Jack's Steakhouse, Baldwin Park - Closed

Today I had lunch at Jack's Steakhouse in Baldwin Park. I had a Kobe Burger with Cheddar for $8.95. It was well cooked and came with field greens, red onion, tomato, pickle and truffle oil fries. Can't complain about a thing. Service was great (3 refills). Price was right. Atmosphere was steakhouse clean. Parking was easy. Put it this way, the 5 Guys Burgers down the block start at $4.50 (w/o fries I think) and it's not half as good. Put down the fast food and treat yourself for a few dollars more. Be civilized.

Club Crawl - Bar Louie and Circa (Closed)

9:30-10pm: Bar Louie. I had a drink at Bar Louie on Sand Lake Rd. They have one in PB too (I'm sure many other places). A bad band was playing hill-billy tunes to exhaustion. Pool boys and cougars. Question. Why do semi-wealthy girls down here all were satin tops from Dillard's? You all look like Kate Gosslin. Do you ever read (look at) a fashion magazine? Place was boring. But, it was only 9.

10:30pm-1am: Circa. I had a drink at their upstairs club (Winter Park). I was told by the owner that they get Rollins girls here. No they don't! They get fossils here. It was like a bad wedding reception. Same shitty tunes. Same guests.

Best part of the evening - late night snack at Pancho's on 436 and 17-92.

Ocean Prime Orlando, Sandlake

On Saturday I had dinner at this New American restaurant on Sandlake. The prices were steep and I had a sneaking suspicion that they couldn't deliver at that level. Therefore, I ordered 2 appetizers. I actually tried for the chicken at $24 but they were out of it (I wonder if it's because it's the only reasonably priced thing on the menu?). I had the French Onion Soup for $8 and the Surf and Turf for $16. The soup was ok. The broth was fine. The cheese was flavorless (ie cheap) and not browned enough on top. The Surf and Turf was braised short ribs (a little gamey) on top of scallops (2). They were large but fishy (not fresh) and one was laced with sand or shell or grit of some kind. The service was great. They gave you a whole loaf of sour dough bread that looked great. The decor is very nice but it lacks personality. They have a private (as private as glass can be) dining room, a large bar and an outdoor seating area. The place is fine but not fine dining. It's like Fran Drescher at a black tie affair. You can dress her up and she can look good and say the right things but you still know she doesn't pass the test. Plus these prices are an insult when you have to sit next a bunch of jack asses in shorts and a tee shirt. Either lose your pretense or enforce it. I have a feeling that people try for a table at J. Alexander's next door (1/2 the price) but can't wait 40 minutes for a table so they suck it up and go to Prime so their fat wife and screaming kids will stop complaining. Interestingly, Prime was about half full (60 tables) and Alexander's was totally full. But, Prime is 2X as much so they probably earn equal amounts. Funny how the economics play out. I would reservedly recommend this place. It's like Salt Island or Capital Grille - expense account dining for hicks who think Ruth's Chris is as good as it gets. I was told it's run by a man from Ohio. Make of that what you will.

Positano, Ocoee

Last Wednesday I ate at this Italian restaurant on West Colonial (50) near the West Oaks Mall. I had the buffet for $7.95 to test out as many dishes as possible. Verdict? Pizza = good. 4 types. Thin. Salad Bar = good. Fresh. Had 3 cold non-vegetable selections as well as the veggies. Sausage Lasagna = a little bland but ok. Rigatoni a la Vodka = good. They also had two seafood oriented pastas and Eggplant Parmagiana = untried. Service was good. Clean. The place had a more formal area, a pizzeria and an enclosed patio. I wish I was hungrier that day, but, who can complain at $7.95. Get in there and stuff your fat faces.

Papa Tony's, Winter Springs - Closed

I ate at this Italian restaurant on 434 last night. The sign at the door says "Orlando's best kept secret". It should read "This place is best kept secret". First of all it's in a gas station. This would be cute if it was good. But, it's appropriate given have bad the food was. I ordered a veal parmigiana hero because I was not about to throw $15 down the toilet on this long shot. That was the median price for about everything (I think spaghetti is about 89 cents a box). They didn't have veal. On a Friday. The start of a weekend. Their busiest time of the week. I settled for the chicken at $7. Do you know the Italian Chicken Sandwich at Burger King that they drag out every once and a while? Then you know the Chicken Parm Sandwich at Papa Tony's. Same size. Same quality. The place is aged. There was a guy singing at a piano. They offered specials and a salad bar. Too scary for me. Maybe they're good. But, I'd be too scared to try. And I'd be to smart to pay what they expect for it. Another sign said the original cook or owner was back (I assume this wasn't a threat). I can't imagine how bad it was under previous ownership. The one good thing was the service. I even watch on as a waitress took the time to try and help out some deadbeat/person off his meds looking for a free glass of water read the menu before we all realized he was just taking advantage. I would also check the menu against your check. I think some things on the menu are listed lower than they appear on your check. If you don't know this place is bad, you don't know what Italian cooking should taste like.

Hayashi, Sanford - Closed

I had lunch at this Japanese restaurant on 46 on Tuesday. I had a short rib lunch box for $8.95 and a two roll sushi lunch special (yellowtail and tempura chicken) for $5. Sodas were $1. It was ok. This place was run by a Japanese man when it was called Gyosai. I had the impression that it is run now by a Chinese owner (drop in quality and Chinese items on the Menu). On the plus side, I applaud the larger menu, the prices and differentiation. The Chinese hot items will bring in less adventurous customers. The prices will bring in the poor (most of Sanford). The different items will bring in people like me. The short ribs had a gamey taste. I'm sure the quality and age of the meat was bad. But, it was fun having something to pick at other than the usual Chinese dishes. Think thin skirt steak on the bone. Or that crap they serve when you order pepper steak from a take-out place. The spring roll was ok. It was not really filled with anything at all (mostly an empty shell). The potstickers were fine. The Japanese style salad was all iceberg lettuce. The watermelon squares were fresh and seedless. The miso soup was fine. The white rice was a little overcooked. And that was the lunch box. The rolls were ok. The yellowtail was fresh. But, I hate when they give you those tiny rolls wrapped in seaweed. It's like they section a straw. I didn't care for the chicken tempura roll. I'd never had one before and I don't think I will again. I'm not a big fan of land animals and sushi. The service was good. Two and a sushi chef for about 10 tables (3 were occupied and they had takeout orders). They asked for re-fills. The food came quickly. The place is pretty much the same as the old place. I think they did something to the sushi bar and added a TV. They have $1 sushi on weekdays from 5-7 (larger selection than Samurai). It's not high end sushi but you can put it in your rotation if you live near by and enjoy a sushi fix at reasonable prices.