Category: orlando

Five Spice Apple Fritters

it’s our three-quarteriversary!  We celebrated our third year tonight of our first – we were married on Leap Day so our anniversary hasn’t quite come around yet – at a fun new place in Oviedo called SushiPop.  They have a really exciting menu full of molecular gastronomic treats and sushi.  We had a fun assortment of things to try out multiple parts of the menu.  It is a fun and funky atmosphere with anime style drawings on the wall and funny dressed up waitstaff, not quite cosplay but fun.  Ponyo (I want ham!) was playing on televisions on all sides.

Starter One – The low rider sushi roll – tempura shrimp with chipotle lime sauce, avocado, chives and micro cilantro.  The soy came in fun lab style serving pipettes.
Starter Two – Shishito Poppers – Japanese sweet hot peppers stuffed with cream cheese and fried in panko with lime wedges.  The lime made them really zingy and fresh.
His – 3 Little Pigs – pork chop with fuji apple chutney, pork belly demi-glace  bacon brussel sprouts.
Hers – Dark and Smoky Salmon – hoisin and pistachio glazed salmon block, slow cooked purple potatoes, butter poached asparagus with a ribbon of raw salmon.

Interior View from our table – Z was able to watch Ponyo and I could see the sunset

Dessert – Apple Fritters – 5 spice apple fritters topped with cinnamon cream cheese, maple ginger ice cream and candied bacon.  Can I tell you I’d buy a deep fryer to make 5 spice apple fritters.  Wait for that.

>about 1:00 today we decided we needed some 4R (Four Rivers) bbq for a nice sit outside Sunday lunch of smoked brisket and winter sunshine.  In the great tradition of Chik-fil-a they are not open on Sundays.  I can see the merit of this.  Sort of.
I remembered that I had read about Graffiti Junktion and their burgers so we smartphoned that, drove ten more minutes, walked three blocks into a Sunday football-packed out-no organization bar where I realized I am old.  We headed back to the car and tried to think of someplace else.
We ended up ten more minutes driving at Hue (plays music), with it’s downtown vibe.  It was ok but the actual menu is about half of the posted one online.  A small bread basket arrived with some fried wonton and rolls with red pepper butter.  I really enjoyed the butter on the roll and had to stop myself from slathering it on my burger.  Z had a scramble with andouille sausage and mozz along with hashed potatoes with corn and red peppers.  I had the basic burger with swiss and bacon and it was really juicy and well cooked, just as I requested.  It was pretty noisy and I didn’t think the chairs were too comfy but it was nice to get out from our regular routine even if we had to work for it.

you would have to look far and wide to find a polar bear any place but Sea World in Orlando but the Gaylord Palms has 20 ‘captured’ and on display.  We have been on the gnome hunt before and really enjoyed it so we went to this year’s version, Polar Bear Pursuit with Z’s parents and some out of town guests Friday.  The polar bears were quite a bit easier to find than the gnomes and we easily found a number of bears hiding in the swamp, in key west and in the castillo san marcos as we enjoyed the company and the Christmas decorations.