Closed – Page 92

Extreme Pita- Ch Ch Chain/Franchise and good and healthy!

January 19, 2007 Cathy Chains, Greek Food, What Cathy Eats!

Unfortunately, Extreme Pita has closed

mmm-yoso is not on vacation, and Cathy is blogging while Kirk is not feeling like doing anything today…except maybe recovering from something exciting at his job.

Hello again. Sometimes I have urges for something semi-healthy and also fast. I also like a good cup of coffee. So, I ran into Starbucks the other day, and there wasn’t even a place to sit down. Next door, I saw this new place- Extreme Pita. I *had* to try it, you know.

It is a newer franchise, started in Ontario, Canada and this location on Convoy, in the parking lot of Dixieline, is the first one in San Diego, there is one in Mira Mesa and more are coming. The menu should be the same at all of them, and I suppose prices may vary a little, since it is a franchise.

The larger, color menu has descriptions and these are the price listings.

Basically, its like Subway in that you walk up and order a pita and then they will be grilling some of what you ordered, asking what vegetables(mushrooms, onions and green peppers) you would like grilled with your meat (or falafel) or not and then what cold veggies you would like, and then what sauces you would like (Tzatziki, hummus, light mayo, light Caesar, light Italian, light Ranch, Greek Feta Dressing, Chipotle-Mayo, BBQ, hot sauce, Hot Cajun BBQ, Honey Mustard, Bistro Sauce, Guacamole). The the pita is tightly wrapped and put into an ingenious double paper/plastic wrapper that will tear off at a perforation IF YOU READ IT the first time, as I didn’t… anyhow, so this is an opened small falafel pita ($4.69) with all the grilled veggies, all the available cold veggies, hummus and tzatziki sauce. Small is 6 inches, regular is 9 inches.

It tasted great and was sloppy. The falafel(s) were the small nugget kind and had been cooked on the grill with the vegetables. I liked it. I read the packaging after I was done eating..

OK, went back with The Mister for lunch and got the small turkey pita (reg $4.99 but on Wednesdays its $3.99…there are daily specials posted at the back of the store; the best day to go is Friday when it is $3.99 for any small pita and a cup of soup).

It looks like this wrapped: and then when you tear at the clearly marked perforation, half of the pita is exposed and you can cut it in half..and viola! Turkey that was sauteed with all the veggies, and I had lettuce, tomato, olives, pickle and light mayo added. It was large enough, juicy, not overly turkey tasting but not weird chemical-ly tasting either. The pita was warm and very, very good. It was a good sandwich.

The Mister decided on an Extreme Classic Flat Baked Pita (its pizza style pretty much, with a pita as a crust)… ($5.29) It’s the larger pita(9 inch), topped with a tomato-y (not spicy) sauce and cheese, then the toppings (4 slices of cooked bacon, pepperoni, mushrooms) are put on top and then more cheese. Then its warmed /melted/nicely crisped in a salamander type broiler. As you can see, its quite large…the mushrooms were good in that they were cooked from raw and not pre-cooked, the sauce was good. It was a very nice and more or less healthy (532 calories, according to the Nutritional Info Guide available at the counter).

This is a newer Franchise in San Diego/the US (many in Canada) and there is another one at 8250 Mira Mesa Boulevard more are planned in San Diego.

I like that you can order online or by fax and that their mission is a healthy alternative.

It isn’t authentic Greek by any means, although they do have gyros (its not on a spit, so its that frozen pre-sliced stuff that is sold in the Mediterranean markets around town..but it is pretty darn good)..and for the most part you can say the ingredients are mostly Mediterranian. Its a unique product that can be extremely healthy. If you think of it as food, it’s good tasting and healthy food and a little bit of something different on Convoy Street. Try it. You will like it.

Website for this location is here.(if you want to order online). The link on that website seems to not have the Nutrition Information link working. The Corporate Link does have the nutritional info working.

Extreme Pita 4898 Convoy Street San Diego 92111 (in the Dixieline parking lot, next to Starbucks) Phone (858) 560-0142 Fax (858) 560-0563

International Market and Grill-Persian Kebabs

January 15, 2007 Cathy Persian Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is being played by Cathy today. Kirk is elsewhere.

Hi. I met a friend for lunch the other day, we talked a lot and I did not take my camera. She knew I liked trying different types of food and She likes it here. Its close to UCSD, was great Persian food, in a small mall area, run by a husband and wife. So, I went back with The Mister on Saturday.

International Market and Grill. There is that one table out front; there are two more inside and a bar seating area also with a total of 6 bar stools. They seem to do a brisk phone in – take out business on weekdays, and actually on the weekend also.

The menu is fairly simple. You can get a kebab in a lavash bread sandwich, or on a plate or with a salad.

There are 4 types of kebabs: Chicken, Beef Filet (marinated top sirloin), Fish and House (seasoned ground sirloin, ground fresh daily). There is a Garden, Greek or Caesar salad. The plates come with basmati rice and salad. For $1 more you can get herbed rice, which I like a bit better, but was not available on this Saturday’s visit. I got the vegetarian plate (salad and rice and a pita). ($5.45).

The basmati rice is so aromatic and light, with a dollop of olive oil on top. The salad is mostly romaine, with onions, tomatoes, cabbage, feta and two Bar-B-Qued tomato wedges. It has an olive oil/vinegar/herb dressing and is also served with Must-O-Khair (yogurt, cucumber and herb dip; I tasted mint more than any other herb, it was quite refreshing).

The Mister got the Greek Salad ($5.95) with a House kebab for an additional $2.75. The salad is the same, but larger, with no grilled tomatoes but has more fresh tomatoes, feta and onions and also olives. The kebab, with the ground sirloin and grilled, is very moist and flavorful with herbs.

If you look at the menu there are daily specials Monday through Friday for $9.95 each. They are not ready for purchase until about 1 p.m. each day and are limited in quantity. My friend says she will come here for lunch and then order a plate of the special “to go” and they are excellent. I want to try all five, actually. I will, you know….

I also ordered two glasses of hot tea ($1.50), freshly brewed and nice and strong. The owner said we could have a free refill.

Afterward, The Mister saw this storefront, two doors down, and walked inside while I went to the car.

Well, with a name like “Tiramisu”… you know, they had to have something sweet.

It’s just a fresh made cream puff shell with fresh made custard and fresh made whipped cream…and the nice lady even put a fork in there. All for $2.50 and well worth it.

International Market and Grill 3211 Holiday Court, Suite 100 La Jolla 92037

(858)535-9700 M-F 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Sat 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

Its cold- we want soup- and not Pho! Los Michoacaños

January 13, 2007 Cathy Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

Los Michocanos has closed.

mmm-yoso is not on vacation. Kirk is taking a day off and Cathy is blogging. Its been brought to our attention that we are in a rut, as far as blogging about Pho goes, so here's some variety in your day.

Hi. It's so cold today, isn't it? I love this kind of weather, but I need to keep warm also. It is, what we call back East, "soup weather".

You know the main soup/meal Kirk and I blog about, Pho…and I do love the variations we can get around town, with the various ingredients as well as such varying broths and so many variations of add-ins….buuut, today, I'm just not in a Pho mood. I am sort of in a Mexican/taco shop mood…but still I want soup. hmmmm….

Los Michoacaños is on Mission Gorge Road, a block away from where Trattoria Di IV used to be located. They are a taco joint (and a good one; the Mailman and the UPS guy eat there) but they also have a special menu:

with daily soup specials. Perfect! Similar prices to other meal in a bowl places, the soup includes a can of pop along with corn or flour tortillas.

The Mister got the Caldo de Pollo (Chicken soup) and flour tortillas. There were hunks of dark meat chicken (leg (chopped into two pieces), thigh and wing), along with chayote squash, potatoes, carrots, corn cob chunks and onions. The broth was particularly rich. It is also served with a side of rice and lime wedges.

I *had* to try the chile relleño soup. The stock is vegetable based and was rich and definitely NOT the same stock as The Mister had, although I also had potatoes, chayote , onions, carrots, corn cob pieces and tomato chunks. The chile relleños (2) were home made…I took them out of the bowl and cut them up so I could eat with the broth.

Mild California chiles, slit open, filled with a soft Cotija-like Mexican cheese and then dipped in egg batter and fried. There is just a bit of heat in the chilis, making the flavors just right.

The next time you feel the urge for soup, try a taco shop. You might *really* like it.

Los Michoacaños 8001 Mission Gorge Road Santee 92071 (619)449-9032

Kayaba

January 11, 2007 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

** Kayaba is now Musashiya

As much as I thought Takara served an ok-in-a-pinch ramen, and was rather sad to suddenly see it gone on one of my shopping trips to Mitsuwa Marketplace, I was over joyed to see that Kayaba was taking it's place. If you've ever eaten at the Mitsuwa's Torrance Food Court you'd know what I mean. It's a food court almost only in name……most all the food is served on real plates, bowls, and trays, giving the experience a more refined feeling…..

If you're a connoisseur of plastic food, you'll love the shiny new display of plastic food at Kayaba…it hasn't been around long enough for the dust to settle on them yet. By the way, did you know that the district of Kappabashi is known for being the mecca of plastic food?

The menu at Kayaba is quite simple and easy, but can be a bit complicated if you haven't dealt with the Udon/Soba/Teishoku(set meal) style of eating. Most meals settle around either soba or udon, donburi(rice bowls topped with savory food) and tonkatsu…and a number of combinations of the previously mentioned items with additional items such as tempura, curry, and so forth. It might be better to check out the plastic food and know which "number" you'd like to order…..the sign behind the cash register lists all the items, but for some reason, I have a problem reading it….it's old age kicking in. You pay for your meal and have a seat. You'll be called when your order is ready.

The Missus's favorite at Kayaba? It's quite easy, it's the simple Zaru Soba(Cold Soba $4.00):

The Missus enjoys this so much, that She had it three times when I was on my short trip to LA! I think the draw for Her is the soba, the noodles are a fine al dente, with a nice chew and pull. The broth is light and not too salty, and the addition of Tamago (egg omelette) gives you a shot of protein, with the Shiba Zuke(pickled cucumbers) adding a nice pickled palate cleansing.

I enjoy the way that Kayaba does their Tonkatsu( Pork Cutlet $7.50), though it is still a bit "chewy", it is still better than most of the Tonkatsu I've had:

But not all Tonkatsu is created equal at Kayaba. There are two different Tonkatsu cuts offered, either the Tenderloin or the "Rosu" (Pork Loin). To my surprise the tenderloin turned out to be very moist with a pleasant flavor, while the "Rosu" was tough and tasteless, in spite of the higher amount of fat. Go figure! The breading on the Tonkatsu has always been done well, nice, light, and crisp, and the cutlet is served on it's own little platform to allow oil to drain off.

The Tonkatsu is served with the traditional shredded cabbage, pickles, rice, a potato salad that I love…lot's of onions, so beware…..the one component of this meal that I didn't care for was the miso soup:

Very watery and bland…

Here's the Shrimp Tempura with Hot Soba($6.50):

Again the soba was pretty darn good, the broth tasted like a simple heated shiro…just like the zaru shiro heated, but it was fine. The shrimp tempura was fried well, and had a good shrimp flavor.

On this trip I decided to try out the Curry Katsu($7.50):

I enjoyed the Tonkatsu as always, but I didn't care for the curry, it lacked any depth of flavor, was very runny, and had a "powdery" feel. I ate all the pork trying to wipe off all the curry, and left the curry alone.

Here's a photo of some Sansai Soba($5.80):

Never got a taste, but it's the hot soba topped with various "mountain vegetables", like warabi(fern shoots) and bamboo shoots.

Some notes on Kayaba: All noodle dishes are available with either Udon or Soba. Kayaba does not do take out, in fact there were several people before me who asked. Soon after, a "No take-out" sign appeared on the cash register. But here's a trick, you can ask for containers for your food, and take your tray of food to a table and empty them into styrofoam containers. I saw this done twice. When it get's busy, there might be a bit of a wait to order, in addition to a pretty long wait for your food. Oh, and don't get there right at closing time….they will close exactly at 7pm!

Kayaba
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd Ste 119 – In the Mitsuwa Marketplace
San Diego, CA 92111

Open Daily 11am-7pm

The heck with your New Year’s Resolution!-Anthony’s Sea Grill

January 9, 2007 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Chains, Seafood, What Cathy Eats!

Unfortunately Anthony's Sea Grill has closed.

mmm-yoso is not on vacation. Cathy is blogging and Kirk is apparently traipsing about, probably researching someplace new and different.

Hi. There should be a "seafood" or "fish" category for me to select from, but there isn't…and Anthony's is technically a San Diego chain, so I categorized it that way…but, well, if you've lived here for any length of time, you know Anthony's. The Star of The Sea Room downtown..fancy schmancy…they used to require all men wear a jacket or suit coat to eat there…can you imagine? Its good seafood. The Ghio family has had restaurants in San Diego since 1946..Anthony's Fish Grotto. The three Grotto's are less expensive and still have great seafood. Then a few years ago, Anthony's Fishette's opened…and one remains. Now, to meet the needs of today's guests, Anthony's Grill has opened. Its in the mall at the SE corner of 805 and Clairmont Mesa Boulevard, next to Niban.

So, there are healthy, grilled items on the menu and quite a variety. You order, pay and they bring the food to your table.

There is a take out counter near the door, with "Grab and Go" wraps and salads and a few Anthony's products (the basting butters, spreads, dips, seafood salad, and smoked fish).

The 'old' Fishette that used to be in this location had an appetizer of smoked fish which The Mister and I used to always get. This time, we had to buy a vacuum sealed, 4.5 ounce hunk of smoked albacore for $3.79. Of course, we have a bowl of New England style clam chowder also ($2.95). There is a "sauce bar" with a variety of sides…tartar, cocktail, pesto salad dressing, louie dressing, catsup, lemons…everything you could possibly need to add to your meal.

The clam chowder is made with real cream…a skin forms on top . The flavor of the broth is nice and with clam juice and there are many larger pieces of chopped clam, some celery and small diced potato. Its excellent clam chowder, as always, served with oyster crackers.

The smoked fish was excellent. There is an expiration date n the back of the package. Its smoked fresh here in San Diego. The Mister got the Fish and shrimp plate with fries ($8.95) and a side of cole slaw ($1.75). I love the cole slaw here. Not too much dressing and a tiny bit tangy with the cabbage chopped finely. There are five large shrimp, lightly breaded and fried perfectly…juicy and sweet. The piece of cod is light, flaky, fresh and classic. The fries are not bad. Crispy and light. Not greasy.

I got the fried calamari salad ($7.50)

Mostly iceberg with some romaine lettuces, tomatoes, avocado slices, cucumber slices, onion, homemade croutons and a slice of garlic ciabatta bread (which is used for the sandwiches here) . Oh yes, and the fried calamari. Light, slight seasoning and perfect. There is quite a bit of food here.

Oh, the grilled stuff…we haven't tried it. We like the "original" Anthony's flavors.

Anthony's Sea Grill 781 Clairmont Mesa Blvd. San Diego 92111 (858)244-0228

Click here for website

Ranas.com Mexico City Cuisine

January 4, 2007 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

**** Ranas has closed

My good Buddy Ed from Yuma has been mentioning Ranas.com in Spring Valley for several years. Having been assured that the food at Ranas are worthy of several "delici-yoso dances", and finally having some time off over this past Christmas weekend, the Missus and I made the drive to Spring Valley to find Ranas.com. We got off the 94 Freeway at Kenwood, took a left, and drove into the parking lot of a nearby strip mall. We didn't see a sign for Ranas, but the address looked correct.

We still weren't quite sure that we'd arrived at the right place, until we saw the sign in the parking lot…so this must be the place, right?

We entered the very colorful dining area, and were immediately greeted by a very friendly Young Man who told us that we could have a seat anywhere.

The Young Man, actually, I should say Gentleman, since he was so gracious, named Jose(I'm hoping I remembered his name correctly), asked us if we'd been to Ranas before, to which we answered in the negative. At this point, he smiled and asked us if we'd like to try some samples of the specials of the day….are you kidding!!! Within a minute, four little paper cups arrived:

Man, this was really good stuff! Jose took the time to explain each dish, and though I'd come here to try the Pollo en salsa de Cacahuate, the Peanut Butter Chicken that Ed always mentions, I suddenly changed course……

As we were famished we started with the Huarache Azteca($5.50), a "sandal"(Huarache) sized thick tortilla, topped with beans, potato, and nopal:

We were pretty unimpressed with this popular antojito(appetizer), the whole thing was a soggy mess, there was too much beans, and the flavor of the potato was completely obscured. It was a far cry from the versions we had at the two El Comals.

But have no fear…..our entrees were on the way! We shared all the entrees, trading plates when one of us exclaimed "switch"! So what did we get?

The Chicken in Green Pumpkin Seed Mole(Pollo en Mole Verde de Pepita – $6.99):

Talk about good! This rich, but not heavy Mole, had a nice, complex flavor, with hints of nuttiness and a slight spicy-smokey finish. Moping up the sauce with the corn tortillas provided is a must. The chicken was surprisingly moist, but this was about the mole. The rice was okay, and the beans bland. But man that mole!!!!

The Pork in Tomatillo Sauce (Puerco en Tomatillo Salsa – $6.99):

Chunks of tender pork in a tangy, slightly spicy, tomatillo sauce. Wow, we obviously went two for two on entrees. This sauce/stew was studded with potatoes and nopal, and was quite refreshing in it's own way….really good stuff!

We finished almost all of our tortillas mopping up the sauces. One thing we noticed about the corn tortillas provided, they arrived warm and tender but got very hard as they cooled…all the more reason to scarf everything up ASAP.

The Missus desired something sweet to finish up the meal, so She ordered the Kahlua Plantanos:

Not bad.

So…one good turn deserves another, right? So there we were three days later…at guess where? Yep, and Jose greeted us with a smile, and a warm, "welcome back".

And of course those wonderful samples……..of today's specials:

So this time, we ordered the Entomatado Pork (Pork in a spicy tomato sauce – $6.99):

Another winner, a nice, medium spicy, pork dish full of flavor. The pork was spoon tender, without being falling apart soft. Today, the beans had much more flavor as well. The Missus loved this.

The Cochinita Pibil($6.99) the classic slow roasted Yucatan Pork Dish:

This version was more stew-like and creamy than versions of this dish I've had before. Again rich, without being heavy is the signature here, and a nice slightly sweet finish to boot! Talk about finish, that's what we did to our corn tortillas. This was my favorite on this visit.

Instead of an appetizer or dessert, I finally ordered the Peanut Butter Chicken (Pollo en salsa de Cacahuate – $6.99), which Ed from Yuma always mentions:

Moist chunks of chicken in a sauce with a mild peanut flavor, think mildly spiced watery peanut butter. After having the two pork dishes, this tasted on the bland side. Not my cup of tea.

During our visit, Jose, who, it turns out is the Owner's son(it's a real Mom and Pop restaurant), explained that these were the dishes that he grew up eating. Which explains why the dishes were so good, like all good home cooking, the "specials" at Ranas had that unique ingredient, a combination of love, care, and pride, which makes everything taste so much better. The service we had at Ranas reflects that as well. As you can tell…we'll be back! Take some time away from the tacos and enchiladas, and check out those specials.

Ranas.com
9683 Campo Rd Ste A
Spring Valley, CA 91977

(619) 589-1792

Thanks for the recommendation Ed! We finally made it…and it was well worth it…..

Super Wok! Chinese Food to Go

January 3, 2007 Cathy Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Super Wok has closed.

mmm-yoso is again not on vacation. Its just Cathy blogging while Kirk is busy doing other stuff, like digesting.

Hi. Thought you might like a good, inexpensive and local place to eat….

Oh, did I mention its, like, totally a hole in the wall? Sort of three tables inside, but nobody eats there. Its all packaged for you to take outside and eat…

Super Wok is located in Pacific Beach, on Ingraham, between Grand and Garnet, on the West side of the street. Next to the Coin Laundry, behind the Chevron Station. That's it- the whole building, right there in that photograph.

Its run by a husband and wife and their young daughter is there too. They are from Shanghai. The food is decidedly Westernized Chinese…the kind I grew up with in Detroit. Its good and fresh. There are 4 woks in the back, 2 rice cookers in front, and refrigerators and freezers with the food for cooking and a refrigerator with bottled and canned beverages. OK, the menu.

Yep, this is it. Its laminated and in front of you, next to the cash register, and there are things written on the wall behind the cash register…its all the same stuff, except I saw one tofu dish on the wall that isn't on the menu. That's it. You order, pay, sit down and wait. You get your food and its packaged and you have to find a place to eat. I think a lot of people use the Laundromat. We decided to drive south a few miles to the Ski Ramp/Boat ramp at Mission Bay and chose a picnic bench with a view.

We ordered some basics …the chicken egg foo young ($4.75) and the Curry Chicken ($5.95) as well as the paper wrapped chicken (6 pieces, $3.75).

The paper wrapped chicken was superb! Juicy, chopped chicken mixed with some crunchy water chestnuts, fresh herbs and some sauce that had sesame oil and I don't think any soy (it was not salty).

You can see in this photo the serving was juicy and steamed perfectly. It did not need anything added to give it flavor.

The Mister wanted to try the curry, because it had a * (Star) next to the description on the menu, indicating "hot and spicy". It also cost a bit more but that was because it came with fried rice and an egg roll.

The 'fried' rice was nothing exciting/nothing added…just the white rice that was put back into the wok..nothing added to it. The egg roll was *quite* nice, crispy skin and the filling had fresh, crispy vegetables. It was made there, not from a package. (An appetizer serving of two egg rolls is $1.80). The curry had onion, carrot, mushrooms, canned bamboo shoots and green pepper. The green pepper was kind of soggy, like it had been stir fried a second time. The sauce was a nice level of heat…enough so that it was hot but you could also taste the ingredients. The chicken was all white meat and quite flavorful as well as juicy and there was a lot of meat in this dish.

The egg foo young. Oh my- absolutely the best I have had. This was made with at least three eggs, mixed in were the bean sprouts, some carrot and onion..making the omelet just a wonderful base, and it is a meal in itself. I saw just "egg foo young" on the menu for 20¢ less and wasn't sure why. It must be just the egg mix..ah, but for that extra 20¢, I got a *lot* of chicken breast, again, juicy and plentiful, along with sauteed mushrooms and that gravy that was not over-laden with corn starch. I have only seen egg foo young made as a one shot deal- with the meat ingredient also cooked in with the egg. I like this way better…can have just egg or just meat or mix it if I want to.

By the way, the menu has "chop sewy" on it…I will try that next time…There are 17 lunch specials served from 11:00 to 3:00 daily. The most challenging thing, after deciding on which of the 71 items on the menu to choose from, will be finding a place to eat your food. You will like it. Try one of the egg foo young dishes.

Super Wok 4468 Ingraham Street San Diego 92109 (858)270-4859

Mon-Thur 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. Fri-Sat 11-10:30 Closed Sundays NO CHECKS, NO CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED

It’s Burger Week – Ch-Ch-Chain: Boll Weevil

December 23, 2006 mmm-yoso Burgers, Chains

*** This location of Boll Weevil has closed

I thought it would be appropriate to end burger week, with a visit to a "chain" of sorts….well not a nation-wide chain, but a local chain, called Boll Weevil. I did a quick search on Wikipedia and quickly found out what a nasty looking fellow the Boll Weevil is. Now who the heck would name a restaurant after such a destructive, nasty looking fellow? After looking through Wikipedia again, I found the story here. According to the entry, the proprietors of a steak house called "The Cotton Patch" opened up a chain of smaller, casual burger restaurants next to Cotton Patch Restaurants and they called them Boll Weevil. Am I the only person who finds some irony in the fact that Boll Weevils are still around, and all the Cotton Patches are gone? Guess them little Boll Weevil ate all the Cotton Patches……he-he-he!

The location of Boll Weevil we visited recently is located on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, and in addition to all the standard Boll Weevil dishes, also offer BBQ, and other items….you can check out the smoker in the front of the restaurant. I'll pass, but you may be interested. It seems that recently several Boll Weevils have closed down, I know that the one on Convoy Street, among others(Midway) have closed down over the years….don't know why, they just seem to be disappearing.

We arrived at Boll Weevil, and found a table – this is the type of Casual-Family-Bar-Restaurant, where you sit yourself, the place was doing some pretty bang up business on this night. The Missus and I opened our menus, and suddenly both thought, "prices have gone up a bit since we last visited."

Well maybe it was just us…….since we aren't regular customers at Boll Weevil.

The Missus decided on a 1/2 pound Blue Cheese Bacon Burger, with Seasoned Curly Fries as her side($9.79):

I now understand the necessity of the condiment tray at Boll Weevil, the burger was on the tough-bland side, the "Goo"(not Blue) Cheese was just salty and had been placed under a broiler or something to melt it into a gooey texture, and the bacon tasted a bit old. The Curly Fries were great though. Nice and crisp, and well seasoned.

I got the "Super Burger"($5.09), which is the 1/2 pound "Steerburger"(after all Boll Weevil is "The Home of the 1/2 lb Steerburger) straight-up, which for me is the test of a burger, no cheese or "secret sauce" to hide behind:

My burger tasted better than the Missus's, it was fairly moist, though tough. And even though the menu states this….in plain English:

Both our burgers were cooked way beyond well…..

I tend to use the burgers at Mr Peabody's as a reference point for these type of burgers, and Boll Weevil fell short. Tough and on the bland side, these were just mediocre.

On previous visits, I'd always order some Frings(French Fries and Onions Rings – regular order $3.79):

The portion size was alot smaller than I remember…let's do the math; if the small portion of fries is say, worth $2(and that's really stretching it), that would make each one of those onions rings cost about 45 cents a piece…. The fries were just okay, nothing special, and the rings had been over cooked and proceeded to shatter into little pieces when I bit into them.

I dunno what happened to Boll Weevil, was it just a fluke? I will say that the service at this location of Boll Weevil was very nice, though a bit slow…but mostly due to the couple across from us who kept sending everything back(soup not hot enough…I don't like this salad dressing….I don't like this spoon!!!), and running the poor Gal ragged.

I know so many people who love Boll Weevil, but I'm kinda like this guy…..on the fence:

I really don't know if I'll be back…….

Boll Weevil
9330 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92123-1223
(858)571-6225

It’s Burger Week – Longhorn Cafe-Howdy Pilgrim!

December 20, 2006 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Burgers, Pubs and Pub Grub, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is not on vacation. Kirk is just taking the day off (from blogging, anyhow) and Cathy is blogging. Stay and look.

Hello, again, and welcome back. I'm just going to talk about a great sort of neighborhood place that has been there forever and has an All-American type of ambiance…by that, I mean burgers and beer….

In the Vons/Rite Aid Shopping Center where Mission Gorge turns into Friars Road, next to Kaiser Hospital at Zion…at night, well, its the faded sign..

You walk in, the bar is along the wall to your left, booths on the right and televisions blaring. Lots of cowboy memorabilia on the walls. Walk straight back to the room on the left- The John Wayne Room…

Trust me, this is nowhere near all the memorabilia collected here.

You can read about John Wayne on the menu also.

So, you sit down and the table is set, with menus, plastic wear, condiments…

The menu is fairly simple; burgers, steaks salads, appetizers. Bar food.

(You can read, at the bottom of the John Wayne story, the breakfast menu)

We ordered basics. The 1/2 pound Longhorn burger ($6.25), cooked medium rare, with a side of onion rings ($4) and the 6 ounce top sirloin steak dinner ($8.50), served with salad or coleslaw or soup, freedom fries and garlic toast. The Mister also ordered a Red Trolley Beer, which was $2.25- the Happy Hour price-cheaper than the draught beer.

The salad arrives in a paper plate atop a plastic plate with a real fork (there are plastic forks on the table). Standard, iceberg lettuce, fresh tomatoes, a pretty good blue cheese dressing. Nothing extraordinary, not bad.

The Top Sirloin steak, cooked medium rare, also. The steak was very flavorful and tender. The garlic toast was nice. The fries were standard, cooked well.

The side of Onion rings is quite large. They were crispy and made with whole onions, not the minced ones.

My 1/2 pound burger, done medium rare, served with ONION and tomato and lettuce. You saw that condiment tray up there…I added pickles and mayonnaise. Oh, the bun is toasted.

Excellent food, great atmosphere, close to Qualcomm and friendly people..everywhere…

Longhorn Cafe 6519 Mission Gorge Road San Diego 92120 ( in the Vons and Rite Aid Shopping Center)

(619)283-0831

Windy City Beef- Angus burgers! (and fresh authentic food from Chicago)

December 19, 2006 Cathy Burgers, Hot Dogs, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

Unfortunately for all of us, Windy City Beef has closed and is going to become another Chicago on a Bun outlet. Similar, but not as good, in my opinion. Truly a loss . 🙁

mmm-yoso is not on vacation. Kirk and Cathy are alternating days of reporting some good food we like that is local! Today, it’s Cathy’s turn.

Hello again. I think you know by now that I grew up in Detroit. OK, that isn’t Chicago, but it’s close enough..it is about a 6 hour drive and in another time zone, but the Midwest accents are the same and the flavors and foods are Italian, Polish and just hearty American…you know, beef is a primary ingredient. Well, since February, there has been this place on Fletcher Parkway, just off the 125, (southeast corner) called "Windy City Beef". I know about the Windy City…I like beef…hmmm. Oh, and I’m doing Part 2 of a Week of Burgers!

Gotta stop in and try it. Hey- they call it "pop" here, not "soda", not "beverages"…pop. Look at that menu! Check out the website by clicking here. The family is Italian, from Chicago and they use their own recipes and make it fresh. Family run…Well, The Mister and I had to, you know… here is a close up of the menu for those of you looking at prices. I didn’t realize the photo would not be as clear, sorry. So, its basic food that I grew up with. Burgers, beef sandwiches, Italian sausage sandwiche, a chili dog, a brat, a Polish dog, pizza, and … oh and that "Windy City"- a Chicago Style Hot Dog, which is a Vienna Beef hot dog with mustard, relish, fresh chopped onions, tomato wedges, kosher pickle, celery salt and your choice of hot or sweet peppers, served on a freshly steamed poppy seed bun. OK, one of those ($2.95) and an Italian sausage sandwich, called "Da Mayor"…a home made deliciously seasoned Italian sausage, char-grilled to perfection served in au jus gravy on fresh baked Italian bread ($3.95)..and a side of chili cheese fries, just to see what the chili tastes like, of course…($2.85) 🙂

You order, pay, sit down and it is brought to your table, in brown paper bags, just like I used to get in Detroit (with your order written on the outside of the bag) at the local Coney Island Restaurant.

Open up those bags, and the packaging..

and look at that- juicy, plenty of food AND the authentic *NEON GREEN* Chicago relish..wow! It smells so good! It is the Vienna Beef regular hot dog, (not the old fashioned one with natural casing) and the flavors are *excellent*; the taste brings back good memories. The Italian sausage sandwich-oh yes, that is *not* a Costco Italian sausage (which I do buy when I can’t get to Little Italy downtown). You can taste the fennel pieces in it, and its juicy and oh so fresh, and char grilled the correct way.

Oh, here is the a close up of those buns (with a bite taken out of each; we couldn’t wait). The Italian bread was definitely fresh with a nice light crispy crust. The poppy seed roll was steamed and eggy tasting. I’ll get to the chili/fries in a minute.

Previously (for the sake of this blog, heh heh) I had brought home some other basics and photographed them…

The Big John Burger (1/3 pound juicy Angus ground beef with lettuce, tomato, sliced onion, ketchup and mustard, served on an old fashioned potato bun) ($3.95). They say they cook the burgers to medium well, I asked to be as less of that as possible and it was cooked more to a medium..and gosh was it *very* juicy and flavorful!..Angus beef is sooo much better… (I will get into my meat doneness preferences in another post; the people who work here are following the law about cooking raw meat. Point is, it was medium done and *still* was juicy and great tasting. )…oh and that potato roll! My very-very-VERY first job was working in a Polish Bakery..I know bread; I know what I like..and I do *so* like potato rolls and bread. This was excellent..the burger and everything about it…and for only $1 more, you can make it a 2/3 pound burger! (and its called a "Sears Tower", of course)

This is "Da Boss" The famous thin sliced slow roasted Italian seasoned beef served in au jus gravy on fresh baked French bread and served with hot or sweet peppers (these are the sweet ones) ($5.65). Excellent. Juicy. Perfectly seasoned. A lot of just beef. That bread. mmm!

So, back to those chili cheese fries…well, guess how the chili is made…um, the trimmings from that thinly sliced beef from "Da Boss" can’t go to waste, you know…yep- look at the chili up close (you can click onto those pictures up there) *chunks* of beef..homemade chili…*mmm-yoso!* There are pinto beans that are blended in; you don’t bite into any whole ones- the beans are used as the thickener and you know they are in the chili, its a nice background flavor…and yes, this chili could win a few contests, I think. Oh, the fries are double fried, so they stay crispy with the chili and cheese on top of them…a great detail making that little side dish..well, superb!

So, this little placard is on every table. What is that?

Fresh, hand cut potato chips? I went up to order some, but alas, they were out of those sliced potatoes. Next time. However, the owner, who was working, asked me if I liked Cannoli..well, duh…its a dessert that is not too sweet, a ricotta cheese filled pastry shell…um, OK, I’ll take the Cannoli, please. So, He went in the kitchen area (its an open area; you can watch everything being made) and filled a Cannoli shell for me, dipping each end in pistachios and brought it out to our table.

Oh My! The freshest, crispiest, most delicate pastry shell, filled with the freshest ricotta, powdered sugar and slight vanilla flavor Cannoli filling I’ve ever had! (and, I’ve had a few, thankyouverymuch).

I asked, and the pizza is made from the owner’s Grandmother’s recipe..the dough risen on the pan (it is Sicilian thick pan style) and then a light tomato sauce (He said usually his grandmother just put on spaghetti sauce) and lots of cheese. That’s for next time, too.

Windy City Beef- Family owned and operated, helping out the local Community with fund raisers (see the website) and making fresh, good food that people from the Midwest miss, all while serving pop as the beverage…and *really* excellent Angus burgers.

Like the sign says- They don’t serve fast food, they serve fresh, homemade quality food- quickly.

Windy City Beef 2872 Fletcher Parkway El Cajon 92021 (619) 465-BEEF (2333) Open 7 days, call for hours. www.wcbsd.com

There is quite a bit of some great Chicago memorabilia contained within the space…and a very telling poster for those of us who understand….