What Cathy Eats! – Page 42

Marion Crépes- inside Mitsuwa Marketplace

December 5, 2016 Cathy Chains, Desserts, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!! We (Kirk, Ed(from Yuma) and Cathy) try to keep things interesting, with musings about meals enjoyed in San Diego and elsewhere in the USA and world. Today is a quick post about a worldwide chain that has one location in San Diego.

Earlier this year, I wrote about the places to eat at Mitsuwa Marketplace. In 2013, I wrote about a limited pop up, Marion Crépes, which was located in the center court. This chain, with worldwide locations, began in 1976 in Harajuku Japan.

The now permanent location of Marion Crépes has taken over the former bookstore and Matcha Love location, just to the right of the entrance.

Pricing, descriptions and beautiful Sampuru ('sample', waxy, fake food) are all available to help you decide on a snack or meal.

Order, pay and your crepe is made in an open kitchen style area. The sweet batter is unique and goes well with savory as well as the sweet crepes.

Yes, I said savory. This tuna and cheese crepe ($6.25) hit the spot.,

As did this quite filling turkey and cheese ($7.50) meal.

The Nutella-strawberry dessert crepe ($5) was a nice treat that The Mister and I shared.

All in all, another good selection for a quick lunch or snack in the Mitsuwa Food Court.

Marion Crepes 4240 Kearney Mesa Road (Hawthorne Center, inside the Mitsuwa Marketplace) San Diego 92111 (858) 292-5200 Website Open daily 9 am-8:30 pm

Driving across the USA (in our Chevrolet)Part 4- The drive home and some American restaurants

November 21, 2016 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, food blog. Kirk is working some heavy overtime hours while Ed(from Yuma) is busy planning a Thanksgiving feast, so Cathy is writing about food and things today.

Link to Part One

Link to Part Two

Link to Part Three

It is only a few days before Thanksgiving. I read that 43.9 million people will drive more than 50 miles from home for the holiday (defined as between Wednesday and Sunday this week). In light of that, I think it's a good time for this conclusion post of our Summer of 2016 Road Trip from San Diego to Detroit and back.

We left home and took the exit to Ann Arbor, where The Mister and I met decades ago. Pizza Bob's was a favorite place for us. We enjoyed the unique Chipati, invented when we were students.
West on the 94, we stopped in Jackson to drive through a former Hot 'n Now building which is currently a nice, local owned coffee shop, Jackson Coffee Company. No indoor seating, no wifi, just coffee (they roast their own), beverage concoctions, some sandwiches and hot pretzels.

Chicagoland is about five hours from Detroit. An easy drive.
Kirk wrote about Buona Beef, a Chicago area Italian Beef joint which some people like and other people avoid. A simple sandwich here is sort of like an Arby's roast beef and is tasty on the fresh French roll.

Buona Beef Restaurant 1170 N Arlington Heights Road Itasca, IL 60143 Website
Kirk did enjoy his dog from Gene and Jude's back in 2010 and not much has changed (the price has gone up 61¢). It's good.

Gene & Jude's Red Hot Stand 2720 River Rd River Grove, IL 60171 website

After a while, we were in the Quad Cities area and stopped at the Moline, Illinois Maid Rite location.

As a side note, all restaurants and businesses in the Midwest have a small vestibule area-a double doorway where you can step inside and stomp snow off your boots, shake off/take off your coat or close your umbrella before walking inside a main building. Even Costcos have vestibules. We sat at the counter at this location, because we could.The 'traditional' toppings for this lightly seasoned loose meat burger are mustard, onion and pickle. Ketchup is available, but it's for the fries. The burgers are all served with a small teaspoon as your only cutlery…so you can scoop up any meat that falls out when you lift the soft bun. Maid Rite is a true midwest tradition.

Maid-Rite Quad Cities website

We stopped for fuel and looked for a place to eat in Richfield, Utah.

The signage on Main Street brought us in.

Clean, simple, family run and very good.
Light bites and ice cream, unphotographed. This was a great find.

Ideal Dairy 490 S Main Street Richfield, UT 84701 (435) 896-5061

There were unplanned/non-food stops along the way.

A tourist trap.

The original Pony Express station, in the middle of a park in a residential neighborhood.
The birthplace of President Gerald Ford.

Themed rest areas (this one was windmills-old and new blades).
A giant Golden Spike…but this one is in Omaha, Nebraska. It is where President Abraham Lincoln declared the joining of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads *should*occur, but it didn't happen here (Promontory, Utah is the 'official' location). This is where the largest train yard in the USA is, so if you are in North Platte, Nebraska, stop here.

If you are driving across the USA this holiday season (or anytime), do enjoy our wonderfully organized highway system as well as the National Park System signage and stop to enjoy the local people and places. Safe travels!

2017 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float road testing and breakfasts: Chuck Wagon (Corona); Rod’s Grill (Arcadia); Silver Dollar Pancake House (Corona)(revisit)

November 20, 2016 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Diner, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, Ontario/Riverside/San Bernadino, CA, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the name of this food blog. Kirk is not writing today, neither is Ed(from Yuma). This is just another Cathy posting.

Chuck Wagon has closed. In February 2023, Rod's Grill closed but will open under new management. Both are sadly missed.

This year has been different. In addition to having a tremendous amount of friends and neighbors die (I stopped counting in mid February, after there had been 23), I tried to keep things more or less normal, writing a post about the first Float Road Test for the 2017 Rose Parade. The Mister and I drove to subsequent monthly road tests (and afterwards, breakfast) and took photos. This post is a summary of what we ate and some of what you will see on television on January 2, 2017 (there's never a parade on Sunday).

Trader Joe's will have another three part float in the 2017 parade, (parade theme is Echoes of Success), titled 'All Aboard! 50 Years of Serving the Best'. The American Armenian Rose Float Association road test in August showcased a magnificent looking float. The road test two months later showed the color outlined (coloring outlines are there to help decorators as well as help if there are any problems with decorations during the actual parade: you'll still see color) fully expanded float, titled "Field of Dreams", depicting the 'Echoes of Success' of the American Armenian diaspora success story.

I'll take some breaks from floats and road tests, interspersing breakfasts enjoyed driving home.

Because we got stuck in traffic (again), we stopped at a place we have been passing for several years. The old fashioned sign (which must look very cool at night) is a friendly welcome to the naugahyde, paneled, not recently updated interior; half of the building is a 'bar' area, open in morning hours. The breakfast menu is served all day. Let me preface this by saying that we took home a lot of leftovers. The 'Chuck Wagon Country Breakfast' ($11.95) was absolutely wonderful in quality and flavors! Three eggs (poached, of course), two (large, flavorful) link sausages, two thick pieces of smoked meaty bacon and a slice of country style ham with a side of thinly sliced, crispy home fries topped with green pepper and onions. There was also a choice of toast or pancakes with this plate. Ever since the summer road trip and meals across the USA with either my brother or nephew, pancakes have become a slight obsession. The ones at Chuck Wagon are notably good; from scratch flavors, slightly sweet, fluffy with a delicate crust .
The perfectly prepared, real cube steak chicken fried steak was lightly breaded and fried perfectly ($11.50). The flavors were fresh, the country gravy (again, from scratch: there were flour lumps) and even the crispy hash browns were wonderful. The fresh made from scratch biscuit-flaky layers with the golden, crispy crust- was great.

Another really great Corona restaurant.

Chuck Wagon Cafe 1070 6th Street Corona, CA 92879 (951)737-7162 open daily 6:30a.m.-10 p.m.

Returning to some float road tests… Rotary International's float, 'Doing Good in the World' is just so cute even without the coloring outlines added! Shriners Hospitals for children, 'Anything is Possible', is adorable! From the artist rendition(see end of post for a link), it looks like the mascot, Fezzy Bear, will be riding on the float in January. Union Bank has again teamed up with the American Heart Association for the float 'Keep the Beat Alive'. Last month, we didn't even bother going on the freeway to get home, took side roads parallel to the 210 and noticed Rod's, a corner coffee shop that's been in Arcadia since 1957. Taking seats at the counter, because all the aqua naugahyde booths were full, we took note of some posted daily specials (even on weekends!)

The 'pork sausage w/ fresh apples- cheese omelet' ($9.95) was most unexpected (and in keeping with my penchant for fresh apples). Yes, breakfast sausages and sautéed fresh apples filled this large eggy-cheesy breakfast omelet! There were some great home fries and toast which accompanied this surprising menu special. These banana walnut crepes which came with two eggs and sausage ($8.95) were filled with a fluffy cream cheese-cottage cheese mix and topped with toasted nuts and nicely ripe banana slices; not crazy sweet at all. These are not delicate flat crepes, but also not thick pancakes…more of a Swedish pancake.

So glad we stopped here! Rod's Grill 41 W Huntington Drive Arcadia, CA 91007 (626) 447-7515 open 6 am-9 pm daily

United Sikh Mission USA has another beautiful float, 'Together We Rise', which I think will be a prize winner not only for its beauty, but also for the message. Western Asset (an investment group) is sponsoring this float, 'Prosperity in the Wild' which won't have any riders, but instead much animation. This rather simple looking float from Farmers Insurance has a 'reflection' of the parade route in the front 'window' (including the rose colored line that is in the center of Colorado Boulevard, a guide for float drivers, who drive 'blind' while speaking to the 'spotter' who each has a small window in front to observe the activities in front of the float). The title of 'We Came, We Saw, We Covered' is a slight clue as to the 'surprise' you will see on January 2. (see the bottom of this post)

One last breakfast, a repeat visit.

If we find ourselves in Corona and notice there is no line waiting for seating, we stop at Silver Dollar. This day, it was convenient to sit at the counter instead of waiting for a table to be available.
This is the two egg, two pancake deal (the second egg was brought over later)($5.49, additional .69 to substitute sausage patty for links-worth it!) was particularly good. The 2 bacon, 2 egg (and biscuits with gravy instead of toast) ($8.59) was enjoyed by The Mister. The country gravy and fresh flaky not too large biscuits were just right with the perfect over easy eggs and bacon.

Silver Dollar Pancake House 710 East Sixth Corona, CA 92879 (951) 737-5977 Open Mon-Sat 5 a.m.-4 p.m., Sun 6 a.m.-4 p.m.

Rose Parade preparations. Diners for breakfast. America.

See artist renditions of some 2017 floats here.

What's going on under that Farmers Insurance float? Here's a sneak peek:

Onami (all you can eat Japanese)- lunches in Mission Valley

November 5, 2016 Cathy Buffets, Japanese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, the food blog, is where you have found yourself. Kirk is still vacationing (literally at the top of the globe), Ed (from Yuma) is just East of us, enjoying his retirement and mini vacations in places other than California and Cathy is writing this post.

My job is odd, I can meet with clients at their home, office or in a public place. The 'ambiance' of an all you can eat buffet is such that there is less pressure to turn over a table quickly (unless there is a line out the door waiting to get in, which usually isn't the case during the week). One client in particular enjoyed (very much) the now closed chain of Hometown Buffet restaurants in the county, and I would meet him there primarily to eat all the fried chicken with the unique side dish 'Spinach Marie' that I could.

There are still 'all you can eat' places around, mostly Chinese buffets and San Diego based Souplantation.

My client discovered Onami, the all you can eat Japanese sushi/seafood buffet at the Westfield Mission Valley Mall. While waiting to be seated, you can see a 'Ramen and Udon Bar' just to the left. You can have a bowl prepared and a choice of five (do it yourself) toppings are available. Right around the corner is a cold noodle area, which offers the only toppings needed: green onion and shredded radish.
Seating areas are varied and interspersed next to the variety of hot and cold food areas.
Near the back of the restaurant are the hot foods, with many seafood choices.

There is an area where you can choose various vegetables, fish pieces and shrimp to be freshly battered and fried.
There is a cold area with a selection of twelve prepared salads. Along the other side is the sushi area, with item choices being prepared and refilled constantly. Then there was the dessert area, with a tremendous, portion controlled selection available.

Everything was fresh and tasty and quite nice. The space is quiet enough in some areas for conversation. The cost for weekday lunch was less than $15 each, which I though was good for the quality and variety.

Enjoy your weekend!

Onami 1640 Camino Del Rio N Ste 206 San Diego, CA 92108 Phone number (619) 295-9774 Hours: Mon-Thurs 11:30 am-2:30 pm, 5:30 pm-9 pm Fri 11:30 am-2:30 pm, 5 pm-9pm Sat 11:30-9:30 Sun 11:30-9

Marie Callender’s and San Diego Chicken Pie Shop- chicken pie two ways

November 3, 2016 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog with daily posts ranging from the unusual to common foods, is back again today with a post from Cathy because Kirk is very far away right now, too busy eating than writing, while Ed(from Yuma) is busily composing a post while eating.

This is yet another post of the coincidental birthday week foods enjoyed by The Mister and myself. We enjoy a meal out each day, beginning on His birthday and ending on my birthday (Mondays this year) and there have been coincidentally similar foods ordered by each of us when we had our individual choice of birthday meals.

I've never written about Marie Callender's, a restaurant chain which is headquartered in California and had its beginnings here in the 1930's, selling pies. It used to be considered a 'fancier' family restaurant we stopped in to visit regularly, which fell off our radar years ago. The fireplace in the back room has been overtaken by a television set! We were here because The Mister was wanting some of that old fashioned 'comfort' food as His birthday meal. As always, a large piece of still warm Marie's famous cornbread with whipped butter was brought out to the table before we even ordered. I remember when Marie's began selling a lot of their products on the shelves and in freezers, especially cornbread mix. It's nice to enjoy some of that memory evoking food at home. On this day, I decided to try the lunch special quiche and salad sampler ($8) choosing a Caesar salad and spinach-based Lorraine quiche. Out of the oven fresh and warm, with the light, flaky crust, this quiche was a filling, custard based, spinach filled, cheese and bacon topped great meal. The mini pot pie meal ($10.99). A classic pot pie (with only a golden crust on top) is quite large and also served piping hot. The filling with cubed white meat chicken, peas and carrots in a not-salty gravy is the same as always, comforting.It's called a 'meal' because not only do you get a pot pie and salad, but also your choice of a slice of one of the famous dessert pies (there are more than 20 available daily) is included! After much discussion (of what I called The Misters meal choice a 'pie-pie' meal), we decided to share a slice of double cream lemon pie for dessert. So tasty, creamy with that perfect crust. A great birthday meal.

Marie Callender's , multiple locations. Website

One morning The Mister reminded me it was a was 'my' birthday day (it does get boring going out to eat daily, especially near the end of that week, closer to 'my' day). We started driving,

noticing that the San Diego Chicken Pie Shop, which I had only written about twice, was already open. This classic diner, open in San Diego since 1938, began in 2009 serving breakfast from 10 am-noon on weekdays and 8 a.m.-noon on weekends. The Mister was not in a 'pot pie' mood and ordered a Hot Turkey Sandwich ($7.29), which is typical: turkey surrounded by white bread, topped with the same gravy placed on top of the chicken pot pies and served with mashed potatoes.

We had walked in while the breakfast menu was still available. I wanted breakfast, but also chicken pie; 'The Neighborhood Grind' ($9.25) was my choice. There were choices of egg prep, gravy and breakfast meat. The Grind is a classic Chicken Pie Shop chicken pie (which is filled with chicken, turkey and gravy; no vegetables), topped with two eggs and country gravy, accompanied by hash browns. My choice of sausage instead of bacon was great! Those sausages were tasty, large, fresh and something I will order again; hash browns were perfectly crispy; the pie, fresh and as I remember. The eggs on top of the pie and eaten with the crust were a great taste combination and the whole plate was extremely satisfying.

San Diego Chicken Pie Shop 2633 El Cajon Blvd, San Diego 92104 (619) 295-0156 website

There you go, six birthday meals in only three posts. We hadn't planned our cravings and realizing the coincidences, a pleasant bonus. I hope your week has been going well.

TJOyster Bar (location #3)

November 2, 2016 Cathy Seafood, Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

All of us at mmm-yoso!!! wish you a good November. It's the time year with chilly mornings and evenings and clear blue, nicely warm daytimes. Kirk is still on vacation and Ed (from Yuma) is busy out there. Cathy is writing another short post.

In 2012 and again in 2014, I wrote about a favorite small spot for Mexican seafood. A second location had opened around the corner on the same block in August 2012, with table service, more space and a slightly different menu. Then in October 2014 this third location, a few miles South, in Chula Vista, opened.Located in the same parking lot anchored by a Ralph's grocery store as well as a McDonald's, both the parking and seating situations are larger/better than the original location.

The menu at the first and third locations are about the same. Some items are served on paper plates, but most items here are served with reusable plates and cutlery.

The grilled fish salad ($9) here is quite large and filling. The mildly seasoned and grilled fish is on top of a good size bowl of Romaine and has a Caesar-like dressing, about 1/3 avocado and basic salsa (chopped tomato, onion and cilantro) as topping. Since we also ordered tacos with this, we decided to share a side of refried beans ($2.50), which were surprisingly good. Unless you are ordering a plate, no items here come with refried beans (unlike at other taco shops, with beans and other items mixed in the burritos) and these were a really nice addition.
The grilled fish taco ($3) was made with the same seasoned grilled fish, onion, cilantro and a dab of white sauce. Again, enough to satisfy. Simple, fresh, beer battered and crispy fried ($1.50/each) fish tacos are what started this business. Always good and quite large. Fried calamari appetizer ($8) is not overly large, lightly dusted with a seasoned flour and fried properly:lightly crispy with tender squid as the final outcome. The fish ceviche tostada ($4) is quite satisfying, marinated in lime juice and mixed with the basics of tomato/onion/cilantro, it needs no additional condiments. The 'fish chicharron' appetizer ($13.50) is basically breaded and fried fish nuggets, served with a savory fish sauce based onion filled dipping sauce and always good to share. On chilly days, a bowl of shrimp soup ($9.50) hits the spot. Plump, fresh shrimp in the tomato based, slightly spicy (just enough; not too much) broth, topped with cilantro is enough to ward off a chill. I'm almost always ordering a Pescadilla ($9) at every visit and the craving for smoked fish was overwhelming one day. Combined with the melted cheese, this really hit the spot.

Always good and fresh here. cc has also been to this location and ordered different items.

I hope your week is going well.

TJ Oyster Bar 601 East Palomar Street Chula Vista, CA 92111 (619) 421-4787 Mon-Sat 10-9, Sun 10-7 Website

Tobey’s 19th Hole…more meals

October 29, 2016 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping to read this food blog, named mmm-yoso!!! Kirk is out and about and having a wonderful time with His Missus. Ed (from Yuma) and Tina are living the good life (in Yuma) and Cathy is writing today.

Here we are, in beautiful San Diego, 4200 square miles of a County, with thousands of places to eat or grab a snack. Everyone has a place close to home or close to work and even a place close to where they relax.

I've written about Tobey's 19th Hole, the coffee shop/diner located at the start and finish of the Balboa Park Golf Course since 1934, only two times, even though it's where we have a regular stop for breakfast, the occasional lunch and where we take out of town guests for a small meal and great view of downtown, even on overcast days. The delightfully simple breakfast of 2 French toast with 2 eggs (over easy) and 2 sausage ($9) is filling and tasty.

Alternately, you can ask for a 1-1-2 with a pancake ($ 6) and still be satisfied because the pancake is so large and the one ( if scrambled) egg is fluffy and light.

The breakfast sandwich (toasted English muffin with sausage, egg and cheese, $5.50; substitute ham for an additional 50¢) is a tasty, filling $6 meal. There was a day last week when we saw the sandwich board and each of us knew what we would order. We briefly thought of sitting at the counter, but since it was a weekday and not crowded, stuck with a 'view' seat.

The $10.50 option came with soup or salad and the Navy Bean soup (house made, of course) was filled with chunks of bacon and so very tasty. The salad was fresh and crisp and standard.

The house made meatloaf is a favorite. It's juicy, soft and two slices makes it a plentiful meal. Instead of doing (either choice) as a 'sandwich' with top and bottom breads covered with gravy) we each opted for the toasty garlic cheese bread rolls-seen in the background. The hot beef sandwich is filled with a lot of tender roast beef. Of note, the mashed potatoes are real and the fresh vegetables of the day were wonderful.

A great place for food, views and the ability to have a quiet conversation. Other bloggers have been here, too: cc, Dennis, Faye and Mary.

Tobey's 19th Hole 2600 Golf Course Dr. San Diego, CA 92102 (619) 234-5921 Open daily 6-6 Website (old menu prices)

Perry’s Cafe (El Cajon) Breakfast revisits

October 26, 2016 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

Here you are, back at mmm-yoso, looking for an interesting post about food in San Diego County and beyond. Kirk is too busy to write anything today and so is Ed(from Yuma), so it's Cathy doing the writing.

Kirk has written about the original location of Perry's Cafe in 2007, 2010 and 2012. cc and I met at the original location last year, Dennis wrote a nice post in 2013 and Mary stopped here in 2014. I wrote about the El Cajon location ("my" Perry's) in 2011.

Both the El Cajon and the Pacific Highway location are known 'truck stops' and have been open since 1985. Each has the same hours (6 a.m.-2 p.m. daily) the same menu, consisting of Breakfasts (Italian, Mexican and traditional American) and lunches (Mexican dishes, sandwiches and salads). The El Cajon location is closer to home and we stop here on weekdays (weekends are a madhouse, with lines out into the parking lot) for a quick breakfast and/or lunch. This post is only about breakfast.

The interior is a step back in time. The food is simple, good, diner food.

One thing about breakfast sides here: you can get toast, an English muffin, biscuit or a fresh, warm from the oven blueberry or bran muffin. Sausage links or patties are available and the hash browns- well, if you've read Kirk's posts, those are his favorite item here. The sausage patty is excellent and the poached eggs are always perfect. The Mister is in a waffle/pancake phase and the strawberry waffle with (properly made) over easy eggs and bacon ($9.25) was his craving this day. Another day, I wanted the French toast, with blueberries ($9.75). This came with (my choice of) bacon and poached eggs. That egg dipped, pan fried bread was just so very nice; crispy exterior and fluffy, eggy interior. The blueberry topping was kind of a pie filling in style, but not at all sweet, other than natural blueberry sweetness. Just right. The smoked pork chop breakfast ($9.25) was an excellent choice, as was the house made baking powder based biscuit which was brought out with a plain (not sausage) pepper gravy. The jiggly, over easy eggs were so very runny, which melded perfectly with the crispy hash browns.

Always a satisfying, tasty and fresh breakfast stop. Traditional diners are the best. We are fortunate to have these two in town.

Perry's Cafe 475 North Magnolia El Cajon, CA (619) 440-5724 open daily 6 a.m.-2 p.m.

Beerfish and Point Loma Seafoods- Clams two ways

October 25, 2016 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Seafood, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping by to read mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk and His Missus are doing something somewhere right now. Ed (from Yuma) and Tina are relaxing after a really nice little vacation. Cathy is writing this post about some meals she had with The Mister right here, in San Diego.

Briefly mentioned at the top of this post, it was 'birthday week' for The Mister and myself not long ago. A week apart, Mondays this year. Once I started writing about our eight meals out, I had noticed commonalities in our respective choices. Opening in June, there was a lot of buzz on various media sites about Beerfish, a small (1500 square foot interior, 1300 square food outdoor patio area) seafood centric restaurant on Adams Avenue. Walk up, order and pay and your food is brought to your table. There are 30 taps serving local craft beer and also a few wine selections. The limited menu is ever-changing based on availability of fresh seafood. We were here for clams and not beer.

First, our side order of fresh made onion rings ($4) (beer battered, of course) was delivered to the table, accompanied by a fresh, but plain, aioli. The batter was crunchy, not greasy and the onions very mild; really nice in textures but it needed something. I ended up putting Mexi Pep (and eventually some salt) with the aioli to get a complimentary flavor that I wanted. The one item I had been reading about, Clam Toast ($10.90) was my choice. This was a mix of flavors: too many flavors for my palate, unfortunately. Each item was good on its own: sourdough bread (fresh and toasted), topped with a lemon mayonnaise, (very fresh, plump) chopped clams, mixed with a good amount (almost the same amount) of meaty chopped bacon along with grilled sweet onions and topped with fresh herbs, microgreens and fresh chopped garlic. Quite a bit of garlic. This would have gone well with some beer. The Mister ordered the steamed mussels and clams ($13.90). Again, there was a tremendous multitude of flavors, which may have gone well with beer as well as separately. The four mussels and dozen clams were plump, fresh and wonderful. The broth had two whole lemons, shallots, leeks, herb butter and, again, a tremendous amount of fresh chopped garlic. All this was served with a flavorful, fresh sourdough (with an unsalted, whipped butter-which are just right together).

The freshness is there, the clams were what I wanted and I enjoyed them-plain. When we go back, we will have to share a glass of beer and perhaps ask for less or no garlic and perhaps other items on the side.

Beerfish 2933 Adams Ave San Diego, CA 92116 (619) 363-2337 website Open seven days 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

The Mister's birthday meal choice was fried clams fromPoint Loma Seafoods, a place I blogged about first in 2007, again in 2010, 2011, 2012, and most recently in 2014 The fresh, lightly battered, perfectly fried Ipswich clams are in season in September, (about $19 for the plate) and just the perfect childhood food memory for The Mister. I got the fish and chips plate ($12), which is my own 'fish friday' childhood memory. This was really good, as always.

Point Loma Seafoods 2805 Emerson Street San Diego, CA 92106 (619)223-1109 website Open Mon-Sat 9-7, Sunday 10-7

Caffé Bene

October 24, 2016 Cathy Caffeine Fix, Desserts, Sandwiches, Taiwanese Food and Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the name of the blog you are reading. Kirk has an even busier day than usual and Ed (from Yuma) is out and about (in Yuma) doing his things, so Cathy is writing today's post.

Caffe Bene has over 1600 locations in a dozen countries around the world. One of those locations is in San Diego, on Convoy Street (it shares the same parking lot with Prime Grill). Opening over a year ago, cc and Kirbie posted about it.Spacious with a simple decor, the 'Global Coffee House' offers a fairly quiet meeting space with free wifi…

coffees, teas, beverages as well as a variety of snack foods, treats and small sandwiches. The Signature drink here, 'multigrain power drink', Misugaru, can be served cold or hot and I like each version and have purchased one or the other on each visit here. It's tasty, not too sweet and quite filling. I think it may also be good for you.

There is a small selection of sandwiches on the menu. The above is a Spicy Chicken Sandwich ($8.95). Served hot on a fresh roll, the chicken breast, fresh spinach and melted cheese were quite fresh and tasty. The 'spicy' sauce was nicely hot, (not Sriracha sweet, just a good punch of heat). The side of potato salad was just enough to compliment the other flavors.

The ham and egg sandwich ($7.95) was not served hot, but was just as pleasant in flavor pairings. Hard boiled eggs, a good amount of ham, spinach, red onion and a mustard based sauce were all complimentary and made a nice little shared meal.

Caffe Bene is known for its Liege waffles and honey bread and we tried a simple order of a waffle with gelato ($5.50). Liege waffles are small, rich, stretchy/chewy and a bit crunchy from embedded pearl sugar in the batter; another variety of waffle. The gelato? Strawberry- a very densely flavored gelato, which would be good on its own but also went very well with pieces of the waffle.

Yes, it is a chain, but this is the only location around and it is quite nice.

Caffè Bene Website 4620 Convoy St San Diego, CA 92111 (858) 278-2204 Open daily 9 a.m.-midnight Website