I tried the first spot Friday at dinner. It is halfway between 17-92 and the high school in Winter Springs. I tried the second spot Saturday at lunch. It is in Terminal C at OIA. They also have a Santa Monica something, Chick Fila, Orlando Brewery, Einstein's, Shake Shack, Cask and Larder and one other. Prices weren't that inflated. I also had a chicken sandwich at Chick Fila for $5.69. It's a pain to find, but, new and the TSA line is much shorter (even though they still try and gum it up with only one lane working). It's a haul through a parking garage from the tram. There is a cool video sculpture in the center. Jet Blue and some foreign airlines are now at Terminal C. Less garbage people (no Spirit of Frontier passengers).
Winter Springs Seafood Station - Open for a few years. I bypassed it because I knew it would be average at best. I asked if crawfish were frozen. Yep. Claimed blue crabs were not. One was mushy. One was dry. One was better. Not sure if they were frozen or not. That is one pound. That cost $13. Had to ask for a cracker. No tiny fork. Soda was not overly expensive. They also sell steamed/boiled shrimp, clam, mussels (2x), scallops, snow crabs, dungeness crabs, king crabs and lobster. Plus teriyaki meals and fried platters. Overly expensive to my mind. Simple interior with a net with fish on the ceiling. 5 tables. 2 are family tables. One family there with me.
Sunshine Diner by Chef Art Smith - Sort of. I grabbed a ground beef empanada and a sticky bun from the to go area. Both $5. Both not made by him. Empanada was good. From Sergio's Cuban (supposedly from Miami). Bun was sourced locally. Ok. Didn't see diner menu. Not that he'd be in the kitchen, but, you would think he only sell his own grub throughout. Not sure what I'm paying a premium for.
*Update 7/2/2024: I tried the chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and carrots for $23. It was ok. The meat was very tough. The fried shell had many pockets of air. Was there ice in there that melted and created cavities? Pasty potatoes. Small portion. Carrots were the best. Almost raw. Baby carrots. You must eat with plastic utensils. Took a while to appear. Still, a shrinkflated, differently sourced, raised price chicken sandwich and fries from Chick Fila(tio) is now north of $11. They have a huge chicken sandwich with fries for $18. Soda with refills was same cost as a bottle from the airport store. So, I guess it makes sense to choose them or Summer House before you fly.
*Travel Notes - North Carolina and Georgia: Rented a car for a week to be returned at OIA for $295. Drove eight hours through Columbia Sunday to Hendersonville. Almost Asheville. No traffic. Stayed at Hampton Inn for $128 (rack rate). Skied Wolf Ridge the next day (30 minutes north of Asheville) for $23 (half off because Men's Monday) and $34 ski rental. Only one lift and two trails open. It was supposed to snow the day before. Left after an hour. Drove to Boone on 19. They had more snow. Stayed at Country Inn and Suites for $98 a night (2). Ate and drank at Cardinal. Emu and chorizo burger. Had good beer at Appalachian Mountain Brewing. Blew off skiing the next day and drank good beer at Booneshine Brewing and had good pizza and beer at Lost Province Brewing. Drove through Charlotte to Savannah. Stayed at Thunderbird Inn for $132 plus $15 parking (cheapest option). Roamed around. Saw Revolutionary War battlefield and Train Museum and City Museum (at old train depot) and Forrest Gump bench (did it before) and Riverfront and other things. Ate Apple Pie Chicken Sandwich with bacon and cheese at Treylor Park (on Food Paradise). Walked around town some more at night. Had drinks at The Grey (old Greyhound bus station). Learned that it is renowned. On some show called Chef's Table for instance. Grabbed fried oyster (waffle) cone at Savannah Seafood Shack (on Food Paradise+). Had lunch at Paula Deen's The Lady and Sons. The smallest option is two mains with four sides. I had chicken and dumplings and fried catfish with collards, creamed mashed potatoes, fried okra and mac and cheese. Plus a cheese biscuit. Good. You can have as many refills as you want. Oh and a dessert. I had some kind of butter pie or something. All for $20. Rolled out of there. Drove to St Simon's Island. Stayed at a weird historical Methodist Colony called Epworth by the Sea for $146. Good view. Ate a bagel with cc at Sandy Bottom Bagels and Fried Catfish with pimento grits and ff at Porch. Have some REAL trips coming up.
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