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Sammoon Bakery and Restaurant-El Cajon (revisit)

It appears that Sammoon has closed.

Well here you are, back at mmm-yoso!!! looking at posts about food. Cathy still has places to talk about while Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are trying to get back to normal after each of their whirlwind vacation jaunts.

Yes, I've posted about Sammoon, a Mediterranean restaurant owned and run by Iraqui immigrants which makes its own breads, in El Cajon twice already. If you've ever had Jury Duty in El Cajon, you probably have been here, since it's within walking distance of the Courthouse.

This is the entrance from the Parking lot. From the street, you'll see it's next to the Panda Express.

Once inside, you'll see the menu and the former pizza oven, which is now used to create the wonderful, fresh samoon shaped breads made here throughout the day.

You may also notice the rotating spits of beef and chicken schawarma, and additional menu offerings over the rest of the open kitchen area.

One day, The Mister tried a Lunch Special ($5.99) which was choice of schawarma with a choice of bread and included fries and a salad (this day was a roasted eggplant salad). The bread choices are either a samoon bread or saj bread. The above is a chicken schawarma saj sandwich. There is pickle and tomato wrapped in the saj before the bread is grilled. This is very, very good. The fries are standard and crispy, not greasy and that roasted eggplant is really great.

One day, I noticed on the menu the "Sajj beef burger" ($4.49) and decided to order it. It came wrapped looking like a sort of American hamburger, with fries. Then I opened the paper…and you can see the Saj bread folded so perfectly tight. It was then cooked on the grill, sealing in the already cooked burger (you can click onto the small photos which will enlarge).

When I cut through the delicate yet crispy after being baked/sealed closed Saj bread, the inside of the tightly folded bread revealed a very nice sized ground beef burger, tomato, pickle, onion and a sweet sauce. The burger was not as spiced as the kabobs here, but was still the coarse ground beef used for the kebabs. The meat was moist but apparently drained, so no grease softened the Saj to make it fall apart. A very good non-traditional, yummy burger.

One day, we noticed a separate ad on the outside window (on the left side of the first photo)-a "Feast for Two" ($18). We ordered it.

First out was a basket of three hot, fresh samoon breads, along with a platter of hummus, tzatziki and baba ganouj. All fresh made here and very refreshing.

Since everything here is made to order, there was a less than ten minute/more than five minute wait for this GIANT platter to be brought out. Clockwise: pickled cabbage, roasted tomato, chicken schawarma, fresh falafel, beef schawarma, fresh tomato. On top of the fresh long grain yellow rice are a beef kebob, chicken tikka and chicken kabob with fresh cucumber slices and raw onion topped with sumac (a citrus/salty spice). We had leftovers which were enjoyed that evening.

Always good and always fresh food at Sammoon.

Sammoon Bakery & Restaurant Mediterranean Cuisine 190 N. Magnolia Suite 103 El Cajon 92020 (619)441-2823 Open seven days, 10am-10pm

Tea Station (revisit)

June 11, 2013 Cathy Caffeine Fix, Taiwanese Food and Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Welcome back to mmm-yoso!!! This food blog is a compendium of road trips, vacations, food store shopping, events, meals, snacks, events and general food-centric posts. Kirk usually posts here, but is catching up from his recent vacation. Ed (from Yuma) is also recovering from his recent San Diego vacation. Cathy is writing today, about another meal during her staycation in the County.

I discovered Tea Houses and Boba places several years ago when one day a friend took me to one and realized that snacks were served in addition to beverages. It was so fascinating as well as tasty. Since then, I've written two individual posts about visits here. It's simple, good and a nice place to share a snack or meal with friends. (I'm the White girl on this blog and there were no Tea or Boba places when I was at the Unversity of Michigan…heck, there was no Zingerman's when I was there).

The exterior and expanded interior have remained the same; neat and clean. Once you order, a basket of utensils, bowls and napkins are brought to the table.

The teas and all beverages are made to order here, (which is why you can get a beverage with half, quarter or no sweetness added-something you can't always ask for from other boba shops because they use pre-mixed syrup bases) and this pot of Kuan-Yin (monkey picked) tea ($5) actually was brought to our table last, perfectly brewed. We usually ask for a bit more water to be added after we finish the first serving; the tea leaves are just about as strong on the second pour. (A brief explanation of 'monkey picked' meaning premium tea is here.)

One order of Taiwan sausage ($5.50)…my 2013 obsession (see this post ). Served with slices of raw garlic, the combination of the sweet in the sausage with the slight bitter of garlic is amazing.

Inside the menu was a "monthly special" card -the 'fried shrimp roll' ($3.99) was really a version of Vietnamese Tau Hu Ky (beancurd wrapped shrimp paste), which I order with bun at Vietnamese restaurants. You can see this is a large serving and that there were pieces of whole shrimp as well as paste inside the delicately fried tofu skin. This was excellent.

We were handed a "Daily Specials" ($6.50) card with the regular menu and the day we were here, the special was chicken curry (quite a bit of chicken, onion, carrots, potatoes and green pepper in a not spicy but a sweet, medium-hot Japanese curry). The football shaped mound of rice divides the curry from the three daily side dishes (which change). This day it was green beans with slices of dry tofu, delicate (rice) noodles with beef pieces and pickled vegetables with pork pieces. A tasty variety that complimented the semi-spice of the curry.

Another nice visit with good food and a really good pot of tea.

Tea Station 7315 Clairmont Mesa Boulevard San Diego 92111 (858) 268-8198 Website

E & Drink – revisit

June 8, 2013 Cathy Taiwanese Food and Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

E & Drink has closed

Thanks for visiting mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk, Ed(from Yuma) and Cathy are the usual contributors to the posts you are reading. Today, it's another post from Cathy, because Kirk is busy and Ed(from Yuma) is also busy.

I posted about E & Drink almost a year ago and it's become a semi-regular stop when I'm either in the mood for hot pot, or just a quick snack before shopping at 99Ranch. They finally have visible signage.

There are a few snacks at the front area instead of going into the restaurant (where you can order a to go beverage, a tea egg or a Hong Kong style waffle) (I can't believe I've never taken a photo of one from E&Drink, but can't find any saved on my iPhone to share).

If you are seated, there a quite a few tables inside and outside, a couple of televisions with closed captioning and very friendly service by everyone working.

The Mister had ordered a Hot Pot lunch special, which comes with a choice of black or green/ hot or cold tea. Several small bowls of side dishes and dipping sauces meant to compliment our order are brought out with the beverages.

I ordered , among other items, the fried squid balls; no carbs and always good.

The Szechewan spicy wonton ($4.99) are sometimes a craving I have.

The wontons are not too small, are made with a good wrapper that is not too thick yet not thin enough that it breaks easily, filled with a good amount of ground pork and the spicy sauce is very pleasant and not crazy spicy in heat level.

Another favorite of mine is the marinated tofu ($2.99). I'm not sure how they make this, but it's different than marinated tofu I've purchased elsewhere. A good, firm tofu and a very nice marinade makes this another crave-able item for me.

The Mister's mini Hong Kong curry fish ball mini hot pot (lunch special, with rice and a beverage $10.99) arrived bubbling and with its own sterno heater…so you can have a hot pot that stays hot.

Much more than fish balls are in this hot pot-and all of it fresh. The menu doesn't list ingredients, but you can see the variety. The curry sauce is very pleasant and has an almost sweet undertone; definitely not crazy spicy.

I couldn't decide which photo showed more of the ingredients. You can see the quail egg and some of the clear noodles in this photo. Each hot pot here is quite large and always is very good. Each beverage I've ordered here, I have asked for less or no sugar and have been quite pleased with the quality. I can taste the tea in the tea milk orders.

E & Drink 7330 Clairmont Mesa Blvd San Diego 92111 (858) 560-9888 Open 7 days 10:30-midnight

Orange Blossom Cafe- a crépe and coffee in Solana Beach

June 7, 2013 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Desserts, What Cathy Eats!

It's the weekend for mmm-yoso!!! and time to blog about food . Kirk is still vacationing as is Ed(from Yuma) and Cathy continues 'staycationing' around the County, writing about her adventures.

One late morning, The Mister and I drove along the Pacific Coast and slowed down just as we passed Del Mar. There was a sandwich board on the street…

and in the back of the parking area, we saw this Cafe.

We were in Solana Beach, the Cedros Design District (on Cedros Avenue). A few street blocks filled with businesses of design, art, photography, gift shops, consignment shops, furnishings, decor and dining.

Walking into the small restaurant (there is more seating outside than inside), we were greeted by the person cooking crépes behind the counter and started to look around.

The menu items are written on the walls.

After finishing making the crépes for another couple having a late breakfast, our order was taken. We were given our coffee beverage (really good coffee) and I snapped this photo of our crépe being made.

We had ordered the "Brie" crépe ($9.95). the description of Brie, Proscuitto and apricot jam was intriguing and sweet-salty seemed like something we would like to share.

I noticed two things happen after we ordered; the first was something being sprinkled onto the crépe batter as it was placed on the grill…second noticed was that the Prosciutto was placed onto the other crépe pan, and was warmed before it was placed into the savory-sweet crépe. Smart.

What I had seen being sprinkled was an evenly dispersed shake of herbes de provence; a perfect seasoning for just about everything… you can see it in the cooked crépe, along with some of the Prosciutto and apricot jam…{I later read the menu and found out that the sweet crépes have cinnamon-sugar sprinkled into the batter; that's something I haven't seen with other crépe places and quite special}

The there was the Brie, wonderfully melted throughout the other half of the crépe, making it a really perfect blend of flavors. This was worth the stop.

Orange Blossom Cafe 224 S. Cedros Solana Beach, CA 92075 (858) 847-3105 Website 8am-4pm Tue-Sun

59th and Lex Cafe (The Restaurant inside Bloomingdales)

June 5, 2013 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the food blog you are reading. Kirk writes here most of the time, but he's way busy right now, flying to another leg of his vacation. Ed(from Yuma) happens to be way busy driving to a leg of his vacation. Cathy is writing about another stop in San Diego, legging it around town for her staycation.

A drive to Fashion Valley Mall, where The Mister and I haven't been at all this year, was our destination the other afternoon. After walking around and noting the changes in stores since our last visit, we stepped into Bloomingdales, an anchor store at the East end of the mall. Taking the escalator to the third floor and looking up, there were Alexander Calder-esque mobiles hanging from the ceiling.

You can see them looking up from this view from the top of the escalator. Now look straight ahead. That's the destination- 59th and Lex, the small in store restaurant with the black and white striped walls.

We were seated and asked for water, which was brought out quickly. The tables had the usual condiments, cloth napkins and nicer placemats on the sky blue tables

After we ordered, some fresh, warm sourdough bread with whipped unsalted butter was brought out. (You can see the mobiles hanging from the ceiling over the escalators).

The Mister couldn't decide and ordered the Trio Platter ($13.10). Good sized servings of excellent egg salad, tuna salad and chicken salad on top of a bed of greens, carrots, cucumber and tomatoes which had a pleasant, fresh (whipped so it looked creamy) lemon vinaigrette salad dressing. The three scoops of salads were each unique and excellent. So many times I've not been able to tell the difference betweent a tuna salad and a chicken salad. That's not true here; each was made with a very minimal amount of mayonnaise and the chicken was very definitely chicken and the tuna was definitely tuna and the egg salad…oh my, the egg salad. Really, three fresh, perfect salads, all on top of the really nice mixed vegetable salad.

Of course, I couldn't decide what I wanted, either so decided on the soup and half sandwich($9.75). The (fresh made) Soups of the Day were cream of zucchini and split pea. I love split pea soup, so thought I'd try it. It was, again, so very fresh, so very well made, did not need added seasonings. I'm thinking the cream of zucchini was equally wonderful. I chose the sliced turkey on wheat bread for my half sandwich. The bread was fresh and moist and the simple turkey with lettuce and tomato was just a perfect blend of flavors. The sandwich was made without mustard or mayonnaise and I was asked if I wanted either and those were brought out on the side.

This is another really good sit down in the (non-grocery) store restaurant, as nice as the one inside Nieman Marcus and similar to Nordstrom, The Bass Pro Shop and Ikea.

59th and Lex Cafe 7007 Friars Road San Diego 92108 (inside Bloomingdales at Fashion Valley Mall) (619) 610-6558

Jungle Java-coffee and a snack (Ocean Beach)

June 4, 2013 Cathy Caffeine Fix, What Cathy Eats!

Hello and welcome to mmm-yoso!!! This food centric blog has posts relating to the how and/or why of an eventual food experience. Kirk is busy having and documenting His experiences, Ed(from Yuma) is busy planning His experiences and Cathy's had another experience and is sharing today.

Yes, The Mister and I drove to the Ocean again, this time on an overcast day.

We drove a bit South, making our first stop at the Sunset Cliffs Natural Park.

We then drove North a bit, stopping at the Ocean Beach Pier, again.

Walking up Newport Street on the same block as the beach, this bright inset storefront stood out.

We walked inside, passing plants for sale, stacks of used newspapers and books, parked bicycles, an eclectic seating area and many locals, including some fresh from the ocean surfers.

Near the center of the space (the covered area) was the area to order.

We then found an empty table near the back. More plants for sale. Good espresso.

Soon, our order of a "Belgium Bites" ($6)-freshly baked waffle, topped with sliced banana and accompanied by peanut butter and honey- was brought over to the table. This was a nice combination of flavors, just enough to share and hit the spot.

The fireplace is going when the evenings are cool.

You can see the main counter is a former Coffee Cart. Total cost for a regular coffee, double shot of espresso and the waffle was < $10.

A nice, friendly, neighborhood coffee and snack place with free wifi and great coffee.

Jungle Java 5047 Newport Avenue San Diego 92107 (619)224-0249 Fri, Sat, Sun open until 8 p.m.

Yogurt Swirl-(Mira Mesa)-Yogurt and Shaved Snow

May 31, 2013 Cathy Desserts, Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the name of this food blog. Kirk and Ed (from Yuma) just have no time to blog today. Cathy has plenty of time, so she's sharing this little food find.

One overcast morning last week looked gloomy, but was going to be warm, according to the weather report on the radio. Planning ahead (and satisfying a craving), The Mister and I drove toward Mira Mesa Boulevard. The mall across Black Mountain (same side of MMB) from Lucky Seafood seemed to be a good place to stop.

Located next to Pho Cow Cali Express (and a soon to open Indian Supermarket), I was inspired to finally stop here for a snack after seeing several posts on the Pink Candles blog, written by friend and fellow blogger, canine cologne. I also read Kirbie's post about shaved snow, Mary's viewpoint of Yogurt Swirl and Jinxi's post describing shaved snow last October.

When you walk in the door, you see the usual frozen yogurt serve yourself stations straight ahead.

The Mister took a small amount of yogurt flavors to try. The plain yougurt is wonderfully tart, the way I like it. The chocolate had a very pronounced cocoa flavor. His third choice, strawberry, had no artificial color (as you can see) and it tasted very much like fresh (not artificial) strawberry.

Turn to the left when you walk in and there's the area where you order, pay, get toppings…and in the far corner to the right-see it?

The snow ice shaver. We ordered a small mocha flavored snow and the nice lady went to the back and brought out that rounded block of ice creamy goodness, placed it in under the clear dome and started the machine going with the foot pedal.

We were given a choice of two toppings, one from each side of the divider. (Sweetened condensed milk also comes with the shaved snow, but I thought that would take away from the flavor and declined).

The small mocha flavored snow ($4.99) is quite a substantial size. The 'larger' size is $2 more and basically you can have another flavor of snow, served on a large plate(it looked to be 7"x7"). The snow had a very good combination of coffee and chocolate as its flavor. The chopped almonds seemd a natural topping to mix with the flavors and the side of sweet choices had a coffee jelly among choices, but also had those cute, multicolored mini mochi. The above photo doesn't quite show how large a serving is, but The Mister and I shared and neither of us went home hungry.

Now for pictures that will clarify any descriptions. Shaved. Slices. Snow Light, thin, easily melt in your mouth goodness of cold ice cream.

Through and through your serving bowl, light airy, flaky. This is a wonderful cold treat and I will seek out other versions around town, but am very happy here at Yogurt Swirl.

Yogurt Swirl 9168 Mira Mesa Blvd San Diego 92126 (858) 693-9999 Mon-Th noon-9 p.m., Fri-Sat 11 am-10 pm, Sun 11 am-9 pm

Te Mana Cafe- Aloha in a cup- Ocean Beach

May 29, 2013 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! That's the name of this food blog. Thanks for stopping by. Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are not writing today; they're both busy following planned events. Cathy is writing about another 'staycation' in San Diego.

The Mister and I drove West early one bright morning. We parked, walked down Newport Avenue, saw the Ocean Beach Pier and not many parked cars indicating any open businesses, so went back to the car and started driving around, seeking at least some good coffee and maybe breakfast.

We ended up on the West end of Voltaire Street and saw a lot of vehicles parked in front of this old Craftsman style home.

We parked in front of Litickers Market, an unassuming Liquor store that has a taqueria inside. (It does not open until 8 a.m. and we were there around 7 a.m..) Walking across the street, we saw this sandwich board…and a line of people inside the former family home of the restaurant's owners. Kirk, of course, is Hawaiian and would be able to speak about the authenticity of Te Mana; I've never been to Hawaii and just know what I've read. In any case, I must say the mood when you walk in is happy, friendly, laid back and we felt welcome here. The colorful atmosphere made us feel as if we were elsewhere and I would think Hawaii feels like this. Then there's good food…

When you walk in, there is a seating area to the left, complete with the fireplace of the home.

There's a coffee table with a bowl of Dove candy samples…an old coin operated phone on the wall…wonderfully healthy flowering plants…

To the right is another area with tables and chairs and accoutrement for coffee. (Along with more Dove candy samples…)

Straight ahead is where you place your order. Espresso machine to the left.

Menu on the wall in the back.

and—AND looking to your left and back toward the seating area- a pour over coffee area (cleverly crafted from an old skateboard deck).

We placed our order, including a 'regular' (drip) coffee- Kona flavor ($1.75) and sat outside in the front yard, which has plenty of seating. The Kona coffee was the best I've ever had. It was *fresh* and had a darker flavor (usually I think Kona is kind of 'hollow' flavored). Then the owner brought out a fresh made pastry ($3) (raspberry-almond; which was flaky pastry and a dense almond-paste-flavorful and quite large) we had ordered, along with our "pour over' cup of Ethiopian coffee ($2.95), which was *wonderful*…I could taste all the different spicy and sweet 'notes' of flavor. Worth it.

Soon, the owner's son (Te Mana is family owned and run) brought us our "Morning Mana" plate ($6.95). This photograph is not the best indicator of the size of the main course- it's a disk 4 inches in diameter and about two inches high- of scrambled eggs, basil and Havarti cheese. The amount and quality of the creamy scrambled egg mix and 'sides' of tomato, avocado, kiwi, strawberry and banana makes this a very hearty platter.

Here's a view of the front door when there were no comings and goings for a moment. Te Mana is another family owned hidden gem serving carefully prepared wonderful food and coffee. Definitely worth finding and a stop.

Te Mana Cafe 4956 Voltaire Street San Diego 92107 (619)255-9233 Website

The Fish Bucket Grill-San Carlos

May 28, 2013 Cathy Seafood, What Cathy Eats!

The Fish Bucket has closed.

You are reading mmm-yoso!!! a food blog. Kirk is exhausted (from vacationing), Ed (from Yuma) is exhausted from appointments and Cathy is exhausted from catching up on a lot of neglected chores. Today she is writing about a quick meal out.

I wrote about The Fish Bucket Seafood Market and Grotto location in Tierrasanta in 2008. Just a short drive from home, it was a regular stop for us. However in late 2012, this location (no seafood market, but instead a bar and lounge area) opened in San Carlos, a few storefronts down from Trails Eatery which is also close to home (but the other direction).

This location is larger, the quality is the same and we seem to eat here more often.

The decor is of course an underwater theme. There are various proper condiments on each table (including vinegar, for use on French fried potatoes, if that's part of your order)

You may have noticed a lot of writing on the front window. In addition to a 'take out' discount of 15% on everything, there are also Early Bird specials from 3-6 daily. Above is a photo of the Early Bird grilled salmon plate ($8.95) which is served on a bed of grilled vegetables with grilled garlic bread and Spanish rice. This is a large portion and very filling. Always fresh fish grilled perfectly.

Above is the Seafood Combo appetizer ($10.95). Perfectly fried, lightly breaded fish pieces(4), clams (1/4 lb), shrimp (3) and oysters (3). I'll order this as my main and The Mister and I share it.

Another nice, local family owned business serving good, fresh food.

The Fish Bucket Grill 7407 Jackson Drive (at Navajo) San Diego 92119 (619) 460-6280 Website Mon-Fri 11:30-8:30, Sat-Sun 3-8:30

Reds-Point Loma

May 22, 2013 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Caffeine Fix, Cajun, Southern, and Soul Food, What Cathy Eats!

Reds is Closed

Hello (again). You're (back) looking at the food blog named mmm-yoso!!! Kirk and His Missus are enjoying their vacation in Portugal (and other places). ed(from Yuma) and His Tina are venturing around Yuma and making plans for their next vacation. Today is another post from Cathy and The Mister and their staycation.

The other day, we drove West on the 8, then South, somehow ending up near the Marina. We had passed several restaurants and decided to take a walk. Neighborhood clientele as well as yacht owners hang out near the South end of Rosecrans.

The jacaranda trees are in bloom and just beautiful.

We decided to stop here. It's right across the street from The Living Room, which I posted about last year. Let me just say I wish we had stopped here sooner.
Grabbing a menu, we sat down and…I smelled fresh-fresh coffee…

Slightly confused, because I saw all these pump pots, I ordered a cup of coffee and was told they roast all the beans right here(!)-that's why I smelled fresh coffee. Organic, free trade and bird free, roasted in small batches coffee. We ordered and I took a small (1/2 pump) taste of each of the three coffees that interested me (decaf and a vanilla something flavored coffee are not anything I'd choose, ever). Ultimately, I preferred the middle selection-"Mad Red".

After ordering from the lunch menu, which had an admonition of "We guarantee 'same day' service. Thank you for your patience in preparing your handcrafted meal. Delicious not pretentious slow food." I walked around the small, ten table large interior, finally comprehending the theme.
There was also a very nice outdoor seating area in the back.

Beads on the ceiling, Mardi Gras masks, skeletons and skulls, voodoo.
Combined with some of the French named and Cajun spiced items on the menu…the synapses connected-New Orleans.

Of course, the eclectic condiment selection on every table was also a clue.

It did not take too long for our food to be brought out. I must say that every person working here was helping on all the tables and each one was very friendly.

When we ordered, I only slightly mentioned that The Mister and I would be sharing the sandwich and salad we had ordered, and the sandwich was brought out in two baskets. Nice. This was under the 'grilled cheese' part of the menu- a "Cochon" ($9) Provolone and Swiss cheeses…with pulled pork, ham and artisan pepper bacon, on sliced brioche. It's served with a house made jalapeño strawberry jam. No, not a Monte Cristo, not a Cuban, just a great, wonderful, fresh, pork-ham-bacon-cheese wonderful tasty sandwich. The menu has pork belly on it and I suspect the bacon comes from the same place; it was not crispy bacon, but thick sliced, lightly peppered and excellent. Toasted seasoned bagel slices as a side was a very nice, different touch.

The Paleo salad (large, $10). Mixed super greens (kale and spinach and other lettuces) avocado, tomato, a boiled organic free range egg, walnuts and sunflower seeds and the artisan peppered bacon that was on the Cochon sandwich. This photo does not do it justice, but the salad bowl was HUGE and more than enough for us to share.

When we went to pay, I noticed some very nice looking pastries next to the cash register, probably wonderful also. We are already planning a return visit.

Reds 1017 Rosecrans Street San Diego 92016 (619) 523-5540 Website open 6 am-11pm