Author Archives: steve

The Doughnut Vault

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**** (4 stars)

I’m not sure this place is actually as big as the average vault!

But clearly they’re doing something right, when there’s a half hour line outside on a cold Sunday morning.

I’m a big fan of old fashioned buttermilk donuts, and although we tried a sampling of everything those were certainly my favorites. I felt they were comparable to Stan’s, my long time benchmark from Westwood Village California, and now at two spots in Chicago. However they don’t have the nice crust you find at Do-Rite’s, which I’d have to dub the winner in that category.

Still, a very fine donut.

The Doughnut Vault
401 1/2 N Franklin St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 285-2830
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-doughnut-vault-chicago

Do-Rite Donuts

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***** (5 stars)

This is what a donut shop in heaven must be like.

As a long-time fan of Stan’s Corner Donut Shop in Westwood Village California, I was delighted to learn that Stan’s had opened locations in Chicago. And indeed, their blueberry buttermilk donut is hard to beat.

But my favorite donut is an old fashioned buttermilk, and the one at Do-Rite has bested all others. The delicate crusty outside and moist center is the perfect combination. Do-Rite’s has a lot of other good choices, but this one is the new benchmark of excellence.

It’s one heavenly donut.

Do-Rite Donuts
50 West Randolph Street
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 488-2483
http://www.yelp.com/biz/do-rite-donuts-chicago

MK Restaurant

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***** (5 stars)

What a delightful meal we had at MK Restaurant! I love the combination of intricate, complex and perfectly prepared food, yet relaxed, friendly service. This is no stiff palace to haut cuisine, it’s a place people go to have great food and wine in a convivial atmosphere.

I love the design of the room, too, which is light and open, and doesn’t get noisy even when all the tables are filled.

Best of all, on off nights MK offers many of their wines at 50% off. This leads to some exquisite wines at near retail pricing. We created out own multi-course menu (although I’m sure the tasting menu would have been great, too) and were able to pair each course with the perfect wine because of the reasonable pricing, and the large number of half bottles and wines by the glass.

MK is really a gem of a restaurant, and we’ll be back soon.

MK Restaurant
868 N Franklin St
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 482-9179
http://www.yelp.com/biz/mk-restaurant-chicago

Zorba’s Greek Taverna

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**** (4 stars)

There are a few Greek restaurants we go to in this area, including at Dr Phillips and International Drive, and the food is somewhat similar between them. I like Zorba the best because of its expansive, covered outside patio. Plus, the lunch special is currently a $5 gyro, which is hard to beat. This is one of my top choices for outdoor dining in the area.

Zorba’s Greek Taverna
4898 S Kirkman Rd
Orlando, FL 32811
(407) 219-4326
http://www.yelp.com/biz/zorbas-greek-taverna-orlando

The Library

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***** (5 stars)

We absolutely loved this place. It has all the advantages of the food from the Gilt Bar upstairs, but without the noise.

I’m surprised they don’t bill this as a speakeasy, because it has that atmosphere: a twisting passageway downstair to find the almost hidden door, and lighting that takes a few minutes to adjust to. Candles on book shelves provide part of the illumination, and the fancy bar at one end looks like it’s straight out of the 20s.

We tried a large portion of the menu, and loved everything except perhaps the bone marrow and the rib eye. Mussels were a standout.

Of course with this theming there are cocktails, and many fine choices among them. I’m not a fan of sweet drinks, so I was delighted to discover many bitter ingredients available, and even finished with an Amaro Nonino.

Service was friendly and helpful.

The Library
Gilt Bar
230 W Kinzie St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 464-9544
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-library-chicago

Mynt

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Exterior

Exterior

Downstairs

Upstairs Sunday Brunch

Upstairs Sunday Brunch

**** (4 stars)

This tiny space off of Hannibal square is owned by the people behind Saffron on Sand Lake Road, but it has better food and service.

We started with papadums and garlic naan bread. The papadums were more delicate than most, served with two chutneys, mint and tamarind. The garlic naan was particularly good, very thin and a bit crisp in the center, with lots of garlic.

Next we shared the tandoori platter, a combination of chicken, lamb, shrimp and sausage. All were very good although not remarkable.

We finished with an order of butter chicken, which was extremely flavorful, a bit more complex and slightly less rich than some versions.

Service was very attentive. There seemed to be more servers than patrons, although I guess Saturday lunch is slow. Although we didn’t take advantage of it, there is a superb lunch deal, with a full meal for just about $10.

We also went back for brunch, which was upstairs, and a spectacular spread of very fresh food, with terrific variety. Brunch is a deal, priced at $13.95 including a drink or glass of sparkling wine.

Many of the dishes on the menu are not names I’m familiar with from the other Indian restaurants I’ve been too, so I’m looking forward to returning and trying some new things.

Mynt
533 W New England Ave
Ste 100
Winter Park, FL 32789
(321) 441-9872
http://www.yelp.com/biz/mynt-winter-park

Village Inn Winter Garden

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***** (5 stars)

Wow. Service with a capital S! I’ve been to fine dining restaurants where I haven’t gotten this level of service.

I was always a fan of the Village Inn when they were in Florida in the 90s, and was sad to see them close most locations, so it’s nice to have them back.

This location had only been open a week when I went, and corporate management was still very hands-on, but it was clear that they were looking for extraordinary service personnel, and they found them. Everyone I encountered was extremely into their job.

The interior of the space is light and modern. I particularly liked the “technology bar” where I sat. I had the same thing I used to always have, a breakfast skillet, and it was prepared just the way I wanted.

Coupled with the attentive and friendly service, it was exactly what I’m looking for in a coffee shop breakfast, and I’ll definitely return.

Village Inn Winter Garden
3130 Daniels Rd
Winter Garden, FL 34787
(407) 654-0736
http://www.yelp.com/biz/village-inn-winter-garden-winter-garden

Zab Thai

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*** (3 stars)

OK, this is not a great Thai restaurant, but I had a much better experience than most of these other reviews.

It’s true that the server was completely untrained, and had no concept of when to turn in orders for food or to clear plates. So appetizer, soup and main course arrived spaced out by about 90 seconds each. And then plates started disappearing even while we were still eating off of them. So… 0 for service.

On the other hand, I’ve never been to such a beautifully decorated restaurant. With stone statuary on the walls, teak dividers, and elegant hanging lamps it’s really quite nice. If they turned off the glaring overhead lighting and completely went with the theme it would be one of the best decorated restaurants in Central Florida. So 5 for decor.

As for the food, it was okay. The sashimi was fine; a generous portion, fairly fresh tasting, excellent quality salmon. The Tom Yum soup was tasty, with crispy fresh vegetables added at the last minute. And the Pad Thai was good if not great, not as complex or citrusy as I like, but at least takeout quality. I really had to restrain myself at dessert time from ordering the yummy-sounding “Black glutinous rice pudding with young coconut flesh.” “Glutinous” and “flesh” are not things I look for in a dessert. Anyway… let’s say 3 for food.

That averages out to a solid 3 star rating. It’s a bit sad because that might make it the highest rated restaurant in Clermont, but that’s another story.

Zab Thai
1660 E Hwy 50
Clermont, FL 34711
(352) 242-1314
http://www.yelp.com/biz/zab-thai-clermont-2

Teriyaki House

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**** (4 stars)

I have no idea why this place is called Teriyaki house since it’s not Japanese and they don’t serve teriyaki. What they do serve is authentic Taiwanese food. You’ll find it less oily and saucy and steamed than the Chinese food served around town.

The first challenge is to find the place. It’s in a corner shopping center with a parking lot full of trees, the sign is small, and the place is only slightly wider than the single parking spot in front of it.

The second challenge is placing your order. The older gentleman at the counter when we arrived definitely did not speak English. Fortunately there are a lot of pictures on their menu, so even though much of the menu contains no English names or descriptions, you can make some good guesses.

We had three different dishes. Salt and Pepper Chicken was excellent–nice and crispy, not oily, and with some delicate fried basil leaves. The pork chop was similar; it was juicy and the accompanying sausage was delicious. The third dish will remain a mystery, although it was a bit like Kung Pao Chicken; we liked it the least of the three.

If you have experience with Taiwanese food, or are looking for something better than the many Chinese restaurants in Orlando, Teriyaki House is a great choice, even if it’s not a teriyaki house.

Teriyaki House
5600 W Colonial Dr
Ste 108
Orlando, FL 32808
(321) 281-8088
http://www.yelp.com/biz/teriyaki-house-orlando