Grub Crawl - Downtown: El Buda (Closed), California Tortilla (Closed) and 081 Wood Fired Pizza

I went to these places on Church Street at lunchtime on Wednesday. The first is behind Hamburger Mary's at the train tracks. The second is across the tracks near Graffiti Junction. The third is in the old Frank N Stein's spot on Magnolia. That spot is now called market on Magnolia. It has three tenants.

El Buda - This is run by some chef named Roberto Trevino. I guess he was on Iron Chef. I saw a piece on local tv that said he'd be in the kitchen. He wasn't when I was there (showed up half way through lunch and just puttered around) and the kitchen needed extra hands. The wait aside, I liked what I had. It was an effort to choose a dish. Not because they sounded so good (those items are available only at dinner), but, because the lunch menu is so small and dull. Some of the dinner apps and three sandwiches and three entrees. One was a noodle dish. The other two were mid-twenties in price. Hardly lunch appropriate. I ordered his "famous" pork dumplings ($15) and some chicken chimichanga egg rolls ($9.50 but marked as $9 on the menu). I really was having a hard time finding a second item. The egg rolls (3) were good. More like spring rolls. Not oily. Gooey cheese. Moist chicken. The dumplings were very good. Six I think. Covered in tobiko. I think he uses that tofu skin they use on sushi rolls/balls. I think they were steamed and then pan fried. Pork and sweet plantains. Terryaki "sauce". A soda was $3. The glass was filled with crushed ice, but, they refilled. I have to reiterate that it took them over 30 minutes to fill the order. Even after I had made it clear that I was in a rush. They had a big party down stairs. I understand, but, I do have to point it out. If a single work party put them out of sorts in a nearly empty lunch service with a limited menu, what is a crowded dinner like? Which brings me back to the menu. It is Latin Asian. All the goodies (and there are some) are on the dinner menu. Prices are $20-$30. Things like ropa vieja bimibap and sous vide duck. And fish dishes. Service was doing the best they could and polite. They did a little redecorating. They reopened the cellar. It has a bar. The patio is open. They opened in December I think. I've been to a few restaurants in this space. Some very good. I hope he has better success than they did. I will need to come back at dinner to get a true taste. This was enough to allay any concerns. I think you can dine without apprehension.

California Tortillas - California Tortillas are undeniable. Daisy Dukes. Bikinis on top. Is that how it goes? Oh, the things I have inside this little head of mine. I grabbed a small Classic Mesquite Chicken Burrito to go. It cost $7. It was surprisingly good. Chicken was smokey. Filled with dirty rice, beans, veg and sour cream. They make nachos, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, fajitas, bowls, etc. All around $8. I guess mesquite is their thing. They prepare it in an assembly line that you can see. It looks very generic. It could transform into any type of restaurant if it had to. Glass walls. Tile. Plastic-y. Pretty busy. I think they opened in January. They were building this forever. Not sure if it is a chain.

081 Wood Fired Pizza - I was rushing to get back to my car before the meter expired, so, I didn't get a chance to ask what 081 signifies or how hot the oven gets. I grabbed a New Yorker to go. It cost $10. It is your basic processed mozzarella and sauce pizza. It was very good. Better than some of the "pizza expert" places I've been to lately. And they also solved the personal pizza dilemma. Personal pizzas always are fat and always suck. Their 10" (I think) stayed thin. It had a great chew. The bottom had a little char. No bubbles. a San Marzano sauce, The cheese wasn't salty and oily. Thin crust. Not bad. They also do five other types and you can custom design. Prices are $10 to $15. They also have wood fired wings and salads. It just an oven and counter and the shared seating in the market. The market also has a Gnarly Barley concession that does beer and sandwiches and a Da Kine poke outpost that has some properly prepared poke options. This market is a nice addition. I think it opened in December. Good pre-party spot.

Grub Crawl - East Colonial Area: Peter's Kitchen and Blue Jacket Grille and Bar

I went to these places this afternoon. The first is in the old (that didn't last long) Gaviota spot near the executive airport and the other is on Bennett in the old Smiling Bison spot.

Peter's Kitchen - Apparently the owner had his hand in Tasty Wok (don't think I went there) and Ming Bistro. This is also a "bistro". A Chinese bistro. Cantonese I figure. I had the salted pepper jumbo shrimp at $16 and the lunch special at $7. I chose Moo Goo Gai Pan and fried rice and a soda. As these things go, the second was twice as good as the first. The jumbo shrimp were not. Mediums. Head on. Frozen. Old. Mushy. The only really good salt and pepper shrimp I've ever has used fresh, jumbo, butterflied shrimp. They baked it. They used alot of black pepper. HSF in Chinatown and Southampton NY. I think both are long gone. The large quantity of shrimp here could not make up for their inferior condition. It makes me cautious about the whole seafood section. Is this a high end place or a run of the mill family Chinese play? They can't let plates like this out of the kitchen if they want a good reputation. Fortunately (for them), I hedged my bets and ordered the lunch special. The dish was very good. Well plated. Lots of food, Fresh. Delicate. There was a nice use of garlic in the sauce. Baby corn. Broccoli (mushy), Mushrooms (those Asian ones that look like little people with hats on). And water cabbage. The rice was not greasy. The price was great. The gross take out place near me wants that much for their slop. I whiffed on the main draw. I forgot they do dim sum. It's a big selection (40) and served all day everyday. Fair pricing. The main menu is between $10 and $16. Peking Duck is $34. I hate the traffic in this area, but, I think I'll come back to try the dim sum. The Weekly said to try the butter lobster (mkt price) or orange chicken. I forgot about that. I'm not sure I would have stayed from my choices even if I had. The menu is vast. It's broken into: Chef' Specials (15), Apps (10), Soups (10), Beef (7), Pork (7), Chicken (12), Seafood (19), Rice (12), Noodles (17), Noodle Soups (8), Clay Pots (6) and Vegetables (9).  25 lunch specials.  They didn't do much to the interior. Added some iconography and two of those ugly fish tanks. It was about half full. More Chinese than Caucasians. Service was attentive. They opened in December. I think it is worth a look.

Blue Jacket Grille and Bar - I grabbed a cheeseburger to go for $8. The rest of the menu was dull. The two interesting items were poutine and fried green tomatoes. Other than that it was sandwiches and such. The burger was surprisingly excellent. It was rare to medium rare. Fresh pickles, lettuce, onions and tomatoes. The thin fries (alot) were a bit under cooked. That could have been my fault. They probably steamed in the to go box. They even decked me out with mustard, catsup, mayo and utensils. The bun was a very buttery, fresh brioche style bun. The cheese was melted well. The patty was big and thick and though form made it wasn't dense. Good beef flavor. They didn't do much to the inside. Maybe some cosmetic changes. It was pretty empty. Service was fast and good. They may not be as inventive as Smiling Bison, but, they can cook a good burger to go. I'd expect good things from the rest of the menu. They also have a full bar. The vibe is sports friendly. Maybe not a destination, but, not an ignore either. They opened in November.

Bocas Grill & Bar, Sand Lake Rd Area

I had lunch at this Venezuelan leaning Latin spot on Wednesday. It is in a well turned over spot in the shopping area at Dr Phillips and Sand Lake Rd. It was a French place before this. And many before that. They run two other branches out of the Miami area. I think they fancy themselves as higher end. They price that way. They need to fix a few things before they can justify those sorts of ambitions. Let's start with the plastic menus. It would be bad enough if they were just plastic, but, they look they are teethed on by baby dogs and children every night. And they have only been open a few months! A terrible first impression. One I'm not sure I got over. The menus are also hard to follow. They serve too much and jam a whole host of items in a "Main Dishes" section. Then they hit you with an additional "Lunch Special" menu that isn't even up to date. The menu composition is also needlessly large. I can divide it into four main areas - Stuff fried in a wok (rice and noodles), Tostones, Arepas and Assorted meat-centric dishes. The first area is Chinese inspired fare at double the Chinese price. $15 is a representative charge. The portions are huge, but, I can't assume they mean their dishes to be shared. Give me a acceptable portion at half the price. The tostones (fried plantains) and arepas (corn cakes) are self explanatory. They run $10-$16. I didn't catch the portion size, but, that is a hefty mark up compared to most other providers. The meat area ranges from fish to steak to shredded beef to chicken to pork to burgers and back again.  These run $10 to $17. You mainly get fries with these. They also offer a few apps, salads, soups and breakfast fare. They serve some beer and wine and are working on a liquor license. I had the "lunch special" chicken fried rice for $9 (regularly) $13. Like most South American preparations, they seemed to make it with more oil and soy sauce that the rice can hold. You feel yourself getting fatter with each bite. They also added red pepper. I hate peppers. The first two pieces of chicken were so plastic tasting (old and freezer burnt) that I almost stopped there. The remaining pieces were ok and I didn't get sick from the first two. I ate a few more bites of rice and left it. Have you ever heard me to say that I left anything? I will say that I probably should have gone in another direction, but, I had been in Arizona eating all kinds of fried Mexican junk and meat. Fried corn cakes and plantains or grilled red meat just wasn't going to do. The place was semi busy. Mostly Latinos. They retained the patio (too cold that day). They have a "history of arepas' mural on one wall. The kitchen and bar remain in back. I think they added some wood paneling on the right wall. Management seemed concerned about your experience. Personally, I would prefer a relaxed and cheaper South American experience. The fine dining aspirations just don't connect. It's in a no man's land. Not fine and yet a little too fine. This isn't some one horse town in South America. You aren't the one restaurant in town. You don't need to cater to every resident's needs. Pick an economic group that you want to service and serve the portion of the menu that they can afford. I'll take my tostones and arepas from a food truck or little specialty shop. I don't want to think about them if I'm out for a nice meal. I'm no longer at the stage where South American cuisine gets a pass because it is new and exciting. It needs to have an identity too. This place is everything and nothing.

Sticky Rice, East Colonial Dr

I went to this Laotian street food restaurant across from a Dollar Store on East 50 (near Mills Ave) over a week ago at lunch. It was interesting. Only about a dozen items. Communal tables. Order at the counter. I had an order of pork inside a tapioca dumpling for $5. *All prices are approximate. My receipt doesn't say and I've forgotten. There were 5 dumplings. They were a cross between bao or those fluffy Chinese balls and steamed dumplings like har gow. That makes it either the best or worst of both worlds. I don't like the fluffy balls, so, I guess I would have liked them better if they were in a thinner and steamed shell. The pork was sweet. It was covered in peanuts. I also had an order of diced chicken in a lettuce leaf called laab. It was also $5. I cut my teeth on this kind of dish at Mr Chow in Beverley Hills. They use squab. This wasn't close. It was a huge portion of bland chicken that only tasted of citrus. It reminded me of a zero mayonnaise chicken salad I used to get at some place in the Hamptons. That one had pine nuts and pesto in it though. Wish I could remember where the hell that was. That was a good chicken salad! I also had to toss in a sticky rice dish since the place is called that. It cost $3 and was just sticky rice (good) with pork skin and chili paste on top served in a leaf. It came with two sauces - chili paste and spicy vinegar. I have to admit that maybe one or more of those sauces were meant for other dishes. The place is painted gray. There is a mural on the side wall. It seats about forty. The mix was a few Caucasians with southeast Asians or Indo Chinese. I'm not sure what is the right term or the one that explains it better. You get both the old and new designations. Parking can be had on the street or around the side. But, there is a big lot out back and I think it is their's. They opened in December. It's not as exciting as Mamak or some other places around there, but, I'd go back. Wish it was closer to I-4 though.  Hate the traffic there. And maybe the menu could expand? I don't know if the recipes were followed faithfully. I'll assume that Laotian food isn't very flavor forward. Who can eat spice bombs all the time anyway.

*3/15/19 - Went back and tried three more things. All disappointing. Spring Roll ($4). Coconut Beef Skewer ($6). Curry Soup ($7). The rolls (2) were stuffed with pork like a corn dog. Could use some veg or something inside. The skewers were tender. The sauce was tacky. Too little content for the price. The curry soup (ground pork) was bland and too milky. Tasted like a warm glass of milk. I added grilled chicken breast pieces and some pasta to the remaining broth the next evening and that helped.

Modena Pizzeria, Altamonte Springs

I grabbed some food to go at this new (January) pizzeria around ten days ago. It replaces another Italian place called Proccolinas or Broccolinas. It is on South Westmonte Dr. That is the first right after you turn off 436 to the south onto the road that is parallel to I-4. I was expecting more of a new age style pizza place. This is old school. The owner/cook is a Latino from the Bronx. His menu reflects that. You can expect pizzas with nick names and pies made with heavy cheese and thick crusts. I ordered a pie because they don't do slices at night. A 14" cost $12. It was ok. A little thicker than it should be and salty. The sauce was a marinara with garlic flavor. The dough wasn't pounded out, so, air bubbles. The crust/dough did have a nice chew. They offer alot of toppings. They even sell a mammoth 32" one. Fortunately, I was more in the mood for chicken parm and I ordered a 6" sub. It was better. $5.50. Nice bread. Toasted long enough in the oven. Lots of cheese. Crisp, thin fried chicken. Not too saucy. I also think it was more than 6". They serve the usual - garlic bread, calamari, salads, soups, calzones, stromboli, pasta, subs and American items like chicken fingers, burgers and wings. It won't win any awards, but, it will make most people happy. There was no one there when I stopped by. The inside is short on seats and many had junk on them. They have a patio deck. I do have to mention that two baby roaches were squirming by the counter. Not a great way to make an impression. I guess I should be glad that they spray. The place is named after the region that the owner relates to the most. Not enough here for me to go back.

Garp & Fuss, Winter Park - Closed

I tried this new American place for dinner on Friday. It is in that arcade near the Tiffany glass museum. I believe it was Park Bistro before this. They opened (late) in January and I remember thinking that I'd hate the place. First we have the name. I hate all "&" places. Next, the menu sounded pub grubby. Lastly, it meant that I had to snake my way through those Winter Park streets and find parking just to confirm my suspicions. I was mostly right. All three worries were right, Since the first and last are beyond their control (kinda), I will concentrate on the menu. It's just derivative and juvenile. Half of it is sandwiches and flat breads. Then they knock you out with a salad section. Followed by finger foods. Oh boy! Sandwiches for dinner! The only part of the menu that requires big boy pants is the "Fork & Knife" section. Another &! It is 6 deep. I had the "Schnitz" for $18. Fried chicken cutlet, arugula salad, mustard and a unwelcome fried egg. Side bar - I love eggs, but, I still don't get why they are being put on everything nowadays. Is it to be an ice cream topping next? Needless to say, it didn't do anything complimentary to the dish. The chicken was ok. It can always be moister and thinner. They panko'd it. It came out pretty fast to be cooked to order. Plus it was very un-oily. Usually a good thing, but, here a sign that it was in a warming station. Salad was fresh enough. Plating was ok. What wasn't ok was the service. I was left out in the cold for much of the meal. I had to ask for the check and no refills on a $3 soda in 3/4 of a glass of ice. The dopey owners were glad handing customers. They also ignored me. The hostess was the only competent one. Back to the menu. The other slightly interesting dishes are a Kung Pao Salmon and Clams & Bacon. Another &! The other entrees are ribs. How can they do that well? Two pastas. And A hanger steak. With fried egg of course. They didn't do alot that I could see with the interior. Maybe new tables. Makes you wonder what took so long. Maybe the kitchen was a mess? It seats 40 in the front room. The same in the back. Ten or more at the bar. It was a third full.  I think they do lunch now. I tried this place three times before this night. One time they missed the published launch date. One time Google said they were open and they weren't. Another time they said they were doing lunch and they weren't. That didn't help the review. But, not by alot. I thought the menu was too unambitious and that hasn't changed. I thought that the execution would be sloppy from people who could only imagine such a menu. It was. I thought the service would be unprofessional by the way they missed their deadline to open. It was. It's probably run by a bunch of first time business owners. It comes off that way. I've seen this story too many times in WP. This is an area with alot of competition (talented). I've seen better products surrender to the pressure. I expect that I will have to experience another re-imagining in this spot before too long. And do I have to say it - "I don't see what all the FUSS is about".

Donut Central, Winter Park

I grabbed a few donuts to go on Friday. It is behind the gas station at the corner of 436 and Aloma. I had a Snickers donut and Andes Mint donut. Both were $1.79. The Snickers was a bit tough and dry. The Snickers pieces were overwhelmed by the regular chocolate icing. The mint was better. Softer and fresher. Who knew mint is a good icing. They also do regular donuts and more substantial ones. It's alot of ice cream toppings on donuts. The place has been open for four months. Some coffee place named Sleeping Tree or something was there before. These guys also serve coffee. They have a roaster. Between the annoying kids from the high school nearby who congregate around the shop and the proliferation of donut shops and the staffs emo-Millenial lack of interpersonal skills, I wouldn't bother popping in. Parking is also limited.

Taco Rio, Orlando

I grabbed some lunch to go at this Mexican joint on 436 in between 408 and Curry Ford on Friday. I had the lunch special for $5 and a carnitas taco for $2. Both were ok. The pork was a little sweet. Not very crispy. They did double wrap it though. I had it Mexican style. The special was a chicken thigh, rice and refried beans. I was worried when I saw that they yanked a pre-cooked thigh from a prep area and threw it on the grill. I didn't get sick, so, I guess it wasn't too old. The meat was acceptable. As were the sides. They threw in two taquitos because the guy said that was the special and that is why I ordered it. He said four taquitos special. In any event, they were ok. Same worry as the chicken. Grabbed from the prep area and heated in the grill (not in a fryer). There were also some shredded lettuce and cukes and cheese added to the haul. No guac or sour cream or salsa. Needless to say, I didn't love seeing the reheating portion of the prep. Therefore, I can't recommend. Plus the strip mall and general area the operate in isn't the safest. They did seem to have a few people waiting for them to open (11 am). Maybe just because they live close by? The owners (a couple) were nice. The place has a sit down area. The menu is Mexico city style. It is pretty basic. The most annoying Mexican hip hop was blaring from the tv. They have been open for nine months.

BBB Tofu House, West Colonial Dr

I tried this newish (September) Korean restaurant after Grills about a week and a half ago. It is inside that shopping area (back middle) on West Colonial (5140) that I call Chinatown. I grabbed a Dduk Mandu Guk to go because we all know and love it. It cost $12. Actually, I had never tried it and had tried many of the other dishes you'd find in any Korean place. That was actually a surprise because I thought it was just a hot pot or vegan place. The Dduk turned out to be 12 medium sized steamed wontons filled with ground pork in chicken stock with some rice cakes and tofu. The "wontons" were ok. The tofu was great. I'd guess it was home made. Very fresh. Very loose. Nothing like the usual stuff we are force fed. Stuff that I see on TV cooking shows. They also threw in some bonchon. Kim chi. Bean Sprouts. Spicy burdock root (I think). Leafy greens (I won't guess). Rice noodles. Fish cakes. White rice. It was good enough to tempt me back. And I ate it six hours after they made it. The place is small. It sits about 40. It was a little late for lunch when I got there. There were still a couple of tables of Koreans there. The place is colored mostly light gray. They have some Korean images blown up on the hall to the bath rooms. Nice people. The BBB stands for Bao Bao Bao (sp?). It's word play for three types of bao. Good luck. Good food. Or something along those lines. Are you down with BBB? You know me!

Grills Lakeside, College Park

I tried this new (January) seafood deck and tiki bar on OBT about a week and a half ago. There are two others (Cape Canaveral and Melbourne). This one is on a lake north of College Park. I had a shrimp cuban for $13. Funny. My take home menu said $11. They forgot the pork. I told the waitress because I wanted to make sure I had read the menu correctly. She apologized and grabbed a manager who took the mistake away and came back immediately with a fresh one. That's customer service. It turned out to be unnecessary because the pork was non-discernible. It was a few slices of very dry and lean loin. Shrimp is similar, so, it just melded. It didn't compliment or enhance. Maybe some pulled pork would be more effective. I don't know. I'm just riffing. The shrimp was a good size. Cut into pieces. It came with chips and a pickle. The rest of the menu is typical seaside dining with a little effort thrown in. I usually am bored with this kind of place (just order something fresh and unadulterated), but, they at least make an effort to impress you. They have three types of chowders. 5 kebabs. 10 sandwiches. 7 "non-fin" plates (ie yardbird, steak, ribs). 9 seafood plates (ie snow crab clusters, Florida lobster, bacon wrapped scallops). 5 salads. 12 "nibblers". 3 burgers. 2 vegetarian dishes, 1 taco. 1 wrap. 2 sushi rolls. 1 poke. 2 seared tuna dishes. The most expensive thing (Surf and Turf) is $29. Most of the plates are under $20. Most sandwiches are under $11. They claim to get everything fresh. Something called file fish was one of the "fresh ones" that day. I still wonder if they meant tile fish, but, I think they said it was like snapper. Service was good. Mostly young girls. The place is huge and new. It's very "wood" focused. High ceilings. They hang an air boat and canoe inside. They have an outside bar with a playground. They have an enclosed patio. Also large. They have a tie up dock. Bring your sea plane. It must seat 100+. Huge, new parking lot. Water fountains out front. It was crowded. A politician would have loved to have their cross cultural and socio-economic appeal. It's nice enough and casual enough for all occasions. Better than most of the places in Daytona, Cocoa Beach and New Smyrna Beach. Better than any lakeside place in CF. And who would believe that you could pretty up OBT? Worth a trip if only to see the possible renaissance of a neighborhood.