Category Archives: Florida

Tijuana Flats

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**** (4 stars)

This local chain provides good Tex Mex food in a friendly atmosphere. For a counter service restaurant there is surprisingly good service at every location I’ve been to. Taco Tuesdays offers a particularly good deal, although I prefer the salads or fish tacos, which aren’t part of that deal. The highlight is the ever-changing hot sauce bar which arranges  about ten sauces from mild to killer.

Tijuana Flats
2320 S. Kirkman Rd.
Orlando, FL 32811
(407) 822-4257
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tijuana-flats-orlando-5

Mykonos Mayeron Authentic Greek Cuisine

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**** (4 stars)

Excellent authentic Greek food, attentive service, and a nice spot to dine outside on the front porch. The three dip sample was an excellent appetizer choice, and the accompanying pitas were perfectly grilled.

Also perfectly grilled was the chargrilled octopus which was tender and flavorful. A nice assortment of Greek wines is available by the glass.

Mykonos Mayeron Authentic Greek Cuisine
2401 W State Rd 434
Longwood, FL 32779
(407) 788-9095
http://www.yelp.com/biz/mykonos-mayeron-authentic-greek-cuisine-longwood

Chuys

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***** (5 stars)

This is an excellent addition to Orlando’s Tex-Me dining scene, easily outshining nearby offerings.

Service, even during opening week, was efficient and almost overwhelmingly friendly.

The margarita had a perfect balance between lime, orange and a healthy pour of tequila.

Tortilla chips are paper thin and not at all greasy. There are eight sauces on tap ranging from mild to medium.

I had the appetizer plate as my lunch entree, and everything on it was quite good. I particularly liked the queso, which had a nice kick to it.

In case you’re wondering, the name is pronounced “chewies”!

Chuys
8123 International Dr
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 730-3602
http://www.yelp.com/biz/chuys-orlando

Scratch

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***** (5 stars)

Amazing food and service in an intimate environment. The menu changes constantly, so it’s a fun surprise to see what they have. We were there for a private party, and they knocked it out of the park with one dish after another. The rib eye with bone marrow was the best beef dish I ever tasted. It’s nice that they’re open until 2am most nights, because with only 40 seats going early or late is the only way to get in.

Scratch
223 W Fairbanks Ave
Winter Park, FL 32789
(407) 325-5165
http://www.yelp.com/biz/scratch-winter-park

Lolailo “The Original”

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*** (3 stars)

Southwest Orange County really needs a good tapas restaurant. And Lolailo has the potential to be one, but it’s not there yet. The restaurant occupies the former space of the much-missed Rice Paper, but has undergone a full remodel, and is quite stylish.

To me, tapas is all about ordering a table full of small sharing plates. In Spain it’s not uncommon for two of us to share a dozen little items. But that doesn’t work at Lolailo. Much of the menu is devoted to entrees, and the tapas items are extremely expensive. An assorted cheese plate for $30? You’ve got to be kidding. Assorted meats $20.

The problem is worse at lunch. There are almost no tapas items on the lunch menu. Pricing is more reasonable, with the entrees under $15, and a croquette appetizer was a bargain at $4. But most items weren’t particularly flavorful. The grilled lamb chops were the best, but were accompanied by flavorless mashed potatoes. My guests were unenthusiastic about the veal, the fish soup and the chick pea stew.

We were almost alone at lunch, and certainly outnumbered by employees, yet it took an hour and a half, so I’m curious to see if they continue to offer lunch.

I might try Lolailo again, but I think I’ll wait a few months to see what changes they make.

Lolailo “The Original”
7637 Turkey Lake Rd
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 730-8948
http://www.yelp.com/biz/lolailo-the-original-orlando

Bern’s Steak House

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***** (5 stars)

Well, there simply is no other place like Bern’s. With the greatest wine list on the planet, it’s a draw for wine enthusiasts all over the planet. There are thousands of gems on this list, many priced below auction level. We routinely enjoy Burgundies from the 1950s without breaking the bank. And there are a couple hundred wines by the glass. Plus dessert wines. Where else can you get a glass of 1834 Madeira?

The food is great, too. and the offerings have really expanded in the past three decades we’ve been going. It’s actually not my favorite steak, because I’m not a fan of dry aging, but there are hundreds of other selections. We just usually have four or five appetizers per person and then go up to the dessert rooms. Our favorite app is the caviar (choice of more than a dozen) served Bern’s style with little foams.

And what other restaurant has dessert rooms? Private little spaces, dark and romantic, made from wine vats! The perfect end to a spectacular evening, all at reasonable prices.

Bern’s Steak House
1208 S Howard Ave
Tampa, FL 33606
(813) 251-2421
http://www.yelp.com/biz/berns-steak-house-tampa

Crazy Cafe

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***** (5 stars)

Very nice sushi place in a light, airy corner spot in a mall. How nice to be able to enjoy sushi at the two outside tables. Well prepared rolls, and the lunch sashimi special was an excellent deal, offering tuna, salmon, escolar and hamachi. The selection of rolls is extensive.

Friendly service.

Crazy Cafe
3883 US Hwy 301 S
Riverview, FL 33578
(813) 898-2839
http://www.yelp.com/biz/crazy-cafe-riverview

TacoSon

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**** (4 stars)

Really popular counter service place with authentic Mexican food. I tried the pibil and barbacoa tacos, both with everything. I’ve had better pibil, but the barbacoa was great, really succulent. The chicken burrito was a bit more ordinary. Best to go at off peak times, as on Saturday at lunch there were 20 people in line.

TacoSon
7521 N 56th St
Tampa, FL 33617
(813) 989-2080
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tacoson-tampa

Cala Bella

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**** (4 stars)

Although our first visit to Cala Bella wasn’t a stand out, we decided to return a year later when, on a busy convention night, we were only able to get into Calla Bella. We sat at the “Presentation Bar” which faces directly into the kitchen, and it was, ironically, the quietest spot in the house.

Service was attentive and knowledgeable, and the food was excellent. Unlike the bland cioppino of our first visit, the flatbread was bursting with fresh flavors and tasted just like the sidewalk pizzas in Italy. Chilean sea bass was perfectly cooked, and the mushroom side dish with our entrees was another standout. A completely different experience from our first visit, and I’ll happily return.

Cala Bella
9939 Universal Blvd
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 996-3663
http://www.yelp.com/biz/cala-bella-orlando