Grub Crawl - Longwood: Rookies Cantina and Al's New York Pizza

I stopped by these two new spots on 434 near 17-92 yesterday.

Rookies Cantina - A really perplexing name. Do you think the owners used to own a sports bar type place and wanted to bypass new paperwork/legal fees? It is a Mexican joint now. In the location that was a Mexican joint (Fiesta) two attempts ago. Some Serbs tried to make it work as a Serb place and then an Italian place (Milan). The new place looks exactly like the old. They added a few wall hangings. I had a Speedy Gonzalez lunch special for $6. It consisted of a ground beef or chicken taco and the same in an enchilada. I did a hard shell ground beef taco and chicken enchilada. The ground beef was a little flavorless and the taco was like a Taco Bell gordita fried shell. A change from the norm at least. The enchilada was tiny and didn't seem rubbed down with chilis. The chicken was shredded. It was fine. The plate came with refried beans (usual bland mess), rice (slightly crunchy) and sour cream, tomatoes and lettuce. The free nachos were warm. I'm not sure if they were home made. The lunch menu was big, but, generic. There was one plate with cactus that was interesting and sopes. The dinner menu is even bigger and has some interesting things like - pambazo (chicken and mashed potatoes sandwich), Sinoloa bites, ceviche, a shrimp/fish tostada they call a chilapitas, pozole (soup), brochetas, bistec, chilaquiles, huaraches, enmoladas, tamales, fajitas, etc. Most of those "gourmet" plates are $10 to $12. The top price is $15. Service was good. It did take a bit to long for the order to show up. I'm not sure if it was a mistake or you also get a soda with the lunch special, but, that was what happened to me. I didn't read the menu close enough to verify that.  I'm not sure what region they represent. I would guess from the seafood and some of the items that is a southwestern region. It had been open for a month. Respectable comfort food at a a fair price. It had a bigger lunch crowd than its predecessors. It's on 17-92.

Al's New York Pizzeria - On 434 on the Winter Springs side of 17-92. It replaced some Latin "who knows what" in the corner of a strip mall (watch the potholes). I grabbed the two slice special ($5) to go because I was in the neighbor hood and this was just a "get it off the list" mission of mercy. It came with a can of soda. The pizza was in the fortieth percentile of quality for Central Florida. It wasn't terrible, but, in the bottom half. It had little crust. The sauce was garlic-y and slightly spicy. The cheese was mass market quality. It was undercooked. The problem with saying it is NY pizza is that it presupposes all New York pizza is good. It isn't. There are just as many knuckle heads up there that don't know what they are doing as there are down here. I don't think I'm going out on a limb by saying that alot of those people move down here. Now, expectations probably won't run high once you see where it is and what it looks like. The building, I mean. However, just know what you are getting yourself in for. It's nothing special. Maybe it will be what the area needed. They also serve pasta, soups, salads, wings, knots, subs, calzone, stromboli and plates. Pricing is in line with this kind of establishment. It has limited seating. It has been open for a month.

Provisions and Buzz Company, Baldwin Park

I had dinner at this re-vamped spot near the Publix on Monday. I don't know why, but, I have had a bad feeling about this ever since I heard of the reboot (and I didn't even know it was the same team). The first time I went here it was so unmemorable that I forget the theme. The next time (when it was Jack's Steakhouse) I believe I had a bad burger. The next time I road safaried to the ultra-inconvenient ex-military artillery range, I found out that they now fancy themselves a dinner only kind of establishment. I only returned this time because I'm tenacious and it was sort of on the way to the airport. It turned out that my Spidey-sense was dead on. One look at the overpriced and banal menu and I knew it was deja vu all over again. The lunkheads that run this place evidently can only learn the wrong things through trial and error an/or observation. A new place (Osprey Tavern) came in and did something similar (in their eyes) and succeeded. They took from that that their concept was out of date (correct) and all they needed to do was copy what the new guys were doing. They forgot that is not only the what, but, the how. I wouldn't be surprised if they kept the same "Ale House" level cooks from Jack's. So, it is still low on talent. Then they cherry picked the least complicated items from a gastro-pub menu (street tacos, chicken wrap, tuna tartare, etc) because either they have no one with imagination or the talentless kitchen could not be entrusted with anything not offered in an Ale House type restaurant. Then they tried to copy the decor of the market leader. Then they raised the prices ($40 for a steak and $12+ for every app) to imply that they are at that level. They forgot two things. Guys like me (hell all of us) are going to call them out on their short con and THERE IS ALREADY SOMEONE IN YOUR TINY FISHBOWL THAT IS DOMINATING THIS NICHE! I mean how stupid do you have to be not to understand brand positioning. You don't need an MBA. Buy a book! Any book on sales and marketing and it is a chapter title! Even if you are that good (and you aren't), it is very hard to unseat a market leader. At best you can pick off their overflow. I doubt that peculiarity is in play here. Anyway, back to my meal in particular. I gave up and just ordered a burger again. I wasn't about to trust them with anything more complicated or expensive. I had a long flight ahead of me. It looked alright. However, the Luis Guzman parolee (in my imagination) in the back squeezed every drop of moisture out of the already thinnish patty. Those juices and fats then were lit up by the over heated flame grill and char burned the exterior. The result was an ashy hockey puck. And wait, it was overly salty and what I could taste of the beef tasted like Salisbury steak. The onions and tomato were wilted. The lettuce was fresh. The pickle was good. The fries they served along with it were good, but, so overly salted that I got tired of trying to wipe them down and left them uneaten. This travesty cost $15. The worst part of the evening was that I know that the place is like one of those plants that traps its insect  victims with an enticing aroma or attractive color. It looks nice. The menu may appeal to a culinary laggard. And then you are trapped. I think it is important to tell you that I missed my flight because of a visa misunderstanding and that was the second most infuriating event of the day. The only "buzz" is from the flies gathering around this soon to be dead carcass. Avoid.

*I also want to add that this place made me a supporter of the $15 and hour minimum wage. That way I won't feel so bad paying for $15 cheeseburgers anymore.

Grub Crawl - Downtown/Thornton Park: Red Mug Diner (Closed), Verde Cantina (Closed) and Pizza@

I tried these places Saturday night. The first in on Pine St where Golden Knife and a few breakfast themed restaurants operated. The others are in Thornton Park. The first is where Tijuana Flats was on Summerlin and the other is across from Spice on Central Ave. My intended destination was a new place in that cursed spot behind Hamburger Mary's called Maddey's. It was supposed to open in March. I saw an ad they placed in Edible magazine saying it was open. I swear I googled or yelped them and saw reviews and articles and posted times saying it was open. It wasn't. Now it is on my shit list and it will be months (months in which they will probably fail) before I try again.

Red Mug Diner - It's back to the future for this spot. It was Breakfast Club and then Zilly Bee (I think) and then Knife. What kills me is that they (society) wasted all this time and money redesigning this space when there are plenty of other needy spaces. Now it looks like a Fifties diner. White tile. Metal back splash. Red and black accents. I had their chicken pot pie for $11. I was not prepared to eat diner food and this was the most "normal". It was astoundingly good. It's a "deconstructed" type of pie. They ladled some gravy and chicken and vegetables into a skillet and topped it with two of their biscuits. The menu said it came with potatoes. It don't recall seeing any. There were green beans though. It was really good. Tons of white meat chicken. The gravy wasn't salty. The biscuits were light. In fact, I think the dish is filling enough to where they could take away a biscuit half or two and not short change you. The biscuits dissolve into the gravy. Service was pretty good. It did seem that they zigged when I wanted them to zag. The menu is all over the place on pricing. A BLT (even if it has 8 slices) is as much as all but the highest price entree. It is tied as the most expensive sandwich. A patty melt (a burger with cheese) is the same price as a burger without cheese. Desserts cost almost as much as most breakfast items. I don't care if The Dessert Lady makes them. In any case, it is open all day and they serve all the items all day. The prices are pretty reasonable. They have all the classics kicked up a notch. It seats about eighty. There were around a dozen people eating dinner. They have booze. They just opened on Monday. $3 tiny glass of half ice soda is too much.

Verde Cantina - I had an order of what they call Chicken Chicharonnes for $8. They are actually pork shanks. I've had them at WOB and the defunct Cantina Laredo. It's a little disturbing imagining the baby pigs or where ever they come from.These didn't all look like shanks. Some even looked like they had tiny rib cages.  It was a big order (10). Too big for a stomach that already had pot pie. It came with a chipotle dip. They were fine. Crisp. The place seats about forty inside and twenty on the sidewalk. It was almost empty. They had lots of staff. The menu is pretty basic. Tacos. Burritos. Etc. A few specialties like ceviche or fish Veracruz. The ceviche was talapia. I'd guess the fish in the Veracruz is that too. Are you kidding me? It's the stuff you catch fish with. Not fish. I've never heard of a Flats failing. I don't think I would take that info and say "You know what this town needs is a Mexican joint". But, hey, maybe a slightly more refined experience is what will work. They have been open for two months. *I just remembered there is already another (popular and seasoned) Mexican place two blocks away - Mucho.

Pizza@ - I grabbed a pie for today (and so I wouldn't have to make a special trip back) on my back to the parking garage. The voodoo one of my ex's uses on me kicked in and caused the beer in my belly to react with the pot pie or Subway tuna sub or chipotle sauce I had earlier and distend my stomach. I decided to ignore the lure of drunken Orlando Pride fans and drive home before something more embarrassing than looking pregnant happened. I made the right call. Damn voodoo! This place just opened last week. I don't get why it's not pizz@, but, who really cares. They serve a Turkish (Arab) style elliptical pizza. The original Neapolitan shape if we are being accurate. It's also conveyor belt pizza. However, it wasn't half bad. Even cold and at room temp. And it only cost $6. It's an assembly line operation. You order a dough and a sauce and toppings if you want them. Obviously, those aren't free. But, some extras are. They have alot of choice. Some of the odder ones are mahi-mahi and shrimp. The cooking is done in front of you in about thirty seconds. That's it. It doesn't have seating for a whole host of people, but, it has some. They have another location in the Artegon Mall and one in Tavares. The staff was friendly. It is also across from a pizza place that has been there for years. However, I just went to a Mexican place that replaced a Mexican place, so, anything is possible.

IPho2 Noodle House, Maitland

I grabbed a Pho to go today before I realized this was an outpost of the IPho in Lake Mary. I almost walked out, but, I had jacked myself up for Pho for days and I wasn't dealing with any more of that Winter Park traffic to find some. I believe I said in my first review that the I was for Immodium. This time it was better. I'm not sure if they wouldn't have fouled up a rice dish again. However, the soup passed. I had a steak pho for $9. Everything was packed raw and I reboiled it at home. The steak was sliced thin and all meat. The noodles, sprouts, jalapenos, basil, parsley, scallion and onions were all fresh. I got three bowls out of the serving. Bowl one I did without the black and red paste. I think that is a tamarind or damn it what is that Chinese paste - Hoisin? I think the red is a pepper or tomato paste. Maybe a thick sriracha. Same difference. I liked it better pasteless. I would have appreciated it if they had mentioned the Thursday Pho special at $6 when I ordered. It just happened to be Thursday. Or Thirstday - hanh, hanh. The place replaces that Brown's NY Deli in that strip mall where Shish.co is. N. Orange. It looks clean and new. They have hand penciled village scenes of Vietnam on the walls. White walls. It seats about sixty. Little brother may (may) have given big brother a reprieve. They have the full Vietnamese menu.

Grub Crawl - Winter Park: Pepe's Cantina and Jillycakes (Closed)

I went to these two places today. The first is in Hannibal Square where that tapas place was. The other is in the corner of the Shake Shack strip mall on N. Orange.

Pepe's Cantina - I believe they said they opened in December. The staff of the old place took over. Maybe they were the reason the old place closed down. I had a terrible lunch of chicken fajitas that took $20 from my wallet when everything was added up. The "Chinese take out" quality chicken cost $14. They were slathered in some adobe. They used chicken thighs and let me snuff out any argument right now that they use chicken thighs or worse for flavor purposes. They don't They are just cheap. The percentage of chicken to peppers and onions was about 1 to 10. Who eats the peppers anyway? There are barely enough tortillas for the chicken. The chicken was perilously close to being under cooked. The tortillas were served in Reynold's Warp. The guacamole (ordered this to get that) only tasted of lime. They say the make table side guac. I hope it's better than that. The beans had a sweet taste. I prefer savory. The rice was mushy and was cooked with a jar of mixed vegetables. Don't try and get me to eat my vegetables by hiding them like you hide a pill for your dog in a piece of cheese or spinach in some Puppy's (this is my new word for people we used to call Yuppies who are now even bigger pussies - basically anybody with an I Phone) brownie. The only good thing was the free salsa and chips. The chips were warm and non-greasy and not salty. The salsa had a little hint of garlic. Service was haphazard. Around four or five guys took part. Yet, I never got a refill nor did anyone ask how the food was. The food came out alarmingly fast. It is a shame if my meal is emblematic of how they do business. The area did need something in this area. How long must we suffer with only PR's?  However, they better step it up even if they don't step up the pricing at dinner (everything at lunch was $12-$14). The inside only seats about twenty and most of those seats are next to a kitchen or bathroom door. The front patio seats about sixteen. They have a bar are that wraps around the side into the back. Maybe it should transform into a bar. They were pushing their Thirsty Thursday pretty hard. And may I ask why can't people just call it Thirstday. Are people so stupid that they can't deconstruct that word? Hoda and Kathy Lee do this all the time too. I get what day Boozeday would be. The fun is in truncating the word. You idiots don't get to add it back later. I was happy when I saw that Pepe's opened that the demise of the tapas place maybe signaled an end to a trend. That is still all I have after eating here.

Jillycakes - I had a cookie butter cupcake at this cupcake store today. The lack of parking in this strip mall kept me away until now. It was fine. The cake was moist. I still don't get why you fatties want more icing than cupcake or why they felt the need to stuff this one. They stuffed it with Trader Joe's cookie cream. This is (wait for it) some very famous paste made out out of cookies that apparently I am the only one (ever) to have never heard of before. The pork pie at Jilly's actually said that to me. Puppie. I think the paste is mouth chewed by non-GMO, fair wage artisans from Equatorial Africa. That or free range methadone patients. Can't use prisoners. The confined spaces make for unhappy animals. Anyway. Back to the cupcakes. They seemed ok. The business card said something about Cupcake Wars. They could have come in last. It doesn't say. Do we need this? Do we need tapas? Puppy chow is different from regular dog food so....

PizzAmore, Mount Dora

I grabbed a 14" (medium) pie to go from this Italian restaurant on East 5th Ave on Sunday. It was pretty bad. More bread stick than pizza. Too thick. Too little cheese. Soapy taste. Corn meal on the crust. A sauce that was both spicy and sweet and garlic-y. I would bet it was conveyor belt pizza. They also serve pasta, knots, subs, salads, flat bread, dead animal carcasses, and booze. It moved from a place north of town to this spot just east (across from a Montessori). It is in a house. It looks cute. It doesn't seat alot though (unless the upstairs is used). Maybe forty. The parking lot is small too. If you live in Mt Dora, you may be stuck with this. If you don't, then I can't really recommend it.

Magnolia Cafe, Eustis

I grabbed a quick snack to go at this spot on 19 just north of 441 on Sunday. I saw it previously when I went to that diner in Eustis. It was called Olivia's Coffe House then. It has been this for a year. It was on the Sentinel list. They serve comfort style breakfast and lunch. I would guess a lady runs it. It has a feminine vibe.They have things like smoked salmon pate, baked brie, edamame, hummus and quiche for the aristocracy and meatloaf melts, chicken salad, roast beef pancakes, eggs, biscuits and chili for the proletariat. I just wanted to x it off the list, so, I chose an apple cobbler. It cost $3.  If they made it themselves or not, it was good. They said they were adding more baked goods soon. I believe they said "in house" as in made there. It is near the east end of the lake. One block down from 19. There is a little old timey town there with a few restaurants and a park on the lake. The place itself is in an old building. It has character. There are two rooms. They have cute girls working there. It closed at three pm on Sunday. It was two thirty when I got there, so, it was almost empty.

Grub Crawl - Tavares: Palm Gardens Restaurant and Marina and Al's Landing

I ate lunch at this little spot in a "marina" on a waterway connecting Lake Dora and Lake Eustis on Sunday. It was on that list the Sentinel produced a while ago. I had one of the meals they suggested because it didn't look like it would make much of a difference. It was a spiral ham sandwich for $8. It came with chips. It was fine. Four thick slices. The veg were fresh. It could just be a reserving of a Honey Baked Hams product. Who knows. It's not my go to meal. The rest of the fare is basic. Burgers, dogs, the usual sandwiches, fried seafood. They have a raw bar. They serve that basa fish and call it Grouper's little brother. The place is located in some kind of RV park that rents cabins. They seemed very run down. You take 441 towards Leesburg and it is right on the west edge of the lake. It has a little bar and a dock area that seats about fifty. It was pretty full. It is under trees with Spanish moss. People were arriving by boat and roping off. It could be quaint if you are in the right mood. Working class spot.

I'll update the rest of places on that list in Tavares. There are three places on the part of the lake on 441. Two were on the list. I forget the name of the one not on the list. Sinbad's seemed to be a dump on stilts. Buzzard Beach was just shack. They also had a Hurricanes across from Palm Gardens. It is a chain, but, it was on the list.

If you get off 441 before the lake, you will find the old town of Tavares. I was coming back from Palm Gardens (farthest west) so I took the turn where the lake began. You can take Sinclair before then and I think St Clair before that. I left via Sinclair, so, I know that works. It is a small town on Lake Dora. Mostly government building. It has a cute park (with tiny water park) that is kid friendly. You can get $40 sea plane rides and $25 two hour boat tours. I think they do an old timey train to Mt Dora at certain times. I had a beer at Al's Sand Bar at the far end. It had a basic menu. The list said there was an Al's Landing. It has changed into Puddle Jumpers. Behind Al's was a place called Tiki West Bar. Closer to the parking area were two places on the list - O'Keefe's Irish Pub and Ruby Street Grille. In between was an ice cream place called Nice Creams. Behind them was a sushi place. It seemed closed that day. And that is Tavares. I will go back and try the other places intermittently.

Pub Crawl - I Drive/Sand Lake Rd: Dewey's Indoor Golf and Mango's

I went to these to places on Saturday night. 

Dewey's Indoor Golf - I have always seen this place driving by and never really knew what it was. Golf equipment? Sports bar? Arcade? It turns out that it is more bar than playground. They have golf course simulators (around eight), Football simulators (around three) that may double as golf ones. Pool tables. And even a small arcade. It seems like a bachelor party/baby sitting the kids/birthday party type place. They serve food. They have an outdoor patio. They have a back room with plusher seating. There is a section of high tops in the middle and bar at the end. It was all new though they have been there for a few years. It is across from the strip mall with the Gold or World's Gym on Turkey Lake Rd just steps from Sand Lake Rd. Kids seemed welcome. They had the hard stuff plus beer and wine. I had an Arnold Palmer red for $8.

Mango's - I went here after dinner and stayed until twelve. It replaced the old sports themed place and some other chain before that near the corner of Sand Lake Rd and I Drive. I parked in the lot at the Ferris Wheel because they don't have enough. If you ever wondered what the bar from Scarface would like if it was inside a Rain Forest Cafe on a cruise ship then wonder no more. They advertised a branch in Miami and that is the vibe. I'm not sure what was going on or if they were responsible, but, it seemed like the Puerto Rican Day parade on I Drive on Saturday (minus the whistles and banging pots and cries of "Puerto Ricoh). And there was no shortage of them (yes I know the difference between nationalities and how you all hate being compared and think yourselves superior to each other and they weren't all Puerto Rican) inside here. A real Expats of the Caribbean here. The place is akin to a cruise ship's theatrical area because they run a "cabaret" all night long. Think Michael Jackson impersonators and Mardi Gras type dancing. And it seemed that they have a leaky roof because it kept raining men - hallelujah. The main room is huge and on two levels. The second floor has a balcony area and a more hip hop like club called Vodou. They charged $10 for a glass of wine and it some how became $11.32 with tax. The cover was only $10. I had heard it was $40 ish. I think that may be the charge if you have dinner there. They had bottle service tables. In all seriousness, I think they are trying to recreate one of those pre-Castro like night clubs. I never felt like one of my previous incarnations liked those places, so, I never feel a pang of nostalgia when I see them in old movies or visit them in modern day Orlando. However, it is kind of a spectacle and this would be the city for that type of entertainment. So, don't be shy and bring an umbrella. Damn, I should have used a Birdcage reference rather than Scarface.

Eddie V's Prime Seafood, Sand Lake Rd

I ignored a guideline and tried this Seafood/Steakhouse next to Rocco's Tacos Saturday night. Mostly because I was running out of options and I have never been to any other branches (saw one in Chicago). I try to avoid chains (especially expensive ones aimed at sales guys using corporate expense accounts) because they are chains. This one seemed extra low rent given the name it chose for itself. Every time I see it I hear Jimmy Fallon and Higgins talking about Monster Cable and saying EDDIE V! with a strong Guido accent. Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be delightful. Now let's ignore the fact that I had to park across the street and it seemed necessary to grab a drink elsewhere before the crowd died down and anything but a seat at the bar was impossible. I still had a good time. It reminded me of those formal dinners (usually in a hotel) with the family replete with shitty house band and poor people celebrating with money they couldn't afford to lose. I had a half dozen oysters for $18. They served three of each type. They were smallish and most of the liqueur did not survive the walk from the raw bar. The shucker did a good job. Only one small shell fragment. I also had a shrimp cocktail for $16. They (4) were big. Just a touch spongy. I think the usual serving used to be six or at least five. The cocktail sauce was perfect. Lastly, I had a duo of tartares for $18. Steak and lobster. They actually served real lobster. And not claw tips and leg meat. I've had so many shitty lobster rolls lately (at $20 or more) that I assumed real lobster was a thing of my memories. There was enough lobster in this pile to make half a lobster roll. Nice, sweet flavor. A hint of a mayonnaise based dressing. The steak was also flavorful. Mixed with truffle oil, spices and covered with shaved Parmesan Reggiano. I nice dice. Not really a ground paste. The plate came with five pieces of toast that seemed coated with a wonderful honey butter. If I could go back, I would have ordered three plates of this. The main menu will set you back thirty bucks with a plus/minus margin of error like spread of five bucks. I went with two apps instead of one entree. They seemed pretty boring anyway. I saw a great steak and a drab tuna steak being served. The menu overall was surprisingly focused. Warning - their mark ups on booze are ridiculous. My glass of wine retails (the whole bottle) for the $10 they charged and it was the least manipulated. Bottles were four times retail. Service was great. Each plate came out expeditiously. They staggered the deliveries. Not one was served before I finished the one I had before me. The waiter/bartender asked in what order I wanted them served. And the restaurant was a mad house. And I was just a bar urchin. The place is divided into two areas by a glass wine cellar. The bar and the main room. The bar has lots of table top seating and probably seats around seventy. It was full. The whole place was full. They had one tiny TV as an accommodation to the sports nuts (I assume). I was surprised that they would preserve the ambiance of the bar this way. I expected them to favor the Average Joe more than the serious diner. The main room seats about one hundred. What I remember of the decor was polished wood and that thin translucent marble. It was smart, but, not stuffy. They really didn't drop the ball in any major areas. Try them out if you have the means.

Park Cafe and Bakery, Winter Park (Closed)

I just grabbed a cookie at this "kiosk" on New England in Hannibal Square on Saturday because this spot is always in flux and I had already had lunch and I wasn't hungry and the menu was boring and Mediterranean. It was an oatmeal cookie with dried strawberries and cheese cake icing on top. It was fine. It cost $1.50. The manager said they bake them. The menu was smallish. The real question is will anyone pay $15 for their lunch special. I think it is the only item (besides sweets) that is more than a side dish or pita. It seems to be a major part of their business model. Hopefully, they come up with some interesting items. They do some breakfast items too. Not sure if that is every day. Drinks too. They didn't change a thing (can't really) from the place they replaced. Just outdoor seating. Parking is a pain. I believe it opened a month ago.

The Outpost Neighborhood Kitchen, College Park - Moved to Maitland City Center - Closed

I ate lunch at this comfort food/gastro pub on an old Dunkin Donuts location on Edgewater Dr Saturday. It has been there for about a year. I have not. Evidently. I had the Buffalo Shrimp Benedict for $12 because they only serve brunch on the weekends. It was pretty good. The poached eggs didn't make the transition from the pot to the muffin without splitting though. The yolks seemed very fresh (orange). The shrimp were mostly breading. The muffin was under toasted. The potatoes were good. The hollandaise was pleasant. If they fix the fixable and use fatter shrimp and less breading, I think they'll have something worthwhile. A soda was $2. They had reasonably priced pancakes, waffles, etc. This was one of the "fancier" items. The regular lunch menu runs the gamut from peel and eat shrimp to chicken and waffles. Burgers, sammies, salads, etc. Oddities like boiled peanuts. I guess we are sensing a Southern theme here. Most items are in the low double digits. Dinner tops out at $20. Same things plus a Low Country Boil, pot pie, ribeye and roast chicken. It seats about twenty on the patio and twenty inside. The patio was full. The inside had one full table. Possibly because the AC was on too high. It is decorated in gastropub style. They serve booze. Service was good. Dedicated parking in the back. Glad I did a check up of the neighborhood. I found that a bistro that replaced the Mexican place next door and saw that the Irish pub is now a Rusteak. And an offshoot of Armando's (I assume from Winter Park) is in the corner slot of that condo. I will hit up the bistro soon. They don't do Satur - "days". I have already been to the original locations of the other two.

*Supposedly they will keep this spot open until the Fall 2019.

Grub Crawl - East Colonial: Smith and Adams Confections (Closed) and Fusion Cafe

I went to these place off 50 near Bumby on Friday. The first is in the mall that has that wine store and the other replaces a pizza place in a strip mall across the street. Traffic SUCKS on 50.

Smith and Adams Confections - Next to Gigi's Cupcakes in the back. They make gelato, candy, etc. I had a small Buchi (type of beer) espresso gelato with beer made at some new brewery on Curry Ford for $4 and a spicy dark chocolate bar for $6.50. The gelato got worse the more I ate of it. Too medicinal. The taste test was good, but... The chocolate bar was also mediocre. The cayenne (or whatever they used) could still be called out in your mouth. Dry dust sensation. The ratio was off too. Too much heat. They seem to be avoiding direct competition with the baked goods place next door. I think they had a brownie. But that was all. They serve beverages too. No need to make special plans to get here. I think they opened in December.

Fusion Cafe - This was a non-descript pizza place under many names until about a month ago. Now it is that plus Latino food. If I had to guess from the menu items, I would say Colombian. I just grabbed a sausage and meatball sandwich to go because I had already eaten and I wasn't that keen on eating here after I had just reviewed the old location a few months ago and I was not in the mood to diagnose the menu. It was good. Kind of a calzone cut open. They talked me into the "calzone" version ($1 extra). I'm not sure what the regular is served on. Roll? I'm not even sure that the calzone style is extra or if I agreed to buy the "special" which meant I got fries with that. Because I did (get fries with that). The cost was $8. They made it fresh. It took ten minutes. It consisted of one baseball sized meatball (cut up) and one sausage. Both were good enough. They could offer up more sauce and cheese. The french fries were under cooked. What I think happened is that the old owner sold out to some one on the staff and they were Colombian. They had all the pizzeria equipment and the knowledge (from doing the cooking) and decided to keep it in the mix with their real love - Colombian cooking. The place seats about forty. They added some drapes (ala Pottery Barn again) as wall hangings. They have one server and the place showed it. Unbussed tables galore. It's an upgrade over what it was. Still to be seen if it is special.

Highball and Harvest, Orlando

I went here Friday afternoon after a snafu with Yelp mislisted the times (it's 6pm not 6am dumb shits) for my intended destination - Norman's. It is their more casual restaurant. It replaced Vineyard Grill. Shockingly it is a gastro pub. Is it my imagination or is every second restaurant now one of these? It is a nice space. Big. They have a bar area with a hand shuffleboard table. I think they even brew some of their own beer. The "main" area is composed of a patio area and an inside area divided by Pottery Barn (is Pier One still around?) like curtains. Imagine all the cliched decolletage of the genre and you have the mental image. It looks out on the pool and golf course. Oh, did I mention, this is in the Ritz Carlton Grande Lakes off John Young and CF Turnpike. I had the Pimento Burger for $18. It was among the cheaper items. They had some ridiculous chicken for around thirty dollars. It was fine. To tell you the truth, if you matched it against a Freddy's double for $6, I wouldn't find much difference. It was two thin patties covered with pimento cheese and bacon. Toss in some pickle slices, lettuce, mustard, tomato and a glazed bun and you have the rest. The pickles were too "too" for the burger. I had to remove them to taste anything else. They are there to add a sweet flavor (not note - we all know by now that music has notes - flavors do not - and people do not have either). They need to be put on a leash. The bacon was sloppily laid on. Pieces were stuck together. The cheese had heat (ie pimento). The patties were well crusted from their time on the grill. A little overcooked. The thick cut french fries were under cooked and over seasoned with some Cajun mess. The $4 soda is an ass invasion. Refill didn't come until the eleventh hour. The meal was very salty and I was forced to ration my beverage. Service was otherwise top notch. You can get the free wifi from the lobby. They will validate the required valet parking charge. The Norman's menu was pretty dull, so, I am not that disappointed that it fell through. I think they have a dinner menu here too. Not a destination spot. This category is too flooded and too simplistic for that designation. You really have to be doing something evocative for that.

*I have to add that this has to be one of the trashier Ritz's in the catalog. At least from the outside. So, don't be intimidated about showing up here. And see Saturday's NY Post Editorials for a good lampooning of culinary elitism.

Replacing A Water Heater Tutorial

I'll admit I did little research on this project. I just auditioned two plumbers because I kind of wanted to see how one of them treated me and if I would use them for a bigger project.

Preparatory Calls: I started with Emerald Plumbing. My neighbors used them on a big project and liked them They quoted $115 for hour one and $42.50 for every hour after that. People told me it was an hour (two max) job, so, I wasn't worried that much about labor costs. Hauling away the old unit was included and they took credit cards (3% fee). I did a simple comparison by calling A Better Plumber and he quoted $275 for the job.

Purchase: I purchased a Rheem forty gallon electric from Home Depot for $358 ($383 with tax). A thirty gallon was $338. Lowe's had Whirlpools for $325 for a forty and $389 for a fifty. However, they were too wide for the space I had (19 versus twenty three inches). *- I have since found out that they could have installed the wider ones. **Emerald said a unit and install (all through them) would be $900+. Not sure if parts were included. The unit fit in my SUV.

Installation:  Their office had me schedule a 9am to 5pm window. They called me at ten am (day of) and said they had a tech ready to go asap. A male tech came at around eleven am and we discussed what was going to transpire. He mentioned parts costs of more than I expected and that got my attention. I decided to leave it alone until I saw the actual figures.

So, next we turned off the water on the side of the house and I went inside. He then removed the old unit. Then the first problem reared its head. He called me in and showed me where the unit was dented. It is possible he did it. I gave him the benefit of the doubt and decided that it could go in as it was. *I have since talked with Home Depot and they told me the warranty covered any future problems (we'll see) and offered some remediation for the damage. Nice.

And then there was about an hour of clanging and it was installed. Right an schedule. Possibly a two hour charge. However, he stated that the outside valve where he had turned off the water supply was now broken. There is some kind of spinning seal inside and it had broken. Once again, he could have broken it, but, I gave him the benefit of the doubt. What can you do? It was probably a twenty year old part. So, know he says he has to go get a replacement or he can try and fix it or he can disable the area. Of course I start with the "cheap" alternative of fixing it and it and that wastes a half hour. He agrees to not charge for the time to get the part and I agree to have it done right. He comes back and digs a small hole to get to the pipe and a small hole in my wall to set the new "valve" and caulks the hole and finishes up the install. He turns the water back on and fills and turns on the unit. We wait about a half hour for it to do its business. He writes up the bill. I give him my card info. The time on the job is 3.5 hours. About two extra than expected. But, I have a new water cut off valve.

Payment: This is where I was a little miffed. $160.28 in parts. Probably $100+ of it just for the install. I think they should have addressed this when I asked for a quote. I feel a little better after going to Home Depot today and checking their prices versus retail. They only really hosed me on one or two parts and I may not have an apples to apples comparison for those.

Here we go:

1/2 inch sweat house bib ( I believe this is the valve) - They charged $18.30 and HD had a bunch ranging from $18 for a one inch to $13.53 and $15.14 for 1/2 inch levers like this. A tad more above cost. He said HD didn't have the one he wanted, so, that explains that. The faucet type parts seemed cheaper and was what I had. Not sure why he went with a lever.

2 3/4 inch Pex male - They charged $10.14 and HD had them for $7.84 each. $15.68 for two. Below cost.

2 3/4 inch Pex female - They charged $10.14 and HD had them for $7.84 each. $15.68 for two. Below cost.

9 3/4 90 degrees - They charged $40.77 and HD had them at $7.87 if brass. Mine are copper or brass. If equal then they would be $70.56 for nine. I assume they installed nine. Below cost.

2 3/4 inch Sharkbite couplings - They charged $50.84 and HD had them at $8.56 each. Seems to be a major anomaly here. Something is odd. This seemed to be an exact comparison.

10 feet of Pex pipe - They charged $22.50 and HD had 10 feet of CPVC pipe for $6.81. Possibly another overcharge. Maybe Pex is way more than CPVC. They look the same. No Pex at HD.

1 3/4 inch seat barb. They charge $3.81. I couldn't find anything labeled this and no one was familiar with the designation.

As you can see, the parts prices are nothing to sneeze at as a percent of the install cost. Plus people said they could have used flexible hoses over some of those parts and it would have saved labor and parts costs. However, those hoses aren't cheap either. They run from the mid teens to twenty bucks. I have no idea what liabilities they have operationally.

Summary: I paid $487.78 when I budgeted $190. I didn't expect the large parts charges. I accept that the extra hour was bad luck and the extra half hour was my fault for not biting the bullet immediately. Get a quote for parts! The job was done by four pm (we lost about two hours getting the new part). The technician was polite. He did forget to turn my irrigation water supply back on (I have two street level shut off valves and he didn't know which went to the house so he turned off both) and had to come back the next day. He arrived at three pm for that.

Town House, Oviedo

I had lunch at this diner on North Central Ave on Saturday. It's the new building of this landmark restaurant (victim of urban development). Just down the street. It's a nice new building and they have placed the old sign front and center. I had the Hill Billy Benedict for $8. It is eggs and sausage on a biscuit covered with sausage gravy. It was ok. The biscuit was too salty. I just ordered it because it was the oddest sounding thing. It came with a choice of grits or home fries. Very Filling. Service was fine. It seats about eighty. It was still packed at two pm.

Grub Crawl - UCF Area: South Philly Steaks and Kung Fu Tea

I had a cheese steak and a tea at these two neighbors in the strip mall near the 4 Rivers on University (Collegiate Way) on Saturday.

South Philly Steaks - They have been there for over four years. I had a half classic for $5. It was fine. I didn't get what was so special about the brand of bread they found so important. It was nothing special. It rarely is. The "steak" was grilled and came with onions and wiz. The wiz was overly salty as usual. Football nacho type cheese. The place has lots of Philadelphian sports iconography. They also sell burgers, sausage sandwiches and fries. It seats about thirty.

Kung Fu Tea - They opened a month ago and it appears they are also in Gainesville and Tampa. It's one of these Hello Kitty drink places. I had a Honey Tea for $3. It was too sweet even after I diluted it twice. They also have punches, milk tea, yogurt, slushes and sweets. You can add things like boba to your drink. It looks nice. It's just not my demo. There is also direct competition in the area.

U Roll, Orlando

I had a pre-lunch at this Subway-like Japanese place on 50 in between 436 and 417 on Saturday. They also have a place in the Artegon Mall on I Drive. Not much to report back on. The place is an old fast food place (probably a Pizza Hut) in a shitty neighborhood. The mix and match furniture is just acceptable enough not to be an embarrassment. It seats about seventy. It was next to empty. The main problem with the salmon and avocado roll I ordered was the rice. Terribly over vinegared. It cost $6. Not much difference in what you get here and the supermarket. The fish you choose (small selection) can also be placed in a salad or rice bowl. They also have some hot dishes that range from the typical Japanese apps to Pad Thai. It has been open for a year. I was worried that I would have to prepare my food. Now I'm disappointed. Fix the rice my brothers. Pass.