Category Archives: Florida

Kona Grill

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Wasabi salmon

Exterior

Interior

***** (5 stars)

I really loved everything about this place.

The interior decor is wonderful, with separate areas for sushi bar, regular dining, hightops, a long bar facing the street through large plate glass windows, and considerable sidewalk dining. It should be noted that at lunch only about 20% of the place was filled and it wasn’t quiet, so I can imagine it could be very noisy on a popular night.

The menu is extensive and eclectic, ranging from sandwich and salads to Italian, and an entire side devoted to sushi. We tried a spicy yellow tail roll and a sunrise roll, and they were both pretty good, but the wasabi salmon sashimi we started with was a home run. Really excellent flavors and consistency.

I also really like my Oriental salad (isn’t that no longer politically correct?) which was mostly a huge volcano of shredded cabbage with a delicious vinaigrette and some crunchy noodle bits.

Service seemed a bit tentative, but was friendly and effective. The kitchen and sushi bar are not speedy, so don’t go on a tight lunch hour.

Kona Grill
110 S Orlando Ave
Ste 12
Winter Park, FL 32789
(407) 900-0100
https://www.yelp.com/biz/kona-grill-winter-park

Melts On Main Street

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Who Shot JR

Reuben

Exterior

Interior

**** (4 stars)

This charming sandwich shop also offers a variety of wonderful home cooked specials such as soda bread, stew and quiche. You can also pick up dinner to take home.

As the name implies, most sandwiches are grilled. I had the Reuben, a special, and it was excellent. I wasn’t a huge fan of the very chunky potato salad that came with it.

The Who Shot JR wasn’t quite as flavorful as the Rueben, but it came with a mild blue cheese spread on the side that was a nice accompaniment.

There is live entertainment on Sunday.

Melts On Main Street
108 S Main St
Winter Garden, FL 34787
(407) 656-3587
https://www.yelp.com/biz/melts-on-main-street-winter-garden

Hagan O’Reilly’s Irish Pub

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Buffalo wrap

Buffalo chicken salad

Potato skind

Bar

Exterior

Interior

**** (4 stars)

This is a fairly authentic Irish pub that combines traditional Irish food with modern American sports bar grub. The decor is great, and there are lots of cozy little alcoves all around the perimeter of the dining area. An ornate, L-shaped bar occupies one corner. The only failing is the overly bright lighting.

Potato skins were heavily loaded with bacon and nicely crisped. The Buffalo wrap and Buffalo chicken salad were both good, maybe not the best Buffalo chicken in town, but certainly adequate.

Quite a few beers are available on tap, in bottles and cans, although I would wish for more stouts and porters than the meager selection.

Service was very friendly and prices are reasonable.

Hagan O’Reilly’s Irish Pub
16112 Marsh Rd
Winter Garden, FL 34787
(407) 905-4782
https://www.yelp.com/biz/hagan-o-reillys-irish-pub-winter-garden

La Fiesta Mexican Grill

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Chilequiles

Chili replenish and quesadilla

Exterior

Interior

*** (3 stars)

While the rave reviews got me excited about La Fiesta, we didn’t find anything particularly remarkable about the place. The best thing we had by far was the sangria, which wasn’t too sweet and has lots of fruit chunks.

Cheese nachos were pretty bland, consisting of good chips covered with a liquid white cheese and nothing else, no jalapenos.

The relleno was pretty weird, although the waiter did warn us that it was stuffed with mashed potatoes. We should have followed his suggestion to substitute some kind of meat. The quesadilla was nicely grilled, and filled with cheese and chicken. It was okay, not great, as were the fairly bland rice and beans.

The best entree was the chilaquiles, which seems to be available only at lunch. The green sauce had a lot of flavor, and the shredded chicken and fried egg were good. The chips didn’t really stand up to the sauce, though, and quickly dissolved.

The decor of the restaurant is nice, but overhead fluorescent light aren’t in keeping with the restaurant ambiance.

Service was excellent.

La Fiesta Mexican Grill
3000 Curry Ford Rd
Orlando, FL 32806
(407) 985-4340
https://www.yelp.com/biz/la-fiesta-mexican-grill-orlando

Beth’s Burger Bar

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Exterior

Interior

Bacon Cheeseburger

Bacon Cheeseburger

*** (3 stars)

I like the concept at this place, which isn’t a burger bar, per se, but a counter serve place that lets you specify how your burger is to be assembled, starting with the type of patty, then adding condiments and optional toppings. I had a bacon cheeseburger with everything, and I liked all the toppings except the lettuce, which was shredded rather than leaf. The burger itself was a bit dry, as was the bun.

We loved the frickles (fried pickles) and fried cheese curds, but the french fries weren’t notable.

Beth’s Burger Bar
9938 Universal Blvd
Ste 120
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 203-8100
https://www.yelp.com/biz/beths-burger-bar-orlando-2

Bartaco

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Ceviche

Cheese quesadilla

Mahi, Cauliflower, Baha, Chiclen tacos

Interior

Menu

**** (4 stars)

This surprisingly large space is divided into several indoor areas and a large patio. Tacos are ordered using a form at the table which you then place in a stand to attract your server’s attention.

Each taco is about four bites, and costs either $2.50 or $3.50. The Mahi Mahi taco was healthful, but the Baja taco, which was deep fried with a crunchy crust was better. The most flavorful taco we tried was the cauliflower, because of the spicy, nutty sauce. Least interesting was the chicken.

We also tried the cheese quesadilla and the ceviche. The quesadilla was nicely cooked to a golden brown, but the cheese wasn’t particularly flavorful. Addition of the hot sauces on the table helped. The ceviche contained a nice portion of Mahi Mahi in lime juice, and was good, if more expensive than the other items at $7.

A lunch deal give you a choice of three tacos and a soup or salad, not a big discount, but a nice combination.

There is a short list of wines and a longer list of beers.

Service was extremely attentive.

Bartaco
7600 Dr Phillips Blvd
Ste 28
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 801-8226
https://www.yelp.com/biz/bartaco-orlando-2

Twin Peaks

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Quesadilla

BBQ burger with bacon

Exterior

Interior

*** (3 stars)

This sports bar follows the Hooters formula, but has better food than Hooters or the nearby Ale House. There are so many TV screens here they hardly need lighting. Aside from long communal tables there are also individual tables for four that are a bit quieter. I like that they play rock music rather than the soundtrack of the TV sports, and that it wasn’t too loud to talk.

Of course the main draw is supposed to be the vast expanse of midriff exposed by your server, but the hamburger (I had the sweet BBQ burger plus bacon) was excellent.

Twin Peaks
12353 Winter Garden Vineland Rd
Orlando, FL 32836
(407) 778-4810
https://www.yelp.com/biz/twin-peaks-orlando-3

Cask & Larder

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CL burger with cheddar

Crispy cauliflower

Grilled fish

Drinks

Menu

Exterior

Interior

*** (3 stars)

This is certainly a step up in the food available in the D terminal at MCO. Fans who remember the food at the Cask and Larder in Winter Park may be disappointed, but the food her is certainly above average for an airport.

The open atmosphere is sunny and pleasant, and spacious enough to feel like a bit of an oasis from the bustle of the gates. The menu focuses on Southern and barbecue, which means the only healthy choices are three salads and the grilled fish. I chose the latter. The fish was a nice piece of swordfish, which was a bit well done, but good. The accompanying rice was delicious. Zucchini and tomatoes were very overcooked.

We also tried the CL Burger. It was a generous two patties, and we opted for cheddar rather than blue cheese. The best thing were the crispy fries, well worth the extra three bucks.

Speaking of crispy, the Crispy Cauliflower wasn’t. It also wasn’t very good: a small, overpriced portion served in an oddly sweet sauce.

Service was friendly. The kitchen was pretty slow, considering there were few customers at 10:30 am, but it’s more a place to relax than somewhere for a quick bite.

I’ll go back, but I’ll stick with the burgers and BBQ.

Cask & Larder
1 Jeff Fuqua Blvd
Gates 100-129
Orlando, FL 32827
(321) 280-4200
https://www.yelp.com/biz/cask-and-larder-orlando

F&D Kitchen & Bar

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Interior

Bar

***** (5 stars)

This gastro pub has an excellent menu that is more healthy than most. There is less frying, more grilling, and a thoughtful selection of vegetables.

There is also an extensive selection of carefully chosen quality wines by the glass.

The decor is sophisticated, with an acoustic-friendly ceiling that works well.

Service was friendly and helpful.

F&D Kitchen & Bar
1541 International Pkwy
Ste 1001
Lake Mary, FL 32746
(407) 915-5687
https://www.yelp.com/biz/f-and-d-kitchen-and-bar-lake-mary

Del Taco

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Tostada

**** (4 stars)

Del Taco consistently seems a bit more generous than Taco Bell, and the ingredients often seem a bit fresher, or at least more discrete. This location–a rarity in Central Florida–seems fairly friendly and efficient.

My wife and I have always disagreed about whether Taco Bell’s or Del Taco’s tostadas are better. There’s a philosophical argument about whether the cheese belongs underneath the lettuce, where it melts, or on top, where it imparts more flavor but falls off. More research is needed. I’m on it.

Del Taco
6855 Grand National Dr
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 363-0738
https://www.yelp.com/biz/del-taco-orlando-2