Address	100 S. Eola Avenue
City	Orlando
Phone	407-730-3400
Price	$$
Scott's Review

The menu has changed over the years, I think for the better. For one thing, it’s been pared down a bit and has gotten rid of extraneous items, such as the flatbreads.... Read more

Address	1676 Buena Vista Drive Walt Disney World
City	Lake Buena Vista
Phone	407-828-8739
Price	$$$
Scott's Review

It's big, it's loud, it's splashy, and it's more than a little cheesy, but T-Rex can be a lot of fun, especially for kids old enough not to be frightened out of the bejeebers by life-sized animatronic prehistoric lizards. The food is basic, nothing fancy, nothing stellar. But all in all it does a better job than its sister restaurant Rainforest Cafe.

I sampled a soup and entree. The entrée had two items that are offered separately on the menu, barbecued ribs and rotisserie chicken. The soup was a tomato basil, listed on the menu as lava tomato basil. Turns out lava is fairly sweet; who knew?

The ribs, a generous half slab, were tender and the bones easily relinquished the meat, but there wasn’t a lot of distinctive flavoring. The same was true of the chicken, an even more generous half bird. It was nicely cooked and had juicy flesh. But there were no seasonings, no flavor. It’s a common problem with restaurants in tourist areas to dumb down the seasonings so as not to offend the common palate. Pity. The platter also included a healthy portion of waffle-cut fries. Maybe healthy isn’t the right word, but you know what I mean.

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Address	549 W. Par St.
City	Orlando
Phone	407-650-0100
Price	$$$
Scott's Review

Finally, a good restaurant at Dubsdread. It’s Sam Snead’slike (the owners here were involved in developing the Sam Snead’s Tavern concept)  with an emphasis on simple foods.

The pot roast and filet mignon are standouts, and if you get the Buffalo shrimp, ask the kitchen to make them spicy. And the Tap Room burger is superb.

The rustic dining room is fronted by a wraparound porch that overlooks the Dubsdread Golf Course. It's a lovely spot to enjoy Sunday brunch, and as luck would have it, the Tap Room serves an excellent one.

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Address	Edgewater Hotel 99 W. Plant St.
City	Winter Garden
Phone	407-230-4837
Price	$
Scott's Review

From the couple who brought you the wonderful Chef's Table at the Edgewater, this space - just in the next room - offers a more tapas-like menu with a New Orleans glint. Grilled pork belly, fried chicken livers, boudain balls are all good choices. Service is first-rate.

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Address	901 S. Orlando Ave.
City	Maitland
Phone	407-335-4835
Price	$
Scott's Review

The Maitland location is a new outpost for the popular MetroWest burgermonger. And make no mistake: burgers are the forte here.... Read more

Address	125 W. 1st St.
City	Sanford
Phone	407-942-3977
Price	$$$
Scott's Review

Charming spot in the burgeoning Sanford downtown district. Chef Nat Russell puts a creative twist on well-known dishes, such as adding a sous-vide egg to Shrimp & Grits.... Read more

Address	494 W. State Road 436
City	Altamonte Springs
Phone	407-951-6928
Price	$$
Scott's Review

Like the original, the menu features authentic New Orleans fare. Also like the original, the food here is about as close as anyone in Central Florida has come to presenting a real taste of the Big Easy. For my entree I chose the combo of jambalaya, crawfish pie and file gumbo. Both the gumbo and the jambalaya were excellent. The soup had a wonderfully dark rouxy base with good chunks of chicken and spicy andouille sausage, topped with a bit of fluffy white rice. The jambalaya had sausage and vegetables cooked into the rice. I liked the crawfish in the etouffee, however. A more tomatoey roux served as the base with plump, chewy bits of crawfish and vegetables swimming around an island of rice. For dessert, the bread pudding was crazy good. Big, buttery and gooey with sauce.... Read more

Address	2203 Aloma Ave.
City	Winter Park
Phone	407-672-5753
Price	$$
Scott's Review

Tibby’s is the latest project from the team that created the outrageously successful Tijuana Flats chain of Tex-Mex eateries: Brian Wheeler, Camp Fitch and Wheeler’s father, Chester. But don’t expect to find a Cajunified version of Tijuana Flats. This is a full-blown, full-service restaurant with an extensive menu of appetizers, entrees and desserts, and from what I tasted, all quite authentic. If what I experienced is any indication, Tibby’s will make those of you who are still lamenting the demise of Jockamo’s say, “Jockamo’s? Who dat?” All of the basic NOLA dishes -- shrimp remoulade, crawfish etouffe, jambalaya, gumbo -- are here and they're all done well, based on family recipes. This one looks like it's going to be a winner.

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