Socialising at the Social Chameleon

I’ve been hanging out often with my friend and fellow single-lady Mollie, and on her birthday, we went to a place new to me: The Social Chameleon.  It’s a relatively new cafe open in what used to be an antique store, then a tattoo parlour, but it’s now a little place that Mollie describes as “a little Stardust,” not so much in character, but in purpose.  The Social Chameleon is a cafe in Orlando’s Milk District on Robinson Avenue, and they’re open until 2 am on Saturday, which has thus far been the only day of the week I’ve been.

This first time, Mollie and I had a birthday beer in honour of her birthday and enjoyed the cozy atmosphere of the cafe’s interior.  The decor is interesting and eclectic, with tiled tables and a very pretty ceiling treatment using scarves–it’s quite nice.  The staff at the Social Chameleon were very nice and chatty, and were especially familiar with Mollie’s friend (and my new friend) Ryan, who lives walking-distance to the place, and so has become quite the regular.

Mollie and I both chose the Nut Brown Ale from Peak Organic Beer, which was nice and smooth–perfect for fans of Newcastle.  Later that evening, I was thrilled to learn that, despite it being midnight, the kitchen was still open, so I ordered a simple plain cheese pizza on the traditional crust at the very reasonable price of $4.  It’s always good to have a list going on in one’s head of places to get food at late hours, and The Social Chameleon has gotten its name on my list.  In addition to pizza, the cafe also has some dips, a cheese platter and a few other edibles to choose from.  This also includes a few dessert items as well.  The following weekend, after leaving Peacock Room because I was craving a late-night Chameleon pizza, I ordered the key lime pie, which was a tasty treat at such a late hour.

I haven’t sat in the back patio area, but it looks to be a nice place to hang out and meet up with friends.  It’s nicely decorated with a wooden deck to keep it from feeling you’re in what used to be someone’s back parking lot, resplendent with little lights on string and a continuation of the cute decoration from the interior.

From my two late-evening experiences on two separate Saturdays, I’ve had good service, good food and good beer, enjoyed in some good company.  The Social Chameleon is a very cute corner tucked away on Robinson, and if you tire of the normal bar scene, it’s nice to go somewhere relatively quiet–although the folks inside may be watching episodes of Family Guy, as they were the last time I was there–serving up food late into the night.  It hasn’t been crowded at all the two times I’ve been, although this might change once word-of-mouth goes around.  The first night I was there, I bumped into my friend Libia, whom I hadn’t seen in an age, and she seemed to enjoy the place as well.

The Social Chameleon doesn’t have a website as of yet, from what I can gather, but the cafe is located on 2406 East Robinson Street, 32803.  The number that’s listed on their menu is 407-715-2138.  It’s a good place to start out your evening, as Mollie and I did on her birthday before heading out to Redlight Redlight, or to fulfill a pizza craving with something other than the choices available downtown.  I’m sure it’s also great in the afternoons, too, but I haven’t yet experienced it myself.

A Food Lover’s Book of Days/Dining Alone

I’m on the cusp of completing my intermittent reading of James and Kay Salter’s book, Life Is Meals: A Food Lover’s Book of Days.  It’s a great collection of food trivia, tips, recommendations and personal anecdotes and recollections organised in a cozy package.  I checked out my copy from the Orange County Library, but it’s a nice little book to buy for your favourite food lover.

In the book, I particularly enjoyed becoming acquainted with the great stars of food history and gastronomy: Sylvester Graham, A J Liebling, Juliette Recamier, and Brillat-Savarin to name a few.  

I also liked the comments the Salters gave on “Solitary Dinners,” which I found interesting having had a few solitary dinners at home and out in the public.  Of the latter, I can find them at times pleasurable or awkward, depending on the eatery.  If I eat out alone, I prefer bringing along a book as company.  When I was in school, I would often read textbooks and highlight passages in-between bites, or I would work on a short story idea prior to my food arriving.  There have been a couple of rough, handwritten drafts of short stories and Japanese homework bearing the mark of the vinaigrette concoction from Stardust.

Nowadays, since I fix food more at home and am saving money for one thing or another, I don’t eat out alone as often.  In fact, perhaps the last time I did so recently was at Bikes, Beans & Bordeaux a few weeks ago. It’s a rarity now because money is so tight, so I don’t feel like indulging as much as I used to.  But, it seems, the best places to dine alone–at least in Orlando, but perhaps in general–are cafes and teahouses such as Stardust, Infusion, B3 and Pom-Pom’s.  Perhaps because the atmosphere is informal, you’re allowed the extra time to lounge and have an extra cup of coffee or tea, bottle of beer or glass of wine.  Taking out a book or opening up your laptop is accepted, unlike a “proper” restaurant, or even some diners.

Eating alone at home can be different as well, not so much in what you’re eating, but how you’re eating it.  It’s one thing to make a peanut butter and jam sandwich on a paper towel and eat it standing up over the counter, whereas eating the same sandwich off a plate at a dining table or even your coffee table with a nice cup of Earl Grey elevates it to a little ceremony.  As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found these little ceremonies enjoyable, and seem more fulfilling when the food is on a plate.  Granted, my dishes pile up a bit more with all the plates and mugs and tea strainers, but there’s a sense of giving the soul a little something to feed on as well as the stomach.  It’s a happy thing that makes simple meals that much more special, even more so when you don’t always have the time to eat in such a way.  Even take-out seems better out of the styrofoam and paper containers and on a real plate with real silverware, or even the plastic IKEA reusable utensils.  Yes, leftover pizza deserves a bit of dignity at times.  Because, excepting the street food sold in stalls and push-carts around the world–as some of the best food can be found with these vendors, if the food isn’t worth taking a moment and eating on a plate, is it really worth eating?

Take-out Diary #2: O’Naturals

Working in downtown Orlando, one would think that my options for lunch would be plentiful. Well, in a way, they are, but in a way, they aren’t. My lunch break at work is limited to thirty minutes, which doesn’t really give one time to lounge at a restaurant, waiting for your food or the bill. Instead, the food is planned ahead of time, either ordered in for delivery, or one musters the gumption to walk out into the concrete wilderness to stake out a territory marked out in so many blocks, foraging for a quick meal.

With all this pressure of finding the right meal in the right amount of time, often I resort to bringing my lunch, and enjoying the pre-lunch time with no questions of what to eat, no deliberating of where to go. I am at peace with my homemade food, or the left-overs of yesterday’s dinner out.

Today was not one of those days.

Although I had made two recent trips to grocery stores, I made nothing to show for it as my lunch this St Patrick’s Day, so I went through the stash of menus we have in my department, and made a selection. This was my second go with the O’Naturals location housed on Central Boulevard, as I found myself in a similar situation on Friday, getting their Mediterranean flatbread sandwich, consisting of organic hummus, lettuce, red onion, roasted red peppers and Swiss cheese, although I didn’t realise there was red onion in it, because their printed menu in the store didn’t list it but in a separate place, so I had to toss it out later. The sandwich was okay… but not great. The hummus seemed a little runny, and the bread had tasted bland to me.

However, today I opted for their Goat Cheese flatbread sandwich, which boasted the roasted red peppers, carrots, cucumbers, sprouts and the aforementioned goat cheese. I also asked for lettuce and tomatoes, but emphatically stated “no onion!” to the poor man who made my sandwich.

I picked up the sandwich on my fifteen-minute break, and then sat down to eat it about 45 minutes later, and it was excellent. I was much happier with the Goat Cheese sandwich in comparison to the Mediterranean I had tried previously, as it seemed much more flavourful, with the familiar tang of goat cheese mingled in with some salted herbs and the coolness of the tomatoes and cucumbers. The sprouts and the red peppers gave it quite a bit of heft, and it was packaged well in a bag-type sleeve that allowed you to eat the sandwich without getting the cucumbers and other fillings to fall into your lap. All in all, it was an ace pick, and with the place’s employees being so nice and all, I don’t think I have to fret too much the next time I can’t make my lunch ahead of time.

That is, of course, unless I don’t have any money.

One word of caution: the number listed on O’Natural’s website, and all their printed matter, isn’t working as of this post.  I had given it a dial in an attempt to expedite the service, and there was a recording stating the number was “temporarily out of service.”  Turns out I didn’t really need to call in, as my food was made right away, but still, it would be handy should I ever want to order some selections from their noodle menu to pick up.  Sandwiches can sit around for an hour or so, but the noodles would get cold.