Why you need to eat at Hemisphere restaurant

Photo by Shad Bookout

The renovated Hemisphere restaurant at the Hyatt Orlando Airport screams modern and comfortable - but not just in the "wow" design. The menu reflects the current dining trend: small plates that are shareable over great conversation and even better cocktails. But these are not your typical small plates. After working in several different cities across the U.S., executive chef Jeff Powell and Sous Chef Jason bring completely original and flavorful dishes to the new menu.

For example, the Chef's Signature Pork Belly is unlike any pork belly dish I have had, and the pork belly itself is probably the best one I have had. It is served with succulent slow-pickled blueberries, a sun choke puree and candied jalapenos. Another revelation was the Avocado Toast, which again, is unlike any other avocado toast dish. The sweeter tomato jam complements and contrasts the avocado toast nicely - as does the radish and tangy queso fresco.

Pork Belly - Photo by Shad Bookout

We also tried the most unique Haricot Verts (green beans), which have a delicious earthiness from nduja spicy Italian salumi, and sauteed red onions. It is served with a sunny side up organic egg - a perfect complement to this dish! We also loved the Soft Shell Crab dish, which is served with fried green tomato, boursin grits and arugula salad. Both the crab and tomato were perfectly breaded and fried and so flavorful!

Every dessert we tried also stood apart from any other restaurants. For instance, the Molten Lava Cake is ooey-gooey like you want it to be, but has a nice surprise with the gingersnap crumble. The Key Lime Pie Choux au Craquelin is unlike any Key Lime Pie you have had - and more delicious. We also tried two outstanding signature cocktails that are different than those offered at any other restaurant: Hendricks Pink Fern Gin and Silver Basil - sort of like a margarita, infused with basil.

Photo by Shad Bookout

While the atmosphere inside the restaurant is outstanding, many travelers through the airport dine at the eatery for the incredible view. It is so fun - for kids and adults alike - to watch planes arriving and departing. And when there is a launch from Cape Canaveral, you can see that, too! Before our next flight, we plan to forgo the fast food options in the main terminals and relax with outstanding food, wine and cocktails at Hemisphere.

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Pig Floyd's Delights the Taste Buds

Pig Floyd's Urban Barbakoa has been open for more than a year and I'm irritated that I am just now discovering its piggy goodness. The funny thing is, I didn't even try the smoked ribs, brisket or chicken on this visit. And we still had an outstanding meal. We also had the opportunity to meet the owner, Thomas Ward, who used to operate the Treehouse Truck food truck (remember The Luther Burger made with Krispy Kreme doughnuts?). Now, Ward has combined good ol' fashioned smoked meat and southern sides with modern Asian, Latin and Indian dishes.

On this visit, we arrived around 8:30 on a Saturday night. I thought that would be late enough to avoid the crowds, but no - apparently everyone had the same idea this evening. Despite the wait in line to order and then to receive the food, we received very attentive service once we were seated. 

We ordered the Pork Belly Taco ($3.49), which features Oakwood smoked and grilled pork belly, dragon sauce, scallions and citrus peanut slaw. This taco was much lighter than you would think and we were delighted by different flavor profiles than we have had before. We also loved the Butter Chicken Taco ($2.95), which has spiced chicken tikka, fresh jalapenos, toasted pepitas, Greek yogurt, cilantro and jasmine rice. Again, these flavors combined perfectly to produce a unique flavor profile. In both tacos, our meat was tender and juicy. 

We also loved the fried plantains and fried yucca. Surprisingly, it is difficult to find restaurants in Orlando who pull these sides off perfectly. Both were done very well here. We will definitely return for the items we ordered and for smoked meat to go. Chefs cook up the meat to order on the smoker out back, and it smelled delicious!

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Top 3 Things We Love at F&D Kitchen and Bar

Finally. A restaurant that we believe has long-term staying power has set up shop in a location in Lake Mary/ Heathrow that was doomed for many other restaurant concepts, including most recently Chavo's. We had a wonderful experience at F&D Kitchen and Bar at 1541 International Parkway (near Applebee's and Moe's) and believe the restaurant will continue to be successful for these reasons:

1. The atmosphere. Whoever designed the interior knew the right mix of brick, dark woods, dark leather upholstery and modern lighting that would make guests feel like they are enjoying cocktails with friends in a modern gastropub. The bar seating is expansive, with both bar stools, tables and couches, which makes me feel like I could hang out here for awhile, especially during happy hour, which runs from 3:00-6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Restaurant seating is also expansive, with room for big parties. The place was packed on a recent Saturday night.

2. The food. Executive Chef Pete Morales developed a Southern-inspired menu that utilizes local produce, meat and seafood whenever possible. The restaurant cures its own meats in-house, including bacon. The level of care that goes into food preparation here is undeniable. The decadent Pork Belly app is brined for several hours, until it is simply falling apart and melts in your mouth. It is paired with a smoked bean puree (mimicking pork-and-beans), spicy honey, salted almonds and pickled red onion and peppers. Eaten as a composed bite, the flavors pair very well together. We would highly recommend this dish, but just know that it is a small portion for $13. The Grouper Tacos - a special that night - were also tasty with a very flavorful grilled corn tortilla and fish that was cooked perfectly. The Double Standard

burger ($14) was also delicious, but we probably should have ordered it with a fried egg to make it more unique than other gastropub burgers. 

3. The drinks. Craft cocktails are delicious here. We preferred the Sazerac, with rye, bitters and a twist over the Lavender Blue, which contained vodka, blueberry, and lavender. We couldn't taste the lavender in this drink. However, F&D is known more for its local craft beers and wine selection, so we will try those on our next visit.

The menu had a great a great variety, and there were so many other entrees and desserts that we would like to try, including: Southern Fried Green Tomatoes, Spicy Rock Shrimp Mac 'n Cheese, Strawberry Corncake and Bag of Donuts. We only wish the restaurant was open for lunch and brunch. However, it has only been open for around two months, so we are sure hours will be expanding soon.