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

Yummy TV Dinners & More at The Porch

The great prices. The excellent food. The casual sports bar atmosphere. All these qualities make me mad that I didn't find out about the excellent The Porch restaurant in Winter Park until recently. A friend recommended it, and we have dined there twice.

Almost all the food we had was very high quality, and huge portions for the price. This, of course, is surprising for Winter Park. Similar to many Lake Mary eateries, I find that Winter Park restaurants typically jack up their prices, knowing that they have clientele who will pay. While The Porch positions itself as a sports bar, it has food that is more delicious than any sports bar I have been to in Central Florida.

We have tried quite a few different dishes at The Porch, and I would recommend them all. But here are Top 5 favorites:

1. The Porch TV Dinner ($9.99), which includes chicken fingers, mashed potatoes and gravy, mac 'n cheese and corn on the cob. While we weren't blown away by the sides, we love the chicken fingers. The crispy breading has a wonderful cayenne flavor, and the chicken is tender. You get a huge amount of food, and we love how many dishes are presented on metal TV trays - comfort food like mom used to make.

2. Sweet Potato Tots ($3.50). These are the best thing I have had in quite awhile. I love sweet potato fries, but these go beyond. Trust me; order them.

3. Rise 'n Shine sandwich. I can't find it on the menu now, but judging by this sandwich, you should order any of the restaurant's sandwiches or burgers. This included fried chicken, egg and bacon. It was very huge and very juicy, and we loved it.

4. Giant Cobb Salad ($10.99). I had no idea that "giant" meant my salad would be served in a 70s-style wooden salad serving bowl that is enough to feed a family of four. In addition to the huge portion, all the ingredients were fresh and delicious. I highly recommend this salad.

5. Fish Tacos ($11.99). Three blackened fish tacos with lots of yummy stuff. I realize this is a simple dish, but they do it better than other restaurants. All the ingredients are fresh and the tortillas are grilled.

Where: 643 N. Orange Ave., Winter Park, Fla.

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Lombardi's Opens Beautiful Winter Park Store

My husband and I know Lombardi's Seafood well. It is the fish market we have gone to for years when we want the freshest fish and shellfish, including live crawfish and blue crabs. It is exciting to visit the market's new store at 1888 W. Fairbanks Ave in Winter Park, Fla., and see even more fresh and frozen seafood selections.

The store itself is much bigger than the old location, and is bright and welcoming. Now, Lombardi's has room to carry many different types of fresh seafood, including live mussels, clams and lobster. The wild sockeye salmon looked beautiful when we visited this past weekend and was only $7.98 a pound. While some fish, such as snapper and grouper, are higher-priced, you can often save money when Lombardi's sells grouper and other fish pieces for a significantly discounted prices. The fish pieces are great sauteed on their own, or to add to a seafood chowder or soup.


While I have visited the store a couple of times, I have not yet tried the new Lombardi's Cafe. Everything on the menu looks delicious and interesting, especially the Lobster Mac 'N Cheese Egg Rolls, the Tuna Poke Chips, the Key West Pink Shrimp and the Pine Island Grouper Basket. If you have tried the new cafe menu, please let me know what you liked or didn't like in the comments section below.

Go to Scratch for Quality, Not Price Point

I have seen the beautifully-crafted plates presented by the talented team of chefs at Scratch

Tapas & Craft on Facebook and Instagram since the eatery opened. Those delicious-looking dinners with high-end plate presentation drew us to the small local food-focused restaurant in Winter Park. We loved the eclectic, Bohemian decor, and the buzz of the regulars sitting at the bar or enjoying a date night at one of the few tables. We also loved the high quality of the food: mostly local, seasonal ingredients are featured on the menu that changes daily. 

What we were not as pleased with was the price. With the type of food quality and plate presentation offered - as well as Scratch's location near Park Avenue - I certainly expected a higher price point. However, when you hear, "tapas", I expect to order two or three different plates for $8-$12 each. Unfortunately, most of the tapas available were $14 to $16 each and one was as high as $25. That doesn't give diners a lot of opportunity to try different plates. The portion size was medium, so I felt like I needed to order two dishes to feel satisfied.

Grilled Poussin Legs    Photo by Christine Blank

That being said, the flavor of our food was outstanding. We started with the Chamberry Breeze cocktail ($10), which was sweet and light - very refreshing. The Frog Song Farm Greens with Local Blackberries, Radish, Palm Hearts and Mustard Vinaigrette was also tasty. One of our favorite dishes was the Buttermilk Risotto ($16) with Florida Rock Shrimp, Local Corn and Riso Carnaroli. The risotto and shrimp were cooked perfectly and the dish oozed cheesy goodness. 

The Grilled Pouissin Legs ($18) with Jerusalem Artichoke gnocchi, bacon powder and black garlic was also delicious. The young chicken was flavorful and tender; we just found the black garlic paste to be too bitter, even thought we ate it as part of a composed bite. All the components of the Roasted Wahoo ($14) with plum wine puree, yam puree, ramp tempura and Sprite Basil puree were tasty separately, but a bit too sweet as a composed bite. The sweet, watermelon puree somewhat overpowered this tasty fish.

Let us know your favorite dishes at Scratch, and whether or not you agree with our price-versus-quality argument.

Where: 223 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park, Fla.

The Good and Bad at Fleming's Steakhouse

We were happy to try Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar after receiving a gift card, since the upscale menu is too pricey for a weekly visit. Even with the gift card, we set out to save some money by heading to Fleming's Winter Park location during Happy Hour, which is daily from 5:00-7:00. The Happy Hour specials are great: $6 for certain cocktails and apps, and $7 for Fleming's burger. 

Unfortunately, we were not able to enjoy the specials, despite arriving only a half hour after Happy Hour started. The tables at the small bar area were already full, so we asked if we could order from the Happy Hour menu in the dining room. We were told we could not. I almost walked out. I know this is standard practice for most restaurants that offer Happy Hour: the specials are only available for a limited time in the bar area or on their patio. The policy still frustrates me. Would you rather have me as a customer who spends some money at your business - and then becomes a loyal customer - or none at all?

After deciding to stay and order from the regular menu, our experience got better from there. Yes, there was some sticker shock, but I expect that at a nice steakhouse. The atmosphere was great, and our server was very attentive. The bread with two different dipping butters was delicious. We ordered from a special three-course menu that featured a salad, an app, an entree and dessert. The Mushroom Asparagus salad was so unique - we have never had flavors like that paired together before, and really enjoyed it. The Butternut Squash Ravioli appetizer sounded so delicious, but we were really let down by the lack of flavor and spice. This dish could have been better with a touch of cayenne pepper or herbs. 

Of course, we had to have some steak, and opted for the Filet Mignon with Roasted Carrots. The shrimp appetizer with chorizo dipping sauce was cooked perfectly and the sauce was delicious. It truly was the best steak we have had in a long time. The Almond Cake was so tasty; we just felt the dark chocolate on top was not needed with all the other flavors on the dish. We would probably return to Fleming's just for dessert and a cocktail - if we could enjoy it during Happy Hour.

Save Money, Eat Great at Carmel Cafe

One of the reasons that I always recommend Carmel Cafe & Wine Bar in Winter Park and Altamonte Springs to friends is that I can get a good deal on my meal and drinks here. Plus, every time I have visited, I have had excellent service in a relaxing, classy atmosphere.

Braised Short Ribs

I was reminded of the feasibility of dining at the restaurants recently when I ate there on a Sunday and a Monday. On these two evenings, a three-course Prix Fixe menu is available with a few different entrees features. For $14, one can choose from two different apps (including my favorite - Chickpea Fries!), soup or salad, and from four entrees. On the nights I went, the Steak Frites, Moroccan Lemon Chicken, Spinach Gnocchi, and Basil Grilled Salmon were all available. The entrees alone are typically $12-$13 for the small size so the Prix Fixe menu is a great deal!

I have tried all of the dishes except the Spinach Gnocchi, and was very pleased with all of them. The Moroccan Lemon Chicken is accompanied by a light, delicious sauce and the chicken is tender. I would suggest ordering a different side than the roasted vegetables, though, since some of them are not cooked that well. The Basil Grilled Salmon was also cooked perfectly and very flavorful. If you order the Steak Frites, the steak is pretty good - not the highest cut of meat or anything - but the crispy fries are to die for.

Moroccan Lemon Chicken

We also tried the Braised Short Ribs entree and were impressed with how tender the meat was and how delicious the accompanying sauce was. While the Poached Pear is the most popular dessert at Carmel, I wanted to try a new dessert. I would recommend the Pound Cake and Strawberries, which reminds me of a shortcake. While the strawberries were not that great, the cake was simply delicious.

Let me know your favorite dishes at Carmel in the comments section below.

Beautiful Plates, Scrumptious Food at The Ravenous Pig

Painted Hills Striploin - Photo by Shad Bookout

Even though The Ravenous Pig in Winter Park, Fla., has been around for a few years, I so enjoyed re-discovering it on a recent special night out. The ambiance is perfect for a special occasion, or even for a quick lunch of one of the best burgers in Orlando. At night, the food created by James Beard Award nominated chef-owners James and Julie Petrakis is complemented by low lighting and antique-looking ceiling tiles. This place has character. 

Even more importantly, the unique food is reflective of the caliber of chefs preparing it. There were so many dishes recommended to me by friends and loyal customers, including the Florida Black Grouper, the shrimp tacos appetizer, and of course, the House-made Charcuterie and Artisan Cheese plate. The Ravenous Pig has a charcuterie in-house and prepares and smokes all of its meats.

On this evening, we wanted to try a couple new entrees: the Painted Hills Striploin and the Loch Duart Salmon. The steak-sauce rubbed striploin was accompanied by soudough gundi, smoked bone marrow, royal trumpets and tomato bearnaise sauce. First off, the presenation is top-notch. The tender bone marrow has a wonderful smoky bacon flavor. When you take a bite of everything together - including the bitter greens on top - the flavors complement each other perfectly. The salmon was cooked absolutely perfectly, but I was most impressed by the multi-layered bacon-tomato soffrito sauce accompanying the fish. It is wonderful to taste the smoky bacon flavor alongside fresh tomatoes and other vegetables.

The Turtle Tart - Photo by Shad Bookout

Because The Ravenous Pig's entrees are light, we actually had room to try some of the restaurant's amazing desserts. We are so glad we ordered The Turtle Tart - where has this been all our lives? Every bite of this chocolate ganache tart served with dark chocolate sorbet, salted caramel custard and cashew brittle was absolutely heavenly. That house-made brittle is to die for! We also tried the Crisp, a cobbler-type dish featuring Florida peach and blueberry, oatmeal streusel and accompanied by tarragon ice cream. My first encounter with tarragon ice cream was a pleasant one! The fruit was seemed overly sweet, but I was enthralled with the oatmeal streusel on top of the dessert.  

Among the drinks we suggest you try include the Gin & Jam, which features house-made peach jam, gin, and house-made sour. It is perfect you like cocktails that are on the sweeter side. The Los Coast White Ale is a nice, mild, ale without a strong citrus flavor. We really enjoyed both drinks.

Bottom line: visit The Ravenous Pig as soon as you can. Just be sure to make a reservation. And don't forget about their special events like pig roasts and clam bakes.

Where: 1234 N Orange Ave., Winter Park