Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken, Winter Park *Switzerland Travel Notes

I tried this biscuit chain in between Bulla and the new library (also think Shake Shack and Trader Joe's area) Wednesday at lunch. The name kept making me think of Aaron Judge. I grabbed the Righteous Chicken Biscuit (buttermilk) to go for $6.75. It was fine. Ok seasoning. Thicker and squatter chicken than the fast food places. Ok biscuit. Not excessively salty or dry (or moist). There you go. Not much offered. Not much to write about. They stick to their knitting. A cheese biscuit. A roll. A blueberry biscuit. You can add fake chicken and sausage. Real sausage, bacon, egg and maybe ham. A few sauces. Cheese (pimento and another). Almost all variations cost more. Sides included tots and a few other things. Donuts. They try and to avoid any inter-personal contact. You order at a kiosk and they put the bag in a locker. The guy directly behind the counter (ordering tablet) never even looked up once. I'm not sure what his job was. They open at 7am and close at 2pm. It is a small, long, rectangular foot print. Like a Domino's. Much more cheap, take out like than I expected (or saw in Savannah). Modern. White. Only seating (limited) is outside). I believe they started in NC. Finally opened this store around a week ago. Two others here while I was. Not much new or mindbending. You can just go to say you have. I don't get the biscuit (or bagel or muffin or donut) as bread line of thinking anyway. Just seems like being different for the sake of being different. These things are too thick to get into your mouth or too flimsy to keep their fillings in. And a biscuit is just formed sawdust.

*Travel Notes - Switzerland: CH is for Swiss Francs. Exchange rate was 1 to 1.15. Not in our favor. It was over 90 and sunny every day. I flew Delta through JFK to Geneva for $770. Late PM there. Midday back. Three hour delay in JFK for air-con issue. A minor air-com issue delayed us on the return. Same plane? Took the bus to hotel for 3CH. Internet said they had a free one. It stopped two years ago. I took train for same price back. I think that was faster. Stayed at Hotel de Geneve that first day for $105. All hotels had some city tax that sometimes the booking sites included and sometimes did not. I will leave those out. Figure 2-4CH a night. Maybe per person. I was alone. I walked the old city and lakefront. Cathedral, Rousseau's house, Parc des Bastions, Red Cross birthplace, beach, waterspout. Not my first time here. I'll add at this point that I did almost no eating out. Just supermarket buys because everything was double even our inflated prices and the selection was good and I was usually tuckered out. I'll list the goodies at the end. I also bought a train pass. Last time I remember choking (and telling them to f off and get me a ticket to Milan) at the prices. It was worse this time. I do think the tellers (especially if you get a jerk) quote you the first class price, etc. There is on online site called Trainline.com where you can by exact time departure tickets for less. I wasn't sure if it was legit though. A conductor told me it was later on. I decided I just didn't want to play 20 Questions while jetlagged with an extra three hour delay and bought a six day Flex pass for $384CH. It was smart. This is why. You start getting more for your money the more days you add. I could have done eight. That might have been perfect. Maybe one day too much. If you stay two or three nights in each city, you can make it all the way back to the start with no drama. And I advise you to hit two or three cities in one day to squeeze the most out of these cheapskates. You will see how I did this as we go on. To Basel the next day. Through Neuchatel and Olten. Stayed at the Hotel Metropol near the station for $197 for two nights. It was supposed to be the Hotel City Inn. They ran three hotels next to each other. This listed for more, but, had no AC. I didn't notice the switch. Just decided to leave it be after I did. Easy walk to city center. Saw the usual. Rathaus, cathedral, tower, museums, city walls, etc. Bathed in the Rhine River. Walked both sides of it. They have Art Basel here. I had never been. I expected more. Still it was cute. Took train through Zurich to a town in the north called Schaffhausen. I should add that many of these place I learned of through this guy on PBS that has a show where he rides trains around Switzerland. It was cute. Paid 6CH (though I learned later that my flex pass probably was good for this) for a return bus pass to these waterfalls about four miles away (you pass them on the train) called Rhein Falls. Came back and walked the town up to a fort (Munot). Back on the train (this was a slow one) aside the Bodensee (we call it Lake Constance) to St Gallen (named for an Irish monk). Stayed at the Hotel Elite for $224 for two nights. Same sort of things. The best part was a trail above the city. You pay 2CH for funicular that is behind the Cathedral. I only walked it a few miles. You can take it to the lake. It passes by these three ponds that the locals use to swim in. Great views of the city and beyond. It was Sunday and almost everything was closed. Next I took the train to Zurich and on to Chur. I should say at this point that I never checked a schedule and just showed up and no matter where I was going (big city or small) that I never waited more than 15 minutes. Chur is on the way to St Moritz (in the southwest). I came here to check out a small ski village nearby called Arosa. It was cute. Slow train to there. Oddly, it was full of Hassids. I read about in USA Today. Before that, I checked with the ticket office to see if they had open spots on the Glacier Express. Amazingly they did. I paid the extra 49CH you need to reserve a seat. I used my flex pass for the rest (it is usually $100 just for that). If you can get a seat. My seatmate said he booked three months ahead. I probably shouldn't have jumped at that opportunity. I should have asked if they had seats two days later. They might have. Then I could have done St Moritz too. But, I have been there before and hotels were in the $200 range (outside of the center) and I did end up having fun not doing much at the end of the journey. So, because of the jaunt to Arosa, I didn't see much (not much anyway) of Chur. Cathedral. museums, etc. Stayed at Hotel Franziskaner for $90. Glacier Express to Brig the next day. Most go to Zermatt and the Matterhorn. But, I have already been there and wanted to stay on the main line because I wasn't sure how up to date it was. It was just like the rest of the country. I probably should have gone on to Zermatt. The ride was ok. Not life changing. Brig was cute. Very busy rail/bus hub. Same things. It was some stupid holiday, so, all the stores and markets were closed. Had to scramble for food. I had a room with a balcony at the Hotel Victoria across from the station for $112. Onto Lausanne. Stopped at Martigny. Roman ruins (arena, etc), cathedral, fort, Barryland (St Bernard dogs museum). You can get to Mont Blanc from here. Stopped at Montreux. This is back on Lake Geneva. Walked the lakefront to the Chateau de Chillon. Lord Byron made it famous and some say it started the whole "Grand Tour" romantic movement. It took about 45 minutes. I think you can get a bus or train too. Onto Vevey. Same things. Charlie Chaplin ended up here. His grave is here. You can tour his house. It was too late for that. Onto Lausanne. I stayed away from the lake this time. It was grimy up there. Up two stations on the funicular to the Hotel Crystal at $256 for two nights. I also chose to stay up here to hear the town crier at the Cathedral. Went up there for a great view. 3CH. Walked the area. Took funicular down to the lake again. They have the Olympic Museum here fyi. They have some new area of converted warehouses called FLON. Too many addicts, etc though throughout the city. Lots of young girls. Onto Bern. First time. Now my favorite city in Switzerland. The capitol. Uncorrupted. Feels like the old days here. On the Aare river. I rented a locker at this park (Marzilibad) for 5CH and put my stuff in there and floated/swam down the river five times. Or you could buy a dry bag for 50CH. The best part of the trip. Dove off a bridge. Would have gone five more times, but, I got a huge blister walking barefoot from the point to point. That was day two. On day one I walked the town. Clock tower, Parliament, casino, Einstein's house, bear zoo, waterfall, bridges, other side of the river, churches, museums, theater, etc. Stayed at the Hotel Pergola for $210 for two nights. It was slightly west of DT. But, in a great, quiet neighborhood called Monbijou. The city was so clean. Quiet. The people were well dressed. Not so many tourists. My pass ran out here. A ticket to Geneva was 51CH. I stayed at the Hotel Astoria for two nights for $212. Near the station. Quiet somehow. They had AC. Cute hotel. I immediately put on my suit and walked to that beach on the lake. It was Sunday. So crowded. Still good. So many girls. Swam, etc. Walked a bit further to a private beach area and back and past Park la Grange on the other side of the street. The next day I walked past the WHO complex on the opposite side of the lake in the morning (great stroll) and back to the beach after lunch. Not as crowded. That's it. I won't list the wines I had. Mostly Swiss. There were so many vineyard areas throughout the country. 

Ate alot of roast chicken and smoked salmon. Tried these meats: chorizo, ochsenmaul (like beef head cheese) and schinken (ham). Samuel Bell was the brand. Cheese: Frontal, Helvetikuss, Aarganer Traum, Moron de Jura, Herzstuck, Tome Aletsch, Fromage frais au lait de Brebis (sheep), Ziger, Tomme de Geneve and three other goat cheeses. Most were Swiss. A few French (ie the goat). Maybe a few misspellings in there. I also had Johannisberren, watermelon and hazelnut yogurt. Some cheese topped bread called Langenkase Knopf. I bought from Coop and Migros. Migros doesn't sell alcohol. The best values were Migros .60CH dark chocolate bars and 2.50 CH pasta salad. Coop had 6.50CH half a roasted chicken, $4.50CH smoked salmon, .60CH liter soda, .60 yogurt, 1CH mozz, and 1CH rice cakes. That became the go to with goat cheese. Watch for prices marked in 100g. I really only had two other purchases - great cassis gelato at Cuckoo in Bern and some cheese and beer and bad cider (oh yeah, I tried about five Swiss beer brands) from Zenhausern (a fancy market) in Chur. I also had one McD's hamburger for lunch at 2.50 (or a cb for 2.90) a pop on most days. Too hot to eat much else. I think the increase in my page views may be ChatGPT related. I understand that you can ask it to make you a travel plan. It scours the Internet for the info. Maybe I'm being scoured?

Duck & Drake, College Park

I went here two Mondays ago because I believe the OW had written that this was their new address. Nope. Just the same food truck at Digress. They did say that they plan to move to DT at Radius condos or something soon. I won't be attending based on this unimpressive display. I tried the butter chicken pie because I thought it would be pre-made and come out quickest. Nope. And that just makes it worse. It was a tiny thing that they felt unembarrassed to value at $16. I did mention it was a food truck? I've had better pasties or meat pies for $3. Bland. Boring. They married it with a mail order bride of a dry field green salad. Sad. They have about a dozen snacks on the menu. Three were unavailable. Priced from $9 to $18. Not much new or inventive. You can pass and maybe wait to see if they improve the menu when they go brick and mortar. Although, would you be shocked if the prices grow more imbalanced in the process? Next!

Pho Drive Thru, OBT

I must have some serious brain damage to interrupt my current drunken repose in a secret location to inform you of this mediocre Vietnamese play.  I'm really doing so to hip you to some time sensitive travel info. It will follow.

I had a pork roll and pate banh mi for a ridiculous $10.  Hey, auto correct coding imbeciles! It's not bang mi. And if you correct banh. Why not the mi part? Anyway. Thin, Publix bought baguette. Sloppy with the butter. Not much roll or pate. Veg ok. Fresh. Limited menu. Just around six sammies (not jammies mfers) and two phos. Chicken or beef broths with noodles for $10. You can add the usual meats for up to $8. The place looks like an old fast food restaurant. They tried to spruce it up with some color, but, it looks worn already. A hodge podge of reclaimed, bankruptcy restaurant furniture. It had a few customers at 2pm. Surprisingly mixed crowd. It's at OBT and Central Palm Parkway. That is about half way between I-4 and the mall. You can avoid it. Just go to Chinatown or Mills for better at half the price. Open for around a month.

*OK. If you were interested in England or Scandinavian bargain flights, I think Norwegian Air has become Norse Air. I just booked a non-stop to Gatwick last night on Labor Day+ for $395. It was like $1200 in June. Stockholm and Oslo were around mid-$600s. Connects in London. Dates didn't really matter. It might have been a five day flash sale. So, hurry up. They aren't paying me. I'm too lazy or stupid to monetize. They go all over Europe. FYI - one more post in a few days for the dinner before I left.

Grub Crawl - Milk District: Otto's High Dive and Smoke & Donuts

I tried these two spots on Friday night. The first is on East Robinson and just off Bumby. Next to Stasio's Deli. The second is closer to 50 on North Primrose. Next to Seven Bites.

Otto's High Dive - It is upscale Cuban inspired fare with a rum bar (I think they call it Abandanza or something). I wonder why it is called Otto's? It opened in December. Only dinner. Seven days. It will be on the Favorites List. I had the pork belly for $28. It was one of the better dishes I've had (not just in CF) in a while. The pork belly was so tender and succulent. Maybe the best I've ever been served. Like buttah. I would have eaten it even if it was all fat and no meat. It sat atop a corn puree with pickled blueberries that may have been even better. They said there was no funky aged cheese accent added to it. Through some accidental (or purposeful) alchemy it tasted like there was. And it tasted magical. The portion size isn't huge, but, it packs so much intense flavor that you won't need more. The menu is smallish. Media noche is the cheapest at $16. Ropa vieja at $24. A few other things (like chicken) from the low twenties to over thirty. $2 imported oysters. $18 tuna ceviche app. A few more apps like that. I think I remember an interesting fish tiradito for $20. They have a section of finger foods like croquettas. They were $6. Sides as well, of course. The dishes I saw around me (and comments) all were encouraging. The dish came out fast. But, not too fast. I sat at the bar because it was full to capacity. There is also a patio in front and a slender area in between. Some other bar like seats at the window. There are so many people on the staff. Seven alone around the bar area. Two hostesses. And it is a small foot print. The staff is hopelessly on trend. Nose rings (on the men now) and tats galore. You know. Comformist originality. Though it really has been going on for so long that it is probably better described as retro or normative at this point in time. At least they aren't back to slicing their tongues in half. The crowd was diverse (not just in superficial tones). The place has a black, white and maple color palette. The bar is well stocked. Many "curated" cocktails. It is separated from the main room by a half wall. Maybe ten seats at the bar and ten tables in the main room. Five outside. Parking is an issue. I forget the story about the man behind the magic. I think he has some credentials. If not, this place should supply hin with them. I was ambivalent (mostly because I have found that Cuban cuisine has a low ceiling) about the place before I ate here. Just the next on the list to try. Now I'm convinced. The standards seem high. The creativity is present. The execution is flawless. I just wish there was a special or two to really push the boundaries. And I'm not even complaining about the prices. You know it's good! I would find my way here asap. Ohh, they add in a 18% gratuity. But, at least they informed me of it. Query - is mandatory gratuity going to be the new participation trophy? Because, you know, apparently any kind of praise is no longer OPTIONAL. And ownwership is another Gen X parent. I will end by stating that when I compare them to some of the questionable selections in the Michelin Guide that I have eaten at recently, I surely hope they put these guys on the next list. Or make them the bar you have to surpass to get on it. They present you with a praiseworthy product. Not just a praiseworthy product that fills a slot. Though (if they aren't vile Anglo appropriators) they do that too. And that goes for all the other ratings entities or individuals engaged in diversity scale im/re/un/balancing.

Smoke & Donuts - Now the flip side. I had the pit sampler for $18. It was a choice of three meats (I did brisket, pulled pork and sausage) with one side (I did mashed potatoes) and cornbread. The cornbread was the best. And that's the rub (no pun). The baking side seems solid. The bbq is not. The brisket tasted like roast beef or prime rib. No smoke. Rubbery. Tough. Not sliced right. The pork was thick strands of tough and flavorless meat. The sausage was ok (some nice earthy flavors). But, I'll bet they buy it. The portion sizes were also not too generous. And they bragged about how well they do this. Reality check? The mashed potatoes (with gravy) were a goopy mess. Sort of like runny Boston Market mp. The sauces were also not great. And man do you need them! They also had ribs and chicken and maybe turkey. The usual sides. Not cheap. I think sandwiches started at near double digits and single meat plates at mid teens. The best bargain seemed to be a chopped brisket on a donut for $6. You order at a counter. They have a few tables. The donuts (behind the counter) looked amazing. I think the do breakfast too. Not much ambience. I think it was an ancient diner/cafe before this. Parking in front. Don't expect too much (or hope I had a bad sampler) and you may not be disappointed. Maybe avoid the "smoke"? Open 7 days. L & D. Open for a year or six months? I forget what they said.

*Congratulations to those old crones Downtown that spent 3 million bucks for the next homeless encampment at Lake Eola. And have you seen this meat crust pizza from Argentina? Am I late to the table on this one?

Aurora, UCF Area *AL/IN/OH/WV/VA/NC/SC/FL Travel Notes

I tried this restaurant in the Celeste Hotel Friday at lunch. It is on Alafaya Trail in between the front entrance and the theater entrance. They have valet parking, but, you can self park. Get a pass for the window. I think they said they have been open for a year. Light gray walls. Plates with primitive symbols on the wall. Maple tables. Purple-ish and lavender seats. Cloth napkins. The hostess desk was mostly unmanned. There for a short time when no one was present. Not there when they were. I had to chase down employees to get a table. I think they rotate the lobby and bar hotel staff. Only two on the wait staff. Rectangular floor plan. One big private room on the right side. Some two seater booth aside it. The rest are four seaters against the window. The menu was a bit dull and overpriced. I had a grilled chicken sandwich with bibb lettuce, tomato and avocado. The chicken was ok. A tad dry. Good bun. Fresh veg. Like a Chick Fil-a sandwich. However this cost $16. Came with ok fries. It was the cheapest thing. I recall a burger, two salads, an app with burrata and a sliced filet sandwich with goat cheese. I expected it to be a bit more engaging. Just the usual hotel restaurant fare. Service was good. It was mostly empty except for the private room. 

*Travel Notes - Alabama/Indiana/Ohio/West Virginia/Virginia/North Carolina/South Carolina/Florida: I rented a car from Budget for two weeks. $507 with tax. This trip was just a filler to avoid flying. I was going to go to Texas. But, it was too hot. Many, if not most of the things, I wanted to do did not get done. Mostly because things were closed on the days I was driving through them or teams were elsewhere. I drove the first day through Atlanta to 20 to Oxford Alabama. I was trying to get past Atlanta without traffic. And I had never driven that stretch of highway. I stayed at a Sleep Inn for $109 (rack rate). Watched the Wimbledon final. I then drove to Birmingham for lunch at Niki's West on 378 (on Bizarre Foods). It sucked. Overpriced cafeteria slop. I then drove north through Tennessee and Kentucky. Forgot about Fort Knox. Some distilleries were too far off the highway. I was intending to hit Memphis and St Louis, but, things wouldn't have been open and weather reports were bad. Diverted route northward. Got stuck in traffic for hours north of Nashville (downed cable). Had to sleep in Seymour Indiana because most hotels in between had jacked up prices or were booked due to kids' baseball tournaments and a Beyonce concert in Louisville. Found a Quality Inn for $106. I bypassed Hamilton Indiana because destinations (breweries) didn't open until 4pm and some had shuttered. Went through Cincinnati. Ate at White Castle (burgers) and Skyline Chili (coneys) in Sharonville. On through Columbus via 70. To Cambridge Ohio because I have this 2015 copy of Food Traveler (with Adam Richman on the cover) sitting on top of my toilet and they put an ad in there that I have been re-reading for eight years. It's on the SE border. It sucked. Like a more neglected Scranton PA. None of charm promised in the ad. I stayed at a Microtel for $85. Had a bad brownie and Swedish tea pastry at Kennedy's Bakery. Good blackberry pie at Theo's. Horrible (probably packaged and nuked) sopapilla at Mr Lee's. Beer from McKenna's Market. The next day bought ok peanut butter cup and chocolate covered graham crackers and chocolate covered rice crispy treat at Nothing But Chocolate. All these were in the ad. Drove south an exit to Lake Seneca. Had ok fried cod with mac and a baked potato at Dockside in Senecaville. Drove some backroads to see the northern edge of the lake. Through Wheeling West Virginia on 470 to 250S. I wanted a new route. Back on 79 to 19S. Stayed the night at a SureStay in Summerville WV for $101. Went white water rafting from 2pm to 5pm on the New River with ACE Adventure in Oak Hill WV (like 20 miles south) for $132. By far the highlight of the trip. Had a chicken salad biscuit and a blt biscuit at a chain called Tudor's Biscuit World. Kept seeing their stores. Drove over to Charlottesville Virginia via 64E through Staunton. That was a longer drive than I thought. Slept two nights at a noisy Super 8 on 29 just north of 250 loop for $98 a night. This area is gentrifying. Waited a half hour for a shitty chicken burrito at Torchy's. And they put it in a bowl. Not a tortilla. Tried wineries in the NE and NW quadrants over the next two days. Sampled wine from these: Barboursville Vineyards, The Barn at 678, Reynard Florence Vineyards, Stinson Vineyards, Grace Estate Winery, Glass House Winery and Hark Vineyards. Visited but rejected (mostly over pricing): Merrie Mill Farm & Vineyard, Keswick Vineyards, Horton Cellars, Well Hung Vineyard and Knight's Gambit Vineyard. Some of these idiots wanted $25+ for a flight (4). $17 for a glass. Most of the places I went were under half that. Good quality. Especially the reds. I ate a late lunch the first day at the Blue Ridge Cafe on 33 and 29 because I kept missing the places I wanted to eat at and ended up here by chance. Had liver and onions and mp and a baked potato. The red wine was talking. Got a pulled pork sandwich at BBQ Exchange in Gordonsville because I passed by it. The next day I ate a good pizza from the Crustworthy food truck at Hark Vineyards. I should say that I lucked out on the wineries I went to. Didn't review any of them before hand. Nice people and locations too. Beautiful drives through the country. This has to be the most livable city in America. Stayed night three at a Red Roof Inn closer to 250 loop for $98 because I extended the stay and didn't love the Super 8. Drove 64E through Richmond to 295 to 95. Had a spicy fried chicken biscuit with honey at Biscuitville in Roanoke Rapids NC. Stayed the night at a Comfort Inn in Lumberton North Carolina for $93 because I overestimated the time (and traffic) to Charleston. Ate good fried chicken at Smithfield's Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q. Drove 95S to 26S to Charleston South Carolina. Ate fancy hard boiled eggs and pickled shrimp on toast at Baba's on Meeting (HSR). The following restaurants were either from How She Rolls on PBS or a Travel and Leisure article. HSR and TL from now on. Had beer at Baker & Brewer. Met the beer guy there and he told me to go to their other brewery (Holy City) in North Charleston. It is in an area near the Naval Yards called Park Circle. A new hip area. I did after some fried chicken to go from Leon's (HSR). Then over Rittenberg Blvd to Frothy Beard Brewing (TL). Then on to 17 to West Ashley and a Sleep Inn. Stayed there for two nights at $112 a night. Dinner of bad chili cheese fries and pulled pork at Hugh Baby's. It was new. Hockey puck burger the next day at Little Jack's Tavern (HSR). Near Leon's. King and Race. Back to Park Circle to Wind & Waves Brewing. Coneys at Park Circle Coney Island and fried cod at the Codfather. Both surprisingly good and cheap. Visited the Naval Yards. The place that houses this old sub (Hunley) was closed. Went to Riverfront Park. Cute area with nice houses. Back to Spruill St (that Meeting St turns into) to Firefly Distillery. Willie Nelson is playing there in late October. Did a tasting for $13. Over to Coast Brewing Company. They weren't open, but, this guy inside just gave me a four pack for free. Over to Common House Ale Works. I should say that some of these places are really visually impressive. Back to West Ashley. Bento with enormous portion (like 4x) of teriyaki chicken at Konnichiwa. Maybe because I scolded them for $12 two piece nigiri that I still think must be a typo. Breakfast of chicken salad from East Bay Deli. On to Vilano Beach Florida. That brewer told me about it. It is north of St Augustine Beach channel. More pristine. I'm glad I learned of it. Will go there from now on. You take 16 off 95. You can see the fort and downtown from the channel side of the beach. I stayed at the too dog friendly Magic Beach Motel for $110 a night. There are new hotels (ie Hampton Inn, Hyatt Place, BW) there too. My hotel was almost on the beach. They have a Publix too. A few restaurants. Beach road connects to South Ponta Vedra in the north. Bought some rum the first night and drank rum and coke on the lifeguard stand at dusk. Had iffy sauteed mahi and wild rice (awful pairing) and ok veg at The Reef the next day. Good ahi tacos with bean and chick pea salad and cole slaw at grubby looking 180 Vilano Grill for dinner. It rained that afternoon/night. I guess it was an ok trip. More booze and food and less sights and adventures than I would have liked. But, the next trip should make up for it. Where could it be? They gave me a new SUV instead of a gas friendly compact, so, I tried to compensate with low priced hotels. Gas is actually more expensive here then anywhere I traveled to. The weather also effected where I ended up. Dodging heat, hail and tornados. Thankfully, the car had satelitte radio. How conflicted am I that I like to listen to Larry the Cable Guy's talk show and Tom Popa and Fortune Feemster's too? 

Grub Crawl - West Colonial (50): Meet Fresh, Friendship BBQ (Closed) and Paul's Unique Gourmet (Closed) *UK Travel Notes

I tried these spots last night. They are on West Colonial. The first two are in "Chinatown" on either side of the Enson (I know that is incorrect but close) Market. The last is closer to I-4. John Young intersection?

Meet Fresh - I think they opened just a few months (or weeks ago). They said they are a world wide chain. I believe it was Taiwanese sweet items. I had the almond pudding with sweet beans for $3.50. Or something like that. There were too many new things to absorb. Add in a single terminal that would not display prices until check out and I was awash selecting anything. They also did "soups", bowls, waffles, mochi, drinks. Many things. The non-"snacks" were near $9 to $10. My dish was like a coconut custard with sweet red beans around it. Ok for water and tofu. The place is hospital white. Lots of open space. MODERN. If it is a choice between this and boba places, I choose this.

Friendship BBQ - They opened very recently. I think they have some prior association with the post-apocalyptic wokeland of New York. I don't think their target market is the West. The sign (and clientele) is mostly in Chinese. Tiny English lettering. I almost couldn't find it. It is mostly a skewer place. And their presentation was a bit gross. The waitresses just carried them from the kitchen to a table like they were a bouquet of flowers. Add in a waste trolley hanging out in plain site and it all started working against the modern interior design. Is this mod-cuisine or a street market stall? I settled on the lamb and potato burrito for $12. Firstly because most of the menu was mostly skewered meat and secondly because they said they had already raised the price (by 25%) on the menu on the fired rice with lamb and thirdly because it sounded weird and fourthly because I didn't feel like eating in before I began a road trip. It was just skewered lamb (2) in a naan like fried bread. Didn't taste any potato. Just wilted lettuce and tomato. It was ok. I had to cook the meat a bit more in the micro. Cumin flavor. Some spice paste. The menu has crazy things like: cow aorta, lamb kidney, bullfrog, chicken heart, bone marrow, quail, skeleton, lamb spine, and abalone. The place looked cool. Modern. Three columns of seats. Around six rows. A bar (with no stools) in back. Alley like lay out. About 1/5th full. Good, young, cute service. It just needs to clean up its act.

Paul's Unique Gourmet - I had them on the list and then I went by months ago and the place looked closed. I guess it was a break. They opened in October. Haitian. They seem to be big in Miami. Let's not get into that. I already had dinner, so, I ordered their cheapest thing (tenders were not available). 6 wings for $10. They turned out to be ok. Plump. Three of each type. I had to cook these a little bit too. Jerk flavor. I added no flavor because they seemed not to be dips. Maybe I was wrong on that. Most meals were around $20. Goat, pork, seafood, ribs, chicken. Around eight sides. Fried and grilled. No one was there. Still looked half done. The half done part was modern and clean. An upgrade over the place they replaced. This place may have potential.

Travel Notes (continued) - England: I left you while I was on a National Express bus to Bristol. It doesn't appear that they factored in Friday traffic when they planned the route (nor explained all the stops or e-cig breaks). However, we were so late getting through Manchester that there was no traffic to Birmingham and I make it in time for the transfer. And guess what? It's canceled. The only one. They promise cabs. That they will pay for. It takes an hour, but, they actually come through. The driver was probably drunk and there were eight to a cab, but, they get us there. At 11pm. Started at 11am. I stay at the Holiday Inn near the bus station for $107. See nothing of Bristol. Wake up early and thankfully check the bus web site and run to the station and claim a 10L fare to Taunton at the station. So much more money later on. Arrive in Taunton (in North Somerset) and stumble upon the other bus area that has the bus I want. I just jump on it. A 2L fare (each way) to Minehead. Pretty drive. I like it and decide I will book a room there the next night. So, I just go back to Taunton after a brief investigation. FYI- Minehead seemed as close to Exmoor National Park as I could get without a car. I was wrong. You can get another bus at the same price along the coast westward. I did that the next day. Back to Taunton. Cute town. I stayed at the Royal Ashton for $74. Near the station. Walked the town. Saw cricket stadium and Minster. Bought a train ticket for the next day. Back to Minehead. The other bus (Exmoor Coaster) to Porlock and Lynmouth. It goes on to some cute towns (ie Ilfracombe) on the Bristol Channel. I will do this (but from Barnstaple) next year. This is really hidden gem of an area. Also Lorna Doone country. That's a book (and a character). In Minehead I stayed at the Duke of Wellington for 72L ($91). Most things closed earlier than I expected (Sunday). Back to Taunton in the morning. A 32L train to Salisbury. I think they lied about the anytime fare being the same as a directly timed one. Machines seemed to be rigged to get you to buy those too. FYI - those 2L buses ran all the way to Glastonbury or Wells. I would have done that if they ran on Sundays. I figured out a different route. In Salisbury, I stayed at the Kings Head Inn for 89L ($113). Saw the Cathedral (Magna Carta) and Church of St Thomas Becket. Cute town too. It was rainy. Ate a chicken and leek pasty at Reeve the Baker (and bought a baguette). Had a Saveloy Sausage at Stoby's. Bought a timed train ticket to Bath for 10L. They were starting to strike that week. In Bath, I found the bus station (down the block on the left) and the bus to Wells was there. So, I hopped on. Also 2L. Endless trip. More stops than a school bus. 17 miles took almost 2 hours. It was raining hard. so, I just took a few quick pics of the Cathedral and the Bishop's Palace. Missed the Rector's Close. Cute town. Back to Bath. Bought a timed ticket to Manchester (through Bristol) for $44L. Most were near 100L. Still raining. Stayed at Z Hotels for $105L. I have been there before, so, I just watched tv and kept my things dry. Walked the town a bit in the morning. Train to Manchester. Stayed at the noisy Easy Hotel (near train station) for two nights at $84 per. The next day I bought a 5L unlimited bus pass and took one to Manchester United's stadium at Old Trafford and back (Picadilly Garden) and one to Manchester City's Etihad stadium and back. Ate chicken in black pepper sauce and some nigiri at Sushi Mami. Bought 7L train ticket to airport the next day. Flight back was ok. Had to circle for an hour before landing. Saw Avatar and full season of White Lotus (Sicily). Breezed through customs. 

Things I ate in England: Blacksticks Blue (ok), Abergavenny Goat's Cheese (ok), Aldi duck liver and orange pate (horrible), Moroccan hummus, Scottish seeded oak crackers, white crusty bloomer. Some other sights 

I saw: Inverary Castle, Eilean Donan Castle, Dunster Castle, Thurso Castle, Bristol Suspension Bridge, Isle of Hoy, Old Man of Hoy, Isle of Lismore, Duart Castle, Aston Villa Stadium. The UK was already jammed packed. All the Euros and even some Chinese and Japanese. Tons of Yanks. I was mostly on the west side (and north). More south coast next year. Air fares seem to drop in August. Maybe that will change if the demand stays high? Still love my Gogglebox, QI and Top Gear repeats after a busy day. Plus some Rick Stein. He was in Mexico this year. Their knowledge of Mexican culture is so comically behind the times. BTW - my page views are exploding. Any idea why? You idiots seem to like the travel stuff more than the Orlando stuff.

Mongolorian, East Colonial (50) - Closed *UK Travel Notes

I tried this Mongolian stir fry spot on Saturday at lunch. I have only seen about five minutes of the series that it borrows its name from, but, I hope it isn't as disappointing as this place. I have heard that it has been a hot ticket since it opened around two months ago. It was nearly empty on this day. Maybe the word is out. And the word is not good. It already looks ten years worn. Red and black coloring. You order and pay at a terminal. And of course they still have a tip prompt. You add a number. They call it. I paid $15 for a small bowl of Mongol Empire (beef and chicken on rice). A bit tough. Scant veggies. Not much rice. Not very spicy. They have some kind of (4) cement mixer spinning next to the flat top where they were cooking the meat. I'm not sure if that's where they mix the dish. It was only spitting out water (cleaning?) when I espied it. They have a few "predetermined" options. Or you can make your own. Same prices. Pork, beef, chicken and I think a fake meat one. Maybe shrimp. A few types of noodles and rice. A few sauces. Eight or so apps (ie wings or edamame) around $7. Six tables for four at the window. Two high tops of four in the middle. Open 11am-3pm and then 5pm to ? Adequate parking. Near Bumby on East Colonial. Just low level take out that should cost half as much. Avoid.

*Travel Notes - United Kingdom: I will split this into two parts (Scotland and England). 1L = $1.28. I paid $960 for a NS to Manchester on Aer Lingus. London was $300 more. Red eye there and 11am return. Our terminal 3. Breezed through customs. It cost 6L for a train from the airport (you have to walk very far now from their new terminal 2 to airport station) to Picadilly Station. Thankfully, I booked Motel One at the last minute before I left for 90L ($166). They let me in my room at 9am. I have been to Manchester a few times (and seen most things), so, I just slept and grabbed dinner at a market and bought a train ticket. All the missing meals from now on were supermarket meals (mostly Co-Op or Sainsbury) of cheese, hummus, bread, charcuterie and wine or beer or cider. A few trips to McD's too. I went to Edinburgh by train (no xfers added around 10L to cost) for 57L. Stayed at Royal Princes Suites for two days at $166 a night. It was almost impossible to find mid-priced accomodations. I walked to Leith via some great old train paths in a park. Saw the Royal Yacht. Came back. Wandered around this side of town. It was drizzly. Went to National Portrait Gallery (free) the next day. Bought a bus ticket. Ate lunch at Oink on Royal Mile. It was whole hog sandwiches. I had one with haggis spread and apple sauce. Very good. Walked up to Arthur's Seat (hill at end of Royal Mile). Mostly why I was there. Came down and walked over to some stadium that I saw from up there. It was the one for Hiberian FC. Back past some sights already seen (and you should find) to a newish mall with some interesting food options (and retail) that I didn't eat at. Ate lunch of Bunny Chow (chicken and potato curry in bread loaf) the next day at Mowgli. Some famous Indian chef (Nisha Katona) there. A dish for South African train workers. Walked to Haymarket station and saw the Cathedral and National Records building. Tried to find other soccer stadium (and rugby). They were too far. Boarded the bus back in city center to Inverness. It cost 21L. Stayed at horrible Castle View for 60L ($76). It was also hard to find rooms here. Took train to Thurso (most northerly point) for 36L (RT) because bus ticket office was closed when I came into town and I needed certainty. Stayed at Royal Thurso for two nights at 58L ($75) a night. Walked the coast. The next day I walked a mile or so to Scrabster Ferry (nice path) because the bus wasn't working and a taxi was 10L. RT Ferry to Stromness on the main Orkney Island for 43L. Just there and back. Didn't see the main sites. Bought Donaldson's of Orkney smoked beef (tough) and The Island Smokery Orkney Kirkjuagr Gin Flavored Orkney Cheddar at The Bay Leaf Deli. Saw Guns and Roses at Glastonbury on tv. Back to Inverness the next day. Bought a three day pass for 56L. Stayed at Travelodge for 70L. Had to book direct on their site. I think a few chains are off Booking or Expedia. This was a Sunday. It was double the next day when I tried to extend and triple days before. Saw Elton John phone it in at Glastonbury on tv. Took a rt bus over bridge to Portree on Isle of Skye the next day. Past Loch Ness and some other cute towns (Kyle of Lochalsh). Stayed at Columba in Inverness for $144 (see the price swing?) again. Better this time. Had Cullen Skink (almost a chowder) and Curried Mallaig Mussels at a stall in the Victorian Market called Red Shank. Mussels were tiny here too (see Ireland Notes from last year). Had a beer at Uile Bheast Brewery. Used pass for bus trip to Oban through Fort William. Saw Loch Ness and Ben Nevis and Loch Lomand again. Stayed at Kelvin Hotel near the train station for two nights at $130 per. Had lunch of haggis roll the next day at Food from Argyll at the Pier. RT ferry to Mull for 8L. Three island tour was 81L and it was rainy. Dinner of haddock at Oban Fish and Chips because this chef on tv that I love over there (Rick Stein) said it was the best in UK. Or they wrote on the front of the store that he did. It was very good. On to Glasgow the next day on that pass. Bought bus ticket to Bristol (44L) for the next day. Of course it was a shit xfer because Citi MC thinks it can send me a code overseas on my phone that I seem to need to use on web site purchases and the good bus was sold out by that point. I don't swap sim cards when I travel! Walked to areas not explored yet. To Banksy exhibit at art museum. Weather was not great. Stayed at Grasshoppers near train station for $114. To Bristol the next day. That was an ordeal that I will get into later on. Could have bought more bus passes and hit other remote ports and onto islands but I was getting sick of the rain (or threat of it). Will do that next year. 

Some things I consumed from supermarkets to this point: Austrian smoked cheese (bad), Wensleydale with cranberries (bad), Wookey Hole Goat's Cheese (ok), Creamfield's French Brie (good), Belton Farm Cheshire (bad), Brussels pork pate (ok), Ardennes pork and mushroom pate (ok). I'll leave out all the charcuterie (mostly cheap and good and from Spain or Italy) and wines (mostly South African or Australian whites). Beer: Lerwick Brewery 60 North, Loch Ness Brewery, Fyne Ales Farm Brewery, Six North, Belfield Brewery. Cider: Sxollie (South Africa) and Thistly Cross (Scotland).

Grub Crawl - Sanford: Sweet & Salty Island Grindz and Yugari Ramen Project *Guyana Travel Notes

 I tried these stalls at Henry's Depot on Sunday. The first replaces Current. It moved where the burger one was. The second replaced Taglish. I think the pizza place was under a new name. Git n Messy replaced another. Hot dog one?

Sweet & Salty Island Grindz - Hawaiian. I tried a spam and spicy spam musubi. Both $4. Ok. They offer up a typical menu. That one with the egg and burger. Pork. Prices in mid teens. Opened in  Feb.

Yuguri Ramen Project - I tried the chicken karaage for $10. Ok. Some dry. Some stringy. Some ok. Fried to order. Timed. He said these and gyoza, edamame and okonomiyake were not from scratch. Focus on ramen. I think they were vegan. Around four types. $16.  He said he worked at Sushi Pop and Kabooki. Opened here in Nov? I may go back for the ramen.

*Travel Notes - Guyana: I flew AA to Miami to Georgetown for $576. Late into Miami. Flight back was five hours late the day before because crew hourly overage. Only flight of the day. Mine left on time. Miami to Orlando was delayed two hours because late crew and pilots. They left us on tarmac for three hours because it was breezy. Then back to gate because crew was over allowed work time.. Then I rented car and drove home at 9pm because I had another flight the next day. They didn't rebook until 9pm the next night. Total screw ups. Stayed at Brandsville Suites for $235 for three nights. Taxi was $33 each way. Saw Stabroek Market and St George's Cathedral and Court House.  Terrible country. Next to nothing to do. A taste of Africa in SA. They have done nothing for themselves since England left. Now Exxon has found oil and did all the work for them and they are bitching about being exploited. That the money is going for infrastructure. There are some waterfalls and pretty territory in the south. Not utilized. Beaches left as is as well. All I saw them hauling was sand. Glad it is off the list. It has been a while since I was this glad to leave. I was having heart palpitations at the thought of getting stuck here. Barely left the hotel room. Ate canned tuna and cookies and tortillas I brought. Hot and rainy too.

Grub Crawl - Lake Mary, Longwood and Sanford: Bronx House, Red Sea (Closed) and Dees Brothers Brewery

I tried these spots on Tuesday during the day. The first replaces Papa Joe's at the strip mall on Lake Mary Blvd that has the Target. The second is near the train tracks on 434 in the old Daniel's Bakery spot. The last is on Magnolia in downtown.

Bronx House Pizza - They changed the look and added Detroit style pizza. They kept the pizza oven, so, my two slices were the same (actually less cooked) but now $3. They don't do Detroit slices. The only interesting thing seemed to be the menu pic of lasagna. But, it was $16. The place has higher ceilings now and looks sharp. Too sharp. I think it's a chain. Three came up just in Ormond area alone when I did a quick check. Open for a month.

Red Sea - Jordanian/Lebanese fare. Expensive. $45 for lamb. $35 for shrimp. $25 for chicken cubes. $9 hummus. $11 falafel. The $17 buffet was mostly chicken in different ways, so, I tried a $12 tasteless beef shwarma. Added 50 cents for cc use. Soggy tomato. Too raw onion. Thin wrap. The beef wasn't overcooked, but, charred. Beef was in strips. Didn't really digest well. Open for B, L, D. Seven days. Breakfast buffet for $10 on WE. Four locations. Good redo. Shabby chic Arab. Fifteen tables. Black and green. Entertainment area and tv. Music on WE. They should take down the pennants from the old owners though. Empty. Open for one week. They said OW just came in to review them. They are Middle Eastern, so, of course. I'll bet they rave about the food. Because, of course. It's just a bad value. Especially if the food isn't top notch. And I don't think they can reach that level based on what I experienced. And the atmosphere is even more dubious. I think you can skip it.

Dees Brothers Brewery - Not sure how I hadn't heard that they opened in 2020. I had two 5ozers for $3.50 a pop. Both good. Red Ale and Black IPA. Open most of the day. Big spot. Across from theater. They sell overpriced food too. Some Swedish options. Two, rustic, wood rooms. Ok crowd for happy hour.

Grub Crawl - Longwood and New Smyrna Beach: Little Wekiva Brewery, Bayou and Fuji *VT/NH/ME/MA Travel Notes

I tried the first two on Thursday at night. The third on Friday at lunch. The first two are in a strip mall with a Publix on Wekiva Springs Rd and 434. The first is kind of hidden in the center. The one in NSB is in strip mall off the main road (44) before the bridge.

Little Wekiva Brewery - I believe they opened two months ago. I tried three and had a flight of four. All were very good. A small place. Just beer. Popcorn. TVs. Open Th-Sn. After 4pm. During the day on Sn. 

The Bayou - I was more than surprised at the quality of the jambalya at $18. Usually it is a wet mess. This was elevated. Dryish rice (as in not soaked in sauce). Fresh, firm veg. Two small but firm shrimp. Some sausage and chicken. Not dried out. Nice flavors. Subtle. Some heat. Generous portion size. A side of buttered, toasted roll. And the kicker is that they were closing and the chef whipped this up as a favor. Plus they placed it in a sensible container with vents at the top so it wouldn't get mushy from the steam. Based on this, I'm interested in what else they offer. They had a traditional menu. Even oysters. Manageable. Open for lunch and dinner. The decor was vibrant NO colors with framed photos of the area. Fairly large space in two sections that they don't overload with tables. I believe they opened in April. Was CJ's Italian. A pleasant find. And I don't hunger for traditional LA fare.

Fuji Buffet - A sad $12 buffet. I mainly tried the sushi. I was like old, supermarket sushi. All offerings were rolls with vegetable. Probably better that way. They probably wouldn't be using fresh fish. Typical wok and fried dishes. Hibachi was prepared through a window into the dirty kitchen. Desserts. I only dared to try ok pepper shrimp (small) and one piece of fried sweet and sour chicken and an ok egg roll. Dark interior. Black and red. Faded food mural out front. The place looks closed. I only tried it because it has always been there and I've tried every other place. Avoid.

*Travel Notes - Vermont/New Hampshire/Maine/Massachusetts: I flew into Albany on Jet Blue for $218. New but uncleaned Budget rental for the week was $416. Drove to Brattleboro VT. Stayed at poor Covered Bridge Inn for $110. Had beer at Whetstone Beer Co. Beer and brats with pretzel bites at River Garden Marketplace. Drove north to Greensboro VT. Weekends with Yankee said it was the food center of VT. It better not be. Had beer at Hill Farmstead Brewery. Found nothing of interest at Wilson Farm. Found no one at Jasper Hill Farm/Cellars (cheese). Bought some of their good Hartcourt petit at Wiley's Store (and wine). That and a lake (Caspian) were the end of the possibilities. So, I was done with the day at 3pm and ate the cheese with some items from Buffalo Mountain Food Co-Op by the stream at my hotel. Would have driven on if I hadn't booked at Inn by the River in Hardwick ($98). Bought some terrible Champlain Valley Creamery Truffle Triple Creme (Middlebury VT) the next day at that Co Op. Ate that at dinner. Loose. Salty. I think it was a failed batch. Drove through north NH to Rockland ME. Hobo RR in NH wasn't running. BTW - it was 90 until then. Then it turned rainy and cold. Stayed at cute Claddagh Motel for $96. On a Saturday! Had a $24 lobster roll at Hazel's. Cheaper this year. Grabbed tuna sushi and wine at Hannaford's. Drove to south Maine. Passed on tax evading (cash only), rip off joint called Sprague's for the those reasons. Had a hot dog at Flo's in Cape Neddick ME. Can't remember why I wrote down to go here. It's famous. Had a $20 lobster roll at Shore Road in York ME. Went to Nubble Lighthouse. Drove to Kittery Point ME to Chauncey Creek Lobster Pier. Also not sure why. But, it is also famous. Had fried haddock bites with ff and clam chowder because I was already sick of lobster and their oysters weren't local. They were fine. Overstuffed myself with fried clams and fries at Bob's Clam Hut in Kittery ME because it was on 3D and wouldn't have been open when I left the next day. Stayed at the horrible Coachman Inn for $114. Drove through NH to MA. Saw USS Albacore sub and Ghost Ship in Portsmouth. Drove on to Salem MA. Did House of the Seven Gables again and Salem Maritime NHS. Down to Revere Beach for tender roast beef at Kelly's. This has been on list for like twenty years because of some show on PBS. On to Saugus MA for Saugus Iron Works (oldest) NHS. Through Boston to Quincy MA for a few different things at Adams (John and John Quincy) NHP. South to the Cape at Sandwich (nice). Stayed at cute Spring Garden Inn for $111. Had lunch at Marshland (on Best Thing I Ever Ate). Their stuffed quahog was not. Also, had some eggs and sausage. Better. Too full to try another place on that show - Seafood Sam's. Drove back through Boston to Maine. Stayed at Sunrise Motel on York Beach (nice area) for $103. Had a $19 lobster roll (I should say that other places like Sprague's wanted up to $34) at Marine Lobster Outlet in York ME. Drove to NH. Saw Fort McClary SHS. Saw UNH in Durham NH. Had bad pizza at Durham House of Pizza and tender super roast beef at CJ's Grill (on Man v Food Nation). Drove through Concord NH (saw Statehouse) to Wilmington VT to be near enough to airport. Stayed at horrible Viking Motel for $102. Drove to Bennington VT. Bagel with cc at Benner's Bagels, Pizza 'n What Nosh. CB and FF at Angry Egg 2. Onto Albany. The weather scuttled much of the agenda. Glad I knocked off those sites around Boston without too much traffic and hassle. Gas was mostly under $3.40. No delays at airport. TVs didn't work on JB though. I left out fast food and supermarket visits. You know what is crazy? Rubenstein Law and Morgan & Morgan ran commercials up there. There was even a billboard in Boston of Morgan in a Sox hat that said something like - the best closer.

Grub Crawl - I Drive and Universal Area: Egg-Celente, Volcano Hot Pot, Oodle and Mr Cool

I tried these spots on Wednesday at lunch. I noticed that the strip mall behind what was once (and still might be) Pirates dinner theater is now condos. Roboland (and a place within it mentioned within the year by the OW - Sophie's) has shuttered before I could report on it. Many others on this side of I Drive have closed. They have built up the area close to I-4 near the outlet mall. These places were Plan D. 

Egg-celente - A Latin breakfast joint. Open for six months? Was a boil place. Just south of Kirkman. Open 8am to 3pm (sometimes). Tourist pricing. I can't see it surviving. One table besides myself at noon. Rita's Ices aside. Looks fine. New. Modern. Parking in rear. I had the Smash Burger because at this price point it was that or cold cuts. Ate it for dinner. They slop some onion/pepper gruel atop a 1/4 pounder-ish cheese burger. Bacon. Over cooked. Iffy veg and mayo sauce. Cost $17. Came with bad (starch coated) fries. Small portion. Too put this in perspective, I found similar cbs at the AIRPORT at the "fancy" restaurants at the same price point at T3 at MCO the next day. Their breakfast options were: $15 bennies, $13 waffles or pancakes or 2 egg meals, or a ridiculous $15 egg sandwich. Lunch was $14 wraps or $15 panini assortment.

Volcano - Opens at 1pm. Poor, buffet of junk. I passed when I learned it was $30 for soup or bbq. $35+ for the combo. I've tried to try this place three of four times and have never seen another customer anywhere near it. It must rock at night? Or it is a front. Another Brazilian place name Pau Na something is opening near it. It's on Kirkman and I Drive. 

Oodle - Shockingly this spot (plan d) that I spotted when I tried the Chengdu place across the street a few weeks ago, was the winner of the day. And it is a ramen (soup) place! I had the Tan Tan Ramen for $15. It was a sweet, creamy pork both with ground pork and mushrooms and sprouts. You could actually chew these noodles. Properly timed. Not rubbery rice crap. They offer up 14 small plates like buns, karaage and takoyaki ($6-$10). 5 rice bowls ($12-$18). 9 ramen ($15). Even a dry one (mazemono). 6 desserts. Open 11-10pm (11pm on F/Sa). In the strip mall at Kirkman and Conroy. They said it was a Smash Burger. Opened in January. Black and gray scheme. Modern. Bird shaped lights. L shaped. Bar. 4 tvs above. Anime, news and food network. Bar side room was a 3 x 4 x 4 set up. Thin patio outside a thin inside area of tables. About half full after 1pm. Two servers. Let me remind you that I hate soup places. This was a surprise. 

Mr Cool - I thought I remembered an ice cream spot in the rear of this strip mall (Oodle one) from the last trip here. Turns out I was right. But, it may not have been open then. Opened two months ago. They sell rolled ice cream, bubble tea, waffles and fruit juices. I grabbed a $6 Thai Milk Tea without boba to go. Ok. Their first spot is in Miami. Too expensive. Waffle kebab (5 or less pieces) and ice cream are $8. Full waffle set up is $13. Drinks are $6 for a small. Big, blue room. Closed some of the time. Empty. 

*Can someone explain to me how when I click on 'Statistics" I have hundreds of views for a day (ie when I post a new review) and my dashboard tells me I only have had 6 people view my post? Fuck you Google.

Grub Crawl - Lake Nona: Sweet Mamas and Durrian Durrian *NoCA Travel Notes

I finally found a good route (Hoffner to 15 to Narcoossee) to this area on Wednesday. The purpose was to see the Quarter Finals of the NCAA Tennis Championship at the USTA Tennis Center. They did DIII and DII already. Started at the beginning of the month. Those matches were free. You take Lake Nona Blvd from Narcoossee and make a right at some unmarked point. They have an indoor arean if it rains. The ticket cost $10 (free parking) and was a ton of fun. Very sparsely attended. Coaches and parents. Sadly, I had to leave by 2pm to grab some grub and get the rental car back in time. I think this will be a yearly event until they jack the prices like they did for the Thanksgiving basketball tournament at Disney. With regards to the restaurants, they were both in a strip mall just up from Lake Nona Blvd. East side. Almost next to each other in the rear. *I also drove farther on Lake Nona Blvd to another area that I forget the name of. A few restaurants and shops and they had a "village" of food stalls in shipping conatiners called 1 Box or something. It wasn't open and they chased me out when I tried to look in.

Sweet Mama's - Opened in 2007. A 2020 Orlando Magazine article they had framed put them in te Top Twenty local breakfast places. I grabbed an egg and cheese and sausage sandwich to go. It cost $9. It came with pretty good (fresh for afternoon) home fries. The sandwich was good. Quality egg and sausage. Buttered bun added alot. They offer up: egg dishes, omelettes, burritos, bagels, bennys, chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, pancakes, french toast, waffles, etc) for breakfast. $17 was the tops. Oddly for a bagel with lox. Most under $10. $5.49 early bird egg meal on weekdays. They offer: sandwiches, wraps, burgers, salads, fish and chips, hot dogs, meatloaf, apps, etc) for lunch. I think $14 was the high water mark. Desserts. Opens at 6am. Unsure of close. Unsure of off days. Farmhouse feel. Yellow. Six booths. Six tables. Counter. Good service. I guess if you are in the area...

Durian Durian - Asian Thai. I thaid (err tried) the Cashew Nut Medley for $13 because I hadn't before and it was in the Thai Classic section (6). It was acceptable. Came in a brown sauce (probably soy). I had chicken in mine. Veg. Cashews. Medium heat. I should have gone super sonic. It was bland. White rice. They sell dishes with noodles and rice (8). Soups (12). Salads (5). 14 small plates. 13 Chef Creations. 3 desserts. Highest price is MP or $20. Interesting dishes were: roti canai, tulip dumplins, jade edamame dumplins, tamarind crispy duck, Malayasian Curry Laksa and fried cheesecake). As you can see they have a pan-Asian assortment of dishes. Open for fourteen years. I think. Oddly shaped interior. Oval shaped. Light gray. Dark floors. Wood. Wall of Buddha panels. Plants. Wicker lamp shades. Durians. Seats about thirty. Good service. I guess if you are in the area...

*Travel Notes - Northern California: I flew Frontier NS for $67 to SFO. $117 minus $50 credit (late PMs). They delayed the flight home by nine hours. However, they did provide (onced asked) a meal voucher and a crap hotel (Focus) with a shuttle bus. Sent me an email with $75 voucher already. $468 rental from Hertz. Quoted at $451. Shitty selection. Stayed near rental car depot (because landed at 11pm) at noisy Atrium Hotel for $123. Drove up 101 over Golden Gate Bridge (free in this direction) through Petuluma to Sonoma (116E to 12N). Stayed at Sonoma Creek Inn for $133. Had Alotachocolata and Butter Cream Brickle Ice Cream at Sweet Scoops in the village square. Went to the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art (tiny exibition) because it was free that day. Drove towards road to Napa and popped in at Gundlach Bundschu Rhine Farm, Scribe and Nicholson Ranch. Didn't do tastings because they wanted $50 and they sell bottles at retail in the low teens and who the hell has heard of some of them and the whole DUI potential. Plus they were too into themselves. I think the idiot at Grunlach told me they do Rhone style wines. I think she meant Rhine. All the winery stops (and the trip in general) were not pre-planned. FYI - most places charge $50 to $35 nowadays and I didn't do any. I had lunch at Lou's Luncheonette. Chicken biscuit with pimento cheese. Down the street to Hanson Distillery. Got a free sample of their grape based vodka and had a $15 Ladies in Lavender cocktail because I felt obligated and a tasting was like $30 and they just flavor the basic one. Vodka was fruity, so, I passed on an interesting sounding green tomato Bloody Mary. I think the breakfast at Atrium (or Lou's or BK at OIA) brought on a case of the squirts. As such (and the fact that road side dumps wanted $18 for a burrito), I drove quickly to Safeway for some wine ($15 for a $35 Gruner Veltliner) and Taco Bell for a night picnic in my room and watched hoops. Sampled and rejected some Mexican places the next morning on the way out. Drove north on 12 to Glen Ellen. Popped in at Benziger Family Winery (tried their Chardonnay last night and it sucked). Ate lunch of cb and ff at Jack London Saloon (above a stream). Drove up to Jack London SHP. Didn't go in because it was $10 and it is just his house and it wasn't a planned itinerary item. Popped in at Abbot's Passage Winery (daughter of Gunlach people), BR Cohn (some hippy music enabler), Imagery Estate Winery, Arrowood, Kunde Family Winery, Kenwood Vineyards, Chateau St Jean (cute faux chateau) and St Francis Winery (good view). Back on 101 south to Rohnert (hotels getting pricy in Sonoma/Napa area). Saw Sonoma State University. Stayed at Good Nite Inn for $84. Grabbed double cream brie, 1/4 lb of sliced Boarshead pepperoni (cheaper than packaged), Dutch Crunch bread and a bottle of Kunde SB ($10) at Safeway. Ate that by the pool. Drove down 101 to Petuluma. Drove through town. Ate two great bbq oysters and a half bbq chicken with cheddar and bacon potato salad at Lombardi's Deli. Drove back to Sonoma. Tried a short cut. Got lost. But, saw Cline Cellars and Jacuzzi Family Vineyards (my room mate in college's fraternity kicked out one of them out) because of that. Past Napa Airport to 80N to 12E to 160S at Rio Vista to 4W. Saw Jelly Belly factory and Sacramento River. I did this route to avoid bridge tolls. Stayed at America's Best Value Inn in Antioch for $121. Dinner at Target. Drove 4W to Concord to Port Chicago Naval Magazine NM. This is why I made the trip. To knock out these landmarks. All were free. It is closed until August. Requires res. Was the ammo shipper during WWII. Onto Martinez for the John Muir NHS. Also contained Juan Batista de Anza NHT. Onto Richmond (80 to 580S) for the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front NHP. Nice view of SF and Berkeley/Oakland. Also had a good looking restaurant next to it. And a Ford Model A assembly plant and bay trail. Onto 580 to 24 to 680S to Danville. Ate a turkey dip at Pete's Brass Rail and Car Wash. Shuttle bus (only way) to Eugene O'Neill NHS. Back on 680S to Fremont. Stayed at brand new Hilton Garden Inn for $129. Grabbed sushi at Ranch Market and XXL fried chicken breast and crispy oyster mushrooms at a stall inside called Shihlin Taiwanese Street Snacks. Soooo much food. Got pregnancy belly and still had more for the next day. Drove 680 to 280 to 17W to 1 to Monterey. I was reading Cannery Row on the flight and it drew me here. Drove the coastal route. Many wildflowers. Saw Point Pinos Lighthouse and Pacific Grove Golf Links (public - $85 some guy said). Into town for Cannery Row. Ate rock fish tacos at Sea Harvest because Cannery Row Brewing (on 3D) closed down and Monterey Fish House (on 3D) didn't tempt me. FYI - you can park on Lighthouse Dr (four blocks up) for free. Drove past Presidio into the old dt. Saw City Hall. Walked to Old Fisherman's Wharf and Customs House. Had a great chocolate chip cookie at Rosine's (on 3D). Stayed at over rated Sand Castle Inn in Seaside (adjacent town) for $83. Had capicola and havarti sandwich and beer at Other Brother Beer Co. Weather on coast was cold and foggy. Perfect inland. Drove up 1 a few miles to Castroville. Had artichoke bisque and steamed artichoke at Choke Coach at Pezzini Farms (on Pizza Cuz). One exit up to Phil's Fish Market (had been in Moss Landing) for snapper sandwich with ff. On 3D, I think. Drove up 1 to Pigeon Point Light Station. Onto Half Moon Bay. No Maverick's this time. Had beer at Half Moon Bay Brewing Co and Hop Dogma Brewing Co. Petrale sole with smashed potatoes and asparagus at Sam's Chowder House. A packed, touristy spot with a good view. I'm not sure if it is famous. Drove 92 to San Mateo (101). Dealt with flight cancelation. Most stops were happenstance. Turned out to be a great trip. Avoided traffic (except in wine country). Saw some new stuff and revisited (expanded on) some old. Great time of year to go. Not a ton of competition for amenities. Gas was $6 in SF. As low as $4.50 elsewhere. Avocados were 7 for $1! (at farms). Not sure which kind. They seemed to also be birria crazy and into something called drunken oats.

The Dough Show, UCF Area

I tried this Egyptian restaurant Tuesday at dinner. It is behind Bacon Bitch in a strip mall on University near Alafaya. Last on the left. It opened three months ago. I tried one of their "pies". It's an oblong object with wettish, raw, phyllo dough texture. Kind of like baklava versus a pastry. I didn't love it. It's topped with mozzarella and what they call Roman cheese. Tomato and olives and peppers. Kind of bland. Heavy. Cut into squares. No sauce. I've got a bit left and will try dipping it in hot sauce tomorrow. I had "home made" sausage in mine. It was plentiful. I'm not a huge fan of beef sausage. Bland. Inferior taste. They charged $16 for it. I think this style works best with flavorful vegetable add ins. They offer many add ins (ie shwarma, pastrami and other items they carry). Eighteen sweet ones too. They round out the selection with bowls (rice or greens), wraps and apps (ie $8 hummus). It's a narrow foot print. Not much decor. Four tables. Full. Pleasant reception. The place is already getting ratty. Smudged windows near the register. Oil stained fry backsplash. Muddy trim. Things stored in plain site. What will it look like going forward? The meats on the shwarma spits also looked a bit underwhelming. I'm glad I tried it because I like to try new things. But, I wouldn't go out of my way to go back. And I thought I would. Not open on Monday.

Grafton Street Pub, Lake Mary

I tried this replacement for Liam FitzPatrick's on Tuesday at lunch. It is in the strip mall across the street. Open for two weeks. I had 2 lamb sliders with ff for $4. Better than I expected. Came with tzatziki, l, o and t. Ok buns. Not overcooked. Shoestring ff. Apps, (ie beef carpaccio, wings, mussels), Five salads and sandwiches. Entrees like $29 branzino and $36 pork tenderloin and $45 steak frites. Bar room, patio, main room and speakeasy. Typical decor. Full all the time. If you like pubs, you good do worse.

*Thai place here is still in limbo. Halal Guys closed and is being replaced by Daddy's Chicken or something. F&D is becoming a F&D Steakhouse.

Grub Crawl - New Smyrna Beach: Lost Lagoon and Mikey's Pizza

I tried these spots on Monday at lunch. The first is up 1 at the airport. The other is across from Publix on the main road over the Intercoastal. 

Lost Lagoon - I had the fish and chips for $14. One big piece. Perfectly fried. Probably swai. A tad mushy in parts. Proper fries. Typical plastic menu restaurant selection and prices. Looks cute. A bit lived in. White and lavender. Pottery Barn decorations. Beachy. Two rooms separated by a bar. Five booths and five tables in road side room. Patio in back. Ok service. Only two. About half full.

Mike's Pizza - Conveyor belt pizza. I passed on that for a $9 Italian sub. Ham, salami and provolone. Stale roll. Large. Not sticklers for cleanliness. No gloves. Cut veg right on steel counter. A few apps. Four subs. Phoning it in. Seems like two retirees. Said they were there for almost thirty years. No seats. Tiny parking lot. Open at 3pm. 11 on F/Sa. No Tuesday. Not one of the better options in town.

*No seaweed on the beach. None at St Augustine either. Great water temp.

Grub Crawl - Winter Garden and Ocoee: Norigami, Bruno's Oysters, Bangkok Thai Passion and La Fonda de Ocoee *NC/TN/GA/FL Travel Notes

I tried these spots yesterday at dinner. The first two are in the Plant St Market. The second two were add ons after Matthew's required reservations. They are in a shabby strip mall at the intersection of Maguire and 50. There was also a gross Chinese take out and a promising Colombian joint in there.

Norigami - I believe they just received that third level Michelin award. I forget the back story on the people behind it. It seems to be reservations (only seven or so seats) or take out. I got there just as the were going on break between lunch and dinner service. The guy took pity on me and I took pity on him and ordered just one roll. An akami (bluefin tuna) for $7. It was fine. Hard to weigh in on such a limited sample size. They have interesting items like: beakfish, thorny head, black throat, sea bream, stripe jack, yt, king salmon, fatty tuna, urchin, scallop, blue crab, etc. Nigiri or sashimi or temaki. I think they price per piece. $5-$13 if so. They do a few snacks like: cucumber salad, popcorn hamachi, baked fish collar, miso soup, etc. Omikase is $70. If they really are Michelin level, then this is hardly the most expensive sushi option in town. No M/Tu. Mostly dinner time. Lunch on WEs. 

Bruno's Oysters - They said their poohba has some connection with the Norigami people. He now has opened a place in Winter Park called Foreigner or something. Here they share a small counter space and some tables (mostly outside) with a brewery. The location is in the front of the market place. Mostly open at nights and weekends. I forget which day it is closed. Probably Monday. I tried a dozen oyster for $36. They let you try all the options. They had five of six left. Canadian, NE and Washington. Two were ridiculously small. Shouldn't have been served. One was funky. A few had shell bits. Plus the ice melted fast (or was melting to begin with) and flooded the shells. They weren't great at letting you know which were which. Still, it was enjoyable. They also had some real interesting hot items like: bone marrow, confit duck grilled cheese, roasted oysters, lamb LT, chicken pate (I know that's not hot), lobster roll ($21), etc. Most items were single digits or low teens. I should have come back for those after Matthew's fell through.

Bangkok Thai Passion - Hardly. They only allow take out for some reason. They should stop that too. I had the worst Red Curry Chicken I've ever had for $14. The most watery, milky curry ever. The chicken was dyed red. ??? Just a few veg. Small portion of rice. Not that you weren't going to anyway, but, avoid.

La Fonda de Ocoee - A very good Mexican meal. I had three tacos for $10. Lengua and birria soft tacos. Ground beef in hard shell American style taco. That had a great thin shell. Beef had a bit too many bits. But, that makes it authentic. Lengua was tender. Double tortilla. Beef was a little tough. Oily. A few seats. Clean. Regular menu items plus dessert chimichangas, wings, chilaquiles, fire beans, etc. They have a Jalisco platter. Jalisco styled food? Mexican clientele. Nice find.

*Travel Notes - North Carolina/Tennessee/Georgia/ Florida: I rented a car for a week at $255. Drove to Colombia SC because all the hotels I checked in at from 95 on were asking too much. Like $150 for crap in a crap town. Found a Quality Inn in an area called Fort Jackson (sketchy adjacent) for $73 (rack rate). I should explain that I wasn't supposed to be here. I was going to go up 75 to Georgia and then come back this way. I zoned out and missed the 44 exit to 75 and went with it because the Universe had been shitting on me all week (and that is the last exit for miles). I drove to Charlotte and did the Pro Am day at the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow for $40. Got there a day early, so, I went to buy a ticket and they talked me into going in. Then I bailed on the next day because it would have been to redundant. Not much difference truth be told. Saved $50. I stayed at Best Western Pineville for $92 because it was easiest to find and next to the parking for the golf at a theme park called Carowinds. I actually got them to let me park free to get the ticket. It would have been $20. I drove to Shelby NC to try some liver mush. Andrew Zimmern did a show on it. Not sure if I found where he ate (although I think it was a fair), but, Shelby Cafe came out when I researched liver mush. I think they are a century old. Had it on a biscuit there (and a huge egg breakfast). It's like deep fried pate. Drove on to Asheville NC. Stopped at Chimney Rock SP and Lake Lure. Went atop Chimney Rock for $17. Stayed at Downtown Inn (one of few hotels with free parking downtown) for $96. FYI - most hotels I stayed at were fringy. Drank at Wicked Weed Brewing and La Zoom. Ate a curated meal at Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse. Too many items to list. $90 with beer and tax and tip. Don't make decisions when drunk. Took so long I just crashed after. Drove to and through Sevierville TN. Stopped at Bush's Baked Beans and Tennessee Legend Distillery (bought moonshine for $33). Drove towards Pigeon Forge. Ate ok brisket sandwich and bad pork burnt ends sandwich at Preacher's Smokehouse (Jimmy Fallon talked about eating there). Stayed at Travelodge Dollywood Lane for $110. Got in too late to pay the $90 plus $25 parking for Dollywood. Visited Applewood Grill and surrounding shops (ie Cider Mill) technically in Sevierville. Great Muscadine Grape and apple cider. Got a four piece fried chicken dinner with mashed potatoes (with gravy that also had potato chunks in it), mac and cheese and apple fritters. Very good. So much food. Had breakfast at Flapjack's Pancake Cabin. Got the eggs when I found out it is a chain owned by a mega food conglomerate. It (and Applewood) was listed in a magazine article I read. Drove through Gatlinburg (it and Pigeon Forge were like one big I Drive) and the north part of Smokey Mountains NP to Chattanooga. Walked a bit. Saw a Look Outs game. Ate at a cb with cole slaw at Wooden City. Stayed near 75 at Stay Express Inn for $105. Drove to Rome GA to see Braves. Drove down to Kennesaw. Stayed at Baymont for $78. Drove to Athens. The place (Pulaski Heights BBQ) I wanted was closed. Had a tire issue. Had to waste time replacing it. Ate a good chicken salad sandwich with cheese straws and cookies and cream cupcake at Bee's Knees Bakery because it was only decent (or non chain) option near the tire place. Drove to Augusta GA. Stayed at Microtel Riverwatch for $77 because it was easy get from here to my destination. Saw Woodrow Wilson's (and some SC judge) boyhood home and downtown. Didn't want to continue to find James Brown's house. Saw the Green Jackets play. Next to Savannah River. Drove on south via 25 to 16 to 95 to Fernandina Beach. Grabbed a 1/4 smoked chicken sandwich at Bob's Famous BBQ in Yulee FL. Stayed at Florida House Inn for $144. Mistake. Ate a chimi at Pablo's. Drank at Mocama Beer Company. Had a few beers at PJD's. Ate egg breakfast at Beach Diner. Saw Jumbo Shrimp game in Jacksonville. Drove home. Ate enchiladas at Tacos Queen in St Augustine. Slept at home. Had lunch (see previous post) in Titusville and NSB. Drove to St Augustine Beach. Took Crescent Beach exit in. Stayed two nights at Regency Inn for $207 because it seemed near enough to beach and pier. And it was the cheapest with the best rating. Lounged on the beach. Had a red drum sandwich with red potato salad and pasta salad lunch the next day at Florida Cracker Cafe in DT SA because it was written about in AAA magazine. Walked the DT. Exhibit at Governor's House. Didn't go into Lightner Museum because I doubt it is worth $17. Churches. Found free street parking just a few blocks away. Back to the beach. Coffee Bean and Coke Float at Cone Heads Ice Cream. Ground Beef and Thai Chili Chicken Pies (half off at closing) and a pastry named Lamington at Kookaburra. Drove home. Stopped at North Turn Grill in Ponce Inlet for lunch of 1/2 bbq chicken with baked potato and cole slaw. It has a museum and was part of the old Daytona 500 race course. Read about it in AAA magazine. As usual, missing meals were fast food. Gas was under $3 in TN and GA! I extended the rental by a week at same price because I felt like keeping away from the Universe. Didn't feel like listing all the roads this time. Most of the trip was finding places to go on the fly. Would have done other cities if their teams were playing at home.

Grub Crawl - Milk District and West Colonial (50): Black Magic Pizza and Sanshi Rice Noodle House (Closed)

I tried these spots yesterday at dinner. They got matched up because the places on Mills and West Colonial I was going to pair with Black Magic weren't open.

Black Magic Pizza - I tried a Cheezus to go for $16. It was good. Around 14". Regular and fresh mozz. Good sauce. Touch of garlic. Dough was a tad overworked and under pounded (chewy and bubbles). Thin with thicker crust. Char. They sell four other types and wings and poutine and mozz sticks and cannoli. On the corner of Lou's dive bar. Said it was a chicken place before. No seats. Open a few months. Said they were pop up people before. Open Th-Sn. Nights. Day on Sn. Wednesday soon. Next to Milkhouse.

Sanshi Rice Noodle House - Yunnan (sw China) province food. Disappointing. Mostly hot pot junk. I tried a fish maw and chicken broth pre-planned one for $17. Broth tasted like Campbell's Chicken Noodle. A tad more interesting  in with chili oil. Only real substanative add in was a big drum stick. Mostly veg. Quail egg. Noodles were too thin and rubbery. Hard to eat. Needed knife and fork for drum. Chopsticks for noodles. Ladle was really to big for a spoon. They sell a variety of these soups. Plus skewers and some other snacks. Place is open. Three columns of seats. Gray. Faux wood tiles. Big mural on one wall. Chalkboard on back wall. Good service. In that strip mall with Ten Ten and Sparkling (or something like that) market. Open for lunch and dinner. No Tu. It's also a NY chain. Mostly Chinese clientele. Opened recently. Go to expand your horizons mostly. Or if you think soup is cuisine. God do I want to punch auto correct in the face.

Grub Crawl - Titusville and New Smyrna Beach: Wild Ocean, Bagel 13 and Local Bite

The first two are in Titusville. The second is on Garden St (the first exit south of 46 on 95) and S Park. The first is a right on S Park to 405 (2 blocks). The last is over the bridge on 44 by Publix. It was a bagel place before.

Wild Ocean Market - From that Edible list. More of a market than restaurant. A few seats. A few sandwiches, tacos, soups, baskets, etc. I grabbed a half pound of shrimp salad for $13. It was ok. Didn't seem like the greatest prices or selection. Not bad. But, not worth a drive. Looks like a warehouse.

Bagel 13 - A few other locations. Looks like a Dunkin Donuts. Just grabbed a jalapeno cheddar bagel for $2 because only 2 employees and the guy before me ordered a ton. Ok bagel. Thick. Puffy.

Local Bite - Started selling stuff as Sharkuterie. Ended in retail. I grabbed a good bootle of wine for $20 and an ok turkey and brie sandy called Jellyfish for $11. Closed on Monday. Around 6 sandys and sweets and quiches, etc. 

Latin Sisters Cafe, Lake Mary

I tried this spot  on N Country Club Rd near City Hall on Tuesday at lunch. They are open until 2pm. Closed on Sunday. I had a turkey and Swiss panini for $9.50. It was pretty good. Came with plantain chips. They do a few sandwiches, snacks, breakfast items and drinks. A few tables. Cute look. WiFi. Parking across the street. Open for two years. I think Subway charges these prices now for their garbage. And no chips.

My Lounge, Sand Lake Rd Area *CO/NM Travel Notes

I tried this Turkish spot in the Via Dellagio strip mall on Tuesday at night (9pm). It has been open for six months. There was only one other table (2 women) occupied at that time. There were about six men outside hookahing it up on the patio overlooking Sand Lake Rd. The menu pricing was ridiculous and if I wasn't keen on doing this, I would have just left. I did the next logical thing and ordered the cheapest entree and only an entree (and no drink). Kulbasti Shish at $26. It was eight tiny pieces of chicken thigh (probably singular) with minimal spicing atop a thick (likely congealed) schmear of tasteless (except in an off putting way) eggplant puree. And it took them about a half hour (remember empty restaurant) to deliver on that. Basic plating. Pide (their terrible 'pizzas") are about the same price point. I think a soup was $11. Other items were in the forties or sixties. And one was seventy five dollars. Just lamb, fish, etc. The table next to me had a branzino encased in salt. The menu described a branzino. But, not that way. Not sure if it was a special or they can't properly describe their dishes. That was in the forties, I believe. Sides are even around $8 or more. I hate this type of value proposition. Dishes only some kind of criminal or a government agent throwing around his people's money (same thing) or bribes (same thing) would have no compunction about paying for. Or a dilettante or arriviste or two. Anyone spending someone else's money or who with feels they won't be taking it with them and that date with destiny is coming sooner rather than later. But I digress. It's Turkish fare. Slightly less simple than Greek. To give you a for instance, I had a lamb and beef shwarma (see Travel Notes below) recently for $7. It was way better. More quantity. Better quality. More expensive types of meats. More flavor. The kitchen is open until 2pm on the weekends. Twelve or so otherwise. That's a plus. There is a big pide oven on the left side (with baby chair seats). A bar in the rear. A private room at the left rear. A stage (with instruments) in the middle. Lounges and a bar out back. It's very black (walls and lamps and chairs and ceiling). Too black. You can barely see. Some white and gray and tan (seat backs). Granite or marble table tops. The main room seats around 100! Ten baby chair seasts at bar and the aforementioned. Square room. High ceiling. Some art. Donald Bachelor looking pop culture collages. Plastic plants. Over all it is just tacky. I realize taste is subjective. Someone spent a few bucks on this vision. It just isn't what the cis gender (actually maybe not them in matters of style), Western, patriarchy (again maybe not them in these matters) brain washed into me. At least for a restaurant. Service (one guy with two floaters) was good. However, I can't recommend it. I'll mention that I popped by the London House while there. Despite what the internet says, they are back to being a private club. Only $5,000 a quarter though. But the money goes toward your meals... Still may be a cheaper than My Lounge in the end. Ooh that's needlessly snarky. But, it is making me grin. So it stays. Man my grade school English teachers would hate all these sentence fragments. Screw them! I'll write like I speak even if it isn't right. Ooh, good word play. Write. Right. Right! It's my life (lounge)! Go ahead with your own lounge...leave me alone!

*Travel Notes - Colorado and New Mexico: I flew Frontier to Denver and back (mid days) for $178. They were being dicks about personal item size in Denver. Hertz rental was $330. Brand new car. The weather reports were iffy and many resorts didn't extend their seasons (or weren't discounted at all), so, I didn't even ski. A whole week of audibling. First one. Drove 270 to 25N to Fort Collins. $208 (plus $15 parking) at Best Western University Inn for two nights. Walked to some breweries and a restaurant. Prost Biergarten and Black Bottle Brewery. Music City Hot Chicken. Avuncular Bob's Beerhouse. Had an expensive turkey pesto sandwich the next day at Ginger and Baker. Beer at Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project and Maxline Brewing. Samples of gin and whiskey at Mobb Mountain Distillers. Walked the CSU campus. Dinner at Welsh Rabbit Cheese Bistro. Snails and mushrooms in cream. Pate de Campagne (Alexian from NJ). Cheese (Scharfe Max from SWI and Prima Donna from NL). Max tasted creamy and oniony. Donna was like parmesan. Sweet potato gnocchi in wild game curry. Tough, stringy game. Drove 25S to Raton NM. Freddy's and Arby's for meals. Stayed at Raton Pass Motor Inn for $87. Drove 25S to 285 to stop in Santa Fe NM for lunch of Eggs Consuela at The Pantry (on some show called Burger Land). Back to 25S to Albuquerque NM. Stayed at Sleep Inn Airport for $96. Snacks of a horrible slice at Slice Parlor and hot dog at Clown Dog. Saw Isotopes (AAA) play for $22 (walk up purchase of first row behind home plate) and $7 parking. Souvenir soda was $9! Everything closed at 9pm, so, had that shwarma at Sahara (I think it was Jordanese fare - a first if so). Lunch (all these places mentioned are on Central Ave) at Phat Stax Burgers. 2 Pac CB with ff. Buttermilk biscuit (great) at Ihatov. Back to Santa Fe NM. Stayed at Motel 6 for $96. It's close to city center and fighting Saturday rates. Went to Rail Yard area. Farmer's Market. Galleries. Beer at Second Street Brewery. Whiskey and vodka tastes at Altar Spirits. 1/4 lb, good brisket to go (ate next day) from Whole Hog Cafe (Arkansas bbq). Tamale in green chili from Chicago Dog Express. Into town center. More galleries and churches and some lady's house (Elliott Barker House) that had something to do with Smokey the Bear. Beer at Paxton's Taproom. Dinner at Cow Girl BBQ. Five Pepper Nachos (gross) and lame Margarita as seen on Best Thing I Ever Ate. Woke up early (actually the Universe woke me up early as usual and I went with it) and drove the 400+ miles (25N to 6W to 93N) to Golden CO. Went to Coor's Brewery. Free shuttle and parking to the plant and gift shop. Need reservations for tour. 93N to Boulder. This is the back way. Every one of these were all audibles by the way. Because of threatened cold temps and/or snowfall. Stayed at Boulder University Inn (close to CU and DT) for $103. Walked to Pearl St (DT). Decent turkey and gouda sandwich at Organic Sandwich Company. They had some kids' fair going on and all the restaurants were jammed. Walked to Boulder HS and CU. Pizza from Barchetta. I just stumbled upon it walking around. Patrons there said it was the top ranked on Yelp. Chicago dog at Mustard's Last Stand because of the name. Egg, etc breakfast at The Buff (on Man Versus Food). 93S to Golden to see Buffalo Bill's grave. 93S to 70E to 94S to 38th St to Tennyson to try and eat at Axios (saw it on 3D during the trip). It's gone now. Grabbed a steak and gorgonzola (or blue cheese) pasty at The Pasty Republic. Tennyson had many cute restaurants. Back to 70E to airport. Stayed at Sleep Inn for $113. Chocolate muffin at Corner Bakery Cafe because it was new. Nuggets from McD (just in the mood). Burrito and taco from TB (same). Egg, etc breakfast at Moonlight Diner. Because I always bypass it. Better than The Buff's at half the price. No probs with car return or flying home. Just missed a storm front. Gas was about $3.50 in both states. I saw some episode with Travels with Darley while there and she talked with George RR Martin about a train he saved in Santa Fe. I saw that train at the Rail Yard. Engine is painted like a dragon head. Saw that they have a Breaking Bad Tour Bus in Albuquerque.