Closed – Page 36

Mike’s BBQ (Bay Park)

March 9, 2016 mmm-yoso BBQ

**** This location of Mike's BBQ has closed

Way back in March of last year, I mentioned that Mike's BBQ was replacing the rather ill-fated LW's SD BBQ. Mike's has a location out in Escondido and I pinged some acquaintances who lived in North County…..all of them used Phil's as a comparison. Which didn't place them very high on my list of places to try….nothing against Phil's….folks like the place, he makes great ketchup (sauce), but it pretty much ends there for me.

I did end up trying Mike's BBQ three times since they opened and have noticed a couple of interesting things.

They have a adequate selection of beer, pretty much paint by the numbers; that would be no sours, no true Belgians, but still not terrible. What I did notice was that the beer selection, while nothing outstanding was significantly better than Coastal Crave's, which is in the same strip mall. Last time I was there was back in April of last year, so perhaps things have changed.

The set-up is rather corporate, but still nice, spacious, and clean.

The folks were really nice on my three visits and I think folks come here to watch sports….so it's become the local sportsbar of sorts.

On my first visit, I went with the Brisket Sandwich, with Potato Salad as my side. The potato salad was actually the best thing about this meal; though I have to say, the portion size was quite large for a "side".

The folks here were nice enough to serve me the sauce, which wasn't very good….much too sweet, almost artificially sweet….I tried the spicy, which wasn't much better, on the side. The brisket was on the dry side, lacking in smoke flavor, the texture somewhat mealy, like it had been par cooked. No complaints about the amount of food, but this really didn't impress me much.

Still, the folks were quite nice and the portion size decent, so after a few months I returned and got the Four Babybacks and Quarter Chicken ($14.99).

So let's be perfectly honest here……the ribs look like they've been sitting around for a bit too long, then dumped on a grill. It was rather gummy in texture. I'll pass on the coleslaw and mac and cheese (which had some hard bits) next time as well.

The chicken was quite moist and had a decent seasoning; though this really didn't pass as BBQ Chicken to me, seeming to be roasted chicken heated on a grill. Still, it wasn't bad….

After giving things a break, I returned a couple of weeks ago. They've done a bit more to the place and it looks quite welcoming.

I just went with the Spicy Sausage and Fries. Like before the portion size of the "side" seemed very generous.

The dog was hot, mildly spicy, and very juicy……this was actually the best meal I've had at Mike's. Not earth-shattering mind you, but ok.

I like the folks that work here, the portions are generous, and it's nice to have more options in the area. Not sure when, or if I'll return to Mike's BBQ, but I hope they do well.

Mike’s BBQ
3057 Clairemont Dr
San Diego, CA 92117
Open Daily 11am – 9pm

Not to beat a dead horse, but this is how I prefer my BBQ from a couple of photos I had lying around……

My baby back ribs…..some chicken thighs for pulled chicken….

A smoked half chicken with a bourbon glaze…..not rocket science…..

Papa’s Donuts – malasadas! (La Mesa)

February 13, 2016 Cathy Bakery, Desserts, Hawaiian Food, What Cathy Eats!

Papa's Donuts has closed. It will be missed.

Thanks for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!! during your perusal of the interwebs. Kirk usually writes posts here, but he is too busy vacationing. Ed (from Yuma) is too busy to write a post today. Cathy is writing this one about a newer place with some unique products and some very well made common products.

There are many small businesses located along Lake Murray Boulevard and The Mister and I were so happy to have found this one. Papa's opened in late August 2014, but we were unaware.Papa's Donuts is in a small storefront located at the far end of the Big Lots anchored strip mall (across the street from the Ross Dress for Less anchored strip mall).

We first stopped here in December. Subsequently, we've noticed sandwich board signs at various sidewalk locations on the block and at the median, pointing where to turn.

Stepping into the store early one rainy morning, we noticed racks of fresh donuts ready to be placed in the display cases. Walking in, to your right, one of the wall menu boards is updated daily with a "Special" as well 'filling of the day' for the malasadas (a Portuguese treat, re-tooled and made famous in Hawaii, at Leonard's, which Kirk mentioned in a 2012 post).

«—Click the thumbnail for the story of the Bobby "O", the donut special available only on weekends.

Behold, the Bobby "O". Its cross section-that's haupia cream (light flavored young coconut; not a concentrated sweet coconut flavor) the topping is a wonderful dark chocolate and it is topped with chopped macadamia nuts. So delightful, so fresh and so special. (The price is 95¢-a fancy donut without a fancy price).Everything is made fresh daily, because there are no leftovers: from 5 p.m.-closing, donuts are $5/dozen.The malasada trays are right in front as you walk in. 3 for $2.50 and, as tradition, you are given a warm, unfilled, sugar/cinnamon coated treat when you leave.The amount of fillings vary (Lilikoi is passion fruit and has such a strong flavor that not much is needed) and each one I've had is a wonderful treat. {Above are the guava, lilikoi and haupia (young coconut)}.

Another great little family owned and run business!

Papa's Donuts 6179 Lake Murray Blvd La Mesa, 91942 (619) 741-5135 Website Open Mon-Fri 5 a.m.-7 p.m., Sat 6 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun 6 a.m.-4 p.m.

These are from that first menu board- raspberry fruit jelly, dobosh (dark) chocolate and bavarian custard flavors. That's half a French Cruller; the donuts here are a normal, old fashioned size.

Pho Pasteur Anh Hong (revisit)

February 12, 2016 Cathy Salads, Vietnamese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Kirk is on (another) vacation, Ed (from Yuma) is enjoying Yuma and Cathy is writing this post about food for mmm-yoso!!!

The weather in San Diego has been unusual so far this year, from freezing temperatures to heavy, flooding rains, damaging winds and then yesterday, temperatures in the 90's. It's confusing on how to dress-layering a sweater over a long sleeve t-shirt over a short sleeve shirt seems necessary. Then 'what's for lunch' diverges into thoughts of both warming soups to refreshing salads. A recent solution was found at Pho Pasteur, which I've written about, several times.
Not much here has changed over the years; still the same glass top over pink tablecloths and consistent food. The mall, however lost its anchor business on August 4 last year and it seems that permitting to rebuild has taken a very long time.

Since I am the 'always chilly' person lately, a bowl of my favorite Mien Ga (bean thread with chicken soup) ($6.99) was the plan for this meal.The add-ins were used for the 'second half' of this bowl, making the flavor profile a bit different, like a new bowl of soup. Both The Mister and I enjoy trying various versions of Banh Xeo ($5.99) and the pancake with its light turmeric flavor and crunchiness with fresh fillings of pork, shrimp, bean sprouts and mung bean was just right when wrapped inside pieces of lettuce and mint and dipped in the bowl of Nuoc Cham (sweet, salty and sour!).Two summers ago, I was in search of the best version of Goi Bo (beef salad) ($10.99) and after much comparison shopping, the final determination is that my favorite version is made at Pho Pasteur Anh Hong. The slices of cooked marinated beef mixed with the thin, thin uniquely sliced (regular and pickled) vegetables, chopped peanuts and basil combine to make this salad so satisfying as a meal.

All in all, a really good hot/cold meal.

Pho Pasteur Ahn Hong 7612 Linda Vista road San Diego 92111 (858) 569-7515

Grinds & Vine- a coffee bar, with food (Inside Negotiant Winery) (North Park)

February 9, 2016 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Caffeine Fix

Grinds & Vine has closed

Here you are, back at mmm-yoso!!!, looking for someplace new, different or just to see if Kirk or Ed (from Yuma) or Cathy go to the same places as you. Today's post is written by Cathy.

In between rainy and windy days, there tend to be some really beautiful ones interspersed here in San Diego County. Driving East on El Cajon Boulevard one of those days, we noticed the signage above the building as well as a sandwich board on the sidewalk. You know we had to stop.Curious about the idea of having to go though the Winery door to get to the coffee shop area, we walked in and looked to the right, where the sunlight was streaming in through the open roll up wall door; because it is being constructed to be a pre-order and drive up spot.

Back inside, there is a walk up sort of grab and go case of pastries, pre-made sandwiches, salads and bottled/canned beverages. But there is also a small menu of foods as well as beverages (hot, cold, smoothies). The coffees are from both Lavazza and Bird Rock.We decided to try an iced coffee (the cold brew was not ready) which is kept cold with coffee ice cubes (you have no idea how much I appreciate non-diluting chilling methods). There are so many 'Specialty' drinks offered here, a few seen on this blog post by cc, from September.
The Mister decided to try a 'Kale Superfood Salad' ($7.95) (add rotisserie chicken $3.50). The bowl it was served in was quite large and deep. We shared and this was great, quite enough food.The only person working that day was the owner and we overheard him talking to some 'regulars' about a Special for $6 and decided to order it. Thick slices of cucumber, toped with a thick layer of goat cheese, topped with a nicely sweet/spicy chutney (there was ginger in it) and drizzled with honey. Simple, yet a flavor combination I never considered. We have since purchased several chutneys at Trader Joe's and enjoyed a similar snack at home.

Grinds and Vine Coffee Bar 2419 El Cajon Blvd San Diego 92104 (Between Texas Street and Arizona Street) (619) 512-2423 Website Closed Mondays. Tue and Wed 6:30 am – 3:00 pm. Thur and Fri 6:30 am – 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Sat 7:30 am – 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Sun 8:00 am – 2:00 pm

Lemon Grove Deli & Grill- revisits/new ownership

February 8, 2016 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

This is mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk (and his Missus) are on vacation. Ed (from Yuma) (and Tina) have also been on vacation. Cathy (and her Mister) have been staying in the County and eating food after taking photos of it. She is posting today.

In April of 2015, Howard's Lemon Grove Deli & Grill was sold to a new family after many decades as a mainstay on Broadway Avenue. The new owners are a very nice Italian family, who have made a few cosmetic improvements to the interior and tweaked the menu.

The exterior is pretty much the same. You can walk in and find a seat or stand and order items 'To Go'. The menu is on the back wall.The corned beef hash and eggs ($8.99) is always a good choice. Two eggs, a choice of home fries or hash browns, and a choice of toast, biscuit and gravy or pancakes are al part of the meal. The corned beef hash is very good and not too salty.Two visits, I've ordered each of the breakfast sandwiches on the menu. Both with rye toast. The top photo is the "Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich" ($7.75)- scrambled eggs, cheese, bacon, ham, sausage, mushrooms, bell pepper and avocado. Hearty and good.

The bottom photo (directly above) is the simpler "Breakfast Sandwich" ($5.75)- Scrambled eggs, cheese (you have a choice of cheeses) and ham or bacon or sausage. Bacon in this case. Unfortunately the Eggs Benedict is no longer on the menu, but a "Grilled Bone In Ham Steak" with eggs ($9.75) is. The Benedict and its sauce was very good when we ordered it. The home fries are the same as in this photo. Since there is an easy way to order online, I've done it a few times. The "Famous Pastrami" ($8.50) is large enough for two. The bread is grilled, there's a choice of cheese and a choice of ingredients. 8 ounces of meat. Really good sandwiches here.

Its great that the Roberto family has kept this East County institution going.

Lemon Grove Deli & Grill 7860 Broadway Lemon Grove CA 91945 (619)464-2928 Website Open daily at 7 a.m Closes at 4 p.m. Mon-Thurs and Sat; closes at 5 on Fri; closes at 2 on Sun Website

Xi’an Kitchen Revisited

February 1, 2016 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants

**** Xi'an Kitchen has closed

Recently, I was looking at my post on Tong Sheng Xiang (同盛祥) during our trip to Xi'an. Which had me wondering how Xi'an Kitchen was doing. During my earlier visits, the service was borderline abysmal…..well, kind of like the norm for some of those places in the SGV. My coworker Calvin is game for everything. I know he loves lamb, but his wife just can't stand the smell….so I thought he'd like to join me.

While the service is still somewhat perfunctory, things have calmed down a bit here. The food came out quickly…perhaps a bit too quickly in the case of the Green Beans, which hadn't been cooked the way I prefer.

Undercooked, underflavored….mediocre.

When I mentioned Zhajiangmian to Calvin, he didn't know the dish originated in China…Beijing, he's only had Korean Jajangmyeon. This from a kid raised right around the block from 101 Noodle Express. So I had to order it.

Not impressed with the handmade noodles, it had some pull, but the texture just didn't do it for me. The noodles weren't drained well either. Hard to believe these were hand made. Not enough pork and bean paste sauce, but the flavor of the sauce provided was fine. It was served the classic way with shredded cucumber and bean sprouts.

Calvin loved the Yang Rou Pao Mo.

The bread is still all wrong; but the broth is quite tasty; gamey, with the flavor of the pasture I enjoy. Calvin absolutely loved this, he basically licked the bowl dry……he especially enjoyed the thickness and tongue feel of the broth and the gamey flavor. Now you see why he's always welcome to eat with me.

The Rou Jia Mo was too cold to enjoy.

There was a bit more filling than I recalled, though the pork….much like pulled pork was less fatty than I remembered. We split one, then took the other one back for "YZ"….who got a kick that I took Calvin to Xi'an Kitchen.

It's nice we're starting to get a better representation of regional Chinese cuisine than second rate Sichuan, Hot Pot, or lousy dim sum. I'm hoping that things keep getting better.

Xi’an Kitchen
4690 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Liang’s Kitchen Revisited

January 25, 2016 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Niu Rou Mian, Taiwanese Food and Restaurants

** Liang's has closed

For some reason the beef noodle soup at Green China Grill had me thinking about Liang's. Not sure why, very different creatures, but, in spite of the very bad taste of bleach permeating my NRM the last time, I decided it had been a while, so why not?

I was a bit taken a back when I visited. It was 1130 and not a soul in the place. And it also looks like Liang's has not aged well; several of the light fixtures had no bulbs, perhaps to reduce costs, but the wires were hanging out. What I really noticed was the chipped paint everywhere.

The chairs I recalled had been replaced with very cheap banquet chairs. Kind of sad to see the state of the place in about five years of life.

Service was pretty much indifferent, so that part is consistent. I went with the Tendon and Beef Noodle Soup with the LaPian noodles. The bowl arrived hot and steaming.

First off, there were some decent things about this bowl….first and foremost no bleach flavor. Second, the broth was super hot. Third, that piece of tendon was excellent, holding shape but tender bordering on buttery. The broth had decent richness and the flavor of the preserved vegetable came through, but was pretty one dimensional in terms of overall flavor, low anise, lacking in beefiness, and way too much MSG. The beef was cold in the center and tasted a bit like it had been held in the fridge too long. I should have learned my lesson about the noodles and gone with the regular version. The Lapian noodles were hard and pretty much just tore to pieces when grabbing them with chopsticks.

I'm on the fence about this one. It's mediocre, not terrible, though I couldn't finish the broth because of all the MSG. Nothing really incites me to return….so maybe it'll be another 2 or 3 years, or maybe more….I do hope they spruce up the place a bit.

Liang’s Kitchen
4681 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Revisit: Song Huong – Mira Mesa

January 17, 2016 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** This location of Song Huong has been replaced by Saigon Corner

Time sure does fly, doesn't it? It's easy to forget about places you mean to revisit when they are tucked away from the main drag; such is the case with Song Huong almost hidden behind Vinh Hung Market. In fact, I'd totally forgotten about the place until someone mentioned that Chibugan, which had once occupied the Song Huong space; then moved next door had closed. It had me wondering about how Song Huong was doing. Then, as chance would have it, I heard someone recommending the Bun Bo Hue at Song Huong; I did recall it being decent, but nothing special. Still, you didn't have to remind me a third time…..

I had decided to go into the office on a recent weekend to catch up on things, so I decided to take a little detour to Song Huong.

Not sure if it was the strange set-up of the tables, which stretched from the booths…sticking out with four to six seats added. Or the sticky floors and tables. Or perhaps the overall mustiness of the place. It did seem that time has not been to good to Song Huong.

The women working here are very nice; though communication was a bit difficult at times. I did manage to order the Bun Bo Hue, now $7.

This was kind of an odd bowl of BBH. First off, no pork hock. The flank was super tough and the small slices if what looked like pounded beef tasted a bit off and was very tough. No cha lua, just some fish cake. The broth seemed to be dressed up pho broth, with mild hints of spice, but almost no lemongrass or even that quick fixer upper mam tom flavor. It was scalding hot though.

I'm not sure what to say about the noodles, which were different from the bun I'm used to having in BBH. This was hard and very, very slippery….more like undercooked wheat based noodles. The greens and herbs were plentiful, but starting to discolor and mostly comprised of lettuce.

I really don't know what to say about this bowl of soup. Maybe it was an off day? I gotta say, this was a rather strange bowl of Bun Bo Hue. It just seemed thrown together. It's been five years since I'd last visited….I don't think I'll be back anytime soon.

Song Huong
10550 Camino Ruiz
San Diego, CA 92126

Havana Grill – Some First Impressions

January 11, 2016 mmm-yoso Cuban Restaurants, Latin American Cuisine, Sandwiches

**** This location of Havana Grill has closed

Boy, did Havana Grill take their sweet old time opening. I’m not sure what the roadblocks were, but I’d mentioned seeing their signage back in June. Still, I was intrigued to finally see them open about a month ago.

The shop is one of those “fast-casual” type places; you order at the counter, take number and have a seat. The restaurant was still in it’s soft-opening phase when I visited, so I can understand the rather slow delivery of some of my orders and that some of the items; specifically the mojo was a bit different on my visits. I will say this; the staff is very friendly.

My adventures started with the Ropa Vieja – “old clothes”, the classic Cuban shredded beef dish. Not cheap at $13.

This was probably the best version of this dish I’ve had in San Diego. The beef was perfectly toothsome, but not tough and overly stringy. The flavor was mellow, but the brininess of the capers and olives lifted the dish. The beef flavor was present and the sodium level low. Of all the items I had, it was the black beans that made an impression; sweet-salty-beany, cumin lurking in the background; the texture of the beans was nice, and it was neither too runny or too mushy. The really nice guy named Alex, told me that their recipe uses 17 ingredients. I bought a side order for the Missus who really enjoyed it.

The mojo had a bit too much oil and not enough citrus or garlic flavor for me.

The plantains….were plantains…… just being their sweet ol’ selves.

During my meal, Alex told me that Havana Grill baked their own bread. So you know what I had to try, right?

On my next visit, I went with the El Cubano ($10), the hot pressed Cubano Sandwich. I was surprised at the amount of nicely fried plantain chips when I opened my container.

I actually enjoyed this sandwich….and the plantain chips.

The weak link to most Cubanos for me is the roast pork, which tends to be dry and tasteless….the “other white meat”. The pork here had decent pork flavor. And combined with ham (salty-savory), the Swiss cheese (milky goodness), the pickles (crunch and a slight sweet-brine), and the mustard, this was pretty darn good. The bread didn’t look like much, but actually had some nice flavor and held up fairly well after being pressed.

I had asked for a recommendation for my next visit when I ordered my sandwich and was told to try either the Bistec or the Havana Chicken Sandwich. I ended up getting both during my next two visits.

The Bistec ($14) is basically shredded beef and could have used a bit more of a sear to enhance the texture, it was also cold in the middle.

It was also quite mild in flavor, I’m used to Bistec Encebollado and expect some bold flavors; garlic, lime, black pepper…on pounded beef. This seemed the same cut as the ropa vieja.

The black beans were as good as on my previous visits. This time around; the mojo had some punchy garlic and perhaps a bit too much salt, but not enough citrus for my taste. Still it was needed to add some oomph to the beef.

On my most recent visit I tried the Havana Chicken Sandwich ($9).

On the good side; this wasn’t a shrinking violet when it came to flavor, lots of garlic-citrus tomes and perhaps teetering on the edge of being too salty. The onions did quite well, but the sandwich also seemed a bit greasy. Also, the pounded chicken breast was a bit on the dry side. The menu said that the sandwich was dressed with watercress, but I found none. I think the crunch and slight bitter-peppery flavor would have been a nice addition to the sandwich. I like the roll, which seems simple, but reminds me of a good solid French style roll which is great for “dipping”.

I enjoyed my visits to Havana Grill, the folks are very friendly, and the place seems like a work in progress. It seems that homestyle recipes are being adapted for restaurant use and systems are still being put in place. The fact that Havana Grill is close to work means that I’ll keep visiting on those days when I need a change of pace. I hope they keep up the nice service and get their recipes and systems in line. There also seems to be items on the menu; the empanadas come to mind that really won’t do well being cooked ahead and placed under heat lamps. Hopefully all of that will shake out in time. Oh, and I hope they dial in the mojo……

Havana Grill
5450 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117
Open Daily 11am – 9pm

Ramen Yamadaya Finally Opens Downtown

December 20, 2015 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

**** Ramen Yamadaya has closed

Just like Cathy and The Mister recently did, I had to perform my civic obligation. That would be Jury Duty.

On the good side, I'd read that Ramen Yamadaya's Downtown location had finally opened. I'd first heard about this back in Spring of 2013. Over a year later, I noted that the sign had finally gone up. They must have run into some major problems…..over two years in the making! Even though my last couple of visits have been less than stellar, I wanted to check them out.

The area look a bit smaller than I thought it would be. There's a three table and four seat "bar" looking area near the entrance and a sunken area with tables and another bar; I didn't see any seats, but am pretty sure they'll be there soon.

Upon arriving, it took a bit to be noticed. I was told to sit anywhere I wanted. The service was friendly, if a bit on the slow side…..going thru those opening jitters.

I went with the Kotteri Tonkotsu, done "Yamadaya Style", which made my bowl $12.95. Wow, more expensive than places I'd been to in Japan like Nagi, Ippudo, and Rokurinsha!

So you're basically getting one extra piece of chashu, another half an egg, and a cube of kakuni pork for three bucks. The broth was actually a bit richer and more flavorful than what I'd had on my previous couple of visits to the Clairemont location. The flavor is still not quite "there" for me. It needs a bit more porkiness and oomph. I forgot to order the noodles "katame" and was punished with weak, soggy noodles. Historically, I've not been impressed with the chashu at Yamadaya. It is often cold, dry, and flavorless. This was actually decent, it was warm, and while still not great, at least it had some flavor. That piece of kakuni was terrible though. Hard and chewy, lacking in flavor. The egg was good, just making the cut in terms of doneness, had some flavor and was also warm, which added to the enjoyment.

In spite of all my criticisms, I believe in terms of broth, this bowl was much better than what I'd recently had at the Clairemont Mesa location. I recognized two of the staff working in the kitchen, though it did take a while to get to my table.

Will I return? Well, it seems that I have jury duty every year, so maybe……if I'm in the area, perhaps. Will I be making a special trip here? Not really…..though I'm sure it's a boon for folks who work and live downtown.

Ramen Yamadaya
531 Broadway San
San Diego, CA 92101