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The Orlando dining scene is alive with wonderful dining destinations from Restaurant Row on Sand Lake Road to The Mall at Millenia shopping and dining mecca . Whether visitors want to linger over a romantic dinner or gear up for a family feast, the settings are many and the fare is diverse.

Restaurant Row
Diners can venture to the Middle East, absorb Latin rhythms and tastes or enjoy the flavourful nuances of Hawaiian fusion cuisine at Sand Lake Road’s Restaurant Row. And that’s just the beginning. A dozen or so restaurants mingle with wine shops, a doggie bakery, gourmet chocolate boutiques, a bookstore and other specialty shops along several blocks of Sand Lake.

At Roy’s Restaurant Orlando, seafood is the menu’s star with a little help from European sauces and bold Asian spices; slow-braised and char broiled short ribs are consistent winners, as well. Pre-Castro Havana strikes a sultry chord at the Samba Room Latin Cafe, where platters are piled high with paella and other Latin specialties and a cigar room is available to those who wish to indulge. Middle Eastern specialties are authentic at Cedars Restaurant, while market-fresh ingredients are the focus at Seasons 52, a Darden prototype restaurant where an impressive wine list complements the menu of specialty flatbread's and low-calorie entrees bursting with flavour. Most fun are mini-desserts served in tiny parfait glasses – just enough for a sweet surrender.

Also on the Row: Anaelle & Hugo, featuring sumptuous Euro-American cuisine; Melting Pot of Orlando, with fine fondue; Bonefish Grill, Fish Bones Restaurant and Moonfish, upscale seafood eateries; Timpano Italian Chophouse; Ruth’s Chris Steak House; Vines Grille & Wine Bar; Amura Japanese Restaurant and Carrino’s Italian Restaurant Pizza & Deli; and Antonio’s Ristorante for homemade Italian specialties. Panera Bread is the perfect stop for coffee and pastry or soup and sandwich specialties and First Watch serves traditional breakfasts with healthful flare, plus sandwiches and salads.

Winter Park Village
This booming outdoor shopping village is an inviting mix of shops, eateries, upscale chain stores and a stadium-seating movie theater. The dining options begin with P.F. Chang’s China Bistro and its updated twist on Chinese food in a relaxed, romantic setting.At Blackfin, fresh Florida fish is on the menu in a hip atmosphere. Brio Tuscan Grille is a great place to dine outdoors and people watch while enjoying a terrific taste of Tuscany. The Village is also known for: The Cheesecake Factory with its specialty pizzas, pastas and cheesecake desserts; Taqueria Quetzalcoatl, featuring Mexican specialties and microbrews; Seito Sushi Japanese Restaurant, with sushi, sashimi, noodle-soup entrees and other specialties; Johnny Rockets, a ‘50s style malt shop with plenty of tunes on the juke box and burgers, onion rings and shakes; plus Crispers soup-sandwich-salad eatery, Pizzeria Valdiano and Ruth’s Chris Steak House.

Park Avenue
Historic Winter Park has been a popular restaurant town for decades, from the charming outdoor cafes that line chi-chi Park Avenue to the many superb restaurants scattered throughout the city. On the Avenue, there’s sushi at Shiki Japanese Restaurant, French fare at Café de France and Middle Eastern delicacies at Power House. Chef Justin’s Park Plaza Gardens serves lunch and dinner in a delightful indoor courtyard; streetside dining is pleasant at 310 Park South; and at Jardins du Castillon, the garden patio is a great spot to relax and savor crepes and other traditional French fare. Not far away, Limoncello serves creative, contemporary Italian fare, and espresso and coffee bars draw crowds regularly.

Other Winter Park staples: Chez Vincent, Hot Olives, O’Boys Real Smoked Bar-B-Q, Dexter’s of Winter Park, Chapters on Park Restaurant and Bookshop, Allegria Wine & Bar Café, Pannullos Italian Restaurant, Brazilian Pavilion and a lineup of great delis.

Downtown and Thornton Park
Dining in Downtown Orlando has improved tremendously as more and more people flock to the urban center to live, work and play. In trendy Thornton Park, the hip crowd hangs at Hue—A Restaurant, where the menu for indoor/outdoor dining focuses on woodgrilled meats and fish, plus lots of tasting-sized portions. Wildside BBQ Bar & Grill is a hot spot with barbecue sauces to match; Anthony’s Pizza Café serves great pizza, pasta and soups – dining at both places is laid back, indoors or out.

The diverse group of downtown mainstays include Lee’s Lakeside and Lake Eola Yacht Club, with terrific lakeside views; Manuel’s on the 28th overlooking the heart of downtown, Kres Chophouse & Lounge, Harvey’s Bistro, The Boheme, Sam Snead’s Restaurant, Kate O’Brien’s Irish Pub & Restaurant, Tanqueray’s Bar and Grill, Panera Bakery and Café, Wall Street Cantina, Ichiban, Crooked Bayou and many more, from Thai and Chinese restaurants to delis, pizzerias and breakfast stops.

Just northwest of downtown is College Park and its small, but appealing cluster of shops and restaurants. There, visitors find K Restaurant & Wine Bar, a local favourite for contemporary American cuisine and a fine glass of wine and newcomer Taste, featuring internationally inspired tapas.

The Mall at Millenia
Shopping and dining pair perfectly at this stylish Orlando destination, where seven full-service restaurants and a dozen casual eateries cater to many tastes. McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant features the freshest fish of the day from Florida waters as well as the Pacific Northwest. California Pizza Kitchen stays creative with pies including the Rosemary Chicken-Potato, Vegetarian with Japanese Eggplant and Caramelised Pear & Gorgonzola. Panera Bread is the spot for cappuccino and pastries or soups, salads and sandwiches.

The Mall also has its own versions of Brio Tuscan Grille, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, The Cheesecake Factory and Johnny Rockets. For shoppers who want a quick refueling stop, an eclectic assortment of eateries includes Bistro Sensations, Cajun Grill, Chinatown, Gourmet Grill, Nori Sushi & Grill, Tango Grill, Fruit ‘n Smoothie Sensations, Sbarro, Chick-Fil-A, Häagen-Dazs, Barnie’s Coffee & Tea and Mrs. Fields/Pretzel Time. Blue Martini is a new upscale martini bar with entertainment.

Pointe*Orlando and International Drive
One of the premier stops along International Drive, this shopping, dining and entertainment center serves up some exciting restaurant choices. Adobe Gila’s Margarita Cantina is an open-air cantina with Mexican fare, and LuLu’s Bait Shack is a Delta-Cajun restaurant and bar with jambalaya, crawfish etoufee and other spicy specialties. Dan Marino’s Fine Food & Spirits, Hooters, Wise Guys Pizza & Subs, Starbucks and the Pac-Man Café at XS Orlando are other options. Elsewhere on I-Drive, Bahama Breeze is popular for its coconut shrimp and other flavours of the Caribbean and Café Tu Tu Tango reigns as one of the best tapas restaurants in town. At Boston Lobster Feast, it’s a virtual seafood free-for-all for those with buffet-sized appetites.

Universal Orlando Resort
Emeril’s Orlando at Universal CityWalk often requires reservations far in advance. Also at CityWalk: Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, Motown Café, Hard Rock Café Orlando, NASCAR Café, NBA City, Latin Quarter and Pastamoré Ristoranté & Market. Universal Orlando Resort’s on-site hotels house popular eateries that include the friendly, fun Mama Della’s Ristorante and the new Bice Ristorante (Portofino Bay Hotel), Emeril’s Tchoup Chop (Royal Pacific Resort) and world-renowned Palm Restaurant (Hard Rock Hotel).

Walt Disney World Resort
Between Downtown Disney and the Disney resort hotels, several hundred full service, buffet and counter-service restaurants cater to guests. Standouts include California Grill at the Contemporary Resort, Jiko – The Cooking Place and Boma – A Taste of Africa at Animal Kingdom Lodge and Flying Fish Café near the BoardWalk Resort. Victoria & Albert’s and Citricos at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, as well as Todd English’s bluezoo at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort draw true foodies. From Downtown Disney West Side to the Marketplace, there’s plenty of dining variety with House of Blues, Wolfgang Puck Café, Bongos Cuban Café, Planet Hollywood, Rainforest Café, Earl of Sandwich and others.

The Central Florida dining universe continues to expand so that visitors can always be guaranteed new culinary experiences with each visit.
Page created by LaurenM on 17-09-2010 15:48.
+ Last editted by Stu on 19-09-2011 14:10. View History

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