Category Archives: Florida

Ocean Prime

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**** (4 stars)

A good choice if you can’t decide between steak and seafood. The place can (will) get quite loud, so ask for a quiet table (one of the booths is best; booth 58 is ideal).

The tuna tartare appetizer and the house salad are standouts. Jalapeño au gratins are a great choice for a side, and are not particularly spicy.

There is an extensive selection of wines by the glass at reasonable prices.

Service is exceptional, perhaps the best on all of restaurant row. Live music on Thursday through Saturday is loud in the bar, but perfectly piped into the dining room.

Valet parking is available for those who can’t be bothered to walk fifty feet.

Ocean Prime
7339 W Sand Lake Rd
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 781-4880
http://www.yelp.com/biz/ocean-prime-orlando

J. Alexander’s

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*** (3 stars)

A disappointing and not particularly successful copy of Houston’s (now Hilstone’s). Table service is uneven, and the food is just okay. Sandwich pricing is for tourists, so it’s impossible to get lunch for less than about $20 with tip and drink. Happy hour is a good deal, but no better than Morton’s or Flemings, where the steaks and burgers are better.

J. Alexander’s
7335 W Sand Lake Rd
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 345-1039
http://www.yelp.com/biz/j-alexanders-orlando

Christner’s Prime Steak and Lobster

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**** (4 stars)

In a city full of steak houses, this is the best. And it’s not a chain, although the old name (del Frisco’s) was leased from one. But now taking on the founders’ name (Christner) is remains Orlando’s best. Leather booths, low lighting, and professional servers create a great ambiance.

Steak is served a bit undercooked, and finished at your table on a plate that you DON’T want to touch. Lobster tails are the best I’ve had anywhere. The house salad with blue cheese is great too. Sides are just okay.

Of course none of this is cheap, but it’s worth it. The wine list is extensive and pricey, so mixed drinks might be a better choice, and in fact fit the ambiance quite well.

Christner’s Prime Steak and Lobster
729 Lee Rd
Orlando, FL 32810
(407) 645-4443
http://www.yelp.com/biz/christners-prime-steak-and-lobster-orlando

Soong Thai

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***** (5 stars)

This is an excellent Thai restaurant. It’s always busy at lunch, and yet the servers are always super efficient and kind, and the food is served promptly. They offer a long list of lunch specials, including many Chinese items for those who don’t like it spicy. And their extensive ala carte menu is filled with great stuff. Everything I’ve ever had here has been excellent, but my favorite is the shrimp in red curry. Lunch comes with a cup of soup that is a bit like wonton sup, but with super fresh ingredients added at the last minute, and it is slightly different every time. Subtle but delicious. Easily the best Thai on the west side.

Soong Thai
9448 W Colonial Dr
Ocoee, FL 34761
(407) 822-8200
http://www.yelp.com/biz/soong-thai-ocoee

4 Rivers Smokehouse

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***** (5 stars)

Essentially a clone of the original 4 Rivers. In a city of BBQ joints, this is the best. At most BBQ places I lik sliced pork, but the ticket here is either the “burnt ends”, a mixture of beef and pork from the edges that is seared to perfection and mixed with BBQ sauce, or the brisket, which is best just as a lump on your tray rather than a sandwich. Most of the sides are less exciting than these two entrees. The outside seating here is spacious and not too noisy.

4 Rivers Smokehouse
1047 S Dillard St
Winter Garden, FL 34787
(407) 474-8377
http://www.yelp.com/biz/4-rivers-smokehouse-winter-garden

Rosen Shingle Creek

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**** (4 stars)

Lovely hotel, built on a Vegas scale, with superb convention facilities, and an interesting collection of small cafes.

Unfortunately on our first visit the Italian restaurant, Cala Bella, was disappointing in both food and service. The oddly named steakhouse, A Land Remembered, was a better bet.

For kids who want to spend the vacation in the pool, this is a great choice, because there are plenty to choose from. And if golf is your thing, it’s right outside.

I love the secluded feel of the property, with the long entry way and manicured grounds, yet it’s really conveniently located near attractions and I-Drive.

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Update, one year later:

On a busy convention night, we were only able to get into Cala 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.

Rosen Shingle Creek
9939 Universal Blvd
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 996-9939
http://www.yelp.com/biz/rosen-shingle-creek-orlando-2

4 Rivers Smokehouse

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***** (5 stars)

Indeed, in a city of BBQ joints, this is the best. At most BBQ places I lik sliced pork, but the ticket here is either the “burnt ends”, a mixture of beef and pork from the edges that is seared to perfection and mixed with BBQ sauce, or the brisket, which is best just as a lump on your tray rather than a sandwich. Most of the sides are less exciting than these two entrees, although the do have some tasty (and caloric) desserts.

4 Rivers Smokehouse
1600 W Fairbanks Ave
Winter Park, FL 32789
(407) 474-8377
http://www.yelp.com/biz/4-rivers-smokehouse-winter-park-2

Paris Bistro

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***** (5 stars)

Wow, what great ambiance this place has. It reminds me of a little cafe of the Champs Elysee in Paris. Food is authentically French, and the service is attentive and professional. I love sitting under the giant (fake but very realistic) tree in the enclosed courtyard and having lunch or brunch, both of which are very attractively priced. I’ve followed this place since its origin, with a different name and different owners, through  three locations, and it still never disappoints. My favorite little Orlando bistro.

Paris Bistro
216 N Park Ave
Winter Park, FL 32789
(407) 671-4424
http://www.yelp.com/biz/paris-bistro-winter-park