Grub Crawl - Mills & 50 & Maitland: Tako Cheena, 4 Delights, Pizzeria Del-Dio, Sam's Smoothie Shack (Closed)

I tried these places on Mills, 50 and Maitland last Wednesday.

Tako Cheena - I had a Thai peanut Chicken "House" Taco, a Chinese BBQ Char Siu Pork Belly "Specialty" Taco and a Japadog. The Chicken Taco had cabbage, scallions and peanuts. It was fine. A big portion. It cost $2.81. The Pork Belly Taco might have been a tad too sweet. It reminded me of spare rib meat more than belly. It came with cabbage, oil and pork rinds. I didn't notice the pork rinds. It was also a big portion. It cost $3.52. The Japadog was a dried Chinese sweet sausage. I can't say it was sweet. It was a little bland (like a beef jerky without the spice). I had similar (sausage pieces) at the Taiwan restaurant on W. 50. It has a limited flavor profile, but it's different, so kudos. It came with avocado, wasabi, cucumber, cabbage, spicy mayo, scallions and fumi (whatever that is). I couldn't pick up the avocado. It cost $3.05. It was fine. They have 4 house tacos, 3 specialty tacos, 3 hot doga, 4 burritos and some desserts and empanadas. All are really funky. They mix in a host of Asian recipes into Mexican packaging. The one word I keep coming back to when trying to describe the food is sloppy. Not in a bad way, but, in a good way. The large portions and melange of ingredients overpower you (in a good way). If this food were a person it would be Melissa McCarthy. The place seat about 30. It was a third full at lunch. It is near Funky Monkey. It's in an older location (cracks in the window) that has been spruced up a little with metal and local art work. The service (2) was good. A good choice if you like food truck food.

4 Delights - I had a small Guanabana (Sour Sop) sherbet at this location in the Colonial Landing strip mall (near the executive Airport). It cost $3 and change. It's a Caribbean fruit that has a milky/fruity flavor. A small was more than enough. I don't see how anyone can consume more than a small as a meal let alone a compliment to a meal. The ice cream is hand made. They also serve coffee drinks, baked items, hot dogs and smoothies. The inspiration is Venezuelan cooking. The place is big. It could fit 70+, but, they leave the floor plan open. I think there were three tables. The service (1) was friendly. It was one of the owners. It's a little had to find, but, a good option.

Pizzeria Del-Dio - I had a slice to go from this Italian restaurant around the corner from 4 Delights. It was a good NY style slice. It cost $2.50. The place looks like a pizza place in any small town. They have a full menu. I would expect it serve good Italian-American meals synonymous with this class of restaurant.

Sam's Smoothie Shack - I just had a bottle of water ($1) from this umpteenth iteration of this parking lot shack near the Copper Rocket (on 17-92). I was too full and I don't like shakes, frappes, smoothies or floats. That is what they serve. They mentioned some fresh concoctions (I hope from the fruit stand up the road) are prepared daily. Good luck to them.

King Hedley II, SSC

I sat in on opening night of this second to last August Wilson play yesterday. This may be a first (that I am informing you of it before it is close to or at closing) for me. I usually like to give the actors a few performances to gel. The play won a Pulitzer and a Tony. Although, I am sceptical that it wasn't just a life time achievement honor (like Paul Newman's Oscar in The Color of Money). I don't even think it's his best play, but, maybe the competition was weak that year. Who can remember? It takes place in 1985 and ran in the Nineties. This play recycles some characters from two previous plays (mostly Seven Guitars). It would help if you remember the circumstances of these characters and the absent Hedley (especially at the end). I'm still a little confused why the characters do what they do at the conclusion. It seems implausible that one of the characters would want to dredge up what gets dredged up. In any event, it is typical Wilson. The relationships and behaviors are exhausting to sit through. Call a wah-ambulance. The best part is always the repartee. The exposition and message is always pedantic. The acting here was half good. Half were good (the male, older actors) and half were flawed (rushed or wandering). There is alot of scenery chewing. That adds to the exhaustion. The best part (as usual) is the cut and pasted biographies in the playbill. Wilson dropped out of school because it wasn't challenging. How can you confirm that? It's either a guess or the author's self serving reconstruction of history. They also say that the conditions the characters were in were caused by Reaganomics and cocaine. I presume they are using a less loaded word than crack cocaine because it seems less embarrassing. Cocaine was available and referenced in plays since the turn of the century. And it is a cheap, rewriting of history to scapegoat Reagan for the environment these characters live in. First off, the Congress sets budgets. Second, these areas were always in this condition and the fact that economic conditions at the time allowed achievers to do better doesn't mean that these areas became worse. They just stayed at the same level of misery (the liberal utopian objective). If you are going to point fingers, go back to the root of the inequailty. What remedial measures did the god Lincoln instigate? The set was good. The crowd was sparse. The show gets you out at 10pm. A ticket costs $10.

Lake Mary Food Truck Roundup - February: Zest, Twisted Cuban, Mattie's (Closed)

This event took place near town hall on Wednesday 5pm-. As usual, the prices were out sized for what is supposed to be a low overhead business model.

Zest Food Truck - I had a chorizo dog with chili for $6. It was ok. The chili was good. It had a nice honey flavor. The bun stunk. It was old and crumbly. They offered about six things in a southwestern milieu.

Twisted Cuban Food Truck - I had a chorizo/pork/beef burgers (2) for $7. I just tasted the chorizo. They were slider size and topped with ketchup and potato sticks. A bad concoction all around. The condiments did nothing pleasing to the flavor profile. Just a sour, acid inducing mess. The menu is psuedo-Cuban. At least half the items (5-6 out of 10) are Tex-Mex. The prices go up to $9. A simple Cuban sandwich is $9!

Mattie's - They had a stand too, but, they have taken over from the Sweet Shoppe. They sell cupcakes and gelato. I had a mango cupcake with mango icing for $4. The mango flavoring was feint. I bet they used a chemical flavoring liquid over fresh fruit and/or juice. I prefer the subtlety of this recipe to the mis/overuse of fruit essences in many ethnic pastries. Still, a little more punch is recommended. The cupcake had a cream center around golden layer cake (like a twinkie). I don't believe the cake had any mango in it and was misrepresented (I'm sure innocently). It was a good, moist cupcake. They sold around twenty types of cupcakes in two sizes. I had the larger. They have another store in Winter Springs. They have left the place exactly like it was. Right down to the sign on the awning.

Arepas El Cacao, I Drive

I had an Arepa with potato salad, shredded chicken, shredded pork, cheese and quail eggs for $5 from this food truck on I Drive on Saturday. It's only open at night at 5565 I drive near the Peter Glenn ski store. I thought I was just ordering a quail egg sandwich, but, they gave me this. I'm not sure, but, I think this is called the El Cacao special. Anyway, it's a hot, delicious mess. So huge. Instant drunkenness stabilizer. Awesome. Find this. The parking lot was full of ex-pats enjoying this Colombian/Venezuelan fare. It was like a little block party. They also have cachapas (sweet corn cakes). I think you can get individual toppings (varied) for less money. It may help to speak Spanish. But, even misunderstandings turn out delicious.

Grub/Pub Crawl - Downtown: Courtesy Bar, The Fifth, Ghost Bar, Elixir, Yum Yum Cupcake Truck and Beth's Burger Bar (Moved)

Man is it exhausting keeping up with all the changeover in this town. Damn you improving economy. I can't even concentrate on getting laid. Maybe I need to reevaluate my life and drop this blog. These events took place on Saturday.

10pm: Courtesy Bar - A Kevin Fonzo production. It's Williamsburg meets Portland. I saw a guy twirling his handle bar moustache. It fits about forty in a narrow brick lined interior. It was full (of hipsters). All the men had beards. I guess hipster is the new grunge and it is no longer a poseur's affectation. If it is in the swamps of Florida it must be the new normal. A fine place to hone your lack of social skills while imbibing a craft beer. If you're not interested in sex (seems the trend - clubs to lounges to pubs) then this is a perfectly good place to waste your organic farming money. It's north of Washington in a little area that is either poised to be loaded with new bars or the real estate agents are trying to trick people into thinking are going to be new bars not sit as empty spaces.

10:30pm: The Fifth - A people who own NV, etc departure. It's an attempt at a NYC/Vegas/Miami hotel lounge. It's very "everything" Wood. Glass. Lights. A bit of a confused mess. I love that it is in the place (an old bodega) where I used to buy water for my drive home. It was a quarter filled with people you would expect to see in the aforementioned cities. A little weird because I don't associate this crowd with NV. maybe they are hedging/flanking.

11pm: Ghost Bar - Next to the Attic on Elm. It's new. It looks fine, but, they let people sit and block the bar while they nurse. I wasn't about to go through that hassle for the opportunity to mingle with the thirty-somethings bringing the ennui.

11:30pm: Elixir - Around the corner from courtesy and across from Eye Bar on Washington. A big pub with a pool table in back. About an eighth full. Nothing to stick around for.

Yum Yum Cupcake Truck: Had a Peanut Butter Choco-Rama for $2.50. Fine. Icing was better tan the cake. Not as good as Sweet. Behind Wall Street.

Beth's Burger Bar: Probably deserves it's own entry. Best $3.50 burger in town. Beats Five Guys. Beats Burgerfi. Beats B&B. The first medium rare burger ever delivered to me in this town. The size is between a house burger and and a fast food burger. Hard to get right. They did. In the spot next to Gringos Locos on Washington. They totally redid the place. They pretty much just do burgers and fries and frickles (fried pickles). They have some cute sauces (ie peanut butter). They even do a silly "Man V Food" challenge. Good buns. Worth seeking out. It was empty when I went. But, so was Gringos when it opened. *Closed summer of 2019. Has locations on South Orange Ave and Lake Mary now.

Pub Crawl - Universal: STP and Bloodhound Brew

I had a beer at these locations before heading downtown on Saturday.

STP: At the intersection of Kirkman and Conroy. Stands for Sloppy Taco Place. I'm assuming they are talking about some of the customer's because I didn't see anyone eating. The smoking patio was packed with hipsters. Inside there was an old couple and a table of young adults. Looks like a dive bar inside.

Bloodhound Brew: They have another location on I drive. This one is on the other side of Conroy from STP. It's a new building. It's a hipster (man am I saying that profusely lately) version of of a sports bar. They serve gastropub food which I have read is good and some of the staff and customer's concurred with. It was pretty full with a dinner crowd. Some families, etc, so if it goes off it goes off later in the night. They have a big, blow up TV Screen outside.

Zorba's, Universal

I had dinner at this Greek Taverna in the strip mall at the intersection of Kirkman and Conroy on Friday. It wasn't my intention to go here, but, I mistook Conway for Conroy and erred in finding my desired location. I improvised by trying this final piece in the culinary puzzle that is that strip mall. I had Macedonian Shrimp for $13. It was ok. The most firery Greek dish I've ever had (that's good because it can sometimes be a lemon and oregano snooze fest). Some of the shrimp (6) were taut. Some were soft. They were grilled on a skewer (2) and onions and mushrooms (piled long ways) took up the majority of the surface area. It came with some zucchini and squash that were mushy with a hard skin and spinach orzo that wasn't green and had dried tomatoes but no spinach on it so I don't know why they called it that. The menu was good. They had the basic gyros, etc and worked their way up to a whole fish. The prices were competitive. The fish topped out at $20. They had a good selection of Greek wine. The service (2) was good. I did get a little turned off when she suggested I try all the most expensive items. Although, I'm sure they make her do that. The place seats about forty in the main dining room and forty in the bar area (hightops). Once again I wasn't pleased that the manager tried to relegate me to the bar area. There is also a patio (of unconfirmed seating) where some old guys were smoking a hookah. There were about ten people eating there at 8pm. My neighbors all were using Groupon certificates. The make up was a mix of peoples. The decor is minimal. They sponged the wall with black paint over gold. There is some art. My table (and the majority of tables seated with customers) had a wonderful view of the kitchen (left the doors open) and the bathroom. This doesn't say much for the interior designer's (how about a curtain) or the host's premeditation. Maybe it's a passive aggressive "tell" on how they view their customers. I don't rate Greek high on the culinary spectrum, but, it's not a diner quality endeavor either. If you like Greek food then you could do worse.

Tony's Deli, Sanford

I had a lamb gyro to go from this new "deli" on 1st Street. It is in the old Rouge location. The gyro was ok. It was a little rare (the caprices of when it was last sliced) and had some bone pebbles in it. It cost $6. They have a limited menu of the usual suspects. The service was fast and polite. It's Lebanese style Middle Eastern fare. They sell a few packaged goods. The original location is on Mills near 50. I reviewed that a few years ago. They took out most of the furniture. There are still a few tables. Look for a kid spinning a sign in front of the store. It should do ok because they have no competition in this market segment.

Imperial, Sanford

I stopped by this bar in a furniture store (Washburn's) on 1st Street (near Breeze-something) yesterday. It only opens at 5pm or 6pm. I only mentioned it because it looked cool and I won't be going to it. Who goes to Sanford at night that doesn't live in Sanford? They have another location on Orange (I think near the lake) that I am more likely to try. The furniture was cool too. *Went back last night (11/2/13). Great vibe and interesting selection of potables.

La Sirena Gorda Cabana, Sanford (Closed)

I had lunch at this Mexican restaurant (which means fat mermaid/siren) on a side street (Palmetto) yesterday. They had three strikes off the bat, but, they may have done enough to subdue my ire. I had their taco (2) plate for $6 and their watermelon and tomatillo salad for $3.50 (usually $6). The tacos (soft or hard) were ok. The chicken was a little too minced. The pork was way too salty. The salad had no watermelon and was poorly described on the menu. It was more of a "salad" salad than a tomatillo and watermelon salad. I asked about the absence of watermelon and the manager affirmed that it was in there. It wasn't. He said they were discontinuing it anyway because watermelon is not in season. They should think of permanently moth balling it. The salad had a spicy homemade cheese in it. It opened a wound on your tongue that the vinegar from the tomatillos and dressing inflamed like hydrochloric acid on a cut. Just poorly envisioned. They also served chips and salsa with the meal. The menu said it was extra, but, everyone had them and it wasn't added to the bill. The salsa (supposedly with a "kick") had an onion water taste. It was awful and had no "kick". The chips were similarly bad. They felt brittle. It was like the difference between baked potato chips and fried potato chips (these being baked). They also threw in a soda. Nice. The menu said iced tea or coffee so I was preparing for a fine print mugging that never came. Now back to the strikes. They didn't have the tomatillo pie that I ordered and the staff wasn't informed of it's absence. They wouldn't substitute a a small taste of the tomatillo salad for the rice and beans that come with the tacos. The lack of watermelon already mentioned. I was placated when they did the following: they didn't charge for chips or soda, they only charged $3.50 for the salad, they let me mix the taco order, they offered a refill, they took credit cards.

The place is on the corner next to a wine bar. I think it was an art studio/drink place before. They have been open for two or four months or so. It has an orange and yellow backdrop. They have a lot of knick knacks as decoration. I think I saw some Colombian art, but, they tried to make it Mexican. They have Japanese lanterns hanging from the ceiling. They have a bar and a patio garden. The main room seats about thirty in table and eight at the bar. All the seats were full when I was there. The service (2) may be a little lean. It took an all hands on deck approach to supplement the "dedicated" wait staff. The menu is smallish. They have some ambitious items. However, the place just smells of gringo. It seems like a place run by non-Mexicans. The quality of the items I had evinced a lack of familiarity with the region's cooking methods and flavors. I wouldn't be surprised if some of these recipes weren't being tried for the first time on us - the customers. It will do fine because the area needed this slot filled, but, it is not a place to put on your shopping list if you are going for the food.  The just reviewed - La Fonda - had a better cook in the kitchen.