New fave Orlando seafood eatery: Reel Fish

Photo by Shad Bookout, OpinionsVary

We finally have a real beach seafood restaurant in Orlando! Now, I know what you are thinking, and you are right. There are plenty of seafood-focused restaurants here - from independent standouts like Two Chefs Seafood in downtown Orlando to chains such as FishBones and Bonefish Grill. 

However, Reel Fish Coastal Kitchen + Bar in Winter Park is the first seafood restaurant I have seen in Central Florida that has the quality, service and decor of a beach seafood restaurant - done perfectly. "We have the fish camp culture in a coastal kitchen in an inlet setting," Owner Fred Thimm told Flavorful Excursions when the restaurant invited us for a media review. "We have great fried fish and other fried items; then, on the other hand, there is fresh local fish every day."

In addition to the "Daily Catch" specials, such as Yellowtail snapper, corvina and hogfish, you will find Southern specialties such as Shrimp 'n Grits, fried green tomatoes, and collard greens - prepared extremely well. You would think you're in your grandma's Southern

Photo by Shad Bookout, OpinionsVary

kitchen!

Here are just a few of the dishes that we recommend you try when you go:

1. Raw oysters and Oysters Rockefeller: You can choose from whichever high quality oysters are in season, including James River, Blue Point and Gulf. Very fresh and high quality. 

2. Shrimp or Oyster Po'Boys. Using bread flown in from a New Orleans bakery, as well as perfectly breaded and lightly fried shrimp and oysters, makes these sandwiches taste truly authentic.

3. Mayport shrimp: This sweet Florida shrimp is excellent served boiled (regular or spicy) and fried. This shrimp from near Jacksonville Beach is used in all Reel Fish's shrimp dishes. And most dishes don't cost more than at restaurants serving farmed shrimp from Asia.

4. Smoked Fish Dip: We love the heavy smoke on this fresh dip, as well as the crunch of green apples.

5. Shrimp & Avocado Louie Salad. The crispy bacon pairs perfectly with shrimp, avocado, hard-boiled egg - and such a delicious vinaigrette. This is one salad you don't want to miss out on!

6. Southern Green Beans with smoked bacon onion broth. Drooling just thinking about the bacony goodness of these beans!

Truly, everything we had was outstanding, which is quite outstanding for a restaurant that has been open less than a month. And, now that the restaurant is open for lunch and Sunday brunch, we have plenty of opportunities to return. And we will!

Also see: 

Mouthwatering Reel Fish photo album on Facebook.

Win brunch for two at Two Chefs Seafood

Enjoy outstanding food & more at Beau Rivage

When visiting Biloxi, Miss., recently, I was so impressed with the hospitality, food, decor, guest rooms and casino at Beau Rivage Resort and Casino. I cannot say enough great things about this gorgeous facility.

From the moment you walk in, you realize that you have employees who really care about Beau Rivage. Thousands of fresh flowers line the walkways around the lobby and, on this visit, a bicycle of fresh flowers had been built. What a unique touch! 

I like to gamble a bit - just slots and roulette - and this casino has so much to offer. You can choose from a variety of card games, poker tables, and slot machines. But, if anyone goes here just to gamble, they are seriously missing out. First, from Orlando, you can catch an inexpensive direct flight to Biloxi via Allegiant Airlines. So, this is  fun, easy trip.

By Shad Bookout

Plus, I would stay here again, just for the food. It is seriously some of the best food I have had in a long time - and I have been lucky enough to dine at the top restaurants in New Orleans, Orlando and elsewhere. There are five outstanding restaurants on property, including an endless buffet. When we dined at the buffet, we enjoyed fresh boiled crawfish, filet mignon, snow crab legs, a huge assortment of Italian and Asian food, a number of desserts (including sugar-free options) and the list goes on and on. I was impressed how each type of food was high quality and tasted so fresh - not like typical buffet food.

We also got to try the new menu at Coast restaurant, which will be unveiled soon. The revamped menu features a lot of small plates, along with entrees, that are mostly from local food and seafood, in season. We sampled the unique and scrumptious Crawfish Deviled Eggs, as well as a whole snapper cooked on rock salt with star anise and Indian spices. The raw and stuffed oysters here are not to be missed. The restaurant buys only top-notch oysters from places like Murder Point, Alabama. Some of the stuffed oysters are topped with house-made bacon, which you will love. 

Photo by Shad Bookout

Other favorite dishes include the Fried Oyster Slider and Shrimp and Oyster Po' Boy sandwich.The gumbo at all the restaurants on property also has the perfect amount of heat and is truly delicious. 

The Beau Rivage guest rooms are also luxurious, including a huge sunken tub and a comfy bed. Of course, the views of the Gulf from your room are outstanding. I even spotted dolphins on my walk on the beach near the resort!

Blu on the Avenue Adds Sushi Happy Hour

You have already heard us rave about Blu on the Avenue's scrumptious food and Happy Hour specials in this previous post. So you will understand why we are excited to hear that the restaurant has started a Sushi Happy Hour! $6 sushi rolls and $3 sake shots are available from 4 p.m. -7 p.m. weekdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on weekends and from 11 p.m. -1 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. I love that the special is available on weekends, when people are out brunching.

Last time we visited, we got a dozen huge, fresh raw oysters for $10, because we went during the 11 am - 4 pm Happy Hour on a Saturday.The drink specials were also great: $5 Old Fashioneds (throwback cocktails are so en vogue), white sangria, and select wines, along with $4 Stella draughts and $4 well drinks. My husband opted for the Old Fashioned, and was so impressed that the restaurant used top-shelf liquor for his drink. 

Read our full review of Blu on the Avenue's food and drinks: 
http://www.flavorfulexcursions.net/2015/03/go-to-blu-for-upscale-food-great-service.html

And watch for next week's review of another great Winter Park restaurant and bar, The Porch! 

Go to Blu for Upscale Food, Great Service

Our first experience at blu on the avenue was outstanding, to our surprise. We were only surprised because it was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, when we knew a lot of locals and tourists would be strolling around Park Avenue. We were worried about the parking and how long it would take to get our food.

We needn't have worried. The place was popular but not packed at 4:00 on a Saturday afternoon, and we had the most friendly, professional server we could have hoped for. We really liked the atmosphere, too. 

But we were most impressed with the quality of food and the Happy Hour Specials. We found out that, from 4:00-7:00 p.m., we could get a dozen oysters for $10. What a deal! And these are huge, fresh delicious oysters. The drink specials were also great: $5 Old Fashioneds, white sangria, and select wines, $4 Stella draughts and $4 well drinks. My husband opted for the Old Fashioned, and was so impressed that the restaurant used top-shelf liquor for his drink. 

We also tried the blu Lobster Cobb Salad, which is one of the most creative and tastiest salads I have tried. While I would never typically spend $17 for a salad, I decided to splurge. The salad came with a healthy topping of Maine lobster, tomatoes, avocado and cheese, and the entire thing was wrapped in a beautiful package of prosciutto and cucumber, which paired perfectly with the salad. As someone who often orders salads, I really enjoyed having new flavors tied together in such a unique way. And I brought leftovers home.

What do you enjoy eating at blu on the Avenue? I would like to know what to order next time we visit!

Excellent Seafood, Fun Atmosphere at Salt Life

Salt Life Food Shack has been a mainstay of Jacksonville Beach for years, and just recently

expanded to St. Augustine. Right on the pier, the two-story restaurant with bar and a deck gives Central Florida seafood lovers yet another opportunity to try the company's excellent food.

However, for this visit, we went back to the Salt Life Food Shack we love in Jacksonville Beach. We had a great meal there a year ago, and wanted to see if the food was still up to snuff. The restaurant surpassed our expectations in regard to quality food and friendliness of the servers and management. And the fun, surfing atmosphere is still in place!

For an appetizer, we tried the Grilled Garlic Parmesan Oysters ($10.99 for six huge oysters). The oysters were grilled perfectly and smothered in cheese, which surprisingly did not detract from the great flavor.

For lunch, the Soft Shell Crab BLT ($9.99) was truly delicous. The crab is fried perfectly, and we like the "Shake Sauce" that is drizzled overtop. This is all sandwiched in ciabatta bread. Our other lunch entree was the catch of the day, which happened to be wahoo. I appreciated that the fish was cooked perfectly, and liked the real grill flavor. This was accompanied by fried plantains, which were cooked perfectly, and other yummy sides.

The menu is so extensive at Salt Life, but you will probably love whatever you order. The fish or shrimp tacos are delicious, and the poke bowls are some of the most popular dishes there.

Where: 1018 3rd St. N., Jacksonville Beach, Fla. 

Big Wheel Pig Roast a Success

I love how Big Wheel Truck always serves unique, gourmet food using local ingredients. On Monday night, at the Audubon Park Community Market in downtown Orlando, Big Wheel outdid themselves with a Pig Oyster Shrimp Roast, using shellfish from Cape Canaveral.

The pork - literally hot off the grill - was so tender, it was surprising. Even before adding sauce, it was very flavorful. The pork came with a side of oysters or shrimp - I chose the oysters, and was delighted with their flavor. Big Wheel also served up a plethora of delicious sides, including Potato Salad made with sour cream and cheese, collards, green beans, and roasted sweet potatoes. All were top notch. 

Big Wheel went to the trouble of a hosting this huge roast to raise money for its broken-down truck, which could cost $5,000 to fix. Chef/ Owner Tony told Flavorful Excursions that he really appreciates the line of customers who came out to take part in the Roast, which sold out. "The Audubon Market is our best stop every week - they always support us," Chef Tony said. Tony hopes Big Wheel won't have to do another fundraiser, but the truck may put on a Pork Roast again in the future!

Big Wheel also makes other stops around town. Follow the truck at www.bigwheeltruck.com.

Huge Sanford Food Truck Bazaar This Weekend

The Yum Yum Cupcake Truck will feature its new "Nannerpants" cupcake at the monthly Food Truck Bazaar in downtown Sanford, Fla., this Saturday, April 7, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. The Nannerpants is the popular truck's version of the classic banana cream pie, sporting a graham cracker crust, freshly sliced bananas and banana cream pie filling.


Another truck that will be displaying its gourmet wares is the Big Wheel Mobile Food Truck. Its menu for Saturday includes Austin Style Fried Pickles, Slow Roasted Angus Short Rib on Buttermilk Biscuit, Moroccan-style Seared Florida Octopus, and Cornmeal- Fried Apalachicola Oyster Deviled Eggs.


The Bazaar always features about 20 different food trucks and a great environment: people bring their lawn chairs and enjoy great food, great company, and views of Lake Monroe. You can even take a stroll afterwards to the art and antique shops nearby. What a great way to support the businesses in downtown Sanford, which have been hurting as a result of the Trayvon Martin case!


Where: Palmetto Ave. and Seminole Blvd., behind the courthouse, Sanford.