Hidden gems aren’t hard to come by in Orlando — you just have to seek them out. From storied sub shops to walk-up Mediterranean delis to late-night taco spots, Orlando is full of great eateries that may be just out of site or nestled in a small space.
Here are 24 of Orlando’s best hole-in-the-wall restaurants.
King Bao 710 N. Mills Ave., Orlando
This Mills Avenue mainstay specializes in diminuitive Asian buns stuffed with creative and delicious mixes of proteins and veggies.
It doesn’t yet have the force of law. But a newspaper writer has penned a proposed bill of rights for diners, establishing standards for everything from the right to receive fresh silverware with each new course to a right to conversational privacy.
Written in a style that is reminiscent of the Bible’s ten commandments yet intermixed with modern-day legal language, the 25-item bill of rights by Los Angeles Times writer Leslie Brenner is a rallying cry to culinary justice.
Even in seemingly relatively minor matters, don’t give up the fight for appropriate restaurant service, the newspaper article urges diners. “You have a right to be offered tap water without feeling stigmatized. The tap water shall be filtered. Unless there are overriding drought conditions, the water shall be replenished throughout the meal.”
Continue readingJimmy Buffett, who died on Friday at age 76, was known for his songs of paradise and affinity for margaritas.
The “Margaritaville” singer inspired devotees, known as Parrotheads, to celebrate a more laid back lifestyle with his music, including the song named after the cocktail.
“What’s most important is to please the Parrotheads, because there’s more to the music than just the music,” he told Entertainment Weekly in 1995. “It’s become a lifestyle. I wish I could take credit, but it’s fan-generated.”
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My wife and I go out for lunch every Saturday, a tradition that has spanned almost a decade. As residents of Central Florida the choices are plentiful, on this occasion our choice was Tibby’s New Orleans Kitchen in Winter Park. The owner ship started in the restaurant business with Tijuana Flats, a popular Mexican place, however, that business was sold and Tibby’s was born.
Tibby’s New Orleans Kitchen
2203 Aloma Ave
Winter Park, FL 32792
Located in the northeast corner of Lakemont Ave in Winter Park, next door to the Aloma Cinema and Grill.
After an appetizer of Fried pickles and a beer / cocktail. My wife ordered off the brunch menu and had the Chicken and Maple Bacon Eggs Benedict and I ordered Crawfish Etouffee with a side of dirty rice. Here are some pics from our selections:
If you’ve ever been to Creole or Cajun country, then chances are you’ve seen jambalaya and etouffee listed on the menus of restaurants. Or perhaps you love the uniquely spicy foods that are associated with the low country and wanted to make your favorite dishes at home. Jambalaya and etouffee are both classic staples for both Cajun and Creole cuisines, and both dishes share several characteristics, so you might wonder what exactly the difference is.
One way to think of these dishes is how they’re served, though. Both are main dishes, but jambalaya is made with rice already in the dish. Etouffee, on the other hand, is a main course of shellfish in a thick sauce that can be served over rice (via Popsugar).
A number of the distinguishing characteristics come down to several key ingredients within each dish. To really understand the difference between jambalaya and etouffee, you have to break down the dishes into their components or main ingredients. One dish must have a certain base that the rest of the dish is built on, while the other is a harmony of flavors defined by the combination of main ingredients.
Evaluate the main ingredients
To understand the difference between jambalaya and etouffee, start by taking a closer look at the main ingredients. Etouffee always begins with the Holy Trinity: onions, bell peppers, and celery, chopped and cooked as the base of the dish. It’s also important to note that etouffee includes a roux to thicken the sauce, though jambalaya doesn’t use one. Another key indicator of etouffee is that it is typically made with shellfish, like crawfish, shrimp, or crab, though it is sometimes made with meat. Whatever the star protein might be, etouffee only has one, maybe two at the most.
Jambalaya is all about the combination of proteins — namely, andouille sausage, chicken, smoked ham, and shrimp. It isn’t uncommon to see at least three of these (if not all four) in a pot of jambalaya. The dish is also simmered with the rice in the pot already, too, which makes sense, because it is a distant relative to paella.
Now that you know the difference between etouffee (the thick, seafood gravy dish) and jambalaya (a simmered stew of meat, shellfish, and rice), you can easily make either example of Cajun and Creole cooking.
Results are in for the 2022 Best Outdoor Dining Foodster Award for Independent Restaurants. The Tap Room at Dubsdread takes first place. Only 1 vote separated 2nd and 3d:
The Tap Room at Dubsdread has been voted Best Outdoor Dining in our 2022 Foodster Award for Independent Restaurants. Maxine’s On Shine was second and The Garlic in New Smyrna Beach third. Only one vote separated second and third places.
Tap Room was a runaway first place winner. Its wraparound veranda has long been a favorite for lunches, dinners and Sunday brunches.
In placing her vote, Betsy Landesman Jacobs wrote: “Picked The Tap Room for their beautiful porch overlooking the golf course. A bit different from the rest, and so peaceful. Good food, great staff and service.”
Maxine’s On Shine, which was also recently honored as a Bib Gourmand recommendation in the inaugural Florida Michelin Guide, expanded its outdoor dining area beyond its front sidewalk area during the pandemic to include gazebos in the small side parking lot. Although the expanded outdoor dining was meant to be temporary, Maxine’s management has petitioned the city to make it permanent.
The Garlic, an Italian restaurant, is known for its overgrown garden dining area.
Avocado Oil, (unrefined): Smoke point: 520°F
High in monounsaturated fat (typically touted as a “good” fat), avocado oil has a smoke point of about 520˚, which makes it an efficient pantry item: Use it for sautéing, roasting, searing, and vinaigrettes alike. There’s no need to refrigerate it when opened, although it should be stored in a cool, dark cupboard. Use for searing, frying, grilling, roasting, baking and salad dressings. High in heart-healthy monounsaturated fat (70 per cent).
Safflower Oil: Smoke Point 510°F
With a smoke point of 440-450˚, sunflower oil is the pantry hero for all things sear- and sauté-related (like these hearty salmon steaks, for example). Because it is pressed from seeds, it does turn rancid quicker than other oils, so store it in a cool place and use within a year, max. Safflower seed oil is flavorless and colorless, and nutritionally similar to sunflower oil. It is used mainly in cosmetics and as a cooking oil, in salad dressing, and for the production of margarine
Rice Bran Oil: Smoke Point 490°F
Rice bran oil is the oil extracted from the hard outer brown layer of rice called chaff (rice husk). It is known for its high smoke point of 232 °C (450 °F) and mild flavor, making it suitable for high-temperature cooking methods such as stir frying and deep frying.
Continue readingBig Fin Seafood Kitchen – Sand Lake Rd – Restaurant Row
Sear + Sea Woodfire Grill – Near Epcot
Illume – Near Epcot
Russell’s on Lake Ivanhoe – North Orange Ave
Tap Room at Dubsdread
Soco – Downtown
Knife & Spoon – Ritz Carlton – Grand Lakes
Tabla Indian – Park Ave Winter Park
The 1 Cantina – Avalon Park
310 Lakeside – Downtown
BoVine Steakhouse – Park Ave
Delaney’s Tavern – Delaney Park
Francesco’s Ristorante & Pizzeria – Maitland
Hangry Bison – WP Village / Winter Garden
Maxine’s on Shine – Downtown
Paddlefish – Disney Springs
Pammie’s Sammies – Winter Garden
The Pinery – Lake Ivanhoe
The Wellborn – Lake Lucerne
Ravenous Pig Beer Garden – Fairbanks
Pig Floyd’s – Mills Ave District
The Garlic – NSB
Grills Lakeside – 441 Lake Fairview