mmm-yoso!!!

Sunday Sandwiches - Gaglione Bros (Mission Gorge) and Where I've Roamed in the Time of Covid-19

I actually took a day off; like a real, what's supposed to be a working day off.......mainly because I needed to take my car in for service. It had just gone over the 10k mark (yes, I bought it last year.....that'll be part of an interesting post; in hopefully the near future).

In the past, I'd make an appointment to take my car in on Saturday and then take the trolley to the Gaslamp or another place where parking was somewhat of an issue to explore and pass the time. In the time of Covid-19 though; I really  wasn't going to do that. So, I made an appointment during the week; when I thought things would go faster and things would be less busy. So, I found myself ensconced on a table a bit far from the rest of the folks waiting; there was some good spacing set-up by the dealer....and masks were required; though there was that part of the population wearing their mask below their nose......sheesh.....

Anyway, I was at a pretty safe distance from everyone.

And my car was done in under two hours.

As I drove the car off the lot; I wondered where I could pick up some lunch on the way home.....I hadn't been in the Mission Gorge area in a while.....in fact, other than trips to the dry cleaners in Tierrasanta, which allowed for a stop at Island Syle Cafe.....I hadn't been East of the I-15 since....well, maybe not at in 2020!

I had been craving a Cheesesteak, since the last rather mediocre one I'd had a month or so back. And I hadn't been back to the MG location of Gaglione Bros in over six years! So, I decided to had on over. Walknig in, things were fairly controlled, though not quite clear on a few things....like where to wait for your sandwich or even where to pick your sandwich up when it was ready.

At first I waited outside; but there were two guys eating at the table there. So, after a few minutes, I went inside where another customer was waiting for his sandwich. At least there was only the two of us; so spacing was not a problem. Eventually, my sandwich made it to the counter.....and sat there for a while; until someone decided to call out my name.......

Anyway, I ordered the Mushroom Cheesesteak......feeling a bit hungry; I made it a large ($11.99), with White American cheese. It was quite a handful...or mouthful....

It was still pretty darn hot when I got home; the meat was fairly tender; there was a good amount of not-overly-sharp, milky, gooey cheese, the mushrroms added a nice savory-earthiness to the mess. The Amoroso was starting to go on the beast, but this was much better than what I last had at the Point Loma location two years ago. My only complaint was how salty this was...... Still, quite a large lunch....great pre-siesta stuff for a day off.

Gaglione Brothers
10450 Friars Rd
San Diego, CA 92120

I mentioned a bit earlier that I hadn't been in the Mission Gorge area since last year......which kind of surprised me. Then I got to thinking about what my "footprint" was since mid-March. Especially since I had texted "CC" when she mentioned a couple of places in the South Bay; saying that I don't think I've been south of the 94 since this whole mess started.

Wondering what my Covid-19 "range" was and quickly did a Google Map. The area below is where I've been to.

It's very telling in some ways......I haven't been South of the 94.....and of course I'm missing all of our favorites down there, Aqui es Texcoco in their new location, Mi Pana, and all the other favorites. Other than my quick run to Kindred, I haven't been south of University ot North Park Way. Not being East of the 15 means I've been missing all the good stuff in City Heights. And other than quick stops at R&B and TP Banh Bao 3, I haven't strayed north of Mira Mesa Boulevard. I've only been West of the I-5 on trips to Trader Joe's in PB. The Missus's footprint is even smaller, no further south than Washington Street, no futher North than La Jolla Village Drive....and She actually walked there (that's also for another upcoming post). And of course I'm wondering how the Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings at Royal Mandarin are doing; or really want to check out De Cabeza, which occupies the former location of Aqui es Texcoco. But I'm trying to keep my travels concise; trying to consolidate stops...trying to do what I consider to be the "right thing".

So, how far have you "roamed" since mid-March?

Sunday Sandwiches - The "O.G." from the The Tri Tiperia (Sweet and Savory Gourmet)

While driving home on Mount Acadia a few weeks back; the Tri Tiperia caught my eye. Man, it had been a while since I last visited, which had come right after I noticed the signage change from Sweet & Savory Gourmet. The shop has very limited hours; from noon to four pm Monday to Friday. On one of the days when I was headed home to check on Frankie; I called in and placed a phone order. The tri-tip sandwiches are now nine bucks. I drove on over...….folks still refer to this place as Sweet and Savory Gourmet....though the sign says Tri Tiperia.

Looks like they're doing heat and eat meals as well now. Anyway, the guy at the window finished getting his order as I walked up to the window. I paid.....I think the young lad is the owner's son, who took my money, then handed me my sandwich, and I jumped in the car and headed home.

It's a nice simple sandwich, in a lightly toasted, standard issue ciabatta.

Nice, light yeastiness from the bread, I enjoyed the nutty-buttery-slightly smoky Gouda. The tri-tip was moist, fairly tender, and I'd probably have enjoyed a bit more smoked flavor from it, but no real complaints. Nice acidity from the tomatoes, just enough lemon-garlic mayo for my taste.

All-in-all a decent sandwich.

I'm glad they seem to be doing fairly well in spite of how Covid-19 has affected businesses.

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

Sunday Sandwiches - The "El Cubano" from Havana Grill

I'd seen the "we're open" sign for Havana Grill while running some errands a couple of weeks back. Which reminded me that it had been a while since I'd visited. So, before heading home to check on Frankie; I called in an order for the "El Cubano" ($13), which was my second favorite when I did a "Cubano" comparison a couple of years back.

Upon arriving I noticed a curbside pick-up option, a couple of outdoor tables, a roped off area with limited dining and well marked spacing for ordering. My Cubano was ready to go when I arrived and it was a very fast and efficient process. And, as usual the young man working was very friendly.

The sandwich held up well after the drive home and the bread was still fairly crisp. And the plantain chips were still crisp when I got home. There seemed to be a bit less ham this time in comparison to previous visits, which kind of lessened the rather balanced salty-pungent(mustard)-sour (pickles)-milky (from the Swiss Cheese) flavors I previously enjoyed. Still, this was not bad at all.

I'll definitely be back....I need to retry items I had enjoyed before like the Ropa Vieja. Nice folks working here; I was happy to note that when I asked how business was doing, the immediate answer was "it's picking up, more sales every day". Good to hear.

Havana Grill
5450 Clairemont Mesa Blvd,
San Diego, CA 92117
Open Daily 11am - 9pm

Midweek Meanderings - Bird Rock Morena Reopens, Is the Sandwich A'Fare Closed, and Other Stuff

Bird Rock Morena Reopens:

I got the word via their website. The Missus was happy....Bird Rock is Her favorite.

Perhaps being closed for a few weeks actually helped this location of Bird Rock....of course we missed their coffee, but the place was undergoing renovation anyway and this is what it looked like a few weeks back.

Now let's forward the calendar a bit......

Pretty spiffy, eh?

I was a bit confused at first; but you just follow the yellow lines......

Lot's of plexiglass dividers up. Currently cashless transactions and limited hours. The crew here is still wonderful to work with.

And the Missus got Her "Geisha" pour over, not cheap at $10 a pop....but it puts Her in a better mood.....which is priceless.

Bird Rock Coffee Roasters
1270 Morena Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92110

The Missus is happy to have them back.

Is the Sandwich A'Fare Closed?

I'd been doing phone orders from The Sandwich A'Fare about every other week since mid-April. So, I became a bit worried when I called and got a weird message that went something like "all routes closed". It seemed very strange; so I drove on over and the Sandwich A'Fare looks like it's closed.

Which would be a bummer. I have a soft spot for these little Mom-and-Pop sandwich places.

 And where else in the area can you get a decent sandwich for $6.25????

I'm certain the location....hidden in the back of Miramar Center doesn't help things.....

I just Googled "Sandwich A'Fare" and it says permanently closed.

Sad......

The Sandwich A'Fare
6904 Miramar Rd. Suite 107
San Diego, CA 92121

Speaking of sad......

I went by Clairemont Town Square a few weeks back.....to grab the Missus a croissant from Arely's and some cash from the ATM. I'd heard that Troy's Family Restaurant had closed.

Even though I wasn't a big fan of the place; I believe that every neighborhood needs a place like Troy's or Perry's or Rudford's…….places like those are like the roots of a neighborhood, they keep things anchored in place, nourish it even as it grows and spreads out to the sky and replenishes the fruits that grow above. It's a place of cherished memories.....

It's quite sad....and oh my, the notes taped on the windows and doors.

I feel the pain.

After all, I read that a favorite of mine from small kid time, a place I cherished, Like Like Drive had closed after 67 years.

Not much else to say really......

Covid-19 Takeout - Et Voila. Trying for Our Own Little "Happy Hour"

Welcome to March 73rd....or something like that. In a way I'm glad to be super busy with work, otherwise I'd just be out of sorts, I think the days would all just roll into one another...….of all the things I enjoy doing, going out and eat is a big one. and more than that; I think it's the fact that we "can't" do something that is driving us a bit crazy. The Missus and I have been looking for a bit of normalcy. We were chatting about just going out for Happy Hour. I quickly recalled that one of the Missus's favorite spots, Et Voila was doing Curbside and window pick-up. And even better, with the relaxing of ABC regulations, they had two of our favorite cocktails available for pick-up. Reminder; you still need to order food if ordering cocktails for pick-up, so don't go all crazy, ok?

Anyway, the drill was easy, you place an order on the Et Voila website, along with pick-up time, pay using Pay Pal (you don't need a Pay Pal account), and get to the window at pick-up time.

To be perfectly honest; EV wasn't offering any of our favorites for takeout; but I managed to find a couple of items, which turned out to be pretty good.

And then of course, there was this.

Man, these were really good...a bit too good! Much stiffer than what I recall having in the restaurant. And the Huckleberry Bourbon was much better than what we had during Happy Hour last time. And man, the Tequila Mockingbird.....I was getting over a sinus infection and that baby just cleared me up.

As for the food; well, I got the Gazpacho which was refreshing, especially with the hot weather.

No sure what was up with the guacamole, it really didn't do much for the dish. The Missus drizzled on some nice olive oil......and then reminded me that I should plan on making some Salmorejo soon.

We both enjoyed the simple Baguette Pâté-Cornichons.

The Missus isn't much of a mustard fan; but She loved the Dijon provided. It helped, along with the brightly flavored cornichons to cut the rustic flavor of the pate. This was a very nice sandwich for eight bucks.

In the end it was worth going a bit off course....I've been trying to consolidate trips to places along a certain route....but this, along with Sushi Tadokoro were well worth the detour. It helped us to escape from all the craziness going on right now.....we did have our own little Happy Hour sitting in the backyard....in fact the Missus, thinking out loud said, "do you think they'll keep selling the to-go cocktails when this is all over?"

Currently, Et Voila has pick-up times set for 12-2pm and 4-8pm daily. The online form is easy to fill out. They are currently doing orders for same day pick-up.

Et Voilà!
3015 Adams Ave
San Diego, CA 92116

A La Carte and 3 Course Menu - Cold or Ready to Eat on their website for Curbside Pick-up or To-go.

What have you been doing to add a bit of normalcy to your day?

Covid-19 Takeout - SuperNatural Sandwiches (Miramar)

Man, it was a hot couple of days, huh? Record high temps, 20 degrees above the norm. It was definitely sandwich weather. I decided to call in and do some takeout from a regular on my "sandwich rotation",  SuperNatural Sandwiches.

I arrived a quarter after eleven, it seems that their current hours are from 11am to "between 230 and 330 PM", Monday to Saturday. There were already three people in line waiting for their order.

I was a bit confused about where the walk up window was as the "order here" mark on the ground was tight in front of a closed door and folks waiting just seemed to be hanging out with no social distancing. But all was fine once the nice young lady arrived at the makeshift counter to the right and greeted me. From there, it was a fast process and my order was ready to go.

There was no confusion as to  how good this was. And as "FOY" Loren recommended before, the fries are quite good and hold up rather well for an hour or so.

Plump, moist shrimp, the roll held up well.

Delivered as expected. I actually wished they still did their sandwiches as salads during this time, but totally understand the limited menu.

SuperNatural Sandwiches
7094 Miramar Rd. #122
San Diego, CA 92121

Hope everyone is in good health and staying sane during this challenging time!

Eating (and drinking) in the Time of Covid-19 - Chicago Fire Grill, Bay Park Fish, and Beer From Harland

How is everyone doing? Here are a couple of stuff-to-go and a couple of cold ones. I'm not going to go into the food much here....it's just not the time for that.

Chicago Fire Grill:

I went to grab a quick lunch for the few souls who are still in the office....plus I wanted to see what "words of wisdom", George, the owner had. Anyway, upon getting there, I ordered from the doorway....George asked me if I could hear him......I told him, "I could hear you from Orange County....."

We all had a zillion calls during the day and with all the self-quarantine, it actually felt good to get out for 20 minutes to grab lunch and scurry back to the office and yet another call.

George says that he'll hang in there; though he wasn't totally sure about the hours....he's trying to keep it going at least for lunch.

Chicago Fire Grill
8935 Towne Centre Dr.
San Diego, CA 92122

Bay Park Fish Company:

During my short shopping stop at Seisel's, I saw this sign in front of Bay Park Fish.

And while BPF has kinda fallen from favor for us over the years; it along with Siesel's were the subject of one of my first posts back in 2005. So I went in and placed an order before I went to Siesel's. When I got out of Siesel's and walked over, my food was ready...….I decided not to take the 30% off and also tip a bit...….it's almost like my responsibility.

Got the shrimp torta and smoked fish stack.

Currently open from noon to 5pm for take-out.

Bay Park Fish Co.
4121 Ashton St.
San Diego, CA 92110

We've been trading food with Frankie's favorite auntie "Alle", who lives close by. One day, she had gone on a "beer run" to Harland and graciously gave some brews.

Here's the Harland Japanese Lager.

And something really special; the Harland MoMo Mochi IPA.

Nice, slightly fruity, mildly sweet, in the session IPA hoppiness scale....very nice Hazy IPA made with...well "Momo" (peaches) of course.

Thanks Alle!

Be safe everyone!

Eating (and drinking) in the Time of Covid-19 - Soup, Sandwich Emporium, and Beer from Bay Hill Tavern

First off; we sincerely hope that your family, friends, and loved ones are in good health.

It's been an interesting couple of weeks for me; I haven't had a day off in a couple of weeks. Still, we've had to make due with all the restaurant and bar closures.

I'm figuring most of you are eating like us....here's some Cauliflower Soup I made.

The secret ingredient, other than the truffle oil and bacon fat; is that I use saved up Parmesan rinds when making the soup. It adds a nice, milky-savory flavor to soups. So, go ahead and freeze those rinds; don't throw them away.

While the rational part of my brain wasn't surprised when the order came down to end dine-in service at restaurants; another part of me was jolted....I mean.....I kinda like eating out (in case that wasn't obvious). So what to do?

Well we are eating at home and such, and many places are closed, but there are lists like this one and of course Social Media, where you can find places that will deliver. And since one of those places and I go back to the beginning of the blog, I got some of the folks in the office to team up and place a pick-up order.

It was, like most times a decent sandwich. I think the fact that we were able to help out a place that is close to home made it taste even better.

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

Give them a call at one of the three locations to see what the hours are.

Speaking of close to home. I was driving home when I saw this......

While I'm sure there was a hint of humor here....after all, the crowds on most evenings from Wednesday to Saturday! I still felt something stir inside....perhaps I was thirsty?

So, I went into the parking lot; which is usually packed, today.....it was desolate. And decided, while I wasn't hungry, I was going to make dinner at home, I did need a digestif, right?

So tonight after dinner; I'll have my Duchesse...or as we were correected and laughed at in Belgium; a "Doo-Chezz"!

And nope, I haven't actually had a drink, nor eaten at Bay Hill Tavern yet......wouldn't it be funny if the first meal I had there would be during the Coronavirus outbreak?

I was told that they are open afternoon and evenings, with to-go brunch on weekends. You can check their website.

Bay Hill Tavern
3010 Clairemont Drive
San Diego, CA 92117

Of course, who knows what tomorrow...or even tonight will bring?

Take care and best wishes from us!

Hungry Lu's- Italian Deli & Goodies (Ocean Beach)

mmm-yoso!!! is being written by Cathy today; Kirk and His Missus are enjoying a few days off.

Hungry Lu's is located in the midst of homes and a few businesses on Voltaire Street, three blocks East of the Pacific Ocean.  The Ocean Beach community has been able to enjoy this Bakery and Deli since 1973. Walk in, order and pay.  There are some tables out front and your order is brought out to you.  
 Of course, you can just order some meats, cheeses and (wonderful fresh baked) rolls to make your own sandwiches at home.

 We were here in early January and Christmas Cookies were still being baked; a nice way to continue the holiday treats a bit longer (and to ignore a silly resolution)
 There is a menu on the front window as well as on the wall and taped to the counter inside.  It's simple and has just enough choices, especially if you are walking to or from the beach. The "personal size" pizza is quite large, cut into six slices and has a wonderful crust!  All pizzas are priced the same, $6.49.  This, the 'Meat Lovers', includes pepperoni, sausage, salami and mozzarella.  The sauce is a good tomato flavored unadorned deliciousness. 
The Baked eggplant sandwich, listed under 'Favorite Subs' ($8.99) is simple with eggplant baked in olive oil, mozzarella and the simple yet flavorful tomato marinara.  The sandwich/bread baked here is quite large and half of a sandwich (on the wonderfully tasty toasted bread) is filling. There appeared to be some ricotta on the sandwich also...which made it even better.   
 There is one item not even listed on the menu, but everyone orders it.  The cannoli shells ( a delicious fried pasty) are near where you place your order at the counter and are filled when you order. The filling is a smooth ricotta with citrus (lemon) and the ends are topped with tiny chocolate chips (optional; as if I'd say no).  The cost was around $3.  

A nice, long time, local sandwich place.

Hungry Lu's 4920 Voltaire Street, San Diego, 92016 (619)223-4722 Open Mon-Fri 10:30-4:30, Sat 10:30-5:30 Closed Sunday.

Crafted Greens (El Cajon)

Here we are, back at mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about food.  Cathy is writing today while Kirk and His Missus are enjoying sights and meals elsewhere.

For about a year, this former Starbucks location has operated in the strip mall which includes Junction Steakhouse and Harvest Ranch Market. Finally, The Mister and I dropped in.  We should have tried it sooner.  

 The menu is above as you walk to the cash register to pay.  
 You can see the fresh ingredients and side dishes for the day.  Once you pay, you get a number, find a seat and everything is brought out to you.   
 There are two scratch-made soups available, always the tomato-basil ($3.45) and a rotating flavor.  The tomato-basil has a fresh tomato and basil flavors (I know, I need a thesaurus) with a rich, creamy texture and the size of the bowl is good.  Easily can be considered a light meal.
 The flatbreads (there are five to choose from) are all priced the same ($7.95). Margherita was my choice on this Friday (I know, kind of redundant with the tomato soup, but it was a first visit and I wanted to try the 'basics').  A nice, crispy (not overly fluffy/chewy) bread with a good olive oil flavor topped with the Mozzarella, tomatoes and basil.  This is, also, a large portion and enough to be a light meal.  
 The Nicoise Salad ($9.95, add a protein $3(ahi tuna)) was wonderful!  Romaine, Mesclun, green beans, egg, tomatoes, fingerling potatoes, capers, olives, dijon balsamic vinaigrette...all very crisp/fresh/bright in flavors.   The medium rare Ahi tuna was seared with a Cajun seasoning, which was just enough to not need any of the other condiments offered.  

If you order a beverage, you get it yourself the first time (the machine is next to the cash register), but someone is always checking on how your meal is going and will refill your beverage (even water) from the soda machine.

We will be returning to try more of the menu very soon. 

Crafted Greens 745 Jamacha Road El Cajon, CA 92019 (619) 328-4044 Website Open Mon-Sat 11-8:30 Sun 11-8