Mai Thai
Address22 E. Pine St.
CityOrlando
Phone407-286-2050
Price$$
Scott's Review
Mai Thai wants to be known as an Asian fusion restaurant, though like everything else in life wanting it doesn’t make it so. About the only thing fusionesque on the menu is the Duck Tacos. MT apparently also wants to be both a restaurant and a nightclub. Apparently, after dinner service the tables and chairs are moved out of the dining room to clear way for a dance floor. That might make one wonder how serious a restaurant it wants to be, fusion or otherwise.... Read more
Maki Hibachi Downtown
Address106 E. Colonial Drive
CityOrlando
Phone407-730-4355
Price$$
Scott's Review
Second location for a Lake Nona restaurant on the ground floor of a new storage unit complex. The food is mostly modest.... Read more
Market On South
Address2603 South St
CityOrlando
Phone
Price$
A collaborative of three businesses offering all-vegan fare that could fool most meat lovers. Comfortable, friendly atmosphere. A must for vegans or anyone wanting to cut down on animal products for health or humane reasons.... Read more
Maxine's on Shine
Address337 N. Shine Ave.
CityOrlando
Phone407-674-6841
Price$$
Scott's Review
Note: This review is from Shine Neighborhood Kitchen, which has changed its name to Maxine's on Shine. This is the quintessential neighborhood cafe, a lone business in a downtown residential area. Formerly Bravissimo Wine Bar, this space was a destination for people who simply liked the atmosphere. Now they can also like it for the good food. Clams and mussels Catalan, shrimp & grouper Maltese, and pork osso buco were some of the items I enjoyed. The owners -- who also own the decidedly different Graffiti Junktion -- did wonders with the limited space, which started its life, decades ago, as a neighborhood market. The atmosphere is soft and subdued and so very comfortable.... Read more
Ming’s Bistro
Address1212 Woodward St.
CityOrlando
Phone407-898-9672
Price$$
Scott's Review
Once a very good Chinese restaurant, Ming's Bistro has had an ownership change and the quality has flagged. It is not currently recommended.... Read more
Monroe (The)
Address448 N. Terry Ave.
CityOrlando
Phone407-734-2102
Price$$$
Scott's Review
Latest concept from the Good Salt Restaurant Group (Osprey, Mezcalaria) in downtown Orlando's burgeoning Creative Village.... Read more
Napasorn Thai Restaurant Sushi Bar
Address56 E. Pine St.
CityOrlando
Phone407-245-8088
Price$$
Scott's Review
The food is basically the same as it has been for years: perfectly acceptable but rarely extraordinary. My lunch companion and I started with an appetizer of “soft rolls,” the unfried version of the spring rolls. Although shrimp was listed among the ingredients, I spotted none in the roll I ate, only noodles and lettuce inside a spring roll skin. The panang curry with beef had big hunks of bell peppers, snow peas and string beans mixed in with the sliced beef. The curried sauce was a bit on the mild side, but the flavors, which included fresh basil, were very nice. The dish would have been more enjoyable if the rice had been moister and fluffier. What we were served did not seem as though it had been recently steamed. The pad Thai was fine, the rice noodles well coated with the slightly sweet sauce, tossed with tangy bits of scallions, crunchy bean sprouts off to the side.... Read more
Numero Uno
Address2499 S. Orange Ave.
CityOrlando
Phone407-841-3840
Price$$

The décor is a bit cheerier than it used to be, but the food has gotten a bit run down. Still, there are good things to be had on the menu, such as black bean soup and ropa vieja. And it’s a good place to dine when you’re in a hurry but want a filling meal.

The minced meat consisted of ground beef in a tomato-based sauce. It was served with white rice and a cup of black bean soup. The rice mixed well with both the meat and the beans, and made this a filling dish. The plate also contained fried ripe plantains and the usual Cuban salad of iceberg lettuce, tomato slice and dressing of vinegar, oil and chopped onions and parsley.

My stuffed-potatoes dish consisted of two balls of mashed potatoes deep-fried to achieve a golden crust. My croquettes were a bit shy of stuffing but were topped with a meat mix. In fact, it was the same meat mix as my lunch guest had on her plate. My dish came with yellow rice and the same plantains. The rice was good, but with the mashed potatoes, it turned out to be a rather starchy meal.

... Read more