Yellow Dog Eats, Gotha

I had dinner at this American (it's not a hot dog joint) restaurant on Hempel Ave in Gotha/Windermere last night. I had a Blue Suede Shoes Pulled Pork sandwich for $10. It came with blue cheese, bacon, a sweet sauce and raw onion. It was phenomenal. All the ingredients were fresh and played off each other perfectly. The sandwich was big. The bun was great. It even came with chips. A great combination of flavors. The place serves mostly riffs on pulled pork. They have some specials, confections and salads. They sell wine (sadly double retail) and self labeled condiments like spicy pickles. The staff was all young. The girl who took my order was a knock out. Sweet too. It's self serve. The place has character. It's like an old, hirsute farm house (even though they rebuilt it two years ago after a fire). People have written on the walls and given them photos of their dogs to display. It has a very inviting vibe. They have a downstairs interior off the kitchen that seats about twenty. It is flanked by the goods they sell. The upstairs seats about thirty more. The outside is separated into two patio/garden areas. They seat about fifty. All very clean. Although, most of the decor is faux chic it still has a kitschy appeal that convinces you it could be authentic. I really loved this place. It had a great aura and great food. Almost everyone who came in seemed like a regular. Parking out front was a little limited. Now let me tell you how to find it. From I-4, take the 409 or Old Winter Garden Rd (the one behind the Citrus Bowl) west to Hempel Ave and then head south about a mile to where Gotha begins. It is a destination spot.

Zorba's Eatery, Longwood - Closed

I had lunch at this Greek restaurant near the 434 - 424 intersection on Thursday. I had a Gyro Combo (with fries) for $7.95. It was fine. They also have a chicken gyro if you don't like the lamb/beef combination. The fries were crisp and sprinkled with herbs. They also serve other Greek staples and many American sandwiches. They have a small retail kiosk of Greek foods. It's small. It seats about 30. It was about half full while I was there. The crowd was mixed. It's clean. The walls are blue and they have photos of the Greek isles all over. You can see the kitchen behind the glass shielded counter from which you order. It's self serve (no tipping expected). I believe the place is owned and operated by the man behind the glass. He was very friendly. I recommend that you give it a go. Break out of your dull routine. They will have you in and out in a flash. And at the cost of a sandwich combo from Subway, you will have a superior experience (even if you chicken out and order and American sandwich). They don't take AMEX.

Danny's Broasted Chicken, Lake Mary - Closed

I had lunch at this new Broaster (pressure fried) restaurant next to Tijuana Flats on Lake Mary Blvd on Wednesday. I had a chicken breast for $2, disco (cheese and gravy) fries for $4, and a fish sandwich for $5. The chicken was broasted. I liked the results. It was crispy and juicy. Get ready for a new way to experience chicken Orlando. The fries were also very good. The fries were crinkle cut, crisp and plentiful (a meal in itself). The gravy came in a container if you preferred to abstain. I ate the fish sandwich for dinner and I'm sure the refrigerating and nuking detracted from its potential. However, it was still good. It came on a medium sized sub bun with lettuce and tomato. I though they said it came with tartar sauce. They had tartar sauce in packets by the napkins, so maybe I misunderstood. The place is tiny. It seats about 20. They also serve shrimp and other sides. It is painted red and is decorated with Wisconsin sports memorabilia (love the upside down Favre) and old school pennants. I'm not sure what sports has to do with the culinary concept, but, that's the theme they are branding themselves with. I would have suggested a more generic, regional decor. The have a TV that they say is to occupy you while they make your meal "cooked to order". I didn't really notice the seven minutes they said it took to make the meal. The service was courteous and accommodating. You order at a counter and they bring you the food. As a result you can funnel that tip money into more food. The place seems family run and owned. I would recommend that you abandon one of your trips to Tijuana Flats and give them a go.

Apna, Longwood - Closed

I had lunch today at this Indian restaurant on the east side of I-4 on 434 today. I had a Salad with Tandoori Chicken for $8 and a side of Naan for $3. The salad came with tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, cucumbers, onions, and green pepper. They gave it a slight spritz of oil and vinegar. It came with a shot glass of Raita. There was plenty of chicken. It was nicely spiced. A very refreshing meal. They served a complimentary fried crisp (I'm spacing on the name) as an amuse bouche. The place seats about 80. There was only one other diner there (although they have been only open for two weeks and it was really cold today). It's very clean for an Indian restaurant. It even smelled of bleach when I entered. The floor plan is open with four seat tables arranged in a grid. Not much decoration. It seems to be a husband and wife, two person show. There was one waitress and maybe another person in the kitchen (although the husband seemed to be the cook). They have a pretty extensive menu. They said it was kosher. The service was good and she seemed genuinely concerned for the fate of the restaurant. Most lunch specials came with rice or Naan. Some other Indian restaurants have a larger sample on their lunch plates at the same price (10ish). However, I didn't get a look at the portion size to compare. I do recommend it. Even if they don't take American Express. And I would like to have seen if they would have charged me for a refill.

Fresco, Sand Lake

I had lunch at this Italian restaurant in the K-Mart plaza just off the Sand Lake Rd exit last Wednesday. I had a meatball panini with fries for $8. I also received a house salad for free because the waitress and I mis-communicated over what I wanted as my side selection. The salad was a little wilted. However, it was still better than most salads in an Italian restaurant and it was comped. It even came with some olives and mozzarella cheese. The meatball panini was ok. The meatballs were a little undercooked. I can forgive that since it appears that they took pains to make them to order. The fries were crisp. They had a bread basket. It was a very filling meal. The place is half in and half out. It partially makes an attempt at being a nice restaurant. It looks low end from outside. It's in the far corner of a dump of a shopping mall next to a bad chain store. The signage is cheap. Inside they make the same half hearted effort. It's one part gourmet shop and one part cafeteria. There is way to much empty space. It seats about 100. There were about 20 people there at lunch. It has a tiny bar with a TV. The service (2) was good. The silverware was a little dirty. They sell wine (double retail) in the back. They don't make pizza at lunch. All in all, it's like Janine Garafalo. You can find good things if you look, but, it doesn't feel like making any attempt to reach its potential. I wouldn't mind eating here again. I just wouldn't go out of my way again to get here.

Braxi's, Downtown - Closed

I grabbed a dog from this Burger place on Church Street after the game last Wednesday. It cost $3.50. It was fine. However, I'd like to talk more about the spot and the people. I'm surprised that more people didn't file in here (either because of munchies or they fact they couldn't find food around the arena before the game). It might have been because no one was behind the counter. I'm not a Nobel Prize Winning economist, but, I would think that if I owned the spot I would make sure that someone was behind the counter when a stream of 14,000 customers walked by. Remember this (and my Paradise Island review) when you hear these jerk offs complaining about how the new arena hasn't helped sales. Speaking of which, the only spots with customers were Hamburger Mary's and that Cajun Pub on the corner. This leads me to believe if you are selling dainty desserts or anything non hops or cow related, you should not expect a bump in business.

UCF v UF, Amway Arena

I saw the UCF Knights play the Florida Gaylords at the new Amway Arena last Wednesday night for $17. It was fun. The Knights won. It was almost sold out. I had to sit two rows from the back. Wasn't the reason they built half an arena at UCF that they couldn't haul ass over to Downtown? The new arena is basically the old arena with one more section added to it. That is one too many. If you are offered seats in the upper bowl, do not accept them. It is too far away. The arena is still pretty generic. They have some cool, new bars, but, it's not a giant upgrade from the old place. The one area in which it excels is in VIP seating and pamepering (exactly what a town with a median income of 28k demands). I also think that the one side of the arena that does not have wrap around lighting is distracting the shooters. Both teams shot horribly at that end. Then again it could be the lights from the Ozone bar.

Paradise Island Cafe, Downtown

I had dinner 1 at this Jamaican restaurant across from the Amway Arena last Wednesday night. I had the large beef and bean soup for $3.75. It was tasty. Lots of beef. It was big enough to be a meal. It was a little discouraging to see that it was being reheated via microwave. It's small. It seats about 30. They have a deli on the other side (where you have to pay along side every lush buying beer). The service was a little "lethargic". They weren't exactly tripping over each other to make the customers feel welcome. They could have done double the business if they showed the slightest interest in engaging their patrons. I wager that they lose their entire clientele when ANY competition emerges. They have been given a golden opportunity and I see them letting it pass them by. The best part of meal was watching Crackers wince when they read what being served at the restaurant. I guess this isn't part of their usual food rotation.

Boston's Fish House, Winter Park

I had lunch 2 at this Seafood restaurant (behind the Italian Ice Guy on Aloma - east side of 436) last Wednesday. I went for the cheapest thing on the menu (because I had already reviewed their satellite in Sanford and eaten my lunch 5 minutes ago) and ended up with a steal. I had the Mini-Fish Sandwiches. It was two "sliders" of fried fish (Haddock?) in between two well buttered rolls. It came with (I chose) cole slaw (sweet) and a broccoli salad with raisins and bacon. I'm sure it's a NE staple, but, I had never had that. I could have lived without the raisins, but, I loved the broccoli. The fish was well cooked and not oily. It was enough to fill you up on it's own. It all cost $6. To put it in perspective, a bowl of chowder cost around $5. This place (the original) has a lot more charm than the one in Sanford. It has NE nick knacks and a nautical type theme. It seats about 50 inside. It was full. The service was quick. I believe the owner actually works there. I recommend it.

Johnny's Diner, Winter Park - Moved

I had lunch 1 at this Diner on 436 (right after University) last Wednesday. I had 2 eggs over easy with hashbrowns, toast and sausage for $6. It was all fine. They did kind of trick you with a sign that said it was $4.25 but only applies until 11am. The place is decrepit but not dirty. They Christmas wrapped all the paintings. It seats about 50. It was pretty full (of old timers). The service was good. A decent Diner. They aren't open for dinner.

*See 3/30/2024 post for where they moved to.