*** (3 stars)
This is an okay fish restaurant in a town that has good sushi places but no really great seafood places. The food here is similar to what you’d find at a Red Lobster, and the atmosphere not that much different, either. Service is fine, but seems stretched a bit thin. Probably best if you’re in the mood for fried seafood.
Davis Street Fishmarket
501 Davis St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 869-3474
http://www.yelp.com/biz/davis-street-fishmarket-evanston
**** (4 stars)
This is Emeril’s other restaurant at Universal, and I actually like it better than the original Emeril’s. While there is an Asian twist to most items, it is more a fusion of different cuisines, and there are lots of interesting flavors. The room is absolutely beautiful, with a long lily pond down the middle, high reedy ceilings and dramatic lighting. It’s usually not as noisy as you might expect from the soaring roofline. Prices are reasonable for a tourist hotel restaurant. This is a surprisingly good choice for pre-show dining before going to a concert at Hard Rock Live, because you can take the boat there and save the exorbitant valet parking charge at Citywalk.
Emeril’s Tchoup Chop
6300 Hollywood Way
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 503-2467
http://www.yelp.com/biz/emerils-tchoup-chop-orlando
**** (4 stars)
This is a big old cavernous place that does a lot of good stuff with fresh seafood. It can get really loud, so if you don’t want that ask to sit in the back room. Sushi isn’t their strong point, but they do offer some, along with oysters and other shellfish. I really like the salads and fish dishes. Good bread, too. Reasonably priced wines, unlike most of the other restaurants in the area.
Big Fin Seafood Kitchen
8046 W Sand Lake Rd
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 615-8888
http://www.yelp.com/biz/big-fin-seafood-kitchen-orlando
**** (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
**** (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
**** (4 stars)
Roys serves Hawaiian influenced cuisine that reminds me of the Polynesian restaurants that used to be popular across the US. This location is particularly noisy, and is frequented by tourists, so it’s not the best location for an intimate dinner. The food is good, but perhaps not good enough to warrant the price compared to other nearby choices such as Bonefish. Ask to sit in the smaller front room to avoid some of the din.
Roy’s Restaurant
7760 W Sand Lake Rd
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 352-4844
http://www.yelp.com/biz/roys-restaurant-orlando
*** (3 stars)
This restaurant is often on the “Best Of” lists, but I’m not sure why, Service is fine, but the food is neither remarkable nor particularly French. Both Stained Glass and Quince are better bets for an upscale meal in Evanston.
Oceanique
505 Main St
Evanston, IL 60202
(847) 864-3435
http://www.yelp.com/biz/oceanique-evanston
*** (3 stars)
After a tour of the Mob Museum, a couple of blocks north of Fremont Street in the somewhat seedy downtown area of Vegas, we walked to the nearby Triple George Grill. It’s a popular lunch stop, and was quite busy. The interior is old school, but the place was built in 2005. The food was fairly typical bar and grill fair, nothing special.
Triple George Grill
201 N 3rd St
Las Vegas, NV 89101
(702) 384-2761
http://www.yelp.com/biz/triple-george-grill-las-vegas
***** (5 stars)
This is the Churrascaria concept, where roving servers with skewers of meats come by your table delivering 16 different kinds of meat until you beg them to stop (well, actually until you turn over the little red and green piece of cardboard by your plate).
The meats are terrific (especially the house specialty caipirinha seasoned beef, and the baby lamb chops) but I was even more impressed by the delicious offerings at the included salad bar. Each ingredient was incredibly fresh and succulent, and there was a terrific variety, from Ceasar salad to curried cucumber to giant stalks of perfectly cooked asparagus.
Service was hyper attentive. The room is decorated in very appealing woods, a much better ambiance, I thought, than the competing Texas de Brazil Churrascaria up the street, and the food was certainly better.
These places are fairly expensive, with lunch about $26 and dinner topping out at $42. On the other hand, the salad bar only option seems like a pretty good deal at dinner, since it’s always $19.
Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse
8282 International Dr
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 370-0711
http://www.yelp.com/biz/fogo-de-ch%C3%A3o-brazilian-steakhouse-orlando-3
***** (5 stars)
The Girl and the Goat is the new restaurant by Stephanie Izard, winner of Top Chef. Barely open a year, it has already won a James Beard award, and is the hottest restaurant in Chicago. I reserved our table three months in advance.
I was a bit wary of going the day after Moto, and some of the menu items seemed a bit scary (oven roasted pig’s face). What a delightful surprise this restaurant turned out to be! We loved all the plates we shared. We tried all three fresh baked breads of the day. Each was served with two different accompaniments, such as Worchestshire butter. Our favorite dishes were:
Wood fired chicken with fried pickles and grilled naan.
Sauteed cauliflower with pickled peppers, parmesan cheese, mint leaves and pine nuts.
Goat belly confit with lobster and crab.
Service was really professional yet friendly, and the vibrant environment and wood smoke filled room is the perfect setting for such fun and tasty food. The Girl and the Goat is a new Chicago favorite.
Girl & the Goat
809 W Randolph St
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 492-6262
http://www.yelp.com/biz/girl-and-the-goat-chicago