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. 
This family owned (since 2004) restaurant has survived the Covid-19 ups and downs and is still going strong.
The Monday-Friday Lunch menu is simple and offers a good variety. 
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.
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. 
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
The 
The 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. 
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".
the float does indeed collapse!
As always, I ordered hot tea ($2.50). This green tea, served in the thermal cup, was of excellent quality. 
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.
We were here on one (of many) unbearably hot days last week and I was craving 
The miso soup was a notably good quality. 
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.
Not much has changed since Covid-19. Menu is the same. Tabletops are still sticky. Prices have, of course, increased.
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.
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.
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.
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.
La Clave Azul
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 
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.
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!
I just had to smile when I saw some of the brands. Benedicta, Bonne Maman, Fossier, Gavottes…….items that would be right at home at your local Carrefour or Monoprix. For some reason it just made me happy. The gentleman working named Franck was a joy. I believed he is one of the owners.
