yoso-silly – Page 33

Why you shouldn’t ask for recipes from relatives in China…….

March 4, 2008 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes, yoso-silly

Years ago, when we were living in Rowland Heights, I loved the Dao Ko Chicken from, of all places the deli case of Hong Kong Market. Wanting to make this, and unable to find any recipes, the Missus asked Her Mom to ask relatives in China for a recipe. And this is what we received. this may be the only time you’ll see me use the word "Authentic" in a post………say hello to an "Authentic" Chinese recipe!

道口烧鸡做法
将鸡宰杀，放在60-70`C热水中烫5分钟去毛挖去内脏将翅膀和鸡嘴插在一起将鸡腿插在鸡肚里，凉干水分后进油锅炸，油温80`C左右炸1-2分钟使鸡颜色变浅黄色，如是小鸡炸前涂上糖色时间要多炸1-2分钟，炸完后
放入煮过鸡的老汤里煮2-4小时煮的其间要翻个，汤要浸过来，盐糖根据口味（如第一次做加水加佐料）
煮鸡用的料（中药房应有卖的）这是每30只鸡的用料量可按比例加减。
陈皮二钱肉桂冠五钱白芷五钱良姜五钱草果一钱半砂仁一钱豆寇一钱丁香半钱毕卜一钱大桂香二钱莳梦子二钱做成料袋。盐度18-21`糖度21-24`（化学方面）

50克=1两 1两=10钱 1钱=5克

Just for your entertainment, it starts out with "kill the chicken", "put into hot water for 5 minutes", "get rid of the feathers and innards….", "fold the wings and beak together, fold the legs into the stomach"…. you get the picture. I guess this assumes you’re able to "catch the chicken in the first place." It even goes into "degrees of salinity", which is what happens when you ask Chemists for a recipe…… I love my In-Laws dearly, they know I enjoy Dao Ko Chicken so much, that they went through the effort to hunt down the Missus’s "Uncle in Law" for the recipe.

We actually tried making this……step by step, shopping for all the strange herbs, making a dark medicinal broth which created a potent toxic cloud(good thing we were still renting at the time)….and then the Missus read the part about the recipe being for 30 chickens!

All to create the elusive Dao Ko Chicken I love so much……anyone have a recipe, where I don’t have to "kill the chicken"? To add insult to injury, shortly after we tried making this, Hong Kong Market discontinued their cold deli. And though we’ve had other versions of the chicken, they were never quite as good. But of course, there’s always a "silver lining", the Missus was taking a creative writing course, and wrote an essay about this debacle…..and got an "A" for her class! I never got the chicken though……

Stat tuned for more restaurants tomorrow!

The Missus’s Latest Feet-ish…..

February 4, 2008 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Dim Sum, yoso-silly

Just a short post tonight…..today was jury duty day, and it’s amazing how sitting around for 8-9 hours just saps your energy……

So what is, or more precisely was (She has since moved on….) the Missus’s obsession?

~~Feet~~, umm feast your eyes on this:

How the Missus could just wake up one morning, turn to me, and tell me, "I want some chicken feet"….for some reason that just sounds wrong. So, over the past 2 weeks, She’s been ~~feeting~~ feasting on chicken feet, usually getting them 2 orders at a time. So here’s how the Missus rates the chicken feet, which my Filipino friends call "adidas", from the various Dim Sum restaurants in the Convoy area.

1 – Jasmine.

The Missus’s favorite by a mile…to quote, "plump, juicy, nice skin, nice gelatin, lots of black bean…..on the oily/greasy side."

2 – Emerald

"Ok, not as greasy as Jasmine, lots of skin, but not much flavor…"

3 – China Max(photo top of post)

"Bland, not enough black bean, tough…..the toes felt hard like I was eating giant toenails…."

So there you go, more than you ever wanted to know about the Missus’s preferences when it comes to chicken feet. There is one major upside for me…..having the Missus concentrating on Her chicken feet, means more of this stuff for me:

Next time I want Dim Sum all to myself I know what to do….just wave some chicken feet in front of the Missus!

Jasmine Seafood Restaurant
4609 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Emerald Seafood Restaurant
3709 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

China Max Seafood Restaurant
4698 Convoy Street
San Diego, CA 92111

I’ll be back with a new restaurant post tomorrow!

El Roberto’s, The Battle of the ‘berto’s, and a contest

January 26, 2008 mmm-yoso Taco Shops, What Howie Eats - Where the Foodie from Foodieview Eats, yoso-silly

If you’ve been in San Diego long enough, or are an ex-pat San Diegan, all you need to do is mention the name of a taco shop that goes “Something” – berto’s……be it ‘Ai’, ‘Roi’, or the one and only Roberto’s, and the first thing that will come to mind will probably be a representation of the quintessential San Diego Taco Shop. Serving up stuff like California Burritos(carne asada & fries), Rolled Tacos(aka Taquitos), and the classic Carne Asada Burrito…or what Jay, proprietor of The Linkery, calls the ‘CAB’. I guess it just shows the power of branding….you can just add whatever prefix you want(within reason – I don’t think Rodent-O-Bertos would work real well, though the name Shigella-bertos has a ring to it), and suddenly you are a San Diego Taco Shop. Just looking at a list of current “Something” – berto’s goes to prove my point….they range from rather tasty(Hamberto’s anyone?), to something with a bit more action(Ramberto’s), to places I may give thought to before entering(Rigoberto’s). I can’t think of anything else quite like this….I mean there is 97 Supermarket, which looks strangely similar to 99 Ranch Market, and perhaps a few other examples, but nothing to the extent of the berto’s. I’ve personally tried to cook up a few similar schemes that have never panned out. I had the idea to hire a bunch of surly Chinese wait staff, buy as many “San Gabriel” sticky tables as I could, and bring in white paper-hatted Cooks with questionable hygienic habits, and open my Chinese BBQ, calling it Sam-my Woof BBQ, but that never panned out. I had the great idea(or maybe it was just brain freeze) of selling super tart fro-yo…..2 oz frozen yogurt, which you top, nay bury, with 6 ounces of various toppings (which you can buy in bulk from Henry’s), and selling it for $8 a cup….calling it Pink-buried. But as with many of these bright ideas…it just never took off.

Which leads me to El Roberto’s:

There I was minding my own business, in a strip mall on the corner of Murphy Canyon Road and Aero Drive, when I saw this sign:

Geez, I didn’t know there was a Roberto’s here…..my stomach started growling. As I walked up to the shop, the truth was revealed:

Hmmm, I didn’t see an L, um ‘El’ in front of Robertos on the large sign in the front of the restaurant. I got a chuckle out of that. Still, I decided, or my stomach decided, to grab a bite. The interior of El Roberto’s is simple, but man is that counter built high…..

The menu listed a good 15 or so burritos……..

I decided to order a Texas Burrito($4.10). A Texas Burrito, by San Diego Taco Shop standards is a Pollo Asado(chicken) and French Fry(yes, french fries) burrito, sometimes with Pico de Gallo(basically a tomato and onion condiment), and sometimes guacamole.

This was not a very good version of a Texas Burrito. The fries were fine, but finding any chicken in the burrito was an experience akin to finding “gold in them dere hills”…… What was worse was the very sour hot sauce….

But heck….something more than the “Something” – berto’s name keeps this place in business, right?

El Roberto
3755 Murphy Canyon Rd.
San Diego, CA 92123

Have I told you about my latest project? It’s a chain I’ll call Cuy-potle, specializing in burritos featuring free-range, alfalfa fed, Cavia porcellus, humanely slaughtered. The burritos contain 1 ounce of Cuy meat, along with 16 ounces of various pseudo-Mexican sauces, rice, beans, and salsas..creating a boat-sized burrito that defies the term healthy eating! Hmmm, looks like I’ll need some help with this one…maybe the team of wordsmith Elmo Monster and marketing genius Eatdrinknbmerry will come on board…..we’d be unbeatable!

The Battle of the Berto’s:

So what about the Carne Asada Burrito at L El-Roberto’s, you may ask? Well, I did manage to try the CAB at El Roberto’s…recently, the one and only Howie who does the excellent A Foodie Eye’s View. Invited the Missus and I to what he called the Battle of the Bertos. We managed a tasting of 10 different Carne Asada Burritos, from random “Something” – berto’s around San Diego. It was a fun and interesting time…though I don’t think I’ll be having another CAB for a while!

So to quote Howie; “Which Berto Reigns Supreme?” You’ll just have to check out the results here. You can also vote on your personal favorite “Berto”. In case you were wondering, the Missus(otherwise known as The Missusberto), and yours-truly-berto came up with almost the exact same results in our blind tasting…..

And to add even more “cred” to the project, the Arbiter, was a vegetarian! Who deserves major props for first, dealing with a group of “crazed carne asada Psychos”. And secondly, for dealing with the “smell of grilled beef” permeating our very being……

And just in case you wanted to know what the post-bertos scene was like….this is the aftermath:

The Name Your (Faux)Berto Contest:

I’ve always poked fun at the proliferation of these “Something”-berto places. It is quite entertaining when driving to think up stuff like:

Vito-Bertos – “You better like our meatball burrito, or else….”

PETA-Bertos – At least you can be sure that the fur growing in your burrito didn’t come from a living creature…I’m sure that would be comforting!

I’m also sure you’re much more creative than I am, so come up with your best “Something” – berto’s name and tagline, and/or menu item, and send it to me via email at mmm-yoso@hotmail.com, I’ll pick my 3 favorite names, and I’ll also forward the list to Howie, to pick his 3 favorites…and I’ll send the winners a Peet’s Ecup of coffee. One winner per IP address, and try to keep it clean, ok? I’ll list the winners mid-week. The contest closes midnight on Sunday, 01/27/08…after all, I know you’re all creative geniuses, with an unending flow of ideas….and my personal CPU can’t deal with that!

So let’s see what Faux-berto’s you come up with.

Sunday Stuffs

January 20, 2008 mmm-yoso yoso-silly

Just a random "potpourri" of stuffs……

The latest sign at Marukai:

The latest sign says February 1st for Marukai Market. I hope so.

Chilango’s Reopening?

When we first moved to San Diego, we visited Chilango’s in Hillcrest several times, and really enjoyed ourselves. I was getting a post ready, when I found out that the Owners of Chilango’s had hired some Itamae, and opened up what amounted to a Japanese Fast-Food restaurant. Today, during the usual trip, I noticed the sign was gone, and the Chilango’s sign was back up!

So is Chilango’s reopening? A second "I hope so" for this one.

The Bard of Banh Mi:

One of the FOY (Friends of Yoso) who often keeps me informed of his various adventures in Bun Bo Hue, and Banh Mi is Jon Oropeza, IT pro by day, writer by night. He recently sent me this, which tickled me….you can also find it here. I now proclaim Jon, the Bard of Banh Mi:

bánh mì gà

i surprise the woman
by ordering ‘bon-my-gah’
because that’s what I want
a chicken sandwich.

the alien lah-dah-lahs
of her man on his cell
yelling about a smogging –
‘la la la Test Only
do doe way Test Only,’
he’d say –
‘Test Only.’ ‘nah-no Test Only!’
‘gue go way you-win’ –

(my blabber transcription)

‘ – la lo mben Test Only.’
‘la mben do doe-lay’.

we think of languages discrete,
they’re melanges aren’t they?

French sandwiches and tenseless Khmer
like a grid shaking hands with a sphere.

in the rear their gorgeous
stick-figure daughter
wriggles on her chair
agog by my big bites into
Chicken, Gà, same
Viet-name and my

Thanks for sharing, and the dedication Jon. I forgot to ask, where the inspirational Banh Mi was from, so I took a photo of a Banh Mi Ga Nuong from Song Huong(now costs $2.50). I’m guessing it must be Song Huong?

Finally, a funny YouTube from Andy the ABC:

He even mentions mmm-yoso!!! Enjoy:

Thanks Andy! We love it! And one day we hope to be in Taiwan, though I’m not quite sure I’d have what you did…….

You never know what you’ll find on Imperial Avenue:

I was driving along a few weekends ago. I’d already grabbed some tacos from El Compita, but in the parking lot of the former El Comal, now called something like Casa el Pepe(2822 Imperial Ave), was some major Polo asada being grilled. If I hadn’t already grabbed some tacos, I’d have stopped. I did manage to snap a quick photo:

I’m hoping to check it out in the coming weeks……

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Another Year

December 29, 2007 mmm-yoso yoso-silly

Is almost in the books. Looking back it’s been a pretty good one for new eats in San Diego. Here’s my fearsome foursome of new restaurants that opened this past year:

Early in the year Tsuruhashi opened up, and brought us some good yakiniku.

Tsuruhashi Japanese BBQ
3904 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

In April Latin Chef opened up, serving up tasty Peruvian from a tiny shop in Pacific Beach:

The tasty Cebiches and Tiradito provided a delish segue for our trip to Peru. It was nice to see that Latin Chef’s Owner, Freddy, has now acquired the shop next door, doubling the restaurant’s floor space.

Latin Chef
1142 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109

During the summer, San Diego’s first Vietnamese Crawfish restaurant, Crab Hut opened.

I’m guessing business must be good, since a few months back a second Crawfish boil opened close by.

Crab Hut
4646 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

And in early September, Mongolian Hot Pot finally made it’s way South, and Little Sheep opened up.

Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot & Grill
4718 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Sounds like a pretty good year to me! So tell us, what were your favorite new restaurants that opened this past year?

"All of my dreams are fading fast…."

"Another year."

"Each time I think it’s gonna last……"

"It disappears."

Another Year – Ian Gomm

Can you guess what this is?

December 27, 2007 mmm-yoso yoso-silly

*** And the answer is….. Duck Tongue!

Congrats to those with correct guesses as of 5pm today:

Kaire Rasu
Ed (not from Yuma)
Kim
Kimmy
Kelly

I can’t believe that many of the guesses came from the, "ahem" wrong end of the animal!

So where was this from? That’ll be coming up shortly!

Thanks for playing everyone!

I haven’t done one of these in a while. So let’s have at it, can you guess what is lying on the plate below?

Just as with previous "guess it" contests, first 5 Emails I receive that guess the correct item, I’ll send you a cup of Peet’s on me!

Make sure you email me your guess, at mmm-yoso@hotmail.com, and make sure your email address is a valid one.

As usual 1 winner per IP address. This one is easy, don’t give away the answer!

I’ll reveal the answer tomorrow.

Road Trip Day Seven: Home! New Mexico to California

December 2, 2007 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Chains, New Mexico, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!, yoso-silly

mmm-yoso!!! is a diary about food we group of friends eat. Cathy and her Mister have been eating their way across America for last week or so. OK…in actuality, she is home and posting . The first four posts were sent pretty much in real time, from the road. These last three have been done with slightly less frenziness. She has slept in her own bed…and will again…as soon as she hits "send"…

OK. Almost done…starting this post early with photos from our last trip and hope the same wonderful, tacky sights, or more, are viewable from the car.

Dinosaur City. Some sort of recreational huge mass of land, on both sides of the Interstate 40. There are tons of these statues closer to the road, to lure you in…

About 6 miles east of Dinosaur City is this "Pseudo Dinosaur City" ()I think it is called"Stewart's" or something like that)which sold an inordinate number of fossils and dusty geodes and old, dusty things two years ago. I loved this place…they were trying to sell the business off then…

Yep, still there. America.

A meal in Arizona- Blake's Lotaburger…eh. I got a Lotaburger, no cheese and The Mister got the grilled turkey sandwich and we got a cherry shake. Nothing special. Just food. We have not ever stopped at a Lotaburger, and will give it one more try next year. There are quite a few locations in Arizona and they seem popular. Perhaps we were spoiled by Blimpy's and Culvers… …now Whataburger, in Texas…that is good…but we didn't stop there this trip. Next year, though…

The last evening meal while traveling-(end of Day Six, if you are keeping track) Yes! The Big Texan!!! From about 200 miles away (~4 hours of driving), the signage starts…"Free 72 ounce Steak!" Of course, there is an asterisk…You have to consume this entire meal in ONE HOUR, on a stage, while people watch (and take photographs). If you don't finish it, it costs $72…and a major bellyache for the next day or two or three…

Or, you can order from the GIANT sized menu (dollar bill at top used for size reference). I got the 18 ounce boneless rib eye ($21.59), cooked rare/medium rare, along with a side of mashed(that had brown gravy on the bottom and white gravy on top). The steak is marinated perfectly and need nothing added. The Mister got the rack of spare ribs ($16.99) with a side of mac and cheese. The ribs are a full rack, meaty, the sauce has a nice kick. Spicy heat with a touch of garlic.

But, you really get two sides and The Mister chose his other side as a salad with a *really good* blue cheese dressing and mine was (and always is) sliced tomatoes with raw red onions. Of course, there are also yeasty rolls are always light, warm and perfect…and apparently not photographed.

Other than that, we merely stopped at a bunch of Starbucks locations on the trip…and have 18 receipts to prove it.. and stopped to take a photo of The Blue Hare….

So, that was our annual vacation, across America. Three days driving there, three days being there and three days driving back.

I hope all of you enjoyed it as much as we did! We'll do it all again next year.

Road Trip Day Six: Missouri to someplace in New Mexico

November 30, 2007 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Chains, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!, yoso-silly

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog. Today, again, it is Cathy writing from the road ( written a few days ago; I am actually home-it is the magic of blogging), about food and other stuff. Really. Cathy and The Mister are driving across the Continental USA. You can too, vicariously, from the comfort of your home (or work) computer.

Good Morning!

Still driving and blogging. This photo was taken in Indiana or Illinois with the sun setting. Surreal. I just wanted to share.

By nightfall, we were passing the Arch in St Louis again. Sorry the photo is so blurry. The flash does not do its job from inside a moving car.

So. Sometimes hotel advertise "Breakfast Bar Included". This means cold cereal, oatmeal packets, a toaster, coffee, hot water and a juice machine. If you are lucky, there are bagels and in the condiment section there may be cream cheese and peanut butter. No, no photos…HOWEVER, Quality Inns advertise a "Hot Breakfast Bar"..whoo hoo!

In addition to the items listed above, there is fresh fruit and, in the case of this location, (somewhere West of St. Louis), are sausage biscuits, regular plain biscuits, sausage gravy(really good sausage gravy) …and… The ubiquitous, infamous, make your own commercial waffle machine…oh yes.

You get a cup of batter, and pour it onto the hot machine, close it, flip it and it has a beeping timer (or light in some cases) so you know when it is done. One note: there is usually a can of non-stick spray, or a bowl of melted butter next to the machine…it helps to put that on before pouring…

Anyhow, those waffles are sooooo good. Crispy light exterior and pefectly cooked interior. There seem to be two batters when you encounter these commercial machines and in the Midwest, the more sour, buttermilk based, "malted" batter is always available..and when you get more West/southwest, there is a sweet batter…

ANYHOW…we drove and saw the first of *many* of the trucks hauling Christmas trees out West. We see these on the way home and know it is going to be Christmas…you can see snow on top of this load…yes, Thanksgiving is over and life goes on.

Springfield, MO. Braum’s. Yes.

Small grocery store, fast food and ice cream! The Steakburger combo ($4.75)- with an eggnog shake (extra 50 cents)..By far, Braum’s makes the best shakes ever. They use the milkshake mix and…egg nog instead of milk…oh. Steak. Burger. In the Midwest. This means a chicken fried steak. Excellent. Juicy. Just the right amount of spice in the batter. Topped with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise.

Steak and Shake. You know we *must* stop here, always. Located in the Midwest (the closest one on the trip is in Joplin, MO), this "institution" is open 24/7, serving breakfast every one of those hours…but, nope. The Mister was burger-ed out. He got the fried fish plate, I got a single steakburger. No cheese. You get a choice of two of seven sides with each platter. We each got a salad, and I also took a cup of chili (with beans) and The Mister took cole slaw. Very good food. I like the flavor of the meat in the burger- like a Rally’s Big Buford. We also got an egg nog shake ( as a taste comparison) and… there was no comparing the Braums to Steak and Shake, even though I do like the shakes here…the S&S one had an artificial undertone and I mostly tasted the nutmeg sprinkled on top.

The place was slammed, and our Very Nice Waiter(one of only three inside the busy restaurant) told us we were the quietest people in there. I told Him that we had been sitting in a car next to each other for five days and would rather listen to other people talking than each other…

Oh. Another aside. XM satellite radio channel 59-LED, the Zeppelin Channel…very cool.

So, last night…(did you read that post?)(I didn’t finish our evening meal) Culver’s. Home of the Butter Burger. Major Midwest chain. I got a single, ($2.39), The Mister got a double with cheese($4.49 , the fries came with (a combo meal: also included a medium drink))…and..a side of Cheese Curds ($3.29). yep, we were in Illinois. Midwest. Fried cheese. Not those appetizer sicks of mozzarella, but curds, dipped and fried and wonderful. Oh the Butter burgers- *the best* fast food burger, ever. Yes, BUTTER BURGER. Of course it has flavor. Juicy. Culvers’ makes frozen custard. Wonderful, rich, egg based frozen custard. they make it many times a day. It is wonderful. This is a small, $1.69. They have a different Flavor of the Day as well as chocolate available. In the summer, people come in just for a frozen treat.

Yes, I wrote about two egg nog shakes and a frozen custard, and fried foods (and two small salads, remember)…We will be home soon. The diet begins then…or January First…whatever…

…and I didn’t post our dinner from tonight…that post will go up soon. You’ll like it. The last day of travel…

Braum’s website

Steak and Shake website Culver’s website

Road Trip-Day Five: Detroit/Ann Arbor, MI to St Louis-ish, MO

November 27, 2007 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Detroit, Michigan, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!, yoso-silly

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog, written in some creative ways. This time it is Cathy, writing about food across America and back. We are now heading back … towards San Diego.

Hello again. We are all back in the car and heading west…albeit slowly. First, breakfast…

Cracker Barrel is along our entire driving route- except, not in California-the closest one to us is 3 hours away, in Yuma. It is good in the sense that all are laid out the same way and I know exactly where the restrooms are-just past the "General Store" lobby (filled with souvenirs and knick knacks and candies)…and they serve breakfast all day. There is a small game on every simply set table. Coffee is $1.39-but I am spoiled by the consistency of Starbucks- cross country(as a side note- we used 6 tanks of fuel and 7 stops at Starbucks on this drive East) I can get a fresh cup of coffee whenever we stop; I can tell you stories of the strangest tasting brown colored hot water I have consumed on prior road trips. This year the signage for Starbucks is better( "Exit 159, Turn Left" with a Starbucks symbol, nothing else) and there are more locations right off the freeway.

So, back to Cracker Barrel, The Mister got the "Holiday Sampler" breakfast plate ($7.19) A choice of country or sugar ham, a slice of wonderful country bacon (it is not crispy, but a cured smoked ham thin sliced and pan fried -different than what most of you grew up with), a wonderful sausage patty, two eggs, hash browns, spiced apples, grits, a regular biscuit, an apple biscuit and country gravy-not too spicy(needed to add pepper), not at all lumpy.Plenty of food. I got the two biscuits with ham and side of spiced apples- they are cooked with the skins on….still crispy in a thick, non-cinnamon, non-sweet sauce.

One thing I like about Cracker Barrel is that you can get a book on tape (or CD) at one location and then drive while listening to it and return it at any other location whenever. It ends up costing you less than $5 and is a good way to pass time if you don't have satellite radio. Regular AM/FM stations end up fading so fast while driving (at best one station will last 2 hours) that having something to hold your concentration, besides conversation, helps tremendously.

Wonderful… said our goodbyes and and we were off in the car again. First stop, the University of Michigan. North Campus. Food.

Yes, you are reading correct- Bagel Fragel. A fragel is …yep, a fried bagel.

Raisin packed bagel dough, fried to a golden brown (instead of boiled). Coated in cinnamon sugar. More sugar than cinnamon-perfect. (I don't crave cinnamon) (89¢) An Ann Arbor tradition for 30 years. {The original Bagel Fragel place used to be located on South University, but now is North of North Campus, on Plymouth Road.} I would get one every Saturday morning. Had to get one now. Had to. While I could. It is bread-y inside and the crust is lightly crispy…not hard…still chewy but a little crunch. Healthier than a donut…not as healthy as bagel…like I care.

A salt bagel, toasted, with butter. (72¢) It is quite difficult to find salt bagels around San Diego. These are good, fresh, inexpensive….and salty! The shop also sells muffins, danishes, sandwiches and breakfast bagels.

Then the traditional Ann Arbor stop at The Cube, a beautiful installation art piece that spins on its axis, either with the help of a push, or just the wind. Made in 1966-67, by Tony Rosenthal, it is located near the Michigan Union, {just off of State Street, on Maynard} and has a "twin"of itself in New York City. As a size reference, the corners parallel to the ground are worn out. Those corners are arm level – where you push.

Then, our primary traditional food indulgence. Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger. This small restaurant (Capacity of 50) seems to be patronized by a lot of people after graduation. The people working the grill were commenting about how many "old" people were in there when we were. Eh, after Thanksgiving, the town seemed filled with alumnae. The Mister and I both lived in South Quad, a dorm located only a block away from Blimpy's and frequented this simple restaurant regularly when undergrads.

You walk in, between tables, and queue up. The menu is on the wall behind the tray line (click to enlarge and read).

You grab a tray and tell the cook your order. Then you watch it being made. The beef is ground daily, set up as a ball of meat in single, double, triple and quad packs, and slapped down on the grill to cook and seasoned with a salt/pepper mix. If you are getting fried items, you order from the fry cook…finished sandwich items are

topped to your wishes (ketchup, mustard, mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickles, raw onions, relish, yellow peppers) and wrapped at the end of the line … you pay and find a seat.

Mine. Double. Provolone. Fried egg. Mayo. Tomato. Onion. Pickle. ($2.85 plus 55 cents for the egg)

His. Triple. Blue cheese. Everything but onion. ($3.95)

Small mixed fried veggies. ($3.45) We sat at 2 of the 5 barstools looking out the front window, onto South Division, as we had many years ago. Enjoyed every last bite.

Oh, the burgers are juicy, flavorful and absolutely the best you will ever have. It has been said you can feel your arteries hardening with each bite. The mixed fries are plentiful, lightly crispy, not too greasy..a mix of onions, zucchini, cauliflower, mushrooms-no potatoes…perfect. We cleaned our tray and left…already awaiting the next visit. It is cheaper than food…and so good.

We ate more today, but I will just add it to tomorrow's post…

Cracker Barrel website. Numerous locations.

MD Bagel Fragel (734)332-1020 North Campus (Plymouth Road)

Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger 551 S. Division, Ann Arbor 48104 (734)663-4590

***Krazy Jim's closed on August 15, 2013 after 60 years. It should be re-opening and the date and location will be announced on its Web Page

Road Trip-Happy Thanksgiving from Detroit

November 22, 2007 Cathy Cooking, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!, yoso-silly

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog -a diary of food eaten- written by a bunch of friends independently of each other. This is Cathy, who is in Detroit with her family.

Good wishes to you and your family from all of us.

in the midwestern United States. Ham, with an orange marmalade/mustard glaze, cheesy potato hot dish Kielbasa, roast beef Turkey, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole..other stuff too. and three pies…mince (apples and raisin filling), black forest pie (made by my nephew) and pumpkin pie (made by my niece). Including Staples the traveling poodle (in the wind)… and Gizmo, the much traveled cat, with snow flurries on his back… I hope all of you are having a good meal with family and friends and that we all have something to be thankful for. It is a good time to reflect.