The Milk District

[smileguy]

2 hours ago, codypet said:

NV5's old spot?

Yes!

[AmIReal]

The Milk is really rocking it. The recently revamped "Milk District Spot" the work going on at the bowling alley, the new Sprouts going into the old SteinMart, the new HQ of Atrium... and now a hand held, fiend pizza. Could it get any better... https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2021/09/17/orlando-florida-retail-alfos-pizza-fritta-food.html

[AmIReal]

Previously speculated and now confirmed, Sunsuru JuJu is going into the old Pizza Hut location at Maguire and Colonial. They say opening in Winter '21, but that appears unlikely.

https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2021/09/21/former-pizza-hut-in-orlandos-milk-district-to-become-whimsical-japanese-restaurant/

[jgardnerucf]

Oh Que Bueno is currently going in FL Mall Pizza Hut.

[spenser1058]

I was thinking what a debt the Milk District owes to Larry Leckart (Ronnie’s). Some of the Milk’s most popular spots opened because Larry got exclusive rights to food service at Colonial Plaza (except retailers who had restaurants).

As a result, fast-fooders that probably would have gone in Colonial Plaza (and the mall after ‘62) ended up opening on Bumby and Primrose instead.

They included:

Beefy King, KFC and Tom’s Pizza on Bumby;

Lums (hot dogs boiled in BEER!) and Fat Boy’s (BBQ) -there was a third one I can’t remember - on Primrose.

All those buildings are still going strong as mom and pops (I think Tom’s is a jewelry store or something now).

The Mickey D’s on Colonial came later (in the ‘70’s). It replaced O-town’s first McD’s (original red & white design) which was across from Herndon next door to LaCantina.

 

[codypet]

Is that what those old buildings on Primrose are?  I was trying to figure out what the story was with Il Pescatore.  I know its been there since I can remember.

[spenser1058]

3 minutes ago, codypet said:

Is that what those old buildings on Primrose are?  I was trying to figure out what the story was with Il Pescatore.  I know its been there since I can remember.

They are indeed.

[spenser1058]

We’ll be waiting for @smileguy’s report on Itsa Chicken, now in soft opening (literally) next to the big red door at the newly smoke-free Lou’s Lounge.

Cheeken or Hot Pastrami at BEEFY - so many decisions when I get back to town!

https://bungalower.com/2021/10/19/new-fried-chicken-window-now-open-at-whiskey-lous/

From Bungalower 
 

Edited October 20, 2021 by spenser1058

[smileguy]

13 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

We’ll be waiting for @smileguy’s report on Itsa Chicken, now in soft opening (literally) next to the big red door at the newly smoke-free Lou’s Lounge.

Cheeken or Hot Pastrami at BEEFY - so many decisions when I get back to town!

https://bungalower.com/2021/10/19/new-fried-chicken-window-now-open-at-whiskey-lous/

From Bungalower 
 

Those photos in Bungalower are my lunch yesterday -- very tasty!  They're planning to add some more outdoors seating along Bumby,  and once Milk House gets going (the latest date I've heard is next Monday!) there'll be some great nighttime cohesion between the patios at these two places, plus MX Taco and Sideward across the way.

[codypet]

That Bumby access management work can't get here soon enough.  Noone is going to walk down to the corner to cross Bumby.

[smileguy]

3 minutes ago, codypet said:

That Bumby access management work can't get here soon enough.  Noone is going to walk down to the corner to cross Bumby.

From your mouth to Buddy's ears!

[spenser1058]

2 minutes ago, codypet said:

That Bumby access management work can't get here soon enough.  Noone is going to walk down to the corner to cross Bumby.

Walking on Bumby whenever I have to pick up my car at Goodyear is like one of the loneliest experiences on earth. It makes me feel like a character from Dune or something. 

[codypet]

I bike regularly from south of Southern Nights to Livingston and its quite simply put, a timebomb of a deathtrap.  Contrary to my typical riding habits, I bike on the sidewalk along Bumby, because on the street is too harrowing (and I have no problem riding on South St. )  The sidewalk is narrow with utility poles and anchor cables in it and then there's a bus stop bench across it near Lou's Lounge.  It needs help.  I did point out to the City they have a designated bike route on Lake Como Cir, but no way to get there currently.

https://www.orlando.gov/files/sharedassets/public/departments/transportation/trails/downtownbikemap_q22020.pdf

Edited October 20, 2021 by codypet

[spenser1058]

Bumby between the East-West and Colonial screams, “I exist for cars!” which is ironic given all the cool stuff these days. Road diet, please (it’s not even a state road) and while we’re at it, Colonial Plaza needs to work on some landscaping on that side.  As awesome as the Plaza is, it’s just drowning in all that asphalt. Kudos to TG Lee for all the trees they’ve added in the front parking lot (even if it’s hard to see the cow on the roof these days).

[Jolly Roger's Crackers]

I regularly bike on the Livingston bike lanes (from OEA to Lynx) as well as the Bumby bike trail (between Colonial and Corrine). I occasionally venture south (from Colonial) or north (from Livingston) on Bumby. Riding feels pretty safe between Livingston and Concord (where the bike lanes are) but then I usually ride the sidewalk where there are no lanes. It is kinda odd to have "bike lanes" around Lake Como but none from Livingston (to Como) or from Como to Curry Ford. Not sure if the road is wide enough south of the lake....but some "bike share" signage or road paint might help (it is low speed in that area). North of Corrine is a shortcut to Mead Gardens (following Palm Lane). It is not included as part of the "Urban Trail' but it should be. Palm Lane is as bumpy as a gator back but once you reach the end you can turn left on Lakeside Drive and traverse a tiny gap in the trees with a steel pole (and alot of tree roots) in the way. From there it is smooth sailing to Mead Gardens, the Urban Trail, the Winter Park trail and points beyond. I wish the city would make that transition easier and include that as part of the Urban Trail system route. Apologies....as I have ventured out of the Milk District for part of this post. Bike lanes from Colonial to the 408 (and south) are needed and would be welcome. No worries. Cheers.

Edited October 20, 2021 by Jolly Roger's Crackers

[Jolly Roger's Crackers]

On 10/7/2021 at 12:35 PM, spenser1058 said:

All those buildings are still going strong as mom and pops

Hey spenser1058...what did the  Kernel Encore spot used to be? That building looks like it has few stories to tell. No worries. Cheers.

Edited October 20, 2021 by Jolly Roger's Crackers

[spenser1058]

1 minute ago, Jolly Roger's Crackers said:

Hey spenser1058...what did the  Kernel Encore spot used to be? That building looks like it has few stories to tell. No worries. Cheers.

I want to say it was some kind of a franchise pie shop but we never went there. We did Lums and Fat Boys’ pretty often but never that one. If we did dessert at all, we usually stopped at Goff’s on the way back across town (I grew up on the west side) or for special occasions the Mogambo Extravaganza at Ronnie’s.

[Jolly Roger's Crackers]

5 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

I want to say it was some kind of a franchise pie shop

Okay. No worries. Franchise pie to gourmet popcorn seems about right. The DNA of the milk district is slightly weird..and I hope it always stays that way. Cheers.

 

[JFW657]

1 hour ago, Jolly Roger's Crackers said:

Hey spenser1058...what did the  Kernel Encore spot used to be? That building looks like it has few stories to tell. No worries. Cheers.

Oh, it has a past alright.... a sordid one by all accounts.

The farthest back I can find anything on it, is October of 2007 when the building was a hot spot for "transactions" of some kind....

....the type of which God only knows how disreputable or nefarious.

Less than a year later, the change was already undwerway to it's current use...

And now you know. 

[spenser1058]

4 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

Oh, it has a past alright.... a sordid one by all accounts.

The farthest back I can find anything on it, is October of 2007 when the building was a hot spot for "transactions" of some kind....

....the type of which God only knows how disreputable or nefarious.

Less than a year later, the change was already undwerway to it's current use...

And now you know. 

Actually, I forgot about that one, so I guess there’s a total of four. I believe that one was originally a Dobbs House.

[spenser1058]

Now, I’m hungry and thinking about the places nearby on Colonial. Steak ‘n Shake, the Ranch House, the Krystal. Across the street was the HoJo (all you could eat fried clams on Friday night - it was amazing how many of those I could chow down on when I was 8).

Going the other way my favorites were Mister Donut, Uncle John’s Pancake House, Frisch’s Big Boy* and of course Morrison’s.

When Fashion Square opened in ‘73, it was so weird to have all the restaurants in the mall instead of outside because of Larry Leckart’s Colonial Plaza deal.

*unlike most of the Big Boys -Bob’s and Shoney’s, for example - Frisch’s lad was a ginger. Maybe that’s why I’ve always had a thing for redheads…

Edited October 21, 2021 by spenser1058

[codypet]

12 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Now, I’m hungry and thinking about the places nearby on Colonial. Steak ‘n Shake, the Ranch House, the Krystal. Across the street was the HoJo (all you could eat fried clams on Friday night - it was amazing how many of those I could chow down on when I was 8).

Has anyone seen that lately?  I was at Il Pescatore and it was pitch dark and I was looking through a gutted building but I couldn't put my finger on it because it was so dark.  Then I realized it was Steak n Shake.  I was shocked how stripped the building is.

15 hours ago, Jolly Roger's Crackers said:

Not sure if the road is wide enough south of the lake....but some "bike share" signage or road paint might help (it is low speed in that area). 

Not yesterday, the way people were driving around, I assumed NASCAR was sanctioning an event through the neighborhood. 

[Jolly Roger's Crackers]

6 hours ago, codypet said:

22 hours ago, Jolly Roger's Crackers said:

Not sure if the road is wide enough south of the lake....but some "bike share" signage or road paint might help (it is low speed in that area). 

Not yesterday, the way people were driving around, I assumed NASCAR was sanctioning an event through the neighborhood. 

Yeah...perhaps I should have said in theory "it is low speed in that area". I have sent several complaints to the city regarding the speed of the thoroughfare streets in this neighborhood (Bumby, Primrose and Crystal Lake). It is ridiculous how brazen some drivers are in a 25 mph zone. There are a couple of "real time" speed warning signals on Crystal Lake but I see vehicles roaring past at 35-45 mph all the time (some even faster)....the school signal (when flashing) at Lake Arnold will slow everybody down most of the time...but that is about it (and only during school hours).  There is very little space between street and sidewalk (at certain points) on these streets (particularly CLD)  and somebody whipping past going 40 mph is always frightening. Getting pretty frustrating at this point. Cheers.

[spenser1058]

The Milkhouse is now in soft open mode, so stop by soon at 201 N. Bumby and be gentle!

https://bungalower.com/2021/10/25/milkhouse-now-in-soft-open/

From The Bungalower 

[smileguy]

On 10/21/2021 at 9:43 AM, codypet said:

Has anyone seen that lately?  I was at Il Pescatore and it was pitch dark and I was looking through a gutted building but I couldn't put my finger on it because it was so dark.  Then I realized it was Steak n Shake.  I was shocked how stripped the building is.

Not yesterday, the way people were driving around, I assumed NASCAR was sanctioning an event through the neighborhood. 

A MMJ company has had the lease on the Steak N Shake for a while now and have been sitting on it.  They are moving through the permitting process for a dispensary there, but I don't know of the timeline.   

The Kernel Encore building is under new ownership, too, and you should expect to see a new brick and mortar location for a popular food truck in the coming months.