Taqueria Navarro, Sanford *CO Travel Notes

I tried this taqueria on 17-92 near 46A today at lunch. It opened ten days ago. They said the style was Jalisco and another region I didn't compute. I had a barbacoa sopes, lengua tostada and a canrintas and asada tacos. All were $3 except the $4 lengua. They were mostly good. I would prefer that they grill the taco tortillas. They were rushing things. The barbacoa that they list as head had more connective parts than meat. That's the luck of the draw I guess. The asada was very diced. The lengua didn't seem like lengua. Maybe they confused the barbacoa and that. Came with a green salsa. They have a salsa bar. They sell: tacos, sopes, quesadillas, gorditas, tortas, tostadas, burritos, tacos grandes, quesadilla chicas and drinks. The top price is $10. The other types are: pollo, chicharron, desbrada, chorizo, pastor, carne molida, jamon and camaron. The place is basic. Maybe ten tables and a few outside. Order at the counter. It was pretty full. Came out quickly. Parking. Open 7D 9a-9p. I found this place by accident. I was returning from downtown Sanford (because the lazy bitches at this new bao place still have a food truck work ethic and only open after 4pm and only five days a week) after a miscue. I'm almost glad it happened. I'll bet this is the better option.

*Travel Notes - Colorado: I flew at night to Denver on Frontier for $68. I rented a car (my choice) from Hertz for the week at $324. Got a brand new one with Sat radio. I slept the first night at a Sleep Inn (Booking 8.1) at the airport for $96. In the morning I drove to Grand Junction. Lunch at McD in Vail. I took the road to Powderhorn and bought my lift ticket for the next day (no dynamic pricing) for $104 and rented skis for $62. That road is very pretty. I then drove back to 70 and Grand Junction. I stopped two exits further on in Palisade because they were touting wineries and I had time to kill. I stopped at the closest one (Grande River Vineyards). I had a flight for $13. Almost all their wine was good. They kept giving me free tastes. I applied the flight price to a bottle. An ok rose. I didn't see that it cost $23. Still a deal with a $13 discount. I'll interject here that all the flight pricing in Palisade was reasonable. The bottle prices not so much. I'll also declare that the wine here is excellent. I was dumbfounded. It was getting late and I tried to try another aside it. They were closing though. I stayed at the Grand Vista Hotel (Expedia 8.2) for two nights at $51 plus $14 parking per night. That is not a misprint. Grand Junction is near skiing, has excellent wineries and a downtown, great scenery and some of the cheapest, ok quality hotels in the country. So much so that I recalibrated my whole trip around it. I grabbed some food at Safeway for dinner. Did this every night.

The next day I drove back to Powderhorn. A great, uncrowded day of sun skiing. I had a corn dog up there. Stopped again in Palisade. Did Colterris Winery and Spectrum Sauvage Estate Winery this time. Colterris was better, but, Spectrum was more cutting edge. They had sparklings that followed the Pet-Nat method and even a hopped one (it was pretty good and the only time I have ever heard anyone trying that). I was the only one at any of these tasting rooms. There is a well marked wine trail.

The next day I changed rooms to a Studio 6 (Expedia 7.2). Mistake. I had a huge, end of hall, quiet room at the other hotel. These pics looked ok and I figured they would make me check out anyway, so, I gambled on variety. It was an extended stay Motel 6 with an ok update, but, sleazy guests and noisier. Before that I explored and had lunch in downtown on Main St. Good jalapeno steak benedict at Dream Cafe and a Truffle Shuffle (prosciutto, dried pear, brie spread, Manchego chips, sunflower seeds) at The Hog and the Hen. Free parking was a bit of a struggle. Colorado is so addicted to this revenue. I drove back to Palisade. Left Red Fox because they didn't have vintage wine. Drove to Carboy (a glass barrel) Winery for a very good flight. Then to Book Cliff Vineyards. An ok flight at a great location. Then I started to drive away from downtown. Great views on the trail. Stopped at a good looking place called Restoration Vineyards. The owner was the ex-biggest after market auto parts dealer in SF. The wine was excellent. They had a food truck. There were other vineyards I passed by. 40+ in all. I love this area because it is like a time machine. It is like many wine regions used to be. Before they became a hassle. I reticently encourage you to drop all of them and come here. I put it that way because I'm afraid you will ruin it for all of us. Like that nimrod on the insurance commercial who says "hey Fam...I'm out here...manifesting abundance...". But, I guess it's too good to keep to myself. I would seriously move here if they had a bigger airport. They even have summer activities. You can bike it. And there is another wine region south of here.

The next day I drove to Glenwood Springs. All the big resorts were doubling down on their ridiculous pricing (ie $259 for Winter Park). I decided I would try Sunlight. It was about ten miles from town. It cost $100. I did that the next day. This day, I drove to Aspen. It was a Saturday and too full. Plus they were super dicks about the paid parking and I had been there many many times before. I turned around and ate a roast beef and cheddar sandwich in Basalt at Mountain Heart Brewing. Had a sample too. Then back to GS. I checked in to the Starlight Lodge (Expedia 8.0) for the next two nights at $101 per. I rented skis for $52 at Hanging Lake Activities across the street (much better quality than PH). I then drove to Ironside Mineral Baths ($100+) and some gondola that goes to an amusement park. It was too expensive for what it was. I might do it when the park is open. It is on top of a mountain like in Barcelona. So cool. Never noticed it before. I parked the car and walked across the bridge to downtown. Almost did the baths, but, it was getting too late. I had a flight at Casey Brewing and a trout (fishy) blt at CO Ranch House. I should say it was around 60 degrees this whole week. 

The next day I awoke early and was one of the first on the mountain. I did this because I noticed the day before that the parking lot near the entrance got full quickly and was muddy. Plus they wouldn't sell me a ticket ahead of time and I didn't want to make multiple trips and it was a Sunday. It was a good move. The mud was still iced over. I got a spot right at the entrance. Ticket line was short. I can't tell you how many hours I almost had the place to myself. It was big enough. No runs I couldn't handle. Great views. You don't need the hassle of Aspen et al. Go there. They also have a deal with Powderhorn where you can get three free days here if you get a yearly pass at PH. I believe that only costs $300. I think they said ski rentals here were $40. I left a bit early because I was worn out and had decided to do the Glenwood Hot Springs pool. I grabbed a pastrami rueben with fries on the way back at the 19th Street Diner. Returned the skis. The baths cost $34 plus $5 for a suit and $4 for a towel. I had been meaning to day this for ages. It was fun. Very historical. Bright sunshine. I then washed off and went across the bridge and had a flight at Stoneyard Distillery and a cobb salad and a flight at Glenwood Springs Brew Pub. I also grabbed a large guac and chips and Qdoba on the way back and drank some remaining wine. I think this town will be a part of most future trips as well.

The next day I drove back towards Denver. There was a big storm coming and I didn't want to be stuck on the wrong side of the Eisenhower tunnel. I had a lunch of a cheesesteak with arugula salad at The Drunken Goat in Edwards. I stayed at the H&H Motorlodge (Expedia 7.8) in Idaho Springs for $89. I drove up to Echo ski resort to see it when it was open. It's another cheaper option. Back to IS. Grabbed a roast beef with swiss and jus at Big B's Soup and Grilled Cheese across from the hotel. Went into town to try and try a cidery. They didn't make there own and I was worried about getting a ticket, so, I left and got some McDonald's. It snowed as predicted.

The next day I drove around Denver. Got off 70 where there is an old amusement park. Stumbled upon a huge comic book store. I'm not that type, but, I had time on my hands. It was interesting. I pretended I was on Big Bang Theory. I then drove down the street next to the tracks and espied Original Chubby's Burger Drive In (since 1967) and assumed that meant it was iconic. I grabbed a DCB (ok). I saw a Mexican place across the street. Walked there. Kike's Red Tacos. They had framed reviews that said they were a food truck and had a 5 star Yelp score. I grabbed a goat birria and asada taco. Both great. I then drove to downtown. Zig zagged every street. When I got to the state house, the usual liberal malcontents were starting a self-serving protest march. I had to drive around it. Gave then all a one finger salute. Stumbled upon their Natural History Museum/Zoo/Golf Course. On Josephine, I think. Back to 70 near the Purina Dog Chow building. Saw the Denver Coliseum. Back on 70 to DIA. Fueled up. Had a Son of Baconator (on sale for $3). Returned the car. The third (secret) TSA area has been closed. Possibly the worst collection of miscreants on the flight. Half hour late leaving as usual. I spent $73 on gas. It cost anywhere form $4 to $2.60. $120 for airport parking. Total Cost = $1928.

Tree Removal Tutorial

This is the outline for removing a a large tree (60-80ft) from your property. There is alot of "divergence" out there, so, shop around or cross your fingers. I tried to do an exhaustive search. A lack of internet enabled data from the State and sloppy/contradictory data when there is some doesn't help. You are kind of at the whim of Yelp, Google, etc. There doesn't seem to be anywhere to find out if they really do have (active) insurance (other than calling their provider and I never did and don't know if they would release that info) and Sunbiz.gov is a mess to find out if they are licensed. Most didn't seem to be. Many had similar names. Bob Vila said the cost should be $200-$760. Average of $400. The internet said $3-$10 a foot or $5 average. 60ft-100ft = $200-$1000. My tree had three "prongs". Not sure if that changes things. Those prices seem unattainable in CF. I was willing to forgo stump grinding and haul away. It's probably best that I had those done.

The Search - I began with Google and searched for tree removal companies in my town. I compiled a list (that I mostly began ignore because of the issues cited above). I noted their locations and phone numbers and if they had reviews. I also gathered info from ads I had accumulated or had been mailed to me and cards placed in my door. I will list all the competitors at the end. I ended up (initially) choosing some guy who confronted me while I was cleaning my yard. That fell through. Read below to see their villainy. The second choice was the very very last number I had on my list. Not sure how I got it. I was going to go with the company that helped remove a part of another tree after Helene, but, they wouldn't schedule me for within three weeks at the earliest. and I was spooked at scheduling bs after I signed a contract thanks to company one. The company I went with scheduled me for the next day. You also have to find out how they are going to do it. Climb. With or without spikes (if pruning). Small Crane. Truck sized crane. Combo. Bobcat. Haul away included? Protections for the home. Ropes. Stump Grinding? Workman's Comp?

The Estimates - This was the easy part. They all showed up the next day. Oral, paper and interactive internet based. Most quotes were without stump grind.

Deangelos Land Services - $600 and they would remove some excess debris. They charged my neighbor $2000!

J&J's Lawn  Tree - $800. $200 removal. $200 stump. $500 trim.

Your Tree Services - $2000. $100 stump.

Classy Oak - $900-$1000

At Your Service - $1600. $200 stump. 

True Outdoors - $900 all in.

Decision - I went with True Outdoors. They matched prices and seemed legit. 150 5 stars on Google. Claimed to have insurance and workman's comp. I didn't verify. The owner suggested he would be onsite (ended up doing the work). Said I could call his insurance co. He seemed to be clean cut and trustworthy. And most importantly, he gave me little time to hem and haw. He surprised me when he said he would meet my price and could do it the next day. Said he had a crane. How could I say no? I signed his estimate/contract on his tablet on the spot. Received a text and email confirmation.

Service Day - They texted the next day at about eleven am. Said they were on their way. A half hour later, four guys showed up. The owner said he didn't want to use the crane (access issues) and would do the cutting himself. I was ambivalent. I didn't want any long cuts to scrape or hit the roof (or my neighbors) because they couldn't shimmy up far enough. But, I didn't want my (or my neighbors) lawn torn up either by a crane. Long story short. He got to cutting. It took about two hours. Only one minor dent in a gutter drain. I could have lived without the bobcat going on to my lawn so many times to pick up debris. They had a guy with a leaf blower on the roof. They cleaned the yard. I ended up paying $60 to remove excess debris from Helene. They emailed me a bill. I paid online. 3% cc fee. The only possible issue was that the guy grinding the stump found plastic pipe debris. He may have hit the sewer line. I had an issue with a back up in my shower three days after this. I called the owner and he said he would stop by. It has been a week and he hasn't. Keep tabs for an update. 

Warning - Here is what happened (or didn't) with Deangelos Land Services. They scheduled me and didn't show. They gave me this price ostensibly because they were doing my neighbors as well. I guess they flaked on her too. I will interject at this point that with hindsight I believe they do the higher paying jobs first. We re-scheduled for a week later. That day the boss (Lex Kovacs) came and said he needed bigger machinery (True Outdoors would disagree). Could we do it the next day? Then it rained. Could we reschedule? "Thank you for being patient with us, we'll get this done". I waited a week and then thought I would get a reasonable due date. FYI the statements in quotation marks are from our (and his sales guy Anthony Siler) text thread. "Welcome back. We will be there asap". I asked if he could be more specific. "I can't, this job is complex and pricing is also too low to plan a day around. So I have to fit it in when I have some softness in my schedule and I am in your area. Your job was quoted to be done on the same day we were across the street. Which is why it is more than 50% off its regular price. If this is urgent, and you don't want to wait for us, I can give you a few other tree companies that I trust. They could get the work done sooner that are a little less busy than we are". He then sent a few links. I texted that we had a written contract and that I hadn't created this problem. I waited a few days. He ghosted me. I texted the Sales Guy to see if they had canceled the contract so that if I found someone else they wouldn't come after me for the money. "Unfortunately we will be canceling our contract with you due to not be able to get the proper equipment to do the job safely. If you insist on taking action, feel free to do what you need to do and I will have our attorneys respond promptly". "You and I know that you have no grounds to take action because in our terms and condition it clearly states that we can cancel the contract at any time for any reason". I then wrote that that would defeat the purpose of an agreement if one side wasn't bound and that since they supplied the contract it would be read against the drafter. He then ghosted me too. I texted that I was trying to keep them from making a poor business decision. Recall that they missed the date they had assigned for me and the neighbor. Then others. Then promised "asap" weeks later. Then immediately backed off that when pressed. Said it was a matter of dollars and cents not availability. Then tried to wiggle out/extend the waiting period without canceling. Then unilaterally broke the agreement.

In the end I will likely not take them to small claims court to teach them a lesson. I believe I (and you) could get the difference between what we bargained for and the additional cost of a replacement as an award/damages. Maybe lost time and punitive damages. A real suit for specific performance is less likely or advisable. However, I am going to hit every ratings service (BBB, Chamber of Commerce, Google, Yelp, Angie's, etc) that I can find. And we have this website and my big mouth. So all in all, I think it will end up costing them more than the difference in whomever they ripped off in place of me.

Conclusion - If you don't shop around you will get ripped off. Don't look like a sucker. Have a low estimate ready to bargain with. Verify as much as you can. Make sure what kind of equipment they have access to (some of them said they would have to rent it). Ask how long it will take and when it will happen and what will happen if it doesn't. I guess you can ask about all the terms in their contract (I assume they will think it gives them all the leverage). And pray nothing bad happens. Because it is a big enough pain in the ass to begin with. I would be there for the cut. Take pics and/or video before and after.

List of Companies (with info) -

J&J Lawn & Tree: 407-774-2076. Longwood. Lic seems inactive.

Tree Doctors America: Orlando. Lic active. Listed as Daytona Beach.

Amazon Tree Care: Apopka. Lic active.

Sunstate Tree: Sanford. Lic inactive.

Angel Oak Arbor Care: S Daytona. Lic inactive.

Higher Standards Tree Care: Daytona Beach. Lic active.

Jean Pierre Tree Service: No lic info. I think this was a business card.

Ben Muriel Landscape & Tree Service: Maitland. Lic inactive.

Legend's Tree Experts: 386-320-9291. No lic info.

A Budgets: 407-327-2520. Winter Springs. Lic active. 3/5 Stars.

Seminole Pro: 407-431-1484. Sanford. Lic active. 5/5 Stars.

JB Tree Care: 407-450-1424. Geneva. Lic inactive. 

Core Tree Service. 386-282-3023. 

McCullough: 407-734-5854. 

Word of Mouth: 407-862-9779. Altamonte.

Classy Oak: 386-500-8105. Daytona.

At Your Service: 321-303-0315. Apopka.

Elite Tree Care: 386-436-0177.

Your Tree Services: 321-303-1677. Deland. Didn't have proper equipment.

Gregg's: 407-866-8022.

True Outdoors: 386-956-1883. 150/150 5 Stars on Google. 2/3 5 Stars on Yelp.

Roof Power Wash Tutorial

www.thisoldhouse.com says it should cost $300 to $1050. www.longboatkeyroofing.net says $150 to $1000 with an average of $452. Asphalt shingles are less. Dirtier is more. There is pressure v soft. That's all the info I was armed with initially. I did no research. I approached a guy doing a neighbors house. He quoted $350 and walkway and driveway for an extra $75. I accepted. His company is Fireman Tom's Pressure Washing Co. 407-459-2032. firemantom@gmail.com. Licensed and insured. License as of 2015 in Oviedo. A+ at BBB. He came on time. Washed all and structure too. Used my faucets. I think only soap or chlorine. Soft. Had to leave to fix broken strap. Put garbage bags around gutters. Left at 5pm. Great effort. No issues. I paid online. 3% credit card charge. I doubt you will find better.

Grub Crawl - SoDo: John & John's and Kiwi Coffee Cafe

I tried these spots on E Michigan St at dinner on Tuesday. The first is in the old Mediterranean Blue location. The other is down the street at the A La Carte 2 food truck park.

John & John's - A small pizza forward Italian place. I just grabbed an ok NY style slice for $4 because I found their prices to be too high. IE $17 sandwiches. They are run by the Cavo in TP people. Around ten tables. Open for two years. Some parking.

Kiwi Coffee Cafe - I grabbed an ok egg and cheese muffin for $8 because I found all the value props in this space to be too high. Food trucks are gaining on airports for the most expensive snacks on the planet. A truck should mean LOWER overhead. The other trucks: Nova Street Pizza, Over Rice, Barrio Espanol, Smash Dunk, Brick & Butter, Taito Sushi and 503 Latin Fusion. I was there chasing down a truck called Burger Jawn. Does anyone have any info?

Grub/Pub Crawl - Disney Area and I Drive: Naatu Naatu, Adbo Kabob, Paddy Wagon, K Pot, The Winery and Orlando Starflyer

I tried these spots on Saturday at lunch. All were better than I expected in their own way. The first I stumbled upon trying to price an AYCE place called Hokkaido (because of their timeless billboard) that turned out to be under renovation. It is in a strip mall on the north/west intersection of 535 S Apopka Vineland Rd (the Disney Springs exit) and Palm Parkway (west side of I4). The second and third ones I saw on my last trip here and needed something to do/try while I waited for the slackers at the next two (I boycotted one for being continually stupid/mis-managed) places to open at 1pm. The second is in a strip mall on the south/east side of that intersection. Next to the Grand Cypress. The third and fourth are in a strip mall at the north/east side of the intersection. Five and six are at the strip mall on I Drive that has the Ferris Wheel. 

I want to give the reverse of a shout out to the DOT. Didn't that work between Sand Lake and 535 begin pre-Covid? After all the center toll road bullshit. And now they are jacking the prices for that. I think their logic is to raise prices DURING high volume periods. You know. So fewer people will want to get off the free section. Back to the current road work. How do you have multiple roads leading INTO I4 in that area and none allowing anyone to exit? Not even a temporary detour! Plus I love all the trash that is accumulating on the sides of I4. Pretty soon we will be in 10 in Los Angeles territory. Or Detroit.

Naatu Naatu - The name has something to do with a Bollywood "Oscar" winning movie. Five booths each on the left and right. Five tables of four in between. Cute, childlike wallpaper with Indian themes. They are from the south - Hyderbad. Open for five months. Vegetarian. Crazy menu that had so many things I hadn't seen termed before. Here are a few: Sambar Vada, Gulab Jamun, Bhatura...wait...I'll list the categories: Aarambham, Amogham, Tandoori, Roti, Parata, Adbutham, Sampoornam, Idly Bazaar, Dosa Bazaar, Alpahar, Amrutham Cold, Madhuram, Chowrasta Khazana. Tell me whitey that you have even heard one of those words before. It's like they have a different word for everything! That's a Steve Martin joke. About the French. I sampled a soup - Rasam for $5. It was a flavor bomb. Just a kind of vegetable broth. Very good. I used it as a sauce for leftover rotisserie chicken. Only two families there while I waited. It came out quick. Two girls working the front of house. I would like to try more. I'm sure it would be an education unto itself. The front window could use a cleaning. It is black to begin with and they have no "open" sign. It looks closed. 

Adbo Kabab  Open two years. The owner is from Morocco. Two guys working there. Around ten tables, a counter at the window and a single Arabic decorated table. Brown wood chairs and tables. Big mural on left wall. Windows up front. Pretty clean. Order at a counter. The gyro meat looked prefab and wasn't rotating/cooking, so, I had a chicken shawarma. It looked like they stacked it and it looked cooked. It was very good. The sauces seemed a bit more vinegary/piquant than usual. Pickles, etc in it. Fair size. Chicken was uniformly done. Not dry. It cost $11. They have falafel, beef/lamb mix, lamb chops, kofta (beef), and kebab too. Around $16 for a plate. Ok looking pizzas too. Individual ($11) and larger. $6 for hummus. $26 for three lamb chops. Two parties there at lunch. There is also a revolving hot pot place here called U & Me.

Paddy Wagon Irish Pub - They let you bring in your own food. They just have drinks. I didn't want to day drink and they had Foxtail Cold Brew on tap, so, I had a glass of that for $5.25 and ate my shawarma. A few craft selections. Booze. Pool Table. TVs. Not breaking any ground here. Three patrons. One bar tender. I think they close at 2pm.

K Pot Korean Barbecue & Hot Pot - They said they started in Jersey. A chain. I think they may have other locations in CF. AYCE Barbecue or Hot Pots cost $32. I didn't really even want Korean, so, I had a bento to go for $15. It was a bargain even if they gave me pork belly instead of pork cheek. So much pork belly! I ate all I could for dinner and some left over for the next day. Mostly lean. Cooked perfectly with or in sesame oil. Large sides of seaweed salad and kim chi. Four shui mai. White rice. The shui mai were ones you buy frozen in the market. Veg were fresh. Rice was cooked properly. Came out fast. On the to go menu they have: ten bentos (chicken wings to brisket), three premium bentos ($17), seven hot pots ($13-$18), and eight sides/apps ($2-$10). The main hot pot menu has seafood, beef, pork, veg, noodles, etc. 5 items in all. There was also a salad bar. Barbecue has 36 items. You can combine both dinners for $37. The cooking surface was probably electric. Bar and tables on left side. Entrance and salad bar in the middle. Room with a view (retaining pond) on the right. There was some junk hanging around in certain areas. Right side is nicer. Must seat well over a hundred. I remember red and black colors. Some swag. I guess you would call it modern. Around five groups there at lunch. They don't open until 1pm. Close at 11:30 or 12:30pm (WE). 7D. Not bad, but, I think I'll prefer the $20 AYCE at Gen Korean when I go there. The highly rated one I went to in Vegas was only $26.

The Winery & Tasting Room - I saw an interview the owner did on tv with two of the boobilicious talking heads from local news. On some show/podcast called Central Florida Foodie or something. The owner has taken over Castle Church Brewing and Sanford Brewing (?) under the Brewlando umbrella. She took over this spot that was some kind of Euro-trash bar a few months ago. It's nice. It has a good location. Right in the center. They have a patio underneath the Ferris Wheel. Window wall between it and the inside. Mostly a bar with seats. Some high tops. Not stuffy. Plenty of elbow room. Modern. Wood accents. Wood barrels above the bar. They simplified and gussied it up a bit. One bartender. They sell a few Brewlando beers and other people's wine. Mostly brands carried by a distributor. I had their Magic City Milk Stout for $10. It was good. As you can see, it is pricy. Double a brewery or bar price. A four glass flight was $20-$25. By the glass pours were all low teens and up. They were out of the port I originally wanted. Around three groups there. A definite improvement to the area. The bartender said they had or are opening up a place that sells food as well in Maitland. 

Orlando Starflyer - The best part of the day out. This is that tower with the swing seats attached. I've loved them ever since my cousin and I made my brother throw up (twisting his seat around so it spun) orange mussels all over his white shirt and pants at a summer carnival. I paid $13 for one ride. $15 if not a Florida resident. Extra discounts for responders and forces. $9 if you want a second go. No line. You have to have empty pockets. They have free lockers. I put all but car key in the car. The guy at the bottom put my key in a basket and I could leave my flip flops where we took off from. I goes so high. The views alone are worth the price. Whipping around with the wind in your face is gravy. And you get dizzy. The stupid sling shot on the other side of the strip mall is $40! Let's hope they don't let any Jabba the Hut sized teenagers on this one. Run. Don't walk to try this. I can't believe I had neglected doing so for so long. If Fun Spot is huge...this is kofefe.

*I also espied Divina Carne Brazilian Steakhouse and Corazon while on I drive. The first is on a side street (Carrier) near where the Afro (?) News Network is. Next to that Pirate Adventure dinner theater place. Is that still going? The other is near that iconic cylindrical hotel with the globe on it. Nearer to Kirkman. And that new hotel. The one with some beach or summer theme, I think. It doesn't look like they spent money fixing it up. Maybe on the inside. Divina in like $69 to start. $39 for no meat. But, you can have sushi, carpaccio, smoked salmon, cheese, etc. So, I might be able get my money's worth. Those items looked fresh/high quality. The space looks much more posh than I expected.

**Check the top of the page. I made it so you can track this blog via X.

J'Adore, Altamonte Springs *TX/NM/AZ Travel Notes

I went to this French bakery on 434 (behind a 7-11) near Lake Brantley HS on Thursday at lunch. I grabbed a Le Paris Brie ($12.50) and Altamonte Cross ($3.50) to go. The baguette was wonderful. Did you know it means baton and is the most modern of the breads? The ham was ok. Thick. A touch smoky. The butter had a bit of a contaminated flavor. Probably from being in the fridge too long. The brie was a bit bland. It resuscitated a bit after warming up to room temp. The Cross was pleasing. An soft, x shaped, yellow, risen, "donut" with a vanilla cream icing. They had around six to eight other sandwiches starting at $11 Nothing special. Pate (pork), salmon, tuna, etc. Around three omlettes. Maybe two salads. Three quiches (tiny). Around a dozen pastries. All more than $4 except the one cookie. A few seats. Not much panache. They are out of Northern France. I expected a bit more. I go often enough to Europe that I can get the things they pawn off to Americans as luxury items (with associative mark ups) cheaply at any supermarket. I'm mean like 2E for a whole container of pork pate or a full round of the cheap brie. A longer baguette for under 1E. So, I get a little ticked off at these mark ups. But, I guess a Subway meatball or cold cut sandwich is around $8 now. You decide. That baguette was pretty terrific though.

*Travel Notes - Texas/New Mexico/Arizona: I flew to Dallas on Frontier (over a half hour late leaving each way for no reason) for $98. I flew there because flights and/or car rentals were way more to AZ or NM. This was just a filler trip. I rented (my choice) a car from Hertz for a week at $364. It was brand new. DFW is so much better than Houston. Before I left, I consulted Texas Monthly's Best BBQ and Best Bites of '24 lists. The first place I drove to was their Best Bites selection (beef ribs) in Ft Worth called Ribbees on Seminary Rd off 35 a few blocks north of 20. Their momma spot is called Goldees. It was the #1 rated. Not open on the days I was in town. Ribbees had a two rib special with ff and a roll. The ribs were tasty. Not much meat though. About half the size of the ribs I've always seen. The crinkle fries were great. I think I got here by taking 183 west to 35 south. It was confusing leaving the airport. I then took 35S to Austin. I stayed at the Woodspring Austin (Expedia 8.8) at 290 near 183 for $71. I ate nearby at some chain called Bill Miller BBQ. Some good fried chicken. 

The next day I awoke too early to do any of the spots in Austin. So, I drove 35S to 123 to Seguin. There I had excellent (but they kind of fucked me with a very fatty middle piece of the point) brisket at Burnt Bean Co. $16 for 1/2 a pound. They had a Michelin plaque. #4 on the TM list. Nice place. Next to City Hall. Longish line because they move so slow. If I hadn't thought I was going to two more places (spoiler alert - they fell through) that day, I would have tried more. I drove from there to 87E to Cuero. Passed Juan Seguin grave site. I popped in (not on any list) for a poor, dry brisket taco at Smolik's Meats and BBQ that cost $7. Onto Victoria. I was supposed to try Mumford's from that PBS Daytripper show. I picked the one week they take a vacation. On the way out, I espied a place called La Vaca BBQ. It had some awards listed from a few years back and a Southern Living article. I decided to quench my anger with some of their food. They plied me with samples of brisket (best), chili, sloppy joe, pulled pork and pork steak (that was also a thing at Burnt Bean). All good. I bought the bargain 1/4 chicken for $5 and the disappointing (old) pork ribs at $13. I had intended on trying a PBS place in San Diego, but, they closed at 3pm and there was no way to make it. So, I turned north on 183 and 111 and connected with 10. I took that back west towards 35. I took 46W on top of San Antonio (New Braunsfels) to see that area and escape any SA rush hour. I stopped at a Bucees in Luling on the way. Tried some dark chocolate almonds, cookie and the cheapest soda ($1.19 large) any place in the US. It was almost night by the time I reconnected with the 10. I chickened out and accepted a shit hole motel called Executive Inn in Comfort for $89 (rack rate). I could have gone to the next exit. But, after that it really was no man's land. 

The next day I drove the rest of 10 that I had never driven. Stopped in Fort Stockton and Van Horn. Through El Paso (getting too big) and Las Cruces NM. Stopped in Deming and slept at a Motel 6 in Lordsburg for $83 (rack rate).

The next day I continued on to Tucson AZ. I stopped at the Airplane Boneyard just south of town at S Kolb Rd and E Irvington Rd. It was in the movie Can't Buy Me Love. It is restricted, but, you can see it from those roads. So many planes! I then went one block south and a few towards Tucson to the Pima Air & Space Museum. Didn't pay to go in. Back to 10 and south on 19 to 12th Ave and Irvington to Pecheron Mexican Grill. It was on Food Paradise. They said they had a real restaurant elsewhere. The internet gave me this address. It was a food truck. I had a Sonoran hot dog for $4.50 and a Percheron Taco for $4. It was made with Diezmillo (they said this meant shoulder meat) beef on a crust of mozzarella. They called burritos  burros and hot dogs - dogos. Sold something called coyota with ice cream. From here I drove south about twenty miles to the Titan Missile Museum at West Duval Mine Rd. The tour to the underground silo was sold out and the $7 topside entry wasn't worth it. Back to Tucson and a Motel 6 (Expedia 7.8) at Ina Rd for $101. It was next to a train track. I drove south to Speedway Blvd and got a green chile pulled pork plate with mac and cheese and potato salad at a new bbq place called Bashful Bandit Barbecue for $20. I tried to try a place on 3D called Chef Alicia's. It didn't open early enough for me. 

The next day I took 10 back east. Stopped at exit 268 for Omar's Hi-way Chef. On Food Paradise. I had their Texas Breakfast Sandwich for $14. It was basically two open faced grilled cheeses with two sausage patties and two eggs with home fries or hash browns. I was possibly going to stop in Tombstone (again) or Cochise Stronghold, but once I start passing assholes on the highway, I can't fathom doing it twice. I got off in Las Cruces on 70N. Stopped at a Ice House Brewing Co for a four pack at $13. Stopped atop a hill overlooking a Missile Testing Facility at Tularosa Basin. There are a few on this road. It was important to the space race. Past White Sands NM (been) into Alamogordo. Stopped at their Space Museum. Didn't go in. I think it cost $7. Good view of the town from here. Near here is where they did the A Bomb Trinity test as seen in Oppenheimer. Sporadic tours. North to 82E. Got some garlic pistachio nuts at McGinns Pistachio Land. Took this route because I had never driven it. It was good. The first town is Cloudcroft. It had a little ski resort. Side Note - I didn't do north NM because they haven't received much snow so far. I stopped in Artesia because it was getting dark. Stayed at an ok Comfort Inn for $110 (rack rate). It was smart to stop here. It was the nicest town.

The next day I drove on through Hobbs to Seminole TX. This whole area of NM is oil or natural gas fields. It stunk up the place. I'm not sure how people can live here without brain damage. South on 385 to Odessa. Ate a shitty lunch at Hacienda Vieja for $17. They charged for chips and using a cc. On to 20. Stopped in Abilene. Stayed at a shitty Sleep Inn for $96 (rack rate). Had dry brisket, mashed potato like potato salad, seasoned spuds and dry cornbread at Betty Rose's Little Brisket for $18.

The next day I stopped at the athletic fields at Abilene Christian University. There was also a college there called Hardin Simmons or something. The weather changed that day, so, I just drove through to Dallas. Onto 30 and off at 360. Stayed at a good Best Western Plus on 360 (Expedia 8.8) in Arlington for $99.

I returned the car the next day at flew out. No real issues. Didn't accomplish much. Ate McD's $5 Meal Deal around five times. Gas was near $3 in AZ. A quarter less in NM. Fifty to seventy five cents less in TX. Spent $220 in gas. Airport parking was $120. Total Cost = $1605.

Bar Kada, Winter Park

I went to this sake bar at Soseki on W Fairbanks last night at supper. They are open Wed-Sun from 5p-9p. I started off with two maki. Both $11 on the receipt, but, $15 and $13 on the menu. Both were four pieced, cigar shaped rolls. Well prepared rice. Scrappy fish that didn't really burst with flavor. Bluefin tuna and king salmon. The salmon was a bit spiced with garlic chili. The tuna with spicy mayo. They also had a $21 waygu and $11 cucumber and $11 crab. The receipt printed out the name of the dishes, so, I don't think there was any cashier side monkey business. Maybe a POS glitch or happy hour explanation? I also had a half dozen IROC oyster for $6. Yes, $1 a piece. They said it was a special. Unlike the oysters which were not. The smallest, most emaciated of their kind I have been served. I would have been embarrassed to serve a few of them. They also had Kushi and Kumumoto. In that First Bite category they also had a $16 caviar donut, $13 tomato chili sunomono and a $30 or $42 dry aged sashimi selection (3 set or 5 set). From the Fuller Bites, I selected the best dish of the night. The chili rock shrimp noodles at $20. Very good (but not made in house) egg noodles (ramen) with a touch of bok choy and garlic crumbs. A fair portion size. Good chew on the noodles. They also have $18 chicken wings, $28 Faroe Island salmon and $50 A5 waygu (2oz). They have two desserts. $8 ice cream and $10 mochi cake. Five Supplements and Additions. A five course prix-fixe at $85, three sake for $5, $60 1/3rd oz black truffles, $12 bump of caviar, $90 30g Petrossian Rotal Baika and $175 30g Petrossian Royal Daurenki. Happy Hour (5-6p) has some $10 drinks, $12 mussels and $11 sunomono. All the plating was nice. As you can see, some things are less dear than others. Still less than the $275 for Soseki. They also have a wine and sake selection. There were only two other patrons there. One table of two when I came in and one solo bar goer when I left. The bar had five or six seats. I didn't clock how many tables there were. Not many. They make a big to do like they are doing you a favor by seating you. You just read how desperate they should be/act. I'll bet no one was at Soseki. But, I guess you have fake it until you make it. The room was tiny and white. Some little posters. My host (and all the non-door staff I interacted with) was very pleasant. They start you off with some puffed peas. Soy sauce from an eyedropper. They try and pull the special wasabi bs. I can't remember if they opened in the summer. It was far back on my list. The only real disappointment was the 20% service fee that they add and fail to tell you about. I double tipped on that plus the tax. Damn soft lighting. Not sure if it merits a Favorites.

Grub Crawl - UCF Area: Violet's, Saucy by KFC, Yulnn Meals, Siam Garden and Goodfella's *Delray Beach Open Travel Notes

I tried these spots today at lunch. The first is in a new development (Ellington) on E Mitchell Hammock near Alafaya Trail. The second is south down Alafaya past 408 by about a mile on the right. The third is back north on 50 in the strip mall on the northeast corner. It replaced Ji Bei Chuan. The fourth is next door on the left. The last is a few stores down on the left. I just knocked these off cheaply because I had nothing left on the agenda and I decided to let Gen Korean simmer since it is an AYCE (I wasn't hungry) and the dumpling place I wanted to pair it with wasn't open as I thought. I'll return for both when it is.

Violet's Ice Cream Boutique - They surprised my by stating that they have been open for a year. I just recently read about the development they are in. It refers to itself as Amish. I had a single (huge) scoop of cinnamon roll for $6. I hate paying for ice cream. This was an original flavor and I loved it. I didn't mind paying for it all. Pieces of roll and pecans. Cinnamon. They had about a dozen flavors. Then some mixes that you can get as a sundae or shake. They cost around $9. Waffle cones/bowls were an extra $1.50. They had floats. The space is white and clean. A few tables. Counter in the rear. The entrance is on Mitchell Hammock. Parking in the rear. There is also a Jinya and CFS Coffee here. They said they are opening a location in Lake Mary and has one in Sanford. It will be a Favorite.

Saucy by KFC - I believe this is their test store. It is a fail. They take away all the chicken pieces and some sides and give you eleven sauces that you must pay for. I only recall chicken fingers and those on bread. Maybe a wrap. I can't rcall if KFC has sweet rolls and crinkle fries. I grabbed those for $2.50 to play along. They were good. Big portion. Seasoned with a rub. The place looks like a red KFC. Kiosks. Opened recently.

Yulnn Meals and Sips - Just opened. I'm not sure how much redecorating they did. It's white, faux marble, two shades of gray with sandalwood. Spartan. Around six tables. They may have altered the counter area. Made it bigger. Two kiosks. Minion and Jeff Coons Balloon Dog figurines. The menu (Taiwanese/Japanese) was uninspiring. I settled on this cheapest thing as a result. A ground pork and mushroom dish (can't recall the name and they don't provide receipts) with white rice at $10. A portion without rice was $7. So, I guess rice is $3. It was good. Sweet, savory soy sauce based sauce. Not heavy. Lightly stir fried broccoli with garlic and cabbage on the side. The rice was cooked correctly. In a sustainable cardboard bowl. They also sell apps like Taiwanese sausage, tempura shrimp or gyoza. Most under double digits. Mains like ramen, noodle dishes, cold chicken and some fried items on rice. They were mid to upper teens. They sell tea too.

Siam Garden - Looks like it has been there for years. Menu was large. Things you would expect at prices you would as well. They actually had a good deal of seafood and duck. Things I complimented Talay on. They also had a sushi section that I suggest you avoid by the look of seafood and the prices (a Philly Roll was $10). I just had $6 Tum Kha Chicken Soup to go because I wasn't in the mood for another Thai meal. It was ok. Tasted like cheese. Took longer than a soup to go should. Maybe it wasn't pre-made. The place looks old. Dark tones. Stained wood. Fake awnings. Thai elements. Around fourteen tables. Some are booths on the left. One server/buser. Now open 7D. Closed between 2pm and 5pm?

Goodfella's - Since 1998. Was once related to the one in Sanford. Now not. I just grabbed a slice for $3.50 because I had only eaten fries and ice cream so far. It was large. Typical, low quality NY slice. Bad cheese. Ok sauce. Still eatable. Full menu. Subs, pasta, pizza, apps, wings, calzone, stromboli, mains, etc. Veal, chicken, seafood. I didn't get that good a look at the sit down area. Obviously old.

*Travel Notes - Delray Beach Open: I drove 95 to Atlantic Ave in about three hours (stops for gas and Wendy's). Started at 8am. Parked in some covered lot where they wrote that Red Parking was $5. Thought it was there. Turned out to be a free public lot. I saw a few other "colored" parking areas. The ones close to the stadium must cost and you probably have to pre-purchase them. I think those farter away were free. My garage was a block off Atlantic. I had called ahead and they said that I should just wait and buy a ticket there. I think the price was $29 or $59 (I tossed my notes) for the day session. There was an online scam site that looked like their direct ticket sales. They were asking a minimum of $129! I would also call because their prices seemed alot lower than anything I can find (or found) online. I'm forgetful because I met a guy in line and as we were talking he asked if I wanted a coupon for a free ticket. I said yes. He told me some company (maybe the sponsor?) gives away free passes. Another lady told me that if you bring ten canned items you get a free ticket too. They also have days dedicated to certain people like Vets. I assume they get discounted tickets too. This was sort of Day One. They do some "legends" doubles over the weekend. Not sure if every round has deals. I was surprised how few matches were going on. Just four. All in the stadium. Doubles at 11am. Singles at 1pm and 2:30pm. An extra singles on an outside court. Night had two matches. The stadium is large. Everyone had a real seat. I was lucky to be in the second level towards the back. It was shaded. On the west side. The place was probably 5% full. You could grab a seat anywhere. Most people were hogging the shade. They had a few (expensive) food and drink stands. Picnic tables. A water was $6. Hats were $40. A t-shirt was $37. I think you can bring in your own drinks (and maybe food). It's always fun to attend something this low key. The biggest star was Taylor Fritz. I saw him practice. Tommy Paul withdrew. I saw McDonald and Michelson beat Seggerman and Smith and Kecmanovic beat Gojo and I saw the start of Norrie and Svadja and two newbies (Quinn and Boyer) on Court 1. Other "names" were Eubanks, Opelka, Davidovich and Nakashima. The crowd was ancient. I can't believe most of them survived Covid. People were scalping tickets outside. Over the phone they said I could get a printed ticket. The girl who redeemed our coupon said no. Sent a link to my new friend. I didn't pursue it. I left at just past 3:30pm because I was scared of West Palm rush hour traffic. I got through easily. The same three hours on return. I will say that it was a parking lot from Delray to WPB coming south. That's like thirteen miles. There must have been an accident. I only espied some flashing lights from a cop car at some point before the jam registered. Weather was perfect. It's a good event. I believe they said it is 33 years old. I was going to stay down there the day before or after, but, prices seemed inflated. I hate paying for crap in this part of the state. I'm glad I made it a day trip. Really only cost me $40 in gas. I'm going to try and do the Miami Open in a few weeks. I bet it will be a pain in the ass in comparison.

Grub Crawl - Ivanhoe Village and NoDo: Bark Haven and Talay

I tried these spots yesterday at lunch. Both will be Favorites. The first is on Brookhaven Dr behind Santiago's Bodega on Virginia. The second is in the old City Pub space on North Orange Ave.

Bark Haven - They opened around Thanksgiving. It combines dog grooming, dog park, ale house and restaurant. I know. Weird. Open plan. High ceilings. Black. Two large arced booths and a few regular tables inside. Maybe ten tables outside in front of the dog park. A bar in between with around a dozen seats on each side. TVs. Ceiling fans everywhere (on too high). You can bring your dog anywhere. I had the Big Rich for $17. It is a 1/2 lb burger with Mediterranean (not sure how) pimento cheese, onion rings, tomato, arugula or cress, sweet pickles on a brioche bun. It was excellent. The best I've had in a while. Much better than the one they sell at Papi's Burgers (a part owner). I asked for medium rare and it was closer to rare. Fine by me. They hand form it. Maybe hand grind it. Not smashed. Nice crust. I took off the veg and onion rings and ate them as sides. The veg were well seasoned and dressed in a vinaigrette. Fresh tomatoes. The onion rings (one small and one large) were crisp. Some of the best of those I've had in years. Not oily. Pickles seemed homemade. It came in a little cardboard tray with metal looking plastic silverware. The menu is small. Around ten apps and six pizzas and six mains. Only two of the pizzas have "Italian" cheese (burrata). The one I saw was plate sized and looked good. Mid-teens. Other mains are a brisket Cuban in pizza dough, a Lebanese burger, grilled shrimp, etc. All around/under twenty bucks. A steak frites was $24? I don't think any come with a side. They asked if I wanted to add fries. Apps were things like three types of wings and grilled Caesar wedge. Local beer, wine, martinis, cocktails. Most things have a Mediterranean influence. They had six female servers. In black unis. They add 20% automatically. The food seems to be cooked in a "food truck" in the parking lot. On site parking. Open 11am-9pm. 7D. Dogs don't make me uncomfortable. I think I was one in a past life. Their presence made me happy. The place was pretty packed before noon. I think you will enjoy it.

Talay - It means "sea" in Thai. It means we finally have some differentiation in this category. I tried the Gam Pu Tod (crispy crab claws) for $8 and Pad Pak Boong with chicken (water spinach in fermented bean sauce) for $17 to go. Both because they were things I had never had/seen. The crab claws (4) are covered in fried rice paper. They came with an orange colored plum sauce. They reminded me of a dim sum dish at HSF in Chinatown NY. They trim the claw/shell down and mush some crab meat mixture over it and bread it and deep fry it. So good. These claws were cut down closer to the stem and weren't as "bushy". They didn't have a ton of flavor on their own. And that flavor was mostly frozen claw meat tasting. But, it's a fun snack when dipped in the sauce. Crunchy. Not greasy. Decent crab would just make it better. The main dish was good. Pounded, white meat chicken. The sauce was thin. Like a black bean sauce with garlic. Hot because I asked for it that way. More chicken than Queen's Cup. Wok prepared (I'd assume). Came with basmati rice. The kernels seemed short (I'm seeing this more often). Sticky. But, maybe because I left it in the container until dinner. It came out in minutes! Scary quick. Packaging was first class. The menu is GREAT! If I lived nearby, I would eat here once a week. Three soups ($19-$27). Six starters ($7-$14). Four raws ($18-$34). Three salads ($15-$23). Three grilled ($16-MP). Eleven signature ($21-$59). Four curries ($22-$29). Nine classics ($17-$22). Three sweets ($9-$15). Some interesting items were: river prawns, cuttlefish, raw oysters, roti, hand pressed shrimp cakes, marinated picanha, green papaya salad, pork jowl, black mussels, red snapper, sea bass, omlette, soft shell crab, duck and scallops. As you can infer from the types of things and prices, this is not your usual Thai restaurant. I can't recall seeing its equal (amount of seafood dishes). Not even in Phuket. If they don't abuse or purchase poorly or over keep these ingredients, we may really have a sleeper here. The fact that only three other couples were dining at midday on a Saturday makes me worried. What if no one finds them? Will their freezer be working overtime? Will the menu shrink? They did a great job on the makeover. They didn't change the layout. It's a central bar with seats around it and a patio if you have never been. It looks like they just repainted and recovered. But, you couldn't tell if you hadn't been here before. A shade of off white. Some gold accents. Sandalwood. Darker stained wood above the bar. Subtle. Sophisticated. Some white cushioned areas. High ceiling. Seats 133. Twenty tables of four or two inside. Some bar seats. Maybe ten tables outside. Open 11am-10pm. They may close for an hour after 3pm. The internet says so, but, I think their door sign said no break. 7D. Parking is a bitch around here. No problem this day. Maybe four wait staff. White unis. Pleasant. Thai. Unsure if they have alcohol. Opened recently. I would make the effort. They seemed to have.

*The receipt had Noir on it as well. Maybe that is the same owner? I think that's a bar nearby. Beignets and Brew down the street doesn't seem close. 

**Here are some flavor combos I stumbled upon out of boredom and chance: Bauducco toast ($1.69 at Winn Dixie) with hot sauce and cheddar (good), Iberia vanilla wafers (99c at Publix) with cheddar (good), Iberia vanilla wafers with cheddar and hot sauce (good), Iberia vanilla wafers dipped in red wine (not good), Iberia vanilla wafers dipped in plum sauce (average).

***I was told at Winn Dixie that they put the old (ever shrinking) baguettes on the top shelf by the bakery. I also looked at the sticker on them. It read $3.184 a lb for $1.99. I will be keeping an eye on that ratio even though I know they have been cheating us since Aldi took over. It's almost pi, so, I should remember.

Grub Crawl - Downtown, Winter Park and Lake Mary: Acropolis, Black Coffee and Queen's Cup

I tried these places yesterday. The first is downtown where Dove Cote used to be. Bank of America building. Diagonal from the courthouse. The second is in the old Winter Park Fish Co location on N Orange. The last is on Country Club Rd. The one near their City Hall and the train tracks.

Acropolis - I walked out of this Greek Taverna after thirty minutes past ordering. I had ordered the two minute max prep time falafel plate at $16. It came with hummus and a side salad. It was hard finding a main with a side that you wanted. They must be on a strict FIFO system. Personally, I would have one lane for time hogs and one for slap togethers. They also seemed to have no separate line for to go orders. I saw the gyro gyro. Just pale meatloaf lamb/beef. It didn't seem to be rotating. I bet they shave it and cook it on a grill. The menu had four section: apps, wraps, specialties and salads. About a dozen of the usuals in each. Prices from high single digits to forties. Some of the more ambitious offerings were: lamb lollipops, ouzo mussels, branzino, and red snapper. They use swai as their undescribed fish.  They have four locations in Tampa. This is a good room with steel beams and high ceilings. The color scheme is blue and white. Brick wall. Neon sign. Around thirteen tables of four and a bar with ten seats and a semi-private windowless "room". Semi-open kitchen in the corner. Oh and tables on the patio and outside in the lobby. They also do a sandwichy breakfast business from a display case by the entrance. About half full of white collar types. Two waitresses and a bartender. Had the hard stuff and wine. It was a bit "corporate" feeling. I believe they opened around Xmas. You can pass. I'm not going back.

Black Coffee - They also refer to it as Cafe Negro. I guess one of the owners is/was connected to Univision. I don't watch. I went here after I couldn't find any newbies downtown. It was 2pm. I was the only one there for a while. They just opened a few days ago. The space is arced. Windows. A little rectangle with two tables for the drinks/bar. Charcoal, black (fans and lights) and light gray (tiles). Around fifty seats. I guess the style is Puerto Rican. The menu is mostly $20+. Breakfast and brunchy things. I had the chicken and waffles for $23. The breast was huge. Three meals worth. Mostly good. The breading came off a bit too easily and the center was too close too raw. I ate around it. Packed the remainder up and will nuke it with black beans tonight for dinner. They covered it with cheese. I think the menu said it was to have a bechamel sauce? I remebered this afterwards. Sadly, I think that was why I chose it. The round waffle was fine. I saw the owner's meal of the $19 smash burger. Not too thin. A ton of fries. The eggs benedict at $18 could come with salmon. But, no side. The $19 BLT came with seasoned potatoes, but, cheese too. There was an $18 omlette with steak. They also had an avocado toast and maybe six more choices. They gave me a free watermelon drink that was great and a shot of their fresh squeezed OJ (no pulp and watery tart). Parking is good. Up front, wide enough and more in the rear. To me it feels more like it should be a dinner place. I wonder if locals will go often enough to make it work out. It feels like a special occasion play. Do enough people eat a fancy breakfasts during the week? I think they need more lunch-cenric dishes at least. Maybe the drinks will catch on. I didn't catch the pricing. They probably will take too long for the to go crowd. One waitress (uniformed). One drink guru. Service was good. Open 7am-4pm. They seem to have that opening tip off enthusiasm. I was expecting a Black Bean Deli sort of experience. This was higher end. The pricing (and lack of sides on a few dishes) put me off initially. But, you do get alot. Now is that what people want? Or would they like both cut in half? Their POS system overcharged the tax. They said they would look into it.

Queen's Cup - Opened six months ago as an ice cream, etc place. Recently started a limited Thai menu. Around eight usuals. Pad Thai, Tom Yum, Fried Rice, Green and Masaman Curry, Samosas, Green Papaya Salad, Summer Rolls and what I had - Chicken Krapow for $15. Stir fried, pounded white meat with green and yellow peppers, fried egg, basil and onions over rice. The sauce is just a bit of heat with the cooking oil. Nothing special. Smallish portions. Rice was a bit over cooked. Most things cost the same. Some snacks were $5. They also do coconut water (from actual coconuts), ice cream, mango, drinks, etc. Family run. One cook/owner. One order taker. Limited seating (small raised counter, alcove and one table). Long ice cream counter. Green color. Parking in front. The snacks and sweets are probably the draw.

*If Mason's Lobster Rolls is at 2 S Orange, it is far from completion. Same with Nuri. Leiah seems closer. I drove past Mochibae (can we just write this off?) and DZO on East Colonial. DZO still says Mongolorian all over. Didn't see a finished build or a sign for Chapman in Winter Park. But, I may have been distracted (gone too fast). Maybe because they only do dinner.

Grub Crawl - College Park, Mills and Audubon Park: Yeast Coast Bakery, Burrow Cafe, Wafu, Meat N' Bone, The Pass Kitchen *NFL Pro Bowl Travel Notes

I tried this assortment of snacks at various locations Sunday at lunch and dinner. All to go. The first is in a nondescript group of one story structures on Edgewater near Digress Wine. One of the last commercial spots on that road before DT (50). The second is just across 50 (south side) on Mills. On the right. The third is at East End Market. On the second floor. The fourth is in the strip mall on the opposite of the EEM on Corrine where Redlight Redlight is. The last is a food truck in front of RL RL. But, It isn't there usually,

Yeast Coast Bakery - They said they soft opened in August. Just six pin wheel type baked options. I had a ham and cheese for $6. Small. Overpriced. They also had sweet ones like cinnamon rolls. One employee. No seats. Seedy look. Affiliated with some coffee place up the block. Only open Fri-Sn from 8am-2pm or sold out. Internet has different schedule. You can pass.

Burrow Cafe - Just drinks and a tiny plastic box of store bought baked goods. Looks good though. Curved bar. High ceilings. Interesting architecture. Light tones. Windows. Not sure if USAID is funding them. Said they provided space for things like day care. A totally Gen Zero manifestation. Opened just recently. parking seems like a pain. Only went here because the selection at YCB was so disappointing. Not as disappointing as this though.

Wafu - They make those snapper (tai) shaped waffles (yaki). Open for a while. I had tried to try them since day one. But, they don't open until 2pm. On weird days. I had a kurabuto pork sausage with mozz one and a bacon with cheddar one. Both cost $5. Both were pre-made. They said fresh ones would take forty minutes. Not sure if these were mistakes or sitting there since 2pm. They were ok. A bit tough. The sausage was Asian sized. Nothing special either. Looked like a Vienna sausage. The bacon was good. Half a strip. A waffle is less than hand size. Both had cooled. Better when nuked. You know I just saw an old episode of Hot Ones where David Chang said microwaves were the best cooking tool! They had a few other savory and sweet types. Ice cream. The line was long. So many people waiting disappointedly. Two workers. No seats. Kind of a bother. Two McGriddles are now $5 at McDs. And they have egg. I was here for Gyu Katsu Rose. They seemed like a pain (wait list) and I was in ten minute parking and they don't offer to go dishes. It seems like their gimmick is hot stones that you cook on. I thought it would be fried stuff. I guess it is more about the meat half (Gyu).

Meat N' Bone - A meat shop with locations in south and west Florida. Fancy cuts. Game. Some sake and wine and charcuterie. Some seafood. Looks nice. Lots of glass fridges. Opened recently. Still can't sell the alcohol they display. No kitchen. Didn't buy anything. A 6oz of octopus carpaccio was like $12. 2oz of Serrano Ham was $16. Parking is a pain. 

The Pass Kitchen - Unsure how long in business. They have a physical store in Altamonte Springs on 434. Heat up meals. I had the (4) grouper empanadas for $12 because I forgot about Bark Haven and the Burger Jawn truck wasn't where it is said to be and I was starving. They were ok. smallish. A bit fishy. Good cream dipping sauce. Not oily. Came out quick. They also had mostly Mexican dishes and a ramen ($14). 

*Travel Notes - NFL Pro Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando: I finally went. It was kind of fun. I left at halftime because I had concern for my car, I showed up too early and I can't handle traffic any more. A nosebleed cost $29. I bought it there. I had to do the digital ticket off their texted wifi link bs. Just text the ticket qr code! I may be being too much of a bitch about that. It was about half full. I moved around. Parking in an Asian lady's yard across the lake (Loorna Doone) at the morth end cost $20 in cash. It was up to $40 a bit closer. Some at $30. I didn't get boxed in and no door dings. Parking up to the stadium needed to be pre-purchased.  

Chabuca, OIA Area *Maldives Travel Notes

I tried this Peruvian restaurant aside a gas station of 436 before the other edifices that are before the airport last night. It was then Aji something and I never went in because it was aside a gas station. I had the aji de gallina to go for $17. It (like the place) was much better than I was expecting. The shredded chicken was stringy in parts. But, I don't think it was bought in a bag. The garlic cream of chicken like sauce was peppery with a little heat. I didn't see black specks, so, maybe white pepper? Not salty. They tossed in four cubes of some spongy white cheese, two olives and two delicious roasted baby potatoes cut in half. I just took a peak while driving and couldn't stop picking at it. I had to force myself to stop half way through. The only issue was the dry basmati rice that came with it. The menu has most of the things you've come to expect. Around a dozen apps. Four soups ($7+). Cold fish. Around eight chaufas (high teens). Four sandos (ie $17 HB and $14 CH). A dozen+ mains (ie $30 whole chicken). I forget the price on the others like lomo saltado, fish chicharron and the most interesting dish  a cacio e pepe like dish with steak and spaghetti. Booze and wine and beer. Desserts. My only issue is with the roasted chicken. Even a quarter portion was like $12. FF and salad doesn't excuse the price. The place looks plush. Black, gray, white, brown tones. White, wood framed tourism paintings/posters. Some appropriate bric a brac. Mini lights and vases on the tables. White lamp shades. Nine boots. Seven 4s. Five 2s. A bar with four seats. Inoffensive music. L shaped room. Not the same owners. Pleasant waiter. Food came out quickly. Nice packaging. Open for a month. Open for lunch and dinner. I'm pretty sure 7D. Named after some popular singer not a Star Wars character. Possibly this year's first Fav? Wish the rice was better. 

* Travel Notes - Maldives: I flew AA (Miami) and Qatar Air (Doha) to Male for $1132. Nights. About 10,000 miles! Coming back took longer. Doha airport was sick. Cool art. Artificial jungle. Checking in with both airlines (both ways) was a pain in the ass. They made me fill out all this bs and then said sorry can't check you in online. How long has the internet been in existence? They still can't adjust their sites (both slow loading too) for different types of tickets? And why is there even a 24 hr check in rule in the US? I know. So, they can try and double sell seats. I thought that was why I didn't get my third leg from AA. But, Qatar seemed to be able to print it out in Miami so who knows. And no issues getting the whole trip (even AA segment) from Qatar on the way back. Had to do that in person too though. They let you choose seats near the travel date for free. Charged if you did it too early though. I'm giving (and will give) all this advice because I didn't do much. Both stops don't require visas. But, Maldives wants you to fill out a form BEFORE you get there. And it is online. I didn't see any info on that on the internet. And of course the airlines don't help. I wasn't willing to subject my phone to their wifi (and I don't get sim cards), so, some poor kid had to fill the form out for me on his phone. 

I stayed in a little connected island north of Male called Hulhu Male because it looked like it had more beach. It did. Stay here. Male is one of the world's most densely packed cities and ony has a couple hours of "sights". I stayed at the Contento Retreat (Booking 5.6) for $56 a night and then about $21 more in various taxes. $6 you paid directly in dollars. They take dollars and speak English in the Maldives. FYI - Expedia was listing this at $85 before taxes. The hotel was infuriating. No tv reception or hot water. On a busy road (man was this place more noisy/inhabited than I expected). And other issues. When I first checked hotel rates (a week before), there were all these options under $100. Then when I checked the day before I left, this was almost the only thing left. And I didn't want to lose a day changing hotels if I hedged. They did get me in at 9am though. One block from the beach. It was supposed to be their dry time of year. Almost every day had rain and/or was cloudy. 80-89 degrees. Very humid.

The first day I learned that they make MEN wear shirts at the beach! Fat kids dream spot. I ignored this every time I went swimming. So did most Westerners. No one yelled at me, but, I saw the cops scold some women. Most of the local ewoks complied. So, Victorian. The swimable areas were very coral infested and shallow. Clean enough though. Some sand on the shore. East side of island. Oh, I used an ATM (many) at the airport and then took a 70 Rufyaa (exchange rate was 15.46 and the prices are listed at the airport on a sign and are flat rates by zones) taxi (many) because to get to my island by ferry you had to take one to Male (frequent) and then another (infrequent) after that. Ferry booth is to the left near taxi line. As I said, day one was a recon day. I found many bodegas and a few small modern grocery stores. Central Park. Ferry terminal. Got some groceries and started reading Hemingway's short stories. Oh, this was a Friday. That's their Sunday. Things closed from 12p to 2p. The town crier also strangles a cat five times a day starting at 4:30am. I went to bed every night at eight pm. Awoke before dawn.

The next day I walked as far north as possible to see if I could learn the mystery of where all the flying monkeys on scooters (24/7) were coming from. It turns out that there were many high rises there for locals. My end had many buildings, but, they were mostly four or five stories. I also went back to the park to see the Food Festival (pathetic) they were having that week. Back to the ferry for a chicken sandwich at Marry Brown. Saw a few mosques (this place was very Islamic) too. The entirety of this island is like a mile. They had around six mosques and two being built. Locals, Indians, Indonesians. Malays and some of those bearded but moustache-less heeby jeebies that are probably retired Al Qaeda. They loved me and my Rays hat! The women/batmans most of all. You could feel the hate even if you couldn't really see it through their slit. The rest just sported that Captain Jack Sparrow look. Did some reading.

The next day I walked to the north of my section's beach to "skinny dip" away from prying eyes. There was a canal there that I espied the day before. Met a nice local there. He said he had been to all the atolls there (hundreds) because he was a doctors aid. He said that canal was a good snorkeling point (rays, sharks). But it was too rough that day. I then did some reading and lunch at ChicKing (some Middle Eastern chain). A beef pepperoni pizza and tandoori chicken bites. Some time on a swing on the beach and more reading. Found a scuba diving business on the beach. Dinner of these delicious Chinese dumplings the Indians call momos at Momos (behind the hotel). Fried basil chicken and steamed coriander chicken. No pork allowed you know. Or booze. But they looked the other way at smoking. They came with a thai chile dip and an interesting (and delicious) one that was either pureed carrot or sweet potato. 

The next day I walked back to the canal. Still rough. Read. Walked the south part of town. Went scuba diving at 2p. $90 for one dive with Dive Club Maldives. Two dives was $145. They decided that they would only offer one and not to the place they assigned because of weather. They took credit. In US$. It was an ok dive. They had a morning shark dive. One of those in my lifetime was enough. Dinner of fish masala and basmati rice at Cafe 73 (behind the hotel). Chunks of tuna. I hope they weren't from a can. I was hoping for some kind of local fish. More reading.

The next day was a wash out. Re-walked the town. A chicken burger at Marry Brown. Reading. 

The final day I left at 10am. Walked the south and over to the 11:30am ferry to Male. It cost 10R. You can buy bus tickets there too. Same price. Bus driver told me they don't sell tickets on board. You need a card or ticket bought where they sell them. I think they sell them at the airport too. Walked the circumference of Male. Of course, this day, it was bright sun and 90+. Because of that, I just cut it short by 2pm. I saw some big blue building that I think was a mosque and a fairly nice artificial beach on the east side. The south was a marina. Some schools inland. The west was another artificial beach with oil platforms in the sea behind it. The north was one big commercial harbor. A mosque and square there too. Way fewer food choices than I expected. I decided to wait for BK at the airport. Took the 15R ferry to the airport. There will be a new, modern terminal soon it looks like. The food court there was all listed in USD (they took Rufyaa though) and double the price anywhere else on the island. I finally used my remaining funds for two 30R ice cream sandwiches at DQ and three 45R chicken strips at BK. The check in window didn't open until about three hours before the flight. Customs was a cinch.     

I spent 1150R while there. Ate mostly tuna. They had interesting flavored ones (black pepper, hot chili) for 20R. A few yogurt shakes (lychee, mango) from Bulgaria. Butterscotch ice cream. Black pepper cashews. Prices were about the same. No cold sliced meats. I brought my own doritos and wafers and melba toast because I wasn't sure of the market situation. I didn't need to. I saw them eating some discs that I saw labeled in the market as Havaad Huli Nuts and/or Heera Pan Foah. Online search comes back negative. ChicKing had chicken porridge and tandoori fries. The sun orientation seemed off for the time of day. Way too many cars and scooters. The infrastructure is a bit mixed. New and old/crumbly. Most tourists seemed Chinese or Eastern Slav. All the Westerners seemed to take the sea planes to the resort atolls. I was not going to pay those prices and book/research another flight/ferry. Maybe if someone else would book and pay for it and I had somebody to bang all day. But not if I didn't. You must take a bus to another (seaplane) airport too. I think those flights aren't cheap. Some atolls are within ferry or private boat distances. They used cloth for their carry out bags. Non-fast food sit down restaurants may add a 10% service charge and 16% GST. I only sat down once and they did. Every one was on their mobile all the time. No need for bug spray. No dogs. Just cats. I also spent time on the internet when not reading. Many times I wished I was leaving early. This is the farthest east I have been. South of India. I have been west as far as Phuket. Part of the reason to come here was to see Doha without "seeing" Doha. It looked good though. Very Dubai-esque. I doubt the other atolls are that great. There doesn't seem to be any thing here you can't get closer elsewhere. Plus all those cool circular dock like hotels are now being mimicked all over the world. Ramadan may make your time here even less appealing. It starts soon. Why I went now. Ok things I watched on the plane: Reacher S2, Conan O'Brien's Travel Show, some travel You Tubers named like Yes something, Ramesh Raga...something's travel show, SNL movie, Twisters. The Bond with Lazenby wasn't that bad as I remembered. Goldeneye was worse. Joker 2, Selena's cooking show sucks. I'm forgetting a sucky movie that came out recently.

El Coqui Ninja, Curry Ford Rd

I grabbed a snack at this Puerto Rican Asian spot in a strip mall at the intersection with Crystal Lale Rd on Wednesday. I had three Ko-Kee Pastelillos for $8. They were tasteless ground beef, mini empanadas. Braided. Came with ketchup. The menu is mostly Chinese. I'm not sure they know Ninjas are Japanese. Things like fried rice, kung pao chicken, crab rangoons. The mains come with a side. Under $20. They have a mofongo section. Beer and wine. I'm getting a little tired of the PR over exposure. Likewise on local news. It isn't the greatest cuisine. And I haven't seen one example where a fusion dish was made better by its inclusion. If any place could dispute that, it could be here. I'd have to delve deeper into the menu to address that. The place looks good though. They spent some money. A stainless steel kitchen is surrounded by eight 4s and four 2s. A patio of eight 4s. Around the kitchen is a kind of green plastic lego looking wainscotting. Little, old tvs on the tables. Flower print seats. Those colors are mirrored in the paint and curtains. Green, white, red. Pagodo awnings and mural. A gong. Ceramic Chinese take out box bowls and mini grills. Eight in the kichen. Four servers. Open for a month. Seven days. 11-9.  Lots of parking. It should be a hang out spot even if the food doesn't impress. Unsure if I'll be curious enough to ever truly find out. Then again, I may go back in a couple of days. Monitor the post for an addendum.

B-Town, Casselberry

I went to yet another of these burger mexican sushi etc bars in a strip mall across from a Buffalo Wild Wings near the overpass to Red Bug Lake Rd on 436 this Monday at dinner. I had a two topping poke bowl for $15 (or $15.57 if you believe my receipt) to go. Better than I expected. And one of the more reasonably/fairly priced items on the menu. I had many free options. I chose salmon, tuna, avocado, tomato, masago, cucumber, scallions, sweet plantains cream cheese and soy sauce. Cream cheese was a first. I saved it for use later on. You will see later that this is a Latin owned enterprise. Some of their options reflect that. I ate the sweet plantains first. Baby steps. The salmon was pitch white. I thought it was white fish or smoked salmon by mistake. I thought I might get sick. It didn't have much taste, but, no effects yet. Alot of large chunks. Same with the tuna. Better color. AYCE buffet quality. Which I can live with in these portions. The rice was good. All the veg were fresh. Lots of everything. Hopefully, it is not a lack of demand and profusion of (perishable) supply situation and the portions are always like this. A smash burger was $10. Around six types. Up to $18. Ribs were around $26. A seven ounce steak was around $18. Wings were $10 for eight. Maybe came with fries? Mozz sticks were around $8. An eight piece sushi assortment was $26. Rolls started at $11. Chicken and pork sandwiches were around $12. Tacos (3) started at $12? They have birria. They had eight mass market beers. Six wines. A $5 milkshake seemed like a value. I didn't see the size. They had other stuff. The place is a small rectangle. Bar towards the back. Hidden kitchen. Three or four booths of six. Three or four tables of four. Four two seaters. Four bar stools. Khaki and black paint with lightly stained wood wainscotting. TVs. New owners. It opened around a year ago and closed before I could try it. I saw cars outside and an open sign a few weeks ago. The new owners said they have been open for six months though. It was almost empty. Open 11-9. 11-7 on Sn. You could do worse. A fun mash up.

*Don't ever buy Blue Plate Light mayonaise.

Grub Crawl - Maitland: Kappy's and Parea

I tried these spots on N Orlando Ave (17-92) at the Howell Branch (I think) Rd intersection Saturday at dinner. The first is a few blocks north. The second is in the strip mall on the southwest corner. It was Outpost most recently.

Kappy's - It's been there since 1967. I had been before. Pre-blog. They closed and then re-opened (shortly after) a few months ago. I've been trying to refresh my memory (support history) since then. But, the two times I tried, the wait was so long that I left. This time wasn't much better. I went around four pm because I was bored at home, going to the next place anyway and I figured this would be a slow period. It was. But, it didn't matter. They are slow as hell. The line was empty. It still took them ten minutes to take my order. Another twenty to get through the four orders ahead of me. They had four people back there! I had the Super Cheeseburger for $6.50. It came with tomato, pickles and onion. I don't remember lettuce. Mayo and mustard. They cut it in half. It had a large brioche bun. Double the size of the patty. It was ok. Better than I expected. I nuked some ground turkey to make use of the leftover bun. I can't remember what I had on my previous visits. I don't think it was a burger. I also tossed in a corn dog because it was only $2.50 and I had been ages. The usual, purchased as is frozen dog. They sell: five burgers ($6.50-$12), three chicken sandwiches ($9-$10), nugs ($5-$8), eight hot subs ($8-$10), seven cheesesteaks ($9-$15), seven sides ($2-$7), four hot dogs ($2-$7), four deli subs ($8-$12), two breakfasts ($6-$8) and some cookies and shakes. They say beer too. Four picnic tables on either side. Limited parking. A little shack that has ten seats inside. It will probably be another while before I return again.

Parea - It has something to do with family. I guess the root of "parent". Open for a month or so. Kind of affiliated with the Bosphorous people. Greek. Taverna. They try and recreate that atmosphere. White stucco. Blue. A wood roof inside the real roof. Looks like what you imagine a place in Santorini, et al does. Around twenty tables of various sizes plus a ten person bar inside. Some high tops around that in a semi-concealed area. One semi-private room. Two sectioned off areas by the window. Maybe twelve assorted tables on the patio. Uniformed wait staff. Quite a few. Parking is an issue. The menu is divided into: nine cold meze ($7-$10), ten hot meze ($9-$16), three salata ($12-$15), six meats ($21-$40-Mkt), seven sea ($28-$48-Mkt), five classics ($19-$23), six sides ($7-$8) and seven desserts ($8-$9). They offer $40 and $50 per person meals. Cocktails, wine, booze, beer and sangria. They pour the wine in tumblers. A good assortment of Greek items. Nothing on the menu seemed too unexpected. Maybe cast iron moussaka, yemista peparies (stuffed peppers) or fasoulakia (stew). I settled on the $22 Chicken Tata. Also from the Classics. It turned out to be chicken parm with feta and tomato sauced half sized linguine that I believe is usually called flat spaghetti. Good. Very deep fried (crusty) breast of chicken. Large. Not a ton of flavor. Bland tomato sauce. Just coated the pasta. Sprinkled feta on top. I had it to go. It took about fifteen minutes. They had around eight tables accounted for already at the opening. I believe they are open every day. 4pm-. They said they were starting lunch service on Friday. It probably would have had more of an impact had I ordered something else. Nothing wrong with the place, but, nothing extraordinary. Kind of like Bosphorous. So, I am sure it will also be an enormous hit. Although, I kind of think that being on Park Ave is half of Bosphorous' allure.

Mumbai Flavors, Longwood *UT/NV Travel Notes

I tried this vegetarian North Indian spot I told you about weeks ago in a strip mall on Ronald Reagan near Lake Mary HS today. Glad I persisted. It doesn't really have a set menu. It is more of a catering enterprise. I trusted the owner to order for me. She gave me a small Malai Kofta Curry (potato croquettes stuffed with paneer in an onion and tomato cashew sauce) for $11.50 to go. Loved it! Very tasty. Heat can be adjusted. This was just right to hot. Four croquettes. Golf ball size. I used some ground turkey I had in the fridge (and made my own rice) with the excess curry. They ran out of rice, so, she gave me garlic naan. And tossed in a sample of Pav Bhuji (potato, cauliflower, green pepper puree) with a buttered hamburger bun. Also, very good. Creeping heat. She said the first dish is from Delhi. So, not just Mumbai flavors. The naan wasn't the best I've ever had. They opened a month ago. There are no seats. It's bare bones. White. Four chairs. The open sign is rarely turned on. Still has the real estate agent key lock box on the door. I think they are closed on Monday. It took a while. Two in the kitchen. She said she DID want people other than her catering clients to come in for meals. It seems to be a kind of seat of your pants type effort so far. But, I liked it alot. And the pop up feel of it gives it allure in my demented head. 

*Travel Notes - Utah and Nevada: I flew Frontier to Las Vegas (late pm/red eye) for $178. TSA lines were long. I rented a car for a week from Hertz (boycotting Budget/Avis) for $312. No issues. I ate White Trevally (a first and excellent) sushi, stir fried Waygu liver (a first and good), fried oysters and grilled stingray fin (chewy and bland) at Izakaya Go on Spring Mountain Rd. I had received a tip (I think from a concierge) about them during Covid. Finally got there. I stayed in downtown at Main Street Station (Expedia 8.6) for $48 plus $34 RF because parking was free and I'm trying to stay at EVERY hotel. Plus I was in so late. It was recently renovated. Noise from highway though. Watched LA wild fires.

The next day I bugged out early because I had forgotten the CES show was that week. I drove to Salt Lake City. I stayed again at the Plaza (now owned by Best Western) because it was the cheapest and near the Delta Center. It's an Expedia 8.4. It cost $103 plus $10 for parking. I saw the Utah Hockey Club play the Florida Panthers for $35. I finagled a physical ticket with effort. I had deep dish Little Caesar's and a souvenir soda at the arena. It was the "best" value. The next day I had lunch at Greek Souvlaki. A sloppy gyro. It was just some place I had always been curious about. I then grabbed "dinner" at some new Mexican place (Piko) a few blocks away that I saw. I had three (mushroom and cactus, steak and shrimp) tacos with beans and rice. They were ok. I drove north to Ogden. I stayed at the Comfort Suites (Expedia 8.8) on 15 for $210 for two nights. It was good. Less noisy and expensive than the Hampton Inn in town that I stayed at last time. I just did recon that day because I had decided to ski both resorts the next day. I found an in town ski rental place (Level 9) and made sure my online purchase went through at Nordic Valley. I just ate my Piko because I got tired and wanted to watch ND and Penn State. 

The next day I had a $9 lame (meatloafy) bacon cheeseburger at Dylan's/Warren's. I rented skis and boots and poles for $30. I skied Nordic Valley (small) for $59. It had two areas. That f'ing dynamic pricing had this bitch at $89 if you bought day of. I then drove a few miles to Powder Mountain. It was $79 just a few years ago. Someone told me that Reed Hastings (Netflix) has purchased it. It now is $259! But, the night skiing (4pm-) is only $19!. Plus I didn't have to rent skis for two days. Had it not turned cloudy, I would have had plenty of time to ski. Sun was still out. The only downside was that you can only ski one area of the resort. It was still was good. And great (sunset) views (Great Salt Lake, etc). Parking was free at both. And now (I believe) I have conquered every resort in Utah. I also had a good slice of pizza there at Lucky Slice Pizza. I returned the skis and had local beer, whiskey and an Angry Goat Bacon Burger with french fries at the Angry Goat Pub & Kitchen in downtown. It was recommended the last time I was here. I went back to watch the rest of Texas v OSU and Bettlejuice Beetlejuice (sucked). 

The next day (snowing) I drove to Cedar City (still too $ in LV) because it is around half way back and you gain an hour which brings you into Vegas too early the next day if proceed further. I had a double double and fries at In & Out in Centerville. I stayed at a Ramada Inn (Expedia 8.2) for $72. It was a two story motel. I was tired and just had a $5 McD's Meal Deal and watched the playoffs. 

The next day I drove to Las Vegas. I had AYCE at 888 Korean BBQ in Chinatown on Spring Mountain Rd. I think it was top ten on Yelp when I checked at some point years ago. It was worth the $26. Many free apps too. Avoid the seafood. I was only here and not at the brunch at Giada's because I couldn't find the free parking at Planet Hollywood that I was looking for. I stayed at the Suncoast off Charleston in Summerlin (Expedia 9.0) for $58 plus $41 RF. I had a great view of a golf course, so, I bought some wine at Total Wine and cheese remnants, a baguette and jalapeno hummus (only $3!) at Whole Foods.

The next day I had lunch (Benedict with chorizo on an arepa with a side salad) at Chica by Lorena Garcia at The Venetian. It was expensive and disappointing (salty, over-citrused greens with scant chorizo and undercooked arepa). I had seen her on Top Chef re-runs. Almost went the last time I stayed there. I parked across the street (searched online for the free spots) at Treasure Island. I then walked up to the Cosmopolitan to eat at their burger place. It is now a Mexican place. I passed. I then walked through the Bellagio to see the Chinese New Year decorations. And then back to TI through Caesar's. A few spots in the food court there changed over. The Mirage is being knocked down to form a Hard Rock. Adios white tigers and ligers. I drove to Decataur and over to near Charleston to the Arizona Charlie's Decataur. It was $41 for two days plus $60 RF. I did this because it was the cheapest and I was only staying until 9pm the second day. It's a bitch to be homeless waiting for the red eye. It was terrible. Junky weed and cig smoke all over. Even in the non-smoking areas. Plus just basic to begin with. I then drove down Desert Inn Rd to the 15 to Area 15. I only saw the outside last time. It was cool. I saw it on Samantha Brown's Places to Love. They have taken this warehouse space and put lots of art and food and booze and adventures (ie lazer tag) inside. Some things are pricy. But, you can just walk around. They had John Wick's car, etc. The main room is a fake supermarket called Mega Mart. I believe it costs $60. Parking was free. I went back to Spring Mountain Rd and the Shan Tau Square. I had a less than generous serving of mushy lobster (half a small tail) and lemongrass Yum Takrai at Lamaii. Rice was extra. It cost $27. Place looks cute. I was still hungry, so, I walked across the parking lot to Silver Lake Ramen. It turned out that they are ranked as the top ramen in LA by some publications like Zagat. I had a nicely valued shoyu ramen with pork and gyoza for $20. Back to the hotel.

The next day I had breakfast at some diner near the hotel on Decataur called Blueberry Hill. Average eggs/hb and toast. The sign said since 1987. They had a few locations. I then drove back to the strip. Up to where they just knocked down the Trop. Back to TI to park. Then walked the Palazzo through Wynn and Encore to Resort's World and the Fashion Square Mall. Couldn't find any appealing snacks. Almost did a Hello Kitty Cafe in the mall. No one was behind the counter. Drove back to Spring Mountain Rd and settled on ShangHai Taste at the Shanghai Plaze because the signs in the window said Jimmy Li 2023 James Beard Semi-Finalist and had plaudits from NYT, Nat Geo, Food & Leisure, etc. I had reasonably priced Xib Angus Beef Xiao Long Bao (8) and a large bowl of wonton soup with many pork and shrimp dumplings. My first non-pork xiao long bao. Not great. Total cost around $30. Back to the hotel. I went back to the Shan Tau Square for dinner. I finally ate at Sparrow + Wolf. It is well regarded. They either big timed me or it used to be pricier the first time I stumbled across it. Years ago. I walked out that time. I had Banh Cuon (small duck summer rolls three ways) for $20. Salty and no taste of duck. I also had Black Ink Octopus Risotto for $24. Great risotto. Mushy octopus. Elephant garlic slivers. Back to the hotel. To the airport.

The weather was dry. One accident on 15 that I manoeuvred around. Knocked almost everything remaining on my to do list in UT and NV. A good time was had by all (again). I tried to stay at Fontainebleau and some place called Ahern Boutique. They kept pulling a bait and switch on Expedia (said rooms were no longer available and wouldn't remove them from displaying over many days), so, I mentally told them to go fuck themselves. Delano is now a W.  There is a new, white colored shopping area across from NY NY called BLVD. I think I accounted for all the changes since last year. I would have tried some other restaurants at the casinos if they weren't such dicks about the parking. Most START at around $20 for an hour or two! I got the list of free parking from a site called www.feelingvegas.com. They were also getting a H Mart. And like here, it was still under development. It seems to have a food court component. Gas was north of $3.35 in LV. Under $3 in UT. There are two restaurants that I took off my list because of price. Yui Sushi is $200-$300 (omikase) it turns out and Partage (French) starts at $100+. Both on Spring Mountain Rd.

Rico Chico, OIA Area

I tried this Puerto Rican Chinese take out spot in the strip mall on 436 that has the Five Guys on Tuesday at dinner. It wasn't plan a. I had the cheapest option of two pieces of fried chicken with fries for $5. They were much better than I anticipated. A big drum and thigh. Perfectly crusted. Moist inside. The fries were also fried well. I don't trust these places to cook Chinese. They haven't so far. It's like what Bad Bunny is to hip hop. A piss poor interpretation. But, this chicken was good. They have a typical menu at a bit above average prices. Most $13 and over. Fried rice is $6. Lo mein, chop suey, teriyaki, curry, etc. They have some confounding family meals. One is $100 for 20 pieces. Can their clientele afford that? That's like a dinner for five. That's a $20 average per family member. The place has six tables. It was full. The employee barely spoke English. Food came out quickly. It is what it is.

*FYI - Views are exploding again. Weird. Shaq's chicken spot still reads Boston Market and hasn't changed at all for all of the last year. Doubt it will come to fruition.

Grub Crawl - Disney Area: Simply Capri, Sofrito and Havana's

I tried these spots on Saturday at lunch. The first is (the way I went) through Disney (Buena Vista past Epcot and Coronado Springs to a right on Western Way and past 429). I think they said the area is called Flamingo something. Somehow this is also Winter Garden. The second is one block up on the left on Palm Parkway (535 at Disney side). The last is across the street in that strip mall that has Kung Fu Dumpling and Susuru. A K Pot is the most visible building.

Simply Capri - The waiter started the meal by asserting that they were the real deal. Not Olive Garden. Ummm? Their (OG) breadsticks may be better. Main couldn't be much worse. I have only been there once though. Ages ago. But, they don't raise the bar that high. Their strips of foccacia were stale. It didn't get any better from there. My main was the $31 Scaloppine di Pollo. One (uncrusted), poorly butchered, probably unpounded shingle of chicken over peppers (three colors). In an overly salty, over reduced sauce of some kind. I can't remember. When I ordered it, I had it in my mind that it was a lemon sauce. It was something different. And that was it. $30 worth of profits. Poorly conceived. It was basically a fresh pepper dish. And I didn't eat any of them because I find them unappetizing and gas inducing. I guess someone enjoys them. I was in the mood for scaloppine only. I have nearly a pound of $4 Sanderson Farms breast fillets in my fridge that I bet I will make a better dinner of tonight. The rest of the lunch menu was a equally boring. Some pizzas ($18+ for a 12"), four dull panini (like cold cuts or mozz or sausage), six or so pastas, a few salads, a few more secondi and desserts. The pizza had a very large crust and didn't look particularily great. The place looks like a Greek place. Blue and white. I don't remember those colors in Capri. Etched scenes on the window. Stenciled advertising. Light colored chandeliers. There are around twenty tables and a ten seat bar inside. Maybe ten tables on a patio. Parking lot views. They had a pizza oven. Service was good. Uniformed. They said the owner used to own a few restaurants at Disney. They are opening an American spot across the street. This opened about a year ago. A bit overpriced and out of the way (for most of us) to bother with. The strip mall there had a few other fast casual places (like Skyline Chili). A bbq/beer place called something Ellie's too.

Sofrito Latin Cafe - It was more fast casual than I was expecting. You order from a kiosk. Maybe six to eight sections of six to eight options. I had a Venezuelan Beef Empanada ($5.50) and a Cuban ($10.50) to go. The empanada was sweet corn. Very fried. Filled with bland pulled beef. Generous portion size. Not too dry. Garlic dip on the side. The Cuban was half-assed. Barely (if at all) pressed. No oil on the roll. No melted cheese. Ham and bland pulled pork. About the same quality as the beef. Mustard. Pickle. Came out too quickly. The menu draws from Latin and South America and the islands. The usual snacky apps. Sandwiches. Two main areas. I think the most expensive thing was the pargo (snapper). Maybe $30? Most under $20. Drinks. Desserts. They bring the food out to you. Maybe sixteen tables inside with a bar. Seats on a patio. Seems to have had a remodel recently. Pretty packed. They have a breakfast menu that stops at 11am. Brown, black, brick, baskets. Open for nine years. It could be more.

Havana's Cafe - I just grabbed a beef empanada to go because I already had enough disappointing food and this cuisine isn't my favorite. It cost $4.68. Braided crust. Barely filled with bland ground beef. They have a big menu. All the way to about to $40+. I think paella was $30. The usual stuff. The main problem here is that they told me that since Covid many of the workers in the area aren't coming to the office. That business dried up. So, they don't open until to 2pm. Even on weekends. The room is a dull square. Dark. Maybe twenty tables. It has been open for 26 years, so, maybe Cuban-ophiles will enjoy it. 

*The drive through Disney was enjoyable. You don't get dead ended onto any toll roads if you don't want to. Nice to see these new areas and the mainstays. On the way back, I took Buena Vista all the way north past Disney Springs) where it ends at 535. I took this a few miles southwest where I passed by The Conrad and some Nature Reserve (something Belton). Never been in this area before. On the way back, I passed the Grand Cypress. Forgot it was there. I took Apopka Vineland a mile or so down to see what was there now. And then back and left onto Palm Parkway to Sand Lake and over to I Drive. North to the outlets and then right onto Oak Ridge. First left to the Mall at Millenia. Nice that this is all connected now. Let's you bypass the log jam at the Conroy exit. Traffic wasn't that bad. Except around the mall.