Monday, June 11, 2018

Grub Crawl - Casselberry and Altamonte Springs: Chalten, Wildflower and Sugar Sow (Closed)

I went to these places at lunch on Friday. The first two are near the 17-92 and 436 interchange. The third is in a Citgo gas station at the train tracks on 436.near the light rail station in Altamonte.

Chalten - They were supposed to open a pizza place in Ivanhoe last year. Some how they ended up at 124 Live Oaks Blvd in a cul de sac behind an Asian buffet (northeast side of the interchange). I'm not sure how they will get enough foot traffic to make this work. Maybe catering? They sell a small menu of Argentinean influenced sandwiches and salads. Some bowls and breakfast. Put it this way - lemonades are a fifth of the menu. I had a chicken salad sandwich for $7. It was a very healthy looking attempt. They say there was mayo in there. Just a dab. On the bun. The chicken tasted of oil and vinegar. They also say - cream cheese. I don't recall that. I recall brown, ground chicken and carrots. The flat herb "roll" was the must intriguing element. It became mushy in places. It was served warm. No side. They have been open for two months. It's small. One or two tables. No service. The name is from a town in Patagonia. The owner was nice. And cute. Closed Sunday. Open until 3pm.

Wildflower Vegan - This place did little to change my mind about veganism. A scam to overcharge needy people for lousy food. I had a fried chicken sandwich because it was the cheapest thing at $12. I think it was $12 because they didn't offer paper receipts. Needed for some of the entrees I guess. The fake chicken was cut into "fries". They weren't bad tasting and fried properly, but, the bun and veg were disappointing. Bad "bbq" sauce. It is probably twice as expensive as it should be. It's funny how this type of value exchange isn't considered impermissible by the type of perpetually aggrieved person who usually traffics in this kind of opiate. The price of the chicken wasn't as bad as the "shrymp" sandwich. I think it was $16. Why is the letter y always part of non-conformity? It came with "mac and cheese". A small side of mac with a dusting of some cheese chemical. The menu is smallish. So is the place. They seat around twenty. It's very hard to find. In a strip mall on the north east side of 17-92 and 436. In the back. Small sign within the strip mall sign. Look for a barber shop. Service was good. Talking with me while I waited, as it were. They have been open for two months.

Sugar Sow - Finally here after a four month set back. They were a cart and are now a nook. Open for two weeks. Still a work in progress. They specialize in pork. I had a Drunken Swine sandwich for $10. It came with a side. I chose mac and cheese. The sandwich was shredded ham. Not pork. Ham! I had to try it. I've never even seen it. It was bad. I don't love ham and this was just soft, over sweet ham. Nice creativity though. Huge portion. I separated the meal into two sandwiches/meals. The mac was very creamy. More roux than cheese. Some grated cheese mixed in. Shells. Bacon on top. Not bad. I prefer more cheese. Bacon was good. They also sell some apps (3), hot dogs (5), platters (5), desserts (4) and four other sandwiches. The people seemed engaged and engaging. I'll go back.

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