Grub Crawl - International Drive: Hidden Sushi and Ole Red

 I tried this twp spots on I-Drive on Tuesday night. Early. The first place has always been packed. they suggested I try at 4:30pm. They open at 4pm. They are in the strip mall near Fun Spot that has the Peter Glenn ski store. In the back corner. In the corner of  the space in the corner of that area of the mall. The second is in the space that holds the Ferris Wheel. Across from Tapa Toro. It's a chain owned/licensed by Blake Shelton.

Hidden Sushi - So hidden that they have flown under the radar for two to three years it seems. I ate at a Portuguese place here before that. They do Brazilian sushi. And while I'll say that I'm not thoroughly on board, they are better than the place across the street that I tried a few months back. No contest. They do a $24 Tuesday all you can eat. $28 on other days. I was stupid and ordered ala carte. It ended up being around the same price. I had 2 salmon uramaki (a salmon roll topped with shimeji). They said this was pureed mushroom. It was on top. They sell them by the piece of a roll. They cost $1.25 a piece. Not bad. I also had 4 very big pieces of salmon sashimi. $150 a piece. Fresh. I had 2 pieces of tuna nigiri. Fresher than I expected. Thick slice. I had 4 pieces of salmon nigiri. Not as good as the sashimi. A different cut of the fish. Tougher. They also don't do the rice correctly. Plus they use too much. A piece cost $1.50. Menu said 99 cents. I ended with one roll piece each of djo. One was salmon topped with honey and peanuts. One was salmon and cream cheese topped with crushed Doritos. They were very good and creative. $1.25 each. They have a big menu. However, alot is salmon and cream cheese obsessed. They also have a junk food starter menu with nuggets, etc. Most of the seating now is outside (still inside) now. Around fifty seats. The inside is a small rectangular space. service was good. It was about a third full. It's the better option if you are looking to try Brazilian sushi. 

Ole Red - A House of Blues type place. Live music. Stage. Big. Two stories. Open for ten months. I was going to try gator wings. They were out. Grabbed something cheap and fast that could be refrigerated. Hot chicken sandwich for $13. It was bad. A thigh that seemed to have frost bite. Rubbery. They also seemed to make it hot  by sprinkling on dry rub. That must be the Nashville way because I just saw a travel show where a place called Edley's did the same thing. I didn't remember that. I'm not a fan. It leaves you with a mouth full of unpleasant, raw grit. Plus it was too spicy in a burning way. The better part of the dish were the tots. They looked like golf balls cut in half. Half mashed potatoes and half hash browns. They weren't cooked through though. Worth it if they are done properly. I'm sure they copied someone. Can't wait to find out who really created these. The menu is predictable. I saw a bad looking burger and a huge pulled pork sandwich. The pork looked mushy though. Nothing unexpected. A tourist trap. Go for the music and hooch. I guess Ole Red is a dog.

Ellipsis Brewing, OIA Area

I tried this brewery just outside of the airport around two weeks ago at lunch time. I believe they said they have been there for three years. It's a small, square, high ceilinged warehouse section on TPC Blvd. This street is like a quarter mile up on the right off 436 at the street that has the Rock N Brew. They are only open during the day now. I had an average IPA and an average Pilsner. They had around a dozen beers. Alot had some New England designation. A sample size was $3. I would have tried more, but, I was catching a plane and driving and it was the middle of the day.

Grub Crawl - Sanford: Kitchen AF and Parva

 I stumbled upon these two in a strip mall (with a Qdoba) on 17-92 and Lake Mary Blvd about ten days ago at lunch. The first was in an ex- half El Salvadoran place I reviewed back in March of 2014 called Sunny Breeze Cafe. Not sure when they closed the doors. Told you I stumbled upon these. They say they also have a location in Winter Park on Aloma. I forgot to check if I reviewed that. That location only has lunch hours. This one is open all day.

Kitchen AF - Basically an order window. Which is appropriate because the food was fast food quality. I had an Orange Ave Chicken Sandwich for $9. I recently had two McChickens for $3 (for both). They were as good. The funny thing is they served it in a container ala the McDLT. Hot on one side. Cold on the other. This one was a frozen patty probably purchased at Publix. They sprinkled some old diced carrot and field greens on it and dipped it in "Mandarin orange sauce". Poor AF. Plus it took a while to make. I went to the next spot after I ordered and they beat them to the punch. The staff seemed stoned. They also sell burgers, pasta, soup, subs, bowls salads and dinners. I can't say I will be curious enough to find out if they are any better. Open for nine months.

Parva - They saved the day. A Colombian place that has been there for three years. I just ordered a pan con lechon (pulled pork) for $8. Notice the lower price. It was fairly moist (one top piece was a bit dry) and tasty pork. A fair amount. Swiss. Grilled (slightly under cooked) onions. Good roll. The plantain chips were a bit old. Just bought and ate two bags on a bogo, so, I was up on my plantain knowledge. They look like a coffee shop. The decor makes me think they took over one. But, they have a big menu.  Full breakfast. Rice bowls. Samplers. Apps. Finger food. Pastries. Meals. Beverages. Order at a counter. The decor was wood with steel chairs and coffee decorations. Looks new and modern. Video menu. I would go back again. Rushing this review to get back to the draft.

*A propos of nothing - I just viewed a travel show where they showed a Rain Drop Cake. Search it.

Russell's, Lake Ivanhoe

I tried this spot in the old Mesa 28 and Gargi's spot (fyi - the spot across the street is becoming a Gnarley Barley) on Lake Ivanhoe just over a week ago at dinner. It has been open for under a year. I've let it slip down the list because they haven't solved the parking issue that plagues this spot. They have only eight or ten spots. All the ownership groups that have operated in this location feel the solution is valet. After seeing Ferris Bueller's Day Off, I can't trust them. Plus I believe most car insurance doesn't cover them as operators. And I wonder how all the covid hysterics respond to this solution. I parked down the street. First off, I was dumbfounded that these spots were available. Then I was troubled by the contradictory signage. It said that there was no parking after 6pm. The sign was two car lengths away from the start of the block. Then an arrow pointed two car lengths down to the start. Did this mean only those two spots were verbotten? That seemed silly. Then again this is Orlando. I risked a ticket (didn't get one). But, I was distracted all meal long. The people in the restaurant weren't any more clear on the law. I also hadn't been here before because of the dinner only hours. I was going to try and parlay this into an excursion that knocked out two other places close by. They however were closed on Mondays. Oops. Back to the meal. Though the parking quandary was the most interesting part of the night. The place looks good. It never looked bad. Don't know why people insist on redoing perfectly good interior design when so many needy spots are out there. The bar is now directly in front of the entrance. The moved most of the seating towards the windows/lake. Down a level. "Coastal" art. Photos. Wood chairs with blue gray cushions. White noise suppression tiles dominate the ceiling. I think the main color is called taupe. I actually have forgotten what it looked like. Going off poor notes. The staff is dressed up. The menu is modest. The prices are highish. A steak was $44. $25 pork and $24 chicken. $19 burger was the cheapest. I had two apps. I had the crispy pork belly for $12 and the steak tartare for $17. The belly was ok. It had no gloss to it. Either they pat it dry or... I don't know. Leave it sitting all day? Even nuking wouldn't do away with the grease. It tasted alright. It seemed to be fried in a deep fryer. Four pieces. It came in a "sangria" sauce (why I tried it). It was more jam than sangria. Not a success. The steak was worse. Too chunky. Tough. Not a great cut. Poorly dressed. Few additives. Just capers. Not enough toast. No spark. And that was vibe. It was early, but, there was no energy. I'll wager it has filtered into the kitchen. I believe ownership is from the Big Fin group. They started with a supposedly polished chef. Allegedly. Not sure if he is gone. My meal and the other dishes I saw (ie beets and burrata) lacked pizzazz. You have to have sizzle or steak. Style or substance. I didn't feel either. It certainly has the capacity for both. Maybe I just hit it on the wrong night. Service was quick and friendly/flirty. With so much "medicine" being taken, you can never tell who is nice and who is high anymore. Maybe you never could. I'm starting to forget what I thought I knew and when I knew it. It seems like I am "seeing more of the field" than I should be if I was as "aware" as I thought I was back in the day. They say this location used to be a pineapple farm. Don't think I ever knew (and forgot) that. 

* I have at least four posts coming this week ending with an Arizona recap.

Grub Crawl - East Colonial: Japango and Deli Desires *CO Travel Notes

 I tried these places to go on Wednesday at lunch. The first is in the Chewy Boba location on 50 aside the Anthony's Pizza place on Mills. You can get parking in the rear. The second is on Fern Creek (near the Publix) just north of 50 (1 block). I think they call this Colonialtown.

Japango - They "expanded/rebranded" Chewy Boba into a box sushi place. They still have the Chewy Boba stuff. It is more "rear of the store" now. They have a one roll or a two roll box. I got the one roll ($19) "bitch" box. It comes with 5 pieces of pre-chosen nigiri (T/S/YT/E/Albacore), edamame, plantain chips and cucumber salad, a choice of roll and a side (seaweed salad, watermelon ceviche, sashimi ceviche). I tried the Ceviche (spicy tuna topped with yt and avocado) and the sashimi. It was ok. They do the rice properly. Not very big. Fishy quality was mediocre. Sashimi was old tuna. Tuna nigiri was also lifeless and barely pink. Salmon was an odd cut. Yt was ok. Eel was dry. Albacore was more like a flatfish like flounder/fluke. Maybe even a cheaper type. They included two types of soy sauce, ginger, lemon and a ceviche sauce. It sounds like I hated them. Maybe it was because I had been jonesing for sushi for days or maybe it was the gorgeous (fancy chocolates looking) box they give you, but, I kind of recommend them. If they tighten up the quality then we'll have something. They have been open for a month. Around four other groups were there at 1pm. Most still boba-ing it. They have 21 rolls to choose from. Not sure if the menu will always be like this. The 2 roll box is called a boss box. And you thought I was responsible for the "bitch" reference.

Deli Desires - This was the real target. They opened three months ago. It's a slightly hip deli. I tried three things and they were all good. I started with a Corned Beef Big Mac. I didn't even catch on until after I ate it. It did taste like one. Do you watch Fast Foodies? This would be a winner on that show. The corned beef was sliced wafer thin. If you hold it up it looks like a spider web (fat). I ate half the portion by itself. The sesame bun was worth the trip alone. Toppings very like a Big Mac. Pickles were a bit too artisinal. I tried a bialy with regular cream cheese and caramelized onion in the center. Great bialy. A touch of olive oil? So fresh. I also tried their egg salad. I think they use real eggs. Not the greatest though. A little too chunky for me and it seemed to be out of balance with the yolks. Very white dominant. They funkify it with some capers. They concentrate on like ten items (ie whitefish, tuna salad). Adding more desserts soon. The CB was $10. The B was $3. The ES was $5. All very fair prices, right? The places is also way cute for a deli. White with blue accent. Small. Counter in the rear. A few stand at counters on the sides. Parking in front. They have to be the best deli in town. Will be on the favorites list. Odd that they don't do bagels.

*Travel Notes - Colorado: I had ok chicken tamales at The Train Cars in Nederland. Also an ok turkey pesto ciabatta at New Moon Bakery. Good beer at Very Nice Brewing Co. Ok Penang Chicken Curry at Ubon. I was there to ski Eldora. Web site said lift tickets were $99. They said web site is wrong. They were $149. I did a half day in protest at $99. Gear on site was $65. Ouch. I stayed twenty minutes south in a mining tow that is now all new casinos. Weird. Called Black Hawk (aside Central City). A room at the Lady Luck Casino was only $72 a night with fees and taxes. Free parking. I had the most terrible chicken parm at Dostal Alley Brew Pub in CC one night. Beer was better. I moved on to the closing weekend at Steamboat. I stayed at the Rabbit Ears Motel for $110 with tax a night. It wasn't great, but, near town. I skied at Steamboat for $129. Gear in town (Ski Haus) was only $25. Both resorts were good. Perfect weather. I ate at Blue Moon Bakery in Silverthorne on the way up. A turkey, bacon, avocado sandwich. The real treat was an oreo brownie. They had a few mash ups like that. Like a sugar cookie with M&Ms in it. Some cool sandwiches. In Steamboat Springs I ate at Ore House. Had Ruby Red Trout with sides. It was ok. Had a good chicken sandwich at a fast food place they were building this summer called Hypnotic Chicken. I had average beer at Mountain Tap Brewery. I had good beer at Storm Peak Brewing. I had duck noodle soup at Mai Thai. They also had a duck curry. It's hard to get a variety of Thai dishes. Glad I tried this. They also sold some dishes from other countries, so, I was worried this wasn't Thai. I think it is. They also sold "street food" like moo dang, crispy chicken, khao ka moo and Thai chicken katsu. You'll have to research them if interested. I had bad guac, barbacoa and Routt County bison tacos at Salt & Lime. I cooked my own NY strip at 8th Street Steakhouse. I had a wild breakfast at Yampa Valley Kitchen. It was Cubano Eggs Benedict. Buttermilk biscuit, shaved tasso, yuzu pickles, yellow mustard, pickled mustard seeds and a habenero hollandaise. It didn't quite work. But A for effort. They also did a rosti, crepes and some other fun brekkie items. I stayed near the airport coming and going at Element by Westin. $87 with tax both nights. Seemed to be the newest in the area. and that area is new and booming. I ate across the street at Pho 92. A good pork roll banh mi and another first try (beef tumeric noodle soup). They said it was from the south (Saigon/Hanoi). It was good. Basically a pho with big chunks of tender beef shank and a kick of tumeric. I dipped my banh mi in it to create the first Vietnamese french dip. It would probably work better with a beef banh mi. They also had a similar beef stew with French baguette. They also let you make your own summer rolls (self wrap special appetizer). It's also good to get some variety on Vietnamese menus. I'll add that April is the second snowiest month in Colorado. I missed it. weather was great. Prices were dropping. Many resorts were still open. I sat next to a UCF student on spring break on the way there. Our grand airport was a cluster fuck again. Lines down the halls. I love that Bluddy Dyer-ia announcement on the people mover. "Please return...if you didn't see or do everything ". Yeah, scumbag, I didn't. I was stuck in your airport for half the time. I heard some guy at the rental car counter say he had been in line for two hours.

Mason Jar, Thornton Park - Closed

I tried this dinner snack spot on East Washington (near the fountain in the road) on Tuesday night. While I was waiting the thirty minutes it took to get my $13 Mason Jar Burger, I had prepared a real ass chewing in my head. Then I tasted the burger. Now, I will say they need to ease up on the seasoning mix they toss on top of the patties, but, otherwise it is one of the better burgers in town. And if that is any indication of how the other items taste, then we have something here. The patties (2) were big. Maybe a third to a half pound. I ate one that night and one two days later (it held up). Very filling. Not ball like. Flat. They gave them a nice crust. Good quality grind. Excellent bun. Nice American cheese. Excellent tasso ham in lieu of bacon. I'd probably deep six the pickles or make them less sweet. It also came with fries. I didn't know that and let them steam in the packaging on the drive home. Wish I saw what they looked like fresh out of the fryer. They were ok looking when limp. I nuked them into potato stick consistency. All you can do once they get cold. They have been open for a year. It was another snacky type place before. I would have tried them earlier (actually did during the day when they opened and found out they aren't open then) if it isn't such a pain to find parking around here. I believe they are next to a bar called Burton's. Most of the wait could be attributed to being their de facto kitchen and what seemed to be call or online orders. They sell around twenty things. Boudin balls, hush puppies, PB & J burger, brisket French dip, 4 piece fried chicken, salads for instance. They also seem to have certain special options on certain days. That night it was pasta. It's a promising place for those who live there (especially patrons of Burton's). The hours and lack of parking (and wait) make it a tiny bit more difficult on the rest of us. Especially if you are looking for a drive by. At least there are no meters here. Did you know meters were invented to keep construction workers from parking in spots near businesses in the old days? Funny how things work. Now they are the things that make me not go to a business. Careful what you wish for.  They are next to a laundromat too. Don't park there.

*I have one more outstanding review (two places) in the queue. Will probably be done on Sunday night or Monday afternoon. I'll tack on a Colorado Travel Notes to it. I should add that I saw that Ootoya opened around the corner. A F&D Cantina will take the spot next to it according to the sign. I also have been notified by this piece of shit service that they are discontinuing the email function in July. Not sure how you will get your updates that a new post is in. 

Castle Church Brewing Community, OIA Area

I finally succeeded in trying this two year old brewery with a food truck this Tuesday night. It is east of 436 on Hoffner. It takes up most of a warehouse complex. I'll start with the beer. It may be the best I can remember in CF and/or anywhere for that matter. I had an Irish red and a regular red and an IPA and a double IPA. All were great. Especially the reds. They sell around twelve types of beer (plus someone else's wine). This flight cost $10. I grabbed a bratwurst (in a bun) from the food truck (theirs). It was fine. Big. Can't really screw up a brat. It cost $8. They also sold a few more food stuffs. It was taco Tuesday. They were selling steak tacos. The place is huge. Opposite of claustrophobia inducing. All the equipment is behind the centralized bar. You pass a lounge area and a conference room on the way in. In back there is another area with a stage and an outside area. There were three groups of two inside and one large table of people outside. The bartender said it was usually busier. She was nice. lots of parking. I believe they open at 11am and stay open until it thins out (or 6pm at the earliest). I believe it is part of a church or integrated into one. I wasn't abducted or evangelized and you hardly realized the connection. I'm sure the most  "tolerant and open minded" of our society will find something about that that triggers their sensibilities. I certainly hope it does. They don't deserve to experience this artistry. 

*I intended to fold in a trip to the Ellipsis brewery. They close at 7pm for some insane reason. I did find it though and will try and hit it again soon. It's a few streets down from 436 (near the airport) on the road that has Rock and Brews. Turn right onto TPC Blvd. A corner spot in a warehouse on the right.

FK Your Diet, Orlando

I tried this breakfast and lunch place on South Orange and Hansel (near Hoffner) last Tuesday at noon. I think this area is called Pine Castle. I always confuse it with the Pine near Altamonte. I think that is Hills. It was some Irish Pub before this. Now it has something to do with funding foster kids. They have branches in Cape Coral and Fort Myers. That's kind of the level of finesse. I had a cordon bleu benny for $16. Had to see if it worked. It didn't. The chicken was the best part. Fried thigh. The hollandaise was way sour. The eggs were overdone. They replaced the muffin with a sweet biscuit that was more of a flapjack. Fail. Too sweet. Too much going on. Conflict. They also added swiss cheese. It detracted. The ham was immemorable. It also came with tons of fried potatoes. The portions were huge. That's really the differentiation here. Lots of food. The also had burgers and pancakes and french toast, etc. Riffs on classics. The place is brightly painted. Greens and oranges, etc. It looks like a pre-school. There were some sketchy people eating there. That colored my experience. Not homeless or anything, but, women who looked like they just got off the "night shift" on OBT (is that still where it goes down?) or just got done cleaning hotel rooms. They had to wait to order until some guys showed up. Didn't seem like they had any money. Kept going back to the car to smoke pot, I assume. There were also some families there that looked like they got the donations, not gave them. And some sloppily dressed folks as well. Just a bit depressing. Reminded me of Maryland. Service was attentive. Lots of mediocre, fattening food is ok every once in a while. I just think that they think that it's higher end than you will. Their tag line is "the simple of gourmet cooking". If so, that "t" is pronounced as a hard t. I can't recommend a purposeful trip, but, if you are in the neighborhood. I think they close at 3pm. I believe they opened up this year.

*I will be posting every two days to get the ones in the hopper in by next week.

Fig's Prime, Altamonte Springs

I tried this spot that refers to itself as a steakhouse tonight.. It is almost on 434 on the road that becomes Markham Woods north of 434. It's in some sort of office complex. Easy to miss. Why I've missed it for what appears to be three years. Drove by a few months ago. It was early and Easter was yesterday and the whole covid thing, but, it was rather ordinary. I had a lump crab and avocado stack for $16 and Chicken Rebosado for $19. This seems to mean overflowing. Not sure how that is relevant. It just had capers. The salad was on the high end of app pricing. The chicken on the low end. Both items seemed to be carelessly assembled. The arugula in the stack wasn't dressed. Nothing was. This can't be how it is supposed to be prepared. The crab was dry. Like they opened a tin and let it dry in the fridge. The avocado was a bit brown and abused. The cherry tomatoes were flavorless. Even the olive oil (only "dressing") on the plate had a weird taste. They did serve up alot of crab though. Why do you always get more when you'd prefer less. Those things can be fixed. I just wonder if lethargy has set in. The chicken was dipped in an egg wash and served in a lemon, wine and caper sauce. The wine wasn't burned off. The coating didn't really adhere to the chicken. It was one breast cut length wise into two. It was a little crumbly. It came with bad mashed potatoes in a scoop shape. The were real, but, they weren't mixed with cream or butter. They tasted like when you just scoop potatoes out of the skin. Grainy too. I thought it was supposed to come with asparagus. maybe I misread. It came with sauteed (in greasy oil) zucchini, carrots and green beans. They were on the raw side. Still the best component. All in all, it was like a room service meal. The apps listed things like beef carpaccio, ahi tuna, bisque, cheap $7 salads (Caesar, wedge), calamari, etc. The mains had veal marsala, steak, fish, pork, a pasta, etc. I think they topped out at $30. It seats about 100. Bar in the center. Square lay out. Kitchen in rear. Glass windows. View of highway. Earth tones. Iron chandeliers. High ceilings. Odd mix of mood music. Country to emo. There were six others dining. Service was rushed. No refill. Seemed more interested (probably insincerely) in how I was experiencing the food. They are open from 5-9ish. It has or had potential. The prices are not that out of line. If somebody kicks their asses into gear, they could be something.

*I'll add a post Easter Easter egg. I saw that the Minnesota United were staying at the Hyatt place in Lake Mary. Not sure if they are doing a full spring training or are here just for a game. No I won't say match.

**I also forgot to tell you that I stopped at a Buc-ees near the golf hall of fame on I-95 (Palm Coast). It wasn't worthy of the hype. It's just a gas station with souvenirs, fudge and some eats. It was jammed. I think it just opened. I tried to try the one in Daytona. It wasn't open on my way north. It was on my way south.

Ramen Takagi, Oviedo *NC/SC Travel Notes

I tried this mostly Ramen shop in a strip mall near the intersection of Tuskawilla and Aloma two Thursdays ago at dinner. Watch out because they close at 8pm. And no Wednesday. It's also small. Four tables and a counter. Urban build. Modern. Simple. White. Open kitchen at right rear. Takes up almost half the space. Two cooks. One waitress/host. 3 apps (gyooza, karaage and salad) under $7. Four onigiri (rice pyramids) under $3. Five entrees. Four are ramen. One is basically ramen without the broth (mazesoba). I'll never understand why they don't break Japanese words apart when they Anglicize them. You should watch sumo and try and guess where the stresses will be in a four syllable name. I had the tonkotsu ramen. It's supposed to (according to the waitress) translate into pork (ton) bone (kotsu). Though the internet says bone is hone and kotsu is tips. So, who the hell knows. I guess the bone is always removed. Or they do that. Not sure if you ever get a whole chop or if this is the usual way and it is just used in the broth development. Which leads to the question of whether other pork based broths don't get boned. The pork here is three thin slices of very tender and tasty pork. Belly I'm guessing. The noodles were very thin. They seemed hand made. Not sure by who's hands. They also seemed to have residual flour on them. I'd say that would be another sign of freshness. Though, I wonder why it didn't boil off like it does with pasta. The soup also came with a beautifully done egg and pickled ginger, dried seaweed (nori), wood ear mushrooms (kikurage) and scallions. It cost $13. It was good. In the best way, the broth tasted like a Campbell's cream based soup. You know I'm not the ramen whisperer, but, it seems to be the place according to the cognoscenti. I see nothing wrong with that assessment. Plus they have a few other items to round out the meal. Name means tall tree (if waitress isn't wrong here too). It's just a last name in this case.

* I saw that Git N Messy BBQ down the street wasn't there any more. Internet says they are on 434 in Winter Springs now. In the Red Eye Sports Tavern.

**Travel Notes - NC/SC: I had a bad Mid East Special at Groucho's Deli in Spartanburg SC because it mixed pastrami and bologna and salami and provolone and I've never seen that mix. The meats were of the worst supermarket choice of the worst processed meats. It may work with real ingredients. Spartanburg turned out to be the home of Denny's and a little college called Wofford. A web site said a place called Wade's was popular. It looked like one of those hick diners. But, it had a huge line. Why I ended up elsewhere. I skied in Maggie Valley NC (near Asheville) at a place called Cataloochee. It cost $30 for a daily ski gear package and $40 for a four hour lift ticket. Barely any snow left. I ate at Bear Waters Brewing Company. Good beer. Two (pork and roasted cauliflower) decent tacos. On a creek. I also had terrible pulled pork and worse mac at Butt's on the Creek. I had ok fried chicken, baked potato, corn bread, biscuit and bad fries at Country Vittles. I had good moonshine and vodka at Elevated Mountain Distillery. Covid created a supply issue with bottles for the whiskey. I had a weird pizza at Cafe Italiano. It tasted of soap. Maybe they f'ed with it. Maybe they don't dry their hands. The area was cute. Although, I think it is best described as a place that looks like it has a lot of raccoons. Cheap, numerous, motel quality hotels. BW was $70. I visited the Oskar Blues Brewery in Brevard NC. I had a nice time in Greenville SC. Nice downtown with a beautiful park with a river and waterfall (Reedy River Falls) in the center. It really is what downtown Orlando could use to tie the area together (maybe join the lakes with fake rivers?). Plus the baseball stadium in close. They have landscaped it very well. It looks new. Lots of condos on the river. A big suspension bridge. An events center. I ate at a little collection of food stalls created from cargo containers (Gather GVL). It was full on a week day. Families plus. I had ok sushi at Saki Saki and Eggs in a Basket (two eggs in a donut basket with fried chicken and bacon and a jalapeno maple syrup) at Hen Dough. I also had beer at GVL Beer Exchange. Two cheapest hotels (many) were Hyatt Place and Hilton Home 2 or something. Just over $100. I'd encourage you to visit. Little traffic. Lots of charm. Especially at these temps. A lot of tourists seemed to be meandering around. Lastly, I tried a Travel and Leisure Top Ten Hotel in Aiken SC. I paid $235 on a week night at The Willcox Inn. It is over rated. Just a house. On the train track, too! I ate ok shrimp and raw grits at Palmetto. I had great wings and beer at Aiken Brewing Company. Ok little town. They get Masters/Augusta overflow. I'll warn you that I-95 through Georgia and SC was bad on Saturday. Especially going south. Miles of bumper to bumper. I bypassed it for 301 through Georgia on the way back. Not that that is a short cut, but, I couldn't chance getting caught up in it. Maybe it is ok during the week, but, this is the second time I've seen trouble on Saturday recently. I also passed by Presbyterian College, Furman and Georgia Southern on this trip. Plus saw where the Swamp Rabbits skate. Funny where these places are. I just read an EL Doctorow book on the Civil War called The March. It took place near some of these areas. Weird how timing works out. Book isn't that great. BTW. More interesting subject matter (Sherman's march through the South). Ohh. BTW. Can you believe that I don't have antibodies. Gave blood. Got results. No covid after all this traveling. You draw your own conclusions.

Oviedo Brewing Company, Oviedo - Closed

 I had dinner at this two year old establishment at the backside of the Oviedo Mall two Friday's ago. You can take Red Bug Lake Rd to get there. I went for the beer, but, it was so late I just ate there when I found out they serve food. I probably (I hope for their sake) ordered the worst thing. Fish and chips. It cost an outrageous $13. Literally, it is a tiny frozen piece of fish from the supermarket. The kind the sell in large plastic bags. A Filet-o-Fish spits on them. And it wasn't even cooked right. I'd wager they microwaved it. Beyond lazy and impertinent. It came with fries. They ruined those too. They were the cool cuts that I think I wrote of in my Utah travel notes. The perfect sized ones. In between chips, shoestrings and home fries. These numb skulls battered them. They also served some burgers and other snacks. The beer was better. Flights are shots at $2.50 per. Big servings. The place looks nice. Big. Two levels. Beer equipment in view. TVs. Wood theme. Heavy chairs. There was a quasi-farmer's market going on outside. It looked like this is the only thing open in the mall. At least at night. The girls (patrons) there looked prettier than the slags in my town. It was pretty full. Though distancing makes everything look at capacity. Go for the beer.

Thai Halal Grill, Longwood

 I was inspired by the selective, self-serving, sanctimonious bigotry of a local food critic to prove my purity (and solidarity with the Asian community) by patronizing another Asian establishment. It seems this is the best way to offset anecdotal pandemics of hate that are in no way an effort to distract the public from real issues. I know. You are saying "haven't you devoted a statistically imbalanced amount of attention on them recently?". And I can only respond that equity doesn't mean equitable. Duh! We all have alot more lo mein to buy if we are going to heal this country. 

To proceed on a serious note, I tried this stall in the Apna Market (this seems to be a chain) on 434 (between I-4 and Ronald Reagan) last Friday at lunch. I grabbed Tum Yum Soup and Red Curry Chicken to go. The soup cost $6. It had four large and better than average shrimp in it. Plus tomato, onion, mushrooms, lemon grass and a bay leaf. The broth seemed darker than I remember. It was good. The curry tasted sweeter than usual. I'm not sure if this is a northeast Thailand (where the menu is based) thing or just how the do it here or just a one off incident. And there seemed to be an essence of something Middle Eastern like cumin in it. It was good. Lots of rice. Chicken was a tad less thin than usual. It cost $11. They also sell eight (according to the takeout menu, but, it looked like less on the board in the stall) other dishes like fried rice and massaman curry. Plus a banh mi type Thai sandwich that I haven't seen offered before. They are open 12-7:30pm Wed-Sn. I'm not sure if it is a husband and wife team or what. The cook was Thai. The man at the register was named Khan. I think that is Pakistani or Afghani. He came off as the owner. Worth a try. The have some seating. They opened semi-recently. I forgot to write it down and it seems like four months was the term, but, everything seems to be four months and I could be confusing them. Dementia is the the new clarity.

*I have two more that I will space out over the next week. The last will have NC/SC trip notes. I went skiing in NC finally.

Grub Crawl - West Colonial: Shanghai Lane (Closed), Tokyo Ramen, Izziban Katsu and Joen *TX Travel Notes

I tried these places a week ago (W) at lunch. The first two are in Chinatown (Westside Crossings). The second are the last of the stalls in the Lotte Supermarket. Both on West Colonial. 

Shanghai Lane - They just opened four months ago. I thought it would be more of a sit down, full menu place. It has some seats, but, it has more of a modern fast casual feel. They serve around a dozen dishes. Some interesting ones were made with soy milk. I also remember a boiled chicken (kind of Hainese looking), wonton soup, fried rice, bao and hot noodle dishes. I had the Nanxiang (they said an area north of Shanghai, but, Google says a town in the Jiading district of Shanghai. Maybe the same diff?) Soup Dumplings (6) for $7. I'm not sure if I've had these regular sized suckers. I've had the softball sized one. These were ok. The problem was the "wrapper". It wasn't "delicate". Tough. And it leaked easily. Not great when filled with liquid. The "meat" inside also wasn't anything to write home about. Soup was bland. So, I guess, with time to think about it, they weren't that great or worth a buck plus a piece. They came with a vinegar sauce that I have to put in the category of "why exactly is this necessary?". It has its own sauce. That said, I shorted them when I realized I could do a quick snack here and save a trip back here by lunching at the next place in the review. I'll give them a second chance someday. Especially now that I know that easy take out is also an option. I'll take the opportunity here to tell you of a dish I saw on tv. Fried milk. Google says it's from Shunde in the Guangdong province. I've got to find some place that makes it. Even though it's probably gross.

*4/28/2021 - Returned and tried salt soy milk soup ($5) and Shanghai pan fried pork buns ($6). Soup was bad. Had some vegetable like spinach in it. They put old bread in it. Didn't help. They said put vinegar in it. Didn't help. Pork buns were outrageous. Not really buns. Similar to dumplings. I usually prefer steamed dumplings. The way they do these has the race at least even. Better in this case. Better than their steamed dumplings. So good. Crispy. Pork juice. Moist. 

Tokyo Ramen Poke Tea - I think I was informed that they took over the spot where people say the first real ramen restaurant came to Orlando. I can't remember the name. Though my notes say something about old Mr Wong's. Maybe I've got them and Da Sun mixed up? I thought it was just ramen and that is what I ordered. They serve more than that. They sell: poke, teppan yaki, noodles, fried rice, donburi and a variety of apps. They also refer to themselves as Japanese Fusion. That explains the twelve types of ramen I had to choose from. I settled an one of the odder ones. I guess it is Filipino inspired. It is called Menudo Ramen. It is slow braised beef in a beef (or something brown) broth. It cost $12. It was ok. Much better than their neighbor Da Sun Ramen. The noodles were perfect. Don't see the need for fish cake in a beef soup. The beef was plentiful. Big hunks. A little tough. Here are some of the weirder ramen: shin kimchee, pork chop, hot and sour, spicy chicken and a chasu (pork belly) that must be somewhat off called Paitan. The place also looks ten times better than Da Sun. Much bigger, cleaner and better decorated. Nice murals on both walls. Mustard trim. Black hard plastic tables and chairs. The only flaws were a buffet area and a big plastic curtain they think stops air born viruses. They also take your temp (another waste of time). Service (1) was fine. Food came out at a reasonable speed. Way better than I expected. Open for a year. Closed Monday. 

Izziban Katsu - A weird, disjointed menu of around twenty things. I think it is Koreans selling Japanese food. They had a Korean fish cake on a skewer special called Odeng for instance. I grabbed two chicken yakitori skewers to go because nothing else was calling my name and all the things seemed too pricey for a food stall in a supermarket. They cost $8. They were average. They seemed to be topped with Gochujang sauce. a Korean thing. They didn't even sell much katsu. The one interesting dish was a special Nagasaki fish soup. But, that is just because where it comes from.

Joen - They sell the usual Korean dishes. I saw a bibimbap in a stone pot that looked good. I tried (to go) a special pork backbone soup because it sounded weird. It was ok. 3 vertebrae. Not much meat on them. Kind of like ox tail. Good flavor. Tender. Two potato pieces. Kimchi. Red broth. Rice on the side. Three average bonchon (kimchi, spicy radish, spicy zucchini). It cost $12. 

*Travel Notes - Texas: I had pretty decent beef tacos with charro beans and a loaded potato at Marisela's Tamales in Beaumont. I had a Jazz Martini (shrimp and crab and hearts of palm and avocado) and shrimp and blue cheese grits at some 100 year old institution in Galveston called Gaido's. Galveston was more interesting than I expected. Many old Victorian homes. They said it was the biggest city until some hurricane early in the 1900's. I had bad lean and marble brisket sandwiches at Smokin R BBQ in West Columbia. I had an ok burger at some small chain called Billy Bob's Hamburgers. This one was in Hondo. West of San Antonio. I had pretty good brisket and a gamey barbacoa taco at David's Old Fashioned Pit BBQ in Fredericksburg. So many wineries now. A new bubbly maker called Heath Sparking Wines opened a beautiful tasting room. I'll also point out a brewery called Altstadt. I had a chocolate tasting in Stonewall at Chocolates El Rey. It's just past F'burg. They claim to be world gold medal winners in white chocolate. It was good. They make the stuff in Venezuela. I also bought a toffee and chocolate and pecan thing called Holy Moly. Mostly toffee. So, disappointing. Some of their other offerings (chocolate covered) are: white discs, dark discs, coated almonds, covered pecans, cherry bark, pistachio bark, citrus cashew bark, chili crumble, fruitful bark, kitchen sink bark, peppermint bark and mango cayenne. In Austin I had a three chili sampler of venison and beans, beef and white pork with hatch chilis at Texas Chili Parlor near the capitol building. One the other side of the river, I had an interesting tortilla soup with achiote chicken, avocado, cheese, kale and pickled cauliflower and a shrimp taco with kale at Fresa's on South First. Did you know kale, spinach and strawberries have the most pesticides in them of all things? Think on that the next time you order a smoothie. For breakfast I had a gingerbread pancake and an egg dish with chicken, beans, salsa and sour cream on a corn pancake at Magnolia Cafe. Real good. Real big, I also grabbed a Migas (egg) taco from Torchy's Tacos on the way out. I had the best barbeque of the trip in some little joint (Smitty's Smokehouse) in a little town called Jasper. I had a half smoked chicken and a quarter pound of brisket. Very tender. Chicken was great too. And that is that. I'll say that Texas (and I like it) is truly an ugly piece of property. It's funny that it is so populated. Just flat, brown and dusty. Even the trees looked like they were in a forest fire. FYI. I'm sure you have heard. The Governor just lifted their mask mandate. 

Grub Crawl - Audubon Park and Mills: The Salty and Matcha House *LA Travel Notes

I tried these two snack places on Wednesday before lunch. I was going to add the mochi place at the East End Market, but, they aren't open M-W. I separated these from where I went after based on location. They will be in the next review. I just had to get these off the list somehow.

The Salty - A new donut place at the intersection of Corrine and whatever that street is with the 7-11. It's a huge white space. It was (or they made it look like) a garage. A little pergola type structure outside. I grabbed a traditional frosted donut for $3. It was good. Huge. They have funky donuts. Strawberry shortcake, fruity pebbles, etc. They were a little costlier. Nice packaging. Order from a counter place.

Matcha House Tea and Creamery- They opened in June. They sell hot matcha, cold teas with boba and best of all (and should be mandatory) ice cream. I had black sesame in a large, dark black, sugar cone. It was probably water based ice cream. But, I liked it. Never had black sesame ice cream before. Don't recall seeing it. It cost $5. The place is across from a school (Lake Highland Prep pre-highschool?) on Mills. Next to Standard and that Korean fried chicken place. It has a modern look. Order from a counter type place.

*I saw a new pizza place on Mills - Pops. They look open, but, only sell pizza after 4pm. Pre-designed pies and few other things. I think they said they opened in June.

**Travel Notes - Louisiana (really just one day in New Orleans): I walked from my hotel on St Charles in the Garden District (Prytania Park $105 on a Saturday with free parking) to Nola Brewing Co. It was cool. The beer was good. They also have a pizzeria and a guy was boiling crawfish outside. Band too. I had a flight of spirits at Lula Distillery (next to hotel). They were good. I begged a reservation at Hot Tin at the Ponchartain Hotel on St Charles and Josephine. It was Saturday and I was lucky. They turned away alot of others after me. I had three appetizers. They are serving the same menu as the main restaurant in the hotel - Jack Rose. I noticed (while waiting) that even the skinny girls in New Orleans are fat. The apps were: oyster and artichoke fritto misto, crispy pork cheeks in roasted garlic grits with pan gravy and crawfish and cornflakes with corn nuts, cherry tomatoes and lime vinaigrette. All were great. They also had some interesting things like: crawfish cracked potatoes, brussel sprouts in harissa and honey and french hermit oysters. Those were all apps. The mains were boring. It's a great spot on the roof. I think I read about them in a magazine. I stopped at Apolline off Magazine and Bordeaux for breakfast on Sunday. I had a benedict-y type of dish called Eggs Apolline (poached eggs with crawfish and andouille and some kind of pink hollandaise over a biscuit). They were good. Cute place. Thank god I got there early. A line started at 12. I also saw (while driving around) that there is a zoo and a golf course down that way (south of Tulane). 

***BTW - How have the Magic not fired their coach and why haven't they traded for Austin Rivers or another superfluous Knick PG all season? Not that it would make a difference, but, they could try and fool us.

Kombu, Winter Park *AL/MS Travel Notes

I stumbled upon this Japanese restaurant on Aloma (east of 436) this Tuesday night. I was attempting to knock Takashi Ramen off my list. It is evidently closed on Tuesday. This place replaces some kind of Hawaiian sandwich place if I'm remembering right. They did an ok job on the remodel. Now it is more modern. Light gray and black hues. Small. Seats around thirty. I had an assortment of sushi items to suss out the quality. I had yt sashimi (3 pieces) and the following nigiri (2 piece) : tuna, salmon, yt, conch and an avocado roll. The avocado roll had fresh avocado. It cost $4.50. Rice (in general) was a bit crunchy. Undercooked versus old. I think. Tuna ($6) looked red. One piece was tasty. One had funk. Weird. The salmon ($5) looked good. Was a little pasty. The conch (5) was so so. Not so crunchy. The yt ($5.50) was good. Cut too thin as sashimi. They cut the fish long and thin. A little cheap on the portion size. Plating was nice. For a tiny place, they seem to have a big ambitions (menu). They also sell ramen, buns,takoyaki  karaage, donburi, katsu, teriyaki, many rolls and mochi. The lunch specials start at $10 and lunch boxes at $12. Some weird things they offer are: white meat (izumidai), salmon tempura, kombu special dressing, coconut shrimp tempura rolls, kabayaki sauce, umami sauce. They have 27 classic rolls and 30 special rolls. I hope they can handle all the options. They opened last month. I was the only one dining in around 8 pm (one to go ramen customer). They closed after I left. Seemed like a three person crew. One sushi maker, one waitress, one person in the kitchen. They are on the cusp. I think they want to be high end. If they improve a little bit, they may be something to talk about. Could go the other direction. Big menus scare me. Hard to pull off. Hard to buy (fresh)  for. Odd that for such a common Japanese word (kelp), I don't recall seeing a restaurant called it before.

* FYI. Most wasabi is colored horseradish.

**Travel Notes - Alabama/Mississippi: In Mobile I tried for a place called Southern Standard (a diversity James Beard Award Semi Finalist, I think). Only (maybe) open on Friday and Saturday for dinner presently. It was closed. I grabbed a chocolate pecan bar and a praline at Three Georges Candy Store. On the way back I stayed at cute hotel called Malaga Inn ($74). I stayed in Ocean Springs MS at a dump called Gulf Hills ($83). Pictures lie. I had pretty good barbecue in town at Murky Waters. They had two higher end places called Vestige ($65 prix fixe with triple tail fish (an actual fish I never have heard of and just googled and got a result for), beef cheeks, etc) and Charred ($30 meals of scallop and pork belly, duck, oysters, etc). I had an interesting breakfast chard biscuit with some kind of fluff (spread) on top at Greenhouse on Porter. I read about it in some magazine. I had lunch in Bay of St Louis at Blind Tiger (another magazine). West on 90. 3 lbs of crawfish (season started at end of Feb) for $18. Real good. Place is named after some kind of prohibition joints. I grabbed a sausage on a stick and boudin and pimento cheese inside a fried wrap/pastry at some tiny bbq place down the street called Jo's. There were a few nice looking restaurants (200 North Beach, Trapani's, Don B's, Hinge, Thorny Oyster) and a new hotel (Pearl $130-230) just after the bridge into town. First time there. I was impressed. Nice beaches just down the street too. Thought it was a dirty refinery area. Nope. On the way back I stopped at The Shed at exit 57 in MS again. I tried for crawfish on the way through. It wasn't the season yet by one day. Was on the way back. $6 a pound. Not as fresh or large as last Spring. Place was packed. Governor had lifted mask mandate the day before. I was going to try some 3D places in Daphne or Fairhope Alabama (east side of bridge to Mobile). They were: Marci, Gumbo Shack, Panini Pete and Sunset Point at Fly Creek Marina. They were off the main road plus it was too early for lunch. Next time. I ended up at some place they show on billboards on I-10. Lambert's Cafe. They throw rolls. It was bad. Had bad chicken salad, potato salad and instant mashed potatoes. They have place in Missouri, I guess. It was packed. So was the way to the beaches I intended to drive through. I reversed course. Next time. Becoming a bigger fan of this area. Hopefully not too many typos. Can't be bothered to proof. Louisiana and Texas up next.

Grub Crawl - Deland: Bake Chop and Neighbors *FL Travel Notes

 I tried these places in that alley (Artisan Alley) off the main road thru town around two weeks ago on a Thursday (at lunch). The first is in the spot that was previously Dally (sp?) in the Alley. The second is a food truck across from it. I think I have two places in Deland left to review for you.

Bake Chop Artisan Kitchen- I had the chicken bleu sandwich with fries for $15. It was good. A plump piece of chicken. I can't really remember more. I think the ham and gruyere were on top. The fries were crisp. They try for the seasonal/local vibe. It still has the exposed brick interior. Seats inside and out. Not an overwhelming menu. service was good. It was full. You may be lucky and find free parking down the street across from Hyderhead Brewery. In business for four years.

Neighbors Artisan Taqueria - I grabbed a Hipster taco (soft) to go. Just to give them pub. They said they just tweaked the menu. The taco was a mushroom one. Shitake, cremini, and button. Actually quite good. And not in the British way where that means it isn't. They had around ten types. This one cost $4. I would ask for them to hold the cum sauce. Or just get a tiny bit. It overpowered the mushrooms. And added a ton of calories. 

*I noticed one new place - The Table. Sit down with shop above. On the Main St. 

**Travel Notes - FL: I also just completed a five state trip. I'll give you Florida today. I'll spread out the rest going forward. I have three more posts to do after this one. I tried these places in Tallahassee: Bumpa's Local #349, Canopy Road Cafe, Andrew's, Midtown Caboose and Governor's Inn. Bumpa's was an audible after I got lost. It was ok. I had a cobb salad with chicken. I had breakfast at Canopy Road (several locations). I had an ok Mutt's Club. It was bacon, sausage, ham and eggs in toast. I stayed at Governor's Inn on the way back after I found out it was right by the Capitol and only $85 pre tax (remember I get Expedia gold price). Plus the guys at Canopy told me it was a gem. It was cute and right across from Andrew's (the reason I was staying downtown). Andrew's was ok. I was warned by the same people that it was so so. I had grouper etouffe (crawfish, crab and sausage) in jalapeno havarti grits with spinach. The fish was a little pasty. Like they floured it. It then was put under soggy things. The grits were really good. It was a politico place. They were in session. I saw the Gov coming out of a private club next door. I had lunch on the way out at Caboose. There was a sign across the street that said the Marquis de Lafayette was granted that land after the Revolution. Who knew? I bet he never set foot on it. I had a Triple Play. It was ham, turkey and roast beef with provolone and a black pepper mayo. It came with tots. Tots were well fried. A little cheap on the meats. They said they are known for their burgers. I read about these (and Lofty Pursuits) in the magazine AAA sends me. I predict that with all the out of staters moving in that people who live here already will start moving north. Tallahassee, Pensacola and Jacksonville will become major cities with major airports. The proximity to the beach makes it logical. If you see the way they are modernizing I-10, you would be surprised. It used to be so desolate for much of the way west. I also checked some hotel prices and they were already sky high. Same in Alabama. Everyone is on spring break. I also stopped at a little historical spot in Gainesville (Hallie's Homestead at Kanapaha Plantation). They said it was open. It wasn't. Only on weekends. It seems like it is a tribute to slaves. Not sure if it was their housing or the plantation they worked. It's like five miles west on FL-24/Archer Rd. That's the second exit going north. The one with most of the hotels. I was going to try and try Joe Patti's Seafood Market and Alex McPhail's Iron in Pensacola. Got lost. Passed right by. Patti's was on the water front near the minor league baseball stadium. Iron was on the main street (Palafox). Next time. You can take 110 from 10 right downtown. It may be my imagination, but, it seemed like they really cleaned that place up. I saw three art museums for example. will have to stay overnight next time. I also got lost trying a short cut on the way back and drove thru Fort McCoy. Funny because I had meant to see what it was like after taking with some lady on the plane. All the roads up north are filled with bikers. Forgot it was bike week.

Grub Crawl - West Colonial: Da Sun Ramen, Seoul Soon Tofu and Pho 54 *MT Travel Notes

I tried these place on West Colonial (50) yesterday at lunch. The first is in the Westside Crossings Mall (Chinatown). The next two are in the Lotte Market (see Taglish review). I've been meaning to try the other food stalls at Lotte. Then Covid hit and I wasn't keen on things related to Asia and then other things caught my interest. But, now I'm going to knock those off and the two ramen places in Chinatown sooner rather than later. I did half this go round. One more trip should do it. However, I saw they were building a place called East Garden in Chinatown near 888 and I think I espied a new one near the road called Shanghai Lane. It may just be a new facade? But, I think it's new. This may cause me to make a third trip. I saw that the market at the Crossing had closed.

Da Sun Ramen.- We all no my thoughts on the subject. The fact that two new ones opened here last year (almost next door to each other) and that one replaced a previous ramen purveyor I had already suffered through, didn't help put these in the urgent pile. But, here we are. Ramen isn't all they are about. They offer more than that. A sizable izakaya (no drinks) menu. Things like okonomiyake (although they said they were out), karage, udon, etc. I had curry ramen (I thought you'd like that instead of the other dishes) because it is so boring and I had to do something to shake things up. I couldn't really recall having this many times if ever. It made it less dull. They dice the pork into little cubes. Egg is extra. Noodles were a bit over cooked. Not a terrible lunch. It cost $10. The employees seemed Chinese. The pork tasted and looked like how a Chinese cook would approach it. I actually preferred it to the big slab the Japanese give you. The place looks bad. The walls and light fixtures are alright. The tables and chairs are a horrendous mish mosh. They took down pictures and left the hangers on the wall. Dozens of them! There is a bad mural on one wall. They have cheap photos of the dishes along the walls. One tv was just buffering.  The napkins are like restroom paper towels. It's just sloppy. There seemed to be one cook and one order taker. The order taker delivered my food then went straight into the john for a dump. Too long for number one. That added to the ambiance. It seats about forty. Two Americans were there when I entered. One left his bowl uneaten. They opened a year ago. Do I need to spell it out?

Seoul Soon Tofu - Soon means soft. They do six tofu pots. There is another Korean stall here and they try and differentiate. I won't go into the differences. Both have hot pots and stews and other things. They have a lunch box on weekends. I tried sweet and sour pork ($14) because I didn't want another stew or soup after ramen. Plus I had never seen it before on a Korean menu. They said it was similar to the Chinese version with some twists. They were: the sauce was brown with cucumbers, cabbage and some thin circles of tofu or mushroom in it and thin strips of breaded pork. They gave me a liter of the sauce. I used a tenth. Whatever came along with the vegetables I scooped out of it. I can't imagine using the whole thing. More sour than sweet. The pork was too long. It needed to be cut in half. It was ok. A little tough. It came with white rice an two bon chon (bad kim chi and slices of some yellow colored sweet pickled root vegetable that was probably radish). It was over priced. I ate this for dinner.

Pho 54 - I waited forever for a pork banh mi for $5. I thought I was going to report that it was the worst in the city. I ate it this morning and the time in the fridge hardened up the pathetic roll (from Publix or WD) and it wasn't that bad. Still may be the worst. But, not in a landslide. It was half sized though. Tiny roll. I don't love grilled pork banh mi. I don't order the non-traditional ones much. This was one of those. They only have this or chicken. It was ok. One piece of gristle. Butter. Veg. They also sell 6 pho, 6 rice dishes and 6 noodle dishes. Three people in the booth. An order taker that seemed more interested in eating her own lunch, a boy cleaning tables and an older lady cooking. 

*I saw a place off 434 on near I-4 that said Fig's Steakhouse. Not sure how long that has been there. I think Todd English has places called Fig. Nor sure if they are related.

**Travel Notes - Bozeman, MT: Got stuck in bad weather. Negative 20 at night. Snow. Clouds. Went for Big Sky Ski Resort or Bridger Bowl. The weather wasn't good enough or they were out of tickets all week. Bridger is only $60. Big Sky was up to $200 with tax. Too outrageous for me. Pretty though. Flight (one stop) was $215. Ok hotels (I forget that I get a 20% or so discount when I use Expedia or Booking because I've reached certain thresholds - adjust you pricing as needed) could be found in the $70's. Rental car cost $250 for the week. I also get discounts here. So, here goes a list of what turned into a week of eating out. I'll go in order. Burger Bob's - bacon, egg cheese burger. They had an article from USA Today or something that said Top 50 Best Burger in America. Not even close. Lapa Grill and Soup Shack. An ok bison taco and pork chili verde. In a beer bar. Jam. This was Yelp's number one reviewed (I'll put the numbers in as I go on). A breakfast/lunch place. Not number one. I had a weird dish of beet and root. It was a hash with yellow and red beets in it and two overcooked poached eggs. The beets don't work in a hash. They also tossed on a side salad of lemon dressed arugula that didn't work. I also had butternut squash soup that was ruined by the inclusion of ground pork sausage. Didn't marry. I had a good pizza from Red Tractor Pizza. I had good sushi (and local beer) at Dave's Sushi. Well, the yt and surf clam were good. Salmon and tuna were a little pasty. I had good fried chicken at Roost (on 3D). Mashed potatoes were really good. Had some some good whiskey, rum, tequila and vodka at Bozeman Spirits Distillery. I had good beer at Union Hall Brewery. I had an ok burger at Back Country Burger Bar. Ok thai at Rice. Average lamb gyro at Revelry (#2). And better pear, parsnip and brie soup. Although, they didn't know which herbs and spices worked well. They put some chives in the soup. They clashed. That type of soup needed spice not herbs. Similar problem with the gyro. I had good orecchiette with spicy pork ragu at Blackbird (#4). The menu was sparse though. Alot of pizza (supposedly because of Covid). And they seemed a bit impressed with themselves. I had a good Grizzly Killer breakfast of "the biggest (it wasn't) chicken fried steak you've ever seen" with three eggs and hb at Main Street Overeasy (#7). Dave's and Roost were in the "most reviewed" top ten. I also had some pretty good walleye tacos in Big Sky at Cafe 191. They also had a market that was ok called Heeb's. I saw some interesting dried mushroom packages from a company called Terra Dolce. I'm not a fancy market shopper, so, maybe they aren't so unknown. If you weren't aware, Bozeman is right above Yellowstone. Good in all seasons. University town. Ended the state mask mandate that week. Some localities still wetting their pants. Including Bozeman. Female mayor. So, you know... Some were wearing them outside. Some not. 

Grub Crawl - Orlando: Aardvark (Closed), Kathi Rolls (Closed) and Taino's Bakery

I tried these place today at lunch. None of them is truly in an area that can be identified with a pithy nick name, so, I'm going to group them together. They are kind of near each other. The first is on Ferncreek off Michigan. The second is on Curry Ford near the Hourglass District. The third is just off 436 on Lake Underhill. I was just driving around today and kind of had some of these on my mental list.

Aardvark - This was a general store that became a bottle shop that became a restaurant/bar. They said they changed the chef a year ago. I went for a burger and ended up with a riff on a cheese steak (Okeechobee Dip.) I probably should have stuck to the plan. The cs was brisket and leeks and mushrooms. The four strips of medium thick sliced brisket were tough. Too tough to rip with your teeth. It needed knife and fork effort. It tasted like they boiled it after smoking. That or they boiled it first and then smoked it. Or they did some cheating with liquid smoke. The leeks were cut like scallions. They charred them too. Smoke on smoke wasn't double the fun. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I received one quarter of a small mushroom. The bun looked and tasted like a Publix special. Plus it was too voluminous for the already high sandwich. If you didn't need a knife for the meat, you would need it to cut it down to size. Try a new bun or scoop out the middle. Or press it.  It came with limp fries and a jus. Not au jus. A jus. Because we all know au jus means - with juice. Both were salted and peppered too much. Other than that, it was a delight. It cost $15. The menu had about a dozen choices. Two were interesting. A grouper Manhattan. Bitters (orange I think) and a cherry something or other. And grilled asparagus (an app). They had bar snacks and chicken and some other meats. A sirloin was like $24. That was the high end. The beer selection was mostly local. Kind of average. Maybe the fridges have more choice. The wine menu was a bit more unusual. Especially the reds. Seemed like a 3X mark up. They also sold kegs. The place is square. Window up front. Bar in rear. Three booths. The rest tables. A patio. Maybe seventy seats in total. Two others were there at 11:30. It opens at 10. 

Kathi Rolls - In the spot that was another Indian place for a minute. I believe it was called Forever Naan. There were articles from The Weekly and (probably) The Sentinel on the wall. The OW was dated April. So, it has been open at least that long. I assume they both jizzed on the place. My tikka kathi roll has only been picked at so far. That is because it lost the contest. What I did sample was undercooked and from bad parts of the chicken. Maybe a nuke job tomorrow will firm up the meat. The sauce also seemed more deep red than your standard tikka masala. The paratha bread was ok. It cost $9. Probably worth half that. This appears to be a street food of meat kebab out of Kolkata. I wonder if that was looking at when I tried the Moroccan stall at Apna Bazaar? The stall next to it that ignored me. They also sell different versions of this (ie lamb) and in bowls. A few other Indian snacks. It's a small place. Mostly hallway. Framed amateur phots of India. Four tables up front. Two are hightops. The two floor tables were occupied. A bunch of people were picking up or getting it to go. 

Taino's Bakery - I saw this when I went to Meatball Stoppe months ago. I thought it was just sweet treats (which aren't usually very good from Latin countries) plus it was always too late whenever I was driving near here. So, it didn't get did. Glad I forced myself today. It's a huge (and apparently popular) Puerto Rican bakery and eatery. They have a big breakfast and lunch and dinner menu. Cheap too. Some full breakfasts were only $4. I had the Taino Especial for $7. The most expensive one. It was ham, pork, chicken, steak and swiss cheese on a roll with lettuce, tomato, onion and potato sticks. Pressed. French dressing. With a side. I chose tostones. They were good. The steak was so tender. The Aardvark brisket could be the box spring. This would be the mattress. The chicken and pork were pulled. A little hard to make out. But, good. The ham was ham. Cut in small squares.Good bun. Buttered. Huge portion. Like three Kathi rolls or one Kathy Najimi. They also sell: a dozen other sandwiches, snacks, mofongos, jibaritos (green plantain "bread"), salads, cremas, burgers, baked goods and something called a mallorca that seems to be a sweet roll sandwich bread. I think a $14 mofongo is the high end. Most things are a fraction of that. The place takes up three store spaces. They have three counters to order at. Seats inside. White color scheme. They have three other locations. Two in Kissimmee and one on Goldenrod. The original was opened in 2006. Not sure if this is it. probably not. They said this location has been there for over ten years. They said they are open until 6pm. The sign on the door reads 5pm. They open at 6am. Probably a discovery like the Americas and Columbus. Well, I'm claiming it in my name for all Oppressors. Try not to embarrass me when you check it out. Easily the best of the day. And at less than half the price than one of the competitors and around 50% off the other. Needless to say that it (the sandwich) no longer exists in it original form. The internet says taino means a person from the Caribbean. Could just be some persons (non-binary of course) name. Hot staff. Very binary. Turned my zero into a one.

*I forgot one food item I saw in SC. Fried peanuts. In the shell. At a market. In a bag like chips. They fried the whole thing. Didn't try them though. Forgot to go back and pick them up before I skipped town.

**Saw that Wa Sushi was at 436 at Red Bug Lake Rd. Buffalo Wild Wings area. Plus new Mexican opening on 436 just passed the train tracks. Has been various buffet places, etc.

Bovine Steakhouse, Winter Park *SC/GA Travel Notes

I tried this place in the old Park Place Gardens locale on Park Ave last Thursday (8 days ago) for dinner. They are only open for lunch on the weekends. If it weren't for this, I might have tried them earlier. I stopped by in the Spring and wasn't really impressed by the menu or the prices either. They are from the 310 group. This is supposed to be a Chicago style steak house. Another concept that isn't my bag. I came for a fly by at the bar of steak tartare. Covid (or public sentiment) made the place wide open. So, I "upgraded" myself to a mini booth at the bar. The back is big and really nice. I didn't realize it was there until I sat down. I probably wasn't in the mood for the formality even if I had seen it before hand. The menu (small) had a thing or two of value. I adjusted my plan and started with a salmon tartare at $14. It was ok. Not a ton of flavor. Nice plating. Some kind of black rough rock bowl. Three toast points. A cucumber base layer. Mustardy vinaigrette dressing. Micro greens. Some  "American" caviar. I saw a show once on caviar from Florida. I wonder if they source it from there? The toast points overwhelmed the salmon. The caviar wasn't very good and isn't needed. The steak tartare was better. A rough chop. Not straight out of the refrigerator temp beef. Micro greens, capers, raw egg on top (nice color yolk). Beefy flavor. It came four roasted blue cheese toasts that were good (so much cheese) on their own, but, overwhelmed the beef. I like my acts to be solo acts when they can be. I don't think they need to hide their ingredients. Then again, I don't think pizza needs ranch dressing. The portion here was also more generous than the salmon. 2X. Same plating. The rest of the menu is mostly grilled meats. I think the ribeye was $68. It has been a while, but, I remember a ribeye at Linda's La Cantina was only like $24. The cheapest beef cut was over $40, I think. A teeny 4oz filet. Chicken was the cheapest thing. $32?. I forget. Two roasted vegetable entrees were the low water mark. A semi-reasonable entree was prime rib. I think it was only $24. I've never liked it. It was always too slippery for me. And it was always something of a joke to my family. The thing at the country club buffet that the families who thought dining at a country club was a special night out thought was the height of opulence. The place was dark in hue. Brick. Polished wood. Some gilding. A rectangular narrow bar area in front. A large square room in back. A glass wine closet. The selection seemed ok. There were six people at the bar. I think two or three tables of two in the back. Service was fine. Dressed up. They spaced the delivery. They made a point of it though. I wasn't aware that spacing an app and an entree has now become something you have to request. I believe they have been open for a full year. It isn't bad. They probably need to bring back (if they ever had one) a burger lunch service and drop the price on every beef option by $20. It was exactly the wrong kind of place to open at the wrong time. The expense account diner may never return. They need to think more Houston's (or Ruth's Chris) than Charlie Trotter's. Even if the meats are the best they can be from coast to coast, it still something anyone can do at home. And people in WP have their favs already. I don't even think they had aged beef. H Steakhouse at Dr Phillips has a visual aging room and other gimmicks. And I think they are cheaper. 

*Travel Notes - SC/GA: Some notes on a trip to SC and GA. I started at Hilton Head. Good burger at Wayback Burger. Bad breakfast at Hilton Head Diner. In Charleston, I started with dinner at High Cotton (because of Samantha Brown). Ok she crab soup. Tile fish with sweet potatoes and squash "special" that wasn't. Tile fish must be in season. It looks cute. I though it was code name for monk fish for some reason. They said it was also a name for wreck fish. It isn't. That is a grouper like fish. I had lunch at the number one reviewed place (high on "rated" too) on Yelp. Poogan's Porch. It was good. Fried chicken (they said it was their thing) with great mac and cheese and collard greens. I had a caramel apple from Savannah's Candy Kitchen. Alex Guarneschelli said it was the "best thing she ever ate" on that tv show. I had dinner at Fig (Samantha Brown again). It was good. Sashimi of King Mackerel atop of rice middlins (a half rice thing you need to research) and sorghum popcorn (saw that on Bourdain or Zimmern in Ethiopia). Salmon roe and radish also. Least fishy mackerel I've experienced. Also, beef tartare in swordfish (not tuna) tonnato on toast. Cooked veal is usually paired with this sauce. And tile fish collar "chowder" fish cake with lardons. I bypassed the number one place (Husk) because I didn't like the menu the prepared for that day. Another restaurant had a sign recommending these places if they were too busy. Nice of them. I didn't research. Leyla, Blossom, Magnolia, Grill 225, Jim 'n' Nicks BBQ, Basil, Slightly North of Broad, Oak Steakhouse and 82 Queen (supposed birthplace of she crab soup). I had a mushy bbq pork sandwich at Duke's BBQ. I stayed at a place called Indigo Inn that was convenient. I spent a night at the Sanctuary on Kiawah Island. It can be $550+ for a bad room. It was $270 with tax this time of year. Nice place. PGA is at their Ocean Course this spring. If you want a look on CBS. I grabbed lunch the next day just outside that area at Kin Folk. It is on Johns Island. I had pulled chicken sandwich with Alabama white sauce. It's mostly a hot chicken place. I went to St Simons Island mostly for the barbeque at Southern Soul Barbeque on a friend's recommendation). It was worth it. I had a huge platter of good brisket with potato salad (very good) and mac and cheese (a little mushy). I grabbed a grilled cheese and cheeseburger at a one off fast food opportunity called Frosty's. There are two fancy hotels on SSI. Cloisters on Sea Island ($314+) and Lodge at Sea Island ($294). I stayed at a Hampton Inn that was $98 with tax and they gave me a $16 food credit. Sea Island is really part of SSI. I was more impressed with SSI this time around. Only one fancy place per trip though. There is also a spot on HHI called Inn and Lodge at Harbour Island. It was $140. 10% resort fee though. Georgia let you dine with no masks. Charleston had a mask mandate throughout the city that wasn't being enforced. No restaurant capacity limits though. None of the areas were very busy.

Grub Crawl - International Drive: Kingdom Sushi and Turkuaz

I tried these two spots in a strip mall on Kirkman and I Drive two Friday's ago at night. They aren't open for lunch. I tried to sort out Hidden Sushi (which didn't look so hot and is just a Brazilian style sushi spot), but, it had a waiting list going.

Kingdom Sushi House - They said they have been open for two years. I didn't notice until a few months ago. I kind of expected them to be not so great. I was right. They do Brazilian style sushi. That means (if this is representative) lots of salmon, a little ahi and lots of junk. The menu pricing is bizarre. A hand roll was like eight dollars. Ceviche (tilapia - eww) was only around $5. Some other ordinary things were in the teens. My plate was only $20 and amounted to 34 pieces. And I think what little nigiri they did were like $6 for an order of two. Other platters had similar items and cost more. My platter (King 30) was all salmon. The salmon was pasty. I guess they gave me 4 extra pieces. It began with a fried roll cut into eight pieces. Then came a platter with: four pieces from a salmon and cream cheese roll, ten slices of sashimi, an eight piece salmon on the outside roll topped with piped whipped cream cheese and finally four pieces of nigiri (I didn't eat them all because I pealed off the salmon and it was gross underneath). The nigiri was the worst. At least two of the pieces must have been a day old. The rice was a brick. The rice on the "fresh" ones was still bad. They don't know how to make sushi grade rice. Or how to keep it. The rolls had way too much cream cheese per unit and the combined force would make a lactose tolerant stomach queasy. The pasty sashimi didn't help. The regular cream cheese and salmon roll also suffered from bad rice (hard and crusty). I informed them of my sentiments (at the end of the meal) and they swore the rice was made that day. I strongly disagree. I think they make these items in bulk and then plate them like a party catering business. And it's FIFO. If some don't get sold, they get refrigerated and sold the next day. Or the next. If anything is fresh, it is because they ran through the pre-prep supply. The platter came out way too fast for it to have been made to order. Like two minutes from ordering. The best thing was the garlic flavored edamame that they served as an amuse bouche for free. Service was fast. It had a mainly Latin looking crowd. 50-60 seats. About half full. Not much on ambience. A mural on the wall was the big expenditure. Low ceilings. I'd skip it. You can go to an all you can eat place and spend less and get more choice and probably fresher items. Now I'm scared to go to Hidden Sushi.

Turquaz Turkish Cuisine - They are in the corner location aside Kingdom. I've been to a multitude of places that have died there. They said they have been here for three years. That is even more surprising. I must have a mental defense mechanism that shelters me from this strip mall. I just ordered falafel to go to knock them off the list. The place is beyond pathetic. It's dark. Most of the space is outside on a patio next to a pool hall. There were two tables of two dining. The falafel was weird. They looked like marsh mellows. They must roll a tube and then snip them off. They were dry and had no flavor. Probably old. It came with some tomato slices, onions and pickled cabbage salad. And a small container of hummus. It cost $8. Inside there is a mural and some Arabic themed light fixtures and a DJ area. It has the same old menu and prices. You can live without it. It means Turkoise.