I posted a question asking for restaurants around WDW for the vacation we just got back from. Here is a summary of the responses I got. (My next posting is a report for where we ate.) From: [email removed] (frank j cutitta) Le Cordon Bleu in Winter Park (Swiss/French) Enzos in Longwood - Italian in a very nice setting Jordan's Grove in Maitland near Lee Road (eclectic) Pebbles in Longwood ..New American (sic) For hotels I hear that Dux in the Peobody is *the* place to go near Disney From: [email removed] (Robin B. Lake) From: [email removed] (Curtis Jackson) Siam Orchid (near Wet 'n' Wild). Not a Keo's of Honolulu, but very good in its own right. Delicious everything -- vegetarian, whole braised fish, chicken, beef, appetizers. Excellent iced coffee and tea. Hot was quite hot, we were glad we went that hot and glad we didn't go Thai hot. Service was superb. Went there for dinner one night and lunch the next day. This place is directly across from Republic Square. The Bubble Room (somewhere north Orlando). Walk in, look around at the 20s, 30s, and 40s kitsch, order a golden margarita from the girl or boy scout uniform clad waitron (usually with a silly hat or lampshade on), and walk back out again without eating dinner. Worth a visit and a drink for the decor, including the wall of fish tanks in the bar. Not worth a meal -- food wasn't *bad*, just not very good, either. From: [email removed] (Mary Malmros) - The Crab House in Lake Buena Vista (not far from Disney/Epcot). We went here about three times and I got the garlic crabs every time. They also serve a splendid shrimp cocktail. - A Japanese restaurant whose name I can't remember, but it should be easy to find...it's right up the road from the Orange County Convention Center, on the same side of the road. I had some really good grilled hamachi here, and a friend of mine said the sushi bar's good too (she got blotto on sake, though, so her judgement might be suspect). More dressy than the usual Orlando place. - An Italian place in a small complex across the road (more or less) from the Japanese place, where the food was superb but the singing waiters were really annoying (I could have stood opera, but "That's Amore"? Please). - Epcot restaurants: Norway pavilion: this place serves a good smorgasbord, and the people are really nice. This is good esp. if you've never had Scandinavian food. It may be lunch only, though. Mexico: good but not outstanding (the restaurant, that is...I didn't try the cantina). The decor in this pavilion is pretty cool...points for atmosphere. Morocco: my favorite. I had a very nice couscous here. Again the decor really made it a lot of fun. Germany: had lunch at the Ratskeller or whatever they call the beerhall-cum-platz place. What can I say? If you're into the German beerhall environment/food, this is the place for you. Be warned, group participation in that weird singing/ chanting/standing up/sitting down behavior is encouraged. I really lost it when I saw this mental defective in lederhosen play some very energetic song on a bunch of cow/sheep/goat bells by picking up the desired bell, shaking it frantically, and then slamming it down and grabbing another. The floor was littered with bells before he was done. Depending on your liking for the absurd and your tolerance for sausage, this could be just the place for you. England: the bar's a nice place to hang out. Don't know if they have a restaurant or not. I didn't eat at the Japan or China pavilions but I heard they're pretty stock, nothing to write home about. Ditto Italy. From: [email removed] (Frank Godbey) Jordan's Grove in Maitland, Fl, northeast of Orlando, is wonderful. Great food, not unreasonable prices, decent wine list. It's on a main road (might be US17, but don't recall for sure) It's in an old house that sits back from the road in a grove of old trees. From: [email removed] (Tim Kloth) For great Italian you must go to Enzo's. North of Orlando. I think it might be on 17-92. Look in the phone book. Maybe Casselberry or Altamonte Springs. It is in a house on a lake. From the road you see a white brick wall. It can get expensive if you're not careful. From: [email removed] (Mary Malmros) Try the Crab House in Lake Buena Vista. Get the garlic crabs, and allow plenty of time for bashing/cracking/picking/etc. From: [email removed] (Michael Sierchio) I concur 100%! The "Chefs de France" place was really awful (the Bocuse, Verge, and the other guy). Positively horrid winelist, French crud, and we had what seemed to be a catfood pate en croute. The Moroccan restaurant was good food, good value, and fun. >The food is good and the entertainment is a belly dancer. Last time I >was there, there were guys LINED UP to have their picture taken with >her. It was a lot of fun. That takes care of dinner. I've found the >best place for lunch is in Mexico. If you get there and can get a seat >by the water it can be extremely pleasant. If you truly mean Disney, >there are no very good restaurants there. Just about everything is of >the fast food style. Usual hamburgers, hotdogs, fish and chips stuff. >Not cheap but faster then epcot. From: [email removed] (Steve Stearns) Tops on our list is Chatham's Place. It's at 7575 Dr. Phillips Blvd, near Universal Studios theme park. The warm, round loaf of bread, stuffed with feta cheese and drizzled with olive oil, was unique! And delectable!! Entrees include a variety of seafood, quail, and a great veal marsala. My wife highly recommends the tiramasu for dessert! If you go, ask for Mauricio. He provided us OUTSTANDING service as well as amiable conversation. Jordan's Grove is on highways 17/92 in Maitland. We shared two excellent entrees: a pasta with crayfish and shrimp; and a spicy black grouper escobeche. Chocolate desserts here are wonderful. The Park Plaza Garden restaurant is in the Park Plaza hotel on--you guessed it: Park Avenue!--in Winter Park. We had lunch here. Nicely spiced gazpacho. Salads, sandwiches and full meals available for lunch. The most impressive--and most expensive--wine list of the three. From: [email removed] (polivka al 60047) Dixie Crossroads is best for Rock Shrimp in my opinion. These look kinda like shrimp, but taste a little more like lobster, if you're not familiar with them. If you like the really good Mexican food like one finds out west, forget about it while in Florida. I've not found any here. While in Orlando, I suggest Ronnie's Restaurant on Colonial Drive (route 50), just east of downtown. It is an OUTSTANDING Jewish deli type restaurant with a large selection of complete dinners and an outstanding bakery. There is a lot of good barbecue in Florida. Sonny's is my favorite, although Fat Boy's and Woody's are hard to beat as well. There is an excellent Indian restaurant in Orlando, called "A Passage to India". It is located at the north end of International Drive, in a plaza near the factory outlet malls. From: [email removed] When my family was in Orlando in August we went to the Arabian Nights dinner show. (It was our 3rd choice--we had wanted to go to King Henry's Feast or Medieval Times, but they were booked for that night). Arabian Nights is basically a horse show--they even have a chariot race at the end. My family really enjoyed it. WARNING: If anybody in your group is allergic to horses and/or dust, WATCH OUT! I ended up having to watch the show from an enclosed box upstairs (I did get a pretty good view, but it was pretty lonely). The waitress told me that people just don't realize how heavy the horse dander and dust is in that arena. The food was not bad--but one goes mainly for the show. They served Prime Rib (I think this is the only dinner show that does). It was fairly good, and the side dishes, as I recall, we quite good also. From: [email removed] (Kyle Comproski) I went to the Medieval Times dinner show about three years ago and had the time of my life. I was seated at a one-sided table facing an arena where they put on the show. During the show they had jousting matches, spearing contests, an evil sorcerer and such. Areas of the arena were color-coded and you were asked to cheer for the Knight of your color (or a Knight of the color for your side of the arena when your colored knight was killed/slain - the winner of all the knights takes on the Black knight). Also be prepared to eat as they did in those times -- with your hands!! The dinner was served no-stop in courses consisting of celery and carrot sticks, baked chicken, vegetable soup, wine or beer and a desert which I don't recall. If you decide to go to any of the other dinner shows, I'd be interested in what they were like. From: [email removed] (Kevin Martinez) My favorite is not actually in Orlando but on the East Coast in Cocoa Beach on Highway A1A between SR 520 and Minuteman Causeway. It is called The Mango Tree and is a required stop for me. Call ahead to find out hours. My favorites in Orlando include Ronnies at Colonial Mall (New York City style), Rossi's at Orange Blossom Trail and Oakridge (Excellent double decker pizza and calzone), Empress Lily at Disney World (on a riverboat, bring $$$ and dressy clothing and reservations required). Other good ones are: Chefs de France (in epcot, bring $$$ but outstanding food) Mitsukoshi (in epcot Mitsukoshi department store, Japanese) Ming Garden or Ming Court on International Drive, best Chinese food in the area. Hemingway's at the Grand Cypress. Good view of the pools, excellent Seafood. Park Plaza Gardens, on Park Avenue in Winter PArk, very nice. Gary's Duck Inn on Orange Blossum Trail. Very good seafood and local dishes. Cattle Ranch (I think) has one of those cattleman's challenges: you eat everything on the plate (6 pounds of beef + salad + huge potato) and it's free. Good Luck! They have pictures of some *huge* people that couldn't finish. I got full on the 16 oz portions. On Old Winter Garden Road near Kirkman Road (northwest Orlando). From: Kei Ishii Orlando is not really known for the quality of its resturants, but there are a few that I enjoy going to regularly. For Indian, try Darbar's. It is in the Marketplace shopping mall near Dr. Phillips Drive. It is just off Sand Lake Rd. Another place that I am fond of is Ronnie's. This is a deli style resturant serving a good variety of sandwiches and plate lunches. Ronnie's is on East Colonial Drive in the Colonial Mall Shopping Center. For Thai, I like the Bangkok Resturant on Douglas Avenue in Altamonte Springs. This is a little north of Orlando, but just off Interstate 4 so that it is easy to get to. I hear that the Ming Court Resturant on International Drive is quite good, but I have never been there. I did eat at a sister establishment once and enjoyed the meal, but that resturant has unfortunately closed. This Chinese resturant is the only one of my recommendations that is in the middle of the tourist area so an auto is necessary to get to the others. I have also heard that some of the resturants at Disney are quite good, although I have not eaten at any of them. You should visit the Hard Rock Cafe (by Universal Studios) and get yourself a Tshirt. We also ate at a place called Pebbles, which claims you can comes as you are - either Tux's or shorts and they serve your normal fare but with a little more originality - Pebbles is in the Lake Buena Vista area. The Crab House is about a 1/4 mile from Pebbles. From: [email removed] (Donna Webb) I was in Orlando (Disney World) just last week. You should visit the Hard Rock Cafe (by Universal Studios) and get yourself a Tshirt. We also ate at a place called Pebbles, which claims you can comes as you are - either Tux's or shorts and they serve your normal fare but with a little more originality - Pebbles is in the Lake Buena Vista area. Regards. Oh by the way, I forgot to mention in my first message - The Crab House is about a 1/4 mile from Pebbles. We were going to eat there, but the wait was much too long. From: [email removed] (Marshal Perlman [ARCS]) 1) Fireworks Cafe (? I think it is Cafe...it's Fireworks something) at Pleasure Island... a casual stake house that has great steak. 2) Polynesian Resort... has a few good eateries too. 3) Local... Chinese... China Coast... best Chinese place in Florida (pretty environment, and not run by Americans <grin>)... From: [email removed] (Maria R Filson) By far the most fun restaurant in Orlando is the Bubble Room it is an experience. The atmosphere of the place is great the decor is different and the food is wonderful. Try their she-crab soup, their carolina moons and their desserts (which feed an army my favorite is the red velvet cake). They are about 45 min from the disney resort you can get directions if you call them. It is a casual place but it is not a cheap one. In the form of entertainment a must see is Church Station Street and Rosie O'Gradys is a kind of Americana show in the stars and stripes tradition. It is different and very good. From: [email removed] (Glen Allen) If you want elegant (jackets required) try Arthurs 27 atop the Buena Vista Palace. Four and six course meals are offered. For a more family/ casual but still nice meal, try Chef Mickeys in the Disney Village Market Place. The Empress Room in the Empress Lily is nice and real expensive, has good reviews, but I haven't been yet
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