The Pub Orlando

**** (4 stars)

Great atmosphere in this version of a traditional pub on steroids. Excellent assortment of beers, wines and whiskeys. I particularly like that there are reasonably priced tasting flights of each, and in many cases you can choose the tasting line up yourself.

The menu is great, although the food wasn’t quite as wonderful as the descriptions sounded. Nevertheless there are some offerings beyond the usual sports bar and pub food, and also novel blendings of the two. Our favorite of everything we tried was the crispy shrimp, which was flash fried in a wasabi batter and server on a thai sweet chili sauce.

Note that valet parking is free, but the parking garage isn’t validated.

The Pub Orlando
9101 International Dr
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 352-2305
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-pub-orlando-orlando

Ye Olde Kings Head

**** (4 stars)

If you like English food, this is a great  spot for it. Most is authentic, and what’s not authentic is in general an improvement. The BLSt used English bacon, and was a delicious combination of ingredients. The Ploughman’s Platter was more extensive than any I’ve had in England. And the chicken salad had just the right amount of curry.

The decor is really charming, much quainter than most real English pubs.There’s a cozy dining space and also a more traditional pub.  There’s also an extensive outside dining area along the sidewalk.

Next door is an English shop where you’ll find many hard to obtain foodstuffs.

Ye Olde Kings Head
116 Santa Monica Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 451-1402
http://www.yelp.com/biz/ye-olde-kings-head-santa-monica

The Alcove

**** (4 stars)

With 12 seats inside, and about as many on the sidewalk, the Alcove may not be the smallest bar/restaurant in America, but it’s certainly a contender. The food menu is limited to basically several paninis or a cheese plate, but the smoked turkey panini I had was delicious, and the salad that accompanied it was almost European in character, in keeping with a number of European wines and spirits on offer. Service is friendly, and the atmosphere is definitely cozy and unique.

The Alcove
512 Main St
Evanston, IL 60202

http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-alcove-evanston