Address	China pavilion at Epcot Walt Disney World
City	Lake Buena Vista
Phone	407-939-3463
Price	$$$
Scott's Review

Recently remodeled, Nine Dragons is probably the easiest restaurant at Epcot to get in to without a reservation. That's because to so many people Chinese food is not equated with fine dining -- it's something that comes in a cardboard container and you get it for takeout. This is different, more of an upscale Chinese dining experience.

I popped in for a lunch and started with a bowl of chicken consomme with pork dumplings, a golden broth with a rich mouthfeel. It had two big dumplings of chewy dough filled with well-spiced ground pork.

For my entree I had the shrimp with spinach noodles, which looked very much like something you'd find served in the Italy pavilion. (But remember that Marco Polo is said to have introduced Italians to pasta after a voyage to China.) The noodles were fettuccinelike and were mixed with red and green sauteed bell peppers and dotted with flecks of hot pepper flakes and topped with cool, fesh coriander.

The shrimp had a thin film of crispiness and peppery spice.

For dessert there was a sponge cake with fruit filling that was slightly dry.

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Address	9685 Lake Nona Village Place
City	Orlando
Phone	407-313-0027
Price	$$$
Scott's Review

Nona Blue Modern Tavern opened May 2013 and has been been keeping the tables filled ever since. The first time I visited was a Monday, and the place was doing the sort of business that some restaurants in town would cherish on a weekend. Part of that, of course, is the newness and part is the aforementioned scarcity. And some of it has to do with the allure of Graeme McDowell, the golfer, who is one of the owners (along with Joe Davi and Bill Bona). Whether they will keep coming is yet to be seen, but with a few tweaks here and there -- especially in the area of service -- they should be able to keep those seats filled. I liked what I saw when I first walked into the place (once I found the front door, which is not easily spotted). I liked what I smelled even more. The air was infused with the aroma of hickory smoke, and it had me immediately craving something wood-smoked. The menu makes full use of that grill. There isn’t anything particularly daring or innovative on it, just your basic tavern fare. You’ve got your burgers, your steaks and seafood offerings. And quite a long list of appetizers, called shareables on the menu, some of which are priced as much as some of the fu... Read more

Address	9145 Narcoossee Road
City	Orlando
Phone	407-674-7818
Price	$$
Scott's Review

Nona Tap Room is gone and Nona Social Bar + Kitchen has taken its place. Except for the variation of the name, I can’t see a whole lot of difference between the two. It’s still a neighborhoody place that is more bar than kitchen. Still a bit on the small, cozy side. It still features a menu that is burgercentric. And the kitchen still can’t cook a burger to a medium-rare temperature. Or perhaps just refuses to.... Read more

Address	1140 Altamonte Drive
City	Altamonte Springs
Phone	407-260-8900
Price	$$
Scott's Review

The LaCommare family is back in business, this time with son Leo at the stove, but mom and dad Marie and Stefano are always on hand. ... Read more

Address	2499 S. Orange Ave.
City	Orlando
Phone	407-841-3840
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.

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