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I think I've "finally" found it--the best BBQ in Central Florida! Sure, there are a few good places, but my recent visit to Pig Floyd's Urban Barbakoa with friends left us talking about it and wanting a return visit--even later the same night!
I'd heard about Pig Floyd's Urban Barbakoa from a co-worker, and so when some friends were in town and looking for a place to eat in the Orlando area, I suggested it. They were sure glad I did--and so was I. I'd like to tell you the names of what we all had, but their web site does not have a menu yet--I guess they've been too busy taking care of their customers, and they sure took good care of us.
I ordered a "take two" dish, two types of meat, pulled pork and brisket. OMG, both were very good with a great smoke ring. The brisket was moist and juicy and tender and the pulled pork as well. I had the house "hot" BBQ sauce and it was absolutely divine. My sides were equally excellent. The apple fennel slaw was as good as any slaw I've ever had. And the black beans and rice had an outstanding flavor, nicely seasoned. There was nothing about this dish that I'd complain about, and I ate every last bit of it.
My friend Billhad a sandwich and it was piled high with meat. He said it was excellent in every regard and I've no reason to doubt that since he ate every last bit of it. The fries were done just right as well.
Tommy had a sandwich with brisket as well, and one of it's best attributes was the onion relish--it was sweet and flavorful, a real winner.
Finally, bill had the pulled pork plate with plantains. It too was excellent.
We all enjoyed our meal a lot, and talked about it a few times over the weekend. We all agreed, we'd go here again in a heartbeat. On the way out I spied a guy and girl who'd just been served a full rack of ribs, I imagine they were going to split them. They looked out of this world great. When we left, the place was really packed, and I can see why. I know i'll be back, and sooner rather than later. I suggest you give it a try as well. You will not go away hungry and you will go away immensely satisfied, I'm sure of it!
On a recent Thursday evening, we popped in at Pine 22 for a quick bite and were not at all disappointed. It's a neat concept--build your own burger (or BBQ, or chicken, or...well, you get the idea). Add some fries or another side or two and and voila, a meal. I was there with Tommy and our friend Bill as we were attending an art show opening at City Arts Factory right across the street. The place was busy but not crowded. Oh, and they server beer and wine, too--and not just any beer, but with a selection of craft beers. Yumm.
Our food was very good. The pulled pork was tender and juicy with a lot of flavor. The burger was juicy as well. All of their food is organic, grass fed, yada-yada if you're into that sort of thing, though at the very end, I don't think the pig, cow, or chicken really cares because it is...well...the end for them. But what ends up on your plate is certainly delicious. Next time we're at City Arts Factory, you know where we're gonna head for a quick bite to eat as well as a tasty beer!
There was some good food to be had at Yellow Dog Eats Café on my recent visit there, but unfortunately it really didn't end up on my plate but on that of my friend, Tommy. Extremely salty soup and a messy sandwich with cold pulled pork left me sorely disappointed. But, let's start with the good.
We arrived about 5 or so on a Sunday evening. Yellow Dog Eats Café is a very interesting place, quite unique. You order at the counter and find your own seat. There is plenty of seating, inside and out and it's quite quaint. We approached the counter and the friendly girl there asked if we'd been there before. Our answer was "no" and so she proceeded to tell us about the place. Maybe it was me, but she's done this once to often and needed to slow down a bit. But, we did catch a good part of what she had to say. Eventually we returned and ordered.
Tommy ordered the Holy Crap. This was mesquite grilled turkey on a dark bread, maybe pumpernickel, with bacon, lettuce, onions and cheese. It was very good and was definitely the best bite to eat I had. It was served with a coleslaw that was quite a surprise--a surprise because it was very spicy hot! It was a good coleslaw with a few craisins in it to give some sweetness, but it had a very definite heat as well, not for the faint of heart.
My meal was not so satisfying. When I was ordering, i saw "beer chees [sic]" on the chalk board and so I ordered the Beer Cheese Soup. Unfortunately, I could barely taste any beer or cheese--all i could taste was salt. I'll bet the chef or cook never tasted that soup. If they had, they would not have served it. I ate quite a bit of it, hoping with each sip I'd taste something other than salt, but no luck. I would never serve anything like that. The sandwich I ordered was the Blue Suede Shoes, billed as "smooth pulled pork topped with tangy bleu cheese, crispy bacon, thin sliced scallions, and red onions served on a soft bun." According to the menu, "this would make Elvis proud." I disagree. This would have had Elvis left wanting warm pulled pork and a huge handful of napkins. The botttom bun was placed on the plate, then cold pulled pork--not even warm-- was put on, then the other ingredients and a dose of BBQ sauce (admittedly a good sauce)--and it was the only warm thing. Unfortunately, it made it way under the bun and made for a very messy sandwich. I used a ton of napkins. The because the pulled pork was cold, it was hard to judge its flavor, but it seemed OK. However, the blue cheese was too much and overpowered the sandwich. I would not order this again.
So, I entered Yellow Dog Eats hopeful based on all the good reviews I'd read. Even a good place can have a bad day--and a bad place have a good day. I'm hoping this was just their bad day because nothing I was served would entice me to return for a second visit. Be your own judge, but my experience was that this place did not at all live up to the hype.
We had a very nice meal on a recent Friday night at Pannullo's Italian Restaurant in Winter Park. We first stopped by for a glass of wine on the Sidewalk on a beautiful Friday afternoon. But after walking up and down Park Avenue in search of someplace good to eat, we returned here as the menu and ambience were the most inviting we saw--we were not disappointed.
We started off with some wine and began our meal with an appetizer of Cheese Triangles: lightly breaded and fried mozzarella, muenster, and provolone cheeses, served with a marinara sauce. They were delicious and the marinara was excellent, one of the best I've ever had. It was a good way to begin.
We started dinner with salads and bread. The House Salad was an excellent mix of lettuce, olives, a few grape tomatoes, some mushrooms, red onions, a pepperoncini, and a house Italian dressing. The salad was fresh and flavorful and sure hit the spot. The bread was very soft and still warm, served with some olive oil and garlic--there may have been a touch of clarified butter in there as well. But it was very good and was also slightly warmed, a nice touch.
For his meal, Tommy ordered the Fettucini Alfredo with blackened Chicken. It was very, very good. The Fettucini Alfredo was nice and cream and rich and had a huge cheese flavor. The blackened chicken was cooked perfectly and the spiciness of the blackening added a nice contrast to the creamy and smooth cheese flavors of the Alfredo sauce. Besides the huge flavor, it was also a huge portion, and we had a nice to-go to enjoy at home another time.
For my entree I had the Chicken Gorgonzolla, a fair-sized breast of chicken that was stuffed with pepperoni and gorgonzola cheese, then served in a roasted red pepper gorgonzola sauce on a bed of fettucini. I loved this dish. the gorgonzola was not overpowering, but was very subtle. The roasted red peppers added a wonderful gentle heat, and the pepperoni added a spicy surprise to the chicken. As with Tommy's portion, this was huge, and I left with a substantial portion to enjoy at home at a later time.
When we first arrived at Pannullo's (the second time, that is), it was not very busy, but was also early on a Friday evening. But by the time we left, it was quite busy. We sat outside on the porch, right along the sidewalk (where there were other tables). The space had some overhead radiant heaters which took the chill off the Fall evening air. It was a beautiful night and great to eat outside. Our waitress, Steph, was efficient, friendly, knowledgeable, and fast, and provided good service. We really enjoyed our meal here. It was an excellent choice and a fine dining experience on Park Avenue in Winter Park.
