What Cathy Eats! – Page 49

Filipino Food & Bakery (and brunch) (Barrio Logan)

September 12, 2015 Cathy Filipino Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! still blogging about food after all these years. Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are each enjoying this weekend in other states while Cathy is in California, continuing to write blog posts.

Driving to the Naval Base San Diego is different than driving to MCAS Miramar, in direction as well as the surrounding neighborhoods and their food options. Miramar is where many civilians can enter the base and watch the Blue Angels annual Airshow, afterwards perhaps stopping in at one of the many restaurants listed in the Miramar/Mira Mesa area, while the closest many civilians get to the 32nd Street Naval Base is East Village or Downtown. Many national chain restaurants are located close to that Base and it's great to find a local, family owned restaurant or coffee shop in the Barrio.
Filipino Food & Bakery has been in the corner of this mall, at Main Street near 28th, since early 2013. It's pretty large inside and can get busy during the week. The pan de sal, a sweet, yeast-based bread as well as several other types of pan and several dessert products are baked here daily. More or less a typical Turo-Turo (point-point) restaurant, Filipino Food and Bakery is also typical in its food preparation-every Filipino place (restaurants and homes) where I have had a meal prepares their traditional, similar recipes just a bit differently (as I do with meatloaf).The lumpia here (two for $1) are fresh and tasty. The crisp, thin wrapper is an excellent conduit for the mostly fresh vegetable filling. The plates and cutlery here are throwaways, but useful in that we always have leftovers. The above two item combination ($8) includes either garlic rice or (as above) thin rice noodles with various vegetables (pancit).

That item in the left is pork adobo. (Adobo is essentially a marinade containing vinegar, garlic, salt/soy, bay leaf and black pepper; hence the variations by different cooks) and on the right is sisig (pork cracklings or head meat or liver marinated in sour or vinegar then grilled). I've enjoyed the versions here…many times. This ad, aimed at Comicon visitors, appeared in late June. The brunch menu began on July 11 and still is available on Sunday. I've been most curious about one item…
This looks familiar, you say? Why, yes, a Scotch Egg, but made with longanisa, a sausage, similar to chorizo, but in the Philippines, longanisa is made with various meats and regional flavorings. This one? Garlic (and probably pork)! This version of Scotch egg is wonderful. Perhaps ube (purple yam) waffles with a piece of fried chicken along with the Eggs Boni…we enjoy the food and flavors here!

I hope you are having a good weekend.

Filipino Food & Bakery 2852 Main Street San Diego 92113 (619) 549-5665 Website Open Mon-Sat 8-8, Sun 8-5

The Hills-Local Pub (La Mesa)

September 11, 2015 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Burgers, Pubs and Pub Grub, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is about food. It's a blog of places Kirk, Ed (from Yuma) and Cathy enjoy meals. On this extremely humid Friday, Kirk is out and about, enjoying a mini-vacation while Ed (from Yuma) is staying indoors (in Yuma) avoiding heat and Cathy is at the computer, writing today's post.

Today, I will write about a pleasant adventure The Mister and I had a few weeks ago, when going out to eat did not include a factor of checking whether or not a place was air conditioned before considering (or rejecting) it as a lunch stop.The Hills is located on La Mesa Boulevard, just across from The Lunch Box (in fact that first photo of The Lunch Box post was taken from the front window of The Hills). A quiet part of town (almost a mile from where La Mesa Oktoberfest will be held) this part of La Mesa Boulevard is backed up by a quiet neighborhood area.The beer selection is updated regularly and is quite extensive. Each tabletop condiment container has the current listing.

You can click on the photos or here to see the menu.Above, my choice: Meanie Fries ($9.95). Fried potatoes (nice and crisp) topped with cheddar cheese, ortega chiles, chopped grilled chicken, "meanie sauce" (it's spicy!) and a fried egg. Technically a proper meal, due to the protein toppings. This was indeed, very good with the 'meanie' sauce part pretty much necessitating a few swigs of good, cold beer.The Mister wanted to try the Bistro Burger ($10.95, substitute salad for fries,$1). It's a 1/2 pounder, cooked to order (medium rare for us) and topped with mozzarella, bacon, fried brussel sprouts and a balsamic aioli. The flavors go very well together.Above, crispy remnants of brussels sprouts…which were cleared up after this photo was taken. {Lately been frying and using brussel sprouts leaves as a topping at our home cooked meals. This is a great idea}

I hope everyone has a safe and cool(er) weekend!

The Hills Local Pub 8758 La Mesa Blvd La Mesa 91941 (619) 741-7166 website

Yes, it's sort of an East County 'chain', with catering available.

Azucar, a Cuban Style Patisserie – Sweets and Savories (Ocean Beach)

September 10, 2015 Cathy Bakery, Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Cuban Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping by to read mmm-yoso!!! This is a blog about food. Today, Cathy is writing because Kirk and Ed (from Yuma) are busy with things.

Azucar opened in Ocean Beach in 2008. Its owner, Vivian Hernandez-Jackson, is Cuban, classically trained in Europe and seven years ago realized her dream to open a Patisserie with a twist in Ocean Beach. Located on the Northwest corner of Newport at Sunset Cliffs (just across the street from Village Kitchen), the small storefront seems unassuming.Step inside and be prepared to be overwhelmed. The descriptions and selection of what is available that day are fascinating (as well as delicious).

A cup of coffee along with a cheese roll (pastelito de queso) and coconut-almond florentine (each $2) one day was a relaxing and enjoyable respite of flavors and textures. The delicate pastry surrounding the cream cheese filling topped with coarse bits of sugar is delightful and the chewiness of the coconut and crunchiness of the almonds is so satisfying. Many people order specialty coffees here, but I find those too sweet and interfering with the already natural sweetness of the pastries.There are also five sandwiches on the menu. Above, the Cubano ($8). Slow roasted pork, thin slices of ham, Swiss cheese, mustard and pickles. Pressed and toasted on freshly baked organic bread and served with a side salad. This is the way a sandwich should be. Those items in the refrigerated section are larger and each is around $6. Always wanting coconut flavors, our selection one day was the Artemisa: coconut cake, coconut syrup, pineapple, rum, custard and whipped cream. Topped with toasted coconut shavings. Yes. Dense, deep flavors and wonderful.

There are breakfast items here (quiche, Spanish omelet, croquette) as well as a good selection of coffee based beverages. A nice place to stop on your way to or from the beach.

Azucar 4820 Newport Avenue Ocean Beach 92107 (619)523-2020 Open Mon-Sat 7-6 Sun 8-5 Website

EscoGelato (Escondido)

September 8, 2015 Cathy Desserts, Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt, What Cathy Eats!

Today's short post is written by Cathy. It's just too hot to think much about food today. The mmm-yoyo!!! men, Kirk and Ed (from Yuma) will write about food when they are ready.

Another hot and humid day in San Diego and not much can keep you cool or relaxed. Unless, maybe you can find gelato! ('gelato' means 'frozen' in Italian)

EscoGelato has been in this small storefront for about three years now, serving up coffee, soup, salad, panini and gelato (as well as a few sorbet flavors), seven days a week. The husband and wife owners are proud to use the highest quality, locally sourced ingredients. This is the view if you are walking South from Grand Avenue, where many nice restaurants are located. You'll probably notice the ice cream cone logo before you notice any signage. Here is a link to cc's 2013 post, which shows a front view of the store.That is the entire menu. Because we had finished lunch elsewhere, we were only here 'for dessert'. I will write a post about the panini, soup and salads later.

What is gelato? Milk, cream and sugar, along with some fruits and/or nuts and/or other ingredients for flavors. Placed into a special machine which cooks, slow churns and then chills. The product is extruded from the machine into a pan and flash frozen. Gelato has less fat than regular ice cream, but it is higher in density than ice cream, so it's very creamy. All the flavors are made fresh daily at EscoGelato.The final product looks like this. Many traditional and some interesting, imaginative flavors. As I mentioned: locally sourced, highest quality, made fresh daily.Small ($3.50). Brown Butter Pecan gelato and Apricot Goat Cheese gelato. We asked for a sample first and each of these were refreshing. You can taste each flavor, and what great flavors these were! The buttery creamy gelato, crunchy pecans…fresh apricots and, yes, goat cheese, were wonderfully complimentary and great tasting.Salted caramel gelato used for an affogato ($4.75) ( Affogato is Italian for 'drowned'). Because I know the coffee here comes from locally owned Zumbar and I had a craving for a good cup of coffee, the shot of espresso with this salted caramel gelato was a perfect combination of flavors. It looks like a small amount of coffee, but because it is so strong, using it sparingly (more like a sauce) was just the perfect amount of espresso with this rather large amount of gelato.

I hope everyone is staying cool!

EscoGelato 122 S. Kalmia Escondido 92025 (between West Grand and 2nd Ave) (760) 745-6500 Website Open Mon-Fri 8-9, Sat-Sun 10-9

Suzy Q’s Diner (Escondido)

September 1, 2015 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping by to read mmm-yoso!!! Cathy is writing a short post today. Kirk got caught up in something at work and Ed(from Yuma) is also crazy busy.

I somehow was on one of the one way streets in Escondido earlier this year, took a turn to try to find my way back to some sort of familiar landmark and was stopped at the signal light on Juniper at East 2nd and noticed this building. Eventually, I brought The Mister here, so we could try out the food. This definitely is an original building spanning the block. Now it is broken into separate storefronts: Suzy Q's, a small Mexican Restaurant, a Mexican Bakery (Panaderia Oaxaqueña) as well as a Laundromat. I couldn't research what it used to be, but did discover that Suzy Q's has been open since January and is family owned.The decor is 50's style with corresponding music being played overhead. The menu is kind of kitschy, with some silly names for items (the Jed Clampett omelet, Patsy Cline, Jailhouse Rock, Milton Berle, Ricky Ricardo, Mickey Rooney, Dean Martin, Patty Page…then again, these names may not mean anything to you. I digress)

I had low expectations, which were quickly dashed.Monte Cristo (chalkboard special, so no silly name) ($11.49). Wow, this was great. A ham and cheese sandwich on a hearty white bread, dipped in egg and fried, like French Toast, topped with some powdered sugar and served with some great blackberry preserves, fruit and a spinach salad. Quality, thick ham, quality cheese…really great.This is the 'Bye Bye Birdie' ($7.99). Holes cut into two thick pieces of white toast, an egg dropped into the hole and cooked to my request (easy); all of it topped with a really great sausage gravy. Served with Country Potatoes, and either bacon or sausage, this was another winner. A great meal. So glad I took the wrong turn and discovered this gem.

Suzy Q's Diner 258 E. 2nd (at Juniper) Escondido 92025 Closed Mondays. Open Tues-Thurs 7-3, Fri 9-9, Sat-Sun 7-3

Post #3000: It’s back to the beginning – China Max

August 30, 2015 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

Back on May 26th, 2005 mmm-yoso came into existence and China Max was our first post. It's strange reading those old posts. In the beginning, I tried what many are better at…..all the "butterflies and puppy dog tails" stuff. But after a couple of weeks I realized that I wasn't doing myself nor anyone who read these posts any good. It was started to be kind of an eating, cooking, and travel journal. Plus, I noticed that I was my worst enemy when not giving my honest opinion. It's made thing much easier over the years.

Another thing about that first post….Ed from Yuma was there to join me for the meal.

So it's only fitting that we all get together at China Max for this wonderful 3000th post. Ed form Yuma, Tina, Cathy, and the Mister were present. The Missus has been kind of down on CM over the last couple of years so She decided to work instead.

Anyway, I thought that since everyone had a seat at the table, each one should have say as well. So here goes.

As with that first visit, we had the Peking Duck. It seems that the duck was lacking the dark and lacquered color I was used to.

Ed from Yuma: I liked the duck very much – specifically the skin and duck on the pancakes. Sometimes the sauce was not evenly spread, but the skin as always was tasty.

Tina: I liked all the dishes but my favorite was the duck in the bun pancakes. I liked that it had the duck skin and a little bit of meat.

Cathy: I could eat the little duck skin in steamed pancake forever

The Mister: Liked the lettuce cups, with the duck, best. He said each flavor in the mix was distinct along with the still warm duck.

What's usually my favorite dish at CM; the Seafood Pan Fried Noodles….the flavor is mild, but the sauce/gravy usually has a wonderful texture and the flavor of each different type of seafood comes thru.

Ed from Yuma: I loved the mixed seafood on the panfried noodles; that has been one of my favorites over the years for lunch there.

We needed a veg dish so I went with the Egglpant with Pork. A rather routine send-up.

Ed from Yuma: The eggplant and pork dish was tasty, but the prep is fairly standard – it's something I can get even here in Yuma.

This being the mmm-yoso banquet we needed a centerpiece dish. I wanted the steamed spot prawns but they were out. So I went with the steamed sablefish (black cod), which was nicely steamed, great richness, a bit boney, but the flesh just melted in your mouth. Mild flavor, but just cooked perfectly.

Ed from Yuma: The sablefish was rich and delicate, but a bit bony.

Cathy: I really liked the sable fish; never had it prepared that way, it so nice…and the bones were almost edible-so soft.

The last time I had the Shing Do (sweet and pungent) Chicken was back in maybe 2003? So I decided to order it….when did China Max become Panda Express? It wasn't this bad back then…..

As I expected, from how much of this dish we had leftover……I got no comments from "Da Gang"…. You can fill in the blanks.

It was a fantastic evening. I'm thinking we'll be doing this again soon.

Ed from Yuma: The conversation might have been even better than the food.

As it usually is when good friends get together! Thanks to all for being available for dinner, it's been too long.

China Max
4698 Convoy Street #C101
San Diego, CA 92111

Also, I think I'll be revisiting some of those places (that are still in operation) from the first couple of months over the next few weeks.

And thank you for joining us for this milestone post!

2016 Rose Parade float road tests (3 &4) Breakfast at Silver Dollar Pancake House (Corona)

August 20, 2015 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Diner, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! Sometimes we write about events in addition to food. Cathy and Her Mister took a few short road trips and here's what they saw and ate. {Kirk and Ed (from Yuma) are both still too busy to write today}.

It's been a while since I wrote about the first road test of floats that will participate in the 2016 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade. A second road test was held two weeks later (on a Saturday in June) and The Mister and I couldn't go to that one. We've been to the third testing and the fourth test just occurred, so this post is a summary of what we've seen, along with what we ate.

First, breakfast following the 7 a.m. tests. You may recall a post from last year, about us stopping at Cupid's following a float road test. When we had left that stop, which we happened upon because of a terrible bit of traffic, we noticed this building……making mental notes that it looked interesting, especially if we had to jump off the freeway again. This past Saturday we had an opportunity.
When you first step inside, there's a horseshoe shaped counter, where you can sit if you see an empty chair. Else, you can sign in under the signage (to the right) and wait for a seat in the adjacent dining area.
While waiting, I read several of the framed newspaper articles in the 'lobby' This one has a good photo of the counter area and the unique seating there. We only saw one open seat or would've sat there, but the wait was not long since we were here before 9 a.m. {Briefly, Silver Dollar Pancake House has been in this location since 1925 and the current family owners used to work here}

The pancake menu here is similar to Original Pancake House, but not in terms of price (ex. coffee is $1.99). Similarly, Silver Dollar is open for lunch and closes in late afternoon. The Mister chose the Silver Dollar Special ($8.99). Two eggs, two bacon, two sausage and two of any of the special pancakes from the pancake menu. He chose the banana pancakes because the description said the bananas were baked in, not merely a topping. Then again, the topping is a delightful sweet mix of a sort of caramel and chopped pecans. Wonderful pancakes, great (skin on) sausage, orange yolked eggs (cooked perfectly over easy, which is not an easy thing to do).
When I saw plates being delivered to other tables, the portion sizes looked huge, so my decision was to be different (!) and I ordered the #3 special ($5.49 plus an additional 69¢ for a sausage patty substitution), French toast and two eggs (plus the sausage). This was a great choice. The two slices of French Toast were cooked perfectly…thick bread was used, the outside was crispy and the interior soft and fluffy. That sausage patty was excellent and the eggs were poached perfectly.

All in all a great breakfast, a great Diner with great people working. We'll be back. The tabletops? Each is centered with a different breakfast item photo and all are embedded with ads.

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.

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On to the floats. The 2016 entry by the City of Los Angeles is titled "Discover Los Angeles". The first two photos of the July Road Test and 'fire drill' show the float expanded. The third photo shows the float inside the Phoenix Decorating Company barn, with the float collapsed (as it will have to, several times along the parade route). Also, the float has been colored in, which will be a guide for the volunteer decorators (who will begin the first Saturday in December). Do you see the 'Spotter' for this float in the second photo? He's inside the incorrectly proportioned Capitol Records building. Childrens Hospital of West Virginia will have their first float in the 2016 Tournamentof Roses Rose Parade. It's titled "Wild and Wonderful". In the second photo, you can see a small slot in the front (to your right) 'pier of bricks'. That's where the 'Spotter' is seated. (In the first photo, you can see the opened doors for the Spotter and the Driver).

The Shriners Hospitals for Children 2016 entry, "Fezzy Races To Adventure" was road tested in July. You see both sides of the float. You can see that people who are seated along the Parade route get different views of the same float. Again, in the top photo, you can see the opened doors for the Driver and the Spotter.

Clicking onto one of the two first photos, you can see rebar outlines of a horse and a buffalo. Look at the above photo, inside the barn. (Enlarge it.) The now screened over float has much more definition… and an eagle!…you can see Mount Rushmore (in keeping with the co-sponsors of the 2016 parade, the U.S. National Park Service along with the general parade theme of "Find Your Adventure").

There were more floats tested for driving and maneuverability, all in rebar. I'll post those with more finished photos, so you can see progression all in one post, instead of having to jump back and forth…the parade is in less than six months!

I hope your week has been going well. As always, thanks for reading.

Bolsa-Mira Mesa (lemon beef salad time)

August 18, 2015 Cathy Vietnamese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Well, well, here you are again, looking at mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk is still overwhelmed with lists of things to do. Ed (from Yuma) has lists of places to see. Cathy is writing today, with a list of favorites.

It's about time for me to rotate locations and cuisine to Mira Mesa and Vietnamese. Bolsa has been located in this same mall that holds the storefronts of QT Pot and Tapioca Heaven at the SouthWest corner of Mira Mesa Boulevard at Black Mountain Road for more than ten years. Kirk wrote one post about Bolsa in 2008 and he didn't like the pho. Let me say that after 7 1/2 years, the pho here still is not the best. But so many other menu items are. The interior is always clean and we've always been seated immediately.The fried squid appetizer ($9.95) can be a meal or can be shared. Lightly seasoned and breaded and properly fried, the crispy batter combined with the tender squid is always a good choice.The version of cha gio ($6.50) are made with my favorite, rice paper skin. The deep fried egg rolls are filled solidly with a variety of vegetables and just bit of pork. Six are served with a good amount of fresh mint and lettuce; more than enough for wrapping. The nuoc cham dipping sauce here really has the sweet, sour, salty, savory and spicy hints of flavor that compliment the rolls.Then again the order of spring rolls ($4.25) are also multi vegetable filled, tightly wrapped in fresh rice paper with my preferred filling of pork ball and the accompanying peanut dipping sauce.Banh Xeo ($7.95) is ordered before opening the menu. The crispy sizzling rice batter, flavored (and colored by) turmeric needs some extra time to make. The filling of sliced pork, shrimp, bean sprouts and mung beans are all part of our 'ritual' of cutting up the savory pancake and placing a bit of everything on a piece of lettuce along with some mint and dipping the wrapped morsel into the nuoc cham sauce.

It's gotten to the point that one of the waiters merely tells us that they have begin preparing the Banh Xeo because they saw us in the parking lot…The version of chicken curry ($6.95) here is excellent. Savory with some sweet, the curry sauce is thick and always has such deep flavor. Served with a warm loaf of banh mi that is used to soak up the sauce after eating the (large amount of) chicken along with the onion, carrot and noodles that are in the bowl, this is a great meal, especially on a cooler day.The turmeric marinaded fish ($13.95) is so good. The accompaniments in the upper photo include lettuce, sesame leaf, cold noodles, peanuts and sesame studded rice cracker…but those are hardly necessary for the first bites of these fried thicker pieces of moist fish with a light turmeric seasoned crust and fresh cooked dill. The flavors of just those basic pieces could be enough, but I end up making small lettuce filled bites using all the other ingredients to continue the enjoyment of the flavors.Last summer, my obsession was lemon beef salad. The version here is called lemon sauce beef ($9.95) and is listed as an appetizer. The salad, with its lettuce, onion and mint along with some crushed peanuts and the lemon cooked thin slices of beef seems to be exactly what I crave on hot, humid days. However, I still seek out other versions, just to be sure I have found my favorites.There's also a 'Stir Fried Egg Noodle' section the menu. You can ask for the noodle to be deep fried instead of stir fried and sometimes (like rainy days) the crispy noodle, topped with a combination of everything ($9.95)…beef, pork, shrimp, squid and vegetables..along with the addictive flavorful gravy is just perfect here.

Bolsa 9225 Mira Mesa Boulevard San Diego 92126 (858) 693-3663 open 9-9 daily

The Village Kitchen (Ocean Beach)

August 17, 2015 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Diner, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping by to read this food blog named mmm-yoso!!! Kirk is again having a busy few days at work and Ed (from Yuma) is having a busy few days staying indoors, avoiding the heat (in Yuma). Cathy is busy writing a few posts about places where she's had a meal.

Late one overcast morning, The Mister and I drove West and spent a considerable amount of time looking for a parking space. We ended up about four blocks from the ocean on Newport Avenue near Sunset Cliffs Boulevard. This bright yellow storefront caught our eye.Standout bright yellow…and such a narrow storefront…but the building is deep. The restaurant has been in that location a long time. Mom and Pop…everyone in here seemed to know each other…a locals hangout. That's the ocean…you can see the American flag on the post that's built into the sidewalk at the edge of the beach, if you squint.Classic diner decor…breakfast is served all day, but there were some menu items that we were more interested in trying.The Monday special- meatloaf ($6.95). The slices of meatloaf were thin, but so flavorful… the color of gravy is a hint- carrot was used in the loaf and therefore the gravy, and there was not much bread filler; it was all meat. The potatoes and veggies were standard (and went well with the gravy) and the grilled toasted dinner roll was just enough bread for the meal.Asking if the chili was made here (and being unaware of the Ocean Beach Chili Cook Off), I was answered with a hearty "of course!". (Mental note: the OB Street Festival and Chili Cook Off occurs during the San Diego County Fair). I ordered a cup ($3.95).

Well. This was more of a soup-chili, which I grew up eating. It had beans, which is how Mom made it. All the right flavors were there. Nostalgia.What really caught my eye while reading the menu was the Stuffed Tomato ($6.75). Stuffed with a generous portion of Tuna Salad. A wonderful, lightly dressed, simple, made with good tuna Tuna Salad. Cutting up the tomato and having forkfuls with the lettuce, cheese and occasional pickle had some food memories triggered. This was a great meal…and I am on the lookout for Stuffed Tomato on menus…my new craving.

Village Kitchen Restaurant 4853 Newport Avenue San Diego 92107 (619)222-0151 Open Mon-Tue-Wed 7:30-2, Thur-Fri 7:30-6 Sat 8-6, Sun 8-2

Ice Blast (shaved ice plus) (Convoy Street)

August 14, 2015 Cathy Desserts, What Cathy Eats!

Ice Blast has closed.

mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. It is just too darn hot for Kirk, Ed (from Yuma) and Cathy to eat much or to write about much. Here's a short post about a local place that's been in operation for about two years.

In the far corner from Phuong Trang, which Kirk and I have written about numerous times, and also sharing the same parking lot with Big Joy Family Bakery (which I've also written about more than once) is a tiny store front…which I thought was maybe a water store that also sold bagged ice. In addition, cc had written about Ice Blast after other bloggers had after it opened and I took it for granted I would be writing a post, yet never got around to it. Until today. It's 5 p.m. and 99 degrees outside. I can't think of any sort of meal at this point. Fortunately, The Mister and I are always adventurous and unafraid to walk into places…or at least peek inside windows. Let me just say that if you are eating by (or ordering just for) yourself, the "tiny" size is more than enough. The outlines drawn on the glass are accurate.

The instructions on the glass and on the wall are there to help you…Alternately, there are flavor combination suggestions on the wall near the register and in the menu booklet. Order, pay, have a seat.Really, I do have too many photos of our orders here, but don't want to bore you. That's Jimmy, the owner, in the photo above. He is patient, professional and very nice. He makes the syrup flavors used here. Tigers Blood (a combination of strawberry and coconut) is a favorite, but really none of the flavors is automatically dismissed by me when we stop here, I take a while to decide what I want to try that day. Above, a small ($3.15) Sourbomb (Lime, Lemon and Pink Lemonade, no toppings). Just a great combination of the more sour flavors offered.

You can have the ices topped with sour spray, sour plum powder (ling hing mui), condensed milk or Hawaiian salt, for free. We've tried all and each has its place, depending on the flavors you choose. The most recent visit had us trying the 'exotic' (to us) combination of cherry, banana and guava. In addition, we paid 75¢ more for a scoop of coconut-pineapple ice cream (and yes, it's Thrifty brand; my favorite-extra creamy, old fashioned ice cream).

Another locally owned, really great place.

Ice Blast 4206 Convoy Street 92111 (858) 430-6104 open Mon-Wed noon-9, Thur-Sun noon-10