mmm-yoso!!!

Anthony's Fish Grotto (La Mesa Lunch)(again)

Thanks for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!! while Kirk is on vacation.  Cathy is writing today.

Barely six months ago, I wrote about a few meals at Anthonys, a San Diego mainstay since 1946.  The Mister and I stopped for a celebratory lunch a few weeks ago.  We decided to eat indoors instead of enjoying the outdoor seating.

 Here is the current Lunch Menu. When you are seated, warm ciabatta rolls are served with a whipped tomato butter.  A wonderful treat.
 We decided to share the appetizer calamari plate ($15.95).  Lightly breaded with a herbed 'Italian style' mix, lightly fried to a delicate crisp and topped with Parmesan, the soft-as-butter squid (served with tartar sauce and warm marinara) could be a meal.  But, we shared. 
 The Mister had a craving for fried items and ordered the Quick Catch Fish & Shrimp plate ($15.50).  The five plump, classic-batter fried shrimp along with the piece of classic-battered cod along with the Krab 'n Mac salad was a plentiful meal and flavor-filled in every bite.
 I really wanted the classic New England clam chowder that is made here, but not the bread bowl it is usually served in, so I ordered the 'Salad with Chowder Combo' ($14.75), requesting no bread bowl and chose the wedge salad (could have had a House Salad or Caesar salad...and also could have chosen the Red Fisherman Chowder).  As always, the fresh, cream based soup, highlighted with clam pieces, diced potato and celery was the star of my plate.  Next time, I might ask for the Wedge with the house-made Louie dressing..I'm wild and crazy sometimes.

Another Covid-19 survivor and favorite special meal spot.

Anthony's Fish Grotto 9530 Murray Drive La Mesa, CA 91942 (619)463-0368 Website Mon-Thurs 11:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m., Fri-Sat 11:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Sunday (brunch!) 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m.

Tuetano Taqueria and Mar Rustico - Old Town

I was quite excited to hear the news that Michelin recognized Tacos Tuetano was opening in Old Town. For me, this marks what could possibly be a long overdue revitalization of Old Town eateries for locals. I had visited the location in San Ysidro once, but hadn't returned in ages before they moved and shuttered.

I/we have visited Tuetano about a dozen times since they've opened in Old Town and this post is long overdue.

I guess that one of the reasons I've taken so long on this post is that every couple of visits there's something new.

First was the addition of Mar Rustico; a Mariscos Place.

Then the shops in the back; of which we haven't partaken yet.

 During the last two visits; the wine shop next door has opened, but were closed during our visits.

Also, the ordering can be confusing....on certain days you would have to go down the side of the dining area to order the birria and tuetano, then to Mar Rustica counter to get Mariscos, then off to the drink station to order drinks. The last couple of times we've gone on slow days (i.e. Monday) and at off hours and would then order from the drinks counter. You get a one of those buzzer things and sometimes you pick up your order and sometimes they'll bring it to you......

It's interesting when you do order from all three places and try to get things in a cohesive manner.

 We love the al fresco dining when the weather is pleasant....though it's not as much fun when it is chilly or windy. Of course this is San Diego.......

I think the one thing that really got my attention having been to the San Ysidro location were the prices; at the old location a birria taco + bone marrow was $6.75. Here...well, it's $11....call it the Old Town mark-up if you will.

Since we've tried a bunch of items here; I thought I'd list out our picks and pans.....

Favorites:

  During the recent cooler weather, I would usually order the consomme with birria ($9) with a side of bone marrow ($7).  This is not your side order-after thought birria consomme as there's a good amount of birria in the nicely flavored broth. Also a good quantity of onions and cilantro and the broth is well seasoned with a pleasant amount of acidity. My drill consists of picking out the bone marrow and using that to top the tacos I make with the nicely soaked birria and then pouring all the rendered beef fat/marrow liquid into the soup. Be still my heart...literally. I will say the on one occasion I had a bone with less than a teaspoon of marrow in it and when Tuetano first opened the birria had a tendency to be on the tough side. But not on recent visits.

The Missus loves the Smoked Marlin Burrito ($16), though they've often out of it.

    The wonderfully smoked fish is moist and seasoned nicely and we've never experienced any "off flavors". The Missus loves that the tortillas have been nicely griddled on the comal. As you can tell; these aren't huge, but they are mighty tasty with a squeeze of lime.

And of course the reason most people come here....the Birria Tuetano ($11).

   Yes, $11 is pretty steep, but when it's good, it's very good. I will say, I've had this a few times when the birria was too tough, but recently it seems they've got things right. A nice bit of spice, onions and cilantro to cut the richness, and bone marrow to add that decadent beefy-richness back in...a squeeze of lime. The Missus likes the simple chili de arbol "salsa", but it detracts from the enjoyment to me.

It doesn't get much better than this....

Decent:

If I'm hungry I'll get the Birria Torta.....the price differs depending on the day; I've had it for $18 and for $16......

  The bollilo roll on both occasions was toasted perfectly and held up for the entire meal. That griddled queso, while being a bit mild in flavor was a nice touch. The birria in the torta is on the drier and chewier side. The pickled onions adds pungency and there's always a ton of cilantro to add even more citrusy-pungent tones to the torta. On one occasion, I added in a side of bone marrow a rich - buttery addition to the torta.

We tried the Quesa-Taco once and thought it was ok.

The birria was dry and too chewy on this visit; though we loved the griddled tortilla with the cheese to protect it from getting soggy. I guess we missed the bone marrow? Or maybe we just should have ordered a side of it with this?

Pans:

The two items we didn't care for came from Mar Rustica. We tried both twice.

The Ceviche ($21) was very inconsistent. While it always looked good; once it was super salty and had too much lime juice; the fish was over marinated and rubbery. And once it lacked enough lime and was really bland.

The Fish Tacos were even more disappointing. For $16 for two tacos de pescado we expect perfection. On both occasions the fish was over-fried. As you see below.

The fish had dried out on both visits. Not sure what fish they were using on one of the visits but it tasted fairly muddy. Not very good and you can get better elsewhere for half the price or less.

As you can tell; there are items we keep coming back for at Tuetano. Though there can be some "unevenness" at times and you're paying the "Old Town premium", when it's good it is quite good. And though we've had better Tuetano in Mexico....that consomme with a side of marrow is quite nice on a chilly day.

   And we hope that this is just the beginning for Old Town.

Parking can be a bit of a challenge, though because of that and since we don't want crowds were usually go during the week and at off hours.

Tuetano Taqueria/Mar Rustico
2548 Congress St.
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours:
Sun - Wed 11am - 7pm
Thurs - Sat 11am - 8pm

Black Radish - A Quick Look

*** So here's another of those "quick looks".....

The Missus had really enjoyed Wolf in the Woods, so of course She wanted me to find another place for the following week. I did a couple of searches and up popped a place named Black Radish. Hmmmm......I hadn't even heard of this place. Apparently, the building on the corner of University and Villa Terrace had been restored. It's an area I call the "dead zone"...between Hillcrest and North Park. I probably drove past this place several times and never even noticed it!

So, I made reservations for 5pm during a weekday. Which was great since we were the first customers in the place and there were only three tables occupied when we left.

There's a bar area and various tables; the woman who served us was quite friendly and the Missus enjoyed Her glasses of wine.

There's a prefix dinner option for $69, but we often find that starters/apps are often more interesting; so we decided on something from the "bar snacks menu", 3 starters, and one main to share.

Things started off with a decent amuse; white halibut, which was done in a "ceviche-style".

Nice and refreshing; a good start.

Of course, I just had to try the Beef Tartare.

We enjoyed the basil microgreens and the fruit provided. The goat cheese added a light acidic-milky tone to the dish. I thought the dice was a bit too coarse leaving the beef on the chewy side. I could have used a bit more acidity and some light pungency in this. 

I believe I mentioned that the Missus isn't a big lobster fan; I think She's had too many bad versions. However, I insisted on ordering the Lobster Toast.

 Which was a good move. The lobster was cooked perfectly, so tender, it was oceany-sweet, and the brioche added a buttery-mild sweetness, along with textural contrast. We both enjoyed the leaves of what seemed like radicchio....lovely bitterness that went so well with the brown butter. There was some nice citrus tones as well. This was quite good. 

The item we selected from the Bar Snacks menu was the Roasted Pork Belly.

 In terms of flavor, this was quite good; the Gooseberry Jus was rich and yet had some tartness which helped to cut said richness. The pork was on the "hard" side; not chewy, hard.....too bad because we really enjoyed the combination of flavors.

The Scallop was perfectly cooked as well; very rare, it could have been perhaps seared a bit more; but it was so sweet-savory.

I wish there was more than one! This was very good.

We also ordered the "special" for the evening; the Lamb Chop "Cassoulet"....you know me and Cassoulet!

The lamb chops was cooked to a perfect medium rare; it was nice and mildly gamy. The beans was also cooked to a tongue coating creaminess. Sadly, the lamb chops needed more seasoning and the beans were really bland. I mean, really bland....I could have used some thyme, salt, pepper, garlic, acidity, pungency....well anything. Oh my. As is often our experience when ordering the "plat principle" we are often left somewhat disappointed. Too bad, this really could have been good!

The Missus ordered dessert and espresso which She really enjoyed.

As a whole, we really enjoyed the vibe and service here....it was much more relaxed than Wolf in the Woods. Of course we were the only customers during half of our meal. Of the three recent meals we had; this was the most expensive at $170 for 2. The Missus enjoyed the wine She had; so like Wolf in the Woods, we'll probably return.

Black Radish
2591 University Ave.
San Diego, CA 92104
Current Hours:
Wed - Sat 5pm - 10pm

Tel Aviv (Before Covid) - HaBasta, Abu Hassan, and Falafel Ratzon

*** Here's a condensed post as I try to finish up all our pre-Covid trip reports.

Our flight from Paris to Tel Aviv on EL AL was on time and uneventful.

We were fed pretty well on the flight and arrived at Ben Gurion Airport right before 5pm. Getting a taxi to our hotel was also very easy and took about half an hour. Not quite sure about how long it would take, I made reservations at a restaurant I wanted to try, which was a nice walk from our hotel at 8pm. The restaurant is right next to the Carmel Market and I'd read a bit about the place.

On this Sunday evening, things were pretty quiet....and we really enjoyed the wonderful flavors and freshness of the food.

From the Cauliflower with Tahini....

To the Creamy-Smoky eggplant, to the slightly tangy-acidic Matbucha (a Arabic/Moroccan Roasted Tomato dish).

And the savory Cured Fish with Soft Egg.....

 This was a wonderful meal and a great way to start our visit to Israel. I wish we were a bit more hungry and were able to try more dishes, but we left quite satisfied.

HaBasta
HaShomer St. 4
Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel

The next morning; our only full day in Tel Aviv, we headed out early. Taking a walk thru the very quiet (on this morning) Carmel Market.

The fragrance of spices floating thru the air.....

And then past Hassan Bek Mosque....

To Charles Clore Park, where we could see Old Jaffa ahead of us.

We walked along to the beach area, where we saw this cat.....

Who was undoubtedly checking out these pooches having a great day at the beach!

We took a quick detour to check out the the Clock Tower and Saraya House in the old town.

  There is so much much history here.

We took time to check out the Clock Tower which was built by the Ottoman's in 1901. 

That structure to the left of the clock tower is the Saraya House and was once the residence and offices of the Turkish Governor. It was blown up by the Lehi a militant group.

We walked along the street checking out various churches and folks just going thru daily life.

 There was quite a bit to take in here...... from the Monastery of St Nicholas to many other places which had no signs.......

There always seemed to be something that would catch your eye.

I was starting to get a bit hungry and really wanted to try a place that wasn't too far away so we headed up the stairs from Nemal Yafo Street connecting to HaShahaf Street....

To a place I'd a good deal about Hummus Abu Hassan, a very low keyed, but very busy little shop.

The folks here were very nice and even though the place was bustling we ordered and found a table. 

Even though it was not even 10am, the place was busy. Our order arrived in minutes and just look at this will ya'....it is by far the most delici-yoso hummus I've ever had.

The Masabacha was amazing. And one of the old timers even showed us the proper way to eat it. You take the wonderful pita and dip it in the peppery lemon sauce, then the hummus, then you eat it was some of the sinus clearing onion! It was sooooo good.

During our short "brunch" we saw two taxis stop in front of the restaurant and older women get out of the car, walk up to the counter and pick up their hummus! This place really lived up to what I had read. In fact, twice during our stay in Jerusalem we mentioned this place and kinda impressed the locals!

Hummus Abu Hassan
Ha-Dolfin St. 1
Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel

We finished up and walked back to our hotel.

And wandered the streets along the way.

We had a nice cup of tea back at the hotel.....

And then it was nap time.

We awoke later that afternoon and went back out for a stroll...spending most of our time around the beach area, walking from one end to the other.

The people (and pooch) watching was fun.

This being near the end of November, the sun would set around 430pm, and we were treated to a beautiful one.

After the sun went down we wandered around a bit more; then decided on some dinner. We just wanted something quick and easy and another place; fairly close to our hotel came to mind; Falafel Razon.

I had wanted to try some falafel; so this was our chance....

 And whoa; much like the hummus, this was a game changer for us. I'd never had falafel that was so crisp outside, but almost creamy inside. 

Man we were eating well.

Falafel Razon
King George St. 17
Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel

We really enjoyed Tel Aviv; it was laid back and the folks were nice. We had only one full day in the city, but it was fun.

Tomorrow would be a busy day; we'd headed to Masada, the Dead Sea, and then off to Jordan!

Carnitas y Mariscos Las Morelianas (revisit)

mmm-yoso!!! is where you have stopped in your scrolling.  Welcome (back).  Cathy is writing today; Kirk is not.

I posted about this Sherman Heights mainstay (since 1997) first in 2014 and again in 2017.  It's a great restaurant.There always has been an outdoor patio, which has now expanded to have some temporary canopy covers on the other side of the side/parking lot entrance.  Once you are seated, a menu is brought out.  
There are two kitchen areas (and parts of the menu)- the Las Morelianas (Carnitas side) will catch your eye first.
This carnitas quesadilla ($8.99) is quite a meal in itself.  The large flour tortilla (you can also have this on a corn tortilla for $3.99) is filled with fresh shredded carnitas and cheese then griddled to a light crisp. It comes with guacamole and a small salad and is large enough to share, except you might want it all to yourself.  So good.

 The Enchiladas Suizas plate ($11.99) includes rice, beans and three enchiladas stuffed with the surtido (mixed shredded pork) and topped with a mildly spicy tomatillo based sauce which is made with Swiss cheese. Wonderfully unique and quite a meal. The other side of the door into the kitchen has the La Bahia (seafood) menu and display.
 You can order something simple like a fish ceviche tostada ($6.99). Freshly prepared with fish, tomatoes and cilantro, the lime soaked ceviche topped with avocado is craveable. The ceviche is served on its own plate with tostadas on the side; a proper way to serve this dish.  You could get all crazy and order chicharron de pescado ($12.99).  Fried fish filets.  Many.  Plump and flavor filled.  Lightly breaded and fried and served with house made guacamole.  Great to share or have as a meal. 
 Then again, you could be healthy and order an Ensalada Plancha Pescado ($8.99).  Grilled fish on top of mixed lettuces, tomato, cucumber and avocado. 

Always a great place to stop.  Breakfasts are also available.

Las Morelianas/La Bahia  2121 Imperial Avenue San Diego   (619)239-6284 website Open Mon-Sat 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun 7 a.m.-9 p.m.

  We usually order a large aquas fresca ($3.50) made at the fruiteria area in the back of the restaurant (next to the juke box) when we first sit down.  Pepino (cucumber and spinach) is our favorite.

Anthony's Fish Grotto (La Mesa) (again)

Thanks for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog.  Cathy is writing today while Kirk and His Missus are researching new places to write about, in a relaxing setting.  

In La Mesa, Anthony's Fish Grotto has been an institution, since 1950, just after the first location opened in 1946. This is now the only remaining restaurant. (Soo posted about a meal at the original Bayside location in 2016). Stepping inside, the waiting area is as magnificent as the entryway.
The menu choices here are seafood centric (although there are beef and chicken dishes as well as a signature hamburger) and vary in preparation; choices for everyone. From the Big Bay Combo($29.95)- grilled garlic butter shrimp, a crab cake and filet of sole (we asked for a substitute of the salmon) with sides of rice pilaf and slaw, the preparation and quality of food is always spot on.
To a wedge salad/clam chowder in sourdough lunch ($13.50, Mon-Sat).  There is a choice of clam chowders here and we chose the white New England style (cream based with potato and celery along with a lot of clams). The red clam chowder is also good here, with a completely different flavor profile; it's described as "zesty", which is correct.   The sourdough bowl is fresh and a good 'sour'.  The wedge salad-look at it-fresh lettuce capped with a great bleu cheese dressing, chopped tomatoes, bacon crumbles and avocado slice.  A nice summertime/lunchtime meal.  
Of course, if you want a salad as a meal, there is always the Seafood Cobb Salad ($18.95 on the lunch menu (Monday-Saturday)). Real crab, bay shrimp and chilled cooked salmon, along with bacon, tomatoes, carrot, egg, avocado, the house dressing.
 One of the first menu items at Anthony's (in 1946) was the avocado salad, (I added shrimp)($18.95 at dinner) and it is a classic. The simple blend of celery and avocado with the House dressing and the shrimp (you can add albacore tuna, crab or shrimp and crab; different prices) is just perfect to me. Lettuce, cucumber, tomato and shredded carrots make a nice 'side salad' to mix in with the plentiful amount of stacked central ingredients.  
 Then again, you can always order what you really desire.  Mama's Platter ($24.95 at dinner) with a side of veggies and baked potato has everything properly fried with crispy, light, different batters. Shrimp, calamari and crab bites are each tender and filled with flavor. 
  When you are seated and perusing the menu, warm mini-ciabatta rolls and a side of garlic-y sun dried tomato butter is brought to your table. The beginning of a memorable meal.  

Anthony's Fish Grotto 9530 Murray Drive La Mesa, CA 91942 (619)463-0368  Website Mon-Thurs 11:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m., Fri-Sat 11:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Sunday (brunch!) 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m.
 (Happy 'old fashioned' Birthday to my brother!)

COMC, The B(ack) I(n) T(he) O(ffice) Edition - The Market at HFS, TJ Dumplings, and Sue's Korean Kitchen

Here's a round-up of places I've been catching up on since I've been "BITO" (back in the office). I hope you don't mind a few "reruns".....

Another interesting observation is that all of these places opened just before or during the pandemic. Kudos to them for being agile enough to survive for over a year-and-a-half.

The Market at HFS:

A favorite from the first time I walked thru those doors. Real poke, not some concept "Chi-poke" kinda place.

I have noticed that prices have gone up a bit on my last couple of visits....for fish by the pound. The poke bowls are priced the same.

These days I get my poke bowls with half the rice....they tend to give a ton of rice and I can never finish. In fact, when I order for the Missus and I; I just get one medium poke bowl and two half pound containers....of course the Missus needs all the other "stuffs" for Hers.

The Market at HFS
6491 Weathers Place
San Diego, CA 92121
(858) 282-0591
Covid-19 Hours:
Daily 10am - 4pm

TJ Dumplings:

I just wanted something small for lunch; so I decided to head on back to TJ Dumplings.

 Of course I got the Baozi. Opening the box back at the office I noticed two things. First, unlike my last visit, there was no leakage. Second, there's now only six baozi instead of eight. The filling was more moist and tender than what I'd had on my previous visit and the baozi was lighter and more fluffy. It's not going to make me forget my favorite; but these are ok.

TJ Dumplings
6780 Miramar Rd.
San Diego, CA 92121
Hours:
Tues - Sun 11am - 830pm
Closed on Mondays

Sue’s Korean Kitchen:

Like the Market at HFS, I like the fact that Sue's opens at 10am as I often have meetings that stretch thru lunch.

It's funny, the woman working here....I think it might be "Sue" remembers me. She told me; "it's nice to see you, it has been a long time"......I guess a bit over three months can seem like quite a while.

 Of course I got the Kimchi Fried Rice with Spam ($9.99). Rustic, hearty, lots of Spam. I like the kimchi they use; there's some nice fermented tones. This is always more than I can finish, so I'll take the rest home and have it for breakfast during the weekends with a couple of eggs.

Good prices, portion size, and the woman who works here is so nice.

Sue’s Korean Kitchen
6755 Mira Mesa Blvd.
Suite 109
San Diego, CA 92121
(858) 352-6511
Current Hours:
Mon - Sat 10am - 9pm
Closed on Sundays

So there you go......it's nice getting back into sort of a routine.

Hope everyone is having a safe and productive week!

California Fish Grill

Thank you for stopping to read the blog named mmm-yoso!!! Cathy is writing today, because Kirk is preoccupied. 

I've mentioned before that The Mister and I do not 'regift' items, including gift cards.  We have found creative ways to use them if we don't really want to purchase a compete meal (all appetizer meals, only dessert meals, a cup of coffee a week...). However, we knew nothing about California Fish Grill and were curious when we received the card this year. There are multiple locations (four) in San Diego  County and 33 more scattered throughout California along with one Arizona and two Las Vegas locations. Their website does note that the seafood sold here is responsibly sourced, so that is a plus. 
 The drill is similar to many places nowadays: walk up order, pay, find a seat, grab your own beverages and your number is called.
 You pick up your tray and take it to your table. 

 Louisiana Delta (!) Catfish ($11.75), fried. Two sides to choose: kaleslaw and sweet potato fries (additional $1.99).  Mild and flaky fish, lightly fried, this was two filets, a large portion, and very good with the house made tartar sauce.  The kaleslaw is unique, yet not: it's chopped kale and shredded red cabbage in a mild, mayonnaise based slaw dressing (I detected a bit of sweet and salty and tangy, so there is either mustard or vinegar along with sugar and salt). The sweet potato fries were very well fried and seasoned and sweet in a good way. 
 Calamari and battered fish ($9.99) was my chance to try more frying techniques along with seeing how they squid was prepared here.  The lightly breaded thick cut squid strips were crispy from the light fry. The swai filets had a nice, crisp batter; texture contrasts were nice. The sides of kaleslaw and regular French fries were very good.    

 I just had to try a bowl of the clam chowder ($5.49) and was impressed.  Creamy, very rich broth with a deep clam flavor and clam pieces along with diced potatoes made this soup memorable.    The keto shrimp bowl ($9.99) was a great choice.  Plenty of grilled shrimp severs over a spring mix of various greens and topped with a Green Goddess dressing.  Very tasty plump grilled shrimp (I love the char) and a very large serving. 
 Had to try the battered fish and chips meal ($9.50)-three pieces of swai, great, crispy French fries and Brussels sprouts (an upgraded side- $1.99). The sprouts were outstanding- still crisp but charred and a real treat. 
 Here is a cross section of the fish- good sized pieces and see how light the batter is?

Great food, attention to details, ambiance,  and very nice people working here. 
 

California Fish Grill multiple location  Website Open daily 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

 (the sadly unused condiment bar)

Fried Ahi Belly from the Market at HFS

I'm sure you all know that The Market at HFS is on our rotation by now. I know the place has been doing lunches, but I usually want to beat the crowds and go at 10am. On one of my visits, the manager, Hope, who is from Aiea told me that I needed to try the "Ahi Belly Bomb" ($16)........"you know how good ahi belly is and for sure you won't be able to get that around here."

And since I'm quite good at taking direction, I decided to check it out. But, I called in my order at 1045 and drove over to pick it up. If you place a phone order you can skip the line and walk right in. Which is what I did. 

Returning to the office I opened the container up.......

Whoa, that was quite a bit of food.

Truthfully, I wasn't expecting this.

Which was from Keeaumoku Seafood.

 I would have preferred the belly intact as you can really dig into the buttery-rich ahi belly and also a bit more fried for good textural contrast, but this was not bad. The flavor did seem a bit on the stronger side....closed to aku than ahi to me and I'm sure the Missus would not have cared for it much. The unagi sauce went well with this, but if I have it again, I'll ask that they put the mayo on the side.....it made things a bit too rich for me.

I enjoyed the mac salad....I thought it was going to be a bit "overdressed" but this was quite good....even with vinegar to liven things up. Straight forward and good.

The rice looked dry, but was nicely done.

This was good, but unlike the poke here is a great fix when I'm missing home, this doesn't quite do it for me. I'm glad I tried it though. And it's so nice that Hope recognizes and thinks of me; letting me know when there's something I should try! That's bringing the Aloha!

The Market at HFS
6491 Weathers Place
San Diego, CA 92121
(858) 282-0591
Current Hours:
Daily 10am - 4pm
Plate lunches served from 11am.

Roadtrip (During Covid-19) - Peidras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery, Pacific Grove, and Dinner at Passionfish

We had really enjoyed our time in Cambria; from dinner at Madeline's to walking the wonderful trails at Fiscalini Ranch. But it was time to head to our next destination. I walked into Cambria and back to Cambria Coffee Roasting Company for our caffeine fix, we packed, then headed on out. Our next two evenings would be spent in Pacific Grove. The Missus had been to Monterey several times; I've always thought it too touristy for me and decided that perhaps we should stay just a short stroll away. Plus, there was a restaurant I'd always wanted to try out.

We stopped several times along the way, first at William Randolph Hearst Memorial State Beach.

And took a walk along the wooden pier. 

On this day, it was a peaceful and scenic spot.......the breeze from the Pacific lightly caressing your face.....a lovely November (2020) day.

Just a few miles up the road was our next stop; the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery.

There was a lot of parking and a nice boardwalk where you can view the Elephant Seals. This was November, when according to this website, the large male Elephant Seals will start arriving.

No huge males on this day....just a bunch of adorable Elephant Seals relaxing and sun bathing.

And the occasional seal taking a dip to cool off.

We both found this stop relaxing and entertaining.

Maybe next time; once it's back open, we'll check out the lighthouse further on up the road. 

We drove up Highway one thru Big Sur (this was before the portion of Highway 1 collapsed). Only stopping once near Big Sur Station.

We made good time to Pacific Grove and arrived before check-in. Which, in the time of Covid was done touch free......everything was done by key code; we never saw a single employee during our stay. I called the provided number and was told we could check in an hour earlier than scheduled. Still, there was a bit of time to kill. So, we found parking on the street near where we were staying and decided to do some exploring.

Pacific Grove is known as "Butterfly Town USA", so we decided to walk on over to the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary down Lighthouse Avenue. 

First thing I noticed were how charming many of the homes were.

In fact, this would lead us to a fun little walk later on during our stay.

Loved this sculpture at the Post Office on Lighthouse Avenue; it's called "Butterfly Kids".

It was a nice walk to the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary.

Monarch Butterfly's usually start appearing in October to stay over the winter.

And yet we saw none as we walked the trails.....

And so we decided to sit on one of the benches for a while. After a few minutes we saw two Monarch Butterflies....unfortunately, those would be the only two we would see. 

And while we were a bit disappointed to only see two; it has now turned to sadness upon reading this. 

 Our accommodations were at the historic Pacific Grove Inn, a Queen Anne style mansion built between 1904 and 1908.

The Missus was a bit leery about staying in an old house like this, creaky floors and all; but I got us a huge room on the top floor, which was way more room than we needed. I mean, how often are you able to stay in such an historical house....with no one to bother you?

I'm sure that in times not driven by the pandemic there might be some great amenities; but I truly liked being left alone to my own devices.

Dinner was a place I'd been wanting to check out for years; a favorite of the late Ed from Yuma, Passionfish. In fact, Ed did a three part post on the place. Of course, with Covid-19 I wasn't sure what was in store. It was all outdoor dining in the area at this time and the restaurant had done a wonderful job setting up on the patio upstairs in front of what looked like a nail salon.

Service was very efficient and professional, the restaurant had even created a satellite drink/wine station upstairs so customers could get served quickly. Ed had mentioned the amazing pricing of wine at Passionfish; bottles are sold at retail prices. Of course, we really weren't going to do entire bottles, so the Missus got Hers by the glass and thoroughly enjoyed things.

We started things off with some Buttermilk Biscuits.

My goodness; these were some of the best I've ever had; perfect, moist, wonderful flavor, a great balance in texture......man this was good!

The Spicy Fish Stew was a bit of a disappointment. It was quite bland; really tasting like a watered down mariscos consomme that one could get from a Taco truck.

Dungeness Crab Salad was excellent.

The sweet-savory crab meat, along with the almost buttery avocado was a nice one-two punch. The vinaigrette added a perfect touch of aciditiy.

Sea Scallop was perfectly seared; still rare in the middle. We both loved  the caper-walnut topping.

Though we found the artichoke risotto cake to be a bit too mild in terms of flavor.

Smoked Trout Ceviche Tostadas were a bit overwhlemed by the spicy salsa and the mild tones of the smoked trout were lost.

Passionfish was a pioneer with regards to serving sustainable seafood and we were excited to try at least one fish dish. So we ordered the Rockfish, with a Jicama-Mint Salad, Rice Crisps, and Cashews. The fish was cooked perfectly; tender and moist. The spicy nuoc mam sauce might have been a bit too much for such a delicately flavored fish, but you couldn't complain about how well the fish had been prepped. Not a big fan of the grapefruit, but the Missus liked it. Loved the greens, a nice combination of bitter-savory-sweet and the cashews added another layer of savory-nutty tones.

 All in all a very nice meal; a couple of dishes that missed the mark a bit; but wonderful service and the Missus and I talked about Ed....how he'd be viewing the pandemic, etc.

Passionfish
701 Lighthouse Ave.
Pacific Grove, CA 93950

On the way back we noticed something in the window of this art store.

It was a cat!

We loved it! From this point onward, we'd always stop and check out the "art store cats" to see what was up! They kept us entertained on our walks back to our accommodations.

We were really enjoying Pacific Grove!

Thanks for stopping by!