mmm-yoso – Page 323 – 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.

De Mi Cafe Cafe- Breakfast

May 27, 2014 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a San Diego based food blog. Writers here include Kirk, Ed(from Yuma) and Cathy. Everyone but Cathy is busy today, so here's a post she wrote.

I've passed by this corner of Friars Road at Via Las Cumbres countless times in the past year, always noticing a dear favorite, Mr. Peabody's, always seeing the 'new' signage for De Mi Cafe Cafe and then continuing on to wherever I was headed. Finally one weekday morning, The Mister and I stopped here.

As with any Cafe, you walk up, order, pay and your food is brought to you. It turns out the owner, Michal, was also our cashier and the barista that morning. He is a very nice, interesting person and quite efficient.

Of course, there is an espresso machine (and most people were ordering espresso based beverages), but we decided on a 'regular' coffee to share. One of the condiments offered at the counter was organic half and half.

Whiile waiting (and after perusing the various refrigerated treat offerings), I noticed the glass topped chest freezer to the side, filled with some delightful items, which we will be returning to try very soon.

The Mister chose a De Mi egg sandwich ($5). It's served on a choice of breads-this is on white toast, and it is a good, hearty white bread. Made with ham, scrambled egg and cheddar (choice of cheddar or provolone) cheese, this was surprisingly flavorful and filling.

I chose the De Mi Breakfast Plate ($6.50) with the wheat toast (again, a very hearty bread). Served with Italian salami, the cheddar and provolone, a large pat of good, unsalted butter and the tomatoes (as well as unseeded grapes), this was another filling and wonderful breakfast.

Oh- and that croissant on the first plate- chocolate ($2.50). Made here. Still warm. Wonderful.

This was a wonderful, European style breakfast right in the midst of Mission Valley.

De Mi Cafe Cafe 6110 Friars Road, Suite 102 San Diego, CA 92108 (619)246-0968 M-Th 6am-4pm, Fri-Sat 7-7, Sun 8-7 Website

Where in the world are we (Part 3)

May 26, 2014 mmm-yoso Czech Republic, Travel

We've moved on from this wonderful, colorful country. But here's a round-up. Most folks only visit the one popular location, with good reason. We, on the other hand, decided to get out and visit some of the other larger cities.

We found the folks much more friendly, helpful, quick to smile. We visited three different cities and there was a ton of history. We learned about Plague Towers.

Visited cathedrals…

We travelled first by train….

Then later by bus….which turned out to be better.

We took a day trip to one of the smaller, but popular towns for tourists. Though the town was pretty quiet on a Sunday….

There was local music being played and sung for visitors….

We moved on to the second largest city in the country….which we loved. Perhaps the place isn't in many guides, it's well worth a visit.

Rick Steve's, the well regarded travel guide institution, doesn't even have a mention of this city, but should.

Much of the weather we encountered to this point had been wet, cold, and drizzly. On our last day here, the sun came out. We enjoyed sitting on the square and watching scenes of daily life. The Square, like in other countries is the center of social life. There was a band playing, dogs (lots of really well behaved dogs walk leash free), and folks generally enjoying life.

We also started noticing the little twists…..each story or landmark has a little "story", some little twist that adds color….

Eventually, we returned to where we started here….the weather was now bright and sunny, the crowds adding color to everything. Not that places like the "Lennon Wall" needed any more color.

The views and sites were amazing.

And of course there's the food. Some of which have interesting "names" which I'll go into later on.

We're now on our last third of our trip and still enjoying ourselves….everyday is something new. I'll try to get one more post in before we get back home.

Thanks for reading!

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Ed, Chicken Soup, and La Flor Mexican Restaurant, Yuma

May 24, 2014 ed fromyuma Mexican Restaurants, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!, Yuma

Ed (from Yuma) finally has another post here at mmm-yoso. Cathy and Kirk get a day off today.

When you live in a big city like San Diego there are always new restaurants opening, old restaurants transforming, and more variety of food choices than any one person can experience. When you live in Yuma, Arizona, however, it is easy to sample dishes from each of the long time non-chain restaurants in the area in a year or two. So I go to my favorites and try new places that might interest me. Sometimes I even write about them for mmm-yoso. But it is rare for me to "discover" a Yuma eatery that has been around for a long time. This post is about one of those rarities.

One day last summer, I knew that I would be stuck from 9 AM to 4 PM getting chemotherapy at my oncologist. My old buddy Dave volunteered to bring in lunch. I told him that sounded great, but I certainly wasn't expecting him to arrive with two large Styrofoam containers filled to the brim with Mexican-style chicken soup, a couple huge flour tortillas wrapped in tinfoil, some Mexican rice, and two aguasfrescas. And I certainly wasn't expecting the soup to be the best chicken soup I had ever had in Yuma – well actually, probably the best chicken soup I've ever had.

"Chicken soup?" I asked.

"Yeah," Dave said, "it's a good thing when you're sick."

I didn't have my camera with me that afternoon, but this is what a bowl of that incredible chicken soup looks like:

It usually contains three pieces of bone-in dark meat chicken, celery, carrot chunks, potato, and sometimes even squash in a hearty chicken broth that is full of chicken flavor and so rich that any left overs turn gelatinous in the refrigerator.

Here's a picture of the giant, old-style, Sonoran flour tortilla that I always get when I order the soup. It is bigger than it looks:

Dave had picked up the soup from La Flor, a longtime Yuma Mexican restaurant that occupies a stand-alone building with a lot of parking (pun intended) on the corner of Avenue A and Third Street. Dave says it's been there for over 20 years, and he would know:

The restaurant’s homey and clean interior features standard Yuma Mexican restaurant décor:

That picture does not show the 5 or 6 booths along a couple of the walls, so the place is bigger than it looks.

It wasn't that I had never eaten at La Flor before, but I thought it was just a decent Mexican restaurant with very fair prices that did a lot of things fairly well, but nothing was so extraordinary as to invite a post at mmm-yoso. But La Flor did have some unusual qualities. All the dishes were preceded by a small cup of cream of vegetable soup:

The decent thick and crunchy chips were sometimes accompanied by a tomatoey fresh salsa, and sometimes by dried chili salsa, both of which were good:

The restaurant makes a good quesadilla.:

And I have no complaints with the chicken enchilada or the chile relleno:

On the other hand, I still have terrible memories of a soggy chicken torta made with boiled chicken, and I would urge anyone to avoid the fish tacos, the fried fillets swimming in a sweet thick yellowish mayonnaise based sauce.:

Before I had had the chicken soup, my favorite item on the menu was the truly outstanding chile verde, shown here in a burrito.:

The mild green chili sauce, the fall apart tender pieces of pork, and the hint of tomatillo combine to make arguably the best green chili in Yuma (and I love green chilies).

Now, however, Tina and I usually come to La Flor for the comforting and filling bowls of soup. Most days the restaurant offers eight or nine different soup choices. Of course, the chicken is still maybe our favorite, but the albondigas with numerous peppery meatballs and various vegetables in a very savory stock is often quite good – if occasionally a little salty.:

The menudo here is tasty and well-prepared:

Here topped with condiments:

but Tina and I think the pozole may be the best in town – and that is saying something.:

As well as fish soup and shrimp soup (neither of which I have tried yet), La Flor does a very good siete mares.:

Years ago I fell in love with siete mares on vacation in Ensenada, and truth be told, I have never had a version on this side of the border as good as the impeccable mixed seafood soup that still lives in my memories of Ensenada, but this was deeply flavored with a robust fishy broth (look at that broth) and most of the seafood was good. The portion was also so huge that I couldn't finish the whole bowl.

So I owe a tip of the hat and a shout out to Dave – it has led to numerous flavorful and fulfilling meals over the last year. I have also been extremely lucky with my lung cancer (fingers crossed). In addition to six days of chemotherapy, I had around 35 tomotherapy radiation treatments. My radiation oncologist – a man of faith – said that the disappearance of the tumor was "miraculous." I personally attribute it to Dr Shea and Dr Giangreco and their wonderful staffs at Southwest Oncology.

But maybe it was just the chicken soup.

La Flor, 1085 W 3rd St, Yuma, AZ 85364, (928) 782-5621, open from breakfast through dinner, but closed on Tuesdays.

New Places, New Snacks (Donut Panic, Old Street Food and Paris Baguette)

May 23, 2014 Cathy Bakery, Korean Restaurants, Stuff, What Cathy Eats!, yoso-silly

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog written by three friends: Kirk, who is not on this continent, Ed(from Yuma), who is not in this state and Cathy, who is right here right now.

A couple of new places and a few new menu items have entered my life within the past couple of weeks and I thought I'd share, before writing a complete post…you know, in case you might want to try something new over this three day weekend.

The signage isn't up yet. The name really is "Donut Panic" and it's a small shop in the mall anchored by Souplantation on Mission Gorge at Vandever (near the 'other' Kaiser) run by a daughter and her father. The 'regular' daily donuts are always fresh and good, BUT on Saturday and Sunday around 9 a.m. and on Wednesday after 6 p.m.— Vegan Donuts come out of the kitchen. You read that right- no eggs or dairy go into these-the magic ingredient is potato- and each is topped with wonderful, imaginative, fancy flavors and sold at reasonable prices ($1.50 each). Above is a cross section of one with orange almond icing. The texture is light, crispy. The photo of four (clockwise, from bottom left) has the flavors of earl grey tea, vanilla (yes, I know it's pink), chocolate espresso almond and the maple "bacon". (The 'bacon' is unsweetened coconut dipped in soy sauce and flavored with liquid smoke has the right texture and flavor). There are other fancy flavors offered: saffron cardamom, green tea and quite a few others. There are also some filled offerings ($2 each).

I found out about this place from good friend and fellow blogger, cc (there's a link to her first post at the bottom of that link). On Friday, there are fresh vegan cupcakes..a post will be up soon.

Donut Panic 6171 Mission Gorge Road San Diego, CA 92120 (619) 280-1894

The only English on the sign (that isn't a menu item) is "Old Street Food", so I'm assuming that's the name, since I don't read Korean. Located in the center of Zion Supermarket, by the Fruits and Vegetables. Open on Monday, when Gala Chicken, the other shop in that center area is closed, we had to stop, look and order.

You order, then the once fried items are taken to the back stove and fried again.

This solid packed box with squid legs, octopus, purple sweet potato and pumpkin was $6 and still fresh and crispy when we got home. We could have eaten at the counter here, but were full…because

We saw this when we walked into the Zion complex and had to stop.

There are five flavors, three sizes.

Here's a photo of a small ($3.75) green tea shaved ice (excellent flavor of green tea) topped with sweet beans, mochi, sweetened condensed milk and some peanut powder. We saw a large bowl being brought out to a couple and it was HUGE!

Paris Baguette (inside Zion Marketplace) 7655 Clairmont Mesa Blvd. San Diego 92111 (858)650-0404 website

I hope everyone is having a nice and safe three day weekend. Have a good Memorial Day weekend.

Las Morelianas (Michoacan carnitas)-La Bahia (Mariscos) (Sherman Heights)

May 22, 2014 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping by mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk-still on vacation. Ed(from Yuma)-still in Yuma. Cathy-still writing.

A few months ago, The Mister and I were on Imperial Avenue, with the intention of Antojitos Columbianos for a quick lunch of empanadas and lengua, but noticed a large gathering of people outside (it looked like an after funeral gathering). Just across the street, we noticed this brightly colored building and decided to try lunch here instead. We've been back numerous times; it's now part of our 'rotation'.

Carnitas *and* seafood. Yes, we would both find something we'd like.

Walk in, and there's the carnitas part of the kitchen-copper kettles on the stove.

The above is your panoramic view. To the left is the carnitas (Las Morelianas on the paper menu) inside the glass case are chicharron and other fried delights, right in the middle is the kitchen door and toward the far end is the Mariscos side of the building (La Bahia, on the other side of the paper menu).

Here's a peek inside the seafood counter.The fish taco ($1.50). Excellent. Good size piece of fresh fish, light beer batter, lettuce, house made salsa, fresh crema, house made pickled onions. On a fresh, house made corn tortilla.

Carnitas sope ($1.50). Excellent. Fresh made light and crispy/layered corn sope, topped with a layer of refried beans, good amount of carnitas (choice of carnitas, asada, prensado, chicken or adobada) and topped with lettuce, crema, salsa and cheese. [You can order a platter of three sopes with rice, beans and a Mexican beverage (Horchata, Jamaica or Tamarindo) for $8]

Fish ceviche tostada($4.80). Wonderful. Fresh. Plenty. A meal in itself.

Above, a chicharron prensado taco ($2). It usually comes in a choice of red or green sauce, but I wanted a 'plain' one to photograph. Fresh fried pork rinds and a heck of a lot of (really good) beans on a freshly made corn tortilla. Another complete meal.

Menudo ($7). An excellent version. Plenty of tripe, flavorful broth, add-ins were used at the second half of the bowl. Did I mention they make the corn tortillas here? There's a griddle outside, at the parking lot entrance.

Carnitas Plate ($9). Easily 1/2 pound. Served with those marvelous refried beans(I think they utilize lard very well here), rice and a nice salad, as well as the corn tortillas.

When you order, you are asked if you'd like 'only meat or everything'. You can see some 'everything' parts in the photo above.

There are several specials posted in front. Beer is served here. The food is authentic and good.

Las Morelianas/La Bahia 2121 Imperial Avenue San Diego (619)239-6284 Website

Shizuoka Japanese Restaurant (La Mesa) (revisit)

May 21, 2014 Cathy Japanese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for coming back to read the food blog named mmm-yoso!!! Kirk is (still) on vacation, visiting beautiful and historic sights. Ed (from Yuma) is busy, but (soon) will have the time to do anything he wishes and Cathy is (here) writing while making lists of things to be done.

I didn't realize how long ago I had first shared Shizuoka with you, much less only one revisit. A small Mom and Pop Japanese restaurant, with limited seating and limited hours, it's been in the same East County location for almost 25 years.

Located on Fletcher Parkway North of Grossmont Center in a mall anchored by Souplantation and Michael's, it's easy to pass without noticing.

Step inside and this small waiting area greets you.

The entrance to the kitchen is behind those silks on the left. This photo is taken from the table at the front window. There are six booths total in addition to the tables you see. It's small.

There are menus and specials on each table, to make it less work for the waitress(es) when you are pointed to a table to be seated. The miso soup is standard and good, as is the hot tea. The ika (squid) karaage ($4). This ever so lightly floured and fried version here is always fresh and crispy.

Bento Box 7 (Lunch price, $6.20)- tempura and broiled mackerel. Good size portion of mackerel, properly fried tempura, lettuce salad, noodle salad and edamame. This is so good and satisfying.

Bento Box 2 (Lunch, $6.20) Chicken teriyaki and sashimi. The fish is so fresh, the chicken meaty and juicy and the house made teriyaki has a citrus undertone and is not too sticky/sweet.

The waitresses are friendly, stop and talk and catch up; they know the regulars. The food is always fresh and tasty. It's like a nice dinner at the home of a friend.

Shizuoka Japanese Restaurant 9118 Fletcher Parkway La Mesa 91941 (619) 461-1151 Closed Monday, open Tues-Fri 11:30-1:30 and 5-8:30, Sat 5-8:30, Sun 5-8

The entire menu.

St. Tropez Bakery & Bistro (Encinitas)

May 20, 2014 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Desserts, French Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, the title of a blog about food. Kirk is enjoying his vacation of hearty meals, Ed (from Yuma) is enjoying the end of an exuberant era and Cathy is sharing her enjoyment of a genuinely good little restaurant.

Well, time to get back to some normalcy. The weather has cooled down, the winds have slowed down and the fires are contained.

A few months ago, I met a client for an exchange of paperwork. She suggested St. Tropez Bakery and Bistro, the original location, inside The Lumberyard shopping center, located in downtown Encinitas. Turns out there are now four San Diego locations and two are franchises.

We had coffee, shared a pastry and when I was getting ready to leave, she asked me to wait and went inside, came out and presented me with a bag of what were to become a few meals and snacks.

The packaging contained two of each of the above items- ham quiche, veggie quiche, raisin swirled pastry and an apricot topped pastry. Each item was superb, fresh and of high quality. The crusts, cheesy custard and fillings of the quiches were excellent. I really enjoyed the raisin only (no cinnamon) puff pastry and the custard and crust under the torched, glazed, flavorful apricots were standouts.

Here's a photo of one meal at home. (Parisian Salad mix from Costco).

A few weeks later, I took The Mister for the drive North, so we could try more menu items. You order, pay and have a seat.

The chicken curry croissant ($9.25) (includes the salad, topped with my choice of balsamic vinaigrette- there are several vinaigrette flavors to choose from). A whole grilled (just right; juicy) chicken breast with Swiss cheese covered with a creamy European curry (not a hot curry; more of a sweet mix of flavors-there's cumin and tomato, turmeric, paprika and some garlic flavor. Have you ever had currywurst?) all on a fresh baked croissant. This unique blend of flavors, textures and freshness was excellent.

The classic Croque Madame ($9.75)(with grilled potatoes and fruit) Grilled ham and Swiss with a Bechamel (flour and butter cooked in milk) sauce, topped with a lightly cooked egg all on a hearty toasted white bread. (Croque Monsieur is the same sandwich, but without the egg. Think of a lady wearing a hat made of egg- that's Madame.)

We decided to share an order of Nutella crepes($5.95). The plate was covered with a dark chocolate sauce, real whipped cream on the side and these were wonderful. The familiar chocolate-hazelnut filling hit the spot with a cup of coffee.

All in all, excellent, tasty food. We'll be back to try more of the menu.

St. Tropez Bistro and Bakery 947 S. Coast Highway 101, Suite 103D (next to Starbucks) Encinitas 92024 (760)633-0084 Website Open daily 7 a.m.-8 p.m.

Where in the world are we (part 2)

May 19, 2014 mmm-yoso Blog

Our next stop is a place the Missus has been wanting to visit for several years. It is probably one of the most visited cities in Europe over the last couple of years.

And rightfully so. There's so much here. The city is bustling and vibrant, but at the time of our visit not frightfully so. The city seems to have everything…..

A castle upon a hill.

A river spanned by beautiful bridges.

A beautful, bustling town square.

With an Astronomical Clock that dates back to the 15th century.

All of this is wonderful, but it's the stunning architecture that does it for me.

Each building is like a snowflake, unique and different.

Our sights seem to be focused upwards all the time.

One of the reasons the architecture has remained intact is that this city has never been leveled in any of the wars that ravaged Europe over the last century.

That is not to say that this country did not see it's own dark period, which is noted in many monuments and memorials around the city.

The fare here is hearty; and starch heavy…..

Well, the traditional fare is…….

The Missus wants us to focus more on hearty food this trip and it looks like we're doing a pretty good job. Of course there's all that beer as well.

We've fallen in love with this city. Yes, there's a certain edginess to it, but it seems just enough for us. Yes, there are crowds, but it's not crazy like Rome. As with everywhere, there's a certain jaded attitude in the heavily touristed areas, but just a few feet away, the folks are warm and the beer flows…..and so is our trip it seems.

Thank for reading!

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The Food Court at Seafood City (Tapioca Express, Filipino Desserts Plus, Valerios and Grill City)

May 17, 2014 Cathy Chains, Desserts, Filipino Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Stuff, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping by to read mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Usually Kirk is writing posts about food, but right now He is very busy 'researching' so he will have some interesting posts. Ed (from Yuma) is also in a 'researching' mode. Today, Cathy is writing.

More than 14 months ago, I started to write a post about an epic day of visiting a plethora of places to eat in Chula Vista with fellow food bloggers, cc, writer of Pink Candles at Ridgemont High, who has taught me so much and Dennis, who writes A Radiused Corner, another blog that is so informative as well as fascinating. That post seemed frighteningly long and I have left it 'on hold' for all this time. One of the places we stopped that day was the "new" Seafood City, on Orange at Melrose in Chula Vista.

This still is the newest location in the County (new in 2011) and since discovering it, The Mister and I shop here fairly regularly, always having a bite to eat in the adjacent Food Court area before shopping.

Yes, it's a Food Court with nice, heavy wood picnic table seating; so much nicer than plastic seating. Standard Filipino chains are here (I've posted on Chow King, in various ways more than once and Kirk has posted about Jolibee in various ways). The other places here are also interesting…

The colorful wrapped candies are pastillas and made with milk; a favorite.

Other desserts are sold here also. Mostly made with rice flour, I've tried bites of many of them at parties and visits with friends and really like the selection.

The steam trays here are fascinating.

As are the grab and go foods.

On a recent visit, we shared this ukoy (fritter)($2). Onion, potato, plantain and a head on shrimp, fried into a neat patty and served with black vinegar. This is a current craving.

We also grabbed one of these to share ($1)-the cashews are very good, crispy and the cookies were not too sweet. Filipino Desserts Plus Website multiple locations

At Valerio's, we bought this still warm bibingka ($2.50), a coconut milk/rice flour based cake that is baked inside a banana leaf. It's a special item for us. Valerio's Bakeshop, multiple locations, no website.

Almost every visit here ends up with something from Tapioca Express. Snacks of fried chicken nuggets, tofu and squid rings, seasoned as spicy as you wish and served with either ranch or sweet and sour sauce along with some sort of beverage is always a meal. Tapioca Express, multiple locations. Website

A more or less new addition to the Food Court is the freestanding Grill City grill (not in this photo) and steam table area. A chain, all locations are inside Seafood City stores.

Above, fried chicken skins, a pork adobo kabob and a whole stuffed squid. All are really good items; I am always up for fried chicken skins as a snack. Pay attention to that statement.

The squid stuffing is a wonderful mix of vegetables: tomato, onion and bell pepper.

On another visit, a slice of grilled swordfish and a grilled stuffed eggplant (inihaw) was our meal. So good and so fresh. The fish is served with a fresh mango salsa; a perfect condiment. (Prices for a la carte veggies are $3, $6 or $9, depending on size)(Prices for a la cart meat and seafood are $3.50, $6.50 and $9.50).

We enjoy this Food Court area and look forward to our drives to Seafood City market.

Seafood City (also a link to Grill City) website 285 East Orange Chula Vista 91911 (619)621-2050 Open 8am-9 pm daily

TJ Oyster Bar (revisits)

May 16, 2014 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, Seafood, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping by mmm-yoso!!! Kirk and His Missus are enjoying the European vacation you've been given a peek into, Ed(from Yuma) is enjoying the end of an era and Cathy is enjoying staying indoors and listening to the radio and weather updates while adding words to photos.

About two years ago, I wrote a post about TJ Oyster Bar, mentioning it might be moving. Turns out that the original location is still open (and consistently busy) and the new location (technically on the same block, around and on the other side of the McDonalds) is also open. I like this location better. It's smaller and I don't feel self conscious when eating alone, which I had occasion to do a few times earlier this year. I was introduced to this wonderful dining establishment by cc, who writes the Pink Candles at Ridgemont High blog.

The outside signage has changed.

As has the look and pricing of the menu. The selection and freshness of the items has not changed.

There is bar stool seating. A handful of two seat tables are available inside with two four-seat tables out front.

My comfort item here, the Seafood Pescadilla ($7.99). Served with rice, this Monterey Jack quesadilla is filled with sauteed buttery, garlicy shrimp, scallops, krab and octopus bits.

The shrimp salad ($ 8.50) Romaine lettuce, tomato, avocado, topped with a dozen quite large, flavorful shrimp, Parmesan and a house dressing, this is quite large and refreshing on a hot day.

Another favorite of mine is the shrimp ceviche tostada ($3.75). Chopped plump, juicy shrimp that have been prepared in fresh lime juice with tomato, onion and cilantro. This is always satisfying on a hot day.

I hope everyone is staying cool!

TJ Oyster Bar 4246 Bonita Road Bonita, 92002 (619) 267-4577 Website