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.
ear after year, Orlando-area chefs and restaurateurs have regularly been named James Beard Award semifinalists, but none have ever made it to the short list of finalists.
And this year is no different.
Today, the James Beard Foundation announced the nominees for its chef and restaurant categories and the five Orlando culinarians vying for a spot on the shortlist didn’t make the cut: Henry Moso of Kabooki Sushi for Best Chef: South, Rabii Saber of the Four Seasons Resort Orlando for Outstanding Pastry Chef, Evette Rahman of Sister Honey’s for Outstanding Baker and Jason and Sue Chin of the Good Salt Restaurant Group for Outstanding Restaurateur.
Winners will be announced on June 13 at an awards ceremony in Chicago.
This year, procedural changes to the voting process had Tasting Panelists visiting restaurants on the long list to help determine the finalists via a ballot. JBF Award Subcommittee members and the Scouts who’ve actively searched for said candidates also had a say in selecting the finalists.
The five semifinalists with the highest number of votes were announced as finalists today.
Slapfish was on the menu for a Saturday afternoon for my wife and I. Nestled in the mega shopping district of Waterford Lakes, the location is in a good spot in terms of parking and getting to the location. The mistake made by ownership was to provide a fish eye view of The Brass Tap next door, to which I continually looked in that direction wishing I had chosen that spot instead. Right off the bat, as I venture into the establishment at noon on a very busy Saturday in Waterford, My wife and I and just one other couple are the only patrons. It feels like the place is going to close soon.
The ordering procedure is much like Tijuana Flats (which I hate terribly)… You walk up to a counter that is devoid of any crew members and wait for the college age kid to finally make his way to the register to take our order. Another college type kid looks through from the kitchen with a look that screams, Oh my God, we actually have another customer. The Sub- Millennial that took our order had an expressionless face and made no comments at all. I thought for just a moment that I was in a scene from Gattica. A robot from 70’s sitcom TV has more personality. I almost apologized for bothering him.
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The vaunted Michelin Guide will add Florida to its list of rated restaurants in 2022, covering Miami, Orlando and Tampa. It will be the guide’s fifth U.S. destination after New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago and California.
The expansion was spearheaded by Visit Florida, which made the announcement Monday on behalf of its partners Visit Orlando, Visit Tampa Bay and the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“Michelin Guide inspectors look forward to discovering the world-class culinary landscape in Miami, Orlando and Tampa,” Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides, said in a statement. “From the excitement and glamour of Miami to Orlando’s iconic attractions and the rich culture of Tampa’s Gulf Coast, Florida’s gastronomy is unique, diverse and intriguing for locals and travelers across the globe.”
Unlike the James Beard Foundation Awards but similar to other restaurant guides that were started in the early days of automobiling, such as Mobil and AAA, Michelin uses dedicated inspectors who dine at the restaurants anonymously. The guide has a three-star rating system, with three being the ultimate. New York City currently has only five three-star restaurants. The guide also features notable restaurants that fall short of earning a star. The guide was started 120 years ago, in France, by the Michelin tire company to offer handy information to motorists.
A date for publication of the first Florida Michelin Guide has not been announced.
To support local businesses and ensure two deserving charities receive maximum benefit, Visit Orlando – the area’s official tourism association – is extending Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining. The program will run through Oct. 17 (originally slated to conclude Oct. 3), giving food enthusiasts an additional two weeks to experience some of Orlando’s best cuisine.
“We’re thrilled to offer more time for visitors and locals to take advantage of this incredible program, which has raised over $1.8 million for local charities since 2009,” said Casandra Matej, president and CEO for Visit Orlando. “The two-week extension opens the opportunity to raise even more money for this year’s charity beneficiaries while continuing to support our local restaurants.”
Continue readingWith all the food and pet products now coming from China, it is best to make sure you read label at the grocery store and especially Walmart when buying food products. Many products no longer show where they were made, only give where the distributor is located. It is important to read the bar code to track it’s origin.
How to read Bar Codes ….
This may be useful to know when grocery shopping, if it’s a concern to you. The whole world is concerned about China-made goods. Can you differentiate which one is made in Taiwan or China? If the first 3 digits of the barcode are 690 691 or 692, the product is Made in China. 471 is Made in Taiwan.
This is our right to know, but the government and related departments never educate the public, therefore we have to educate ourselves. Nowadays, Chinese businessmen know that consumers do not prefer products “MADE IN CHINA”, so they don’t show from which country it is made. However, you may now refer to the barcode – remember if the first 3 digits are:
690-699 … then it is MADE IN CHINA
00 – 09 … USA & CANADA
30 – 37 FRANCE
40 – 44 GERMANY
471 … Taiwan
49 … JAPAN
50 … UK