Tom's Watch Bar, International Drive *Germany Travel Notes

I tried this sports bar near the intersection of Sand Lake and I Drive last night. It is on the top floor of the building a half a block south on I Drive. It is a chain. I know they have another in Vegas. It opened a week or two ago. I had the All American Cheeseburger for $18. It was ok. Preformed, but, acceptable patty. Earthy tasting. Over a 1/4 lb. You could not adjust the temp. It was medium well. Sweet and sour pickle slices. Good brioche bun. It came with a choice of fries or tots. I chose tots. Good. Alot. Crispy. Not oily. Served in a wire basket with a plastic cover sheet. Side of ketchup. It came out quick. Not bad for 10pm. The menu has few surprises. Tacos, fried chicken sandwiches, prime rib sandwich, salads, mac and cheeses, etc. $18 to $24. The apps (nachos, hummus, etc) ran from $14 to $18. The service was attentive and polite. The space is large. High ceilings. L Shaped. Black is the main tone. Concrete too. A long bar with seating. The area near the kitchen is a little unsightly. An area up a staircase that was closed. An outdoor space with its own bar on the I Drive side. Views on three sides though. Seats over 200. About 1/4 full. All types. Even kids and babies with bad parents. The walls are lined with screen and projection tvs. Three regular tvs between them. The sound is ear splitting. They haven't evened out what level the announcers are on and what level the crowd is on. The crowd noise is too loud and drowns out the announcers. Plus it gives you headache. And it is annoying when you are watching one of the other events. I would rather have no audio or music. You may have to pay for parking. I parked aside it. At other times, this lot may be full. They are only open for lunch on the weekends. 4pm to 11pm otherwise. Not a bad addition to our community.

*Travel Notes - Germany: I flew to Frankfurt via Santiago DR and Boston (return) on Jet Blue and Condor for $630. Neither gave me record locator numbers (a first). Jet Blue finally did with a last minute email and I could check in online and it also checked me onto my Condor flight. Which was good because their website is a clusterfuck. So bad that I had to take the train to the airport in Frankfurt to use a kiosk to check in on the way back because it was the first segment flying that portion and Jet Blue's website couldn't save me that time. The Condor site kept hanging up on the chose luggage page. They tried to charge for everything. Jet Blue did how ever almost fuck me by not informing me that the idiots in the DR (the transit point) make even transferring passengers fill out some form (plus go through customs and back). And their idiot counter people just call it an eticket. Don't you think they should be using the term entry form or something like that? Eticket sound like a boarding pass. In the Dr, they listed (never fixed) the flight to Frankfurt as Puerto Plata. I've already written too much on this subject.

You can take an S Train (above ground) from the airport to the Main Train Station for 6.30E. I paid in cash. It made change. It takes about fifteen minutes and is the last stop. No one checked my ticket. FYI - the exchange rate was about 1E for 1.08 US. I stayed the first two nights at the pretty decent Ramada Central Station (Expedia 7.6) about four blocks down on the main road out of the station (Kaiser Strasse) for $69 a night. It was a bit drizzly (was most days) the first day. I got some food at the market (Tegut) and went to sleep. The next day I bought a 35E ticket from a machine at the station to my next destination. These idiot machines in Europe ask for a pin on a normal credit card! Luckily, the bullshit number I entered on my AMEX fooled them. Didn't work with other cards though. These machines did take cash too. They had an English language option. I will have to go into a lengthy explanation of the fare structure, etc at the end. Then, I walked a few block into the city center (where the skyscrapers are) and took out some cash at the Commerzbank. Then right towards the river at some point. The street that has the Klein Markt Halle and the Dom and the Moderne Kunst Museum. Then down to the Main River and over a bridge to this area that has apple cider bars. Then back and across the iron bridge and back to the Rathaus and back to the main street and down it a bit more. It is a busy shopping street. It was a bit rainy and there isn't a ton to see and I knew I'd be back, so, I called it quits and did another market run again. I should add here that the area around the station is a bit annoying. Druggies, homeless, etc. There are also many refugees here as well. BTW - tell them you are there on business to avoid the 2E a night hotel tax.

The next day, I grabbed a frankfurter (because you gotta) at Wurst Heldon at the station and left (I took 11am-ish trains that got me into the next place at check in time at the hotel) for Koblenz. The Rhine and the Mosel meet here at a Kaiser Wilhelm statue point called Deutsches Eck. There is also a castle across the Rhine that you can take a gondola to. I stayed near the station at the tiny and poorly valued Trip Inn City Hotel Hamm (Expedia 8.2) for $112. And they were the cheapest! It was a Saturday. I thought the Eck was close to here. But, I read the map wrong. No bother. I went to the station and bought a 31E ticket for the next day and took a pleasant walk through town and along the Rhine. Down there, I just walked down the Mosel side a bit and back and perused a food truck festival and saw the St Kastor Basilika. On the return, I took the route through the middle of the peninsula/city. Saw the Rathaus, etc. Got dinner at a Lidl near the station. FYI - I would stay here and do day cruises or take buses down the Mosel instead of staying in the towns (unless you have a car).

The next day I took the train to through the Mosel region (it was flooding its banks) to Trier. After this is France. It is the oldest Roman settlement in Germany. I bought a 46E return ticket to Frankfurt at the station. I stayed at the perfectly placed Hotel Porta Nigra (Booking 8.0) for $73. I should add that it was a Sunday and many shops were closed. I walked to the Porta Nigra (a black Roman gate) and down that main street to Haupt Markt. Then left to the Dom and onto the Konstantin Basilika and Kuefurstliches Palais. Through the garden to the Kaiser Thermen (Roman baths). Don't pay. You can see the whole thing from around the corner. Onto the Mosel and the Romer Bricke (bridge). Back to center and the Karl Marx house, Markt Kirche St Gangolf and Karl Marx Statue. A deparate 9E tuna sandwich dinner at Subway.

The next day I walked through town a bit more. I got screwed again because it was some holiday. Back through Boulay and Cochem to Koblenz. Those two towns are suggested stopping of points for the Mosel. But because of the flooding, high hotel places, etc I chose to bypass them. I will tell you that the train only follows along the Mosel to Boulay. South of that it goes inland. I planned on staying in a town south of Boulay. When I found out a bus was required, I just cut bait. The wineries also didn't seem that accessible. The train was a nightmare. Had to stand the whole way from Koblenz. Back in Frankfurt I stayed at the noisy Concorde Hotel (Expedia 8.6) a block to the left of the station for $47. I bought a 46E ticket and walked to the Opera House, Goethe Museum and along the river (everyone was there because of the holiday) to the Stadl Museum and back. The hotel was in the red light district. It was pathetic shell of itself if it ever was notorious. Dinner of chicken schnitzel sandwich and egg and salami on mei seicke (a popover like pastry) from Quicker's at the station.

The next day I went on to Nurnberg through Wurzburg. I stayed at the Privat Hotel Probst (Expedia 8.8) just inside the walls in front of the station. I walked to the St Lorenz Kirche, Pegnitz River, Haupt Markt, Rathaus, Schoner Brunnen (fountain), Frauen Kirche, Albrecht Durer Haus, Kaiserburg Castle, St Sebald Kirche and up Karolinen Strasse. Dinner from Lidl. The next day I bought a local train 4E ticket (I freeloaded the return) to where the Kongress Halle/Documentation Center and Zeppelin Field are (a few stops from the central station) and a 28E ticket for the next leg. They held some of the Nazi rallies you see in film here. Exit left from the exit and look for a lake. Wasted 6E on a ticket for some shit museum when I could have just entered the building for free. BTW - it is all being torn apart. The stands, etc are gone. It is just an empty horseshoe. I think they are renovating it to be a new political building. I walked around the building to the Zeppelin Field. There is a hockey rink and a football stadium aside it. At the other side was a bunch of stone work that I think was the seating area for their parades. They were also working on that. I continued on (around the lake that is there) to the station. It wasn't really worth the effort. Back in town, I walked past the Konigs Tor, Modern Art Museum and Germanisches National Museum. Back to Karolinen Strasse and had a Drei im Weggla (three shitty sausages in a roll) at the Original Nurnberg Kiosk. It's a local specialty. Around the left side of town. Walls, bridge, castle again, etc. Dinner from Lidl. 

The next day I took the train to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. It is a medivil town. I stayed at the noisy Hotel Gasthof Post to the left of the station and outside the walls. I bought a 20E ticket for the next day at the only kiosk. No workers at the depot. I walked into town. Entrance, Rathaus plaza, Kathe Wohlfahrt Christmas store, Berggarten, St Wolfgang Kirche and Walls. At the end of the walls, I walked back into town and bought some wine at Frankischer Brennereiausschank and a LKW Burger Fleischkas with Kraut Salat and Gebratenen at Metzgerei Erich Trumpp because you couldn't pass that up. It was a fat slice of some big wurst that I saw being sold in Nurnburg. A little more walking through town center and the St Jakobs Kirche. Dinner from Aral gas station market because I didn't see the great big market next to the station when I came in.

The next day I went onto Wurzburg. Known for wine. I bought a 26E ticket. I stayed at the very nice Hotel Franzikaner near the Dom and Residenz (Expedia 8.0) for $85. I walked down to the Main River. Left to a bridge and around the farther side of the Fortress Marienburg. This took forever and I thought I'd have to turn around. Luckily, I found a passage through the vineyards at the farthest end and cut across. Through some very pretty areas. I doubt many take this route. I did screw up coming back. There was a park about half way to town. I thought I'd get better photos if I stayed farther away from the fortress. That whole way was blocked by buildings. Maybe the park was not? Back across the Alte Main Brucke to Dom Strasse. Marien Kapelle, Falken Haus, Neu Munster and the Dom. Dinner from Tegut. I started to rain heavily. 

The next day I walked to the Residenz Palace and back through town. I got lost and ended up more north on the river and got some better angles of the fortress and made a right that brought me back to the station. I took the train (1 hour late) to Stuttgart. I bought a 66E ticket. I stayed at the ok Hotel Bawu (Expedia 8.8) right across the front of the station for $66. They are doing alot of construction at the station and around town. I got lost trying to find my way to the Mercedes Benz Museum. That and the Porsche Museum are the main draws. It was good because it started to pour an hour later. I ended up finding this park (Schloss Garten) that had all these buildings (opera, ballet, etc) around it. Dinner from Tegut. I think you need to use the subway to get to both car museum. A big hill blocks you from Mercedes and the Porsche seemed even farther away.

The next day (I bought a 2pm because it was the cheapest and I arrived so late the day before) I walked the other way around town. I saw the Rathaus, Stifts Kirche, Markt Halle (closed because a Sunday), Porsche Store, etc. A plaza was hosting the Hamburger Fisch Market. I had sauteed Kap-Seehecht (Cape Hake) at the Hamburger Bratkartoffeln stall because it was the busiest. Past the palace on Konig Strasse. Back to the station. The train was late. I arrived at Frankfurt with just enough time to do the river walk (farther) again. I got caught in the rain. Had one of the beers I bought under a tree. Had to buy groceries at the Zam Zam Halal Supermarkt. I stayed at the nice Victoria Hotel (Expedia 8.6) for $128 for two nights. Three blocks up from the station. The next day I had to do that BS at the airport and there was some issues with the trains, so, that took hours. I had to buy a two way local ticket for 12E. I got lost trying to find the Marshall Plan building. It's a college now. It was called the IG Farben Building. They planned and carried out the WWII rebuilding scheme from here. Back through town. Dinner from Tegut. There was S8 train scarcity the next morning, so, I took some other train to the first stop and connected with one there. I didn't pay because the machine wouldn't take my card and had no cash option. No one checked me. Had I stayed on the first train, I think I would have been found out and had to pay a 60E fine. Getting to the gate was no issue. Flight was late because (once again) some dipshit didn't show up and we had to unload their bag. Jet Blue was late by an hour because they claimed the flight before needed extra security time because it came from the DR. Doesn't it always? Didn't you know this? Why didn't you say plane leaves at that time then?

The weather was cloudy to drizzly 75% of the time. Not enough to worry about. It was hot enough. I never needed my sweater or long pants. Daylight started before 5am. Sun set late. All hotels had poor pillows, curtains and noise making maids. The meals I didn't speak of were the usual charcuterie, cheese, wine, beer, hummus, rolls, etc from markets or McD's. I drank every night. Local wine or beer. I tried these items for the first time: Meats - Parmesan Salami, Weisbauer Beskada Gerbraten, Schwarz Walder Schinken, Knoblauch Salami (I've probably had this), Cheese - Stilfser, Berg Bluten Kase, Bread - Chia Spitzerl. I had a ton of every kind of 1.50E Ritter chocolate bars because of the price. As usual smoked salmon was around 4E, prosciutto 2E, cheese 4E, cold cuts 2E, wine 3E to 7E, beer 1E to 2E. You have to just make your own sandwiches, et al! It so easy. Don't buy premade ones for 6E! It was good seeing the southeast part of Germany. Hotels were cheaper than I expected. Trains continue to be expensive. The quality of life is deteriorating in the cities. Still safe enough though. They never jaywalk. I kept calling them "Guter Hund".

Some thoughts on the trains. I still don't get it. They have ICE and IC trains that are the fastest and most expensive and mostly long distance. They have the RE that stop at every town and are cheaper. What I don't get is the price swings. Sometimes Flex (refundable) were cheaper. Sometimes I got a ticket for unlimited travel that day (the 46E ones). You must write your name on those. Sometimes they had limitation warnings yet they offered them up for sale and it seemed did not apply to that travel day. Why scare us? The lines for people to talk to were usually ridiculous. Why I just went to the machines. They also make it seem that it makes two or three stops. Nope. Dozens. You should also hit the print schedule button before you buy the ticket to find it where the transfers are. The screen won't tell you. You can also print out the three or four trains that are leaving in you time window. Many times seats were hard to come by. Sometimes no one checked my ticket. Sometimes it looked like the whole train was full of freeloaders. Transfer times were usually really short (like 5 minutes). There is supposedly a 49E a month unlimited pass you get online. A CS guy in Trier told me it automatically bills you every month. Not sure how hard it is to get out of or its limitations. The 3, 4, 6, 8 day passes seemed expensive. The internet said a six day was 248E. At 41E a day at that rate, almost all my day before purchases were cheaper. 

Donating Your Vehicle Tutorial

I decided on WUCF after looking into some of the other charities that market themselves to the general public. Many had issues. The first step was clicking on their donations link off their homepage. Then you fill out a form with info like vin number and condition. Immediately after they called me to verify this info and arrange a pick up date. A truck came on that day and hauled it away. I had to fill in some of the information on the title and give that to the driver. They gave me a donation receipt. I took some video and pics (title too) just in case.

I will consul that I believe they aren't doing this in compliance with the law. They (the auction house which sells the vehicle and sends the proceeds to the charity) ask you not to fill in mileage or make them the transferee. I believe they would have to pay for a new title that way. I called the charity, auction house and DMV for guidance. I received little and contradictory guidance. Some charity sites online were equally unclear. UCF had no instruction page for this. I emailed two of their departments. They couldn't answer the query.  I wrote up the mileage but played their game on the transfer line. I do believe that I had legal liability between the time it went on the truck and the sale.

I canceled the insurance and returned my plates to the DMV and waited for confirmation of the sale which was supposed to take place a week later. One never came. I had to email them. They said it could take 4 to 6 weeks. I received an email about a week later with the sale price and some tax advice.

Grub Crawl - Longwood and Lake Mary: Moliendo Cafe, Uno Mas and Love Le Boba & Bakery

I tried these spots on Monday and Tuesday at lunch. The first is just east of 434 off 17-92. The second is on 434 closer to I-4 near Max & Meme. The last is in between the new chicken sandwich place and the Thai place on International Parkway at 46a. 

Moliendo Cafe - I saw this while car shopping and then they put a two for one coupon in my mail. They said a new owner took over three months ago. He is Ecuadorian. The menu is a mix of non-island Latin. I tried another Ecuadorian soup (caldo bolas verde) for $15 and I guess the $14.95 cazuuela frijoles was free. The soup is a green plantain dumpling soup. The dumpling is like a giant matzo ball with some shredded beef, etc in it. The menu said Colombian sausage. I only tasted beef shoulder and chichirron. Maybe two pieces. Also some green peas, a quarter cob of corn and cassava in a beef broth. Good. The beans had white rice (soft) and about ten thick pieces of fried pork belly (chicharron) and some of that sausage. Two maduros and a corn cake. Very filling. The rest of the menu had things from burritos to seafood. Nothing far from $24. Lunch specials near $10. The owner seemed to be the cook. One waitress. Red brick walls. Ten large flatscreens. Black ceiling. Rectangular layout. Bar on left. Seemed like live music area in rear. Two people eating. Open every day. The name is a riff on to grind coffee. It also seems to be a song.. It is funny that I went from zero food from Ecuador to two in a week. It is a value with these coupons. Could be worth your while.

Uno Mas - F&D reimagined their Italian kitchen into this hodge podge under a Mexican sombrero. They kept the pizza and oven and added things fron their other restaurants like American fare like burgers and Mexican fare like chimichangas. I had a Mexican grilled shrimp wrap for $16. It was good. F&D always delivers. Around ten, fresh, medium-sized shrimp. Nicely timed and seasoned. Caesar salad inside a well toasted tortilla. Simple. Good. Some bacon bits. A side of tender (to just done) tots in a mini fry basket. I never went to the Italian conversion. Now it is ranchero looking. Tile floors. Red brick. Stained wood. Black lamps. Wood bureaus housing tequila. Skeleton (Not chicas) mural. Four booths. Tables. Bar. Patio. Lots of parking. Three servers. Good service. Around ten in for lunch at 11:30 am. Open for a month. I think it is the rare multi-ethnic menu that works. Like I said. It's F&D....

Love Le Boba & Bakery- They replaced a Thai boba place (T Baar) a year ago. It still has that sign above the door. They also sent me a coupon, so, here is their pub. I picked up a free ice cream that is still in my freezer. They said it was Edy's They sell sugary drinks, etc.

Grub Crawl - Curry Ford Rd and Winter Park: Crispy Cones, Smokemade Meats + Eats and Forward/Slash Distillery * FL Gulf Coast Travel Notes

I tried these spots on Saturday during lunch. The first is on Curry Ford Rd next to that co-op that has Foxtail Coffee in it. The second is up Curry Ford to South Crystal Lake Dr. A block down (north) that road. The last is aside Fairbanks. Across from the Tars baseball stadium. Aside some abandoned (yet loaded with cars) car dealership eyesore. 

Crispy Cones - A chain from Idaho that makes a Czech pastry that looks like a cone. They wrap the dough around a dowel. I tried the cheapest. $5 for a small one filled with cookie butter (liquified Bischoff cookies). It was fine. Sugar sprinkled on top. It was a bit undercooked. You can get these with Nutella and one other spread. Extra for ice cream. They may have had a few other items. You could get pints of ice cream to go. I think they were $9 a pint. They trumpet the fact that they were on Shark Tank. Odd hours. Only normal hours on the weekends. After 4pm otherwise. Order at a computer terminal. A few seats. Looks like an ice cream franchise. Parking is not abundant. Open for a month or so. I've had these in Europe. They were longer and unfilled.

Smokemade Meats + Eats - They do all wood Texas barbeque. I tried a 1/2 lb of brisket ($17) and a hot gut sausage ($5). It came with two slices of decent white bread, pickled onions, sliced pickles and two sauces. The brisket was pretty good. I had a slice of lean and a slice of moist. A bit bland. Not much bark. Not very smoky. A fat pocket that should have been trimmed. Good pull. Not oily. Moist. It needed the mustard and the pepper vinegar sauces. They must do their own sauce making (and pickling). The sausage was a bit grainy. Flavored with whole mustard seed, etc. A bit of heat. Large. It was ok. Probably home made. It would explain the odd grind. They also sell pulled pork ($13), pork ribs ($11.50), turkey ($13), chicken ($13), jalapeno cheddar sausage ($5) and smoked mushrooms ($12). Today they sold a $36 a lb beef rib. The brisket sandwich is $18. Pulled pork, turkey and mushroom are $14. The sides are: cheddar grits, pinto beans, coleslaw, potato salad, collard greens, mac and cheese, tomato zucchini salad and hash and rice. All $4 for a small, $8 for a medium and $12 for a large. I only saw the mac and collards. The mac was very gooey. Very milky. The collards were collards. Green. Their baked goods are: banana pudding, bread pudding and gooey butter cake for $6. White bread and beef fat tortillas for $10. Cheesecake (Sunday only) for $8. I think they said they make those too. They sell soda, beer, lemonade and sweet tea. The beer was between $4 and $7. I think the sodas were $3. Water was free. Only around six tables of four inside. A few more outside. No decor. Order at a counter. Limited parking. It was busy. Not as busy as other times I was told. Open for two weeks or so. Only open on weekends. I think they did pop ups before this. Not the head of the class, but, up there. I'll have to try a few more items before I make my final determination. 

Forward/Slash Distillery - They take other peoples' barrels and monkey around with them. I had one shot of bourbon from Virginia and a four distillery mix of bourbon that they call Rhapsody. Both were $5. I liked the quality. Mostly obscure distilleries. I'm still not sure why those distilleries allow them play with their product. Isn't it kind of insinuating that it hasn't been created properly? And how different is their version versus the original? It kind of ruins it if you want to sample that spirit to learn its characteristics. Anyway. It was a hip, cool, little venue. Not many seats inside. Two patio areas. Open for a year and a month. They make cocktails. You can buy bottles. They sell whiskey, tequila, gin, rum, etc. They make their own bitters. The cheapest bottle was $39 for the rum. I think the whiskey was around $80. Lots of parking. Odd hours and days. Wed-Sn. 4pm. 2pm Sa and maybe Sn. Open for thirteen months. Big, white building.

*Travel Notes - Florida Gulf Coast: I drove to Lakeland on Saturday. Heavy traffic from Disney past Celebration. Stayed at the too noisy Travelodge (Booking 8.0) for $109. Saw the Flying Tigers (on 33) at Joker Marchant Stadium for $15 (free parking). Drove the next day to Dunedin (92/Hillsborough Ave at 301 intersection past the airport and past 19). No tolls. I saw the Blue Jays at TD Ballpark for $11 (free parking). On Douglas Ave. I tried to try some breweries or restaurants in town. But, it was Cinco de Mayo and they had streets closed off, etc. Most of the breweries (around seven) only sold growlers or four packs. I didn't want that much. The town seemed cuter this time around. I'll go back. I drove back to 19 and went south. Hooked up with 275 after following Alt 19 a few miles. You can take that all the way from Dunedin. But, I remember it as being longer. I went over the sky bridge and exited on 19S at Tera Ceia. It became 41S. Took that to Sarasota. I stayed at the great value Kompose Boutique Hotel (Expedia 9.0) on University next to the airport for $87 plus $12 resort fee. I originally only booked one night. I added two when they upgraded me and I found out it was way better than the other (more $) hotels and I didn't hear any plane noise. Same price. This is by far the best value in the area! I ate dinner at the Anna Maria Oyster Bar a mile north on 41. I had a shockingly good grilled Open Blue Cobia with home made chips and cole slaw. The ahi sashimi app was less good. The next day I had lunch farther south on Siesta Key at Anna's Deli (Best Thing I Ever Ate - Katie Lee). The Hunter (T/H/SwCh). They thinly sliced the t and h. They piled up like air. It was delicious. I drove a mile south to Turtle Beach. Free parking. I had an early dinner at Phillippi Creek Oyster Bar a few miles north on 41. Grilled grouper sandwich with potato salad. The next day I had lunch on Main St and Washington at MADE (Food Paradise). I had the BLFTA with salt and pepper fries. Fried green tomato and candied bacon. Everything was very good. All fries should be peppered from now on. I drove over the bridge to Lido Beach. Free parking. I drove that night to Bradenton. I saw the Marauders (Pirates) for $15 at LecomPark (free parking). Had beer at Magnanimous Brewing across the street. I also looked in on Motorworks Brewing a few blocks down the street. I had a hamburger and a fried chicken sandwich at Salem's on 41. The next day I had a M&M chocolate donut at Roncs on 41. I drove by the Ringling Museum (been) and some new museums on 41. I took 301 to 70E to Braden Rd to 95thSE to 93rdSE to 85th to the Linger Lodge (Food Paradise). I had this fried platter with gator, frogs legs, catfish and au gratin potatoes and baked apples. It was fine. I drove back to 301 because I had time to kill and went north to 41 and back across the bridge ($1.75 toll) to 275 and off at Dale Mabry Hwy in Tampa. Thankfully I saw a sign a few blocks down for Cigar City Brewing. I chilled there for a few hours and then went to George Steinbrenner Stadium to see the Tarpons for $11. Free parking. They were the only dicks that didn't print out tickets. I went north to Hillsborough. I followed that until I saw a sign for I-4. No traffic at all coming home at night. The weather was warm but sunny. It wasn't very busy at Sarasota. Ate at McD's for the missing meals. I either had front row center seats at every game (except Tarpons - they like empty boxes for elites like their big league team) or it was first come seating. There were barely one hundred people at any game. A pleasant long weekend in God's country. 

Grub Crawl - Winter Park and Casselberry: Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar, The Fry Shoppe and Ave Maria

 I tried these spots today at lunch. The first is behind PF Chang's in the Winter Park Village on Orlando Ave. The second is on 436 in the southeast shopping plaza at Fairbanks/Aloma. The last is north of that on 436 across from the shopping plaza near Howell Branch Rd. Across from a Metro Diner.

Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar - Open for two months. I'm told they are turning their properties into these bar/retail stores. The menu is small. Maybe seven apps and seven mains. Some salads and desserts. I had the mahi tacos (2) for $15. They greatly exceeded expectations. A ton (candy bar dimensions) of fresh (though probably frozen) fish. In a seemingly (though not probably) hand made corn tortilla. Fresh enough diced tomato, cabbage with slices of raw red onion and tortilla sticks. Some kind of tasty lime white sauce. They also had sliders, quesadilla, crab dip, corn dip, flatbread, etc. You order at a counter. They do bring you the meal and bus. A few cold water containers. The place is mostly patio. Around twenty tables of four and six or so high tops and some rail seating. The inside bar area seats about twenty. White. Some moderately dark wood accents with light stone. Wicker baskets around the lights. Lots of white speakers and misters. Black seats. There were around eight people there at lunch. The happy hour drink prices didn't seem so generous. $9 wine and $6 beer and $11 mixed. Not sure what the regular prices are. My meal was near the low end. I was really just marking this off the list. I'm surprised how much I enjoyed it. Hopefully, they deliver this level of quality to everyone everytime. It's not substantial enough to deserve a lot of effort to seek it out. However, if you are in the neighborhood and just need something simple that also allows you a relaxing boozy environment...

The Fry Shoppe - It is in an old drive thru ice cream hut or something. They sell skin on and battered fries in a paper cone. I had skin on with my free sauce (Kansas City BBQ Mayo) and free topping (shredded cheddar) for $6. It was fine. I guess McDonald's and Wendy's charge almost as much for their cheesy fries. They also sell $12 versions. They have a lunch special that awards you a free can of soda with those. It looks a bit dirty. No seating. A walk up window. Took too long. But, I suppose that means no microwave. Open for a few weeks.

Ave Maria - It was a Colombian (Capachos) place before. Now Ecuadorian. Coastal cuisine. They have a small menu. Maybe seven apps. Mostly empanadas. A filled plantain. Some soups. Chicken and fries. A few stews. A few seafood dishes. Similar things to their neighbors. A few riffs. I had one of those. A marinated tuna fish and cassava soup (encebollado de pescado) for $18. It was good. A bit bland. A bit bright. The tuna was excellent. Enough. Some raw, white, sliced root. A side of fried plantain chips. They had another with tuna and shrimp for a few dollars extra. The place was cleaned up a bit. It looks less cluttered. More professional. Bar area. It still is dark with low ceilings though. The people were very nice. Spoke English. Seats around ninety. Maybe twenty people there at 2pm. I didn't register their make up. I have to recommend it if only for the lack of Ecuadorian competitors. If we are to learn of this cuisine, we probably need to learn it here. Happily, they seem up to the job. Open for two months?

*I started the day on Lee Rd. This new spot (Oh Hey Cafe at Open House) was basically a day care with a coffee and tea area that sells bought muffins, etc. It is such a shame because it looks substantial. I had been waiting to see what it was going to be. It is next to nothing. You can/should avoid it. Also, Bricks and Bowls is nowhere near ready. They seem to have another location at Conroy.

American Kitchen Bar and Grill, Disney Area

I tried this hotel restaurant at the B Resort oday at lunch after Tom's Watch Bar turned out to not be open yet and Pinstripes was only doing a $35 buffet. It is on the left on the way to Disney Springs. A long time ago, I read that it had been redone and never tried it. I couldn't think of any other option down here to try and I was not about to turn around and head back. The items were expensive and limited. The cheapest thing was a $18 grilled chicken sandwich. The waiter said they had a $18 buffet with unlimited sodas. I laughed and accepted that. I had two preformed hamburgers, a hot dog, two chicken strips and some fries. The burgers were a bit meatloafy. The toppings were pretty fresh. It was an ok buffet. Dinner adds a $40 steak and a few other items. Lunch had a $21 burger, mid teens apps, Caesar and Greek salads, etc. The decor has a full truck centerpiece. Brick. Exposed duct work. Black paint. Service was sociable. He said he had worked there for decades. Parking was free. They do breakfast too. I think eggs Benedict were $16. Not a destination spot.

*FYI - I will not be trying any of these ridiculous omakase newcomers like Omo by Jont and Natsu. Or any of the old ones like Soseki. I'm boycotting this genre. It was ridiculous when legends like Nobu or Morimoto or Masayoshi were doing them in Manhattan at $100. It is armed robbery down here. I've eaten at Alain Ducasse for less. Don't look for a review. Unless you want to book it and pay for it.