Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Grub Crawl - Downtown/Thornton Park: Mingos (Closed), Qarma Crepes (Closed) and Artisan's Table

I went to these places around Lake Eola on Sunday afternoon.

Mingos - I wanted to knock out these remaining missing pieces around Thornton Park (this is a block away across from Mucho Tacos) and figured this would be the cheapest way (afternoon pricing). This place is only open for dinner. However, they do a brunch on Sunday's. A brunch that was way more expensive than I expected. I believe it started at $30 or $40 for the non alcohol version. I eschewed on principle alone and had a fairly prices eggs benedict at $10. It wasn't the prettiest plate of eggs that I have been served, but, it was ok. The muffin and the canadian bacon were very thin. The hollandaise was a little thick. The home fries (more like nuggets) were accosted with that white trashy flour coating. They did also charge almost $3 for a narrow glass of soda. Thankfully they did refill it three times so I did receive a full glass in the aggregate. The service was good. I think the buffet is so much because they have it WAY over staffed. It didn't seem like it was because of the food. I saw an omelet and waffle station and some cold stuff. The regular dinner menu was much more reasonable. I think it topped out at $30 and most things were near $20. Pretty good for fish and steak. The selection didn't have much for the curiosity seeker. Marlin tacos were by far the most intriguing. I won't go into much detail about the space. I have reviewed the location around five times. Hearken back to my Prickly Pear review if you want more info. They really haven't changed the decor since then. It seats around forty on one side, thirty on the patio and thirty on the bar side. The service was very amenable. It has been open for over a year. It was around half full at 1pm. it's not a destination spot, but, it is serviceable.

Quarma Crepes - This place is across from Wildside around the spot that housed Hue. I had a $3.50 lemon crepe with caramel and butter. It was ok. The crepe guy seemed a little green. They have savory crepes too. The pricing was pretty good. Nothing over $9. Then again I have California pricing in my head from the last month and may be warped. They charged my nephew $6 for lemon crepe in Encinitas. They also serve wine, coffee, beer and dessert. They place looked nice. everything is straight from an IKEA catalog. They have a little upstairs area. They have a $8 lunch special and I think Wednesday had some special at $6.

Artisan's Table - This place is in the old Pine 22 spot across from NV in Downtown. It is another location that I have been forced to revisit around five times. I had a Fried Chicken Sandwich for $7. It was the best meal of the day (even after I ate it cold for dinner). It was dressed with mayo, pickles and boursin (I think). Very simple. Very effective. They didn't do much with the decor. I think they swapped in some rusted farmhouse implements. The menu isn't overflowing with ambition, but, they are trying to keep it fun and evanescent. Expect modern pub fare. The pricing is very reasonable. I'm not sure how many of these types of restaurant one area can support. It was better than Avenue though.

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