American Deli in McDonough, GA

On a return trip home from Atlanta, we stopped for dinner at a restaurant called American Deli off I-75 in the suburbs south of Atlanta. I went into American Deli expecting sandwiches, but sandwiches were only a small part of the menu. Being that the Superbowl was just about to start as we decided to eat, chicken wings were a very big seller here. They had countless takeout orders of people buying huge quantity of wings to bring home to their parties. This made our wait for food a bit longer than it would probably be otherwise (stupid football game), but it wasn't too bad.

I ordered something that I was definitely not expecting to see on American Deli's menu. I had the shrimp fried rice and chicken wing combo. This consisted of a huge mound of fried rice with shrimp, egg, carrots, peas, and onion. Several chicken wings were served alongside with a container of blue cheese for dipping. The rice was tasty, especially since it was from a restaurant that didn't specifically specialize in Chinese food. The shrimp were tiny, but there were enough of them to make up for the small size. I choose medium spiciness on the wings, and it was a good choice. They had a nice kick to them, but didn't leave me begging for water afterwards either.

Overall, I enjoyed my food at American Deli. It was completely different from what I was expecting, but still served tasty food...

Olive Bistro in Atlanta, GA

While in Atlanta, I had lunch at a restaurant called Olive Bistro. Thy were located in the corner of a strip mall. They served mostly Greek and Middle Eastern food. There were six of us dining at the restaurant. There were two other occupied tables in the entire place, but our server seemed very flustered and annoyed to have a larger group come to dine. She made a big deal about splitting the checks. Apparently her ability to give separate checks or a single check depended on if the restaurant remained really busy when we were done eating (the two other tables?). When ordering, there were also issues with someone at the table who just wanted to order dessert. Apparently only eating dessert was against the restaurant's policies. This person then tried ordering a side item as well, but this was also unacceptable. Finally, when a hummus appetizer was picked without the side or dessert, it passed and was acceptable. Desserts and side items can't be ordered without an entree at Olive Bistro but appetizers can?

I ordered a Gyro Pita. It was filled with lamb, lettuce, tomato, onions, and lots of tzatziki. It was tasty enough, although nothing exceptional that I haven't had elsewhere. The gyro was pretty standard, and was exactly what I was expecting for a gyro. While the food at Olive Bistro was okay, the server was weird and made too big of a deal of stuff that should be simple. She did end up having time to split our checks, so there was a slight redeeming factor there...

Eats in Atlanta, GA

While in Atlanta, I had lunch at a restaurant called Eats. Eats had an interesting setup which was also a bit confusing. They had a few counters, each serving a different type of food. Above the counters, they had menus that weren't exactly clear what was available on the day I was there.

Once I figured out what was being served, I went with the Jerk Chicken with two sides. The chicken was very flavorful, covered in a slightly spicy jerk seasoning. I chose collards and broccoli casserole as my sides. The collards were good, although nothing exceptional. The broccoli casserole was mostly rice and cheese, with little bits of broccoli mixed in. I was expecting much more broccoli in a broccoli casserole. The meal also was served with a very moist piece of cornbread.

Overall, Eats served some pretty tasty eats. The portions were huge and the prices were good.

Little Five Points Pizza in Atlanta, GA

It was 1:00 AM and I was looking for a late dinner in Atlanta. I thought about going to Majestic Diner, but I've done that and was looking for someplace new to try in my food travel adventures. That someplace ended up being a restaurant called Little Five Points Pizza in the neighborhood that shared the same name.

I ordered a slice of plain cheese and a slice of their white pizza. Both slices were quite large and I probably would have been full with just one. The cheese slice actually reminded me of Lazy Moon in Orlando. Large, but messy and could have been left in the oven a little longer to have the cheese a little more melted. The white slice was interesting. Most white pizzas don't have tomato sauce, but this one did. It seemed like a normal slice topped with ricotta, more mozzarella, and an insane amount of garlic. The white slice was my favorite of the two.

The pizza here was alright. Nothing wonderful, but it worked for dinner at 1 AM. It seemed like they catered to the people stumbling in from the nearby bars, so perhaps large slices of messy pizza works. This is my third experience with pizza in Atlanta, and I can't say I was really impressed with any of my slices in the city. Does Atlanta do good pizza?


 

Dunkin Donuts in Atlanta, GA

I was in Atlanta and wanted to get a very quick breakfast within walking distance from my destination for the day. The two choices ended up being either Ihop or Dunkin Donuts, and I chose the latter. I know Dunkin Donuts is nothing exotic. Just about every location is the same and normally a quick breakfast at a Dunkin Donuts wouldn't be worthy of a blog post, but I decided to write about this visit for two reasons. The first being: SNOW! There was snow on the ground leftover from the big snowstorm that hit Atlanta a couple days earlier and as a Florida based food blogger, I think snow is wonderful...

The second reason I decided to write this blog post was because what I ordered at this particular Dunkin Donuts annoyed me. I wanted to get a bacon, egg, and cheese bagel sandwich. I also wanted some hot tea. They had a combo that included the sandwich and a coffee, but I like tea way more than coffee. I asked if I could get the tea instead of coffee with the combo and I was told it couldn't be done. Tea was cheaper than coffee on the menu, but yet buying them separately ended up costing a dollar and change more than the combo which included the more expensive coffee.

The bagel sandwich was perfectly acceptable, but the drinks annoyed me. I'm sure there was some reason like cash register restrictions or messing up inventory why a more expensive cup of coffee couldn't be switched out with a cheaper cup of tea, but it still annoyed me. Regardless, once I got back outside, the cold weather and snow made me forget all about Dunkin Donuts. Especially when I found enough snow to make a snowman right across the street. Polar vortexes are fun. Too bad it was all melted when the temperatures warmed up later in the afternoon...

 

Ru San's in Atlanta, GA (Midtown)

I had dinner in Atlanta at a Japanese restaurant called Ru San's. This restaurant is apparently a local chain in the area and I ate in the location in Midtown Atlanta. Ru San's was up on the second floor of a strip mall and is apparently under new management according to the banner hanging out front. Inside, Ru San's almost had a nightclub atmosphere with lots of color changing lights and loud music. The prices on much of their menu were very reasonable.

While the majority of the menu featured sushi, I instead ordered the Nabeyaki Udon. This large bowl of soup was packed with udon noodles, tempura shrimp, chicken, egg, mushrooms, onions, zucchini, and other vegetables. The broth had a nice, slightly spicy flavor with just the right amount of saltiness. Rather than the soup's contents floating towards the top, this bowl was filled pretty much to the brim with yummy stuff with the broth filling up the space in between. With all this food in the bowl, I got about half way through before I decided I was full...

I'd return to Ru San's. The food was tasty and was a good value for the price.

Bono's Bar-B-Q in Gainesville, FL

I was doing some traveling and stopped right off I-75 in Gainesville for gas and lunch. It was decided that we would partake in some barbecue at a restaurant called Bono's Bar-B-Q. We went to their drive through and I ordered the Slawpy Pig Sandwich. The menu described it as a heaping pile of pulled pork topped with coleslaw. The combination reminded me of the Messy Pig at 4 Rivers back in the Orlando area, which I like.

This sandwich was served dry with sauce on the side. It allowed me to taste the pork a bit more than if the meat was drenched in sauce. The shredded pork was nice and tender with a smokey flavor. There were none of the unpleasant chewy bits of pig that sometimes find their way into pulled pork which is always good. The coleslaw was very generic, but did the job of providing moisture and vegetables to an otherwise meaty and dry sandwich. I picked macaroni and cheese as my side. It was very creamy. Overall, Bono's ended up being a much better choice than the standard interstate fast food selections...

iSpice in Altamonte Springs, FL

iSpice is a fast food Indian restaurant in the Altamonte Mall Food Court. I've considered eating there at dinner time in the past but I always worried about the turnover on the food. iSpice never seems to have the volume of customers that their neighbors have and I always wondered if the food had been sitting there since the morning. Not saying it works that way, but that thought always stopped me from eating there. I was recently at the mall at lunch time when the food would ideally be fresher and decided to finally give them a try.

I ordered the platter which came with a choice of one meat dish, one vegetable dish, rice, naan, and rice pudding. I had the chicken korma for my meat. The chicken was nice and tender and the sauce was very tasty. I had some of the sauce over the rice as well. For the vegetable, I chose the spinach dal, which consisted of lentil and spinach in a very soupy sauce. The naan worked well for soaking up all of the extra sauce. The portion of rice pudding was small but good.

Overall, I did enjoy my food at iSpice. It was cheaper than a sit-down Indian restaurant and the platter ended up being plenty of food. Everything tasted good, and iSpice was definitely a much better choice than some of the other more corporate options in the mall's food court. I'll try them again!

Stefano Greek-Italian Restaurant in Temple Terrace, FL

After a long day of looking at animals and riding roller coasters at Busch Gardens, I stopped for dinner nearby at a place called Stefano Greek-Italian Restaurant in Temple Terrace. The menu seemed to be mostly Greek with only a small section of Italian foods.

My meal began with a salad and some pita bread. The salad consisted of iceberg lettuce, cucumber, tomato, onion, olives, and feta cheese. It was quite large for a side salad that accompanied my meal.

I had the Gyro Plate as my main course. This was an open face gyro sandwich served over a bed of yellow rice. There was lots of thinly sliced gyro meat on a pita, topped with tomato slices, onions, and some of the best tzatziki I can remember having in a long time. The gyro meat itself wasn't as flavorful as what I've had at other Greek restaurants, but the tzatziki made up for the difference. It was yogurt, cucumber, and lots and lots of big pieces of garlic. I probably stunk for the next two days from all the garlic, but I didn't care and finished every drop of the sauce because this tzatziki was delicious.

Like the salad, the portion size on the gyro plate was large. It was the first meal I've had in a while where I immediately knew there would be no possible way that I'd finish what was served when the food was brought to the table. I liked the food at Stefano. Prices were reasonable, portions were large, and the food was tasty. I'd go back.

Whitewood Modern Mediterranean Grill in Orlando, FL

After watching the circus at the Amway Center, I decided to wander around downtown Orlando and find some food. I ended up at a middle eastern restaurant on Orange Ave called Whitewood Modern Mediterranean Grill. I attempted to try this restaurant on two occasions in the past, but each time they were closed. Whitewood must have very spontaneous hours. Their website lists them as open during the times I've attempted to eat there in the past, yet they are listed as closed on Sundays. I ate at Whitewood on a Sunday.

I had the Kafta Kabob Platter. This consisted of two pieces of kafta, which were essentially middle eastern meatballs made from very nicely seasoned ground steak. These were served over rice with a very tasty white sauce. The platter came with two sides, and I chose the stuffed grape leaves and mixed vegetables. Grape leaves were good, with a nice dill flavor. Pita chips garnished the center of the plate and were very useful in collecting all that delicious white sauce that was on the plate. I enjoyed my food, as did everyone else who dined with me. What we didn't enjoy were the other patrons of the restaurant. I find the people who spend all Sunday long drinking on Wall Street, then end up in a restaurant later in the night to be very obnoxious. Sober people don't want to hear you very loudly yell "I'm going to fuck you up" over and over and over throughout the entire course of the meal. I know this had nothing to do with Whitewood, but it was annoying. I noticed a second Whitewood location recently opened in Lake Mary. Perhaps there's less annoying drunk people in Heathrow the next time I want middle eastern food at Whitewood...

Del Taco in Orlando, FL (International Drive)

Del Taco is a fast food Mexican chain that has a few locations in the Orlando area. They recently added ground turkey as a meat option to their menu. To announce the turkey, I received a box of feathers in the mail with a gift card to go try the new meat at Del Taco. I used the gift card to try the turkey at the Del Taco on International Drive in Orlando. I ordered a Turkey Taco, a Turkey Crunchtada Tostada, and a Vanilla Milkshake.

Turkey soft taco:

Turkey Crunchtada Tostada- I preferred this to the taco.

Vanilla Milkshake:

Deland Fish House in Deland, FL

I ventured out to Deland for dinner on a recent evening and found myself at a restaurant called the Deland Fish House. This seafood restaurant was located on International Speedway Blvd, not far from Downtown Deland and Stetson University.

They had a combo dinner where you got to pick a type of fish and shellfish that sounded good to me. I chose the blackened mahi mahi for my fish and a crab cake for the shellfish. The dinner came with two sides and I chose the fried okra and cheese grits. Hush puppies were also included. The blackened mahi mahi was very tasty. The seasoning was nice and spicy. The crab cake was also tasty. There was a lot of crab in this very large crab cake, which is always a good thing. The fried okra was average and the cheese grits were very plain tasting. The seafood was definitely better than the side items, as it should be at a seafood restaurant. Overall, I liked this place. The food was good for the most part. The prices were a little less than I was expecting and the portions were huge. I'd return!

Krazy Greek Kitchen in Lake Mary, FL

I was in Downtown Lake Mary and was going to give the relatively new Flipper's Pizza a try since it had been years since I had been to any of their locations. Once I parked, I noticed that Delano on the Park was no longer in business and a new restaurant called Krazy Greek Kitchen was there in it's place. I always enjoy good Greek food, so I decided to forgo pizza for the afternoon and ventured into Krazy Greek Kitchen...

I ordered the Gyro Pita. The sandwich was filled with plenty of thinly sliced meat, lettuce, onions, tomatos, and lots of tzatziki. The meat was very flavorful and the sandwich was kept nice and moist from the tzatziki.

 

Another food item that I was considering, but decided to get my gyro pita instead when someone else at the table ordered it was the Gyro Flatbread.  This pizza-like creation was something I haven't seen elsewhere. It consisted of a pita piled high with a layer of gyro meat, then a layer of peppers, onions, tomatoes, and then melted cheese. All this was served over a Greek salad. I tried a slice of the flatbread and it was delicious! Next time I come back to Krazy Greek Kitchen, I know what I'm ordering.

Lake Mary has a couple other Greek restaurants, but I think Krazy Greek Kitchen has the potential to be my favorite. I need to return to see if they hold up well!

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Pie Car

I may be a food blogger, but I also have a big interest in the circus. I choose to fill my spare time with teaching myself circus arts. It started out with juggling, then moved on to unicycle, then stilt walking, then balloon art, and so on and so on. You can find circus props hidden throughout the background of several posts on this blog. Much of the travel food blogging that was written about has been done based around trips to circus festivals and conventions. Because of my rather obscure interests, you can bet I was excited when I received an invitation to visit the circus train for a tasting experience on the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Pie Car!

The Pie Car is the official name for where food is prepared and consumed on the circus train.

Once aboard, we got to see the kitchen where all the food is prepared. That's Matt Loory, the Pie Car Manager for Ringling's Blue Unit.

We had a seat in the dining area of the Pie Car and were told all sorts of fascinating facts about eating on a circus train. For example, did you know:

• The Pie Car on the train and the Pie Car Jr. (food truck), which serves meals at the arenas, prepares a combined total of 1,000-1,500 meals each week.
• On selected days, the Pie Car offers special dishes featuring favorite performer recipes representing the cuisines of their native countries.  Approximately 30 countries are represented on the Blue Unit. The Pie Car Manager strives to create dishes that cater to everyone’s tastes.
• Central Florida native Matt Loory is the Pie Car Manager for the Blue Unit. At age 23, he is one of the youngest PCM’s in Ringling Bros. history.
• How did the Pie Car get its name? There are three versions behind it:
• The old chow houses used to serve primarily meat pies due to their heartiness and low cost.
•  Old dining cars on trains used to just serve coffee and pie.
• The name comes from the car's original designation: the "Privileged Individuals and Employee" car... P-I-E Privileged Individuals were those who had paid the show for some sort of concession rights. For example, someone was granted the "popcorn privilege," or the "cotton candy privilege.”

Soon enough, it was time eat. Since the public can't dine on the Pie Car without running away to join the circus, these pictures will be the closest you'll get to sampling circus food. Circus employees are definitely served much better food than what's sold at the concession stands at the circus! The first dish that was sampled was called Huevos Loco-Motion. Eggs, chorizo, peppers, onions, pico di gallo, and cheese all over a tortilla.

Popcorn Shrimp with Chipotle Mayo came next. I really liked the batter on the shrimp. Apparently it is a secret recipe that does include corn starch, brown sugar, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and Old Bay seasoning.

Asian Meatloaf with Wasibi Mashed Potatoes & Chicken Caprese Roulade came next. Wasibi Mashed Potatoes were a very tasty combination that I had never tasted before!

For dessert, we had pineapple upside down cake and yogurt topped with orange slices.

After dessert, my meal on the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Pie Car came to an end. I can now say I've eaten on a circus train! Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's Legends will be playing at the Amway Center in Orlando January 9-12, 2014. Be sure to go watch. I'm definitely going to see the show!

Viet Garden in Orlando, FL

Viet Garden was my gateway restaurant into Vietnamese food. Years ago, when I was unacquainted with this type of food, I remember trying Viet Garden for the first time and thoroughly enjoying it. I knew nothing about Vietnamese food at the time, but I knew I liked the sounds of all the noodles and soups that I found on the menu. I soon found myself trying more and more of the surrounding Vietnamese restaurants in the Orlando area. It had been a while since I'd had Vietnamese food, so I decided to return to Viet Garden for another visit.

On this particular visit to Viet Garden, I had the Cho Lon Combo Egg Noodle Soup. This consisted of shrimp, crab claws, roast pork, wontons, egg noodles, and some greens in a broth. The standard side dish of of bean sprouts, basil, jalapeno, and lime accompanied the huge bowl of soup. I did enjoy my soup, although the shrimp and crab claws were a bit elusive. I think I found two of each in the entire bowl. The broth had nice flavor with just the right amount of saltiness. Overall, this was a pretty tasty soup.

This wasn't my first visit to Viet Garden, and it most likely wasn't my last. I'm sure I'll be visiting again one day when I'm craving some Vietnamese food...