Aroma, Lake Mary - Closed

I had lunch at this Indian restaurant today. I had the buffet for $8. It was a little disappointing that around a third of the options were consumed and not replaced at any point in the sitting. I had two, new (to me) interesting selections (a fried spinach and fried mushroom dish that was reminiscent of tempura). I also has the obligatory chicken tikka masala (very buttery), chicken curry (a tad watery) and some rice. They also had some tandoori chicken (just don't love the pieces they use for this) and a first for me - soup served in the same metal containers they serve the food. The food was mostly adequate. Management seemed to be the weak link. I already mentioned the reluctance to replenish, but, the tables weren't bused and there didn't seem to be any wait staff. I hate waste as much as anyone, but, you can't charge full buffet prices and not deliver a full buffet. Make smaller batches if you abhor left overs or remove the trays so we don't know there was more available at one time. The place is drab. It's a little, rectangular nook with no decor. There are five of six booth and one side and tables of four on the other. They have a private room that can be and was used for private parties. It looks like a store room and had no heat. I would be embarrassed to have a party there. Now, I'm not sure how much of this is bad management and how much is a concerted effort to keep costs down, but, it comes off as bush league. Oddly, it was pretty well attended by customers so maybe I caught them on a down day. With two other competitors nearby, they must be doing something right some of the time to get what I assume was repeat business. Or maybe some people can just put up with the value proposition offered here. I really wouldn't recommend it for anything short of a gluttonous, blind feed.

Grub Crawl - Hunter's Creek: Padrino's, El Inka, Rice and Beans, Dolce

I had lunch and to go meals from these spots in and around Hunter's Creek on Wednesday. The first two are in side by side shopping commons on John Young (they say North JY, but, it is in the southern most part, odd) after 417. Rice and Beans is in a large shopping area right before the Osceola Parkway. Dolce is on that parkway near the the Turnpike (east).

Padrino's - I had an Orly burger at this Cuban restaurant. It cost $8. The lunch menu had a wide selection from the real menu, but, this seemed unique. It is, purportedly, from a recipe by Primo. I think he is the chef at one of Hiltons or it is a restaurant in one of the Hiltons (or both). It was a cheeseburger deluxe with sweet plantains. They pressed it like a Cuban sandwich. The concept was ok (Cubanize a burger). The execution was bad. Like most places, they couldn't keep from squeezing all the juice out of the patty. Still can't grasp the laws of thermodynamics. It doesn't cook any faster if you press it. Would you press down on an egg to make it fry faster? Would you crush a grapefruit before you served a half? It was also well done (no surprise) when it was requested to be medium. The combination itself is odd. The cheese and LTO compete or are subsumed by the plantains. It doesn't all work together. Drop everything but the plantain and burger. It came with shoestring fries. It was a large portion and most were cooked enough. The best alimentary offering was the complimentary plantain chips. They came in one of those wire coils baskets with a cone of white paper. I believe they were baked. That application left them with a nice toasty flavor and saved calories. The service (3) was good. Everything came out promptly and politely. I received multiple refills on the soda ($2.50). The place is a bit mismatched. I was expecting it to be a little more modern/luxurious. It looks like they put make up (bright paint and impactful art) on a old IHOP. I'm not sure what it was before it was this, but, I would lay odds that they didn't approve the demure fabrics and layout. The place seats about 90 in the main room and they have a more private, large table next to the small bar. Booths line the main room. It could be cleaned up a little. I saw brooms and spray bottles from my vantage point. There were about twenty people there for lunch. I wouldn't make special plans to eat here, but if you are in the neighborhood and like Cuban, then try it. I was expecting a little more sizzle. It's a fine as a mom and pop endeavor, but, I think they are trying to position it as a top rated brand. More Calle Ocho than South Beach.

El Inka Grill - I ordered one of their lunch specials to go. You can choose from three appetizers and eight entrees. I chose a soup (Aguadito de Pollo) and fish (Pescado Frito). It came with a soda and cost $9. The soup was good. I could live without the bones, but, maybe that assurance of real poultry makes it worth while. The fish (not sure what kind) was good. It even held up to a microwave spa treatment after sitting in a box all afternoon. The frying wasn't oily and the batter stuck to the filet. The fish had a mild taste. The entree also came with white rice. It must have been given a butter bath. They put some kind of salsa on top. The vinegary juices ran into the rice. I would probably prefer them to remain separated. I would bet that they are arranged so if you eat in. The whole lot came out in five minutes. The place serves most of the popular Peruvian dishes. They had some sort of fried calamari plus platter that looked outrageous. The place is fairly small. It must seat around forty. It has a pretty Spartan decor. There were about 18 people there while I waited. It was a mostly Peruvian crowd. I think they want to have a more buttoned up crowd, but, I guess it's a good sign that your core audience appreciates you. If we still had a dearth of Peruvian restaurants around town I would say find this place. But, we have a lot of participants. Still, your belly wouldn't be disappointed if you did make the effort. It's mostly a gastronomic play. I still think the pricing at all Peruvian restaurants is higher than it should be or would support. But, that is my issue.

Rice and Beans - They call this place a "latin" cocina, but, I say it's Puerto Rican. I had another lunch special (choice of meat, choice of starch, choice of rice and choice of beans) to go for $7. I had roast pork, yucca, vegetable rice and black beans. All were very good and the portion was sizable. The place looks like a Quizno's or any other assembly line, take out place. The food lifts it above that. Now, this was another place that markets itself as a higher end place than it really is, but, it serves good food. It also seemed extremely popular based on the attendance. You order at the counter and then sit down. They have a large menu of platters, mofongos, coffee and shakes. They even have wine and beer. I wouldn't seek it out, but, go if you are in the neighborhood. They have a Waterford Lakes area sister establishment.

Dolce Bakery and Cafe - This may have been the hippest, cleanest and best find of the day. It is in the middle of nowhere (kind of near Tupperware so maybe people live around there). It is in a crappy strip mall. It is really interesting (maybe because everything around it is tedious). The color scheme is white walls with black, graffiti like murals on the left side of the shop. The long and beautiful glass counter is right in front. It has all manner of goodies inside it. They have "sandwiches", cakes, tarts, cookies, etc. I had a turkey and ham "sandwich" in some sort of croissant like (in taste) glazed shell. I had it yesterday for lunch and it held up. I also had a peach tart they called a crostate. It must have been made with a thick jelly. It tasted like a fruit roll up. It was open faced with that lattice type top. I'm not a huge fan of un-French pastry, but, there is some real baking going on here. It's so far from civilization that I am reluctant to tell you to find it because your expectations couldn't be satisfied. However, if you are in the neighborhood or going south on the Turnpike, give it a go. And bring back something for your more rational friends.

Grub Crawl - Hunter's Creek: Flat Rocks, Venezia, Bistro Europa, All Italian

I had dinner and snacks at these places in Hunter's Creek last night. They are in a strip mall on John Young past 417.

Flat Rocks - I had a antipasto salad that was described as a antipasto plate for $6 and a 8" pizza for $6. The salad was surprisingly fresh. The field greens were good. The mozzarella was fresh. It did lack the artichoke hearts and pita squares described on the menu. But, then again it was a salad and not a plate, so you can't expect them to get that right. It was also drenched in red wine vinaigrette. The pizza was also better than I expected. I expected the worst when I heard it was conveyor belt pizza. It turned out ok. The people behind the counter said the place was an old American Pie. I never thought their pies were good, so they must be doing something different. They said it might be a higher quality of cheese or the corn meal, but, I thought the dough was better. The place looks old. They had a TV set in my booth and the controls were pealing off the base board. It has around nine booths that seat six or seven. There are tables of different sizes in between. The decor is wood and tannish upholstery. They have a mediocre selection of wine and beer. The menu is mostly pizza, salads and flat breads. They have some pasta and pub like appetizers. The service (2) was fine. They did take forever to bus the empty tables (no busboys). I wouldn't recommend a sojourn here unless you live nearby. They say it's "Casual Fresh Perfect". I would argue the last platitude. It's a fine improvement on American Pie, but, I sense that it is on life support.

Venezia Bakery - I had a strawberry something or other (a custard like tart) for $3.50. It was good. The place serves Venezuelan baked goods. I was told Venezuela means little Venice and that Venice makes a large impression on their cooking. Who knew? I thought all those fascists disappeared into Argentina after WWII. They have seating.

Bistro Europa - I had a Rotisserie Chicken Sandwich for $7.25. I ate it today. It was fine. I mean it's rotisserie chicken so how bad could it be. I do wish I just went for the whole rotisserie chicken for $8. The sandwich was one breast with a sad tomato slice and a sad lettuce leaf, It also had a side of that abomination - honey mustard. It came on a crumbly whole grain bun. The name says "European", but get real, it's Greek food with American, comfort food sides (odd pairing). They also do chopped salads. Greeks have to learn that they are not European. They are Middle Eastern. Plus, I'm not sure if they understand what a bistro is. This is not a bistro. They have seating (inside and out). It's new, so, it's sort of appealing. It's like a beefed up Subway or a low rent Lime. I wouldn't struggle to find it. It's fine if you live close by.

All Italian Market and Deli - I resisted buying anything here because everything was about 3X retail. They sell supermarket pasta for $3.25 that can be had at the aforementioned for $1. They do have a decent selection of Italian foods. They also seemed to be serving dinner. The place was full. They have three tables in room one and I'm not sure how many in room two because a private party was going on that night. They have gelato. I'm not into speciality stores. I think they are a relic thanks to Whole Foods and Costco.

Kohinoor, Altamote Springs

I went back to this Indian restaurant (on 436 in the strip mall next to I-4 that has the Houlihans) a few weeks ago for lunch. I had been there many times pre-blog. It is one of the older Indian restaurants in town. I had the lunch buffet for $11 ($17 with drink, tax and tip). While $11 isn't breaking the bank, there are better values (Moghul on 436 for instance) available. They also have a more generous selection. Kohinnor really only had three entrees (butter chicken, tandoori chicken and chiken tikka masala). They had a basic salad, the usual side dishes and the starches. The space is far worse than I remembered. It looked like somebody took a two story townhouse (twenty years ago) and put tables inside it. It is broken up into two, tiny areas by a staircase. The front area has the register and about six tables of four. The back area has the bar, two tables for two and a group table. The buffet is on the side wall between the two areas. The service (I still don't know why I need someone to bring me a drink if they assume I can serve myself the food) was fine. Although, they couldn't answer questions about the cuisine because they were Mexican. The place was packed (only one two seater was empty). The big table I sat next to seemed to be conversant about food. The place has been around forever and evidently is still packing them in, but, as I said already, there are better options. I wouldn't make a special trip here now that almost every town has a similar contestant and some of those offer more at a reduced price.

Grub Crawl - Orlando: Teolinda, NY Chinese, Broadway

I stopped by these restaurants in the Century Plaza (436 and Curry Ford Rd) a few weeks ago. I bypassed a Mexican place that may be safe for lunch, but, turns into a sketchy bar at night. I had everything to go. It's not the most inviting area of the city.


Teolinda's Bakery and Cafe- I had some sort of pastry for around $2. I can't remember what now. It was fine. The place is a little, oldish deli whose greatest attraction may be that it serves Ecuadorian dishes. Didn't try any. Nor do I have much experience with this cuisine. You can eat in too.

NY Chinese Restaurant - I'm not sure what makes it NY? It seemed to cater to Hispanics (menu also in Spanish and Latin dishes). I had an egg roll. It was fine. I think it had pork in it. Typical drab take out spot. It had some tables.

Broadway Ristorante and Pizzeria - It looked like a place you would find in small town America. Earth tones and wear. The Chicken Parm was good.