mmm-yoso!!!

Oahu: Leonard's and Oxtail Soup from Kapiolani Coffee Shop

During my visits home, mornings are "my" time. I'll take a drive, fill gas, pick up stuff for lunch/dinner, find a wi-fi connection, and basically just drive around........at 5-6am. I really wanted the D's to enjoy some of the "local" food I grew up eating. Of course, being raised in the Kaimuki/Kapahulu area, Leonard's is on that list. I'm still quite flabbergasted when I see tour buses and even a limo pull up to the very non-descript bakery that is Leonard's and the lines we experienced on our last trip home were just not fun. I'm sure you can go later in the evening.....but for me, malasadas were made to be eaten early in the day. The Missus and I tried the malasadas from the Leonard's wagon in Waikele and really didn't care for what they sold....cold, greasy, somewhat gummy. So it had to be a trip to Kapahulu. I didn't expect to encounter too many lines at 530 in the morning.......

There was a line, but only four folks in front of me. It seems that Leonard's is popular with the military as two groups of men in fatigues dropped in while I waited in line. There's something about the heavenly smells when I walk  into Leonard's that just takes me back to "small kid time".

Over the years, Leonard's has expanded their line of malasadas to include filled versions. Being the old fuddy-duddy that I am, I still go for the original plain sugared version. Though I also bought a half dozen haupia filled as well.

Man, these always take me back...... MrD enjoyed having his with soy milk for breakfast, telling me it was like a sweet youtiao! You know, I never thought of that.....

Leonard's is one of those iconic places that you should check out at least once if you're ever in or around Honolulu. Here's a neat little trivia thingy, Leonard's is celebrating their 60th anniversary this year. Did you know that the original location that Leonard Rego opened his bakery is actually in the building where Ono Hawaiian Food (another iconic eating establishment) is located?

Leonard's Bakery
933 Kapahulu Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816

The trip for the day was Dole Plantation. Maggie seemed to really enjoy the maze......

This is the Ohia tree and the blossoms are called Lehua. I stopped Maggie from picking these, by telling her the legend of Pele and Ohia.

The story goes that Pele (the Godess of fire) fell in love with a handsome man named Ohia whom she wanted to marry. Ohia, however told Pele that he was in love with a maiden named Lehua and turned her down. Well, as you imagine, this didn't sit well with Madam Pele....she turned Ohia into the twisted looking Ohia tree. Lehua became heartbroken and the gods took pity on her by turning her into the Lehua blossom, so that she and Ohia would be inseparable. To this day, it is said that picking the Lehua blossom will cause rain.....tears falling because Ohia and Lehua cannot bear to be separated.

The late afternoon meant another shopping trip and my in-laws took the D's to a luau. I dropped them off and went to pick-up dinner. I had been wanting to check out Kapiolani Coffee Shop for their oxtail soup a long time favorite since reading about it on Reid's blog back in 2004. Never let it be said that I'm not a patient person.....since that time, Kam bowl has closed down and the shop is now located in Waimalu Shopping Center.

 Based on the menu, I'm pretty sure that this is one of the originals when it comes to oxtail soup.....

Funny thing is, I remember having my first bowl of oxtail soup at a restaurant on Kapiolani, next to where Aloha Motors was......could it be? I couldn't find any information on that.

The restaurant is quite small and very, very, old school.

The oxtail soup ain't cheap, almost $14 for a bowl, which comes with two scoops of rice....oh, as old school at KCS is, they did ask me if I wanted brown rice! Man, my soup arrived at my table in like two minutes.....

The standard condiment is some grated ginger and shoyu(soy sauce). I thought the broth was a bit too salty, even for me, very mild anise tones, and frankly, I prefer a bit more "fat" in my broth. This one was very clear. Lots of cilantro and green onions.....

The oxtails were excellent....not falling to pieces, but just tender enough. Personally, I prefer some nice fatty bits and gelatinous goodness, these had been prepped to remove a good amount of that stuff.

I still prefer the oxtail soup I had at The Alley to this and the portion to price ratio seemed a bit on the small side. Still it was good to be able to finally get that oxtail soup off my "list". Plus, I enjoyed the old school feel of the place.

Hey.....is that waitress calling me an Ox?

Kapiolani Coffee Shop
98-020 Kamehameha Hwy
Aiea, HI 96701

Breakfasts of Champions - Oahu Edition: Like Like Drive Inn, Leeward Drive-Inn, and another interesting addition

I developed a bad habit during my trips back home. I found myself taking photos of my breakfasts with my phone and sending them to my friends. And for some reason, I've kept on doing this even after returning to San Diego. Recently, JohnL suggested that I do posts on these, which I thought was a great idea, so here goes....we'll start with Oahu.

I found myself getting up pretty early, say at 5am or so in the morning during our stays on Oahu. Not wanting to wake anyone up, I'd often take a drive, sometimes with an objective in mind, or perhaps just to fill up gas. On the morning I hit up Nam Fong, the roads were clear with no traffic, so I headed all the way up to a place that's near and dear to my heart..... Like Like Drive In. Talk to any "townie" of my generation and you'll come with a list of places like Tin Tin Chop Suey and Like Like Drive In. Actually, this location of Like Like is not the original from 1953.

Back in the 90's the folks running Like Like swapped the restaurant over from the portion of the building to the right.

Walking in the place at 430 am on Thanksgiving was quite interesting. As I entered, the last of post drinking crowd was leaving and all the old-timers, newspapers tucked under their arm were entering. Still, this being a family holiday, the place was empty. The look and feel, down to the booths really stirs memories.......

I'm not much of a coffee drinker these days....but here, I just needed that cup o' joe......the table just needs a cup of coffee on it.

I really didn't order a locomoco per se, but looking over the menu I just happened to order two easy over eggs with rice and a hamburger patty. The woman serving me said, "you need gravy with that, right?' Not do you want some gravy, you "need" some gravy. And you know what? She was right....I needed some gravy with this.

I usually don't care for burgers that have been pressed down on the flat-top, but this patty had developed a wonderful crust from a well aged griddle and had been seasoned to boot. The gravy was decently flavored and not glue-like and went well with the runny eggs and rice.

It was a nice way for me to start the day......just like old times. Though I'm not doing too much active work nowadays, so I pick my spots.

Not too many of the places I grew up eating are left....Kaimuki Inn, Kuhio Grill, Alakea Grill, Chunky's, Wisteria, Suehiro, King's, McCully Chop Suey (the first air-conditioned Chinese restaurant in Hawaii!), King Tsin, Ebisu, Aotani Fountain, all gone....... Not too many like Like Like left, I'm hoping they'll be around for just a bit longer.

Like Like Drive In
745 Keeaumoku St
Honolulu, HI 96814

Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

One morning, I went to gas up our rental and drove into Waipahu, which is just down the street from my In-Laws place in Ewa Beach. For some reason, Leeward Drive-Inn called to me.

Man, when was the last time I ate here? The sign said "since 1964" and I think I probably had the fried noodles, which is what they, well, at least in my day, were known for....probably circa 1984. The parking lot has seen it's share of cars, all the lines for the stalls have worn away, though in typical Hawaii style, everyone seems to park their cars as if those lines still existed.

Funny thing, there were a bunch of guys having breakfast before work sitting in back of a minivan parked in front of the dining room. The big guy, sitting on a ne of those handy-dandy folding stools looked me up and down and said, "eh, I thought you one katonk, but you get da' shuffle...."  Translation; "Based on your pale and unhealthy complexion, I believed that you were a Japanese from the mainland. However, when I observed your gait, it became obvious that you were not." I guess I still walk like a local? I laughed and told him, "at least you didn't think I was a bobora!" Translation;"you are indeed quite observant. I am flattered the opinion that my country of origin was Japan never entered your mind." It was just an expat local bonding moment.....

The menu at LDI is pretty large and extensive....... but I made up my mind fairly quickly. Once my food was ready, I grabbed my plate and headed off to the flourescent orange tables. The dining area looked kind of beat and no one was eating in the area so I could grind in peace.

I got Portuguese Sausage, Eggs, and Fried Rice, which was a pretty good amount of food.

 This was just passable, the fried rice was very "local style", that is, made with Calrose rice. There were bits of Portuguese Sausage and some funky tasting "faux Spam". The sausage wasn't browned enough for me and tasted a bit off. The eggs were fine....this ended up just being nutrition.

Leeward Drive Inn
94 209 Pupukahi St
Waipahu, HI 96797

Hours: Mon - Thurs 430am - 11pm
               Fri - Sat   430am - 12midnight
               Sunday      5am - 11pm
Cash Only

This last one is sort of a quiz.......folks who have been to Hawaii will probably know this one. A fairly decent plate of Rice, eggs, which was really hard, Portuguese Sausage, and Spam®.

Quite an artery clogging breakfast......brought to you by:

Yep, Mickey D's in Hawaii serves up Portuguese Sausage, Spam®, or even both, in what they call the "Deluxe Breakfast". Don't remember the last time I actually had food from a McDonald's, but I happened to be close to the Pearl City location early one morning.....

I realize this post has been kinda long....so thanks for hanging in there are reading.

Here's the sunrise as I pumped gas one morning.

Of course I listened to KCCN.....until they kept playing the same songs over and over......what happened to variety?

But a couple of tunes stuck with me....... 

Perry's Cafe- The one in El Cajon

Hi.  This is mmm-yoso!!!.  Kirk is adjusting from his vacation in Turkey and Greece watching his work load increase, ed (from Yuma) is in Yuma, adjusting to increasing heat levels and waiting for his workload to decrease and Cathy is in San Diego's East County, steadily blogging  about food.

Hi.  When Kirk and His Missus left on vacation, I posted on the East County location of Panda Country restaurant. Kirk has blogged about "his" Perry's central county location.  There may be theme starting.  There is an East County location of Perry's Cafe.

Located at the intersection of Magnolia at Madison, near downtown El Cajon (about three blocks North from the courthouse, if you have ever had Jury Duty), this Perry's is under the same ownership as the Pacific Highway location.  It can get very crowded here, especially on weekends, with lines extending into the parking lot.

 

There is some seating under the awning by the door.

 

Always, a White Board with daily specials is on display.  This Perry's serves breakfast and lunch and is open from 6 a.m. until 2 p.m., same as the Pacific Highway location.

 
 The interior is typical naugahyde coffee shop, as are the tabletop condiments. 

A salad which accompanied a White Board Special #2 one day. Chilled iceberg lettuce and a standard Thousand Island dressing.

Grilled cod, served with the vegetable of the day, corn and cottage cheese instead of fries. $6.95
The pale colored fish plate was very fresh with the lightly grilled cod being a standout.  The corn was typical frozen and crispy as well as sweet tasting and the cottage cheese was full fat, not that weird low fat kind.  
I ordered 2 egg breakfast with Italian sausage ($7.25). Of course, I chose poached eggs and rye toast.
I also asked for a side of gravy to go with my hash browns.  Since it was a breakfast, I  got the peppery sausage breakfast gravy.
I enjoy seeing the classic shorthand on order tickets.

 
On another visit, the soup of the day was lentil and it was an excellent soup. Thick with beef, celery, carrot and lentils.
The soup was part of the Turkey salad lunch ($7.50).  Yes, the old fashioned turkey salad; no dried fruits, no nuts, just leftover turkey, shredded and not in chunks mixed with mayonnaise.  A generous scoop placed on top of mixed lettuces and shredded cabbage, tomatoes, avocado, olives, pickles and hard boiled egg halves.  A dressing (your choice of standard salad dressings) is served on the side.
My standby favorite here.  Hot turkey sandwich ($7.50). Just turkey breast slices on top of white bread with mashed potatoes and gravy over all.  Comfort.

So.  A 'chain' of Diners in San Diego county.  The county is 4200 square miles and there is someplace everywhere to find a good meal.

Perry's Cafe 475 North Magnolia El Cajon 92020 (619)440-5724

Fat Ivor's and Meat by the Side of the Road-Valley Center

Welcome back to mmm-yoso!!!, the food blog.  Kirk is on vacation and Cathy is blogging in his place.  ed(from Yuma) is in Yuma, not on vacation and not blogging.

Hi again.   Long story short, I drive up Valley Center Road quite frequently, regularly noticed signs next to Fat Ivor's Rib Rack and back in 2002, I finally decided to stop and see what the signs were all about. I wrote a post about this in 2006.

 

In reality, the signs were only out near Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter...it took me a while to realize that was when I was driving regularly to Valley Center.  Here's an accurate photo of my viewpoint.  The yellow sign closest to the road is "Optimist Hams for Kids", next to a "Got Ribs? We do" sign, then there is that trailer with the Optimist logo on it and the sign for Fat Ivor's Rib Rack. Meat.  By the side.  Of the road.  The driveway is at those signs and the parking area is for Fat Ivor's.  

 
In the back of the parking lot, you can see the smokers, being used for the Optimist's hams, as well as for the beef and pork used on Fat Ivor's menu.  
Walk into the restaurant through the left door and seat yourself.  The right door is the outdoor Bar area.  Fat Ivor's has been in Valley Center for decades and was rebuilt after it burned down two months after the original owner, Tommy Thomas, died.  

 
The restaurant is decorated with American flags, pictures of President Ronald Reagan, John Wayne, patriotic items and is frequented by locals, especially at lunch time. 
 
Locals take advantage of the "Lunch Specials", as well as the "Extra Lunch Specials" (which include a side and beverage if you get it as a half sandwich).  You'll notice there aren't any smoked meats on the daily specials menu. This is a diner.  
So, The Mister and I ordered from the regular menu and his meal started with a fresh, but unexciting salad with blue cheese dressing...which had chunks of blue cheese at the bottom, but was pretty watery overall.
The main part of His meal was a whole farmed trout-deboned and spread open gently, so as to stay in one whole piece.  Lightly cornmeal breaded and perfectly fried, with skin on the bottom, this was fresh and a good, firm fish. It was a 'Lighter Meal' and came with cottage cheese ($10.95)
I ordered the BBQ pork sandwich ($7.95) which comes with a choice of two sides.  Baked beans (meaty baked beans) and a lightly dressed cole slaw were my choices.  The pork is smoked and  sliced (not pulled).  Real BBQ. The sandwich is topped with a homemade sauce, which seems to be sweetened with molasses.  The sesame seeded bun is well toasted so the sauce doesn't permeate the bun to fall apart.
About midway through, I used the BBQ seasoning (that isn't red pepper) from the tabletop condiment choices.  The very nice blend of  seasonings, including hot chili, black pepper and salt complimented my sandwich. 

Yes, Fat Ivor's is known for the all you can eat beef ribs, which are $13.99, seven days of the week.  I've had them.  They are well smoked, a bit fatty and better without sauce. People travel here for the evening meals.

Oh.  The ham. 
The best smoked ham ever.  The Optimists use Farmer John hams and smoke them deeply with hickory.  We could not wait.  It was tonight's dinner...tomorrow's breakfast and lunch... and many more meals, including pea soup. We're having Turkey for Easter.

Fat Ivor's 27961 Valley Center Road, Valley Center, CA 92082 (760) 749-0600

Troy's Family Restaurant- American (and Greek) food

Hi, it's Cathy blogging for mmm-yoso!!! today.  Kirk  is under the weather and ed (from Yuma) is busy.

An ocean of time ago, The Mister and I moved to San Diego for the last time.  Our apartment was within walking distance of Clairmont Square, and we used to eat at Troy's Family Restaurant.  A lot.  Until we bought our home, about 25 miles East of here.
It's been in the Clairmont area since 1973.  The mall has expanded and been rebuilt a few times since then, but the owners and a lot of the employees are the same.  We were in the area on this sunny day a few weeks ago and wanted to see if things, like the decor and food,  were still the same.

The cool dishware is as I remembered. Curvy scratched water glasses and thick ceramic cups.  I love old, thick coffee cups; they make coffee taste better. ($1.75).  Served with real half and half in the container on each table.

 The Ranch dressing on the salad is homemade and better than any bottled stuff I have ever had.  The lettuce mix, with shredded carrots tomatoes and packaged croutons is standard crispy fresh.

The salad was part of the special of the day (Monday) - Tilapia ($7.95) which was dipped in an egg wash and then seasoned flour and lightly fried.  A light crisp crust enhances the flavor of the fish.  It is served with a vegetable of the day (no frozen vegetables here...these were fresh cooked, un-mushy carrots, hand sliced) and mashed potatoes-also fresh. The gravy is a standard brown gravy, smooth and not lumpy. There are at least three daily specials offered all seven days of the week.  
Since the restaurant is named Troy's and the font on the outside indicates some air of 'Greek' to it,  I wanted one of the Greek menu offerings... really, only two are available.  Gyros in the form of a sandwich and in an omelete and souvlaki with breakfast or a sandwich.  At this time, the souvlaki sandwich ($7.45) stood out on the menu.  Marinated, skewered pork, cooked lightly (it was just pink  on the inside, very moist and the char on the exterior of the pieces was just right) served on a piece of garlic toast, with cole slaw (instead of fries) and tossed salad (with Thousand Island dressing-again, made in house and excellent).

It was as we remembered it:  Good, home made food made with care and flavor. 

 Troy's Family Restaurant 4827 Clairmont Shopping Center San Diego 92111 (619)276-7651

Mon-Sat 6:30-9:00, Sun 6:30-8:00

Mission Gorge Cafe-Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner: Greek, American, Mexican

Mission Gorge Cafe has closed.

Welcome (back) to mmm-yoso!!!, the food blog.  A written record of food eaten, prepared and enjoyed by some friends.  Kirk and ed (from Yuma) aren't writing any records today.  Cathy is writing and recording. 

Hi.  A few weeks ago (as you can see by the rain soaked parking lot in this photo), The Mister and I were out and about and saw that Taste of India had changed ownership.  In fact, it seems the the people who had worked here before it became Taste of India were back.  (It used to be Frank's Happy Chef, which I hadn't posted on despite eating there a lot...).  This location is on Mission Gorge, very close and between to the two Kaiser Hospitals, in the same mall as Souplantation.

 
The interior tables, chairs, and other inventory is the same (although the walls are no longer painted to match the fuchsia pink of the chairs). As always, a fresh rose on every table...

The Mister ordered the "Mighty Swiss Alps" fritatta ($7.95) Eggs, mixed with ham, mushrooms, Swiss cheese, tomatoes baked in the pan and topped with sour cream (sort of looks like snow on Swiss alps...) and chives.  It was a really good blend of flavors, served with the country fried potatoes (nice and crisp) and the English muffin.

I wanted something more "Greek" and since it was still breakfast time, I ordered the gyros omelette (7.95). Gyros meat and tomatoes mixed with the egg and topped with Feta cheese and served with the tomatoes, lettuce, more Feta, tzatziki sauce and pita bread.  Excellent flavors, satisfying my cravings. 

 

A few days later, we were again in the area at lunch time and The Mister ordered the chicken and gyros Greek salad ($9.45).  More than enough for two, served with hot pita bread...

The Greek salad was made of mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers,onions, olives, Feta Cheese and a home made Greek dressing which did not overwhelm the flavors of anything.  The gyros and chicken were fresh grilled, still warm and very complimentary.

A few days later we were again back in the area and it was lunchtime.   Something Mexican was in order, and since it was still raining, a bowl of the tortilla soup sounded good. ($3.45).  An excellent portion, filled with chicken and vegetables and very definitely home made.   The vegetables (carrots, celery, onions, potatoes and rice) were plentiful and chopped in random shapes.  The chicken had flavor on its own and the tortilla strips were fresh made and crispy.

I decided to try the 1/2 pound gyro burger ($6.95) and pulled out the gyros meat for this photo. The addition of hand breaded onion rings was $2.95 and worth it. Excellent frying technique.

The burger is a 1/2 lb steak burger ($5.95)and was char grilled ( we were not asked how we wanted it grilled, but it was just right).  Good flavor, moist and went well with the soft sesame roll, topped with standard burger toppings.  The amount of gyros was significant (only $1 more than the 1/2 lb steak burger) and the tzatziki sauce went with everything-together or eaten on the side).

I'm very happy Mission Gorge Cafe is here.  I guess I could say it's back...it has the same owners as Miramar Cafe ,who started their business when Frank's closed.  Both places are good. 

 
Mission Gorge Cafe 6171 Mission Gorge Road San Diego 92120 (619)283-2887 Mon-Sat 7 am-9pm, Sun 7 am-8 pm

Road Trip: Breakfast at Gardena Bowl Coffee Shop - Gardena (Los Angeles)

Aahhh yes, breakfast and bowling alleys.... what could be better? Actually, you may be scratching your head a bit on this one. Back in Hawaii, there used to be some pretty good food served in Bowling Alleys. In fact, for a time, Kapiolani Coffee Shop, which used to be on Atkinson close to what was then Aloha Motors, and is now the Hawaii Convention Center, had a shop in Kam Bowl (which has closed). They made the best Oxtail soup!(Don't worry, if I recall you can get the same Oxtail soup at Asahi Grill and Kapiolani Coffee Shop in Waimalu) And in fact, The Alley Restaurant, in the Aiea bowl was on my list (most due to Pomai's post) when I returned home a few months ago. Unfortunately, I was unable to talk the Missus into eating in a bowling alley.

Still, I knew not to expect quite that, since I'd been to Gardena Bowl and the old Holiday Bowl Restaurant's before.

 

At 7am on Sunday, the place is half full, all old-timers, I'm the youngest by at least 15 years. I had a seat at the counter, and soaked in the atmosphere. I really can't use the word ambiance, because it seems to infer some "high maka-maka" quality. No, this was something special..... I'd never heard so much pidgin since I moved to mainland. And it wasn't just any pidgin, but "time-warp pidgin"..... I heard words, like "holo-holo", "Pake", and "manini".... Which seemed to indicate when these folks had left for "da' really beeg island......" The folks working really didn't talk that way, but they seemed to know most of the people coming in and eating.

 

The menu, part of it written on the greaseboard reflected the very old-school Japanese/Chinese influenced dishes I grew up eating.

 

On one of the greaseboards, it said "Poi - $3.50 extra".

I of course, ordered a Loco Moco ($7.50), which came with a dish of very old-school Tsukemono, just like Mom used to make.... literally, it tasted just like her quick Tsukemono... In fact, much of this had a home made quality, albeit that being the 60's and 70's home....

 

I like that they didn't ask me how I wanted my egg, it was done easy-over. The gravy was very dark, and there were shreds of what seemed like roast beef in it. It wasn't as salty as I expected, rather it was thick and dense, and I love a drizzle of Tabasco on my Loco Moco anyways. The rice was perfect....

 

The burger patty was lean, and seemed to have little filler.... which some folks might enjoy, but it was pretty chewy. Plus, I ran into what I call "the old toenail".... you know, you bite on a piece of bone or other hard calcified item which almost cracks your teeth. Also, the patty tasted like it was about a day or so from going South, that gamey-metallic flavor, which means you no harm (yet), but trips switches in my head.

Still, I enjoyed this meal. Just listening brought back memories, perhaps different from those that Fukagawa elicited, but very strong none the less. A nice step back to the type of "diner" I grew up eating in.

For that, I'd gladly return......... Plus that gravy ain't too shabby..... This was much like what Mom made, and as much as you criticize Mom's food, you always return for more.

Gardena Bowl Restaurant
15707 S Vermont Ave
Gardena, CA 90247

 

Ryan's Cafe- breakfast

This is mmm-yoso!!!, the blog o' food.  Kirk, ed (from Yuma) and Cathy like towrite about their eating adventures here.  You like to read about said adventures.  Here is a small adventure from Cathy.

Hello.  There is this hole in the wall place, Ryan's Cafe, which is frequented by USD students and anyone who notices it.   It is on Linda Vista Road, one block east of the Starbucks which is at Morena Boulevard. In the same mall with a taco shop and donut place...We have a soft spot in our hearts for small restaurants near colleges, because those are where The Mister and I went on all of our dates when we were at University, before we married.
The banners advertising the specials get you in, then there are more selections on the board behind the register...
We decided to try one of the breakfast specials:
Bacon, eggs and pancakes, $4.50.  Two slices of thin crispy yet flavorful  bacon, two fluffy fresh scrambled eggs, excellent pancakes, fluffy and with crispy edges and with a sweetness that did not need syrup.
I was in a no-meat mode and chose the breakfast pita ($5.45).  I like the flatbread here- very fresh and thick.  The 'pita' bread  is topped with a good amount of Provolone cheese, which really gives it flavor, especially when melted (not unlike when you get Provolone on a pizza...another post).  The egg is topped with sauteed onions and green peppers and this combination of flavors is just perfect for me.

If you are in the neighborhood, do stop in- breakfast is served all day.  So are fresh fruit yogurt smoothies. A good portion of the food is Middle Eastern (Gyros, schawarma, hummus and yogurt based sauces) and there are lots of vegetarian selections and any of the items served on a pita will be a good choice.  Students at USD know that Ryan's delivers.

Ryan's Cafe 5201 Linda Vista Road (between Metro and Napa) San Diego 92110 (619) 294-5755

Open 7 a.m. M-F and 8:30 a.m. Sat and Sun  Website

 

Corner Bakery Cafe- Franchise/Chain and good. In Mission Valley.

mmm-yoso!!! is still blogging.  Sure Kirk and His Missus are on vacation (clue: It's a country with cuisine I haven't spoken of since April 21), ed is in Yuma, working diligently and Cathy is just driving around, eating and documenting.  Enjoy.

Hello again.  I have driven through Mission Valley all this year and never stopped- not to shop, meet anyone or to have a meal.    Really.


 Corner Bakery Cafe is off of Mission Center Road at Camino de la Reina.  They built it, along with a few other restaurants in the spot where the Montgomery Ward Service Center used to be. Sometime in the last two years, I guess. I had not heard of it before, but the name sounded nice. 
It is a franchise of a pretty large proportions, but the first San Diego location.  I walked in, saw some menus and prepacked bakery items at the door and that you were to walk forward to order.
It is similar to Panera, in that you order and pay, take a number and place it in the wire thingy on your table and you food is brought to you.  It is also similar in that you get your own beverages.   You also grab your own utensils and condiments.  Most similar is that the building has free wifi.
The menu consists of soups, salads, sandwiches, pastas and breakfast (I haven't been here for breakfast yet). This is a bowl of homemade roasted tomato basil soup ($5.59). Large and filling, very hearty with chunks of roasted tomatoes, basil and a slight kick of heat which became more pronounced at the bottom of the bowl topped with toasted herbed bread and served with a chunk of fresh herbed bread. This is a very nice light meal.
Another visit, with The Mister. The Trio- pick any three homemade specialty salads ($7.29).  I chose the Greek vegetable, the tuna salad and the seasonal fruit medley. (Other choices include chicken, egg, pasta Caprese, Asian edamame, Caesar or mixed greens).  A small mixed greens is on this plate also, under the chunk of bread. All of the salads are very nice.  The Greek salad includes artichoke hearts as well as usual Greek salad stuffs(tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, onion, pepperocinis and Feta cheese) It is topped with a light balsamic and very fresh and good.
The Mister got a corned beef Reuben panini (on caraway rye) ($7.29).  A very flavorful corned beef with sauerkraut and Swiss.  There also was a small amount of Thousand Island brushed on the bread.  This was very good and quite filling.  It is served with house made 'bakery chips' and a pickle.  You can substitute baby carrots for the chips.
This is the chicken Carbonara pasta dish ($7.79). Slices of herb roasted chicken breast are underneath the linguine, applewood smoked bacon and spring peas.  All is coated in a light (not made with heavy cream) Carbonara sauce.  This was large portion and filling, yet not as 'bad' as far as Carbonara sauce goes.  The creamy, buttery flavor is there, but the thick coating of fat that usually stays with you wasn't.  A good compromise.   

My favorite item here, so far (I've had it three times). The Harvest Salad with chicken (Cafe (smaller) size, $6.79).  Mixed greens, with slices of roast chicken, green apples, toasted walnuts, currants and blue cheese.  It's topped with a balsamic vinaigrette and served with a slice of crispy harvest bread.  I *really* like this salad.
It is bakery and does bake all the breads on site. (There is the caraway rye, sourdough, Harvest, Mom's White, whole grain, Asiago cheese and pretzel bread) and a few sweets- cookies and pastries.  This is a "Whoopie Pie" ($1.59). Chocolate cake-y top and bottom, filled with a house-made mocha frosting.  Very moist, creamy and not too sweet.

This is quite nice for a chain-y franchise.  It is worth a stop.

Corner Bakery Cafe Camino de la Reina (SE corner, at Mission Center Drive) (619) 692-0423 Website

 

Keith's Restaurant - Miramar

I'm pretty sure if you've driven South on the 15 freeway, you've seen the sign for Keith's.

The Missus, who loves diners just could not fend off the pull of this sign forever. So I just knew that we'd eventually be eating here.

On the day we visited Keith's we'd arrive right before what would be considered a normal dinner service. We grabbed a table, and soon enough our menus arrived.

My first thought was that the prices were a bit higher than others, but that could've just been my imagination.

The Missus who loves breakfast for dinner, or lunch, or even a midnight snack went for the two eggs combo. Now, there's just a couple of things that make a diner, well..... a diner for us. Two of them are eggs and potatoes. And though the Foodanistas will criticize something that they think it's below them....it's the potatoes(namely the usually perfectly executed SYSCO hashbrowns) that makes a place like Perry's Cafe (which we hope reopen soon). This is what arrived at our table:

The eggs were an adequate over-medium, though the toast could have been in the toaster a bit longer. The hashbrowns were a letdown. They weren't crisp enough on the exterior, I just don't think enough oil was being used. We really don't go to a diner for "healthy" hashbrowns. The strands of potatoes under the semi-crust were hard, and not good eats.

The entree I ordered started with a Macaroni Soup:

This was really just "meh" for me, but at least they used enough salt in it. The Missus enjoyed it more than I did.

Now one of the other items that makes a diner for us is gravy (and club sandwiches but that's another post). On the basis of a recommendation I ordered the Chicken Fried Steak ($11.79):

Now the steak was fairly good, it was tender and had been processed properly. The flour based coating could have used a bit of seasoning. I expected the vegetables to be mushy and bland, and they were. The fries (potatoes) were a disappointment, as fries with gravy of any kind is weakness of mine. The were the faux "natural" style fries, but were limp, dry, and bland. So on to the gravy..... how can I put this..... think of the texture of thick glue, very gummy...... it actually stood on my upside-down spoon. It also lacked flavor and was badly in need of salt. A disappointment overall.

The woman who served us was very nice.... and even tolerated the two guys who came in later and started asking question about how the mushrooms were sauteed, and stuff like that with good humor..... geeez, this was a diner, not Pampelmousse! We also noticed all the older folk who started coming in while we were living..... what does it say when one has dinner before the "blue plate special" crowd? Oh well, unless someone has a fantastic recommendation, I don't think we'll be back.

Keith's Restaurant
9449 Kearny Mesa Rd
San Diego, CA 92126

Open 24 Hours