Grub Crawl - Winter Park: Sausage Shack (Closed), CFS Coffee and The Glass Knife

I tried these three spots yesterday at lunch. The first two are on New England Ave in Hannibal Square and the last is on South Orlando Ave in between Lee rd and Fairbanks.

Sausage Shack - I had a cotton candy dog (you heard right) for $6. It was a smoked polish kielbasa atop of a plume of home spun cotton candy (blue or pink) and a bun. They added sweet hot mustard for flavor. It was the most inventive hot dog recipe I have ever had. It looked remarkable. The sausage was great. The cotton candy was a bit obtrusive, but, fun. I'm not sure it complemented the dog that much. The bun didn't hold up. But who cares? It was a hot dog with cotton candy! Talk about "a beautiful mind". They serve five other dogs (bangers and mash, choripan, donut, chicago style and chicken and waffles), salads and sandwiches.  Those are more traditional (except for a jack fruit sandwich). You can also build your own. Hot dogs range from $6-$9. Salads are $6. Sandwiches are $9. They also have sides (mashed potatoes and gravy, chili, potato salad, chips and fruit salad). Plus desserts and breakfast items. It's located in that kiosk (of death) near Pepe's. The owners are two English guys. It appears that they cook much of the menu to order. They don't just assemble. They have been open for six weeks. I just wrote in the "favorites" post that we needed a hot dog joint or two. Wish granted. If I lived in the neighborhood I would eat here once a week. Will be on the Favorites list for 2018 (if they last). Can't wait to see what they dream up next.

CFS Coffee - It is down the street from Sausage Shack. They have been there for two years. It is a little coffee shop with some desserts and snacks. I had a coffee for $2.30 and a pandebono (Colombian cheese roll) for $2.50. Both were fresh.

The Glass Knife - I had lunch and some sweets to go here. They have a small menu (soup, club sandwich, two or three salads - I'd like to try the salmon nicoise). I had the egg salad sandwich on a multi-grain croissant for $9. It came with some home made sweet pickles and terra chips. It was ok. First multi-grain croissant. The egg salad was over mayo'd and seemed liked it was made with those "eggs" in a tube. The vegetables toppings weren't fresh. I also grabbed a pistachio tea cake for $5 and a birthday cake for $48. The latter looked great. It had a red glaze that looked like melted wax. It was streaked with white and topped with fresh berries. The inside was a complicated assortment of levels. There was some kind of hard jelly and a lemon meringue and some yellow cake and other elements. It made an impression on the party at the party. Their sweets are what they seem to be about. They had twinkies and donuts and ring dings and cookies - etcetera etcetera, They have a patio dining area and inside dining room. The inside is composed of one nook, four banquettes and a communal tables. You order at the counter and they serve. They have a surprising amount of staff. Dressed up. Cute. The color motif is black and gold. They have white marble floors. They sell wine and other knick knacks. They have been open for two months. I was the only dude there. It's near the Burger King or Rocco's. It's the only location. It's worth a visit. They need to shower the same attention on the lunch items for it to be a "favorite". But close.

2017 Favorites List

It wasn't a banner year at the Bender household. It wasn't hard to cull the herd. Some made it strictly on food. Some on value. Some on holistic grounds. Some on attitude. Some would have been on if they didn't blow a second visit. I didn't really try too many really expensive places. A few of the $$$ could cost you $$$$ if you order foolishly. But, that is on you. The one thing I did notice is that there is still a real lack of good Chinese (especially Dim Sum) and hot dog joints. Pizza and taco and gyro (and lately poke) places seem to be soaking up all the oxygen.

$$$$ - None

$$$ - Slate, Luke's Kitchen and Bar, Mesa 21, Millenia 106 (closed)

$$ - Cavera, Taste of Peru, Daytona Pig Stand, The Waterfront, Joyful Garden, Gyu-Kaku, Barnwood BBQ (Eustis), Smokehouse on 46

$ - The Gourmet Muffin, Oh My Gyro, Wondermade

Four Rebels Kitchen & Bar, Mills Ave - Closed

I had dinner at this new (two month) eclectic taco bar on Saturday. It is is in the old Segafreddo location in the marketplace on Mills that abuts Virginia. Next to Brass Tap. It is what you'd expect from a played out genre. Now we are past the "authentic" phase and into the "gimmick" phase. They are trying to concoct "funky" taco combinations. The problem is that anything really creative probably would be a step to far for most customers. I would suggest (since they seem to be aping white trash culture) squirrel or frogs leg or gator or turducken tacos. But who (besides me) would be interested in trying that kind of cousin lovin' fare? More than once? What they do have is a little dull. They lead with a cheeseburger taco that isn't ground beef but cheeseburger pieces. I didn't try it because it sounds kind of stupid. I did force myself to try a KFT Taco for $4. It was a combo of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and cole slaw. I liked it. The chicken (slice of white meat) was moist and well crisped. The slaw was good. The mash was a little lost. The taco was huge. But, this was the safest one. And I like weird. Will others? I also had two things from the appetizer part of the menu. A pretty good BLT Tostada for $6 and a plate of meatballs for $6. Once again, both portion sizes were large. The tostada was more like a huarache. They piled four and a half slabs of pork belly on it. The belly was overcooked for a gourmet, but, most people would probably prefer that it not be as soft and fatty. I think they deep fried theirs. It was a little dry and very crisp. A little too manhandled to rate as a triumph from a culinary perspective. But, I'd eat it like a dog eats pig's ears all day long. The meatballs were the worst of the three. Three medium size meatballs that were a bit too much on the Italian side for a purported taco bar. They had alot of bread crumb in the recipe and they fried them Italian style. They were served in a red sauce. It didn't help that they served all three dishes at once on a wintery might when they had the doors and walls open. All the dishes got cold quickly. The meatballs suffered the most. Though I did grab a bite of each once they were set down and still hot. The rest of menu was pretty forgettable since it appears I can't really remember anything from it other than nachos and an out of place beef short rib. I would have ordered that, but, I felt I owed it to you to try the taco type stuff since the place says it is a taco kitchen.

They didn't do much to the bones of the place. They changed the iconography and the murals. Now we have murals of American historical figures. Although, they do the whole "every group gets a shout out" cultural/historical equivalency PC thing. The roof deck is still open. They still have a bar downstairs. They have those tailgating games outside, It seats about ninety. It was about one quarter full. Service was polite.

I like how they are attacking an over saturated market, but, I don't see why they felt the need to. Are there no other lands to conquer? Why is humanity always fighting over the same turf. Go out and chart a new course. Or wait until the other combatants have cleared the field. There really was no need for another taco joint. It's hardly rebellious to follow the crowd. More like stupid. Maybe it should have benn called Four Rebos (I can't remember why, but, I remember they used to call retards rebos in my elementary school)?

*A little side question: why does Kirstin Delgado sound like she learned to speak at the Trisha Takanawa (Family Guy) School of Elocution? I swear a producer scolded her once for speaking to Hispanicly and this is her passive aggressive response. A bunch of girls speak this way on that news channel. I wonder if the producer is some old timer that thinks this is how news people should talk? Can some one at the station pull an "WNBC"-like insurrection at some point?

Norman's, Ritz Carlton Grande Lakes - Moved to Dr Phillips

I tried this "new world cuisine" restaurant last Saturday night. It was thirteen years in the making. When I first moved down permanently, I asked a service worker what the best restaurant in town was. She said Norman's. I've made frustrated attempts in the past to dine here. I've rewritten its name on every iteration of my "to try" lists. It has been a thorn in my side. It's in nowheresville. It's hard to find. There is no direct exit off ramp moving west. Getting back east on I4 is a circuitous affair. They don't serve lunch. Roads are always under construction around it. It just never happened. And now it has. And I kind of wish it hadn't.

The food was prepared properly. The service was impeccable. The setting is fairly nice. The ingredients are top notch. It's Norman that is the problem. His menu stinks. You's have to be a Psycho (or mother of) to enjoy it. There's not much of it and what there is of it is over crafted and poorly conceived. Usually the executive chef sets out an exciting blueprint and the kitchen screws it up. This is one of the rare cases where the opposite is true. And it is surprising because I liked his 1921 concept. I'll be more specific in the next paragraph, but, it doesn't help that his "thing" is Caribbean cuisine. Where is that fine dining? You can't "fuse" it enough. It is too bold. Too simplistic. And the "traditional" half of the twenty or so item menu is boring by hotel restaurant standards (ie filet mignon, waygu, chicken, pork). The special was wreckfish. Which is just stone bass. There is also a tapas section. Tapas are played. And kind of a third wheel.

I settled one three starters because I didn't really want anything on the menu. It was either ridiculously overpriced (like a $50+ filet) or didn't do anything for me. The $90+ tasting menu was little more than the same dishes and a dessert at the same price as if you ordered them ala carte. I started with half portion of foie gras (1) on a "french toasted" brioche atop caramel sauce for $15. The brioche fell apart. The dish was sooo cloyingly sweet. Brioche AND caramel? Why no powdered sugar? The slippery "whole" liver nearly slid off. Maybe that is why they need the caramel sauce? You couldn't taste the liver at all. It was mushy liver on mushy bread on mushy sauce. Sweet on sweet. Is he the only chef that hasn't heard of levels of flavor and contrast? Never mind complimentary flavor. I believe the liver was a duck liver (not goose) by the size. There were other forgettable components to the dish (and the others). Remember I said these dishes are over crafted. The second dish was another cavity inducer. A  $18 conch chowder. I think he meant conch gelato. Think of the sweetest she crab soup and double it. It tasted like a milkshake. It was nicely presented in a bowl full of vegetables that the waiter poured the liquid into from a kettle. But the conch was FRIED and dry and did nothing for me. Less than nothing. It annoyed me. Who doesn't know that fried items become mushy when exposed to liquid? Who wants mush? The last dish was the best. It was a 2 scallop dish ($18) atop Anson Mills grits with tomato. The grits were phenomenal. More like what he does at 1921. The scallops were topped with annotta seed dust (aka achiote) and seared perfectly. This simple little riff (scallops for shrimp) is all he has to do. How about a stone crab chowder like I just had in The Keys?

As I said the service was great. Everybody is dressed to the nines and their "section" consists of only four or five tables. They could have been slightly more present. I don't know why they disappeared when they did. There was a little conflict on when they were ready for me and when I was ready for them. In general I think a wait staff should recede after the table is seated and then be very present when the table has probably had time to make their decisions. Is anyone that prepared for questions as soon as they sit down? Does anyone need a drink order filled that fast? I think we want to settle and then we want attention after that. That said, they covered for each other. Plates didn't linger on the table. They spaced out the timing of the dishes. They took questions and made small talk. They gave space. They weren't too pushy with the recommendations or add ons.

The space is nice. Not memorable. Classic. Marble floors. You enter through a long hall. High (maybe too) ceilings. A circular layout. A sem-private room in the middle (surrounded by glass and wood wine storage cases). Windows along the exterior. Soft lighting. Maybe too soft to read the menu. I can't remember if there was music. The plates and cutlery were high end. The crowd was mixed. Probably many tourists. Dress was very casual. The wine list was good.

All in all, I wouldn't go back for a second turn. I live in Florida so the "Florida-ribbean" cuisine doesn't excite me as much as it might a tourist. I've had wreckfish TACOS in New Smyrna. Conch isn't an extravagance. I can get empanadas everywhere. And I hated most of the concoctions he constructed. I will say that I think he can do well. I like 1921 and that is experimental and over dreamed up. I guess there is more margin for error with Southern cuisine. And maybe even that home spun stuff "fuses" better than Caribbean? Plus it is less of a hassle to get to (even if it is in Mt Dora). I would say that you should skip it (because of price, menu and isolation) unless you are already staying at the Ritz.

Lemon Shark Poke, Dr Phillips Area - Closed

While down around Universal last Saturday, I was going to try and get dinner to go at a place called Boca Grill (or something). It looked like I should do it justice with a proper sit down experience, so, I switched gears and grabbed a snack at this place in the same marketplace. It is in that area at Sand Lake and Dr Phillips that has WOB and Morton's steakhouse. It (same owners) replaces a Mexican place that I reviewed a year ago. It is another passenger on the poke bandwagon. It seemed a little fresher than the one I reviewed near Red Bug Lake. They have eleven choices (ahi, spicy tuna, salmon, spicy salmon, miso glazed salmon, squid, tofu, shrimp, albacore, octopus, scallop). You then add some toppings and a sauce. $9 to $14. I only had a Spam Musubi ($3.55) because whatever I tried was going to have to wait until lunch the next day and I figured this was cheap and would hold up the best. I did try it the next day on my way to The Keys and it was good. The rice was dry (I tried some the day of and it was dry then too), but, it was easy to handle while driving. For those who don't know, a Musubi is like a big piece of sushi. Hawaiian places (even McDonald's) usually serve them. Spam isn't that terrible and a kick to order. They also made it fresh to order. The place also serves katsu. I just learned that katsu should be fried twice. Once at a high heat (to lock in or out whatever needs to be) and then longer at a lower heat. I doubt a place like this (or any place in town) does that. But, start annoying all katsu serving places with this bit of knowledge. For me? I have little else. They also have a few apps. and they have an ok craft beer selection and wine and sake. It's probably superior that that other one (Da Kine?). The place looks clean and modern and uncluttered. It is fast casual. I don't think it is a chain. They opened five months ago.

9 Spices Hot Pot, Universal Studios Area

I tried this Chinese hot pot (they say fondue) place on South Kirkman last Saturday at lunch. It charges a flat rate of $25 every day. It is all you can eat (in two hours). I was expecting this to be a cheap meal in a bowl place, but, challenge accepted. Though my stomach was not ready for battle (the flu shrunk it up), I still managed to down a pound of shrimp (7 plates of three to four 26-28 count shrimp), 5 plates of beef brisket, 2 plates of lamb brisket, 1 plate of tofu, 1 plate of enoki mushrooms and 1 plate of squid. They all come around via a conveyor belt. That makes two forms of entertainment with your meal. The shrimp seemed fresh and I had no intestinal issues after eating here. They were grey. I just learned that this color shrimp is a winter shrimp (thank you Chef and Farmer tv show). They cook fast. Watch that you don't spray hot innards liquid all over when you pop their cap. The beef brisket was way more fresh than I expected. Nice marbling too. Frozen and sliced paper thin. Addictive. The lamb was equally good and similarly prepared. The tofu was tofu. The enoki was fresh and served in a heap. The squid was the one failure. Fishy smelling and tasting. Although, it also did not cause intestinal issues. You choose one of six or so broths. I chose a spicy (to your level) chicken broth. I think they just squirted some sriracha in it. There is a heater on the table (actually four for four people). They come by and refill the broth when it gets low. They also have a sauce bar. I didn't see the need. The menu items are pervasive. I didn't try most. Some like the clams seemed too risky. The place seats about one hundred. Most of the crowd was Asian. The servers were Hispanic. The place is an old fast food restaurant. They have some cute murals. TVs. It still doesn't look high end though. The Halloween candy (and regular) buckets hanging from the ceiling don't help/ For leaks? Or just forgotten about? They have been open for ten months, They are off I-4 right before the hill after Vineland. Look for the McDonald's. $25 is a little steep if you aren't a glutton. I think other hot pot places charge $3 a plate. Make sure you can down eight plates. A can of soda was $1.50. I think they had sake and wine and beer. I would go again. Fresh-ish seafood, all you can eat, fondue cauldron, food zipping all around me. That equals a party. Just have to stretch out that stomach before my next encounter.

*Orlando Weekly called this area Metro West. I believe that area doesn't start until farther down Kirkman.

Grub Crawl - Winter Park: P is for Pie (Closed), Soho Juice Co. and Kava Cove Lounge

The first spot is more accurately in Audubon Park. The second is on S.Orlando near Fairbanks. The third is on Fairbanks near Hunger Street Tacos. I tried them yesterday.

P is for Pie - P is for pathetic in that I'm pathetic for having missed out on them for the four years they have been in business. They sell pies and other goodies. I bought a Turducken savory hand pie for $7 and an Apple hand pie for $4.50. Both were great. Croissant like (a little harder) crust. Fresh filling. Well made. The Turducken had nice chunks of turkey and shredded chicken (not weeks old like New City Cafe) and possibly duck (it was hard to spot at the rate I was devouring it). There were also a few peas and a side of gravy. Mostly meat though. The apple pie had sugar melted into the crust. Very tasty. Smaller than the meat pie. They both even survived the ride home, a stint in the refrigerator and the microwave. Probably alot better fresh out of the oven. Any place that lets me celebrate the legacy of John Madden (feeds my soul) and feeds my hierarchy of needs is good by me. Even the to go boxed were quality. The place looks cute. It's near Sushi Lola and Redlight Redlight on Corrine. They had breakfast pies too.

Soho Juice Co. - Not Company. Co.! They started in Tampa. This is their only CF store. They opened in September. They sell overpriced juice (already packaged) and acai bowls. I didn't catch the price of the bowls, but, the beet juice was $10! Do I have to tell you what I think about that? The place looks like a White Castle. I was the only customer. Employee wasn't even at the counter, so, maybe I was the first for o while. The juice is in a big glass refrigerator section. There was one of those rental locks on the door. Maybe they're already going under?

Kava Cove Lounge - Another pointless psuedo-medicine (high) purveyor. I grabbed a small kombucha (citrus and ginger) to go for $5. It tasted like Fresca. The place is a stoner (or whatever they call kava and kombucha addicts) "bar". It has a pool table and and a bar top. Even a tap. The kombucha kept me up for most of the night. I'll stick with bars that serve fire water. They opened in April. It's in between a cake store and a massage parlor. Before 4 Rivers from I-4.

Kadence, Audubon Park

I tried this reservation only Japaneses omikase reboot of Kappo yesterday at lunch. It opened in October. I "snuck" into their "reservation only" Kappo once before, so, I thought I would give it a try here on such a cold day and it worked. I grabbed a seat at the second lunch seating. It began at a little after 1pm. I believe it cost around $55. They don't provide physical checks. I think my initial total was around $59. I believe that included a hot tea that was supposed to be a cold tea. The final total was $74 and if you work backwards the minimum 20% tip and 6% sales tax gets you back to a starting point around $60. Yelp says it is a twelve course tasting menu. I think it's ten sushi pieces and a soup and dessert (macha dusted chocolate truffle and yuzu cookie). Let's see if that is right. I had: a type of Jack (Skip?), Amber Jack, Horse Mackerel, Sea Trout, 2 Big Eye Tuna, Blue Crab, Striped Bass, Sea Urchin and Salmon. Plus a fish soup and a dessert plate. Seems right. Now we can quibble about the way they flavor the different fish (I prefer to have them as is), but, you can't complain about the quality. Everything is fresh as can be. It also doesn't hurt that the selection is a bit esoteric from what they offer in most sushi places in town. Now this play list isn't THAT unusually, but, you can see that it could become adventurous with the seasons. I can't remember every combinations, but, (I believe); the salmon had tobiko on it, the sea trout was heated and topped with a great garlic butter and walnut "sauce", the blue crab had salmon roe and dried sea weed on it. I can't remember the rest. Yuzu for sure on some. The main flaw was the rice. It was a bit too warm and a bit too mushy. But, it was weird. Half the grains were firmish and half seemed blown out. I'm not sure if it was an overcooking or over stirring issue. Maybe even and under stirring (residual heat/steam) issue. I only had a side bowl of rice at Kappo and I think that was cooked properly there. In any event, it forced me to compare it to Kappo. My larger sashimi meal there was around $40. And it also came with a soup and dessert. Now, $6 a piece ($60 divided by 10) isn't that outrageous for some of the delicacies (like uni), but, compared to the old place, it didn't quite measure up. Part of that is also out sized expectations and part is nostalgia. But, that is what the sequel has to deal with. I still like the Godfather better than Part Two even though it is thought to be inferior. The first iteration is always more fresh and exciting to me. You aren't ready for the trope. No matter how good the sequel is (Empire fans start squawking), you are always somewhat prepared for the experience..

I also didn't love that they are now using the most presumptuous "booking" application for reservations. I believe it is called Tock. It forces you to pay in advance for your meal. I know why restaurants love it and I realize that it is probably the future, but, it still challenges my manhood. Open Table and Resy (deposits) are bad enough. I would never use these apps. Thankfully, Kadence still allows you to "crash". They said they even keep an extra chair for Elijah. Just kidding. For a party crasher. And at least you probably won't be giving them a six month (if that is how far in advance you have to book) no interest loan like some places are getting. The 20% minimum gratuity is also a bit silly. The owners prepare the food. They are basically the only "staff". Just add it to the price of the meal if it isn't profitable enough for you. It really shouldn't be going to the one girl who brings in the drinks. That's not a twenty percent worthy contribution.

The place resides in the old Winter Park Brewery space across from Stardust Coffee. The public areas are all the way up front. There are two narrow rooms - the bar/waiting area on the right and the sushi counter on the left. The place is mostly modern and white on the inside. The outside was some kind of brown. They put the windows at foot to knee level for natural light and privacy reasons. They provide pillows for your back (wooden seats). You eat with your fingers (for the most part). The plate is slate. They have a little moist napkin in a bowl for clean up. They provide a glass of water. They encourage you to cleanse your palette with ginger after each piece.  Lunch takes place in over an hour. No dress code. The "core three" of Kappo are still gregarious and inspired. The meal is performance art. The atmosphere is intimate. They even solved the parking issue (never enough) by keeping the seatings at ten. They have a more substantial dinner service. They sell some of those fish filled rice triangles in the bar area. They have a funky half cold and half hot kappo meal on Sunday. They sell (via email) "leftovers" every Wednesday night. They are closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Wednesday is the prep day, so, I think that is why they do that "email sale" at that point. And I heard them chatting about "special" days. So, keep up with their social media accounts. *And it's social media accounts. Not "social media". It's not your "social media". It's your social media ACCOUNT! Learn grammar!

All in all, they are still very good. Whatever rice issue there was was probably a one time deal. I still would prefer to relive that $40 sashimi plate and the haphazard energy of the little food stall, but, we can't always get what we want. But. If you try sometimes. You get what you need.

*I just recalled that they also served a raw shrimp. I believe it was a sweet shrimp (amaebi)

New City Cafe, Lake Mary

I had lunch here on Monday. It is in that City Hall Square on Lake Mary Blvd. It is in the space that last housed Croissant Gourmet. They said they have been open for seven months. It seems exactly the same. The menu too. I remember sweets, sandwiches, hot drinks and I think crepes and breakfast. I had a Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich for $9. I'm surprised it didn't make me ill. The chicken was so hard and plastic-y that I wouldn't be surprised if they made it (or bought it) before Christmas. And they used every disgusting part of the chicken. I think I experienced skin. Cartilage at least. Talk about New Jacked City. They added no nuts and the fruit was scant. The side salad was the better part of the deal and I think they use grape seed oil in the dressing. It was so clear that it might have been lighter fluid. They even "buttered" the toast. Why? Do you think low quality margarine tastes good with curry? Do we need the extra calories? Nine bucks is also a bit presumptuous. I don't think I'll give them a second look. Too many warning signs.

*I also grabbed a small pizza at Flipper's (next door). I think I reviewed the Sand Lake one a while ago. If not, it's not worth the money. They aren't better than Domino's and I think $7 gets you a bigger pie or two.

**I want to submit a possible menu item to all the chefs out there. It's a solution to the muffin stump conundrum. What if we put a scoop of ice cream on top of the stump? And maybe cover it with a chocolate shell? And I guess it could alternatively be top with muffin top for a crazy ice cream sandwich. Maybe a cup cake ice cream sandwich as well?