Venezuelan Food and Restaurants

Congress Cafe is Now Encuentro Cafe – Same Owners and Menu

December 4, 2023 mmm-yoso Venezuelan Food and Restaurants

On a recent drive thru Old Town while doing my Saturday errands, the same day I noticed that Cocinas del Monte had replaced Mariscos el Cata, I noticed that the signage for Congress Cafe had been changed. It had been a while since I last visited Congress Cafe, I used to drop by every so often and get the Arepa Pabellon and check out Heritage Park. But for some reason, I just tailed off at the end of 2022.

Encuentro 01

I was a bit worried that the place had changed ownership and returned the next morning.

Encuentro 02 Encuentro 03 But upon parking my car and walking over, I was relieved to see the sign that said "same owners, same menu, same flavors." I guess it was time to reacquaint myself with the Arepa Pabellon.

I walked over and the nice young lady at the counter greeted me. I took a look at the menu and the sticker shock hit me. The Arepa Pabellon was now $17.95! Whoa…..like $4 more expensive than in April of 2022! The Combination Plate, called the "Latin Lover" was now $22!

Oh man….but here I was, so I decided to go ahead and order the Arepa Pabellon to go. I just gave them $21 and went for a short stroll.

Returning 10 minutes later, the owners who are so nice and friendly had my order. It had just come out of the kitchen.

Instead of Heritage Park, I headed over to Western Hills Park which is on the way home and ten minutes away. It was a nice sunny day and I got one of the tables and opened my Arepa.

Encuentro 04 Encuentro 05 First thing I noticed was that the arepa was super soggy and actually started falling apart. I like my arepas on the crisper side…Congress Cafe was already teetering on the edge of too soft for my preference, so this kind of pushed it over the edge. There was perhaps a bit too much cheese on this, but the folks here had really gotten the proportions down the last couple of times I visited. There's the seasoned beef, with nice pungent flavors and was very tender if a bit greasy; the sweet and starchy plantains, the black beans, mild garlic, cumin, smokiness, though this was a bit on the salty side. The tangy, but not very spicy salsa verde helps cut the salt and richness.

Still, it was hard enjoying this as it fell apart.

Encuentro 06 Encuentro 07 Still the mushy arepa was hard to manage and enjoy. No wonder the included a fork in the bag?

Well, needless to say this made me miss Mi Pana. I really like the folks working here and I understand the cost of doing business in Old Town is not cheap, but can you imagine spending possibly over $25 (with tip) for an arepa and a coffee if dining in?

As much as I like the folks at Congress Cafe Encuentro Cafe that'll make me think twice before returning.

Encuentro Cafe
3941 Mason St.
San Diego, CA 92110
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 8am – 2pm
Sat – Sun 8am – 3pm

Monday Meanderings – Mister Falafel and Mi Pana Closes, Dinner with Friends at Kingfisher

Recently, I got some bad news from two of my "FOYs".

Mister Falafel Closes:

"ChrisR" sent me an email saying that Mister Falafel had closed! Whoa, now I hadn't heard about this one! Of course being that Mister Falafel is a bit hidden from the street and is mainly a warm weather location for garlic paste, I hadn't really dropped by in a while. So, on the way home from errands I decided to see what was going on. And sigh…..yes, the place has been gutted. It seems Mister Falafel is no longer.

The folks here were so nice!

First La Miche, now Mister Falafel. This is so sad. When will the bleeding stop?

4461 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Mi Pana Closes:

This one is from our good friend "Ale". She sent me a text directing me to Mi Pana's Instragram. And yes, there it was…..

Screenshot 2023-02-12 150746

I really enjoyed my meals at Mi Pana and probably should have revisited.

This seemed so sudden and even caught "Ale" by surprise as she had just been there recently.

2241 Highland Ave.
National City, CA 91950

Dinner at Kingfisher with Friends:

I know, you want a post and I don't blame you. Especially with all the accolades Kingfisher has gotten since they opened, the 50 Best New Restaurants by Bon Appetite listing, a Michelin New Discovery Listing, and with the chef being a James Beard Semifinalist. I'll say that the food was excellent and I'm sure to be back. But this dinner was more important than me doing a post.

You see, this dinner has been over four years in the making. There's a part of me that Covid had eaten away. The part that enjoyed spending time with my friends. Friends that have shared many fun times together, like bringing a whole roasted pig to Karaoke or celebrating Thanksgiving in August, or doing a trolley scavenger hunt. We've gone to dinner roadtrips and even a wedding in Ciudad Obregon! We've been thru births and weddings.

My good friend Candice had been trying to set something up for months and finally, we were all together! It had been so long! I didn't realize how much I missed them all (and you too TFD!).

And as often happens when good friends meet, the conversations, jokes, and laughter all came together seamlessly. It was if we had just seen each other yesterday.

And while the food was fabulous, catching up on things was more important on this day. I didn't even take photos of all the dishes, but here are a few.

Yes, it's as good as it looks, but I'll wait to return when I can spend more attention on the food before doing a real post.

So, here's to friendship and making up for lost time. Thanks for setting things up Candice!

Kingfisher
2469 Broadway
San Diego, CA 92102

Have a great Valentines Day everyone!

Wednesday Walk – A Revisit to the Congress Cafe (Encuentro Cafe) and Visiting Heritage Park

July 13, 2022 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Exploring San Diego, Venezuelan Food and Restaurants, yoso-silly

**** Not much food in this post, just a revisit and a quick visit to Heritage Park

Over the pandemic it seems that I've been spending much more time in the Old Town area, exploring various sights, and sometimes grabbing something for breakfast before checking things out. In my opinion, things are kind of getting better for locals in Old Town, be it ever so humble.

On occasion I will grab a coffee from one of my three neighborhood coffee spots, then head on over to Old Town; there's always parking early in the morning, where I'll pick up an arepa from the Congress Cafe. Then walk on over to what has become one of my favorite spots; Heritage Park where I'll head up the drive and sit near the Coral Tree…..

Across the wonderful green open space, amongst the beautiful Victorian structures that were moved here. That's the Christian House below.

I'll have my arepa; usually the Pabellon on the bench along with my caffeine fix for the day.

I must say that that the Congress Cafe has been getting the fillings into a more harmonic balance for my taste. The nicely seasoned beef, the earthy black beans, the slightly milky cheese, and the sweet and starchy plantains. Yes, it's a calorie bomb; but heck, it's nice every once in a while. Plus, the staff at the Congress Cafe are so nice and welcoming.

**** Congress Cafe in now Encuentro Cafe – Same Owners/Menu. You can read an updated post here.

The Congress Cafe
3941 Mason St.
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours:
Mon – Fri 8am – 2pm
Sat – Sun 8am – 3pm

For some reason, maybe word hasn't gotten out, Heritage Park is almost always empty when I visit. Once in a while I'll see dogs frolicking in the grass area, or perhaps a wedding rehearsal going on in the Temple Beth Israel.

Which was San Diego’s first synagogue. This is one of the two structures on site whose interior has been restored. The other being the Senlis Cottage.

I found something interesting stated on the sign in front of the building.

Stating that the temple also "became temporary quarters for many religious groups before establishing churches of their own." I went and took a look at the wonderful Heritage Park Tour Guide on the SOHO site and found this excerpt:

"Over time, the temple was used by other faiths, including the Biblical Institute of Spiritualism, the Volunteers of America Mission, and the Fraternal Spiritualist Church."

Which I found inspiring in light the divisive times we live in. If they could do it……..

You can read about the other structures and the history in SOHO's Heritage Park Cultural Tour Guide.

Some of the other structures.

Senlis Cottage.

The very distinctive Sherman-Gilbert House.

The Bushyhead House.

The McConaughy House.

The Burton House.

All mine for the price of an arepa.

Though on occasion I've brought a banh mi and/or cha gio here. And after Barrio Donas opens in Old Town….well, I'll have a bit more variety for my Old Town breakfasts.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

A Takeout Revisit to The Congress Cafe and a Visit to the Memorial to Lucy, the White Deer of Mission Hills

April 24, 2022 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Exploring San Diego, Venezuelan Food and Restaurants, yoso-silly

**** Congress Cafe in now Encuentro Cafe – Same Owners/Menu. You can read an updated post here.

Every so often, I'll go ahead and do a takeout revisit to Congress Cafe. The food is not quite on the same level as Mi Pana in my opinion, but who knows, I haven't been back there since before Covid. I really like the friendly folks at Congress Cafe and as that earlier post mentions, I enjoy walking around Old Town early in the morning before the crowds descend on the place.

It's always the same drill, I order at the Hostess Stand, go back to the bar area to pay; let the staff know that I'm going for a short walk to "earn" my Arepa. I usually get the Arepa Pabellon – still $13.95.

I'll return after about 15 minutes and take my Arepa somewhere………it's usually nearby Heritage Park, which never seems busy even on weekend mornings. I'll sit among the Victorian Homes …..

Or watch the dogs frolicking in the large open field….sometimes I see folks prepping for a wedding in the city's first Synagogue. It's peaceful and relaxing.

And the Arepa Pabellon from Congress Cafe has improved over time.

And while it's not quite as "super stuffed" it's a more balanced these days; at least to me. Sweet plantains, slightly milky cheese, earthy black beans, and moist shredded beef. I do wish the arepa was a bit more crisp, but this'll do.

Plus, like I mentioned earlier; everyone here is so warm and friendly.

Breakfast of champions, right?

The Congress Cafe
3941 Mason St.
San Diego, CA 92110
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 8am – 2pm
Sa – Sun 8am – 3pm

On this morning, I was a bit later than usual, so I decided to check out one of my favorite spots in the area. Last summer, in the midst of going crazy with all the "Covid happenings" and missing all of our travels, I started doing some of what I'd call Urban Walks, like the Seven Bridges Walk I posted on. While doing a bit of research, I came across this post from back in 2016. The part that really caught my attention was the mention of "Lucy the White Deer if Mission Hills". Not sure if this was really true, I checked and found this Parks and Recreation report from 2006:

"This female white fallow deer roamed the hills of Mission Valley, Mission Hills,and Presidio Park. This doe escaped from the San Diego Zoo around 1965 and wandered free in Presidio Park for the next ten years."

Which sent me down into a rather shallow rabbit hole and a couple of interesting posts, some mentioned the albino deer escaping from the San Diego Zoo (of course this was denied), another saying that due to over-crowding issues, the San Diego Zoo sold the deer to someone in Mission Hills and the deer escaped. Whatever the story, I was hooked, heck even the San Diego History Center has a "memorial collection" on the deer, named Lucy.

According to the Ranger Report:

"The deer was spotted attempting to cross the I-8 freeway, and some locals reported seeing the deer get hit by a vehicle. Tragically, in the effort to catch the deer, Animal Control used a tranquilizer dart, which ultimately led to the deer’s death in December, 1975."

From what I read in various posts, Lucy was treasured and became sort of a mascot for the community. In fact, some of the "old timers" in the area said that Lucy's ghost haunts the area and they still see her on occasion.

Atlas Obscura mentions that over 125 people attended the service and burial of Lucy.

A fund was created and in 1976 a monument was completed dedicated to Lucy on the spot where she is buried.

So, where is this monument/memorial? You might be surprised. Have you ever driven west on Taylor Street parallel to the I-8? Right before the street to get to the Presidio you might have seen this. I was happy that the gate was open on this day.

I've heard the area on top of the hill is called "Inspiration Point", but I believe it's also called Presidio Park. I've often seen folks taking wedding photos on the platform with a view that sits on one side of the parking lot.

On the other side is this hilly green area.

And of course the views to Mission Valley are quite nice.

As you walk a bit higher you'll see a bench and three stones…..

This is the bench…..

And right next to the bench is the monument.

There's a concrete slab, with various animal footprints carved into it surrounding a watering hole.

And this plaque, which says:

“The White Deer of Mission Hills. Bliss in solitude beneath this tree, formless, silent, spirit free.

A friend.”

Such a wonderful tribute to a beloved member of the community.

Have a great week!

The Congress Cafe – Venezuelan Food in Old Town!

December 21, 2021 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Venezuelan Food and Restaurants

**** Congress Cafe in now Encuentro Cafe – Same Owners/Menu. You can read an updated post here.

A few months back our good friend "Alle" and I were chatting about food and Mi Pana came up in the conversation. For some reason, I was craving some arepas….and Alle who is part Venezuelan mentioned that Congress Cafe in Old Town does Venezuelan dishes and that perhaps I should give them a try. It did take a few months…..it's Old Town after all……but I first visited on a weekend morning, they open at 8am and are right across from Old Town Parking Lot A.

I crossed the street and was really warmly greeted. I walked into the bar area and placed a take out order; man, the folks here are so friendly. I then paid and decided to walk around a pretty quiet (at this time of the morning) Old Town.

I ordered the Arepa Pabellon ($13.95). Man, this was quite hefty, if a bit messy.

Man, check out that huge piece of fried plantain! The arepas were decent; though I do prefer my arepas "frita" these were decently griddled. I wish there was a bit more balance to the arepa as the black bean-beef-plantain ratio seemed a bit off as was how the items were arranged. I ended up chopping up some of the plantain and spreading it more evenly over the arepa, same with finding the beef . This was a hefty breakfast….at least for me.

While I don't think it's quite a good as the version at Mi Pana; I'd have this again.

I mentioned having tried the arepas at Congress Cafe to Alle and told her that I was interested in trying the Tequenos. Alle also told me that the empanadas were quite good, especially the fish version….something that I probably would have not ordered.

So, the following weekend morning on the way back from shopping at the Little Italy Mercato, I dropped by Congress Cafe and this time ordered the combination plate named the "Latin Lover" ($16). The folks were just a friendly as before and I took a stroll around Old Town while waiting for my takeout order….which was quite a bit of food.

And like Alle said; those fish empanadas were quite good; savory, balanced in flavor. She told me that these empanadas reminded her of Venezuela.

Unfortunately, I didn't care for the tequenos, which were really mushy and just had too much cheese for my taste. Cachapas weren't my "thing" at Mi Pana, but I thought I'd give it a whirl here…..with the same results. It's just too sweet for my taste and the version here didn't have enough cheese to balance out the sweetness. Glad I tried it though.

The totstones; fried plantains, while it didn't do overly well in transit, losing some crispness, was a wonderful combination of just enough sweet and saltiness from the cheese.

I think eating this at the restaurant is probably the best strategy.

Overall, I really like the folks here, so warm and friendly, there are other items on the menu I want to try. And yes, this is basically a breakfast/lunch kinda place and they do have croissant sandwiches, burgers, scrambled eggs, huevos rancheros….but I think I'll stick with the Venezuelan menu items for now.

The Congress Cafe
3941 Mason St.
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours:
Mon – Fri 8am – 2pm
Sat – Sun 8am – 5pm

Man, with Congress Cafe and the new Tuetano Taqueria (post upcoming) the next block over, things are looking up for Old Town!

Which is great……

Like I mentioned earlier in the post, I'd take a nice stroll while waiting for my order, which is when I took my photos the grave site medallions of the folks buried under San Diego Avenue.

And of course there are many historical structures here.

The Mason Street Schoolhouse – the first public school in San Diego County. Built in 1865.

The San Diego Union Building – Original home of the San Diego Union newspaper – established in 1868.

The Cosmopolitan Hotel, completed in 1829.

And tons of public art……

And at this time of the morning; some of the other "residents" are out and about…..

It was great finding a place that I enjoy in what was very touristy, cliched, Old Town.

Hope you're having a great week!

Mi Pana – Makes Me Say Dame Más (Give me more!). Venezuelan Comfort Food in National City.

October 8, 2019 mmm-yoso Colombian Food and Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Venezuelan Food and Restaurants

**** Sadly, Mi Pana has closed

Sometimes I get really lucky. Recently, I was searching for some Colombian food options when I came across a place that just opened in National City named Mi Pana. Even though there were Colombian dishes (and Mexican) on the menu; I quickly noticed the Venezuelan dishes….arepas of course; but other items I hadn't heard of. I quickly contacted Frankie's Auntie "Alle" who is part Venezuelan and has spent a good amount of time living in Venezuela. Looking over the menu; she got even more excited than I did!

So of course I had to head on down ASAP to check the place out. The restaurant is located in a little strip mall on Highland Avenue.

It's a tidy little shop, with the Venezuelan flag in the logo; so any thoughts of ordering Colombian dishes went out the window.

The very sweet young lady working was so nice and friendly….having very little experience with Venezuelan cuisine (other than arepas), I knew I was out of my depth, so I asked for a recommendation. Something other than arepas. She asked me if I liked plantains, which I answered with a very enthusiastic "yes". So she recommended I try the Patacon, the fried plantain sandwich. So I selected the Carne Mechada, shredded beef version.

Several salsas were provided for me. The nice young lady seemed to really enjoy explaining things to me. She pointed to the bottle on the left and told me "that's wasakaka, it's really traditional Venezuelan, and my favorite!"

I tasted the wasakaka, which was like a garlicky, creamy, slightly citrusy sauce, I was sold. The cilantro based sauce; that was like a nice chimichurri was also quite good.

And then my Patacon arrived.

Man, that fried plantain was delici-yoso; slightly sweet, crisp edges, the interior was soft, almost bread like. The shredded beef was nicely seasoned, with a pleasant toothsomeness. The cheese was mild and milky; much like mozzarella. As you can tell; it was a messy sandwich, which dictated eating it with a fork and knife. It perhaps had a bit too much greens and mayo; but overall a very satisfying sandwich. Especially if you enjoy sweet and savory together.

By the next time I'd seen Alle; she had been to Mi Pana. During one of the days the Missus had to work, we decided to meet up and have breakfast…and what a breakfast it was. She already had her favorites and other items she wanted to try, so I let her start the ordering.

Alle loves Cachapa, panckaes made of sweet corn, so we started with that. She ordered the "classic version" stuffed with cheese.

She loved this, but it was bit too sweet for me. I did enjoy the cheese though; which had a slight salty-milkiness.

Next up the Mandoca con Queso, a sweet cornmeal cake with cheese and Tequenos, think of a white cheese, soft and a tad saltier than mozzarella, wrapped with pastry……oh man, did I love the salty-yeasty-mild sweetness.

Man were those Tequenos good!

Our arepas were still being made as we finished up our…ahem, starters, so the really nice woman delivered some Pan Andino with Coffee to us….on the house!

The Pan Andino is fairly dense and sweet. It's great with coffee or tea….as a light dessert. It was nice gesture as well.

Apparently they make their own bread. On my previous visit; I saw a guy buy five loaves of this bread!

If you've never had an arepa; think of an unleavened "bread" that looks like an English Muffin……but if made well (and they do it well here) that's where the resemblance ends. These arepas taste oh so "corny" and I believe a nice amount of fat is used, which makes these arepas more moist than their Colombian counterparts which I've had.

Alle had ordered her favorite breakfast Arepa; the Reina Pepiada; an arepa stuffed with shredded chicken mixed with mayo and avocado. Think of it as a wonderful chicken salad. Also, Alle recommended getting the arepas griddled (asada) instead of fried; which really created a firm, but moist and bready texture. The corn flavors came through quite well.

Alle wanted me to have a taste of her arepa, so I grabbed the knife and fork; but she told me to put those away saying: "you're mi pana, so grab it with your hands and have a bite….no; two bites." I came to find out that "Mi Pana" means "My Friend" or "My Buddy" in Venezuelan slang. Loved the flavors; perhaps a bit on the rich side, but not overly salty, slightly milky from the cheese; the flavor from the arepa really stood out.

I decided to get what I was told was a breakfast classic….because well, I'm classic (old) and all that. The Perico.

Perico are scrambled eggs which are spiced up and mixed with onions, tomatoes, and peppers. With the pile of cheese, this was a pretty hefty breakfast. This was good; though not as wonderfully satisfying as the Reina Pepiada.

Man, what a breakfast. I asked the woman working if they could wheel me to the car. She said, "I think we can find a wheelbarrow somewhere around here!" I love these folks. Meanwhile, Alle had a nice discussion with the cook talking about where her family lived in Venezuela and all that.

And so; I thought I had enough for a post. But I guess my stomach thought otherwise. I was really craving the Tequenos and really wanted to try the Arepa Pabellon. The young lady who was working on my first visit was here and was so happy to see me….I really like these folks.

And those Tequenos were even better!

More crisp, more yeasty….man, bread wrapped cheese…….

I decided to get my arepas "frita", fried this time around, which entirely changed things. Just like the difference a frame can make around a painting; this crisp and crunchy arepa added a crunchy texture. The shredded beef was delicious and the black beans really upped the ante with regards to overall flavor. The slices of plantain really added a pleasant creamy, light sweetness and the cheese on this arepa, which was like a crumbled cotija was a bit more salty and stood up well to all the other flavors. I'll definitely get this again.

On this visit; I noticed this sign near the menus.

Which reminded me of what Alle said while we were having breakfast; "Venezuelans love sweet with their salty; it creates a balance."

Well, if Mi Pana keeps making sweet and salty dishes like this….I'll definitely keep coming.

Mi Pana
2241 Highland Ave.
National City, CA 91950
Hours:
Mon – Fri 10am – 8pm
Sat – Sun 9am – 8pm

It's always great trying new cuisines and dishes I've never had. And even better when the food is good, I have a great guide like Alle, and the folks making and serving the food are gracious and nice like at Mi Pana.