mmm-yoso – Page 161 – 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.

Colmar – Dinner at Brassierie Heydel, a Morning Walk Around Colmar, and Some Self-Catering

October 6, 2019 mmm-yoso Alsace, France, French Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Travel

We'd had a wonderful day visiting the colorful villages of Alsace. Christopher was an amazing guide and even called and made reservations for dinner when I mentioned a specific Alsatian dish called Fleischschnacka.

When we headed out for dinner; it was already fairly dark in Colmar. Looking out from our terrace; Pont de Rue de Turenne was nice and quiet.

The restaurant was centrally located, though not quite in the tourist center.

The folks working were quite friendly and the place was pretty quiet when we arrived. There just seemed to be few regular customers in the place.

Though it filled up pretty quickly as we were ending our meal.

The Missus just had to have Her favorite; the Choucroute and figured my dish was going to be pretty hefty. We also got the Foie Gras entre to start.

This was smooth, rather mild in offal tones, rich, and quite good.

The Missus enjoyed Her Choucroute.

Though She said it was not a crisp and refreshing as the version at Le Petit Venise.

And then there was my "snails of meat" – Fleischschnacka. Man, this was a pretty hefty dish.

Think of ground meat rolled in pasta; the two slices were a bit too much for me and fairly mild in flavor. I loved the potatoes and the green salad.

I'm not going into too much detail about Heydel; because, at least according to their Facebook page as of June 17th, the business is in the process of changing ownership.

Brasserie Heydel
45 rue des Clefs
68000, Colmar, France

As you can see; Colmar is quite stunning at night as well.

It was wonderful waking in the morning and taking your espresso on the terrace.

The next morning we decided to explore Colmar's Old Town. The Pont de Rue de Turenne was quiet at this time of the day. You can see our apartment's terrace at the upper left of this photo.

Things were being set-up for the Christmas Market which was going to start that weekend.

We used Rick Steves walk as a guide. We started at the Koïfhus; the Customs House. Trade made Colmar a wealthy city in the Middle Ages and the Customs House was the center of it all. Colmar had been granted Free Imperial City status by the Holy Roman Empire.

Above the door on the south side of the building is this door. The plaque above the door designates Colmar as being an Imperial City.

Above one of the portals you'll see this plaque.

Jean Rapp, one of Napoleon's chief consuls was born in Colmar; supposedly here in the Customs House where his dad was a janitor.

In the square in front of the Customs House is this fountain.

The fountain statue is of Lazarus von Schwendi. Who supposedly (it is considered a myth) brought the Tokaji (remember our dinner in Budapest) to Alsace. The statue was made by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi who also created something known as the Statue of Liberty.

From here we walked down Rue des Tanneurs. There's a channel right across the street. As we had learned in Modena, you need a close running water source for tanning leather. This is where the tanner in Colmar used to reside.

From here we circled back a bit along the Marché Couvert.

And then up to Rue des Marchands ("Merchants Street").

Right up the street is one of the distinctive buildings in Colmar; Maison Pfister. Built in 1537 in Renaissance style, with biblical stories and figures painted into the walls. It's a beautiful and impressive building.

Right across the way is the carving that folks call the "Meter Man". It's the sign for a drape maker and he is holding the standard measure of length, Colmar's version of the meter.

It's all quite entertaining……..

As you can tell when looking at the photo of Maison Pfister….right past the structure is St Martin's Church, where we spent a few minutes lingering.

I'm always fascinated by clocks in these churches……

We wandered down Rue des Boulangers…..

And since this was the "street of bakers" spent a bit of time shopping for gifts.

From here we took a right on Rue des Tetes (street of heads) and came upon the façade of the Maison des Tetes ("House of Heads"). Now a luxury hotel; this structure was built in 1609 by a wine maker. Many heads, masks, and faces adorn the façade.

The most interesting one is found to the left of the entrance to the courtyard.

There you'll see what looks like a court jester; his belly sticking out, with hoofs in the place of feet. Go figure…..

It's quite a sight…..

Though I haven't spent time on it; I need to mention all the wonderful signs that adorn the buildings…….

From here we turned back and headed down the colorful streets of Colmar.

And back to the Marché Couvert. We were staying in such a lovely apartment that we decided to take advantage of it and do some self-catering.

And combined with the cheese we Riquewihr and the cookies that Christopher had given to us as a gift; we had a very nice meal.

There's much to love about Colmar and Alsace in general. Beautiful half-timbered buildings, history and charm; with some humor thrown in.

I thank you for stopping by and sharing this with us!

Dinners at Noble Chef

October 3, 2019 mmm-yoso Chinese BBQ, Chinese Restaurants

Sometimes knowing someone who can provide a good "R&R" based on inside knowledge and experience can be very helpful. I don't get to see my good friend Candice very much these days; but a few months ago, we managed to meet up. And of course much of the discussion revolved around food…..and in the conversation she mentioned that her parents really enjoy Noble Chef. Which left me a bit dumbfounded based on previous visits to the place since the new owners took over. Then Candice blessed me with the tidbit I needed to know….during dinner service the owner cooks and that is when the food at Noble Chef is at its best. Dinner only, no lunch!

Ok……so to test things out, I went and did take-out about a week later; roast duck and salt and pepper pork chops. The duck was much improved, but still just ok, the pork chops were nicely flavored, but really, I should have been thinking more clearly….salt and pepper pork chops isn't the best item for take-out.

Still, I was focused on that duck. In terms of flavor it was pretty darn good; but the skin was rubbery and it was a bit dried out. So before calling it quits, I convinced the Missus to have dinner at Noble Chef. And we've been going probably every other week when we're in town since!

So, compare the duck above to the duck when you eat in.

There is no comparison. The skin is more light and crisp; the meat more moist; the fat has been nicely rendered, just basting that good deliciousness to the meat.

After about our fourth revisit to the place; the guy working who had waited on us during our previous visits confirmed that the duck is treated differently when you eat in. He tried to explain, but really had a hard time. I'm thinking that the duck is either quickly broiled in something like a salamander; or heated in a similar manner as the skin gets nice and crisp. Right now; this is our favorite roast duck in town. But……you've got to go during dinner and eat in the restaurant.

Currently, we order duck on maybe every other visit because the Missus is enjoying two other items on the menu.

The Steamed Pork with Salted Fish; is very savory and porky. The water chestnuts add a nice crunch.

The liquid is rich and savory. Actually, the Missus just has a few bites at the restaurant and we take most of it home. For some reason; the salty edges of flavor smooth out a bit and the pork flavor becomes even more pronounced. The "juice" becomes a thick savory aspic. I'll often cube up the meat which has set overnight and use that to top various vegetable dishes.

The other dish is the Fried Tofu with Two Mushrooms. The Missus loves the texture of the silken tofu; the exterior has a slight crispness, the interior is almost like an egg custard.

The brown sauce wasn't too gloppy and is mild enough to let the flavor of the mushrooms come through a bit. This one you need to finish at the restaurant.

Some other items we've had.

We tried two Clay Pot dishes; we'll probably try them again when the weather cools down.

The Salted Fish and Tofu was a solid contender; though nowhere as deeply savory as the pork and salted fish.

The Braised Beef and Turnip was also quite good; the turnip still slightly firm, the beef very tender and full of bovine goodness.

Yes, I love watching the Missus enjoy Her dinner……..I'm just happy to watch Her eat and I'll enjoy my Soy Sauce Noodles.

There were two dishes that we won't order again…..

The Kwai Fei Chicken seemed to have been treated almost like the duck and was quite warm when served. The skin had been browned a bit and the meat had suffered the consequences as it was tougher then I prefer.

And the sauce was really weak, not having enough ginger or scallion flavor.

I've noted the strange affinity the Missus has for Shrimp with Lobster Sauce before. The version here is too gloppy and greasy, and on the salty side.

Though the shrimp were decently cooked; the overall flavor and mouthfeel of the dish just didn't do it for us.

So, what did I learn from this "R&R"? Well, you have dinner AT Noble Chef. So simple, yet I had written the place off. So Sandy, this is why your friends like Noble Chef.

And thanks as always to my good buddy Candice!

The Noble Chef
6159 Balboa Avenue
San Diego, CA 92111

Revisits – (No sandwiches at) SuperNatural Sandwiches and Daddy’s Hot Dogs

October 2, 2019 mmm-yoso Hot Dogs, Salads

I guess this one might be a R(ecommendations) & R(equests) & R(evisits) post. Here are two recommendations that were made quite recently on various posts.

(No sandwiches at) SuperNatural Sandwiches:

**** SuperNatural has closed

In the comments section of my last post on SuperNatural Sandwiches, Loren mentioned the following:

“The Kirin is my go to Salad as well, honestly I love how those flavors are great for anyone doing the keto thing.”
“Oh and if you haven’t had their plain fries (not the triton or whatever) they may be the best in SD.”

Which kind of got my attention, so when I had a chance I headed back to the Miramar location of Supernatural. And got the Kirin as a salad; which ended up being pretty huge…..

And pretty good to boot! I enjoyed this dressing more than the aioli that is used to top the sandwiches. It was a lot of greens; but mixed with the pickled veggies and cucumber and with bites of tender shrimp and sweet lup cheong in between, this was very good.

And yes Loren, those fries are really good. The potatoes have been lightly dusted, giving it a bit more of a crunch and the interior is nice and fluffy. The seasoning has enough salt and spice to keep things interesting……I only ate a few and spread the rest around the office and folks really enjoyed it.

So thanks Loren for giving me a few more options for lunchtime!

SuperNatural Sandwiches
7094 Miramar Rd. #122
San Diego, CA 92121

Daddy’s Hot Dogs:

Meanwhile, in the comments section of my last post on Chicago Fire Grill; DerekR mentioned liking the Chicago Dogs at Daddy’s Hot Dogs in Hillcrest. Which got me checking on when I did my post on Daddy’s Hot Dogs….geeez, man it was 2011!

Would you believe it’s been nearly eight years since that post! Eight years! Where has all that time gone?

After a recent meeting; I made it a point to find some parking and return to Daddy’s. He was just rolling out the two “tables” and such when I arrived and chatted me up, just like I’d been there yesterday.

The menu has changed over time, there are still a few interesting options. I ordered two dogs to go and watched “daddy” make them in his very methodical manner; nothing is rushed and things take a bit of time here.

Which all comes out when you take a look at those hot dogs.

So, what did I think? Well, Daddy splits the dogs before griddling; though they still retain a good “snap”. The buns are heated, but not steamed…..

The “Chicago Dog” is sorta, kinda, but not really a Chicago Dog; the pickled jalapenos are way hotter and less sweet than sport peppers. though it’s a visual thing, I like the look of the fluorescent-radioactive green relish. The tomatoes were decently ripe which added to the pleasure; though the flavor of the dog is definitely different than the typical Vienna Beef dog that’s used for a Chicago Dog. I appreciated the nice sprinkling of celery salt.

I also ordered the “O” and really enjoyed it. Russian dressing sounds a bit odd; but it went well with the diced tomatoes and slice of bacon……the flavor of the hot dog really complemented the rich mayo based dressing quite well and the griddled onions added some sweetness and depth of flavor to things.

I actually enjoyed this more than the Chicago Dog…..the folks in the office kept asking each other; “hey….what’s that really good smell….”

Well, it was some pretty good hot dogs from Daddy’s. I gotta get back more often,

Thanks for the recommendation DerekR!

Daddy’s Hot Dogs
1281 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92103

Zen Curry

October 1, 2019 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

Way back at the end of July, in the comments of my post on Katzya, "Elle" asked me about Zen Curry. My sources had mentioned that a Japanese Curry place had opened in the former Popcorn Chicken location and a few weeks later Kirbie did a post on Zen Curry, which was then in soft opening mode with only evening hours. I decided to wait awhile and noticed they had lunch hours during weekends, so I decided to drop by.

Well, the sign for Popcorn Chicken is still up; though you can tell by the window décor and the menu that it's not Popcorn Chicken any longer.

I walked on in a was quite loudly greeted by the very nice young ladies working.

They've done some slight adjustments to the seating and configuration of the place since taking over. I was quickly seated and handed a rather wrinkled paper menu….I figure they are still in soft opening mode and using temporary menus.

I saw some interesting items on the menu; Hinotez's Curry Rice with Chicken Katsu is a current favorite so I ordered the karaage; SPAM® Katsu Curry is something I make at home, so I thought it would be interesting to try that as well.

The sweet young lady asked me if I wanted "pickled radish" with my curry. I said some "fukujinzuke" would me much appreciated. She looked at me and I realized that I wasn't understood….so I said, "yes, some pickled radish would be wonderful!"

I ordered my curry at spice level 5, which was just perfect…..many times more spicy than what you'd get at other places in San Diego. It was not shy in terms of mild beefy-curry flavors. I did think they'd gone a bit crazy on the roux as it was way too thick and almost solid in texture, and since the curry itself wasn't very hot when served; this seized up fairly quickly.

I also quickly noticed something about one of the pieces of karaage.

It had been sliced to check doneness….I guess they are still figuring things out. The chicken was on the dry side; they karaage hadn't been marinated very well and was really bland; the batter lacked crispness.

I really liked how the Spam® was sliced in terms of thickness and shape. It was fried a bit too long and was hard instead of crisp and crunchy. Still, this was thankfully not over-seasoned, which led to it not being too salty.

I took the leftovers home; the Missus tasted the curry and loved the flavor and spice, but hated the texture. On the nice side; when the Server asked me if I wanted to take the pickled radish home with me I expected her to give me a container to put my leftovers in. Instead, she gave me a nice little container of fukujinzuke for home.

I decided to wait a bit before my next visit and soon noticed that Zen Curry was now open for lunch on Thursdays and Fridays as well.

So, I decided to return for another lunch. looking over the menu; which was the same, I made my decision. I like "Kaki Curry", but I think I'll wait until I return to Japan or maybe find a good curry place that shucks and uses fresh oysters for that one. I knew that I wouldn't be able to finish lunch so had to think of what the Missus would eat in addition to my tonkatsu; so I wwent with a side of tofu.

On the positive side; the service was just as friendly and nice as before, the temperature of the curry was nice and hot, the spice level 5 seemed even spicier this time around, and the texture was much better as well.

As for the tofu, well, it was very bland, was more firm than I would prefer; thus the contrast in textures between the breading and the tofu was not what I expected nor desired. Man, if they's use a softer tofu, actually season it, and maybe use potato starch instead of panko….sort of an agedashi style tofu, I think it would be really nice.

The tonkatsu was fairly moist, but very bland, and tough.

The Missus enjoyed the leftover curry; though She had me eat the tofu! I'm thinking I'll stick with maybe just the beef curry or a simple curry rice bowl.

I really liked the service, the prices are reasonable, and I'll return once they are over the soft opening period.

Zen Curry
7309 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111

So there you go Elle! You're the star of this "R&R" post!

Kotobuki – It’s “R&R” Week

September 30, 2019 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi

I'm sure you're asking what the heck "R&R Week" is……and no; it's not "Rest and Relaxation", though I wish it was. This week; other than travel type posts, I'll (finally) get around to posting some of the "Recommendations and Requests" that I've gotten. I've often said; this blog would not exist without the wonderful comments, question, recommendations, and requests I get. Right off, I'll say that my definition of "R&R" might be rather broad; it could be just a quick email, comment, you know "have you tried????" kind of thing. But, I hope you enjoy these posts……

Several months back "Julie" mentioned Kotobuki in the comments of my most recent Kokoro post; saying "fish quality is fantastic". So, over the last couple of months I made a couple of visits to this rather low-keyed location (I believe it used to be Wa Sushi), in the corner of the strip mall that houses Khan's Cave, Boll Weevil, and La Miche.

In between meetings I headed over to Kotobuki right after opening for lunch.

The place is rather spartan; on both my lunch visits, a charming little girl was coloring and doing other things at one table. The Itaemae is an older gentlemen.

The sushi bar is "walled off"; so you really can't ogle the fish, nor watch the Itamae in action.

The lunch menu had several items priced rather reasonably; so I ordered the Chirashi Lunch ($14.99).

I wasn't a big fan of the watered down miso soup. The sushi meshi had a nice balance that I enjoyed; not too over-powering sour tones; but was quite pleasant and the rice was prepped nicely.

Of the fish; the salmon was nicely fatty and tender; the maguro quite decent, meaty with no off flavors, and the Hamachi was tender, almost buttery. The tamago had a nice eggy-sweetness and was fairly supple. The shiromi; the whitefish was dry and the shrimp mushy.

With some tea; this made for a decent meal.

A few weeks later; I decided to drop by for lunch again and got the Sashimi Lunch Combo ($15.99).

The miso soup was the same as was the Hamachi, very nice texture.

The maguro wasn't the best cut this time around; on the tough side and dry. The Tai was pretty good, slight chew, mild sweetness. The salmon was fine, though not as good as on my previous visit.

The rice was fluffy and moist.

This was fine; though I had enjoyed the chirashi a bit more.

After my two lunches; I decided to drop by for dinner and was seated at the bar. That wood paneling really separates you from watching the Itamae and he seemed to not want to converse with his customers. In fact, you order by menu from the Server and have no interaction with the Itamae. This kind of takes away form the experience in my mind. I've always thought that eating at the sushi bar was a very personal, somewhat intimate experience……

I did ask the very efficient young lady what was good today and was told, "it's on the menu……." Ok……

I placed my order and was served all my nigiri at once.

The nigiri are on the smaller size; even smaller than the Edomae stylings of Tadokoro; though it makes for a decent small bite.

The Kanpachi was a lot whiter than what I've seen in the past. It also seemed a bit fattier, with a mild sweetness.

I'm fairly certain it wasn't escolar and was told in no uncertain terms it was Kanpachi; which to me is Greater Amberjack. Whatever; this , in terms of texture was quite good.

The Hotate, scallop was sliced a bit too thinly for my taste and wasn't very sweet.

The Maguro had that "tinny" flavor that I don't care for, though in terms of fat and texture, it was the best of the three portions I'd had so far.

And it had that "center cut" to ensure it could be folded over the rice.

The Toro was very good; nice texture, meaty, buttery, no off flavors.

It was a pleasure to eat.

I had requested my Tamago to be served last, which they did.

It was a nice piece of tamago; just as good as what I'd had in the Chirashi and with a mild sweetness and the light handed touches to the shari; this was a nice "dessert" of sorts.

As you can see; I'm not a real big eater and this enough for me. Kotobuki seems like a decent neighborhood sushi bar; though the service seemed all business. Or perhaps it was just that "wall" in front of the sushi bar and the Itamae not engaging customers. The prices are good, the quality decent. Perhaps I'll drop by in the future again.

Kotobuki
9340 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92123
Hours:
Mon – Fri 11am – 2pm, 5pm – 9pm
Saturday 5pm – 9pm

Thanks for the recommendation Julie!

2020 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade Road Test #4, Breakfast at Burger Depot (La Puente)

September 29, 2019 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Festivals & Events, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about interesting meals and how said meals came to be. Today, Cathy is writing; Kirk is exhausted with work.

Link to 2020 Road test #1

Link to 2020 Road Test #2

Link to 2020 Road Test #3

Link to 200 Road Tests #5 and #6

Another Road Test weekend for the floats participating in the 2020 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade. The Mister and I woke at 4, left home at 5, drove through on and off light rain to Tustin for some snacks at the Kolache Factory then headed to Irwindale to the Phoenix Decorating Company to watch floats for the Rose Parade being tested along Ornelas Street.

"Plant a Garden, Believe in Tomorrow" presented by Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day. Mrs. Meyer's makes household cleaners with scents inspired by a backyard midwest garden. The white 'outline' on the float resembles the outline on the label of each of the Mrs. Meyer's products. The flowers -both the sunflowers at the back and the roses along the sides- are animated and will be tilting (and smiling) along the parade route.
It looks like the City of Hope float will simply have the same title, going along with the "Power of Hope" theme of the parade.
Here is progression of construction of the float "Cultivating Curiosity" presented by The Huntington, a Pasadena Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens celebrating its 100th year in 2020. Ed (from Yuma) and Tina enjoyed a lovely tea and visit here in 2014.
The Royal Court (which will be announced on Monday September 30) will be riding on this float during the Parade. The Court serves as year round ambassadors for the Tournament and each member receives a small ($7500) education scholarship. Follow The Rose Examiner for more information about the Royal Court and other information about the Tournament activities.
The Shriners float and the United Sikh Mission also had their floats tested this day. The float barn is filling up! 22 of the 44 floats in the parade will be constructed here.

The Mister and I headed home down Vincent Street, one block East of Irwindale Avenue. We passed a few places that looked interesting. Vincent turns into S. Glendora Avenue which then turns into N. Hacienda Boulevard. There's a five way signal light at the triangle corner of N. Hacienda and N. Unruh. Look at those signs. Look at the shape of the building. You know we had to stop.

The menu, above and on the counter by the order and pay register, isn't too overwhelming.

You can watch your food being cooked in a non-hipster open kitchen concept. It's brought out to your table.
The chicken breast and eggs breakfast ($7.55) comes with flat-top crisped potatoes and toast. The eggs were over easy (even that broken one still oozed yolk), the chicken was moist and tasty. A great, healthy breakfast.
Chilaquiles ($7.99) were made to order (I saw fresh tortillas being grilled up before being drowned in the home made, chile de arbol based sauce (spicy!)). Topped with perfect over easy eggs with sides of refried beans (also made here; many were whole) and more crunchy potatoes. We are going to return to try hamburgers here, since the name is Hamburger Depot. They are probably pretty good.

Hamburger Depot 1169 N. Hacienda Blvd. La Puente, CA 91744 (626) 917-1872

Turo Turo Thursday – Revisits to Mama Cinia Rice & Noodles and R & B Filipino Cuisine

September 26, 2019 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants

The last few weeks have ben rather hectic; so the guys at work have been kind enough to grab me something to eat when they head out. Of course, they are growing boys (though it's sadly growing horizontally rather than vertically), so they are looking for some major grinds. Thus, turo turo is always a good idea!

I have to give them specific instructions….in the manner of sisig….at least they know what that is….but then it's get "a beef stewish dish"…if I told them mechado or kaldereta, they'd be lost….and if I told them menudo; they'd be looking for soup….you know, right?

Mama Cinia Rice & Noodles:

**** Mama Cinia has closed

Wow, I haven't had anything from Mama Cinia's in quite a while. I'd instructed to ask for "half rice"; which was nicely done.

The Sisig wasn't overly waxy, still had some crunchy textures, but was really low in terms of vinegar and spiciness.

The portion of menudo was huge! This wasn't overly greasy but needed a bit more acidity as the tomato tones were pretty subdued. The meat was fairly tender and beefy, but this could have used more overall flavor as it was on the bland side.

The rice was on the dry side.

Mama Cinia Rice & Noodles
9178 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

R & B Filipino Cuisine:

R&B is a favorite of Calvin's and I gotta say it's pretty good overall. I hadn't been back there in a while either; though Cathy visited a few months back. To quote; "we got you rice and pancit, sisig, and a I think, beef something….." It was Kaldereta.

The pancit was fine if a bit on the bland side. The rice was also decent; not too mushy nor hard. The sisig here was solid; with nice spice, sour tones, crunchy bits….though some where on the hard side.

The Kaldereta was on the greasy side as it had a ton of oil floating on the top. The meat itself was tender; though the carrots were under-cooked. It was also on the salty side and could have used more tomato, garlic and perhaps some liver spread to add more depth of flavor.

Couldn't complain about the portion size though.

R & B Filipino Cuisine
11257 Camino Ruiz
San Diego, CA 92126

Las Pinches Tortas (El Cajon)

September 25, 2019 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping by to read mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk is still busy at work and Cathy is sharing another food adventure.

For the most part, The Mister and I don't plan any of our food stops unless a gift card is involved. On this day, we were (once again) driving about aimlessly, took the 2nd Street exit from the 8, continued South until 2nd turned into Jamacha (at Main) and continued for a few more blocks. A bunch of cars were stuck at the signal light at Washington and we were backed up quite a bit. Looking West, both The Mister and I noticed this signage at the same time. I pulled into the Laundromat anchored mall. This is what it looks like from Jamacha; a large parking lot.

It turns out this family owned and run restaurant opened in June. I can sort of see how we missed it. I can also say we will be eating here often.
We walked in, grabbed a menu (thumbnails at the bottom of this post) and a seat before ordering. The kitchen area has an open window, the self-seating area is quite large.
You order and pay straight ahead when walking in; I only noticed the signage at the order counter after we had decided what we wanted and had to turn around to discuss changing our initial choices. Finally, I ordered, paid, got our beverages and looked at the condiment area. The food is brought out to your table.
The Lunch Special of 1/2 torta and soup ($9.95). This was a smart decision, because apparently the full size torta is huge. This is a 1/2 size ahogada (drowned) torta. The bread is from Guadalajara. The meat is (wonderful flavored meaty and crisped) carnitas. There's a smear of flavorful black beans. The sauce, made with chile de arbol and tomatoes, is spicy and made here.

All of the salsas are made here. There are many salsas on the condiment bar and for each food item.
The soup is a 'proper' tortilla soup. **No chicken pieces** in it; just a good flavored chicken broth with garlic, onion, tomatoes, chile de arbol (so, it's spicy). It's thickened with tortillas and topped with fried strips of tortilla, cheese and sour cream. Hearty.
The counter also had a photo of a special of Chile en Nogada ($14.95). This item is usually prepared around Mexican Independence Day (September 16), (the dish is meant to be the colors of the flag of Mexico, and the red pomegranates need to be in season). It's a poblano chili, stuffed with picadillo and topped with a walnut based white sauce and pomegranates. Sweet, savory, a bit salty, crunchy, soft…everything that describes a great melding of flavors and texture in each bite.
Chile en Nogada is meant to be served at room temperature. It was the best version I've had so far in my short life.

There are so many sauces, so many different torta breads, a great variety. Despite the name (I know it's dirty), Las Pinches is sure to be part of our 'regular rotation'. Unexpectedly a great find.

Las Pinches Tortas 558 Jamacha Road El Cajon 92019 (619)593-0576 Open Mon-Fri 10-9, Sat 9-9, Sun 9-8

Barbecue Pit (El Cajon) Revisit

September 24, 2019 Cathy BBQ, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog. Kirk is busy with 'work' and will return soon enough. Until then, Cathy is writing.

Barbecue Pit is a longstanding (since 1947) restaurant in El Cajon. Posting in 2014 as well as in 2018, combined with Kirk's post of Wrangler Family Barbecue, in 2010 (Wrangler has the same menu, decor, ambiance and flavors as Barbecue Pit; it was once part of the chain) doesn't really show how much this place is part of our 'regular rotation'. Its location, kitty corner from Beef 'n Bun, on the North East corner of Fletcher Parkway at Garfield, (next to the Baskin Robbins) has plenty of parking in front and in a larger area in the same lot, serving a 99 Cent Only store as well as a few other storefronts.
Step inside, walk up, order and watch your meal being prepared. The Texas style, pit smoked (over oak) meats available are beef, pork, ham, chicken and links. The sides are slaw, potato salad, baked beans and fries. The soups are pea soup and navy bean. The combinations for meals are plenty and delineated on the wall.
Pay, find a table, grab your beverage, check out the condiment bar and grab some utensils.
I ordered the 'soup and sandwich' ($8.99). A large bowl of navy bean soup and a ham sandwich- smoky, thick slices of ham on a toasted bun. The soup is a particular new craving of mine. More on that in a moment.
We went on a Saturday night (the Barbecue Pit is closed on Sundays) and there was a Special on the white Boards- the Sloppy Joe beef sandwich plate was $9.99. Slaw and potato salad were the sides. You can see this was a generous portion of smoked beef. You can add more BBQ sauce as you wish…tangy and sweet, warm and luxuriously thick, the sauce is a compliment to the beef.
Here's another visit. The rib and chicken combo plate with sides of baked beans and potato salad and cornbread ($16.50) was The Mister's order.
Two large, juicy, meaty, well smoked (leaving a bark on the meat) beef ribs and 1/4 chicken (breast and wing). Not using the sauce, the smokiness really comes through. Using the sauce halfway through makes the meal a new experience.
On this visit, I tried the chicken sandwich and navy bean soup. The soup really is all beans with carrot, celery and onion; a bowl by itself is a meal. The chicken sandwich is plentiful and has a more delicate smokiness when tried plain.

Everything here is good.

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

There is dessert here, too.

Tahini Street Food (Clairemont Mesa Boulevard)

September 23, 2019 mmm-yoso Mediterranean Restaurants, Middle Eastern Restaurants/Cuisine

I recently had a meeting where the food was catered from Tahini. For some reason, I'd forgotten about the place after they were replacing Dudley's Kearny Mesa location, which is right next to Ramen Ryoma.

I enjoyed the Chicken Schwarma Bowl; while being a bit "tame" in terms of flavor; the garlic sauce wasn't too bad and I enjoyed the pickled vegetables, and the rice was nicely flavored and fluffy.

So, I decided to stop by a couple of weeks later.

I'd gotten there right after opening and the place was already doing some pretty good business.

The set-up is very much in the "fast-casual" vein….you order at the register, the stations on the "line" put things together. One both visits; the young man working the register was ultra polite and made sure to repeat everyone's orders to make sure they got things right.

The menu is very much in the Chipotle mold….or even say….Chi-poke mold; you choose your base, if you'd like it in a pita, bowl, or salad, you can add on snacks, be it versions of fries or hummus, etc……

I was feeling hungry on my first visit and got the Chicken Schwarma Bowl and I really wanted to try the Falafel, so I got a3 pieces of Falafel.

This was good as what I'd had in my meeting. The garlic paste; well actually the menu does say "sauce" and is not as pungently delicious as the versions at Harvest Market or Alforon. But it does the trick here. Loved the pickled vegetables which added a nice zip to the bowl. The chicken was decently moist and tender, though quite mild in flavor….yes; it's kind of food not to offend; but with that nicely flavored rice, it did the job quite.

On the other hand; I really didn't care for the falafel.

While the interior was nice and smooth; the exterior was really hard….not crunchy, hard, and in addition to being more salty than I enjoy, there was a strange bitterness that I detected. Plus, the Tahini tasted weak, runny, and watered down.

The pita though, was nice and warm, it was obviously made fairly fresh as I saw the handy-dandy pita bread oven on the side.

Because I enjoyed the pita; I headed back and tried the Steak Schwarma in a Pita.

And while the pita was lovely as before; the "steak" was very lean and chewy and it was very bland. I really should have gotten a different sauce than the standard Tahini that comes with the "steak"….but at least I know for sure that it's not my favorite version. There was a good amount of meat; fresh veggies; but overall, quite bland.

I also ordered a half order of the Tahini Fries (with no Tahini of course), with Garlic sauce.

This was quite nice; I like the way the garlic sauce complements the crisp fries and even don't mind the pepperoncini's or feta cheese; though I will probably ask for no olives the next time. Still, this was not bad.

Overall a mixed bag; nice folks working, it's fusiony food made for Western palates, not a bad thing necessarily, and that rice bowl is pretty good.

Tahini Street Food
9119 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92123
Hours:
Mon – Sat 11am – 9pm
Sunday 11am – 7pm