Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Il Paradiso Cafe - dj

520 West State Road 436
Suite 1112
Altamonte Springs, Fl 32714
Phone - 407.262.9000
Fax - 407.331.9001

“Where Naples Meets New York in Florida”

http://www.paradisocafe.com/index.html

I discovered Il Paradiso Café while driving east on 436 in Altamonte Springs one day last week. I was at the stop light at Montgomery and 436 and looked over in the Ashby Square Mall shopping area and noticed what seemed like a new Italian Restaurant in the location where an Italian deli use to be. I said to my self that I would have to stop in. The following week we made a visit.

When we arrived at the restaurant we looked over the menu posted at the door. It seemed like an inviting place. When we walked in we were warmly greeted by the hostess. She showed us to our seats. The waitress soon arrived. Then we were greeted by Sal the chief, he told us all about his special for the night. Sal was born Salvatore Cristiano in Naples, Italy. He seemed very proud of his restaurant as well he should we would soon find out.

I opted for the Manicotti which arrived with bread and a salad with the house dressing. My wife did not see exactly what she wanted on the menu so we called Sal over and he was glad to make any thing she wanted. She had vegetarian pasta that included sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms, broccoli in an olive oil sauce on penne pasta.

We heard singing in the kitchen as our dishes were being prepared. It reminded us of a trip to Venice where we also heard singing in the kitchen.

The salad arrived and the balsamic vinaigrette (Paradisco vinaigrette) dressing was to die for. As we were finishing up our salad I noticed Sal peering over at us from the kitchen to see if we were ready for our main course.



Our Pasta dishes arrive shortly. Mine was very good. I always have manicotti my first trip to a new Italian restaurant because I have found if they can make the cheese filling firm but moist they can make any other Italian dish. This was perfect. My wife’s pasta dish was also very good with just enough garlic and sweet sun dried tomatoes.




I have not yet decided what I’ll have on my next visit but I took the take out menu so I could study it in depth.

After our meal Sal came over to make sure everything was to our satisfaction. It was! This is definitely my new favorite Italian restaurant.

Rating ****
Service: ****
Value: ****

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Paxia Alta Cocina Mexicana - dj

2611 Edgewater Drive
College Park, FL 32804
407.420.1155
http://paxiarestaurant.com/
“Modern world meets traditional Mexican cuisine”

Paxia is a new Mexican restaurant in College Park it opened around June 1, 2008. They took over the old Moe’s location on Edgewater drive. I read about it in the Orlando Weekly yesterday and stopped by for lunch today.

The restaurant looked very modern with vivid colors on the walls and cloth table cloths – covered with butcher paper. The menus were uncluttered with just a few items. Items that you would expect at a Mexican restaurant, there were 6 priced at $7.00 to $7.50.



Were greeted with a smile and chips and salsa were not far behind. The chips were nice and the salsa was also good.


From the menu I chose the Chicken Enchilada at $7. Others at the table chose Flautas $7.25, Soft Tacos $7.50, and Burritos $7.50. The wait was a little longer than I would have expected considering the number of people in the restaurant.

When our plates arrived they looked quite nice. All of the dishes we ordered came with bean and rice. The rice was rather unremarkable, nowhere near as good as say El Portros . The beans needed salt and there was none on the table. My enchiladas were good but again nothing special.


The tacos the one of our dining partners had were soggy he said he would not be returning. The flautas were not very filling was the comment I heard.

This a place that I wanted to be good. Maybe I'll stop back by in a few months to see if it has improved.

Rating: **
Service **

What others are saying:
Orlando Weekly
Chowhound.com

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Taco Fresco

713 US Highway 41
Schererville, IN 46375
(219) 865-5300
http://www.tacofresco.com/


I was on my way to Chicago and came across Taco Fresco in Schererville. It is located in a strip mall along Highway 41. It looked the place had not been open long. It had a fresh clean look about the store. They advertise themselves as an authentic, healthy alternative to fast food.

I had the Chicken Taco $1.95 and the Grilled Yellow Fin Tuna Taco $2.75 both were good. The salsa bar had a very good selection of salsas both hot and mild.


I only found out later that this was a chain out of Chicago. This would be a place that I could eat at often if they had stores in Florida.

Free Wi-Fi is also available.
Rating: ***
Service: ****
Monday-Saturday:11am - 9pm
Sunday:11am - 7pm

Sunday, August 17, 2008

India Garden - dj

247 E. Ontario Street
2nd Floor
Chicago, Il 60611
312.280.4910
“Culinary Nirvana”

To enter India Garden you go up some stairs that look like you are going to an insurance company not Culinary Nirvana, but when you arrive you find a very nicely decorated space over looking E. Ontario Street. There are floating rose pedals in brass bowls and Indian cloth hanging from the walls.

We visited on the weekend at lunch time the buffet was being served for $11.95. When we arrived at the table we were happily greeted with a sizzling dish of fried onions and tandoor chicken. The buffet line was filled with treats from mixed vegetables to daal to a mushroom and chicken dish. Everything was cooked to perfection.



If I lived in Chicago this would surely be a favorite place to visit.

Rating: ****
Service: impeccable

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

The Greek Corner Restaurant - dj

1600 N. Orange Ave
Orlando, FL 32804
407.228.0303
www.thegreekcorner.net
“_Authentic Greek Cuisine at it’s Best_”



The Greek Corner is tucked away on the corner of North Orange Ave ath the corner of Ivanhoe Blvd. It is right across Ivanhoe from Gargi’s Italian restaurant. As we walked up they had misters on the porch to keep the heat down on a warm summer day in Central Florida. We were seated immediately to a table for 6. The restaurant was nicely decorated with the expected Greek items, a map of Greece, a manikin dressed in a Greek Foustanella a skirt or kilt, and kitschy Greek sayings on the wall.

We had downloaded the menu from their web site yesterday so we knew what we wanted to order. I had the Chicken Souvlaki one of their Classic Greek Sandwiches. It was a boneless breast of chicken grilled over an open flame , served with onions, tomatoes, & tzaktziki sauce (Yogurt cucumber sauce). The classic sandwiches come with either a Greek salad or rice pilaf, I chose the salad.

Our food arrived surprisingly fast. The chicken was very good as well as the tzaktziki sauce. The salad was also very good it had a nice dressing and was topped with feta cheese.


This is a nice place for lunch.

Rating: ***
Price: ***
Hour Monday-Saturday 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Free WiFi avaliable

Monday, June 23, 2008

The Alamo – DT

55 Medway Rd Milford, MA 01757

Just a short plane ride from Winter Park, FL, I found myself cruising the beautiful little hovel of Milford, MA for a late, after flight dinner. You know me. Nothing mainstreet like Applebee’s or Uno’s will do. So I drove out 190 for a few miles to see if anything looked enticing. The Alamo caught my attention just a few blocks from the hotel. This old converted home advertised a Mexican menu and the parking lot was full, which seemed impressive since it was late on a Sunday night. The friendliness of the staff represented the best of New England and shortly after being seated, I realized the source of the attraction. Karaoke upstairs in the “bah”. I usually find karaoke upsetting due to some past restaurant experiences, but the frequent cheering and laughter actually made the place fun while I ate too many tortillas and salsa. Apparently the owners are the parents of ‘Dewie’ from “Malcolm in the Middle”. I love that show. Dewie is Malcolm’s younger brother. The one who gets all the best lines.
I immediately search for, and find, fish tacos on the menu. I am going through your standard fish taco phase. Whenever I mention to someone that I like fish tacos, they all make the same face but hey, New England is legendary for their seafood. This should be good. Three tacos to a plate served with beans and rice for less than $8. I asked about tartar sauce, and my waitress explained that they are served with a Jalepeno Ranch dressing. After two flight delays and an hour’s drive outside of Boston, I was not in the mood to be discerning. I don’t remember the first taco but half way through the second, I started to slow down and examine this treat. “It’s not bad”, I thought. Cut pieces of fried fish and your basic lettuce and cheddar with a thin line of ranch at the bottom. But something seemed strangely familiar. Upon closer examination, I realized this was not New England’s finest seafood, it was more like Milford’s best fish sticks. I may have come in with pretty high expectations and I have children so I am not too good to eat fish sticks. Heck, I once made cashew chicken at home with left over chicken McNuggets. My point is, while this particular fish taco does not rank at the top of my list, the service was awesome and for an out-of-towner eating dinner alone, I left full and I enjoyed the experience. Next time I’ll get the fajitas. No one makes a face when I mention those.

Quantity: Plenty
Price: 3 tacos and a drink under $11.
Service: As kind as they come.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Atlanta Bread - dj

Atlanta Bread
Hartsfield Jackson Airport - Concourse C
Atlanta, GA
407.766.8345

With the lack of food available on airline flights these days the food at airports is becoming more and more important. On a recent visit to the Atlanta airport this is what we found.

In Concourse C we were greeted with these choices:

Atlanta Bread
Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream
Charley's Steakery
Last Call South
Miller Lite Victory Lane
Paschals Resturant/La Carrousel Bar
Popeye's Chicken
Samuel Adams
Seattle's Best Coffee
The Grove Natural Snacks
Vending Machines (Snacks)
Wendy's

We picked Atlanta Bread Company because it seemed like a healthier choose. I had a turkey sandwich. The sandwich itself was not bad, only missing Miracle Whip and sweet relish and of course the tomato's (salmonella). But when I unwrapped the sandwich it looked like someone had been sitting on it.


Rating: **
Service:**
Value: Airport food

Friday, June 20, 2008

Casa Serrano El Palacio - DJ

Casa Serrano El Palacio Mexican Restaurant and Cantina
401 E. Andy Devine Ave.
Kingman, AZ 86401
"Authentic and Unique Mexican Cuisine and Cocktails"

This restaurant is located on Route 66 in the historic old downtown area of Kingman Arizona. From the outside we were not sure if they were open but once we opened the door the place was full. Most of the clientele seemed to be locals.

I orderd "Mini Tacos and one enchilada with red sauce. Your choice of meat. $4.35" I had mine with chicken.



It was quite good. Just like the description the tacos were mini about 3 to 4 inches in diameter filled with chicken. The red sauce on the enchilada was also very good.

Outside while we were there the railway lines were busy. At least 4 long freight trains passed 2 in each direction.

You Tube video of passing train in Kingman AZ

Rating: ***
Service: ***
Price: $4.35 for Lunch item.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Mad Greek in the Desert - DJ

Mad Greek
72112 Baker Blvd
Baker, CA 92309

The world’s largest thermometer across the street was reading 109. I didn't even blame the flies for coming inside this oasis in the desert. There are signs for miles along I-15 for Mad Greeks in Baker California between Las Vegas and Las Angeles, so we had to stop to see what it was all about. I had also seen a feature on the Food Network: Guy's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives Episode DV0101.

The first thing I spotted was the big barrel of picked cucumbers, onions, carrots, cabbage, and other goodies. I scooped out a few and they were just as I expected, vinegary still with that crunch of freshly made pickles.


We stepped up to the counter to place our order there were 5 us we ordered a fairly wide selection of items.


Chicken Gyro
Gyro
Vegburger x 2
Turkey Breast grilled sandwich
Greek Salad

They were all good and before long everything was gone except for the salad which was much larger than we expected. The Chicken Gyro was very moist and tender and the accompanying yellow rice was perfect.




Rating: ***
Service:***
Value: Excellent

What others are saying:

Road trip America
whatwereeating.com
On the Food Network: Guy's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives Episode DV0101

Monday, April 7, 2008

Sad News - dj

The Baja Burrito Kitchen in Jamestown Plaza in Altamonte Springs has closed. It will be missed. I believe that the East Colonial store is still open.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Marie Callendar's-dj

Marie Callendar's-dj
1600 N. 1000 West
Layton, UT 84041
801.825.3668
Www.mcpies.com

After leaving Antelope Island State Park we were starved. We were
tring to decide if Marie Callrndar's would be like going to Denny's.
We stopped in anyway. The restaurant was clean and nicely decorated.

I ordered the turkey pot pie. It came out looking very good. It was
pipping hot, infact it never cooled off enough to eat. I was
disappointed with the small amount vegetables that were included in
the pie. The creamy sauce was very good, it tasted like celery soup. I
though 11.79 was a bit high for what I got.

Later in the day I got a really bad case of indegestion not sure what
was in there but I was feeling it all night long.

Rating: @@
Service: @@@
Price: $12.00

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Taste of Saigon -dj

580 Main Street
Park City, Utah
435.647.0688

I was still hurting from my meal at Marie Callendars earlier in the day, I just wanted a bite. So we ordered just two orders of Imperial Rolls - Goi Cuon Chay ( summer rolls ). They arrived in good time. The rolls were loosly wrapped, and the peanut sauce was thinner than most Vietnamese restaurants I have been to.

Rating: @@@
Service: @@
Price: $5.99/ order

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Chai Thai - DT

ChaiThai
3334 Curry Ford Road, Orlando, Fl map
407.898.1181

Sa-wat dee. There’s new Thai in town. Chai Thai located on Curry Ford Road just a few blocks east of Bumby. The décor is clean and comfortable and the prices very reasonable. For this visit I met two friends of mine for a quick bite while their kids attended karate next door.

I see fresh summer rolls on the menu therefore I must have them. I love the fresh julienned carrots, and lettuce with a generous proportion of shrimp rolled in a rice paper wrap and served chilled. While smaller than other summer rolls I’ve tried, you get three to an order accompanied by a house sauce, sweet with a soy base and topped with chopped nuts. I asked the owner Toy what was in the sauce. She just smiled and said her husband Chai makes it special. While quite good, she allowed me to sample the peanut sauce as well.

My friend ordered the Tom Kha Gai, a gusty Thai tradition of white meat chicken and straw mushrooms in a seasoned broth of coconut milk and lime juice. He had the same soup at another restaurant recently and describes this bowl as better than most. The broth was spicy and smooth with a complementary blend of herbs.

My other friend ordered the Sweet Sticky Rice with Mango. A seasonal desert decorated with a touch of black sesame for contrast, the sweat creamy custard provides an effective bridge between the cold rice and the tangy, ripe mango. Most tasty with an elegant presentation.

Did I mention the awesome karate dojo next door?

Other reviews:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/chai-thai-cuisine-orlando

Service: òp òon (friendly)
Quantity: appropriate
Price: All dishes under $5 each.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Boston Market - dj

840 N. Orlando Ave
Winter Park, FL 32789
407-644-0020
www.bostonmarket.com

Our trek today for lunch started with Lombard’s Seafood. We sometimes stop in and get a fresh fish sandwich. Today as we approached the counter we heard the lady manning it that they only had 2 pieces of lettuce and one piece of bread left. We decided to go someplace else. The Black Bean Deli had people standing out the doorway so we drive on past. As we were heading farther north on 17-92 I suggested Boston Market.

The Boston Market in Winter Park is kind of in an odd location at the corner of Lee Road and 17-92. The parking lot also leaves much to be desired. The restaurant itself was very clean and bright and the staff was helpful.

I ordered the 5oz Turkey with two gourmet sides, mashed potatoes and green beans this comes along with a side of cornbread. The meal was delivered in good time. The turkey was moist and full of flavor. The sides were also very good. The cornbread was more like a muffin; it seemed to have flour in it as well as cornmeal.


Rating: ***
Service: ***
Price: Meal and Drink $9.89
Menu

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Tony & Bruno’s – dj

4200 Conroy Road
Orlando, FL 32839
407.345.8555

For a quiet anti-valentines dinner we went to the Millennium Mall. The place was eerily empty except for the Apple store which was packed. We stopped in at Brio the wait was 70 to 80 minutes, we were willing to wait maybe ten minutes. So we walked up to the food court and ate at Tony and Bruno’s, a subsidiary of Sbarro’s. No waiting! We had Spaghetti with Marinara sauce and a slice of Cheese Pizza.

The spaghetti was good, but I did not think that the sauce had much taste. It seemed thick to look at but it just disappeared on the plate, it also did not have much taste. The bread stick was loaded with butter that was not quite melted. The piece of cheese pizza that we shared was standard mall fair.


We ended our anti-date by stopping by IKEA and picking us some of their delicious “Cappuccino Flavored Thins” cookies. They are the best.



Rating: **
Service: ***
Price: for Two $12.54

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

K Restaurant Wine Bar - dj

2401 Edgewate Drive
Orlando, FL 32804
407.872.2332
www.krestauranrwinebar.com

K’s is located in a corner location near Edgewater and just north of Smith Street in downtown College Park. It is a cozy little restaurant with a wine bar along one side. Art work decorates the black walls. The menu changes each day to integrate only the freshest ingredients.

I had the fish sandwich of the day (12.00) which was blackened Mahi-Mahi . It comes with potato salad, house salad, or chips. I choose the potato salad, it was in a creamy chipotle sauce I think. It was a different type of potato salad and was good. The potatoes seemed to have been baked with the skins left on rather than boiled (possible leftovers from the night before). I liked them. The fish was cooked to perfection and the rye bread was fresh.



K’s is a nice place for a business lunch.

Rating: ***
Service: ****
Price $12.00

What others are saying:

Orlando Weekly
AOL City Guide

Friday, February 1, 2008

Carlucci’s - dj

501 North Orlando Ave. Suite 145
Winter Park, FL 32789
“A full Service Authentic Pizza and & Trattoria”

The office went to Carlucci’s for a birthday party at lunch. There were 10 of us. We had no problem getting a table at 11:30 AM. The restaurant is decorated with photos and memorabilia of baseball greats from New York. The wait staff was pleasant and efficient.

We started with two appetizers Garlic Knots and Pizza Fries. The garlic knots were as expected warm knots of bread coated with lots of garlic and parmesan cheese. The Pizza fries were a surprise to me, although I don’t know what I expected, fries covered with pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese. The dish was then warmed in the pizza oven until the cheese had melted. It was then sprinkled with parmesan cheese, quite good actually.












The pizza’s arrived in good time. We had a cheese and a Carlucci’s Meat Lovers pizza. The pizza was very good. The crust was crispy on the bottom and the cheese melted perfectly. I can see why this restaurant was voted for a foodie award this year by Scott Joseph . With the decline of Alfonzo’s last year I have been looking for good pizza and I think that I have found my new favorite.


Rating: ****
Service: ****
Price: 18” Cheese Pizza $13.00

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Baja Burrito Kitchen - dj

2716 E. Colonial Dr.
Colonial Plaza
Orlando, FL
407.895.6112
Totally Fresh Cal-Mex”

Baja Burrito Kitchen is the place to go in Orlando if you are in need of a Fish Taco! There is no other place that is even close. I’ve been a fan since they open the first restaurant in the early 90’s in Jamestown Place in Altamonte Springs on 434.

We use to sit in the dining room and talk to the owner I can’t remember his name. He had great plans at the time to open another restaurant on Fairbanks Ave in Winter Park just east of 17-92, but those plans fell through. In the intervening years several other locations have opened and closed, but the original store on 434 in Jamestown Place is still there.

The restaurant today was packed at 12:15 when we arrived. After we went through line several tables had opened up. We filled up on their fresh salsas. I always enjoy the Habanero it is fresh and has a distinct citrus flavor, although I always eat too much. The Salsa Verde, Fire-Roasted Chipotle, and Inferno sauce are also good.

Our meals were delivered in about 5 minutes. They were fresh and oh so good.

Rating: ****
Service: ***
Price: 2 Fish tacos and a soft drink $8.52

Monday, January 28, 2008

bd's Mongolian Barbeque - dj

300 S. State Road 434
Altamonte Springs, FL 32714
www.gomongo.com

I didn’t feel like cooking tonight so we decided go to a new restaurant around the corner. bd’s is in the old Tony’s Roma next to Sports Authority. The restaurant opened about a month ago, while construction was being done on 434 right out front.

We walked in the front door to be greeted with a “Welcome to db’s!” this is shades for Moe’s or Captain D’s a practice that I hate.

We were seated in a nicely remodeled booth. The waiter arrived shortly to explain the menu. Basically go to the bar pick out the meats and vegetable that you want. Then go to the next station and choose one or a combination of sauces that are available they range from fajita, buffalo, to teriyaki sauce. There are 18 to choose from. After you have created your recipe you go to the Mongolian grill and have it cooked up.

While the dish I created was good, I could have easily created it for all three of us for maybe $5.00. Next time I want to spend $50.00 for a stirfry I think I’ll order King Kooker's Cajun Portable Propane Outdoor WOK. Then I can have a really good stir fry right at home.

When our waiter arrived with the check he also presented us with an electronic survey form, and asks if we would be returning. I think not. I’ll just cook a stir fry at home next time.

Rating: **
Service: ***
Price for 3 with tip $48.00

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Jade Bistro - DT

Jade Bistro is a stylish setting staffed by decades of experience serving select Asian favorites. We joined a group of ten co-workers for lunch in the College Park dining corridor just north of Princeton on Edgewater Drive. We walked in and were greeted immediately by an older gentleman who I assumed was the owner. The wait staff, while just as friendly and prompt served us with a diligence and efficiency usually reserved for the big city restaurants. Our group ordered Chinese staples such as Singapore Noodle and Mongolian Chicken. One member of our party even ordered Sweet and Sour Chicken. We asked if he could get the crayons and coloring sheet with that but after tasting the food you will realize this is no trifle effort. I chose the General Tso Chicken and fried rice with a house salad. A fine white ginger dressing over a simple chilled salad preceded the entrée. Other options included Miso or egg drop soup or a spring roll. The better parts of the chicken were fried in a firm batter but not overdone then glazed sweet and spicy with a significant garlic influence. Usually treated as unimportant, even the fried rice stood on its own merit. Before you leave, you must try the Tempura Cheesecake lightly striped with chocolate. I am looking forward to my next visit where I plan to indulge in the Japanese maki rolls. On my way out, I introduced myself to the older gentleman who indeed is the owner. His name is Joseph Duen. You will know him by his smile and his background includes 20+ years at the famous Four Seasons in Rockefeller Center New York. Somehow Mr. Duen has made the decision to give us all the class and elegance he is known for in our quaint little part of Orlando and at a amazingly affordable price.

Service - Impeccable
Quantity – Just right
Price – Lunch and water $7.50

Beto's Mexican Restaurant- DT

My friend JoAnna says Beto’s is muy bien. JoAnna is a gringa from the Southwest and one of the most discerning people I know, so we went. Located just east of the corner of 436 and 17-92 in Casselberry, I found that while it is not much to look at from the outside, Beto’s is equally unremarkable on the inside. I did however find it to be clean and spacious and simple. All signs that the food should be affordable. I had a difficult time at the counter deciding what to try. I love Chimichanga, but wanted to try something new. The main menu board had plates priced around $7 give or take. They had 3 or 4 lunch specials, including a drink, for around $6.50. I ordered the Pollo Asado plate. Marinated chicken and peppers served with rice, refried beans, sour cream, fresh lettuce, onions, and tomato mixed with cilantro and a large flour tortilla on the side. I guess I could have wrapped it all in the warm, soft tortilla but I chose to mix all of the flavors and use the tortilla as a flat bread. In the middle of the restaurant was a small salsa station. Along with your choice of red or green, they offered seasoned carrots with peppers. JoAnna really likes the carrots and peppers and said it was a mistake for me to pass on them. She reminded me that Beto’s is open 24 hours and recommends the machaca (breakfast burrito). Apparently it is something you pick up for breakfast on the way to work and finish for lunch. I’m now very curious. This is exactly the type of place we created this blog to showcase. If you are looking for flavor in a local food experience without the hype and circumstance, Beto’s will not disappoint.


Facility – Heritage rich flavor in a fast food setting.
Service – Broken English with a smile!
Quantity – I thought it was just right which may be a lot for most.
Price - $6.50 including drink.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Beto’s Mexican Food - dj

103 E. State Road 436
Fern Park, FL 32730
407.834.0882

Lunch time where to go? DT suggested Thai, I had it last night, Chinese we both had that yesterday for lunch. DT says how about Beto’s in Fern Park, while a little drive for us it was worth the drive.

Beto’s is located in an out building in the parking lot of Bed Bath & Beyond shopping center. According to the Orlando Weekly it has been a roast-chicken stand, a bagel place and a Chinese takeout. The decor is early fast food, I guess. Plain and simple, but clean.

The menu board is quite extensive it includes about 20 numbered plates, and then all of these ingredients are available al-cart. I could not decide between the Enchiladas Verdes and the Fish taco special. I ordered the #2 Enchiladas Verdes with two chicken enchiladas, pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, and sour cream $5.39. I also ordered a side of Fish Taco $1.99. When the food came it was way too much. The tortilla shells of the enchiladas tasted as though they were homemade I did not ask them to find out. The chicken was tender, the Verde sauce was excellent not to tart from the tomatillos. The Fish Taco was also very good. It had shredded cabbage and a sweet / sour cream based sauce. The fish was fried to perfection. There was also a small salsa bar that had about 6 things on it.



This is the kind of Mexican restaurant I could eat at every day. I just wish they had glass plates instead of Styrofoam, and it was a little closer.

Rating: ****
Service:***
Price: Special + side $7.90
Open 24 Hours

What others are saying:

This years Foodies for Best Mexican Critic’s choice when to Beto's “I went .. with Beto's, which doesn't even offer table service. But for authenticity — and bargain prices — it's my choice this year.” Said Scott Joseph.
Orlando Weekly
Metromix.com

Note 1/13/2008: On a revisit with my family I found that the dishes are not always prepared the same way. We had the Fish Taco. It was missing the cabbage, and the sauce that made it so good on the last visit. Also the fish was over cooked. I will have to change my from 4 stars to 3.

Monday, January 7, 2008

Revisited Restaurants - dj

Winnies Oriental Garden: We went with a big birthday crowd again, the service was good for a group of 10 people. I was going to get something different from last time but ended up with the same dish Chicken & Cashews. I had the same impression as last time as well BLAND. Even with the addition of salt it still did not have much taste.

Rating: **
Service : ***


Siam Garden The restaurant looks the same as last year. The menus have been updated with photos of the food. They look quite nice. I had the Stir Fried Ginger with Chicken again. It was just as good as I remembered.

Rating: ****
Service ***