mmm-yoso!!!

Banh Mi.... from Cafe Chloe ???

I usually don't post on these type of restaurants (there are great food blogs, publications, and of course Chowhound to keep you abreast). But on our last visit to Cafe Chloe, I wasn't able to resist ordering something from the menu that I was itching to for a while.....

Located in East Village, this little Bistro has become a favorite of the Missus, and especially of Her "ladies who do lunch crowd").

And other than some rather normal blips in service(when you spend at least $50/60+ for lunch or$70+ for dinner for two, you tend to be a bit more picky), we have always had nice meals at Cafe Chloe. Most of the offerings seem both rich, and yet light at the same time. And of all the gratines, tartines, and amandines (yes, I know it's just a topping of almonds, but it just sounded right), the Missus adores the Meatloaf when it is offered as a daily special. Sorry to say, no meatloaf today.

  Call us predictable, but we always start with basically the same two appetizers, well kinda, sorta, as you'll see. We always get the Charcuterie Du Jour - today it was a wonderfully rich, yet balanced Pork Rillette, a wonderful pork spread, appropriately sealed with a layer of fat on the top.

The mustards and pickles help to cut the richness. We're talking serious good here. No it won't assault your tastebuds with a ton of different flavors going everywhere, but it will make you go "mmmmm".

The Missus enjoys the Tarte Flambe, a classic flatbread, topped with a smear of crème fraîche, caramelized onions, and bacon........ Need I say more????

Though I find the bread a bit on the thick side for a tarte, this is a nicely balanced offering. The bacon, thick sliced, is a far cry from the sodium loaded stuff you buy in packages. If anything, it was bit too mild for my tastes, but the Missus loves this, and orders it everytime. and of course, there are the mixed greens that seems to be on almost every plate.....

The Missus went with the Tartine du Jour - the open faced sandwich of the day. In this case it was a Curried Chicken Tartine:

Before grabbing a bite of this, I really didn't have my hopes up. It was however, very good, it looked over-dressed in mayo, but was not. A great combination of flavors and textures. And I really thought the bread was perfect for this, slightly nutty, with a mild hint of sweetness. I believe that Cafe Chloe gets their bread from Sadie RoseBaking Company, whose products I love. The pasta salad was dressed with a nice balsamic vinegar based concoction, but the pasta was hard and brittle. I guess I just expected a bit more.

So why am I doing a post on Cafe Chloe? Well there's something on the menu that I've been wanting to try......

 
Banh Mi??? In a French inspired Bistro....why not? I mean Banh Mi is undoubtedly French inspired, so why not.... it'll be like going "Back to the Future"!!! I love Banh Mi, and have probably eaten my share of them. And at least for me; it's a far cry from a French Baguette Sandwich to a Banh Mi, though I do think most things would taste better in a Banh Mi, even uni....umm oursins.  

This was a case of the sum not being equal to its parts, and has probably been the only item I've been totally disappointed with at Cafe Chloe. Each item taken individually was good; I loved the crusty baguette, but it was too hard for a Banh Mi, in which the bread stars by being light, airy, and more flakey than crusty. The pate was nice, but very mild, and was totally lost in the sandwich. The Do Chua, the pickled vegetables which adds a crunch along with a palate cleansing flavor were replaced by a variety of greens. There were too many veggies in this, and the watercress and other greens were too bitter, and with the radishes, overwhelmed the entire sandwich, I couldn't even taste the aioli. There is always a nice savory component to a good Banh Mi which was missing here.

As if to really tell me to order something else next time, the Gaufrettes were burnt and bitter...... 

There's alot on the menu to enjoy at Cafe Chloe, steak frites, duck confit, the meatloaf the Missus will kill for. I'm sure we'll be back soon; the Missus would eat here a couple of times a week if She could. I won't be ordering the Banh Mi again, though......

Cafe Chloe
721 Ninth Ave
San Diego CA 92101

Crêpes 'n Cafe: French Cuisine in Yuma

This is Kirk's wonderful foodblog, mmm-yoso, where Kirk and friends share food experiences that range from ohso yummy to ohso different. Today ed (from Yuma) wants to share a place with you folks that is both yummy and different.

[Sad to report that this place is closed. Supposedly, the owner is looking for a restaurant location]

Great News!! The truck has moved out to Foothills and is now at 11350 Fortuna Rd. It's open 7am to 7pm Tuesday through Sunday with much the same menu. 928-785-7581.

The most recent news concerning the culinary scene in Yuma is the grand opening of our first authentic French restaurant, one with an actual French person as the chef.  Who would have thought such a thing was possible here?  And who would've thought that our first French restaurant would look like this?

I recently pulled into the parking lot outside the Del Sol Market at the corner of 16th St and 4th Ave, hungry for breakfast.  Almost instantly after placing my order with the waiter/chef/owner, I received a cup of the coffee deluxe($2):

This cup of powerful and dark coffee was topped with whipped cream and chocolate chips and dusted with a generous shake of cinnamon.  But the beverage was just the introduction, for soon I was presented with this crêpe, adorned with whipped cream and fresh blueberries: The first time I ordered a meal at Crêpes 'n Cafe, I was surprised to receive a squarish packet because all of my previous (limited) experience with crêpes was with the rolled variety, the ones that look something like enchiladas.  I have since learned that this rectangular style of crêpe is very popular in France and is called crêpe de Bretagne since it is a specialty of the Brittany region.

But one does not discover the real joy of any of these tasty treats, until one cuts into them and exposes the secret interior: This one was filled with fresh blueberries and blueberry juices ($6).  The flavor match was nearly perfect as each bite began with sweet blueberry goodness, but finished with a slight tangy tartness that refreshed the palate.  A perfect breakfast -- way better than a Danish.

But crêpes are not just breakfast food, and in fact, the majority of items on the small menu here are savory crêpes. Unlike the sweet crêpes, these are made with a buckwheat blend flour and are always accompanied by a little lettuce for textual contrast:

In fact, this is the first one I ate at the restaurant, and it is called the Jacky ($5).  As you can see, it contains mushrooms, cheese, and garlic:
As I started tasting this wonderful concoction, I realized it was love at first bite.  The classic flavor profile of cheese and garlic made my mouth truly happy.  So happy, in fact, that I went for hours without brushing my teeth just so that taste would not go away.

Very similar in flavor is the crunchy ($5), which gets its name from the breadcrumbs that accompany the cheese, garlic, and olive oil: 

Another favorite is the Popeye ($6), in which the cheese is complemented by sour cream and spinach.  After finishing this one, Tina's first words were, "we've got to go back to this place again."  "Soon." 

Another savory variation is the blue potato ($6), a combination of potatoes, blue cheese, mushrooms, and sour cream. The chef has mastered balancing the ingredients, so that the cheese flavor extends throughout the crêpe without stifling the other tastes:

Another style of crêpe is what I call dessert crêpes. Of course, they would be great for breakfast too. One of the most beautiful is the "no comment," a delightful combo of whipped cream, white chocolate, and sliced fresh strawberries: 

It tastes as good as it looks:
A good way to end this post is by a look at another true dessert crêpe, the bourse ($6), which means purse in French.  The word also means stock market, but clearly the healthy shape of this treat precludes that meaning: This particular crêpe is always filled with ice cream and whipped cream.  While sometimes done with chocolate syrup, the day I ordered it, the bourse was covered with strawberry syrup and tied shut with a whip of red licorice, making it almost as attractive as it was sweet and flavorful.

Cut into, this purse spilled its contents over the paper plate:

 Now that looks more like the stock market!

For the most part, I think this little crêpe cart is a wonderful addition to the Yuma dining scene.  Everything I have eaten from this place is well prepared and very tasty.  The flavor combinations are classics, and are classics for good reason.  Except that sometimes the line of customers and the wait for the food get too long, the place has few shortcomings.  Opening daily at 7 am, it seems to stay open through the dinner hour. Crêpes 'n Cafe is both very good and (at least out here in the desert) very unique. Vive la France!

The Better Half: Stressed Economy Special

Kirk and Cathy, as always, are eating and thinking about sharing their meals with you. Today, however, it is ed (from Yuma) discussing a recent meal he had in San Diego.

[The stressed economy wasn't special for this place - sadly, it's now closed.]

After a few days of eating Thai Vietnamese Korean sushi (no, not at the same time), I was looking for something different. I also had discovered that The Better Half was offering, between 5 and 7 p.m., a stressed economy special, three courses for $15.

The restaurant actually occupies two buildings linked by an outside patio, which is where the hostess greets customers. On the left side is the small kitchen, visible from the street, which offers a view of the chefs working hard on their preparations:

 On the right is the two-room dining area:

It is modestly, but tastefully decorated, and the track lighting allows small lamps to focus on each table top:

 As you can already tell, this tasteful lighting does not make for the best photographs, so let me apologize in advance for the quality of the pictures in this post.

I had another reason for this visit. I was in San Diego by myself this trip, and the thought of having dinner and a half bottle of wine (The Better Half specializes in 375 ml bottles) seemed inviting. In fact, I was very impressed with the wine list; I had no idea that such a wide variety of excellent wines were available in smaller bottles. Wines on the list ranged from $14-$91, with many choices between 15 and 25. I settled on a Pinot Noir from Paraiso Vineyards ($22), located in the Santa Lucia Highlands area in northern Monterey County, a winery that I was already familiar with from my days in Monterey:
I had already looked over the standard menu and was prepared to order the fruit stuffed quail, accompanied by a wild mushroom risotto, if nothing on the special menu was inviting. But the economy menu insert offered all sorts of tasty dishes, a choice of salad or wild mushroom soup as a first course, grilled mahi-mahi in cilantro sauce, wild game meat loaf with mashed potatoes, or Cornish game hand hen with rice pilaf for a second choice, and some tasty desserts for the third. I could have eaten any of the choices happily.

After I ordered, a large whole-wheat and fig dinner roll was brought to the table. I could smell its arrival as the aroma of warm bread filled my nostrils:

 Accompanied by lightly herbed whipped unsalted butter, this was a perfect start:

Soon my wild mushroom soup arrived. Okay, to be more accurate, a soup plate arrived with a small pile of sliced sautéed wild mushrooms sitting by themselves on the bottom of the dish. For a moment I was puzzled -- this was like no soup I had ever seen before -- and then the friendly and helpful waitperson poured a dark grayish brown liquid from a metal teapot into the bowl. It looked like this, only much more inviting:

 Perhaps the best mushroom soup I have ever eaten. The sautéed wild mushrooms added a bit of texture to the creamy broth. The primary flavors were Portobello and wild mushroom, accented perfectly by the flavor of sherry. The wine note served much like a squeeze of citrus into a rich soup, complexifying the savory breadth of the overall flavor.

Soon after I finished with the soup, the main course arrived. I had chosen the game hen with the pilaf:

The bird was roasted perfectly, still wonderfully moist and tinged slightly pink at its innermost joints. The flavor was straight forward without many herbs or any marinade. Good basic roast fowl.

The pilaf was the star of the plate. The flavor was rich and deep. I could taste both the wonderful stock in which the pilaf was cooked, as well as the flavors of the grains. The range of textures was amazing. The white rice and orzo (rice shaped pasta) were soft; the wild rice and wheat berries were chewy; and the sliced almonds added a perfect touch of crunchiness. Some chopped scallions added color:

 The meal ended with a large scoop of excellent strawberry ice cream accompanied by mint leaves:

By the standards of a pho house this was an expensive dinner. But for fine dining, and this truly was fine dining by any standard, the meal was a bargain. And truth be told, I have spent far more than this at Sakura. Far more. Kirk will no doubt remind me that the meal would have been extremely cheap if I had drunk water instead of Pinot Noir (and The Better Half has a nice choice of bottled waters as well as tapwater). Oh well, if price were the only issue, I would be chomping down at McDonald's Dollar menu. :-)

The Better Half, 127 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103, (619) 543-9340

Ikea, again- dinner items

mmm-yoso!!! A blog.  Seemingly random posts about seemingly random meals written by seemingly anonymous people.   

Hi again.  Cathy blogging, because Kirk is in Thailand and ed (from Yuma) is in Yuma. I am here, with a camera inside a phone and a bit too much free time on my hands.  

The Mister and I were hungry the other evening, again, and were in the vicinity of Mission Valley when the pangs hit. We looked around and-there it was- a furniture store!

But, Ikea is not only a Swedish based furniture store, but also serves up some tasty food, ostensibly to keep you in the store and relaxed while shopping for flat packed, oddly named furniture you assemble yourself with a L-shaped tool called a hex key(Allen wrench)and the help of drawings as your instruction.

Hot items are served cafeteria style in a steam tray area.  There is always a variety to choose from, (the cooked salmon plate is wonderful) (so is the stew), as are the fresh vegetable side dishes and the macaroni and cheese, but The Mister (and I) enjoy the basic 15 meatball plate.

15 meatballs (mostly ground beef and spices, no fillers) topped with a cream gravy and served with skin-on mashed potatoes and a side of lingonberry sauce. $4.99 and always good.

You can buy a bag of the frozen meatballs and two packages of gravy, as well as lingonberry sauce, jelly and concentrate downstairs in the "Swede Shop" just past the check out registers so you can enjoy this meal at home anytime you get a craving (you can easily make some mashed potatoes, right?).

There is an area of refrigerated glass cases where you can choose from desserts, salads, wraps and sandwiches. I got the gravad lox plate ($4.99) Two slices of excellent gravad lox served with a creamy mustard sauce, lettuce, fresh dill and a lemon wedge.

You can also buy frozen gravad lox in the Swede shop.

We also decided to share a shrimp salad ($3.99). About 50 small, but flavorful-small, shrimp served on a bed of mixed greens, tomatoes and cucumbers.  There is a station of sauces and dressings near the beverage area. The ranch seemed to go best, but I tried the Italian and French also.

The dishes and tableware are all sold in the store, as are the chairs and tables in the eating area.  Kind of good way to see what you would like to buy. Or not...

Ikea  San Diego 2149 Fenton Parkway 92108 (619) 834-1520 website

Seattle: Pike Place Market, Piroshky Piroshky, and other stuff.......

I readily admit that I am an unabashed fan of that Seattle icon, Pike Place Market. I make a point to visit at least once during every visit to Seattle.

My preferred time to visit this Seattle Icon is in the morning, before the crowds. To me Pike Place Market is almost a living breathing creature, and watching it wake is both relaxing and  invigorating at the same time. Yes, a paradox.....

There's a mild sense of excitement watching Pike Place wake and take it's first deep breaths of the day.

The variety is quite staggering. From the Hmong flower growers/vendors:

To the wide array of appealing produce:

And of course, the seafood.

I can't remember the last time I saw Razor Clams for sale.....

There's always something new, something you've never noticed on previous visits. And perhaps you may run into Truman:

According to his "Dad", Truman "helps" with deliveries on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

There are of course many places to grab a bite as well, and I'm sure everyone has their favorite. At times you just need to follow your nose and it will lead you to some good grinds.

In the past, the Missus has literally spent an hour watching the donut machine at the Daily Dozen Doughnut Company.....

In spite of all the choices, it seems that the scents emanating from this shop always draws me in.

This little shop specializes in...what else Piroshky.

Whether you call them Piroshki, Piroshky, or Pirozhki, these Russian stuffed pastries are hard to resist. There over 30 different versions served, ranging from the more traditional beef and onion, to the "Pacific Northwest version", the smoked salmon. Sometimes making a decision can be quite difficult.

   

After sampling a good variety over the years, we tend to stick to the vegetarian versions, like the Smoked Mozzarella, Broccoli, and Mushroom($4.25):

The Missus didn't care for the caraway-sauerkraut flavor of the Sauerkraut, Carrot, Cabbage, and Onion($3.25). But i didn't mind it at all.

   

The Potato, Mushroom, and Onion, is another of our favorites, but we were getting full.

We ate as we strolled down the Seattle Harbor Steps, and made our way to Pier 52. Why Pier 52?

Pier 52 is the terminal for Washington State Ferries Bainbridge Island route. A ferry ticket costs $6.70(it has gone up over the years), and I call it the cheapest "tour" in Seattle. During clear days the view is wonderful. Even during overcast days like this, the view was fantastic.

The trip is about 35 minutes each way and the fare is for a round trip.

Of course you can't miss that other Seattle icon, the Space Needle.

 

Bainbridge Island is a nice place to wander around a bit if you have a chance. But on this day we needed a nap!

Arely Again-A revisit to a really good French Bakery Cafe

mmm-yoso, the blog.  This is it.  Cathy blogging today; Kirk is resting; Ed is in Yuma.

Hi again.  I've been under the weather, because of the weather, and didn't feel much like eating out anywhere in the last week (let's politely say phlegm was involved and leave it at that). 

Looking at Kirk's post about his Bun Bo Hue dossier, I noticed he mentioned his "regular rotation" and started thinking about it.  The Mister and I eat at Arely a lot, not for the atmosphere (5 tables, plastic plates and cutlery) but because of the food.  It is very good and quite authentically French.  In fact, the last time we were here (a couple of Saturdays ago), three people in front of us all were speaking in French to each other, ordering in accented English and then while we were waiting for our food, another group of three people also speaking only in French were also getting food to eat there. Lots of people get food to go, many cakes are preordered and picked up.

Here is a link to my previous post on Arely.  I noticed I said I would talk about breakfast and so here is the follow up.    

Here is a copy of the glossy menu you can pick up inside.  (Click on any photo to enlarge).  It's the same menu as is on the wall that I had in the previous post.

Let's start out with something simple, basic.  An almond croissant.   Sure, I sort of cut it open to show you a cross section in this photo.  You can't feel the weight of it or the fact that it was still warm, with crispy layers-delicate layers of dough, the sweet layer of homemade marzipan-honey mixed with finely chopped almonds, or..oh, look...that filling...it is chopped almonds.

  Here, how is this photograph? Hand chopped, thin slivers of almonds, still crispy, sweet. Oh, did I say it was still a warm pastry at 10 a.m. on a Friday morning?...hmmm...what did I forget to tell you?  Oh, it costs all of $1.50, as do the muffins, apple turnovers, danishes, scones, and walnut raisin snails.  The 'fancy' Deserts (Napoleons, creme brule, tiramisu, eclairs (chocolate and vanilla) St. Michele, raspberry chocolate mousse, horseshoes, montmartre, opera cake and cheesecake and a chocolate mousse cake) are each the staggering price of $2.95. It is all made here. Fresh.

This loaf of multi grain bread is$2.60.  It is very good bread. Hearty, chewy.  Different from the baguettes, which have a nice crispy crust.  Fresh.

I know, it is not "extraordinary" as far as the location and ambiance goes.  You pay, dearly, for that privilege.  This place has excellent, fresh made food and pastries and breads.  I shant discuss other bakeries here.  I know what is good as well as what is excellent and what I will pay for good and excellent.   

Ah, breakfast- here are two omelettes

Each costs $5.95 and came with the 5 slices of baguette and side, as shown.

The one on the left is with the fresh fruit (melon, cantaloupe, strawberries, orange slices and apple slices).  Each fruit was extremely flavorful and at its peak.  The cantaloupe was the most flavorful one I have had this year.  The omelette on the right is shown with the side of home potatoes (sauteed with skins on with some onion and..hmmm... I think it was butter).

Ah, innards.  

This one is the ratatouille - eggplant, zucchini, tomato and Herbes de Provence .  Really good Herbes de Provence- as in you can taste the lavender herb quite clearly. Fresh herbs, fresh sauteed vegetables.

The omelettes are made with real eggs; I did bite on a piece of eggshell near the end of this meal.  It just was reassuring that my taste buds, realizing how fresh the egg tasted, were not playing a trick on me.

This is the 'why play games?' omelette-  spinach and blue cheese.  Oh yes.  You kind of need those pieces of baguette to fully appreciate the melted blue cheese.

Please look at the previous post to see the French Onion Soup as well as quiche and sandwich choices we had one day.  Then, just go.

Arely French Bakery Cafe 4961-A Clairemont Drive 92117 (next to Pick Up Sticks and Woodie's- you can see the Krispy Kreme and Outback just across the parking lot) (858)270-1910 Mon-Sat 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Sun 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.

Wired Bistro-another (good)French Cafe

mmm-yoso is the blog and Cathy is writing today.  Kirk is on vacation.

Hello, again and welcome back.  The Mister and I decided to "slum" our way out of Santee and visit the UTC area of town yesterday and enjoy lunch where we have enjoyed lunch many times- at Wired Bistro- but this time, with camera in tow. 

I was introduced to Wired by a friend, Miss C, last year when we couldn't decide where to meet for lunch.  It is in the Renaissance Mall, just southeast of the UTC Mall.  I had visited this mall, but had only gone to the Rubio's here.  Wired is one of quite a few restaurants here. It has become a 'regular' spot for me when I dine alone.

It is basically French Bistro style, serving in house baked goods all day and omelettes and bagels for breakfast , crepes, quiches, baguette and panini sandwiches, all sorts of cafe beverages and a daily wine bar serving tapas along with on Friday nights, having a wine tasting of a large selection of French and Spanish wines. 

Here is the menu:

I must say I wish I had a camera every time I have been here, because everything is  just pretty when they bring it to your table.

This time, I decided to try just the soup and quiche combo ($7.50) primarily because the soup of the day was tomato basil bisque, and I have had it before and crave it every so often.  made with fresh tomatoes, light cream and basil, topped with lightly toasted fococcia (herbed) croutons. it was, as always, delightful.

For the quiche, you can chose one of usually four offered per day.  I chose the spinach mushroom.

Usually, during the week, I get a wedge of quiche.  This time it was a small, individual quiche, which was nice.  Made with a puff pastry crust and filled with a *very* nice custard and cheese filling, fresh spinach and flavorful mushrooms. The garnishes vary and this time, as you can see it was shredded carrots with some bean sprouts.  Different, but colorful.

The Mister decided on a panini- the one made with roast beef, roasted eggplant and cheese ($7.95).  Neither of us had ever had this one before. It is the first time we were disappointed in anything here.    

The bread was excellent, as are all of the pastry/baked items.  The roast beef, although plentiful and tomatoes, sliced nice and thick  basically had no flavor.  The cheese and eggplant relish were wonderful.   It isn't anything that would make me not want to go back, it was just not as exciting as we had expected it to be. It was served with a small salad in the center, topped with a very nice house vinaigrette.

Knowing I would be blogging, well, we had to order a dessert.  It was late afternoon and quite a few of the pastries were gone and, well, The Mister had a craving- so we got the Nutella crepe ($4.00). 

Two freshly made crepes, stuffed with Nutella (a spread that is half hazelnut butter and half chocolate butter) and topped with real whipped cream.   Of course this needed a cup of coffee ($1.50), French roast- wonderfully fresh- and we had a nice respite.

During the week, or on Fridays at 6, when the wine bar tastings start, the Tapas menu is perfect.  The $9 cheese and fruit plate or the $9 antipasto plate is a meal for me.  If you are at the UTC mall, just leave the Sears parking lot and go south through the one light and the Renaissance Mall is there on your left-you'll see the Rubio's.

Wired Bistro Wine Bar 8935  Town Centre Drive, Suite 110 San Diego 92122 (858)450-0880 Daily 6 a.m.-10 p.m. (closes Sundays at 8p.m.)

Arely French Bakery Cafe- Excellent food!

mmm-yoso is not on vacation.  Cathy is just letting you see some of her meals, versus Kirk showing you what He ate.

Hi again.  The Mister and I were on a quest for some weird items the other day (among them, helium quality balloons and an Old Maid card game), and ended up at the 99 Cent Only store in Clairemont Mesa mall.  When we were leaving, of course I was hungry and I looked over at Woody's Hot Dogs, where I have enjoyed a few good meals. (I still can't figure out how to put up a link to the post that Kirk did on Woody's.  Look it up under the "hot dogs" section of the blog on the left column here; and, really, we have heard all the Woody jokes already). I noticed on the corner right on the other side of the parking lot, the old Liquor store was gone and a pick Up Stix was in its place.  Then I looked for the Viking Bakery and it, too, was gone and in its place was this signage.

Now for some reason, I have been seeing and going to a number of French Bistro places around the county lately and had intended to go back and blog them, but hadn't had the time  Fortunately, I had my camera with me, so here it goes. 

This one, Arely, is the smallest of all I have gone to, but also the least expensive.  There isn't much atmosphere,but the food was *excellent*, and I mainly talk about the food in this blogging forum, so that is what I will concentrate on.

There are 3 tables inside, two tables out in front and the menu is on the wall (in all the other French Bistros I have gone to, there is a menu you can sit down and read, then you go up and order and sit back down again).  This way, at Arely, is fine though.

We decided to try some "basics" to see how well it was done.

The Parisien sandwich-ham with Brie, lettuce and tomato on a baguette ($4.50).  The bread is fresh made in the store. The ham was black forest, and excellent, and, I dare say, too much ham was in the sandwich...the Brie was not warm, but cut into chunks with the rind and I could taste it, and it was good.  I would have been happy with just the Brie and bread, actually...and the lettuce  was crispy and tomato slice had flavor (unusual these days).

We got a wedge of the spinach and cheese quiche- only $2.95. A quarter of the made in store quiche, filled with fresh spinach, a nutty flavored swiss cheese, creamy eggy custard, nutmeg and a delightful, light crust.  They offer 3 flavors a day  the spinach and cheese, ham and cheese and vegetable) and you can buy a whole quiche for $12...of course, I would just buy 4 individual slices...(this is when Basic Math comes into play in real life).

We also wanted to try the French Onion soup ($3.50), since it is a French Cafe... DO NOT be put off by the styrofoam cup.  The ambiance is the *only* thing lacking here.  You are not paying for it, you are paying for good food, and that is what you get. 

The soup was superb; filled with a fresh herb-y, beefy broth topped with  slice of fresh bread and more of that wonderful swiss cheese (it tasted close to Jarlsberg, so nutty in flavor).

The bakery items are made in store and are beautiful.  I saw one person eating an omelet and it was quite large.  I will go back for breakfast. 

This place has excellent food.  If you are going to the movie theater just on the other side of the mall, this is a place to go to either before or after.  They have just extended their hours (used to be open only until 3 p.m.).  Give it a try, you will not be disappointed.

Arley French Bakery Cafe 4961-a Clairemont Mesa ( in  the Clairemont Mall at Clairemont and Clairemont Mesa; Two places down from Woody's Hot Dogs) Open 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Mon-Sat, 7:30 - 6:00 p.m. Sunday

Time Change Brunch - European Bistro

*** European Bistro has since closed. Chef Axel currently does catering only.

As is our "tradition" we had our "time change" Sunday Brunch. Only thing, this year we're going to Daylight savings a month early, which not only caused a wave of panic within the various technology sectors, but totally discombobulated our scheduling. And so we were left at noon today, without brunch reservations. In cases like this Jim's San Diego Sunday Brunchmaster site is a godsend. The Missus was in mood for something a bit "different", so she finally came up with European Bistro in La Mesa. And we were off.

European Bistro is in kind of a strange setting, a "store-front" strip mall, and you can park literally 3 yards from the front the door of the restaurant! Since we'd arrived late and with no reservations, the little bistro was humming, and it seemed like everyone was a "regular". Lucky for us, we didn't feel like champagne, and so were able to sit outside, on the little table on the sidewalk. We kind of enjoyed sitting there, since it was such a warm and beautiful day...the only thing a bit disconcerting was the proximity of pedestrians walking by on the sidewalk(luckily there weren't very many)....they could have bent over and grabbed a spoonful of spaetzle if they so desired. But let me tell you, the service was very warm and friendly, Helen and Chef Axel kept dropping by to see how we were enjoying ourselves.

The buffet itself is rather small with a dozen cooked items, a salad, a selection of sausages, cold cuts, breads. and cheeses, a soup, and several desserts. I also understand that the kitchen will whip up an omelet on request. Still, we enjoyed the selection....

For a typical listing and more info on the brunch, I'll refer you again to Jim's posting on His website. There were several items we enjoyed....

We both enjoyed the prosciutto, cold sausages, German potato salad, "home fries", and the green beans! Man, those home fries were really good, with onions that have been perfectly fried and caramelized. I thought the Frikadellen(ground meat patties) were very moist, but kind of low on flavor. The Missus enjoyed the Hungarian Goulash, but I thought it bland, and not full of the spice, onions, and other flavors I'm used too..... Still the meat was very tender and moist.

The Missus absolutely adored the green salad, especially the Raspberry Vinaigrette, to the extent of eating three plates of it.

As you can tell, we enjoyed the appetizers and side dishes, much more than most of the cooked main courses...but that doesn't mean you won't. Other main courses offered today was a tilapia, penne carbonara, and of course schnitzel(on the dry side).

The Missus also had 3 desserts, a slice of cheesecake.

And two slices of the Chocolate Cake(looked like a bundt to me), with Cherries Jubilee on it.....

As busy as they were, Helen always had time to stop and chat, and answer any questions. There is also a small "deli" case with sausages and various meats for sale.

Now here's the "kicker", so this a champagne brunch, and you can get mimosas and the like, along with the standard orange juice and coffee(which the Missus liked)......for $15.95! Which we think is an excellent price. The restaurant is small, but very clean, and has a neighborhood bistro feel. And did I mention Helen was wonderful!

Now at that price for Champagne Brunch, combined with excellent service, can you really go wrong?

European Bistro
7097 University Ave
La Mesa, CA 91941

And don't forget to check out the Sunday Brunchmaster!