What Cathy Eats! – Page 35

2018 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float decorating. Meals from THH, Kolache Factory(Tustin) and Johnny’s Shrimp Boat (West Covina)

December 9, 2017 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, Orange County, Road Trip, Vietnamese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for once again stopping to read mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog which sometimes (like today) shows the events surrounding the acquisition of meals. Kirk (and His Missus) are still on vacation and Cathy is writing.

Less than a month before the Tournament of Roses and float decoration has begun. The Mister and I were awake early last Saturday and got to the Phoenix Decorating Company barn in Irwindale before 8:30. So did a few hundred other people. We were there to do 'dry' decorating (fresh flowers and other fresh products start after Christmas).

I've been showing you road tests of the 2018 floats for the past few months (prior road tests linked at the top of that post), so you know in general what you are going to see. You can see artist renditions of these floats at this link.

If you'd like to read more about the Tournament and all its activities, this link to The Rose Examiner, is an excellent resource.

The Opening Unit, displaying the banner of the Theme of the 2018 parade- "Making A Difference" will be the first float you see.
The statice, in three colors, was ready for cutting. (In the background is the End Unit; last float you'll see in the parade). The statice petals (as well as other materials) are then blended in one of these BlendTec blenders and the powder is glued on parts of the float-makes the product be used efficiently. All visible parts of every float must be covered with natural materials. The scaffolds weren't set up and people were working at the lower levels on the City of Alhambra's float, "Story Time"
This material is 'paper bark'- it is prepared using stainless steel scrubbers, to be smooth- the product in the boxes in back is ready for application on the float.
Even rice is put in those blenders. The powder covers much more on a surface.An excellent example of rice powder- the inner ceiling of this three-part Honda float,which looks like this… The powdered rice is applied to the backs of the 'clouds' on the bottom the float; if it is visible, it has natural materials.

Palm bark is also used for decorating. The useable product is in the small box on top of the table.
The design on the back of the "Armenian Roots" float is similar to the Armenian Orphan rug, woven by Armenian genocide victims as a gift to President Coolidge – the tassels are raffia grass.

If you can enlarge, the black parts of the butterfly are black beans. The edge of the hearts are covered with red straw flower petals, which were not powdered: texture.Enlarging this photo shows the orange parts of this unique butterfly are lentils.
These yellow with orange edged roses are being covered with powdered yellow straw flowers. There will be about 30 of these flowers on the City of Hope Medical Center float, "Transforming Lives with Hope".
Rotary International's float, "Sowing the Seeds of Service" was being decorated from the climbing scaffolding- the hat is covered with Pac-Pac, a braided straw (you can see some Pac-Pac on the top step).
Here is the front of "Armenian Roots", depicting Mother Armenia and pomegranates, a symbolic fruit of Armenia.
Shriners Hospitals, "Caring for Kids Around the World" will be filled with details.
Lions Clubs International, "Preserving Our Environment" has multiple details, like these cattails, partly covered in dried parsnip. The Oddfellows and Rebbekahs float, "Sacrifice to Serve" has pictographs on both sides of the float. Much detail work will be completed over the next few weeks.
Kiwanis, "Racing to Serve Children" is so cute!
These are the red straw flowers, mentioned above.
The Lutheran Layman's League float, "Bringing Christ to the Nations". The Mister and I volunteer with their group, the Petal Pushers and are assigned to assist on whichever float needs assistance; our volunteering helps pay for this float, the only Christian themed float in the parade, now for the 68th year.
Detail for the Western Asset float, "Oceans of Possibility".
The United Sikh Mission float, "Serving Kindness" depicts the Sikh Langar, the worlds largest free kitchen, which serves over 100,000 meals a day and is in line with the theme of this parade "Making a Difference"
This is a 'tag along' to the Trader Joe's float,
which was still undergoing some mechanical corrections last week…the title, "Hats Off"…you'll see.

On to the food portion of this blog.

Tustin, the same parking lot and indecision for breakfast. The Mister went to the business on the left, Kolache Factory and I went to the business on the right, THH Sandwiches. An apricot and a bacon-cheese kolache from The Factory. A chicken and a pork pate chaud from THH. Enough protein to sustain and some nice carbs to enjoy.

Kolache Factory 14091 Newport Avenue Tustin 92780 (714) 730-2253 Website

THH 14081 Newport Ave Tustin, CA (714)731-1366 Open Mon-Sat 5 a.m.-7:30 p.m., Sun 7 am-4 pm website

We brought lunch, enjoyed in the industrial park area surrounding the decorating barn, consisting of sandwiches brought from home…

Worked until about 5 p.m. and started driving South on Vincent, one signal light East. The street name changed at some point to Glendora and we were in West Covina. We had passed here a few times this year, but Johnny's Shrimp Boat doesn't open until 9:30 a.m.. Look at it. We had to stop.
The menu is simple- there are specials for $6.95, $7.95 and $8.95. All have the option of a side consisting of rice with beans, gravy, chili or fries (or just fries) (and pretty much any combination of those items). Menu items consist of shrimp, fish, hamburger steak, pork chop, short ribs and teriyaki (beef, chicken or shrimp).
You order, pay, have a seat. There's no tipping jar. The young man out in front as well as the chef are very nice and know the 'regulars'. Your food is handed to you over the counter.
We tried the two fish, four shrimp combo with rice and beans ($7.95). The beans were plain and needed to have hot sauce added (there were condiments on the counter).

Both the fish and the shrimp were a good size, and perfectly batter fried.

There was a window sign for a $5 shrimp cocktail. It had five large, plump shrimp, was in a nicely spiced sauce with cucumber, onion, tomato and avocado…a great deal.

Good food, nice people, a great find. (Trivia: A scene from Cobra, a Stallone film, was filmed inside the Los Angeles location of Johnny's Shrimp Boat)
Johnny's Shrimp Boat 803 S. Glendora West Covina, 91790 (626) 813-3818 Open daily 9:30-9

Thanks for reading!

Mémo’s Bagel Cafe (Rancho San Diego)

December 6, 2017 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, the food blog you are reading, is a compilation of varied meal experiences. Today, while Kirk (and His Missus) are vacationing in another part of the world, Cathy is writing about a local place where She and Her Mister had a quick breakfast.

In late 2014, I told cc about a place with an intriguing name. It was a busy time of the year for me, but she went to the small storefront, next to a 7-11 named Pistachios, in Rancho San Diego and posted about it three times. When I had the time, late in the Summer/early Autumn of 2015, Pistachios was a monthly stop. When finally ready to post about it, I went for a final visit (to confirm current prices), it was closed.

I had heard it "was moving just across the street", but when I had the time to look, there never was a 'Pistachios' storefront anywhere. Fast forward to last week when The Mister and I were driving around with no plan except to find breakfast. We stopped here- Memo's Bagel Cafe.
The bagel display looked the same as Pistachios had.
So did the items being sold from the inside refrigerated section(although Pistachios had some of those items, notably the Middle Eastern flat breads, sold fresh and warm). There were pre-packed boxes of baklava next to the cash register- with the Pistachios label! We found it. The storefront is smaller, but one of the main draws for me-housemade bagels-were back.
Egg, cheese, sausage on an everything bagel ($4.75) was great- a good, thick, quality sausage, Swiss cheese, fluffy egg and the fresh, toasty bagel. It was perfect and as I remembered it.
"The Works" ($5.75)- egg, cheese, bacon, turkey and ham on a spinach parmesan bagel. So good, so tasty, so much (quality) meat. You can see the bagel itself has a green tinge from the spinach. By itself, this bagel is tasty.

The similarities between here and my favorite bagel place, PL Bagel are that both are family owned, the bagels are not overly large and the whole bagel is covered-
with the toppings- the bottoms aren't 'plain'.

Mémo's is a lot closer than Point Loma…so there will be further exploration of the menu.

Mémo's Bagel Cafe 2650 Jamacha Road, Suite 163 El Cajon, CA 92019 (619)660-1300 Mon-Sat 6-4, Sun 7-3

EaThai Bistro (San Diego/Rolando)

December 5, 2017 Cathy Thai Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, the name of the food blog you are reading. Now that you know why Kirk hasn't been posting much…He and His Missus are on a well deserved vacation…Cathy is holding down the fort and posting about another San Diego restaurant.

Maybe you remember when Kirk posted about Chinese Kitchen, the first time a two part post in 2006 and a follow up in 2009. It was the place with the literal 'hole in the wall' for ordering…had been there since the 1980's (when The Mister and I frequented the inexpensive take out establishment), which closed about five months ago.
You don't have to order at the window any more, there are 14 seats with tabletops as well as an area to wait if you order or are picking up 'to go'.
We were given complimentary Thai iced tea, since they are still in their opening phase (regular $2.50). It was not too sweet, and the tea portion had a pleasant, spiced flavor.
We also were given small cups of vegetable tom kha soup, which was very good. I might just order a bowl on one of our wintery-cool days.
The Thai sausages appetizer ($7.95) was wonderful! The coarse grind pork sausages are made here, have a skin with a snap and has the wonderful bit of sour taste. They are different than other house made Thai sausage (the ones made at Supanne House of Thai which are herb filled), yet delicious on their own, served with ginger, cabbage, cucumber and peanuts.
Thai Style papaya salad ($7.95) was fresh made (I heard shredding in the kitchen), at a level of "2", which was just enough chili pepper/heat to still be able to taste the green beans, tomatoes, garlic and dried shrimp along with the peanuts. It was really good. I am eager to try the Lao style of this salad on my next visit- made with fish sauce and the 50 cent optional addition of salted crab. The larb ($8.95, chicken) wasn't quite what we are used to- there were no crunchy (roasted rice) bits, so the texture was not as interesting; thinking it was forgotten. The lime juice, onions, cilantro and mint were all very good and fresh.

All in all, a good choice of food for this part of town.

cc has been here, too!

EaThai Bistro 6160 University (North side, just East of College Avenue) San Diego 92115 Open Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Closed Sunday (619)583-8888

Ranchwood BBQ (La Mesa) (revisit)

December 1, 2017 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, BBQ, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog of randomness. Once again, Cathy is writing, because Kirk deserves some time off.

It's been more than two years since my first Ranchwood BBQ post. In the interim, there was a fire and the Ranchwood storefront was closed for more than a year (The fire occurred in April 2016…the restaurant reopened June 2017…but I read of some catering done in between). As you walk up, you can smell the smoke, if the wind is right.
The menu choices have remained the same (the prices have increased slightly).
The interior (and seating out front) is new, with a few more seats than the old picnic benches, still keeping the SDSU color scheme.

The Tri-Tip sandwich ($7.99) is served on a lovely toasted sesame seed bun, topped with slaw and the red (there is a yellow) BBQ sauce. The flavors melded in a good way-the smoke plus sweet of the (catsup based?) red sauce plus the slaw (which has celery seed) with the toasty crunch of the roll. There is a small smoke ring on the Tri-Tip and the meat was tender and moist. It didn't need much of the sauce.
The pulled pork plate ($10.99) comes with a choice of two sides as well as two slices of white bread. The Mister chose cole slaw and onion rings for the sides. Again, the slaw, with the celery seed, was just right (not overdressed, crispy and fresh) and the onion rings were whole, battered and fried perfectly. The plate was very heavy-it felt like more than a pound. The pork? A very nice smoke flavor, which I thought went better with the yellow (mustard based/tangy BBQ sauce). There's a tiny bit of 'bark' in that above photo-a crunchy edge of the pork; crispy and smokier.

Ranchwood BBQ & Catering 7229 El Cajon Blvd San Diego 92115 Website Open daily 11-9

Izzy’s Cafe (return visit) (El Cajon)

November 29, 2017 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping by and reading mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk is just busy right now, so Cathy is writing.

It's been almost five years since my Izzy's Cafe post. This El Cajon restaurant, open daily from 7-2 (now it is open on Sunday, but stopped doing dinner) has been at this corner of Broadway at Crosby for about 20 years.
The interior and table decor has remained the same (if you order coffee($2.50), you get whatever cup design is available) and the breakfast menu (at the bottom of this post) is fairly basic; the same ingredients in different combinations, prepared very well.
The diced ham scramble ($9.75) is made with the in-house mesquite smoked ham (Izzy's has it's own wood pit barbecue), cheese and three eggs, served with a choice of sides (these country potatoes or hash browns or grits)as well as a choice of muffin, biscuit, fresh fruit or toast (rye, of course was my order). {The list of daily muffin choices is on the white board at the front door}. We both asked for a side of the house made salsa, which is wonderful. I always add condiments after about halfway through a meal, making it seem like a different entree.
Also on the white board at the front door are daily specials, The Mister chose this one-two blueberry pancakes (made with fresh blueberries), two eggs and two sausage (or bacon) ($10.50). The pancakes were light with crisp edges and the plump blueberries were warm and burst with flavor- I didn't think the cakes needed syrup. The sausage is local made and large. It's a skinned type, made with mild (not traditional breakfast sausage) spices. The eggs were perfectly over easy.

Another nice meal at a local institution.

Izzy's Cafe 1252 Broadway El Cajon 92021 (619) 447-5067 Open daily 7-2

Saigon Pho & Seafood Restaurant (revisits)(City Heights)

November 28, 2017 Cathy Vietnamese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Here you are, back at mmm-yoso!!!, reading about food. Kirk and His Missus are having a memorable time together and Cathy is doing the blogging.

These chilly mornings and warm afternoons have been pleasantly 'Autumn/Summer' for the past few weeks. Food choices are something The Mister and I have great discussions about each day near lunch time…hot or cold; spicy or mild; forks, fingers or chopsticks…

We've returned again to Saigon Pho & Seafood. (Kirk has been here, too.)

The signage hasn't changed, nor have the dual 'one way' entrances (both going in the same direction).
The giant fish tank is still here. The Goi Tom Thit ($12.99) pork, shrimp and jellyfish salad-always refreshing and vegetable filled. I do really enjoy celery and this salad has it, along with bamboo, carrots, mint and peanuts. The pork and shrimp are chilled and the meld of flavors are just right.
The soup, Mang Cua ($4.95 small) crab meat with white asparagus was just the right amount of flavors to have in one meal. The soup has egg, peas, carrots, bamboo, cilantro and onion and the small size is just enough for a light meal.

The Bo Bia ($4.25)- daikon and carrot rolls with Chinese sausage and egg are served with a peanut sauce. I've been trying sausages of various ethnicities lately and these Chinese ones were very flavorful and still warm when served. An amazing amount of flavors; different from the 'plain' shrimp and pork rolls we usually get. Trying different items from the menu has always been a winner here. Cha Banh Xeo ($8.95), a crispy crepe filled with pork, shrimp, bean sprouts, onion and mung beans is ordered before we look at the menu. Each Vietnamese place uses the same ingredients, yet each plate presented is unique in flavor. The sprouts here are very lightly steamed and the crispiness, combined with the crepe, pork and shrimp, wrapped in lettuce with some mint, dipped in the fish sauce is clean and bright in flavor.I tried this Bun Tau Hu Ky Thit Nuong ($8.95). Char grilled pork, rolled and shrimp in bean curd skin with cold vermicelli and salad greens, sliced cucumber and mint as well as pickled carrots, radish and chopped peanuts. This is so fresh, refreshing and flavorful on a hot day. The Mister ordered the stir fried shrimp and vegetables and was asked if he wanted crispy noodles and he answered in the affirmative. The carrots, broccoli and cabbage along with canned corn and the plump shrimp coated in a velvet 'gravy' on top of the crispy egg noodles was quite a comfort food. I decided to try the Tom Tai Chanh ($11.99)- rare shrimp salad served with lemon sauce. This was wonderful- the vegetables (carrots, cucumber, celery and radish) were thinly sliced the 'long way' with a potato peeler or mandoline and were just so very different. The shrimp were so plump and had been cooked in lemon (or maybe lime, it appears) juice. The addition of the fish sauce based 'dressing' enhanced all of the flavors.

It's always a fun and tasty adventure trying out the menu here.

Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant 4455 El Cajon Boulevard San Diego 92115 (619)284-4215 Open Sun-Th 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Fri-Sat 9a.m.-11 p.m.

Franco’s Flapjack Family Restaurant (Poway)

November 27, 2017 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

Thank you for (once again) stopping to read mmm-yoso!!! This food blog is just that, a blog.Today, Cathy is writing about a haooenstance meal while Kirk is still enjoying a bit of a vacation.

The Mister and I were driving North on the 15, intending to have a quick breakfast at Nutmeg Bakery and Cafe when the traffic in front of us just stopped. I took the Poway Road exit East. We hadn't been here in quite a while (years) and the area hasn't changed much. As we passed this signage, I took a U turn.

I had heard of Franco's in Bonita (from cc's post) but didn't know about a Poway location. After doing some research, it seems this location opened in August. We were greeted immediately (just before the lunch rush) and sat in the cooler back room area (there was a lot of sun in the front part). The Mister chose the chicken fried steak, which comes with three eggs (over easy, perfectly cooked) and home fries as well as a choice of toast or fresh baked muffin (there were about six choices; this was cappuccino and had a really nice coffee flavor-a quality, baked to order muffin). The chicken fried steak had a delightful thin, crisp crust and the steak was just about the perfect thickness. The gravy had sausage bits but not much pepper, which was fine-we added after tasting. I like having an option.

When walking in, the white board had a daily special of a Monte Cristo ($10). A good amount of quality turkey and ham with two slices of cheese on some hearty white bread cooked in a French toast manner. The only thing missing was some sort of jam or syrup and we did open a couple of jam/jelly packets from the tabletop condiment selection. I was asked what side I wanted….french fries were the first option and insteadI asked for a side salad-making this meal a 'brunch'. This was quite a large salad (deceptive photography of the plate) and very satisfying.

A good find. Maybe next time, we'll try the flapjacks.

Franco's Flapjack Family Restaurant 14034 Poway Road Poway 92064 (858) 883-2516 Open daily 7-3

Hunter Steakhouse

November 26, 2017 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Steakhouse, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk is busily enjoying some days off (from work and the blog) and Cathy is writing about meals enjoyed.

If you drive West on the 8, just before you get to the 5, on the North side of "Hotel Circle", you may have noticed the signage.

Once you wiggle your way around and get to Camino Del Rio North, find the parking lot and walk up… the lobby area gives you a peek as to the decorating style of your dining area. Ah, the 1970's, when many restaurants were designed to look like they were log cabins, with dark paint, much wood and river rock surrounded fireplaces.

This restaurant (one of two in the county-the other location is in Oceanside off the 5 at the 78) is a great throwback, in looks and in the menu.
We were here for lunch.

Once you order, a fresh, warm half loaf of molasses bread (with softened unsalted butter) is brought out. The crisped crust is thin and has the subtle sweetness of molasses glazed on it, it's a bit more sweet than the molasses in the bread itself. We decided to try the lunch menu's 'Appetizer Sampler' ($12) as one of our meals. Three items: 1)Lump crabmeat stuffed mushrooms, topped with Monterey Jack cheese; wonderful, large, fresh and so very good. 2)Calamari, in a cornmeal batter, fried in onion and sweet red peppers and topped with an ancho chili mayonnaise; perfectly crisp, not oily and substantial in size. 3)Potato skins; I haven't had any in such a long time and these were so very good.
Our other meal came with a choice of soup or salads (caesar, spinach or tossed greens). At the front door, we noticed a sign that the house made Bleu Cheese dressing was available for purchase, so chose that to go with the 'tossed greens'. The dressing was wonderful, as was the very fresh salad. The 'petite cut' of prime rib (8 oz) ($19), perfectly cooked at medium rare and encrusted in a delightful herb mix. It was quite large enough for us to share, especially after that Appetizer Sampler. The baked potato was so large that we took half home to use for breakfast the next day.

All in all, a tasty and 'fancy' lunch for the two of us.

Hunter Steakhouse 2445 Hotel Circle Place San Diego 92108 (619) 291-8074 Website Mon-Th 11:30-9:30, Fri 11:30-10, Sat, 4-10, Sun 4-9

I hope you are enjoying this extra long weekend!

2018 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float road test and breakfast at Farmer Boys

November 24, 2017 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Chains, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog and today is probably the most non-food seeking day of the year after a huge Thanksgiving Day of snacking, feasting and now, having a refrigerator full of leftovers. Kirk (and his Missus) are enjoying some time off and Cathy is writing.

Prior 2018 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float road test posts: July, August, September, October

Want to get more updates about the entire Tournament of Roses? Look at this website!

Last weekend was the final day of announced road testing for the Phoenix Decorating Company and their 17 entries of floats for the 2018 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade. As you will see, some of the floats are not complete yet (but the artist renditions at the link give you a good idea). There are three other float building companies and six of the floats entered in the Parade are 'self built'. The Mister and I have volunteered with the Petal Pushers for many years, decorating various floats over the years (you can, too!). The Opening Unit float, with the Parade Theme (Making A Difference) banner, will lead off the Parade (following the Opening Show, presented by Honda).
The Closing Unit float will be the final float in the parade.
Farmers Insurance is sponsoring a large float, "Honoring Hometown Heroes" which has both an old fashioned Fire Ladder Truck and Police Car and is still in the beginning construction phase. In this photo, you can see where the 'Spotter' will sit, guiding the 'Driver' (who only looks down at the Rose Colored line permanently drawn on Colorado Boulevard, following it throughout the parade route) via headset about possible upcoming driving hazards.
The Forum, A Los Angeles world class music venue, is celebrating it's 50th year with "The Story Lives On" as the float title.
The Trader Joe float, "Hat's Off~" is still under construction and I can't wait to see it, based on the artist renditions!
The floats ready for 'dry decoration' (scissors and glue are used)(the days before fresh flowers are delivered; before Christmas Day) and stored inside the Phoenix Decorating barn.

Phoenix Decorating Company Website

After we watched some of the floats driving down Ornelas Street, tested for maneuverability and safety, we drove North, crossed over the 210,
and, after a block or so, turned into the Farmer Boys parking lot (which is shared with a McDonalds). ( At the bottom of that post is a link to another Farmer Boys meal). HERE is a link to a Hungry Ones blog post.
Breakfast is served all day, the menu is simple, fresh and prepared after you order and brought to your table.
The Mister ordered a Ham and Cheese omelet (made with three eggs and chopped ham) which came with (his choice) hash browns and (again, his choice) rye toast ($7.79). Excellent, as always. I I also wanted ham and cheese, but chose the 'Daybreak' ($4.59)
It's made with two eggs
and has two whole (grilled) slices of ham. Another great meal, especially on the toasted (and buttered) roll.

Farmer Boys Website

I hope everyone is having a nice post-Thanksgiving Day (and weekend)!

Thanksgiving Day, 2017

November 23, 2017 Cathy Cooking, What Cathy Eats!, yoso-silly

We at mmm-yoso!!! wish everyone reading a Happy Thanksgiving Day. Kirk and His Missus (as well as Cathy and Her Mister) are enjoying non-traditional Thanksgiving Day activities (and meals). Cathy is writing this post.

The Mister and I found some good prices on turkeys and sides a few weeks ago. We couldn't wait and have had our feast. Of course, a regular side dish is always made and usually consumed as an 'appetizer'. Fresh cranberries weren't even available in the stores yet….but have been purchased for future meals. The leftovers were wonderful!

The temperatures in San Diego County will be in the 90's today; it will be summer-y, not autumn-y.

You'll be getting a couple of posts about how all of us observed this holiday.

Until then, be safe, enjoy this day of Thanks, family and/or friends, and/or strangers and have a Happy Thanksgiving from the mmm-yoso gang!