Saint Anejo, Winter Springs

Like the inbred illiterate judge in the Dan Newlin commercial, this place helped me "obtain" some tacos to go at this Mexican restaurant on Red Bug Lake Rd in the strip mall that has one of those mini Wal-Marts. It is from the same people who brought you Agave Azul and La Fiesta. Somehow a place with that sort of experienced ownership just appeared on my radar. Even though it has been open for a year. It's better than it's two sister restaurants. Cleaner. Newer. More refined. Are they imitating a tequila flanking strategy? I didn't eat in because I was trying to shoe horn in another "sit down" play in Oviedo that ended up not being open for lunch. I had the carnitas taco plate for $9.50 ($12 at dinner). It was good. Not $12 good. Or $9.50 good. But, good. Street tacos that you can get at a taqueria for half the price. $9.50 gets you three tacos. The pork was a shade off perfection. Not an overwhelming amount of flavor. The meat didn't fall apart on its own. It seemed more braised in its own juices than in boiling oil. They write "Dos Equis" braised. Maybe that is the answer. Can carnitas not be braised in oil? For at least part of the process? I know. It's a devil may care time in history where everything self identifies with definition-less language. The tortillas are listed as "hand made corn". I believe they were. Raw white onion and cilantro serve as the toppings. A side of rice and beans are added. Both were fine. The rice was bathed in a vegetable or chicken stock. They fluffed the rice. I don't like when they do that. They all do that. Fluffing is for adult film ACTORS (they can't all be stars). The rest of the lunch menu STARTS at $9.5. It is basic and since it is not any cheaper and the rest of the menu is available all day, it is superfluous. The main menu is schizo. They want $7 for an ear of corn (oh wait it comes with cotija) or a soup versus $21 for a T-Bone. Well, that's really the only egregious disparity. Most of the menu is simply over priced. Guac is $10 to $13. Fajitas are $17. They are pricing themselves ala Rocco's Tacos. However they are in the middle of nowhere and they don't have an equivalent ambiance or bar scene. Those are the reasons they can charge that much. It isn't their food. If you go, at least try one of the less ubiquitous Mexican selections. A cazuelita ($14-16). Mahi Mahi in puffy tortillas ($15). Tamales ($9). The menu isn't bad. I just think you will not find it to be a value. The place looks good inside. They have a bar with some booth seating on the right, an enclosed mini kitchen in the center and regular seating in the back and on the left. It is tastefully decorated. They have some interesting grafitti near the bathroom. I seem to remember the color white and wood for the furniture. And a wall of hats. I think the place must have been a Season's 52 type place before. I cite the stacked flat rock accents as evidence. It's a nice option if you don't mind paying a premium.

Hana Sushi, Altamonte Springs

I grabbed a sushi A lunch special to go on my way home Wednesday. It cost $10. It consisted of six pieces of nigiri and a California roll and soup or salad. The nigiri was ahi tuna, fake crab, white tuna (escolar), shrimp. salmon and a white fish with brown tips that they used to call snapper, but has always been tilapia. All the fish was fresh. Long thin cuts. Even the tuna was ok. The roll was fine too. The salad was fresh. Small portion. The rice was properly prepared. I was mildly surprised. I used to go here alot. It was always above average back in those days. I was just surprised that the quality didn't drop off after all this time and that it still is ok compared to the increased level of competition in CF. It's not world class, but, it is respectable. Prices are in line. The place hasn't changed at all inside. It's pretty bare bones. However, it hasn't seemed to have aged either. Service was quick and polite. They serve the usual stuff. Hot and cold. Some ambitious items are: yellowtail jaw (grilled), kimchi, udon, and salmon carpaccio. They are in the strip mall on the north side of 1-4 that has the DSW shoe warehouse. It seats about forty.

Camila's, I Drive

I had lunch at this Brazilian buffet in the hidden corner of this strip mall across from Peter Glenn sports outlet on Wednesday. It cost $15. I thought it would be the best in this price range (by the looks of it and the crowds). It was maybe the worst (food wise). The offerings were minimal and the quality was average. I tried the mashed potatoes, soup, fried fish, rice, shrimp, steak, chicken and some sort of meat with a livery taste (it had to be pork or beef). The MP had some sort of sour cream or sour butter mixed in. Too foreign a flavor profile for this American. I would also bet that it was made from a mix. The soup was some kind of vegetable puree. I'd guess squash. Too sweet. The fried part of the fried fish was tasty. You couldn't really taste the fish which was probably for the best since a buffet probably buys frozen tilapia or swai. The rice was old. Crunchy basmati. The shrimp were a mushy mess. Obviously over boiled AND frozen. It came in some kind of cloying butter sauce that somehow took on an orange color. Talk about being thrown a curve by my lyin' eyes. I thought it would be a sweet orange sauce. Not that that would have been preferable. The chicken was baked and surprisingly white meaty. It looked like top thigh cut. I'm still not sure how I get tricked by chicken butchering. I've had about a million chickens in my life. That's on me. The "liver" meat is self explanatory. The steak was grainy. I think sliced rump or skirt. I'll never master beef butchering. This is what I mostly ate. It was fine if you cut it up against the bias. The things I wouldn't touch were: stale bread, wilted salad, ugly side dishes, some kind of hot dog stew, and A few other things so nondescript that I've forgotten already. As you can see, the competition has more. The place looks good. It is all white. Modern furniture. It looks like some kind of weird euro-cafe or Japanese hospital. I didn't love the horrible sound system. The only thing worse than listening to Portuguese gibberish on TV is listening to it coming out of a tweeter. Service was good. The check says the add a 10% tip and then the check has a tip line too. They say the buffet is $15. I'm not sure why they just don't say - tip included. They also have a "club" next door that didn't seem to be open on this day. Parking is an issue. All in all, I would recommend all the others. However, the distance between any of them is not that great. They have a place in Miami. I think they have been in this location for over a year. There are probably enough "other reviews" on line to help you make the call.

1921, Mount Dora

I should probably take a breath and write about this place when I have more energy, but, I'm too excited and I want to be the first to weigh in on this excellent new endeavour. It just opened last week. It is on 4th and Baker. It is run by Norman Van Aken of Norman's at The Ritz. They describe it as modern Florida cuisine. The menu consists of about six bar snacks, six appetizers and eight main courses. They had things like flounder carpaccio, crab cocktail, Florida chowder, chaufa (Peruvian fried rice) with octopus, red snapper, grouper, duck, steak, etc. I chose a Caesar salad (mainly because it was the cheapest thing) and Fried Cornish Hen with mac and cheese and cola flavored collards. The salad was phenomenal. It cost $8. It was huge. Crisp romaine. Tiny croutons (I usually toss those). A refreshing dressing that was more citrus flavored than anchovy flavored. Beautiful. The hen was so big that I questioned whether they subbed in a chicken. They said it was sourced near by and was a CGH. I actually would have preferred a whole (this was a sectioned breast and drum quarter), tiny fowl. This one didn't have much flavor. They said they brined it. Not sure if that unlocked or blocked the natural flavor. The batter was sweet. I never found out what they put in it. The crust came off too easily, so, it either was too wet when they dipped it or the oil wasn't hot enough. The collards were very sweet. It also seemed like there was some other element (other than cola) in the mix. Some kind of stewed fruit or veg. They were very good and I'm not a "sides" guy. The piece de resistance though was the mac and cheese. Outrageous. Maybe the best in the world. That is right. THE WORLD. It is some concoction of elbow macaroni (cooked perfectly) and manchego and another cheese that one guy said started with a F and another said was cave something or other. It came in a ramekin. Big portion of a potent side. The meal cost $24. Prices are understandably high. I think they topped out at $40. But, you really only need a main or two apps/snacks. They don't pull the usual BS of high prices AND tiny portions. The place looks nice. They did the best they could. White walls. Tables made out of tree stump cross sections. Gold framed art. It reminded me of a Klimt painting. Not sure if Norman is Austrian, but, I have seen this type of near Eastern oriental influenced Continental decorating in many Austrian homes. It was a style craze in the early twentieth century (I think. Maybe earlier). The one element I didn't like was the drapery in the middle and end of the main room. They just seemed old and dirty and a tad too Arab-esque. The space is divided into three sections. The main room is "down stairs". It is the biggest. It seats about sixty. Lighting is a little low there. There is also a bar (with an outside patio with additional seats at the bar) with seating around it. And a room between the bar and the entrance. It seats about thirty. Oh and a private room. The kitchen is open. You see it from the entrance. Tons of staff. The walls on the outside are also white. You enter on 4th into a little alcove. The service was good. Plenty of knowledgeable staff who are engaged. My waiter commutes from Winter Park for the chance to work with these people. They have a uniform (chambray shirts and jeans). The food came out at a decent pace. You will probably need reservations in the future (except bar area), but, they fit me in at a table even though I had flip flops on and road beard. The crowd was a mish mosh. White haired, hippie artists, Brazilians, frumpy locals (dressed up and not dressed up), etc. I wonder how long they will allow this to go on. I guess I hope they don't become detached from the community that surrounds them. Time will tell. In any case, run don't walk to be part of this experience. Definitely a destination spot. It will be on the Best of 2016 list.

Buzzard Beach, Tavares

I tried a hot dog at this little shack on the lake on 441 on Thursday. I was coming back on 75 and wanted to knock it out. You will remember I mentioned it a few months ago when I last went through Tavares. I thought it just had hot dogs. They also have alot of other things. Sandwiches and platters that include lobster salad, fried oysters, grouper, bbq pork for example. The hot dog was a quarter pound, grilled Hebrew National. It cost $3.50. It was ok. A little over grilled. The shack was screened in. People have written stuff all over the walls and beams. People were having a beer or two. It seats about seventy. Chill, low key vibe. Country music. It's basically a food truck with attached dining room.

Hog Heaven, Daytona Beach

I thought this place was a little closer to Aunt Catfish's, so, I decided to knock it off the list and literally wash the bad taste out of my mouth. It's on N. Atlantic Ave (A1A) near the convention center. It has been there since 1978. I had some mix of scraps (pork, beef, chicken) that I forget the name of. It was a sandwich. It cost $7. It was chopped and drowned in a sweet sauce. It was pretty gross. The bun stunk. I knew it was a risky bet. Oh well. Maybe their other stuff (ribs, brisket, pork, chicken and chops) are better. The place looks pretty new for never being renovated. It looks like a log cabin. It was clean. It's still an open question on whether you should try it or not. Up to you.

Aunt Catfish's, Port Orange

I started my road trip eight days ago at this seafood restaurant on Halifax Dr (really at the bridge off US1 and exit 256 I think). It was unsurprisingly underwhelming. I had a lunch combo for $9 and a salt and pepper shark basket for $9. I chose a soup (mix of clam and fish chowder they call flowder or something like that) and a half shrimp blt wrap for the combo. The soup was good. Only a small cup though. The blt was ok. 4 shrimp. Little to no bacon. The shark (though plentiful) was dry on dry. Dry shark made drier through the seasoning and breading. It was fried nuggets. It came with limp, greasy fries. Both meals came with a hush puppy and that gives me an excuse to tell you that P. Alllen Smith says hush puppies are so named because people used to take their leftover batter and toss it in the grease and give it to their hungry dogs. Both dishes also came with a terrible cinnamon roll. They tasted like a paper wrapper was baked in. There was also some cole slaw in the mix of one of the meals. The lunch combo I had was only one of the variations you could order. Most of the pricing on the exhaustive menu was out of whack, but, not unusual for these tourist traps. My meals were some of the cheapest. The place is on the intercoastal. It seats 100+. It is mostly all enclosed. They have a little "playground" area. The interior is dated. Service was slow. They charged $3 for a soda in a mason jar filled with ice that tasted of dish soap. No refill was offered until the check came (first time I had a chance to complain). When I stated my displeasure with the soapy taste, they could have deducted the cost of the barely touched soda. they didn't. And that, in a nutshell, is what this place is all about. It's a meat grinder. They obviously do enough business and the clientele is so undemanding that they have a take it or leave it ethos. I experienced nothing to recommend it to you.

El Paso, Sanford

I tried this ten month old Tex-Mex place on 46 (was a terrible Asian buffet place) on Thursday. Mall side of I-4. I had the lunch El Paso's Favorito for $9. It was poop-orito. The main issue was the ingredients. They were the cheapest around. The "ground" beef was salty mush. Same going in as going out. Jack in the Box bad. The cheese was the worst kind of jack/cheddar/etc blend. I wouldn't be surprised if they bought the supermarket blend. A chemical concoction. All oil. No dairy. It was also so salty that I removed all of it. And there was alot. Those two things were the main components in the burrito, hard shell taco and enchilada. So, they all sucked. The "chalupa" was really a tostada. It was just beans and guac. The guac was too salty as well. The one ok component was the tamale that served as the coating for the enchilada. Once again I'm not sure what planet they are from, but, I've never seen an enchilada in a tamale. I've had a tamale stuffed with ground beef, but, it was called a tamale. The only good part of the meal was the free part. The chips and two dips were good. The salsa had just enough heat and the black bean dip was tasty (not salty). They have a humongous menu. That would usually be the smoking gun, but since Mexican food is six ingredients re-purposed a million ways, the blame must lie elsewhere. That menu has vegetarian, seafood (mostly shrimp) and the usual Mexican assortment. They cleaned up the place. It's now black and brown and red. There are rustic murals on the wall. They retained the bar. It looks much like the Bennigan's (or whatever) it started as. And that is the level. Mexican Bennigan's. Mexigan's. It's amazing that Sanford is still the only shitty neighborhood in CF that can't at least brag about one decent Mexican restaurant. This place received third place in some magazine they invade my mail box with. Even if there were two Mexican places in the region they queried, they wouldn't come in third. And I don't mean two others. Just two. Paso on El Paso. No refills offered. The music they played (loudly) was inappropriate for a non-teen Mexican clientele. Maybe at a quincenera/baby shower..

Grub Crawl - Sanford: Chef Sennet's Candlelight Cafe (Closed), Fuel and Palate

I tried these spots around downtown on Saturday at lunch.

Chef Sennet's Candlelight Cafe - Not sure why a place that closes at 2pm is called "Candlelight", but that is neither here nor there. This place replaces Shantell's. They have been open for six months. It is mostly breakfast, hot and cold sandwiches and salads. I had their Bird's Nest for $8. It is basically a toad in a hole (eggs inside bread). This one had two fried eggs inside a challah bread (listed as sour dough) ham sandwich that is grilled and topped with cheddar. It was fine. Way too costly on the calorie front. The challah really soaked up the butter. I probably would have gone in a different direction if I knew it wasn't sour dough. It is rich enough. It needs the contrast of the sour flavor. The ham was piled up generously. They say it is smoked. It tasted like a good quality Virginia ham. The cheddar was superfluous. The eggs were a little under cooked. It also came with a side choice. I chose home fries. They were excellent. Baked and then fried. Crispy deliciousness. And they gave me twice what a normal man requires. I brought in a coupon for a free drink (they only charge $1.50 anyway). They gave me a refill AND a to go cup. And that is the vibe here. Very generous. Very accommodating. I heard them work on several "custom" jobs for whine-y customers. And they didn't exhibit any push back. I love the place. The building. They left it as it was. For the same price you pay at any dingy cafe or diner, you can get extra effort and a better environment here. It's on Sanford Ave (the last road you can turn right on) off 1st St. The most expensive thing is just over ten dollars and it comes with steak. I did notice that they are a little disorganized. You'd think they were open for just six days not six months. Part of that is because the owner and one support cook do all the cooking. It was kind of funny watching the "chaos" though. Don't let that turn you off. everything I saw going out looked good. It was about half full at noon.

Fuel BBQ - This was the real reason I ventured down here. It is aside (actually part of) The Alley bar on S. Park Ave. I had 4oz of brisket (with cornbread) for $7 and three ribs (1/4 slab) for $8. They were ok. A tad too smokey and bark-y. If I had to guess, the brisket was dry rubbed with salt and black pepper AND finished with a wet rub. The ribs were probably done similarly with the only difference being a teryaki inclusion in the wet rub. I can't tell you what wood they used. They probably didn't wrap the meat (in paper or foil). My guess as to where they went wrong would be with the smoker. Not enough ventilation or the rack is too close to the heat source and they cooked it a tad too long or at too high a temperature. No one probably administered to it during a long section of the night and the heat fluctuated (probably down) and they added too much wood too fast when they looked after it in the morning. Close to being good though. It seems like they are willing to do the "slow" part. Just a little overpowering. The ribs tasted a little like teryaki jerky. The corn bread was good. A little dense, but, it seemed home made. They also plied me with three types of hot sauces they were tinkering with. One was a very syrupy, black hot sauce. One (house) was a fruity, semi-sweet (maybe orange rind), pulp-y sauce. One was a fruity, peppery, non-pulp-y hot sauce. Good for them for trying. And that is important. They seem to be trying. A little more trial and error and they will be next in line after 4 Rivers in this area. They have been open for three months. They also serve chicken and pork and sides. The place looks nice. It looks like an old time-y gas station used to be here. They tore down the wall to The Alley and you can move back and forth.

Palate Coffee Brewery - I just bought a coffee here for $2 to report on the change. It was a craft beer place the last time I was here. I guess that was over a year ago because that is how long they have been open. It's mostly just coffee. It is across from Fuel.

Smiling Bison is in the spot that was home to that overrated cook whose last stab was an Italian place named after his mother. I forget what it was called. It's in the center of town. Buster's moved from near Shantell's to where West End something or other bar was. Down the street. Closer to 1st. They were building out a new brewery space on that street (Sanford Ave). I think that is all the news from Sanford.