Category Archives: Seafood

Stonington’s Seafood

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**** (4 stars)

This place surprised me with its extremely high quality fried shrimp and fried chicken. They were both delicious, and not too greasy. The chicken had a completely different coating that made it quite delicate, compared to the more traditional batter of the shrimp.

The sides were good, too, especially the side salad, which had lots of interesting ingredients; the mac and cheese, which had been baked in a little pie tin; and the corn bread, which had been fried on one side. Onion rings were rather greasy.

The operative word here is, of course, “fried”. Almost everything is. But for a splurge it’s very good.

Note this is not “fast” food. Even though you order at a counter, expect it to take twenty minutes to prepare your food. I suppose that accounts for its quality, but you can’t be in a rush.

Stonington’s Seafood
2316 S Kirkman Rd
Orlando, FL 32811
(407) 522-6339
http://www.yelp.com/biz/stoningtons-seafood-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

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

GW Fins

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**** (4 stars)

I love the interior decor of this place, which is fairly intimate, even when bustling. The metallic fish room dividers are particularly cool, and the lighting is dramatic yet subdued.

There’s an extensive list of wines by the glass, mostly white. We grazed our way through six different appetizers and two entrees. The appetizers where the standouts, particularly the tuna crudo, tuna tacos, and shrimp remoulade. Cobia crudo was also good, but needed a bit more citrus drizzle.

Parmesan crusted sheepshead (the fish, not the ovine kind) was an interesting and unconventional offering.

Service was quick and helpful.

GW Fins
808 Bienville St
New Orleans, LA 70112
(504) 581-3467
http://www.yelp.com/biz/gw-fins-new-orleans-2

Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab

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***** (5 stars)

A great restaurant that seems like it has been around for over a hundred years (which its Miami counterpart has) not just 15. Extremely professional service, and, of course, amazing crab. But the real standout here is the terrific prime beef, some of the best in Chicago.

Joe’s is a great way to step back in time and enjoy dining the way it was meant to be, when waiters wore tuxedos, and tablecloths were changed in seconds between seatings in bustling dining rooms.

Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab
60 E Grand Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 379-5637
http://www.yelp.com/biz/joes-seafood-prime-steak-and-stone-crab-chicago

The Capital Grille

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***** (5 stars)

Of all the chain steakhouses, I think Capital Grille is my favorite. Their steaks aren’t as good as some that offer prime meat (including sister chain Eddie V’s) but their sides, such as the lobster mac and cheese are the best.

Capital Grille is also the best choice for lunch, because of their attractive multi-course deals. The Kona rub Wagu burger is a favorite new addition, and the lobster roll is always good.

This location isn’t quite as nicely decorated as the one on International Drive, but it is smaller, more intimate, and doesn’t get packed on convention days.

Service is always friendly and professional. It seems like most of the professional servers in town have, one time or another, worked at Capital Grille.

The Capital Grille
4200 Conroy Road
Orlando, FL 32839
(407) 351-2210
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-capital-grille-orlando-2

Smith & Wollensky

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**** (4 stars)

In a city almost stuffed to the brim with steakhouses, Smith & Wollensky is one of the better known names. A mini chain (of 9) founded in New York in 1977, it is now owned by Patina Group.

The Chicago location looks and feels fairly venerable, although the interior is certainly modern, and the extensive patio is more light and airy than one associates with steakhouses.

As with all the major steakhouses, prices are high, because prime aged meat ain’t cheap. Lunch is a more economical option, and that’s when I tried it out.

After a nice serving of a complimentary bread loaf (topped with herbs) I began with the split pea soup, which was in many way the highlight of the meal. Smooth and delicious, it had a great fresh pea flavor with a hint of smoke. My mother’s specialty was split pea soup, and this was better. High praise indeed.

Next I had the Wollensky salad, a huge serving of crisp lettuce with lardons, mushrooms, and (oddly) cubes of potatoes instead of croutons. I really enjoyed the vinaigrette dressing, and liked the salad enough to take the leftovers with me (which were a lot).

I finished with the steak sandwich, which was served with slaw, a pickle, and a side of fries. The steak was extremely tender and flavorful. I liked the horseradish sauce on the bun. The fries were just all right.

Any of these three courses would have been a complete lunch, making it an affordable option.

Service was very attentive, and there’s a nice view across the river.

Smith & Wollensky
318 N State St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 670-9900
http://www.yelp.com/biz/smith-and-wollensky-chicago

Siena Tavern

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**** (4 stars)

Despite its name, Siena Tavern doesn’t really come across as either Italian or a tavern. True, there is a list of pizzas, and they serve drinks, but it seems more like  a Hillstone concept to me.

The decor is open and modern, with a few too many hard surfaces to control the noise level when it’s busy (which seems to be most of the time).

We went for Sunday brunch/lunch, and I was pleased to find that while there were some very tasty looking brunch items, there were also lots of non-breakfast choices.

The chopped salad was an interesting conglomeration of vegetables, cheese and meat, and had enough juice from the artichoke hearts and other veggies that it didn’t really need the accompanying honey mustard dressing, so I’m glad I had that on the side.

The “burnt crust” pepperoni pizza wasn’t quite as charred as I would have liked, but it did have a very thin crust and good flavor.

Service was efficient, a necessity given how busy they were.

I’m not sure what would draw me back for a revisit (maybe some of the breakfast items, which looked really delicious and really bad for you) but my visit was fine.

Siena Tavern
51 W Kinzie St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 595-1322
http://www.yelp.com/biz/siena-tavern-chicago

Taverna Opa

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**** (4 stars)

Taverna Opa offers one of the most fun venues at Pointe Orlando. Serving both lunch and dinner, the restaurant has very different atmospheres at day and night.

Lunch is a quiet affair where you can eat outside, inside, and large parties can be accommodated in the spacious back room. At night it transforms into a lively party atmosphere, with much twirling of napkins and shouts of “Opa!”

The menu offers all the Greek standards. The cold appetizer platter is a nice sampling of three dips, and the hot appetizer platter offers delicious wings, lamb ribs, and so-so calamari.

Complimentary hummus that you crush yourself is served with very fresh pitas.

The best appetizer is probably the flaming cheese.

The souvlaki is actually a gyro served with fries, and your choice of filling.

Service is friendly and the wine list is extensive.

Taverna Opa
9101 International Dr
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 351-8660
http://www.yelp.com/biz/taverna-opa-orlando-3