Category Archives: Florida

Restaurant BT

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***** (5 stars)

Based upon the reviews I was expecting some fairly extraordinary food, and I was not disappointed. Everything we had was top notch. The complexity of the recipes and quality of the ingredients is definitely far above most Vietnamese restaurants I’ve been to.

At a recent lunch we worked our way through many appetizer courses, beginning with the fresh shrimp rolls and the mini crispy spring rolls. Both were elevated by the inclusion of very flavorful and fresh herbs.

Tuna Tai Chanh was a wonderful tuna tartare that was mixed with an unusually large amount of chopped fresh herbs that gave it a complex flavor, elevating it far about the tuna and sesame oil base.

We also tried two special. Pheasant pate was an excellent rough country style pate served with traditional French accompaniments of mustard, gherkins and chopped onions. Truffled burrata cheese was also nicely done, with a sort of pesto or chimichurri accompaniment.

For an entree I had the grilled pork banh mi. I’m a particular fan of that sandwich, and this one was as good as any I’ve had, with lots of fresh herbs, a savory soy marinade, and just the right amount of creamy mayonnaise.

I’m not sure I’d describe anything I had as “fusion” cuisine. Most of the dishes are gourmet Vietnamese, and the two specials we had were French, but I didn’t detect any fusing going on.

The wine list is reasonably priced and offers some nice choices. The Puligny Montrachet went well with the food, although not as well as the Chateau Carbonneau that we brought. The $30 corkage seemed a bit steep, but otherwise I thought the food pricing was very reasonable. I can only assume those complaining about the prices were expecting Vietnamese sandwich shop and the ingredients here mark this as a very fine dining restaurant that happens to serve lunch, too.

Restaurant BT
2507 S MacDill Ave
Tampa, FL 33629
(813) 258-1916
http://www.yelp.com/biz/restaurant-bt-tampa

Keke’s Breakfast Cafe

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**** (4 stars)

This is one of the better Keke’s locations, with a nice interior and excellent staff. While I usually go to Keke’s for breakfast, they have a fair variety of lunch items as well.

The Carolina Chicken wrap I tried on this visit combined fried chicken chunks, pecans, bacon, tomato, and lettuce. It was good with the accompanying spicy remoulade, which was really intended for the rather flavorless onion rings.

Keke’s Breakfast Cafe
2433 S Hiawassee Rd
Ste 130
Orlando, FL 32835
(407) 298-3684
http://www.yelp.com/biz/kekes-breakfast-cafe-orlando-7

Noodles & Company

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**** (4 stars)

This is a very well run outlet, with friendly staff and a nice seating area with a roll-up glass door that lets in a bit of the outdoors.

The menu offers a good variety of different noodle-based cuisines, plus salads and soups. The noodle dishes have the same issue as at Pei Wei where the calorie counts look attractive until you realize there are two servings in each bowl. However Noodles and Company has come up with a great solution. Their “Buff” bowls leave out the noodles, and substitute spinach, while doubling the other ingredients.

I tried the Buff version of the Japanese Pan Noodles. It seemed funny to remove the Japanese Pan part from the dish, but it more than halved the calories, to just 320 in the whole bowl. And it was extremely tasty. I feel like I got all the flavor, without the carbs. And since the veggies (other than the spinach and cilantro) were hot, it didn’t seem like a salad.

As with the other bowls, you can get a side dish. I had a Caesar salad (side salad with a salad, ha!) and it was also tasty, and added only another 90 calories.

They also have the Coke Freestyle machines that can make a hundred or so different combos, including many with no calories.

In all, quite a satisfying low-cal lunch.

Noodles & Company
7822 W Sand Lake Rd
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 354-1301
http://www.yelp.com/biz/noodles-and-company-orlando-3

Taboon Bistro

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**** (4 stars)

This hard to find restaurant faces the courtyard in the middle of the twin office buildings at the Universal backlot entrance. There is a lovely outside seating area under the portico.

The extensive menu offers every Mediterranean dish you can think of, and a few oddballs (Philly cheesesteak?)

Servings are generous, to say the least. My Veggie plate would have served two, particularly given the accompanying sides of salad and pickles. The Falafel was a bit dry, and I’ve had better hummus, but the Baba Ghanouj was the best I’ve had.

Taboon Bistro
5911 Turkey Lake Rd
Suite 102
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 720-7664
http://www.yelp.com/biz/taboon-bistro-orlando

Pio Pio Restaurant

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***** (5 stars)

This latest location in the Pio Pio chain takes over a nice space in the Publix shopping center that was previously a mediocre BBQ place. Pio Pio is much better.

I love their rotisserie chicken, which always has a delicious golden brown crust. It comes with rice, beans, and plantains. The quarter chicken is surprisingly small, so you may want to get the half chicken. Both are very reasonably priced.

Not so reasonably priced, but also delicious, is the ceviche ($18). It’s a Peruvian style ceviche, (which is a bit confusing since the restaurant is often listed as Colombian).The Mixto version combines raw white fish and cooked shrimp with onions and lots of lime juice. It’s served with the traditional mutant(!) corn, and also cracked corn kernels.

Service was excellent.

By the way, they also have whole rotisserie chickens to go at very reasonable prices. They’re way better than the ones next door at Publix.

Pio Pio Restaurant
2588 Maguire Rd
Ocoee, FL 34761
(407) 347-7101
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pio-pio-restaurant-ocoee-2

Black Rock Bar & Grill

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**** (4 stars)

This place is the latest incarnation of a space that has had a lot of turnover since it was what we called “Naughty Perkins” during Tiger Wood’s escapades. This latest tenant looks to have a better chance of survival… if they make a few adjustments.

The concept here is hot rock cooking, where you prepare your own meat on a 750 degree rock. Although some reviewers have treated this as a revolutionary concept, there has, in fact, been a place in Orlando that’s been doing a fantastic job of this for more than two decades. It’s Colorado Fondue Company in Casselberry. And Black Rock Bar & Grill has a long way to go before they’re as good as that place.

Nevertheless, they have an extensive menu, with some interesting salads and sandwiches in addition to the hot rock meals. That’s a good thing, because one of the problems here is that there are no economical lunch offerings. That’s because there is no lunch menu. With hot rock entrees at $24 and up, that’s a non-starter.  But salads and burgers are $11 and up, which is also on the high side for lunch.

The other problem is training. Our server had a significant language barrier, and half of our party’s order was wrong in one way or another. I’m sure it could all have been corrected, but it had already taken more than a half hour to get our meals, so it wasn’t worth it. And at lunch time the restaurant was far from full, so there’s some work to be done in the kitchen, too.

All that said, I really liked my Ahi tuna salad. The Ahi had a crunchy (but not spicy) coating of crushed wasabi peas, and the asian dressing was excellent.

“Black rock sauce,” whatever that is, came on several sandwiches. Although quite salty, it was delicious, and seemed to be a variation on Hollandaise.

The fries, which are battered, are also delicious.

Until some changes are made (namely, a lunch menu) I probably wouldn’t return for lunch. But it’s worth investigating the hot rock cooking at dinner, as that can be quite a fun activity.

Black Rock Bar & Grill
8965 Conroy Windermere Rd
Orlando, FL 32819

http://www.yelp.com/biz/black-rock-bar-and-grill-orlando

Caps On The Water

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***** (5 stars)

One of the best outdoor dining venues in Florida. Where else can you sit right at the shore, yet be shaded by a spreading canopy of tree branches?

Of course there’s a lot of fresh seafood on the menu. Highlights were the smoked fish dip appetizer and the appetizer sampler. The “sampler” isn’t actually a sample of other appetizers, but rather an assortment of things not available elsewhere on the menu, the best of which was the smoked salmon.

For entrees we had peel and eat shrimp and fish and chips, both very good.

The wine list is terrific, with many domestic and imported bottles, all at reasonable prices.

Service is friendly, and the kitchen does a great job of keeping up with this very popular spot. No reservations.

Caps On The Water
4325 Myrtle St
St Augustine, FL 32084
(904) 824-8794
http://www.yelp.com/biz/caps-on-the-water-st-augustine

Zoës Kitchen

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***** (5 stars)

This might be my new favorite quick serve restaurant. It’s amazing that this store has only been open a short time, because they really have their act together. Both the service and the food are exemplary.

I had the salmon kebabs, which were extremely high quality, and served with a large Greek salad, some hummus and a few pita wedges. Everything was freshly prepared and delicious.

Each member of our party tried something different, and we all enjoyed our food, but I think I made the best choice–although slightly more expensive, it was a lot of very high quality food for the money.

The interior decor is quite pleasant, and the staff is really engaged with their guests. My only negative comment is that parking is extremely difficult; it was a problem even before they built this new building, so I’m not sure what the plan was, but I suggest you arrive before lunch time.

Zoës Kitchen
7341 W Sand Lake Rd
Ste 1081
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 730-5022
http://www.yelp.com/biz/zo%C3%ABs-kitchen-orlando-2

Sofrito Latin Cafe

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***** (5 stars)

This is a terrific pan-Latin restaurant that is a whole lot better than it needs to be in the tourist corridor. In fact, it’s probably the best Latin restaurant in town. (Just to clarify, it is NOT Latin fusion, which would combine the cuisines of different countries; instead, they offer different foods from many Latin countries.)

Although it’s a quick serve concept where you order at the counter and food is delivered to the table, the service is exceptional. The staff is clearly enthusiastic about their food, and is welcoming and anxious to explain the menu, and to promote their favorite items.

My favorite items were the Pandebono, a round, cheesy, and slightly sweet Colombian bread, and the Cachapa, a Venezuelan sweet corn pancake filled with white cheese and (in my case) beef. Both were a complex combination of savory and sweet flavors, with both crisp and chewy textures. I’ve never had a better Chachapa.

I also enjoyed the Venezuelan empanada, although it didn’t have a lot of filling. I was less enthusiastic about the Mini Cheese Tequeños, which were cheese filled pastry rolls without a lot of flavor.  

There are a number of interesting beers on tap, South American soft drinks, and excellent Cuban coffee.

If you’re visiting and looking for something non-touristy and a bit different, this is a great choice. And if you’re a local, it’s worth the drive to Lake Buena Vista to get your Latin food fix.

Sofrito Latin Cafe
8607 Palm Pkwy
Orlando, FL 32836
(407) 778-4205
http://www.yelp.com/biz/sofrito-latin-cafe-orlando