Creative Artists Cafe

What a charming place, interesting concept and what good home cooking we found when we went to Creative Artists Cafe recently. My friend Tommy is a business owner and an artist, and recently saw an ad for Creative Artists Cafe in a local shopper type coupon book. We were in the general area on a Saturday night and decided to give it a try. It was a nice find.

Creative Artists Cafe is owned and operated by the city of Lake Helen. It's goal is to provide high quality and reasonably priced meals in a family friendly atmosphere, and to use the profits to fun various artistic and education programs for citizens of all ages. Wow, what a nice idea. Judging from our visit there the other night, they are doing just that.

We were there late on a Saturday night. It was not busy, there were a few other people there finishing their meals, but we were promptly greeted and seated. I'm not quite sure how to describe the atmosphere--it's somewhat theater-ish, somewhat diner-ish, and definitely small town-ish. Quaint, for sure.

We were told they had a special that night in addition to their normal prime rib special--shaved prime rib for $8.95. That sounded great and we both ordered it.

Tommy started his meal with a cup of vegetable soup. I had a sip--it was indeed delicious and tasted home made. It was very good. I started with a salad. It was a very basic and ordinary salad, but was fresh and crispy as a salad should be. Nothing special, just a good salad.

But then our entrees arrived. Thin-sliced prime rib was covered with a mixture of onions and mushrooms (and if desired, peppers) and that was topped with a brown gravy. It was delicious. The onions and mushrooms were cooked well but not overcooked. None of the food was over salted, it was seasoned plainly, but in such a way that the flavors of each element came out. For my sides I had macaroni and cheese--it was good but pretty standard--and cole slaw. The thing that amazed us about the cole slaw was the portion. None of these tiny plastic containers containing an ouce or so of cole slaw, this was a good sized bowl, well over half a cup, and it was tasty, not overly sweet. Tommy had a baked potato with his meal and commented how it was cooked perfectly, not overly dry and pasty as if it had been sitting in a warming tray all night, and not hard and undercooked--just cooked just right!

All in all this was a good meal and a value for the money. Our total bill which included two entrees, two iced teas, a cup of soup and a side salad, was less than $24, a real deal. I will admit that I stuffed myself and ate all of mine. My friend Tommy was much smarted and took some home for another day--the portions were a very nice size.

Lake Helen is a bit out of the way for me, but I'd certainly eat here again and will definitely recommend this little gem of a community effort to anyone who wants some good home cooking. Oh and by the way, the breakfast menu looks good and quite inexpensive. I may just drive up here some Sunday, just because!

Bill's Filling Station

My friend Tommy and I were in Fort Lauderdale recently for a weekend, and on the way back to Central Florida, we wanted a quick lunch. I'd done a bit of Internet research and found this place called Bill's Filling Station which some boasted had the best hamburger ever. So we decided to try it ourselves and see.

Upon doing my research, I saw that Bill's Filling Station was in Wilton Manors, a primarily gay area of Fort Lauderdale. So bet it, good food is good food. So on our way out of town, I got out my trusty iPhone and guided us to it. Well, the sign out front said "enter in the rear" so we drove around to the back. Good, there was a big parking lot. We entered Bill's Filling Station, but thought we were in the wrong place. It appeared to be a bar, a very empty bar at 1 PM on a Sunday afternoon. But we asked one of the two people that were there (well, there was a third, the bartender), and were told that we were in the right place and that they had the most awesome burgers in the world. So we sat down and proceeded to order. We both ordered the hamburger with cheese, and onion rings as a side. They have a daytime special, and so our burger with cheese and a side also came with a drink--soft drink, bottle of water, or a domestic beer--for $6 plus$1 for the cheese---huh, only $7 for a half pound burger, side of onion rings, and a domestic beer? Yep. Wow, what a bargain.

In due time, our meals arrived. What can I say? The burger was pretty gosh-darned good. Was it the best burger I've ever had? No. But was it pretty good? Yes, it sure was. The burger itself was moist and juicy. I had mine dressed with lettuce, tomato, onion, cheddar cheese, and jalapenos. It was excellent. The bun, too, was very good. The onion rings were a bit greasy and had a lot of coating. The few that were substantial portions of onion were good, but many of them were very thin on the onion and so mostly breading. The breading itself was good, there just needed to be more onion.

Tommy agreed with me, this was a pretty good burger indeed. Maybe not the best in all the world, but still, a pretty good burger. I'd have one again.

Tropics

Tropics Restaurant and Piano Bar in Wilton Manors, a predominantly gay area of Fort Lauderdale, serves some pretty decent food. And after you eat, you can enjoy some live music with a primarily male, somewhat older crowd. But my friend Tommy and I went here for dinner recently, mostly to eat dinner. Amazing. What really surprised us is that the food was actually quite good.

We arrived for a slightly early dinner on Saturday night and were quickly shown to a table. Our waiter, Mateo, promptly appeared and took our drink order--iced tea for both of us. We also ordered an appetizer, the Spinach Artichoke Dip. After a bit, we also placed our dinner orders and in the meantime, chomped down on the fresh dinner rolls.

Eventually our salad arrived, but we enquired about the the Spinach Artichoke dip. Mateo came clean, he had plum forgot about it! Oops! However, he promised to quickly bring out one and to take it off our bill. We acquiesced and it did arrive shortly after--and did not appear on our bill. Though i did not take a picture, it was very good. A bread bowl was hollowed out and it was filled with the dip, a mixture of a lot of spinach with garlic, artichokes, and chhese. It was delicious, though in order to enjoy it, you had to destroy the vessel--a few pieces of toast or bruschetta on the side would have been nice. Nonetheless, it was a very nice appetizer. The portion was huge, too--more suited for a group of four or more. But still very tasty. I appreciated the fact that spinach predominated, and not some cheesy/creamy sauce. It gave it a nice, fresh flavor.

For his entree, Tommy ordered the Veal Parmigiana. Wow. A good sized portion of veal cutlet had been pounded thin, breaded and fried, and was covered with a tomato sauce and parmesan, then broiled. It was very, very good. The veal was moist and tender, the flavor of the parmesan came through loud and clear. This was a very good dish. It was accompanied by an angel hair pasta with a tomato sauce. Unfortunately, the pasta was kind of pasty--almost as if it had been sitting for a bit too long. So it was kind of "gloppy" or "clumpy." The taste was good, but the texture and consisitency screamed "I sat under a heat lamp too long"--the pasta had soaked up too much moisture and had become a bit pasty. However, the veal parmigiana itself was very good, and it was the star of this dish.

For my entree, I chose the stuffed chicken. A chicken cutlet had been pounded thin, then wrapped around a mixture of spinach, cheeses, a cream sauce, and perhaps a bit of bacon or prosciutto. This had then been breaded and deep fried, and was served over a mornay sauce. For sides, it came with a rice pilaf, and mixed veggies of green beans and carrot planks. An orchid graced the plate and made for a nice presentation. First, about the orchid. I inquired to find out if it was indeed edible. It was, and so I did. Tasty! The main part of the orchid, the body and stem, was crunchy and flavorful, the petals were a bit pasty with a sort of flour (pun intended) taste. The rice pilaf was good, somewhat typical and ordinary, but certainly good. The beans and carrots were cooked well done, that is, they were not crispy at all. Personally, I prefer my carrots and green beans to be a bit crispy. But I must admit, they were not over cooked or cooked to death either. They were quite tasty, just cooked more than I prefer. As for the star of the dish.... well, the chicken was jsut a bit dry, but when put with the overall dish--the creamy filling as well as the mornay it was served over, this was a very good dish. I was impressed. It had a nice cheesy and creamy flavor. It was very good.

We had a very nice meal here at Tropics. And yes, if you must know, after dinner we went over the the piano bar area and enjoyed the live enterainment for about an hour or so. The food was good, i was please. I'd eat here again. What more can I say?

Rosie's Bar & Grille

If you're going to visit Gay Fort Lauderdale, you owe it to yourself to eat at Rosie's Bar & Grille. Heck, whatever reason you're in the area, this place is worth a visit.Where else will you find valet parking for a hopped up burger joint? Well, in actuality, Rosie's is way more than a typical burger joint--though the do have burgers on the menu, along with a lot of other good eats.

My friend Tommy and I went to Fort Lauderdale recently for a quick, short, weekend getaway. Our first stop upon arrival was at Rosie's for lunch. We'd eaten here before and found that it's packed in the evenings. Thankfully we arrived right as they opened at 11 and had out pick of a place to sit. The inside seating area is pretty small, but Rosie's boasts a large and gaily decorated patio--pun intended. It is indeed very festive, both outside and in.

Most of the seating at Rosie's is outside, on a patio that surrounds about three sides of the building. A large overhang surrounds the building itself, and most of that is a bar. The rest of the patio is table upon table of outdoor furniture and umbrellas--very festively colored umbrellas. We were seated under an orange umbrella which gave us and our food a somewhat orange glow.

Rosie's has a fairly large menu, everything from Prime Rib to hamburgers to an extensive seafood selection--they boast that their fish arrives fresh daily. decided to start my meal with a cup of the soup of the day, Roasted Red Pepper soup. It was excellent! Though I'd say tomato flavor was the overriding flavor, the roasted red peppers were there, but subtle. The soup was very well balanced, a nice creaminess offset by the acid of what I'd guess perhaps to be red wine vinegar. Though creamy, it had a bit of a texture to it as well. This was a very, very delicious soup and I'd certainly order it again....and again!

Next it was on to lunch. Tommy ordered a Chicken wrap which was served with a potato salad. The wrap was absolutely delicious with moiste and tender chicken, sliced of avocado, some lettuce, tomato, bacon, and a delicious mayo-based dressing. This was a real winner, a very good wrap, one of the best I've ever tasted. Tommy loved it and said it was very, very good as well. The potato salad was also very good, an nice creaminess from the potatoes gave it a rich smoothness that was very pleasing.

For my main course I orderd what was basically fish tacos with a side salad for my side. I had a choice of fish and chose the fresh grouper. First, the side salad. I had a house balsamic viniagrette with it. As salad's go, it was somewhat ordinary, but still very good. The greens were fresh and were an assortment of various greens. The viniagrette was nice and light and flavorful--in small amounts it did not overpower the salad. 

But the star of my meal was the fish tacos. First, a word about what I didn't like--the plating. Two fish tacos graced on side of an oblong shaped dish--the other side was empty. Presumably, people would normally order a side like chips or onion rings or veggies that would consume that empty space, but I ordered a side salad for my side. I would have served the fish tacos on a smaller plate or put them  in the center. But this is a minor point. As to the fish tacos themselves....what can I say? They were excellent. First of all, the grouper was perfectly cooked, nice and tender and moist and flaky, not at all dry or overcooked. The grouper had been dusted with a bit of cajun seasonings. It was laid on a bed of cilantro and lime coleslaw. The slaw served to add a nice crunch as well as some acid, a nice balance to the creaminess of the grouper. To add to this creaminess, there was also a slice of avocado. Yumm. The grouper was topped with a slightly acidic sauce--I'm not sure what the flavors were, perhaps a bit of red pepper, but it sure was good. As a whole, all of the flavors worked together very well. These were among the best fish tacos I'd ever had, without a doubt.

Our first meal on our weekend in Fort Lauderdale was a huge success. We left very full and totally satisfied, and we didnt' break the bank to eat here, either. Our total bill which included an iced tea and two bottles of beer was about $40. It was a fair price for a very good meal!

La Antioquena

I'd heard good things about La Antioquena from some coworkers recently--it's close to work--and so I decided to check it out myself. It is a good find! La Antioquena specializes in Columbian food and is decorated appropriately. It's not a fancy place nor a large place--small actually--but good food is good food, and they sure can cook and produce good food, as I found out!  

My coworker Joe and I decided to visit based on the recommendations of some others. We went on a Friday right about lunch time. As we entered the person behind the counter was busy on the phone, so we seated ourselves. There are probably less than a dozen tables here, but there is also a bar type area in the front where several people were already eating. A few of the other tables were taken. And during our time there, we noticed that they seem to do a good take-out business. The phone kept ringing and orders were being taken. One annoying thing--there is a loud chime that goes off when the front door is opened. It got to be annoying, I'd suggest they turn it off during busy times, or find something less annoying to patrons.

In short order we were greeted by the waitress, menus produced, and drink orders taken. They have a nice menu, in english and spanish, and the prices are reasonable. We found the portions to be generous as well. For a started I asked for and received an empanada--it was very good. The tasty meat and potato filling had a nice pastry crust around it. It was served with a relish of some sort that was absolutely delicious. Little bits of onion, pickled jalapenos, and more were in a vinegar based sauce. I liked it a lot. The empanada was also relatively inexpensive, $1.25 i believe. It was good!

For lunch both Joe and I ordered the Friday lunch special, Skirt Steak for $8.99. A good sized piece of steak had been grilled and was served over a bed of rice. It was accompanied by a delicious homemade Chicken soup, potato salad, and sweet plantains. On the side was a chimichurri sauce. The chimichurri sauce was excellent, filled with the taste of cilantro and garlic, complimented by a bit of acid (vinegar I imagine) and olive oil. It was excellent. My steak was very good though could have been cooked just a bit less. My only complaint was that my knife was dull, so it was hard to cut the steak against the grain. But it was worth it. Every bite was full of a nice beef flavor. The potato salad was a bit different, slightly sweet, but was OK. And of course the plantains were wonderful, i loved their sweetness.

I have no complaints at all about the food, and Joe agreed, it was very good--and our service was good and attentive, too. Likewise the portions were great, so this was a value meal for sure. In looking over the menu, I liked the lunch specials I saw, especially for Thursday and Tuesday. It's close to work, so I suspect I'll be back soon for lunch, and I'd love to try dinner here too sometime. I nice find. I love it! I've never had Columbian food before, but if this is representative of what it is like, then I love Columbian food. Yumm!

Polish Easter Soup

For Easter this year we had a real treat, my friend Ewa made żurek, also known as Polish Easter Soup, and sometimes called white barszcz. It's basically a thin white soup and uses a sour rye started as a base, with polish sausage and hard boiled eggs in it, among other things. At first thought, you may think to yourself "this does not sound that good." But let me tell you from experience, when done right it's wonderful, and my friend Ewa did it to perfection. It was so good that one of my friends who's not very adventurous in the food department and more of a "meat and potatoes" type of guy, after he tried a taste, he had a whole bowl, and then came back for seconds. Yes, it was that good. 

So, without further ado, and with Ewa's permission, here is her recipe for this wonderful soup:

• 1 LB Polish sausage – skinless/skinned – cut into thick half slices
• 1 large onion - chopped fine
• 5-6 baby Bella mushrooms - chopped
• 2 QT Chicken bullion
• ~ 2C Kwas (Rye sour) – see recipe below *
• 5 Potatoes – med/small chunks
• 1 large turnip - grated
• 2 carrots – grated
• 2-3 TBS marjoram
• 5-6 cloves of garlic – finely chopped/minced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ C sourcream

 To garnish:

• ~1/2 LB bacon- fried, chopped
• Fresh parsley or dill – chopped
• Hard boiled eggs – quartered (1/2 – 1 egg per person)  

1. Sauté sausage, onion and mushrooms together
2. Add to combined bullion and kwas
3. Add all vegetables and spices
4. Bring to a boil and cook till the potatoes are tender
5. Add sour cream (gradually, mixing with liquid)
6. Garnish in individual bowls

*Kwas

• ¾ C rye flour
• 2 C water
• 1 garlic clove – chopped

Mix ¾ C rye flour with 2 C pre-boiled warm water. Pour into a jar or crockery bowl. Add garlic. Cover with cheesecloth and let stand in a warm place for 4-5 days. Strain before using 

That's it! That's all their is to it. Now you have Ewa's secret and can make a żurek nearly as good as hers! Bardzo smaczne! 

   

International Market and Deli

Wow, for a little place, a lot of flavor is packed into International Market and Deli. I'd read about this place in another Orlando area food blog, Tasty Chomps! I'm sure glad he passed the info along. So on a recent rainy Sunday afternoon, a friend and I set out for this place. We were not at all disappointed. We actually had some very good eats here for an astonishingly low price.

Located conveniently to downtown Orlando in the Asian area of Mills Street and colonial Drive, International Market and Deli seems to be in a good location, adding a nice nuance to the international flavor of the area. They specialize in food from central and eastern Europe. I'd say their main emphasis is Russian and Ukrainian, but they also have an adequate variety of Polish and other eastern european food such as Romanian, Serbian, and a host of other countries. In many cases, the foods of those areas blend and bleed from one country to another. The piroshki of Russia is related to the Varenyki and the Pelmeni of Ukraine which turns into the pierogi of Poland (and eventually into the ravioli of Italy and potstickers of China!). Lots of good food, that's my point.

After looking around a bit, we decided to eat. The ready to eat foods in their deli section were not clearly labeled, so we had to ask what all they had, but the proprietor was available and ready to answer all our questions. We sampled and sampled and ate well--for well under $10--for two of us! Amazing food at a fantastic price.

My friend Tommy started with a Russian offering, a piroshki. This is a bread-like stuffed dumpling that is deep fried. His was stuffed with a potato mixture, though they also had cabbage/mushrooms and meat fillings available.

By the way, the foods are chilled in the deli case. If you want to eat there, they microwave them for you--the same thing I'd do with them if I took them home.

For my first try, I ordered something whose name now escapes me, I believe it's a Serbian food. But basically it's a pastry dough/dumpling that was stuffed with a mixture of ground lamb and onion, and topped with some sesame seeds. I'm guessing it was originally baked. But, it was fantastic. Wow, what a lot of flavor there was in there. I was truly outstanding in flavor. I only wish there had been more of it. But then again, there were other things I wanted to taste.

For another selection, I had a meat Burek. This is basically a pastry made with layers of phyllo dough and stuffed with a meat filling. It's thought to have originated in Turkey originally, but is a dish from southern central europe, areas like Bosnia and Serbia, for example. Not content with only my cheese burke, I also ordered one stuffed with cheese. Oh my! That was soooo good. I have had cheese bureks before and this was as good as any of them. Truly a good (but very rich) dish.

Tommy ordered a cheesecake dish of some sort. It was round and patty-like, but definitely a cheesecake consistency with golden raisins. It had a great mild cheesy flavor and the raisins gave it a nice texture and taste. It was served with a dollop of sour cream that served to enhance the rich flavor of this cheesecake. Another hit.

Of course, we didn't just eat here, we also perused the selection--though when we first got here, eating was the number one thing on our agenda and we were grateful for the small (two tables) eating area they have set up near the deli case.

The tables are set up right off the deli case, and in the general area of some beverages and, of course candies. Oh, so tempting. And yes, we did give in to tempation.

There is a large meat case that is packed with various meats and sausages. Some can be sliced to order, too. Near that is a big frozen food case. Next time I'm coming with my cooler--I spied many varieties of pelmeni (think small pierogi). I'd love to stock up. There was a also a cooler section with a large variety of foods, everything from herring to other fishes, vacuum packed and ready to take home.

There is also an extensive selection of canned, jarred, and packaged goods, all sort of wonderful items.

This place is a very welcome addition to the Orlando area food market. Situated near the Asian ethnic food area, and located right next to a shop that sells mainly British items, International Market & Deli seems to have a great combination and selection of food items. I hope Orlando take heed and shops here and at all the other great ethnic markets we have in the area. Across the street from here is an Asian market. Up the road a piece in Winter Park (Aloma and 436) is Polonia, the Polish store. There are a number of great places around. Ample area to explor some new culinary adventures!

Penzey's Spices

I have long been a fan of Penzey's Spices, a growing retail and online spice purveyor based in my hometown of Milwaukee. Until now, I've been relegated to ordering online occasionally, or returning from a visit "home" with a bunch of spices packed into my suitcase. Imagine my surprise a month or so ago when I learned that they were going to open a store in Winter Park, Florida--about 15 miles from me. I was absolutely ecstatic! I was overjoyed last Saturday when my friend Creighton called and told me he heard they had opened. I could not believe it. So, I did the normal thing and checked their web site--sure enough, the Winter Park location was marked as open.

The very next day, I took a road trip to Winter Park to "tour" this new Penzey's location. I was not at all disappointed. The locations I've been in before all have somewhat the same logical layout. We entered and immediately perused the seasonings section. What makes this such and outstanding place for spice and seasoning shopping are the "sniff jars" (my term). On each shelf of spices, there is a large jar with a lid and you can simply unscrew it to sniff or smell that particular offereing. Brilliant! It really give you, the shopper, a great chance to know exactly what it is you're buying, at least by the smell (and the whole place smells just wonderful, as you can imagine.

Penzey's does not just contain the few run-of-the-mill seasonings and spices you'd find at your local grocery or the local mega-mart, they have a lot more, and all are very fresh. Where else can you find maybe four different varieties of cinnamon? Or find whole, powdered, and coarse-ground mustard seeds--in several varieties such as yellow, brown, and black?

Besides just plain spices and seasonings, Penzey's also comes up with their own concoctions. Each is plainly labeled with the ingredients as well as their suggestion of what it's really for. One of my favorites is Brady Street Sprinkle, containing cheese, onion, garlic salt, parsley, and a few other things--I love to sprinkle it on peas, among other things. On my recent visit, I bought some Chicago steak seasoning and I tried it out that night on some steak--it was awesome!  Many of their house blends are named after various neighborhoods in Milwaukee, too. And in their gift box area, you can buy give boxes of various combinations of spices, seasonings, and house mixes. I believe you can also make up your own.

Of course baking spices are a really popular section, and probably the best smelling area of the store. Cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and a wide variety of other spices are all availalble here. I know I'll be going here before the holidays to stock up on my favorites.

Their spices and seasonings all come in several sized, from small and medium (grocery store size) jars to bulk packages--there's a size for everyone and every need. Each type is clearly marked with the prices. If you have some old spice jars at home and some friends, consider pooling your resources and get a bulk size, you can save a bundle! But no matter how you cut it, this is THE place to go for fresh spices and seasonings at a resonable price and with a fantastice selection. I know I'll be a frequent visitor here. If you like to cook like I do, do yourself a favor and stop in at Penzey's and try using some really fresh spices and seasonings--not those things from the mega-mart that have dust on the tops and have been sitting there for years. Trust me, you'll be glad you went "fresh!"

Amura Chop House Wine Steak

I had a very good dinner at Amura's the other night with a friend. We arrived right about "prime time" on a Saturday night and found a very busy place. However, we were seated immediately. One of the first things I noticed, besides the interesting interior decor, was the noise level. It was not loud, but there was the definite humm of a busy place, and they were indeed busy. No matter, our waiter appeared promptly and took our drink orders and gave us time to peruse the menu. 

Everything on the menu looked very good. They have a fairly diverse menu, many Asian dishes, but they also specialize in Sushi and Teppan style cooking. We chose two appetizers to start off with. The first was the Gyoza -- Pan-fried dumplings with Ponzu sauce. They were excellent. The first thing we noticed was the presentation, and it was indeed impressive. But what about the taste? Spot-on. Lightly fried, they were stuffed with a delicious meat and vegetable filling. I was amazed by the ponzu sauce. I'd been expecting the normal overly salty soy-based sauce, but this was not so. It was a very delicate and tasty sauce, not overly salty, and a great compliment to the dumplings. I'd order this again in a second.

Our second appetizer was Mushroom caps that were stuffed with a Krab stuffing, breaded and deep fried, then gently cut in half and served with a delicate creamy mayonnaise-based sauce. This was an excellent choice. At least they had the guts to call them "Krab stuffed" too. But the taste was absolutely wonderful and again, the presentation impressive. I'm not sure how they managed to skillfully cut them in half, they were quite delicate to eat. Nonetheless, this was a truly great appetizer, we both agreed.

Our dinners came with a soup and salad. I chose the Miso soup, something I'd never had before. It was delicious and it did not take me long to finish it. The salad was quite small, not that I needed to eat a lot of food. But the ginger dressing on it was nice, not overpowering as ginger dressing can sometimes be. I enjoyed both my soup and my salad.

For his entree, my friend Tommy ordered the Trio Delight, a combination of shrimp, chicken, and beef that had been wok fried. Again, the first impression was good as the presentation was wonderful. The trio was served on a kale leaf and accompanied by a ball of jasmine rice and mixed vegetables--slab-sliced carrots and green beans. The vegetables were perfectly cooked, just warmed and still crispy. And the trio--each element was tender and juicy, absolutely amazing. The sauce was delicate and did not overpower the meal. This was a fine meal.

For my entree I went out on a limb and chose the TenderFiery Spicy Garlic Chicken. It was all it was advertised to be. For me, it was towards my upper limit of what I like for spice, and that's a good thing. It had a great heat to it. The sauce complimented the tender chicken white meat pieces that had been wok fried after being lightly breaded. Every element of the dish tasted great. I also had the beans and carrots along with the rice. I enjoyed this dish a lot--one of the best asian dishes I've had in a long time, and perhaps the best I've had yet in the Orlando area. I would eat this dish again in a heartbeat.

Overall, we had a great experience here. Our check was about $58 and included one beer and an iced tea. One minor complaint though, the service, though prompt and efficient, was a bit less than attentive. I was served a pretty hot (spicy) dish, yet by the end of the meal my water glass sat empty and was never refilled. A minor point? Yes. And yes, they were quite busy. But when you pay good money for a meal you expect great service, mine was only good. I would never stiff a waiter, but in this case, though I'm usually a 20%+ tipper, I was not. This waiter only got a ten.. You need to work hard an be more attentive for that great tip!

We had a great experience here and I'd love to go again. What I really would like is to go with someone who knows their sushi--Amura is known for it and I'd like to try it. Maybe next time. Any takers?

Mestizas Restaurant

Unfortunately, Mestizas Restaurant did not live up to the hype. It was not bad, but based on the urbanspoon.com reviews, I was expecting something way above what I got. Had those reviews been representative of what I experienced on my recent visit there, I'd have loved this place. As it was, it was OK food, some high points, some low points. However, I would say it was a value. That is, the prices are very reasonalbe, and i think I would like this a lot more as a lunch place, a place to grab a reasonably priced meal at a good price. For dinner, it just fell a little short.

To begin with, I was a bit confused. We arrived around 7 on a Friday night and were promptly greeted, told we could seat ourselves, and had our drink order taken in prompt manner. While perusing the menu, we saw chips and salsa listed as an appetizer. We were going to order that, but our waitress arrived with chips and salsa. Perhpas they are complimentary at dinner time? I don't know, I just was a bit confused. However, the chips were fresh, fresh, fresh. The first few I had were actually on the hot side, obviously fresh out of the fryer and very good. I will say that the pile of chips was a bit unevenly salted, some on top were a bit salty, those on the bottom under-salted. But they were good, as was the salsam though I would have preferred a bit more heat. But it was tasty with a nice, fresh tomato flavor with a hint of lime and a very faint cilantro flavor--very good salsa overall.

For an appetizer we ordered the Carnitas de Pollo--deep-fried tips of chicken wiht sauteed onions served over some chopped romaine. My friend Tommy thought the chicken a bit tough or rubbery, but I thought it was pretty good. The onions, however, were a bit tough, and I'm not sure why. They seemed to have been just a bit undercooked and were for the most part locked in that stage between raw and sauteed where they were just "tough." I don't know how else to explain it. But the real star of this dish was the dressing--a lime based light dressing was used and it was indeed outstanding. I actually used a spoon to sip some of it and really, really liked it--a lot. For me the chicken and the dressing were very, very good and I was pleased.

For his main course, Tommy ordered the Chimichanga. The menu says it's shredded beef tips wrapped in a flour tortilla, deep fried, and topped with cheese, served with lettuce, tomato, and sour cream. It was also topped with a bit of guacamole and served with refried beans and rice. I did have a bite and it was not bad, quite tasty, actually. However, the beef was not shredded, it was cubed, and the filling was a bit runny, not the firm filling I'd expect in a chimichanga. It was not bad tasting, it was actually pretty good, just not quite what I expect in a chimi....  Also, the "topped with cheese" was actually a thin cheese sauce, too thin for my liking actually, but it was not my dinner. It was overall OK.

For my entree, I ordered the enchiladas. The menu describes this as two corn tortillas stuffed with cheese, shredded chicken, or beef tips, topped with a "signature" sauce, cheese, and onions. First of all, overall, it was pretty good. But when I ordered one beef and one chicken, the waitress said that it was actually three enchiladas! OK, fine, i also had cheese. It was garnished with a bit of lettuce and a dollop of sour cream, and served with rice and refried beans. The rice and refried beans were good, though ordinary. However, the beans could have used just a bit more salt. The same "bit more salt" theme ran through the rest of my meal as well. It was good but could have used just a bit more salt. The enchiladas overall were goodl. The beef and chicken were good. The cheese, however, could have been a bit hotter--the cheese was not quite melted inside as it should have been. The high point of this dish, however, was the "signature" sauce. It was indeed very, very good. The rich tomato flavor definitely stood out in this sauce. I could have eaten a bowl of it all by itself. Overall, my enchiladas were good. Oops... didn't the menu mention onions? I didn't miss them, but my enchiladas were not topped with any onion...

I definitely enjoyed my meal here, but I'm not sure that I'd go back for dinner, there is better Mexican food for dinner, I think, in Daytona (La Fiesta and Maria Bonita's definitely). However, I think this would be a great place for a lunch bite if I lived or worked in the area. But again, it did not live up to the hype given in the three reviews I read on urbanspoon.com. Makes me wonder who really wrote those reviews. No matter, it was an acceptable experience, I was just not overwhelmed. The price for our meal, two entrees, and appetizer, and two regular drinks was about $26. Not bad. A value. Just not great.

Your Dekalb Farmer's Market

I was in Atlanta recently, and we decided to stop at Your Dekalb Farmer's Market. It was a fun spot to visit. If you are looking for an extensive selection of very fresh fruit, produce, meat, poultry, and seafood items, this is the place for you. Aisle upon aisle, table upon table is piled high with all sorts of fresh vegetables and fruits. It's a huge place, and all refrigerated, and everything is very, very fresh. Lots of people were milling about, filling their carts with all manner of food, mostly fresh food. 

There is a smal section of cans and jars and prepackages foods, but Your Dekalb Farmer's Market specializes in fresh food--and they do it well. 

One of the features I really like here is that you can pick out your fresh seafood and have them dress it for you. Head on, guts out, head off, fileted, steaks, you name it, they'll do it for yoy--while you wait. It's impressive to watch them as they skillfully dress your fresh fish.

Ice packed bin upon ice packed bin is filled with most every fresh fish you can imagine, all well labeled, all awaiting your purchase. And not just fish. Various varieties of shrimp, octopus, calamari/squid--all are here. There are even some tanks full of live catfish, dungeness crabs, lobsters, and tilapia. Can't get much more fresh than that. And of course, they'll dress it for you right on the spot, however you want it.

For their seafood selection, this place rocks. It's a great place and I wish we had one like this--or better yet, like Buford Highway Farmer's Market--in the Orlando area.

Buford Highway Farmer's Market

I was in Atlanta for a few days, and we kept driving past this place called Buford Highway Farmer's Market. Well, I finally decided to look it up on the web. It sure sounded like an interesting place, so my friend and I decided to stop in. There is good and bad news here: The bad news is that we don't have anything remotely like this place in Central Florida. The good news is that this is a truly awesome place. I sure wish I lived closer to it!

Buford Highway Farmer's Market is a large indoor specialty food store. They specialize in Asian foods and also have an Eastern European section, beside having some typical American foods, including some south American foods. Their produce section is awesome, filled with all types of exotic fruits and vegetable. I saw fruits and vegetables here that I've only heard of, read about, or seen on Iron Chef America, but never had seen for real. Black Radishes, Dragon Fruit, Golden Beets, they have it all here.

The meat section as well is awesome. Where else can you find your typical meats, but also pig's ears, cow's feet, and pigs uteri. Yes, you read that right, pigs uteri. We did look for Rocky Mountain Oysters but did not find any--perhaps they were sold out.

Ditto for the seafoo section, a large selection of fresh seafood on ice was all laid out, ready for purchase.

Later in the day we also visited the DeKalb County Farmer's Market, and I 'd have to say that this place is better, very different, but larger and better in many aspects. Atlanta is lucky to have such a fine place, for sure.