Closed – Page 14

Farmer’s Table (Bay Park)

September 16, 2019 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants

**** This location of Farmer's Table has closed

I know; the Farmer's Table has been open in my 'hood for almost a year now and I'm finally doing a post? Well, you can kinda figure why it took me so long to do a couple of visits.

The Farmer's Table opening in our neighborhood sure did create a buzz; it seems that the changes and gentrification of Bay Park is moving along. Farmer's Table claims to serve "Farm to Fork"; which I think is great, though the Missus took a look at the menu and wasn't particularly inspired.

Still, I thought the space was nicely put together. Kind of a rustic-chic look.

Still, like I said, the Missus wasn't really motivated. So one morning while She was working I decided to drop by for the "Brunch" which is served from 8am to 3pm Daily. My Server was really cheerful and friendly. After perusing the menu; I went for the Heirloom Tomato Frittata ($15) with Black Beans and Sourdough Bread.

This was a very nice, albeit somewhat "corporate" looking dish. It should do good here not scaring off the long time locals, while seeming to be interesting enough for the rest of us. Sadly, the black beans were hardly seasoned and quite bland.

The eggs were fine, decently seasoned, but the "heirloom tomatoes" weren't ripe enough and was really weak in either the acidity or sweetness department. It wasn't terrible, just sort of uninspiring and bland. Basically, "food not to offend".

Still, I needed at least another visit under my belt before doing a post. So, I relentlessly badgered the Missus; until She finally agreed to go the Farmer's Table for dinner. And why wouldn't She? The place is but a few blocks away from our house. Just think I told Her, "can you imagine if Farmer's Table is good….it's so close."

So, we went for a fairly early dinner. The service was good, until the place started filling up.

We started with the Duck Liver Pate ($12) which was served with nicely charred ciabatta. Now, we weren't expecting anything near the quality of, say Arnaud Nicolas, but while be nice and smooth, the pate was really salty, which really overshadowed the usual gamey-offal-earthiness of a good duck or chicken liver pate.

We also got the Bison Tartare ($17).

You might want to just skip this if you've read yesterday's post on Senia. The bison was chopped too large for our tastes, thus making the already lean Bison even more tough. The meat also had a slight metallic tinge to it. I love the mellow beefy and slightly sweet flavor of Bison; remember the Bison Nahm Tok I made? But this just didn't seem to do the meat justice. It was more than half avocado; which was perfectly ripe and creamy, though the Quail Egg was overdone and wasn't runny enough to help out the dish.

We also got the Stuffed Portobello ($15). The menu read, "heirloom tomato, artichoke, bell pepper chutney + caramelized onion + manchego".

We couldn't find any tomato; though there was chopped bell pepper and onion. The artichokes were really sour as was the pool of liquid this overcooked, rubbery mushroom was floating in. The cheese had been melted in glops instead of being a nice layer of cheese. The dish was just strangely sour.

The Missus gave me a look……I didn't need the gift of telepathy to know exactly what our next move was. It was time to cut our losses and head home.

And so, I had enough for a post….but really felt bad about these meals. I mean, were these just off days? Several folks in the neighborhood mentioned how bad the service at Farmer's Table had been; but I had never experienced that.

So, when the Missus was working one weekend I returned. And got the Corn Beef Skillet ($14); with potatoes and focaccia.

The highlight of my meal was the focaccia; which while being on the salty side is crisp around the edges with some decent yeastiness. I ordered my eggs over easy; but they came out over-cooked. The potatoes were nicely fried; well seasoned. The skillet was just that….it looked like everything was just thrown into a skillet. The bell peppers were hard, there wasn't any caramelization on the food and it wasn't heated enough.

Over the three visits; it seems to me that Farmer's Table seems closer to being a "fast casual, somewhat corporate, chain" than what the menu says, "A Neighborhood Eatery". Perhaps the other locations are better? I know that Lynn really enjoyed her visit. I mean, I love the Farm to Fork credo, but I still gotta enjoy the food. Sad, because I was somewhat excited about having a place like this in our neighborhood.

Farmer's Table (Bay Park)
3055 Clairemont Dr
San Diego, CA 92117
Hours:
Sun – Thur 8am – 9pm
Fri – Sat 8am – 10pm

A-Bowl (Shanghainese)(Convoy)

September 4, 2019 Cathy Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

A-Bowl has closed

Thanks for stopping by to read mmm-yoso!!! It's another day with another post about food. Cathy is writing; Kirk is back at work.

The Mister and I were driving through another heavily packed parking lot on Convoy- and behind China Max, we saw a 'Grand Opening' sign and decided to check it out. A-Bowl has been open for about a month and we hadn't heard about it. Apparently the menu is Shanghainese and similar to Tasty Noodle House, according to some people online. We've never been to Tasty Noodle House, so can't compare. In any case, people were stopping out front to read the menu and walking in. It wasn't too crowded when we did the same, but was quite busy when we were leaving.
Looking at that back corner, with the overhead lighting, this looks as if it may have been a Karaoke venue at some point (there are several Karaoke businesses in this mall). It had been an InfiniTea-boba/beverage place before A-Bowl.

The menu is quite extensive (over 100 numbered items) and everything we ordered was served in deceptively large bowls…small-ish circumference, but deep and filled.
We decided to try the House Sauce Lao Mein ($8.99). I pulled out a noodle so you could see the eggy goodness. The 'House Sauce' was meaty (ground beef), ever so slightly sweet, slightly salty. There were small pieces of dry tofu, garlic, ginger and onion in the sauce. Bean sprouts and fresh cucumber slivers rounded this out. Mixed together, this was delicious! Kind of a Mabo, but not spicy. Satisfying.
We also decided to share the 'Spicy Sesame Wonton' ($8.99). Pork filled, large- two-bite-sized thin skinned wontons (there were ten; three layers in the, again, deceptively large bowl) topped with a peanut butter sauce, peanuts, pickled vegetables, cilantro and scallion tops. It wasn't that spicy and we added some of the tabletop condiments (soy, vinegar, white pepper and sambal) in various amounts to get the bit of 'kick' we were looking for, even though eating it 'plain' and with the pickled vegetables was quite good.
We decided to try this interesting "Seafood Combination with Chinese Donut" ($12.99) Large pieces of fish, squid, shrimp and (small, Bay) scallops mixed with plenty of fresh crispy Chinese (fried) donut, covered in a pretty typical Chinese 'Lobster Sauce'-a mild white sauce, chicken based, with eggs, peas and carrots along with green onion. This was great! The 'donut' stayed crunchy, the fish and squid were tender, shrimp were plump, scallops a bit chewy. The combination of flavors was great and the crunch of the donut was satisfying (we asked for no rice and it wasn't needed).

So far, this looks like a good lunch stop.

A-Bowl 4690 Convoy Street, Suite 111 San Diego 92111 (858)384-2278 Open Daily 11-3 then Mon-Th 5-9:45, Fri-Sat 4:30-10 Sun 4:30-9:30

Tomson D – Chinese (and Krispy Krunchy Chicken) (La Mesa)

August 30, 2019 Cathy Chicken Wings, Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Tomson D has closed. It will be missed.

This food blog named mmm-yoso!!! has Cathy posting on this hot summer day. Kirk is enjoying the start of a long weekend.

A sort of odd location, next to a Subway in a curved row of storefronts, this used to be Slides, a great concept with nice owners (I still crave the eggplant as well as the fish sliders from here). Now owned by a friendly couple, who seem to always be working, Tomson D has an interesting mix of food offerings as well as clientele.
When Tomson D first opened in October 2017, it offered Mongolian BBQ in addition to the still existing menu items, hence the empty 'salad bar'/refrigerated area to the right, in the above photo.
To the left, when you enter, is a wall menu of various appetizers,Chinese offerings and beverages.
To the left of the cash register is a display of fresh Krispy Krunchy Chicken, a Louisiana style franchise with four San Diego locations. (Which Kirk has written about, twice.). The chicken display always seems to be fresh and we have noticed that it is changed out regularly during the day if not sold out.

First things first. I've been here on my own before, on Fridays, when I don't eat meat. The 'Appetizer' menu has 'fried white fish' ($2.68 per piece).
One piece is quite large, and cut in half per order.
Light, crispy batter with some herbs; the tartar sauce isn't really necessary, but I end up using it on the second half, if I want variety. The fish is meaty, flaky and properly fried; not greasy.
The Chinese menu sells items by size- lunch, dinner and party. This is the "Tomson Beef" (L $7.38). Pretty much beef and onions. The beef is tender with a nice sauce of garlic and chilis. Each Chinese meal comes with a vegetable egg roll, served in a glassine paper bag. The Tomson Shrimp (L $7.98) isn't spicy and is stir fried with zucchini, carrot, onion and mushroom. Very plump shrimp and good, fresh vegetables.
The Pekin chicken (L $7.58) has a one chili 'heat rating' and it's pretty mild. Bell pepper, mushrooms, onion and chili are the ingredients and it's all fresh, juicy, flavorful.

Our first time trying the Krispy Krunchy chicken. We did order the three piece 'Meal Deal' ($5.59) and received four pieces, which was a nice accident. So, two legs and two thighs and a honey butter biscuit. Wow. The biscuit was really well made- fluffy inside with a crisped bottom and topped with definite honey butter covering the crispy crust; a perfect biscuit. What great fried chicken-light, crispy, the crust- seasoned 'politely' and not 'overwhelmingly'. The chicken meat was juicy, moist. Nothing needed to be added.

A great local owned restaurant with choices which should satisfy most cravings.

Tomson D 7406 University Avenue La Mesa, CA 91942 (619) 597-6666 Open Tues-Sun 11-9 CLOSED MONDAY

The menu has several teas offered, each for $3 (boba extra). The peach tea is very nice; you can taste the tea. But really, they sell chicken here.

Mr. Falafel (Clairemont)

August 29, 2019 Cathy Lebanese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog for more than 14 years. Kirk is working a lot this short week before a holiday weekend, Cathy is blogging.

Kirk has written about Mr. Falafel a total of three times; it's closer to His workplace. However, I drive around a lot. There are several signs directing you to this small storefront, (a strip mall *behind* the Panda Country on Clairmont Mesa at Genesee (the Southwest corner)). It used to be a Mexican Bakery where we would stop after eating at the small Mexican restaurant, also in this strip mall. The signage used to indicate it was 'Mediterranean Cuisine' and now it is more specific- 'Lebanese Cuisine'. There are 8 tables (two outside), 18 chairs. The menu is simple. The owner is very friendly and takes your order, apologizes that you will have to wait while it is being prepared, brings the food out to your table and checks up on how you are doing. It is his place and you can tell he is proud of his quality. Did I mention he is friendly? He is also happy, sings with the music playing in the background while cleaning the tables. It's like you are guest in his home.
The entire menu. Of course, we had to try the falafel. Knowing this was Lebanese meant the falafel would have fava beans in addition to chickpeas (I mentioned falafel ingredient differences in this post). A 'Munchie' ($5.99) of falafel was ordered.

Crisp exterior, fluffy interior, onion, garlic, parsley mixed with the garbanzo and fava. Quite perfect. Made to order (of course) and served with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and (a very mild) tahini. This could be a light meal.

So. Lebanese. Top center menu item, Lebanese chicken panini ($7.95). Chicken, pickles, garlic spread on a pressed French roll. This is a Lebanese restaurant…Alforon and chicken tawook came to mind. Could it be?
Oh yes!!! Freshly pulled roasted chicken (there was a small bone in one bite), a nice amount of pickles and the light, fluffy smooth, garlic paste on the nicely crisp yet fluffy pannini'd bread. All the flavors I crave. When you order the sandwich, you can also get a small size of any side item (hummus, tabbouleh, cucumber yogurt salad, potato salad fries or baba ganoosh) for 1/2 price. Ganoosh it was! Smoky, chunky, fresh-wonderful. The 'Munchie' part of the menu says a choice of either fresh pita or pita chips, and we were given some of each. The regular pita here are the nice, thin version (which is what the toasted pita are made from)- and I like thin pita rather than the fluffy, bread-y style.

A longtime (since 2011), local owned, friendly place serving wonderful, fresh food.

Mr. Falafel 4461 Clairmont Mesa Blvd (BEHIND Panda Country and the gas station) 92117 (858)490-0170 Closed Monday, 11-8 Tues-Sun Website

Speedy Falafel (El Cajon)

August 22, 2019 Cathy Lebanese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Speedy Falafel has closed. It will be missed.

This, mmm-yoso!!!, is a food blog. Cathy is writing today.

We noticed this rather large building after visiting City Bistro earlier this year (it's one block West). There were notes made and finally, The Mister and I returned to the neighborhood. Order, pay, grab a beverage, find a seat; your food will be brought to the table. There is plenty of seating. Speedy Falafel has been in this El Cajon location for about ten months.
The menu is on the wall, where you order and pay, also HERE. (EDIT: there is a new chef and some menu items may be added or not available at all times; I'm pretty confident that the choices we made on these visits are 'standard') Falafel sandwich ($3.99). There is a choice of falafel types; this is Lebanese (made with garbanzo and fava beans, cilantro and spices).

Other falafel styles are Iraqi (garbanzos, onion, garlic and spices) and Syrian (garbanzos, cilantro and spices). You can get sandwiches made with either flatbread or samoon bread.

Here is a beef kabob sandwich ($5.99) on a samoon. Each sandwich came with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle. There was a small side of hummus, a small serving of fresh made fried potatoes and we each got a bowl of soup (I think because we were eating in). A very good vegetable soup this day; celery, mushrooms, carrot and onion. Hearty. The sandwiches were each fresh, flavorful, definite return-for items.

On another visit, we tried a Bureg (beef and vegetable stuffed in a baked, thicker egg roll wrap ($2). This was good, but one was enough.
We also shared a Za'tar topped flatbread ($4.99) Gosh, this was great. The fresh za'tar spices (oregano, sumac, sesame seed, salt, pepper) mixed with olive oil on this wonderful, fresh, slightly crisp flat bread was just a perfect treat.

We decided to share the Pompano Zubidi (fried fish) ($10.99). This came with two bowls of wonderful lentil soup. The perfectly fried fish had yellow basmati rice and tomatoes, onions, cucumber and pickles on the side. It was wonderful; tender, fresh, flavorful.
On the far end of the eating area is a small bakery with a few individually priced items and mostly different 'by the pound' baklava pieces. This mixed nut roll was $1.50 and really good- there were small hazelnuts, pistachios and walnut pieces. These baklava creations, one with shredded filo filled with nuts and fig and one triangle piece, a more nutty traditional baklava cost $2.86 (pricing of $10.99/lb). These are sugar syrup, not honey based, sweets. very fresh, crispy, nutty, deep flavored bits of just enough dessert.

Speedy Falafel 1142 E Main St. El Cajon, CA 92021 (619) 938-4455 Open daily 8-10 (yes, there is a breakfast menu; basturma, foul medammas and other traditional Armenian items are available)(again, there is a new chef and the menu may be changing) website

Lima Restaurant

August 19, 2019 mmm-yoso Peruvian Restaurants

**** Lima Restaurant has closed

Back in June, one of the folks in my office was headed to Jury Duty and asked me where to eat; of course I recommended Sultan. Which he really enjoyed. Though when he returned he asked me what I thought of the "new" Peruvian Restaurant which was across the street from Sultan. New Peruvian? Across the street from Sultan? So on the following weekend, I decided to head on down to see what he was referring to. And there on the corner of F and Fourth, with a rather discreet sign was "Lima Restaurant".

The fairly large, high ceiling restaurant was quite empty. Looking more like a sports bar than a restaurant.

The woman who waited on me was very friendly and warm. Turned out she was one of the owners.

I started with a Chicha Morada; which was perfect.

Very balanced sweet – cinnamon tones; quite refreshing.

And a little bowl of plantain chips and canchita, nice and warm arrived at the table.

I had ordered the Lomo Saltado, which arrived looking wonderfully vibrant. In a rather different presentation; the fries were served to the side. The nice lady told me that these days folks in Lima prefer Lomo Saltado served this way and I could mix it in as I desired…..or keep it separate to extend the crispness. Like I always say about Peru……the cuisine is always evolving.

The beef was surprisingly tender; there was a good ratio of tomato to onion…..providing a nice balance of acidity to pungency. I of course, like my papas fritas saturated in the sauce and my only complaint was that there wasn't enough of it. The sauce was more soy sauce forward; with less vinegar, but wasn't overly salty.

This was a nice version. Because the restaurant was fairly quiet; I had a nice conversation with the woman; who was indeed from Lima. We spoke about how the cuisine was ever changing, with everything from the new style "Leche de Tigre"; a creamy, cold soup like dish and how Tacu Tacu con Lomo Saltado has gotten popular. She also told me that Lima Restaurant was having a formal grand opening at the end of July. They were working on the installation and all of the licensing and approvals for a Pollo ala Brassa rostisserie.

I left quite satisfied. And waited to see if I'd hear anything about Lima Restaurant, but the only thing I saw was this; which, by the way, incorrectly attributes Lomo Saltado to the Japanese Diaspora. Being a Sansei myself; I'd love if that were true. The truth of the matter is; and this is from all of my Peruvian food books, and also everywhere online, Lomo Saltado is a Tusan (Chifa) dish. Sigh….

So finally, after not hearing anything for a while, I decided to head back down to the Gaslamp to see what was going on at Lima Restaurant.

The place was very quiet on this visit as well. The gentleman working was quite nice. Though the cancha this time around was cold and dry……not a good start in my book.

I started with the Causa. Which actually had real crab in it! It was perhaps a bit heavy handed in terms of mayo, though the potato was very moist and the seasoning spot on. The very gracious Server asked me if I wanted some "hot sauce" and I responded "some aji?" Which totally changed his friendly but reserved demeanor….."yes, we have four different aji!" So, I selected the Aji Rocoto and the nice Server actually brought me two. The Aji Rocoto and the Aji Panca. "The rocoto is very spicy, so I brought you the panca as well; which you might enjoy more." Great service. The Aji Rocoto was quite spicy, while the Panca had some heat and helped to cut the richness.

I also ordered the Cebiche Pescado, first asking what type of fish was being used.

I was quite thrilled to find out it was sole….making this truly a Cebiche Lenguado! Which was quite nice. The fish was nicely "marinated/cooked" in the Leche de Tigre, as it was still firm, but yielding and not mushy at all. The Leche de Tigre was surprisingly "picante"; quite spicy, but still refreshing. It was also ginger forward; not quite sure if I enjoyed that. At first I didn't think there was very much Leche de Tigre, but it was hidden underneath all that fish; along with quite a bit, perhaps too much, red onion.

I had actually saved my canchita not being sure they would serve more with the cebiche, but they did. It was on the dry side. The chocolo (corn) was too hard and tasteless; the camote had no flavor and was quite hard.

Still, I enjoyed the quality of the fish. I'd have this again just to see if the addition of all that chili was a mistake.

I had a nice conversation with the Server and mentioned the Pollo ala Brassa. He told me they were still working on completing all the inspections and will (hopefully) have it in by the end of August.

I enjoyed the quality of the main ingredients used and the folks working here. I wish it was in a more convenient location for me; though at least I now have another option when I get called for Jury Duty.

Lima Restaurant
409 F St.
San Diego, CA 92101
Hours:
Mon – Thurs 11am – 9pm
Fri – Sat 11am – 10pm
Sunday 11am – 8pm

Bann Korean Cuisine – Now in the H Mart Food Court

August 18, 2019 mmm-yoso Korean Restaurants

**** Bann has closed

Of all the places in the H Mart Food Court; the one that really interested me was Bann. While I considered Bann to be a decent option for lunch on Miramar Road; the food was prepared fresh, the flavors, while on the mild side, was decent, with the Kimchi Fried Rice the stand-out. Still, with a more discerning crowd, I was interested to see what changes, if any Bann had made since the move.

And so I headed down to H Mart at around 11am. The place is not nearly as crowded as when the place first opened. Good for me….not sure for all the businesses.

Bann is located to the right of Myungran Hot Dog.

The menu is tight and dishes no longer have the superflous green salads and mandu added to the menu items. Prices are about the same; even a few cents cheaper than before.

Though if you chose to have beef with your kimchi fried rice; it would be almost fourteen bucks!

I placed my order for the Kimchi Fried Rice with Spam (of course) and had a seat at one of the table.

Soon enough, I heard the mechanized "voice app" go off, it's the same voice for all the stands. It seems that each stand has a number sequence, so you'll deal with numbers in the thousands; "order five thousand – six hundred – seventy – three"……

First off; the portion size seemed to have increased quite a bit.

Secondly, it's way more spicy than it used to be….quite nice, though it might mute some of the other flavors. Couldn't really make out salty – savoriness of the Spam, which might be a good thing for some, but I really like the flavor of Spam.

Good amount of kimchi used; though it's not good fermented kimchi as it lacks the complex cheesy-sour-savory tones of a good baechu kimchi.

Thirdly, the egg was a nice sunny-side up.

Overall, a nice version of straight-up Kimchi Fried Rice. It won't win any awards, but is a decent version.

I really enjoyed the nice folks that used work the register at the Miramar location, but did not recognize the young lady working on this day. She was fine, but not nearly as pleasant. This was a decent lunch and Bann seems less fusiony these days. Nothing to go out of your way for; but perfectly fine if you're shopping at H Mart and need to load up on carbs.

Bann Korean Cuisine
7725 Balboa Ave. (In the H Mart Food Court)
San Diego, CA 92111

Sunday Sandwiches – Banh Mi From Lena’s Sandwiches & Deli

August 11, 2019 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Lena's Sandwiches & Deli has closed

It seems that I just don't get up to City Heights as much as I used to. While driving on ECB a few months back, I noticed that Kim Chan Sandwich Shop, which was once upon a time a Banh Mi staple for me and an old favorite of Ed from Yuma, was gone. It had been replaced by Lena’s Sandwiches & Deli.

So, after returning from our trip, I decided to drop by. Parking in this lot is an adventure; especially in the mornings where all the "coffee guys" hang out at Nhu Y.

In addition, the parking spaces are very small here and on both visits there were vehicles taking up more than one space. Kind of a bummer for the businesses here.

The shop does look a bit like Kim Chan; with a fresh coat of paint and modern signs. The folks here are very kind and mellow.

As is my MO at Banh Mi shops; I started with the Dac Biet ($4.50), just to see how things are put together.

The longer type of "baguette" used here was fairly yeasty; though on this trip it was heading to past its prime as it was mealy and dry.

The pickled carrots aren't very heavily pickled, though the radish is and the jalapenos were no joke! The cucumbers were crisp though the amount of cilantro was rather sparse.

Liked the ratio of Thit Ngoi, the ham to the Cha was perfect, medium-thin slices. I really enjoyed the pate as there was a pretty good amount of it; nice earthy -rich flavors.

This was a pretty good sandwich, so I returned the following weekend.

This time around I ordered the Banh Mi Nem Nuong ($4.50). The older gentleman working was so nice when he mentioned that they griddle the sausage so it would be a few minutes. I tols him no worries since it was Sunday and I'd even managed to score a nice parking space!

This time around the bread was perfeect; it held up well, nice yeastiness, a crackly crust.

I really enjoyed the salty-porkiness of the nem nuong; it was browned nicely. And those jalapenos were pretty darn spicy.

My only issue was that the cilantro was starting to turn brown.

I rather enjoyed the sandwich. Especially after having recently eaten at all these Westernized shops around town. This old school Banh Mi shop was refreshing. And it was pleasure dealing with the folks here as well.

Maybe one of these days I'll do a Banh Mi Retrospective again. Come to think of it; I think the Banh Mi Ba Chi from Cafe Dore is calling me…..

Lena’s Sandwiches & Deli
4712 El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92115
Hours:
Mon – Tues 8am – 8pm
Wed 8am – 2pm
Thurs – Sat 8am – 8pm
Sunday 8am – 6pm

TNT (Tortilla N Taco Factory) (El Cajon)

August 6, 2019 Cathy Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about food. On this hot day, Kirk is staying late at work…because of the air conditioning, or is he overwhelmed with work? I suspect it's the latter. Cathy is writing this post.

The Mister and I were headed to no particular destination, driving on Main Street in El Cajon, got stopped at the signal light at Mollison. The Southwest corner had a sign "TNT". I turned.
We parked in a semi-large parking lot, which has a liquor store, Middle Eastern bakery and a few other businesses. It wasn't busy at the time, filled up considerably by the time we left.
This is the menu. It is current.
Three tacos, $2.60 each. The corn tortillas were pressed from fresh masa and toasted on the grill while we ordered. Words to describe: toasty corn sweet/fresh. The best I've ever had. Magical.

Why is there so much fresh masa?
Carne asada taco. Tender, well marinated, flavorful steak. There are beans on this-and it goes together. The guacamole is fresh, not overly seasoned-it tastes like avocado, not lime, not garlic, not heat. I like it that way. Cilantro and onion round out all the flavors.
Pork adobada./al pastor. Cut from the rotisserie and grilled so each side of the seasoned pork was a bit crisp, this was a very good version. Again, the guacamole, onion and cilantro were complimentary to the meaty/mildly spicy flavors.
The chile relleno was a wonderful version. The young guero chili pepper, still sweet (gueros get hotter as they mature) with a light yellow color, with a perfect taco size (about 4 inches by 2.5 inches in size) was just wonderful; crisp, flavorful and filled with Oaxaca which was mild and gooey, the batter was crisp, light, not oily. The toppings of a mild salsa roja, tomatoes, onion, cilantro and sprinkle of Cotija were just right.

Again, each taco was $2.60. What a nice little taco shop. Such quality. Why does the menu look familiar? The prices aren't; they are more than reasonable.
We could have stopped after threee tacos-it was a nice, light meal. But the menu…a quesadilla is $1.50. Had to. Fresh flour tortilla (could have had it on a corn tortilla, but, you know, for blogging purposes). Oaxaca cheese. Melty, crisped on the edges. Perfect.
Elote asado ($3.25) We figured it would come in a cup. We had to wait. It was boiled first, then grilled then topped with Cotija and Tajin. Such attention to detail. Fresh, sweet, crisp corn.
What the heck. Churros are on the menu.($2,75), fried to order, rolled in cinnamon sugar and topped with either name brand chocolate or name brand caramel or both or on the side. The toppings/dip weren't necessary; the churros are great with just the cinnamon sugar. Probably because, you know, fresh made.

We will return; the shrimp and fish tacos, another chile relleno…more of everything. Keep reading.

Tortilla N' Taco Factory 130 S Mollison Ave El Cajon, CA 92020 (619) 938-2211 Open daily 11 a.m.-4 p.m. website

Open daily 11-4. Five hours. One side of the building is blacked out; behind the open kitchen area. What happens after the restaurant closes? If you can enlarge and look at the t-shirt in the photo below…City Tacos. What?

Yes, this obscure location in El Cajon is the main kitchen for all the locations of City Tacos (which, I know has a love/hate relationship for a lot of people). Once the restaurant here closes, supplies are made and sent out or readied for pick up by the three (soon to be six) locations in the County.

El Jardin Changes Course

July 30, 2019 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants

**** El Jardin has closed

Sometimes I wait too damn long to do a follow-up post. Such is the case with El Jardin. I just found out via Eater San Diego, that El Jardin will shutter and reopen as a….gasp "Cantina"! This is somewhat sad news as we enjoyed some pretty good meals at El Jardin.

We had returned several times since those visits…..

And yes, that is the $28 "Sonora Dogo" a wagyu beef dog, with chorizo and pork belly….

While not everything was to our taste, the Missus really enjoyed certain dishes; like the Pozole Verde.

And while the food was sometimes uneven and perhaps the service not what we'd say was at the level of the menu; still, it was warm and friendly, the food creative without going for a whole lot of glitz…..

From the Eater post; the chef is leaving, and El Jardin will reopen as a cantina…specializing in, wait for it….carne asada and Margaritas.

So, in spite of having a chef nominated for a James Beard award, making the Michelin Bib Gourmet list, and getting a positive review in the New York Times, El Jardin changes course.

Cheers El Jardin! We'll miss you…..