Avli Estiatorio

**** (4 stars)

This authentic Greek restaurant is a sprawling collection of rooms and outdoor spaces located on the rear side of The Laundry complex. There is a very extensive list of Greek wines, plus all the Greek appetizers and entrees you’d expect. We particularly enjoyed the salads and the lamb burger.

Avli Estiatorio
566 Chestnut
Winnetka, IL 60093
(847) 446-9300
http://www.yelp.com/biz/avli-estiatorio-winnetka

Roka Akor

**** (4 stars)

This place offers terrific ambiance, with a stylish, open plan that lets you view the 1900 degree robata grill from anywhere in the restaurant. There is also outside seating.

While several of the sashimi items we tried were excellent, the butterfish tataki was the event, comparable to the best sushi restaurants I’ve been to around the world. The other highlight here are the vegetables off the robata grill, which are all excellent. The Brussels sprouts and the mushrooms are particularly notable.

Roka Akor
4999 Old Orchard Ctr
Skokie, IL 60077
(630) 474-5039
http://www.yelp.com/biz/roka-akor-skokie

Qarma Crêpes

**** (4 stars)

This is a cozy little place with great service and a nice assortment of both savory and sweet crepes. The crepes themselves are fairly thin, and have a slight sweetness to the batter, particularly around the thin edges. They are folded in half before stuffing, which gives them more body, but they still remain light and fluffy.

I had a vegetarian crepe, which allowed me to pick an assortment of fillings, plus smoked Gouda cheese and lemon mayo drizzle. The veggies were raw, which gave the crepe a nice, fresh character.

The sweet crepes also looked delicious, I’ll have to save room on a return visit.

There are a few tables outside, and plenty inside, and also up in a loft accessed via a spiral staircase.

Qarma Crêpes
12 N Summerlin Ave
Orlando, FL 32801
(407) 403-5549
http://www.yelp.com/biz/qarma-cr%C3%AApes-orlando

Hubbly Bubbly Falafel Shop

***** (5 stars)

I first had falafel many years ago in Los Angeles, so that’s how I expect it to be, and Hubbly Bubbly does it just that way, slicing the pita in half and filling each half, rather than rolling it up. I like the fact that you can select from an array of ingredients as you walk along the counter.

They also have “bowls” and Halal meats, so there are many possible combinations.

Sides include a sort of potato puff and “crispy” cauliflower, which is fixed in the fryer, without batter. I tried both, and though the potatoes were a bit heavier than I wanted, the cauliflower was delicious, and almost completely drained due to the lack of batter.

The owner, George, took time to explain to every new customer what all the options were, and provided free samples of things to try next time.

My new favorite place for falafel in Orlando.

Hubbly Bubbly Falafel Shop
3405 Edgewater Dr
Orlando, FL 32804
(407) 985-5841
http://www.yelp.com/biz/hubbly-bubbly-falafel-shop-orlando

Orlando Science Center

**** (4 stars)

This is a really nice museum facility, but what I particularly like are the special events, especially the annual Spring “Science of Wine” which includes a very informative seminar and the best food of any wine event in town, even including the much more expensive Epcot food and wine festival. It’s great fun to eat and sip beneath the dinosaur bones! Sign up for the mailing list and you’ll find out about these special events in advance, before they sell out.

Orlando Science Center
777 E Princeton St
Orlando, FL 32803
(407) 514-2000
http://www.yelp.com/biz/orlando-science-center-orlando

Winter Park Playhouse

***** (5 stars)

There aren’t many small professional theaters left, so it’s great to see this one thriving. The shows are very professional, with live music and talented performers, and since there are only a few rows, there are no bad seats.

It’s particularly nice that there is a comfortable lounge and bar with piano music for hanging out before the show, and the founders are always there to greet guests and make sure everyone has a nice time.

Definitely one of the best theatrical experiences in Central Florida.

Winter Park Playhouse
711 Orange Ave
Winter Park, FL 32789
(407) 645-0145
http://www.yelp.com/biz/winter-park-playhouse-winter-park