Category Archives: Coffee & Tea

The Monroe

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This place definitely has a hip atmosphere. It looks like it could get boisterous, but we were there for a late lunch and it was great.

The concise menu has lots of interesting selections, and we enjoyed everything we tried. We started with the hummus, which was served with fresh-baked pitas. The hummus was topped with an assortment of herbs and seasonings, which made it fun to experiment with different combinations.

I had the three-piece fried chicken, and it was terrific. The crunchy, complex batter kept the tender, moist chicken steaming hot throughout our meal. The accompanying macaroni salad and cucumber chunk salad were both excellent.

My companion had the steak frites, a classic preparation with perfectly seared steak and a huge pile of nicely crisped truffle fries.

There are some interesting wines by the glass. I finished with the very intriguing root beer latte.

Service was cheerful and attentive.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-monroe-orlando

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

Daylight Donut Bakery

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Exterior
Interior

**** (4 stars)

Very good donuts, particularly the old fashioned. Although they are a bit overly sweet, they have great crust and moist center. The lemon version has a nice tang. Their maple glazing is also particularly flavorful.

There’s a nice shady outside seating area that’s away from the street.

Daylight Donut Bakery
231 E 3rd St
Chadron, NE
69337
(308) 432-4678
https://www.yelp.com/biz/daylight-donut-bakery-chadron

Barley & Hops

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Beef brat

Flatbread

Exterior

Fried mushrooms

Potstickers

**** (4 stars)

By my count this is the fifth incarnation of this place, and definitely the best. The previous version, The Big Easy, was also good, but didn’t last long because of the narrow focus on Cajun food, I guess. This new sports bar menu should have broader appeal.

We tried the fried mushrooms and pan sauteed pork potstickers as appetizers, and both were very good. I particularly liked the cole slaw that came with the pot stickers.

For my main course I had the beef brat, which was nicely seared and served with sauteed peppers, onions, and sauerkraut.

My companion has a pepperoni flatbread. It wasn’t really a flatbread, it was a large rectangular pizza. And boy was it good! Lots of pepperoni, and most importantly lots of delicious pizza sauce, what I regard as west coast style. Ironically, this is the best pizza ever served in this building, a place that was three different Italian restaurants in the past!

Our server, Ashley, was terrific.

The space is mostly unchanged since the previous use, but this is the first time when the concept has truly matched the layout. It works as a sports bar, and I wish them much success.

Barley & Hops
7782 Winter Garden Vineland RdSte 140
Windermere, FL
34786
(407) 347-3688
https://www.yelp.com/biz/barley-and-hops-windermere-3

Petrossian Bar

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Caviar sampler

Interior

**** (4 stars)

This is a delightful piano bar just off the Bellagio lobby, and next to the casino. Despite its location, it is neither noisy nor smoky.

Many creative cocktails are one offer. One of the most interesting items is the caviar sampler, which includes a taste of three grades of caviar, and a glass of Champagne. I suggest ordering it with the creme fraiche on the side, though, as the way it’s served it’s almost impossible to keep it from getting mixed into the caviar, which makes them all taste the same.

Petrossian Bar
3600 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV
89109
(702) 693-7111
https://www.yelp.com/biz/petrossian-bar-las-vegas

Vitality Bowls

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Immunity Bowl

Dragon bowl

**** (4 stars)

This new, healthy restaurant is a nice improvement over the yogurt sop that was here. It’s a bright, corner space with inside and outside tables. It’s a counter service franchise concept, although they do bring the food to your table.

Ordering is the biggest challenge. The menu, presented on multiple digital signage screens, has about a million items and descriptions. There are pre-made bowls, paninis, and smoothies, plus at least a dozen ingredients you can add in.

As with most healthy eating places, there are some ingredients the casual consumer may find–there’s no other way to say it–unappetizing. You need to order carefully. We tried two bowls. The Dragon Bowl was sweet and fruity, more like a dessert on berry sherbert than a main course. The Immunity bowl was less appetizing, with a green substance in the bottom influenced by the kale and other vegetable ingredients. It tasted okay.

Smoothies are more of a challenge. I honestly couldn’t drink my Immunity smoothie, but maybe it was just a poor choice.

If you’re dubious about healthy items, it’s probably best to stick with the paninis, as they seem more conventional.

Service was very friendly, a big improvement on the former tenant. If you’re looking for something healthy in the Dr. Philips area it’s worth checking out.

Vitality Bowls
8014 Conroy Windermere Rd
Ste 101
Orlando, FL 32835
(407) 730-6358
https://www.yelp.com/biz/vitality-bowls-orlando-3

Pret A Manger

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Interior

**** (4 stars)

I like the simplicity of Pret if you just want a coffee and croissant. The baristas can certainly whip up something fancy, but sometimes it’s nice to just serve yourself a cup.

The chocolate hazelnut croissant is noteworthy, because it’s filled like pain au chocolate, but is the shape and consistency of a croissant.

Pret A Manger
787 7th Ave
New York, NY 10019
(212) 262-2328
https://www.yelp.com/biz/pret-a-manger-new-york-79