Grub Crawl - Lake Mary: Lawless Subs (Closed) and Krazy Greek Kitchen

I went to these places near City Hall today. The idiots at the Sentinel said there was a food truck gathering here on the last Sunday of the month.

Lawless Subs - I had a white hot dog and a roast beef sandwich at this spot where a sweet shop and a cupcake place used to be. They have been open for one week. They have another shop in Altamonte. The dog cost $3 and was great. A Syracuse area dog - Hofmann's (which coincidentally I just saw in Publix for $5 for a pack of 6). The bun was fresh. The dog was more of a weinerwurst (veal/pork). Great snap. The roast beef (they roast the beef themselves) was tender and rare. It came on a "in house" baked sub roll. They have a 7" and a 11". I had a 7" with swiss and their horse radish sauce. You could have filled it with greenery too. The meat volume was way more than you get at any chain sub place. I think it was supposed to cost $5, but, it totaled $5.75. Maybe cheese was extra or I mis-read. They have most kinds of deli meats and they'll put anything on a dog. They also have a spicy one (and a think a regular one). They also have salads and serve a small breakfast. The owner was there and was very cordial. That Deli finally has competition. This place is cheaper and has hot dogs. They have an Atlantic City motif.

Krazy Greek Kitchen - This place is also new and took over the Delano spot. It is an offshoot of Zorba's in Longwood. I was a little disappointed that the Pork Souvlaki pita ($7). It had only had 4 cubes of what seemed like reheated (dry) pork in it. The to go stuff, at least, seems not to be made to order. They also seemed to be a little pushy on the up sell. The place looks the same. They have a pretty large menu of Greek food. The prices seem typically over reaching. I'll never get why they think their level of gastronomy deserves these prices. For example, a 1/2 of a chicken cost $10. I think the supermarket sells a whole chicken for $6. It's just a mechanical roaster. Lake Mary now has two Greek places and two (they opened a Whitewood a few days ago) Mediterranean places. It will be interesting to see if they can all survive.

Russell Athletic Bowl, Downtown

I went to the Russell Athletic Bowl at the Citrus Bowl last night. Louisville crushed the U. The Miami side was full. Louisville left their upper deck mostly empty. Good to finally see more than 5k people there. Our idiot politicians scheduled road work on the streets between the bowl and downtown. A great way to exhibit the city. The stadium is still a dump, but, they served 25 ounce beers.

Pub Crawl - Downtown: Magnolia, Church Street Tavern and Kasa (Closed)

I went to these places last night before and after the bowl game

5-5:30pm: Magnolia - The place was until recently called On The Rocks. It's one block towards the lake from Orange Ave on Magnolia Ave. I'm not sure if it has the same owners, but, the receipt still had that bar's name on it. It was empty because it was so early. It seems to be one of this new trend of themeless bars. They just played early 90's trip hop and was devoid of hipster beers or glitzy faux-Miami chic. They said it draws well. A young crowd.

5:30-6pm: Church Street Tavern - It's another new "regular" bar. Supposedly it has a "Pittsburgh" theme if you need to assign one. I saw no visible evidence. It was packed with Louisville fans watching the basketball game. They serve food. It's next to Hamburger Mary's in the old Dessert Lady spot (another one of the suckers our politicians conned into opening in an area that must be the only one to see a Five Guys fail). I don't think they changed a thing.

9:30pm: Kasa - I had a crudo (raw) plate of salmon. My friend had a cheese plate. They were ok. My crudo was just a bland cut of salmon with no oil or citrus bath (just some flavored sea salts). It was basically like 6 pieces of sashimi. Nice presentation. It cost $8. My friend's cheese plate was supposed to be manchego, aged parmesan and something else. He got a "brie-like" cheese, aged gouda and goat's milk. He said they were good. They came with sliced baguette toastees, almonds and some kind of sweet shmear. Not sure what it cost. The place is the old Urban Flats on Church and Orange. It looks great. They have ice cube like, raised and bottom illuminated sinks in the bathroom. The inside is mostly Ikea chic. It was fairly full of what passes for the glitterati of Orlando's young society. It emptied early (after din-din). The service was polished and attentive. It's run by the people who own Bento. If I didn't think tapas was a greater rip off than sushi then I would love the place. However, I'm still more conditioned to pay out the ying yang for Japanese elegance than Spanish rusticity. However, I see their need to diversify. The menu is way smaller than Ceviche and probably a little more fusion.

Grub Crawl - S. Orange Ave : Gnarly Barley, Tartini, Old Dixie Fried Chicken (Closed) and Middle East Market

I ate at these locations on Tuesday. The first three are on S. Orange at the border of Pine Castle and Belle Isle. The last is on OBT a little south (one strip mall) of Sand Lake.

Gnarly Barley - I had a whole wheat panini "veggie monster" of cucumber, cream cheese, tomato, cheese and some kind of spread or dressing that I can't recall. I know. Who goes to a place like this for rabbit food? But, if you had eaten as much southern fried and barbequed mess (see how Southern I got on my trip) as I had in the last six days then your body would also be keen on anything green. Not that this bomb was any less fattening. However, it didn't protein stress my metabolism. It cost $7. It was fine. It needed a foil to the savourinness. I employed hot sauce. Anything spicy or piquante would work. I suggest they add it to the makeup. Very one note as is. I combo-ed it for an extra $2. That meant a drink and a side. I chose mac 'n cheese because of course theirs is legend - wait for it - dary. It was good. The sandwich was big. The place is small. It seats about 30 inside and 30 on a patio. It's really a shack. They do the whole pretentious beer thing and have what I'm now going to refer to as a hipster menu (since it is becoming so cliche). Thankfully no burgers. The menu is small. Around a dozen items. Mostly sandwiches with fattening accoutrements. It's perfectly quaint and appears to be actively managed. The twist here is the hipster is a girl. Grab your free trade bicycle with the one big wheel in front and a small wheel in back and the girl from the Haverty's commercial and comb out your 1850's beard and be the locavore you were born to be. Service was good. The place was near capacity at lunch.

Tartini - I had a pollo parmigiana panini with a side salad to go for $8. It was very good. It really was more of a sub than a pressed panini. They julianned the chicken. I have never seen it served that way. It allowed the chicken to lay in the bread and absorb the sauce and cheese better than a whole piece does. The cheese "blend" is a combo of fontina, mozzarella, provolone and parmesan. BTW - did I tell you provolone is just old mozzarella? I also just learned (not for here) that fruits and vegetables grown at the northern most sections of their growing area are always the best. Back to irrelevant nonsense about where I eat. It came with a side salad of romaine, cherry tomatos, red onion. Basic, but, crisp. The place is brand spanking new and kind of an oddity in this run down industrial neighborhood. Well every waterfall starts with... The owner is Slovenian and for those of you brought up in the public school system, that is not part of old Czechoslovakia. It's the northern most part of old Yugoslavia on the eastern border of Italy. A beautiful area. He has created a very modern and clean space. Very steely. The man loves his grey. And glass. The menu has a little Northern Italian feel, but, more like American Italian. Small selection of greatest hits. I hear the specials can bring some excitement. The big draw (I think) is wood fired pizzas. It's a little closer to downtown than Gnarly

Old Dixie Fried Chicken - A relic. 50 years + old. A great old sign. I had a two piece for $3.45. Small breast and wing. Gave me a little stomach noise. Hardly breaded. Could have been fried a little longer. They have a dine in area. Go for nostalgia. A little closer to downtown than Tartini. On the other side of the street near where S. Orange forks for a little.

Middle East Deli - Threw this in because I had to get some stuff at IKEA. Had a great falafel pita for $7. And I'd like to preface this with the admission that I don't love falafel or pitas. Just couldn't do meat as I've previously explained. This may be the best falafel in the city. The one negative was a little too much raw garlic in the falafel. But, the hummus was great. They added a bunch of pickled items (an actual tiny gerkhin and some kind of root vegetable - maybe jicama) that set it off. The falafels were freshly fried. They give you five or six golf ball sized nuggets. The people were nice (Lebanese and Egyptians). The meny has a few more things than most of these places. They have three rotating spits. They sell Middle Eastern consumables and trinkets. Once again, the first place I've seen represent Egypt. The place is basic and seats around 40. More of a deli.

Grub Crawl - Clermont : Robata, Crooked Spoon, Uncle Kenny's BBQ, Akina and Lakeridge Winery

I ate at these restaurants in Clermont on my way to New Orleans last week. They are all near or around 50 and the 27 interchange. None is really a destination spot, but, maybe a combo like I did or as part of an outing to the area.

Robata - A aging hibachi/sushi restaurant in a strip mall on Oakley Seaver Dr. Although at least some of the staff seemed Japanese, the place had the run down, satorially challenged feel of a Chinese restaurant. I ate small because I was eating often. I had the Maki Roll Lunch Special for $8. The tuna (really ahi tuna) was ok. The yellowtail had no flavor. The rice was gummy and dry (an accomplishment). The rolls were cigar sized. The place has six, arced booths and tables that seat around twenty more on the sushi side. The other half of the space has the hibachi tables. I didn't really take notice of how many they seat. Not worth ferreting out.

The Crooked Spoon - The pumpkin turned stage coach or food truck turned restaurant was a little less ambitious than I expected, but, I found a good meal at an acceptable price - $18. I had a quail stuffed with (oh my God I'm going to forget because it had so much stuff in it) black rice, sun dried tomatos and chorizo on a parsnip puree. It had a gastrique of figs and something else and a compote of I forget. In any event, the bird was cooked well. The puree was nice and the stuffing was not wet or dry and had nice flavor. I didn't love the gastrique or the compote. Just unnecessary. I know chefs are bullied/brain washed into developing layers upon layers of flavors, but, sometimes just pick a trio and let them shine. It's easier to conduct a band than an orchestra. This one felt as if a few instruments were out of time. I didn't need the sweet elements. The place (an old Friendly's) has a nice gastro-pub veneer. They recessed the low ceilings in places and added alot of Pottery Barn-ish iron fixtures. It must seat 100+. They have a bar area and a patio. Nowhere feels crowded. The menu's appetizers were more interesting than the entrees. They haven't abandoned the gourmet burger or hot dog nonsense yet and bacon is still chic here. The staff was great. It is very polished. They even have a multitude of flatscreen TV's showing sports. It's right at the intersection of 27 and Citrus Tower Blvd. Look for the giant Citrus Tower ($6 to enter the tower if you were interested). I could be pressured into advising you to find this one.

Uncle Kenny's BBQ - This place is in the Citrus Tower parking lot. It was on 50 in Winter Garden when I first tried it. They gave me a rib to try. I was ok. It had oregano in the rub. The brisket sandwich I had for $7 was flavorless and tough. Not sure how they are winning awards. The place is narrow and seats around thirty.

Akina - A sushi restaurant. I had two pieces of conch nigiri for $2.60 each and two pieces of salmon for $2.70 each. The conch was crunchy but not sweet. The salmon was bland. The rice had too much sake (sweet) in it and was overcooked and not properly washed (starchy). The pieces were big and the wasabi was fresh. A much newer and cleaner spot than Robata. The vibe and look here is more modern. They had cooked meats and noodle dishes. The menu is small, so I hope they have it down backwards and forwards. Not really a destination spot. A little south of 50 on 27. A strip mall after a big expanse of abandoned land.

Lakeridge Winery - A nice, free tour with a huge, free sampling at the end. The wine is iffy, but, it is interesting to see all the ways the try and adulterate the wine. It's a little north of town on 27.

Louie and Maria's, E. Colonial

I ate at this Italian restaurant on 50 in between UCF and 417 after Thanksgiving vacation. I had a personal pizza for $7 and a side of spaghetti for $4. They were fine. The pizza (never as good when shrunk) seemed to have decent mozzarella and the sauce was just tomato. They coat the bottom with corn meal. The spaghetti was was thin and came with the similar unadulterated tomato sauce. The place is fine. They get points for using quality ingredients and caring enough not to cheat. They lose points for a basic, unambitious menu and grubby location and aged environment. I'm sure they have the business side down and the menu is a result of their experience with their clientele. It just makes the allure small for people like me. I prefer what they are attempting at Peperoncino. This is NY "goomba" Italian in the best sense. The gnocci look great. It's just not what you get in Italy. Which is fine. Just be aware. It's quantity over delicacy. The place seats about 80. It's in some sort of old carousel? building that they added a dining room to. The decorations make it look like something at a theme park. But, the service was good. It felt non-professional in a good way. In a "this is a family run place" kind of way. The portions were huge. They aren't phoning it in. And the prices were reasonable. I think the most expensive thing was $20. I wouldn't seek it out (maybe from UCF), but, it's a good asset to the neighborhood. There really is a Louie and a Maria and they are still in the trenches.

Hot Krust Panini, Sand Lake

I grabbed a panini on my way out of town before Thanksgiving at this sandwich shop near Whole Foods. I had a special sandwich (a something something Ruebini) that replaces corned beef with steak or some kind of beef for $7. It was delicious. My two year old nephew even loved it. The beef made it less cloyingly savory than the pork does. Every element seemed fresh. The beef was tender. No pulling at it with your teeth. It came out quick and the owner was nice. The place seats about forty. It's clean and new. It seemed to be doing brisk business. They have about a twenty regular sandwiches and half a dozen gourmet salads. Wings and soup and fries too. I think the most expensive thing was $9. Good option if you want something easy. And this is the price point for assembly line sandwich shops? They should be shamed by comparisons to places like this.

Peperoncino, Sand Lake

I had lunch at this Italian restaurant on Via Dellagio off Sandlake before Thanksgiving. It has been a while, so you'll forgive me if I am a little forgetful about the experience. I had a weekly special that was a soup (Zuppa Maremmana from the Lazio Marenma region) and Pollo alla Crema for $12. You could have chosen from two soups or two salads and four entrees. It was a great bargain. I didn't even talk about the two courses of freshly baked bread that accompanied it (dough from NY). The soup was made up of red wine, pecorino, veggies and egg. Tasty. Seemed to have been made to order (or at least finished to order). The chicken came in a cream sauce that was a little thinner than I was expecting, but, all the better that you didn't have all that fat sticking to every bite. The pasta was expertly cooked rigatoni. This also seemed cooked to order. The kitchen was (wo)manned by the owner (in blue) and her Venezuelan assistant (in white). The owner is Italian if that comforts you. The menu changes every day. Somebody is really trying here. It's a pleasure to talk about. The place is narrow and seats only about thirty five. As I remember, the kitchen takes up one half (open) and the seating area is faux marble tables with clear plastic 70's chairs. The walls are decorated with mirrors in gilded frames. It's a little thrown together. I remember some red tones. They have a small bar area with non-distributor suggested mass appeal wines and beer. Prices were a little on the high end if you didn't do the lunch special. I don't think they had pizza. If restaurants have an artisan grouping like food stuffs do, then this would be a special member of that classification. Don't waste a seat on yourself if you like Bucco de Beppo or other phoned in Italian slop houses. Come here if you appreciate effort and artistry. It may not be the highest caliber Italian in Orlando or around the world, but, you can bet they would die trying to be. The only dump in the punch was a $3.45 soda. It's like they (Italians) can't exist without hustling you a little. The name is a little "fast foody" too. And you thought I was turning soft.