Address	Pointe Orlando 9101 International Drive
City	Orlando
Phone	407-241-8650
Price	$$$

Maggiano’s Little Italy is the sort of place that makes restaurant critics cringe when they hear one is coming to town. One has come to Orlando. First, it’s immense. Then there’s the issue of it being Italian, which in itself is not a cringe producer. But when you’re talking about an Americanized version of Italian food, and then factor in the mass production of a large restaurant, you can just start to picture the plates of spaghetti with sauce from an institutional sized can with meatballs that bear more than a couple of similarities to an eight ball. And it’s loud. And it plays Frank Sinatra virtually nonstop.

But it's actually a lot of fun, and the food is decent.

So don’t let a critic’s jaded bias keep you away. Go with a group and order from the family style menu. Choose the pot roast for one of your choices, and have the tiramisu for dessert.

... Read more

Address	1560 E. Buena Vista Drive
City	Lake Buena Vista
Phone	407-5608466
Price	$$$
Scott's Review

A 2018 addition to the Disney Springs lineup of restaurants. M&E is a massive space that is meant to resemble the terminal for the one-time seaplane business that served the Springs (the story is made up). The food is good and the Italian dishes are authentic.... Read more

Address	337 N. Shine Ave.
City	Orlando
Phone	407-674-6841
Price	$$
Scott's Review

Note: This review is from Shine Neighborhood Kitchen, which has changed its name to Maxine's on Shine. This is the quintessential neighborhood cafe, a lone business in a downtown residential area. Formerly Bravissimo Wine Bar, this space was a destination for people who simply liked the atmosphere. Now they can also like it for the good food. Clams and mussels Catalan, shrimp & grouper Maltese, and pork osso buco were some of the items I enjoyed. The owners -- who also own the decidedly different Graffiti Junktion -- did wonders with the limited space, which started its life, decades ago, as a neighborhood market. The atmosphere is soft and subdued and so very comfortable.... Read more

Address	6000 W Osceola Parkway
City	Kissimmee
Phone	407-586-1101
Price	$$$
Scott's Review

MOOR is inside the Gaylord Palms Resort in the space that previously was Sunset Sam’s. There have been subtle changes to the decor, but the main scenery element — a tall ship “floating” in a waterway inside the resort’s massive terrarium of a lobby — remains. Seafood is a forte here, and it's all done well. In fact, the restaurant’s new name is inspired by the connection that ties boat to land, although the menu also suggests an acronym that celebrates the regional cuisine: Mindful Of Our Resources. Whatever, I’ll have some MOOR, please.... Read more

Address	1600 Buena Vista Drive
City	Lake Buena Vista
Phone	407-939-6686
Price	$$$
Scott's Review

For the uninitiated — or those who don’t follow challenge cooking shows — Masaharu Morimoto is a star of the programs Iron Chef in Japan and its spinoff Iron Chef America. He has several restaurants that bear his name around the world, including in Mumbai, New Delhi, Philadelphia, New York and Mexico City. Those restaurants are named simply Morimoto and feature the chef’s signature Japanese cuisine. (The nearest Morimoto is in Boca Raton.) The Disney Springs restaurant is Morimoto Asia to distinguish it from the other restaurants. Technically, the restaurant is operated by the Patina Restaurant Group, which also has the two restaurants at Epcot’s Italy pavilion as well as others throughout the country, including Lincoln at New York’s Lincoln Center. My sources told me that the Disney restaurant started out to be a genuine Morimoto but that the chef became disenchanted with the bureaucracy and chose to continue under a licensing agreement. ... Read more

Address	7600 Dr. Phillips Blvd.
City	Orlando
Phone	407-248-3485
Price	$$$$

Morton's recently renovated its Restaurant Row Orlando location. The decor is imbued with a modern and tony flair, less the stodgy boardroom ambience at some of the other high-end steakhouses. Maybe that's why women seem to feel so comfortable here.

Steaks are cooked under a super-hot broiler, and when the kitchen is on the mark, they're among the best.

... Read more

Address	411 N. Donnelly Street
City	Mount Dora
Phone	352-735-8106
Price	$$
Scott's Review

I did enjoy my ceviche, the Mixto Limeno, which included pieces of shrimp, mussels and squid (the menu said that there was also calamari included, but I didn’t fall for it) with a bit of rocoto, a red pepper sauce that is a specialty of Peru. All of it delicious, especially the shrimp.... Read more

Address	145 Wekiva Springs Road
City	Longwood
Phone	407-788-9095
Price	$$
Scott's Review

Longtime Greeker, originally known as Mayerion Mykonos, reopened in a new location after an 18-month hiatus. Food is good, if not completely authentic, though many people have issues with service.... Read more