Mr & Mrs Crab, Sanford

I tried this seafood place in the old Smokey Bones location near the mall today at lunch. They opened two months ago. They had a little video playing that said they had around a dozen locations in Florida (one in MS) and a dozen planned. I think this is the sixth type of this restaurant that opened around CF this year alone. Only one so far has been good (the one in Altamonte Springs on 434). This is number two. At least the crabs were fresh. That is the criteria. Low bar, but, four of them couldn't measure up. I had just been spoiled at Peace River Seafood (see last post's travel tips). This place is nowhere near as good. But, they swore they had just driven to Tampa to get a fresh batch of blue crabs and I think they were telling the truth. The meat was firm. It tasted fresh. Now a pound turned out to be two smallish sidlers and a larger one. That cost $15. $20 got me six or seven large ones at Peace River. They didn't sell be the pound, so, I'm not sure if I got shorted. This is your typical boil in a bag place that makes you pick a seasoning . I just asked for mild Cajun, but, it seemed like they added melted butter. Maybe that is implied? It came with a potato and corn. Didn't try the corn. I also had a half pound of crawfish. They copped to them being frozen. Still ok. Came with a potato. They cost $7. The order came out fast. Too fast? They must have some pre-pared. They also sell shrimp, snow crab, clams, manila clams, green mussels, blue mussels, calamari, scallops, lobster tail, dungeness crab, king crab and sausage. Apps. Fried baskets. The usual pricing. They had lunch specials that weren't so special. You basically get fries or mac and cheese. Sodas were a little inflated at $3. They did give a to go cup. They also honored the 10% coupon I got in the mail. Service was good. They decorated it with nets, license plates and plastic fish. The video said they were offering a unique experience. Hardly. There must be a check list they all follow. Down to "replace a chain barbeque restaturant". The bar had a small selection of name brands. That is actually advisable. I always wonder at why they carry all those bottles. I hope they don't pay up front. Waste of capital. The place was too dark. and this was during the day. You needed a flashlight to read the menu. It was also too loud. They had some web based jukebox that curated a bizarre playlist of hip hop, country, rock, etc. This again is something that all these places have in common. The disjointed nature of the program coupled with the volume is not what I'm looking for during my lunch hour. It also left half the place unhappy half of the time. The place seats around ninety. Five tables up front were in use. They had sports and news on the tv. It wasn't the disaster I have grown accustomed to. If they keep things fresh then they will be worth it. If they don't, then it won't. Simple as that. They seem to still be conscientious two months in.

*I will post The 2020 Favorites in a few days.

Coqui, Sanford *FL Keys and FL Gulf Coast Travel Notes

I grabbed some dinner to go at this Puerto Rican restaurant on 17-92 on Tuesday. They close at 8pm. They open at 8am. Their daily specials are unbelievably affordable at $8. I grabbed two to provide you with more data. Each comes with two sides AND a soda. I tried corned beef with french fries and potato salad and chicken stew (guisado) with rice with pigeon peas (arroz con gandules) and tostones. The corned beef was a new adventure. I didn't love it. It was all minced up. I once tried (to see what the hell it was like) that junk next to the tuna and chicken salad at the market. Devil something? This was like that. They folded in potato rectangles into it. I ended up picking those out and adding them to the too mayo-ed potato salad. The french fries were also disappointing. Those startch covered grease tubes I hate. The trip home in a sealed container eradicated any crispness that may have existed. I will say that they helped me fine tune my chicken skin drying process. I bought a $5 chicken at Winn Dixie the next day and I put some of the fries in bowl and covered them with the chicken skin and nuked them for 2 1/2 minutes. The fries sucked up the chicken grease and created convection for better skin desiccation. Back to the meal. The chicken was ok. A little dry. Rough chopped sections of bone in chicken. About eight pieces. The rice was very good. Huge portion. Had it for two leftover meals. The tostones were the best. They didn't loose crispness. Four I think. Lightly salted. Some of the best I've ever had. They have around ten "specials" every day. Most meats. The usual sides. They also do breakfast. I think all day, They have seven sandwiches. But, they cost as much or more than the specials and don't come with anything. They also have platters and mofongo(s). All more than the specials. I remember soup and desserts and a kid's menu. They didn't change the decor. This place has been a Mexican and Italian spot recently. It's on a cross street one block to or from Lake Mary Blvd depending on your ingress. It's Lake something. Minnie? They have been open for a year. a Puerto Rican woman and her Indian husband. Most things are less tha $15. I think it's a great value.

*Travel Notes - Florida Keys and Gulf Coast: Here are some notes on a trip to the Keys through the Gulf Coast. I tried another route than 95 to see if it would actually be quicker and less traffic-y. I think it might be depending on the time of day. (also may be best way to south Gulf). I usually stop in Homestead or before Miami to cut the cost of one night Keys hotel prices and because you usually arrive after dark anyway. I took 1-4W to 27S through Haines City and Lake Wales to 60W to Bartow to 17S to Punta Gorda. I left at 11am and had little to no traffic throughout. It took me around two hours. Here to Palm Beach is usually two and a half hours. And then the traffic can start. On my way back (this way), the south bound traffic to Miami started here at 1pm. I slept here (PG). The plan. I took 75 to Naples the next day. No traffic. 60 minutes. I stayed here for a night. The plan. I took 41E to 997S to Key Largo. This bypassed the US1 part of east coast route. That took me two hours alone on the way back. I think this may be me new route

**Ok. The food. In Punta Gorda, I didn't Google the addresses of the three places I had written down and chose takeout Thai (Mint) near my Springhill Suites in Punta Gorda because I was hangry. A shame because the highly rated Asian (Perfect Caper) was right by me. I also drove by another (Farlow's on the Water) when I explored Gasparilla Island earlier in the day. Check that out btw. It's way cute. Gasparilla Inn was $270 on Expedia. Should have stayed there. At Mint I tried the crispy quail and Panang Chicken Curry. Quail was sour. Not sure if that is how it is supposed to taste. The next day I backtracked a mile or two on 17 and had blue crabs and clams at Peace River Seafood. The clams were chewy and a bit of a rip off. The crabs were the exact opposite. A treasure. So fresh! Only $20. In Naples I started my stone crab hunt. That's the reason I came back here so soon. Last time I was here they said this (and not the Keys) was stone crab catching central. I grabbed a pound of mediums at Captain & Krewe Seafood near 5th. They cost $24 a pound. Good. I next grabbed beer and corn holes (corn meal donuts with bacon jam and honey butter) and brisket potato at Industry Beer and Barbecue. I stayed at a place called Bayfront Inn 5th Ave (across from Tin City). This was in the same development. It turned out to be great. A huge selection of mostly Floridian beers and good food. The potato has all kinds of cheese and goodness in it and the brisket was good. The holes were also good. Both cost under $8. I was going to get more stone crabs on the way out. A place called Oakes Farms Market. They were selling for $20 a pound. I grabbed a turkey sandwich instead. Beer bloating issues. Naples was dead. I stayed at a Hampton Inn in Key Largo that had manatees right in the canal and ocean around them. I went back to Key Largo Fisheries (tradition) and they were selling them at $22 a pound. I also finally tried the lobster BLT at their Backyard Cafe. It was ok. Dry Caribbean lobster tail per usual. It cost around $24. Over rated. I had basted (covered to steam) eggs, hb and sausage at Bob's Bunz in Islamorada the next day. One barbacoa taco at Sinz in Key West. Oysters (really good Appalachicola's at Conch Republic. OK pizza at Duetto Pizza. I had drinks at Joe's Tap Room, Tattoos and Scars and the Tipsy Rooster. The cops were misrepresenting the State's mask (or lack of one) mandate. I stayed at a place called Alexander Palms Court on South St because they had parking. I had lunch at Firefly the next day. An in place. I had shrimp and grits. Grits were good. Shrimp were small. They are known for a scallop dish they don't serve at lunch. I grabbed roast pork, beans, rice, plantains and tostones for $15 at Fernanady's Food Truck. Huge portions. I drove through Big Pine Key the next day and had stone crabs for $15 (!) at Big Pine Key Market. A side of the road stand. The best tasting crabs to boot. And all kinds of fish, seafood and produce. A find. I had lunch at Bitton Bistro and Cafe in Islamorada. I had a Lyon salami and Gruyere sandwich and salad. The owner is Moroccan. I had dinner at a place whose name always cracked me up. Great Wall Taki Outi. Don't have a conniption (would a woke stroke be a stwoke?), they are Asian run. I just had some Moo Goo Gai Pan. The place looks beyond scary, but, I didn't get sick. I stayed at a place called Pines & Palms Inn. I try and try new places each trip. And ones that are at the biggest discount on that day. I had a bad Italian sub on the way out at Tower of Pizza in Key Largo. I've been down here quite a few times. I'm trying to try ALL the restaurants. Not all of these are worth your time. This time of year was perfect. I think it will be my new "go" time. No crowds. Perfect weather. X-mas vibe. Is nice!

Equilibre, Lake Ivanhoe/Antiques District

 I tried this little place last Wednesday at lunch. It's a sandwich, sweets, smoothie, juice place. Maybe coffee. It's the last spot on the block. Across from Washburn Imports. White, one story building. They opened two years ago. Open 11-6. I grabbed a turkey club to go. It cost $10. I tried it on wheat. I wasn't expecting much, but, it was way cute. Not bad tasting either. Kind of a girl's version. Single slice of turkey, sprouts, cherry tomatoes, crisp bacon, avocado and a spicy remoulade-ish spread. Thick. Hard to eat while driving. Slippery sucker. Didn't the whore in Pretty Woman say that? They also serve roast beef, salmon, tuna and three or more sandwiches. Salads too. Juice and smoothies cost almost as much as the sandwiches. Too rich for my blood. The place is run by Brazilian women. I saw three. The sandwich took a little while to appear. I forgave them when I saw that it wasn't slapped together. The to go bag and box must have cost them a buck. It's a small space. Just room for four people to order. They have a small patio. Not bad. 

*The next post will be in a few days and have notes from a Gulf Coast and Keys jaunt.

Grub Crawl - Sanford: Current Seafood, Dharma Fine Vittles and What the Chuck Burgers (Closed) *LV Travel Notes

I tried these three new stalls at Henry's Depot at lunch on Thursday. 

Current Seafood - I tried an order of grouper bites for $10. They were good. Big chunks. Grilled. Fresh. For some reason, they came with cocktail sauce. I made up my own Sriracha and mayo. They were a liitle bland as prepared and needed a sauce. They also sell two sandwiches. Salmon and mahi, I think. They also had fried platters: scallops, shrimp, clams, etc. They sell 1 1/4 lb lobsters on Monday for $30. They boil them. Lobster rolls are sold on Tuesday at $20.

Dharma Fine Vittles - A vegan spot. They list three locations. Needless to say, I tried to extricate myself in the cheapest way possible. That ended up being with a side of terrible cheesy homies for $5. A little cup of raw potatoes (needed five minutes in microwave to make them soft) in cashew cheese. A total waste of money. They also sell some fake hot dogs, burritos and sandwiches ( blt, chicken, green tomato, jack fruit etc). Everything is twice as expensive as it should be. Because you aren't suffering enough. Thirteen plus is a median. 

What the Chuck Burgers - A burger place by the Tennessee Truffle guy. I had the headline burger (smash something). It was good. Twice as big as my favorite fast food burger (Freddy's). I though it came with mustard. Mine only had mayo, pickles and cheddar cheese. The pickles were too muchy and sweet. The cheese was too salty. Still good. Beef had good flavor. Glossy bun. They sell around seven other concoctions. with things like, pimento cheese, feta, apple and celery salad, etc. You have to order at the bar for some reason.

Travel Notes - Las Vegas: Here are my Las Vegas trip notes - If I don't expound on a place it probably wasn't good. The first batch were places shown on Marcus Samuelsson's show No Passport Required on PBS. I did all but one deli and two were defunct. Fat Choy at Eureka Casino on Sahara Blvd. They have also been on 3D. A Pork Belly BLT. Chubby Cattle. This was a Mongolian Hot Pot place. Also scored high on Yelp. Andrew Zimmern was on here too. Very good quality meats and broths. I had the lamb and beef. It usually has the meats circling on a belt. Not presently. On Jones off of Spring Valley. They had some weird things like throat and duck flippers. Kung Fu. I had their Teochew Duck. Ok. I also had a cheap but bad moo goo gai pan lunch special. On Valley View and Spring Mountain. Chengdu Taste. They (by the articles on the walls) seem to be a popular LA spot (more towards San Gabriel Mts). I had toothpick lamb. More of an Arabic dish. Little bits of lamb on toothpicks. Shang Artisan Noodles. On West Flamingo and Decataur. I didn't feel like waiting. Their governor is also being a prick about capacity. Got some dumplings to go. Beef and pork. Not great. 

The next batch is via Yelp, happenstance or recommendation. Egg Slut at the Cosmopolitan. Only open until like noon or two. I had their namesake - Slut. it is a egg coddled in a glass jar with potato puree. some toasted baguette slices on the side. pretty good. Lee's Sandwiches on Spring Mountain. Another California place. I had a pate and pork roll banh mi. Very good. Cheap. They are open 24 hrs and sell alot of things. Sushi Takashi. Not that great quality for the rep. My squid and some of the fish tasted fishy. I had octopus head karaage. Squid tentacles karaage. Chazuke (broth over rice) salmon. Peter Pan's Hat (inari around rice with spicy tuna and an avocado slice as a feather. I also had mackerel, yt and shrimp nigiri. Bad rice. I had Big Eye Tuna sahimi. Good. They also had Blue fin on special. I didn't have it, but, they had something called chawan mushi. It was steamed egg custard topped with things. At La Pasticceria at Eataly in the Park MGM I had a almond frangipane in puffed pastry crust called Greca. I also tried some of the Bastianich wine. It wasn't great. I had fish taco and an octopus tostada at Baja Mar on Las Vegas Blvd. They were good. Some guy in Colorado told me about them this summer. They have a high rating. Out of San Diego. 

I went back to Taco el Gordo on Las Vegas Blvd. I tried to get the eye and head tacos I told you about before. Either they just look like mushed up beef or they just gave me something else. I also tried an al pastor at the place next door (Taco el Pastor) just to compare. Not as good. I had Michoacan Chicken at Bonito Michoacan on Decataur. Not great. I thought I was going there for some spicy dish. They didn't know what I was talking about when i brought it up. The salsa was pretty spicy. This area is south of Guadaljara. Part is on the sea, They had a huge menu with seafood. Sapporo Revolving Sushi on Spring Mountain. Pretty good sushi for $2.50 a plate (2 pc). I had ocean trout, New Zealand King Salmon, yt, salmon, kamapchi (they called it young yt) and tuna. I had an ok Cobb Salad in white French dressing (that's a new one) at Grand Cafe at Red Rock Casino. Check out that area. Summerlin. 

The last one is Samurai BBQ on Decataur. This is a place where you grill. Yakiniku. I tried thick cut tongue, smoked tongue, hanging tenderloin, pork jowls and a scallop in a shell. All great. Smoked tongue was new and better. Scallops was fun to cook in the shell. Wish I was hungrier when I went. I also had some fresh oysters on the half shell. They had some weird stuff: pickled squid, shark cartilage, intestines, first stomach (called it mountain chain), liver, toro tongue (base of tongue), short rib tartare, short rib sushi (explain that one), sea urchin wrapped with short ribs, tongue sashimi. That's it. Things still pretty cheap. Kind of dead. Gay governor was shutting them down this weekend I think. I also went to a park (Red Rock Canyon NCA) past Summerlin. Nice loop drive. Bishop Gorman High School is located there (Summerlin) if you know your sports. Plus the A's AAA stadium and a hockey arena and malls. Circa opened on Fremont street. looks nice. Many bars and art installations down there. An area made up of shipping containers. Neon and Mob museums. Round trip was $126 on Frontier.

Grub Crawl - Winter Park: Financier and George's Deli

 I tried these spots on Park Ave about a week ago at lunch. The first is next to Tabla and Le Macaron near the center point of the avenue.. The next is past the Tiffany museum towards the golf course. 

Financier - They opened a year ago. They said the last tenant was a bbq place. I remember it as a bakery. Funny thing. They started with a place near Wall St or Water St (choose one) that I used to go to when I lived in NYC. There is an Impractical Jokers where Murr has to take cigarettes from people that was filmed nearby. I remember more pastry at that place. I had the poulet roti for $15. It seemed like the best value. Sandwiches cost the same and the other entrees (steak frites and entrecote ribeye) were $5 and $15 more. The chicken was ok. Small. Drum and thigh. The skin was dry and a bit burnt. No sheen. It seemed like it may have been reheated. It came with shoe string french fries (a bit on the dry side) and a wilting field green salad in a light dressing. A little more care seems to be in order. The soda was one of those Euro style bottles. I wonder what the unit price difference is for them? I hope they don't think it is charming. Old thinking if it is the answer. The lunch menu has egg dishes ($15+), burgers ($15), salads ($14+), tartines ($12+), quiche (10+) and small plates. They have a full breakfast menu. I'm unsure if they do dinner. They also have booze and coffee. And cakes. Inside is small and rectangular. Four tables of four and two twos in front and a long banquette in the rear. The right side of the room is a bar countertop. Behind it is a poor man's frosted mirror. They tried to recreate the look with a piece of sheet metal. First time I've seen that. Service (1) was good. They had a hostess. Kind of unnecessary. An extra server would have been more useful. There were four other people dining with (around me) me. Most French places have disappeared over the years. I guess it is good to have any choice. Hopefully, Covid is the issue at present. They need to tighten execution up a tad. Still happy I chose it over the following.

George's Cafe - They may impress. Some of the things I saw on plates were voluminous. And they were full. But, I found the menu way overpriced. And It took too long to order. That's why I left originally. I went back for a snack. I settled on a chocolate chip cookie. It was more like a puffy granola bar. It was very good. Tons of chips. Airy. Like a rice crispy treat. It cost $3.50. The menu offers only eleven specialty sandwiches, seven regular sandwiches, one burger, seven salads and a soup or chili. The special sandwiches start at $15. The regs at $14. They also do breakfast. But, only from Th-Sn. Dishes run from $7 for two eggs and hb to $18 for filet and eggs. They have a dish (Eggs Sardou) that I had at Arnaud's in New Orleans. Weird. If I went back, I would probably go for breakfast. They moved here in April from their place (since 1989) across from Bubbalou's on Lee Rd. I'm pretty sure I reviewed that place. I forgot to go back and see what I thought of them. The place is small inside. Grand ma looking. A countertop and a few tables. They have a patio with more seats. Main issue is price. Asking about twice what they should.

Grub Crawl - Altamonte Springs: Antica Pizzeria and Monte Gelato

 I tried these two neighbors tonight. They are in the srtip mall right off I-4 at 436 (behind Twin Peaks). The first is an Italian restaurant. The second is a gelato shop.

Antica Pizzeria - I thought they were new. They said either five or seven years old. They open at 5pm (even pre-Covid). Just doing take out now. A mom and son operation. Roots in Calabria. I tried the spaghetti and meatballs (polpette) and a Calabrese pizza. $17 and $14 respectively. The spagehetti was ok. Either it started out a little overdone and pasty or it became that way on the trip home. I think they make or buy fresh pasta. The sauce was pretty bland. Some slivers of garlic. Some cheese. The meatballs were good. Golf ball sized. Not dense. The guy at The Weekly made a big deal about them. Maybe a little overblown. They said they make them fresh ever other day. I think the mom (not that old) does the non-pizza cooking. They also do a few more pasta dishes. Three rigatoni. Lasagna. I forget the rest. The pizza was good. The dough was very good. I think they use a zero flour. It had a grayish hue. Whole wheat? Good char. Good chew. A bit pudgy. Ten inches. This style has Calabrese sausage. Thin slivers. Pizza mozzarella and fresh mozzarella dollops. Italian portioning of cheese. Alot of crust. Some bubbling. Bland sauce. Like the one on the spaghetti. Neopolitan style. A contender. I didn't ask how hot they get the brick oven. They had around ten pies. They also have other things. Fresh mozzarella and buratta. The place has a brick circumference. Booths on the walls. Tables in the middle. Window up front. Rustic looking. Seats about fifty. 

Monte Gelato - They opened a month ago. About sixteen flavors. I had a cone for $3.75. A kiddie cup was $5. I tried Amaretto. It tasted like marzipan. I don't remember Ameretto tasting like that. Good though. Small store. Gelato fridge up front.

*Some more from the last post: I forgot that they gave me smoked corn on the cob at that place in Natchez. Good. I also tried a pastry stout at that brewery and they also made a stawberry pancake stout. I also have to warn you about buying Uncle Ben's boil in the bag rice. It sucks. Smaller bag than Success (for example). The rice still wasn't soft after fifteen (supposed to be ten) minutes. I think they are doing away with name. It's a start.