This is a nicely appointed restaurant in the old Keke’s space next to the newly redone Publix in Metrowest. This area has needed a sit-down Mexican restaurant since Taquitos Jalisco closed in the same shopping center more than a decade ago.
The menu is fairly extensive, and offers some authentic preparations such as Pastor, Mole, and even a Molcajete. We tried the queso, the chicken quesadilla, and the pastor tacos. Everything was fine, but seemed rather under seasoned and certainly underspiced. The meal includes complimentary tortilla chips and a very mild salsa.
The standout was the house margarita. I don’t think I’ve ever had a better margarita, even at twice the price.
Lunch pricing seems reasonable.
Our server was probably on her first day, but the kitchen was having no trouble, so I’m sure they’ll do well.
I’ve wanted to try this place for years, but it’s not very close to where I live, so I’m glad I finally got there today. Wow, I’m really impressed. I was misled by the name because I sort of thought it was going to be a tea parlor, but it’s actually a complete cafe with table service, serving delicious sandwiches and desserts in addition to a wide selection of teas and coffees.
I had the Thai dark black coffee, which is sweetened but does not have condensed milk in it. It was served on a crushed ice. Although it was with very strong coffee there was no hint of bitterness – just delicious.
The Gra-Prow chicken sandwich has gotten a lot of praise online, and justifiably so. I think it was the best sandwich I’ve ever tasted. It was done on sourdough bread and pressed in a panini-type press with lots of ridges in it, so that the crust was really crispy – almost like a ruffle potato chip. The filling was a delicious chicken salad with fresh basil, onion, red pepper, mozzarella and spicy basil mayo. Just a fantastic sandwich.
I also had to try the dessert, which is made with toast that reminded me of Japanese milk bread that had been toasted and cut into crouton-sized squares. The version I had was the Queen Bee, which was drizzled with honey, and topped with cookies ‘n cream ice cream and whipped cream. A great way to end the meal.
The service was really friendly, and I absolutely loved the food. I’ll definitely return soon.
What a great addition this is to the downtown Orlando dining scene. Whether you’re going for an à la carte meal or the excellent tasting menus available at both lunch and dinner, this is a refined and complex alternative to a lot of the more pedestrian food available downtown.
The chef here has obviously put a lot of thought into the recipes, and quite a few things were standouts for their sophistication.
– The shrimps ceviche starter was wonderfully balanced with great acidity and just the right amount of seasoning.
– The beets + bees salad is a real standout with generous helpings of multicolored beets, feta cheese, and a delightful vinaigrette dressing.
– The Parmesan pasta could have used a little more seasoning or complexity but was very good if you’re a pasta lover.
– My preference was the extraordinary Wagyu pastrami, which was just as good as it sounds. A spicy rhyme of peppery coating made it perhaps the best pastrami I’ve ever tasted, and since it was Wagyu, the meat itself was extraordinarily tender and flavorful without being fatty or overly rich.
There’s an extensive list of wines with quite a few of them available by the glass.
Service was friendly, and I enjoyed talking with the chef after the meal to discover that it takes a week to make the pastrami and that their bread is delivered fresh every morning. A great experience that I’m sure will return.
Note that Google has this location marked incorrectly on their map. It’s not on the side street, it’s right on Magnolia.
I was pleasantly surprised by this place. I attended a reunion here with 30-40 guests held in the outside patio area. The servers did an amazing job of keeping up with drink orders and dining orders from individuals as we milled around and eventually sat down to eat. How they kept everyone straight and presented everyone with the correct checks at the end of the meal is beyond me.
The menu tends to be an upscale version of a sports bar menu with a large selection of appetizers and burgers, but also a surprising variety of salads and other dishes. I had the miso Asian salad, which was fantastic, very refreshing and light. Yet a large enough serving to be satisfying.
They also have an extensive selection of beers, including some dark ones that are my favorites. All in all, an excellent experience.
What a delight this place is! Orlando so needed a classy place to enjoy good music, food, and drinks. Everything about this place is just about perfect. It reminds me a lot of Herb Alpert’s Vibrato restaurant in LA.: same chill vibe, great acoustics, and reasonable live music volume levels. The Tuesday night we went there was a solo guitarist who was excellent.
The menu is tapas style, with lots of shareable items, and only a couple of larger plates. We really liked the three types of hummus–who would have imagined carrot and sriracha could be so good! The chicken empanadas were also good, ruth a really crispy crust. The charcuterie was fine, but a bit more like a supermarket assortment than a high end offering.
There’s a nice assortment of wines, and almost all are available by the glass or bottle. The cocktail list is also good, although I went off-menu and had an excellent dirty martini made with Aviation Gin.
Service by Dulce was friendly and attentive. This is definitely a place we’ll put on our regular dining list.
Another beautiful restaurant from Chef Henry Moso. As with his two Kabooki locations, this one really shows off his design sensibilities, and emphasis on wonderful fish quality.
This Mosonori, like its sister restaurant in Winter Park, focuses on hand rolls. The majority of service is a t a counter, where each hand roll is prepared as you are ready for it, assuring the nori is crisp and still slightly warm. About a dozen types are available, plus a few sashimi options.
Considering they’d only been open a few days when we stopped in for a busy father’s day lunch this place is already running very well. The menu is upscale Mexican, and the prices are reasonable for the quality. I love what they’ve done to remodel the interior of this space. It’s not upscale and has a nice modern vibe, and the way it is divided up helps control the noise level.
We started with the guacamole, a generous serving that benefitted from a squeeze of lime and some diablo salsa that we ordered on the side. The diablo isn’t really all that spicy, but added the needed kick.
We also tried the tuna tostadas, which were tasty but very tiny–basically just one bite times three.
For an entree I had the pork enchiladas. They were beautifully plated and very tasty, and came with good cilantro rise and just okay black beans.
We finished with the sopapillas, which were nice and poofy, and served with a hazelnut Serrano sauce. Again, the sauced needed more kick, but was tasty.
Special shoutout for the cocktails. The standard margarita was very good, and the Flor de Don Juan was stellar: a mix of tequila, St. Germaine, and lime.
The approach to the new Conrad Hotel is not very promising, which makes the experience of stepping into the stunning lobby all the more spectacular, with the resort’s massive water feature spread out before you. The interior finishes are impressive throughout.
Equally stunning is the view from Ceiba, the Modern Mexican restaurant on the eight floor. This is probably the best place to wow out of town visitors, with a better view of Epcot and Magic Kingdom fireworks than anywhere except the Contemporary.
The menu is unique to Orlando: truly modern Mexican cuisine, with some familiar names such as flautas and tacos, but gourmet preparations inside, such as duck confit and braised lamb shank.
We started with the guacamole which, at $29, seemed pricy, but proved to be a generous serving, topped with ample crab meat, and spiced with salmon roe and thin slices of jalapeños. Delicious.
We’d planned on sampling several such botanas, but the serving was so generous that we went straight to entrees. Well, not exactly. My wife selected the Ceviche De Hamachi Verdi as her entree. Again, it was a generous serving of hamachi, but I would argue that it isn’t really a ceviche, as the fish hasn’t really been marinated in citrus, but rather is just served in a verde sauce. It was accurately described on the menu as coming with salsa verde, green apple, serrano, cucumber, and jicama, but I don’t think she’d order it again.
I had the Flautas de Pato, very crispy corn tortilla rolls (really more taquitos, if you will) filled with duck confit, and served with avocado serrano salsa, cabbage, and queso fresco crema. They were delicious, and I could only eat half of them…
…because I was saving room for the Tsokolate, a flourless chocolate sphere filled with dark chocolate mousse, accompanied by an assortment of delicious crumbles and gels. It was wonderful, and plenty for two people to share.
There’s a good wine list and a very extensive tequila list. I tried several interesting and creative cocktails.
Service was top notch. The entire staff was welcoming and attentive, and our server, Christian, was a genuine host, who made the experience special.
Forty years ago I had a Thon Baguette (tuna sandwich) in Paris, from a modest sidewalk counter. It was the best tuna sandwich of my life. I’ve been looking for another one ever since.
At last I found it! The one at Benjamin French is absolutely perfect, with fresh baguette that is a bit crusty but tender and not too thick, perfect tuna, delicious mayo (was it French, too?) and thin slice tomato and hard boiled egg that accented rather than overwhelmed.
I also tried the ham and cheese, but it wasn’t the same life-changing experience.
Coffee is good (maybe not Paris good, but good) and I love the French soundtrack.
This charming little place has friendly service and a wide-ranging menu. You can get everything from ceviche to sandwiches to crepes — both sweet and savory.
They also have South American specialties such as arepas and pannecooks. I had the Beef Tenderloin Stroganoff Paneccook. It’s a bread bowl filled with tenderloin bites, mushrooms, and a house bechamel sauce that includes three types of melted cheese. Delicious.
I finished with an affogatto: vanilla ice cream with a drizzle of caramel sauce, served with a mini pitcher of espresso to pour over it.
Bokatto is a place with a menu that offers something for just about anyone, so if your group is having a hard time deciding where to get lunch, this is a great choice.
