The readers of Scott Joseph’s Orlando Restaurant Guide have voted Kabooki Sushi first place in the 2019 Foodster Awards for Independent Restaurants — Best Sushi.

Seito Sushi came in second place and Kadence was third.

“Kabooki has delicious, fresh sushi,” wrote Stephanie Wood regarding her vote. “The menu is an innovate take on sushi and the daily special offerings are unique. Excellent service with knowledgeable servers. We love dining at Kabooki!”

Michele Butler wrote: “Kadence, hands down! Best, most authentic, creative sushi experience I’ve ever had. Nothing even compares.” (Watch for a review of Kadence soon.) Kadence was a winner of the 2018 Best Overall Foodster Award.

Kabooki, which opened about six years ago to near universal acclaim, recently opened a second location in Bay Hill Plaza at 7705 Turkey Lake Road. The original location remains at 3122 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando.

Seito Sushi also has a location on Turkey Lake Road, at 8031, as well as one in Baldwin Park at 4898 New Broad Street.

Congratulations to all the winners and thanks to everyone who voted.

If you’ve been reading my reviews for the past three decades, you’ll know that I’m a fan of Christner’s Prime Steak & Lobster, which just celebrated its 26th anniversary. My most recent review solidified my fondness for this restaurant.

So I’m delighted to announce that I’ll be hosting a special Supper Club with Christner’s featuring the wines of Chalk Hill Estate. The Sonoma County vintner is another favorite of mine.

The dinner is 7 p.m. Friday, July 19, at the restaurant, 729 Lee Road, Orlando. Cost is $145 per person, which includes tax and gratuity, a bargain even before you start to add in the wine pairings. Call the restaurant at 407-645-4443 for reservations.

Things looked promising at the beginning of my visit to Burntwood Tavern, the Ohio based mini chain that recently opened in Orlando (though you’d be hard pressed to discern that immediately from the company’s website, but more on that in a moment).

My dinner companion and I stopped in to the rustically decorated restaurant, which occupies the former site of the similarly named Stonewood Grill & Tavern in the Dr. Phillips area. We started with an appetizer of Stuffed Jalapeños and were impressed with the quality. The plump peppers, deep-fried in summer-weight jackets, were stuffed with smoky cheddar cheese and pimentos that oozes out when we bit into them. They had a delightful spicy kick. Perhaps the cilantro cream dipping sauce was meant to be a cooling counterpoint to the heat, but it was ineffectual and unnecessary. Good poppers.

Unfortunately, everything that followed did not have the same quality.

• On Friday, June 21, Tasty Chomps’ Ricky Ly will co-host a dinner with Christner’s Prime Steak & Lobster featuring the Macallan, my favorite scotch. The four-course dinner will feature four scotch pairings, including the 2019 release of Rare Cask Batch No. 3. (I might ask you to trade my Rare Cask pour for your 15 year Triple Cask Mature that will be served with the USDA prime ribeye.) Cost is $145, which includes tax and gratuity — a bargain for a dinner at Christner’s even without the Macallan pours. Dinner is at 7 p.m. Call 407-645-4443 or get more info here.
• Thursday is Bite Night, an event that host Orlando Weekly seems to want to keep a secret this year, will be Thursday, June 20, at 6 p.m. It could be one of the last times you can attend an event in the Orchid Garden Ballroom before it is demolished. I’d give you a link for more information but I couldn’t find one on the Weekly’s website.