Shine, Orlando - Closed

I had lunch at this old Bravissimo's spot a few blocks east of Thornton Park on Wednesday. I had a soup and sandwich special for $10. The soup was gazpacho. It was too spicy and pulpy. The waiter said they use habaneros. That would explain it. I love spicy, but, this was too hot for salsa let alone soup. The one unintended/serendipitous consequence of the failure of execution was that it served as a good palette cleanser for the disappointment of the sandwich. It was labeled as a Veal Sandwich. That meant (of the myriad of possibilities) pan roasted veal covered with cheese, tomatoes and salt. Interesting in concept. The veal was the best part (if you can believe it). It was tender and had some flavor. It was blanketed with a garlic oil. The garlic was too raw, therefore, too sharp. It overpowered the veal and left an acrid aftertaste. Not as much as the salt however. Let's hope it was a slip of the wrist and not a desired effect. Although, in conjunction with the gazpacho, I wouldn't be too worried about laying odds that the cook is a cigarette smoker and may be a bit off target on his seasoning. Back to the sandwich. I also disliked the roll it came on. It tasted like it hadn't been baked thoroughly (pasty). They also cheaped out on the soda. Cans! The room has been opened up. It makes it look bigger. They have a rounded bar on the left underneath a large, home improvement store chandelier. It seats 14. The right side is mostly all table tops (black). It's an odd choice. They are uncomfortable, but, they did provide eye level symmetry with the bar area. There are about 40 seats on that side and a prep area in the back. They have about 12 seats outside. They repainted. One side is dark. One wall is light (with four keyhole looking paintings). One wall is window. The decorations/accoutrement's are minimal. The building has charm or wear based on your inclinations. They still have almost no (4 cars) parking. And since it is in a residential neighborhood, it can be competitive. It is also a pain to get to/find. I also thought the prices were a bit high. The don't have a lunch menu or lunch prices. Most entrees were over $10. Not so bad at dinner, but, pushing it at lunch. My choice turned out to be the most reasonable if you take $3 off for the cup of soup. The menu is heavy on Italian (alot of pastas). Do we really need more of that? I can't recommend this place because of all the reasons stated above. However, I'm sure that they will realize a loyal following of locals who have no other options or standards.