mmm-yoso – Page 193 – 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.

Emilia-Romagna – The “Devils Bridge” and a Mona Lisa Mystery in Bobbio and Easter Lunch at Osteria Carducci (Piacenza)

August 14, 2018 mmm-yoso Emilia-Romagna, Italy, Italian Restaurants, Italy, Travel

Let's be perfectly honest here….I love obscure history and places; thus my love for Atlas Obscura. And since there's no sponsors or advertising on our humble little blog, you know I'm not getting anything out of recommending both the book and the website. And sometimes, I can get the Missus interested in searching something out as well….in fact, once that seed is planted, She is much more relentless than I am.

That is why; after having breakfast in the Agritourismo, we headed off to Bobbio. Driving thru Piacenza, which would be our stop for lunch, then alongside the River Trebbia. As we came across a bridge the Missus asked that we make a little detour.

To the charming medieval town of Travo.

Since this was a spur of the moment kind of thing; we really didn't do any research, nor plan any stops. We just took in the relaxed vibe and beauty of the town. We parked along one of the side streets and stretched our legs a bit.

I believe that's the Church of Saint Anthony in the photo above.

It was Easter morning and we could singing coming from the church.

We watched as two elderly men parked their walkers and entered the church; the harmonies briefly escaping from the door as they walked in.

This is so vastly different from the life we live here in San Diego……

It was fun sitting on a stone wall and watching folks go about their day.

We took a walk across the bridge to take in the town….that's the second photo above.

From there it was a short 20 minute drive to the town of Bobbio. It seemed that Bobbio had a restricted traffic zone; at least on this day, Easter. I found parking in the Supermarket parking lot and after asking one really nice lady for directions headed in the direction of Ponte Vecchio ("Old Bridge"), also known as Ponte Gobbo ("Hunchbacked Bridge") and Ponte Diavolo (you know this one, right?).

What's the reason for wanting to see this bridge? Well, perhaps it's the story that the Devil built the bridge over the River Trebbia in hope of receiving a soul of the first person crossing it as payment. The Devil however was tricked as St. Columbanus, who made the deal with the Devil, had a dog (or a bear) be the first to cross the bridge! The irregularity of the bridge is due to either the Devil's workers not being able to build something of consistent heights….oooor the Devil got so angry in being tricked that he kicked the bridge making it lopsided!

Take your pick…..it's a great story whichever you choose to; or not to believe!

As great as that story is, the real reason we came here is because of….well, you may recognize her.

So, what does the Mona Lisa have to do with Ponte Vecchio? Well, according Art Historian Carla Glori, the background in this iconic painting is not some imaginary landscape, but Bobbio! Shades of the Da Vinci code Batman! Here's an interview of Carla Glori. So, of course, we just had to check it out. As did quite a few other folks, of the two and four legged kind.

We both thought the bridge was quite beautiful……

There seems to be interesting things everywhere around the bridge.

We spent a good amount of time before heading back across the bridge and exploring Bobbio.

Unlike sedate Travo, Bobbio was bustling……I later learned that folks usually leave their homes to visit other places during the Easter Holiday.

And I really regretted not doing a bit more shopping here.

I'm thinking as much as we really enjoyed Bobbio, that we'll return and perhaps stay here one day in the future.

It was soon time to head off. I thought we'd have the best chance to find a place to eat in Piacenza so we headed back to the city, which was strangely quiet. I later found out that many folks head out of Parma and Piacenza during the long Easter weekend to be with family or friends. We soon found that Piacenza had its own ZTL zone, but we quickly found parking. And as I was getting ready to pay, one of the folks across the street told us…or at least signaled…letting us know that parking was free during Easter.

We headed down the quiet streets looking for a place I had on my list named Osteria Carducci. Past the Gotico and down Piazza Cavalli….Google Maps was my best friend right now.

All the businesses and even restaurants looked closed; but when we took the left turn at Via Giosuè Carducci, I knew we'd be okay….well, I knew that at least the place was open. The light in the sign was on and there were cars parked alongside the building.

We entered the place, which was bustling, to the surprise of the folks behind the bar. Somehow, in the middle of Eater rush, two Asians walk in!

We were told that they could provide a table for us; but the menu for today was an Easter menu. Which would be no problem; especially since all the vino (for the Missus) was free!

We were led downstairs, which was quite busy. By the time we left every table had been filled…….and no one except us had left yet.

Soon enough, plates started arriving at the table. We were a bit confused as there seemed to be a choice of two items as the primi and secondi……the really nice young lady who spoke really great English explained that this was the menu. We'd be getting everything on it! Yikes! And of course places like these do not do take-away…..these was going to be interesting. The young lady seemed quite amused with us.

Things started off with the Culaccia con Flan de Verdure. Culatello! My flavorite salumi….I ate both my portion and the Missus's. The flan was a moist, though highly caramelized zucchini and ricotta pastry, much lighter than it looked.

We thought we might be able t survive this until two bowls filled with Piacenzi Tortelli con la coda (tortelli with a "tail"), the city's namesake stuffed pasta arrived.

The pasta was both springy and tender; the filling was quite rich and creamy. I could make out ricotta, perhaps a bit of chard or other similar greens, some milky-salty cheese, it was quite satisfying, and filling. The sage butter sure didn't hurt things either.

A minute later, out came two plates of Nidi di Rondini (Swallows nests); roasted rolled pasta, with a nice crunch; rolled around cheese and salumi in a very tasty asparagus cream.

Crunchy-creamy-cheesy goodness.

Next up; the Roasted Veal and Potatoes.

Nicely roasted if a bit on the chewy side…..very nice gravy….but man, a whole plate of potatoes!

The pistachio crusted lamb ribs were quite tasty….the lamb nice and gamey, but also on the tough and dry side.

The mint and yogurt sauce helped a bit.

The Missus and I looked at each other and cracked up……..this was way more than we wanted. Then dessert arrived.

Luckily, this was a light chocolate mousse topped with a tangy fruit compote.

We'd made it…we survived….then the cake arrived.

The Missus discreetly got some paper towels out of Her purse and snuck these away. Yes, we smuggled cake out of Osteria Carducci.

We did enjoy ourselves and the folks here were so warm, friendly, and welcoming. And after this, well, "hearty" would be an understatement….meal, we skipped dinner.

They sure don't mess around with Easter lunch at Osteria Carducci.

Osteria Carducci
Via Giosue' Carducci 6
Piacenza, Italy

We really needed to take a walk after that meal. So we wandered around a bit and ran into the Duomo of Piacenza.

The Cathedral of Piacenza was built between the 12th and 13th centuries in the Romanesque style. It is quite striking.

And the square in front of the Cathedral was fairly busy. This was the most people we saw during our afternoon in Piacenza.

It was fun seeing folks socializing and having a good time.

That's the Column of the Virgin Mary in the photo below.

We took a few minutes to walk around the interior of the Cathedral.

And then decided to head back to the car. I'd taken photos with my phone of the landmarks on the way from where we parked; but we were just down the street from Sant'Antonino Basilica.

And soon enough, we were on our way back to Parma.

It had been a been a fun day…..and Bobbio, I think we'll be back someday!

Thanks for reading!

Ramen Ryoma (Clairemont Mesa)

August 13, 2018 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

**** This location of Ramen Ryoma has closed

For some reason, the folks at work got really excited when I told them about Ramen Ryoma opening on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard in the old Bangkok West location. It has been so hot the last couple of weeks that the last thing I really wanted was ramen….especially a place that touts serving Sapporo (= rich/thick) style broth. Still, I got talked into having lunch here on a day when the temps in the area was closing in on triple digits. You know; I'm kinda wishing we were back in Sapporo right now.

We were among the first seated in the spacious and (thankfully) well air conditioned restaurant. The young lady and the really friendly guy who look like the floor leads are really nice, professional, amiable…..though the rest of the crew looked a bit lost at times.

The menu consists of several iterations of ramen, including the now de rigueur spicy ramen, and of course, since this is a Sapporo style shop; a corn and butter version as well.

I just went with the Chicken Karaage and the Deluxe Ryoma Ramen ($12.25), since folks were getting shio broth; I decided to try out the shoyu broth.

Since this is a new shop; bumps in the road were to be expected. Not all ramen places can have their act together like Menya Ultra from opening day. We watched as our ramen sat in the window for a good 15 minutes before it seems like all the floor staff noticed it there and rushed to the bowls. They then took a few minutes to double check the orders.

So when the bowls arrived at our table the broth, which I'm figuring wasn't very hot to start, was barely over lukewarm. A note about the broth; it is a fairly rich, tonkotsu-ish broth, with definite pork tones. At this temp; there was a kind of greasy tongue feel to it; not rich in say the way of the thick Iekei style or Seabura ramen we had in Japan; but just kind of oily and greasy. It was also quite salty.

The tamago was a plain boiled egg, a tad over-cooked.

The noodles had not held up well, had lost its "spring", and were a bit too mushy for my taste. Not good when using this type of thicker and wavy noodles. Also, as you can see the broth had started to really thicken and globs of it stuck to the noodles. The chashu was full of soy sauce – lightly sweet tones, but was dry and tough.

The Chicken Karaage ($6.50) looked a bit light in color, but was slightly crisp, if not perfectly fried.

It was also a bit on the bland side in terms of being karaage; as I think it needed more of that soy-mirin flavor with perhaps ginger or garlic tones; but you know how I am about my chicken karaage….and all the possibilities. I'm glad they used dark meat chicken and I think once they get everything dialed in; this will be pretty good.

I have bad habit of not following up with second visits soon enough; hence no Hachi Ramen or Trust Restaurant posts. I have to go back to square one (or square three in the case of Hachi) on those. So, in spite of the heat, I decided to return for a second visit this past weekend.

Same really nice crew working. I really like the young lady who I think is in charge of the front of house here. She is quite patient and very friendly.

I decided to go with the Shio Ramen; noodles extra firm, with a tamago…..and I got a nice laugh as one of the young ladies took my order without batting an eye; then walked over to the other woman and asked what's a "too-maa-go".

A couple of things I quickly noticed when the bowl arrived. Look at that huge piece of chashu! This time around it was nice and tender, but also very salty. Do you notice the tamago; doesn't it look like it's "seasoned" this time around?

The broth was quite rich and much like Santouka, it seems that the shio (salt) version is actually less salty than the shoyu ramen. It is a hearty broth, with some smokey tones, not bad overall.

The noodles were nice and firm; good slightly chewy-doughy texture, and you can see having the broth at the right temperature allows it to attach itself nicely to the noodles.

The egg was perfectly cooked; though it still tasted like a regular boiled egg. It was nice and lukewarm.

I enjoyed the service at Ryoma; though the ramen might be a bit too oily (and that says a lot) for my tastes. It's definitely not bad. It's really too hot for visit number three right now, so I'll wait awhile for cooler weather and give the place time to get their systems in order before I return.

On my first visit as we drove back to the office; Calvin said; "I'm glad Ryoma is here….maybe there'll be no wait at Menya Ultra anymore." We soon drove past Menya Ultra….there were at least a dozen people waiting outside with temps in the high 90's.

I don't know…..that might be wishful thinking.

Ramen Ryoma
9119 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92123
Hours:
Open Daily 1130am – 10pm

Please check out Kirbie's post on Ramen Ryoma here.

Cathy’s way of beating the heat-Kearny Mesa Bowl

August 12, 2018 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Not a food item, a place. Cathy is writing on the food blog mmm-yoso!!! today.

It's been so very hot and humid lately. Today it's nice – a high of 89F with humidity of only 45%. Still kind of miserable. The Mister started asking me to think of places that had good conditioning as well as lunch; something I usually don't think about…and when I started to think, all the places in my brain were outdoor only seating. Then I went back to my childhood in Detroit. We grew up without a/c and lived…but what did my brother and I do on hot summer days? I suddenly remembered- we'd ride our bikes to a local, air conditioned Bowling Alley…there was one on just about every block…Detroit had the highest number of alleys and bowlers per capita for a long while due to the proliferation of Auto Company leagues. The number of bowling alleys nationwide has been declining. But we are lucky to still have some in San Diego.Perhaps you've seen the signage when going to Zion Supermarket.Or maybe you noticed it when leaving the Zion parking lot (and the signage of not to park in front of their building).

The murals are great. The air conditioning is wonderful (It must have been set assuming all 40 lanes would be in use). The Snack Bar was open.Order, pay and wait to hear your name called.
The Hamburger Special (burger, fries, soft drink)($8). Fried egg and bacon sandwich ($5.75) and fried calamari ($5.50).
The burger is the 1/3 lb frozen patty from Costco; I've purchased those for home and party use before; good quality. It's flat top grilled with a nice char, served on a fresh Costco sesame-seeded bun with a lettuce leaf, tomato, onion, pickle, catsup and mustard. Crinkle cut fries are always special to me. This was a good burger and fries without unnecessary frills.
How can a fried egg and bacon sandwich be made special? Well with lots of bacon, of course.
Yes. Less than $6, on bread of my choice, a slather of mayonnaise and two freshly fried eggs. This is just what I wanted.
The Mister saw the fried calamari on the menu and wanted to try it. It was good. Simple breaded rings which were fried to a nice crisp and the squid meat inside stayed tender. Bowling Alley Calamari.

I hope everyone is staying cool and eating well. Has anyone else gone to KMB to beat the heat? Yes! Dennis has on more than one occasion!

Kearny Mesa Bowl 7585 Clairmont Mesa Blvd San Diego Ca 92111 (858)279-1501 Website

No Pho at Pho 46

August 10, 2018 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

I was just about to finish up another post when I luckily checked the news and decided it wouldn't be appropriate to do that post today. So here's something I had on the back burner for a while.

When our office first moved back to the area, I started checking out a bunch of different places. I recalled having a decent meal at Pho 46 a while back, so I decided to return.

There seems to be a different set of folks working here these days. That woman who works the front of house often takes orders, buses, and delivers the food all by herself….yet she was very pleasant on both my visits.

I recalled the Shrimp Fried Rice to be decent; in an "old school" kind of way so I ordered that – it was not bad for $7.50.

The rice was not as evenly stir fried as on my previous visit; though the shrimp was nice and plump, good job there. Typical frozen peas and carrots and this needed soy sauce to ramp up the flavor a bit; but not bad at all.

I also ordered the Chicken Wings with Spicy Salt again; this one is now $4.95 for four good sized wings.

A bit sweeter than I recalled; the crispness didn't last for very long, and there was a bit greasiness to these. It was decently fried; perhaps a bit on the dry side. Again, not terrible, not great…..I'd probably not have these again though.

The menu at "46" is pretty darn large…….105 dishes at last count….enough to give you "Vietnamese Menu Overload Syndrome". On my last visit; I decided to try out the combination stir fry with XO sauce ($7.95). I kinda cracked up when it arrived at my table.

It looks like the "tai" for pho is doing double duty here. Sadly the shrimp was overcooked as was the chicken….and even the onions. The sauce was a really watered down XO sauce cut with soy sauce and sugar….I also got the "ms-heebie-jeebies" from this as well. Not good eats.

It was on this visit that I noticed Bann had opened in the structure in front of Pho 46. The food there seems much fresher and the ingredients better. Though you really can't complain much about the prices here. And who knows when I'll have a craving for "old school" fried rice?

Pho 46
9508 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92126

Still Eating to Beat the Heat – Izakaya Sakura and La Miche

August 9, 2018 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Lebanese Restaurants

OK, so it's supposed to start getting cooler this weekend. But until then, it's still way hot. I really don't think you want to read about Ramen Ryoma now, right? That'll have to wait until perhaps next week. Here are a couple of revisits.

Izakaya Sakura:

While my last couple of revisits to Sakura haven't been very pleasant, this restaurant which finally put up a sign after two decades, finally got me to come back in. It was hot; I was between meetings; the parking lot wasn't very full, so why not? Strangely, there was only one other couple in the entire place during my meal.

I ordered an old warm weather favorite; the Ebi Kakiage Zaru Udon….some nice chewy noodles and a cold dashi based broth.

Man, did they always pile on the light and crunchy fried morsels like this? Nothing like a cold noodle soup on a day that was so hot and strangely….in San Diego terms muggy. And still only ten bucks.

What had started turning me off in the past was the rather perfunctory and unpleasant service. Service today was quite pleasant and efficient….hey; they even refilled my water. Of course, with only three customers in the place…..

We'll see what happens on my next visit.

Izakaya Sakura
3904 Convoy St Ste 121
San Diego, CA 92111

**** Sadly, La Miche has closed

La Miche:

Another hot weather favorite of ours; I'm surprised to say we hadn't been here since last October. My bad. I dropped by on the way home from work and picked up some take-out. The Missus's favorites; Muhamarah, Shaankleesh, Baba Gannoush, and since they were out of Soujouk, some Makanek.

They even made up some fresh bread for us! This is one of the few places where the Missus will order Baba Gannoush; it's slightly smokey, doesn't use too much tahini, and that olive oil drizzled on it adds a nice grassy-earthy flavor. Of course I love the nutty and sweet Muhamarak and the funky cheesy Shaankleesh.

With some nicely chilled local cherry tomatoes and Persian cucumbers…..well, this was perfect.

It was also nice chatting with the owner Nabih; who is such a gentleman.

I need to eat here more often.

La Miche Kabobgee
9350 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92123

Royal Garden

August 7, 2018 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Royal Garden has closed

A few months back I was heading to the 15 North, and much like how I've noticed many places while driving in the area, saw that the former Five Star Banquet Hall that had become a Vietnamese – Chinese banquet hall, was now serving food to the public.

So, I did a quick U-turn and drove into the parking lot to check the hours. The following weekend; after working for a few hours; I drove down to the area to check the place out.

And yes; it is indeed a banquet hall; from the dance floor, stage, and lighting…..to the pressed white table cloth.

As you can see in the photos above; I was the only customer in the place. The two women working were really friendly.

I wasn't sure if I should try the butter wings or the fish sauce version. The woman working sincerely told to try the fish sauce wings first.

The wings were of decent quality; no dark spots or broken bones. I liked the size of them as well. I did think the sauce was too sweet for my taste and these weren't fried well; making the skin quite gummy.

I had also ordered the Pho Dac Biet.

And, as you can tell by the sprouts and herbs above; was prepared to be disappointed.

But when the pho arrived at my table; I as pleasantly surprised.

The broth was crystal clear; there was even a hint of beefiness in the fragrance. It wasn't overly salty, had a hint of anise and onion, and wasn't too bad at all.

The proteins really surprised me. The tai; rare beef was nicely rare, and of better quality than the typical top round. It as quite tender. The tendon was also another winner.

The noodles were decently prepared and as a whole; I really enjoyed this bowl. Now when was the last time I had a decent bowl of pho at a new place?

It didn't hurt that the two women working were really nice as well. I'd noticed a bunch of things on the menu that I wanted to check out. A few weeks later; Calvin and I had a chance to runaway for lunch.

I had mentioned trying the Bo Tai Chanh….strange, but Calvin; whose Missus is Vietnamese had never heard of this dish before. I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised as he'd never heard of Bun Mam or even Bun Mang Vit until having lunch with me. Anyway; Bo Tai Chanh is a beef salad in Lime Juice.

This was a pretty decent version; though I wish the beef was a bit more rare. It was also a tad on the sweet side; but squeezing lime on it balanced out the flavors. There were a few hidden chilies; which added some zip to things and I loved the onions as well. The fried shallots added some sweetness and the peanuts; that earthy-nutty flavor. This was quite refreshing on a super hot day. Calvin was all over this….

I also ordered the Thit Heo Nuong; basically a marinated pork salad.

Which was fairly routine; though the pork was nice and tender, the marinade was on the salty side. Still, if you need a salad……

Calvin wanted some noodles and asked if they did Hi Tieu Ap Chao….which is how we came to find the "other" menu. Which had some interesting dishes on it.

So even if the Stir Fried Hi Tieu was bland and routine.

The noodles were nice prepared; but there just wasn't enough flavor.

That menu had my interest. Though my next visit; on the following weekend was a solo one.

I mentioned being a bit hungry and the nice lady suggested the Bo Luc Lac.

The portion size was indeed generous and the Com Do (red tomato rice) was mild in flavor though nice and moist. The beef was just barely toothsome from the stir fry at first bite; then very tender. The sauce balanced on the edge of being too salty. I really enjoyed the jalapeno peppers in the stir fry. Overall, not bad at all.

Of course Calvin just needed to have that Bo Tai Chanh again; so we headed back the following week.

This time; the meat was a bit over-done. I think I'll request this more rare next time.

The Cha Ca Thang Long wasn't bad.

As you can see; no it's not even close to being as good as Song Long, but I didn't expect that. The turmeric fish was moist and tender; with no off flavors. I missed the fried shallots and peanuts and in this case; I think more oil could have been used. It wasn't too bad overall. There was an abundance of bun, crackers, and mam nem, which seemed a bit mild in this case. There was a good amount of dill used for this dish.

We also got the Bun Cha Ha Noi.

A bit smallish in portion size; this was on the mild side with regards to the marinade and the nuoc mam cham. The meatballs were sufficiently tender as was the pork; which I think was the better seasoned of the two meats. Again, very generous with the veggies and bun. Not bad; but I don't think I'll be ordering this again.

I will however, return to Royal Garden. I think the quality of ingredients used here is pretty good and there's much more to explore on the menu. Bap Xao Tom Kho, Hu Tieu My Tho, Pho Duoi Bo, among others. Plus, I like the two women working here…..they are very nice and friendly. Yes, the food might take a while, but that's ok….it gives you more time to enjoy the banquet set-up.

Royal Garden
4201 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92105
Hours:
Wed – Mon 9am – 9pm
Closed Tuesdays

2019 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float road tests #1 and 2 and Cream Pan (Tustin), The Donut Man and Peppertree Cafe (Glendora)

August 6, 2018 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Bakery, Breakfast/Brunch, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, Orange County, What Cathy Eats!

Usually there are reasons as to why we stop and eat somewhere. Cathy is showing you some meals and snacks consumed while on the way to and from a regular event, as well as the event. Kirk is busy.

Other float road tests for the 2019 Parade: Road test #3, Road Tests #4/5 and Road Test #6.

I'll write about food in the first part of this post.

Wake at 4 a.m., leave the house at 5 a.m., drive North, exit at Red Hill Avenue. There's a Starbucks. Two lights North, take a left and there is Cream Pan.We hadn't been here since January Everything is fresh (Cream Pan opens at 6 a.m.) and wonderful here. Ham and cheese baked in a croissant ($2.60) (a common order wherever I go) and, of course, a strawberry croissant ($1.50). We also purchased some raisin rolls ($3) for later snacks.

Cream Pan 602 El Camino Real Tustin, CA 92780 (714)655-8239 Website 6 am-7pm daily

Glendora, East of Irwindale and 'on the way home'/Route 66. I've written a short combination-post then a specific post about The Donut Man, a Glendora treasure. It is indeed 'Peach Donut Season'. This was the line before 9 a.m.. This walk up donut shop is almost always open. It's easy; the line starts to the left in the photo.
Check out the donuts in the window,
order and pay. Done.
The fresh peach donut ($4.50) and a Tiger Tail ($1.95) were all we wanted…this time. Fresh peach has been out Since July 21 and usually are only available for three or so weeks a year. So good. So fresh.

The Donut Man 915 E. Route 66 Glendora, CA 91740 (626) 335-9111 Open 24 hours, closed some holiday weekends. Website

Just across the street and East (into the sun) from Donut Man, Is the Peppertree Cafe.

Located in Glendora more than 20 years, this Family Style restaurant can get very crowded on weekends. Fortunately we were here before 9 a.m..

My order from the whiteboard at the front- Grilled Club Sausage links with two eggs and two sides ($9.99). The "sides" to select from were plenty: not only toast, hash browns and O'Brien potatoes, but french fries, biscuits and gravy, refried beans, tortillas, cottage cheese, fresh fruit, cup of oatmeal, one pancake, peach halves, pineapple, sliced banana, sliced tomatoes or a baked muffin. As you can see, I chose a single pancake and the sliced tomatoes. This was wonderful. The Club Sausage links were *so good*- skin on, coarse grind, a good spice blend.

The Mister ordered the Chicken Fried Steak ($9.99) and chose cottage cheese and fresh fruit as his sides. This huge serving (there are three large eggs included along with two sides) really hit the spot. The 'crust' on the fried steak was right on the edge of being burned by about ten seconds, but managed to turn out quite perfect and amazing. If we lived closer, Peppertree Cafe would be a regular stop.

Peppertree Cafe 1020 E. Route 66 Glendora, CA 91740 Website Sun-Thurs 6 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri-Sat 6a.m.-10 p.m.

Now, the reason we were 'up north'…

In mid-January, the Theme (with banner design) and President of the 2019 Tournament of Roses were announced. Float designs were submitted, reviewed, accepted and float building began. In June and July, The Mister and I drove to Phoenix Decorating Company in Irwindale to view some of the floats undergoing testing of safety and maneuverability.
The theme for 2019 is "The Melody of Life". Each float will have a reference to music in some shape or form on each float. "Service Rocks" the 2019 Rotary International float, looks to be a reference to the song 'Crocodile Rock', with the crocodile playing a keyboard and wearing heart shaped (Elton John-style) glasses.
Kiwanis International float is a Jukebox and will have an Elvis impersonator onboard. The 2019 float title is "Helping Kids Rock Their Future"; a great way of combining the theme of the parade with the goal of this Service Organization.

The International Order of Oddfellows and Rebekahs 2019 float, "200 years of Harmony" is commemorating the longevity of this Service Organization in North America. The calliope as the music source on this float should be fun!
"Joy To The World, The Lord Is Come" is the 2019 entry by the Lutheran Hour Ministries. This will be the 69th year for the only Christian themed float in the parade, decorated by about 5000 "Petal Pushers" volunteers who also assist with decorating other Service floats. The 'music' portion of this float will be performed by a choir. Of course.
A month ago, the Lions Clubs International float, "Rockin The Vest", was rebar, plywood and screening.
The other day, it was in a 'cocoon' and will be colored in for the testing next month. The title "Rockin' The Vest" is in reference to the yellow vests which Lions Clubs International members wear when volunteering (Lions Club is the world's largest Community Service Organization) AND it is also in reference to a 2011 'Rap' video, 'Rockin' The Vest', a fun music video designed to appeal to younger potential members. So fitting in this 2019 theme of 'The Melody of Life'. That's a boom box on the back of the car.

There were more floats tested, you'll see progress next month.

Eating to Beat the Heat – Buga

August 5, 2018 mmm-yoso Korean Restaurants

I think we're at the point where people are asking; "when is this heatwave going to end?" And it looks like another hot week ahead of us.

I stopped off at Buga for lunch between meetings last week. The location; right off the 805 is a pretty convenient stop. It was hot, and muggy. Instead of going for the Bi Bim Naengmyun, I decided on trying the Yukhoe Bi Bim Bap. It had been over four years since I'd last had it at Buga.

Like I mentioned in my previous post on Buga; the panchan here is not as good as it used to be "back in the day". The nsmul was fine; but the baechu kimchi didn't have any fermented tones to it; it simply tasted pickled.

Still, I was here for the Yukhoe; which turned out to be pretty good. The beef was sliced into nice thin strips; not a huge portion, but good enough for me. No off flavors; very clean finish, and they've reinstated the egg yolk. Lots of tasty veggies, made for a really healthy and satisfying meal. Rice is served on the side here. And while the beef wasn't as good in quality as what I've had at Prime Grill, this was well worth the $17.99.

And while this obviously wasn't in the league of Brother's Raw Beef (형제육회), it did "hit the spot".

Buga Korean BBQ Restaurant
5580 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117

2018 San Diego County Fair- How Sweet It Is (and it was)

August 3, 2018 Cathy Festivals & Events, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!! another day. Kirk usually writes here, but is very busy with work. Cathy is writing today's San Diego food-centric post.

Since 2007, I've written at least two posts each year about the fifth largest (in terms of attendance) County Fair in the United States, held in this beautiful County beginning in June and ending around July 4. Circumstances changed this year and I did not write a 'before the Fair opens' nor a 'during the Fair' post. This is a summary post about the 2018 County Fair. The theme of "How Sweet It Is" was announced, as always, in October (I'll add the 2019 theme at the bottom of this post when it's announced).
The 'official greeter' at the Fair this year was Sparkle The Unicorn and that ‘unicorn’ part of the theme was seen at every food booth- as a food item on the menu. I thought this was a good idea to keep the Fair unique.

Most of the 'unicorn' themed items were multi-colored/multi-ingredient/multi-flavored concoctions.
Then in the far corner of Bing Crosby Exhibit Hall, at the Mom's Cookies booth, my favorite rendition of staying within the unicorn theme without being all wild and crazy…

There will be more food writings after this brief interlude.

The 'footprint' of the Fair was essentially the same, with some theme-related twists and of course, new exhibit entries. The Paul Ecke Garden Show had many displays. The one done by the Model Railroad club included the C&H Sugar Refining Company as part of the 'sweet' vignette. The chalk art contest had entries which were 'sweet' centric.

There were plenty of 'Instagram worthy' areas within the Fair Theme Exhibit and in random areas.Even the Gems and Minerals area had a 'Dessert Table' display. Yes, those are all rocks.
Woodworking didn't have theme related exhibits, but did display the 'Best of Show' proudly.
Especially compared to Home and Hobby's 'Best of Show' winner, relegated to being folded in the corner of a middle shelf. I didn't even see a "Best of Show" in the Preserved Foods area, but the display was cute and very different this year. Almost all the Home and Hobby area of the Fair was different, with a lot of activities and displays centered around adult '’modern”/simple glue-based crafts and only a weaving demonstration going on in a far corner. The Spinners were demonstrating their skills in the "California Grown" exhibit area, which is always informative, with displays geared toward farming and younger Fairgoers. I couldn't find the machine knitting, quilting or lacemaking demonstrations this year.

Back to the "food portion” of this post:
Pignotti's Pasta had a 'spaghetti donut' topped with pesto. The interior of the fried 'donut' was a creamy, wonderful 'mac and cheese' consistency and flavor. We always like the pesto here; this had everything: flavors, textures and a normal portion size.

The Mediterranean Gyros Booth had two things I wanted to try this year- the Falafel Waffle ($9.19) (quite large, good at first but it got tougher as it cooled down)…kind of thick for a falafel. Still, a good meal. Also the bacon baklava ($5.52). Not the bacon wrapped version, just the wonderful, fresh, flaky pastry filled with sweet nuts and bacon. This was probably my favorite item this year; hope it is back next year. We shared a snack of ribs, which hit the spot.
Finally broke down and had a bean and cheese navajo taco (good, but the plain fry bread with powdered sugar is really good, too).
For the first time in a decade or so, we had a cinnamon roll, with 'everything'-cream cheese icing and walnuts.
A 'healthy' snack from Chicken Charlie was chosen…cucumber-tomato salad.
As well as a (hot from the oven) turkey sandwich from the Paddock grill (which makes great food for people at the Racetrack during the Season).As always, we had to get a cream puff (or two) along with some coffee.
It was another fun San Diego tradition which we look forward to every year.

Website
Other 2018 Fair posts: Soo went to the 2018 Fair twice.

As always, on Tuesday after the three day October weekend, the 22nd Agricultural District announced the theme and logo for the next Fair. Behold:
It's going to be awesome Oz-some.

El Pollo Grill (Lemon Grove)

August 2, 2018 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, Salads, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog. There's always something to eat somewhere and sometimes it is interesting. Cathy is writing today; Kirk is busy with many work related projects. This location of El Pollo Grill has been open since 2002 in the heart of Lemon Grove (on Broadway, kitty corner from the giant Lemon). It originally had been in a smaller location nearby, since 1987.
Parking can be tight in front of the strip of storefronts, but there are plenty of spaces in the back and the entrance is easy to find.
At any point in the day, the flaming grill is filled with marinated chickens. It can get busy; everything is fresh.

The Bonita Road location of El Pollo Grill got much busier when the San Diego Chargers football team left for Carson and became the Los Angeles Chargers in 2017. The owner, Victor Lopez, decided to give away a free chicken taco to anyone dropping by on the day following a Los Angeles Chargers *loss*. This business model was written up in Forbes Magazine, CBS sports, USA Today and was a pretty major news story locally…at some point (I think October), the Lemon Grove location also jumped into the 'Spanos Taco' frenzy, also giving away a free chicken taco (regular price is $2.99) after a Chargers loss. Thousands of free tacos were given away last year.
Order, pay, your number is called and you can pick it up on the other side of the cash register.
"Special C": 1/2 chicken, rice, charro beans, corn tortillas, salsa ($11.99). A good test of 'basics'. Plenty of food. Moist chicken, nicely flavored from the marinade-grilled perfectly(light, crisp skin). The rice and charro beans (whole beans, cooked with chiles) are hearty, flavorful. The hot, fresh made corn tortillas are thin and wonderful. A meal with some leftovers.
"Michelle's Walnut and spinach salad" ($10.99). Hot grilled no-skin chicken (white meat; but you can ask for dark), a mix of spinach and Romaine with walnuts, tomato, avocado, dried cranberries, feta and onion. Choice of dressings. A wonderful meal or two; refreshing on these hot days we have had…
The menu does have items other than chicken. This is the a la carte plate of shredded beef chimichanga ($6.99). All beef. All good. Seriously. Look at the (wonderful, fresh, garlic-y, not onion-y) guacamole served with a small shredded lettuce salad toped with sour cream. A meal…

Only on Friday does El Pollo Grill make chile rellenos ($9.99). From scratch, fresh, cheese filled chiles covered with an extremely flavorful sauce which is light enough not to wreck the delicate egg/flour fried batter (there's still crunch). The refried beans are very good.

Everything is good here.

El Pollo Grill 7836 Broadway Lemon Grove, CA 91945 (619)697-7153 website Opens daily at 9, closes at 9 Tues-Fri, 8 on Mon & Sat, 5 on Sunday.