mmm-yoso!!!

Paragon Deli Cafe (Point Loma)

mmm-yoso!!! will be written by Cathy over this Independence Day weekend; Kirk is doing things with His Missus.

It was three years ago when Kirk first posted about Paragon Deli Cafe.   I had commented about something on the menu.
Recently, I had a craving for tomato stuffed with tuna salad, an old fashioned menu item rarely seen (and very missed), I checked out the menu at Paragon.   First, it was great to see they were still in business.  Second- the tuna stuffed tomato ($10.95) was still on the menu! A wonderful, refreshing, flavor filled version of this simple diner classic.  Served on top of a bed of lettuce with a house made dressing, this is a great lunch.
There is a chalkboard next to the cash register. A bowl ($5.75) of the Soup du Jour (from scratch mushroom)
 as well as a cup ($5) (vegetarian pea) were enjoyed on visits.  The 'everyday' soups (tomato basil and chicken noodle) are priced $4 and $5.25.
 Of course, we wanted to try the Portuguese Francesinha ($15.95), which Kirk had written about in his post.  Wow! Linguica, ham, roast beef, cheese, topped with a runny fried egg and sauce covering it all-including the fries.  The sauce-you can taste the beer as well as the whiskey.  Magical and it makes me understand why Kirk craved (then raved) about this wonderful sandwich.

You will notice on the menu the namesake Pacific Paragon Sandwich ($12.95), which originated at Marston's Tea Room.  Marston's was a downtown San Diego Department Store before being sold to The Broadway in 1961.  This sandwich won a 1960 American Restaurant Magazine award for "Best Sandwich".

 Fresh roast turkey (as in roasted here, today), crispy thick quality bacon, shredded lettuce, house made Blue cheese dressing (excellent) served open faced on rye.  This- THIS sandwich is fancy as well as wonderful.  A similar item (in that there are crossover ingredients) is the California Cobb Salad ($12.95).  Freshly roasted turkey (remarkably good), bacon, crumbled blue cheese, avocado, tomato and pickled egg.
 There is quite an interest in eggs here; deviled egg dishes are used in the refrigerator and there is a collection on the wall above the kitchen.  

Speaking of eggs, Paragon opens at 7 a.m., so there is breakfast.
 The Croque Madame ($13.95) is made with French ham, gruyere and a house made béchamel.  Very tasty and filling.  

 The Eggs Benedict ($12.95) served on an English muffin with ham and a very proper (unbroken) Hollandaise along with fruit and a hash brown patty is also filling and flavorful. 

Paragon Deli Cafe serves quality food and has the friendliest people working here; most are family. 

Paragon Deli Cafe 2724 Shelter Island Drive San Diego 92106 (619) 888-4997 Website Open Mon-Sat 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Closed Sunday

Speaking of Department store restaurants, you might remember this post  or this post or this one, this one or even this different type of Department store with a restaurant inside.

The Original Sab-E-Lee (Linda Vista) Sold and Becoming Zab Linda

In my recent post on Da Kine's reopening in La Mesa, "FOYs" Junichi/Denver/Young mentioned that the Original Sab E Lee was undergoing an ownership and name change. And then yesterday I saw this post in the Eater San Diego. I went and dropped by on the way home and indeed there was a ABC ownership change notice and a banner with a new name on it....."Zab Linda".

   This was indeed a sad moment for me. Even though I thought TOSEL wasn't quite the same since Koby sold SEL, the Rancho Penasquitos location opened, and TOSEL moved to this location. Still, I have some great memories of meals from Sab-E-Lee which quickly became part of our rotation. Over the years, the menu seemed to have moved from the wonderful Issan flavors and heat, to a more standard Thai menu.

The Sab-E-Lee empire kept me as a regular customer at Thai Papaya, where the Missus absolutely loved the Som Tom Kai Khem. Sadly, Thai Papaya shut down during the pandemic, closing in 2021. And was replaced by Sushi Yorimichi.

TOSEL was originally part of our takeout rotation at the beginning of the pandemic, but after a couple of not so good takeout revisits we started going elsewhere.

Still, having been a customer back in 2008 and even getting affirmation from folks I really respected, TOSEL holds a special place in my heart. And like other places that have closed during the pandemic, it seems like the end of an era.

On an interesting note; the Eater post states:

"Called Zab Linda, the new restaurant is also serving Thai food; Runowski shared that it will keep much of Sab-E-Lee’s menu."

And a couple of folks I know have told me that the initial transition has already occurred, so perhaps Zab Linda is in a soft transition mode.

Anyway, I'll drop by in a few weeks.

And thanks for all the wonderful meals and memories Sab-E-Lee!

6925 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92111

Dining in at Noble Chef

About a week after returning from Paris and Scotland the Missus was ready.....to finally dine in at Noble Chef, which had been a regular takeout spot for us during the pandemic. Of course having been thru the last 2+ years we didn't throw all caution to the wind. We got to Noble Chef at 430.......there are times when Noble Chef will only do BBQ from 230-430pm, so we wanted to be able to get all the dishes the Missus (and I) wanted.

Of course we got some Roast Duck. Actually, the first plate we got was terrible, the duck was room temperature and seemed rubbery, there was no sauce, and the skin was missing on some of the slices. We spoke to our Server, who took one look at the plate and replaced it.

This was much better; though I think the Missus has gotten used to eating roast duck using my toaster oven hack to crisp up the skin and heat up the flesh. The Missus thought this was just ok.

We both appreciated that the Gailan, in the Chinese Broccoli with Garlic was peeled and very tender.

The portion size was quite generous, though this was under seasoned. Still, peeling the gailan eliminated any fibrous textures from the dish.

The one dish I had been looking forward to eating when "dining in" was the Salt and Pepper Pork Chop. This dish just doesn't hold up real well for takeout.

While much better then when doing takeout, it was still not as crisp as I remember. The flavor was also on the milder side....though maybe it's a good thing not to have as much MSG??? Though to be perfectly honest, I would have loved to have it the way I remembered.

The Missus's favorite dish of the evening was the Salted Fish and Chicken with Eggplant.

While a bit short in the chicken department; the eggplant had held shape, but was so buttery in texture when consuming. Most of the salted fish was on the bottom of the dish, so a good mixing was necessary to enjoy that funky-porky-salty flavor.

And the Missus was enjoying things so much that I let Her have both of our desserts.

We really enjoyed just sitting and dining in at Noble Chef. Much like my good friend Candice recommended several years ago, the food at Noble Chef is better when dining in for dinner. As we were finishing up folks started arriving for their dinner....it was time for us to scoot. We're still a bit leery with regards to crowds and such, but this seemed so nice, almost normal....or perhaps the "new normal".

The Noble Chef
6159 Balboa Avenue
San Diego, CA 92111

Da Kine's Reopens in La Mesa

I know a lot of folks have been waiting for Da Kine's to reopen in their new location in La Mesa. I need to thank "FOYs" KerriK and DerekR for keeping me in the loop and providing updated information for me. So finally, a couple of weeks back Kerri told me that Da Kine's was in soft opening mode. Now I needed to make some time to check them out and I finally managed to do so this past weekend.

I've noted my history with Da Kine's in previous posts and Nelson even mentioned the reason he "gave" the various locations and "trademark" of the restaurants to employees during a visit to the defunct Linda Vista location.

When it comes down to it; it seems that "Uncle Nelson" as I've heard folks calling him has a connection with ex-pat Kama'aina's of a certain generation and their "ohana". I will agree, that be it for better or worse, his plate lunches do take me back to "those days". Simple, no muss, no fuss, no pretense "high maka maka" grindz. Beneath that kind of gruff exterior there always seemed to be someone who cared about folks....I posted on Da Kine's helping to sponsor a concert by Kalapana back in 1999, when I was doing a consulting gig here in San Diego. I had already moved to LA and was feeling a bit homesick and that concert lifted my spirits.

So, it was good to see the sign up for Da Kine's when I arrived.

There were also folks lined up outside the door when I arrived, 10 minutes before the 11am opening time.. That photo above was taken as I left the place.

The interior seemed quite modern, a change from the rustic themes of his former locations. There's both table and bar seating, all backed with a wonderful mural....with Valley of the Temples and Mokoli'i (Chinaman's Hat) in it. 

It does look a bit modern and hipster. I would have taken a better photo of the mural, but several tables were quickly taken by folks who ordered ahead of me....one of the guys got three cans of Hawaiian Sun for himself! And he opened all three cans at once when he got to his table......nothing worse than needing a "POG" fix, right?

The young man working the counter was very ncie; though I could see Nelson holding himself back from actually working the line as he was training his kitchen staff.

So Derek, they do have kalua pork on the menu....I know you enjoy Nelson's version; of course they have a loco moco......but I had a bit of a drive so I thought I'd give the Teri Chicken ($15) another try.

 First off, the good.....man, I really enjoyed the mac salad here, just as good as what I'd had at the Linda Vista location. Nicely seasoned, liked the amount of black pepper, amazingly still chilled after the drive all the way to Bay Park, just enough mayo. I've had mushy rice at Da Kine's in the past, but today it was perfect. You could see every grain, but it was still moist and tender.

As for the chicken? Well, at least it wasn't overly salty, but it could have used a bit more color and a stronger marinade/sauce (if he's still just "dipping" his chicken). It was not as dry as what I'd had before though.

So, perhaps when I do drop by again, I'll dine in and get a loco moco or kalua pork; or maybe Kerri, you could let me know if Nelson's going to have chicken long rice and lau lau on the menu?

In the end, if only for sentimental reasons, it was good seeing Nelson running around the kitchen area in his shorts and sneakers, teaching the young one's how to scoop rice and stuffs.

And the folks in line were a lot younger as well.......a couple of them looked like they might not have been born when I made my first visit to Da Kine's back in 1999. So I guess Uncle Nelson is feeding a whole new generation.

Da Kine's
7436 University Ave.
La Mesa, CA 91942
Current Hours:
Tues - Sun 11am - 6pm

Sunday Sandwiches, the Online Ordering Edition - Tadian Cafe, Gourmet Artisan, and SuperNatural Sandwiches

I'm not sure if you've been doing this; but over the last couple of months I've been thinking about how Covid has changed our lives and habits over the last couple of years....you know, masks, outdoor dining, checking for crowds, and so forth..... And one of the things that has really taken hold is online ordering. Now, I'm not a fan of those third party companies that upcharge you like crazy for using online ordering...in fact, I was going to order online from EE Nami, when I noticed that there's a $3 upcharge for ordering online! Add that to how prices have increased and gas and sheesh....in that case, I'll just call instead! But, as a whole I like the option of online ordering. It especially comes in handy for lunch.

So, I thought I'd do a bunch of revisits to places I've posted on before.....and order online. I did this over the last two weeks, always ordering between 1030-1115, early in the week; usually on a Monday or Tuesday.

So here goes.

Tadian Cafe:

One of those places that I didn't visit until we were in the middle of the pandemic. I've always ordered online from Tadian, so this was an easy drill. Plus they open at 9am from Monday to Friday. Sadly, they no longer have what had been my favorite sandwich there; the Chinese Sausage Sandwich.

Since I wasn't a big fan of what I'd had on my last takeout order; I went with the Thai Roast Beef on a toasted French Roll, add jalapenos. As has always been the case, my sandwich is ready right at the designated time.

   The toasted roll makes all the difference since Tadian can sometimes over sauce/dress their sandwiches. Even though they say that "Thai peanut sauce" is on this sandwich; I tend to think of this as a pseudo Banh Mi because of the pickled carrots, cucumbers, and cilantro. The jalapenos are a must because the amount of bread can really tone down the flavors. Still, it's a pretty good sandwich.

The young lady who works at Tadian is also very nice.....and my package is usually waiting on the counter or just being placed on the counter when I arrive.

Tadian Cafe
5955 Mira Mesa Blvd. 
San Diego, CA 92121

Gourmet Artisan:

Been going here since I noticed the place in the same stripmall as SuperNatural. Things have been a bit inconsistent over my visits, especially with the "parmesan garlic and truffle fries"....which at times did not have any of the above on it or have been really limp even when picking up on time. And these days there's a $3 upcharge if you want the fries. It used to be included.

At first, I thought I'd order a burger, which I thought wasn't too bad on my last visit, but decided on the Prosciutto Sandwich instead....since this was going to be a "sandwiches" post. GA sends you texts in addition to a confirmation email. Though I'm not sold on getting a text telling me my sandwich is ready as I'm already walking to the shop at the designated time. Though everything was ready to go when I walked in. The guy working here is also quite friendly.

 The fries were nicely friend and still crisp when I got back to the office. And there's garlic and parmesan....with a light drizzle of truffle oil on them. I do prefer the toasted French roll AG used to use before to the ciabatta, which doesn't seem to hold up quite as well. Granted, this isn't a super-stuffed sandwich, but I prefer proportion, and other than having too much mayo, this was fine. Though this was my least favorite sandwich....I guess I come here for the fries?

Gourmet Artisan
7094 Miramar Rd. 
San Diego, CA 92121

SuperNatural Sandwiches: 

Well, SuperNatural and me go way back to 2013 and the days in the now defunct San Diego Public Market. So, I was quite happy when they opened their first brick and mortar shop on Miramar, fairly close to my office.

Some interesting things about ordering online form SS......first, when placing your order, there's an automatic 40 minute wait; at least that's always what I've encountered. The thing being.....you'll then get get notified that your order is ready, usually in 15 minutes....so there's the fire drill of rushing to your car and heading to pick up your order. Not cool if you've got a call or planning to use that 40 minute window. And then, your order is behind the counter, so you have to wait in line...on this visit there were only two people ahead of me, but it adds to your time. Really, for me, it's not a big deal if I'm ordering a salad or some other sandwich than my favorite, the Siren.

All that sauce will make the bread get kinda soggy.

Add to that some fries, which I really like when hot, but not so much when it gets cold....

   Well, you get the point, right? So maybe I just gotta order in person when getting the Siren and/or fries? You know, its been my experience with SuperNatural over the years, that they're usually ahead of the curve. So maybe they'll figure out some great process for their online ordering?

SuperNatural Sandwiches
7094 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92121

So, now it's your turn.

Have you made online ordering a permanent process? And what are some of your favorites....just asking "for a friend" of course!

Roadtrip (During Covid) - Dinner at Kai and Caffeine Fix From WhereUBean Coffee (Phoenix)

We could have easily just headed home upon leaving Sedona, but I had one more overnight stop in mind. On this road trip, I had decided to bookend our travels with some more upscale meals. On the way to Zion we stopped in Las Vegas for dinner at Partage. On the way back home, I decided we should spend a night at the Sheraton at Wild Horse Pass and have dinner at Kai Restaurant, the only AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five Star restaurant in Arizona. Beyond those accolades, I was fascinated by the menu which is described as having "distinct interpretations of Native American cuisine using fresh local ingredients for elevated dining." I thought it would be a nice end to our road trip.

Upon checking in to this rather posh resort, we relaxed in our room.

We had a nice view. 

We got ready for dinner and left our room a bit early to do some shopping in the gift shop before heading off to the restaurant. With Covid measures in place, it seemed like reservations were staggered and until one third way through our meal, we were the only folks dining. The service, while discreet is definitely professional and polished; the Servers all knew our names, crumbs cleared off the table between every course, silverware changed, and still, the service wasn't hovering and did not feel stuffy in the least.

The decor is low-keyed, the walls festooned with the craft and artwork of the Pima and Maricopa Tribes and each menu has distinct artwork featured on it as well. I was told that the watercolor on my menu was of the Maricopa Butterfly Dance.

The meal is tasting menu only, with several choices for the "Birth", "Beginning", "The Journey", and the "Afterlife". We decided to share a wine pairing with dinner.

The Amuse was a very nice Sablefish wrapped in Basil Flower. The Olive Oil served with the bread was outstanding and we were told it was from Queen Creek Olive Mill.

As always, the Missus and I shared our course which would give us tastes of a good range of items.

The Escargot with Wild Mushroom was an interesting mix of textures, the truffle crema added some decadent touches to the dish. There was a bit more sweetness then I expected in this dish from the black garlic, bread, and the caramel goat cheese.

We both loved the "Pee-Posh Garden".

While it might have seemed to be a bit much when reading the ingredients on the menu, it was a symphony of textures and flavors, from the fermented white asparagus, to the crunchy and mildly sweet pecan "soil", to the pickled beets, nutty-sweet sunchoke puree, and buttery confit potatoes.

 I'm sure you know if foie gras is on the menu, we'd be ordering it, even with a $20 supplement. The fois gras was nicely seared, the interior nice and smooth, rich, earthy, though the roasted and compressed apple was perhaps a bit on the sweeter end of the spectrum for us.

The Pork Cheek and Crisp Belly was nice and "swiney". Perfectly done; the Anasazi Bean adding a nice, sweet-earthiness to the dish.

The mains...ummm "Journey" were prepared well, if a bit on the "standard" side.

The "Kachk", black cod with fennel puree was cooked well, nice and creamy. We appreciated the fact that the fennel puree did not overwhelm the dish.

This could have used a bit more aggressive seasoning in our opinion.

Kai's signature dish is the Grilled Tenderloin of Tribal Buffalo was cooked to a perfect medium rare.

It is of course buffalo....thus a bit on the "toothsome" side. A bit milder in flavor than what I expected, the corn puree and saguaro syrup made this a bit sweeter than I like as well.

The cheese plate was quite routine.

Dessert was served with some fanfare.....

Both desserts were outstanding and not overly sweet.

The Chocolate and Queen Creek Olives.

The Mousse "stones" where wonderful, so decadent and creamy inside, with the "hidden" olive cake adding a touch of savoriness, and the lemon foam had just enough cirtus-acidity for the dish.

The Cactus Melange was also stellar.

That Nopales and Lime sabayon was outstanding and it's really hard to describe the taste of the nopales sherbet.

We loved the parting gift.

Definitely not a inexpensive dinner at almost $600 with tip.

Kai
5594 W Wild Horse Pass Blvd. (At the Sheraton Grand At Wild Horse Pass)
Phoenix, AZ 85226

After dinner we took a stroll around the property.

The next morning we headed home; stopping for coffee and a light breakfast at WhereUBean Coffee.

Nice, relaxed coffee stop; really friendly staff. When I grabbed a Earl Grey cake for the Missus, the guy working pointed me to the "Happy Little Accident" discounted slice....he must've known how much I paid for dinner the previous night!

The Missus got a pour over and I an Americano....

And soon enough we were on our way.

WhereUBean Coffee
4804 E Chandler Blvd.
Phoenix, AZ 85048

It had been a fun road trip:

Starting with our first visit to Las Vegas in over 8 years.

And then to Zion, Angels Landing, and a Ghost Town.

Moving on to Mystery and Monument Valleys.

And I even got to do my best Forrest Gump impression and "Stand on a Corner".

We even got our "selfie" moment at a sandstone arch.

Thanks for coming along!

Iron Pig - A Takeout Revisit

The recent warm weather had the Missus craving takeout from Iron Pig. So I dropped by, placed an order, and then went to do a quick visit to Trader Joe's. My takeout was ready when I returned to Iron Pig. I had found parking nearby and everything just seemed hunky dory.

On my last post, I noted that the wings were dry and tough. Unfortunately, these were basically the same.

Large, meaty wings, but super dry and tough, and the large size meant that it was somewhat lacking in enough smokiness.

I also got the Rib Tips and specifically asked for sauce on the side. Sadly, this must have been lost in the translation.

Over-sauced and very salty......

Our favorite menu item over the years is the Man Salad...make that the Gender Neutral Salad. Which looked mighty appetizing.

Until we started eating....and started noticing something...hidden underneath all those fries and brisket.

All those brown and discolored greens. Sigh.......

I take no pleasure in typing this out and it's kind of sad to get a meal like this from a place that's been a favorite over the years. We understand that times are tough and are trying to support local businesses, but it seems like the appreciation is not being returned? Not quite sure what to make of this meal.....

Iron Pig Alehouse
1520 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109

Circling Back to Main Chick Hot Chicken (Clairemont) and Golden City

I often say that I would not still be posting if not for all the folks who comment of our posts. The same can be said for all the great emails and recommendations I get. There's a whole group of folks who don't comment on our posts, but are thoughtful enough to send me emails with recommendations, observations, and really great comments. One of these folks is "ChrisR" who often has some pretty interesting and sometimes funny observations and recommendations. I look forward to his emails.

Hailing from the Big Island, Chris will often have the most interesting "Subject Lines" to his emails. Here are two of them and my subsequent revisits to those places.

"The last pretty good food bargain in San Diego?"

Actually, ChrisR was the reason that I visited Main Chick in the first place....I'm not one to follow fads and at that time it seemed that all these Hot Chicken shops were popping up everywhere. Having had some good Hot Chicken in Nashville during my consulting days; all of these shops fell short. Main Chick was no exception.

But, moving away from the Hot Chicken Sandwich; Chris had this to say about Main Chick:

"But there is still one bargain left: The leg-thigh quarter at Main Chick"

"Very juicy. Comes with the same spicy aioli as the dark meat sandwich. Gotten it several times in recent months."

Well, this location of Hot Chicken is less than three miles from our house, so why not try it out, right?

The young lady working was a joy and I liked that they have outdoor seating. I ordered it "Spicy" this time, instead of "Supreme" like I did last time. My heat tolerance has gone down in my old age.....

I was asked if I needed a "fork and knife"? Huh? This is still chicken, right? And I raised up my left hand and said "fork"; then my right saying "knife". The young lady cracked up. I did pay a small price for this as I will note later on.

I sat outside and opened my container and I have to say; in contrast to what I'd had before; chicken with burnt spots on it and such, this looked quite nice.

   Turning things over was a different story as it was pretty greasy. The meat was very moist, tender, and it had that flavor of dark meat chicken that I prefer. The batter was quite crunchy but the seasoning dust is pretty gritty, though quite spicy; but there's a lack of other flavors....at Hatties, I remember the chicken being very spicy, but it still had some smokiness, most likely from Paprika and even a hint of garlic tones.

Maybe I just need to order this with no spice next time? Though I recall the "naked version" being quite bland.

But, at least it was moist and tender. And at $5.75, Chris is right, these days it's a bargain.

And the chicken had the last laugh as I had a nice thrill when I removed my contact lenses that evening.

Main Chick Hot Chicken (In Clairemont Town Square)
4705 Clairemont Dr.
San Diego, CA 92117

Subject: Did Golden City hire a chef from Royal Mandarin?

Whoa, let's talk about how to get my attention!

"While I waited, a waitress (one who in the good old days automatically brought me a fork for years despite my never using it) brought out salt-and-pepper chicken wings twice that looked crisp and dry and had a good portion size for $13.

So the next weekend, I got the wings. I have had them two more times since.

As good as the Royal Mandarin, IMO".

Okay! Sold!

I went and did a takeout order from Golden City. To cover myself, I also ordered the Kwai Fei Chicken, which has been a favorite of mine for years. 

It did smell quite good in the car, better than a "new car fragrance" for sure. And I made the fifteen minute drive back to the office wondering if the wings would be looking like this:

Opening things up, the wings looked like this.

    Unfortunately, the batter of the wings didn't hold up well, much of it getting a bit mushy and flaking off. So, if you're ordering this, it's probably in your best interest to eat them ASAP....maybe even in the parking lot! Lot's of burnt garlic which was on the bitter side, though I enjoyed the spice. The flesh of the wings were nice and moist.

And to be perfectly honest; these were light years better than what I'd had from Golden City years back. So it does look like the wings have improved over time.

On a sad note; it seems like the Kwai Fei Chicken has gone downhill as well.

 The chicken really just tasted boiled lacking in the mild hints of anise-wine and devoid of any salt or mild ginger tones....just plain bland. The sauce provided had brown specks in it and tasted a bit rancid and off. The chicken while cooked nicely, just didn't taste right.

Man, what a bummer......where do I get my Kwai Fei Chicken from now? Maybe I need to revisit Eastern Dynasty?

Golden City Restaurant
5375 Kearny Villa Rd.
San Diego, CA 92123

Regardless of my opinions, I want to make it clear that I really enjoy and treasure these emails. It gets me "out there" checking things out and keeps it "fresh". It's always fun hearing from all of you and I'm flattered that you would think of me when you have an interesting or enjoyable meal.

Thanks again ChrisR!