Category Archives: Florida

Fat Kahunas

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**** (4 stars)

If you’re looking for good food right at the beach in Cocoa, this is the place. It’s not just your typical fried fish hut, but an excellent restaurant with a range of offerings that is an unexpected and pleasant surprise.

We particularly enjoyed the coconut shrimp appetizer and the wedge salad. The entrees were also good, with a massive plate of “Malibu” chicken — chicken covered with cheddar cheese, bacon and mushrooms.  I was a bit surprised that there was no tartar sauce for the fish and chips. Side dishes, which come with the entrees, were also very good, especially the coconut rice and the cole slaw.

Pricing is extremely reasonable for the great quality and large portions.

Reservations are really important. This restaurant has only five inside tables, and two more outside, so plan ahead, or come at an off time!

Fat Kahunas
8 Minuteman Cswy
Cocoa Beach, FL 32931
(321) 783-6858
http://www.yelp.com/biz/fat-kahunas-cocoa-beach-2

LoudMouth Grill

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*** (3 stars)

This is the third incarnation of what we call “Naughty Perkins Sports Bar” in honor of its coffee shop history, when Tiger Woods picked up waitresses here. From coffee shop it transition to sports bar. Now LoudMouth is little changed from its days as MVP Sports Bar, except that the food has become even less healthful!

The featured item pretty much says it all: the LoudMouth Burger is a bacon cheeseburger served not on a bun, but between two grilled cheese sandwiches. If this sounds incredibly greasy, well, it is. Of course, I felt obligated to try it. It wasn’t bad, but the beef patty was its weak point. The grilled cheese sandwiches and bacon were delicious. The burger was accompanied by excellent waffle fries and a chunk of dill pickle.

We also tried a Ceasar salad that was okay except for a couple of bits of rancid crouton.

Service was friendly and attentive, but the employees outnumbered the patrons for weekday lunch, so I’m not sure of the prospects for this incarnation.

LoudMouth Grill
8965 Conroy Windermere Rd
Orlando, FL 32835
(407) 217-6877
http://www.yelp.com/biz/loudmouth-grill-orlando

Txokos

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**** (4 stars)

Orlando needs more restaurants with great ambience, and Txokos certainly leads the pack. The main dining room with its wood grill and chef’s bar seating are particularly nice, and the subdued Euro-inspired soundtrack is perfect.

All of the food we had was good, but several items were particularly noteworthy, and they weren’t necessarily the ones we’d have guessed. Standouts were the manchego cheese and figs on skewers and the grilled spring onions. Both were reasonably priced, in contrast to the expensive and uninspired charcuterie plate.

There are some excellent Spanish wines on the list, including a very reasonably priced Tondonia Rioja.

Service was very attentive, and there are a nice assortment of sherries and other Spanish libations by the glass.

Txokos
3201 Corrine Dr
Orlando, FL 32804
(321) 972-8852
http://www.yelp.com/biz/txokos-orlando-2

Bistro CloClo

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ClocloJazzBrunch

ClocloOmelet

***** (5 stars)

Authentic French Bistro food and sidewalk cafe ambience, too. Just as cafes spill out onto the sidewalks in Paris, CloClo spills out onto the sidewalk at the Dr. Phillips Marketplace, but it is considerably more weatherproof than a Paris cafe, a good think on a rainy Orlando afternoon!

The lunch menu offers the starters and lighter fare one would expect in Paris, including “Croque” sandwiches, a quiche of the day, and crepes. For me the highlights are the starters, including the smoked salmon, pates, and especially the mussels, which were perhaps the best I’ve had anywhere, finished in a delicate wine and cream sauce with a touch of herbs and a much lighter garlic dose than most places.

The white sangria, a house specialty, was an unexpected surprise, and very refreshing. There are also a variety of Champagne cocktails.

At night the sandwiches disappear and a few more entrees are added, but it’s largely the same menu.

The wine list is a bit scatterbrained at the moment, although there are plenty of interesting offerings. and it’s in the process of an upgrade.

This space was problematic when it was Press 101 because of an awkwardly placed ordering counter and bar. That has been corrected, and there is now an elegant indoor dining room in addition to the sidewalk area.

Food and beverage pricing is very reasonable.

Bistro CloClo is a great addition to Southwest Orange County, which really needed an authentic French restaurant. The fact that is it a Bistro with great ambience is a real plus.

Bistro CloClo
7600 Dr. Phillips Blvd
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 745-5045
http://www.yelp.com/biz/bistro-cloclo-orlando

Sloppy Taco Palace

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**** (4 stars)

Yes, the tacos are sloppy. And good. Very good. But what is GREAT is the sloppy dog. Also bizarre. It’s a delicious hot dog in a tortilla, covered in chili and nacho cheese. And it’s five times better than you imagined from that description.

The Greek wrap and Greek taco are also really good. The sliders are, um, how can I put this… lousy.

Tater tots are the most popular side, and are delicious.

Service is fun; our regular lunch waitress is quick with the jokes and the refills, and makes each lunch a bit of a lark.

We like to eat outside on the covered porch because it doesn’t smell like old beer, which, let’s face it, the inside does. It looks like they have some wild bands in the evening but I’ve never been there then.

Tip: lunch specials most days are really cheap.

Sloppy Taco Palace
4892 S Kirkman Rd
Orlando, FL 32811
(407) 574-6474
http://www.yelp.com/biz/sloppy-taco-palace-orlando

Winter Park Playhouse

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***** (5 stars)

There aren’t many small professional theaters left, so it’s great to see this one thriving. The shows are very professional, with live music and talented performers, and since there are only a few rows, there are no bad seats.

It’s particularly nice that there is a comfortable lounge and bar with piano music for hanging out before the show, and the founders are always there to greet guests and make sure everyone has a nice time.

Definitely one of the best theatrical experiences in Central Florida.

Winter Park Playhouse
711 Orange Ave
Winter Park, FL 32789
(407) 645-0145
http://www.yelp.com/biz/winter-park-playhouse-winter-park

Orlando Science Center

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**** (4 stars)

This is a really nice museum facility, but what I particularly like are the special events, especially the annual Spring “Science of Wine” which includes a very informative seminar and the best food of any wine event in town, even including the much more expensive Epcot food and wine festival. It’s great fun to eat and sip beneath the dinosaur bones! Sign up for the mailing list and you’ll find out about these special events in advance, before they sell out.

Orlando Science Center
777 E Princeton St
Orlando, FL 32803
(407) 514-2000
http://www.yelp.com/biz/orlando-science-center-orlando

Hubbly Bubbly Falafel Shop

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***** (5 stars)

I first had falafel many years ago in Los Angeles, so that’s how I expect it to be, and Hubbly Bubbly does it just that way, slicing the pita in half and filling each half, rather than rolling it up. I like the fact that you can select from an array of ingredients as you walk along the counter.

They also have “bowls” and Halal meats, so there are many possible combinations.

Sides include a sort of potato puff and “crispy” cauliflower, which is fixed in the fryer, without batter. I tried both, and though the potatoes were a bit heavier than I wanted, the cauliflower was delicious, and almost completely drained due to the lack of batter.

The owner, George, took time to explain to every new customer what all the options were, and provided free samples of things to try next time.

My new favorite place for falafel in Orlando.

Hubbly Bubbly Falafel Shop
3405 Edgewater Dr
Orlando, FL 32804
(407) 985-5841
http://www.yelp.com/biz/hubbly-bubbly-falafel-shop-orlando

Qarma Crêpes

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**** (4 stars)

This is a cozy little place with great service and a nice assortment of both savory and sweet crepes. The crepes themselves are fairly thin, and have a slight sweetness to the batter, particularly around the thin edges. They are folded in half before stuffing, which gives them more body, but they still remain light and fluffy.

I had a vegetarian crepe, which allowed me to pick an assortment of fillings, plus smoked Gouda cheese and lemon mayo drizzle. The veggies were raw, which gave the crepe a nice, fresh character.

The sweet crepes also looked delicious, I’ll have to save room on a return visit.

There are a few tables outside, and plenty inside, and also up in a loft accessed via a spiral staircase.

Qarma Crêpes
12 N Summerlin Ave
Orlando, FL 32801
(407) 403-5549
http://www.yelp.com/biz/qarma-cr%C3%AApes-orlando

Noodles & Company

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**** (4 stars)

Excellent service at this Noodles & Company, and a nice outside dining area. The dishes aren’t quite as integrated as at some others I’ve been to up North. My Pad Thai was just okay; the chicken seemed like an afterthought that just sort of sat there. The edamame seems expensive at $3 considering the small serving, and it’s completely lacking in any seasoning or salt. My friend’s Shrimp Bangkok Curry was much better, and is what I’d have on a return visit.

Noodles & Company
12529 State Rd 535
Orlando, FL 32836
(407) 560-8325
http://www.yelp.com/biz/noodles-and-company-orlando