*** (3 stars)
The good: amazing wine-list with a broad selection of medium to high priced wines from excellent producers and appellations, worldwide.
The bad: crowded and deafeningly noisy making conversation nearly impossible.
The so-so: all the food we tried (ceviche, sashimi, mushrooms, boar ribs, lobster roll, sourdough bread) was just okay. No standouts or anything I'd order again.
Service was friendly, and coping well with the chaos.
Hinoki & The Bird
10 W Century Dr
Los Angeles, CA 90067
***** (5 stars)
I love burger places that make it easy to create just the combination you want, and the Strand offers every conceivable option. My favorite is a beef patty on a brioche bun with American cheese, bacon, sliced onion and tomato, mustard, mayo, ketchup, and pickle relish. Perfect!
Onion rings were nice and lightly battered with a crisp crust. Eat these first as they have a short shelf life.
Hot fries were the only miss. They're just fries made soggy by being drenched in hot sauce. Better to dip.
There's a spacious outside dining area overlooking the lawn.
The Stand
2000 Ave of the Stars
Los Angeles, CA 90067
***** (5 stars)
This is a wonderful spot for breakfast or lunch, both of which are served all day (although all day is only four days a week and until mid-afternoon).
There are two order counters inside, one for hot food, and the other for baked goods.
The breakfast items almost all feature their fabulous garlic biscuits, which are huge, flaky, crusty, and moist inside.
Lunch offers a wide variety. They're famous for their chicken pot pie.
The baked goods are my favorite. The dark chocolate pecan pie had an amazing flaky, buttery crust. The macaroon was the perfect combination of toasty and moist without being too sugary or sticky.
The entire staff was exceptionally friendly.
Se7en Bites
617 N Primrose Dr
Orlando, FL 32803
***** (5 stars)
This is a small traditional roadside diner with a classic assortment of dishes, including excellent hamburger, fries, and onion rings. Be sure to ask for their excellent onion ring dipping sauce!
The tuna melt is also really goos, as is their cole slaw.
Friendly down home service.
Race Car Diner
25641 Monroe St
Astatula, FL 34705
**** (4 stars)
Great spot for Quesitos, sweet, crispy, cream cheese filled pastries with lots of sugar. They go great with the coffee specialties. I had the cortado, which you can get either with or without sugar.
I was less enthusiastic about my bacon and cheese omelet, which was nothing special.
Order at the counter, and they bring the food to your table. Lots of outdoor seating, too.
Zaza Cuban Comfort Food
417 N Alafaya Trl
Orlando, FL 32828
***** (5 stars)
I've always enjoyed the other Azteca locations, and this one is just as good, and even better decorated. What a transformation from the old Village Inn!
Open only a week, and really bustling, but the service and kitchen were mostly able to keep up.
Fajitas are the highlight for me here. This was the first time I tried them with carnitas, and the meat was tender and succulent.
The Cadillac Margaritas are also excellent.
The dining room is high ceilinged, but can be quite loud when full. For a somewhat less boisterous dining experience, ask for a high top in the bar, or a table in the room beyond the bar.
Azteca D’Oro Winter Garden
3130 Daniels Rd
Oakland, FL 34787
***** (5 stars)
This reincarnation of the old Hemingway's spot is very good. Because of the Richard Blaise branding, I was expecting more molecular gastronomy, but it's pretty focused on fresh seafood.
We selected the Seafood Smorgasbord as our starter, and it proved to be so extensive that it was really a meal for two, including nearly every appetizer on the menu: Tuna tostada, scallop ceviche, stone crab claws, shrimp cocktail, ham croquettes, shrimp toast, and a dozen oysters! Highlights were the scallops and the tuna and, surprisingly, the croquettes. We weren't fans of the shrimp toast; although perfectly crisped, it was a bit sweet, and lacked any shrimp flavor. At $128 this was fairly priced, and a really complete dinner for two.
After that, all we could manage were a couple more small plates. Ribeye Pichos were two small skewers of flavorful beef, tasty but maybe not worth $23. Jerk coated cauliflower, also available in an entree size portion, was excellent.
The Boulevardier is an amazing cocktail. It's also nice that they have a wine of the day poured from magnum. Ours was Chateau LaGrange.
I've been going to this place for 38 years, since it first opened as Hemingway's, and our server, Michael, has been there just as long! So some things haven't changed. Now if they would just bring back the Key Wester salad as a tribute to the old days, it would be perfect.
Four Flamingos
1 Grand Cypress Blvd
Orlando, FL 32836
*** (3 stars)
This is a combination sports bar and seafood place, focusing on mostly fried seafood dishes the way you might get them in Boston, or the way people think you might get them in Boston. There's nothing great about the place except the decor, which is pretty good, and the nice location on Celebration's waterfront. But there's nothing terrible about it either. The best thing we had was the lobster roll, which had a reasonable amount of lobster in it, although it was priced accordingly. The sports bar food was less good. The potato skins and chicken wings were just OK. Spicy tuna dip was a poor choice. It was basically really liquid tuna sandwich filling, and not spicy at all. There is a lovely outside area dedicated to dining with dogs, so if you're a dog watcher, it's a great place to visit lots of canine friends.
Celebration Town Tavern
721 Front St
Celebration, FL 34747
https://www.yelp.com/biz/celebration-town-tavern-celebration
***** (5 stars)
Excellent service and friendly people.
Creed’s Firewood
3416 S Goldenrod Rd
Orlando, FL 32822
***** (5 stars)
This is my favorite Peruvian restaurant in Orlando. Everything is very authentic. They have the best ceviche I've had anywhere but Lima. The causas are also excellent.
As of this writing if you check in on Yelp they offer a free Chicha Morada, a delicious fruity non-alcoholic drink (based on purple corn, interestingly) with a touch of cinnamon and clove.
The pisco sours are also excellent.
Memories of Peru Pollos a la Brasa
5700 International Dr
Orlando, FL 32819
https://www.yelp.com/biz/memories-of-peru-pollos-a-la-brasa-orlando-11