Tiger Loves Pizza, Sanford

I grabbed a pepperoni pie to go at this pizzeria plus in the strip mall on 46 behind the 7-11 and Subway on the west side of I-4 last night. It was better than I expected. In between a conventional, shredded cheese, thick crust American pie and a rustic, thin Italian pie. It cost $12. $11 for cheese. It is 14". They can do a bigger pie. They cook it in a steel oven with a dog house door opening that you see in brick ovens. The whole pie is thin. Even the crust. It looks like one of those conveyor belt pizzas, but, it was baked properly. Lots of inoffensive cheese. The pepperoni was Hormel-like, but, profusive. It took them too long to deliver. A half hour. They also serve a burger, wings, fries and crepes. The sign said the were out of the latter. They claim to be interested in serving a chicken sandwich and one other thing. I'm not sure if the last iteration was a crepe place, but, the lady who handed me the pizza sounded French. I wonder if this is a reboot from those people? The "special pizzas" weren't that special. A truffle pizza for around $20 is just truffle oil (usually a chemical compound with no truffle in it - see tutorial) and they call a meat lovers pizza a "redneck" or "hillbilly" or some other disparaging term for unknown reasons. I've never heard of that connection. Maybe it's just a slap at all "dumb" Americans and their pork fascination? I would personally be more irritated with a pineapple or ranch dressing lover. The place is named after their dog. A big mural of it is on the left side. The décor is chain link fence. Bricks I think. Leftovers from the last place? They had sports on the tube. They have been open since October. I really only wanted a slice or two. They don't do that. But, it turned out to my benefit. I ate most of pie last night. The lone surviving slice tasted good today cold. I'll go back and see how the burger is sometime in the future. Anyone commuting down 46 could do worse than bring one of their pies home to the family. I'm not sure what kind of lunch service they can expect without slices. Maybe they do that? I just can't remember seeing it. Four customers came and went while I was there. No one ate in though. Sodas were under $2. They had beer.

Pub/Grub Crawl - Milk District: Mx Taco and Sideward Brewing

I went to these two really new additions on North Bumby (near Stasio's) on Friday night. They are across the street from each other. The cross street is the main street in the area. Livingston?

Mx Taco - I was all ready to employ this foil against Taco Bus and it disappointed. I tried three tacos (of seven). I had a Sikl Pak Bistec from Sonora for $3.50, a Michoacán Carnitas for $3 and a Cochinita Pibil from the Yucatan for $3. The steak was the best. It had some beef flavor. The Pibil tasted of orange, but, was very salty. The carnitas was a little dry. All were served with pickled onions (the best element) and cotija cheese. It is said that they source their tortillas from Mexico. They seemed like the same dry, raw corn tortillas you buy in the supermarket. I was just in Guadalajara and their tortillas melted in your mouth. These caused trench mouth. I'm not one for looking a gift horse in the mouth, but, these tacos were too loaded. They could reduce the portion size by half. They also took way too long to prepare. I think I waited twenty or thirty minutes. I think they have a one person kitchen. They also serve two quesadillas, guac, salsa, chips, beer, sangria and a couple of other things. Tacos al pastor on the weekend. Pozole too, I liked their menu. It has a map that points out the regions from which these tacos are associated with (in Mexico). The place is tiny and sparsely decorated. I remember some framed photos and hanging silver stars. Eight seats inside and eight outside. I think they opened two weeks ago. Not terrible, but, not as good as some dollar taco places in Kissimmee and other authentic locales.

Sideward Brewing - They share a thankfully expanded (yet still inadequate) parking lot with Stasio's. They opened last Thursday. I tried five of their six beers (golden, pale, ipa, citrus ipa and stout). All were excellent except for the golden ale. It was average. A bit yeasty. The ales were very hoppy. Even the pale ale tasted like an IPA. The Irish Coffee Stout was sweet. They charge a bit more for some of the beers, but, it basically ran $3/$6/$7 for a 5oz/10ox/12oz. They also have some snacks like hummus, onion dip, boiled peanuts and potato skins. And five sandwiches. The place seats about ten at the bar and thirty in communal tables behind the bar. A patio fits around that many outside. It was jammed. There is a garage style glass door between the two areas. I remember a lot of dark tones. The bartenders were fast and eager. They had some funny T shirts. A pleasant addition.

Kona Poke, Lake Mary

If you are reading this then you will probably not realize that what I am about to reference concerns the post beneath what you are currently reading. And because of the way they list these, you should read from down to up to catch up and make sense of the references herein.

I forget who said it. I believe it is a Monty Python quote. John Cleese probably. You hear it "sampled" a lot on the radio. "Now for something completely different". This is in response to my experience here versus Boulay on the same day. I had a spicy tuna poke bowl for $12 at this spot in the new apartment complex on Lake Mary Blvd adjacent to the road that Lake Mary High school is on. It sucked. It sucked so bad I thought I was going to get the squirts. The tuna smelled. Even with the spicy sauce. It tasted off. even with the spicy sauce. It was sinewy/flossy. The rice was a mushy mess. We all know how much I detest these poke places, but, this is the worst one yet. And may I remind you that Koy Wan would serve you unlimited sushi and all the other buffet items and an endless soda for $12. The place seats ten or so. Counter. Open three months. No word on casualties. Another notch in Lake Mary's bed post for worst food town in Central Florida. Avoid.

Boulay, Winter Park

I tried this "build a bow"l franchise (next to Sprouts in the strip mall off Aloma that has Rice & Beans and Melted in it) last Saturday at lunch. I call this area "Winter Poor-k" because it feels more like Casselberry at this point. That reminds me. Who wants to start a bbq place here called "Winter Pork"? Anyway. I tried a small bowl ($8) and didn't eat it all (sampled some) until the next day. It was surprisingly tasty (and that was after steaming in my car and sleeping in the fridge and getting nuked) and a good value. You know my thoughts on these starch or green bowl places. I find them tedious. They remind my of the slog of school room or prison cafeterias. Put that last one in to see if you are paying attention. I don't get the fascination with the trough. And is the "bowl love" a subconscious longing for youth (cereal and ice cream and soup and oatmeal, etc)? A sign of our growing infantilism? Is it a desire to eat like our pets? Is a plate not child proofed enough for us to get to our seats with out spilling?  Back to the tedium of the tedious. They (places like this) usually proffer cheap, bland, spoiled, germy swill at inflated prices. And what is worse, it is often marketed as healthy or dietetic and is often neither. The combo I created here is an EXCEPTION. I tried black rice with some kind of sweet and spicy mojo pork and two hot sides (roasted potatoes and brussel sprouts) and a cold (cherry tomato salad). It also came with a side sauce. I chose pesto. It was good. As you can see it already SOUNDS like more food than the similar type chains I've tried over the last few weeks offer. It is. I couldn't eat a large. The rice was abundant. I'm not that conversant in black rice, but, this was sticky and tasted like honey. A little firmer than white rice. A nice deviation from the norm to start with. The pork was where they started really distancing themselves in my mind. It was fresh and flavorful and cooked properly. I'm not sure if this was the usual portion or if the server liked the cut of my jib, but, it was a huge portion of pork. The potatoes and sprouts were equally fresh, etc. A more sophisticated option than their competitors. The tomatoes were similarly agreeable. I can't really remember the other alternatives, but, I believe the other "mains" were chicken and steak and vegetarian. Extra for the steak. Maybe they had shrimp too? The "bases" were rice or noodles. Maybe quinoa? The other sides? I can't recall. You order at a counter. It seats about forty. It was packed. I remember a lot of light gray wood. It was cute. They also had that giant fan. They even do the eco-friendly bowl thing. I believe they just opened this branch. I saw a few in South Florida this past week. It goes to show you that I'm not inflexible. Keep the price point at $8. Serve decently made food - fresh. Serve enough of it to make me full. Throw in a few novelties. And you get platitudes. All the other franchises are on notice. Mendel's (if you get the reference or not - just substitute Boulay's here) is the best.

Taco Bus, UCF Area - Closed

I tried this two week old outpost of the famed food truck enclave in Tampa today (lunch). It was a total Taco Bust. I was waiting for an Apollos game to venture out here, but, they seem to be on an endless road trip. I couldn't wait. I wish I had. I'm fairly sure that I liked the original (I even believe I reported on it on this site). It was on one of the food shows (probably 3D). If I did enjoy that experience, then I either have really evolved gastronomically or this is one of the worst attempts to duplicate an experience in modern memory. I had three tacos for $9.50 ($3.29 a piece). Although, there is an extra 50 cents on the bills for some reason and I don't see anything I added that is listed as an extra charge of any amount. I had a cochinita pibil, a shrimp and a fried fish (grouper). All of the tacos were too big. I know. How can that be? It can. The tortillas are a mass manufactured joke. No flavor. Served raw. Both the corn and flour. They are loaded with a flavorless cheese and stale pico. I won't even go into the senselessness/artlessness of serving the same toppings on all their tacos. The pork was drowned in "fake" juice and salt. No trace of bitter orange. The shrimp seemed frozen and were a bit soft. And they were the best. The fish was dry and fishy. They also offer other dishes. A rather bland array that you'd find at fast food rival (plus a chimi). They serve four types of chicken, two beef, two pork and four veg. It looks like a fast food place with a fake school bus in front of the kitchen/counter. Black "wood" tables and black steel chairs. It's across from the Knight Library on University. It's worse than Tijuana Flats, etc. I'm going to try another new Mex place in the Milk district next week. Hopefully, it is nothing like this. Whomever bastardized/wasted this franchising opportunity should be added to the menu. What a disaster!

*Not many food changes in the area. I think the Chicken Salad Chick was replaced by Taco Bell and a place called Omelet is in the marketplace closest to the school. Down the "Trail" I think there is a new Indian bowl and a sushi place.

Salata, Lake Mary - Closed

I tried this "salad kitchen" (that replaced the Crispers in the marketplace off 46a) this Wednesday at lunch. I had a mailer coupon, so, the $9 salad plus $2.50 small bottle of soda became $5 off. Before I continue. I'll let it be known that no matter how great the experience could/would be, I will never pay that much for rabbit food (I think Sweet Tomatoes charges that for all you can eat - and tosses in soups and breads) and the only time I foresee returning is when and if the next coupon is delivered to my door/mailbox. That said, the experience was predictable. They serve up what they have in a bowl or wrap (Currito has a "burrito"). Chicken or other meats add to the ticket price. They have some soup and rolls/croissants (you get one and the rest are extra). That's it. They had a mixed greens, romaine, spinach and kale for bases. Vegetables (some not so fresh) you see at the Publix salad bar for $5 or $6 a pound. I'm not sure the weight of the bowls you get here, but, I doubt it is much more than a pound. They have some "esoteric" add ons like sesame sticks. I'll give them that. I think there were eight dressings. You order and pick up and arrange at a counter. They are a chain from Texas. The group that licensed/franchised this one has the go ahead to open 75 more in Florida.  They seem to be displacing old Crispers locations to begin with. Not sure what is up with Crispers. They remodeled the space. It's even more minimalistic now. The look is more antiseptic (white). They have that giant blade (first seen at BurgerFi in Winter Park) fan at the entrance now. I recognized some of the staff from Crispers. That is a mistake. That place was poorly run and the staff was impolite. Hopefully, that was because Crispers treated them badly. If not, then they have some rethinking/interviewing to do. They have been open for a few weeks. Tricking myself into thinking salads are (they can be, but, Americans make them less so) healthy doesn't work on me. I see the fatty dressing and add ons. Neither does overpaying make me feel that I'm getting quality (or spoiling myself). I buy these items. This is just Starbuck's for rabbits. If you are stupid enough to pay for it, I never want to hear you complaining that you aren't paid enough or your taxes are too high or that you just look at something and gain weight. You obviously don't know how to manage your finances or count calories. Now if they drop the prices in half, it would be a different story. I don't love depending on a nasty supermarket salad bar or Wendy's/McDonald's for a change of pace. And I'm definitely not stupid enough to pay 3X retail at a farmer's market and have to eat salad for a week to make it go away. These healthy concepts must be very profitable. They seem to be multiplying like the rabbits the feed. It's alata nonsense to me.

Midici, Maitland - Closed

I had lunch at this Neapolitan pizza chain (from California I believe) on Sunday. It is probably the best of the "chains" and damn good in it's own right. They serve thin crust pizza, calzone, salad, dessert and some small plates. That is where they really distance themselves from the competition. I had their house made meatballs for $7 and they (2) were very good. A meal in themselves. They seemed hand ground. I believe them to be baked and stewed in sauce. They were served in a bowl with a meat sauce. Topped with a dollop of mozzarella and two slices of grilled bread with drizzles of olive oil and balsamic. Very clean flavors. The meatballs are golf ball size. They also offer a meat or cheese board ($11), burrata caprese ($9), burrata with melon and prosciutto ($11) and garlic bread ($4). The salads (6) are around $10. The calzones too. I also had a Margherita pizza ($10) on the house thanks to a coupon they gave me when I stopped by before the opened. It was very good. Plate sized. Thin. Nice chew. Subtle char. Cooked in a wood burning oven. Plain, fresh tomato sauce. Gumballs of mozzarella. They could make the mozz fresher, but, at least they had decent coverage. They have a lot of toppings (some like truffle cream are unique) to offer. The top "pre-determined" pizza costs $15. They also sell wine and beer. The place looks nicer than the competition. They had an olive tree planted in the middle of the space. The back wall houses the big, round, white and ceramic wood fire oven and the display area and the register behind glass. You order. They serve. The soda/napkin area is also smartly dome. Loads of hot pepper. parmesan, etc containers are next to the straws, etc and pizza boxes if you can't finish. The seating area is modern and clean. White backdrop with black accents. It seats about forty. There were around ten people there before noon and it was filling up as time went on. All families. They are in a new development across from the McDonald's near the intersection of 17-92 (S Orlando) and Lake Howell (I think that's it). Near Francesco's. They have been open for around a month. I was first intrigued. Then wary (after I found out it was a chain). And now satisfied. If it was in my 'hood, I would be here once a week. I have something in my notes that looks like "chandelier". It may have one of those.

Itta Bena, International Drive

I finally succeeded in trying this new Southern restaurant at Pointe Orlando on Saturday night. It is on the second level between BB King and Lafayette's. I was told that it is owned by the same group. The name derives from the town where BB King was born (in Mississippi). There are three more of these - Alabama, Mississippi and the original atop BB Kings in Memphis (I believe that is on Beale St). I had a bowl of she crab soup for $9 and lamb chops with sweet pea risotto for $29. I considered some apps like scallops and grits ($14) or tuna tartare ($16) and entrees like grouper ($26) or jambalaya ($22). However, I didn't love the sides with the entrees and felt grits and risotto was a little much and raw fish and lamb was a bit of an odd pairing for my tum tum. I really wanted a rabbit dish that they no longer offer. I also saw a plate of salmon on another table and it seemed tiny, overcooked and poorly plated. The soup was ok. Very sweet. Not enough sherry. The crab could have had more resiliency (old). The red pepper flakes sneak up on you. It came in a cute, white square bowl on a white tray. The lamb (a three bone piece and a two bone piece) was a young/small one. It was cooked perfectly. Not gamey. It rested on the aforementioned risotto. The risotto had a ton of parmesan cheese mixed in and was cooked perfectly(al dente). A large portion. It was even more memorable than the lamb. The one improvement they could make is fresher sweet peas. They weren't very fresh at all. I've had risotto with sweet peas before and you could taste their sweetness. There was also a "level" of garlic sautéed spinach in between the lamb and risotto. It as a pleasant element. Maybe a bit over salted. This was plated on an ordinary white dish. Some jus and a gingery tomato sauce were served in droplets on the side. The rest of menu is smallish. Around eight apps and entrees. Fish, steak, chicken, pork and shrimp. My dish might have been the most expensive. A steak more be a bit more. I thought prices would be more exorbitant.

The room was modeled after a speak easy. They said they are ditching that vibe. I'm not sure how though. It's mostly dark brown wood with a few flourishes of gray. Tables as well. They have celebrity photos on the wall taken by the owner. Circa 1960's and 70's. They reminded me of those popularized by Richard Avedon or Annie Leibovitz. There is a bar and a small patio and a private room(s). It seats around sixty. It was a mixed crowd. About a quarter full. They had a piano man. Service was engaging when engaged. They forgot about me a few times. Parking was a total zoo. They validated.

The place is a notch below a dedicated service type chain like Ruths Chris or a stand alone affair. A notch above BB King's and Lafayette. It needs to formalize the service component and/or curate the meal and wine offerings with more originality to be considered a really posh place. As it is, it is still a really good "corporate" restaurant. Much better than Hard Rock, etc. The prices are appropriate/cheap for their "level". It's an odd positioning matrix for them to aspire to. They could charge the same (and others do) prices and deliver a very mediocre experience. A "B" or less. Or charge an extra $10 a plate and shoot for an "A". They give you an "A-" at "B" prices. They should be thanked for the extra effort.

Not open for lunch and sometimes closed for private events.

Naguara K' Arepas, East Curry Ford Road Area

I tried this Venezuelan restaurant in a strip mall at Curry Ford and South Chickasaw Trail last Saturday at lunch. I saw them last year when I tried Pizzeria Roberti and thought it was a gastro pub. It says that on the window. I was actually glad it was something a little less ubiquitous. I had a Pepito Laurence for $9. That would be a grilled steak and chicken hero. It came with fries and was topped with two types of mayo based sauces, lettuce, tomato, onion and parmesan cheese. It was good. Very large. The steak was probably cubes from a shoulder cut (chuck). The tomatoes were a bit old. The fries were medium sized and fried perfectly. They had a few more sandwiches and some apps and some desserts and some arepas and some platters. The arepas were around $6 and the most expensive platter was in the teens. They also had some great prices on beer ($2.50 domestic and $3 imports). It's a small, square space with a counter. Around seven tables. A mom and pop joint. They said they just took over fifteen days ago from the old owners who had been there for three or four years. Same style of food. Not sure if the menu has changed. I don't run across too many Venezuelan places, so, they still have sex appeal to me. And I think they have a touch of panache you don't see in all South American cooking. Not a world changer, but, a definite value. Obviously it depends on how far you reside from here as to whether it's worth the trouble. The name doesn't translate (according to them), but, it is a phrase they bandy about with each other. I got the feeling it is like "aloha".

Little Greek Fresh Grill, OIA Area

I grabbed a gyro to go from this new (less than a month) Greek fast casual restaurant before my flight last week. It is in that newer development called the Lee Vista Promenade (on 436). The gyro was fine. The usual. A large amount of meat. It cost $8. The most expensive thing is a salmon skewer dinner at $15. A New York looking guy with a Greek beak (so you know he knows his Greek food) said he eats there every chance he gets. It's a counter order type of atmosphere. The size of a Subway. I think they are a Midwestern chain. Just like Krazy Kitchen et al. Fine for garden variety Greek food. I think they close at 9pm.

*There is signage for a Japanese restaurant next door. Not sure if they are open. I expect more options will be filling in the promenade as we go.

Grub Crawl - Downtown: Art's Sandwich Shop and The Ramen (Closed)

I tried these restaurants at lunch over a week ago. The first is on OBT near/under 408 (and the Citrus Bowl). The other is in the corner of that new condo complex on Orange Ave (across from the court house).

Art's Sandwich Shop - They are (must be) a vestige of old Orlando. They have been there since 1972 and I bet it was a very different neighborhood back then. They and a cowboy bar next door seem very out of place. What isn't is the food and prices. I saw it a while back when google maps did their usual bang up job of pinpointing that Grille restaurant I reviewed before the summer. It looked like a fun old timey place. I had a "famous" cheesesteak for $7 (with tax) to go. It was very respectable. A goodly amount of meat and a decent roll. They have a variety of sandwiches and subs and salads and dogs. They have seating inside. It looks like a café, but, you order at a counter. It was packed. Seats about forty. The people were nice. They have parking. It has to be the number one choice for game day. I might even go back just because.

The Ramen - The chef ran something at Disney. Now he's here. I had takoyaki ($4 for 3) and a tonokotsu ramen bowl ($12). The takoyaki was ok. I've had it very delicate and very dense (fritter like). This was in the middle. I'm not sure how it is supposed to come out, but, I wager it is supposed to be delicate. So, gauge for yourself. The ramen had a milky pork broth and pork belly as the centerpieces. The broth was ok. The belly was a bit dry/overcooked. Two pieces. They said this one had thinner noodles. They seemed "normal" size to me. They were ok. The half of a hard boiled egg was perfect. The yolk was almost soft boiled. I disliked the ginger and the pickled bamboo shoots. I think that's what the thin, rectangular yellow things were. I'm sure they are there to provide contrast/brightness. But, they just clashed or tasted bad. If anything the proportion/ratio should be reduced. The place is a boring square that looks ten years old already (not brand new). They were blasting some insipid Japanese language cartoon on the tv. The place probably seats forty. Among the provocations they expose you to is a lack of parking (the meter maid/man was ever present.- maybe he should be at the border - it's funny what we put our energy towards enforcing - maybe that's the solution - you have to pay for a "parking spot" in America - when you stop paying you must leave or you get a ticket) and an early closing time (8pm). They offered a few other apps and bowls. You knew I wasn't going to be too impressed and I wasn't. Small/simple menu, bad hours, bad parking situation, ugly room and average execution. Maybe now I see why he "used" to run a place at Disney. They are phoning it in. That may be enough for you? It wasn't terrible. They have been open for a month or two.