Air Conditioning Repair Tutorial

Let me start be stating that I came further and further appalled at the apparent state of Air Conditioning Installation and Repair in this state at this period in time. It is like everyone associated with this industry is the innkeeper from Les Miserables. Almost every review was either an obvious pro-provider fabrication or tale of disaster. People were upsold or lied to or overcharged. I mean in the thousands of dollars. Warranties, duct work, bs "issues", etc. Through some miracle of perseverance or serendipity, I think I may have found the last honest repair man in Central Florida. I am almost reticent to give him to you because I may never be able to retain his services (or the industry may take a hit out on him) from here on out. Oh, well. His name is Paul Sabacinski of Premier Air - Air Conditioning & Heating. Make sure you don't deal with a few other companies that use that (or similar) name. He is not a franchisee. The phone number is 407-327-7714. 1079 Winding Waters Circle in Winter Springs, FL. Payment by check or Visa/MC/Discover. License # - CAC058648. I checked with myfloridalicense.com and and he was up to date. No complaints at Yelp (only three at all) or Better Business Bureau (no BBB reviews either way) or Google or Expertise (I think). Website is www.premierairfl.com. In business for 24 years. From Worcester MA.

Issue: The last hour of the last hot day in the Fall the cold air seemed to not be so cold. I kicked the can. During the winter, there were some odd things with the heater. It wouldn't (automatically) shut off when the temp was reached and the emergency heat setting would come on and off. But, it worked (sort of). I kicked the can. This Spring the air didn't seem very cool again and it wouldn't (automatically) shut off when the temp was reached. Last year I had a issue where the blower wouldn't turn off when the outside unit did. This was solved with a new chip. That was with the people who installed the unit. They wouldn't come out for free to diagnose what I felt was their repair failure (oops), so, I decided to get a second pair of eyes on the unit. Plus I feel the overcharged me for the repair anyway. I dithered until now.

Research: I started looking through the mailers I save and looking at the bigger companies on line months ago. I started with Google and then Yelp and then Expertise and a few other ratings sites. I believe all but Yelp are full of it. They have to be in bed with these companies or susceptible to manipulation by them. Here are the companies and their phone numbers and ratings. I also checked the four in this Five Star Rated booklet that comes in the mail. The new Angi's List (Home Advisor) was too involved to suffer through. I didn't even call any of these companies though. I was too disgusted with the stories I read about them. Thank God I read a post on Yelp about another company that mentioned Paul. I would still be auditioning. I'm only listing the info in the hope that the search engines associate this post with them and save some people the headache. Most of these came up as the tops in the field in my area. What a joke. Some do more than AC, so, the ratings includes those jobs as well.

Frank Gay: 843-258-6781 or 407-900-0497. Google 4.7. Yelp 1.1. BBB 4. $89 Diagnostic

American Air: 407-499-6808. Google 4.9 

Service One: 407-519-2408. Google 4.8

Pro Tech: 407-573-7291. Google 4.9. 2.8 on Yelp (40 Reviews)

Facemeyer: 407-633-5263. Google 4.9. $98 Diagnostic

Mid Florida: 386-753-3667. Google 4.8

Del Air: 407-674-9563. Google 4.5. Yelp 1.8 (219 Reviews). $99 Diagnostic

Downtown Air: 689-223-7982. Google 4.8. Yelp (Poor Reviews). $129 Diagnostic

Matthew Robert: Google 4.3. Yelp (Poor Reviews)

ARS: 407-270-1387. Yelp 1.4 (147 Reviews)

Strada Cooling: 865-424-7277. I forget which site 3.1 (56 Votes). $89 Diagnostic

*From the Five Star Rated Book

Service Experts: 407-338-4661

Cool Today: 407-574-2275

United States: 407-495-1496

Result: I got an appointment the next day. I did have to call back after my message hadn't been returned by 4pm. He showed up within the time window promised. It turned out to be an easy fix. A malfunctioning capacitor that was only sending power to the fan. That caused the wall unit issues as well. He checked out the freon levels and pressure and amps et al of the system. We checked that heat and air were functioning as they should. That it shut off when the desired temp was reached. It cost $148.65. No extra labor charge over the $89.95 diagnostic charge. 5% for credit card over check. Total cost $250.53. Had to let him write down my cc number for billing once he got back to his office. He gave me a detailed invoice. I had read online that people with capacitor issues found them on Amazon for $40. If he made some money off that, so be it. Most people just tack on labor if you get them to reduce the parts cost anyway. I paid the last guys $425 to replace a free (under warranty) microchip! Paul was pleasant and had all the parts and tools in his truck. He once even taught AC Maintenance at a college. It didn't seem from this interaction that his lack of an online footprint was because of a "rebrand". You always have to worry about that. I advocated that he would have been listed as a new operator if he had a shady past and was starting over under a different name.

Post Script: I learned that emergency heating is done by a strip inside the furnace alone. Normal heating uses that and something in the outside unit. The strip uses way more electricity. I probably wasted the cost of this repair in increased heating charges this winter. Capacitors often go down in our intense heat. The outside unit needs to be making a low hum when it is working properly. Bushes around the unit aren't necessarily bad. They provide shade to the unit. Freon recharges are "supposed" to cost $200-$400. The Greenies have forced another freon type to be outlawed. You may not be able to recharge after this year. You will have to buy a new unit. I still think maintenance specials are bs and an opening for them to create an issue that they then charge you to fix. They seem to involve coil cleaning, level checking and drain cleaning. They charge around $89 (on special) for this. My unit is ten years old and I have never had this done and there were none of these issues present at this inspection. Please write up honest reviews when you use they people. It is hard to get the true pulse. People who have really been screwed over and fake praise seem to be the two types of reviews. Tell us if their are good people out there. Even if you have to do it within a negative review. And please get a second opinion if you get an outrageous demand.

Now do any of you know a good tree guy (up to date business license, insurance, etc)? That seems like an even bigger cesspool.

Grub Crawl - International Drive and Downtown: Chuck Lager and Los Tres Golpes *FL Travel Notes

I tried these spots on Thursday at lunch. The first is just off Sand Lake Rd near Chuy's. The second is in a white building at 743 N. Magnolia Ave where Bagel World used to be. Sort of across (diagonal) the 7-11 at 50.

Chuck Lager - They said the owner beat Bobby Flay or something. I think his meatballs were the challenge. He (and I guess the original location) is from Delaware. Wilmington? They said his name is Fabio. In any case, it's a new chain to try. I had to sample the meatball sub at $18 after that introduction. It wasn't bad. Four golf ball sized meatballs. Pretty tender. Not world beaters though. Way too little sauce. A bit on the sweet side. Ok amount of provolone or mozz. I forget. Just melted on the roll. Roll was ok. Not stale. Some basil. Served on a fake plastic sheet with recipes on it atop a metal tray. Good silverware. It came with a healthy portion of in house potato chips. Barely salted (ok with me) and sprinkled with a touch of vinegar. The rest of the menu is a mish mosh of mostly snack foods. Most apps are double digits. "Mains" are around mid teens to mid twenties. Things like spaghetti and meatballs, flatbreads, burgers, hot chicken, steak ($40), etc. I don't recall any seafood. A big selection of the hard stuff. Flights. Most are over $10 a serving. Beer is $8 a glass. Wine by the bottle was 4x retail. And that is the rub. Everything is about 25% to 50% overvalued. I'm not sure if the other locations have the same price points or they think they can soak tourists, but, I'm not sure the care is great enough to justify the premium. It's just hokey bar food cooked by amateurs. Maybe if good old Fabio was at the helm it would be understandable? The place looks nice in a cookie cutter sort of way. Red brick and stained wood walls. A map mural of Route 66. Three rooms and an area up front that they can draw a curtain on. A large square bar in the center. Patio. Brown leather seats. Seats over 100. Empty. Open for a week. I would maybe try it at 3pm-6pm happy hour. Beer drops to $6 and they have some snacks at $8. 

Los Tres Golpes - They said it means the three hitters. I'm sure that is bs and it has a slang meaning like "players". Google says to strike or slap. Maybe they are slapping their monkey? I grabbed the pernil rice bowl to go at $14. It was very good. Soft, moist, garlic-y pork. A bit salty. More garlic sauce on top. Yellow rice with black peas. A bit soft. Tasted like it was boiled in chicken broth. Two sweet plantains. Cabbage, red onion and tomato with garlic dressing. Everything was flavorful. Lots of garlic. Not oily. It a Dominican place. Small menu. Five sandwiches. All were egg sandwiches. Under $10. Two other rice (chicken, mushroom) bowls. Some empanadas at $5. Not much on decor. Open for three months. Not open on M or Tu. Open 11am to 2am (and 4am on weekends)! I'll have to ruminate on whether it will be a Favorite. Close. Very close.

Travel Notes - Florida: I did a little loop to break in the new car. I started in Port St Lucie. I saw the Mets Single A for $16 (listed as $14) and $5 parking. I stayed at the brand new Woodspring Suites (Expedia 9.8) for $133. It was a Saturday and not many non-gross options in the area. I had fried chicken, mashed potatoes, potato salad and cornbread at Nana Morrison's Soul Food. They are from Charlotte. I drove to Jupiter and got in free (some strange policy they have about not opening up to the public on Sundays because of costs) to the Cardinals Single A. Free parking too. I had chicken salad on a bagel at Bagel Boyz and a brisket and links sandwich at Mrs Smokey's Real Pit Bar B Q on Donald Ross Rd. I drove down 95 to Fort Lauderdale and hung a right at Commercial Blvd. I was doing that to get to 75. It took me to the Inter Miami CF stadium (near the private airport). I kept going west until it ends. Then onto the road that goes by the Panthers arena. It turned out to be a toll road. Onto 75 (Alligator Alley). Also a toll ($6) road. I got off just before Naples at Collier Blvd. I stayed at the La Quinta (Booking 7.4) for $88. I drove south on Collier to Marco Island. I had a half dozen Wellfleet or Blue Point (I forget) oysters, shrimp cocktail and mixed fish tacos at The Oyster Society. These were happy hour snacks. About $10 each. The regular menu was no bargain. I saw this on Samantha Brown's Places To Love. The next day I drove to 41N. I ate a shrimp salad sandwich with fries and potato salad at Swan River Seafood. I was trying for stone crabs, but, their market had them at $40+ a pound and the place (Oakes Farms Market) I went to last time was still rebuilding from the hurricane. FYI - most places down there are still f'd up. I continued north and hung a left on to Bonita Beach Rd. Drove through Estero and Fort Myers Beach to 867 and over to Sanibel (toll). I drove towards Captiva. Stopped at Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium (closed on Monday), JN Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Turner Beach (shells) and Captiva. All this from Samantha Brown. I saw her two food stops. Latte Da was being rebuilt. Mucky Duck was open. I wasn't hungry. Back to Bowman's Beach and up the other side of the island and back to the Lighthouse (closed). I had Playdough (yellow vanilla flavor) ice cream with colored sugar cookie bits at Magic Bus Ice Cream & Caffeine. I went back over the bridge to Macgregor Blvd. Up to College Pkwy (toll) and across the bridge to Cape Coral. I stayed at the Dolphin Key Resort (Expedia 8.4) for $78. Had beer at No. 3 Craft Brews. Some wine and smoked salmon (bogo) from Winn Dixie. At check out some guy told me to go to Cape Coral Yacht Club (public beach with free parking) on the Caloosahatchee River. I had a bad Cobb Salad at The Boathouse Tiki Bar. The Cuban was on Food Paradise. I laid out on the beach. I drove over the bridge to Allure Suites (Expedia 7.4) at $76. I had tacos at Taco Works. I went to the Twins Single A for $15 and $10 parking. I saw that the Red Sox have moved (Jet Blue Ballpark) close to there since the last time I saw them. They have no minor league team there though. The next day I tried to find stone crabs once again (in Fort Myers) and failed. I ate at Farmer's Market Restaurant next to one of the places that had none. I drove to Clearwater. 75 to 275 (toll) to 19N to 60. I stayed at the Palm Cove Motel (Booking 8.3) for $113. I went to the Phillies Single A for $12 and $5 parking. I was going to go to the Yankees, but, I didn't want to dick around until 6:30 pm. So, I came home early. 60E to 295 to I4. I think I'll hit the other four teams next week. All games were at 6:30pm. Empty. Sundays at 12pm. No games on Monday. Perfect weather. I'll have to learn about Pay By Plate. 

The New York Bagel Boys, Oviedo

I tried this spot on 426 on Saturday at breakfast. They are or in an old strip mall about five miles south of Red Bug Lake. Only open until 2pm. I had a bagel with an obscene (normal in NY) amount of cream cheese for $4 and a plain bialy for $2. Both fresh. CC was good. Enough left over for the bialy. That had garlic in the middle. Salty. They had breakfast and lunch sandwiches around $10. Around eight tables. They said they started as cookie bakers. They sold those in bags too. They did what they do correctly. But, I'm not sure it's worth the trouble unless you live nearby.  

Grub Crawl - Audubon Park: Boxer & Clover, Skyebird and Dochi *Brazil Travel Notes

I tried these stalls at the East End Market on Corrine Dr on Tuesday at lunch. I started downtown, but, the Weekly was wrong about Wave Sushi being open (still weeks away) and The Drake's menu was way too heavy (and $) for lunch and no one was at Los Tres Golpos. I'm kind of glad that I was finessed over here.

Boxer & Clover - Just started this week after a soft opening period. The Hinckley Meats people. In the back on the left. I tried the two meats with two sides for $20. I had brisket, ribs, potato salad and beans (supposed to be collards). Four slices of brisket and four ribs. Brisket was from the lean side. Still moist and tender and broke apart (and held together) as it should have. Nice bark. Pepper rub. Smoky. A thin bead of buttery fat. Excellent. The ribs were a tiny bit worse. Just because I like them less resilient. I'll bet that they use a high quality breed of pork though. Compared to Briskets, the meat was firmer. More attached to the bone. But, that could be because it was fresher. I think they brined it. It was too salty. They kept on the silver skin. Short length. Not a ton of meat per bone. Pink. Salt and pepper rub. Nice crust. Smoky. The bbq sauce was excellent too. Thin. Vinegar. Slight heat and sweetness. Pepper. The potato salad was incredible. Fingerling potatoes with skins on. Properly boiled. Non-sweet mayo. Scallions. Some herb I can't place. It reminded me of this great chicken salad my college food court had. I have never been able to find its equal since. The beans were great too. Tangy. Onions and tomatoes. Some heat and sweetness. Needless to say that this will be a Favorite. It's a stall, so, no seats or decor to speak of. They have a few more items on the menu. Pulled pork, etc.

Skyebird - I'm not sure if I have ignored their existence for the seven years they have been there. I don't remember buying anything before. Maybe a drink to cross them off the list? I tried an avocado spread with chickpeas wrap for $10. It was meh. Raw, wheat tortilla. They said the avocado was Haas. I'm unsure. A bit citrusy. They could have added that element though. Whole chickpeas with some diced tomato and shredded lettuce. Just dull. No flavor. They sell other wraps and drinks. All vegan stuff.

Dochi - Another location of the 50 at Mills mochi place. I had a $3 ring of churro/chocolate. It was good. Still fresh. 

Travel Notes - Brazil: I flew to Sao Paolo thru Panama City and Bogota (return) on the shitty Copa (Co-lombia/Pa-nama) Airlines and back on Gol and the shitty (chintzy like Frontier) Avianca Airlines for $669. I checked in online and even with that the kiosk wouldn't print a pass (after scanning my passport) and made me move to the long check in line and the guy there must have made some mistake because they checked my passport again at the gate. And then we waited 45 minutes for late arriving passengers bags to be loaded. No tv on Panama to SP segment. None on either flight back. Avianca pawned my first segment onto Gol. They didn't give me a locator number for them. So, I could not check in online with Gol. And Avianca's web site wouldn't check in the Gol part. And the pdf for their segment wouldn't download. And there other issues I won't go into. Gol was a better airline anyway. Actually gave you two meals (and free drinks). The airlines were by far the worst part of this trip. They gave my endless anxiety for no reason. And it was never the flights themselves. Mostly on time and reliable. I learned after booking that US visitors would need a Visa again starting five days after I arrived. I could not get official info on whether I was grandfathered in if I arrived before hand. I assumed I was. It seems I was. But, I was under the fear that it would be an issue until I left the country. If I would be allowed to. In Sao Paolo, I breezed through customs and used the ATM. I learned that they have real banks in Terminal 2. I tried to find the shuttle or other bus at Terminal 3. I didn't. Only ones going where I didn't want to go. I saw a sign for Bus Station and I walked from Terminal 3 to 2. I ended up taking the $44 Reals (their currency) shuttle bus (www.airportbusservice.com.br) from the onibus "terminal" in Terminal 2 (Domestic) just across the car lanes. 5 Reals to the Dollar. The idiot at their booking counter said the next bus was two hours away. Glad I ignored her. They made me use a credit card (nao Ingles issue), but, I paid cash on return. There are four ways into (I don't acknowledge Uber) the city. It was hard finding out correct/current/non-contradictory info (in English) online. Taxi ($). Train (turned out to leave you off far away from center and you needed a transfer to the station at the airport). Bus (I could never find the one with number I needed and it left you far from center too). I would take the shuttle. Find their route map and stay at a hotel near it. I stayed at the Novotel Jaragua (Expedia 8.4) in the old city center because it was on the shuttle bus route. I stayed in that part of town because some idiot online said that (area) was the best for a first timer. It was a nasty area filled with druggies and homeless passed out all over the place and no commensurate attractions to make it a wise choice. The hotel cost $148 for two nights. It was 70+ years old. Queen Elizabeth stayed there. I hoped a big hotel like this could get me in early (I arrived at dawn). Nope. I walked around (plazas, metro, library, theater) and had McDonald's (I ate there 80% of the time) until check in and then finalized the rest of my agenda online. I grabbed dinner and wine at Carrefour. The next day I walked up to Avenida Paulista (where I should have stayed). They closed it off on Sunday. It was a nice walk. Very crowded. Saw a tightrope walker, MASP (Modern Art Museum), Parque Trianon, lots of buskers and singers, etc. More dinner and wine from Carrefour. The next day, I found out where the shuttle picked up and took it back to the airport to Terminal 2. From Terminal 2 onibus area, I found the hourly hotel shuttle to the airport Comfort Hotel (Expedia 8.6 for $71). Nothing there. Right under the flight paths. Took the shuttle back in the morning. I took LATAM to Manaus for $567. It would have been around half that if I had pulled the trigger even just a few days before. But, I didn't want to be all in if I had Visa trouble. The gods love to fuck with me when I do that. LATAM was a pain in the ass too. So unlike Chile. I think the website was different for Brazil too. At the end of the online check in they said that they wouldn't give me a boarding pass until they saw my Visa. That was a sleepless night! It ended up being unnecessary. The agents just gave me the boarding pass when I told them the story and when I tried the kiosk on return, it never asked for a Visa. Manaus is where the Rio Negro (et al) converge into the Amazon. A cab from the airport into the center was $70R. I think I misheard the quote. He probably said $60R. That was the price going back. Oh well, nice gratuity. Internet said it was $40R. I stayed at the lovely, new Hotel Casa do Bispo (Expedia 8.8) for $52. It was next to the nicest plaza where the Teatro Amazonas (old rubber money) is. Great roof deck. I walked through town to the port and river and mercado. Not much to appreciate. Grabbed terrible wine and food at DB Market and consumed it on the deck and listened to the music from the plaza. I was going to take a river cruise the next day. But, it was too hot and too expensive. I just got to the airport early and had Estraganoff Carne with rice and fries and beans at The Cheff. The pilot was a doll and flew over the Amazon. I took amazing pics and vids from my window. Made me doubly glad I eschewed the river tour. Got some pics of the rainforest too. One day was enough for Manaus. I did that because an extra day would have cost way more in airfare. A three day boat tour to Belem or up river may be worthwhile. In Sao Paolo, I stayed near the airport again that night. Sleep Inn (Expedia 8.2) for $65. They had a shuttle too. Next to Comfort Hotel. I wanted to see who was better. Still unsure. Shuttle back to the airport in the morning. Off to Foz (Mouth) do Iguacu on Gol for $166. I booked this with my Sao Paolo ticket. This is why I was here. WATERFALLS! It lived up to the hype. Like every waterfall in North America in one. It spans Argentina and Paraguay too. $100R park fee. Cash or credit card. Machine kiosks and booths with people (for the cash). They said they took dollars too. They have a bus that takes you 13km to them. A walk of a mile or so. I spent three hours there. You could pay more to take a boat on the river. I think it was $60 US. I have never taken as many videos and pictures of any single thing in my life. A guy's online web site said it was going to be ungodly crowded. This time of year it wasn't. I even went around 11am. That's probably the worst (busiest) time. Even though it was their Fall, the water levels were just off their peaks. Saw Coati (racoons) and some bird of prey I have seen in zoos. Many people took tours. I think they got ripped off. It didn't do the town. It was 17km away. There seems to be a lake up there too. I stayed at the Hotel Colonial Iguacu (Expedia 7.6) for two nights at $92. It turned out to be 1km from airport and 1km from park entrance. Perfect location. Good job by me. They had a free shuttle. But, he didn't show. I had to find a guy with a mobile to call them. I also tried the #120 Bus (every half hour) outside the hotel for $5R before I realized how close the park was to the hotel. I walked home. The jerks at the hotel suggested I pay $30R for a taxi. The bus also goes downtown for the same $5R. You can stay downtown and get to the park cheaply and I guess from the airport to there to. I came back to the hotel and went swimming and laid out. Once again, I wasted most of the next day doing nothing. It was rainy anyway. Just went to the airport. Met some guys from Denver who did the park right. Boat 2X and Argentina side too. Flew back to Sao Paolo and stayed at the Sleep Inn again for $66. I wasted twelve hours in the airport the next day waiting for the flight out. My penultimate anxiety attack came via the check in guy who asked for my yellow fever vaccine documents to get into Colombia (the stupid transfer location). Luckily, a few months ago I fished out some ancient document I got when I went to Africa that listed my shots. I had been seeing too many article about countries becoming vaccine happy. I started packing this just in case. It's probably total expired bs, but, it confused the guy enough that he gave me my boarding pass. I think I checked online a while ago and those shots last forever. I'm still unsure if I needed it because I came from Brazil and not the US. I never have been asked before and I have been to Colombia three times. I was worried all day that they would double check the document. They did start calling people to submit some documents before boarding. I thought I was going to pass out. The final anxiety inducer. I escaped though somehow. The gods are only so sadistic. The trip was one anxiety attack after another. But, I knocked Iguacu Falls and the Amazon of my list. I think some areas southwest of downtown Sao Paolo might be nice. I doubt I'll go back again (I avoid Visa countries) to find out. FYI - I had already been to Rio. It was a pain communicating in Portuguese. Just different enough from Spanish to be confusing. I brought a phrase book I bought for the Rio trip. The women weren't as avocado shaped as in Chile. Lots of cushion though. Not alot of people seemed to smoke. And no weed stench either. Not many fishing lures in the nose. Nary an American about. Mostly Euros (if not Latin). Chinese, Japanese too. One in ten spoke some English. Weather was like Orlando. I never needed my umbrella, sweater or poncho. I had Esfiha Carne (psuedo meat pie) at Il Forno Pronto at the airport and some tortas (meat or veg filled layered pastry cut into squares) and a white sweet potato at the breakfast buffet at Hotel Colonial. Otherwise, not much Brazilian fare. 

Oviedo Oyster House, Oviedo

I grabbed an oyster po boy with fries to go from this new (one month) restaurant on Alafaya Trail yesterday late in the afternoon. It's in the old Bonfire's location near Red Bug Lake. The sign is small and you can drive right past it. The po boy was ok. It seemed like three oysters cut up into thirds. The belly bites seemed fresh. Somehow the coating got sticky within just a few minutes in the closed container. I don't know if they were once crispy. The oysters seemed fresh. They said they were. The usual poor quality bun and veg. No sauce. I bit lame/puny for $18. The fries were half crisp and half not. Not many of those either. I chose steak fries. They had a few choices. The menu is more red neck fish camp than high end seafood bar. They only had Gulf oysters from Texas. They served them mostly cooked. The fish selection was equally low end. That one trash fish that sounds Greek. Mahi. Etc. Things that are probably bought frozen. They might have had some shrimp. Burgers. Apps. Probably some sandwiches. It was a long, one page menu. It was empty. One cook and one bartender. Seems like more of a joint than a food destination. I'm not sure if much had been done to the interior. It's basic. Not sure if connected, open bar area was there before. Parking was adequate. The OOH won't provide you with many of oohs.

*I also tried more dumplings from Kung Fu and ribs from Briskets while I was in the area. Still good.

240 Rose Cafe, Winter Park

I tried this breakfast/lunch restaurant on Pennsylvania Ave near the old Coop on Friday at lunch. I believe I went here in May 2016 when it was the Canopy Cafe. Similar offerings. Maybe a bit fancier. Seemed to be female Latin run. I had a Cobb Salad for $18 because I was full fro dinner and getting on a plane. It was average. The wrong base. Frisse and arugula are not the right leafy veg. Too bitter and wispy. They also gave way to little dressing. Egg, bacon, tomato, blue cheese, avocado and chicken were fine. Raw onion is also something unwelcome in a Cobb. The menu is pricey. I think the cheapest thing was $13. They had typical breakfast fare and chic pastries (from elsewhere). Burgers, sammies and salads for lunch.  Most in high teens+. The place is cute. Pink fake corsage wall inside. Only four tables there. Four more outside. And maybe eight in an open patio. Some parking. Service was fine. A little slow. I stopped here after I saw Omo was only dinner on certain nights and didn't want to face anymore traffic. I thought it had changed hands and I should verify. The waitress thought they had taken over two or three years ago. Your girlfriend will like it.

Grub Crawl - Casselberry: Big Taco and Super 8 Chinese

I tried these spots on Thursday at dinner. They are next to each other in the shopping area on 436 and Howell Branch Rd. The one with a Metro Diner.

Big Taco - I tried the most expensive dish at $15. A pick two options. I chose a ground beef hard taco and a pork burrito. It came with beans and rice. The taco was the size of a Tijuana Flats taco. More meat. Slightly different shell. I had it loaded. Tomato, lettuce, onion, jalapeno, sour cream, cheese and black olives. It was fine. The beef was a bit more chunky than supermarket ground beef. I had the burrito the same way. It had less sour cream. The pork was marinated with some herbs that I couldn't place. Epasote? It was good. Big. Flour tortilla. Ungrilled. I chose refried beans. A bit bland. Topped with a little cheese. A cups worth. The rice was mushy. Odd flavor. Also a cups worth. They also sell quesadillas, queso crunch, chimichangas, enchiladas, bowls, street tacos, salads, nachos, chili bowls, spinach and artichoke dip, Mexican pizza and churros. Between $10 and $14. Some come with chips and salsa. Order at the counter. Around thirty seats. Modern. Three large murals of things with bandanas. I remember Bob Marley and Tony Soprano. Open since November. Not bad overall.

Super 8 Chinese - I used to live nearby and I think this place was here back when. A take out place. Looks worn. I got a small egg drop and wonton soup mix for $3 and a small Chinese vegetable soup for $2.45 because they had a $5 min. The veg was good. Clean broth. Not salty. Fresh veg. The mix was the same until the dumplings. They tasted off, so, I tossed them (3). Not much meat. Thick wrapping. Both smalls were a decent size. A pint? They had the usual menu plus egg foo yung and lo mein and mei fun. $12 and under.  $40 roast duck and the large sushi selection were a surprise. Sushi was around $2.50 a piece. I wonder if they can pull it off. $7.50 lunch. No seats. Run down. It doesn't seem like they can produce quality. Is it possible? You aren't seeking it, so, it isn't important. Open 7 days. 

*There is a bagel place here too. Across the street is a new place called Ave Maria.

Purchasing A New Vehicle Tutorial

I'm not sure if any of this will be of any use to anyone, but, here is my report. After many years of procrastinating, I finally pulled the trigger last month because my radiator is leaking again and they wanted $1.2K to repair it (was $700 last time). Among other issues. 

I bought a 2024 Toyota RAV 4 LE Hybrid from Seminole Toyota for $36,000. I think I paid about $1 to $2K more than they would have accepted. This was based on faulty MSRP advice that I received from a friend. I couldn't research it at the time. In his defense, it can be a little unclear on the internet. He told me that model went for $34k versus the actual $31,475. The dealer listed it as $31,725. FYI - some on the internet list the MSRP with the destination fee. That (and $449 all weather floor mats) brought it to $33,524 at the dealer. I think I paid $2,346 in taxes (they played backwards with the invoice and it is not listed). So, I was in line. There were other fees (some bs) on the sheet they showed me. I think that initial offer was around $38K. I was going to counteroffer $35k (all in including taxes). I don't know why I wrote down $36K. PTSD? I got no sleep the night before. I think I assumed that since every dealer I had spoken with over the last few years seemed like they held all the cards and I could take it or leave it, they weren't even going to budge from their initial offer. They took it in seconds. Let's go back before we go forward.

I started out thinking about a BMW 4 Series when they came out. Every dealer was listing them for more than the $40k+ they were to sell for and adding in tons of features. I called bs on that. I even declined over time to inquire on base models like the 2 Series as their prices increased beyond reasonableness in addition to the option scam. Mercedes were dicks about showing pricing (only QR Codes) and never had stock. Jaguar and Alfa (SUVs) had incalcitrant sales people. Cadillac changed their designs just as I was going to purchase one. Electric was never an option.

I next ruled out most Kias, Mazdas, Hyundais, Nissans, etc because they aren't real values any longer and all look the same (add in Lexus, Acura, et al). I kind of settled on a dull Honda Civic because it looked different. It was around $18k+ in 2018. Then 21K in 2021. Then Covid hit and inventory dried up. Then the price became 25K+ and the dealer was playing real games (ie $1k garish window tinting) with options and the price rose to near $30K before taxes, etc. I gave up on them.

I tried to like some Subaru's. Had a "connection" who didn't really seem to be giving me a discount. Couldn't. Flirted briefly with a VW Jetta. Almost bought one for $23k in September. Considered a Camaro, Santa Cruz, Ranger, Stinger and some cheap shit.

I finally settled my wish list on a Ford Mustang or Bronco or Mazda CX5. I spent a few final days shopping around and getting info and quotes. Sun State Ford on 50 quoted me $35K (all in) on a Bronco and $39K on a Mustang. My friend (Meineke owner) told me Ford engines were shit and Bronco had water pump issues. Don Mealey's Sport Mazda on 17-92 quoted me $35K for a CX 5 and $32K on a CX 30. I think I could have negotiated those prices lower. My friend didn't like Mazda's either. Even though they aren't part of Ford anymore. Plus they tried to add a $1k Zurich Shield fee. I chose the Toyota in the end because of the economic and ecologic draw of the hybrid engine (perceived extra value at that price point). Even though I'm not a eco-warrior. Plus the reliability. Plus it was an SUV size. Toyota was the last place (on a lark) I visited and ended up being a shock to me. All I saw driving to the dealers that final morning were RAV 4s. A sign? Plus the Mazda guy took the day off. Toyota also delivered the car for free. Mazda said they would too.

I signed these forms: Vehicle Buyer Order, Application for Certification of Motor Vehicle Title and Odometer Disclosure Statement. They believed I was good for it and took my personal check. They cleaned and gassed it up. There was some bs about loading their app and registering the vehicle for service before I left. I didn't. It was a thing. I even was allowed to drive off without insurance. I'm not sure if that is legal. It was easier doing it from home. I just asked for the same coverage I had before. It didn't end up being much more. I still haven't received my permanent plates yet. I hope that won't become an issue. You will probably go through more steps if you finance.

Some things I learned during the process: 

1. Dealer stock is minimal everywhere. It goes fast. We have too many new comers to get us on the right side of the supply and demand curve. 

2. Web sites are bullshit. They never have what they say they have at that price. Pointless! You can't even buy one off the site. Just let's you make an offer. Basically, a contact info generator for them. 

3. They try and add kinds of bs charges like dealer fee, destination fee, special paint warranty/fee (this is the new undercoating scam), filing fees, etc. 

4. I never saw the same sales person twice in a row. They have layers of these people too. A manager always makes the decision. Commissions may be a thing of the past.

5. They didn't seem to be so much happier to get a lease they could sell off to the banks as before. Better (or neutral) for cash buyers, I guess.

6.  It really helps to walk in with written price quoted from other dealers or competitors. Talk about how much more affordable/sensible those same class cars would be to the sales person. Add that they said they would be willing (the truth) to go even lower. They still seem to be moved by that kind of negotiating. Some say they don't negotiate. sounds good. Probably not in our interest.

7. Treat each company differently. If Honda is being stubborn maybe Toyota is still amenable to negotiation. 

8. Check the options and things like tires. Some have different suppliers on the same models in stock. Know the difference in quality. I saw Michelin, Firestone and Toyo tires.

9. Currency conversion/dollar strength didn't seem to alter pricing on foreign cars.

10. Every company has similar models to every other one. Find the best value in the class. 

11. Keep on top of recalls/defects. A reason I avoided some models.

12. Your f'ing bank will probably put a fraud hold on your check.

13. Lowest price models in a line weren't that much of a bargain on average. Less for the money. And ugly.

14. They still want your trade ins.

15. They probe you for info to see if you are rich/uninformed/desperate/a mark.

16. Not all cars have spare tires anymore. Why the Mustang lost out.

17. The cards were stacked against us for the last few years (supply chain, inflation, etc). Maybe that is easing.

18. Pick up truck buyers are the biggest morons on the planet. What a rip off.

19. You can get free delivery.

20. You may be able to arrange insurance later.

Grub Crawl - Casselberry and Altamonte Springs: Johnny's Diner, Fiesta Azul Tequila House and Chic-N-Gyro *Chile Travel Notes

I ate at these spots on Thursday. The first is on 436 near Rachel's where a Chinese place (3 6 8?) was most recently. The second is where an Outback Steakhouse was for years on 434 near Lake Brantley HS. The last is on 436 west of I-4 and before 434 near a large Japanese resto and K Pot(?).

Johnny's Diner - They moved from their location (torn down) at 436 and University a few months ago. Same menu. I grabbed the two eggs, 4 sausage, hash browns and toast special for $8.50. It was fine. The highest priced item is $13.50. They do lunch and dinners too. Very good pricing. Almost pre-Bidenomics. IE $5 burger. Daily specials. Dinners = chicken breast, ham, ground round steak, meatloaf, country fried steak, breaded pork, liver and onions, breaded veal, turkey, strips, fish and chips, etc. This place is bigger. A square floor plan. Dull decor. Many waitresses. Closes at 3pm. *I reviewed them previously on 12/6/2010.

Fiesta Azul Tequila House - I think the sign out front just says Tequila House. Opened just recently (one week). Vida seems more popular. But, this is better. I had the choripollo for $17. Pounded breast cutlet (plate sized) topped with ground chorizo and a cheese sauce. side of rice and refried beans. Chicken was fresh and cooked to temp. Chorizo and cheese were tasty. Rice was moist (not sticky). Beans were topped with cheese and fresh. No nasty flavors. I asked for a side of sour cream because I wanted a fajita experience as well. It was a large scoop and cost $1.25. They also tossed in some nice chips and a chipotle salsa. The menu is large and well priced. Some interesting items. Ceviche for example. And the basics too. Everyone will have something to love. I saw a cool tower of snow crab claws and some other components. Lots of tequila too. And the good kind. Cheap lunch specials near $10. They have three locations in Florida. The did a nice rehab of the space. Gray, blue, black and wood tones. Bar area (with mini booths) on the left. Tvs. Main room on the right. Booths and tables. Seats about eighty? Many servers. I was ready to write - JAMMR and move on. They impressed me. a nice addition. You don't have to drive hundreds of miles for it, but, if you live near here you should be hitting it. 

Chic-N-Gyro - A Mediterranean kitchen. It's a small place. Mostly platters and sandwiches of rotisseried meats (lamb, chicken, beef). Fried chicken, burgers, tenders, salads, kabobs, tilapia and falafel too. The guy is a Christian from Egypt. I mention that if you avoid places like this because you think they mess with our food. I tried the chicken shwarma for $9 because the rotisserie looked like he loaded it with actual chicken thighs like you are supposed to. Plus they had a nice crust already. I like my shaved meats to be burnt on the outside like I like burning my marshmellows in a camp fire. I didn't eat it until the next night. I was astounded. I still don't want to overpromise about this tiny little, grubby looking outpost in the middle of nowhere, but, I can't keep myself from proclaiming that this was one of the better shwarmas that I can remember. Very cumin-y. Alot of roasted onions and tomatoes. I didn't see what he put in it for sauces/spreads. I think hummus and maybe tahini. No hot or white sauces. It was very savory. The pita was ok too. The chicken wasn't dry. And this was after it was in the fridge and nuked a day later. I really only went here because I was in the area and running out of places. I'm so glad I did. The guy was nice too. Open for seven years. I will make it a point to come back and try more. And if they don't disappoint, it will be on the Favs. No Tuesday. Open from 12 to 8pm. 7pm on Sn. Caters too.

Travel Notes - Chile: I bought a ticket to Santiago (at good times) via UA/AA for $578. No delays. I went straight through on the first day via LATAM to Puenta Arenas for $121. That is the farthest south you can fly (Patagonia). I used the Santander ATM at the airport. If you try it, be aware that you have to press this button at the left side bottom if you have a foreign ATM card. It then changes to English. If you don't, it stays in Spanish plus it rejects your request for money. I stayed at the Hotel Diego de Almagro (Expedia 8.0) for three nights at $96 per. It was a little noisy (cars). On the coast. Taxi from airport was $13. They had paddles with the prices. Many cabs. The exchange rate was 966 pesos to a dollar. So, I will just covert as if it was 1000 and list in dollars. It was the beginning of the slow season, so, the tours were not going or you had to rent the whole van. I did not want to do that. Not much anyway. Some penguin jaunts, etc. I gave up. The cool looking fjord type stuff must be seen by cruise ship or in their national parks (requires foreplanning). Or while flying over it. The town was way bigger and developed than I expected. They had a Walmart. 180,000 people! And many of the people had better cars than us. It looked like the Irish Coast or Canada. Green. Hilly. They had a few promontories to look down from. A nice coastal walk. Not Insta-crazy, but, it was cool to be at that latitude (below Australia). I only ate from the supermarket (Unimarc). Prices were lower than here than US. Wine was around $5. No wifi/cable tv issues. The taxi back to the airport (modern enough with four gates) cost $15. I flew back to Santiago and stayed the night near the airport at the Courtyard by Marriott for $86. It was a pain to get the free shuttle. I later learned that the bus companies stop here on their way and even a flat rate/max ticket was less than two bucks. The taxi assholes wanted $20 for the 3km trip. I flew the next day north to the Atacama desert in Calama (near Bolivia) via LATAM at $147. It would have been $67 had I booked it when I booked the Puenta Arenas ticket. I don't like risking that much sunk cost. It makes the gods want to jinx your trip. I did this three days in advance and chose the most expensive times to fly. It could have cost around $80. No issues with this airline. A two page check in process online. Ticket downloaded easily. Plus they had kiosks that printed out tickets too. No bs about carry on size either. No delays. Snacks. You are supposed to go on to a town called San Pedro de Atatcama (90 minutes). I didn't. I didn't want to get stuck there or not be able to see the sites they did have because of not having a car or some bs. I probably should have. I was maybe going to take the bus there and back. I didn't. Not much in Calama. Kind of like Vegas without the casinos or nice areas. It's the driest place on Earth. Mining territory. Also 180,000 people here. also had Walmarts, etc. They had a river (El Loa). World's largest mine. I stayed at the Geotel Calama (Expedia VIP 8.8) for two nights at $83 per. It turned out to be like a condo for miners. The moon was full, so, not a ton of good star gazing. Still it was cool to see the driest place on Earth. Taxi to hotel cost $10 (should be $8). $8 on return. I had been warned about Santiago taxi scams (pretending each credit card didn't work while charging each time and taking the scenic route and taking you to the scary areas), so, I was just happy not be hassled. It seemed like the people were more honest in the hinterlands though. Couldn't speak English by in large. I ate at the markets here too. Their Walmart was called Lider. Also had a Jumbo chain. I took the Turbus from Santiago airport to the city (rt for $4) on the last night. I should have taken the other company (Sur?). It stops farther inside the city. My bus stopped at the bus station (Alameda) near the train station. The beginning of the city. I thought the internet said it went farther. I had to take the metro ($2) to my hotel. I stayed about halfway in. At the Santa Lucia metro stop. I cheaped out and tried the Hotel Sommelier Loft (Expedia 9.2) for $39 (most hotel prices were very low). It was ok. I hadn't really seen this area last time. It is near this highest hill with a cathedral and great views. This time I only had a few hours. I saw the Cerro Santa Lucia park nearby and the library and oldest building (San Francisco church) and the arts museum. I walked north to an obelisk and then back south (Palacio de la Moneda, Estacio Central and a few universities) all the way to the bus station. It was safe enough. No problems at customs at either end. Only sunny weather. I only needed my sweater and long pants in Patagonia. Could have left the jacket at home. I think we flew over the mine where those miners were trapped. Easter Island next time!

Grub Crawl - Downtown and OIA Area: Jack & Honey's, Birria 1983 and Vicky Bakery

I tried the first two spots at lunch one week ago. The first is in Thornton Park in the old 808 location. The second is across from Cucina near the tracks on Church St. I tried the third on Tuesday. It is in a strip mall on 436 near the airport with a Wal-Mart.

Jack & Honey's - I had the chicken thigh and waffles with frisse salad for $17 or $18 (they either charged a 10% fee or increased the cost and added a lower fee). It was ok. I was expecting a full thigh. Not four tender looking pieces. Crust and temp was ok. The waffles were ok too. Covered with hot honey and way too much butter. Frisse was an undressed, dry afterthought that could be deleted. It took a while to arrive. The menu has a brunch section. Same menu for lunch and dinner. Two salads. Apps (fried pb & j at $7 was the most interesting). $20 burger. $15 Club. Etc. Comfort food. Layout is the same. Changed colors to blue and yellow with honeycomb design. Some wall info about namesakes. The grandparents of one of the owners. The Hammered Lamb guy is involved. And an 808 person. Two servers. Four or five tables seated. Open since October. You don't have to make a beeline.

Birria 1983 - Took way too long. I settled on a $10 mulita (quasi queasadilla/taco) because a burrito was $20 and I still think I saw $10 burritos on their website. It was fine. Came with the broth. I'm sick of birria places already. The place looks great. White, turquoise and pink. Two murals. Kahlo and a street scene. Two alcove rooms/nooks. Central bar. Baskets and ladders for decor. One server. Couldn't ask her much. She was busy with two to go orders and two other customers. The vessel the chips and salsa were served in was cool. They had a food truck before this. Three people cooking. They can't handle more than two tables if this is there employee roster. Menu had a small, typical assortment. Open for a month. I'd need a price drop and decreased wait time to do a sit down. A shame. It has potential.

Vicky Bakery - A Miami chain. And it didn't suck. Very good as a matter of fact. Cuban. I grabbed a chicken empanada, beef empanada and a beef pastelito for the plane. Good. $3.45 & $1.95. They had many baked goods, drinks and some meals. Seats about sixty. White. Clean. New. Busy. Original opened in 1972. This location just recently.  Recommended. Probable Fav.

Grub/Pub Crawl - Windermere and Colonial: Windermere Brewing Company, Inti Cuisine and Koko Kakigori *FL Travel Notes

I tried these spots on Saturday at lunch. The first is on 5th Ave in Windermere. The second is in the old PUG location near John Young on 50. The last is aside Kaya on Thornton off 50.

Windermere Brewing Company - A cute little white house with an out side area out back. Open for two years. Good beer.

Inti Cuisine - A Peruvian restaurant. Open for a week. They did nothing to the interior. Food was good and properly priced. I had the saltado de carne y pollo for $17. Nicely cooked beef and chicken. A lot of meat. No gristle. Flavorful gravy. The rice was a bit hard. Either old or undercooked. Some grilled tomatoes and onions. French fries too. A little tough. Fryer was probably too cool.  They have a large assortment. Apps, soups, chaufas, device, pastas, seafood and grilled items. Most things are under $20. This is their only location. Better than their more expensive competition. The name had some association with a god.

Koko Kakigori - Kakigori is shaved ice with condensed milk. I forget what koko referred to. I had a $15 ube with coconut cream and red beans and mango and corn flakes and some green fruit. It was large. You will be surprised that I won't call it a rip off. For a one time thrill. Especially when places are charging $4 for a small ice cream. It did take forever (half hour) to get it. And only one person ahead of me. They have four options and some tea and soy milk. It's in a hut. You eat at picnic tables out front. Even though it's a Japanese treat, they are Vietnamese. Their call out. Not mine. Open for a month or so. I'm unsure of the days or hours. Had a few customers. Two employees.

Travel Notes - Florida: This entry is really about two days in Daytona/Port Orange. I rented a room on Sunday at the Hyatt Place on A1A off Dunlawton for $104. I had good beer at Dunes Brewing under the bridge on Dunlawton. White building. Some parking. I had alligator ribs and fish collars (they said a type of grouper) at Millie's across from the hotel. On 3D. Pricy. On Monday I grabbed a pelua (beef and cheese) arepa at Arepita Beach on Beach Ave by International Speedway. Near the newspaper building before the bridges. Also on 3D. Good flavor. I also tried Ormond Brewing, but, it was not open. Daytona was empty.

Grub/Pub Crawl - Titusville, Cocoa Village and Rockledge: Shiloh's, BeachFly, Dirty Oar, BB Rads Coastal BBQ and Playalinda

I tried these spots at lunch and dinner on Friday. The first is on US1 a mile south of the north bridge. The second is in Rockledge off US1 (three blocks) after a right onto Barton Blvd. The third is just north off US1 on 420 (towards the coast) before the bridge. The fourth is back in Titusville on US1 just north of the first. The last is just a bit north on US1 (S Washington) in the middle of town.

Shiloh's - Right on the river. Right across from the launch pad. You can park here ($20) and see the rockets take off. No reservations allowed. Just your normal, overpriced tourist fare. I had a $18 shrimp blt. Good blt. Shrimp were Winn Dixie frozen, small, shrimp bag bad. Fries were ok. Oil was probably too cool. Outsides were chewy. The place is all dark wood. Deck, inside, upper level, bar. Average service. Not to full. A dime a dozen. Rocket watching is probably the only justification. They also charge a 3.5% transaction fee. Pass.

BeachFly Brewing Company - Not much here. A white building. A parking lot. A small outside area. Beer was ok and cheap.

Dirty Oar Beer Company - Patio. Inside. Parking lot. Beer was good and a tad more expensive. More types.

BB Rads Coastal BBQ - Looks straight up franchised. But, they said not. Open for nine months. Still seemed to have its training wheels on. I had the three slider and side meal At $13. It was one of the cheaper options. I chose sausage, brisket and turkey. All mushy. The last two tasted like they had been injected with brine. Average rolls. I chose mac and cheese. Ok. Everything was too expensive. They wanted $28 for a pound of brisket and wouldn't sell less than a pound. Order at a counter. Modern. Orange accents. Pretty busy. Pass.

Playalinda Brewing Company - I have already reviewed there more southern location. This is the original. It is cuter. Waited here for the rocket launch. Nice vibe. Good beer. Many choices.

*I went behind Playalinda and saw the rocket launch. My first time so close. It wasn't that grand. Still good though. Delayed about two times for two hours. I also used my US Parks Annual Pass to go to the beach next to the Space Center after lunch. Water was still cold. It's a nice perk for we locals to get a "private membership" to those beaches and the ones in New Smyrna when we buy that pass. It almost makes sense to buy one just for that reason.

Grub/Pub Crawl - Winter Garden and East Colonial: Poki Burri, Peach Cobbler Factory, Fire and Knife, Home State Brewing Co and Hao Wei Fang

I tried these spots on Thursday at lunch. The first is in a brand new strip mall after 429 and Miller's Ale House on West Colonial. The next two are in a strip mall off Tilden. You go past the first place and make a left on Daniels (at 4 Rivers) and drive a few miles. The fourth is also off 429 in an area called Hamlin. I took a road from the second stop through a community called Independence to a right on New Independence Pkwy and up a few hundred yards on the left. The last is in Chinatown in the old Shanghai Lane location

Poki Burri - A chain from Georgia. They also say they sell Lifting Noodles. I had a $15 tuna poke bowl. You get some pretty good tuna and two vegetables (avocado and edamame) and a topping (seaweed salad). Lots of edamame. Haas avocado. Good seaweed. The sauces were lame. No sesame oil or soy sauce ones. I tried ginger miso. Rice was fine. It was fine, but, I'll always be thinking that for $12 I could be eating AYCE at Koy Wan. They sell some premade bowls (tuna, spicy tuna salmon, crab) and also ramen and apps. They had a donut sushi for $7. It just turned out to be a ring of rice topped with spicy tuna or crab. They didn't seem to have enough employees. It was semi-busy. Order at a counter. White/black/gray. Fake hedges. Four types of table and chair areas. Modern. Sodas were $2. They had free water. Not a destination spot. Open for a month.

The Peach Cobbler Factory - I don't remember if they were a chain from Kentucky or I made that up in my head somehow. They sell cobbler (with vanilla ice cream), cookies, brownies, banana pudding, pudd-n shakes, cinnamon rolls Belgian waffles and churro stix. I had peach cobbler for $8. It sucked. Tasted ike the $1 fruit pies you get at Walmart, etc. Many other flavors. Ice cream was ok. Spartan decor. Order at a counter. Some seats. Two others there. Open for a month. Pass.

Fire and Knife Pizzeria - I just popped in because it was next door and I doubt if I'll ever drive back here again. It was better than it's neighbor. They said this was a Slidders. Open for three months. I grabbed Sunday Sampler for $11 because most things were overpriced and the pizza oven was metal. I received two good (they said homemade) meatballs and some good sausage. Nice tomato sauce. Unadulterated. Topped with ricotta. Some bread too. They had a two slice and soda special for $10. Remember when that was $5 They said the pizza was NY style. A small was $4. A large was $17. They had two pastas and two other mains from $16-$19. Seven sandwiches from $14-$16. Six apps from $8-$13. Few if no seats. Already looks forty years worn. Let me put it this way - they had Belgioso cheese in the cooler. 

Home State Brewing Co - I've been ignoring a page from a magazine (Edible?) with all the local breweries. I remembered this was close by. It was fine. Inside there are different color woods. Gray areas. A smallish selection of beer. Good. Large outside area. Some snooty coffee too via some shared space. Open for two years.

Hao Wei Fang - No sign in English out front. I think the zombie inside said it meant Tasty something. Google can't translate it. It was like pulling teeth. I just had the Yongzhou fried rice because it was the only thing that seemed to have a regional aspect. I turned out to be the usual fried crap. Tiny shrimp. Packaged frozen peas and carrots. Two times too expensive at $13. The menu is split into four sections of fourteen items from $14-$26. There were a few more expensive fish soups ($32) and meals. Some odd things were duck heads ($4), duck neck, duck wings, pig ears, tripe and lung ribs. I'm unsure if it is a mish mosh of Chinese regions or just Yongzhou (appears to be a city in Hunan). Empty. Bad renovation. Not a good trade for the old Shanghai Lane.

*I noticed that on 50 we have lost PUG and Kang's Kitchen.

Vida Cocina, Altamonte Springs

I tried this Mexican spot on Tuesday at lunch. It is just off I-4 on 436 in a strip mall on the NE corner. I had the lunch special chicken fajitas for $15. It came with beans and rice. Tomatoes and onions and lettuce and sour cream and a tiny amount of non-Haas guac. Three tortillas. There was alot of chicken. Ok flavor. The rest of components were acceptable. I guess the price was in line to low. They have a larger version. Most of the menu is familiar. They try and move it upscale a scoche. However, things like birria and tamales are becoming commonplace. Tacos are $19 and lower. Apps are $11-$20. You have to order one to get chips and salsa. I think the mains top out at mid-twenties. The place is kind of tropical looking. White. Modern. The left side had five booths at the back wall and four on the side wall. In the middle were two rows of four fours and one row of four twos. The right side had more tables in front of an L shaped bar that takes up two of the walls. They have a patio outside of that. Seats on that side of the bar and some tables beyond it. It was open air. They have a neon sign in Spanish that translates to something like "Without love there is no (you have no) life". It was pretty full. On the other two nocturnal occasions I tried before this, it was beyond full. I don't think it deserves the notoriety. But, I don't think many popular places do either. The crowd isn't the most Continental. Drinks are big part of the experience. People were even boozing on a weekday lunch. Service was fine. Dressed up in black. It's like Senor Tequila's or Rocco's Tacos. Feels like a chain. Isn't. Yet. I believe it opened a month ago. I kind of wish it was just the fast casual place I expected it to be. Then I could have just ordered take out and been through with it.

Grub Crawl - International Drive: Helena and Jojo's Shake Bar *CO/UT/NV/AZ/NM Travel Notes

I tried these spots on Monday at lunch. The first is in the old Tapa Toro location in the strip mall with the ferris wheel. The second is at Pointe Orlando. Out front. Near the middle. 

Helena Modern Riviera - I had the second cheapest thing on the menu. There is no separate/cheaper lunch menu or specials. Chicken burger with truffle fries for $19. It was good. A plump, hand molded patty. Nice grind. Loaf like consistency. Not tube like ground chicken. A bit dry. Glossy brioche bun. Bacon jam. Not so fresh tomato. Fresher, baby romaine. Blue cheese. The fries were crisp. Served in a mini fry basket. Both atop a wood plank. They had seven cooks and five wait staff. In uniform. The burger took a bit longer than necessary to appear. The menu has pan-Med plates. Even North African. Twelve apps ($8-$20). I remember escargot and an interesting scallop one. Six Handhelds ($19-$26). Like a $26 burger. Six Mains (over $20). A chicken breast, duck, two lamb, steak, etc. Six Pricy ones ($18-$50+). Pesto gnocchi (cheapest but small), seafood paella, cioppino, etc. They did nothing to the decor. The layout is still a patio, a bar room, a middle room (with extra seats around a large fry table/hot plate) and a rear room. That room was the only full one. Seemed like a group of conventioneers. Maybe here for the golf tournament? I was in the middle. They play mind numbing trance music. Owned by the Atelier Group (2 Winter Garden restos). The service was hit and miss. The manager was agreeable. He offered me a free drink (which was charged on the bill and then removed). He and some other back office staff were working on their computers in plain sight. That didn't help the ambience. No hostess. I saw a few groups leave because of that. It is a work in progress. There were moments when I considered walking out. The manager confused me with his answer to how long they had been open. He said six months and then mumbled something about permits or insurance and then said two weeks. Two weeks seems more plausible. At these prices, I would wait until they get their act together. I'm glad that at least my meal wasn't thrown together. *I saw that a Brother Jimmy's opened just past there. It was/is a notorious bar/bbq in Manhattan. Funny that it is a chain. But, I guess if TGIF is...

JoJo's Shake Bar - Seems to be out of Chicago. I just grabbed a Chai Town Milk Bar for $6. They include a 18% tip. It was very good. Good quality chocolate on it. The place looks like a modernized Fifties diner? Neon on the ceiling. Booths. Open until 2pm. Fourteen Sandwiches ($14) like Ruebens. Four Snacks ($12) like wings. Four salads ($12) like Chopped. Four Suppers ($16) like pot pie. Eight Brunches ($12-$14). $10-$14 shakes. Some with alcohol. $6-$10 hot chocolates. About half full. Mostly tween girls and their moms. I should go back and try the food.

*Travel Notes - Colorado/Utah/Nevada/Arizona/New Mexico: I flew to Denver on Frontier (non stop mid day flights) for $179. Rented a car from Budget for two weeks at $818. They gave me a new Dodge Hornet Hybrid (reserved a Jetta) that only had a gas range of 250 miles. The electric half was uncharged. Drove to Parachute on 70W. Stayed at the Western Slope Suites (Expedia 9.0) for $69. Drove the next day through Utah to Beaver. 70W to 15S. Saw San Rafael Reef and Black Dragon Canyon. Stayed at the Country Inn (Expedia 7.0) for $43. Ate a grilled cheese and ff at Creamery Kitchen. Drove the next day to Vegas. Stayed at the Aria (Expedia 8.4) for $112 plus $56 RF and $18 P. They upgraded me to a sweet suite. Saw Tyronne Lue playing craps. Ate lunch at the new Saigon Baguette on Spring Mountain Rd. A good traditional banh mi. Bought some wine and soda and water at Target (cheapest). Walked the strip and Aria shops. There is a new museum called Arte. Got dinner at the Cosmopolitan. Croque Madame Donut with egg at District Donuts. Got Cumin Beef Bowl with rice and cabbage at Bang Bar by Momofuku. Drank wine and watched the sunset and end of Daytona 500. Had ok lunch at the new Sushi Time on Spring Mountain Rd. AYCE sushi and shabu shabu. Stayed at the shitty Horseshoe/old Bally's (Expedia 7.8) for $14 plus $51 RF and $20 P. Internet said $18 parking and these dicks wouldn't even allow you to do kiosk check in before 3pm. They are connected to the Paris hotel. Walked to Sphere. It rained this day. Walked through Bellagio at night (Lunar New Year displays again). Had dinner at Caesar's. Finally, dropped the required $10 for a slice of DiFara Pizza. I hope the real thing is better than this. Had a $10 cookie shot (milk in a robot made cookie shot glass) at Dominique Ansel (it replaced a Giada salad/prepared food spot). I have had the cronut at his shop in NYC. This was a waste of money. FYI - Rao's closed. Went to lunch at the Fontainebleau (their spelling). Had a good bagel with cc at El Bagel. Had a beefy cb with a chocolate milkshake at Capons. Stayed at The Delano (Expedia 8.4) for $78 plus $51 RF and $18 P. Walked to Luxor. Passed on Blue Man or Carrot Top. Drank wine at watched the sunset. Got food poisoning from a shit chicken salad from Citizens at Mandalay Bay. Got no sleep. Had a terrible chicken sandwich for lunch from the new Houston TX Hot Chicken on Sahara. Had ok chicken rice noodles soup from the new Ten Seconds Yunnan Rice Noodles on Spring Mountain Rd. Yunnan is north of Hunan. Less spicy. Tried to stop shitting at the Gold Coast (Expedia 7.8) for $53 plus $36 RF. They checked me in early. Walked to Rio for dinner. A good cheesesteak from Tony Luke's. Left Vegas. Drove to Flagstaff. 93S to 40W. Stayed at overrated Highland Country Inn (Expedia 9.2) for $100.  Walked the town. Had to call it quits because of the last of the food poisoning. Grabbed some ok snacks at Natural Grocers. They outlawed the train horns in Flagstaff! Drove through Gallup New Mexico to Durango. 40E to 419N to Shiprock to 64 to 550N. Stayed at the overrated Adventure Inn (Expedia 9.0) for two nights at $70 per. Had two ok smash cbs at Famburger. Drove around town. Drove 160E to Wolf Creek Ski Resort. $89 lift ticket with $27 rentals. Not bad. Nice drive. About ninety minutes. Ate a late Mexican lunch in Pagosa Springs (bigger than I thought) at Santay's Taco Shop. Saw Chimney Rock NM. Had good beer in Durango at Animas Brewing Co. Saw the one trail Chapman Hill. Had good High Trestle Brewing Co beer at Durango Beer and Ice Company. Tried to ski Purgatory the next day. They raised the lift prices from around $80 (online a few days before) to $114 and the ski rental line was a joke. Plus parking was a pain, it was cold and cloudy and a storm was supposed to close the fastest route out of Durango if I stayed. I decided to skip Purgatory and default on my hotel ($89 Expedia 8.2 Comfort Inn) in Durango and drive on. I drove 550N (Million Dollar Highway) through Silverton. Saw that the Silverton Ski Resort was closed and on some bs dirt road that you probably need four wheel drive for. Also, found Kendall Ski Resort. It was closed and only one trail. Stopped in Ouray. Saw frozen Box Canyon Falls and the Hot Springs. Had one shot of good beer and a tasty beet Rueben with ff at Ouray Brewery. This town is called Little Switzerland or something. Passed Montrose. East on 50 to Gunnison. Stopped at Bay of Chickens at Curecanti NRA. Stayed at Gunnison Inn (Expedia 8.2) for $71. Had dry brisket from 5B's Barbecue. It snowed the next day, so, I extended at Gunnison Inn for the same rate (I hope - they never gave me a receipt). Ate a cobb salad and pork green chili at The Dive Pub. Drove the next day to ski at Crested Butte. They charged for $15 for parking and I couldn't get near the ticket office to see how bad they were going to hose me and the rental shops were not convenient, so, I left. Plus it was freezing cold. Drove to Monarch Mountain. Bought a half day for $79 ($114 for full day though internet said $89) with $39 for ski package. It warmed up and was sunny. Perfect call by me. Drove on to my hotel in Salida. American Classic Motor Inn (Expedia 8.6) for $79. Drove through downtown. Got pissed at the high prices at the restaurants. Ate from Walmart. Drove through Pueblo. Had two bad Sloppers (open faced burgers with chili). First at Broadway Tavern and Grill. with fries. The second north of DT at Sunset Inn Bar and Grill. This was a huge cb with a top bun and no fries. I tried it with red chili. It was dinner. They had more than green chili options. Drove on to Colorado Springs. Stayed at the disappointing SCP Hotel (Expedia 7.8) for $72. They would not let me check in until 4pm. I drove to Broadmoor, US Figure Skating HOF, World Arena and Cheyenne Zoo. On to DT. Checked out (again) the progress on the new US Olympic and Paralympic Museum and Weidner Field (Minor League Baseball Stadium). 25 North. Drove through Castle Rock (restaurants were too pricy) to DIA the next day. Stayed again at the Baymont for $105. I got a better rate though Booking here. Forgot to write down the rating. Had two bad pupusas at Pupusas Paradise. This area continues to explode. Sadly, it is becoming a homeless area too. They even have window squeegee guys at stop lights. No issues at the airport. It was empty. Had mostly good weather because I changed up my route multiple times. Wished I skied a little more. As always, the missing meals were fast food or markets. This time of year (post Washington's Birthday) in Vegas was cheap cheap. I could have stayed at Aria late in the week for even cheaper. I will change my routine to visit here at this point instead of MLK holiday. To remind you, I'm trying to stay in every themed hotel in Vegas. FYI - I chose the Denver airport over Vegas because of the better flight times. I didn't mind the drive and the skiing/scenery it afforded. I did two weeks because I hate dealing with the airlines, airports and rental car companies. This halved the pain of two trips.

Grub Crawl - Casselberry and College Park: An Vi, Parlor Doughnuts, Freehand Goods and Mid Drive Dive

I am combining what should be two posts into one because they are short. You can blame Vida Cocina for being too full on these two occasions and screwing up the grouping. And Jimmy's Diner for having a broken credit card machine. The first is on 436 and Red Bug Lake Rd (Casselberry). In the strip mall no can see since they put in the over pass that doesn't make traffic any better. Southeast corner. The second replaced some uppity place on Edgewater Dr (CP) between the high school and Princeton. The second is closer to Princeton on the corner of the block away from the condos. The last is on the other side of the block next to the condos. I went to the first on Saturday night. The others at lunch on Sunday.

An Vi - Forgot to ask what it means. Maybe word play for envy? Not sure others would have any. It is in a soft opening. Three weeks long? Still hasn't worked out the kinks. There were three tables of four there. One left because they ran out of banh mi baguettes. Seems like a family. Mom and grandpa running the kitchen. The two kids waiting and filling in where needed. I chose the house special pork banh mi because getting the gumbo wouldn't improve my position (FIFO) and it was the cheapest thing at $10. They are giving a 10% discount for now. It was ok. The baguette was middling. Probably store bought (braille bottom). Not the worst quality, if so. A bit of pate. Pork roll cut like ham in a Chef Salad. And fatty (half the strip) pork belly. Scant carrot, jalapeno and cuke. Cilantro. And some spicy, dark green stem that tasted like spicy spinach. The rest of the menu was the usuals plus some Thai and Cajun. The sign out front said crawfish. I don't recall seeing them on the menu. And they also said the food was North Vietnamese. I didn't see much difference from the Southern menus. But, I really only know what I saw from that North Vietnamese place on Mills and 50. Phos and rice and noodle dishes were +$15. They did have sugarcane shrimp. That is always a plus. The place is mostly black. In front they have a windscreen made of (I think) those bamboo plates they dry rice on. Some signs on the wall. Twelve four seater. Three booths. Five two seaters. Kitchen in the rear. I think it has potential. 

Parlor Doughnuts - Out of Indiana. Evansville. So, IU. Only one here. Opened a week ago? Their claim is layered donuts. Cronuts really. Probably trademarked by Ansel. I had some peanut butter cup one for $3.65. Good. Very good. They had a big poster of many donuts. It seemed like they only do a quarter of the menu. Most were out at this point in time. They also did keto, vegan, dog and mini donuts and breakfast items (like tacos). Coffee, tea, lattes and cold brew. A lengthwise situated floor plan. White like a hospital. A welcome addition.

Freehand Goods - I just popped in here to look while waiting until 3pm for the next place to open. Ended up having two beers and a Gnarly Cuban Empanada from Gnarly Cuban (interweb says they are coming to CP). They said they were located downtown. Can't recall eating there. The shredded pork was a bit dry. Cost $6. Great selection of beer. Mostly (to all) Florida. Fair pricing too. Around $5. They sell little keepsakes and food products too. They make leather goods. Teach a workshop on it. They were originally at the East End Market. Open for fifteen months.

Mid Drive Dive - The reason for the foray. I think they just opened. Upscale pub/diner fare? I had the Shellback Stew because they were out of the $8 kids menu chicken schnitzel with gravy and the oysters (only $9 for a half dozen from four decent regions). The stew was three shrimp and three mussels with some cod and tomato in a tomato/seafood broth. Two toasted slices of baguette. Good. But, not enough to justify the $26 price tag. They had four options in this price range (up to $29). Venison pot roast, fish and chips and steak Diane. Six burgers/sandos. An elk and one with bone marrow seemed interesting ($15-$19). Three salads ($14). Nine snacks ($7-$17). Four desserts ($8). A daily soup and blue plate special. Beer, wine, cider, seltzers and mixed drinks. The place has a high ceiling. White. Square. Mostly bar. Big, corrugated, gray back wall. Patio on the road. Totally full at 4pm. Probably worth the effort. Especially if you order wisely. Not an uptight/precious vibe. I sense that it will be a buzzy place. I'm not sure if they have a back story. The exec chef is named Matt Hinckley. Probably the guy from Hinckley Meats. The menu says they use their bacon. I think Freehand Goods supplies their beer. Happy hour until 6pm Monday through Friday. Open Monday to Thursday 3pm-10pm. Fri and Sat 3pm-11pm. Sunday 3pm-9pm. Not mid. As the youngins say.

*I noticed driving 436 that Poblanos has closed. And by Vida, Something Fishy has closed too.

Grub Crawl - Universal Area: Boiled Fish, Tomatoes and One Lounge

I tried these spots on Friday at lunch. The first two are in a strip mall  on Turkey Lake Rd south of that horrible intersection at Sand Lake. The last is in the corner of the strip mall on the northeast corner of I Drive and Kirkman. 

Boiled Fish - Hunan. A mountain province in south central China. Home of Chairman Mao. Known for spicy dishes. I'm unsure how many we have here. This was good. Simple. Mostly soups. Probably will be a Favorite. I had the lemon flavor sauerkraut fish soup for $17. Huge bowl. Maybe their dishes are family style? No kraut. Lots of swai (fresher than most places, but, still tinny). Lemony fish broth. Fungus, fresh tofu, dried tofu strips (looked like tennis racket sweat grip), red chili, yuba, sprouts, bok choy (was listed as cabbage), wide vermicelli noodle (clear), lemon slices and something they called jelly vegetable. Some of those items were new to me.  The only heat was in the peppers pieces themselves. Came with a needless bowl of rice. I was too full. Couldn't finish. They also offer eight apps like sesame ball and crispy pork and chicken and beef (regional speciality). Seven soups (Golden, Laotan, etc). An even larger size soup is $26. They give you a large pitcher of water. Sodas are $2. Square, white, orange and gray tones. A gold sign with their name. White faux marble tables. Modern. Tablet menus. Good service. I think they are the owners. Two girls. Mostly take outs while I was there. Maybe four orders. I think they need traffic. I suggest you try them. If only for the change of pace. Open for a month.

Tomatoes - They said this is location two. Opened four months ago. One of these terrible Arabic places that ruin western dishes like hamburgers and pizzas trying to serve a customer base that doesn't want shwarmas, etc. Those looked ok. But, I wasn't going to risk one before a travel day. I thought this place was going to be Italian anyway, so, I wasted $7 on an individual. Thin, undercooked, tasteless. The usual. Like a tortilla. The place looked pieced together. The wall between kitchen and counter were cardboard. Mouldering lettuce in the fridge. One group of four and a single eating there. Neither seemed discerning. One guy doing everything. Pass.

One Lounge - Uzbeki. Also saw a Georgian dish and some others. Tried for Uzbeki samosas. Wouldn't prepare them. Settled on beef plov for $17. Beef was good. Probably brisket. Tender. Some flavor. Rice was a greasy mess with soggy julienned veg.  Ok cucumber, tomato and onion salad too. They did a little decorating. Now it is white and black. Dark still. Black curtains. This places has been many failures. I hope they get customers at night. Hopefully, more of a bar/hookah place. Empty at lunch. One hostess was the staff. Lunch and dinner M-F. 5-11 Sa and Sn I'm not sure it's worth it. Even with the dearth of options from the region. Open for a few months.

Grub Crawl - Orlando: K-Jumak, Southern Style BBQ and Over Rice *MX Travel Notes

 I tried these spots around the intersection of Lee Rd and Edgewater Dr on Saturday at lunch. The first is on Edgewater. One block north of Lee in what may be the longest running worst strip mall in the area. The second is at the intersection on the far left if coming from I-4. The last is back towards I-4 on the south side in a strip mall next to Mee Thai. I should say that none of these was Plan A. And FYI - A place on Lee called Cookies is just a head shop.

K-Jumak - It is Korean. Internet has them as Korean Jumak too. They opened three weeks ago. Still in soft opening. Menu was small. Not sure if that is the trial menu. They had two apps. Dduk Bok Gi (they said it was a fried rice cake) at $15 and Soondae (beef small intestine) at $18. Love apps that cost more than mains. Two bops. Bi Bim Bop at $15 and a Stone Pot one at $16. Seven soups from $16 to $18. I'm only listing them in English - ox bone, beef innare/lean meat, beef intestine, blood pudding, pork back bone, beef fern and collard green beef rib. One Galbi Tang (Collard Green Beef Rib Stew) at $45. I had the Yuk Gae Jang (beef fern soup) for $16. Because I've never tried it before and have rarely tried fiddlehead fern (which is what I think it really is). It was good. Not too spicy, red broth. Like a minestrone. Beef broth. Stewed down onions, scallions, long stringy sprouts and something that looked like a non-spicy jalapeno (sliced and halved). The beef was in long strands. Tender. I was shocked. Scrambled eggs. And the ferns? They looked like dark green, skinny string beans. No circular tops. They tossed in a side of properly steamed white rice. Also, four bonchon (sesame oil bean sprouts, kim chi and two spicy roots (burdock and daikon?). The place is a blank, white square. Maybe eight tables. I mean it is good that something (anything) is coming to this area. I'm not sure you have to make it a bucket list item. But, it is fine if you are in the neighborhood. Not a ton of (or any) Korean places around. Like I said, the soup was tasty and they did have some more adventurous items. Open for lunch and dinner. Not sure if they take a day off. I had a great topical joke around the similarity with their name and the Big Mac, but, I will probably get shadow banned again if I tell it. Not that I am probably still banned anyway.

Southern Style BBQ - Wednesday through Saturday. Open for two years (but I swear some entity has been in this spot for a long time). A food truck with grills on the road. You can smell it in the air. I didn't inspect the heat source. Parking is tough. I tried a 1/4 chicken plate (two sides) for $8 and rib tips for $7. Both portions were huge. The chicken was smallish and had that weird pink look and rubbery texture you get with smoking. Still ok. Lots of potato salad and mac and cheese. I think the potato salad was store bought. It had that vinegar-y taste. The mac may have been home made. It tasted of bad American cheese. Never had that brand before if it was store bought. Mac was cooked properly though. I had a mix of Gold and another sweet bbq sauce on the chicken. I had hot bbq sauce on the tips. Good. Almost boneless. He also offered up sausage and hamburger (they looked fat and juicy) plates. Same price. Wings starting at 10 for $10. He said fried. I saw some on the grill too. Ribs starting at $18. Slab was $34. Sandwich was $13. Pulled pork sandwich at $8. Other sides - collards, beans and cole slaw. Sirloin sometimes. As I've said before, these set ups usually are more grill than smoke to my mind. It gives a different flavor/texture. I prefer low and slow. But, this is one of the better "grills" I've come across in town. That and the reasonable prices and large portions may tempt you too. 

Over Rice - A Hawaiian/Filipino brick and mortar for a food truck you may have seen. Open for a year. I, stupidly, got talked into a "pork belly" banh mi special for $13. I should have stuck with the $3.50 spam musubi alone. That was ok. Good rice. Freshly made. Thin spam slice though. The banh mi should have been an embarrassment to serve. 95% of the "belly" (seemed like stew meat) was inedible. And I mean you could not eat it. It was like hard rubber. It could not be chewed. And the sad thing was that I had to wait for it. One cook. And I was first in line. The baguette seemed made by a multi-national. Those little, industrial ping marks on the bottom. Little veg. Ok aioli. They also sell two versions of kulua pork or hali hali chicken or one other thing (beef?) for $16. Moco loco and sisig (but not real sisig). Lumpia (fried spring rolls). Salmon on rice. It's small. A few tables. Some Hawaiian decor. Based on the disrespect that banh mi represented, I obviously can not recommend them. And I've had some of these dishes in Hawaii for nearly half the cost.

*Travel Notes - Mexico (Cancun): I used a $150 voucher I got from Frontier (Mid AM flights) and the ticket cost $26. They had few non-stops other than this. I hadn't been in here twenty years. We got delayed after landing both ways. You come in and out at Terminal 4. Odd fact - these jerks have to give you a free boarding pass on international flights. That helps when their god damn web site gets hung up checking you in and they charge $25 for a physical check in. I consulted the tourist booth. Used a HSBC atm at the exit. I took the Ado bus (they have a few ticket counters on the way out) from the airport to downtown for 130P. The exchange rate was down to around 17. These Ado buses also go to places like Tulum and Mayan Riviera. They were fine. Stopped at Terminal 3 for a bit of a delay. The taxis seemed like too much negotiating and the shared buses seemed like a pain. No offices at the airport and a couple I tried online (ahead of time) wanted the full bus fare ($250 - not pesos!) to take you. I grabbed some food at Soriano across from the bus station. Took a R1 (also R2) bus to my hotel on the north part of the lagoon for 12P. Cancun is like a square around this lagoon. You can stay on the top or right side (east) of it. I thought it might be cheaper on the transportation cost if I stayed closer to DT. Nope. One price. I also thought the south road was closed to traffic to and from the airport. Nope. I actually think I cost myself more money taking a taxi (750P) back to the airport because he took the long way anyway. It was a flat fare. Internet said it should be 700P. My hotel probably screwed me out of 50P. I'm not sure if it the same from every hotel. My hotel was called the Real Inn (Expedia 7.8 and VIP). I originally booked it for $110 a night (4). They wouldn't honor the room upgrade and the street side was so noisy as to be uninhabitable. I paid an extra $10 a night for a lagoon view. Best money ever spent. Night and day. Quiet (except for the ice machine and room service/maid trolleys). Good view. They gave you water and daily maid service. Most other hotels under $100 looked like shit in real life. Glad I didn't chintz. I didn't do much except "explore". Found a public beach across the street. Went there every morning. Swam in the pool. Read. Walked to downtown and beyond (Playa Chac-Mool+) one day. Farther (Playa Ballenas) on the bus and back another day. Went to the La Isla mall+ (ferris wheel there for $15). No fridge at hotel. I mostly ate tuna fish (with mayo and mustard I took from ZaZa at the airport) and chips and tortillas. And peanut butter "cups" I swiped from other hotels in the past. You can get these past TSA. Had these pretty good tacos at the OXXO market at their grill called O'Sabor a few times. Chicken Tinga, Machaca con Huevos and Poc Chuc (grilled, marinated pork and onions). Only 24P. I wasn't really excited about going. But, it turned out alright. If I go back, I will take the bus back to the airport. I just didn't want a hassle this time. And stay on the east side. Maybe bundle in the Mayan Riviera. FYI - I had already done Chichen Itza and all those things. It was a little cool for scuba. Didn't think the ferries to Isla Mujeres and Xcaret seemed worth it.

Grub Crawl - Winter Park and Maitland: Chayote, Zymarium and Cow & Cheese

I tried these spots on Sunday at lunch. The first is in Winter Park Village. The second is on Mills. The third is north of The Enzian in a strip mall. If the reviews are short it is because Im using my touch screen on my tablet.

Chayote - They just started Sunday brunch that day. I had a shiitake omelette with goat cheese and a English cream sauce (a mushroom cream sauce). It didn't really work as a whole. Thin omelette. Probably two small eggs. A bit plastic-y. A ton of goat cheese. It was to have come with brown bread. They forgot that. Would have helped dispatch the goat cheese. The sauce was mostly decorative. It cost $19. They knocked $6 off for the bread snafu. Unprovoked. The rest of the brunch menu items consisted of pancakes, eggs Florentine, croque monsieur, alcapurrias, ahi tartare, burger, branzino and some other things. $19 and up. The space is large. Seats about 100. Space between tables. About half full and getting fuller.  A bar between two sections. White, tan, brown stain and wine coloring. Wood. Statue up front. Modern classic. Plush backs. The servers all were dressed up in black with gold ties. Good service. Water was off tasting tap. Cool glasses. Average plates and silverware. People seemed to dress up, but, they let me in with a windbreaker and shorts. No res. The guy has six restaurants in Puerto Rico. They said he was on the line that day. He some relationship with Norman Van Aken, I think. The dinner menu is pricy. I'm not sure if I would pay up for it. This was a nice outing though. And nice extended hand to the hoi polloi. I could live without the banging pots music they were playing. They opened this Fall.

Zymarium - I did a flight of 5 for $28. It was good. They make mead. From regional honey. They have quite a few varieties. The place is black and gold with honeycomb accents. Plush. Minimal. Not open on M-W. Open for a few months.

Cow & Cheese - They were on The Weekly's Best Bites list. I was going to make the whole review this phrase - urban Shake Shack. Then I learned it is the Chicken Fire guy. So, bingo. I had a double cheeseburger for $6. Ok. I liked the cheese. Gave me a lot of indigestion though. And I hate smash burgers anyway. Let's knock all the juice out of an already leathery piece of meat! Makes sense to me. They don't do much more than multiple patty burgers. Fries. The place is basic. Some graffiti murals. A few tables. It was full at 2pm. Not on my Best Bites list. Closed M and Tu. No cash. Open a few weeks.

Grub Crawl - Oviedo and Winter Springs: Briskets BBQ Shack, Hidoe Sushi, Lemongrass and Cuba Libre Camaguey *Southern Caliifornia Travel Notes

I tried these spots on Wednesday at lunch. The first is on Geneva Dr off 426. Think around where the Townhouse is. Across from that is a pond. Across from that is them. They are doing road work there, so, I think I took Oviedo Dr to a roundabout and you can see their little white structure from there. The next two were down 426 (east) at Lockwood Blvd. Turn right. In a little strip mall on the right. Near each other. I saw them when I tried that ice cream place down 426 earlier last year. The last is on 434 in that strip mall before 17-92. East side. Think Chilangos. The other place I was seeking there has closed.

Briskets BBQ Shack - I read about them on that Orlando Weekly site. Some new guy listed his favorite bites of the year. I think it was a beef rib. That was the first I had heard of them. Open for a year though. I had a plate with brisket and a side (mac and cheese) for $15. The brisket was good. Thickly cut. I think they said 6 oz. Good balance of moist, oil, smoke and beef flavor. Not much middle muck or fat (though a point cut). Not a ton of bark. Pulled apart properly. I'm hoping no liquid smoke. They drizzled a little sauce over it. Two slices of white bread, sweet pickles and a grilled jalapeno on the side. The mac and cheese wasn't as great. Some kind of sweet blend over cavatappi pasta. The pasta was mushy. It worked best when you put some chopped up jalapeno in it. They cook Texas style. The guy is from South Florida though. They also sold sausage, pulled pork, beef ribs (out), ribs and turkey and chicken (quarters) too. The sides were cole slaw, potato salad (not homemade) and I forget what else. Brisket was $40 a pound. I think sausage was $20. The rest were in between. They do sandwiches (mostly in the mid-teens). I'm still a little confused on the pricing for plates with more than one meat and side. It seemed like if you order two and two, they just charge you for what each plate alone would be. They had a $10 taco special. You order inside. Tiny. You eat outside on picinic tables (4?). It will probably be on this year's Favorites List. I'll probably pop back in before that to make sure. Around eight people there. Nice service. Came out quickly.

Hinode Sushi - I just grabbed a $3 miso soup because they wanted +$7 for every roll or two piece nigiri (and it seemed like there would be a wait for anything more challenging). For comparison, Koy Wan is $12 for all you can eat (and I try to eat seventy pieces - no shit) and their quality is just as good as most of these non-high end places. Soup was the usual miso. The menu had usual offerings. Small place. Dull decor. Full. Open for five years.

Lemongrass Thai Kitchen - Menu was as cliche as the name. I had the Tom Kha Kai for $6 because I've had enough Thai lately and I didn't drive here for them but didn't want to ever make another trip here either. It was good. Way too small a portion though. Half of one of those medium sized plastic containers. Chicken was fresher than Neveyahs. Two pieces. Some lemongrass, ginger and onion. Coconut milk broth. Rectangular layout. Modern. Seats on the right side. Counter on the left. The usual menu.

Cuba Libre Camaguey - I figured I'd knock them off the list as well. I just grabbed some finger foods. A ham croquette ($1 but free for me). The usual mushy fishstick. Ham was awol. A ground beef empanada ($3). Good. Not oily. Tender beef. They said they make them. A pork tamale ($3). Looked homemade. Encased in a corn husk. Good. Nice size. Some evidence of pork. The place was pink. Kind of old furniture. Some posters of Cuba. Camaguey is a city in the middle of the island. They also sell potato balls, tostones, fried yuca, 4 salads, 7 sandwiches, Bandeja Criolla (variety plate), 11 entrees, 7 sides, 5 coffees, 5 desserts. Kids menu. Sandwiches were around $11. With fries. They serve breakfast too. Plus lunch and dinner. Closed Monday. Open for a year. They cater. You could probably do worse. I may go back and try a real meal.

*Travel Notes - Southern California: I flew a split ticket (Jet Blue/UA) to LAX for $184. At good flight times. No issues. I rented a car for the week from Budget for $398. It was a cluster fuck at LAX. I got the last car they had (at 3pm) and it was a hassle getting that and it was beat up and they kept screwing up the pricing when they finally figured out how to swap the cars. I canceled the LV portion of the trip because I didn't trust the car. They ended up double billing me. Working that out. I stayed the first night again at the Wave Hotel (Booking 7.4) in Manhattan Beach on Sepulveda for $105 (it was $179 the last time). I grabbed tacos at El Pollo Loco. Drinks in Redondo Beach at Bluewater Grill, The Slip Bar and Tony's on the Pier (since 1952). Their specialty is called a Fire Chief. Drove down to Carlsbad the next day. McD's for lunch. Stayed at Carlsbad by the Sea (Expedia 7.6) for two nights at $99 plus $12 for parking. It was more by the highway and Legoland than the sea. There was a food hall (Windmill Food Hall) in front of it. I had yellow curry chicken with rice from Thai Style for dinner. They used whole pieces of chicken. The next day I went to the Farmer's Insurance Open at Torrey Pines for $80. $20 bribe for parking. All the parking locations they had on the website were wrong. Hot dog and chips at the event. Back to Windmill for dinner. A longaniza and a spam musubi at Rolled Up SD. Potato rolled tacos (flautas stuffed with mashed potatoes) at El Puerto Street Tacos. Beer at Windmill Bar. Finally tried a TB breakfast (egg burritos) the next morning. More filling than McDs. Cheaper too. A taco and chips at Tito's Tacos in Culver City (that's LA) off 405 at Washington. Hard shell. Beef was a consistency between pulled and ground. It is supposedly a legend. I never heard of it when I lived there. It took my alumni magazine to hip me to it. It was average. Took the 405 to 10 to PCH to the 101 to Buellton. Had two (red and white) tastings (they were running a special) at Hitching Post Wines. Tastings were $20-$35. Good. Down 246E a few miles to Solvang (Danish town). Checked into the Hamlet Inn (Expedia 8.8) for $135. Drove back to Buellton for a mixed tasting at Kaena Wine Company. Good. $20. They had one wine aged in a barrel that was 1/3rd Acacai wood. Nice dinner of pea soup with ham, crudite, bread and pork chop with baked potato and cherry tart at Hitching Post II (from Sideways). Fairly expensive. This was $30 something as the cheapest dish on some Restaurant Week special. Back to Solvang. A beer at Solvang Brewing Company. Walked the streets. Been there before. Breakfast custard danish at Mortensen's Danish Bakery. More walking. Old Mission Santa Ines. Was going to breakfast there, but, tons of people bum rushed it (Brekkies) while I was looking at the menu. I also note now that a friend told me to have uni at Ramen Kotori. They opened too late though. Drove to Buellton. Grabbed a bagel with cc at Enjoy Bagels & Sweets. They did a cute thing with mini cupcakes in an egg carton. Down 101 and PCH to Trancas area of Malibu. Had a smashburger with homemade waffle cut chips and beer at Malibu Brewing Company. They hadn't opened yet in the last SC post. Checked into the Mailbu Country Inn (Expedia 7.6) at Zuma Beach for $155. Walked down and to the left to Point Dume (many films like the end of Planet of the Apes and pre-cgi'd Tony Stark's house were filmed here). Walked up it and farther south and back. FYI - the Grease opening was filmed more north at Leo Carillo State Beach. Grabbed some cheese and wine at Pavillion's (tip - they let you enter your phone number at the register to become a member). Watched the sunset. Woke up and finally found (a few miles south) this motel I stayed at when I was moving to LA a while back. Now called Hotel June. Popped into Geoffrey's and finally got a table (without ressy). I've been trying forever. Had a filet mignon with scrambled eggs and roasted potatoes. One of the more expensive brunch options. Only $40. Valet was $15 (added to the bill) and I gave the guy $10. Great table by the ledge. Popped into town and walked to the pier and back. Took Sunset Blvd up past Beverly Hills and back on Santa Monica Blvd to SM. Down 1 to Marina del Rey. Stayed at the mold infested Foghorn Harbor Inn (Exedia 8.0) for $155. It was on the water/marina. Walked to the beach. On the pier. Down to Venice Beach and back. I think they shot White Men Can't Jump and American History X at the basketball hoops area. Muscle Beach of course. What a collection of human trash though. Grubbier than ever. Grabbed wine and cheese at Gelson's on Lincoln. Grabbed spam ramen from L&L Hawaiian near there. Also saw some bar with turtle racing (Brennan's). Wasn't open the next day. Drove to the marina access canal to the ocean. Didn't see Charlie Harper. Up 1 to Malibu again. Ate a too pricy breakfast of three basted eggs, roasted potatoes, avocado, salsa on tortillas at Patrick's Roadhouse (I saw it on S1 of 3D the night before). Schwarzenegger designed some "garbage" plate there. But, it was $30. This is on Entrada Dr (near Will Rogers Beach) off PCH. Probably Santa Monica. I felt queasy after this, so, I just walked the town and Bluffs in Malibu. I was going to get more food. Next time. Down PCH to Lincoln to Manhattan Beach again. I tried the sister hotel (next door) to the Wave for $101. Hotel Pacific (Expedia 7.0). Had salmon and spicy tuna poke and a kulua pork taco at Ali'i Fish Company near the hotel.

Weather was perfect. Only the second day (and only in SD) was gloomy. No traffic issues. Didn't see much homelessness. Couldn't do Musso & Frank's. Maude seems like a pain too. Both only do dinner. I chose hotels with free parking (mostly). Didn't get to Vegas. I already have remedied that though. No real deals on hotels there anyway. The only real hiccup was Budget.