mmm-yoso!!!

Mary's Donuts (Lakeside) more than donuts!

mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog.  Kirk is funny; he thought that after working overtime on both weekend days, that His Monday would be easy..and short.  He was wrong.  Cathy is writing another post. 

I grew up with three bakeries within five blocks of my home in Detroit.   The Mister remembers three local bakeries he passed while walking to school in the Boston suburb where he grew up. There were local owned bakeries we found in Ann Arbor, Pensacola and Norfolk...and on our visits overseas.  But donut-centric shops are a Southern California phenomenon. Go ahead, type in "donut" in the search bar on the upper left of this page.  Over 1000 hits on this blog alone.  

So, we are back at Mary's.  The original location (photo at the bottom of this post) has closed (after 50 years there) and the new location in Santee is in the middle of a strip mall.  That location is within walking distance of home and I've been known to drop in at odd hours of the day for a quick snack.  However the 'new' (since October 2016) second location has a bit of an expanded menu.

 The donut cases are kept filled.  Along the top of the back wall, you'll see prices- the one on the right, a sort of menu, is most interesting.  There's a non-carb choice.Bowls are $5.99.  Scrambled eggs, choice of meat (bacon, sausage or ham) and choice of cheese (Swiss, Cheddar, Provolone).  This was with Cheddar and breakfast sausage and was great- tasty, large portion (three eggs) and so very fresh.  
 Sandwiches here are $6.99.  They come with a choice of bread (bagel, croissant and as of two weeks ago, fresh baked bread), meat (ham, turkey, bacon, sausage, egg), cheese(Swiss, Cheddar, Provolone) and toppings (lettuce, tomato, mayo, mustard). Avocado is an additional 85¢.  This Mary's location has just begun baking breads but not daily and I am eager to come back to try a sandwich on the rye.
The donuts.  Look at the top shelf. Why, that's a lot of fritters. Some of those are apple, but...
 Looks like a slice of peach on those on the right (next to the bacon maple bars)Lemon and blueberry.
Raspberry! 
The fritters here are one of the the most expensive donuts in the case...$1.90.  (Those bacon covered maple bars are also $1.90).
 You can see the layers of raspberry intertwined in this beautiful, crisp edged, perfectly fried and glazed fritter.  Of course we've tried the peach; it's excellent. 

If you are out this way, it's worth the stop. 

Mary's Donuts 10101 Maine Street Lakeside, CA 92040 (619)334-5272 ALWAYS OPEN

The Lunch Box (La Mesa)(Again)

mmm-yoso!!!  is a San Diego based food blog, writing about places to eat in the City, County, State, Nation and World. Today is Small Business Saturday ( the day following Black Friday and just before Cyber Monday) part of the holiday weekend which began with Thanksgiving Day.  Cathy is writing about a locally owned restaurant. 

Three and a half years ago, I posted about breakfast at The Lunch Box in La Mesa and said I'd write about lunch at The Lunch Box. Here we are. The $5.95 weekday special is now $6.75 because time marches on.  This family owned small business has been a staple on La Mesa Boulevard at Jackson since 2009.  Each time we stop in, neighborhood locals are enjoying breakfast and lunch.

 
  There were whiteboard specials out front this day and the raisin bread French toast with bacon was $8.50 (usually the toast by itself is $7.50 and adding two eggs and bacon is an additional $3.50).  As you may have noticed, I order raisin filled items whenever I can.  This is a regular order and is made so well; crispy exterior and fluffy interior...heavenly, proper French toast.  This breakfast sandwich ($7.50) was also a special noted at the front door (usually the sandwich does not come with spinach). Eggs, cheese (The Mister chose Swiss) and bacon with tomatoes and spinach on a toasted, buttery buttered croissant.  Wonderful.  

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Finally, I am posting about an actual LUNCH at The Lunch Box.  

The menu for lunch is basically sandwiches, wraps and salads.  

All sandwiches come with a bag of kettle chips and a fresh, warm (chocolate chip) cookie...because it is The Lunch Box.

A 'Basic 1/2 Sandwich Combo'-with soup (in this case chili) ($8.50) or pasta salad, potato salad or green salad.  That's the tuna salad on rye.  Yes, it is good. *Really*good- the tuna as well as the bread.
 The chili has beans and lentils and coarse burger and all sorts of great stuff.  Housemade and available each day, a bowl can be a meal on a cold day or on a warm day. The 'Specialty or Hot 1/2 Sandwich Combo' ($8.50), in this case 'The Big Guy' (this as a full sandwich is $10.50) on a torta has roast beef, turkey, ham, bacon, cheddar, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. Each meat is quality, the sandwich is overfilled, the torta is fresh (and recommended for this particular sandwich).
 the side green salad is very large.  This is a tasty, filling meal. 

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and is enjoying this long weekend.  

cc was here in February, anyone else?

The Lunch Box Cafe & Deli 8751 La Mesa Blvd La Mesa 91941 (619)463-4013 Open Tue-Fri 7:30-2, Sat 7:30-1 Closed Sunday and Monday  Website

The Lunch Box Cafe & Deli 8751 La Mesa Blvd La Mesa 91941 (619)463-4013 Open Tue-Fri 7:30-2, Sat 7:30-1 Closed Sunday and Monday  Website

Boudin- Breakfast, Lunch, bread!

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog.  Todays post is written by Cathy; Kirk  (and His Missus) are not in town.  Probably most of you are starting Thanksgiving early, too. 

I should just start out with the title of "gift card meal" because that's how I find out about some places. (Side note: I do not 'regift').  Boudin Bakery began in 1848 in San Francisco.  Known for its sourdough, the bread is baked fresh daily.  It is now a chain of casual bakery-restaurants with two San Diego County locations serving breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.    As I mentioned, I first discovered Boudin by using a gift card.  The drill is similar to Panera and Corner Bakery Cafe- walk up, order, pay, get your own beverage and find a table.  Your food is brought to you.  All three of these businesses do *not* encourage tipping.  You don't have to clear off your own table. All have free wifi.
You can see the fresh loaves bread behind the cash register. A one pound loaf of sourdough is $4.14.  What I found out on our first visit is that we can join the Boudin "loyalty club" which gets you one free loaf of bread a month along with a few other perks. 
 Here are the past three months of free bread.  The middle one is a really great multigrain bread, which you can purchase using the $4.14 discount (I think it ended up being 49 cents).  The sourdough is wonderful.  So is everything else.
 The turkey and bacon scramble ($7.90) is quite large, comes with either fruit or potato and a choice of toast.  It's a great meal. 


 The ham and cheddar breakfast sandwich ($5.90) is also quite large.  It's served on sourdough and, as you can see, the cheese is grilled in and melted.  None of that slapped on slice of cold cheese here.  Quality for a reasonable price. The ham is applewood smoked and really good.I broke down and ordered the second avocado toast of my life; "The Purist" ($8.25).  It's good, very nice with the eggs and side of fruit...but does not compare to the first avocado toast I ever ordered (photos 4th and 5th from the bottom of the post); that one is the standard for me. 

The bacon red bell pepper scramble ($7.90) is also wonderful and again, quite large.  That multigrain bread is so very good. 

Then there is the rest of the menu...which needs more exploring...
  The 'Spring Salad' (small, $5.95, large $8.65, add chicken to either size $2.39) was a wonderful mix of flavors and textures.  Granny Smith apple slices, spiced walnuts, dried cranberries, feta, spring mix and balsamic. This was a large that we shared.  It will be ordered again, maybe as a small...

 Half Sandwich and bowl of soup ($9.35) is a good way to get to try more of the menu.  The broccoli-cheese soup was hearty, creamy and filled with broccoli.  The sandwich I chose was the turkey cranberry (on sliced sourdough; a good, chewy, old fashioned bread).  Turkey breast, cranberry sauce, red onion, lettuce, mayonnaise. Eager to try the 'famous' clam chowder served in a sourdough bread bowl ($7.49) (you can see that you get all  of the bread) this was an order one day.  The clam chowder is pretty close to perfect; not salty, very creamy and filled with clam pieces and bits.  The bread bowl and its filler piece was great with butter.
There are 'Seasonal Favorites' on the menu and the "millionaires bacon" was a curiosity that I succumbed to.  The 'Millionaires BLT' on toasted sourdough with iceberg, Roma tomatoes and mayonnaise was a perfect accompaniment to the thick cut, brown sugar caramelized bacon that had a black pepper and cayenne rub on the edges...a kick of spice in this wonderful sandwich that needed no other additions.  

I'm so grateful to my friends for the initial gift card and am very happy to have (finally) discovered the wonderful flavors of real sourdough. 

Go- start your Thanksgiving week!

 Boudin SF 5407 Balboa Ave, Ste 400 San Diego 92111 (858)737-6571 Website Open Mon-Sat 8-9, Sun 8-8

Bully's East Bistro Sports Bar

mmm-yoso!!! thanks you for dropping by (again).  Kirk and His Missus are out and about and Cathy is writing about a few meals.

Family owned since 1971, Bully's East is located on the Southeast corner of the I-8 at Texas Street (the street parallel to the interstate is Camino Del Rio South).  A fascinating history, known for their prime rib (not in this post) as well as quality, value and service, Bully's is a San Diego mainstay. 
There is plenty of parking, but you may have to drive around the building to find a spot. 
 The interior has several dining areas in addition to the Bar area.  There are sports memorabilia on the walls and a television can be seen from just about every seat in the building. There is a paper of specials outside the front door as well as on the bulletin board in the lobby when you walk in.  There are additional specials on the table.

We were here in early October and there was an Oktoberfest/sausage plate offered ($19).  Three different sausages, coarse ground (one was very spicy; another was garlic-y and one was smoked) each had a tight 'skin' and 'snap' when cut, grilled with sautéed onions and fresh cabbage and potato slices.  This was served with a salad with house made bleu cheese dressing.  It was good and won't be on the menu until next year.   
 One item always on the menu is French onion soup ($5.25).  It's made in house, is not too salty and is very beefy.  I'm pretty sure the leftover prime rib bones are used for this.  This is pretty much always a choice. 
  The Prime rib melt ($18.50) is a decadent choice for a lunch sandwich.  There is enough to be shared.  It's on thick cut, pan toasted sourdough and filled with caramelized onions and Provolone. There's some horseradish sauce and au jus is served on the side.  The French onion soup as well as the Potatoes Anna were my two (included) side choices.  The sandwich was large, the French onion soup is so very flavorful and those Anna potatoes were perfect!

    A Wednesday special noted on the wall,
grilled 12-oz. ribeye ($26). A perfect medium rare, wonderful char-such flavor.  The description is 'topped with a mushroom demi-glace and crispy onions'.  There were no onions and we mentioned it and received what I think are more than would normally be served...a nice snack, because the steak and mushrooms and sauce were perfect without needing any additions (not even salt).  This came with two sides and as you can see, the baked potato and a salad (this time, Thousand Island, also made from scratch) were the choices.
 This is the Bully Burger ($12.50).  It's on an onion roll, char grilled (to a nice medium rare, as requested), coarse ground chuck, at least 1/3 lb.. One of the best burgers ever. It doesn't need cheese.  The 'spread', lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle are also not needed, but are quite complimentary after eating about half of the burger 'plain'.  Two sides are included in the price and this time, it was the mac and cheese (great) and (again) the French onion soup (+$1.25).

Bully's has breakfast on weekends.  Another post.  We've done that.

Bully's East Prime Rib-Bistro-Sports Bar 2401 Camino Del Rio South San Diego, CA 92108 (619)291-2665 Website Open Mon-Fri 11 a.m.-midnight, Sat-Sun 9 a.m.-midnight

 You never know who you'll see here at lunchtime during the week. 

Copenhagen - Our Last Day and Restaurant Schønnemann

We got into Copenhagen from Paris at 930pm. Getting to Nørreport Station from the airport is a snap; our hotel was further down Vendersgade this time; around the corner from the last place was stayed at. The room was large, the floors creaky, and the bathroom; yet another "wet room", had the worst configuration I've had for a bathroom since probably that boat on Halong Bay. Everytime you showered, you had to make sure to remove all the T.P., close the seat, etc....

You'd think for $280/night they could come up with something better....like maybe shower curtains?

Oh well; at least breakfast was good, not as good as the Ibsens hotel, which we stayed at during the beginning of our trip. Still, breakfast was quite filling; more than enough to keep us most of the day.

After breakfast we headed out. We'd spend our last full day in Copenhagen just strolling around and exploring. The Peblinge Sø, one of the Three Lakes on the west end of Central Copenhagen was right across the street from the Hotel.

We walked along the lake and down Nørre Søgade until we came around to busy H.C. Andersens Boulevard and headed toward City Hall.

The skys were overcast, but it wasn't particularly cold, and it was a nice walk along the Boulevard.

We noticed a few things that we hadn't recalled seeing during our previous visit; like the Memorial of the First and Second Schleswig Wars, a conflict between the Danish and Germans as to who ran the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. It was a very complex situation, called the "Schleswig-Holstein Question", so confusing was this issue that Lord Palmerston was quoted as saying, “The Schleswig-Holstein question is so complicated, only three men in Europe have ever understood it. One was Prince Albert, who is dead. The second was a German professor who became mad. I am the third and I have forgotten all about it.” 'nuff said.

They were a bunch of other events happening at City Hall Square, so we didn't dally very long before heading off.

That's the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek below, a famous art mesum.

We crossed on a bridge and walked along a canal.

We both cracked up when we saw a gentleman park his walker in front of this bar then walk inside for what I assume is his morning "hair of the dog"?

We found ourselves in the Christianshavn neighborhood.

I had recalled seeing a church on the map and we soon found Vor Frelsers Kirke (Church of Our Saviour) with its distinctive spire a little more than a block down the street.

From here we crossed back over and somehow ended up back in Nyhavn, where we enjoyed all the little Christmas booths set-up along the canal.

After walking for a few more minutes, the Missus decided She needed a caffeine fix. We were near the ILLUM Department Store, so we decided to stop by the Copenhagen location of Eataly.

For some coffee and a few snacks for the Missus.

Our late lunch stop was one of the oldest and most treasured purveyors of the Smørrebrød, the classic Danish open-faced sandwich since 1877, Restaurant Schønnemann. Restaurant Schønnemann is a lunch only place; with basically two seatings, one at 1130 and one at 230pm. Reservations are a must; you step inside the restaurant a few minutes before your designated time; check-in and then go back outside to wait in the ever expanding line. At right about 230pm, folks were being escorted to their table.

I had been forewarned about some rather brusque service; but the nice woman who served us was anything but that.

She was indeed very efficient; you don't survive the daily crowds here if you're not. But she was also quite warm and really tried to make our visit as enjoyable as possible.

Speaking of drinks.....folks having lunch here were really having a great time. we watched the older folks at the next able put away several glasses of drinks each, along with a couple of Aquavit.

As for the Aquavit, after having it at Arakataka in Oslo, it had to be the Aquavit Linie, which is aged in oak casks. "Linie" literally mean "line" and true to the name, Aquavit Linie are put onto boats and are sent around the world, from Norway to Australia, crossing the equator twice along the way! The woman suggested the Aquavit Linie Christmas Edition, which was excellent, with more caraway and anise tones. It was like drinking a wonderfully smokey bagel.

As for the smørrebrød, we started with the Marinated Herring; which was lovely.

The herring had an almost "buttery-meaty" texture; with a nice surprisingly clean finish to it. The egg was wonderful and the curry salad and pungent red onions really helped to cut and oiliness. The nutty rye bread was fantastic with this.

Speaking of oiliness; the Classic Spicy Pickled Herring was a bit much for the Missus.

This definitely had a funky cheesiness to it and had that typical high oil fish flavor.

We were fascinated by the "Greenland Shrimps" in a Pyramid. Man, this was quite a bit of shrimp.

Which were a tad over-cooked for our taste and on the bland side. The shrimp really didn't have the sweetness we were expecting and the white bread just didn't do it for us.

We finished with the Tenderloin Steak of Pork, which came in a larger than expected portion.

The crisp rind of the pork was amazing; crunchy, porky, just good stuff. The meat was toothsome, but not tough, and more moist than expected. And, it had that nice porcine flavor that has been bred out of the "other white meat" here in the States. It was pretty rich, just a few steps away from "meatsweatland", but we enjoyed this. And of course; that wonderful, nutty, rye bread.

And the Missus let me have another shot of Aquavit Linie Christmas Edition to boot! So it was a nice and fitting last meal in Copenhagen. Schønnemann was a fun place for that meal.

As for the Aquavit Linie Christmas Edition; I saw that they had it for sale at the Duty Free Shop in the airport, so I bought a couple of bottles.

Restaurant Schønnemann
Hauser Plads 16
Copenhagen, Denmark

Darkness was already falling as we left the restaurant at 4pm.

I knew we weren't going to be able to manage eating anything else this evening. And we'd be leaving before breakfast was served the next morning, but we weren't too worried since I think that pork would do a fine job of holding us.

As I usually do during our trips, I grabbed a beer on the way back to the hotel room, popping the bottle as we relaxed before bed. It gave me time to reflect on our trip; this one had been a long one, over three weeks, taking us from Copenhagen, then to Oslo via Overnight Cruise, from Oslo we flew to Tromso, where we "chased the Aurora" and experienced Polar Winter, then next we were off to Amsterdam, then to the Missus's favorite city, soon enough we were headed to Strasbourg, where we got to enjoy the sites of this UNESCO Heritage City and its wonderful Christmas Markets. Back in Paris, we enjoyed a fantastic meal at Restaurant Alliance and continued with our exploration of the city. And here we were. Early tomorrow morning we'd be flying back home. But there was one more interesting experience to come....so stay tuned!

Sunday Sandwiches - Al Calozzi's Cheesesteaks

After my last couple of Cheesesteak posts; I got a couple of recommendations. Strangely, both of them are in PB. I thought I'd try out Calozzi's first.

Calozzi's is a tiny little shop squeezed in right next to Latin Chef. There's basically two sets of counters with chairs; inside you can watch your cheesesteaks being made.

Or you can dine outside and watch PB roll on by.....

The menu is simple and straightforward; a handful of cheesesteaks, in Philly style they come "wit" or "witout" (fried onions). The folks working here; especially the young lady are very friendly.

Of course I just went with "The Cheesesteak" ($10.75). Man, this was totally a meat-bomb.

When I broke apart the two pieces; "meat-shrapnel" flew in all directions. Of course, much of the meat was piled on the top. The White American Cheese provided just enough of the volcanic creamy-gooey texture to provide enough lip searing moisture and milkiness to the sandwich. There was a decent beefiness; with little seasoning, which was just fine in my book. Since I had this "wit"; I quickly noticed that the onions were really stringy, not a big deal, but still noticeable.

For me; it was that bread, there was just too much of it, that took away from this sandwich. I'm fond of the crusty, with gritty textured Italian Hoagy bread of places like Amaroso, which have a nice yeasty flavor, and stand up to all the meat juice and gooey cheese.

In the end; just too much bread.

Still, not a bad sandwich. And you'll need to familiarize yourself with the "condiment" rack....not necessarily for the peppers and such; but that's where the napkins and forks (should you need them) are assembled.

After this meat-bomb; I needed a month to recover. So, I recently revisted and had myself the "Donnie"; Calozzi's version of a Mushroom Cheesesteak.

This version; with provolone was much drier; the meat much more caramelized. It was a bit too dry for my taste as there was so much bread. The mushrooms were chopped in large pieces; I'd have preferred a more finer chop and more integrated into the cheesesteak. It was again; a huge amount of beef, so I'm sure it'll impress those who love this portion size.

For me, Calozzi's, which also has a location in Seattle, is more about quantity....you will get your money's worth here. If you want that "meat-bomb" this might be the place.

It's not necessarily my favorite cheesesteak as proportion and the right "roll" matters; at least for me.

I will say; I don't think you'd go hungry here.

Recently; I went searching for photos form that long ago trip to Philly; waaay back in the nineties; when we still used a thing called "film" for photos. Hopefully, I'll find those one of these days. I'll surely scan them and perhaps do a post.

Al Calozzi's Cheesesteaks
1146 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109
Open Daily:
11am - 9pm

 

Post #3951 - It's Back to the Beginning: China Max, Sandwich Emporium, Bay Park Fish, and Another One.....

Recently I was asked via email if I'd hit 5,000 posts yet.....well, I knew I wasn't even close since I've only been around since May 26, 2005, which, if we count forward until today would be a total of 4898 days. Of course there's no way we'd be doing more than one post a day. But, I was kind of interested in counting our posts and saw we were getting close to 4,000. But, I didn't want to burden myself with keeping track so I chose to do something; well today.

I had noticed something interesting; all of the places listing in my first five posts are still in business! What are the chances? So, I decided to revisit four of those places; the other Sushi Komasa is still going strong, at least as far as I know.

I think we've been to a good number of places over the years. I once had a page I called the "Big List" which listed places, included those which had closed, only in San Diego, with a few photos I'd never published....well, the page got too big for Typepad to handle and it wouldn't load anymore. So, it's back to the drawing board with that one.

Anyway, I'm not going to go too much into detail, after all, I've probably posted on these places a few times before.

Post #1 May 26, 2005; China Max:

Which I visited with the Late, Great, Ed from Yuma; I miss you my friend! The Missus humored me and was actually wanting some Gai lan….and I was craving the Seafood Pan Fried Noodles. The drill is that the Missus gets all the seafood, except for the squid which is usually on the chewy side, and most of the noodles and "gravy" is mine. I usually want this about every year or so.

Time sure does fly; this is now $20.99; man can you believe this used to be (with more noodles) $14.99 ? Anyway, having grown up eating what we call "cake noodle" (sam see mian) - "Mr Z" if you read this; Kin Wah used to make a nice version! Anyway, the shrimp was nicely cooked, at least that's what the Missus said. I just loved the always evolving texture of the saturated crunchy noodles.

The Missus got Her gailan.

We also ordered some dimsum.

We got two items that had usually been fairly dependable here; but you can easily see the holes in the wrappers of the Pan Fried Chive Dumplings:

The Chazhou Dumpling's wrappers were really sticky and tore when we removed them from the tin.

Still the flavor of the fillings for both were fine.

For what it's worth China Max still might be the best dim sum in the area. Which pretty much tells the story of dim sum in San Diego.

China Max
4698 Convoy Street #C101
San Diego, CA 92111

Post #3 May 28, 2005 Sandwich Emporium:

I've long mentioned my affection for those mom-and-pop sandwich shops. Though SE has pretty well for themselves over the years with locations in Rancho Penasquitos, Escondido, and Mira Mesa. Though I don't drop by nearly as much as I used to; it's still my neighborhood sandwich shop.

And "say hello to my little friend".....

This one is called the "Spicy Julio". I believe one of the "twins"; John told me they make the roast beef inhouse these days? Anyway; a toasted roll, a sauce with pickled jalapenos, guac….this was quite nice on an especially warm fall day.

Sandwich Emporium
3054 1/2 Clairemont Drive
San Diego,CA

Post #5 May 30, 2005 Bay Park Fish:

Though I really only bought some seafood on that day. This was way back when Bay Park Fish used to sell seafood.....interesting story; that seafood case eventually ended up at Catalina Offshore.

It had been quite a while since I last visited; for some reason, the Missus and I just aren't thrilled by the menu, prices, etc....

I recently dropped by for a beer and the one item I enjoy here; the smoked fish, though there seems to be a bit more "filling" than on previous visits.

Still this wasn't too bad.

And with a nice cold .394 I was full.

Perhaps one of these days; I'll drop by and start retrying other items on the menu.

Bay Park Fish Company
4121 Ashton St
San Diego, CA 92110

There is one place conspicuously missing; it's from Post #4 May 29, 2005. So here's the deal. I actually drove up to the College area on a recent weekend for a revisit. It had been about three years since my last visit and a decade since my last visit before that.

So, I actually dropped by......

I walked in and there was....shall we say a "fragrance"...….it was pretty tough, even for someone who has had some interesting and wonderful things over the years, and some unknowingly disturbing items as well. I mean, it was bad...….even worse than what you'd think trout smoked over...well, you know what. I had to leave....sorry, just couldn't do it.

Regardless; I'd like to thank everyone who have visited over the years. We're flattered that you'd even take the time to visit. It's been an honor to sit and do my "stream of consciousness" posts. Frankly, I didn't think I'd last a year. So, thank you once again!

Barbecue Pit (El Cajon) (again)

mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog with posts about food.  Cathy is writing today, while Kirk enjoys another long day at work. 

Since 1947, the Barbecue Pit has been a family owned restaurant located in El Cajon. 

It is next to the Baskin Robbins, shares the parking lot with a 99 Cent Only store and is kitty corner from Beef 'n Bun (I'll have an updated post for BnB soon).
Walk in, stay in line to the right...
order (there are some white board specials to the right)
watch your meal prepared, pay
and find a seat.
The pulled pork plate ($10.49) is a BBQ pork sandwich (sauce on the side; there is some sauce on the meat but I like to eat just the 'basic' sandwich first then add more sauce to the second half) and two side orders (slaw and potato salad here, but also choices of baked beans, macaroni salad and French fries). The BBQ here is "pit' style- slow and low heated oak wood smoking in a sealed above ground oven.  The flavor is unique yet familiar. 
However, that was The Mister's order.  I was here for my comfort food on this chilly day. The soup and sandwich plate ($8.99) Split Pea soup, made from scratch daily (as is the Navy Bean soup).  Carrots and celery and ham and peas.  There may be potato in there, but I've never gotten chunks of potato, so if it is an ingredient, it is sparse, smoothed out and used as a thickener.
  The BBQ (smoked) ham sandwich.  Plenty of ham...warm, juicy, flavorful.  The combination of a ham sandwich with soup is just so right. 

Another birthday meal for our eight days ...you see the theme now...local, long time restaurants.

The Barbeque Pit 2388 Fletcher Parkway El Cajon 92020 (619) 462-5434 Open M-Sat 10:30a.m.-9 p.m. Website

   

Sunday Sandwiches - The Gourmet Bagger

It's funny how things seem to come full circle. More than a few years ago; I attended a lunch meeting, lunch was provided. Sandwiches. Which were not bad. They were from a place called the Gourmet Bagger. As you know; I have a soft spot for all those little, mom and pop sandwich shops, many of which are hidden away sometimes in industrial parks or business buildings, some of which are pretty darn popular. I was told that the Gourmet Bagger was a shop on Miramar Road. So after we moved offices; I went looking for it....it's now LouZiana Food (which is in my backlog of posts). Forward the calendar a few months and after my last Cheesesteak Post (yes, I know I need to check out Calozzi's), I received an email telling me a shop in the Midway area made a decent cheesesteak. The name? The Gourmet Bagger.

I'm not sure why I never noticed the place. It's in the same parking lot as the new 85C, Guahan Grill, and basically across the street from Pho Point Loma.

The place was fairly empty when I visited; but it sure got packed fast. The folks running the front seem to be on the younger side and the older folks work the back of house.

The menu is quite varied, with at least 25 different "gourmet type" sandwiches along with the regular deli sandwiches, salads, and similar stuffs.

Because "ST" mentioned the cheesesteak here; I ordered the Bagger Cheesesteak ($7.49).

A standard issue, fairly yeast French Roll is used for this; which really wasn't up to the task. The rib eye steak was a bit more chewy than I prefer, and the jury is out on whether I like pickles or tomatoes on a cheesesteak. The cheese; white American cheese did fine. Though this isn't something I'd order again.

A few weeks later; I was in the area after doing some grocery shopping at TJ's. It was 1030 on a Saturday and I recalled the Gourmet Bagger opens at around 1030 on that day. So, I stopped by. This was when the temps were really high so nothing hot for me. I was pretty hungry so I ordered the "Killer Klub" ($7.99) with Swiss cheese (70-cent upcharge).

This is my favorite of the three sandwiches I had at the Gourmet Bagger. I have mentioned before; that I have a special place in my heart for Club Sandwiches....or as my late Mom (and most of my relatives); a "Clubhouse". The bacon was really nice and crisp, there wasn't too much mayo, which was evenly spread, the tomatoes were nice and sweet-tart, the turkey and ham were fine. I'm glad I got Swiss Cheese as it added a nice milky component and that whole grain bread was nicely toasted, rustic, and almost nutty. For me; a very nice example of a "Clubhouse".....

A few weeks ago, I found myself on the way back from shopping and decided to stop by for a sandwich. This time, I got the Gourmet Grinder ($7.49); basically your typical Italian style sandwich.

It didn't look like much, but when split in half; you can see the decent proportion of ingredients. I liked the fact that it wasn't over-dressed; though having pickles, Italian Dressing and "sweet" peppers made this tend toward the sour end of the flavor spectrum. I enjoyed the salt that the capacolla and salami brought to the sandwich.

I like the folks working here. They are very pleasant, though you may have to wait a while for your sandwiches. I forgot to mention one last touch.....they always include a cookie and a piece of hard candy with your order.

So, I'll probably be back again. It's a nice, well priced, unpretentious sandwich spot.

The Gourmet Bagger
3357 Rosecrans St
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours:
Mon - Thurs 1030am - 530pm
Fri - Sat   1030am - 4pm
Sunday      11am - 3pm

La Mesa Bistro and Bakery (revisits)

Here you are, looking at mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog.  Kirk is relaxing after a long day at work and Cathy is writing today's post.

I've only written about La Mesa Bistro and Bakery two other times and it's been a while.  I apologize. This restaurant, hidden in a far corner of a busy group of storefronts (including Chopsticks Inn) on La Mesa Boulevard (just behind Dieter Fischers, the Mercedes repair shop) has been here since at least 2009.  Almost everything is made from scratch, is quality.  The menu is amazingly similar to that of Swami's, which has one location just down the street.

 
Using the word 'menu' is incorrect.  Sure, there's a large paper menu you can grab before ordering, but so many other choices are at the doorway, along the walls behind the cash register, on chalkboards around...nothing is repeated.
 So, order, pay, find a seat and you can grab some water or some coffee (pick a country of origin; only two of those pump pots has flavored coffee).  The paper menu touts "Old Fashioned Baking"- the breads, bagels and muffins here are fresh made and wonderfully perfect.  
 Reuben "The Chef" salad ($10.95).  Reuben is the chef's name. This is a wonderful salad of mixed (organic) greens, cucumbers, sprouts, swiss and cheddar cheeses and the three meats... 
ham, turkey and roast beef.  Served with (house made) sourdough garlic cheese toast.
The Blue cheese dressing is made here.  It's filled with chunks of blue cheese...almost too much (!)
The Lunch Sampler ($8.50) is 1/2 of any of the gourmet sandwiches served with a salad or cup of soup.  
One of the daily soups is clam chowder.  It is wonderful, filled with clams, clam juice, some potatoes and celery.  Creamy (see that skin that formed on the top?) and just good. 
  I chose the 1/2 "Bistro Delight" sandwich. Turkey, Swiss, avocado, lettuce and tomato. A simple (turkey packed) and wonderful sandwich; the turkey is a great quality, the sourdough is just sour enough and the flavors are quite perfect.    We returned because The Mister had a craving.  Soup and salad.  He got the Caesar salad (which was very nice)
and a bowl of the clam chowder...oh yes, he wanted this.  It was, again, excellent. 
I was wanting to order breakfast...and there was a chalkboard 'chicken omelette' listed ($8.95).  Mild green chiles, tomato, eggs and plenty of meaty chicken pieces, avocado..house made salsa (not too hot; good) and rye toast (seedy and good) served with house made jam: cranberries, blackberries and apples.  Oh, a side of fresh fruit (they make smoothies here you know; fresh fruit is always available).

A great local place.

La Mesa Bistro and Bakery 8697 La Mesa Boulevard La Mesa 91941 (619)589-0806 Open seven days 5:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.  Website

 

La Mesa Bistro and Bakery 8697 La Mesa Boulevard La Mesa 91941 (619)589-0806 Open seven days 5:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.  Website