Grub Crawl - UCF Area: Yummy Taste and Fat Shack *CO Travel Notes

I tried these two dogs on Wednesday at lunch. The first is in a strip mall across from the Waterford Lakes Mall. The second is in that strip mall I last reported from near UCF at University and Alafaya. I'd like to add (before we start) that the fat girl with the big tits on Channel 6 reminds me of the after photo of the younger sister from Sanditon. Do you see it?

Yummy Taste - Failed in all areas. AC wasn't adequate, so, I changed my sit down to a to go. I tried the cumin beef noodles for $12 because the regular was even costlier than that. It was bad. The beef wasn't overcooked, but, the noodles were. Probably reheated. Broke apart when twirled. Clumsily spiced. The rest of the menu was dull. Rabbit and some tiger skin thing were the only intriguing items. Most things were $16 - $22. Decor was bad. Service was slow. One waitress (not great with English) and (I'll wager) one cook. Menu had little description of the dish. I really can't find a reason for you try this place. Opened recently.

Fat Shack - The funny thing is I just was in Fort Collins where they started. A chain that ripped off the R U Hungry food truck from New Brunswick NJ gimmick off putting side dishes into a sandwich. Mark Cuban bought in. They are the first location in Florida. I grabbed a small Fat Bronco for $9. It had one chicken finger and one mozzarella stick and fries in tomato sauce. The fries were beyond soggy. The mozz was tasteless and rubbery. The chicken was inconsequential. As was the bun. A real expensive mess. They sell around a dozen of these and burgers and snacks. I'm not sure what the burgers cost. Their menu (with the prices) wasn't working. The place already looks twenty years aged and they opened a month ago. I don't hate the concept. It just needs to be done at least one quarter assed. And the prices are out of line. You can go to Arbys and get two sandwiches for $6 and mozz sticks for $3 and make yourself TWO better sandwiches. The original was on the Food Network.

*Travel Notes - Colorado: Flight there on Frontier was $206. Hertz was $445. Stayed night one at Baymont near airport for $100. Did recon on day one. Had sausage rarebit with broccoli and beer at Baker's Brewery in Silverthorne. Slept at Quality Inn for $93. Skied Arapahoe Basin for $99 with $52 ski rental. Had tots with pork belly and beer at Cabin Creek Brewery in Georgetown. Slept at Microtel for $115. Nice lake there. Skied at Loveland for $85 and $45 ski rental. Ate Italian sub at Enza's Deli in Silverthorne. Had a good steak and queso empanada at Lazo Empanadas at Bluebird Market. Had terrible tinga and carnitas tacos at Baja Chimayo at same market. Slept at Silver Inn for $105. Ate breakfast at Sunshine Cafe. Good trout and eggs. It started to blizzard, so, I had to change ski plans and head back down stream. Went to Idaho Springs and bathed at Indian Hot Springs for $20 (plus $7 for locker and towel). It was gross. Mainly because of the people. Had a disgusting pizza at Picci's. Had beer at Westbound & Down. Had beer and pastrami sandwich with fries at Tommyknockers. Slept at Columbine Inn (bad) for $106. Idaho Springs main street was cool. Though the charge for parking before 6pm. Drove through Denver north to Fort Collins. Had bad al pastor and carne asada tacos at Vatos. Had good carrot cake ice cream at Old Town Churn. Had interesting cheddar covered Liege style waffle at Waffle Lab. Slept at Armstrong Hotel for $126. Visited New Belgium Brewing. Ate trout and eggs (even better) at Silver Grill Cafe (in Esquire). Drove to Estes Park. Saw elk, etc. Drove through Rocky Mountain NP. Slept at Nicky's Resort for $78. Drove to airport and had bad lasagna at DiCicco's.

 I was going to try other ski areas, but, they were more expensive. Arapahoe had flex pricing. Loveland was constant rate. Both were way better than I expected. The more I go, the more I think you need to tell Vail and Aspen (et al) to go fuck themselves. It was in the 60's to start and then it dropped to the 20s. Crazy. Snowed over a foot after I left. The highway closed down. Fort Collins is cool. So many breweries and cideries and distilleries and restaurants. May be dearer than SLC in my heart now. Estes Park also had a nice lake. Nice drive there. Silverthorne is blowing up. Drove through Keystone (closed for season) too. Nice drive from Loveland to there over Loveland Pass. Found a cheap ski area called Echo near Idaho Springs. It had just closed though. No travel issues. Gas was cheaper there.

Grub Crawl - Mills Ave: Grilled Cheezus and Plantees

I tried the first place not this Monday but last. I tried the other yesterday. The first is in the old Bites and Bubbles location. The other is a little closer to Virginia.

Grilled Cheezus - They said they has a food truck and another location or two. The remodel really makes an already gloomy situation worse. They took out the bar and divided the room with a wall. They say a cookie company is hidden behind that. Now it's a tiny room with the kitchen in between. I ordered the basic grilled cheese because this trend is just stupid and of course it is overpriced stupidity to boot. It cost $9. It was good. Came with a thimble of uninspired too sweet tomato soup that did little to the experience. They press it in a waffle iron. Had to do a three cheese mix for some reason. Dusted it with some superfluous parmesan to make it seem fancy. They sell around ten others. Mostly simple add ins like bacon. Do yourself a favor and buy a waffle iron or a George Foreman grill (do they still exist) and use your allowance for something more deserving. Open for a month.

Plantees - The cultural antithesis of GC. A plant based, vegany, healthy, one item, fast casual option. They sell: a Beyond burger as a single or double, fries with cheese or without and shakes. I grabbed a single with vegan cheese for $10. Already you can tell I'm going to preface any analysis with - it's 2X too expensive. And it is. It was ok. The meat tastes like tv dinner meatloaf. Although, I didn't hate the mouthfeel or flavor. It didn't marry well with the very vinegary relish. The lettuce and tomato were very fresh. And the bun was perfect. Hopefully, they will maintain these freshness standards because that is all that justifies the premium price. If there is a justification. It is the first and only location. Seems ready to multiply. Very clean and modern look. Order at the counter inside with open kitchen. Patio dining area. Nice owners. Opened on Monday. Some off street parking. If you are going to waste your allowance on seemingly healthy (I wonder what the calorie count is) junk food while foolishly thinking you are saving the planet, this could do the trick for you.

*I also tried (for the last time) to try Brad's Pizza on Curry Ford. After many wild goose chases caused by the idiot Google, I tracked him down to a place called Collaborative Kitchen. He wasn't in. Of course. But, it wouldn't have mattered anyway. They force you to order on line through their app. I refuse to use apps unless they can be proven to be innocuous. As in, they don't install tracking software. And they all do. And it just seems like a bad business model. If you get walk-ins, why chase them away? It can't cost any more to type in the order to your POS. And it also seems like these snotty, bigoted little shits rely on deliver companies for most of their sales. That's another example of profit erosion. I'm starting to understand that whole "stupid is as stupid does" expression. I also saw a cool named place almost open on 50 called Mongolorian and Cucina has opened DT. So Dough on Michigan is also supposed to be open. I'll have one more post with some travel notes in a few days.

Grub Crawl - Windermere and Millenia: Dim Dim Sum and Pho 813 (Closed)

I tried these places last night. The first is at the intersection of Conroy and Apopka Vineland. You get off 1-4 by the Mall at Millenia and cross Kirkman and go all the way to Olympia High School. The corner with Hawkers. Far left if coming that way. The second is near the Target on Conroy just off I-4.

Dim Dim Sum - Kind of well named. Not the brightest of dim sum stars. I had shrimp dumplings, chao zhou fun guo dumplings and xiao long bao (that they don't call dumplings but are). They only served three per order. Shrinkflation seems to be how they are reacting to the current economic environment. Shanghai Lane did it to me too last month. The shrimp were good. Whole pieces. No stink or off flavors. They didn't steam them long enough. The exterior was pasty and fell off. A little better with the chao. They were ground and whole pork with chives and peanuts. Some gristly bits. Soft nuts. Maybe there were four to this order? Bigger, longer sized. The soup in the soup dumplings wasn't great. Still not sure why they call them bao. Internet says bao is a steamed bread roll. As I believed. All these plates cost $6.50. Tea was $3.50. All are too costly if you ask me. The menu is small. 39 things. The place has a patio and windows up front. Open kitchen in rear. A few tables. Waterfall on far left. Modern. Red brick walls. Wood trim. Slate floors. Two servers. It was empty. Maybe because a Hawkers outpost is very close. Not worth the effort (even with the dearth of dim sum options). Open for 6 months. Don't see them surviving. 

Pho 813 - Open 2 months. Grabbed a tofu banh mi to go for $9. Never had one before. Never will again. Would have been better without the tofu. Just veg. Roll was unforgivable. Supermarket shit that was old and probably wetted down and nuked. This is the basic component of the dish. If this is how the treat this, I don't trust them to do anything well or trust their standards. It was to come with pate too. Didn't discern any. 813 is Tampa area code. Place is modern. Bar on left rear. dining area on right. Big mural there. White walls. Blues. Blacks. Same old menu. Had shrimp on sugar cane though. 

*I also "tried" a new chain place on 434 in Longwood called So Fresh. Such A Ripoff would be more accurate. Refused to pony up the $8 (to start - basically cheese) plus an extra $4+ for ANY protein. Many other things were extra too. My soda (sucked) cost $3. Nothing looked fresh. The cookies and brownies were even packaged from another company. Their "quesadilla" had mozzarella and two other even less Mexican cheeses in it.  Man I hate these fast casual, veganish ripoff joints. Can anybody stop the madness? THEY WILL NOT MAKE YOU SKINNY....ERR HEALTHY. THEY WILL TAKE YOUR MONEY. Open for a month.

Grub Crawl - Florida Mall: Cantina Catrina, Steak Up and Gotcha Smokehouse BBQ *FL Travel Notes

I tried these places on Tuesday at lunch.

Cantina Catrina - Open for less than a month. Original in Miami. One of these in-authentic Mexican Applebee's that have been proliferating. I had barbacoa tacos because they were "street" and the line at Chipotle was crazy the day before and most things cost more than these. They cost $16 for 5. But, it turned out it was Taco Tuesday and I got them for half off. They were ok. The beef was bland. I wouldn't be shocked if it comes in a bag. The tortillas were a bit raw. The radish and avocado were fresh. Small menu. The decor is very dark (in color and I guess content). They decorate the place in "Day of the Dead" stuff. And pictures and posters of old Mexican movies and movie stars. Three areas. A bar area with patio (view of parking lot). Two areas with views of mall. Service was good. Maybe....maybe go for Taco Tuesday or drinks. At entrance to food court.

Steak Up - Next door to Catrina. Brazilian Fast Casual. Not sure how long they have been there. I tried to order a baked potato with chicken. They rang it up for a buck more than listed and then added a three dollar convenience fee. I asked for a refund. It rubbed me the wrong way. The convenience fee should be discounted if anything if you order to go. Not the other way around.

Gotcha Smokehouse BBQ - They were a little more inside the food court. I think the sign said there have been there since 2007. The items and severs (and eventually the taste) made it seem more Asian/Latin bbq than cracker. I got the chicken bowl (cheapest) for $9. It was some grilled chicken in a sauce that was a bit teryaki tasting. Good. I tried roasted potatoes as the side. Ok. A few undercooked. Small selection. Not more allure.

*Travel Notes - Florida Gulf Coast and Keys: I was going to stop in Lakeland but it was so early in the day to stop then. Did scope out Swan Brewing in DT. It wasn't open yet. Looked up hotels on St Pete Beach. Too expensive ($200+ for garbage). So, I found one in Kenwood (in between St Pete and St Pete Beach). Days Inn at $136. Got an awful gyro to go at Skidder's (AAA magazine) before I left. Ate good Panang mole curry with chicken at Nitally's Thai Mex (Food Paradise) in St Pete the next day. Drove south a bit to Munch's (3D) and grabbed the Cuban special with fries to go. Never been to that part of the city. Slept in Osprey at Casey Key Resort for $150. Lots of fees. Drove along Casey Key. Nice. Stephen King has places there. Looked in on Nokomis Beach. This area is just as good as Sarasota. Less expensive and built up. Ate breakfast (eggs benedict) at the hotel restaurant - Chef Rolf's. Drove south to Matlacha and had a cheeseburger at Bert's. Slept in North Fort Myers and the scary Riverview Inn for $116. Took a tour (Tropic Star) from Bookeelia on Pine Island to Cabbage Key and Cayo Costa SP for $57. All day tour. $42 for just Cayo Costa. Ate shrimp salad at Cabbage Key Inn. They do a dollar bill thing on the ceiling. May have been one of the inspirations for Cheeseburger in Paradise. Ate dinner and had beer in Naples at Bone Hook Brewery. Bad quesadilla and chicken chili. Slept down the street at Fairways Inn for $140. Drove by Baker museum, philharmonic and zoo. Baker wanted vax proof. I told them follow the science. I even pointed the way. Didn't go in to other places either. Ate pimento cheese and chicken sandwich with fries at Lake Park Diner. It's a modern diner. Cute. Ate very good al pastor and chicken tinga tacos at Turco Tacos. Drove on to Clyde Butcher's Photography Studio (at 52388 Tamiami Trail). Was going to buy a photo. But, they were around $7k for the ones displayed. $40 just for a poster! Onto Miccouskee Casino Resort for $235. I screwed myself waiting for prices to drop here or around the Keys. They didn't. Went the other way. I chose them because I've always wanted to see what's up. They gave me the top (executive) floor. Drove down to Key Largo. Had a good tuna melt and fries at Buzzard's Roost. On a canal. Had chilled shrimp and mango tacos at Chef Rolf''s Tuna's in Islamorada. Had seared yellowtail at Snapper's in Key Largo. Good water setting. Grabbed bad bacalao croquettas and worse tamal at Fernando the Bull in Key Largo. They started in Naples. Slept in Florida City at Fairway Inn for $94. Had to make up for the overspends somehow. Grabbed a ham and egg and cheese sandwich and Frito Burger (potato sticks and Med spiced) at Cuban Guys in Palmetto Bay on US 1 on the way home. Rental car (Nissan Rogue) cost $243 with Budget. Spent about $120 in gas. Only had bad weather on one day (Thursday). Good trip. No traffic problems. Even drafted my fantasy team during it. I used some credits on two of the hotels, so, they weren't as expensive as I listed.

Root Canal Tutorial

Although this will still probably be long, I will try and give an abridged version of what I want to impart and focus on the pricing. That is is the hardest to pin down. I needed a root canal (or extraction and replacement) because of crack in the tooth that allowed bacteria to flow through to the rootsin to my interior/blood stream. I should add that I have no insurance and all the prices quoted will be at their "reduced" no insurance rate. Also, almost every visit was like a Nascar pit stop. The crack was likely years in the making.

Symptoms: I first felt a little sinus pressure. Then a few days later some chills with slight pain around the cheek and jaw. Then pain in the teeth area while eating. aspirin helped. Then swelling around the lower jaw. Came and went. Then lymph node (below jaw at neck) swelling. Then "pimples" on the gums around the tooth. Then they burst and gray sludge oozed out. At that point (I was away when this happened) I was home and had to decide between dentist and doctor. I chose dentist. Total time was under two weeks.

Evaluation 1: I went to the last dentist I had a cleaning with (Dentists of Sanford). He was gone. A new guy (Jimmy Huynh) was in his place. They let me have the new patient rate of $59. He didn't mention a crack. Kind of acknowledged the abcess on the xray after I suggested it (did some internet research before). Suggested a $1200+ cleaning and gave me a prescription for Amoxycillin and suggested I may want to see an Endodontist. At least that helped. Free at Publix. That was a bad diagnosis.

Evaluation 2: Approx two weeks later (it was the holidays), I called on Alexsandra Shaykova at Baytree Family Dentists based on a flyer I had collected and the $1 Emergency Rate she offered. Plus she claimed to be able to most dental work and had a slot. She diagnosed a crack and suggested yanking the tooth and replacing it for $5137 in six steps over six months. That floored me.

Evaluation 3: The next day I tried Jessica Du at Smile Design Dentistry. Her teaser rate was $29. She confirmed the crack and said it was beyond her ability (although the flyer claimed she could do this type of work) and I should see an endodontist for a CT scan to be sure that it should be yanked. She recommended one. Her prices (spoiler alert - I come back here) went from $1421 to $1204 to $1087 for a crown. Not sure why. I guess keep asking.

Evaluation 4: I went to Mark Goldberg of Mid Florida Endodontics (another two weeks because of holiday #2) for the scan. It cost $250 ($150 eval and $100 scan). He said crack was too close to gum line and he wouldn't do a root canal. Yank it. Would not recommend anybody. Said not time sensitive if it didn't hurt. It didn't.

Evaluation 5: Did some eval of endodontists and periodontists. Most wouldn't do the whole job or didn't have appts for two months. Crazy. Found one who would and had openings. Kevin Bonn. I paid him $82 and he said I should he thought it could be saved. Sent me too a colleague that day. I should add that he wanted to take a new ct scan for $400ish. Extraction part of replacement would have been $407. Crown $1808. It was hard to pin them down on pricing. That and his refusal to do the crown until I did weeks of some jaw alignment therapy (while not telling me until I stopped by for another issue) made me move on. They also quoted me these prices: CT $406, Extraction $150-$350, Graft $475. Wouldn't quote implant. Total for replaced tooth $3 to $5k.

Evaluation 6: Travis Cassie at Lake Mary Endodontics said he could save it. Would have charged $250 for CT unless I brought my own (get a copy when you get one done). His initial eval was $185. He did the root canal two weeks later (because we were trying to line up schedules with Bonn) for $1330. It didn't hurt much. They put in a soft cap. You need to replace it within a month. Would have been $695 if aborted.

Evaluation 7: Not really an eval. Went back to Jessica Du. Another week or so. See drilled out what Cassie filled in (don't ask me why) and ground some things down and made a mold. Two week later she put the crown from the lab on. Once again that part was $160 for the crown build up and $927 for the crown.

Synopsis: This has been a nightmare. My teeth have shifted. My bite is off. It cost so much more than I expected. And I got off light. It took forever. And I didn't just accept the first offers/advice. Replacing seemed like a nightmare and I didn't want some idiot drilling into my jaw bone. The tooth still may not last. No one in my social circle knew anything about this or could make any good recommendations. That's why I'm posting this. I never have dental issues. Yet, this can happen to any of us. And it sucks.

*Here is an addendum that of docs for didn't make the final cut. I tried to evaluate colleges and work experience. It's hard to find Ivy league level training around here. Just tried to get someone NOT from a school like Nova:

D Whitman of Orlando Oral & Facial Surgery - Wouldn't do fake tooth part if replaced.

Ed Kennedy of Kennedy Periodontics - Had no appts  for months. A consult would have been $150, CT $350, Extraction $325, Graft $475, Blood something $175, Implant $2275 plus $100.

Tim Tiralosi - No appts for too long. $5500 for tooth replacement.

Oreth - $150 exam, $375 extraction, $1000 PTF membrane graft, $2600 implant, $1500 crown.

Grub Crawl - Downtown and Lee Rd: Dolce (Closed), The Monroe and Cupid's Hot Dogs (Moved to Longwood) *OR/WA Travel Notes

I went to the first spot over a week ago at lunch. It is past the Publix on East Central where the buildings end (nearer to TP). Across from Eola Wine Company. The second I went to yesterday at lunch. It is in the Julian in that Technology Center where the Orena used to be. It was the first time I drove through there. It's cool. The last in on Lee Rd near Edgewater. It took over some Mexican spot. I went there after lunch yesterday.

Dolce - Open for three months. It ostensibly has a 20's theme. In reality it is just an ordinary place with a F. Scott Fitzgerald quote (a banal one) and three pictures (of what appears to be a Russian whore) in 20's garb. They may have played 20's music. The yammering of the two Hispanic cooks overwhelmed my memory of the event. I settled on a Chef Salad ($15) more because my body must have wanted vitamins. Even the sparse ones this provided. The menu was a bit basic. Some sandwiches, breakfast items, bowls, salads and a fair sized dessert menu (crafted by some lady on Cupcake Wars that I think they said had a place in WP called Jilly's). The salad was ok. Chicken in it. I would have the liked the chicken not to have been seasoned. Too little dressing. They also only gave me a tiny glass (of un-refilled) soda. The dessert menu had fun things like confetti cake and cheesecake in a waffle cone. That (and maybe breakfast) are probably the draws. They don't even offer martinis. Just wine. The owner ran the Sausage Shack in WP. That was good. The interior is white with some wood under the bar. Old and lazy ID. AC was on way too high. Small patio in front. About four tables (all girls) seated at lunch. Service was slow. The kitchen's fault. One server. 

The Monroe - They seem to be going for some kind of bluesy, Southern vibe. Not sure if Orlando (and they seem to be hinting at that with the decorations) accurately represents that. Oh well, it looks cute and they recreate (or manufacture) locally flavored dishes. I had the St John's River Catfish Sandwich with cucumber salad (or potato wedges) for $14. I was interested in the salmon (they may even have tried to sell this as local). But, not at $26. The fish was fishy. Needed to have been soaked in buttermilk or whatever they usually do. The fry was perfect. The bun was one of the best I've ever had. A glossy, soft, buttery sesame seed bum. Chopped lettuce in mayo and tomatoes were fresh too. Cucumbers had a bland dressing. Too much and maybe cut too thick or too thin. The perfectly wrong size. All in all, better conceptualization than execution. Open for around six months? The guy/group behind Seito Sushi and Osprey in Baldwin Park. Nice decor. Shabby chic. Long front room on the left. Mostly window faced. Kitchen behind in. They have low walls to divide up the space. Bar and lounge area inside a little. Patio behind that. Once again, there were lots of Blues memorabilia and junk (purposeful) scattered around. Some games. I remember grays. Pretty full. People with jobs. The menu had fried chicken, steak frites, steak, biscuits, Philly CS, hamburger, three salads, etc. The entrees were around mid-twenties. The sandwich type things were mid-teens. The lunch menu was only a buck or two cheaper than the dinner. More things (but not a ton) at dinner. I am curious about the pickled shrimp and the jerk seasoned chicken hearts and the liver pate. Not sure why it is called Monroe. We have a Lake Monroe. Don't know it's origin either. I wish I could recommend this or put it on the Favorite's list. But, it has three strikes. 1 - Parking is metered here and to further infuriate me you can only pay with a tracking infested app. I did find free parking a few blocks away. 2 - An iced tea (unfilled) was $4. 3. The execution missteps. Check their hours. I think they close on Sunday and Monday. 

Cupid's Hot Dogs - I maligned them and alas they open as if waiting for my cue. They claim to be a small (5) chain from California. No one I've questioned from there (including myself) has heard of them. I aked the owner. She said San Fernando Valley. A person I told said she looked them up and it said Simi Valley. Oh well. I had a chili dog for $5. They are running a special with fries and soda only $1 more. The dog was ok. Long. Pork? Tasted like a Dodger Dog. Salty. Unseasoned. A bit of a snap. Semi sweet bun. Nothing special. Same with chili. Fries were like In & Out's. Not a compliment from me. They sell about ten things. Has adequate parking. A gimmick play.

*Travel Notes - Oregon and Washington: I wouldn't have overloaded this post if I had another food adventure coming up soon. Plane fare to Portland was $283. Rental car was $463/wk. I spent the first night near the airport at Nordic Inn for $106. Drove on 26 to Government Camp and Timberline Lodge. Hotel from The Shining. On to Bend via 97. Ate lunch at Walt Reilly's. Ate dinner at Lucy's Taco Shop. Good Mex. Slept at Campfire Hotel for $100. Did recon and bought lift ticket ($119 wd - was supposed to be $89 according to internet) to Mt Bachelor and rented skis at Powder House for $45 ($64 at mountain). Skied the next day. Good. Drank beer (don't judge when you read on - just samples sizes) at Cascade Lakes Brewing, Deschutes Brewery, Immersion Brewing, Crux Fermentation Project and Boss Rambler Beer Project. Ate great tacos and tlacoyo (fried masa cakes filled with cheese) at El Sancho Taco Shop. Slept at Days Inn for $74. Drove nw on 26 to John Day Fossil Beds NM. Nice mountain-y drive. Drove on to Day and own 395 to Burns. Slept there at America's Best Value Inn (not bad for them) for $109. Back to Bend via 20. Flatter drive. On nw to Sisters. Ate and drank at Three Creeks Brewery. Slept at Sisters Inn for $125. Everything here was around 25% too much. Further on to Corvallis. Visited OSU. Ate satay and chicken in tumeric cream sauce with noodles at Magenta. Drank at Block 15, Sky High Brewing and Crowbar. Had pizza at American Dream Pizza. Slept at Hotel Corvallis for $106. Drove to Salem on 5. Saw the capitol. On to the coast via 22w. Ate in Tillamook at Blue Heron French Cheese Co. Also bought cheese and cider. Visited Tillamook Cheese Co. Up 101 to Astoria. Visited Lewis and Clark NP. Over bridge to Long Beach Washington. Claims to be longest beach in world. Ate chowder at Chowder Stop. Slept at Coastal Inn for $93. Went up to a town called Oysterville. Nothing there. Back to LB. Ate fried cod at Captain Bob's Chowder. Drove back to Astoria. Found the house in The Goonies on 38th St. Drove back to Portland via 30. I missed some location on 101 for Goonies and Point Break. Better trip than I expected. Gas was around $4.50. Airport was a breeze. Two people ahead at TSA when leaving. Car rental easy too. Good conditioned vehicles. Mine had only 400 miles. Not proof reading this. Marionberries are a thing.

Grub Crawl - Winter Park and Altamonte Springs: Tous les Jours (Closed), La Rima, Kumo and Quickly Bistro

I was going to subject you to a root canal tutorial, but, I'll save that for another day because it probably won't be of any interest to anyone anyway. I tried these places tonight. The haphazard way they came about has alot to do with plan a and b going awry. And concerns about rush hour traffic. Ava is only open from Wednesday and Cupid's Hot dogs refuses to open. The first two are on Fairbanks in WP. The second two are in a strip mall with a supermarket near the Maitland overpass on 434.

Tous les Jours - Bakery. Open for three months. Was something like Bread something before. Owner changed franchises to this. He's Asian. They have an Asian feel (kim chi pastry). I grabbed a chestnut pastry for $4 because it looked cool and I've never had one. It was good. Brioche like in some areas. Croissant like in others. Chestnuts were orange-y and soft and sweet. They decorate the top with dough pieces that look like soft pretzel nuggets. Attractive. They sell other handhelds (sweet and savory) and cakes and drinks. Small hallway on the left to eat in. You grab a tray and tongs and go to work. Visible pricing would be nice. Just off the North Orange (17-92) and Fairbanks intersection.

La Rima - Another pointless drinks spot (actually saw another similar one called Kos down the block). Open for a year. By Tin & Taco on the block that starts at Rollins. Had a cold Chrysanthemum. It tasted like black pepper. Saw flecks of black in the cup. Either sabotaged or that's what it should taste like. I mean I was a maskless adult man invading a safe space. The flake of snow would have been within her rights to teach me a lesson. It robbed me of $5.

Kumo Asian - Sushi rolls, ramen, apps and bentos. Had no salmon for the bento so I overpaid for two rolls (s and t). Better than I was expecting, but still around supermarket quality. And I yell at them for charging $8. These cost $11. Rice was ok. Nori wapped. Cigar shaped. Big waste of space entrance area. Can't remember if there was an eat in space beyond. Order at the counter. No frills. Open for three years.

Quickly Bistro - The bag had many countries and a web site listed on it. It may be a chain. Pan Asian. Pad Thai, Pho, bao, fried rice, bento, etc. Something called fried Pho. And drinks. Gotta have drinks or women would just waste their (?) money on shoes and handbags and botox and makeup and nails and jewelry and perfume and clothes and hair and plastic surgery and yoga and chocolate. I was talked into volcano (tempura shrimp, fake crab and mayo) bao. 3 for $9. Pre-fried, mostly shrimpless tempura. Tough. A let down in three acts. Black wall with images of famous landmarks. Open for five years. Adding "neutral Vega" to the mix soon. Ended up being worse than Kumo. 

*I saw that a Ceviche (behind 7-11 on Fairbanks near Rollins) had closed. Being taken over by a Korean spot. And I told you about Kos (closed Monday). Another drink place near the lot behind Ava was also closed today.  I think I'll try downtown tomorrow. Although, I may have alienated half my audience yet again. It's jokes ladies. Just jokes. We kid because we care.

Grub Crawl - Winter Garden: Morthan Cheese, Press'd, AntiquiTeas, NY Bagel (Cosed) and Rosallie *GA/TN/AL Travel Notes

I tried these places on Wednesday at lunch. The first three are in the marketplace. The last two are on Plant Street. I have given you almost all of them. I haven't done a popcorn place in the market. Whole Enchilada and Matthew's remain on Plant. The chocolatier (Torres?) is open again in the market.

Morthan Cheese - I grabbed a roast beef and raclette sandwich to go for $14. It was good. Cheese is their deal. The raclette was good. It's a Swiss staple. Not sure where they get theirs. The roast beef was probably Boar's Head. Four slices. Bun was ok.  Some arugula. Open for four years. They sell around a dozen things. The woman there was a bit cranky.

Press'd - My nightmare. A vegan stall that thinks it is saving the planet by not printing receipts. Just burning coal to charge the move to digital though. You may want to explore where those electric car batteries are being recycled too. Spoiler alert. It's a land fill. Or how we are becoming more of China's (raw earth metal barons) bitch as we drop carbons. But I digress. I grabbed the cheapest thing. A disgusting, rubber like "hot dog". In came in a pretzel bum. $5. Air fried/re-heated. They mostly have drinks. $10 smoothies for example Pre-Bidenflation. Some "puddings". Some "power balls". I think they said they were an original tenant.

AntiquiTeas - Love the name. Just a Harry Potter Magic Shop like stall of teas. I had a cold Ceylon Star for $3.50. It was good. many options. Another tenant from day one. Nice owner operator. Seemed to care. 

NY Bagel - Open for two years. I grabbed a bagel with cc for $3. Good bagel. CC also. They sell sandwiches and pizza and other baked things. Long, narrow lay out.

Rosallie - Across the street. Open for four years. A French sweets and drinks shop that sells some meals. I grabbed an apple turnover to go for $4.60. It was good. The sweets look posh. They offer brunch all day and croissant flatbreads and sandwiches and salads. A little expensive at around $15. Place has charm though. 

*Travel Notes - GA/TN/AL: I slept the first night in Ellijay GA at the Stratford Inn for $115 (rack rate). I drove east about twenty miles to the start of the Appalachian Trail. I came back and drove north to Sweetwater TN. I went to the Lost Sea for $26. It's America's Largest Underground Lake in a cavern. I drove north and west to Lebanon TN. Stayed at the Cedar Valley Inn for $94 (rack rate). I drove into Nashville and ate fried chicken at Hattie B's (on B, B and Que) . Pretty good. Bacon cheddar grits were better. Grabbed a burger to go at Gabby's Burger. On the same show. It was bad. Meatloaf like. Those were on the southern side of Nashville. It looked hip. A reclaimed industrial area with breweries, etc. A mile or so south, there seemed to be a rich area with prep schools, etc. I drove south to Huntsville AL. I saw it on Samantha Brown's Places to Love. They birthed the space program there. Basically responsible for everything until after the moon landing. Was an arms manufacturing point before that. Werner von Braun lived here. Space Camp is here. Saturn V rocket. Who knew? I took the US Space and Rocket Center Tour for $30. I stayed at the Comfort Inn for $115. Even more expensive in dt. I ate chicken fried steak with mac and cheese and mashed potatoes and corn bread at G's Country Kitchen (on the show too). DT was cute. Cute city overall. On the way out, I stopped at Burritt on the Mountain (also on the show). It's an an old timey village thing. Good view of city. Didn't pay the $8. Drove se past some lakes. Made it to Tifton GA. stayed at a La Quinta for $115 (rack rate). Stopped on 75 at Magnolia Plantation. It's a shitty tourist trap with billboards on 75.. Just crap and jams, etc. I learned that "butters" are just jams with caramel. They had many. Some funny named mixes like Frog (Fig, Raspberry, Orange, Ginger). I tried to go to Spurrier's in Gainesville. Only opens at 4pm. I rained alot. Made exploring more difficult. Lost Sea was overrated. Huntsville was worth it. 

Grub Crawl - Winter Park: Asia Kitchen, Jam Hot Chicken and The Imperial

I tried the places last Friday at lunch and dinner. The first is in a strip mall on Lake Howell Rd (one block west of 436). The second is in Hannibal Square. The third is at S. Knowles off Park Ave.

Asia Kitchen - They said they replaced (and updated) a take out spot that had been there for twenty years. Don't remember it. Around three months ago. This isn't much of an improvement. I hope. They just made it look slightly modern. The menu still seems like take out. I was expecting "sit down" quality. The interior is also not conducive to eating in (three tables). I had the sisig pork for $13. I have had this three times since I tried it properly done in the Phillipines. Each time it gets worse. It's supposed to be parts of the head. I've had pork belly, ground pork and now the diced pork they probably use in the pork fried rice. It was tough. Alot of it. That made it hurt more. Not much flavor. Maybe fish and soy sauce and vinegar. Lots of diced onion. Came with rice. They sell bao, rangoon, summer roll, dumplings and soups as apps. General Tso, drunken chicken, lo mein, etc as mains. Bentos. Bobas and smoothies. They have a robot delivery machine for kicks. Waste of money if you ask me. The owner and her family were taking up one of the three available tables. It just is underwhelming. Meals took a while to prepare too. Open 11-9. No Sn. Pass.

Jam Hot Chicken - They sell four takes on hot fried chicken breast (and some odds and ends). A cold one in a wrap. One on bread. One in a bun. One other. In a little shack/kiosk. Open since December. This was the fourth time I tried the, First time - not open yet. Second time - not open on Monday or Tuesday. Third time - forty minute wait. Open 11-8. I had the most expensive sandwich on a bun for $14. It was ok. I asked for mild. It was hot. Slaw was spongy. Chicken too. Bun was glossy. Pickles ok. Ok crust. Fell off a little too easily. Big bird. It is what it is.

The Imperial - I've been to the other two. This one seems a bit more structured for food. I shared shrimp and avocado ceviche ($17) and a baked brie platter ($12). The first was better and fresher. Brie ws bland and bread was worse. Also had fruit. The had a singer singing. Pretty packed. it has been open for over a year. Same decor of furniture as the other places. Service was good. Wine by the glass was $10+. 

*I'll have some travel notes later in the week. Site is acting buggy again. That's why this is so short.

North Italia, Sand Lake Rd *FL Travel Notes

This website has been so buggy lately that I'm going to write this one up even though I just posted something (I actually wrote that a week ago but it wouldn't upload before I left). I tried this franchise (twenty five or so locations) Italian play last Thursday at lunch. It is in a spot in the first strip mall off I-4 where Ocean Prime and American Social are. It was a J Alexanders. Open for three months. It's ok. It looks nice. An L shaped layout. High ceilings. Bar on the left with a semi-enclosed bar area. A private room. Kitchen in the rear. White walled. Blacks. Grays. Light woods and a modern living room (plants, etc) feel. My section alone sat 80. Probably the same in the other section. Maybe forty at the bar. About twenty percent full. Free, fresh bread. I had the Chicken Parmesan Sandwich for $15. Didn't love the value on the menu. They serve it on a round ciabatta. Smallish. The chicken was dry and very thin. It was topped with prosciutto and a spicy aioli. Maybe some cheese? That would make sense. It came with fries. They shredded some fresh cheese over them. Correctly fried. The rest of the menu was predictable. Pizza. Salads. Pasta. Etc. I think they wrote that spaghetti bolognese was a house specialty. Service was slow. When I walked out, I looked into the kitchen. Seemed like one impresario and a few minions. My waiter was good. He comped me what would be an overpriced ice tea ($4). Traffic is ridiculous there.

*Travel Notes - Florida: I drove to Tampa. Stayed at the shitty Quality Inn on 41 near the Fair Grounds for $120. I drove south on 41 to the Big Bend Power Plant to see manatees. Not a one. Then a few miles south to Apollo Beach. Not much beach. Was going to head south, but, prices were ridiculous. $200 to $400 all the way south. For crap. The same on the east coast. I drove to S Dale Mabry Blvd to BJ's Alabama BBQ. Saw it on some show. It was ok. Drove on 275 and then west where it merges with 75 on 54 and then north on 41 to 98. Stayed at a better Quality Inn in Chiefland for $109. It turns out Manatee Springs SP was there. It cost $4 for a single driver. No manatees, but, nice springs and walk to Suwanee River. Ate at Bar BQ Bill's. Damn good chicken. Drove north the next day to Fanning. Fanning Springs SP ($6) and a fort there. Not as nice a spring. No manatees. Ate a decent shrimp wrap at Chomper's Drive Thru Diner. Good marketing concept. Drove to Apalachicola. Stayed at the Apalachicola Bay Inn for $132. Had beers at Oyster City Brewing Co. Ate a very good platter of grouper, shrimp and oysters at Apalachicola Seafood Grill. The next morning I had breakfast at the Franklin Cafe at the Gibson Inn. Kept going west on 98. Drove through Panama City and Rosemary Beach. Had delicious pumpkin ice cream in a glazed donut just west of PC at Thomas'. Slept at a dump of a BW in Destin for $116. Had a chocolate glazed donut and humongous brownie at the Donut Hole at breakfast. Only cost like $3. Had Greek shrimp salad at Destin Ice Seafood Market. They said that they supply every restaurant in town. Drove to Navarre Beach. Stayed at the Days Inn for $99. Drove to Pensacola. Stayed at the Sole Inn again. $130. Ate a fairly lame fried oyster basket with fried green tomatoes and gouda grits at The Fish House at lunch. Had beers at Big Top Brewing Company and 5 Barrel Brewery. Had a great dinner at Iron. Joyce Farm Airline Chicken in a marsala demi with creamy parsnip risotto (it worked) and lion's mane mushrooms (never heard of them) and bruleed cipollini onions. Drove to Fernandina Beach on 10. Stayed at the Surf Beach Motel for $112. Ate a lousy beef and duck meatloaf at Le Clos. It sounded interesting. Grabbed a cheddar cheese covered roll at Bailey's on Ash and an ok breakfast empanada at Hola this morning. Drove down 95 to Crescent Beach. Went to Fort Matanzas NP. Ferry to fort only had room at 2:30pm. Went to the beach instead. Drove down A1A. Ate an ok crab cake benedict at Oceanside at Flagler Beach. I had seen it on the news. Because of erosion from a hurricane and covid.

Upgrading A Cellular Phone Tutorial

This is based on an AT&T phone and service, but, it may apply universally. I haven't wanted to switch phones. I hate the hassle (some times it is a bitch to cancel the original service) and your data never transfers correctly. The last time I did, I switched from another carrier and the people at the AT&T store helped me all the way through buying an older/cheaper model and setting it up. This time, they would not help at all and didn't have any phones for sale. Just for lease. Costly ones. However, my battery barely stayed charged and I had purchased three replacement from Amazon and they all were either dead on arrival or just as bad. I then went to Wal-mart and some kid tried to sell me a new contract too. Best Buy checked my phone number and said my phone plan wasn't transferable to a new phone (unlocked or not). It turned out that they all were liars or wrong and it was fairly simple.

I went back one last time (with some info from the internet) to the AT&T store and I squeezed it from one guy that I could indeed buy a phone (AT&T sponsored) elsewhere and switch the Sim cards. He thought I'd have to update my account online though. I kind of knew that. The internet said I'd have to log into my cell account (I never set it up) and change an IME number. I was hoping I wouldn't have to do that. However, I found the info (in my docs) and created an account to see what I could do online that I couldn't at the store. Similar situation. They had phones for sale, but, you had to switch to a more expensive plan. It was unclear if you could buy the phone alone. I went back to Walmart (cheaper than Target with same two phones) to buy a phone from them and met a shopper that worked for AT&T. She said I could just switch the Sim card and that would be all I had to do. I looked up some how to videos on the internet and it seemed easy. I went back to Walmart and bought a pretty good phone for $50. 

I slipped the Sim card (a little paper looking square resembling a smaller additional memory card) out of the old phone and into the new one. I turned it on and it found the network. That is the key thing. If it finds the network, you are golden. It needed to update the software over wifi. But, that's all I had to do. I was billed as usual and everything works. I test texted and called. Certain things on the phone had changed and it is too big, but, it was fairly painless. So don't fall for their up sell bs. 

I should also mention that I tried a few other AT&T stores and they all had few workers whom were busy with others and/or others were also waiting to talk to them ahead of me. Plus I was going to use them for home wifi, but, they make you sign up for a plan BEFORE they will send someone to see if your infrastucture supports their system or you have to buy their equipment (online) and sign up for the plan and self install BEFORE you know the same. I'm sure it's real easy to untangle that mess if it doesn't work out.

Grub Crawl - Downtown: Neon Beach (Closed), Corner Pizza Bar, Robinson Coffee Room, Deeply Coffee Company and Neighborhood Eatery *SC/NC Travel Notes

I tried the places last Friday at lunch. The first is near Motorworks Brewing on Orange. The second is on Magnolia and Church. The third is on Pine and Magnolia next to Shots. The fourth is in that high rise at Magnolia and Palmetto nearer to the lake. The fifth is down the street from that (nearer to the Courthouse) on Magnolia. I want to thank Bluddy Diarrhea (or is it the fat lady?) for putting in all those pay meters that make downtown so unwelcoming. It really helps with the "congestion". Hope it pays for his Pro-Active. And I want to thank you all for proving to me, once and for all, that "word of mouth" truly is not an effective marketing strategy. Even if the content/product/service is free. I saw that Magnolia on Magnolia had shut down and Cucina looked like they didn't get scared off and is almost open.

Neon Beach - The brain child of the Tin & Taco people. A Miami themed place. It looks more like a bar. But, they have some food. Not sure what Miami based cuisine means to most people. I'm guessing Carib fusion. They do have a Cuban quesadilla. I was unimpressed by the selection or pricing. I settled on a Cobb salad after a week of questionable choices. Not that that is a healthy option anyway. It was ok. It cost $10. Mostly fresh stuff. Alot of blue cheese crumbles. BTW did you know that when you buy shredded cheese in a package it is teeming with cellulose? That's saw dust. Block cheese has a greater chance of being "real". The menu had snooze inducers like burgers and such. They said they were changing it soon. The place is kind of Miami. High ceilings. Bar in the middle. White orbs made of twigs. Pine branches. Kind of palmy murals. Open for a year.

The Corner Pizza Bar - It is the latest in this space that I think had been called the Magnolia Marketplace. I've been here when they tried to have different stalls. A place called 801 Coal Oven Pizza or something. Frankenfurters too? Now it is just non-Italian Italian and a bar. Basically the same thing it has always been. Same pizza oven even. I just had a slice to go when I realized this and that it wasn't craft pizza. Was just going for a pie anyway. Over priced. It (alone) cost $3. A big NY style slice. Ok. I say it is non-Italian because they offer things like pickle fries, Mexican pizza and jalapeno poppers. In addition to such Italian favorites as wings, strips and fries. The Italian items they do have run range from subs to pasta. Open for six months. I think they said they had 80 beers. Probably not a single Italian one. I think Italian. I think beer anyway! Every price ends in a seven?

Robinson Coffee Room - I just bumped into them. It's in a location that was Knife something and Red Mug something and Breakfast Club. Open for two years! It's cool. Very modern. Youngster hang. Insipid breast milk (I mean coffee and tea) pacifiers. Plus a small pastry counter and a breakfast menu of around ten items at around $10. Think avocado toast. Open seven days for breakfast through dinner. Big space. Patio. Oh, I tried a chocolate twist that I doubt they make. It cost $5. Bland. It may actually be closer to Livingston than Magnolia. Hence the name.

Deeply Coffee Company - Another breast milk sippy cup place for adult children. Open since 2015. I had a coffee cola for $5. Fine. Place is spartan. Seems like a work space for the unemployed or adult children whom can't let go of the college experience/atmosphere. They sell wine too. By the bottle. Like a store. 

The Neighborhood Eatery - Turns out I tried the same exact thing here on December 30th 2015 (if you want to read that post). Good to see they had staying power. I had the Koagie for $9. I think it cost $8 last time. Korean cheese steak/hoagie. Good. Sweet. Glossy bun. Small. Like half a hoagie. I'll take this opportunity to reprimand the every growing number of sandwich places that are pulling this (half sandwich) stunt. 

*Travel Notes - SC/NC: I ate a Cribb burger with smoky potato salad at Cribb's Kitchen in Spartanburg SC. Slept at Hampton Inn for $86. Grabbed terrible smoked chicken salad at Daddy Joe's Beach House Grill in Gaffney SC. Ok espresso and chocolate frosted and chocolate frosted with coconut at Local Lion in Boone NC. Had sloppy ground beef pot pie at Wild Craft Eatery. Slept two nights at really good Comfort Inn for $85 a night. Skied at Beech Mountain for $46 and $34 for ski package (there). Skied the next day at Sugar Mountain for $49 and $28 for skis package (there). There were cheaper rental places around both resorts. There was a little walk from the lots, so, I just ponied up to save walking in ski boots (with skis). Both resorts are around fifteen miles from Boone. While there (Boone area) I went to a place (highest peak) called Grandfather Mountain. There was a cool bridge on it. Because they were gay about Covid rules and it cost over $20, I didn't go in. Even though they wanted me bad. Boone is home to Appalachian State University. I drove around there. I also bought a bottle (untasted) of wine at Grandfather Vineyard. I also went to Appalachian Ski Resort. It wasn't worth it. Just for novices. Internet said lift tix were $44 (w) and rentals were $26 (w). Plus you had to pay for parking and they wanted a reservation in advance. I should mention that the prices at the other places were for during the week. Full day. On the way home, I passed by a place called Blowing Rock. You could see it from the gift shop, so, I passed on the $7 fee. I grabbed a half pound of bad sliced pork at Hannah's BBQ in Lenoir NC. Like they took that sliced tenderloin you get at the market and cooked that. I expected a hunk of cooked pork that they then slice. You know. Like human beings do. I seem to be channeling John Mulaney. I topped that off with a terrible STP Dipper (rb and t) at a place called Groucho's Deli (that turned out to be a chain) in Irmo SC. Slept there at a Hyatt Place for $113. Since I came back the way you might drive there (Boone), I will tell you it in reverse. 95N - 26N (to Columbia) - 77N (to Charlotte) - 85W (to Gastonia) - 321N. Pretty easy. Roads weren't tricky. Only possible issues could be very near Boone and then on the roads to the resorts. Those are still well used and modern and not very hilly. It's a good vacation. Skiing isn't that shabby either. Especially at these prices and being able to avoid the friendly skies. 

Grub Crawl - International Drive: Gordon Ramsey Fish & Chips and Thunder Burger (Closed) *FL/AL/MS/LA Travel Notes

I tried these spots on Thursday night. The first is in the Icon Park (south of Sand Lake) towards the Ferris wheel. The other is in a strip mall north of Kirkman. Peter Glenn ski shop is the most observable marker.

Gordon Ramsey Fish & Chips - Open for six months. I described the one in LV in a Travel Post. No loss of quality here. Not bad. I'm not keen on them (fried fish hunks) to begin with. These are about as good as they are going to get. Pricey at $15 for three large hunks and fries. Salty. Mostly well timed. A bit of raw batter inside one. Fries were good too. They give you two sauces. Nice decor. Simple. Nice packaging. You order inside a little hut. I believe you can't eat in it. Outside area. Remember parking is free here. Some new attractions nearby too.

Thunder Burger - Burgers and chicken sandwich. Named for Greek gods. I guess they don't know Thor is not from those parts. He's the outlier. I had the one with two 4oz patties and American cheese and veg. Forgot the name because they forgot the receipt. Good. A thicker burger. They claim Angus. Good bun. Came with good fries. Prepared to order. It cost just under $10. 7 burger options around the same price. A mini one was $8. They have a veggy one. The one with cherry tomatoes looked exceptionally nice. Fries, think cut onion rings and pork belly (rinds). They tossed in the pork rinds because I was so charming, I guess. Light. Open for one month. Brazilian. Gray. High ceilings. Brick walls. Tile. Order at the counter. Plenty of seating. You wouldn't know it was Brazilian run. Don't be scared off if that would have been an issue. Pretty grass roots "American" grub. Open L & D.

*Travel Notes - FL/AL/MS/LA: I spent the first night at the Comfort Inn outside of Tallahassee in Midway for $104. Nothing there. Avoid. I had a pulled pork sandwich in Milton (near Pensacola) at Grover T's BBQ. Had donuts (blueberry, chocolate frosted and glazed) for 80 cents a piece at Milton Quality Bakery. It was listed as best donut in Florida in AAA magazine. I drove to Fairhope AL. Stayed at Key West Inn for $88. Ate a muffaletta at Panini Pete's (on 3D). Checked out their pier. Had lunch on the Causeway to Mobile at Ralph and Kacoo's. Catfish Cocoorie (one grilled and one fried with crawfish on top) with roasted potatoes and green beans. Drove to New Orleans. Had a snack of three pieces of fried chicken and mashed potatoes at Willie Mae's Scotch House (on many shows). Lived up to the hype. Stayed in Alder Uptown (area west of Garden District) for $125. Got seafood gumbo to go at Saffron. I wasn't aware they require vax cards now in NO to do indoor type things. Ate breakfast at Camellia Grill (they and Saffron were in some article I cut out a while ago). Just a stupid diner. Had a lame Manhattan (corned beef and mushrooms and Swiss) omelet with hb. They and Willie Mae's didn't ask for your papers. Not gonna touch it. I checked out the Audubon Park Golf Course. Public. $49 a round. Looked good. Saw the Audubon Zoo. It was raining, so, I couldn't do much. Drove around. Stayed at the St Charles Inn for $156. I chose both hotels because they were one of the few with free parking. Grabbed a cheese steak with Whiz and a home made pretzel with Whiz nearby at Zinzer's because of the rain. It was good. Just stumbled upon it. Became dinner because of fatigue and rain. Zinzer is a greeting or something in Pittsburgh. Was going to stop at an icon called Dooky Chase on the way out. Vax facism uncertainty led me to defer that adventure. I drove on 90 to Bay St Louis MS. Didn't see that much evidence of the hurricane there or in NO. Ate lunch at Trapani's Eatery. Had veal covered with shrimp and mushrooms and some Creole like sauce with a side of spaghetti Bordelaise (pesto plus). Drove to Pascagoula MS for a crawfish joint a waitress told my about called Bozo's. Turned out to be famous. 2 lbs of real small and shitty crawfish. Only cost $4 a lb though. Maybe next time. Drove back to 10 and stayed at BW Flagship in Moss Point for $99. Drove to Mobile and had a rib tip sandwich with M&C at Dreamland BBQ. Went to Senior Bowl at South Alabama University. $20 end zone , walk up seats. $15 parking. Drove thru Montgomery to Auburn. Stayed at Sleep Inn for $100. Tried a Reese's PB Cup with potato chips, Snicker's with cinnamon and Fruity Peebles Kit Kat. Also had my first Bojangles chicken sandwich (came out this summer). SC and NC in next post.

Grub Crawl - Milk District and East Colonial: Cicchetti and bb-q Chicken

I tried the first place at lunch on a Sunday about two weeks ago. I tried the other today at 3pm. The first is on N Bumby across from a brewery and aside Mx Tacos in The Milkhouse. The other is aside a Publix on E Colonial near Mamak. It was a Chinese place before this.

Cicchetti Kitchen - I thought Cicchetti was a last name. Nope. They said Italian (Venetian) for small plates or side dishes. I think I knew that once. Not many cicchetti. Menu is small too. Dinner menu only added a steak ($18) and ribs ($16), I think. Didn't see it. Overheard a conversation with another table. Very Venetian? They offered: six spreads on toast ($6), a tartare/cruda ($12), frito misto ($12), mozzarella en carozza (carriage) ($10), and seven other things like sardines ($10). I grabbed a semi-decent (but small) Bacaro (where they sell cicchetti) Burger for $14. Kind of like an In & Out Double Double with taleggio, zucchini pickles, mustard and a potato roll. Came stag. Said each patty was 4oz (1/4 lb). Service (1) was good. Place is in a big white building. Patio in front. Looks lodgy. Wood, slate, brick. Full length bar to the rear. Two rows of tables in front. All window front. There is also a Kelly's Ice Cream. and a Foxtail Coffee. Not much of a marketplace. I believe they said they opened in September. I was hoping for a little more. Seems like they are focusing on the bar.

bb-q Chicken - They lower case the b. Not me. I tried them after CK two weeks ago. Wait was 40 minutes at 2pm. I declined. Is everyone eating like a Spaniard all of a sudden? Went back today to fit it in this review. Waited twenty (or less) minutes at around the same time. Not really worth the effort. I just had my first Bojangles chicken sandwich ($4) a few days ago. That's a better value. I ordered the half Golden Original Chicken (fried) for $14. This chicken had a mastectomy (no breast). Just thighs, drums and wings. I think they said eight pieces. It's ok. The crust is light. Too light. Tempura-ish. No bite. Little crunch. Neutral to oily tasting. Probably because no spicing. You get some (flavorless) heat at the back end. A hint of sweetness. Like a pancake batter. The chicken was moist. They are clever in the to go packaging. It is cardboard and has vents. The chicken can't steam and ruin the crust. It appears they are a global chain. In 57 countries. I may have eaten in one before. They also sell wings and boneless chicken. You can choose from a range of sauces. Smallest sizes of those cost more than my box. They have beer. The place has one lengthwise, communal table on the left and some fours on the right. It was full both times. Must have a following. You order at a counter. They have a big mural showing how they fry the chicken. Don't get why it's called"bbq". No bbq. I guess I'm not in love with KFC because I think I was non-plussed by Chi-Kin too. And I'm getting sick of paying sit down prices for take out effort experiences. Think off them as Wing Stop and they may exceed your expectations. They were open for a week the first time I tried. Now three? They cemented their hours (a sign said) at like 11am or 12pm to 3pm and then a two hour break and open for dinner at 5pm to like 8pm? 7 days. 

*I'll have an I Drive and then a DT review in the next week. Including a travel note per.

Grub Crawl - Waterford Lakes and UCF Area: Wine 4 Oysters, Hangry Dobo (Closed), Kung Fu Tea, Soupa Saiyon University, Las Carretas and Shaka Shaka Tea House (Closed)

I'm going to combine some of these from today and yesterday because it makes more sense geographically. I can't believe I'm missing the fourth quarter of the Chiefs-Bengals for this. The first one is way south on South Alafaya Trail (past Curry Ford). In Waterford Lakes. The next three are on University around UCF. The last two are also on University. Up on Goldenrod. I went to the first four on Saturday at lunch. The last two today apres lunch. It wasn't the plan.

Wine 4 Oysters - The OW made me aware of them (somehow) maybe two years ago. They have been languishing on the list because of their location and mostly dinner (M-F) hours. I tried. I just never drove far enough to spot them. They are near a community called Eastwood. In the Eastwood Shoppes. Look for a Publix. Google Maps says Winn Dixie. They said they have been open for four years. So, the OW was late to the party to begin with.  It was much smaller than I thought. And way less shacky. It's really a wine bar that sells things that go with it. They have a portion of the menu that is all oysters. Mostly Gulf ones (they said). They were selling Texas ones. They only sell raw ones by the dozen. So, the two halves added up to zero for me. Didn't want twelve warm water oysters. They cost a reasonable $20 by the way. The rest come with some flavoring or cooked. I did wade in with the oyster stew soup for $8. It had a thin, cream (more milk like) broth with some red (probably hot sauce) mingled in. Chock full of mussel sized oysters. A little mushy. Probably where the leftovers end up. And then may bathe until ordered. It came with a slice of bread. It was soft. Crusty would have been better. And that's the feeling you get. It could be better. I tried to pair the stew with a reasonably priced main. That was in lieu of just trying a main. A non-oyster one in an oyster place too. I chose the lamb tacos. Good in volume. Poor is quality. Very dry. Probably were good at one time. I wonder if they mass cook on Monday and then mete out the results over the week. The slaw and fat tortillas were good. Showed effort. The lamb just killed it. Two tacos. The place is a narrow rectangle. Cutely decorated. Soft tones. Bar on left. The owner (Russian woman) was the service. Two families and a couple while I was there. Chinese, Vietnamese and Russian, if I were to guess. The menu had some surprises like 4 claws of stone crab for $20 and Russian "ravioli". Around ten "surf" option and ten "turf" options. Probably deserves your consideration. If you aren't too far from it.

Hangry Dobo - In the strip mall on the corner of University and South Alafaya Trail. Open for one year. Tiny. narrow place. Ready to go buffet area and seated dining. I chose take out. Chose a small Pata Tim because it sounded funny and I don't think I've had that before. Good call. Soft, tasty braised pork in a spiced vinegar marinade. Around a pound of it. I think it cost $ 9 or $12. They may have given me the large. No printed receipt to consult. A two item combo with rice was $13. Pretty big selection. They even have sisig. Decor looks worn for the length of ownership. It's Filipino, if that wasn't apparent.

Kung Fu Tea - Only tried it because it was next to Dobo. Had a white grape punch. I think it should have cost $4. I think they added boba and charged $5.50. Totally gross. Super sweet. Boba added to the grossness and wasn't good boba anyway. A chain. Few in Florida. Open for eight months. 

Soupa Saiyon University - I recently realized that I tried the original (Universal area) a while ago. Didn't love it. Didn't love this. Had soup there. Had steamed dumplings here. Chicken, shrimp and pork. All sucked. Straight from the frozen food aisle. I remember buying a bag (20+) of similar dumplings for $4. These cost $4 per order. In other news, the place was packed at 2:30pm. It's in the old Taco Bus location near Rouse. Open for two months. Place looks like a hip manga comic book store. Black with lots of murals. Order at the counter. 

Las Carretas - Mexican. Open for four months? One of those "trying to be classy" places like Don Julio. Went to it because the temp at the OW reviewed it. Not really worthy of the effort. Had a pork tamale and chicken enchilada to go because I wasn't in the mood for Mexican and the prices were pretty high. High teens or more. For basics like a plate of tacos, for instance. These were a la carte. $4 a piece. enchilada was bad. Dry chicken. raw tortilla. Bland sauce. Tamale was better. Came with cheese and green tomatillo salsa. They also threw in chips and water salsa. Chips were multi-colored. Holy shit. Cincinnati is going to win! Huge menu. All the regulars. Place is modern. Blue. Big outdoor patio. Bar in back. L shaped interior. Booths. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Shaka Shaka Tea House - Grabbed a black plum smoothie while waiting for food. Next to Las Carretas. Open for four years. Hawaiian twist on Chines/Taiwanese tea stuffs. Smoothie cost $5. Ok. Fresh. 

*Tried to bring you fried chicken news from new Korean one on 50 and/or Jam in WP. Both had forty minute waits at 3pm on Sunday. Are we all becoming Spanish? An Asian place on Lake Howell turned out to be closed as well. And I also drove through Avalon Park while at Wine 4 Oysters. Didn't see much to sample. It's near the nuclear power plant. Further south on South Alafaya Trail. Stoneybrook golf course is nearby too. 

Grub Crawl - Lake Mary: Frozen, Stackd Brownies, Cocina Maya and Royal Rasoi

I tried these spots over the last week. The first is on 46A. I tried it because I was trying out the new Halal Guys. It is next door. The second is down the first left (Home Depot) off I-4 (I believe that is Primera Blvd) in an gray office building at 605. The third is all the way back towards Altamonte Springs on 17-92. In a strip mall near a Publix that is a back entrance to SCC. It was some Euro themed space last. The final one is in the strip mall on the right of Lake Mary Blvd after Lake Emma Rd. Near 1-4.

Frozen - They sell nitrogen made ice cream (and some snacks like Dragon's breath). Open for two years. I had a regular honey for $5. It was really good. Don't recall ever having honey ice cream of any type before. It's a natural/. Very big scoop. Place looks like a lab. Impressed. I saw that a new Mexican place is going up in the old Turkish place(s) space. El Cochololo or something.

Stackd Brownies - I read about them in the OW this Summer. I think they had the wrong address because I kept checking a newer complex farther down and it never materialized. Finally saw some home made signs for a bakery on the street. Found it because of them. A tiny closet sized space. I tried a bread pudding something or other for $4. It was awesome. Moist. Delicate. It came with some fudgy brownie swirled in. The brownies are all cupcake looking. They are opening another location near the Brooklyn Bagels and Burger Fi at Rinehart and Lake Mary intersection next week. Find them. And you know I don't like sweets much. Open for less than a year.

Cocina Maya Grill - Open for one month. They had a section for Yucatan/Mayan dishes. All were around twenty dollars. That is more than I wanted to gamble. Didn't read as very distinctive anyway. I settled on the flautas for $14. The low mark on the menu. They (2 ch and 2 b) were skinny. Hard. Pretty average. One tasted of dish soap. Very little guac. Lettuce, salsa and sour cream. The place is sterile. White walls. Spartan. A reclaimed palette serves some decorative purpose up front. Not sure which. Tables are very far apart. Bar area. The four booths were stacked with middle aged gringos. I was hoping for more. Trying to be upscale. Only the prices are so far.

Royal Rasoi - The OW screwed me on this one. Said it was new. Has been there for four years. I'm not sure if ever reviewed them though. A quick search said "no". It was kind of a waste of twenty bucks. Although, I did get to sit and watch all the planes filled with Biden's illegals fly past on their way to the Sanford airport. Which is quickly turning Lake Mary into a ghetto area. In addition to being the worst food community in UCF. I had the Royal Rasoi Chicken for $16. It was a Tandoor cooked, yogurt basted breast in a masala similar to Chicken Tikka. Orange. It was very sweet. They claimed the tomatoes do that. Suspicious. It was a big portion. Enough for two. Came with basmati rice. Boiled egg too. Good. Chicken showed signs of being frozen. Huge menu with veg, goat, lamb, etc. Place looks drab and dirty. My seat had crumbs on it. The manager and maybe one piss boy were all the staff they had. Only one other table seated with me. And of course these morons put us back to back. Most purchases seemed to be for delivery. I wonder if that is an Indian in America thing? You see alot of that in India. Guys delivering lunch to the office workers. They said they have locations in NJ. Georgia opens this month. I believe the name of the place indicates a type of cooking used for royalty. Didn't leave me feeling all that special. Oh, if it wasn't clear - it's an Indian restaurant. 

*Probably will have a UCF one on Sunday night. Then a DT one. Then maybe a PSA on how to upgrade your phone (and keep your existing plan) by switching out a SIM card. And one on repairing a crack in your tooth. Why we demanded medical plans and not dental coverage is beyond me. These guys are something else.

Grub Crawl - SoDo: Clean Eatz and Crave (Closed) *UT Travel Notes

I tried these spots at lunch on Wednesday. They are both around the hospital on South Orange.

Clean Eatz - Run by body builders. Open for five months. They offer wraps, salads, bowls, smoothies, flatbreads and same frozen meals. I had a Hammerhead (salmon, turkey bacon, spinach and guac) wrap combo for $9. It came with a few sweet potato baked waffle fries and a drink (tea). It was pretty good. Nice size. Salmon was a bit fishy. Fries were as good as they could be. It's an order at the counter, fast casual place. Modern look. The to go meals were pricey ($19). They have parking in the rear. Across the street from that condo complex down there with the Target. It's worth a visit just to remind yourself that some people still take (honest) pride in their appearance. Even if they are teetering on caring too much. Maybe one of them will squeeze you like the roll of Charmin that you are. Believe me now and listen to me later.

Crave - They offer hot dogs and barbeque and more. Open for two months. They are part of a chain. Maybe out of NY. I was just expecting just dogs. I ordered an all beef dog with chili and cheese for $4.45 and a brat with kraut and mustard for $5. Both were stuffed. Good buns. Chili was fine. Dog was good. Brat was spicy. Good. Big. I veered away from the 'cue because they source it. It may still be good. Brisket, pork and chicken. Sandwiches or plates or bowls. They have pretzels, tacos, tots, cheese sticks, sweet corn nuggets, cheese fries, twice baked potatoes, desserts, salads, corn bread, mac, corn, etc. Plus they have a beer wall. You get a card and it address the wall. Hello wall. Around a dozen (mostly local) beers and a wine and cider or two. The place is lodge-y looking. Small. Rectangular. Three tvs. Patio (and parking) out back. Dogs allowed there. They have game nights. More than I expected. I just fear it is in a bad location. You can drive right past it. Near Pulse. 

*Travel Notes - Utah: I drove from Vegas to Provo. Stayed at Sleep Inn for two nights at $90 per. Stopped in Beaver for The Creamery. A real gem. Ice cream, cheese, food products and even a kitchen. A nice, new, impressive building that you can see from the highway (and I had). I had some great ice cream. Their tiny portion was huge and only cost $2. I had the Jolted Cow. It was sweet cream with espresso and caramel swirls and fudge brownie chunks. In Provo, I had some pre-cooked (dry and stringy) fried chicken thighs at Station 22 Cafe. MP with pork gravy was better. I skied at Sundance for $119. They charge for parking on weekends this year. Lift topped out at $109 last year. Rental was $50 something. Pretty good resort. I ate at Bam Bams BBQ in Orem later on. Delicious brisket and mac and cheese. Big portions. I drove to Salt Lake City to pick up some books at my favorite used book store. I didn't stay over because hotel and lift ticket prices for the resorts around there were high. Plus I learned of two "cheap" resorts back toward Vegas. I ate at Gourmandise. French short rib stew with plum and sweet potatoes and potatoes. I actually wrapped it up for dinner. Stopped south of the city to see the Rio Tinto MLS Stadium. I stopped in Lehi and tried an offshoot of a highly rated place in Orem (wasn't open yet when I started the drive) called Cubby's. I had a Cockadoodledoo (grilled chicken and Swiss and bacon and avocado spread on a Ciabatta). A little disappointed by the choices they had. Across the street was J Dawgs. I grabbed a Polish sausage there. I slept that night in Beaver at the Days Inn. It was $68. I skied Eagle Point (twelve miles in) for $75. Skis were $45 with tax. You had to get to the right side of the mountain to get to anything difficult (blacks). Not a bad resort. I had beef taquitos and nuggets at Mel's Drive In back in Beaver. A big bus or two of  big girl athletes jammed up The Creamery. I stayed at The Mountain View Lodge in Parowan for $106. Should have stayed in Cedar City. Cheaper options. Ate at the Chinese restaurant on site (not many options). Drove to Brian Head resort (fourteen miles in). Had a shit fit when I arrived and found out flex priced tickets were now $130. Started the week under $80. Not worth it. Maybe the $60 it usually is. Drove to Cedar City and ate four eggs, sausage and hash browns at Market Grill. Saw Southern Utah University and an LDS Temple. Arrived in St George. Stayed at The Chalet for $69. 9.2 on Booking. Found a park atop the city (Red Cliffs Desert Reserve) with great views. Toured Dixie State University. Odd. I know. Had beer at 4 Hive Three Five. Had tea at Sakura. So slow I left. Had pineapple chicken curry at Banana Blossom Thai. Lastly, had a good Morty's Burrito (eggs, bacon, fries. cheese, ketchup and Sriracha) at Morty's (Yelp ranked) the next morning. Weather was great. 40's mostly. Sunny mostly. Didn't need the SUV. 

Grub Crawl - Mills and Downtown: Matcha Cafe Maiko, Moge Tee, Great Greek and Bagel World (Closed) *LV Travel Notes

I tried these spots over a week ago at lunch. The first two are south of 50 by a block. Not much available parking around here. The third is near the Courthouse on Magnolia (bottom of a condo) and Livingston intersection. The last is towards the I-4 on ramp. Past the 7-11. Near Cafe Trastevere. Really Sodo.

Matcha Cafe Maiko - The last word tells you that it's Japanese. Not much more than those insipid beverages that are seemingly everywhere and ice cream. They said they may add food sometime in the future. I grabbed a cold Hojicha tea for $3. It was one of the cheaper off ramps and I don't think I've ever had one before. They toast the tea. It tasted like nori (seaweed). Open for one year. One of a half dozen or so within a half mile...

Moge Tee - Speak of the devil. Right across the street is a Hong Kong (they said) chain of cold beverages. Also open for a year. This one just had drinks. They said they also have a location in Sand Lake. I tried a Red Bean Tofu Pudding tea for $6. Had to find out what tofu pudding was like. It was like free form boba (with red beans). Not bad. You really had to keep breaking up the tofu (settled on the bottom) with every sip. Interesting. I preferred it to boba.

Great Greek - This place had been on the list for a while. I never tried it because of the lack of parking. I found some free space near the Trinity Church on Livingston and Ruth. One block back towards the east (lake). You have to past the new hotel (Home 2/Hilton) and make a right and circle back to Ruth (one way). There are around eight free spots at the end of the street on the right. They have been also open for one year. Typical Greek options. They said they have a location in Winter Garden. I tried a daily special for $9. It was pulled lamb in a pita. I've had shavings and cubes and chunks. Don't recall pulled. It was ok. Too salty. It does have potential though. Came with onion, tomato and tzatziki. Pita was good. It has a fast food type feel. New. Clean. Bright. It was pretty crowded. 

Bagel World - Seems to be a chain from Jacksonville area. They said they have a place in New Smyrna. I believe I've been there. This one looks much different. New. I just grabbed a bagel with cc for $3. It was ok. Dunkin Donuts quality. No chew. They may put oil in the dough. Open 7am-2pm. Small menu. Mostly breakfast (egg) sandwiches and a few lunch ones. They said they get the bagels delivered daily from Jacksonville. Not sure if I was supposed to say "wow" or "I'm sorry".

*Travel Notes - Las Vegas: The trip was mostly skiing in Utah. I flew into Vegas because it was cheaper (flight and rental car). I'll break this up into two posts. Flight cost $130 on Frontier. Hertz was $370/wk for a small SUV that ended up being an Equinox. Gas to and from was around $130. Stayed night one at The Linq for $27+$42 RF. It was a high end room too. Parking was listed as free. They reneged. Cost $15. Will dispute it with cc company. Dinner at 11pm was a double double at In & Out. Had breakfast at Siegel's Bagelmania near the Strat. It told you about it in last Vegas post. It wasn't as huge as I expected. Just really a diner/bakery. Grabbed a corned beef sandwich and potato salad for $17. It was just ok. On the way back, I had terrible all you can eat sushi at Umiya on 4465 Flamingo near Arville. I searched dim sum and sushi on Yelp and this came out as number 5 rated. Avoid. I also did the search with just sushi and it wasn't listed in top ten. Who knows what is going on at Yelp? I stayed at the Golden Nugget Downtown on MLK day for $44 plus $41 RF. It was a manager's special room. They gave me a pretty good one on a high floor. Wouldn't let you in until after 3pm though. Free parking. I had dinner at Pop Up Pizza at the Plaza. Two pep slice combo for $13. Signs said they were Best of Vegas. Pizza was pretty good. Soft crust. Plus they had a mural of the Beastie Boys eating pizza. So...you know. I had lunch at a fairly new plaza on Spring Valley Rd. Shanghai Plaza. I tried a few places. I bought a Hokkaido tart and a milk pudding pastry at 85 (degrees) Bakery. $4 in total. I grabbed a classic onigiri at O.Onigiri. It was spam and egg. It cost $6. They sell Okinawan food. I grabbed a squid ink hot dog at CrunCheese. It cost $4. It was a Korean hot dog spot. This one had black squid ink in the batter. They stuffed it with half a hot dog on the bottom (cut the tip into little squid tentacles) and mozzarella up top. Fried it. They also served it with sauces. I chose ketchup and cheese mustard. I think they gave me honey mustard. If not, cheese mustard doesn't taste of cheese. I ended the day with dinner at Ping Ping Pong at the Gold Coast Hotel on 4000 Flamingo and Valley View. It came up as number 9 on that Yelp search. First of the Dim Sum places. It was ok. Dinner dim sum menu was basic. I settled for two har kow, ribs in some sauce and two Chinese sausage bao. It cost about $30 with tax and tip and tea. The menu was whacky. They had bursted blood vessel as a dish! I rented a room at the Orleans on Tropicana for the hours before my red eye. It cost $40 plus $40 RF. They have a big arena there. The minor league hockey team plays there. If you aren't aware. I choose my hotels based on if I haven't tried them before and then price. They are putting up a new hotel near the Sahara. Hard Rock is now Virgin. You had to mask inside most places. It didn't seem very busy.

Pinery, Lake Ivanhoe Area

I'll give us a break after this one. This one probably deserves to simmer at the top for a while. Although, it seems like most people read these within the first day or not at all. I tried this Southern inspired new comer (June) tonight. It is across from Russell's on Lake Ivanhoe. I parked on the cross street. It's the one that leads to downtown. I can't remember it now. Orange? Parking is an issue around here. They say they have free valet in the condo above. But, is it really ever free? They did enough thinks right to probably make the Favorites list. They did enough things wrong to put it in doubt. I'll explain the missteps first. They served the starter and the entree within seconds of each other. This is such a basic faux pas that it should automatically dq you. On top of that, the fries were half cooked. They could have used that time to do things correctly. But, maybe the fish would have become soggy in the meantime. They do know that you don't have to start each component at the same time if they have different cook times, right? My waitress also disappeared for long stretches of time. Not from me. From the room in general. The table next to me ordered six cocktails that took around twenty minutes to be "curated". I didn't see her at all during that period. I strongly believe she watched the bartender make them. That table still hadn't ordered their dinner when I left. Some of them arrived not long after I did. That wasn't the only disappearing act. She never checked back on me during the time I was there. Maybe she was the chef too? Sad, because she was otherwise competent. The tv at the bar also had some hiccup in which it asked the owner to press some button. No one appeared to notice or take responsibility for it. I kept staring at the dead screen and waiting for someone else to notice. It seemed like a metaphor. There only seemed to be one and half waitresses, a hostess and a bartender on call. On the positive side, the place looks cool. They didn't have an attitude. No dress code or wait. The menu was interesting. The alcohol choices were high end. The pricing (excluding drinks and mains) were reasonable. The food was well prepared. I had the smoked peanut soup to start with. sounded sexy. It cost $7. It was jammed with potatoes and tomatoes and carrots. The broth was light and not super peanuty. It was better than I expected. I may have had this once before. It may be a new one for the list. Who can remember anymore? I chose the Rachael grouper sandwich with side over the soft shell crab sandwich. Figured it would be fresher. They said it was Florida born. It cost $18. It was basically a fancy rueben. A female one. I guess Rachael is also a Jewish name and that's why it is called that. Served on marble rye toast. A light aoli with pastrami spice. Another silly reason I chose it. Some slaw. Unlike most of these, they had self control on the toppings. It wasn't overwhelmed by them. The fish was fried perfectly. Just a dusting of cornmeal or something. The fish may have been a little old (slightly mushy). The fries were the right kind/cut. The McDonald's kind. Just not fully fried. Alot of them. Plating was basic, but good. The menu has starters, sandwiches and mains. The mains were things like pork chop and fried chicken and maybe a fish. Around eight items. All were above $30. The sandwiches were things like burger or yard bird. They were above $15. Came with one side. Things like broccolini, potatoes, fries, sweet potatoes, etc. They cost around $4 a la carte. Apps were in low teens. I forget what they were. Oh yeah - Cedar Key clams was one. Around ten of them. Workable menu for the kitchen. The place looks nice. Like a model room from a Pottery Barn catalog. Grays, brushed everything, wood, metal, tile. Plush cushioning. Wood tables. Three big copper "tubs" on the ceiling. A bar room in front. Dining room beyond. Three, front facing booths in the rear. Tables in front of that. Seats about eighty. Patio in front. Lake view. Staff was outfitted. They are trying. The wine, beer and hard alcohol selections were more than "me too". Some wine was over $250 a bottle. Local beer. Mostly Kentucky, craft whiskey. High end scotch. They also have a cool backstory that I kind of remember. The area around Lake Ivanhoe once held a large pineapple farm. They use that story in the name and in the artwork. All in all, I found it superior to it's neighbor - Russell's. I was expecting a similar let down. I didn't get one. Maybe on par with the better American cuisine options in town. I'd give it a try. The crowd was pretty young and affluent looking. Some geezers too. It must have a decent rep. I heard some foodie banter from some of the tables around me. 

Grub Crawl - Longwood and Sanford: El Pollon, Two Bell's Cafe and Ciro's NY Pizza

I'm going to combine two days into one because frankly they don't amount to much anyway. The first two are around the light rail station off Ronald Reagan Blvd. The second is in the group of stores around Target near the Seminole Mall. I went to first two at lunch time on Thursday. The other at lunch time on Friday. There are a few others that were closed in Longwood. I've been to most of them before. They have new names now. They are: Historic Bar, Green Leaf, Nan & Pop's Ice Cream (open after 4pm) and Wild Hare Market.

El Pollon - Replaced on nearly identical one called Jon Jovonni's. Food from Peru. Typical menu. Prices in teens. Highest price is $18. Open as this for two years. I just had the 1/4 chicken with french fries and salad to go. It was fine. Salad was fresher than I expected. Came with avocado. Fries were a little rushed. Chicken was a little small. It cost $7. They have a "special" that is the the same chicken with beans and rice and somehow it costs a buck more. Not a bad little place. Said they were a one off.

Two Bells Cafe - They replaced Zanzibar. It's claims to be a cafe. Although they no longer do the burger. It was one of half dozen lazy offerings (ie avocado toast and egg sandwich). They also sell other people's baked goods. Maybe they make their own hot drinks. I guess every community thinks they need one of these. Although they are really as interesting as a water fountain. I grabbed two pop tarts that were made at Olde Hearth Bread Co in Cassselberry. They cost $2.50 a piece. One was apple cinnamon. One was guava. Good. 

Ciro's New York Pizza - They said they replaced Mama Something's. I kind of recall the switch. Couldn't find it on this site. They were an Il Positano before that. They renamed two years ago because they dropped a partner. I grabbed a two slice meal for $6 to go because I hadn't had pizza in a while and didn't really feel hungry. It was fine. Typical NY slice. I just learned on tv (from a Chinese guy) that you should scratch the bottom of the slice to see if the crust is good. It was. They had a full menu. Philadelphia water ice. Said they were from the Island.