Road Trip – Page 23

COMC Roadtrip: The most exclusive restaurant in LA? Dinner at Totoraku

January 19, 2015 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Road Trip

The most exclusive? Well, so says the Huffington Post and Los Angeles Magazine and a whole host of others. Last year, I had a chance to check them out. I really hesitated at first, because exclusivity kind of bothers me. There's something about having to be someone "special" to enter an establishment that grates at my blue collar, Hawaii background….

And yet, I've always been in search of delicious food……

I was torn. In the end, my friend "C", Yummy Yummy, and Quanito ended up having dinner at Totoraku. The place where you have to know the chef, or have the recommendation of a customer. There's the magic business card with the secret number to call for reservations.

The story of the place is the thing of legend…… Kaz Oyama was working at Hide Sushi when a customer talked him into a partnership and opening a restaurant of his own. Unfortunately, Kaz lost all that money….he did open Teriyaki House Pico, which soon shuttered. This eventually led to Totoraku. And I've got to give it major props when it comes to a success story.

So let me say this about the whole experience. "Chef Kaz" is a joy, friendly, schmoozing…he loves his quality French Reds, so you probably should bring a bottle, since they don't have a liquor license. So, the $200 price of dinner doesn't include that. With that in mind, the place is a relative bargain.

You will knock on that door and someone will open it……just slightly, like some yakiniku speakeasy. You have to have reservations, otherwise it's goodbye.

The writer from LA Mag called the place a "kaiseki" style restaurant, which is to me is not quite true "light meals to ward of the pangs of an empty stomach" says Yoshihiru Murata, but not really…..I tend to consider the modern definition which incorporates fresh seasonal preparations and ingredients. Looking at it this way, other than the opening foray, which really looked like a major Hassun course, Totoraku is yakiniku.

This was a kind of hit and miss….some of the items were ice cold which killed the flavor. The shrimp with caviar was quite good.

The beef carpaccio was nice, except for the few pieces that were a bit too metallic for my taste.

I didn't care for the beef tataki, much too tough, not seared enough, and kind of bland for my taste.

However, the yukkwe may possibly be the best version I've ever had. The very clean flavor and texture was nicely cut by the Asian pear……it was tender, with richness from the egg yolk. This could easily be the best item of the night.

At this point the Konro was brought out and the parade of protein started.

I will say, sone of it was quite good……..outside and inside rib eye, some of it not to my liking….the gyutan, beef tongue was much too thick. But overall, it was a nice yakiniku selection.

I really enjoyed the "Korean rice soup"……..nice sesame oil flavor, hearty, it had that "aaah" effect.

For me the bookend dishes were what made the meal. Other than that, it was a nice yakiniku dinner.

What was kind of disturbing was the phone conversation we all overheard.

Apparently, a "regular" and most folks here were regulars, had a reservation for 12. According to what we heard, he wanted to add 4 four. So Kaz is talking to this guy, who I guess is quite "important"……after all, you literally survive on regulars, right? The solution? Kaz was cancelling a reservation for four, who "were first time here and from out of town." So let's think about this…….that would be us if we weren't already here. Someone had worked and finagled to arrange a meal here and you were going to cancel them for some flaky customer who wanted 16 instead of twelve? Oh well, it's Hollywood after all, right? There are those who are entitled and those who are not. What really struck me was this….we had reservations for 4….we were from out of town….it could have easily been us. The four of us looked at each with the "wow, that kind of stinks" look. And yet, I understand…….this facade of exclusiveness, it indeed cuts both ways.

I'm glad to have had the experience. It's just not the kind of place for me…….

And no it's not even close to being Urasawa.

2015 Rose Parade Road Test #5. Breakfast at Cupid’s Burgers and Tacos (Corona)

October 28, 2014 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! a food blog, sometimes with photos and stories about how the food was attained. Kirk is taking a short break as is Ed(from Yuma). Cathy is writing today.

Yes, it's getting close to that time of the year and floats for the 126th Rose Parade are still being built and going through testing and evaluations of maneuverability and safety. It's a nice drive North; we leave home at 5 a.m. to get to Pasadena by 7 a.m. and walk a block and over the Metro tracks to see things like this-The Western Asset Management float entry "The Power of Imagination" was tested in its mostly screened over form, but you can see the rebar outline. It's going to be beautiful- look at the float renditions here. (The last drawing is this float).The 2015 Farmers Insurance Group entry, "Dream Big: World of Possibility" also had it's first road test on Saturday and there is going to be a lot going on this float, including a giant screen resembling a laptop computer on the float (the rendition is also on the above link, 5th photo from the top).When I posted the sixth photo on this post last month, a different angle than the one above, I mentioned it was the Princess Cruise Lines entry, "50 years of Inspiring Travel", and that the crew of The Love Boat television show (which ran from 1977-1987) will be riding the float. {Reading the link, I never realized how each episode had three crossover stories and that each show had a somber/moral storyline as part of the script.}The float is now screened over and details on both sides are clear.
What made this past Saturday was more interesting in that the float was 'Christened' by the Vice President of Public Relations for Princess Cruises, Julie Benson, just before its road test. (The link to the article has better photos of the event. This was a new experience for floats). Long story short, after viewing the floats, we wanted to get back to San Diego ASAP to watch college football and started driving back- East on the 210, to the 57, to the 71 to the 91 and eventually to the 15…we just took an exit at the time we agreed we were hungry. It was the City of Corona. Seeing the above signage, you just know we had to stop. Turns out Cupid's has been in this location for decades, underwent new management a few years ago, when they remodeled a bit, extending the footprint but kept the menu and original signage the same.
That front area with all the tables and booths was added on. The ordering counter looks like it was the original, with the kitchen between the counter and the take out window. We ordered, paid and our food was brought to the table. Huevos Rancheros plate ($5.29) came with steaming hot tortillas and the eggs were perfect, as were the beans and rice (which tasted like it was cooked in a broth). The ranchero sauce was *wonderful*, filled with chunky vegetables, notably fresh strips of chile as well as tomato and onion and so very flavorful. A great choice. While looking at the menu on the wall, there was a whiteboard of specials next to the cash register- and the 'Breakfast scramble" with your choice of meat (we chose sausage) was $4.99. Easily this had three eggs, at least three and probably four sausage links chopped up and was smothered in a really great sausage gravy. All of that was on top of freshly made crispy fries, which turned out to be such a tasty combination of flavor and texture.

I hope we randomly take this exit again.

Cupids Burgers and Tacos 623 E. 6th Street Corona, CA 92879 (951) 737-1772 Mon-Sat 6 am-10 pm, Sun 7 am-10 pm

Roadtrip: Pho Quang Trung 2 – Westminster (Orange County)

September 18, 2014 mmm-yoso Orange County, Pho, Road Trip, Vietnamese Restaurants

A few months back, I took a day off to meet some relatives who were visiting LA. I left quite early in the morning and hit Westminster at about 830 am. I decided to grab a bite to eat and it had been a while since I'd had pho in Little Saigon, so I decided to stop and get some. I checked out a couple of places and they were surprisingly busy, so I settled on Pho Quang Trang 2 which is in Asian Village Center right on Bolsa.

I hadn't been to this location of PQT, but I had been to the original location way back in the mid-2000's. From what I recall, they made a decent bowl of Pho Ga. I really wanted a obwl of Pho Filet Mignon, which is what I ordered. (small bowl – $6.45)

One of the main reasons being that I think I've gotten kind of used to the typical bowl of pho in San Diego, low in beef flavor, low in clove-scorched onion–anise tones, and high in salt/msg. I just wanted to get some bearings with regards to pho. First off, there was a bit less herbs than I was used too, but what there was sparkling fresh. The noodles were in the typical clump, but nicely done, still having a good amount of stretch to them. The broth looked darker than I expected, but was quite mild in the sodium department, at least compared to what I'd been having the last couple of months. Overall, a light beefiness, a bit too light in the fat department, but better than just about every place in San Diego. Not sure where it ranks within Little Saigon, wince I haven't had too many bowls over the last few years.

The only thing that I didn't enjoy was that the filet was still a bit too frozen, still stiff and solid, taking too long to get to the correct doneness and cooling off the broth too quickly.

Yes, I've had better….but god knows, I've had worse.

And the free little cup of che didn't hurt at all either.

The service, as to be expected was typical perfunctory Little Saigon, totally in character.

Pho Quang Trung 2
9211 Bolsa Ave
Westminster, CA 92683
Hours:
0830 am – Midnight Daily

The Packing House, in the Packing District. A food centric road trip to Anaheim.

September 9, 2014 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Chocolate, Orange County, Road Trip, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about food. Kirk and Ed (from Yuma) are trying to stay cool. Cathy and The Mister went on a quick road trip North, stayed cool in the air conditioned vehicle and is sharing her one hour drive each way, just for lunch.

In an effort to run away from the stifling heat in our non-air conditioned home, The Mister and I jumped in the car one weekday morning and drove to see a place we had read about in the LA Times. The description reminded us of 'Food Halls' we each grew up with. We arrived around 10:30 a.m.See it? In the back, between the "P" and the "A". The Anaheim Citrus Packing House was rescued from demolition in 2000 and fully restored, opening to the public on May 31 this year. The two acre area just North of it, "Farmers Park", is used for a Farmers Market on Sundays, has an amphiteater and seating, a bocce ball court, public ping pong table and hosted outdoor film festivals this summer and will host other community events (a Fall Festival and Parade, Oktoberfest and a German Christmas Market) later this year. The rest of the 'Packing District' spreads over another five or so blocks, with various shops, stand alone restaurants, a small Food Court area and even a former library turned museum. There is public art, marked on the sidewalks within the District as part of Anaheim Artwalk, all 'Downtown' Anaheim, with City Hall in the midst. The entrance on the East side of the building. If you go in through the doors you see under the signage seen in the background of the second photo, The dual rooster greeters are on the inside on the second floor. Speaking of the inside…
This open central/atrium area, giving views of the first and second floors is just so beautiful. You'll notice so many different seating areas, some for each restaurant and many, like a Food Court, out in the open. The individual tabletops (along the railing) each with an accompanying stool, have a hook on the back/center area to hang your purse or other bags. Notice that seating area at the bottom? Under the Pendelton Wool pads, the whole seat area moves; it is part of the original scale used in the plant. There's a seating area surrounded by history- orange crate labels, photos of the original Packing Plant, the scissors used to cut the opening ribbon… Places to eat and drink here? There are quite a few. Overwhelming choices, as noted by each porcelain tile…

Adult beverages, behind that Gourmet Grilled Cheese, Fancy Frozens on a Stick, Coffee… Crepes, a 'comfort food' establishment that makes a variety of poutines as well as cheese curds, Southern Soul foods, even bulk foods, spices and seasonings (at good prices). There is a juice place, Indian, Japanese and Vietnamese, hot pot, another beer-centric place and a couple of not yet opened storefronts. Pick a craving; you can find a solution here or within a few blocks.

Then there was what we (finally) decided to order.
Chippy's opened when the menu appeared on the screens. The items were properly fried, crispy and not overly greasy and the fish was a very large, moist piece. The squid rings were just OK; not bad, but not great. The onion rings were heavenly. The Chippy Fish and Chips The menu at Wheat & Sons was being written and would soon be open. We knew what we wanted. The Porchetta sandwich, still warm, served on a grilled ciabatta roll with a sort of pesto-esque/herby sauce, rocket greens, pickled radishes. Plenty of fresh garlic -no rosemary- infused pork, as you can see from the cross section. We also indulged in less than a half pound of fresh rillettes. If you can only choose one place for a meal, this is where I'd choose. Wheat and Sons butcher shop
When we walked in, the first proprietor to speak to us was this nice young man who was chipping chocolate before his store opened. That's the whole menu. We ordered a small affogato with vanilla ice cream, regular chocolate sauce and the additional chantilly cream with chocolate shavings. This was THE best, ever. I don't care for chocolate and this was magical to me. Turns out the chocolate sauce is made from…chocolate, not cocoa, as other places use. Dark 180, another 'if you only can order only from one' place.

We will return. It was a fun adventure.

The Packing House in the Anaheim Packing District 440 S. Anaheim Blvd, Anaheim, CA Website

Roadtrip: JTYH Restaurant – Rosemead

August 23, 2014 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Road Trip

One the way back home from a roadtrip earlier in the year, I finally had a chance to stop by JYTH Restaurant. I'd tried to convince the Missus to stop by before, but She declared havung the specialty of the house, mao erduo – ("cat's ears"), too much carbs. Since this was a solo trip, I was able to stop by.

Since this is the SGV, you just knew the place was going to be in….a strip mall of course. The place was quite empty when I arrived, the woman working here was very nice and friendly.

I was only after one thing….. mao erduo (貓耳朵). Which arrived steaming hot.

Very simply prepared, which is sometimes best, the noodle, which resembles Orecchiette, or as my coworker "Lily" who is from Shanxi, where mao erduo is one of the regional specialties says, "no, Orecchiette, resembles mao erduo." This version is quite chewy, almost dense, and hardens a bit as it cools. Quite substantial, it is stir-fried with soy sauce, garlic, a bit of napa cabbage, and a touch of sesame oil. It is topped eggs scrambled with scallions and wood ear fungus. Quite filling, I could only put away half of this before calling it quits. I thought it was fine, but nothing I'd go out of my way for in the future.

I later spoke to Lily about this type of noodle and was told it should be chewy, but also smooth and clean in flavor. This seemed a bit to dense and over-worked.

One really cute thing happened as I was finishing up my meal. The front door of the restaurant opened; two old-timers in wheelchairs were pushed in by younger women and a table was set-up for them.

The women were wearing scrubs, so I'm assuming there's a senior/assisted living facility nearby. Apparently this is a fairly regular thing as the server saw me smiling and gave me a wink! The gentlemen seemed very happy to have the attention, the women were very attentive….I guess these guys are their favorites! For some reason, I found this kind of cute and charming as all four seemed to be having a great time. Other folks I mentioned this to found it creepy…. I guess it's all based on your viewpoint.

Of course, in spite of the attention of young ladies, one must still be able to focus on the business at hand, right? Which means checking out the liang cai (cold dishes). The menu is quite a collection of everything from Sichuan to Northern Chinese, the prices are quite reasonable. The main item of note here are the noodles.

JTYH Restaurant
9425 Valley Blvd
Rosemead, CA 91770

Of course I stopped to get take-out on the way home……

After all, no place even comes close with regard to these dishes in San Diego…

Thanks for reading!

2015 Rose Parade float road test #3-(another) food road trip.

August 22, 2014 Cathy Bakery, Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Farmer's Markets/Night Market, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, Orange County, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog about food. So many events lead us to food. Today's post is about one of those days. Cathy is writing; Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are reading.

Saturday, we woke up around 3:30 and let the dogs out, made coffee, threw some laundry and dishes into their respective cleaning machines and by 4:50, The Mister and I were headed North in the cool darkness of the early morning. (Other 2015 road test posts here and here.

Our first stop was Cream Pan, six minutes after it had opened. We picked up a ham and cheese croissant, orange chocolate pastry and a loaf of walnut bread, all still slightly warm, from the filled shelving displays.

Cream Pan Japonaise Bakery 602 El Camino Real Tustin, CA 92780 (714) 665-8239

Back on the freeway soon enough; arrived in Pasadena and the Phoenix Decorating Company barn, just before 7 a.m..

A few 2015 Tournament of Roses parade floats were lined up on Raymond Street, ready for mechanical and maneuverability testing.

The American Armenian Rose Float Association, from Pasadena, is sponsoring this very large, beautiful float this year. It's the first time an Armenian float will participate in the parade, 100 years after an Armenian (M.S. Pashgian) was chosen as Grand Marshal for the 1915 Tournament of Roses Parade. The various details of this 'Cradle of Civilization' titled float symbolize the 'Inspiring Stories' of the American Armenian community. (Theme of the 2015 parade is 'Inspiring Stories').Here's the 'Observer' seated in the City of Hope 2015 float. He doesn't control anything, but speaks to the driver (seated more toward the center) telling him how and when to turn, steer and if the speed needs to be increased or decreased. Here's a full length view of the City of Hope 2015 Rose Parade float- it will have various beakers and flasks, a DNA strand, and 'wishes' printed on the tags, all attached to hot air balloons. Seeing the bare outline now is as interesting as seeing the finished product. (The driver sits next to the red fuel tanks).The Shriners Hospitals for Children float, "A Million Stories of Hope and Healing", was also tested that morning. The Shriner Bear rocks from left to right and is just so cute! See the small rectangle cutout at the base of the green bookmark? That's for the Observer on this float.

When we were finished with the testing, we walked to cross the Metro tracks and this time stopped to check out the public art decorating the Fillmore Metro Station.The spire (top and bottom details in the above photos) is part of the entire work at the station and titled Geologica 42. (Link to a very detailed description)(Link to a less detailed description). There is symbolism in all of it, from the baseball (at the very top), weather vane, anemometer, Bell X1 rocket ( which first broke the sound barrier, designed at CalTech and tested at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory; locals), the number 42 (Jackie Robinson was a Pasadena Resident) …

…as well as the five bronze steamer trunks which are seats at the Gold Line stop (Harry Houdini was born in Pasadena). We walked over the tracks, to Arroyo Parkway and one block North, to Lucky Boy, for a quick breakfast.

This 24/7, drive in, walk up, American breakfast, burger and burrito joint has been here for decades and prepares quality, hearty food for a good price (without tip jars on the counter). Above, the bacon and egg platter ($6.80): 3 eggs, hash browns toast and…bacon(!) and my usual, an egg sandwich on rye ($3.35) with the included fixings of lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. Served with the fresh made tomatillo based salsa, this was a great meal. Lucky Boy 640 S. Arroyo Parkway Pasadena 91105 (616) 793-0120 Website
We drove five miles East, to the parking lot of Pasadena High School on Sierra Madre Boulevard and stopped at the Pasadena Certified Farmers Market, which was already buzzing.

We try to only shop at Certified Farmers Markets and this one is particularly interesting, being in such a central location to attract local farmers. Pasadena Certified Farmers Market 2900 North Sierra Madre Boulevard, Pasadena Website

Back on the road, headed East to the 15, I wanted some coffee and yet another snack (or three) and we stopped at the Chino Hills location of 85C (a location is being built in San Diego on Clairmont Mesa at Genesee, but seems to be taking forever). This typical (grab a tray, line with paper, grab tongs and serve yourself, take to the cashier who individually bags each item for you) Taiwanese bakery chain is named because 85 degrees Centigrade is the perfect temperature for brewing coffee. There are two sets of cash registers, one dedicated to beverages (but you can order beverages from the other register also). Our snacks, a mini apple pie (puff pastry crust) ($2), Cheese bread (filled with a sweet ricotta cream cheese blend)($1.50) and a Calamari stick (which was round, filled with cheese and topped with garlic)($1).

Sea salt beverages are available here. Above an iced sea salt coffee ($3)and an iced sea salt (mountain green) tea ($2.75). There was no sugar added and each tasted wonderful, with the brewed beverage topped with a dollop of chilled steamed milk with sea salt crystals on the bottom, slightly blended in (swirling the container helps). The flavor meshing is amazing. 85C Bakery Cafe 12959 Peyton Drive Chino Hills 91709 website

We were home by noon. Hoping you have an interesting weekend!

Roadtrip COMC: Sea Harbour

August 8, 2014 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Dim Sum, Los Angeles County, Road Trip

A few weeks back we finally had some time to return to the SGV….we hadn't been back since we got back from our trip. I gave the Missus a list of places and She decided to forgo those choices and just return to Sea Harbour for dim sum. I've posted on the place a couple of times already, so I decided to do one of my C(learing) O(ut the) M(emory) C(ard) posts.

So it'll be mostly photos from here on…other than commenting on that "interesting" menu item to the right. I felt if I ordered this, it would try to hump my leg…..or something like that.

Still our favorite dim sum in LA.

Sea Harbour Seafood Restaurant
3939 Rosemead Blvd
Rosemead, CA 91770

Strange what you notice when waiting for take-out. Here's the sign right next to the front door of Shufeng Garden. I thought it was a kind of odd location….unless of course, this is a common occurence here.

I hope everyone has a great weekend! No choking allowed!

Roadtrip: Ha Noi Avenue – Westminster

August 6, 2014 mmm-yoso Orange County, Road Trip, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Ha Noi Avenue has closed

Last weekend, the Missus really wanted to drop by Portola Coffee Labs…..She has become a real coffee nerd. She's got all the gear to make pour-over coffee…..

Anyway, on the way down to the OC we started getting hungry. This gave us the perfect chance to check out a place I'd been wanting to try for a while; Ha Noi Avenue.

We really don't get to this end of Westminster Boulevard very often and I was hankering for some Bun Cha.

As with many businesses, this was obviously some kind of fast food joint….you could still see the drive thru lane and speaker board outside. The restaurant isn't very large, but is quite clean. Most of the customers were in rather large groups…families. And all were eating just about the same thing; Bun Cha, Cha Ca Thang Long, and Banh Tom, all the trappings of Northern Vietnamese Food.

I read of some instances where service was lacking, but we didn't experience any of that….in fact, the guy serving us was kind of, well jovial in a way. When we placed our order, he smiled gave us the "thumbs up" and said, "good….good!" Apparently he approved.

Fairly soon our table was loaded up; three plates of bun, two large baskets of herbs and greens, the pickled papaya and carrots in fish sauce, mam tom, nuoc mam cham, Banh Trang Me…..

Just the fragrance of the bun cha took us back to Bun Cha Dak Kim in Hanoi. While it was not nearly as good…..it was good enough. All the base flavors were there; the ground pork patty was a bit on the large size and not quite as tender, but the flavors, salty-sweet-savory-porky were just what the doctor ordered.

On another note, the bun here was perfectly prepared….just the right texture for me; not overly sticky or mushy.

When I saw Nem Cua Bể (crab spring rolls) on the menu, I had ot have it.

While not nearly as flavorful as #1 Hang Manh, lacking in the amount of savory flavors (crab) and not as light as I prefer, this was still not bad. Crisp, molten, and lovely with lettuce and a dunk in the nuoc mam cham.

The only real clunker was the Cha Ca Thang Long.

The fish, while moist was very bland. We've gotten used to all the flavors from Song Long's version of Cha Ca, amking this seem puny and missing some parts we enjoy like the fried shallots and peanuts. The mam nem was really watered down and weak. We'll pass on this next time and go for the Banh Tom instead.

And yes; there will be a next time. Funny thing, even though the signs say "pho" not one single customer (all Vietnamese) was having it.

Ha Noi Avenue
8432 Westminster Blvd
Westminster, CA 92683
Hours:
Wed – Mon 830am – 830pm

It's kind of nice to have all these options if we want a breakfast/lunch, we can go with the Cha Ca Thang Long at Song Long which opens at 9, or some Hue favorites at Ngu Binh which also opens at 9, or if we're in the mood for Banh Cuon we can go to Pho Tau Bay which opens at 8……

In the end, the missus got Her coffee beans at Portola, I got a cup of Kyoto Drip cold brew. And we got a nice little trip down memory lane. To a place crowded wall to wall with people, steep and skinny stairs leading up to an almost communal dining area, at #1 Hang Manh…….

It was wonderful taking that trip in my mind, down the dusty streets, dodging motorbikes, and eating like crazy in edgy Hanoi…..

I think it might almost be time for another trip…..

The Donut Man-It’s Peach Donut Time! (Glendora)

July 27, 2014 Cathy Desserts, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!

The first day of peach donuts was July 24, 2014. The last day August 10, 2014. Peach donut time at Donut man is very limited.

Thanks for dropping by mmm-yoso!!! on this humid day (we had some rain and then it hit 80). Nothing is perfect, but maybe a road trip will help. Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are staying cool today.

I mentioned The Donut Man in one of my conglomerate posts last year and a few other local bloggers also drove North, all of us reporting on the infamous fresh strawberry donuts. Early this past Thursday, I checked a Facebook page, took the car to Costco for fuel and told The Mister to get ready. Road Trip!Yes, it's time for the short 'season' of peach donuts and their availability.

The signage is only hanging from the front of the building and not even yet set up on the side windows (as the strawberry signs are in the other posts). Also, the crowds had not yet descended upon this iconic Southern California donut shop.

Walking past the side window, you could see a new tray of the seasonal treats was being prepared…

to be properly displayed in the front window.

I purchased two boxes of exactly the same choices (one box for cc and her family)(a Tiger's Tail, French Cruller and Buttermilk Bar) and drove back to San Diego (after a quick lunch across the street) and our road trip was done. No crowds (except on the freeways) and the peach donut run was history.

Oh-the donut itself is a very large raised and glazed donut, cut partly through and then just the fresh peaches in a glaze placed inside. The resulting confection was heavy in weight, the donut was light and airy with a crispy sweet outer shell. The filling wasn't as sweet as canned pie filling and the peaches still had texture.

The Donut Man 915 E. Route 66 Glendora, CA (626) 335-9111 Website

Antojitos in El Centro Again

July 24, 2014 ed fromyuma El Centro, Imperial Valley, Mexican Restaurants, Road Trip, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!, Yuma

This is Ed (from Yuma) writing again today. A big thanks to Kirk (and Cathy) for letting me post stuff here and a big thanks to you for reading it.

I have already blogged about this small Mexican restaurant recently. It feels strange to do two posts about the same place, particularly when it is not even in Yuma, even though Tina and I have had two more interesting meals heresince my last post. So I promise this is my final post about Antojitos Como en Casa. Even if Anthony Bourdain asked me to meet him here for lunch, I would not blog about it; you would just have to see it on Parts Unknown.

The plain exterior has not changed:

The bright and colorful interior is the same as well, but here is a picture of a wall in the side room:

And this is the area that is a tribute to Jorge Negrete (or is that Pedro Infante?):

The service at Antojitos has always been excellent, the waitstaff attentive, friendly, and helpful. On every visit, chips and salsa arrive in an instant:

Here is a close-up of the brightly spicy green salsa, largely mashed roasted green chiles:

And a close-up of the rounder and deeper dried red chili salsa:

Again, the aguasfrescas ($3 large, $1.75 small) have been outstanding; in particular, on our visit in June, the watermelon fruitwater, which we had never had before, was crisp and flvaorful without being a sugar overload:

On that June visit, Tina and I both had soup. She chose the chicken soup whose name I can never remember:

Remarkably, this excellent and rich soup was different from the chicken soup I had a few months previously. Mine had had abundant chickpeas – Tina’s was more like a caldo de pollo, full of vegetables as well as tortilla strips, cheese, and red onion slices.

The broth in my menudo ($8.50) was fully flavored, savory and rich. In it, soft, succulent, yielding little pillows of tripe contrasted perfectly with abundant nixtamal:

On our next visit, we ordered two different aguasfrescas (Antojitos always has 3 choices, but the choices have never been the same on any two visits). Tina had the cucumber/pineapple:

I had lemon/strawberry:

As good as hers was, I loved my lemon accented, intensely strawberry water even more. This place has the best aguasfrescas I have ever tasted – by far.

Since this visit was on a Saturday, Tina and I were looking forward to sharing an order of the lamb mixiote, available only Friday through Sunday. It soon arrived at the table:

We decided on the option with beans and rice ($18.50), so we got a small bowl of soupy but tasty frijoles and plenty of Mexican Rice:

The lamb also came with homemade yellow corn tortillas, smaller than regular corn tortillas with the bright golden color and a very corny taste:

When we peeled the tinfoil back, we saw a whole lamb shoulder with a bone protruding at one end, the meat covered with parchment paper and surrounded by a rich and flavorful consommé:

With the paper removed, we could see the moist braised shoulder, laden with herbs and spices, looking tender and inviting:

The meat made wonderful simple tacos:

Maybe the most flavorful braised lamb I have ever savored, and I have eaten (and cooked) a lot of lamb shacks over the years. One of the reasons for the savory complexity of the dish was the layer of maguey leaves we found underneath the mixiote:

The owner/manager of the restaurant said that their particular version of the dish is native to Hidalgo, a state in central Mexico just east and north of Mexico City. This restaurant’s roots in central Mexico help explain the cuisine here and why this place seems unique in the American Southwest border region.

Since Tina and I happened onto Antojitos, we have been finding excuses to go to El Centro – there are some different stores in their mall; there's a Costco; it's a convenient stop on the way to LA. I never realized how many reasons there were to visit El Centro. However, since I will not be blogging about this place again (at least not in the immediate future), you now have a reason to visit El Centro yourselves – to find out more about Antojitos Como en Casa.

Antijitos Como en Casa, 425 Desert Gardens Dr, El Centro, CA 92243, (760) 482-5621, open 8 am – 8 pm every day, except Mondays. website