I'm going to jump these one post up because the next will be shorter and I have a Travel Notes to attach to it. I went to these spots yesterday at lunch. The first two are on Mills. Across and aside (by one neighbor) from Hawkers. The last two are at the intersection of Howell Brach and Lake Howell Rd on the border to Casselberry.
Pigzza - Son of Pig Floyd. Opened last week. Packed at dinner (according to them). It was ok. A bit incongruous. They offer up (too) excellent $50-$100 wines and prefer reservations. But, the food is Federal Hill Italian (at best) and the space is a converted garage (with that level of ambiance). Personally, I'd restock the cellar with $20 wines or add some impressive entrees that would pair better with the current selection. I guess the formality will depend on how long the heat (if there is actual heat) lasts. I had a smallish $16 pepperoni pizza and a $12 half portion of spaghetti and meatballs. The pizza crust is sour dough. It didn't really stand out. There were too many bubbles (air not pounded out). Rookie mistake or laissez faire attitude. The bottom had some firmness. No char on the bottom. Not a deal breaker with me. Voluminous crust. Mostly air inside though. Nice chew. Not tough. The cheese was good. The sauce was too. Natural. The pepperoni (small circles) was also good. Good coverage. There were some shreds of something in there. Garlic? Husks? They also put the herbs on during the bake. Needless to say, they turned to ashes and didn't help the taste. I also plucked out some hard object. No idea. Packaging? I didn't see what type of oven or ask what temp. The spaghetti was cooked properly. Probably dried. There were little bits of spaghetti in the bowl. Fresh spaghetti doesn't shatter. Same natural sauce. Three meatballs. Golf ball sized. I prefer when they are baked or fried a little at the end and get a crust. Not dense. Some parmesan in there and atop the dish. I don't think they dressed the spaghetti in a sauce pan. Basic. Why I call it Federal Hill (American Italian) cuisine. This size portion (w/o any pizza) would have been enough for me today (I only ate one slice of the pie). The rest of the menu is dull. Five more pizzas. Five more pastas. Three sandwiches (eggplant, chicken and meatball). Cacio peppe fries sound interesting. But, will they taste interesting? Rhode Island calamari is another tell on what their inspiration is. They only pull in Pig Floyd with some brisket and pulled pork options. I think that is a good thing. Beers and cocktails are also pricey. Basic plating. Friendly (eventually) service. Dressed. More than enough. But, I think places over hire at the opening. There is a central room with a bar and an area to the right of the entrance and a large patio (almost half the seats) in front and room for a patio (future?) on the side. High ceilings. Open kitchen. About a quarter full. Some parking. Closed on Monday. L & D. I expected it to be a take out pizza place. It was more (and less). I think I'd have preferred the simple business model. Still, it was a nice experience. They just need to get their z's in sync. I don't blame them for dreaming though.
Purple Ocean Superfood Bar - This is one of the last places on that Edible list. It's two vegetarian food trucks. One acai, etc. One hot food. Puerto Rican style. They said since 2016. They said they have other trucks. It's in an alley next to Track Shack. I never espied it. I just sampled an alcapurria for $5.50. It looks like a churro. Fried. Filled with fake meat. It was ok. I started wrapping it in part of a future meal and dipping it in a future dipping sauce. They also do sandwiches. Fake burgers, chicken, etc. A few more snack items. There is a half built building next to them. They are moving there in the future. A few tables. A few parking spots in back. They have been around since 2016, so, they must be doing something right.
Maya Cafe Lounge and Gallery - I tried the panini for $10. Just two slices of poor quality prosciutto and swiss cheese on bad bread (buttered). They didn't even really press it. Some stale chips. I was told it was better. It probably is. I'm trying to remember some of the mixed Latin (Cuban, Venezuelan, Argentinian, Mexican, etc) offerings. Burger. Tuna sandwich. Cuban. Simple things. And desserts and drinks. Small room. Two or three tables. A bar. Art on the walls. Bohemian. Nice people. Opened four months ago. FYI I wrapped the prosciutto around the alcapurria.
La Patrona Tacos and Birria House - A food truck that was on OBT. Here for four months. A relative of Maya owner(s). Mostly birria dishes. Also a Guadalajara salad and flautas (maybe off the menu). I tried something called tacoketos. Not sure if I've seen that before. Maybe? They melt cheese around the filling instead of tortillas. Excellent! I had a birria and and a chicken one. Only onions and maybe a sauce inside. The best of all the dishes I tried on that day. $3.80 a piece. Big. They claim the have been awarded with some honors in the past. I can believe it. Of course the place I didn't even know existed (and the meekest) won the food war. This is the Bizarro world after all. FYI I used the green sauce on the alcapurria.
*I saw some meadery is open (or close) near the spots. Zymarium. I also finally found this Hawaiian shave ice truck called Hanalei or something. On that Edible list. At 1308 Lang. Behind Pig Floyd in some girlie store. Not sure what THEY sell. No one there at lunch. The store said she comes in the the mid to late afternoon. Sounds like open at night too. Try and beat me to them. I will have a review of a Sand Lake Rd spot and Travel Notes in the next post. Probably beginning of next week.
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