Caribbean Jack's, Daytona Beach

I ate at this seafood restaurant on the Intercoastal two Sundays ago. It left a bad taste in my mouth. You continue on I4 as it becomes the International Speedway/Parkway Blvd (400?) and make a left before the bridge. That road (past the newspaper office building) becomes Bullough Rd at the next bridge for some reason. Then it's on the right at Loggerhead Marina around three hundred yards from that light. If you get to another bridge (above you), you've gone too far. You can also come in from the north on LPGA Blvd. It is your typical Floridian seafood restaurant. The ones in this class (they think higher) look the same from Sarasota to West Palm. It has a smallish interior room with nautical regalia. The majority of the seating is on the deck. The tables by the water were nicer. The tables in between are cheap plastic. The tables closer to the water block the sight lines more conspicuously. Nice foresight. Around to the right was a bar with more seats around it. There was a fire pit area nearest to the water. I had a fresh fish platter (red fish) that I swear was listed at $17 that they billed at $19. Check your bill. This is what colored my whole perception of the meal. I could have forgiven the hostess Twinkie for giving me one of those cheap plastic tables (under a speaker) for four when a perfectly available "two" in front of it was available. I upgraded myself. I could have forgiven the $3 ice tea. I could have forgiven the under done french fries. I could have forgiven them for saying the fish was grilled when it was pan or griddle fried (I actually like it better). I could have forgiven being surrounded by people who go to a seafood restaurant to "reward" themselves with cheap mimosas and fried food.  I just can't stomach thievery. Hopefully, I am mistaken. The fish was good. A whole side (filet). I also chose a potato side that was a mash up of cheese and other immemorable toppings. It was good. Small. Service was attentive and polite. The view (dolphins, etc) was serene. The crowd was pretty low class. The menu is unadventurous. Parking is limited. The convention center in across the bridge. For better or worse, it is pretty standard fare for most of coastal Florida. Probably the nicest looking in Daytona though. I think they have been open for three years. They lose points for the hokey name as well. What is it with seafood places and guys named Jack?

The Stubborn Mule, Thornton Park

I tried this eclectic restaurant where Sonoma used to be (S. Eola Dr) Saturday night nine days ago. I liked the "weirdness", but it is not really a restaurant. It's more of a snack shop. That and it may have left my innards in turmoil. I had a smashed salmon sandwich for $13. See what I mean about snack shop. It was pulverized salmon in tzatziki sauce with smoked pear and sauteed onions on sourdough. I ordered it because it was weird and the rest of the menu was just kooky sandwiches, flat breads or over priced appetizers. If there were entrees, they were so boring or overpriced that I have already forgotten about them or discounted them as soon as I saw them. The sandwich was pretty disappointing. I hardly tasted any pear and the salmon was fishy. The sour dough had a good chew, but, didn't taste sour. A sloppy date that didn't make up for it with enthusiasm or special skills. They also offered a side. I had brussel sprouts in a maple bacon soup. Many sprouts. Too much syrup. And I'd wager it was fake syrup. Sugar water not sap. The layout is light on indoor seating and heavy on the patio. Inside there are really just a few tables by the window and some high tops and the bar. It's more bar - restaurant than restaurant - bar. I like the decor, but, the lights at the bar burn too hot and don't really provide enough glare-less light for things like menu reading. I also liked this decor when it was Sonoma. I don't think they changed a thing. Service was good. It was packed. Mostly because the forty people they attracted didn't want to sit outside. And this is winter! The crowd was young and hip (for Orlando). They have tvs at the bar. They have been open for nine months. Go for a drink and maybe a cheap snack if they have one.

FYI - Someone opened up a new place next door also. I also went downtown to a Christmas themed bar (Frosty's?) where a Mexican place (Don Jefe's) used to be and next door to a bar called Diggers or something. Diggers had some seriously hot bartenders (crowd was ok too). And then my stomach started rumbling and I smartly called it a night.

Old Crow Bar-B-Que, Umatilla

I had lunch at this bbq restaurant on Highway 19 nine days ago. If you come from the south, it is just after the Ocala National Forest marker. I had tried twice before (on a Sunday after 2pm and on a Monday - also closed on Tuesday) and it was closed. I'm glad I persisted. If their sauces or under cooked potatoes weren't the cause of my bowel unease later that night, then I recommend them. I had a small rib plate (meat only) and a pork sandwich. The "small" dinner consisted of three long ribs that seemed to max out at twelve inches. I couldn't take down my pants to confirm. And they tossed in the ends of that slab for free. It cost $6. The cook on the ribs was perfect. I think they just use salt. They had nice smoke rings and bark. They use oak. I forget my lessons on hog butchering, but, I think most places split up the rib cage into baby back and whatever is on top. They serve the whole rib. This was all I needed, but, I had ordered the sandwich. It was good. They let me have a half chopped and half sliced sammy. It cost $5. I added a side for a buck. The pork was good. Some really juicy bits (the bigger ones) with some dry. This also was q'ed with no rub. It was a sizable portion of pork. The sauces were - hot, sweet and mustard vinegar. The side I had was potato salad. It was bad. Small cup of uncooked potatoes cut very lazily in large hunks. The menu is typical for a bbq place. They sub brisket for a roast beef. They also do some daily specials like pork chops. The place is small. It seats about thirty. It's not much to look at. Service was good. They don't take Amex. The best bbq I've had in that area.

Smokehouse at Route 46, Sanford (Closed)

I tried this bbq spot (raised from the ashes) at lunch on Saturday. I thought I saw some activity here a few weeks ago when I ate Laspadas (across the street). It wasn't until a received a flyer in the mail last week that I realized what is going on. The feud that prematurely shuttered the old 46 concept has been surmounted. The one time silent partner (a culinary rookie) is now determined to give it ago on his own. I would have sworn I had eaten here before (and didn't love it), but, I can't find evidence of it in my posts. Maybe it was pre-blog. Maybe Google's search on Blogger is so terrible that even the poster can't search his own adequately. So, you get a fresh review. You would expect that four or five years of inactivity would have had a deleterious effect on the property, but, it seems to be unblemished. They said that the owner paid the upkeep through out all these years. The bar and the other edifice are still there too. The bar in functioning. The other building is reserved for private events. For those of you who don't remember (or never knew), the Smokehouse at 46 resembles a Cracker Barrel. That's all the description I feel obligated to give you. There was an antique car show going on on Saturday. The advertisement I received in the mail had an offer for the Smoked Meat Sampler for $20 ($27 usually). I looked at the "guest list" (3 lbs of brisket, pulled pork, turkey. pork ribs, AND chicken wings WITH three side AND garlic bread AND cornbread) and I said that I have to do this for my followers and for the bargain and to say FU to 4 Rivers on their $25 beef rib (singular). Even the Smokehouse charges $14 for their ribs alone. That's an extra $6 for the rest. Me no understandy economikikes. No brainer on the demand side. Thus, assured that I would get alot, it was no a question of what I would get. Would it be bad like Angel's or good like the non-Longwood outlets of 4 Rivers? It was good. Very good. Very assertive. I would say it is now my second favorite bbq joint in CF. Pig Floyd is one. 4 Rivers is three. 4 Rivers could be two if they didn't have a new, incompetent pit master in Longwood who burns and over seasons everything. Let's start with the brisket. Let's start with the simple fact that they know how to slice it. Thick. End to end. Not top to bottom. Hear me Angel's? It ain't roast beef. The bark was thick. The meat crumbled. Any dry-ish pieces could be lubed with fat. I even nuked some the next day and that short zapping woke up the oils. Did I stumble on a bbq secret? I thought it would dry it out. I believe I received about a half pound (five slices and some nubs and fat pieces) of brisket. It was smokey and peppery. Perhaps a bit salty. The pulled pork (half a melons worth) was slathered in a sweet bbq sauce. A little excessive for me, but, I did find some pork that was "naked" and it tasted delicious. Juicy. They weren't using the sauce to hide anything. The ribs come as St Louis or baby back. I think they gave me the St Louis. Doesn't that mean " sweet sauced"? Or is it the size/cut of the rib? They (4) were good. Two with little meat and two with a medium amount. They were cooked with the sweet sauce. Very crispy, peppery, bark-y and unctuous (oily). They fell apart as well. The wings (6) were smokey. They had some sort of glaze (mostly burned off) on them. They were too salty and the skin was rubbery and fell off. Needless to say, I'm not a huge fan of any smoked wings. They are better fried. I did nuke the skin for my chicken chicharron though. So, the skins weren't discarded. These wings were moist though. The turkey was ok. I don't love it with smoke. I think smoke is like red wine. Red/pink meat only. These three large slices were a tad salty and spongy. I diced them and threw them in with some rice and Korean taco sauce that I didn't use on tacos. It actually didn't suck. I chose potato salad, fries and mac and cheese as the sides. The potato salad was made with a sweet mayo, white onion and celery seed. The potatoes were a little dry. They didn't overuse the mayo. It was ok. The fries could have been crisper. They were skin ons. The mac was wild. They use some shape of pasta I have never seen. It looked like the spine/back of a dragon. It wasn't very cheese-y. They sprinkled some cheese throughout, but, the sauce lacked cheese. It tasted like cream and flour and butter. This of all things could have used more salt. Maybe it is intended to be a foil for the salty meats? The side sizes were small. Those individual little styrofoam cups. The bread in the "garlic bread" was nice and thick. I hate this accoutrement, so, the fact that I ate it is testament enough. The corn bread was ok. A little dry and crumbly. Spongy though. A slight taste of something sweet. Honey? It must be eaten the same day or I bet it will really dry out. Do I need to tell you that I had FOUR sumptuous meals (and some breakfast sneaks) from this "picnic"? It was outlandish. So glad they are in my world. They re-opened in September. I wish I had known earlier. I always liked this psuedo-theme park/ghost town. It has a fun 1950's vibe. I'll be around alot, I think. Oh, you order at the counter and they bring the food. I'm still trying to figure out if this set up lets a restaurant employ fewer waitresses and if so is it for their bottom line or does it ensure that the wait staff generates higher tip totals or less work. Anyway. Ignore that. But, don't ignore this. They also have burgers, sandwiches, salads, meatloaf (don't let yours), etc. They also have a kids menu and do catering. It was full. It seats about seventy inside and unlimited outside if you are willing to pull up a curb. It is on the downtown Sanford side of I4.

3/4/2017 - Went back for a brisket sandwich. It sucked. Opposite of the kind of brisket I had last time. Thin. Fatty. Sinewy. They try and hide the unbecoming parts in the sandwiches I guess. And two sandwiches would have cost near what the whole meal I had last time cost. Based on this meal, I would be wary of everything but the Sampler. Plus they seem to be hosting some event every weekend that ties up all the parking spots and attracts alot of undesirables.

1/29/18 - Went back for a brisket sandwich. This time it was great. The potatoes in the potato salad were a bit under cooked. They get a reprieve.

Hunger St Tacos, Winter Park

I had lunch at this new Mexican joint where B&B Junction and 4 Rivers used to be on Monday. Why people love this parking challenged spot in the middle of nowhere is a mystery. They opened the previous Tuesday. I may be a bit too harsh on them, but, this food category is flooded. So flooded that even these upscale, white boy reinventions of street food are common. I would say that they suffer from the same affliction as B&B. Great ambition with poor execution. The residue of that equation is hype. I had a brisket taco ($3.5) and a chori-pollo taco ($3) and a chicken tinga quesadilla ($5). If we look beyond the 30% white boy mark up on street food, we see that they grill/reheat the meat prior to serving. That can add flavor (and calories) or dry it out. They dried it out. The brisket was really good. Good in the areas that they didn't try and improve (weren't crisped). Just leave well enough alone. Your brisket is solid as is. The chicken was bland. However, the oil hardly hit most of it so it stayed bland. The chorizo was too spicy and mealy. It can go. It will overpower anything it is paired with. Both were served with a guac-y lime puree/salsa, white onions and cilantro. It doesn't work with non-white meat. That needs a red sauce. No lime. They are very generous with the meat. They really don't need to "double bag" the coaster sized flour tortillas. They are so thick that one is enough and two is two much. The second ruins the flavor balance. I suggest you pull them apart and dump half of the meat onto the "orphan" tortilla and double your taco allocation. The quesadilla was very crispy and savory. It included Chihuahua cheese, sauteed onion, garlic and a tomato chipotle. It was a little runny. I'm not sure if it is worth two tacos. But, they never are. They have some curious ingredient options. Hibiscus tacos, squash blossom quesadillas and other combos with chorizo or eggs and beans. They have a great looking cheese crisp they call a chicharron. They do a corn in bone marrow broth called "esquites". Cucumber salad is at the party for some reason. They also have a few flan-y desserts. The rebuild seemed to be endless and to tell the truth it looks much the same. They reoriented the counter so it in on the left (instead of center) of the street. You still order like you are in elementary school. However, no lunch lady slops the meal on your plate. They bring it out to you on a very similar looking patio picnic area. The main difference (and something they are extra proud of) is the inclusion of some fine murals. Will there be a Banksy-esque run on them when and if the place closes down? The color scheme is now black and white. They had heaters above you. And fans for the summer. The fans et al look expensive and chic. Soda was cheap. Not all pretentious artisan choices. I liked it. I would have loved it (execution issues resolved) five years ago when it was a fresh concept. Black Rooster is similar and simpler and I may prefer it. Now I could eat at either without pause, but, it would not be a treat. Just like my daily Jersey Mike's, Tijuana Flats, McDonald's days off. I need more things like the chicharron to get a rise in my Levi's. My crib sheet is inundated with taco places. I still have one downtown and another in Lake Ivanhoe (not open yet) that have been languishing in the queue. I have taco fatigue. Even epazote and hibiscus can't break me out of it. Maybe huitlacoche. Doubtful.

*Since Moe's loves silly names, do you think they should steal the crisp and call it a Cheech Marin?

Grub Crawl - Tavares: Sinbad's Bar and Grill and Angel's Soul Food and BBQ

I took to go meals at these two restaurants on 441 on Sunday afternoon. The first is near the on the lake just as you enter Tavares form the east. The other is closer to Mt Dora on Burleigh Blvd. They are both on the same side of the street.

Sinbad's Bar and Grill - I had a grouper sandwich with potato salad for $13. It was ok. The tail and edges had evidence of freezer burn or age (dry), but, the middle was moist. They clobbered it with a spice rub like true PWT. They also lacquered up the roll with some kind of butter or butter substitute. The greens (et al) were soggy. Can the fish just speak for itself? The potato salad was so sweet that I'm glad they only gave me a "shot" of it. The two hush puppies were fine. I won't address the interior design because they said that a major overhaul is coming in two weeks. I'm sure it will "improve" the look. I'm not sure it will improve the experience. This place is so laughably bad looking that it has character. They have a barbeque pit IN the dining room. They let people write on the ceiling tiles. BTW if sociologists ever conducted a study on what modern Americans find important as illustrated by what they choose to glorify in print if given the chance - the answer is - where they reside, who they are banging and what sports team they identify with. No wisdom. No quotes. No profundity. Just those three inane topics over and over again. I'll bet they demanded to express themselves and then came up with that. The place also looks like it is about to fall into the lake. Like I said. it is so bad that it is good. The service was friendly. It took a while. The place was pretty full at a non-peak hour. The fat lady at The Sentinel (and my waitress) says thy are known for pork and wings.

Angel's Soul Food and BBQ - I stopped here because my initial design was to have bbq at another place that closed at 2pm. I was thwarted once again. They really can't do bbq if the brisket sandwich ($12) is any indication. Now I will say that the fried chicken I saw others leaving with looked excellent. I probably should have tried the oxtail, but, I wanted bbq at all costs. The brisket was like the roast beef it resembled. Tough. Tasted like burger. No smoke. No bark. I'd bet it was cooked in an oven. And not low and slow. They slice it like roast beef. Six slices. I asked for sauce on the side. They doused it. It took forever to come out. I think these idiots just do the orders FIFO style and don't segregate the orders based on ease of completion. The bun was nothing special. A sweet bun so we could enjoy sweet on sweet. The potatoes in the potato salad were either under cooked or stale. They put something odd (like nutmeg) in it. The place is such an ugly mix of those cheap art pieces that you see at flea markets and shitty design outlets and moldering wood that you see why most people take their meals to go. The crowd was surprisingly integrated. Although, it did seem that the white folk took their meals to go. They started in Sanford and have one other place elsewhere. The prices are higher than they deserve to be and the non-Soul food is suspect, so, you decide. I know enough slop houses (and I am assuming they do Soul food well) to let this one slip away. They made a big deal about adding the bbq part to the Soul food menu at this location. Don't buy in.

JK Thai and Sushi, Mount Dora

Nothing excites me more (JK) than when I see disparate cuisines offered up on the the same menu (JK). That is why I tried this Thai Sushi play (JK) on 5th Ave (the one you drive in on) near the center of town on Sunday. JK, my tum tum wasn't ready for Western food stuffs quite so soon upon returning home. BTW - if you haven't given Indonesian cuisine a go yet, may I suggest you seek (or search) out Babi Guling, Pepes, Ayam or Bebek Goreng, Baso Iga, Batagor and produce such as mangosteen, salak (snake skin fruit) and jack fruit (tastes like artichoke). I'm back. I had the lemongrass chicken with rice for $10. Mostly because they were closing (at 3pm) and I didn't want anything curry-ish thanks to an EVA airlines meal. It was predictably bad. Some of the chicken was stale (almost plastic in texture). Some was gristly. Some was rubbery. The rice was over cooked. The sauce was reduced too far down. The sushi part of the menu is roll heavy. A bad sign. The few fish I saw at the "sushi bar" looked worn. The environment is unappealing. Bad decor. Bad layout. You can skip this with assurance.

Hemisphere, OIA

This is the last place I ate at (din din) before I left town two weeks ago. That came courtesy of a bad sensor on a Jet Blue flight that cost me my connection and forced them to put my up at the Hyatt Regency (the one in the airport). Their "premier" restaurant is on the top floor. The food isn't as humdrum as the name (isn't that an airline magazine?). It was quite good and ambitious. And I don't mean "quite good" in the British way that I have learned is akin to "bless your heart". They recently re-imagined the space and the menu. The relaunch was in November if I remember correctly. They went from steak and potatoes to this multi-cultural global effort. I had (on mostly Jet Blue's dime) a baby beet salad for $10, grilled octopus for $13 and a duck confit fry bread for $14. A soda was $4. Boo. The salad was composed of red and yellow beets around shaved fennel, orange segments, crushed nuts and mascarpone. Not bad. A less bland cheese would improve it. I still would like to see more stem on, skin on, roasted beets offered up. They said the octopus was "baby". I'm not sure about that. They also made a big deal about it being tender. That and how hard they were pushing it makes me wonder if it was tender/soft because it was prepared correctly or because it was getting old. It came with burnt tomato (purposely), micro green and grilled squash. The fry bread was too salty. Less fried than I have seen it. The inside was cakey. The duck was covered by a cabbage slaw and they "squirt bottled" two types of condiment on the plate. The bread is dry, so, it needed the lube. The decor is stark in a non-Tony type of way. It's canvas is white with some plane murals sprinkled in. They do lunch and breakfast as well. It is open to the public, Service was very engaged. They close a little early (10pm). Breakfast starts early. You shouldn't need a hotel key to get to the tenth floor. They have those self serve wine dispensers ala The Wine Room. As I said, the menu pulls from alot of different regions of the globe. They have American Indian fry bread for Christs sake. They said a few of the good old boys/customers (ie hicks from the Midwest) are disappointed in the change. Boo hoo. Order room service! Hopefully, foreigners and people of taste think differently. Being an international man of mystery, you know what side I'm on. They are on my speed dial now. Glad I didn't find out about them before the reboot. I may never have gone back if it was Dullsville. Now if I can only get them to reboot the name. The views are great too.

Slate, Sand Lake Rd - Closed

I had lunch at this eclectic restaurant with a Southern soul around two weeks ago. I thought it was new, but, they have been open for two years. They are in a strip mall past Via Dellagio (away from I4) that houses a Trader Joe's. I liked it alot. I had a bowl of gemelli pasta with spinach, corn and shrimp in a basil cream sauce for $16. It was delicious. The portion size was huge. The shrimp (4) were large and fresh and properly cooked. Very nice. I went the Italian route because I was about to embark on thirty hours of travel and did not need a fire down below. I would gauge that probability at around a half of a percent at a place like this, but, my apprehension didn't cost me a good meal. I just ended up with starch. It's now two weeks since I ate here, so, excuse the peripatetic review. The menu had a fair representation of Italian dishes to go with the American fare. They also have a wood burning pizza oven. I recall a filet that cost around $6 an ounce (8 oz portion). I apologize to STK for saying they overcharge. I guess filet goes for $6 an oz. I remember sandwiches. I remember Southern stuff like pulled pork. I remember fish. You have enough choices. Dinner prices were raised. I think my dish went up to $19. They use most of same ingredients for the lunch menu as the dinner menu. They just implement them in different ways to avoid apple to apple price comparisons. Entree pricing averaged $30. The place looks nice. There is a center area that has a square bar towards the back. That area is "surrounded" by most of the seats. One side has window views. I remember two types of wood on the ceiling. There was a fireplace. I remember hexagon shaped tiles on the floor, garage doors between the "moat area" and the bar, iron work, gas lighted sconces and black paint. It seats around eighty. Maybe more. It is a one off. No chain. I was very happy with it. Service was attentive, attractive and informed. Parking can be a pain because of the Trader Joe's puppies. It may well end up on the favorites list. Plus it has no "+" to its name.

Foxtail Coffee Co, Winter Park

I grabbed a coffee to go at this new coffee house around two weeks ago. It is in the strip mall on North Orange Ave that has the Winter Park Distillery in it. They don't have much else. It seems like they invested alot into making this place look appealing. I hope the extravagant mark ups in coffee and coffee related merchandise can support the outlay. They seem to have their own roasting room. It is enclosed behind glass like a museum exhibit. The interior design is nice. Warm. Woody. Peopled by lonely hearts or the wifi underserved. Helmed by the the uber pretentious. Barist-ologists. It's fine. At least they haven't added a "+" sign to their name. As in Foxtail Coffee + Misaligned Priorities. I'd rather have all this OCD energy expended on things of more import than sour black water, but, its not like I do so either. At least Howard Schultz won't get this money.

Grub Crawl - Disney Springs: STK, Frontera Cocina and Sprinkles

I ate at these restaurants yesterday at lunch time.

STK - I only went here because I'm running out of places and I didn't really want to waste my time sampling them in another state. I had a 6oz filet mignon that ended up costing $45 all told ($36 on its own). Now I ask you - is that worth it? It wasn't even a good cut. From the tail end of the loin. Their idea of medium rare is half medium/well done and half rare. The beef had no taste. The peppercorn sauce it came with tasted of bad cognac (or some inferior alcohol) and needed more peppercorn. The plating was an after thought. A white ramekin with the sauce on a white plate. Now look, I hate steak places so maybe this is standard treatment and pricing. I forget. I'm sure $125 for a tomahawk cut is pretty standard. No? I can't hear you. However, I'll tell you where you can get a better piece of meat (for a tenth - yes tenth - of the price) in about a minute. I wouldn't have minded as much (maybe a half of one percent) if they served you in the main room and not the front "bar" area. I was paying a dinner price right? You don't charge even more at dinner do you? The rest of the menu is composed of different cuts, burgers and the usual steakhouse twaddle. It's a small menu. The wine menu is predictable. Single pours run as high as $20. I didn't even dare order a soda. The place looks luxe. It is mainly white accents on black. The decorations on the black wall are referred to as "horns" and the beams on the ceiling are "ribs". The front (more "casual" room) seats around fifty. Same with the "formal" room. They have a deck out back. No dress code or reservations needed at lunch. Not sure about dinner. There were six others there at lunch. Most people looked at the menu prices and kept on rolling. Exactly the rip off I was expecting. My waiter was the only bright spot.

Frontera Cocina - I stopped at their taco window for a real lunch. And here is the answer to who beat STK in a steak off. For $3.50 I had a brilliant short rib soft taco in a corn tortilla. I would wager that it had close to 6oz in it. Plus I got some cotija cheese on top. Plus the tender meat was bursting with flavor. The achiote pork taco with pickled red onions wasn't as good, but, that is just because the short rib was so perfect. I also didn't like the habanero sauce that went with it. It overpowered everything. really hot. It is served on the side though. The only other thing the serve is guac and chips at $7. I thought I read something about burritos, but, I guess not. The main restaurant looks nice. They have a big ceramic tile mural facing you as you enter. There is some dining up front and then a bar and then some more dining and then a patio. I can't speak for the "dine in" experience (because I didn't dine in) or the menu (because I didn't look at it), but, I have eaten at his (Rick Bayless) place in Chicago and everything is good. I suspect the same is true here. Based on the take out window.

Sprinkles - They are across from Frontera. It is a chain (30) out of Beverley Hills. I had a Smore cupcake. It was really messy and I would have preferred that they held the cupcake. It had a graham cracker bottom crust that fell off and a melted marshmallow top that needed a cracker (or anything) top to keep the ultra sticky goo from getting all over everything.. I figure they didn't add one because it would ruin the aesthetics. I think aesthetics/kitsch are important here. The cupcake had a chocolate center. The whole thing was so sweet, that if you wash it down with a Coke, the Coke MITIGATES the sugar rush. The cake cost $5. They had around twelve others. Ice cream seemed to be of equal or greater importance. They have a cute cupcake ATM. The place is very white (paint not race).

This is it for a while, so, saver it like a 6oz filet.

Urban Brick, Deland

I grabbed a pizzetta to go at this fairly new (six months) Italian place of N Woodland Blvd in the center of the old town. I had the daily special. It was called Blueberry Pie. It cost $16. I mainly tried it because it came with guanciale (pork cheek). It also was so bizarre. They put blueberries, maple syrup and pistachios on it. It was ok. They made the same mistake of "over crusting" it that they did at Pizza Bruno. They promised to "stretch" the dough more. If they did, then I can't imagine how wide the normal crust is. In addition, I could not see or taste whatever cheese was on it. Garlic also overpowered the other ingredients. They were frugal with the very salty guanciale. Less so with the pistachios. It was about twelve inches wide. I applaud the imagination of the cook. The menu (mostly pizzas starting at $9) is also on the inventive side. They have a "slice" of pizza (with soda at lunch at $6) that is round. It's a cute little flippy flyer. They also do sandwiches (3), wings, pasta (2), and salads. It looks brand new because it is, It seats about thirty in a rectangular space. The have a mural of Broadway on the wall separating the kitchen and the rear seats. The people I interacted with were friendly. I chose this place because the places around it (that I hadn't tried) seemed more suited for a sit in meal and I just wanted to get home with a dinner at that point in the day. I'm glad I found this spot. It fit the bill. I want to try a more traditional pizza and maybe the "slice" in the future. I may always dislike the crust situation, but, I like the mentality of the place in the aggregate. If I lived nearby, I would give their whole menu a once over.

Las Palmas, Mount Dora

I ate lunch at this Cuban restaurant in the center of town (Donnelly St) yesterday. It is oddly one of two Cuban plays on the same block. I had the lunch size Picadillo (ground beef) platter for $10. Mostly because I think I have tried most of the other Cuban dishes on the menu over the years. I may even have had this at some point. It's just a bowl of ground beef stewed with olives, potato and black raisins. It's funny that if they went through the bother of forming this into balls then maybe they could charge the extra $2 that they would at Pizza Bruno's. Bruno would have to kick in more beef though. The beef was made more palatable (and a cheat for the sandwich they have with ground beef) with the delivery of some free pressed bread. It helped balance the richness of the beef eaten solo. The beef did come with a choice of two sides. They also helped balance the meal. I chose red beans and arroz con gandules. The red beans were good. They were stewed with sliced sausage. The rice had pigeon peas, chicken and pork added to it. It was yellow in color. Over cooked like every Latin/Island rice I've ever had. Good enough though. Served in a form. It was hard to finish all this. The menu is large and has what you'd expect a Cuban restaurant that serves lunch and dinner to have. Quite a few platters have lunch prices. Oh! I forgot. The rice was included. I had a salad as my second side. It was a boring lettuce and tomato salad, but, it made it feel like I ordered an app. Service was good. The place looks pretty nice. I remember that they painted the pressed pattern tin ceiling black. I forget what the walls were. It seats about sixty. The room has windows along the sides of the room. There is a little bar room. It's well run and a value. However, it's still Cuban food at the end of the day. I haven't ever been knocked off my feet by it. This is a respectable representation of what it can be.

The Juicy Crab, Winter Park - Moved to I Drive

This place just replaced that disaster of a sushi bar on the corner of 436 and Aloma/Fairbanks. And to report that they are slightly better is a testament to how bad that place was. It is now a place that boils most of the things that the last place hibachi-ed or served raw. I had a combo that let me pair (or maybe I "curated" it) two half pound items. I chose crawfish and the cheapest thing (sausage) because I just didn't trust that the freshness of their menu and blue crab is out of season. Don't ask me why I would have trusted them on crab. I tried to reason with myself, but, I wouldn't have it. I really don't understand myself sometimes. The crawfish cost $5. The sausage cost $4. I would bet that the crawfish (9) had been frozen at some point. Very tough with no flavor. Then again it could have been the asinine practice of boiling instead of steaming seafood that most of America seems to enjoy. The sausage was fine. The meal also came with a red potato the size of a monkey fist and the requisite quarter cob of corn that they boil so long that the kernels flatten out. They serve the usual cheap fried crap and boil shrimp, crabs, mussels and clams. Everything is about $10. They also list lobster or stone crab. I'm not sure I'd trust them to provide any of that. I mean not just them. Any place like this. I just don't trust that the stuff going into the pot is fresh. FYI - check if their shrimp have black spots on the shells. I just learned that this is a sign that they were frozen (not that almost every shrimp isn't). They did very little to the decor and what they did clashes. I'm not sure if you know James from the last two seasons of Big Brother. He's an Asian redneck from South Carolina. This spot is an Asian redneck too. They left the Bangkok nightclub elements of the old place and nailed up some wood boards to make it look like a beach/shit shack. They also walled of the hibachi area. They said it was a "private room", but,  it looks like they just removed the grills and left it at that. Service was polite. They are part of a small chain from Georgia. I can't recommend anyplace that destroys seafood by boiling it. If you don't have enough sense to know that this strips them of all their natural flavor and texture then you shouldn't be allowed to buy it let alone serve it. Throw in the embarrassing decor and all you have left is that it may appeal to a very undiscerning segment of the population.

11/17/2019  - I popped into the new location and they claimed they had no affiliation (not even the franchise) with this one. The story sounded the same to me though. These franchisees may not even be aware this place once existed. In any case, I won't be trying out the new one based on this experience and the vibe I got from the new location. Another location is opening soon too.

Earl's Kitchen + Bar, Mall at Millenia

I ate lunch here on Sunday. I had intended on favoring an undeserving tapas place around Sand Lake (only because I won't trust them to enough to waste a dinner on them), but, they think they have a buffet that merits $40. I would already have to be drunk on mimosas made with five dollar a bottle sparkling wine to believe that. Like the two customers in the place who obviously disagreed with me. This place is a chain from Canada. I think I may have liked it better had I not been informed of that before I went. Aside from the boring name (not associated with Robert Earl of Planet Hollywood as far as I can tell) and 50% too greedy menu pricing, I kind of liked it. I especially liked the attractive waitresses (many who moved here from Canada) and the interior design. The space is expansive. The front of house is a bar area with mass transit like wood benches and other regular high top tables. The ceiling rises two floors. The outside wall is all glass. There are different columns/support structures exposed in that area. The rear area is the more "formal" area. It starts with a barrier of booths and ends with another bar, The open kitchen is on the right that is separated from the room by a half wall with a row of connected seating on the "wall" side. Regular tables form the rest of room. The color scheme is mostly white, black assorted Autumnal colors and wood and granite. They have interesting lighting fixtures in the air and art and murals on the walls. The rear room alone must seat 100. Half that up front. There is also an outside patio up front. It was pretty crowded with an attractive/well dressed clientele. I would wager that a fair number were from Toronto and Montreal. I guess it is smart to open a Canadian chain where half the country vacations. You don't even really need the locals to buy in. I found the menu a little boring. Not much for the twelve bodies I counted on the line to do. They have four stabs at "ethnic" dishes like curry (or all of two sushi rolls), but, it's mainly sandwiches, burgers and steaks. All but three of the starters are really mains. In concept and price. They had a brunch menu on Sunday, so, I thought I'd be the least bored or fleeced in this area (should they suck). I had the steak and eggs so I could sort of sample the quality of steak (for you people) since it is a highlight. The dish was set on a slice of sour dough toast covered with bacon jam, avocado, steak and fried eggs. The eggs were overdone. My waitress noticed it right away and offered to have it sent back. Since I was mostly interested in acquiring intel on the steak, I asked her to let it slide. The meal was good. The steak was good. Medium rare. It also came with some nicely executed fried potatoes. It cost $14. Of course they hose you on soda. Nearly $4 for one skinny, ice filled glass full. If they could be as creative with the menu as they are with interior design then I could really recommend them. Chain status not withstanding. That or drop the prices to reflect the tedium. As it is, I would only come back to people watch and star gaze at the interior design. Most of CF should love it though. It's very Canadian in the sense that they play it safe. I think they have only been open for a month or so. It is in the old Blue martini space in the front right side of the mall. Anyone else noticing that "&" is no longer cool? It's now "+". Service was polite and professional. They are all dressed in black.

Brewstillery, Winter Park

I stopped in last night to see if they had started pouring their own brew yet. They had (as of late November). The Park Ave Pale Ale I had was very good. Hoppy. Slightly sweet finish. I don't know if I should call this place The Brewstillery of Bear and Peacock. My receipt says Brewstillery. For more info on the place see my review of Bear and Peacock from earlier this year. They started with five types of beer.

Swirlery Wine Bar, Orlando

I stopped here last night after Bruno's. It's diagonally across from that age old burger joint (forget the name) on Michigan. They were hosting a party later in the night, so, I just had one drink and left. Plus no tvs to watch the game. They serve wine and beer. It looks pretty nice. The have done some interesting interior work behind the bar. The bar is composed of a thick slice of a tree. I suspect it is a fake though. Possibly a mold made to look like wood. The selection of libations is pretty good. It's pricey. A glass of cheap German Riesling is what a bottle of that goes for at the market. I thought they were new, but, they said they have been in business for 18 months. Service was polite.

Pizza Bruno, Curry Ford Rd

I finally tried this gourmet pizza place last night after four tries when they weren't open for varying reasons. I had an order of meatballs (3) for $12 and a regular pizza for $10. The way they do pizza is not my preferred way. They use the right ingredients and probably meet the standards set by Italian law, but, it's just to crusty and the cheese was tasteless. Imagine a fort surrounded by wide ramparts. That is what the pizza looks like. It's almost half crust. And while it is soft and fluffy because it just popped out of the brick oven, I don't want breadsticks and pizza. I want pizza. Hopefully, they aren't doing this because they are too lazy to spread out the dough or they are trying to minimize topping costs. If either of those is the reason then there is a problem. The cheese was glossy. It looked like the top of a lasagna.  It wasn't deposited evenly. The sauce was just a plain tomato sauce. It was heavy in spots and light in others. The dough was slightly underdone in the crust. The meatballs were better. They were light. They came in a tomato sauce with golden raisins, a shmear of lemon ricotta and a toasted slice of bread. It is really a meal in itself. The menu is small. Aside from the various pizza combinations, they only offer two salads, garlic knots, a caprese, an antipasto plate, and a cauliflower app. It seats about thirty (including the bar). There was a thirty minute wait for a table. They do get the food out fast though. My waiter/barman was very attentive. The decor is minimal. Oldish building. I felt a bit cheated because I believe my neighbors at the bar received free meatballs and I paid full freight. I guess I should be happy for them. A tiny bottle of soda was $3. You know how I love that. They say the pizza is styled on the pizzas of Naples. Alot of Americans say this. But, isn't that pizza oval? I like that they are committed to quality. I just wish I liked breadstick pizza so I could really give it a good rating. Alas, it will rank a little lower because of that. That and the fact that the location is so equally removed from most of our neighborhoods and there are alot of gourmet pizza choices out there. Almost as many as pregnant local newswomen. They are only open for lunch on Sa and Sn and they are closed on Tuesday.

Grub Crawl - New Smyrna Beach: Cafe Verde, Beachside Candy Co, Donna's Canal Creamery, and Golden Biscuit

I tried these places around lunch time on Thursday. The first two are on Flagler at the beach and the last two are in the town on the land side of the bridge.on Canal St.

Cafe Verde - This spot is behind the Mexican place (Clancy's) about midway up the street. It almost looks as if it may be part of that restaurant. To its detriment. I had a really great avocado and shrimp salad for $10. It was full of fresh shrimp, almost a whole avocado and a mix of field greens and romaine and watermelon. The green mix produced a good combination of crunchy bites with leafy bites. There was a very subtle dressing applied to it. They call it rocoto. Whatever that is. The watermelon takes the usual place of tomatoes. I wasn't in love with the pairing, but, it was a change. The serving was huge. The place seats around twenty inside and thirty on the patio out back. The decor is minimal. I'd categorize it as a nouveau foodie play. They also do tacos, tortas, rice bowls, gyros, ceviche, mussels and some other salads along with some more dinner type meals ranging from roasted lamb to orecchiette alfredo. They describe themselves "food without borders". Service was efficient and cordial. The meal came out quickly. You can watch the two chefs at work behind the counter. A nice surprise.

Beachside Candy Co - It's a little closer to the bridge. I just sampled a bag of chocolate covered pretzels (2) for $2 so I could include it. They were good. Fresh. They also offer ice cream and other sweets.

Donna's Canal Creamery - They said this place has been there forever and under Donna for two years. It's about half way down the street. I had a slice of banana bread so I could include them. It cost $2. It was good. They also serve some small lunch items, coffee, ice cream and other pastries.

Golden Biscuit - This place is also about half way up the street. The entrance is on the parking lot side behind the street. They have been there since 1986. I grabbed a BLT so I could include them. It was a BLT. Good bacon. Fresh veg. Came with chips and pickles. It cost $5. It's your typical cafe/diner menu. The eggs and sausage I saw coming out of the kitchen looked good. Big links. The most expensive thing was $9. Plus they are open a little longer than a lot of breakfast/lunch places. They close at 2pm. The place looks like it could be a rail car. Nice value.

Grub Crawl - Florida Mall: Fat One's (Closed), Carvera (Closed) and Memories of Peru

I started out the new year by trying these places in or around the Florida Mall. The first is inside the food court near the entrance, The second is right outside the food court entrance. The last is in a strip mall on the OBT entrance to the mall. I think used to house a sushi place (Sushi House?).

Fat One's - I swear I was the first to realize that the ex-N'Syncers name broke down to this. I'm glad he has a sense of humor about it. They opened in the spring and I wasn't going to haul my ass all the way down here for a hot dog. Luckily, there has been a fair amount of turnover and new construction around the mall and here we go. It wasn't that bad. Now I think I ordered the only dog combo that is close to justifying the $5 base price, but, it's better than what the Wahlberg family offers up. I had the Cuban dog for $5. It was a dog split down the middle with Swiss cheese and pickles and mustard. They press it like a Cuban sandwich. The dog reminded me of the dogs they served at the snack bar at the beach club I worked at as a teen. I think they used Sabrett's. Possibly Nathan's. It's a beef dog with a touch of salt and maybe garlic. It was good. The bun wasn't all oiled up too. They also have $5 dogs with sriracha or sauerkraut or make your own, The $6 dogs have chili or pepperoni or corned beef or guac. There is a $12 dog that piles on ALL of their toppings. They also had Italian ices ($2-$4). Not the train wreck I expected. Better than most of the food court. And they go to battle with a wiener.

Carvera - They are the first US branch of a Puerto Rican chain (different name) of an Argentinian grill that is apparently very popular down there. They also opened in the spring. It's a fast casual place up here. Read the bio on the wall to understand the Argentinian - Puerto Rican connection. I had the Chicken Milanesa platter for $8.49. It was 85 cents less after they offered me a 10% discount for no apparent reason (maybe you have to say you shopped at the mall). It came with two sides. I chose a baked potato and potato salad. The chicken was huge. It was fresh. Crispy. The potato salad was very good. They put some garlic in it. Otherwise it was your typical recipe. The portion was ridiculous. 2+ giant scoops. I haven't tried the baked potato yet. too stuffed. I ate this for dinner. The place looks posh. I wasn't prepared for fast casual. The main elements are wood. There is a backless "cabinet" on the left that is decorated with cute metal objects from the early part of last century. The place seats about sixty. Service was very friendly. They also sell salchicha, churrasco, burgers, sandwiches, grilled chicken, salads, warps, turnovers (empanadas), soup, chorizo, pimento, desserts and alot of sides. I'm glad it took the chance. Great value.

Taste of Peru - I think the just opened very recently. I had the lunch special for $9. It was a steal and why I continue to laud Peruvian cuisine as the best in South America. Value and variety and verve. That's a good combination. I chose Aguadito de Pollo (from among three choices) for the first course and Tallarin Saltado de Pollo (from among five choices) for the main. They also thrown in a soda (with refills). The first course is a chicken soup the last is a form of lo mein (noodles). The soup was huge. I was full after this. It had carrots, celery, hominy, peas and maybe quinoa (or some starch, like rice, to thicken it), All but the peas appeared to be fresh and most chefs suggest using frozen peas anyway. The chicken it it was very tender. It took a tiny while for it to come out, so, I wouldn't be surprised if they cook it to order and that there is only one person in charge in the kitchen. The Tallarin is something I have avoided in the past because I don't really want the "Chinese" dishes that they love so much as my indoctrination into Peruvian cuisine. Still to much to learn. Plus I can get Chinese at a Chinese place if I am so inclined. But, I caved because I had already tried all the other choices. It was ok. The noodles were thin fettuccine noodles. I believe lo mein uses round noodles. Not that I like lo mein enough to care about the noodles. They were covered with a dark soy sauce and mixed with chicken sauteed in that sauce and tomato, red pepper, scallion and a ton of onions. It was a huge portion. The place is a little shabby. There are wires all over the ceiling. They should remove some window "posters" that hide the view and make the place darker. The color scheme is white, red and black. The white is on the bottom of the walls and the furniture. There is a "best of Peru" mural on the back wall. They have seven booths (small), two four tables, two two tables and one eight table. Service was great. The dishes did seem to come out one person and table at a time. Once again, good because you aren't getting warmed up slop, but, bad because you may be starving. On that front they prep the table with a bowl of fried maiz. I won't say corn nuts because they are softer. The menu has all the usual suspects. It's rather large. The place was almost at capacity. Most, if not all, Peruvian. It's always a good sign when the home town fans show up. All in all it was a great value. I would need to order a few more things to see how they stack up against the other Peruvian options. But, that just means the others are that good. They even threw me a 10% of card as I left. AFTER offering a to go soda. Should I end with my memory of Memories of Peru? That would be a little hacky I think. But you can noodle something out for me.