The Tasting Room

***** (5 stars)

The Tasting Room is a great small plates restaurant in charming Winter Garden. Because it is operated from the same kitchen as The Chef’s Table–one of Central Florida’s best restaurants–you’d expect the food to be great, and it is. The Tasting Room is a lively and less formal atmosphere than The Chef’s Table, and the emphasis is on sampling lots of different foods, accompanied by craft beers, wines by the glass, or exotic cocktails from the full bar. On our first visit, my favorites were the fish dip, the bacon-wrapped scallops, and the bourbon pecan dessert. It’s great to be able to drop in to such a fine dining experience without needing a reservation. Definitely a new favorite.

The Tasting Room
99 W Plant St
Winter Garden, FL 34787
(407) 230-4837
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-tasting-room-winter-garden

Sushi Pop

***** (5 stars)

At last! There’s a sophisticated and trendy restaurant in Orlando. Sushi Pop in Oveido combines highly creative sushi with a touch of molecular gastronomy and an anime-inspired decor to create a top notch experience worthy of New York City. Highlights were:

   Edamame with garlic salt
   Ceviche roll (hamachi with avocado, tempura shallots and chipotle lime sauce topped with flounder, siracha hot sauce, micro cilantro, Hawaiian pink salt and wedge of lime)
   Hot Mess roll (smoked salmon, avocado and tempura flakes with maple soy, topped with baked tuna, salmon, yellowtail, flounder, spicy mayo, smelt roe, scallions and rendered bacon)
   Hamachi Kama (grilled yellowtail collar glazed with sweet soy, topped with toasted garlic, scallions, lime wedge and ponzu dipping sauce)
   It’s No Yolk (fresh cubed salmon tossed with lime juice, olive oil, shallots, thai basil with sunny side egg of sweet coconut milk and mango puree, served withseaweed rice cracker)
   Maple ice cream with candied bacon

The seating is a combination of tables, couch-like booths and bar stools. Servers wear individual quirky costumes. Anime plays on flat screens, and the wall art is manga. Reservations are a must, as the place was packed, inside and out, during our three-hour gastronomic tour. Highly Recommended.

Sushi Pop
310 W Mitchell Hammock Rd
Oviedo, FL 32765
(407) 542-5975
http://www.yelp.com/biz/sushi-pop-oviedo

Chef’s Table At the Edgewater

***** (5 stars)

The Chef’s Table at the Edgewater hotel is an unlikely star in the Central Florida dining scene. Certainly one of the top five restaurants, and perhaps second only to the infinitely more expensive Victoria and Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian, the Chef’s Table is tucked away in historic Winter Garden, a few miles north of the theme parks. It’s an intimate place, with only a half dozen tables (although an expansion is in the works that will offer small plates in a more casual setting).

The Chef’s table offers the most personal dining experience I’ve yet to encounter. Chef Kevin visits every table to explain (in mouthwatering detail) how each dish is prepared. It’s no surprise the food is so good, as Kevin worked at both Victoria and Albert’s and Emeril’s Commander’s Palace. Kevin’s wife and business partner is Laurie, who is a very talented sommelier. She is perhaps the most talented wine matching expert I’ve encountered, and the wine pairing dinner is an absolute steal.

After a leisurely dinner you can often catch a stage show in the Historic Garden Theatre across the street.

This restaurant has swept the local dining awards several times, winning for best chef’s table, best wine pairings, most romantic, and several other categories. It’s good for intimate couples dining, business dinners, and vacationing foodies alike. Highly recommended.

Chef’s Table At the Edgewater
99 W Plant St
Winter Garden, FL 34787
(407) 230-4837
http://www.yelp.com/biz/chefs-table-at-the-edgewater-winter-garden