Grub Crawl - Mills Ave and Winter Park: Pigzza, Purple Ocean, Maya and La Patrona

I'm going to jump these one post up because the next will be shorter and I have a Travel Notes to attach to it. I went to these spots yesterday at lunch. The first two are on Mills. Across and aside (by one neighbor) from Hawkers. The last two are at the intersection of Howell Brach and Lake Howell Rd on the border to Casselberry. 

Pigzza - Son of Pig Floyd. Opened last week. Packed at dinner (according to them). It was ok. A bit incongruous. They offer up (too) excellent $50-$100 wines and prefer reservations. But, the food is Federal Hill Italian (at best) and the space is a converted garage (with that level of ambiance). Personally, I'd restock the cellar with $20 wines or add some impressive entrees that would pair better with the current selection. I guess the formality will depend on how long the heat (if there is actual heat) lasts. I had a smallish $16 pepperoni pizza and a $12 half portion of spaghetti and meatballs. The pizza crust is sour dough. It didn't really stand out. There were too many bubbles (air not pounded out). Rookie mistake or laissez faire attitude. The bottom had some firmness. No char on the bottom. Not a deal breaker with me. Voluminous crust. Mostly air inside though. Nice chew. Not tough. The cheese was good. The sauce was too. Natural. The pepperoni (small circles) was also good. Good coverage. There were some shreds of something in there. Garlic? Husks? They also put the herbs on during the bake. Needless to say, they turned to ashes and didn't help the taste. I also plucked out some hard object. No idea. Packaging? I didn't see what type of oven or ask what temp. The spaghetti was cooked properly. Probably dried. There were little bits of spaghetti in the bowl. Fresh spaghetti doesn't shatter. Same natural sauce. Three meatballs. Golf ball sized. I prefer when they are baked or fried a little at the end and get a crust. Not dense. Some parmesan in there and atop the dish. I don't think they dressed the spaghetti in a sauce pan. Basic. Why I call it Federal Hill (American Italian) cuisine. This size portion (w/o any pizza) would have been enough for me today (I only ate one slice of the pie). The rest of the menu is dull. Five more pizzas. Five more pastas. Three sandwiches (eggplant, chicken and meatball). Cacio peppe fries sound interesting. But, will they taste interesting? Rhode Island calamari is another tell on what their inspiration is. They only pull in Pig Floyd with some brisket and pulled pork options. I think that is a good thing. Beers and cocktails are also pricey. Basic plating. Friendly (eventually) service. Dressed. More than enough. But, I think places over hire at the opening. There is a central room with a bar and an area to the right of the entrance and a large patio (almost half the seats) in front and room for a patio (future?) on the side. High ceilings. Open kitchen. About a quarter full. Some parking. Closed on Monday. L & D. I expected it to be a take out pizza place. It was more (and less). I think I'd have preferred the simple business model. Still, it was a nice experience. They just need to get their z's in sync. I don't blame them for dreaming though.

Purple Ocean Superfood Bar - This is one of the last places on that Edible list. It's two vegetarian food trucks. One acai, etc. One hot food. Puerto Rican style. They said since 2016. They said they have other trucks. It's in an alley next to Track Shack. I never espied it. I just sampled an alcapurria for $5.50. It looks like a churro. Fried. Filled with fake meat. It was ok. I started wrapping it in part of a future meal and dipping it in a future dipping sauce. They also do sandwiches. Fake burgers, chicken, etc. A few more snack items. There is a half built building next to them. They are moving there in the future. A few tables. A few parking spots in back. They have been around since 2016, so, they must be doing something right.

Maya Cafe Lounge and Gallery - I tried the panini for $10. Just two slices of poor quality prosciutto and swiss cheese on bad bread (buttered). They didn't even really press it. Some stale chips. I was told it was better. It probably is. I'm trying to remember some of the mixed Latin (Cuban, Venezuelan, Argentinian, Mexican, etc) offerings. Burger. Tuna sandwich. Cuban. Simple things. And desserts and drinks. Small room. Two or three tables. A bar. Art on the walls. Bohemian. Nice people. Opened four months ago. FYI I wrapped the prosciutto around the alcapurria.

La Patrona Tacos and Birria House - A food truck that was on OBT. Here for four months. A relative of Maya owner(s). Mostly birria dishes. Also a Guadalajara salad and flautas (maybe off the menu). I tried something called tacoketos. Not sure if I've seen that before. Maybe? They melt cheese around the filling instead of tortillas. Excellent! I had a birria and and a chicken one. Only onions and maybe a sauce inside. The best of all the dishes I tried on that day. $3.80 a piece. Big. They claim the have been awarded with some honors in the past. I can believe it. Of course the place I didn't even know existed (and the meekest) won the food war. This is the Bizarro world after all. FYI I used the green sauce on the alcapurria.

*I saw some meadery is open (or close) near the spots. Zymarium. I also finally found this Hawaiian shave ice truck called Hanalei or something. On that Edible list. At 1308 Lang. Behind Pig Floyd in some girlie store. Not sure what THEY sell. No one there at lunch. The store said she comes in the the mid to late afternoon. Sounds like open at night too. Try and beat me to them. I will have a review of a Sand Lake Rd spot and Travel Notes in the next post. Probably beginning of next week.

Alez Caribbean Cuisine, West Colonial (50) - Closed

I tried this spot in that large shopping area I call Chinatown at dinner last Monday. It was not plan A. I believe it is Haitian. I had the fried chicken platter for $18. Way too expensive. Seana's is much less. It was three unbreaded drumsticks, a pound of black wild rice, a bad lettuce and tomato salad, spicy onion salad and whatever they call tostones. I tossed the rice because I was leaving the next day. Tostones and drums were ok. Side of Ranch and some spicy orange sauce with cloves. They only had a few other versions of this meal. One slow cook. No server. You need to speak French. Shabby interior. A mouse trap may have been on cushion. Haitian music videos on tv. Every plot/song seemed to be aimed at keeping girls from becoming prostitutes. I only, hesitatingly, went because I hadn't before and I am running low on possible encounters. I almost passed by Pigzza, but, thought it wouldn't be open. It was. Sacre bleu!

Chilispot, Universal Area

I tried this Szechuan spot in the Publix strip mall at Kirkman and Conroy on Monday at lunch. I had shrimp with salted egg yolk for $19. It was great. Maybe my second favorite Chinese shrimp prep of all time. It is basically salt and pepper shrimp dusted with yolks and colorful peppers in place of black pepper. Creates a sticky sauce. Not as good as butterflied salt baked shrimp, but, excellent. They trim the eyes and beak off the shrimp. They leave the rest and shell on. Fried well enough that you can eat it all. And I did. Even the peppers. And I hate non-spicy peppers. 13 huge shrimp. If these were a little fresher this would be an A+ dish. I started loading the heads with the peppers. Tasty. They threw in properly steamed white rice. I could have stopped eating halfway. Would have if I wasn't traveling the next day. Family size portion. Pretty stacked plating. Most of the dishes I saw coming out looked great. Most cost less than mine. They even have some dishes from other regions in China that are more bland. "For the kids", they said. They have funky things too. Things like: mashed eggplant with century egg, croaker leap frog,  pork feet, duck blood and a dessert soup. All the customers appeared to be Chinese. Like fresh off a plane Chinese. Maybe tourists? 8 four seat booths on the edges. 2 six plus seater tables in the middle. Some had hot plates in the middle. Monochrome tones. Black, white and gray Some slogans in English on the wall. Maybe a remenant of when it was U and Me. Some Chinese symbology too. The front has a refrigerator on the wall that should be hidden. They opened in July. I think it is better than that YH one I Favorited last year. Because is it is much cheaper. If you want a solid taste of Chengdu+, get over here. And try not to door ding your neighbors car when you do.

Grub Crawl - Lake Mary: Mr Chuy and Sobol *AZ/NV Travel Notes

I tried these spots in the strip mall on Rinehart that has the BurgerFi on Wednesday at lunch. They are next to each other.

Mr Chuy - I guess not the other Chuy. Never been there either. Disappointing, yet not. I have still never been impressed by an upmarket (priced) Mexican endeavour. Same layout as the last two tenants. The last one was Grato, I believe. Always confuse them and Prato. Maybe extra patio seats in front now. Changed the wall decor to murals. Trying for a modern look. Mostly booths. I tried to try as diverse a selection as sensible. Because the cheapest lunch special was $12. I tried a lengua taco for $5. Raw tortilla and much too salty. Texture/cook was ok on the tongue. Didn't eat most of it. Large size. Next, an al pastor gordita for $6. Tough sope (that they cut in half for these). Tough pork. And chunks. Not shaved. Large size. Finally, a chicken tinga sope for $6. Stringy chicken. Watery bean puree. Better/fresher sope. Still unevenly cooked. Large size. Their free chips were good. Salsa was a bit thin and bland. So, pretty much the disappointment I was anticipating. The menu draws from most regions in Mexico. Not much that is special. Perhaps chilaquiles with eggs and another egg dish I can't recall aren't on all menus. Just because it is breakfast at lunch. They do birria style tacos. That is becoming less of a treat. Ohh..they do burgers ($15) too. Bar. Service was good. They actually had too many employees! This place was seemingly under construction forever. I believe they opened a month or two ago. There are already a few of these on Lake Mary Blvd and 46A area. I can't see them all finding a following. And they are doing burgers next to a burger chain. Perhaps this should have been another kind of restaurant? I can't see myself returning. Ahh (Mr) Chuy, God Bless You.

Sobol - A chain that started in NY that sells acai bowls (granola), drinks and smoothies. They claim all the virtue signals. Free range coffee beans. Locally sourced air. Non-GMO ice. Vegan fruit. Free trade plastic. The Kid's bowls started the bidding at $8 and smoothies ran around $10. I just grabbed a small iced coffee (not bad) for $2 because I'm not really into these things at any price. Just saw it there after leaving Chuy's and thought I'd give it some free pub. It has been open for six months. All kidding aside, the owner was nice. Small place. A few high tops. Order at at counter.

*Travel Notes - Arizona and Nevada: I flew to Phoenix (NS) on Frontier (PM there and early AM back) for $158. This was an audible from a planned trip to a golf tournament this week in Hilton Head that sold out from under me. Rented a car from Hertz for the week at $431. It gave me a check engine light the first day and they overcharged by $15. Soooo mis-managed. FYI - there is a new sky train to the rental area. I stopped in Carefree (on 17N) for some TB and In & Out. Stayed at Motel in the Pines just south of Flagstaff in Munds Park for $104. TV/SAT didn't work. Went skiing at Arizona Snow Bowl for $49 plus $19 ski package. It was much better than I expected. Granted the season has been great and it snowed more the night before, but, it was a surprise. A little chillier (30's) than I expected. Because of the warning light and a side trip to the Flagstaff airport (no exchanges because many people in my situation already had to dump lemons on them because of Phoenix Hertz), I could only eat some shit Del Taco and drive to Vegas before nightfall. Stayed at The D in downtown for $37 plus $34 RF. Free parking. Also, I didn't catch that Circa must own them and you can use their pool if you stay here. Not that I had time to. But, now you know. Ate good carnitas, adobado and cabeza tacos across the street at Tacos & Miches. I later saw at least one more location elsewhere. Bought some wine and beer at ABC. Pretty fair prices. Got trapped by lesbians and horny bartenders (it was a slow night I guess) at Hogs & Heifers. Too many cheap/potent drinkies! Checked out and ate a few pieced of sushi at Kura Sushi  on Spring Mountain Rd before I realized this was the same place that we have here. Went to Wynn Rd intersection to try excellent poke at Hawaiian Style Poke. Checked into the Resorts World Hilton for $101 plus $51 RF. Parking ($10) became free when I signed up for some club they have. Went to the pool for a bit then out to Red Rocks area for LV Aviators game ($25 for a few rows back at third base dugout). Free parking. Spent $28 on a full sized batting helmet full of carne asada nachos and a souvenir soda. Returned and tried lechon lumpia (like spring rolls) at Pepita's Kitchen in the food court. Too hurt from night before to rally. Woke up and got a sausage and egg and cheddar sandwich at Sun's Out Buns Out in the lobby. Drove 95N (two ways in and out) to Lee Canyon Ski Resort. Lift ticket was only $30, But, shitty ski gear was $59. They ran of poles! Line was forever. $10 to park. One of the two lifts went down. Really poorly run. Yet, because of good weather and fresh snow and warm temps, it was enjoyable. Less than Snow Bowl, but, good for 30 minutes from Vegas. That was basically the end of the to do list. Drove back to Vegas and pit stopped at Dan Han Banh Mi and Hell's Chicken on Spring Mountain Rd for a pate banh mi and double chicken sandwich. Most of these places I marked down to try last visit. Got back on 515 from Flamingo. I was hoping to find cheaper gas. Nope. Drove to 95S and Laughlin again. Easter Weekend prices were comparatively too high in Vegas. Stayed at Edgewater for $46 plus $21 RF. Free parking. Took some pics at Davis Dam. Did a walk up the strip. Had breakfast at In & Out. Over the river to AZ and saw the other side of the dam (Lake Mojave). Got some cheaper gas (like $1 per gallon) in Bullhead AZ. Ate Arby's. A few mom and pop places I tried were overpriced. Drove 95S to 10E back to 95S to Yuma. One area had all those RVs like that movie from last year (Nomad?). Passed through Yuma Testing Ground. I think it is an artillery range. Checked into iffy Ramada near the airport for $97. Stay at a lower avenue number. This was on 32nd Ave. Decided to do the "Euro" dinner of cheese, wine, charcuterie (and CA roll) at Albertson's. Actually found some great sales (great feta for $2 and half off antipasto mix at $5 and a good NZ SB I had never tried for $10). Plus tried some veggy combo puffed chips. Ate at sunset by the pool with some Lithuanian kids on their way to SD. Woke up and saw the downtown (Colorado River). Ate chili cheese fries and a hot dog at Hamburger Stand. I think they are owned by Wienerschnitzel. Never been before. Drove 8E to 85N to 10E to 202E to Scottsdale. Stayed at 3 Palms for two nights at $173. Free parking. Cheapest place I have ever found near there. It was ok enough. Had beer at Scape Goat. Grabbed a proscuitto, cheese, spinach stuffed chicken scallopine from Olive and Ivy. Grabbed beef taquitos and a cabeza taco from Super Burrito. Tried to do Pizzeria Bianco the next day downtown. One hour wait. Grabbed a Traffic jam sandwich at Sticklers instead. I just had to try something from DT because I made the drive. Didn't want to sit in plus I parked in the wrong side of town and it was over 90. Drove back to Scottsdale and had beer at Goldwater Brewing. Sushi dinner at Bei. Dessert at Bosa Donuts. Woke up at 3:30 am for flight. Of course flight delayed an hour due to mechanical issue. That's that. BTW gas in PHX area (and Vegas) was almost $5. $3.50 elsewhere.

Grub Crawl - SoDo and Winter Park: Dragon King (Closed), House of Mac (Closed) and Just Salad

I tried these spots on Tuesday. The first two at lunch. The third at dinner. All to go. The first two are on South Orange Ave around Michigan. The third is on South Orlando in between Fairbanks and Lee Rd.

Dragon King - I only went to this ancient Chinese place because I needed more of an incentive than just House of Mac and it was the last thing in the area (my route to the airport) that remained untested. What I expected (except for the high prices). Average take out in a decrepit environment. I had the Moo Goo Gai Pan lunch special for $11. Isn't that about twice the going rate before Bidenflation? I swear my local place has it at $6 with a soda. This a bland chicken dish if you were unaware. Came with broccoli, onion, cabbage and carrot. Not as unfresh as some places. Side of fried rice and a mostly fillingless eggroll. Like I said, it was acceptable (not greasy). But not worth the premium price. All the dish prices seemed high. And weird numbers. Like they were lucky numbers or they just took the old spreadsheet and multiplied the old prices by some new profit margin at a fixed percent. Usual menu. 7 tables. Mostly four seaters. Empty at 2pm. Sounds from the kitchen sounded Chinese. One front of house girl. Didn't seem Chinese. In a non-descript strip mall with no real landmark to point you to. Not that I would.

House of Mac - This is another South Florida franchise. Pit Bull's ex-manager. It was announced over a year ago. But, just opened in February. I really thought I was going to flame throw this spot (for a variety of reasons), but, it may have saved itself slightly. I tried the cheapest item because it is just stupid mac and the rest were overpriced. The World Famous Five Cheese Mac and Cheese at $13. I believe they sprinkle it with chemicals (err truffle oil). I was expecting a ramakin of mac. It was a casserole. One of those big tin circle containers. Maybe eight portions worth. I've eaten two. And it was ok. Properly cooked elbow macaroni. Ok sauce (except for the oil and rosemary accents). On the thicker side. Coated with a layer of cheese that I could live with out. But, it's more product. I do believe they pre-prep these. Maybe not. They said it would take ten minutes to prepare. No one can be that slow wrapping up a container. Right? And you can't nuke metal. Not sure because I didn't try it until a bit later and it was room temp then. Not sure if it was ever hotter. I nuked some and it was way better hotter. You can even put the cheese side down and it will leave a skin of cheese after you pick around it. Then you can use that to make a grilled cheese. So, in summary and in conclusion (that's an SNL reference) ok mac - would prefer the non-family size portion at a lower price. Then I MIGHT be tempted to try the $18 burger or more expensive salmon or higher priced macs. But, probably not. Salmon? Here? Defenitely not. The place already looks grubby. They still keep the real estate lady key holder lock on the front door. It never looks open. Just a tiny, unfurnished, square room with a counter at the end. Some pics of the owner with celebs and his spots on tv on a loop on the tvs. That's three "on" (ons?) in one sentence. Not changing it though. I'm torn. It's really just another stupid novelty restaurant. However, it's not as terrible as I thought it would be. But, the sizes and prices aren't single guy (or calorie) friendly. You decide. More people (women) patronize the fake health food dessert (err smoothie) place next door. I guess being associated with Pit Bull isn't quite the same draw up here. It's always empty. How do I know? I've tried this place four times over the past year because of bs info from the internet. But, I guess it would be empty when it was never open. I came one time just before 11am. Open 11am - late (maybe past 11pm). Maybe 7 days? It's near that condo complex in between the hospital and Michigan. There is a Foxtail Coffee at the corner. Parking in back. And homeless people! Some in wheel chairs!

Just Salad - You knew this was coming...Just Stupid. It's it isn't even just bad looking, expensive salads. They also ruin wraps and bowls and soup. I tried the cheapest thing because I was only doing this for you to begin with and even then it everything looked disappointing. I "curated" (actually I don't think they abused this word) a half filled, recycled, cardboard quinoa bowl with three items (shredded broccoli, chick peas and cherry tomatoes) and a protein (they do abuse this poor word). That would be six "nuggets" of dry, supermarket salad bar chicken. The guy gave me a tiny dressing cup (avocado something), but, he kind of made it sound like it should cost extra. Made me think of that scene in Beverly Hills Cop where Damon Wayans tells Eddie Murphy to "go on and take those bananas" (for the tailpipe of course). It cost $11. Most listed things were a few bucks more. They have around fifteen add ons. Just tofu as an extra "tein". Rice or sweet potatoes too. Order at a counter. Modern build. White. Tile. Counter in rear of building. Seats aside and up front. Odd because parking is in the rear and most people will see their ass before their face. See what I did there? Ass and rear in the same sentence. This is another unnecessary (and hopefully unwelcome) South Florida franchise. There are at least five other "healthy" rip off chains in the area already. I was ambivalent about this place when I thought it was an all you can eat salad bar. This was another punch to the nether region entirely. It's across from that Knife Cake place (Golden Knife?). Closer to Fairbanks. Some place listed as Superica is being built out at the end of the strip mall. Seems months away. 

*I heard that Farm & Haus opened a location on Park Ave. Don't look for a review. See the one from when I went to the East End market location.

Grub Crawl - College Park and Lake Ivanhoe: Turci Pasta and Ivanhoe 1915

I tried these spots at dinner last Monday. The first is on Edgewater near Princeton. The second is on Orlando near Princeton.

Turci Pasta - It was Trevi pasta. Some Brazilian partner made it more of a restaurant a few years ago (2019). It ended up being pretty high end. I tried one of the lower priced off ramps to go. It might have been an app.  Gnocchi au Gratin for $13. It was really good. Delicate gnocchi. Tasty cheese and cream sauce. Big portion. They have a $50 prix fixe. I think lasagna was $44. Around eight apps and eight mains. Mostly pasta. Expensive.  They also sell uncooked pasta. Seats about 40. Dressed up staff. Odd layout. Small front room with rectangular hall on left side. I believe they open for lunch at 1pm. I was very impressed.

Ivanhoe 1915 - Not a year. The address. Was another gay bar a while back. This for a year. Exactly the same. Now they do a moderate lunch plus snacks at dinner. Just grabbed a hot dog with chips for $4 because I was less than impressed with the options. They have some relationship with Savoy. Not my scene, so, not certain of what is going on here. You can ignore them. 

Grub Crawl - New Smyrna Beach: Stoked Poke, La Fiesta and Perfecto Pizza

I tried these spots on Monday at lunch. The first is before the bridge to Flagler Ave. The second is right after the bridge. The last is across from Publix after the other bridge.

Stoked Poke - It was a cookie dough place called Dough Girl. Now the same people sell a bit of that from a fridge and poke, tacos and acai bowls. I sampled a tuna taco with bacon and avocado for $5. Not bad. Good combo. Why hasn't it always come with bacon? Raw tortilla. Big portion.  $15 bowls. $13 for acai. Basically salon and tuna. Opened four months ago. 

La Fiesta - I had the shredded beef taquito (3) app for $9 and tortilla soup bowl for $8. The beef was tender. Flauta sized. Tons of guac and sour cream. Could have stopped with these. Soup was also huge. I left half. So much rice. Chicken and avocado and cheese and strips. Fresh veg. Even green beans. Fresh broth. Two winners. They have a big menu. The usual plus things like cazuelitas. Dishes from Veracruz, Cancun, Guadalajara. Booze. Weird design. Some mismatching. Green turf on wall by hostess desk. They should have redone the floors. Bar in center. Patio. Bare decor. They opened in July. Open 7 days for l and d. They have another location. Port Orange I believe. Quick service. Small parking lot. Much better than I expected.

Pefecto Pizza - They bought out Planet Pizza a year ago. Seems the same. Bought a slice for $2.50. Terrible. Cardboard. 

Grub Crawl - Oviedo: Ford's Garage and Maple Street *UAE Travel Notes

I tried these spots on Wednesday at lunch. They are both in some shopping complex on East Mitchell Hammock Rd (beyond Alafaya Trail). 

Ford's Garage - The first of these I saw was near the outlets by Disney Springs. It is a chain from Ft Myers with a licensing deal with Ford Motors. This is number 22 of 23. Most are in Florida. Two years or so old. They serve the usual and have a large beer selection. I tried the usual. A CB with ff for $14+. It was pretty good. Sizable. I tried the 1/2 lb one (also in 1/3rd). Almost medium rare. Not much flavor to the meat. Tough bun with Ford emblem branded in. Greasy lettuce. Hopefully from the meat and not the mouth. Ripe tomato. Fresh onion. Rubbery, dry pickle. The cheese melted around the patty like they steamed it. Tasted like McD's cheese. Good (normal-ish) fries. They also sell: sandwiches, mac and cheeses, meatloaf, chicken tenders, ribs, salads, brisket, salmon, ahi, nachos, pretzels, soups, wings, fish and chips, desserts, etc. Ribs are costliest at $26. Most things in the teens. Sodas were $3.50. Bar at end of room. Old truck above it. Tap wall had some kind of back splash. Pennies, I think. Tables between bar and entrance. Patio in front. TVs with sports. It was almost full. Napkins rings were those clamps they put around hoses. Gas pumps handles at the door. Things like that. Wood. It's a theme restaurant. But, not as bad as you'd think. 

Maple Street Biscuit Company - I saw this driving in. Turns out they are owned by Cracker Barrel. Quite a few locations. The guy said they opened six years ago. Menu claimed 2012 (probably the chain's birthdate). I ordered a spinach and goat cheese one because it was almost the cheapest at $7. They gave me the other one (the cheapest) for free. Because I'm so charming. I think it cost $3. It was an cinnamon iced one. I liked that better. The other was ok. The toppings were fresh. But, their biscuits were tough. And I don't love the salty aftertaste you get with them (biscuits in general). This is funny because I think everyone goes to Cracker Barrel because of the biscuits. I never found them that much of an enticement. The place is just a square room. Like a Johnny Rockets or Panera. It had a few old gals for lunch. They also sell breakfasty stuff. Like eggs. Some biscuits ran to double digits. They need to call in that Callie lady from Charleston to oversee their biscuit execution. It will be interesting to see if that Southern Rise chain is any better when they finally open in Winter Park.

*Travel Notes - United Arab Emirates: I flew to Dubai (Air Canada thru Toronto and United thru Newark) for $764. In at 7pm. Didn't have to rescan bags/self in Toronto. They had a Susur Lee restaurant there. I took the Red Line Metro from T1 at the airport right to my hotel at Burj Khalifa stop for under $3. They have enclosed overpasses to either side of the highway. On a map you wonder if you will have to play Frogger. I stayed at the Rove City Walk for two nights at $95 (a bit of tax on the room). I explored around the hotel (mosque, shopping center and sports arena) the next day and onto (using the overpass) the Dubai Mall. This is where the fountains and the Burj is. Should have gone up the Burj. Saved it for last day and it was cloudy and I had my bag, so, I didn't go. It costs around $40. Got money from the ATM here and ate lomi soup with side of shu mai at Chow King in the food court. Explored the area. Ate dinner at McD's. Tired. Booked the Holiday Inn Internet City that night for the rest of the stay. Didn't know what area to nest in. This area had the beach and that palm shaped island nearby. Marina seemed a bit too isolated. It wasn't. This was also closer to the Metro station. It cost $70 a night for three nights. Free breakfast. Easy to find. Tram here cost the same. Walked to Marina. Took another tram back (same price) past hotel to stop closest to beach. The track is down here, but, they must need to build the stations or something. Ok beach. Seemed like sand was brought in. View of Burj al Arab hotel. Too tired to walk all the way to it. Grabbed some crap (beef pepperoni, chips, bread, etc) at a market. Took a $39 day tour to Abu Dhabi the next day. By far the best call. Abu Dhabi is cleaner and nicer. Plus you could see alot more with a car. The main excursion was a giant mosque. Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque. Bring long pants. Leftovers for dinner. Stayed in the next day for fantasy baseball draft purposes. Can you believe it happened then? I need better planning. It was to be a beach day as well, but, I decided that I could live without it. Plus I was getting little rest. Dinner of smoked salmon, Omani potato chips and chicken with pasta from the same market. Flight (like most to US) didn't leave until 2am the next day. Bought an all day Metro pass for $6. Went to Emirates Mall to see the indoor ski slopes. Then to Gold/Spice Souq area in Al Ras. Then to Creek area in Al Shindagha. Then to Al Fahidi (oldest/original area of town). Then back to Burj for dinner. Two falafels with ff at Nablus Eats in the food court. Waited for the fountain show to start. It didn't. Left for Terminal 3 in the airport. Had popped lotus seeds with tumeric from a shop there. The funny thing about going here is you fly over places like Mt Ararat and Baghdad and Iran and Kuwait. The original flight route had us over Kiev. It was cloudy going there. Saw more on trip back. Persian Gulf is calmer than I expected. No waves. Emirates are like 80% foreigners. Mostly Indians, Filipinos and Euros (lots of Rooskies). English spoken everywhere. No real dress codes. Safe. Most everything in Dubai was in reach of the Metro. It is like a mile inland. Not anymore expensive than elsewhere. Western food. An outpost of every type of trendy worldwide famous (many I hadn't heard of) food producers. Not too hot yet. Weird smog/pollution. Dry but humid. Your throat won't love it here. Easily the most familiar Arab destination I've visited. A mix of DT Miami (buildings/water), Chicago (metro) and Vegas (heat/sand). Every type of modern architecture. A bit boring, but, ok. I had planned this trip three years ago. Then Covid. Prices were almost equivalent now. It was a non-stop flight though, last time. With Emirates. And Rove hotel in the Marina. Never could find ligamat (local donut with date syrup). Don't use the pod hotels in the airport. You have to go through customs and check in before you can get to them. My airline didn't open desk until three hours before take off. And you had to physically check in. Not sure if they let you in on arrival (or if you come in through another terminal) because you haven't cleared Customs. You seemed to have to take a taxi to the other airport hotels. Just take the Metro into town. Not much benefit for staying near airport.

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.