mmm-yoso – Page 122 – 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-19) – The Raven Tavern and the Abandoned Casa Sirena Seaside Resort (Oxnard)

September 3, 2021 mmm-yoso British/Irish/Scottish Restaurants/Pubs, Cocktails, Road Trip, Travel, Ventura County

After a wonderful lunch at Yai Restaurant we made it into Oxnard in pretty good time. Our room was actually ready when we arrived and we got a short break before heading off to dinner. I really didn't want to travel too far from where we were staying and after reading through a bunch of reviews and such, thought that the Raven Tavern would make for a nice, low stress dinner. The place was quite busy when we arrived, but we had reservations and were quickly seated outside right along the harbor.

The Servers and such were very nice; but they were obviously a bit overwhelmed…….I believe it's Covid staffing, so I won't hold it against them.

I started with the "Joe's Old Fashioned" ($15).

Too much bitters and not enough Bourbon for my taste.

The Missus looked at what other tables were having and really didn't seem too inspired. She wasn't overly hungry and went with the Veggie Hand Pie ($5).

The crust on this one was better than mine; but that sauce had a weird, almost sour tinge to it and the filling just wasn't very good.

The Missus figured that a hand pie would be enough for Her since I ordered the Steak and Mushroom Dinner Pie ($16) with Garlic Mashed Potatoes ($3).

The crust of the pie was on the gummy-mushy side and the filling was barely lukewarm. The gravy had a strange bitterness to it and wasn't hot. There wasn't very much "steak" in this pie either. The best thing were the mashed potatoes which were nicely seasoned…..the only thing the Missus enjoyed.

The food seemed very corporate and "chain-like"….

Too bad. You can't win 'em all, right?

The Raven Tavern
1651 S Victoria Ave.
Oxnard, CA 93035

We took the short drive back to the hotel and decided to take a stroll. We were staying right on Channel Islands Harbor, just north of Port Hueneme at the Hampton Inn. The harbor is quite lovely, very relaxing, and laid back.

There are many residences along Peninsula Road along with folks living on the various yachts and right next to the hotel was a quaint little park. We had a blast watching all the pooches having their evening social hour.

Right next to the park was an interesting site. We first walked along the dock and along this area there were no boats moored and this was where the sea lions hung out.

You see, right along the harbor is the abandoned Casa Sirena Seaside Resort, which closed down in 2009. I was fascinated in checking it out after reading this in Atlas Obscura. It's both eerie and depressing….the abandoned buildings looking run down and worn.

It was starting to get dark and we saw guys on bikes and other folk hanging around in the walkways and they seemed to be….well….you can figure that one out, right?

Very sad indeed. This must be prime property, so I'm wondering what the back story might be. Going down this rabbit hole a bit, I found this on the Channel Islands Harbor website, so perhaps in the near future a new hotel will stand in it's place. The Hampton Inn we stayed at actually used to be the "annex" of the resort.

Here's a photo of Casa Sirena taken the following morning.

As we sailed off to Anacapa Island……

Stay tuned for that post!

Daddy’s Hot Dogs Revisited

September 2, 2021 mmm-yoso Hot Dogs

I needed to drop by Penzy's on a recent weekend and wanted something quick and simple for lunch. Of course, all I needed to do was look across the street to a familiar sight.

I hadn't realized that it has been nearly two years since I last visited…..well, that kinda makes sense since I haven't been in this area much since the pandemic started.

The two tables were bring rolled out as I headed across the street.

A quick glance at the menu surprised me. Unlike almost everywhere else during these times it seems that prices have not gone up.

I had thought about just getting a Chicago Dog; but I had really enjoyed the "O" on my previous visit, that I just decided to order that.

And I enjoyed it. While I really couldn't make out the bacon much, the acidity of the tomatoes, along with just the right amount of Russian dressing, and a bit of spice from the jalapeno relish really delivered.

And, I'm not sure if it was my imagination; but that hot dog seemed so tender…..almost delicate, enrobed in a warm and soft bun.

Perhaps the atmosphere elevated the meal…….I ate standing at one of the two outdoor tables, no one around me, elbows on the table, sun shining brightly down on me……there wasn't much traffic on University on this day. It all seemed so normal, something which hasn't been "the norm" since March of last year. And for a moment, all seemed right in the world.

Daddy's Hot Dogs
1281 University Ave.
San Diego, CA 92103
Hours:
Tuesdays 11am – 230pm, 330pm – 7pm
Wed – Sat 11am – 10pm
Closed on Sunday and Monday

2022 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float road test #2, Breakfast at Flo’s Coffee Shop (Azusa)

September 1, 2021 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog and there are many reasons we find places to eat. Cathy is writing today about the reason and the place. Kirk is busy at work.

Link to 2022 Rose Parade float Road Test #1

Link to Road Test #3

This past Saturday, The Mister and I woke around 4 a.m., let the dogs out and got ready to drive North. We left the driveway at 5 a.m. and got on the foggy, dark, empty freeway. There was a stop for coffee and treats in Tustin and then the sun was out and we were in Irwindale, at Phoenix Decorating Company, where we have not been since we decorated floats for the 2020 Rose Parade back in December of 2019. Floats were already on the road, being tested for mechanics and maneuverability.

"Arctic Dream", the 2022 entry by Oddfellows and Rebekahs, a service organization, is so cute!
The Lutheran Hour Ministries will have their 72nd entry in the 2022 Parade. "Jesus Teaches" goes with the Theme of the Parade, which is celebrating education.
The Royal Court will ride in the same float as in the past few years. The exterior 'beaning' looks good; other details and, of course, flowers, will be added during decorating.
The Farmers Insurance float underwent its first test. I can see pine and palm trees-and the driver (in the center of the float). The driver looks down and follows the 'rose colored line' along Colorado Boulevard during the parade and does not see the route; there is a 'spotter' at the front of every float.
You can see the 'spotter' seated in the front of this rebar shell of a float undergoing its first road test. Unsure of who the sponsor is, but suspect it might be Trader Joe's, because of the banana shape near the back.
The 'spotter' will be out in the open-on the 'jeep'- of this float, sponsored by Mutual of Omaha. It looks like and ode to Wild Kingdom (a classic conservation educational television show since 1963, currently found on social media and digital channels).
The Kiwanis International, "Dream to Achieve" is another cute entry. Seeing the whimsical floats rolling down Colorado Boulevard on January 1 is a great way to start the year.

We were finished taking photos pretty early, since the testing started sooner than 7. Drove North, over the 210 and headed East on Foothill Boulevard; Route 66. Look at the sign; we had to stop.
Flo's has been in this location since 2012; it had been a Mexican restaurant for decades prior.

Breakfast has a good amount of choices. Thing is, we really did not want any coffee, since we had been awake since 4 a.m., so I can't comment on the 'coffee shop' part of their name. It was pretty crowded and we sat at the counter.
The Mister ordered the Waffle Combo ($10.45) with over easy eggs and link sausages. The sausages were very good, eggs cooked properly and the waffle had a distinct vanilla flavor and was soft.
Not being able to decide and wanting savory, the Huevos Divorciados ($10.45) was my choice. Two wonderful distinct salsas covering two over easy eggs along with (very good) rice and beans. The red salsa had a distinct heat and texture: finely diced onions were still crisp (and not part of the heat factor; the chilis had a great heat) the tomatoes added sweetness and were chunky. The green salsa was great, with a garlic an citrus undertone and smooth tomatillo tang.

All in all, a great breakfast on an early Saturday.

Flo's Coffee Shop 248 West Foothill Blvd Azusa, CA 91702 (626) 334-6600 Open Daily 6:30-2

Patrons of all occupations eat here. The fire station is on the next block.

Sunday Sandwiches – Sunrise Deli (Miramar)

August 29, 2021 mmm-yoso Sandwiches

Here's another one of those Mom-and-Pop sandwich shops in a business mall. I found this one while looking up the address of Creative Deli. Located on Silverton Avenue off of Dowdy Drive is Sunrise Deli.

The place really seems to be a favorite of those "working stiffs" and there always seems to be a line. All my visits were between 930 and 1030….and in each case there was a queue lined up. Nothing fancy here; no online ordering, open Monday to Friday from 7am to 3pm.

The prices are quite reasonable; especially in these days of Covid……the service is friendly; the woman behind the counter so very nice, and in all my three visits, I got my sandwich in ten minutes!

The menu is rather large with all types of burgers, breakfast type dishes, burritos, quesadillas, and of course a good variety of sandwiches.

On my first visit, I got the Club Deluxe ($7.99).

Which was served on nicely toasted sourdough. For me; it as the combination of bacon, avocado, and the fact that the sandwich wasn't over-dressed in mayo, which made the sandwich for me. Perhaps this is nothing revolutionary….but I just wanted a decent sandwich and the price point was good as was the sandwich. All ingredients in balanced quantity.

I'm fairly certain they use standard Boar's Head product; but I really liked the way they sliced the roast beef.

So, on my next visit I got the "Jimmy Special" ($7.99).

And like my previous experience; the sourdough bread was nicely toasted so the sandwich held up quite well during the 10-15 minute drive back to the office.

I had thought that the roast beef had been cut a bit too thick; but it did well in combination with the mild milky-saltiness of the two slices of Swiss Cheese. Again, in terms of proportion; it was just enough mustard and mayo. And the avocado really brought a wonderful buttery texture, along with a mild grassy-nuttiness to the sandwich.

I had enjoyed the roast beef here that on my last visit I was just going to order the Roast Beef sandwich; but when I got to the window; I had changed things up and went with the Miramar Special ($8.75), which seemed like sort of a "Cheesesteakish" kinda thing.

For me; the bread to filling ratio was a bit off for this one….though like before, it was toasted nicely and held up well.

The bacon was a bit lost in all of this; but like before, the avocado really helped the sandwich along as I wish there was more Peperoncino Swiss both of which kept the dryness of all that bread at bay. The griddled roast beef was a bit too hard and dry for my taste….and in this case; the sandwich could have probably used a bit more mayo!

Still, the service was wonderful, and even though the woman was apologizing to all the guys in front of me….she seemed to know them all by name for the recent price increases, I found myself to be perfectly fine with the pricing.

I'm happy to have found another option for those days where I need to grab an early lunch…….and I do find that it helps my mental state to escape from the office; if only for a few minutes. The prices are reasonable, the woman working the counter is so nice….she even remembered my name after my second visit! And I love supporting these type of local businesses.

Sunrise Deli
7920 Silverton Ave.
San Diego, CA 92126
Phone number
(858) 433-7139
Hours:
Mon – Fri 7am – 3pm

Please have a safe week!

Tobey’s 19th Hole (Balboa Park) (again)

August 27, 2021 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Diner, What Cathy Eats!

Thank you for stopping here, mmm-yoso!!!, to read about food. Cathy is writing today while Kirk continues to be overwhelmed with work and things.

Yes, I've written a few other posts about this golf course restaurant, located at the start and finish of the City golf course in Balboa Park since 1934. I thought you might want to see what has changed since the pandemic.

Well, not the exterior…

Not the views. The tables are spaced out and the patio was upgraded with new furniture. Oh, the menu has a bit of history on the cover. Choices are the same. Prices have increased.

There are still the specials on the sandwich board out front, but it is a newer, more colorful board.

That's it. Here we go!
The pork chop breakfast ($12). Nicely grilled, tender and juicy chop served with some applesauce as well as the hash browns, over easy (perfectly cooked) eggs and a fresh made, flaky, light and crispy biscuit. A filling and so very tasty breakfast.
The ham breakfast ($14.95) includes a *thick* piece of ham steak, also nicely grilled. I chose the O'Brien potatoes- grilled to a crisp and with the onions and bell peppers, quite a fresh, flavorful side dish. The poached eggs (again-perfect) and rye toast rounded out this large meal.

Another survivor of the pandemic. So happy we can still patronize this family run (for eight decades!) San Diego classic.

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

Pupusas Express- Salvadorean Food (El Cajon)

August 25, 2021 Cathy Salvadoran Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, the food blog, welcomes you back for another exciting post. Cathy is writing today; Kirk is preoccupied.

I've written about this tiny East County restaurant in 2009 and again in 2010, with the most recent post in February 2020, just before the COVID-19 shutdowns began. The name has changed, prices have increased, it's been painted inside. There are new menu boards.
Otherwise, the same comfort foods, quality and flavors abound. The traditional Salvadorean 'fruit salad' beverage (large, $3.50) is available right there on the counter with the other aqua frescas. Finely diced red and green apples, pineapple, mango (or was it cantaloupe?) mixed with orange, lemon (or lime) juice; basically a mix of sweet and sour fruits and some water. Not too sweet, very refreshing.

Two pupusas, made fresh when ordered (you can hear the dough being slapped in the kitchen). One is cheese and chicharron and the other loroco and cheese ($3.85 each). The thick griddle cake is stuffed with a cheese that ends up being gooey and tasty with whichever other filling you choose. The salty chicharron is very good, as is the flowering vine of loroco (you can buy loroco fresh or frozen or pickled at any Mexican Market; it has a unique flavor and slight aroma of 'green'). The curtido (a cabbage and carrot relish made with vinegar and sugar) is a perfect compliment to the almost sweet corn cake pupusas.
The menu on the wall is always a good place to select another dish. Pictures!

The chicken soup ($12.99) arrives 'disassembled', as you can see. The broth is rich, filled with zucchini and potato and herbs. The freshly fried chicken leg has a bit of delightful skin attached. Rice is eventually needed in the soup, but I opted for the hand made corn tortillas ($1.50) and tore those into the broth at first. The tortillas were different than the pupusas, which were lighter (a different type of corn flour). The refreshing salad completed the meal.

Again, another local restaurant that survived the pandemic!

Pupusas Express 1207 East Main Street El Cajon 92021 (619) 447-2501 Mon-Sat 10-7, Sun 10-3

R&B Filipino Cuisine (again)

August 24, 2021 Cathy Filipino Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! thanks you for stopping by to read about things, primarily food. Kirk is busy with work and this is a short post by Cathy.

As is our habit, on Saturdays The Mister and I jump in the car and start driving without a plan. We randomly got to Mira Mesa Boulevard before 8 a.m. and found most restaurants were not yet open. When we got to Camino Ruiz, I decided to just drive by and see if R&B Filipino Cuisine was open-and it was!

We saw one person walking out with a large catering order and figured there would be something to munch on.
The steam trays were filled and we were the only ones ordering (so I did not take any photos). Closer to the end of the steaming trays, I saw a large tray with cooked eggs and next to it, longanisa (sausage), beef jerky (tapa), da (fried, dried baby milkfish) and tocino (cured pork-sort of like bacon to us caucasians). Since I know there are many types of longanisa (Wikipedia link), I wanted to try it here (we usually buy four or six fresh links from the meat counter at 99Ranch or from the fish counter at Lucky Seafood).
Longsilog is the name of the breakfast: Longanisa with two fried eggs (pritong itlog) and (really good) garlic rice (Sinangag). ($8). What a wonderful, flavorful, filling breakfast! But wait, there was more..
I just pointed at this chopped lechon (fried pork) mix with vegetables selection in the steam tray and asked for a small container size. ($4)
We purchased a calamansi pouch (sort of like lemonade) from the refrigerator. The sauce that goes with the pork was brought out to the table. Soy, vinegar and onions, the sauce cuts through the fattiness of the pork and is very complimentary. Wow, really great deep fried pork and sauce to go with the large amount of garlic rice. This was memorable.

Breakfast is only available on weekends here and it is worth the stop.

R&B Filipino Cuisine 11257 Camino Ruiz San Diego 92126 Open Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat & Sun 8 a.m.-6 p.m.(858) 695-8455

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.