Junkyard Barbeque, College Park - Closed

I had lunch at this barbeque restaurant/bar where Roly Poly used to be on Wednesday. I had a half Brisket dinner for $10. The brisket was ok. It was a little cold so I can't vouch for how recently it had been smoked. The smoke flavor was a little uneven. The pieces that appeared to be more in the center of the brisket (wider) didn't have much smoke flavor at all. Most pieces did have some fat. Which can be a requirement for some, but, can be a sign of poor pre-trimming or lack of low and slow cooking technique. The portion was large. It was about 7 or so finger width slices. More than enough as a full portion for lunch or dinner. They were served bare. They give you three choices of Carolina inspired sauces (Sweet, Sweet and Slightly Spicy and Mustard). The dinner comes with a choice of three sides. I chose cole slaw. It was a vinegar based dressing with a touch of mayo. It was the way I prefer it and helped break up the savoriness of the meat. I also chose Ho' cakes. It's just fun to say. Ho's gotta eat too. They are two palm sized corn pancakes with jalapenos mixed in. Very good. The final side was mac and cheese. I didn't like it. It seemed old. The pasta was overcooked (either originally or upon subsequent reheats) and overworked (when they keep stirring it so often that the pasta disintegrates). The cheese blend (gouda and sharp cheddar) made it taste rancid. I'm sure they were trying for something that would cut through the beef, but, it didn't work for me. The plating was a bit spartan. The brisket was served on a white dish with the Ho' cakes and the sides were in styrofoam cups around them. The place is similarly unpretentious. It looks like a bar. The floors are cruddy and scratched up. The booths are ratty. There is alot of junk strewn around the environs. Nascar memorabilia decorates the walls. It has a bar on one side that seats about 12. The left side is booths (about three of them). There are some seats in the back hallway that appear to be an afterthought. There were three other people there while I was there. The service (1) was attentive and cordial. The place is owned by the same people who own Grafitti Junction. They envision creating a pathway in the back to "combine" the two restaurants. I describe it as like The Wall Street Cantina and One Eyed Jacks. I see Junkyard reverting to a bar and the barbeque menu filtering to GJ. Let's hope they can avoid being subsumed in the integration. But, entrepreneurs have a habit of exorcising the complexity out of their lives as soon as people start using the "test restaurant" as a scape goat for whatever is going wrong with the "original" spot. In any case, there is now an adequate Carolina Barbeque spot in College Park. The menu is a bit limited, but, it is an experiment or work in progress. Management seemed open to feedback. Which is not always the case if you read the comments on this blog. Plus they have Moonshine infused cherries. Where else are you going to find that? Parking is a problem. *Update - Now part of a Grafitti Junction. 11/18/2013

Grub Crawl - College Park : Cookie Cousins, Credo (Closed) Les Petits Pleasures

Cookie Cousins - A modern looking bakery off of Edgewater Dr near Grafitti Junction and behind some sort of furniture/antique store. Interesting cookies. They seem to do mostly special order cookies. I had an oatmeal raisin for $1 that tasted like marzipan. I liked that one. The package of three little circle with button icing for $1.50 were better looking than tasting.

Credo - A socially conscious coffee bar that only "suggests" prices. I had a Guatemalan 10 ozer for $1.50. The coffee was fresh. The place was packed. The barista is cute. Almost a cliche it was so coffee bar-esque. On W. Smith St off of Edgewater.

Les Petits Pleasures - A brand new French bakery near the Chinese place and the new unopened fish place on Edgewater. I had an Apple Strudel for $3. I didn't love it, but, that was more because of the raisins they put in it. They also added nuts. It looks like a great little niche player. They pump in French radio. They have breakfast all day. They have crepes. They have quiche. They have sandwiches. And of course - pastries. I can't wait to give it a real go.

Shang Hai, Lake Mary

I had lunch at this Chinese restaurant in the Amstar shopping area off 46a on Monday. I had the Szechuan Style Chicken "Lunch Special" for $5.59. It was a very big serving of thin, white meat chicken strips in a brown sauce. It came with green peppers, baby corn, carrots, onions and broccoli. They didn't pad the dish with the cheap and superfluous peppers and onions. Maybe two slabs of both. The vegetables were not overcooked (soggy and limp). They added a generous portion of fried rice and soda or soup. The rice wasn't over soy sauced (dark brown) or recycled numerous times (dry). It had a surprising amount of pork cubes and some peas and carrots and egg. You aren't guaranteed that anymore at this price point. It came out piping hot in under two minutes. The one (major) problem with this dish in particular is that I ordered it at a restaurant called Shanghai. I assume they are from Shanghai. Shanghai is known for sweet dishes. Sugar is a main ingredient. Szechuan (more southerly) is known for spiciness. This dish was not spicy at all. There is another band box Chinese take out in Lake Mary (near Taco Bell) that does it properly with a clear sauce. I can't remember the name. However, this was a good Chicken with Mixed Vegetables dish. I can definitely recommend almost anything eatable at this price point. I would have no problem going here again. They said they have been open for a month so I am surprised that they are still turning out this type of meal at this price point. Most places try and win you over in the first few weeks with quality ingredients and oversized portions. Let's hope they aren't still in that phase. And let's hope they aren't in the "we have so few customers that we dump all our about to spoil produce onto the few customers who do show" phase. That would mean they are on their way out. The place seats exactly 12. I know this because they have four tables of four that are each missing a chair. Four people were there when I ordered. About four others came in to pick up orders while I ate. It's clean (I think they are the first tenants in that spot). They even have a sliding door to hide the kitchen. It's half glass windows and half white walls. They have one of those lit up murals of the Shanghai skyline on the right wall. The exposed bathroom in the left corner can make for some interesting sights and smells. But, at least they have one if you develop a pressing need. The tables are black lacquer. They have some unique dishes - Singapore Chow Mei Fun, Ma Po Tofu and Sha Cha Beef. I'm not sure what any of them are and they may just be ordinary dishes with reconfigured names, but, I'm keen to try them. They take all credit cards. Even Discover and Amex. A Chinese takeout that takes Amex? Hallelujah! Lastly, I found the price of the lunch special intriguing. At first I thought it would make the meal $6 with tax. But, it came out to $5.98. Is 559 or 598 a lucky number in China? I know that can be important to them. If not, try and increase their prospects regardlessly. It's Chinese take-out. Don't expect the world, but, don't be apprehensive. And remember the average Chinese meal has around 3,000 calories. Love ya!

Pint, Lake Mary - Closed

I had lunch at this American Gastropub in the Amstar shopping enclave off 46a on Saturday. I had the Short Rib Sliders (2) for $9. I'll try and remember how they were prepared, but, I didn't pay as close attention to the menu as I should have. I saw they had a website and stupidly assumed the menu would be on it if I needed to reference it. Silly me. It's just a one page site with some redundant information and a form to put you on their email list. Very professional! The sliders had short ribs. That much I'm sure of. It's in the title after all. Then I'm fairly certain there was a bun. Two buns to be exact. A White Castle/Krystals sort of bun. Not sure if it was steamed. There was also some sort of cheese. I want to say Boursin, but, that might have been on another dish. It was definitely a runny cheese. There was also some sort of gravy. There, you have the basics. The short ribs were well braised. The meat was moist and split easily. The portions were large. The meat was double the size of the bun and hung off it on both sides. Nice! The buns were soft. The cheese melted well. But, I didn't love how it played with the short ribs and the gravy. There just has to be a better alternative. Not terrible though. The gravy was savory. It was made from beef stock. Originally I thought it was going to be barbeque sauce and was a bit turned off by the thought. But, it's not barbeque sauce. It is gravy. So it multiples the flavor profile (savoriness) instead of competing or adding that all consuming "next level" that chefs seem to be obsessed with. It came with waffle fries. Which would have been good (waffle fries are great) if they didn't coat them with that insipid starch coating that is all the rage at Burger King. They came piled on a skewer (nice presentation). The sliders also came with a slaw of pickled onions and peppers. It was kind of necessary to cut through the inevitable cloyingness of the dish. Not because that flavor wasn't enough on its own, but, because savoriness can be a bit overwhelming (especially on a hot summer day). The service was good, but, the kitchen was slow. It was partly my fault. I should have expected that the kitchen wouldn't be perculating at 12pm after a Friday night. So on one hand I'm glad it took a half hour to get my food (it was likely freshly cooked) while on the other hand you would think that a kitchen would start prep so that they can deliver food when they open. Maybe it always takes a half hour from order to delivery. I don't think the short ribs were to blame. I wasn't the only table to wait a half hour. I was the third table seated and the plates came out pretty much at the intervals our orders were placed. In any event, the waitress was good about checking in and giving updates. She even gave a timely refill. The place seats about 30 outside and 60 inside. It's mostly high tops. They have a bar. It has flatscreens that show sporting events. The main color scheme is black. It has been open for about a year. I have gone many times for drinks and sampled their cheese curds and mac and cheese before. They were good. But, I didn't think it was enough to write a review about. They serve high end pub food. Mussels, fish and chips, lamb and beef burgers, salads, etc. It's like a higher class Tilted Kilt. The waitresses wear the same slutty skirts. They flirt. They grab your shoulder and call you Hon. All the usual insincerity. However, I can confirm that it is good for a drink or a meal. I just wish they were open for lunch during the week. There is no way I could have dinner there and not get bored or drunk by the time the bar crowd arrived. The cool bar crowd! It's one or the other for me. Give it a go and maybe your patronage will give them the seed money for another page on their web site. BTW. I'm back! If it wasn't already apparent.

Johnny's Fillin' Station, Orlando

I had lunch at this cafe on Michigan (half way between 436 and I-4) last Friday. I had a Bacon Cheeseburger for $8. They and others tout it as the best burger in town. It isn't. The burger was pale. It had little flavor. It was small. The best part of it was the bun (a kind of sweet roll) and the bacon. It came medium well though I asked for medium rare. They didn't even melt the cheese on the patty. The greens were ok. Fries are extra. The place seats about 50 in the back of a bar. It was mostly full. I think they do business with the city workers down the street and yokels. It was mostly a male crowd. They were probably there to try their stale lines on the four moderately attractive young waitresses. The place looks like a bar. It had Gaytor and Steeler memorabilia and alot of tchotckes. They have another (newer) location next door. It's kind of out of the way for the quality. I'm sure you have some biker bar near you where you can try and court comparable red neck lasses. No need to make this journey.

Teriyaki House, West Colonial

I went to this Chinese and Taiwanese restaurant on 50 after my second attempt at finding the elusive Taiwanese restaurant seemed to have failed today. I found this place on Yelp when I searched for Taiwanese restaurants. I don't think this is the one I read about this Spring (it's not in a market). It is however down a few hundred yards from the Oriental Supermarket (on Kirkman) and does serve Taiwanese style food. The catch is that the menu for that side of the menu is in Chinese (a theme?). I asked for a representative dish and was given Beef and Noodle Soup for $7. It was ok. They were bright enough to store the noodles in a separate container until I was ready to eat it (for dinner). The broth was savory. The beef was tender with a little fat (short rib?). The noodles seemed fresh. The place looks like it was a pizzeria before (Italian cartoon character trim) this. It is small. It seats about 16. It's pretty run down. So much so that it almost comes around the curve into being a positive (a real diamond in the rough). Just be prepared that cleanliness and decor are not primary ambitions here. But, the people (one woman and her husband) couldn't be lovelier. They even gave me a free pork sausage that tasted like the glaze on Chinese Spare Ribs. They are Taiwanese. And it's not like you have a lot of choice if you crave this type of food. I'm happy they are serving food from an under represented area of the world. I'm glad they are in Orlando. I'm asking you to give it a try so we can continue to grow the food options in our town.

1st Oriental Supermarket, West Colonial

I purchased a Roasted Duck and Rice Box for $5.50 from this "restaurant" in the market today and had it for dinner. It was mostly disappointing and predictable. It seems that only really good (if any) Chinese restaurants do duck well (I like it confit). It is usually mostly bones, skin and fat. That was the case here. Barely any meat on a half a bird. I went here because I thought it was the location of that elusive Taiwanese restaurant in some market somewhere on 50. Strike 2. The "restaurant" is in the front left corner. They serve a variety of items as meals or by the pound (ie pork tongue). There is some seating. It looks like the corner of a supermarket.

The market is excellent. It has tons of fresh digestibles and Asian products (even tanks with live crustaceans and fish from around the world).

Moghul, Winter Park

Sorry to have left my meager assemblage of devotees in limbo for so long, but, someone had to take their talents to Cooper's Beach this summer (don't get too excited - this is just a brief interlude before Summer Away 2011 Part Deux) and I agreed it should be me. I am excited to report that I had lunch at this Indian restaurant (in what I believe was the old Krystals) on 436 near Aloma today and it was great. I had the lunch buffet for $9. It included Naan, Roti, Basmati Rice, Cabbage Mutter, Mixed Vegetable Curry, Chicken Tandoori, Yellow Daal Fry, Chicken Curry, Channa Masala, Rice Pudding and a Garden Salad. All were wonderful. I'm just angry with my stomach for only being able to handle three trips (full plate of course) to the buffet. It was a first time for the Mutter. It was buttery flavored, yellow, translucent fettuccine width strands of cabbage. Not bad as a side. The Mixed Vegetables in Curry was the best. I hate vegetables. I had three servings of this. It had every vegetable (peas, carrots, potatoes, zucchini, green beans, baby corn, lima beans, etc) under the sun and even some Paneer (cheese), but that may have fallen in by accident. The red/orange sauce was sweet for a curry. The waiter said it was really the butter sauce they use in another dish (I forget which) and misidentified. The Chicken Curry had a moderate amount of heat. It was full of little squares of white meat. Very good. The Tandoori was good. Sometimes they can under cook it so the inside is slimy. Since they use the portions of the chicken that have dark meat, this can make it taste gamy. This was almost cooked through. The Daal was a yellow puree with nice flavor. The Chana (chick peas) had a brown sauce and whole peas. The Rice pudding was good. It's thinner than an European version. It wasn't as sweet as some that I've had so it was superior. I didn't try the salad. The bread and rice were all perfect. Overall everything was surprisingly acceptable. If they put this care into a lunch buffet then I am confident of the rest of the menu. The wait staff (2) were great. Even though a buffet is kind of self serve; they filled me up three times without prompting, they answered all my questions, they were quick with bill. They accomplished this even though the place was getting near full. The place seats about 50. It's broken up into a bar area and a dining area. In the dining area the booths are under the windows at the periphery of the room. The tables are inside of that. The bar area has a few stools, but seemed to be mostly used for take out/pick up orders. They did a brisk business there. The color scheme is Cabernet and black. It gives it a very sultry feel. They have some ethnically appropriate decorations. The place was an old fast food locale so there is so only so much that can be done. I don't want you to think it is posh by any stretch of the imagination, but, it's better than most Indian decor. The place was filled with a hodgepodge of society. Plenty of Indians, Caucasians, young, old, hipsters, and maybe a gay. A good portion were greeted as return visitors. I know the place has been open for a few months so I'm sure I'm not breaking any headlines to anyone in the neighborhood. Frankly, I was shocked that a place in this part of town would have such a following so fast or be any good. I encourage you to get on the bandwagon. They took Amex and sodas were under $2.

Evermore Taste Garden, Sanford - Closed

I had lunch at this self-proscribed Oriental Restaurant on 17-92 (on the side of 417) in the strip mall that has the Bravo Market last Thursday. I had a bowl of Taiwanese Soup for $6.25 and Wine Chicken for $9. The soup was what I was in the mood for after my frustrated attempt to find the elusive Taiwanese restaurant on Wednesday. That is how I found out about this place. It was on Yelp when I searched for Taiwanese places. In retrospect, the soup wasn't too complicated. I believe they just add some bamboo shoots, carrots, mushrooms, pork strips and black pepper to the wanton soup's broth. It was refreshing nevertheless. The pork may have been a little gamy. The wine chicken was half a bird stewed in wine and served cold. I have to believe they use a rice wine. It didn't have the tart after taste of a grape wine. It was savory, salty and moist. It came with the skin on. The skin was of a boiled texture and full of gelatin. I believe real advocates of Chinese cooking will be excited about that. I understand they consider that a delicacy. I haven't achieved that level of sensory evolution yet. The novelty of it made it worth the risk. I, in no way, want you to think it wasn't good because it was. The chef said it's a Shanghai recipe. This is funny because I always was led to believe that Shanghai meant spicy. Live and learn. The place couldn't be in a worse location. But, maybe that will add to the allure. This strip mall is poorly located , old and filled with undesirable tenants. The restaurant itself is clean if a little worn. It looks scary from the outside. But, overcome your apprehensions. They have about 50 seats (mostly tables of four). The decor is spartan. The service (1) was helpful and polite. The chef even hand delivered a sample plate of their new special (fried chicken). The regular menu is a little pedestrian. Your usual suspects. Good for those of you who do not want to stretch your boundaries. But, the secret (and the reason you may want to seek out this place) is the Chinese language menu. That is where the real goodies are. I suggest you try and find this place. Authentic Chinese is hard to find and you can be a trend setter. The place has only been open for two weeks. Check out the Bravo Market when you are there. It caters to Hispanic tastes and serves some prepared meals.

Melissa's Chicken and Waffles, East Colonial

I stopped at this bright orange food truck at the Chevron on East 50 near Vietnam town on Wednesday. It is in the spot that is also home to The Crooked Spoon food truck. I was looking for some secret Taiwanese restaurant that I though was in an Asian market on East Colonial, but, is in fact on West Colonial. I had chicken and waffles for $7. Even though I have a soft spot for food trucks, I have to say I felt the fried chicken tasted like it was fried in old/rancid oil. The waffle was good. Not too sweet. I also have issue with the prices. They serve 4 little blocks of chicken and one waffle. It's about 100% too expensive. A waffle with nutella and peanut butter is even $5. Waffles top out at $9. In any case, it's your money. Don't let me scare you away. They serve about 5 types of waffles daily. They are there M,Tu, W, & Sa. See what you think.

Shine, Orlando - Closed

I had lunch at this old Bravissimo's spot a few blocks east of Thornton Park on Wednesday. I had a soup and sandwich special for $10. The soup was gazpacho. It was too spicy and pulpy. The waiter said they use habaneros. That would explain it. I love spicy, but, this was too hot for salsa let alone soup. The one unintended/serendipitous consequence of the failure of execution was that it served as a good palette cleanser for the disappointment of the sandwich. It was labeled as a Veal Sandwich. That meant (of the myriad of possibilities) pan roasted veal covered with cheese, tomatoes and salt. Interesting in concept. The veal was the best part (if you can believe it). It was tender and had some flavor. It was blanketed with a garlic oil. The garlic was too raw, therefore, too sharp. It overpowered the veal and left an acrid aftertaste. Not as much as the salt however. Let's hope it was a slip of the wrist and not a desired effect. Although, in conjunction with the gazpacho, I wouldn't be too worried about laying odds that the cook is a cigarette smoker and may be a bit off target on his seasoning. Back to the sandwich. I also disliked the roll it came on. It tasted like it hadn't been baked thoroughly (pasty). They also cheaped out on the soda. Cans! The room has been opened up. It makes it look bigger. They have a rounded bar on the left underneath a large, home improvement store chandelier. It seats 14. The right side is mostly all table tops (black). It's an odd choice. They are uncomfortable, but, they did provide eye level symmetry with the bar area. There are about 40 seats on that side and a prep area in the back. They have about 12 seats outside. They repainted. One side is dark. One wall is light (with four keyhole looking paintings). One wall is window. The decorations/accoutrement's are minimal. The building has charm or wear based on your inclinations. They still have almost no (4 cars) parking. And since it is in a residential neighborhood, it can be competitive. It is also a pain to get to/find. I also thought the prices were a bit high. The don't have a lunch menu or lunch prices. Most entrees were over $10. Not so bad at dinner, but, pushing it at lunch. My choice turned out to be the most reasonable if you take $3 off for the cup of soup. The menu is heavy on Italian (alot of pastas). Do we really need more of that? I can't recommend this place because of all the reasons stated above. However, I'm sure that they will realize a loyal following of locals who have no other options or standards.

Grub Crawl - Millenia and S. Hiawassee : Zaxby's, NYPD Pizza, Treasure Stars, Baklava/Carvel

Zaxby's - I was fooled into thinking (by its structure) that this was in the TGI Mc PuffNStuff category. It wasn't. So this turned into a pub crawl. Zaxby's is a fast food restaurant (probably no surprise to you) specializing in chicken. But, that doesn't mean it is any worse than those ubiquitous citadels of mediocre ability. It's located across the Millenia Mall on Conroy. I had a Big Zax Snack (3 chicken fingers, crinkle cut fries, texas toast and a soda) for $5.49. I found it superior to the rest of the fast food chicken haunts (Chik-Fila, KFC, Bojangles and Popeyes) even if I jettisoned that unwelcomed grease sponge. They provided more food at better or equal quality. In addition, they put in much more effort into the atmosphere than the aforementioned competitors (50's era memorabilia). It's TGI Mc PuffNStuff ambiance at fast food prices. I hope they build one near me soon.

NYPD Pizza - Had a slice. Same as the rest. A little friendlier. This and the rest were in a strip mall on S. Hiawassee to the west of Universal off Conroy.

Treasure Stars - I had a bowl of wonton soup. Same as every other wonton soup I have ever had at a Chinese take out restaurant.

Baklava/Carvel - This was an interesting one. A Carvel with a Middle Eastern and American restaurant within. I just had (have to remember got is not a word) an assortment of desserts to go, but, they had a pretty exhaustive menu. They have the expected dips and pies plus breakfast, salads, burgers, sandwiches and platters. I would suggest that they call this out more effectively in the store. I only realized they had this when I looked at their menu at home. The signs in the store made you think they just had a few options. The owner (a very nice Syrian out of NYC) said they would be trying pizzas soon. Let me know how it is.

Vida, Lake Mary - Closed

I went to this Latin restaurant run by Dominicans (Republic - it's an island!) this Monday. It is in the strip mall next to Too Jays and Firehouse Subs (less sub for more money!). I had a roast chicken appetizer for $2.50 and a shrimp sandwich on fried plantain mash with a side salad for $8. The chicken was superb. It was big enough to be a meal. It was simple enough. Roasted chicken cut up into pieces and covered with pickled onions and boiled yuca strips. The sandwich was correspondingly over sized. I could only force myself to eat half of it in house. The plaintains serve as the bread (artery alert!). It came with about 12 medium to smallish sized shrimp cooked in garlic and olive oil. It was dressed with a french dressing/remoulade type spread, tomatoes and lettuce. I liked the taste and the creativity. The salad was a basic lettuce, tomato and shredded carrot mix with and apple cider vinaigrette. It was very fresh, though. The place seats about 50. It's in the old Firehouse location. They put the kitchen where they used to prep the sandwiches. The tables are on the same side as before. They gave it a bright, modern, glossy look. The glass topped tables have hand beaded blue stones beneath them. The chairs have been given brown, cotton slip covers. It's a nice bright contrast. They have some large, expressionistic canvases on the wall. They are serving a menu that is health (gluten, organic, fresh) conscious. They have a wide variety of dishes. They have peasant dishes like mofungos and stews and high dollar items like lobster and whole fish. I've seen places that serve one or the other, but, not both in the same restaurant. I'm looking forward to my next visit. The people were very nice. It may be a little understaffed. There were 8 others there on Monday and I was already starting to be forgotten about.

I suggest you give it a try and just forget that you probably have never had/wanted Latin food. It's all the same except they use some different root vegetables in place of potatoes and rice and beans instead of fries and cole slaw. But, you can get by without having to acknowledge that those things exist (just like spell check). You can get a meal consisting of things you are already comfortable with. The portions are huge. They cater part of their menu to you socially conscious and/or genetically unfortunate eaters. They hit all price points. They integrate alot of flavors and textures. And they have that raw, bad for you Latin street food if you disdain the attempts to modernize the cuisine. It can be a place for a quick, cheap snack or a fine dining experience. Give it a try.

High Five, Lake Mary - Closed

See previous post. This one is in the Moe's/Fish Bones strip mall.

Yo' Belle, Longwood

I went to this fro-yo shop in the strip mall of 434 (Mykonos, Tijuans Flats) last week. Whee! It's exactly like very other one of these asinine places. Just letting you know it's there. Stay porky, my friends.

Pancho's Food Truck, Orlando

I stopped by this Puerto Rican food truck which is a couple of doors south of Cafe Italiano on 436 after dinner. I had a Chicken Pincho. It was pieces of chicken grilled on a wood skewer. He covered it with mayo and some other condiment. It was $3. It had some thin slices of onion in between the chicken pieces. The chicken wasn't fatty or sinewy. It was a fine kabob. Not really revolutionary. It came with a slice from a baguette. He also serves empanadas (I think at $4) and sandwiches (I think at $6). I believe he said he is only open at night. In any case, there is your obscure food truck citing of the month.

Cafe Italiano, Orlando

I had dinner at this Italian restaurant south of 50 on 436 last Thursday night. I'm in a quandary as to why I don't have the usual antipathy that I retain to most of these "traditional" Italian options. It may be pity. We will see later on. I had Chicken Parmigiana with a side of spaghetti (which was narrow fettuccine), a salad and bread for $13. The look of the place and the lack of customers (just me to begin with) made me feel I couldn't trust anything that depended on freshness or nuance. I was wrong. The salad was a little iffy. It appeared as if it had been pre-cut and placed in a bowl in the refrigerator. It passed. It was a simple salad with iceberg, onion and tomato slices. Maybe I was in a good mood that night. The bread was dry. It looked like it was sprayed with water to try to give it life and reheated a few times before it got to me. Very dry. The butter was fresh. I didn't really want the bread anyway. You could have had garlic or a plain loaf. The Parm looked scary when it first arrived. The plating was bare and the plate was cold. On one side sat a plump chicken breast by itself with a cap of cheese. One the other side sat a fist sized serving of pasta with a meat sauce (asked for marinara). They looked like they were taken from a TV dinner. Two mounds of color on a white plate. I'm used to a big messy, muddled pile of melting cheese, sauce and chicken (coloring outside the lines). This was orderly. Maybe the chef has hints of obssesive compulive disorder? However, it didn't effect the taste. The chicken was moist. The sauce was fresh. The pasta was well cooked and warm. The cheese was flavorful. The meat sauce was tasty. I'm still curious about the chicken cutlet. I would wager that the chef fried it in a deep fryer and not a frying pan. I know some places do this to save on clean up. It doesn't bother me either way as long as they know the cooking time. I based my suspicion on the crust it exhibited. It was rather flaky for a pan. Maybe they use an unusual crust ingredient? OK. So back to the place itself and why it had an appeal when it shouldn't have. To start with it is in a sketchy area. The places that do exist there now are predominantly Hispanic. They aren't in the greatest condition. It must have been a far different world when they first put down roots here (they said 46 years ago - 1965!). You've got to give some love to a family that hasn't cut and run like everyone else. Maybe they can't. But, in my mind they stay because they are sentimental. Next, it is so insistently "Italian" that it feels like the real thing. I was waiting for a mobster to walk in at any minute. They have the "Best Of" collection of Italian standards serenading you. They are near a strip club. They have the black and white head shots of their favorite Italians on the wall. Maybe they've been here. Maybe they haven't. They have the terrible, 50 year old furniture that looks like it came from a banquet hall. They have the mismatched wall art. They have the yellowed, stuccoed walls. They have the linen napkins. It's so bad, yet, so endearing. The chef was the owner/manager. They had one waiter and two other customer's. The owner was a very sympathetic character. He came out to chat. The waiter was doing his best to remain positive even though you could see he wouldn't be going home with a wad of cash in his pocket. I can't recommend that you go out of your way for the food (definetly not the building). It shouldn't be impossible for you to find a similar "old school" Italian restaurant nearer to you. But, if you are in the area, don't be scared of trying this place. It is actually open though it might not seem so. They have parking in the back and I don't think you'll get mugged if you go. It's been there for 46 years. I don't think it's just due to stubbornness. It must have some adherents (they cite Scott Joseph as one). It doesn't seem to have the food quality issues you see on all those Kitchen Nightmare shows that star places like this. Just realize that it seems like it is in a spiral. Maybe you can give it new life. I'll bet you the quality of the product would increase in conjunction with a steady stream of business. They don't seem like the kind of people who change what they are doing because it makes better business sense. You've got to respect that.

Del Dio Bistro, Casselberry - Closed

Yesterday I had a simple lunch at this more than simple Italian/Thai restaurant on 17-92 off of 436. They used to be in the Aldi's strip mall up the street. I came here because I saw they won a Foodie award but didn't recognize the address as a place I had visited. When I Googled them, I found they were the original Del Dio's and they had added Thai food and closed their old store front. Time to re-investigate. I had their 2 slice and a soda (refills) special for $5. They are known for their pizza. And I added a Thai style shrimp soup to go. Had to try the new. The pizza was excellent (I've had some really bad pizza at this price point). No surprises there. Possibly a tad too much crust on that particular pie. Superior mozzarella and sauce. The soup, which I ate for dinner, was flavorful. It came with two medium size shrimp, mushrooms and scallions. It cost $4. However, the story isn't my meal. It is the owners. I had a nice discussion with one of the owners and learned that though he was born in Bangladesh and started as an engineer, he worked/ran/owned a panoply of kitchens in the Five Burroughs (and not just the outer burroughs) before he relocated here. The popularity of the old location should speak to the lessons he learned in Italian cooking while doing so. All the Italian dishes have been well regarded for a while. The Thai part of the equation is provided by his wife. She is Thai. Time will tell if she develops her own following. They are now in a stand alone building that used to be a Maryland Fried Chicken as well as many other things. It's not the most impressive edifice. The inside is passable. It's hard to cover up old. It has an Italian theme. It seats about 40. There were 4 people there at 12pm. The service (1) was polite and attentive. I would suggest a more eye catching sign (it is on a road where people drive 55 mph) and a name change. Del Dio doesn't sound Italian enough. It even suggests Spanish/Latin cuisine (I know Dio is Italian. I took Italian in college). And a Bistro is usually/historically associated with French food. Plus it totally leaves the Thai part out in the cold. I know it's hard to part with good will, but, it may be time to re-brand. You can always put "formerly known as" in parenthesis underneath your marketing materials. In any case, I (and The Foodie Awards) suggest you find time for this one of a kind Italo-Thai restaurant when you are in the neighborhood. Share a slice and then move on from there.

Grub Crawl - Downtown : Eden's Fresh Co, Schakolad, Starbuck's, Nature's Way

Eden's Fresh Co. - I purchased a small Daisy (bad romaine lettuce which was supposed to be field greens, strawberries, almonds and sun flower seeds with a strawberry vinaigrette) from this salad bar near Church on Orange (in the corner of the plaza) for $5 for dinner. It was ok. I did feel as though it was going to give me a cold soon after eating it. Does anyone not sneeze into a salad bar anymore? I feel like I take my health in my hands every time I try one of these. The place is very white. It is clean. It is uncluttered. It has nice light (big windows). It has a patio. it seats about 60. I would guess that it does mostly a take out business. I believe it is fairly new. But, I could never recommend a place that calls their add ons - "proteins".

Schakolad - I sampled 1 piece of a ganache and Irish Creme morsel for $.75. A great choice. I almost ran back for more. The Irish Creme was a little redolent of marzipan. It's on Orange near the Church and Orange intersection.

Starbuck's - I deplore this chain, but, it was on my route (a few doors down) so I popped in for a drink. I don't know how long the have been serving these little cake pops on a stick, but, it was good. I'm so ashamed. It cost $1.50. They only had Birthday Cake's left. The cake was very moist almost a praline. I approve.

Nature's Way - It's across from Starbuck's. I had that soda I now definitely required for $2. It's a Nature's Way. A clean and modern one.

And that may be all (have about 5 to go) for a while until they give Casey the chair and we can get our parking back. But, then there is the summer heat. It takes the fun out of meandering.

Leo's Diner, Downtown

I had lunch at this Home Style Comfort Food restaurant across from the B of A building on Orange yesterday. I had a turkey sandwich with fries for $7. It was a turkey sandwich. It was ordinary. Everything was passable. They did butter and grill the bun. I'm not sure if I liked that or not. It gave it some pizazz, but, it isn't exactly calorie conscious. Maybe they should let you know ahead of time. In any case, you are notified. The shoestring fries were ok. Some were a little under done. A mixed bag (pile). The service was (3) was attentive and polite. The place seats about 60 in an L shape with a counter. They added a few knick knacks to the old Detroit Joe's back drop. Maybe some new paint. The menu is straight diner. Only the greatest hits (limited menu). I don't know why, but, the name made me think I was going for Soul Food. The Home Style Comfort Food part. I guess that's Southern for diner. This is just a conventional diner (non-Greek) with a slight nod to some one's Granny. Not a destination. Burgers and sammies.