*** (3 stars)
Pleasant interior and sound food. I had the tilapia grill, which was a generous serving. The sides are fairly small, but there are three of them. The burgers look like a good bet. Service is friendly but it’s not exactly fast food.
Giraffas Brazilian Steaks & Burgers
5415 International Dr
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 226-9191
http://www.yelp.com/biz/giraffas-brazilian-steaks-and-burgers-orlando-3
***** (5 stars)
I love everything about this environment. The bar is a great place to hang out before a show, and the show space has great acoustics. You can arrive an hour or two early and have a great meal of small plates. The flat breads and dips were good, but the “root beer” rubbed pork belly with savory french toast and maple-bourbon sauce was phenomenal. I’ve had pork belly in some of the world’s best restaurants, and this was the best ever: not too fatty, bursting with subtle flavors, and the perfect accompaniments. Their house made wines are respectable and interesting, and there are also lots of beers and other choices. Good service, too. An excellent venue for a show, probably my top choice in Chicago.
City Winery Chicago
1200 W Randolph St
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 733-9463
http://www.yelp.com/biz/city-winery-chicago-chicago
***** (5 stars)
One of Florida’s great restaurants. Only thirteen tables, intimate lighting, great service, spectacular food. The duck pate appetizer is one of the best pates I’ve ever had, and now that it’s served with fennel aspic it’s even better. Another favorite is the Black Pearl ice cream, which is also a fennel favorite. When we want a romantic dinner, this place is tops on our list.
The Black Pearl
315 Main St
Dunedin, FL 34698
(727) 223-1268
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-black-pearl-dunedin
**** (4 stars)
Jilly’s is a casual French cafe with friendly service and a fairly traditional menu. One of the more interesting aspects is that there are almost as many specials each night as there are regular menu items.
The meal begins with excellent crusty French bread, butter, and chicken liver pate.
I had the escargot, which were the traditional preparation, topped with small croquettes and served with a slice of lemon. The escargot and garlic butter were good, especially with the French bread. I’m not sure the croquettes and lemon added a lot.
My second course was my favorite, a poached pair and bleu cheese salad. It had just the right mix of bitter and sweet ingredients.
An intermezzo of pinot noir sorbet cleared the palate.
For my entree I selected their specialty, the skinless duck breast and confit. Both were good, but the breast was swimming in a very sweet sauce, so I stuck with the confit.
Service was extremely friendly at all the tables, and they were reasonably busy on a Tuesday night, with a crowd composed of about half regulars. Wine prices is reasonable, although the website version of the wine list is out of date.
Jilly’s is a good choice if you are in the mood for traditional French food in a friendly atmosphere.
Jilly’s Cafe
2614 Green Bay Rd
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 869-7636
http://www.yelp.com/biz/jillys-cafe-evanston
***** (5 stars)
Blackbird has been nominated or received a James Beard award virtually every year for more than a decade, and there’s a reason.
We had the tasting menu, which consisted of ten courses plus a couple of extras. There were several home runs, and a couple of misses. Stellar items included the Foie gras in an amazing shitake broth, and a sweet and savory course of cheese and chocolate. Misses were the sturgeon and the striploin.
Service was super efficient, unobtrusive, and friendly.
The wine list is pricey and doesn’t have a lot of depth, but we found two reasonably priced half bottles that accompanied almost every course.
The place gets noisy, because there is no acoustic treatment, but we went early and had a front corner table that was quite intimate for the first couple of hours.
An excellent culinary experience.
Blackbird
619 W Randolph St
Chicago, IL 60661
(312) 715-0708
http://www.yelp.com/biz/blackbird-chicago
**** (4 stars)
I’m not much of a bar person, but I really like Bar Louie. They have a great outside dining area, and surprisingly they make one of the best salads in town. The chop chop salad has iceberg lettuce, bacon, tomato, carrot, avocado, garbanzo beans, chopped egg, cucumber, tortilla strips, and house dressing. I also really like their pretzel sticks, which come with three very good dipping sauces. Service has always been efficient and friendly.
Bar Louie Evanston
1520 Sherman Ave
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 733-8300
http://www.yelp.com/biz/bar-louie-evanston-evanston-2
**** (4 stars)
This trendy new Evanston hot spot bursts out onto the sidewalk with patrons every evening, but it’s possible to find a table at lunch and in the afternoons. Before 4:30 the emphasis is on sandwiches, afterwards on small shared plates. Our favorite was the salmon salad, a baguette slice topped with salmon, mayo, dill, red onion and celery.
There’s an interesting drink list with a short but thoughtful selection of beers, and quite a few interesting bitter aperitifs. I love Amaro, and there were four on offer, plus a sparkling wine mixed with Campari and grapefruit, inexplicably called an lsd.
The funky interior has no matching tables or chairs, and adds a fun off beat sense to the fairly intimate (and often noisy) space.
Found Kitchen & Social House
1631 Chicago Ave
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 868-8945
http://www.yelp.com/biz/found-kitchen-and-social-house-evanston
**** (4 stars)
I’ve been going to the Smoke House since I was a little kid. In fact the one that used to be in Encino was my parents’ regular Saturday night pilgrimage back in the 60s. The Burbank original carries on, pretty much unchanged since 1946. In fact, I’m not sure it’s had a refurbishment since then.
But it’s not new and trendy that one goes seeking at The Smoke House. It’s garlic cheese bread. This recipe has been keeping the place in business for close to 70 years. The bread is super fresh sourdough, coated with butter, garlic and a pungent, crumbly bright orange cheese coating that I’m pretty sure is a mixture of dehydrated cheddar (the stuff that comes in the packet of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese) and parmesan. The reason I can state this with some confidence is that I’ve been trying to duplicate it for 30 years, and I’m getting close!
There’s lots of other stuff at the Smoke House that’s edible: fish and chips, prime rib, crab louis salad, and some tasty cappuccino ice cream. But you wouldn’t go there just for any of that stuff. It’s that addictive orange powder that brings us back, year after year. Never change it!
Smoke House Restaurant
4420 W Lakeside Dr
Burbank, CA 91505
(818) 845-3731
http://www.yelp.com/biz/smoke-house-restaurant-burbank
Interior
**** (4 stars)
This is our go-to place whenever we’re flying in and out of MCO. My favorite is the salmon salad.
My wife loves the sampler, which allows you to select three small plates such as hummus, chicken wings or quesadilla. They’re served on a tower that is kind of fun. It would also make a good shareable appetizer for a party of three or four.
The recently remodeled and added a sushi bar, but I’ve never been to the restaurant when it was actually open, which is a shame. I wish they would extend the hours beyond dinner time.
Service is fast and efficient, so it’s possible to have a pleasant meal and still make it to your gate without a rush.
McCoy’s Bar & Grill
9300 Airport Blvd
Orlando, FL 32827
(407) 825-1340
http://www.yelp.com/biz/mccoys-bar-and-grill-orlando
*** (3 stars)
I have to admit I don’t really get Norman’s food. I’ve been to a couple of special events here that I liked quite well, including a Paul Bocuse dinner that was superb. But it was Paul Bocuse’s food, for the most part, that made it so. The restaurant’s normal menu doesn’t do it for me. It always seems to me as if there is one too many spices in each dish, that somehow muddle the flavors. It leaves me yearning for something a bit simpler, where the quality of the natural ingredients is allowed to shine through.
Service is pleasant, although I’ve run into more than one server who was clueless about wine. One server had never heard of the expression “corkage charge,” which is a bit amazing for a restaurant of this caliber.
The room is pretty, although it can be noisy. If you’re staying at the resort, it’s probably worth trying. It’s certainly better than the dozens of steakhouse alternatives that surround it in the tourist area. But when I visit the Ritz I eat at The Vineyard, which has a better wine list and a subtler touch with the food.
Norman’s
4012 Central Florida Pkwy
Orlando, FL 32837
(407) 393-4333
http://www.yelp.com/biz/normans-orlando