I really love the esprit de corps among the staff at this Denny’s. It makes all the difference when receptionists, hostesses, and servers are happy to be there and take pride in what they do. This location is spotlessly clean, bright, modern, and inviting. The menu is the standard Denny’s lineup, which I personally enjoy. When I’m looking for breakfast, this is exactly what I want.
I hadn’t ever tried the one-crepe breakfast before, which is a nice combination of two eggs (mine were over easy), bacon, and nicely browned hash browns, plus a lovely crepe with vanilla filling and strawberries on top, a delightful change from the usual pancake accompaniment.
This place definitely has a hip atmosphere. It looks like it could get boisterous, but we were there for a late lunch and it was great.
The concise menu has lots of interesting selections, and we enjoyed everything we tried. We started with the hummus, which was served with fresh-baked pitas. The hummus was topped with an assortment of herbs and seasonings, which made it fun to experiment with different combinations.
I had the three-piece fried chicken, and it was terrific. The crunchy, complex batter kept the tender, moist chicken steaming hot throughout our meal. The accompanying macaroni salad and cucumber chunk salad were both excellent.
My companion had the steak frites, a classic preparation with perfectly seared steak and a huge pile of nicely crisped truffle fries.
There are some interesting wines by the glass. I finished with the very intriguing root beer latte.
This is a very interesting restaurant. We had lunch here during an overnight stay at the next-door hotel before catching an early flight at SEATAC.
If you sit at the counter, it’s basically dinner and a show–if you find watching people cook, as I do. It’s almost like watching choreography as you see a half dozen chefs handling the lunch rush.
The seating is interesting, too. Think of those padded swivel armchairs at casino slot machines. There’s also a row of booths, each separated by padded walls, but trust me, the counter is much more interesting.
The food is essentially everything you’ve ever gotten in a diner, plus more. We started with the fried artichoke hearts, which were generous and excellent.
The Mexican Scramble was also a large serving. It was a bit dense and needed some Tabasco to liven it up despite the inclusion of jalapenos, but it was pretty good.
The coating on the blackened chicken was also very good.
Service was friendly, and overall the experience was quite entertaining.
I love this neighborhood diner. It’s got just about anything you could want on a diner menu, from elaborate breakfasts to perfectly prepared sandwiches, and great hot dishes like shepherds pie. Friendly service, and a pleasant decor.
InteriorHouse made salsaChicken tendersSmoked salmon dipSmoked Salmon DipPrime RibSteak FritesExteriorInterior
***** (5 stars)
It had been seven years since I'd been to Nona Blue–long enough that I'd forgotten I was ever there. In all fairness, we live far away, but it is convenient to Orlando International, so a great place to go after picking someone up.
In my earlier review we went for lunch, and I characterized it as a sports bar, but this time it was dinner, and the vibe was quite different. True, there are TV's around the central bar, but the lighting is romantically dim, and the noise level is reasonable, so it has more of an intimate club atmosphere, which we really liked.
We must be creatures of habit, because we ordered the same smoked salmon dip as last time, and enjoyed it just as much–again, the warning that there is a fair amount of egg white in it, which I liked, but my wife not so much.
The Caesar salad is one of the most authentic in town, with plenty of garlic and anchovy flavor in the dressing, which isn't too heavy.
She had the steak frites, and it had a great smoky flavor. Not that if you want it authentic you need to substitute steak fries for traditional ones.
I had the prime rib, which was a hefty serving accompanied by a delicious horseradish sauce and a Matterhorn of mashed potatoes.
There's a nice wine and cocktail list.
Service by Claire was very professional and friendly.
Nona Blue Modern Tavern 9685 Lake Nona Village Pl Orlando, FL 32827
Really homey decor and service is the highlight here. A extensive list of traditional Southern cooking, plu more than a dozen burgers. The five o'clock burger was just what I was looking for.
Time To Eat 7351 Theodore Dawes Rd Theodore, AL 36582
Contrary to what yelp says, this place has reopened. The menu is now hand written, but it is the same, excellent diner, type food with the same friendly service. When we visited, it was cash only due to the phone line being disconnected.
We enjoyed both the fried chicken and the chicken fingers. It's nice that they have servings sized for seniors as well as children. I hadn't seen that before.
It was actually full after church on Sunday, so it's definitely in business!
Betty’s Place – CLOSED 4766 State Hwy Pp Holt, MO 64048
This is a small traditional roadside diner with a classic assortment of dishes, including excellent hamburger, fries, and onion rings. Be sure to ask for their excellent onion ring dipping sauce!
The tuna melt is also really goos, as is their cole slaw.
