Eola Cafe, Downtown

On Wednesday I had dinner at this American restaurant in the Embassy Suited Hotel on Pine St. I had a Cab Burger for $11. On the plus side, the bun was good a toasted to perfection. On the don side, the hamburger ws awful. It was grey, pre-formed and lacking in flavor. It was alterately overcooked on the edges and raw in the middle (a sure sign that it wasn't defrosted enough before cooking). The homemade chips were great. The place is in the lobby of the hotel and you get a great floor to cieling eating aboreteum. The service was good. The wine selections were good and resonably priced. It was clean. It seats about 90. The menu was typically over priced (business accounts and hotel hostages). I would go for the ambiance.

Brick & Fire, Casselberry - Closed

On Wednesday I had lunch at this Italian restaurant on 436. I had the Greek Chicken and Pasta Salad with beverage for $6.95. The greens were good. The chicken was awful. It was that chicken Spam they use at BK. The pasta was stuck together. I don't think the cook ladled the water while boiling it. They haven't changed the decor from the Mexican themed darkness of the establishment that preceeded it. They added a pizza counter. That's it. The service was ok. 2 servers for 3 tables seated out of twenty or so. No re-fills on the drinks. The dish I ordered was a summer special. The rest of the menu was over-priced (a 20$ pizza for example). Another woefully mediocre Italian travesty at premium pricing. I wouldn't go back. Plus they didn't take AMEX.

Pio Pio, Orlando

On August 13th I had lunch at Pio Pio on 436 on my way to the airport. It's a Latin style restaurant. I had Pork Belly with Arepa for $3.50. Now, in the last month I've had braised pork belly in the Hamptons and a Pork Belly Taco in Pacific Beach, CA. Both were far superior to this pork belly in different ways. The braised pork belly was nearly 100% eatable. Only a thin membrane in between the two halves of the pork belly was dicardable. The fried pork belly in the taco was 100% eatable. Pio's belly was 90% ineatable fat. Now I don't know if it is their style of preparation or poor execution, but, I found it too fat-centric for my taste. But, it was cheap so no harm done. I also had a steak sandwich for $5. It was monstrous. It came with lettece and tomato on a huge roll. I couldn't finish it. The prices swing wildly at this place. Some entrees are in the high teens or higher. I wouldn't pay that for peasant food. But, if you order smartly it's a good choice. The place is nice. It has a few sister establishments. It seats about 70. It was half full. The service was good. It was clean. It had appropriate decor for a Latin-themed restaurant. Give it a go.

Limoncello's, Sanford - Closed

On Monday I ate at this quasi-Italian restaurant on that little island in Sanford. It's in the old Oscar's localtion and retains most of its elements (except for new photos of Italian-Americans on the wall). I had their lunch buffet because I wanted to sample as much of their fare as possible. It ran $9.95. They had a salad bar. Not huge and mostly iceberg but acceptable. They had corn chowder (better than the porridge they serve at Panera's). They had roast chicken. It was flavored with a rub that reminded me of Old Bay and was dry (but I like it that way). They had ziti in a tomato sauce baked with mozzerella. They had farfalle in a cream sauce. They had sauteed squash and zucchini (a little greasy). They had really fried hashbrowny potatos. They even fired up a pizza for me. It wasn't half bad. Unfortunately, for them there were only 3 others eating dining when I was there. I think they had some take out orders, but, a not half bad buffet was probably ignored. If you going to eat in Sanford, I have to believe this is the best value. They have most of Oscar's old dishes and many Italian staples. The view is killer. The service was great (she was even doing windows while I was there). The place is clean. The decor is above average. It mostly wood with fish tanks thrown in. It seats about 60 and has an outdoor deck. For 10 bucks it beats the 2 pieces of mis-cut salmon sushi and beer I had at Fish Bones on Friday.