mmm-yoso!!!

Tahona Bar

A couple of months back, the Missus and I decided to go to Tuetano for our date night. The Missus was wanting to have a drink or two, so we walked on down and took the trolley to Old Town. It's great having the Trolley off Morena. Once we got to Old Town however, the Missus just wasn't "feeling it". She wanted a cocktail. Just then, I recalled reading that a bar specializing in Mezcal, Cocktails, and Oaxaca influenced cuisine had opened a couple of years back in Old Town named Tahona. So, I suggested we check it out.

And while there were some misses with the food; we enjoyed the service, the cocktails, the Mezcal (of course), and the general vibe of the place. So much that we've visited a half dozen times since.

We always get there right after 4pm and on nice days we sit outside and enjoy the fresh air (and heaters). When it's a bit more chilly or drizzly, we'll have a seat in the bar area.

And since there's usually no one there, we'll take the corner table, which has a view of El Santo Campo Cemetery (I included that in a previous post) and the dining room.

While I truly believe that Old Town is trying more than ever to please locals, there's the simple fact that this is a tourist hot spot. And it's quite apparent in some of the dishes. We've stayed away from stuff like the Chips and Salsa and Guacamole.

We tried a few tacos, but all are over $8 for a single taco and while not bad, we know we can get better elsewhere.

Some of the fusiony tacos didn't fare much better. The Tempura Nori "Taco", which used nori as a base was not very enjoyable for us.

This mish-mash of quick to get soggy tempura nori, bland mahi mahi, overly sweet mole, made doubly sweet and salty with unagi sauce, with pickled daikon and carrots - a la do chua was just a mess.

We've tried a couple of other items, like the Empanadas ($16), which got soggy quickly and the smoked tuna was too fishy and salty for the Missus.

And I guess they were trying for a Mediterranean feel by adding that tapenade, which wasn't bad.

On the positive side, we found some dishes we really enjoy here. More on that later.

Because, well, one of the reasons we keep returning are the cocktails.....

  Some of which feature ingredients that include Hoya Santa; which, if you read our Oaxaca posts you know the Missus loves. My current favorite cocktail is the Oaxacan Firing Squad (above) and the Head Ancho (right) which has a nice spicy component to it.

I usually will have one cocktail, then finish with a Mezcal (of course). And when it comes to Mezcal, this place is great. The staff really knows their stuff, in fact, they all seemed to have gone and visited Oaxaca. On our last visit we started chatting with our Server about Boulenc. And once they find out we've been to Oaxaca, do the suggestions start coming! They are quite enthusiastic about their Mezcal and Tequila. In fact, they even got us to try Mezcal Pechuga which was so smooth and smoky. I'm kicking myself for not trying it when we visited Palenque el Cornejo!

And the Missus has found that She has a taste for Tequila Anejo; specifically this one.

As for our favorite dishes at Tahona? Well, there are three we currently order.

We enjoy the Wagyu Aguachile Tostada ($18).

In this case, all of the pieces went together well; from the toothsome, though very beefy flavored grilled wagyu, to the refreshing, not overly sour leche de tigre, which also had a bit of heat to it. The guacamole acts like a cool, calming component, while the pickled veggies and onions add a pungent-sour. The tostada adds a ice maize-crunch to things.

We had wanted to try the Flor de Calabazas Tempura ($18), but they were out on our first two visits. They've had them on subsequent visits and we order it on every visit.

This is another example of somewhat disparate ingredients working well together. The tempura batter adds a nice crispness to the delicate squash blossoms. It seems that it all just melts in your mouth. The earthy eggplant crema gives the dish a smoky heft and the olive oil adds a fruity-rich component.

And the one dish that we luckily ordered on our first visit, the Birria and Bone Marrow ($28).

 The beefy birria partners well with the buttery-rich bone marrow. This version has some great richness and bulk, we favor this more hefty version to the more delicate version at Tuetano. We also order this a specific way. We ask to replace the blue corn tostadas with corn tortillas which has a stronger maize flavor and also want a salsa that has a good "kick", since the birria here can really stand up to it. We enjoy the roasted shishito peppers and the fun "pepper roulette" that it provides.

We enjoy those three dishes above with the cocktails and agave spirits at Tahona. Add in the very friendly and enthusiastic staff, which can overcome the somewhat slower service at times and it's currently on our "date night" rotation. At least until tourist season starts. Though perhaps by arriving at 4pm those crowds can be avoided.

Tahona Bar
2414 San Diego Ave.
San Diego, CA 92110
Current Hours:
Tues - Thurs 4pm - 10pm
Fri - Sat 4pm - 11pm
Sundays 4pm - 10pm

Doing the trolley/bus thing can be beneficial, especially during the slower season. One night, we walked into El Santo Campo Cemetery.

We saw three young men walk into the cemetery with these strange looking lights, meters, and gear. We started chatting with them. Turns out they are Ghost Hunters! The Missus who is usually quite reserved with strangers started chatting them up! Apparently, they are from Vista and were spending a couple of nights in Old Town. They had spent the previous night at the Whaley House. And when the Missus asked if they had seen anything, they shared a video they recorded on some strange lights and the meters blinking and stuff. You gotta love it!

One evening, we walked over to Casa de Reyes, which can be crazy busy during peak season and times. But on this evening, there was a duo playing music, folks just kicking back and enjoying things and a group of folks dancing! It was adorable!

And for some reason, because we were walking just like we do in some of our favorite cities, it felt like we were on vacation.

While sipping that Mezcal, I closed my eyes and while I was actually sitting there in Old Town, my mind was many, many, miles away.....

Thanks for stopping by!

Road Trip - The Winslow Arts Trust (The La Posada Museum), More La Posada, and Dinner at the Turquoise Room

After taking a short break watching the trains go by, we walked over to the area next to the hotel that was once the railroad depot to visit the La Posada Museum, also known as the Winslow Arts Trust Museum.

The Museum goes thru much of the history of Winslow with regards to Route 66, the Railroad, and Native American history and heritage in the area.

We enjoyed our short visit. Especially the menus and items from various Harvey Hotels and restaurants; especially the menus.

How does Thanksgiving Dinner for $2 sound????

Of course travel by car spelled the demise of railroad traffic and the planning of the I-40 meant that Route 66 was going to be bypassed. This foretold the end of an era and the demise of the La Posada.

We enjoyed our little trip back in time and contemplated all these changes as we took one last lap around the grounds of La Posada before checking on our room.

I must admit that Allan Affeldt and his wife Tina Mion have done a wonderful job restoring the hotel, with classic Spanish and Mission Revival Architecture designed by Mary Colter (for those interested, I've been reading this Biography/Coffee Table book about Mary Colter) having gone as far as trying to track down the original furniture. And there are some artistic touches as well.

We really enjoyed exploring, even though some of the art of Tina Mion, which displayed everywhere is not quite to our taste.

By this time, our room was ready. All the rooms are named after different celebrities who have stayed at La Posada. The one we stayed in was the Roddy McDowell (you remember him, right?) room. 

Of course while going to our room the Missus had a peek in this one which was being cleaned....

Guess where She wants to stay next time?

We also enjoyed all the historic photos in the hotel.

And of you want even more about the La Posada, here's a wonderful, albeit abridged (the long version can be found playing in the hotel lobby) video that features Allan Affeldt. 

Once in our room, we rested up before heading to dinner at the Turquoise Room.

We had early reservations for dinner and were seated promptly. We had really enjoyed lunch at the Turquoise Room on our previous trip to the area and was quite excited to see what was on the menu.

Service was very professional and welcoming. Looking over the menu, the Missus was a bit sad to see that the Lamb Pozole She enjoyed so much for lunch wasn't available. Still, a version of the salad we had enjoyed last time was. We split the Arizona Grown Vegan Salad ($20).

Loved the variety of textures, from crisp kale "chips", to wonderful, almost sweet thinly sliced jicama, the perfectly cooked beans, sweetness from the carrots and green beans, earthy quinoa. We really enjoy this salad.

The Missus surprised me by ordering the Grilled Chicken Breast with Tomatillo Sauce and Tamale ($25)

This was a "airline" chicken breast; which means a boneless breast with the drumette attached. Except for katsu, we almost never order chicken breast when dining out, but this was a n excellent choice. The chicken was moist and tender. I'm thinking that it might have been quickly brined because of the texture of the flesh and the nice flavor which permeated the chicken. The black beans were ono! 

I got the "Wild-Wild" Platter ($40). This was not cheap, but we really enjoyed it.

Man, that fried quail was so tasty as was the toothsome but nicely gamy Colorado Venison Medallion. The black current sauce really supported the flavor of the venison. The pork, venison, and bison chili that topped the tamale was quite good as well. Though the tamale itself was really dry and lacking in flavor.

We really enjoyed our meal and the service. 

Turquoise Room (in the La Posada Hotel)
303 E 2nd St.
Winslow, AZ 86047

Man, our last three dinners at Joseph's Culinary Pub, Geronimo, and the Turquoise Room were all good. We were three for three!

After dinner, we decided to take a nice stroll around Winslow.

And of course we had to Stand on that Corner again!

We enjoyed our stroll. It was a nice way to end our little road trip. I'm hoping to return again soon!

Thanks for joining us on our little foray to Mesa Verde and Santa Fe, with our stops in Durango, Gallup, and Winslow!

Take it easy everyone!

Mike's Red Tacos (Clairemont)

I recently had to run some errands and was in the area near Genesee and Balboa. In need of some lunch I decided to give Mike's Red Tacos a try...or make that another try. You see, I paid several visits to the truck when it was parked on Morena and was rather unimpressed. The truck was super popular, especially since birria had taken the US by storm....one of those food fads. I was interested to see if the birria (and consomme) at the newish brick and mortar shop would be better.

Mike's occupies the former location of Wings Republic which I visited once, but had such a lousy meal that I never returned, nor ever did a post.

The young ladies working the front were very nice and cheerful. I ordered the #2 combo which came with chips and consomme. My order was ready fairly quickly and I made sure to grab some salsa from the salsa bar before heading home.

Arriving home I opened things up and proceeded to dig in.

  First thing I did was take a sip of the consomme. Which, sadly is the same as it was from the truck. Weak in flavor, greasy tongue feel, in my opinion only good for moistening your taco. The birria itself is a bit better than what I'd had on my visits to the truck. It is less stringy and more tender though still not quite as beefy as I enjoy.

Strangely, my favorite item were the chips as they were crisp, had a nice maize-ness to them, and were well dusted with seasoning.

   I did enjoy the salsa rojo which had a nice spice and a kick of citrus. The tortillas this time around did not hold up as well, they started to tear as I picked my tacos up. These tacos just aren't beefy-savory-spicy (without the salsas) enough with that flavor which dances with a hint of smokiness from dried chilies. Like I've said before, to me this is "birria not to offend".

And before you say "look at Kirk, he's going to pull the Fernandez card again", let me just stay in the area and say I prefer the birria (and consomme) from El Viejon. And KennethB, I do wish Emily's was still open!

For now, I'm going to head further down to Convoy, if I'm not checking out Fernanadez or other places for birria. That said, Mike's seems to have improved a bit, but not enough to stop me from looking for other options in the area.

   Please check out Soo's post on Mike's as well.

Mike's Red Tacos
4310 Genesee Ave. Suite 104
San Diego, CA 92117
Current Hours:
Sun - Thurs 11am - 930pm
Fri - Sat 11am - 1030pm

Oaxaca - Casa Oaxaca el Restaurante and Yet Another Revisit to Boulenc

We were really enjoying our time in Oaxaca, we loved the vibe, the people, and while our first couple of dinners didn't quite live up to expectations, our last two dinners were wonderful. I chose another upscale place for our last dinner in the city, Casa Oaxaca. We took our time walking to the restaurant.

We wanted to enjoy our last hours in this fine city.

We noted all the clouds rolling in as we reached the restaurant. The al fresco dining area is quite beautiful, until the summer deluge started.

Now having gone to CDMX during this time of the year, we were ready for the thunder storms and rain coming down in buckets for a bit then everything clearing up. Except that's not quite what happened here. It pretty much poured down for almost an hour. Two women, it looked like a mom and daughter had a nice al fresco table, their table was moved when the rain started, but soon it came down harder. They were going to be moved into the dining area when the couple at the table behind us invited them to sit at their table. The two women hesitated at first, but eventually decided to sit at the table with the generous couple.

And not a moment too soon as it came down even harder. The staff started moving everything under cover.

Luckily, we were far enough under the tarps. 

We were enjoying our cocktails, listening to the thunder and watching the waterfalls being created by the storm.

And then dinner got underway. Casa Oaxaca starts things off by making a salsa at your table.

Which was quite nice with the Tlayuda with Queso Fresco.

We weren't super hungry so went with two appetizers and a main.

I saw the Tostada de Insectos on the menu, so had to have that.

This one had Chicatanas (Chicatana Ants), chapulines (Grasshoppers), and gusanitos de maguey (Maguey Worms). All on the crisp blue corn tostada, topped with guacamole and chepiche, which added a distinct minty-anise flavor to things. This was nice, but there was a lot going on and you really couldn't make out the different flavors of the insects.

Next up, the Huarachitos con Cornejo Adobado.

 Yes, mini huaraches with adobo rabbit. Loved the mild adobada seasoning with the "corny" huarachitos, the acidity of the salsa verde, and the calming avocado salsa. Even though the rabbit was on the chewy side, the interplay of flavors was quite nice.

The main we shared, which came with huge basket of tlayudas was the Lechon con Mole Almendrado.

This was suckling pig confit that looked like a terrine. It was quite mild in flavor, but the ground pork rinds and chorizo powder worked really well, adding a decent smoky-pork spice and flavor to things. The Missus didn't care for the almond mole as it was too sweet for Her tastes. Still, this was a very tasty dish.

By now, things had cleared up and the curtain was raised revealing a beautiful evening.

And remember that couple who invited those perfect strangers to sit with them during the downpour? Well, they were all having a great old time as their conversation and laughter danced thru the moonlight.

It was as if they  had known each other for years! This just warmed our hearts and really reflects the warmth and generosity we found in Oaxaca. Things like this stick with us and in turn makes us better people.

The service was excellent and while we enjoyed the food at Origen more, we'll never forget our meal here.

Casa Oaxaca el Restaurante
Calle La Constitucion 104A
68000 Oaxaca, México 

Our flight the next morning didn't leave until 230pm. This meant that we could visit at the Missus's favorite breakfast place, yet again. We ambled back up to Boulenc and waited a short time, before getting a table at the downstairs dining room this time. We actually had a view of the bakery next door.

Of course the Missus had Her favorite Avocado Toast.

Man, She just couldn't get enough of this. She really loved the sourdough bread here along with the variety of fermented vegetables and the perfectly ripe avocado.

Along with my Americano, this time I tried the Shashuka.

 The eggs were nice and runny. The chiptole harissa flavoring was interesting, not as acidic, quite smoky. Man, that baguette was quite good as well. This prep really brought out the citrus-peppery tones of the cilantro.

It was nice breakfast and a great last meal in Oaxaca.

Man, in four days, we came to Boulenc three times!

Boulenc
Calle Porfirio Díaz 207
68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca, Mexico

As you can tell, we loved Oaxaca. And we're going to make every effort to return ASAP!

Cabeza en su Jugo from De Cabeza/El Único

It seems that we just don't get out much anymore. I'm sure that gas prices and inflation as a whole, not to mention Covid has had an affect on us? Yes, we do dine-in when travelling, but the special circumstances and self testing and such make it worth the opportunity cost to us I guess?

That's not to say that we don't miss certain dishes. Recently, the Missus had an appointment in Chula Vista and wanted me to drop Her off and wait. We came up with idea of trying some new places....but in the end; the (relatively) cold weather made us crave an old favorite of ours (and Las Ahumaderas hasn't opened yet). The Cabeza en su Jugo from De Cabeza/El Único. So, I dropped the Missus off for Her appointment and headed on over to de Cabeza. It was around 230pm on a Sunday and I thought the place wouldn't be too busy, but I was wrong!

Boy was I wrong! The place was packed. I didn't want the Missus waiting for me to pick Her up, so I was thinking about doing an "about face" when Jesus, the wonderful manager of De Cabeza saw me, smiled and waved me in. I asked how long it would take for two orders of the Cabeza en su Jugo and he told me with a smile; "for you my friend, no longer than fifteen minutes". And he went to make my order immediately. What service! And I wasn't late picking up the Missus.

It was chilly and rainy this past Sunday night, so the soup, once heated, was so comforting.

   For some reason; perhaps we're missing good Mexican food, the tortillas seemed even better than before....such wonderful maize flavor! And perfect for dunking or enfolding around the luscious, rich, and tender beef head. The soup was quite rich and viscous, had a nice "zing" of heat, and a squeeze of lime just took the edge off the richness.

This totally had that "aaah" affect.

I realize that this might not be everyone's cup of tea; there is a real beefiness to this soup that might freak folks who have been attuned into eating very lean cuts. Yes, there's real fat in this, good collagen, and it all adds to the texture and flavors.

As I left Jesus shook my hand and told me; "tell your wife I said hello and hope to see you both soon"!

I guess I need to make more of an effort to get out and about.

De Cabeza/El Único
1043 Broadway
Chula Vista, CA 91911

Oaxaca - Dinner at Origen

As I mentioned in my previous post on Oaxaca, our dinner at Casa Taviche marked a turning point with regards to dinners in Oaxaca. And our dinner at chef-driven Origen was our favorite of the trip.

We spent our time after exploring Monte Alban and lunch at Boulenc shopping. We found an adorable ceramic shop, but unfortunately the items the Missus wanted were waiting for pick-up by a restaurant. But, the wonderful young woman who worked here remembered the Missus and I and alerted us to some great items when we returned later on the trip.

While doing some planning for our trip, I came across mentions of Origen and the wonderful modern dishes with roots firmly planted in traditional Oaxacan cuisine. In fact, I read that the Chef's mom is regularly at the restaurant. Not as a customer, but actually working with the mole and doing quality control! So, I booked us a table. The restaurant is located in beautiful colonial style building right on the other side of the Zocalo from where we were staying.

We were seated upstairs with a nice view of the courtyard below and the wonderful decor above!

Our Server was amazing, so warm and friendly, professional, but with a great sense of humor. There was an item on the menu I didn't recognize and she didn't know the English translation, so she tucked her elbows in at her hips, brought her wrists up to her shoulders and with her hands started flapping her "wings"! It was perfect.....it was quail!

The amuse was wonderful! The corn flavor was so prominent, the mole rich but not overly sweet.

Things started off with the Ensalada con Gusanos de Maguey - A salad of wild greens with Maguey Worms.

   The variety of flavors in the greens was amazing, peppery - anise - bitter - nutty as were the various textures. The hoya santa "pesto" had a nice peppery-minty tone.

The roasted maguey worms were crunchy, light, and nutty in flavor.

The Duck Confit Enchiladas were up next.

While the duck was a bit drier than we prefer, the mole was quite good, not overly sweet and complex in flavor. The tortillas for the enchiladas were really good, fantastic corn tones, which went so well with the local cheese and the gaminess of the duck.

The Missus had really enjoyed the Mole Sugueza we had at Casa Taviche, so when I saw Grilled Octopus with Mole Sugueza on the menu, I knew we had to order it.

Man, this was so good! The pulpo was so tender you could cut it with a fork, it had been simply seasoned and had a touch of briny-sweetness. The mole segueza was awesome; full of maize flavor, smoky, and quite complex in flavor! The black specks was Chicatana Ant Sauce, which had almost a smoky-milky flavor to it. An outstanding dish.

Last up was the Beef Tongue with Chichilo Mole Sauce.

   This mole was a bit thinner than others we've had. It had a nice spice to it and went well with Beef Tongue. We loved all the veggies here, they were so full of flavor!

Our Tlayudas were provided in a fancy holder that I thought was an envelope at first!

The dessert; a corn spongecake with cacao ice cream wasn't overly sweet and was quite refreshing.

We loved this meal. As I mentioned earlier it was our favorite meal of the trip. The food was excellent, wonderful combinations of flavors and textures. Our Server was adorable, so warm, yet really on top of things. The pacing was perfect!

We can't wait to return! Soon, I hope!

Origen
Miguel Hidalgo 820
68000 Oaxaca, Mexico

Oaxaca - Casa Taviche

We were dropped back at our hotel after our wonderful Mezcal Tour and took a short nap. Upon awakening, I peeked out the window from our little balcony to see what the weather was like. This was August and having traveled in Mexico during this time before we knew about the serious afternoon downpours that occur. And while we could see the clouds moving in; it didn't look like a major drenching was on the docket for this evening.

Having scheduled the Mezcal Experience, I hadn't made any dinner reservations for this evening. Which was probably for the better since the Missus wasn't too pleased with our previous two dinners. I chose a place that featured a small rotating menu, a bit farther away from the hustle and bustle of Centro named Casa Taviche.

The dining area is in a cute little courtyard.

We were handed the small menu and I could not believe the prices!

We basically shared our dishes.

Of course the Missus needed to start out with the Pozole Rojo.

This was slightly porky and much better than what we'd had previously. There was enough salt, though it really needed a good hit of oregano and the Missus was wishing for all the "sides" which was already in the soup. Still, not bad.

The Tostada de Guisado de Champigons was very good.

Man, this was so delici-yoso; the braised mushrooms were so earthy and tender; there was a hint of sweetness, spice from the salsa rojo. Great textural contrast from the tlayuda and sprouts. Crisp, peppery spice from the radishes. This was very good.

It was the season for Chilies en Nogada and I wanted to try one; so we ordered it.

This was quite good; the roasted chili poblano was stuffed with a pork filling that had mild spice and sweetness from fruit and pomegranate. The walnut cream sauce was very smooth; there seemed to be the essence of cinnamon floating in the air. The Missus cracked me up when She claimed that this must be a "Middle Eastern Dish"! I almost fell out of my seat! I told Her that most of the stories I've read about this dish is that it was created by Nuns in Puebla for a feast for General Agustín de Iturbide who had signed the Treaty of Cordoba granting Mexico independence from Spain. She didn't believe me until I told Her; "take a look, the dish is the colors of the Mexican flag"!

So far, the Missus hadn't found a version of Mole that She liked. There was a mole sugueza, which is a version that uses corn to thicken the sauce. The Missus loves Her maize, so I hoped She would enjoy this. Consider the Costillas de Mole Segueza as "mission accomplished".

The pork ribs, while on the chewier side were porky, nicely seasoned, and smoked! You could really taste the maize in the thick sauce, along with a hint of clove, hoja santa, cumin.....and best of all for the Missus? This wasn't overly sweet.

Service was kind of "relaxed" (slow) and a bit spacey - they forgot about our mole dish and we had to remind them, but it's hard to complain with these prices and how much we enjoyed this meal.

After two not so enjoyable dinners, this meal marked a turning point. It would get much better from here on out

Casa Taviche
Miguel Hidalgo 1111
68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax., Mexico

Aqui Es Texcoco (again)

Thanks for stopping by to read this blog about food,  mmm-yoso!!! Cathy is writing today. 

We found ourselves in Chula Vista and stopped at Starbread Bakery for a small treat then walked next door to Aqui Es Texcoco (the same location which moved  one mile North on Broadway, South of H, briefly changed names from Aqui Es Texcoco to Al Pastor Authentic Mexican Grill and now it's back to the original name (same owners the whole time)). Traditional lamb barbecue has been served in San Diego County since 1990.  There are locations in Tijuana and in Los Angeles.

 We ordered a medium tamarind agua fresca (fresh water)($3.25)which is made in-house, not from concentrate. Excellent tamarind flavor; refreshing and not too sweet.
One complimentary lamb broth (consommé) was brought out because of one of our orders.  You can also order one small cup for $3.25.  A good deep flavor/concentrated fresh lamb broth made with lamb drippings and with garbanzo beans.   The lamb mixiote ($14.75). Mixiote is traditionally pit barbecue but can be made in an oven. Cubed meat mixed with pasilla peppers, thyme, cumin, garlic and cactus pieces.   Other spices are in the mix, too.  It's all wrapped in parchment paper then cooked (if pit cooked, it's wrapped in maguey leaves) (either way, it's slow cooked). This unique 'stew' has such a medly of flavors, including the unique robust (not really gamey) lamb .

 The Chicharron de Queso ($7) is just that- crisp cheese made on a flat top grill.  The guacamole is included and is always fresh (and wonderful). By itself, this is a decadent snack. An order of flautas ($9.50). Flour tortillas filled then deep fried to a light crispness, topped with lettuce, creama and shredded cotija.  The filling choices are lamb, chicken, potatoes or beans.  Three are are quite a meal, or good for sharing.  

Always a nice place to stop for a meal or snack.

Aqui Es Texcoco 520 Broadway Chula Vista 91910 (619)427-4045 Website Open daily 8 a.m.-9 p.m.

Sunday Sandwiches - The A la Mexicana From Barrio Donas

I had a bunch of errands to run before our current trip. It was fairly early and I was a bit hungry, so I decided to stop in at Barrio Donas and grab a breakfast torta on the way home. I had actually been waiting for the location in Old Town to open, but it seems to have been delayed, I guess it's the new normal. I understand the National City location hasn't opened yet either. I drove into the lot and noticed it wasn't busy at all; my lucky day.

I waltzed in, placed my order for the A la Mexicana, which is now $8.50, it was $7.50 on my last visit in 2021

The woman working was a hoot and my order was ready in minutes.

The torta did well on the 15 minute drive home.

 I noted in my previous post that there's quite a bit more filling these days and on this visit they went a bit overboard on the chipotle. This was much spicier than I recall, though perhaps my tolerance has waned over the last couple of years? I also noted that they have changed the bread in my last post as well; it's quite yeasty and much lighter than what I used to enjoy. Regardless, the combination of eggs, beans, cheese, salsa performed adequately as my late breakfast on this day. Though perhaps I would have appreciated a bit more beans.

And it did the job. I'm still wondering how things will work out when Barrio Donas opens their other locations.....will the prices change, will the menu remain? We'll see.

Barrio Donas
4714 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117

Carnitas Uruapan (again)

Thanks for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about food.  Cathy is writing today, while Kirk and His Missus are busy, elsewhere.

When I first started helping Kirk on this blog, my eighth post as well as this post in 2012, and a mention in 2015 along with a few interspersed mentions of Carnitas Uruapan have been irregularly mentioned.  The nearby location, quality of food and consistency over the years is comforting and writing about this family owned 30+ year institution seems unnecessary.  Being able to make it through Covid-19 is an attestation to the qualities mentioned.  It's time for an update. That's the "Drive Up" window; there is no speaker or place to order before getting to the window.  The entrance is just alongside that wall; it's small.
 Step inside, order, pay and find a seat.  Four booths and  three tables with chairs inside as well as tables outside and under the canopy.  Again, small.  
 During the waning down of Covid-19, we could eat inside, but the meal "meal for two" was served in a in a 'to go' container ($14.50).
 Rice, beans, one pound of carnitas (deep fried pork), warm corn tortillas.  Of course, cilantro, onion, tomatoes and limes are the perfect condiments.
 Now that things are back to "normal", the 'Carnitas for Two" is served on plates and just seems to taste better.
  My current favorite item which satisfies a craving is the Maggi Burrito ($8.50) (carnitas, chicharron, whole beans, guacamole and pico de Gallo).  The crunch of the chicharron with each bite of flavorful shredded pork and everything else (you can taste each ingredient; no one flavor overpowers the other) is so balanced and satisfying.
  Another order when I want something different is the #9, Enchiladas Suizas ($12.50)
 Chicken- lots of shredded chicken- wrapped in corn tortillas topped with Swiss cheese and a creamy green salsa (not the same green salsa as you get to go with a taco or burrito). 

More than a taco shop.
 When ordering, the final item-not to eat here, but 'to go' is always a 1/2 pound of chicharron ($4.50) which is cooked fresh.  Such a treat!

Carnitas Uruapan 4233 Spring Street La Mesa 91941 (858)328-3541 Website Open Daily 9-9