Black Olive, Downtown - Closed

I had dinner at this Mediterranean Italian restaurant on Pine St last Friday. I had the grilled octopus for around $10 (I lost the receipt) and the scallops for around $24. The octopus was served in an attractive bowl/dish with some microgreens. The octopus was a tad overcooked. The scallops came on a plate with swashes of yellow sauce at the edges and bean hash below the 4 crustaceans. The scallops were plump. The hash was a bit bland, but, at least it was an original accompaniment. It also came with a slice of fried proscuitto which was why I ordered it, but didn't add much to the course. The place has an operatic feel which reminded me of an Austrian restaurant David Bouley used to have. The cielings are high. The decor aims at being received as high end. They have a glass enclosed wine room/private room. They have a piano with chanteuse. The service was attentive. It seats about 100. It was half full at 9pm. The crowd was foppish. It was good, but, just missing something. It didn't feel lived in. It didn't have an aura or personality. I find that I feel that way when I frequent a restaurant that is part of a chain. This is not so I don't know why I picked up that vibe. It's the difference between the show room of a rental property and one that is actually lived in.

Loving Hut, Colonial

On my way home last wednesday, I had to stop at the giant hot dog that used to be in the Chevron station to see if it had changed. I thought that it was attached to a building now and renamed Loving Hut International Restaurant. It is not. Loving Hut is a cute vegan restaurant that has everything from sushi to burgers. I ordered a little snack to go to be polite. I was well pleased. They served me a hot bowl of vegetable soup while I waited. It was very good. And not very good for a vegetarian restaurant. They serve this - gratis - as a matter of course. The steamed tofu dumplings that I had at home were also very good. I believe they were a scant $2.95. They were filled with carrot and ginger, etc. The place was a Vietnamese restaurant around a year ago. They have maintained the physical structure and painted the walls yellow. I believe the tables and chairs are new. They exude a modern vibe. They have framed posters of famous vegetarians on the wall as well as big screen tvs. The place is small (50). It is cheery and light like their food and service. There were two other people there at 2pm.

I would suggest that they get a larger sign that makes it more clear that they are Vegan and not associated with the hot dog stand.

Pho Vinh, Colonial

Last Wednesday I had lunch at these Vietnamese restaurant on 50 near Total Wine on North Primrose. I had shrimp and pork in vermicelli rice for $8. It was fine. I was a little scared when the waiter ran back to the kitchen with the sauce and then returned too soon for him to have poured out the old bowl and refreshed it with a new batch. I swallowed my reserve and thought back on all those occasions in foreign countries or sketchy curb side vending carts and ate as if I was blissfully unaware of what ever critter of human debris had fallen into that sauce cup. The shrimp (3) were over grilled (burned). I should have gone with one of the soups with french bread accompaniments, but, I wasn't very hungry. The service was good otherwise. It seats about 120. It was pretty empty. There is a small bar in the back. the cielings are low. It has windows on the street side. The art is conducive to this type of food. Not all the furniture matches.

Club Crawl - Paddy Murphy's, Odin's Den, Shakers, Wine Room

8:30-9pm: Paddy Murphy's - Almost empty. Big space. Clean. New. More of a sports bar/restaurant than club. It's in Baldwin Park.

9-9:30pm: Odin's Den - Almost empty. Dirty, smokey, head banger bar. Although they started playing Rihanna and country as I left. Had to try it once. It's on Howell Branch Rd in Casselberry.

9:30-9:31pm: Shakers - Didn't want to deal with valet service at a spot that used to be a Bennigan's. Note to owners. If you don't have a congested parking situation we don't want some druggie fiddling around with our nice automobiles. We don't want to wait to get our cars either. It's on 436 in Casselberry.

10-11:45pm: Wine Room. Usual suspects. Everyone left at 11pm like clock work. Wish they could do something to keep the crowd. It's on Park Ave in Winter Park.

Colibri, Baldwin Park - Closed

Last night I ate at this Mexican restaurant in Baldwin Park. I had the Chicken Mole Cajete for $15.99. Interestingly, the wheezer Rick Bayless just did a show on Mole this morning. Mole is a paste made of many ingredients and comes in many varieties. It's base is usually peppers. It's turned into a sauce by adding stock. This was a red mole. It was a portion fit for 2 served in an earthen pot. The 4 cutlets of chicken were well cooked (grilled). The mole was tasty if a bit salty. I wonder if they use salted chicken stock. It was infused with melted cheese. It came with the usual sides - beans and rice plus the sides used in crafting fajitas. It didn't really need the tortillas. It was good as just a chicken dish. The guac and sour cream competed with the mole. They provided chips and salsa gratis. Both were good. The service was excellent. The place seats about 60 inside and 40 outside. They overlook the lake. The decor was urbane - big celings, fresh colors, lots of windows. The inside is broken up into a bar section with tables and a main dining room. There is even a private nook with a booth. It was about half full. They have an extensive tequila and marguerita menu. Most dishes were in the low teens. They are also open for lunch. Very hip. Poor wine menu.

HS Football - Seminole v Lyman

Last night I went to see Lyman v Seminole. Lyman has some poor facilities. The game was horrible. Two players on the field were worth watching - Toby Durham and Erik Farkas of Seminole. I left after the first half due to boredom and indegestion from the cheeseburger at the concession stand. Lyman is across from the Seminole Dogtrack off 17-92.

Halloween Party, Downtown

I tried the party at Wall Street last week. It gets crazier every year. I went in the Jack's entrance (smallest line). The only downer was that aside from a beer tub in the rear, it was impossible to get a drink. Oh, and they traffic. The costumes always crack me up. I wish every day was like this. I want to know where all these hot girls are the rest of the year. The only downer is the trash that pours over from Parramore sans costumes. Why don't they dress up as non-criminals? It's a no-brainer. I wish they would barricade all of downtown. It would keep out the riff raff and give you room to breath.

Thai Cafe, Downtown

I bought a take home dinner at this Thai restaurant next to Philly Style Hoagies near the Comerica building yesterday. I tried Drunken Noodles for $7 for the first time. I usually don't love Thai noodle dishes such as Pad Thai because of the calories and the consistency of the noodles. I have to say the same about this dish. The flavors were good, but, even these broad flat noodles didn't do it for me. They are just too pasty. The noodles were steeped in the sauce. They came with some carrot slivers, sweated onions, and chicken. I ordered it medium spicy and it was hot. The portion size was good. It came with a side 'salad" (hunk of iceberg). The place isn't stylish. The decor is sparse. The room is rectangular. The kitchen is semi open in the middle of the floor plan. It seat about 50. Two people were there. They served quickly. It's now open for dinner.

Philly Style Hoagies, Downtown - Closed

I had a sandwich at this sub shop near the new Comerica building yesterday. I had a Tino (turkey, pepperoni, and pepperoni cheese) for $6.09. The place is a chain and this franchise is nothing more than a garage with a meat slicer. The only decorations are Philly area sports signage (I refrained from asking them their thoughts on the WS loss). The sandwich offerings are inventive. The Tino I had was a mixture I had never tried. I didn't even know they made pepperoni cheese. It was ok. The pepperoni (one thin layer) was poor quality (I mean Hormel makes a better product). The turkey loaf wasn't as awful as the loaf the serve at Chuck's, but it was loaf. You got about three layers of it. The bread was a nice attempt at a baguette, but it was not fully baked. It's a take out place with a slightly different spin than Mike's or Subway or Quiznos. Of course they make a cheese steak. They even have Whiz.

Breakfast Club, Downtown - Closed

After years of arriving past closing or forgetting it existed, I finally had a meal at this diner. It always piqued my curiosity because of it's referential relationship with an 80's movie and pop band. It's on Pine St across from Napasorn. I had something called Buttered Buttons because of its unfamiliarity. It cost $7.95. It was your basic choice of eggs (2) with choice of home fries, hash browns or fruit and and english muffin. The buttered button part was a portion of mushroom caps (10) covered with cheese. It was ok. The caps were wet and bland. Wet didn't exactly compliment the cheese or eggs. But, dry, stale caps would have been worse. The dish doesn't really work as a whole. The service was great. My over-caffienated waitress threw a glass of water in my face so quickly I decided to save 2 bucks and bypass my usual Diet Coke pick me up. The place looks like a coffe shop/diner. It's split into two rooms with the kitchen open in the back. The menu listed breakfast items, but, I saw a whiteboard with some sandwichy possibilities. It seats about 100. It was about half full with all types. Now if we could only get them to work a full day.

Pho Pasteur, East Orlando

I had dinner at this Vietnamese restaurant south of 408 on Goldenrod Rd on Saturday. I had the Curry Soup for $2.75 and the Thit Nurong, Bi, Cha, and Trung for $7.50. It was 4 types of pork with rice and cold pickled vegetables (pork pate, grilled pork, pork skin, and shredded pork). The grilled pork was kind of Mongolian in preparation. It was stir fried in a paste. The pate was like a quiche (warm and delicious). The soup had chicken in it. It was a large portion. Either selection could have been a meal on it's own. Service was good (although only 1 person was on call). The place had that 70's Chinese restaurant feel. The antiseptic, white tile floor feel. The decor was a few patoral paintings from the region. I really liked the food. They have big, laminated menus that are more functional than attractive. It seats about 80. 8 people were there on Saturday.

Tony's, Mills Avenue - Closed

Last Wednesday I had a snack at this Middle Eastern restaurant up from Chuck's. I had a chicken shwarma for $6. It was ok. Thin, crepe like wrapper. Nice amount of chicken. The place is small. It's very white. It has some bad murals. It was pretty busy though. I think you can have take out or sit down and eat it there. I didn't get the sense they had table service. The younger girl had an attitude. Don't ask me why they don't advertise the type of cuisine in their moniker. When I think Tony, I think pizza. You'd drive by it anyway. Poor signage. They did have some of those best of award plaques. Although, it seems like everyone else has them too.

Chuck's, Mills Avenue - Closed

Last Wednesday I had lunch at this coffee shop on Mills North of 50. I had a club sandwich for $7.50. It was made with really bad turkey loaf. And the fact that it is English themed does not excuse the quality. The place is a dive or a front. It's dirty. The decor is a few maps of merry old England. They have one waitress who I think made the meal. Around 5 people were dining.

Club Crawl - Mills/Downtown: Peacock Room, Stardust Lounge

9-9:01pm: Paradise. It's a gay bar. Who knew? You did. You know it. (Renamed)

9:01-9:30pm: Peacock Room (on Mills). Really cool spot. No one was there yet. I just stumbled across it.

9:30-1am: Stardust Lounge. Empty until after 12. Older crowd. DJ played radio play music from across the decades. Will wait another year before I try again here. Good spot but weak crowds. I think the bartender padded my tab. Got to remember to get a line item.

1am-1:01am: Mansion. They wanted 10 bucks for a club that was full of dudes, trying to attract a following, closing in an hour and basically the same club that was already weighed and measured and found wanting. They must think they are at Mansion in Miami - a reputation they are obviously trying to glom off of even though it stinks of CHEEZE. (Closed).

Steak & Salad, Mills Ave - Closed

On Saturday I had lunch at this Steakhouse (?) on Mills Ave (17-92 in b/n Winter Park and 50). I had calamari for $5.99 and the Seafood Pizza for $5.99. The calamari was packaged I would guess. It had a burnt taste that I would ascribe to being reheated in a microwave. At least it wasn't greasy. The Seafood Pizza was better. I usually hate cheese and seafood but I already had steak this week. It came out looking like Baked Alaska (which was cool). It had fresh tomatos, and just a little cheese and some real shrimp and fake crab . The fake crab actually gave it some sweetness, but, I would remove it and let the shrimp talk. The place was nicer on the inside than you would expect from the outside. From the outside I was expecting a place that serves cold mashed potatos to octogenarians at 4 in the afternoon. It's small (30) seats. They have a bar by the kitchen with a flat screen above it. The owner seems to do the cooking and although it was empty at 8pm, they were fielding a lot of take out orders. Their main fare is meat - pork chops, steak, fish and chicken. The price point for these options was around 9 dollars and they came with sides. I bet they are far superior to Sizzler or IHOP at lower prices. They had limited parking.

I would offer one suggestion. Jazz up that sign. It doesn't reflect the inside effectively or positively. You are next to a gay bar. Ask them for some advice.

The Sweet Shoppe, Lake Mary - Closed

On Friday I had a dinner/snack at this space on Lake Mary Dr in the Town Hall Complex. I had a hot dog for $1.89 - huge but bologna like and gelato for $2.59. I had half Amaretto and half Pumpkin Pie. Both were good. I even had a taste of Tiramisu (good). The place is clean. Lots of parking. They also serve sandwichs and other snacks.

HS Football - Seminole v Lake Brantley

Friday I went to visit the home of State Champs. Parking was free (unlike at Brantley). Tickets cost $6 (paying for HS football still cracks me up). I still can't get over how many band dorks and football parasites there are. They do realize they're just riding the players coat tails, right? They would have no audience if they didn't force themselves on us and the team. The play was pretty bad. The band loud. The cheerleaders shrill. The Seminoles' dance squad dress up like Liza Minelli in bowler hats and black stretch pants - ridiculous. Well it's an excuse to see what they waste our tax dollars on. I mean how many Patriot costumes should we be on the hook for?

Nature's Table, Lake Mary

I had lunch today at this self described health food chain outpost in the former AT&T office down and acroos from Jax on Lake Emma Rd. I had a Roast Beef wrap that was done in some sort of southwest style (basically cheese and some sort of mayo that didn't really taste of jalapeno). The only reason to go is if you love what they offer at all their other locations. The only reason I went was to track down this mysterious location. It is basically this office park's snack shop. They close at 2:30pm. It's breakfast and lunch. I guess I'll add it to my fast food filler rotation. It was cheaper than Subway. Parking was plentiful in the back.

Citrus Bowl - UFL Tuskers v Redwoods

I attended the United Footbal League game last night. I paid $15 (plus $5 for parking. $10 in their lot) for a second tier seat on the 20. However, I easily moved to the 45. Could have had any seat I wanted if it mattered. The quality of play was good. Few penalties. On the down side TV timeouts lasted an eternity. The halftime show was kind of good. It had an old school feel that I found superior to what most pro teams try and cobble together. Just a high school marching band and some low trajectory fire works. The half time was also short (maybe the length of one of those TV timeouts). The best thing was the price (although I think I was the only one who actually paid for his ticket). The worst thing(s) were the parking that cost as much as the ticket for a beta version of a league and the fact that this joke of a stadium can never accept credit cards. Also, the merchandise (I think outsourced) was reasonable. I bought a sweatshirt for $35 (was $65 for the XFL) and a penant for $10. Food was the same ridiculousness as usual. $10 for a corn dog with fries? I got sushi for $10 at Yankee Stadium this summer. Citrus Bowl anything should be half price. You should be glad we risk our lives and our cars by coming to this ghetto at all.

They say 12, 000 people were there. I counted about 10 sections on each side with around 100 people in them. That's 2,000. That being said, I hope they come back next year. It was worth the effort. Tusker's Rumble. How about a Squeal? You got a purty mouth.

Pho Hoa, E. 50

Last Night I had dinner at this Vietnamese restaurant on N.Primrose and 50 (near Total Wines). I had Ga Xe Phay which was shredded chicken with cabbage in a lime, pepper and corriander dressing for $9.50. It's served cold. It was excellent. The service was good. The place was clean for an Asian restaurant. It seats over 100. It has a bar. The decor was Asian (although it looked more Chinese than Vietnamese). It has an enclosed patio area. It was peopled with Vietnamese customers. The menu was large. The portion was large. The quality was good. Could be the top Vietnamese restaurant in the area.