Grub Crawl - Winter Springs: Pho Au Lac and Parlour Ice Cream *Florida Keys Travel Notes

I tried these places in that strip mall near the high school at Tuskawilla and 434 at dinner on Monday. They are next to each other across from the McDonald's. I originally planned on trying Joliebee on 50. They STILL aren't open. And the internet said they were weeks ago. I also learned that Cafe Linger in College Park and Sushi Pop in Winter Park closed. I guess the answer to the question is that you don't have to let it linger.

Pho Au Lac - Another dull Pan Asian maquerading as Vietnamese. Same dull menu, etc. Open for four years. I avoided it for this long because of this very possibility. I tried a spicy chicken dish with chicken and basil and onion. It was to have snow peas. Of course they retract the most expensive element. It was ok. Thin pieces of chicken. Probably a Thai dish. The rice was man handled. Every grain was ripped apart. It cost $14. Shabby interior. It seats around sixty. They also do boba. It was empty.

Parlour Ice Cream - A cute (if overpriced) ice cream parlour that probably makes their own ice cream. A kiddie is almost $5. I tried a french toast shake for $8. It was good. Bits of some carb. Like tough, stale french toast. Some fun flavors. Bright white interior. Only location. Empty. Opened in April.

*Travel Notes - Florida Keys: Car rental for week was $324 with Budget. I rebooked days before because the quotes almost dropped in half from when I last looked. I had had a res with Hertz for $50 less. But, I hate working with them. No traffic issues (95) going down on Wednesday afternoon. Started at 9am. Ate a terrible (one fingers worth of lobster in a fritter) lobster reuben at Snook's Bayside in Key Largo. Ok mahi tacos at Alfredo's Cookhouse. Stayed at Rock Reef again for $102 a night. Dove French Reef with Rainbow Reef for $134 (dive and gear and tax). Ate a probably all frozen itemed mixed (mahi, clam, shrmp) fried basket with ff at The Catch. Ate an ok Margherita pizza at Italian Food Company. Ate (I'm going to save time and say all the rest of the egg meals mentioned were basically the same and mediocre) over easy eggs and hb and sausage and toast at High Tide. Went to Harry Harris beach. Grabbed a beer at Caribbean Club. They claim that the movie Key Largo (I guess the Bogart one) was shot there. I've seen scenes from it. Didn't look like familiar. Grabbed an ok meatball sub to go at Avenue Subs. Also, a good 1/4 chicken with a rice bean and pork combo and sweet plantains from Denny's Latin Cafe. Drove back to Florida City to save money by staying at Fairway Inn (again) for $85. Watched Utah dismantle SC. Drove back to Key Largo and had eggs, etc at Doc's Diner. Drove to Islamorada. Took a boat to Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park from Robbie's Pier. Usually $50. But, they were doing a X-mas celebration for $15. Stayed at under renovation (failed to disclose) Breezy Palms for $154 with taxes and fees. Ate a terrible chicken parm with rigatoni at Ciao Hound. Grabbed a bagel with rancid cc at F-ing Bagels. Drove to Marathon. Ate eggs, etc at Wooden Spoon. Went to Sombrero Beach. Walked the recently re-opened 7 Mile Bridge walkway. Ate a good seafood bisque and ok chicken piccata with side (baked potato) at Key Colony Inn. Mag said try their Sunday brunch. It is discontinued. Stayed at Bonefish Bay for $105. Drove back through Islamorada and had eggs, etc at Mangrove Mike's. Stopped in Coral Gables (on US1) at 3 Chefs for terrible, tiny and overpriced grilled 1/4 chicken. And had a great donut at Mojo donuts (on 3D). Had one blip of traffic around exit 35. Someone's furniture and clothes flew off their vehicle. The other side was a different story. Totally closed down from exit 40 to 30. Poor bastards. Good week to go. Weather was warm. Pretty empty. I booked most rooms through Booking before Thanksgiving. Not sure which way pricing went. But, overall better than last year when I did it last minute (and I didn't even risk weekend prices last year).