Category Archives: Florida

Pizza @ Artegon

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**** (4 stars)

I’ve been to this mall many times over the past fifteen years, and it has always been deserted. But I hadn’t been there since it changed to Artagon, so I was surprised to find… that it’s still deserted.

Be that as it may, this is an excellent pizza spot. You place your order at the counter and supervise as they assemble your pizza and run it though a conveyor oven, a process that only takes a few minutes.

The resulting pizza is on a thin, tasty crust. What’s really nice is that for about $8 you can put up to six ingredients on. Usually extra ingredients are ridiculously expensive, so I love this build your own approach.

That said, I decided to go with one of their featured recipes, the”Goofy Foot.” I’m not sure what a sauceless seafood pizza has to do with where you put your feet on a skateboard, but it was delicious. The combination of cheeses, mahi, shrimp, basil and chili oil really went together. My only complaint was that for some reason–probably the amount of moist ingredients–condensation immediately began to form under the crust, and I had to keep moving it around to keep it from dissolving. I’d like to experiment with ingredients and see if there’s a way to get a truly crispy crust.

Everyone in our group absolutely loved their pizzas, and said they’d like to return. That shouldn’t be a problem, as there will likely be no lines.

Pizza @ Artegon
5250 International Dr
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 480-5008
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pizza-artegon-orlando

Tapa Toro

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***** (5 stars)

This may be Orlando’s best tapas restaurant. Its diverse menu offers all the standards, plus a lot of dishes with a unique twist, and unlike some tapas places there are a lot of lighter selections and many vegetarian offerings.

My favorite dish by far was the roasted cauliflower, which was perfectly seasoned and sauced, and topped with sultanas and capers. Yum! Grilled asparagus served with grated manchego was also very good.

More conventional were the salmon crudo and the grilled garlic shrimp plates. The assorted cold meat platter was also conventional except for the inclusion of a delicious house-made pate and house-made pickles.

There’s an extensive list of wines by the glass or bottle, plus a very intriguing cocktail list. I tried the Feliz Boca, an inspired mixture of rosemary, lavender, blood orange and bitters. Delicious, and an amazing match to the pate.

There’s a nice dessert menu, but note that there’s also a Ben and Jerry’s about ten feet away! Hmm. Decisions.

Service was very friendly and attentive, and the outdoor dining area is great–mostly shaded, with a view of the Orlando Eye, which is nearby.

Tapa Toro
8441 International Dr
Ste 260
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 226-2929
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tapa-toro-orlando

Tako Cheena

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***** (5 stars)

This tiny taco palace is soon moving four doors north to larger quarters, but for now competition for the few tables can be challenging. Fortunately, although it is a table-service restaurant, it also looks like and operates as a counter service place, and the food is just as good when you get it to go.

I tried two very different specials. The shredded pork taco was moist and tasty, with just the right spice level to the pork. But the curry beet arepa was an event. I’m not a huge beet fan, but it doesn’t matter; the delicate combination of flavors, and the creamy curry sauce (which tasted like it had just a touch of mayo) was out of this world. And the maize shell was perfectly crusted. I would definitely have this again. And again.

Service was friendly. Food preparation takes a bit longer than you’d expect for a counter service place, but that’s probably because of the cooking time of the arepa batter, and it was definitely worth it.

Tako Cheena
932 Mills Ave
Orlando, FL 32803
(321) 236-7457
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tako-cheena-orlando

Seito Sushi

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**** (4 stars)

This is a beautiful restaurant, both inside and out. Like many of the Baldwin Park restaurants it has a great sidewalk dining area that is covered and shaded.

There is an extensive list of interesting sushi rolls, and an even more extensive “roll-odex” you can request.

We started with garlic lime edamame, a very generous serving with an equally generous amount of garlic. We also tried the tuna kobachi, which was less generous, and was missing the usual avocado. It consisted of spicy tuna cubes with a few pickles; oddly, the pickles seemed more American than Japanese.

We tried four rolls, and liked them all. The most interesting was the Smoking’ 808, which was served under a smoke filled lid that imparted an exotic flavor.

There are several excellent sushi restaurants in the area, but unlike some of the others, Seito is open for lunch on Sundays, and it is certainly a pleasant spot to enjoy a relaxed meal outside.

Seito Sushi
4898 New Broad St
Orlando, FL 32814
(407) 898-8801
http://www.yelp.com/biz/seito-sushi-orlando-3

Giordano’s

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*** (3 stars)

I’ve never been a fan of deep dish pizza, so there’s that. I find the crust tastes like saltine crackers, and there’s just too much filling.

Plus, it takes about 40 minutes to cook, which is tool long for lunch hour. So it’s unfortunate that the only pizza lunch specials at Giordano’s involve deep dish pizza (what they called stuffed).

Still, they offer regular pizza and even an extra thin version. Unfortunately they have that same weird dough. Not my favorite.

That said, their Caesar salad is excellent. And the service at this Giordano’s is excellent. So if deep dish is your thing, by all means check it out.

Giordano’s
6203 W Sand Lake Rd
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 377-0022
http://www.yelp.com/biz/giordanos-orlando-3

Perrotti’s Express

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**** (4 stars)

This smaller outpost of the popular Perrotta’s Deli makes real deli sandwiches–hard to find in Orlando–and they make them fast. It’s easy to customize what you want, and they can do subs and wraps as well.

While bread and cheese selections are somewhat limited by the microscopic kitchen, the meats are true New York deli caliber. There’s a small inside dining area.

Definitely one of the best deli sandwiches in Central Florida.

Perrotti’s Express
7828 Winter Garden Vineland Rd
Windermere, FL 34786
(407) 347-3631
http://www.yelp.com/biz/perrottis-express-windermere

Red Lobster

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*** (3 stars)

Red Lobster is a lunch place as far as I’m concerned, because I can’t imagine spending $30 for an entree when I could go to a fine dining restaurant and get much better food. But at lunch it’s fine, because you can get a seafood assortment with a side and a salad for around $10.

Admittedly most of the choices are either battered and fried, or served swimming in butter, but you’re probably not going here because fish is a healthy choice. Let’s face it, you’re going here because of those biscuits. When they come out fresh from the kitchen, crispy on the outside, hot and garlicky/cheesy on the inside, they are really, really good.

Speaking of the kitchen, it is weirdly slow here, even when the restaurant is mostly empty (as it usually is at lunch time). The service is friendly and well-intentioned, though (a big improvement over this location a few years ago).

And this is a really nice interior, since it was originally built as a China Coast, and still has the dramatic ceiling beams and intimate layout. All in all a pretty decent Red Lobster.

Red Lobster
7373 W Colonial Drive
Orlando, FL 32818
(407) 295-2791
http://www.yelp.com/biz/red-lobster-orlando-4

Boca

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***** (5 stars)

This neighborhood restaurant offers a collection of cozy rooms, although they can be noisy. The best place to sit is outside, which is warmed by heaters on cool nights, and offers a less rambunctious dining environment.

The menu offers a nice assortment of tasting size plates and some interesting flatbreads, plus a couple of nightly specials. We particularly liked the smoked fish dip, which was presented with a variety of accompaniments such as pickled onions and sliced peppers. The fried green tomatoes were a generous serving that looked more like eggplant parmesan.

A brie and apple flatbread was sizable, but has a nice thin crust that made it not too filling.

All of the wines on the list are available by the glass, and there are some beauties, including Klinker Brick Zinfandel, which won best of show at the state fair a few years ago. Some nice craft cocktails are also on offer.

Service was very friendly and helpful.

Boca
901 W Platt St
Tampa, FL 33606
(813) 254-7070
http://www.yelp.com/biz/boca-tampa

Chili’s Grill & Bar

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*** (3 stars)

This is the Chili’s you’re looking for. Assuming you’re looking for a Chili’s. And if you are, then you know why, so I don’t need to tell you. And this one is just like that. Same floor plan, same decor, same menu.

This one has excellent service, too. Perhaps better than you’re expecting.

Of course, the struggle at Chili’s is to have a meal that contains less than an entire day’s allotment of calories. There are limited options in that regard. I like the ancho salmon, which is pretty good. And only about 500 calories. I have to say the broccoli that came with it was perfectly cooked and delicious… dipped in the ranch dressing… that came with the loaded boneless chicken wings. But that’s another story.

Chili’s Grill & Bar
3142 Daniels Rd
Winter Garden, FL 34787
(407) 877-0796
http://www.yelp.com/biz/chilis-grill-and-bar-winter-garden-2

Fiddler’s Green Irish Pub & Eatery

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**** (4 stars)

This is about as authentic as an Irish pub gets. In fact, it’s more authentic than a few pubs I’ve been to in Ireland.

The decor is traditional and homey. The stew, fish and chips, and hen in a pot are all quite authentic. They even have the same traditional Irish nachos I had in Ireland. Seriously.

There’s a nice beer list that also include some local favorites, including some interesting stouts and porters.

Service is a bit better here than traditional Irish pub service, in that you don’t have to order at the bar.

This is probably the best pub I’ve been to in the US.

Fiddler’s Green Irish Pub & Eatery
544 W Fairbanks Ave
Winter Park, FL 32789
(407) 645-2050
http://www.yelp.com/biz/fiddlers-green-irish-pub-and-eatery-winter-park