Cool Beans and More, New Smyrna Beach, FL

Finding a hidden courtyard rewards with great coffee

One of the inestimable pleasures of a vacation day is that you can take your time to do things that might otherwise be rushed on a work day.  We had spent a good part of the morning and part of the afternoon taking our time to walk the boardwalk at Smyrna Dunes Park, then availing ourselves of the free street parking in New Smyrna Beach to walk along the beach to Toni and Joe’s Patio where we lingered over a late lunch. 

Now it was time to loiter over an espresso.

Toni and Joe’s do not have an espresso machine.  Our waitress recommended Nichols Surf Café on Flagler Avenue but when we got there the hand written sign on the door said closed at 2 pm.  Must be a winter thing.  An enquiry of Google said the only other place in New Smyrna Beach with espresso was across the causeway and we knew that once we got in the car we would just keep on driving back to our hotel in Altamonte Springs.  So, rather downcast, we made our way west on Flagler Avenue towards the car.

We hadn’t gone 50 yards when we saw a three 12 feet tall vertical flags – one of which shouted “espresso” - lining a pathway that led around and behind Nejma’s Boutique.  Intrepid explorers that we are, we followed the path to a delightfully secluded sunny courtyard and the Cool Beans and More Italian Ice and Coffee Company.

Needless to say the espresso and a caramel latte were excellent.  We briefly eyed the selection of ice cream available but decided to stick with the coffee.  The sunny patio was a delightful place to sit and talk and dally over our coffee.  It was the perfect cap to a delightful day in New Smyrna Beach.

The Olive Garden, Altamonte Springs, FL

Predictability is a virtue

After five hours sitting in the hot sun and being rehydrated by Busch beer while watching a rather boring Daytona 500 that was only enlivened at the end by the photo finish; we were ready for the predictability in taste, service and price that comes at the better casual restaurants.  A quick search on Trip Advisor found the Olive Garden restaurant close to our hotel in Altamonte Springs.  An Olive Garden close to Orlando should be on top of its game since the Olive Garden parent company head office – Darden Restaurants - is a few miles away in Orlando, FL.

We were not disappointed.  Luckily a table was available promptly and Naome, our delightful waitress took our orders for drinks.  One slight disappointment was that no Florida draft beers were available so I opted for Yuengling, which at least used to be a craft beer in the not too distant past, and they do have a brewery in Frorida.  We chose the Stuffed Mushrooms as an appetizer to share.  These are baked with clams and several cheeses and are delicious.  Our breadsticks were delivered at the same time and the combination was delightful.

For a main course my wife ordered the Ravioli di Portobello.  This is ravioli filled with Portobello mushrooms and topped with a creamy cheese and sun-dried tomato sauce.  I ordered the Cucina Miai, a concept where you choose a pasta – I tried Wheat Linguine – then add a sauce – mine was five cheese marinara – finally finish with a topping – I couldn’t resist the Italian sausage.

While we waited for the main course to be prepared we enjoyed the mixed salad with lots of added Parmesan cheese, that is part of every meal at Olive Garden.

Our food was tasty and filling, we enjoyed the meal a lot. I enjoyed a glass of Robert Mondavi Cabernet with my pasta and the bill, including tip was $64 for the two of us.  We paid our bill using the Tablet that is on every table and received a copy of the bill by email.  The tablet is about the size of an iPad and can be used to order desert and drinks.  There are other functions including games for the kids which we didn’t explore.

Panera Bread, Café 3351, Valrico, FL

Clean, Efficient and Wholesome

I believe there are over 1,900 Panera bakery cafes across the USA.  I’ve been to several of them at lunchtime or dinnertime and one of the things I like is that I know I’ll get a nice sandwich and a hot bowl of soup – always piping hot - for a reasonable price. Other benefits from my point of view are that the restaurants are always clean even during the rush periods, empty tables are kept clear and wiped, floors are swept, the restrooms are clean and well equipped and they have free WiFi for customers.

We were three on this occasion and we all chose a different “You Pick 2” where you combine a cup of soup and a baguette with a half portion of a sandwich. 

My Mother-in-Law chose a cup of Clam Chowder which she enjoyed a lot, with a half Roasted Turkey and Caramelized Kale Panini, served on Black Pepper Focaccia bread – which looks like a rectangular English Muffin.  MiL enjoyed the sandwich but thought the half portion was quite small, so she made up for it by eating both her and my wife’s Baguette with her soup. Cost $9.35 for soup and sandwich.

My wife chose the cup of Creamy Tomato Soup and combined it with a Napa Almond Chicken Salad Sandwich served on Sesame Semolina Miche – which looks like a chewy slice of white bread with sesame seeds on the crust. My wife enjoyed the sandwich, the size was half as big again as the Roasted Turkey sandwich. Cost $8.55 for soup and sandwich.

I chose the cup of Broccoli-Cheddar soup along with half of a Bacon Turkey Bravo Sandwich served on Tomato Basil bread heated in the Panini press.  The bread looks like a slice of wheat bread with tiny specks of tomato embedded.  Another reason I like coming to Panera is that I can substitute the baguette served with the soup for Panera’s brand of kettle cooked chips, which are as delicious as Kettle or Cape Cod branded chips.  Cost $8.65 for soup and sandwich.

Given the care that Panera takes with everything else, I’m sure that each bread is chosen to compliment the sandwich ingredients and now that I’ve been to a few Panera’s I’m learning what breads I like and those that I don’t.  This dictates the filling I have in my sandwich.  I just wish they would serve the Steak and Arugula Sandwich or the Steak and White Cheddar Panini on Whole Grain or Rye bread.