Grub Crawl - Downtown and Mills: La Boulangerie, Pattie Lou's Donuts and Dochi Mills (Closed) *OH/MI/IN/KY/TN Travel Notes

I tried these spots after lunch on Wednesday. The first two are around the corner from each other on, what I believe, is the corner of Pine and Magnolia. Although the receipt to the first says Rosalind. It is the one that comes north from South Orange (parallels I-4 in front of Lake Eola and the band shell). It is in front of the new apartment complex.. I believe it is called Modera. The final one is near Japango in Vietnam town. I also noticed a new poke place has opened in front of Morgan and Morgan. And Motorwerks brewery is open too. And I think a new place called Maki is diagnol from the 7-11 on Colonial (up from that road that passes Lake Eola). Couldn't see if it was open yet. And the remodel of the Korean spot farther east on Colonial seems nearly complete. I think it has the same name.

La Boulangerie - A bakery+. They had a much more intricate menu than I was expecting. Pasta, duck breast carpaccio, tuna sashimi and tartare, raclette (skimmed hot cheese), fondue, hot stone cooked chicken/beef/duck/shrimp/scallops, charcuterie and cheese plates, pizza, sandwiches, panini, oysters, crepes, omelets, soup and avocado toast. Good pricing. They are from Lyon. Paris and they fight over who is the king of gastronomy. Place looks modern and clean. I just grabbed a baguette after I saw that the place needed a real looking into. It cost $3. Pretty good. Parking can be a pain (meters or garages) downtown. They claimed that you can now use the lot on Central for two hours free. I used a carry out reserved space in front. I wouldn't count on that being available too often. They close at 5pm. This could be a really good addition. Opened fairly recently.

Pattie Lou's Donuts - They are in a soft opening that started a week ago. The mini donut maker was the only one working. I grabbed a small (dozen or so donuts) in a white, Chinese food type container to go for $5. They were fine. You can top them with a "sauce" and add toppings. I just did the chocolate sauce. It was ok. Modern looking, white walled space. Only location.

Dochi Mills - I first told you about their location in the East End Market. Never was there when they were. This is a new location right near the intersection of Mills and Colonial. Across from Mamak. Opened six weeks ago. Cute little store with donuts under glass at the register. I tried a churro for $2.50. Good. I don't know if you remember my Vegas notes from last July 4th. I told you about a Hawaiin poke place that sold these donuts? They look like big beaded bracelets. Soft center. Fresh. They had just a few flavors. I think they have more consistent hours than the original spot. Perhaps you can go and make the guy at the Orlando Weekly happy with your anti-anti-Asian support. I'm sure he's fighting Arab anti-Semetism now. Right? That would be consistent.

*Travel Notes - OH/MI/IN/KY/TN: I went mostly because they had the cheapest rental car prices and I wanted to see Mackinac Island before the season started. Plus the rest of the National Parks and Memorials. Let me start by saying what a joy it is to fly into Cleveland versus flying through our POS airport. There were three TSA lines and still only three people in each line. Rental car counter had no line. And if there is a gap in the action, it usually means fast food or chain hotel or leftovers. I started off with a stroke of luck. Found Gideon Owen Wine Co (btw - there were multiple dozens of wineries in all of those states with possibly the exception of KY) on Catawba Island (more of a peninsula) and had one of the better bouillabaise in recent memory and a very nice cheese board and some ok wine. Pink Catawba and Chamborcin. I took a ferry ($16) from there to South Bass Island and Put in Bay to see the Perry memorial. Cool island. Would have stayed longer, but, forecast was for rain. drove up the thumb of Michigan (coastal drive) and stayed at a dive motel (Lakeside Motor Lodge) in Port Austin for $86. Continued up the coast to Mackinaw City. had a hot dog at Wienerlicious. They use Koegels frankfurters and Vollwerths brats. Had Coulotte (sirloin) steak with MP and veg at Rusted Spoke Brewing Co and tried samples of six local beers. Star Ferry ($28) to Mackinac. Stayed at the Murray Hotel on Mackinac Island for $104. Nearest to middle of downtown and the Grand Hotel (the landmark) was sold out. Had a Black Russian (turkey, Russian dressing, slaw, bacon on black rye) at Chuckwagon. Had pecan fudge at Ryba's. Sampled ten more local beers and had good wings at Mary's Bistro Draught House. Had overpriced breakfast of eggs, etc at Pancake House. Back to main land and down other coast past Sleeping Bear Dunes NP. Had French Silk (chocolate mousse with chocolate slabs) at Sherman's Creamery in South Haven. In Indiana I saw the Indiana Dunes NP to Hinkle Fieldhouse at Butler in North Indianapolis and onto Indiana University in Bloomington. Ate a good meatball sub at Eric Gordon's Greek's Pizzeria across from the football stadium. Greeks seems to be a chain. I know you geeks don't know who Gordon is. South through Vincennes (GR Clark NM) to Lincoln's home. His mother died of milk poisoned by plants their cow ate when he was nine. Through Land Between the Lakes NRA on the Tennessee border. Fort Donelson. Stayed at Dover Inn for $77 because it was the only hotel. Ate at Mama Meas (no typo). Had an ok pizza served by a fairy princess. Canceled a sub at Penn Station in Mumfreesboro TN (Stones River NB) because they kept redoing it. A chain that is basically Quizno's. Drove back north through Nashville (getting so trafficy) to Mammoth Cave KY. Did that and stayed in nearby Park City at the very cute Grand Victorian Inn for $89. Ate at their Mammoth Railway Cafe and had barbeque glazed, sliced, pork shoulder, fried corn and pasta salad. First time for fried corn (niblets). Drove from there to Bardstown KY. This started a bourbon distillery adventure. Had a good CB at Bardstown Burger. Went south about fifteen miles to Maker's Mark. Then back and north about ten miles to Jim Beam. Back to a few in BTown. East to just south of Frankfort and did those (ie Wild Turkey and Woodford Reserve). Nice horse farms. Had an ok Hibachi shrimp and rice and two rolls at Koi Express in Frankfort. Drove through downtown to do Buffalo Trace and then back on the highway to Louisville where I did a few more (ie Bulleit) on the way. In Louisville stayed in a new area near the river and baseball field called NuLu. Had good bbq at Feast. Good beer at Akasha Brewery. Nice walk around town. More distilleries. Lots of homeless under the bridges. Very dead. The mayor locked them down all year. A few drinks at Garage. Drove to Old Louisville district in the morning. Saw the campus and sports facilities. Got a Hot Brown (turkey, Mornaise, bacon on toast) at the Brown Hotel (another reason I went there). The bartender told me about a cemetery in town. Cave Hill. Went and saw Muhammed Ali and Colonel Sanders graves. Drove north through Muncie IN and Ball State. Back to airport area and had an ok roast beef and sliced chicken sandwich at Dave's Cosmic Subs in West Lake OH.

Grub Crawl - NoDo: City Pub and Guacamoli

I tried these places on North Orange Ave (north of Colonial/50) on Wednesday at lunch. They are neighbors. The first was North Quarter Tavern. The second is in the place that had Caro-Bama Cue and a Canadian chain. They call the space a marketplace now. There was also a coffee stall beside it. I don't think that is/was the Canadian enterprise.

City Pub - They have been there for two or three years. Seems like the same thing as the old place. The layout is the same. The menu seems similar. Not sure if the old place had photos of older Orlando. but, I kind of think it did. I had a cheeseburger with fries for $11. Overwhelmed by the bounty the night before. Garden variety burger that your buddy would grill for you at a cookout. Smallish. Roundish. Saw it flaming from grease in the kitchen. Inside was medium. Cheddar sat hard on top. Veg were ok. Yellow tomato, onion and bibb lettuce. Brioche bun. Ok. Fries were wedge and coated. Fail. Fail. Wedges are for breakfast. Coating is for candy. The rest of the menu was pub fare. The odd man in was a gyro plate. Thye have trivia nights. Parking is almost non-existent. Luckily, my secret spot is still unknown.

Guacamoli - They do smoothies and toast. I had the cheapest one (simple) for $6. Lots of guac. Creamy. They swear it's Haas. Seemed so. Way too salty. Also had some funk to it that I hope wasn't "secret sauce". Made in back, so, that's always scary. Can never tell who has a score to settle. They also do a Caprese (mozz) and a salmon for $8 and $9. Out of mozz. The smoothies are $8, $9 and $10. Kale, strawberry and moca. Opened in October.

*One more post tomorrow with a Midwest Travel Note at the end. Then we're up to date.

Grub Crawl - UCF Area: Mei's Kitchen, Mark's Jamaican Bar and Fujiyama Sushi

I tried these three places in a strip mall on the left side of University Blvd (coming from Winter Park or Downtown) after 417 and before the UCF campus on Tuesday night. All were to go. The last two were places I have already reviewed. I retried them because it has been a while. I will give short reviews of each. You can go to the original postings for more. I'll give the month and date.

Mei's Kitchen - A Taiwanese place. They were closing (around 8pm), so, I had to get my things to go. I suspect the quality also suffered. But, It was still good. They have around twenty tables inside. Kitchen behind the counter which is in the rear. Modern look. I went for variety since I wasn't dining in. I had the fried oysters (5) for $7 and a Gua Bao for $3 and a braised pork belly bento box for $10. The oysters were good. Came with a french type dressing. I doubt they were shucked on site. Probably bought in bulk pre-schucked. The bao was a riff on their standard pork belly. I think this had peanuts or something. It was ok. The bun was a little pasty and small. The bento was great. A huge amount of white rice with savory ground pork mixed in. The belly was thick. Meat was tender. Fatty. Around six slabs. They threw in a soy dipped hard boiled egg and egg drop soup and an egg roll and a savory cabbage salad. I might have liked that cabbage salad the best. Never had it before. Think of kimchi without the heat and bitterness. This was cured in mayo or something. Savory and slightly sweet. They have a two sided menu. Around a dozen finger foods and some entree type stuff and bao and bentos. I think it's worth a foray. Open for just under a year. Faucet in bathroom lit up when you turned on the water. 

Mark's Jamaican Bar - They were across and up the street before this move. I think they said they did it three years ago. According to my first post (July 2015), I liked the jerk pork and hated the patty sandwich. I had the barbeque jerk chicken plate this time. It was good. Four pieces of mostly non-dry thigh and drum. Heavy on the sweet and slightly spicy sauce. I had green bananas and rice and beans and a dumpling as sides. The rice was not overcooked nor dryn or crunchy. Nice flavor. I knew the other two would be bland. They have to be. Still ok if eaten with another component. Have to keep mixing it up. It only cost $9. They have a pretty big menu. Oxtail was around $15. This place looks a little nicer than the last. If I can remember properly. A bar on the right. Tiny room to the left. Patio seating. Next door (on the corner near the street) to Mei's.

Fujiyama Sushi - Tried it February 2009. Liked the chicken. YT was so so. Had a yt roll and a spicy tuna roll this time. YT was flavorless. Tiny amount. Cigar shaped, nori wrapped roll. Spicy tuna had no nori wrap. They usually use the scraps for spicy rolls. I think they might go down a level and use tuna from a can. Plus it was orange and not red. Both cost $6. Overpriced for the quality provided. The place looks twelve years older. And it wasn't that hot then. But they are still pumping out food. It's on the other side of the Publix's from Mei's. *Just saw on an NHK show that Okonomiyaki and takoyaki were a post WWII thing. They sort of existed before, but, were an adaptation to the scarcity of food, desire to eat western (don't get that) and the wheat flour we brought to them after the war. And Yama means mountain. So, they are Mount Fuji.

Chicago Dog & Co, Altamonte Springs

I tried this Chicago style snacks stand over two weeks ago at dinner. I had a double smash burger ($6) and a Chicago dog ($4) to go. While I'll never accept that a pickle and tomato justify doubling the price of a dog, I am liking the "salad" dog more as grow older. This Rover had good snap. Beef? The pickle was fresh. Two peppers that I tossed. Onions, relish and mustard. The burgers were beefy. Well done. Small. Thin. Nooks. Probably flamed. Grilled onions. American cheese. Ok bun. No condiments. They sell around ten things. Italian beef, dogs and burgers. Everything is probably priced double what comparable fast food goes for. But, that's in line with these mom and pop places. It took over an ice cream stand that I think was called Snowflake. They have a decent size parking lot and a covered picnic area away from the road. It is west (towards Apopka) of 434 on 436. Not too far past 434. On the right side of 436 coming from I-4. Next to another place that has been there forever. I think that is an Irish place. Open for probably two months now (factoring in my delay in reporting). I believe they do at least lunch and dinner.

*The next posts will be from this week. I may break one into two parts.

Pub Crawl - SoDo and Downtown: Rockpit Brewing and Broken Strings Brewery

I tried these two breweries after Disney two weeks ago. The first is on S. Orange Ave near Michigan (Illiana St). Behind Cecil's Texas BBQ. You can take the street after the rr tracks if you enter from I-4. The second is just past the soccer stadium on the left. On Church St.

Rockpit Brewing - Open for two years. Posters of miners on the walls. Not minors! That would be problematic. Small. Fireplace. Woody. New Orleans food truck in front. Good beer. Bar on the left. Means of operation all around. Tiny parking lot. Had a Cackler and a pale ale. $3 for a 4 or 5 oz. 

Broken Strings Brewery - Open (in some form) for five years. Said they "merged" with Black Cauldron. Small room. Means of operation behind a wall behind the bar. Parking lot. Said you can park there for games for $20. Rock n roll caricatures. Games. Vinyl sales area. Good beer. Had a red ale, a NE IPA and a Black IPA. $2.50 for 5 oz pours. I think they close early. Like before dinner time. Can't remember if that was a Covid thing.

*Another brewery called Gaitlin Hall is almost open south on S Orange (by Le Cordon Bleu) and Motorwerks on N Orange (Downtown) in the old Mini Cooper/Orlando Brewing space looks open. After those two, I think the one in Eustis is the last one in the CF area not accounted for.

Grub Crawl - Disney Springs: Paradiso 37 and Everglazed Donuts

 We've got a lot to catch up on and not that much time to do it in, so, The next posts will come fast and furious. Maybe one a day for the next week. I finally tried this supposedly 37 country (but mostly Mexican) restaurant two weeks ago at lunch. I think it is the oldest of the surviving ones. That it was the last one I went to tells you what my intuition thought of it. It's in the middle. Back by the lake. It has a Key West feel. The menu is supposed to be from 37 countries. Hardly. And why Canada and poutine is ram rodded in there, I have no idea. Maybe they are the only ones white enough to think this stuff is Latin. They do have something called an Argentinian steak and salsipapas (tiny hot dogs) from South America. The rest of the "foreign' options are things quesadillas. I tried the cheapest thing because the menu was simple and overpriced. Very Disney. It cost $18. It was the pulled pork sandwich. It was ok. The other barbeque spot there is better. Very sauced. Slice of pineapple. Slaw. Ok sesame coated bun. Ok fries served in a basket. Service was good. Food came out pretty fast. Bar on right. Patio on lake. Nice decor. Rum posters. You can skip it. Should I make a John Milton joke?

Everglazed Donuts - I actually came here for them. Open for three months. Gourmet donuts. The first location. Florida theme. Also sells drinks and beer. Two categories of donuts. One costs $4.50. One $5.50. I had a $4.50 Fruity Pebbles. It was pretty good. Big. I think I failed it. I didn't eat it right away and left it in a hot car. It mad the cereal kind of stale. It had a white icing blob on top. Donut tasted good. You could tear the top half from the bottom. It is a rectangular build with windows on the front side. You walk down to the counter and then pick up and walk the other way out of the store. Aside the bowling alley nearer to the circus tent. 

*I saw that there was a new (very popular) sweets place on the way to Paradiso from the green lot. I think it was called 8 Tracks way back. Now it looks like a Harry Potter theme rip off. Wasn't about to wait in line to find out. It was also nice to inter act with the Disney gestapo before entering. If only we spent as much energy combating terrorism as we do a virus. The new place next to Jaleo seems stuck in neutral. And no sign of the Brooklyn pastry store. There was some wood paneling over a location that was near where I first saw the sign. The sign is gone. Maybe they are too. Next post will be about two breweries.

Grub Crawl - West Colonial: Spicy & Juicy Crab and Hunan Taste *AZ Travel Notes

I tried these spots on West Colonial (50) last Wednesday at lunch. I knew the first would be bad and it was. I thought I had been to the second and I guess neither this blog nor I have a any evidence of that.

Spicy & Juicy Crab - I first ran into this place looking for another place around a year ago. It is in a shady strip mall at Hiawassee. It is probably the worst boil place I've examined. I ordered three blue crabs for $13. I figured they'd be frozen. They were. But, I figured everything else would be as well. As I said, they were frozen. Tasteless. Dry. Shrunken. I didn't even bother with the corn or potato.Hhad to get out as quick as possible before I caused a scene. The only other people there were a murder of crows. Female. They were all (one on the phone with an accountant or someone) loudly discussing plans to defraud the government. The one on the phone with a third party kept insisting she should get PPE money as she was an independent contractor. That and the music they chose made it a nauseating experience aside from the food. They have a big square room. Looks like it was once a bar. They had a pool table. Bar up front. They said it has been open for three years. No respectable person would step foot in here. To top it off, they added a 15% gratuity. I think I double tipped. Shows what kind of clientele they attract if they have to force people to tip.

Hunan Taste - In the back of the Westside Crossings Mall (Chinatown). Open for two years. Very interesting menu that I chose poorly on. They have exotic stuff like duck in beer sauce, tripe, rabbit, trotters, etc. Plus some basic stuff like Kung Pao chicken. I settled on a dry pot basil chicken for $14. I was taking it home. I didn't want anything that would spoil or spill. Plus these sounded simple. I figured it would come out fast. It was the kind of Chinese dish I hate. They rough chopped bad parts (drums and who knows whats) and left the bones in. It was micro-surgery to eat around the sinews and veins and bones. A real pain in the ass. Plus they covered it in a sweet and goopy sauce that made the chicken skins even soggier. It came with white rice. They were generous with the portions and the place has the sort of vibe that I trust. I'll have to try again. It's a small square room. Some tables of four and big family tables. All the customers were Chinese. I'd stake my reputation that it is considered a higher end place. The menu isn't huge. I almost tried the dumplings. Subtle, subdued decor. Hunan is south central China. Where Mao was born. Food is usually considered spicier than even Szechuan.

*I went back to Shanghai Lane and tried the salt soy milk soup and pan fried pork buns. Soup wasn't good. Buns may be my new favorite things. More dumplings than bao. I'll update that post with the details.

**Travel Notes - Arizona: Not too many. Much fast food. In Tucson tried a sandwich and french fry chain of thirty locations called Eegee's. Sucked. Had another bad chicken salad with almond sandwich at another smaller chain called Baggin's. In Flagstaff had a bad pizza at NiMarco's. Ok Moo Goo Gai Pan at Mandarin Gardens. Bad bison barbacoa tacos at Cowboy Club (on 3D) in Sedona. Ok green chilie and pork soup and French pastry (chicken, brie and pear sandwich) at Perfect Pear Bistro in Tempe. Bad carnitas nachos at Maskadores in Tempe. The best thing I had all week was at a burgeoning chain called Gadzook's. They one up Chipotle. They have a brick wood burning oven that they heat up your meal in. They market it as enchiladas and soup. You get two enchiladas or three. I had two. Modelo braised bison and guajillo braised short ribs. You fill them as usual. Then they go under the heat and the cheese topping gets all gooey. They also have veg fillings and roasted tomatillo chicken and green chile pork shoulder. The soups looked great. They also do tacos. Also do bowls. Someone should make contact with this ownership group. I think they just have three locations so far. I stayed at mostly $100 a night places. Nothing to write home about. Mostly went to National Parks. There is a nice town south of Sedona called Cottonwood. Weather was perfect. A little windy to start. Airport wasn't that crowded this time around. 

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.