I finally found a good route (Hoffner to 15 to Narcoossee) to this area on Wednesday. The purpose was to see the Quarter Finals of the NCAA Tennis Championship at the USTA Tennis Center. They did DIII and DII already. Started at the beginning of the month. Those matches were free. You take Lake Nona Blvd from Narcoossee and make a right at some unmarked point. They have an indoor arean if it rains. The ticket cost $10 (free parking) and was a ton of fun. Very sparsely attended. Coaches and parents. Sadly, I had to leave by 2pm to grab some grub and get the rental car back in time. I think this will be a yearly event until they jack the prices like they did for the Thanksgiving basketball tournament at Disney. With regards to the restaurants, they were both in a strip mall just up from Lake Nona Blvd. East side. Almost next to each other in the rear. *I also drove farther on Lake Nona Blvd to another area that I forget the name of. A few restaurants and shops and they had a "village" of food stalls in shipping conatiners called 1 Box or something. It wasn't open and they chased me out when I tried to look in.
Sweet Mama's - Opened in 2007. A 2020 Orlando Magazine article they had framed put them in te Top Twenty local breakfast places. I grabbed an egg and cheese and sausage sandwich to go. It cost $9. It came with pretty good (fresh for afternoon) home fries. The sandwich was good. Quality egg and sausage. Buttered bun added alot. They offer up: egg dishes, omelettes, burritos, bagels, bennys, chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, pancakes, french toast, waffles, etc) for breakfast. $17 was the tops. Oddly for a bagel with lox. Most under $10. $5.49 early bird egg meal on weekdays. They offer: sandwiches, wraps, burgers, salads, fish and chips, hot dogs, meatloaf, apps, etc) for lunch. I think $14 was the high water mark. Desserts. Opens at 6am. Unsure of close. Unsure of off days. Farmhouse feel. Yellow. Six booths. Six tables. Counter. Good service. I guess if you are in the area...
Durian Durian - Asian Thai. I thaid (err tried) the Cashew Nut Medley for $13 because I hadn't before and it was in the Thai Classic section (6). It was acceptable. Came in a brown sauce (probably soy). I had chicken in mine. Veg. Cashews. Medium heat. I should have gone super sonic. It was bland. White rice. They sell dishes with noodles and rice (8). Soups (12). Salads (5). 14 small plates. 13 Chef Creations. 3 desserts. Highest price is MP or $20. Interesting dishes were: roti canai, tulip dumplins, jade edamame dumplins, tamarind crispy duck, Malayasian Curry Laksa and fried cheesecake). As you can see they have a pan-Asian assortment of dishes. Open for fourteen years. I think. Oddly shaped interior. Oval shaped. Light gray. Dark floors. Wood. Wall of Buddha panels. Plants. Wicker lamp shades. Durians. Seats about thirty. Good service. I guess if you are in the area...
*Travel Notes - Northern California: I flew Frontier NS for $67 to SFO. $117 minus $50 credit (late PMs). They delayed the flight home by nine hours. However, they did provide (onced asked) a meal voucher and a crap hotel (Focus) with a shuttle bus. Sent me an email with $75 voucher already. $468 rental from Hertz. Quoted at $451. Shitty selection. Stayed near rental car depot (because landed at 11pm) at noisy Atrium Hotel for $123. Drove up 101 over Golden Gate Bridge (free in this direction) through Petuluma to Sonoma (116E to 12N). Stayed at Sonoma Creek Inn for $133. Had Alotachocolata and Butter Cream Brickle Ice Cream at Sweet Scoops in the village square. Went to the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art (tiny exibition) because it was free that day. Drove towards road to Napa and popped in at Gundlach Bundschu Rhine Farm, Scribe and Nicholson Ranch. Didn't do tastings because they wanted $50 and they sell bottles at retail in the low teens and who the hell has heard of some of them and the whole DUI potential. Plus they were too into themselves. I think the idiot at Grunlach told me they do Rhone style wines. I think she meant Rhine. All the winery stops (and the trip in general) were not pre-planned. FYI - most places charge $50 to $35 nowadays and I didn't do any. I had lunch at Lou's Luncheonette. Chicken biscuit with pimento cheese. Down the street to Hanson Distillery. Got a free sample of their grape based vodka and had a $15 Ladies in Lavender cocktail because I felt obligated and a tasting was like $30 and they just flavor the basic one. Vodka was fruity, so, I passed on an interesting sounding green tomato Bloody Mary. I think the breakfast at Atrium (or Lou's or BK at OIA) brought on a case of the squirts. As such (and the fact that road side dumps wanted $18 for a burrito), I drove quickly to Safeway for some wine ($15 for a $35 Gruner Veltliner) and Taco Bell for a night picnic in my room and watched hoops. Sampled and rejected some Mexican places the next morning on the way out. Drove north on 12 to Glen Ellen. Popped in at Benziger Family Winery (tried their Chardonnay last night and it sucked). Ate lunch of cb and ff at Jack London Saloon (above a stream). Drove up to Jack London SHP. Didn't go in because it was $10 and it is just his house and it wasn't a planned itinerary item. Popped in at Abbot's Passage Winery (daughter of Gunlach people), BR Cohn (some hippy music enabler), Imagery Estate Winery, Arrowood, Kunde Family Winery, Kenwood Vineyards, Chateau St Jean (cute faux chateau) and St Francis Winery (good view). Back on 101 south to Rohnert (hotels getting pricy in Sonoma/Napa area). Saw Sonoma State University. Stayed at Good Nite Inn for $84. Grabbed double cream brie, 1/4 lb of sliced Boarshead pepperoni (cheaper than packaged), Dutch Crunch bread and a bottle of Kunde SB ($10) at Safeway. Ate that by the pool. Drove down 101 to Petuluma. Drove through town. Ate two great bbq oysters and a half bbq chicken with cheddar and bacon potato salad at Lombardi's Deli. Drove back to Sonoma. Tried a short cut. Got lost. But, saw Cline Cellars and Jacuzzi Family Vineyards (my room mate in college's fraternity kicked out one of them out) because of that. Past Napa Airport to 80N to 12E to 160S at Rio Vista to 4W. Saw Jelly Belly factory and Sacramento River. I did this route to avoid bridge tolls. Stayed at America's Best Value Inn in Antioch for $121. Dinner at Target. Drove 4W to Concord to Port Chicago Naval Magazine NM. This is why I made the trip. To knock out these landmarks. All were free. It is closed until August. Requires res. Was the ammo shipper during WWII. Onto Martinez for the John Muir NHS. Also contained Juan Batista de Anza NHT. Onto Richmond (80 to 580S) for the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front NHP. Nice view of SF and Berkeley/Oakland. Also had a good looking restaurant next to it. And a Ford Model A assembly plant and bay trail. Onto 580 to 24 to 680S to Danville. Ate a turkey dip at Pete's Brass Rail and Car Wash. Shuttle bus (only way) to Eugene O'Neill NHS. Back on 680S to Fremont. Stayed at brand new Hilton Garden Inn for $129. Grabbed sushi at Ranch Market and XXL fried chicken breast and crispy oyster mushrooms at a stall inside called Shihlin Taiwanese Street Snacks. Soooo much food. Got pregnancy belly and still had more for the next day. Drove 680 to 280 to 17W to 1 to Monterey. I was reading Cannery Row on the flight and it drew me here. Drove the coastal route. Many wildflowers. Saw Point Pinos Lighthouse and Pacific Grove Golf Links (public - $85 some guy said). Into town for Cannery Row. Ate rock fish tacos at Sea Harvest because Cannery Row Brewing (on 3D) closed down and Monterey Fish House (on 3D) didn't tempt me. FYI - you can park on Lighthouse Dr (four blocks up) for free. Drove past Presidio into the old dt. Saw City Hall. Walked to Old Fisherman's Wharf and Customs House. Had a great chocolate chip cookie at Rosine's (on 3D). Stayed at over rated Sand Castle Inn in Seaside (adjacent town) for $83. Had capicola and havarti sandwich and beer at Other Brother Beer Co. Weather on coast was cold and foggy. Perfect inland. Drove up 1 a few miles to Castroville. Had artichoke bisque and steamed artichoke at Choke Coach at Pezzini Farms (on Pizza Cuz). One exit up to Phil's Fish Market (had been in Moss Landing) for snapper sandwich with ff. On 3D, I think. Drove up 1 to Pigeon Point Light Station. Onto Half Moon Bay. No Maverick's this time. Had beer at Half Moon Bay Brewing Co and Hop Dogma Brewing Co. Petrale sole with smashed potatoes and asparagus at Sam's Chowder House. A packed, touristy spot with a good view. I'm not sure if it is famous. Drove 92 to San Mateo (101). Dealt with flight cancelation. Most stops were happenstance. Turned out to be a great trip. Avoided traffic (except in wine country). Saw some new stuff and revisited (expanded on) some old. Great time of year to go. Not a ton of competition for amenities. Gas was $6 in SF. As low as $4.50 elsewhere. Avocados were 7 for $1! (at farms). Not sure which kind. They seemed to also be birria crazy and into something called drunken oats.
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