2020 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float decorating. Dinner at Peppertree Cafe (Glendora).

mmm-yoso!! is primarily a food blog.  There are many reasons food is acquired.  Cathy is posting today about another year end event when she and The Mister volunteer, along with their meal following the long work day. Kirk and His Missus are still 'on vacation'.

In January, the New President of the Tournament of Roses was announced and she announced the theme of the 2020 Rose Parade. (Details at the top of this post, along with links to all 2020 float road tests).11F995F6-864A-4408-AA9B-1E126B808E6A_1_100_o This Saturday was the first day of float decorating. 11F995F6-864A-4408-AA9B-1E126B808E6A_1_100_oCheck in kiosks, light rain and an excitement surrounded the Phoenix Decorating Company decorating barn in Irwindale. Soon enough, we were called in and met our Crew Chief who escorted us to the float where we would be working on this first of the 'dry' decorating days. Live flowers show up around December 26 or 27, so they will be fresh on the floats.  These Saturdays before Christmas are decorations made with glue and tiny details of dry materials: peas, beans, lentils, coffee grounds, straw, dry flowers, dry parsley and so much more. 
11F995F6-864A-4408-AA9B-1E126B808E6A_1_100_oWalking past numerous floats
11F995F6-864A-4408-AA9B-1E126B808E6A_1_100_oand material product (these are statice flowers, which are cut, dried and blended into a powder to be spread on floats needing large areas of blue or pink colors).
F58846F3-5157-426F-A5B1-02BB69410138Colors are painted for easy material application. ('Soaring with Hope' presented by Kiwanis International).
11F995F6-864A-4408-AA9B-1E126B808E6A_1_100_oHere's part of a thatch roof effect, almost finished before lunch. ('Growing a Better Tomorrow' by Western Asset).
11F995F6-864A-4408-AA9B-1E126B808E6A_1_100_oGlue and onion seed being applied. ('Planting Seeds of Hope' by Sikh American Float Foundation). 
1494FD04-55EE-4F14-90C2-2161DF3BB75F Rotary ('Hope Connects the World') had a lot of volunteers this first day.
11F995F6-864A-4408-AA9B-1E126B808E6A_1_100_o Shriner's Hospitals for Children ('Hope Knows No Limits') completed quite a bit.
11F995F6-864A-4408-AA9B-1E126B808E6A_1_100_oThese ladies, first time volunteers, were applying bended straw flowers to one of the homes on the SCAN Foundation float, 'Hope's Hope'.
11F995F6-864A-4408-AA9B-1E126B808E6A_1_100_oC02E3057-24C1-4ED8-B818-4DBA2AD47C56The Lions Club float ('Hope for 2020')really has so many cute details all related to vision, one of their five tenants. 
11F995F6-864A-4408-AA9B-1E126B808E6A_1_100_o Part of the SCAN Foundation float had coffee grounds (on the frame of the window), sesame seeds (the yellow 'bricks') and poppy seeds (the darker half circle castle pieces).  Across the way is the Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day float, 'Plant a garden, Believe in Tomorrow'.818E7074-2503-4E72-BF8C-B228D481C26EThere's the Cowboy Channel float, 'Walk, Ride, Rodeo'.
818E7074-2503-4E72-BF8C-B228D481C26EHere's Trader Joe on 'It Takes a Flight of Fancy'.  He's in a pickle barrel and holding a pickle in his left hand. F7FAC74B-1034-4BE2-BE84-EA6DD76F0E88F7FAC74B-1034-4BE2-BE84-EA6DD76F0E88 Two floats are still under construction- Wescom Credit Union and Farmers Insurance. There's plenty of time(!)

A89CECF3-E593-4E89-8562-96CBE67D499EC64924C6-676C-4BE2-A651-6F6EE4C84BD027AA7585-4601-4E0B-A0DC-B4969C0A732D930CB9EB-3A3E-443E-A574-0E6CA9EFA260930CB9EB-3A3E-443E-A574-0E6CA9EFA2601EF1BE57-5935-4941-9F25-96393843BB991EF1BE57-5935-4941-9F25-96393843BB99930CB9EB-3A3E-443E-A574-0E6CA9EFA260D92EFF65-E77C-4E3A-9D35-9DF3699B5538Details, dry materials, glue: what a day.

Details for volunteering and artist renditions of some of the floats are on the Phoenix Decorating page.  Details of Tournament activities are on The Rose Examiner page and more other Tournament activity details on the Tournament of Roses  page. 

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We stopped at Cream Pan for a quick breakfast on the way up, brought our own lunch for our 30 minute break and decided to head East, to Glendora, for dinner once we finished working. I posted about a breakfast here in 2018  9B8618E6-1432-4D4D-B493-1CB5D1C4D36F1633F333-E76C-4442-A6A2-4A8BEF16A32A There is a regular menu as well as a Special Menu on weekends. 

1B4224C2-2ECA-4CAF-94F6-5056F3F3D5DAItalian Wedding Soup-very good long simmered chicken broth along with the spinach and carrots, tiny beef-pork meatballs and tiny orzo pasta.
1B4224C2-2ECA-4CAF-94F6-5056F3F3D5DAThe house made thousand Island is excellent.  A refreshing salad.
1B4224C2-2ECA-4CAF-94F6-5056F3F3D5DA An eight ounce Top Sirloin along with five coconut shrimp and choice of potato or fresh vegetables (sautéed in garlic butter) ($13.99) Look at all those vegetables!  The Top Sirloin was cooked to a perfect medium rare and had great flavor, the crispy coconut shrimp were so nice; plump, juicy and crispy.
1B4224C2-2ECA-4CAF-94F6-5056F3F3D5DAPrime Rib ($15.99) was great- medium rare, large and flavorful,  and the salted baked potato made this special meal after a long day just a bit more special.  

We had really liked the breakfast here…dinner was also excellent.  

Peppertree Cafe 1020 E. Route 66 Glendora, CA 91740 Website Sun-Thurs 6 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri-Sat 6a.m.-10 p.m.

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Home Sweet Home Cafe (Escondido)

This is a food blog named mmm-yoso!!! Kirk usually writes here, but is busy navigating various forms of transportation in Europe while vacationing.  Cathy is writing a short post today.

I've often said that everyone has two 'go-to' places to eat a quick meal; one near home and one near work.  Usually those places involve fast food or chains but sometimes the 'near work' choices are even more limited to food trucks or an obscure, long time hole-in-the-wall eatery on a side street in a commercial area of town.914CA8BF-8C7F-4670-BC0F-238E862FEE68 After driving through the Escondido "Mile of Cars", continuing North into the area with all the various businesses located in large industrial buildings (even some repurposed quonset huts), there it is. The name and ownership changed in 2010 but it's been a breakfast-lunch restaurant for more than 20 years.  
914CA8BF-8C7F-4670-BC0F-238E862FEE68There's a 12 seat counter area and two rooms of tables. None of the coffee cups match, there are quirky signs (as well as anything with "Home Sweet Home" imprinted), the tables have advertising for neighboring businesses embedded in the tops (tables were made by a neighboring business).  There is some holiday decor.  I think we interacted with each of the friendly waitresses (who greet 'regulars' by their first name).  A calm, familiar, cozy place.
914CA8BF-8C7F-4670-BC0F-238E862FEE68 The Mister tried the "Devon" Benedict ($11.50)- corned beef hash topped with poached eggs topped with Hollandaise sauce, all on top of a toasted English muffin.  He chose home fries on the side.  Not fancy, but very good.  The hash was plentiful, probably from a can (the diced potatoes were a bit too perfect), the Hollandaise was house made, but didn't have lemon in it (I notice stuff like that).  The potatoes were fried to a crisp edge with creaminess in the center, along with the bell peppers and onions.
914CA8BF-8C7F-4670-BC0F-238E862FEE68 I decided to try the 'French Toast Special' ($11) with three halves of French toast. Ignore the color; it is not burned.  I was asked if I wanted cinnamon on my toast and I asked for it to be on two of the three halves.  The bread was eggy and soft on the inside with the exterior just the right amount of light crisp.  The over-easy eggs were perfectly runny and I had a choice of bacon or sausage links or a sausage patty…oh yes, an excellent sausage patty. 

A great find. Breakfast and lunch are served all day.

Home Sweet Home Cafe 662 Enterprise Street Escondido, CA 92029 (760) 743-2233 Open Mon-Fri 5 a.m.-2 p.m., Sat 5 a.m.-1 p.m., Sun 7 a.m.-1 p.m.
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K Sandwiches (again)

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog. Kirk and His Missus are having an adventure in travel right now and Cathy is writing today's post.  

Kirk's second post about K Sandwiches, written in 2005, was complimentary about the (newly opened) banh mi joint.  K sandwiches thrived for a bit more than ten years. 

Fullsizeoutput_be9 There was a fire in August 2015, requiring a major rebuild.  The eatery finally reopened in January 2018. Lines were long. The menu was refined.  It is still a sandwich place with banh mi, French bread loaves, croissants and various sweets baked daily.

K Sandwiches is a 'regular' stop for The Mister or myself when out and about and eating alone as well as a place for sharing items when we are together.  The food items to be found here are various.
IMG_6103 Bahn mi sandwiches are always made to order. This is the #6, meatball ($4.75), which is quite good combined with the 'usual' banh mi toppings of pickled carrots and radishes along with cilantro and jalapeño slices and some mayonnaise.  The corse ground meat is very 'meatloaf' in style and flavor.  
IMG_8827Fresh made spring rolls, in a variety of meat choices ($3.49), are always a good choice. These shrimp and pork rolls were filled with lettuces, herbs, cucumber, carrot and sprouts.  

Pretty much every beverage we choose here is a black coffee, add half and half ($2.75).

The 'sweet croissant' ($1.65) was a new-to-me item from the grab-it-yourself baked goods area.  Soft yet flaky and still warm; satisfying. 
IMG_8248
IMG_8238 The Honey Mayo Shrimp Croissant ($8.25) is the highest priced sandwich on the menu. Worth it. Lightly covered in rice flour then fried, the shrimp still have a slight crunch even with the mayonnaise coating.  Simply served on shredded lettuce along with a fresh made croissant, this is a wonderfully decadent meal.
IMG_8238The Mister has been ordering the Chicken Curry ($7) since 2007, when he saw someone enjoying it at another table.  You can get it with a banh mi or rice; the banh mi seems to be easier to work with, with all the sauce.  There were three chicken legs in this bowl, along with the onions and potatoes.  Such a great curry flavor! 
 IMG_8265Not much is inedible. That is a very deep bowl. 351C25BC-C5B8-496F-A69E-17C7F790191DSometimes a simple #9, grilled pork banh mi ($4.75) is my craving.  Always fresh and tasty.  I think the warm, grilled-to-order, flavorful pork is part of the comfort.
 2AA6923D-365A-4245-A11B-5A6E437B9A2B There are a few small menus taped to various display racks in the small store.  The Mister saw a "Rice or Noodle Combo, choose two items $7.25". He chose noodles (rice noodles served warm) and his items were grilled beef and pork cha (steamed egg minced pork meatloaf). There are lettuces, cucumber, pickled sprouts and carrots along with the jalapeño.  The dressing is topped with peanuts.  Combine all these flavors and you have Bun Cha, one of my favorite meals at every Vietnamese restaurant. 

K Sandwiches 7604 Linda Vista Rd San Diego, CA 92111 Website Open Mon-Sat 6-9, Sun 8-8

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Crafted Greens (El Cajon)

Here we are, back at mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about food.  Cathy is writing today while Kirk and His Missus are enjoying sights and meals elsewhere.

For about a year, this former Starbucks location has operated in the strip mall which includes Junction Steakhouse and Harvest Ranch Market. Finally, The Mister and I dropped in.  We should have tried it sooner.  0A769030-FB8F-48D3-813B-2F187165EB4F
0A769030-FB8F-48D3-813B-2F187165EB4F
0A769030-FB8F-48D3-813B-2F187165EB4F The menu is above as you walk to the cash register to pay.  
0A769030-FB8F-48D3-813B-2F187165EB4F You can see the fresh ingredients and side dishes for the day.  Once you pay, you get a number, find a seat and everything is brought out to you.   
ABB17926-DC0B-43F5-83F6-12AA0D9A5985 There are two scratch-made soups available, always the tomato-basil ($3.45) and a rotating flavor.  The tomato-basil has a fresh tomato and basil flavors (I know, I need a thesaurus) with a rich, creamy texture and the size of the bowl is good.  Easily can be considered a light meal.
0A769030-FB8F-48D3-813B-2F187165EB4F The flatbreads (there are five to choose from) are all priced the same ($7.95). Margherita was my choice on this Friday (I know, kind of redundant with the tomato soup, but it was a first visit and I wanted to try the 'basics').  A nice, crispy (not overly fluffy/chewy) bread with a good olive oil flavor topped with the Mozzarella, tomatoes and basil.  This is, also, a large portion and enough to be a light meal.  
0A769030-FB8F-48D3-813B-2F187165EB4F The Nicoise Salad ($9.95, add a protein $3(ahi tuna)) was wonderful!  Romaine, Mesclun, green beans, egg, tomatoes, fingerling potatoes, capers, olives, dijon balsamic vinaigrette…all very crisp/fresh/bright in flavors.   The medium rare Ahi tuna was seared with a Cajun seasoning, which was just enough to not need any of the other condiments offered.  

If you order a beverage, you get it yourself the first time (the machine is next to the cash register), but someone is always checking on how your meal is going and will refill your beverage (even water) from the soda machine.

We will be returning to try more of the menu very soon. 

Crafted Greens 745 Jamacha Road El Cajon, CA 92019 (619) 328-4044 Website Open Mon-Sat 11-8:30 Sun 11-8

 

Sichuan City (Mira Mesa)

mmm-yoso!!! welcomes you back after the long Thanksgiving weekend.  Kirk and His Missus are still enjoying their country hopping vacation and Cathy is holding down the fort here in San Diego.

In the first San Diego H-Mart location, the north end of the parking lot has been home to three restaurants; one has changed names a few times recently.  It had been Golden State Seafood (where Faye used to go with family) for more than 20 years and then in early 2018 the owners sold and it changed to Spicy Hut, which abruptly changed the name in May of 2018 to Sichuan City (it's the same owner).
5995008E-3186-427F-85FC-9D29B551CF16 

1614F5EA-EF48-47FA-8D35-95513CD2A1141614F5EA-EF48-47FA-8D35-95513CD2A114 As with all Szechuan restaurants, there's an area of Cold Dishes to choose from, located in the dining area.  A plate is $7 with up to three choices.   
C1D60790-C7BD-486D-B970-18A86C9EC637On this visit, we chose only two- the smoked chicken and smacked cucumbers. We munched on the flavorful smoked chicken and tried a few cucumbers while waiting for our order.  The garlic-y crisp cucumbers were saved to accompany the meal.  
22181B3D-FFD4-41F8-8147-2C7395AE91FA On another visit, we shared an onion pancake ($3.99) with our meal.  Wonderfully layered and light crispiness complimented that meal and the onion flavor was not overpowering. F2DB7A5D-129A-4852-9633-C1941CABB638 00CAEDA4-DF60-457D-AAF6-0D3E3B208D0300CAEDA4-DF60-457D-AAF6-0D3E3B208D03 Juicy Dumplings ($8.99) were fresh made and did have a thin skin, with only one losing it's soup filling when I accidentally tore it when lifting from the papered steam basket.  The soup filling itself was flavorful and the pork filling was meaty; a good sized bite.  BCE90B10-C110-4984-BF45-47C28FA3639A The single cooked noodle soup (rice noodle) ($7.99) was a good choice one chilly day.  Ground pork, pickled vegetables, fresh cilantro and green onion along with a rich flavorful broth rounded out the bowl, complimented by the round and thick chewy noodles.  
9EB8B39C-3C10-4B49-BAF5-7346677C35A2 The fish filet in garlic brown sauce ($12.99) included tofu and mushrooms as well as carrot and onion.  A filling plate of garlic goodness.  We did order a side of rice ($1.50) to go with this (well, to go with the sauce) and the plate was a meal in itself.
22181B3D-FFD4-41F8-8147-2C7395AE91FA Shredded pork with pickled vegetable ($10.99) was not quite what we expected, but it was good. (I had expected pickled vegetables like those on top of the noodle soup, above). The pork, by itself…I could taste the flavors, including ginger, and it was a good stir fry of pork. Those fresh chilis…good (and sweet/spicy) on their own, but when combined with a bite of pork, overwhelmed all other flavors.  Not really a complaint (the menu did show two chilis indicating heat) but the fresh chilis were a surprise.  We did take home leftovers and separated the chilis from the pork and the heat level was just right for a second meal.

We will be back to try more of the menu Faye's post includes photos of the whole menu, linked here

Sichuan City 9460 E8 Mira Mesa Blvd San Diego 92126 (in the HMart parking lot). (858) 578-8818 Mon-Fri 11-3, 5-9:30 Sat-Sun 11-9:30

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Eat A Pita (El Cajon)

The writer of mmm-yoso!!! today is Cathy, because Kirk (and His Missus) are on vacation, gathering photos and memories of lovely meals.  

In August, a new restaurant opened in the Vons-anchored mall on Avocado at Chase in El Cajon.  The Mister and I found ourselves at Eat A Pita a few weeks ago and decided to drop in for lunch.  

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Walk in, order, pay, get your own beverage, find a seat. Food is brought to you. The interior is spacious, with many seating areas.
565B934F-AE92-4798-98E1-0E2CADA17A93 A cup of lentil soup ($3.50) was an automatic choice.  The flavor with herbs and spices and the well cooked lentils, was fresh and just a wonderful soup. 
565B934F-AE92-4798-98E1-0E2CADA17A93 On another visit, I tried a cup of the lemon rice soup, which was even nicer, with the fresh lemon 'zip'.  Each bowl included a fresh, warm pita half, which went well with each soup.
565B934F-AE92-4798-98E1-0E2CADA17A93 6D6AEBE5-ECB6-4A41-90C1-5A4F10E046BE A side order of falafel with tzatziki ($3.99) was also an automatic order for me, and another great choice.  Lightly crisp exterior and fluffy, herby interior of mashed garbanzos along with the house made yogurt-cucumber dip, was just a perfect addition to one of the meals.  
565B934F-AE92-4798-98E1-0E2CADA17A93 The Mezza Trio ($6.99).  I chose the classic hummus, tabouleh and baba ghanoush.  This was a nice way to try a few items on the menu without ordering full sizes. Each item was definitely fresh made and bright with flavor.  The classic hummus was very fresh; the Greek olive oil is unique and the tahini with its sesame stood on its own, with the garlic not being overpowering. The olive oil and lemon dressing on the tabbouleh made the parsley, tomatoes and finely chopped cucumber flavors jump while the crunch from the cracked wheat bits rounded out the texture.  The ghanoush had a great smoky flavor, great tahini/sesame flavor and smooth texture.  I was eating it with a spoon and not using the accompanying pita bread. 
565B934F-AE92-4798-98E1-0E2CADA17A93The Mediterranean salad ($6.25-make it a large, add $2.54=$8.79), add on gyros ($2.50) made a large, satisfying meal (the bowl is deep).  The salad has chickpeas, olives, cucumber and a large topping of tabbouleh along with crispy pita chips.  The addition of gyros filled out the bowl.  Everything, again, was so very fresh.   
565B934F-AE92-4798-98E1-0E2CADA17A93 We were here on a Saturday, when the Pita of the Day was  Chicken Souvlaki ($6) (you can see the daily pitas above and in front of the menu which is on the wall in the second photo above).  Moist, flavorful nicely grilled chicken pieces; a great souvlaki. It was topped with a mild tahini.  We did ask for a sample of the garlic sauce, CEB34FD0-9795-4E74-9057-097F16A77E7D
 which was also complimentary to the flavors, but I think unnecessary overall.

We'll be stopping here to try more of the menu.

Eat a Pita 1255 Avocado Avenue (at Chase)(SE corner) El Cajon 92020 (619)447-1500 Website Mon-Tue-Wed-Fri-Sat 11-10, Thursday 11-6, Sunday 11-11

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2020 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade Road Tests #5 and #6, breakfasts at Michael’s Superburgers (Irwindale) and other (regular) stops

mmm-yoso!!! is primarily a food blog.  So many events revolve around finding a place for a meal.  Cathy (and Her Mister) have a regular pastime of viewing the Tournament of Roses Rose Parade floats being tested for mechanics and maneuverability before being decorated and participating in the Parade on January 1.  Here's another post.

Link to Road Test #1

Link to Road Test #2

Link to Road Test #3

Link to Road Test #4

The Tournament of Roses is only a few weeks away. There are so many activities which will happen the week between Christmas and January 2- you can find comprehensive and updated listings in The Rose Examiner.  The tournament is not just the Parade and the football game; there is Bandfest, Equestfest, Sip and Savor, Rose Bowl Bash, Rose Bowl Hall of Fame Induction and the Showcase of Floats.  So much to see and do to ring in the New Year!

The past few months have been unusually busy for The Mister and myself that I didn't post the October Float Road Test at Phoenix Decorating Company in Irwindale. Here are a few photos (some are 'before and after') of both test days.

2FE73FD8-25DD-4F00-AC86-45712D9A497D1A1912EC-D742-4A75-BE3D-799DD8BA52D4"Planting Seeds of Hope", presented by the Sikh American Float Foundation, describes the 2020 float: "Bhai Ghaneya Singh, a devout Sikh, leads the float as he symbolically pours water from his sheepskin vessel. He is remembered for his selfless service to all humanity with love, respect, compassion and humility. The water flows onto large sculpted flowers each supporting children from diverse backgrounds. A fantasy garden provides the backdrop to a nurturing environment in which we celebrate our greatest hope for the future….our children." Each year, I learn something from the Sikh float.
FC46B36C-5350-4382-B6C8-51F5801B58D36E822ECD-5C64-41E9-8766-1A9D8710F423The SCAN Foundation has a float in the Rose Parade for the first time.  The title of "Hope's Heroes" reflects the definition of this organization, "an independent public charity devoted to transforming care for older adults in ways that preserve dignity and encourage independence".
2FE73FD8-25DD-4F00-AC86-45712D9A497D7998B9F8-C9B8-4AD4-838C-CA039CB42CA6Shriners Hospitals for Children has the theme of "Hope Knows No Limits" and features Fezzy Bear pushing a young girl, with a below the knee prosthesis, on a swing.
2FE73FD8-25DD-4F00-AC86-45712D9A497DTrader Joe, the Fearless Flyer, is depicted on the 2020 float, "It Takes a Flight of Fancy"… 
2FE73FD8-25DD-4F00-AC86-45712D9A497D spinning in a pickle barrel!56635F06-F121-4ACB-911A-07B4A3D1F431Western Asset's 2020 Rose Parade entry, "Growing a Better Tomorrow" is quite a large float, depicting a series of tree houses in an exotic setting.  Magnificent!
2FE73FD8-25DD-4F00-AC86-45712D9A497D 9EDA1BBA-EF48-4F60-B208-0A8A80B8750FThe 'Banner Float" is colored in and ready to be decorated to display the theme of the parade at the start.  
2FE73FD8-25DD-4F00-AC86-45712D9A497DThe final two floats of the parade
2FE73FD8-25DD-4F00-AC86-45712D9A497D will relay the upcoming Tournament of Roses Rose Bowl football game, to be played at 2 p.m. on January 1.

Decorating (dry/detail) begins Saturday December 7 (and the following Saturdays before Christmas) then the fresh flowers arrive and daily decorating from December 26 forward.  There are links to sign up for volunteering on the Phoenix Decorating Company site.

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On to the Food portion of the blog.  In October, The Mister and I stopped at 'the usual' place- Cream Pan in Tustin for a sandwich, a ham and cheese croissant and a strawberry croissant. B7B562C1-058D-4A7E-827F-01AA67A83AB9B7B562C1-058D-4A7E-827F-01AA67A83AB9B7B562C1-058D-4A7E-827F-01AA67A83AB9 After the float road test, we (again) returned to Portos in West Covina, where we shared 88C1CAE5-7C6A-4BD0-A99F-87E6551B66A988C1CAE5-7C6A-4BD0-A99F-87E6551B66A9 an "Omelette Plato" ($6.45)-a cheese omelette topped with avocado and tomato which comes with crispy Spanish potatoes and an arugula salad tossed with a lemon vinaigrette.  Filling, refreshing and there's enough room for other items…since this was the last weekend of October,  
88C1CAE5-7C6A-4BD0-A99F-87E6551B66A988C1CAE5-7C6A-4BD0-A99F-87E6551B66A9 Dia de los Muerto decorated cookies and Pan de Muertos were purchased.  The soft, eggy bread was filled with candied orange peel and orange blossom water; a wonderful bread.  

Also, seasonal potato balls were available: 061C7F81-2F57-4DE0-A645-6C780927A19E filled with turkey, gravy and vegetables, rolled in a well seasoned crust, these are a very special treat (and only $1.05!). [photo credit to canine cologne

We stopped at the Kolache Factory yesterday and 23E79896-B846-4ECD-9E2E-E63184A4ACF8 the seasonal turkey with stuffing kolache was available (along with our 'always order' of a bacon and cheese kolache).  Seasonal offerings are always special.  

When leaving the Road Test, we went one signal light South and then East to the next signal light. 61A929ED-3068-482A-8B92-FE8E5F29D7F1On the Southwest corner of Arrow Highway and Vincent, this signage made me take a turn into the parking lot. 
61A929ED-3068-482A-8B92-FE8E5F29D7F1The breakfast menu behind the counter is straightforward.  
61A929ED-3068-482A-8B92-FE8E5F29D7F1I haven't ordered a bacon and egg sandwich ($6.99) in a while; have forgotten what I am missing.  White bread, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, four thick slices of crispy bacon and a beautiful runny egg. Simple perfection.  
61A929ED-3068-482A-8B92-FE8E5F29D7F1D51ACBDB-946E-4556-AA5A-03F58628CAC2 The Mister ordered a chili cheese omelet ($9.99).  At least there eggs, filled with cheese, topped with a really good chili that was topped with more cheese.  Again, perfection. His toast was sourdough, the hash browns were wonderfully crisp. 

Need to stop at the local places; follow the New Year Resolution.

Michael's Superburgers 16350 Arrow Highway Irwindale, CA 91706 Open daily 6 a.m.-midnight Website

98CDF303-982B-4C99-BC28-97B5773B02AD The Cowboy Channel has a float in the parade; it's under construction. Link to artist rendition of some of the 2020 Rose Parade floats

 

 

Andell’s Bakery and Kitchen (Rancho Penasquitos)-Filipino and Vietnamese (and cake)

Thanks for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!! on this busy weekend before Thanksgiving.  Kirk is taking a break (with His Missus) and Cathy is writing for a few days.  

Another day of driving without a plan.  The Mister and I took the 56 to Rancho Penasquitos Boulevard and drove straight on Carmel Mountain Road to the first light and into the mall on the North.  There were few lunch choices: a coffee shop, a taco shop and this 'bakery'.  

17DE9D3E-0A47-4BDB-BB1A-3887B70196AC_1_201_a
D319D54A-FC3C-4E24-A0FF-2AFE70A182EA There were some signs in the window and a sandwich board out front.  Of course we walked in. 
BE5CF8BB-0EFC-4741-9ECE-D95F3604269C Menu boards behind the ordering area,
D319D54A-FC3C-4E24-A0FF-2AFE70A182EA also on the wall…a few tables and counter eating spaces inside.  We found a great variety of choices for lunch. 
D319D54A-FC3C-4E24-A0FF-2AFE70A182EA 2057B7DB-E12A-41FB-885A-1265C7BB3002The Daily Specials (only on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday) listed Kang Kai Kole (a South Thai chicken curry) ($8.99) this day.  Southern Thai food is essentially mild and Kang Kai is a simple curry paste, made with fresh ingredients (not a packet of paste)- Here is a recipe.  This curry from Andell's was thick and very fresh tasting (there were bits of ground coriander in the curry paste along with cumin, cinnamon and turmeric along with the salty shrimp paste and a bit of tamarind and some sweet from palm sugar).  There was a whole chicken thigh, carrots, onion and potato over a nice amount of (a better quality) rice. This curry is a new favorite. 

D319D54A-FC3C-4E24-A0FF-2AFE70A182EASince it was Friday (when I don't eat meat) and also because it looked good, a Pandesal with sardines and olives ($4.50) was my order.  The bread is baked fresh here.  It was perfect, toasted and filled with the mashed mix of sardine with olives. Just large enough for a meal without leftovers. 
D319D54A-FC3C-4E24-A0FF-2AFE70A182EA There is signage everywhere for The Original Londres Sponge Cake, so I ordered a slice ($3.75).  The flavors available were durian and pandan.  We do like coconut. This sponge cake, filled with a fresh Bavarian Cream was very large (we took half home) and very flavorful, with a perfect sponge and a perfect cream.

Definitely will stop to try other flavors of Londres, along with other menu items. This family owned (and open since 2007) bakery and kitchen is a gem of a neighborhood find. 

Andell's Bakery and Kitchen 9926 Carmel Mountain Road San Diego, CA 92129 (858)538-8308 Website Open Wed-Sun 7 am-2 pm, Closed Monday and Tuesday

Tea Station-another post

Thanks for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!!.  Kirk has been posting a lot lately and is taking a break from blogging to catch up with things.  Cathy is writing today.  

There have been a few posts here about Tea Station: briefly mentioned in 2007 then I finally wrote a post in 2011, 2012,  third post in 2013, and most recently in 2016, a 'regular' stop for The Mister and myself when we are in the area. 

IMG_0036
You can walk in and order 'to go', or step to the right, find a table and seat yourself.  Menus are delivered quickly. 
IMG_0036 We always order a pot of tea which is brewed to order.  This visit, it was Pu-Erh (a smoky black tea with camomile) ($6.25).  Brisk, refreshing and so very good. 
IMG_0036 IMG_0020 There are several menu choices which you can order as a "Set" (rice plus a trio of sides of the day) for an additional $5.  This day, the order was the Garlic Wing Set ($11.75).  The wings-crispy and garlic-y skin, meaty and moist wings. As always, a quality steamed rice. The Set was a wonderful potato salad, a toothsome cooked cabbage sort-of-slaw and a meaty curry with tofu.  Quite a lot of food.

IMG_0036The beef dumpling soup ($13.75) was served in a deep bowl, topped with preserved vegetables.
IMG_0036 IMG_0031 The soup was also filled with vegetables and the dumplings (ten) had a definite tea infusion/flavor.  

Always tasty and satisfying food and tea here, with a wide variety of menu selections.

Tea Station 7315 Clairmont Mesa Blvd San Diego, CA 92111 (858) 268-8198 Open 11:30-midnight daily Website 7739206B-FE88-49D0-B629-5E9012507204_1_201_a

Sunny Side Kitchen (Escondido)

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog, with most posts written by Kirk. Cathy writes posts when Kirk needs a break. Today, it's Cathy's turn.

The Mister and I were in Escondido and turned onto a side street (Orange Street), noticed a few tables on the sidewalk with a sandwich board menu. We had to stop. 

B9DD93F2-844C-4A86-92C6-C5C751B61E02 Sunny Side Kitchen started out as a stand at North County Farmers Markets in 2013 and then migrated to popping up at various North County breweries and eventually moved into this brick and mortar location in 2015.  It's open from 6:30-2:30 Monday-Saturday (and does a lot of local catering).
B9DD93F2-844C-4A86-92C6-C5C751B61E02
03B6035D-1053-4F27-981C-5069082DD1A8Walk in, check out another menu board as well as the wall menu, order, pay and find a seat. Your food will be brought to you. There are four tables and some barstools inside and three tables out front. 
03B6035D-1053-4F27-981C-5069082DD1A8We were here on Friday, when the Soup of the Day ($4) was clam chowder.  A wonderful, lighter version (still creamy, but not gloppy), filled with potato, celery, onion and plenty of canned clams, this did nt need any condiments added in- usually salt and pepper are needed and this soup was just perfectly seasoned.
03B6035D-1053-4F27-981C-5069082DD1A8The Quiche of the Day ($5.75) was green chili and was *wonderful*-like a chile relleno; cheesy, eggy, fluffy with strips of green chile. The no crust quiche made it a 'lighter' meal.
03B6035D-1053-4F27-981C-5069082DD1A8 One of the sandwich boards had a "Thanksgiving Salad" listed and we ordered the half size ($6.75).  The bowl it was served in is deceptively deep and there was plenty of turkey in between all the mixed greens, along with some onions, raisins, candied pecans, craisins and blue cheese. The cranberry citrus vinaigrette was complimentary to all the other flavors. 

Everything is fresh, made to order and really good.  We will be returning to try the breakfast menu.  

Sunny Side Kitchen 155 S. Orange Street Escondido, CA 92025 (760) 294-4450 (between Valley Parkway and 2nd Avenue) Open Monday-Saturday 6:30-2:30 Closed Sunday Website

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