Millenia 106, Mall at Millenia Area - Closed

I had lunch at this newish  (under two months) American (with Portuguese and Brazilian undertones) restaurant on Friday. It is across from the Jag dealer in that strip mall on your left at the first turn into the mall off I-4. It is not the first place to try and make it at this spot. It deserves to. It is something I imagine I would conceive if I ever chose to get into the game. A reasonably priced, cleverly sourced, balanced, avant garde, menu in a tasteful and inviting environment and lacking in self-reverence. It doesn't have many (if any) worn out/fad dishes. It avoids being pigeon holed. Like a man/woman who has style, it ignores what is trendy for what is eternally tasteful (even adds a bit of their own personality). I had the fresh fish (the waiter said it was a golden version of mahi mahi) sandwich with a side for $12 and the lunch special (I chose the Margarita pizza - with salad and drink -  to go) for $13. I asked blend the two meals (salad would have wilted and I needed the drink), so, I ate the salad then and there. It was very fresh and opulent. A very clean leafed assortment of field greens and spinach with cherry tomatoes in a lightly applied citrus dressing. Two minor criticisms: the tomatoes were ice cold and the sea salt they added didn't bring about what ever effect they were looking for. It just clashed with the citrus. The batter (beer) was under cooked on the inside. It made the quality of the fish hard to assess. Sticky. A slight timing adjustment. Otherwise, it was refined. It created a crisp and fluffy shell you see on the best examples of fish and chips. The bun and veg were top notch. A very tall sandwich. Whatever mayo-y spread they added was applied with restraint/finesse. The side (chips/fries) were perfect. Shoe string. Crisp. Not sticky batter application. No stupid skins. No brown flaccid mutants. A large amount. I had the pizza for dinner and it was ok. Maybe 12". They didn't pound the CO2 out of the dough, so, the pizza had many bubbles. A rookie mistake. It was also a bit "crusty" for me. Not thick crust. Just wide. The cheese and fresh tomatoes showed respect for the diner. It was ok. Should have sampled the duxelle infused burger for you folks instead. It was also a lunch special possibility. The rest of the lunch menu is pretty small. Dinner has a few more entrees. And Sunday brunch was the biggest. I don't recall seeing anything north of $16. The wine and beer selections were thoughtfully selected for price, quality and singularity. I'm having a hard time recalling the menu items. That's what a red eye from the Coast will do to you. But, also because they weren't what you find everywhere else. I recall a red shrimp dish, an avocado toast with something on it, a Brazilian conglomeration of some sort, fresh oysters, an interesting pasta dish. I hope you get the picture. And if you don't, Take a flier or just trust me. The interior was fully retouched. It has a minimalist and earthy tone. Almost like some one's upgraded private loft. A gleaming open kitchen surrounded by everyday items (like cook books - see if you like the chefs they follow). The bar is up front. The tables (twenty-ish four seaters) are spaced well and symmetrically. There is a curtained off private room in the back. Two big long tables. It's casual and elegant. Masculine and feminine. They even have sports on tv at the bar. It should be acceptable to parties composed of a "mixed" social strati. Burgers and pizza for the Chili's and Applebee's goofballs (or kids) and the rest of the menu for the 1%-ers. Access in and out, mall congestion and parking is a little bit of a pain. Suffer through it. It's cheaper and more intimate than Earl's Kitchen. This is clearly a chef dominated restaurant. And this guy has his head about him. They also of a ridiculously affordable happy hour (I think 4-6 or 7). Closed on Monday (I think). Not a hard ticket to get at this point. You should be able to walk in. They will be on the favorite's list.

Joyful Garden, Chinatown (W50)

I popped into this new (one month) Chinese restaurant in "Chinatown" (on west 50) on my way home from Winter Garden today. I grabbed some things for dinner. I'll tell you about them after I'm done listing SOME of the freaky (in a good way) stuff they offer. Seaweed and raw crab. Pork tongue. Fish belly. Cordyceps flower. Rabbit. Pork liver. Frogs. Geoduck. Yellow Croaker. Goose Fish. Arrow Head Fish. Fish buckle. Rotten Leather. And I didn't include stuff like jelly fish and snails as freaky. You get the idea. I tried to ascertain the regional cuisine they represent, but, I just heard that the owner had a place in NYC's Chinatown. I settled on a safe dish and an experiment. I had the Fuchow (thin noodle wrapping) Dumpling Soup for $5 and the Pork Stomach with Sour Cabbage over Rice for $9. The soup was good. The usual chicken/pork broth and 16 dumplings! A good amount of broth. The stomach was actually quite tasty. It had the texture of an abalone or some other tough mollusk with a porky taste. I'm not sure if pigs have four stomachs like cows, but, this one was non-icky if there are multiples. The sauce was some kind of very light, black bean involved sauce. Chinese food can be ridiculous on the sauce side, so, I was happy with this level of restraint. The cabbage was good. I didn't care for all the green and red pepper. I hate non-spicy pepper. It tastes like herbaceous barf and makes you gassy. The rice portion was huge. Just white rice, A little water logged/soggy. The plaace seat sixteen in four tables on the right and about the same in two tables on the left. There were a few more tables around the bend on the right and two private rooms. The decoration is mostly water tanks. Some with bubbles and some with dinner. It's located in the part of the complex across from the oriental Market (to the right of the entrance). The composition of the patrons was surprisingly mixed for such an ambitious and new place. It was full. I would be food spelunking here once a week if I lived near by. Freaky food that tastes good? Now that is a business plan!

Market To Table, Winter Garden

OK, I wanted to knock these out before I go chasing polar bears. I stopped by this American restaurant today at lunch. I was about to throw a conniption when I saw that it was closed. I had checked Google a few times and it was supposed to be open. This is another reason I'm knocking this out. They are on summer hours. This means no lunch on week days and a brunch on Sunday. Back to the brewing conniption. I must have looked forlorn because the door opened and I explained how far I had journeyed and the owner said he would make me something for my trouble. It turned out to be a cheese burger and although it wasn't what I had geared myself up for (it had a reputation as a finer dining establishment), it turned out to be good. Medium well instead of medium rare, but, otherwise buttery and topped with fresh veg. The home made chips were good and it came with a pickle. It cost $0. Now that is how to turn a frown upside down and why I'll speak well of then in the future. Their dinner menu (what I saw) ran from $24 to $30. A smallish (6) entree selection with complementary components (spelt, grains of paradise) that seemed more interesting than the canvases (filet, chicken, tile fish). The apps were a little on the "popular" side. That should please the non-adventurous. The burrata at $8 seemed like a value. Other sides ran to $12. The charcuterie board had whiskey salami and wild boar salami. They had some (4) desserts. A few wines (5) per color/type and a few beers. They didn't do much to space (the old Al Fresco spot behind the theater). They opened the end of the bar to have a cold prep showcase and partitioned the middle of the room with some cheap metal shelving with iffy nick nacks on them. Maybe it looks better with the lights on. I'm not sure if I can suffer a repeat trip in the near future (50 is filled with retards), but, I'm glad I got some sense of their skill and a full dose of their ethos. The town just completed a multi-level covered garage behind them. This should help a common complaint about going to WG - no parking. The truly opened around six months ago.

Laurel, Winter Park

I grabbed a Cuban sandwich to go on Thursday at this new (one month) Latin restaurant on Park Ave. I was walking through town after my La Merce meal and stumbled upon them. I think Paris Bistro was in this spot (the enclosed area with the koi pond) previously. It was fine. It cost $12. The ham and pork were of good quality. It came with plantain chips. I'd prefer paying two bucks extra and getting the special at La Merce. Their menu is blase. Thirteen items. The most interesting was a pulled fish pie. The rest is your usual Latin stuff. The Cuban was the cheapest thing. I can't think of another Latin place on Park, so, maybe they can make a go of it. They didn't change a thing to the interior. It was empty at 1pm.

La Merce, Winter Park

I had lunch at this new (3 months) Spanish (Andalusian - southern) restaurant on Morse off Park on Thursday. I think it replaces a vegan spot. There have been so many casualties in this location that I can't keep track. If the crowd at lunch is any indication (no one else), these guys are going to share the same fate if they don't pick a lane. If they are going to charge what they do ($30 range with a standard deviation of $10), they have to improve the experience. Now they are a one legged stool. The service and ambiance do not support the price points they demand. They must be counting on the food to carry the whole load. Not that the service or ambiance are bad. They just aren't on par with a Luma or Prato (for example) and the pricing is about the same. Not to mention the food is better (based on this meal) at those locations. I had an acceptable lunch special (pork or chicken with two sides, dessert and a soda for $14. That was a value. However, if I had ordered a $27 chicken dish (for example) with a $4 soda (3/4 ice) then I would have been dissatisfied. Then I would have really been mad at the dry pork and the crusty mashed potatoes and the store bought rolls and the lack of a butter knife (or butter) or spoon for the tapanade and the non-cloth napkin and the plastic plants in the centerpiece. At $14 I can let that stuff go. At their regular menu prices, I could not. The dish I had had some nice asparagus (slightly wilted) and the sauce I chose (five spice) was a nice mix of chicken stock, cumin, honey and assorted hues of peppercorn). The meal also included a mini guava pie with vanilla ice cream. The dessert was delicious. I hope they didn't buy that too. The place is cute. They went minimalistic. The color motif is black and white and light blue. They "wrote" their name on one wall. It seats about forty. Tables and booths. New. They kept the bar area and patio. If it is not clear, I enjoyed my meal. But, I didn't pay $4 for a soda or x for an entree plus y for dessert. I actually stopped myself from ordering a regular entree or adding an app when I saw the $4 soda charge. It irked me. I suggest they keep it quasi-casual and lower the prices by a third. It has too much of a family run vibe (name is short for Mercedes - the grand mother) to compete with the professional "white table cloth" set. I worry that everyone will do the calculus that I did and just settle on the lunch menu. And I don't think they want that or can survive like that. I don't think they have competition (on Park) for their type of cuisine, so, they have a chance. I hope they succeed. Not just because I'm sick of coming back to this pot, but, because they seemed nice and the seem to import conscientiously and have some fun items on the menu. For now, I recommend the lunch special. I'd feel a little guilty advocating the full monty.

Italian House, Curry Ford Rd Area

I stopped here on my way from the airport on Monday night. It's on South Crystal Lake Dr in between 50 and Curry Ford. The menu says they have been there since 1989. The waitress said that the current owners have been there for the last eight. I had a slice for $2.25 and a chicken parm sandwich with fries for $7.25. I was going to try a platter (soup and pasta) for you, but, I just sensed they would be over cooked. The slice was better than I expected, but, that made me wish the cheese blend was a little less heavy on the Parmesan. It made it "saw dusty". Plus they use too much. It over weights the slice. I know that is a bonus for most people. The crust was dry. The sauce was just tomato paste (not much). The chicken in the parm was way too thin. Dry.  It also tasted like sausage. I'd bet they fry everything in the same oil. Not much sauce or cheese. The fries were perfect. Very crisp. They have the usual assortment of items you find in a "hick" Italian restaurant. It will seem very familiar to most people. Pricing was fair. The service was friendly and attentive. They offered a to go soda. Parking is a little scarce. The place looks like an old Pizza Hut. It seats about sixty. It actually got more busy AFTER eight pm. It's the type of place that has a map of Italy place mat and plastic menus. We all probably grew up thinking this was what Italian was. It plays its role in the Universe.

McGinnty's Irish Pub, Edgewood (Closed)

I grabbed a burger to go at this Irish Pub on Orange Ave (near the Chris Craft boat offices) last Thursday at lunch time. It was mediocre. It cost $7 and $1 for cheese. It came with under cooked fries. The burger was small and over cooked. I asked for medium and it was well done. The bun and veg were blah. This place replaced Uncle Henry's. I think. The menu seemed to be ambitious: crocks, fish and chips, pies, pasties, corned beef, stuffed potatoes, stew, bangers, etc. They seemed to have spent some money on the redo. They have alot of dart boards and two pool tables. Hopefully, the food can be better. I didn't really challenge them. Partly because places like these always seem to have mediocre food. They seem to be avid soccer enthusiasts.

Firefly, Winter Park - Closed

I tried this newish (two months) gastro pub on N. Orlando in the Winter Park Village last night. It replaced the very similar venture (Taps) across from Mitchell's Fish Market. The Weekly said the menu was uninspiring, so I wasn't really itching to waste a slot to find out if they were right. However, it just so happened that my plane would be landing at a weird time and it was on my way home. I'm kind of glad it worked out that way. The changes (to the menu in particular) are minimal. The one thing that jumped out at me was that they have lanterns/jars filled with jumbles of Xmas lights that I'm sure are meant to simulate fire flies. You know, the ones that kids trap on summer evenings and suffocate. The decor seemed the same. The wine vending machines survived. The beer selection may be a tad larger and better. The menu probably has some new items, but, it is still basically finger foods, flat breads and burgers. Maybe the chicken dishes and poutine are new, but, those are just mash ups when you get down to it. I tried the most risky and over loaded item for you. I had a Piggly Wiggly burger with fries for $12. It let my try the burger meat, pulled pork, bacon and fries (and peanut butter and bun if we are getting technical). Even though the kitchen was closing and I had no right to expect that any attention would be paid to it, it came out perfectly. The meat was even a tad under medium. I liked the flavor and grind. The bacon was thick and crunchy. The pork was a bit bland. The fries were a tad limp. But, the type (skin on) they use invariably are. The bun was a bit "crumbly/old". I would not recommend the combination. Based strictly on taste. I think it needed sweetness and/or spice. Maybe a chutney or peppered chocolate mole? The peanut butter overwhelmed the already savory mix. It was just three or four upper cuts of richness. I even tried to temper down the assault with the fries. It helped a little. But, once again, not bad. Just "too"! I had had a triple patty burger at the Indianapolis airport (96th St Burgers - pretty good) for lunch, so, I'm actually surprised I had any appetite for it at all. They served the burger on a wooden cutting board. The fries came in a little mock fry basket. The change in ownership has probably lifted the rating of the spot without doing anything that would anger anyone who used to go here. It was better than I was expecting or what I remembered about the last place. I was scared it would be the same experience. I'd be interested in trying the other items on the menu. The beer "curation" seems to be in good hands. I believe the bartender who was on duty is in charge of it and he seemed to be very invested with his responsibility. Always a good sign. I didn't check out the wine.

*There is now a Rubio's Tacos across from Firefly. I lived in Southern California for a while and it WAS a very good fish taco play. Now it is a little "corporate". I don't love their "specialty" - fried fish tacos. It's like putting a corn dog in a bun in my mind. The whole seafood tacos idea was a bit strange for an Easterner. We call that crap a "wrap". I don't know who "invented" it first. But, that's what they do and it's there. For how long they have been there, I have no idea. Just letting you know because I'm not making an extra trip to try a chain I've already tried a bazillion times.

Bad As's Sandwich, Milk District

I grabbed a Bad As's to go at this sandwich spot on Saturday night. It's in the building that Seven Bites used to occupy. Go to 50 near the airport and turn on N. Primrose. The sandwich cost $10 and consisted of two slices of pastrami (beef), healthy piles of shredded pork and chicken, chips, some veg and a garlic aioli (on a sub roll). Plus a side of home made chips. It was very "Puerto Rican" in flavor and make up. I think that's their bailiwick. I find these combinations a bit overwhelming. Very rich (and in this case, garlicky). The pastrami can't be located. In texture or taste. The chicken and pork kind of disappear into each other. They were both very salty. The chips aren't necessary (and I put chips in all my sandwiches and ff in my burgers). The pickled onions (the brightness) are overwhelmed by the garlic. It's a sloppy mess. Not a bad mess. Just a bunch of stuff that is probably better off individually. That said, I enjoyed it (picking each item off individually with my fingers) and the quality was good. The portion was generous. They have around six other "staple" sandwich that use the three meats written about. Plus three specials. I think they had a breakfast menu. They renovated the inside. I think they have been open for four months. I think their story is that they were the food truck behind the building when Seven Bites was the tenant.

Nalan Sultan Mediterranean Grill, Apopka

I tried this newish (7 months) Turkish restaurant in the red brick strip mall across from the Publix strip mall for lunch on Wednesday. It is on 436 where Altamonte Springs turns into Apopka. It was ok. I find that this type of cuisine is rarely very good and often very bad. I am satisfied if it is in the not very bad category. Like this place. I mean ground or cubed meat and bitter herbs can only aspire so far. Like geometric art. I had a ground meat (kofte) platter - lamb for $12 and a starter bowl of cacik - yogurt with mint, dill and cucumber for $6. Let's start with the cacik. How does 25 cents worth of watery yogurt justify a $6 price tag? Maybe it is the half a pita they serve with it or the essence of cucumber. Not that this was bad. It's just an industry wide outrage. It's a dip/side. It should be free or $2 max. But, I guess it is like trading with a team that has a poor minor league system. They over value the talent in their bare coffers. The lamb was ok. Four "thumb to middle finger" sized patties. Not much if any seasoning. Tough. Stringy. It came with "soggy to wet" rice, a salad of lettuce and parsley and a tiny cup of tzatziki. The soda came in a can and since they poured the contents into a glass, I'm not sure I got the whole can. The main issue (I think) is that the owner/cook is a one man band and looked disinterested/hung over. Let's hope it was an off day. The interior is pretty bare. The kitchen/grill is on the right in the back. Five or six light wood benches round out the rest of the room. They have some travel posters of Turkey on the wall. I'm not putting it in the "very bad" category because the other employee (owner's wife?) was nice about boxing up the large portion and she also gave another table's child some crayons to play with. Plus a few guys on the patio said they love the place. Plus the gyro meat wasn't pre-sliced. See I am not always so inflexible. The menu has the usual stuff plus four seafood options. Now the name may be an "in-sultan" comparison to Turkish royalty , but, I've seen and tasted alot worse around town. A step above a take out gyro place. A small step.

Luke's Kitchen and Bar, Maitland

I tried this fairly new (1 month?) entrant from the folks at Luma/Prato at lunch on Sunday. I was worried that it being Mother's Day it might have been the wrong call. However, I found a seat at the bar and the food came out quickly. I had a roasted green bean bowl with prosciutto, poached egg, zucchini, potato cubes, radish and some kind of "crackle" on top. They subbed in snow peas for the green beans, so, it wasn't exactly like the rustic breakfast dish they were trying to riff on. It was still good. A better quality of prosciutto (and green beans) would have helped. They prosciutto was hard to separate into bite sized pieces. They could cut it into strips for you. The concoction was served in a tiny bowl that made eating it akin to performing micro-surgery. It was on the brunch menu. It cost $12. I also had a Lobster Louie ceviche for $14. The "Louie's" I have had were usually made with French dressing. This version consisted of tiny (probably actual homard) lobster tails (sub one pounders), cherry tomatoes, mayo and lemon or lime juice. It's a smart pairing. The juice adds a clarifying quality that contrasts the savoriness of the mayo and vica-verca. Ceviche can be a bit astringent. Adding the mayo tempers the bitterness and adds body. They served the fair sized portion in scallop shells (3). I was very pleased with the choices I made. The rest of the menu was pretty derivative. Things like burgers and fish sandwiches and roasted chicken. All were "funkified" in some way and the quality of the ingredients have provenance. The dishes I saw my neighbors eating looked good. The portions were big. Prices were all over the place. Some things were bargains and some things were overpriced. Choose wisely. Things topped out in the high twenties. The floor was in the teens. I forgot to check what was "on offer" on the dinner menu. The place looks good. I don't want to go into a whole dissertation on it though. They tore down the old Napa-whatever it was and now it's an open room floor plan with a bar in front and open kitchen in the back. There is a patio on the right. The thing I remember most is wood. Lots of wood. It's similar in look and feel to many of places that have opened lately. Think Earl's at Millenia. Service was perfect. No real complaints overall. I just don't get why they went this route. It's not really that much different than Luma. Maybe a tad more casual? It's at 640 South Orlando Ave/17-92 near the Enzian. Across from Antonio's. Probably will make the Favorite's list in the $$$ category.

Tomoka Brewing Company, Port Orange

This place was not on that Sentinel list. I found it in a local magazine. Plus I've had their beer, so I wanted to see the brewery. This is a brewery/restaurant. It is at 4967 South Cyde Morris Blvd. That is around a quarter mile on the right if you make a left off SR 421/Dunlawton. Second left, I think. Not sure what exit is off 95. I take 46 to 95 or I4 to Daytona and backtrack one exit on 95 to get to 421. I came here on my way back from the TPC on Saturday night. I just wanted to try a flight, but, it was dinner time and I knew I'd be too tired to go out locally, so I tried some of the food. I didn't order anything "difficult", but, I liked what they gave me. I had a bowl of their green chili for $6 and a table prepared bowl of guac and chips for $10. The chili had some pork in it, but, was very vegetable oriented. More of a ratatouille. Pretty hot. Came with some soft tortillas for some reason. The guac seemed endless. I almost made myself sick finishing it. So filling. It would have been as good as it can get if they mixed the onions, etc more evenly. Chips were fresh. also, came with a sweet tomato salsa. They also have a pretty inclusive menu and "major" in pizza. A step above "sports bar" food. The place looks nice. I mostly remember polished wood. They had sports on tv. A big bar on the right. Service was great. The stuff came out fast. It seemed popular. And the beer was good. One of the more pleasant experiences I've had in Port Orange. And there is some kind of old timey ice cream stand on the corner. Rittner's? Ritter's? Will try it next time i'm in town.

Pat's Riverfront Cafe, Port Orange

I had lunch at here on Friday. It is located at the Seven Seas Marina at 3300 South Peninsula Dr (make a left after the bridge on Dunlawton Ave). It's a little dive that is open for breakfast and lunch (7am to 2pm). It is on the river/intercoastal. I had a fried flounder and FF plate for $9 because they were talking about catching flounder in Jacksonville on the radio. I'm not sure if these were local or prepared there of just defrosted as is. The quality left me uncertain. I could make an argument for any of those possibilities. However, what it lacked in quality was made up for in quantity. Two giant pieces over a plate of french fries. They fry on both was good. And that's that. The place is dingy. My glass was sticky. Service was polite and efficient. They could have cleaned off the other tables more quickly. They serve typical breakfast stuff and burgers and sandwiches a a few rotating daily specials. Some Pennsylvania oddities like scrapple. Pat is a she. Cash only. One more place to go on that Sentinel list for this area. It re-opens (hurricane damage) in October.

Tin & Taco, Downtown

Ok. Cinco de Mayo present number two is this fast fresh Mexican spot on West Washington from the folks at Gringo's. Now why a Mexican place finds a need to open a slightly different Mexican place down the street is anybody's guess. I'm just glad they did. I had three tacos to go for $11. Two are $8. All were great. large. Stuffed. Cheese infused soft tortilla. The first was a pulled pork and pineapple one called Al Pastor. Number two was a ground beef and "usual toppings" one called Tacosaurus. And the piece de resistance was a bleu cheese, hot sauce, celery and pulled chicken one called Buffalo Soldier. Who knew thinly sliced celery would taste so good in a taco? And the bleu cheese! The rest of the menu is around four other riffs on each meat (ground beef, chicken and pork). You can get the ingredients in a bowl, burrito, etc. They also have a decent selection of craft beer. It's tiny and rectangular. Maybe a capacity of fifteen. Counter seats. Half the footage is taken up by the prep area. The decor is minimal. Wood back splash is the budget buster. They aren't open on Sundays. I suggest they rethink that if the Lions are playing. With the free Sunday parking, it might draw a lot of traffic.They have been open since the Fall, I think. Another winner. Will be on the Favorites list.

Mesa 21, Ivanhoe Village - Closed

I tried this new (one month) Mexican restaurant on N. Orange at the lake for lunch on Wednesday. It replaced Gargi's. I had been waiting forever for it to open. I think they first anticipated opening in the Fall and then in January or February. It was worth the wait and because Cinco de Mayo is tomorrow, I lost no time telling you about it. It is visually and gastronomically satisfying. You have the lake view of course. But, they did a bang up job with the remodel as well. The inside/outside dynamic is minimized by some elegant floor to ceiling glass. Even inside, you have a satisfactory view of the lake from almost all the west facing seats. The one exception is the cloth curtained "private room". I don't think they have a clear view. But that's what you get for putting on airs. They also "connect" the two bars with a designated byway for the bartenders. The result is that it doesn't feel like two restaurants and you can enjoy the AC without sacrificing the beauty outside. And they also have misters and fans on the deck. The layout also splits the seating in equal parts. Maybe there are a few more seats outside. I counted a rough 60 and 60 seats. The patio colors are black, white and orange. They copy that scheme and add some wood inside. The decor is what I think they are terming "steam house". Old black metal industrial objects with a concentration in things electrical. Think of the set of the Time Machine or any modern gastro-pub. They also have a fifties style sign and some decorative art. Great attention to detail. The tables are maple(?) inside and plastic outside. The cutlery is steel and the napkins are black cloth. It was about half full and filling up as I ate. Representative crowd. Even though they gave me the worst seat in the house (next to the rest rooms), I forgive them thanks to the beef carpaccio ($12) and Mexican Sampler ($13) I had.

The carpaccio seemed freshly prepared. Neither it nor the plate was stone cold. They were a little excessive with the seasoning and the toppings, but, who can really get too mad at generosity. The seasoning was some kind of chipotle powder and the toppings were diced tomatoes, onions and capers. They added some thinly cut jalapenos, oil and they "ceviched" it. I'm used to an Italian preparation, but, I'm not totally against "cooking" the meat a little for variety's sake. Maybe rename it something in Spanish then? This beef didn't need to be cooked. It was of a good quality. They also served it with some home made chips that came in a precious little fry basket. I could have stopped eating here. However, the Sampler was in the queue (so I could report back on the most objects for you) and I don't have to obey what my stomach tells me. The Sampler consisted of two cheese empanadas/tamales that they call quesadillas (because I think they just don't want to reprint the menus), two chicken taquitos and two chicken or pork sopes. All were great. Great quality cheese and fry and sweet batter on the empanadas. Covered with white crema. The sopes were tiny and a little chewy, but, sopes usually are chewy. They were piled high. Covered with lettuce tomato and crema. Bean base. The taquitos were great. Maybe the best I've eve had and I lived in LA for eight years. The shells were so light. No fear of cutting the roof of your mouth on them. Stuffed full. Wonderful. Covered with lettuce, cheese and crema. I used to get taquitos every Monday during my Senior year of undergrad. I would stop by the best Mexican spot near campus (after my internship at the talent agency) and bring them home and watch Monday Night Football. It's on at 6pm on the West Coast. I would have looked like fat Schmidt on New Girl if these taquitos were sold back then and there. Or I would have had to extend my run to the Rose Bowl. The rest of the menu is a mix of old favorites (classed up) and chances. They have soups, a rib platter and Veracruz fish and steak for example. That end of the menu gets a little pricey (up to $28). However, I'd expect them to make it worth your while. The bar is also loaded with a decent selection og scotch and whiskey and tequila and wine and beer. Beers were only $4-$5. Wine was around three times retail. They have a glassed in tortilla making kitchen.

Service was great. Friendly. Attentive (3 refills). Quick. Music was at an acceptable level. Mix of Latin and Pop. The manager/owner was a task master. He was making sure everything was in order. With a guy like that running his finger over every nook and cranny, you can rest easy knowing that everything is in order. That and that great view push this newbie (original location somewhere west of Orlando) beyond the other "upscale" Mexican places I have reviewed this year (and in the past). The tasty food might have been enough on it's own. However, just like the decor, the devil is in the details and they are straight up evil. The one sticking point is the parking. There isn't much. They have a valet. But, I will not trust them. I saw Ferris Buellar. Maybe you'll be lucky like me and find a spot on the street. That said, you shouldn't be mesa'ing around and ignoring this great newcomer. Will be on the Favorites list.

Did you hear some comedians (Jimmy Fallon?) take on Cinco de Mayo. He said "Someone (probably Trump) thinks it means a sink full of mayonnaise."

PSA - Bloating Triggers

According to television (and has it ever lied to you?) these foods/actions increase bloating:

Broccoli
Roast Beef (cured)
Turkey (cured)
Corn
Pears
Apples
Drinking through a straw

These counter-act bloating:

Sauerkraut
Cucumbers
Miso Soup

Reel Fish, Winter Park

I had lunch at this Ravenous Pig replacement yesterday. I suspect you understood (by the name) that it is a seafood restaurant. It has been open for over a month. I had a chilled peel and eat shrimp app for $10 and the ceviche of the day for $11. The shrimp (9) were iffy. They looked nice and fresh, but, they were soft and sticky and mouldering. All signs of age. I suspect that they cooked them on Friday. They were closed on Monday, so, Sunday would have been the closest day that they were prepped. If not, then they have some uncomfortable conversations ahead with their monger. Now realize that I didn't get ill from them. I just played Russian roulette and suffered through some pasty shrimp. The ceviche (of all things) was fresher. It was a mix of grouper and hogfish (snapper). They marinated (cooked) it with three juices (orange, lemon and lime). The orange tempered some of the bitterness. The portion size was generous. They added some onion, tomato and avocado. But, it was mostly fish. Plus the tomato was sweet (a necessary but almost ignored touch) and they cut the avocado into similar size pieces (another thing people are often too lazy to do). I don't like ceviche as a cooking method even when done properly. It's a primordial method of thinking and coping. Just serve it raw if you are going to go down this path. The result is always too bitter and the fish gets tough. And if they are too cheap to use fresh juice (or juice at all)! Forget about it. I've had it many times seared with vinegar! However, this is about as good as it is going to get. The rest of the menu (and why I ordered these prone to disappoint dishes) is pretty dull. The one interesting thing (a burger with fried oysters on top) was a special and cost $18. The rest of the menu (at least at lunch - I forgot to look at the dinner menu) consisted of fried calamari, fried fish (cod) sandwich, fish soup, salads (mostly non-seafood), chicken sandwich, fish dip and a few more "immemorables". The special was a fried hogfish. Now I never understood why someone wanted to open a seafood restaurant here with Winter Park Seafood down the street and Mitchell's, Lombardi's, and the one on Park Ave already established. And those were just off the top of my head and I don't live there. Plus that doesn't take into account the places that have some seafood on their menu or sushi restaurants. Seafood isn't priced for it to be an every day affair. It's an indulgence for most people (even in WP). And who would eat it every day anyway? Even Arthur Bach believed that "fish must awfully tired of seafood". Is there room for them? I heard them pitching the fried angle. If so, then you spent too much on the remodel (and likely the rent). Are you high end or low end? You look (and price) on the high end. I'm not saying that I didn't like you or that I didn't even prefer you. I didn't get a big enough sample size to tell. I just wonder who your market research guy was. This is a packed field.

The place is broken into three rooms. The bar. The main (middle) room. The raw bar/casual room. The ceiling is composed of those gilded/etched tiles that mimic a more glamorous era. The color scheme is white and black with touches of blue. The decor is a hodge podge. The overall look is appealing. Service was polite, knowledgeable and efficient. The china was new, white and modern. It was pretty empty at 1pm. Parking may be a problem.

It was what I expected. No better than its competitors in any discernible way. They need a hook to avoid becoming the Lorde of the bunch.

T Baar, Lake Mary - Closed

I had a honeydew melon milk tea at this Asian beverage outpost on Monday. It cost $3.50. It was fine. I'm not into milkshakes masquerading as health food like some of you perpetual pre-adolescents. This place (open three days) must be a chain I am unaware of. Everything seemed too honed. They took over the spot next to Cavallari's that been the demise of so many dreams in the past. Maybe they can stem the tide. The last Asian style dessert/beverage place in recent memory was Beard Papa's on 46. So, there is no competition in this sub-genre. They also serve smoothies, lemonade and non-milk tea. You can add in boba, etc. A new one on me were these jell-o like cubes they called jelly. They also listed (but did not display) a pastry.

The District, Sanford

I had dinner at this new American restaurant on 2nd St this Friday. I had tried to do lunch when it first opened, but, I was misled by an employee. They hadn't opened for lunch yet. The waitress said they are open now. You can still sense some of that new venture confusion. They opened about six weeks ago. The first thing that I was told was that it was a "scratch" kitchen and that things are cooked to order. Translation - the kitchen doesn't have it's act together yet. Didn't matter to me. I wasn't in a rush or hungry. Surprisingly, my meal was unaffected. I had the pork rib eye for $22. It was a plump, bone in "chop" with a berry (forget which) compote, Boursin flavored mashed potatoes and broccoli rabe. I don't love fruit with my meat (I remember being confused when Peter Brady asked for pork chops and apple sauce), I prefer vegetables. They also may want to reconsider the less is more maxim. However, can you really get overly mad at generosity? The potatoes were very good. They seemed to reverse gears here. The Boursin wasn't very noticeable. I wasn't longing for it anyway, so, it didn't change my opinion of the execution. The rabe (the odd reason I ordered the dish) was fine. Plain. Maybe some oil. Side note - rabe and a hoppy IPA is a toxic combo. The plating was more aesthetic than utilitarian. They piled the chop on the potatoes. You needed to rearrange things to cut the meat. The menu was smallish. Four apps and five mains. The apps were a deviled egg thing, tuna tacos, and two I've already forgotten. The main were shrimp and grits, filet mignon, a pasta (I think) and another dish so blase that I've forgotten it a mere three days later. And that is my main criticism. It's just so "normal". There isn't a real draw. Now, I know that bodes well for any new establishment around here. Not many suffer as much from gastronomic (and the regular kind) ennui as I do. Not many grave distraction. A nice, normal place has a place in downtown Sanford. The real competition in this genre is Smiling Bison and they aren't open for lunch and their experimental ethos (maybe it isn't anymore - I haven't been there in a while) and menu choices may scare people. Perhaps this the way to go. The Honda Accord isn't the best selling car because it's cutting edge. And the room was full when I was there. Speaking of the room. There is a bar room on the right. It has seats at the counter, a communal table in the center and two or three four tops at the window. The room on the right had a bunch of four seaters on the left wall, two two seaters and a group table in the center and a few two or four seaters on the right wall. The decor is cute. Uncluttered. The color scheme is mostly light blue and white with black tossed in. They are emulating that shabby chic/ farmhouse chic style that all the gastro pubs and modern southern places love. Like I said, I wasn't blown away. I didn't see one thing on the menu (an ingredient, a flavoring, a technique) that I hadn't seen (many times) before. The shrimp in the shrimp and grits I saw a few tables eating seemed tiny. The menu would be small for lunch let alone dinner. The bar had craft beer, but, most places do now. Sanford, alone, has two (about to be three) breweries and a few beer-centric bars. The place looked nice and the service was excellent. But, there are few places I return to because of my desire to see (eat) it all. I don't think District made a strong enough impression to lure me back, but, it's good to know it's there the next time I come to try out a new restaurant in Sanford that Yelp and Google say is open but really isn't. An entree will run you anywhere from $16 to $28. It's a pretty fair value.

*FYI - La Sirena Gordita is closed and Celery City took over the spot. They are also going to refurb their old space one door down. The new brewery isn't open yet.

Grub Crawl - Downtown: Taco 68 and Ruby's

I ate this places downtown on Sunday afternoon. Did you know that the parking (at meters) is free on Sunday?

Taco 68 - The Basement on Pine opened this around a year ago and they are down to two days (T for dinner and Sn after noon). I had the Court Avenue which was listed as steak for $9. It was brisket. The meat was plentiful, but, bland. They give you two soft tacos. They dress them with raw jalapeno slices, onions, cilantro and an avocado cream. They also serve it with a side of salsa and chips. That puts it past the penny pinchers at Chipotle. They also do a chicken, shrimp and a few pulled pork tacos. The apps are nachos, salsa, wings and waffle fries.

Ruby's - This place on Orange and Central was Whitewood or Fire or something then Baba's and now (four months) this. Still a Middle Eastern menu throughout. I grabbed an arayes with beef because I think I had never had one. It was ground beef on a pita. It was supposed to come with tzatziki, but, it was forgotten about. That hurt. It was ok. No real flavor. It cost $7. Nothing life changing going on here. At least they don't serve pre-formed gyro patties.

The only new things downtown were some taco restaurants that I will dispatch with soon. I walked to the soccer stadium. It looks hastily built on the outside. Already looks run down and cheap. A shame. I would like to take the opportunity to thank management for dispatching Brek Shea and bringing in some excellent defense men. Now if they can just 86 Poo Poo for some one who exerts himself and doesn't run like a girl with her arm flying left and right instead of up and down. Such a useless pretty boy. I'd rather have Marta.