The Waterfront, Orlando

I tried this hand off from Julie's on Tuesday night. It's at 4201 South Orange Ave. I was scripting a hatchet job in my head thirty minutes into my visit. And then they served the food. The original three strikes came when: I had to return to a visited location, the menu was routine and they had a warbler making it impossible to think (let alone talk) with his amp turned up to eleven in the main room. I won't even dwell the next three (double strike out): waitress that jumped down my throat before I had a second to peruse the menu and then didn't return for ten minutes after I had, the seemingly high prices for the meals they were offering and the fact that they did nothing to the decor (which wasn't stylish when the place opened years ago). However, as I was saying, The food (when it came a half an hour later) was delicious. I went with the fried chicken thigh with cheese grits because all the other stuff (sandwiches, burgers, fried catfish) was yawn inducing. It was dumb luck. For $13, I received two largish (made doubly large by the breading) thighs that were cooked beautifully. Skinless and boneless. Moist inside and with a perfect crust. A crust that I have often wished they (some entrepreneur) sold in bags. A crust that would be eaten like potato chips. Now, I don't mind a thick crust. Some may. Some may think it is employed to cheat the customer of his precious chicken. A fake out. I say that there was enough chicken for that man AND a "crustie monsters" like myself who will appreciate the extra "peelings" of crunch. There was so much chicken that I could only down one thigh. The other was partly eaten cold and partly reheated and was still good (both ways) the next day. The cheese grits were also wonderful. Probably stone ground. They also included some kale that was sauteed in garlic and something acidic. Very good. And kudos for using kale instead of spinach. The plating was a bit cramped. They put all that into a little porcelain skillet. It made it a little hard to get at the grits. And people who like to segregate their components will not like the cross contamination. The chef is from North Quarter Tavern. I liked my only visit there, so, I will wager all the other "boring" options are best of breed if he trained there. And maybe most people aren't as freaky as me and like the bread and butter dishes. If so, they will probably J(ay) Z all over themselves at The Waterfront. A regular guy menu prepared in an irregular (good) way. Most things are priced in the middle teens. They had some ahi apps that were around that price too. It seats around ninety in two inside rooms and a lakeside patio. It is owned by the Harry Buffalo et al people. It made the change from Julie's in February. I would go back. Maybe for fried catfish and ahi tartare?

*I tried a place written about in the Orlando Weekly before I came here. It was some seafood joint in a Sunoco off Hoffner and on Conroy (or Conway - I can't keep them straight). The guy at the station says he kicked them out five months ago. Now you are updated.