I tried these spots on Thursday at lunch. The first is on Main St. A block in. The second is in the Plant Street Market. The third is right outside it. The fourth is back towards the fountains (and Hangry Bison). The last is in the Winter Garden Village shopping center off 429/Stoneybrook.
Sweet Dee's Cupcakery - On that Edible list. I had been waiting for a Thursday to come here and they go and solve their staffing issues and are only closed on Sunday and Monday now. They sell cupcakes. I grabbed a Wedding Cake for $3.75. Good. Small. Yellow cake. Moist. Sweet. Too much vanilla icing.
Nosh - They sell $10+ bags of popcorn. I just grabbed a sample of chocolate chip. Caramel corn with a chip beside it. I think they used to have another name. I decided to stop ignoring it. The sample angle helped with that. I was there to try a new oyster place that turned out to be called Oysters by Bruno (Pizza Bruno?) at Barrel Room. It is only open after 5pm (except on WE). Front street side of market. I also noticed that the fancy sushi kiosk (Jodo) is now a Bento Sushi and Norigami Sushi is across from it. OK pricing. Everything else is the same.
Orange Crate Cafe - Was a chicken place before this. Open seven months. A lucky find. I guess you would call it Southern inspired. I went with the shrimp po bay over the catfish. It cost $10. Very good roll. Crunchy. Not stale. They said it was just basic stuff from Cisco distributing. Big, non-chemical tasting shrimp (7). Corn meal breading. That did fall off a bit too easily. Turn up the frying oil. Decently fresh lettuce and tomato. Hot sauce (probably Texas Pete's). Catfish is probably done correctly too. Did you know that the phrase "there is more than one way to skin a cat" was originally about catfish? I guess many people had many ideas of the best way to skin this hard to skin fish. They also offer things like soup and half sandwich, tuna, chicken salad with cranberries, cheesesteaks, fried green tomatoes, tenders, fried pickles, salads, wraps, fish tacos, baked salmon, fried chicken, pork chops, etc. And $1.50 scoops of Blue bell ice cream. Quick and friendly service. Wrap around patio.
Mangoni - They offer pizza, focaccia tartines and salads. A charcuturie board, booze, coffee and some apps too. I had a pepperoni pizza for $13.50 (same price as the cheese). Small. Plate size. But good. They claim to use Italian gourmet flour (0?), olive oil, sea salt, yeast and non-acid or nitrate tainted tomatoes from Italy. Cooked in a spinning wood oven heated to 500 degrees by Florida oak. The pie was good. Thin. Some crust. Mozz was a little bland. Almost tasted like a blend. Pepperoni was good. Sauce was good. Not alot. I liked it. The place looks nice. Marble bar with an antique finished mirror. Rectangular floor plan. You order at one end and then move towards the bar. A few tables. More outside on the wrap around patio. Cute design. Black. They display items in the oven area. Hot honey, cheese, cured Italian meats, etc. The quartered logs are stacked aside the pizza oven. Open for a year. I liked it alot.
Dolly LLama - Let's get this straight. I only went here because I was near and it is a California chain and I love the name (though I don't get what it has to do with the food). They sell Belgian (Liege) and bubble waffles and ice cream. Did you know that the sundae became a thing because you couldn't sell soda water on Sunday (religious nuts). Soda jerks used the soda syrup on ice cream instead. They just were bad spellers too. I grabbed the cheapest waffle. A $6 maple syrup and Speculoos (they said it is a cookie) crumbs. It was fine. I ate it withh two nuked hot dogs for dinner. Other waffles are $10. Square foot print. Some seating. In the middle on the right of the center. Open for two weeks. I took 439 (Maguire) from 50 to Windermere Rd (rt) and left onto Stoneybrook to escape paying the 429 toll. You return by crossing the 429 and making a left onto Stoneybrook. It is aside the toll entrance on the right. Don't get scared.
*Travel Notes - Utah and Nevada: I flew into Las Vegas on Frontier for $128. 9:30am and 8am NS flights. Usually night flights are the cheaper ones. Checking in was a nightmare. They charged me $25 for a boarding pass. But, I think I know how to beat their new rules (photograph the digital boarding pass) without using their app. They actually let you complete the online check in process now. Instead of taking you to the end and telling you your level of ticket requires in airport check in. And Mayor Booty's FAA computers definetly weren't hacked even though bit coin (their choice of renumeration) has been skyrocketing since this happened and other countries have been violated too. That delayed me a few hours. I rented a car from Hertz for the week at $364. They gave me a ripped up tire with a patch beneath that I had to replace. That is going to be fun fighting them on that. I stayed at the Cromwell (trying to do every hotel in Vegas) for $51. They comped the $52 resort fee after I couldn't use the wifi for some reason. Self Parking was $18. I finally found (next to Blue Ribbon Sushi on the third floor) the "secret" pizzeria at The Cosmopolitan. Had two slices for $15 with tax and tip. Grabbed a corn flake and chocolate chip and marshmellow cookie at Milk Bar on the second floor. Found out that Giada at the Cromwell does a much cheaper brunch on the weekends. Ate crappy chicken tenders at Haute Doggery in between Flamingo and Cromwell. Found a locals place behind the Cromwell called Battista's. Too tired to try it. Had breakfast at Maxie's (in between Flamingo and Cromwell). Eggs benedict box (spinach/bacon/tomates in a hollowed out loaf of bread). $23 with tax and tip. Drove to Utah. Stayed at good Cedar Breaks Lodge at Brian Head for $103. Skied the next day at Brian Head for $95 (was $60 online a week before). Ski package at Brian Head Sports for $33. Stayed in Cedar City at Abbey Inn for $107. Had a hb and a cb at Hermie's Drive In. Drank a flight at Policy Kings Brewery. Grabbed some suprisingly fresh tuna sushi at Lin's Market. Topped that off with some beef taquitos with guac at Rita's Taco Shop. Bailed on skiing in Utah because of snow storms. Went back to Vegas through 56W to Cathedral Gorge SP in Panaca NV. Stayed at a dump near Sam's Town called Arizona Charlie's Boulder for $111 incl RF and parking because hotels in Vegas were ridiculously high. Went to Laughlin because of this. Stayed at Aquarious Casino (was a Hilton) for $75 incl RF and free parking. Went back to Vegas. Stayed at the Palms for $113 incl RF and free parking. Ate at Osaka Sushi (on 3D) on W. Sahara. Expensive ($37 for four items - blue fin, salmon belly, hokkigai (terrible) and scallop) and not great. Supplemented this with a $11 chicken sandwich for Half Bird on Spring Mountain Rd. Ate dinner at Chickpea's on W. Flamingo and Jones. It was just on 3D the night before. Said he came just two months ago. Ok lamb kabob and rice and salad for $21. Stayed the next night at a dump because I was leaving early the next morning and the hotels I wanted were expensive. Silver Sevens for $65 incl RF and free parking. Saw how they barely renovated the Hard Rock to Virgin. Ate AYCE sushi at Jjanga Sushi on Flamingo. Too many to list. Was on Food Paradise. Not very good. Had dinner at Lotus of Siam. On Best Thing I ever Ate with Ming Tsai. He (and I) had Man Prik Ong. Basically ground pork meat sauce with steamed vegetables for $20 with tax and tip. Not sure why he chose this. Curse him! But, the lady has a James Beard award and the menu looked great. Maybe the best Thai one I've seen. Even including Thailand. This (and Jjanga) is also near the Silver Sevens hotel on Flamingo. I also drove through some areas where the old, rich Vegas used to be. Not anymore. Paradise Palms on E Desert Inn. Scotch 80's and Rancho Bel Air on Rancho Dr off Charleston. I went to the free Pinball Hall of Fame (really just an arcade) near the Mandalay Bay. Was going to ski Lee Canyon on Mt Charleston north of Vegas. But, needed chains because of snow. Plus they are too expensive for what they are and even charge for parking and the damn lift ticket card. Saw on tv news from some food convention in town: glitter maple syrup, pickle juice cotton candy and vodka made out of whey. If there is a meal missing, it was supermarket, McD, In and Out or Del Taco.
**This may be the last Travel Notes and maybe review on Blogger. Twitter said they were going to 4000 characters soon. I'll post the account names again when I go. Nothing posted yet. One is @orlandoertravel and the other is @orlandoer8. Now those who hate the travel notes can be freed. Can you believe there were dudes named Orlando Er....who stole my handle. Went with 8 because sounds like "ate". Forgot my psuedonym is Henrry the Ninth.
No comments:
Post a Comment