Patacon Con Todo

***** (5 stars)

This is a great Colombian place for some out of the ordinary food. The main dish is served on either crispy or sweet plantains with your choice of chicken, beef or chicharrones (crispy pork skin). The thing that makes it particularly delicious is the great assortment of sauces to put on them. Try the combination of garlic and pineapple.

There are also a lot of other selections, including arepas and empanadas, and even hot dogs. Even though eleven of us showed up for lunch and one guy was handling the order taking, food prep and serving, it was really quite fast.

The place has a fair amount of seating for a counter service restaurant, and is spotlessly clean. Definitely a great spot to try something different.

Patacon Con Todo
6700 Conroy Windermere Rd
Ste 105
Orlando, FL 32835
(321) 732-3933
http://www.yelp.com/biz/patacon-con-todo-orlando-2

Yard House

**** (4 stars)

What an extensive menu! And I’m not just talking about the 100+ beers. There are pages of different appetizers and mains in almost every category. Prices seem a bit steep, but I suppose that’s to be expected in the high rent tourist district.

The outside dining area is quite pleasant, and affords a view of the Orlando Eye.

Yard House
8367 International Dr
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 351-8220
http://www.yelp.com/biz/yard-house-orlando

Arepas El Cacao

***** (5 stars)

This tidy storefront serves prepared to order arepas with a variety of fillings and a nice assortment of sauces on the side. Although the name refers to chocolate, it’s a Venezuelan expression that simply means “The Best” Arepas. And they are good.

I had the shredded beef version with white cheese. It was particularly good with the homemade green sauce.

The also have cachapas. Unlike the arepas, which are grilled, slit open and stuffed, the cachapas are sweeter, and are folded over to hold their payload.

I also enjoyed my blackberry smoothie, which wasn’t too rich and had just the right amount of sweetness.

Arepas El Cacao
5389 S Kirkman Rd
Orlando, FL 32819
(321) 252-2226
http://www.yelp.com/biz/arepas-el-cacao-orlando-2

Paradiso 37

**** (4 stars)

In the darkest days after Pleasure Island’s abandonment, Paradisco 37 was a lone outpost in a wilderness of abandoned buildings. With the redevelopment of Downtown Disney into Disney Springs (just where is the spring, anyway?) that is slowly changing.

We used to walk in anytime we liked, but with the restaurant now on the Disney dining plan it is often packed. While that has totally changed the ambiance of our former getaway, the food remains the same, and is a notch about the typical tourist Tex Mex place.

The original concept behind Paradiso was pan-American cooking, but you’d be hard pressed to find something on the menu that wasn’t available at most Tex Mex places.

The ceviche is a good example, completely Americanized using cooked shrimp and no raw seafood at all, it’s a tasty if inauthentic starter. We also always enjoy the dipping trio, which give you a chance to sample a pleasantly fluffy spinach dip, a tasty chili, and a so-so guacamole.

Nachos are also good, if a bit skimpy on cheese. It’s hard to complain about Americanized Nachos since I’m pretty sure there isn’t any other kind.

My favorite entree is the salmon, which is also probably the most healthful dish on the menu, lightly cooked, and served with fresh vegetables and rice.

We stopped going to Paradiso a few years ago when we were seated next to a service station about ten feet from a manager, and no one came to the table for 30 minutes, so we left. I’m pleased to report that upon a recent return visit, service is now again available, and the dining experience is unchanged–if you can get a table.

Paradiso 37
1590 E Buena Vista Dr
Orlando, FL 32836
(407) 934-3700
http://www.yelp.com/biz/paradiso-37-orlando-3

Harry Caray’s Restaurant

*** (3 stars)

Let’s face it. One does not go to an airport for a fine dining experience. So when you get decent food in a sit down environment it makes you just a little more grateful than you’d be in other circumstances.

Harry Caray’s at Midway Airport is such a spot. The food is perfectly fine, including some nicely assembled sandwiches and some genuinely good salads.

The environment is crowded, noisy, and cluttered with luggage. In short, it’s at an airport. But you can sit (after a sometimes long wait) and have a decent meal and relax over a drink. That can’t be said of many other spots in this airport.

Service can be wildly variable. I’ve had everything from hyper-efficient to brusque to check for a pulse. Still, receiving any service at all in an airport is a novelty.

Harry Caray’s Restaurant
5757 S Cicero Ave
Chicago, IL 60638
(773) 948-6300
http://www.yelp.com/biz/harry-carays-restaurant-chicago-2