mmm-yoso!!!

Johnny B's (La Mesa)

Yes, you're back at mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about food.  Cathy is still writing because Kirk is still on vacation with His Missus. Here's a post about lunch (but they have breakfast on weekends). 

I've never posted about Johnny B's, it's just "always" been there and a regular stop for lunch. 

Since January 1, 1999, this La Mesa bar and restaurant, located downtown on La Mesa Blvd and 4th, has always had a lunch special of a 'Burger and Beer'.  The building has expanded and the prices have, of course, increased.   JB's has made it through Covid-19, keeping the food here very consistently wonderful.

 The interior (there is outside seating) has 33 HDTV's, most showing local sports and at least one showing PAWS-a channel about animals.  I could see 11 televisions from my chair and The Mister could see eight.

 The two-sided menu mentions the weekday Lunch specials, as well as a Monday night special and Happy Hour.  There's also a Tuesday night special of Sliders which flashed across one of the TV screens.  The other side of the menu has weekend breakfast items.

 The grilled chicken salad ($12.95) was topped with a still warm/freshly char-grilled chicken breast.  The bowl is very large and we did take home some leftovers.  The mixed lettuces had tomatoes, onions and shredded carrots and the ranch dressing was a better quality.

 The cheeseburger Lunch Special ($14.75) includes your choice of soda, Bud Light, Coors Light or Amberbock.  You also can choose the type of cheese and also get a choice of fries, chips or a salad.  The burger is large (at least 1/4 lb) and also char-grilled, made with a coarse grind of beef, keeping the meat chunky and moist.  The bun is toasted and those fries have a coating and seasoning, making them very crisp and tasty.

Johnny B's Burgers and Brew 8393 La Mesa Blvd, La Mesa, CA 91942 (619) 464-2465 Open Mon-Th 11-9, Fri 11-10, Sat 930-10 Sun 9:30-9 Website

 More than 20 beers on tap!

iHOP- The International House Of Pancakes

mmm-yoso!!! is indeed a blog about food.  Kirk is away and Cathy is writing these blog posts.  This post is about food.

So, anyhow.  I have always worked in professions in which tipping is not the norm.  However, I have a few clients who sometimes give me gift cards.  I've mentioned in a few posts that I do not regift.  In this case, I believe I was the recipient of a re-gifted card. 

 Here is the breakfast menu from a few months ago. Lunch and dinner is also served here.

 Well, look at this from the breakfast menu- avocado toast, which comes with two eggs any style and a side of fresh fruit (or hash browns) ($13.49).  A good quality multigrain toast topped with freshly sliced avocado and roasted cherry tomatoes.  This was a surprisingly tasty and filling breakfast.

  The Mister chose a Waffle Combo ($16.49).  A strawberry cheesecake topped Belgian waffle with two eggs (over easy), two sausage (or bacon) and hash browns.  I liked the waffle (plain).  The batter was crisp on the exterior and had a malt/vanilla flavored fluffy interior. The strawberries were very flavorful-see the pink (not white) inner part?  The sausage was standard with a nicely crisped skin and the hash browns were not watery and also had a good crisp. 

A couple of very nice breakfasts.  

iHop, many locations website

 Coffee is $3.99

Thank You Very Mochi! (Hogetsu Japanese Tea Cakes)(Chula Vista)

mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog, is being written by Cathy while Kirk and His Missus are vacationing.

Kirk wrote his first post about Hogetsu almost 19 years ago.  His most recent post was in 2021.  This Chula Vista storefront at the back of a strip mall has not changed in all this time. 

 Mr. and Mrs. Takeda, who opened Hogetsu in 1983, have retired and passed along their knowledge to a younger couple.  The name, Hogetsu, was given by permission of the prefecture when the store opened.  The name now must be retired. 
 What's that in the top left corner?

 They've added a neon sign!  Modern times are coming...

Step inside: the display case is the same.  Traditional flavors, shapes, fillings.  Made with short grain, glutinous rice, pounded into a paste, the tea cakes here are the freshest you can find; I won't even purchase any mochi in grocery stores if I know I will soon be in Chula Vista.



 There is always a good variety to choose from when I stop in, and everything is always fresh.  




 I have purchased the frozen Komochi so I can have a savory snack at home.  The container is about one pound.  The texture is similar to the suwama (chewy mochi).
  Here are a few of my recent purchases.  Yes, one day I was able to walk in and only order one coffee and one green tea-each were gentle flavored at first bite and ended up so flavorful at the end. 

   The new owners have been experimenting with the name change and did tell me that they have settled on Thank You Very Mochi and will be ordering signage soon.  The Takeda tradition will continue.

Thank You Very Mochi 1210 Third Avenue Chula Vista 91911 (619) 422-6677 Open Wed-Sat 10a.m.-5 p.m.

Pepper Farm Deli (Santee)

Here you are, stopping by to read mmm-yoso!!!  Kirk, who writes the majority of posts, is wandering around the world with His Missus, while Cathy is 'holding down the fort' and writing about food.

A wonderful addition to Santee opened in 2020 into a prior taco shop storefront in the mall anchored by Home Depot.   Pepper Farm Deli sells more than hot and cold sandwiches.   Salads, flatbreads, wraps, burgers, plates, smoothies, breakfast and more are on the menu.  Soups and sauces are made from scratch.  Organic vegetables and fruits, Boar's Head meats, antibiotic free chicken.  Bread is delivered daily.  I could go on, but here, just look. 

 Step inside, order, pay and your name will be called.  There are 18 seats inside and tables out in front. The Monte Cristo Breakfast sandwich ($14.99) is served with warm syrup and a side of fruit. 
 Made with Boar's Head oven roasted ham, Havarti cheese, mustard and mayo on egg-dipped white bread which is pan fried, this hefty sandwich is enough to share.  

 There are four soups available daily, all home made: tomato basil, chicken noodle, clam chowder and chili  (Cup $5.49-5.99, Bowl $7.49-7.99).  The clam chowder is my favorite, although all are wonderfully flavored.
 The cheesy flatbread ($11.99) is a meal in itself.  A thin, made in-house crust topped with roasted garlic tomato sauce, provolone and mozzarella.  Simple and good.

 The garlic-cilantro jumbo shrimp plate ($16.99) includes a cup of soup or small salad, sautéed broccoli and asparagus and ten jumbo shrimp which are marinated in the house garlic and pepper sauce and lightly cooked (still meaty and firm).

 On the bottom of the wall menu there is a section "Pepper Farm Special" ($7.99).  A choice of four cold half sandwiches, chips and a fountain drink. (for $11.99, you can get a choice of four hot half sandwiches, chips and a drink).  This is the Bovine: roast beef, havarti cheese, garlic aioli, mustard, red onion, tomatoes, banana peppers and spring mix on a hoagie roll.  It's a large half sandwich. 

Quality at fair prices.  We are regulars.

Pepper Farm Deli 235 Town Center Parkway, Suite H Santee 92071 (619) 201-8129 Open Mon-Sat 8-8, Sun 8-5 Website

 There are desserts, too.

Golden Bay Asian Food (La Mesa)

 Thank you for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about food.  Cathy is writing for a few days while Kirk and His Missus are vacationing.

The mall at the corner of Avocado Boulevard at the 125 is anchored by a Smart and Final market and fronted by a McDonalds and Starbucks along with about 40 other businesses surrounding a very large parking lot.  Last February, Golden Bay opened, replacing another Chinese restaurant.

 A lot of the business is take out, but we managed to grab a seat at one of the five tables inside.

 There is a menu on the front window and we were handed menus when we sat down.  There are lunch specials! The Mister ordered a lunch special, which came with a chicken based, thick egg drop soup.  Complimentary 'crunchies' were brought out with the silverware.

 Soon, our orders were brought out. Egg Foo Young (because it was our first visit and I always order EFY on my first visit to any Chinese restaurant-everyone makes EFY uniquely).  Lunch Special #23- Salt and Pepper Fish.
 The Lunch Specials are $11.95.  The Special comes with steamed jasmine rice or fried rice and a vegetable egg roll in addition to the soup (choice of egg drop or hot and sour).  You can substitute steamed vegetables and chop suey for additional fees.  The batter and fry of the fish was excellent- not greasy, light and crisp.  The fish was light and flaky.  This was tasty and a good portion.
 Mixed Vegetable Egg Foo Young ($14.95)-what a delightful version!  Three large patties, filled with bean sprouts, broccoli, peas and carrots and so eggy, fried nicely with a light and crisp crust and topped with a proper (not thick, not salty) brown gravy.  One waitress brought us more gravy halfway through- which was just enough to take home with the leftovers.

Very fresh, flavorful and with fair prices.  Nice people working here.  We will stop by to try more of the menu.

Golden Bay Asian Food 3641 Avocado Boulevard La Mesa, CA 91941 (619) 660-7777 Open Wed-Mon 10:30 a.m.- 9 p.m. Closed Tuesday 

Sangucheria PSF (Peruvian Street Food)(Tierrasanta)

mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog, is being written by Cathy while Kirk and His Missus are out and about. 

The "Gateway to Tierrasanta" mall at the exit of Santo Road at the 52 has about 20 storefronts which are constantly changing, along with a Veterinary office, Post Office and fuel station. The southernmost  'anchor' building used to be a small grocer which had a small restaurant connected.  Now, the grocery building is another location of Keg 'n Barrel, a beer and liquor store.  The restaurant is walled off and a separate business,  Sangucheria PSF (Peruvian Street Food), which opened in January 2022.  Kirk posted about it in 2022 and again in 2023.  It is family owned.
 The small shop has seating for about 35 and is walk up, order and pay.  Your food is brought out to the table.
 The simple menu has a good variety of choices.
  We decided to share.  First, a cheese empanada ($6).  Thin, flaky crust filled with a hefty amount of warm, firm (not gooey) Oaxaca cheese.  This was very satisfying.
 The Choripan sandwich ($10) was served with two house made chile based sauces (that one on the left is catsup; the green one had a pleasant heat and that yellow one was spicy, probably habanero or a cousin).
Served on a thin/ crisp crusted, warm bread which was light and airy (and crushed down easily), this weighty sandwich was enough to share.
 Two split then grilled chorizo links topped with a house made chimichurri sauce (with distinct parsley, garlic and oregano flavors).  You know I am picky about chorizo (see the end of this post) and the quality of this chorizo is outstanding; it is more of a medium texture dry aged (Spanish style) chorizo, mild in flavor and blending well with some of the spicy sauce at the last few (non-chimichurri) bites.

 That catsup was for the sweet potato fries ($4.50) we ordered.  We also shared an Inka Kola ($2.50); the familiar vanilla soda flavor brought back good memories.

We will be returning to try more of the menu...and desserts...and coffee!

Sangucheria PSF 5950 Santo Road, Suite K San Diego 92124 (858) 836-1112 Open Mon-Sat 11-7 closed Sunday website

Kotobuki

mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog, is being written by Cathy for the next few days; Kirk (and His Missus) are out and about, elsewhere.

Kirk visited Kotobuki in 2019, before Covid-19.  It's in the same parking lot where La Miche Kabobgee had been and where Kahn's Cave Grill and Tavern still exists.  This particular storefront had also been a Japanese restaurant, Wa Sushi.

 There's plenty of parking on this end of the parking lot; the former Boll Weevil is closed. 

 The interior is spacious; there is only one waitress, so I think that is why they have limited seating.
 Of course, we ordered hot tea ($2 each) and it was an excellent matcha, strong with a slight bitterness along with a slight sweetness.  
 We decided to try the mixed tempura appetizer ($11).  Properly fried, light, crisp and not oily at all.  Potato slices, broccoli florets and carrot slices along with three large shrimp.  This was a sizable appetizer portion we shared, using the house made, not salty tentsuyu dipping sauce.  
 The Mister ordered the teriyaki chicken combo ($14) which came with miso soup.  A better version-not watered down and containing thicker seaweed slices along with tofu cubes.  Flavorful in a not-salty way.
 The chicken itself was breast meat, so a tiny bit dry.  The teriyaki sauce was house made and not sticky sweet; pleasant.  The carrots and broccoli (same as from the tempura) were a nice side along with the rice.
 I ordered the sashimi salad ($20) which had very fresh and fatty salmon, soft yellowtail and excellent tuna on top of greens (which included the thick seaweed that was in the soup) and a pleasant (again, house made) ginger-sesame dressing.  An excellent lunch salad.

A great Japanese restaurant with only one waitress and two working in the kitchen along with a steady amount of to-go orders, so be patient; it's worth it.

Kotobuki 9340 Clairmont Mesa Blvd San Diego 92123 Website  (858) 737-4267 Open Tues-Sat 11:30-2, 5-8 Closed Sunday and Monday

Lidos Italian Foods (Lemon Grove) (again)

mmm-yoso!!! is being written by Cathy for the next few days, while Kirk and His Missus enjoy some well deserved time off. 

Apparently, I write a post about Lido's once a year, so it's time for this third chapter (which look like my previous posts, other than the prices).

 Since 1955, Lido's has been a mainstay on Broadway in Lemon Grove.  This family run restaurant has been a gathering place for families, co-workers and various school sports teams as well as other community events.  The take out business has been doing well, especially during Covid-19.
 The antipasto salad for two ($11.95) is easily shared.  Greens, crisp pickled vegetables (carrots, celery and cauliflower), olives, fresh tomatoes and wedges of stacked salami, mortadella and mozzarella, all topped with a house made Italian dressing make this shared salad a wonderful accompaniment to any meal.

 The minestrone soup bowl ($5.25) is my usual order; the daily made rich, herby stock with chunky, slightly crisp celery and carrots along with onions, tomatoes, chickpeas and pasta is consistently flavored and traditional.

 Of course we ordered a large sausage and mushroom pizza ($21.95).  It's a throwback to our first date.  Fresh, thinly sliced mushrooms, chunks of a mild and wonderful Italian sausage; all on a thin crust with a mild sauce.

We will return, and probably order the same things.

Lido's Italian Foods 7252 Broadway Lemon Grove 91945 Website Open daily 11-8:30  (619) 469-9901

 Every large pizza includes  'Hors d' Oeuvres', or you can.purchase one (or additional plates) for $3.95.

 

 

 

Afternoon Tea menu at Tam's Noodle House II (Roland Heights)

Thank you for once again stopping to read mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog.  Kirk and His Missus are still enjoying a short vacation and Cathy is still writing.  

You might recall my post about the 2024 Rose Parade road test in October, when The Mister and I found ourselves at Tam's Noodle House in Rowland Heights and had a delightful breakfast. 

 It turns out that in December, we had time to decorate Rose Parade floats on three occasions from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and wanting a nice meal before heading home in traffic, we decided instead of driving aimlessly to look for a place to eat, we would return to Tam's.  The Mister began reading directions from the phone (since I don't know how we got here the first time) and at one signal light, noticed Mountain House restaurant, which Kirk had posted about in August.  It was less than a mile from Tam's! 
 It turns out there is an "Afternoon Tea" menu offered daily from 3-5 and we were just before 5 and were able to order from this special menu. 
 Y1.- Wonton Noodle Soup ($12.99).  A very large bowl of a not-salty but deep flavored pork based broth filled with ten thin-skinned wontons, each filled with meat and shrimp.  Bok choy and springy noodles filled this bowl.  Very filling and flavorful.

 The Mister decided to order the  Y10. - Deep Fried Chicken Wings with Salt & Pepper ($12.99).  Four large, meaty drums and four large meaty flats, fried to a delightful crunch while lightly coated in salt, pepper and topped with garlic, chili and green onion and not really spicy.  

 This Afternoon Tea menu, just like the Breakfast Menu, includes a beverage.    The lemon tea was great- a very strong tea with lemon slices and the coffee, served with a small pitcher of Black & White brand evaporated milk were kept constantly refilled.

So happy we found this restaurant. 

Tam's Noodle House II 19035 Colima Road Rowland Heights 91748 (626) 820-9977 Open daily 8 a.m.-10 p.m.

 

Golden Chopsticks (Mira Mesa)

mmm-yoso!!! is being written by Cathy today.  As you know, Kirk and His Missus are enjoying Island food. 

Kirk wrote about the wings served at Golden Chopsticks in October 2022.  I've noticed that wings at Golden Chopsticks are what people talk about in online foodie forums.  We did not order the wings.

It was a first visit for us and we were going to order our 'usual' sort of baseline items.
 The interior is kept clean and everyone seems very organized.  We were helped by at least five different people after being seated. 

Mabo Tofu ($15.95) was a hefty serving.  The soft tofu was plentiful and added a calming touch to the spicy  pork based sauce.  It was good, definitely made with quality ingredients but missing a bit of saltiness (we both added soy sauce from the table) or maybe the 'umami' that The Mister enjoys in other Mabo sauces.   Still, there were leftovers.  The large bowl of rice was $3.75.  A pot of hot tea was $2.25 per person.

My 'baseline' order, vegetable Egg Foo Young ($16.95).  I always enjoy seeing how different chefs prepare this common dish.  The version here was filled with vegetables (peas, carrots, onions, mushrooms and a few bean sprouts) and the pancakes were nicely eggy.   Crisply fried and covered in a not too salty gravy with some more peas, carrots, mushrooms and onion, the crunch lasted for the majority of the meal.  

Yes, we took home leftovers.  We will return to try more of the menu, maybe even the chicken wings (which seemed to be on very table). 

Golden Chopsticks 8155 Mira Mesa Blvd, #9 San Diego CA 92126 (858) 689-1628  Open Mon-Fri 11-10, Sat 10:30-10, Sun 10:30-9

 We had to ask for chopsticks.