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Red Sails Inn (Breakfast) (Shelter Island)

May 21, 2015 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

Hello. You are looking at the food blog named mmm-yoso!!! and we thank you. As you read this, Kirk is being conveyed, Ed (from Yuma) is planning transportation and Cathy is pretty much stationary.

Yes, The Mister and I are enjoying the sights of San Diego and having our own 'Staycation'.This overcast day brought us to Shelter Island. At Shelter Island Drive aand Anchorage Lane-the first intersection when you enter the island-there is parking on your right (and if you head way back, there are no meters) and the restaurant, to your left, is unmistakable. The Red Sails Inn, which has been serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in this same location for almost 70 years. It is uncrowded at the 7 a.m. daily opening time until about 9 a.m. We are breakfast people.Nautical decor, unchanged for possibly decades, somehow is comforting and nostalgic.The outdoor patio area is a perfect place to bring visiting friends. The Mister ordered the chalkboard special ($7.95), an omelet with ham, bacon, sausage and cheese. It came with hash browns (or breakfast potatoes or cottage cheese or refried beans) and toast. This was an amazingly large overfilled omelet. The sage-flavored breakfast sausage is made here, and it is good. (Coffee is $2.25).However, this day, I was recalling my catfish breakfast at Smokey's Lake Wohlford Cafe in Escondido and ordered the Fish & Eggs breakfast ($10.99). Two quite large, meaty sole filets, lightly floured and fried along with (of course) poached eggs, rye toast and more hash browns (I wanted the crispy edges). This was wonderful, fresh and so good.

A great start to another beautiful San Diego day.

Red Sails Inn 2614 Shelter Island Drive San Diego 92106 (619)223-3030 Open 7a.m-10 p.m. dailyThe tartar sauce is made here, with wonderful dill pickle pieces. It's the only tartar sauce I will eat straight from the container.

Zion – Eating inside the market

May 15, 2015 Cathy Markets & Grocers, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about food in San Diego (and beyond). Today, Kirk is converging toward an objective, Ed (from Yuma) is advancing toward an intention and Cathy is here, with a focus toward the target of blogging.

A few weeks ago, it looked almost like today, but with only an expectation of rain. The Mister and I needed to do some grocery shopping and headed out to Zion Market, which has quite a few eateries inside the store as well as a Food Court area.The Produce area was quite crowded. We picked up items on our list, as well as whatever was on sale, then headed all the way to the back-toward the 'Kitchen' area, located along the East wall between the meat and seafood counters.The hot and room temperature counters had just been filled with freshly prepared items.The refrigerated, pickled item case was also freshly assembled.

We selected some items here, paid for all of our purchases then walked over to the Food Court area and grabbed a table.We managed to unwrap everything and take a photo before enjoying a nice lunch. (Chopsticks and napkins are given at the market cash registers.)

Clockwise from 11:00—Fish pancakes ($4.54), barley tea ($1.50), real crab California rolls ($3.25), kimchi steamed dumplings ($3.75) and a whole teriyaki grilled squid ($4.99).

Zion Market 7655 Clairemont Mesa Blvd San Diego, California 92111 open 7 days 9 to 9 website

Louisiana Fried Chicken and Waffles (Logan Heights)

May 14, 2015 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Cajun, Southern, and Soul Food, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! the food blog with a rotating subject matter (as in style of food) as well as rotating bloggers. Kirk is, again, busy today. Ed (from Yuma) is, reiteratively, busy (in Yuma). Cathy is, once more, writing a post.

It was one of those days when I was driving and The Mister was randomly saying 'left', 'right', 'take this exit' or straight' and somehow we ended up here.The end building of the new mall anchored by a drive thru Starbucks on National Avenue between 28th and 29th street, just East of the 5 freeway.

I had been craving the whole 'Chicken and Waffle' experience, since our visit to Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles in 2013, wondering about other iterations. So, we stopped.The fairly simple menu made our decision of what to share on this first visit pretty easy.We were here around 9:15 in the morning, at opening and everything was fresh. We had to wait for the waffle to be made while we watched a batch of chicken being placed in the steam trays and a pot of gumbo being brought out from the back.The freshly made waffle had a crispy exterior and fluffy interior. It was not as sweet as a breakfast waffle (and it shouldn't be; maple syrup is a condiment here).The spicy crust on the fried chicken was perfect: crisp, not greasy, just enough spice all while leaving the dark meat tender and juicy. The thigh and waffle plate ($7) is a perfect size for a meal. {Side note: they make their own Louisiana Hot Sauce here; grab one or two to have with your meal: it is great}Our return visit had us curious about the "Fantastic Fish Sandwich" (combo,$7.25, includes fries and a drink). There was a choice of catfish, snapper or tilapia as the fish. Catfish it was! Wonderful cornmeal breading, seasoned and fried, topped with a house made remoulade and some raw onions, on a very nice, fresh French roll (crispy crusted exterior). This time, we ordered a small side of collard greens ($1.50). These were so good. The recipe/flavors of vinegar and smoked ham complimented the greens, which stood out in flavor. I watched as the Young Lady working here carefully drained the greens and packed them into the small container, which amazingly holds a lot.Returning to the third photo…on our first visit, we ordered a quart of Gumbo ($8.99). This was the best Gumbo I think I've ever had (we lived in the South for five years).

There was rice in the bottom of the container, topped with this wonderful Creole stew that had the flavors of the mirepoix of celery, green pepper and onion combined with not an overpowering of filé/sassafras powder which melded with the chicken and sausage in such a delightful, hearty way. This Gumbo was a meal in itself, and would be perfect on a rainy day.That first visit, so early in the morning and uncrowded, had the gentlemen behind the counter offering us a sample of the fresh made peach cobbler. We were so full, and took it home for a snack later that day. The crust was still crispy (a good sign) and the peach filling was not too sweet at all.

This is a great place and I'm so glad we have it here in San Diego. Looking back, I see that Mary visited here early last December. She liked the fish here, too.

Louisiana Fried Chicken and Waffles 2850 National Avenue San Diego 92113 Website (there is music on the site) (619) 233-0670 Mon-Th 9-9, Fri-Sat 9-10 Sun 10-7

Lupita Mexican Food and Fruiteria (El Cajon)

May 13, 2015 Cathy Burgers, Fruiterias, Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

Here you are, at mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk is extremely busy with necessary errands. Ed (from Yuma) is busy making plans. Cathy is blogging today, because she is, comparatively, not busy.

Election Day in November had me assigned by the Registrar of Voters to El Cajon, where I drove in circles, putting out fires and waiting for phone calls telling me of impending fires all day. Some of the areas I passed had interesting places to eat. Lupita Mexican Food and Fruiteria caught my eye. It shares the parking lot (around the corner) with the generically named 'Tortilla Salsa Market'. There are quite a few other businesses here also. (The signage you see from the street is 3rd photo from the end).The rather extensive menu offers the usual items. The quality is notable. The shrimp tostada ($4.19) was made with large shrimp, in a fresh salsa and served with a side of avocado. This was excellent.The al pastor burrito ($4.50) was freshly made, pretty average, quite large. I'd order it again; it's more interesting than a carne aside burrito.Ordering to eat in, a basket of thin corn chips is served, along with the house made salsas in squeeze bottles.

Above, a freshly squeezed "Popeye", medium size ($4.50) juice. Made with spinach, carrot, celery, cucumber and apple, it was just right. I like that it is just juice, no ice.

Carne asada tostada ($3.99) was quite large and very good. Tamarind raspado ($3.25)(16 oz) is nicely made here, from the whirring of the shaved ice machine in the back to the tamping of fresh tamarind pieces, each item I've ordered here has been carefully hand made and served with care. The ladies working here are very nice.Almost every visit, I've ordered a small fruit salad ($6.65) with everything (cottage cheese, raisins, granola, coconut and honey)…and have needed to take hime leftovers.Tortas here are made with a great bread which is brought up from Mexico. Above, the Lomo ($6.50) is my usual choice. Lettuce, tomato, onions, cheese avocado and a thin layer of beans surround the beef (and sometimes, pork) tenderloin, which is cured then chopped and heated for this sandwich.This is the signage you'll see from the street. Notice the bottom two lines: 'Sideways Bar'. Now, you may have noticed I've been doing quite a few posts under the "Pubs and Pub Grub" section of the blog. It seems that Sideways doesn't serve food, but the bar patrons walk to Lupita, order and pay. Then, one the order is ready, one of the ladies walks to deliver the food to the bar.

Consistently, one item seems to always be ordered. The double cheeseburger. So, you know, I had to…Behold, the double cheeseburger ($4.50). As you can see, two large patties, lettuce tomato and two different cheeses on a toasted bun. This was filling and quite good. I understand why it's an order for the bar patrons.

Another fruiteria which is locally owned and serves quality food.

Lupita Mexican Food and Fruiteria 1088 Estes (at Chase, one block East of Emerald) El Cajon 92021 (619)593-9500

Xi’an Kitchen Opens in San Diego

May 11, 2015 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants

**** Xi'an Kitchen has closed.

Back in April, I noted that Xian Kitchen was opening. I kept an eye on the former Jin's Pot location and they really turned it around quick. On a visit in the beginning of May, I noticed a sign saying they were opening on May 5th.

So a couple of days after they opened I dropped by.

There were two guys and three women working. When I spoke English, the two guys wanted nothing to do with me. In fact, they really didn't seem to want anything to do with any customer. The really nice young lady confirmed with me that this place is owned by the same person as Xian Kitchen in City of Industry. This is both good and bad. The good, we're finally getting some different Chinese options down here. The bad; well the service at Xian Kitchen in COI was terrible…pretty much old style SGV….and that seemed to have carried over to here.

Meanwhile the place had filled up in twenty minutes…..

And I was still waiting for my Yang Rou Pao Mo…..25 minutes later. Meanwhile I had the pleasure of hearing the guy on the table slurping away….which wasn't bad, neither was the burp. But when he cracked that loud fart…well that was something I hadn't heard in a while.

I will say, I kind of enjoyed the liveliness of the place. It reminded me of China….the place is pretty loud as the surfaces in the interior really reflect sound.

I did finally get my Yang Rou Pao Mo; while not even close to being as good as what I had in Xi'an, was actually better than what I had at the COI location. That bread is all wrong, but the broth was so wonderfully lamb-y, not overly salty, and I felt totally stuffed. As you can tell. This ain't your "meat lover's" plate.

As I left, the place was packed….and not a single word of English could be heard…..and there was a line forming outside.

I mentioned the place to my co-eaters Lily and "YZ". I knew Lily, from Taiyuan was going to love this stuff, "YZ", I wasn't sure. One thing I was sure of, the place was going to remind them of China.

When we arrived, there was a single occupied table….ten minutes later, the place was packed.

We managed to place our orders and the Rou Jia Mo arrived within a few minutes. Like the Yang Rou Pao Mo, it not even close to being like what you'd get in Xi'an, but was better than what I experienced at the COI location.

Porky, fatty….I do think there should be a bit more pork in these. The bread was passable, slightly yeasty, decent crust. Not a good value, not even close what I expect.

Now came the waiting……

About 15 minutes later, out came the Niu Rou Pao Mo…..

We were told that this was "beef soup"…but it was indeed lamb. So basically "YZ" a non-mutton eater could go at it so it came to me. Some advice….get the lamb version of this.

About 15 minutes later Lily's "Everything soup" came out. All the "good stuff" from the mutton, with basically the same broth as all the other items.

When YZ ordered her soup; I didn't trust what the server said so I ordered the hand pulled noodles with pork. Sadly, it took nearly 45 minutes to get to the table…….45 minutes for stir fried noodles…..

These were actually pretty good. The noodles had a decent texture; that were firm, with a nice chew….what folks term as "QQ". In terms of flavor; I thought it needed a bit more cumin and tended toward the bland side. Because of the timing of the dish, we took most of it to go.

Look at the line as we were leaving……

Part of me rejoiced at the line. It shows that there's a demand for regional Chinese food that's not second rate Sichuan, Hot Pot, or lousy dim sum. The crowds I saw were interesting. Students and younger people searching for good homestyle/street style noodle, soup, and stir fry dishes and groups of older folks ordering huge plates of Islamic Chinese dishes. I hope they get their service and kitchen straight. I've dealt with "SGV" service and am used to it….but I've never waited 45 minutes for noodles before. In other words, at this time, you might want to think about eating here if you're starving. You might pass out from hunger…and based on the service, they'd just step over your twitching body without a thought.

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

Sunday Sandwiches: Spice House Cafe

May 10, 2015 mmm-yoso Diner, Sandwiches

**** Spice House has closed

Like I've mentioned many times before, I have special place in my heart for those 60's and 70's diner type items I grew up eating. I recently got my yearly itch….so I decided to just go ahead and scratch it. Last year, my visits to Troy's Family Restaurant just didn't do it for me. So this time, I headed in the opposite direction to the Spice House Café.

This place has been around for over 50 years. And I even did a post on breakfast here back in 2005. 2005……seems so long ago. Sadly, I didn't see the Portuguese Sausage Breakfast on the menu anymore.

Anyway, this place is no frills, it doesn't try to be anything its not……just simple burgers, sandwiches, breakfast……

So it just seemed right to get one of my diner favorites something I get a craving for every so often, the Club House Sandwich ($8.95). Man, this thing was huge.

Man, look at all that processed turkey. Actually it wasn't an overly processed mystery meat product. And who doesn't love bacon and a decent smear of mayo.

The bulk steak fries were ok……when fried well, it's passable, and on this day it was.

And of course, who can forget that other diner favorite…the bottle that refuses to give up the ketchup? Tried the "jerk, the shake, the knife strategy, all to no avail. Finally, I just held it upside down and let gravity do its (slow) work.

This was way too much for me. I ended up having half of it for dinner.

Even though I took care of my club sandwich craving for another year, I thought one visit wouldn't be enough for a post. So I decided to return.

Not sure what to get; I went to the top of the sandwich listing and got the "Super Bird Melt". Good lord, this was just a bit too much for me.

This was just a bit too greasy for me, rom the griddled and greasy onions, the griddled sour dough, and the drippy cheese. All things I enjoy, but in this case it was just too much.

The fries this time were barely lukewarm therefore dry and cardboard like.

In terms of price point and quality, you get what you pay for here….maybe even more. In terms of quantity, well, I couldn't finish either sandwich. On my visits I thought the servers here represent Spice House quite well, they are polite, sometimes friendly, efficient, with little wasted motion, and no pretense. Sometimes that's just what you want…..

Spice House Cafe
9035 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92123
Hours:
Mon – Fri 630am – 230pm
Sat – Sun 700am – 230pm

Sagmani’s Restaurant (El Cajon)(revisit)

May 6, 2015 Cathy Iraqi Food and Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Here you are, mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk is busy today, Ed(from Yuma) is resting today and Cathy is posting about another meal.

It seems that either Kirk or I have stopped at Sagmani's, an out of the way, kabob centric Mediterranean standby off the beaten path in El Cajon. It's comforting to be able to get a tasty meal from some nice people in a home-like setting.This chilly day had The Mister and I driving around in search of some items to share for lunch.The Mister ordered the #1 Beef Shish Kabob plate ($8). You can see the herbs and spices mixed in with the lean beef. Two kabobs on top of an excellent basmati rice, served with turshi (mango pickled cabbage), vegetables sprinkled with the salty/citrus-y red sumac and plenty of warm pita bread.Being undecided as to to order tabouleh, baba ghannouge or hummus, I asked what was good and the friendly cook/owner gentleman said he had just made the hummus, so a side order ($5) was a simple decision. This is a tahini based hummus, not too garlic-y, and the olive oil made it perfect. This is the order of warm, fresh pita bread that accompanied our meal. Whenever I am here, I order the lentil soup ($5). It is wonderful, also just made fresh that morning. Lentils cooked in chicken stock bursting with cumin, turmeric, garlic and onion flavors…simple and perfect on this chilly day.

A great meal on a chilly day. I hope your day has been as enjoyable.

Sagmani's Restaurant 478 Douglas (between El Cajon Blvd and Main Street) El Cajon, CA 92020 (619)440-0077

Thai Papaya by Sab E Lee

May 4, 2015 mmm-yoso Thai Restaurants

**** Thai Papaya has closed

When I saw what was becoming of the Original location of Sab E Lee, I was intrigued. The new location was doing bang up business. I also recalled the sign saying Thai Papaya Pok Pok….but when I visited it had become Thai Papaya by Sab E Lee…..hmmmm…..I wonder?

I also wondered what this place was going to morph into. How would it avoid competing with itself?

So when my buddy Candice suggested a lunchtime visit, I jumped at it.

While the place looks basically the same; other than the large chalkboard with "specials"; the menu brought a smile to my face. Not a pad thai, fried rice, or pad see ew to be seen. It was a deceptively simple two pager with about 14 versions of Som Tom/Tom Sua/Tom Thua with very few items that are direct duplicates of TOSEL. There were a lot of interesting dishes, some of them very Issan, like the Mok Nor Sai, some like Kanom Jeen and Khao Soi cult favorites from central and northwest (Lanna) Thailand.

We quickly ordered four items form the menu.

First up, the Northern (not Issan) Thai Sausage ($7).

Not quite Sai Ua, this was not sour, studded with kaffir lime leaf and lemongrass, and quite fatty. It was a nice break from the standard Issan Sausage on the menu.

I really liked the "Super Star Pork Rib Soup" ($8). As you can tell, it had a bit of heat to it, even at level 5.

I really enjoyed the spice and sour flavors. Somehow it seemed refreshing and clean…in spite of the spare ribs. It wasn't too rich and had some nice herbaceous flavors going on.

We ordered the Som Tom Laos…Lao style papaya salad with pickled crab. This was pretty heady, even for someone who appreciates the pungent Lao style papaya salad. It was also very spicy for a level 5. I do recall the days I used to order heat level 10 at TOSEL, but those days are gone.

It was a bit too salty for us.

The Mok Bamboo – Mok Nor Sai ($8) was something that brought back memories of Laos/Issan.

I love the interplay of dill with the other flavors in these type of dishes. In fact, one of the dishes that I still make from the Tamarind Cooking School in Luang Prabang, is a version of Mok Pa; fish steamed in banana leaves. This is a very rustic dish; chewy pork, with very complex flavors…a touch of coconut, "Lao Cilantro" (dill), green onion, baby bamboo shoots, and mushroom. This was a tad too salty; but I've had it twice more (such is my love for these type of dishes) and the sodium has been much more restrained.

The flavors in the dishes we tried really spoke to me. So I returned a couple of days later and saw the young man; I believe his name is "Oh", who works at all the SEL locations. We had a nice chat about the food here and when I mentioned my preferences he suggested a few things; starting with the Som Tom Khai Kem – papaya salad with salted egg ($8).

This was delicious; the salted eggs weren't too briny or salty, the flavors just melded together perfectly; savory-salty-sweet. Maylee, one of the SEL originals popped her head out of the kitchen. It had been ages since I'd seen her. She told them to add some vermicelli so I could try that with this as well. This was really good. I saved about half to take home to the Missus. I knew She would love this….and She had one taste and inhaled the whole thing!

I also ordered the Aom Soup ($8) - what I recall is Kaeng Aom, or something like that. It's a classic Issan soup. I chose the pork version, though I believe the chicken version is what most folks get.

Just spicy enough; good combination of flavors, the pungent/savory flavors making the soup seem much richer than it was. I loved the vegetables and the heat, which got me sweating pretty good. This reminds me of Or Lam and similar soups I've had in Laos/Issan.

Maylee was nice enough to come on over as I finished my dessert. It so nice to see her and have a chat. She was running between the PQ location and here quite a bit (this location is open on Mondays and closed on Thursdays). Because they still had to pick up the lease on the place; she decided to turn this place into something like a pseudo snack/street food affair, making the dishes that other places here don't serve from her home region in Issan and also serve items that folks have been requesting over the years like the Khao Soi, which she told me took her six months of hard work to create. Currently, their customers were overwhelmingly Thai. Most of the other folks who come in here are actually looking for TOSEL.

So, as predicted, the Missus had me head over to Thai Papaya to pick up some of that Som Tom Khai Kem for Her. I also got more of that Northern sausage and Mok Bamboo. I also ordered the Som Tom Moo Yor ($9). They use some pretty good take-out containers nowadays.

Moo Yor, in case you haven't heard of it is a steamed pork sausage, reminiscent of Cha Lua. Which brought a definite "meatiness" to the Som Tom.

It also seemed a bit sweeter and less pungent than other versions. Quite nice, and the heat level 5 was still spicy enough. A couple of weeks of this and I'll be back up to 8-9 I'm sure.

I'm also certain sure we'll be doing our share of take-out when the weather gets warmer. The Missus loves that papaya salad. And to be perfectly honest, I loved that little twinge of nostalgia, the feeling I got back in the beginning, when it was just Sab E Lee. It felt good to get excited about Thai Food in San Diego again. Simple, no nonsense, not dumbed down, glorious, street corner/food court Thai Food. I wonder what Koby would think?

Oh, and by the way….it's cash only…..another hold over from the old days….

Thai Papaya by Sab E Lee
2405 Ulric St
San Diego, CA 92111

Coastal Crave

April 29, 2015 mmm-yoso Beer, Chicken Wings, Gastropub, Poke, Pubs and Pub Grub

**** Coastal Crave has closed

Back in March I noted the impending arrival of Coastal Crave. I was pretty happy, this space had been empty for years. The business was going to run by the owner of the now defunct Skybox Sportsbar, which I'd been to a few times after moving to the area.

Then other news came trickling in….the kitchen was going to be run by the original chef of Common Theory. 'Nuff said. So I held off on coming for a bit, but finally decided to give it a go a couple of weeks back.

It was a Sunday and the bar was full and the really nice patio area was half full….and there was one poor guy running the bar and the dining area, a really nice guy named Danny…..I felt for him.

The beer selection was a bit limited, but had 2-3 items I was ok with. I went with a Port Brewing Shark Attack Red Ale, then turned it down when my food arrived.

The menu seemed a bit pricey, but it's hard to make that determination when you haven't tried anything, so I went full steam ahead. And of course, being from Hawaii, I love my poke, so I thought it would be a good place to start ($9.50). I think for most, this would be ok. Me, well, I'm not a big fan of saku fish….that boned, skinned, pre-cut, vacuum packed, and frozen stuff has a texture I don't enjoy.

I would have appreciated a bit more shoyu and less sesame oil. And I thought the "wasabi pesto" needed more wasabi.

I went with the Garlic Parmesan Wings, which was basically simply fried wings with a dollop of a garlic-cheese paste on them.

The wings were a bit greasy and the flesh dry. There were six wings total….guess how much this was? $11.50……are we soon going to have $2 wings? I rue the day I actually complained about the price of wings at Kyochon!

Man, that was a not so great first visit. Still, I decided to visit again. This time I saw the sign for $1 off draft beer during "Happy Hour" – 4-6pm. It's nothing like, say, Iron Pig's half price happy hour. It was also kind of a bummer when I was told that Sculpin and the Shark Attack Red were excluded from happy hour pricing…..it's only a dollar, but really……

This time around I asked for a recommendation with regards to one of my dishes. Queried about my tolerance for "heat", the Habanero Calamari ($8.50) was recommended.

And this was probably the best item I had at Coastal Crave; tender, nice spice, cooled by a decent aioli. It was on the greasy side….but this is pub grub, right?

I also decided to try the Bone Marrow ($15).

This seemed a bit over-priced and the marrow looked really black. It wasn't too bad, but in spite of the color, there were quite a bit of red, under done parts. This actually made the Wagyu Bone Marrow at Copper Onion seem amazing.

Pretty uneven, almost like the place is over-reaching a bit. I'm glad that it seems the neighborhood folks are coming out and supporting the place, but I wish the food was a bit better and the beer selection more interesting….though I saw most people drinking Bud Light, Corona, and Shock Top……

As you can tell. I was ready to call it quits….but for some reason, I decided on one more try. I saw a nice looking sandwich go out on my previous visit, so I thought I'd order it; the Duck Melt ($13).

I really enjoyed the melted Havarti cheese, slightly milky, creamy, it really added to the sandwich. I thought the duck confit needed a bit more flavor, and the whole thing was super rich. I wish the pickles were a bit more assertive; it would have been just enough acid to cut the richness. The habanero aioli actually detracted from the overall flavor and seemed out of place. Also, the bread had been griddled a bit too long and some of the areas were bitter. The fries were nice and for some reason….maybe the acid component, the ketchup tasted really good.

The folks here seem very nice, though the service can be a bit slow.

I'm glad that places like this are opening in the neighborhood. Like I said about Luce's, I'm not the kind of guy who is just "happy to have xxxx in the neighborhood". And while the menu seems "interesting" (extra " " on this) with stuff like "Gator Cakes" on it. I'm just going to have a burger next time. I'll probably be better off. I hope…..

Coastal Crave
3065 Clairemont Dr
San Diego, CA 92117

Mariscos Monday: Tijiuana JR Tacos y Cockteles (no, it’s not the lonchera…..)

April 27, 2015 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Seafood, Taco Shops

**** Tijuana JR has closed

This past weekend, I found that I had completed most of my "honey-do" list quite early. I decided to head down to CV for some tacos. I dropped by my favorite loncheras, but found that all of them were quite crowded. Driving on Broadway, I noticed a familiar name:

You might recall my post on the Mariscos Tijuana Jr truck last year. I wondered if this was the same folks? This is the old location of Don Rafa, which has since moved. So I parked and walked on in. I was greeted by a very cheerful young man and a young lady. I was asked if I'd be eating in or taking out….they also apologized for not having any English menus. Really nice folks.

I told them not to worry, I'd do fine with the menus. I asked them if this was the same Tijuana Jr that had the lonchera….he smiled and said "yes…….we sold the truck and opened this place because we want more families…" He pointed outside to the Bounce House with kids having a great time. "You see……we like that noise!"

In a moment some chips (routine) and salsas made its way to my table.

I placed my order and the young man asked me if I wanted some "soup". "You mean consommé?" "Yes…" "Of course!" The soup was on the mild side, but super scalding hot.

I'd ordered tres tacos. A Pescado (fish) – the version at the TJ Jr truck was good, so I wanted to see how it was in current state. A "marlin" smoked fish, and a Gobernador.

When the tacos arrived; the first thing I noticed was that the tortillas seemed different since my previous visit. These were much more fragrant and more hardy.

The fish taco was every bit as good as what I had at the truck. Shiny, crisp, lacquer batter….with even more fish than before. It was good with the lighter, almost thousand island dressing like salsa.

The tacos de marlin was interesting. I tasted the fish alone and it was really salty and fishy. Strangely, when I ate the taco, it just fit in nicely. Somehow the sodium had been balanced out and the fishiness had been over ruled by the pic de gallo, cabbage, and salsa.

The gobernador was better than what I had at the truck, though it's still not among my favorites. Though the tortilla held up nicely and the shrimp were cooked well; it just didn't have enough flavor or onions for me. Still, it's not bad at all.

As I got up to pay my check, and older woman came on over to me and asked me, "Please have some dessert….it's free……flan, cheesecake?" She was so sweet. Though I declined saying that I had more than enough to eat. This is a great indication of the folks here….really friendly and helpful. Now I have an option when all my favorite mariscos trucks are too busy…..or even when they're not.

Tijuana JR Tacos y Cockteles
631 Broadway
Chula Vista, CA 91910