18 Hours in Orlando

18 hours in Orlando.  By no means a foodcentric voyage and yet I managed to eat a stupid amount of tacos and some kickass BBQ.

The purpose of this baby road trip was to head to House of Blues and see the sold out Imagine Dragons concert with Atlas Genius and Nico Vega opening up.  My friend went out of town so I was lucky enough to borrow his wife for the evening.  Best. Copilot. Ever.

I scooped her up and we were off to enjoy the traffic nightmare that is I-4 at 5:30pm on a Friday.  We missed the window to "Pass the Line" at House of Blues (which is an awesome feature that I fully recommend if you have the time; buy an entree/sandwich and pass the whole crazy line) so it was out to the streets of Downtown Disney to find a quick bite.  We made it about 100 feet before spotting a food truck.  No need to look any further.  Last thing I expected to come across but I'm extremely happy we did.


Behold Truckeria:

Fast, reasonably priced and tasty. You've a plethora of options in Downtown Disney but this place is worth a shot if you don't have time for a sit down meal. The guys in the truck were super friendly and happy to chat. Exclusively at DD, hopefully they roll out the tacos to other spots. 

Chipotle Pork with Tomato Salsa and Cilantro Cream and Mahi Mahi with Slaw and Pickled Peppers.  The proteins were juicy and flavorful, especially and surprisingly the Mahi.  I ate mayo without complaining and the pickled peppers provided just the right amount of heat and texture.

Concert.  Epic.  Mind blown.  I have a thing for drums and holy crap there were so many drums on that stage, at one point four band members including the lead singer were pounding away and I was thinking very dirty things.

Checked into the hotel. I named my price on Priceline and got a sweet room for half off.  My money needs to go towards food and drink, people, not overpriced hotel rooms.  We ventured to downtown to meet up with one of my favorite chicks who was randomly in town.  After some truly bizarre time spent at Barbq Bar and Eye Spy we went to get grub at Gringos Locos because what else are you to do at 2:30 in the morning but go wait in line for what seems forever with drunks, hipsters and a delightful variety of party people for tacos.  That said, TOTALLY worth it.  I did not take pictures.  I DID get a variety of tacos and a beef empanada.  I got beef (too sweet for my taste), pork (always reliable) and chicken (the best of the bunch which shocked me; packed with flavor).  The homemade empanadas were obviously so.  Crazy crispy and like none I've ever had but I regret getting the beef because again, too sweet for my liking.

Why is Crystal the best copilot ever, you ask?  Because this is the second time I've taken her to a concert and both times she's fed me chips and queso while I drive. Also, she knows Orlando quite well so no need for navigation.  And to top it all off, she's hilarious.

Sleep.  Wake.  Off for BBQ at 4 Rivers Smokehouse.  I had it on good authority from Todd at Tasting Tampa that this was the best BBQ in FL and it was confirmed by my copilot so I found myself for the second time in less than twelve hours standing in a lengthy line for food.  Annnnnd again, totally worth it.  Beyond worth it.  Most of you have already seen the pic on my FB page but here it is again in all its unpretentious glory.  I feel your envy deep in my soul and it's justified.

Sweet Tea, Collards, Smokehouse Sliders o' Pulled Chicken, Burnt Ends and Angus Brisket, Smoked Jalapenos Wrapped in Bacon and the aptly named Chocolate Awesomeness.






I don't think I need to say much.  Crys ordered a half rack of St. Louis Style Ribs, Mac &Cheese and Texas Cornbread and got The Itis in under ten minutes.  That's gotta be some sort of a record.  Go here, wait it out and eat your freaking face off.  Just make sure you aren't too far away from somewhere you can lie down and head to Nap City.  The ambiance is ideal, the staff seem truly happy to be there (wouldn't you be?) and they've thought of everything. From wash basins out in the open made from barrels to a bevy of To Go supplies, this joint has you covered. I'll be back for sure.  There's simply too much to savor on the menu.

We made the voyage back home in a car that smelled of BBQ heaven. I brought home leftovers because being Itis'd out is no way to drive, y'all.  Safety first!

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Bacon Wednesday Happy Hour. Need I say more?

No, I don't need to say more but I will anyway.  And you'll be glad I did.

After a lovely evening enjoying Brews & Bites at The Sail Pavilion on the Riverwalk my libation loving friends, Crystal and John T. Fox, and I were looking for liquid delight.

Sidebar: Keep'n It Reel food truck is freaking awesome.  I had grouper sliders and hand cut fries.  The grouper was fresh, delicate with a nicely seasoned crispy crust and the fries were addictive.  The sliders were offered with three sauce options but I went au naturale and squeezed a dash of Sriracha on top.  I'm in love with this truck.

But back to my purpose for writing this post.  Due to Crystal's brilliant researching skills and some very positive online comments we decided to check out Domani Bistro Lounge in Seminole Heights.  Only open for about six months this place had a really nice vibe to it.  Spacious, tasteful decor, warm and inviting, this joint is going to blow up.

We grabbed seats and began drooling over the menu options. Sadly, we arrived too late to dine but I am extremely excited and anxious to make a return visit.  We were greeted by a very friendly and enthusiastic bartender (who come to find out after some Facebook stalking this morning is actually Owner / Proprieter Brian Bosco).  It was his 30th birthday and our timing was lucky enough that we got to sing Happy Birthday to him.  Passionate and funny, you can tell this guy loves what he does.

The drink menu is diverse and playful and the same could be said of the food menu. We ordered up and I couldn't help but ask about the infusions and magical elixirs noted at the bottom of the cocktail menu.  Brian started rattling off an impressive list, much longer than we were expecting.  He brought me a sample of the pineapple vodka, which is crazy dangerous being that it's so smooth, tastes exactly like pineapple juice and is still 80 proof.  I also got to try the mango jalapeno vodka which only has three jalapenos per quart (I saw the proof) but has a hell of a kick.  Spicy without being obnoxious, it had the fresh jalapeno flavor I crave. I would love to cook with it.  Something light and shrimpy.

I'm going to wrap this up because I plan to revisit ASAP and post a full recap but in the meantime check out their website and Facebook page.  You'll note why I titled this post Bacon Wednesday Happy Hour...because Domani has a BACON WEDNESDAY HAPPY HOUR.  Most recently featuring a Spicy Caramel Bacon. You now know where to find me on Wednesday afternoons...

Below are shots of our drinks.  I had a Moscow Mule served in a copper mug which made me deliriously happy.  My pal, Crys, had a steaming mug of awesome made with salted caramel whiskey and had a cinnamon stick resting inside.  John, quite the mixologist himself, was in heaven with his favorite gin.  Good times, great conversation and excellent company.

To be continued...