The Wandering Gator

         Ten o’clock is a wonderful time of night. Anything difficult has theoretically been handled.  If not, it’s not worth dealing with until morning. Ten is when it becomes truly okay to do what you want. If you want to go to the gym, throw on some sneakers and book it over. If you are planning upon going out, blast some awful Top 40 music and get yourself together. If you just want to sit around and watch television, go on ahead and cuddle up with a warm blanket. It’s not like you’re going to get anything else done anyway.

            Yesterday, for the first time in my life, 10 p.m. became a problem. At about 9:25, my roommates and I were sitting in our living room, typing away on our laptops, feigning productivity. Regina Spektor softly filled the room, singing about love and radios and other indie concerns. Then, a strange sound broke the mood: my stomach growled. Suddenly, all we could discuss is how no one had eaten dinner.

            Of course, predictably, we had no idea where to go. The four of us wandered from room to room for 35 minutes, adjusting décor, making phone calls, doing anything but make a decision. Out of nowhere, we decided to go to a brand-new restaurant in Midtown: Munchies 420 Café, 1702 W. University Ave.

            I had been there once before, the day after it opened. However, it was a game day. We had just beaten Tennessee. The town was nothing like it normally is. The menu was following suit.

            So, yesterday was my first time getting the full experience. I promise you, experience is the right word.

            The menu is overwhelming. Really, incredibly, wonderfully overwhelming. They know their audience. The offerings are absurd, ranging from fried cheesecake bites to peanut butter burgers. There is an entire section of the menu I cannot even begin to fathom titled “Fat Sandwiches.” These sandwiches offer different combinations of everything they have on their menu. Want some cheeseburgers, man-n-cheese, chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks and onion rings? No problem. More in a breakfast mood? That’s perfect. They’ll just take eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, cheese and tomatoes and put it on some bread for you. For $10, your stomach might literally explode but whatever, it’s a college town. Do it.

            We are less adventurous folk. The girls ordered sandwiches and wings, all of which were over sized. My choice, after way too much time spent throwing an impromptu dance party while perusing the menu, was a Philly Cheesesteak Quesadilla. It might have changed my life a little. The thing was massive, stuffed with steak, peppers, onions and cheese. So much cheese. Apparently there’s also something called Tiger Horseradish sauce involved. I’m not quite sure what that entails but I approve. For $7, I was a happy kid, struggling to dip the monster in sour cream and salsa. Completely exorbitant, but my fork and I got it handled.

            My roommates and I stumbled out onto University, disgusted with ourselves. We blamed out over-stuffed bellies on our failure to eat dinner at a normal hour, cursing the gods for creating such an accommodating establishment. After all, what ravenous college kid can resist a restaurant open from 4:20 p.m. to 4:20 a.m.? More importantly, who would want to?

           Our whining made it to the crosswalk. Then, the plans for our next visit began.

I will post something new soon, I swear. Reporting is taking over my life. I’ll get there! Promise. Since I know y’all are desperately awaiting my next post. Right? Right.

I have returned to Gainesvegas for my second year! WOOOOO! Right now, I am revisiting old favorites, but I am so excited to relaunch my quest in the very near future. Get excited. :D

        After my crazy, unexpected, eventful freshman year, I threw my life into far too many boxes for Pamela the Prius to carry and returned home. I am safely back in the 561, consumed with revisiting the places that make home what it is. As such, my lovely blog shall be taking a little hiatus. Maybe I’ll come back and throw up possible future places to visit. Maybe I’ll share some restaurants from here I like. Maybe some as of yet undecided vacation will pop up and I’ll have some places to talk about from there. We’ll just see how it goes.

       In any case, I’ll be back in Gville eventually. Until then, I’ll just be here. Wandering.

      P.S. In the meantime, check out my other blog: http://possessa.tumblr.com/. I’ve been pretty bad about keeping it updated, but I’m for sure going to actually try. It’s summer; I can’t even pretend I have anything else to do.

      P.P.S. Does anyone have any suggestions for places to visit when I return?

            Sometimes, places appear out of nowhere and fit so perfectly into your lifestyle that you wonder how you lived without them. The Gelato Company, 11 SE 1st Ave, is one of those places.

            Right now, it is Passover, which is a Jewish holiday that has a great deal of religious significance, but in layman’s terms, boils down to a week and a day of not eating bread products. As a college student practically allergic to cooking, it is a little rough. I have been scrounging for meals, scrutinizing ingredients lists for the slightest mention of leavening. All year, I have walked past the Gelato Company, always meaning to stop in and try it out. This week, my friend and I decided it was time.

            I quickly saw that my best bet was a salad, so I ordered the Great Green Salad with chicken. The salad was perfect. It was topped with almonds, cheese and an absurd amount of chicken salad. The dressing was a well-made herb vinaigrette, tying the salad together. It also comes with toast, though, of course, I could not partake. With the purchase of an entrée and drink, you also get a free small gelato. As gelato is their namesake, I was excited to get a taste. I ordered mocha and mascarpone, an unexpectedly delicious combination. They are incredibly generous with their portions, leaving me happily full from my well-rounded meal.

            This lunch was really a Passover miracle. Then, on Friday night, I irrationally was craving soup at 11 at night, sitting in Maude’s. I had no idea where I could find fresh soup served quickly at that hour. My friend reminded me of the Gelato Company. Lo and behold, the restaurant is open until 3 a.m. and serves soup. I dragged my friends along and got myself a cup of potato soup while they enjoyed crepes and gelato.

            Passover lunch? Check. Late night soup cravings? Handled. Twice in one week, the Gelato Company saved my life. Thank you, kind restaurant, I will be back.

            I have never been a breakfast person. I do not like maple syrup, making pancakes generally out of the question. I do not eat pork, so breakfast meats are not permissible. It is just not my meal. However, Peach Valley Café,  3275 SW 34th St., may change that.

            Peach Valley serves breakfast and lunch seven days a week. Their menu is delightfully thorough. Any breakfast favorite one could possibly desire, generally with some sort of interesting twist. I ended up ordering the California Omelet, which was stuffed with artichoke hearts, provolone cheese, mushrooms and onions. Served with toast and breakfast potatoes, my meal was filling and fresh. The ingredients complimented each other well.

            Peach Valley is perfect for a leisurely weekend brunch with friends. While I normally would not go out for breakfast, I ended up having a lovely time at a great restaurant. As the website says, “You usually don’t go out for breakfast and lunch every day of the week, so when you do — you want to go to the restaurant or cafe where you know you’re going to have the vibrant, delicious flavors you crave and the friendly, attentive service you deserve.”  

           I am cheating a little bit this week. I went to this restaurant downtown called Harry’s, 110 SE 1st St., for lunch on my birthday. I had forgotten about it in the pursuit of undiscovered restaurants. Last weekend, my friends and I ended up at Harry’s again, and I was reminded of just how fabulous it is.

            Harry’s is far nicer than most places college student me frequents. It serves New Orleans-inspired food in a comfortable, classy setting. The restaurant is never crowded and the service is fantastic. Slightly more expensive than more student patronized establishments, the extra cost is well worth it.

            Walking into Harry’s, one is seated immediately and served warm, crusty bread with a side of homemade herbed butter. The menu offers giant portions of really well made, interesting food. This time I got a Parmesan-crusted tilapia sandwich with corn grits. The sandwich was scarily sized. It had two fish fillets on a warm bun, served with some sort of delicious creamy sauce. The grits are by far my favorite thing at the restaurant. I am not at all a grit person, but Harry’s serves them covered in melted cheese and full of delicious kernels of corn. I cannot even resist. I devoured the entire serving, offered in essentially a soup cup.

            For around $13, I had dinner that night, lunch the next and a snack later that week. While I was a little sad that I did not go to Mardi Gras this year like a lot of my friends, Harry’s definitely soothed the sore spot.

           I have been living in a state of distress that I had yet to find an appropriate deli-type restaurant in Gainesville. The grocery store bagels sitting on my counter are just not cutting it anymore. However, this morning, I discovered the answer: Bagels and Noodles, 1222 W. University Ave.

            I was a little confused by the name, but as soon as I walked in, I was comforted. A case of bagels sits right by the door. Traditionally eclectic deli signs were thrown up all over the place.

Then, I discovered the pièce de résistance. The menu was noticeably comprehensive, including anything breakfast-y one could possibly desire. While I was reading the menu, I heard my friend ask, “What’s a niche?” I was very confused. She pointed out what she was reading. I died.

            They had knishes. I had yet to find any in Gainesville. I assumed they did not exist. Yet, there they were, at this random restaurant that serves both bagels and Vietnamese noodle dishes.

            I ended up ordering what they call a spinach-Asiago Charlie, which was a spinach-Asiago knish topped with any style egg and any cheese you would like.

            While the service was a little slow, it was worth the wait. For about $7, I got my fill of knish, with a twist. My friends were equally full and insist that the bagels are fantastic. I will certainly be back. Maybe I will even get some noodles…. Would it be wrong to get a bagel on the side?

          Flaco’s does not look like much. The only thing that even distinguishes it as a food-offering establishment is a lit sign outside in the shape of a pig bearing the name of the restaurant. Lost one night, my friends and I were wandering around downtown Gainesville for a good hour before we stumbled upon Flaco’s, 200 W. University Ave. We were doubtful, but stopped in out of desperation.

            It was probably the best surprise ever. I know that most every post of mine talks about how some place or another is the best whatever I have ever had, but I cannot even explain how much I enjoyed Flaco’s.

            Coming from South Florida, I am very used to having inexpensive, well-made Spanish food readily available. Moving to Gainesville was a huge shock in that regard. I have been missing my neighborhood Latin restaurants. Flaco’s is in that vein, with a distinct college town feel.

            I ended up getting the Juancho’s sandwich, with is turkey, mayo, mustard, pickles and Swiss cheese on sweet bread. It had the taste of a Cuban sandwich, but with a lovely, unexpected sweetness. This made me really happy because Cuban sandwiches were one of my favorite foods when I was younger, but I had not had one since I stopped eating pork at the end of elementary school. The Juancho’s was a fantastic alternative. For a total of $8.93, I got the sandwich, a soda and a soup bowl of black beans. I was a little in awe.

            Going beyond offering filling, tasty food, Flaco’s also has a great atmosphere. My friends and I ending up sitting there for something like three hours, caught up in conversation. The staff was completely welcoming. They asked us what music we wanted to hear, invited us to sing karaoke and reminded us that our sodas were refillable as often as we liked.

            They made it a point to make sure we were comfortable. It made for a really enjoyable, relaxing evening. I cannot wait to wander back.