Monday, February 7, 2011

Grub Crawl - West 50 and South Kirkman : Gyros, Winnaz (Closed), New Orleans Cajun Seafood, Mama Nems

Gyros - 50 - I had a Traditional Gyro at this psuedo-Greek restaurant past the Fair Crowds for $5. I nuked it for dinner and found it acceptable. The place is more wings and sandwiches than Greek. It's in a decaying fast food structure. I counted no fewer than 5 types of tiles on the floor. It's a bit ratty. But, it seemed popular. It fits about 30 and was full.

Winnaz - 50 - I sampled some fritters at this Jamaican restaurant next to Gyros for $3. They weren't the fluffy fritters I am used to. They were more like little omlettes. I'm not sure if they were supposed to come out like that, but, they were edible. The people were very nice. They have some hard to find items (ie Goat Head Soup). The place looked like it could be in the islands (one bare, open room with tables in a grid and a bar at the rear). It seats about 70 and was empty at lunch.

New Orleans Cajun Seafood - 50 (in between Pine Hills and Kirkman) - I had a softshell crab Po' Boy for $9. The roll was good. The crab was not breaded properly. The crust fell off easily. The crab seemed like it was old and frozen. The place is run by Vietnamese. They sell some Viet fare as well. The crawfish and crab boils looked more promising. The place was pretty ratty inside. It only seats about 30. It was full. A mixed crowd. They didn't take AMEX.

Mama Nems - S. Kirkman - I had 2 pieces of fried chicken and mashed potatoes and cheesy grits for $6. It's a Soul Food restaurant. Very well reviewed, I hear. The chicken and mashed pototoes (real) were excellent. The Grits were watery and tasteless. The water they gave me tasted of detergent. The place seats about 70. It was packed (lines). The crowd was mostly (but not all) black. They have a to go window in the back. It may be the better option. The place looks like it was constructed to be a dentists office. The decor is minimal. The service is a bit harried. They didn't take AMEX.

A tip to people coming from the Universal area. Kirkman runs all the way up to 50.

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