Grub Crawl - Winter Garden: Fat Mike's Hot Chicken, Empanada & Co, Sir Benji's Donuts, Mac'd Out and This Little Piggy *FL Gulf Coast Travel Notes

I tried these places (near or in the Plant Street Market) on Thursday just past lunch. I grabbed everything to go,

Fat Mike's Hot Chicken - Replaced a taco place. In building across from marketplace. Kind of fast casual. They sell half and quarter chickens, tenders, sandwiches, sides and ribs when available (not currently). I had a chicken sandwich for $6.50. It sucked. Freezer burn. Plastic/rubbery chicken. Medium heat was higher than that. Spice rub. Not sauce. Made it drier than it was already. Coating had no flavor of its own. A general disaster. If I hadn't spent the fifteen minutes they quoted as the wait time buying other food, I would have been even more disappointed to receive this dish. Came with horse radish tasting slaw on the side and bun with pickles. I think they have been open for under a year. Open for lunch and dinner. Has indoor and outdoor seating. Looks like a fast food location. 

Empanada & Co - Stall. Small supply of glossy empanadas. Had a chicken with some sort of cheese for $4 with tax and tip. Better than expected.  May also have location in Mt Dora. Recently opened here.

Sir Benji's Donuts - Stall. I think they said open for two years. Much better than the last donut (Pattie Lou's) I tried. Same squeeze batter into hot oil in front of you. Much better results. These donuts were much larger and fluffy. Almost collapsed into a ball under their own weight and size and syrup. Sold by the dozen. I had one topped with some kind of Orange Blossom honey syrup. Reminded me of a Persian desert I had with rose water. This was also superior to the vulgar toppings offered at the last place. They had around five choices. The dozen cost $6. 

Mac'd Out - Stall. Open for three years. Owned by the pizza stall people. I think it was a pasta stall last time I was here. Looks like one. Now does expensive mac and cheese. Adding a topping really only adds 20% to the overall cost. The cheese was way bland and they dull it up further by adding bread crumbs on top. You really need a topping. I tried the Philly Steak for $12. Steak was really the only redeeming part. Aside from the rosemary they season it with. That clashed with the rest. And it had zero salt. I hope that rosemary isn't in the bread crumbs. You can't escape it then. I think they use cavateppi (two solid, thick bands of pasta fused together). Neither google nor duckduckgo wants to return a search query and I know it's misspelled, so, I quit. An odd choice and another reason I think this was once a pasta stall. The shape doesn't lend itself to absorbing much of the cheese and was dense and paste-y. Big portion. They warm up the pasta (why they use a thicker one probably) in water then run in through a broiler. Can add pork belly, chicken, chorizo or bacon. I'd work on the cheese if I were them. Open for three years.

This Little Piggy - Stall. It turns out I went here already (July 2018). I hated it. Good thing I forgot. I tried a half pound of brisket for $8.50. They divide it into fat or lean. I tried fat. Thankfully they seemed to see that half of the cut was fat and seemed to compensate by giving me a bigger portion. They really need to trim the fat cap more before smoking. However, this brisket was much better than last time. Nice flavor. A little bark. Tender. Thick cut. The sauces were also better. A sweet and a tart one. I used the left overs on a shrimp cocktail. I'm surprised that I can't recall some Southern place replacing cocktail sauce with barbeque sauce. It seems like a natural. Have had it in shrimp and grits. They also sell pulled pork, ribs, chicken, pork rinds, cauliflower, sides, loaded fries, salads and desserts. Open for three years. Open until 7-10pm depending on the day.

*Travel Notes: Florida Gulf Coast - I spent one night in Clearwater Beach and one in St Petersburg. And stopped at Weeki Wachee State Park along the way. Clearwater was ok. Not the greatest crowd. Beach has a pier. Ate at two Frenchy's spots. I think I learned of them through the AAA magazine. Dinner at Frenchy's South Beach Cafe. It was near the hotel. Had a Cuban burger. Not sure if that was a first. Topped with ham and pork and pickles and Swiss and mustard. Better than I expected. Lunch at Frenchy's Original Cafe. On other side of circle as you enter town. Had fried grouper bites and a dozen Cedar Keys clams. Clams could be raw or steamed. I went with steamed. Ok. Grouper was basically a shish kabob dipped in batter. Fish was dry. Batter wasn't cooked through. I stayed at the Clearwater Beach Hotel for $126 because it was the cheapest with parking. Ok. Could slip into rats nest with a little negligence. I settled on St Pete because they had a really highly rated hotel at a cheap price and I wiffed on Weeki Wachee on the way down and had to go back that way upon my return and needed to stay kind of close. It was a godsend. I really liked it. Many museums and bars and restaurants. Seemed safe. New pier. Walkable. Maybe my new favorite Florida destination. The hotel was called The Hollander. Cost $121. Free parking. 9.2 on Booking. Cute little boutique hotel with a pool. St Pete's main street is Central Ave. I came in from the west and followed it down from the high 50's streets. Many stores and restaurants and bars all the way in. Baseball stadium is also walkable from downtown. I ate near there at Buya Ramen on 9th and Central. It was on 3D. Good duck confit ramen. Tried two bars featured on other tv shows (ie Drinking Made Easy) according to tvfoodmaps.com. The Mandarin Hide (fancier) and Five Bucks Drinkery. No masks. Lots of people out mid-week. They said a branch of USF close by keeps it lively all the time. Not that it matters one way or the other to me (I only mention it to add info some may find helpful), there seemed to be a discernable gay presence around town. I never knew. I recommend a getaway here asap. Something for everybody. I just scratched the surface. Like a better West Palm Beach. On the way home, I went back up 19 to 50. At that junction is Spring Hill and WWSP. It has some kitschy mermaid show that is supposedly a Florida tradition you need to do to be a true Floridian. It cost $13 to enter. Show was for kids. Little Mermaid. Left half way through. Park is small. The spring is worse than Wekiva, et al. It had capacity limits until a few days ago. why I had to try a second time. Drive across 50 is easy. No crashes. The traffic through downtown on I-4 was stalled due to a crash. I laughed as I made right onto 50 and just had to weave through the West Colonial idiots.

Grub Crawl - Winter Garden: Three Birds Cafe, The Deli Downtown, Piccolo Coffe Co and Harrell's Hot Dogs

There will be two Winter Garden posts in succession. One on the way out of town. One in. These are for places on or just off Plant St. I tried them at lunch time on Tuesday.

Three Birds Cafe - They just opened opened this month. They said it was a place called Savory? I know. who cares? Just trying to help you visualize if you've been through recently. It's on the corner as you come into town. Nice look. Looks like a juice bar or spa. Very white. Order at a counter. They bring it out. Semi fast casual. Breakfast, all day brunch, lunch and maybe dinner. I had trouble deciding between some brunch "toasts" and the sandwich type items. There was only like a dollar or two difference, so, I ponied up for the extra slice of bread. I tried the chicken pesto with artichoke and spinach spread for $13. It was good. Pressed. Came with an arugula and chopped tomato salad and chips (out of fruit salad). I also had an unsweetened tea for $2.50. They have artisinal sodas. I remember a prosciutto and brie wrap, a cranberry chicken, an avocado chicken, a roast beef, etc. Saw a delivery of fresh bread coming in. They have a patio in front and around ten tables inside. And some window counter seats. It was full. Many women. They seemed understaffed. It took a little while. Satisfactory experience. English-cenric peoples call women birds. I wonder if the owners are such? It's funny. The g button is next to the f. I mis-typed cafe and it came out as Bird Cage. Well, it amused me.

The Deli Downtown - They are about a block down on other side of street from Birds and a half block down a street. I just grabbed two chocolate chip cookies because I was already full and they were the cheapest. They cost $1.50 a piece. They said they make them. Seemed so. Good. They have a menu of around a dozen sandwiches that you would expect. A little jazzier than a deli. I think they said they have been there for three years.

Piccolo Coffee Co - They share the same space as Deli. I tried a cola cold brew. Ice coffee, sweetener and soda water. It cost $3. Good. I find iced coffee a little boring. Not sure if I've ever had that before. I thought I hadn't. But, now I think I've had one before. I think they said they have been there for under a year. I think they said they have another location in Mt Dora.

Harrell's Hot Dogs - They are on Plant St. I think they were last a bbq place called Harry & Larry's. Now dogs and sausages. I had one with mustard for $4. It was just a Sabratt's (I think they said). Mostly heavily topped dogs. Like Italian and chili cheese. Looks the same. A small space. Order at the window. Opened right before Covid.

*Most places hadn't changed since my last visit. A few new places. Mostly snack places. There is a new NY Bagel place that they said replaces some other breakfast type place. Down by the marketplace, the Italian restaurant is now a Burger Fi and the Taco Loco (?) is a hot chicken place. Peeked in at Matthew's Steakhouse. A rib eye was near $50! A few of the stalls inside have turned over as well. Will expound in next post and give Travel Notes on Clearwater Beach and St Petersburg. Maybe on Monday.

Grub Crawl - Downtown and Mills: La Boulangerie, Pattie Lou's Donuts and Dochi Mills *OH/MI/IN/KY/TN Travel Notes

I tried these spots after lunch on Wednesday. The first two are around the corner from each other on, what I believe, is the corner of Pine and Magnolia. Although the receipt to the first says Rosalind. It is the one that comes north from South Orange (parallels I-4 in front of Lake Eola and the band shell). It is in front of the new apartment complex.. I believe it is called Modera. The final one is near Japango in Vietnam town. I also noticed a new poke place has opened in front of Morgan and Morgan. And Motorwerks brewery is open too. And I think a new place called Maki is diagnol from the 7-11 on Colonial (up from that road that passes Lake Eola). Couldn't see if it was open yet. And the remodel of the Korean spot farther east on Colonial seems nearly complete. I think it has the same name.

La Boulangerie - A bakery+. They had a much more intricate menu than I was expecting. Pasta, duck breast carpaccio, tuna sashimi and tartare, raclette (skimmed hot cheese), fondue, hot stone cooked chicken/beef/duck/shrimp/scallops, charcuterie and cheese plates, pizza, sandwiches, panini, oysters, crepes, omelets, soup and avocado toast. Good pricing. They are from Lyon. Paris and they fight over who is the king of gastronomy. Place looks modern and clean. I just grabbed a baguette after I saw that the place needed a real looking into. It cost $3. Pretty good. Parking can be a pain (meters or garages) downtown. They claimed that you can now use the lot on Central for two hours free. I used a carry out reserved space in front. I wouldn't count on that being available too often. They close at 5pm. This could be a really good addition. Opened fairly recently.

Pattie Lou's Donuts - They are in a soft opening that started a week ago. The mini donut maker was the only one working. I grabbed a small (dozen or so donuts) in a white, Chinese food type container to go for $5. They were fine. You can top them with a "sauce" and add toppings. I just did the chocolate sauce. It was ok. Modern looking, white walled space. Only location.

Dochi Mills - I first told you about their location in the East End Market. Never was there when they were. This is a new location right near the intersection of Mills and Colonial. Across from Mamak. Opened six weeks ago. Cute little store with donuts under glass at the register. I tried a churro for $2.50. Good. I don't know if you remember my Vegas notes from last July 4th. I told you about a Hawaiin poke place that sold these donuts? They look like big beaded bracelets. Soft center. Fresh. They had just a few flavors. I think they have more consistent hours than the original spot. Perhaps you can go and make the guy at the Orlando Weekly happy with your anti-anti-Asian support. I'm sure he's fighting Arab anti-Semetism now. Right? That would be consistent.

*Travel Notes - OH/MI/IN/KY/TN: I went mostly because they had the cheapest rental car prices and I wanted to see Mackinac Island before the season started. Plus the rest of the National Parks and Memorials. Let me start by saying what a joy it is to fly into Cleveland versus flying through our POS airport. There were three TSA lines and still only three people in each line. Rental car counter had no line. And if there is a gap in the action, it usually means fast food or chain hotel or leftovers. I started off with a stroke of luck. Found Gideon Owen Wine Co (btw - there were multiple dozens of wineries in all of those states with possibly the exception of KY) on Catawba Island (more of a peninsula) and had one of the better bouillabaise in recent memory and a very nice cheese board and some ok wine. Pink Catawba and Chamborcin. I took a ferry ($16) from there to South Bass Island and Put in Bay to see the Perry memorial. Cool island. Would have stayed longer, but, forecast was for rain. drove up the thumb of Michigan (coastal drive) and stayed at a dive motel (Lakeside Motor Lodge) in Port Austin for $86. Continued up the coast to Mackinaw City. had a hot dog at Wienerlicious. They use Koegels frankfurters and Vollwerths brats. Had Coulotte (sirloin) steak with MP and veg at Rusted Spoke Brewing Co and tried samples of six local beers. Star Ferry ($28) to Mackinac. Stayed at the Murray Hotel on Mackinac Island for $104. Nearest to middle of downtown and the Grand Hotel (the landmark) was sold out. Had a Black Russian (turkey, Russian dressing, slaw, bacon on black rye) at Chuckwagon. Had pecan fudge at Ryba's. Sampled ten more local beers and had good wings at Mary's Bistro Draught House. Had overpriced breakfast of eggs, etc at Pancake House. Back to main land and down other coast past Sleeping Bear Dunes NP. Had French Silk (chocolate mousse with chocolate slabs) at Sherman's Creamery in South Haven. In Indiana I saw the Indiana Dunes NP to Hinkle Fieldhouse at Butler in North Indianapolis and onto Indiana University in Bloomington. Ate a good meatball sub at Eric Gordon's Greek's Pizzeria across from the football stadium. Greeks seems to be a chain. I know you geeks don't know who Gordon is. South through Vincennes (GR Clark NM) to Lincoln's home. His mother died of milk poisoned by plants their cow ate when he was nine. Through Land Between the Lakes NRA on the Tennessee border. Fort Donelson. Stayed at Dover Inn for $77 because it was the only hotel. Ate at Mama Meas (no typo). Had an ok pizza served by a fairy princess. Canceled a sub at Penn Station in Mumfreesboro TN (Stones River NB) because they kept redoing it. A chain that is basically Quizno's. Drove back north through Nashville (getting so trafficy) to Mammoth Cave KY. Did that and stayed in nearby Park City at the very cute Grand Victorian Inn for $89. Ate at their Mammoth Railway Cafe and had barbeque glazed, sliced, pork shoulder, fried corn and pasta salad. First time for fried corn (niblets). Drove from there to Bardstown KY. This started a bourbon distillery adventure. Had a good CB at Bardstown Burger. Went south about fifteen miles to Maker's Mark. Then back and north about ten miles to Jim Beam. Back to a few in BTown. East to just south of Frankfort and did those (ie Wild Turkey and Woodford Reserve). Nice horse farms. Had an ok Hibachi shrimp and rice and two rolls at Koi Express in Frankfort. Drove through downtown to do Buffalo Trace and then back on the highway to Louisville where I did a few more (ie Bulleit) on the way. In Louisville stayed in a new area near the river and baseball field called NuLu. Had good bbq at Feast. Good beer at Akasha Brewery. Nice walk around town. More distilleries. Lots of homeless under the bridges. Very dead. The mayor locked them down all year. A few drinks at Garage. Drove to Old Louisville district in the morning. Saw the campus and sports facilities. Got a Hot Brown (turkey, Mornaise, bacon on toast) at the Brown Hotel (another reason I went there). The bartender told me about a cemetery in town. Cave Hill. Went and saw Muhammed Ali and Colonel Sanders graves. Drove north through Muncie IN and Ball State. Back to airport area and had an ok roast beef and sliced chicken sandwich at Dave's Cosmic Subs in West Lake OH.

Grub Crawl - NoDo: City Pub and Guacamoli

I tried these places on North Orange Ave (north of Colonial/50) on Wednesday at lunch. They are neighbors. The first was North Quarter Tavern. The second is in the place that had Caro-Bama Cue and a Canadian chain. They call the space a marketplace now. There was also a coffee stall beside it. I don't think that is/was the Canadian enterprise.

City Pub - They have been there for two or three years. Seems like the same thing as the old place. The layout is the same. The menu seems similar. Not sure if the old place had photos of older Orlando. but, I kind of think it did. I had a cheeseburger with fries for $11. Overwhelmed by the bounty the night before. Garden variety burger that your buddy would grill for you at a cookout. Smallish. Roundish. Saw it flaming from grease in the kitchen. Inside was medium. Cheddar sat hard on top. Veg were ok. Yellow tomato, onion and bibb lettuce. Brioche bun. Ok. Fries were wedge and coated. Fail. Fail. Wedges are for breakfast. Coating is for candy. The rest of the menu was pub fare. The odd man in was a gyro plate. Thye have trivia nights. Parking is almost non-existent. Luckily, my secret spot is still unknown.

Guacamoli - They do smoothies and toast. I had the cheapest one (simple) for $6. Lots of guac. Creamy. They swear it's Haas. Seemed so. Way too salty. Also had some funk to it that I hope wasn't "secret sauce". Made in back, so, that's always scary. Can never tell who has a score to settle. They also do a Caprese (mozz) and a salmon for $8 and $9. Out of mozz. The smoothies are $8, $9 and $10. Kale, strawberry and moca. Opened in October.

*One more post tomorrow with a Midwest Travel Note at the end. Then we're up to date.

Grub Crawl - UCF Area: Mei's Kitchen, Mark's Jamaican Bar and Fujiyama Sushi

I tried these three places in a strip mall on the left side of University Blvd (coming from Winter Park or Downtown) after 417 and before the UCF campus on Tuesday night. All were to go. The last two were places I have already reviewed. I retried them because it has been a while. I will give short reviews of each. You can go to the original postings for more. I'll give the month and date.

Mei's Kitchen - A Taiwanese place. They were closing (around 8pm), so, I had to get my things to go. I suspect the quality also suffered. But, It was still good. They have around twenty tables inside. Kitchen behind the counter which is in the rear. Modern look. I went for variety since I wasn't dining in. I had the fried oysters (5) for $7 and a Gua Bao for $3 and a braised pork belly bento box for $10. The oysters were good. Came with a french type dressing. I doubt they were shucked on site. Probably bought in bulk pre-schucked. The bao was a riff on their standard pork belly. I think this had peanuts or something. It was ok. The bun was a little pasty and small. The bento was great. A huge amount of white rice with savory ground pork mixed in. The belly was thick. Meat was tender. Fatty. Around six slabs. They threw in a soy dipped hard boiled egg and egg drop soup and an egg roll and a savory cabbage salad. I might have liked that cabbage salad the best. Never had it before. Think of kimchi without the heat and bitterness. This was cured in mayo or something. Savory and slightly sweet. They have a two sided menu. Around a dozen finger foods and some entree type stuff and bao and bentos. I think it's worth a foray. Open for just under a year. Faucet in bathroom lit up when you turned on the water. 

Mark's Jamaican Bar - They were across and up the street before this move. I think they said they did it three years ago. According to my first post (July 2015), I liked the jerk pork and hated the patty sandwich. I had the barbeque jerk chicken plate this time. It was good. Four pieces of mostly non-dry thigh and drum. Heavy on the sweet and slightly spicy sauce. I had green bananas and rice and beans and a dumpling as sides. The rice was not overcooked nor dryn or crunchy. Nice flavor. I knew the other two would be bland. They have to be. Still ok if eaten with another component. Have to keep mixing it up. It only cost $9. They have a pretty big menu. Oxtail was around $15. This place looks a little nicer than the last. If I can remember properly. A bar on the right. Tiny room to the left. Patio seating. Next door (on the corner near the street) to Mei's.

Fujiyama Sushi - Tried it February 2009. Liked the chicken. YT was so so. Had a yt roll and a spicy tuna roll this time. YT was flavorless. Tiny amount. Cigar shaped, nori wrapped roll. Spicy tuna had no nori wrap. They usually use the scraps for spicy rolls. I think they might go down a level and use tuna from a can. Plus it was orange and not red. Both cost $6. Overpriced for the quality provided. The place looks twelve years older. And it wasn't that hot then. But they are still pumping out food. It's on the other side of the Publix's from Mei's. *Just saw on an NHK show that Okonomiyaki and takoyaki were a post WWII thing. They sort of existed before, but, were an adaptation to the scarcity of food, desire to eat western (don't get that) and the wheat flour we brought to them after the war. And Yama means mountain. So, they are Mount Fuji.

Chicago Dog & Co, Altamonte Springs

I tried this Chicago style snacks stand over two weeks ago at dinner. I had a double smash burger ($6) and a Chicago dog ($4) to go. While I'll never accept that a pickle and tomato justify doubling the price of a dog, I am liking the "salad" dog more as grow older. This Rover had good snap. Beef? The pickle was fresh. Two peppers that I tossed. Onions, relish and mustard. The burgers were beefy. Well done. Small. Thin. Nooks. Probably flamed. Grilled onions. American cheese. Ok bun. No condiments. They sell around ten things. Italian beef, dogs and burgers. Everything is probably priced double what comparable fast food goes for. But, that's in line with these mom and pop places. It took over an ice cream stand that I think was called Snowflake. They have a decent size parking lot and a covered picnic area away from the road. It is west (towards Apopka) of 434 on 436. Not too far past 434. On the right side of 436 coming from I-4. Next to another place that has been there forever. I think that is an Irish place. Open for probably two months now (factoring in my delay in reporting). I believe they do at least lunch and dinner.

*The next posts will be from this week. I may break one into two parts.

Pub Crawl - SoDo and Downtown: Rockpit Brewing and Broken Strings Brewery

I tried these two breweries after Disney two weeks ago. The first is on S. Orange Ave near Michigan (Illiana St). Behind Cecil's Texas BBQ. You can take the street after the rr tracks if you enter from I-4. The second is just past the soccer stadium on the left. On Church St.

Rockpit Brewing - Open for two years. Posters of miners on the walls. Not minors! That would be problematic. Small. Fireplace. Woody. New Orleans food truck in front. Good beer. Bar on the left. Means of operation all around. Tiny parking lot. Had a Cackler and a pale ale. $3 for a 4 or 5 oz. 

Broken Strings Brewery - Open (in some form) for five years. Said they "merged" with Black Cauldron. Small room. Means of operation behind a wall behind the bar. Parking lot. Said you can park there for games for $20. Rock n roll caricatures. Games. Vinyl sales area. Good beer. Had a red ale, a NE IPA and a Black IPA. $2.50 for 5 oz pours. I think they close early. Like before dinner time. Can't remember if that was a Covid thing.

*Another brewery called Gaitlin Hall is almost open south on S Orange (by Le Cordon Bleu) and Motorwerks on N Orange (Downtown) in the old Mini Cooper/Orlando Brewing space looks open. After those two, I think the one in Eustis is the last one in the CF area not accounted for.

Grub Crawl - Disney Springs: Paradiso 37 and Everglazed Donuts

 We've got a lot to catch up on and not that much time to do it in, so, The next posts will come fast and furious. Maybe one a day for the next week. I finally tried this supposedly 37 country (but mostly Mexican) restaurant two weeks ago at lunch. I think it is the oldest of the surviving ones. That it was the last one I went to tells you what my intuition thought of it. It's in the middle. Back by the lake. It has a Key West feel. The menu is supposed to be from 37 countries. Hardly. And why Canada and poutine is ram rodded in there, I have no idea. Maybe they are the only ones white enough to think this stuff is Latin. They do have something called an Argentinian steak and salsipapas (tiny hot dogs) from South America. The rest of the "foreign' options are things quesadillas. I tried the cheapest thing because the menu was simple and overpriced. Very Disney. It cost $18. It was the pulled pork sandwich. It was ok. The other barbeque spot there is better. Very sauced. Slice of pineapple. Slaw. Ok sesame coated bun. Ok fries served in a basket. Service was good. Food came out pretty fast. Bar on right. Patio on lake. Nice decor. Rum posters. You can skip it. Should I make a John Milton joke?

Everglazed Donuts - I actually came here for them. Open for three months. Gourmet donuts. The first location. Florida theme. Also sells drinks and beer. Two categories of donuts. One costs $4.50. One $5.50. I had a $4.50 Fruity Pebbles. It was pretty good. Big. I think I failed it. I didn't eat it right away and left it in a hot car. It mad the cereal kind of stale. It had a white icing blob on top. Donut tasted good. You could tear the top half from the bottom. It is a rectangular build with windows on the front side. You walk down to the counter and then pick up and walk the other way out of the store. Aside the bowling alley nearer to the circus tent. 

*I saw that there was a new (very popular) sweets place on the way to Paradiso from the green lot. I think it was called 8 Tracks way back. Now it looks like a Harry Potter theme rip off. Wasn't about to wait in line to find out. It was also nice to inter act with the Disney gestapo before entering. If only we spent as much energy combating terrorism as we do a virus. The new place next to Jaleo seems stuck in neutral. And no sign of the Brooklyn pastry store. There was some wood paneling over a location that was near where I first saw the sign. The sign is gone. Maybe they are too. Next post will be about two breweries.

Grub Crawl - West Colonial: Spicy & Juicy Crab and Hunan Taste *AZ Travel Notes

I tried these spots on West Colonial (50) last Wednesday at lunch. I knew the first would be bad and it was. I thought I had been to the second and I guess neither this blog nor I have a any evidence of that.

Spicy & Juicy Crab - I first ran into this place looking for another place around a year ago. It is in a shady strip mall at Hiawassee. It is probably the worst boil place I've examined. I ordered three blue crabs for $13. I figured they'd be frozen. They were. But, I figured everything else would be as well. As I said, they were frozen. Tasteless. Dry. Shrunken. I didn't even bother with the corn or potato.Hhad to get out as quick as possible before I caused a scene. The only other people there were a murder of crows. Female. They were all (one on the phone with an accountant or someone) loudly discussing plans to defraud the government. The one on the phone with a third party kept insisting she should get PPE money as she was an independent contractor. That and the music they chose made it a nauseating experience aside from the food. They have a big square room. Looks like it was once a bar. They had a pool table. Bar up front. They said it has been open for three years. No respectable person would step foot in here. To top it off, they added a 15% gratuity. I think I double tipped. Shows what kind of clientele they attract if they have to force people to tip.

Hunan Taste - In the back of the Westside Crossings Mall (Chinatown). Open for two years. Very interesting menu that I chose poorly on. They have exotic stuff like duck in beer sauce, tripe, rabbit, trotters, etc. Plus some basic stuff like Kung Pao chicken. I settled on a dry pot basil chicken for $14. I was taking it home. I didn't want anything that would spoil or spill. Plus these sounded simple. I figured it would come out fast. It was the kind of Chinese dish I hate. They rough chopped bad parts (drums and who knows whats) and left the bones in. It was micro-surgery to eat around the sinews and veins and bones. A real pain in the ass. Plus they covered it in a sweet and goopy sauce that made the chicken skins even soggier. It came with white rice. They were generous with the portions and the place has the sort of vibe that I trust. I'll have to try again. It's a small square room. Some tables of four and big family tables. All the customers were Chinese. I'd stake my reputation that it is considered a higher end place. The menu isn't huge. I almost tried the dumplings. Subtle, subdued decor. Hunan is south central China. Where Mao was born. Food is usually considered spicier than even Szechuan.

*I went back to Shanghai Lane and tried the salt soy milk soup and pan fried pork buns. Soup wasn't good. Buns may be my new favorite things. More dumplings than bao. I'll update that post with the details.

**Travel Notes - Arizona: Not too many. Much fast food. In Tucson tried a sandwich and french fry chain of thirty locations called Eegee's. Sucked. Had another bad chicken salad with almond sandwich at another smaller chain called Baggin's. In Flagstaff had a bad pizza at NiMarco's. Ok Moo Goo Gai Pan at Mandarin Gardens. Bad bison barbacoa tacos at Cowboy Club (on 3D) in Sedona. Ok green chilie and pork soup and French pastry (chicken, brie and pear sandwich) at Perfect Pear Bistro in Tempe. Bad carnitas nachos at Maskadores in Tempe. The best thing I had all week was at a burgeoning chain called Gadzook's. They one up Chipotle. They have a brick wood burning oven that they heat up your meal in. They market it as enchiladas and soup. You get two enchiladas or three. I had two. Modelo braised bison and guajillo braised short ribs. You fill them as usual. Then they go under the heat and the cheese topping gets all gooey. They also have veg fillings and roasted tomatillo chicken and green chile pork shoulder. The soups looked great. They also do tacos. Also do bowls. Someone should make contact with this ownership group. I think they just have three locations so far. I stayed at mostly $100 a night places. Nothing to write home about. Mostly went to National Parks. There is a nice town south of Sedona called Cottonwood. Weather was perfect. A little windy to start. Airport wasn't that crowded this time around. 

Grub Crawl - International Drive: Hidden Sushi and Ole Red

 I tried this twp spots on I-Drive on Tuesday night. Early. The first place has always been packed. they suggested I try at 4:30pm. They open at 4pm. They are in the strip mall near Fun Spot that has the Peter Glenn ski store. In the back corner. In the corner of  the space in the corner of that area of the mall. The second is in the space that holds the Ferris Wheel. Across from Tapa Toro. It's a chain owned/licensed by Blake Shelton.

Hidden Sushi - So hidden that they have flown under the radar for two to three years it seems. I ate at a Portuguese place here before that. They do Brazilian sushi. And while I'll say that I'm not thoroughly on board, they are better than the place across the street that I tried a few months back. No contest. They do a $24 Tuesday all you can eat. $28 on other days. I was stupid and ordered ala carte. It ended up being around the same price. I had 2 salmon uramaki (a salmon roll topped with shimeji). They said this was pureed mushroom. It was on top. They sell them by the piece of a roll. They cost $1.25 a piece. Not bad. I also had 4 very big pieces of salmon sashimi. $150 a piece. Fresh. I had 2 pieces of tuna nigiri. Fresher than I expected. Thick slice. I had 4 pieces of salmon nigiri. Not as good as the sashimi. A different cut of the fish. Tougher. They also don't do the rice correctly. Plus they use too much. A piece cost $1.50. Menu said 99 cents. I ended with one roll piece each of djo. One was salmon topped with honey and peanuts. One was salmon and cream cheese topped with crushed Doritos. They were very good and creative. $1.25 each. They have a big menu. However, alot is salmon and cream cheese obsessed. They also have a junk food starter menu with nuggets, etc. Most of the seating now is outside (still inside) now. Around fifty seats. The inside is a small rectangular space. service was good. It was about a third full. It's the better option if you are looking to try Brazilian sushi. 

Ole Red - A House of Blues type place. Live music. Stage. Big. Two stories. Open for ten months. I was going to try gator wings. They were out. Grabbed something cheap and fast that could be refrigerated. Hot chicken sandwich for $13. It was bad. A thigh that seemed to have frost bite. Rubbery. They also seemed to make it hot  by sprinkling on dry rub. That must be the Nashville way because I just saw a travel show where a place called Edley's did the same thing. I didn't remember that. I'm not a fan. It leaves you with a mouth full of unpleasant, raw grit. Plus it was too spicy in a burning way. The better part of the dish were the tots. They looked like golf balls cut in half. Half mashed potatoes and half hash browns. They weren't cooked through though. Worth it if they are done properly. I'm sure they copied someone. Can't wait to find out who really created these. The menu is predictable. I saw a bad looking burger and a huge pulled pork sandwich. The pork looked mushy though. Nothing unexpected. A tourist trap. Go for the music and hooch. I guess Ole Red is a dog.

Ellipsis Brewing, OIA Area

I tried this brewery just outside of the airport around two weeks ago at lunch time. I believe they said they have been there for three years. It's a small, square, high ceilinged warehouse section on TPC Blvd. This street is like a quarter mile up on the right off 436 at the street that has the Rock N Brew. They are only open during the day now. I had an average IPA and an average Pilsner. They had around a dozen beers. Alot had some New England designation. A sample size was $3. I would have tried more, but, I was catching a plane and driving and it was the middle of the day.