Grub Crawl - Longwood: Maya Rosa, Simon Parrilla, Historic Bar Room and Fueled Up

I tried the first spot last Tuesday at lunch. It is on Ronald Reagan (all these are) in a strip mall that looks deserted. Near the 7-11. I tried the second and third this Tuesday night at dinner. The first is near 434. A place called Oasis Cuban was there for years. The next is near the light rail station. The last is also near the light rail station. I went there yesterday at lunch.

Maya Rosa Latin BBQ - This is a prep area for a catering company. The food is to go only. They also have a food truck and pop up pizza business. Messy. No decor. Realtor lock on the door. Door always closed. Makes it look abandoned. I tried a "Taco Tuesday" of pulled pork for $2 (usually $4) and brisket for $3.50 (usually $4 or $5). I also tried the pulled chicken empanadas. 3 for $8. I liked those the best. The chicken was a bit mushy. Not oily. Crisp shell. Small. Not much flavor. The brisket was by far the worst. They said they smoke it for 15 hours. I doubt it. Or they don't do it low and slow or it was old. It was half fat. The meat was tough as leather. No flavor. No "smoke" flavor. They cut it into cubes and reheated it in oil in a frying pan. The pork had good flavor. Seemed fresh. Both tacos came with a nice, home made tortilla with a pickled slaw and sauce. A large amount of meat and slaw. They also sell items like: bbq boxes, combos, sandwiches (ie fried chicken), sides, ribs, chicken quarters and desserts. They seemed to have raised prices since the last printing of flyers and menus. For instance the brisket sandwich is now $12 versus $10. The food is Cuban style. I think they are open from 11am. To 5pm? I think open a little longer on Tuesday. Check for what days they close. I believe they opened two years ago.

Simon Parrilla - Open for two years according to waitress. Menu says 2013. I forget what country's cuisine. I've avoided it because I went when it was Oasis. Plus it never seemed to have that much business (cars in the lot). It was ok. I tried the pechuga epanada (breaded chicken breast) for $15. It was three, palm sixed, pounded pieces of breast. Tough. I chewed some pieces over twenty times and it still was fiberous/whole. Probably fired and frozen and nuked or fried and refried. In addition, it came out too quickly as well to be fresh. They added two sauces. A garlic one and a spicy one. Fries. Not the ones I like. The reconstituted, dry mashed up potato (or something else), brown, greasy ones. These were at least (sort of) fried long enough. Salad. Mostly iceberg and onions. Some dry tomato. Russian dressing. Rice. White. The best part. Too flufffed up. They also sell things like: fried mojarra (snapper), mofongos, skirt steak, pork chops, chuleta valluna (pork loin), sausage, soups, empanadas, sirloin, etc. Up to low twenties for most things. $10 lunch special. $13 on WEs. High ceilings. Not crowded. Booths at left wall. Bar on right. Some tables in between. TVs with baseball on. Wood feel. 

Historic Bar Room - Was O'Shaughnessey's (sp?). Open for two years. I think it had more furniture before. Not much now. 

Fueled Up - Re-opened for two months. Was a "healthy food" cafe. Now they sell that ready made to go and added bowls/burritos of five choices of meats for $10. Mexican style, I believe. I tried the barbacoa with rice and black beans bowl. They said that would be bigger than the burrito. Huge portion. I can't really isolate the components since they are mixed together. The beef seemed good. Not a ton of flavor. Not tough though. Rice seemed properly made. Small grain. I wonder what type? Beans are beans. Also topped with lettuce and tomato and cheese and sour cream. Maybe it could use hot sauce? No seats. No decor. I believe the old owner sold out to the old cook. I was all set for it to be just over priced microwave dinners. And healthy ones at that. I'm happy that they branched out. Not open for dinner. I believe closed on Sn and Mn.

Grub Crawl - East Colonial: The Moderne, Sampaguita and Haan Coffee

I tried these new offerings near Mills Monday night. They are nearly side by side near Mamak. Parking is next to non-existant. 

The Moderne - It has a "the". So, you know they think they are important. They skate a bit close to the precious edge, but, they are interesting. There has always been a waiting list since they opened around the new year. I snuck in at 5pm. The drinks looked better than the food. I tried the $10 raw tuna salad, $10 calamari and $6 ribs. The tuna was a bit sticky and ham handedly cut. Soft. Still ok. Lots of wakame and cukes. Nice "bowling". The calamari was thin. Pretty good fry. Decent amount. Asian dip.  The ribs were the best. Two, large, old school red Chinese take out ribs. Meaty. Sticky sauce. The menu is what they call "tapas". Mis-indentified. Just small plates with a mostly Asian bent. Things like: $8 gyoza, $6 to $12 chicken, beef, Chilean sea bass skewers, $20 lamb rack, $12 to $14 sushi rolls, $6 edamame. Carpaccio, and wings. Mixology drinks. Huge selection of premium booze. Not so great wine selection. Ok beer. They said they are part of USBG Group. Two other Japanese restaurants. I forget which. Open for dinner. Hip clientele. Gold, brown tones. Kind of a Palm Beach vibe. Central bar. Patio.  If they harness the kitchen, watch out.

Sampaguita - It means Jasmine in Filipino. I had a scoop of their namesake for $5. Great. Homemade. Bits of lychee. Lots of cool flavors. Open for two months. Longer hours now. Especially on weekends. Used to only be post 5pm. Modern look. Mostly white. Rectangular. WiFi. Strongly recommend.

Haan Coffee - Grabbed a $5 Seoul iced coffee. Good. Milky. Sweet. Modern. Small menu of drinks. Similar look to Sampaguita. They said the opened two months ago, but, they were the first to open.

Grub Crawl - Lake Mary: Stacking Philly's and Persis *MX Travel Notes

I tried the first spot on Wednesday at lunch. It is in the marketplace at 46a and International Parkway. It used to be a Middle Eastern place (that gave me food poisoning) before. Near the Amstar. The second is in a strip mall on the way to AAA building. It was a fast casual pizza place before this. I tried this at lunch on Friday.

Stacking Philly's - Not sure if this akin to "stacking Benjamins". They opened a month ago. They sell sandwiches. I don't even recall any sides. Cold ones and hot ones. And of course the South Street cheese steak for $13. I was about as good as one should be. Thin, fresh roll. I believe they said the get these from Jersey. Good thin, beef. I believe from Maryland. Whiz and onions. Cooked in front of you. The cold sandwiches start at $12. They had their first place in the DC suburbs. Thirty years (or some such thing) of experience. Same layout inside. Around eight tables. Order at a counter. Big tv with ESPN on. Cool selection of drinks (even beer). Needless to say it is a welcome change from the Middle Eastern place. I will have to try a "cold one" (and I ain't taking beer) some other time.

Persis Indian Grill - I had the Chicken Chettinadu for $16. Not many chunks of chicken. Boring red masala. Full clove and bay leaves had to be picked out. I don't love that Indian places leave these (and others) in. Ok basmati. I asked for medium hot and it was hot. Some m'fer thin peppers in there. Probably Thai chili peppers. Typical menu. $14-$19. Most apps are near those prices too. A samosa is $3. Naan too. A few at $6. Sodas $3. They seem focus on the biryani. The most interesting thing about the place is a poster that explains the history of that dish. High ceilings. Spartan. White. A bubble tank up front. Tables are in groups of four. Three columns. Booths on ends. Six person tables in between. No buffet. They break between lunch and dinner for a few hours. Closed on Tuesday. Open a month. Doubt I will return. Nothing sets them apart from other Indian options in the area. Not nearly as interesting as Banana Leaf. I was hoping it would be fast casual Indian. Nope. Their first spot is in Omaha. Post script - I had half the sauce left over and poured in a $1 can of black beans the next night. That was better than the original. I wonder why Indians (or ones outside of India) don't utilize more kinds of beans in their dishes? They could have a whole section of the menu devoted to these. They are cheap and store easily. Helps their vegetarian ethos too. I, also, have come to (or been reminded of) the realization that Indian food (and most good ones) is all about the masala (sauce). Like French food, we should be focusing in on that. The meat/produce is kind of irrelevant.

*Travel Notes - Mexico: I flew Volaris to Mexico City for $376. I stayed the night in the airport at the Real Camino for $104. Ate a jamon and a carne empanada at El Globo. Flew the next day to Cabo San Lucas for $124. I could have had a $70 flight if I left earlier in the morning. Rented a car (Chevy Cavalier) from Hertz for a week at $138! Hertz Mexico site not US site. Came with unlimited miles and some third party insurance. I declined any other insurance. Not sure how much that would have added. They were pimping it hard and forced a 25k Peso hold on my cc. Not sure if they do this if you take the insurance. I currently have an issue with them. I alerted them about a scratched portion before and after. I video-ed and took pics. Their pics were in the shade. I received an email about this AFTER I checked out with what I thought was an issueless rental. We will see where it goes from here. My reply to their email address got bounced back. I stayed the first night at the Hotel Boutique Plaza Doradas on the main road in San Jose del Cabo for $88. It wasn't noisy. Checked out the downtown. This area may be nicer than Cabo now. Especially the nicer hotel area. Drove through Cabo and then surf town of Todos Santos (on 19) to La Paz. Stayed at Hotel Maioris La Paz near the airport on 1 for $70. Drove northeast to Puerto San Carlos on Magdelena Bay. Known for chocolate clams (and whale watching). Found a shell. Didn't eat any though. Stayed at Sunset San Carlos for $86. Beachcombed. Water not deep enough to swim. Drove north and east to Loreto. Stayed at Bugambilias Suites for $209 for two nights. Great roof deck. Was going to go scuba diving or snorkeling, but, water was cold and they didn't seem to want to take people out. Island they were going to go to seemed unimpressive in real life too. Just ate and beachcombed. Had a great pineapple paleta at La Michoacana Paleteria. Had very good pork (costillodos cerdo) tacos and quesadilla at tacos at Mariscos y Tacos El Cora. Ate a chicken torta Milenesa at Cafe Ole. Drove back to La Paz. Stayed at Hotel Zar La Paz for $59. Closer to downtown. Walked to Malecon. Drove down east coast through some towns and Sierra de la Laguna NP back to Hotel Boutique Plaza Doradas in San Jose del Cabo for $79 this time. Lesser room. 

I mostly ate (charcuterie/sushi/cheese) and bought wine/tequila at Walmart or Soriano or OXXO or a tiny market. Way lower prices. Compared to other stores and the US. They have a cheap thing they call licor de agave (Cielo Azteca). Ten percent less potent. Tasted good. Only 60 pesos for a big bottle. Exchange rate was just over 18 per dollar. Was 22 before Covid (last time in MX). La Paz stores wanted masks. Gas was MORE expensive than Florida. Around 22P a liter. That's over $4 a gallon. Roads were ok. But, I didn't go to towns that had dirt roads. 

Flew to CDMX. Took Yellow Cab from airport kiosk (you can choose from many companies) to outskirts of Historic District for 263P. Stayed at Hotel Plaza Revolucion for $246 for four nights. The others I considered in this price range or higher looked worse when I went by them for real. Ate a Ranger CB combo at Pirates Burgers the first night. Went to CDMX (instead of Mazatlan) to take a day tour to San Miguel de Allende. This was my main objective. It is a pain to get to. Nearest airport is still an hour away. This $89 trip worked perfectly. Wouldn't have wanted to spend much more time there. Not nearly as charming/lush as I anticipated. Ate a good 30P chicken torta Milenesa at some stall at Mercado Ignacio Ramirez. Ate two 30P tacos al pastor at Sir Loin back in Mexico City. Ate lunch the next day at Cicatriz. Pollo Rostizado with couscous and yougart. Grabbed two great sesame bagels (bought cc in a market) to go from Bagels Lepu. Went back to that area (Le Havre St/Londres St) the next day for Cafe Nin by Elena Regladas (some well regarded chef) for Heuvos in chile Cascabel and tamal de frijol. The first two were in a NY Post article a cut out last year. Also on that article were Choza, Pulpo and Niddo. Around the Roma Norte area. Mostly walked around the city. Took taxi back to airport for 250p. 

Mexico continues to frustrate and exhilarate in waves. Some things are so maddeningly stupid that you want wring someone's neck. Somethings are so glorious that you wish Westward Expansion never stopped. I will probably need another year to sort it out in my brain. Tried ok local queso azul and terrible queso de cabra and terrible queso Chihuahua El Chervo. And a bad pastry called a banderilla. Tried a terrible Mexican white wine called Cuatro Soles. It was low end though. They wanted too much for all their wine in my opinion. I wasn't going to gamble too much on them. Had what I think were quinoa health bars. Called barras de avena. Forgot to look it up. BTW - when in CDMX you will think you have Covid. Probably not. Just altitude plus pollution plus dry air.

Grub Crawl - Casselberry and Longwood: Never Pho Get (Closed) and Siam O-Cha (Closed)

I tried these spots on Tuesday night at dinner. The first is in the old Pho Guys spot on 436 between 17-92 and Red Bug Lake Rd. The second is near Lyman HS and Hourglass Brewery on Ronald Reagan Blvd. In an old Chinese take out location.

Never Pho Get - Just love the word play with this word. Open for four months. Inside looks the same. Maybe some new posters. Not sure if I tried Pho Guys or just updated the title to say that the Vietnamese place that was there before switched to them. That's the reason for the uncertainty. Typical menu. The only real difference is mini phos. And I love this concept. $6 cup and half-ish containers of the big bowls. I often don't want that much or pho as the only thing. Now I can have a pho app and something else. I decree that every other Vietnamese shall forthwith adapt their menu to this new reality. I loved the idea so much that I ordered a chicken AND a beef one. Kind of contravening my previous declaration that I didn't only want soup for a meal. However, this was to go and I knew it would be eaten on two separate occasions and I wanted to report back on at least two items for you. The broth was ok. They swear the make their own. The same broth in both. No jalapenos or bean sprouts. A decent amount of meat. A perfect portion. As I said, the rest of the menu and pricing is in line with every other similar type place. Dark interior. A dozen or so tables. On table eating and two to go customers at 8pm. They main draw is the mini bowl concept.

Siam O-Cha - O-Cha means delicious. They were once a food truck. Open for six months. Typical Thai menu with the associated Chinese offerings. The most interesting dishes were an omelet and the larb. Maybe the wings. $10-$18 dishes. I tried the yellow curried chicken with rice for $14. I found the curry a little thinner than I would prefer. Almost a soup. Alot of thin, white meat chicken. It could have been cut up into more manageable pieces. Yam. Potato. Onion. Not spicy. Rice was a little dry. 4 tables. More of a take out place. I believe the wife may be the Thai connection.  They add a credit card surcharge. They do delivery and catering. Closed on Sunday. 11am - 9:30pm.

Grub Crawl - Stoneybrook Area and Oviedo: Banana Leaf and Martin's

I tried these spots at lunch on Tuesday. The first is a self-described "only Sri Lankan restaurant in the State of Florida". It is on South Alafaya Trail in a strip mall near the Stoneybrook entrance. The decor isn't great, but, the food was. Novel too. The second is on 419 passed the road that connects with 434 and passed where Mitchell Hammock Rd meets with 419. About a mile further on. On the right.

Banana Leaf - I had Pol Roti with chicken for what was supposed to be $17.99 (I just noticed that the bill says $18.71). The roti is a plate sized flatbread made with coconut. Two in the serving. The chicken was white meat in pieces in a neutral red broth. They also added a cup of daal and sauteed onions. I could have packed up the second roti to go. I was full after one portion. But, I plowed through. So, you can either make two meals out of a trip here or roll home. They serve meats like: rabbit, chicken, goat, lamb, beef, mutton, cuttlefish, shrimp, fish and pork. And vegetarian items. $16-$24. I missed the fish menu. I may have tried fish mud curry or sprats had I known. They sell: curried dishes, other roti, dishes with rice, desserts, etc. "Deviled" dishes mean "fried". The desserts looked good. Things like chocolate biscuit pudding and flan looking things. A buffet on weekends. The owner moved here from LA (San Fernando Valley) recently. 6 to 8 tables. Only three others here at lunch. Indian music on tvs. Seems like only two people on the job. Open for six months. Already reviewed by Weekly and Sentinel. I believe favorably. A definite must see. If only for the novelty. 

Martin's Coffee & Ice Cream - More than the above. Some food too. I just had a scoop of banana pudding ice cream. Really good. It's one of those places that is "concerned" with their practices. Home made ice cream. It was on that Edible list. Funky flavors. A small footprint. One server. I guess the namesake is a Mr Martin. Open for two years. 

*There will be two more post in the next week. The last will have Mexico Travel Notes.

Courtyard Grill, New Smyrna Beach

I tried this spot last Wenesday at dinner. It's in an alley in between Pine and Cooper on Flagler. Opens at 5pm. No Monday. Casual dress code. Under this owner for six years. I had ribs with side and salad and bread for $25. Did a Caesar. Bad dressing. Ok greens. Red potatoes for side. Four thick slices. Ribs were large for baby backs. Tender. Moist. He said he smokes them himself. Covered in sweet bbq sauce. I don't love that. Half rack. Waitress threw in a sample of the award winning clam chowder. The menu is American and Italian. Even a hamburger on spaghetti called Surf and Turf. Prices in twenties and up. Most tables outside. Two inside with the bar. Bar area is black and modern. Outside is covered. Pretty full at 5pm. Good service. I thought it would be fancier. Still pretty good. 

*I thought this would wrap up NSB. Saw some turnover though. A big Jimmy Hula's opened on other side of intercoastal. My first time back since the hurricanes. Some beach erosion and foundering houses. The guys who put in stairs to the beach have been busy. Beach was very clean. No seaweed. Water may be warm enough already.

Cafe Boutique Piano, Winter Park

I tried this spot on Wednesday at lunch. It is in Hannibal Square next to Park Avenue Tavern. It is open from 11am to close. I chose the $20 bouillabaisse. It was more of a consomme. They used mussels (2), shrimp (2), salmon and grouper. The first two do not count towards the four fish quota. Salmon is also a queer choice. A bit fishy. No rouille. Toast was poor. Veg were fresh. Almost raw. Mussels and shrimp were tough. However, it was only $20. I saw it offered in Marseille this fall for up to 75E. They do a daily brunch. Prices in the mid teens and up. Things like eggs, French toast, oatmeal and chicken liver. The dinner menu runs from $20 - $36. Steak is the costliest. They have quite a few Italian options. They have four two person tables and four four person and two larger ones. A bar. A player piano. Black and brown color scheme. Sports on tv. Fine service. It was almost empty.  The owners are Russian. Open for four months. I may try the brunch in the future.

Park Avenue Tavern, Winter Park (Closed) *DC Travel Notes

I tried this new (1 week) American restaurant in the old Dexter's space in Hannibal Square on Thursday at lunch. I was there for Piano Cafe, but, switched when I saw they had finally opened. Maybe a wrong move? No biggie. Will try Piano in a few days. You didn't really feel that it was a soft opening. I heard some mention of an area being closed for work. And my knife wasn't clean. However, my service and food were fine. Although, I did only order a Cobb Salad. The menu was dull and filled with things I had eaten recently. Plus my tummy wanted some avocado. The salad was more 'Spring Mix-y" than usual. Not overdressed. Acceptable blue cheese crumbles and bacon. Nicely done "medium" yolked egg. Avocado could have been scooped with more finesse. The one problem was that they printed it on the menu at $16 and it was $19 on the check. They "fixed" it for me. Not sure which side the error resides. Just watch your bill for other "soft opening" mistakes if they don't address it. The menu had two steaks, burgers, orecchiette, salads, soups, salmon, quinoa, fish and chips and sammies (ie chicken, pork banh mi, turkey for example). Mid teens and up (especially for the steak). The menu is the same for lunch and dinner. 8 booths on both windowed walls. Some tables and hightops mixed in. A bar with sports on. Lots of hooch. Brass. Black pleather cushions. Stained wood. Cloth napkins. Seasoned host. Place was nearly full. Lots of guys who look like they went to school in state and own a 500k fishing boat. It was like the Naked Man. It gives you exactly what you need. Nothing more and nothing less.

*Travel Notes - Washington DC: I used an expiring credit on Jet Blue and cut a $168 flight to Ronald Reagan to $118. I've seen it as low as $98. Not sure the time of year though. And this was a less than a full week trip that didn't start or end on Tuesday. They are having an early Spring and cherry blossoms are due mid-March this year. I saw some (plum trees I think) this trip. Weather was good. Walked around in a sweat shirt. Little rain. Left out of new Terminal C. That is JB's terminal now. It was a pain finding the train to C. Plus that JB was now located there because they just took their name off the other Terminal signs and didn't put up a C sign. Go to B side where people arrive next to the TSA line. Go through those people. Then it is quite a walk from the offloading stop (through a parking garage) to ticketing. The benefit is (although it will probably change and the TSA tries to keep lines long by opening fewer lanes) that there are less people getting cancerous x-rays over here. I took the Blue Line (FYI - limited to one track because of construction. Yellow Line is off) Metro in DC to McPherson stop ($2 on weekends and $2.40 off peak plus $2 initial re-usable card purchase fee). It was safe. I stayed at the Architect on L and 15th (near White House) for $632 for four days (starting on a Saturday). It was the cheapest by a hundred dollars on Booking. Though, they added a 3% credit card fee AFTER booking that took it from $612 to $632. They hotel had thin walls and windows. Lots of noise. Good location. I should tell you that I lived here for one miserable years and hadn't been back. I came to knock off the remaining national monuments, etc off the list. Things that I bypassed or were built since I left. I ended up doing that and revisiting most of what I did before. Too much to write about. Get a map and point your finger. I saw that. All the way up to the Cathedral and over to Georgetown and all around. I had a great time. Everything was free. Got "museumed out". Quite a feast for the soul. Went back to Ben's Chili Bowl for a Original Half Smoke. Went to Old Ebbitt's Grill (icon) for oysters and a cb with fries. Bumped into Rice Bar (near Sculpture Garden of the Art Galleries) while starving for chicken curry rice with karage. Had barley tea for the first time. In Georgetown (my old hood) saw Sequoia, Clyde's and The Tombs again (St Elmo's Fire kinda). Most other places were gone. Had a tiny blah Double Chocolate Birthday cupcake at Georgetown Cupcake. Had an ok (only $21) lobster roll at Georgetown Seafood. Had a good falafel across the street at Falafel Inc. Only $5! They had signs inside that said USA Today top sandwich and Yelp Top 100 restaurants. We need them here. And proof that what I've been telling you is true. Everyone is charging twice what they have to. Ate Chipotle twice and McD's once. I was too tired to get dinners. Except Ebbitt's. Great trip. Got the opposite of stink eye from the ladies. Although, they aren't they greatest lookers. Part of why my year there was miserable. It's close and cheap and safe and walkable. Felt like being in another country. You should go before it gets too hot. I also finally tried (unrelated) those white strawberries (pineberries. Like unsweet strawberries.

Juju, East Colonial (50)

I tried this Izakaya next to the old mall on East Colonial (and Maguire) at dinner on Wednesday. It is an offshoot of Susuru. And not a Smith Schuster. I'm not sure if it was the novelty or execution, but, I liked this less. I had two grilled wings stuffed with white rice that they call Teba Gyoza. Bland on bland. Or in bland. They cost $10. Then I wanted to see what they would do with non-grilled fare. I tried the Chirashi Box for $20. The rice was overworked. The fish was far from the "premium" cuts (ie otoro) promised by the menu and waiter. Something even tasted off. Very fishy. Mackerel fishy. Maybe the purported yellowtail belly. The salmon was tasteless. Salmon roe was salmon roe. Not sure what elese was piled onto that outer shell of trimmings. Spicy tuna (etc) rolls all over the world were laughing at this economy. The one ok element was the uni. I considered a few other dishes. But, they asked if I minded there not being certain things in the dish. Like uni in the dry noodle dish. Uhh..yeah. That's the most expensive ingredient! It's a small menu. Mostly robata grilled things. Some funny ones like chicken knees. Limited to chicken, pork, beef and veggies. Tip - oyster = oyster mushroom not the one in a shell. Most things seemed more expensive than Susuru. They pimp the drinks. And sake. They have a reservation-ed omikase meal. Not sure of the price. Around 8 seats. 8 bar seats. 40 others. Spaced far apart. I tried once on a Friday and it was a long wait. I left for Kaya. This time it was mostly empty. The decor is made up of Japanese pop culture nick nacks. Dark. A bit gloomy. I think this was an old Pizza Hut. It doesn't really offer a holistic experience. More pressure on the food as a result. Therefore, I would suggest Doshi and then Kaya over them. As far as new Asian experiences go. 

Grub Crawl - Winter Springs and OIA: Winter Springs Seafood Station and Sunshine Diner by Chef Art Smith *NC/GA Travel Notes

I tried the first spot Friday at dinner. It is halfway between 17-92 and the high school in Winter Springs. I tried the second spot Saturday at lunch. It is in Terminal C at OIA. They also have a Santa Monica something, Chick Fila, Orlando Brewery, Einstein's, Shake Shack, Cask and Larder and one other. Prices weren't that inflated. I also had a chicken sandwich at Chick Fila for $5.69. It's a pain to find, but, new and the TSA line is much shorter (even though they still try and gum it up with only one lane working). It's a haul through a parking garage from the tram. There is a cool video sculpture in the center. Jet Blue and some foreign airlines are now at Terminal C. Less garbage people (no Spirit of Frontier passengers).

Winter Springs Seafood Station - Open for a few years. I bypassed it because I knew it would be average at best. I asked if crawfish were frozen. Yep. Claimed blue crabs were not. One was mushy. One was dry. One was better. Not sure if they were frozen or not. That is one pound. That cost $13. Had to ask for a cracker. No tiny fork. Soda was not overly expensive. They also sell steamed/boiled shrimp, clam, mussels (2x), scallops, snow crabs, dungeness crabs, king crabs and lobster. Plus teriyaki meals and fried platters. Overly expensive to my mind. Simple interior with a net with fish on the ceiling. 5 tables. 2 are family tables. One family there with me.

Sunshine Diner by Chef Art Smith - Sort of. I grabbed a ground beef empanada and a sticky bun from the to go area. Both $5. Both not made by him. Empanada was good. From Sergio's Cuban (supposedly from Miami). Bun was sourced locally. Ok. Didn't see diner menu. Not that he'd be in the kitchen, but, you would think he only sell his own grub throughout. Not sure what I'm paying a premium for. 

*Update 7/2/2024: I tried the chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and carrots for $23. It was ok. The meat was very tough. The fried shell had many pockets of air. Was there ice in there that melted and created cavities? Pasty potatoes. Small portion. Carrots were the best. Almost raw. Baby carrots. You must eat with plastic utensils. Took a while to appear. Still, a shrinkflated, differently sourced, raised price chicken sandwich and fries from Chick Fila(tio) is now north of $11. They have a huge chicken sandwich with fries for $18. Soda with refills was same cost as a bottle from the airport store. So, I guess it makes sense to choose them or Summer House before you fly.

*Travel Notes - North Carolina and Georgia: Rented a car for a week to be returned at OIA for $295. Drove eight hours through Columbia Sunday to Hendersonville. Almost Asheville. No traffic. Stayed at Hampton Inn for $128 (rack rate). Skied Wolf Ridge the next day (30 minutes north of Asheville) for $23 (half off because Men's Monday) and $34 ski rental. Only one lift and two trails open. It was supposed to snow the day before. Left after an hour. Drove to Boone on 19. They had more snow. Stayed at Country Inn and Suites for $98 a night (2). Ate and drank at Cardinal. Emu and chorizo burger. Had good beer at Appalachian Mountain Brewing. Blew off skiing the next day and drank good beer at Booneshine Brewing and had good pizza and beer at Lost Province Brewing. Drove through Charlotte to Savannah. Stayed at Thunderbird Inn for $132 plus $15 parking (cheapest option). Roamed around. Saw Revolutionary War battlefield and Train Museum and City Museum (at old train depot) and Forrest Gump bench (did it before) and Riverfront and other things. Ate Apple Pie Chicken Sandwich with bacon and cheese at Treylor Park (on Food Paradise). Walked around town some more at night. Had drinks at The Grey (old Greyhound bus station). Learned that it is renowned. On some show called Chef's Table for instance. Grabbed fried oyster (waffle) cone at Savannah Seafood Shack (on Food Paradise+). Had lunch at Paula Deen's The Lady and Sons. The smallest option is two mains with four sides. I had chicken and dumplings and fried catfish with collards, creamed mashed potatoes, fried okra and mac and cheese. Plus a cheese biscuit. Good. You can have as many refills as you want. Oh and a dessert. I had some kind of butter pie or something. All for $20. Rolled out of there. Drove to St Simon's Island. Stayed at a weird historical Methodist Colony called Epworth by the Sea for $146. Good view. Ate a bagel with cc at Sandy Bottom Bagels and Fried Catfish with pimento grits and ff at Porch. Have some REAL trips coming up.

Grub Crawl - UCF Area: Island Wing Company, Bounce House, CrunCheese, Big Bad Wolf Barbecue, White Rabbit and Jolibee

I tried these spots last Saturday at dinner. The first is in the shopping plaza at Alafaya Trail and University. The second is south on Alafaya. The next three are in the shopping plaza at Waterford Lakes. The last is a few yards east of Alafaya on 50.

Island Wing Company - A chain (about 9) from Alabama. New ownership. Your typical theme place with typical options. I had a beer here. Inside and outside areas. They don't brew their own beer.

Bounce House - Open for a year. I heard tell that this is "THE" UCF bar now. It was too early when I popped in. Pretty empty. Just had a beer. Had a road trip the next day. They also sell snack foods at lunch and dinner. IE pizza, burgers, sammies, bbq. One big room.

CrunCheese - Told you about them in a Las Vegas review. A Korean hot dog franchise. Tried a basic one this time. Like a corn dog. $3.49. Better than the black ink one. Still tastes like bologna. Good crust. The place is one white hallway that already has dirt or mold on the wall. Open two months? Too soon for that. The whole left side is just bare. They even didn't notice that they had the open/closed sign turned to closed. Order at a counter.

Big Bad Wolf Barbecue and Brew - Saw them trying to find CrunCheese. Open for two months. In the old Slapfish location. Their first and only location. Had the Carcass special. A $9 special sandwich with bologna, pulled pork, brisket, sausage and pimento cheese. Tried some while hot and the rest the next day cold. Might have been better cold. Brisket seemed to have tenderized. It was a little too tough and dry initially. Didn't pull apart easily even though sliced less than pencil thick. They say they smoke it there for 10 hours. I didn't see much fat on it. Maybe it starts out too lean to stay/get delicate and moist. Texas style. Sausage is made by them. Had an interesting flavor that I can't pinpoint. Soft texture. Not spicy. Pulled pork was the worst. Mushy. Over sauced. Bologna was the usual. Hard to detect (one slice). Pimento was good and plentiful. Texas toast that had half the grease of the Wellborn toast. That sandwich had most of their menu. They had a few interesting things though. Some kind of soup that I forget now, etc. Sides. They sell alot of booze too. Looks cool. Woodsy. Order at a counter. Pricing was good. Maybe not top notch bbq, but, not poor either. A good value.

White Rabbit - A fancy dessert place from Northwest NY. Opened in September. I grabbed a Little Miss Strawberry milkshake for $9. Like every other. Menu is expensive. Place looks plush. Next to Domu Chiba.

Jolibee - Open for one month. Filipino KFC. Like them all. More expensive than US chicken places. Grabbed a Chickenwich for $6.50. Had a weird texture. Peeled in layers when pulled at. Thick. Not alot of seasoning. Still busy. They have "oddities" like spaghetti. 

Grub Crawl - Downtown: The Wellborn, Solita Tacos and Tacos My Guey

I tried these spots on Saturday at lunch. The first is on North Lucerne Circle under the 408 in a hotel. The second is in the old Wahlburgers on Church St and South Orange. The third is a few blocks north next to Neon Beach on Orange.

The Wellborn - Alot of bother for more Snack Food Nation. They say parking is only for guests. But, one group said they ignored that jive. The public spots under the highway were all empty. But, signs said you needed a pass. Few other options. I parked in my special spot blocks away and walked. They make you order and pay up front from your phone. I bitched about it and got them to do it normally. The menu is limited. Like ten items. Brunch (only weekends) and dinner menu are almost the same. I had a Cuban sandwich with a fried egg for $15. A greasy mess. Greasy toasted white bread (not pressed). No ham. Roast pork. A bit dry. Mayo. Rubbery, overcooked, tasteless fried egg. I had a better quasi-version of this later on at dinner (wait for next post) for half the price. The menu has things like sliders, beignets, brie grilled cheese, french toast and empanadas. Priced around what I paid for the sandwich. $5 sodas. $6 coffees. They were reconditioning rooms at the hotel (noisy) that day. Plus too loud lounge music. Traffic noise. Some tables inside a house. Some around it. Some (8 tables) on the patio in front of it. About half full. Mostly gays and fat girls. Not the quickest delivery. Not worth the effort.

Solita Tacos - A California chain. Open for one month. Another needless Mexican Bennigans. Sadly I overheard some saying it is packed at dinner. I tried a "large" taco because it was the cheapest thing. A pork belly for $9. For one taco. Tortilla size was just regular size. Soft. The pork belly was (no exaggeration) 80% fat. And 100% tough and dry. A complete fail. Too salty and peppery. The tortilla was raw. Came with a slaw that tasted like catsup. The best thing about it was when the jalapeno killed my taste buds. They tacked on chips (with weird wagon wheel things mixed in) with a very garlic-y chipotle salsa. Humdrum menu. Overpriced. IE $12 for a burrito WITHOUT any meat. The space is a large, open, gray square. Bar on the right. Tvs. Solita means "alone". Avoid.

Tacos My Guey - They have another in Hunter's Creek. Should have stayed there. Replaced Bread & Wine. Open five months. I tried a chicken street taco for $2.69. Horrible. Bland, blanched balls of chicken. Like salad bar chicken. Not even warm. Tortilla was raw and cold too. The best thing about the meal was the salt and pepper packet in the take out knife and fork packet. I can use that later on. Typical options. You order on a touch screen. Some ok decorating. No one there. Internet says guey means "dude". Avoid.

*FYI - Twitter is charging for the increased character limit. So, I won't be moving platforms after all.

Crocante, East Colonial (50) *AL/LA/FL Travel Notes

I settled on this higher end (priced) Puerto Rican play last Friday at lunch. Plan A and B disintegrated before my eyes. It is in a strip mall closer to 436 (across from the Executive Airport). It means crispy. I tried the porchetta sandwich with one side (I chose arroz blanco y habichuelas) to go for $15. It's not Italian porchetta. It is chunks of tough pork cut into cubes. They are not conducive to being in a sandwich. The only thing that saved it from being tossed in the trash was that I ripped up the chunks (a few too many were just gristle or fat) into bite sized morsels and put them (and the white rice) in the left over stew I took home from Kabob King. How halal is that? There was another container of some sauce that held the peas. They looked like beans. It was ok.. The bread was ok. They put cheese and a salad mix on it. It was supposed to come with chichurron. There were two gristly pieces that they might consider chichurron in there. The rest of the menu was platters and mofongos and rotisserie meats and other things. All high teens or higher. I'm glad I didn't pay the premium to try them out. The place is one huge, open space. 22 tables, 14 seats at the bar in the back and three 12 seat communal tables in front of that. Wood accents. Kitchen at the rear on the right. They seem to be prepping a to go (deli style) counter on the right. Service took to long. They said they had a soft opening three months ago. But, they said they are planning a real grand opening in the future. It was mostly empty at 2pm. I wouldn't go back. The overly loud music they subject you too gives reason enough to pass.

*Travel Notes - Alabama/Louisiana/Florida: I rented a car from Budget for $316. Drove Orange Beach AL. Stayed at the Sleep Inn for $134 (rack rate). Went to the Flora-Bama bar on the border. It's always packed. Must be famous. They have a bunch of businesses there. Ate a very good Conecuh (place in AL) Sausage Po Boy at Flying Harpoon (on 3D). Drove to New Orleans. I was going to stay here for a while, but, the idiot weather people scared me with forecasts of storms that never came. I booked stuff in Florida instead. I grabbed great Boudin eggrolls at Piece of Meat in Treme (on 3D) and saw a good bar (Bayou Beer Garden) behind it. PoM said they changed the direction of the place since the 3D episode. It's now fancier. Drove into Garden District and grabbed a great head cheese taco and hand held chicken (so tender) pot pie at Turkey and the Wolf (on 3D) off Jackson St. Stayed at St Charles Coach House (a Choice hotel) on St Charles for $118 a night plus $15 parking. Ate two eggs with house fries and toast breakfast at Surrey's Cafe (on 3D) off Terpsichore. Walked into town (with a jacket I ended up not needing) in 80 degree heat to Antoine's off Bourbon on St Louis. They invented Oysters Rockefeller. After some mental turmoil, I selected the Oysters Foch instead. These are corn meal fried oysters (small or cut up) on foie gras covered toast with a cherry wine reduction. An interesting combo. Reduction was not needed and too liberally applied and goopy. I also tried the a good Duo potato bisque (potato and cheese) and Paneed (sauteed) Gulf Fish (they said Drum) in a beurre blanc with artichokes, cherry tomatoes et al. This may have been the least good and most expensive meal of the trip. Total outlay $55. It is an institution though. Ask to sit in one of the back rooms. The front room is for suckers. Luckily some locals hipped me to that jive. I walked backed and finally tried the WWII Museum for $33. It was fine. I walked around Magazine St in the Garden District and had a cider at Tracey's Original Irish Channel bar because it was very hot and it said it opened in 1940 something. No other reason. Drove back to the north side of 10 around Tulane Ave in Mid City to Marjie's (on 3D). This was the worst area I drove through (fyi). The others were ok. Most north of 10. I had the Cambodian Crab (apple slices) Salad to go. They had less of an Asian menu than I expected. Parking was hard and sketchy, so, I didn't dare eat in. I drove to Liuzza's by the Track in Esplanade Ridge (off Esplanade Ave) the next day for gumbo and a half (still huge) oyster (entire large) po bay. Both were great. The gumbo is supposed to be top notch. I don't love it in general. This was probably the best and freshest I've had. I met the guy who makes it. His name was Roadrunner. He was being interviewed (by Bon Appetit?) while I was there. And this place is a shack. This was on some show with some guy named Misha Collins (Roadfood). I then drove to the Raceway (horses) because it was right there. I then drove back to Orleans (missed the turn earlier) and grabbed a great two piece fried chicken meal with a side from Dooky Chase. This is a famous civil rights landmark. I even just saw a repeat of a Julia Child episode where the old owner cooked this with Julia. I felt a little underdressed, so, I got it to go. I drove a long way too Gainesville so I could try Spurrier's Grid Iron Grille finally. I had the Chicken Marsala with mp. They have all his memorabilia there. Roof top bar. I stayed at the Hom for $103. Went the next day to Kanapaha Botanical Garden (on SR 24) for $10. Drove down 75 to Treasure Island (just N of St Pete Beach). Stayed at the Sea Jay Motel for $123. Had salad and coco cashew encrusted mahi over bananas with a side of baked pastry encrusted potatoes and chocolate crust key lime pie at Snappers (AAA Magazine article). Only $22 (4pm menu) including a generous tip. Everything was great except the salad. Huge piece of fish. Walked the beach at sunset. Drove the next day through St Pete and visited the Sunken Gardens for $15. I knocked quite a few restaurants and oddities off my to do list on this one. Doing road trips because I'm being thwarted by high air or hotel prices, flight delays/cancellations and scary weather. I also saw something interesting at Publix in St Pete Beach. Astin Farms Berry de Blanc (White Strawberries/Pineberries).

Kaya, Mills and 50 Area

I tried this upmarket Filipino spot on Thornton Ave (1 block west and south of Mills and 50) on Thursday for dinner. It had a line. But, with some effort, I convinced the hostess to let me have the sole bar seat (of 9) available. I argued that all the people ahead of me were couples. That and a check with the owner won the day. The place is small. A converted house. There is a large outdoor waiting area in front that seems like a wasted opportunity. The bar area is on the front left. Open kitchen in the center rear. Tables (6-7) on the right. Light gray paint. A few decorations. Quaint. The menu is equally modest. 2 apps. They ran out of the toro. 5 mains. 2 desserts. 1 side (garlic rice for $5). Portion sizes were in between apps and mains. A fairly nice (pricey) wine selection. Quite a few cocktails. I tried the Adobong Kabute (mushrooms) for $15 and the Pancit Sotanghon (mung bean noodles) for $16. They also had a tile fish terrine (which I was talked out of by a diner), bistek and one other that I forget. I didn't do the toro because it was $20 and what can you tell about the kitchen's abilities by such a dish. I could have done one main and the rice (they scolded me that you must eat rice with a main in Filipno cooking), but, I wanted to sample. The mushrooms (3 types) came with three types of adobo. A spicy red one (not very) atop cauliflower, a tan creamy one on the bottom and a third in the middle that I can't remember. Good flavor. Fresh ingredients. A bit salty. There was also some crunchy purple vegetable loitering around. Turnip? I can't recall if I've had mung bean noodles before. These (if they all aren't) were very thin and sticky. I almost couldn't swallow them if I grabbed a fork full with out the veg with it. Kept sticking to the back of my throat and choking me. As stated, it had julianned root veg on top. And a poached egg on top. I liked the vibe. Everyone was very sociable and attentive. They didn't have a dress code. The kitchen didn't seem to be overwhelmed. They said they soft opened in November. However, it seems like they have truly been open just recently. I found free parking on the street. I'd recommend it to all. I believe the dishes reflect the Northern areas of the Phillipines. 

*Driving around Thursday, I noticed a few things. I don't know how the lack of parking around Moderne will not effect its (and neighbors) bottom line. It's a S show. Was before. Now even worse. The Wellborn Hotel's restaurant/bar is very hard to find. Beneath and in between the two overpasses that branch off I-4 and 408. They also are only open after 5pm and on weekends during the day. Seems like there is no free parking there either. And the menu seems dull. House of Mac down in Sodo had a sign that said they were not open as of the day the put up the sign. Did the open and close? Hasn't it been a year since they were supposed to open? Solita Tacos is where Wahlburgers used to be. Pigzza still seems nowhere close to opening.

Kabab King, OBT/Central Florida Parkway Area

I tried this spot in a big strip mall on OBT past Central Florida Parkway yesterday at lunch. They term it Zabiha Hallal Pakastani and Indian Cuisine. It was very good. I had the Murgh Cholay for $11. It was pieces of on the bone chicken (4) in a thick red "stew" with chickpeas. A huge portion. I stuffed myself and still took half home. I asked for medium low heat. It was still spicy. Great flavor. It also came with basmati rice. A little dry. The menu has many interesting things. Dishes like; brain (they were out of it), nihari (stew), haleem (stew), goat paya (legs), boti (chunks of meat), etc. They offer up apps, breads, biryani, rolls/sandwiches, lassi/drinks, dessert and even a breakfast dish. All the meals I saw were humungous. People gasped at the size. I mean "family" size portions. Even the naan was twice the plate size. The decor is a different story. Not much. The place looks old even though they opened a year ago. Two rooms. Waiter service. I thought it was going to be gyro/shwarma type fast food restaurant. It's not that at all. You (or at leat I) don't see a ton of Pakistani (Northern Indian) options around. That alone makes it interesting. A great value. They even took 20% off since it is their anniversary. They have a buffet on Sat and Sun from 12p to 3p. Closed on Tuesday. 

Doshi, Winter Park - Closed/Moving

I tried this Korean "do over" in the strip mall at N Orlando and Lee Rd at dinner on Friday. I say "do over" because it started as an omikase Japanese concern. All the better for us, as far as I'm concerned. I found it to hit on all cylinders. An adult effort for adults in a time of kinder care experiences. And it was a relative bargain at their price points. Disregarding the 11 course tasting menu for $150, prices were reasonable. The menu is broken into three categories with one dessert. 8 Banchan Bites ($9-$24). 8 KKochi skewers ($8-$10). 7 Table Dishes ($20-$36). I believe the menu changes frequently. I tried a pork belly kkochi for $12. Six cut pieces of Kurobuta pork off two skewers. A little on the rare side. Could have used a bit more char. Maybe they should kiss it with a blowtorch. I also tried the Godeungeo Jorim for $22 because it was the weirdest thing and I think I've only had it once before. That's a mackerel (four or five hunks) stew. In a red broth with lots of vegetables (barely cooked). And rice. Very filling. They also throw in three banchan. Spicy cauliflower. Sweet boiled peanuts. Pine nut stuffed shishito peppers. All firsts and great. They serve seafood, pork, chicken, beef/waygu and vegetables. Nice plating with nice nice tableware. The room is small. 22 seats. Lots of space between tables. Large open kitchen with six seats in front for the tasting menu. Earth toned. Modern Asian. There is a bar to the right. Service is beyond attentive. Maybe one person for every six people. They aren't dedicated to any one area. Dressed in black uniforms. They engaged. Sincerely. I came in unannounced (with no letters of introduction) and they somehow didn't tell me to hit the bricks. They squeezed me into an available table (tardy party) when they could have easily been difficult. Lucky for both of us that we got me out of there without the party of the first part (or is it the second part?) not having to wait very long. The place was packed. A very diverse clientele. Not much of a dress code. Not snobby. The wine list (and sake and soju and beer) was interesting. I'm truly glad I finally made the move to try this. They are only open for dinner. I forget if they take any days off. Take note. This is how you go about "fancying up" non-traditionally fancy cuisine. I believe they opened in the Fall.

Grub/Pub Crawl - Lake Ivanhoe Area: Token Ramen and Band Box (Closed)

I tried these spots at dinner on Friday. I'll have another (on its own because it was good) review from Friday in a few days. The first is in that shopping complex (with a Whole Foods?) at Mills and Virginia. The second is near White Wolf Cafe. I only ended up here because the Juju wait was too long and I couldn't find Kaya. 

Token Ramen - I wonder if they are run by the same people who do Kung Fu Tea because the receipt calls them out and they serve it there as well. Open for two weeks. Less "sit down" than I expected. More fast casual. You order at a counter. They bring it to you. I veered away from the ramen because I saw the lunch discount and I wanted a less rudimentary ramen after seeing a show about it the night before. I tried the harumaki (spring rolls) for $4.50 and gyoza (3) soup for $4.50. To go. The spring rolls (3) are probably store bought. The inside seemed a tad underdone. Exterior was crispy and not oily. I left the soup in the car for a few hours, so, the gyoza were mushy. I'm blaming myself, but, who knows. The soup was supposed to be a clear soup. Seemed like beef consume to me. Not great. They sell 9 ramens for $15 - $17. Lunch is $10. BTW- "men" means noodles. They sell: 17 apps, 5 fried rice, 2 katsu, 5 yakisoba (noodles), 11 hibachis, and drinks. The place is modern Japanese. No color. Booths, tables and an unused bar. The dishes I saw while waiting looked ok. Not too busy. Here are some ramen notes from a show called Lucky Chow. Noodles can be named for their width (ie 30s mean 30 noodles per 30mm noodle sheet). The first (from China) ramen was shoyu. Soy broth. Only royalty knew of it for centuries. Tokyo. The next type was tonkatsu. In the south. Pork broth. The next (1950 AD) was miso from the north (Sapporo). Wok fried. Then tsuke. Fish (ie bonito flakes). And lastly, maseman. No broth. Thicker noodle. Butter. No broth. This was for laymen. Tare is liquid seasoning. Mame are the toppings. Broth can overcook the noodles. I may have confused some of this. Fact check me.

Band Box - It's about that big. Unless they lied to me about hidden rooms, it seemed to be one small room with two tables. Almost too small to turn a profit. I was going to get a non-alcoholic drink to go (they do this), but, they said it cost as much as an alcoholic one. I could not abide. I never knew hard alcohol came in non-alcoholic form. But, they sell that too. In bottles. The drinks aren't that expensive. The flyer says $10. They have canned cocktails for $7 and $4.50. Ohh, it's meant to be a speakeasy. What there is of it seemed in character. They have a velvet rope. The staff were also in character. Like sad neo-Steam Punks. They trade in mixology. Parking is hard now. The once free lot across the street now is a pay lot. This is why I didn't stay. Open for six months. Nights only.

*I also saw that Moderne (and the ice cream place) on 50 near Mills also opened. Looked cool. Packed. Inadequate parking.

Grub Crawl - Winter Garden: Sweet Dee's Cupcakery, Nosh, Orange Crate Cafe (Closed), Mangoni and Dolly Llama *UT/NV Travel Notes

I tried these spots on Thursday at lunch. The first is on Main St. A block in. The second is in the Plant Street Market. The third is right outside it. The fourth is back towards the fountains (and Hangry Bison). The last is in the Winter Garden Village shopping center off 429/Stoneybrook.

Sweet Dee's Cupcakery - On that Edible list. I had been waiting for a Thursday to come here and they go and solve their staffing issues and are only closed on Sunday and Monday now. They sell cupcakes. I grabbed a Wedding Cake for $3.75. Good. Small. Yellow cake. Moist. Sweet. Too much vanilla icing. 

Nosh - They sell $10+ bags of popcorn. I just grabbed a sample of chocolate chip. Caramel corn with a chip beside it. I think they used to have another name. I decided to stop ignoring it. The sample angle helped with that. I was there to try a new oyster place that turned out to be called Oysters by Bruno (Pizza Bruno?) at Barrel Room. It is only open after 5pm (except on WE). Front street side of market. I also noticed that the fancy sushi kiosk (Jodo) is now a Bento Sushi and Norigami Sushi is across from it. OK pricing. Everything else is the same.

Orange Crate Cafe - Was a chicken place before this. Open seven months. A lucky find. I guess you would call it Southern inspired. I went with the shrimp po bay over the catfish. It cost $10. Very good roll. Crunchy. Not stale. They said it was just basic stuff from Cisco distributing. Big, non-chemical tasting shrimp (7). Corn meal breading. That did fall off a bit too easily. Turn up the frying oil. Decently fresh lettuce and tomato. Hot sauce (probably Texas Pete's). Catfish is probably done correctly too. Did you know that the phrase "there is more than one way to skin a cat" was originally about catfish? I guess many people had many ideas of the best way to skin this hard to skin fish. They also offer things like soup and half sandwich, tuna, chicken salad with cranberries, cheesesteaks, fried green tomatoes, tenders, fried pickles, salads, wraps, fish tacos, baked salmon, fried chicken, pork chops, etc. And $1.50 scoops of Blue bell ice cream. Quick and friendly service. Wrap around patio.

Mangoni - They offer pizza, focaccia tartines and salads. A charcuturie board, booze, coffee and some apps too. I had a pepperoni pizza for $13.50 (same price as the cheese). Small. Plate size. But good. They claim to use Italian gourmet flour (0?), olive oil, sea salt, yeast and non-acid or nitrate tainted tomatoes from Italy. Cooked in a spinning wood oven heated to 500 degrees by Florida oak. The pie was good. Thin. Some crust. Mozz was a little bland. Almost tasted like a blend. Pepperoni was good. Sauce was good. Not alot. I liked it. The place looks nice. Marble bar with an antique finished mirror. Rectangular floor plan. You order at one end and then move towards the bar. A few tables. More outside on the wrap around patio. Cute design. Black. They display items in the oven area. Hot honey, cheese, cured Italian meats, etc. The quartered logs are stacked aside the pizza oven. Open for a year. I liked it alot.

Dolly LLama - Let's get this straight. I only went here because I was near and it is a California chain and I love the name (though I don't get what it has to do with the food). They sell Belgian (Liege) and bubble waffles and ice cream. Did you know that the sundae became a thing because you couldn't sell soda water on Sunday (religious nuts). Soda jerks used the soda syrup on ice cream instead. They just were bad spellers too. I grabbed the cheapest waffle. A $6 maple syrup and Speculoos (they said it is a cookie) crumbs. It was fine. I ate it withh two nuked hot dogs for dinner. Other waffles are $10. Square foot print. Some seating. In the middle on the right of the center. Open for two weeks. I took 439 (Maguire) from 50 to Windermere Rd (rt) and left onto Stoneybrook to escape paying the 429 toll. You return by crossing the 429 and making a left onto Stoneybrook. It is aside the toll entrance on the right. Don't get scared. 

*Travel Notes - Utah and Nevada: I flew into Las Vegas on Frontier for $128. 9:30am and 8am NS flights. Usually night flights are the cheaper ones. Checking in was a nightmare. They charged me $25 for a boarding pass. But, I think I know how to beat their new rules (photograph the digital boarding pass) without using their app. They actually let you complete the online check in process now. Instead of taking you to the end and telling you your level of ticket requires in airport check in. And Mayor Booty's FAA computers definetly weren't hacked even though bit coin (their choice of renumeration) has been skyrocketing since this happened and other countries have been violated too. That delayed me a few hours. I rented a car from Hertz for the week at $364. They gave me a ripped up tire with a patch beneath that I had to replace. That is going to be fun fighting them on that. I stayed at the Cromwell (trying to do every hotel in Vegas) for $51. They comped the $52 resort fee after I couldn't use the wifi for some reason. Self Parking was $18. I finally found (next to Blue Ribbon Sushi on the third floor) the "secret" pizzeria at The Cosmopolitan. Had two slices for $15 with tax and tip. Grabbed a corn flake and chocolate chip and marshmellow cookie at Milk Bar on the second floor. Found out that Giada at the Cromwell does a much cheaper brunch on the weekends. Ate crappy chicken tenders at Haute Doggery in between Flamingo and Cromwell. Found a locals place behind the Cromwell called Battista's. Too tired to try it. Had breakfast at Maxie's (in between Flamingo and Cromwell). Eggs benedict box (spinach/bacon/tomates in a hollowed out loaf of bread). $23 with tax and tip. Drove to Utah. Stayed at good Cedar Breaks Lodge at Brian Head for $103. Skied the next day at Brian Head for $95 (was $60 online a week before). Ski package at Brian Head Sports for $33. Stayed in Cedar City at Abbey Inn for $107. Had a hb and a cb at Hermie's Drive In. Drank a flight at Policy Kings Brewery. Grabbed some suprisingly fresh tuna sushi at Lin's Market. Topped that off with some beef taquitos with guac at Rita's Taco Shop. Bailed on skiing in Utah because of snow storms. Went back to Vegas through 56W to Cathedral Gorge SP in Panaca NV. Stayed at a dump near Sam's Town called Arizona Charlie's Boulder for $111 incl RF and parking because hotels in Vegas were ridiculously high. Went to Laughlin because of this. Stayed at Aquarious Casino (was a Hilton) for $75 incl RF and free parking. Went back to Vegas. Stayed at the Palms for $113 incl RF and free parking. Ate at Osaka Sushi (on 3D) on W. Sahara. Expensive ($37 for four items - blue fin, salmon belly, hokkigai (terrible) and scallop) and not great. Supplemented this with a $11 chicken sandwich for Half Bird on Spring Mountain Rd. Ate dinner at Chickpea's on W. Flamingo and Jones. It was just on 3D the night before. Said he came just two months ago. Ok lamb kabob and rice and salad for $21. Stayed the next night at a dump because I was leaving early the next morning and the hotels I wanted were expensive. Silver Sevens for $65 incl RF and free parking. Saw how they barely renovated the Hard Rock to Virgin. Ate AYCE sushi at Jjanga Sushi on Flamingo. Too many to list. Was on Food Paradise. Not very good. Had dinner at Lotus of Siam. On Best Thing I ever Ate with Ming Tsai. He (and I) had Man Prik Ong. Basically ground pork meat sauce with steamed vegetables for $20 with tax and tip. Not sure why he chose this. Curse him! But, the lady has a James Beard award and the menu looked great. Maybe the best Thai one I've seen. Even including Thailand. This (and Jjanga) is also near the Silver Sevens hotel on Flamingo. I also drove through some areas where the old, rich Vegas used to be. Not anymore. Paradise Palms on E Desert Inn. Scotch 80's and Rancho Bel Air on Rancho Dr off Charleston. I went to the free Pinball Hall of Fame (really just an arcade) near the Mandalay Bay. Was going to ski Lee Canyon on Mt Charleston north of Vegas. But, needed chains because of snow. Plus they are too expensive for what they are and even charge for parking and the damn lift ticket card. Saw on tv news from some food convention in town: glitter maple syrup, pickle juice cotton candy and vodka made out of whey. If there is a meal missing, it was supermarket, McD, In and Out or Del Taco.

**This may be the last Travel Notes and maybe review on Blogger. Twitter said they were going to 4000 characters soon. I'll post the account names again when I go. Nothing posted yet. One is @orlandoertravel and the other is @orlandoer8. Now those who hate the travel notes can be freed. Can you believe there were dudes named Orlando Er....who stole my handle. Went with 8 because sounds like "ate". Forgot my psuedonym is Henrry the Ninth.

Grub Crawl - UCF Area and Oviedo: Bacon Bitch (Closed), Sushi B and Kung Fu Dumpling

I tried these spots around UCF on Wednesday at dinner. The first two are in front of the strip mall (with shitty access and currently with ripped up roads) on the southeast corner of University and Alafaya Trail near the entrance to UCF. The last is down Alafaya in Oviedo on the outside of a shopping area. I think the intersection is Red Bug Lake. I was going to do Jollibee. However, they did not open (as The Weekly advised) a week ago. That night was their grand opening and every Filipino and their mother was on line. Also, had wrong address for Cruncheese.

Bacon Bitch - Hip Hop Hooters. It reminded me that I haven't been to a strip club in a while. Easy to believe this is another underwhelming Miami import that will probably flounder. I grabbed the only non-breakfast item. A CB with bacon bits and FF for $18 ($24 with tax and tip). Not terrible. Hotel room service quality. Medium rare was medium well. Wide, thinner patty. The veg were limp. Bibb lettuce was something else. Cloying bbq sauce. FF were underfried. The menu has things like pancakes and waffles and eggs. They try and funkify them to charge you more. Smallish selection. Not memorable. Stupid/reductive ...bitch placards on the wall. Sooo empowering. They sell booze. It has twenty booths and four high tops and six regular tables. And a bar. Three sections. Low ceilings. White and black color scheme. They blast club music like it is a club. Breakfast with ear splitting mumble rap. This has become the bizarro world. Open for two months. Hours are 8am to 6pm. It was 100% empty at 5pm. 

Sushi B Hibachi and Grill - Across the parking lot from BB. Same owners. New (two years) casual style. They even have a drive up window. I only went because I was already there and I think I've ignored it forever. Just grabbed a salmon and cc roll for $5 (happy hour price). It was acceptable. Rice was done right. Thin, nori wrapped slices. Scant salmon. 8 pieces. They have a wide selectin Things like: ramen, poke, special rolls, nigiri, bento and many apps. Ok pricing. You order at a counter. They serve it. Looks like an old fast food location. Some attempt at interior design. Probably conducive to college tastes and budgets. 

Kung Fu Dumpling - Was someplace called Hong Kong something before. I think. Turned out to be the winner and a lucky find. They have the aforementioned dumplings. I had the crystal shrimp ones because they came out faster than the soup ones. They (4) cost $6. They were good. Possibly not store bought. Big pieces of shrimp. Not paste. Good pricing. Even the soup dumpling were the same price. They are usually more dear. They have a flight of dumplings. However, it is not just dumplings. A big semi-fusion selection that doesn't seem to devolve into con-fusion. The wife is from Singapore.  I think they said the husband is Chinese. The menu reminded my of what you see in Singapore. A blend. Things like Hainen chicken, Guangzhou fried rice, Singapore noodles, Schezuan dumplings, etc. I really have to go back for a full meal. The people I spoke with loved their experiences. Were returning customers. The place is tiny and grubby. Five tables. One waiter. Fair pricing. Open for two months. They had a place (China Garden?) in Winter Park (the part near Oviedo) before this. Can't remember if I reviewed that. 

Grub Crawl - North OBT and West Orlando: Nick's Family Diner (Closed), P & D Soul Food Kitchen and Mr Sub Shop

I tried these places on Tuesday at lunch. The first is north of Lee Rd on OBT (441). About a quarter mile. The last two are in a newish building off W. Gore St at S. Goldwyn Ave. Southwest of the Citrus Bowl. Past John Young. I'm not sure which exit off I-4 you will have to use. I used Gore to get back on it. I came down on OBT because I was already on it. The first two were on that Edible list. The last was something I ran into while there. If you knew how crampy and gassy my insides have been (and how much ass pissing has transpired) since X-mas, you would be very thankful for these musings. I only bring that up to warn you. Today is the first time there seems to be improvement. I ate almost everything on this post with minimal after effects. I usually catch things before most of America. Maybe this is/was the latest Covid strain? No cough or lung trouble though. If not, be prepared for some kind of stomach flu to strike down upon America with great vengeance and furious anger this winter.

Nick's Family Diner - I believe the menu said they opened in 2010. I only grabbed a bagel with cc to go because of the prices. It cost $3. A terrible bagel that they couldn't be bothered to spread the cc on. They just tossed in two tiny containers of some no name cc. With regards to the pricing, I missed that things mostly come with a side. IE egg and cheese sandwich is $8 (hfries, hbrowns or grits), CB is $12 (side and soup), club sandwich (side and soup) was $14, Cuban $12, ham and cheese $10, chef salad $14. I guess that's not outrageous any more. Two eggs with meat and a side is $10. They had a big menu. Some old stuff like liver and onions ($15). Specials. Looks like and old, brown cafe/house. Square layout. Closed on Monday. 8am - 2:30pm. They have a to go window in front. They charge 4% for credit cards. May deserve a second look if I'm ever near there again.

P&D Soul Food Kitchen - No dine in. Small foot print. 11am - 7pm. No Monday. They were pushing the "buffet", so, I'm not sure if they were making the other things on the menu. Mostly fried things. They wrote that that takes 10 or 20 minutes for those. I settled on the cheapest value. The daily special for $7. I chose the quarter baked dark meat chicken with rice and a side and corn bread because it looked safe and was ready to go. Still worried about the tum tum you know. You had a choice of around six vegetables, one other rice and meatloaf and bbq chicken. The chicken was small but tender and tasty. The rice (yellow) was plentiful and tasty. A bit over cooked. They drizzled the juice the chicken was resting in on top of it. I chose rutabaga for the vegetable. Tender. Cooked in vinegar. Good. Not something you see often. Other things waiting in the serving receptacle were: oxtail ($18 for a small), cubed steak ($13), short ribs ($16), etc. They also had things like pigs feet. It was better than I expected. The neighborhood is a little (a little) rough. A few police cars parked on different streets with flashing lights on. Like they do at a ball game. Except - no ball game. Their building and parking area seemed safe. I think you'll return in one piece. They could be just good enough to make you risk it. They took credit cards. They said they had been here for nine years. I believe two years elsewhere before that. 

Mr Sub Shop - On the north corner of the building. They said they took over six months ago. Not sure how long it was in business before that. The owner (or employee) seemed Haitian. I grabbed a fried chicken sandwich to go (because it seemed like the hardest thing to fuck up) for $6. It was better than I expected. Which was not much. A frozen, packaged, hockey puck of chicken. Actually better than most of the non-premium fried chicken sandwich pucks that you get at most fast food places now. I can't guess the brand. The bun was ok. Not stale. The veg (o,l,t) ok. She seemed to be picking through the containers for the freshest ones. Some mayo. They also sold fried rice, egg rolls, sandwiches, burgers, ff, etc. Small foot print. Maybe three tables of two. Not a destination spot.