Hancock Street Cafe-hmmm

mmm-yoso is NOT on vacation.  Kirk is taking a day off and Cathy is blogging.

Hi.  This is gonna be a bizarre post.  The Mister and I have been here only this one time,and I usually don't make a judgment on the first visit... I don't like to say much bad about any place.  The food isn't "bad", per se...it just isn't that good...

OK, say you are in the area of the Sports Arena, perhaps on a weekend, wanting to go to Kobey's Swap Meet, and you got off the I-8 at the Rosecrans exit and were trying to get there from the 'back way', making a right at Les Girls (for those of you who don't know the area, use your imagination)...that's Hancock Street...its one way...and you see this on your right:

As you pass, you see the front of the building, the Elvis and Marilyn statues..and the "live Jazz and Blues" signage.  Well, you know me.  I had to stop.

OK. its *tiny* inside. TWO chairs and one table, and those three tables with no chairs out front...

The decor is kind of interesting...

Here is the menu: simple,  this two sided paper. We ordered, said we would eat there and we were not asked to pay up front.  Mario, the owner and sometimes cook, is a very honest and trusting man.

There were cars pulling up in front, people walking in, ordering something simple-like two pints of chicken soup, one cold and one hot (the soup is fresh-made on the premises), chili (also fresh made) or a candy bar and leaving.  One guy ordered a Stromboli and I thought that sounded good.  I saw the large Gyros sign out on the side of the building, so ordered one of those..and a coffee.  Mario asked if I wanted cream and sugar in it...hmmm...

The Stromboli came out first.  It looked a little too perfect; like it was was not made there, but was heated nicely and tasted very good.  It was stuffed with ham, sausage, pepperoni, mozzarella, mushrooms and onions.

The gyros took longer to make, and we were told it would be about 5 minutes.  The  gyros meat was the kind you buy already frozen and the pita was a standard kind you can also buy...nothing fresh here but the tomatoes, lettuce and a lot of onions..well, no, I don't think the sauce was made there.

Hmmm...

It wasn't bad, but the lunches were kind of an ode to Smart N Final, or Sysco. 

Many people have told me the breakfast croissants are great and made to order.  We have to go back  from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., when it opens, to see if this is true.

The owner, Mario, plays seven instruments and goes out front and plays music when there is nothing to do inside.  Every evening at 9 pm, he plays music out front also..whether anyone is there or not.   He looks like a cross between Benny Hill and Charlie Chaplin... and he is playing that look up, by dressing that way ..with the small mustache and funny hat.   He has also gotten a copyright for the name "Benny Chaplain"...and he is going to walk from San Diego to Washington, D.C., next year...doing 20 miles a day, leaving on April 1st and arriving on September 11, recording the walk...all while walking like Charlie Chaplain and playing his music along the way...(You know I could not make this up) to raise money for the American Cancer Society.  Mario's wife died of cervical cancer 7 years ago.

He is trying to get sponsors in every state and is also contacting all the Governors of each state he will walk through...  His son is going to run the restaurant while Mario walks.  He is selling t-shirts to raise money.

You will notice on the menu that he will be opening a location near Petco park downtown in 2007.  I wonder if the name will be "Hancock Street"...I will try this place again, for the breakfast sandwiches, to be fair.

Hancock Street Cafe 3354 Hancock Street, San Diego 92110 (619) 296-2060

Comments

[RONW]

excellent gyros sandwich from this side of the monitor screen.

btw, are those the "top" 100's records Mario has glued to the restaurant ceiling?

[cathy]

The gyros was OK, Ron, not bad, just not overly great (and I appreciated all the onions on it...you can see The Mister scraped them off of his half). and ..."top" 100...ahahahaha!

[nhbilly]

never been a fan of gyros, maybe meat is to dry after it has been sliced but it sure looks good on the skewer though.

[cathy]

Hi Billy-its the Gyros they sell already sliced in the freezer department at Mediterranean deli's...like Vine Ripe, which I blogged about in October....not bad, but not the same as from a spit....its what I use at home when I *crave* the flavor, but don't want to go out...good enough, but not great....

[cathy]

Hi Billy-its not bad, but its the same pre-sliced stuff you can buy in the freezer section of Vine Ripe (I blogged about that market in October)..not bad atg all, but not anything unique or unusual. Its good tasting, but un-special is all.

[dave]

i seem to recall reading a crazy story about this place and the owner. i will look for it, but it may have been in the now defunct Fahrenheit weekly.

[cathy]

I recalled something, too, Dave, but never found it. I will be going back this weekend for breakfast, though...

[Lawrence]

In Mario I found a musical-kindred spirit. He like too few others recognizes "silence is a note". I can't get back soon enough to jam with him

[Cathy]

The food here is pretty good, too. Welcome to our blog, Lawrence. I like your music. I will try to stop by when the music starts this weekend.