Notes from Berlin: Spargel and a Fat Landlady

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Published on Friday, 24 May 2013 12:11

Written by Scott Joseph

On Saturdays in Berlin, the Winterfeldt Markt is the place to go. You’ll find fresh produce, cheeses, barrels full of olives, smoked trout, herring sandwiches, and, if you prefer, dry goods, such as scarves or socks. Even if you’re not in the market for anything in particular, the markt is a fun place to stroll.

When I visited earlier this month, I was met with stand after stand with massive displays of white asparagus -- spargel -- so big and thick that it looked like stacked cordwood. It turned out that it was the height of spargelzeit -- asparagus season. I was disappointed that I was staying in a hotel and wouldn’t be able to take some back to a kitchen to prepare.

But I wasn’t disappointed for long. As we strolled back to the hotel, we began noticing that all of the restaurants along the way were featuring special spargel menus to showcase the popular vegetable.

And that evening, at our dining destination, Dicke Wirtin, near Savignyplatz, our server proudly presented her restaurant’s spargel offerings. How could we not?

Dicke Wirtin means fat landlady, and the restaurant’s logo features a cartoon of said lady, in flower-print house dress with a cigarette dangling from her pursed lips. The restaurant itself is well kitsched, too, a parlor decor with too many knickknacks on shelves along the red papered walls. We were on our guard that perhaps we’d been suckered into a tourist trap. But it seemed as though we were the only non-German speaking guests (not that there couldn’t be German tourists to trap). And the food turned out to quite good.

Hawkers to Open in Jacksonville

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Published on Thursday, 23 May 2013 17:12

Written by Scott Joseph

EXCLUSIVE -- Hawkers, the Mills 50 restaurant that features Asian style “street food,” is expanding to Jacksonville. The second location for the brand will be in Jacksonville’s Riverside neighborhood at 1001 Park St. in Five Points. The owners are aiming for an October opening.

Hawkers, named for the vendors who call out their offerings on the streets of many Asian cities, attained popular acclaim for its tapas-like servings that are conducive to sharing. Along with the pan-Asian dishes, Hawkers offers a craft beer selection of over 100 microbrews.

Kaleb Harrell, one of the partners in the restaurant, says that the menu will be revamped for both locations, but will remain basically the same. The beer list at each location will offer local brews unique to the city.

Harrell said there are early-stage plans for a third location, which the owners hope will be Tampa. “What we want to do is stick to the hip, eclectic districts,” he said. “We just love the Mills 50 vibe.” 

The Jacksonville restaurant will take over a space previously occupied by an Asian restaurant that will undergo a complete renovation. Harrell said the new restaurant will emphasize an open air, indoor/outdoor feel. 

Hawkers, at 1103 N. Mills Ave, Orlando, opened in 2011.

Iza Tapas Bar

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Published on Thursday, 23 May 2013 10:38

Written by Scott Joseph

That little space on Washington Street in Thornton Park, the one-time house turned into a cafe, is often overlooked. That seemed to be the case with Aroma, a coffee shop that served some decent Italian food. I hope it won’t be the case with the new occupant, Iza Tapas Bar.

Bookended by WildSide Bar and Grille and Dexter’s and Graffiti Junktion on the other, Iza is a serene oasis amid its more raucous neighbors. And judging from what I tasted on a visit there earlier this month, the food is pretty darned good, too.

I loved the lamb sliders, gamey-flavored ground sheep served in soft, doughy naan bread with a tangy chimichurri and crumbles of feta cheese. 

I also liked the contradictorily named open-faced Cuban sliders. Instead of the pressed Cuban sandwiches you might be more familiar with, these devices took the traditional ingredients -- smoked pork, ham, swiss cheese plus requisite yellow mustard and pickle slice -- and placed them atop a platform of artisan bread. Served unpressed, of course, because without that top slice of bread you can really muck up your sandwich press. All very tasty.

I wasn’t as taken with the mango shrimp ceviche simply because it had all been so chopped up that I couldn’t tell where the mango ended and the shrimp began. Good citrusy flavor? Indeed. But it served better as a dip for the plantain chips that accompanied it. That may have been the intention of the chef, too, but I expect something I can fork up and identify when I order a ceviche.

Despite the tapas classification, the portions were ample, making even the $12 lamb sliders, the highest priced item on the menu, a bargain.

Iza’s inside space still has a homeyness to it, at least in appearance. Most of the indoor seating is at high-top tables. I think I prefer the outdoor area. The terraced patio provides a charming space to sit quietly and sip Iza’s signature sangria and watch the passersby as they stroll. 

Iza Tapas Bar is at 712 E. Washington St., Orlando. It is open for lunch on Saturday and Sunday and dinner Tuesday through Sunday. Here is a link to the Iza Tapas Bar website, which oddly enough does not include the business’s phone number. It is 407-999-0199.

Pho Hoang Minh

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Published on Wednesday, 22 May 2013 11:33

Written by Scott Joseph

Oviedo has another Vietnamese restaurant, Pho Hoang Minh, and it has become quite popular since its September opening. So popular, in fact, that it has a hard time dealing with the crowds. At least that was the case when I stopped in for lunch earlier this month.

The small restaurant, located in a strip mall on Alafaya Trail north of UCF, was bustling with a late lunch crowd, and the dining room staff -- which appeared to consist of two young men -- had difficulty serving food, ringing checks, and turning the tables. I stood and waited a fairly long time for one of the vacated tables to be readied. I would have left to go somewhere else, but I had already walked out of another nearby restaurant  because it was so crowded (I’ll tell you about that one another time -- apparently it’s worth revisiting).