Pho Company Noodle House - Open for five years. Some how they had a wait list. I sneaked in. I tried the curry chicken with white rice. Let me say that no cuisine has lost as much respect with me than Vietnamese. I pretty much only like banh mi now. This was a piss poor attempt at a Thai dish. I'm not sure if they really make this in Vietnam. Many countries do a version of a neighboring cuisine. I've never seen nor heard of the Vietnamese doing so. It is plausible. Maybe just what places in the States do? They also had some other "pan Asian" items as well. Like bao. The curry had no heat. Bland. Bisque like. I swear they used the chicken roll from the banh mi. The chicken was in little slices (stuck together). Sad if they did that. The rice was mushy. Not good. Even the soda tasted off. The place is a long hall with a mural on one side. Not a destination spot. Open for lunch or dinner.
The Abbey - The reason for the trip. Only open at night. A bar. I had a mead they make for $5. Called Abbey Normal. It was good. Sweet. They have a few. Plus wine, beer, cigars. Good selection. Brick walls. They let dogs in. Patio. TVs. I was leaving early the next day or I would have stayed longer. Open for many years. I'm just not here often at night. So it slipped by.
Sidecar Home Market - A furniture store with a bar and things in a fridge. I grabbed a coffee in a can for the next morning. Cute spot.
*I also passed by the alley with Persimmon Hollow and the courtyard area with a bar/counter that I think is called DaVinci Gardens. It's still there. I believe I reviewed it ages ago.
Loaded Lunch Box - A real dive of a snack bar. Had a terrible (unoiled) grilled cheese for $2 and an equally bad hot dog (the cheapest type of bologna dog) for $2.50. They do other sandwiches and burgers and fish and ribs. Open for eight months.
*Travel Notes - Florida Gulf Coast: I drove from the Keys on 1N to 997N in Florida City to 41W (Tamiami Trail) to Naples. Stayed at the Lemon Tree Inn for $102.50 (Booking gave me a $20 coupon). I was way cute. Little bungalows. Two blocks from 5th Ave. I had dinner at bha! bha! on 5th. It is upscale Persian. I forget what designation they claimed. NYT Best or something. I had a great Lamb Bedemjune Koresh (stew) with eggplant and tomato and sour grapes (the draw). Very large portion. Came with basmati rice. I had a good Sandra's Hottie burger of cream cheese, cheese, bacon and jalapenos at Brooks Burgers near the hotel the next afternoon. It also claimed to be the second best burger (I believe in the country) per Trip Advisor (they said). No idea if that was true and when it was. Sign out front said it was called Lindburghers. Like the pilot. I guess that was a popular place or they wouldn't have a sign saying so. I drove up 41 through Fort Myers. Went to the Edison and Ford Winter Homes. Didn't go in because I have seen it on tv and I think it was $25. I was going to do Sanibel but the bridge had tolls and I didn't want to set off the rental car EZ Pass. Drove north past other pay bridges to Cape Coral. I think I took 78W in North Fort Myers to Cape Coral and then Matlacha Island and then Pine Island (has a ferry to a place called Caya Costa. Cabbage Key is another spot you need a boat to get to too). Drove it south to St James City. Then to the north end at Bokeelia. They were ok islands. Not very developed. I then took some road just past Matlacha to Punta Gorda. Stayed at the Punta Gorda Waterfront for $95. Ate at The Perfect Caper (beat Bobby Flay with mussels). Saw this in Food Traveler magazine a while back. Had the mussels, a terrible salmon tartare (pasty) and chicken liver pate. Drove up 41N and west on 776 (about eight miles past the Gasparilla Island turn off at 771) to Englewood and Farlow's on the Water. Rays spring training stadium is on this road too. Same article. It looked better than I expected. It was packed. Mostly hunch backed old Irish ladies. I had to send back the mussels. Like raisins. I had a triggerfish (that I think they gave me barramundi instead) with a weird cold quinoa salad and papaya salad. All disappointing. The chef is from St Croix. I think. Menu reflects it. On a lagoon/river. Drove back to Punta Gorda and drove up to I-4 from there. I believe it was 17N to 64E to 98N to 27N. Next post will have my west of Tallahasee and Alabama notes.
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