El Cubanito

A few days ago I heard about this stand in the industrial area on Forsyth road between Colonial Drive and University. I went to check it out yesterday.

El Cubanito food truck is owned and operated by a guy from Cuba, but surprisingly only being one guy he has a huge menu and many food options worth checking out.

It's located in the parking lot of an Wilson Auto Repair, look for the umbrella on the truck and the boat trailers all around the parking lot. Parking seems to be pretty random and no one seems to mind where you park in the lot. Often you have to stand up and eat at these food trucks but not here, he even has a tent covering the eating area.

Luckily I got there when he wasn't busy and I was able to take a lot of photos and chat with him for a bit using a bit of my Spanglish and he his passable English, he's been open 6 months.

One of my favorite things that people from PR and Cuba make is Lechon or Pernil which is roasted pork usually cooked with lots of garlic in a blood orange sauce. El Cubanito serves a Lechon Cuban sandwich and I almost ordered it but the Choripan sandwich($3.95) caught my eye. I asked him about it and he said it was real Cuban Chorizo which is different from the Mexican kind I'm used to, apparently it has a firmer texture and in this sandwich he had cut it up into curly strips and cooked it on his griddle. The sandwich itself was a little dry for my taste but you could easily alleviate that by putting some mustard on it or dipping it in his soup of the day. It came with my choice of cheese and potato sticks on it. To drink I had a super sweet can of Guava Nectar, he has other canned fruit drinks soda and water.

Next I ordered some Platanos Maduros, the sweet fried plantains served at every Cuban restaurant. They were sweet and tender as expected.

Although the menu described some desserts he was out of the Flan and the Cuban cupcake so this led me to explore the extensive menu a little more and ask him what Batitos were. Turns out they are the Cuban version of a milkshake or smoothie. They are made in a blender with a little milk and some frozen fruit. My options were Guava a few other tropical fruits but I ordered Passion Fruit(luckily I remembered the Spanish word for this, Parcha). It was real thick and tasty, while I was drinking it a couple groups of people showed up and ordered the Cuban Milkshakes as well.

Overall a great experience and I hope to go back and explore the menu further especially the omelet sandwich which he has a picture of that looks amazing!

He's open Mon-Sat 7am-7pm and also serves breakfast. Make sure you check out the pictures of the menu.

2237 N Forsyth Rd Orlando, FL 32807-5351
(305)305-7438

Treehouse Truck

Today for lunch Treehouse Truck is at 954 S Orlando Ave, Winter Park, Fl(google map) at REMAX 200 selling one of the best rated burgers in town!!

Treehouse Truck is brand new on the Food Truck Scene, it's only been out a couple weeks, but they are already making a huge impression.

Last week I ate lunch Treehouse Truck when it was parked in the Discovery Church parking lot on South Orange just north of Holden.

Delicious skirt steak and chicken sub with coleslaw and sweet potato sticks it's called the Chimoo sandwich.

The chicken quesadilla with sun dried tomato tortilla was very good as well.

I've been hearing that their burger is a masterpiece I have to try it on my next visit.

The fried oreos and twinkies were double yum.

On weekends daytimes they are usually at colonial and ferncreek where Crooked Spoon is M-F and they are also at Firestone Live downtown most nights when there is a concert or event.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/treehouse-truck-orlando-2
http://twitter.com/treehousetruck

(407)921-1696

Food Truck Party Tuesday March 29, 2011

ORLANDO FOOD TRUCK BAZAAR
To celebrate Orlando's growing gourmet food truck scene, The Daily City is gathering ten food trucks from across the city and parking them in one spot right next to a gigantic farmers market. Free parking.

RSVP on Facebook Then invite all your friends

WHEN
Tuesday March 29, 2011
7pm - 10pm

WHERE
Discovery church 4400 S. Orange Ave., Orlando, FL 32806 Google Map
just north of the intersection of Holden

PLEASE READ
1. Bring your own chair. No seating provided.
2. Bring cash. No credit or checks accepted.
3. Admission is free. The food is not.

FOOD TRUCKS PARTICIPATING (SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE)
-Big Wheel Provisions Truck
-The Crooked Spoon
-Korean BBQ Taco Box
-Red Eye BBQ
-Shipyard Brewery
-Winter Park Fish Company
-The Taco Lady
-Pupusas
-The Yum Yum Cupcake Truck

Bauern-Stube Authentic German Restaurant

I Recently visited Bauern-Stube with a couple friends who told me it was good. I used to go this location when I was in high school and it was a Pizza Hut.

I like the decor, especially the German and tourist books.

To start off I had the Venison stew which was in a light beef broth, kinda tasty.

Also I had a huge 1 liter mug of Oktoberfest beer, my favorite.

For my main course I had the Sampler platter which was about 27 dollars. It had the hugest piece of pork you've ever seen(see pic), with a nice layer of fat still attached to the side of it. It was like a ham steak you'd have with breakfast but 4 times as thick. It was kinda tasty but there is no way you could eat the whole thing. It also had a white bratwurst which was decent and a good sized piece of schnitzel which was good. Also there was a small piece of rolled up beef in gravy, this was probably the tastiest item on the plate.

My favorite thing was the honey mustard they had on the table, I dipped everything in it and it was delicious. I asked where they got it and she said probably Aldi, but afterwards I went to Aldi and they didn't have the same one. It was very dark and grainy but also sweet.

Highly recommended for an authentic German dinner experience.

8015 S Orange Ave Orlando, FL 32809
Just north of Sandlake road
(407) 857-8404
http://bauern-stube.com/
Mon-Thu 11 am - 2 pm
Mon-Wed, Fri-Sun 5 pm - 9 pm

Chili Daddy

I used to eat at Chili Daddy at their old location which was really hard to find for the average folk. I'm so glad they moved somewhere more visible and they are getting the respect they deserve. Here's my review:

The Pork Verde taco was SUPERB! I thought it would just be another taco but it was SO GOOD. They give you a deal on 3 tacos I think it's $5.99 and you and mix and match different ones.

I really liked the frito pie too, it's frito corn chips covered with chili and cheese.

The Texas chili was good but it's a little thin for my tastes. I have also tried the Thai Basil Chili which has a nice unique flavor. Additionally they have pork, mango chicken and a few other Chilis that they rotate daily.

By default their chili is not spicy, they have all kinds of powders and sauces on the wall you can add to your chili to get it as spicy as you want it. That way you can take your whimpy friends who can't handle a bit of spice and you can both eat at your correct heat level. They do sell Ghost pepper powder here so be very careful if you buy it. I had some at the Chili cookoff and it made me cry and my eyes got hazy, this is the ultra-hot stuff!

The owner is a real friendly and genuine nice guy.

They have $2 beers here too.

They do take credit cards now.

They do have a Vegan chili but I would call ahead and make sure they have some that day as their offerings tend to change.

419 E Michigan St Orlando, FL 32806
(407) 894-0430
chilidaddy.com

Gringos Locos

Oh man!

I was at a concert last night at firestone and was really hungry got out about midnight so not much was open.

I stopped by Gringos Locos for a quick bite. Cheesy 80s music was blaring super loud and there was a decent crowd inside.

I ordered the one of the Double D's tacos with pork, and the Dirty Sanchez burrito. I had forgotten to tell them no rice and beans and the guy put a TON of rice and beans on it before he put anything else. That is just a way that these places save money on real ingredients, so I told him to take if off. I just want meat and toppings. He was cool about it and just put the pork on it. I had to ask him special to add raw onions which wasn't one of the things he offered to put on it by default.

They don't have fountain drinks just bottled stuff but a decent selection of Snapple. I think they should make their own Tea, Sweet and Unsweet or at least have the traditional Mexican Horchata drink.

Once I sat outside to eat my food I was blown away by the flavors. The pork was super tasty and delicious. They had cooked it in something that made it so yummy! Wow! Most places don't bother to season or marinate their meat much so this is what I expected.

Oh and they do take American Express.

Sushi Lola's

I do spend a lot of time in this area but I'd never been here or even noticed it. It's kinda tucked in the corner. My friend from Yelp Big Dawg Carl G. Told me about it and I had also seen some reviews so I stopped by here real quick for happy hour and some food.

I only had 45 minutes and they had 2 for 1 beers and wine.

Ordered 6 pieces of Nigiri which was $1 from 4-6 pm. Nigiri is just a small clump of rice with "raw" fish on top and then wrapped with a little tie of seaweed. I tried Salmon, Shrimp, Conch, Eel, and a couple others. The best thing was the Eel. It was warm and a little sweet. Make sure you ask for a side of Eel sauce, the sushi chef told me how they make it and it's quite a long process with lots of ingredients. I love that sauce!

The Manager/Server was real welcoming, accommodating to my party and happy to have us.

I know you are on the edge of your seat but yes I did get out in time to be where I had to be!

2806 Corrine Dr Orlando, FL 32803

Lechonera Mario

This is a food truck in the LKQ salvage yard parking lot north side of Colonial exactly next to the road that goes to greenway ford. They have a couple chairs out front which is nice.

I got here later in the day a few hours after lunch time so it was pretty slim pickins on the menu was an item which I found in PR and I love but they were out of. Piononos which is a sweet plantain mashed up in a square and stuffed with meat.

I had a Alcapurria which is a fried dough shell filled with ground beef. It wasn't that good.

They also have coolers full of all kinds of drinks you just pick what you want.

This is the kinda place that is rough around that edges that most Americans won't eat at, If you are nearby give it a shot especially if it's just around noon when the food is fresh.

The Menu includes

Sandwhiches(sic) : Tripleta, Beef Steak, Cubano, Ham and Cheese w/ Egg if you choose, Pernil(roasted pork)

Lunches(Almuerzos): Soup, Chuleta a la Plancha (pork chop cooked on a flattop), Fried Chicken, Pernil these all come with rice and one side(Yellow Plantains or Yucca)

Frituras(Fritters): Alcapurria(Green Plantain Fritter) with meat or crab, Fried Codfish, and a few others. See the Picture attached to this review if you want to see the full menu.

#OrlandoFoodTrucks

Big Wheel Provisions Food Truck

I was their second customer ever!

Ate 3 things here:

Brindisi which was like a bruschetta with a cream spread and roasted local tomato and a sardine on top.

Moroccan chick pea soup with roasted baby cauliflower which was excellent, spicy and thick as gravy!

Porchetta sandwich, the bread was like a roll but big soft and with a very light dusting of flour. The meat had a little crust of spices around the edges and were generous pieces. It could have used a little more sauce or spread on the bread for my taste because I need strong and bold flavors in my food the meat was a little milder in the middle than I prefer but I think most people would love it.

There were so many things I wanted to try but can't have it all in one day. I expect Big Wheel to keep rotating new things into the menu daily so I will be here often.

They are located downtown on Washington just west of Orange Ave, directly across from Planet Pizza.

Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 to 2:30 for lunch, and Thursday through Saturday nights from 10PM to 3 am

The closest free parking is in the neighborhoods just north of Lake Eola or maybe somewhere over west of I-4.

It would be great if they could add a few umbrellas over the Ironing board tables because the sun was pretty burny on my head, but I'm sure there are all kinds of laws and regulations against making things truly comfortable. So I suggest you get your food to go and walk down to Lake Eola, The History Center Park or some other pleasant bench to eat it.

http://twitter.com/#!/BigWheelTruck

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Big-Wheel-Provisions/138085143216?ref=ts



#OrlandoFoodTrucks

Gordon's Be Back Fish House Eatonville

"You know what kind of Fish you just ate?" as Gordon points to the title of his menu, "Be Back Fish, Gordon's Be Back Fish, cause I know you'll be back"

I heard about this place from a friend who is a vegetarian but secretly cheats and eats here because it's so good!

I was told to go and try the shrimp but I forgot to on this visit so you know I will do just as Gordon told me and "Be Back" to try em.

Ordered the fish dinner and selected trout as my fish. The dinner comes with 2 hush puppies 3 or so pieces of fried fish on top of 2 piece of white bread and 1 side such as grits, coleslaw or potato salad. It also comes with fries if you want.

Skipped the fries I figured the fish was more than enough fried food.

My first and favorite side was the excellent cheese and butter grits. Most places make them very bland these were a lot better than that, Very Tasty!

My trout had the skin fried on it, it was kinda good but had a couple small bones left on it. Served with tartar sauce I tried to make a sandwich out of it with the bread and tartar.

I tried a sample of my friends fried Basa fish and though it had the same breading/seasoning on it I found it to be much more tangy and flavorful.

There are about 4 other type of fish you can order, catfish, whiting, perch, talapia.

They also serve wings and shrimp.

To top it all off they have a few different kind of desserts, Red Velvet Cake, Tater Bread, Sweet Potato Pie and my choice, Peach Cobbler. They couldn't heat up the cobbler for it so I was a bit worried but it was still super tasty and YUM!

Gordon was right, I will be back, with reinforcements!

558 E Kennedy Blvd Eatonville, FL 32751
(407) 644-6640

Tue-Thu 11 am - 6 pm
Fri 11 am - 10 pm
Sat 11 am - 9 pm

El Arepaso de Orlando

Last night I found a food truck downtown, Arepaso de Orlando

They are open Wednesdays through Saturday nights at Washington and court basically across from Gringos Locos.

They have only 3 items:
Venezuelan Arepas
Ham and grilled cheese sandwiches($7)
Colombian hamburgers

The Arepas($5) are filled with either shredded beef and cheese or chicken and cheese. The photo on their menu shows crappy American cheese but that isn't what they put on it, they use a white shredded type cheese. The Arepas themselves are white but not really sweet and they cut it in half to open it up like you would a pita and stuff the ingredients inside.


They have 3 sauces in squeeze bottles you can put on as much as you like. Garlic sauce, Tartara and a Spicy one. I asked him a few times what peppers were in the spicy one but he just kept saying chili. All of the sauces had a similar white consistency but my fav was the garlic. The spicy one was good too but it wasn't very spicy just a little.

I didn't get to try the other 2 items but the Colombian guy working there said they were really good.

They also sell soda and water, go try em out after you have danced your booty silly and are wasted out of your mind, then they will taste like heaven in your hand. He said they usually stay open until about 3:30 AM

53 E Washington St Orlando, FL 32801
Neighborhood: Downtown

The Crooked Spoon

I recently heard about the latest food truck in Orlando the Crooked Spoon and was super excited to try it. It sounded gourmet, and it is!

I had a little trouble finding it at first because they had to move over a few lots. They are located on Fairbanks across from McRaney's Tavern for breakfast and lunch and at night they are over off Sandlake Road in the Whole Foods Parking lot. Their locations may change so check their page I linked below for their current spot.

You know how some food trucks look a little beat up like an old converted delivery truck? This one is a long trailer and really super nice and well done, clean and big!

Their menu is simple but everything looks really good. I was greeted so sweetly on arrival and in a few minutes they gave me a dish to sample while I waited for my order. It was a pork quesadilla with guava BBQ sauce topped with chopped mango and a very creamy and tangy avocado sauce. It was unbelievably tasty, I love strong sauces and it had TWO! So, So good.

I went ahead and ordered the Crooked Spoon burger ($8) which came with their own signature chips which reminded me of plantain chips but very crispy, tender and not hard. The toppings on the burger were Swiss cheese, caramelized balsamic onions, tomato and lettuce. The burger was on a great kaiser type roll from the ubiquitous Olde Hearth Bakery http://www.oldehearthbreadcompany.com/

They have water and soda for $1.

I got to chat with them for a while and they are super cool and nice and have culinary backgrounds, you can tell from the menu.

I'm going to go back in the next week or so and try their cranberry turkey sandwich and also their mac & cheese which looks stupendous!

Follow them at:
http://www.facebook.com/thecrookedspoon
http://twitter.com/TheCrookedSpn

How to eat local

It's important to spend money at locally owned non-chain restaurants and markets. What are some good ways to keep your eating local?

Talk to local restaurant owners of places you might think are locally owned. Who are their suppliers and sources? What's the history of their establishment? are they part of some faceless corporate giant?

When you do eat at places you know are locally owned and that also source their ingredients locally, spread the word and let the establishment know why you chose them and that you will spread the word.

Eat and buy food and produce at your local farmers markets, locally grown produce is much more likely to be fresh and nutritionally complete.

So go out there today and eat local!

STANPOL Polish Deli

STANPOL Polish Deli
12100 E Colonial Dr
Ste F
Orlando, FL 32828
(321) 206-9080

I walked through here the other day, it's a real treasure trove of Polish food. They serve some food here but it's more of a grocery store. They have all kinds of frozen perogies for you to take home and cook.

They also have a deli case with a bunch of different kinds of kielbasa and sausages.

When we came in the owner was all excited to show us the stuffed cabbage he had hot and ready for us to order and eat. They have a few tables so you can sit and enjoy the food.

I did not fully explore the place so go check it out for yourself and push your culinary boundaries!

"Smacznego" is Polish for "Bon Appetit"!