious and walked over to the sign.

From 1926 to 1968 Mayhew Lodge stood here. The cabins saw visitors like Herbert Hoover, Jimmy Stewart, Walt Disney, and Clark Gable. You can read more about it here. In 1968 the Mayhew family sold the lodge to the U.S. Forest Service and in 1980 a fire consumed the buildings, leaving only the remains we can see today. It's interesting the things that you run across…..

As folks started arriving; we knew it was time for us to leave…….and time for me to have a break and maybe even a nap?

Thanks for stopping by!

Road Trip efficiency: Brodard (breakfast menu!) and Ochoa’s Chorizo

June 2, 2022 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Markets & Grocers, Orange County, Road Trip, Vietnamese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is being written by Cathy today, while Kirk is busy with work.

Almost every post I have written has been part of some other errand or event, even before the crazy surge in fuel prices. Usually, the 'other part' of the trip is a separate post or remains unwritten. The second part of this post will reveal a long time favorite stop. Kirk wrote about Brodard in 2013 and I wrote about a visit to the original location in 2014 and the new location in 2019.
Since Covid-19, we had driven here a few times, during the week to avoid crowds.
The menu has condensed, is easily wiped down and has no prices.
Nem Nuong with pork (3 rolls, $7.50) is an automatic order here. Brodard is known for these rolls. Pretty much made to order (the rolls are constantly being prepared (because they are constantly being ordered) in an 'open kitchen' area), the flavorful grilled pork sausage with lettuce, cucumber, carrot, cilantro, daikon and chive wrapped with rice paper bundles with the crisp wonton in the center makes the rolls unique. The warm, pork based sauce accompanying the rolls is just the perfect bit of savory.
The Banh Khot Tom- Moon Cake shrimp ($12.95) are mini crisp rice cakes flavored with coconut milk and turmeric.
Each is filled with one shrimp, mung beans and scallion. Served with a variety of greens and a lime-chili-fish sauce for dipping, every delicate bite is filled with flavor.

We were here on a Saturday, around 8 a.m. and noticed this placard on the table-

A breakfast menu. We had to.
The top item: Bo Ne Trung ($17). Chateaubriand -with pate (on the top left of the platter), sate sauce, onions, mayonnaise and two eggs, served sizzling.
It's served with a piece of banh mi. (You can sort of see the corse pate a bit better in this photo). (It is a *wonderful*, flavor filled pate).

The egg whites crisped from the heat of the cast iron platter, while the yolks remained runny. The beef tenderloin was quite perfect; buttery-tender with flavor complimented by the sate sauce (as well as occasional bites of onion and mayonnaise).

It looks like the breakfast menu has been available on weekends since the end of March. We hope to go back soon to try the other items available on the special menu.

Brodard Restaurant 16105 Brookhurst Street Fountain Valley, CA 92708 (657) 247-4401 Website Open daily 8 a.m.-9 p.m.

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We leave Brodard and know that the Interstate will eventually be found and we can head home. The new location of Cream Pan is only about a mile from Brodard. One signal light South of Brodard is Warner. We took that street one day in 2018 and found this business. Now it is a destination. This small, nondescript storefront houses quality. Family owned, Ochoa's has been selling fresh made, perfectly spiced chorizo for more than 35 years.
There are two refrigerator display cases. Pork, chicken and soy chorizo with various spice levels are the primary choices.
The pricing? The plain and spicy pork chorizo is available in bulk. All are available by the meter (scroll back up and look at that photo again). There are a few other meats available.
A meter of green pork chorizo, (medium spice/heat level) ($9) is simply placed in a paper bag for the trip home. We also purchase a pound of bulk mild spice pork chorizo ($4.25). Once home, the green is cut into three inch chunks and frozen, while the mild is divided into three ounce small flat shapes and frozen, ready for breakfast cooking.

We cook the sausage, then add eggs and scramble it all and enjoy many, many breakfasts with the best chorizo.

Ochoas Chorizo 220 West Warner Avenue Santa Ana, CA 92707 (714) 850-0052 Open Mon-Sat 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Sun 7 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

Roadtrip (During Covid) – Forrest Gump Point, Meteor Crater & Barringer Space Museum, Standing on the Corner….., and Lunch at the Turquoise Room (Winslow, AZ)

May 30, 2022 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Flagstaff/ Sedona/Winslow/Northern AZ, Mexican Restaurants, Road Trip, Travel, Utah, yoso-silly

We had really enjoyed our tour of Mystery and Monument Valley. After returning to the hotel we went back to the gift shop and then went for a walk around the hotel a bit.

There were some really great views from the patio of the closed (because of Covid) restaurant.

Man, it was pretty……

I noticed a sign and well, wouldn't you know it…..

Not wanting to drive, we just had packaged food for dinner.

And of course we awoke very early for the "show"…….

Man, this never gets old…..

We had some nuts and bars for breakfast before heading out. Our next stop was Sedona; but instead of heading South, I headed Northeast on the 163. Why? Well, this was going to be my "fun day". There were a couple of novel, perhaps obscure, and just plain fun stops. A couple of miles south of Mexican Hat is this little stop.

Beautiful scenery isn't it? But I had a reason for stopping here. This is Forrest Gump Point. Recognize it from the movie? This is where Forrest Gump, after 3 years, 2 months, 14 days, and 16 hours decided it was time to stop running.

Heck, I just "needed" to stop here……

Cue up Running on Empty by Jackson Browne!

It's a pretty popular stop.

After a couple of photos we turned around and headed back to Kayenta for one more stop….this time at the Burger King. No, it wasn't to eat, though I did get a Diet Coke. This Burger King was established in 1986 by Richard Mike, whose father was a Navajo Code Talker in World War II. This BK features a Navajo Code Talker Exhibit.

An important part of our history that wasn't even revealed until 1968!

If you're ever in the area please stop by.

Burger King
Highway 160
Kayenta, AZ 86033

From here I headed down the 160 to the 89. Driving thru Flagstaff I went East on I-40. Not the way to Sedona you say? Well, you'd be right. There were a couple of places I had on my "list" and thought this short detour would be fun.

The first I'd read about and thought that perhaps it might be a tourist trap of sorts.

I think folks often mistake this for a state or national type. Depending on your interests, you may or may not enjoy it here. And it's $25 a pop for admission.

There's some nice displays, a movie, and also a 40 minute rim tour if you're so inclined.

For us…well, it was about the giant crater……

A big hole in the ground. More about the crater here.

Meteor Crater & Barringer Space Museum
Interstate 40 Exit 233
Winslow, AZ 86047

Now the next stop got me quite excited. Depending on your age….well, I'm in the demographic that remembers a certain song. And of course that line:

"Well, I'm a-standing on a corner
In Winslow, Arizona
Such a fine sight to see
It's a girl, my Lord
In a flat-bed Ford
Slowin' down to take a look at me"

Speaking of Jackson Browne and all that.

So our next stop?

Yep, we drove into Winslow, Arizona, parked and strolled to Standin' on the Corner Park. And it was indeed a fine sight to see….heck there was even a mural of a girl in a Flat Bed Ford!

And a Flat Bed Ford parked at the corner as well.

Yes, it's corny, cheesy, cliché, but if you're of a certain age, you'll remember that. And I'm of that age and even the Missus enjoyed this stop.

We saw folks taking photos and selfies. I even went and took a photo of this woman and her pooch….on the corner….in Winslow, Arizona. A fine sight indeed.

Unlike most of the other folks; who just got back into their vehicle after taking their photo, we strolled around town a bit; after all, this is part of historic Route 66.

There was a place I'd read about in Winslow; a hotel that was once a prize jewel and destination during the golden age of train travel, when Fred Harvey and the architect Mary Colter, whom I've mentioned before built a hotel named La Posada which has been restored to it's former grandeur.

We walked on over, strolled around a bit and decided to have lunch in the hotel's restaurant, the Turquoise Room.

It's a beautiful space.

We were quickly seated, the folks working were warm, friendly, and still very professional.

We placed our order and soon some complimentary cornbread arrived.

I ordered the Arizona Grown Vegas Salad Bowl….yes, you read that right. All that National Park Food and "stuffs" had me craving veggies…….yes, it doesn't happen often….

Lovely quinoa (when do you recall me typing that out before?), corn, crisp kale, refreshing jicama…..this really hit the spot.

The Missus really got a winner with the Lamb Posole.

Man, this was so good! Just gamy enough, wonderful lamb flavors; the hominy was cooked perfectly, a hint of spice, a wonderful comforting dish!

One of our favorite meals of the trip. If we're ever back in the area, we'll definitely return here.

Who knew…Winslow….

Turquoise Room (in the La Posada Hotel)
303 E 2nd St.
Winslow, AZ 86047

It was just enough food for lunch.

As we headed out of town, the Missus started up Spotify……and you knew which song She started with, right?

All together now:

"Well, I'm a-running down the road
Tryin' to loosen my load……"

Take it easy everyone!

Roadtrip (During Covid) – Mystery Valley, Monument Valley, and Lunch at Goulding’s Stagecoach Dining Room

May 29, 2022 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Flagstaff/ Sedona/Winslow/Northern AZ, Mexican Restaurants, Native American, Road Trip, Travel, Utah

On our full day in Monument Valley we had gotten a private tour. Since Monument Valley is on Navajo land, the only "real" way to visit is to hire a Navajo Guide. I had also wanted to see Mystery Valley as well. So, I booked a private all day tour with 3 Sister Navajo Guided Tours. Based on our short hike the day before and the amazing sunrise; I just knew it would be money well spent. And it was. Our guide Amory was raised in Mystery Valley, he clarified a lot of things for us, one thing we learned quickly is that the Navajo call themselves Dine', which means "the People". Amory also passed on things he learned from his grandmother and was a great guide.

There was just so much information, so much to learn, that if I ever return, I'm going to take notes. As it is; I'll mostly share photos with you all.

There were two reasons I really wanted to visit Mystery Valley, which is still inhabited….we passed farms raising livestock along the way. I really wanted to see the various arches and the Anasazi ruins.

We were taken in a four wheel ; a must for a tour like this.

That's the Square House Arch above, which was the first stop. Which then led to one of the places I really wanted to see; the vehicle maneuvers along some fairly slick rocks, we stop and Amory walks us into a small valley and points up.

This is known as the Square House Ruins.

A closer look.

During the tour Amory told us what he learned from elders and his grandmother. Seeing these ruins high up, we are often told that the Anasazi used ladders to get to these dwellings.

Amory was quick to point out the walls of the canyon.

He told us that that over time floods had eroded the soil away and pointed out former soil levels. So ladders weren't necessary at that time.

He also asked us to take a look around to see if we noticed anything…….and then pointed out the petroglyphs…..

And then pottery shards…..

Which we had totally missed! We'd be paying more careful attention for the rest of the trip!

It seemed that every turn yielded another arch – this is called the Honeymoon Arch – see how it meets in the middle?

This is the Stout Arch.

This is the Baby House Ruins.

The House of Many Hands.

See the hand prints?

It was just plain amazing.

Soon, it was time for a lunch break. Amory took us back to the hotel.

And we got in the car and drove into Utah and over to Goulding's Lodge, which was once upon a time really the only place to stay near Monument Valley. Since the restaurant in the View Hotel was closed due to Covid, the only other real option for us was Goulding's Stagecoach Dining Room.

It pretty much a diner…..and service was a such

The Missus got the Turkey Soup with Fry Bread.

Fairly bland and dry turkey meat.

I got the Navajo Taco.

This fry bread was kinda "doughy" and not as crisp as the version at Amigo Cafe. Sour cream and generic salsa, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, and chili con carne…….

Very generic, simple food for the masses.

Goulding's Stagecoach Dining Room
1000 Gouldings Trading Post Rd.
Oljato-Monument Valley, UT 84536

Walking out of the restaurant we ran into this friendly fella'.

I went to the car and got him a treat; which he quickly gobbled up. We had finished lunch fairly quickly, so we went to check out the gift shop. Guess who was waiting by our car when we got out of the shop? It was great "valet service"!

Goulding's has quite a history and Harry Goulding is credited with bringing Hollywood to Monument Valley.

The original Trading Post is now a museum.

And of course the star of many of those movies needs no introduction….

And when She Wore a Yellow Ribbon was filmed in Monument Valley, structures on the grounds of Goulding's were used in the movie.

We headed back to the View and met back up with Amory and then headed into Monument Valley.

First stop was John Ford Point.

Which was one of Director John Ford's favorite filming points.

It's got quite a view!

Because we had a guide, we were able to get off the main road and thru various gates; getting some wonderful views.

That's the "3 Sisters" above.

And there are arches here as well. That's the Mocassin Arch above.

While looking at my photos, I noticed that they really don't do scalar justice to the arches. So, take a look at the photo of the Big Hogan Arch above and then for a reference point take a look at the photo to the right.

And all of the arches and rock formations have names!

It can be quite overwhelming!

The last two stops where mainly for taking photos!

And it was so easy to compose some pretty nice photos……

Which made this an unforgettable day!

Thanks for stopping by!

Roadtrip (During Covid) – Comparing Sea Harbour (Rosemead), Then and Now

April 20, 2022 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Dim Sum, Los Angeles County, Road Trip

Recently we had an appointment….a looong overdue appointment in our old neighborhood. The Missus had been wanting Dim Sum so we decided to revisit an old favorite of ours, Sea Harbour before our appointment. We got there about 10 minutes before opening and we waited by the front door….and then of course the "SGV moment" happened. As the door opened, a guy and his wife just cut right in front of us and then as we stood at the host stand asking for a table for two another couple pushed right in front of us and got seated….but heck, I guess it's ok because they are regulars??? Welcome to the SGV……I'm not sure if it's because I've lived in San Diego so long, but it seems that it's even worse these days…

Anyway, we got our table and placed our order. There seemed to be a strange disconnect during our meal as things took a very long time to come out and the order in which items came out seemed a bit strange. Also, some of the dishes seemed a bit off and one was just plain terrible. So, after coming back home, I dug out some photos from previous visits to Sea Harbour over the years and did a comparison of some of the dishes.

So, here's the meal in order.

Usually, during dim sum meals, noodles and rice comes out last…..but not today my friends…..the Seafood Pan Fried Noodles was out first.

The Seafood was excellent; cooked perfectly. The noodles not so much as some were just really hard….not crisp, hard. And there just wasn't enough sauce/gravy in the dish to help soften the noodles. There seemed to be a smaller portion of seafood as well.

Here's a photo from a previous visit.

The Durian Pastry arrived next….these were good. Light, creamy interior, crisp exterior…though more of a dessert kind of thing.

One of the two items we had that seemed basically unchanged (except for price) was the Egg Tofu with Abalone Sauce.

Wonderful creamy interior; slightly crisp exterior, nice savory sauce……

It does seem that earlier versions had a bit more sauce though….

The other was the Sticky Rice in Lotus leaf which was solid and quite filling….

Quite hefty with a decent amount of pork filling.

Next up was a favorite of ours; the Shrimp, Dry Scallop, and Chinese Celery Dumplings.

The shrimp were nice and plump, the dry scallops added a sweet-savoriness, and the celery helped provide a nice "clean" finish and crunch to things. The biggest issue for us was how thick, sticky, and rubbery the wrapper was.

I thought it was much thicker than on previous visits and also that it used to have "folds"; so when I returned home and looked at previous photos; guess what?

Here's what it used to look like.

I guess I'm not quite senile yet…..

We also ordered the Black Fungus and Celery Dumpling.

These suffered from the same issue with regards to the wrapper as the shrimp and dry scallop dumplings. Too thick, doughy, and sticky. In this case the filling just could not stand up to all that wrapper; even with chili oil…..

Here's a photo of this from a previous visit……it looks like something from a total different restaurant, doesn't it?

And yet, I knew that if the last item to arrive would be up to our Sea Harbour standards, everything would be fine and end on a high note. The Missus's favorite item from here is the Radish Cake with XO Sauce. When it arrived, the Missus and I looked at each other and said "where's the XO sauce"?

Apparently, these days, they saute the bean sprouts with the XO sauce and dump it on the radish cake. Which used to be nicely crisp on the exterior and soft and with a decadently melt-in-your-mouth tender interior. This was like eating mush….it was terrible and lacked flavor. This was the straw that broke the camel's back.

I mean look at how it used to be.

Does it even look like the same dish?

The service was uneven, the pacing terrible, the staff indifferent, all for $80 of dim sum for two. It was quite sad; Sea Harbour was once our favorite Dim Sum restaurant. Perhaps Covid has changed things….I can imagine changing portion size and using some products sparingly….but even technique seemed missing here; look at those dumplings!

We left sad and depressed, as in the days before Covid, Sea Harbour was a favorite stop for us in the SGV. I must have done at least a half dozen posts on the place and I know that Ed from Yuma had done at least two.

Looks like we'll have to find a new go-to Dim Sum restaurant in the SGV.

Sea Harbour Seafood Restaurant
3939 Rosemead Blvd
Rosemead, CA 91770

Roadtrip (During Covid) – LP Espresso (Page), Amigo Cafe (Kayenta), and the Lee Cly Trail (Monument Valley)

April 15, 2022 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Caffeine Fix, Flagstaff/ Sedona/Winslow/Northern AZ, Mexican Restaurants, Native American, Road Trip, Travel

We left Zion fairly early in the morning. I was looking forward to our next stop; Monument Valley…after all, my late Mom was a big time Western fan, and I recognized photos from Monument Valley as scenes from some of her favorite Westerns. Plus, Monument Valley, located in both Arizona and Utah and on the Navajo Nation Reservation is not quite as heavily visited as other places we've been to.

We headed out the East exit of Zion National Park, down the 89 thru Kanab. We decided to stop in Page, which we were somewhat familiar with, to grab some provisions and for a coffee break. We took a short stop at the Glen Canyon Dam Bridge before heading into Page.

A nice little stop to stretch our legs…..

In Page we stopped to fuel up and then at the Safeway for water and a couple of other items; then drove over to LP Espresso for our caffeine fix.

Part espresso/coffee bar, part wine/beer pub, the young ladies were very friendly, though our Espresso and my Cold Brew (???) took a while.

There's not much choice for decent coffee in Page……so we took what we could get.

LP Espresso
612 North Navajo Drive
Page, AZ 86040

From here we headed down the 98, then to the 160 East. At the point where we needed to take the 163 (no, not THAT 163) North to get to Monument Valley is the town of Kayenta, which is part of the Navajo Nation. I had marked off a place to grab lunch, Amigo Cafe, mainly because I wanted some Fry Bread.

The restaurant is located past the usual fast-food suspects, right as you take the left onto highway 163.

This small restaurant was doing some steady business. They had some great Covid protocols in place and we had to actually sign in and leave our contact information for contact tracing. The Navajo Nation was hit hard by Covid-19 and at one time had the highest per-capita infection rate of COVID-19 in the US. But due to their response they've beat back Covid and according to several articles I've read is now one of the safest areas with regards to Covid in the nation.

All the tables were cleaned super well, all employees (and customers we saw) wore masks. The staff was friendly and warm.

The Missus got Pork Posole with Fry Bread ($10).

Which was on the bland side and really needed more porkiness and seasoning. The base also needed more chili paste as this was lacking in the fruity-smokiness of dried Guajillo and Ancho chilies. The Fry Bread was light, crisp, and yeasty, reminding the Missus of youtiao.

She was also provided with some pretty plain guacamole and chips.

I got the "Navajo Taco" ($11).

Basically Fry Bread (think of it as a unsweetened funnel cake if you will) with a smear of refried beans, shredded lettuce, onion, and tomato. A side of Spanish rice was also provided. Very Ameri-Mex toppings.

Well, the fry bread was a bit oily, but yeasty, and I got to try it out.

The folks working seemed to know all the other customers, so I'm guessing quite a few locals eat here. The service was very nice and efficient and I thought prices were quite reasonable.

Amigo Cafe
US Hwy 163
Kayenta, AZ 86033

From Kayenta you head up Highway 163 and then take a right on Indian Route 42 right after crossing the border to Utah. Taking the right on the roundabout takes you right back into Arizona, take a left, you're in Utah….straight ahead is Mexican Hat. Many folks stay at Goulding's Lodge down Monument Valley Road. But I decided that we should stay in the only hotel in Monument Valley; the View Hotel. There's only one entrance to Monument Valley, you drive up to the booth and pay the entrance fee, $20 per vehicle. We got to the hotel; which was also under Covid restrictions, so the restaurant was closed and so forth, a bit early. So of course the Missus wanted to "stretch Her legs"……. There are two hikes in the area; the Wildcat Trail and the Lee Cly trail, a 2 mile loop that we took. These are the only two hikes you could take without a Navajo guide. The trail starts just East of the hotel.

And yes, Monument Valley was every bit as beautiful as I thought.

From the left to the right; the "West Mitten", the "East Mitten", and "Merrick Butte".

A wonderful, pretty easy hike to the South of the hotel.

Upon completing the hike our room was ready. The View has hotel rooms, cabins, and a camping area. I took a top floor room for both this view at dusk.

And the night sky…..it was so totally dark, we saw so many falling stars……

Because of Covid, the hotel restaurant was closed, but bag meals, basically brown bag sandwiches and chips were provided. We were enjoying the view so much that we really didn't fdeel like driving out for dinner. Also, no alcohol can be sold on the Navajo Nation.

We walked over to the gift shop before picking up our sack meal. We really liked the gift shop and ended up buying some certified Navajo items as gifts.

It was so quiet, we slept so soundly, and got up before sunrise the next morning, because we wanted to see this.

Beautiful, isn't it?

We had a full day planned out with a Navajo guide and were really looking forward to that!

Thanks for stopping by!

Postscript (04/18/2022) – this one is for FOY Junichi who said he enjoys the Westerns filmed in Monument Valley: