Category Archives: Florida

Sweet Tomatoes

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**** (4 stars)

Sweet Tomatoes offers a selection of almost everything you’d want to put in a salad. The trick here is to be good, and stick with the salad, because there are plenty of not-so-healthy temptations, too, such as pizzas, breads, pastas, rich soups, and ice cream. Cleanliness is good, and it’s usually not insanely crowded except in January when everyone else is trying to keep those resolutions.

Sweet Tomatoes
6877 South Kirkman Rd.
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 363-1616
http://www.yelp.com/biz/sweet-tomatoes-orlando-2

Luma on Park

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***** (5 stars)

Offering one of the more hip fine dining environments in town, Luma manages to create a techno vibe without being deafening. A creative, evolving menu offers a nice variety of foods for both vegetarians and carnivores.

Pizzas–more like flatbreads, really–are a great starter. They also make a great burger. These simple foods are not reflective of the overall menu, though, which is fairly sophisticated. Most of the food is more oriented toward small plates, although there are some great entrees as well.

There are plenty of interesting wines to match with a multi course grazing menu, although the wine list is perhaps the most annoying I’ve ever encountered. I’ve seen wines lists sorted by varietal, by country, by color, even by “weight”, but this is the only list I’ve every encountered that is sorted by bottle price and otherwise completely jumbled. Know that you want a chardonnay? Good luck comparing them, as they’ll be scattered randomly around the list.

That said, the wine prices are very reasonable, albeit reflective of fairly obscure selections. There is a reserve list that is less jumbled, and has more recognizable names.

Service is always professional and friendly. There is a small private room beyond the kitchen suitable for parties of eight or so, and also some “chef’s bar” seating that faces the kitchen. For an even more memorable visit, the downstairs wine room offers sofas, a TV, and a single table suitable for about ten. The room can also be rearranged for larger parties.

One of our favorite things to request downstairs is the truffle popcorn, which is amazing.

Luma on Park
290 S Park Ave
Winter Park, FL 32789
(407) 599-4111
http://www.yelp.com/biz/luma-on-park-winter-park

Piazza Rialto Italian Restaurant

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Five cheese platter

Interior

**** (4 stars)

Rialto has now become the restaurant this neighborhood needs. After a rocky first year, new management and chef have elevated this to an outstanding experience. 

This was always a beautiful space, far nicer than one expects in a small shopping center. Its versatile design lends itself to group meals, family outings, after work time at the bar, pleasant outdoor dining, and romantic dinners for two–quite an accomplishment all in one space.

But now the food and service live up to the environment. New additions such as a cheese platter of mostly French cheeses and a chocolate creme brulee dessert add an international flair, and there are also American offerings such as a buffalo chicken flatbread. But the focus is still on Italian food, with a variety of pastas and classic Italian entrees. The freshly baked bread was top notch, and we particularly enjoyed the antipasto salad, a creative combination of greens, prosciutto and olives.

The biggest improvement is the service. Our waiter, Anthony, was obviously very concerned that we have a great time, and we could see that to be the case with other tables and servers as well. The hands-on approach by management, who visited our table, is also a dramatic change. Clearly everyone is now onboard to turn this into a great restaurant, and we will happily return.

It’s nice to finally have a great Italian restaurant in our neighborhood.

Piazza Rialto Italian Restaurant
7782 Winter Garden Vineland Rd
Windermere, FL 34786
(855) 474-2586
http://www.yelp.com/biz/piazza-rialto-italian-restaurant-windermere-2

RA Sushi

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Chili Ponzu Yellowtail Hand Roll

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RA Chips and Salsa

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Zonie Roll

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Shishito Peppers

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Salmon Carpaccio

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Sashimi Lunch Combo

**** (4 stars)

RA Sushi is a good choice for sushi in the International Drive area. Located downstairs off the valet parking turnout of Pointe Orlando, it is a large, stylish restaurant with a variety of seating options, a bar across the front, a sushi bar in the rear, and some patio seating as well.

The sashimi lunch plate is a particularly good choice. It’s available every day at lunch time, even on weekends, and offers 12 generous pieces of sashimi (tuna, salmon and white fish) plus soup and salad for a reasonable price.

I also really like the summer menu’s special hand rolls, which were light and refreshing, almost like summer rolls in a Vietnamese restaurant.

But it’s worth noting that RA Sushi isn’t exactly an authentic sushi bar. I tried ordering a salmon skin roll and was told that since all ingredients are already prepped, they can’t make items not on the menu. What that says is that the sushi chefs are more assemblers than true sushi chefs who can make anything they like. That’s not too surprising, since the chain is owned by Benihana.

Still, the fish was good quality and the price was reasonable, and I’ll certainly return.

RA Sushi
9101 International Dr
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 454-5600
http://www.yelp.com/biz/ra-sushi-orlando

Hand Roll Sushi

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**** (4 stars)

This attractive sushi restaurant is a nice addition to the neighborhood. It may be the first sushi restaurant I’ve been to that seems to not be run by Asians, so I approached with some skepticism, but we had a nice lunch here.

I started with a small salad with very crisp cold greens and a nice dressing, somewhat lighter but more complex than the traditional ginger dressing.

Their twist on sushi is that they also offer tacos. I wondered what a sushi taco would be like, but it turns out it’s just a regular crispy corn tortilla shell filled with whatever sushi item you select. I tried the tuna taco, and the tuna quality was excellent. The crunchy taco pretty much instantly self destructed, but the combination was good.

The real highlights here are the “Temaki” hand rolls, though. My salmon skin hand roll was the best I’ve had anywhere, and I’ve had a lot of them: plenty of crispy salmon skin with some flavorful meat still attached, well mixed with the rice so I didn’t run out of salmon skin as I ate my way to the bottom of the well-stuffed roll.

Lunch here includes your choice of any two items from an extensive list of tacos, hand rolls and conventional maki rolls, plus soup or salad, all for $8.95. An excellent deal. I plan to return and explore some of the other menu options in the future.

Hand Roll Sushi
2595 S Hiawassee Rd
Orlando, FL 32835
(321) 754-1754
http://www.yelp.com/biz/hand-roll-sushi-orlando

Café Tu Tu Tango

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**** (4 stars)

Good tapas style restaurant in the tourist district. One has the impression that there are fewer actual ingredients involved than the extensive menu would suggest, with the same things appearing in several differently named dishes. Good for groups and sharing, and a fairly quiet place to have a leisurely lunch, very like its evening atmosphere. Friendly service, and interesting artwork for sale on the walls.

Café Tu Tu Tango
8625 International Dr
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 248-2222
http://www.yelp.com/biz/caf%C3%A9-tu-tu-tango-orlando-3

Ceviche Tapas Bar & Restaurant

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**** (4 stars)

I’ve been to the Ceviche in Orlando many times, so it was interesting to contrast this St. Pete location, which has a great setting, elevated one story above the waterfront area. Service was pleasant, and there is a nice offering of wines.

We were there on a Sunday for lunch, and I was a bit disappointed at the absence of the extensive small plates menu I’m used to. To me tapas should be more about many tiny tastes, rather than slightly larger and more limited offerings. But I assume in the evening the menu is like the one we’re accustomed to.

Ceviche Tapas Bar & Restaurant
10 Beach Dr NE
Saint Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 209-2299
http://www.yelp.com/biz/ceviche-tapas-bar-and-restaurant-saint-petersburg

LoudMouth Grill

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*** (3 stars)

This is the third incarnation of what we call “Naughty Perkins Sports Bar” in honor of its coffee shop history, when Tiger Woods picked up waitresses here. From coffee shop it transition to sports bar. Now LoudMouth is little changed from its days as MVP Sports Bar, except that the food has become even less healthful!

The featured item pretty much says it all: the LoudMouth Burger is a bacon cheeseburger served not on a bun, but between two grilled cheese sandwiches. If this sounds incredibly greasy, well, it is. Of course, I felt obligated to try it. It wasn’t bad, but the beef patty was its weak point. The grilled cheese sandwiches and bacon were delicious. The burger was accompanied by excellent waffle fries and a chunk of dill pickle.

We also tried a Ceasar salad that was okay except for a couple of bits of rancid crouton.

Service was friendly and attentive, but the employees outnumbered the patrons for weekday lunch, so I’m not sure of the prospects for this incarnation.

LoudMouth Grill
8965 Conroy Windermere Rd
Orlando, FL 32835
(407) 217-6877
http://www.yelp.com/biz/loudmouth-grill-orlando

Fat Kahunas

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**** (4 stars)

If you’re looking for good food right at the beach in Cocoa, this is the place. It’s not just your typical fried fish hut, but an excellent restaurant with a range of offerings that is an unexpected and pleasant surprise.

We particularly enjoyed the coconut shrimp appetizer and the wedge salad. The entrees were also good, with a massive plate of “Malibu” chicken — chicken covered with cheddar cheese, bacon and mushrooms.  I was a bit surprised that there was no tartar sauce for the fish and chips. Side dishes, which come with the entrees, were also very good, especially the coconut rice and the cole slaw.

Pricing is extremely reasonable for the great quality and large portions.

Reservations are really important. This restaurant has only five inside tables, and two more outside, so plan ahead, or come at an off time!

Fat Kahunas
8 Minuteman Cswy
Cocoa Beach, FL 32931
(321) 783-6858
http://www.yelp.com/biz/fat-kahunas-cocoa-beach-2

Sloppy Taco Palace

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**** (4 stars)

Yes, the tacos are sloppy. And good. Very good. But what is GREAT is the sloppy dog. Also bizarre. It’s a delicious hot dog in a tortilla, covered in chili and nacho cheese. And it’s five times better than you imagined from that description.

The Greek wrap and Greek taco are also really good. The sliders are, um, how can I put this… lousy.

Tater tots are the most popular side, and are delicious.

Service is fun; our regular lunch waitress is quick with the jokes and the refills, and makes each lunch a bit of a lark.

We like to eat outside on the covered porch because it doesn’t smell like old beer, which, let’s face it, the inside does. It looks like they have some wild bands in the evening but I’ve never been there then.

Tip: lunch specials most days are really cheap.

Sloppy Taco Palace
4892 S Kirkman Rd
Orlando, FL 32811
(407) 574-6474
http://www.yelp.com/biz/sloppy-taco-palace-orlando