Category Archives: Orlando

The Rusty Spoon

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**** (4 stars)

This gastropub on Church street offers some great food at impressively affordable prices. A well thought out menu lets you graze on starters or assemble a conventional dinner.

We tried the grilled squid and octopus and the haystack fries as starters. The seafood was tender and succulent with just the right amount of char, and served over nicely dressed arugula with tasty pickled rinds. The fries were hay thick and tossed with herbs and cheese. Nicely crispy but not particularly hot (probably because they were too thin to stay warm), they were accompanied by house made ketchup, barbecue sauce and aioli.

To finish up our light meal we shared the “55” burger, a generous serving of meat, charred on the outside and grilled to a perfectly requested medium rare. caramelized onions and melted gouda gave it plenty of flavor, and the bun was crusty enough to hold it together, even when split.

Half the menu is wine and beer selections. Our 2005 Guigal Chateauneuf du Pape lived up to the stellar reputation of the vintage.

The Rusty Spoon
55 W Church St
Ste 101
Orlando, FL 32801
(407) 401-8811
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-rusty-spoon-orlando

Miller’s Ale House Restaurants

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**** (4 stars)

I’m not completely in tune with the whole sports bar thing, probably because I’m not a sport fan. But Miller’s Ale House is certainly the most successful chain of them in Orlando. This location, on Kirkman, is packed every day, and the food is good (just don’t check the calorie counts on their website).

Burgers and salads are good bets here, and I also like the chicken fajitas, one of the healthier choices (they are lower in calories than many of the salads).

Service is decent, but it’s pretty much impossible to have lunch here in less than an hour, so don’t go if you’re tight on time.

Miller’s Ale House Restaurants
5573 S Kirkman Rd
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 248-0000
http://www.yelp.com/biz/millers-ale-house-restaurants-orlando-6

Mei Asian China Buffet

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* (1 stars)

There’s really nothing horrible about this Chinese buffet if your expectations aren’t too high. The meat items are a bit questionable, but there are other choices that are okay. However our meal got off to a bad start when a roach crawled across the table, and I see from other reviews (and pictures) here that our experience wasn’t unique, so perhaps best to go elsewhere.

Mei Asian China Buffet
8255 International Dr
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 352-0881
http://www.yelp.com/biz/mei-asian-china-buffet-orlando

Agave Azul

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**** (4 stars)

This is one of the more stylish Mexican restaurants in town, and is trying to do authentic Mexican more than the usual Tex Mex. Unfortunately the food isn’t really up to the level one gets at the real Mexican hole in the wall places.

I had the pastor, which was authentic looking, but lacked the rich spicy sauce that makes the marinated pork dish a favorite of mine. I also sampled both refried and black beans, and both white and yellow rice. None had much flavor.

Guacamole was hand made, and quite good.

The facet of Agave Azule that stands out is the decor, with a trendy blue interior that is Mexico City modern rather than some tacky fiesta theme.

Margaritas and other drinks are excellent, and the service in this often busy restaurant is prompt and efficient.

Agave Azul
4750 S Kirkman Rd
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 704-6930
http://www.yelp.com/biz/agave-azul-orlando

Oishi Japanese Restaurant

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**** (4 stars)

Based upon the tourist location and other reviews I wasn’t expecting much, but I really liked this place.

The room is great, almost a tiki bar decor, with nicely partitioned booths and stylish tables.

The extensive menu offers a huge selection of sushi rolls, plus a page of noodle dishes and two pages of teppan steak offerings. We sat at a table and had sushi for lunch.

A lot of the rolls feature cooked eel or tempura ingredients, making them slightly sweet, so those new to sushi will find it very accessible. There are also very reasonably priced combinations and sashimi samplers.

Of everything we tried my favorite  was the orange blossom roll, which involved no orange, but did look orange. A creamy salmon concoction with crispy fried bits of roe, it nicely incorporated salty and sweet flavors with a crispy yet chewy texture.

Service was extremely attentive and friendly, and pricing, especially for a tourist area restaurant, was extremely reasonable.

Oishi Japanese Restaurant
11025 International Dr
Orlando, FL 32821
(407) 465-0088
http://www.yelp.com/biz/oishi-japanese-restaurant-orlando

Paxia Modern Mexican Restaurant & Tequila Bar

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**** (4 stars)

This modern Mexican restaurant has recently been remodeled, and now has a beautiful interior with great ambiance. There’s a nice selection of interesting cocktails in addition to excellent margaritas.

The food is a modern spin on traditional Mexican dishes, not Tex Mex.

I had the Pastor, marinated pork served with diced onions and pineapples on corn tortillas. The presentation was authentic, but the rich spicy flavor of authentic pastor wasn’t really there.

My wife had the open face salmon quesadilla. This was a fantastic creation, with large pieces of savory house-smoked salmon atop arugula. After eating the top as a salad, she folded the tortilla in half and ate it as a regular cheese quesadilla. It had been grilled to perfection.

The ceviche appetizer was interesting. The salmon “tartare” was more like chunks of salmon that had been tossed in an interesting sauce and mixed with guacamole, capers and cilantro (an unusual but successful combination) then served atop tostones (fried pressed green plantains). It was a generous serving, plenty for two.

The Sunday brunch menu offers many egg-based creations with a Mexican flair, although most involve beans, which isn’t an ingredient I like with eggs.

Service is very friendly and efficient. One of the best choices for dining in College Park.

Paxia Modern Mexican Restaurant & Tequila Bar
2611 Edgewater Drive
Orlando, FL 32804
(407) 420-1144
http://www.yelp.com/biz/paxia-orlando-2

Kings Bowl Orlando

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***** (5 stars)

This is a really nice bowling center with amazingly good food, certainly as good as any sports bar in town. Their wine and beer selections are also very well thought out.

It’s especially a great place for groups, as they will close off a section of lanes with a curtain and you can have a wonderful private party for the whole evening.

You don’t need to be even mediocre at bowling in order to enjoy this place, which in my case is a very fortunate thing indeed.

Kings Bowl Orlando
8255 S International Dr
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 363-0200
http://www.yelp.com/biz/kings-bowl-orlando-orlando

Teak Neighborhood Grill

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***** (5 stars)

This comfortable neighborhood bar offers a great environment for drinks, lunch, or casual dinner. The extensive menu takes a gesture pub approach, with a variety of offerings, but the stars of the show are the burgers.

What’s great about the burger selection here is that every burger is distinctly different, with a true range of flavors from spicy to beer-glazed to caramelized and even peanut butter and jelly! All burgers are a half pound, cooked any way you like, and most come on a pretzel bun, accompanied by your choice of side item. My favorites are the Drunken Monk and the Crone burger (which comes on a cinnamon dusted croissant/donut and is pictured above).

The bistro fries, with a strong rosemary flavor, and the sweet potato tater tots are two good choices.

Definitely in the running for best burger in Orlando.

Teak Neighborhood Grill
6400 Times Square Ave
Orlando, FL 32835
(407) 313-5111
http://www.yelp.com/biz/teak-neighborhood-grill-orlando

Metrowest Golf Club

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**** (4 stars)

I’ve always enjoyed this course. It’s in terrific shape, there’s a nice clubhouse and restaurant, and the people are friendly. It’s a somewhat interesting course, but no real elevations changes to make it stand out.

The restaurant, Westerly’s, reviewed elsewhere, offers a light, airy room, good service, and fresh food.

Metrowest Golf Club
2100 S Hiawassee Rd
Orlando, FL 32835
(407) 299-1099
http://www.yelp.com/biz/metrowest-golf-club-orlando-3

Westerly’s

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**** (4 stars)

I’ve been going to this restaurant for 20 years. It’s a great place for a business lunch because it has a very professional but relaxed vibe, since it’s a golf clubhouse. Beautiful setting, surrounded by green, and a light, airy dining room. Easy access, friendly staff, and an excellent lunch time menu. The quesadilla appetizer is a good choice, and all the sandwiches are good, particularly the grilled fish and grilled salmon. Your lunch guests will feel like you’ve taken them to an exclusive club.

Westerly’s
2100 S Hiawassee Rd
Orlando, FL 32835
(407) 297-0050
http://www.yelp.com/biz/westerlys-orlando