Food Truck Round Up - Lake Mary : Nubu, Baxter and Tilly's, Chutzpah

I went to this event (at City Hall) on Sunday (1-4pm - supposedly every last Sunday of the month) and tried three of the trucks. I had already tried all but one of the others (8 total) and was not willing to wait for El Salvadoran Pupusas (Arepas clone). It was like the Seinfeld (it's amazing that this site has Seinfeld in the spell check and doesn't have a million other words) with the car reservation. They knew how to "take the order" just not how to "make the order". I swear there were nine tickets at the window and still nothing was coming out of the truck. And the guy was still taking orders. And idiots were still making this the most popular truck by far. I swear - the more I learn, the less I know.

Nubu Food Truck: A big selection of ambitious meals around $7. I had coq au vin for $5. It came in a Styrofoam cup. Maybe too much dry herbs (bitter) and bad white wine (wasn't cooked out or had a bad residual taste). Less and fresh herbs would impove it. Lots of nice vegetables. I'm not sure if coq au vin is supposed to have bow tie pasta in it. A for effort. C for execution. Nice people. I will try something else in the future.

Baxter and Tilly's Food Truck: I had a Cannoli for $2 because the Greek salad that came pre-packed in a plastic container and the chicken salad on a croissant (both $7) seemed boring with what else was going on around her truck. She said she is new and hopefully will learn. The cannoli was good. Chocolate dipped at both ends. I'm not a fan of desserts so I can't really elaborate.

Chutzpah Food Truck: The best truck. They had around nine options. All for $5. I had the Brisket Sandwich with a garlic and onion relish pickled in balsamic vinegar. Tender brisket. Great relish. Although, the bun was kind of over soaked in the vinegar. This was my weekend of brisket. I'm going for the middle eastern meatballs and the matzoh ball soup next time.

I hope the other trucks noticed that the people were most receptive of the things priced $5 and lower.

Club Crawl - Winter Park and Downtown : Taps (Closed), Blank Space, Stigma, Lodge, Ceviche, Hot Dog Lady

I ended up Downtown on Saturday. It was devoid of females. I heard theories ranging from the rent was due soon to people were in Tampa for the Gasparilla Festival or in Daytona for Speed Week. I prefer to believe that the PGA Golf Convention was is town and most of Orlando's girls are prostitutes. I believe if someone correlates the convention schedules with the nights that suck, they will find a connection. An idea for somebody's Master's thesis?

8-10pm: Taps - This new bar (original is in Tampa) was supposed to be my stop for dinner, but since they basically only have lunch items on the "menu", I had to go to the newest version of Lime (see past review) across the street. I had the tacos this time. A good deal at $7 for 3. On par with Chipotle's prices and they give you chips and a hipper setting. Taps is broken down into two rooms - a "beer" room exhibiting sports (and unfortunately on this night a homeless looking warbler) and a "wine" room offering nothing in particular. The staff was nice. The prices were good. They have the dispensing system in the wine room that lets you self serve with a card. Wine Room on Park Ave bottoms out at $2 for small pour. This place almost maxes out at $2 (actually $3 for a highly rated Seghesio Zin). The selection is less, but, most of wines are decent. You can get half glasses (and other sizes) that are as big as full glasses from the waitress too. The wine prices are very reasonable. Maybe half the price of most places. The selection of beer is less than World of Beer or Jax, but, that is in some ways less intimidating. The beer room has a brick wall encircling the taps. It is under the 4 TV's. Two glass refrigerators flank that. Two walls are glass. The glass walls are garage doors. The main color of the room is gray. It has mainly high top tables. They are black. Seats about 50. The wine room is a little more swank. It has sofas. It is decorated in some kinds of earth tones (like tan). I really can't remember. The main color was black (maybe and it depends on what you are calling out). I didn't spend much time there. It seats about 40. Taps is a good addition. They just need to address the menu. I don't see them doing more day traffic than night. Sandwiches and flatbreads don't cut it. They were a little banal and pricey too. Parking is only getting worse at the Winter Park Village.

10:30-11pm: Blank Space - Empty. Had a beer.

11-11:01pm: Stigma - No pole dancers?

11:03-11:04pm: The Lodge - Empty.

11:10-11:11: Ceviche - It was full, but, I went for a snack and decided hot dogs were a quicker alternative.

11:15-11:59pm: Wall Street - Pretty empty. Mostly dudes.

12am: Hot Dog Lady across from Independent. I knew she would be the best hot dog cooker on Orange and she was.

You know it's a bad night when shoving wieners in your mouth is the highlight. At least I was propositioned in the parking lot.

4 Rivers, Longwood

I finally went to their location on 434 and I4 today. I have reviewed the original before so this will be short. A much bigger spot in the old Crisper's location. One side is BBQ and one side is Sweets. It seats about 70 inside (group tables and booths) and 40 on the patio. It was jammed. Out the door by the time I left at 2pm. Eighteen orders gets your name in a brick. I suggest you indulge for immortality asap. I had a trio of sliders (brisket, burnt ends, and chicken) for $8. Very filling. Very good. And no parking problems here.

Club Crawl - Conroy and Downtown : BJ's, Stigma, Independent, Bar BQ, Gibson's

This is a little out of order, but, I went out around Conroy and downtown last Saturday.

10:30-11pm: BJ's (Conroy) - not a bad corporate mega-rant. They make their own beer. The place is huge. Mostly empty. Prices weren't bad.

11:30-12am: Stigma - Same us usual. DJing was good until 12 then he most have taken something that made him want to slow the music way down and and elongated bass "whooomps" every ten seconds. I felt like I was in one of those scenes in movies where the actors succumb to laughing gas and start talking low and in slow motion.

12-12:30am: Independent - Made the huge mistake of paying to get into this smoke filled jerk fest. It was 80's night and unlike Back Booth, this place attracts people who were there the first time around. Sad.

12:30-12:45am: Bar BQ - Bad ratio.

12:45-1am: Gibson Guitar Party Room - I waltzed in to this private space (who knew it was operating) after a PR event. It was closing up, but, it was cool to see inside the curtain.

Fork In The Road Food Truck, Winter Park

I had a Turducken Sandwich to go from this food truck on 17-92. I give it a nine for creativity, but a seven for execution. It was supposed to be self made duck bacon on top of a confit of duck wrapped around turkey. It was more like deep fried in a fryer duck around dry white turkey breast. Both fowls had little to no flavor. He needs to add some cinnamon or cardamon. Anything. The bacon was tastier when I fried it with my hamburger for dinner. It looked like luncheon meat pre-heat. The aioli and ciabatta bread it came on were good. And I'm left with a question. Where was the "en" (chicken)? Maybe I mis-remembered and it was chicken inside of turkey? That's how non-descript the elements were. The sandwich cost $9. I say it should be $6. Isn't the point of a truck to lower overhead? How are their prices always more than a restaurant? People will wonder why this fad crapped out and we will point to ridiculous price points fostered by bad business acumen. Don't overestimate your sales rate. He had a short rib sandwich for $9 and some mac and cheese bites for $6.

I need to edite my earlier review upon seeing the truck again. It was chicken around turkey with duck bacon on top. That is why it was dry and had little flavor. Makes the price even more suspect.

Sweet Traditions, Winter Park - Closed

I bought (remember kids "got" is not a word) a loaf of bread for $4 at this French Bakery and Cafe on Park Ave yesterday. It is an off shoot of a place in Winter Garden that I have previously reviewed. They serve reasonably priced breakfasts, sweets, soups, crepes, yogurt, quiches, salads and sandwiches. It's good to go. They have been open for four months.

Prato, Winter Park

I had lunch at this Italian restaurant on Park Ave yesterday. It is its misfortune that I just dined at rival Armando's last week. Not to say it is bad (it's pretty good), it just loses out to the aforementioned in almost every category. It's danker. It's more expensive. It has less selection. It has smaller portions. I had the cheapest panini on the menu (Grilled Eggplant) because as I said the selection is limited and expensive. It was $10. I had a choice of a $14 burger, a $12 meatball, a $13 tuna or a $11 Muffaleta. I wanted to try something that would require them to show any cooking proficiency, so the tuna and cold cuts were out. I didn't want a burger in an Italian restaurant and I definitely didn't want a $14 burger in an Italian restaurant. I chose the veggie because I wasn't in the mood for beef and a bad meatball would have been too much to go through. The eggplant skin was bitter. They charred it too brutishly. The eggplant itself had little flavor (even for an eggplant). The slices (one and a half layers of) were very thin. At least it wasn't oily. There were roasted garlic or shallots. There wasn't much taste to them. It was the only element of any abundance. The sauce and tomato sauce were penuriously applied. The bread was good. It was a pretty long sandwich. It came with Parmesan dusted shoe string french fries that may have been scented with truffle oil. My amnesia on the subject will tell you what an impression it did or did not make on the side. Not that I care because it is rarely anything but chemicals anyway. The portion of fries was large. They had that offensive starch coating on them that some places choose to use. The meal came on an unadorned modernish plate. The service was good. And they did beat Armando's in one category. The soda was a nickel less. The overall menu changes frequently (according to them). They revel in their fidelity to the locally grown movement. They really let you know that they do. But, you pay for their politics. Either that or overhead/poor business acumen or profit/greed. The only appetizer that may be of value is the Chicken Liver at $8. Everything else is more expensive and only the Ocala Rabbit Sausage is intriguing (and probably only because it says Ocala). I mean is prosciutto from Iowa really enticing? Is it enticing at $12? The pastas seem reasonable ($9/$16 for all four) They say they are made from scratch. The entrees (4) all top $23. It isn't outrageous. It's just more than Armando's. The real bamboozle is on pizza. They all cost $15 (even a Margherita). That's 50% more than Armando's and they are about 30% smaller. Be advised that there is a seperate lunch and dinner menu (I have been describing the dinner menu in the last part of the review). The place itself is interesting. It is the old Ann Taylor shop. It has lots of brick and wood. It looks like an old barn. The place translates to "meadow" so you get the motif. They have left some of it looking undone (ie the cement from inbetween cinder blocks exposed). I think it detracts, but, I'm sure some overpriced RISD alum will disagree. The space is rectangular. The front is windows. There is a long, island bar in the center. They have; mostly half booths for two in the front third, high tops for two and booths for four in the middle room and a combo in the back third. There is an exposed prep area near the pizza oven towards the back third. The have six flat screens. There are seats on both sides of the bar and some tables outside. The outside tables have umbrellas to shade you from the sun. The decor has things like: a wall of plants, mirrors, blackboards, iron light casings, gas lamps and other pastoral elements. The color scheme is wood and grays. Don't get me wrong. I really liked it (even if the whole locovore thing is becoming pendantic). I just happened to have gone to a place that does nearly the same thing better and cheaper. If you want to dine in a sombre setting on Park Ave and pay for adjectives this is the place for you. If you want an ethereal setting with better values go to Hannibel Square. Either way, you can't lose. Two welcome additions.

Sushi Katana, Orlando

I popped into this sushi bar on Conroy to quaff some sake on Saturday night and ended up eating. I had two pieces of the following: Sea Urchin ($7), Conch ($4), Salmon ($4), and Yellowtail ($5). I also had two glasses of the Saturday "special drink" - Premium Sake for $5 for 3/4 of a champagne glass. Everything was excellent. The rice was good. It was packed properly. The cuts were large. They were extremely fresh. They were plated simply and attractively. The service was great. It looks super cool. It has a mostly gray template that incorporates steel as the backbone. They have some lithographs of lips and one flat screen above the prep area. The place seats about ten at the sushi bar and 60 at tables. It was packed. They have one couch like area in the middle of the room. It's a small, rectangular space. The menu was mostly rolls. I would rate it in the top ten if they had more selection. But, competition is fierce and the sample pool is large in the greater Orlando area that I consider. I still love what I saw and sampled. Definitely the best in the area around the Millenia Mall. BTW - some tips that I think I have yet to share with you. Supposedly, real sushi eaters dip the fish side into the soy sauce not the rice side and if you dip more than 33% of the thickness into the soy sauce you are a Gaijin.

Nara Deva, Orlando

I had dinner at this Thai restaurant on Millenia Plaza Way (off Conroy near the Mall) on Saturday. I had something called the Classic Combo for $17. It is a plate of green papaya salad, rice and jerked meat. The papaya salad is made from the unripe fruit which has the consistency and taste of cabbage. It is mixed with carrot threads, green beans, tomatos and peanuts. It is hot and sour. The peanuts absorb a little of the spiciness and add some savoriness and depth. The rice was called something like Pandan. It was white rice that they dressed in a bowl with some sweet coconut infused liquid and then flipped over onto the plate. It had a sweet and sour taste. The rice seemed a little dry. I would guess that it was left over from a less than successful lunch service. The "jerked" meat can be chicken, beef or pork. I went with chicken and I think it may survive this technique the least successfully. Strips of meat are marinated in teryaki sauce and stir fried. I think the chicken is too delicate. The result was salty and sour. I liked that all three elements picked up on a different flavor in relation to the sour one that they all shared. The food came out fast. They serve the usual Thai curries, some interesting delicacies and some elements that I swear are Chinese, but they said were Thai. I guess I just have never run across them at other restaurants or in my one visit to the country. The place seats about 80. It is a big space. The tables have alot of breathing room. There are booths and tables. It is decorated nicely and appropriately (except for an area on the right side that just stores wine). Half the space has windows. There is a patio that I didn't include in my capacity estimate. There were twelve people there while I ate. I think that is their problem. It's a good spot. The prices aren't that high for Thai. The place looks nice. The service (probably the wife and daughter) was good. They advertise. The location is a little off the beaten path. Yet, somehow I bet they are being overlooked. If I have guessed right, it is only: the Thai mother who is in charge of the dining room and probably talked her Indian husband into opening the place, her poor daughter or niece forced into indentured servitude to help cut costs and a skeleton kitchen crew. They have gone for a high end Thai experience and I'd like to see them be able to work it on all cylinders. Try and make that happen for them before they drop off the map.

Armando's, Winter Park

I had lunch at this new "Pizzeria e Cucina Italiana" in Hannibal Square (most recently the Hot Olives location - W. New England Ave) on Wednesday. If you read my reviews you will know that I hate mediocre Italian that is priced like fine cuisine. This is the exception to that rule. I love this place. They are the same people who brought you Toscana on Park Ave (not sure if they closed that down). I had a Pollo Milanese (pan fried breaded chicken cutlet with arugula) for $10. It was well prepared. It wasn't greasy. The coating was panko-like. It was a fair sized portion. They served alot of arugula. It wasn't over dressed. It came, simply, on a nice white plate in which they had made a swirl of balsamic that covered the circumference of the plate like one of those illusions they spin to make you dizzy. Simple, yet refined. I was so taken by the presentation and the return of my ailing appetite that I wanted to see if they could bake a pizza. I ordered a Margherita Pizza for $11. It was great. Thin. Lightly charred bottom. Crunchy crust. Real, fresh mozzarella. And not just four half dollars in a sea of dry tomato sauce like at some places. The whole pie was covered. It also came with basil. There was a little wetness to the pie. That means there was water content in the tomatoes or cheese (both signs of freshness). The pizza came out quick. I'm not sure if they gave me one that had been started for someone else, but, I could swear it was at my table in four minutes. The pie was a big pie. Not some plate size insult. Six BIG slices. I ate half and took the rest home. It was almost as good cold. The rest of menu (lunch) is composed of: entree priced appetizers (Antipasti per Due), reasonably priced salads and soup (Inslata e Zuppa), $9 paninis, $10 entrees (Pranzo) of pastas and chicken and pizzas from $10-$15. The dinner menu is similar, but, adds a larger pasta section ($14-$17), switches up the chicken dishes ($17) and adds veal ($17-$18) and seafood ($18-$20). Nothing above $20! At dinner! And it's actually good. It's like they read my reviews. The place has about four dining options. Outside (40), bar (8), back room (30) and main room (30). I believe the back room was once a tented area. It is now enclosed. Most people were dining al fresco when I was there. It was about half full. The place is all white with some wood accents. The overhead lights are converted baskets. The pizza oven is tile with colorful rustic designs. The hot kitchen is all stainless steel. They are open view and in the back of the main room. Cold prep is done behind the scenes. On a possibly interesting tangent, Gordon Ramsey said on his latest episode that it's a bad sign if the chefs aren't looking in the direction of the oven. See where these chefs focus their attention. The service (3) was good (especially after I ordered again). The one downside is that parking is limited in this area of town. Aside from that, I have been itching to write this review. This is a well run business. The space is great. The decor is great. The staff if competent. It is set up smartly. They have the right items. They have the right pricing. The different lunch and dinner menus don't make anyone feel they are being cheated if they come at night. Their wine list was good and distinctive. I have a feeling they will be very popular for years. I'm so glad this location received a good trustee.

The Crepe Company, Winter Park - Closed

I had a raspberry (jam) and cream cheese crepe without the cream cheese at this food truck at the food truck ranch on 17-92 last Wednesday. It was $5, but, the owner must have dropped a buck off the charge because I didn't want the cream cheese. It was a crepe. I can't really discriminate between them. They either form or they do not. It took a little while to prepare (get done with the two people before me). I probably would have walked away if I hadn't psyched myself up for a sweet snack. The owner seemed nice. It has two crepe griddles and one preparer. They had five types of crepes on the menu. Mine, a nutella and chocolate, something else with nutella, a cheese and something and some other one with cheese. The sweets were $5. The savories were $6.

Club Crawl - Downtown : Stigma, Pine St, Back Booth, Dive Bar, Bar BQ

I went downtown two Friday's ago. It was weird. There were hardly any women or black people out. Perhaps it was too cold.

10-12pm: Stigma - The only place that has any diverting action (besides TV) before the crowd arrives. Still has tattooed girls pole dancing and cheap beer. A representative crowd. Good DJing. I still wonder if they sell drugs out of the bathroom or people stop in because it's known to have clean ones that they let anyone use. Always people coming in and going straight there and then walking out.

12-12:30am: Pine St Upstairs - Still gets the hottest girls, but, the ten to one ratio makes it impossible to get it in. They all look like they are from the same college organization.

12:30-1am: Back Booth - Still sort of 80's night (the play stuff from the 90's - Jump Around and stuff that was only on the radio or MTV and not played in clubs). It's funny watching the cast of Portlandia groove to music that was people with moussed up hair and suits used to groove to. maybe a 90's night would be more appropriate. There was one black guy and the rest of the people were white. They allow smoking and people were smoking all sorts of things in plain view.

1-1:10am: Dive Bar - Trying to figure out the allure. It was packed. DJ sucked. He would scratch a record and nothing would happen. Just pretending to do a live show from his Ipod playlist? They allow smoking.

1:10-2am: BarBQ - Went into the back courtyard which you can also enter in through Eye Spy. Still a great venue. Mostly dudes. Music was good. The video accompaniment was weak.

U & Me, Universal/Kirkman - Closed

I came into this Chinese restaurant and Sushi bar for some sake and to complete my dining adventures in this area of town (it is in the strip mall across from Bubbalou's on Kirkman) on Friday. I had already had a sandwich at a crawfish place so I wasn't too hungry. I ended up having six pieces of sushi because the people were so nice. I had conch, salmon, and scallops. The conch was the best. It was firm and sweet. The salmon was ok. The chef told me it was fresh and that he filleted it from a whole fish. However, I think he doesn't exactly know how to do it without damaging the fibers of the fish. It tasted ok, but, had the wrong mouth feel. The scallops I think were frozen and warmed in hot water quickly. He kept running to the kitchen for things. The warm parts were a bit slimy and the cold parts were hard. No taste. The rice was good. The chef says he washes the rice seven times before steaming and cooks it twice a day. The vinegar mixture was fine (a little sweet). The rice was a little loose when he packed it. It fell apart in my chopsticks. All in all, not bad for a kid from Xi'an. I've seen many chefs who try alot less hard to do their jobs correctly. The pieces were $2.25 a piece. A small sake was $5. But, they had a great Friday special. Two for one drinks. The place is itself is a two for one - ugly and dirty. There is a front waiting area and a dining room. They said they do alot of take out. Thank God for both parties. The main room seats about 80 with booths on the walls and the sushi bar at the back. There was crap (baby toys, thawing fish, deodorizer, bottles) all around. It could use maid service. This is a place of business. A place people come to escape and fantasize. They don't want to feel like they are in some lower class studio apartment. Separate your work life from your home life. Even if that means moving it to the kitchen. Just hide it! And take the menu off the front window. It makes it look like you are closed for renovations. There is little decoration. Like I said, this place is mostly about the people. They are nice. They food is probably mediocre. It is a Chinese run place serving Japanese food (half the menu). The few Chinese dishes I saw come out smelled funky and didn't seem that intriguing. They said they served mostly Americanized dishes. I would take it for what it is. Takeout. That's pretty much what the stuff I saw looked like. They couldn't really make something good and have it appeal to what they think (and may be) are the tastes of a typically American audience. If you really aren't that discriminatory and want what most likely will be an honest effort at making you happy, these guys can probably fill your needs. They did teach me one interesting thing - Chinese food is so bland looking because the Chinese are scared that the food should look natural or it is unhealthy. Although it doesn't explain the lack of color. Now that I think of it, many fruits and vegetables are purposefully eye catching so animals will eat them and poop out the seeds. So, I guess the Chinese need to "catch the rainbow". How is brown sauce healthy looking anyway?

Hot N Juicy Crawfish, Sand Lake

I had dinner at this New Orleans-esque restaurant on Sand Lake (in the strip mall on the left near the Timpano's and the defunct Samba Room space) on Friday. I was off elsewhere, but, thought this would just be a spur of the moment snack sampler. As such, I only had the Crawfish Po Boy for $8 and a beer ($3.50). The crawfish came fried and was most certainly frozen (tough, rubbery and tasteless). It was by far the worst thing about the sandwich. And is always the case in such circumstances, there was alot of them. The bun was very good (crunchy). The vegetables (lettuce and tomato) were fresh. I liked the spicy remoulde sauce. The sandwich without the crawfish was quite appealing. It is usually the other way around. It came in a plastic basket. The place is a chain, so, I bet most everything (blue crab, snow crab, king crab, dungeness crab, lobster, shrimp, clams, black mussels, calamari, catfish, soft shell crabs, chicken, etc) is frozen. Maybe they can get blue crab locally. That wouldn't be such a problem if it was priced more reasonably. Fried food starts at $11 for catfish and shrimp baskets. Most of the shellfish is "market price" and if boiled (you really should steam instead) crawfish is listed at $10 per pound, you can extrapolate. I've paid half as much for crawfish at a place on Mills. Which makes you wonder why they are at the price point they are at. Rent? It is a more upscale neighborhood. But, much of that section has been empty forever. Rent prices have to be reasonable. Ambiance? It is nicer. The place seats about 100. There are booths on the left side beside a brick wall. The right side has floor to ceiling windows. The rear has a small bar. They have about six flatscreens. It is clean (new). But, the place isn't much fancier than a Quizno's. I think they just have a uniform pricing model and their other locations are in areas where prices are inflated across the board. I think you can be smarter with your money if you are looking for this kind of food. But, maybe you don't want to dig. This is nice and safe. There were about 40 people there when I ate. All colors of the rainbow. Underdressed. It took about fifteen minutes to get my food, so, I guess that means it was fried to order. They had three, young servers who shared service. As I said, I think the prices are about 25% too high and all over the board. Rice is $2. A potato is $0.75. Extra sauce is $1.75. Wine only comes as red or white in a bottle at $30. What is it? I'm sure it's $2 wholesale shit. Most appetizers/sides are $6 and up. Sweet potato fries are $4.25. Additionally, they are a chain and they use frozen ingredients. Not a recipe for destination dining in my book. But, at least they brought something new to the neighborhood.

Uncle Jones Food Truck, Altamonte Springs

The third snack and act of "The Day of Eating Dangerously" takes us to 436 near 17-92 in the spot where the old Uncle Jones BBQ burned down. The antagonist is a pulled pork sandwich that smells like shit and comes out of what must be the rattiest roach coach on the planet. I don't think it even drives. I haven't eaten it yet. I haven' decided if it is worth the risk. There is so much to be apprehensive about: spit, bacteria, black man's ass. My mind is a whirl. This may be the first time I've 86ed a meal without trying it. I'll add a comment to the post if I find my courage. It was $6. It is a big serving. He has chicken, pork, ribs and sides. I hope I haven't unfairly disparaged his truck, but I didn't love the place when it had walls and that truck is ossified. He even nuked the sandwich before he served it. I wouldn't go here unless you are a "local". Why do I keep thinking off The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and that movie where Ryan Reynold's works at a Benningan's clone?

4/15/14 - Moved a little to the left.
11/5/15 - Moved to a Gas Station on 17-92 in Maitland

Japan Express, Winter Park

I had snack two of what I am terming "The Day of Eating Dangerously" at this Hibachi Drive Thru on Aloma (in the spot that most recently housed that fast food Mexican spot from the West Coast) today. This place is the impetus for why I named the day. I only ate here because I was in the neighborhood and I have an odd compulsion to try everything. I had a salmon and a white tuna roll for $4 a piece. The salmon was tasteless. The tuna had some flavor. The rice was ok. That is as far as I want to go with this until my digestive system gives me confirmation that everything was ok. I will add a salty comment to this blog post if it doesn't. What gives my pause is the condition of the restaurant. It is unclean. Tables aren't bussed. The cooking area is dirty. Things are not put away. No one else was in there. You might be asking "How could you order sushi then ?" It was the only area that seemed clean. The hot stuff looked disgusting and was expensive. I don't recommend it. In fact, I bet it goes out of business before the summer. It's as expensive as real sushi and hibachi at a real restaurant. There is no reason whatsoever to eat here. I know what you are thinking "Hibachi Drive Thru? What could go better together than Hibachi and Drive Thru? Make it cost as much as a dine in restaurant and add raw fish and I'm there seven days a week!" Don't be sucked in. And if you are, use the drive thru so you don't have to see how they make the sausage.

La Hacienda Taqueria, Winter Park

I had snack one of what I am terming "the day of eating dangerously" today at this Taqueria in a meat market/grocery store of the same name on 436 and Aloma (near Friendly Confines). I wasn't as worried about this place as the two others, but since my stomach has been cramping since Christmas like a vagina on day twenty eight, I have been apprehensive about anything other than dry white toast. I'm glad you thought "who was the culprit?" and I have narrowed it down to Shanghai Chinese, Jersey Mike's sandwiches or the dollar off package of Stouffer's Ravioli I bought at Publix. They can't just throw it out. They have to try and make a buck on something the CDC put on the quarantine list. To return to the review. I had two tacos I have never seen before. I had a Birria (steamed bbq pork) and a Milanesa (breaded fried steak) for $1.50 a piece. Both were very good. The pork was a little juicer because of the steaming and still had a crunch. It was a big portion with onions and cilantro. The Milanesa is something I've had on its own, but, never cut up into a taco. It worked. A little dry. They said the owner is from Jalisco and the cook is from Veracruz. I'm not sure where the menu takes inspiration from. They have: tacos, tortas, salads, tostadas, burritos, quesadillas, fajitas, frituras, gorditas, sopes, seafood, breakfast, typical Mexican dishes and lunch specials. It only seats about 12 in the far left corner of the market. The walls are frescoed. The crowd was mostly Mexican, but, there were three college kids there too. It isn't the Ritz, but, it is one of those good little gems that offers authentic, no nonsense meals at reasonable prices. Find it if you are looking for your own little secret hole in the wall. Half the fun is how off the radar it is.

The Italian Village Cafe, Winter Park

I ordered two sandwiches to go at this Italian Cafe on 17-92 (across from the Winter Park City Center) on Monday. I had a Blinda Panini (sliced beef, red onion, tomato, mozzarella, jalapeno and smoked bacon) for $6.79 (even though the menu said $5.99) and a Peri-Peri Chicken Baguette for $5.50. Both were good. The Blinda came with a side salad of field greens that was better than many salads people serve at nattier places. The Peri-Peri Chicken is a slightly spicy Jamaican jerk recipe. The place seats about 6. It's in an old Coldstone Creamery store that they haven't really modified much. They have: 11 pastas, 7 salads, 9 wraps, 11 paninis, 13 subs and ice cream, shakes, sorbet, gelato, yogurt and smoothies. They even make spaghetti noodles and pizza out of ice cream. It's something the well traveled owners picked up in Germany. The menu isn't all Italian and I don't know what makes it a "village" cafe, but, it's about the same price as the chain sandwich shops and has more variety. I'm not a "sweets" guy so you are on your own there. I didn't have the courage to order the pastas. I wouldn't tell you to tackle the traffic and limited parking just to eat here, but, if you are in the neighborhood it is a decent experience and value. It was better than I expected. The place looks pretty unassuming.