Lunch Box Crew

On the 3rd day of Canada...

noreply@blogger.com (b moll) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 13:30:00 +0000

9:27 a.m. PST. Vancouver, Canada

The "Taste of Canada," food festival has just kicked off and the first day of the Global Chef Challenge started this morning. Daniel, competing in the Jr Chef, and myself went over to support the American team in this mornings competition (Chef Mike Matarzzo.) We make our way through the convention, take a seat in the arena, and here is breakfast...

Meet Chef Von Albrecht, and meet his new product XFour Vodka. He is also the Canadian host for the WACS "America's," Global Comp. Apparently vodka is breakfast of champions and he pours us off a glass, now that's a good host!

"Daniel, I got to get out of here, Chef just poured me another glass of vodka and I haven't had coffee, water, food... this could end badly." He gives me a nod of agreement and we polish off our drinks. A quick look at all the stands in the show and we decide to hit the streets. With the help of http://roaminghunger.com/ (catch on Orlando) we find a few trucks and stalls parked near the convention center and now lunch is starting to look like Japanese meets...

Hot dogs! .....yesss

What to choose, what to choose. Brats, Kobe, Kurobuta pork dogs...now that's a hot dog stand. Japadog has its claim to fame trough; Top Chef, No Reservations, the Food Network, and they are worth all the hype. So, what did I get?

Kurobuta pork, cabbage, bonito flakes, and Japanese mayo. I went with a healthy dose of sriracha to round out my dog. Ok, so the best dog I have had to date was in Chi Town, but these are competing on a whole other playing field. Trust me, I would love to give the award of "best hot dog of my life" to these guys, but the other place had duck fat fires. Sorry Japadog, but your dogs are still bangin'!

Next up, Bun Me, for...you guessed it...a banh mi.

BBQ Lemongrass Chicken, extra spicy...thanks! It's banh mi...on a fresh toasted baguette...on the streets! What else do you want?!?

Cookies & Cream cupcake anyone? Good, but don't worry Yum Yum, you still da best.

Back to the convention to watch the Americans take the Silver. Pressure is on now, Daniel is competing tomorrow and has to put the Canadians in their place. Good luck bro! Time to take him out, buy him a few drinks and get him a solid "familiar" meal to calm his nerves so he can do this thing. Here is what we had at; Cardero's http://www.vancouverdine.com/carderos0experience.aspx "Chops and Wok."

Fried Oysters: Tarragon, cocktail sauce. I am falling in love with the bivalves here, and I think I know why.

This was the view behind me at the "Marina Pub," we decided to eat at tonight. It just screams, "Eat the Seafood!!!" Yes, Vancouver...I get your message loud and clear, consider it done.

Mussels in Curry: Garlic, ginger, curry, coconut milk, and cilantro. A bunch of mussels and even more sauce, somebody knows whats up, and what I am about to do. Remember the steam bun technique from "Canada...day 2?" Apply here.

Hummus&Pita: Marinated Roma tomatoes and olives

Woked Squid: Fried then tossed in a wok with garlic, chilies, onions, cilantro.

This was dubbed the "Vancouver Chop:" Fingerlings, beats, tomatoes, cucumbers, egg, edamame, olives, carrots, shallot vinaigrette and greens. Dying for a salad? This is the one.

Fish Tacos: Battered fish, cabbage, cucumber relish, chipotle sour, cilantro, and fresh white corn tortillas.

Solid meal but most certainly the least extravagant that I will be consuming this trip. Still no complaints tonight. What we did discover here was Russell Brewery, highly enjoyable line of beers. (You will be seeing more of them later) Tonight I had their creamed ale.

Calling it an early night tonight. Tomorrow is the big day!

Canada...day 2

noreply@blogger.com (b moll) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:30:00 +0000

Canada...day 1

8:44 a.m. PST. Vancouver, Canada

As I said in a previous post, I came up to Canada to meet with a buddy of mine. I told him I was going to come up and help him out in anyway I could and at the very least offer some support. He is competing in the WACS Global Jr. Chef's competition, representing the United States in the "Regional," version of this competition. It is battle of the "America's." Today is a prep day, and before I throw on my whites and head into the kitchen, I am going to need breakfast and an IV of coffee.

Luckily, we are told that the best coffee joint is just across the street from the hotel. Let me introduce you to http://www.caffeartigiano.com/ I have quickly noticed that Vancouver THRIVES on coffee. No joke, every corner has a coffee shop, and they are all local! Want Starbucks, and I don't know why, not going to find them here. Hotel lobbies and posh locations...maybe. Back to Caffe Artigiano. A glance over at the "specials," board; smoked salmon bagels...sold, and a quick suggestion from my teenage Asian, sporting two 3/4 sleeves, chucks, and black framed glasses (she knows her coffee!) and a large French Press of Organic Ethiopian Blend coffee it is.

Now this is Breakfast. A poppy seed bagel, split in half, toasted and topped with; cream cheese, smoked salmon, shaved fennel, shaved red onion, capers, and olive oil. The lemon rounds everything out and cuts through the richness of the cream cheese, the smoke of the salmon, and heightens the fennel, red onion, and caper. Perfectly balanced and the best breakfast I have had in a long time. I am telling you, simplicity is where it is at!

Now that is service! Your press on a platter with all the accouterments; Sugar; raw, synthetic, and cancerous...all there, cream, and the glass you see is ice water, to cool your coffee down if you find it too hot, but don't you dare.

Need a refill? The "due line," lets you know that you are "due," for another one...smart.

Food, coffee, awake. Ok, so I also got a chance to share this trip with a mentor of mine. A Chef that I admire, an individual I look up too...my culinary father. He was there as part of the judging committee for this particular competition, and he popped into the kitchen where we were prepping baring gifts. "Brian! Daniel! I hold in my hand...THE best cheese...IN THE WORLD!" Chef throws me a bag and says; "Here is your mystery basket, let's eat." "Yes Chef!" Here is what I put together.

In the bag I was provided with; The best cheese in the world, Le Cendrillon, Land Jaeger, Saucisse Amore (a style of summer sausage,) and kornspitz. Just screams sandwiches to me. Little butter, some fresh cracked black pepper and done. I get a thumbs up from all the Chefs in the kitchen and continue to help prep.

The Canucks are ready to play game 5 and they have home team advantage here. The streets are quiet, dead silent, and all the hot restaurants downtown are empty. We decide to hit up two Japanese restaurants on our "must eat," list. First up...GyOZa kINg. http://www.jpcanada.com/info/gyoza_k/

Ohitashi: Spinach with "special," soy sauce. Bonito flake on top. The spinach was blanch and shocked. It was served cold; crisp, clean, and full on spinach flavor. The "special" soy, I figured it out...it was a smoked soy. So perfect! They did not put the bonito on top, but it was in there and gave it this pleasing fish flavor. What a great starter.

Maguro zanmai: Fresh albacore tuna, 3 ways. Far left: Seared albacore with nori. Top: Albacore sashimi. Bottom: Albacore yukke (chopped.) So clean. What was amazing, was it was the same fish with little to no condiments, and three extremely different flavors. Astounding what just changing the preparation of a dish does to the outcome. My personal favorite was the yukke; taste was sweet, had the best texture, and left your pallet clean.

Ebimayo: Fresh tiger prawns with "special," mayo. What can I say? Perfectly fried shrimp in a tempura batter and "yum yum" sauce.

Salmon, Avocado yukke: Chopped salmon and avocado with spicy sweet sauce, quail egg. Yes, please! Served with sheets of nori to entice you to create your own hand roll. Just take a chop stick, stir in the yolk, and fold in the sauce. "Roll one up homie." At first I thought it would be uber rich and fatty. Just think...yolk, salmon, and avocado...fat, fat, and fat. The sauce took care of it all. The sweet toned down the salmon while upping the avocado flavor. The spicy covered up the richness of the yolk, and then there was the salty-acidic undertones that rounded it all out. Completely balanced...next dish please.

Karubi: Beef short ribs. Delicious, but I think the Koreans do it better ;)

Ebinira Gyoza: prawn, pork, chives. Can't go to a place called "Gyoza King," and not try the Gyoza. I now know why they are called gyoza KING! Best dumpling I have EVER had. Dough was perfect, filling was on point, and sauce...not even needed.

Takoyaki: Deep-fried octopus balls. Topped with a healthy portion of bonito flakes and Japanese mayo. The "balls," were cakey like hush puppies, octopus was tender, and the flavor was overall sweet. It was the bonito flakes that made this dish. It added the much needed salt component. As for the Japanese mayo...always welcome.

Nasu den: Deep-fried Japanese eggplant topped with yuzu sauce. Skewered, fried, brush with yuzu "yakitori" style sauce, then grilled. Sweet, salt, smoke, mmm. I loved the texture of this particular preparation of eggplant. The interior was creamy like a custard and if you think about it, looks like creme brulee wrapped in purple skin.

Gyu tan: Beef tongue skewers. Ok...wow! Beef flavor X 10 and, never thought that you could get such a dense muscle so tender. Who ever was in the back cooking, defiantly knew what they were doing. Selective cutting, brilliant marinating, and precision cooking. "Give my complements to the Chef."

Ton toro: Marinated pork with mustard mayo. Was a great piece of pork. We were supposed to get pork cheek, but after all we ate, we will that one slide.

We finish our beers, "Arigatou," to all the staff, and we head up the street. We take a quick peek in a market to check on the game...Canucks are up. Sweet, now that we have appetizers out of the way, lets eat! Dinner tonight provided by our new friends over at GUU. http://www.guu-izakaya.com/robson/

The restaurant offers up a static menu, but what I loved about this place was the piece of notebook paper tapped to the door outside with the daily specials.

Kakuni: Stewed pork belly, daikon, and poached egg. Served with steam bun. Two words; PORK BELLY. You ever eat a dish where as soon as you take your first bite, your eyes roll back into your head? This was one of those dishes.

There was a technique to eating this bowl of love. First you find the poached egg in the bottom of the bowl and pop the yolk. Give that time to spread around in the broth. Next, you cut off a piece of belly with your chop sticks (yes! cut with your chop sticks...that tender.) Then you take a pinch of radish, combine it with your belly, dip it in your broth, swipe it across that smear of mustard on the side of the bowl, and enjoy. ::this is where your eyes roll:: As for the steamed bun; after you complete all your belly, throw the whole thing in the broth push the bowl to the side and come back to it later...trust me.

Tako: Fresh, grilled, octopus: Probably the best octopus dish I have had in my life. I have been cooking professionally for years and have yet to get octopus as tender as this one. The taste was so clean, perfectly marinated, and charred to perfection. The sauce, the most garlicy aioli that you have ever had, but it the best way you could imagine.

Roasted Duck Ramen: Perfectly cooked roasted duck, radish, charred spring onions, nori, and ramen.

I am so used to "non functional" garnishes when eating out, that when I saw the nori I did not really give it a second thought. You know what? It really added an element to the broth that was something special. Bowls of noodles like this, is what I dream of at night.

Ochazuke: Rice with dashi broth, with "todays," topping. And today would be Wagyu beef...how so pleasantly nice. Presented table side with scallions, seaweed, and egg. Could eat this all day long.

Kakimayo: Baked oyster with spicy cod roe, mayo creamy sauce, cheese baked on top. My new favorite "cooked," oyster preparation. The description they gave does not do it any justice. They cut the humongous oysters in three pieces, folded it into some Japanese mayo with small diced potatoes, then roe, and I would imagine a little egg. Topped with cheese and baked until bubbly and delicious, perfectly cooking the oysters in the process.

Tofu & Kimchi Oden: Japanese Hot Pot; the video explains it all.

Oh it is, and before you forget...eat that steamed bun you have soaking in the pork belly broth. You're welcome.

So just in case you do not follow hockey and you were wondering how the Canucks did...

Canada...day 1

noreply@blogger.com (b moll) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:30:00 +0000

3:34 p.m. PST. Vancouver, Canada

Just rolled out of YVR, jumped in the Jeep and headed into town. I am booked in a hotel just off the main drag and a block up from the port.

Headed into town I have noticed two things. Vancouver is an exceptionally clean city, an example being that all the taxi's are Toyota Prius's, and heading into downtown is like Colonial between I4 and Bumby. The Asian community is HUGE here, I am ready to eat. Get to the hotel, throw the bags in the room and I hit the streets. The weather is too nice and the city is too beautiful not to hoof it. With all this culture on the mind, it is a must that we hit up some local influenced food. Korean it is!

So, I met up with a buddy of mine for this trip and he got in a day before me. Word on the streets (he had been hitting up all the food stalls near the hotel) is for Korean food, "Sura Korean Cuisine," is the place to be. Word! Here is why...

Bibimbap, Banchan (side dishes... complementary)

Garlic Stems, tossed in Korean pepper paste, some soy and rice wine vinegar. I have to tell you, this is my new favorite condiment. Chimichuri, you have just been replaced! This accompaniment is my new breakfast cereal topper. To elaborate on the garlic "stems." They actually sold these in the markets, downtown Vancouver. (our equivalent to Whole Foods http://www.urbanfare.com/) So if you are growing garlic, you will see the growth of a stalk or "Scapes" and these my friends are where it's at!

mmm...Kimchi. What I loved about this particular kimchi, is that where ever they procured it, or if they have some grandmother fermenting it in her backyard, the spice/heat and taste of fermentation was spot on. It is all about timing and balance and they nailed it. Perfect to go with the tins of rice that dotted the table.

Gal-Bi: Korean BBQ style, short ribs. This came to the table on a smokin' hot, cast iron sizzle platter. I do not care how much you love Chili's, if this came to your table, you would throw away chain restaurants; forever! (more on chain restaurants in a later post.) Sweet, smokey, fatty, and rich! Need I say more?!? The only thing that this dish was missing was more chili garlic stems. Now, usually you see hacked up scallions as garnishes on plates, but these painfully thin scallions actually offered up a subtle onion flavor that was perfect with the charred ribs. Functional garnishes....imagine that.

Kimchi Pancake: Normally I would have ordered a seafood pancake at a Korean restaurant, but this was the first time that I have seen a variety of pancakes offered on a menu. We were in luck, they ended up putting seafood in the pancake along with our kimchi...score! You found the usual suspects in the pancake; octopus and shrimp. Again, they are really winning me over with the accouterments. The sauce they served with the cake was; scallions, garlic, soy sauce, and rice wine...done.

Hit up a few more Asahi and then it was time to get lost in the city to see what I am getting myself into for the rest of the week.

This picture was taken @ a quarter to 10...pm! It is going to be a long week. lol Time for bed.

7 days of Canada

noreply@blogger.com (b moll) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 03:48:00 +0000

I just recently got back from Vancouver. The city was calling my name; "bmoll please come enjoy 68 degree weather, zero humidity, the largest Asian community in North America, Canadian food festivals, and a Global Culinary Competition." I was soo there! Know what else is blowin' up in Vancouver?

Food Trucks
Hipsters
Indie Restaurants, Gastropubs, and Bars
Cop Cars...when the Canucks lose...more on that later

So I am going to put together 7 posts just highlighting the food, their descriptions, and any info related to those places. Hope you enjoy! You will be seeing how this trip influenced us over at the Studios.

Damn you Mezcal...diaries of Cancun pt1

noreply@blogger.com (frank g) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 13:00:00 +0000

When I used to reflect and think about Mexico, all that would immediately come to mind was the high traffic tourist meccas (i.e. Acapulco,Tijuana,Cabo, etc.) where miles and miles of precious beaches are invaded and packed by the typical obnoxious, drunk, tourist. So I can honestly say that the 'agoraphobe' in me wasn't too thrilled, specially being the official start of summer, June. Upon arrival to the hotel in Cancun, I must admit I was still nervous and pretentious about what to expect. One thing was for sure, I go where my stomach wants and this specific resort had plenty to offer: a late night tapas bar, late bar/lounge, churrasqueria, cevicheria, traditional Mexican, and fine dining Italian. Let the games begin!

(To avoid explanations on every single thing I did and saw while my stay, I will be mainly focusing on the food followed by a mini slideshow of some great pictures. Enjoy)

Cevicheria

After picking up my restaurant itinerary and hours of operation and dropping off my bags at the suite, I made a b-line for the cevicheria. Seemed perfect for the ubber hot weather we were having and I was craving an ice cold one sooo bad. I know there is an unwritten law of "pace yourself, its an all inclusive/all-you-can-eat hotel", but screw it, I'm here to do some damage. "I'd like a margarita, a Modelo, an octopus ceviche, a bay scallop ceviche, baja California fish tacos, and a tostada mixta". First off, don't judge me,and secondly, I can't even begin to describe the freshness and boldness of the seafood. The sweetness of the scallops, against the acidity of the lime, savory notes of onion and pepper, and the refreshing taste of cilantro. The octopus was some of the most tender I have ever had, and I usually don't even eat octopus because of the chewy texture that has ruined it for me forever. The chunks of avocado added the right amount of fat and creaminess needed to cut through all the acid and brine.

Second round of margaritas for me and the lady, and the fish tacos arrive. Battered and fried morsels of fresh grouper. Can't go wrong with that at all. The only downfall was the rather bland cabbage slaw. I think LBC studios has one up on our Mexican brothers with some fish tacos we did back in May. Just saying' Lol. The tostada was the real shocker though. Fried tortilla, topped with a sprinkle of Oaxaca cheese, shredded lettuce, mix of octopus, grouper, shrimp, scallop ceviches, and avocado. I mean, come on, you can't deny this isn't already making your mouth water. Needless to say this app became my go-to for the rest of my trip. Did I mention that they even serve you while you're laying out in the sand steps away from the beach? Yes my friends, this is what I am talking about.

Hmmm, seeing though we were still a little hungry, we decided to order just a few more items to "seal the deal". Calamari, fried swordfish, and 'coctel' mixto. The calamari was decent, if anything I would've liked a little bit more. The fried fish was realy moist and tender, and I have a hunch that it was friend in lard (I say this because I had red snapper fried in lard since I was practically in diapers). The dish would've been perfect for me if it was served with a side of fried plantains 'tostones' and some picked red onions. Killer! The 'coctel' mixto was a perfect ending to the cornucopia of appetizers we had in a matter of an hour. Sweet yellow onions, mixed ceviche, tomato chunks, avocado pieces, and that savory tomato sauce that I simply cannot tell you how good it is. My guess on ingredients is Worcestershire sauce, tomato juice, tobasco, and a hint of horseradish.

Ok kids, it is at this point that I am slowly slipping into a food coma and my heart couldn't be any happier. Two beers and two margaritas a piece later, and I'm throwing the towel in. Time to waddle back to the room, switch to a bathing suit, sit by the pool and pace myself a little. Or not, whatever.

LBC Summer R&D

noreply@blogger.com (b moll) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 02:31:00 +0000

It is full swing summer and people are visiting friends and families, taking vacations, or picking up some extra hours for our tourist season. Over at LBCStudios we decided to take this time to do a little R&D. So we took June off and headed out of Orlando to bring back some new ideas, concepts, and stories to share with you guys. Here is what you can expect to see this month, and if you follow us on twitter (@lunchboxcrew ) here are the posts you have been waiting for.

Cancun
Vancouver
Bahamas

LBCrawl: Round 1...Fight!

noreply@blogger.com (b moll) — Thu, 26 May 2011 15:05:00 +0000

Don't worry we do this for a living...we are the professionals

At LBCStudios we like to take our days off early in the week. Usually we hit the streets Sun-Wed, for we get the city to ourselves. People are either recovering from a coma from the weekend, back to work, or just making plans. So we decided to invite a few of our followers from Twitter and our Facebook and show them how the LBC crawl's. Here is how it went down.

http://lunchboxorlando.blogspot.com/2011/05/we-all-have-our-go-to-greek-corner.html

Enter @mhsparky1, friend and follower, decided to meet up with us at the "unofficial" offices of LBCStudios. More of our go-to lunch destination and ace in the pocket location for entertaining. What do you know about Ouzo bottle service?

http://lunchboxorlando.blogspot.com/2011/05/mi-tomatina-paella-bar-spot2.html

With food as our focus, quality, and quantity as our agenda, we decided to hit up a tapa's bar just down the street. Word is the food is authentic, the Chef is building a solid reputation, and some more friends were in the area, so we jumped ship and headed over to Winter Park. Just off Park Ave. we found mi Tomatina to be the ideal next location. Rows and Rows of patio seating, the smell of chorizo in the air, and the server outside was holding a bottle of Sherry. All good signs of promise.

http://lunchboxorlando.blogspot.com/2011/05/popin-bottles-vino-on-park.html

Our consumption list was growing at an alarming rate; time to walk it off. We left the patio of mi Tomatina and started walking towards Park Ave. Over on Facebook we get weekly invites from Vino! to join their food and wine pairings. We were greeted with welcome arms and an glass of wine. Our kind of place! They were serving up some classic American Regional BBQ that day, which put us in the mood for a summer inspired cocktails. We sent out a tweet; "Headed to Nelore," let's see who shows up.

http://orlando.neloresteakhouse.com/

"Round of caipirinha's my good sir." Have to say it, best caipirinha I have had since the last time I was in Brazil. My favorite cocktail of all time is a caipirinha, except at the end, half of a fresh passion fruit is scooped and stirred into the drink. Asked the bartender if he could do such thing, but all they had was puree, no fresh. No thank you, we will take ours tradicional. A few followers said they were in transit but we re routed them to downtown to meet us up at the next stop.

http://www.facebook.com/orlandosfoodtrucks

Being a "successful" glutton, it is all about balance. It was time to find some more food and we have a boat load of followers hittin' up the food pod for their first time. Time to break em in. Oh look! They have a beer tent this time. Remember...balance. By the time everyone in our group ordered food we had a buffet on our ironing board; provided by Big Wheel. (Refer to the list below)

As we said, this day was about food, drink, our followers, and good times. We had dragged around a few of them all day and they wanted to take us to one of their favorite stops in Orlando for drinks and night life. We said we were headed out to end the night at the Peacock room. They said it was on the way and they were buying drinks. Let's go! We roll up to Savoy and we got to say it, but they have some of the best drink specials we have seen in Orlando. They have some of the most interesting named drinks as well. Go check it out...bring the ladies.

A few friends of the LBC are spinning at the Peacock Room, and they are about to go on, so we head on over for a nightcap and to reflect on the day.

http://www.thepeacockroom.com/

For the ones that made it to the end, a round of beers. We flip the cocktail napkin over and start to jot down the day. The list is a bit daunting but here is what you missed...On the LBC.

Grand Total:

Ouzos
Hot Meze
Mytho's
Sherry Wine
Pan con Tomate
Morcilla Empanada
Croquetas de Jamon
Magic Hat #9's
Braised Oxtail w/ Truffle Mash
Gambas a la Plancha
Piquillos Rellenos
Chardonnay
Cabernet
Caipirinha
TaterTots & Foie Gras Parfait
Hush Puppies
Jarritos (Mango)
Pork Belly Sandwich
Chimoo (Chicken, Skirt Steak, Sweet Potato Fries, Cuban Bun)
Heineken
Big daddy buger (Mac & Chesse, Pulled Pork, Beef Patty)
Vanilla Cupcake, Buttermilk Icing
Bitch Slap (compliments of Savoy)
Jamason and Coke
Magic Hat #9's

Want to join the next LBCrawl? Email us at fnbstreet@gmail.com

I'm diving head first at El Buzo...

noreply@blogger.com (lunch box crew) — Wed, 18 May 2011 14:27:00 +0000

Its Monday, roughly around 2pm, and I get a call from BMoll: " Dude, I'll be there in 30 minutes, is that cool?". The events that took place the rest of the day, will forever be known as Epic LBC Eat-athon part deux. Now what started out as a simple 'hey lets go check this place out and see what happens', ended up being a full on culinary journey of about 9hours. Yes I said 9hours! This time on the spot was El Buzo Restaurant Peruvian cuisine (1436 N.Semoran Blvd. Casselberry ). Owned and operated by Bruno Ferreyra, El Buzo serves up traditional Peruvian classics such as ceviches and anticuchos, and a few other less popular street fare. As soon as we walked in, the familiar scents and aromas coming out of the open kitchen somehow made me feel like I was a little closer to home.

At a glance one could definitely drive by and completely miss this spot. Thank God we didn't, and struck gold with this amazing find. Oh, and don't mind the other big Peruvian restaurant next door, I bet El Buzo has enough Umph! to stand its own ground with bold intense flavors, and satisfying portions of goodness. With a very friendly and knowledgeable staff, this establishment left us with nothing left to want and our appetites quite satisfied.

What to drink what to drink? I went for the Inca Cola and a chicha morada (a non-fermented beverage derived from maize or choclo, pineapple, and spices such as clove,cinnamon, and bay), and BMoll opted for an ice cold Heineken (Oh yeah, I failed to inform you they were having problems with their A/C that same morning and the drinks were suggested by our very lovely server). First off, the Inca Cola gave me quite a surprise as I started to pour and saw an unexpected golden yellow color going into my glass. If you've ever had cola-champagne or a "Colombianita" you know exactly what I am talking about here. Needless to say, I went to my nearest supermarket and bough me a 2 litre bottle of cola-champagne days after our little endeavor. The chicha morada hmmm, how can I put this? I didn't hate it, but I also didn't love it. If any of you have had mulled wine imagine a watered down version of it. Although refreshing, I couldn't get over the intensity of the spices. Maybe its just me, but for some reason my brain associates cinnamon and clove with sweet desserts and savory dishes. Don't let my words discourage you from giving it a go if you do decide to visit. To each their own flavor profiles and palates I always say.

Finally our appetizers start rolling in, and already I am as giddy as a four year old in Disney World. Enter the "Causa de camaron". This beautiful and colorful dish looks almost to good to eat. Before our server gets a chance to leave our table I quickly bombarded her with questions about this aesthetically pleasing piece of goodness sitting before us. She explained that the 'fondant' looking yellow outside is in fact made up of yellow potatoes, whipped to the consistency of a soft pliable dough. It all makes sense now after having over-whipped a few batches of mashed potatoes in culinary school. With enough mixing the potatoes start developing their gluten, becoming stretchable and 'dough-like' all by itself, but I digress. Where was I? Oh yes, the causa. The filling, she explained, was a mix of a classic american egg salad, and a poached shrimp salad. Soft, velvety, creamy and lemony. It was definitely a good preview of what was to follow.

Second course, the well-known ceviche tradicional. We're firm believers that when you have the freshest and best products available, you rarely have much to do to these ingredients. In most cases, just combine and let them speak on their own. In this case they're saying "freshest, cleanest tasting grouper, lime, pungent red onions, and the natural juices in one dish". This has to be the best and most simple ceviche I have had in Orlando. No unnecessary garnishes, fancy herbs or oils, peppers, or fancy chips. Just clean, simple, definite ingredients. It did strike me as a surprise the little mounds of two types of corn and the sweet potato that was served on the side. Before I even asked the reasoning behind it, I had a bite and decided to not question it at all. Makes sense, if you think about it. Corn and potatoes being staple ingredients in the Inca cuisine for thousands of years, and the raw seafood preparations from their heavy Japanese influence ( I bet some of you didn't know that lol) form a prefect marriage in this one simple dish. Touche cultural culinary fusions, touche.

Third course arrives, and yes you guessed it, the 'lomo saltado'. You can not have a Peruvian restaurant and not have a version of this dish one way or another. Take sauteed strips of cilantro/garlic marinated skirt steak, peppers, sweet yellow onions, tomato and serve them over french fries for a complete meal. #winning You might think the french fries are a little weird in a dish like this, but trust me you're gonna want them to soak up all that delicious flavorful pan sauce.

We weren't even half way done with our lomo saltado when the 'anticuchos' arrived. Beef hearts 'a la plancha like no other my friends. So tender and clean, perfectly seared outside, creamy inside. I know most of you are probably thinking that it was metallic tasting, like most offal are, but none of that iron flavor here my avid readers. It tasted like the leanest, "beefiest" piece of red meat you have ever tried. The way beef has always tasted in my country, beef to the power of 4. God, I miss those churrasquerias back home right about now! Now the sauces looked pretty standard to me, one creamy, and one oil based like a chimichurri per say. Yes, they seemed common and unnecessary for the amazing quality of the beef hearts we were enjoying, but after trying both of them I couldn't stop myself from double and triple dipping my cardiac morsels of heaven. The creamy sauce I could only describe as a spicy aoli, probably made with some kind of hot pepper and garlic. The lighter, oil based sauce was definitely a new experiance for my palate. Our server explained to us its a mixture of olive oil, spicy peppers, and 'huacatay, also known as tagetes minuta and wild marygold. If I had to describe it to you, I would say its like a mixture of basil, mint, tarragon, and hints of citrus. Totally new to me, definitely interesting, and certainly will be keeping and eye out for this herb at specialty markets wherever I go from now on.

Our last dish arrives, and we're both still about half way full ( you must train hard young jedis). Our server places the 'seco de res' in the middle of the table, smiles and asks:"will that be all guys?". It is at this moment that we decide that we want to head to downtown after this meal and continue eating and seeing what else is out there. Back to the dish. The seco, she explained, was beef braised in beer, served with a side of boiled potatoes, and white beans. First of all, let me tell you about the beans. Tender, well seasoned, almost 'Tuscan if I may. Served with a healthy pour of olive oil and lots of fresh herbs, I would order this dish again for those beans alone. The potatoes were just as she had described, plainly boiled. The beef, alhough it had good flavor, it proved to be a little dry either from over braising it, or not braising it enough. Like I said, I would order this dish again only for those amazing white beans.

All in all, good find, good experience, and great service. LBC will definitely be visiting this place again for a quick fix of south American food cravings. We loved the photo display of their full menu on the wall behind Bruno's plancha. The harpoons and diver gear set the right tone for his love of seafood and all things marine. Don't forget to ask to see their photo albums, with tons of great moments captured in film. From his award winning catches in the sea, to a full catalog of every item on their menu, it will definitely impress you and give you a little insight of the owner's passions (food and the sea).

Visiting El Buzo has made me reflect on food, and why we cook they way we do. The many influences that have made a huge impact in what we know as latin food, and the native ingredients that have been around since before the discovery of many of these countries by their respective colonies. Traditions, standards, and things we take for granted. So, even though my appetite was satisfied that day, I have been left with a curiosity of wanting to explore more into cultural roots, traditions, and the cuisine that shaped what we know now as latin/south american food. As chefs/cooks/people/culture I say, "Adapt, master, and move on, always respecting traditions and history".

Tahini Cafe

noreply@blogger.com (b moll) — Tue, 17 May 2011 13:30:00 +0000

I walk in, grab a menu, and make a B-line to the couch, for it was screaming my name. The menu had all the usual suspects of a Mediterranean gill and the prices are beyond reasonable (as long as the portions match up.) Pita's, platters, salads, baked goods with coffee, and smoothies. Fresh fruit, honey, milk, done. The way a smoothie should be...always! I am already loving this place.

Chicken Platter: I ordered two chicken platters, which I was debating because I was going for variety, but I needed my lean protein for the day. I am glad I made this decision when I got home and opened the boxes to find two preparations. The top picture is pulled dark meat whereas the bottom picture is roasted white meat. Now I am not positive if they did this on purpose since I ordered two of the same platters. Or if you can specifically order white or dark meat. Either way you're in for a treat. Hummus, Greek or tabouli salad, rice, and yogurt round out your platter. You can taste the attention to detail. Citrus, herbs, olive oil, and select spices. All placed with precision and all playing well together. Best seven bucks I have spent all day.

Falafel Pita: Right off bat I admire that they grilled the pita. The bread was also fresh tasting, and I mention this because I have run into countless locations with stale dry pita. Not here my friends! A look inside and the first thing that catches my eye is the pickle. An unfamiliar condiment but in terms of flavor profile...makes perfect sense. If you think about it, your common pickle as all the flavors of tzatziki minus the yogurt. I appreciate that they used romaine lettuce instead of shredded iceberg, for I am a big fan of my greens. Tomato, red onion, and yogurt all in place as expected. Now for the falafel...exquisite! Creamy with yet a slight crunch on its exterior. Not overly seasoned and the amount in the pita was just right. I have found my new favorite pita in Orlando.

Greek Salad: Like I said, I am a fan of my greens. They nailed the classic "Greek" salad for three monumental reasons.

The tomatoes were fresh, fresh.
They gave me lots of feta.
There are whole plucked herbs in the salad! Thank you!

Baklava: One of my favorite coffee accompaniments. Honey, nuts, and flaky pastry...all perfect with a dark roast. What separates this one apart from others I have had around the city is the two thick layers of filling and the quality of the honey.

Almond Banana Nut Bread: With its own section on the menu and 8 selections to choose from, I couldn't resist but to order up a few slices. Not overly sweet, a perfect crumb, and the almonds made for a highly enjoyable banana bread. What hit it home for me was the fact that they "seasoned" their quick bread. Salt does wonders to baked goods and lucky for us Tahini knows this as well. Also amongst their baked goods are little things dubbed "cashew fingers." Those did not make it home, for I ate them in the car, enough said.

Consensus: Food is solid, baked goods are humble, smoothies are bangin', and the price is right. Oh and the portions matched up, you get what you pay for, fo sho.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tahini-Cafe/210661315624316

Popin' Bottles @ Vino! on Park

noreply@blogger.com (b moll) — Mon, 16 May 2011 14:30:00 +0000

LBC was walking the streets of Winter Park when we came across an oh-so-familiar name; Vino! Vino has been a shop we have been following since almost the beginning over on our Facebook site. We were quick to "like" because we had much respect for their mantra:

"We are all about handcrafted, small production, family owned wineries...no industrial, commercial, big box wines here. We know & love the winemakers & producers of the wines we stock. Homespun & lots of love in the bottles @ Vino!"

A recipe for success no doubt, so we popped in to pop bottles with Rhonda the shop owner on the avenue. There is not a week that goes by that we do not get an invite from vino to attend an event. Just stepping through the doors we are already regretting not being able to attend ALL passed events. It is just one of the shops that you just want to be in; inviting, charming, and humble. Wall to wall of wines that you do not feel intimidated by.

Even if you think purchasing wine can feel daunting from time to time, they got that covered. Rhonda has this unexplainable yet refreshing affinity to educate you. I must have asked a million questions and they were all answered with the quickness. I didn't get a "Give us your email and we will look into for you," or "Come back tomorrow and we can ask our wine rep." No, she had all the answers for she had been to the vineyard, sipped wine with the makers, and hand selected the bottles in the store. If you are not a wino, heading down there and having a discussion with Rhonda about Sherry is worth the trip alone (mention ice cream and sherry....will change your world.) We are sipping an awesome glass of wine (I would tell you but you have to make it out to one of these events) when the nose kicks in. The smell of brisket is in the air when we make our way to the back of the shop. Ok, the wine is glorious, lets take this as plain, but the food is looking on point! A few more questions and it all comes together...

Rhonda comes from a hospitality background and holds more than just a culinary degree. In the shop her claim to fame is her Advanced Degree-Wine & Spirit Education Trust, London. Husband and co-owner of Vino! Chef Russell Scott a Certified Master Chef is the other half of this unstoppable duo. Newspaper clippings hanging on the wall and a laundry list of credentials Chef Scott and Rhonda make Vino! a true gem of Orlando. You want to stumble across some of the purest food in Orlando? Want to find that next irresistible bottle of red? You have to...no, you must visit Vino! on Park! Their events are too good to be true and some of the best times we have had in the way of food and wine!

Cheers! Vino! for you are the kind of find we are looking for every time we hit the streets. You are the shop owners we adore and the first to mention when asked about wine and Orlando. Keep up the cause, for it is a noble one, and keep the wine keys at your fingertips for we will be back....and we're bringing more followers!

If you do not have Vino! on your Facebook...do it now http://www.facebook.com/vinowinterpark best decision you will make today...promise.

mi Tomatina: paella bar SPOT#2

noreply@blogger.com (b moll) — Fri, 06 May 2011 14:46:00 +0000

As we waddled slowly back into our car (obviously because of how stuffed we were) we were still trying to figure out the next order of event yet to take place on this oh so sunny day off. The events that occurred that day will be forever known as our EPIC/CULINARY/FUNTIMES/WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED/WHERE AM I? DAY OFF..........................enjoy.

frank g: I know you will probably think I'm crazy and that I have a masochistic deathwish, but what do you say we roll unto la Tomatina over at Winter Park? I just went there the other day and had an amazing time, besides we don't have to eat much, their tapas are tiny yet delicious (as if Brian needed any convincing LOL).

bmoll: Let's roll man! It's a good location, I've heard good things about the Chef, and you can't go wrong with some flavors of Spain.

frank g: Oh man, I cant get that ouzo taste out of my mouth. Whoever says they like black licorice is a damn liar!!

bmoll: No way, love black licorice....remind me to buy you a shot of Galliano later.

We park, gather our wallets, cell, courage, and head on down to SPOT#2 to meet up with some of our friends joining us for the evening. Again, the weather has been gracious enough to allow us to sit outside and just relax soak it all in. Oh, and the people watching is also a plus!

frankg: Dude, to be honest with you I am about to burst at the seam. I should probably take it easy and just order some water and light tapas, don't you think?

Our server approaches, and asks: "What can I start you off with today?" "I'll take a Magic Hat", totally contradicting my previous plan on allowing my body to recover.

bmoll: I put the faith of my sherry selection in our server. Have to say, it was a good choice. Sweet but not quite, deep yet mellow; think liquid fig with a touch of oak, and the complexity of a good brandy.

frankg: Ok, I know you have had 'pan con tomate' before, but check out what they do here. Last time I was here I could not get enough of their version of this classic. Fresh tomato, some garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and a touch of oregano, totally gets your palate salivating in anticipation for the rest of the tapas.

bmoll: I usually push bread service to the side but I cannot say "no" when it is done right. A loaf of bread with a crackling crust, an open crumb, and a simplistic accompaniment; done. This sauce is fresh, flavor dense and straightforward. I love the simple life!

Orders start flying to our table, and soon enough plates covered nearly all our table leaving almost no usable area left.

bmoll: You gotta try the Morcilla Empanada. The pastry is done well and the filling is succulent and seasoned just so. The morcilla is complimented instead of covered up. They managed to keep the "metallic" taste out of it, props to the chef. What do you think of the chive aioli?

frankg: Duuuuuude, it's good. I've had different versions of the infamous "blood sausage," but this one is quite different. It has the consistency of Mexican chorizo and has that "offal" taste one seems to pick right out of the gate, but no one at the table seemes to mind. They made quick work of them too. Oh, and that shell; so crispy, so flaky, and so much better than its "cornmeal" relative.

bmoll: Croquetas de Jamon: Potato, Serrano ham, a little egg, and deep fry that bad boy. Whenever you can give me a fried item that is light and the contents are lush, delicate, and or supple, I am a happy man my friend. They did just that...see my smile?

frankg: You keep on gobbling up those croquetas man, but are you seeing this dish? A perfectly braised oxtail; shredded with a side of truffle whipped potato foam. Ok, ok, so one thing I've learned is to never get swindled with nifty, mollecular, futuristic presentations or preparations. Blame it on being disappointed many times, or call it "a hard to please foodie" or what not ( personally the title irritates me), but I let my palate do the talking nowadays. It has yet to lead me astray.

bmoll: Wow, that braise is "da sticky!" It eats well and the "foam" has a good flavor. You taste potato and truffle and the texture is not as airy as it looks. I agree with you on the "modern" style, they could have just as easy gave me truffle mash, and I would have been just as satisfied. Yet I appreciate the effort and if we are talking in terms of "foam," this one probably had one of the better texture I have had.

frankg: Next up, gambas a la plancha glazed with honey and lavender. Slightly sweet, salty, and definitely floral. The best part, everything north of the tail. The juices and delicious bits contained inside the shell of the head. I dared one of our friends to give it a try, but I guess I wasn't convincing enough. Next time.

bmoll: I gotta say, the plancha is one seriously underused piece of kitchen equipment. It just makes the shrimp so intense. Diggin the lavender...

bmoll: Piquillos Rellenos: Deep roasted red pepper flavor of the sauce, loving the salty manchego, and the filling completes the dish; they nailed the brandade (look it up, we might quiz you someday LOL).

frankg: I don't know if i can even try these to tell you the truth man. I'm splitting at the seams, and I'm afraid, because we are only halfway into this culinary escapade. Check please!!

bmoll: You said that when you got here but good call...I gotta walk it out before we continue. Ha

A first look @ The Rusty Spoon

noreply@blogger.com (b moll) — Wed, 04 May 2011 14:30:00 +0000

http://www.therustyspoon.com/

Located in the 55 West complex on Church St. downtown, I have been looking forward to checking this place out for many reasons. First and foremost, I am a fan of the Chef Kathleen Blake. Her style, flavor profiles, and food philosophy, are parallel to some of my own. So when I caught wind that her and the Urban Flats Co. were rolling out a new brand, LBC moved it to the top of the list.

Sleek atmosphere, beautiful art on the walls, and my dream kitchen sunk into the background. The kitchen was huge! I mean you could host the "La Nouba," performance back there; but I digress. I will leave the interior design and what the paper the menu is printed on to the other bloggers. We are here for the food....and the cocktails.

Speaking of... Meet the Rusty Bulliet

Bulliet Bourbon, bitters, sparkling water. Slice of orange and your off to a good start

"Stuffed Lake Meadow Eggs"

Blended with herbs, the chives are mellow, the basil is sweet, and the taste of anchovies lurk in the background. Think Sauce Gribiche, with a Caesar flair and upfront herbs. Pleasing take on a classic dish.

"Greens and Beans"

If there was but one side dish I could have with every meal, it would consist of greens and beans. Flavors of local greens, tomatos, roasted garlic, and house sausage are topping the list of preparations of said dish. I grew up in L.A. (lower Alabama) a.k.a the panhandle, so greens and black eyed peas were a childhood luxury. I will say that the giant limas are a nice touch, and now that I found a superb braised greens outside of my pot, I can have my greens and eat them too. Bravo Chef Blake, bravo...

"The 55"

O.k. I was dead set on the croque monsieur until I read the "55." I am usually not swayed by a burger, but I will tell you what made me changed my mind. The phrases "stuffed with gruyere and bacon," "smothered with onions," (only to assume they were caramelized...I was correct) and "house made pickles." The pickles were the final push to be honest, I eat cheese and bacon everyday, but a well crafted pickle is hard to beat. Oh, and this one was good, almost bread and butter-esque, just with a touch more love. Opted for the haystack fries to go along side; crispy, seasoned, and flavors of pecorino and rosemary throughout. Left on the plate was the house "ketchup;" a little too sweet to my savory and an aggressive star anise flavor. Not saying it is a bad thing, just not for me. I cannot leave this burger without mentioning the bun. They stuck to 'truth in menu,' for it is most certainly "soft," and it has this inviting sheen over the top that just screams "burger!"

"Jelly Doughnuts"

Dough hot out of the fryer, dusted with cinnamon sugar, and stuffed with farm fresh fruit is a tough contender to battle. I am almost convinced that the entire dessert menu was written for me. I can see myself taking a seat at the bar for dessert, like a kid in a diner except a Rustea instead of milk and the brown butter financier will replace my slice of of pie. It is a whimsical menu and I will be back to conquer the rest.

To come back to a full circle, I do appreciate the farm fresh ingredients, I am pleased that I had an option to order grass-fed beef, and I am comforted that 85% of what comes out of the kitchen is organic. I know Chef Blake is a marvelous chef and a tough cookie in the kitchen, and I love that about her. Knowing she has her hands on the reigns, I see no more but a thriving restaurant developing downtown. Keep up the good work

We all have our Go To... Greek Corner

noreply@blogger.com (b moll) — Tue, 03 May 2011 14:26:00 +0000

LBC is hitting the streets and we want to start the day off right. Where we go first has to set the tune for the rest of the day. It has to meet a certain criteria:
1. We must find a way to be outside today; weather is permitting.
2. Somewhere quiet, tucked away, and patio seating.
3. Must have visual and auditory interest.
4. Food has to be hot, beers have to be cold, and the service....perfect.
(Spontaneous and cognizant. Somewhat absorbed but occupied. Foreboding yet inconspicuous.)

A tall order indeed, and with a criteria as specific as this one, I have a confession to make...I already know where we are going. It is our "go to," ace in the pocket, fits all occassions, never let us down kind of location. Home of the Blue the White and the Blue, The Greek Corner. Many memories for LBC start and end here and we will share with you the latest entry. If you are one of our followers on Facebook ( lunchboxcrew.oralndo) the picture to the left was our check in photo, find it...and you will be at the best seat in the house. Go, go now...

The patio is end to end umbrellas, awnings, misting fans, and canopies. The chairs face outward to the beautiful Lake Ivanhoe, where you can watch boats sail by, International Scout meets, and the random photo shoot. The neighborhood is chill and the music coming out of the kitchen is always entertaining. Like I said, the perfect place to set the mood for the rest of the day. First things first...ouzo

Complimentary ouzo for the table and as one of our followers on twitter said, "Nice! That ouzo looks straight up too cuz it usually turns milky when mixed w/water. @Skylahnite" Good eye we said, our followers know their food and most certainly know their booze. On to the food.

I introduce to you, the Hot Mezze (Lg) In front, you have dolma's; grape leaves stuffed with rice and herbs. You can taste the quality olive oil they use for the leaves and rice, almost fruity. To the right, taramosalata; red caviar whipped with olive oil and lemon. Fights break out when this plate hits the table over this stuff. Salty but cut by the richness of the extra virgin and the acid from the lemon. The texture is similar to whipped cream cheese with the roe studded all throughout, perfect with gilled pita bread. To the left, piles of gyro meet; one of the best vehicles to eat beef and lamb all in one shot. There is something to be said about the crispy exterior from the rotisserie and the heavily seasoned interior of the loaf; how about "flawless?"

As you pan over the bowl of tzatziki, you will find thin slices of roasted lamb leg layered up next to the gyro meet. Full on lamb flavor with a hint of familiar Mediterranean herbs such as garlic and oregano and just the right amount of salt. At 11 o'clock, gilled Greek sausage with orange peel and fennel seed running throughout. Orange and fennel has to be one of my favorite flavor combinations, lay on a layer of smoke and that buttery emulsion of animal fat and protein, then you really have something phenomenal. 12 o'clock, melitzanosalata; you would never guess how sweet an eggplant could be until you roasted it, then muddled it with generous amounts of lemon, garlic, olive oil, and herbs.

As we come around the bend you will find stacks of marinated feta cheese. Feta is an LBC top 5 favorite cheese. You just cannot top that briny flavor of the sheep's milk curds. You will find feta again in those wedges of spinach and phyllo also known as spanakopita. I think frank g said it best when he said these particular ones were like Greek grilled cheese sandwiches. The amount of filling was spot on, like patties of spinach and feta and just enough phyllo to hold it all together. Last on the plate was grilled chicken breast, I think to break things up; good flavor, cooked perfectly, no complaints there. Be mindful of the olives dotting the plate...they have pits! Oh, did I mention all of this can be had for only $20! Everything on this plate was solid! So, if your looking for a dish of individual proportions, choose a plate that showcases the same make but a different model; get our drift? Sausage Souvlaki, Marathon Sandwich, Gyro, you get the picture.

We order a round of Mythos, take a trip down memory lane (a story about Frank's whole broiled snapper and the consumption on an eyeball) Ask us one day or better yet, go there, order up some ouzo's, and let us know who in your group ate the eyeball. Speaking of ouzo's, our server brought over a second round, bid us adieu, and we left the "unofficial" offices of LBCstudios with yet another memory to talk about over our next occasion.

Jimmy Hulas

noreply@blogger.com (b moll) — Sun, 01 May 2011 04:48:00 +0000

So I was driving down Aloma and I saw this brightly colored building that had awesome patio seating. I am a sucker for covered "porch" style seating. "Fish taco's, burgers, and beer," it says, a good mantra to live by in my book so I stop in to check it out. This is what I find.

You walk in, order, take a number, and have a seat. You can see the kitchen just beyond the registers, and things are clean on the other side of the window, looking forward to a meal here. Decent beer selection and the prices are hard to beat. Love the atmosphere; laid back, open air, and friendly staff. Order is in, beer in hand, time to hit the outside deck.

The chili was great, I could identify the individual flavors, the portion size was just right, and so was the price. A little rustic..yes, but I rather them spend the money on the food and how they prepare it, than making sure those scallions are all even. Their choice in serving vessels just bring the ambiance to a full circle.

Left: Caribbean Pork: Citrus pulled roast pork that was just nailed! I couldn't ask for anything more. The citrus really popped, just the right amount of salt, and tender, tender, tender. Topped with the usuals, well done.
Right: Loco Chicken: Not overcooked, properly executed, little on the sweet side. Also probably best on the grilled tortilla it is usually served on.
Below: A little queso dip to go with the chips. Cheese... enough said.

Top: Voodoo Fish Taco: Grilled mahi, that was cooked just right and one of the freshest fruit salsas I have had in awhile. Something they call voodoo sauce and it is all a great balance.

Bottom: Pipeline Pork: That same citrus pulled pork with some pickles on a toasted bun..done! The fried things are supposed to be their "corn hush puppies," think fried creamed corn...good...just not a hush puppy. Again, for a few bucks, hard to beat a simple, well executed meal.

(Fried onion petals, curly fries, and jalapeno's.)

Have to say it, for a chain...I am quite impressed, but hey, do things right and people will come. They are nailing the techniques, executing the food at a high level, and keeping the food simple, clean, and fresh, as far as I can tell. Someone back in the kitchen is tasting the food and re-seasoning things. Promote that guy or girl keep it up and LBC will be back!

"Fast food" sushi?.....enter Sushiology.

noreply@blogger.com (lunch box crew) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 04:11:00 +0000

So the other day I took a trip to an area of our city where I usually steer away from. You guessed it, "TOURISTVILLE" Florida aka Lake Buena Vista/Disney area. This time on the map was a fairly new concept I had not paid much attention to until now, Sushiology the fast food sushi restaurant. The premise of the logic behind it, I presume, is you go to the counter, pick between a couple of their signature maki, nigiri, sashimi, and/or apps, order your drink, pick up your order "fast", and enjoy your meal. I know what some of you are thinking: "Ummm, fast food sushi? Have fun at the doctor's office man". Erroneous!! With that same concern I took it upon myself to inspect the seafood from afar, and take a peek at the workstations where my meal was to be prepared (its kind of a pet peeve of mine), and I gave it a passing grade and nod of approval. Ok I'm next in line, "What will you have today sir?". Hmm, what to choose, what to choose?

So I started of with an interesting beverage from the good people at Takara (the same people that make plum wine which is probably sold at your nearest grocery store). Yuzu "Can Chu-Hai", a malt beverage which I could only compare to a lemony/sweeter Smirnoff Ice. Definitely had that 'generic & genetic' fake artificial citrus taste, but was surprisingly refreshing considering it was like 90 plus degrees out in the Florida sun. Don't know that I would have it again, but I will keep an eye out for a more natural alternative next time I'm out at my nearest Asian supermarket or Whole Foods for that matter.

First appetizer was the gyoza (I figured you can't go wrong with a little fried pork dumplings (they can also steam it for a healthier option). Crispy jiaozi (the thicker version of a wonton skin) shells, savory pork filling, and hints of ginger, garlic, and sesame oil; so far so good. One thing I would change on this appetizer is either put more filling inside them, or make the wrapper a little smaller as it seemed like they were too airy and empty when I bit into it. All in all, good flavor and good texture.

Next up are a couple of their signature rolls: the paradise (tuna/mango),twister (white tuna/spicy tuna), and the fantasy roll (shrimp/mango/kani/mayo).

Ok, I will say this: for the location, and "type" of service concept I guess it was to be expected. Made me a little sad because we at LBC always root for the underdog and support the smaller often overlooked establishments. First off the "fast service" wasn't as fast as one would expect, specially when being the only customers in for a quick lunch. God forbid I was on a small 30min lunch from my job nearby, as the order took about between 10 and 15 minutes. The seafood, although fresh tasting, for its price I was left a little "wanting". I repeat, for that price, they could've sliced their fish a little thicker and made a couple of customers a little bit happier.

Good, clean facilities, excellent music, modern and playful furniture. Semi-fast service, good beer and Japanese drink list, decent maki, not the best sushi in town, but I feel optimistic that if they work on their concept and rework their service strategy, it just might work. We are rooting for you.

Hawkers Asian Street Fare

noreply@blogger.com (b moll) — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:31:00 +0000

Just arrived, it is nearing the end of the dinner rush and things are already looking up. It is a Monday and usually quiet throughout the city, so it seems people are making this one of their frequent stops. As soon as you walk in, you are greeted by a very happy, a very attractive, a very well stocked cooler of beer; so far so good . I am diggin the feel of the place and as for the crowd, their all throwing off good vibes and seem to be enjoying themselves. We sit, order a couple Orlando brews, and begin to study the menu.

At first glance I noticed two things; there is five spice all over the menu (there is even a five spice section,) and all the plates can be had for under $6; unless you're buying for larger parties. Love the prices, and don't get me wrong, I love five spice, but it is like they asked "what ingredient says 'Asian'?" We order our first round of plates and hang onto a menu; we are closing the kitchen tonight.

Roti Canai: Malaysian flat bread with spicy curry. Super flaky dough, rich, buttery, and caramelized nicely. I usually eat this style of "roti" for breakfast, a little clarified butter and some honey, perfect with a cup of coffee. Since today it will be curry, which is very well balanced, touch of heat, not overly sweet, and just rich enough. We decided something needed to be inside, which is why we ordered the...

Roast duck: At first taste the skin is crispy, duck is moist, sweet, and yes flavors of all five spices, but not offensive. Couldn't tell you about the sauce, did not touch it, duck went right on the roti, curry sauce next, fold, and enjoyed. That roti deserved that duck! On second look on the curry sauce, it had potato and meat cooked in, which I appreciate, nothing like a little animal protein to flavor a sauce, but vegetarians be aware.

Char Siu (BBQ pork): On point! Tender, fatty, sweet, and smoky. If you need a little salt to cut the sweetness the dipping sauce is nice. I enjoyed as is.

Tom Yum: Always a favorite so I had to see how it stacked up. Broth was nice, the lemon grass and ginger really came through. I could have used two more shots of herbs, and if I really had to be critical, the shrimp were just a little over. All in all, a good bowl of noodle and you cant complain with it only being six bucks.

Wings with Szechuan Sauce: It was probably the beers but we decided that wings were a good idea. I gotta say, the wings were cooked perfectly. There is an art to cooking a chicken wing, and until you have had a really good one and then a really bad one, you will not realized this. They look dry in the picture but they were crazy crispy. The meat fell right off the bone and you could taste the marination (five spice, shhh.) The sauce, not Szechuan but any means, but the wings were bangin as is, so we let that one slide.

...ok time to clear the table, open the menu, and order some more...

Stir-fried Green Beans & Pickled Vegetables: Crunchy green beans with a nice taste of char. Nice hint of acid from the vegetables, and the sauce, although not my choice for my wings above, went really nice with the beans. Again, not Szechuan, but I could eat these all day.

Yangzhou Chow Faan: Shrimp, BBQ pork, chicken, onions, and egg. Fried rice the way fried rice should be. It was as if each grain of rice was fried separately so that each one would be just as good as the next. It was the same BBQ pork so all is well there, the shrimp...flawless, eggs and onions complete the dish.

Here is what I am thinking; all the kids that grew up in the kitchens of the restaurants that line 50, got together and decided to open up their own joint. The flavors are there, the price points are the same, and they threw in a better beer selection. Whatever the case may be Hawkers hold their own and pump out some solid food, a bridge for the novice to cross to start really seeing what Asian cuisine is all about.

Previously on the LBC 4/13-4/20

noreply@blogger.com (b moll) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 01:52:00 +0000

With the growth of our cause, we have been spilling a ton of goodies on our twitter account @lunchboxcrew. LBC is always on the move and never sleeps. Computer time is minimal and twitter is our gate way to get it all out to you. Here is what you missed, last week on...the LBC lol

We walk down the "enlightened" path for an interesting meal at Ethos vegan restaurant.

The crew went down to the food truck pod to check out; Korean Taco box, Red Eye BBQ, Crooked Spoon, Tree House Truck, YumYum and Big Wheel Provisions.

Hung out with Lazy Afternoon at the Peacock lounge.

A peek on whats cooking up in the kitchens, from mushroom tamales, to dahl, an Asian inspired buffet, and R2D2.

Released our world wide tour.

@DFreshbyMimz is cooking up cake pops and coquito for sale (407)879-1668 or email at m.martinez85@yahoo.com

First look at Sushiology and their new concept on Japanese cuisine. Full write up coming soon right here on the blog.

Frank cooks up fish tacos at the house and starts a discussion on seasonal beers

Debate over the best Cuban restaurant has been launched and our vote is already in. See what the others say.

We discuss fungus; yellow foot mushrooms and black truffles, and just out of the pot...braised cauliflower.

All there all now, check us out @lunchboxcrew

We're doing it Big

noreply@blogger.com (b moll) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 18:03:00 +0000

Alright, it has been awhile and the blog has been a little neglected, we admit that. It "appears," that we have had a spring time lull, but here is what is different.

LunchBoxStudioC our newest addition is our YouTube Channel. LBC is equipped with HD camera's and we are hitting the streets. We are like kids at Christmas with a new toy. Remember your first Voltron? Expect big things to come.

@lunchboxcrew our twitter account has been our second biggest success. LBC is always on the move, from playing in the kitchen, hitting up food joints, talking with local artists, or checking out the music scene. We have drafts after drafts on back waiting to be posted on the blog. It is almost time to hire some interns. Get an insight on what is to come, follow us on twitter.

Facebook Ladies and gents, you have been super supportive, influential, and a blast to hang with. You give us direction and we try to bring what you want to see and hear about. Thank you for the feedback, the pictures, and the good times. We couldn't do what we do without all of you --LBC

Qik ...coming soon! get yourself an account and/or the app on your "supported" phone. We have been playing with live broadcasts...O-town street media here we come.

fnbstreet@gmail.com the direct line to us. Again thanks for all the pictures, keep em coming!

Luma and the $30 3 course

noreply@blogger.com (b moll) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 04:06:00 +0000

LBC hits up Winter Park to sit on the street, pop some bottles, and have the plates come as they may. Well there was a little decision making in the process, but it was simple, to the point, and enjoyable.

Luma on Park, one of the better restaurants on the avenue, offers a preset menu Sun, Mon, and Tues. A couple easy choices to make and you have an app, dinner, and dessert for $30, not bad if the food is good....and it is.

First Course: Yellow fin Tuna Tartar

hearts of palm, uncle matt's grapefruit, avocado, Serrano.

Light, balanced, and portioned well. The shaved jalapeño and radish really make the salad of citrus and Serrano pop. Avocado was like a hass hand grenade, intense, rich, and full on flavor.

Second Course: Campanelle Bolognese

eight hour ragu, red wine, parmesan

Somebody is playing with their pasta machine in the back and I am jealous. Although they didn't nail the shape of "campanelle," it is easy overlooked by the eight hour ragu. Deep, bold, and that red wine really comes through. Now they say "Parmesan," but do not think your are just going to get a sprinkle over the top. Nope, someone back there is mounting the sauce with fist fulls of parm and I love it. Great bowl of noodle!

Third Course: Lemon Tart

pine nut coulis, strawberry ice cream

Ahh...the lemon tart...a chef's dessert. You can either nail it, or you can't. Oh, and they nailed it. Tangy yet sweet and the custard was set perfect. I also appreciate the extremely thin layer of meringue, just enough to get the job done. The ice cream was great! Milky, creamy, and smooth...did I mention the texture was awesome? As for the pine nut coulis, it was very creative and I really wanted to like it, but that was the last flavor you tasted. Well beyond dessert.

Luma is always a great stop for us but we really dig the $30 preset, and your assured your going to get what you pay for. How many of you can say you dropped 30+ dollars on a crappy meal? Not here, not once, not neva!

We love people that love food.

noreply@blogger.com (lunch box crew) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 05:40:00 +0000

This just in!! Food pics from one of our followers via twitter and Facebook. We would like to thank her for sending us some love this way. Laurymar pretty much covers the whole culinary spectrum from hearty breakfast, to sweet and savory deserts. Classics to Latin soul food. Thank you again for the love.
LBC

Send food pics or great finds at fnbstreet@gmail.com , we'll be waiting.

A taste of Spain...Miami

noreply@blogger.com (frank g) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 21:23:00 +0000

Stomach is rumbling, and I can feel a headache slowly creeping in. It is at this point that could eat a rock dipped in bbq sauce if I had to, unfortunately for me, I'm in a city I wasn't too familiar with. With so many choices between shady food spots, I prayed for a sign of hope in this dark tunnel of possible delirium. Long behold! I see a place that catches my eyes, followed by my appetite. Enter El Chorizon II, Spanish pub on Flagler St. Miami. Chorizo, manchego, tapas, I'm definitely sold.

First of all, the decor is as I expected, soccer team flags, emblems, and shields are left to right on the walls. A couple of pictures of the owners with unfamiliar famous people hung here and there, and shelves after shelves of wine from Spain only. Oh, and who could leave out the wooden dance floor, perfect for an all night session of Flamenco dancing and guitar strumming (I didn't get to experience this unfortunately because it's only during night time service).

We get sat, menus went down, and drink orders were taken. Choices, oh the choices. Let me go with the most popular beer in Spain (as one of our followers recommended) and let's hope its not an European version of Budweiser or some other big production brewery/factory. If I can describe it for you I'd say it is like a bolder Brooklyn Brewery Lager (refer to Beer Review #1 from the blog), or a Yuengling Lager x20. Dark, complex, slightly carbonated, and still surprisingly drinkable.

Ah, the appetizer is here. When in Rome (Spanish restaurant), you cannot go wrong with a platter of imported cheeses and cured pork products. Thin sliced jamon serrano, chorizo, and manchego cheese. This and a beer, should definitely get your appetite going crazy right about now.

Soon after we were half way done with our appetizer, the second one arrived. Stewed garbanzos and chorizo in a tomato broth. Slow cooked to perfection, with pieces of beef, onions and garlic and a broth that you couldn't do without. It reminded me of a cleaner, lighter feijoada (bean, beef, greens stew) with the additional subtle flavors of oregano,tomato, and paprika from the chorizo and none of the heaviness of its Brazilian cousin.

Next up, red snapper 'a la plancha'. For me although perfectly executed, it was a bit too simple. Not a lot going on here, basically all you could taste was fish, of course, and a little bit of char coming from the searing process. For what it was, I guess i can't complain, I mean at least it was very moist and not overcooked.

Ah, my next dish seems more promising. Braised pork foot in an olive and caper tomato sauce. Success!! At first I was hesitant to ask for this dish, mainly because I have a thing against jelly-like consistencies in my meats. The texture of rubbery fat simply puts me off like no other, but when I tell you it was tender, I mean it. If you could press on it with the back of your knife, I guarantee that it would just fall apart (a sign of a good braise and slow cooking). The sauce, had so much going on with notes of wine, laurel leaves, garlic, pimenton (smoked paprika), tomato, olives and the capers. It brought back familiar flavors of my mother's 'Gallo en chicha' (I will post more on this in the future) which she usually makes around Christmas time.

All in all good experience and another good find in my book. The service staff was super friendly and all transplants from 'La Madre Patria" Spain, which made the whole experience more authentic. Definitely will have to plan a dinner here and get the full experience with the flamenco dancers and music. Until next time, 'SALUD!!'

Wine Review #2

noreply@blogger.com (b moll) — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 05:48:00 +0000

The Location: Albertsons
The Juicer: Graffigna http://www.graffignawines.com/
The Color: Red; Malbec
The Strength: 14%
The Debut : 2007
Taste of: If you had a childhood anything like mine, than in your refrigerator you had a; 2 liter of coke, bottle of SunnyD, and 2 gallons of "whole" milk. One of which had milk, and the other was full of KoolAid. Ever forget the sugar in a batch of black cherry? If you did, than you are close to the taste of this bottle.
The Food to Come: Since we are talking about childhood, I actually did an experiment with this bottle, and paired it with a pot of "homemade," mac & cheese. The funkier the cheese the better. Aged cheddar shells...yes! Blue cheese balsamic garganelli...go for it! Fontina tagiatelle...even better! Get creative, the wine lends itself to the "funk" gracefully.
Thoughts & Such: You can enjoy this bottle on day 2 with no ill effect, I just wouldn't recommend it sitting in your cooler beyond that.
Since we discussed mac & cheese, here is an easy "go to" recipe I keep in my back pocket.

1lb Pasta (you might have to adjust the 'liquid' in the recipe depending on the size of your noodle)
2c Heavy cream
3ea Slices of American cheese (yellow or white...your choice) this keeps your mac from breaking...gotta love American processed food
1/2 round of Boursin Cheese (Garlic and herbs is my choice but any will do. Found in the deli section of your local mega mart)
1c Shredded cheese (remember be creative, buy a bled or go custom)
Salt and pepper! Add a little at a time and keep tasting, trust me you will taste a difference. (black pepper is my favorite.)

Boil off a pot of water and cook your pasta do desired doneness. Heat your cream to a simmer (and do not cheat on the heavy cream, no milk, no half and half, go heavy!) and throw in all your cheese. Stir until well incorporated. Drain of pasta (but do not rinse) and stir into your cheese sauce. Add 1 tbsp of butter per pound of pasta for that added richness (plugra is great!) Remember depending on your size of noodle you might need to add extra cream to loosen things up, no big deal.

This pot will be great on its own, but if your really wanted to go all out, throw in some vegetables and a little protein to get the most out of your glass of wine. I suggest going seafood, say lobster or smoked salmon, with a little spinach and bacon. Just keep in mind the cheese you picked vs. the protein your throwing in. Be creative but don't be reckless.

I thought I would share with you my childhood recipe for Koolaid, I can remember it like it was yesterday, it was passed down to me from my father.

1 Gal. Milk Jug so 1 Gal of H2O
2pk Koolaid (I think black cherry is out of rotation these days)
2c Sugar
Lid on, shake to combine, let chill. Enjoy ;)

If you decided to try out our recipe, send us a picture and we will post it up on the blog
fnbstreet@gmail.com Don't forget your glasses of wine.

Nunchuck skills, computer hacking skills, carjacking skills...

noreply@blogger.com (b moll) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:17:00 +0000

"Said Twig"

If you are now following us on our twitter account @ twitter.com/lunchboxcrew you may have noticed we hit up a food truck in Winter Garden. The El Salvadorian truck took up shop on the side of 50, we will have a more detailed post on it soon, right now it is not the point.

The agenda paned out as follows:

El Salvadorian treat...niice
Cold drinks (Chevron was just across the street)
Successful tweet with location via the "charging" phone
Breaking into cars (we have futures @ pop-a-lock)

What that translates too? One kick ass story and one hell of a time.

The food was good, oh man was it good, a perfect ending to yet another crazy night at the job. Winter Garden being no where near HQ, we started to head out shortly after we arrived. I had my passenger door open with some music going while we stood outside eating our El Salvadorian delight. As we started to leave, frank is throwing plates away, and I kicked my door closed. My foot left the door and I stood, watching in slow motion, the door coming to a full close. All awhile seeing flashes of images of my keys in my ignition, my cellphone nearing dead, and frank crawling into his truck. Once the earth started spinning in full rotation, I jumped into action...banged on the tailgate of the truck and started with phone calls.

Of course I get a barrage of dead end calls, instant voice mails and no text replies. I have a spare key at the house but it will not be for another hour and a half for it to arrive. What to do, what to do...so we jump in the car and one of us is using the last of our cell battery to youtube "breaking into cars," while the other starts calling locksmiths.

These guys are criminal! All of them! Wait times anywhere from 30 minutes and 2 hours ranging from $35 (plus $15 for getting their ass out of bed) and $85 to come out and open my door. No thank you, I will wait for the spare to arrive. Wait there is a sheriff, he can help! Nope...no luck, liability he says, people like to get sue happy once they get home and see the officer chipped the paint on the door or something. Thanks guys.

Enter "man working late at night," not going to say where he came from or who he was, but I will tell you how he helped. We happen to notice this guy and figured that it wouldn't hurt to see if he could help. Here is how it went down:

"Excuse me, was wondering if you could help out, I locked my keys in my car, and spending $80 is not an option when I can have a key out here before a locksmith even shows up."

"I cannot personally help you , but if I give you a slim jim would that help?"

"Yeah! that would be great, its worth a shot. Don't know how to use one but it is worth a try...right?"

"Sorry bud, someone must have taken it from me, but I might have something to help"

The man pulls out two items, one of which was a coat hanger, and proceeds to give us a lesson on how to break into a car (essentially.) A quick demonstration on his truck and we were ready to give it a shot. One hour and fifteen minutes of trying here is what we learned.

Engineers have really taken into account "car theft," when designing the interior of my car (go figure)
Flashlights work against you when you have reflective tent.
Breaking into cars is an easy game. We did not get one visit from a police officer, not a single concerned citizen...nothing! Did I mention we were doing this for an hour and fifteen?!?! We were not graceful about it either, it was sloppy. LED flashlights, coat hangers, and kitchen cleavers...ohhh...maybe that's why they didn't stop. hmmm
The stick is mightier than than the slim jim. We were able to obtain access to my car with a twig from a tree...take that engineers, back to the drawing board!

This night eventually came to a full circle for me. Granted that my spare key was a mere two exits away when we finally got in, it was a learning experience fo sho, but here is what I realized. One random Sunday off, we spent the entire day down at the farmers market. We jumped from there and moved onto the surrounding bars and food joints. It was a good day never the less until I was walking to my car to see it "not" parked on the side of the road anymore (such a good parking spot too.) My car had been towed, despite what the police had told me (interesting story, police reports, weapons, and a lot of misunderstanding, ask me at the bar one day.) A trip to the impound with their criminal fees and a ticket later, and I was ready to slash the tires of every tow truck in town. I am "cool, calm, and collected," as they would say, so yes, I bit my lip and decided not to act on first impulse. So here is the clincher, the guy who helped us, you remember "Professor, Grand Theft," was one of these tow truck peeps. Go figure right, a guy that would tow my car and bleed my wallet, giving me a free lesson on never having to call them again. Priceless....priceless.

Pictures from a housewife's kitchen- Jenn Osorio

noreply@blogger.com (lunch box crew) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 19:08:00 +0000

Jenn modestly claims: "Please note that I am not a professional nor do I try to be one. I am just hungry all the time", and then I saw the pics of things she is cooking up in her small Fresh Meadows, New York apartment and I was thrown back!! In spite of her modesty, and busy schedule, she manages to cook up these delicious plates with a little creativity and natural talent.

Thank you Jenn for these awesome and delicious pics, we hope you keep on sending more pics and giving us your feedback.

-LBC

P.S. Yes, normal people take pics of their own food, your'e perfectly fine.

To send your own pics email fnbstreet@gmail.com or just tag us on facebook with your food pics and write a little description @facebook.com/lunchboxcrew.orlando

Eat em Raw @ Lee and Ricks

noreply@blogger.com (b moll) — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 05:47:00 +0000

I am so oblivious to my surrounds right now. All I know is I just got out of a Chevy pickup truck, stumbled through a narrow hallway, and found myself in a low lit dungeon with a bar in it. What would you think? The bar is made out of, whatever it is that they make all the sculptures at your local mini golf resort...wait did the building look like a big ass boat to you? "Brian! focus...this is an oyster sanctuary...with a juke box." Think back, circa middle school, you know those napkin holders they have on every table in the cafeteria? Well those are hanging above the bar for your convenience...our schools wasted so much money on those napkins, you know what we did with those things?

"Hello, my name is Brian, #1 mother-schucker, in this place..." "Wait! Brian with an 'i' or a 'y'?" "With an 'i' of course...they spell it differently?" "Good answer, ok mother-shucker, two buckets of Apalachicola, two pitchers of whatever's cold, a few mugs, lets get this show on the road. " Clarified butter, hot sauce, horseradish (my fav,) and saltine crackers, yes please, this is a bi-valve experiment we got going on here. We have all the tools we need, throw in a fork, and we are ready. Plates? no way...got the bar for that. Push everything of the edge of the bar when your done and thats service! Just not the mugs "those are limited," its, ok he went in after it (the wallet too but thats another story.)

This guy is fast, blazin fast. We have close to a dozen people in our group and he is slingin' oysters at us as fast as we can eat em. The mood is right, I hit up the juke box and got it to play some Deftones and Mars Volta, its all about maximizing your dollar (I should ask frank to write up a post about the, LBC 'more juke for your buck' technique)

So you think your fast eh? I accept your challenge mother-shucker...bring it. I start one by one destroying oysters with forks full of horseradish. Fresh, briny, cool, clean, taste of the oyster, followed up by the big bold bite of the horseradish, the ball is in my field friend. This guy thinks he's slick throwing 5 down when I am taking a drink of my cold beer. Touche, Brian....Touche, I quickly catch up but my buddy to my right is a dozen deep, time to pull him out of the weeds.

The number consumed was ridiculous, plus I lost count...and by default, I have to give the victory to Brian. See the thing is, I cannot eat the last one until he shucks it, but I kept his pace. Brian you are a prince amongst men, you have done well. I will be back

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