Sandwiches – Page 42

Linda Vista Food to Go:Crouching Restaurant, Hidden Banh Mi

July 19, 2005 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

*** Update Linda Vista Food to Go has been replaced by Mi Ngoc So 1, you can read a post here.

02/13/2008 – Mi Ngoc So 1 is now gone as well….this location is now home to Thai by Tara.

Do you have a restaurant that you pass on a regular basis, that you know is there, that you glance at, but have never had any reason or desire to patronize? I’ve been glancing at this little hole in the wall for almost five years. It’s readily visible from the intersection of Linda Vista and Ulric St. For some strange reason I’d always thought that this was a Mexican restaurant, and had developed no real desire to check this place out.

But now, under the guise of Food Blogger, I actually have a (flimsy) reason to enter through those doors. And to my surprise, it’s a little Vietnamese take-out restaurant! Even better, there’s Banh Mi on the menu, though it seems that it’s not the main product that this little place is trying to sell. At 7 am on a Sunday morning there are 2 Vietnamese Women rolling spring rolls and loading them into trays, seems like there’s a major catering operation going on. So I step up and order the "Dac Biet" Banh Mi and a tray of spring rolls. The Banh Mi cost me $2.50, even though the sign said $2.25, I figure that the extra quarter was probably a penalty for my lack of patronage over the last 5 years, or more realistically, they probably had raised prices and not changed the signage. The spring rolls set me back 3 bucks.

This sandwich was on the smallish size, and had cross sliced cucumber and a green chili, the usual pickled carrot and daikon, and two sprigs of cilantro. The meat filling was ham, pate’, and sausage. The bread had a good crust and minimal bread filling, the pickled veggies were under marinated and quite tasteless, the cucumber was fine, but the green chili was not hot at all and had that "green" taste that under-ripe peppers have. The meat was sorely lacking and the sausage really brought nothing to this sandwich. And one of my pet peeves are the long "branches" of cilantro. All in all, the poorest Banh Mi I’ve had so far.

The spring rolls were pretty good – lot’s of "Bun", and the lettuce was folded around pork in the bottom of the roll. I thought these were pretty decent.

The verdict? I really didn’t miss anything by passing by this place for last few years, though I liked the spring rolls. Who know maybe the other dishes are pretty good, and I may try them in the future, but not the near future. Another funny thing, the hours listed on the business card are Mon-Sat 6am-5pm, closed on Sunday; but the day I visited was Sunday. Maybe that’s what the extra quarter was for….a convenience charge!

Linda Vista Food to Go
2405 Ulric Street
San Diego, CA 92111
858-279-1491

Sorrento European Bakery – Some Banh Mi with your Chocolate Mousse?

July 15, 2005 mmm-yoso Bakery, Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

*** Sorrento European Bakery has closed

I had heard about a “Vietnamese Bakery” in Mira Mesa that made good Banh Mi. So with some rudimentary instructions we headed off. We came across a mall on Mira Mesa Blvd, that had an interesting Food Court and right next to the Food Court was Sorrento European Bakery. The little sign outside said Vietnamese Sandwiches.

We walked in and were met with a case of wonderful looking cakes and pastries like the mango mousse pictured on the right. I thought “no way can this be the place”. But the owners looked to be Vietnamese (and spoke some pretty good Mandarin too).

And there was a grease board with 10 sandwiches listed; the five on the left were stuff like roast beef and turkey. On the right it said “VN Sandwiches”, bingo! There were 5 sandwiches listed, all priced at $2.50, so I chose the #1 – Dac Biet. And while the poor Missus waited to pay and ogled the pastries and cakes, I wandered around the Food Court. We ended up doing a “Mini – Food Court Crawl”, which I’ll post later. The owner told my Wife that they bake their own bread for the sandwiches daily – so the bread is always fresh!

So how was the Banh Mi (please excuse the bad picture – I was over come by hunger) ? This was the “lightest” Banh Mi I’ve had by far. The bread was light and crusty, and a bit yeasty, with a really nice texture. The “ham” was very tasty, as were the veggies, but there was a spread (mayo??) that detracted from the taste a bit. The rest of the meat was good as well – no roasted pork this time, but the pork in the roll was good – I tasted all the meat separately. Not enough cilantro and the green chili’s on the sandwich were really mild. Rich, but light, good enough for a return visit. I’d order at least 2 sandwiches for me the next time though. The sandwich was good but there is something missing, I need to re-evaluate (poor me…) whether it’s a lack of filling, or a taste component was missing, I just can’t put my finger on it, so I’ll try again. Maybe someone else should try and let me know if I’m missing something?

Very nice and friendly service – the pastries looked very tempting, but I was focused on the Banh Mi. I think another visit is in order, the jury’s out!

Sorrento European Bakery
6755 Mira Mesa Blvd #117 – in the Sorrento Plaza Shopping Center
San Diego, CA 92121
858-909-0599

Crest Cafe – Got the Monday Blues? Get a Butter Burger!

July 11, 2005 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Burgers, Diner, Sandwiches

Whew what a Monday! Needing a break, I headed up the street aimlessly and didn’t stop until I was on the doorstep of the Crest Cafe.

Now I had been here several times, but did not really know why I’d wandered here. I entered and couldn’t believe my eyes, the place was totally empty. On weekend mornings there’s no way you can get in without a wait; this neighborhood joint is jumpin’. What I’ve always noticed about Crest Cafe is that it always smells like breakfast, pancakes and maple syrup for that matter. You can drop in at 11pm and it’ll still smell like pancakes and maple syrup. Maybe it’s something in the AC? By now I focused in on the menu, and set my sights on a Butter Burger($8.25). What’s a Butter Burger you ask? Well it’s a half pound burger, stuffed with an herb-garlic butter, topped with cheddar cheese, with more melted butter and a garlic mayonnaise. There was a good chance that after I ate this burger, I wouldn’t see Tuesday, but whatever, I was willing to take the risk! The previous 2 or so times I’ve been here I ordered the Oui Oui Burger, and it was pretty good sized, no wee-wee burgers served here. To complete the job I ordered fries as my side. The burger arrived on a huge egg roll. Now looking at this you’d think that it was all roll, but that wasn’t the case. The roll was perfectly toasted, the burger charred on the outside, and super moist on the inside. Overall the burger had a very rich, not greasy feel, but was under seasoned, I’d say even somewhat bland considering all of the effort to inject rich flavorful seasonings into and onto the burger. One of my pet peeves is food that’s under salted; I mean, you supposedly have all this butter, all this nice meat, you cook it by-the-book, it’s retains moisture and has a great texture, but you forget the salt and pepper. You can say I can add my own, but it’s not the same as if the burger was seasoned during cooking. The fries were “natural” (I really don’t know what you call them – maybe a fry expert can tell me), think In-and-Out, a little larger with the skin attached. Nice potato flavor, but again under seasoned. I did finish all of them, so they must be pretty good, but of course I’ve never met a fry I didn’t like! Overall, not a bad burger, but next time I’ll stick with the Oui Oui – Blue Cheese under Melted Jack, no flavor short circuit there!

A few notes; the Crest Cafe, has a combination of chair and bench-style seating, and when filled can be quite cramped. Also, all the surfaces are pretty “hard”, making this a really loud room. By the time I’d left the room had filled both with people and noise. I’ve heard that the breakfasts here, especially the French Toast is good, but have never had breakfast here. One really good thing about the Crest Cafe is that they are open till midnight. Here in San Diego, any establishment that doesn’t roll up it’s sidewalks at 9pm is gladly welcomed.

Crest Cafe
425 Robinson Ave
San Diego, CA 92103
Phone: (619) 295-2510
Open: 7am to Midnight Daily

Mardi Gras Cafe & Market Place

July 7, 2005 mmm-yoso Cajun, Southern, and Soul Food, Markets & Grocers, Sandwiches

**** Mardi Gras Cafe has closed.

I’ve driven by this place several times, so finally decided to stop by and see what this place was all about. This tiny “Cafe” and Market is located on Midway Drive near the Sports Arena.

What got my attention was the sign “New Orleans Muffulettas”. So like any sucker(?) I decided to give it a try. As I walked in the there was a huge “Wall of Fire over 300 Hot Sauces” sign, this immediately tripped all of the tourist trap alarms in my head. But by that time I had walked into the store and committed myself; retreat was not an option. The menu on the wall listed about a dozen sandwiches, Po’ Boys, Jambalaya, Gumbo, Shrimp Creole, and Crawfish Etouffe among other items. I stepped up and ordered the large “Specialty New Orleans Muffuletta” ($10.99). The counter help is very friendly, but S-L-O-W, so while waiting for my sandwich, I had a chance to look around and saw this sign; at least I know where to go if I have a sudden craving for Alligator Filets; it might be a long time coming though. There is also a healthy stock of Cafe Du Monde Beignet Mix and Coffee, Pecan Rolls, Pralines, and Zapp’s Potato Chips. As I looked over the menu/flyer, I had a little chuckle – it claimed the “Wall of Fire” had over 400 hot sauces, so that means sometime between the time the flyer was produced and when I placed my order, something had happened to “over 100 hot sauces”. About that time my sandwich was ready, I grabbed the bag and almost fell over, but righted myself and headed home. At home I unloaded the sub, it had been cut into four pieces, so I put them back together and took a picture; the darn thing was the size of a small pizza! What I did next was get some info on the muffuletta, not knowing what the “real thing” was like. Than I proceeded to eat. First of all I noticed that this sandwich suffered from TMB (Too Much Bread) Syndrome, and thought it would have no flavor. I was wrong, as the olive spread and the salami gave it a nice taste. I did not taste any capers, celery, or onions in the olive spread, but the taste of the sandwich was not bad. Also, there was regular ham in the sandwich instead of Cappicola. The bread was also a bit stale, which didn’t help the sandwich too much. But to put everything into perspective, this sandwich is easily two meals, and is more tasty than I thought it would be. So I haven’t ruled out another trip. The Alligator Sausage Sub($7.99) has gotten my attention, so I may give it another try. What has happened though, is that I’ve resolved to get to New Orleans soon to try the “real deal”.

MARDI GRAS Cafe & Marketplace
3185 Midway Dr Ste E
San Diego, CA 92110-4542
(619) 223-5501

Bale Linda Vista – Completing the Banh Mi Tri-fecta

June 29, 2005 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

*** Ba Le Linda Vista has closed.

To complete the Banh Mi "tri-fecta" I stopped by the old dependable Ba-Le Sandwich shop in Linda Vista. I say dependable mainly for the simple reason that I had been a regular customer of Ba-le back "home" in Honolulu. As a matter of fact, the first Banh Mi I had ever had was from Ba-Le.

This franchise of Ba-Le had changed hands over the last year or so, and the new owners have made alot of improvements, including an upgrade of the menu, and a renovation of both the storefront as well as interior. Of course to pay for this prices have risen, though a 25-50 cent increase on something that costs two-bucks isn't really that bad. The one thing that I do lament is that I'm unable to order extra veggies or meat anymore. Today I purchased the Banh Mi Dac Biet – or Deluxe Sandwich as well as some spring rolls. The damage all told – $5.25.

The interesting thing about Banh Mi is that I've found, no two are the same. This version's roll was basically "all crust", almost as if the bread portion had been torn out, "po' boy style". The roll was decently crusty, the meat was very thinly sliced, tasty, but a bit dry. The "veggies" were flavored well, but the cilantro was a bit of a problem. In this case the stems of cilantro were included, and you'd basically have all the cilantro pulled out by the fibrous stems during the first two bites. The peppers included in the sandwich were not very spicy, but the sandwich was still a bargain at $2.75! All other sandwiches, including an "egg" sandwich are priced right at $2.25. If I read the sign right; you buy 9 you get the tenth free. So far no really bad Banh Mi, and there are a few more to try! I think in the end I'll do a comparison chart for the Banh Mi in San Diego, as they vary so much in size, taste, and even bread! I'm looking for recommendations…..BTW the spring rolls were OK, the ones in Viet Dong are better IMHO, but that's another story!

The Other Two: Cafe Dore' and A' Chau.

Bale French Sandwich Shop
6937 Linda Vista Rd
San Diego, CA 92111
858) 565-8057

Cafe Dore’ – Banh Mi Amore’

June 28, 2005 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Caffeine Fix, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

***** Cafe Dore has closed

Since my Wor Won Ton Mein quest had pretty much been a wash-out, I focused my attention on my Banh Mi craving that had been hovering in the background waiting for a chance to break-out.

I decided to ask the Gal at the Dry Cleaners for a recommendation, and I listed off the Banh Mi places I've been to, all of which met with a slight negative nod, after which She told me to try Cafe Dore', saying "they are kind of slow, but do a good job". Which means, you might wait a while but it's worth it. She gave me instructions, and I found Cafe Dore', in (another) strip mall in City Heights, located next to a Vietnamese "Deli" and coin laundry.

There was a group of Vietnamese men having coffee and chatting. I drew alot of stares as I passed them. I entered the cafe and there were 4 tough looking Vietnamese guys sitting around watching the television. One of them stood up and simply said "yes?", they obviously thought that I took a "wrong turn" somewhere. I mentioned that I had been told that they make a really good Banh Mi; there were instant smiles all around….and the Gentleman pointed to a small flyer listing 5 sandwiches all ranging from $2.00-$2.50 under a piece of glass on the counter – this was the only "menu" in the whole place! I finally figured that this was actually a Vietnamese Coffee Shop, not really a restaurant.

After a short wait he handed me a package with my sandwich ($2.50) in it.

To say that this was a heck-of-a-sandwich is an understatement. The baguette was crunchy and fresh, the pate, BBQ pork, and "ham" combined with the veggies to create a very tasty and balanced flavor. The cilantro and cucumber was palate cleansing. My only (small) gripe is that they went easy on the hot green peppers – maybe going a little bit "easy" on me. This was easily the best Banh Mi I've had in San Diego so far!

The location is on the corner of Marlborough Ave and University Ave. Cafe Dore' has no English signs in it, no menu, except for the sandwich list under the glass counter, so I don't know what else they serve, but will find out. The strip mall also has a Vietnamese BBQ, a Seafood Shop, a Market, among other things. Might be a nice place for the adventurous to explore! This was one heck of a Banh Mi!

Cafe Dore
4135 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92105
(619) 563-3525

Between Marlborough Ave and 41st St

View Larger Map

A-Chau Vietnamese

June 13, 2005 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

A-Chau a little Vietnamese “deli” located on the corner of El Cajon Blvd and Menlo Ave, has a very unique distinction.

A-Chau sells the only Banh Mi that can fill me up! And even though I know this I keep on buying spring rolls, egg rolls, or something else to complete the meal.

I guess I’m unable to deal with the reality that an “oinker” like me can fill up with a sandwich that costs $2.50! I’ve had many a Banh Mi in my time, but this unassuming sandwich can, for some reason make me feel stuffed. Trying to deal with emasculation via a char-broiled pork sandwich is not an easy thing. I usually end up giving the spring rolls or egg rolls away….to this day I haven’t tasted the spring rolls. I’ve tried to understand how this happens. What I have noticed is that the bread that A-Chau uses is not as crusty as the usual roll, being a bit softer and doughy, so those who believe that it’s the baguette that makes the Banh Mi may not enjoy this sandwich. In addition the pork is a bit richer than in most Banh Mi’s I’ve had, so I definitely couldn’t eat this every day. There is a very liberal amount of hot green chili’s in these sandwiches, those who are sensitive to this should probably ask to not have them. As far as the Banh Mi is concerned it’s pretty good, not the best I’ve had, mainly because the veggies are a bit tasteless and the bread somewhat doughy, but the pork makes up for that.

There are quite a few dishes available, hot table and vermicelli dishes, as well as pre-packaged snacks. 3-4 tables adorn the interior of the restaurant, though it’s very apparent that most of the business is a very brisk take-out. The parking lot can be an adventure due to the fact that there are just a few spaces that two restaurants and a Vietnamese Market share. The clientele is varied and the menu English friendly, and the service is efficient and fast. Most sandwiches range from $2.25 – $2.75. As for me I still haven’t made it past the Char-Broiled Pork sandwich (Thit Nuong) , though I’ll keep trying!

A-Chau
4644 El Cajon Blvd Ste 111
San Diego, CA 92115

Hillcrest Farmer’s Market

June 12, 2005 mmm-yoso Farmer's Markets/Night Market, Sandwiches

Well the June gloom is in bloom – very pun-ny! But I was up early this Sunday morning so I thought I’d head up to the Hillcrest Farmer’s Market. I got there right at nine and got a primo parking spot, close to the sign:

Most of the food booths were still setting up so I wandered around. And checked out the crafts and other booths. Talked to the guy in the Baba’s Hummus factory booth, I’d noticed that they’ve closed their store on Convoy, but he assured me that business is fine and they’ve decided to close the restaurant side of the business, but the Hummus factory is still going strong. Also sampled some salsa and other items.

I had my marching orders, so I made sure to get a half dozen Noah Bedoah cookies from CJ’s. I’m assuming that they must really be good, I really don’t get a chance to eat them – they are off-limits in our household. We once had to hunt down CJ’s shop in Point Loma during the middle of a Noah Bedoah attack. According to the gang at CJ’s the name of the cookie comes from a recipe in an old cookbook.

Seems like Rainier Cherries are the hot item today, people are buying them by the bagful. Alot of people also lining up at the crepe stand. At the Wright’s Poultry stand there’s a sign saying Copper River Salmon $17/lb hmmmmm…sounds kinda scarey to me. I usually try to get most of my chicken from Wright’s – free range and hormone free.

Around that time I got the scent of grilling meat, and I knew that the Kabob Guy was ready and in action:

The Kabob stand has got to be the best smelling in the whole Farmer’s Market! So I ordered and paid for my Beef Kabob sandwich ($5.00), walked on over to my car, sat on the bumper and carefully maneuvered my way through the sandwich – ground beef with a nice touch of herbs and spices, some hot sauce and Tzatziki, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pepperocini on a grilled pita, no need for lunch after eating this. It doesn’t get much better than this! The only problem is that you need about 10 napkins!

Seems like the weather was keeping alot of people away. This made for a relaxing morning at the Farmer’s Market. Though fairly small compared to say, my favorite, the Torrance Farmer’s Market, there’s a good variety of produce, flowers, food, and other goods. Also a very good place for people watching.

San Diego Hillcrest CFM
In the DMV Parking Lot at Lincoln and Normal
Most Sundays, 9A-1P Rain or Shine

Time for a nap!

Sandwich Emporium

May 28, 2005 mmm-yoso Caffeine Fix, Sandwiches

*** Updated post can be found here.

What a name! When we first moved to the Bay Park area I tried this Sandwich/Coffee shop in a little Strip Mall on Clairemont Drive – it was terrible! Since then twins Peter & John have taken over the business and upgraded(modernized) the menu and the food.

Notice the Traffic School sign…..kind of a strange mall. But back to the food. Some of the sandwiches are Country Ranch Chicken, two types of Reubens, something called a BLAT (Hickory Smoked Bacon, lettuce, Avocado, tomato), and also great coffee, locally roasted from the San Diego Coffee Company.

My current favorite is the Italian with Mortadella, Salami, and Ham – I get mine with no Mayo, Mustard, and Italian Dressing on the side. $5.75, for a filling sandwich. Sure beats the Subway across the street. Hopefully the Twins will keep on upgrading the menu, and keep on making a good cup of coffee!

And yes, it’s not always Peking Duck and Sushi for us!!!!

Sandwich Emporium
3054 1/2 Clairemont Drive
San Diego,CA
619-275-1351