I tried these places on East 434 last Saturday night.
Salamander's - I just popped in for a beer at this place that was recently a breakfast place. It's in the strip mall with Senor Tequila's. I just had a beer. They had a surprisingly obscure selection. They did a good job at refurbishing it. It has lots of new TVs that designate it as a sports first bar. I heard rumors of a great hamburger and lunch specials from the locals at the other spots I went to. Nice, friendly service. It did seem empty/closed at 10 pm when I drove by. It seats around eighty and was mostly empty at eight.
South + York - This place is in the larger strip mall that abuts Tuskawilla Rd. South is the wife (Southern) and York is the chef (NY). It is a Southern fusion attempt. The menu was surprisingly small. I'd venture that they are struggling for air and are cutting the variable costs. It's a shame because the burger I ordered was very good and the fries were as well. The fries are big wedges of potatoes fried and served inside the skin. They could be called a baked potato repurposed. It costs $13 on the menu and $15 on the check. That's usually enough to color my review, but, I'll hold back because it's still worth $15. Unfortunately (for them), the burger was the cheapest thing on the menu and with the exception of a fish dish, the most interesting. It came with pimento cheese and Nuecke (sp) bacon. It was cooked perfectly. The review I read said it had seasoning issues. I guess they fixed that. They other items the review cited were off the menu. So, like I said, the menu is disappointing. They only had around four apps and four entrees. Some had the same main component. I was expecting more. Maybe the chef fired everybody to concentrate on execution and can only concentrate on a small arsenal. The place seats around eighty. There were ten people there for dinner. It felt dead. The service was good and knowledgeable. They could do a better job of arranging the tables. It felt a little bare in places. The back wall is wood and the front windows are garage doors. They don't do lunch. I think that they should rethink that. I small menu like this and the area they are in seem more conducive to a lunch spot. I asked the locals why it was dead and they said it was too fancy and the areas business people are gone at night. I'm sure they would blanche at the suggestion, but, it seems like they picked the wrong town for this concept. I won't be surprised to hear that they have moved on if or when their lease is up.
Spill Wine Bar - This place is on the back/middle side of that strip mall that house S + Y. It was packed. They have a monopoly, so, I wasn't that surprised. They have some decent enough beer and wine. They had a warbler on the patio. All the things middle aged yokels love. I think this is as pretentious as they are willing to act. It had a nice interior. A big bar. It's new and semi-sophisticated. The wine per glass prices were a little high. They also sell bottles in the back. I think they had a few snacks. It attracted an economically diverse element.
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