Kawaii Bento Boxes: Cute and Convenient Japanese Meals on the Go

“I have to make her food look like something she recognizes,” said Ms. Chen, 42, a stay-at-home mother in San Leandro, Calif. “If her boiled egg is shaped like a bunny and it is holding a baby carrot, she’ll eat it.” – NY Times article..

As a fan of Japanese food, I came across this book the other day after reading an article in the New York Times about the recent upswing in bento boxes used in lieu of the traditional “lunch boxes”. Its basically a creative way to make your lunch look using every day food items. This book in particular was helpful in illustrating the different items and masses of pictures of the different arrangements for these lunch bento boxes. some pokemon bento boxes

A bento box meal (single portions of different foods packed in one reusable container) is a Japanese tradition that lends itself well to today’s busy lifestyle. Although bento boxes are available to take out from restaurants and food stands, they are most frequently prepared at home, very often by parents wishing to provide their children with delicious, healthy, fun–and environmentally responsible–lunch and snack-time alternatives.

Kawaii Bento Boxes offers dozens of recipes and menus. For each box, the authors include detailed instructions for cooking, seasoning, decorating and assembling the components as well as an icon indicating how long it will take to prepare. The meals are not just easy to make, they are tasty, nutritious and economical, with each portion carefully calculated so that there are no leftovers. There are also suggestions for the right container for each meal. Most of the ingredients used are familiar and available to American cooks. Here are whimsical creations like soccer balls and animal faces made from shaped rice, tulips cut from dyed hardboiled eggs, hearts and stars carved out of vegetables, and much more. Perfect for parents looking to liven up their children’s school lunches or park snacks, or for busy people who want to fix a quick and cheerful meal to take to work, Kawaii Bento Boxes highlights the Japanese passion for making food a treat for the eyes as well as for the mouth.

http://www.amazon.com/Kawaii-Bento-Boxes-Convenient-Japanese/dp/4889962603

Back again to our favorite outdoor mall/tween day care center, Waterford Lakes. This time its for Toojay’s Deli where I decided to visit to hanker down on my craving for a nice pastrami sandwich. (Flashback: Katz’ Deli in NYC and their ginormous pastrami sandwiches)

Originating from the island of Palm Beach in 1981, Toojay’s Deli has actually won over 50 awards for “best” deli. I came to see what all the fuss was about.

Inside, Toojay’s has a very comfortable and homey feeling, with plenty of seating and a large deli counter to boot.

Although the prices may seem a bit high here at Toojays, its all about the quality. I order the pastrami and with the suggestion of the lady at the counter I get it with cole slaw and Russian dressing, a favorite. It would be my first time ordering a pastrami with cole slaw and it actually was pretty good, slightly creamy.

The sandwich is superb and delightful on my tastebuds. It satisfied my hunger for some good deli sandwiches or at least held it over until my next trip to New York 😀

I’ve got to come back and try their desserts and black and white cookies as well as their famed corned beef sandwiches next time!

Stardust Coffee and Video – Audobon Park – Orlando

Stardust Coffee and Video, founded in 1970.
There is a off beat feeling about the place. I could imagine poets, artists, hipsters and disaffected rebels inhabiting inside, working on a new project on their macbooks while sipping a latte. I like it.

The Counter @ Stardust Coffee and Video in Orlando (Audobon Park)

At the counter, I order a grinderman sandwich, made with chicken, pesto and goat cheese (made from free range goats of course) with hot sauce. There is a delightful kick to the sandwich and I do enjoy it. I should have maybe ordered a half order since it was quite large. I also enjoy a spinach salad with it. I sip it all down with a mocha latte to warm me up from the rainy day going on outside. The coffee was a lot better than any cup I’ve ever had from Starbucks, rich and deep.

Alton Brown of Good Eats of Food Network Visits Orlando

For a Book Signing at Costco

12/12/09 – Alton Brown

Good Eats – The Early Years

East Orlando / University Boulevard

12PM

alton brown visits orlando on costco site

credit to:
http://www.yelp.com/topic/orlando-alton-brown

Asian Chao at UCF

Asian Chao is tucked inside, no not a mall, but the UCF Student Union…

Ah, the UCF Student Union, home to the offices of the UCF Student Government Association, the Grand Pegasus Ballroom, Registered Student organization cubicles, study lounges, and most important of all…the Food Court…Aka the Knight’s Court. (clever, UCF)

Recent remodelings of the food court in the UCF Student Union brought some great touches to the place, especially great is the new addition of Asian Chao. I am usually not a fan of fast food style Chinese food, but when you’re on campus, its the closest thing you’ve got. We make due with what is given.

A long time ago another “Chinese” place existed in the student union but it blew really bad and so it went the way that most bad places go… it closed.

Asian Chao is actually not bad, the rice is pretty fresh and tasty and the bourbon chicken is not too greasy and not too sweet, just right.

And that is what I usually get here at Asian Chao. Pretty good price too for around $6 with fried rice and two side orders. With thousands of UCF students passing by every day I can imagine this place to be a sure hit for years to come as long as they keep up the quality and tastiness of their food…

Pollo Pio Pio – Peruvian/Colombian – Orlando

Pollo Pio Pio is actually a small family owned Latin American franchise that can be found from New York to here in Orlando in two places: South Semoran Blvd and on International Drive. I visited the south Semoran Blvd location to explore the culinary delights within.

Pio Pio, roughly translates to “chick, chick”, is the sound chickens in Latin America might make. So it correlates that this place would specialize in some good tasty chicken dishes. More on that in a little bit.

Upon arriving at the plaza on South Semoran in a predominately Latin American part of Orlando, one may be subject to find the outer shell of Pollo Pio Pio to be a bit ‘sketch’, but don’t judge this book by its cover. Stepping inside, you will be pleasantly surprised by the dark wood and soft lighting and overall quite elegant decor of Pollo Pio Pio. The atmosphere is friendly and the waiters are decked in sophisticated all black attire.

I first order some calamari to start, a freshly fried and tasty appetizer. The arepa is fine but I guess I am not a big fan of corn cakes.

We also order a side salad, topped with a gratuitous amount of buttery avocado (probably an entire avocado is sliced on top of my salad), with a side of a deliciously creamy dressing. Skip the empanada as there are better tasting empanadas elsewhere here in Orlando, but definitely get the 1/4 chicken meal with rice and beans.

The rotisserie chicken here is delicious, crisply crackly skin infused with herbs and succulently meaty. Although the chicken was good, I feel that it may have been better if it was a bit more flavorful than it was.

The steak is alright but I would stick with the chicken here at Pollo Pio Pio. For a drink, definitely get the mango smoothie, a sweet, thick and refreshingly fruity drink made fresh and a bit tart.

Tasty Chomps Rating!!!
3.5 out of 5 Tasty Chomps!!!

In this diagram by the NY Times, two monkeys are fed different amounts of calories a day…
The experiment found that the monkey fed lower amounts of calories slows aging…

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/10/science/10aging.html

http://www.boston.com/news/health/blog/2009/07/lowcalorie_diet.html

High Tide Harry’s sits just north of one of the top ten deadliest intersections in the United States, Semoran Blvd/SR 436 and Colonial Drive / SR 50. This is one of the many reasons why there is a huge new overpass being constructed in that area to avoid and reduce the number of pedestrian and vehicular accidents occurring out here. Shiver me timbers.

First of all, High Tide Harry attracted me from the road with its huge, beatific sign with giant crabs attacking it. It made me want to run over and save the building from this crustaceany invasion. by eating the attackers. chomp….chomp.chomp.

Stepping inside, you may notice the interior design to be reminiscent of a ship galley or a old bar, definitely some type of dive…

The best thing to get here is the dozen oysters, at $4.99 its a great deal! The oysters are pretty good and I am happy to report there were no disagreements with my tummy.

After the oysters my friends and I enjoy our meals. The hush puppies arrived first, replenished with a delectable, sweet cinnamon butter dip.

I also had some “blu stu”, a stew made with fresh blue crab meat ($3.99). I thought the blue crab was excellent and the stew was altogether decent.

I ordered the soft shell crab sandwich, a whole soft shell crab fried and plopped between two buns with a side of fries and some cole slaw. ($8.49)

Overall, High Tide Harry’s was pretty good, with decent prices (a lot of items were under $10.00) and that’s a deal for seafood!

Tasty Chomps RATING
3.5 out of 5 TASTY CHOMPS!!!

925 N. Semoran Blvd.
Orlando, Florida
(AT 436 & HWY 50)
(407)273-4422
http://www.hightideharrys.com

Los Autenticos Cuban Cafe

The construction along Colonial Drive is pretty daunting, and with all the pedestrian traffic accidents going on (see www.brianfeldman.com), its probably easier to try to avoid the whole area.

But by doing so you may be missing out on some hidden shops in the area…such as Los Autenticos Cuban Cafe! Actually it’s easy to miss even without the construction going on.

Located in a small plaza a little west of Goldenrod, Los Autenticos Cuban Cafe is a small, hole in the wall type place with great sandwiches that I would personally choose over Subway’s any day. On this night I choose to order the “Cubano Especial” or Cuban special made with roasted pork, ham, swiss cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, and mustard on a large cuban bread. The sandwich is grilled flat and served hot, all for $5.99.

The sandwich is delectable and I enjoy the different flavors in the sandwich, tasting the flavors of Cuba and Latin America.

I also order a mango smoothie to enjoy, a thick, fruity delicious drink to wash down the sandwich with.

Hole in the walls are my friends

7339 E. Colonial Dr. #1
Orlando, FL 32807
www.cubancafeonline.com

I love eggs song. Enjoy.

Orlando Japan Festival

The woman in her kimono gently rolled a ball of sugar in her hand and mixed it with a pinch of water. Like a magician, with the sleight of her hand, she began to transform the puddy-like mixture with each stroke into a crane, outreaching its neck and wings and began to paint it pink and red with food coloring. The children looked up at the magical edible creature in awe. Ah, the sights of the annual Orlando Japan Festival.

I’ve always been a fan of festivals. I love the excitement of the crowds as they meander through the stalls, the entertaining performances on display, and most of all, the delicious food that you can only buy with cash money at a festival.

It was to my delight to find not one but over 4 different stalls that served various Japanese food items a la street vendor at the Orlando Japan Festival. Rangetsu, Sushi Tomi, Sushiology, Mikado, Japan Food Aki, and more all brought out their weapons to the foray. From sushi to yakisoba to teriyaki chicken, the vendors ran a wide gamut of traditional Japanese offerings.

My picks of the day were from Rangetsu. The first few Orlando Japan Festivals were actually held on the premises of Rangetsu, with its blue terraced roofs and large outdoor pond scenery. But I suppose in recent years the festival had outgrown the walls of Rangetsu and it was decided to move the festival to the Hunter’s Creeks plaza off of John Young Blvd just south of SR 417.

I chose takoyaki, a popular Japanese dumpling sold on the streets and made with batter and stuffed with octopus pieces and spices. The takoyaki are round and soft with the pleasant rubbery texture of octopus when you bite them.

Also, I choose chicken karaage, a fried style chicken dish with soy sauce, and yakisoba, the long wheat noodles served with chicken and red ginger. All of these items totaled less than 9 dollars, not a bad deal!

Overall the food was great, but it was the combination of street food, anime cosplayers, vendors, taiko drummers, dancers, and the lady with the masterful edible sugar creatures that made this Orlando Japan Festival special.

Takoyaki or Octopus balls from Ran-Getsu at the Orlando Japan Festival

Chicken Karaage from Ran-Getsu at the Orlando Japan Festival

Yakisoba with Chicken from Ran-Getsu at the Orlando Japan Festival

Sayonara!

Find out more about the Orlando Japan Festival here:
http://ld-e.com/japanfestival/index.html

The Ravenous Pig – An American Gastropub – Winter Park Florida

As the sun’s rays retreated behind the clouds in the western sky and the air in the dusky late Central Florida afternoon began to settle, I parked my car along N Orange Avenue in Winter Park and took my partner by the hand as we walked together toward The Ravenous Pig, renown as an American Gastropub, for a dinner out on the town.

The Ravenous Pig may sound like a barbeque place, at first, specializing in pork dishes or something along those lines, but contrary to their name they only have a few dishes that actually emphasize pork (they do have a suckling pig roast once a month however). The Ravenous Pig specializes in a menu that changes by the season and emanates from the chef’s inspiration.

The whole trip was a spur of the moment decision, I had always wanted to try The Ravenous Pig out as I have heard rave reviews about it from friends and professionals alike. The quandary with being spur of the moment at The Ravenous Pig is that there may be a wait time for a table. They emphasize, and I recommend as well, to place reservations for a table before hand to ensure a table. However, if you so choose to take the risk of walking in, you will have to wait in the bar area for a first come first serve basis. Luckily our wait for a booth was only 10 minutes as the line wasn’t too long.

@ The Ravenous Pig – A view toward the Pub area

Inside, the Ravenous Pig is decorated in classy browns and layers of bricked walls. Our server for the evening is sweet and attentive, checking up on us throughout our meal and quite friendly.
For starters we begin with the Crab Hush puppies ($7) a twist on the traditional hush puppy appetizers, made with charred corn, bacon, and served with a orange-habenero aioli.

My partner mildly enjoys the Pacific Halibut ($27), olive oil poached, with provincial summer gratin, olive tapinade, in a tomato fennel broth, though she is not a fan of the olive tapinade.

@ The Ravenous Pig – Crab Hush puppies ($7)

@ The Ravenous Pig – Pacific Halibut

Steak Frites ($24), is a porcini marinated flat-iron steak served with their signature truffle fries and tarragon aioli. The steak was tender and grilled perfectly with a warm outside and a cool red inside, just the way I like it. Truffle fries are basically like shoestring french fries with a hint of truffle mushrooms. The tarragon aioli sauce that accompanies the dish was very unique and all in all the dish was very creative.

@ The Ravenous Pig – Steak Frittes

@ The Ravenous Pig – I enjoy my meat this way

@ The Ravenous Pig – with the Tarragon Aioli sauce

@ The Ravenous Pig – The Frittes in Steak Frittes

For dessert we enjoyed the Custard ($7), served with a coconut cream frozen souffle’ and white chocolate macadamia biscotti crisps.

@ The Ravenous Pig – “The Custard”

@ The Ravenous Pig – The Custard

@ The Ravenous Pig -The coconut cream frozen souffle

@ The Ravenous Pig – The white chocolate macadamia biscotti crisps

Overall I definitely enjoyed my meal at The Ravenous Pig. I would come back just to check out their menu and all the creativity that they put into it. It’s surprisingly refreshing to see such ingenuity in their dishes and I wish more Central Florida restaurants practiced this philosophy, although I do have reservations about their pricing. I would want to come back to try their Pub Burger ($12) since its pretty cheap hah.

Tasty Chomps Rating!
4 out of 5 TASTY CHOMPS!!!!

Hours
Lunch: Tuesday – Saturday — 11:30 am-2:30 pm
Dinner: Tuesday – Thursday — 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Friday – Saturday — 5:30 pm-10:30 pm

Falafel Cafe – UCF Area

In search for delicious kebab platters and gyros from the near east at the footsteps of UCF? Look no further. Falafel Cafe, a Lebanese and Middle Eastern restaurant, has been around for a while near UCF on the corner of Alafaya Trail and University Blvd right next to the CB&S; bookstore behind Applebee’s. The logo at Falafel Cafe is the Cedar Tree, a symbol of Lebanon.

For starters choose from traditional salads, taboulehs, hummus, grape leaves, and more. Lentil soup is offered during lunch as well, complimentary. For my meal I choose the combination kebab platter, a trio of freshly marinated and grilled chicken, kafta, and beef (or lamb) kebabs ($15.99) with a healthy heap of rice. My friends order the gyro ($7.50). Although I enjoyed my meal, I must say it was a bit expensive. I’ll try some of their other less expensive meals next time and report back.

Chris admiring the inner decor of Falafel Cafe

Lentil soup at Falafel Cafe by UCF

The pita bread at Falafel Cafe by UCF

Lap at Falafel Cafe at UCF

A Look inside the Gyro at Falafel Cafe at UCF

The Combination platter with chicken, beef, and lamb at Falafel Cafe

Delicious Combo platter with a slice of orange

Website
http://www.falafelcafe.com/index.html

Dragonfly Rolls n Bowls – Gainesville

As a visitor to Gainesville since my college days (just to get out of Orlando once in a while), I would always hit up the Bento Cafe with my friends for their delicious and cheap Asian inspired cuisine. Once in a while, I would get to venture out to see what other offerings are out there in Gainesville, the land of the Florida Gators.

Hidden in a plaza off of SW 34th Street near Archer Road, Rolls n Bowls is the latest addition to the whole “fast-casual” trend going on in the restaurant industry these days. The concept is simple: save time and costs by having customers order up front at the counter as the “chefs” make the meals. Usually by throwing the ingredients together in a bowl. In Chipotle’s case, its rice, beans and chicken or shredded pork or steak. At Rolls n Bowls, its rice and salmon or tuna or tofu or veggies instead. They take traditional sashimi fish and place them on top of their rice bowls along with any additional seasonings desired. The cool thing about it is that each bowl can be customized to your wish or you can pick one of the predetermined mixes that they have on the menu. The quality of the fish is ok, not the greatest ever, but not the worst either.

One of the best things is the spicy mayo sauce that they have, its orangey red goodness.

Pita Pit – Halloween in Downtown Orlando

This past Friday I was able to experience for my first time the spectacle that is Halloween in downtown Orlando. It was a fairly nice evening downtown. As my friends and I came upon Orange Avenue, the mayhem began. Thousands upon thousands of Central Floridians dressed in their favorite costumes walked the streets.

Halloween more and more has been becoming a adult themed holiday, with adults having just as fun as the kids dressing up for Halloween. People always say hey I don’t dress like this every day so why not? But just a reminder, underwear and a bra do not constitute a “costume”, for those who like to dress up as their favorite nurse, police officer, or other bdsm persona. And there seemed to be quite a few of those this year on the streets.

It was my first time seeing so many people downtown, I think they should make it into a parade or something like Carnivale in South America some day. Until then, here are some pretty cool outfits out there this Halloween:

It’s the pile of money staring at me from Geico LOL

the scariest costumes of the evening by far

It’s Hellboy, complete with his hellkey hand

Is that ET?

Deadpool is awesome

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!

Beetlejuice!!

Watch out , they ain’t afraid of no ghost…Ghostbusters!!

Street Fighters!

The Tin Man

The Mad Hatter

I thought he was there for crowd control, but no just a costume har har

It was fun until around 1:30am when the alcohol sat in and people started getting handcuffed by the 5-0 or laid out on the streets waiting for the paramedics to whisk them away…cue exit.

Pita Pit has been a long time favorite for those who enjoy staying up late at night whether it be in the college towns or downtown. On this crazy evening we were able to secure a spot in line to get a pita!

The pita we ordered did not come out (a cheesesteak pita) and we just got a regular steak, but I am sure its from the chaos from the evening. I actually am not a big fan of Pita Pit as I find their pita bread a bit too dry and bland, and after a while, it all starts tasting the same….but its healthy and fresh and that’s hard to find late-night.

Tasty Chomps!! For Best Foodie Blog:

http://www.orlandosentinel2.com/data/orbbies/voting/?vote_for=86#86

Tasty Chomps!! For Best Overall Blog:

http://www.orlandosentinel2.com/data/orbbies/voting/best.php

Voting for the 2009 Orbbies begins Nov. 2 at 10 am and ends on Friday, Nov. 20 at 5 pm.

You may vote once per category, per day. You may also vote once per day for Best Overall Blog (BOB). You must log in to your OrlandoSentinel.com account in order to vote.

Lollicup Boba Tea and Coffee Zone – Downtown Orlando – Mills 50 District

Lollicup is most known for their boba/bubble/tapioca pearl milk teas but at this location in the heart of the Mills 50 District, a little east of Mills Ave on Colonial Dr, there is another culinary offering that deserves note.

At their small corner stall, Lollicup in Viet town also serves Vietnamese banh mi or Viet sub sandwiches that are homemade and fresh, and quite delicious. Traditionally, Vietnamese banh mi are known to be “street food” or “fast food” because people would quite literally pick them off street vendors as they went on their way in Vietnam. Still today, people often pack banh mi up in bags of 5 or more (buy 5 get 1 free) and eat them on road trips.

The banh mi at Lollicup is a pretty decent meal and cheap too, about 8 inches of french bread slathered with some special butter and pork liver pate, filled with homemade cha siu roast pork, cucumbers, cilantro, pickled daikon and carrots all for around $2.50. Pop it in the small toaster to get that slightly crackly toasted skin on the bread and we are set.

Way better than Subway any day.

October 26, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact / Interview Requests:Brian Feldman, (407) 792-9421, projects@brianfeldman.com, @BrianFeldman

Who: Brian Feldman Projects (The Feldman Dynamic, Cracker Barrel® Old Country Chanukah, Brian Feldman Eats Everything Off The Menu At Loving Hut)
What: 24 Hour Vegan McDonald’s®
When: Sunday November 1, 2009: 12am-11:59pm (24 hours)
Where: McDonald’s® Restaurant #38966875 Sand Lake Rd Orlando FL 32819(Sand Lake Rd & International Dr)http://bit.ly/McDmap [Google Maps]
Cost: Free to observe

Always seeking new ways to top Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell as the worst project he’s ever done, Brian Feldman, “Everybody’s favorite monotony monk”, returns to International Drive for the first time since May’s ill-fated Miniature project.

For World Vegan Day (November 1), and as self-imposed penance for missing this year’s Central Florida Veg Fest (it’s not like he was doing anything), Brian channels Morgan Spurlock by remaining inside of the least likely place for a vegan to be – McDonald’s® for, yes, 24 hours.
What will Brian, as a vegan, be able eat? The answer, of course, is anything he wants. Being vegan is a choice, and one that Brian has gladly made. So… dollar salads. And water.

Brian’s chosen McDonald’s® location (one of 31,000+ worldwide) alternately bills itself as “The World’s Largest Entertainment McDonald’s® & Playplace” and “The Most Unique McDonald’s® in the World”. It’s certainly the craziest in Orlando, with “gourmet” meal items (ice cream, cakes, pizza, pasta, wraps and paninis), a wishing well, video games (including miniature bowling), McDonald’s® character murals, side-by-side miniature busts of George Washington, Martin Luther King, Jr., George W. Bush, Rudy Giuliani, Abraham Lincoln and a “hula shark”, CNN, Elvises and Monroes, a second floor caged gift shop with the Statue of Liberty, cutouts of Bill Cosby, Clint Eastwood and Tom Cruise, and, according to MANNETRON, one of only four Mac Tonight animatronics in the world (it’s broken).

This independent project is not sanctioned, endorsed or sponsored by McDonald’s Corporation, Oerther Foods, Inc. or The Vegan Society.

Links:http://brianfeldman.com/ (Brian Feldman)http://mcflorida.com/3896 (McDonald’s® Restaurant #3896http://twitter.com/BrianFeldman (@BrianFeldman on Twitter)http://twitter.com/McDonalds (@McDonalds on Twitter)http://bit.ly/24VMcDfb (24 Hour Vegan McDonald’s® Facebook Event)http://bit.ly/24VMcDrls (24 Hour Vegan McDonald’s® Google Docs)http://bit.ly/24VMcDpdf (24 Hour Vegan McDonald’s® PDF Release)

When referencing on Twitter, please use hashtags: #vegan #McDonalds
Public Transportation / Biking and Walking / Vehicle Parking:LYNX: From Downtown Orlando, take Link 8 to the bus stop across from Panda Express on International Dr. Walk south along International Dr. Turn right on Sand Lake Rd. McDonald’s® will be on your right. From Orlando International Airport, take Link 42; same bus stop. You could also try Link 304 or Link 305, but are on your own. I-Ride (International Drive Resort Area Trolley service): Exit at I-Ride 15. /

Biking and walking are both good for you and pleasant modes of transportation on a Sunday, and anytime! That stated, depending on where you’re traveling from, this could result in an extremely long travel time. Use good judgement! (There are no dedicated bike racks at the event site.) / Vehicle parking lot is available outside restaurant.

Brian Feldman Projects is Central Florida’s premiere experimental time-based art. Dinners on stage with real life families, leaping off ladders for 24 hours, group tours in Google translated Swedish through IKEA, observin’ why people be lovin’ it® – this is what we do.
# # #

First Watch – UCF Area – Orlando

First Watch is one of the few restaurants out there that bucks the maxim about chains/franchises sucking in all matters of food deliciousness. The chain opened up its doors to the UCF area on University Blvd next to Ruby Tuesdays a few months ago and I was happy to visit on one sunny weekend afternoon.

Was I in for a surprise…

There, in front of me at the door was a line 40-minutes long, full of young couples, old couples, families, moms and dads and sons and daughters (most likely patrons of the nearby university) all waiting for some breakfast/brunch action here at First Watch. There is a saying that there is wisdom in crowds…and for the most part, they’re usually right.

The hostess at the front confirmed my worst fears: the line was indeed at least 40 minutes long this late morning and I and my partner would have to wait. As I stood there trying to keep from boring myself to death, I happened to come upon a young man with a t-shirt with words that caught my eyes: “UCF College of Medicine: Charter Class”. As a proud alumni of UCF, I promptly waved toward him and congratulated him on being part of the historic first class of 70 or so medical students and especially congratulated him on the free ride for the whole thing. He was waiting with his partner as well and so we chatted away the time, remarking how fast UCF had grown these past few years and all the crazy-cool things going on with the new medical city planned at Lake Nona. Shortly thereafter his table was called and away he went to enjoy his meal and I, resigned, back to my place in line.

Then, his partner Natalia, suddenly returned to the front and asked us if we would like to join them for brunch this morning. Thankful, grateful for their kindness we accepted and skipped on over to join them at their booth.

For their meals they order a “bacado” omelette, yogurt and fruit crepe, and a pancake filled with chocolate chips, all looking quite delicious.

For our meals, my partner orders the sweet, fluffy belgian waffle with egg and sausage.

I order the Acapulco Express Omellette made with chorizo sausage, avocado, green chilies and onions, smothered with melted cheeses and topped with sour cream and served with a side of homemade salsa, first watch potatoes and English muffin. Simple yet delicious.

Overall the meal at First Watch was pretty good. I particularly enjoyed how the food wasn’t oily or overly greasy like some of the other “breakfast” joints out there, all very fresh and very light tasting.

TJ’s Seafood Shack – Oviedo

I stumbled upon this local joint one afternoon driving by on Red Bug Lake Dr / Mitchell Hammock in Oviedo. Tucked in a plaza next to LA Fitness, TJ’s Seafood Shack is a small place that could definitely be a great spot for locals to come and relax. The decor is reminiscent of a beachside shack, furbished with quirky sayings and different antique signs emphasizing relaxation, a welcome reprise from the busy life of Central Floridians.

The menu is mostly seafood items and everything here is under $10.00 with their most expensive item being the crabcakes at $9.95.

TJ’s Seafood Shack actually won the award for Best Taste for Taste of Oviedo 2009 and it’s not hard to see why. I order the Shrimp Po Boy, a sandwich made with breaded fried shrimp in a loaf. The bread was light and soft, chewy to the bite and the shrimp was pretty good. I liked how they have home made Roumalade sauce and also the option to have fresh fruit rather than fries.

Overall it was pretty enjoyable! I’d definitely come back to see their other offerings.

TJ’s Seafood Shack

(407) 365-3365

http://www.tjsseafoodshack.com/