2025 Favorites List and Travel Notes Index

I can't really recall anything notable to opine on. No new trends come to mind. A bit more coverage of world cusine. What ever happened to: Shaq's Chicken, Snooze AM, Mason's Lobster Roll, Tropix, Oak & Stone, Eastwood, Hot As Rice, Naya and 1120 Mills Mexican? I would like to bitch about no one following on X and whatever is more than shadow banning that Google is doing to this site. As such, I am entreating any and all tech savvy followers to try and end round THE MAN and use different AI platforms to make it so that anyone can ask it to "make me a travel itinerary" or "where can I eat" like Orlandoer. One of these platforms has to be ignoring the culling of search engine results compromise. * = Closed.

$$$$ -

$$ - Talay (February 9), Ches les Copains (May 31)*, A Gourmet Chinese Cuisine (September 19), Papparella (October 8)

$$ - Bark Haven (February 9), Leiah (March 14), Chayhana (March 16), The Rev (March 26), Wildflower (March 30), Southern Fowl (April 19), Aladdin (May 3), Shokupan Bakehouse (May 8), Rawsha (May 18), Grappola Cucina Italiano (May 29), Baffone (June 22), Mirchi (August 8), Moa Kai (August 27), Vesuvio (December 20), Alpine Bar and Grill (December 24)

$ - Violet's Ice Cream Boutique (February 11), Hot Asian Buns (March 30), Somo T (May 3), Juicy Patties (May 8), Tiger Sugar (May 31), Bossa Nova (June 3), Fritter Box (July 24), Cowboy Curry (September 19), Perla's Pizza (November 25), Cairo Express (November 27), Cupid's Hot Dogs (December 1), Masa (December 16), Craft & Common (December 26), Dough Boyz Pizzeria (December 27)

2025 Travel Notes Index

January 4 - Gator Bowl in Jacksonville Florida

January 16 - Utah and Nevada

January 31 - Maldives

February 3 - NFL Pro Bowl in Orlando Florida

February 11 - Delray Beach Open in Delray Beach Florida

March 8 - Colorado

March 30 - Southern California

April 19 - South Carolina and Georgia

May 3 - Montana and Wyoming

May 10 - Fiji*

May 31 - Pennsylvania and New York

June 11 - Massachusetts and New Hampshire and Maine

July 4 - England

July 19 - California and Nevada

August 4 - North Carolina and South Carolina

August 31 - Germany and Poland

September 22 - France and Belgium and Netherlands

October 5 - New York and New Jersey

October 19 - Florida Keys

November 8 - Greece and Egypt

December 3 - Italy

December 18 - Cure Bowl in Orlando Florida

December 22 - Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa Bay Florida and New Port Richey Florida

December 30 - Alamo Bowl in San Antonio Texas

Travel Notes - Alamo Bowl in San Antonio Texas

Travel Notes - Alamo Bowl in San Antonio Texas - I flew to San Antonio on Frontier for $268. I rented a full sized car from Budget for two days at $131. They gave me an unwanted SUV and overcharged by $50.  Parking at the airport was $54. I stayed at the City View Inn Downtown River Center (Expedia 8.6) for two nights at $234 because it was near the Alamodome and was the only hotel not to charge for parking. Incredible train noise all day. More like a 6.8 hotel. 45 minute TSA line. Thirty minutes waiting for a gate and deplaning in SA. I had a great crab and shrimp enchilada plate with black beans and wild rice at Boudro's for $29. Great mole. Beans had lots of flavor. You are supposed to order the $38 quail. I think this has to be better. Walked the riverwalk.

The next day I went northwest in DT (Brooklyn Ave) to Pete's Tako House (I learned of this and most of these non-brewery places) on Worth the Hype? I had a chorizo and egg and bacon and egg soft taco on Taco Tuesday for $1.50 a piece. Huge. Two eggs per. You are supposed to try the guisado. Didn't offer until 11am. I walked south on the Riverwalk to the road that leads to the Tower of the Americas at Hemisfair Park and Box St All Day. Grabbed a $20 all in Moroccan Chicken Shwarma for dinner. You are to try the donuts and chilaquiles. Back the hotel and back to the Pete's area. Beer at Idle Beer Co, Back Unturned Brewing Co and Roadmap Brewing Co. Crispy ground beef taco at Teka Molino in the food court across from Pete's that I wrote of the last time here. Past the Alamo for the third time. Bought a ticket to the game (USC v TCU) at the box office (cheapest) for $60.

The next day I drove to La Gloria. It was closed. Took 90W to Castroville and Castroville BBQ Co and had a brisket late with really good mac and cheese and potato salad for $20. The brisket was cut too thin and not oily or beefy enough. It had a tangy flavor. Back towards SA. I got off on some street with a Z (like Zaragrosa). and took it north to Gualadaloupe and left to 19th to Ray's. The originator of the Puffy Taco. I had a ground beef one for $5. I don't love these quasi-sopes.  They fall apart so easily. I tried to get back on 90, but, there was no on ramp. I had to take Laredo back through DT. I went too far north and it was a pain finding 281N. I got off at St Mary's near the Zoo and had an ok brisket with potatoes and carrots on rice in green curry at Curry Boys BBQ for $17. This area had alot of food trucks, etc. Went to the airport. No issues. Only 30 people on the flight. SA airport is a joy compared to the other Texas ones. The rental cars were on site. There is a La Gloria at the airport. I think their thing is ceviche.

A few famous places have closed. Lulu's cinnamon rolls. Alebrije donuts (at least temporarily), El Machito, Gwendolyn. They were on Zimmern. Mixtli is still open. I couldn't get to Lou's, Bobbie's Southern or Alamo Biscuit. Most of the places were not Worth the Hype.

Grub Crawl - Casselberry and Hourglss District: Cafe de Wan and JJ's Scratch Kitchen

I tried these spots today at lunch. The first is in the strip mall on 436 near Red Bug Lake Rd in the strip mall that has Aladdin. The other is in the strip mall on Curry Ford Rd in a strip mall with a Winn Dixie.

Cafe de Wan - Turkish. Open for a week. Has a full menu. Eggs with sausage breakfast was $9. The other was a full meal for $25. Lunch dinner stuff too. Pide, flatbreads, dips, etc. I had a pogaca cheese pastry for $4 and a ground beef borek for $6. The first was better. The borek was stale and without flavor. Around a dozen tables. Very full with probable Turks. Head scarves, etc. Faux marble tile floors. Gray plush cushioned chairs. Wood tables. I think the colors were light gray, off white and black. Mural of Cappodoccia. The people seemed nice. Will have to go back when I have more time. I think I wrote earlier that it replaced the chicken place. Nope. Another store front. Interesting.

JJ's Scratch Kitchen - A rehash of A past JJ's. Now it'a worse Chipotle with arepas. Bowl, quesadilla, burrito or arepa. You fill it. They had chips and a few other things. I think the interior was the same. Nice. Four or five tables and a long one. I tried the grilled chicken burrito. I added mushrooms, beans, lettuce, cheese, pico and sour cream. A bit bland. They didn't grill the tortilla. Had all the meat on one side. Cost $15. They added 25 cents for the sour cream though the menu said it was included. Took too long. You can pass.

*The place on Aloma I wrote of is called Mr Wok. It was closed. I passed a place on 436 near the 408 called Lele's. Johnny's Diner on Curry Ford Rd opened on the 19th. They closed the one on 436 in Casselberry.

Grub Crawl - Lake Mary and Longwood: Craft & Common, Dough Boyz and Juicy Burger & Wings

The first of these is a third location in a strip mall at the intersection of 46A and International Parkway. I tried it on Christmas Eve at lunch. The second and third I tried after Christmas on Friday at lunch. I had gone to try an Indian place called Guntur Kitchen that the Orlando weekly said is new, but, has been open for eighteen months. They were opening late on this day because of the holidays. I will try again when the roti place (Summer Breeze) opens. The second place is in a strip mall on 434 near Ronald Reagan across from Cupid's. The third is behind a day spa in the old Hourglass Brewery building on Ronald Reagan closer to the HS. There was a halal market/butcher called Sahara near Dough Boys. It smelled weird.

Craft & Common - It replaced a fried chicken attempt that was Moe's Caribbean for a long time. It seems I had purchased a tea at their DT location on Robinson December 31, 2022. There is also one in Oviedo. Glad I was blissfully unaware of that because I had a damn good Tres Leches Waffle for $7. Now I usually stop myself at dos leches, but, I didn't want to be naughty this close to pay dirt. BTW, did you know that Claus is Dutch for Nicolas and Santa is Saint. Saint Nicholas was a bearded Turkish (Italians stole his bones and they are in a church in Bari) clergyman and his first Santa-like action was that he dumped gold (his family was rich) through a parishoner's window to give his daughter a dowry so she wouldn't become a prostitute or sold and it landed in her stocking by the fire. He did this sort of thing many times. He was also at the Council of Nicea as a Bishop proclaiming Jesus was divine. The two waffles were also divine. Coaster sized. Perhaps they hardened up a bit because I left them in the car for an hour. Drizzled with icing and topped with an appropriate amount of powdered sugar. The kicker, and what makes this a Fav because of care, was the fruit on top. Beyond fresh blueberries and strawberry slices. I was expecting Dunkin Donuts. This was restaurant quality from a quasi Starbuck's. They also had a few egg sandwiches around $8 and oats and avocado toast and pastries ($4). They said they purchased the pastries. They looked fresh. I recall croissants and maybe a turnover. Five in all. Four lunch sandwiches (BLT, Club, Turkey and maybe a veggie one). $12 and up. The L shaped layout is white. Jungle mural and throw rug in the front with two wicker finch nest seats. Pale wood accents and wicker lamp shades. Exposed concrete floor. Good staff. I just saw an expose in which Florida retailers have been charging coffee drinks tax. They aren't allowed to. EVERY store in the State was not complying. Not sure if this applies to these drinks or just canned ones. But, start causing a stink in every 7-11, etc for me. Open for two weeks. I'm curious to try more. If you are near one of their locations, don't be afeared. They could use a few more menus or a board. There is only one at the register. Slows the process.

Dough Boyz Pizzeria - I had the two slice special with a soda for $8.31. I swear they said $7.50. Two very good NY style slices. But, no soggy bottom. Erect as a school boy in the passenger seat on a bumpy road. Thin crust and bottom. No air bubbles. It seems their original location (open two years ago) slipped by me. This will be a Fav. They had a framed article from Orlando Magazine - "2025 Best Pizza" and their "Grand Opening" banner claimed a good review by the Sentinel. Mario, the owner pictured, was there. I think they said they opened four months ago. The place is small and a little run down. Three tables. Red, black and white. Some NYC themed wall art. Four stainless steel ovens. Six or so employees. Mid-80's pop-y club music playing. Think Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam. One tv. The cheapest pie is 12" at $13. A large is probably the go to at $17. $25 is the ceiling. They also sell eleven apps. The most interesting is chicken parm stuffed garlic knots. Seven pastas under $19. Four salads under $13. Wings in 8s or 16s or 24s ($13-$35). Ten sandwiches and two wraps all at $14. All the parms and sausage and chesse steaks. They cut slice the chicken instead of a scallopini. I don't like the modern trend of doing it this way. The crust mushes and falls off. You can't get even mouthfuls of chicken. One calzone and three stromboli. Did I tell you in the Italy Notes that Stromboli is an island north of Sicily? Four desserts. Kids' menu. Closed Tuesday. Their slogan is "It's not the water". They call out that one owner is from Trenton and one from Brooklyn.

Juicy Burger & Wings - Open for eight months. Peruvian. Just smash burgers and chicken sandwiches and wings. I had the double cheese burger for $14. It came with crinkle cut fries. I  didn't comprehend that while reading the menu. Nice surprise. Just wish I had realized before I got them home and they steamed in the bag. Covered with dry oregano. That made them a bit bitter. I appreciate the effort. We all know my feelings on smash burgers. Not a fan. Plus I'm not a fan of grilled onions. So, they started with two strikes. That said, it was a fine burger. Came with a catsup and mayo sauce and pickles. I couldn't really taste the sauce. Why onions should be avoided. The cheese was good. Gooey. The bun wasn't stale. The meat was tough and dry and the ends crusty. Let me get on my soap box once again. "Smashing a burger squeezes out all moisture and flavor!" And it doesn't impart an ancillary flavor like drying a grape into a raisin. Oh BTW, did you know that only the front part of the cow is kosher? Why Jews eat brisket (the breast). And Jewish butchers brought this cut to the attention of Texans. Plus, it being inexpensive and previously unwanted and all. Just some beef 411 for you. They also sell a triple and a grilled and a fried chicken sandwich. Wings are about $1.50 each. Small footprint. Maybe seven tables. Black. Back wall has framed pictures. Order at a counter. This little joint that I hapened upon to fill my dance card isn't half bad. I'm almost glad the others fell through. But at $14, it is just not enough of a value or special enough to Fav out. In front there is a placard that has all these other food logos. I think this spot was trying to be a food truck court at one time. I'm not sure what is going on now.

*You will probably get one last Grub Crawl, one last Travel Notes and the 2025 Favorites List next week. The last two on the night of the 31st.

Alpine Bar and Grill, Ocoee

I tried this latest Daniel Gabor offering in the second strip mall southeast of 50 on Maguire on Friday at dinner. He was responsible for Downtown's short lived Schmankerl Stub'n. I liked that and liked this better. It will be a Favorite. And not just because it is an underserved ethnic curiosity. I had the pork schnitzel for $23 because I had just seen a show where they prepared this in Austria and hadn't had a chance to quiet my yearning. It was very good. As the show informed me, all schnitzels should have an air bubble between the meat and the coating. The two palm sized, pounded cutlets had this. Sometimes fried food can taste of bad oil. This did not. Not oily either. The pork was all white meat. Sometimes you can get untrimmed portions. Now if this was luck of the draw or they trim or schnitzel lovers should prefer the odd bits, I don't know. I just know that it catered to my sensibility. The one issue I did observe was that the crust did fall off pieces once cut. I have always been told that that means the oil isn't hot enough. The dish came with a netted lemon wedge and lightly and properly dressed frisee. A nice tart foil to the rich fried pork. And ligonberry jam. Ditto. And best of all, luxurious mashed potato puree. $8 on the menu. Included here, if that wasn't clear. If I wasn't in public, I would have run my finger through the bowl to enjoy every bit of it. You are able to choose any side. Things like spatzle, cucumber salad, red cabbage, fries, etc. They also do this in chicken ($25) and veal ($29). The menu runs from $20 sausage to an over $40 steak (I think). Pork loin, waygu burger, short rib, fondue, were some other dishes I remember. They had a special menu. $6 a piece oysters were a bit dear and out of place in my opinion. Which reminds me of two oyster facts I recently learned of. There are two types. In bed and above bed. Natural versus farmed (line). Farmed have more of a cup shape shell. They also had alot of hard liquor, wine and beer. A beer ran $9+. The cheapest wine by the glass was the same price. I saw a few intricate cocktails being made. The place is four months old, but, looks a bit disheveled. Especially on a Friday night during holiday season. The entire front section is unused and littered with junk. A bad (and unnecessary) first impression. You walk down a hall from the hostess/host stand to a square dining area. High ceiling. Pretty bare. Some antlers. Black and beige color blocking. A large wrought iron chandelier. Moving in from the rear, four booths in the back and then two long tables and another set of mini booths and then the L shaped bar for a dozen or so. Granite top. Two or three small tables against the window. It was almost full. I sat at the bar. Tvs showing football. I think they had music. Food came out very quickly. Gingham attired staff. Cloth napkins. Nice cutlery. I didn't know it was the Stub'n guy before going. The Orlando Weekly guy's latest review, which echoed many of my sentiments, clued me in. Referring to your cuisine as German isn't often something that gets Insta dorks excited. However, this guy tinkers around enough to make it interesting (and delicious). I suspect he (like every other serious provider) would like the menu to be more esoteric, but, can't afford to lose the meat and potatoes crowd. In retrospect, he had more of those dining than I expected. I was very underdressed and wasn't the only one. And that was a holiday Friday dinner service. I just bring that up because I want you know that it didn't discriminate. They are also open for lunch on the weekends. I'd give it a whirl. Everything is ok-y in Ocoee.

Travel Notes - Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa Bay and New Port Richey

Travel Notes - Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa Bay and New Port Richey: I took 50W to 19S to New Port Richey. I had fairly good baby back ribs and mac and cheese and crinkle cut fries at Deep South Family BBQ in Brookesville for $14. I stayed at the Comfort Inn (Expedia 9.2) on 19 and Main St for $110. I drove 19S to 54E to Odessa and picked up an assorted six pack at the Thirsty Buffalo Brew Factory on Success Dr for $14. I crossed 54 into an industrial park to Escape Brewing Company. The literal cunt of a manager would only sell four packs at $20. I had already tried their beer, so, I gave her the middle finger salute with both barrels and moved on. Took Trinity Blvd about a mile east (this route is a circle back to NPR) to BarrieHaus Beer Co. I bought a tall boy there for $6. Farther down to the end of the road and right onto Lake to a strip mall on the right with a Publix and Liquid Garage Brewing Co. The same four pack bs. I refused. Onto Seven Springs Blvd to 54 and 19N. Grabbed to two for $5 at BK. Ate and downed two beers. Walked down Main St to Cotee River Brewing Company. Had two four ozers for $6.50. Across the street to Emerald Coast Brewing for two five ozers for $5.50. One block north and a half a block east to Infusion Brewing Company. Two five ozers for $9.50. Back to Main and two blocks towards to Dented Keg Ale Works for an eight ozer for $4.21. They made me play bingo. Another round of $5 BK. All the breweries were good. 19 is quite busy.

The next day I drove 19S. Google Maps made it seem like it would run into 92E. Nope as usual. It isn't marked as 92. I ended up taking 275N to Dale Mabry to Hillsborough to Raymond James Stadium. McD. Paid $40 to park. $56 for front row in the end zone. Digital ticket. NC State v Memphis. Stadium is showing age. Even the metal on the cup holders was rusted. Maybe two thousand attendants. Left in the middle of second quarter to beat traffic. Took MLK to 301N at the fairgrounds. Nice drive except for the 50 minutes of traffic that it took to get through Zephyrhills. I'd consider 41N next time. 50E home. I didn't take I4 because of rush hour traffic concerns. Stopped for dinner in Ocoee. That will be the next post. The damn guy at the Orlando Weekly beat me to the punch.

Vesuvio, College Park

I tried this revamp of Armando's at Edgewater and Princeton Wednesday night after the Cure Bowl. They re-opened a month ago. I dont recall my sentiments regarding Armando's. It is possible that I never ate there as I only have a review of a Winter Park location under that name. I had the chicken marsala with mashed potatoes for $17. Not bad. The two palm sized pounded circles of white meat had no freezer burn, etc. A possibility of egg wash on the exterior. Tender. A thick brown sauce. Lots of mushrooms. Probably canned. The mashed potatoes were a bit plain. No dairy. You could taste the water they exuded. Not seasoned. Now all those things could be a plus to any health conscious diners and a drag through the gravy was an easy solution. The menu is fairly large. I'm not sure how Neopolitan. I chose my dish because of the side. More than half had spaghetti. Things like: parm, cacciatore, scarpariello, piccata. Veal, chicken, seafood, pasta. $16-$18 range. Apps like meatballs. Pizza. I saw a brick oven. Wine list. L shaped room. Bar and high tops at the entrance. Kitchen behind that. Around thirty tables. Pretty full. A few tables outside in front. Light brick, black and taupe. Battery operated candles. Tvs at the bar. One had football and one had entertainment. Music from speakers. Accessible vibe. Service was quick. I quite enjoyed my meal. 

*I went to the Great Southern Box Co Food Court before dining. The new bar (Walter's Tavern) looks nice. It wasn't open. The two places I ate at have closed. A waffle stand and I think it was a drink stand have replaced them. That Eighty Twenty Food Truck from DT has a stall here.

staffdna Cure Bowl, Orlando

I attended this bowl game with Old Dominion topping USF on Wednesday night at Camping World Stadium. I arrived about two hours before kick off. I found free parking aside the stadium on Church St. Otherwise, it would have been between $20 and $40. The ticket office on that side is closed. I walked to the other end zone and bought an end zone seat in row Q for $36 all in. That was the cheapest. They send a link to your phone. Like all bowl games now, the game was a glorified scrimmage. I left before the half. Maybe two thousand people there. I still don't know what Grogan does with all the tax revenue allocated to the stadium. It's still garbage. The don't even have a bar to rest your elbows between the seats. The endless commercial breaks also make these games unwatchable. I saw online that they offer a $35 package with food, etc. I should have chosen that. They played up the cancer angle of course. I can't help thinking when I hear the money that is being and has been donated purportedly looking for a cure, if they really are. Or is this another long con by academics looking for perpetual employment and big pharma and hospital looking for a perpetual treatment revenue stream. That said, if you are looking for the least demanding bowl game to attend, this may be the one.

* I have two restos and a Travel Notes to squeeze in in the coming week. Be on the look out for a barrage.

Grub Crawl - Winter Park and Longwood: Corner Chophouse, Hong Kong Kitchen, Seby's Pizza, Cupid's and Masa

I tried these spots Sunday and Tuesday at lunch. The first is in the old Dexters, Park Ave space in Hannibal Square. The second is at the corner of Aloma and 436 in what I refer to as the the Denny's space. The third is in a strip mall north of that on 436. Before Howell Branch Rd on the left. The last two are in the same space near the tracks on 434.

Corner Chophouse - From people from Charleston who run a place I haven't been to called Oak. Open about a month. I didn't see much difference in the interior. The wall paper reminded me of Christmas wrapping. The standard dinner menu is pricy. The bar/brunch menu had a few more reasonable choices. I'm not sure if it is available during the week. They are just open for dinner then. I tried the cheeseburger with fries for $21 over $19 steak tartare app or $24 lobster roll app (looked good) or $35 short ribs. It was ok. I believe they tried to do their own grind. Topped with Mahone cheese and a peppery Gribiche sauce. But, it had an overall flavor of steak sauce. Which I was taught never to resort to. Just savory on savory on savory. Nice, large bun. The waffle fries were overcooked in too low temp oil. Oily. Crusty. Some fries had no open parts and were raw inside. They also had the ac on so high that the meal became cold half way through. That didn't help. The brunch had a $19 benny and a steak and eggs for $22. A few more items. Pastries under $8 such as kolaches. The dinner menu has alot of steak. Some well over $100. I remember pork and chicken and maybe a starch or two from the online menu. I kind of zone out when I see forties and fifties in front of me. I mean if it wasn't for this bar menu, I wouldn't have bothered. The layout seems the same. Seven booths against one wall and two group tables against the other. Bar in between. Scattered tables around that. Two tvs showing football. One large table, one booth and one counter seat occupied. Lots of uniformed staff. Good service. Food came out quick. Not a lot of difference from what it replaced.

Hong Kong Kitchen - As the swishy critics say in Hollywood Shuffle, "I give this place - the finger". Possibly the worst Kung Pao Chicken ever served. It currently resides in my bushes. I didn't trust it not to fuck up my garbage. Rat meat chicken. Tasteless, oil slick sauce. Beyond mushy rice. And my stomach already ain't feeling so great. Cost $15. I kind of sensed this would happen. Why I haven't beaten their doors down for the four months that they have been in business. I really don't feel like giving them alot of pub. Typical dishes. Dim Sum. Hot pot. Chino Latino section. Maybe that should have been the give away? Lunch specials on week days at $11. Not much done to the interior. Maybe resurfaced the table tops and added two kung fu murals. And signage. Only saw whom I assume is the owner in service. Lunch and dinner. Monday is customer appreciation day. They are closed that day. This place must be built over an Indian burial ground. The only two diners who were there at the time said the Sentinel gave it good review. I refer them to my bushes.

Seby's Pizza - Thankfully, the trip to Hong Kong Kitchen wasn't a total waste of time and money. The two people I spoke with there turned me on to this year old pizza place that I wasn't quite sure was new (or open). It has been 1905 Pizza and Digino's and maybe one other pizza place previously. I had the 12" Brooklyn Classic to go for $13. It was good. Thin crust. Otherwise, typical appropriate NY Style pie. No bubbles. Couldn't really taste the sauce. The pecorino on top was a bonus. Came out quick. I think they just use regular steel ovens. The menu is mostly pizza. Said they were eliminating salads after a trial run. Some apps like meatballs. Desserts like cannoli. A small room on the street side. About six tables. It was full. The decor is all NY posters and celeb photos and stickers and pennants. Seat from Shea and Giants Stadium. Owner seemed nice. From Suffolk County.

Cupid's Hot Dogs - Moved fron Lee Rd. Open about a month or two. I had a regular dog for $3.75. Good snap. The have dogd topped with other things and fries, etc. Tiny, 50's style space with Calfornia curios. Around four tables. Full. They give out free water.

Masa - The search was for them. Just opened. I didn't know they were piggy backing off Cupid's. Venezuelan. Eight arepas (chicken, beef, scrambled eggs). Beef and chicken empanadas. I had the Arepa Reina (shredded chicken salad with avocado used as mayo and white shredded cheese) for $8. Came with a savory, mayo based dip. Stuffed with chicken and cheese. I had it fried. Also baked. Not oily. Very pleasant. The empanada ($4) looked a bit too uniform. Probably not home made. Tough shredded chicken. Two dips. I'll still probably put both in the Favorites lowest price category. Both companies' items are rung up on the same POS machine. I just saw where they charged 50 cents for frying the arepa. Give me a break.

*I noticed on Aloma a new place in the tiny strip mall before the bowling alley. On 436 a place called Wan or Won or Ban Cafe or something opened in where I think a short lived Arab Chicken place was near Red Bug Lake Rd overpass. At the 17-92 interchange, there is now a BJ's. Across from Cupid's a pizza place had a grand opening banner and a roti place was being built out next door.

Sushi Rock & Grill, Altamonte Springs

I tried this Japanese restaurant just south of the exit/mall on 436 yesterday at lunch. They just opened the day before. In a soft opening. Soft... They weren't doing to go orders. As a result, I decided to do the AYCE for $22. Let me start by saying that if you are ordering these things a la carte then maybe the quality isn't high enough in most categories. But in terms of AYCE's at this price point, it is acceptable. I spread my net wide for you people. These are things that I usually don't order a la carte because they are too dear and don't eat at AYCE because they take up nigiri room. It was fun to reminisce. I tried gyoza, takoyaki, shumai, fried calamari and harumaki from the apps. Like most of the fried items, the inside of the takoyaki was under done. It always is. One tiny piece of octopus. Calamari (6) was a bit ugly and tough. Shumai were bigger than the frozen crap you usually get served. 2. Shrimp. The harumaki is a spring roll. Inside under done. Just veg. I had the gyoza fried. 3. Ok. I didn't try anything from salads or skewers. I had spicy salmon Gunkan. Like a piece of cut roll topped with spicy salmon. From Sushi Bar Apps I had three thin slices of black pepper tuna tataki. Not great. Like they seared frozen tuna. The spicy tuna dumplings (3) were fried satchels. As good as cooked tuna can be. The yuzu salmon was good. Little puffed balls of rice on top. I didn't have anything from hibachi or teriyaki. From tempura/katsu I had stringy pork katsu (4) and very good shrimp tempura (2). I had a pork bun that had a thin slice of pork and a weird bun and iceberg lettuce. Not great. From nigiri I had two pieces of tuna, salmon, smoked salmon, escolar and octopus. The octopus was cut too thin and too tough. I chewed one piece fifty times and spit it out like the gum it was. The other fish were of a good enough quality. The rice was a bit mushy. Small rice to fish ratio. Skin still on the salmon. The wasabi was not stale. I must say that the plating was exemplary for a AYCE place. Things came out (and were taken away) fast. They didn't discourage you from ordering. If I hadn't done an AYCE on Monday, I may have tried to break the bank. But, I was satisfied with what $28 in the end afforded me. I believe they had desserts too. I assume these portions were smaller. They have booze. The place is large. L shaped. Four areas and a patio. About 50 booths. Four occupied on this occasion.  Black, brown, gray with some gold, khaki, white accents. Japanese decoration like a samurai warrior, bonsai tree, fan, containers, etc. Plastic plants between booths. Hanging lamps. Sushi prep area on the back wall. The wait staff sounded Chinese. I heard Japanese from the sushi prep area. Lots of staff in black. They said they have three other places. South Florida. It is about what I expected. They have maki, sushi, hibachi, donburi and bento lunch specials starting at $12. Parking is not an issue. They'll never surpass the Bombay Bicycle Club for space supremacy, but, they should make the locals happy.  

Grub Crawl - Downtown: Debonair, Red Panda, Eighty Twenty, Phat Ash Bakes and Buffalo Boss

I tried these spots Downtown on Friday at lunch. The first in on Orange and Church. The next three are in the Art2 open air space on Orange. A few blocks north. The last is a block north of that on the other side of Orange. 

Debonair Supper Club - Let's get this out of the way up front. I would never go here for dinner. The prices are ridiculous. They have a $999 porterhouse. Not $99. $999! And I get that it is a joke. In gold leaf. To promote dialogue. But, the whole menu is out of line for the region and the space. I think the cheapest thing was $28 for pasta. Most things above $40. $60 snapper. However, they have an "executive" lunch menu that is maybe even a bit underpriced. I had the tuna poke wrap with side (fries) for $14. The tuna was pale. What you would get from a franchised poke place. Not a ton. Two types of "lettuce". Tomato. And way too much soy dressing. It leeched out. I advise that they bathe the tuna in it rather than soak the wrap. The wrap was whole wheat. Raw. The fries were very good. Very long and thin. Alot. They also offer four sandwiches and a "waygu" (look up that con job some time) burger in addition to three other wraps. $14 and $16. The whole place is a bit bit unprofessional. One bartender/waiter. The kitchen staff was noisy and played their own music over the house music. The suspected owner was affable, but, a bit disheveled. Like he had had a late night. My velveteen booth cushion had been burned and not repaired/replaced. The place is large. Three areas. The bar as you enter. The main room with white piano and white giraffe holding a chandelier in the middle. A small, glassed in private room at the back. And the patio. Tvs on the ceiling. Broken egg shells on the walls. Tons of curios. Very fever dream-ish. Dark wood slats. Monochrome canvas. Pink flower tree around the kitchen. Maybe sixteen tables of two or four in the main room. More deboner (as we used to joke) than debonair.

Red Panda Noodle Food Truck - I had the fried beef dumplings with zesty sauce to go for $8. Five. Ok. Beef was sour. They also sell six bowls $16-$17 and chunks for $8. And they were selling vegan dumplings and a stew this day. I believe they have been around for a while. This area just opened though. I think they will be here for a while. I think they have a following.

Eighty Twenty Food Truck - They had a computerized menu that I zoomed through to get to my empanada. That was $5. They gave my two. Big. Ground beef. Not bad. I wonder if they make them. No dip. Used Red Panda's. I believe they also sell burgers and more.

Phat Ash Bakes - I had a snickerdoodle cookie for $3.50. A bit pricy. I paid that for a slice lemon ricotta cake in Naples. Not huge. Like the top of a muffin. I believe they use Bischoff cookie as the base. Drizzle of icing. Bischoff cookie in the middle. They sell five other cookies. This is a retail location. Their primary is on Bumby. Those hours suck. Th-Sn after 2pm, I think. Glad I could try them here. They are in the shack at the back of the space that also sells beer. The space outside had picnic tables.

Buffalo Boss - The say "Brooklyn's Finest Wings". I wasn't willing to pay $1.50 a wing to find out. I paid $7 to find out that their chicken sandwich sucks. One dry, stringy tender cut in half. Panko breaded. Glossy brioche bun. The "famous" blue cheese dressing had no flavor. The bbq sauce had no zing. I thought they just opened. Claim Tik Tok voted them best wings in Orlando. Also sell fries and yams and fried pop tarts and oreos. Order from a kiosk that doesn't give a receipt. Mural. Not much of a reno. Looks as old as the old place that I think was a Chinese dive. But...of course it was packed. Six tables. 

*I also walked and drove around. Still no sign of Tropix or Mason's Lobster Roll on Orange. Nic & Luc's is in the PNC building next to the Marriott Suites on Pine. Not close. Milkshake Factory is across from Kia Center. Not close. Did you know that that church by the soccer stadium finally sold is is gone? A noisy mosque opened nearby. Osteria Ester in TP looks open and nice. The spot on the corner aside the ramen place. Eola was closed off, so, couldn't find the Alien place. The Phat Ash girl told me to try them. The new stall (Okomi?) at Mills Market wasn't open. I think the tea place across they street has a new name. Little Saigon was still serving. Still no sign of Hot as Rice, Eastwood, Somos or Little Sister on Mills. A McLaren showroom opened on South Orange in WP. Marlowe's and Chicken Guy haven't found replacements. Pop Up Bagels is not close. A wine store opened next to the meat store (Wild Fork or something). The new Pig Floyd reminded me that $11 for a pulled pork sandwich is too much. The brownie place in Maitland is becoming a New Zealand ice cream place called Frago-something. 

Travel Notes - Italy

Travel Notes - Italy: I flew the horrible (Spirit Airlines of Europe) Iceland Air through Reykjavik to Rome for $452. No headphones or food, etc. Bad media. No soda on the European legs. No jetways. Buses to open cabin doors in the winter! In the rain! Dicks about bag size. I took them from Sanford a while ago. Don't remember this tomfoolery. Went through customs here. They don't use Euros. I'll also add here that I flew the equally bad Easy Jet one way from Naples to Palermo for $87 (cheaper at 7am) at 2pm. This was the only flight on the board delayed. A forty minute flight was four hours late. Italy is having some Jubilee and the Winter Olympics, as such, many things had their scaffolding off and were looking refreshed. They have reworked the front (buses/taxis) of the Roma Termini Station for instance. Though the area in front of the VE Monument was closed off.

I took the 14E train into Rome. Stayed at the Hotel Stromboli (Booking 7.2) near the station for $70. Bought capicola, half roasted chicken, mozz, capricciosa artichoke pizza and wine for late lunch and dinner from Conad at the station. Bought a train ticket on Italo to Naples for $46 on Italo. Made plans. Slept. 

The next day I went to Naples. I stayed at the Hotel Eden (Expedia 7.0) again for two nights at $85. Big mistake. Put me on a low floor in the back this time. Hella noisy all night. Window didn't shut = draft. Stunk of sewer water. TV and fridge and safe didn't work. Ignored complaints. I left after the first night. I walked down Umberto I to the port. Stopped halfway at some tiny pizza stand that claimed to have the most online followers (for whatever that is worth). Ok square of pizza margherita for 2E. Called Porzio...Ni Di Pizza. Walked through the Galleria Umberto I to the Palazzo Reale and Real Teatro di Sant Carlo and Sant Francesco di Paoloa across from them. Didn't find the funicular, so, I started climbing the hill. Found what I think is the first stop on the funicular (there isn't only one). Took it up to near the castle for 1E. Walked to Castel Sant Elmo. Paid 5E to get in. The best value in Europe. Experienced unbelievable views of Naples and the Bay and Islands from there. Best thing in Naples. Walked the ramparts. Walked down a path to town with some kiddos from Chicago who had downloaded the directions. Went past the Castel Nuovo to this great esplanade (road now being repaired) on Via Sauro Nazario to Via Caracciolo with all the ritzy hotels and Castel dell Ovo. You can take a route beneath the walls of the palace or past it. I took the beneath. People gather here for the sunset. I should state here that sundown was around 4:40pm. It limited what could be accomplished quite a bit. Grabbed a fried Completo (pork cracklings, ricotto and cherry tomatoes) pizza at 1947 Pizza Frita for 6E. It is near Da Michele Pizza. Across from one I heard of last year (Trianon) that wasn't open yet. Grabbed some bufala mozz (bad) and prosciutto from Conad at the station. Argued with the dim wit at the hotel who had done nothing to fix the items I alerted them to. Made hotel res for Palermo. Went to sleep early because no tv.

The next day I gave the hotel dim wit one last chance then went online for a hotel change. I stayed at the harbor at the Hotel Bella Capri (Expedia 7.4) for $68. It was a nice room with an interior balcony. But, it was in an old, weird/unmarked apartment building on the eighth floor that you needed to pay to use the elevator. And they had no one there until 3pm. A Cuban who didn't speak English. A maid let me dump off my bag. I had the 5E combo at McDs because I was hangry and wanted soda. Walked the same area-ish as the day before. I had a late start and lost time finding the hotel and bus stop. Found some street with shrines to Diego Maradona. Back to the esplanade via the upper route and right onto Via Santa Lucia. Past the Basilica Santuario Santa Lucia a Mare to the Castel dell Ovo. Went into the Porto di Santa Lucia. Then back the lower route. Looked in on the ferry terminal. They go to Ischia, etc from here. Came back and checked in and went to Sole 365 for salami and octopus and fennel salata and Falanghina Brut. I went here for lunch, but, the lines were too long. Back behind the Galleria and bought a pizza magherita portafoglia (folded) from Passione di Sofi for 3E. Funicolare Centrale was across from it. A Rossini residence was there (Palazzo di Domenico Barbaja). I took the food back to the hotel. Ate on the balcony.

The next day I took the Alibus from in front of the harbor to the airport (it stops at the other harbor and train station on the way) for 5E (paid the driver). Flew to Palermo. Had a cb and hb at McDs. Ran to the train station (there is also a bus) below arrivals and fought through idiots clogging up the ticket machines to get the hourly train to the Palermo train station just as it was leaving. 7E on Tren Italia. Because of the delay, it didn't seem wise to walk to the hotel by the sea at night. I had to hire a cab for 15E for a mile journey. I did this walk later on and it took 21 minutes and was safe. At night? I bought some prosecco at a mini market outside the station and had to buy two chicken sandwiches and a hb at McDs because of knowledge of the area. I stayed at the probably once proud San Paolo Palace Hotel (Expedia 7.4) for three nights at $248. I should state here that all these cunts demanded hotel tax in cash once you arrived. Cash drain. This room was ok except that the window didn't seal properly and therefore there was always noise and a draft. I didn't notice the gap until the last night. They also had a free buffet that I had every morning. 

The next day I walked down to the esplanade and stopped at the marina. Crossed into the city at Vittorio Emmanuele. Up to Mercato Storica Vucciria. Onto Chiesa di Sant Cataldo and Fontana Pretoria and Quatro Canti (4 Corners) and Chiesa di Sant Giuseppe dei Teatini. Back towards the station and Palazzo Comitini. Bought wine and bufala mozz (bad) and prosciutto and peach cakes and mortadella at Lidl for the remainder of my meals. Bought a ticket to Messina on Tren Italia at the station. Walked towards the hotel and passed the Instito Orto Botanico and a park.

The next day I walked back to the station and past Porta Sagata. In a block to a flea market and Chiesa Sant Francesco Saverio. I was looking for a short cut to the Cathedrale. Got a bit lost. Back to Maria SS del Carmelo and Chiesa del Gesu and Mercato Ballaro. Found a Palazzo Conte Frederico that led to a park where the Cathedrale is. Walked further west through some more streets with food vendors (they call these markets) to the Presidio. Two items sold that stood out were some kind of kebab wrapped in bacon and an eggplant stuffed with spaghetti. Everything seemed days old, so, I didn't risk it. They had a marathon this day. The way to the Teatro Politeama Garibaldi was blocked. Went back east towards the station and the Teatro Massimo. Left towards the sea on Vittorio Emmanuele. Tried to find a Rick Steves' restaurant. Think I found his hotel. Passed by Chiesa Santa Maria della Pieta and Chiesa Santa Teresa alla Kalsa and a Gate. Back to the hotel. Oh, I found all the lesbians not in Lesvos and tons of Bangladeshis.

The next day I took the three hour train to Messina on the northeast coast. Past Cefalu. I should add that there was a train to the northwest coast to Trapani. I stayed at the ok (except for the absentee landlord and entry code bullshit) Emme B&B (Booking 8.6) for $57. I was going to try and take the forty minute train to Taoromina, but, I wasted time getting my room and it looked like rain and the train station had no ticket office (total reconstruction under way). It was already late for lunch so I grabbed a 5E combo at McD. Dropped my bags off. I walked to the port and bought a 2E ferry ticket (anytime) to Villa San Giovanni. You can also go to the bigger Reggio Calabria. But, it was south and the trains pick up a VSG as well. Didn't see the point. Walked back to the piazza with the McD and right to a couple of churches (Chiesa di Santa Catherine Vergine Martire and Santuario Parrochia di Santa Maria del Carmine) and the Palazzo del Giustizia and back to the piazza. Not the big sites to see. Bought prosciutto, crudo, nut mix, plum cakes and wine at Conad. It started to rain. Ate at hotel.

The next day I took the ferry to VSG. The distance to Italy is only a few hundred yards. So crazy. They ok'd a bridge, but like here, an activist judge shut it down. Now in limbo. Oh, and would you believe you can take the train from Palermo to Rome. They put the train on the ferry. No bs. I bought a ticket to Salerno from a human for 67E on Tren Italia. Three hours through Calabria (never been). Mostly coastal views until the end. Stayed at the Hotel Montestella (Expedia 8.6) for $109. It was on and off drizzle here. I bought bagel chips, salmon cc, prosciutto cotto (ham), taleggio, chicken roll, nuts mix and wine for lunch and dinner at Ete. Walked the beautiful esplanade. A very cute little town at the end of the Amalfi Coast road. I went here because my middle school French teacher was named Mrs Salerno. Seriously. That's the reason. I don't think I even liked her. Ate the food on my balcony. Made a reservation for Mt Vesuvius for 35E.

The next day I ate the free buffet that their employee was coughing all over. Bought a 5.50E ticket on Tren Italia to Naples. Talked with a couple from Ontario for a while. Checked into the hard to find in an apartment complex H22 Hotel (Expedia 9.2). Found the Circumvesuviana ticket office one level down at the right side of the station facing it. It is a local train to Vesuvius, Pompei and Herculaneum (and Sorrento). I bought a RT from a person for 5.50E. Took track 3 to Ercolano Scavi station. Walked to the sea. I stupidly paid 16E to see this Pompei lite. You can see it for free from the rim. It goes all the way around. Back to Naples. Bought ventricina piccante, asiago, prosciutto crudo, crostini and wine at Conad. Ate it on my tiny balcony. This was the last warm day.

The next day I found the Antico Forno delle Sfogliatelle Calde RM Attanasio across the piazza and bought what I think was a slice of good ricotta lemon cake for 3E. It and the next place came up as highly rated when looking at the hotel maps. I also grabbed scrambled eggs and bacon and muffin from McD for 3.50E. I ate that at the hotel and then ventured out again to find Il Piastrato a block in and to the right of the hotel. I grabbed an ok chicken breast and zucchini sandwich for 12E. There wasn't time to eat it. Had to be at Vesuvius at 1pm. I bought a RT ticket (also Circumvesuviana ticket office) to Pompei Scavi for 5.60E. It was the stop for the Vesuvius tour. Track 1. Don't get on the wrong one. Different stops. I got a bit lost finding the tour office because of Google Maps. Went in town. Wrong. Office was right in the tiny train station (corner). They printed out the park entry ticket (necessary because they have a bar code reader) and gave me two bus tickets and a book on Vesuvius. The ticket said 11E. The bus tickets said 3.30E each. I guess the difference in price is profit. You can't buy them on your own. You have to do it online. They say. Others were buying the package for 24E right there and then. But, the internet was pretty adamant. Who knows? Forty minutes up a windy road to get to the crater. And wouldn't you know it, the rain that was meant for the day before came in just we approached. And it was cold. I probably got within a couple of hundred yards. People coming down said ten minutes and that you couldn't see anything anyway. Old people always overestimate. But, lucky because the moment I got back on the bus (it waits a half hour and then if you weren't on it, you had to wait another hour with no protection for the next one) it started to pour. I'll have to go back I guess. I also was cheated of the great views of Naples on the ride up and down. I took the train back to Naples. Bought wine and (bad) cacetti bianchi and ate it with the sandwich for dinner. Pulled the table to the balcony window because of the cold and rain. Saw on Foodish that pata with potatoes and provolone is a Naples tradition.

The next day I bought a ticket to Rome on Italo for 56E. Should have done it the day before. But...rain. Checked into the Hotel Robinson (Booking 7.5) for three nights at $249. Mostly good except for really late arriving guests. In an apartment complex next to the station. Most similarly rated hotels were $50-100 (in total) more. Walked via Nazionale past finally unfettered Terme (Baths) di Dioclezziano to Quirinale and down the steps and right to Trevi Fountain. Down Via dei Tritine and left past the Modern Art Museum to Trinita dei Monti. Down the Spanish Steps to Via Condotti to the river. Past Museo Napoleonico and Palazzo di Giustizia. Finally showed up to Castel Sant Angelo on the right day and waited only a few minutes to buy a 16E ticket. Totally worth it. Great views. Haddrian's mausoleum. The statue of Michael atop was used in Angels and Demons to denote the Illuminati HQ. Walked back to the hotel on Corso Vittorio Emmanuelle. Bought wine and hummus and Tigre. Half roasted chicken and capicola at Conad.

The next day I walked a few streets to the left of Nazionale to the Colosseo and luckily stopped at the bus stop just after Constantine's Arch. Tapped on the 118 bus. I thought you had to get on at Circus Maximus. That is a stop, but, it is at the END of the circular route and goes into the city before it comes around again. This bus goes to the Catacombs, Appian Way and Aqueduct and ends at the Hippodrome. I did the Aqueduct first. Got off at some Appia stop that started with an S. I could have taken it around and departed on the other side of the road at the end of the circuit. You walk back toward the city two lights and make a right on Viale Aprio Claudio to Parco Appia Antica. Under two train bridges to a golf club. There is a 4km circuit. I didn't do it because possibility of rain. Back on the bus. Went to the Catacombs of San Sebastian and San Calisto. Calisto was closed until 2pm, so, I walked Appian Way to Sebastian. Paid 10E for 1pm tour. Pretty cool. They said Peter and Paul were buried here at some point. He was a Roman Royal Guard. Depicted shot with arrows. Was an old quarry. Said there are six in Rome. All bones removed. Just crypts. Some Roman. Mostly Christian. Last work of Bernini here too. Got the bus going in the wrong direction. Took it around and past Porta Sebastian and Baths (Therme) of Caracalla. Got off at Forum. Back to hotel. Wine and salmon cc from Carrefour. Whole chicken from Conad.

The next day I took Via Merulana past San Giovanni in Laterno and Via Magna Grecia and then beared left to some area I think was called Zara in the mistaken belief that this would be a short cut to the Baths of Caracalla. Went a km or two too far. Took Via Latina back and found it. Didn't go in. Wasn't free. Back past Circus Maximus to the river. Left and past Parco San Alessio and Piazza Cavalleri di Malta on the cliffs to Ponte Sublicio to Trastevere. Saw Porta Portese and a weekend market. Up to Viale Trastevere and left. Right on Viale Glorioso and left onto Viale Casini to Villa Sciarra (this entrance is closed so I didn't really see it). Up Dandolo to Fabrizi past the stairs on Glorioso and up a bend to Garibaldi. There there is Chiesa di San Pietro in Montorio, Il Mausoleo Ossario Gianicolense and Fonte Acqua Paola and VIEWS. I should state here that I had not seen or heard of any of these things or the great park(s) here. Just saw things on a map that they put little icons on that I hadn't been to yet. Shame on me. It is an amazing (upper class) part of the city. I continued up to Museo della Repubblica Romana and Porta San Pancrazio. Through this entrance to the Parco Gianicolense. It leads to the Monumento a Garibaldi and another overlook. BTW I wasn't the only one up here! Tours and locals were up here. Just a secret from me. Through the Passeggiata del Giancolo to a lighthouse/faro and more overlooks. Down stairs. Past a hospital. More overlooks to Via di S Onofrio and down steps to the river. Across the Ponte Principe to San Giovani dei Fiorentini to Corso Vittorio Emmanuele again. I popped into the Basilica S Andrea dela Valle because I was almost sure I had never gone in. Went into the courtyard at Palazzo Venezia. Back up Nazionale. Bought wine at Carrefour. Bought my 14E ticket to the airport because I had been having issues with Tren Italia's machine reading the strips on credit cards. I found a newer machine. It worked like the old ones used to. 

The next day I uneventfully flew home. Took too long at MCO (as usual) for the idiots to attach the gateway so we could deplane. Plus we had a (no shit) fifteen minute plus taxi from whatever runway we landed on to Terminal C. They finished the area near the rental cars there. You don't have to walk through the parking lot any longer to get to the trams/train.

Spent $1022 on hotels. $539 on air. $205 on rental cars. 193E on food and wine. 275E on transportation. 82E on museums and parks. $550E using $1.15 exchange rate = $632. Total = $2398. Good trip. I saw More of Sicily than just Catania. Calabria. I was told to stop in Tropea or Amantea. Didn't seem worth it by train. Finally saw Castel Sant Elmo, Vesuvius, Appian Way and Castel Sant Angelo. Found some surprises. Saved Orvieto and Ostia Antica for next time. Learned that Gavi is from the Cortese grape and Orvieto from Grechetto and Trebbiano. Sicilian girls look like Tootsie.

*Expedia believed Hotel Eden's lie that they offered to move me. Wouldn't refund. Gave me a $20 credit on them though.

Tamara, Lake Mary

I went to this Indian+ restaurant that just replaced a Thai place in the strip mall at International Parkway and 46A Saturday at dinner. I had the Manchurian Chicken to go for $18 because a curry dish started at that BEFORE you even added vegetables. Those cost $2. $6 for chicken. It was pretty bad. Cloyingly sweet sauce with fried pieces of chicken whose coating turned to mush in the container on the way home. A fair bit of thigh meat cubes. Why do you always get more when you want less? I wonder if Indian places that have a Sino section do so because they want to reserve the white meat for the Indian dishes Just green peppers and onion along for the ride. Medium hot was not hot at all. A side of equally mushy white rice. Took too long to prepare. While the mushiness may not be a feature of the dish should it be consumed in house, it is still not a dish (often called orange chicken or the like) I enjoy. I should have read the description more closely. I was too busy decoding the add on costs and unexpected dishes on the menu. I recall lamb tacos and laksa as a couple. The main menu has kebab meals and curries as well as the Indo-Chinese section (General Tso, Garlic, Hot, etc). Around seven dishes in each. All over $20 when you added to the sauce. They had staples like butter chicken and tikka masala. Samosas, soups, naan, etc. I think there was a really expensive section. Apps all ran over $13. They seemed to make craft cocktails. I saw one with a smoke bubble. The sign says Thai. I don't recall a dish. Around twenty two different sized tables. Four outside. One in a recess. Black, metal, gray colors. A few garish touches. Mural on the back wall. Bar on the right with tv. Some odd walled off square near the entrance. It looks nice. They want to be high end. I think the Thai place did as well. I think they lasted six months. I think this business model will last as long unless they lower the prices. I think that tanked the Thai place. Three tables seated on a holiday weekend. Their only specials were happy hour bar snacks and drinks. Seemed like two or three employees on call. Open for a few weeks. Open seven days a week from 12pm. Save your powder. No word on if they have a sister restaurant called Tia.

*I noticed that the fast food chicken place on the corner failed. It looks like a coffee place will replace it. Something Generic and Something Generic. Like Crate and Barrel. A sushi place is also going to replace what I believe was Curio burritos down the road. I checked out the menu at F&D Steakhouse. The cheapest thing was a $35 chicken. Typical yawn menu. How many SNAP benefit swindlers can there be to pay $100+ for a cut of cow. Is there anything simpler to cook? Who are the dickheads that keep these steakhouses in business? I know. People spending other people's money like government officials and salesmen courting clients. I also noticed that Subway lowered their prices. Credit where credit is due. Travel Notes Italy in two days.

Grub Crawl - Winter Garden: Winter Garden Restaurant, Jam Hot Chicken, Cilantro and The Country House

I tried these spots Tuesday at lunch. The first is at the intersection of Dillard and Plant on the right. The second is in the food hall on Plant. The third is aside that food hall. The last is on West Colonial just east of Dillard. South side.

Winter Garden Restaurant - A greasy spoon. I tried the two eggs with link sausage, hash browns and toast for $12. Not the biggest bargain. Eggs were more jammy than over easy. Links (3) were good. Jones'? Toast was toasted correctly. Hash browns were the worst item. I think they may have deep fried them. Spongy. Not fresh. Greasy. Not a ton. Typical menu. Twenty tables. Seven counter seats. Framed pics of old WG. Some sort of beige color scheme. Full. Food came out fast. *Just saw cc statement. They added on to the total.

Jam Hot Chicken - I didn't put two and two together. Why that number? I will have to look up the origin of that. This is an offshoot. I thought the one in Hannibal Square was ok. I had tried them before. This one was better. Deceivingly large. Mostly batter and air. That's ok. I like the batter husks. I tried the Just the Breast at $13 because it was the cheapest. Good. Ate the whole thing while waiting for my order at the next thing. I had it at 3 out of 5 on the hot-o-meter. Doable. Even without a drink. Crispy. Meat was thin. Around the thigh meat or a skinny bird. Came with two slices of white toast, homemade pickles with some bite and a vinegar slaw. They have a few versions of the chicken and fries. This location just opened. Took a bit of time. Seemed popular.

Cilantro - Open for three years. They took over from Orange Crate Cafe. I wrote earlier this Fall about their street food and market sister locations. I had the curry chicken to go for $12. Abround seven pieces in a good brown curry sauce. Basmati was good. Ok potato and pea samosa. Great black pepper crackers. Ok daal. Ok naan. Watery mini cup of rice pudding. Came with a nice tamarind sauce. Should have done the AYCE buffet for $15. Would have had it all to myself. Butter and tandoori chicken. Chicken biryani. Lamb. And the veg and sides. Light brick. Indian decor. Clean. TV with cricket on. Around six tables. The main issue was the wait. I think just one cook and a frontman. Had to wait for many call in orders to be picked up. Indian food has so much flavor that it is hard to really tell the good from the bad. Plus the heat component. For me, it usually boils down to the quality/freshness of the meat and rice. Had I gorged on the AYCE, probably a Fav.

The Country House - Another greasy spoon. Maybe a bit more disheveled than WGR. I had the the chicken fingers to go for $7.50 (think the menu said $7) because I already had too much food and was just doing them and WGR a solid by including them. BTW I think I have delivered all of WG to you at this point. Two small balls, one big un, one normal one. A bit dry. Side of ranch. Ate them with the left over curry and daal. This amount of chicken at the market hot bar is probably $4. $6 at most fried chicken places. $10 in McNuggets. Usual menu. Specials. Fish fry Friday. The veg I saw seemed stewed. Twelve booths. Twelve tables. Five counter. Half full. A bit less clean than WGR. A bit older. Light gray color. 

Cairo Express, Winter Park

I tried this Egyptian food truck on Lee Rd and Wymore Tuesday at lunch. I tried the koshary for $11 because they say it is the national dish. It's a bowl of noodles, elbow macaroni, chick peas, lentils, rice and a few other things like fried onion in a light tomato sauce. It came with a hot sauce and a black pepper and vinegar sauce. A family sized portion. I found it more of a side dish. Good. A bit plain. A carb bomb. And I love carbs. Maybe not this many together. A vegan may like the legumes in lieu of meat. I just saw Hawaiin macaroni salad made on tv. They purposefully overcooked the pasta. I'm not sure if that is how this pasta is meant to be. They offer a few shawarmas and a beef liver sandwich and something like beef that I think was in dough or cheese and one other item that I think had cheese. The non-shawarmas were also $12. Two women. The younger one was doing the cooking. Parking was was a bit limited. They are aside the Chevron station just off I4. Southeast side. I'll probably keep going back until I have tried all the dishes. This is not a cuisine I am familiar with at all. The older woman said she had been the cook at the Makani on I Drive. It has closed. I went there a while ago. I kind of liked a chicken dish. If you are a Curious George then I would make the trip. I'm not sure that there is an alternative. Maybe the pizza place at UCF. They have been there for four months. They told the guy who ordered before me that they have a five star rating. I'm not sure with whom. If I go back and like another dish, I'll probably Fav them.

*I had to slide this one in. I'll do the Grub Crawl and Notes in the coming days.

Perla's Pizza, Winter Park

I tried this pizza and cocktail spot yesterday at dinner. I grabbed a Stay Classy (mozz, parmesan, basil) for $10 to go. It is usually $16. It and the Benny Blanco are Monday specials. It was very good. Med-thin and crispy crust throughout. 100% coverage with the cheese. That could be of a better quality. Helped along with EVOO I believe. Basil was fresh. Parm amped it up a bit. Red sauce was complimentary. 15"? Came out quick. Ate it all before I got home. They have eleven types. Some with bananas or pineapple jam or pistachio pesto. White, red and pink sauces. The most expensive was $19. Two salads at $12. The apps are garlic knots, meatballs, sausage and wings ($12-$15). Cinnamon rolls or brownie for dessert ($10 and $7). I was really tired from returning from Italy, so, I think the color scheme was in the golden range? L shaped room. Rustic. A few people still there at 9pm+. They just added lunch and are open until 1am. Seven days. Lots of parking. On Fairbanks. I think it was last a vegan co-op. A wine store that had a pizza place inside at some point. Pizza Barn? East of 17-92 (which they call Orlando Ave, I believe). A possible Fav. That $10 price point wins sympathy. Opened around a month ago. With these new, expansive hours, I think you can/should make time for them. 

*I tried to try Hanso Sushi at Gaitlin Ave and S Orlando. I thought it had opened. It wasn't. Had a new coming soon banner. Expect a grub crawl and travel note over the next few days.

El Crazy Pollo, Orlando

Although the term Latin has lost all meaning, I suspect from the Roberto Clemente picture and PR flag that they are a PR restaurant. I grabbed their cheapest item for $5 to go eight days ago. It was a pressed ham and cheese. Not bad. They have the usual stuff. Most of the sandwiches and quarter chicken were around $10. Mofongo. Breakfast. Specials were in teens or more. 14 tables. Light blue, gray and black color scheme. Only one cook and one cashier. They close around 5pm or 6. Parking. One block in from 436 near 408 (north side). This was not plan a.

Travel Notes - Greece and Egypt

Travel Notes - Greece and Egypt: I flew Delta to Athens in the afternoon through JFK for $587. Two hour delay after boarding at JFK because commercial freight hadn't loaded. And I guess their dim witted pilots don't check on things like that during their pre-flight check. Plane also stunk of urine. I flew on to Santorini on Ryan Air for $89. Cool about printing boarding pass for free and bag size in Athens. Cunts coming back. I took the 2E bus into Fira. Had to wait 45 minutes. Stayed at the Tataki Family Hotel (Expedia 8.4) for two nights at $144. I just got groceries and crashed the first night. Been to Santorini once before. Just went because cheapest air fare with most flights in or out.

The next day I slept late and made travel plans until 2pm. I walked up the trail to Oia a short way. To the Church of Pangia Katholiki and some fort. Went behind them. Back to town. I tried to walk the donkey path down. But, it was closed. It looked like rain, so, I ran to the store for groceries. World's worst mozz - DiBello. Got stuck being outside in what ended up being the only hour of rain. I should state here that my mood throughout was melancholy to depressed because of the rear end collision I experienced before I left. I had to arrange a $30 taxi ride (hotel manager's suggestion) to the airport because the buses didn't start early enough to be safe. I swear they monkey with the schedule to ensure this. I watched the sunset. 

The next day I arose (actually couldn't sleep) early and flew to Athens and onto Kos on Sky Express for $180. They call this the Las Vegas island. Nothing can be farther from the truth. I really am perplexed how this became a descriptor. I stayed in the main port town called Kos and saw most of the rest of the island and no casinos and one club and a few pubs. I shared a $40 cab with a couple from Michigan because the bus wait would have been over an hour (if it came) and it was dusk. I stayed three nights at the Kosta Palace (Expedia 8.4) on the harbor for $111 with $30 due in cash. Tax or RF. I grabbed wine at Hartofilis Wine. Found a Spar and bought sesame breadsticks, canned octopus, chorizo and tza. 

The next day I walked to the Neratzia castle, Hippocrates (his island) tree and stream, ancient agora, altar of Dionysus, Casa Romana, western archeological site and the beach north of the hotel. I also checked out the ferry to Bodrum Turkey has one of the 7 Wonders - Mausoleum at Halicarnassus. They only ran one ferry this time of year that required a six hour stay and the internet (wrongly) said you had to fill out an entry form three days in advance. So, I chose not to go. A ticket was $33. I walked south to the marina. There was a Spar there too, so, I bought two days worth of wine and food. Smoked herring, salami, tara, and sunflower coated breadsticks. I should state here that all the wine but one was Greek. Mostly bad. I went for a swim at the rooftop pool and filmed the sunset.

The next day I went back to the Odeum that I missed the day before. Confirmed where the bus station was (next to Spar). I went swimming at the beach and walked it again. Pool again. Walked past the marina. Went in. Took some videos near sunset (hills block the view) from around there. Tried to make sure I didn't f up the bi-yearly time change.

The next day I took the bus to the airport for 3.50E. Flew to Athens. Broke down and finally ate at BK (11E for a triple whopper with cheese). Transferred to a night flight to Cairo on Aegean for $255. This was the real reason for the trip. It is like $1200 from MCO. Had to see the pyramids. Always some terrorist issue in the past. Had to just bite the bullet and do it. No real issues. Since I was coming in at night, I decided to stay at Le Passage Hotel (Expedia 8.4) near Terminal 1 because it had a free shuttle. Hotel at T3 was over $300. I figured a taxi there might be safer or I could walk (hell no). It was $114. They upgraded me. Probably just because I got in late and that was the only room left. We arrived at Terminal 3 btw. Now you can buy a visa at the airport. They only take US dollars. $25. They can make change of a twenty. You buy it at these little bank kiosks before immigration. Barely a wait. Supposedly open all the time or when flights due. Spoke English. I should state here that most in Greece and Egypt spoke English. They gave you a paper form to fill out on the plane that they ignored when you handed it in. The line was only about ten people long. Showed passport to another idiot. I found the shuttle though an hour later tha I told them. Aegean didn't factor in the time change. I think I missed my shuttle and hopped on other hotel guests'. They probably paid the $35 I almost chickened out and paid the hotel for a meet and greet. I booked some things and went to sleep.

The next day I took $40 worth of Egyptians Pounds out of the hotel ATM and broke down and paid the hotel taxi (by card) $35 for a $4-$8 taxi ride into Cairo. The driver showed me the citadel, mosques, university, bazaar by going through the old town. Cairo is very brown. The ride is around 12km, I think. Traffic is crazy here. They honk all the time and there are few working traffic lights. But, the ride here and back and to Giza didn't really take too long. I stayed at the Steigenberger el Tahrir (Expedia 8.8) for two nights at $418. It seemed like you had to pony up or the alternatives would be sketchy. It was also one block from the Nile (reason two for the trip) and the Egyptian Museum. The hotel was good except for toxic odors that their ac sucked in at certain times. I walked to the museum, Tahrir Square (looked more substantial during the uprising), Nile, bridge, tower, park and back to an obelisk and Hardees. Had chicken fingers. Cheap. I went back to the museum and gave some English guy 600EP to buy me a 550EP ticket because all but pocket money was in the safe. It kind of sucked. They have moved most of the stuff to the new museum (opened the day I left) in Giza. Still cool to see the building I've seen in movies, etc. Dinner from KFC.

The next day started with a thud. The trip I booked on Viator (high rating/top billing) to Giza for only $19 didn't show. I had to have a reception guy get in touch with them and I'm still not sure what happened, but, they arranged a driver and private guide for $30US (I tossed in my last $5 as a tip). So, 10am turned into 1pm. But, it worked out. Drive there was about 12km. Female guide was ok. I still had to pay 700EP to get in. I didn't do 1000EP camel ride or inside pyramids for 280EP. They make you take a bus from pyramid to pyramid. There are three and some queen ones. I chose to walk to the sphinx. That put you to the left of it. Our taxi met us there. Lots of vids and pics. Only Victoria Falls, Himalayas, Taj Mahal, Great Wall and Easter Island to go. Safe ride back. Dinner at KFC. Prices were cheaper there than Hardees. $2 for a three piece meal with drink. I wussed out on the local food (I think there KFC was called Bazooka) because I didn't want to expose myself too much to malfeasers or toxins. Mostly the usual annoyances. One guy tried to convince me that I needed to take an under pass to cross the street. I ignored him and he was wrong. Unsure if it was an honest mistake or what. 

The next day Viator fucked me again. The taxi I booked (high rating/top billing) for $25 kept sending me messages that it would arrive 4 hours early, etc. I had the hotel try to contact them. They all use Whats App. They never responded. I got sick of it and took the extortionary taxi from the hotel back to Le Passage (Booking 8.6) for $53. I later saw messages from them that my taxi was waiting ten minutes after I left. I will dispute these charges. BTW  the hotel tour prices were bullshit as well. I stayed at Le Passage because I was leaving at 10am. This time they corn holed me for a Butler Lounge Suite (only rooms available) for $191. Still less than in town. It was worse than the first room. Stunk of cigarettes. The smell seemed to be pumping in from everywhere. Got no sleep. It did come with a lounge that had snacks and a breakfast I didn't use. I tanned and swam at the pool. I think the hotel rose so much in price because of the new museum opening. All these people were supposed to be flying in for it. Also, this night Egypt decided to do their time change. I tried an Egyptian wine and beer (Omar Khayyam and Sakara) at the lounge.

The next day I took the shuttle to the airport. They wouldn't give me a boarding pass on line. I had to go through bag screening before I could check in. The moron there kept asking for a ticket. Some other guy told him something and they finally let me through. It was pretty slow. All these idiots were taking all of their possessions with them and boxes had to be ripped open, etc. Getting a boarding pass was easy. Then you had to fill out the form again. Through immigration. Got a woman this time and it took twice as long. She looked at everything. I think they look for Israeli stamps. Then you had to show your passport to another idiot at a log jam. Finally to the gate area. Then they changed the gate. Then another bag screen. Met a couple from Colorado whose trip to Luxor was a day late because of plane issues. Flew to Athens. Immigration was three planes long. Took an hour. Transferred to a flight on Sky Express to Mytilene Lesvos for $128. Couldn't find the bus stand and it was getting dark, so, paid $15 for a taxi. I stayed at the Blue Sea Hotel (Booking 8.1) on the harbor front for three nights at $191. Next time I would pay for a harbor view. I rushed to the market across the harbor to Masoulis Market (I missed the larger My Market near it) for wine and groceries. Bought a Macedonian wine. Bad. Tza, salami, breadsticks covered with sweet dried corn (bad) and cookies. 

The next day I walked up the coast to the castle. Coves, lighthouse. Then back and up the hill to the castle entrance. Looked inside. Decided it was not worth 5E. Walked through town. To the marina and stadium and back. Did a two day load at Masoulis again. Tara and a Feta dip that were bad. Chorizo, tuna, turkey. Lesvos is where Sappho wrote her style of poetry. From it came Lesbos and the word lesbian. Didn't see many. Another island mis-labeled. Internet says they stay in a town called Skala Eressos. Island is large. It was 90km to their famous petrified forest.

The next day I walked back up the coast to a little cove and swam with the locals. A bit chilly. I almost left before the clouds disappeared. The opposite of what they did the day before. Back through the town. 

The next day my flight wasn't until 5pm (only two a day) and the hotel kicked me out at 11am. I did the walk to the castle and the town beyond it this time. Tried to dillydally, but, still got the bus stop at noon where it was waiting. Just got on. It cost 2.10E. I had had breakfast at the hotel (included) and couldn't have even wasted time eating in town. Waited at the airport. Flew to Athens. Took the 95 bus to Syntagama Square for 5.50E. Stayed at the Royalty Athens Acropolis (Expedia 9.2) for $77. Grabbed wine and mozz and salami and serrano at Bazaar. 

The next day I took some pics from the roof deck and the bus back to the airport. Check in line was one person long. Immigration was a third as large to Egypt. Broke down and bought a cb at Flo Cafe for 6E. The flight back was a nightmare. Sandwiched between two Typhoid Mary's hocking up lungs. Passed whatever it is onto me. Then we waited an hour because our gate was initially occupied and then because they wouldn't let us cross over. JFK to MCO was fine. Our customs was quick. But, I ran ahead of everyone to be first. 

Only rained as we were leaving Athens. In Greece they said they were closing down earlier this year than last. Egypt exchange rate was 48EP to 1 USD. So 100EP = $2. Taxis were the main unnecessary drains on cash. Spent $174 on food and wine. $1239 on air. $1290 on hotels. $186 on transportation. $61 on museums/tours. $166 on rental cars to and from MCO. $6 on magnets. $25 on visa. $3147 in Total. Ouch. Egypt may be best done by tour group. I was going to take the Metro to Giza, etc. Probably a bad idea. No shots needed.

* I cc'd three addresses at Delta a day ago and they already gave me a $150 credit AND another respondent gave me $200 more. Compare that with BA, Lufthansa, Discover or German Rail lately.

** Viator fought me every step on their miscues. and Amex took there side over mine. I wont ever be using them again. They are owned by Trip Advisor. I never liked them to begin with. Painfully slow loading, ad bloated site. Plus I think they disallowed some content I gave them way back in the day.

Green Papaya, Altamonte Springs

I tried this brand new (one week) Thai Sushi Bar today at lunch. It is just past Publix (on the opposite side) moving west of I4. I tried the lunch special (one of seven) of chicken in red curry with jasmine rice for $12. Small. Not alot of chicken. Broccoli, snow peas, button mushrooms, onions and green peppers. Four out of five heat. The rice was dry. Curry was ok. Typical menu. Prices can reach the thirties for lamb and duck. I never get the combination of these two cuisines. They don't seem symbiotic. Sushi starts at $5. Tuna and salmon looked ok. Ambitious desserts. They have three locations in Jacksonville and one in St Augustine. The best thing about it is it. The room looks posh. Black and gray with gold flourishes. Faux marble. Different table sizes. Booths mostly. In groups of four in the middle. In threes by the windows. A long line on the far wall. Sushi bar with about ten seats on the far left wall. Bar with ten seats on the left of the entry way. Hostess table at the entry. Staff in unis. About a tenth full. Closed Tuesday. Lunch an dinner. Not covering much new ground. A bit above a franchise level experience. 

Grub Crawl - SoDo: Mii Cafe and Chicho

I tried these spots on Michigan just off South Orange on Monday at lunch. The first is in the first strip mall on the southeast side. It was a donut place. The second is in the strip mall next to it. I'll also inform you here that the spot across the street that was to be a Shaq chicken place turned out to be a Panda Express.

Mii Cafe - Vietnamese play. I tried a Viet sub for $8.50. Ok. Publix roll. Head cheese and pork roll only. Ok veg. No jalapenos. White base with black accents. Drinks, bowls, apps, rolls, soups, etc. I thought it was just banh mi. Four tables. One long one. Open for a month. No one else there.

Chicho - Said it means skinny. South American. I tried a smash burger special (with fries) for $10. As good as Shake Shack. Lettuce, tomato, onion. Glossy bun. Cheese. Fries had a bbq dry rub on them. Crispy for being rushed. Small menu. Just bowls and tacos and churrasco. $15, $10, $20. Black, gray look. A bit worn. Bob Marley and food posters. Three tables. Open for a year. They say they open at 9am for breakfast. They hadn't opened up until I peered in. No one else there.

Travel Notes - Florida Keys

Travel Notes - Florida Keys: I drove 95 down. I need to relate right away that the top threat to our existence may be our highways. And this is unrelated to the invader whom rear ended me on US1 (I'll write up a tutorial on that headache later). They are becoming a death trap. Especially through South Florida. We need way more FHP. And they need to actually cite some of these miscreants. And not for speeding alone. I saw one FOLLOWING a speeder. I saw none between Miami and Boca in the "danger zone". I saw countless numbsculleric moves. Comically tragic. Mostly by one kind of person. And I ain't taking about boomers. But, they need to go too. Whole different numbskullery with them. These seem to be some of the rules of the road that people believe exist (or do where they came from): Passing/Speeding from the slow lane, speeding into an exit turnoff, speeding into a merge where one lane is at a complete stop, driving stoned (rear view air freshener give away), zig zag passing at double the speed limit, not passing the car to the right (going the same speed) from the passing lane. There were SIX accidents coming back in the north bound lanes alone. The other side had two areas of ten mile back ups. I assume because of accidents. It's anarchy! And I have lived/driven in NYC, LA, Chicago and DC. And you know my road trip history. FYI - US1 is served by FHP. Took them over an hour to show up.

I stopped in Delray Beach at Rose's Daughter (3D) for a good Margarita pizza at $15. I stayed in Key Largo at the ok Azul del Mar (Expedia 9.0) for $93. No staff on site. I had twelve undercooked, plump chicken wings at Buffalo Steakhouse & Seafood for $20. Watched baseball and football. No sleep because of the accident.

The next day I drove to Islamorada and checked into the ok Matecumbe Resort (Expedia 8.8) for $121. I had a mushy and small fried lobster tail blt with brussel sprouts with almond slivers at Papa Joe's Waterfront for $22. I fished, swam and layed out. Stinky decaying seaweed smell. I grabbed a bad mahi (dry) Southwest salad at The Hungry Tarpon at Robbie's Pier for $26. Watched baseball and football. Some sleep.

The next day I drove to Key West. Stopped for an ok egg, cheese and sausage on toast for $10 at Galley Grill on Summerland Key. Checked in to Alexander Palms Court again (Expedia 8.2) for $237 for two nights. Had the worst turkey and Swiss sandwich (the Turk) ever created at The Stoned Crab at Ibis Resort for $16. Swam in stinky, decaying seaweed at the public beach. Left because of it. Walked to El Siboney (Man vs Food and Samantha Brown) for a very good half roast chicken with sweet plantains, rice, roll and beans. It was only four blocks away. Swam in the pool. Drank some wine and walked up to Mallory Square for the sunset. A good one. Had two margaritas at Lolita's Coastal Cocina at the Opal Key Resort for a special price of $10 a pop. It was on the pier. Walked back. Watched baseball. 

The next day I went back to the beach and had an ok sauteed Yellowtail Snapper salad with fruit and avocado for $20 at Salute. Smartly walked to Fort Zachary Taylor SP Beach. $2.50. I'll reiterate - this is the best thing to do in Key West. The only good beach. Plus a fort. So cheap. You can drive there too. I grabbed an ok shaved beef Turkish doner wrap from Olive's Mediterranean Grill for $15. Swam in the pool. Walked again to Mallory Square. Another good sunset. Walked to the marina. Had fig vodka in a Med cocktail at Onlywood Grill for $15. Walked back towards Duval and had a glass of wine at Funky Rooster for $12. Around Duval on Caroline, I had a Southernmost Microbrewery Capt. Maverick IPA at First Flight (old Pan Am terminal) for $8. It was owned by Kelly McGillis of Top Gun fame. Some reps for a tequila company called Dolce Vida gave me a peanut butter whiskey shot that I don't think they make. I walked down Duval to Tropicado Mojito Bar at La Concha Hotel. Had a Pappa's Pilar Dark Rum for $13. Walked down Duval. Had a wine at Grand Vin for $12. Most of these stops were to knock these places of the list. Not to get wet. Stone Crab season started this day.

The next day I drove to Key Largo. I stopped for a terrible bottom HALF of a Cuban bagel at Baby's Coffee for $7. Bought a pound of floaters/lites at Low Key Fisheries again. Cudjoe Key. Only $12 this year. Stopped at Square Grouper on Islamorada. Had a mushy sauteed tilefish sandwich with shoe string fries and weird slaw for $22. This is not the original (been there). They also opened a branch in KW. Hot waitress in pussy pants. You could keep your pencil available there. Checked into the ok Dove Creek Resort & Marina by Wyndham (Expedia 7.8) for $97 plus $31 RF. Doing renovations. Drove back to Tavernier and grabbed a bad prosciutto, mozz and tomato sandwich from Cafe Moka for $15. Bad bread and the worst prosciutto since the Stoned Crab's turkey. Straight up smoked ham. I grabbed some water at Winn Dixie. They had these puffed Pringles called Mingles half off before a $1 a coupon. Good. Back to the hotel for fishing and kayaking. Back to Tavernier and a terrible $10 tuna hosomaki roll from J-Dao Sushi Thai. Watched football and HBO.

The next day I drove to the Key Largo Fisheries Marina and grabbed a pound of medium stone crabs at Eat Florida Seafood again for $24 this year. Drove to Boynton Beach. Had a great roasted pork loin, cheese and arugula sandwich with potato wedges at Butcher & the Bar (3D) for only $9. Drove to Geneva and had a good bacon, onion ring, bbq cb with tots at Alibi Bar and Grill on 46 for $15.

The weather was mostly sunny. A little cloudier mid to upper keys. Better than last year. Hotel prices were good. I could have stayed at the Checca for only $182. I did these reservations about a week ahead. That seemed to help. I monitored them after I booked and most went up. Chose non KW hotels if I hadn't stayed there before. Same with restaurants/bars. The accident messed things up for a while. Hard not to obsess over it. Would have been an a-one vacation if not for that. Spent $479 on food/drinks. $561 on hotels. $50 on gas. $1092 Total.

The Alibi Bar and Grill, Geneva

I had a pretty respectable Cowboy cheeseburger tonight at this biker bar on 46A. Topped with cheddar, bacon, onion rings and bbq sauce. Side of tots. Cost $14. Burger to temp (medium). Came out quick. Crispy bacon. Nice shell on the rings and tots. Fair portion of tots. Good bun. Outside stage for a band. Bar and some high tops inside. Dart boards. Wood decor. Dirt parking lot. I think they wrote that they did breakfast now. Pub/sports bar like menu. I had always seen it heading to 95. Now I know.

Grub Crawl - Altamonte Springs: Brazilian Bistro and Rinconcito Colombiano

I tried these spots on either side of 436 on 434 Friday at lunch. The first is where La Patrona just was in the strip mall on the southwest side with the Lowe's. The second is in a strip mall just past the northeast corner around 436. Up a small hill. Both were pity fucks that disappointed.

Brazilian Bistro - Opened three months ago. Obviously to no acclaim/fan fare. They maybe painted some new murals. Still around twenty booths and a few tables and four tables on a patio in the front. Brown and white. Spartan. I'll state here that Brazilian food is pretty far down the tennis ladder for me. This didn't do anything to alter my feelings on that. I had the Dose Dupla for $23 ($22 on the menu). Two slices of dead flank steak. Well done. Not medium rare. Though it was so tough that maybe that was a good thing. Pale. Tasteless. I didn't finish it or take it to go. One store bought sausage. Dish water bean stew. It was the tastiest thing. Over-boiled yucca. Dry, plain white rice. Even if all these things were prepared as well as could be prepared, it's still mostly composed of B film produce. With no herbs or spices. And at $22, you have to deliver a better cut of beef. Especially with the sub-dollar assortment of sides delivered with it. I almost did a few cheaper dishes because I knew this wasn't going to be worth $23. I just didn't trust them to deliver on shrimp/seafood and I didn't really want dried beef stew or stroke me off. A medium sized, pan-Brazilian menu. I think ALL the Apps were in the high teens. Some dishes for two were near $50. I think they bought the tequila from the former place. Odd category for a Brazilian restaurant. They also blasted banal, nasal-y, Brazilian music the whole time. Just as disappointing/annoying (not really because both are Brazilian) as the food. Three female servers. One other table dining there. I'm getting kind of tired coming to this location. The sad thing is I have an uninspiring AYCE meat+ one (OBT and Sand Lake) in the hopper which I think costs less than this meal. Couldn't be worse. Skip.

Rinconcito Colombiano - I think they have been there for a long time. Six tables. Wall sized photo murals of Colombia. Bright colors. Open until 6:30pm. Part bakery. I just grabbed a cheese, chicken and beef empanada at $2.80 (menu says $2.75) to go because the menu was more expensive than I believe it deserves to be. Beef and chicken seemed machine formed. Beef most mostly bean (some strings of dried beef). The chicken was mostly potato (with strings of chicken). Cheese seemed like Mexican string cheese. Different shell. Sandwiches were $11. Everything else was in the high teens. Breakfast was a bit more in line. Around ten dishes. Kind of who I thought they'd be. Why it took this long. Skip.

Grub Crawl - Ocoee: Rock 'n Rev, Jaws Topoki and Da Bang

I tried these spots on Wednesday at lunch. The first is in a strip mall as Ocoee begins (before a pond that you can see the Turnpike from). It was a Gator's Dockside. There is a San Jose restaurant on the corner. The next two are at H-Mart back towards DT. North side of 50. On the east side of a strip mall after Something (Grand?) Lakes strip mall. BTW. H-Mart = BFD. Hordes of imbeciles staggering around like zombies. Orange County is sacrificing cops to guard it. Not enough crimes in OC? H-Mart paying for it? Most stalls seem generic. Uninspiring. I checked out the sushi aisle/area. No bargains. H = Huh?

Rock 'n Rev - Said they are the first. Figured they were a chain like Rock & Brews. Part sports bar part music venue. Two rooms. Left side like the right except that it has a stage. Bars and tables at both. Gray and black and wood. The wall tvs were too small. License plates on the wall of the stage room. Not a ton of investment in the decor. I had the chesseburger with fries on the $10 lunch menu. They said it was a 1/4 pounder. Maybe? Bad flavor. Not hand formed. The veg and brioche bun were good. Not a ton of fries. I'm guessing the food cost on this special is under two dollars. The menu has the usual junk food/stuff. They do have a Juicy Lucy CB for $15. Booze. Almost empty. Getting interviewed by Spectrum Channel 13. Open since April.

Jaws Topoki - I grabbed a Deep Fried Set L to go for $12. The fried part was done properly. The ingredients were straight from the H-Mart frozen food aisle. One pathetic half of a shrimp. Three pathetic halves of a squid. Some mushy sweet potato and potato. A tasteless cheese stick. Some other things decribed as dumplings or veg. The two saving graces were a clear noodle one a a noodle surrounded by a black filament. Never had those. Who would guess that little packets of rice noodles would work. They just calm with soy sauce packets. I used the Hari chutney from the Indian restaurant. That worked. I'm guessing the food cost on this item is a dollar or less. They have four topokki soups ($15+). Eight gimbap (sushi rolls) from $9. Two fried sets. Three set menus ($24-$42). Two sides and two slushies.

Da Bang - I grabbed a mozzarella coin crepe to go for $7 because I had never had one. Do you think it was worth it? I'm guessing the food cost on this item is twenty five cents. Kind of like taiyaki. More of a waffle/pancake/McGriddle. Terrible cheese. I wanted a nutella or bischoff cookie one. They were out. Took too long. They had five employees. The two male ones did nothing then walked away. I hope they were ownership. They also sell drinks. The sparkling ones were just crap mixed with Perrier. I saw an interesting chocolate pistachio one. They harden chocolate on the outside of the plastic glass and put some pistachio concoction inside it. You then squeeze the glass to break up the chocolate.

*I noticed that Subway caved at started putting back their coupons in those flyers you can't get the post office to stop stuffing in your mailbox. They still have a $6.99 one that you can use any almost all nine dollar...nine dollar footlong (the cheapest one now). What I recommend is getting the Subway Club ($12+) and jamming all the veg that you can on top. And then you peel away two of the meats and the veg that won't work with it and you have three meals. Obviously you must buy some bread. I also separate the jalapenos and onions and use those in two or three tuna sandwiches. I bring this up because it also let me play with that green puree from the Indian restaurant. It makes a great dip for cucumbers. Semi-good with spinach. Didn't have tomatoes left over. On a sandwich, it overwhelmed ham and roast beef and spinach on top of either. Roast beef on its' own held up. If you put black olives on either, you could still taste the olives. Same with jalapenos. Now I wish I had saved some to test with tuna. And yes, I realize that both of the meats mentioned can not be eaten (alternately) by the two most common religions in India. But, here's a news flash. Other kinds of people eat Indian food too. The more you know...

Grub Crawl - Universal Area: Chima, Madras Cafe, Papparella and Wonderful Hand Pulled Noodle

I tried these spots Sunday at lunch. The first two are in a strip mall on the southeast side of Sand Lake Rd from I4. It has a Sixty Vines in it. The next two are south on Turkey Lake Rd. The third in past the Walmart and before a 7-11. The last is back towards Sand Lake in the strip mall with Spoiled Fish. I had no idea it existed.

Chima - Another reviewed without eating there because they aren't worth it. I was going to make this the main attraction despite the $28 for just the salad buffet. Then I saw tat they had raised that to $36 over the summer. That's not even a justifiable increase percentage wise. Do they think they are Chick-fil-a or Subway? Plus it looked basic. I think some pale smoked salmon was the dearest component. At least Divina Carne had sushi and other expensive things. Twice as much of it. They also have a dress code fyi. Open for two years I believe.

The Madras Cafe - Open for five years they said. I kind of remember when they replaced whatever was there before. Looks worn. Duct tape on cushions. Black and yellow. Around twelve tables. Long narrow footprint. Bar on the right. Private room in back. Some Indian statues/decoration. Vegetarian fare. Southern Indian. I had the Mysore (a southern town) Masala Dosa to go for $12. Large dosa. Potatoes and a tomato and eggplant "sauce". That green puree they always add. I thought the menu said chutney. Maybe that is what the "sauce" was. I was expecting a sweet chutney. I expect that was the masala. Since it was to go, all these components were in separate containers. Not sure how it would have come out if I had eaten in. It was ok. Sizzle (spices) trying to be steak. But if you can't kill and eat God's creatures, you are swimming up stream. The menu was large. Categories such as: Curries, Specials, Chinese Apps and Dishes, Dosas. They are so many Indian choices (why this lasted on the list so long), an aged vegetarian one never had a chance. *The green puree is a corriander and mint chutney called Hari. Not sure if I would have ordered it had I known that.

Papparella Trattoria - Open for two months. From restauranteurs from Sao Paolo. Trying for a fancy vibe in a strip mall location. Mostly dark browns and beige. Wood floor. Some greenery. Around ten small booths at the edges and two rows of assorted sized tables in between. Bar on the left. Wine "closet" and kitchen (with pizza oven) sandwiching that. Cloth table cloth. But, not ironed. Paper napkins. These are things a really upscale restaturant wouldn't allow. Good, tranquil mood music. Uniformed staff (6?). Mostly dinner. Lunch on Sunday. It was starting to fill up. No dress code. Seemed like mostly Brazilians. I had the Fried Chicken Panuozzo for $15. It was phenomenal. Huge. A fried chicken breast cutlet, prosciutto, arugula and sun dried tomato sandwich in pizza dough. Some mayo-y sauce on top. Maybe some cheese. The dough was a whole pizza's worth. Great char. Oily. Thick. Soft. Spongy. I think the menu said the proof/rest the dough for 72 hours. The pizzas (starting at $18) must be great too. This thing was so big that I could barely force half of it down. A knife and forker. I'll add here that even the tap water was good. No odd tastes. Must be filtered. Ice too. The menu is Italian. Duh. Big. Many pizzas, primos (pastas) and secondi (mains). And apps. Maybe soups? Booze and wine. Probably beer. Primos started (and mostly stayed) around $20. I almost did the $20 lasagna. Secondi were $30+. Mostly meat. For plan b, it knocked it out of the park. They were hospitable as well. On the Favorite's list for sure. Suck on that Chima. That $15 filled me up in a way your lame buffet never would. And I got a to go bag out of it!

Wonderful Hand Pulled Noodle - I wonder what they serve? Open for two months. Replaced some Asian place. Looks the same inside. Light gray. Eight tables. Spartan. I had (you guessed it) hand pulled noodle soup with vegetables for $12.95 to go. It was very good. The noodles were fresh. Duh. Such a difference. I saw the guy doing it. The broth was savory and not too salty. If we compare this with pho, it had no sweet component and the noodles are a thousand times better. Give me this over that any day. And we're talking vegetable broth. I think. The veg were broccoli (a bit soft), carrot (a bit hard) and baby bok choy (just right). Would you believe I drained the broth first with some bok choy and a few noodles. Then I warmed the rest of the noodles the next day and had some with the remaining Indian masala and the rest warm with the broccoli and a spicy pepper oil they tossed in. Both worked. Can't recall having Indian noodle dishes. Did I just invent that? Damn, seems like it is becoming a fusion thing.  They also have eleven apps. Scallion Pancakes ($6) to Wings ($9) to Black Fungus Salad ($9). Eight soups ($13-$17). Stir fried and mixed noodles ($13-$18). And six fried rices ($12-$16). Closed Tuesday. Lunch and dinner. On the cusp of Favorites.

*I espied that next to Sixty Vines is a bar that opens at 1pm on Sunday. Rest pm. It looks decrepit from outside. Inside looked very nice. And next to Spoiled Fish in the Noodle strip mall, there seem to be a new Middle Eaastern place being built out.