mmm-yoso – Page 118 – 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.

California Fish Grill

August 23, 2021 Cathy Seafood, What Cathy Eats!

Thank you for stopping to read the blog named mmm-yoso!!! Cathy is writing today, because Kirk is preoccupied.

I've mentioned before that The Mister and I do not 'regift' items, including gift cards. We have found creative ways to use them if we don't really want to purchase a compete meal (all appetizer meals, only dessert meals, a cup of coffee a week…). However, we knew nothing about California Fish Grill and were curious when we received the card this year. There are multiple locations (four) in San Diego County and 33 more scattered throughout California along with one Arizona and two Las Vegas locations. Their website does note that the seafood sold here is responsibly sourced, so that is a plus.
The drill is similar to many places nowadays: walk up order, pay, find a seat, grab your own beverages and your number is called.
You pick up your tray and take it to your table.

Louisiana Delta (!) Catfish ($11.75), fried. Two sides to choose: kaleslaw and sweet potato fries (additional $1.99). Mild and flaky fish, lightly fried, this was two filets, a large portion, and very good with the house made tartar sauce. The kaleslaw is unique, yet not: it's chopped kale and shredded red cabbage in a mild, mayonnaise based slaw dressing (I detected a bit of sweet and salty and tangy, so there is either mustard or vinegar along with sugar and salt). The sweet potato fries were very well fried and seasoned and sweet in a good way.
Calamari and battered fish ($9.99) was my chance to try more frying techniques along with seeing how they squid was prepared here. The lightly breaded thick cut squid strips were crispy from the light fry. The swai filets had a nice, crisp batter; texture contrasts were nice. The sides of kaleslaw and regular French fries were very good.

I just had to try a bowl of the clam chowder ($5.49) and was impressed. Creamy, very rich broth with a deep clam flavor and clam pieces along with diced potatoes made this soup memorable. The keto shrimp bowl ($9.99) was a great choice. Plenty of grilled shrimp severs over a spring mix of various greens and topped with a Green Goddess dressing. Very tasty plump grilled shrimp (I love the char) and a very large serving.
Had to try the battered fish and chips meal ($9.50)-three pieces of swai, great, crispy French fries and Brussels sprouts (an upgraded side- $1.99). The sprouts were outstanding- still crisp but charred and a real treat.
Here is a cross section of the fish- good sized pieces and see how light the batter is?

Great food, attention to details, ambiance, and very nice people working here.

California Fish Grill multiple location Website Open daily 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

(the sadly unused condiment bar)

Barbecue Pit (La Mesa) again

August 20, 2021 Cathy BBQ, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is rolling into the weekend with another post written by Cathy; Kirk has had a long week.

Another local business survivor of COVID-19 is a favorite for old school oak smoked meats and delightful house made sides, the Barbecue Pit, which has been in business since 1947. The menu choices are the same, as are the flavors.
Walk up, order, watch the meat sliced, meal assembled and put on a tray. Pay and find a seat. There's a small condiment bar near the beverage fountain, along with utensils and napkins.
This was our meal, which also included a slice of pie (you'll see).
The pulled pork sandwich plate ($10.99) includes the tender pork, shredded, mixed with a bit of sauce and overfilling the steamed bun along with two sides (choice of fries, macaroni salad, potato salad, Cole slaw and baked beans) and some extra house made sauce (tangy, sweet, fresh-made warm). The sides have the 'made from scratch' flavors- brown sugar slow baked beans, lightly dressed slightly tangy slaw. This is like a good home made meal, without having to cook at home.
When I saw the roast beef behind the counter, I decided on the Soup and Sandwich ($8.99). Plenty of slow roasted beef with a nice smoke ring on the steamed bun…along with
a bowl of Navy Bean Soup (beans!, carrot, celery, onion). The other soup choice is split pea, which I also like, but think it goes better with a ham sandwich. This was a wonderfully filling meal with all the flavors of scratch cooking. We ordered and paid for one dessert ($4) and were told to grab what we wanted from the refrigerated display when we were ready.
Coconut cream pie, of course. A delicate (from scratch) buttery graham cracker crust topped with a coconut filled pudding-like filling topped with whipped cream and shredded coconut. Decadent.

Not hipster, not fancy, just good food.

Barbecue Pit 2388 Fletcher Parkway El Cajon 92020 (619)462-5434 Open Mon-Sat 10:30-9 CLOSED SUNDAY Website

Cake De Partie

August 19, 2021 Cathy Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Desserts, What Cathy Eats!

This mmm-yoso!!! post is written by Cathy. Kirk is having a busy week.

Back in 2016, signage went up on what had been Tea Garden, which had been closed for a while (and left some parking spaces for Pangea Bakery Cafe, where we frequented a bit more often). We were curious about the name, the food, the elk… yet even then we were avoiding crowds. Besides, there were posts online and in print about this place. Then there was covid and we couldn't even if we wanted. A few weeks ago, we drove in the parking lot, found a spot open and parked. Should have stopped here sooner.   'Asian Fusion, Desserts Cafe, owned and run by chef Pat & Molly' is all that is written on the web page. However, cc's 2016 blog post has an informative explanation of the business name: Cake de Partie is a play on the words, "Chef de Partie". Acording to the definition on wikipedia:
"A chef de partie, or station chef, is a cook in a restaurant who is in charge of a particular station (area of production); for example, a pastry chef or saucier. The chef de partie may be the only person working in their particular station, or may be in charge of one or more underlings."

Set up now for social distancing, there are a few tables inside and out front. When you walk in the door, there is a table with this menu on it. We were here for a pancake soufflé and knew it would take 30 minutes, so when placing the order, asked for that first. The nice lady at the counter walked back to the kitchen to let them know before we continued making the order. Since we knew we would be waiting for 'dessert', we ordered some Popcorn Chicken ($5.50)- original flavor (there is also a 'Zapp' and a 'Cheddar' option). This was quite *perfect*- a light, crispy, non-oily bite of juicy chicken.
The BBQ pork rice bowl ($9) was also really good. Honey BBQ pork over sticky rice with a small salad on the side. The salad had a sort of strawberry vinaigrette already on it and the dipping sauce for the honey coated charred pork had a bit of sour (lime juice?) and umami (fish sauce?) and a touch of heat that was a very complimentary condiment.
There were several choices of crepe cake slices ($8). We chose mocha. The Mister counted 25 crepes, each separated with a thin layer of a buttery mocha frosting. Buttery frosting. We had never tried a crepe cake before and definitely will seek out the other flavors.
This is why we were here. The Very Berry Soufflé Pancake ($10). Fresh and warm from the kitchen, served with a small scoop of strawberry ice cream and small cup of strawberry jam (pretty sure those were made in house).
There are two soufflé pancakes. Here is a cross section of the delightful, jiggly treat. This is simply wonderful.

As a side note, there is a wide array of beverages to choose from on the menu. A simple cup of organic hot tea ($3.50) is made to order from loose tea leaves. This was the peach blossom – a very natural flavored tea.

Everything served here is quality. High quality. A hidden gem right there on Convoy Street.

Cake de Partie 4685 Convoy Street San Diego 92111 Close Monday and Tuesday. Open Wed-Sun 11 a.m.-9 p.m. (858) 987-0033 Website

"Drink Triple, Eat Double, Act Single"

Regarding the elk: the elk depicted in the logo is due to the chefs' admiration for the elk's revered status in Japan. Their culture views elk as a spiritual force.

Shirley’s Kitchen (La Mesa) (breakfast) (again)

August 18, 2021 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

Thank you for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!! today. Cathy is writing while Kirk is attending endless meetings.

It's been about seven years since my last post of Shirley's Kitchen. The Mister and I would stop here quite a bit, then there was COVID-19 and things changed. Fortunately, Shirley's Kitchen adapted by adding tables to the parking lot. while keeping the same menu and cooks.
The Shirley's Breakfast Special ($7.49) is a standby. One meat (I am unsure why we received two this time, other than we are 'regulars'), two eggs and two pancakes. The sausage patties here are quite good. The over easy eggs are always perfectly cooked and the pancakes are slightly sweet (don't need syrup) with a crisp edge and a fluffiness I enjoy. The Biscuits and Gravy plate ($11.99) is a great choice when you are hungry. Two (properly) poached eggs, two sausages, crispy hash browns and two freshly made biscuits smothered in a tasty, peppery sausage-y gravy.
The Classic Benedict ($11.49) is a toasted English muffin topped with a good size slice of ham (you can see an edge of it at the 1 o'clock point), two poached eggs and a Hollandaise sauce. The home fries are always good/crisp with plenty of onions and bell peppers.
The Florentine Benedict ($11.49) is also a good choice, with sautéed spinach and the poached egg on a toasted English muffin. You can see that the hollandaise is made from scratch and sometimes different from day to day, but in a good way.

Since 1994, this La Mesa classic diner has been a great local gem.

Shirley's Kitchen 7118 University Ave La Mesa, CA 91941 (619)462-5732 Open daily 7 a.m.-2 p.m.

Taco Kings-where birria is the thing

August 17, 2021 Cathy Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, this blog about food, hopefully is a respite in your online browsing. Cathy is writing today while Kirk is busy with several assignments at work.

A 'new' place for The Mister and I to stop (in addition to our 'usual', K-n-B lunch) before shopping at Windmill Farms opened only six weeks ago. Taco Kings is at the opposite end of the storefronts in the neighborhood shopping center.

It used to be several different taco shops, so we didn't expect much. The dark wood interior with metal seating and accents is very modern.
The tacos here are 'street' size and enough for a light bite. The quesataco ($4) includes the layer of cheese in addition to the beef stew meat, cilantro and onion. It is a good beef birria, even though we do prefer goat or lamb, which are not a choice here.
We went on a Thursday and the 'birria ramen' was $6-regular $12. A very large styrofoam cup with ramen, broth/consomme and large amount of beef birria along with cilantro, onion and sliced radish. We really liked this version. I'll speak about other versions in another post.

We looked at the menu and noticed other 'daily' specials and returned on a Monday.

Birria Pizza-$12 (regular $16)
The fork is for scale. There is a tremendous amount of beef birria sandwiched between two large tortillas, easily enough meat to make three large burritos. It was our lunch and dinner.A pretty thick layer of cheese on one of the tortillas to accompany the non-brothy birria. You need a fork and knife to eat this. The three (very well made) salsas, along with limes and radish add a nice variety to the flavor to the beef. (If you've not read my prior posts; I tend to eat items as served for the first half, then try the rest with condiments at the end of the meal, which makes it a whole new meal.)

We have had other items here and those are good, too. These were just different items than most taco shops offer. It's nice to find a surprise new place.

The other daily specials are: Tuesday: two street tacos $5, one fish taco $1. Wednesday: one adobada taco $1.50 Friday: Michelada $6

Taco Kings 6358 Del Cerro Blvd San Diego, CA 92120 (619)287-8541 Open daily 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Roadtrip (During Covid-19) – Yai Restaurant 7 Years Later (Los Angeles)

August 15, 2021 mmm-yoso Los Angeles County, Road Trip, Thai Restaurants, Travel

Just before this latest wave of Covid-19 infections, we decided to take another road trip; this time to Oxnard….yes, Oxnard. And, if you've been reading our recent posts, you'll notice that the Missus has been quite enamored with Thai food recently.

So, as we headed up the 101, the Missus requested a stop on Hollywood Boulevard at the edge of Thai Town….requesting a revisit to Yai Restaurant. Funny thing, when I checked on our last visit to Yai, I was shocked to find out it was seven years ago! And our previous visit was seven years before that one! Time sure does fly.

There was quite a bit of construction going on close to the restaurant; though it seems that there are now homeless encampments all along the 101. The location still looks a bit worn and the Yai sign is now quite faded. It does look like they've done a refresh on the interior though.

Our Server was quite efficient and we chose a table in the far corner. Wouldn't you know….geez, even with all the open seating in the place, two parties would arrive and insist on getting tables next to us….sigh…..

We had our aim on two dishes we've had before and the Missus wanted to try one additional item.

Things started with the BBQ Duck with Chili and Garlic which we had and enjoyed on an earlier visit.

As before, the duck was on the chewy side….but also as before, that wonderful garlic-basil-chili flavor with a hint of sweetness.

The Missus wanted to try the Som Tom, so we ordered it "spicy"……which, well it wasn't. We've always thought of Yai to be on the Thai-Chinese end of the spectrum.

This was still quite good though. Loved the cut of the papaya, you could tell, based on the rough edges, and different sizes, that it wasn't "bought in a bag"…in fact, we saw one of the women actually cutting the papaya. Nice acidity, perhaps a bit light on the fish sauce, loved the dried shrimp which added nice savory tones.

Of course, the one item we just had to have was the Black Egg Pow. This was as good, if not better then we recalled.

Man, I'm not sure how they fry up that pidan, but it's crisp on the outside and oh so creamy. That basil forward sauce has a nice hint of spice, balanced sweetness, good garlic tones, and is just plain wonderful.

We were so happy with our meal. And though the prices have gone up quite a bit….it's been seven years after all, and the portions are smaller…it's actually more in line with true "Thai portions" like we had in Thailand. We didn't order any rice with our meal…..after all, I still had a bit of a drive up to Oxnard….the woman working said "oh, you are trying to be healthy" when we didn't order any rice. And then when I paid, she gave me a couple of cookies for the road, "because you had no rice, you might get hungry." It just kind of put that "cherry on the top"; you know what I mean.

For some reason, the fact that Yai was just as good seven years down the line just made us feel great……..we felt blessed that in this time of Covid, we were able to get out for a bit and grateful for a wonderful meal.

And hopefully, we won't have to wait another seven years to have that Black Egg Pow again.

Yai Restaurant
5757 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028

Roadtrip (During Covid-19) – Sidecar Cocktail Co. and Old San Luis BBQ Co. (San Luis Obispo)

August 14, 2021 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, BBQ, Cocktails, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Travel

On the way back to the motel after dinner, I asked the Missus if She'd like to stop for a cocktail. I was somewhat interested in a place we had passed earlier in the day named Sidecar….no, not "that" Sidecar; this Sidecar, located on Broad Street.

This was the place we passed that had seating along the the creek. They also had tables lined up outdoors as well.

Unfortunately, none of those tables were available….plus, we weren't eating anything, so we just got one of the tables in the bar area which was nicely spaced.

The folks working were quite friendly….the Missus ordered one of the specialty cocktails….called "Walk on Home Boy" ($15).

Strange this supposedly had both Bourbon and Mezcal, but was quite mild in flavor and on the sweeter side/

I asked for an Old Fashion made with Mezcal – which wasn't too bad at all.

We decided to call it quits after one drink each and decided to head back to the motel.

We enjoyed the service and vibe was very nice.

Sidecar Cocktail Co.
1040 Broad St.
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

A half a block away, we stopped by this nice piece of public art named "Web of Life".

Close by was the Old San Luis BBQ Company – also known as "Old Slo BBQ". It was basically a window and small attached dining area.

Along with a small outdoor dining area along the sidewalk. The menu had tri-tip "sliders" on it, so I talked the Missus into ordering one ($4.25) to take back to the room.

It was a short wait, but soon enough our little slider was ready and we walked back to our room.

Old San Luis BBQ Co.
670 Higuera St.
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

Returning to our room I opened things up……

The rather dry tri-tip was served on a standard issue sourdough-ciabatta style roll. The tri-tip had a strong smokiness with not much else in terms of seasoning and was quite tough and dry. The actual flavor of the bread was stronger than the meat….except for all that smoke.

That BBQ sauce was overly sweet for my taste. I guess we'll stick with our "old faithful" if/when we're back in SLO……

Takeout from Supannee House of Thai

August 10, 2021 mmm-yoso Thai Restaurants

In my post on Rooster Rice & Noodles, "FOY" Si asked if I'd ever had the Nam Khao Tod from Supannee House of Thai:

"Have you every try nam khao tod from Supannee House of Thai? I had it in a party once and it was nice."

Wow, well….I had not had the Nam Khao Tod from Supannee….in fact it had been over three years since my last visit and well…..I hadn't been that far down Point Loma since before the pandemic. And recently, the Missus has been craving Thai food as you can tell by my recent posts. So a visit was probably overdue.

With Covid cases surging of course we did takeout…..and the online ordering worked fine, though they no longer have the house made Thai Sausage which before having the version from Sovereign recently, was my favorite in San Diego….there was a short wait when I arrived, but that was perfectly fine as I sat outside.

So, here's a rundown of what we ordered……

Our favorite item was the Nam Tok ($14) at Medium Spicy.

The beef was tender; just the right amount of heat, nice acidity from the lime juice, pungency from the red onions, mild pungent-almost citrus tones from the cilantro, and while it could have used more toasted rice powder; this was quite enjoyable.

The Nam Khao Tod ($13) seemed to have way too much ginger, but it was quite good.

And while I prefer Lao versions of this; with pork skin, this was good as well. It could have had more crispness to it, but the sausage was nice and sour…..like I mentioned, I thought there was too much ginger in the dish but it really grounded things. Earthiness from the peanuts, good sour tones, the kaffir lime leaves added complexity. A nice enjoyable version of Nam Khao.

I ordered the Papaya Salad ($9) spicy….and it was decently spicy.

But the Missus, while She enjoyed the Mexican Wild Shrimp, said that this was missing the deep savory tones She enjoys…I'm thinking She really wants Issan/Lao style Papaya salad.

I was curious about the Het Larb ($10) – basically a mushroom larb……no it's not a nam prik; which I might have really loved, but basically Shimeji Mushroom Larb.

This dish, while quite spicy fell flat since it didn't deliver much else. I was expecting some nice earthiness from the mushrooms…nope, cilantro…mint…fish sauce…..not really enough. This was quite one dimensional overall.

Still, the Nam Tok and Nam Khao will bring us back……and hopefully they'll have the house made Thai Sausage again.

Thanks Si for the recommendation!

Supannee House of Thai
2907 Shelter Island Drive
San Diego, CA 92106
Current Hours:
Daily 1130am – 830pm

On an interesting side note…..the Missus asked me if I could hit up the last three Thai places and coordinate takeout…..my initial response was no…but then, I remembered having already set the precedent for this……sigh.

Sidecar Bar and Highway 101 Signs on Morena

August 9, 2021 mmm-yoso Cocktails, Exploring San Diego, yoso-silly

Before the current Covid situation got out of hand the Missus found a favorite local bar to grab a cocktail at. Sidecar!

Yes….Sidecar!

The Missus has taken to the place……it's just "divey" enough for Her. The staff is professional while still being quite friendly. To be perfectly honest; we've only gone right after Sidecar opens and it's just for one drink and we head home for dinner. So, my observations are based on that.

The place is usually quite quiet when we visit…..

And no; I haven' played foosball in years….well, make that decades.

We always sit at the front window area overlooking the converted parking lot….fresh air and the "view" makes it "interesting" for us……

As for what we usually get….well after sampling several cocktails over our visits; it's the Penicillin for me. It uses both Monkey Shoulder, one of my favorite non-peaty Scotch's and Montelobos Mezcal, another standard that I first had at Fernside. I'm usually not a fan of ginger in my cocktails….but hey, it's summer and it works fine in this cocktail.

The Missus enjoys the Brown Derby……She enjoys the Bourbon and Grapefruit in this cocktail.

The drinks have a nice balance for us….not watered down, not overly sweet, but with just enough booze where we can actually taste it.

Actually, I introduced the Missus's current new favorite……a combination of Gin, Laguinitas Hop Water (non-alocholic), and lime. At my favorite watering hole they call it "the Andy".

It's super refreshing and brings out the botanicals in the gin.

The customers….well the one's that we've seen are interesting…..and quite nice….like I said it's usually one drink and then home. There are a bunch of old-timers….regulars and just an interesting mixed crowd. Like this group who came in for a drink before heading out in a limo. They asked me to take a photo of them.

With the increase in Covid cases; we're not sure when we'll be back…….hopefully things will get straightened out soon.

Sidecar
1310 Morena Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours:
Daily 3pm – 2am

I love the sculpture on the roof of the "Exotic" Animal Hospital next door too.

On one of our first visits; right after the June 15th "reopening" I noticed this sign on Morena.

For some reason I had never noticed them before, but they've been up since summer of 2017! Apparently, before the I-5 was built….who knew!

And then, while going down that rabbit hole, I came across these street videos from 1970 on the City of San Diego Website – approach with caution as it can keep you busy for hours. To quote from the site:

"This collection consists of film created by the Transportation and Storm Water Department from January to October 1970. Some are from a later date. Described as a Photolog by the department, each reel of 35mm color film was taken by a camera attached to a car driving down the street or highway, producing street level views. The individual reels were converted to a digital version by the City Clerk’s Archives. Users may freeze and print the images."

And there's videos of Morena headed North and also South. And since there's a version on Youtube….well guess what? For folks who live in the area, see how many places you recognize (the Clairemont Drive video is fun as well).

Be safe and have a great week!

Roadtrip (During Covid-19) – Dinner at Koberl At Blue (San Luis Obispo)

August 8, 2021 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Travel

After that nice lunch at Firestone Grill, we walked back to our motel and had a nice afternoon nap.

For our dinner in SLO; I created a list for the Missus to choose from and after looking at various menus; She chose Koberl at Blue. The appetizers and vegetarian menu items interested Her. And you know how we enjoy ordering a selection of appetizers to create sort of our own "multi-course" menu to share.

The interior bar area is very "old school" looking….I should have taken a photo. We did enjoy eating outdoors and the service while on the "SLO-side" (how appropriate, right?) was friendly.

The Missus had a glass of wine to start and I ordered the Yuzu Gimlet, which needed a bit more gin in my opinion……

Recalling our regret for not ordering the scallops at Les Petites Canailles, we decided to order the Seared Sea Scallops ($22).

The scallops were on the overcooked side for our taste and the artichoke duxelles was quite bland. There wasn't enough bacon to elevate the flavor of the dish and the brown butter sauce was a bit too cold in temp which led to a slightly greasy mouthfeel. I'm thinking that under normal circumstances the radish would provide a spicy-bitter zip….but it just didn't work out in this case. Not a terrible dish, but not good.

A menu item that fascinated both the Missus and I was the Crispy Snowe Crab "Chinois" ($18).

The crab was nicely formed, breaded, and fried but it was so darn salty. And that dressing reminded me of….well "secret sauce" if you know what I mean. We actually just had one each and as much as we hate to waste food, we just couldn't bring ourselves to finish this. We did mention the sodium level to our gracious Server….not to have it taken off our bill; but just to let the kitchen know.

My favorite dish of the evening was the Beef Carpaccio ($17).

The beef ethereally melted in my mouth. It did have a bit too much "stuffs" with all the celeriac and Parmesiano Reggiano. Just having the capers, less horseradish sauce, and onion would have done the job. Still, I enjoyed this.

The Missus was excited about the Wild Mushroom Ravioli ($20), but it ended up being disappointed.

The basil vermouth sauce was on mild side and really didn't help to bring out the earthiness of the mushroom in the ravioli….I think the Missus was expecting an elevated version of my porcini-cremini sauce. The spinach was perfectly sautéed, but the texture of the ravioli was on the mushy side.

After this dish, we decided to call it a night at Koberl.

Koberl At Blue
998 Monterey St.
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

We headed back to our room….though while walking down the pedestrian only Monterey Street, we decided to make one more stop….which would end up being two more stops before calling it a night.

Thanks for stopping by!