Grub Crawl - UCF Area: Violet's, Saucy by KFC, Yulnn Meals, Siam Garden and Goodfella's *Delray Beach Open Travel Notes

I tried these spots today at lunch. The first is in a new development (Ellington) on E Mitchell Hammock near Alafaya Trail. The second is south down Alafaya past 408 by about a mile on the right. The third is back north on 50 in the strip mall on the northeast corner. It replaced Ji Bei Chuan. The fourth is next door on the left. The last is a few stores down on the left. I just knocked these off cheaply because I had nothing left on the agenda and I decided to let Gen Korean simmer since it is an AYCE (I wasn't hungry) and the dumpling place I wanted to pair it with wasn't open as I thought. I'll return for both when it is.

Violet's Ice Cream Boutique - They surprised my by stating that they have been open for a year. I just recently read about the development they are in. It refers to itself as Amish. I had a single (huge) scoop of cinnamon roll for $6. I hate paying for ice cream. This was an original flavor and I loved it. I didn't mind paying for it all. Pieces of roll and pecans. Cinnamon. They had about a dozen flavors. Then some mixes that you can get as a sundae or shake. They cost around $9. Waffle cones/bowls were an extra $1.50. They had floats. The space is white and clean. A few tables. Counter in the rear. The entrance is on Mitchell Hammock. Parking in the rear. There is also a Jinya and CFS Coffee here. They said they are opening a location in Lake Mary and has one in Sanford. It will be a Favorite.

Saucy by KFC - I believe this is their test store. It is a fail. They take away all the chicken pieces and some sides and give you eleven sauces that you must pay for. I only recall chicken fingers and those on bread. Maybe a wrap. I can't rcall if KFC has sweet rolls and crinkle fries. I grabbed those for $2.50 to play along. They were good. Big portion. Seasoned with a rub. The place looks like a red KFC. Kiosks. Opened recently.

Yulnn Meals and Sips - Just opened. I'm not sure how much redecorating they did. It's white, faux marble, two shades of gray with sandalwood. Spartan. Around six tables. They may have altered the counter area. Made it bigger. Two kiosks. Minion and Jeff Coons Balloon Dog figurines. The menu (Taiwanese/Japanese) was uninspiring. I settled on this cheapest thing as a result. A ground pork and mushroom dish (can't recall the name and they don't provide receipts) with white rice at $10. A portion without rice was $7. So, I guess rice is $3. It was good. Sweet, savory soy sauce based sauce. Not heavy. Lightly stir fried broccoli with garlic and cabbage on the side. The rice was cooked correctly. In a sustainable cardboard bowl. They also sell apps like Taiwanese sausage, tempura shrimp or gyoza. Most under double digits. Mains like ramen, noodle dishes, cold chicken and some fried items on rice. They were mid to upper teens. They sell tea too.

Siam Garden - Looks like it has been there for years. Menu was large. Things you would expect at prices you would as well. They actually had a good deal of seafood and duck. Things I complimented Talay on. They also had a sushi section that I suggest you avoid by the look of seafood and the prices (a Philly Roll was $10). I just had $6 Tum Kha Chicken Soup to go because I wasn't in the mood for another Thai meal. It was ok. Tasted like cheese. Took longer than a soup to go should. Maybe it wasn't pre-made. The place looks old. Dark tones. Stained wood. Fake awnings. Thai elements. Around fourteen tables. Some are booths on the left. One server/buser. Now open 7D. Closed between 2pm and 5pm?

Goodfella's - Since 1998. Was once related to the one in Sanford. Now not. I just grabbed a slice for $3.50 because I had only eaten fries and ice cream so far. It was large. Typical, low quality NY slice. Bad cheese. Ok sauce. Still eatable. Full menu. Subs, pasta, pizza, apps, wings, calzone, stromboli, mains, etc. Veal, chicken, seafood. I didn't get that good a look at the sit down area. Obviously old.

*Travel Notes - Delray Beach Open: I drove 95 to Atlantic Ave in about three hours (stops for gas and Wendy's). Started at 8am. Parked in some covered lot where they wrote that Red Parking was $5. Thought it was there. Turned out to be a free public lot. I saw a few other "colored" parking areas. The ones close to the stadium must cost and you probably have to pre-purchase them. I think those farter away were free. My garage was a block off Atlantic. I had called ahead and they said that I should just wait and buy a ticket there. I think the price was $29 or $59 (I tossed my notes) for the day session. There was an online scam site that looked like their direct ticket sales. They were asking a minimum of $129! I would also call because their prices seemed alot lower than anything I can find (or found) online. I'm forgetful because I met a guy in line and as we were talking he asked if I wanted a coupon for a free ticket. I said yes. He told me some company (maybe the sponsor?) gives away free passes. Another lady told me that if you bring ten canned items you get a free ticket too. They also have days dedicated to certain people like Vets. I assume they get discounted tickets too. This was sort of Day One. They do some "legends" doubles over the weekend. Not sure if every round has deals. I was surprised how few matches were going on. Just four. All in the stadium. Doubles at 11am. Singles at 1pm and 2:30pm. An extra singles on an outside court. Night had two matches. The stadium is large. Everyone had a real seat. I was lucky to be in the second level towards the back. It was shaded. On the west side. The place was probably 5% full. You could grab a seat anywhere. Most people were hogging the shade. They had a few (expensive) food and drink stands. Picnic tables. A water was $6. Hats were $40. A t-shirt was $37. I think you can bring in your own drinks (and maybe food). It's always fun to attend something this low key. The biggest star was Taylor Fritz. I saw him practice. Tommy Paul withdrew. I saw McDonald and Michelson beat Seggerman and Smith and Kecmanovic beat Gojo and I saw the start of Norrie and Svadja and two newbies (Quinn and Boyer) on Court 1. Other "names" were Eubanks, Opelka, Davidovich and Nakashima. The crowd was ancient. I can't believe most of them survived Covid. People were scalping tickets outside. Over the phone they said I could get a printed ticket. The girl who redeemed our coupon said no. Sent a link to my new friend. I didn't pursue it. I left at just past 3:30pm because I was scared of West Palm rush hour traffic. I got through easily. The same three hours on return. I will say that it was a parking lot from Delray to WPB coming south. That's like thirteen miles. There must have been an accident. I only espied some flashing lights from a cop car at some point before the jam registered. Weather was perfect. It's a good event. I believe they said it is 33 years old. I was going to stay down there the day before or after, but, prices seemed inflated. I hate paying for crap in this part of the state. I'm glad I made it a day trip. Really only cost me $40 in gas. I'm going to try and do the Miami Open in a few weeks. I bet it will be a pain in the ass in comparison.

Grub Crawl - Ivanhoe Village and NoDo: Bark Haven and Talay

I tried these spots yesterday at lunch. Both will be Favorites. The first is on Brookhaven Dr behind Santiago's Bodega on Virginia. The second is in the old City Pub space on North Orange Ave.

Bark Haven - They opened around Thanksgiving. It combines dog grooming, dog park, ale house and restaurant. I know. Weird. Open plan. High ceilings. Black. Two large arced booths and a few regular tables inside. Maybe ten tables outside in front of the dog park. A bar in between with around a dozen seats on each side. TVs. Ceiling fans everywhere (on too high). You can bring your dog anywhere. I had the Big Rich for $17. It is a 1/2 lb burger with Mediterranean (not sure how) pimento cheese, onion rings, tomato, arugula or cress, sweet pickles on a brioche bun. It was excellent. The best I've had in a while. Much better than the one they sell at Papi's Burgers (a part owner). I asked for medium rare and it was closer to rare. Fine by me. They hand form it. Maybe hand grind it. Not smashed. Nice crust. I took off the veg and onion rings and ate them as sides. The veg were well seasoned and dressed in a vinaigrette. Fresh tomatoes. The onion rings (one small and one large) were crisp. Some of the best of those I've had in years. Not oily. Pickles seemed homemade. It came in a little cardboard tray with metal looking plastic silverware. The menu is small. Around ten apps and six pizzas and six mains. Only two of the pizzas have "Italian" cheese (burrata). The one I saw was plate sized and looked good. Mid-teens. Other mains are a brisket Cuban in pizza dough, a Lebanese burger, grilled shrimp, etc. All around/under twenty bucks. A steak frites was $24? I don't think any come with a side. They asked if I wanted to add fries. Apps were things like three types of wings and grilled Caesar wedge. Local beer, wine, martinis, cocktails. Most things have a Mediterranean influence. They had six female servers. In black unis. They add 20% automatically. The food seems to be cooked in a "food truck" in the parking lot. On site parking. Open 11am-9pm. 7D. Dogs don't make me uncomfortable. I think I was one in a past life. Their presence made me happy. The place was pretty packed before noon. I think you will enjoy it.

Talay - It means "sea" in Thai. It means we finally have some differentiation in this category. I tried the Gam Pu Tod (crispy crab claws) for $8 and Pad Pak Boong with chicken (water spinach in fermented bean sauce) for $17 to go. Both because they were things I had never had/seen. The crab claws (4) are covered in fried rice paper. They came with an orange colored plum sauce. They reminded me of a dim sum dish at HSF in Chinatown NY. They trim the claw/shell down and mush some crab meat mixture over it and bread it and deep fry it. So good. These claws were cut down closer to the stem and weren't as "bushy". They didn't have a ton of flavor on their own. And that flavor was mostly frozen claw meat tasting. But, it's a fun snack when dipped in the sauce. Crunchy. Not greasy. Decent crab would just make it better. The main dish was good. Pounded, white meat chicken. The sauce was thin. Like a black bean sauce with garlic. Hot because I asked for it that way. More chicken than Queen's Cup. Wok prepared (I'd assume). Came with basmati rice. The kernels seemed short (I'm seeing this more often). Sticky. But, maybe because I left it in the container until dinner. It came out in minutes! Scary quick. Packaging was first class. The menu is GREAT! If I lived nearby, I would eat here once a week. Three soups ($19-$27). Six starters ($7-$14). Four raws ($18-$34). Three salads ($15-$23). Three grilled ($16-MP). Eleven signature ($21-$59). Four curries ($22-$29). Nine classics ($17-$22). Three sweets ($9-$15). Some interesting items were: river prawns, cuttlefish, raw oysters, roti, hand pressed shrimp cakes, marinated picanha, green papaya salad, pork jowl, black mussels, red snapper, sea bass, omlette, soft shell crab, duck and scallops. As you can infer from the types of things and prices, this is not your usual Thai restaurant. I can't recall seeing its equal (amount of seafood dishes). Not even in Phuket. If they don't abuse or purchase poorly or over keep these ingredients, we may really have a sleeper here. The fact that only three other couples were dining at midday on a Saturday makes me worried. What if no one finds them? Will their freezer be working overtime? Will the menu shrink? They did a great job on the makeover. They didn't change the layout. It's a central bar with seats around it and a patio if you have never been. It looks like they just repainted and recovered. But, you couldn't tell if you hadn't been here before. A shade of off white. Some gold accents. Sandalwood. Darker stained wood above the bar. Subtle. Sophisticated. Some white cushioned areas. High ceiling. Seats 133. Twenty tables of four or two inside. Some bar seats. Maybe ten tables outside. Open 11am-10pm. They may close for an hour after 3pm. The internet says so, but, I think their door sign said no break. 7D. Parking is a bitch around here. No problem this day. Maybe four wait staff. White unis. Pleasant. Thai. Unsure if they have alcohol. Opened recently. I would make the effort. They seemed to have.

*The receipt had Noir on it as well. Maybe that is the same owner? I think that's a bar nearby. Beignets and Brew down the street doesn't seem close. 

**Here are some flavor combos I stumbled upon out of boredom and chance: Bauducco toast ($1.69 at Winn Dixie) with hot sauce and cheddar (good), Iberia vanilla wafers (99c at Publix) with cheddar (good), Iberia vanilla wafers with cheddar and hot sauce (good), Iberia vanilla wafers dipped in red wine (not good), Iberia vanilla wafers dipped in plum sauce (average).

***I was told at Winn Dixie that they put the old (ever shrinking) baguettes on the top shelf by the bakery. I also looked at the sticker on them. It read $3.184 a lb for $1.99. I will be keeping an eye on that ratio even though I know they have been cheating us since Aldi took over. It's almost pi, so, I should remember.

Grub Crawl - Downtown, Winter Park and Lake Mary: Acropolis, Black Coffee and Queen's Cup

I tried these places yesterday. The first is downtown where Dove Cote used to be. Bank of America building. Diagonal from the courthouse. The second is in the old Winter Park Fish Co location on N Orange. The last is on Country Club Rd. The one near their City Hall and the train tracks.

Acropolis - I walked out of this Greek Taverna after thirty minutes past ordering. I had ordered the two minute max prep time falafel plate at $16. It came with hummus and a side salad. It was hard finding a main with a side that you wanted. They must be on a strict FIFO system. Personally, I would have one lane for time hogs and one for slap togethers. They also seemed to have no separate line for to go orders. I saw the gyro gyro. Just pale meatloaf lamb/beef. It didn't seem to be rotating. I bet they shave it and cook it on a grill. The menu had four section: apps, wraps, specialties and salads. About a dozen of the usuals in each. Prices from high single digits to forties. Some of the more ambitious offerings were: lamb lollipops, ouzo mussels, branzino, and red snapper. They use swai as their undescribed fish.  They have four locations in Tampa. This is a good room with steel beams and high ceilings. The color scheme is blue and white. Brick wall. Neon sign. Around thirteen tables of four and a bar with ten seats and a semi-private windowless "room". Semi-open kitchen in the corner. Oh and tables on the patio and outside in the lobby. They also do a sandwichy breakfast business from a display case by the entrance. About half full of white collar types. Two waitresses and a bartender. Had the hard stuff and wine. It was a bit "corporate" feeling. I believe they opened around Xmas. You can pass. I'm not going back.

Black Coffee - They also refer to it as Cafe Negro. I guess one of the owners is/was connected to Univision. I don't watch. I went here after I couldn't find any newbies downtown. It was 2pm. I was the only one there for a while. They just opened a few days ago. The space is arced. Windows. A little rectangle with two tables for the drinks/bar. Charcoal, black (fans and lights) and light gray (tiles). Around fifty seats. I guess the style is Puerto Rican. The menu is mostly $20+. Breakfast and brunchy things. I had the chicken and waffles for $23. The breast was huge. Three meals worth. Mostly good. The breading came off a bit too easily and the center was too close too raw. I ate around it. Packed the remainder up and will nuke it with black beans tonight for dinner. They covered it with cheese. I think the menu said it was to have a bechamel sauce? I remebered this afterwards. Sadly, I think that was why I chose it. The round waffle was fine. I saw the owner's meal of the $19 smash burger. Not too thin. A ton of fries. The eggs benedict at $18 could come with salmon. But, no side. The $19 BLT came with seasoned potatoes, but, cheese too. There was an $18 omlette with steak. They also had an avocado toast and maybe six more choices. They gave me a free watermelon drink that was great and a shot of their fresh squeezed OJ (no pulp and watery tart). Parking is good. Up front, wide enough and more in the rear. To me it feels more like it should be a dinner place. I wonder if locals will go often enough to make it work out. It feels like a special occasion play. Do enough people eat a fancy breakfasts during the week? I think they need more lunch-cenric dishes at least. Maybe the drinks will catch on. I didn't catch the pricing. They probably will take too long for the to go crowd. One waitress (uniformed). One drink guru. Service was good. Open 7am-4pm. They seem to have that opening tip off enthusiasm. I was expecting a Black Bean Deli sort of experience. This was higher end. The pricing (and lack of sides on a few dishes) put me off initially. But, you do get alot. Now is that what people want? Or would they like both cut in half? Their POS system overcharged the tax. They said they would look into it.

Queen's Cup - Opened six months ago as an ice cream, etc place. Recently started a limited Thai menu. Around eight usuals. Pad Thai, Tom Yum, Fried Rice, Green and Masaman Curry, Samosas, Green Papaya Salad, Summer Rolls and what I had - Chicken Krapow for $15. Stir fried, pounded white meat with green and yellow peppers, fried egg, basil and onions over rice. The sauce is just a bit of heat with the cooking oil. Nothing special. Smallish portions. Rice was a bit over cooked. Most things cost the same. Some snacks were $5. They also do coconut water (from actual coconuts), ice cream, mango, drinks, etc. Family run. One cook/owner. One order taker. Limited seating (small raised counter, alcove and one table). Long ice cream counter. Green color. Parking in front. The snacks and sweets are probably the draw.

*If Mason's Lobster Rolls is at 2 S Orange, it is far from completion. Same with Nuri. Leiah seems closer. I drove past Mochibae (can we just write this off?) and DZO on East Colonial. DZO still says Mongolorian all over. Didn't see a finished build or a sign for Chapman in Winter Park. But, I may have been distracted (gone too fast). Maybe because they only do dinner.

Grub Crawl - College Park, Mills and Audubon Park: Yeast Coast Bakery, Burrow Cafe, Wafu, Meat N' Bone, The Pass Kitchen *NFL Pro Bowl Travel Notes

I tried this assortment of snacks at various locations Sunday at lunch and dinner. All to go. The first is in a nondescript group of one story structures on Edgewater near Digress Wine. One of the last commercial spots on that road before DT (50). The second is just across 50 (south side) on Mills. On the right. The third is at East End Market. On the second floor. The fourth is in the strip mall on the opposite of the EEM on Corrine where Redlight Redlight is. The last is a food truck in front of RL RL. But, It isn't there usually,

Yeast Coast Bakery - They said they soft opened in August. Just six pin wheel type baked options. I had a ham and cheese for $6. Small. Overpriced. They also had sweet ones like cinnamon rolls. One employee. No seats. Seedy look. Affiliated with some coffee place up the block. Only open Fri-Sn from 8am-2pm or sold out. Internet has different schedule. You can pass.

Burrow Cafe - Just drinks and a tiny plastic box of store bought baked goods. Looks good though. Curved bar. High ceilings. Interesting architecture. Light tones. Windows. Not sure if USAID is funding them. Said they provided space for things like day care. A totally Gen Zero manifestation. Opened just recently. parking seems like a pain. Only went here because the selection at YCB was so disappointing. Not as disappointing as this though.

Wafu - They make those snapper (tai) shaped waffles (yaki). Open for a while. I had tried to try them since day one. But, they don't open until 2pm. On weird days. I had a kurabuto pork sausage with mozz one and a bacon with cheddar one. Both cost $5. Both were pre-made. They said fresh ones would take forty minutes. Not sure if these were mistakes or sitting there since 2pm. They were ok. A bit tough. The sausage was Asian sized. Nothing special either. Looked like a Vienna sausage. The bacon was good. Half a strip. A waffle is less than hand size. Both had cooled. Better when nuked. You know I just saw an old episode of Hot Ones where David Chang said microwaves were the best cooking tool! They had a few other savory and sweet types. Ice cream. The line was long. So many people waiting disappointedly. Two workers. No seats. Kind of a bother. Two McGriddles are now $5 at McDs. And they have egg. I was here for Gyu Katsu Rose. They seemed like a pain (wait list) and I was in ten minute parking and they don't offer to go dishes. It seems like their gimmick is hot stones that you cook on. I thought it would be fried stuff. I guess it is more about the meat half (Gyu).

Meat N' Bone - A meat shop with locations in south and west Florida. Fancy cuts. Game. Some sake and wine and charcuterie. Some seafood. Looks nice. Lots of glass fridges. Opened recently. Still can't sell the alcohol they display. No kitchen. Didn't buy anything. A 6oz of octopus carpaccio was like $12. 2oz of Serrano Ham was $16. Parking is a pain. 

The Pass Kitchen - Unsure how long in business. They have a physical store in Altamonte Springs on 434. Heat up meals. I had the (4) grouper empanadas for $12 because I forgot about Bark Haven and the Burger Jawn truck wasn't where it is said to be and I was starving. They were ok. smallish. A bit fishy. Good cream dipping sauce. Not oily. Came out quick. They also had mostly Mexican dishes and a ramen ($14). 

*Travel Notes - NFL Pro Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando: I finally went. It was kind of fun. I left at halftime because I had concern for my car, I showed up too early and I can't handle traffic any more. A nosebleed cost $29. I bought it there. I had to do the digital ticket off their texted wifi link bs. Just text the ticket qr code! I may be being too much of a bitch about that. It was about half full. I moved around. Parking in an Asian lady's yard across the lake (Loorna Doone) at the morth end cost $20 in cash. It was up to $40 a bit closer. Some at $30. I didn't get boxed in and no door dings. Parking up to the stadium needed to be pre-purchased.  

Chabuca, OIA Area *Maldives Travel Notes

I tried this Peruvian restaurant aside a gas station of 436 before the other edifices that are before the airport last night. It was then Aji something and I never went in because it was aside a gas station. I had the aji de gallina to go for $17. It (like the place) was much better than I was expecting. The shredded chicken was stringy in parts. But, I don't think it was bought in a bag. The garlic cream of chicken like sauce was peppery with a little heat. I didn't see black specks, so, maybe white pepper? Not salty. They tossed in four cubes of some spongy white cheese, two olives and two delicious roasted baby potatoes cut in half. I just took a peak while driving and couldn't stop picking at it. I had to force myself to stop half way through. The only issue was the dry basmati rice that came with it. The menu has most of the things you've come to expect. Around a dozen apps. Four soups ($7+). Cold fish. Around eight chaufas (high teens). Four sandos (ie $17 HB and $14 CH). A dozen+ mains (ie $30 whole chicken). I forget the price on the others like lomo saltado, fish chicharron and the most interesting dish  a cacio e pepe like dish with steak and spaghetti. Booze and wine and beer. Desserts. My only issue is with the roasted chicken. Even a quarter portion was like $12. FF and salad doesn't excuse the price. The place looks plush. Black, gray, white, brown tones. White, wood framed tourism paintings/posters. Some appropriate bric a brac. Mini lights and vases on the tables. White lamp shades. Nine boots. Seven 4s. Five 2s. A bar with four seats. Inoffensive music. L shaped room. Not the same owners. Pleasant waiter. Food came out quickly. Nice packaging. Open for a month. Open for lunch and dinner. I'm pretty sure 7D. Named after some popular singer not a Star Wars character. Possibly this year's first Fav? Wish the rice was better. 

* Travel Notes - Maldives: I flew AA (Miami) and Qatar Air (Doha) to Male for $1132. Nights. About 10,000 miles! Coming back took longer. Doha airport was sick. Cool art. Artificial jungle. Checking in with both airlines (both ways) was a pain in the ass. They made me fill out all this bs and then said sorry can't check you in online. How long has the internet been in existence? They still can't adjust their sites (both slow loading too) for different types of tickets? And why is there even a 24 hr check in rule in the US? I know. So, they can try and double sell seats. I thought that was why I didn't get my third leg from AA. But, Qatar seemed to be able to print it out in Miami so who knows. And no issues getting the whole trip (even AA segment) from Qatar on the way back. Had to do that in person too though. They let you choose seats near the travel date for free. Charged if you did it too early though. I'm giving (and will give) all this advice because I didn't do much. Both stops don't require visas. But, Maldives wants you to fill out a form BEFORE you get there. And it is online. I didn't see any info on that on the internet. And of course the airlines don't help. I wasn't willing to subject my phone to their wifi (and I don't get sim cards), so, some poor kid had to fill the form out for me on his phone. 

I stayed in a little connected island north of Male called Hulhu Male because it looked like it had more beach. It did. Stay here. Male is one of the world's most densely packed cities and ony has a couple hours of "sights". I stayed at the Contento Retreat (Booking 5.6) for $56 a night and then about $21 more in various taxes. $6 you paid directly in dollars. They take dollars and speak English in the Maldives. FYI - Expedia was listing this at $85 before taxes. The hotel was infuriating. No tv reception or hot water. On a busy road (man was this place more noisy/inhabited than I expected). And other issues. When I first checked hotel rates (a week before), there were all these options under $100. Then when I checked the day before I left, this was almost the only thing left. And I didn't want to lose a day changing hotels if I hedged. They did get me in at 9am though. One block from the beach. It was supposed to be their dry time of year. Almost every day had rain and/or was cloudy. 80-89 degrees. Very humid.

The first day I learned that they make MEN wear shirts at the beach! Fat kids dream spot. I ignored this every time I went swimming. So did most Westerners. No one yelled at me, but, I saw the cops scold some women. Most of the local ewoks complied. So, Victorian. The swimable areas were very coral infested and shallow. Clean enough though. Some sand on the shore. East side of island. Oh, I used an ATM (many) at the airport and then took a 70 Rufyaa (exchange rate was 15.46 and the prices are listed at the airport on a sign and are flat rates by zones) taxi (many) because to get to my island by ferry you had to take one to Male (frequent) and then another (infrequent) after that. Ferry booth is to the left near taxi line. As I said, day one was a recon day. I found many bodegas and a few small modern grocery stores. Central Park. Ferry terminal. Got some groceries and started reading Hemingway's short stories. Oh, this was a Friday. That's their Sunday. Things closed from 12p to 2p. The town crier also strangles a cat five times a day starting at 4:30am. I went to bed every night at eight pm. Awoke before dawn.

The next day I walked as far north as possible to see if I could learn the mystery of where all the flying monkeys on scooters (24/7) were coming from. It turns out that there were many high rises there for locals. My end had many buildings, but, they were mostly four or five stories. I also went back to the park to see the Food Festival (pathetic) they were having that week. Back to the ferry for a chicken sandwich at Marry Brown. Saw a few mosques (this place was very Islamic) too. The entirety of this island is like a mile. They had around six mosques and two being built. Locals, Indians, Indonesians. Malays and some of those bearded but moustache-less heeby jeebies that are probably retired Al Qaeda. They loved me and my Rays hat! The women/batmans most of all. You could feel the hate even if you couldn't really see it through their slit. The rest just sported that Captain Jack Sparrow look. Did some reading.

The next day I walked to the north of my section's beach to "skinny dip" away from prying eyes. There was a canal there that I espied the day before. Met a nice local there. He said he had been to all the atolls there (hundreds) because he was a doctors aid. He said that canal was a good snorkeling point (rays, sharks). But it was too rough that day. I then did some reading and lunch at ChicKing (some Middle Eastern chain). A beef pepperoni pizza and tandoori chicken bites. Some time on a swing on the beach and more reading. Found a scuba diving business on the beach. Dinner of these delicious Chinese dumplings the Indians call momos at Momos (behind the hotel). Fried basil chicken and steamed coriander chicken. No pork allowed you know. Or booze. But they looked the other way at smoking. They came with a thai chile dip and an interesting (and delicious) one that was either pureed carrot or sweet potato. 

The next day I walked back to the canal. Still rough. Read. Walked the south part of town. Went scuba diving at 2p. $90 for one dive with Dive Club Maldives. Two dives was $145. They decided that they would only offer one and not to the place they assigned because of weather. They took credit. In US$. It was an ok dive. They had a morning shark dive. One of those in my lifetime was enough. Dinner of fish masala and basmati rice at Cafe 73 (behind the hotel). Chunks of tuna. I hope they weren't from a can. I was hoping for some kind of local fish. More reading.

The next day was a wash out. Re-walked the town. A chicken burger at Marry Brown. Reading. 

The final day I left at 10am. Walked the south and over to the 11:30am ferry to Male. It cost 10R. You can buy bus tickets there too. Same price. Bus driver told me they don't sell tickets on board. You need a card or ticket bought where they sell them. I think they sell them at the airport too. Walked the circumference of Male. Of course, this day, it was bright sun and 90+. Because of that, I just cut it short by 2pm. I saw some big blue building that I think was a mosque and a fairly nice artificial beach on the east side. The south was a marina. Some schools inland. The west was another artificial beach with oil platforms in the sea behind it. The north was one big commercial harbor. A mosque and square there too. Way fewer food choices than I expected. I decided to wait for BK at the airport. Took the 15R ferry to the airport. There will be a new, modern terminal soon it looks like. The food court there was all listed in USD (they took Rufyaa though) and double the price anywhere else on the island. I finally used my remaining funds for two 30R ice cream sandwiches at DQ and three 45R chicken strips at BK. The check in window didn't open until about three hours before the flight. Customs was a cinch.     

I spent 1150R while there. Ate mostly tuna. They had interesting flavored ones (black pepper, hot chili) for 20R. A few yogurt shakes (lychee, mango) from Bulgaria. Butterscotch ice cream. Black pepper cashews. Prices were about the same. No cold sliced meats. I brought my own doritos and wafers and melba toast because I wasn't sure of the market situation. I didn't need to. I saw them eating some discs that I saw labeled in the market as Havaad Huli Nuts and/or Heera Pan Foah. Online search comes back negative. ChicKing had chicken porridge and tandoori fries. The sun orientation seemed off for the time of day. Way too many cars and scooters. The infrastructure is a bit mixed. New and old/crumbly. Most tourists seemed Chinese or Eastern Slav. All the Westerners seemed to take the sea planes to the resort atolls. I was not going to pay those prices and book/research another flight/ferry. Maybe if someone else would book and pay for it and I had somebody to bang all day. But not if I didn't. You must take a bus to another (seaplane) airport too. I think those flights aren't cheap. Some atolls are within ferry or private boat distances. They used cloth for their carry out bags. Non-fast food sit down restaurants may add a 10% service charge and 16% GST. I only sat down once and they did. Every one was on their mobile all the time. No need for bug spray. No dogs. Just cats. I also spent time on the internet when not reading. Many times I wished I was leaving early. This is the farthest east I have been. South of India. I have been west as far as Phuket. Part of the reason to come here was to see Doha without "seeing" Doha. It looked good though. Very Dubai-esque. I doubt the other atolls are that great. There doesn't seem to be any thing here you can't get closer elsewhere. Plus all those cool circular dock like hotels are now being mimicked all over the world. Ramadan may make your time here even less appealing. It starts soon. Why I went now. Ok things I watched on the plane: Reacher S2, Conan O'Brien's Travel Show, some travel You Tubers named like Yes something, Ramesh Raga...something's travel show, SNL movie, Twisters. The Bond with Lazenby wasn't that bad as I remembered. Goldeneye was worse. Joker 2, Selena's cooking show sucks. I'm forgetting a sucky movie that came out recently.

El Coqui Ninja, Curry Ford Rd

I grabbed a snack at this Puerto Rican Asian spot in a strip mall at the intersection with Crystal Lale Rd on Wednesday. I had three Ko-Kee Pastelillos for $8. They were tasteless ground beef, mini empanadas. Braided. Came with ketchup. The menu is mostly Chinese. I'm not sure they know Ninjas are Japanese. Things like fried rice, kung pao chicken, crab rangoons. The mains come with a side. Under $20. They have a mofongo section. Beer and wine. I'm getting a little tired of the PR over exposure. Likewise on local news. It isn't the greatest cuisine. And I haven't seen one example where a fusion dish was made better by its inclusion. If any place could dispute that, it could be here. I'd have to delve deeper into the menu to address that. The place looks good though. They spent some money. A stainless steel kitchen is surrounded by eight 4s and four 2s. A patio of eight 4s. Around the kitchen is a kind of green plastic lego looking wainscotting. Little, old tvs on the tables. Flower print seats. Those colors are mirrored in the paint and curtains. Green, white, red. Pagodo awnings and mural. A gong. Ceramic Chinese take out box bowls and mini grills. Eight in the kichen. Four servers. Open for a month. Seven days. 11-9.  Lots of parking. It should be a hang out spot even if the food doesn't impress. Unsure if I'll be curious enough to ever truly find out. Then again, I may go back in a couple of days. Monitor the post for an addendum.

B-Town, Casselberry

I went to yet another of these burger mexican sushi etc bars in a strip mall across from a Buffalo Wild Wings near the overpass to Red Bug Lake Rd on 436 this Monday at dinner. I had a two topping poke bowl for $15 (or $15.57 if you believe my receipt) to go. Better than I expected. And one of the more reasonably/fairly priced items on the menu. I had many free options. I chose salmon, tuna, avocado, tomato, masago, cucumber, scallions, sweet plantains cream cheese and soy sauce. Cream cheese was a first. I saved it for use later on. You will see later that this is a Latin owned enterprise. Some of their options reflect that. I ate the sweet plantains first. Baby steps. The salmon was pitch white. I thought it was white fish or smoked salmon by mistake. I thought I might get sick. It didn't have much taste, but, no effects yet. Alot of large chunks. Same with the tuna. Better color. AYCE buffet quality. Which I can live with in these portions. The rice was good. All the veg were fresh. Lots of everything. Hopefully, it is not a lack of demand and profusion of (perishable) supply situation and the portions are always like this. A smash burger was $10. Around six types. Up to $18. Ribs were around $26. A seven ounce steak was around $18. Wings were $10 for eight. Maybe came with fries? Mozz sticks were around $8. An eight piece sushi assortment was $26. Rolls started at $11. Chicken and pork sandwiches were around $12. Tacos (3) started at $12? They have birria. They had eight mass market beers. Six wines. A $5 milkshake seemed like a value. I didn't see the size. They had other stuff. The place is a small rectangle. Bar towards the back. Hidden kitchen. Three or four booths of six. Three or four tables of four. Four two seaters. Four bar stools. Khaki and black paint with lightly stained wood wainscotting. TVs. New owners. It opened around a year ago and closed before I could try it. I saw cars outside and an open sign a few weeks ago. The new owners said they have been open for six months though. It was almost empty. Open 11-9. 11-7 on Sn. You could do worse. A fun mash up.

*Don't ever buy Blue Plate Light mayonaise.

Grub Crawl - Maitland: Kappy's and Parea

I tried these spots on N Orlando Ave (17-92) at the Howell Branch (I think) Rd intersection Saturday at dinner. The first is a few blocks north. The second is in the strip mall on the southwest corner. It was Outpost most recently.

Kappy's - It's been there since 1967. I had been before. Pre-blog. They closed and then re-opened (shortly after) a few months ago. I've been trying to refresh my memory (support history) since then. But, the two times I tried, the wait was so long that I left. This time wasn't much better. I went around four pm because I was bored at home, going to the next place anyway and I figured this would be a slow period. It was. But, it didn't matter. They are slow as hell. The line was empty. It still took them ten minutes to take my order. Another twenty to get through the four orders ahead of me. They had four people back there! I had the Super Cheeseburger for $6.50. It came with tomato, pickles and onion. I don't remember lettuce. Mayo and mustard. They cut it in half. It had a large brioche bun. Double the size of the patty. It was ok. Better than I expected. I nuked some ground turkey to make use of the leftover bun. I can't remember what I had on my previous visits. I don't think it was a burger. I also tossed in a corn dog because it was only $2.50 and I had been ages. The usual, purchased as is frozen dog. They sell: five burgers ($6.50-$12), three chicken sandwiches ($9-$10), nugs ($5-$8), eight hot subs ($8-$10), seven cheesesteaks ($9-$15), seven sides ($2-$7), four hot dogs ($2-$7), four deli subs ($8-$12), two breakfasts ($6-$8) and some cookies and shakes. They say beer too. Four picnic tables on either side. Limited parking. A little shack that has ten seats inside. It will probably be another while before I return again.

Parea - It has something to do with family. I guess the root of "parent". Open for a month or so. Kind of affiliated with the Bosphorous people. Greek. Taverna. They try and recreate that atmosphere. White stucco. Blue. A wood roof inside the real roof. Looks like what you imagine a place in Santorini, et al does. Around twenty tables of various sizes plus a ten person bar inside. Some high tops around that in a semi-concealed area. One semi-private room. Two sectioned off areas by the window. Maybe twelve assorted tables on the patio. Uniformed wait staff. Quite a few. Parking is an issue. The menu is divided into: nine cold meze ($7-$10), ten hot meze ($9-$16), three salata ($12-$15), six meats ($21-$40-Mkt), seven sea ($28-$48-Mkt), five classics ($19-$23), six sides ($7-$8) and seven desserts ($8-$9). They offer $40 and $50 per person meals. Cocktails, wine, booze, beer and sangria. They pour the wine in tumblers. A good assortment of Greek items. Nothing on the menu seemed too unexpected. Maybe cast iron moussaka, yemista peparies (stuffed peppers) or fasoulakia (stew). I settled on the $22 Chicken Tata. Also from the Classics. It turned out to be chicken parm with feta and tomato sauced half sized linguine that I believe is usually called flat spaghetti. Good. Very deep fried (crusty) breast of chicken. Large. Not a ton of flavor. Bland tomato sauce. Just coated the pasta. Sprinkled feta on top. I had it to go. It took about fifteen minutes. They had around eight tables accounted for already at the opening. I believe they are open every day. 4pm-. They said they were starting lunch service on Friday. It probably would have had more of an impact had I ordered something else. Nothing wrong with the place, but, nothing extraordinary. Kind of like Bosphorous. So, I am sure it will also be an enormous hit. Although, I kind of think that being on Park Ave is half of Bosphorous' allure.

Mumbai Flavors, Longwood *UT/NV Travel Notes

I tried this vegetarian North Indian spot I told you about weeks ago in a strip mall on Ronald Reagan near Lake Mary HS today. Glad I persisted. It doesn't really have a set menu. It is more of a catering enterprise. I trusted the owner to order for me. She gave me a small Malai Kofta Curry (potato croquettes stuffed with paneer in an onion and tomato cashew sauce) for $11.50 to go. Loved it! Very tasty. Heat can be adjusted. This was just right to hot. Four croquettes. Golf ball size. I used some ground turkey I had in the fridge (and made my own rice) with the excess curry. They ran out of rice, so, she gave me garlic naan. And tossed in a sample of Pav Bhuji (potato, cauliflower, green pepper puree) with a buttered hamburger bun. Also, very good. Creeping heat. She said the first dish is from Delhi. So, not just Mumbai flavors. The naan wasn't the best I've ever had. They opened a month ago. There are no seats. It's bare bones. White. Four chairs. The open sign is rarely turned on. Still has the real estate agent key lock box on the door. I think they are closed on Monday. It took a while. Two in the kitchen. She said she DID want people other than her catering clients to come in for meals. It seems to be a kind of seat of your pants type effort so far. But, I liked it alot. And the pop up feel of it gives it allure in my demented head. 

*Travel Notes - Utah and Nevada: I flew Frontier to Las Vegas (late pm/red eye) for $178. TSA lines were long. I rented a car for a week from Hertz (boycotting Budget/Avis) for $312. No issues. I ate White Trevally (a first and excellent) sushi, stir fried Waygu liver (a first and good), fried oysters and grilled stingray fin (chewy and bland) at Izakaya Go on Spring Mountain Rd. I had received a tip (I think from a concierge) about them during Covid. Finally got there. I stayed in downtown at Main Street Station (Expedia 8.6) for $48 plus $34 RF because parking was free and I'm trying to stay at EVERY hotel. Plus I was in so late. It was recently renovated. Noise from highway though. Watched LA wild fires.

The next day I bugged out early because I had forgotten the CES show was that week. I drove to Salt Lake City. I stayed again at the Plaza (now owned by Best Western) because it was the cheapest and near the Delta Center. It's an Expedia 8.4. It cost $103 plus $10 for parking. I saw the Utah Hockey Club play the Florida Panthers for $35. I finagled a physical ticket with effort. I had deep dish Little Caesar's and a souvenir soda at the arena. It was the "best" value. The next day I had lunch at Greek Souvlaki. A sloppy gyro. It was just some place I had always been curious about. I then grabbed "dinner" at some new Mexican place (Piko) a few blocks away that I saw. I had three (mushroom and cactus, steak and shrimp) tacos with beans and rice. They were ok. I drove north to Ogden. I stayed at the Comfort Suites (Expedia 8.8) on 15 for $210 for two nights. It was good. Less noisy and expensive than the Hampton Inn in town that I stayed at last time. I just did recon that day because I had decided to ski both resorts the next day. I found an in town ski rental place (Level 9) and made sure my online purchase went through at Nordic Valley. I just ate my Piko because I got tired and wanted to watch ND and Penn State. 

The next day I had a $9 lame (meatloafy) bacon cheeseburger at Dylan's/Warren's. I rented skis and boots and poles for $30. I skied Nordic Valley (small) for $59. It had two areas. That f'ing dynamic pricing had this bitch at $89 if you bought day of. I then drove a few miles to Powder Mountain. It was $79 just a few years ago. Someone told me that Reed Hastings (Netflix) has purchased it. It now is $259! But, the night skiing (4pm-) is only $19!. Plus I didn't have to rent skis for two days. Had it not turned cloudy, I would have had plenty of time to ski. Sun was still out. The only downside was that you can only ski one area of the resort. It was still was good. And great (sunset) views (Great Salt Lake, etc). Parking was free at both. And now (I believe) I have conquered every resort in Utah. I also had a good slice of pizza there at Lucky Slice Pizza. I returned the skis and had local beer, whiskey and an Angry Goat Bacon Burger with french fries at the Angry Goat Pub & Kitchen in downtown. It was recommended the last time I was here. I went back to watch the rest of Texas v OSU and Bettlejuice Beetlejuice (sucked). 

The next day (snowing) I drove to Cedar City (still too $ in LV) because it is around half way back and you gain an hour which brings you into Vegas too early the next day if proceed further. I had a double double and fries at In & Out in Centerville. I stayed at a Ramada Inn (Expedia 8.2) for $72. It was a two story motel. I was tired and just had a $5 McD's Meal Deal and watched the playoffs. 

The next day I drove to Las Vegas. I had AYCE at 888 Korean BBQ in Chinatown on Spring Mountain Rd. I think it was top ten on Yelp when I checked at some point years ago. It was worth the $26. Many free apps too. Avoid the seafood. I was only here and not at the brunch at Giada's because I couldn't find the free parking at Planet Hollywood that I was looking for. I stayed at the Suncoast off Charleston in Summerlin (Expedia 9.0) for $58 plus $41 RF. I had a great view of a golf course, so, I bought some wine at Total Wine and cheese remnants, a baguette and jalapeno hummus (only $3!) at Whole Foods.

The next day I had lunch (Benedict with chorizo on an arepa with a side salad) at Chica by Lorena Garcia at The Venetian. It was expensive and disappointing (salty, over-citrused greens with scant chorizo and undercooked arepa). I had seen her on Top Chef re-runs. Almost went the last time I stayed there. I parked across the street (searched online for the free spots) at Treasure Island. I then walked up to the Cosmopolitan to eat at their burger place. It is now a Mexican place. I passed. I then walked through the Bellagio to see the Chinese New Year decorations. And then back to TI through Caesar's. A few spots in the food court there changed over. The Mirage is being knocked down to form a Hard Rock. Adios white tigers and ligers. I drove to Decataur and over to near Charleston to the Arizona Charlie's Decataur. It was $41 for two days plus $60 RF. I did this because it was the cheapest and I was only staying until 9pm the second day. It's a bitch to be homeless waiting for the red eye. It was terrible. Junky weed and cig smoke all over. Even in the non-smoking areas. Plus just basic to begin with. I then drove down Desert Inn Rd to the 15 to Area 15. I only saw the outside last time. It was cool. I saw it on Samantha Brown's Places to Love. They have taken this warehouse space and put lots of art and food and booze and adventures (ie lazer tag) inside. Some things are pricy. But, you can just walk around. They had John Wick's car, etc. The main room is a fake supermarket called Mega Mart. I believe it costs $60. Parking was free. I went back to Spring Mountain Rd and the Shan Tau Square. I had a less than generous serving of mushy lobster (half a small tail) and lemongrass Yum Takrai at Lamaii. Rice was extra. It cost $27. Place looks cute. I was still hungry, so, I walked across the parking lot to Silver Lake Ramen. It turned out that they are ranked as the top ramen in LA by some publications like Zagat. I had a nicely valued shoyu ramen with pork and gyoza for $20. Back to the hotel.

The next day I had breakfast at some diner near the hotel on Decataur called Blueberry Hill. Average eggs/hb and toast. The sign said since 1987. They had a few locations. I then drove back to the strip. Up to where they just knocked down the Trop. Back to TI to park. Then walked the Palazzo through Wynn and Encore to Resort's World and the Fashion Square Mall. Couldn't find any appealing snacks. Almost did a Hello Kitty Cafe in the mall. No one was behind the counter. Drove back to Spring Mountain Rd and settled on ShangHai Taste at the Shanghai Plaze because the signs in the window said Jimmy Li 2023 James Beard Semi-Finalist and had plaudits from NYT, Nat Geo, Food & Leisure, etc. I had reasonably priced Xib Angus Beef Xiao Long Bao (8) and a large bowl of wonton soup with many pork and shrimp dumplings. My first non-pork xiao long bao. Not great. Total cost around $30. Back to the hotel. I went back to the Shan Tau Square for dinner. I finally ate at Sparrow + Wolf. It is well regarded. They either big timed me or it used to be pricier the first time I stumbled across it. Years ago. I walked out that time. I had Banh Cuon (small duck summer rolls three ways) for $20. Salty and no taste of duck. I also had Black Ink Octopus Risotto for $24. Great risotto. Mushy octopus. Elephant garlic slivers. Back to the hotel. To the airport.

The weather was dry. One accident on 15 that I manoeuvred around. Knocked almost everything remaining on my to do list in UT and NV. A good time was had by all (again). I tried to stay at Fontainebleau and some place called Ahern Boutique. They kept pulling a bait and switch on Expedia (said rooms were no longer available and wouldn't remove them from displaying over many days), so, I mentally told them to go fuck themselves. Delano is now a W.  There is a new, white colored shopping area across from NY NY called BLVD. I think I accounted for all the changes since last year. I would have tried some other restaurants at the casinos if they weren't such dicks about the parking. Most START at around $20 for an hour or two! I got the list of free parking from a site called www.feelingvegas.com. They were also getting a H Mart. And like here, it was still under development. It seems to have a food court component. Gas was north of $3.35 in LV. Under $3 in UT. There are two restaurants that I took off my list because of price. Yui Sushi is $200-$300 (omikase) it turns out and Partage (French) starts at $100+. Both on Spring Mountain Rd.

Rico Chico, OIA Area

I tried this Puerto Rican Chinese take out spot in the strip mall on 436 that has the Five Guys on Tuesday at dinner. It wasn't plan a. I had the cheapest option of two pieces of fried chicken with fries for $5. They were much better than I anticipated. A big drum and thigh. Perfectly crusted. Moist inside. The fries were also fried well. I don't trust these places to cook Chinese. They haven't so far. It's like what Bad Bunny is to hip hop. A piss poor interpretation. But, this chicken was good. They have a typical menu at a bit above average prices. Most $13 and over. Fried rice is $6. Lo mein, chop suey, teriyaki, curry, etc. They have some confounding family meals. One is $100 for 20 pieces. Can their clientele afford that? That's like a dinner for five. That's a $20 average per family member. The place has six tables. It was full. The employee barely spoke English. Food came out quickly. It is what it is.

*FYI - Views are exploding again. Weird. Shaq's chicken spot still reads Boston Market and hasn't changed at all for all of the last year. Doubt it will come to fruition.

Grub Crawl - Disney Area: Simply Capri, Sofrito and Havana's

I tried these spots on Saturday at lunch. The first is (the way I went) through Disney (Buena Vista past Epcot and Coronado Springs to a right on Western Way and past 429). I think they said the area is called Flamingo something. Somehow this is also Winter Garden. The second is one block up on the left on Palm Parkway (535 at Disney side). The last is across the street in that strip mall that has Kung Fu Dumpling and Susuru. A K Pot is the most visible building.

Simply Capri - The waiter started the meal by asserting that they were the real deal. Not Olive Garden. Ummm? Their (OG) breadsticks may be better. Main couldn't be much worse. I have only been there once though. Ages ago. But, they don't raise the bar that high. Their strips of foccacia were stale. It didn't get any better from there. My main was the $31 Scaloppine di Pollo. One (uncrusted), poorly butchered, probably unpounded shingle of chicken over peppers (three colors). In an overly salty, over reduced sauce of some kind. I can't remember. When I ordered it, I had it in my mind that it was a lemon sauce. It was something different. And that was it. $30 worth of profits. Poorly conceived. It was basically a fresh pepper dish. And I didn't eat any of them because I find them unappetizing and gas inducing. I guess someone enjoys them. I was in the mood for scaloppine only. I have nearly a pound of $4 Sanderson Farms breast fillets in my fridge that I bet I will make a better dinner of tonight. The rest of the lunch menu was a equally boring. Some pizzas ($18+ for a 12"), four dull panini (like cold cuts or mozz or sausage), six or so pastas, a few salads, a few more secondi and desserts. The pizza had a very large crust and didn't look particularily great. The place looks like a Greek place. Blue and white. I don't remember those colors in Capri. Etched scenes on the window. Stenciled advertising. Light colored chandeliers. There are around twenty tables and a ten seat bar inside. Maybe ten tables on a patio. Parking lot views. They had a pizza oven. Service was good. Uniformed. They said the owner used to own a few restaurants at Disney. They are opening an American spot across the street. This opened about a year ago. A bit overpriced and out of the way (for most of us) to bother with. The strip mall there had a few other fast casual places (like Skyline Chili). A bbq/beer place called something Ellie's too.

Sofrito Latin Cafe - It was more fast casual than I was expecting. You order from a kiosk. Maybe six to eight sections of six to eight options. I had a Venezuelan Beef Empanada ($5.50) and a Cuban ($10.50) to go. The empanada was sweet corn. Very fried. Filled with bland pulled beef. Generous portion size. Not too dry. Garlic dip on the side. The Cuban was half-assed. Barely (if at all) pressed. No oil on the roll. No melted cheese. Ham and bland pulled pork. About the same quality as the beef. Mustard. Pickle. Came out too quickly. The menu draws from Latin and South America and the islands. The usual snacky apps. Sandwiches. Two main areas. I think the most expensive thing was the pargo (snapper). Maybe $30? Most under $20. Drinks. Desserts. They bring the food out to you. Maybe sixteen tables inside with a bar. Seats on a patio. Seems to have had a remodel recently. Pretty packed. They have a breakfast menu that stops at 11am. Brown, black, brick, baskets. Open for nine years. It could be more.

Havana's Cafe - I just grabbed a beef empanada to go because I already had enough disappointing food and this cuisine isn't my favorite. It cost $4.68. Braided crust. Barely filled with bland ground beef. They have a big menu. All the way to about to $40+. I think paella was $30. The usual stuff. The main problem here is that they told me that since Covid many of the workers in the area aren't coming to the office. That business dried up. So, they don't open until to 2pm. Even on weekends. The room is a dull square. Dark. Maybe twenty tables. It has been open for 26 years, so, maybe Cuban-ophiles will enjoy it. 

*The drive through Disney was enjoyable. You don't get dead ended onto any toll roads if you don't want to. Nice to see these new areas and the mainstays. On the way back, I took Buena Vista all the way north past Disney Springs) where it ends at 535. I took this a few miles southwest where I passed by The Conrad and some Nature Reserve (something Belton). Never been in this area before. On the way back, I passed the Grand Cypress. Forgot it was there. I took Apopka Vineland a mile or so down to see what was there now. And then back and left onto Palm Parkway to Sand Lake and over to I Drive. North to the outlets and then right onto Oak Ridge. First left to the Mall at Millenia. Nice that this is all connected now. Let's you bypass the log jam at the Conroy exit. Traffic wasn't that bad. Except around the mall.

Rosetta Bakery, Mall at Millenia *Gator Bowl Travel Notes

I tried this Italian Bakery at The Mall at Millenia today at lunch. I had a Prosciutto Schacciata to go for $11. It was ok. I've never heard tell of this terminology. I didn't translate check. I was told it was foccacia. It is on foccacia. Dry. Too old for a place that seems to have an onsite kitchen. Dry. The prosciutto was a bit pasty. Not very aged or fatty. But, way more (like nine slices) than I expected. The arugula was ok. Some (not so great tasting) olive oil. They also do these in turkey and mortadella. I believe the $9 foccacia sandwiches are round. They have like half a dozen types. An interesting one looked like a circle of attached rolls with one in the center. They also did pizzas. I think tey were $9. Many sweets. I'm not huge into Italian pastry. So, I didn't try any. I believe the prices were $3 to $12. Some drinks. It was a smaller, food court looking set up than I expected. It is right where you walk into the mall in the rear. On the right. Some seats. White color scheme. The main reason I'm not that enthused by them is that they hide the prices. Nothing in front of the items. Then you have to turn a corner to the register to see the prices. Add in the weird names they give them and the girls behind the counter who can barely understand your questions and it feels like they purposefully designed a system to rip you off. I believe they are a chain from Philly. Open for about a month. Pretty full. Did you know foccacia means hearth bread and ciabatta means slipper? And god damn it, (I looked it up) schiacciata means crushed/squashed. I also went to three places around Disney. I will do a stand alone report on them on Monday.

*Travel Notes - TaxSlayer Gator Bowl at Everbank Stadium in Jacksonville Florida: I drove up on Thursday. Three hours (accidents) there and an hour and a half back. I left here at 1pm because I was bored. Game was at 7:30pm. I tried to dis-intermediate Ticketmaster (unsure if I did) by calling a day before and booking directly. If you did that, they would print out a ticket an leave it at Will Call. That was a bit of a pain. They closed off the area right in front of Will Call and you had to walk all the way around the stadium to get there. Oddly, I saw guys trying to scalp tickets. not sure how they got their physical tickets. I thought they renovated the stadium since the last time I was there (maybe ten years ago). It still looked like a shit hole. Pathetic crowd. Maybe 4,000 people. My ticket was in Row M in the end zone. It was the cheapest at $50. I moved around after the first quarter. The game was Mississippi (let's now refer to them as Olay Miss) and Duke (let's now refer to them as Douche or Dook). Mississippi crushed them. I only stayed for the first half because it was too cold and I really just went because I'm trying to go to every bowl game. I spent the hours between arrival and the game at Intuition Ale Works. It was near the parking lot I chose (the same that I chose when I went to the minor league baseball game). It (and every other lot) cost $40. And that's all I have to say about that. 

2024 Favorites List and Travel Notes Index

Not many trend news this year. We have most things covered at this point. Many new food halls. Quite a few new franchises/non-original venues. I will grouse about the proliferation of kaiseki/omikase budget busters. I also don't love the four day work week (Dinner only) that some of the higher end places can only muster up. I had at least five places on the list that were to open early on this year or earlier and still have not (Leiah, Nabe, Snooze, Mochibae and Big Chicken). On the entertainment end, I still wonder how many sales sports and entertainment purchases venues lose by forcing people to go digital (has to be a violation of the ADA) and/or through Ticketmaster Online (no pre-date, in person ticket sales option). At least just text the Ticket/QR Code directly. Not a link to site. Or print it out at will call if there is a problem. I'm not risking a glitch just to see the Pop Tarts Bowl. Don't give me another reason to stay home (traffic, parking, weather, prices etc). We know they shovel enough money to you Steve Hogan. How about you spend some of it on support services/systems? Human bodies! And not support staff for you! A f'in ever ready ticket kiosk (like the used to have outside the Amway) at a minimum. FYI - some of the Favorites have already shut down. I'll star them. Remember that I did quite a few tutorials this year. And posted a summary index around the middle of the year.

$$$$ - Coro (August 28)

$$$ - Palm Beach Meats (December 14), Pocha 93 (December 30)

$$ - Briskets (February 4), Boiled Fish (February 18), Box & Clover (April 18)*, Smokemade Meats + Eats (May 12), Uno Mas (May 18), City Market Bistro - New Smyrna Beach (June 6), Schmakerl Stub'n (June 28)*, Death in the Afternoon (July 19), Kyu Ramen (July 23), Ji Bae Chuan (July 28)*, Chili Star (October 29)*, WaLaLa Asian Noodle House (October 29), Lim Ros (November 15), Rion's Ocean Room  (December 27), One Stop Dumpling (December 30)

 

$ - Vicky Bakery (March 25), Los Tres Golpes (March 27), Chic-n-Gyro (March 30), Blue Amphora (July 23), Shah's Halal Food (July 28), The Stuffed Puff (August 20), Burgerbach's (September 23), So Gong Dong Tofu and BBQ (October 1), Inspirazione - Winter Garden (October 1), Yumfinity (October 21), Side Chik (October 27), Toshka Syrian Street Food Truck (October 29), Athena Roasted Chicken (November 15), Esca Pizzeria (December 18), Filo (December 18)  

2024 Travel Notes Index

January 17 - TX/LA/MS/AL/FL

February 4 - Southern California

February 13 - Cancun Mexico

March 8 - CO/UT/NV/AZ/NM

March 21 - Daytona Beach Florida

March 30 - Chile

April 18 - Brazil

April 27 - Florida

May 12 - FLorida Gulf Coast

May 30 - Germany

June 17 - VT/NH/ME

June 28 - Saint Lucia

July 22 - England

August 3 - MO/IL

August 17 - SC/GA

September 1 - Colorado

September 19 - Switzerland

September 23 - Italy

October 5 - VA/NC/SC/GA/FL

October 23 - South Florida/Florida Keys

November 15 - Greece

November 18 - Istanbul Turkey

November 27 - New York

December 16 - Texas

Grub Crawl - West Colonial: Pocha 93 and One Stop Dumpling

I tried these spots on West Colonial (50) yesterday at lunch. I actually dined in the first spot. It is in a strip mall called Highland Lakes Center. About half way to Winter Garden. On the right after Gogi Korean. It was an Ale House. The second replaced Friendship BBQ in Chinatown. To the left of Enson Market.

Pocha 93 - From the Shin Jung people. 93 is the birth date of that. Based on some Korean pop up pubs that they said appear between dinner and clubbing. It will be a Favorite. It has ambiance and good food and a bit of fun. It's really two mints in one. On Saturday or Sunday (11am-) they have a brunch menu (only open after 4pm otherwise). I found that menu to be superior. The dinner menu steers you towards 2-3 person stews/combos or meat by the ounce. 14 apps (ie pig's trotters, beef intestines, fried chicken wings or an interesting sausage and rice cake skewer - $5-$20). Stews are $22 and $25. Combos $45. The 7 meats(ie hanger steak, pork jowl, pork shoulder, top blade) range from $9 to $14 per 4oz. They also offer banchan and desserts. And booze. The brunch menu (I didn't get a snap at that) had about half the apps, a $20 burger, katsu sandwich, two ramen(yeon), a few rice and meat dishes, a few other dishes and maybe six meats with a soup, bonchan and rice cakes. I chose the $18.50 Cotes-Sal pork belly. I thought maybe it meant salt rubbed because cotes means side. But, sel is salt not sal. Anyway, it was great. Two slabs that must have been near over that 4ozs a piece. Very fatty. I had to almost turn them to bacon to appeal to me. And they did. There is a gas powered hot plate in the center of every booth. My dish came two long, white mushroom slices (king oyster?), scallions, rice cakes, a huge slice of white onion and a dipping dish of sesame oil, ssamjang and raw garlic. Also a bean sprout soup. Clear brown broth. Only two bonchan - kim chi and sliced savory rice cakes. I guess I was in the mood to cook because it was very diverting. You needed the scissors and tongs. I dipped and mixed every which way but loose. Good fun. All the sides were fresh and good. Service (4 on the floor) was knowledgeable, attentive and professional. The place is transportative (I know that's not an OED term). With the Korean kitsch signage and K-Pop on the tv, you feel (as close as you can in most restaurants nowadays) that you may not be in a strip mall. The layout is square. Black and white colors. Vibrant. Twenty booths on each side of an elliptical bar. I only tried to sneak this in because the Weekly critic had it in his top ten. He was correct. Open since July. Ample parking. Worth the effort.

One Stop Dumpling - I was expecting an order at the counter, fast food 10' by 10'. It isn't. As I wrote, it replaced Friendship BBQ. Opened a month ago. They said they were a one off. Still understaffed and working out kinks it seems. That said, I think I'm going to add it to the Favorites List on a provisional basis. Based on potential. The menu is unique. I have never seen technicolor dumplings. Let alone technicolor soup dumplings. Let alone technicolor soup dumplings with non-pork fillings (crab roe, shrimp, mushroom, malantou). I don't even know what malantou is. Seems to be associated with or a tofu dish. Because I'm a cheapskate and I didn't feel the need to trust them off the bat and I wanted the plain shrimp ones and they cost twice as much ($12), I didn't try any. My loss. Probably. The shrimp ones ($6.50) were very good. Large pieces of whole shrimp. Almost zero to no shrimp paste. Up to two per dumpling. About half had an irony taste. We'll forgive that so that we can contemplate why that spelling in this sense is pronounced completely differently than when it is used to denote something that means the opposite of what it is. The menu was so odd that I had to try at least one other thing. I tried to try Orleans Chicken Rack for $8.50. Looked like inside out roasted chicken breast. They said the meats were out or something like that. I was under the gun, so, I chose the similarly priced Rice Wine Soup with Rice Balls. In a section with no English translation. It is bland. Like sweet egg drop soup without salt with big boba tossed in. Almost a quart. I'm going to have to tinker with it. Let's try and describe the menu. Although, the take out one I have seems to be different than the one at the table. Categories - Soup Noodles (9), Stir Fried Noodles (9), Congee (3), Chef's Recommendations (11), Exquisite Cold Dishes (7), Vegetables (3), Skewers (14), Snacks/Dumplings (35). They snacks are basically Dim Sum. I asked if the menu is Cantonese. They said "all China". Prices are in line. Snacks run $2 to $12. Some interesting dishes are (I'm not putting a lot of effort into this) - century egg, foil wrapped fish, pineapple shrimp fried rice, fried dough stick, loofah soup dumplings and Hong Kong style roast duck. $24 walnut shrimp is the costliest (individual dish) at $24. The place looks exactly the same. Narrow. Mural on the left wall. Circular, communal table in the center. Useless bar in the back. Useless entry way. They were packed. It took a while to get my order. Only two women serving and taking orders. Not sure how many in the back. All that aside, I'll be back to tackle those technicolor raincoats.

*I was also going to go to Pho Huong Lan in the strip mall on Kirkman and 50 that has Ten Ten. I think it is called Golden Sparkling something. On their menu, they had an address to another location at East Colonial and Mills that I had been to before. So, I saved some money. The West Colonial location was Sanshi Noodle House. In Chinatown, I saw that the dump Pho Saigon (a few door to the left of One Stop Dumpling on the corner) had totally been modernized and is now a Saigonese Oc Lau & More. I will try that next year. Around the corner towards 50, the Caribbean dump that was Alez Caribbean Cuisine will/may be Le Gout Lakay. The Lakay is throwing me. Le gout could mean the taste. And I didn't recognize the flag on the banner. Chili Star has closed already. But, I knew that.

**Favorites with Travel Notes Index will be up either on NYE or NYD. I have to look and see where I put it last year for consistency.

Grub Crawl - Audubon Park, Winter Park and Casselberry: Papi's Burritos, Rion's Ocean Room, Yummii 2 Go (Closed) and Zocalo 436

I tried these spots yesterday at lunch. All to go. The first two are at the East End Market. The third is next to Jeff's Bagel Run on North Orange. In a strip mall near North Orlando (17-92). The last is on 436 near Rachel's. It was two pho places before this. Plan a was to be Parea in Maitland. They will only be open for dinner.

Papi's Burritos - In the rear. Open for a month. Only three breakfast ones to this point. I had the chorizo for $10. It came with scambled eggs (egg beaters?), potato cubes and maybe cheese. Not terribly large. Ungrilled flour tortilla. Yet, still tasty. Lots of chorizo. The liquid elements melded into a satisfying melange. Reminded me of this chicken burrito I used to love at Topp's in Altadena. I was picking at it and ended up finishing it of. Ate it in a weird way. Peeled back the outside flap. Picked at the mushy inside flap with a fork. Picked out the insides with little pieces of the tortilla. It may become my thing. The other burritos were similar. Without the chorizo. No M. 8a-3p.

Rion's Ocean Room - In the middle. They will have a sit down adjunct called Kyu Katsu Rose soon. They have around ten types of poke. I had the two scoops poke for $18. Good. I had the Hawaiian Ahi and Spicy Garlic Ono (wahoo). Ahi was very fresh. Onions and kukui nuts. The ono was firm. Hard to taste the flavor with all that sauce. Firm. They also had versions of shrimp, salmon and crab. Rice was a bit stale. They may have had some other things than poke. Seemed popular. Open for a month? One scoop was $16. I like that they close when they are out of stock. Sign of freshness. May be a Fav. No word back on if it is named for Chanel Rion.

Yummii 2 Go - Open for a week. Still in a soft opening. 11am-11pm. Very Spartan. Two kiosks. One delivery window. Many glass pick up boxes/lockers. White paint. I had the Kung Pao Chicken for $13. Big chunks of veg. Thin strips of chicken. Hot oil was in a separate container. Nothing to write home about. Fried v white rice was no price difference. Small menu. Maybe eight entrees (ie black pepper chicken), four specials, four apps (ie chicken egg rolls). A one off. 

Zocalo 436 - Open for four months. Kind of gringo Mexican fare. Tacos, burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, chimichangas, nachos, soups, etc. Some kind of beyond basic dishes like Xcaret (chicken with sausage) Chicken. One dish claimed Colombian influence. Fajitas seemed expensive at $23+. I had the Crash tacos (3) for $13. I chose hard shell and they let me do two chicken and one ground beef. Ground beef had that weird Mexican taste. Like cumin, etc. Chicken was shredded. Dry. Average size. Very little sour cream. Tomato. Lettuce. Sides of beans and rice. Rice had a soapy taste. Cilantro? Everything was too salty. Unfortunately, I learned later that the had a two taco lunch special (6 in all) for $10. They tossed in chips and salsa. I believe they painted a tree/leaf mural on one wall. Re-painted. Some kind of suspended structure (with a beam) in the middle of the ceiling. Looks a little nicer. 

*I noticed that a Poblanos is replacing that Vegan Diner near Buffalo Wild Wings (near Zocalo 436). Same as Maitland? Across the street there was a Japanese Burger place that closed down a while ago. It seemed like it may be open again. The new strip mall closer to I-4 on 436 will just have fast food. 

Grub Crawl - East Colonial: Unigirl, Kai Kai and Pho Bar

I tried these spots on East Colonial near Mills today at lunch. Everything to go. I came here after plan a was scuttled by PF Kitchen on Conroy having (apparently) already shit the bed. Then I didn't want to wait through the traffic at Mall at Milenia for the second half of that plan (Rosetta Bakery). The first two of these places are in the Mills Market. It was (still half way is) a grubby little grocery store that Banh Mi Boy (still there) semi-classed up. Now it has these two stalls, plus a $10 small or $15 medium snow cone stall (Saigon Snow) and Cowboy Curry (not yet present). The last spot in the new build aside that. On the corner closer to I-4. All were disappointing to downright bad.

UniGirl - Opened six months ago (per them). Onigiri (sushi triangles). I had a shrimp and wasabi for $5.50. Other than annoying me because I'm going to have unlimited sushi, etc tomorrow for $12, it was almost ok. Rice, shrimp and seaweed were ok. Fresh. But, it seemed like the maker had dug their hands into a pile of rotten fish before they molded this giri. They had around eight flavors. Pre-made. Just the shared seating. 

Kai Kai BBQ & Dumplings - Open for a year (these times seem inaccurate). Hanging ducks behind glass. I had the cheapest thing because they were taking way too long. 1/4 chicken in soy sauce (because they didn't have the honey bbq). Bland, boiled, mushy chicken. Getting this after I ordered also took way too long. They have a dim sum (dumplings, bai, etc) section that starts at $7. Rice boxes ($10-$17). Entrees ($12-$16) like fried rice and lo mein. And pork, duck, chicken by the pound. I still value steamed dumplings at $5 max. Not $8. They also charge an extra $5! to switch from white rice to fried rice on a platter. Why? Is rancid oil that costly? Shared seating. Disorganized.

Pho Bar - Saving the worst for last. Opened last week. I really think I'm over Vietnamese food. I used to think the French angle gave it a bit of lustre. It's just so boring/rustic. Consumme and a pate sandwich are really all it's good for or at. Disgusting noodles of rice. Sinewy carcasses. Rubber balls. Blech. Stupidly, I ordered the most expensive option. The Bun Cha Ha Noi. Some platter of meatballs and pork pieces that Obambi had with Anthony Bourdain on some trip to Ha Noi in 2016. My love for AB and the fact that they called this a Northern Vietnamese dish (rarer) were the only reasons I chose this. And that the rest of the menu is basically pho ($14-$20) and I'm sick of paying for gross noodles, offal and boullion. The (2) meatballs were large (raquetball size) and bland. Probably wouldn't bounce. The pork was ok for the grizzle you sometimes get. Sweet, soy based glaze. Pathetic bed of lettuce and sticky vermicelli that I saw some guy tearing with his dirty hands. There was a sour (unsatisfying) carrot and (unripe) papaya "dressing" that I doesn't really pair well with pork. And certainly not glazed pork. They also tossed in two probably store bought, frozen, liver tasting egg rolls that I'll bet were nuked. It was pretty full. 75% Asian. Around sixteen tables of between 2 and  seats. Mural on the left side wall. Glass on the front and right. Open kitchen in the rear. Graish brown color scheme. One big, communal table in front. Modern. Uniformed staff. I'm not sure IF this platter can be made good. By any Vietnamese. Their recipes and ingredients are just bad. I've had enough exposure. This whole cuisine needs a savior. Maybe one will be born unto us on Wednesday if we are lucky. Parking in the rear. Now excuse me. I, literally, have to get this bad taste out of my mouth. Although, I literally didn't need to say literally if that was the case.

*I think Chuan Lu across the street has shuttered. 

Grub Crawl - Lake Mary: Pho Mai, Esca's Pizza and Filo *TX Travel Notes

I went to these places yesterday and today at lunch. The first is in the strip mall that has Academy Sports and Toojays. The second is across the parking lot near the supermarket. The last is in the mall with the Target and Publix. It was a Which Wich before this this. 

Pho Mai  Opened ten months ago. I took their small broth and noodles only (don't recall seeing that before as an option) to go for $9. Aromatic broth. Good. Usual stuff. Drank the broth. Used the noodles with my own ground pork. Usual menu. A dollar or two higher than usual. Was a few Thai places before this. Same layout. And probably furniture. 14 tables. 3 are doubles. Half are booths. Yellow walls with dark stained wood wainscotting. Drab. Framed images of dishes. A few of Hoi An. Tons of junk in plain sight. TV with Vietnamese MTV. One waiter. English is suspect. Two other parties of two there at lunch. No need to run here.

Esca's Pizza - Opened a month ago. Original in Ozone Park Queens NY. That place (per a framed photo) has a brick oven. This one does not. Plus a slice was $3.50 and small and had too much flour on the crust, so, I skipped that part of the menu. They start at $14 for a 12". They had dessert, stuffed and pan as well. Rolls, stromboli, salads, apps, pasta, entrees and what I decided on - panini. I had the meatball parm for $11. Delicious. Beyond my expectations. Simple. Sliced, hardball sized meatballs, mozz, natural sauce in a fresh pizza dough "pita". The meatballs were made properly. Delicate. Everything fresh. I'm not sure what more I need to say. It was just a step up for a pizzeria. It gave me confidence that they know what they are doing and care. Can't wait for the next visit. This spot has been a few pizzerias. Mostly good as well. Same layout. Seven, wood tables of two with red metal chairs in the front area. Four, white booths in the rear. L shaped. Three tvs on the back (above) of the front, glass wall. Menu on screens across from that. Display case below that. I didn't love that the register is around the bend. You might forget what the menu said and have to go back and that would cause a pile up. White, red and black color scheme. White subway tile. Sacks of flour, sauce boxes, prosciutto slicer in the front as decoration. Framed photos of the original location. Entrees (ie parms) start at $18. Pastas at $12. Around eight varieties of each category offered. An app of meatballs was $10. Probably the amount you get in the panini. Some higher end things like arancini, burrata and prosciutto. But, also snacky things like wings and egg rolls. It will be a Favorite. This came out of nowhere. Just drove past it getting to the next place.

Filo - Also opened a month ago. Original in Port Orange (I believe they said). In a two word synopsis - Greek Chipotle. I haven't had many great Greek fast food experiences. Not bad. Just ok. This does for Greek what Chipotle did for Mexican. And probably better than many sit down Greek restaurants. And better than Chipotle because EVERYTHING is included. You choose one of four starting points (rice bowl, pita, salad or french fries). Then a meat (lamb, chicken (2), brisket, falafel, gyro) Then hot topping and cold toppings (ie roasted veg medley, roasted carrots, roasted cauliflower, hummus, garbonzos/chick peas, kale, feta, black olives, etc). Then a sauce (tzatziki, garlic, Greek, etc). I chose rice with gyro at $13 because it was the cheapest. The rest are a buck or two more. They let me sample the chicken, brisket and lamb. All excellent. The gyro meat was as well. I tried to try as much as possible. Everything was excellent. Tasty and fresh. The carrots were outstanding and I didn't even want them. I forgot the hummus. Dumb shit. Feta was soft and a step above. Tatziki (my sauce) was good. The rice was buttery and soft. Not old and crunchy. Nothing was over seasoned. Nice quantities of everything. Paper bowl for the environment. I was blown away. They will also be a Favorite. Fast food like layout. Order at a counter. Soda machine. A few tables. White and blue colors. Loyalty program. Was getting crowded. I really hope they keep to these standards. Will the fan club be called filophiles?

*Travel Notes - Texas: I flew Frontier (mid day) to Houston for $48. I was trying to get rid of a $100 voucher and their options were limited. They were two hours late going there. The pilot on the plane that we were waiting on forgot his tablet and they had to do "everything" by hand. Plus all the people around me were coughing and I got a cold two days later. Coming back was perfect aside from the fact that their check in counter is in Terminal A and the planes leave from Terminal D. I rented a car from Budget for a week at $308. Used a two day voucher to get this rate. As usual, they f'd up the reservation and only had an old gas guzzling SUV available. Plus the "fix" they made at the counter never made it into the system and I had to wait at the exit kiosk while they reentered the information. Rental Car Terminal has all the companies. The bus takes a while to show up and get there.

This trip was to knock the remaining bbq joints I saw on a episode of The Daytripper with Chet Garner on PBS. I took William Clayton Pkwy out of the airport to 59N to 1960W. 1960 is not well marked and only a few miles north. Since you can stay on the side streets up until there, I would just do that. You are doing this if you are trying to escape the toll roads on the way to Austin. It took forever. You finally see the signs to connect to 290NW. I took this to 36NW to 190N to Belton on 25. I stayed at the Comfort Inn (Expedia 7.8) for $114 because it was just remodeled. It was too late to do anything else. FYI - I'll put the bbq spots' ranking after their name. I had all my brisket "moist". All the hotel ratings were bs. I had McD's $5 meal deal too many times. Also, Taco Bueno and Popeye's once. Gas was only $2.29!

The next day I saw the Cadence Bank Center. Drove one exit north to DT on Central Ave. I grabbed an ok brisket sandwich (rough/burnt) at Miller's Smokehouse (#4) for $13. I then went back down the street and had excellent (oily/clean/beefy/bark) 1/4lb brisket ($9) and bacon wrapped quail ($9) at Schoepf's Bar B Que (#2). I took 25S one exit and got on 14W to 190W to 281S to 29W to Llano. I had 1/2lb (asked for 1/4lb) of bad brisket (burnt/half fat/tough/grilled) at Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar B Que (#7) for $14. I drove west on 71 to Brady. I had 1/2lb of bad (old/bland/mushy/no smoke) brisket at Mac's Bar B Q (#9) for $13.50. They were supposed to be a goat place. They told me they just do that for festivals. I drove north to Abilene on 84. I stayed at the Comfort Inn (Expedia 8.4) near the Medical Center for $88. 

The next day I drove through DT. Missed Abilene Christian University. Took 283N to Wichita Falls. I stayed at the Comfort Inn (Expedia 8.6) west of DT for $86. I had a fried eggs/hb/toast and tumbleweeds at Pioneer of Texas. Tumbleweeds were these fried softballs with ground beef and jalapenos over beans and melted cheese. It was cold and rainy and I was only here to be within striking distance of the next place on the next day. Plus I was starting to feel the flu. I should say here that my agenda was at the mercy of which days and hours the bbq places were open. All of these are in the boondocks. Why they were still on the list. I should also remind you that Texas is ugly. Uglier in the rain and cold. Just nothing to look at.

The next day I drove east on 82 to Nacona. I had an ok "bowl of crap" (hb/links/brisket/beans/etc) at Fenoglio's BBQ (#NR) for $10. Nice people. I continued east to 75S to McKinney. I stayed at the Best Western (Expedia 9.0) for $79. I drove one mile east to DT. These next spots were all from that Food Traveler magazine issue I've been drawing on for years. I had a good wine flight at Lone Star Winery for $15. A terrible (tasted like oaked fruit cocktail) chardonnay at Landon Winery for $9. Only could manage a sip. They wanted $20 for their flight. Good and well priced beer at Tupp's Brewery. They had many good looking restaurants around the central square there too. As well as other tasting rooms (had been to their actual vineyards), an overpriced distillery, meat market, etc. I did sample one cute food place (Deviled Egg Co). I had one with smoked salmon and one with blue cheese for $7. 

The next day I drove back through DT to 390W for 1/4lb of brisket (beefy/smoky/juicy) from Hutchins Barbeque (#3) for $9. Not on the PBS list. I checked online to make sure I wasn't bypassing something I'd have to come back for and this popped up as highly rated. I went west on 390 to Denton. A new road that is a great bypass of Dallas traffic. Lots of interesting restaurants and new development here. Not congested yet. In Denton is North Texas State University and their huge football stadium. I took 35S from there to Ft Worth. Just at 30 is a new reclaimed area (Southside) that has a ton of food and drink options. I learned later that some other top rated bbq, etc places are also here. I came for Panther City BBQ (#1). Also seen on some other travel/food shows. I had the loaded baked potato (huge) with brisket (getting sick of brisket alone) for $11. The brisket was beefy, smoky, juicy and had a crunch from the bark. Even with the "off" pieces they probably gave my dish, I could tell it was the best yet. I went east on 30 to Dallas. North on 75 to Loop 12E. I had two ok barbacoa brisket tacos (bland/half fat) at One 90 Smokehouse (#5) for $6. They wouldn't do less than a 1/2lb order. I saw them on 3D. There was a cute drive in burger place on that road too. But, they made you use a stay in your car and wait for their waitress. I didn't have the time nor patience. I took the loop farther east to 635S to 20E to Tyler. I got off on 69S and headed south of Broadway in DT to Beckham Ave for Stanley's Famous Pit Bar B Q (#6). I had 1/4 lb of bad (mushy/bland/minimal smoke) for $8 and a worse (livery/musty/mushy) hot link for $6. They were supposed to be known for their links. Tyler was bigger than I expected. I took Broadway south and it became 59. Took this (very trafficy at rush hour) to Alto. Then east on 82 to Nagodoches. Stayed at the Best Western (Expedia 8.8) for $89. I learned that that name is American Indian. There is some story they told me that it is one brother and Natchatoches LA is the other. SF Austin University was there. The square was cute. I shouldn't have rushed through it.

The next day I took 59S to Lufkin. I had 1/4lb of bad (tough/bland/roast beefy) brisket for $7 and a fried roll (what they are known for) for $1. I later realized that I had been there in '17. I continued down 59 through Houston to 45S to Galveston. I had lunch at Rudy & Paco in DT. In the magazine article. I had Pollo Managua for $24. It came with broccolini and white rice. A breaded cutlet. The best thing I ate all week. Lemon/caper butter sauce. Nice plating. They started you out with plantain chips. Semi-formal. Great prices. I believe it is an institution. I stayed on the beach at the Baymont (Expedia 8.6) for $74. 

The next day I took 45N to University of Houston. It turned out to be graduation, so, I saw the sports stadiums and centers and left asap. Texas Southern is down there as well. And before you judge, I had already done the NASA stuff before. I got off DT to see the MLS Stadium (across from the baseball stadium) in a shit part of town. Back onto 59N to William Clayton Rd in Humble where I stayed at the Best Western (Expedia 8.6) for $84.

Most of the days were drizzily and gray. That didn't help the experience. Very cold until the end. Houston airport is a shit hole. I lucked out on the traffic. Hadn't expected to fit in Galveston. Only have the southeast down to Brownsville left to complete the list. Tried to do some Vietnamese places this actor Misha went to on his show. Too many toll roads in between to deal with at that point. There was one other (Pho Dien 1960) well reviewed near the airport that I stumbled upon. But, it had too long of a line to put up with and I was burnt out by then. I thought all that beef was going to clog me up. No real issues. I may have missed or mis-assigned a few route numbers. Deal with it. Too tired to proof read.

Grub Crawl - Orlando and SoDo: That Wing Spot, Smith's Homemade Ice Cream, Palm Beach Meats and Jamaican Express

I tried these spots between Gaitlin and Kaley on South Orange today at late lunch. The first is in a strip mall at Gaitlin that has Brazas Chicken. Aside (but not same strip mall as) the Food Hall. The second is next door. The third is more north (towards downtown) where Hangry Pants was. The last is near Pulse other side of the street.

That Wing Spot  I had ten wings for $10. Order at a terminal. Choose number and sauce and dip. Wait. I chose no sauce and no dip. It was extra. Still wound up with blue cheese. Wings were good. Half drums. Half flats. No breading. I guess a buck a wing is a bargain now. Brazas wanted $17 for 10 and $10 for 1/4 chicken. One table outside. Small store. No design. Three workers. Opened recently. Too limited to be a Fav.

Smith's Homemade Ice Cream Fudge Chocolate - I grabbed a $6.50 root beer float. Small. Couldn't really tell if ice cream had quality. They would have included two scoops had I wanted them. Around twelve flavors. A kid scoop was $5. Didn't feel like asking about fudge. Small store. Opened two years ago.

Palm Beach Meats - Just opened this weekend. Soft for two weeks. Specializes in Waygu everything. Prices were too rich for my blood, so, I just had two waygu barbacoa (brisket) tacos for $14. Good. The meat was very shredded. Warm spices (cumin/cinnamon). Soft. Nice flavor. Raw onion. Cilantro. Aged cotija. Seemingly homemade soft blue corn tortillas. Took a bit to long to assemble. They have a fairly large menu. $11 entry snacks like lumpia, emapanadas, wontons. $14 hot dogs (looked small). Cheesesteaks, rice bowl, burrito, pb and j with marrow, sundaes with marrow, burgers, etc. And a few katsu sandwiches. Not sure why you would fry waygu. A 4oz (1/4 lb) of steak was $90! They use the parts of the cow that they don't sell as prime cuts for the items on the menu. The meat comes from Australia and New Zealand (?). They also sell retail cheese, charcuterie, etc. A Vermont goat cheese that you can get anywhere for $5 or less was $10 there. They turned the inside black and brown. Similar layout. Bar at right rear. Meat counter on the left. Order at a counter. Had a waitress or two. Maybe cocktails? It was about what I was hoping for. May be a Fav. Just don't love those prices. I'll have to think on it. They have a store on South Dixie in Palm Beach. Parking may be an issue.

Jamaican Express - Open for a week. I had a Van mini cake (lemon/coconut) for $5. Good value. Like four cupcakes big. Ok. Vanilla icing wasn't great. Not very lemony either. Three tiers of yellow cake with lemon "marmalade" in between. Sweet. Twinkie like. They have seven or eight other flavors of cake. They sell more pastry than I can ever recall associating with a Caribbean restaurant. Macaroons, pastry, brownies, tarts, cookies, etc. They also sell Express Bowls. $15 for curry chicken or stew chicken or curry goat. $16 for oxtail or jerk pork chops or jerk pork ribs. Comes with rice and peas or jasmine white rice or steamed cabbage and pumpkin or shredded cabbage and carrots. In hindsight, I should have buckled down and had one of those. I just wasn't expecting them to be open and had even more food in the car than I have written about. Order at a counter. One employee. Long, narrow, white space. Don't think they had any seats. Parking in back. Open until 2am. Has potential. 

*I tried to see if there was any movement on the Shaq chicken place on Michigan. It went by too fast. I may have seen some other (new) restaurant name on the outside. Chen or something. If it wasn't clear, I didn't get anything from Brazas Chicken. I may be around for the next two weeks. So, you could be in for an avalanche of reviews.

Tico Forest Cafe, Orlando - Closed

I tried this Costa Rican coffee bar on S Orange at Gaitlin Saturday at lunch. I had a ham and cheese on a croissant for $7. Average. Small. One slice of each. 700% mark up. And that and a few purchased sweets were all that they had besides coffee. Some tables. Open, white space. Order at the counter. Open a month or so. In the next post I should be sampling two other newbies that opened near them. They werent open that early while I was there this time around.

Grub Crawl - Longwood and Lake Mary: Eddie's Pizza and Zacapa

I tried these spots yesterday at lunch. The first in a strip mall on Ronald Reagan near Lake Mary HS that has Mumbai Flavors. Still not open. The other is in a strip mall at 46A and International Parkway. 

Eddie's Pizza - I had a chicken parm for $11. It was short in length. The bread (home made) was dense. Like a focaccia. But, shaped like a sub. I think they were trying to fancify it. It works as bread. It just doesn't work as sandwich bread. The chicken was too lightly breaded. Baked? Once again potentially fancified to no avail. It wilted/disappeared under the tomato sauces influence. The chicken had no taste. Thin pieces. The cheese was horrible. Like plastic wrap. I feign to refer to it as mozzarella. Even the menu just says "cheese". The sauce was mis-mixed. Parts just tasted unadulterated. Parts tasted garlic-y. Pretty good either way. Fresh. The whole sandwich needed more time in the oven/broiler. All the components didn't meld. I ended up eating each ingredient separately. They also have Italian, sausage, meatball and cheesesteak subs. Seven pastas. Five apps. Five salads. Stromboli and Calzone. All these around the same price as the parm. And pizza. 12'"-16". $12-$24. And $2.50 slices. I saw some in the window, they looked too thin and short. Why I didn't order one. They claim to have been rated Fox 35 Best Pizza in 2023. Why I went. The place is a long, undecorated rectangle. It doesn't seem like many people eat in. This is at least the third ownership group for this location. I forget the other names. I believe these guys have had control for over a year. I respect the fact that they are trying to elevate the dishes. They just need to tinker a bit with how to accomplish that. Closed Sun/M. 11am-8pm.

Zacapa Mexican - Replaced Coyoacan. Looks the same. Basically the same shit. It was Taco Tuesday. They only offer a beef and a chicken. $2.50. I had one of each. Fairly good. The ground beef was stringy in that "non-US" beef sort of way. The chicken was shredded. Not the blanched white floss some places seem to buy by the bag load. This had pieces of drum, etc. Alot of meat in both. Moist. Typical gringo veg and cheese. Semi-fresh. The real weak point was the tortilla. Just a flabby, cold, ungrilled flour tortilla. I'll have to see if they offer hard shells if there is a next time. Most expensive thing is a $36 molcajete. Nothing too intriguing. If we compare this to Taco Tuesday at Tijuana Flats, it is $5 vs $7 (I think). No chips or drink (refill). Maybe more meat. I didn't think a change of ownership would amount to anything. This is why I just did their cheapest offering. I was right.

*I've been meaning to shame the Orlando Weekly's reviewer. He spent (not sure if they comped his meal) something like $375 on himself at some new sushi boondoggle in town. Does he think his readers (free newspaper) can relate? I hope he is getting paid to play. He should be reviewing everyday places like these. Doesn't his editor see the disconnect?