Island Fin Poke

I stopped in the other day to try this new place in our neighborhood.  The concept is much like the build-your-own salad or sandwich places, but with poke--most have tried it by now but if you haven't, think sushi in a bowl.  The base is warm rice, which I liked a lot.  I won't bore you with the laundry list of ingredients, but I'll mention the standouts--delicious tuna and salmon, plenty of veggies, and very tasty nori (dried, salty seaweed).  I had mine with OG and Thai chili sauces.  The combination worked well, it tasted great and I finished it off pretty quickly.  If you are not confident about your ability to combine flavors (I think I got lucky, though the staff is helpful) you can ask for one of the pre-built bowls.

They have some interesting sides to go with those bowls.  I had a Stubborn soda (cola), it's a nice take on a cola and pure cane sugar so it is not as cloyingly sweet.  Also got some Dole Whip for the family, which was quite marvelous but beware--the cups are huge!  If you're not up for a 16 oz. froyo you can share it.  I did not know about the story behind Dole Whip--it's very rare outside the Magic Kingdom (some sites claim it is only available there), but Disney recently put their recipe online.  In any case, now you can pretend you went to Disney World this year if you close your eyes.  And they have their liquor license if you are up for an adult beverage with your meal.

A special shout-out for the service.  The staff are obviously well coached on being polite and helpful, and did a great job while I was there.  The owner recruits locally so you stand a fair chance of recognizing your server if you live in the area.  

The service is quick but it's not cheap fast food--you pay a price for fresh ingredients like this.  They have family prices that help.  And I felt like I got full value since I enjoyed my meal so much.

The business is taking a very proactive approach on safety.  All staff are wearing masks, and they advertise a special air filtration system intended to make it safer to eat in the dining area.  If you want to eat outside they have tables.  Poke also travels quite well, it's a fine takeout meal.  Absolutely worth a visit, whether you love poke or just want to try it.

My Yelp Review

Shipley Donuts on Gosling

I stopped in the other morning to pick up an early breakfast for the family.  One thing I like about Shipley's is that they open early--5am.  That's a little too early for their fresh donuts, but they still had a decent selection on hand.  I got some nice heart shaped donuts, a cinnamon donut and a plain fried donut.  They are all plenty good.  Shipley's doesn't go in for breakfast sandwiches like some donut shops, but they do have good kolaches.  I got some sausage kolaches, one of them a "bold".  That one had a nice heat, and all of them were very good.  The coffee was hot and ready.  The service stands out--staff was very polite and helpful.  Nice to have them nearby.

My Yelp Review

Parrillada Vagabunda Update

The first time I reviewed this truck, they did not have their full menu in place.  I came back the other night to give them another try.  This time I had a cachapa--a sweet corn cake filled with their parrillada beef and Venezuelan cheese.  It's a good combination--the corn cake is quite sweet, but both the meat and the cheese are savory, balancing it out.  The beef was perfectly cooked and tasted excellent.  The Venezuelan cheese is pretty much like mozzarella.

This truck also carries Tetis La Maracucha (on the Facebook page--the truck spells it "Maracuchita") ice cream, so I tried some of that for dessert.  This is an ice cream mix frozen in plastic wrap in a top shape.  The way you are supposed to eat it, according to the server, is to clip the top off and squeeze it through the opening.  Unfortunately they didn't give me anything to open it with.  But they did give me a bowl and spoon.

Clipping the top might work on a hot day, but it was not that warm that evening.  I bit part of the top off but it was frozen very hard and didn't squeeze through.  Tried to take the wrap off, but it was frozen into the folds at the top.  The ice cream was a "Jazz" flavor, a strawberry and chocolate combination, which was not bad but the eating experience was not good.  Cute idea but it doesn't work for me.

So overall I would not change my rating, though I still recommend them for some very good entrees.

My Yelp Review