mmm-yoso!!!

Little Italy Bar & Grill (Scripps Ranch)

Here you are, reading mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog.  Kirk had been on vacation for two weeks, got home, posted a few things and the time zone change hit.  Cathy is writing today's post. 

The Mister and I were driving around, aimlessly, looking for someplace 'new' to us, as we tend to do.  This storefront, in a strip mall next to the Vons in Scripps Ranch, had been a French Restaurant, open only in evenings.  In 2016, it became an Italian Restaurant- open for breakfast on weekends as well as lunch and dinner daily. We decided to stop.    We were asked if we wanted the Breakfast or the Lunch menu- and took one of each.  (Thumbnails at bottom of the post).  
 There are various tables and seating areas, including an outdoor patio.
 The signage out front indicated "All Starters 1/2 off Sat-Sun open-5".  The Burrata starter (regular $15.95, so $7.97) was ordered.  Wow.  What a quality cheese, creamy and so very fresh.  Topped with some crushed black pepper, it was served on top of sliced Roma tomato, a good slice of prosciutto de parma and large pieces of basil.  Olive oil and balsamic decorated the side of the plate.  If I were alone, I'd order this (and at 1/2 price, two) as my meal.  
We decided to share one entree and had a choice of soup or salad.  The soup of the day wasn't one we liked, so we asked for the side salad (dressing already mixed in; house Italian was what we chose), a refreshing choice.
 Chicken Parmesan ($14.95) was ordered (lunch menu) and, as with proper Italian entrees, the plate came with sides of steamed vegetables and pasta topped with the house made marinara.  Fresh, flavorful sides.  The chicken, pounded thin, breaded and (properly) fried was moist and juicy, crispy and light, parmesan flavors and topped with more fresh marinara and Mozzarella.  Great.
 At the top of the Lunch menu is a "Bambino" (10 inch) pizza with one item ($10.95).  We thought we should try it, choosing artichoke.    Not too thin of a crust, wood fired and lightly charred.  A light amount of marinara, plenty of cheese as well as artichoke.  We took home leftovers and had a light dinner.

Another quality neighborhood restaurant.  A great find.  

Little Italy Bar & Grill 10006 Scripps Ranch Blvd (between Red Rock Drive and Aviary Drive) San Diego 92131 (858) 368-4688 Open Mon-Wed 11-9, Th-Fri-11-10, Sat 9-10. Sun 9-9 Website

Clearing Out the Memory Card - Revisits to Tribute Pizza and Aqui es Texcoco

Just clearing out the memory card of places I've posted on numerous times.

Tribute Pizza:

It had been over six months since we'd been to Tribute and the Missus had burnt out on pizza (if you notice that visit to Tribute was "pizza-less"). But finally She was ready to have some pizza again recently and requested a visit to Tribute.

We did the usual....the Sea Salt Foccacia with 'Nduja

The Meat, Cheese, and Veg Board....with all the veggies. Loved the venison salumi and Drunken Goat ("Queso de Murcia") is another cheese we enjoy.

I'd forgotten that the board came with focaccia as well.

Since it was Happy Hour; we also ordered the Biancoverde; which turned out to be just too much food.

But the Missus enjoys cold pizza...… And we enjoyed our visit.

Tribute Pizza
3077 N Park Way
San Diego, CA 92104

Aqui es Texcoco:

Another place I hadn't been to in ages....like almost a year! Since the Missus's work schedule changed, we didn't have time for breakfasts on weekends anymore or were just too tired when Saturday came around.

I finally got back right after Christmas. And it was as good as ever.

Which was relief since it seems that many of our "regular" spots have been starting to disappoint us recently.

Aqui Es Texcoco
1043 Broadway
Chula Vista, CA 91911

Hope you're keeping warm and having a great weekend!

Pesto Craft Kitchen (SDSU area)

mmm-yoso!!! welcomes you back to reading about food in San Diego. Kirk has been working a lot of (weekend) overtime and Cathy is writing a few posts., like this one.

Customized, wood fired oven pizzas have been a restaurant phenomenon since about 2014. I've written two posts about Pieology and one post about Blaze.  Pesto Craft Kitchen took over what originally was the location of Social Life Neapolitan Pizza in 2016. Pesto offers more than customizable pizza and salads.
The menu is visible when you walk in (this is an old photo with old prices because I apparently could not take a clear picture of it in the last year). (Use THIS link to see current prices on the website)
You walk along the ordering line.
A decadent snack served here are these delightful 'garlic knots', you can purchase 4 or 8 as an appetizer.   
You can sort of see the fire in the oven through the protective glass.
There is an extensive selection of wines and beers.
 We started with the calamari fries ($9.95) These are served with a roasted garlic spicy tomato sauce. Meaty strips of squid, breaded with a herb-y coating.  A large portion, apparently meant to be shared or this could be a low-carb meal.
  When we do enjoy a pasta dish, baked is preferred.In this case, four cheese ravioli ($13.95) which had craft pesto and was topped with marinara and mozzarella. The pasta, cheese fillings, pesto, marinara and even the side of toasted garlic bread were each distinctive in fresh flavors.  This was a filling meal...yet we wanted more.  
I went back in line and ordered a smoked ham calzone ($9.95)
 Mozzarella and ricotta are the cheeses, the wood fired crust had the char that gave the crust flavor and crunch.  The cheeses, the bit of marinara sauce...this was wonderful.  We had a bite in the restaurant and took the rest home for dinner.  A great day of meals. 

Pesto Italian Craft Kitchen  6011 El Cajon Blvd, Suite A San Diego, CA 92115 (619)265-2700 Website Open Sun-Thurs 10:30-9:30, closes at 10:00 Fri-Sat

Nordstrom-Lunch in the Department Store (again)

Thank you for reading mmm-yoso!!!, this food blog with almost daily postings.  Kirk is a bit busy with work this week and Cathy finally has some free time, so she will be posting.

Eating at restaurants located within other businesses has been a longtime way to keep people from leaving a store and possibly not returning to complete a shopping trip.  I've written only two other posts about Nordstrom, but have frequented it many times. I do love their coffee and sometimes stop in just to be able to sit down and enjoy a cup. 

 You can walk up and grab a menu to decide what you'd like to order and your first stop will be some friendly servers who can take your order, or maybe just hand  you a cup or bowl of fresh soup. Trays are next to this station. You can walk to the register and pay...perusing other offerings along the way...perhaps your order will change, or have additions. 
As in one of the previous posts, the chicken, apple and Goat Cheese salad ($14.25) is a regular choice. Tender, white meat chicken is mixed with baby greens, fresh Granny Smith apple slices, dried apple chips, spiced candied almond slices and onion, all topped with a champagne vinaigrette. This is a satisfying meal.   
Next to a display of the soups available was a display plate of this rustic Cheddar chive biscuit ($2.25).  I thought this would go with the salad.  I was correct. Light, flaky/crumbly (like a savory scone) this biscuit has wonderful, fresh flavors. 
 A pepperoni and mushroom pizza($13.25) was also an order, since there were three of us this day. 
The very thin, fresh crust was still chewy as well as crispy (but not cracker crisp).  The fresh, juicy shiitake mushroom slices and thin pepperoni, as well as basil and oregano toppings on the Mozzarella and aged Provolone cheese was so perfect- each item had a unique flavor, even the slightly sweet tomato sauce.  This was a great pizza.
Of course a 'meal' of pizza and salad was just so perfect; balanced and with such a variety of complimentary flavors.  
You seat yourself here, but have your receipt and there is a waiter who will assist you with beverages as well as other needs (water, silverware, boxing up leftovers).  We had ordered the Creme Brûlée dessert ($6.50) and our waiter said he would bring it out, freshly Brûléed, when it was time.  
Wow.  The fresh vanilla custard (heavy cream, egg yolks, vanilla bean; you can see 'specks' of vanilla throughout) topped with a thin layer of fine sugar crystals which are either heated with a torch, or melted in an oven until a thin, delicate crisp top forms was just so simply delightful.  Always a special treat here at the Cafe. 

Nordstrom Cafe Website There are different restaurant levels at the various Nordstrom store locations.  This one was in Fashion Valley

 
Even though you have already paid, the traditional chocolate mint stick is given. A wonderful ending to an always great meal.

Clearing Out the Memory Card - Happy Hour at Et Voila! and Tribute Pizza

Just a quick post with mostly photos of two of our favorite Happy Hour places.

Et Voila!:

You could say Et Voila is the Missus's favorite little restaurant. We've gotten into the habit of having happy hour here just about every other week.

First off; the Huckleberry Bourbon is half price ($7) during HH.

And we've found our "happy rotation" of three dishes. They fry things really well here and that Pork Terrine reminds us of France.

Which makes for a nice light dinner for us.

We've tried a bunch of other items on the Happy Hour; but we've settled on those three.

Et Voilà!
3015 Adams Ave
San Diego, CA 92116
Happy Hour:
Sun - Fri 430pm - 7pm
Saturday 430pm - 6pm

Tribute Pizza:

Another favorite of the Missus. The drill here is to get the Biancoverde with Pepperoni during HH; it's under ten bucks.

And heck; the Meat, Cheese, and Veg board, always with the three veggies, and usually two cheese, unless there's something we like with regards to charcuterie.

It's served with the Foccacia of the day....some of which are really great.

So, even though I want that Sea Salt Focaccia with 'Nduja, there's just no way I can put that away.

Tribute Pizza
3077 N Park Way
San Diego, CA 92104
Happy Hour:
Tues - Fri 4pm - 6pm

Blaze Pizza (Fast Fire'd, customizable)

mmm-yoso!!! is the food blog you are reading on this not too humid day.  Kirk is busy (with work), Ed(from Yuma) is also busy (even though he is retired) and Cathy (who appears to Have time)  is writing this post.  

Driving around while getting hungry, The Mister and I were near Native Foods and noticed yet another customizable pizza location (sad that my favorite had closed).  We decided to try Blaze. 

 Ignoring the fact that "fire'd" is not a word, the idea of being able to watch your pizza being constructed, see it being placed in the fiery oven and having it ready by the time you find a place to sit is fascinating; fast food that isn't all fried or particularly heavy.

 Even better, the selections here are a bit different.   For one, there are four types of pre-made salads to choose from (although you can make a personalized/'Build Your Own' salad from all of the pizza toppings).

  There are a variety of sauces and cheeses to use as a base and the amount of ingredients available is excellent; even if you 'Build your own' pizza, using a lot of toppings, the cost is $8.25 (there is only an extra charge if you want a thicker crust or a gluten free crust).
 The system here is a bit more organized; when you order, your name and a number that is embossed on a metal tent-shaped piece are coordinated, so that the pizza in the oven doesn't get lost/given to someone else.  {Let's just say I have received free pie coupons more than once because another customizable pizza place has given my order to an unsuspecting pick up.  It is so easily preventable.}

   As I was staring at the menu, "Salad Pizza" ($8.25) had me curious.  It's a baked (fast fire'd) pizza dough, topped with pesto sauce and the cooked bread is topped with  your choice of any of the four salads available that day. In this case, I chose the tomato and mozzarella salad.  Gosh, this was perfect- salad, bread with the garlic-y pesto...a meal.  Since it was our first time here, a "Simple Pie" ($5.75) was ordered.  Mild tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese-simple. This was pretty much perfect; it reminded my of pizza we got in Naples, Italy, decades ago.      On a return visit, the Salad pizza topped with an arugula salad that had fresh blackberries was available.  Again, a great meal.     There is a "2 Top"  pizza available ($7.50) and since I did want to try the sausage here, a sausage and mushroom pie was ordered.  This was, also, perfect.  So pleasant and cheesy, plus those fresh mushrooms- wow.    Being a creature of habit- another tomato mozzarella salad topped pie was ordered. This time I did remember to take a photo of the thin crust with just the basil topping showing.   Most recently, a "Build Your Own" salad, using the base of the Caesar salad and adding bacon, chicken and a selection of vegetables ($8.25) proved to be so large that it wasn't finished in one sitting.  A good and healthy choice.  

Everything is fresh and good here. 

Blaze Pizza, multiple locations across the USA, Website

Clearing Out the Memory Card - Toronado, Hess Brewing, And Tribute Pizza

The Missus's hairdresser now works in North Park. During the last two months, the Missus has asked me to drop Her off....lucky me! There's no shortage of places where I can, ahem, "pass the time" while waiting for the Missus. Like......

Toronado:

It's been a while.

Had a nice New Belgium Le Terrior. Perfect temperature.....

Toronado
4026 30th St
San Diego, CA 92104

The most recent time, it was.....

Hess Brewing:

It had been a couple of years since I'd been here as well.

A nice 8 West on a rather warm day.

Hess Brewing Company North Park
3812 Grim Ave
San Diego, CA 92104

And in case the Missus is hungry after getting Her hair done. Well there are a lot of options here as well. Like a recent favorite of Hers....

Tribute Pizza:

On this day, the pizzas were much better than on previous visits......

Tribute Pizza
3077 N Park Way
San Diego, CA 92104

I think I'm going to make sure the Missus goes in for a trim on a regular basis!

Tribute Pizza

For a few weeks before we left on our trip, the Missus was really into pizza. She's kind of over Bruno for now and wanted to try other places. Of the several we tried; two became Her favorites and warranted, in some cases multiple visits. One of these was a place recommended by my good friend Candice......Tribute Pizza.

Located in the renewed and revitalized old Post Office on the corner of Grim and North Park Way, in what is now called the "North Park Post Office Lofts", and catty corner to one of my favorites, Lucky's Golden Phenix. We both liked the wide open industrial, but comfortable space, and the seats were in themselves fine. There's an interesting gastropub meets pizzeria vibe here. A big plus; the staff is very nice as well, with an ok beer list.

As you can tell in the photo on the right.....I guess some folks really want to take a photo of the place!

In addition to pizzas there's the now required cheese and charcuterie plates, which looked quite large and a couple of salads; like the "put on a egg on it brussels salad" ($11).

The Missus loves Her brussel sprouts and these were nicely shaved and topped with a lovely egg yolk. So you'd think She'd be just all over this. Strangely, She didn't care too much for this, as the dressing was a bit too sour and the egg yolk and pecorino romano really didn't add that mild savoriness and sweetness that brings out the best in brussel sprouts. In talking to our wonderful Server about this salad; we found out that we might...depending on how busy the kitchen is, get lardons and Balsamic on this salad as well....which would definitely make it a winna'. So perhaps in the future.....

Hands down, our favorite item here is the wonderful; yeasty, warm, slight crusty Sea Salt Focaccia paired with the spicy, spreadable salumi known as 'Nduja ($9).

The 'Nduja here has a nice bite to it and reminds us of a good porky spread tinged with Harissa.

When it comes to first trying out a new pizza place, the Missus prefers simple, and it doesn't get more basic than a Margherita ($13).

First off; the crust, like the focaccia, had a wonderful flavor and texture. For some reason, the rest fell rather flat. We didn't care for the tomato sauce, which we found watery and bland.......I look for that tangy-mild sweetness, that I call the "flavor of sunshine" and this didn't really have that. While I love the fork and knife style, slightly "wet", Neopolitan style pizza, the middle was way too soggy for us. The mozzarella was good, light milky-saltiness, but strangely, we found the basil tasteless. A mixed bag overall.

But the service had been great and we decided to return mainly for this.

And damn if this wasn't even better this time around; being a bit thicker and heartier.

If you've read enough posts, you know the Missus loves Her meatballs (yes, I know, there's a joke in there just waiting to come out), so we had to order it ($13).

We both loved the roasted peppers and onions; adding a bit of sweetness and pungency to a rather heavy version of meatballs. Ditto with the parmigiano reggiano, layering a bit of milky-saltiness. I actually enjoyed the very "meaty", yet moist and tender meatballs more than the Missus. She said these were a bit too heavy for Her, but still enjoyed them. The sauce was very hearty and thick, almost spreadable, a root vegetable marinara, that was very tasty.

Of course we had to try another pizza. And the theme of "Tribute", are well, tributes to other famous pizzas.....so we decided on the tribute to Chris Bianco's Pizzeria Bianco. If you're interested, Ed from Yuma has done posts on both Pane Bianco and Tratto. Anyway, we ordered the Biancoverde with Prosciutto de Parma ($18).

The crisp, slightly bitter arugula, savory-salty prosciutto, and garlic was such a nice match for the yeasty-bready crust. Chili flake kept your attention and the ricotta some creaminess and milky flavors along with the mozzarella. This was a nice pizza and one we'll have again.

For us, it seems that the star of the show at Tribute is the dough.....that focaccia and pizza crust is quite nice. We've really liked the friendly and helpful service as well. Interesting thing about ordering; when you walk in, you head up to the counter and can place your drink and/or food order there, before heading off to a table.

So, I guess the Missus is finally totally over Her "no-bread" phase in life....it makes for much better eating for us! And thanks as always for the recommendation Candice!

Tribute Pizza
3077 N Park Way
San Diego, CA 92104
Hours:
Tues - Thurs 5pm - 10pm
Fri 4pm - 11pm
Sat 11am - 11pm
Sun 11pm - 9pm

 

Pieology- customized pizza, customized salad (revisit)

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog, it's been around since 2005.  Kirk, Ed (from Yuma) and Cathy continue writing about the mundane as well as the interesting meals they've consumed in and around San Diego as well as other places in the world.  Today, it's Cathy writing. 

About three years ago, businesses that baked customized pizza in wood fired ovens in about three minutes were a big deal and about eight different franchises were located in the San Diego area.  I wrote only about Pieology and Social Life (which has since closed).  It's not that I didn't like those sort of places: they were so similar in execution, product and pricing that there was nothing unique.  However, now that the chaff has cleared the wheat and only three other franchises plus Pielogy remain, there has been some refining.   The 'system' is the same, walk up, order  (choose a sauce, cheeses and meats and other toppings) and pay; get your own utensils and beverages. Your completed order is brought out to the table.

Pricing has increased only slightly (basically, any pie with an unlimited choice of toppings is $8.45).

 One of the 'Pieologists Favorite Pies' available is 'Alfredo's Alfredo' (this creation of preselected ingredients also shows the highest calorie count of 1080) Olive oil, three cheese alfredo sauce, parmesan, mozzarella, garlic, mushrooms, artichokes, fresh basil, grape tomatoes (then we added on bacon and olives, because at that point it didn't matter). This pie was excellent, rich and flavorful and enough for two to share.    A 'new' item is a custom salad ($9.25). (You can grab a classic or caesar, already made, for $8.45 or a pre-made side salad for $3.95).  In this case, you select your greens, cheeses and meats, fresh produce and toppings.  We asked for a few of each of the greens (Romaine, spinach and mixed), Feta cheese, bacon and then some artichokes, green & red peppers, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, shaved parmesan and a candied walnut topping.  The dressing was the creamy Italian.  The bowl is very large; I used my longstanding 'airplane salad' trick, taking off the lid pouring the dressing over and then replacing the lid and shaking the container instead of trying to delicately mix the packed ingredients.  This, again is large enough to share and , of course, very fresh.Another visit, The Mister ordered a 'Classic Margherita' (because the base is olive oil, mozzarella, parmesan, fresh basil and grape tomatoes) but then added mushrooms and sausage, to make the pizza unique.  This was also a very tasty pie.   The thin crust is just right and properly proportional for the ingredients.  

A good choice for whatever craving you might have.  Hope you are staying dry!

Pieology (The Study of Custom Pizza) 5575 Balboa Avenue San Diego, CA 92111 (858)565-0600 Website

Scottsdale/Phoenix 1 – Sofia’s, Phoenix Art Museum, Craft 64

Kirk and Cathy have better or more important things to do than post at mmm-yoso!!!, so today here's the first post from Ed (from Yuma) about food and adventures on his and Tina's recent trip to the Phoenix/Scottsdale area.

Sofia's

On our way up, as usual, we had lunch at Sofia’s in Gila Bend:

Nice decor at the little restaurant:

The chips and salsa are always good:

We enjoy the three taco combination plate with the customer choice of any three tacos. On this visit Tina had two hardshell hamburger tacos (what tacos were for most of us back in the 60s and 70s) and a soft carnitas taco:

And I ordered a simple green chili burrito:

Sofia's is good Mexican food and service, often by Sofia herself.

Sofia's Mexican Food, 530 West Pima, Gila Bend, AZ 85337, 928-683-6382.  Open Daily.

Phoenix Art Museum

In the Past, Tina and I have focused mostly on the museum’s extensive collection of modern works and Spanish colonial art. This time, however, we wanted to explore the Asian section of the museum. They were having a special show for the art of Martin Fan Cheng:

This painting could be from a food blog:

These trout in a stream look photographic as well:

I was amused by a 1976 painting by Lu Yanshao that uses traditional Chinese techniques to picture "Electric Power Station in a Mountain Village":

We loved this contemporary cerulean ceramic bowl:

Completely different is this bodhisattva:

The museum explained that this holy figure is dressed in women's attire since achieving the status of bodhisattva allows one to transcend sexuality.  

But my favorite item is in the permanent collection of the Museum, a remarkable piece entitled "Mass (Colder Darker Matter)":

It is like a giant mobile made from pieces of charred wood hung on nearly invisible wires and strings. As you move from place to place, it changes. Interestingly, the burned wood is what’s left of a rural church that ignited when struck by lightning. To me, this installation seems both ominous and numinous.

Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 N. Central Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85004-1685 (602) 257-1880

Craft 64

This new pizzeria, featuring rustic 900° wood ovens and house made mozzarella, was our choice for our first dinner in the Phoenix area. The exterior seems pretty ordinary, but it is nice to see a doggie friendly patio in front:

The interior was brightly lit, tastefully simple, and full of customers:

Thursday Night NFL was on the TVs in the bar and numerous animated conversations were all going on simultaneously, so it was LOUD. Sitting outside on the back patio would have made conversation easier, but all the tables there were taken as well.

Of course, they have 36 beer taps and an extensive collection of bottled beers and wines as well. Tina and I had a couple of their lighter beer offerings:

As soon as we tasted our locally sourced Farmers Salad, we understood why the place is so popular:

This was extremely unusual and extremely flavorful. Batonettes of fresh mango and jicama dominated, with wafer thin slices of watermelon radish, a sprinkle of radish sprouts, small strips of red onion, and cilantro leaves all contributing. The cumin lime dressing was a superb match, tempering the sweetness of the mango and giving a nice flavor boost to the usually bland jicama. Amazingly good.

We ordered two different pizzas. I wanted to try the very basic Senza Formaggio vegan pie with mushrooms:

Tina and I wondered if we would like this at all, but it was very tasty. The focus was clearly on the wonderful crispy crunchy crust highlighted with the nicely herbed tomato sweet sauce and olive oil.

Tina was intrigued by the idea of the Spanish pizza with real Spanish chorizo, sliced almonds, Spanish black olives, and a mild harrissa sauce:

Tasting it was a real experience. To the eye, it looks like a pepperoni based pizza, but to the mouth, the flavor panorama was  entirely different. The crunchy almonds were good, and the crust was magnificent.

We told our friends who were letting us use their North Scottsdale timeshare about Craft 64, they tried it, and Greg told me it was the best pizza they had ever eaten. Your results may differ, but it is damn good (can I say that?).

Craft 64, 6922 E. Main St., Scottsdale, AZ 85251, (480) 946-0542