I always love a good baked pasta dish and Ottavio’s in Lakeside does not disappoint! “Rigatoni Ottavio’s” is a remarkable dish. Made with rigatoni tossed in ricotta, mozzarella & romano cheeses, then baked in a creamy meat sauce. Plus the best dinner salad in east county. Outstanding!
Outstanding enchilada plate at OTB! We usually frequent the Escondido location but due to recent service issues tried the one in Mira Mesa. Really impressed!
Surf & Turf Two Taco Plate at Rubio’s was pretty tasty! Includes one langostino lobster taco and a grilled “gourmet” steak taco. Plus a side of beans (rice) and chips.
Outstanding Chicago Dog at Freddy’s in Yuma! I don’t order these often because they’re such a hot mess and hard to eat. All of the contrasting flavors and textures though are just extraordinary.
One of my favorite things to order at any Mexican restaurant is a wet burrito! El Charro Cafe in Yuma makes probably the best one I’ve had. This one is called the “Red Saddle”. Smothered with a delicious red chili con carne. They also make a green chili version called… (are you ready for this?)… the “Green Saddle”. This is one of the most stunning dishes I’ve been served in a Mexican restaurant. I felt like I had to lay down after eating only half of it.
Back in Yuma! Seems like I was just here LOL. I was determined to find some good Chinese food on this trip and I did just that. I went to Oriental House on 4th Avenue. Or as the locals call it, “The O-House”. This is a really cool restaurant with just the right amount of funky. It’s obvious this place used to be some sort of diner back in the day. I ordered the House Special Fried Rice and it was outstanding! The won ton soup I started with was some of the best I’ve had. Looking forward to coming back here.
We made another outstanding homemade Detroit Pizza! This time in lieu of red sauce, I made a white, creamy Parmesan/garlic sauce. Then topped with chunks of grilled chicken, crispy bacon and a pound of cheese!
One of my favorite taco shops in Ramona has always been La Cocina! Despite the foam plates! Here’s an outstanding combination plate with beef taco and cheese enchilada.
A week in Yuma wouldn’t be complete without at least two trips to Cracker Barrel for breakfast! This time “Uncle Herschel’s Favorite” with a big, beautiful slab of country ham.
Food Observations 