Adalynes Chicken Shack (La Mesa)

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog which has been around since 2005.  Kirk usually writes the posts, but right now, He and His Missus are vacationing and Cathy is writing. 

Back in February, I saw this building going up on University just East of the Kroc Salvation Army Center in La Mesa.3D52C112-49FF-4FF5-A8E2-3CA3159F3CB0 A mental note was made and misplaced.  As fate would have it, The Mister and I were driving by while looking for lunch.  Adalynes opened in March 2022.
3D52C112-49FF-4FF5-A8E2-3CA3159F3CB0 Walk in and step to the right; seating for 40 (along with four big screen televisions) is to the left.  Order and pay- a menu board is above and the open kitchen behind it is quite large.   The "Fish Market" display case was not filled but the price list was available and if you made a purchase and wanted your fish fried, it is an additional $2 per pound.  
87F0ECCA-C27C-4B30-9A53-6383FA6C6BBC87F0ECCA-C27C-4B30-9A53-6383FA6C6BBC A simple menu.
DEB79525-EE9B-48DD-9A39-42B8F9E871B6 B012C7BF-2FAB-4781-8AC2-1654DEC1B5E9 An appetizer order of calamari ($9.99) included tentacles, not all rings.  We asked for the batter to be 'mild' since there were several selections of spicy side dips.  The calamari was tender, the batter was a proper fry; light and crisp.  This is a large serving.
DEB79525-EE9B-48DD-9A39-42B8F9E871B6 We decided to try the Combo meal ($15.99) of three pieces of chicken strips and six shrimp.  We chose our one side to be sweet potato.  Again, we asked for no spice in the batter.  The shrimp were plump and large, had a very light coating and were nicely fried.  The sweet potato side came in the form of 'tots' and were really good.   The chicken-three large pieces of breast meat with just a light coating which was thin, crisped and tasty. 
31B9F518-D3CE-4F9E-8726-3DC3E25B3604 The chicken was not dry at all. 
31B9F518-D3CE-4F9E-8726-3DC3E25B3604 These four sauces were brought out with our food (cocktail sauce, "special" sauce (it has jalapeño juice and bits of jalapeño), a BBQ based sauce and a chipotle/smoky sauce.  There's a counter by the tables which has condiment pumps of hot sauce, ranch and catsup.  

A nice place that is doing a steady business serving quality fried foods. 

Adalynes Chicken Shack 6903 University Ave La Mesa 91942 (619) 232-5963 Open Mon-Sat 11-9, Closed Sunday

197A8037-27C0-4B4C-9244-ACA77961ACA7

Grecian Cafe (again)

mmm-yoso!!! continues to be written by Cathy while Kirk and His Missus continue to enjoy their well earned vacation.

I wrote about Grecian Cafe in January 2019, without mentioning the reason we first stopped here was because of our regular bread run just down the street at Frank's Bakery.  The update to that post is the the corner anchor restaurant here is no longer Pizza Hut Round Table Pizza, but is Pho and Grill International.E3A5B68C-478A-4DA4-B43B-E923F3D064F7 The other update is that this family owned and run restaurant has been here for more than 30 years.
19F6F7D6-8652-48F4-BDBE-F594B74B410C Walk in, order and pay.  There is a menu board above the ordering space in the wall.  Your food is brought out by one of the family members.  
5CBC5FF8-E118-47F6-BD1E-057486EE05D55CBC5FF8-E118-47F6-BD1E-057486EE05D55CBC5FF8-E118-47F6-BD1E-057486EE05D5
C2366B26-AB7D-4D5D-96AA-9322644F0773 As always, we order onion rings ($4.49).  Thick slices of sweet onions, sweet batter, properly crisp fried and not greasy.  This is served with ranch dressing.
C2366B26-AB7D-4D5D-96AA-9322644F0773  DC1BC732-D780-4988-AC8E-6AB70C265290 A small Greek chicken salad ($9.49) holds a lot of tasty, moist roasted chicken and comes with pita bread and tzatziki.  The salad part is the same size as the side salad which comes with the meal below and includes cucumber, tomato and onion and a red wine vinegar based dressing.
C2366B26-AB7D-4D5D-96AA-9322644F0773  F3093B69-3294-436D-B318-E1BB34F6F0B8 The Moussaka and Gyros combination plate ($15.99) was ordered on this day…because we wanted leftovers.  Plenty of fluffy rice with some peas and carrots topped with slices of gyros and, of course, the Moussaka- the bottom layer is baked potato, then a nice layer of eggplant, the sweet (cinnamon and oregano) spiced ground meat filling topped with a layer of thick béchamel and covered in a subtle seasoned (garlic, thyme, parsley, basil) tomato sauce. 

Another long time family owned, quality restaurant which survived Covid-19. 

Grecian Cafe 9676 Campo Road Spring Valley 91977 (619) 464-0385 Open Mon-Sat 11-8, Sun 1-7 

25E25838-C438-4937-AA62-48A09F8A4673 You can see the Santa Sophia Roman Catholic Church tower just East out the side window of the restaurant.  The Greek title, "Santa Sophia" (Holy Wisdom) is popular in Greek Orthodox churches and is rare for Catholic churches.

Meet Fresh- Treats (Mira Mesa)

mmm-yoso!!! welcomes you back.  Once again, Cathy is writing because, once again, Kirk and His Missus are vacationing.

There are two locations of Meet Fresh, a Taiwanese dessert chain,  in San Diego.  One is in the HMart parking lot in Mira Mesa.  The other is in the strip mall on the SouthEast corner of Clairmont Mesa at the 805 (where there was a Souplantation and still has Niban, a McDonalds and Starbucks).  The menus are the same, the air conditioning is wonderful, the hours are different.  Each location is equidistant from home; we've been to both.45477210-FFFD-4D9E-AFAF-FF96A8378AFB
45477210-FFFD-4D9E-AFAF-FF96A8378AFB Walk in, order and pay.  There is a menu above the register and another full menu on the wall.  There's also a laminated one at the register.4F0E9DA7-CB64-4B51-93F1-0B0EB7BA6B0D
45477210-FFFD-4D9E-AFAF-FF96A8378AFB BF7E920F-18D8-4853-800B-89F7C2CD00F0 Soon your number is called and/or displayed when your order is ready. 

45477210-FFFD-4D9E-AFAF-FF96A8378AFB 894804F2-3527-47DC-B8D5-8C26D70D8D36 Q-mochi set with almond pudding and red beans ($6.75) was presented in this cute dessert bento box/serving tray with tiny cutlery.  The two types of mochi were slightly different in flavor, topped with a light Carmel sauce and toasted coconut.  The sweet red beans were (and always are) a tasty treat and the almond pudding, when tasted before everything else, had an excellent flavor; the texture remained perfect and never got watery. 

45477210-FFFD-4D9E-AFAF-FF96A8378AFB 174275CD-3155-4FA7-B01F-DAC5DBF3B59E This was a hot fresh milk tea with boba ($6.25)which was ordered out of curiosity.  I liked it.4E37824A-E9EF-4296-A733-5B62418EA805 This is a medium shaved ice ($11.75) alongside an iced lemon black tea ($4.50)
621167E5-65A9-4DE8-977E-9C079CBDFBF5 There are a few choices of shaved ices along with three sizes (the prices are $9.75, $10.75 and $11.75).  Topping combinations are varied and all sound good.  I pointed at one on the laminated menu at the register.  The cylinder shaped Q-mochi, potato balls (sweet potato/taro), jelly and mini mochi balls surrounding the ice cream topped fluffy milk soaked shaved ice made each bite unique.  We ended up taking a lot home.

A nice place for a relaxing treat. 

Meet Fresh 9420 G Mira Mesa Blvd 92126 (619) 877-8818 open daily noon-10

7051 Clairmont Mesa Blvd #303 San Diego 92111(858) 740-3789 Open 4-10 Thurs-Sun   Website
A372948E-813B-4173-955C-25F1B0FAA4D4

Pancho’s Mexican Restaurant (El Cajon) (Again)

Here you are, reading mmm-yoso!!!  This is a "Cathy" post; Kirk and His Missus are busy enjoying vacation time.

I wrote about this local restaurant in December 2019, when we didn't know what was going to hit us. D8F7CD4F-7705-4EBD-AD72-AA5F27191CB3
D8F7CD4F-7705-4EBD-AD72-AA5F27191CB3 This family owned (since 2004) restaurant has survived the Covid-19 ups and downs and is still going strong. 

0E296AB9-4E04-4BEA-9A37-C112513FE04D The Monday-Friday Lunch menu is simple and offers a good variety. 
F906C48C-2BDD-4CB1-B63F-7E8795446A14F906C48C-2BDD-4CB1-B63F-7E8795446A14 I always order a cup of albondigas ($4.25) from the regular menu and enjoy the traditional meatball soup with fresh, still slightly crisp vegetables (zucchini, chayote, tomato, onion), flavorful broth and the fresh herbs (there is oregano in the meatballs and cilantro in the soup).  A good start.
B0ED9BFA-C7D8-467A-8546-C0904A55E1A7  D83F5207-1DB8-4EAE-9F7E-F9D071FD5D79 The enchilada plate comes with a choice of shredded beef, shredded chicken, cheese or ground beef filling.  This is the ground beef-which is really a picadillo- there is onion, bell pepper, garlic and tomato mixed with the ground beef.  The from-scratch enchilada sauce and melted cheese round out the flavors of this plate. 6CF75DB9-0C14-4C7B-B2C6-CBF0EBB8FC43 The Tostada Compuesta is a fried flour tortilla topped with refried beans, a choice of meats (this is shredded chicken, photographed after eating half the serving) (shredded beef, ground beef and carnitas are also meat choices) and is topped with lettuce, tomato, cheese and sliced avocado; a wonderful meal. 

Pancho's Mexican Restaurant 2257 Fletcher Parkway El Cajon 92020  Website (619) 460-4202  Open Mon-Th 11:30-8, Fri-Sat 11:30-9, Sun 10-8

F2273F3C-334E-49B2-A984-D62FB81AA033

2023 Rose Parade float road test #3, breakfast at Dollis (Covina) (and a stop at Portos)

Thank you for reading mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog.  Today's post is written by Cathy, because she does these posts.. 

Link to 2023 Road Test #1

Link to 2023 Road Test #2

It was the last Saturday in August and The Mister and I woke at 4, left the house at 5, stopped at Cream Pan and got to the Phoenix Decorating barn in Irwindale by 7.   

24EA33CD-026C-4F5D-B3F6-141B6B22B11D  Floats were already on the road and others were preparing to leave.  Here is the City of Hope's 2023 entry, "Expanding Hope" preparing to test mechanics and maneuverability with body weight on board.
24EA33CD-026C-4F5D-B3F6-141B6B22B11D 
The Rotary International 2023 entry, "Serving with Imagination and Hope" is ready for decorating following passing of this Road Test.  (Decorating begins December 3 this year; check the Phoenix Decorating site link in the first paragraph to sign up).24EA33CD-026C-4F5D-B3F6-141B6B22B11DThe City of Alhambra float was tested; the riders, Driver and Spotter all  had to leave the float within 45 seconds during the Fire Drill.  Following this float back to the Phoenix Decorating barn gave me an opportunity to explain things in photos which I had mentioned in (years of) prior posts. 
304C5E2D-D2BA-4A96-A8E1-57EF0F13B58C 
The doorway into the float decorating barn is the maximum height and width of some parts of the Rose Parade route.  Each float must be able to fit through this doorway so that it can fit along the parade route.  You can see this float needs to "collapse".

0DDD702E-F8D7-4E60-A0AA-593AD649A5260DDD702E-F8D7-4E60-A0AA-593AD649A5260DDD702E-F8D7-4E60-A0AA-593AD649A5260DDD702E-F8D7-4E60-A0AA-593AD649A526 the float does indeed collapse!
7EA3F973-0DAE-4331-8F97-D694EAB8274A 

D3A95E91-7F2D-4FE7-832E-26E7543577F3913933B9-4CFE-48C9-A3BF-6C9F8D2BE148
Lions Clubs International 2023 entry, "We Serve" is small enough to not have any mechanics (other than the engine, steering, brakes and fire prevention) involved in this float; it fits without needing to collapse. 

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Now, the food portion of the blog.  First the obligatory stop at Portos in West Covina.

F00FD699-63F5-4EB7-B650-361D8043D35C
D5EC6192-A05E-421D-AB37-368317A8E04845676944-1D36-42E5-AA3C-6290F3487D8B
A "new" item, cinnamon citrus bun ($2.29) was really good- large, fluffy layered sweet bread pastry with distinct citrus flavor which compliments the cinnamon.  A great treat.  
D5EC6192-A05E-421D-AB37-368317A8E048
  A bit of shared breakfast-a Chorizo omelette ($5.95).  This was wonderful.  A great chorizo (you know I am a bit picky-see the end of this post) mixed with egg omelette and cheeses on a fresh baked Cuban roll.  
D5EC6192-A05E-421D-AB37-368317A8E04810E98395-4E9D-4F68-89AE-537C6CA9D571
As always, a bread was purchased; this time it was walnut raisin ($4.15), which is made with rye flour and sourdough starter.  The crisp crust is just a perfect texture.
D5EC6192-A05E-421D-AB37-368317A8E048
I asked The Mister to choose something from the refrigerated case and he chose a slice of  Parisian cake ($3.55).  A very moist chocolate cake with a chocolate ganache filling and topped with more wonderful chocolate frosting.  

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

So, we began looking for a breakfast someplace different.  There were various obstacles while driving (road repairs, emergency vehicles, law enforcement action-that sort of thing) and I just told The Mister to type in "breakfast" on the 'maps' icon of his phone. EBC14650-A99B-4952-B462-6508210C4B7EThe directions were given to this nondescript location close by.  It had been a Sizzler restaurant. 
8FD0D494-2062-4B74-BF83-C7C11C36955A
This doorway was indeed the entrance. 
29682BC8-B7D0-41DB-925B-7AFB11B4BA52
Yep, looks like a Sizzler.  
9A7D4E61-D07B-419A-9152-BB04646855609A7D4E61-D07B-419A-9152-BB0464685560
A two sided, laminated menu had a good variety of choices.
29682BC8-B7D0-41DB-925B-7AFB11B4BA52C964B80A-DB84-4F25-8B81-55101D7D2717
I chose the carne asada and egg sandwich ($10.99).  This was quite large and very good.  Not a torta bread, but also not a burger bun, the toasted sandwich was filled with quality ingredients and we took home half for a small lunch.
D238B8FA-C0A7-4B14-819F-B9A5CCF7F1D3
The Mister ordered the Meat Lovers omelette ($13.99) which was filled with bacon, sausage, ham and cheddar, plenty of each and good quality.  The hash browns were standard.  The salsa was wonderful
D238B8FA-C0A7-4B14-819F-B9A5CCF7F1D3
His platter also came with a choice of toast or pancakes.  Very good pancakes. 

A great find in a nice neighborhood.  Glad we stopped. 

 Dollis 900 N. Citrus Covina, CA 91722  Website Open Wed-Mon 7-2 (Closed Tuesday)BD88AF6D-3146-4753-B603-B832EC3857DD

Kumi Cafe (Kearny Mesa)

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog about food.  Cathy is writing today while Kirk (and His Missus) are enjoying weather and food elsewhere.

 Back in March, Kirk mentioned that Chopstix Too would be closing and that Kumi Cafe would be expanding to San Diego.  Last week, The Mister and I stopped in. 

08EAC359-21A7-4649-B1E3-5F9CCA262015
748F28DF-9291-4C93-A482-24C983ED674C As always, I ordered hot tea ($2.50).  This green tea, served in the thermal cup, was of excellent quality. 
748F28DF-9291-4C93-A482-24C983ED674C748F28DF-9291-4C93-A482-24C983ED674C748F28DF-9291-4C93-A482-24C983ED674C1B8A33CC-B1CD-48C9-80DF-EBAF964718321B8A33CC-B1CD-48C9-80DF-EBAF964718327057D4BB-A14A-48A3-A838-A5D86F738901

The Japanese centric menu (there's a 'Spicy Seafood Bowl'/Bibimbap offered) is straightforward.  

08EAC359-21A7-4649-B1E3-5F9CCA262015 The cucumber salad ($5.95) was served in this deceptively deep bowl.  It was refreshing, sweet and salty, cool and crisp and was munched on throughout the meal.
C27B6534-F29F-4F0A-A3AC-C256386544D9 12B8FA86-56BD-4943-AEE5-3940FF452EC9 We were here on one (of many) unbearably hot days last week and I was craving Tsukemen.  Seeing the Tenzaru Soba ($11.95) on the menu under "Cold Noodles", it was ordered;  a very reasonable substitute.  The Zaru soba-chilled buckwheat noodles- served with a lovely soy/dashi (salty) cold sauce along with green onion was quite perfect.  The "Ten"-mixed tempura- was nice serving of perfectly fried vegetables and one shrimp.  The  tempura sauce (dashi, soy, mirin and sugar) was quite good and complimentary.

The Mister ordered from the "Entree" part of the menu: the Chicken Katsu Curry ($13.95).  All entrees include miso soup, rice and salad. 
921C51B4-E558-4147-A2CB-BDDA32EA045E The miso soup was a notably good quality. 
C27B6534-F29F-4F0A-A3AC-C256386544D9  9FA67DCA-1304-4884-8192-5E61643F5838 The plate served was Chicken Katsu ($1 less than the Chicken Katsu Curry).  When reminded the order was for curry, our waiter apologized and went to the kitchen.  There was a wait because the curry was being prepared.  The bowl arrived in a bit (it was quite busy and only two people were working) and WOW- what a lovely curry sauce; carrot, onion and potato.   Slightly sweet (from apple I think) yet savory, the thick sauce was very tasty.   The chicken katsu was a good thickness, had a nice panko breading and was perfectly deep fried and crisp.  The rice and salad were also nicely flavored.  I suppose the 'proper' curry plate would have had more rice and less lettuce, with the curry poured over the serving, but eating it this was was nice and we got to see the Chicken Katsu Entree.

Everything here so far is excellent. 

Kumi Cafe 4380 Kearny Mesa Road #300 San Diego, 92111 (858) 565-1288 Open Sun- Th 11-9:30, Fri-Sat 11-10 EBDA3EBE-61C0-45EE-B49F-D89C6DA4A670

Pho Hoa (again)

mmm-yoso!!! is being written by Cathy for the next few days; Kirk has some free time and isn't posting.

Coincidentally, the day when Kirk posted about Avian Sandwiches, The Mister and I had just finished a wonderful lunch at Pho Hoa, which is located in the same shopping center anchored by Thuan Phat Supermarket.  There are many posts about Pho Hoa here (use the 'search' box on the upper left).  I've only posted about this old school shop in 2015, even though it has been a regular stop before grocery shopping.E5686645-AC09-439A-8EE6-450803578BD7
E5686645-AC09-439A-8EE6-450803578BD7 Not much has changed since Covid-19.  Menu is the same.  Tabletops are still sticky.  Prices have, of course, increased.

2AFB4EC6-3376-40D3-B48F-7E4D84BC11D4 5A16C0EF-1C71-4DE8-AC73-76DE8AABB5C8 Pho Tai (rare beef) (large, $11.40) arrives with fresh herbs and add-ins, still has a rich deep colored and flavorful broth which is slightly salty.  Noodles were not in a 'clump'.  Overall, this bowl was very refreshing.
AE018AA2-7C13-4AF4-AAF3-202379E519AA The half order of Spring Rolls ($5.60) arrived with the shrimp and pork still warm.  The lettuce, sprouts and mint were crisp and very fresh.  Even the vermicelli noodles were still warm.  Made to order and exceptionally good.
 3E297B54-4E68-4AC9-A074-A84CE5A8D9E9 The grilled pork Bun ($12.60) was quite a large serving of thicker slices of char grilled pork on top of lettuce and cold vermicelli topped with pickled radish and carrot, sprouts and mint and topped with plenty of peanuts.  The nuoc nuam sauce/dressing is a wonderfully balanced fish sauce based dressing.

This meal really met our cravings.

Pho Hoa 6921 Linda Vista Road San Diego 92111 (858) 492-9108 open daily 8 a.m.-9 p.m.

9C3A5F86-729E-45BE-8924-22C383479244

Sunday Stuffs – Pelicana Chicken Replacing Urban Eats and Flama Llama Replacing Chef Chin’s

Amazing the changes one can see during a quick trip to Nijiya! Here are two…..

Pelicana Chicken Replacing Urban Eats:

Well, if you're keeping score (and I may be missing a couple of places here), Urban Eats replaced Hi Street, which replaced Char House

IMG_1311

Established in Daejeon, South Korea in 1982, this chain serves up…….well, you guessed it, Korean Fried Chicken! I'm wondering if Kearny Mesa is in the competition for most Korean Fried Chicken places per square mile in the US? I mean, at HMart you have Katzya, right around the corner and ahem right across the street you have Cross Street, which is nearly across the street from BB.Q Chicken, right in the next parking lot in the Hive is Knockout Chicken, north of Balboa you have Bonchon, and in Zion you have Gala Chicken! And there I was complaining about all the Hot Chicken places opening in San Diego!

7767 Balboa Ave.
San Diego, CA 92111

Chef Chin's Being Replaced by a Flama Llama?:

I saw construction going on at the former location of Chef Chin on Convoy, so I took a left into the parking lot.

IMG_1346

Looks like a place named Flama Llama? So, I did a quick search and found this which states that the owner of Steamy Piggy and Formoosa is opening a restaurant that "will bring a new take on Latin American cuisine." I dunno, how about just having some good Latin American cuisine period?

4433 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Guanajuato (2022) – La Table de Andrée and La Clave Azul

After our walking tour and lunch at La Vela, we did a bit of shopping, then returned to our room for a short nap. Soon enough it as dinner time. On the evening we had dinner at Mestizo, there was a restaurant we noticed across the street named La Table de Andrée. It was a French restaurant….in Guanajuato……we looked over the menu and decided why not? After our dinner we strolled over and made dinner reservations.

We had early reservations and were the first customers in the restaurant. The staff was really friendly and accommodating.

IMG_1965_02

The Missus got a glass of wine which She enjoyed and we placed our order.

The baguette was interesting; it was super light almost like banh mi.

IMG_1957

The amuse was bacon wrapped dates…..not a bad start.

IMG_1958

We ordered the Pate de Cerdo al Cognac – pork pate.

IMG_1960

This was not bad; porky, slightly sweet, boozy-winey, nicely chilled and moist, a bit on the crumbly side. It went well with the whole grain mustard which added a bit of pungent-spice. The portion size was quite generous as well.

The Missus got the Camarones a la Persillada – shrimp with parsley sauce.

IMG_1961

The shrimp was a tad overcooked and the risotto was on the hard side. The sauce was nicely flavored though.

I went with the Hachis Parmentier, a classic French dish that uses leftover Beef Stew topped with mashed potato and baked.

IMG_1964_02

This version used a very flavorful leftover Beef Bourguignon, super tender and beefy, and I believe there was come chorizo as well in this. It was topped with buttery mashed potatoes and cheese which was nicely broiled adding a wonderful texture to things. his was quite good!

The Missus enjoyed Her dessert.

IMG_1966 (2)

Overall, the dinner was better than we thought it would be. I'm thinking that being a college town, there might be a diverse clientele……as we noticed some French speakers, a German couple among the other customers.

La Table de Andrée
Positos 66
Zona Centro, 36000 Guanajuato, Mexico

After dinner we decided to head on over to the bar Susana recommended and we were glad we did.

IMG_5265  IMG_5266  It was somewhat divey, the bartender was super friendly, the decor was quirky and eclectic. The music was what I often call the Unites States' greatest export…rock 'n roll.

I enjoyed my Victoria and chased it with some local Mezcal. Guanajuato is one of the nine states within Mexico that have DO (Denomination of Origin) to produce Mezcal. This was a nice Espadin the bartender picked out for me.

We really liked the bartender and the vibe and would end up returning here the following evening.

IMG_5267 IMG_2058 La Clave Azul
Segunda De Cantaritos 31
Centro, 36000 Guanajuato, Mexico

We then headed on over to Jardin de la Union….all cities have their central plaza, where folks gather during the day (and night). For Guanajuato it's Jardin de la Union. Things were bustling and alive.

Folks walking and chatting….Mariachi working the crowds. We ran into a young lady selling cheesecakes who walked up to us and spoke perfect English. She is from Texas, but returned with Her Dad to Guanajuato. She helps out the family by selling the dad's cheesecakes, which were terrible, but of course we bought some. I wish I could remember her name; she was so sweet.

It was a lively scene.

IMG_1974

IMG_1976

We were enjoying our time in Guanajuato.

Thanks for stopping by!

Guanajuato (2022) – Doing a Private Walking Tour and Lunch at La Vela

When planning to visit Guanajuato the Missus and I realized that we really didn't know much about the city. So, I did a bit of research and scheduled a private walking tour of the city. It would turn out to a be a highlight of our trip.

We started out the day by having breakfast at the hotel – Chilaquiles and fruit.

IMG_1895 (2)
IMG_1895 (2)

After breakfast we headed off to our designated meeting spot near the Hotel Real Guanajuato. Our guide Susana was a treasure; born and raised in Guanajuato, she gave us a in depth history, as well as local insights. There was just so much that I'll just provide a mild outline. In fact, I recommended Susana to FOY "RonR" who also did a tour and from what I understand enjoyed it as well. Susana took us to all the main sights, went thru the history and significance, gave us some recommendations. 

There was a bit of research that I did before the tour. I knew that Guanajuato was once the home of the most productive silver mine in the world. And that combined with the obvious wealth which in turn created some wonderful structures has gotten Guanajuato a UNESCO listing. I also knew that the city played an important role in the Mexican War of Independence. In fact, the first stop was the Alhóndiga de Granaditas, now the Regional Museum of Guanajuato. Susana wove a tail of how the royalist barricaded themselves in the building, which was a granary. A battle ensued ensued and the building by the insurgents lead by an unlikely hero. More on that later. Sadly, I was so taken by the story that I forgot to take photos of the building! I thought I took photos, but sadly did not.

Next stop was the ever busy and huge Mercado Hidalgo.

IMG_1859_02

Here we were introduced to the most important item in the market; the shrine of Mary.

IMG_1897 (2)

As we walked among the food stands Susana said hello to a gentleman. She then told us, "he is the chef for my favorite restaurant in the city" and the we should eat there. The name of the place? Mestizo! We had a good laugh when we told her that we had dinner there the previous evening! Susana seemed to know quite a few people. She told us that her grandfather ran a bakery in town for many years. She then pointed to the church across from Mercado Hidalgo….

IMG_1901 (2)

And told us; "I was baptized here…." This is the Parroquia y Templo de Belén.

We strolled thru several plazas and there were stories……

IMG_1906 (2)

Susana recommended that we stop by this place for a drink and we ended up returning twice.

IMG_1907

Susana was great when we inquired about various monuments we saw.

IMG_1905 (2)

The statue above is of Enrique Ruelas Espinosa who founded the University of Guanajuato Theatre and also established the Cervantes Festival…..yes, Guanajuato has a "thing" about Don Quixote.

There were just so may interesting places and stories.

IMG_5220  IMG_5222  We walked down one of the side streets and came to a point where two buildings were a mere two feet apart. This was the scene of a tragic, "Romeo and Juliette" story. Thus giving the spot the name "Callejón del Beso" (Alley of the Kiss). To quote the story in Atlas Obscura:

"According to local legend a wealthy family lived in one of the buildings that helped create the alley, and their daughter, whose bedroom window looked out onto the alley, fell in love with a young man from the wrong side of the tracks. The young man rented out the room in the building across from hers with a window that was directly across from her own as well. Then they would secretly meet and kiss across the tiny alley. Unfortunately, the girl’s father found out, and in a fit of rage, stabbed his daughter to death. Most accounts of the story end it there, but some go a bit further, saying the young man then threw himself to his death in the alley below."

More versions of the story here and here.

We got there and watched a couple walk up to the steps, their three children cheering them on, taking photos, and giggling until they kissed!

In my previous post I mentioned that much of the traffic in Guanajuato is diverted underground.

IMG_1909 (2)

We left the colorful streets of Guanajuato and went down stairs.

IMG_1911

IMG_1914
IMG_1914

And into the underground tunnels.

IMG_5225 IMG_1923   Naturally, the first thing that came to mind was that this was a product of the silver mining days of the city. Which was incorrect. These tunnels were actually created in the late 19th century to divert the Guanajuato River which had flooded the city several times. In fact, Susana went and showed us markers of the height of the waters of several historic floods in the city's history.

I guess expert miners would be pretty good with creating tunnels, right? When it was decided that traffic should run under the city, another deeper set of tunnels were created to divert the river.

As we got to Teatro Juárez, the last leg of our tour was set to start.

IMG_1924

We were given the choice of taking the funicular or walking up the hill to the statue of El Pipila.

Well, you know what the Missus chose, right? Actually, it was a fun walk, especially checking out all the pooches along the way.

IMG_1931 (2)
IMG_1931 (2)
IMG_1931 (2)

And at the top was a spectacular view of the city.

IMG_1933_03

And above it all was the statue of El Pipila.

IMG_1939 (2)

El Pipila was of course a nickname. The gentleman's real name was Juan José de los Reyes Martínez Amaro. It is said that he was given the moniker "El Pipila", which means "the turkey" either because he had a certain complexion or more popularly, because he was born with a birth defect that affected the way he walked. So, what did El Pipila do? Well, El Pipila was a miner, who during the siege of Alhóndiga de Granaditas, when things were at a standstill, El Pipila tied a stone slab to his back to repel arrows and bullets and rushed the door of the granary. He carried with him a torch and tar. He coated the door with tar and set fire to the door. The smoke from the fire meant the garrison in the granary could not accurately aim, folks outside gained entrance to the building and the garrison was defeated. And the Mexican Independence movement gained momentum. And the legend of El Pipila was born.

IMG_5246

We enjoyed the street art on the walk back down.

IMG_5248
IMG_5248

It was a wonderful walking tour. Susana bade us farewell at Teatro Juárez and we did a bit of shopping and decided to grabbing some lunch. Close by was a place I had on my list….a Mariscos shop named La Vela.

IMG_1944

One of my favorite things was what I believe is the shop pooch? He started inside….

IMG_1943 (2)

And then when he saw us. he decided to "hang" with us and get some sun.

IMG_5250

Of course things soon got pretty warm out on the street so he grabbed a spot near us.

IMG_5258

As for the food….well, from what I had read, one of the specialties of La Vela was the "marlin", smoked fish. And you know how the Missus loves Her smoked fish.

We started with some Flautas de Marlin ($80/MX – $4/US)

IMG_1946

Loved the greens, but the tortillas were too chewy and the marlin really dry.

I was curious about the Caldo de Pescado ($95/Mx – $4.75/US) having had my share of mariscos "consomme" over the years.

IMG_1952

Man, this had a greasy tongue feel, and was very bland.

The highlight of the meal was the gigantic Empanada de Marlin con Queso ($60/MX – $3/US)

IMG_1949  IMG_1951  Nice and crisp exterior, the smoked fish was really the star of the show here. It was moist, smokey, not overly salty, with great savory tones. The queso was used sparingly, which was actually a good thing. Look at all that smoked fish!

So, perhaps not the best lunch we've ever had. But it ended on a high note. Plus, that pooch entertained us. Now, if only that Asian dude at the other table on a call, telling folks he's from "Irvine"  and went to "Xxxx University" and how he knows everything could have used his inside voice….well, it might have been a nicer meal.

La Vela
36000, Constancia 6
Guanajuato, Gto., Mexico

Well, I know this is  a rather long post. So thanks for reading!