Category Archives: Florida

Peperoncino

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***** (5 stars)

This is about as close as you can get to authentic Italian food in Orlando. The ingredients are fresh, and many of them are imported. In fact, you know you’re in for a treat from the moment they put down the fresh bread, because the olive oil it’s drizzled with is sublime, and the dusting of grated cheese packs a ton of flavor into each bite.

We tried the antipasto plate, which had a wonderful pecorino cheese studded with black pepper–probably the best pecorino I’ve had. I’m not much of a meat person, but my wife liked all of the meats on the plate.

We also had the mussels, which were served in a tomato sauce that had very fresh tomato pieces. I’m betting these came from Italy, as they weren’t the American kind that you can bounce into a semi truck.

The pictures on the website show lots of fish and shellfish dishes, but the only fish dish I could find was the special, a snapper cooked in parchment, served with shellfish. The snapper was (mostly) de-boned at tableside. It was moist, but a bit of a pain to eat, and the shellfish wasn’t as good as the mussel appetizer.

Perperoncino is tiny, bright and noisy, not my first choice of ambiance, but on nice evenings the restaurant doubles its size by expanding onto the plaza it fronts. That’s the ticket for a truly authentic Italian meal.

Peperoncino
7988 Via Dellagio Way
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 440-2856
http://www.yelp.com/biz/peperoncino-orlando

Border Grill Fresh-Mex

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***** (5 stars)

With no sign on the building, it’s a challenge to find the Border Grill, but well worth it. Look for the neon sign in the window that says Authentic Mexican Food. Indeed it is. The mole sauce on our enchiladas was the highlight, dark, rich and slightly spicy. The refried beans are really authentic, too, and probably bad for you. The al Pastor marinated BBQ pork in the gordita was less rich than some I’ve had, but still tasty, and the gordita shell was crispy/soft and delicious, although I would have prefered it with cilantro rather than lettuce. Everything is made to order, so arrive early and plan on 15 minutes for the food to be ready. A great find!

Border Grill Fresh-Mex
5695A Vineland Rd
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 352-0101
http://www.yelp.com/biz/border-grill-fresh-mex-orlando-2

The Tasting Room

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***** (5 stars)

The Tasting Room is a great small plates restaurant in charming Winter Garden. Because it is operated from the same kitchen as The Chef’s Table–one of Central Florida’s best restaurants–you’d expect the food to be great, and it is. The Tasting Room is a lively and less formal atmosphere than The Chef’s Table, and the emphasis is on sampling lots of different foods, accompanied by craft beers, wines by the glass, or exotic cocktails from the full bar. On our first visit, my favorites were the fish dip, the bacon-wrapped scallops, and the bourbon pecan dessert. It’s great to be able to drop in to such a fine dining experience without needing a reservation. Definitely a new favorite.

The Tasting Room
99 W Plant St
Winter Garden, FL 34787
(407) 230-4837
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-tasting-room-winter-garden

Sushi Pop

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***** (5 stars)

At last! There’s a sophisticated and trendy restaurant in Orlando. Sushi Pop in Oveido combines highly creative sushi with a touch of molecular gastronomy and an anime-inspired decor to create a top notch experience worthy of New York City. Highlights were:

   Edamame with garlic salt
   Ceviche roll (hamachi with avocado, tempura shallots and chipotle lime sauce topped with flounder, siracha hot sauce, micro cilantro, Hawaiian pink salt and wedge of lime)
   Hot Mess roll (smoked salmon, avocado and tempura flakes with maple soy, topped with baked tuna, salmon, yellowtail, flounder, spicy mayo, smelt roe, scallions and rendered bacon)
   Hamachi Kama (grilled yellowtail collar glazed with sweet soy, topped with toasted garlic, scallions, lime wedge and ponzu dipping sauce)
   It’s No Yolk (fresh cubed salmon tossed with lime juice, olive oil, shallots, thai basil with sunny side egg of sweet coconut milk and mango puree, served withseaweed rice cracker)
   Maple ice cream with candied bacon

The seating is a combination of tables, couch-like booths and bar stools. Servers wear individual quirky costumes. Anime plays on flat screens, and the wall art is manga. Reservations are a must, as the place was packed, inside and out, during our three-hour gastronomic tour. Highly Recommended.

Sushi Pop
310 W Mitchell Hammock Rd
Oviedo, FL 32765
(407) 542-5975
http://www.yelp.com/biz/sushi-pop-oviedo

Chef’s Table At the Edgewater

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***** (5 stars)

The Chef’s Table at the Edgewater hotel is an unlikely star in the Central Florida dining scene. Certainly one of the top five restaurants, and perhaps second only to the infinitely more expensive Victoria and Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian, the Chef’s Table is tucked away in historic Winter Garden, a few miles north of the theme parks. It’s an intimate place, with only a half dozen tables (although an expansion is in the works that will offer small plates in a more casual setting).

The Chef’s table offers the most personal dining experience I’ve yet to encounter. Chef Kevin visits every table to explain (in mouthwatering detail) how each dish is prepared. It’s no surprise the food is so good, as Kevin worked at both Victoria and Albert’s and Emeril’s Commander’s Palace. Kevin’s wife and business partner is Laurie, who is a very talented sommelier. She is perhaps the most talented wine matching expert I’ve encountered, and the wine pairing dinner is an absolute steal.

After a leisurely dinner you can often catch a stage show in the Historic Garden Theatre across the street.

This restaurant has swept the local dining awards several times, winning for best chef’s table, best wine pairings, most romantic, and several other categories. It’s good for intimate couples dining, business dinners, and vacationing foodies alike. Highly recommended.

Chef’s Table At the Edgewater
99 W Plant St
Winter Garden, FL 34787
(407) 230-4837
http://www.yelp.com/biz/chefs-table-at-the-edgewater-winter-garden

Cuvee Wine & Bistro

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***** (5 stars)

Cuvée Wine & Bistro has an interesting business plan, which combines two different concepts: a restaurant, and self-service wine dispensers.

It occupies part of a former bank building, but has been redecorated in a pleasant, trendy way. High booth backs keep the noise level down, although the old farts next to us were quite rowdy. Each dining room is surrounded by rows of wine dispensers, some refrigerated for the whites, others not, for reds. There are well over 100 selections, available in 1, 2.5 or 5 ounce pours. As with other such places, you load a card with money, and then it’s debited as you use the machines.

We arrived at 6:30 and things were fairly quite, but the restaurant soon filled up. What’s interesting about the success of the place is that it doesn’t seem to be driven by all the wine dispensers that surround the dining rooms. We saw few other patrons wandering around to try different wines with each course. Instead, most either let the waiter bring them a glass of something, or ordered a bottle for the table. Still, being surrounded by all those glowing bottles probably boosts wine sales. I couldn’t see the bar from where we sat, so I don’t know how much tasting traffic originated there.

The food was mostly very good. A cheese sampler plate offered a nice variety, and my clam appetizer was delicious. Salads were fine, and the steaks Linda and Martin had were good quality. I liked my eggplant napoleon, too. Service was excellent: attentive yet not rushing us.

The wines are more fairly priced than at the other self-serve wine place I’ve been to. Unfortunately, of four high end wines we tried (Tapestry, a Nuits St. Georges, a Pommard, and Dominus) all were spoiled by having been open a long, long time. As evidenced by the strong geranium smell, the dispensing system can’t keep them good forever. Our waiter cheerfully credited us for the wines we complained about, but they should have been removed, rather than left for the next sucker. None of the lower priced selections had this problem, and we tried many. Best QPR (quality to price ratio) was the Bell Petite Sirah.

It was fun to try small tastes of many different wines with our food. We all agreed we would return.

Cuvee Wine & Bistro
2237 SW 19th Ave Rd
Ocala, FL 34471
(352) 351-1816
http://www.yelp.com/biz/cuvee-wine-and-bistro-ocala

Pao Gostoso Bakery

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*** (3 stars)

I went to this place because I heard they had a pretty crazy hamburger, and that is, indeed the case. Beef, chicken, ham, sausage, bacon, fried egg, corn, cheese, lettuce, tomato. I can’t say it was the greatest burger ever, but it was a novelty. The pastries look good, and the two we tried were fresh and tasty. Service was very friendly.

Pao Gostoso Bakery
5472 International Dr
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 447-8946
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pao-gostoso-bakery-orlando

Yellow Dog Eats

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***** (5 stars)

This is a wonderfully funky hangout that the locals fill every day at lunch for the best sandwiches you can get in Central Florida–and perhaps anywhere.

The pulled pork is a favorite, but nothing here is that simple. Add applewood smoked bacon, a hint of raspberry sauce, some of the house-made and bottled mustard BBQ sauces… superb.

But my personal favorite is the Kitty Cat Nap salad, Organic greens, raspberry vinaigrette, and the most amazing heap of exotic tuna–filled with craisins, nuts, and Chinese five spice.

Owner Fish Morgan circulates and makes everyone feel at home. Well, at home with a wacky brother, anyway!

Parking is behind the place through a narrow drive on the left, or across the street. Eat out back, in the charming patio.

Yellow Dog is hard to find, but packed every day. That says it all.

Yellow Dog Eats
1236 Hempel Ave
Windermere, FL 34786
(407) 296-0609
http://www.yelp.com/biz/yellow-dog-eats-windermere-2

Jean Pierre’s Bistro

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***** (5 stars)

For some time I’d been wanting to try Jean Pierre’s Bistro, a French bistro and bakery in Water Tower Place, the cute shopping village in front of Disney’s Celebration. Orlando doesn’t really have any true French bistros, with the possible exception of  Chefs de France at Epcot, which isn’t exactly convenient–or cheap.

I had some doubts when we arrived at Jean Pierre’s for dinner, because the place was deserted, and quite brightly lit, more like what you’d expect from a bakery or a sandwich shop–both of which it is, during the daytime. So it wasn’t exactly the ambiance I was hoping for from an evening bistro. But the food was everything I’d hoped for.

We started with the house made paté, a cheese plate, smoked salmon, and a salad with traditional French vinaigrette. All were excellent, especially the pate (really a terrine), which was fresh, flavorful, and had a wonderful mixture of spices on the outside. We could have used some soft, stinky cheeses, but I understand why American tastes run to firmer, less fragrant ones, and the half dozen choices were all very flavorful. The salmon was fresh and very smokey, with just the right accompaniments, and the salad was perfect, just like in Paris.

Our main courses were Beef Bourguignon and Chicken in a mushroom and madeira sauce. Both sauces were excellent, and each was accompanied by a rich, creamy dish of scalloped potatoes. A particular highlight was the fresh baked French baguette, which was plentiful and very authentic. As parting gifts the owner bestowed upon us glasses of Muscat and a fresh loaf of this wonderful bread to take with us.

I was impressed that the owner, with little assistance, could turn out such a diverse offering in so little time; and there were at least twenty other dishes we could have chosen. Prices are very reasonable, and the wine list has a couple of nice choices at good prices. It’s too bad his location isn’t higher profile, and that his website is fairly poor, because this is just the sort of French bistro Orlando needs.

Jean Pierre’s Bistro
17 Blake Blvd
Celebration, FL 34747
(321) 939-7588
http://www.yelp.com/biz/jean-pierres-bistro-celebration

Rice Paper

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***** (5 stars)

I go here every few weeks for lunch, and it’s amazingly consistent. My favorites are the noodle bowls, a tasty mixture of noodles and salad topped with your choice of protein. My favorites are the grilled pork and grilled salmon. They come with a fried spring roll, but I prefer to request the steamed on, which is served chilled with a delicious peanut sauce.

Service is reliable, and the place is pleasant for a strip mall, with pretty cool blue halogen lights and airy woodwork.

Rice Paper
7637 Turkey Lake Rd
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 352-4700
http://www.yelp.com/biz/rice-paper-orlando