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

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

IKEA Orlando – dj

4092 Eastgate drive
Olrando, FL 32839
407.355.3155
http://www.Ikea.com/

The IKEA restaurant is located on the second floor half way through your voyage through IKEA. As you enter the store be sure and pick up a map, you will need it to find the short cuts so that you can go directly to the restaurant. If it’s your first visit you might want the full experience of following he arrows on the floor and going through the entire store.

We were visiting on a Saturday night when we heard the restaurant was closing in 30 minutes at 8:30 PM so we decided to go over and have a bite before we went home. The menu consists of 6 special things. Tonight it was Swedish meat balls, Apple Salmon, Chicken Marsala among other things.

I had the Apple Salmon. The plate was first covered with vegetables; Carrots, Yellow Carrots, and Snow Peas. The salmon was nice and flakey the sauce did not have much taste. The vegetables had that spongy feel of frozen vegetables. They were not bad but were not quite warm enough. I also had a Pomegranate sparkling drink which was very nice.


The restaurant really a café had a very European feel. The lighting was from IKEA of course. The glasses were Anchor Hocking made in the USA. I ask in the cookware section if they sold these glasses they did not.

This was a welcome break from the rigors of shopping in IKEA, and quite cheap.

Rating: **
Service: Self-serve
Price: Entrée 5.99, Drink 1.59 Total $8.12

Tubby's Tank House - dj

115 E. River Street
Savannah, GA 31401
912.233.0770
www.tubbystankhouse.com

On our way back for Gatlinburg for Thanksgiving we passed through Savannah, so I thought no time like the present to try our luck with a downtown Savannah restaurant. So we exited I-95 and shot into Savannah. We came down MLK Blvd till we got to St. Julian Street it was a pedestrian street with lots of lights and restaurants. We walked down the street and nothing seemed quite right. Three blocks north was River Street so we went over there. It happened to be the Savannah Boat Parade which was very nice. We walked down River Street and checked out the available restaurants. Tubby’s seemed like a promising place.

We went up the stairs to be greeted by the hostess with a look of surprise when we ask for a table for 4. One was available right away so not sure what the face was about except that maybe she had to go and clean the table.

I had the Grouper Finger Dinner with Hush Puppies, baked potato and salad. The House Salad Dressing was a creamy cucumber; it was very good possible the best think I had here. The salads took a while to come out, especially since the waitress said “I’ll be right back with your salads”. Our meals came out not much later. My Grouper did not have much taste. It was not greasy, but it also was not hot and was soggy. The baked potato was slightly overcooked, a little gray inside. The Hush Puppies were very strange they were slightly sweet and were made of yeast dough instead of cornmeal. It was almost like they that made yeast rolls and deep fried them.



Of the 4 items we had only one in our party said that there dish was good. They had the Fresh Grouper Sandwich, which was blackened.

On my next trip to Savannah I’ll be sure and miss Tubby’s Tank House. For a place “famous for their Grouper Fingers and their signature seafood” I’d say they missed the mark.


Rating: *
Service: **
Price for 4 $60.00 with tip

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Seito Japanese Restaurant - DJ

510 N. Orlando Avenue, #104
Winter Park, FL 32789
407.644.7234
www.seitosushi.com

We went to Seito Japanese Restaurant today for lunch. It is located in the Winter Park Village next to the theater. The menu has quite a few sushi options. I choose the Salmon Teriyaki Lunch Box “Grilled fresh salmon served with teriyaki sauce served with salad, rice, beef dumplings, and half a California roll.” I also ordered an Asparagus Roll.

The restaurant was very busy during the lunch hour we were there. I think that every table was full. The restaurant is nicely decorated with Japanese touches, like rice paper lamps and overheard lighting.

My meal started with Miso soup, which had a stronger salter flavor then most Miso that I have had. It was still good though. My box lunch had 5 separate containers. There was a carrot ginger salad, sticky rice, 3 dumplings, a California roll, and the salmon which was on a bed of stir fried vegetables. Everything was good. My side dish of asparagus roll was also very good.

Rating: ***
Service: ***
Price Box lunch/sushi roll: $12.50

Other Reviews:

Orlando Weekly

Grain Chain at FH - DJ

Scofield Drive
Orlando, FL

There was a new menu item at the Grain Chain today it was “Fresh Salmon with Scalloped Potatoes and Mixed Veggies”. We had been saving this day to try this new item. It was actually quite good; the salmon was not over cooked and was seasoned nicely. The scalloped potatoes were steaming hot even after we got back to our desks. The vegetables were frozen carrots, peas, lima beans, and green beans.

I think for the money this was a very good meal. I hope they have it again.

Rating: ***
Service: ***
Price with discount: $4.92

Hatsuhana Japanese Restaurant - DJ

Hatsuhana Japanese Restaurant
3340 E. Semoran Blvd
Apopka, FL 32703
407.865.6100

Hatsuhana is the place to go for a quiet Japanese meal with friends. The atmosphere is very inviting, although sometimes it can be very cold in the dining room. The dining room is tastefully decorated with Japanese touches; rice paper screens, silk paintings, etc. The place is filled with regulars they all seem to know the staff and sushi cooks. There is a brisk trade in takeout orders as well.

My favorite dish here is the Teriyaki Salmon and that is what I had today. The meal starts with a warm Miso soup and a carrot ginger salad. The Miso is very good with its chunks of tofu and squares of nori. The carrot ginger salad has a slight kick to it thanks to the ginger. We supplemented our meal with one roll of avocado sushi, which was excellent.
The main course consisted of the Salmon Teriyaki, a mound of sticky rice, and potatoes. The potatoes had been fried then coated with a sweet sauce. The salmon was excellent but slightly dry today; usually it is cooked to perfection.

The dining experience at Hatsuhana’s is always a good one. This is my neighborhood Japanese restaurant.

Rating: ****
Service: ****
Price - Salmon/sushi: $20.00

Steak in the City - DJ

1012 West State Road 436
Altamonte Springs, FL 32714
407-788-steak (7832)
www.Steakinthecity.com

If you are in the mood to gorge yourself at an Argentine steak house this is the place. There are 3 menu choices: Option A Mediterranean Salad Bar, Argentinean Grill, and drink $13.99, Option B adds 2 drinks and dessert $20.99, Option C is salad bar only $9.99. They have a tired pricing structure with prices about two dollars higher on the weekends and two dollars more at dinner on week nights.

The salad bar had an array of items to choose from. These included such things a Russian potato salad, cheese, Couscous salad, tuna salad, carrot salad, and about 15 other items. The items that I sampled were all good.


We were there with a party of about 30 people. So we got special treatment. Usually you have to go up to a window and order you food. They brought us platters of food out. There were two chimichurri sauces to accompany the meat, both were excelent. The first platter was twice baked potatoes; this was probably the best thing I had here. They had been stuffed with sour cream and topped with cheddar cheese that had been melted under a grill. Next out came some thinly sliced beef that I thought was a bit tuff. Next came some overcooked chicken that was very dry. Sweetbreads arrived that I passed on. Next were ribs. I cannot remember all the things that were brought to the table. Most people that I talked to thought the meat was either tuff or overcooked. I tried ordering a few things from the window, the salmon was almost unidentifiable. The flavor of the meat was overpowered by the marinade that it had been cooked in.


This is a place best left to a special occasion; they had no problem accommodating our group of 30 even giving us a special price. I heard at least two other parties singing happy birthday. I would not recommend it for a casual lunch on a busy weekday.

Rating: **
Service: ***
Price: $13.99

What others are saying:
http://www.orlandoweekly.com/dining/review.asp?rid=12965

JB Wings & Things - DJ

16 St Johns Avenue
Palatka, FL 32177
386.325.0044


After the streets are rolled up in downtown Palatka there is still a good place to go for Fish and Fries. JB’s located next door to the DQ had a brisk business for 9:30 PM on a Saturday night. The specialty seems to be wings and ribs (the BBQ ribs are only available on the weekends). But I wanted to try the fried fish. They had whiting and catfish. I chose the whiting.

While our order was being prepared we chatted with the owner. He had recently taken over the management of the restaurant. The item that most people were ordering seemed to be the wings. The owner proudly told us that they had 12 flavors of wings. The flavors were: fried, mild, medium, garlic, lemon pepper, teriyaki, BBQ, Hot BBQ, sweet and sour, honey BBQ, honey mustard, and hot. The latter flavors we were told was very hot. If you need to cater a party you can get 100 wings for $58.00. Most if not all the business that night was takeout. If you don’t want to wait in the little dining room call your order in before you come.

Our order arrived piping hot. There was a bed of fries with two pieces of fish on top. The fish was coated with a light corn meal breading. Although slightly greasy it was delicious. The batter had a slight lemony taste. I shared the dish with 4 friends and it was gone in no time. We had mixed feeling on the fries some would have liked the fries to have been more crispy other enjoyed them slightly soft as they were.

So if you find yourself in the middle of the Ocala forest there is a good meal waiting for you in Palatka.

Rating: ***
Service: ***
Cost diner/soda: $7.00

Fish and Chips Restaurant - DJ

1146 West SR 436
Altamonte Springs, FL 32714
407.862.2262

What a welcome surprise this little restaurant is. It may not be anything to look at from the outside, located in a strip mall in Forest City, but once inside it is warm and friendly. The staff is very efficient and helpful. There are 6 4-top tables and 5 seats at the bar. While I was there the bar was occupied by a takeout customer. The flat panel TV above the bar was on the Food Network.

The menu consists of fish dishes as well as burgers and crab cakes. This being my first visit I had to try the fish and chips. I choose the Grouper. It came on a green ceramic plate with steak fries and a side of coleslaw. The fish was fried in a light batter. The grouper was firm yet tender with a delicious taste and not greasy. The coleslaw was excellent. It was sweet and creamy, yet not drowning in sauce.


Midway through my meal the owner Chef Ray came out to make sure everything was to my liking. I assured him that it was.

One my next visit I think I’ll have the salmon “Grilled perfectly with our own blend of spices. Tender and full of flavor” (as described in the menu) sounds good.

Rating: ****
Service: ****
Cost Meal/Soda: $11.45

Closed on Monday

Orlando Sentinel review

Grouper & Chips – DJ

4932 New Broad Street
Orlando, Florida 32814
407.647.FISH
www.grouperandchips.com

I had the Grouper sandwich basket ($10.95), which included a Grouper sandwich, fries, and coleslaw. I choose to have my fish blackened which might have been a mistake. Most restaurants do not know the meaning of blackened fish. See note below. The fish was good but it was a little on the bland side. The fries were average. I did see boxes of Idaho potatoes on my trip to the restroom. So I know that the chips were freshly made. They were just not crispy on the outside and steaming on the inside. The coleslaw might have been the best thing on my plate.


The restaurant which is in Baldwin Park was completely full by the time we left at 12:45. There was outside seating that would be nice on a cool evening. The restaurant is nicely decorated. There are posters of 1950’s stars on the walls, James Dean, Elvis, and Marilyn Monroe. The owner/manager was in the process of hanging a framed article by the Chowhound while we were there. In the Chowhound's article he mentions that he was recently in London. I too have been in London recently and had Fish and Chips at a place close to Gloucester Station. It was what I expected of English fish and chips greasy and steaming hot with lots of vinegar. Next time at Grouper and Chips I’ll try the 2 piece Grouper basket so that I can have the English experience that the Chowhound liked so much. Overall the meal was good just not as good as I had anticipated.

Rating: **
Service: ***
Quantity: Just right
Price: Meal/Water $11.75

Note on how to cook Cajun blackened fish:
Preheat grill with heavy cast-iron skillet or griddle in the grill. Get it good and hot. Dip each fillet into butter and sprinkle Cajun blackening spices on both sides. Place in skillet. Cook about 2 minutes or until the bottom is almost black but not burned. Flip over. Pour about a teaspoon of butter on the cooked side and continue cooking about 2 minutes or until fillet is finished. Serve immediately.