Saturday, May 26, 2018

Grub Crawl - College Park: Cafe Linger (Closed) and The Pastrami Project (Closed)

I had brunch and then lunch at these two places today. The first is a cafe that opened a week ago. The second is a food truck that has been around for a few years.

Cafe Linger - The are on Edgewater Dr in the old NYPD Pizza location. They have a breakfast and day menu. I think they do the brunch menu on the weekends. They close at 7pm. I had an open faced crepe with leeks in cream and a fried egg for $8 And smoke salmon tartare with avocado and a half slice of toast for $12. Both were good. Maybe too much cream sauce. And a slightly runny egg. The salmon and avocado were plentiful. Not enough toast (whole grain). They serve things like avocado toast, steak frites and chicken and waffles.Around a dozen things. And pastries and fancy coffee. Pricing was reasonable. The place is made up to look like a home. Couches, tables, book cases, etc. The room has a rectangular shape. An exposed kitchen and counter ordering in the rear. They had a guy playing guitar on the far left wall. The AC was a little forceful. They have some tables outside in the front. I would ping pong back and forth between them and the next review if I lived near College Park. And not just to see the attractive German co-owner. Do you have to let it linger? I should think not. Try it asap. It will be on my Favorites list.

The Pastrami Project - I just re-caught the Diners, Drive Ins and Dives episode they were on last week. It's a year old or so. I was in a hotel in Maine and was bemoaning the fact that I never had crossed paths with this guy. It's only my home town for f's sake. Lo and behold, I was driving to try a place in Winter Park and I passed right by him. He is in an old gas station that seems to have turned into a flower shop (Daisy's Flowers). It's on that street that has the Drubsdread golf course. The receipt says 175 E. Par St.. Right underneath I-4. It looks deserted. I had a pastrami on rye (with slaw and half pickle) for $10. It was great. I was a little worried because the guy seemed a little disheveled and angry. Could he be wallowing in a "unappreciated artist" phase of existence? He is in the middle of no where. Was that a sign that the guy (and the food) on tv no longer existed? Not to worry. Like I said it was very good. I forget how he seasons the meat, but, I think I tasted some cinnamon and some cocoa in addition to the usual spices. He cooks it low and slow. The portion was respectable. The rye bread was fresh. The slaw was roughly chopped with celery seed, lemon (or bitter orange) zest and a little mayo. Tasty. The pickle was good as well. Not sweet or garlic-y or salty. Most of his items are pastrami related. He self-cured some salmon on the show too. That looked great (on the show). I had salmon at Cafe Linger, so, I passed on it. Will go back and get it soon. I suggest you try and beat me there. This place will also be on the Favorites list.

*8/30/2018 - I returned today to try the brisket and smoked salmon. The brisket didn't seem smoked. It was a bit fatty (on top), but, still very good. The portion size wasn't huge. It cost $10 and came with a pickle and celery seed cole slaw. He put a slightly sweet brown (donkey) sauce on it. The bagel with lox was better. Great even. It cost $9. I believe he cures his own salmon. I'm half Viking, so, I knows my salmon and this is quality stuff. The portion was big. Not too salty. The bagel was crisp and chewy. The cream cheese was good. It came with red onion and capers. Addictive. Tried to take a bite and finished it all off.

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