North Italia, Sand Lake Rd *FL Travel Notes

This website has been so buggy lately that I'm going to write this one up even though I just posted something (I actually wrote that a week ago but it wouldn't upload before I left). I tried this franchise (twenty five or so locations) Italian play last Thursday at lunch. It is in a spot in the first strip mall off I-4 where Ocean Prime and American Social are. It was a J Alexanders. Open for three months. It's ok. It looks nice. An L shaped layout. High ceilings. Bar on the left with a semi-enclosed bar area. A private room. Kitchen in the rear. White walled. Blacks. Grays. Light woods and a modern living room (plants, etc) feel. My section alone sat 80. Probably the same in the other section. Maybe forty at the bar. About twenty percent full. Free, fresh bread. I had the Chicken Parmesan Sandwich for $15. Didn't love the value on the menu. They serve it on a round ciabatta. Smallish. The chicken was dry and very thin. It was topped with prosciutto and a spicy aioli. Maybe some cheese? That would make sense. It came with fries. They shredded some fresh cheese over them. Correctly fried. The rest of the menu was predictable. Pizza. Salads. Pasta. Etc. I think they wrote that spaghetti bolognese was a house specialty. Service was slow. When I walked out, I looked into the kitchen. Seemed like one impresario and a few minions. My waiter was good. He comped me what would be an overpriced ice tea ($4). Traffic is ridiculous there.

*Travel Notes - Florida: I drove to Tampa. Stayed at the shitty Quality Inn on 41 near the Fair Grounds for $120. I drove south on 41 to the Big Bend Power Plant to see manatees. Not a one. Then a few miles south to Apollo Beach. Not much beach. Was going to head south, but, prices were ridiculous. $200 to $400 all the way south. For crap. The same on the east coast. I drove to S Dale Mabry Blvd to BJ's Alabama BBQ. Saw it on some show. It was ok. Drove on 275 and then west where it merges with 75 on 54 and then north on 41 to 98. Stayed at a better Quality Inn in Chiefland for $109. It turns out Manatee Springs SP was there. It cost $4 for a single driver. No manatees, but, nice springs and walk to Suwanee River. Ate at Bar BQ Bill's. Damn good chicken. Drove north the next day to Fanning. Fanning Springs SP ($6) and a fort there. Not as nice a spring. No manatees. Ate a decent shrimp wrap at Chomper's Drive Thru Diner. Good marketing concept. Drove to Apalachicola. Stayed at the Apalachicola Bay Inn for $132. Had beers at Oyster City Brewing Co. Ate a very good platter of grouper, shrimp and oysters at Apalachicola Seafood Grill. The next morning I had breakfast at the Franklin Cafe at the Gibson Inn. Kept going west on 98. Drove through Panama City and Rosemary Beach. Had delicious pumpkin ice cream in a glazed donut just west of PC at Thomas'. Slept at a dump of a BW in Destin for $116. Had a chocolate glazed donut and humongous brownie at the Donut Hole at breakfast. Only cost like $3. Had Greek shrimp salad at Destin Ice Seafood Market. They said that they supply every restaurant in town. Drove to Navarre Beach. Stayed at the Days Inn for $99. Drove to Pensacola. Stayed at the Sole Inn again. $130. Ate a fairly lame fried oyster basket with fried green tomatoes and gouda grits at The Fish House at lunch. Had beers at Big Top Brewing Company and 5 Barrel Brewery. Had a great dinner at Iron. Joyce Farm Airline Chicken in a marsala demi with creamy parsnip risotto (it worked) and lion's mane mushrooms (never heard of them) and bruleed cipollini onions. Drove to Fernandina Beach on 10. Stayed at the Surf Beach Motel for $112. Ate a lousy beef and duck meatloaf at Le Clos. It sounded interesting. Grabbed a cheddar cheese covered roll at Bailey's on Ash and an ok breakfast empanada at Hola this morning. Drove down 95 to Crescent Beach. Went to Fort Matanzas NP. Ferry to fort only had room at 2:30pm. Went to the beach instead. Drove down A1A. Ate an ok crab cake benedict at Oceanside at Flagler Beach. I had seen it on the news. Because of erosion from a hurricane and covid.