(photo from my "Return to Manna" post, Aug 2015)
while across the street at Manna...
Now here's the view from other side before we stepped into Cali Baguette...
It's on the southeast corner of Broadway and F...
I forgot what this place used to be. I want to say failed Mediterranean or Argentinean place. In any case, I'm glad Cali Baguette is now on the west part of town.
It's pretty big inside, with a map of Vietnam showcasing certain regions...
TC noticed spouts in the dolphin sculpture's mouths, so this must have been a fountain. Why is this even here? If you pass the dolphins, there is an "express" or take out area. Must be nice for the folks who work nearby. Otherwise, if you want to have a sit down meal, you could do that too. It's pretty roomy in here.
This is also what's on the wall, this page of the menu.
Cafe sua da for Bert, Thai tea with boba for TC and jackfruit shake for me. Yes, I actually got a non-coffee drink. I had a craving for jackfruit but unfortunately, I forgot that they use milk in these shakes. and let's just say that lactose and me aren't friends anymore and yeah....
Not on their menu but offered is their pate chaud ($2.25/I was surprised since they're normally $1 or $1.25 at other places), TC's bun with spring rolls and fresh spring rolls. They like putting a lot of hot sauce in their nuoc cham (look how red it is) and the peanut sauce is spiked too with hot sauce.
While the pate chaud was bigger than most versions I've had, it was mostly puff pastry. It took more than one bite to get to the meat within.
And here it is, the meat puck naked and unadorned. It looks like it was shaped with a biscuit cutter. I don't think K Sandwiches (sniff sniff, please rebuild!) made theirs this way.
Not worth it.
The pork sausage banh mi that Bert and I shared ($3.50/not bad!).
This was pretty flavorful and the bread was pretty good. It had that perfect amount of crust and didn't really crumble when bitten into.
On a more recent visit with just TC this weekend, we noticed they had Christmas decor up already.
TC also noticed several unruly young children playing with the dolphin sculptures, running around and sticking their hands inside the mouths while their parents sat looking at the menu instead of telling them to be in their seats. TC told me that one of the servers was looking at the kids and the parents inattentiveness and was trying to suppress an irritated look on his face (at least how she interpreted it).
View from our window - graffiti on the liquor store...
Since we've never tried this before, we got it - the Beef Spring Roll.
I wish other places would serve this! We liked it - the beef was so thin and also flavorful...
TC got what she ordered last time, bun with springrolls. Drinks were cafe sua da for me and the same Thai tea boba for her. The banh mi was bbq pork (1/2 saved for Bert)...
Mmmm, fried shallots!
I requested only one slice of jalapeno when the girl asked.
It's always funny how servers come by asking how everything is right when you've got a big chunk of food in your mouth and you can only mumble unintelligbly or nod okay to get them to leave your table. At least that's what I do.
There are other locations of Cali Baguette in San Diego. Here are posts from the other places:
Kirk's post on Cali Baguette Express on Convoy which also links his previous post(s) plus a recent revisit this summer
Cali Baguette and Pho
303 Broadway
Chula Vista, CA 91910
(619) 427-4888
www.calibaguetteexpress.com
The service by our young server (as nice as she is) was pleasant but on the slow side, especially when waiting for and having to ask for the check. Most places they give it to you like they want to get rid of you, ha ha. Other than that, the folks here are very nice and efficient. We'll have to try other items on their menu...
6 comments:
I've seen this place in Convoy but never tried it. I wonder if that location will be about the same. The 'meat puck' (awesome description) looked terrible. It looked lifeless and unappetizing. I think I have the same lactose thing as you right now but I just suck it up b/c it's hard for me to drink coffee without milk :(
I've seen it there too but never thought of going to it. I really like this place though, at least the one in CV.
Seeing the meat like that was not fun.
As for milk, if I am having good coffee, I will have real milk since I normally get cortados or macchiatos where the ratio is pretty small (nothing more than 4 or 5 oz total). Otherwise, if I get a mocha or something, I will ask for almond milk. I don't like soy at all
I've passed 'your' Cali Baguette so many times I. The past year or more, always noticing the handful of Vietnamese places on that side of Chula Vista. Now with the demise and slow rebuild of K Sandwiches, we've begun the search for a sort of replacement for a quick breakfast...but that corner has Manna and Vanessa's Deli too! What great choices. (Not that it matters, but real half and half is flavorful and you use a far lesser amount in coffee than milk, but I've never checked lactose content.)
I think this Cali Baguette will be a new regular stop (at least on Sundays after church). I've noticed more and more VN places on West CV. It used to just be Vinh Hung (next to a tattoo parlor and Motel 7), followed by Pho Royal (formerly Pho 888; Kirk posted on both incarnations), Pho Hung Cali (which Mary posted on) and Dragon Express (on E; La Ley likes that place but I've never been...yet). Still need to try Vanessa's Deli. Manna always wins out. Thanks for letting me know about half and half. Bert doesn't prefer it since it still has dairy in it.
Oh boy, this looks like a HUGE Cali Baguette! With servers! WHAT! My Cali Baguette in Mira Mesa is a tiny place in a strip mall but I love, love, love their bread. Sometimes I just stop in for a fresh baguette and a coffee. Beef rolls! Those look tasty, haven't seen those before. Will have to look out for those in the future.
It's pretty long! It's not over or understuffed, but just right.
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