Eten in Orlando is veel meer dan een ontbijt met Disney figuren of een grote "turkey leg" eten in één van de vele pretparken.
Naast de geijkte toeristen paden zijn er volop restaurants die de klassieke Southern style samen brengen met internationale invloeden.
Hier zijn 11 van de meest opwindende nieuwe restaurants die in het afgelopen jaar geopend zijn.
Naast de geijkte toeristen paden zijn er volop restaurants die de klassieke Southern style samen brengen met internationale invloeden.
Hier zijn 11 van de meest opwindende nieuwe restaurants die in het afgelopen jaar geopend zijn.
Why It’s Hot:
After earning his chops at area longtimers K
Restaurant, California Grill and Antonio’s La Fiamma, Scott Copeland was ready
to go solo. Along with two partners, the chef set up this eclectic,
global-inspired restaurant in the heart of Downtown Orlando, a quick stroll
from the new Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. The laid-back spot
has become a go-to for breakfast through post-theater noshes.
Must-Order: Japanese-style breakfast bowl with sticky rice,
chile sauce and togarashi ($6.50); herbed zucchini and Manchego fritters ($8);
bacon-wrapped, chorizo-stuffed pork loin with rutabaga sauerkraut and
honey-balsamic reduction ($24)
Insider Tip: Save 10% when you visit before or after a show.
Simply show your ticket stub from the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing
Arts.
ARTISAN'S TABLE, 22 E. Pine St., Orlando; 407-730-7499
Why It’s Hot: It could just be that curious folks want an
excuse to tour the new Four Seasons, situated on Disney World’s northern edge.
But the hotel’s signature restaurant draws intrigue on its own. The rooftop destination
is a Spanish steakhouse, and bullfighting elements are cleverly integrated —
dramatic red ruffles hang from the dining room ceiling, and faux gold coins and
bulls’ nose rings are used as wall and ceiling art. While chef Tim Dacey’s
contemporary tapas and aged steaks are impressive, the bar’s patio is a huge
plus: the expansive outdoor lounge offers sweeping views of the 47-sq.-mile
Disney World complex.
Must-Order: Flash-fried cauliflower with smoked caper
vinaigrette and a sous vide egg ($11); 40-day dry-aged rib-eye steak with a
side of verde sauce, made from cilantro, parsley, chive, mint and sherry
vinegar ($70); dark chocolate Valor mousse with buttermilk chocolate cake,
coffee ice cream, cardamom-infused chantilly cream, caramel toffee and meringue
sticks ($12)
Insider Tip: For happy hour Monday through Thursday, the bar
sells select cocktails at half-price and serves little pinxtos (bar snacks)
alongside for free.
CAPA, 10100 Dream Tree Blvd., Lake Buena Vista; 407-313-7777
The Coop
SWINE AND SONS, 595 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park; 407-636-7601
The Coop
Why It’s Hot: After he got O-Town (finally!) excited about
barbecue with 4 Rivers Smokehouse, pharmaceutical-exec-turned-chef John Rivers
has turned his sights on other classics from the Southern canon. This new
counter-service restaurant features thoughtful takes on Dixie classics, from
biscuits to meatloaf to pork-laden breakfasts. The homey mismatched wooden
tables and chairs were collected by Rivers and his team at local garage sales.
Must-Order: Fried chicken ($7.99 with “fixin's”);
super-sweet creamed corn made with cream cheese ($2.49); old-school banana
pudding made with baked bananas and ‘Nilla wafers ($3.99)
Insider Tip: Don’t worry about over-ordering. The Coop keeps
stacks of take-out boxes near the utensils so guests can easily pack up extras.
THE COOP, 610 W. Morse Blvd., Winter Park
Why It’s Hot: Forget the oversized rolls drizzled with spicy
mayo. Kappo is new breed of sushi spot in Orlando. By day, the no-reservations,
seven-seat specialist inside the Audubon Park Garden District’s East End Market
serves a sushi and sashimi omakase menu. Foods are at the whim of the chef,
Philippines-born Mark Berdin, who trained at London’s Umu and New York’s
Morimoto and 15 East. At night, groups of seven can buy out Kappo for a 10- to
14-course customized omakase dinner (approximately $150 per person). No matter
the time of day, chef-diner interaction is as integral to the experience as
chopsticks.
Must-Order: sushi and sashimi plate ($42); charashi ($26);
10-nikiri omakase served piece by piece ($45)
Insider Tip: Arrive at 11 AM or between 2-5 PM if you want a
seat without waiting.
KAPPO, 3201 Corrine Dr., Orlando; no phone
Why It’s Hot: Mamak is a sleek spot serving small plates of
Asian street foods. Owners Jenny and Ken Lo, once of the Chino-Latino El
Famboyan, are Malaysian, and the bulk of their offerings come from that
country, Singapore and Hong Kong, with a few items from Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia
as well.
Must-Order: Steamed chicken-shrimp dumplings in roasted
brown peanut sauce and chile oil ($5.50); roti canai, flaky bread with spicy
curry dipping sauce ($3); aromatic tofu curry with whiffs of lemongrass ($8)
Insider Tip: While Mamak doesn’t officially take
reservations, the staff will get you seated faster during busy times if you
call ahead.
MAMAK, 1231 E. Colonial Dr., Orlando; 407-270-4688
Why It’s Hot: Sunny Corda's second area restaurant brings a
more sophisticated, high-end vibe to the local Indian food dining scene. Plate
presentation is taken seriously here, and the meats are fresh and
antibiotic-free. The recipes at Mynt, in Winter Park’s Hannibal Square, come
from throughout India.
Must-Order: Pani poori shooters with herb water ($6); smoked
baby eggplant in peanut-sesame-coconut sauce ($16); butter chicken, Delhi-style
with tomatoes and fenugreek ($19)
Insider Tip: Don’t despair if the tiny downstairs dining
room is full. Two more seating areas, one with a 10-seat bar, are located one
flight up.
MYNT , 535 W. New England Ave., Winter Park; 407-636-7055
Why It’s Hot: Thomas Ward's Mills 50 District phenomenon is
a hipster barbecue joint where global
flavorings distinguish the grilled-meat specialties. The tacos alone offer
flavor tributes to India (butter chicken), Asia (smoked and grilled pork belly
with dragon sauce) and Mexico (shrimp, chorizo and cilantro sauce, or chicken,
queso fresco and pineapple salsa), not to mention the Texan-ish brisket
variety. The service is polished and doting even though guests order at a
counter.
Must-Order: The Big Floyd — brisket, pork, sausage and sweet
barbecue sauce on a toasted coconut-pineapple roll with citrus-peanut slaw and
fries ($9.49); oak-smoked ribs with sides like apple-fennel slaw and grilled
corn on the cob with chile, lime and cotija cheese (from $14.99); “Cuban”
cinnamon-lemon pudding with bananas and ‘Nilla wafers ($4.99)
Insider Tip: If the line is long, beeline to the seven-seat
bar and order your meal there.
Pig Floyd’s Urban Barbacoa1326 N. Mills Ave., Orlando; 407-203-0866
Why It’s Hot: As a tourist town, Orlando has drawn offshoots
of several celebrity-chef restaurants. By running the local kitchen of two —
Roy’s and Emeril’s Tchoup Chop — Greg Richie has become a local star in his own
right. After revamping sister restaurant Cityfish’s seafood menu, the vet of
Southern kitchens like Magnolia’s created the Southern contemporary bill of
fare at this indoor-outdoor Thornton Park destination. Modern and classical
mix, with slick chandeliers that resemble gaslamps and a tailored take on wood
and bricks.
Must-Order: Chicken-fried cauliflower steak with a
deep-roasted tomato gravy ($17); Korean-style fried chicken flavored with a mix
of Asian peppers ($23); potato-chip-crusted chocolate cake with peanut brittle
and salted caramel ($9)
Insider Tip: Chef Richie hosts monthly five-course wine- or
spirit-pairing dinners.
SOCO, 629 E. Central Blvd., Orlando; 407-849-1800
Why It’s Hot: Husband-and-wife chefs James and Julie
Petrakis have been Orlando’s “it” chefs since their Ravenous Pig brought Winter
Park its first gastropub, then sealed the deal with their "Southern Public
House," Cask & Larder. Now, together with charcuterie wiz Rhys Gawlak,
they’re packing their signature snout-to-tail offerings to-go at Swine &
Sons. Offerings include sandwiches, salads, condiments, ice creams and one
nightly full to-go dinner for a 5-to-7 PM pickup. Neighbors often congregate at
the few seating areas — a shared wood table, an L-shaped lounge — sipping
sorghum sweet tea and Cask & Larder house brews with their snacks.
Must-Order: Marinated tomatoes with cucumber, onion, feta
and verjus vinaigrette ($5); Italian sandwich, for which every cured meat is
made in-house ($10); milk-and-honey-braised pork dinner with sweet potato
pirlou, grilled broccolini and candied benne ($17)
Insider Tip: The website posts each week’s daily to-go
dinners on Mondays.
Why It’s Hot: Txokos is Orlando’s first and only Basque
restaurant, and that’s not all the Spanish spot, pronounced CHOE-kose, has
going for it: chef Henry Salgado, who owns the restaurant with his wife
Michele, is a two-time James Beard Award regional nominee for his first
restaurant, New Smyrna’s Spanish River Grill; and this newbie is located in
East End Market, the city’s first locavore emporium. The menu evolves with the
seasons, and much of the produce, including shishito peppers, is grown to order
in a front-yard garden.
Must-Order: Citrus-laced grilled octopus with garlicky
tomato-based vizcaina sauce ($14); smoky grilled whole yellowtail snapper
Xixarios with a Guindeo pepper sauce, named for the Basque restaurant where the
chef learned the 100-year-old recipe ($27); wood-fired pork chop with a wild
mushroom bread pudding and stewy fennel-bell pepper piparrada ($26)
Insider Tip: The wines, sherries and beers are all Spanish.
Sip at one at the barstools by the wood-burning oven, while noshing on cheese
with fig bread and truffle honey.
TXOKOS, 3201 Corrine Dr., Orlando; 321-972-8852
Why It’s Hot: Using produce raised and eggs laid at the
on-site Whisper Creek Farm, this eponymous hotel restaurant and nanobrewery
debuted in South Orlando in April 2015. It has rustic elements — wood and
leather, flowered fabrics and earthenware plates — and was designed to feel
like a family’s kitchen. Yet it retains the polish you’d imagine in a JW
Marriott. The no-reservations, just-stroll-on-in policy and communal seating
belie the fancy surrounds. Beer, sausages and charcuterie are all made
in-house.
Must-Order: Chive biscuits with pork butter and apple
moonshine jam ($6); flatbread with kale pesto, eggplant, Gruyère and balsamic
onions ($15); hanger steak with salty pistachio butter, steel-cut oats and
golden raisin salsa ($15)
Insider Tip: The partially shaded patio area is a quiet
escape for a cold one and a nibble.
WHISPER CREEK FARM, 4040 Central Florida Pkwy., Orlando; 407-206-2300
Bron: Zagat
