Bombay Chaat Cafe, Longwood *CO/KS Travel Notes

I tried this little stall at the Spice House market on 434 (near 17-92) on Saturday. What I purchased served as lunch and dinner. I was told about it by some people I met at Genetic Brewery a few months ago. Since they are only open on the weekends (and I am always wary of Indian before travel on a plane), it took me a while to follow up. Glad I did. They serve a "street food" menu representative of Bombay (Mumbai). Or so I'm told. Never been. I tried Batata Vada (baked balls similar to samosa) at $3 for 2. Same potato, etc filling in a thin, baked dough. Probably chick pea flour. Healthier than samosa. Not as tasty though. Fried is better. Whodda thunk it. Just at the edge of tolerable (heat wise) for most pale skins. It came with that black liquid (dipping sauce) that I think is tamarind and vinegar. I also tried two of the special meals. The first was Ragdha patties at $6. This is a fried potato "cutlet" covered in a green pea sauce. Ragdha is the stew. Not sure what was in what, but, there were flavors of onion, chutney and tomato. Not spicy. The "sauce" had whole peas in it. Starchy and still thin. Too much sauce to cutlet. I had to use the extra as a dip. Topped with some fried sticks like they put on lo mein. For dinner I had the Samosa Chaat at $6. This was what they do with leftover samosas. They tear them apart and cover them with bhel poori. Chick peas, tomato, onion, sev (noodles), chutney, tamarind sauce and yogurt. It was ok. Bigger portion than the Ragdha. Liked the yogurt element. They made all the dishes to order. The menu was pretty big. One man and daughter (I think) operation. Open for a year. I think the market has had other people in this spot. I'm not sure where exactly you can try Bombay style street food. That alone warrants a visit. I had no intestinal issues. All the items are vegetarian. In today's grab and go world, I think this type of place is right up our alley. The market is good as well.

*Travel Notes - CO/KS: A few things I tried on my last trip. Still unaffected by the scary plague. Ham and Turkey on an inverted bun at Professor's Sandwich Shop in Hays KS. Actually made the bun taste worse. Tahk Omakase Sushi (not cheap) in Steamboat Springs had red cut throat. That turned out to be a river trout. A few places were offering pickled mushrooms. Not a new food thing, but, the Huntington House Tavern at the Grand Lake Lodge in CO had a great view. Last food thing was a venison jerky bar at Natural Grocers near the airport in Denver. Oh yeah and smoked gouda potato chips at a gas station (their brand) in Colorado Springs CO. Good brewery in Breckenridge CO. Broken Compass.

Greek To Go, Maitland - Closed

 I tried this Greek spot on North Orlando (17-92) on Monday afternoon. It's between the light rail station and the new condo complexes. In a strip mall. Near that drive in looking sandwich place (Snappy's?) that must be a million years old. I grabbed a beef and lamb gyro to go for $7. It was par for the course. A bit better perhaps. The meat was pre-carved. I hate that. But, they said the fuzz won't let them keep the meat on the rotisserie for more than two hours. Not sure if that is bs. In any case, it was ok. Veg were fresh. Pita was warm and fluffy. Tzatziki was fine. They serve pork, beef and chicken gyros and platters. Falafel. Typical side dishes. Dolmades. Spanakopita. Tiropita (cheese pie). I think I saw a sign for weekend fish specials. Open for five months. A few seats. rectangular flow. A few decorations. I remember tables made from (atop) barrels. 

*My trip here was circuitous to say the least. I tried for a place at Apna Bazaar (I forgot it is closed on Monday) all the way down OBT. Didn't they used to be nearer to Sand Lake Rd? Then backtracked through downtown to East End Market. Tried to find the fried chicken sandwich guy. Found out it was a truck and had moved out. Bakery (Old Hearth?) and place across the aisle had closed. FYI. Then on to Meatball Stoppe on Lake Underhill (near 436). It says on the net that they are open for lunch. Nah. Opens at 3pm for some reason. Then I tried moving on to Winter Park and Big Belly Grindz on Aloma. Out of business. Tried sushi at a place in Maitland. Boku or something. Sign and door info says open for lunch. Fourth time. On different days and times. Never open. So I ended up at Greek. I saw alot of closures driving around will have to update you. One more after this one. Will include some trip updates.

World of Magic, International Drive

I've had two restaurants on my list and in my mind for months, but, Wu Flu and the fact that they are both on I Drive and only open at night has made intercourse impossible until now. Both serve cuisines from countries I haven't had the pleasure of often or at all. This one serves up Saudi Arabian fare. Never had that to my knowledge. I popped in on Sunday night near closing (8pm for a 9pm close). I grabbed braised or stewed lamb on rice to go (you can dine in). It cost $16. The menu only has around eight choices. Not sure if that is a Wu Flu menu. Chicken, lamb, fish or vegetables (ie okra) over rice. My lamb was very good. Six or more pieces. I'm not Dexter (remember him), but, I think I saw some rib bones and some vertebrae. I thought it was chopped up shank, but, the bones were very slender for an appendage. The meat around the bones peeled off easily. Not dry. Good, natural flavor. Not gamey. Fresh. You probably could have sucked marrow out of the bones. It came with a salsa like tomato sauce (unnecessary) that I used to make a freaky Italian style sausage sandwich in proceeding days. Pretty sure that was a sacrilege. I also used said sausage in another leftovers' dinner with the basmati rice it came with. They piled on so much (an entire square styrofoam container) I used it for three separate meals. I presume it was saffron rice. It was yellow. I know some people chintz with tumeric, but, I think that has a distinct taste I didn't get. The rice was fresh and tender. A very well crafted meal. Prepared fast. But not too fast if you know what I mean. I'm not sure I'm remotely qualified to explain Saudi cuisine based on this one experience and some cursory questions I proposed, but, it seemed a bit more Indian influenced than Mediterranean. Blander though. Even blander than Persian. Less bitter herbs too. But, I could be way off. I think the lamb was the most expensive dish. The room is square. Not a ton of decor. A Royal Flush painting. Some iron chandeliers with glass ornaments that always remind me when me and my friends used to piss my step dad off by unhooking them and pretending they were diamonds. Thin stone walls in the back. Black plethor chairs. Wood tables. A tinny gray color scheme. There was one table (Saudis I think) seated and four guys bs'ing outside. Seems like a family run place. The young man I ordered from said the get alot of tourists (usually). Some from India. I'm not sure if the Kingdom of Saud imports as many workers from abroad as its neighbors. Maybe Saudi cuisine is more well known than it would seem if they do? They have been open for four years. So sad no one clued me in until this year. Open every night. You have to try it just to be a say you are a citizen of the World (get it?). Worth a flyer on quantity alone. It is next to the Nile Ethiopian restaurant off I Drive in a crappy strip mall. Around where that Titanic Experience (is it CSI now?). Aside a hotel. Halfwayish between Sand Lake and Kirkman.

*There is/was a place called Jerusalem (not one of the two places I was eager to try) nearby on I Drive. I think it is closed. It would help if they were ever open or put up some notification or "for rent" sign in the window. A new Taco Bell opened on I Drive.

Grub Crawl - Altamonte Springs: Grattin Dog and Nick's Pizzeria

 I grabbed some food to go from these two replacement eateries (Sugar Sow and Tamale Co) aside the gas station on 436 near the train tracks (and station) around twelve days ago at dinner.

Grattin Dog - It's a Colombian burger, dogs, wings, etc play. I just grabbed a Colombian sausage ($4) to go out of curiosity (and I wasn't hungry). It was damn good. Although, probably just purchased and reheated. Still good. Long. Pork. Slight flavor of garlic and cumin. Served atop an arepa. White corn. Could have been cooked longer. They said they make their own empanadas (4 types). They also sell salchipapa, choripapa and salchifries. The burgers looked ok. They have some tricked out ones with cheese melted on top of the bun for around 10 bucks. That is the 'grattin" in the name. I surmise it's from the French "gratin". Maybe that how it is spelled in Spanish. Or a bastardization. Dogs start at $6. See why I chose the sausage? They are from Bogota. Seemed like a two man op. Open everyday. 9pm on week nights. 1am on F and Sa. In the Tamale space. Open for ten months.

Nick's Pizzeria - In the Sugar Sow space. One regular and one Sicilian slice (because they were down to the last slice in the cooked pie). $2 and $3 a piece. Fine. Typical NY style. Neutral sauce. Sicilian wasn't dense. Crisp bottom. The menu states that they are trying to do a full service out of a band box. Calzone, stromboli, pasta, subs, salads, wraps, apps, desserts. They seemed nice. Guy and his girl (or a girl). Open one month. 7 days a week. 10 to 9 Sn-Th. 10 to 10 Fr and Sa. Give both a try.

Grub/Pub Crawl - New Smyrna Beach: Norwood's Eatery and Bar and Sugar Works Distillery

 I tried these two places around ten days ago. The first is on the left after the light after the overpass over the intercoastal. The second is before the overpass on the right in a strip mall behind a Wawa.

Norwood's Eatery and Bar - This was the first place I tried on my first visit to NSB. It was pre-blog. I sat in the "treehouse". It is an elevated area above the restaurant. It brings out the Swiss Family Robinson in me. I had a shrimp cocktail ($10) and the seafood pot pie ($13.50). The shrimp (8) in the cocktail were fairly good. Decent size. Decent firmness. Eight is alot. I was happy with that selection. The pie was also good. A little odd. It had a floor and a ceiling but no walls. Or - no walls of crust. I've had it (lazily) topped with a shell. But, I've never seen it "carpeted" with one. It was supposed to come with fish and shellfish. I believe I encountered three types of fish. Salmon (easy to spot). Mahi (what they said would be in there). And maybe tilefish (or some tougher species cut into chunks). All good. For scraps. It also came with 4 shrimp, 2 scallops (no abductor muscle but likely not cookie cut fish), Diced carrots and peas. White sauce. No complaints. Very filling. The menu has most of what you'd expect at a seafood restaurant. They try and upscale it a bit. Downstairs there is an ashram type patio (Buddha themed). Inside are two bars. One small one for the hard stuff. One inside where they usually are. The tree house also has a bar. It's decor is gray colored wood and glass windows, The inside seats around seventy. Maybe the same outside. Service was good. Plating was clean. Parking is adequate. It was pretty full for 2pm. Still one of the better options in town. They have been in business for a while.

Sugar Works Distillery - Open two years. Ex-architect/professor owner. Whiskey, rum and moonshine. 3 types of each. I bought their regular rum for $25. Haven't tried it yet. They said they are available in over 70 restaurants and bars (mostly locally). Place looks new and clean and nice. Smallish. Good swag.

*I have three more posts (local) coming this week. Probably will put a free day between them.

Gram's Kitchen, Deland

 After I found out plan A was a buffet, I grabbed an egg and sausage breakfast burrito to go at this little cafe I passed on the way from I-4 off 44 to New York Ave. That was about ten days ago. They have another location on New York Ave and one in Orange City. I think I've been to the one on New York. This site's terrible search function couldn't find it. So here we go. The burrito cost $4 ($5 with tax and a small tip). It was ok. Small. I could have bought 4 similar ones at McDonald's. Needless to say, I wasn't overwhelmed. They have the same "cafe" menu that they all have. Breakfast and sandwiches and burgers and salads. Some lunch special meals and a fish and a steak dinner. They are closing at 4pm at this location.. It looks like a little house. Not especially charming or clean. Painted saws are the main motif. This is the original location. Breakfast served all day.

Grub Crawl - Sand Lake Rd: Mr Puffs and American Social *MN/MI Travel Notes

I'm going to put these together in one post, although they are a few miles apart on Sand Lake Rd. The first is outside the food court entrance (near Shake Shack) at the Florida Mall. The second is in the strip mall near Universal on the way to Dr Phillips (the one with Ocean Prime). This is fucking great. I just saved this and it didn't. Here we go again. Man my first one was better.

Mr Puffs - This is the Justin Trudeau (sans black face) of dessert shops. A Canadian chain that looks good but can't even best Dunkin Donuts and Baskin Robbins. They sell little grease balls that I think they think are choux. I had a combo for $8.50. That gave me six of these fritters and a shake. The munchkins had a crisp shell. Slathered in maple syrup (my topping). Too sweet. Too much. They give you fork picks too eat them with. The blueberry shake was soft serve chemicals and water than had no blueberry taste. Small serving. They opened this week. It looks ok but... I was here to also try a place called Crepe Delicioso or something. No sign of them. Another kiosk inside called Crepe 4 U or something was new and open. I also noticed we have a Carlo's Bakery here too. I wonder if I reviewed them?

American Social Bar & Kitchen - They replaced Bar Loiuie. Two FSU guys. The menu is from a gastro pub fantasy draft. Sprouts, za, burgers, pretzels, avocado toast, tacos, pork belly, wings... you get the picture. I had the lunch special ($10.50 with a soda) because this was not where I prepared myself to dine and nothing seemed too interesting or within execution. I settled on the mahi tacos (2) over the club sandwich or burger. It came with chips. I'd rather it had come with one of the other sides. Couldn't match the main with the side I wanted. It was better than I expected. Maybe fresh fish. Slaw, corn and spicy mayo. The soda had a problem at the tap. The menu has two possible winners. A steak frites on the "large plates" section and a raw bar with poke, oyster and shrimp options. The place is big. Bad layout. The main booths are next to the kitchen door or bathrooms. Left and right side of room feel separated when you are in a booth. Most table are high tops. Patio in front. Large bar front and center. Longer left to right than front to back. DJ Booth. Restoration Hardware look. Life Magazine posters. Service (1) was good. Six people dining. Nothing life changing, but, better than Bar Louie.

*Travel Notes - MN/MI: Things on the menu in MN and MI. Chicken salad mixed with wild rice and fried walleye sandwich in MN. Pannu Kaku (Finnish pancake) and thistle berry glazed donut at Jamsen's Bakery in Copper Harbor MI. Smoked fish chowder and fried white fish sandwich at Four Suns in Hancock MI. Tuna fish mixed with macaroni, sour cream lemon pie and ham spread at Pat's Food in Hancock MI. They seemed to like to add pasta to lots of dip type stuff or vice versa.

Taqueria Las Cazuelas, East Colonial (50)

 I tried this Mexican spot in the short lived Gyroville spot (strip mall west of UCF area) on 50 last Tuesday. I grabbed four tacos to go and ate them in the car. They all cost $2 except for the lengua. It cost an extra 50 cents. I also tried a barbacoa, a carnitas and a carne asada. They also offer pollo, pastor, nopales, pescado, camaron, salchicha (hot dog), jamon and milanesa (breaded). They also sell those as tortas, burritos, quesadilla, sopes, gorditas, chimichanga, tostadas, bowls, salad and nachos. They also offer up some more complex dishes such as: flautas, enchiladas, fajitas, parillada, chuletas (pork chops), arracher a la plancha (grilled skirt steak), pechuga asada (grilled chicken breast) and caldo de res (beef soup). They also do breakfast (all day) and seafood like: shrimp cocktail, soup, two shrimp dishes and two tilapia filets. They do a menudo de res and pozole on the weekends. They also have guac and elote. The handheld stuff tops out at $10 for the chimi. The others at $17 for the shrimp parillada. I had onion and cilantro on my tacos. You can "supreme" them (lettuce, cheese, sour cream and tomato) for 25 cents. My tacos were overflowing. Two would have been enough. The beef ones were a little bland. The pork was tastier. The only issue was the tortillas. They were not warmed/grilled enough. I want to say not at all. And the hot sauce was just pureed peppers. They may have gone bad. That or they just naturally made my insides boil over. I was expecting way less from this place. It was better than I could have hoped for. Every town needs one of these. Unfortunately, my town does not have one. I believe they opened under six months ago.

Phoresh, Curry Ford Rd

 I grabbed an eye round steak pho to go from this Pho+ spot on South Chickasaw Trail just off Curry Ford Rd (old Pizzeria Roberti spot) on Tuesday around three pm. It's hard to report on the quality because I brought it home for dinner and nuked the broth and meat. That said, the meat quality seemed good and the broth and add ins seemed similar to almost every pho I've been offered. Fresh though. I doubt they make their own broth. It cost $10. The rest of the menu has beef ball, flank or brisket options. Plus white or dark meat chicken and crispy or regular tofu on the pho side. They also have the Vietnamese rice or vermicelli options for chicken, pork, tofu or spring roll toppers. They also have summer rolls, special summer rolls and spring rolls. They go off script with a Roti Paratha cake (Malayasian I think), fried rice, pad thai, baos, yum squid (Thai I think) and chicken wings tossed in garlic butter and fish sauce (wish I saw that but probably a fat bomb). Pad Thai is the most dear at $11. The rest was in low to middle single digits. The place looks different. They put the kitchen on the left. I think they opened less than six months ago. I've been encouraging Vietnamese places to break out. This wasn't what I was thinking of, but, it does make it more interesting. If I lived closer, I would give the other items a taste. Love the word play on the name.

*I forgot to add on the last diatribe against the Orwellian food police that they are going to bring in the big tech giants like Google (now I'm really going to be banned) to use AI (ala China) to "monitor" all the data collected from the food supply network. Including all that data from your "rewards" programs.

Bao's Castle, SoDo - Closed

 I tried this bao shop almost two weeks ago at lunch. I grabbed a Mad King and a Baoser's Buddy to go. One was short rib and the other was pork belly. I can't remember which was which. The King cost $4.50. The Buddy cost $4.25. They were ok. Pre-prepped stuff slapped together. The bun was a little cold. The toppings not so fretted over. They had six or so others. A breakie and a vegan one, I think. A fried chicken one. That's all I remember. They are in that older condo complex with the Target. Near Michigan. On South Orange and West Crystal Lake. The place is small. Some (what I think are) Mario Bros (or cart) murals. It's also dawning on me that the names are derived from that franchise. It has been a while since I played. There aren't a ton of bao places in town, so, I wouldn't fault you for trying it. They could put in a little more effort though. It's more of a defensive fort now. I think they opened a few months ago.

*Some random facts about pork I've heard over the last few days. Pork ribs should shrink back from the ends of the bone when cooked long enough. Stevie Raichlen says. He also showed an interesting recipe for "mustard seed caviar". You soak them in vinegar. In areas near Muslim countries, pork can surprisingly be on the local menu. It is because those conquered peoples knew the Muslims wouldn't steal pigs. Remember those outbreaks in slaughterhouses a few months back that they said were necessary to keep the food supply chain open. The ones at Smithfield sent most of (if not all) the food to Va-China. 

That reminds me. Did I write about how the government is now using the plandemic to monitor the food supply chain? They are using some law/regulation enacted to protect our military's supply chain from bad actors on agriculture because that is now seen as essential. Not only is Big Brother on board,  Big Businesses (like Walmart and Amazon and Tyson and Cargill) love it because it creates administrative hardships ($) on smaller competitors and gives them all sorts of information on the merchandise and the end user. Every sub-component will be chipped and cataloged. Every non-compliant item/supplier will be excluded. They will use DNA sampling and the like to trace back the origins of "black market" items and producers. If you use "improper" seed for instance, they will trace it back to you and do lord knows what. Fun times. But, who cares? We can shake our asses on Tik Tok.

Sixty Vines, Winter Park

I tried this Texas based California cuisine chain at dinner over a week ago. It's in that new strip mall across from Trader Joe's (insert spi-Cola joke here) on Orlando Ave (17-92). It was better than I expected. It's big. Five 10 seaters in the middle. Big bar in between main dining room and large enclosed patio by the road. High tops between the bar and the ten seaters. Seats by the pizza oven and behind the high tops. Probably seats 100+. It has a Restoration Hardware feel/look. Light wood. Black and white tones. Exposed kitchen. The menu wasn't very large. Fair prices. I had a half order of the pappardelle with short ribs and carrots. The pasta was good. Thick. Nice bite. It cost $10. I had the Lemon Roasted Chicken (half a chicken) for $18 as an entree. It was also good. Good skin. A tad dry for some. My social climbing step family believes that the rarer the meat, the rarer the breeding. My, non-downstairs, part of the family believe real people of breeding make the rules. As such, a firmer bird is not a sign of poor execution. I concur. I don't like a slimy texture to my fowl. I find it foul. I will also trade some moisture for a crispier skin. The dish came with roasted potatoes. There were alot of them. Nice flavor. A few chunks were under cooked. The rest of the menu had more lunch type items than I expected. Sandwiches, dips, burgers. I believe they had a chop and a steak. And pizza. They looked good going by. A few more things. Maybe a fish. I kind of remember a Noah's Ark approach. Except one of every kind instead of two. They opened March 16. Only one in Florida. They also had booze. They just stopped offering bottles of wine (the waiter said they are selling them off if you want to make an offer). They use "kegs" and sell by the size (4). Service was very good. They started serving lunch this week. I'd recommend that you try it. It might squeak into the Favorites. I'd write more, but, these dicks at blogger have changed their platform once again and my browser isn't working well with it. 

*I'll have some trip info in future posts. I have around four or five more to catch up on this week. Be ready for a new one almost every day

Grub Crawl - Winter Park: Git N Messy BBQ (Moved), Twisted Root Burger Co and Light on the Sugar Bakery Cafe *LV Travel Notes

I went to these three establishments (all close to each other on opposite sides off Aloma and Hall Rd) on Friday at lunch. I sat at the middle one and grabbed stuff to go from the others. I'd like to interject some thoughts on Orlando that I had while driving around and back from the airport. The greater CF area is depressing. Between the heat and the I-4 debacle and the shuttered stores, it reminded me of the days after a hurricane hits. We should be glad fewer people are seeing us in our dishabille. I also wondered, how masks work when I still have to be six feet away from people, the case rate didn't decline at all in the two weeks (or weeks before when counties started mandating them) I was away and how can 80 to 90 percent of tests be negative. Do you mean we are wasting 80 to 90 percent of our tests on hypochondriacs who don't have it? Is this how scared we've made people? And if they don't have it, what do they have? And how many positive tests are from the same person? If I test positive and then go back for more tests until I get two negatives, is each one of my positive tests added to the total like I'm a different person?

Git-N-Messy BBQ - Last weeks' Orlando Weekly stole my thunder and has a good article on the guy who runs this place so I won't give you his bio. Coincidentally, I knew something about him (before I learned he ran this) as well. I met him at Vera Asian in Lake Mary last year. This place is in a gas station. You see an old black smoker in the corner of the lot near Aloma. The counter is inside in the front. He serves: oversized pork sandwich, rib sandwich, Nashville hot chicken sandwich, brisket sandwich, Alabama white chicken sandwich, St Louis Style ribs, poutine, brisket dinner, 2 meat platter and sides and dessert. I tried the 2 meat platter (with two sides) for $18. The ribs (3) weren't divided into baby backs and the nubs. The whole McGillicuddy (we may all have to learn Biden-speak). They were a tad firm, but, most good. Probably just salt and pepper (and something zesty) in the rub. The other article says he's not into "fall of the bone" texture. Unfortunately, I am. He says the ribs go in for four hours. The brisket is in the sauna for sixteen hours. They (3 think, long slices) were also a little tougher than I like. I'd probably trim more of the fat cap off. Hardly any of it melted into the meat. Still good. Nice bark. Nice smoke. I have to confess that I ate some luke warm and some cold and some nuked for thirty seconds. They were best nuked. Fat and juices were present. Eating them timely could make your experience more representative (and pleasant). Still, he does a bang up job. Better than most in the area. I'd say better than 4 Rivers, but, that's hardly a compliment any more. I chose the mac n cheese and bbq beans as the sides. The mac was not a cheese bomb. I like it that way. This may have been a little too nakedly dressed. The beans were fine. Not a huge bean guy. The sauce was tangy. Nice sized servings of both. Couldn't be eaten in the first sitting. In fact, this platter broke down into three meals or supplements. I'll be back. The perfect type place for pandemic dining. Near Trinity Prep. Not sure of the hours. I think they opened three months ago.

Twisted Root Burger Co - I learned that they have a few locations in Texas. They had Guy Fieri's poster on the wall. One of those locations must have been on the show. That aside. I liked it a lot. Although an assembly line ordering process, it isn't assembly line quality. They offer regular burgers and a host (not all in season) of wild game meat. I think they were down to bison and venison. The toppings also delineate the types. I just tried the Freshman 15 because it had (what was supposed to be smashed fries of some sort) an interesting topping on it plus bacon, cheddar and a fried egg. Maybe the folks at Brick & Spoon should come here to see how to prepare an egg? The toppings were top notch. The cat's pajamas. Ooh Slappy Joe, we're on a roll now. The temp on the burger was as I asked. The bun was fresh and good. The egg had hard whites and a runny yolk. It came out lickety split. The only (minor) disappointments were the sparse amount of average fries and the molded geometry of the burger. A sloppy, hand molded one always seems more expensive (and fresher) and crafted to me. The meat had a beefy (aged) flavor that I hope is intentional. It cost under $10. The place looks nice. Gastro-pubby. Gray tones. Big picnic tables and booths. *I just typed picicnic with an I in the middle and it was spell checked. What was up with the guys who invented Yogi Bear? Why would he purposely mislead children? A "real" bar area. There were around four tables seated. Some at the bar. A very decent value. I didn't love the weirdo craft sodas they offer. I believe they have been open for six months. Across Aloma from Git N Messy. In the center of a strip mall. Behind a bank?

Light on the Sugar Bakery Café - How's this for full circle? The guy from Git N Messy arrived at Twisted Root while I was there and told me to try this place. It is a few stores to the right of Root. It was worth it. They are dishing out chouxs like Al Bundy. Yeezy? More current? I could do a Biden joke reference about Buster Brown or bare feet. I had a cream filled one. Not sure exactly which one. Lost the receipt. They all are cream filled. Mine was pretty basic. Vanilla cream. It cost $5 with tax. Very good. Nice cream. Maybe too much. Big choux. Softball sized. Good choux. Fresh. I forget what else they offered. I think some sandwiches and drinks and obviously other pastries. I think they said they opened three months ago. I didn't have time to write down my observations on any of these when I got home and then I let it lay there. Worth a try. In fact, I would repeat what I did and have you lunch and dinner and dessert in one felt swoop.

*Travel Notes - Las Vegas: Like this isn't long enough already. But, I promised some news on Las Vegas. I'll be quick. Like a ... oh we can't say that Joe any more. All these get pretty high marks on Yelp. etc. It's not just me saying this. Paina. A Hawaiin place on Spring Mountain Rd. Good tuna poke (no rice). Good spam musubi. The real draw is a mocha donut that looks like a teething ring. I had a yam iced one. Two places in the same strip mall on Spring Mountain and Decatur that I have been trying to get into for three years and finally could because of dirty bat eating troglodytes: Kabuto and Raku. Kabuto is just a fancy, small sushi place. I grabbed a to go box. Just fresh assorted fish. Raku was crazier. An izakaya type place. Ate raw Kobe beef liver sashimi with sliced garlic, steamed foie gras egg custard and some yakitori (Kurobuta pig ear, cheek and duck). At the Cosmopolitan Hotel (around $100 a night now) I tried Jose Andres' China Poblano to go. Had Ants Climbing a Tree (glass noodles, bok choy, pea shoots and chicken) and swallow a cloud soup (shrimp and pork wonton soup) and a carnitas taco. I also tried a porchetta sandwich at Lardo. Both places were good. At The Palazzo, I tried Buddy Valastro's Carlo's Bakery with a chocolate fudge cake. It sucked. So sweet. Has he had fudge? Like a Hostess cupcake. I also tried two meh places on Spring Mountain road. Some chain (one in Miami) called The Taco Shop and a poke place with the great name of Poke Man. And the piece de resistance  is a Mexican joint in a strip mall just after the Encore on the strip called Tacos el Gordo. I was staying at the Wynn this night (also just over $100 now) and I could walk to it. The greatest al pastor (rotating on a spit with pineapple on top) pork tacos that they term "adobada". I think they rub the meat with it. I had two in tacos and one in a Vampiro. That turned out to be two tostadas jammed together with cheese. The meat was sooo good. Tortillas. Sooo good. They also had something called a Mula that I think they said was like a sincronizada. But, they could just have been yessing me along. They also served (this is a first for me and I didn't try because of my pending flight) beef EYES! Also, cabeza, buche (maw), suadero (shoulder), tripa and two types of beef that I didn't learn about because it was served in a different queue (masiza and molleja). They also had lengua and sesos (beef brain). It was rated the best Mexican on Yelp. So correct! I add these little addendums because I hope you can see that you can get out there (and to give local cooks some ideas). There are some great bargains if you do. Although, it was 110 the day I left Vegas and you have to wear THE RIBBON! I mean mask.

Grub Crawl - Maitland: Brick & Spoon (Closed) and 7 Mango *NV/UT/NM/WY/CO/AZ Travel Notes

I tried these places over two weeks ago at lunch. They are near the Copper Rocket. The first is on the corner of the condo complex on the road into Eatonville. The second is in the deep corner of the parking lot across the street that is in front of Copper Rocket or that Med fast food photomart.

Brick & Spoon - A bougie breakfast and lunch place that asks the question - "can you gentrify yourself". It's an offshoot of two Alabama places owned by an ex-Brewer. I forget his name. They have been open for three months. I had a traditional eggs benedict to go because it was packed. I thought it would come out quicker. No concerns about the lack of social distancing. I don't really care. It didn't make a difference. Took thirty minutes plus. This was on the day before Independence Day. A Friday. I was surprised by the turn out. If the people had jobs, then why weren't they at them? If they did not, how were they taking the whole family out in the middle of an economic crisis? The menu wasn't cheap. Then I realized. They have government jobs. We pay them NOT to work while we are furloughed or not allowed to work by the same government bureaucrats.

The benedict was pretty bad. The muffin wasn't toasted. The eggs were well done. The Canadian bacon was mediocre. The sauce was thankfully sparse. What there was of it was sour and broken. This was a bit after the riots. I guess the cooks were fresh out of jizz from banging all the co-eds after the rallies, so, they couldn't "sauce" the eggs properly. It cost $12. It came with some ok "hash browns". More like fried potato rectangles. This or the drink I had at the next place gave me stomach distress.

They had five other poached egg dishes. Some with seafood. They also had breakfast tacos, pancakes, French toast, omelets, biscuits, salads, burgers, shrimp and grits, seafood and other things. The place looks nice. Modern. High ceilings. I'm not sure if I'd give it a second try. Too pricey for execution probability.

7 Mango Ice Cream and Tea - They have been open for one year. I had a mango fruit tea for $5. It was terrible. Bath water. I'm not sure if the mango was supposed to be green and hard, but, it was. Probably poisoned me. They also do that Thai style of ice cream where they freeze it on a board and they scrape it into a roll.

*Travel Notes - NV/UT/NM/WY/CO/AZ: I have been on a two week road trip to the Southwest. Most of the good food finds were in Las Vegas. I will tell you about them in the next post. I will start by detailing air travel. No lines at the airport. Wearing a mask while waiting for the plane and then on the plane blows. They pretend to take your temperature while boarding. The flight is 100% full. They won't give you anything to eat or drink. Taxiing out to the runway and taking off is quicker. Not much new to eat. I had chorizo instead of CB on eggs benedict in Moab UT (Jailhouse Café). It was bad. My hotel in Blanding UT (Stone Lizard Lodge) made me savory pockets (eggs, green Hatch chile, ham, cheese and tomato in puff pastry), whole wheat Cinnamon rolls (not good) and a nice chia pudding (chia seed soaked in coconut milk). I had a honey and sea salt rubbed cheddar from Beehive Cheese at a market (Harmon's) in Salt Lake City. Ok. I bought baby back ribs potato chips by Flavor Mill at a gas station in Blanding. Bad. Just bbq chips. They sold a lot of weird flavors. That's all that stood out. Ate at a lot of favorite west coast fast food spots. Vegas was a different story.

Lale, Lake Mary - Closed *SC/PA/VT/NH/NY Travel Notes

I tried this Turkish restaurant near Friendly Confines on 46a on Monday night. I grabbed lamb kofte ($20) to go. This is at least the third name change here. I was told that the original owners are back. I think that is when it was Istanbul. It was Aspendos most recently. See either post for a more detailed review. Since the place has looked exactly the same throughout and the menu has as well, I see no need to repeat myself. Some dishes they call "sautes" could be different. Maybe pide is new. This kofte could have been lamb or beef. I only tasted the spice. The lunch price is $13. That is a fairer price. You probably get less than the 7 meat patties though. It came with rice. Not bad. Salad. Ok. There was one table seated for dinner.

*Travel Notes - SC/PA/VT/NH/NY: Ok. Things of interest from my trip to New Hampshire (Mt Washington of the Presidential range - for the present anyway) that was financed by what I was given for joining the protests going on at the time. It was more than they offer during Election Day. It helps to be in the company of young white girls that they want in the visuals. Not sure if I'd make the cut otherwise. And they leave the mau mauing to themselves. No chance to cash in on that.

My first stop was in Charleston at a bbq place on Savannah Highway on the way into the city proper. It's been on 3D and MvF, Zimmern, etc called Bessinger's. It was ok. Ribs were dry. Pork was ok. I also went to Rodney Scott's Whole Hog BBQ. It's a little north and center of the main southern part of the city (King and Grove). Not the greatest neighborhood, but, nobody threw anything at my car. You can park in the shopping center next door. It was great. Having all parts of the pig mashed together is so much better than pork shoulder alone. The first thing I've tried in a while that lived up to the hype. Another Bessinger offshoot happened to be near my hotel in Mt Pleasant (over the Ravenal Bridge and a cheaper and safer place to stay). It was called Melvin's Ribs and Que. A brother or something. I had a Big Joe's Pork Sandwich. It was ok. The next unique thing I had was a sausage sandwich with onions, peppers, mustard, ketchup and potatoes at Nino's in Stroudsburg PA (near Poconos and Delaware Water Gap NRA). He said it was Jersey style. Impossible to eat. I had a great egg sandwich and chicken salad with pecans and grapes at Mon Vert Café in Woodstock VT. If you are ever there. Richest, orange-ist eggs ever. At a place called Over the Wall in Stowe VT, I had some great smoked Chinese spare ribs and other things. But, the menu also had some intriguing combos. Feijoada (sp?) Bean Taco. Green Chorizo Gyoza. I had a fish taco with chili salt. That small element had impact. At The Deli Downtown in Cortland NY, I had Grasshopper Pie Ice Cream. Mint ice cream with fudge swirls and crème filled cookie pieces. Interesting. I guess that's it. I ate a lot of fast food due to fatigue or lack of options. Learned that Harris Teeter is a market and not an electronics store. The NE was just opening restaurants and bars. I stayed away from cities (more choices) because of fear of violence (to my rental car).

Grub Crawl - New Smyrna Beach: Planet Pizza (Closed), Blackbeard's Inn and Frozen Gold

I tried these places in different locations around town on Monday. I picked the first because the two "real" restaurants around it were closed for lunch. One (Norwood's) was getting cleaned because of Wu Flu. Not sure what the deal was on the other (Garlic something or other).

Planet Pizza - Just a low level Italian place. I grabbed two slices with a soda for $5 to go because I didn't really think they were up to more (or I wasn't going to bet on it) and I wanted to hit the beach. The slices were predictably below average. Thick dough. Thick, stolid cheese (chemical based). Weird cracker/toast like crust (straw on its side sized). They also sell hot subs, three salads, wings, calzone, ziti, shells, apps and gyros. I may have chanced a gyro, but, I couldn't see the spit. Probably for the best. It's a small place. seats about sixteen. It's on the road with the bridge (44) over the Intercoastal across from the Publix shopping area.

Blackbeard's Inn - They are on US1 (Dixie Fwy) just north of town. They opened forty years ago. A real relic. Two dining room and a bar area. I just grabbed a shrimp cocktail ($8) and a Key Lime Pie ($6) because it was only 4pm and I didn't trust the price to quality proposition they presented. The shrimp (7 mediums) were ok. They said they made their own pie and it was very good. Tart. Nice crust. A little pricey. They serve a huge menu. Land and sea. A menu from forty years ago. That's the type of place it is. Now it all comes down to how they source (and prepare) their menu. If it's fresh and local then you can live with (and maybe revel) it. If it is an insult of frozen garbage, then it is a real tourist trap. The prices are pretty high. High teens and up. The early bird (until 6pm) menu isn't that much of a bargain either. Cheapest thing (tenders or clam strips) is $14. I just read that dinners come with chowder, salad bar, hush puppy, roll, side and home made cinnamon roll. So, maybe it's not that bad a deal. They also have a raw bar. It seats over one hundred. It was kind of full. Service was fast. It's very wood themed. Some tacky decoration. So bad it's in?

Frozen Gold - They are on the way back to I-4 on 44. Near the Harley dealership. I've been there before. They've been there forever. I had to have a shake. I settled on a float. I asked for a strawberry and Coke. They heard soft serve vanilla and Coke with a scoop of strawberry. Not a total F up. I just had to pay around two bucks extra. It ended up costing $6 for a large. A large shake was running $3.75 ($1 off that day). They sell popsicles, Italian ice, splits, sundaes, "desserts", hot dogs, nachos and pretzels. Open from 11:30am. No seating.

*The next post will be short and have the travel info. Quick question. If bars are closed, won't people just house party? Isn't that LESS regulated and it hurts businesses in the state? I say this as someone who doesn't go to bars anymore (in Orlando) because the goods are odd and I don't want a DUI.

The Dancing Crab, Altamonte Springs

I tried this Cajun "boil" place (on 436 near 434) on Sunday. I grabbed a pound of crawfish to go. Let me start by saying I was already angry when I realized not only was this almost duplicative of the place across 434 that I just reviewed, it replaced the shitty steak place (Manny's) I wasted my time and money reviewing just a few months earlier. I really love being the last rat off (or in this case on) a sinking ship. The crawfish cost $12. It was the cheapest exit ramp. They were tough and flavorless. either over boiled or frozen or both. It came with "shrunken head" corn (2 pieces) and two slabs of potatoes. Nothing like the beautifully fresh (and less expensive) ones I had at The Shed in Mississippi weeks back. They also do some fried apps, soups and (be scared) oysters. I'd shy away. They did next to nothing to the cheesy Fifties diner décor. They added some nets to the ceiling and put up some blatantly plastic fish. They also added a dj. The music varied from eighties white man over bite pop to mumble rap. All too loud. The meal took forever and a day to come out. I had to have it tracked down. The place won't last much longer than the last place. Surprisingly, it isn't run by them. Must have graduated from the same restaurant management program. I'm kidding of course. No chance they put in that kind of effort.

*I'll have more to say on the subject when I get to the last places I ate this week. But, I wanted to relate that the tiny span of time in which restaurants (fast food most notably) evinced concern over hygiene is over. Back to stomach woes. And I would also like to let you know that much of rise in Wu Flu cases may not just be protest or hormonal related. Driving in and out of the state I saw many, many foreign plates coming and going. Our state has to have absorbed tons of tourists (more volume) bringing their germs with them. Governor Homo should acknowledge this when he tries to embarrass Florida. A large portion of these people came from his state. As they did at the outset as well. And they are doing it to escape his policies. Everyone outside of Southern NY (and I only say this because I wouldn't go there) reviled him when I asked. He is a cause along with the others. Once again he is exporting his problems elsewhere. This time it is to us instead of nursing homes.

Cavo's, Thornton Park

I tried this pseudo-Italian (Philadelphia) place on E Washington in Thornton Park (old Graffiti Junction) on Sunday at lunch. First we had Beyond Meat. Now we have Beyond Boring. The place looks kind of nice (lots of lightly stained wood, big bar and booths with seats along the wall). That only makes the lackluster menu more of a conundrum. They have five apps that all have entrée prices ($11-$13). Arancini is the only mildly ambitious offering (wings, two sprouts and bacon wrapped shrimp). The rest of the menu is comprised of two salads and eight sandwiches. Three are Italian chicken parm. meatball and pork). I had the roast pork Italiano. I suppose this is a cheapened riff on a pork with broccoli rabe (ala DaNic's). It was bad. The roll (not freshly sourced from anyone of distinction) was stale. The spinach was mush. Probably from the frozen food aisle or a can. The gravy was horrendous and ubiquitous. It had a familiar flavor. Like the turkey gravy in a fast food dinner. I can't place it. But, it's some abomination your delinquent parents probable exposed you to as a child. I couldn't taste the provolone and I removed the red peppers. It cost $13. It wasn't large or stuffed. It came with noting on the side. I won't be back. Spiro's is a much better call and close by.

*I have a sushi brainstorm. What if you take a cube of whatever fish and roll a ball of rice around it (like arancini) and then just slice it in half. Wouldn't that be a cool presentation? Half roll. Half nigiri. It would also stand out on the plate more dramatically. I see it laying at a forty five degree angle. You could also coat the rice like a roll. I'm thinking golf ball size, but, you could go bigger.

Toll Road Brewing Company, Ocoee

I tried this brewery in the tiny old town of Ocoee today. You take 50 down to Maguire and make a right and follow the road down (stay right at any forks and pass a church) to W McKey. I had their Sun Ryes IPA for $5 for an 8ozer. It was very good. But, as I was driving, I only had half of it. They do around seven of their own brews and serve about the same of other breweries. It's a cute place. Tables, bar, patio. They have been open for two years. They had a food truck up front. I think it was Creole based food. I grabbed some food elsewhere later on. I'll tell you about them and my latest road trip in the next posts. Teaser - Rodney Scott's BBQ in Charleston (used to be in the boonies) is the real deal. Best pork ever!

Genetic Brewing, Lake Mary - Closed

I tried this newly opened brewery in a strip mall behind some second tier gas station on Lake Emma Rd and Lake Mary Blvd on Saturday. They said they will do small batches and mix it up almost every go round. I had a $10 flight of their Flip Flhops Blonde Ale, Enzy IPA, Blonde Stout and another brewery's beer. Then another of other brewery's beer. They also made a lemonade (can't do cider because of some ordinance) and one other beer that I wasn't in the mood for. All were mostly above average. Not very strong. It was a fun afternoon. The few people there were interesting and the owner came in a passed around samples of some of his experiments. Some other people came in with an expensive aged beer and shared that. The time slipped by. The place seats about ten at the bar (because of distancing). The room is smallish. The décor is minimal. Wood accents. Very start up looking. A glass of beer was $6 to $7. They had ten or so other breweries on tap. A eclectic selection. I had a really good time there and can't wait to go back. Like being at a friends house.

Grub Crawl - Sanford: Grain & Ember and Genghis Juan's (Closed)

I tried these food stalls in Henry's Depot on West First St at lunch on Thursday. There were places to eat there, but, I got this to go.

Grain & Ember - They prepare "red" and "white" personal (approx. 10") pies with toppings (they have a few unique ones like boquerones or white anchovies). I think they had a few other items too. I was just there for a regular red pie. There wasn't a lot of red to it. Nor much cheese. I would guess they were a notch above ketchup and oil based cheese. The crust was very good. Good char. Thin. Toothy. No flour taste. Not crumbly. No air bubbles. Wood fire oven. It cost $12. Toppings cost $3. I believe the owner is of Spanish decent. Explains the boquerones. *12/21/2020 - I think they opened a branch in Maitland.

Genghis Juan's - They try and do an Asian-Mexican dance. 6 tacos, 2 burritos and 2 baos. I had two tacos and a bao. The bao was the best by far. The two tacos were way too salty. I had a pork carnitas taco and an ancho chili (their spelling) chicken taco and a ginger pork bao. All were $3.50. The tacos were piled high with meat. The bao had a slab or pork belly. The tacos came with cabbage, onions, salsa verde, pico and cilantro. Or should have. No salsa verde. Could have used some queso anejo. Came on flour tortillas which we all know is a no no. Not grilled long enough either. The bao was supposed to come with pickled cucumber, carrots, hot sauce, scallions, shiso and sesame seeds. The last three were awol. Perhaps out rioting (err protesting). Too soon? They also have bulgogi, fish, duck and chorizo.

*The ice cream place and the poke place were still closed. Though you could buy the ice cream at Grain & Ember.

** I forgot to tell you of a fast food place in northeast Tennessee. It was called Pal's. I didn't try it. Long drive thru lines. It looked cute. Big hot dog facades. Old timey feel.