campaign to bring anthony bourdain to orlando: a plea

look, i get it. when most people think "orlando", they think of big mouse ears, big-box chain restaurants, big populations of old people, and big dummies like casey anthony. but it's so much more! i'm talking to you, anthony bourdain.

you might have to look a little bit harder for it than in places like, say, new york or san fran, but o-town has a culture all its own that extends beyond boy bands and theme parks. among the hidden gems:

-a burgeoning food truck scene: peddling everything from chicken and waffles to sushi to gator tail and swedish fare, orlando's food trucks are delicious and varied. weekly "food truck bazaars" bring them all together like one big, happy, gas-powered family.

-great dive bars: will's pub, eye spy, bar-b-q bar, underground bluz. to name a few. plenty of places around town to kick back with a few brews and get weird. can't you just see A.B. hanging out at the lodge among the moose heads?

-MEAT: from the freakin' awesome barbeque at four rivers to the perfect roast beef sandwiches and creepy clown decor at beefy king, there are no shortage of places to enjoy some mouth-watering meaty goodness. rumor has it that the cheesesteak at laspada's is better than pat's in philly, tony...

my point? i'm spreading the word about a great campaign to bring anthony bourdain to orlando. the man's been all over the country and world, but has skillfully evaded pretty much everywhere in florida besides miami. join the revolution, "like" the page, and help us get tony down here, will ya?! mickey and i thank you.

beef + food trucks = awesome.

since i haven't started school quite yet, i've been in this weird limbo of trying to explore orlando and sitting by the pool and drinking a glass of riesling on my balcony e'rry night, which has been kind of odd because i feel like one of the retirees that everyone up north thinks i'm surrounded by down here (couldn't be falser, btdubs). but anyways, i've uncovered a couple food-related gems here in the past week...come on, don't even act like you're surprised. so, without further ado:

beefy king

desperate to find a replacement for my beloved beef slingers up north (that sounded dirtier than intended), i took a little spin over to the place that locals here in orlando have adored since the 70s. despite the creepy clown decor inside, i kept meat on my mind as i approached the counter. the young man who took my order clearly knew that i was a newbie when i ordered my sandwich with sauce: "oh, there's barbecue sauce over there with the condiments." rookie mistake. nonetheless, a steamed beef sandwich with cheese, pickles, and onions appeared before me as if by magic, and it was quite delightful though not AMAZING. and in true friendly orlando fashion, a random old man came up to ask me if i played keyboard because i had a keyboard on my shirt. i informed him that i did not, and he responded: "why you wearin' that, then?" touche', sir. anyways, i still have a hard time letting go of my old haunts, but i think i can definitely warm up to the BK.

the daily city food truck bazaar

i can get behind any city that holds large gatherings of food trucks. this one, up the road from me in oviedo, was dampened only slightly by the downpour that happened right as the event was starting (picture of the aftermath above)...however, it was still a great time. i was tempted by many trucks, including the one you see below. GATOR! but due to long lines and the fact that i immediately fell in love upon spotting the treehouse truck's "pbj" - a deep-fried peanut butter, banana, nutella and strawberry jam sandwich - it was all over.

quite honestly one of the best things i've ever consumed, and also one of the only things i've ever felt GUILTY about eating...now that's saying somethin'. now, after that little teaser, i'll give y'all what you really want: the foodporn. freaks.

no. words. except "praise tha lord that i worked out earlier."