Ají: Explosive Flavors in Friendly Confines
A selection of the sea, including octopus, sushi, and ceviche at Ají (Photo Credit: Andrew Langford)
August 7 • By Andrew Langford
Far from the notice of most Central Florida diners, the staff at Ají have determinedly been toiling away. First, they turned a minuscule space on a criminally underrated stretch of South OBT into one of the hardest to nab tables south of the Beachline. Then they expanded to a drab strip mall in Casselberry where they quickly filled their corner of the parking lot. And now Ají has added a third location, this time in a gas station on Semoran near Orlando International.
Looks can be deceiving and Ají’s stealth exteriors have helped it to fly under the radar of even the most in-the-know locals - ask your foodie friend about it and you’ll probably be met with an apoplectic stare. Yet cram in by the doorway of any of their locations, add your name to the waitlist, and take comfort in the fact that with throngs of Peruvians flocking to any of their locations, you might just be in store for the best Peruvian meal in the area.
The enigma that is Ají carries on with the ambiance in the interior of any of their spaces. Each is a little different, but you’ll usually have the same mild sensory overload made up of some combination of music, strange LED lights, and tables close to one another. At their Casselberry location, which is by far their largest and most traditional space in terms of appearance, there’s usually an upbeat party atmosphere. Show up on a weekend and don’t be surprised if you get roped into singing one or two birthday songs.
This liveliness carries over to the service. Staff is always friendly and ready to help guide you through the expansive menu, even if by a quick survey of the dining room, most of the patrons are regulars or those with a lifetime’s working knowledge of the ins-and-outs of Peruvian fare.
Starting with the drinks, Ají makes a mean pisco sour. At $16, the value might not fully be there, but they are delicious and for the foreseeable future, the new South Semoran location is offering a 2-for-1 drink special on pisco sours during an extended happy hour. Additionally, an expansive liquor menu, some wines, and a variety of beers mean that finding the right drink shouldn’t be too much of a hassle.
As for the main menu, the same rule of abundance applies. The menu not only approaches a novelistic length, but many of the dishes themselves raise an eyebrow as they arrive at your table. Whether it’s an expensive ceviche mix arriving in a giant margarita glass or a “sample platter” covered with a small bay’s worth of seafood, Ají favors a maximalist approach with far louder and more complex dishes than what are usually found at a Peruvian restaurant (this also means higher prices, though still at a good value relative to the serving sizes).
If the plating and assortment of ingredients like octopus, swordfish, squid and other sea creatures makes this sound like Alice in Wonderland, then the menu reads like Around the World in 80 Days. What many Peruvian first timers fail to fully grasp is just how diverse Peruvian cuisine is. Not only does the country have a variety of climates and unique ingredients native to its soil, but centuries of immigration from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East have made it the sort of melting point that people think of in the same sense as major US cities. So don’t be too surprised when you see a section of the menu dedicated to sushi or variations of lomo served over a bed of risotto.
While seafood, which is really the star of the show here, is usually considered light, the addition of various sauces, starchy sides, and portions at Ají means this is usually not a light meal. To get the full experience, be sure to bring lots of friends and maybe even try to save some room for desserts - according to some of the birthday groups, it’s a worthy end to any meal at Ají.
Most locations tend to get busier at a later dinner time (around 8-9pm), while the original Orange Blossom Trail space is usually always crowded. Expect to pay around $20-30 per dish, which is itself a large sharing portion, while group platters serving 4 people tend to cost around $40-$60.
It will take many visits for you to begin making progress through the menu, but here are some of the highlights:
Ají Explosión
(Photo Credit: Andrew Langford)
Ají takes their ceviches seriously, even if their plating may be playful. With roughly a dozen versions to pick from, it can be hard to decide, but the Ají Explosión is a strong option for one of the more complicated variants. Mixed with a traditional tilapia is avocado, red pepper cream, and two skewers of shrimp and beef tenderloin protruding from the glass. This kind of showmanship would make most ceviches feel like gimmicks, but the flavors work well together and even the steak and shrimp are perfectly cooked.
Pulpo Anticuchero
(Photo Credit: Andrew Langford)
Octopus can be a very hit-or-miss menu item, but Ají’s is definitely a winner. Placing three large tentacles over a bed of corn and potatoes, the octopus is fresh and, above all, tender. If you’re a fan of octopus, this may be your favorite dish on the menu.
Sushis
This is more of a general comment on this portion of the menu. The sushis have fine fillings, but it’s the sheer amount of dairy that make these less remarkable. All contain cream cheese and many are drizzled in a rich sauce. This has the effect of unfortunately muting the flavors of the seafood inside the rolls. If there was any portion of the menu to glance over, it would be this one.
Lomo Saltado
Whether it’s the lomo saltado or risotto a la huancaina, you can expect tender steak in a flavorful broth. The difference between these two dishes is the base. The lomo has the usual fries and rice, while risotto a la huancaina swaps this for a rich, cheesy risotto. Both are great, but be warned that the risotto is incredibly filling.
Orlando’s Best Thai Restaurants
Braised beef and prawns at Sea Thai (Photo Credit: Andrew Langford)
August 8 • By Michael Brown
Few cuisines are as crowd-pleasing as Thai food. But with rich regional variations and a deep list of spices and vegetables to pull from, there’s much more to Thai cuisine than pad Thai and crab rangoons in takeout containers. Whether you’re looking to branch out or just stick with the carry-out classics, here are many of the most popular Thai options in Central Florida and where they stand when ranked against each other.
12. Mee Thai
1200 Lee Rd, Orlando, FL 32810
(407) 802-2323
This longtime Lee Road establishment is something of an institution with the Winter Park crowd and in recent years has been rated as one of the top restaurants in Florida by Yelp. That said, this is maybe the most underwhelming Thai option in town. Dishes are uninspiring, certain meats come out chewy or undercooked, and the interior is tired. Sometimes you scratch your head at a highly reviewed spot - this is one such example.
11. Thai House
2117 E Colonial Dr, Orlando, FL 32803
(407) 898-0820
Smokey and the bandit pot at Thai House (Photo Credit: Thai House)
Another traditional pillar of Orlando’s Thai restaurant scene, Thai House runs into many of the same problems as Mee Thai. Here, the food is all properly cooked, but the dishes remain formulaic and the space feels like it has seen better days. Many Orlandoans will point to its nostalgic appeal, but that may be all Thai House has going for it. With an interesting business dynamic that sees the family here involved with some other Thai spots around Central Florida, your best bet is to stick with some of those other locations like Thai Basil.
10. NaraDeva Thai Restaurant
4696 Millenia Plaza Way, Orlando, FL 32839
(407) 903-0300
NaraDeva highlights the inherent power of Thai food. Even for a not particularly exceptional Thai restaurant, you’re still likely to achieve some basic degree of satisfaction. Plates stick to the classic southern fare most are used to with carry-out Thai food, but sometimes that is all you’re looking to eat.
9. Coco Thai
6304 International Dr Unit D, Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 668-4248
Chicken satay at Coco Thai (Photo Credit: Coco Thai)
A very popular I-Drive option, Coco Thai will probably come up when you search “best Thai food in Orlando.” Still, there’s little that sets it apart from your usual Thai options. The interior is a bit nicer and they have cocktails, but the menu itself is fairly standard. Still, the curries just taste a bit more complex than restaurants previously shown on this list and their beef-based dishes are some of their stronger plates.
8. Thai Island
2522 S Semoran Blvd, Orlando, FL 32822
(407) 412-6909
This East Orlando strip mall staple has been a beloved spot for nearby residents and those traveling down Semoran. Most of the plates stick to the classics, though it’s important to pay attention to the highlights of the menu. Thai Island seems to be at it’s best with the liquid-based dishes, like the tom yum soup and curries. For those rainy or rare cold days, these entrees make Thai Island a safe bet, particularly for those living in an area with so few good Thai options.
7. Thai Basil
5800 Red Bug Lake Rd, Winter Springs, FL 32708
(407) 699-8889
Sharing connections with Thai House on Colonial, Thai Basil follows a similar formula but just manages to pull off a better product for its Winter Springs diners. In an area without much variety, this is welcome break from the norm and has made regulars out of many in the surrounding suburbs. The dishes represent the same staples highlighted in previous reviews, but unlike Thai Island, the strengths here lie more in the noodle entrees than the curries and soups.
6. Pop Thai
1227 N Mills Ave, Orlando, FL 32803
(407) 203-5088
Drunken Noodles at Pop Thai (Photo Credit: Pop Thai)
At this point, this is probably sounding like a broken record. Pop Thai is another entry in the American-focused Thai space. Asian and Asian-fusion spots in the Mills 50 area are a dime a dozen, but this is the best Thai option in the neighborhood. The dishes are all familiar favorites, but the quality of ingredients and execution helps to set this spot apart. Those looking to add to the Thai staples may also enjoy ordering from their small sushi menu.
5. Neveyah Sushi & Thai
100 S Eola Dr #105, Orlando, FL 32801
(407) 849-3739
Combined Thai and sushi restaurants - or any mashup of Asian cuisines for that matter - are usually a bad bet. But at Neveyah, formerly Oudom Thai, both sides of the menu find fair representation. Beyond the most standard Thai dishes, their heavy seafood focus means some refreshing variety, like whole snapper, in addition to a portion of the menu dedicated to duck. Thai food also tends to get written off as being “cheap,” but Neveyah challenges this assumption with a higher-end space perfect for a night out downtown.
4. Krungthep Tea Time
1051 W Fairbanks Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789
(407) 733-3561
Thaiger is King sandwich at Krungthep (Photo Credit: Krungthep)
Finally, a breath of fresh air. KrungThep stretches the definition of Thai a bit with its fusion sandwiches, but anyone who has dined here would never hold that against them. The menu also includes Thai teas and salads, but the focus here is on the paninis. Whether it’s the flavorful marinated chicken or the fresh vegetarian ingredients that go into options like the “From the Forest” sandwich, these paninis make KrungThep not only one of the best Thai options in Orlando, but one of the best spots in the area to grab a sandwich.
3. Thai Thani (Multiple Locations)
Main Location: 11025 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32821
Main Location: (407) 239-9733
Pad Thai at Thai Thani (Photo Credit: Thai Thani)
The reigning local champion of the classic Thai restaurant most Americans are used to, Thai Thani makes a good argument for visiting this touristy stretch of International Drive near SeaWorld. The space itself dials up the kitschiness of most Thai restaurants to eleven, but the real star of the show here is the food. Skewers of meats, heaping of larb, and rich curries make this a destination enjoyed by tourists and locals alike. Success has meant additional locations, but it’s their flagship on I-Drive that churns out the best dishes.
2. Isan Zaap Thai Cafe
4693 Gardens Park Blvd Suite 113, Orlando, FL 32839
(407) 203-1868
A selection of Isan specialties at Isan Zaap (Photo Credit: Isan Zaap)
Focusing on plates from Thailand’s northeast Isan region, Isan Zaap is a jumping off point for many of the less common regional plates that most Thais - and neighboring Laotians - enjoy. Switching up some of the herbs and adding more fermented ingredients, plates here include a vast array of papaya salads, uncommon cuts of meat like grilled pork neck, and the usual classics like curries and pad Thai. Some recent Michelin attention and a new spot at Lotte Plaza Market means this may only just be the start of an exciting new chapter for Ittiwat Suntron, one of the area’s major Thai proprietors.
1. Sea Thai
3812 E Colonial Dr, Orlando, FL 32803
(407) 895-0985
Pork belly in a curry sauce at Sea Thai (Photo Credit: Andrew Langford)
Sea Thai: The King of Orlando’s Thai Scene
It’s relatively easy to find a Thai restaurant serving good food - the cuisine just dictates such a high baseline. But finding a truly great Thai restaurant is an occasion worth celebrating. Orlando luckily has one spot meeting this criteria: Sea Thai. Helmed by Chef Jack Tawa Chavitranurak, this spot has largely flown under the radar since opening in 2007. Which is a shame, because his takes on southern Thai classics are arguably the best in town. Yet what truly elevates this establishment are the “chef’s specials” that Tawa dreams up to highlight many of the country’s more unique plates. If there is a Thai restaurant worth driving long distances for or taking visitors with high standards for Thai fare to in Orlando, it would be Sea Thai.
Sea Thai: The King of Orlando’s Thai Scene
A selection of chef’s specials at Sea Thai, including braised beef and prawns (Photo Credit: Andrew Langford)
August 4 • By Andrew Langford
There’s something unique about Thai food in Orlando and America, in general. Up there with the likes of Mexican and Italian cooking, it’s one of the most crowd-pleasing cuisines and can be found in almost every city and town. And at almost every Thai restaurant, you will find that same carbon copied pad Thai or drunken noodles that satiate your hunger, but disappear from memory by the time you’ve gone home or finished that movie that you paired with your carry-out. The takeaway is that we’ve all probably had good Thai food - the cuisine itself offers such a high baseline - but truly great Thai restaurants are a rare find worth celebrating.
In Central Florida, the only spot that can make this claim is Sea Thai - forget what the Michelin Guide may tell you. Located in a nondescript strip mall on East Colonial, Chef Jack Tawa Chavitranurak - simply known as Tawa to the regulars - and family have been quietly serving up the city’s best Thai food since 2007. Some COVID-era awards meant a boost in recognition when they experimented with their pop-up venture, Tuun, but by and large this is one of the most criminally underrated restaurants in Orlando.
For starters, the inside is a fairly cozy restaurant space that makes a great venue for a casual date night or meeting family and friends. The staff is also very friendly and after only a few visits, you can build up a nice rapport. To sum up the ambiance, this is a spot where you can get comfortable. Even on busier nights, meals can stretch for hours at your own discretion. Whether you’re looking for a meal where you can have a great conversation or just cool down after a long week of work, order a beer and prepare for what has already been teased in this review - the best Thai in Orlando.
Off the main menu alone, Sea Thai would probably be the best Thai spot in town. All ingredients taste fresh, the portions are generous, and the classic Thai fare is well-executed. This extends from appetizers like shrimp summer rolls and the nam sod salad all the way to main entrees like massaman curry and pad see u. These plates should mark Sea Thai as one of your more memorable Thai meals, but even these dishes are only just flirting with true greatness.
See where Sea Thai truly stands out and becomes a destination is with their off-menu items. Vaguely categorized under “chef’s specials,” the handful of different selections Tawa has been working on each week are an introduction to true Thai cooking and many regional varieties that are difficult to find in the US. These holdovers from the days of Tuun leave you yearning for more, but with some degree of patience, you can usually get them on any visit. Certain items like the fantastic prawns and chef’s special braised beef noodles haven’t been on the “specials” menu for months, but can usually be accommodated on any walk-in visit or guaranteed with an advanced call to the restaurant.
Sea Thai represents a unique window into an assortment of Thai recipes that would otherwise require having a Thai grandmother or a flight to southeast Asia or LA. Chef Tawa takes great pride in churning out dishes that go beyond the run-of-the-mill pad Thai or drunken noodles and it shows in the quality of the output.
Really what is missing is the return of a pop-up or addition of a prix fixe option. This may not be out of the question, but be warned, it’s best to visit soon if that’s the case. Try Sea Thai when you can still walk in and order the chef’s specials for less than $20 before one of these options gets added and the crowds and prices start to rightfully recognize this as one of the best restaurants in Orlando.
Main entrees typically run between $15 and $20, with ample amounts for leftovers. Reservations are not required, however crowds can be sporadic.
Between main and off-menu selections, these are just a few of the many dishes to pick from. Just be sure with some of the chef’s specials to call before and confirm if they can cook it on the night of your visit.
Shrimp Summer Rolls
Summer rolls are about as classic as Thai appetizers get. Sea Thai’s rolls play it safe, sticking to the traditional recipe, but are made with the freshest ingredients. Large chunks of shrimp and a fantastic peanut sauce make this a crowd pleasing starter.
Nam Sod Salad
A slightly more adventurous - though still well known - appetizer, nam sod salad is a terrific toss of pork in a refreshing dressing with hints of lime, ginger, and just a touch of fish sauce. Particularly with the heavier curry mains, this is a nice appetizer for starting off the meal without being full by the time the entrees arrive.
Pad Thai
It doesn’t get more standard than pad Thai. The story with this dish is much the same as the summer rolls. It’s made of familiar flavors and ingredients, but it’s a very well-executed version of this Thai classic. This is a good dish for those that aren’t that adventurous, but if you’re going to Sea Thai for unique Thai fare, it’s probably best to skip this one and save some space for the plates below.
Pineapple Duck Curry
As far as main menu dishes go, this is one of their strongest and arguably their best curry plate - though the massaman curry is a better option for vegetarians. Cooked in a rich, slightly sweet curry sauce, the duck is tender and has a far more complex flavor than chicken alternatives. If you need a saucy dish to spoon over rice, this is the one to order.
Smokey Pot
If there’s any entree on the main menu that hints at the true greatness of the chef’s specials, it’s the smokey pot. Mixing shrimp and chicken with glass noodles and a variety of herbs and spices - if the recipe is secret, you can at least tell there’s a cinnamon stick in the mix - it combines savory flavors with a smoky aftertaste.
Chef’s Special - Braised Beef
Photo Credit: Andrew Langford
This dish doesn’t exactly have a formal title, but use these keywords and the staff should know what you’re talking about. Essentially it’s a drunken noodles base with extra spices and slices of pepper, savory chunks of braised beef lobbed around the place, and an egg of top for good measure. The flavor is much richer than drunken noodles and highlights chef Tawa’s mastery of cooking meats.
Pork Belly in Curry Sauce
Photo Credit: Andrew Langford
One of the newest chef’s specials, this northern Thai recipe is maybe the heaviest of the curry plates. It’s a good dish that will please fans of pork belly, but the braised beef and prawns below are arguably better and more unique.
Prawns
Photo Credit: Andrew Langford
This is another new entry in the chef’s special category, but it is easily one of the most impressive dishes to come out of their kitchen. First, the prawns are massive. Sea Thai and Kaya must be buying their prawns from the same fishmonger injecting PEDs into their crustaceans because these don’t look like any that you can find in the grocery store. Beyond size, they are also delicious. The peppery breading that coats the prawns is almost great enough to eat on its own, but in keeping with good manners we suppose you should stick to only eating in when it’s on these gigantic, succulent prawns.
HuNan Taste: A Jumping Off Point for an Exciting Regional Chinese Cuisine
Beef with cilantro, Mao style braised pork, and steamed dumplings at HuNan Taste (Photo Credit: Andrew Langford)
July 27 • By Michael Brown
People that seek out truly authentic Chinese food tend to follow a few rules. The first, and most well-known, is to eat at the places actual Chinese people go to. When it has a 4.5 on Yelp and you’ve seen videos of its kitschy decor on Instagram, it’s probably not the most authentic. Most people stop at this point, but for the more nuanced observer there’s two additional rules for almost always guaranteeing a great Chinese meal. If it has a 3.7 to a 4.2 on Google, it somehow probably has better food than the place with the 4.7. And lastly, if your local hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant has started blowing up on Chinese social media, then you’ve checked off the triple crown for picking a Chinese spot. And in Orlando, HuNan Taste is one of the few restaurants to do this.
HuNan Taste is located in Orlando’s Chinatown, a sprawling strip mall formerly anchored by a Magic Outlet store in Pine Hills. If you’ve lived in Central Florida for any amount of time, you probably know the area has a bad reputation. But far from most people’s notice, a group of Asian business owners have spent over a decade buying up cheap, abandoned storefronts and quietly constructing one of Orlando’s best Asian dining destinations. HuNan Taste is one such establishment.
As the name indicates, the focus here is Hunan cooking, one of China’s eight main cuisines with its origins in the country’s south. Like some other regional Chinese cuisines, plates tend to play with spice - though not nearly as much as Szechuan cooking - and tend to incorporate more sour, oily flavors.
While the restaurant focuses on Hunan cooking and caters to a largely Chinese clientele, there are some American Chinese standbys for those looking to dip their toe in something more adventurous, but are maybe reluctant to fully commit on the most adventurous dishes. Take the appetizers for example. You can order the steamed dumplings - which are great and come in a massive order - you could go a step further and try the scallion pancake (more on that below), or you could go all-in and order their specialty, “preserved eggs.”
Also known as century or millennium eggs, this dish is made by preserving eggs in a solution which forms a hydrogen sulfide and ammonia agent over the course of either several weeks or months. In the end, you get a blackened egg with a jelly-like consistency. This is probably the most famous dish at HuNan Taste, but it might be a tough sell to members of your dinner party that have never tried it before.
For mains, it is best, however, to stick with Hunan entrees. Largely composed of meat plates with sides of rice, it seemed from a quick survey of the restaurant that this is what most other tables were ordering, save for the occasional addition of fried rice or a soup.
HuNan Taste is nothing fancy and the service can get a bit impatient, but it’s easily one of the best Chinese restaurants in Orlando. So break outside a few comfort zones and grab your most adventurous friends who are willing to share a selection of entrees. Who knows, a positive experience with the preserved eggs might be your gateway to a whole exciting world of Chinese regional specialties.
Reservations are not needed. Expect to pay $20-$25 per person for food and less than $5 for beers.
Menu Highlights
Here’s a rundown of a few dishes samples from HuNan Taste:
Steamed Dumplings
These pork filled dumplings are some of the better ones in town and come in orders of twelve. They make a great, crowd-pleasing option for sharing with a large group or having as the only appetizer before your meal.
Scallion Pancake
The consistency and crunch around the edges is there, but something is just missing from this dish. At the very least it could use a sauce, if not the inclusion of more scallions or some form of meat. Often brought out before anything else, you’re left with the option of either eating it alone or waiting until it gets cold.
Beef with Cilantro
This is not the actual name of the dish, but it came highly recommended from the server, who just pointed at a couple of beef dishes on the menu - none of which had English descriptions that really matched the ingredients. Whatever the dish actually is called, you should order it because it had the most unique flavor of any of the plates sampled at HuNan Taste. Mixing perfectly tender beef slices with an ample amount of cilantro, garlic, and peppers, this dish alone is worth driving to try HuNan.
Mao Style Braised Pork
A strong, though not terribly adventurous entree option. This is a good dish and a popular one at that, but it’s pretty basic. The pork cubes have a nice mix of fat and meat, while the sauce is delicious. Still, if you really want to try a Chinese plate you’ve never sampled before, maybe look to other areas of the menu.
Lo Mein
This was only ordered due to a miscommunication. And yes, this is about as basic as you can get with Chinese plates. But HuNan actually makes a pretty tasty version that’s way better than anything you grew up eating from the mall food court and comes in a massive serving size.
THE Orlando Neighborhood Spot: The Strand
It all begins with an idea.
Seared scallops - one of their most common seasonally rotating main courses (Photo credit: The Strand)
May 28 • By Andrew Langford
Every city needs that great neighborhood spot. Maybe not as casual as the bar from Cheers or the diner in Seinfeld, but a local place where if you go ~just~ enough times, you’ll find everybody knows your name. A place where you can show up wearing almost any outfit and a dinner choice that’s as versatile as your go-to pair of pants - for just about any occasion or group, it always seems to work. In Orlando, that great neighborhood spot is The Strand.
Set in the always buzzing Mills/50 district, The Strand has made its way through a few menu iterations since opening in 2014. Longtime patrons may recall the fantastic and much-missed weekday lunch service and weekend brunch menu. Still, some of the strongest lunch items live on in a current menu which both reflect owners’ Alda and Joe Rees’ past experience in no-frills diners and elevated twists on contemporary American plates.
Throw in a cozy corner space complete with a TV playing Space Age sci-fi re-runs and you have the bones for a very good local restaurant. But most parties need a little liquid courage to get the night moving. The Strand takes care of this with a smartly crafted menu of wines and mostly local beers. For fancy cocktails you’ll have to walk down the block; then again, no neighborhood joint ever got away with serving their patrons $14 IV bags of alcohol.
With a drink in hand, appetizers should be the next priority so as to avoid a messy first impression with the wait staff. Indicative of the Rees’ mantra is a selection of items ranging from confident executions of classics, like pretzels, to elevated takes on southern fare such as shrimp & fried green tomatoes. Be sure to also ask your server for the daily specials and you may be lucky to get one of their delicious rotating gems like squid ink pasta with crab.
Squid ink pasta (Photo credit: Andrew Langford)
The hardest part of any meal at The Strand is deciding which direction to go with the main entrees - this is why it’s always best to show up with at least one or two other guests. Amongst the classics you have maybe the best burger in town, a satisfying slab of meat loaded up with bacon, roasted jalapeños and blue cheese dressing. Then there are the pricier dinner plates serving as a hagiography to the best ingredients to ever take root in the South.
The Strand Burger (Photo credit: Andrew Langford)
The Alabama Chicken with its full array of southern sides is a staple of the menu and their other meats are all well-executed, but it’s the seafood that steals the show. The seared scallops have had a near-constant presence on the menu for a reason and their red snapper stands out for the sublime lime compound butter used to both blacken the fish and provide an extra hint of richness to the already decadent Anson Mills cheese grits.
If the main menu forces a difficult choice, the dessert menu is only a slightly easier decision. This section of the meal seems to have the most seasonal variation, but some sort of olive oil cake is almost always on the menu - if it hasn’t already sold out. This happened on one of my recent visits, however, I had the opportunity to instead sample the bolo de bolacha - something of a Portuguese version of tiramisu. This may now be my favorite dessert of theirs, but any cake from The Strand is probably going to be a great exclamation mark on an already fantastic meal.
As a small, intimate space, it’s best to make reservations unless you have a small party and are willing to roll the dice on bar seating. Appetizers run from $6.50 to nearly $20, while main entrees are between $15 and $35. Whether you’re trying to impress visitors to Orlando, catching up with family or friends, or just looking for a date night meal, The Strand is a great option for all of those dinners where you just want to go to “that spot, right around the corner.”
Las Carretas: Mexican Food Laser-Focused on a Good Time
It all begins with an idea.
The Birria Burrito - one of thirteen unique burrito options on the menu (Photo credit: Las Carretas)
May 30 • By Michael Brown
Whether you’re a food blogger, Michelin critic, or casual diner looking to just grab a good quality meal, everyone has their services/sites whose ratings they pay attention to. Sometimes that means a touch of some international rating group, miscellaneous blogs or Yelp, however, the reigning populist pick is undoubtedly Google. I don’t assume Google’s word is absolute, but when enough people give a spot 5-stars, it catches my attention. With a 4.9 out of 3.5k reviews, Las Carretas found itself in my cross hairs.
East Orlando and the Goldenrod area in specific are hardly provincial outposts in Central Florida, but people that live across town rarely make the trek. That said, this spot seems to have inspired some cult-like following with the masses descending on its corner of the University Plaza strip mall.
Inside, Las Carretas looks like a typical Tex-Mex joint - aside from the crowds that most competitors could only dream of drawing outside of Cinco de Mayo. I should note here, that the line moves quickly and your party will normally have a table within about twenty minutes. But its only once seated that Las Carretas’ unique star-quality begins to truly shine through.
It’s usually a good rule of thumb to avoid the restaurant with the Cheesecake Factory-size menu. Not here. Despite a gargantuan menu covering any Tex-Mex combination you could imagine - with a few traditional Mexican plates thrown in for good measure - no quality of ingredients or attention to detail seems to be lost in the pages.
Starting with the appetizers, I’ve yet to encounter an option that I would truly advise against. The tamales are excellent and the guacamole is much more than a placeholder ticking off a box on the menu. My only word of caution would be to take some of the larger appetizer options in stride if you intend to have an entree. Plates like the Nachos Supremos or Las Carretas Sampler are great choices for happy hour or just grabbing a drink with friends, but they’re served in such large quantities that it’s probably best to hold off for some of the bolder flavors in the main courses.
And no that I’ve mentioned drinks, let’s recognize where a large menu can be an advantage. Las Carretas’ beverage program tends to offer something for everyone. With margaritas alone, you can try combinations with top shelf liquors or interesting juices - such as passion fruit, pomegranate, and peach - or stick to the classics and lose track after the second or third round.
Then come the main entrees. With such an extensive menu, it takes many repeat visits to even scratch the surface of what they serve. For tacos, I tend to break towards the more traditional Mexican options, particularly the fantastic al pastor and birria tacos - a relative rarity on menus in Central Florida. Amongst the Platillos Tradicionales, I’ve also enjoyed the Pollo con Mole. If you like mole, this is a great option; I just tend to break for some of the dishes that have more exotic types of protein or cuts of meat. And all of their thirteen dinner burritos remain on my radar to try, but I can say from seeing them on other tables that the quantity is there.
Lastly, there’s the service. For such a bustling operation, the servers will take the time to walk you through the menu if there are any questions, managing to strike the fine balance between moving efficiently and still remaining courteous. I’ve also found the owner to be incredibly attentive and had him stop by the table multiple times to ensure everything was up to par. I think his presence has something to do with the sheer number of reviews on Google, but I respect the hustle. He runs a very tight ship and the word should get out when him and his staff are putting in so much effort.
Las Carretas makes no attempts to pass as either a high-end reinvention of Mexican food or a super-local hole-in-the-wall spot. Its focus is on churning out well-executed versions of Mexican classics for the masses. For a group of friends or trying to please those picky eaters, Las Carretas is a great option.
Appetizers and most of the main entrees are below $20; steaks and some of the seafood dishes tend to fall between $20 and $30. This spot is walk-in only, but the wait time moves fast.
Bulla: Hitting Bullseye on a Great Time
It all begins with an idea.
Various paellas and sangrias at Bulla (Photo credit: Bulla)
July 10 • By Michael Brown
It’s that time of the year again. The four of five months when your Instagram feed fills with photos of seemingly every person you’ve ever known on vacation in Europe. And whether it’s that unemployed crypto bro you knew in high school partying in Ibiza or that girl from college who “found” herself on study abroad in Barcelona, many of these itineraries involve Spain. Yet for those seeking inspiration for future travels or just trying to satisfy some FOMO, Orlando has long lacked a truly great Spanish tapas spot. That is until Bulla opened.
Occupying a prime corner of Orlando Ave and Morse, from the outside Bulla looks like most of the other recent openings on the edge of Winter Park. Part of this boils down to the clean brand image this small South Florida chain has cultivated. Their locations tend to be beautiful - if not slightly Pinterest-y - with a blue tiled exterior and light-filled main dining room. And as you would expect for this kind of Winter Park establishment, the service is always polished and professional.
So in short, Bulla may not have quite the same degree of character as a competitor like Santiago’s. But there is no competition when it comes to the food and drinks. Starting at the bar, many will focus on the sangria. Bulla’s selection of sangrias make great group pitchers and even their most basic sangria roja is an easy crowd pleaser, being elevated by the particular brandy used in this concoction. Venture past this portion of the menu and there is a wide selection of wines, as well as Spanish and traditional cocktails.
Then there’s the food. As a Spanish gastrobar, the focus is tapas. Still, the menu is structured to provide some alternatives, should you have a member of the group that just doesn’t like small plates. Most meals include a portion of the menu dedicated to larger plates. For brunch, many guests opt for the prix-fixe menu with an appetizer course, main dish, and dessert for $30. And in the right kind of atmosphere - i.e. most weekend brunches here - one might be inclined to add the bottomless sangrias or mimosas for $20.
Running through the main menu, there’s plenty of highlights. Starting with the basics, the patatas bravas, Spanish omelet, and Huevos “Bulla” make nice additions to any table. But if there’s any starchy base to always accompany a meal here, it would be the croquetas de jamón - tasty fried fingers with Serrano ham and a hint of sweetness from the fig jelly.
The first dish to really sell me on Bulla was the Pulpo a la Parrilla - a smoky octopus dish set atop polenta. This has actually fallen in repeat visits owing to sometimes overcooked octopus, but when it’s good, it’s great. The dish that never fails, though, is the Datiles Rellenos. Dates stuffed with chorizo and wrapped in bacon for good measure, this plate typifies sweet and savory. Climbing the ladder to their largest plates, the ‘Bulla’ Burger and paella hardly reinvent the genre, but sometimes it’s just nice to split dishes with friends and pretend you’re eating at some touristy restaurant by the beach in Málaga.
And that’s much of what Bulla and Spanish food, in general, is about - good food with good friends and family. Bulla is very much a social dining experience, encouraging large groups to get together to share bites from a lot of plates and forget the worries of the world for a few hours over pitchers of sangria. Spend enough time here, and you too may be scrambling together funds for that summer trip to Spain.
Small plates here are all under $20, while larger dishes, such as the paellas can run to around $40. Reservations are both accepted and recommended for some of the busier weekend rush times.
Se7en Bites: So Good, You Might Consider Indulging in the Six Other Deadly Sins
It all begins with an idea.
The chicken biscuit special with applewood smoked bacon, an egg, and thyme sausage gravy, served with a side of cheddar chive grits (Photo Credit: Andrew Langford)
July 25 • By Andrew Langford
Everyone has a vice. Dig deep and with enough self-reflection, you’re able to admit that there’s one thing you know is bad, but just cannot live without. For the dozens of people that line up outside Se7en Bites between Thursday and Sunday, this may be that “shortcoming.” But with the best affordable meal in town, Se7en Bites makes a damn persuasive case for indulging in gluttony.
This is hardly the first article to sing Se7en Bites’ praises. Since Trina Gregory-Propst first opened her shop in the Milk District back in 2013, a cult-like following has gone mainstream as crowds wait up to 30 minutes in line on weekends for a chance to sample her southern comfort classics. These are the perils of being one of the top ranked spots on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, but the wait is well worth it - if not for the added caveat that the food comes out quickly once you’ve ordered at the counter inside.
As is hopefully abundantly clear by this point, Se7en Bites is not a light, low calorie meal by almost any stretch of the imagination, although there are a few salads and smaller plates for the truly uncompromising and the psychopathic. But in many ways, this is also the appeal of this establishment. If you limit yourself to a few meals here each year, each feels like a holiday; picture the anticipation of a Thanksgiving or Christmas feast without all the cooking and cleanup. So save the punishment salads and juice cleanses for the week, because Se7en Bites weekends are for splurging.
The menu itself is fairly straightforward. It’s split between breakfast and lunch (both served all day), with a long rotating list of weekly specials next to the main counter and a terrific sweet shop that you can visit after you’ve ordered your main. In short, you really cannot go wrong with anything here. The southern breakfast plates first put them on the map, as classic staples like biscuits, grits, and pimento cheese were taken to their very highest levels of quality and paired with unorthodox ingredients like mac n’cheese or “potato chip bacon crumble.”
The lunch entrees follow the same formula. While this is still not the most ordered portion of the menu, these plates are by no means an afterthought. Their chicken pot pie is one of their most popular dishes and the meatloaf sandwich has been recommended by more than a few employees. Really one’s decision to order off the lunch menu is limited by one’s ability to even make it past the breakfast options without already finding five great meals.
A few other breakfast spots in town serve bigger plates, but looks can be deceiving. With how rich most of the dishes are, there’s a good chance you’re leaving with leftovers and rarely will you have space for dessert. Which is a shame because their desserts are some of the best in town. Still, whether it’s a pastry or slice of cake, the dessert counter is nicely set up to package any of their treats to go if you’re looking to continue the fun later or share the wealth with friends. In addition to this, there are a handful of alcoholic beverages, including a refreshing orange blossom mimosa, that can be ordered with any meal.
Se7en Bites churns through crowds on any weekend, so don’t expect the highly personalized service where a waiter is constantly checking in on you and guiding you through the menu. Still, the staff is relatively friendly and will happily offer recommendations if you’re stuck trying to figure out what to order. The only complaint - if there is one to find with this operation - is that Sette no longer exists. For a few glorious years, Gregory-Propst gave Orlando the Italian equivalent of Se7en Bites with bustling spot in Ivanhoe Village before it closed around the start of the pandemic. If the crowds at her flagship are any indication, the people want Sette back.
Grinding through meals at Se7en Bites can often feel like an epic gladiatorial struggle between divine southern dishes and the strength of your arteries. But like any great Roman champion, there’s the thrill of the kill while powering through the plates and the reward of a happy, well-deserved nap afterwards.
Menu Highlights
It’s very hard to find a dish you won’t rave about at Se7en Bites, but here are a few highlights and menu notes:
Minnie Pearl
It’s tough to pick a most popular dish here, but this is probably it. A fairly honest interpretation of chicken and waffles, the chicken is fried to perfection and the waffles form a doughy sponge with just the right amount of firmness for soaking up the hot honey and vanilla bean syrup. Fans of sweeter breakfast entrees should stick to this when deciding against other breakfast plates.
3 Little Pigs and the Southern
There are two plates here because they’re the same thing save for the gravy on the 3 Little Pigs. If crumbled potato chips and macaroni are two things you just cannot accept on your breakfast plate, then these dishes are a happy medium between experiencing the full richness of Se7en Bites’ offerings without becoming too hedonistic. And for what it’s worth, the gravy on the 3 Little Pigs is probably the best in town.
7th Trimester
Almost all the joy of the last plates, minus the incredible cheddar chive grits, this is another staple of the menu that helped to first put this restaurant on the map. Adding mac n’cheese and potato chip bacon crumble to a breakfast plate might sound like the creation of a child or someone under the influence of controlled substances, but whoever came up with this dish has made something better than what most trained chefs turn out.
Veggie Morning Biscuit
You may think vegetarian food is boring and light, but Se7en Bites is happy to prove you wrong. Putting an egg, fried green tomato, and pimento cheese between their signature buttermilk garlic biscuit, this dish, alongside a few other options like vegetable bread pudding, means there’s plenty for vegetarians to enjoy here as well.
The Chicken Sandwich Special
Maybe the least impressive thing on the menu, this has been on special lately, but it doesn’t live up to their regular chicken biscuit, chicken biscuit special, or the Minnie Pearl. This is by no means a bad dish - it would rank well at most other restaurants - but the opportunity cost is just not there to justify ordering it.
Chicken Pot Pie
Definitely on the Mount Rushmore of Se7en Bites classics. Nothing against Marie Callender’s, but there’s no way to look at their frozen concoction the same way after trying this version. The pie crust has that perfect crumble combing a flaky interior with some crisp on the outer edge, while the filling itself is also great.