Yummy, Unique Food at Fresh to Order

"People sometimes associate healthy food with not tasting great," Darshi Patel, catering director at Fresh To Order in Orlando, Fla., told me recently. She is right. That is a mistake that people often make, but they would be wrong to think that of the tasty, high quality food at the recently-opened Fresh to Order in the Waterford Lakes Town Center in Waterford Lakes.

Fresh to Order, which just started offering catering services from the location near Oviedo, offers healthier menu options - in other words, no French fries - that are delicious. You order at the counter, and receive your food fairly quickly, but this is far from fast food. The broad menu has soups, salads, entrees, better-for-you-burgers, panini sandwiches, along with freshly made desserts and sides. "There are no freezers here. Everything is cooked fresh," Owner Giriam Patel told me.

I sampled two of the entrees: Almond Chicken Skewers, which feature a unique

Almond Chicken Skewers

almond rosemary crust and are served with two sauces: one is a teriyaki-type sauce and one is a sweeter sauce. Both complement the skewer perfectly. The skewer is slightly too salty and greasy, but otherwise the flavors are great. The sides - Ginger Apple Coleslaw and Sweet Mashed Potatoes - are delicious and different than what you see at other restaurants. I also loved the Coconut Curry Salmon with Roasted Peanut Corn Relish and Wheatberry Rice. The rice is another example of a healthy side that is tasty (although I wish it was slightly more flavorful, perhaps with the addition of an herb). The salmon, though was cooked perfectly, and I liked the flavor of the curry sauce. I am used to spicier curry sauces, but this one is not. 

Fudge Brownies

Fresh to Order is known for their Icebox pies, fudge brownies and freshly baked cookies. While I didn't try the pies on this visit, I would recommend any of the cookies. The Oatmeal Raisin and Peanut Butter cookies I had were obviously made fresh that day. They were just so tasty! I didn't like the flavor of the brownies as much. I don't know how to describe it; it was just a stronger, different flavor than I am used to. 

Overall, I would highly recommend this restaurant. And watch for other Fresh to Order locations opening around Central Florida! Meanwhile, to have your business meeting or event catered by Fresh to Order, call 407-800-8110 or email cateringorlando@fresh2order.com.

Where: 851 N. Alafaya Trail, Orlando

What's Good About Sweet! Cupcakes

Unique flavors. Yummy icings. Moist cake. What else do you need in a cupcake? Sweet! By Good Golly Miss Holly - a cupcake shop in Oviedo and Jacksonville, Fla. - delivers all this. Many people tell me that Sweet! has the best cupcakes in town. I am not sure I agree, but it is definitely at the top of my list.

I have been dying to try them out for myself, ever since I saw Miss Holly - Hollis Wilder - win an episode of Cupcake Wars on The Food Network. I was impressed when she won with delicious vegan cupcakes, while competing with bakers who prepared traditional cupcakes. I was looking forward to trying out some of her vegan cupcakes on a recent visit to Sweet!, but was unable to. I didn't realize those have to be ordered in advance.

However, I got to try out many other popular flavors at Sweet!s Oviedo location. The staff behind the counter said that Cookies n' Cream and Red Velvet were the shop's most popular flavors. So, I tried those, along with: Chocolate Peanut Butter, Black Out, S'mores, Creamsicle, and Toasted Coconut. The Toasted Coconut was nearly perfect - with a delicious frosting, moist cake, and coconut filling. To be picky, the cake batter had a bit of a baking soda taste, but was very minor. Chocolate Peanut Butter was not as good as I expected, but the S'Mores and Black Out (dark chocolate cake and frosting) were. Creamsicle and Toasted Coconut were probably my favorites, but I can also see why Cookies n' Cream and Red Velvet are the biggest sellers. That Red Velvet icing was delicious!

I like the fact that Sweet! sells mini cupcakes, along with regular-sized ones, so you can try a few different flavors and not feel stuffed. However, the minis are priced at four for $6. This reminds me of a general gripe that I have with gourmet cupcakes: the price. At Orlando's cupcake shops and food trucks, you pay between $2.00 and $2.50 per cupcake. That just seems too steep to me.

Back to what I like about Sweet!. In addition to cupcakes, there is a variety of self-serve frozen yogurts and a bar with tons of different toppings. This is such a fun place to take kids for a treat. And, there are so many different cupcake flavors to choose from - 30 to be exact - that you should be able to try a new one every time you visit. Overall, I would highly recommend Sweet!'s moist, delicious cupcakes topped by spot-on icings. Which flavors are your favorite?

Where: Waterford Lakes Town Center, 711 North Alafaya Trail, Orlando.

Orlando's Top Sushi Restaurants

This is a tough one. Everyone has their idea of what good sushi is. However, since coming to Orlando more than 15 years ago, I consistently hear friends recommend certain restaurants over and over. Fuji Sushi in Winter Park, Lake Mary, and Waterford Lakes, provides high-quality sushi and sashimi every time. I especially like their cooked rolls, such as the spicy Volcano Roll that has an overflowing topping of seafood sauce and conch, scallop, whitefish or octopus. Try some of their signature sushi, such as the Orlando Magic Roll, the Black Widow Roll, and the Louisiana Roll with crawfish.  

Fuji Sushi

Meanwhile, Bayridge Sushi in Longwood and Apopka provides sushi that is similar in quality to Fuji’s rolls, but with much lower prices. Try the “all you can eat” sushi special for $19.95. My friends also swear by Tokyo Japanese & Sushi Bar, which is near Orlando International Airport. It is one of those small places that do it right with fresh sushi and good-sized portions. Tokyo Japanese recently expanded to include a hibachi grill. Where are your favorite places to eat sushi in Orlando or other cities?

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