I had things to do at The Mall at University Town Center in Sarasota and got lunch there.
Besides having a horrible, overly complicated name, this mall doesn't have a food court, which was interesting. There were restaurants in storefronts, each with their own seating rather than one centralized location. I had food from one of these restaurants called Rise Pies.
Rise Pies was the same concept/setup as Blaze Pizza. It did seem like the topping selection here was a bit more limited than what Blaze offers. I had a pie with pesto for the sauce, topped with mozzarella, green peppers, kalamata olives, basil, sausage, and pepperoni. The pepperoni here curled while cooking into a cup shape which always makes pizza feel more gourmet. The crust was puffier than a lot of the fast food pizza competitors.
On my last trip to New York, pre-pandemic, I came across a restaurant serving a type of Indian street food called kati rolls. I very much enjoyed these rolled up sandwiches and was unaware of any other restaurants serving this food. That is, until I stumbled on a restaurant called Kathi Rolls in Orlando. Different spelling of a very similar food item...
I tried both the Chicken Tikka and the Lamb Tikka Kathi Rolls. Each was filled with the meat, onions, peppers, cilantro, and an added egg. Lots and lots of flavor in both rolls. Of the two, I think I preferred the chicken slightly more.
Kathi Rolls also has naan pizza on their menu which sounds interesting. I may have to try one of those on my next visit. I'm glad I found a restaurant serving a kathi rolls in Orlando so I don't need to take a trip to New York in order to eat one...
The wait is finally over! On May 3, 2021, the first White Castle ever in Orlando is having its grand opening. I was invited to try White Castle a few days before they open their doors to the masses.
It appears White Castle is expecting quite the crowd when they open on May 3. They had a few large tents set up in the parking lot to accommodate a large queue line.
White Castle's lobby:
It has been a very long time since I've been to a White Castle. So long that I asked the employee taking my order to recommend the quintessential White Castle food. He told me to have the Cheese Slider Combo. The menu describes these sliders as "made with 100% beef, steam grilled on a bed of onions topped with a slice of American cheese."
The combo came with a side of crispy, crinkle cut fries.
The cashier also recommended that I try the 1921 Slider. This sandwich was topped with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and cheddar.
After sampling some of what White Castle had to offer inside the restaurant, I was asked if I would like to experience the drive-thru. Of course I would!
I tried the Chicken & Waffles Slider. Fried chicken, bacon, and cheese between two waffles. This was my favorite of all the sliders I sampled at White Castle.
I also had a side of Onion Chips. Crispy, breaded, deep fried onions.
Vanilla shake for dessert.
Here's a video from White Castle. This is one of the few times on this blog where you can actually watch me eat...
White Castle is located at 11595 Daryl Carter Parkway. That's between all the theme parks near the intersection of Palm Parkway and Daryl Carter Parkway. Go tomorrow and see what White Castle is all about!
