Johnnie's Hideaway, Orlando, Florida

Being in Florida, there was one local thing that I absolutely had to try: stone crab claws. And this steak and seafood place (12551 State Road 535, 407-827-1111) had a raw bar up front that I could just pull myself up to and order away. I grabbed a small appetizer portion just as a taster.

To my surprise, my first bite was completely tasteless. There was no natural flavor in that meat, assuming that one kept it naked without the sauce that accompanied it. If I dug into a deeper section of the claw rather than the exposed meat on the joint, I finally got something that was a bit reminiscient of dungeness crab from back home, but it was still so mild that there really wasn't much joy to be had from eating them. Well, at least the meat was fresh and firm.

Actually, the restaurant itself was fine. Service at the bar was super friendly and fast, and the wedge salad came with some impressively thick cubes of bacon. I just wish they had more local things on the menu to try out, given that I probably won't go for the stone crab again.