mmm-yoso!!!

Happy Hour at The Lion's Share, Almost 8 Years Later

Ever since the Clairemont Drive Trolley station was completed near the end of 2021, the Missus and I have been trying to take advantage of it, though mostly due south. Recently, the Missus and I were chatting about doing a happy hour and for some reason we thought of The Lion's Share. Heck it had been so long since we last visited, we didn't even know if they were still open! But, doing a quick check, I confirmed that they were still open and also still did Happy Hour! There were two ways we could do the trolley there; the Blue Line to Santa Fe Depot with a short walk or take the Blue Line, then transfer to the Green Line at Old Town. The Green line stop is right around the corner from the restaurant. We decided on walking from Sante Fe Depot.

Once opening the door and stepping in, we were greeted by a very friendly gal. The place still has that interesting, somewhat bizarre decor and for some reason it seems even darker than before.

We decided that the bar area was just a bit too dark for us and decided to get a two top in the front area, under the watchful eyes of the various creatures present; both mounted and framed.

The friendly young lady brought us menus and asked if we'd been here before. When we mentioned the last time was nearly 8 years ago, she mentioned changes that had occurred, including a recent changing of chefs.

Looking over the menu, the Missus and I were instantly drawn to the Happy Hour portion.

In what alternate universe would you be able to get cocktails for $8 in downtown in this day and age? Of course, in our cynical minds we had doubts to how good they would be and immediately ordered two!

We saw two items from the HH food portion we wanted and I also saw Bison Tartare on the main menu. You know me and tartare, right?

Strangely, two of our food items came out before our drinks!

The Missus had wanted to try the Wagyu Beef Cheek Tacos (HH - $15).

Looking at this, I wasn't too inspired. The beef looked really "wet", almost scummy, and was that Sambal I see on the tacos? But, this was quite good. The tortillas, while on the milder end of the maize scale held up well; the salsa verde was tangy, sour, and had good spice. And most off all, those cheeks were so very beefy. The Missus actually preferred these to tacos we'd recently had at Tahona (post coming up). 

When I think of The Lion's Share, I think of somewhat exotic meats. I had always enjoyed the Venison Sliders (HH - $15), so I had to order that.

   Man, these were a lot more hefty than I recalled. The venison, which was done medium-well, we weren't asked for a preference. had a mild gamey flavor, the Havarti was kind of wiped out by the bacon and onion jam, which added a nice sweet-pungent touch to this. I enjoyed this, but it was a bit much for the Missus.

In case you were wondering where are the cocktails? So were we. Soon after the sliders our cocktails arrived. I got the Vodka Mule which was quite refreshing and not watered down. The Missus enjoyed it more than I did. And funny thing, the Missus ordered Federal Buffalo Stamp which was too strong for Her, but I enjoyed. These were definitely not watered down and well worth $8!

Soon enough our Bison Tartare ($22) arrived. Apparently, I hadn't read that it was served on Bone Marrow! I have a thing about cold, raw, beef being served on hot bone marrow, but this was awesome as the bone marrow was warm and not hot at all. This was so much better than what we had at Wormwood.

The tartare was very tender, nicely diced. I was somewhat concerned that it was "cut" with too much pickled squash and capers, but I enjoyed the palate restoring briny-sourness it added. Was not a fan of the potato puree which had been overly salted. But that toast; oh my, delici-yoso......it had been brushed with beef wagyu fat which added another dimension to things.

And perhaps that's how I should state things. The dishes we enjoyed added that other "dimension". The cocktails at Happy Hour were $8. Our total for the meal, $68 before tip and taxes. In this day and age, pretty darn good, especially for the location. We enjoyed our meal, I'm certain we'll return....for Happy Hour, of course!

Under the watchful eyes of our "hosts"!

The Lion's Share
629 Kettner Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92101
Current Hours
Tues - Sun 4pm - 2am (Happy Hour 4pm - 6pm)
Closed on Monday

After our early dinner, we took a nice stroll. Things weren't overly crowded at Seaport Village on this day. Which we enjoyed.

You know, because of how touristed this area is, I don't think we've been down here in maybe a decade?

And we enjoyed our time here. It was almost like being on vacation!

Don Chicken (Encinitas) and Cal Pacific Orchid Farm

Recently, I was up in the Encinitas area and decided to make a couple of stops on my way back home. The First was to the Cal Pacific Orchid Farm which I had heard about from some folks I know who live in North County and also read this on Hidden San Diego. I decided to stop by. The huge greenhouse is located off of Orpheus Avenue which parallels the I-5. It was interesting finding the place as there's a discreet single lane driveway from the street which heads up to the greenhouse and the small parking spaces.

Many of the beautiful plants are in lovely arrangements and the staff are so friendly. The gentleman working that day was very nice and spent almost a half hour chatting with me. My grandparents on Maui grew orchids and my Mom had a couple of plants when we lived in Kaimuki. For some reason, I thought that orchids needed a rather humid environment to grow, but the gentleman went through some of the various species, how they thrive in San Diego, that they do like moisture, but not too much water and not too much direct sun....which is why we saw so many in the Cloud Forest in Ecuador.

The gentleman obviously enjoys his job and has a real passion for orchids.

One thing I found interesting is that Cal Pacific will "board" your plants if they are not doing well, not blooming, or in need of additional care!

The folks here are wonderful. I'm going to make sure to get my orchids from them!

Cal Pacific Orchid Farm
1122 Orpheus Ave.
Encinitas, CA 92024
Hours:
Mon - Sat 9am - 4pm
Closed on Sundays

Of course the next item on the agenda was......well, what's for lunch? A while back, someone, I don't recall who, asked me if I had been to Don Chicken. I looked thru my emails and searched through my comments but was not able to find that recommendation. Well, you know me, could I fight off the temptation of some "KFC"? Probably not. Especially when it's just a ten minute drive away.

Don Chicken is located off El Camino Real in one of the many strip malls lining the street. I arrived a few minutes before opening, so I headed over to Baker and Olive a few doors down to take a look at things.

The open sign lit up just as I started heading back toward the restaurant. Don Chicken is yet another chain from Korea, though my friends told me that the chain is really popular in Ho Chi Minh City? Which, for some reason made me think of Crispy Chicken n’ Tomato which declares itself the most popular KFC in Japan.

On this day, the place was a one man operation, at least while I was there. The menu features Oven Baked and Fried Chicken in various sauces. The specials include bulgogi, tteok-boki, a chicken sandwich, and even katsu. But, since this was a KFC joint, I was just going to get the Fried Wings. The wings only come in orders of 10, a bit much for me, but at least it was priced at $15.99, which was much cheaper per piece that the $8.99 I paid for 4 wings at BHC recently.

And after a short wait, my wings were ready.

 The wings came with a rather large order of Mul Kimchi, crisp, not overly sweet, a good palate cleanser for fry-o-lated foods.

As for the wings, well these weren't overly large, which I prefer as the skin/batter to meat ratio to more to my liking. The meat was moist and tender, no dark areas and no off flavors.

   The batter was somewhat crunchy, but it really got soggy quickly. The seasoning seemed quite mild, but I had a raging thirst after eating 6 of these wings. I took the remaining wings home and even tried to revive in the air fryer, but that didn't work too well. I'm thinking that if I tried this again it would have to be with some kind of sauce; but based on experience with other KFC chains of this ilk, I'm going to assume it's going to be too sweet and heck, it already gets soggy-mushy too quickly anyway.

So perhaps I'll just give it a rest? If you've visited Don Chicken what was your meal like?

Don Chicken
215 S. El Camino Real Suite G
Encinitas, CA 92024
Current Hours:
Mon - Sat 11am - 9pm
Sunday 3pm - 9pm

Superbloom Coffee & Juice

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! I'm sure folks are either busy doing stuff or hopefully having a restful time. So, I'm just doing a quick post this afternoon!

It's kind of strange; even though we live right up the hill from Mission Bay, we hardly ever visit. We used to take Frankie and Sammy for walks at Fiesta Island and evening strolls along the bay; but after they left us, we just weren't motivated to visit. Frankly, if I wanted to "hit the beach", I'd much rather head on "home". Plus, it gets pretty crowded at times.

Still, recently, I decided that a nice stroll along the bay might be nice. I started near Fiesta Island, right where the Birthplace of the Modern Triathlon plaque is.

And I just headed north on the bike and pedestrian trail.

Past the Mission Bay Resort and Leisure Lagoon. Soon enough I was at the location of what used to be the the Mission Bay Visitors Information Center. A landmark and historical building designed by Richard Lareau.

It has now gained new life as the Mission Bay Beach Club and what I heard is a coffee shop named Superbloom.

It's a nice looking stand that serves coffee, tea, beer, wine, and various sandwiches. It was fairly busy on this weekend morning.

Due to the location, I expected prices to be higher, and my cold brew clocked in at $6.50.

Instead of getting a table, I headed around the back of the building, the side facing the bay and saw some nice seating.

I plopped my self down and enjoyed my cold brew, which wasn't bad; a bit on the lighter side, but definitely not watered down, nor overly bitter. And there was the bonus of having a view of the bay.

It was a pretty nice and relaxing time. I then headed home as the place started getting crowded.

I had noticed that Superbloom featured a "Happy Hour" from 4 - 6pm during the week, with $2 off beer and wine. So, a few weeks later, the Missus and I decided to take the walk down to Superbloom, a nice 20 minute walk. 

The Missus ordered a glass of Chardonnay ($11 Happy Hour) and I ordered a Harland Japanese Lager ($7.50 Happy Hour). We took a bit of time to take a look at the grape vines planted around the building.

Before picking up our drinks. I quickly noted that my pour was just around three-fourths of the glass and the temp wasn't right.

The Missus thought the Chardonnay, by Sonoma's Bold Wine Company was decent; some citrusy notes, smooth, with a hint of acidity.

While sitting with a view of the bay; we noted how nice watching the sunset would be; the problem being our sunsets were now occurring after 730 pm and Superbloom closes a 6. Well, maybe in the future.

Speaking of the future, it looks like a restaurant will be opening at this location as well.

While I don't anticipate Superbloom being a regular stop for us; especially with the "busy" season approaching, it's nice to have another spot within walking distance.

Superbloom
2688 East Mission Bay Dr.
San Diego, CA 92109
Current Hours:
Daily 730am - 6pm

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

Duff's Doggz (Poway) and Queen Califia's Magical Circle (Escondido)

It seems that I'm finally getting back into my car and driving around a bit. Something that I used to do quite often before Covid, inflation, and crazy gas prices. In those days it wouldn't be unusual for me to get into the vehicle, then head on off without a destination in mind. Ah, those were the days. But now, finally, it seems that I'm sort of getting back into the groove. Though these days it seems like I do have an objective. Having a Tuesday off, I got into the car and went for a cold brew. After getting my coffee, bolstered by a few sips, I suddenly had a plan for the morning!

There are things that stick in my mind over the years; like this, which we saw outside the Guggenheim in Bilbao way back in 2015.

This work is called The Three Graces, aka "Dancing Nanas" by French Artist Niki de Saint Phalle. It brought a smile to my face. 

Over the years, we'd come across her work in places like the Stravinsky Fountain in Paris. Located at Place Stravinsky, next to the Centre Pompidou.

Which we've walked pass innumerable during our visits to the city. Though I can only recall only posting a photo once.

One of the interesting things I noted way back in my post on Bilbao was that Niki de Saint Phalle was a resident of La Jolla from 1994 until her death in 2002. In fact, many of her works can be found around San Diego. In fact, several decades back, I recalled seeing one of her works on the Campus of UCSD. It's called Sun God and was the first work added to the collection. I gotta get back there one of these days. 

Back in the summer of last year, I came across this article on the KPBS site, which mentioned the artist's final work, completed posthumously, is located in Escondido; Queen Califia's Magical Circle. This large work tells the story of the namesake of California, Calafia, Queen of the "Island of California". The sculpture garden is only open on Tuesdays and Thursday from 9 to noon and one two Saturdays a month. I didn't want to deal with any crowds so I decided to head on over to Kit Carson Park. I easily found parking near the Escondido Sports Center and walked to the entrance "gate".

Right where Eagle Scout Lake is.

I must say, the squirrels here are fearless. They'll saunter right on over to you!

From here you just follow the signs....

And you'll come to the sculpture garden; which was fenced off due to incidents of vandalism and damage over the years. The limited hours are partially due to having the place staffed by volunteer docents.

It's something to see.

All the mirrors, totems, and symbols inspired by Native American and Pre-Colombian art. Instead of droning on, I'll just post some photos.

All under the watchful "eyes" of Queen Califia.

I had a wonderful chat with the Docent. And for more info on Queen Califia's Magical Circle, you can read the Wikipedia page or this post in Hidden San Diego.

Queen Califia's Magical Circle
Located in the Iris Sankey Arboretum
Kit Carson Park
3333 Bear Valley Parkway
Escondido, CA 92025

After visiting, I took the loop back to the easy walking trail and made my way back to the car.

There's a large picnic area and even an area where folks were playing frisbee golf!

It was a fun time, but now I was getting hungry. It was only 945 and I didn't want a whole lot to eat before heading home. And then it came to me; back in January 2022, in the comments of my Chicago Fire Grill post, "FOY" DavidG recommended his favorite hot dog spot, Duff's Doggz. So, I brought up my Google Maps app, plugged in the name and off I went. Down the I-15 exited on Camino Norte, ending up in the parking lot of Home Depot? Hmmm...... I then spotted the little shack on the East side of the parking lot.

For some reason this little stand brought back memories of Woodies/Waldo's. There were two guty in front of me in line already. The young Asian kid ordered three hot dogs (which he devoured!) and the other guy got a Lobster Roll, which whew...was like $25.

When it was my turn in line.

I simply went with a Chicago Dog ($8.95).

Soon my dog was ready. There was only one young lady working and she did a great job!

 The poppy seed bun was adequately fluffy, the sport peppers spicy, of course there was the radioactive green relish. The dog had a nice snap, I'd expect no less from a Vienna Beef wiener, though for some reason it seemed a bit thinner than what I'm used too? Everything else was in line; pickle wedge, check, tomato slices, check. A bit too heavy handed with the celery salt, but this was a decent Chicago Dog. 

Duff's Doggz
12047 Carmel Mountain Rd.
San Diego, CA 92128
Current Hours:
Mon, Tues, Thurs, Sat, Sun 10am - 6pm
Wed, Fri                                   10am - 630pm

I know, it may seem a bit odd, a fantastic wonderous sculpture garden, followed by a Chicago Dog? But, for some reason, on this beautiful, sunny spring day, it just seemed right!

Thanks for the recommendation DavidG!

Jeune et Jolie (Carlsbad)

Like I had mentioned in my post on Frankie's, we had enjoyed our staycation at the Lafayette so much, that we decided to finally hit up a couple of places we had always meant to visit. We stayed in Carlsbad at the Best Western. I don't think we'll stay there again, it was noisy and dated, though the location right across from Carlsbad State Beach was great. This was of course between two "visits" from the Pineapple Express. Somehow we lucked out and dodged the storms. Though you could tell by the clouds off Carlsbad State Beach that something was amiss.

We enjoyed taking a short stroll in the area before heading off to dinner. This being during the week, things seemed really relaxed and very small town like, which we enjoyed. 

This is the Alley Art Wall.

We headed back to the room to change before heading off to dinner; which was just a few blocks away. 

Compared to how quiet the rest of the town seemed Jeune et Jolie was very busy. We got a small table in the middle of the dining room.

As crazy busy as JeJ was, the service was top notch. Our main Server; Joe was amazing! Plus, he had lived in Japan, and we even managed to have a chat with him. We were asked if we were right or left handed for the place settings, all dishes were explained well. Watching the kitchen work was incredible as well.

The menu is four courses at $115 per person. We (I) got the Wagyu which was a $55 supplement. We also got one pairing, which the Missus said should be based on the dishes I ordered. We also started with a Champagne for the Missus and since I was feeling "French-Diegan" I got a Kir Royale.

Things started with a nice Amuse Bouche; eggplant puree in a semolina shell.

Crisp exterior, which cracked away to a creamy-earthy-slightly sweet filling. This was a nice start.

Of course I had to get the Veal Tartare which was fabulous.

The veal was chopped exactly the way I like it; it was very tender. There were Asian touches in this; wasabi which added a wonderful pungency and really complimented the dish as did the white soy! The radishes added an additional peppery crunch to the dish. This might now be in my top 2 versions of tartare!

The Missus ordered the "Poireau" as Her first course.

Wonderful, almost sweet-oniony leek, with a potato potage hid the Missus's favorite part of the dish; an creamy and delici-yoso sous vide egg yolk. The Missus loves Her eggs; so it was love at first bite! There was some very mild caviar on this, but it was all about the egg yolk for the Missus.

Some brioche arrived as we finished our starters...the Missus wished that it had come earlier.

The Missus's Scallop course was quite good.

The scallop was a perfect rare and sweet, the sauce which contained grapes added a nice sweet-acidity to things. The scallop was crowned with the cap of a king trumpet mushroom which added a wonderful, meaty, sweet-earthiness.

Thinking that with all the meat I'd ordered that it would be best to get some veggies, I ordered the "Betterave".

The beets had been I believe dehydrated and had the texture of meat. The bone marrow vinaigrette was rich, but I felt was kind of lost in this dish. I loved the bitter-crunch of the chicory and the nutty-slightly sweet hazelnuts really complimented this dish. The Missus is not a fan of beets, but She even enjoyed this!

The most mundane dish of the evening was the Partridge.

The partridge was nicely cooked and seasoned, the jus was a bit on the acidic side; the morel mushroom stuffed with partridge was a bit dry but tasty. Don't get me wrong, this was a nice dish, but compared to what we'd had so far for dinner.....

And then there was the Wagyu ($55 supplement),which was A5 Miyazaki Ribeye. Good lord, I think I died and went to bovine heaven!

Just the decadent beefiness of the meat was amazing! The texture luxurious. The jus had just the right balance of beefy-acidity to compliment the meat. The lightly fried sweetbreads were creamy and had no off metallic flavors. My goodness!

The Missus got the Lavande; which She enjoyed as it wasn't too sweet and had nice lemony tones from yuzu.

I got the Automne, which was made with parsnip and was delicious as well.

Like I mentioned earlier; we loved the service and the food. We didn't care for the wine pairing much and will work around that next time.

The place was quite loud, so perhaps we'll even return earlier in the week, or perhaps sit outside during a warmer time of the year. And yes, we are definitely returning!

Jeune Et Jolie
2659 State St.
Carlsbad, CA 92008
(760) 637-5266
Current Hours:
Wed - Sun 5pm - 10pm

Quixote and the Gutter (Lafayette Hotel)

On one of the evenings during our stay at the Lafayette I made reservations for dinner at Quixote. I had really enjoyed our meals in Oaxaca and was looking forward to this dinner. Like the rest of the hotel; the restaurant's decor is a trip. Apparently, the furnishing were originally from a Catholic Church in Oaxaca. Man, was it kinda strange.....think Dark - foreboding, David Lynch.

I think the photos speak (hopefully not in a deep scary bass) for itself.

The stained glass......

And statue of Lucifer.

The candles, wax hanging.....

The altar behind the bar....

We were encouraged to check out the various rooms.....

 Before returning to our table, right below the statue of "Lucifer". We had already placed our order. Our Server, Jacob was amazing, he encouraged us to check things out. Though I kinda wonder about working with all of this around you! The place was quite quiet, and to be perfectly honest, kinda spooky, before the crowds descended on the place.

You gotta appreciate the kitsch.....very spooky kitsch.

Keeping with the theme, many of the cocktails were mezcal and tequila based. I really enjoyed the Mezcal Old Fashioned.

As is our MO we stayed with all appetizers to make our meal.

First up, the Crab Corn Donut ($21).

Man, I loved this. This is the way crab tasted when I was a kid. I appreciated the fact that the donut added heft without being too sweet. The crab flavor was a bit too strong for the Missus. We both enjoyed the hint of spice in the rich sauce.

The Ceviche ($17) seemed by the book.

The snapper was marinated nicely; good texture no off flavors. I will say that there was not enough acidity in the dish for our taste.

Of course there were tortillas.

The Squash Blossom (Flor de Calabaza - $15) was quite good.

We enjoyed the crisp, tempura like batter, the horseradish aioli added a nice slightly pungent and rich touch to the dish. The slice of sweet potato wasn't my favorite but the Missus enjoyed it. There was mushroom in this dish which added an earthiness which "grounded" the dish.

The last item was going to be interesting. The Missus had issues with mole being too sweet during our visit to Oaxaca. In fact, until I found a place with mole sugueza She really didn;t care for mole at all. But, we just had to try the Memelita ($15).

Outside of Oaxaca, our favorite memelitas are probably from Pasillo de Humo in CDMX. But these are in a different league. The memelitas have such a wonderful maize flavor. The duck carnitas....well, what can you say, a good touch of rich flavor without being "foul" (fowl). The mole had just the right touch of savory and mild rich sweetness. The adobado was nice and savory, the pickled veggies gave your palate a break and the refried beans added an earthiness that grounded the dish.

We really enjoyed this meal. Of course, I like my Mezcal and Jacob picked a nice, "fumar" one for my digestif.

Good food, great service.

Look out Lucifer; I think we'll be back!

Quixote (In the Lafayette Hotel)
2223 El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92104
Current Hours:
Mon - Fri Noon - Midnight
Sat - Sun 1pm - Midnight

On this evening, we headed on over to an area of the hotel down a hallway which said "The Gutter". This opened up into a faux courtyard.

And a doorway, with the sign "The Gutter".

This is the Lafayette's "cocktail bar/game room", which features a two lane bowling alley that you can reserve.

There's also pool, shuffleboard, and of course more cocktails!

Which you can have in your own vintage, wood framed booth, if you're not playing pop-a-shot....

As you can tell, we enjoyed our time at the Lafayette. There are certain things you need to take into consideration; like parking. If you can't find adequate street parking, overnight valet parking is $35. And yet, the folks working here were wonderful, great service. I'm sure we'll be back on another staycation in the future. We're hoping the neighborhood keeps moving with the times and that they'll be even more options for enjoying the area.

The Lafayette Hotel
2223 El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92104

Beginners Diner and the Lafayette Hotel

Recently, we needed to have some work done on our house. It was scheduled (and took) for four days. I needed to be present onsite during parts of the day. The Missus however, was working on a couple of those nights. In the end, we decided to do a staycation and stay at the recently renovated Lafayette Hotel. I would shuttle the Missus back and forth to work, spend the nights at the hotel, the Missus would sleep during the day, and on Her nights off, we'd relax and explore a bit.

CH Holdings spent 31 million renovating this historic hotel and we were interested to see how it was. Well, it was quite chic and lavish, in a retro, over-the-top manner. From the time set foot into the lobby.

The check in counter is a small kiosk, which doubles as a coffee bar.

The Missus actually enjoyed the coffee from here; I believe She'd always get the Ethiopian. There are no phones in the room, so the hotel and concierge can be reached by text.

There are four (now five) venues to get your cocktail fix at the Lafayette. We actually took time to try all of them. Check out the simply named "Lobby Bar" with the statue of Atlas at the center.

Crazy, huh?

We checked in on a Sunday and I easily found parking around the corner, no need to feed the meter....more on the parking, or lack thereof later in the post. The Missus had to work so I enjoyed the Lobby Bar.

Classic cocktails; the bartenders work super hard here as the place was quite busy. Man, I'd hate to see the place on the weekends. The bartender still made time to greet and chat with each customer.

On one of the Missus's nights off, we stopped by for a cocktail before dinner and the Missus tried the famous Pimm's Cup. She said it was a bit too sweet for Her.

We were told that folks stood three or four deep on some weekends! Speaking of customers, they seemed to fit into four specific categories, the multi-generational adults, the "TikTok/Instagram/Influencer/Look at me" group (who were always doing selfies and filming....we saw one group walk back and forth down the front steps like six times!), the Hipsters, and the "Hip Replacements". I'll let you figure out which group I fit into.

Our room was humongous.

Check out the wallpaper.

The beds were comfortable and there was a huge mini-bar in the room. Because our room was overlooking El Cajon Boulevard it was a bit on the noisy side; but the Missus still managed to get some sleep at night.

There's a nice, more laid back pool bar.

The Missus and I had a nightcap here on our last evening. The drinks were described as Italian-Tiki in theme. As with all our interactions with staff at the Lafayette, the service was amazing.

Overlooking the historic pool.

That pool was designed by.....well, I'm thinking most of you wouldn't recognize the name, but it was one of my mom's favorite actors/athletes, Johnny Weissmuller, who is probably the definitive Tarzan and to claims to have invented the Tarzan yell!

In fact, there were several moments when I wished the place did tours. Most folks working really didn't have much of a grasp on the history. Except on my last day there, when I spoke to...I believe his name is Dexter. He told us the room we were staying in is his favorite; according to Dexter, room 326 is where Bing Crosby stayed, it's where Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner stayed. It's also where; clearing one's throat a certain president and a certain "Blond Bombshell" stayed under assumed names and off the books. I dunno, but it makes for a great story, huh?

On one of my evenings at the Lafayette, I decided to check out the very retro looking 24 hours diner in the lobby; Beginners Diner.

My goodness, I loved the classic diner look. I had a seat at the counter.

It was pretty early for dinner, so the place was pretty quiet.

I really wanted to try the Wagyu French Dip, but they were out. So, I ordered the Cali Banh Mi ($20). Soon enough it arrived at the counter.

  I didn't care for the fries which quickly got limp and were over salted. 

The sandwich was not bad. A bit too bready and the sambal aioli was kind of weak. But the pork pate, think (pate Campagne) was swiney and winey, if cut a bit on the thinner side for my taste.

The place was getting quite the "hipster infusion" as I was leaving. On an interesting note, the Missus took a walk during one of Her days there and told me the place was packed with folks form the 60+ club. My good friend Candice also noted that quite a few folks who were regulars at the old Red Fox; which has moved across the street now frequent this place.

Beginners Diner (In the Lafayette Hotel)
2223 El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92104
Open 24 Hours Daily

You know, I've never been the biggest fan of CH Holdings restaurants which always seemed more style than substance. We were hoping that our upcoming dinner at Quixote would change that.

But I was really enjoying the Lafayette.......and it was time to head on to the Lobby Bar for a nightcap.

The Lafayette Hotel
2223 El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92104

Thanks for stopping by!

Barrio Donas Opens in Old Town and Phuong Nga Restarts Dining In

I recently saw the banner up for Barrio Donas in Old Town when dining at El Cata (post coming up). I had been waiting for the shop to finally open in the Old Town Urban Market. I decided to check the place out the following weekend. Of course I went early, this location of Barrio Donas opens at 9, so I could find some parking.

The shop is in a nice bright stall in the market.

Still, the young lady was still putting things out and told me if could wait another 10-15 minutes. So, I decided to take a nice stroll in Old Town. Which I think is a pretty nice when it isn't over run with crowds.

As I walked past the Church of the Immaculate Conception, I realized that I had never taken a look in the church. It was before the daily mass times, so I took a quick peek in.

I think I'll drop by for a longer visit one of these days.

Looking across the street, I noticed that the long standing O'Hungry's/Hungry's had closed!

Man, I think the place had been around for almost 50 years? Quite sad.....

When I returned to Barrio Donas, half of the stock was up.

By the size of the shop, I knew that I wouldn't be getting tortas like A la Mexicana which I enjoy so much. So, I picked out something on lower end of the sweet scale; the Horchata Donut.

Now, I could have had a seat in the peaceful patio area, which would have been great. But, since things were so quiet on this morning, I decided to head on over to one of my favorite places in the area; Heritage Park.

I'm not sure if it's generally known.

But if you head to the right of Christian House, you'll find a short trail.

It's not difficult; heck I did it with a coffee and donut in hand. Just don't fall on any of the cactus......that might not be very enjoyable.

Soon enough you'll see a bench. There's even a trash can there.

It was so serene on this overcast morning. 

And was a nice place to have a pastry or breakfast of your choice. In this case the Horchata Donut.

And enjoy the "best seat in the house".

Barrio Donas - Old Town
2548 Congress St.
San Diego, CA 92110
Current Hours:
Tues - Sun 9am - 5pm
Mon 10am - 5pm

Bun Rieu from Phuong Nga has been a takeout staple for us the last couple of years. And on last Sunday, the Missus requested Her Bun Rieu fix so I drove on over.

Since the start of the pandemic, Phuong Nga has only been doing takeout. And in the last six month or so, the days that Bun Rieu was available had shrunk. At last check it was only available on Friday, Saturday, and Sundays.

And I've visited on a couple of weekends when they just didn't have any Bun Rieu. On this day I walked on in and the young lady, the owner's daughter I presume, smiled at me and said, "we have Bun Rieu every day now!"

And then she pointed over to the former dining area which was covered with supplies. There were now four tables clear.

She told me "we now have enough staff and can open dining in and make bun rieu everyday". Good for them!

I did still get my bun rieu to go though. When my order was ready, "Mom" brought it out to me. She then shook my hand and told me something in Vietnamese. Her daughter translated, "she said thank you very much for helping us stay in business." Whoa, I never thought she even knew who I was. Somehow I was deeply touched by this. It made my weekend.

Phuong Nga
4016 54th St
San Diego, CA 92105

It's those little moments that can always make my day!

Thanks for stopping by!

Riding the San Diego Trolley and a Visit to UTC

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog written mostly by Kirk.  But since He and His Missus are on a month-long vacation, Cathy is helping out.  All of our posts are about food, either directly or indirectly.  Today is another indirect post. 

In September, I received the dreaded notice in the mail-Jury Duty.  This notice was not like the others received during Covid-19 times (call a phone number after 5 p.m. starting on a specific Thursday until the following Wednesday or upon being called in to the Court).  No, this notice gave me a date to show up-Downtown.  Since I hadn't been on the Trolley in years, knew it had expanded to University Town Center in November 2021 and was curious after seeing the 'new' extension being built over the years, then seeing some banners advertising a "Ride the Trolley Free Day" happening in a few days, The Mister and I decided to make a day of it to get me re-acclimated to this mode of transportation. We started at the top right corner of this map (Green Line), changed to the Orange Line and after getting downtown, changed again to the Blue Line going North, ending up at the top left of this map. (Going home, we changed from the Blue to the Green Line)
 It was sunny leaving Santee.
 Then it got a bit cloudy when we hit downtown.
 Many people left the Trolley at this stop, since it was closest to the Ballpark and the Padres had a playoff game.
 By the time we were headed on the 'new' line, alongside Interstate 5, there was full fog.
 We stayed on until the last stop, followed signage (and the other people who exited) to the Mall (through the parking lot) and eventually got to the Food Court, which overlooks the Ice Rink.
 After checking all of the Food Court offerings, we decide on a meal and went off to order.  The Mister stopped here, at Craft Pizza.
He ordered a Calzone with ham, sausage and mushrooms; an item going back to our dating days.  This was excellent.
 I went over to Kebab Grill and ordered a 'Lunch Special' advertised behind the cash register to the left in this photo.
 Salad and
 Lentil soup.  Each was really good and made for a filling and complete meal. Then we started walking around the mall. 
   The Mall has remained about the same, with new stores taking the place of old ones.  There were some interesting vending machines.
 Then we saw this.  Had to stop.
 A great selection of cookies, cupcakes, pastries and ice cream as well as hot and cold beverages.  
 We shared a cup of coffee and a Jesuite pastry (Napoleon/flaky pastry filled with an almond custard, topped with almonds) (Triangle shaped  like a Jesuit Priest hat).

Then we headed home, enjoying a different route.  
 It was still overcast changing from the Blue Line to Green Line in Old Town. Passing the new Snapdragon Stadium and back to sunshine by the time we got home.

Jury Duty was at the new Courthouse, which has scaffolding and canopies all around because windows have been mysteriously shattering.  It's very nice; has a good cafeteria. I wasn't called, so expect another notice in the mail next year.  

Soo rode the trolley, too!

Pioneer Park and Revisiting Ibis Market 20 Years Later

One of my favorite local blogs is Cool San Diego Sights, posts are put up on a regular basis and and some of the posts are quite interesting. And during the pandemic, I took to visiting places I'd long heard of like finding the grave site medallions for folks who are buried un San Diego Avenue. Along those lines, I had heard that Mission Hills Park, Pioneer Park had graves onsite and also buried in the park. And after reading this post, I decided to head on over to the park which I'd driven past many times.

It's a nice park, located right next to a school.

The pooches always seem to be having the best time!

The wall surrounding the park looks pretty old.

And as you head east just south of the playground area (?!!?!?) overlooking Washington Street you see it.

Good lord! Apparently, this was the site of Calvary Cemetery, which fell into disrepair. And in the 70's it was decided that there should converted into a park. So, you figure they'd go ahead and move the 800 graves, right? Well, they removed all the tombstones except for those that line the edge of the park. They did not however, remove the graves.....so all those folks are still buried under Pioneer Park. There a list of them in the park.

You can't make this stuff up?

While driving back from Pioneer Park, I passed a place that I hadn't thought about in years.

Ibis Market! Man, we used to get our hummus fix from here when we first moved to San Diego  and lived in Mission Valley. Which would be over 21 years ago! 

I decided to stop and check the place out.

It pretty much looked the same.

I walked to the deli counter and had to rub my eyes.....

Deli sandwiches are priced at $6.99.......which is crazy low for these days!

But I was interested in other items.....

The Missus and I miss Harvest Market down the street which closed during the pandemic. So, I sent the Missus a text and got a couple of items....

The hummus sampler. The Missus liked the jalapeno hummus, my favorite was the classic hummus, our least favorite was the artichoke hummus which had curry in it. It had a bitterness we didn't enjoy.

The Missus recalled how much She always liked the Dolmas, so I got that for Her.

I got my old favorite, the pickled beets which I still enjoy.

So much that I finished the whole container.

We enjoyed this warm weather meal with some pita that I bought as well.

A few nights later, the Missus sent me to Ibis to get some Falafel....I wasn't too keen on getting deli counter falafel, but what the heck. Of course I got my pickled beets and another item that I recalled liking.

The Armenian Potato salad, which is pretty good.

We still had pita bread and hummus leftover, so I just had to figure out how to heat up the falafel.

So, this is what worked the best. I got the toaster oven out and put it on toast at a high temp. I then microwaved the falafel for 1 minute to heat thru. I then crisped it up in the toaster oven. Not the best falafel I've had but the outside was crisp and interior was fairly moist and still had hints of a nice creaminess.

I like the couple that run the place; they are quite friendly and helpful.

It's nice to know that Ibis is still open two decades and one pandemic since we last visited.

Ibis Market
1112 Fort Stockton Drive
San Diego, CA 92103
Hours:
Daily 10am - 7pm