Grub Crawl - Winter Park: Cava, Bitebound and Cafe Don Juan *CA Travel Notes

I tried these places last Wednesday at lunch. All are off 17-92 or Orlando Ave or whatever one of many names they use for this stretch of road. The first is in the strip mall on Lee Rd. The next to are closer to DT. Across from the Krispy Kreme.

Cava - Same owners as Zoe's. They said out of Bethesda MD. I almost left when I saw signs stating the "curated" bowls. May be the most unnecessary and over(mis)used piece of pretentiousness that the smarmy hipsters that swarm around us have concocted in their short but annoying time on our planet. I settled on the $10 Greek Chicken Pita because it was the cheapest item and they wouldn't let me get a bowl with only grains (and not salad too). Too jet lagged to argue. It was ok. The guy filling it gave me too much (I think). He seemed new (or liked the cut of my jib). The girl next to him gave him a look like - you gave that guy way too much. Thigh meat. It had an large gumball of hummus and tzatziki. They smeared those. Big, fresh pita. Made out of something not ordinary. Feta. Pickles. Tomato. Open for five weeks. It was jammed. Fast food look. Order at counter.

Bitebound - A one off. Open for seven weeks. Almost the same as Cava. More things. Less pricey. I grabbed a mini bowl for $6. A large bowl is probably the same things with a little more salad or grains. This was plenty. I topped grains (quinoa, rice and some other grain) with fajita beef and brocolini and avocado smash. The beef was a bit tough. To be expected at this price point. The broccolini was dried out. The smash was made with non-Haas avocados. Could have been worse though. You choose (no curating here) from a big menu of add ons. More than bowls. A big bowl is $10. Good value. Clean, new store. Order at a counter. Empty.

Cafe Don Juan - Not to be confused with Juan Valdez. A Puerto Rican place. More than coffee. Next to Bitebound. Biggish space with white and black tiles. Order at the counter. Breakfast all day. Looked interesting. Lunch too. Mainly sandwiches and soups. A bit pricey. mid teens. Thusly, I just tried a spinach empanada for $4. Tiny. Barely filled inside. Worth a try. They have those drinks too. More of restaurant than a coffee shop.

Travel Notes - California: I flew into Ontario for $191 on Frontier. Car rental by Budget was $398. Slept the first night near airport at Ontario Airport Inn for $105. Drove 10 to 15 to 8 the next day to SD (Point Loma). Had lunch at Hodad's. A cb with ff. On 3D. Walked Ocean Beach. Drove to Cabrillo NM. Slept at Sunrise Inn for $97. Ate yellowtail sashimi and chowder in a sourdough bowl at Point Loma Seafood. On $40 a Day with Rachael Ray. Walked the docks. Had beer at Eppig Brewery. Ate lunch the next day at Phil's BBQ. On 3D. Saw Pechanga Arena (old Clippers arena). Drove 8 to 15 to Temecula. Stayed two nights at Rancho California Inn for $115 a night. Went to these wineries: Hart, Callaway, Peltzer, Doffo, Lorimar - Day 2 - Altisima, Leoness, Masia de la Vinya, Cougar and Somerset. Popped in (but left for various reasons) to: Vindemia, Akash, Miramonte, Maurice Carrie, Chapin and Bottaia. Had beer at Refuge Brewery. Had dinner of hd and chili cheese ff at Dogs n Suds. Had lunch of tri tip and potato salad (in the sandwich) at Hobos's BBQ. On 3D. Drove 15 to 74 to Manhattan Beach. Stayed at Wave Hotel for $170. Ate lunch of chicken salad at Manhattan Beach Bread and Bagel. Had a donut at Randy's Donuts (in LA). Went to Sofi Stadium to see Chargers and Cowboys. Had drinks at Hermosa Saloon in Hermosa Beach. Drove 405 to 10 to 1 to Malibu. Ate a hd at Malibu Mutt's Grill. Had a tuna and avocado sandwich with salad at John's Garden. Drove up PCH. Stayed at Good Nite Inn in Camarillo for $101. Stumbled upon an air show. Went back down PCH the next day to Malibu. Had a turkey and avocado panini with Caesar salad at Tra Di Noi. Had a fried scallop sandwich at Malibu Seafood. Drove back up PCH to Ojai (101 to 33). Stopped at these beaches: El Matador, El Pescador, La Piedra and Sycamore Cove at Point Mugu. Stayed in Ojai at the Chantico Inn for $83. Had wine at Topa Mountain Winery. Had lavender valley ice cream at Ojai Ice Cream. Saw Lake Casitas. Drove out the opposite side of town (150?) to 101 (it met up with another highway in between). Drove down PCH to Malibu. Had a mortadella sandwich at Malibu Kitchen. Drove PCH to 10 past Ontario to 330 to 18 to Big Bear Lake. Ate dinner of meatball sub at Village Pizza. Drove to airport. Red eye home. I bought chicken tamales and Bucheron goat cheese one night. When I ran out of crackers I put the cheese atop the tamales. It worked.

Grub Crawl - UCF Area: Dave's Hot Chicken and J-Petal *England Travel Notes

I tried this two spot in or near the Waterford Lakes shopping center a week ago at night. 

Dave's Hot Chicken - Started in LA in 2017. Now a chain of overpriced chicken sliders and tenders and fries. I ponied up $7 for a single slider. It was like every other chicken sandwich. I didn't do a crazy sauce. It was bigger (being called a slider) than I thought it would be. Still smallish. Place was packed with hipsters and college kids. It's deep inside the market place. On the right. Opened a few months ago. *Saw some place called White Rabbit or something was being built in there. Desserts.

J-Petal - Across the road in a strip mall near some big box store. They said they opened three years ago. Don't know why I bypassed them. Weird combo of Japanese stuff (poke, misubi, ice cream in crepes, drinks, tacos etc). I had dinner and most things were pricey, so, I grabbed a spam and egg misubi for $7. It was good. Big. Good rice. Fresh. Even the fried egg was gooey. They have a barrier of plastic between you and them. However, it only goes up half way. Love these Covid alarmists. They won't let it die. I think they need it to make their lives seem important (or oppressive - so they can seem victimized and get pity).

*Travel Notes - England: I flew into London (the county) Stansted for the first time. Still a busy airport. Seemed like mostly Easy Jet and Ryan Air to European cites. Took a train (underneath airport) to Liverpool St (East End) for $32L round trip. Had to take tube to Paddington Station for $6L. Slept at Prince William Hotel for $82. Ate curry chicken at Prince of Wales. Walked to Somerset House and Court Auld Gallery. Didn't go in. Too much. Walked back to hotel. Took train to Oxford for $30L. Stayed at West Gate Hotel (near station) for two nights at $113 per. Took bus ($6L rt) to Blenheim Castle. Duke of Marlborough. Gift for beating Louis 14th plus Churchill's home ($20L). Came back. Walked to Christ Church College. Had salmon and cc bagel and Eton Mess ice cream at G & D's. Saw the clock tower and castle. Took train ($7L rt) next day to Warwick. Saw castle and cathedral. Didn't go in. It was cheezy and around $50L. Like a theme park. Back to Oxford. Went to covered food hall and had a lamb and mint slice at David John. Had pineapple gelato at iScream. Tried Christ Church again. Sold out again. Harry Potter dining hall is there. Walked to the other colleges. and Ashmolean Museum. Good and free. Train to Reading. Cornish Beef and Potato Pasty at Pumpkin. On to Exeter. Train cost $72L. Stayed at Holiday Inn for two nights at $92 per. Ate at a great gyro fast food chain called Original German Doner Kebab. Out of Berlin. Had a mixed Kiki. Got a croissant at Truffle Hounds. Got cheese and cider at Pullo. Saw the High St and cathedral. Next day ate cod pieces and salt and pepper squid at Hook Fish and Chips. Took train ($8L rt) to Okehampton and Dartmoor National Park. I could have picked a better entry point. Had strawberry milkshake and brownie at Love Brownies. Went to Paignton to wait out a train strike ($7L). Stayed at Berry Hotel for $51. Ate fried chicken and chips at Mariner's Fish and Chips. Ate a Bakewell Slice at Hallet's. Took a steam train to Dartmouth and back for $20L. Paignton is on the sea and has a pier. Took train to New Quay for $18L. It is their surf area. Lots of beautiful beaches and coast line. Was going to go to a King Arthur site. but, too much of haul. Stayed two nights at Beresford Hotel for $125 per. Ate lotus biscoff ice cream at Freddo's. Ate steak and Stilton pasty at Morris Pasties. Ate Pondicherry (a French part of India) cod curry at Rick Stein's at Fistral. He's a television star there. And I just bumped into one of his places. Took unlimited travel $5L bus to Penzance. Stayed at Union Hotel for $108. Took bus to Porthcurno. Pretty beach, outdoor theater on the cliffs and site of first underwater cable (to India). Bus to Mousehole. Cute harbor. Train back to London for $78L. Stayed two nights at Nayland Hotel (Paddington) for $115 per. Walked to Chelsea stadium and a cemetery. Walked to British Library (Magna Carta), British Museum (Rosetta Stone), Churchill War Room ($24L), Dickens Museum, Hyde Park, et al. Ate fried dumplings and pork rice dumpling (like misubi) at Lin Lin Crepes in Chinatown. Tube back to Liverpool St. Train to Stansted. Stayed at Radisson Blu at airport for $158.

**Some oddities I experienced: pop dots, pulled beef with bulgher wheat. Learned that John Dory may be Jaune D'Oree (the colors in French) and most English Indian food is really from Bangladesh because that's who cook it for them.

Grub Crawl - Lake Mary and Altamonte Springs: Bubbakoos Burritos and I Heart Mac and Cheese *Northern Ireland Travel Notes

I tried the first place on Saturday. It's in the strip mall on Lake Mary Blvd that has a Beth's Burgers and Winn Dixie. I tried the second yesterday. It is in the strip mall on 434 called Jamestown Place.

Bubbakoos Burritos - I heard about one on John Young and Sand Lake and then I saw this location. They opened a week ago. A franchise from NJ. Needless to say that NJ and redneck does not equal quality Mexican food. They didn't even really have a redneck-y menu. So, I don't get the marketing angle. I grabbed three tacos for $10+. Ground beef. Flavorless. Typical toppings. Also bland. I had a coupon from a mailer for a free taco. Tried a carnitas. Also blase. They sell bowls and burritos and tacos and some oddities (ie something like a rice ball). Assembly line ordering. Nothing much too recommend.

I Heart Mac and Cheese - Almost the same story. More food court America. Mac and grilled cheese and tacorinos here. I believe they are from Michigan. This branch opened in May. I had the Classic Mac and Cheese bowl for $7. The spiral pasta. Some wet cheese sauce. They let you top it with superfluous slices of cheese. I picked mozz because I just didn't care. The bowl was ok. They let you top the mac or grilled cheese with meats, etc. The lobster was $20+. Not sure I'm trying lobster at a place like this. Assembly line ordering. Red, black, wood interior. Nothing much to recommend.

*Travel Notes - Northern Ireland: Bus from Dublin to Belfast Victoria Street on Air Coach was $17E. I stayed the first night in Belfast at a Travelodge for the rack rate of $99L. I came back a few nights later and stayed two nights at $98US. I took a train to Derry for $13L. Stayed at Art House for $88US. Ate cotton candy ice cream at Maiden Heaven. Chicken sandwich at Hillbilly's. Beer at Rough Brothers at a food fair. Walked the old city walls. Saw St Eugene's cathedral. Peace bridge. Cute town. Train to Coleraine for $8L. Bus to Bushmills for $3L. Saw Portrush and Dunluce Castle and Royal Portrush Golf Course on the bus. Stayed at Finn McCool's for $53 US. Saw distillery. Took tram to Giant's Causeway for $7E. Excellent. Free. Ate cod burger and cb at Hip Chip. Took bus back to Coleraine for $3L. Train to Belfast $13L. Ate blt and ff at Deane's Love Fish. Sent back their puny mussels. Ireland mussels are terrible. The main place has a Michelin star. Saw Queens College, Botanic Gardens, Ulster Museum, City Hall, Ormean Baths, Titanic Museum, Crumlin Road Gaol, Shankill Road, etc. Had honeycomb ice cream at Izabella's Delights on Shankill Rd. Cool city. Better looking people. Took bus to airport for $8L. Flew to London Stansted for $144US. Had a flight from Dublin to Heathrow cancelled. It was $114US. I learned that gnocchi means knuckles. Paul Hollywood had a show on Japan. They eat KFC for Christmas and grow things in molds (ie square melons).

Ga 2 To (renamed Ga Ta), East Colonial *Dublin Travel Notes

I tried this Northern Vietnamese spot in the rear of the strip mall near Mills on Friday at lunch. I had their namesake. It is a two piece dish. One soup. One rice dish. The only problem is that they didn't give me the rice dish. The soup was ok. A kind of pho. Spicy sweet. I didn't like the boiled chicken. Very bland and tough. It reminded me of cheap Chinese boiled chicken dishes. Scrawny chicken. Bad cuts. Limp skin. It even looked unappealing. It even had a boiled egg that could have been a bouncy ball. Gizzards and hearts were also hard plastic. And they had already taken back the meatballs described on the menu. It also cost $15. Plus they charge for to go orders. They serve around eight things. Hanoi pho, mung beans, egg coffee were interesting. The two apps are $12 and $15. The mains were $14-17. They sell wine and beer. Name means "dried" or something. Nine tables of four. White. Modern. Closed on W or Th. L and D. Open for a few months. I would have liked to have liked it more because it's not me too.

*Travel Notes - Dublin: I'll break this trip into three parts. This will be the shortest. Flew through ATL for $687. Just did last three days there. Stayed first night at Beresford Hotel near bus station for $106. Next two nights at Hotel St George for $107 a night. Had a beer at Kehoe's. Ate Smoked Salmon on Irish Soda Bread with creme fraiche at Neary's. Had cured salmon with sea beans in ajo sauce, bouillibaisse and strawberry souffle at Peploe's. Other odd things I tried: jaffa cakes, apple and blueberry trellis and vanilla rice pudding. Saw Dublin Castle, Kilmainham Gaol, Guinness, Jameson's, Hugh Lane City Gallery, Writer's Museum, Museum of Modern art, Christ Church, Chester Beatty Library, National Museum, National Library, Parliament, Abbey Theatre, Canal Area, Aviva Stadium, Francis Bacon's Birthplace, National Gallery, Oscar Wilde statue and others. Air Coach to and from airport was 8E. Food in markets so much cheaper and better than ours. Mostly ate from there. City smelled of cigarettes and pollution.