Grub Crawl - Winter Park: Little Blue Donut Co (Closed) and Moonlight Pizza

I tried to knock these two out on my way to Sugar Sow. Sugar Sow is still not open although I think the web says it is. The first is in the old Scratch location on Fairbanks near Rollins. The second is in the location next to a 7-11 (Temple Rd?) that recently had an Indian restaurant on Howell Branch Rd.

Little Blue Donut Co - They opened last week. They serve around 18 types of fancy donuts. I tried a Peanut and Sriracha for $2.82. It was ok. Maybe the other type of donut (like in a frosted) would work better. This was the crumbly kind. Old timey. And it was possibly over peanuted and peanut buttered and hot sauced. Very substantial. Not always good with strong elements. The place looks cute. They have banquettes (I think that's what they call them) against the left wall. The counter is on the right. It has a rococo feel. They also serve coffee.

Moonlight Pizza - Everything is the same as the Indian restaurant except for some wine iconography. I just grabbed a slice for $3. It was tiny. The crust was dense and over floured. The cheese was cheap and abundant. I can't remember a sauce. Salty. However, it wasn't terrible. I must have been hungry. They also have a full menu. It seats about eighty. It was empty except for one diner. I think they said they opened three months ago.

Stir, Lake Ivanhoe Area - Closed

I tried this replacement for Nova on North Orange and Virginia today at lunch. It won't cause much of what it is named for. It isn't much different than Nova. And that is not a good thing. The decor and structure seem exactly the same. Down to the arctic temps. The menu is dull. The exotic items are a pork cheek puff pastry and bone marrow. I tried the pastry ($8) and a half Florida Cobb Salad ($6). The pork was bland. They served it in a jus that my clown fish would find too salty to swim in. The pastry was dough was ok. The salad was atrocious. Every bite was sweet. Sweet bacon jam. Honey goat cheese. Sweet vinaigrette. It also came with some herbed corn. Couldn't begin to guess the herb over all that sweet. They also added a few halves (one whole) cherry tomatoes that were tart. And I doubt they were meant to be. Just bad produce. As was the wilted field greens. A salad you would get at a business conference at a Marriott ... Suites. The lunch menu was mostly sandwiches and app. A boring ensemble like a Cuban and a  fried chicken thigh or buffalo calamari. I did like the fact that they allowed you to get a half order of salad. The dinner menu is the same banality plus four entrees. I think they were a short rib, shrimp and grits, duck with fettuccine (gross) and a pork chop. All a few dollars too much. The executive chef is a girl and you can see evidence of that in the menu and the flavor concoctions. Everything is a little cafe-ish. Too many sweet components. I didn't like Nova and it didn't last. I predict the same outcome for this close cousin. And it had nothing to do with the $3 soda with no re-fills. What is the definition of insanity again? It opened for lunch last week and dinner 2 months ago (?).

Pub Crawl - Sanford: Deviant Wolfe Brewing, Tuffy's, Da Kine Poke and Inner Compass Brewing

I came down here yesterday night  because I was told that the first place served food. They don't. So, I decided to not waste the effort and try their beer even though it was a school night. They told me about the second place (had food) and that a place I was waiting on (the third place) had opened. I guess I came on a Tu or W last time and that's why they still looked under renovation.

Deviant Wolfe Brewing - They are next to the Tennessee Truffle on 1st St. A square room with a bar in the rear. They serve their own quaffs and a few others. I tried five (IPA, APA, Stout, Sour IPA and a Sour. They were all good. Only Sour IPA I have ever heard of. It was good and I don't enjoy sours. The bartender was knowledgeable and personable. They have been open for two months.

Tuffy's - Started by the Central 28 people. They serve their beer, other beer and the cider (singular) they ferment there. I had a glass. It tasted like apple juice. No fizz. No zing. No alcohol? I really came for the poke truck (Da Kine Poke) out back. I had a Hawaiian Bowl for $14. It was fresh. It is the only way poke should be served. Sesame oil, soy sauce, onion and seaweed salad. You can actually keep the seaweed and onions and the rice. Just give me tuna, sesame oil and soy sauce. This one also had ginger and avocado. It was a big bowl. The rice was mushy. Still the best poke I've had in Orlando. They serve three other types and a pork platter. They have a location in the meat market in Winter Park and another in that new market downtown (old Frank N Stein's). Tuffy's is huge. It is on Myrtle (closer to 17-92) and 2nd. The front room has a huge ceiling. Mirrors in granny frames atop the bar. There is an intermediate game room and a huge outdoor area with a pontoon boat and RV serving as decoration. Parking is not an issue. They have been open for three weeks.

Inner Compass Brewing - This old service station location across from Celery City on 2nd St has a tiny interior and a patio. I tried their four brews (flights not full glasses). All were good. Not bad for their first batch. I had a Saison, Kolsch, IPA and Stout. The kolsch wasn't limp and watery and neither was the saison. They did a good job on the remodel. They opened two months ago.

Lisbon, I Drive - Moved to Dr Phillips and Sand Lake Rd

I had lunch at this reboot of a Brazilian sushi spot in the shadow of the Orlando Eye on Wednesday. It is now a straight up Portuguese play. I had their chicken soup and the octopus salad. Nether were great. The soup was like a Greek avgolemono with out the lemon. I'm not sure if the grain was rice. It was very abused (fluffed from stirring) if it was, It was also very salty. Another imbecile that has to be told that you add salt AFTER the stock has been reduced. It cost $5. The octopus salad was less of a salad than I was expecting. It was octopus hunks on a bed of diced onions, green pepper and parsley. They weres not something I would want to EAT and excessive if a decoration. The octopus was extremely flabby. I'm not sure if I have been mis-served octopus for my whole life or it was always supposed to be this soft, but, I didn't like it. The outer skin was soft and gelatinous. It was peeling off the meat in my mouth. It had an unpleasant mouth feel. Like eating marrow from a bone or cubes of fat. It left me nauseous. It cost $16. It may have been the cause of stomach issues. The rest of the menu is very bacaloa centric. It must be half of the pages of the menu. I'm part Swedish and even I think cod is disgusting. Let alone reconstituted, salted cod. Prices are all over the place. They had lunch special plates for $7 or $28. Any app from the sea was in the teens. A soda was $3.50. Almost as much as the soup! Hard to choose. Pony up and be disappointed or cheap out (and be disappointed with the selection) and lessen the risk? The place is similar if not unchanged. Three rooms. A bar up front. A main room. An overflow or private room on the right. It is painted in white a steel gray colors. Plates and photos on the wall. The chairs are dark brown. This type of fare isn't destination worthy. Maybe go for a cheap chicken, beans and rice special. But, who would go out of their way for that? I think they want to be fancy, but, accessible. That leads to multiple personality disorder in people. They need a better chef (or ingredients) or a price adjustment. I'd be hesitant to advise that the higher price dishes will be worth what they feel the are. But, I didn't try them, so, I may be off base and the octopus was an outlier. I don't want to savage them because at least they didn't reform into an Italian, Mexican or poke joint. And they did serve free (under baked) rolls. Service was fine. There were a few other customers. Parking is free.

Caro-Bama Bar-B-Q, Downtown - Closed

On that same trip ten days ago, I stopped here for a to go meal. I had the Kitchen Sink for $12 to try as much as possible in one go. It is a sandwich comprised of brisket, pulled pork, chopped chicken, slaw, jalapenos and their two sauces. It also is supposed to have banana peppers, but, I passed. It was a huge sandwich.on a brioche aspiring bun. The brisket was excellent. Barky. Lean. The chicken was a fluffy disaster. As was the pork. They both seemed old. Like eating sawdust. Dry. Inorganic. The sauces are a sweet home sauce and a spicy Bama white sauce. Everything was jumbled together. It was hard to isolate the flavors. I had some before my trip and froze the rest for a week. It held up. Kinda. I had an issue on the plane after I ate the "fresh" batch. It may or may not have been the cause. I had another issue after eating the week old batch. It may or may not have been the cause. Let's hope that it was just found in bad company and not the prime agitator. My only worry is that the two components seemed so worn out and the place was kind of empty. Could they keep their meats around too long? Let me know. They are new. Four weeks. They are in the that space on North Orange that was a Canadian coffee joint most recently. I thought it was going to be in the old North Quarter Tavern spot. It is a few feet away. The menu is short. Three pulled pork renditions, one brisket, one chicken and one more melange. Four sides. Five Sauces. I think they kept the coffee machines. They did a little to the decor. I think some wood accents. Modern. Service was friendly. Counter ordering. Parking is a bitch. I used a side street with a train crossing. I liked the brisket and the portions. If they can fix the relatively simply chicken and pork preparation then we might have something. It will take another visit to sort this one out. Open only 11-3.

PR's, College Park

Back when things smelled like teen spirit and an anonymous miscreant was letting dogs out, a small coterie of establishments held sway in Winter Park Florida. These included Dexter's, Harper's Tavern, Fiddler's Green, Panullo's (then a fast food joint), The Mill (now the bridal shop) and this place. I'm not sure how long it pre-dates that time period. I ran across this second location trying to get to that lakeside seafood place a few weeks ago, They have been hidden here for a few years. It's all the more important since they closed the original near the tracks. I have to admit that I hadn't been back to that location since I zooma zoomed zoomed with a boom boom. The small parking lot and influx of new Tex Mex places made it impractical. However, it was my loss. I don't really remember how much I enjoyed the old place, but, I really liked what I had here. It's not gourmet. It's just good old fashioned Americanized Mexican food.

I went on a Tuesday at lunch and that made it Taco Tuesday. I decided to sample a little bit for your edification. I had a shredded beef, shredded chicken and ground beef taco. All were $2. I think the regular price is $2.50. The beef was the best. Smokey. Likely brisket. A barbeque tasting taco. A big portion. The chicken was also expansive. I think they dipped it in a spicy, black peppery broth. The ground beef was the worst. Clumpy. Flavorless. All came with lots of shredded cheese and veg. The soda cups were large. The rest of the menu is familiar. Burritos, fajitas, chimis, fundito, salads and a host of specials. The apps even range to wings, chili and potato skins. The most expensive thing is $16. Most below $10.

Service was sassy and attentive. The place looks like a garage. The have a little outdoor dining area. The garage doors were open. It's decorated with junk. They have a big bar in the front. Parking in the back (limited). It seats about ninety. It was pretty full. I wish they had become what Tijuana Flats has become. If I lived here I would be here once a week. At least. Good value. I'm glad I took a refresher course. They are just past Edgewater on the right (on Princeton). A semi-remarkable place in an ordinary world.

Copacabana, Mt Dora

I had dinner tonight at this Cuban Cafe at the end of the main street. It has been there for nine years and pre-dates the other Cuban place on the corner. I have walked past it many times and only recently noticed its existence. It was fairly good. I tried to address my luke warm feelings about the cuisine and expand my knowledge of it by trying something I hadn't tried before. I ordered the higado (liver) for $12. It was one of the cheaper choices. It came pan fried with onions and red peppers. The liver was a bit overcooked (as were most things), but, I don't need a squirmy liver. It was good. Not coppery. It was a large portion. It came with rice (I chose white but they served yellow), beans (I chose red) and a salad or tostones or plantains. I chose tostones. They served four. The rice was a little pasty with a slight brothy flavor. The tostones were hard, but, not oily. The beans were soupy and bland. They started me off with garlic bread. The soda was large. I'm not s huge liver fan, but, this might be my favorite Cuban meal now. Cuban spicing works well with a piece of meat that is usually served in a boring manner. The menu was large and has most of the items you'd expect. The seafood (and paella) is the most expense dinner fare. It tops out just below twenty dollars. The place was one of the busier spots in town. It seems like the locals favor it. They have an inside and a patio. The decor is haphazard and the colors are garish (an off peach). There is more clutter than there should be. There are some unfortunate sight lines inside. The kitchen (for instance) is too exposed. It was a good bargain. service was fast and polite. They have another location at 249 W 436 in Altamonte Springs. I'm not sure if I have tried that one.

*It appears I had gone there. Almost ten years ago. Have I been wasting our time for that long? I placed it in Apopka. It's a brief review.