Category Archives: Florida

American Gymkhana

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**** (4 stars)

If you’re looking for an incredible Indian fusion experience that combines traditional dishes with complex influences from other cuisines in beautiful presentations, proceed directly to American Gymkhana and don’t even bother to read the rest of this review. You won’t be disappointed.

If you’re the owner of this restaurant, please read on.

Your chef and her cuisine are wonderful. But if you want to succeed, you need to fix some things soon. The restaurant has been open two months, which is plenty of time for there to be someone working in service who knows what they’re doing.

Sadly, this is not the case. The food is so good that people will try again, but at some point we’ll give up unless basic levels of service can be achieved. It’s as if the whole staff has never been in a table service restaurant (not counting Denny’s) before.

On our Saturday brunch visit there were at least 15 servers huddled near the entrance, and exactly two patrons. Yet we were interrogated for five minutes at the front desk by three people before finally being shown to a table. Why do you need our names and phone numbers to serve us food?

We asked our server several questions about the food and beverages (let’s face it, the brunch menu isn’t exactly self explanatory, and contradicts itself regarding what the meal includes). The answer to every question was “well, I don’t know what’s in that, but we do everything very special here so it has lots of wonderful ingredients.”

Before you blame the server for this response, let me note that I overheard this same conversation at two other tables with two other servers and the response was essentially identical. If you ever get a patron with a food allergy, they’re dead.

There were a dozen other minor issues with the service provided by everyone who visited our table: inability to clearly explain what came or did not come with various dishes on the menu, wrong drinks served with no one noticing, no one offering dessert before the check–nothing show-stopping or that prevented us from enjoying the truly wonderful food. But there is no excuse for it.

You own a Michelin listed restaurant in New York, and I know this isn’t what the service is like there. Someone needs to move to Orlando and take charge. It would be a shame for one star service to kill a restaurant with 5 star food.

American Gymkhana
7559 W Sandlake Rd
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 985-2900
http://www.yelp.com/biz/american-gymkhana-orlando

Hemingway’s

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**** (4 stars)

I guess I’m what you’d call a long-time customer since I’ve been going here for almost 30 years. It’s a magical little oasis outside the Grand Cypress hotel, completely surrounded (and high above) the rock work waterfalls that feed the elaborate pools. Every room is essentially a glassed in veranda, and one is screened in for those balmy evenings.

The food is reliable and tasty, and the service is friendly and accommodating.

Over the years many menu items have changed, but one constant has been my favorite salad, the Key Wester, and complex combination of a mild blue cheese dressing, ham, bacon, a few olives, and other goodies. Highly recommended.

Hemingway’s
1 Grand Cypress Blvd
Orlando, FL 32836
(407) 239-1234
http://www.yelp.com/biz/hemingways-orlando

Taquitos Jalisco

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TJ

***** (5 stars)

This is still, after more than a decade, the only authentic table service Mexican restaurant in Orlando. There are some Tex Mex items, but the real key is to order the authentic dishes such as the pastor or the mole. I like the Plato Botanas appetizer sampler, but for a real treat try the Gorditas Pastor with everything. Also excellent margaritas.

Taquitos Jalisco
1041 S Dillard St
Winter Garden, FL 34787
(407) 654-0363
http://www.yelp.com/biz/taquitos-jalisco-winter-garden

Kabooki Sushi – An Extravaganza

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***** (5 stars)

We returned to our favorite sushi place (in the world) for an extravaganza, taking advantage of Dani being in town, and a visit from our friend Pamela from Australia. Truly, there is no better sushi in the world, and no more creative sushi chef than Chef Henry. Every visit offers new and spectacular selections, and this trip was no exception. Each course was accompanied by matching wine.

The kitchen

The kitchen

Tom yum soup with coconut broth, lime and head-on shrimp

Tom yum soup with coconut broth, lime and head-on shrimp

Kanpachi tartare

Kanpachi tartare

Our favorite, maguro truffle

Our favorite, maguro truffle

Sashimi patter featuring whole branzino with a ponzu-based sauce

Sashimi patter featuring whole branzino with a ponzu-based sauce

Kobe beef nigiri with black truffle

Kobe beef nigiri with black truffle

Pork belly with mushrooms

Pork belly with mushrooms

Chef Henry flames the lobster

Chef Henry flames the lobster

Lobster

Lobster

Three layer flan, molten chocolate cake, bread pudding, cappuccino creme brûlée

Three layer flan, molten chocolate cake, bread pudding, cappuccino creme brûlée

What an amazing meal! We’re ready to go back!

 

Kabooki Sushi
3122 E Colonial Dr
Orlando, FL 32803
(407) 228-3839
http://www.yelp.com/biz/kabooki-sushi-orlando

Cariera’s Cucina Italiana

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**** (4 stars)

This latest incarnation of Cariera’s (December 2014) follows several previous ownership changes under that name, and several names before that. But this is the most significant in the span of 25 year we’ve been going there, because the interior space has been remodeled from pizza parlor to fine dining restaurant.

From what we sampled, the new menu backs up this move to upscale Italian dining. Both the Caesar Salad and the Grilled Romaine salad were excellent. The Lobster Ravioli was better than at any of the Italian restaurants in Orlando where we’ve tried it. And the Chicken Picatta (which they made special because I’m not a veal fan) was also quite excellent.

Wine corkage is available and reasonably priced.

Service was extremely accommodating, and the manager is gracious and professional. I suspect this restaurant will give the other Italian places in the area significant competition, because the food is better than any of them, and is a fraction of the cost of the closest competitor.

Cariera’s Cucina Italiana
The Market Place
7600 Dr Phillips Blvd, Ste 12
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 351-1187
http://www.yelp.com/biz/carieras-cucina-italiana-orlando-3

Los Paises

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IMG_7441 IMG_7442

**** (4 stars)

This little market looks pretty scary from the outside, and upon entering things don’t seem much better, with decades old merchandise in the front case. But make your way to the back and you’ll find an excellent (and popular) little taqueria. There are a large number of prepared items available cafeteria style for lunch, but I prefer to order something made to order.

My favorite is the Tortas Pastor, a generous sandwich filled with a slightly spicy marinated pork, plus fresh avocado, tomato and lettuce. The tacos are also excellent, with fresh corn tortillas and cilantro.

Refrigerated cases hold a large selection of soft drinks from Mexico. You can also pick up groceries that are hard to find elsewhere.

You pay for everything on your way out.

Los Paises
6100 W Colonial Dr
Orlando, FL 32808
(407) 253-9199
http://www.yelp.com/biz/los-paises-orlando

Dr. Phillips Center For the Performing Arts

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***** (5 stars)

What an amazing new theatre, and such a breath of fresh air after all those years at the Bob Carr.

Things they got right:

Great acoustics! The most important thing.
Excellent sight lines
Enough restrooms (if you go up a flight from the ground floor)
Enough bars

Things that need work:

Parking lot is far away, and requires walking right across the passenger unloading lanes in front.
No warning flashing lights for the start of act 2.
Champagne from a solo cup doesn’t cut it.

The building itself is quite attractive, and although it shouldn’t have been placed right downtown (the egos at city hall notwithstanding) it is a great addition to the city.

Dr. Phillips Center For the Performing Arts
445 S. Magnolia Ave.
Orlando, FL 32801
(844) 513-2014
http://www.yelp.com/biz/dr-phillips-center-for-the-performing-arts-orlando

Bösendorfer Lounge

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**** (4 stars)

If you enjoy the sound of a great piano, you won’t find a better one than here. This Bosendorfer is magnificent. The lounge itself is divided into two parts, the round entry area, where you can’t get away from the piano, and the more intimate bar area. However we like to dine at the adjacent restaurant. If you request a table near the entry, you can hear the piano just fine.

Bösendorfer Lounge
Grand Bohemian
325 S Orange Ave
Orlando, FL 32801
(407) 313-9000
http://www.yelp.com/biz/b%C3%B6sendorfer-lounge-orlando-2

The Boheme

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**** (4 stars)

Wow, this place has improved SO MUCH. I’d been several times before, and didn’t even figure it was worth writing a review, but on this visit everything has changed.

Start with a flat bread. It’s pizza sized and shaped, super thing, and the margarita version has perfect tomato sauce and fresh basil. In short, it’s a pizza from Italy.

Salads are inexpensive and very generous. I really enjoyed my kale and apple salad, and the Caesar was good, too.

Many of the entrees are steaks, but I opted for something unusual, the Alsatian Charcoute, which was a bowl with sauerkraut, potatoes, wonderful German-syle sausage, and house smoked German bacon. It was wonderful. If that’s not your style, don’t worry, there’s nothing else on the menu like it. But if you occasionally enjoy German food, this was the best I’ve had outside of Germany.

The menu is very diverse, with smoked salmon, and escargot appetizers as well. There’s also a three course menu that is fairly priced.

Now that the new performing arts center is right across the street, I’m sure we’ll be frequent visitors.

The Boheme
325 S Orange Ave
Orlando, FL 32801
(407) 313-9000
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-boheme-orlando

Hanamizuki Japanese Restaurant

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**** (4 stars)

There are lots of places in Orlando to get sushi, but not that many to get noodles. This is the real deal, and an excellent choice for lunch (when all they have is pretty much noodles). Don’t be fooled by its proximity to the tourist area, Hanamizuki is where the locals go for authentic Japanese noodle dishes.

Hanamizuki Japanese Restaurant
8255 International Dr
Ste 136
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 363-7200
http://www.yelp.com/biz/hanamizuki-japanese-restaurant-orlando-2