Taste of Orlando

As a last hurrah before heading back to work, I packed up the family last week and headed to Orlando. Here is a snippet of what we were eating (and drinking) during our three day visit.

Ethos Vegan Kitchen |  601-B South New York Avenue, Winter Park

Nothing combats the lingering effects of a late night arrival better than an all vegan brunch. Because of their relatively early opening, the family and I drove to Ethos Vegan Kitchen in Winter Park to fulfill our vegan brunch needs. For whatever reason, I had avoided this place every time I previously visited Orlando. As soon as I walked through the doors, I wondered what I had been thinking. This place was love at first sight. Big windows, interesting artwork, a high brow bar and low brow seating all flowed together to create an aesthetically pleasing restaurant. All that would be for naught if the food wasn't good. No need to worry, this place was absolutely toothsome.

Ethos' brunch menu is less extensive than their typical daily one. Still, despite its scaled down appearance, I still did quite a bit of waffling. Decisions, decisions. In the end the breakfast burrito called my name. The burrito is stuffed with tofu scramble, home fries and vegan sausage and smothered in vegan sausage gravy. I loved the combination of tofu, sausage and home fries and the sausage gravy was some of the best I've had. Anywhere. Ever. The completely smothered burrito just sort of melted right into my mouth. The only downfall of it was you couldn't eat it with your hands. A small price to pay for such a delicious dish. J-Fur ordered a cinnamon bun and Ethos' newest brunch offering, the breakfast skillet. The cinnamon bun was perfect. Soft and full of flavorful cinnamon. This is how all vegan cinnamon buns should roll. The skillet seemed like it would be right up our alley considering it included tofu scramble, lots of sauteed veggies (like onions, green peppers, red peppers and broccoli) breakfast sausage, home fries and cheddar cheese. Unfortunately the skillet was a bit too oily (yes even for me). Two perfect items, one good one. I'll take that every day of the week.

Erin McKenna's Bakery NYC | 1642 East Buena Vista, Orlando

We visited Erin McKenna's Bakery a few years ago after a Walk the Moon concert at House of Blues. The show ended pretty late and we high-tailed it over to the bakery, getting in the door right before closing. We ordered a cupcake and, well, I wasn't super impressed. This is what they eat in New York? No thank you. After two visits to Brooklyn last summer, I felt that I could definitely say New Yorkers know how to eat. So Erin McKenna's Bakery got one more shot.

I'm glad it did. We ordered two cupcakes (for J-Fur), a pineapple upside down cake (for me) and a shot of frosting (for Z-Bot). The two cupcakes were both moist and delicious. Neither was saturated with sweetness. I was surprised, being a total fruit dessert fan, that I actually liked the chocolate cupcake (not pictured above because it was already eaten) slightly better than the berry one. The berry one had a lingering aftertaste of something that neither of us could place. The chocolate was wham, bam, thank you maim with nothing hanging around after. Neither cupcake could hold a candle (is that a thing people say?) to the pineapple upside down cake. Again, perfectly moist, sticky, with big pineapple rings. This cake is what all fruit desserts should strive to be. I tried to eat only a little and save the rest for later but that didn't happen. I scarfed the entire thing right then and there. #NoRegrets. I didn't eat any of the frosting shot because Z-Bot was too busy wearing it on her face like a dessert badge of honor. She loved it.

The most amazing part of Erin McKenna's bakery? Everything is not only vegan, but gluten free. Normally I can tell when things are gluten free. Erin McKenna's did a great job masking it. I look forward to my next visit to Disney Springs just so I can eat these desserts again.

Lemon Shark Poke |  7600 Dr Phillips Blvd Suite 102, Orlando 

Lemon Shark Poke wasn't on the list of places I bookmarked before going to Orlando. It was more of a whim...sical move (clang!). We wound up here because after walking Disney Springs, J-Fur said she was hungry for sushi. I Yelped sushi and Lemon Shark Poke came up with a hot and new designation and a lot of really good reviews. It wasn't too terribly far away so we headed in that direction

Lemon Poke Shark can best be described as what happens when a sushi joint copulates with a choose-your-own-food-adventure restaurant like Chipotle. You start by picking a style. You can get a bowl, sort of like deconstructed sushi, or you can get a sushirito (sushi that is as big as a burrito). Next, you select a base. This can be won ton strips, white rice, brown rice, black rice, salad or a combination of any two. J-Fur combined brown rice and the won ton strips in her bowl. After that, you pick from various proteins. The only vegetarian friendly one offered is tofu. Finally, you fill the rest of the bowl with various pickled and fresh vegetables, sauces, seasonings and seeds. J-Fur's bowl was awesome. It was full of vegetables that tasted fresh, not like they had been sitting around a while and tasty tofu. The crunch of the won ton chips and the soft, chewiness of the rice offered a pleasing food dichotomy. She ate her bowl quickly and was very satisfied. If they story ended there, we would've left and thought man, Lemon Poke Shark was a fine place to eat. But it didn't end because J-Fur was so satisfied with her meal that she decided to take a sushirito to go. She wasn't quite as pleased with it because she didn't put any won ton strips in so they sushirito lacked the crunch that she so thoroughly enjoyed from the bowl. I thought the sushirito was really good. So good that I started researching Tampa sushirito places before I pulled out of the parking lot.

Z-Bot also ate at Lemon Poke Shark and this is my only complaint about the place. She is very picky and only wanted some rice, carrots and corn. The employees kept asking are we sure she doesn't want some type of protein. We said no because she doesn't eat meat and she isn't really a tofu fan. Unfortunately that left her bowl rather small and yet she was charged full price. I know the employees felt bad, that's why they kept asking if she wanted more. Maybe a way to do some rice and veggies a la carte for the picky eaters might be something to consider.

The District at Mills 50 | 1221 N Mills Ave, Orlando

After spending some time at My Little Town, an indoor play area that Z-Bot absolutely adored, J-Fur and I wanted to track down some kombucha on tap. We could've gone to Market on South, but I was still full from breakfast and I couldn't bear going there without eating. Most of the other places I bookmarked that had kombucha were already closed. That meant a visit to The District at Mills 50.

I bookmarked this place because it was a store that was full of various vegan items. When we arrived I was quite pleased to find they had a lot more vegan food items than I thought they would. I perused the coolers, checking out the various nutmylks, pizzas and drinks that they had for sale. I approached the bar and asked the barista about the tapped kombucha. He said it was a watermelon mint one. Unlike Market on South, which taps Humble Bumble kombucha, the District serves the Orlando City Kombucha brand. This was our first experience with Orlando City Kombucha. Both J-Fur and I were pleased that the watermelon mint was light and refreshing and not overburdened with mint (in fact, I wasn't even sure the mint was in there). Definitely a pleasing kombucha.

I didn't plan on eating anything but the giant peanut butter brownies on the bar looked fabulous so, I ate dessert. Again. After ordering the brownie, the extremely friendly barista asked if I wanted ice cream on it. Sure, it's vegan, why not? He then asked if I wanted homemade caramel on it. And that, my friends, is how my simple brownie became an elaborate dessert. But boy was I glad I did it. All three of those food components played off each other nicely. The ice cream, which has a coconut base, didn't even taste like coconut. The chocolate and peanut butter of the brownie were, well, a match made in vegan heaven. The caramel sauce was a great finishing touch.

Lazy Moon Pizza | 11551 University Blvd, Orlando 

Lazy Moon Pizza came about because Z-Bot said she wanted pizza. This place was extremely close to the District, so we rolled into the parking lot and pulled up the menu. J-Fur asked for the Asian tempeh salad with ginger dressing (pictured above). Z-Bot said she was super hungry so we ordered two slices for her. I almost got myself a slice because Lazy Moon offers vegan cheese but the brownie had down me in.

Boy, two slices was a mistake of gigantic proportions. These slices are not your typical Papa John sized slices. One slice was the size of Z-Bot's torso (I guess that is why their website says you have to eat their pizza slices with two hands). No wonder slices cost four dollars each. Needless to say Z-Bot could only finish one slice so J-Fur ate the other. That meant her salad went untouched. No worries, I ate it the next morning for breakfast.

Drunken Monkey | 444 N Bumby Ave, Orlando
Our final stop on the trip (only because the Humble Bumble taproom we visited afterwards wasn't open despite the sign that said it was open on Sundays) was Drunken Monkey coffee shop. This place offered numerous vegan coffees, pastries and sandwiches. It also has some non vegan and meat items as well. I wanted a flavored latte. I looked at the list of Drunken Monkey flavorings that they had right by the counter. This was quite an extensive list. Flavors like cherry, lavender, chocolate, etc. I would estimate there were about 25 plus different choices. I love that the coffee shop lists right on the flavoring card, which ones are better when paired with chocolate and which ones are vegan. That saved me from asking a ton of questions. I ordered a cherry and dark chocolate iced latte with hemp milk. Yep, you read that right, hemp milk. First coffee shop ever that had hemp milk as a dairy alternative.

Whoa. For those of you that love coffee, this is probably not the place for you. I couldn't even taste coffee beneath the cherry and chocolate flavorings. I do love a good coffee but even more than that, I love a good drink. This latte was a great drink! My only regret was that I had but one latte to give to my body. If I could've handled the caffeine, I would've gone down that latte list trying multiple flavors. I guess I know where I will be getting my coffee fix next time I am in Orlando.

That's it. That's our weekend in a vegan nutmylk shell.

Food Flavored Song of the Day: Caffeine on an Empty Stomach by Tattoo Money

Current Initiatives held their Christmas in July event at Hidden Springs Ale House last night. I took Z-Bot and a box of Legos, thinking it would be a good time to teach her about the importance of caring for other people. Once we were at the bar I decided I didn't want to be that lame guy that just downs water, so I looked for something non-alcoholic on tap. The only thing they had was Commune and Co.'s Nitro Brewed Coffee. Even though I had already had coffee in the morning and hadn't eaten much during the day, I ordered one anyway. I knew I was going to die. I texted as much to J-Fur. The drive home from the bar was one of the roughest I've had. I alternated between thinking I was going to puke and feeling like I was having a heart attack. When I did finally make it home, sleep was not in the cards. Weird dreams kept me up half the night, cold sweats kept me up the other half.

When I left the bed this morning my first thought was I know exactly what Tattoo Money means when he says "Caffeine on an Empty Stomach." Based on the video and the rest of the lyrics, I don't think Tattoo Money is talking about drinking too much coffee at the bar. The video depicts everyone's desire to put Tattoo Money in a box. He is an African-American that plays guitar and owns records by Avenged Sevenfold, Arctic Monkeys and Cold War Kids. The white guys in the video want to deck him out in gold chains, Jordans and have him shot baskets. The African-Americans in the video want him to choose between Elvis and Notorious B.I.G, the white girl pop star or the African-American one and take a swig of Hennessy. There is, however, a happy ending. The end of the video finds all the haters in a field where Tattoo Money starts putting on a show. To their surprise, both the white guys and African-American guys enjoy themselves.

The video:



Just the sounds:    

Vegan in Tampa: Brunch Collaboration Between Cafe Hey and The Blind Tiger

"The idea of brunch is like viagra for three piecers. Seriously. Next time you find yourself in a room full of them just yell out 'Brunch' and watch those slim zipper trousers rise to the occasion."
-Tender Branson (Fall 2015)

One of my New Year's resolutions was to stop quoting myself so much. I made it nine days before I felt compelled to restate something from my lip's past. As they say, Rome wasn't built in a day, otherwise it would've been full of tiny houses and gladiator midgets. Which brings me to brunch (nothing says brunch to me like gladiator midgets). I'm not much of a brunch guy. I don't get all teary-eyed at the thought of a plateful of fried vegetables, sweet carbs, tomato drinks and baby sandwiches. There are a couple of reasons for this. I'm not going to break them all down for you here, I'm just going to focus on the absolute number one reason I hate brunch. It isn't vegan friendly. It is chock full of eggs, milk, butter, heavy cream and meat. What's in that for me? Not a whole helluva a lot.

But, when the rules of the game change, I can pull off a quick shape shift like the best of them. That change came with the mid-December announcement that Cafe Hey and The Blind Tiger would be partnering for a one off (with possibility of more in the future) vegan brunch. All of a sudden, I was all about the brunch. I heard the word in my sleep, I saw it on every stop sign, I accidentally yelled it out once during intercourse and, yes, just hearing it made my slim zipper trousers rise. So naturally I dug deep into AR's pockets, gathered forty dollars, and set J-Fur and I up for a brunch date.

              Full Plate View

The menu for the brunch was cornmeal grits with mushroom gravy, huevos rancheros and a coffee drink of your choice from Blind Tiger's exquisite coffee bar. J-Fur and I added on a blue rose kombucha (which was paid for separately). I launched myself into the grits and gravy first. I usually avoid grits for the same reason I avoid brunch. People spend too much time dressing them up with milk and cheese and butter. Because of my limited experience I can't really compare these grits to the traditional southern staple served at Cracker Barrel. What I can say is this version was super creamy and smooth. The gravy was light and flavorful, about the opposite of what I've come to expect from vegan gravies. This dish left such a mark on my heart of tastes that I immediately began planning a homemade version. 

Just the Huevos Rancheros (done in a Mephiskapheles voice)

Just like grits, my huevos rancheros history is spotty at best. I think there was this one time, after a swim in the ocean, that I found a styrofoam container full of them lying on the beach that I subsequently ate. The next day I became vegan and the rest, as they say, is history. The Cafe Hey version consisted of two corn tortillas chock full of scrambled tofu, black beans, salsa and covered with a white sauce. It was topped by cilantro (the horror!). Part of the way through, the Cafe Hey chef came around and dropped some avocado on top because he "forgot" to put it in originally. These were superb. I loved the way that all the flavors seemed to melt into one single slightly spicy, slightly salty, avocado-y texture mash. I found the creamy sauce and cilantro most interesting because neither seemed to be out of place. I could barely taste the cilantro, which I can always taste no matter how well it is hidden because I hate it so, and the creamy sauce seemed to serve more as a change of texture than any type of flavoring. This wasn't exactly the case as, when it drizzled onto my plate away from the other ingredients, I tasted it alone and realized it had a distinct flavor. My compliments to the chef who did a fabulous job of melding it with the rest of the ingredients.

             The Rose Kombucha

Just like with most brunches, the price tag of twenty dollars a person is more than I normally spend per person going out. I figure that has something to do with the National Brunch Associations tax of five dollars per usage of the word brunch. Despite the price, I didn't leave the brunch feeling that I didn't get my money's worth. It seemed right in line with other slightly more upscale brunches. I hope this isn't just a one and done deal. I'd love to see this collaboration happen a couple times a year since this meal, along with the monthly vegan one at Trang Viet, was one of the few occasions that being vegan in Tampa wasn't a complete pain in the ass.

Like brunches, The Henry Millers are a band that is really up and down. I get up when "Posies" or "Hop" comes across my speakers and anything else, well, I haven't been super into. The band's newest single "Ready" is one of those tracks that is on the up and up. My love of it comes from it's upbeat attack and sing-a-longy duo delivery. I also can't help but be charmed by the "Heys" that riddle the background throughout. Probably because it pays homage to Edward Sharpe's "Home," one of my all time favorite songs. "Ready" comes from the band's Castle EP.

Where We Eat: The Blind Tiger Cafe

My first coffee experience is something I will never forget. I was sixteen, smack dab in the middle of a trans-Atlantic flight from Washington, DC to Amsterdam, when a waitress approached me and asked if I wanted anything to drink. Following in the footsteps of some guy I saw in a movie, I asked her for a cup of coffee, black. She brought it out in a little styrofoam cup, thick enough to protect me from the scalding liquid but not so much so that I couldn't feel some of the warmth radiating from it. I took a sip. My immediate reactions were who are the people that drink this stuff regularly and why do they hate themselves so much to repeatedly participate in such a disgusting ritual. I snuck off to the bathroom and dumped the remainder of my drink down the drain.

Eighteen years later, after countless sessions of therapy and sugared coffee cups, I finally got myself to a place where I could give black coffee another go. This time, however, there would be no cheap styrofoam cups provided by some business that specializes in something other than coffee. If I was going to do it, I was going to do it right. I was going to do it Blind Tiger style.

The Blind Tiger Cafe, at the time, had one location right in the heart of Ybor City. The inside of the cafe, thanks to its largely brick and wood design, felt like something industrial and working class. It was lightyears away from the fake fireplaces and sanitized seating that make up a lot of the corporate coffee places I've visited. One of the services that the Blind Tiger provides is a class about coffee making. This class shares some of the different methods that the Blind Tigers uses to make their cups of coffee. These include the Chemex, the Melitta-Pour Over, the aeropress and the vacuum method. Each method is explained and then modeled. After modeling, samples are handed out for discussion and comparison. There was no sugar, cream or milk. It was just you, your tastebuds and a black sample of coffee. To my surprise, not only did these samples not suck (I know this because I wasn't actively seeking out some bathroom to dump them in) but I actually enjoyed them. There was a depth to coffee that I had never experienced before. These different methods brought that depth out. In only one sitting, eighteen years of tortured memories, therapy and sugared coffee cups all withered up and died.

Demonstrating the vacuum method at The Blind Tiger's Coffee Class

               They call this black?

I actually began driving to Ybor just to drink coffee. While I enjoyed the black stuff that the class had to offer, when it came down to it I couldn't completely kick my coffee sweet tooth so I began drinking regular cups of their Cafe Mocha with almond milk (they also offer soy). The drink is a latte with house-made sauce. The Blind Tiger's emphasis on selecting the best coffee and pairing it with a sauce made from scratch that is free of high fructose corn syrup becomes apparent after the very first sip. This drink is sweet but not synthetic sweet. Typically I paired the Cafe Mocha, with a plain bagel that my daughter and I would share. The bagels, unlike the pies, cookies and banana/pumpkin bread, are not made in house. They are brought in from Brandon Bagels. But just like the breads and cookies, the bagels are vegan.

        Cafe Mocha with almond milk

                   Plain Bagel

A few weeks ago, the Blind Tiger Cafe opened a second location in Seminole Heights. I paid my first (and second) visits this past week and I was shocked to find that while the name is the same, there are some stark differences between the two versions. For one, the new location doesn't have the same industrialized allure to it. I would describe it as the younger brother who leaves the blue collar family in search of a college degree and a slightly higher paying job. That probably has a lot to do with the fact that it shares a space with Christopher Wayne Home, a business that specializes in custom furniture, accessories, lighting, draperies and made-to-order linens. If the place didn't feel homely and warm, Christopher Wayne Home isn't doing their job. The bigger and more notable difference was the menu. This version of the Blind Tiger Cafe doesn't offer the specialty drinks that are available in the Ybor location (Update: According to Roberto, one of the owners, as of November 20th they do have capabilities to make specialty drinks at the new location). The Seminole Heights menu contains two black, two green and two herbal teas (courtesy of TeBella Tea Company), six types of coffee and local Kombucha on tap.

When I realized my drink wasn't on the menu, I freaked out a bit. I was in no shape to make a decision between the Chemex or French Press Method. So I channeled sixteen year old me and decided to get what I saw someone else drinking. The couple in front of me ordered a drink from a tap that looked very light and creamy. It looked like a coffee that had already been infused by milk. When I asked the barista about it, she ensured me that it wasn't milk, just coffee on nitrogen. I went with it. Whoa! The nitro-brew had a nice coffee taste to it. It wasn't bitter. It was more sweeter and less acidic than other coffees. The nitro-brew went down super smooth and super fast. The sweet tooth in me asked for a little simple syrup. That wasn't enough so I ordered a vegan chocolate chip cookie. Drink a sip of nitro-press, take a bite of cookie. Repeat until both are finished. By pairing the cookie and nitro-press, I basically created my own nitro-press cafe mocha. It was so good, I returned a second time to do it again. I tried a third time, today, but didn't make it before closing (they are only open until 4:00 on weekdays).

The Blind Tiger has created a coffee drinker where once there wasn't one. The fact that they are one of the few businesses in the Bay area that know how to pull off vegan desserts just adds to their allure and my willingness to spend my cash there. They are by no means cheap. But as their owner Roberto points out on Yelp, their prices are aligned more with specialty craft roasters not with the corporate chain coffee businesses. If the product is worth it, I'm ok with paying craft roasting prices. I am of the opinion that it is.

By the way, if you are a vegan in the Bay area I just got word that the Blind Tiger and Cafe Hey will actually be pairing up for a brunch on December 13th. The cost is 20 dollars and it is limited to 20 people. You can sign up here if you are interested in going.

Find the Blind Tiger on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram.



A trip to Blind Tiger pairs nicely with the music of Jacob Faurholt. His electro-tinged "Future Wife" is both catchy and memorable:

Food Pairing 101: What Goes Well With Little Wolves' New Single?

At the root of it "Alone" by Little Wolves is a song that captures the mixed bag of emotions that come with a breakup. On one hand, there is this feeling that you will never find love again, that you are inadequate and destined to remain cold and alone forever. At the same time, you realize that this sounds like the absolute worst hand that the world has ever dealt you. The quick fix is calls to you, suggesting that you just do what ever it takes to make things right and bring that lover back home. Even if the relationship wasn't good or the rocky ending isn't something that can be easily undone, there is still a desire to try. No one hates losing. No one likes the end.

You're probably thinking, why would I want to listen to a song that conjures up some of the worst experiences I've ever gone through? Why not just avoid the losing and ending if that is an option? Mainly because Little Wolves approach is to lose, end and hit those painful nerves with a magical smile on their face. "Alone" is cheery, its airy. Turn down the lyrics and you'd probably find yourself gliding through your day oblivious to the pain and torture happening around you. Musically, "Alone" is a great escape. And that is the brilliance of it. Escape with the pain. Emote while avoiding. It isn't often that a band is able to adequately capture the soaring and the ending in one three minute span of time. Little Wolves accomplished just this.

So what does one pair with a joint joyful and painful reminder? How about this Espresso Chocolate Hazelnut Cake Frosting by Unconventional Baker. The spread is like a vegan version of Nutella with a coffee twist. It pays homage to comfort foods like cake frosting and chocolate which pair nicely with a break-up. This is the emote part. The espresso, meanwhile, relates to those soaring and joyful moments that allow you to block out everything but what is right in front of you. This is the avoidance.