Grub Crawl - Downtown: Chela (Closed) and Nifty's

I stopped by these places today at lunch. I also tried to find a place (Selectos Fructos) that the Orlando Weekly said was opening up at 55 West. Either they haven't or they have and have closed. A resident said some smoothie place did just that. And it is becoming apparent that you can't spell DON'T without DOWNTOWN. The more people that move down there, the worse the quality (of everything) seems to get. It's incongruous. So forgettable. A shame.

Chela - This used to be some kind of tapas restaurant. It is on the corner of Orange and Church. I was really surprised to find out how "casual" lunch service is. It's basically a Tijuana Flats. You order at a counter. That plus the relative expense of the menu made me get two tacos to go. They were $4 a piece. I chose carnitas and brisket. They were served in tiny-ish, soft, semi-thick tortillas. They were stuffed. The beef was too salty and the hot sauce was bad. It came with aged cotija cheese and cabbage. The carnitas had pineapple and pickled onions with it. It wasn't as salty as the beef. But, am I mistaken or isn't pork with pineapple referred to as "al pastor" in most places? The decor seemed exactly the same. The menu seemed pricey. They want $3.50 for a soda. At an order at the counter level establishment! I think they opened this winter. I wouldn't be surprised to hear they opened again as the next played out trend. Poke anyone?

Nifty's - This is a deli and Korean restaurant under the movie theater where Chela is. I believe it was called Mochi before. Don't take this the wrong way, but, I think Korean food is a poor attempt at copying Chinese and Japanese dishes. Case in point - the Kimbop (I believe that was what it was called) that I ordered here. It's just bad sushi with (in this case) chicken in place of seafood. And it cost $9 for what is essentially a roll. Everything here was 50% over priced. A basic breakfast egg sandwich was around $6. A juice was $9. It took a while to get my order completed. The place also has suffered from a change in direction/ownership. The once stylish interior is all ratted up with junk. They tape menus to the counter. It's just aesthetically to a Japanese understanding of taste to what the food is to a Japanese (for example) understanding of flavor. Sloppy. Overlooked. I will accept the argument that bonchon (not theirs - I didn't try it) is interesting. But, let's get back to the smaller picture. I didn't find this place Nifty.

*I also tried (again) to get something from Jinyo in Thornton Park. They wouldn't (couldn't) do a to go order. For bad spaghetti in piss water? So, you open in a city that is a steam room? In the summer. You sell bad soup. You pick a place with hard to find parking? You pick a location that has failed more than once/ You open late? And you can't buy some plastic bowls to accommodate forlorn customers? Does it affect the experience? Do you need to slurp the dashi from a clay bowl? Lacquer?Are you that pretentious? Or that out of your element that to go business wasn't a consideration from the get go? And yes I realized that I just criticized Nifty for not being anal enough. Piss off.

Pearson's Cafe, NoDo - Closed

I grabbed "dinner" to go at this deli on North Orange. I reported back from here when it was another deli. They have been open for two years. I tried a Chicken parm sandwich for what appears to $9 on my receipt. It was a special. It was ok. Not really Italian. It had the wrong bread. The chicken wasn't pounded and tasted of rosemary. They have a catering company, so, I hope this wasn't a repurposed left over. Small portion. They serve a variety of sandwiches, soups,salads and breakfast items. It looks clean. They have a private room (of all things) in back. It's near that tequila place. Wasn't expecting much. Didn't receive much. I was only down there because I though there was a donut shop at the intersection of 50 and Orange. It's a record store.

*They seem to be replacing North Quarter Tavern with City Pub. If a a similar concept with great food failed, why would someone try the same thing again? Make sure you add something to the mix. And I think a bar is opening a few doors down too. You can never tell if it's legit or landlord marketing.

Grub Crawl - Audubon Park: Florida & Co (Closed) and Gideon's Bakehouse

I went to these places at the East End Market on Corrine today at lunch. Not that anyone seems to care at this point.

Florida & Co - This was Local Roots until about a year and a half ago  Same owner. Now it's more of a restaurant. I had the Pesto zucchini bowl with white shrimp for $14. Most meals are at this price point. It was good. I'm not sure what possessed me to eat healthy, but, the zucchini "noodles" were grand (plentiful) and the pesto sauce was full of flavor (a little red pepper zing). The shrimp (6 medium) were ok. They seemed a little brittle and overdone. A few had a salty, chemical taste. The place takes itself seriously. Right up ti the edge of pretentiousness. They "curate". They only had one cook, so, the meal took a minute to prepare. One service person as well. There are eight seats at the bar and two tables for two. They said they may 86 the market and "expand". Two more tables? They serve wine and craft beer. Some sandwiches, salads and a steamed basket. They all mostly incorporated the shrimp. Some pulled pork too. They use seasonal items. Not bad. About one quarter full.

Gideon's Bakehouse - I grabbed a $5 cookie at this stall diagonally across from Florida. It gave me an upset stomach. I don't ever recall having one as a child. I guess you can eat to many sweets. That's a thing. It was a cinnamon roll and butterscotch cookie. Too much fluff and not enough cookie for me. It was like eating a bag of candy. Some nasty pockets of salt and probably baking soda in there. It made me think that these sweet shops with ridiculous portion ratios are just soft serve ice cream adjuncts. A vehicle to pile on candy for Veruka Salts. I get it now. They have been there for two years.

*There is also a new food stall in the back. Farm & House. It had a limited menu that was a bit pricey. Over $10 for burritos. I'll try when Bem Bom opens.

Grub Crawl - West Colonial: Chef Wang's Kitchen and Banh Mi Cali

I went to these two places in the area I refer to as Chinatown today at lunch.

Chef Wang's Kitchen - I had the beef stew in flaming wok for $16. It came with white rice. It was a wok full of beef shank. It was mostly skin and tendons. Not bad though. It was stewed long enough to make everything fork tender. Yet, I still probably eschewed eating half of it. The flame also went out too quickly and the stew became cold. Not a ton of flavor in the broth. It was an interesting presentation and that is what I was looking for. The rest of the menu is composed of beef, poultry, pork, vegetables and seafood dishes. About a half dozen of each. Not your usual suspects. Shrimp walnuts. Shredded potato. Seafood Shark Fin soup. Chili Pepper Shredded pork. Stuff like that. They also have Kung Pao chicken and fried rice (and more) if that scares you. A few whities came and left. I think they were freaked bu the menu. More for us. The menu is south eastern. Mostly Szechwan in style. Although they have a whole dim sum section that says "North". So who knows. They also do some noodle dishes. Prices are good. My dish was on the high side. Apps are little too close to main prices for my taste. It's a replacement for Ming;s Court (once on I Drive). They have been open for just few months. It's in the rear middle of the parking lot. Next to that Korean place I reviewed recently. Unsurprisingly, the layout of the place is similar. A rectangle with the short side up front and back. They have around ten tables of four on the walls and two large tables in the middle. Some minor decoration. White walls. Clean look. There seemed to be only one cook and one host/waiter. Four other tables were there while I was. No problem with service. I'm not sure how much they can handle with that staff. Maybe they bring in more at other times? Maybe some were hidden? They are closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. I'd go back.

Banh Mi Cali - I grabbed a traditional banh mi (ham, pork roll and pate) to go for $5. It was great. The way it should be done. The best I can remember. Probably not the best , but, the best I can remember.. Great baguette. They may have baked it themselves. They sell bread, etc. It seems plausible. All the veg were good. The meats were fine. Tasty pate. The sandwich was big. They even buttered the bread. Oooh la la. They have been open for fifteen months. They are across the lot from Wang's. Nearer to Colonial. It's a take out place. They offer four other banh mi. A few other things. IE - something called a sesame donut. They will be on the favs list. Now I believe I've hit up all the restaurants in that plaza for you.

*I noticed some new places between here and I-4. Near where the O-rena used to be. A barbeque and a Korean place.

Off the Hook, Ponce Inlet

I went to this new location on Thursday for lunch. I went to the one in NSB and found it ordinary. To tell you the truth, if I knew it was another "Hook" I wouldn't have come. I was under the impression it was to be another place. It is the last (in this area) from the Sentinel article I have referred to in past posts. It was to open a year ago. I tried it last summer and it wasn't ready and then the hurricane pushed it back even farther. They opened in January. I liked it it. It looks sharp. Very modern. Light decor. Some kitschy things like deep sea fishing boat seats. Inter-cosatal view. Lots of windows. A large deck. I think it had boat tie ups. I had the clams at $15 and a half pound of crawfish. I believe they called the clams Cedar Creek. I have seen them called out before, so, I should be more familiar with them. They were served in a sherry wine broth. Mostly overcooked. A few soft ones. The broth probably hadn't had the sherry cooked out of it. Too much of it. The dipping bread was a lazy choice. Poor, mass manufactured quality. It needs better bread if you call it out. The broth also has to be "soup" worthy. Somehow I was ok with the dish however. Maybe it was the salt air. Similar story with the mud bugs. Probably frozen. Mostly tough. Over seasoned with Old Bay.  I usually don't do butter, but, they glazed them with it and it helped. Service was fine. I'm sure it doesn't seem to add up, but, I think I like this place the best over all the others in this area. The menu was interesting and the venue is appealing. Way better than the strip mall it's sister location is in.

Grub Crawl - Baldwin Park: Meza and Tutto Caffe

I stopped at these places today at lunch. The first is aside the Publix. The second is on the main street (New Broad). I was here because Bem Bom is STILL not open.

Meza - I think they are over a year overdue. They opened two weeks ago. The owner was behind Cafe Annie downtown. The heart of the menu is Lebanese. Or at least the owner is. I had the chicken tagine. It was a sort of deconstructed/modern tagine. More of a stew around rice served in a porcelain bowl. One breast cut in two. Sweet potatoes, potatoes, tomatoes, chick peas, onions and cauliflower in a slightly sweet broth with tumeric (among other things). The chicken was a little tough. Stewed meats are like that. The basmati grain seemed a little fatter and shorter than the type you get in Indian dishes. Hard to tell how it was cooked amongst all the broth. It cost $16. $22 at dinner. Mostly a good dish. Very encouraging. My main problem with food (etc) from this region is that it is rarely "modern" or "innovative". The menu is a little predictable. Kabobs, side dishes/dips, etc. But, there are some elements that nudge the envelope. Aka lamb chops and the tagine preparation. I'd like to see more. The main dishes are in between $20 and $30 at night. Cheaper during the day. Apps are under $10. The room has high ceilings. One big room with a bar in the rear. The color scheme is monochrome with red brick wall accents. Nice, new, modern tables and chairs. Cloth napkins. They spent some money. It seats about eighty. There were three other tables (one Arab) seated while I ate. They only had one waiter. But, he mostly handled the weight. I did have to ask for a refill. It was better than I expected.

Tutto Caffe - They were to open about the same time last year as Meza. They beat them by six months. I was under the impression it was just a coffee place. They also serve breakfast and sandwiches and wine. A deli/lounge set up. I grabbed an English Lunch panini for $7. It was roast beef, cheddar, horseradish on a ciabatta roll. Served warm. It was pretty good. It could have used a little more horseradish and I'm not a huge fan of ciabatta (too dense and dry). The cheese was tasty. Mostly good and I'd eat it again. It also came with a decent frisse/field greens salad. They had a half dozen other sandwiches. A chicken pesto. An Italian meats. That's all I remember. Good value.

*Two new places have also opened or will open here. Vintage (wine bar next to Tutto). Open. And some brewery. Not open.

**I had a few interesting food finds in South America. See if you can find them or make them. Carrot cream dip. In place of a tapanade. For bread. A thicker carrot soup. Aguaymanto or Peruvian ground cherries. Look like cherry tomatoes. Taste citrus-y. Arvejas frita. Fried peas. Aceituna (black olive) sandwich. And I finally tried Thai ice cream in Mendoza of all places. They take cream and fruit and pour it on a cold steel plate and then it freezes and they scrape it up in a roll. I think it's supposed to be the latest craze. I saw it on tv before I left. Coldstone plus. We need that here. You probably have heard of the rest of the stuff I ate. I ate that big corn (choclo) - on the cob. Only had it in kernels before. I will point out that Burger King had a burger with a hot dog on it (Parrillera) that they should sell here.

Grub Crawl - Hourglass District: Cilantro's and Leguminati

I tried these two places last night. The first is on Bumby right before Curry Ford Rd. The next is at/near that intersection on Curry Ford Rd.

Cilantro's - This is an eight month old Mexican spot. It serves mostly hand held stuff - burritos, tacos flautas and dillas. I sampled a few tacos for you. I had a shrimp ($3.50), fish ($3.75), al pastor ($3) and a hard shell ground beef ($2). The shrimp was good. Four, medium sized, fresh. firm shrimp. The fish (mahi) was also fresh. and probably better (equal in size) than the salmon I had at the place on I Drive. The pastor was a little dry. Could have been chicken. Could have been anything. Big serving. No pineapple. I should have gone with carnitas. The ground beef was a little Jack in the Box-y. Fine ground. The seafood tacos came in a medium size flour tortilla. The pastor in a corn. All came with differing toppings. From cotija cheese to raw onion. They added some nice tortilla chips on the side. The food was mostly good. The place is into between a totally authentic $1 taco place and a Tijuana Flats. The chefs were tiny abuelas. The place is small. Six or seven little high top tables. All weren't clean. Not a bad little joint. Ok salsas. On the cusp of the favs list. We'll see how I feel in a few months. Got to clean those tables!

Leguminati - They are part of the Foxtail Coffee outpost. I've been waiting on them for months. They opened a week ago. They are a vegetarian place. I had a LGBT (I guess you can't be questioning when it comes to your sandwich) sandwich to go for $8. To see what rice paper bacon is. If it was anything, it dissolved into the LB. The T was fresh. The G (guac) was good. The bun was great. Nice flavors overall. And you know I can do without veganism. They have four or five other sandwiches and a few breakfast (all day) items. They were also serving wine and craft beer. I'm not sure who runs what, but, the other things in the building are a wine rack area, a fridge of beer, a sign that says Hourglass Social House and a Foxtail coffee bar. It looks hip. Or hipster.

Stasio's, Milk District

I grabbed lunch to go from this Italian Deli and Market on Bumby (and I think Robinson) about two weeks ago. I don't remember much. They had just been open for a week or so at that point. The place looks crisp and clean. I remember glass and white. I had a sausage and broccolini hero for $9 because it was the cheapest thing (most other sandwiches over $10) and I had had only chicken and broccolini before (iie at DaNic's in Philadelphia). It was very good. All the components were good. Top notch. I recall a limited menu. Ten or so items. More take home options. They said my sandwich would take ten minutes (they were telling everyone that), but, it came out in two. They also have a coffee bar. It was pretty packed. Which leads me to my only concern. The parking is inadequate and they share it with others. It won't be long before they start complaining and making a bad situation worse. I liked this place alot. I'll go back. It'll be on the favs list. Too busy to write more.