Capa

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**** (4 stars)

The Four Seasons Hotel at Disney World is oddly the most austere Four Seasons I’ve been to, all hard surfaces and glaring lights. It’s the sort of place where the artwork is mostly square canvasses of one solid color.

Unfortunately, this austerity continues into the restaurants, including the flagship Capa on the 17th floor. What could be a real gem of a restaurant is defeated by an environment that sacrifices warmth for trendiness.

Certainly Capa has a lot to offer in the way of food. During a marathon evening of wine tasting we tried more than half the menu, and liked most of what we had.

The Hamachi Crudo, served with Clementines and a crunchy Horseradish topping was everyone’s favorite, and we had two orders and wanted more.

The Charcuterie Board was the best I’ve had. It includes Jamon Serrano, Cantimpalo, Lomo and we added some Iberico. The Lomo was particularly good.

The olive asortment included Arbequina, Gordal and Empeltre on the night we were there. Some were pitted, some not, and being served slightly warmed really increased their flavor profile.

The Shrimp coated with Chili were very pungent, a bit overwhelming with ours wines.

Patatas Bravas Potatoes looked like tater tots, but were amazingly fluffy, with a delicious Paprika and Black Garlic coating–some of the best potatoes I’ve ever had, and small enough to not feel guilty.

I’m not a big Pork Belly fan, but this version had been seared extra crispy, and I ate all of the generous portion.

The Octopus was chewy and lacked the crisp char needed to make it interesting.

Veal Cheeks had a gamey aroma that was quite unappealing.

The roasted Cauliflower was delicious, and served with a sunny side up egg for dipping.

For entrees we tried the 8 ounce Filet and the 12 ounce New York Strip. Both were prime. The filet, having been marinated, had an exotic succulence. The strip boasted a great smokey flavor from the grill and dry aging. Both were pretty pricey, but worth it.

The Bernaise Sauce was unusually thin (and a scanty portion) but proved to be a delicious dipping sauce for the strip, and its thinness actually made it a better accompaniment. It had lots of traditional Bernaise flavor.

The best side dish was the diced Carrot and Celery Root served with Pesto. The Swiss Chard and the Wild Mushrooms were both unremarkable. Yukon Gold mashed potatoes with Brown Butter were good, but not as good as they sound.

We also had an assorted dessert platter with ice creams, cakes, and some really good churros.

Service was up to the Four Seasons standard, with everyone extremely helpful and friendly.

Capa is lucky to have Jill Davis as Sommelier. She is perhaps Central Florida’s most knowledgable sommelier, and provided wonderful wine service and interesting comments on the wines we had. The wine list is superb, and excellently priced.

It’s worth the hunt for an unlocked door so you can view the Disney fireworks from the terrace outside, which is a welcome escape from the boxy dining room and open kitchen.

I wouldn’t hesitate to return to Capa for the great food and wine service, but it’s not a place I’d pick for a cozy or romantic evening. With different seating, surfaces and lighting I’d be there every week.

Capa
Four Seasons Resort
10100 Dream Tree Blvd
Orlando, FL 32836
(407) 313-7777
http://www.yelp.com/biz/capa-orlando

Azteca Two Mexican Restaurant & Lounge

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* (1 stars)

In nearly 1000 reviews I’m not sure I’ve ever given any place one star, but this place earned it. This is the worst Mexican food I have ever had. And it’s not just one thing.We tried an appetizer sampler and two combos, so about twelve items all together. Of those twelve, perhaps two were edible. And I’m counting the tortilla chips to get that high. The worst was a seafood chile relleno that honestly looked like something a dog coughed up, but didn’t taste that good. Absolutely horrible.

Azteca Two Mexican Restaurant & Lounge
6395 N Atlantic Ave
Cape Canaveral, FL 32920
(321) 784-1188
http://www.yelp.com/biz/azteca-two-mexican-restaurant-and-lounge-cape-canaveral

Red Ginger Restaurant

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**** (4 stars)

This nicely decorated strip mall restaurant serves both Chinese food and sushi. Both are competently prepared.

Lunches come with two sides, and in some cases you can choose from some out of the ordinary offerings such as lo mein.

The sushi was well made. We particularly liked the No Name roll.

Service is friendly and efficient.

Red Ginger Restaurant
6300 N Wickham Rd
Ste 127
Melbourne, FL 32940
(321) 242-1167
http://www.yelp.com/biz/red-ginger-restaurant-melbourne

Trend Kitchen

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***** (5 stars)

This small restaurant manages to squeeze in seating for about 30 people, including 10 at the bar.

The menu features just four appetizers and four main courses. Each is prepared completely from scratch, so it’s not a place to go if you’re in a hurry. In fact, during our visit the kitchen was even having trouble getting all the plates for a single table out at once.

The wait was worth it, though, as the food was delicious. In particular, the combination of flavors on my beet salad was amazing, with beet, fennel, and candied nuts in each bite, and accompanied by a cheese stuffed tempura squash blossom.

Food pricing is quite high, with a steak coming in at $60, but it is somewhat offset by very reasonable wine pricing, an unusual combination.

Service was attentive and friendly, and the volume wasn’t nearly as loud as I was expecting, given the close quarters.

It’s most definitely the best food for many miles in all directions.

Trend Kitchen
1924 Hwy A1A
Indian Harbour Beach, FL 32937
(321) 622-8977
http://www.yelp.com/biz/trend-kitchen-indian-harbour-beach

The Mango Tree Restaurant

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**** (4 stars)

We’ve been going here for the past twenty years or so, and the place has improved over that time, especially after the ownership change about four years ago.

Live piano music has been replaced by very pleasant guitar music, which seems to make the space a bit more intimate. Certainly the volume level is perfect, allowing conversation, yet providing a great listening environment.

The window into the kitchen seems a bit disconnected from the rest of the ambiance, but this really affects only the table right in front of it.

The bartender here is fabulous, and gave us one of the best bar experiences we’ve had, encouraging us to sample different exotic liqueurs and concocting drinks from scratch, the old fashioned way (pun intended). I will return specifically because of his great service.

The Mango Tree Restaurant
118 N Atlantic Ave
Cocoa Beach, FL 32931
(321) 799-2600
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-mango-tree-restaurant-cocoa-beach

Patacon Con Todo

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***** (5 stars)

This is a great Colombian place for some out of the ordinary food. The main dish is served on either crispy or sweet plantains with your choice of chicken, beef or chicharrones (crispy pork skin). The thing that makes it particularly delicious is the great assortment of sauces to put on them. Try the combination of garlic and pineapple.

There are also a lot of other selections, including arepas and empanadas, and even hot dogs. Even though eleven of us showed up for lunch and one guy was handling the order taking, food prep and serving, it was really quite fast.

The place has a fair amount of seating for a counter service restaurant, and is spotlessly clean. Definitely a great spot to try something different.

Patacon Con Todo
6700 Conroy Windermere Rd
Ste 105
Orlando, FL 32835
(321) 732-3933
http://www.yelp.com/biz/patacon-con-todo-orlando-2

Yard House

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**** (4 stars)

What an extensive menu! And I’m not just talking about the 100+ beers. There are pages of different appetizers and mains in almost every category. Prices seem a bit steep, but I suppose that’s to be expected in the high rent tourist district.

The outside dining area is quite pleasant, and affords a view of the Orlando Eye.

Yard House
8367 International Dr
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 351-8220
http://www.yelp.com/biz/yard-house-orlando

Arepas El Cacao

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***** (5 stars)

This tidy storefront serves prepared to order arepas with a variety of fillings and a nice assortment of sauces on the side. Although the name refers to chocolate, it’s a Venezuelan expression that simply means “The Best” Arepas. And they are good.

I had the shredded beef version with white cheese. It was particularly good with the homemade green sauce.

The also have cachapas. Unlike the arepas, which are grilled, slit open and stuffed, the cachapas are sweeter, and are folded over to hold their payload.

I also enjoyed my blackberry smoothie, which wasn’t too rich and had just the right amount of sweetness.

Arepas El Cacao
5389 S Kirkman Rd
Orlando, FL 32819
(321) 252-2226
http://www.yelp.com/biz/arepas-el-cacao-orlando-2

Paradiso 37

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**** (4 stars)

In the darkest days after Pleasure Island’s abandonment, Paradisco 37 was a lone outpost in a wilderness of abandoned buildings. With the redevelopment of Downtown Disney into Disney Springs (just where is the spring, anyway?) that is slowly changing.

We used to walk in anytime we liked, but with the restaurant now on the Disney dining plan it is often packed. While that has totally changed the ambiance of our former getaway, the food remains the same, and is a notch about the typical tourist Tex Mex place.

The original concept behind Paradiso was pan-American cooking, but you’d be hard pressed to find something on the menu that wasn’t available at most Tex Mex places.

The ceviche is a good example, completely Americanized using cooked shrimp and no raw seafood at all, it’s a tasty if inauthentic starter. We also always enjoy the dipping trio, which give you a chance to sample a pleasantly fluffy spinach dip, a tasty chili, and a so-so guacamole.

Nachos are also good, if a bit skimpy on cheese. It’s hard to complain about Americanized Nachos since I’m pretty sure there isn’t any other kind.

My favorite entree is the salmon, which is also probably the most healthful dish on the menu, lightly cooked, and served with fresh vegetables and rice.

We stopped going to Paradiso a few years ago when we were seated next to a service station about ten feet from a manager, and no one came to the table for 30 minutes, so we left. I’m pleased to report that upon a recent return visit, service is now again available, and the dining experience is unchanged–if you can get a table.

Paradiso 37
1590 E Buena Vista Dr
Orlando, FL 32836
(407) 934-3700
http://www.yelp.com/biz/paradiso-37-orlando-3

Harry Caray’s Restaurant

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*** (3 stars)

Let’s face it. One does not go to an airport for a fine dining experience. So when you get decent food in a sit down environment it makes you just a little more grateful than you’d be in other circumstances.

Harry Caray’s at Midway Airport is such a spot. The food is perfectly fine, including some nicely assembled sandwiches and some genuinely good salads.

The environment is crowded, noisy, and cluttered with luggage. In short, it’s at an airport. But you can sit (after a sometimes long wait) and have a decent meal and relax over a drink. That can’t be said of many other spots in this airport.

Service can be wildly variable. I’ve had everything from hyper-efficient to brusque to check for a pulse. Still, receiving any service at all in an airport is a novelty.

Harry Caray’s Restaurant
5757 S Cicero Ave
Chicago, IL 60638
(773) 948-6300
http://www.yelp.com/biz/harry-carays-restaurant-chicago-2