Grub Crawl - SoDo and Downtown: Cloudhop, Schmankerl Stub'n (Closed/Moving), Blu Wave and Rolled *St Lucia Travel Notes

I tried these spots today at lunch. The first is on South Orlando near the hospital. Next to Crave Hot Dogs. The second is in the old South Beach space on North Orange. The third is at the parking lot entry way on Church St near Cucina. It was another Japanese place before this. The last is back towards Stub'n on North Orange. Next to Mercato's and Morgan and Morgan.

Cloudhop Bakeshop - The opened two weeks ago. A one off. They sell muffins and thick cookies. I had a fruit loop and fruity pebble one with a marshmallow center for $5. It was good. Filling. The cereals were a bit stale. They had a few cupcakes and eight cookies. All kind of funky. No seats. Just a counter. You enter from the rear. They have parking. worth a look.

Schmankerl Stub'n - They opened six weeks ago. I think Neon Beach was here before. I liked it alot. Probably the best German in town now. A small menu. Nine mains. A few more for dinner. Four apps? Six or so sides. Full wine list ($22-$80). German beer ($6). Flights of both. Cocktails ($14). Sodas were an acceptable $3. The water tasted funny. I had Fleischpflanzerl for $18. It was two veal and pork patties grilled on a flat top with a huge side of a vinegar based potato salad and a side of whole grain mustard. Some arugula on top. It was good. My first taste. A bit over salted. The potatoes were a bit undercooked. They also had wurst and kasespatzle and a wild boar burger and schnitzels, etc. The veal schnitzel was the most expensive at $25. The pork schnitzel was $14. The apps were near double digits. Not too intriguing. Things like a garden salad or a pretzel. I think the pretzel was only $3? It has a dark bearing. Stained wood, black paint and furniture. Red brick. Gray tile floor. Up front, they raise the roof for a modern chandelier. Leatherbound menus and receipt books. Real flower centerpieces. Twenty tables and four big booths on the left wall. Bar with eight seats at the right rear. Decent silver and tableware. Cloth napkins. Uniformed staff (6). Good service. There were around seven tables occupied while I was there. It is nice enough, but, not pretentious. No dress code. German music. 18% gratuity automatically added. If you like German food, there aren't alot of options. This place has a good, manageable selection of traditional dishes with a modern touch. It will be on the Favorite's List. It means a "delicacy/tidbit".

Blu Wave Sushi and Handroll Bar -  Opened a month ago. I tried a hamachi handroll to go for $6. It was small. The yellowtail was hamhandedly cut and tasteless and tough. I only remember seeing rolls that were overpriced. I saw a few plates delivered while I waited and the cut roll pieces all looked thinner than supermarket rolls. I suppose they have nigiri. Teriyaki beef and chicken. Yakisoba. There are around ten tables and a L shaped sushi bar. It was full. A "piece of art" occupies a spot near the bathroom. This is a one off. I found it disappointing.

Rolled Pita Bar - A one off. Looks like a chain. They sell pita wraps, salad bowls and smoothies. Around a dozen "main ingredients". Chicken, deli meats, barbacoa, falafel, bacon, etc. The usually "toppings" and dressings. I had a small chicken souvlaki pita for $10. I'm not sure what a large looks like because that was a normal size. Order at a counter. They grilled the chicken and then put in the cold toppings as I instructed. It was ok. The chicken was a bit mushy. The pita and veg were fresh. Spartan look. Soda machine. Few, if any seats. Blue and white. Open for a month. It's a dime a dozen. A bit cleaner now because it is new.

*Travel Notes - Saint Lucia: I traveled to Vieux Fort through Miami (6AM/8PM) on American for $440. Usually it is $600+ and they wanted you to fly north first. No issues until last night. A delay of an hour because of late arriving staff. No delays at customs. FYI - you need to fill out a form online before you arrive. The departure tax is built into the ticket. No shot requirements. They are an English island. EC Dollars were 2.7 to $1 USD. The driver said the English and French fought over it 14 times! I stayed at the Hotel Downtown (Booking 6.7) in Soufriere for $108 with tax a night. Three nights. It had a nice view. Every other hotel was inconvenient or very expensive or not listed because booked. You should probably think twice unless you are willing to pay for a Sandal's or rent a car. There was also a cricket world cup going on. I discovered that while leaving. Maybe that raised the prices and limited availability? There were really only cabs at the airport. I looked at shuttles the night before and Viator didn't have any for less than $80-$110. And you needed to pre-book them. The internet said it was $65-$80. They may charge per person. I wouldn't count on the public bus either. The head poobah at the taxi stand quoted me $100. I walked away and couldn't find an alternative. I came back and offered $80. He accepted. I might have had it for $60! The driver was cool. It was a far ride. It is a mountain/jungle island. I didn't do much. Saved my money. Just swimming. They had a market (Allain's) and a supermarket (Massy). I ate there. Prices about equal with US. Atms. You could take all kinds of trips. They had many waiting boats and cars. Small town though. Diving. Fishing. That area has their big attraction. Gros Piton. That's why I chose it. That's all. Got a cab back for $60. There was food in the airport. I spent my last 9EC on a fried chicken breast at Ritual's. You could pay in dollars most places and they would give change in their currency. The people were nicer than most Caribbean islands. A bit pushy. They speak English. Some homeless, beggars and crazies. Same weather as here. All these honeymooners were there. It was intriguing. 

Grub Crawl - East Colonial and UCF Area: Blue Amphora, Kyuramen and Pho So 1

I tried these spots on Thursday at lunch. The first is a block or so south of 50 on the left on Goldenrod. The next two are in a strip mall off University where there is a World of Beer.

Blue Amphora - Started as a Turkish baklava maker. Now (a year) has a few sandwiches, etc. I had the Turkish sausage (I forget the name) with mozzarella panini for $6 and a four piece, mixed (walnuts and pistachios) baklava for $5+. They didn't give me a receipt. The sandwich was fine. Not a ton of sausage. They hand sliced it. Some kind of non-white bread. It could have been pressed a little longer. The sausage was spicy. Probably beef. A bit mushy. I couldn't really discern between the nuts. I "Cookie Monstered" them in the car without water they were so good. Moist. The sugar/honey water wasn't too sweet. Flaky. They sell some savory pastries as well. Breakfast. Some drinks. It's small. Maybe four tables. Pleasant owners. If you like baklava, you should seek it out. They are doing construction on that part of Goldenrod. It makes the place harder to find.

Kyuramen - I am shocked that it appealed to me as much as it did. It's a chain. From NY, I believe. And it is ramen based. However, they also have some fun items like: bao, takoyaki, fried oysters, calamari, chasu, salt and pepper corn, potato shrimp, etc. And they screw around with the ramen. Quite a few regional varieties. I tried a two ramen combo plus called Yin Yang. One side (they have a bowl with a divider in it) was chicken broth (I think) and the other was a spicy pork broth (I think). Both had a ton of good noodles. The chicken side had two tempura shrimp and some round slices of fish cake, marinated bamboo shoots and an egg. The other side had a boiled oyster and chashu pork. The tempura was a little wet inside. The oyster was a little tough. Otherwise, everything was good. Very tender pork. It cost $20. Most ramen was around $16. Apps were $8 to $10. They also had yakitori skewers and one with a few skewers sticking out of a bowl of rice called something with a k. They also have desserts and drinks. Tbaar had a spot up front. The place looks good. A rectangular look. Kitchen on the left. White curtained booths on the right. A splendid looking two level honeycomb seating design in the rear. The colors were black, gray and some kind of blue gray. Youthful interior design. Pale wood. Wishing tree. Sake barrels. Seats about sixty. They may have had a patio. Not too full around 2pm. Three servers. They had some buttons you could press to summon them. I think it may deserve your attention. Kyu means 9. The nine styles of ramen they offer. I am reminded that I saw a type of ramen restaurant (region) on NHK where they serve you AYCE mini (one bite) bowls. I believe it is called Wanko soba from Iwate Prefecture. That looked fun. I haven't seen it in the States yet. A lady hovers over you and replaces the bowls until you cry uncle. Somehow the record was 200 something bowls. I think I could do thirty. Someone get Man versus Food on this.

Pho So 1 - The usual Viet stuff at the same price points. I grabbed an avocado summer roll for $6. I'm not sure if I have been here previously. I know I did all the spots in this strip mall at one point. The roll was good. Came with a sort of peanut dressing. The real revelation from this place is about the summer roll itself. I think this was my first with avocado. That works. But, I think we need to revolutionize the summer roll. Many vegetables should be incorporated. Radish. Beets. Sweet Potato. Etc. The meat or seafood they usually use is tasteless and usually of a bad quality anyway. This solves both of those problems. I expect summer roll themed restaurants to be the next trend. You are welcome. This place is bland. Shower curtains hide boxes in the front corner. Six tables. No customers. Two person crew. Open for four years.

*Next door was a place called Build A Burger.

Grub Crawl - Winter Park: The Cafe at The Alfond Inn and Bricks & Bowls

I tried these spots yesterday at lunch. The first is at the Alfond Inn on New England Ave. The second is in a little alley way on Park Avenue near Lyman. I forget what was there before.

The Cafe - Just a basic supplement to Hamilton's Kitchen. They risibly market it as an "artisanal" cafe. It's worse than Dunkin Donuts. I had a $6 egg and cheese on a muffin. You can get two way better versions with sausage at the dollar menu busting McDonald's. Limited offerings. The sandwich toppings display is Subway-esque. Caffeinated drinks. All pricy. It's just there to rip off guests too lazy to venture into town to get ripped off. It looks nice. Some interesting light fixtures. But, that is really a hotel feature. Not theirs. Open for a month or so. Skip. I just noticed that they add on a 20%+ gratuity that they don't inform you of..

Bricks & Bowls - Their first location was at The Mall at Millenia. They are part of an entity calling themselves Ghost Kitchen Orlando. I was a bit surprised that their starting sandwich price points were for a half of a sandwich. That seemed rich. But, I think you can get away with just half as a meal. I tried the Spanish Eggplant option at $7.50 because it was two dollars less than the others and I couldn't see the quality of the meats that they would have delivered. Plus I didn't trust them yet and I was also trying the pizza. I didn't read the menu carefully enough and my anticipated fried eggplant cutlet morphed into a ratatouille like marinated salad. Not much eggplant. More red pepper, onion and tomato. And I'm not a fan of non-spicy peppers. However, the focaccia it came on was fresh and good. They have to make it in house. It is also pretty high/thick. The brick part. So, I basically paid for bread. I'm not that bothered by that. There was also a slice of an aged provolone or something. And some fresh arugula. That's the take away. Everything was fresh. This was artisanal. I just realized that anal is part of artisanal. They could lose they sweet spread soaked into the top piece of the focaccia. I believe it was a poor quality balsamic. My second purchase was the Classica pizza. I think they referred to it as that. Maybe a flatbread. In any case, it was focaccia again. Covered with mozz (I believe) and some Parmesan or other hard cheese. Natural tomato sauce. Very good. This had a harder bottom crust. They must take the sandwich focaccia and add the toppings and bake it so the bottom gets that crust. Fresh Basil on top. Cut diagonally. This also could be it's own meal. A tad salty. So, there you go. The star is really the focaccia here. Light. Non-oily. Well timed. They also sell lackluster looking bowls, six or so sandwiches and some other variations on the theme. Maybe soups? Order at a counter. Eat on the patio. Not a chain. I was impressed. So many fast casual places are posing as artisanal "curators". I'm talking to you Culver's. They actually are. If the quality of their other items and other things they put on their focaccia (how many time can I write focaccia?) compare with the things I sampled, they will occupy rarified air. An outlier. I would actually make it a micro objective to try them out at some point. Open for a month.

*Sort of next to B & B was a little wine shop that wrote (on a sidewalk blackboard) that they sold lunch items like $10 chicken salad. It is called Vin-tage Vault. Open for two years. They are owned by the Blu and 310 Grill at South Park people. They call in the order to them and it is delivered. The Chinese place next to the new Jeff's Bagel Run up where Wnnie's used to be is no closer to being open. A Sodough opened on Fairbanks near Rollins. I also saw that at the spot near where the bikini car wash girls used to be on 435 near Aloma, a City BBQ is almost open. And a Raising Cane's.

Thai Spoon, Curry Ford Rd - Closed *VT/NH/ME Travel Notes

I tried this Thai restaurant on Friday at dinner. It is near a Lechonera place between Pizza Bruno and South Crystal Lake Dr. I had the crispy spring rolls ($5), chicken satay ($8) and Tom Yum Shrimp ($6) to go. All were apps. All were nothing special. Egg rolls sized spring rolls with scant, cabbage filling. Most likely store bought. The usual vinegar based dip. Rubbery, stringy chicken (4) with no flavor. Freezer burn. Ok peanut sauce. Served on shredded white cabbage. Two tiny shrimp in the usual sour broth. Some peppers and onion. The menu has nothing uncommon on it. The place is a square shape. low ceilings. They seemed to have repainted. I believe it was a light gray. Seats about fifty. Empty near closing time. I think it was a pho place before this. Open for a month. You can skip it.

*Travel Notes - Vermont/New Hampshire/Maine: I flew (mid-afternoons/non stop) Jet Blue into Albany for $186. No issues. I rented a Honda Civic from Budget for $440/wk. No issues. They moved the Belmont to Saratoga this year, so, hotels rates and rental car prices were ridiculous. I drove 7E to Bennington VT and stayed at the lousy Starlight Inn (Expedia 6.6) for $97. I had fish and chips and mushy peas at Lil Britain. Most things were closed. Beer at Harvest Brewing. I drove a bit east on 9E to 8S to 100E to Brigham Young's Birthplace in Whitingham VT. You must go up a little hill near the post office. It is on the right side. Look for a small stone marker. Then back north on 100 past Jacksonville to 9E. I tried some whiskey and bought some moonshine at Metcalfe's Vermont Distillers in Marlboro VT. Further on 9E to Brattleboro and Keene and Concord. Then 4E to 125N to Rochester to 9E to Berwick to Wells ME. I stayed at the Ne'r Beach Motel (Expedia 7.6) for $93 plus $10 RF. Drove around. 

Up 1N the next day. Lunch at McLaughlin's Lobster Shack Beachfront in Lincolnville. I had two types of oysters (Pemaquid Damariscotta River and Birchpoint Isleboro) and haddock chowder. In Orland (had to stop because of the name), I had mint chocolate chip ice cream at Carrier's Mainely Lobster. This was the first joint that had reasonable lobster pricing. I was already full though. On to Bucksport and 3E to Ellsworth. It turns south there for Mount Desert Island. That is Bar Harbor and Acadia NP territory. I stayed at the half off Main Street Motel (Expedia 9.2) for $68. It was good. I should tell you it had rained the whole time up until now. I had some ok white and terrible red wine at Bar Harbor Cellars. I had a $16 a pound (the best price I found the whole trip) STEAMED lobster and a pound of STEAMED mussels for $9 at the nearby C-Ray's Lobster. There were twenty mussels to the pound if they did it right. Still, three quarters of them were shriveled. Some one call the mussel police. What is going on? Why aren't they eating? Is this a farm raising development? It's a global mussel mystery. I drove back to downtown and saw the sunset at the park/ferry dock. Had beer at Fogtown Brewing Company. Walked around. 

The next day I had a Sampler at Mainely Meat BBQ. Sausage/Pulled Pork/Ribs/Chicken/Potato Salad/Slaw/Corn Bread/Beans. I drove to the Hulls Cove Visitor Center at Acadia and through the middle of the park. Every parking spot at every stop was full. To Northeast Harbor and up and over to Southwest Harbor and the Lighthouse at Bass Harbor. I was just exploring. I hadn't been in this area for quite a while. I drove by some food truck called Charlotte's that had lots of reviews. Prices were too high for me. The road there was washed out. Had to take a different route to the lighthouse. Up the west side of the island and back to Bar Harbor. I stayed at the Bar Harbor Manor (Expedia 8.4) for $103. It was a bit closer in. I had beer at the Atlantic Brewing Company. Walked around. 

The next day I had breakfast next to the first motel. A good sausage and cheese omlette at Everyday Joe's. I drove 3S to another park entrance (Sieur du Monts). FYI -  the fee is $35 if you don't have an annual pass. Saw much more of the park. Overlook, Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, Otter Point, etc. Back up to the Visitor Center and then back south the same way as the day before. Very busy. I had lunch at The Colonel's in Northeast Harbor. This is considered the ritzy area. I had reasonably priced clam chowder (most wanted $10-$14), and an Autumn Turkey Club with FF. The club became dinner. I stayed at the Kimball Terrace Inn (Booking 8.2) for $117. I walked about. Gilpatrick Cove, etc. I then did the same drive as the day before, but, took Sargeant Drive out and in. You have to do this! It goes aside Somes Sound Fjord. I finished the Moonshine on the balcony that night. 

The next day I stopped for breakfast at Seaside Deli and Sweets. Much to my surprise, they were selling stone crabs. $24 for twelve medium sized claws (no arms). Shells removed. I didn't know that they lived up there too. They must not have limits or the harvesting seasons are different. They said they get caught up in the lobster traps. Tasted the same. I ate them at a picnic table at Suminsby Park on Sargeant Drive. Just where the road loses the fjord view. Beautiful (free) experience. You have to do it! I got back in the car and tried another lobster pound on the way off the island. They weren't open yet. They had stone crabs too! Forget the name. Hotel guy told me about them. Back down 3W and 1S. Failed at finding another lobster place as cheap as C-Ray's that I hadn't been to before. Plus it started to rain again. Some other hoped for places were closed that day of all days. At Bath, I drove towards the water on some smaller roads (209, 24, 123) to places like Fort Popham SHS at Sebasco Estates and Bailey Island (Mackerel Cove). Three peninsulas in all. Back through Brunswick and Bowdoin College. There is a Harriet Beecher Stowe House there. Back onto 1S. Stopped in Freeport. Stayed at the crappy Casco Bay Inn (Expedia 9.2 - had to be manipulated) for $93. I chose Freeport for the breweries I always drive by. I had beer and terrible pizza at the Maine Brewing Company. Beer at the Good Fire Brewing Co. It was next to the motel. I drove down a road next to it a few miles and back. 

The next day I stopped in Portland. Saw the Portland Expo and Sea Dogs Stadium (Hadlock Field). Ate a bad omlette on the wharf at Becky's Diner because they had free parking. Finally found this sushi place I ate at years ago called Mami. Back onto 1S to Saco. Onto 111 and 11 to Rochester. 202W to 9W. Stopped in Northwood NH for beer at Northwoods Brewing Company. Through Concord and up 3N to 127 to Daniel Webster's Birthplace in Franklin NH. East to 93N to Plymouth. Stayed at the crappy Pilgrim Inn (Expedia 7.2) for $107. It was almost impossible (again) to find anything reasonable in NH or VT not in Killington or Lincoln. I ate meatballs, potato skins and wedge salad at Lucky Dog Tavern. 

The next day 25W to 118W to 4W to Lebanon VT. Up 14N (along the White River) past Sharon to the Joseph Smith Birthplace. Back to 4W through Woodstock to 100A to the Calvin Coolidge Birthplace Homestead in Plymouth Notch VT. $12. Then to Londonderry on 100S and 30W (above Stratton) to 7S and 7E (NY) to the airport. 

I almost passed on this trip when my parking lot was full and had to go to the airport south lot. All of their other lots were also full. That and I swore Budget was going to screw me again on the rental because of the Triple Crown bs. Glad I pushed through. Glad the weather and hotel rates pushed me farther north in Maine. Gas was $3.20 to $3.60. As usual. missing meals were fast food or supermarkets.

Grub Crawl - Universal Area: Voodoo Bayou and Krembo Cafe

I tried these spots on Sand Lake Rd last Thursday at lunch. The first replaces Moonfish in the strip mall northeast of I4. The second is in the southeast strip mall at I4.

Voodoo Bayou - I'm conflicted by them. Some good qualities. Some bad. I had the four piece fried chicken with biscuit for $19. The chicken had a lot of crust. Too much. Like it had been fried before. It also came out way too fast to be fresh. The crust also fell off far too easily. It had no taste. You needed hot sauce or something. The bottle they provided should have embarrassed them. It was nearly empty. I didn't use it because of that. There was a wing a drum and two large breast pieces. The meat was moist enough. The biscuit was great. Square. Fluffy. Hard crust. Like a croissant. They gave you some good earthy honey with it. The app biscuit costs $14! Maybe more than one? The menu is pricy. $49 steak. $29 red fish.  All apps at main prices. They have a $15 pick two option that doesn't come with a side. Typical Nola wanna be menu. The place is limited by low ceilings. It's black with stained wood and garish gold railing. Fake vintage tchotchkes. Plus sign looking cross inserts. Black tables. Red leopard cushions. Open kitchen on the right. Bar on the left. Both span the front area. There is a further rear area. Not walled off. Plenty of dressed staff. Including in the kitchen. But not professionally adept. They have three other locations. Mostly in Jacksonville. Open for one month. Parking isn't a problem. Owners looked mobbed up. So, like I said - conflicted. Some of the chicken was good. But it could have been better. Portion size was generous. Justified the price. But I would rather have less food and a cheaper buy in. Or quality. Biscuit was amazing. One of the better ones I've ever encountered. They spent a lot on the build out. But it is a bit tacky, dark and low ceilinged. I also think their mood music wasn't good. I can't remember. I didn't trust them enough to try some of the more adventurous dishes. Maybe that was a mistake? Go on and try them for me and report back. It's a definite maybe for me.

Krembo Cafe - I'm so disappointed by them. They replaced some sandwich place a year ago. I drove by them when I sampled that Boiled Fish place months ago and tried to try them on the last Florida road trip. It seems that it was Passover then. They took three weeks off. I thought it was a week? Anyhoo. I just grabbed a bagel with cream cheese to go after the large meal I just had. There were some nice sesame ones in the case and all the dull things they offered up were bad values. So, I grabbed my ankles and forked over $8. Then they didn't even deliver the bagels in the case! A Lender's looking piece of shit with a non-deli serving of garden variety cream cheese. A total rip off. They had two semi-interesting options. Shashuka and some eggplant dish I had never heard of. Its a kosher place. Smallish, square layout. Modernish. I think it had a soft gray color scheme with a fake grass backdrop. You can skip it.   

Tsaocaa, Winter Springs

I tried this pan-Asian spot on the northeast strip mall at the intersection of Red Bug Lake Rd and Tuskawilla on Wednesday at dinner. I had a fried chicken sandwich for $5.75. I chose the spicy sauce. It was fine. I didn't love that it was two tenders. They also sell wings, Korean style hot dogs (9-), boneless chicken, drumsticks, egg waffles, fried dumplings, shiu mai, takoyaki, shrimp, ramen (6), etc. Plus fruit teas (slush and classic), brewed teas, mojitos with soda water, milk strikes, yogurt slushes, coconut drinks, milk boba fruit yakults, fruit milk, etc. Toppings. The place looks modern. White and light gray. 4 booths with white cloth mosquito netting. 4 two seaters. Sharp packaging. Three locations. Mostly in Jacksonville. They said the name means Fresh Tea. They said they were Mandarin. I'm not sure if the name is as well. Open for two months. Open 7D from 11:30 to 9pm. Better than I expected with more options.

City Market Bistro, New Smyrna Beach

I tried this spot on Canal St on Wednesday at lunch. It was Pearl Oyster Shoppe before this. This since 2021. I had the saffron and leek cream sauce mussels for $18. They were good. But there is an epidemic of shrinkflation in the bivalve community too. I haven't received a fully formed mussel in any country at any time of the year for three years. These were mostly half sized too. Though the chef said they were delivered that day. I believe him. I just ate some growers in Maine tonight. The portion size was large. The broth was good. Three slices of toast. Side of fries. They are my second least favorite type. Skin on hand cut. I think it is the water content. They never crisp. These were like that. Limp. The place is tiny. It seats around thirty. Same decor. Soft gray. Feminine looking. They now only carry IROC oysters. Small menu. Prix fixe at $25. Steak at $25. Three burgers - regular, falafel, chicken. No Su/Mo. Tu at 4pm. W-Sa normal hours. I liked it. One of the better options in NSB.

*Have you noticed that McDonald's is redesigning locations to remove the self service soda area?

Grub Crawl - Sea World and Florida Mall Area: Daily More, King of Falafel and Havana Bistro Cafe

I tried these spots on Monday after lunch. The first is in a strip mall past the Beach Line on International Dr on the right. Towards Seaworld. The second is across from the Florida Mall at Sand Lake and OBT. The address says OBT. It is really around the corner of that strip mall on Sand Lake. The third is aside the second. 

Daily More Thai & Milk Tea - I tried the mango curry chicken and rice for $17. It was fine. I'm not that fond of thigh meat in my Asian dishes. There is always some goop (veins/fat/etc) that makes you queasy. I haven't had a ton of it at Thai places to think of it. They usually give you some bleached white, pounded out breast meat. I'm not sure if mango curry is an authentic Thai recipe. At least it is a change from the traffic light staples of green, yellow and red curries. It's sort of like Massaman without the bell pepper. The mango was scooped out (stringy not cubes). Some julienned vegetables that I believe were onions and possibly something else. It was like a messy bowl of spaghetti. You couldn't really make out what was in there. No carrot, etc. The flavors were ok. I asked for medium heat. It had none. Probably needed some. Ok portion size. The menu is small. Around four rice dishes. More noodle dishes. Some snacks. It's a small place. Seats around ten. It looks more like a modern Japanese manga themed place than a traditional Thai place. I liked it. Hip. Bright. Clean. Youthful. Not much of a staff. Seems like they do more take out. Two people sitting in. A few delivery people waiting. Three more came in while I waited. I liked it. No muss. No fuss. If they dropped the prices to reflect the take out vibe they give off, it would be a Fav.

King of Falafel - I believe the Weekly said they just opened. Nope. Two years. Original location is in Kissimmee. Place looks older than two years. I had a half dozen falafel to go for $5. I didn't trust their cleanliness enough to venture beyond. They were fine. Freshly fried. Thick tahini or thin hummus dipping sauce. I think it was hummus. The menu is typical. The one odd ball is chicken tikka. The meat on the gyro was Med spam. That processed machine formed crap that bad Med places use. It seats around twenty. The guy taking care of me was from Palestine. Not sure if the recipes are. I don't think the kingdom is in good hands.

Havana Bistro Cafe - Can you really be a bistro and a cafe? Do you need to be? A typical Cuban experience. I grabbed a Cubano because I really only wanted roast pork at that point. It (pork) was good. Soft. Fresh. The portion (especially the ham) was small. They rushed through the pressing. The couple of plates from the buffet area (their main thrust) looked better. The usual mains and sides. Those started at $9. My sandwich cost $10. They had six sandwiches. Desserts. Apps like empanadas ($5). I'm not sure if there are ala carte dishes from the kitchen. They aren't breaking new ground here. They do breakfast. The place is eight years old. I think the color scheme was red with yellow. Seats about fifty. Looks like a cafe. 

*I also saw an Indian place near Daily More. It looked ok. Curry Mantra. I know some Indian place has been here forever. And I have ignored it. I may venture back at some point. The items were too expensive to try and test it with a to go snack. 

Pinstripes, Disney Area

I tried this spot in that nowheresville area without an exit just north of the outlet malls in between Sea World and Disney today at lunch. I believe it is a chain. They also have a bowling alley. It is kind of like Primrose Lanes. The food was awful and the environs were not clean. The seat the gave me was covered with crumbs. As was the floor all over. The seat aside me was smudged. The silverware was dirty. And that's what I could see. It shouldn't be surprising that there was only one other table of two in a plus 100 seat restaurant the entire time I was there. The staff (2 or 3 hostesses and 8 waitstaff) had little to do. The menu is tiny. A few salads and sandwiches and flatbreads. You could have a $12 lunch special selection (8 or so) or two of them for $18. No fries with them. Or ala carte. I decided to test them on a salmon sandwich with cucumber yogurt dressing and parmesan fries for $19. It took forever to come out. The salmon was fishy. No seasoning. I ordered it rare. One part was rare and the rest was dry and burned. A difficult feat to accomplish. Whomever designed this dish is a moron. They placed it atop a (stale) roll. Maybe it was what they think foccacio is? I forget how it was described. Let me repeat. They didn't cut it open. Just laid it on top of a 4" high roll. The yogurt was bland paste. It needed garlic or something. anything. Some arugula was lost among it. The fries were low class fries. Covered in starch. Composed from paste. I remember when Burger King switched to these. I read an article where they said that "poor people" enjoyed this style more. I could see, but not taste, the parmesan. They served this abortion on a wood cutting board/paddle with the fries in a black oval bowl. Somehow by not keeping me big mouth closed, I received a free coke and fries. The coke tasted of cleaning fluid. I just took a sip to be polite. I'm not sure if this is more evidence of their incompetence or revenge. I threw the fries away (they made them to go). They looked worse than the first batch. I think the didn't starch those. Just fried the Franken Fries they think they can pass off as fries. This whole thing wasn't just cooked and composed by an incompetent. It was so bad that it made my stomach ache. 

The place is black and gray. That is representative. There is a bar in the middle of the high ceilinged main room. Kitchen behind it. Bowling alley on the right in another room. A private room on the rear left. Some stairs leading to somewhere on the right. Tables for two and four. seats at the bar. Booths in the front corner. A patio. Tvs. Playing woman's field hockey on all of them. The waiter was obsequious. But, I worry when they pull the "Boss" bullshit. I told you before that I tried them once before and it was a $35 buffet. That is still true. On Saturday and Sunday. $45 on holidays. I think that is their lane. Hotel quality, mass produced slop for know nothings looking to drunch (drunk brunch). I thoroughly discourage you from wasting your time and money here. It must be poorly managed. To have this many issues at this point is incongruous. They have been open for more than a month. Time enough to take off the training wheels and not long enough to accumulate inertia. It looks like someone spent alot of money on it. The staff is uniformed. They have an exterior baking oven. Everything looks slick. It should be good. It just isn't. Or wasn't this day. I think those well attended buffets might make them think they are on the right track. They aren't. At least outside of the buffet context. That is undeserved blessing if it is a reality. I the food didn't look that great on my first visit. Why I left. I may have to make a year end "Hated It" list and put them on it. They just seem to lack the sophistication to pull off what they envisage.

Spectrum Wifi and Mobile Phone Installation Tutorial

You will find it amusing that I avoided having home wifi this long. I utilized a local hotel or fast food franchise while at home. Hotels while on the road. It got the job done. I did have dial up at home for emergencies. I really only stepped up because AT&T kept jacking up my phone bill every month. I went with Spectrum because we really have no other choice. I also wasn't sure if my cable lines were good. I never connected them either. And they (wifi companies) make you sign up BEFORE they will come out and test them.

Step 1 - I reaffirmed the "rules of the game" that I had called in previously to suss out. There is an activation and installation fee of $109. It is the monthly charge ($39.99) plus $70. I agreed to autopay because I'm sick of setting these firms up with my bank and they offered up a $100 Visa card (after 15 weeks) if I would. The rate is for a year (vs a $49.99 two year deal). The sales person acknowledged the rate will rise to $89.99. I believe I also have to start paying a $5 advanced wifi charge and a $7 router fee. I can sever service then or request a lower rate at that point. They may agree. We set up an installation date and time. I also accepted their one year free mobile service. I had to buy their phone for $200. I put it on a 36 month payment plan. $5.59 a month. The first charge was 19.99 for sales tax. It will be $29 after year 1. Also auto pay. They Fed Ex's me a Samsung. I agreed to this because I wanted a new phone (don't like some of the features of my current one) and a back up since I dropped the land line.

Step 2 - The tech guy came out and tested my cable outlets with some device. It took a while, but, he found they were usable. He dug a shallow trench in my lawn and ran the cable from the connection point at the street through the wall onto one of the outlets. He hooked up a router and a companion device. It took about an hour for him to get the home base to "receive" their signal. I was getting worried. He covered up the trench. He showed me the password. We made sure my tablet and computer recognized the router. They did. That was it. I don't even think I signed off on anything. 

Step 3 - Really just Step 2 for the mobile device. It arrived. I had seven days to activate it. I think I had to go online (it has been many weeks). I believe they then called me or I called their number because I was confused about something. They picked up right away and walked me through the set up on the phone and some updating of software. I have barely used the phone. It also has the things that annoyed me on their earlier model plus more. 

Conclusion - The best part about wifi is that I had a Roku tv. I now have all their free content (you have to sign up on their web site). The CBS Sports channel, Rich Eisen and Hot Ones are enough to make the wifi a win. The signal has been fine and it hasn't failed yet. It was easy to cancel my phone contract and my ISP contract. My ISP offered to keep my email going for $1 a month. The only real issue is that I just saw a commercial for $29.99 Spectrum! And the looming price escalations. They also offer land lines with long distance for $19.99 with a $65 install charge.

*I just looked and I have 23 tutorials now. I will do a post on what they are some time this year.