F&D Kitchen and Bar, Lake Mary

F&D? More like F'n A. As in F'ing A (right) it's good. I went to this new gastropub (and buddy it isn't the first in Lake Mary by a long shot but we'll let that slide) last night. I was surprised by the experience. This place has been a thousand places over the years. They're usually of a good quality, yet, they fail. This place may end the trend. It was packed. Even at eight/nine pm which is late-ish for LM. I went expecting the same treatment I got when it was Chavo. I just went in shorts and a T-shirt like last time to see if I would get "big timed" again. Nope. This time they offered a table without a stink. It was on the patio, but, that was ok because I saw that the place was jammed and they had a waiting list resting on the hostess table. I sat at the bar instead. No problem. I wanted to watch TV anyway. I sat next to a couple that new something about the owner. They came TO Lake Mary FROM Winter Park for this! The owner is a veteran of the the industry, but, this is his first restaurant. You can hardly tell. He spent alot decorating the place in a flea market, industrial motif that is pretty common among modern gastropubs. Think chalk boards, exposed wood and brick, old chandeliers, old light bulbs, etc. They have a bar area. The menu draws from alot of common gastropub fare, but, has some riffs. I had the daily fish (grouper) on top of faro on top of a sweet corn puree adorned with tiny flower blossoms. It cost $24. It was great. Sizable portion. The fish was perfectly cooked. This may be the first time in forever that grouper looked liked grouper when it came on my plate. It was a thick, flaky serving with a nice crust. The faro was perfect. The puree was good. It was an odd pairing and I'm not sure they worked as a whole composition, but, I liked them separately. The folks next to me had an outrageous short rib (on a Flintstone bone), some flavorless (their words) lamb meatballs, good brussel sprouts and a great salad. The couple on my right had what looked like a decent burger. Service was polite and expeditious. The crowd was hip. Prices were reasonable. I will definitely go back. I really hope they do lunch soon. F'n A!