mmm-yoso!!!

Sunday Sandwiches - Barrio Donas (Best Donuts Bakery & Deli Rebooted)

Man, it seems like I've been going pretty much non-stop since getting back from our trip. Today is my first day off and after like twelve hours of sleep last night, a nice lunch (road trip style), and a afternoon nap, I'm finally starting to feel somewhat in-synch. There really hasn't been much eating out since we got back, but here's a place I stopped at a couple of times in the last week.

We got in late Saturday evening and I had to go in for a few hours on Sunday. I got up, got dressed and headed off to work, but was kind of hungry. I recalled seeing that Best Donuts had been going thru a facelift before we left on our vacation so decided to see if they had reopened. And they had; so I stopped and walked in.

Man, they've really done quite the job on the place.

Best Donuts had reshuffled the lay-out several times during my visits over the years. I don't think they'll be moving stuff around much after this renovation.

I recognized the young lady working the register, who told me that the ownership of the shop remains the same. One thing that has changed are the prices, the breakfast tortas are now in the $5.50 - $7.50 range and the regular tortas will run you from $8.50 - $9.50. Wow, I remember getting the A la Mexicana here for $4.99 on my last visit. Well, someone has to help pay for the freshinging up, right?

Instead of ordering my usual, the A la Mexicana; I went with the La Nortena ($6.50).

The bread was still nice and warm when I got to the office. It had held up well for the 15 minute drive. It was quite yeasty and just as good as ever. I had never been a fan of the machaca here; but this time it was beefy, moist, and rather tender. The sauce had a mild spice and smokiness to it and was delicious with the eggs. The pickled jalapenos added a nice zip; though I think using something like queso asadero or cotija would improve the sandwich. The mozzarella used is gooey, but in this framework you can't really taste the cheese.

Still, it seemed that the sandwiches here had taken a step up. So, I decided to drop by on my way to work a few days later. Which is when I found out the place doesn't open at 5-530 am anymore. Rather they open at 6 during the week. Luckily, the nice young lady quickly turned on the "Open" sign when she saw me....it was 558 am.

This time, I went with my usual at Best Donuts, the A la Mexicana ($6.50).

The bread was as before; warm, yeasty, and quite good. Not quite as much eggs or beans as I recall, but with the jalapenos and salsa, this is my kind of breakfast. In this case, the light milkiness of the cheese comes thru. Would have liked a bigger smear of beans though.

On one of my days back, I had meetings thru lunch. Barrio Donas starts serving their tortas at 10am, which meant I could stop by in between meetings to grab a torta. Man, they were pretty busy at 10, with a line and several customers waiting.

I went with the Chilanga ($9.50).

When I opened my sandwich back at the office; I was pleasantly surprised to see that the sandwich had been nicely pressed. Based on the melted cheese in the breakfast sandwiches; I figure that they do some kind of heating, but this really add a pleasant crustiness to the sandwich.

I really enjoyed the beans, chorizo, onions, jalapenos, and tomatoes, all of which added layers of savory, pungent, tangy, and piquant tones. There was a thin slice of ham....more protein I guess. The milanesa, pounded breaded beef was on the tough side for my taste.

Not bad, though I'm not sure it's worth almost ten bucks.

I think I'll stick with the breakfast offerings, which are quite satisfying. It's nice to see an old favorite rebooted and doing so well. The young lady who works mornings here is so friendly as well.

Barrio Donas
4714 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117
Hours
Mon - Sat 6am - 9pm
Sunday    7am - 6pm

 

The UPAC Neighborhood Cafe (City Heights)

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog primarily about food.  There are many ways we (all) encounter places to share a meal. Cathy is writing today, while Kirk and His Missus continue to enjoy their vacation.

As is our usual method, The Mister and I began driving with hunger but no destination in mind.  We saw this eye-catching signage "Now open at 8 a.m., Breakfast Specials".  Of course we had to stop.

I knew the location.  Kirk had written about it in 2010, then The Mister and I went to Pho Tay Do a year later. The 4600 square foot restaurant now has become a Social Enterprise Center run by the non-profit organization Union of Pan Asian Communities.

 A spacious area is now the Cafe, but that's only part of this Neighborhood Enterprise Center: Kitchen Creations, a Technology Hub, Product Design and Print Shop (hence, the signage) and The Community Gathering Place are each part of this building providing much needed resources and opportunities for both UPAC clients and the ethnically diverse residents and small business owners of City Heights. 

It was breakfast time when The Mister and I walked in and we didn't know what to expect. 

The Breakfast menu is next to the cash register. The Lunch and Global Menu as well as the Beverage menu are on the wall to the left. 

 The yogurt parfait ($2.50) was one choice.  Looks simple and basic.  Nope.  The fruit mixture (various fresh berries) is prepared in the kitchen, as are the granola toppings.  The yogurt is wonderful and thick.
 Overnight oats ($2.50) was another choice, made with oats, chia and almond milk with cinnamon, this was also served with the granola topping.  Wonderful mix of flavors and so good.   Will get again. 
 One menu item was 'Three Injera and large Tea" ($4). The Somali thin and spongy pancakes were made to order, topped with sesame oil and sugar.  We used our hands to tear and enjoy these warm and flavorful flatbreads.  

The tea choices were Chai or Somali tea (or assorted bags).  We were told that one had sugar and the other didn't.  This tea -a mix of spices- was also made with the individual ingredients here. Oh my, what a difference in being able to taste the cardamom, cinnamon, fresh ginger, cloves, black pepper!  This was a wonderful, refreshing accompaniment to our breakfast.

Of course we returned.    The turkey cranberry sandwich ($5.50) was served on a croissant (croissants and bagels are not made here) and was filled with fresh ingredients.  The house-made cranberry sauce was spread on both sides of the bread, the greens are spinach, the meat was of high quality. An excellent sandwich.  
 We also ordered a side salad ($3.50) which you can see, arrived with walnuts on top...a fancy touch.  Fresh ingredients.  Quality.  Of course the dressing is made here.
 We decided to order from the Global Menu and chose this month's Filipino offering-adobo chicken ($5.85). Wow.  An excellent version of this basic Filipino cooking and marinade method.  Vinegar, garlic, salt (or soy), black pepper and bay leaf are the flavors of adobo-prepared anything (I've had mushroom adobo and it's great). Even the rice was high quality. Let's go back to when we walked in and pay attention. All of the products sold on the shelves to the left are printed here.  The Product Design and Print Shop is equipped with all professional machinery.  The Youth who work here design and print the items (and are available to print items people order).  

Now, check out the glass case to the right of the cash register.  Fresh baked items daily.
  On top of the glass case there is a basket with bits of day old items to sample...so you'll know what to order next time. This was a berry turnover, which was still warm.  Again, the berry mixture made in house. So good.

A great addition to the neighborhood for many reasons. Wonderful food and worth the stop. 

The UPAC Neighborhood Cafe 5296 University Avenue #A  92105 619-255-7644 Mon-Fri 8-5 {Kitchen closes at 3, but sandwiches, beverages and the baked fresh daily items available from 3-5}

Union of Pan Asian Communities website

This is the current menu; the Global menu changes monthly.

Bear Buns Bakery and Cafe (Serra Mesa)

mmm-yoso!!! has another post for you to peruse this day.  This one is written by Cathy, since Kirk is enjoying some time off.  

Back in 2015, I noticed this humble building when leaving Kokoro after lunch. Family owned, operated and supported since 2012, Bear Buns Bakery features home-baked goods (nothing fried), organic coffees, espressos, frappes, teas, a few other beverages (including housemade lemonade), all-day breakfast sandwiches and paninis (after 11).  Quiche and stratas are available on weekends. 

 Walk up, order, pay and your food and drinks will be brought to your table inside or outside. 

This day, The Mister and I decided to share a Ham and Swiss panini (45).  It comes with pickles and dijon mustard.  The focaccia (baked here) looks chewy and heavy in this photo. In reality, it is quite light and crispy.  The ham, cheese pickles and mustard make each bite quite perfect.  A great sandwich.  
 The all-day breakfast menu is to the right of the cash register.  You can get your sandwich on a focaccia (or bagel or croissant (for an extra fee)), we  go with the Housemade roll. 
 This is the "Bella" ($5)- looks small; is very tall and actually a shareable sandwich.
Pesto, bacon, Provolone...
spinach, egg and sun-dried tomatoes.  Again, this bread is light, soft, fresh.  A great sandwich.
Of course, we had to end the meal with something sweet.  The cinnamon roll (with icing, $5.25) was the choice this day.  
 A soft dough, cream cheese based icing, a better quality cinnamon.  Not too sweet. Wonderful.

A great, local business. Other bloggers have been here, too: cc was here back in 2016 not long after Mary had visited.

Bear Buns Bakery and Cafe 3251 Greyling Drive San Diego 92123 (858)573-2327 Open Mon-Fri 6 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat-Sun 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Website

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Lenten Specialties for 2018- fish sandwiches, seafood specials and tuna pie(!)

mmm-yoso!!! is the name of this food blog.  Kirk has written the majority of posts this year and needs a break. Cathy finally has the time and energy to write about  various foods she has enjoyed; the blogging will continue, uninterrupted. 

You probably notice each January that fast food places make an effort to showcase some sort of 'new'/limited time seafood based item.  This is perhaps in conjunction with consumers'  'New Year Resolution' to eat less meat and/or the beginning of the 40 day religious season of Lent, which begins on the day after "Fat Tuesday" and ends on Easter, during which some Christians only eat pescatarian meals.  In any case, most of the items shown here still seem to be available. For example, there is the McDonald's Filet o' Fish, which is available at a discounted price (around $2) on Fridays all year.  The squared, solid, breaded and fried fish chunk is topped with a 2/3 slice of cheese and tartar sauce and served on a steamed, soft white bread bun.  Of course, in March, having a Filet o' Fish along with a minty Shamrock Shake is a short-lived flavor combination.  For quite a few years now, Wendy's has offered a North Pacific Cod sandwich (~$4), which is unique and excellent.  The cod is flaky, the fry is crisp and not greasy, the toppings of lettuce, tartar sauce and pickles are just right.  This year, a few locations of Chick-Fil-A offered a fish sandwich and fish strips on Fridays during Lent.  It did not taste like chicken, the sandwich had the 'traditional' CFA topping of two pickles and was certainly different for the chicken-centric chain.
 Popeye's offered a $5 " Shrimp Tackle Box" for a limited time.  There were a dozen spicy battered, plump shrimp, along with seasoned fries and a biscuit in this filling meal. My friend, and fellow blogger, cc, sent me this photo of the Fish and Chips she and Bert had at Fuddruckers.  $10 for three fish pieces and fries.
cc and Bert also managed to try the (real!) crab sandwich offered at Boudin.  The limited offering will be back next year and I'm looking forward to trying it. Then there was the day I was in National City.  There was a sign in the window and I had to stop.   Yep.   Tuna pie- $2.49.  It's been on the menu since last summer, but I never was in the neighborhood...
It's, you know, like an old fashioned Mcdonalds apple pie- fried.  Filled with a warm, creamy tuna (no noodle) casserole, this was a great snack.
Yes, I ate in my car.  It had been a long day and there was going to be traffic on the way home. 
I also bought a taro boba drink.  It was great. Did you know Jollibee is the flagship of Jollibee Foods Corporation, the largest and fastest growing Asian Restaurant Company in the world?
 

Thanks for reading!

The Tri Tiperia (Sweet and Savory Gourmet)

On a recent drive up Mount Acadia, I noticed a new sign in the strip mall on the corner of Mt Acadia and Acworth. So, I took a quick left turn into the parking lot.

The sign read "The Tri Tiperia", which really got my attention. As I got closer I saw "Sweet and Savory Gourmet" in smaller lettering. So, I guessed that Sweet and Savory Gourmet had done a bit of rebranding for their take-out business.

I took a quick look at the hours and saw Monday to Friday noon to four pm. This was a weekend, so they weren't open. Still, I took a quick look at the posted menu and noticed that the Tri-Tip sandwich I'd had before was now called the "OG" and had three other versions available. Along with the four sandwiches, there were three salads on the menu and that was it. The tri-tip I'd had here before had been decent, so I made a mental note to return.

I had a Doctor's appointment near noon recently, so I dropped by once I was done. And heck, after all the poking and prodding; well, I definitely wanted some meat.

These days you no longer walk into the shop. Rather, you walk up to the window and place your order. With seven items on the menu, it's not hard at all to decide. The sandwich is made to order; things are heated in the small kitchen, wrapped and ready to go. The sandwich comes with a cookie that was confiscated as I walked into the office.

In many ways; this was a better sandwich. I had ordered the "Fuego" and in retrospect I should have gone with the "OG" to really compare. But, the standard issue ciabatta had been heated on the griddle and was still warm as I opened the sandwich at my desk. As was the meat. There seemed to be more tri-tip on this sandwich than on the previous version I had. It was moist and very tender. It was hard making out the seasoning on the beef since all the peppers and the chipotle mayo; which had a bit of kick really over-powered the sandwich.

Still, this was a nice sandwich for eight bucks....it didn't look like much, but I was quite full afterwards.

I'll definitely return and report back what I find. No, I'm not expecting anything like I make at home, but this was quite nice. I love little shops like these, totally a one man operation and hope they do well. We need more little mom-and-pop places that make decent food.

The Tri Tiperia (Sweet and Savory Gourmet)
3574 Mount Acadia Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111
Hours:
Mon - Fri 12pm - 4pm

 

Charlie's Best Breads (Pacific Beach)

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog with posts about random eating places in and around San Diego and the world.  Today's post is in San Diego.  It's written by Cathy.  

On one of those rainy days earlier this year, a client and I decided to meet at Charlie's Best Bread (instead of the usual Starbucks) in Pacific Beach.  I hadn't been here since the 'expansion'.  In 2011, I had posted about a second Charlie's Best Bread location in Point Loma, which has since closed and is currently Point Loma Fish Shop.This is the same location in the mall on Garnet between Lamont and Kendall as has been for more than 30 years...but it used to just be a small walk up joint where you could get a sample, order and pay and go.  



Now, you can walk in, see displays, still get samples AND you can have a seat, some artisan (Cafe Moto) coffee and...
order one of the sandwiches or toasts, displayed behind the glass there and enjoy yourself and a quick meeting with a friend.
On this visit I did grab a loaf of raisin cHalla to go (it's Challah; a 1.8 lb loaf ($8)).  This Jewish egg bread is always a favorite for The Mister and I at home; just with butter, sometimes toasted and occasionally made into French toast. 

One  of the sandwiches this day was turkey, on a (fresh baked) ciabatta loaf ($6.75). A good quality turkey, Swiss, arugula, tomato, avocado and spicy aioli was just the right size and combination of flavors to satisfy.
 I brought half home for The Mister and we will be going back soon.

Charlie's Best Bread  1808 Garnet Avenue San Diego, CA 92109 Open Mon-Sat 7-7, Sun 8-7 Website

Steak n Fries

In my post on Al Calozzi's Cheesesteaks I mentioned having "two" recommendations for Cheesesteaks in PB. I decided to wait until the weather got a bit warmer to try the second shop, by the name of Steak N Fries. What got my attention was the "Amoroso Bread" signed stenciled on the window.

Entering this tiny little shop, it's basically one tiny two top, a counter with five stools, and two small two tops outside, I was warmly greeted by a gentleman who I assume is the owner, "Angel". He came out from behind the counter, shook my hand, and went over the menu. In short, you got cheesesteaks, and what they call Steak N Fries.....fries topped with the beef used for the sandwiches and a rather lonely grilled cheese. On the good side; along with your choice of cheese, you can request peppers, onions, mushrooms, and the like at no extra charge.

I went with the Cheesesteak with provolone, onions, mushrooms, and peppers ($11)...for a dollar more you can even get fries....

The roll was definitely an Amoroso; it had that nice softness and yeastiness, but unfortunately was cold, which dampened the experience. Especially since the meat to bread ratio left a bit to be desired. I did really enjoy the flavor of the beef. Here's it's sliced in thin strips; reminds me of Geno's in Philly.....I gotta get back there one day, though like I've said several times in my Cheesesteak posts; I've had better at other locales in the city. The beef is tender, with a nice pepperiness, the onions and mushrooms were griddled nicely; though the peppers could have used a few more minutes on the flat top. I'd have liked a bit more milky provolone as well.

Still; if they'd heat that roll, I'd take this over the drier, unseasoned meat at Calozzi's.

As always, I returned for another visit. But with the limited menu, what to get? Well, I decided on the namesake "Steak n Fries" ($7) with onions, peppers, and mushrooms. And took a seat and looked out onto Garnet and "PB Oriental"?

The box with the fork in it looked fairly compact; but this ended up being a lot, at least for me.

The rib eye was tender, though there weren't too much onions, mushrooms, and peppers. I enjoyed the nicely fried, potato-ey fries, which were super hot. I'm thinking you gotta eat this hot. The top layer was nice, not too much "Whiz" and the fries still had some crispness to it. But "crunch time" diminished as you worked you way to the bottom....man they sure use a lot of "Whiz". I just couldn't finish this as it got too salty near the end and I was stuffed.

Still, had I been in my mid-twenties, after a night of imbibing some liquid refreshment or "ahem" other stuffs. This might have done it for me.

In fact, when Angel came over as I was finishing, I asked him how many of these he sells after 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays (they are open until 2). He laughed and said, "oh, enough......enough".

Steak N Fries
1039 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109
Hours
Sun - Thurs 11am - Midnight
Fri - Sat   11am - 2am

Sunday Sandwiches - Banh Mi Boulevard

I'm not quite sure who mentioned that Banh Mi Boulevard had replaced the short lived Banh Mi Baguette Café, which had replaced the even shorter lived Bale Sandwich & Deli, which had replaced Corner Sandwich & Café. Yikes. Anyway if you were the one who notified me of the change, thanks so much!

Well, with the rather quick turnaround in weather, I decided to finally head on over to Banh Mi Boulevard to check them out.

My first impression upon entering was....how there was so much stuff!

I finally managed to focused on the menu. BMB seemed to be kind of a fusion banh mi shop; with just a couple of traditional Vietnamese options and items like Longanisa, Surf and Turf, Alaskan Cod, tacos, and fries on the menu. Though they also have Banh Mi Bo Kho.

Of course I went with the "Blvd Special" aka the Dac Biet, priced right at $4.50. This was a good sized banh mi...then upon leaving I noticed the sign outside saying the bread is made from Cali Baguette Express a place that I thought was solid, until my last visit to the Mira Mesa location. Where the bread was horrible. Still, I had hoped that the bread on the visit was an aberration. Unfortunately I was wrong.

Pale, doughy, dry, and lacking in the flakey-crustiness that I love in a good banh mi. It didn't help that no one took the time to heat up the bread. The cilantro was mostly stems, but the pate was nice and earthy; a generous amount slathered onto the bread. Well proportion slices of Thit Nguoi and decently pickled daikon and veggies did well in the sandwich. The two slices of cucumber were too short to get in each bite and for some reason those jalapenos weren't spicy at all.

One of the good things about places like Banh Mi Boulevard are the hours; the place opens at 830, so when I have meetings during lunchtime, I can go and pick up an early meal. So, I decided to head on over and grab something at around 10am. I wasn't too hungry and didn't feel alike another Banh Mi, so this caught my attention.

You know; I'm not much of a newster-hipster-trendy, bulgogi taco eating kind of guy. But what the heck; I went with a BBQ Pork and a Filipino Longanisa Taco.

First, the good news; I really enjoyed how the Longanisa tasted with the cilantro and pickled vegetables, sweet-salty, pleasantly toothsome. I didn't care much for the mayo; it just kinda clashed with all the other flavors. The BBQ Pork was too salty and....yes, this is rare for me, could have been a tad sweeter. It was also on the tough side. Though the portion size was good. The less I say about the cardboardish white corn tortillas the better.

And so....that would usually be "a rap", but I was curious about how that longanisa would taste in a banh mi. And because of meetings, I had to grab an early lunch. So I decided to head on over and give BMB another try.

I walked up to the counter and noticed something called the "Kirby's Special" ($6.75), which not only had Longanisa, but two of my other favorite food groups involved; Spam® and eggs! Though they wouldn't make my eggs easy over (op la).

The bread was a bit better this time; a bit more color and slightly crusty. It's still falls short though. There were two slices of Spam®, so you went "spam-less" for several bites of the sandwich. Not very much longanisa as well; which does a nice job with the pickled carrots and daikon which adds a nice acidity to cut the sweetness and saltiness. The jalapenos on this visit was still on the mild side; though there were two nice and juicy slices of cucumber. The stems on the cilantro weren't too thick and fibrous this time which made the experience much better.

So, what to say? I'd say with regards to fusion banh mi; I preferred Banh Mi Boulevard to what I had at Cali Banh Mi. But, like pho, i'm just not sure what the current state of Banh Mi is in San Diego these days....

Banh Mi Blvd
9005 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126
Hours:
Open Daily 830am - 830pm

Ravenna - The Basilica of San Vitale, Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Lunch at Al Cairoli, and Dante's Tomb

We'd had such a great time in Emiligia-Romagna, from the Castles, to the "Devil's Bridge", to our amazing food tour, there were so many memorable experiences. And even though we had but two more nights left in the region, I had one more ace up my sleeve. Our Airbnb was very inexpensive, so I decided to book an overnight stay in Ravenna, a short hour train ride from Bologna. I'd read a bit about the city, which was once the capital of Western Roman Empire. When Theodosius I died; he split the Roman Empire into to halves, one of his sons, Honorius and he moved the Imperial Court and Administrative offices there in 401 because it was easily defended.

Well, enough of the history lesson, no?

The train station in Ravenna is but a short walk into the heart of the city. The vibe is relaxed and friendly; the city is pedestrian friendly and there's obviously a lot going as we passed this while walking past one of the many piazzas on the way to our hotel.

Our hotel; the Casa Masoli was close to everything we wanted to see; the woman running the place was warm and friendly and even made dinner reservations for us at a place she highly recommended. The prices were quite affordable; we got the Teodora e Giustiniano Suite for like a hundred Euros. The building has long history and our suite was amazing! And quite unique; it's like we entered a time machine and travelled into the past. From the Venetian four post beds and antiques lining the room....

To the huge bathroom with a marble bath tub!

To the rather dramatic sitting area.

The woman pointed to a part of the high ceiling and told us...."this is where a bomb landed during World War I"!

We had also arrived early and expected to drop off our bags; but our room was ready!

And so were we. The first order of business was head on out to the bookstore located at Via Giuliano Argentario 22 and purchase a combined ticket for five of the sites. And, it right down the street from our first site; the Basilica of San Vitale.

Commissioned by Bishop Ecclesius in 527; the church was still unfinished when Ravenna fell to Justinian I in 1540. It was then that the mosaics were done and the church completed in 1547. From the exterior, the building really looks rather staid and simple, but the octagonal plan and the use of terra-cotta bricks was revolutionary in those times.

It's upon entering the interior where you really understand the importance of this structure......

The amazing Byzantine Mosiacs are second to none and just amazing to see. It is rumored that San Vitale was used as the model for the Hagia Sofia in Istanbul. And even though we've been to the Hagia Sofia, twice this really made an impression on us.

It is undoubtedly, one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited.

I'm wondering what the dome would have been like had the intended mosaic design been carried out. The painting on the dome is from the 18th century.

I mean, the mosaic on the ceiling of the presbytery is dramatic enough.

There's actually a tape that goes "ssshhhssshhh" when folks start talking too loud in the place. We actually loved it!

For a wonderful article on the history and mosaics, check out this site.

Across the courtyard is the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, named after the daughter of Theodosius I. There are three sarcophagi in the structure; it is said that these are of Galla Placidia, who is said to have been placed in sitting position, Galla's son, Valentinian III is to her right, and to her left is that of Emporer Constantius III, her husband. Though because of study and dating, it is no longer thought to be so.

Some say the mosaics here outshine those in the Basilica and I can see why.

It was an amazing visit; something I wish everyone could see.

From here we headed to the next thing I wanted to see. While on one of the many wonderful pedestrian side streets, we decided to stop for lunch here.

It was a quaint shop; the upstairs was a dining area and the bottom floor like a very comfortable café.

the main reason we stopped is because the place served a small menu for lunch that featured Piadine. We'd been wanting to try an Italian version since having on Malta and I knew that this flatbread is traditionally from this region.

The Missus thoroughly enjoyed her Verdure Gratinate Squacquerone (a nice lightly acidic fresh cheese) - basically roasted vegetables in a nice, warm flatbread.

I had the Prosciutto (of course) Arugula Squacquerone version. Which was just enough for a light lunch.

This, along with two espressos was perfect since we still had a bunch of places to visit and didn't want to get filled up. It was also a nice change from all of the rather hearty food we'd been having over the last couple of days.

Nicely priced as well.

Al Cairoli
Via Benedetto Cairoli 16
48121, Ravenna, Italy

We headed straight down the street. Past all of the locals chatting, having espresso, eating lunch......

Via Benedetto Cairoli had become Via Corrado Ricci and we had arrived at this piazza. This is the Piazza San Francesco.

We'd gone a street too far. We would return here to visit the Basilica di San Francesco later on....there's something really cool in the church. But for now, I was focused on this place right around the corner in an area called "Zona del Silenzio" (Area of Silence).  Remember when we visited the Basilica di Santa Croce in Florence? I noted that Dante's tomb "monument" was located in the church, but he wasn't interred there? Well, here he is.

On January 27th 1302, Dante was exiled from his home in Florence. He ended up in Ravenna in 1318 and wrote Paradiso, the third and last part of his Divine Comedy. When Dante died in 1321, he was entombed and hidden in what is now named the Basilica di San Francesco not to be found until 1865. Thus began what some say is a 700 year "battle" over the remains of Dante, which is quite a story in itself.

So many stories...….

And it was barely past noon!

Yes, there's more to come.

Thanks for stopping by!

Modena - Cotechino from Bar Schiavoni

Our train for Bologna wasn't scheduled to leave until after 1pm, so the owner of our apartment was nice enough to let us check out a bit later than scheduled.

After relaxing for a bit we headed on out. There was still one item I wanted to try before we left Modena and the Missus wanted to do some (more) shopping. We headed on back to Mercato Albinelli. But stopped to check out the cathedral on the way.

There was a lot of restoration work going on in the cathedral, so we just had a quick look and headed down the street to the Mercato.

Which was very quiet on this morning.

Right out the doors of the Mercato is Bar Schiavoni.

This little coffee and sandwich "bar" was doing some pretty good take-out business. The seating is all streetside on foldable chairs and tables. I got us two espresso and ordered something else....

When I told my Italian coworkers and friends that I wanted to try Cotechino Modena, they looked at me oddly and wrinkled their noses. But since, I was in Modena, I wanted to make sure to try this IGP (Indication Geografic Protected) sausage made of minced pork "parts" in the pork rind. The look totally reminded me of Spam®....which of course has its own...ahem,,,,designation of authenticity! The Cotechino was quite porky, rich, with a clove-wine-nutty flavor; it's almost oily, but the nice crusty bread and the sauce which featured capers and vinegar really did a great job of cutting the richness.

I'd gladly have it again....perhaps next time alongside Cotechino's "son", Zampone. The Missus and I shared a sandwich which was more than enough for the both of us.

Bar Schiavoni
Via Luigi Albinelli 13
Modena, Italy

After our "breakfast" we headed over a few blocks to a leather shop we saw the day before.

While it was closed the last time we passed by; this time it was open.

The young lady working here was amazing. She went through all the products; showed us the process, told us the story of the business, which was founded by the previous owner in 1979.  She and a partner interned at the shop and when the owner was ready to retire; took over the business. She walked us outside and showed us where the canals used to run (where the street is now) for all the tanners on the street. It was an amazing story!

The Missus bought a bag....a wonderful hand made leather backpack...with a story.

Before we paid; the young lady asked us to follow her upstairs, to the workshop and showed us the ceiling. She told us that this was the original ceiling of the building; which goes back to the 15th century! Most places have it painted or covered over. But here was the original.

She told us; "when I first walked up the stairs and saw this for the first time, I knew it was the place for me!"

We loved this place and hope to return someday.

La Vacchetta Grassa
Corso Canalchiaro 42
Modena, Italy

Yes, we hope to return to Modena someday....with that backpack in tow, and perhaps some stories of where it has been!

Thanks for reading!