Monthly Archives: September 2019

Jaleo

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Baby squid
Interior
Peppers
Rib eye
Bread that comes with the pork
Pork
Shrimp
Shrimp
Conch fritters
Ham
Olives
Ham
View
Interior

**** (4 stars)

This is a nice repurposing of the old Wolfgang Puck space. They’ve opened it up, and it still has great lake views and some nice outdoor seating for smaller parties.

The food isn’t exactly my idea of tapas, since the plates are sized for sharing among three or four people. To me, a tapas meal involves a dozen little saucers filled with different interesting bites.

I found a lot of the food to be very heavily salted. This was particularly true of the squid ink and some of the other sauces.

Highlights included the olives, and the Iberico ham carved tableside. By far the best dish was the pork shoulder, which was amazingly tender and flavorful, and turned out more like wagyu beef than pork.

Service was good, but don’t go in a hurry, because the kitchen seems to get backed up when the restaurant is busy.

The wine list is, of course, all about Spanish wines, which are not necessarily my favorites, but your mileage may vary.

Jaleo
1482 E Buena Vista Dr
Orlando, FL
32836
(321) 348-3211
https://www.yelp.com/biz/jaleo-orlando-2

Bull and Bear

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The Wedge
Beef Short Rib
Carpaccio
Entry
Bar

***** (5 stars)

Orlando lacks variety in the high-end dining scene, with only a few top-notch restaurants that aren’t steakhouses. That makes the competition for best steakhouse even tougher, because there are so many to choose from. It doesn’t get much better than The Bull and Bear.

You won’t find much on this menu that isn’t on every other steakhouse menu in town, but the execution here is superb.

The wedge salad, really more of a stacked dome, is a good starter, with a choice of dressing, and delicious bacon crumbles.

The steaks, of course, are top-notch. But the real standout for me was the short rib, which was easily the best I’ve ever had. Served on one not-so-short rib, the meat was succulent without being overcooked, and the rich, complex reductive sauce was stellar.

The usual sides are here. Particularly good is the creamed corn.

Wine prices are average, and there is an adequate selection, although no vintage depth.

The electronic menu used for both food and wine actually works really well, and the pictures linked to the menu items looked exactly like the dishes we were served.

Our wine group used to meet here regularly, but over time it slipped off my radar, so I hadn’t been here in years. The food is a top-notch as it ever was, although the prices have certainly increased!

Bull and Bear
14200 Bonnet Creek Resort Ln
Orlando, FL
32821
(407) 597-5500
https://www.yelp.com/biz/bull-and-bear-orlando-2

The French Cafe

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Alpine crepe
Tuna sandwich
Cinnamon Dolce Latte
Interior
Exterior

***** (5 stars)

In addition to a nice selection of authentic pastries. The French Cafe offers crepes and sandwiches. By Alpine crepe was very generously stuffed with meats and potatoes. My companion’s tuna sandwich was served on a huge croissant, and accompanied by fries.

They also have the usual assortment of hot and cold coffees, which are well prepared and served in nice glassware.

Although you order at a counter, they bring the food to your table. There is also a nice outside eating area.

The French Cafe
16412 New Independence PkwySte 140
Winter Garden, FL
34787
(407) 500-4050
https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-french-cafe-winter-garden

Brio Tuscan Grille

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Exterior
Interior
Patio

**** (4 stars)

This Brio location offers a nice “outside” patio that overlooks the mall’s indoor fountain. Service is attentive, and the menu is standard Brio.

The lunch combo of shrimp pasta and Caesar salad for $12 is a good deal. The pasta was perfectly al dente, and the shrimp tails had been removed.

It’s a good place to linger away from the bustle of the mall and enjoy an espresso.

Brio Tuscan Grille
4200 Conroy Rd
Orlando, FL
32839
(407) 351-8909
https://www.yelp.com/biz/brio-tuscan-grille-orlando

Los Reyes Mexican Grill

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Sampler
Tostada
Chicken fajitas
Exterior
Interior

***** (5 stars)

This is a homey little restaurant in a charming part of old Clermont. The small house has been lovingly decorated and features a colorful mural.

The menu offers all the standards and a few particularly authentic items such as molcajete. Prices are reasonable, and lunch specials are very inexpensive.

Your meal includes excellent chips and a very mild salsa. You can also request spicer versions. We tried the medium, which tasted like it had been pepped up with yellow habanero. If that’s their medium, I don’t think I could handle spicy!

We tried the appetizer sampler. The rolled chicken taquitos (which they may have been calling something else) were the highlight. The guacamole was also excellent. Quesadillas were straight forward. The only thing we didn’t care for was the jalapeno poppers, which had a very thick batter. (I just wish the appetizer had come out before the lunch, but maybe some people are in a hurry, and they were very busy.)

For lunch we had the tostada and chicken fajitas. The chicken in the fajitas was a particular standout, with a delicious marinade, and a nice sear.

In addition to beer they also have margaritas, and they are excellent. I’m not sure whether it was made with traditional ingredients, but it had a nice orange citrus hint to it, and wasn’t too sweet.

This is an excellent choice for a charming sit down Mexican meal in Clermont.

Los Reyes Mexican Grill
658 West Ave
Clermont, FL
34711
https://www.yelp.com/biz/los-reyes-mexican-grill-clermont

The Waterfront

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Tuna Poke Bowl
Waterfront Platter
Exterior
Interior
Exterior
Exterior

***** (5 stars)

This has got to be one of the best outdoor dining places in Orlando. The restaurant is barely visible from the road, and looks like a dive, but once inside you realize it opens out into a couple of great patios that really are on the water.

While the menu may look like a sports bar’s offering, the food is much better than the average sports bar. The smoked fish dip was balanced and complex, yet served with simple saltines. The Waterfront Platter was a generous mix of batter and fried shrimp, fish, chicken, hushpuppies and fries. All were done with a light touch, so they weren’t oily at all.

The tuna poke was a beautiful and delightful portion of chopped tuna and fresh veggies.

On a day with a nice breeze blowing in across the lake I can’t imagine a better place to be in Orlando.

The Waterfront
4201 S Orange Ave
Orlando, FL
32806
(407) 866-0468
https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-waterfront-orlando-3

San Jose’s Original Mexican Restaurant

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Interior
Top shelf Margarita
Appetizer sampler
Chicken tortilla soup
Taco al carbon

**** (4 stars)

This location is much larger than the original one on West Colonial, and I think it is much better. The space is bright and airy, and divided into a number of rooms, with a nice bar along one side.

The menu is very extensive. A good way to get a variety is to try the appetizer sampler, which actually contains items I don’t regard as appetizers, such as chimchangas, tamales, and flautas.

I also tried the taco al pastor, which is authentic with the inclusion of pineapple bits, although I would have liked the meat to be richer and spicer.

The top shelf margarita here is one of the better ones in town. They don’t call out the specific spirits, but it definitely tilts toward the orange side of the flavor chart, which I found interesting. Fresh citrus kept it from being too sweet.

San Jose’s Original Mexican Restaurant
16112 Marsh Rd
Winter Garden, FL
34787
(407) 554-2118
https://www.yelp.com/biz/san-jose-s-original-mexican-restaurant-winter-garden

Flemings Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar

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*** (3 stars)

With all the steak house chains available to choose from, I must admit that Flemings is not near the top of my list, but friends suggested meeting here. I would rate both the interior and the service as toward the lower end of the steak house spectrum. Service was particularly a problem, with our waiter constantly barging in, but not around when we needed him, and rushing us through the meal to the point that he was placing our desserts on the table before the dinner plates were cleared, and while some guests were still eating their entrees.

My steak was just okay, cooked well past the requested medium-rare and not particularly tender or flavorful.

I will say that some of the wines — especially the upper-end selections — are reasonably priced, especially in comparison to the Flemings near our home in Orlando.

Overall I’d recommend this place for a quick (very quick) business meal, but not a fine dining evening.

Flemings Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
2301 Rosecrans Ave
El Segundo, CA
90245
(310) 643-6911
https://www.yelp.com/biz/flemings-prime-steakhouse-and-wine-bar-el-segundo-2

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill

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Exterior
Interior
Interior
Interior

*** (3 stars)

The highlight here is the gorgeous decor. From the large bar with its high top table to the comfortable dining room with large booths and an open kitchen, every surface is elegant stone and wood. Even the outside covered dining area is beautifully designed.

Unfortunately the food experience is rather uneven. Both the Ceasar salad and Mixed Green salad were wonderful. My prime rib was perfectly cooked, although there was a tremendous amount of fat, about a third of the serving. Still, it was plenty. But my wife’s “New York strip” looked like a flank steak, but was tough even for that cut. It was perhaps the toughest steak she’s ever been served. Sure, she could have sent it back, but it was obvious on inspection that it wasn’t a good steak, so I think that’s some measure of performance.

Tater tots were an excellent side.

Wine prices are reasonable by the bottle, only a bit more than double retail.

Service was very good. Note that if you’re not in a hurry you should tell them, though, as it tends to be very speedy.

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill
1562 N Mills Ave
Orlando, FL
32803
(407) 581-9861
https://www.yelp.com/biz/firebirds-wood-fired-grill-orlando