mmm-yoso – Page 188 – 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.

Monzu Fresh Pasta

July 22, 2018 mmm-yoso Italian Restaurants

We're still on the hunt for pasta as good as we had in Emilia-Romagna. Simple, soulful, fresh, with "that" texture. Maestoso was pretty good. Then I read that Monzu Fresh Pasta had finally opened in the Eater. So, a couple of weeks later….on a day that the Padres were scheduled for an away game, I headed down to the East Village to check out Monzu.

This rather discreet little shop; wasn't it previously a Meatball Shop? Is bright, clean, and simply appointed.

There are shelves of specialty Italian grocery items and a counter with fresh pasta stocked. There's a chalkboard menu and you order and pay at the counter.

I really enjoyed the folks working here on my two visits…very laidback, but friendly. I believe I spoke to one of the owners about cooking time for the pasta….she was amazingly nice.

On this visit; having just gotten back from Bologna; I went with the Bolognese……simply called a "Ragu" in Emilia-Romagna. The price was very reasonable at $13. When the plate arrived; it looked a bit over-sauced, but it turned out that they add most of the sauce to the top of the pasta, allowing you to mix. I thought the presentation of the grated pecorino was nice, but it also served another purpose as I thought it was too much cheese. The presentation allowed me to not use all the cheese.

The pasta was firm, but on the brittle side, lacking that pillowy, al dente pull that we loved. It was not bad however. The sauce was bit on the thin side and there wasn't very much meat, which meant the meaty "punch" of a typical ragu was missing. On the bright side; this meant it was lighter that the really hearty stuff we had in Bologna.

For your reference.

It was without a doubt, more than worth the thirteen bucks. I ended up picking up a pound of the tagliatelle. When I asked about some cooking times; the young lady called back to the kitchen area and a really nice woman came out and told me 60 to 90 seconds.

A few weeks later I took my car in for servicing. Instead of waiting for my vehicle; I decided to take the trolley. It had been awhile since I'd done much exploring using the trolley. I started at Grantville Station….made it down to San Ysidro, got off at H street….but nothing really caught my attention. So, I headed back to the Gaslamp; this was the weekend before Comic-con, so while things were rather busy in Hillcrest and North Park for Pride Weekend, things were rather quiet; at least on this day, downtown. More on that in a later post.

I started getting a bit peckish; so I walked on over to Monzu just as they were opening for the day.

This time around; I asked for a recommendation. I was told to try the Ligurian Pesto ($12).

This take on the classic Genoese Pesto was fairly strong in the pine nut area. The rather large amount of cheese helped to balance things out. Sadly; the pasta was over cooked and on the mushy side.

Still, not a bad deal at twelve bucks.

Things are priced right at Monzu. I like the simple approach and fresh pasta; though not everything is to my taste. The folks here are very friendly as well. I hope they do well.

Monzu Fresh Pasta
455 Tenth Ave
San Diego, CA 92101
Hours:
Tues – Sun 11am – 9pm

Give them a try.

So, what of the fresh pasta I bought?

Well, I divided up the pound into two half pound servings.

I decided to make the Missus's current favorite; Tagliatelle ai Funghi Porcini. Using the last of the porcini cream we bought in Bologna and dried porcinis, which I soak, strain the liquid, then reduce by half to make a "sauce" of sorts.

I tried the sixty second version first and it was much too hard and brittle. The second time; I did an eighty second boil; which the missus preferred. Timing is important here….you make sure to salt your pasta water, get your sauce going and reduced, perfectly in time with getting your pasta cooked. That's why I specifically asked for timing when I bought the pasta.

It is so simple, but quite good. Though the Missus still thinks the pasta from Assenti's is a tad better.

Paris – Boulangerie Laurent B, Les Deux Magots, and L’Avant Comptoir

July 21, 2018 mmm-yoso Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Croissants, France, Paris, France, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

The Missus was starting settle in a bit…..and She needed a "mission"; something to obsess about. So why not croissants? I had always thought that an excellent croissant au beurre is harder to come by than most folks think. I believe our lunch the previous day at Gontran Cherrier had stirred something. The Missus had croissant fever. During our wonderful meal the previous evening at Arnaud Nicolas we had a nice chat with one of the Servers. He said croissants are a very "personal preference" and we should explore…..but we should definitely stick with artisan boulangerie, where strict codes are adhered and the products are made on premises.

So the very next morning we stopped almost right across the street from Le Fontaine de Mars (La Fontaine du Gros-Caillou).

At the beautiful Boulangerie Laurent B.

We loved the vibe and the very "French" design of the shop.

The croissant, not so much. It was doughy, not buttery nor flakey enough.

Boulangerie Laurent B
112 rue Saint-Dominique
75007 Paris, France

We spent the day on the left bank; exploring shops and taking in some of the sights. Nothing major; just kinda having a nice time in the Saint Germain and Latin Quarter. There's tons of shopping to be done here.

And sometimes and occasional sight like the Église Protestante Saint-Jean.

After spending a good amount of time shopping; we needed to refuel a bit.

On our previous trip to Paris; we passed Les Deux Magots ("le do mago") once the meeting place of Paris's literati and the artistic set. Names like James Joyce, Hemingway, Oscar Wilde, and Albert Camus are mentioned.

It is, of course, now a major tourist stop. We sat outside and had our caffeine fix.

Sitting outside; paying a ton for over priced coffee, watching dozens of tourists taking selfies in front of the place.

I went in to take a look at "Deux Magots"….the café opened in 1884 and kept the name of the silk shop that once stood here.

You do have a nice view of the Église de Saint Germain des Prés.

And the people watching is quite interesting.

Les Deux Magots
6 place Saint-Germain des Prés
75006 Paris, France

A bit more shopping…well, then it was time for lunch. We just wanted something small to eat and a tapas bar named L'Avant Comptoir came highly recommended.

We found the tiny shop to be quite charming. It did indeed remind us a bit of those stand-up pintxos places we enjoyed in San Sebastian and Bilbao.

Menu cards hung on the wall; specials on a chalkboard.

The service….was well, brusque and borderline rude…..only to us though…..

It was bit strange.

Though I got a kick out of watching one lady walk in; order a glass of white wine, and chug the whole thing down in one gulp. She must have been thirsty.

I managed to order two glasses of wine and three items from the menu before the guy just turned around and walked away from me.

The first to arrive was the foie gras (remember "Basque Butter"?). This version was served with preserved cherries.

First off; the bread here was nice and warm, it was delish.

The foie gras was overcooked and mealy. The sauce was a bit too sweet for our taste. Very disappointing.

I ordered the Chanterelles with Jamon Iberico.

Loved the textural contrast of the crisp, crunchy croutons and the mushrooms. Wasn't a big fan of the Jamon as it was too lean for my taste…..I must be spoiled by all the Jamon Bellota Iberico Pata Negra I ate in Spain. The flavor was off for us as well; too much sour acidity.

The one dish that was excellent was the pork belly.

Crunchy skin, buttery fat, nicely seasoned; the wonderful porcine flavor shone through.

So; it was one out of three with regards to the food. Perhaps it was an off day? But the lousy service didn't help things either.

It seems we always have one not-so-great meal in Paris. So perhaps it was good that we got that out of the way.

L’Avant Comptoir
3 carrefour de l'Odéon
75006 Paris, France

Revisits – No Pho at Pho Hiep and Grill (Linda Vista) and Pho SaiGon Bliss

July 19, 2018 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

A couple of revisits for you…….

Pho Hiep and Grill:

My dry cleaning lady who lives in City Heights always mentions the Bun Man Vit at Pho Hiep. While she does agree that the best in the San Diego area is Tu Thanh, in spite of not serving much shredded banana blossom with the BMV these days……..though she tells me that the version at Pho Hiep is in a strong second place in her opinion. And while I really didn't care for the Bun Mang Vit the last time I tried it. I was kind of hungry after picking up my dry cleaning and decided to head on over and have it again.

In some ways this was much better than the BMV I had the last time. The broth was full of the earthy-woodsy bamboo shoot flavor; like the dried shoots had been steeped in the broth. The bun was cooked perfectly. I enjoy the peppery-citrusy rau ram (Vietnamese Coriander) that crowns the bowl. The veggies were sparkling fresh; though no banana blossom here either. I'm not a big fan of the overly sweet dipping sauce. And there were only two-three pieces of bony duck and the rest was chicken livers which kind of ruined things for me.

Enjoyed the broth, noodles, herbs, and veggies. Hated the dipping sauce and chicken livers.

Pho Hiep & Grill
6947 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92111

Pho SaiGon Bliss:

**** Pho SaiGon Bliss has closed

Right before all this hot weather arrived, I had to take the Missus's car in for a smog check on a Sunday. One of the few places open within a reasonable distance was on Murphy Canyon Road. Man, those guys were super fast and efficient. Once things were done; I wanted to grab a bite to eat. I decided to return to Pho SaiGon Bliss. Man, the place was quite busy when I arrived.

I decided to order what I thought was the best item I had during my previous visits; the Banh Mi Bo Kho.

I'm not if it was because the place was so busy, I didn't mind waiting thirty minutes for my Bo Kho….I understand. But man, this isn't what I'd call anything close to a stew. Beef maybe since there was a ton of fairly tender beef in the bowl; tendon was MIA. On this visit; the broth was super thin, it lacked enough tanginess, spice, or black pepper flavor. It was….basically……pho broth with beef stew seasoning and not enough of it at that. I had remembered when the nice young man told me this was his "grandmother's recipe". But I guess that was then……

The banh mi was nicely toasted and hot….not sure about the typical sprouts and basil that's served with pho.

This is totally "Bo Kho not to offend".

The service; in spite of being super busy was very nice. Too bad about the beef stew.

Pho SaiGon Bliss
3755 Murphy Canyon Rd
San Diego, CA 92123

Talkeetna – Twister Creek Restaurant & Denali Brewpub

July 17, 2018 mmm-yoso Alaska, American/New American Restaurants, Beer, Gastropub, Travel

It had been a pretty long day by the time we were able to check-in at lodge we were staying at. We decided to take a short nap. Upon waking; we realized it was like 7pm! That's the thing about Alaska at this time of the year. The sun didn't set until 11pm…..and, like folks told us; the weather can change by the minute here. Like the "polar winter" we experienced in Tromsø it was a bit disorienting at times….it was 730 pm when we left the lodge for dinner and this is what things looked like.

It could have been 2pm anywhere.

We walked into Talkeetna. Things had quieted down a bit from earlier in the day….folks gone for the day. Plus, this was still early in the season and Talkeetna was still kinda "sleepy" once many of the tourists were gone.

All the restaurants seemed empty; except for one; Twister Creek Restaurant, which is run by Denali Brewing Company.

After our previous experience at Seward Brewing Company we thought; "why not?"

The place was three-fourths full when we arrived; but soon filled to the brim.

I started with….well a beer of course. I liked the fact that Denali Brewing offered many Belgian style brews; I went with the Belgian Golden Strong dubbed "Abaddon".

Served at a perfect temperature; slight banana tones; somewhat boozy in the Belgian way….no joke at 9.1ABV.

Our Server whose name I believe is Nastasia was a joy. So nice, so friendly, awesomely efficient, and she also made one fantastic recommendation.

This being heavy pub-grub; we shared an order of Sweet Potato Wedges….the Missus loves this stuff.

This was strange as it was fairly crisp; nice flavor, the Missus loved it; but it was still slightly cold in the center. Still; while the Missus would soon tire of pub-grub; we weren't at that point yet.

They were out of a couple of appetizers and mains. We ended up going with the Reindeer Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy.

The meatloaf was fairly lean. The flavor was mild. The gravy had quite a bit of black pepper and was nicely seasoned, rich, and smooth. But it was barely past lukewarm. Ditto the slightly water-logged mashed potatoes.

But, there were two reasons we really enjoyed this meal. The first was the amazing service by Nastasia. The second was; when I wanted an digestif; she recommended they newly released single malt whiskey. We were told that the first run of the whiskey sold out in hours; but the restaurant still had a stock.

This was fantastic….we loved the vanilla tones of this rather smooth spirit. We really wanted a bottle….but of course; there was none to be had.

So, we'd just have to return again.

Twister Creek Restaurant/Denali Brewpub
13605 E Main St
Talkeetna, AK 99676

Our Server chatted with us a bit about working in Alaska. She told us that you either loved it here….or you left. She was lucky as, unlike many of the folks who work two-three jobs during the high season, the brewpub was open year round and she enjoyed Talkeetna.

Many of the places were closed; but we visited those places that were still open.

As we left one of the shops; it seemed like the weather was turning a bit……

So we headed back to the lodge. By the time we walked the half mile back, the weather had cleared up a bit, so we walked along the Susitna River and enjoyed the view.

After wandering around for a bit we returned to the lodge and while the Missus showered and got ready for bed, I had a nightcap.

The Denali Flag Stop Mile Post 2 is a Flanders Red; mild stone fruit, slightly tart, no, it wasn't Duchess, or as we learned in Ghent, "Doo-Chezz", but this was perfectly fine.

As was the view out our window.

You could do a lot worse than this…..

Thanks for stopping by!

Mariscos Monday – The Mariscos on Miramar Truck

July 16, 2018 mmm-yoso Food Trucks, Mexican Restaurants, Seafood

I've often said that things around these parts would not be as delici-yoso without all the recommendations and tips I receive. About three weeks ago; "MichaelW" was nice enough to drop me an email letting me know about a Mariscos Truck that had started doing business in back of the strip mall at 6904 Miramar Road….you know; the one that houses Jersey Mike's, Denny's, Pho Ha Noi, and the Philadelphia Sandwich Company, among others. I was able to run out to check the place out the following week. And yes, there it was…..

The truck has the back corner of the strip mall parking lot, there are signs on the road, and if take the turn north onto Commerce Avenue, you can't miss the signs. Funny, I guess I haven't been to the Sandwich A'Fare in a while. The truck is in the same side of the mall as that shop. There are also three parking spots against the building designated for the truck….I think they've got a nice deal.

It was pretty busy even at 11am when I arrived. A lot of the local guys were lined up waiting to order or waiting for their order.

The menu is nicely varied; from the usual Mariscos Truck suspects; the Gobernador, Fish Tacos, Camarones a la Plancha, Tostadas, Cocteles, and Botanas.

Ordering was pretty easy for me; as Michael had made a recommendation and I went with my usual; the Gobernador. The woman working the window is very nice, though the salsas are limited and things take a while….not necessarily a bad thing as it means items are really made to order. Though one should keep that in mind.

I was handed a consommé while waiting. Strong celery and pepper tones; on my first visit it was quite mild, on my second visit, much stronger in the celery/seafood department.

My order took about 20 minutes or so, but it was worth the wait. While the Gobernador wasn't among the best I've had; not enough peppers and onions; the tortilla was nicely coated with cheese then griddled, thus protecting the tortilla from breakage. The shrimp was plump and tender; this was a bit light in the seasoning department; but not bad at all.

Michael had recommended the Taco de Costa Azul, a nice combination of shrimp, bacon, and some slightly smokey, but not fishy smoked tuna….this trucks version of the usual smoked "marlyn". This was quite good as the crunchy bacon, complemented the shrimp and smoked tuna, which wasn't overly salty. The avocado and squeeze of lime, along with the standard seafood salsa just worked together in harmony. The tortilla; though quite standard held together well with the light coating of melted cheese protecting the integrity of the taco.

I was pleasantly surprised. I also bought two extra tacos for the guys in the office to taste. They all enjoyed them.

In fact, the following week, I returned with Calvin and also ordered some tacos for JeffP to try.

It was right before 11 when we arrived and there were already people there.

I got a bit greedy and ordered tres tacos for me this time.

The best of the bunch was the Machin; shrimp, octopus, and smoked tuna….though it wasn't quite as good as the Costa Azul. The pulpo al ajillo was the weakest of the bunch….not much octopus; what it contained was tender, but quite bland. The camarones al ajillo was decent; the shrimp again decently prepped and cooked, though I expected a bit more of a garlic "punch". The tortillas were left on the griddle too long this time around….though while the crunch was nice; it just tore to pieces when biting into them.

Still, this was better than many other trucks I've eaten at over the years.

Like I mentioned; I really like the woman who works the window here. No nonsense, but also quite nice. It's not a bad choice for lunch in the area….though like I mentioned; you might want to give yourself some time for the folks to prep your food. You can use the time tasting the consommé.

Notice the "Mariscos Rolex" tag on the truck.

Mariscos On Miramar Truck
6904 Miramar Rd – in the back parking lot
San Diego, CA 92121
Hours
Mon – Fri 1030am – 8pm
Saturday 11am – 6pm
Closed on Sundays

Thanks for the recommendation Michael! I owe you some tacos!

Sunday Sandwiches – Revisits to SuperNatural Sandwiches and Embargo Grill

July 15, 2018 mmm-yoso Cuban Restaurants, Sandwiches, Seafood

A couple of sandwiches for a humid Sunday.

Supernatural Sandwiches:

**** SuperNatural Sandwiches has closed

My buddy JasonV asked me if I'd ever been to this sandwich place…..he told me it was "awesome" and showed me a photo of Supernatural. I cracked up and said I'd been a customer since they had a stand at the now defunct San Diego Public Market. And I did tell him that they do make some good sandwiches. A few days later; Deanna told me she had gone to Supernatural Sandwiches after work and loved it. I'd taken her there a few years back. So I got the hint; it had been nearly six months since my last visit.

Needless to say; the place was doing some major business when I arrived. Love the folks who work here; they always have a smile for me.

I went with my usual; the Siren….I realize I need to start ordering other stuff on the menu. But the folks here have this totally down.

From the lightly garlicky-spicy mayo; to the moist and plump shrimp, to go with the buttery-slightly sweet brioche. I'm thinking that it could use a bit more acidity to cut the richness; but that would be splitting hairs.

It's one of my "guilty pleasure" sandwiches.

It's also nice to see a place that's doing so well expanding. With locations now in Santa Ana and Tijuana, and two other locations in PB (they are going to make a killing) and Little Italy opening soon, it's going to be a "SuperNatural Kingdom". Good for them!

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

Embargo Grill:

**** Embargo Grill has closed

Speaking of guilty pleasure sandwiches…..

I was over in Point Loma a few weekends ago and was a bit hungry. It was a bit too hot for other options so I decided to stop by Embargo Grill. It had been nearly two years since my last visit.

I went with basically the same thing as on previous visits.

The Yuca Frita; which was disappointing.

This was too dense, dry, almost hard, and not crisp enough for me. It was also still barely lukewarm in the center. The mojo was very nice though. Garicky with nice citrus tones; not sour, but with a nice acidity.

The Medianoche the "midnight sandwich" was very good.

From the nicely pressed, crunchy, yet light bread, to the moist and tasty pulled pork, to the milky cheese, the ham, and yes, the all important pickle, which cuts through all that high-caloric goodness. This place also seems to have sandwich down.

I could only finish half the sandwich. I took half home and the Missus polished it off in no time flat. I guess She liked it……even cold…..midnight or not.

Embargo Grill
3960 W Point Loma Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110

Clearing Out the Memory Card – Still Our Favorite Restaurant. Suzunari (Tokyo)

July 11, 2018 mmm-yoso Fine Dining, Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Tokyo, Kamakura, and the Kantō Region

While we were a bit sad to leave Kyoto, which is one of Missus's favorite cities. We were excited to be back in Tokyo.

Beyond the rather overwhelming, sensory overload of the city; we loved the various neighborhoods, the order, the streets packed with wonderful surprises at every turn. We'd gotten used to the rhythm of this city of over 13 million people.

The Missus had gotten really fond of the Yotsuya neighborhood, which is where we decided to stay on our return to Tokyo. There's something less touristy and more "real" about this neighborhood; at least to us. And while we have yet to find Hattori Hanzo's (the real one) grave or have yet to see obake in the neighborhood, we love walking the back streets and exploring.

Plus, the view from our hotel wasn't too shabby at all.

Another reason for staying in the neighborhood; is that our favorite restaurant, perhaps in the world, resides down one of the narrow streets of Arakicho. Yes, even after visiting Osteria Francescana on our recent trip to Italy; or Azurmendi, Disfrutar, David Toutain, Alliance (post coming up), or any number of other places, even from my pre-blogging days (The French Laundry/Gary Danko, etc). Suzunari remains our favorite.

Honest, seasonal, perfectly prepared Kaiseki for non-tourists……it just resonates with us. Business must be good, Chef Murata now has two assistants. And like our previous meal; our good friend Reiko joined us. Once we told her we'd be returning to Tokyo and Suzunari, she was quite excited, and rightfully so.

I'll spare you the 10,000 words here; since I've posted on this place several times before.

From the stuffed sakura leaves to the Hassun….everything tasted as good as….and even better than, it looked.

The Missus still calls the simple, broiled rockfish (kinki) we had on this evening, the most perfect fish in terms of texture She has ever had.

I loved the abalone on bamboo shoots….and the abalone liver even more!

Reiko is allergic to shellfish and some forms of seafood; so instead of the usual kamameshi; they made us a version with takenoko (bamboo shoots), and provided lovely, savory dried shrimp for the Missus and I.

There's something about this place that just resonates with us.

We gotta get back to Japan (and Suzunari) again soon.

Suzunari
7-9 Arakicho, Shinjuku-ku
Tokyo

Returning to the room; I opened a "cold one".

And looked off into the night……

Thinking about how blessed we are to able to travel as much as we do…..and to be able to say; "yes, our favorite restaurant is in Tokyo."

Thanks for stopping by!

Smokey’s Lake Wohlford Cafe (a revisit)

July 10, 2018 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the name of this food blog. Cathy is writing today while Kirk is busy at His job.

It's been almost eight years since I wrote about Smokey's, yet not much has changed.

Oh sure, there's some updated signage.

Stepping inside, the small store to the left, bar and tables in front of you and general atmosphere, with friendly waitresses, is comforting and familiar. The menu (at the bottom of this post) is pretty much the same (there's still catfish as a breakfast meat choice). We were here in the afternoon, so chose from the lunch menu.
The cheeseburger, ($8) 1/3 lb angus on a toasted sesame seeded bun with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle with crinkle cut fries was a wonderful quality and size. Excellent flavor.
The soup and Sandwich ($7) was a great choice. I wanted a tuna sandwich and was asked if I'd like it to be a tuna melt. There was no upcharge and the flavors of the Swiss cheese and tuna salad on the random sliced toasted rye were so very comfortingly perfect.
The soup of the day was Vegetable Beef and it was so good! Hamburger, tomato, onion, celery, green pepper and those macaroni noodles. It tasted so much better than when I toss similar leftovers in a pot.
Of course, since we were here, we had to have catfish and the two piece meal ($10.50) was just enough food to hit the spot. The light cornmeal dusting on the perfectly fried fish along with cole slaw and
delicately fried herb filled hush puppies were just perfect textures and flavors for a lunch at this long time (since 1947) classic diner.

Smokey's Lake Wohlford Cafe 25484 Lake Wohlford Road Escondido 92027 (760) 749-6585 Website Open 6 a.m. daily

Anthony’s Fish Grotto (La Mesa) -revisits

July 9, 2018 Cathy Salads, Seafood, What Cathy Eats!

Thank you for stopping by to read this food blog, mmm-yoso!!! Kirk is still very busy with work and Cathy is writing another post.

The Mister and I have had a vacationing relative with us for a few months and we've enjoyed showing her around. She's not very food-adventurous, but does enjoy simple meals. I showed her my first, second, third and fourth Anthony's posts and she wanted to try lunch here. We've now been here twice.

There's a tall sign you can see from the interstate, but the parking lot dips down to the magnificent entrance of Anthony's.
Walking to the front door, you sort of feel as though you are under water.
Once seated inside, the feeling remains.

There's a small Fish Market area to the left of the entrance door, where you can pick up items to take home and cook, or even order "To Go" from the menu. It's open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. daily.

There's also outdoor seating along the man-made lake (dogs are welcome).

We ordered from the lunch menu (bottom of this post) and soft, warm roll and garlic butter was brought out. These are wonderful.
The simple Quick Catch Fish and Chips ($12.50) was quite large and perfectly fried, fresh and tasty.
The Quick Catch Shrimp and Fish (with slaw) ($12.75) was just as perfectly fried; the fish and the shrimp were large, meaty pieces. The dressing is on top of the slaw and you can mix it in or not.
The Wedge Salad with Bay Shrimp ($11.95) was surprisingly large and the Bay shrimp were quite meaty. The Louis dressing brought all the flavors (there were hard boiled eggs, chopped tomatoes, avocado and bread crumb 'croutons') together.
The Cobb Salad ($15.25) was (of course) seafood based: Bay Shrimp, albacore and salmon were the proteins on this. The usual 'Cobb" ingredients (tomatoes, carrots (multi colored), cheddar, bacon and avocado) were present and the choice of Blue cheese dressing (made in house) was just excellent. We did enjoy the flavors.
The chilled Tuna Salad sandwich ($10.25), served on a large (soft) French Country roll with lettuce and tomato. The tuna salad is made with albacore and is mildly flavored and unique. It ended up being disassembled after the first half was consumed; a bit large in the bread department.
The Quick Catch Chowder Combo ($10.95) was a wonderful surprise. I wanted the famous clam chowder (of course)(and it was great; creamy, clam filled with diced potatoes). There was a choice of a chilled tuna salad sandwich or a petite tuna salad. Since we had ordered the sandwich, I chose the salad. It was just that- a salad: lettuce tomatoes, carrots, cabbage and a lot of shredded fresh albacore tuna. This was probably my favorite 'Soup and Salad' combo I've had all year.

Another few great, memorable meals.

Anthony's Fish Grotto 9530 Murray Drive La Mesa, CA 91942 (619)463-0368 Website Sun-Thurs 11:00 a.m.-8:30 p.m., Fri-Sat 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

The Village House Kalina -Ukrainian and Russian (La Mesa)

July 8, 2018 Cathy European Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is where Kirk and Cathy write about food. Today, Cathy is writing while Kirk finishes up some important things at his job.

The first paragraph of Kirk's "Back to the Routine" post was true for The Mister and myself in a lot of ways; the past half year has been filled with changes in schedules and habits and jobs. The Mister and I have been wondering when we could get back to having a 'regular' day. For us, this means driving and stopping when we see signage that looks interesting. We dropped in to The Village House Kalina one afternoon a few weeks ago. "Ukrainian and Russian Cuisine", reads the signage. I had read about The Village House Kalina in 2012, on cc's blog and am glad we finally got around to trying it. (She wrote another post in 2012 also.)

A few tables, eclectic decor, friendly greeting when you walk in and lunch specials( Pick a soup, a salad and an entree for $10.99)
Soft crusted fresh bread, heavy thin slices of rye and garlic butter is brought out.
There are three soups to choose from- this vegetarian borscht is wonderful with its beet/celery/cabbage/ carrot/onion/bell pepper/potato base flavored with fresh herbs.
The Ukrainian borscht is has the same ingredients plus beef and is also wonderful. The third soup, a sour cabbage vegetable based choice has smoked sausage and beef in it. No photo, but I heard it was excellent.
There are five salads to choose from and the Vesna is the 'plainest'. Cabbage, carrots, onions, cranberries and apples with fresh dill make this a flavorful simple salad.
Kavkaz salad: Beets, walnuts, garlic and mayonnaise. This was my favorite.
The Olivier, a traditional Russian potato salad with chicken, potatoes, carrot and mayonnaise could be a meal… it’s refreshing and a perfect blend of texture and flavors.
For the main course, Ukrainian Vareniky (Pirogy) was chosen by our guest. Hand made dough filled with mashed potato and cheese then boiled. Just a topping of sour cream is needed; these were light, fluffy and delicious. Chicken stroganoff: mushrooms, onions, creamy sauce, mashed potatoes. Such comfort food.
"Georgian Eagle" – skinless chicken cooked with onions and tomatoes, basil and mint and a few other herbs. So much flavor. The noodles went well with this.