***** (5 stars)
Fabulous five star dining in what is far more than a typical bistro. A wonderful selection of caviar with traditional preparations.
The wine list emphasizes local wines but there are also some great French offerings.
If you are lucky enough to go during white asparagus season, be sure to order that.
Quarré
Unter den Linden 77
10117 Berlin
Germany
***** (5 stars)
Wow! That’s my review.
Seriously, it’s amazing that Orlando has another new world-class restaurant. It’s been an amazing couple of years for Michelin-quality places opening up, and Foreigner is right at the top of that class.
If it doesn’t seem like this restaurant has only been open a few weeks, that’s because Chef Bruno and his team have been honing their presentation for four years in pop-ups.
Now they are taking full advantage of this beautiful new space, presenting ten courses, beginning at the ten-seat counter, and ending at the communal dessert table.
Each course is assembled in front of you. Chef Bruno’s interaction with the diners makes the presentation a delight. And his friendliness encourages interaction among everyone, making Foreigner a really fun and relaxed environment.
With so many standouts, it’s hard to pick a favorite, and with half the menu changing every two weeks, you won’t see many repeats.
My favorites were:
Regular or reserve wine pairings thoughtfully accompany every course.
My only wish is that the souvenir menu included more description of the ingredients, as with so many complex courses, it’s hard to remember all the twists and turns!
If you’re looking for a sublime dining experience, Foreigner is the real deal.
Foreigner Restaurant
2816 Corrine Dr
Orlando, FL 32803
***** (5 stars)
We use Aggressive to service our appliances. Their pricing is fair and their diagnosticians are accurate. Alex and Looven did a great job on our Miele oven repair.
Aggressive Appliances
617 Mercy Dr
Orlando, FL 32805
***** (5 stars)
NOTE: Do not follow your GPS's directions as it will likely lead you to the gated service road in back. You need to enter Ponce DeLeon State Park ($6 fee per car), drive through the parking lot, and then it's a short walk to the restaurant building.
I've always wanted to go to this place, but I was afraid of the wait, which I understand can be very long on weekends. The trick is to go at an unlikely time. We chose a bit after noon on a Thursday, and there was no wait.
Some of the reviews mention poor service, but our server was great.
Obviously you go here for the novelty of cooking your own breakfast on your table, and it is quite fun. It would be a great family activity–let the kids cook breakfast for the adults! But I have to say, the food was EXCELLENT! The eggs were really fresh, and the bacon was meaty.
Of course, the highlight is the pancakes and they didn't disappoint. You can choose between buttermilk batter or a five grain specialty blend. Our server suggested I try both, and indeed, although the buttermilk was nice and fluffy, the five grain blend was also fluffy, plus it had a nice texture and even more flavor.
It's along way for us to go for breakfast (about a 90 minute drive) but I'd definitely like to bo back.
Old Sugar Mill Pancake House
601 Ponce Deleon Blvd
De Leon Springs, FL 32130
https://www.yelp.com/biz/old-sugar-mill-pancake-house-de-leon-springs-2
***** (5 stars)
NOTE: Do not follow your GPS’s directions as it will likely lead you to the gated service road in back. You need to enter Ponce DeLeon State Park ($6 fee per car), drive through the parking lot, and then it’s a short walk to the restaurant building.
I’ve always wanted to go to this place, but I was afraid of the wait, which I understand can be very long on weekends. The trick is to go at an unlikely time. We chose a bit after noon on a Thursday, and there was no wait.
Some of the reviews mention poor service, but our server was great.
Obviously you go here for the novelty of cooking your own breakfast on your table, and it is quite fun. It would be a great family activity–let the kids cook breakfast for the adults! But I have to say, the food was EXCELLENT! The eggs were really fresh, and the bacon was meaty.
Of course, the highlight is the pancakes and they didn’t disappoint. You can choose between buttermilk batter or a five-grain specialty blend. Our server suggested I try both, and indeed, although the buttermilk was nice and fluffy, the five-grain blend was also fluffy, plus it had a nice texture and even more flavor.
It’s a long way for us to go for breakfast (about a 90-minute drive) but I’d definitely like to bo back.
Old Sugar Mill Grill & Griddle House
601 Ponce Deleon Blvd
De Leon Springs, FL 32130
https://www.yelp.com/biz/old-sugar-mill-grill-and-griddle-house-de-leon-springs
**** (4 stars)
They've done a great job of transforming this former counter-serve pasta assemblage place into a nice sit-down dim sum restaurant.
The menu offers a full range of traditional dim sum, with photos to help those not familiar with the cuisine.
We particularly enjoyed the honey glazed roast pork, cucumber with minced garlic, and shrimp pork siu mai.
Service was attentive, and prices are reasonable.
Dim Dim Sum
4700 S Apopka Vineland Rd
Windermere, FL 34786
***** (5 stars)
This is a beautiful restaurant with great food and service. We shared an assortment of appetizers, and they were all very good.
Highlights were the ceviche and the very creative green pea hummus with fried pitas. The grilled shrimp and the Caesar salads were also both very nice preparations. I liked the goat filling in the Yuca nests, but the yuca was a bit heavy.
We went for a late Sunday lunch and it looked like they were setting up for evening live entertainment.
They also have outside dining.
Sajoma Latin Fusion
1600 W Osceola Pkwy
Kissimmee, FL 34741
***** (5 stars)
V&A is back and better than ever! After a more than two-year pandemic closure, Central Florida's greatest restaurant has reopened at the top of its game.
Manager Israel Perez has used the time to update the decor, service pieces, furnishings, and pairings. Matthew Sowers, always a creative spark in the kitchen, is now the Chef de Cuisine, and the new menu already shows off his skills.
We've dined at V&A dozens of times over the years, and this meal was simply the best we've ever had. We were privileged to be the first to experience the new Chef's Table, which gives you a great view into the kitchen, now easier to see into, and busier than ever.
The menu and serving pieces at the Chef's Table are the same as in the intimate Victoria Room, which offers a more romantic experience. Both offer courses not a part of the main dining room menu, including the caviar and the turbot, so they are well worth the additional cost.
Of course the menu is evolving, but our meal included:
Pink Pineapple, Thai Basil, Spiced Mango
Langoustine Tartelette, Watermelon, Finger Limes
Cinco Jotas Iberico, Miso Caramel, "Éclair"
Royal Belgian Caviar, Cauliflower Panna Cotta
Danish Hiramasa, Carrot, Okinawan Potatoes
Wild Turbot, Fennel, Baby Leeks
Glacier 51 Toothfish, Charred Mushroom, Sambal
Green Circle Chicken, Australian Black Truffle, Corn
Lamb, Pickled Blueberries, Violet Mustard
Lamb, Pickled Blueberries, Violet Mustard
Miyazaki A-5, Potato Rösti, Romesco
Preparation of Cheese
Honey Elderflower Ice Cream
Warm Chocolate Cookie
Spectrum of Chocolate:
Pistachio Petit Four
Praline Truffle
Pavlova
Tropical Caramel
Each course was a home run, and it is hard to pick favorites, but the chicken was a standout, sitting atop an incredibly complex Perigord sauce. The A5 Wagyu was also the best I've had anywhere.
New offerings are a completely vegan alternate menu, and a full set of non-alcoholic pairings. The one we sampled was delicious.
The wine list remains one of the best in the state, although most guests opt for the very reasonably priced wine pairings.
A measure of how wonderful this meal was is that before it had ended we were already planning our next visit.
Victoria & Albert’s
4401 Floridian Way
Orlando, FL 32830
**** (4 stars)
Definitely Colorado's most unique and insane roadside attraction. The fruit of one very — shall we say, Individual — person's work, this massive structure is at once breathtaking, beautiful, crazy, and dangerous as all get out. Worth the detour.
Bishop’s Castle
12705 State Hwy 165
Rye, CO 81069
***** (5 stars)
This nice little coffee shop is just off the main road through Sedona. They have a nice selection of locally made pastries, plus the usual coffee drinks. It's nice to patronize local business rather than the chains.
Cuptown
274 Apple Ave
Sedona, AZ 86336