Salads – mmm-yoso

Road Trip – Smokeyard BBQ and Chop Shop and Emberz BBQ (Mammoth)

February 7, 2026 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, BBQ, Road Trip, Salads, Sierra Nevada, California, Travel

So yes, here we were in Mammoth. The Missus loved the hiking with JJ….on this day we headed back out to the Horseshoe Lake Parking and then took the McLeod Lake Trail. Of course JJ just loved it out here.

And the views were outstanding.

And while the lake was lovely….it was what we saw near where w parked the car at the Horseshoe Lake Parking lot. While the lake views were lovely…..

This section looked totally different.

All those dead trees. We walked over and read the signage.

Apparently, there were a series of small earthquakes under Mammoth Mountain in 1989. This caused the magma to push CO2 up thru the soil, which caused the roots of the trees to die. Testing by the USGS in 1994 confirmed this. Crazy, huh?

We headed back to the Westin to…well….you know what….

After resting up a bit; we headed across the way to the Village. There was a place we were interested in dining at; but because it was still early in the season, the place was not yet opened for outdoor dining.

So, we walked over a bit and found this place.

Which had a large outdoor eating area and also a Happy Hour menu.

We ordered a couple of appetizers and a salad…..

We started with the Tri-tip skewers.

The cubes of tri-tip was really dry and tough. The sauce overly sweet.

We also got the Peri Peri Wings. We were warned by the really nice Server that it was going to be spicy.

Which it wasn’t. The sauce was quite tangy and salty. The chicken had been really overcooked and was tough. It did have some decent smokiness though.

The Missus did enjoy the Wedge Salad, especially the Blue Cheese Dressing which had a nice funky tanginess along with a not overly sweet balsamic glaze.. This is why the Missus had me start making Blue Cheese Dressing from scratch at home.

Lots of crumbled bacon…nice refreshing salad.

Overall; very nice service, but I don’t see us returning here.

Smokeyard BBQ and Chop Shop
1111 Forest Trail Suite 201
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

We did sleep well. And JJ did fine staying on an upper floor. There’s quite a bit of open space around the hotel and I even saw some wildlife while taking JJ out to potty early…think 5am in the morning!

Up early the next morning, we did the hike from Lake George to Emerald Lake.

Where JJ could show off some of his newly found balancing skills…..

You actually pass five lakes along this hike. This is Lake Barrett.

Even though it was early June, there was still snow on the ground in places.

And of course you know JJ and snow, right?

Making it to Emerald Lake, we headed on back.

We had lunch at Old New York Deli & Bakery and then had a well earned nap. Upon awakening, we decided to take a drive around…we did the Mammoth Scenic Loop…then went to by JJ some toys and snacks at Tailwaggers. By now it was just about 430. The Missus was really not into hitting up the Village again. I had found a BBQ truck/trailer of sorts while doing some research. It was located in a business park, next to Devils Creek Distillery.

We got a combo plate with Ribs and Elk Sausage, plus a tomato salad.

The tomato salad was excellent…using sweet-acidic-tangy tomatoes.

The slightly sweet-acidic balsamic dressing was wonderful.

Our favorite item was the Elk Sausage, very savory, nice and smoky, quite rich. The ribs were nothing special…though decently smoked.

That mashed potato salad had a bit too much mayo in it, though the greens were really refreshing.

The gentleman working was really nice. And he even gave us some moist and tasty cornbread….which was gobbled up so quickly, so no photos.

Anyway, we enjoyed our meal and even returned here the following month! We made sure to schedule that stay with the days the trailer is open – only Thursdays thru Sundays.

Emberz BBQ
120 Commerce Dr.
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

As we took in the view of the Village from our patio, the Missus had me planning a return trip to Mammoth the following month. She, and JJ had really taken to the place.

Easy Blue Cheese Dressing – aka what I make when the Missus says She wants “a wedgie”!!!!

December 7, 2025 mmm-yoso Recipes, Salads

During our road trips to Mammoth and Tahoe (yes, we took several), the Missus started enjoying Wedge salads. Which was news to me since She had always scoffed at the use of iceberg lettuce…but I guess time changes everything, right?

So, a couple of months ago, out of the blue (cheese), the Missus tells me She wants “a wedgie”! Say what?!? I think something definitely got lost in translation there. Shades of Sam Woo the “Killer Whale”! What’s even worse is that I knew what She was asking for…and no, it wasn’t a “wedgie” ok? She obviously wanted a wedge salad. So, over the course of about six weeks, I made over a dozen of those things. Now of course, She’s moved on, but I thought I’d better write this recipe down in case She wants a ~~wedgie~~ ahem, a wedge salad again one of these days.

Anyway, this is what it started looking like.

You remember the Missus’s preferences regarding Her veggies from my Tahini-Lemon Dressing post, right?

And then of course, this is what the salad looked like at the end of two weeks…….micro greens and sliced smoked duck breast…..and even more crumbled blue cheese topping the salad.

And then of course, She needed some “extras” to make it a “complete” meal.

A couple of notes; you’ll notice that the Missus wants lardons on Her salad; so I filter out the rendered bacon fat and add that to the dressing. Also, Maldon Smoked Salt does make a difference as well. As for the blue cheese; I try to go with something on the more pungent side of the scale. The mayo, sour cream, and buttermilk are all whole fat and organic.

Blue Cheese Dressing – makes approximately 1-1/3 cup of dressing

3 ounces Blue Cheese – and more to top the salad
1/3 cup Mayonnaise
1/3 cup Sour Cream
1/3 cup Buttermilk
2 Tb rendered bacon fat
1 Tb fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 Tb Red Wine Vinegar
1 tsp grated garlic
Fresh ground black pepper, granulated garlic (optional), and Maldon Smoked Salt to taste

In a mixing bowl, crumble and mash blue cheese with buttermilk until it resembles curds
Add Sour Cream and Mayonnaise and mix well
Add lemon juice, vinegar, and grated garlic and mix
Taste and add black pepper, smoked salt, and granulaed garlic (if desired)
Refrigerate for at least an hour before using

Road Trip – MacCallum House Inn and Exploring Mendocino

November 20, 2025 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Dog Friendly, Mendocino, CA, Road Trip, Salads, Travel

After lunch we set about walking around Mendocino. From what I was told; the history of the area starts with the Pomo People, who lived here for over a millennium. The redwoods brought the lumber industry in the 1850’s and Mendocino Village was established in 1852. Many of the workers were from New England, which explains the Victorian stylings and Saltbox Cottages we saw. The town itself is quite charming, though folks I know warned me of how expensive they though things were…..they called the place “Spendocino”…..to us, it wasn’t as pricy as the Bay area.

Right off Main Street in Mendocino are two really easy trails. While waiting for our room, we strolled along the Mendocino Headlands Trail. The views were lovely.

Quite peaceful and relaxing, not another soul in sight.

Hard to believe that right across the road is Main Street!

We walked to the area overlooking Big River Beach.

And then up to Church Street where there’s well, a church of course.

That’s the historic Mendocino Presbyterian Church, which was build between 1867 and 1868.

And made our way back to our accommodations in a roundabout way. When visiting this charming village one quickly notices how many water towers there are.

In fact, our accommodations even had a Water Tower Suite….good ol’ number 13. According to this post, the water table is the area is close to the surface, thus the area was lacking with regards to in ground water storage. Most of the water towers were built at the end of the 19th century. That water tower above also has a history, which you can read about here.

Walking on Albion Street we noticed this Chinese Temple.

This is the Temple of Kwan Tai a Taoist temple dedicated to Kwan Tai (Guan Yu).

The Missus and I were immediately interested in how this got to be built in Mendocino. Apparently, the Chinese came to the area in the 1850’s to work in logging camps. It is said the the temple either dates back to1854 or 1867, depending on the source. Interesting, huh?

A block down Albion was our accommodation; the MacCallum House Inn which dates back to 1882.

This lovely inn features a variety of accommodations. We stayed in one of the suites in the “North Barn” building.

Which was lovely and had a private patio and even a hot tub, which was nice, even though we never used it.

The main building features a rather popular restaurant with patio seating, which was perfect for JJ. This was where we had breakfast, which was included with our stay. We decided to have an early dinner on this evening. The friendly Server told us that most of the ingredients were locally sourced.

Things started out with some really delicious bread.

The butter was decently whipped and light.

The Missus had Her sights on getting Her veggie fixes, so that was the focus of the meal; starting with the Field Lettuces.

Nice variety of greens, great crisp texture, loved the beets. The avocado was under ripe, hard, and lacking in flavor. The vinaigrette was quite simple, like something I’d make at home. That avocado and sourdough was a $7 upcharge.

The Grilled Asparagus and Proscuitto was fine; though the asparagus was overcooked and mushy, not quite how the Missus enjoys it.

The proscuitto was super fatty, almost like lardo. The egg was perfectly cooked and the cheese was nice and sharp in flavor.

The Olive Oil Roasted Cauliflower was simple, which was actually a good thing. Though the price for this dish was $32!

The Missus loves Her cauliflower and this was lightly sweet – earth – nutty, She loved it. The Kale might have been better served in smaller pieces. The quinoa was fine. That sauce had an interesting sweetness to it. I later found out it was pea “jus”.

I did see something on the “side dishes” menu that interested me. The Collard Greens, Ham Hocks, and Black Eyed Peas.

While the ham hocks were on the crisp side like lardons; we both loved the flavors – so savory and smoky, the beans were cooked perfectly, slightly firm and tender. This was very good.

Overall, a nice meal, the service was very friendly and we appreciated that most of the produce was sourced locally. Not a cheap meal coming in at over $120 not including tip….but heck, we were in “Spendo-cino” right?

MacCallum House
45020 Albion St.
Mendocino, CA 95460

We took a nice stroll after dinner. There’s a Health Food Store; with the interesting name of Corners of the Mouth Health Food Store right next to the back entrance of MacCallum House. Looks like it could have possibly been a church in a previous life?

We got some snacks and I got a couple of beers for the next two nights.

Corners of the Mouth, Health Food Store
45015 Ukiah St.
Mendocino, CA 95460

It was obvious that we wouldn’t be starving in Mendocino…….

Farmer Boys (Again)

October 19, 2024 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Salads, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

Thank you for stopping by to read mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog sometimes with details of adventure of finding the foods blogged. This isn't one of those posts; Kirk is the one having adventures while Cathy is here, blogging in between being busy.

I wrote about Farmer Boys the first time in 2015 and mentioned another meal in 2017 and just haven't blogged about all of our many visits over the years. This family owned franchise of almost 100 locations in California and Nevada with the motto of "Farm Food Ain't Fast Food" purchases locally grown fresh ingredients and prepares a fresh cooked, made to order meal, serving delicious flavorful food.

There are two locations in San Diego County, both in Escondido.

The Farmers Chopped Cobb salad ($ 14.99) includes greens, grilled chicken breast, diced Hass avocado, chopped tomato, hickory smoked bacon, that tiny hard boiled egg and cheddar cheese and is served with a chili ranch dressing (but you can ask for any of the available house made dressings). The Mister really likes Cobb salads and says the one from Farmer Boys is his favorite, often asking me to bring one home when I am in the area.

The Sourdough Chicken Avocado Sandwich ($11.99) also includes grilled chicken breast, thick slices of bacon, a smashed Hass avocado, tomato, cheese, lettuce and mayonnaise on locally baked (Galasso's) sourdough bread. The toasting of the bread and combination of ingredients is just so satisfying. This is a very hefty sandwich and easily shared or half can be saved for a later meal.

Four piece Fried Zucchini sticks ($6.49) was our choice as a side. Very large pieces, hand sliced and hand battered are served with some house made Ranch dressing and perfectly fried; the zucchini is cooked through and the cornmeal based batter is light, crispy and not greasy.

Farmer Boys serves quality food all day (you can see breakfasts in my prior posts; the menu is pretty much the same as it was nine years ago).

Farmer Boys Website

-1333 East Valley Parkway Escondido 92027 Open Mon-Sat 6-midnight, Sunday 7-midnight

-925 West Mission Center Escondido 92025 Mon-Fri 0530-10, Sat 6-10, Sun 7-10

The Money Pit (San Marcos) (again)

June 13, 2024 Cathy Burgers, Salads, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog, is why you are here, so continue to read. Cathy is writing today, while Kirk remains busy.

I wrote about The Money Pit in September 2023 and have 'been in the neighborhood' a few times in the past month, picking up meals for The Mister and myself before driving home.

This former bank building seems to always be busy, with many people using the drive-through. But, I'm still following my 1998 New Year Resolution and continue to not use any drive-through lanes and instead stick to parking and walking into the building.

Some menu prices have increased.

There's always something interesting to find in the decor, especially while waiting for a 'to-go' order.

The "2×2" ($6.10) is an excellent imitation of a Double Double from In-n-Out, served on a toasted bun and is satisfying..
The Combo Plate ($6.80), listed under "Sides", has a little bit lot of every side-fried onion rings, zucchini, mushrooms and French fries. It comes with a side of the house-made Ranch dressing.
One day, I decided to try a Greek Chicken Wrap ($8.95). It was great! A greek salad with plenty of grilled chicken breast in a tortilla. All the flavors and freshness without a fork.

Another day, I ordered a Turkey Wrap ($8.40). Not as interesting as the Greek salad, but still very fresh and satisfying.

The Avocado Salad ($9.85). The Thousand Island dressing is made in-house and is really nice. There is a whole avocado on this very large salad, along with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion, cheese and hard boiled egg. This is a bad photo because of a person driving a blue F-250 who doesn't know physics mishap in the car while driving home.
Here is the chicken strips salad ($10.60). Almost too much chicken to salad ratio. Another great meal.

The Money Pit 1360 East Mission Road San Marcos 92069 Open daily 7 a.m. Closes 11 p.m. Friday, 9 p.m. Sunday, 10 p.m. the other days

Johnny B’s (La Mesa)

May 5, 2024 Cathy Beer, Burgers, Salads, What Cathy Eats!

Yes, you're back at mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about food. Cathy is still writing because Kirk is still on vacation with His Missus. Here's a post about lunch (but they have breakfast on weekends).

I've never posted about Johnny B's, it's just "always" been there and a regular stop for lunch.

Since January 1, 1999, this La Mesa bar and restaurant, located downtown on La Mesa Blvd and 4th, has always had a lunch special of a 'Burger and Beer'. The building has expanded and the prices have, of course, increased. JB's has made it through Covid-19, keeping the food here very consistently wonderful.

The interior (there is outside seating) has 33 HDTV's, most showing local sports and at least one showing PAWS-a channel about animals. I could see 11 televisions from my chair and The Mister could see eight.

The two-sided menu mentions the weekday Lunch specials, as well as a Monday night special and Happy Hour. There's also a Tuesday night special of Sliders which flashed across one of the TV screens. The other side of the menu has weekend breakfast items.

The grilled chicken salad ($12.95) was topped with a still warm/freshly char-grilled chicken breast. The bowl is very large and we did take home some leftovers. The mixed lettuces had tomatoes, onions and shredded carrots and the ranch dressing was a better quality.

The cheeseburger Lunch Special ($14.75) includes your choice of soda, Bud Light, Coors Light or Amberbock. You also can choose the type of cheese and also get a choice of fries, chips or a salad. The burger is large (at least 1/4 lb) and also char-grilled, made with a coarse grind of beef, keeping the meat chunky and moist. The bun is toasted and those fries have a coating and seasoning, making them very crisp and tasty.

Johnny B's Burgers and Brew 8393 La Mesa Blvd, La Mesa, CA 91942 (619) 464-2465 Open Mon-Th 11-9, Fri 11-10, Sat 930-10 Sun 9:30-9 Website

More than 20 beers on tap!

Road Trip – Lunch at Vinaigrette, San Felipe de Neri Catholic Church, and a Revisit to Kitsune ABQ (Albuquerque)

December 3, 2023 mmm-yoso Albuquerque, American/New American Restaurants, Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Cocktails, New Mexico, Road Trip, Salads, Travel

After spending the morning at Petroglyph National Monument, we headed back to our accommodations to freshen up. It was getting kinda warm so we wanted something on the lighter side. I had Vinaigrette on my list during our previous visit to Santa Fe and recalled that they had a ABQ location as well. Turns out that the restaurant was just a 15 minute walk from the hotel. Plus, we'd be walking thru Old Town and could take our time and explore a bit on the walk back.

The place was almost full when we arrived, but we got the last table outdoor table.

We were glad to get that table as the only outdoor seating still available was this…..I wonder if folks actually sit here?

As you can tell by the name, Vinaigrette specializes in various categories of salads; savory, sweet, "balanced", and so forth, along with some sandwiches and a few sides and soup.

I wanted something refreshing, so I ordered a concoction called the "Pepino", which featured cucumber and lime juice, along with club soda.

This was quite refreshing and not overly sweet.

We also ordered the Kale Fritters.

We enjoyed the crunchiness and earthy tones of the fritters, which went surprisingly well with the Sriracha Aioli. It was a tad on the salty side of things, but was not a bad dish overall.

The Missus got the "Omega".

This was mostly lettuce and really didn't have as much kale as the Missus would have liked. She thought the toasted pine nuts would be great in a salad, though it really clashed with the provided Blue Cheese Vinaigrette. The avocado was just one small piece. This salad needed more acidity added to really balance out all those greens.

I got the Spinach Mushroom which was a much better choice for our tastes.

The earthy, slightly sweet sauteed mushrooms, with savory bacon, and a slightly sweet-sour honey-balsamic vinaigrette was a nice combination. I wish there were a bit more onions for pungency and more boiled eggs to keep the Missus happy, but this was not bad.

The staff was very friendly, the crowd….well, as you can figure, very hipster-healthy-ish. Still, we didn't want anything too heavy and this did the trick….at least for me.

Vinaigrette
828 Central Ave. SW
Albuquerque, NM 87104

After lunch we took our time strolling back to the hotel. There seemed to be more businesses open on this day, but things were still really quiet.

We enjoyed wandering thru the various patios.

There was a definite charm to this place…..

While we had stopped to look at the Cottonwood Madonna the previous day, we had just walked past the San Felipe de Neri Catholic Church.

There has been a church on this site since Albuquerque was founded. The original church collapsed in 1792 and San Felipe de Neri Church was founded in 1793.

There's a museum and gift shop located in the Sister Blandina Convent onsite.

And of course the Cottonwood Madonna.

And if you want to read even more about the Cottonwood Madonna, you can read more here.

As interesting as San Felipe de Neri Catholic Church was, I found something even more interesting down this patio.

As we were looking at various shops, something caught my eye.

So I walked on in.

It was a beautiful little chapel.

This is the Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

It has an interesting story and is even said to be haunted.

We enjoyed strolling around Old Town.

We got back to the hotel and relaxed until it was time to head out for dinner. I had made reservations at a nearby Wine Bar & Bistro, but when we walked over our reservations our reservations were MIA. The place was quite busy and we didn't want to wait so we decided to head on back to Kitsune.

And ordered our food and had a seat in the back patio this time.

I found out that the cocktail that was made for me the night before was called the "Autumn" and featured Blue Corn Whiskey.

Smoky, but not overly sweet.

Of course we got the Karaage.

Which was just a good as the previous night.

And we also got the Pork Belly Rice "Bowl".

The rice on this evening was much better than what we had the previous night; though I'm not sure about that mayo. The pork belly was a bit more chewy than I like, but the seaoning and sauce was pretty good; not overly sweet. The pickled onions handled the palate cleansing duties well.

Not bad for two nights in a row.

Kitsune ABQ
524 Romero St. NW
Albuquerque, NM 87104

We then walked on back to the hotel. On the way back, we stopped at a shop and got some liquid refreshment and a snack.

And sat on the porch and watched the action below.

We went to sleep early as we'd be headed out to Pecos National Historical Park , then it was off to Santa Fe in the morning!

Test Kitchen Eatery and Workspace (Grantville)

November 1, 2023 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Salads, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog. Kirk is on vacation with His Missus and Cathy is back to writing a few more posts.

So, with my job, I usually meet clients at their home or place of business (how I find some interesting places to eat). Had to go to the Post Office one day while in the Grantville area of San Diego and while driving through the Office Park, saw this feather flag and made a mental note to bring The Mister with me for lunch.

It turns out that this establishment is a recipe testing, preparation and catering kitchen to the family of New Zealand inspired restaurants in San Diego: Bareback Grill, Queenstown Public House, Dunedin North Park, Raglan Public House and Queenstown Bistro…none of which Kirk or I have visited (yet)

Walk in and there's the menu on the wall in front of you. Turn to the left, meet Mack, order, pay and find a seat.

I noticed this "Mackstar" beverage ($2) described on the wall and decided to try it-an excellent blend of English Black tea and fresh (sweetened) lemonade. The liquids are different densities so when delivered to the table, we were able to try the excellent black tea separately from the lemonade; each is good on its own and when stirred, the combination is very nice-could still taste the tea.

The "Soup and Sammie" ($13) was my choice. Tomato basil soup with pine nuts and herbs, topped with sour cream-thick with chunks of tomato,so fresh, delightful. The bowl is low and deceptive. There is plenty.

Two types of cheese on toasted sourdough with mayonnaise, avocado, lettuce and tomato. Excellent.

The Cobb Chop salad ($12.50) was really good; fresh (flavorful; I've been buying some bitter lettuces lately) Romaine topped with warm grilled herby chicken breast, chopped bacon, avocado, tomato, hard boiled egg and Blue cheese chunks.
The salad was served with fresh made Caesar dressing (delightful, non-burning garlic) or we could have tried the Pepper Ranch (next time).

There were plenty of call-in/pick up orders happening. The people who work in the area are really fortunate. A great place.

Test Kitchen Eatery and Workspace 4651 Mission Gorge Place San Diego 92120 (619) 955-6844 Open 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Mon-Fri Closed Sat-Sun Website

Brothers Family Restaurant (Grantville)

May 8, 2023 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Salads, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

Today's mmm-yoso!!! blog post is being written by Cathy. Thanks for stopping by to read about food.

Since the pandemic and Covid-19 restrictions, The Mister and I have had to get used to a 'new normal' with some of our favorite restaurants closing, menus and hours being pared down (so many Breakfast-Lunch only restaurants now) and prices rising. There were so many places took for granted and I didn't even post about, thinking they would just always be there (RIP The Fancy Fish). Fortunately Brothers Family Restaurant has survived, since 1994.
When you walk in and see people seated at the lunch counter, know that it's a busy day and you may have to put your name on the Wait List for a table.

From the breakfast menu, the Belgium waffle with fruit and whipped cream ($9.95) was ordered by The Mister for lunch one day (the Breakfast menu is available until 2 p.m.). The light crispness of the waffle edges covering the puffy (not cake-like) filling is one of His cravings…plus we share our meal choices, so I was happy. The cup of soup and half sandwich ($10.99). I chose roast beef on rye toast and the Soup of the Day was vegetable beef. Two different types of beef and each very flavorful- the large chunks of stew pieces with the still slightly crisp vegetables in a strong beefy broth really hit the spot. The sandwich came with lettuce and tomato and mayonnaise and the meal was quite filling.
The Half Tuna Salad ($11.99) was my choice another day. The tuna salad is lightly seasoned with finely chopped celery, very little mayonnaise and some fresh herbs. It is basically all tuna, which I like. Served on lettuce with tomato and a sliced hard boiled egg, the house made Thousand Island dressing pulls every bite together with great flavors. This 1/2 size is a good size meal.
The French Dip ($14.99) is served with a choice of sides, so, of course, The Mister chose onion rings. Nice, crisp batter surrounding whole onion ring slices (you know, made here and not frozen). The thin slices of warm roast beef were served on a very soft, freshly toasted French roll. The au jus is not salty and has some herbs for flavoring. Quite nice.
On days when the Soup of the Day is clam chowder, a bowl is ordered ($5.99). Thick, creamy, some chopped potatoes and plenty of clam meat as well as clam juice, this is a great choice. Soup bowls are served with a half slice of that soft French Roll made into a crisp topped garlic bread; delightful.

Brothers Family Restaurant 5150 Waring Road San Diego 92120 Website open daily 7 a.m.-2 p.m.

As you walk to the seating area, you'll pass the refrigerated dessert case. Save some room. (Yes, they make rhubarb berry from scratch!)

Lido’s (Lemon Grove) (revisits)

April 7, 2023 Cathy Pizza, Salads, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is being written by Cathy, while Kirk and His Missus are busy with a wonderful vacation.

I did write about Lido's in May of 2022. Easy meals out with leftovers for another meal seem to be how The Mister and I are operating these days; neither of us wants to cook at home. D3747DE2-6616-4489-BD64-DEE86FE34B6B The well-established (since 1955) pizza parlor, serving Italian food as well as cocktails is open for lunch in nearby Lemon Grove. 747CDA72-BDA8-4BA5-B11C-B72AD2115AD8 A bowl of the house made minestrone ($4.95) really hits the spot. Vegetables are still slightly crisp (not mushy, except for the zucchini) and broth has a nice deep herb filled flavor. You can order a 'double bowl' for $7.35. We often share a double bowl as our 'appetizer'.
BD63C002-E6B4-4B1C-A0BB-E4E56372C642 A large (for two) antipasto salad ($9.95) was shared for an appetizer. Plenty of mortadella, salami and provolone along with pickled vegetables and parmesan.
F982D6C1-47AF-4133-8D26-4E82EF009942 The Italian Salad Bowl ($7.95) is always a good shareable 'appetizer' for us. Don't be fooled by the camera angle- that is a very large, deep bowl (it's the same bowl used for the 'double bowl soup'). Lettuce, tomato, mozzarella, olives, pepperocinis and all of that pepperoni could make a nice low carb meal. But we've been ordering large pizzas lately.
BD63C002-E6B4-4B1C-A0BB-E4E56372C642 A large sausage-pepperoni pizza ($20.45) is one choice. Neither of us wants too many ingredients to take away from the beautifully flavored dough.

BFC12A30-C2DB-40D3-A444-8E4060D8A082
Every large pie is served with a complimentary plate of "hors d' oeuvres"- Cheez-It's, salami and American cheese squares. A delightful (and tasty) combination of textures, flavors and saltiness. Tradition. (You can order a separate plate for $3.95). As I added in my last Lido's post, here is a link to a subtle ode to the use of Cheez-It's as a restaurant food (last photo of the post).

87370642-EA1D-4A65-B66F-03BA36EC07F9 1374FF70-C756-4005-A0F9-4B98A0E5C5DE The large sausage-mushroom pizza ($19.25). More of a favorite. You can see the thin crust.