Club Crawl - Lake Mary : Friendly Confines, Tilted Kilt, House Of Beers, Carlos and Charlies (Closed), Dexters

11pm-11:05 pm: Friendly Confines - This place is officially toast. Even more empty than on Halloween. The party has moved on.

11:10pm-11:15pm: Tilted Kilt - I thought the crowd may have moved on to this new spot. Wrong! And a guy a met said they have the hottest waitresses. Wrong!

11:20-11:25pm: House of Beers - Dead. I predicted that the female staff would quit in a matter of weeks when I attended the opening. Guess what? I was right. Looks like the crowd quit too.

11:30-11:35pm: Carlos and Charlie's - Back to this warren of trizzash where you can't get a drink. A little better than the rest. Still bad. They must have reclaimed some of Fall deserters.

11:40-11:45pm: Dexter's - Usual dude-fest and bad cover band.

11:55pm: Put gun in mouth and wondered how a town with a Hooters, Jax, Tilted Kilt, Friendly Confines, Stonewood, Dexter's, Carlos and Charlie's, House of Beers, Westin Hotel and other offerings can not attract any chicks or young people. Is this Nome, Alaska?

Genuine Bistro, Debary

I had lunch at this "bistro" on 17-92 and Beall Blvd on Wednesday. I say "bistro" because it's hard to see what dishes qualify it as a traditional bistro. I had a Muffaletta sandwich for $9. I should say I had a half of a Muffaletta because that's all they give you. It gave with kettle chips. Not withstanding the penurious portion size, I have to report that the sandwich was excellent. It had quality ingredients. The service (3) was good and more than adequate for the crowd (10). The place seats about 20 inside and 40 outside. It's smaller than it looks from the road. It's a mostly wood structure and a little dark. They have a small bar. The menu is mostly american classics. It's more of a gastro-pub. They don't or can't wow you with their creativity. I found the prices a little high for the area. Apps were close to entree prices. It's not the best value for this type of fare, but, it wasn't bad by any stretch. It just had nothing to separate it from the multitude of similar choices. They need to make the menu more challenging or drop the prices by a third to be a recommendation.

SSC, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum

I saw this production last Sunday afternoon for $10. I thought they did a fine job. The script is an uprorious farce about a boy in love with a courtesan who has been sold to a Roman Centurion. The girl who played the "Wild" Courtesan was beautiful.

India Palace, Disney

I had dinner at this Indian restaurant on Palm Parkway (2nd street off the Downtown Disney Exit on 535) yesterday. We all know what that means. It was awful. The worst Dish I've had at any Indian restaurant and the worst Indian restaurant in Central Florida. I had the Chicken Dansak for $15. It was 6 small pieces of dark, thigh meat cooked with Dal Makhni (lentils). It tasted like the black beans' backwash from the bean container at Moe's. The only taste was the bitter insult of Bay Leaves and Cardamon. Now I can't say the rest of menu is bad, but, this dish has to go. I'm permanently scared away from this place. And at that price, the profit margin must have been $14. It came with basmati rice that didn't help the dish at all. The place seats about 90. It's ugly and cheap. Only one other person was there. Tables were not cleared from previous patrons. The worst part is how far I traveled to be afflicted by this mess. They advertise with upscale restaurants! Now that is a joke. If. If you must go, do the lunch special to limit your losses and stay away from the Dansak (Dan must mean Balls).

Barducci's, Winter Park (Closed)

I had dinner at this Italian restaurant on University on Monday. I had a slice of pizza for $2 and a Meatball Sub for $7. The pizza was god awful. Hopefully (for them), it was just old. It had the consistency of a cracker. It reminded me of an overcooked Red Baron pizza from the frozen food aisle. They tried to compensate by sprinkling Parmesan on top. It didn't help. The meatball sub was better. The meatballs were huge and properly made and cooked. The sauce and cheese were authentic. It came with properly cooked fries. The place seats about 80. It looks like typical, no frills Italian restaurant. Cheezy decor. Run down appearance. The service was friendly. Only 2 others were there at 9pm. Not a bad joint, but, not haute cuisine.

East Buffet, Longwood - Closed

I had lunch at this Asian buffet on 434 (in between 436 and I4) on Saturday. I had the lunch buffet for $6.99. Are you kidding me? What a value! A most worthy successor to Crazy Buffet (out of business) at half the price. They took away all the lame items at CB and kept the best. There were 10 types of sushi rolls. They were always replenished regularly. Thai food. Stir Fry Noodle area. Chinese. American. Desserts. I had the following. California Rolls, Salmon CC Rolls, Spider Rolls, Mango Rolls, East Rolls, Spicy Tuna Rolls, Tataki Rolls, Tempura Rolls, etc. I had Chicken in - peanut sauce, thai style, tempura nuggets, pepper sauce. I had pork dumplings. I had edamame. I had tempura. I had more. I just can't remember what. I almost had a food coma. The place seats about 100. It was pretty full. They did a great job refurbing this old Roadhouse. It is all stained wood inside. Lots of booths and an Asian feel. They have lots of staff. Question - Why do buffets have more staff than a regular restaurant? You do most of the work. I guess they can find alot of people who want the job because it's a cinch to do. All the staff was Asian (EEOC anyone?). Anyway. I highly recommend it even if they don't give you a receipt or take AMEX. A soda was only $1.49.

Club Crawl - Baldwin Park & Downtown : Uptown, Red Star, Blank Space (Closed)

Friday

9-9:30 pm: Uptown Park Wine Bar - Tried out this new bar in Bladwin Park near Seito Sushi. A fine, small spot serving wine and micro brews. The bar area was full.

9:30-10 pm: Red Star Tavern - Tried this chain bar on 50 outside the Mall. Empty.

10pm-3am: Blank Space - Tried this bar/art studio on Central on the lake side of the library. A limited selection of beer, wine and sake. But, a mellow spot where you can talk and relax. Downtown was dead anyway.

Lago, Baldwin Park - Closed

I had dinner at this Italian restaurant on Friday. I started with Lumache for $8 and finished with Grilled Pork Loin with White Beans for $20. The Lumache (I believe that is an area in Italy) consisted of snails and assorted mushrooms in a red wine, cream, etc sauce. It was superb. The sauce was savory and sweet. The snails were a tad overcooked. To be honest the snails could go. The mushrooms were enough to make the dish. It had a plasticene piece of foccacia in the center. That could go as well. The main course didn't work. The taste of char from the grill overpowered/ruined the balance of the dish. A dish that was too bland to compete with the starter. The pork was all over the place. Some pieces were cooked ok, some were overcooked. I don't think it was a quality loin either. It seemed to have that plumped/watered up mouth feel you get with agro-products. The beans were mostly tasteless and dry. There was some heat on them, but, it didn't really gel with the compote on the pork. I would roast the pork and add some heat to the compote. The portion was large. That may be because the place can probably seat 200 and there were maybe 6 people dining (36 if you count two tables of ten in the back area). It's a shame because they have spent money on the place. It's a tad generic-modern, but, what isn't nowadays. The place has really high ceilings (although you are forced to stare at the exposed duct work). It has serpentined booths in the middle of the room (half face the exposed kitchen). The front has a bar area. The tables are liberally spaced. They have a large exterior patio area that faces a lake. The decor is modern. The service was great (after a small wait at the hostess table). The clientele was natty but not formal. The main courses were reasonably priced. the apps and wine were a little high (that's how I know this was an Italian restaurant). I suppose the have desserts, but, you are fat enough America. I would recommend it. The most curious thing about the place is that it can break even without a lunch service. I must have really been in on a slow day.

Crave, Orlando - Closed

Last Wednesday I had lunch at this "American" restaurant on Conroy Rd off I4. I had a Sashimi Special for $11. It was very good. I was apprehensive to make my indoctrination on a "non-American" food category, but, they do raw fish better than most Japanese restaurants. They served 3 large pieces each of Tuna, Salmon, White Tuna, Albacore and Yellowtail. All were fresh. The YT was even wild YT (black tipped). It came with rice (well cooked) and Miso (vinegar scented). The service was good. The place was clean. It's a large open room that is bisected from the bar area by a wine storage room. It's done in Bellagio mock-art deco style. Think Chilloully glass and maple wood. The prices were high on most items. I recommend only going for the lunch specials. The wines were even marked up more than the usual 3x retail. It seats around 200. They can expand to serve outside. The rest of the menu has what you'd expect in an "American" restaurant. I had heard some mixed reviews about this place, so that is why it took me so long to go there. However, for what I ordered, I couldn't have been more pleased. The $3 Coke was excessive.

Smokehouse Bar-BQ, S. Orange Ave

I had dinner (to go) at this BBQ restaurant across from McWells on Wednesday. I had their Brisket dinner for $9. It was a real let down. The brisket was rubbery and without flavor. The mac and cheese was bland and overcooked. The mashed potatoes were powdered. The garlic toast was rubbery. The best thing about it was the to go container. The place looks like an Elks lodge. It's all picnic tables in one open room. It has just taken over from Back (or black) Water BBQ in College Park. Too bad for the neighborhood. The prices were high too. The sandwiches were only $2 less. The don't take AMEX. Drinks are 2$+. Pass.

Brazas Chicken, S. Orange Ave

I had lunch 2 at this Peruvian restaurant in the same strip mall as McWells (it's across from Le Coq au Vin) on Wednesday. I had a 1/4 chicken to go for $4. It was what you would expect. Not bad at all. The place seemed cute. Done in the right tone. It seats about 50. It's cosy. Probably worth a return sit down. The service was fast.

McWells, S. Orange Ave

I had lunch at this bar on S. Orange on Wednesday. My original target (Zenzi) is now closed. I had a Club Wrap with fries for $6. It was actually pretty good. The bacon was thick and not burnt. The vegetables were fresh. The fries were thick and crisp. More than I expected from a dive bar. The soda was even under $2. I can't recommend it as a destination, but, if you have to have food while in a bar you could do worse. The service was good. The place is old. It's made up like a bar with pool table, etc. It seats about 40 in the room with the big screen. It was pretty full.

Lechonera El Barrio, 436

I had lunch at this Puerto Rican restaurant on 436 south of 50 this Sunday. I had a Tripleta for $6. It is a Cuban style pressed sandwich with brisket and mayo and catsup. It was PHENOMENAL. I'm doing that thing that Italians do when they press their fingers together and put them to their mouth and kiss them. I recommend eating the contents in stages. If you eat it as one, the flavors get lost. The brisket was perfectly cooked. It had no fat or cartilage. It had great flavor. Same with the pulled pork. I then ate the remainder as a ham sandwich. Very filling and incredibly tasty. The place is narrow. It seats about 30. It has a glass window facing the street. It's not much to look at. However, the food was great. They have a ton of Latin American dishes that you can mix and match in a combo for $4 for a small and $7 for a large. I got there late so it wasn't packed, but, it looked like it had been full. I highly recommend it.

Bee Won, Dr Phillips

I had lunch at this Korean restaurant in a strip mall on Dr. Phillips Blvd near Hiawassee the Wednesday before last. I had a Golbi Box for $11.95. It contained short ribs, salad, kim chi, bean sprouts, potatoes, turnip, miso soup, rice and a fried dumpling. The traditional sides represented all taste profiles - spicy, savory, sour, etc. They were fine. The soup was not watery. The dumpling was good. The let down was the short ribs. It was the most expensive option and was not really worth the extra expense. Korean short ribs are just never very good. And at $5 a pound in the market, they aren't really an extravagance worth the extra price. The place was clean. It seats about 90. There were five others dining there - 2 Koreans. It seems to have been an old beer garden in a previous life. The decor is mainly wood. The service (1) was a bit slow. I can't really find anything about it that would make me want to return. The $2 can of Coke was a bit excessive.

Kobe, Longwood

I grabbed a roll to go from this Hibachi/Sushi restaurant on 434 and I-4 on Friday. I had a spicy tuna roll for $5.50. It was disappointing. The tuna was tail meat (lots of cartiledge - ocean dental floss) and not very fresh. They didn't even pre-sauce the tuna. They just dabbed some hot sauce on the rice like it was wasabi. Weak. I didn't sit because the place was mobbed. They have nowhere near enough parking. Two neighbor lots were full off their customers parking illegally. The front of the spot is the sushi area. It had some vacancy. The hibachi area was jammed. Lots of wait time. They did a good job arranging the space. It is clean and satisfying. They have lots of Japanese accents and even an indoor Koi pond (which you will need to entertain your kids as you wait for a seat). The staff was well dressed and helpful. I still don't get how this place used to be empty with a location that was more observable and evocative. Now it's packed? The same spot that was death valley for two previous establishments? They poured money into the spot too. It now is a draw? Now that we have 6 sushi spots and 3 hibachi spots when before they only competed with 1. I will never cease wondering about the collective mentality of this town. Why are they going here? And why not before? Are they giving big discounts through Groupon or such?

Mitchell's Fish Market, Winter Park

I had lunch at this Seafood restaurant in the Winter Park Village (where Beluga was) on Thursday. I had the Shang Hai Sampler (2 scallops, 2 small shrimp, salmon, sticky rice, spinach in an Asian sauce) for $14. It was a tale of two tastes. If eaten together (rice, protein, and spinach), the sauce was not overpowered. If you ate any of the pieces separately, the sauce tasted over soyed, too sweet and too savory. The proteins were a bit fishy tasting (not so fresh I guess). Which is a shame because the place seems to pride itself on that. They even sell fish to go. The sticky rice was non-descript. The spinach was plentiful but without flavor (which was fine with me because that means it didn't have a ton of calories). They gave me a fresh baked demi-loaf of bread gratis. The spot has been given a new veneer. There are models of ships in glass cases, nautical charts and maps, paintings of shells, etc. There is a bar room, a private room, a main room and the patio. It must seat 200. It was about 1/4 full. The service was good. Refills! The waiter took time out to explain the dishes. The manager asked how my meal was. They were all attired professionally in white collared shirts. They let you sub out sides. They have happy hour specials. They have sandwiches, a raw bar, daily fish specials, salads, etc. My meal was one of the more expensive lunch items. I really could find nothing wrong with the place, yet, I left without a passion for the spot. It seemed generic. Like Flemings or Stonewood or their chain competition in their strip mall - PF Changs and Brio. I'm not sure what they can do to make it seem more authentic. Which, incidentally, they may not wish to do because that other type of experience is very popular in some circles (ie here).

California Burrito Express, East Colonial - Closed

On Monday I had lunch at this Mexican restaurant on 50 near the Executive Airport. I had a Machaca (shredded beef and scrambled eggs) Torta for $3.50 in honor of my old college roommate who would order one (a burrito actually) from a roach coach near our apartment every night that he didn't hook up. It was good. The beef was juicy and not too gamey. The eggs seemed to be without salmonella. The onions and peppers were soft. The roll was not a piece of Styrofoam. The place is an OLD fast food spot that relatively nothing has been done to. It was dirty. It seats about 100. It was pretty busy. The AC is barely working. However, if you don't define those qualities as necessities, then I think you will enjoy some tasty Mexican fare of the the food truck variety. They have burritos, taquitos, tacos, etc. Seafood, Tongue, Chicken, Pork, Beef, Etc. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. It's a great value. There were people of all economic classes and ethnicities there while I dined.

Garibaldi, Florida Mall Area

I had lunch at this Mexican restaurant near the Florida Mall (John Young and Sand Lake) on Wednesday. I had a bowl of Guacamole for $3.50 and a Milaneza (beef) Torta (sandwich) for $5. The Guacamole was ok. It wasn't freshly made. Part of it still had a chill to it (from the refrigerator). The salsa was also a little bland and disappointing. The chips were fresh. The Torta was good. The beef was fried within an inch of it's life and the bread needed a chainsaw to cut through it, but, it was an interesting diversion from the usual taco/burrito selection. The vegetables that accompanied it were fresh. They had a pretty complete menu. Some of the entrees were straying into upper teens in price. Don't just settle on the Lunch options. The full menu had some of the better bargains. The service was good. The Torta did take longer than expected to arrive. The place is like a Mexican Bennigans. Lots of false flair. It was clean. It seats about 100. It was half full. It seemed like a popular spot regular customers. They have a bar. The sodas were around $2, large and refilled without asking. A perfectly adequate Mexican restaurant.

Bale, N. Mills Ave. - Closed

I grabbed a sandwich at this Vietnamese deli/restaurant across from the Paradise gay bar. I'm not. Not that there is anything wrong or right about that. I had a pulled chicken in a baguette for $3.50. It had hot sauce, jalapenos, and asian slaw on it. It was fine. The bread was fresh. It tasted good. The place is not much to look at. What furniture and decoration they do have is old and mis-matched. They have a limited menu (about 8 sandwiches, 2 soups and stuff to go). Try it if you don't want to go to 50 and live on the north side of town. Look for a green awning.

Now Yum-mi. Looks newer.

Pub Crawl - Friendly Confines, Lake Mary

11pm-1:30am: (Friday) It seems like the new hot spot in this area is this non-descript sports bar off 46a. Because this town is continually befuddling, it seems that this spot that has ruined more than a few purveyors of food and drink will now be the place to waste money. However, they make it hard to do that. Everything is much cheaper than the competition across the street. And there are actual girls here. Not chiquita's and baby mamas, but, actual doables. I can't speak for it's future because I saw some of the scum from Carlos and Charlies taking a peek at the action. They weren't there two weeks ago when I first got dragged here because everything else was empty per usual. Can these people ever NOT ruin a good thing by ingratiating themselves into an unwelcoming construct? The only thing that stinks about the bar is that they kick you out so early. Why not milk every minute?