mmm-yoso – Page 101 – As in, yoso-silly, yoso-hungry, yoso-full, or best of all; mmm-delici-yoso!!!!! A San Diego based food and travel blog. An Ex-Pat Kama'aina and Friends explore food, restaurants, and travel from San Diego and points beyond.

Roadtrip (During Covid) – Elote Cafe and the Devils Bridge Trail (Sedona)

June 12, 2022 mmm-yoso Flagstaff/ Sedona/Winslow/Northern AZ, Latin American Cuisine, Mexican Restaurants, Road Trip, Travel

After doing the Oak Creek Trail, the Missus and I picked up some stuffs from Whole Foods and had a simple lunch. By dinner time; well, I was ready for some "grindz". Luckily, our dinner destination was basically right around the corner from our accommodations. Even more lucky….I'd made reservations for dinner as there was already a line when we got to the place at 5pm! Our reservations were for 515! I pity the folks with no reservations.

We worked our way down the reservations line and got a nice table with some good distance from other folks. The service here was more friendly and things seemed much more laid back than dinner the night before.

The Missus really loved the chips here! In fact, She cleaned it out pretty quickly and our friendly Server quickly got us more!

After the days hike I was pretty darn hungry, so we actually ordered three apps and two mains!

And since this place is named "Elote" (corn)….well you know what our starters revolved around, right?

Things started with the Elote ($11).

There was a bit too much mayo in this, which nullified the sweet-smokiness of the fire roasted corn.

Next up the Huitlacoche Corn Soup (a small – $8).

You could really make out the corn here! Nice sweetness, the chili de arbol powder added some nice heat to the dish. Not enough huitlacoche to really make much of an impact in our opinion.

Sweet Corn Salad ($12).

We enjoyed the Chipotle Vinaigrette and this was nice and refreshing, but again it was kind of short in the elote department. But not bad overall.

We had explained that we'd like to dine "family style" and the folks here cheerfully accommodated us with separate plates and even plate changes! Great staff.

The Duck Carnitas ($29) was bit more chewy and fatty then I had anticipated.

Pasilla chilies, which have a nice fruitiness was a nice match and the guacamole really helped to refresh the palate cutting thru the richness of the dish.

The Smoked Pork Cheeks ($28) was my favorite dish of the evening.

The pork was indeed smoky and the texture was good, not falling apart but quite tender. And this part of the swine has a wonderful porkiness. I wasn't sure about the buttermilk-cumin drizzle, but it worked well in this framework, a bit of acidity, nice earthiness. I also enjoyed the cascabel chili sauce, a nice nutty-earthiness.

Overall this was an enjoyable meal, the service brought it up a notch.

Elote Cafe
350 Jordan Rd.
Sedona, AZ 86336

The next morning the Missus wanted to do one more hike on our way out of Sedona. She wanted to hike to the Devil's Bridge. During Her previous previous visit, the Devil's Bridge was packed with the "selfie crowd" and She never got to walk out onto it. And se we headed on over. Even though it was December, the parking lot was already filled when we arrived. A really nice guy in a brand new Corvette had parked….he saw us, waved and moved up to make room for us to park! What a nice guy!

The trail, other than the last portion up to the bridge is flat and easy to navigate. And you get really nice views of the Sedona "Red Rocks".

And when we arrived at the Devil's Bridge, there was only one couple ahead of us.

And that couple was the folks from that new yellow Corvette. We were just going to take a stroll on the Devil's Bridge and maybe do a selfie. But the really nice guy told me; "I'm going to rest here a while, so why don't you walk on over and I'll take a picture of you!" And he didn't take just one photo, but an entire set! You know, people like him really do make travels just so much better!

And so, our time in Sedona was up.

But there was one more stop for us left!

Stay tuned!

Roadtrip (During Covid) – Mariposa Latin Inspired Grill and the West Fork of Oak Creek Trail (Sedona)

June 11, 2022 mmm-yoso Flagstaff/ Sedona/Winslow/Northern AZ, Latin American Cuisine, Mexican Restaurants, Road Trip, Travel

After leaving Winslow, we headed west on the 40 and then down the 89 to Sedona. The Missus had really enjoyed hiking in Sedona during Her roadtrip and wanted to torture me to enjoy some of those hikes. Wow was the place crowded with tourists! And there seemed to this interesting vibe…almost like Lahaina meets New Age, that I got from the place.

I did enjoy our accommodations which was close to everything downtown, our dinner destination for the next night was just steps away. And the location while being close to everything had convenient parking and was pretty quiet.

After checking in, we headed out to do some shopping in the Uptown area….man, there were a ton of tourist traps here. After passing shop after shop of "stuffs", we finally found one where we could find some good gifts.

We enjoyed shopping here and purchased gifts for folks back home. The staff was also quite knowledgeable.

After which we headed back to the room to relax and refresh.

I had made dinner reservations at a place recommended to me by an acquaintance. It was located a bit over a mile down state highway 89A named Mariposa. Well, because the Missus thought that I hadn't had enough exercise, She decided that we needed to walk there. The walk wasn't bad, though we were the only folks actually walking. And after taking the right where 89A turns right and 179 goes straight it seemed like we were walking on the freeway. For a place that had been described to me as being "spiritual" they sure seemed to have a lot of large strip malls!

We found the restaurant, walked up past the parking lot and entered.

The place was quite busy and many parties looked like they were here to celebrate various occasions.

The menu featured "tapas" styled dishes, grilled red meat, interesting sounding Latin influenced mains, and a host of sides The service was a bit on the "cold" side, at least to us. Apparently he knew folks on his other tables and spent his time with them and barely uttered a complete sentence to us.

We chose a couple of "tapas", a main, and some side dishes for our "family style" meal.

First up was the Pulpo Parilla ($26).

We were a bit surprised at the prices, which seemed on the "high" end of things; but this was a good sized plate. The octopus was nicely cooked and hit a nice balanced texture, toothsome, but not overly chewy. In terms of flavor, it was again nicely balacned in terms of sodium. The garbanzo bean puree was nice and hearty and the shredded fennel added an interesting anise flavor to things. This was, by far, the best dish of the evening. We also enjoyed the Biquinho Peppers; which weren't overly hot, but it really brought a bit of spice to the dish.

The Gaucho Plate ($22) arrived next.

The chorizo was a bit too mild in terms of spices….it really could have used a bit more chili in it. The bread was a bit on the crumbly side for our taste. The best item on the plate were the butter beans which which had a nice, firm exterior, but were quite creamy inside.

The one main we ordered was the Veggie Nirvana ($28). After having those pretty hefty tapas, we cracked up when this arrived as it was actually smaller than the previous dishes.

This was a bit overdone in terms of having so many things going on; the Romesco Sauce, black beans, pepitas, and cheese overpowered any subtle smokiness from the roasted poblano.

We also ordered the Wood Roasted Mushrooms ($12).

This was fine, if a bit on the bland side.

The most disappointing dish was the Roasted Cauliflower with Romesco ($10).

The cauliflower had been charred, but was still quite hard and for some reason, didn't seem to be seasoned. As I mentioned previously; not a fan of the Romesco sauce as it really didn't have that "zippy", garlic-smoky-mildly spicy and tangy flavors I enjoy.

Overall, well….this felt like a meal in a very "corporate" restaurant…..for some reason it reminded me of eating, in say, a Fleming's???

I had read about the wonderful view, but it was past sundown when we arrived so I can't comment on that.

Mariposa Latin Inspired Grill
700 West Hwy 89A
Sedona, AZ 86336

We had a quiet walk back to our room. I had started noticing random items on our walk back that sometimes looked a bit out of place. Like what is this Torii doing here?

Maybe I missed something in the darkness?

The next morning the Missus wanted to show me one of Her favorite hikes in the area. It's the West Fork of Oak Creek. We got there early and found parking and paid the $11 fee.

It is a nice hike and I loved the rock formations. Now this is what I envision when I think of Sedona!

The hike was a bit over 6 1/2 miles round trip and wasn't too bad.

There were 13 river crossings though! But I managed to make it without falling into the river once….much to the Missus's disappointment. Just kidding.

Not too many people hiking on this morning; though it seemed like folks were arriving as we were leaving.

We passed some ruins as we were leaving the trail.

I was curious and walked over to the sign.

From 1926 to 1968 Mayhew Lodge stood here. The cabins saw visitors like Herbert Hoover, Jimmy Stewart, Walt Disney, and Clark Gable. You can read more about it here. In 1968 the Mayhew family sold the lodge to the U.S. Forest Service and in 1980 a fire consumed the buildings, leaving only the remains we can see today. It's interesting the things that you run across…..

As folks started arriving; we knew it was time for us to leave…….and time for me to have a break and maybe even a nap?

Thanks for stopping by!

The 2022 San Diego County Fair-Heroes Reunite! (part 1)

June 9, 2022 Cathy Festivals & Events, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is primarily a food blog. This post (written by Cathy) does have many mentions of food with photos of menus, but no criticism because nothing to be sold at the Fair has yet been tasted.

The front gate is ready! 223C5027-4A3C-4359-9893-A38D7421FA8A The 2022 San Diego County Fair Officially opened yesterday. It's been a long time since I wrote the 2019 San Diego County Fair initial post, the 'during the Fair' second post and wrap up post, because 2020 happened. DBFCBE71-8B52-4A2E-92B4-DEB18EA5AC21 The planned Theme was "Heroes Unite"; that Fair never happened. This year, the Theme is "Heroes Reunite".
F723E808-9E61-44C4-9155-9A91C72CA182 The Midway was still being set up earlier this week. (You can see the Ferris Wheel way down there at the West end).
67B5FE17-361D-4636-883C-7381C2BFF7B3 There are quite a few areas around exhibits where you can take photos with Superheroes.
68B08CD5-9D2C-4BF9-8A67-4B05F801298C Some things have changed. At the far West end of the Vendors Halls (next to Bing Crosby Hall), the new location of the Adult as well as Youth crafting, cooking and hobby exhibits has a new name- Home Made.

The "Heart of the Fair" -reasons we have State and County Fairs- has returned!
80AE847A-5DB9-421C-903C-62ECEE4AC1E4 6BAD95C0-7899-4C6C-99CB-EF1F919B499A Of course, Preserved Foods
as well as Baked Foods
and Decorated Foods had to be judged.
7ED614E1-08B8-4F15-8857-CC051B54FF7A There are some amazing collections.
A9880378-E302-42D1-957F-E1B820B3A300 The Quilt display is original.
BB734903-2CA0-4F0A-BE70-CF1117389610 There were so many needle art items entered this year- Sewing, spinning and weaving, knitting, crochet and more. The displays are great.

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Of course, the Food Booths have returned. Some photos for now; menus and things to note…

An "Express Line" if you are purchasing a turkey leg only!
The slices of 'Ten Pound Buns' are very large-the amount of avocado on that piece of toast…

Lemon mini donuts- we will definitely try those!

A 'themed' sandwich choice!

There are many other food booths and all areas have something interesting. See you at the Fair!

2022 San Diego County Fair 2260 Jimmy Durante Boulevard Del Mar. Open Wednesday-Sunday until July 3 plus Monday July 4. Gates open 11 a.m. daily, close at 10 p.m. Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday, 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Fair entrance and parking tickets MUST be purchased online in advance. There is free parking at Torrey Pines High School. Website

Kin Len – Thai Street Eats

June 7, 2022 mmm-yoso Thai Restaurants

Back at the end of last year, a new Thai restaurant opened on 30th street, if I recall this used to be a pizza shop? Boy has North Park evolved over the years!

Kin Len 01

For some reason, I had to work to convince the Missus to check the place out. First, parking is always an issue, second, the Missus really hasn't found anything She enjoyed eating on this strip of 30th north of University and of course prices have gone up quite a bit over the last couple of months. But we finally found some time, on a Tuesday at 530pm, eating outside.

Kin Len 01b

The only other party in the place finished up as we entered and other than a single diner who sat at the bar, we were the only folks eating here. The interior is quite charming with wood paneled walls, Thai knick knacks and vintage signs on the walls….and of course the ever present televisions; in this case two of them.

The young lady serving us on this visit was so very sweet. And though it says "Thai Street Eats" in the name of the place, you are paying a bit more than Soi 30th down the street, though I must say; the portion sizes of some of the dishes are quite large.

We must have been hungry, because we ordered quite a bit of food.

At the time of this visit we had been experiencing a bit of a warm spell, so the Missus had been craving Som Tom so we got the Issan style Papaya Salad ($11.95).

Kin Len 02

We had ordered all our dishes at a "level 3" on a scale of 1-5 in terms of heat. But this was barely spicy at all. It also had way too much shredded carrots to the actual shredded papaya, which was nice and crisp. While the sauce looked quite dark, it really wasn't very funky in terms of fermented fish/crab sauce. In fact, it was too sweet and seemed quite "Ameri-Thai" in terms of flavor.

Next to arrive was the Basil Beef (Kra Pra Neua – $14.95). Which looked quite nice with the fried basil on it.

Kin Len 03 Kin Len 03b Looks however, were deceiving as the ground beef was really hard and chewy, this was quite bland, it really needed more fish sauce-oyster sauce-anything salty and savory. The rice was a bit too wet and mushy. The egg was a wonderful sunny side up; but had that "fishy" finish we don't enjoy. This was probably our least favorite dish of the meal.

The next dish to arrive was an appetizer, I'm thinking the time for frying delayed the dish. I was looking forward to the Tom Yum Wings ($10.95).

Kin Len 04

These wings were huge! We both enjoyed the seasoning; sour-salty-savory. I do wish the exterior was a bit more crisp and these being large wings, the meat was dry and too chewy. Overall, this was the best dish of the meal.

The last dish to arrive was the Hat Yai Chicken and Curry ($18.95). The Missus loves the Hat Yai chicken from Sovereign Thai and was interested to see how this compared.

Kin Len 05 Kin Len 05b First off, that quarter chicken was huge! It was nicely fried if on the bland side; but due to the size the meat was really dry and tough. This really needed more flavor. The rice, like on the basil beef was on the mushy side. The curry was too sweet and thin for our taste. I did enjoy the roti; while a tad on the greasy side did fine dipped into the curry.

Well, while the portions were quite large and visually appealing, we found the food lacking in flavors we consider to be truly Thai and the poultry was quite dry and tough.

I really wanted to give the place another try, but the Missus was not agreeable to that, so I decided to revisit at 3pm on a Saturday. I wasn't sure how busy Kin Len was going to be since I had to park five blocks away, but the place was quite empty. So I decided to eat at the bar.

Kin Len 06

As before, the young ladies working here are so sweet and nice.

After perusing the menu; based on my last visit, I placed my orders.

On that previous visit, Kin Len seems to go a good job with deep fried items, so I started off with the Fried Enoki Mushroom ($9.95).

Kin Len 07

In spite of being in rather large "clumps" this was perfectly fried; though it really needed more seasoning. The "sweet chili sauce" seemed a bit watered down and just give this enough "umph"….just wondering how the Tom Yum Seasoning would have done on this? I hadn't expected this large a portion and it was deep fried and I had to finish it.

So most of my Gailan and Crispy Pork Belly ($15.95) was taken home, though I did eat some of everything and finished the egg. I ordered this dish at a level "4" heat.

Kin Len 08 Kin Len 09 Even though the egg wasn't sunny side up this time; the edges were crisp and it had no off flavors. The rice was perfect on this visit as well, fluffy and fragrant. The crisp pork belly was nicely crisp on the exterior; but perhaps a bit too hard and chewy It was also a bit on the mild side in terms of flavor. The gailan was chopped in somewhat ponderous chunks some of which hadn't been blanched enough and was super hard. It was nice and spicy, but lacked anything much of anything else in terms of flavor and definitely needed a salty-savory boost in my opinion. I prefer the version at Soi 30th down the street. Kin Len 10

The portion sizes are quite generous and items are fried nicely. The uneven seasoning and flavoring seems to fall short; perhaps it's bit to "Hipster Ameri-Thai" for me?

I'm hoping things will get better over time and perhaps I'll check them out again. Heck, if you've been to Kin Len and had an outstanding dish let me know and I'll head back!

Kin Len – Thai Street Eats
3934 30th St.
San Diego, CA 92104
Hours:
Mon – Wed 5pm – 9pm
Thurs Fri 5pm – 10pm
Saturday 12pm – 10pm
Sunday 12pm – 9pm

Monday Meanderings – Da Kine’s Opening in La Mesa , Paris Sandwiches Coming to Mira Mesa, and Sau Voi Deli Closes

June 6, 2022 mmm-yoso Bakery, Banh Mi, Local Kine Stuffs in San Diego, Plate Lunch

Well, this post was supposed to go up on Saturday except that I ran into all kinds of issues with uploading photos and comment notifications. Things finally seems straightened out today. And perhaps there's a silver lining on this one….read below:

Da Kine's Opening in La Mesa:

**** This location is closed and Nelson is currently only doing catering

*** You can find a post on Da Kine's here.

2022-06-06_12-21-31

KerriK has been a wonderful "FOY", keeping me updated on what's happening with Da Kine's reopening in La Mesa.

Anyway, last Friday Kerri emailed me, letting me know that "Uncle Nelson" had updated his Facebook page informing folks that Da Kine's was (finally) (re) opening sometime this week.

That's a screenshot on the right.

So, this was all ready to go…and then I suddenly couldn't upload photos! Sheesh…..

But I guess it was fate; because Kerri, via our good old "Coconut Wireless" shot me an email this afternoon with the simple line:

"Nelson has declared tomorrow, June 7th, at 11:00am, as the opening."

So perhaps the delay was meant to be?

Thanks so much Kerri, for always thinking of us, and for all the support over the years! We appreciate it so much!

Da Kine's
7436 University Ave.
La Mesa, CA 91942

Paris Sandwiches Coming to Mira Mesa:

After picking up lunch recently at R&B, I saw the sign for Paris Sandwiches while driving back to the office. I needed to run some errands on Saturday so I went to check things out. Located next to Luong Hai Ky, now known as LHK.

The place really looked like it was open already; but a quick glance as I was passing by revealed that work is still going on.

I was wondering about the place and the name; so I followed the URL posted on the sign out front and guess what? The other address listed is for Paris Bakery on El Cajon Blvd!

I guess we know where the bread is coming from, right?

10606 Camino Ruiz
San Diego, CA 92126

Sau Voi Deli Closes:

I guess I haven't been to the Clairemont Mesa location of 99 Ranch Market for a while. On a recent shopping trip, I was shocked to see that Sau Voi Deli had closed!

And from what I could gather, they've been closed since the end of February!

Even though SVD was never a favorite of mine, it's sad to see such a long standing business shut down.

7330 Clairemont Mesa Blvd Ste 109
San Diego, CA 92111

Anyway, hope everyone is in good health.

Take care and have a great week!

Arizona Chinese Restaurant (Chula Vista)

June 3, 2022 Cathy Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! continues as a food blog. Cathy is writing this post while Kirk continues with a busy work week.

Since 1982, this family owned and operated restaurant has been in the same location, offering a Cantonese menu. It is not an ABCDE (American Born Chinese Dining Establishment) type of restaurant, even though no chopsticks are offered and hot tea is not free.

You may have noticed the signage and just kept driving.
The simple menu includes a page of lunch specials.
Lunch specials include this home made soup, filled with chicken and lo mein noodles. The broth is very rich and deep flavored- and not in a 'MSG' way. Every table receives a plate of fried noodles after ordering. You can ask for some sweet and sour sauce (made here) as well as Chinese hot mustard.
Chicken Chop Suey (when have you seen that on a restaurant menu?) ($9.75) is simply delicious! Fresh sautéed sprouts and snow peas in a tasty white sauce with canned water chestnuts and a lot of chicken is quite a meal. You can have white rice or cantonese pork fried rice with lunch. The pork fried rice is a meal in itself, with plenty of flavorful bits of chopped barbecue pork…notice, no egg, no pea and carrot mix with the rice. The Sweet and Sour Chicken lunch special ($10.75) emphasizes the frying expertise of the chef. Light, crispy, crunchy batter covered in an in-house prepared orange sauce which has a honey consistency. So good.
From the regular menu: Pork Lo Mein ($14.75). The wok hei- a cornerstone of Cantonese cooking- and my latest craving. The smoky/charred aroma-flavor, is perfected here in all the lo mein menu choices. The BBQ pork pieces are sweet, tender and plentiful in this dish.
Of course, I must mention the Egg Foo Young (chicken, $12.75). The patties are topped with the gravy and meat choice.
The eggy patty does contain sprouts but no onion. Crispy edges and the light center add texture to each bite with the meat. Quite a nice version.

In summary: no chopsticks, no egg drop soup, no egg or pea and carrot mix stretching out the fried rice, no MSG, no free hot tea; only quality without shortcuts. Also, there are Fortune cookies, but no photo.

Arizona Chinese Restaurant 2650 Main Street Chula Vista, CA 91910 (619)575-1513 Open Tue-Sat 11-9, Sun 12-9 Closed Monday Website

Road Trip efficiency: Brodard (breakfast menu!) and Ochoa’s Chorizo

June 2, 2022 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Markets & Grocers, Orange County, Road Trip, Vietnamese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is being written by Cathy today, while Kirk is busy with work.

Almost every post I have written has been part of some other errand or event, even before the crazy surge in fuel prices. Usually, the 'other part' of the trip is a separate post or remains unwritten. The second part of this post will reveal a long time favorite stop. Kirk wrote about Brodard in 2013 and I wrote about a visit to the original location in 2014 and the new location in 2019.
Since Covid-19, we had driven here a few times, during the week to avoid crowds.
The menu has condensed, is easily wiped down and has no prices.
Nem Nuong with pork (3 rolls, $7.50) is an automatic order here. Brodard is known for these rolls. Pretty much made to order (the rolls are constantly being prepared (because they are constantly being ordered) in an 'open kitchen' area), the flavorful grilled pork sausage with lettuce, cucumber, carrot, cilantro, daikon and chive wrapped with rice paper bundles with the crisp wonton in the center makes the rolls unique. The warm, pork based sauce accompanying the rolls is just the perfect bit of savory.
The Banh Khot Tom- Moon Cake shrimp ($12.95) are mini crisp rice cakes flavored with coconut milk and turmeric.
Each is filled with one shrimp, mung beans and scallion. Served with a variety of greens and a lime-chili-fish sauce for dipping, every delicate bite is filled with flavor.

We were here on a Saturday, around 8 a.m. and noticed this placard on the table-

A breakfast menu. We had to.
The top item: Bo Ne Trung ($17). Chateaubriand -with pate (on the top left of the platter), sate sauce, onions, mayonnaise and two eggs, served sizzling.
It's served with a piece of banh mi. (You can sort of see the corse pate a bit better in this photo). (It is a *wonderful*, flavor filled pate).

The egg whites crisped from the heat of the cast iron platter, while the yolks remained runny. The beef tenderloin was quite perfect; buttery-tender with flavor complimented by the sate sauce (as well as occasional bites of onion and mayonnaise).

It looks like the breakfast menu has been available on weekends since the end of March. We hope to go back soon to try the other items available on the special menu.

Brodard Restaurant 16105 Brookhurst Street Fountain Valley, CA 92708 (657) 247-4401 Website Open daily 8 a.m.-9 p.m.

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We leave Brodard and know that the Interstate will eventually be found and we can head home. The new location of Cream Pan is only about a mile from Brodard. One signal light South of Brodard is Warner. We took that street one day in 2018 and found this business. Now it is a destination. This small, nondescript storefront houses quality. Family owned, Ochoa's has been selling fresh made, perfectly spiced chorizo for more than 35 years.
There are two refrigerator display cases. Pork, chicken and soy chorizo with various spice levels are the primary choices.
The pricing? The plain and spicy pork chorizo is available in bulk. All are available by the meter (scroll back up and look at that photo again). There are a few other meats available.
A meter of green pork chorizo, (medium spice/heat level) ($9) is simply placed in a paper bag for the trip home. We also purchase a pound of bulk mild spice pork chorizo ($4.25). Once home, the green is cut into three inch chunks and frozen, while the mild is divided into three ounce small flat shapes and frozen, ready for breakfast cooking.

We cook the sausage, then add eggs and scramble it all and enjoy many, many breakfasts with the best chorizo.

Ochoas Chorizo 220 West Warner Avenue Santa Ana, CA 92707 (714) 850-0052 Open Mon-Sat 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Sun 7 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

The Market at HFS (Cathy’s visits)

June 1, 2022 Cathy Poke, Seafood, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, food blog. Today Cathy is writing while Kirk is busy at work.

Kirk has written a few posts about The Market at HFS and and some of their offerings, but not since 2021 and this brief mention the other day. The Mister and I have discovered the joy of proper poke and kitchen offerings at this centrally located fish market and kitchen. The 'primary' location is on a cul de sac in an office park near the Qualcomm campus. There is a location at Liberty Station and also a food truck. (Liberty Station does not have a kitchen or fish market).

Walk in, follow the signs.

Here is the complete poke menu. Daily offerings vary. There is also a display case with fresh fish available. If you have Instagram, the offerings are posted early.

This is the list for today.
On this visit, we chose a two scoop/medium bowl with lettuce ($17) shoyu ahi and garlic salmon. The shoyu ahi is simply prepared, with green and mild/sweet onion and sesame oil. The garlic salmon similarly relies on the fish and is prepared with minced garlic.

Another day, we chose a Poke Plate ($19) with three scoops and half lettuce, one brown rice (it usually has three scoops of rice). In front is tako- Japanese octopus with onion and seaweed and sesame oil; tender, thin cut, pleasant. Top left is "California" -with sweet and green onions, imitation krab and a sesame mayo (kind of a California roll, but better). Bottom right is the "Pearl Harbor"-poke, made with oyster sauce and sesame seeds; not an overly sweet oyster sauce; you can still taste the ahi.
Half order fish and chips ($6). (Full order is $12)
This is wonderful, well fried, quality ahi, craveable.
The furikake ahi ($17) is another great kitchen choice. Mac salad (excellent), white rice and freshness, flavor, quality.
All the flavors you need.
If you see the HFS canned albacore at the counter, try one ($3.50). It's great, just like everything here.

The Market at HFS 6491 Weathers Place San Diego 92121 Open daily 10-4 (kitchen opens at 11) website (858) 282-0591

Roadtrip (During Covid) – Forrest Gump Point, Meteor Crater & Barringer Space Museum, Standing on the Corner….., and Lunch at the Turquoise Room (Winslow, AZ)

May 30, 2022 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Flagstaff/ Sedona/Winslow/Northern AZ, Mexican Restaurants, Road Trip, Travel, Utah, yoso-silly

We had really enjoyed our tour of Mystery and Monument Valley. After returning to the hotel we went back to the gift shop and then went for a walk around the hotel a bit.

There were some really great views from the patio of the closed (because of Covid) restaurant.

Man, it was pretty……

I noticed a sign and well, wouldn't you know it…..

Not wanting to drive, we just had packaged food for dinner.

And of course we awoke very early for the "show"…….

Man, this never gets old…..

We had some nuts and bars for breakfast before heading out. Our next stop was Sedona; but instead of heading South, I headed Northeast on the 163. Why? Well, this was going to be my "fun day". There were a couple of novel, perhaps obscure, and just plain fun stops. A couple of miles south of Mexican Hat is this little stop.

Beautiful scenery isn't it? But I had a reason for stopping here. This is Forrest Gump Point. Recognize it from the movie? This is where Forrest Gump, after 3 years, 2 months, 14 days, and 16 hours decided it was time to stop running.

Heck, I just "needed" to stop here……

Cue up Running on Empty by Jackson Browne!

It's a pretty popular stop.

After a couple of photos we turned around and headed back to Kayenta for one more stop….this time at the Burger King. No, it wasn't to eat, though I did get a Diet Coke. This Burger King was established in 1986 by Richard Mike, whose father was a Navajo Code Talker in World War II. This BK features a Navajo Code Talker Exhibit.

An important part of our history that wasn't even revealed until 1968!

If you're ever in the area please stop by.

Burger King
Highway 160
Kayenta, AZ 86033

From here I headed down the 160 to the 89. Driving thru Flagstaff I went East on I-40. Not the way to Sedona you say? Well, you'd be right. There were a couple of places I had on my "list" and thought this short detour would be fun.

The first I'd read about and thought that perhaps it might be a tourist trap of sorts.

I think folks often mistake this for a state or national type. Depending on your interests, you may or may not enjoy it here. And it's $25 a pop for admission.

There's some nice displays, a movie, and also a 40 minute rim tour if you're so inclined.

For us…well, it was about the giant crater……

A big hole in the ground. More about the crater here.

Meteor Crater & Barringer Space Museum
Interstate 40 Exit 233
Winslow, AZ 86047

Now the next stop got me quite excited. Depending on your age….well, I'm in the demographic that remembers a certain song. And of course that line:

"Well, I'm a-standing on a corner
In Winslow, Arizona
Such a fine sight to see
It's a girl, my Lord
In a flat-bed Ford
Slowin' down to take a look at me"

Speaking of Jackson Browne and all that.

So our next stop?

Yep, we drove into Winslow, Arizona, parked and strolled to Standin' on the Corner Park. And it was indeed a fine sight to see….heck there was even a mural of a girl in a Flat Bed Ford!

And a Flat Bed Ford parked at the corner as well.

Yes, it's corny, cheesy, cliché, but if you're of a certain age, you'll remember that. And I'm of that age and even the Missus enjoyed this stop.

We saw folks taking photos and selfies. I even went and took a photo of this woman and her pooch….on the corner….in Winslow, Arizona. A fine sight indeed.

Unlike most of the other folks; who just got back into their vehicle after taking their photo, we strolled around town a bit; after all, this is part of historic Route 66.

There was a place I'd read about in Winslow; a hotel that was once a prize jewel and destination during the golden age of train travel, when Fred Harvey and the architect Mary Colter, whom I've mentioned before built a hotel named La Posada which has been restored to it's former grandeur.

We walked on over, strolled around a bit and decided to have lunch in the hotel's restaurant, the Turquoise Room.

It's a beautiful space.

We were quickly seated, the folks working were warm, friendly, and still very professional.

We placed our order and soon some complimentary cornbread arrived.

I ordered the Arizona Grown Vegas Salad Bowl….yes, you read that right. All that National Park Food and "stuffs" had me craving veggies…….yes, it doesn't happen often….

Lovely quinoa (when do you recall me typing that out before?), corn, crisp kale, refreshing jicama…..this really hit the spot.

The Missus really got a winner with the Lamb Posole.

Man, this was so good! Just gamy enough, wonderful lamb flavors; the hominy was cooked perfectly, a hint of spice, a wonderful comforting dish!

One of our favorite meals of the trip. If we're ever back in the area, we'll definitely return here.

Who knew…Winslow….

Turquoise Room (in the La Posada Hotel)
303 E 2nd St.
Winslow, AZ 86047

It was just enough food for lunch.

As we headed out of town, the Missus started up Spotify……and you knew which song She started with, right?

All together now:

"Well, I'm a-running down the road
Tryin' to loosen my load……"

Take it easy everyone!

Roadtrip (During Covid) – Mystery Valley, Monument Valley, and Lunch at Goulding’s Stagecoach Dining Room

May 29, 2022 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Flagstaff/ Sedona/Winslow/Northern AZ, Mexican Restaurants, Native American, Road Trip, Travel, Utah

On our full day in Monument Valley we had gotten a private tour. Since Monument Valley is on Navajo land, the only "real" way to visit is to hire a Navajo Guide. I had also wanted to see Mystery Valley as well. So, I booked a private all day tour with 3 Sister Navajo Guided Tours. Based on our short hike the day before and the amazing sunrise; I just knew it would be money well spent. And it was. Our guide Amory was raised in Mystery Valley, he clarified a lot of things for us, one thing we learned quickly is that the Navajo call themselves Dine', which means "the People". Amory also passed on things he learned from his grandmother and was a great guide.

There was just so much information, so much to learn, that if I ever return, I'm going to take notes. As it is; I'll mostly share photos with you all.

There were two reasons I really wanted to visit Mystery Valley, which is still inhabited….we passed farms raising livestock along the way. I really wanted to see the various arches and the Anasazi ruins.

We were taken in a four wheel ; a must for a tour like this.

That's the Square House Arch above, which was the first stop. Which then led to one of the places I really wanted to see; the vehicle maneuvers along some fairly slick rocks, we stop and Amory walks us into a small valley and points up.

This is known as the Square House Ruins.

A closer look.

During the tour Amory told us what he learned from elders and his grandmother. Seeing these ruins high up, we are often told that the Anasazi used ladders to get to these dwellings.

Amory was quick to point out the walls of the canyon.

He told us that that over time floods had eroded the soil away and pointed out former soil levels. So ladders weren't necessary at that time.

He also asked us to take a look around to see if we noticed anything…….and then pointed out the petroglyphs…..

And then pottery shards…..

Which we had totally missed! We'd be paying more careful attention for the rest of the trip!

It seemed that every turn yielded another arch – this is called the Honeymoon Arch – see how it meets in the middle?

This is the Stout Arch.

This is the Baby House Ruins.

The House of Many Hands.

See the hand prints?

It was just plain amazing.

Soon, it was time for a lunch break. Amory took us back to the hotel.

And we got in the car and drove into Utah and over to Goulding's Lodge, which was once upon a time really the only place to stay near Monument Valley. Since the restaurant in the View Hotel was closed due to Covid, the only other real option for us was Goulding's Stagecoach Dining Room.

It pretty much a diner…..and service was a such

The Missus got the Turkey Soup with Fry Bread.

Fairly bland and dry turkey meat.

I got the Navajo Taco.

This fry bread was kinda "doughy" and not as crisp as the version at Amigo Cafe. Sour cream and generic salsa, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, and chili con carne…….

Very generic, simple food for the masses.

Goulding's Stagecoach Dining Room
1000 Gouldings Trading Post Rd.
Oljato-Monument Valley, UT 84536

Walking out of the restaurant we ran into this friendly fella'.

I went to the car and got him a treat; which he quickly gobbled up. We had finished lunch fairly quickly, so we went to check out the gift shop. Guess who was waiting by our car when we got out of the shop? It was great "valet service"!

Goulding's has quite a history and Harry Goulding is credited with bringing Hollywood to Monument Valley.

The original Trading Post is now a museum.

And of course the star of many of those movies needs no introduction….

And when She Wore a Yellow Ribbon was filmed in Monument Valley, structures on the grounds of Goulding's were used in the movie.

We headed back to the View and met back up with Amory and then headed into Monument Valley.

First stop was John Ford Point.

Which was one of Director John Ford's favorite filming points.

It's got quite a view!

Because we had a guide, we were able to get off the main road and thru various gates; getting some wonderful views.

That's the "3 Sisters" above.

And there are arches here as well. That's the Mocassin Arch above.

While looking at my photos, I noticed that they really don't do scalar justice to the arches. So, take a look at the photo of the Big Hogan Arch above and then for a reference point take a look at the photo to the right.