I tried these spots on Wednesday night and Thurday afternnon. The first is in a strip mall south of 436 on 434. It runs perpendicular to 434, so, you can't see it from the street. An Outback Steakhouse was across the street. Near a Metro Diner. The second is in a place that was the Catfish House or something like that. You make a right after the bbq place (Porkie's?) on 436 onto Forest Ave. After a McDonald's.
Stonington's Fried Shrimp - I ordered the three piece shrimp with three piece fried chicken strips and two sides for $11.55. I think they gave me five pieces. I was eating blindly on the way home after a long series of plane trips and lost track. I recall both being ok. They butterflied the shrimp. The chicken tenderloins were a bit dry and chewy. A selection of honey mustard and a sweet garlic (?) dipping sauces. I had french fries and the six cheese mac and cheese as the sides. Plenty of fries. They coated them in that icky starch, but, I guess I was so hungry that I didn't mind. Mostly fried to completion. The mac was in a metal tin. Good. Pasta was to temp. It came out pretty quick. It was near closing, so, they could have half assed it just to get rid of me. It didn't seem like the did. They also fry cod, oysters and crab cakes. Corn bread, chop salad, onion rings, spicy red beans and rice and cole slaw as other sides. Shrimp only orders come in 5, 10, 15, 25 qnd 50 pieces. Shrimp platters in 5, 8 and 11 pieces. Mixed platter in 3 and 5. Cod in 4 pieces. Prices run from about $8 to $25. Lunch Special (includes drink) at $10.50. The place is basic. Both walls have five booths. In between are two rows of five tables. TV. Open for seven years. Open seven days a week. Until 9pm. They have a bigger place on South Kirkman. I may have gone there. Seems familiar. They added a 50 cent cc fee. Pretty good meal.
Nauti Lobstah - I almost drove here the night before. It closes at 8pm. I wouldn't have made it and been pissed. I grabbed a fried shrimp po boy with a side for $12 because it was a value compared to the $12 lobster bisque bowl (one of the cheaper items). It was ok. I can't really opine one way or the other because I didn't eat the shrimp until that night and they were soggy by then. They looked good (and likely were) when I got it. Plus I ate the bread and l and t at lunch the day after. The bread (roll) was buttered. L and T could have been fresher. Tartar or cocktail sauce on the side. Didn't try them. Ate the shrimp with the leftover Stonington sauces. The shrimp were small. Uncut. No idea if they are bought breaded or not. I had mashed potatoes as the side. Good. Real ones. Skin on. Garlic-y. Chunky. They said this portion of the menu (ie fried stuff) was left over from the old place. I think I had catfish there. This is where the cheaper items are. I just couldn't get the other items to go as I had already had 62 pieces of sushi at Koy Wan for lunch and it wouldn't have been eaten until dinner (if at all that day). Plus the prices required trust. And it is a catch 22. I need them to prove they are worth the upcharge and I can't get that unless I gamble. That's not going to happen on my side. They need to give out samples or make low priced small portions to grease the wheels. I'm not dropping $60+ on lobster thermidor in a wood shack in the middle of Apopka. Nor $28 for a lobster roll or $35 for a one pound lobster that I saw selling (at a seafood market) in Maine this Spring for $7 a pound. A grouper sandwich with two sides I just ate in the Keys for $11 was over $30 here. They also put Ritz Crackers on things. As if that is a sign of refinement. The guy is from Rhode Island. He was there. They opened two years ago. Three rooms. Wood. Didn't seem to change much inside. Service was pleasant. About one eighth full. No Sunday or Monday. I guess the Nauti is word play. Nautical. It probably could have stayed the Catfish House as far as I'm concerned.
*Travel Notes - Spain: I flew to Barcelona through JFK for $525 on Delta. I'll list the airfares here. I bought a RT to Madrid on Vueling for $80. Didn't end up using the return. Madrid to Sevilla on Iberia for $57. Sevilla to Barcelona on Vueling for $54. Most purchased close to departures. Had to buy one ways because three city ones were $400+. Stayed night one at the Hotel Brick on Gran Via Cortes Catalanes near Placa d'Espana for $167. Prices were insane! Plus they charge city tax separately. This was the cheapest. Took the Metro from airport for 5.15E. You had to transfer at Torrassa Station. Walked down to the port because room wasn't ready. I can't list all the spots I saw because this report would never end. Get a map and get on it. Once again I ate mostly from the supermarkets. I'll list oddities at the end. Woke up and took Metro (from Espana) to Montserrat. 25E-ish for the RT and gondola ride. It's a famous Cloister. Aeri station stop. Funicular may be faster. Takes about one hour. You can connect from other stations in Barcelona. Don't take the tours they offer at 40E+. I slept there at Hostal Abat Cisneros because of the prices in Barcelona. It cost $78 and was fun to be up there. I walked many miles of the trails up there as well. Ate a good lunch of 1/4 pollo with french fries at La Cafeteria. They had services up there. Back to Barcelona. Found a "deal" on Expedia for the Caledonian Hotel (same street) near Universitat Station. $237 for two nights. I thought this was at the final stop from the airport called Zona Universitaria that didn't require a transfer. It was not. Ok area though. Near Placa Catalunya. Went to the top of this mall called Arenas. Looks like one. Good photo ops up there. Walked north on Balmes to Tibidabo. It's an amusement park on the highest hill. Great vistas. Park is more charming than cheesy. Has a Temple up there. You take a 12E funicular there. Around 30E for park pass. Not worth it. You can walk it for free. The next day I walked to La Sagrada Familia and Placa de Toros and over to Torre Agbar area. Then down towards water on Rambla de Poblenou. Ate a slice of pizza at Madre Levito. Down to the beaches. Back to center along the beaches. Had McD's. Through Port Olimpic. Goldfish statue. To W Hotel. Through old town. Ate pollo almendra and xiao long bao at Pai Mei. Woke. Metro to airport. Idiots made us an hour late because they didn't move the loading ramp. 203 Bus from Madrid airport to Cibeles stop for 5E. Prices were high here too. Found Hostal Palacios on Fuencarral. $254 for three nights. A bit spartan. Good location. Right off Gran Via. I needed this central area because the bus pick up location for the tours I was taking was near the Palace (down Gran Via). Went to the office. Bought tickets for the Segovia/Avila tour (55E) and Escorial and Valley of the Fallen (62E). These tours are why I came back to Madrid. Ate curry chicken taco with peanuts and cochinita pibon (their spelling) with pickled onions taco at Trek Taco on Gran Via. 1.50E. Woke up and went to Segovia. Roman aqueduct and Alcazar (I didn't take their option and bought entry myself there and saved about 13E) are the highlights. Ate a Hojaldre (puff pastry) con jamon and queso at Limon y Menta. Onto Avila. Idiots on the tour took too long at lunch and there was a car accident and it started to rain, so, the tour was short. Only 45 minutes. I split off. Avila is a totally walled city. Known for St Teresa and yemas (egg yolk sweets). I bought yemas. Wished we had more time and/or stopped outside the city for a photo op. Took other tour. Not as good. Escorial is a monastery/summer palace/burial place. They still have a real king. Walked the grounds (basilica, tombs, etc). Onto Valley of the Fallen (Valle de los Caidos). Their Arlington/Gettysburg. Franco was buried there. They moved him out three years ago. A trippy masoleum. Big cross. Back to Madrid. Ate at Trek Taco again. Curry chicken again, pollo a la mostaza with potato sticks taco and chili carne taco. The tour was only a half day, so, I walked some areas I didn't go to last year and areas in the park I missed as well. Found a mercado (Latin/South American stuff) near Trek Tacos called Mercado los Mostenses. Had some time before flight out the next day, so, I walked to train station. Had Tostada Tortilla and McPops at McD's. 5E bus back to airport. Weather was colder and gloomier in Madrid. Onto Sevilla. These idiots made us two hours late because of a microphone failure. In at dark and rain. Took 4E bus from airport to Plaza de Armas (last stop). Stayed near there off San Eloy at cute Hotel Un Patio Al Sur for $287 for two nights. Prices high here too. Found a tour operator and booked tours to Jerez/Cadiz (99E) and Zahara/Ronda (79E) starting a day and a half later. Did this because buses to these places weren't running on the weekends (or at all) and I was a bit scared there would be issues with them. Train station seemed too far away. Almost chose to go to Faro Portugal. It was 40E RT. Walked the city. Mercado de la Encarnacion (awesome structure above it), Cathedral, Alcazar, etc. Moved hotels to NH Sevilla (even nearer the bus station) to be nearer the tour pick up spot. Room was "discounted". Three nights for $430. Let me in at noon. Went along river to Plaza de Toros, Torre del Oro, Plaza de Espana, etc. Ate an empanada Africane at Empanaderia at Mercado Lonja del Barranco. Walked across the river through an area called Triana. Went to Mercado de Triana on the spot where the HQ for the Inquistion once was. At days end, I read a book on NH roof garden. Watched the sunset. I had been to Sevilla once before, so, I was just refreshing. Gardens were mostly closed because of storm damage. That was a shame. It was hot here. Started tour. We went to a sherry bodega (Bodegas Ligures) in Jerez a la Frontera. 4 kinds of sherry (fino, olarosa, almontilado, cream) and a vermouth. All made from Fino Palamino grape. Then into the city proper. Cathedral, plazas, church, Tio Pepe Sherry HQ, Alcazar. Only 15 minute tour in rain. Onto Cadiz. Same sort of things plus ocean. Walked to the end. Ate a chicken and turkey empanada at Piggy. The next day I went to Zahara de la Sierra. White houses. Beautiful area in the mountains. Molina El Vinculo live oil bodega. Same sites. Resevoir. To another pueblo called La Sierra de Grazalema. They ate lunch. I walked the town. Bought some cubilete de chocolate (kind of a shortbread with a chocolate center) at Ibericos Grazalema. Saw trees they use for cork. They shave the bark off the lower half of the tree. Onto Ronda. This is considered the birthplace of bullfighting. Hemingway loved it. Great little city. Started at Plaza de Toros. Walked to Main Gate and back under the wall by Arab baths to the three bridges around this huge ravine/stream. Great photo ops. Up the main drag. Etc. Cookies from this bakery in a church. Back to Sevilla. Bus to airport in the am. Plane to Barcelona. Stayed along the Metro route at a stop closer to airport called Parc Nou. Stayed at Centre Espial Albergue for $85. Metro to airport in the am. No discount for being closer. Full trip. Still many tourists everywhere. Drank much wine. Some for 2E. Some 7E. Most around 5E. Food: Xorico Culatalls, Verduras Asadas (turned out to be vegetable fake meat), Ibericos Pate, Navajas (razor clams), Boquerones (sardines), Poton del Pacifico (Humboldt Squid), Agujas (Gar fish), Almejones (clams), Lomo Horno Pimiento, Bacalo Ahumado, Mortadella with green olives, Lonchas, Gublins (corn chips), Formatge Barreja and Queso Cabrales. Plus the usual cured meats. The jet stream was screaming, so, the flight there was way shorter and the way back much longer. Customs at Barcelona (out) took an hour. Two minutes at JFK. Delta can never leave on time. They blamed the tower in NY this time. I'm not sure if they ever explained the other delays.
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