This post will concentrate on meals enjoyed from May to June...
(seen at window at salon on Adams Ave on the western edge of North Park before it turns to University Heights)
During the latter half of March...
well you know. Everyone went hermit mode. Same thing with April.
I will be doing a separate post on meals made at home during that period as well as meals ordered as takeout. We normally don't do takeout and to be honest, didn't do too much of this for the past few months. I much prefer cooking at home.
But back to the post at hand. When the county deemed it was ok for eateries to start serving food again with outdoor seating, we were a bit hesitant. This particular morning, Bert and I had just had our first coffee OUTSIDE during this pandemic (it is listed in my previous Coffee Stops post). We decided to walk the whole length of Adams Avenue to get to Park Blvd.
But we hadn't had breakfast yet, so we stopped at Twiggs on Adams. All tables cleared out. No seating inside at all.
Their breakfast choices:
Our view from our outside table, which was sprayed with disinfectant cleaner (I would hope) by one of the workers. I noticed he was cleaning every time someone vacated the spots.
We shared a breakfast panini. We are not acai bowl people. This had eggs, cheese and sausage within. Sausage was chopped so you could get some in every bite, which I like instead of just a sausage split in half.
Perfect for sharing.
Sometime later that month, we were invited to a "drive by" curbside graduation celebration in the Mission Valley area, specifically the newer community of Civita. We did our morning walk there on purpose so we could attend this "event" more easily. One of my students invited me to come by; I had given him a gift through the window and to my surprise, he handed ME a gift, which was a pair of cookies from Uncle Biff's Killer Cookies as well as a small box of Chick Fil'A nuggets with sauce. That was really nice of him!
Before heading home, we stopped by Ka Prao Thai Cuisine in Mission Valley. I had visited before with him pre-pandemic as well as with Cathy of mmm-yoso (those posts from Jan & Feb '20 have yet to be written and posted but when I do, it will be backdated).
This place is fast becoming one of our favorite stops for Thai food. There was a lot of seating outside. Because it was a weekend, the normal weekday crowded were not there during prime lunch hour.
We had the pad see ew with chicken, fried rolls and their Ka Prao Kai do with minced pork (the other choice was chicken) topped with a fried egg.
The minced pork was so saucy; Bert really liked that runny egg yolk too.
The noodles had the 'wok hey' factor. Nicely done. Flavorful and not undercooked or bland.
On another weekend, my sis and I had walked part of Lake Miramar. We were actually lucky to get a spot. We only walked a small portion of the lake (about 40 minutes worth of walking) before throwing in the towel. Plus it was getting too hot.
Our reward was a late breakfast from The French Oven in Scripps Ranch.
Seating was available outside. They also only allowed two people inside the bakery at a time.
I got the Chicken salad croissant sandwich. OMG...this was so good. The wow factor comes not just from their buttery and flaky croissant but also from the very fresh ingredients. The chicken breast was juicy and the sauce had a certain flavor I couldn't place, so I asked the owner what was in it. The secret is mango chutney! There was a bit of tang with the curried dressing, but the chutney also had tamarind which gave it another dimension. Note to self, learn to make mango chutney so I can have this sandwich whenever I want, heh heh.
My sister's choice was the ficelle - a mini baguette with arugula, brie and prosciutto which she enjoyed very much.
Bert and I went the following week - This time he got the Chicken curry croissant sandwich. This time, they used crunchy red bell pepper inside. Mine had celery. I like that it was changed up. They really use what is fresh and on hand.
We also shared the quiche Lorraine - This was not the wedge (like at Tartine or Bread and Cie) but a rectangular slice. Not as much "edges" or crust as I would have liked. The inside was a bit too "eggy/runny" for my preference. Still, this hit the spot.
Mid June - Speaking of Tartine, Bert and I did a morning walk at Coronado. Restaurants by that time were allowed to have diners inside but with a limited seating capacity. Their outdoor patio was full so we opted to sit inside. Lucky for me, the corner table was available.
Masks of course were worn inside. We took them off to eat.
Look at the empty space where tables used to be.
Folks working here are always so nice. Their service is always good here.
Bert wanted the Croque Monsieur while I opted for the Chicken Curry Salad. Yes, chicken curry again. I wanted to compare flavor notes I suppose.
I had this Tropical green tea before here several times. I liked it so much, I ordered a damn box online. The teabag is very posh - a silky material. Bert even liked this tea and that is saying a lot. It was so fragrant. It almost didn't need any of the sugar.
I also ordered a side - Epi with jam and butter. Even though I knew I would have bread as a side for my salad...
Their salad portions are generous here. No skimpy 4 or 5 leaves. Their dressing is also very light and refreshing.
Yes, more bread. Crunchy on the outside...
No mango chutney but still just as delicious. There were golden raisins in this one, adding the right amount of sweetness.
Another another weekend walking excursion with my sister, we walked all the way from North Park to Hillcrest. June is Pride Month and even though the pride parade was cancelled, many businesses had signs supports the Black Lives Matter Movement. I liked how this was combined with the rainbow flag.
Our "reward" at the end of our longass walk (in which we actually took an uber back to our car, OMG - we shaved 1.5 hours of walking into 8 minutes of drive time), we had a late breakfast at Bread and Cie.
They did have indoor seating and a funny hat with fake 3 foot long baguettes on each side, to emphasize the 6 foot distancing rule. Some tables had stuffed animals occupying the chairs too. We sat on the outside patio.
Quiche, crab sandwich and the Ube scone (it was actually purple sweet potato which is as close as you can get to ube, since that particular yam is not readily available here).
Quiche was a wedge. Inside was more runny that the version I had at French Oven. Still tasted good, but I like a more firm quiche.
Ube glaze plus real pieces of the purple sweet potato within.
The crab sandwich was delicious. Toasted with butter and filled with crabby goodness.
During one of my morning solo forays, I ventured to North Park. This photo is that former corner discount store on the NE corner of 30th and University. Now it's boarded up with flyers and street art covering the boards.
My stop was Caffe Calabria - I got the Metro again (the iced espresso with soda and flavored with orange and vanilla) as well as a panini.
Back in May, when they reopened the IB Pier, we enjoyed some fish and chips plus a Ballast Point sculpin...Kitchen closes at 8. We made it in time to get both our food and to watch the sun set.
There you have it...Meals and/or snacks enjoyed while out in the open during the time of covid-19.
With the recent surge in California, I will probably cut back on doing this. I start work next week so there goes my free time. I'll probably work on backdated posts.
Have any of you gone out to dine at actual eateries? How were your experiences? Just curious...
2 comments:
Ahh no wonder you messaged me when I posted chicken sandwich story from french oven! We also ordered the same quiche there! I believe there was a good chicken salad sandwich at herb and eatery but it was a few years ago when I tried it. I would like to make it at home for sure!
Yes, that is why Lynn, ha ha. Prior to that visit, I hadn't been to the French Oven in over a year and a half. Their pastries are so good! Herb & Eatery is a good place!
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