***** (5 stars)
My favorite sports bar in the area! Not really sports, music, but the same idea. Great interior decor and a much more extensive menu than a lot of places
Excellent pizzas and wings. Also a great selection of beers including lots of my favorite dark beers.
Great service, too.
A good choice for groups and outside dining.
Rock & Brews – Kissimmee
3284 Margaritaville Blvd
Kissimmee, FL 34747
***** (5 stars)
Nice coffee shop near the big wheel. All the usual choices, plus crepes made to order. Counter service.
Icafe De Paris
8465 International Dr
Orlando, FL 32819
***** (5 stars)
This is my favorite rendition of the sushi places that have been in this spot. The decor has been refreshed, and the menu is quite extensive. The ceviche was one of the best dishes I've had. It's an interesting fusion of Japanese ingredients and traditional ceviche preparation. Service is very attentive.
Umi
525 S Park Ave
Winter Park, FL 32789
**** (4 stars)
This is a refreshing new take on Disney dining after quite a few years of nothing very exciting opening up. Like most Disney restaurants, the dining room can only be described as "clamorous," however we were lucky and were seated in a smaller room back to the right of the kitchen, with a lovely view to the southeast. (Note that if you're going here to see the Magic Kingdom fireworks, you won't be able to from this side.)
The menu is fairly traditional Spanish tapas. Of particular note is the Chef's Signature dinner for two, which offers an assortment of tapas, a very large charcuterie plate, an enormous and very tender rib-eye steak, and a fairly modest dessert, all for sharing. The sharing of some of the items is a bit awkward, and some of it has that cruise ship feeling of having been prepared en masse and in advance, but overall it was quite good, and very reasonably priced.
The wine program is exceptional, with lots of Spanish offerings, most available by the glass, and reasonably priced by the bottle. Oddly missing were any dry sherries, but probably no one but me drinks them.
Service was enthusiastic and professional.
Toledo – Tapas, Steak & Seafood
1000 W Buena Vista Dr
Kissimmee, FL 34747
https://www.yelp.com/biz/toledo-tapas-steak-and-seafood-kissimmee
**** (4 stars)
If you're looking for the authentic Chicago dog experience, look no further. I've been to the Portillo's in Chicago many times, and this place has exactly the same food. It's even better, because the interior is stunning–spacious, bright, and trendy, with an efficient layout.
That said, I'm not quite sure what all the fuss is about. Yes, the Chicago dog is exactly a Chicago dog, but there are more interesting types of hot dogs. And the Italian Beef is fine, but it's not the most interesting sandwich; it's sort of a low-brow French dip.
The best sandwich here is actually the new spicy chicken, which is almost as good as the one from Popeye's that everybody is trying to copy.
And the very best item I had here was my order of fries, which I asked for well done. They were crinkle cut, spectacularly crispy on the outside, and light and fluffy in the middle, served hot and with the perfect amount of salt.
I was also very impressed by the staff bussing tables. They kept checking that I was enjoying my meal, brought extra napkins without my asking for them, and were just really into the whole customer service role. Well done!
Portillos – Orlando
7715 Palm Pkwy
Orlando, FL 32836
**** (4 stars)
Traditional Brazilian food, done well, in a nice place with table service and a full bar.
The emphasis is on meats of all kinds, and the VERY extensive menu does a good job of picturing everything. The prices seem high at first, but even the half portion is more than enough for two people. There is also a lunch menu.
Hard surfaces, so it can get noisy.
Boteco do Manolo
7653 International Dr
Orlando, FL 32819
***** (5 stars)
Great spot for Thai food! We loved everything we had, and the decor is great, with the interior imported from an old school house in Thailand.
The Panang Curry is the best I have had anywhere, with incredibly complex flavors and just the right spiciness (at level 3 of 5). We had it with shrimp, but it would be great vegetarian or with chicken, too.
Black Pepper Fried Rice was also excellent. It came with its own protein on the side (chicken in our case) but it also made a great base for the panang curry.
The Yum Neau grilled flat iron steak was a great Thai salad, with all the vegetables served in a tasting style so you could make your own combination. Perfect char on the tender steak.
Excellent service and great authentic ambiance. Highly recommended.
Sisi Kay Thai Eatery & Bar
1612 N 45th St
Seattle, WA 98103
https://www.yelp.com/biz/sisi-kay-thai-eatery-and-bar-seattle-5
***** (5 stars)
Wow! What an experience! Not inexpensive, but worth every cent. Two hours of astonishing cocktail mixology, and an amazing view as you sit on a glass floor and revolve your way around Seattle for two hours. Includes VIP access to the Space Needle and valet parking right in front.
Three of us visited, so we were able to try all three experiences, from a beautiful Rose Champagne (poured endlessly), a sublime whiskey tasting, and the best cocktail mixology we've ever experienced (and with us coming from Chicago, a real cocktail town, that's saying something).
Often the use of liquid nitrogen is more for show than purpose, but here it was put to wonderful use, creating ice cold cocktails, rich slushies, and, yes, a spectacular show.
The food was also very good, with top notch ingredients including Wagu beef, truffles, caviar, and raw oysters.
Despite all of that wow factor, it was the service that made it particularly special. Our servers were incredibly friendly, talented, gracious, and informative, and we truly felt welcome to this special experience. I could happily go here very day of our stay in Seattle. Truly memorable for even this jaded foodie!
The Loupe Lounge
400 Broad St
Seattle, WA 98109
*** (3 stars)
I guess I was hoping for more pop culture. There are the remnants of the music museum, and a good LGBT exhibit, and a small SciFi area, but little else.
For more pop culture visit Branson's World's Largest Toy Museum.
Museum of Pop Culture
325 5th Ave N
Seattle, WA 98109
***** (5 stars)
Excellent pork Bánh mì sandwich! Note that only walk up window service is currently offered.
Artisan Cafe
2523 5th Ave
Seattle, WA 98121