Grub Crawl - Winter Park: Ava and Jacked Up

I tried these spots last night at dinner. The first is on Park Ave in the old Luma location. The second is on Fairbanks near Spatz pool hall. 

Ava- Opened (limited) in February they said. I had the Chicken Tagine for $28. It was ok. Two drums and a thigh. Soapy tasting couscous and squash and zucchini. It's an expensive place. $90 steaks and $70 fish. My dish was second cheapest. A seafood orzo was $21. Apps were $14ish. They say they are Mediterragean. It's still mostly rustic level. I never got the upscale Greek trend. You are paying more for the 'tude than the food. The service is top notch though. The place looks like it should cost you. Greek Islands feel. Casual area, bar and dining areas. Open kitchen. They tossed in some olives, pits chips and a form of tarramoussalata. I'm sure I misspelled that. But in a rush and battery fading. High end experience if you can afford it. Dress code was lax. I came in ratty tshirt and shorts. Just no flip flops. Only open for dinner.

Jacked Up - They originally had Vegan in the name. Took over the old Wine Barn. Kept most of that. Part of Winter Park Collective. That includes Prickle Babies (plants), desserts, empanadas and a new pizza guy (Pizza Nova). I just grabbed mixed tacos with side (ff) for $10. They (fake ground beef and jackfruit) were ok. Small. OK tortilla. Cooked in a food truck. Place looks good. Very green. They put fake grass throughout. Expanding hours. Now mostly evening on week days.

Coyoacan Cocina, Lake Mary *LA/MS/AL/FL Travel Notes

 I tried this Mexican place on 44A in the strip mall with Halal Guys on Wednesday at dinner. They have been open for two months. It was one of the more satisfying Mexican meals I've had in town in a while. I had the Carnitas Quiroga for $15. They came with beans and rice and guac and tortillas. They wrote that the pork was cooked in a copper pot or something. It was mostly tender (some tough white meat) pork. Probably from the shoulder. They gave a pretty healthy cup full serving of guac. It was fresh. Even the beans (I did refried) and rice were pleasant. In addition, the free salsa had great flavor and the chips were fresh. They serve a pretty traditional, fairly priced ($16-25) menu with some specialties. This is the fourth or fifth incarnation I have tried in this pace (lastly two Turkish places). The layout is the same. They repainted (orange, pink) and added some flare and wood accents. Service (one bartender and one bus boy) was ok for the crowd (six tables seated). May be inadequate for a full house. Good play if you live around here. Bar stuff too.

*Travel Notes - Louisiana/Mississippi/Alabama/Florida: Remember this is part of the last post. On the way out of Florida I stopped at the Appleton Museum (art) in Ocala. It was free that day. $10 usually. I always love a museum. Some mid-west business man's collections. I ate a turkey sandwich at Jim's Pit Bar BQ in Reddick (Exit 368). Always meant to because of billboard. Stayed at Bay Inn in Loxley AL for $109 (rack rate). Ate at fingers chain called Foosackley's in Spanish Fort AL. Ate turtle soup, oysters and shrimp at Felix's Fish Camp in Mobile AL. Visited Longfellow Evangeline Plantation SHS in St Martinville LA. Tried to eat at Big John's Seafood Patio in Erath LA. I closed for the season in April (oops). Stayed at a bad Days Inn in Abbeville LA for $89. Ate fried catfish at Riverfront. This area is supposed to be the crawfish capitol. Drove through Lafayette to Shreveport. Ate pork tamales at Quebedeaux's in Alexandria LA. Passed a place called Mensura LA. It has some festival for cochon de lait every spring. Stayed at Sam's Town Casino for $125. Saw a building used in Factory Girl. Also saw a hockey rink, baseball field and Independence Bowl. Ate a comped Caesar salad at the cafe in the casino. Went to Texas. Drove back to south of Lafayette (90) to visit the Tabasco factory on some island near Iberville. Stayed at a Quality Inn in Morgan City LA for $90. Drove on to New Orleans. Stayed in Garden District at Hotel Indigo for $199 one night and $129 the next. It was the 4th plus some Essence festival. They also lied about parking. $30 valet. Ate a good chicken salad sandwich at new place called Rabbit's Foot. Had a champagne cocktail and shrimp in papilliotte with hollandaise sauce at Brennan's (French Quarter) cocktail hour. Thus avoiding dress code. Ate fried turkey necks and a great cheeseburger at Meril's (Art District). Named for Emeril's daughter. Saw Place Lafayette. Ate oyster po boy with bad fries at Gris Gris (Garden District). Grabbed a chicken thigh banh mi at Elizabeth Street Cafe at the St Vincent hotel (Original in Austin) for dinner also in the GD. Did the cocktail hour/late lunch thing at Peche (2014 James Beard) in Arts District. Had a mind blowing fried catfish with pickled greens in chili broth and smoked drum with kolrabi kim chi and grilled cabbage and peanuts. Cheap too. Drove to Stennis Space Center at exit 2 in Mississippi. Of course VC was closed (just Th-?). Stopped on causeway at Mobile/Spanish Fort AL for grilled red fish, oysters and shrimp at Bluegill (billboard). Also an Original Oyster House there. Did the one in Gulf Shores already. Stayed at a Clarion on 27 in Tallahassee for $72. Ate spinach ricotta tortelloni at a new  mostly vegan place called Black Radish. Had beer at Ology Brewing. Ate a terrible Skeeter skillet at the original Canopy Road Cafe.

The Garlic, New Smyrna Beach *TX Travel Notes

This place is near Norwood's after you go over the Causeway/Intercoastal. I went there for dinner on Thursday (over a week ago). It's a quirky place. All these different areas. Like the Swiss Family Robinson house (if my dim memory of it serves me well). I ate in the main room. I should say that they open at 4pm and even that early it gets full. Plus parking (non-valet) is a crap shoot. I wasn't even hungry after the Ten Ten lunch. Yet, I still managed to finish the huge chicken marsala meal with garlic mashed potatoes and a salad because it was so sloppy good. It cost $26. Also came with a conference/symposium dinner level salad and a smashed whole head of garlic in vinegar with bread. The chicken was 3 or 4 tender thigh pieces (can't remember because of head down determination and food induced coma). Probably egg washed. They were drowned in sauce and oil. That should have ruined the dish, but, somehow the food floated around it (mostly). Some mushrooms in the sauce. The garlic mashed potatoes were good. Thick. The menu is mostly Italian (even pizza). A burger ($19) and such as well. Things could get pricey. Some $40+ items (ie steaks). People also seemed to be making good use of the several bar areas. Service (so many) was attentive, polite and knowledgeable. Most have refilled my ice tea four times. Which was good because of the salt from lunch mixed with the dehydration from the drive over. The place is decorated with crap. In the best way. Nick nacks, plastic grapes, wine stuff, candle wax sculptures, X-mas lights. I couldn't tell if the diners were locals or tourists. Probably both. Only open for dinner. I've passed on it for years because I've always come during the day and am usually tapped out before 4pm. I think it is probably something that needs to be experienced at least once in your life. Real old school experience. Now I only have two places remaining to be tried in NSB.

*Travel Notes - Texas: I am breaking the latest trip up. A road trip. Rental car cost nothing because I used points. Would have been $500+ for two weeks from Hertz. Budget was more. Slept at Quality Inn at City Place near Highland Park (SMU Area) for $90. Ate lunch at El Fenix downtown by the Ross Perot Museum. All these Dallas meals were probably from some article I read on the oldest Mexican restaurants in town or something. This place is 1917 or something. Just had an average chicken burrito to go because I wouldn't download the gd app for parking in Dallas. Place was disappointing looking anyway. And menu was basic. Had dinner at the supposedly highest end Mexican place in town. Called Javier's. Same deal with the parking. Grabbed chicken mole with rice and beans to go. Place was kind of weird. Taxidermied animals, etc. Was packed though. This was in Highland Park. No shorts. 1950's I think. Had lunch the next day at El Bolero off Riverfront. More dt. This was only ten years old. The best meal. Modern place. I had crema de flor de calabaza (squash blossom) soup and Taco Arabes. They were shaved pork (al pastor) on a pita. I saw White Rock Lake and Park ne of Highland Park and had beer at Civil Pour while waiting for my Sonesta Select (a few exits north on 75 from the QI) to let me in. It cost $86. Much nicer. As was this area. Had lunch down the street (why I stayed here) at Tupinamba Cafe. 1950 something. Now owned by an ex A&M basketball player. I had a beef and a chicken Tupay taco (fried like Jack in the Crack) and a guacamole tostada . Drove out of town (75 to 35E). Stopped for a cinnamon roll and strawberry kolache at Slovack's in West. It is in a gas station. Billboard's all over. I've meant to try it forever. Stayed at the Shady Villa Hotel in Salado for $94. Had beer at Barrow Brewing. Saw some things in town like gas blowing (the town was on Day Tripper on PBS). Had more beer at Chupacabra. Too full from lunch and tired to get dinner. Cute, ghost town-y type of town on a creek. Further on to Comfort Suites in Round Rock for $103. Drove from there to Taylor on 79 for Louis Mueller's Barbecue. Had the 10 Gallon sandwich of brisket, pulled pork and sausage. Drove back and saw a Round Rock Express (Texas Ranger's AA team) game for $32 (home plate) plus $15 parking. Freddy's dcb for dinner. Drove back up to Jarrell to the Granary (was a John Mueller place - he just died). Had pork ribs and brisket and they gave me some brisket tamales (because I'm so damned charming) for free. They also sold pureed squash with cheese and an ice pop made with pickle juice. Didn't try. Drove east from there to 95 past Taylor to Elgin. Then east on 290 to Houston. Stayed at BW in Spring for $97. Ate a brisket and pulled pork sandwich at Cork Screw BBQ (also on Day Tripper). All bbq places were excellent and very highly ranked. Cork Screw had the best flavors and pulled pork. The ribs at Granary were so so. Their brisket was the most traditional. Had intended on trying Snow's. They only open on Saturday and were closed this week. Also by passed on Austin because hotels were through the roof and the traffic, etc.