Address	142 E. 4th Ave.
City	Mount Dora
Phone	352-385-1921
Price	$$$$
Scott's Review

This highly anticipated restaurant from one of Florida’s most celebrated chefs is, to be a bit trite, a feast for the senses. The restaurant occupies an old house, built circa 1921, across the street from the Modernism Museum in the quaint downtown. In partnership with the museum and Main Street Leasing, which is listed as the “presenter” of the museum, 1921 becomes part of the artistic complex that also includes the museum’s shop (every museum has to have a shop), which shares an adjoining patio with the restaurant.... Read more

Address	22 E. Pine St.
City	Orlando
Phone	407-730-7499
Price	$$$
Scott's Review

Artisan’s Table, fronted by chef Scott Copeland, may have the best chance of making a go of it at this difficult space, which despite being smack-dab in the center of downtown has a very low visibility. It’s an ambitious undertaking — it serves three meals a day — but the food from Copeland, who previously was executive chef at Antonio’s La Fiamma in Maitland and sous chef at College Park’s K restaurant, is excellent. There are just a few operational things that need to be worked out.... Read more

Address	2901 Parkway Blvd.
City	Kissimmee
Phone	407-507-0072
Price	$$
Scott's Review

There’s no reason for us to get into a discussion of preconceived notions for restaurants in this part of town. Let’s just say that a disappointing number of businesses seem to ascribe to the theory that they don’t really need to try very hard to impress customers because, being in a tourist-dominated area, a new wave of customers comes in every week. It’s unfortunate, but it happens. Happily, I did not get that feeling from Ataj. The place was fresh, clean and comfortable, and the staff were all welcoming.... Read more

Address	118 Park Ave. S.
City	Winter Park
Phone	407-629-0042
Price	$
Scott's Review

A renewed look and branding for Orlando-based Barnie's, CoffeeKitchen has the look of a country kitchen, albeit one with five or six tables. The food, under the direction of former Norman's chef Camilo Velasco, is much more ambitious than your average coffee shop. The menu changes seasonally, but it is always wonderful.

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Address	3022 Corrine Drive
City	Orlando
Phone	407-427-1440
Price	$

Cycling fans Jen and Darrell Cunningham dedicated their new cafe to their favorite sports: bicycling, drinking coffee and sipping wine. Food is mostly sandwiches and soups.

The menu mainly features sandwiches, and most have names that might make sense only to the most diehard cycling fan. For instance, there’s the Rasmussen, named for Michael Rasmussen, whose nickname is the Chicken (chicken salad);  s.a.g. stop special, short for supply and gear stop where cyclists get basics during a break (peanut butter and bananas); and the Lance-wich, named for Lance Armstrong, who for some reason inspired this ham and turkey sandwich.

Luckily, once you get past that bit of preciousness you’ll find some good sandwiches. I had the Lance-wich, wich was not what I would call big (the menu calls it champion-sized), but it had plenty of thinly slices ham and turkey on double-deck multigrain bread with a variety of toppings. I also had a cup of soup, which is called simply soup and had rice and chicken in a creamy and well-seasoned broth.

Despite the cycling terms on the menu, there is very little bicycle kitsch in the décor. It would have been easy to go overboard with... Read more

Address	700 Bloom St.
City	Celebration
Phone	407-566-6000
Price	$$$

It turns out that it is at the Bohemian Hotel Celebration, a sister hotel (or maybe it’s a brother; I always have trouble determining the sex of lodging) to the Grand Bohemian in downtown Orlando. Of course the restaurant there is called the Boheme, and you find it by walking through the bar and under the piano rotunda to the ornately designed dining room. Step inside the front door of the Celebration hotel and you’re in the lobby, and, apparently, also in the dining room. A bar is off the the side and there are several tables with glasses and flatware, the sort of setting that I, as a trained observer, immediately recognize as places to eat. The sausage was really quite good, and if it were available as an entree I would have gladly made it my main course. The texture was surprisingly smooth, almost like a boudin, and there were several nice spice notes. It seems to me that making sausage is one of the best uses for gator meat, which can be a little tough. Best seating is outside at the lakefront patio.... Read more

Address	5174 Dr. Phillips Blvd.
City	Orlando
Phone	407-292-0333
Price	$$
Scott's Review

Just a small mom-and-pop sushi place with good (if not traditionally authentic) sushi. Nigirizushi is expertly prepared. Be sure to try the Dr. Phillips roll (note: does not contain Dr. Phillips).

 

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Address	108 Park Ave. S.
City	Winter Park
Phone	407-644-8609
Price	$$$
Scott's Review

Bosphorus is a delightful restaurant with stylized Turkish classics.

My favorite from the list of entrees was the hunkar begendi, or sultan’s delight, a classic Ottoman dish. It featured hunks of seasoned beef sauteed with onions and tomatoes in the center of the plate surrounded by a moat of creamy-textured puree of smoked eggplant.

The etli guvec was good too. It was a meat casserole with cubes of lamb mixed with green beans, eggplant,zucchini, potatoes, okra, carrots, bell peppers and tomatoes. It all blended into a wonderful, richly seasoned stew that was served over rice.

The desserts are worth sampling. Winner of the 2007 Foodie Award for Best Middle Eastern.

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