mmm-yoso!!!

Sunday Sandwiches - Waters Fine Foods

The weekend after we got back from CDMX, I had to drop off lunch for the Missus. After picking up my dry cleaning, I was driving home on Morena Boulevard and for some reason Waters Fine Foods came to mind. Sheesh, the last time we'd had anything from Waters was back in the early 2000's at the original location on West Morena which I believe is now their catering location. The Missus and I really didn't care for the sandwiches we had on that visit and we kind of just filed it away.

Waters moved their café to the strip all next to JV's Mexican Food. So, now a good 16-17 years after that visit....well, it was time to check out Waters again.

The interior is set-up sort of like a café-deli-coffee shop.....it's a bit confusing as you order not at the register, but at the counter, pay, and either have a seat or cool your heels.

Though the employees are quite pleasant.

I ordered the Smoked turkey Panini ($10) which seemed a bit "light" as I carried it home. So when I opened it....

Having just returned from Mexico City, mind automatically did the mental calculation.....man, this was 200 $MXN. Still, like I've said about Banh Mi; it's all about proportion. So, there's was barely a sliver of smoked turkey; which would not have been bad if I could actually taste the turkey, which by the way, wasn't evenly spread through the sandwich. There was just way too much pesto in comparison to the meat, few strings of roasted red pepper, and cheese. I enjoy pesto and this version was quite "pine nut" forward if you know what I mean. But that was all there was, pesto and arugula, usually two of my favorite things just overwhelmed everything. Including the nicely crusty bread.

Again, I don't mind having a "Manini panini" mind you; but in a case of a sandwich like that balance and proportion is quite important.

So, this past weekend I decided to head on back. Folks that know me understand that when it comes to places in San Diego, I usually don't let things go after a single visit, and if I do, it's because we thought the meal wasn't very good and the additional investment really wasn't worth it (i.e. Trust, Pardon My French, Juniper & Ivy, etc...). Or the meal was so terrible that I'm not willing to go myself and I can't talk the Missus into returning (Officine Buona Forchetta comes to mind). Or perhaps I've dropped the ball and my last visit was way too long ago and I'll have to start the "meter" running all over again to do a post (Hachi Ramen), or worse of all, I suffer some particular "ailment".....

But Waters is a café and in my 'hood, so no excuses, right?

Same really nice group of folks working.

This time I went with the Roast Beef ($9.25). And while not being particularly hefty, I enjoyed this sandwich much more.

I used the dinner fork to provide a bit of "scale" for the sandwich. While the baguette was a bit on the "dry" side; the roast beef was moist, tender, and best of all, I could taste it as the horseradish sauce and aioli were used with a nice restrained hand and complemented the meat. Nice crunch from the lettuce, I wish there were more crunchy onions as it would have added even more crispness and a sweet-pungency to this. The tomato added a slight acidity, but would have been had it been more ripe.

Not bad at all.

I'm glad I returned for that second visit. And while I saw some folks eating a pretty good looking salad; I'm not sure I'll return to Waters....at least for a while. It's not quite my style.

Oh and to that couple who were discussing and dissing all the customers in the place; from the colors and skirts the women were wearing to the tattoos on one of  the customers.....try not to talk so loud as I and the guy sitting at the end of the table could hear everything you said. From the guy who you (the woman) said there were "too many of their kind in the neighborhood these days."

Waters Fine Foods
1122 Morena Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours:
Mon - Fri 11am - 7pm
Sat       11am - 4pm

Sunday Sandwiches - Breakfasts from The WestBean Coffee Roasters (Morena)

I'm quite a creature of habit; I get into work at around the same time each day, I do things on specific days, like for instance, just about every Sunday, I head off to Costco to fill up my tank. The Missus finds it quite interesting that I've got all these habits and rituals; but it doesn't affect me when we travel.

Anyway, a couple of weeks back, I passed the rather newish location of West Bean Coffee Roasters. The sign mentioned "breakfast" and I recalled CC's post on the Banker Hill location from a couple of years ago. So, I decided to drop by for a cup of coffee and after reading the menu a breakfast sandwich.

The spot used to be Red Card Café which closed at the end of October back in 2017.

The seating area is spacious and the outdoor seating from the days of RCC is still in place.

I decided on the Breakfast Sandwich #2 on the menu and feeling a bit hungry added on the sausage patty. I did ask to see if they'd make the eggs easy over; but I guess it's just too much to ask a Barista to make runny eggs.

This was serviceable sandwich; I enjoyed the brioche roll as it wasn't too sweet and almost fluffy. The sausage patty was standard issue; for some reason the cheddar cheese seemed really mild. I really would have enjoyed a nice, runny egg on this.

Not terrible; somewhat corporate in appearance; but I'd rather spend my money here than at one of the chains in the area.

So, today was of course Sunday. And I headed off to fill up my tank.

On the way down South on Morena, headed to start all of my Sunday shopping, I felt in need of some caffeine and perhaps some breakfast. So, I stopped by West Bean again.

I went with the cold brew; which seemed a bit light and non-descript. I certainly prefer the cold brew from Birdrock.

This time I went with "Breakfast Sandwich #1". Without adding any other protein to the sandwich.

I actually enjoyed this.

The Chipotle mayo added a nice bit of "zip", the peppery and slightly bitter arugula did well with the mayo, the mild sweetness of the roll, and the acidity of the tomato. And yes; I'd prefer a runny egg.....but I didn't dwell on that too much.

Pretty good sandwich. Very nice folks. And while this won't become a "ritual"; I'll probably stop by again since I drive past the place every week.

The WestBean Coffee Roasters
4140 Morena Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117
Hours:
Daily 7am - 2pm
Breakfast served 7am - 1pm

 

Sunday Sandwiches - Revisits to SuperNatural (Miramar) and Sandwich Emporium (Mira Mesa and Clairemont)

Just some revisits for a sunny Sunday.

Supernatural Sandwiches (Miramar):

Always a stop on my lunch sandwich "rotation", it been nearly a year since my last post, so I thought it was a good time for one.

I know you're expecting this......

The "Siren";  from garlicky-spicy mayo; to the moist and plump shrimp, to go with the buttery-slightly sweet brioche. It's been my favorite since the days when SuperNatural had a stand in the San Diego Public Market. But on my last visit; I decided to finally go with something else.

Still sticking to the "shrimp theme", I ordered the Kirin; basically a shrimp and Chinese sausage Banh Mi.

And I thoroughly enjoyed this as well! I like the way SN does their shrimp, it is almost always plump and juicy....no deviation on this visit. I also always believe that the Siren would do well with a bit of acidity and the typical, pklced crunchy carrot and daikon did the job here. The bread was warm and crusty, a passable Banh Mi. Slices of lup cheong lined the bottom of the sandwich....so; I guess if I took a large bite I'd get a bit of the chewy, slight sweetness. Not a big fan of the way the sauce was drizzled on top of the sandwich, making it....well, like the Siren a mess....but heck, that's splitting hairs.

Of course I'm going to return.

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

Sandwich Emporium - Clairemont and Mira Mesa:

SE hold a special place in my heart as it was one of the first posts I did back in May of 2005! And, as I've noted over the years, they've also created a little empire of shops. I don't get to my neighborhood shop quite as often these days; but recently stopped by when I had to head home during lunch.

And like on that visit; I got the Spicy Julio.

It seems that this combo of roast beef, avocado, pepper jack, pickled jalapenos is a nice combination. I think there's even more filling then before. I did wish the bread had been toasted a bit more to give it a bit more crunch and the the tomatoes were more ripe, but this is a good sandwich.

A few days later; I was doing some shopping.....I did consider fighting the crowds at Menya Ultra; but it was a bit too warm. So I headed around the corner to Sandwich Emporium.

And got a Spicy Julio again. And perhaps there had been somekind of weird telepathic communication? Because this is what I got.

The nice crustiness of the bread just made it that much better.

Which has me wondering; are things made differently at the two shops? Hmmm; I'll need to visit more often.

Sandwich Emporium
3054 1/2 Clairemont Dr
San Diego, CA 92117

and

Sandwich Emporium
8155 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

Hope you're keeping cool this rather muggy (for San Diego) and warm weekend!

Sunday Sandwiches - Running Into a "Little Frenchie" (Francesinha) at Paragon Deli Cafe

Just before we returned from vacation I received an email from (Friend of Yoso) FOY Som Tommy. He started off mentioning visiting a newish deli in the Point Loma area and running into a sandwich I'd mentioned from our travel posts. I almost fell down when he said it was a Francesinha! Apparently he remembered the sandwich from my post on Cafe Santiago in Porto. In case you don't remember what that Francesinha, called a "Little Frenchie" because it was based on a Croque-Monsieuer looked like; this might help.

I had always regretted not having another one of these while in Porto....basically, the Missus would not let me have another....under the guise of caring for my health and fortitude!

So, here I had another chance.

This tiny, but well adorned little shop....I really loved the décor from the tin ceiling tiles to fans; is located in a strip mall on Shelter Island Drive, in the same structure as Fiddler's Green. Parking is a bit of a challenge as there are only two spaces for Paragon in the lot.

The gentleman training the young lady on the register on this day was really friendly and I found my target on the lunch menu at the bottom of the "Signature Sandwiches" list....."Portuguese Francesinha". How appropriate since as the Portuguese have a long history, especially as Tuna Fisherman in Point Loma. We had a short chat at the counter talking about Porto, where the gentleman had been just last year and the Francesinha.

Which was brought to my table shortly by a very friendly older gentleman...….this was humongous.

In case your keeping score; this has ham, roast beef, Linguica Sausage, cheese, topped with a fried egg and "Francesinha sauce" and it was recommended that I have fries with it......the fried egg and fries would have made the "Francesinha a Santiago" at Café Santiago, which is what I regretted not ordering.

The sandwich had been decently toasted, so the bread held out pretty well. The Linguica garnered most of the attention the flavor stood out the most. The egg was a perfect easy over, not that all this gooeyness needed any help. Loved the fries which stayed relatively crunchy thru the whole meal...mainly because this wasn't as drenched in sauce as versions in Porto.

The usual tomato and beer based sauce was also a bit tangier, thicker, and milder than the version I had in Porto. If I had one wish; it would have been the use of a more flavor forward cheese as while it was wonderfully stringy and gooey; I'd have enjoyed more milkiness.

And yes; this was a total calorie bomb, I basically finished two thirds of it before saying "no mas".....but if I had perished; it would have been with a smile on my face!

I'm sure regular readers would have quickly noticed that this was a single visit. I liked the folks here so much; that I'm sure to revisit. The place seems to have quite a few regulars; at least on this day. They wondered if I lived in the neighborhood and quickly made recommendations for my next visit. And, if I do have another Francesinha; I'll make sure to bring reinforcements.

Paragon Deli Café
2724 Shelter Island Drive
San Diego, CA 92106
Hours:
Mon - Sat 7am - 3pm

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