Author Archives: steve

Ceiba

Posted on by

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.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/ceiba-orlando-2

Benjamin French Bakery Cafe

Posted on by

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.

Service was friendly. I’ll be back!

https://www.yelp.com/biz/benjamin-french-bakery-cafe-orlando

Two Bridges Pub & Eatery

Posted on by

What a beautiful job they did redesigning the interior of this space as a Victorian-era English pub! From the amazing ceiling to the Victoria artwork to the perfect lighting levels, they did everything just right.

There is also an amazingly cozy speakeasy through a hidden entrance!

The menu is a mix of English pub food and American sports bar. 

Service is extremely attentive, so I’m sure this place will be a big hit.

Sonny’s BBQ

Posted on by

They really missed an opportunity when they remodeled this space into a Sonny’s. I use the word “remodeled” loosely, because there really is no decor. I’ve been in warehouses with more ambiance. Perhaps that accounts for it being largely uninhabited on a Friday at lunch hour.

That lack of customers didn’t translate into attentive service, though. It was largely missing as well. I even went searching for our server at one point, and short of going into the kitchen did my best to locate anyone on duty.

The cheese curd appetizer was not recognizable as cheese curds, but it was okay, more like conventional cheese battered and deep-fried. Certainly there was no hint of the dry rub coating, but had it been described differently I would have been perfectly happy with it.

The BBQ food is pretty much Sonny’s standard, which is to say average barbecue with a good assortment of sauces. I had the three-meat combo and was surprised that I found the chicken tenders the best item, of all things. The St. Louis ribs could definitely not be accused of falling off the bone, and were definitely not worth the upcharge. Sonny’s baked beans are good, though, as is the coleslaw slaw.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/sonnys-bbq-orlando-8

Kingdom Sushi

Posted on by

What a transformation this place has undergone since it was a cheese sandwich place! Gorgeous interior and excellent lighting.

The menu offers both a la carte and all-you-can-eat dining. Since the items are pretty much the same, if you’re going to have more than two items, you’re better off with all-you-can-eat. The lunchtime price was $35 which, considering you can order pretty much anything, seems fair.

Most of the dishes we ordered came out quickly, even as they got busy, and we could order as many as we liked. Fish quality of the sashimi was excellent, and was my favorite thing.

Despite the extensive menu, there is a sameness to a lot of the items. They particularly like cream cheese. If you prefer cooked items, there are a lot of choices, both as rolls and appetizers.

Overall I found it to be good if not at the very top level of local sushi, although with some tweaks I think it could be, particularly given the lovely interior design.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/kingdom-sushi-windermere

Bokatto Creperie

Posted on by

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.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/bokatto-creperie-orlando

The Drake Kitchen & Bar

Posted on by

We enjoyed a tapas lunch at The Drake. The space is very stylish, there’s a nice variety of small plates and mains, and there are quite a few interesting wines by the glass.

Crab and Spinach Fondutta was essentially a spinach dip with a layer of nicely broiled cheese on top. It was listed as coming with house-made sourdough, but that turned out to be toasted rounds more like crouton consistency. I think I would have enjoyed untoasted sourdough more.

The meatballs came with the same toast. They were good, and the very savory sauce was probably the highlight of everything we had.

The Florida Coast Ceviche was a Peruvian-style ceviche consisting mainly of shrimp and snapper, quite citrusy.

Over all I would say there were no homeruns, but it was a pleasant and quick lunch.

Service was friendly and fast.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-drake-kitchen-and-bar-orlando-2

Manzzo Cuisine

Posted on by

This is a lovely interior design for a restaurant–definitely upscale. Considering that, lunch prices are reasonable. Unfortunately, the food and service don’t live up to that promise.

Service started off weird with an icy greeting from Wednesday Addams at the front desk, who had to disappear to check if our table was ready (note that the restaurant was empty when we arrived at 12:30). Indeed it was. And yet although the restaurant remained sparsely populated throughout our lunch, and despite six front-of-house employees, somehow things seemed ragged and sluggish.

Caesar salads were good, and my wife enjoyed her beef carpaccio, although it was a rather unusual preparation with no oil; but the accompanying rosemary-seasoned toasts were excellent.

Chicken Marsala was pretty much completely flavorless–odd because it looked good, and the sauce had the right consistency, but just nothing going on.

In sum, it was a completely average experience. Perhaps your mileage will vary.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/manzzo-cuisine-windermere

Chi-Kin

Posted on by

I’m delighted to see that Korean Fried Chicken has reached Orlando, and the west side. The secret to why this chicken is so good is that it’s fried twice–once at a lower temperature, and then again at a higher temperature to create a really crispy exterior.

The chicken is then typically coated with spicy sauce. Chi-Kin offers a wide assortment of sauces, and we liked all of the ones we tried. 

A good way to sample their offerings is the combo meal, a reasonably priced assortment of wings/drums and tenders, plus two sides.

You have your choice of two sauces for both the wings and the tenders, a total of four sauces, but note that the pieces will already be sauced, so you must decide in advance what sauce goes where. We had hot gochu jang, thai chili, buffalo, and yuzu lemon pepper (which is more of a rub).

I think next time I will stick to the tenders, as they are wonderfully moist and crispy on the outside, giving them all the advantages of wings, but you get a lot more meat.

For sides we had the bulgogi fries and the pickled cucumbers (probably the only healthy thing on the menu!)

Service was really friendly and fast. Definitely a place I’ll visit again!

https://www.yelp.com/biz/chi-kin-windermere

Amor y Chile Mexican Food

Posted on by

There are three Mexican restaurants within a few blocks of each other in Lake Buena Vista, and each has their pluses and minuses. If you’re looking for margaritas, go to El Patron. If you want very Americanized food, go to San Joses. But if you want authentic Mexican food, the Amor y Chile is your best bet.

The emphasis here is on traditional recipes such as molcajetes and Al Pastor. The tamales come in a corn husk, and the guacamole is obviously home made, with big chunks of avocado.

It’s a nice touch that complimentary, house-made chips are served with three sauces: green, red, and super spicy.

The place won’t win an award for atmosphere, but service is pleasant and the food is satisfying.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/amor-y-chile-mexican-food-orlando