Address	8255 International Drive
City	Orlando
Phone	407-363-0228
Price	$
Scott's Review

From local restaurant group Talk of the Town, Charley's is a longtime steakhouse that specializes in fine cuts of meat cooked over hardwood fires. Very popular with the tourists, most locals know that it can be hit or miss. When it's on the mark, it's very good. Besides this location, there is a Charley's on South Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando and another in Kissimmee.... Read more

Address	3401 S. Atlantic Ave.
City	New Smyrna Beach
Phone	904-423-8787
Price	$$
Scott's Review

Let’s go to the beach! Aw, come on, it’ll be fun; I’ll drive. Chases on the Beach is not a destination restaurant itself, but if the beach is your destination, Chases is a good place to grab a meal. The cheeseburger is fine for lunch. For dinner, try the grouper or the scallops. (Ask the cook to put the crab cake on the side).

Chases is named for the owner Chase Breiner (although there is no apostrophe in the name; go figure.) An old hotel was previously on the site. According to the restaurant manager, local laws say you can rebuild only on an existing foundation, so the restaurant complex has an odd look and shape, with various buildings and levels.

It serves as a sort of mini-play-ground/food and drink emporium. The food is a basic compilation of seafood dinners and beach-food sandwiches. I wouldnt make a special trip just to have the food. But this is a good place to grab a bite if your day involves a trip to New Smyrna Beach .

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Address	7575 Dr. Phillips Blvd.
City	Orlando
Phone	407-345-2992
Price	$$$$
Scott's Review

Chatham's Place has gone through some changes, and much more than the fact that there are no members of the Chatham family involved in the restaurant. That's not an issue; Louis Chatham, who served as executive chef, and his mother, Bettye, who ran the dining room in those first years, sold the operation years ago to Chatham's sous chef, Tony Lopez, the maitre d', Maurice Colindres, and a hostess, Carol Conwell. The three of them kept it going as strong as ever, perhaps stronger. It was clear that this was an operation of love for the three of them, and they worked together to make it a continued success.

Many of the dishes that became signatures back in Louis Chatham's days remain on the menu, including the Florida black grouper, which has been one of my favorite Central Florida entrees for many years. It features a fresh fillet, thick and white, lightly sauteed and topped with pecan butter and scallions, dusted with just a soupcon of cayenne pepper. The pecan butter places the dish firmly in the south and the pepper points it towards New Orleans. But with the use of Florida black grouper I think we can just claim this one as one of our native dishes, don't you?

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Address	12100 E. Colonial Drive
City	Orlando
Phone	407-250-4120
Price	$
Scott's Review

Although it is pot themed the food contains no THC or CBD. But the sandwiches are good anyway.... Read more

Address	1412 Alden Road
City	Orlando
Phone	407-887-4255
Price	$$
Scott's Review

From Nashville, Chef & I offers an intimate dining experience within the Hall on the Yard food hall, including a by-request chef's tasting menu.... Read more

Address	1602 East Buena Vista Drive
City	Orlando
Phone	407-560-0100
Price	$$$
Scott's Review

A Florida style restaurant from celebrity chef Art Smith. Many good things here, but the fried chicken, which is supposed to be a signature item, isn't as good as others.... Read more

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

Owners Kevin and Laurie Tarter were ahead of the Winter Garden renaissance when they opened their intimate restaurant in the historic Edgewater Hotel there in May of 2008. Eleven years later, the West Orange County hamlet is a hopping with good restaurants and evening entertainment. And the Tarters have expanded their domain with the addition of the Tasting Room, which occupies a space in front of the Chef’s Table’s dining room, and, earlier this year, the acquisition of the Attic Door. But the Chef’s Table remains the jewel, a leisurely evening of three courses, with wine pairings if you like, served by a friendly and attentive staff.... Read more

Address	533 W. New England Ave.
City	Winter Park
Phone	407-599-2929
Price	$$$
Scott's Review

Chez Vincent continues to serve classic French dishes in pleasant, if slightly worn, surroundings. Chef/owner Vincent Gagliano is a master with soup, and the coquille St. Jacques is one of the better seafood entrees. Steak au poivre is a good choice for a meat dish.

Chez Vincent’s waiters are mature and professional. I mention the maturity because it’s a welcome change from the working-my-way-through-college servers who seem to dominate the Winter Park restaurant scene. The waiters here allow the guests to dictate the pace of the meal.

If Chez Vincent has survived over the years it’s because there is an appreciation among Central Florida diners for a quiet place to enjoy a good, classically prepared meal.

If that’s true, there’s hope for aspiring restaurateurs out there, and, not incidentally, for all of us who will support them.

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