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.