Winter Garden
When did little Winter Garden become a big culinary draw? The redevelopment of the burg’s downtown district, with the lovingly restored Winter Garden Theatre as its centerpiece, has attracted a slew of home-grown restaurants worth the trek.

The place is buzzing
Top accolades go to the Chef’s Table at the Edgewater, the vision of another husband-wife team (and ex-Disney culinarians) who are cooking from the heart in an intimate restaurant with just 30 seats and a classic American menu with creations based on what’s freshest at the market. Across the street, a dazzling array of délicieux pastries beckon at Sweet Traditions French Bakery & Cafe, but we love the Eiffel Tower sandwich with roast beef and blue cheese on a fresh baguette. Vying for the best ‘cue in Central Florida is tiny Harry & Larry’s Bar-B-Cue, with honest, slow-smoked ribs and exceptional beef brisket. The biggest wait is for the made-from-scratch pies and homemade lasagna at Winter Garden Pizza Company. At the Edgewater Hotel, Thai Blossom gets high marks from the locals for the pad thai and curries. JR’s Attic Door and Moon Cricket Grille are casual spots for tapas, wine and live music. Old-timers point to Winter Garden Restaurant, the quintessential diner.

Norman’s
For the moment, celeb chef Norman Van Aken has pared down to just one restaurant, and Norman’s at the Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes is the lucky one. Van Aken pays attention to what’s going on in the kitchen even if he is not there every day. “Makes any occasion feel special,” says one judge. We rhapsodize about his creamy conch chowder, and this is the spot when we long for a haute taste of Florida and the Caribbean. Paradise found.

Venetian Room
It’s a trek to one of Orlando’s biggest convention hotels for fine continental cuisine – ignore the pedestrian surroundings, the luxe Venetian Room gets our vote for lavish dining. Old-school stars like pan-seared foie gras, Dover sole and Grand Marnier soufflé are menu mainstays.

Victoria & Albert’s
“With fine dining restaurants all over the country becoming members of an endangered species, Victoria & Albert’s continues to maintain the highest level of exquisite service and painstakingly prepared gourmet dishes,” says a judge. Chef Scott Hunnel and general manager Israel Perez continue to operate this award-winning restaurant with pride of ownership.

Chatham’s Place
In the shadow of trendy Restaurant Row on Sand Lake Road, Chatham’s has maintained its reputation and a cadre of loyal customers for more than 20 years. “One of Orlando’s best-kept secret,” says a judge. A quiet, efficient front of the house and Chef Tony’s consistency in the kitchen create a delicious experience that’s hard to beat. His Florida black grouper in pecan butter is elegant simplicity.

Journeys
“Warm, gracious and real,” says a judge. Husband-wife team Bram and Geraldine Fowler have an expanded location overlooking Alaqua Country Club’s golf course with al fresco dining (the restaurant is open to the public). “Sophisticated and innovative, but comfortable,” says another judge. And we applaud the thoughtful wine list.

Nile Ethiopian Cuisine
“The only Ethiopian restaurant in the area,” says one judge, “and you can’t get more independent than that.” And the fact that it has lasted longer than others that have come before, it is testament to the good food and charming hosts. This humble eatery is tucked in an International Drive strip center, but persevere, the reward is the satisfying taste of the crossroads of Asia and Africa. You don’t even need utensils. Trust us.

Upscale Casual

Highland Manor
Chef John Mooney dishes out American cuisine with Southern flair at the old McBride House in Apopka. Mooney and partners have returned it to splendor of days gone by with clubby private dining rooms and a leisurely style of dining. The menu is a fantasy for foodies who see locally sourced cuisine as the ultimate way to eat.

Luma On Park
Chef Brandon McGlamery and Manager Tim Noelke keep this Park Avenue favorite buzzing. “The din from the crowd keeps it casual, but it’s the fine food from the open kitchen that makes it upscale,” says a judge. We appreciate McGlamery’s attention to local farmers and fishermen, from Waterkist Farm’s fabulous tomatoes to Apalachicola oysters.

The Vineyard Wine Company, Lake Mary
“A very lovely setting,” says one judge. “Creative, varied menu, from slider flights to lobster and asparagus risotto,” says another. The owners live in the ‘hood, and their hands-on attention shows. For some, it’s all about the juice – Wine Club members keep their stash in climate-controlled lockers.

K Restaurant Wine Bar
Everyone loves unassuming Kevin Fonzo, chef extraordinaire at this College Park mainstay, who supports his community and gets loyal customers in return. “Fonzo pays extra-special attention to every dish,” says a judge. We can make a meal on the starters (oh, those fried green tomatoes). Server Rocky adds a whole new dimension to the well-run dining room.

Mykonos
“Generous portions of traditional Greek fare, but some unexpected stars, such as whole snapper, deboned tableside,” says one of the judges. “But it’s the comfort food – chowders, soups, lamb shank and the best lima beans on the planet.” Service can be brusque, but in a family kind of way that puts you right at home.

Rocco’s Italian Grille
Owner Rocco Potami has many faithful followers who come just for his crisp fritto misto alla Ligure, a rich sip of Barolo and a hug from front-of-house maven Silvana Madden, who keeps an eye on every table and never forgets a face. A new menu keeps the classics but pares down prices and adds half-orders of favorite pastas. Judges give high marks for the seafood. 

Jiko – The Cooking Place
With the largest South African wine list in the U.S. and sophisticated cuisine to match, Jiko’s well-trained sommeliers can give you a taste of vintages you aren’t likely to find anywhere else and help pair with African-inspired tastes. No big commitments, as wonderful options are available by the glass.

Emeril’s
With 12,000 bottles in the second-floor wine gallery, choosing the perfect match with Emeril’s New Orleans Cajun cuisine can be overwhelming, but the savvy sommeliers can ferret out the best. “I always appreciate and trust the recommendations,” says a judge. We love sipping as we sit at the bar and watch the chefs work.

Vines Grille & Wine Bar
Don’t let the unassuming location fool you, this little spot on busy Restaurant Row packs a big wow with its extensive wine list. And it’s a small-but-mighty menu – most of the fish is wild caught, steaks are cooked over charcoal, and it’s the only place in town we know of that serves Kobe beef cheeseburger with a schmear of foie gras.

Best Ethnic

Padrino’s Cuban Bistro
“Cuban food, which had flagged in quality in recent years, is good again, thanks to Padrino’s, Cuban Bistro” says a judge. Owners Mario and Nayade Padrino inherited the business from Mario’s father, who opened the first Padrino’s in Hialeah, Fla., in 1976 after the family emigrated from Cuba. Big families share around communal tables, couples sip mojitos in the tucked-away bar. This is lively nuevo Cubano cuisine.

Polonia
“Authentic, unpretentious, much like eating in a Polish friend’s home,” says a judge. It’s all about the potato pancakes, borscht, stuffed cabbage and Reubens on incredible rye. With only about 30 seats, there’s often a line for home cooking at its finest, you can sip a cold Polish beer and browse the deli cases while you wait.

Worth a Drive

Bistro de Leon, St. Augustine
The young owner is a fifth generation chef from Lyon, France, who came to the U.S. to open this little gem with his wife Valerie, a winemaker from the Domaine de la Fond Moiroux, France. It’s worth the drive just for his baguettes and brioche, but “don’t miss the French onion soup, pâté, quiche or any of the fabulous dinner entrées,” says a judge.

Flying Fish
The drive is only to Disney World, but one of the judges remind us that it’s a schlep to Disney’s BoardWalk from just about anywhere. But the local are faithful followers of Chef Tim Keating’s American cuisine – another progressive chef who sources much of his seafood from Florida’s waters. The potato-wrapped red snapper is truly legendary.

Tonic, Indian Harbour Beach
If you’re cruising down A1A, Tonic is several notches above ordinary beach eats. “It’s a lot closer than Miami’s South Beach, but the vibe is the same,” says a judge. A solid wine list, a kitchen that cooks with seasonal and organic produce and a well-run dining room are good enough reasons to hop in the car. That and the lobster beignets.

Emerging Chef

Osaliqui Barruos, Café 118°
Chef “Ossie” graduated in 2008 from Orlando Culinary Academy’s Le Cordon Bleu program, and now the 30-something is veering off in a new direction with Café 118°’s progressive “raw organics,” which means that no food is heated above 118° to preserve vitamins, enzymes and minerals. “No fryers, no heat,” he says with a smile, “I’m in love with this kitchen.” It’s a new chapter in eating out. 

Jennifer Cappello, The Vineyard Wine Company, Lake Mary
Young in years but hardly lacking experience, Jennifer Cappello took an untraditional path to the chef’s table. She majored in International Affairs in college and got a “straight” job, but found herself drawn to cooking, a love acquired in her mother’s Italian kitchen. After apprenticing in several local kitchens, she began working with Aaron Wysocki (who trained at Journeys under Bram Fowler) as a personal chef specializing in healthy fare.

The Vineyard Wine Company opened earlier this year to rave reviews for its inventive Mediterranean-influenced cuisine: Pasta flights, delicate mini-crab cakes and the most delectable dry-aged bone-in ribeye you can imagine.

Richard Lendino, Stone’s Throw Bistro Sanford
This 20-something “youngster” trained with Chef Louis Chatham (founder of venerable Chatham’s on Sand Lake Road), then spent two years in Manhattan honing his skills. This Sanford treasure is all his own, and you’ll find him there most days. We make the drive for his fried green tomato crab cakes with white wine hollandaise.

Best Dessert

Whatever suits your fancy,

Croissant Gourmet Bakery
When you’re desperately seeking sugar, just close your eyes and point. Talented pastry chef Francois and brother Philippe Cahagne came from France to open CG in 2008, and everything is made in-house daily, including croissants, éclairs, tarts filled with seasonal fruits, napoleons and, best of all, crème brûlée.

Roy’s Melting Hot Chocolate
Soufflé, Roy’s Restaurant

Dark chocolate cake with warm chocolate oozing madly – so good it should be mandatory. We hope this signature dessert never leaves the menu.

Sweet Potato Pie or Red Velvet Cake, Johnson’s Diner
A soul food fixture in downtown Orlando, the judges couldn’t choose between the heavenly pie and the devilishly sweet cake. Take your pick. 

Best View

California Grill
It’s all about the fireworks and a bird’s eye view of the Magic Kingdom. But Chef Brian Piasecki’s talented team in the open kitchen puts on a show that competes with the pyrotechnics. Request a coveted window seat when you book. If you can’t get a window seat, ask for one at the bar in front of Yoshie, the sushi chef. For foodies, that’s a great view too.

Houston’s
Sip a chardonnay in an Adirondack on the grassy backyard on Lake Killarney where there’s a great view of the sun setting. The basic menu never changes, but seasonal creations kick it up, and everyone has a favorite, from the addictive grilled artichokes to the juicy burger. And we love the dock for a private party.

Sanaa at Disney’s Animal

Kingdom Lodge
Ask for a table beside the 9-foot-high windows with a view onto the resort’s Sunset Savannah where giraffes, zebras and other wild animals roam just a few yards away. But the food is so good that sometimes we forget to look. We love the warm naan bread with coriander and mango chutneys and cucumber raita, and anything cooked in the tandoor oven.

Longtime Favorite

Antonio’s, Maitland
Like an old pal, Antonio’s is the go-to restaurant after a long day, or for Sunday lunch or for a business dinner. Whether you head upstairs to La Fiamma for a classic veal chop or pork tenderloin with a fine bottle of wine, or hang out in the casual downstairs deli and share a margherita pizza and a cold beer, it’s all good.

Enzo’s
Once you walk through the front door, the servers whisk you far, far away with the ambience of a quaint European villa on Lake Fairy. The grounds are lovely, the cuisine is rustic Italian (a top-notch antipasti and authentic pastas). When romance is in the air, book a table for two.

Le Coq Au Vin
Classic coq au vin is the quintessential upscale comfort food, and loyal diners still head to this modest restaurant for its namesake dish, even though Louis Perrotte has left the building and Chef Reimund Pitz is in the kitchen. But Pitz seems to be at ease following in his longtime friend’s footsteps. So far, so good.

Best New Restaurant

Black Olive
“Brings upscale dining back to downtown Orlando,” says one judge. A stylish dining room dressed in the warm colors of the Mediterranean sets the stage for light cuisine from Italy, such as grilled octopus, pastas in scented broths, grilled seafood – but the New York strip steak comes with a rich French béarnaise. Eclectic wines pair with the simple, delicious cuisine.

Café 118°
If it’s a stretch to imagine raw fruits, nuts and veggies as an award winner, maybe it’s time to think outside the oven. The “118” refers to the fact the nothing is heated over 118 degrees Fahrenheit, preserving the nutrients that make food good for you. Hot seller is lasagna with noodles of paper-thin zucchini slices, ricotta made from macadamia nuts, sauce from sun-dried tomatoes. Innovative and progressive, we applaud Chef Osaliqui Barruos’ cool hand in the kitchen.

Stone’s Throw Bistro
Another cheer for the independents, hip Stone’s Throw Bistro gets a warm welcome in historic downtown Sanford. Chef-owner Richard Lendino’s best dinnertime dishes feature Gulf shrimp and Florida grouper and mahi, but he throws a delicious curve ball with wild game like venison, kangaroo and elk, and our favorite – pork belly. l

WELL DONE!

Our panel struggled to name just three restaurants in each category, and there were some excellent restaurants that we felt also deserved Silver Spoon Awards:

• Azure at The Shores Resort
• Funky Monkey Wine Co.
• Harmoni Market
• Hemispheres
• Park Plaza Gardens

There’s a full list of winners and our Silver Spoon awards for Memorable Dishes on our website, ohlmag.com.

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