Grub Crawl - Dr Phillips : Scalini's, Bonsai, Le Cafe de Paris

Scalini's: I had lunch at this pizzeria near the end of Dr. Phillips and Windemere. I had their 2 slice lunch special for $5. It's a nice, basic pizzeria. It seats abot 40. It was packed. The owner was cool. Not much too look at. I downgraded to pizza after I saw it was a basic place. The pizza was good - thin, good sauce and cheese. A fresh slice probably would have earned it a better rating.

Bonsai Sushi: I had a yellowtail roll for $6. It's in the same strip as Scalini's. It was good. Most basics adhered to. The fish was a little cartilidged. It's small. It seats abot 30. Prices were about 50% higher than the norm. They were nice.

Le Cafe de Paris: I had a chicken sandwich with black olives. Which was really a very mayonaised chicken salad from a can sandwich. Disappointing. It did have flavor (oil, seasoning). This is more of a deli than a restaurant. In the same complex as the others. Seats about 40. They were nice. Not expensive. They have breakfast.

Pub Crawl - I Drive/Sand Lake: Cricketer's Arms, O'Henry's, BB King's, Cuba Libre, Miller's Ale House

Cricketer's Arms: I had a beer at this pub outside the Festival Bay Mall on Friday. The bartender was a dick. It had some people. Not people you would want to have in your home. Do people really need to socialize so badly that they are willing to pay 10x the cost of retail booze for the pleasure of knowing other people exist in their town? This is why I never feel bad for the poor. They just piss away money stupidly.

O'Henry's: I would never EAT at one of these chain abominations (Beef O'Brady's, Houligans, etc). I mean who has concluded that making something sound Irish increases it's gastronomic allure? Probably someone who doesn't know what that term evinces. I did have to get it off my "to do" list so I grabbed a drink there. The place was empty at 10pm. It looked like every other Stonewood, etc. They have a cute bartender. Russian of all things. Why are there no Russian restaurants here? We have an Icelandic, a Ethiopian, etc.

BB King's: I had a beer at this spot on I Drive. Great spot. However, I felt like I had crashed a Black Wedding party. Mostly empty at 10:30pm.

Cuba Libre: Nice spot. A little Epcot-y. In the same complex as BB King's. I felt like I crashed a Cuban Wedding Party. Mostly empty at 11pm. Bartender was so disinterested I couldn't let myself wait.

Miller's Ale House: See above. I felt like I crashed a pay per view party. Which it was. MMA = dude fest. Still full (of sausage) at 11:30pm.

Grub Crawl - International Drive and Sand Lake: Fuddrucker's, Flipper's and Anthony's

Fuddrucker's: I had some chili cheese fries at this outpost in the Festival Bay Mall at the north end of I Drive last Friday. I was there mainly to add Cricketer's to my done list and didn't feel like paying near $10 for a chain burger. They almost got me with an elk and/or buffalo offering, but, I held fast. You order in a cafeteria style queue. The place was fine for that class of restaurant. They even had a guy making balloon animals for kids. It was mainly empty. It seats around 100. The fries were fine. Wedge cut. They cost $3.50. It was clean.

Flipper's: I ordered a sausage hero from this place behind the strip mall that has Ocean Prime on Sand Lake. It cost around $7. It was fine. The place is half way between a nice sit down faux trattoria and a fast food restaurant. They don't serve slices. It seat about 50. They have outdoor dining. It was about one third full.

Anthony's: A step up from Flipper's. It reminded me of an Italian restaurant in a casino in Vegas. It just seemed inauthentic. The service was good. I had a personal pizza for $6. It seats about 90. It is just a square area with no nooks. They have odd things on the menu like ribs and wings. The decor is old celebrity and sports related. It was about one quarter full.

MLL - Orlando Titans v Toronto Rock

I went to the semi-finals at the O-rena (yes!). It was my first time seeing Lacrosse indoors. The object seems to be to get possession of the ball and then run to the bench. Can they please change this strategy? It has to be more tiring doing it this way than leaving the unit out for a few shifts. The crowd was pleasant. It was small. Only about half of the lower bowl was filled. The Titans lost. I may go back next year if they lower the prices and fix the way the players play the game.

Garden Cafe, W.50

I had dinner at this Chinese Vegetarian Cafe on W. 50 near the O-rena last night. I had a faux shrimp and chicken entree with mixed vegetables in a brown sauce for $10. It was very tasty. The faux meat was probably the worst of it. It looked like what it was replacing, but, the shrimp tasted like shirimi and the chicken didn't taste like much of anything. The vegetables (zucchini, mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower) were all very fresh and clean. The sauce was savory. It came with a bowl of rice that was dry and old. I didn't have room for it anyway. The platter was huge. The place is a bit unwelcoming. It is a white brick edifice with bars on the window (obviously necessary given the neighborhood). I could never tell if it is opened or closed or if it was abandoned. Inside it is a square box with low ceilings. The tables and chairs are black with white table cloths. There is not much decoration. The service was good (fast). It seats about 90. There were three other dining at 6pm. I don't love vegetarian food, but, I have to admit I felt energized all night after eating here. Too bad I'm not that concerned with my well being. They get a plus for $1 sodas and a minus for not accepting AMEX or giving a receipt.

Daily News, Downtown

I got a burger to go at this raggedy coffee shop on Magnolia on Wednesday. It was $5 and came with toppings, fries and a soda. Let's just say that the patty (of all things) was the star. It was fat. It wasn't overcooked. It didn't give me the squirts. The toppings were wilted. The fries were half cooked. But, it was closing for the day. At 2pm! Anyway. If you like low prices and an old fashioned breakfast/lunch experience give it a go. It doesn't have much in the way of style. It's a true greasy spoon. It seats about 40. They deliver. The waitress was very courteous and may I dare say a little sexy too.

Java Lava, Downtown

I had lunch at this coffee shop on Robinson (near the Court House) on Wednesday. I had a buffalo chicken salad combo for $9. It was supposed to come with soup and a soda. I never got the soup. The salad was large. It was surprisingly fresh. It was a little weird to have feta cheese in a salad covered by blue cheese dressing. The chicken in it was that horrible faux, soy, lips and dicks chicken gruel. It was covered by that horrible orange, buffalo dressing. You order they bring it to the table (but you get the soda). The place seats about 80. It was full. I think everyone was associated with a law firm or a juror. It's no-frills. Not quite cafeteria like, but, strip away some of the mustard color paint and homey touches and you could get there. They have Greek options, wraps, dogs, desserts and coffee.

Grease, Wayne Densch

I saw this musical in Sanford on Friday night. Let me say that I have seen the movie hundreds of times, but, I had never seen it on stage. I think the stage book is better. Even the contracted scenery made more sense. Most of the singing (save Sandy) was passable. The acting and dancing was another story. Danny, Rizzo and Sandy were particularly bad. Doody was visibly gay. He looked like Will Forte. He squealed like a queen. He did sing and dance well (shocker). I do have to applaud the director's brave decision to see what a musical would be like if he placed his least talented actors in the leads. Here's a tip. Don't assign roles based on head shots. The audience made it up about 2/3 rds of the way up the orchestra seating. The best thing about it was watching the little kids eyes grow as big as saucers whenever something blue was said on stage. Tickets were $18.

Efes, Sanford - Closed

Last Friday I had dinner at this new Turkish restaurant in the Marina. I have to begin by stating that I don't think it will a success any more than any of its predecessors. And the issue is price. They price like a fine French restaurant and Middle Eastern food can be made with a camp fire and a stick. It's shepard food. The lowest priced entrees were $15. Some items broke $30. This is just too much for the neighborhood and a cuisine that is peculiar to an American palette.

Now for the review. I had Adana Kebab made of ground chicken for $17. I think Adana's are supposed to be a bit more spiced than the Kafte Kebab I think I got in it's place. What can I say about it? It was two skewers of a flattened, meatloaf like, kabob. No real taste. It came with white rice (overcooked) and piles of pickled cabbage, carrots and one other (I forget). I'm never sure what to do with these after thoughts. Do I mix them in? Do I use to cleans my palette? They aren't really necessary for either and they come in such big quantities that you feel bad for leaving them uneaten. The service was good. I had barely any time and they got me in and out. There was some unpleasantness getting a seat (tried to usher me to the bar in an empty restaurant and sat me under a dripping pipe). But, once I ordered it was fine. They even gave my some Turkish delight on the way out. The place is mostly like it was under the old establishment (Italian place). I think they painted the trim black and changed the seats. It looks nice. It's on the water (swamp but it's the best the area can do). I think I overheard the owner saying she started Bosphorous in Winter Park. It seats about 40 on the patio and 60 inside. I just don't see a bunch of Crackers and Retirement Home customers paying these prices. I saw a couple look at the menu and leave. Maybe it was the type of food. Maybe it was the prices. I just think that's a deadly combination. I hope it's not. But, I wouldn't go back unless the have a $7 lunch special like at Anatolia's.