Cook's Buffet, Deland *GA/AL/MS/LA Travel Notes

 I finally experienced lunch at this buffet place across from Stetson around ten days ago. It cost $14. The regular is around two bucks less. This level gets you a free drink and dessert. It was ok. Very old school. I can't get behind it for two reasons. They force a mostly unnecessary (and often times counter productive) waitress on you and they only allow one serving of one of their "meats" per visit. That and the food wasn't that great or the selection that extensive. First course options were basically salad or cold salads like pasta. I just had some carrots. There were around eight sides. I had mashed potatoes and one slice of roasted potatoes. I had some sliced beef (might have been labeled prime rib) as the entree. It was ok. They also had pork, turkey or chicken, that cheapest river fish called basa and a few other things. Dessert was bad. I had maybe the worst pecan pie I've ever had. Very jelly. Few pecans. I don't think they refilled my soda once and it was mostly a glass of ice. Waitress also got lost at check time. The place looked like someone's (old) home. Every veteran was there celebrating their day. You can box up a meal. I think they open at 11am. I believe they are open for an early dinner too. I pass it every time on my way to 75. I was just curious. It was about what I expected.

*Travel Notes - Georgia/Alabama/Mississippi/Louisiana: I'll stick to Natchez MS and New Orleans LA info because the rest wasn't worth retelling. In Natchez (which is at the southern end of a historical Parkway (Natchez Trace) from TN to MS, I had brisket and ribs at Pig Out Inn Barbeque. Ribs better than the brisket. They said they use green oak. I haven't heard of that. They said it burns slower. It didn't give the meats much flavor. I also had some beer at the Natchez Brewing Co. Pretty good. In New Orleans, I had a half and half po boy (one side shrimp/one side oysters) at Domilise's. It was good. The place is like 100 years old and famous. I had the best french fries ever (and a pretty good tuna steak burger) at Bryant Park in the Warehouse district. Imagine slices of potato that look like snow peas in the pod. Perfect thickness. Not a fry. Not a chip. Fried perfectly. Soft AND crunchy. I had brunch at Arnaud's. They state that there is a strict dress code. but, I begged my shorts and T shirt ass in (supplied sport coat). It's a three course prix fixe. I started with their "signature" dish of cold shrimp. A fair portion of medium sized shrimp in a sauce that was basically cocktail sauce and cajun spices. I tried poached eggs in artichoke hearts in a bed of spinach for the main dish. Just curious. The artichokes were a bit bland and watery. I hope the bitterness I tasted was to keep them from coloring and didn't mean they came from a can. The spinach was great and soaked up the yolk. I don't even like creamed spinach. The dessert was crepes Suzette for $4 more. Terrible. Old crepes. Cheap liquor. My meal was around $34. You could order things like veal or eggs benedict with pompano for a few bucks more. I don't think anything was over $40. I checked the dinner menu and it wasn't that different. This Antoine's and Galatoire's are three of the more famous places. Full service. Old school. They were closed on the subsequent days I was in town (Covid schedule). All on or off Bourbon St. I had a mufaletta at Central Grocery (where it is said to have been invented). A half cost $13 or $14. Fine. Only one layer of meat and cheese. The worst (and second most expensive) meal I had was at Seaworthy in the Ace Hotel. It was supposed to be an oyster haven. They were out of all but two. I tried one Humboldt Bay (for $4!). It was dry. Pieces of sand or shell. Boo. I also had the worst pot of mussels ever (looked like chewed chewing gum) and a sloppily prepared tiradito of cobia. I had a meat lover pizza at Slice in the Garden District on St Charles. It was on Pizza Cuz. Bad dough. Good meats. I bought a dinner to go at Le Petit Bleu on Washington and Coliseum in the same district. That is the address for Commander's Palace. The most famous restaurant in town. Open 5-9pm. So, techinically I've knocked that off my list because this is their to go market. I tried the Cafe Pierre (from NY?) Lacquered Texas Quail for $29. It was great. They stuff it with a ricey boudin and lay it on a bed of braised cabbage and "roots". Grand Marnier and Cognac jus. I would by a "tv dinner" from them every week if I lived there. They also sell menu items like: turtle soup, dirty duck confit, gumbo, white shrimp curry, etc. All under $30. Great way to get a feel for such a difficult place to get a table at. I grabbed a good donut from District Donuts on the walk back. Four locations in NO. Not famous to my knowledge. I guess that's it. If you go, I'd recommend staying near the convention center. It's in between the French Quarter and Garden District in the Warehouse District (under the bridge by the river). There is a new WW II museum and two art museums just north. It's cheaper and less noisy and easier to drive to and from. There is a famous restaurant just north (that I tried with Mother's last trip) called Cochon. Not terribly dangerous. Saturday night did seem like a Freak-nik, but, it (the city) calmed down after that. If you like weed, this is the out house for you now that I assume it has been made legal. If you want real quiet stay in the Garden District. I still have a long list of places to try. Covid and the recent hurricane is playing havoc with the schedules at present.

Grub Crawl - New Smyrna Beach: Peanut's, New Smyrna Dessert Company and Baci *FL/GA/SC/NC/VA/MD/WV Travel Notes

The first two are across the intercoastal on Flagler. The last is on US1 (Dixie) a bit north on the left (where all the others have been). They are opening up another spot (beer themed I think) next door. That spot looks like a gas station. I tried these at lunch last Thursday. I found two newcomers (on Flagler) in one of those alley coves - Mimi's and a Cuban place. I still have two to do near the ocean and I have tried Treat on the Beach (snack bar) before the blog. Plus Atlantic something and another one in another alley cove.

Peanuts Sport Pub & Grub - The definition of a dive bar. Open for 40 years. Looks it. Even has a beer can wall. I grabbed a hot dog with chips for $5 after they were out of BLT's. It was a hot dog. Actually not terrible. They have a thin menu. There was one semi-interesting thing on the menu. Something like a taco in a bag of Doritos. It is near the ocean. Next to that scruffy motel.

New Smyrna Dessert Company - Something about this place seemed familiar. It turns out they (Mango Tango) moved and rebranded. Now it is in the center of the street. Some froyo. I grabbed a bit of it. May even have been mango come to think of it.

Baci Pizzeria Ristorante - I grabbed a 16" for $15. When they rolled it out, they added too much flour to the dough. Dry. Dusty. One side had bad cheese coverage. Bubbles. Didn't pound out the air before rolling. Otherwise, pretty good. Thin. Nice natural sauce. Wood burning brick oven. They have been open for six years. Very good wine list (had Barolo's and Chateau Montelena for example). Beer. Apps, salads, ciabattas, heroes, pasta and many pizzas. Fair pricing. Lots of things just over $10. Most expensive dish is Veal parm or Lobster ravioli at $24. Nice patio. Sit down bar on the right afront the pizza oven and prep area. A few tables on the left. Exposed wine cabinet on left wall. 

*I popped into Henry's Depot in Sanford last Friday. Things had changed. The place I reviewed (Mex) and the Poke place were gone. Replaced by Current Seafood and What the Chuck Burgers. A new one was Dixie Dharma (plant based). There is also a coffee bar - Mahogony and an ice cream place -Greenery Creamery. I may have cited them before.

**Travel Notes - FL/GA/SC/NC/VA/MD/WV: Latest trip finds - I started by seeing what was up at Atlantic and Neptune Beach (off 295 before J'ville). I tried some Penguin Tracks ice cream at a place called Whit's. I believe they are from Ohio. A new place (The Boathouse) opened a few days before in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island. They had a cool menu. I had sea bass with etoufee dumplings (made from the rice etouffe usual is served with) and peach bread pudding. They also offered: fried chicken in a pickle and sunday sauce (forgot what that was), fish with chow (I believe this is Southern kim chi) and Meyer lemon mayo, banana toffee pudding (banana brulee and nilla wafer base), carrot cake churros, bbq salmon with red mule grits, a brined and barbecued chicken, a hangar steak with barrel aged worcestershire sauce (never even seen that), ribeye with black garlic steak sauce (also new), chicken and waffle mac tacos, etc. On Jekyll Island at Zachry's Riverhouse, I had crabstew (like a chowder). I ate at a new bbq place at South of the Border in Dillon SC (Q & J's). I had wings covered in Old Bay at Woody's Killer Wings on Chincoteague Island VA. In Annapolis, I tried fried shrimp heads (per Duff the cake guy on Best Thing I Ever Had or Ate) at Joss Cafe and Sushi Bar. I also had rockfish (seemed to be a local thing), anikomo (monkfish liver), Maryland crab and scallop sushi. Plus a thing I hadn't seen before called a Stoplight. They colored and flavored tobiko with red habenero and green jalapeno and dropped a yellow quail egg in the middle (served nigiri style). Inventive! At lunch I tried a Man v Food place called Chick and Ruth's Delly. Didn't do the challenge. Just a corned beef on rye. I won't expand, but, I had two meals near the University of Richmond (The Grill and Mission BBQ). Nothing worth writing about in WV, NC or SC (just ate fast food). On Tybee Island in GA, I had a humdrum meal of oyster po boy and steamed shrimp at Fannie's on the Beach. A very good dinner at Salt Island Fish & Beer. The whole menu is interesting. A chef/owner recently arrived from CO. I had a fried smelt app and sheepshead fish (local) with rice and veg in a Asian pepper (black) sauce. You have to see what this fish looks like from the front. So gross. Check out the teeth. That's all. I saw a billboard ad for canned Yam smoothie in SC. Still one step ahead of the plandemic!

The Meatball Stoppe, Orlando

Since we probably won't know the winner of The Orange Prush (aka Prussian) and his sidelick - Pretty Fly for a White Guy vs Slappy Joe and Kamel Toe (or Nose) for a few days (who are we kidding), I will freestyle another restaurant review for you. I tried this Italian spot in a strip mall at Lake Underhill and Goldenrod last Wednesday night after the King Crab disaster. I grabbed a five meatball sampler to go for $13 ($4 extra for one). The plus $4 was for a gator one that tasted like a bready crab cake minus the crab. Avoid that. And I don't get why you pay an extra $4 and it is still included in your five. They have around a dozen types. All raquetball size. I tried: traditional, sausage, chicken parm and spicy. They were best in that order. The traditional was your basic meatball. Not dense. The sausage had fennel and was covered in white cheese. The parm was ground chicken. It needed more cheese. The spicy was probably pork. Very spicy. Mushy. Fell apart too easily. They smothered them in a good, plain tomato sauce. A small sqaure of underbaked foccaccia on the side. They also serve up some pasta and apps and entrees. I forget the pasta company they source from. They made a big deal about it. A chocolate place too. The meatballs can be had on foccaccia. The space is divided into a counter (to go) in the front and an enclosed room just beyond. Maybe eight tables. Their covid hours (they Karen you with a temperature check and hand sanitizer requirement) are 3pm to 9pm M-W and 11am to 9pm Th-Sa. They were on 3D. A friend said he wasn't impressed. I thought it was good. I'd have to try a little more to be sure. It seemed like they cooked the meatballs to order. That's a plus. They have been around for a while. 

*Also in the complex were two Latin plays. Estrella something and Rincon something. Next post will have travel info addendum!

The King Crab Shack, East Colonial - Closed

I hate to paper over those hilarious observations in the last post, but, I must trudge on. I went to this seafood place at dinner on Wednesday. I tried a pound of blue crab for $14. I had been trying to find some all week in Maryland, Virginia, etc. They kept saying the season was over. The interweb says it lasts until December. Maybe they mean frozen. Like the crap they serve here. The meat was desicated, flavorless and not fresh. If they were, they so utterly miscooked them that they would lead you to believe the aforementioned. They kept pushing the gross sauces or boil seasoning. I can see why. They can't let you see them without their makeup. They also sell crawfish, king crab, snow crab, shrimp, clams, mussels, lobster, dungeness etc. I can't believe any of them would be fresh if these aren't. You can get blue crab from the St John's River. Unlike most boil places, they don't add corn or potato or anything else to the non-combo bag. I think their prices are slightly less. That is actually to my liking if true. I can't go back and compare my notes. Who wants that damn soggy corn anyway. They also sell fried stuff, po boys, combo bags, wings and a few other things in line with one of these joints. Five or six of these opened up in sequence last year. I think I've visited all but one on West Colonial. This was the worst of the lot (although I had a fried meal at the one on 436). Thye had a full bar. One other person was there at dinner. They open at 3pm. Service was good. The place used to be one of the better looking Vietnamese places just east of Mills. Lac something I think. The inside here looks good. Alot of wood. Pewter chairs. Black (low) ceiling. Fish nets. I can't imagine ever recommending a place like this. The stuff is never fresh or cooked (steamed) properly. Here's another weight on the scale of that sentiment. 

*A few things I saw driving from the Princeton exit to here. Mesa 26 on Lake Ivanhoe is now Russell's on the Lake. The place across is still unrented. A bar on Mills that had a videogame theme is now Conrad something's (or similar). Closer to 50 in what was a hot pot place that I think was called Noodles Something (maybe it even changed to a noodle place before) is now called Matcha 88 (I think). And like I mentioned a little while back, a Chinese place replaced what I think was a Vietnamese place next to Mamak. It is called Tasty Wok.