What Cathy Eats! – Page 104

Pacific Beach Bar and Grill. Weekend/College Football Saturday foods.

October 28, 2007 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Buffets, Pubs and Pub Grub, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is a blog about food. Cathy is blogging today, instead of cleaning up after the fires. There will be more ash out there tomorrow anyhow.

Hi. Here is pretty much what The Mister and I do on Saturday mornings or afternoons, while looking at a bunch of television sets in Pacific Beach. For those of you who don't know, "Football Saturday" is a tradition followed by students and Alumni of most of the colleges here in the States. When you are a student, you usually attend the games (or sell the tickets to get some quick cash, since current students have a priority to buy tickets) and after you graduate, move far away, you try to get together with other Alums to sort of re-live that excitement and have some diversion, all without having to go to the Library to study once the game ends.

The Pacific Beach Bar and Grill has been around ..well…forever it seems. The restaurant has daily specials, outlined on their website, however, since The Mister and I have been married, for like, forever, we aren't much into the weeknight bar scene, although I would like to try the food and probably will eventually. For now, here is a typical Saturday with food we eat, while watching the University of Michigan play their games. You can see the area we sit is is merely a covered patio.

If a game is starting at 9 a.m. (noon back East), the bar is open and there is an all you can eat brunch for only $6.95. (This is on Saturday- brunch costs more on Sunday). Coffee is $1.50 and there is a monthly beer for $2.50 (Sam Adams Oktoberfest right now) and all other pints on tap are $3. Yes, beer at 9 a.m. College Life all over again.

The brunch area was full so I did not take photos of the individual hot trays, but here are photos of a sampling of what we selected.

There are three different sausages, bacon, at least two different scrambled egg combinations, home fries and hash browns, crepes (this particular weekend had chicken and avocado crepes, but there are beef and sometimes crab crepes in the steam trays), fresh fruit and cookies and muffins, all made from scratch and quite delicious.

Then there is a separate cooking station, where you can have an omelet, crepes, waffles, pancakes or a quesadilla made for you.

I chose to have an omelet made with cheese, spinach, mushrooms and red peppers. The veggies were sauteed in butter first then the egg added and just before being put onto the serving plate, the shredded cheese was added and the egg and contents folded over it, causing the cheese to melt. I topped it with some slices of avocado from the area where you choose the fillings.

The Mister got a strawberry waffle made for himself. With whipped cream. There were fresh strawberries on top,, and the waffle is made fresh and hot with a nice batter that cooked up to a nice crispy shell.

If a football game starts at noon here (3 p.m. East Coast time) then there are some lunch specials- $3 off of appetizers with a coupon from the Reader, a free magazine out here and, of course the beer specials. If we are coming for a noon game and hungry, we try to get to the Grill early and get a couple of brunch plates and quesadillas made for us.

On this visit, though, we opted for the Brie appetizer ($8.50 ). (OK, every time it is an afternoon game out here, I want the Brie appetizer…)

A toasted and sweetened hazelnut crusted wedge of a warmed, good quality Brie cheese served on top of a peach chutney (red pepper spicy) with chunks of mango and served with some olive oil toasted baguette pieces… it is soooo good-creamy, warm, salty, spicy and sweet ..

We tried the Ichiban Kabobs ($ 8.95 ), served with "firecracker rice", which was too spicy hot/filled with chili flakes to be appreciated as rice. The ahi was marinated in a ginger soy sauce, yet overcooked, so kind of dry and not as good as I would have liked it to be. It was served with some pickled ginger and ancho chili sauce, which just overwhelmed the flavors.

Of course, our beverages of choice are as diverse as The Mister and I are…

The Guinness on draft is mine and the Pear Cider is his…

If there is an evening football game, starting at 4 or 5 p.m., well you don't need a coupon and actually seven days a week, all appetizers are $3 off from 4-8 p.m…so, last weekend, when U of M was playing the Fighting Illini at 7 p.m. (their time, in Illinois), we went crazy for food.

The Seafood Martini ($9.95) is a large martini shaped glass, filled with lobster, shrimp, real crab, cucumber, celery and a spicy cocktail sauce with a little Absolut Peppar (vodka) added. It was quite filling and very fresh.

The Mediterranean hummus ($7.25) is made fresh, with garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice and garlic and served with that ramekin of feta, hot pita wedges and a mixed green salad topped with a raspberry vinaigrette. Excellent. Fresh. All of it.

This past Saturday, it was another game that started about 12:30 San Diego time, so no discounts, except for beer and if you remembered to find the coupon…so we just got the

Hot Crab Dip ($8.95)- fresh blue crab, cream cheese, bell peppers and some spices, topped with green onion and served with warm, thin tortilla chips. This was excellent, also, with lots of crab. More than I expected.

We also got a basket of onion rings ($3.95). Made with whole onions and fried in a cornmeal based batter, giving the rings a good crunch. I did ask the nice bartender (we ended up sitting at the bar since it was so crowded) for some Chulula sauce to dip the rings in after a while, since the basket was quite large and ketchup, salt and pepper wasn't doing it for me…

The Pacific Beach Bar and Grill has generously donated a portion of all the income received from the University of Michigan Alumni during these Saturday games to the San Diego Scholarship fund all the years we have been meeting here, and this year we have already raised over $10,000 dollars. It is nice for a local merchant to be so generous to our little group.

Pacific Beach Bar and Grill 860 Garnet Avenue San Diego 92109 phone: (858)2PB.Grill

Starbucks Wraps, and a small step back to normalcy

October 25, 2007 Cathy Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is a blog about food. Cathy is talking today about different stuff in addition to food .

Hi. There is no easy way to jump back into this. We are food bloggers and life sometimes gets in the way. I’ll write in that order today.

So, a while ago, Starbucks in Southern California gave all of its outlets these cool convection ovens and introduced some breakfast sandwiches … which can be eaten at any time of the day, as long as you live your life following the ‘no rules’ rule and eat eggs at any time of the day. You can also have just about any other food they sell heated up in the convection oven also.

A few weeks ago, I noticed there was an offering of two different types of "breakfast wraps", so you know I had to try them…all in the line of ‘research for the blog’.

Each wrap costs $3.25 (opposed to the $2.95 for the sandwiches, which are served on English Muffins) and each looks like this after being heated.

The tortilla that is wrapped around the contents is more of a wheat one, with a chewier texture, and it is kind of crispy, in a good way, after being heated.

This one is the egg/bacon/avocado/cheddar wrap,

which, on cross section looks kind of stiff, but was quite squishy and perfectly warmed through. The bacon is ‘regular’ bacon, not the pepper bacon or a turkey bacon, as offered on the English Muffin sandwiches. The cheddar cheese adds a nice flavor and I don’t know how the avocado says a little cool and not browned from being exposed to air, but it works.

The other Wrap offered is a vegetarian one (which is a good thing, since, for some unknown reason the only vegetarian breakfast muffin has been discontinued) consisting of egg, feta cheese, dried tomatoes and spinach. I did not have my pocket knife with me to cut this one in half (some sort of "rules" at the Court House) and so, I took a bite and unwrapped the Wrap for you to see the contents.

This one has very strong Mediterranean flavors and could be eaten more as a lunch than breakfast. The tomatoes are concentrated in flavor, as is the spinach and cheese.

I liked both of the wraps and I like the sandwiches offered and the price is right and the size is enough to get rid of hunger pangs for quite a while.

Starbucks- Numerous locations all around the world.

A few things…

So, we have had the worst Natural Disaster in our lifetime happen right here in Southern California this week (click here to read the last post with updated links) I want all of you to know that I appreciate the kind thoughts, words and prayers sent to Kirk and myself both publicly and privately. It is times like this when you realize who your friends are. In particular, Kirk and The Missus did not hesitate when I let him know that The Mister and I might be evacuated at one point and immediately offered that we come stay with them, with all of our animals in tow. He did not rescind his offer even when I reminded him that we had four dogs and seven cats.

Yes. I have that many four legged pets and even more canaries, finches and parakeets. That was one fewer dog that we had the day prior. On Sunday, our Oldest Girl dog, Witty, had her time with us end. She was more than 14 years old and had only been with us for about three years. I got to help her have a good three years here, after her first owner died, without once having to dress in the clothing she came with.

That is Witty on the bottom left, and her step brother, Extra, who we happened to find on the first day of the last fires ( four years ago), and who was unclaimed and also lives in our home, also running naked and free (except for the requisite collar and license, of course).

The last fire was worse for us. We were evacuated and the flames got to 30 feet behind our fence. When we did come home, we did not have electricity for three days. This time it hasn’t been bad. Smoke, ashes and some road closures are nothing to have to deal wth.

The photo on the left was taken

behind my house last night at about 6 p.m.. You can see how dry it is and, if you click onto it to enlarge, you can see two Mule Deer. There were four total, but I couldn’t get a photo of all at once.

The photo on the right was taken this afternoon of Gillespie Field in El Cajon, a few miles away. You can see the CDF helicopters lined up and ready to take off and protect us. To all of our Protectors, who risk their lives for us, Thank You!!!

Kirk send me the most touching note this afternoon, reminding me that our little inconveniences are nothing in the overall scheme of things. He said he was sweeping up ash…the right way, and putting it in the trash, when he realized he had better treat it with some reverence. "Who knows, it may have been someones most treasured possessions."

Something we should all keep in mind when cleaning up after this tragedy.

Mr. Wasabi- been seeing the sign for years. Finally stopped to eat.

October 14, 2007 Cathy Japanese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Mr. Wasabi has closed.

mmm-yoso is the blog. It never goes on vacation. Cathy is talking today while Kirk does other stuff.

Hey there. I've had a few meals that I haven't talked about because Kirk has been talking about his wonderful Peruvian vacation. I love his prose and photos and ..um…his courage to drink spit and eat deep fried rodent like creatures as well as everything else that has kept those Peruvians going for thousands of years. I kind of play it safe, although have eaten everything that has ever been presented to me…by safe I mean staying out of foreign situations for the most part.

So, anyhow. If you have driven on Mira Mesa Boulevard near Interstate 15, ever, you've seen this sign on the south side of the street. If you click and enlarge it, you will see the unlighted portion at the bottom-$1 sushi and $1 sake. Those prices are for a single piece of the 'regular' sushi- salmon, tuna, shrimp, etc. The sake is from a box but I think you can get it hot or cold…not a bad deal if you are in the area for Happy Hour- 5-6 p.m. Tues-Fri (Mr. Wasabi is closed on Mondays).

So, we decided, after years, that we would have to go here for a meal to see if it was any good.

Oh, it is. There is a reason it has been here for kind of forever.

A simple menu, fresh food, attentive service.

We decided to start with the calamari salad ($6.25)- this easily could have been a meal and if I added a miso soup, definitely filling. Good thing The Mister and I were sharing.

Wonderfully light tempura coated perfectly fried large pieces of fresh squid on top of a lot of salad lettuces and shredded cabbage, served with a side of house dressing, which definitely had onion in it and I thought needed a touch of soy added, but was otherwise so absolutely perfect.

Both of our meals came with miso soup and salad (same dressing) . The miso was very good, rich and not salty and had large pieces of seaweed and small cubes of a good, firm tofu in it. We each ended up putting the extra lettuce from the calamari salad into the salad bowls since there was a bit too much dressing on those individual salads. It worked out.

I saw the Chirashi Sushi on the menu as a main course ($13.25) and had to try it. Assorted sashimi served over vinegared rice… maguro (tuna), sake (salmon), shiro maguro (albacore), hamachi (yellowtail), amebi (sweet shrimp), the fake krab stuff (which tasted good), ikura (salmon roe) and tamago (sweet egg cake) with wasabi, pickled ginger, cucumber and shredded daikon radish on top of the wonderful vinegared rice. So fresh, so delicate and a wonderful portion of sushi. Well worth the price.

The Mister ordered the #13, Teriyaki and Tonkatsu meal ($10.95 plus $1 for the beef rather than chicken teriyaki). Extremely high quality tender beef topped with a wonderful teriyaki sauce that was not salty nor too sweet. The tonkatsu (lightly breaded deep fried pork) was tender and moist and topped with a more strong ponzu sauce, kind of on the edge of being too vinegary, but not quite. These were served on a bed of lettuce (which went well with each sauce) and the rest of the plate filled with edamame (boiled soybeans) and a bowl of rice on the side.

Excellent quality food in quite large portion sizes. They don't charge for tea and it is a better quality loose green tea. Don't drive by, drive in.

Mr. Wasabi 9379 Mira Mesa Boulevard San Diego 92126 (858)530-2546 Lunch 11:30-2:30 Tues-Sat, Dinner 5-9:30 Tues-Sun

Jimmy’s – Family style good food.

October 6, 2007 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Diner, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is the blog about food that talks about meals and foods from around the world. Usually Kirk blogs, but sometimes Cathy, ed and even Vicky help Kirk out. Today is a Cathy day.

Hi. Kirk was in Peru, yes…and he started blogging about it, yes…and right now he is a tad exhausted from the travel and having to go back to work, blah blah, blah…so I am doing a short post about local (San Diego) food. Sure there are no photos of scenery nor of much exotic fare, but think of this as the ‘vacation from the vacation’.

Jimmy’s. There used to be a lot of these in San Diego and are still a few around. Mainly known for the broasted chicken and bread pudding and as an alternative to Denny’s, Coco’s and Carrow’s. Jimmy’s happens to be in the mall of single named restaurants (Michael’s and Wendy’s as well as the new L&L all share the same parking lot).

There is one in Santee and, yes, it is a part of our "rotation". We had not been here for a while to eat and then one day I was craving, of all things, the salad dressings, which they make from scratch. I mean, I usually like a light vinaigrette or House Italian style dressing (oil, vinegar, lots of fresh herbs; that is enough to keep the lettuce flavors clear and vegetables lightly seasons) but this time, I wanted- needed- that creamy, eggy, rich and gooey Thousand Island they make in the restaurant.

Served as a choice with every meal, with crackers and croutons (which I dip into the extra dressing) with a salad mix of dark and iceberg lettuces, chopped cabbage and slices of tomatoes, there is something about this rich and creamy, egg and pickle seasoned salad topping I can’t get enough of.

The House made blue cheese dressing has garlic in it and sometimes, that is The Mister’s craving.

However, on the day we went, the ‘soup of the day’ was Cream of Mushroom, and it was something he ‘had’ to have.

This was the best Cream of Mushroom soup, ever. We try this flavor whenever and wherever we can and…wow. Again, made from scratch. At least three different types of mushrooms in there, fresh thyme. Real cream. Excellent.

At some point, I was thinking that I could have just had a couple of salads and a bowl of this soup and been satisfied, but then there was another reason we came.

The 4 piece broasted chicken dinner ($9.99 M-F includes dessert and beverage). You get your choice of soup or salad, potato, rice or fries, one of two types of bread and the ‘vegetable of the day’ which in this case was green beans and carrots. The carrots were cut into various size chunks, indicating they were fresh and not a standard mixed vegetable. I believe the green beans had been fresh frozen, not canned.

If you don’t want to read the link above, broasted chicken is pressure fried using a unique, patented machine and certain herbs and spices, so the crust is crispy, never soggy and flavorful, as well as the meat also being moist, juicy and flavorful. It is a unique type of chicken. This year happens to the 50th anniversary of the Broaster Company.

The other thing I always get to eat here is liver and onions($7.99)(does not include dessert or beverage; only the daily specials listed on the chalkboard and the 4 piece broasted chicken dinner are inclusive ). It is just a beef liver (OK- three or four sizable slices of beef liver) dusted in flour and light spices and fried to a crispy crust and served with lightly burned and sauteed onions on top. I can sort of duplicate this at home, but not quite and, of course, in addition, The Mister does not like to eat onions in many forms (yes, he will eat good onion rings and French onion soup, but ‘that is different’ according to him…), so when I do cook at home, I have to cook those separately and anyhow it gets to be a mess in the kitchen…

Ah, the choices of breads are either the yeasty roll made fresh and served with butter or the cornbread served with butter and honey, also made fresh.

The leftover yeasty rolls are used to make the bread pudding dessert, which was sold out that night.

Since The Mister’s meal included dessert and beverage, and we really don’t indulge in sweets as much as we do in salties, we shared the tapioca pudding, which was generously topped with whipped cream. This was, of course, our second choice because the bread pudding here is fresh made and all…

All in all, a higher quality, family style, great meal.

Jimmy’s Family Restaurant Santee 6935 Mission Gorge Road, Santee 92071 (619) 448-8994 other locations on Third Avenue in Chula Vista, Campo Road in Spring Valley and on Midway Drive in San Diego

Rickshaw Corner in Tierrasanta.

September 27, 2007 Cathy Chicken Wings, Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is the blog that never goes on vacation, even though Kirk does. Cathy is still here, talking about yet another meal she ate.

So, long story short. The Mister was stuck in some major traffic on 52 last night. He finally got to the Santo Road exit, took it and was looking for a pay phone (keeping it short, don't ask about a mobile phone right now) and eventually ended up at the Vons at Santo Road and Clairmont Mesa, where there is a pay phone in front of a Laundromat.

He told me there was a Chinese Restaurant on the end of the mall and it looked really busy with lots of people doing take out. I should have asked him to see what they were ordering, but it is too late for that now.

It turns out the menu is two sided, Chinese and Japanese. Taking the 50-50 chance, we chose Chinese…because…well

I grew up with this>

as my definition of Chinese food and so, nothing could be that bad…and- AND- and the Japanese Bento meals were being served on -Honest To God- sectioned cafeteria food trays.

Plus, well, if you read the menu, you get 8 Pot Stickers on the Chinese menu for $4.95-(62¢ each), versus the 5 Gyoza for $3.25 (65¢ each) on the Japanese menu.

Chinese it was.

The 10 piece fried chicken wing appetizer ($4.95). Nicely fried, plump and juicy but absolutely needed the Plum Sauce served with them. Soy Sauce also helped.

The pot stickers. Absolutely wonderful.

Plump, meaty, great pork with some water chestnut filling. Just right thickness skins stir fried to a perfect crispiness.

We decided to try the 3 Flavor Sizzling Rice Soup. ($4.95). It was brought out in two bowls, the rice was not sizzling, but was cooked. The broth was cabbage and white pepper based, not at all chicken flavored, even though there was a layer of oil on top and I thought that was an indication it was a chicken broth. The cabbage and peas were fresh and crispy, not canned. The shrimp had good flavor but the chicken pieces tasted old and maybe freezer burned. The beef just had no flavor. It was not good. If I had a cold, I might want it just to get hydration and something into me, but … no. Not really.

We decided to try the vegetable Egg Foo Young ($6.95). I have never seen egg foo young prepared this way. Two pancakes topped with stir fried vegetables and sauce. The vegetables were good and fresh and the sauce was nice and the pancakes were… pancakes, with canned or frozen peas and carrots-no bean sprouts- in them. Kind of thin, kind of tough. Strange.

As were our fortunes. The Mister's says "Great! You're ready for a party." and mine says "You are primed to come up with a creative solution."

Whatever. It was a meal. I am curious as to what they can to do to Japanese food now. The people working are all family, very friendly and nice, knowing the regulars who are coming in to pick up meals …I just wish I knew what they all ordered.

Rickshaw Corner 10428 Clairmont Mesa Blvd (at Santo Road) (Tierrasanta) San Diego 92124 (858)541-1998 (858)541-0877 Mon-Sat 11:30-9:30 Sun 3-9 (Closed M-F 3-4 p.m.)

Curry House-a ch-ch-ch-chain…and, no rules- we didn’t order curry!

September 26, 2007 Cathy Japanese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Curry House has closed.

mmm-yoso!!!, the blog. About food. Cathy still blogging about food eaten around San Diego. Ed eating but not documenting in Yuma. Kirk eating and eventually documenting from Peru.

Hi. Cathy here with maybe some better photos of this meal. Lunch at Curry House. It says 'Curry and spaghetti' on the front signage.

There are plastic bowls of plastic food in the front window, and menus displayed.

There has been a coupon in the papers lately- buy one and two beverages and get the other menu item free. With a week of meals eaten out, as well as trying to have something interesting to blog about, a coupon was a nice deal. We got a hot tea, which came with a just right size pot of water to make three cups and high quality Japanese green tea bag and a coffee, which happened to be fresh brewed since The Mister apparently was the only person drinking coffee in a Japanese restaurant, and it was served with a little pitcher of real cream (each $1.75).

Then we got the menu and I wanted to try all the other items on the menu and not the curries, mainly because Kirk has already blogged (and so has Guest Commenter Vicky, who blogged a bit and moved North earlier this year) about Curry House and they must do that well, right? The restaurant is owned and run by House Foods, a major supplier of all kinds of goodies, from curries and sauces to tofu 'noodles'. So, the menu items are kind of all made from Asian Grocery Store staples, and are a selling point for the restaurant…but wow: excellent.

So, we decided to try out a bowl of corn potage($2.60)

…this is not corn chowder, but corn soup. Excellent corn soup. Whole corn niblets are in it and it is …oh…more like corn pudding in richness of flavor, but not too thick.

Then there was a hand out that came with the regular menu- a single page with new stuff on it-and photos-…

So anyhow, Seafood with yam noodles. ($9.50)

Sort of in an Alfredo sauce- but not. Thinner sauce, hint of curry heat under, but white. Excellent rich flavor. The yam 'noodles' were wide- we have had skinnier yam 'noodles' that fell apart, but these 'noodles' held up. There were squid rings, fish, mussels, shrimp and broccoli and onions in this *large* bowl. Excellent flavor, unexpected high quality of seafood. I don't know why we thought it would be not great, but this was *really* good. Not Italian seafood fettuccine, but a nice Japanese version and the menu said lower in calories that regular pasta (550 calories versus 900). Like I care about calories. It is flavor I care about.

I decided to splurge and get the crab and shrimp salad($12.75).

We had to wait a bit because they were cooking and peeling the crab and shrimp to put on top of this salad. Yes, they were warm (and sweet/fresh tasting) on top of the mixed greens, cabbage, tomatoes and radish sprouts served on the icy cold plate. While we waited, we noticed the advertising set on the table and the House salad dressing was available for sale for $3.50 and the sign said "no preservatives". We asked and the waitress said it lasts only abut 10 days. Fresh made…oh my. It was rich soy sauce, garlic and ginger flavored, deep and wonderful. I am definitely going to buy some when I hit one of my "daily must eat greens" phases, which happens every few months. The combination of flavors was really good.

I saw some side dishes that you could order, ostensibly with a curry dish, on the menu and asked if I could get a potato croquette($1.50). I usually get fresh made croquettes at Nijiya Market, in the same parking lot, but I wanted to try this one. It was a nice, plump, moist potato, lightly breaded with panko and with a light fry- delicate, yet crusty. Kind of a nice side to go with the salad, although I could have added on a cup of potage and bread for $1.50.

Also, even though Red Berry is in the same parking lot, it was dessert time and, since it was still a week-o-birthday meal,

we shared a red bean ice cream ($2.95-which was comped by the Manager once He knew it was our birthdays, via an inadvertent mention to our waitress; unexpectedly nice).

All in all, excellent non-curry food. I didn't follow my own rules to 'order what the name of the restaurant is about' and was not at all disappointed. Very pleasantly surprised. They make tasty food. There are daily lunch specials noted at the front of the building and lunch prices range from $7-$14. Not bad at all for the quality and attentive service.

Curry House San Diego 3860 Convoy (in Nijiya Center) San Diego 92111 (858)278-2454 M-F 11:30-2:30, 5:30-9:00 S-S 11:30-9:00

Sakura-Izakaya Yet another post

September 25, 2007 Cathy Japanese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is a blog about food and Cathy is having a busy week. Kirk is somewhere and did e-mail her from "some God forsaken internet cafe in some alley in Lima". He is alive, but not able to post His vacation eatings just yet.

Hi. I have had an unusually busy week and so this is another short post. I have kind of been eating fast, or while driving (which is not an easy thing to do in a manually transmissioned vehicle) AND it is kind of a special week- The Mister and I have birthdays seven days apart and our "tradition" is to eat out every day-He gets to choose the three days including His birthday, we both agree on the middle day’s eatery and then I get the last three days, ending on my birthday. (By that point, by the way, I get really tired of going out to eat and just want a comforting bowl of chili or soup at home).

So, Sakura. My choice. Izakaya style Japanese food. There are a ton of posts here about the restaurant, but mostly about its Sushi Bar. Izakaya style is …more substantial than tapas…but are still small plates of food, prepared in various manners. Kind of a meal of large appetizers/snacks (otoushi). Actually, alcohol is a primary draw of Izakaya shops, but the last thing I need now is to sleep in on any morning this week, so none for us- hot tea is perfect with this meal.

The meal starts out with a oshibori (wet towel). These are prepackaged and kind of nice and luxurious.

These are fried squid legs($5)- we did get eight, but I forgot to take a picture of the plate.

Lightly breaded, fresh and chewy (but not too chewy) legs.

The spicy fish salad ($8). Kind of a Japanese "poke" with a variety of fish- skate, tuna, squid, halibut, salmon and something else, chopped and in a spicy and sesame oil sauce with tomatoes, thin sliced mild onions and spicy radish sprouts.

There is, of course sashimi on the menu, but we figured this way we got something cold and raw and a few vegetables…

Gosh, we can justify anything…

Soft shell crab ($6). Fried in a different batter than the squid legs.

Light batter, large and juicy crab, cut into five pieces.

Served with a warm dipping sauce and shredded daikon (radish) that I put into the sauce to add flavor.

Yakisoba ($7.50). Buckwheat noodles stir fried with beef, cabbage, carrots in a light sauce.

I always like yakisoba and this was a nice surprise, since we never had ordered it here. Earlier in this week-o-food we had a very strange sauced yakisoba, which I will comment on in a future post…

Beef in sesame sauce ($8). Wow.

A completely different flavor and tenderness level than what was in the yakisoba. Wonderful, tender, flavorful beef.

The sauce was more of a sesame paste, not at all a sesame oil, which I was expecting.

This is one you should have every time.

I wanted to try the savory pancake ($8)- fresh made bread/pancake on the bottom (more pizza crust like than a batter pancake, but you need that thickness because the toppings are heavy) topped with ‘octopus, shrimp and vegetables’.

The vegetables were mostly tomato, but there were pieces of cabbage, and of course topping of shaved (and dancing from the heat) bonito flakes. Kind of sweet; it needed that mayonnaise with some of the bites.

We knew we needed some vegetable with all of this food, so ordered a plate of spinach and mushrooms sauteed in garlic butter ($5). Oh you could taste the butter…

All in all, a very nice, quiet Monday dinner. It was not busy at all (one other table) so my photos a blurry because I did not want to use flash.

Total damage was $47 without tip. It was nice and relaxing. We enjoy the Izakaya style -in all cuisines- Oh, you’ve seen I have made a meal of appetizers elsewhere.

Don’t even ask how old we are. It is best left to your imagination that I am your age. In any case, I got carded the last few weekends when I went to Pacific Beach Bar and Grill, and I love the security people there…

Izakaya Sakura. It is on Convoy Street in that mall that has the Original Pancake house in it and there is no signage. Go to the back of the mall, next to the Military Recruiting storefront and the neon "OPEN" sign is the entrance. Really.

You can find the plethora of other posts about Sakura on this blog by scrolling in the left column and clicking onto "Japanese restaurants"

West Coast Barbecue and Catering-Good food in La Mesa

September 24, 2007 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is the blog about food and Cathy is still doing the blogging because, you know, she is the Temp, and Kirk is in Peru, eating and taking pictures of a lot of interesting stuff to tell you about soon.

Hello. I’m back with another interesting meal. I asked The Mister to pick up something for dinner the other night and he had heard the the former owners of Bekker’s Barbecue had started a new business on Lake Murray Boulevard in La Mesa. We always liked Bekker’s and were sad when it closed, leaving us not much choice for slow smoked(Texas Style BBQ) meats in East County.

The new location is still pretty close to our place in Santee in the shopping center that has the Ross Dress for Less in La Mesa. For some reason the photo of the front will not load, but it is where the Russian Restaurant used to be.

There is a walk up window for take out, some tables outside and inside table also.

The Mister got there about 8 p.m. . Closing was at 8:30 and it was still crowded.

He ordered the Family dinner of pulled pork-

One pound of pork, 3 dinner rolls, 2 pints of sides. $15.99.

This easily was two pounds of pulled pork. (Editor’s Note: pulled pork is very slow cooked shoulder, so tender it can be pulled from the bones and does not have to be cut) I have one of those 3 pound packages of Kirkland Signature extra lean ham from Costco in the fridge, still sealed (two packages are sold together) and I cut it along the center and the single ham package weighed a lot loss that this box of pulled pork, which was smoky, tender, delicious. The bread was chewy and crust not crispy. It was not what I would call great bread, but I would not call it bad, either.

The barbecue sauce came on the side and was sweet and tangy with just enough, if maybe too little vinegar. It went well with the meat.

The Mister chose the cole slaw and baked beans as the sides. The beans had a different sweet sauce, not the same as the BBQ sauce and some meat in them and were definitely made there, not canned; not mushy. The cole slaw was good. Crispy and dressing was light. Good and fresh, not tasting flat or old.

Other sides he could have ordered were: corn, chili, potato salad, fries, baked potato (which The Mister said was huge-he saw one served to someone inside) tossed green salad and Cesar salad.

All in all, a lot of good food. It was quite good. I know someone will pipe up with their favorite BBQ place, but this one deserves a try. Bekker’s was great and also catered. The catering prices are a pretty good deal and I think worth it for this quality of food. website

West Coast Barbecue and Catering 6126 Lake Murray Boulevard La Mesa 91942 Tuesday-Sunday 4 p.m.-8:30 p.m. To Go phone (619) GO2FOOD (462-3663) Catering office hours M-F 9-5 Catering available anytime.

Cheese Shop Deli- Downtown breakfast and lunch

September 23, 2007 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Cheese, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

The restaurant and menu are the same, but the location of Cheese Shop Deli has moved to the Horton Grand Hotel on 311 Island Avenue, downtown.

mmm-yoso is the food blog and Cathy is writing while Kirk vacations and ed stays in Yuma, grading more papers.

Hi. Food blogging time. This is a short one. I have had to be in downtown San Diego fora few reasons rather regularly lately(I happen to be a registered voter and have a driver’s license; figure it out) and so I have been exploring eateries in the area.

The Mister and I used to go to The Cheese Shop downtown a lot, more than 15 years ago, when Horton Plaza first opened. It is a delicatessen as well as breakfast place and we always liked it. The physical location moved about a half block away, but the ambiance and food seems to be the same.

Except for the prices, of course.

So, I had a couple of breakfast items and will share.

The mushroom swiss omelet ($7.95) comes with that half a plate of hash browns and is made with fresh sauteed thinly sliced mushrooms. Quite full. The egg was not as fluffy/crispy as I like in omelets, but was tasty. This also came with toast.

I decided to try the breakfast sandwich ($3.75)- an egg with cheese (cheddar) and choice of ham, bacon or sausage (I got bacon) on an English muffin. Looked kind of small, and I did take one bite and then decided to ‘deconstruct’ it

and put some of the jelly that is on the table on the muffin and ate the egg and cheese and bacon with a fork and knife. Made me take my time and remember, again, that there are no rules.

On Friday, I decided to get a cheese tray for two to go. ($11.80 with tax)

Three cheeses (the proper amount- if you do more than that, tastes are muddled) Muenster, Brie and a medium cheddar, some vegetable wheat crackers and grapes. This was perfect snack for the two of us when we were working around the house Friday evening.

My favorite grilled cheese sandwich here is Havarti on pumpernickel. They serve pancakes, bagels an cereals for breakfast and hot, traditional and specialty sandwiches as well as cheese sandwiches burgers and home made soups and salads for lunch. Breakfast is served all day. You can read the menu on line.

Cheese Shop Delicatessen 627 Fourth Avenue San Diego 92101 (619)232-2303 open 7 days M-F 7 am-4pm S-S 8 am-4pm NEW LOCATION: 311 Island Avenue San Diego 92101. Check the website link, above.

2165 Avenida de la Playa La Jolla 92037 (858)459-3921

Silly Saturday- Kirk is away and Cathy will play-More Little Secrets.

September 22, 2007 mmm-yoso Sandwiches, Stuff, What Cathy Eats!, yoso-silly

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog about food. Enjoy reading and vicariously sharing in Cathy’s meals today.

Yes, Kirk is still in Peru. Ed is busy grading papers in Yuma. It is my blog for now and a dreary, rainy day in San Diego. I am not at the Red Bull Air Races, not at Street Scene or a Padre Game. I am at home with the camera and have a bunch of small notes I want to share with you. I know you are reading the blog no matter what. All of these notes have a bit to do with food. Don’t tell me you don’t understand the places I am talking about. Most of you know this McDonald’s . It is the one on Clairmont Mesa across from the San Diego Superior Court-Traffic Court,, if you are *really* familiar.

They modernized it -Big Time-I am talking the outdoor area has a waterfall. It is a work of

art, built into that wall. The permanent tables and chairs on the tile floors are sturdier and nicer than before.

Then inside- yes- you see one of the TWO flat screen televisions, each set to a different channel and with closed captioning on, in case it is noisy. There are several bar-height tables, also. Now- look- yes in the back by the rest rooms. A small library/sitting area. The books are on the Honor System. You can take them. They ask that you please bring them back. Cool. This is McDonald’s. Very nice. Menu is the same. This location also is one of the few that has $1.29 Fillet O Fish Fridays all year, not just during Lent. That is my dirty secret of what I eat at McDonald’s.

Not to be outdone, the Jack in the Box in Santee also had a complete re-doing of its interior this month. No television, but three bar stool height tables as well as a counter with permanent bar stools and new tables and chairs.

My dirty secret from Jack in the Box- those darn 2 for 99¢ tacos. I don’t know what the recipe is. The meat is mushy, finely ground, sort of like baby food, but has this addictive flavor along with lettuce, cheese, salsa and the corn tortilla is fried flat and …gosh I love those tacos.

A biggie secret, which many people have told me is this one. Yes, Hometown Buffet.

They think because I am so into eating, that I would not consider this place.

Ha. The only thing I do

not consider are ‘rules’ . There are no rules. [Remember this in all aspects of life, if nothing else. ]

I get the fried chicken here, always the fried chicken. I can’t make this at home. I also just fill a soup bowl with mashed potatoes and gravy. Salty, sticky brown flavored gravy.

I put some of the already dressed Cesar salad on the bottom of the salad plate, then spinach on top of it, then mushrooms, cucumbers, onions and beets, beets, beets and some sunflower seeds. My salad.

Then it is time for dessert. Again, no rules. Get a glass. Fill it halfway with vanilla soft serve. Get another glass. Fill that one halfway with root beer. Combine. Root beer float.

Yay! I do also like the Waldorf Salad here. Red and green apples, raisins and walnuts in a mayonnaise sauce. That is also part of my dessert.

OK. my one real sweet craving. These- and only these- cookies. Biscos Sugar Wafers. They are either on a top shelf or a bottom shelf and absolutely never on sale. There are three packages wrapped within the big package, so I can make these last a long time. They are soooo good. Delicate and not artificial tasting.

Last secret- today is the middle day between The Mister’s birthday and my birthday. We went to Anthony’s for lunch, got everything we wanted and our very nice waitress, Kathy, brought us a slice of this ice cream pie. The ice cream had almonds in it and hot fudge on top and real whipped cream and the crust was Oreo cookies with butter. Salty tasting. I ate the crust. Yum. Happy Birthday, Sweetie.

Hope you are having a nice weekend.