Central Florida Restaurant Mom

Coupon - Free Medium Firehouse Sub on July 4, 2011, when you Buy a Sub, Chips & Drink

2011-06-30T20:40:00.000-04:00

How wonderful! PR companies are now sending me press releases. And not just any press releases, but ones with coupons! That I get to pass on to you - bonus! See below for the details and the coupon:

This Monday, Firehouse Subs presents a special patriotic offer at participating locations in the Orlando area. In celebration of Independence Day, this July 4, guests receive a free sub with the purchase of a sub, chips and drink. To redeem the offer, simply bring a copy of the coupon below, or have it available on a mobile phone at the time of purchase.

For more information on Firehouse Subs, please visit Firehousesubs.com, Facebook.com/firehousesubs or follow on Twitter at @firehousesubs.

*Offer valid July 4, 2011 at participating locations only. One free medium sub, with the purchase of a sub, chips & drink. One coupon per person, per visit.

Restaurant Review - AMC Downtown Disney 24 Dine-In Theatre/Fork & Screen, 1500 East Buena Vista Dr., LBV, FL

2011-05-14T21:12:00.002-04:00

(Updated - with photos!)
Last night, my kids and I watched The Karate Kid (the new one with Jaden Smith) as part of the soft opening for the new Dine-In Theatres at AMC Downtown Disney 24, formerly AMC Pleasure Island 24. AMC converted the 6 theatres on the east side of the complex to the new Fork & Screens, meaning you get table-service dining while you are watching your movie. They have renovated this entire side of the complex, adding a full bar, called MacGuffins, and new indoor and outdoor seating. Movie goers are encouraged to hang out in this area, where you can order food as well as drinks.

We had free passes to the movie, courtesy of The Disney Blog, so we went to check in at the Guest Services desk when we arrived. There is no longer a box office for these particular screens, you can either buy tickets online or you buy them at the Guest Services desk. First thing that is different? You are purchasing a reserved seat. Just like with an airline, you are presented with a seat chart showing which seats are available and which ones are taken. There are about 100 seats per theatre, all set in groups of two or four. We were a party of three so we had an open seat next to us, that ended up remaining empty. A group larger than four, however, will need to split up. Also, due to the reserved seating, if you want your group to sit together, you should plan on arriving early or buy your tickets (and seats) in advance. Oh, and there was no concession stand in this area. I assume if you just want popcorn, snacks, and drinks, you'll still need to order through your server and pay a tip.

We found our seats and starting reading the menus that were waiting for us on the tables. The seats themselves are very comfortable. Wide, and they rock a little, too. The table is actually farther in front of us than I thought it would be. You really have to be on the edge of your seat to eat your food. We were ready to order and I was looking around for our server when my son pointed out that the first page of the menu says to push the call button to call the server. There are two red call buttons on every table and someone came to help us within a few minutes of pushing it. The previews had already started so it was a little difficult to order. I didn't want to yell and disturb those around us but I wanted to make sure our waiter understood our order.

Crab Rangoon Dip - so yummy and creamy!

Our drinks arrived first, with LB's in a kid's take-out cup and mine and BB's in regular plastic cups, like at a restaurant. Nice touch, but then we couldn't put our drinks in our cup-holders. We ordered the Crab Rangoon Dip ($7.99) as our appetizer. This was delicious! A creamy, slightly crabby dip, served with big crispy wonton chips, and a sweet & sour sauce as well. All of us loved this dip and it was a large portion. It was just a little difficult to share though, as you are trying to watch the movie, and pass the dip. For our main meal, LB had the kids' Flatbread Pizzetta ($6.99, including drink, fries, and chewy fruit candies), which is a fancy name for a pizza. He thought it was only okay and was too small as it was only 3 pieces. BB and I each got the Classic Cheeseburger ($9.99, includes fries). While BB liked his, I thought it was just okay, and was a bit too greasy. The fries, though, were good. We were too full for dessert, though they all sounded good from the menu.

Full-size pizza shown here (not kids)

Our server brought our check about halfway through the movie. My kids didn't care but I had to check over the bill and find my credit card so it does take you out of the movie for a few minutes. I handed my card back to the server right away because I didn't want to be watching to see when he would come back to take it. Perhaps I messed up his timing, then, because he didn't come back with my card for 20 minutes which made me a bit uncomfortable as I don't like my credit card being away from me that long.
We never did need refills on our drinks but it was nice to know that if we did need it, we only needed to push the call button. Also, the lighting in the theatre never really got very dark, I suppose so you can read the menu, see your food, check over your bill, etc. It didn't affect us being able to see the movie though. The seating and layout did make it seem like you are sitting in your living room as you are relatively far away from the groups next to you due to the wide aisles and tables. All in all, it was a nice experience. Next time, I'd probably just get a couple of appetizers for us and then have a dessert or two. But it did make a night out at the movies, just a little more fun.

Are Make-Your-Own Frozen Yogurts shops a fad that is dying?

2010-03-20T18:16:00.000-04:00

After reading Fast Food Maven's blog regarding the closing of Red Mango fro-yo shops in California, I realized that the same thing is in danger of happening here in Central Florida. I was very excited when Menchie's opened up here a while ago and thought it was an unique concept - essentially a "make-your-own" dessert place where you can choose as many frozen yogurt flavors and toppings as you want to create your own tasty masterpiece. Well, apparently others thought so as well as I have now seen a proliferation of frozen yogurt shops opening. Menchie's is rapidly expanding, there is a Hi-5 in Clermont, an Orange Leaf coming to Ocoee and the Pinkberry website even says there is a location coming near SeaWorld. I predict that we will soon see an oversaturation in the market and one-by-one these locations will start shutting down -- first the smaller mom-and-pop locations and then the big chains.

I think this is similar to what has happened to the meal preparation market in Central Florida. Remember when we had Let's Eat, Dinner Afare, Supper Supers, and others in the area? Everyone wanted to go make a month's worth of dinners in one afternoon so they'd have healthy, easy-to-prepare meals for their family. I'm pretty sure all of the locations near us closed now. What exactly happened? Not really sure. I think Publix Aprons meals really stepped up and showed consumers how to make an easy meal tonight, just by coming into their local Publix store. Also, more frozen food and other manufacturers developed more products that helped shave time off meal preparation.

For the Fro-Yo shops, it may be just a matter of time before consumers become disenchanted with this latest fad. Too bad, because I like the idea, there are just getting to be too many cooks in the kitchen.

Quick Bites - Crazy Good Swedish food deals at IKEA, 4092 Eastgate Drive, Orlando, FL

2009-12-08T23:37:00.000-05:00

I guess I haven't been paying attention to the restaurant at IKEA lately, but they have some great deals going on!

Swedish Christmas Julbord
First of all, this Friday, December 11th at 6 pm is IKEA of Orlando's first All You Can Eat Swedish Christmas Julbord. According to IKEA's website, a Swedish Julbord is the traditional smorgasbord served during the holidays. Prices are $15.99 for adults and $2.49 for kids 12 and under (wow, great kids price!). IKEA also mentions that tickets are for sale at their restaurant and seating is limited.

Wednesday Night Specials
Next, every Wednesday night you can get a baby back ribs platter for $7.99, from 4 pm to 7:30 pm (the restaurant's closing time). No, I don't think baby back ribs are Swedish, but there you go! The plate has a 1/2 rack of baby back ribs, french fries and corn bread. Also, Wednesday is Kids Night with kids 12 and younger eating free from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm (the store stays open until 8:00 pm).

FREE Breakfast During Weekdays
From 9:30 am - 10 am Monday through Friday, you can get a breakfast platter at IKEA for FREE! The breakfast platter includes scrambled eggs, bacon and potatoes. Oh, and the same deal is on the weekends, just for 99¢ (but 10:30 am - 11 am on Sundays). You can add three Swedish pancakes (my favorites) for $1.99. The restaurant opens a half hour before the store so you'll have to wait until 10 am (11 am on Sunday) to do any shopping.

Check out all these deals on their website: IKEA of Orlando Restaurant

Restaurant Review - TooJay's Original Gourmet Deli, 10185 West Colonial Drive, Ocoee, FL

2009-12-03T15:54:00.004-05:00

If you are looking for enormous corned beef sandwiches on thick-cut rye bread with hot deli mustard, then TooJay’s Original Gourmet Deli is for you. But TooJay’s has a lot more than just deli food, although that is their specialty.

In fact, when we recently dined at the Ocoee location for dinner, it took me a while to read through the regular menu and special dinner menu. There are soups, salads, and sandwiches, plus dinner entrees such as meatloaf, lasagna, pot roast, and also baked salmon with dill sauce, peppercorn crusted steak, and even vegetarian options. All of the dinner entrees come with slices of rye bread on the side and a choice of soup or salad. There are also specialty drinks such as old-fashioned egg creams and Dr. Brown sodas.

The kid’s menu also offers a lot of choices as well with grilled cheese, hot dog, peanut butter and jelly, French bread pizza, or mac-n-cheese (available for $3.75), and hamburger, cheeseburger, chicken tenders salad, chicken tenders, or a Jr. tuna melt (available for $4.75). While the kids’ entrees don’t include a drink, they do include a choice of two of the following: applesauce, French fries, Mandarin oranges, red grapes, chocolate pudding, mini Black and White cookie, or carrot sticks with Ranch dressing. The hard part is trying to convince your kids that they cannot choose both the chocolate pudding and Black and White cookie as their sides.

Grandpa decided on a hot Pastrami sandwich on rye bread ($7.95) which comes with cole slaw and a pickle. He also elected to get an extra side of fries ($1.75). The sandwich had the meat rolled on the bread and was a huge amount. However, for those with an even bigger appetite, TooJay’s offers the Jaynormous sandwich ($14.95) that has a pound and a half of your favorite deli meat. I can’t even imagine eating that! Grandpa loved the Pastrami and said it was very lean and delicious.

Grandma, went for sweet and ordered the Cheese Blintzes dinner ($10.75). This is three crepes filled with a sweetened cottage cheese, fried, and served with fruit topping and sour cream. Since it was a dinner, it also came with the rye bread and Grandma ordered the cup of matzo ball soup as her appetizer. The soup was very flavorful with chunks of carrots and celery and a large, but light, matzo ball that fills the whole cup. She polished off all of the blintzes, smearing each with the blueberry fruit topping and sour cream first.

Knowing how large the portions of food at TooJay’s are, I decided on the Half Sandwich and Soup or Salad ($7.95), ordering a Corned Beef on rye and a cup of the matzo ball soup as well. I put a bit of the hot mustard on the sandwich and yum! The corned beef was very lean and the matzo ball soup was comfort food at its best.

LB ordered the peanut butter and jelly sandwich with applesauce and chocolate pudding on the side ($3.75). The sandwich was cut into quarters, which was nice, although my son thought there was too much jelly (I’ll have to order “light jelly” next time). He, of course, wanted to dig into the chocolate pudding as soon as they set down his plate, but I pulled it off his plate until he finished his dinner.

BB ordered the French Bread Pizza, with French fries and the Black and White mini-cookie ($3.75). The pizza was a small baguette sliced diagonally with sauce and cheese and was pretty good. He actually got full on the pizza and fries and had to take the cookie home.

All of the adults were also full so we didn’t order any desserts although they are very tempting. Besides large slices of chocolate cake, TooJay’s also has smaller desserts such as the mini-cookies and mini-Napoleans and mini-Eclairs. In fact, you have to pass the deli and dessert counter on the way out and we ended up getting a little dessert “to go” to eat at home later.

Website: http://www.toojays.com/

Restaurant Review - The Cheesecake Factory, Mall of Millenia, 4200 Conroy Road, Orlando, FL

2009-11-26T16:39:00.001-05:00

For the first time in its history, The Cheesecake Factory has developed a kids menu. The new menu was released in September, and offers kid-friendly food, including a drink, for $4 - $7. There are a lot of offerings including pasta, mini-burgers, grilled cheese, quesadillas, mac-n-cheese, chicken strips, pizza, and others.

To match, the adult menu is huge, as well. It is almost like a catalog and even has advertisements (I kid you not). To break down your decision, you should first decide what kind of food you want: American, Italian, Mexican, Asian, etc. Then, you can decide whether you want an appetizer, a salad, a sandwich or a main meal. Yep, they have all of that and more.

While deciding, we munched on the sour dough and pumpernickel breads our server brought us. And truly, we had to send the server away twice until we finally decided what to get.

On our first visit, Grandpa ordered the Beef Ribs ($25.95), a very large plate of beef ribs served with fries and onion rings. While he agreed there was a lot of food and the taste was okay, he wasn't sure if it was worth the high price. Grandma, who clearly had her eye on the cheesecake display case, ordered a Margherita Pizzette ($4.95), basically a small, oval pizza, with large chunks of mozzerella and slivers of basil. She thought it was the perfect size for a pizza snack. I had the Fresh Fish Tacos ($14.95), an extremely large platter with three tacos, rice, black beans, and salsa and guacamole on the side. It was very messy to eat, with pieces of grilled fish and cabbage falling out constantly, but it was wonderful. There was a lot of fish per taco and the spicy avocado cream gradually increased in spiciness the more I ate. I was only able to finish two of the tacos and make only a small dent in the rice and beans.

BB ordered the kids pasta with alfredo sauce ($6.95), while LB and my two nieces ordered the kids mini-corn dogs with fries ($5.95). The pasta was a good size and my son was only able to eat a little over half of the serving. The corn dogs came as three skewers of the dogs, covered with corn meal, and a large serving of fries. I don't exactly know what made these dogs "mini" because, although they were shorter than normal, they were pretty thick. All three kids were only able to eat two of the skewers.

On another visit, all of us decided to try the Factory Appetizer Favorites ($28.95) as our shared meal, which is a very large version of an appetizer sampler. LB decided to get the kids mini-corn dogs again which was a good decision as I don't know how much of the appetizers he would have wanted to eat. That left four of us (Grandma, Grandpa, BB, and me), which worked out well as each appetizer came with four pieces. Four separate dishes arrived holding the Quesadillas, Pot Stickers, Summer Rolls, Calamari, Buffalo Blasts, Corn Cakes, Spinach & Artichoke dip, Avocado Eggrolls, and all of the associated sauces. The big winners were the Avocado Eggrolls (creamy/crunchy goodness), Pot Stickers (very flavorful), Corn Cakes (sweet and spicy all together), and Calamari (delicate, not chewy). No one really liked the Summer Rolls, cold rice wrappers filled with noodles. It was a good way to sample many of the appetizers, but it really wasn't enough food to be a meal for all four of us. The plus side is that left room for dessert!

Of course, you can't go to The Cheesecake Factory without getting cheesecake, right? They typically have between 20 and 30 cheesecakes available, with some seasonal selections as well. Slices are $6.75 to $7.95. The slices might look small, but they are very rich and I suggest sharing. We ordered a slice of the 30th Anniversary Chocolate Cake Cheesecake ($7.50) and a slice of Adam's Peanut Butter Cup Fudge Ripple Cheesecake ($6.95) on our first visit, and the seasonal Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake on our second visit. The 30th Anniversary cake has a layer of cheesecake along with chocolate cake and a fudge layer. It ended up as the overall favorite. The peanut butter one was super rich and had cheesecake swirled with caramel, peanut butter, and peanut butter cups. I absolutely loved the Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake - it was my personal favorite. I was expecting pumpkin cheesecake with pecans in it. Nope, it was even better. It was a pumpkin cheesecake ON TOP OF a pecan pie. A double decker pie - two pies in one! The creamy cheesecake went great with the ooey gooey pecan pie. We will definitely be back to tackle more of the menu and try more of the cheesecakes.

Website: http://www.cheesecakefactory.com/

Restaurant Review - Menchie's Frozen Yogurt, 7339 W. Sand Lake Road, #406, Orlando, FL

2009-11-17T20:16:00.011-05:00

Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, located on Sand Lake Road’s “Restaurant Row”, is a fun, interactive dessert store. It is do-it-yourself with simple instructions: Fill your bowl with frozen yogurt. Top with snacks and candies and sauces. Weigh. Then pay. For 44 cents an ounce, you can get what you want, in the quantity you want. The concept is brilliant. The staff just makes sure the toppings are kept filled up and then monitor the scale as customers finish their creations and weigh and pay.

Don’t worry if there is a crowd milling about inside. Remember, this is do-it-yourself. So, step right up, grab a bowl, and start pouring your frozen yogurt. There are 12 flavors every time, with only chocolate and vanilla staying the same, as far as I could tell. With more than 40 different flavors, including seasonal offerings like pumpkin and eggnog, rotating constantly, you will find a different variety available almost every time you visit. At the “Snackage” bar, where the dry toppings reside, are about 30 different types of add-ins, including nuts (peanuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans), candies (Reese’s Pieces, chocolate chips, yogurt chips, Jelly Bellies, M&M, Snow Caps, Gummy Bears, Rainbow Nerds, etc), cereals (Cap’n Crunch, Lucky Charms, Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Pebbles, etc.) and other toppings like coconut flakes, granola, and graham cracker crumbs. At the “Chill” bar, are freshly cut fruits such as strawberry slices, maraschino cherries, mango, kiwi, bananas, pineapple, as well as the decadent stuff such as mini-peanut butter cups, cookie dough balls, mini-cheesecake bits, and even mochi, a sticky Japanese confection. Finally, there is the “Hotties” sauce bar with caramel, chocolate, peanut butter sauce, and hot fudge, as well as marshmallow sauce and non-dairy whipped topping.

On our first visit, I tried both the Pralines ‘n’ Cream and Pistachio frozen yogurt flavors and thought they made a great combination. I added pecans, coconut flakes, mini-cheesecake bites, and then topped that off with caramel sauce. BB was happily moving along, getting his yogurt and toppings while I helped LB put the yogurt flavors he wanted into his cup. By the time we reached the scale to weigh our creations, I glanced over and noticed my older son’s cup was completely filled to the top with yogurt and toppings. Oh dear, I should have been watching more closely. I had the staff weigh his separately from ours and, as I suspected, he had passed the pound mark! Yep, at 44 cents an ounce, he was looking at a $7.80 cup of dessert. The real test was, did he finish it? Of course not! Luckily, Menchie’s has lids to place on your creation so you can take it home if you want.

Next time, I walked in and was shocked to find that most of the flavors had changed and my Pralines ‘n’ Cream AND Pistachio were gone. After a moment, I realized this was probably a good thing so I could try some of the other flavors and I would not be stuck in a rut getting the same flavors every single time. This time, I did a Cookies ‘n’ Cream and Cheesecake swirl (if two flavors are in the same machine, you can do a swirl), and then added some of the French Vanilla flavor. I also added some different toppings, trying peanuts this time, Snow Caps, and strawberry slices.

You can also try tastes of the different flavors first with the provided mini paper cups. This is actually a pretty good idea. I did not try the Cappucino flavor before I added it to my cup and when I was eating it later, it had a very strong coffee taste (it should have been called Espresso instead). So definitely taste-test if you are not sure what a flavor will taste like.

This visit, I watched BB like a hawk, and stopped him several times by the yogurt machines as I saw him place too much of each flavor in his cup. I also had to watch him at the toppings bar as I discovered he was putting scoop after scoop of chocolate chips into his bowl. “Hey, this is a yogurt shop, not a candy store!”

LB was more adventurous than I thought, trying more than just chocolate and vanilla and venturing to the Irish Mint and the Cheesecake flavors, though his favorite was Cookies ‘n’ Cream. This time, all of our creations came out to around $15 total , putting us closer to the 10-12 ounces per cup mark.

This is currently the only Menchie’s location in Florida, although another is planned for Fort Lauderdale. The shopping area it is in has several other restaurants so parking can be tight. However, there are “30 minutes or less” parking spots right in front. Menchie’s has already become a habit with us and I look forward to going every couple of weeks, especially to discover the new flavors in store for us.

Website: http://www.menchies.com/

Restaurant Musings - To Tip or Not to Tip for Take Out?

2009-11-11T22:42:00.000-05:00

We have several new upscale chain restaurants in our area and we have become dinner lazy lately and have been ordering take-out. My favorite of the lot is Chili's because they have really made a nice guest experience of their Take Out. There are parking spaces just for Chili's To Go and a separate entrance and cash register as well so I don't have to wait at the bar and try to attract the bartender's attention so I can get my take out order. My angst is always - should I tip for Take Out? If I was eating in, I would certainly tip, of course. But when the restaurant seems to do a really good job of putting all of my food so nicely together in special take out boxes, including all accompaniments such as rolls and butter and dressings, I feel guilty just paying what is on the check. Does any one out there tip for Take Out?

Quick Bites - New Menus at Quick Service Restaurants at Mexico Pavilion at Epcot Theme Park

2009-11-10T21:30:00.002-05:00

Today for lunch I went to Cantina de San Angel at the Mexico Pavilion at Epcot because I had heard from @AmandaTinney that this quick-serve restaurant now serves Chilaquiles. Chilaquiles are a chicken and corn dish that has been my favorite at past Epcot International Food & Wine Festivals and I was very excited that it is now a permanent item on the menu at Cantina de San Angel. Both my friend and I ordered the Chilaquiles ($9.59) which comes with refried black beans and Mexican rice. I also got a guacamole with chips ($5.50) to share between us and a Congo juice ($3.99) to drink. The Chilaquiles was a good portion and was the mushy corn and chicken combination I love. It was topped with a mild red sauce versus the spicy green tomatillo sauce that used to be served with it when it was a Food & Wine item. That makes sense considering most people in line with me would probably not expect a spicy item on the menu. The guacamole was okay but I guess I am getting spoiled with all the tableside guacamole that restaurants are serving these days; I missed the chunks of fresh avocado in this version. The Congo juice is a combination of pineapple, orange and lime juices and was very refreshing.

As we were finishing lunch, I looked over at the Mexico City booth that had been used at the Food & Wine Festival, that just ended two days ago. To my surprise, there were people at the booth, and they looked like they were getting food! What is this, I thought? Did Epcot leave the Mexico booth open for some reason? We investigated after lunch and I saw a sign outside the booth that declared this as the Taqueria Del Lago. The menu had Taquitos (I was wondering why they had taken those off the menu at the Cantina), Tostadas, adult-size Quesadillas (previously the only Quesadillas on the Cantina menu were the kids' version), Flan, and other items. I asked the Cast Member behind the counter if this was a permanent food location and she said it was (but it still could be a test seeing how well the location does). Of course, the issue is if half of your party wants Chilaquiles or Burritos or a kids meal, and the other half wants Taquitos or Quesadillas, then you will end up waiting in two different lines. Still, I think that will help with the crowd control as the Cantina was very packed and it took a while to get the food. I'll have to return and try some of the items at the Taqueria.

Restaurant Review - Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza, 8031 Turkey Lake Road, Orlando, FL

2009-09-20T18:00:00.005-04:00

Recently opened, in the Whole Foods shopping center at the intersection of Turkey Lake Road and Sand Lake Road, is Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza, a pizza chain started in South Florida. The inside of the restaurant is very open, with walls covered with black & white and color photographs of NY icons, and a few wide-screen TVs.

The menu is limited with just pizzas, a few side orders, grilled wings, and one dessert, NY-style cheesecake naturally, although there are some other sandwich and salad items available for lunch that are not on the main menu. There is no kids menu but you generally don't need one for a pizza place as everyone can dig into a pie. When the server came to get our drink order, we found out something interesting. Anthony's only serves bottled drinks (there is no soda fountain, although you can get wine by the glass). Since it was just me and my boys, we ordered two sweetened Gold Peak Tea bottles ($2.50), and one Minute Maid Lemonade ($2.50). There are also sodas available and unsweet tea. The Gold Peak teas were 16.9 oz bottles and the Lemonade was 20 oz which allowed for about a glass and a half each. The only problem was telling my kids to make it last as there are no free refills.

Pizza prices are pretty reasonable with a small 12" starting at $11.50 and a large 16" starting at $14.50. Toppings for the small start at $1.50 and for the large at $2.50, but there is a volume discount -- the more toppings, the less per each you pay. Toppings available are Italian sausage, fresh mushrooms, Calamata olives (yep, not just your regular black olives), prosciutto, Long Hot Finger Peppers (um, not exactly sure what these are), anchovies, onions, pepperoni, or sweet peppers. There are also Specialty pizzas for $15.95 for a small and $18.95 for a large. These looked very interesting such as the Meatball & Ricotta, the Frittata (Onion, pepper, and egg), Eggplant Marino, and more. For this visit, we ordered a large with 1/2 cheese and 1/2 mushrooms and olives ($17.00). We also order the Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato Salad to start ($6.25).

Our salad arrived, with four large slices of deep red tomato, topped with thick slices of fresh mozzarella, many strands of basil, olive oil and a bit of balsamic vinegar. In the center was piled a mound of sweet peppers. BB and I each had two of the tomato stacks. The tomatoes were cold and fresh and the mozzarella was creamy, plus there was plenty of basil for each piece. We left the sweet peppers alone as we both aren't fans. Another side dish is the grilled chicken wings. We didn't order it but saw a plate of them pass by. It looked like a huge portion of grilled wings, settled on slices of foccacia bread and them completely covered with grilled onions. That doesn't really appeal to me, but it might to you!

As soon as we were done with the tomatoes, the pizza came out. As their motto implies, the pizza at Anthony's was definitely "well-done" which also means that the edges and bottom of the pie can look a bit charred. That was not a good thing for LB who instantly balked at eating the pizza. I had to cajole him into eating it. Of course, he just wanted the cheese. Unfortunately, the cheese had large "holes" of just sauce that he didn't like either. Oh, the curse of a picky eater!

BB and I loved the pizza. It has a sweet sauce that was more pronounced with the plain cheese side. The crust is a bread-like consistency, not doughy at all. The mushrooms were piled on generously although we were a little disappointed with the amount of olives. I know that Kalamata (on the menu they were spelled "Calamata) olives are typically a lot stronger in taste and a bit salty; maybe that is why there was only a sprinkling of finely chopped olives on the pie? Just wish there was more.

Between the three of us, we ate all but slices, which we took home to Hubby. I'll definitely be back, and I'm sure BB will want to come as well. We'll probably have to leave LB at home with Hubby, though.

Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza website: http://www.anthonyscoalfiredpizza.com/index.html

Restaurant Review - Zen, Omni Orlando Resort, 1500 Masters Blvd, ChampionsGate, FL

2009-09-07T22:26:00.012-04:00

For a fun adult night out with friends, Hubby and I like to go to Zen, a Chinese restaurant located inside the Omni Resort at ChampionsGate. What makes this different than other Chinese restaurants, beside its upscale location and decor, is the "Zen Experience." The Zen Experience is an all-you-can-eat extravaganza served from a special menu at Zen. For $46 per person (another reason we don't go with the kids), you basically choose whatever and how much you want of the selected dishes on the menu and the kitchen keeps bringing them out to you. Kind of like tapas or dim sum, but one price for all. There are lots of selections on the menu including soups, appetizers, entrees, and side dishes (desserts are a separate price). For this visit, we dined with another couple.

To start, we ordered a bottle of sake ($27), cold, and three of our party ordered hot jasmine tea while Hubby ordered an iced tea.

I was used to cold sake being served in wine glasses so I was surprised when we were each given the tiny hot sake cups and the whole bottle in a cooler to the side of our table (like you would see done with a bottle of wine). It made it a little difficult to pour more sake into our cups since the bottle is similar in size to a wine bottle. Also, the jasmine tea was served individually as well with each of us getting our own small pot. Zen uses whole leaves for the tea and leaves them in a basket in the tea pots, so here's a tip: jasmine tea leaves have a tendency to turn bitter if left in the water too long. I took my filter of tea leaves out after a few minutes and that stopped my whole pot from turning bitter.

Our server told us that the soups on the menu were served in bowls individually but everything else was served in a platter for the table. Hubby and my friend ordered the corn chowder, her husband ordered the wonton soup (which, strangely, is not listed on the special menu but we were able to get it), and I had the hot & sour soup. All the soups were good but we were eager to more on to the rest of the menu. We then ordered five (of the eight available) appetizers for our table -- Sesame Shrimp Toast, Salt & Pepper Calamari with spicy mayo, Hunan Dumplings with peanut sauce, Crispy Scallops which were pounded flat into circle shapes and then deep fried, and Sweet Potato Tempura which turned out to be small rectangular pockets of the potatoes. The appetizers arrived with three sauces on the side -- a duck sauce, spicy mayo, and a plum sauce. Our favorite was the shrimp toast which was greasy, but good. It was pounded out shrimp, with a crispy wrapper, covered with sesame seeds, and cut into triangles.

From the 10 entrees listed, we ordered the Stir Fry Lobster with Ginger Sauce, with large chunks of lobster in a clear sauce, with lots of green onions; the Stir Fry Beef with onions, tasty and very tender; and Black Pepper Shrimp with fried spinach - the shrimp were too peppery for me but I loved the spinach. The leaves were crispy and almost translucent and the leaves just melted on your tongue. We also ordered the Sweet and Sour Pork with large chunks of pineapples and peppers. Then we ordered side dishes of Vegetable Fried Rice, Szechuan Green Beans which turned out to not be hot at all, and Singapore Noodles which were curry but not too much, with big shrimp mixed in.

After we had polished off all that, we went back and ordered another shrimp toast, the Zen beef -- exceptional, not spicy, full of flavor and tender as well, a side of Sauteed Asparagus which tasted a little smokey, and another Stir Fry Lobster (can you tell that was our favorite entree?).

For dessert (not included in the Zen Experience), we chose the Banana Zangoes ($8), two tubes of banana cheesecake wrapped in egg roll paper and deep fried, and sitting on chocolate mousse, whipped cream, and a honey-like sweet sauce. Even though we though we were full, we ordered another one so we each got a tube. It was delicious and not as heavy as I thought it would be, though definitely rich.

Our dinner ended up being a three-hour meal but we were also in no rush. All in all, a great evening out.

Zen website: click here

Like Meal Deals? Orlando Magical Dining Month is Back for September!

2009-08-27T20:52:00.000-04:00

The Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau (OOCCVB) have brought back Orlando Magic Dining Month and, with this economy, diners and restaurants really need it. For those of you who have not participated before, restaurants in the area work with the OOCCVB to create three-course (appetizer, entree, and dessert) prix fixe dinners for $20 or $30 in the month of September. This year, there are over 40 restaurants on the $30 list and over 20 on the $20 list. And, these are not obscure restaurants. On the $30 list are Emeril's, Fulton's Crab House, Luma on Park, Morton's The Steakhouse, Norman's, Ocean Prime, The Oceanaire, The Palm, Roy's Hawaiian, and Seasons 52, just to name a few. When else can you get three courses at these restaurants for $30?? Now, these are special menus prepared just for this promotion so don't expect a 4-pound lobster to be part of the deal at The Palm, but you can usually find a good selection of items on the promotional menu. Plus, you can always check out the menu in advance and see if it is something you will be interested in. New this year is being able to make a reservation right on the website via Open Table. I'd recommend making a reservation in advance and when you arrive, let the host or hostess know that you want the special Orlando Magical Dining Month menu. Enjoy - the promotion runs from September 1 - 30, 2009!

Restaurant Review - Redrock Canyon Grill, 9101 International Drive (Pointe Orlando), Orlando, FL

2009-08-22T15:29:00.012-04:00

Restaurants are popping up all over at Pointe Orlando, right in the middle of the International Drive tourist district. One of these is Redrock Canyon Grill, on the first level of the complex, where you can eat comfortably whether it is a date night or a day out with the family.

The interior of the restaurant is dark, very dark, even during daytime, which is probably due to the dark concrete floors, dark wood tables and deep brown booths. There are southwestern touches here and there such as cacti and exposed brickwork and a rotisserie spit rotates constantly with golden-hued chickens near the open kitchen.

The menu clearly features comfort food with cornbread, chicken, meatloaf, pot pie, and ribs offerings, and “skins left on” mashed potatoes, green beans, and sweet glazed carrots as side dishes. There are also salads, seafood selections, and combinations platters as well. The lunchtime menu also has a few more sandwiches available than the dinner menu.

Kids’ menu choices range from $5 - $6 and include standbys such as hot dogs and chicken tenders but also rotisserie chicken, ribs, and spicy meatloaf. Yep, it even says "spicy" on the menu. When we asked, the server said there are a few peppers in the meatloaf and sauce and they wanted to warn kids. That's pretty nice. There is also the Mac Daddy Mac & Cheese side dish on the menu for $4 that can serve as a kids’ meal as well.

I choose the house specialty, the Wood-Fired Rotisserie Chicken ($17.75) with mashed potatoes and glazed carrots on the side. I found out that portions at Redrock Canyon Grill are large when the server placed the plate of half chicken and mound of potatoes and carrots in front of me. The chicken was extremely tender and juicy. The carrots were not too sweet and still had some crispness, which is great because I don’t like mushy carrots.

Grandpa ordered the Meatloaf - the spicy one but it doesn't say so on the adult menu - ($14.00) which comes with two sides, typically red-skin mashed potatoes and green beans. Our server explained that we can substitute any regular side dish so Grandpa ordered the grilled zucchini and squash instead of the green beans. The meatloaf did turn out to be a little spicy. The meatloaf comes with a tomato-based sauce and was also large portion. The grilled veggies were quartered, brushed with olive oil, and lightly cooked, leaving the insides still crisp. They were so good I wished I had chosen that as one of my sides.

Grandma ordered the Grilled Chicken and Avocado Club Sandwich ($11.00) with sprouts, bacon, and swiss cheese. The sandwich was rather high which made it difficult to eat like a sandwich so she used a knife and fork instead. While delicious, she wished it had more honey mustard dressing as the flattened chicken breast was a little dry.

BB initially wanted the chicken tenders but I cajoled him into ordering something more of a specialty of the house so he ended up ordering the Kids Ribs ($6.00) with fries. They came with a BBQ sauce for dipping. He thought they were a little dry and only ended up eating half because he didn’t like the sauce, so I felt a bit bad about making him change his mind.

LB choose the Hot Dog ($5.00) and then contented himself with the coloring and mazes on the Kids' menu. He ate the whole thing, although asked me to cut the hot dog into pieces half way through so he could dunk the bites into catsup.

On another visit, I tried the Texas “Chop House” Rotisserie Chicken Salad ($14.00) with black beans, tomatoes, jicama, corn, and shredded cheese with chipotle-bleu dressing. The salad was filled with large, tender pieces of chicken, which were drizzled with a BBQ sauce, and was topped by a sliced half of an avocado. The different tastes and textures combined for a great-tasting salad that was also very filling. And as a bonus, it comes with a slice of cast-iron cooked corn bread!

For dessert, there are family-size temptations for $6.50 including a brownie sundae, bread pudding and pineapple upside-down cake. We tried the Apple Blossom Pastry which is a warm apple pie topped with vanilla ice cream. Everyone dug in and we still couldn’t finish it, although we did try!

Don't forget to your Pointe Orlando parking ticket validated as you pay your bill. Also, don’t miss the bowl of chocolate mint sticks on your way out the door. They look like wrapped toothpicks but they are really yummy candies and are a great finish to a great meal.

Phone: 407-363-3933
Website: http://www.rrcanyongrill.com/

Restaurant Review - Kafe Kalik, Prime Outlets Mall, 4969 International Drive, Orlando, FL

2009-06-07T19:00:00.000-04:00

Way, way, down at the north end of International Drive is the Prime Outlets Mall, with high end outlet stores galore. Joining this group of retail is now Kafe Kalik, an upscale Bahamian restaurant. The interior is beautiful with florals, bright colors, dark woods, and a sheet of "rain" at the entrance. There's also a Straw Market (gift shop), sushi bar, and gelato counter. I never knew Bahamian cuisine was known for gelato and sushi, but there you have it.

We visited during lunch which looks to be the best bargain as all the prices go up (way up) during dinner time. The menu is huge with a lot of very unique flavors, mostly concentrating on seafood. The "sushi" is actually Caribbean rice rolls and as I far as I could tell, all of the fish items were cooked, not raw. The Junior Junkanoo kids menu stays the same for lunch and dinner and offers a burger, chicken fingers, macaroni and cheese, chicken in the bag, pasta, ribs, cracked conch in the bag, or grouper fingers from $4.95 to $6.95. All kids meals come with a soft drink and most include fries.

On our first visit, we started with the West Indies Curry Crunch rice rolls ($8.00) which is honey coated mahi mahi with tempura flakes, wrapped in rice like a sushi roll. It is served with traditional pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce but also with a tamarind soy dipping sauce and julienned calabaza. The roll was very good as is but I did dip it in the tamarind soy sauce and it was even better.

The server also brought to the table a basket of goodies including johnny cakes (like small corn muffins), flatbread slices, plantain chips, and regular tortilla chips. Watch out -- we found out the hard way that some of the johnny cakes come with jalapenos as my 5-year old found out. Accompaniments were guava butter (and you could really taste the guava!), regular butter, and a "pigeon pea relish", a Caribbean-style salsa with tomatoes, beans, and onions. The relish was delicious with all of the items and it went quickly.

Grandpa had had the jerk chicken platter before (which he declared as excellent), so this time he and Grandma shared a Banana Boat combo ($27.00), a choice of three of the Caribbean Rice rolls. They chose the Bump and Grind, Fat Annies Refrigerator Lobster Maki, and Johnny Canoe Crabby Cali (I swear these are the names on the menu for these rolls). The best was the Lobster roll with a sweet sauce, which had lobster, shrimp, crab, avocado, cream cheese, and veggies rolled in rice. The Johnny Canoe was really like a California roll, with a slight Caribbean twist.

BB ordered the Kids Ribs ($6.95) but had helped out a little too much with all the rice rolls so was not really hungry when his large kids plate of ribs came. He got four big, meaty ribs in a guava barbecue sauce. It came with fries that were slightly sweet. Grandpa helped him finish the ribs and said that the sauce "grew on him". I got the Grouper fingers platter ($11.50) which was very lightly fried and also had a slight sweet taste to the batter. The fish was good and tender but I think I would have liked it to be a bit more crispy. I also got the peas and rice which was good but I was hoping for more taste, maybe more of a coconut flavor. I actually preferred the island cole slaw (the server snuck me a cup of it to try) which was very light and fresh tasting and a good companion to the grouper.

The next visit, it was just me and the kids for lunch. This time I got the soup and sandwich lunch combo ($9.50) with two Guava Hog BBQ sliders and a cup of the conch chowder. The chowder was a nice size and was slightly spicy with big chunks of veggies and conch and, well, some sticks and stuff. I know they were probably fresh herbs but I would have preferred to have those large pieces of herbs strained out or removed before serving. The sliders were small but after the soup, it was enough. The guava pulled pork was sweet but not overly so and was tender. LB got the kids cheeseburger ($4.95) and BB got the pasta, with Alfredo sauce ($4.95). Both boys ate pretty well, although we did have to ask for more sauce for the pasta as it was very skimpy. And I was glad that LB didn't want the pasta as it was fettuccine which he doesn't like.

I don't know if it is supposed to be the island way, but the service can be pretty slow at times. The kids ended up watching a video of parades in the Bahamas that kept them entertained so make sure you have something to keep your kids occupied.

Dessert time! We decided on the Mini Trifle Creme Shooter desserts ($2.50) which are a good deal for the price. Basically, it is cake, topped with your chosen flavor of gelato and then topped with whipped cream. Plus, we each got to choose our own flavor of gelato instead of having to choose one to share like with the bigger gelato dessert. There are eleven tropical flavors to choose from including mango, passion fruit, rum raisin, key lime, tangerine, etc. LB chose banana, I chose coconut, and BB ordered the chocolate gelato. I liked how they were all presented slightly differently with rainbow sprinkles or toasted coconut flakes. All were great, but we all decided that the chocolate was the best; it tasted like rich chocolate pudding.

There was still a lot on the menu that I have yet to try, and this time I'm going to order the chocolate gelato as well.

Kafe Kalik website: http://www.kafekalik.com/

Restaurant Musings - Another Orlando area restaurant bites the dust

2009-05-28T19:43:00.003-04:00

Well, another Orlando-area restaurant has closed - Amira's kosher deli in Altamonte Springs. We had just eaten there two weeks ago and the boys really liked it! It seems that on a daily basis we are learning about restaurants that are closing because of the economy. And most of these are the mom-and-pop restaurants because they don't have the deep pockets of the chain restaurants to be able to sustain themselves during economic downturns. I shudder to think we might end up with a chain-restaurant only dining landscape soon. That would be a very sad thing.

Here are a couple of restaurants in the area that have closed recently; you can add your own mournings in the comments section.

Amira's: Great place to get a totally stacked corned beef sandwich and potato pancakes. My kids also loved the pickles they serve as soon as you sit down at the table.

Jockamo's: My dad loved the crawfish boils. My kids and I liked the beignets. Where else in the area can you find New Orleans food?

Restaurant Review - Biergarten Restaurant, Germany Pavillon, Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort

2009-05-12T22:39:00.000-04:00

After shopping "around the world" at Epcot recently, we stopped in to have lunch at one of my favorite family-friendly eating places -- the Biergarten restaurant in the German pavillon. Part buffet, part dinner show, the Biergarten has many things to entertain and feed both kids and adults. For kids, and picky adults, there is macaroni and cheese and roasted chicken on the buffet. For adults, there are 12 ounce beers (yikes!) as well as beer and wine flights if you'd like to try out some new drinks. For everyone, there is the Oompah band that plays for about 20 minutes every hour and includes lots of interactive and fun instruments such as the accordian (a must for the polka dances), cow bells, a wooden xylophone-like instrument, and the huge Alpine horns (think the "Riccola" TV commercials).

The lunch buffet is served from noon to 3 PM at $10.99 for kids ages 3 - 9 and $19.99 for adults (yes, 10 year olds are considered adults at Disney).

The inside of the restaurant resembles an outside courtyard of a small Alpine village at night. And in here, it is always Oktoberfest! Tables are for eight people so if you have four or less in your group, you might be seated with others. Don't worry, after a few 12 ounce beers, you will be best friends! After being seated at one of the long wooden tables and having the server introduce us to the other family already seated there, our server took our drink orders. LB asked for water while BB asked for sweet tea. Whoops, he forgot that, at Disney, they only have unsweet tea so he asked for a Coke instead. Grandma ordered the unsweet iced tea and I perused the wine and beer menu (alcoholic drinks are not included in the buffet price). What's nice is that all of the servers actually are from Germany so you can ask them questions about their country, or how to pronounce some of the beers or wines. My server, jokingly, wouldn't take my pointing at the Riesling wine I wanted and instead worked with me until I was able to pronounce it myself. Then, we headed to the buffet!

On one side of the buffet are cold items such as salads, a huge variety of cold meats such as bologna and sausages, and cheeses. Next come the cute pretzel shaped rolls, which are super yummy, and other types of bread and rolls. The soup was Potato Leek and was hot, very creamy, with soft pieces of leeks mixed in -- it was great to dip the pretzel bread into it. There are several hot selections including meatballs, pork, salmon fillet with a light dill sauce, bratwurst, and an accompanying condiment bar with hot mustard, sweet mustard, relish, chutney, catsup, and what became my favorite -- a curry catsup. I also discovered a pork shank gratin that was bits of pork shank (which tasted like corned beef to me), mixed with a light sauerkraut, and topped with mashed potatoes and cheese -- I went back for seconds on that. At another hot station were glazed carrots, roasted potatoes, pork schnietzel with hunter sauce (like a dark beef mushroom sauce), and a carving station with sliced roast pork and meatloaf.

Of course, the challenge with every buffet is who goes up with which child and helps them choose what to eat. LB, my picky eater, just wanted a pretzel roll and mac-n-cheese but I snuck some meatballs on his plate as well and he ended up actually eating them. BB was great, trying a little bit of everything, including a few cold sausage and each of the veggies. Grandma also noshed on a little bit of everything.

The Oompah band came on and involved everyone with singing along and dancing. My boys were mesmerized and would quietly sit in their seats and eat. You can't beat that! Then, of course, came the Oktoberfest toast with the band leading everyone to raise their glasses and sing: "Zicke-Zacke-Zicke-Zacke Hoi, Hoi, Hoi! Prost!", which always makes me think of the German guy in the Man Show (remember the Man Show from Comedy Central?).

There are also desserts on the buffet such as Bavarian cheesecake, Apple Strudel with vanilla sauce, fruit salad, a Black Forest cake roll, vanilla pudding with chocolate sprinkles, and cookies. Grandma ended up making us a "dessert sampler" plate for us with one of each thing and we all shared dessert. It was all really good but my favorite was the strudel with the vanilla sauce.

As it is a buffet, items will periodically change. Again, non-alcoholic beverages are included, and you can even change your drink and get coffee or tea with dessert. Plus, the band will honor any birthdays or anniversaries in the audience, and will sing you traditional German songs to celebrate. At the dinner buffet ($13.99 kids/$28.99 adults), there are additional items such as sauerbraten and herring but based on the large increase in price for adults, we prefer to go for lunch.

It's a great way to relax and have fun and good food at the theme parks, and everyone will enjoy the show.

Quick Bites - Ostrich and Buffalo burgers at Fuddrucker's

2009-04-30T19:40:00.001-04:00

At the Fuddrucker's restaurant in Crossroads in Lake Buena Vista, I noticed that they have a "healthy choices" menu with different types of burgers such as turkey, veggie, and yes, buffalo and ostrich. I was very intrigued by these exotic offerings, so with the help of one of my co-workers, we split an ostrich burger and buffalo burger.

Cost: The exotic burgers are a bit more expensive than the regular burgers at Fuddrucker's and they only come in the one size - 1/2 pound. For comparison, a regular 1/2 pound beef burger is $5.69 while the Ostrich burger is $8.49 and the Buffalo burger is $7.99.

Looks: The buffalo burger looked more like a beef burger than the ostrich did, which makes sense. The ostrich burger was a very light brown, almost grey, with what looked like black pepper flecks scattered throughout the meat.

Taste: The ostrich burger was not greasy at all, though it wasn't dry either. To me, it tasted like veal. Unfortunately, I am not a big veal fan so I wasn't too keen on finishing the burger. My co-worker didn't fancy the taste either, so we ended up putting lots of condiments on it and finishing the burger. The buffalo burger, however, tasted just like a regular beef burger and we had no problem finishing that one.

Nutrition: Are these really healthier choices? I asked the question on the Fuddrucker's website and the nice people at Fuddrucker's sent me their nutritional information for all of their food products. Guess what? The ostrich burger really is better! Here's the breakdown: Ostrich burger, 1/2 pound prepared, 390 calories, 60 calories from fat, 6 grams of fat; Buffalo burger, 1/2 pound prepared, 520 calories, 330 calories from fat, 36 grams of fat; Beef burger, 1/2 pound prepared, 656 calories, 504 calories from fat, 56 grams of fat.

Taking all into consideration, I might be tempted to get another buffalo burger when I go to Fuddrucker's, but I'll probably pass on the ostrich. If you like veal, though, you might want to try it.

Restaurant Review - bd's Mongolian Grill, 300 S. State Road 434 , Altamonte Springs, FL

2009-04-20T13:15:00.020-04:00

South of 436 in Altamonte Springs is bd’s Mongolian Grill, a mid-West chain now in Central Florida. For those of you not familiar with the Mongolian barbecue concept, basically you choose the raw ingredients you want in your meal, present it to a cook, and he or she will grill it up for you.

We went to bd’s Mongolian Grill for lunch and perused the menu while deciding how much we wanted to eat. Pricing is by how much you want to eat rather than what ingredients you choose. There is a One Bowl option ($8.99), a One Bowl plus soup & salad ($10.99), Unlimited bowls plus soup & salad ($13.99), or, you can order a Mongo Rice Bowl ($6.99) if you don't want to bother with coming up with the ingredients yourself and want the cook to make it all for you. There is also a vegetarian option for all of these if you aren't going to add any meats. Pricing is more expensive at dinner (about $2 - $4 dollars more depending on your selection). The only difference at dinner is some of the more premium meat selections are offered such as NY Strip and scallops. Kids prices are by age and include the soup & salad bar, which is great for me since my older boy loves veggies and soups. Kids ages 7 – 11 are $5.99, ages 3 – 6 are $4.99 and 2 and unders are free. Kids prices stay the same at dinner.

Before deciding, I looked over the soup and salad bar. When we went, the soups were chowder and chili. I thought it would be wonton or egg drop or some sort of Asian soup so I was surprised. Also, the salad bar was pretty standard, nothing too different. Because of that, I decided to get the One Bowl option. Actually, I wish there was a Two Bowl option, or an Unlimited without the Soup & Salad but those don't exist.

Here’s what you have to do to make your stir-fry:

Step #1 - Put your raw meat into a bowl. There were pastas, sausage, beef (ribeye), Krab (the "fake" variety), shrimp, calamari, mahi-mahi, pork, chicken, tofu, and others. The selection changes periodically, for example, there was duck available for the holidays.

Step #2 - Add veggies to your bowl, such as mushrooms, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, red skin potatoes, pea pods, pineapple, carrots, baby corn, and broccoli to name a few. There was even raw egg, jalapenos, and cilantro! The bins of food were kept continuously stocked. Both times I went up, a worker was refilling any bins that were low. They were all kept filled to the top, which is really nice.

Step #3 - Put the sauces you want in a different small black bowl. The goal, I believe, is to fill up the small bowl to get the most flavor. There were Asian sauces, both spicy and non-spicy, such as Garlic, Soy, Ginger, Szechuan, Kung Pao, Teriyaki, and Thai peanut. There were also other sauces like barbecue, marinara, spicy buffalo, and a lemon sauce.

Step #4 - Add spices and "mix-ins" to either bowl, things like chopped peanuts, coconut, curry powder, red pepper, garlic powder, sesame seeds, etc.

Then it’s time to bring your creation to the huge circular grill (or to the separate allergy station if you are allergic to any ingredients or want a truly vegetarian dish). The cooks will grill up your raw ingredients for you, cutting up the meat, and then add your sauce at last minute, and finish by sliding your creation onto a clean plate. If you wish, there are chopsticks available at the grill, and even kid's plastic chopsticks available from your server. BB got one of these and he liked it better than the wood-and-rubber-band ones you can get at some Asian restaurants. In fact, we took it home and just cleaned it in the dishwasher!

When we returned to our table, our server had already brought white rice (sticky), brown rice, and tortillas to eat with our meals. They also have lettuce wraps if you prefer.

On our first visit, I tried to make something similar to Mongolian Beef. I started with half a bowl of beef, added mushrooms, broccoli, and garlic, and then filled a sauce bowl with two ladles of Mongolian ginger and one of black bean sauce. It came out really good! Although, after having a big bowlful of raw ingredients, it surprised me how small the food looked on the final plate the cook handed to me. Hmm, maybe I need fill the raw ingredient bowl more next time I come. I added white rice when I came back to the table and ate. Yum!

For LB, I just listened to his instructions as he chose the different ingredients (editing a little when I didn’t think it would come out okay). He had a lot of fun choosing the ingredients he liked. He asked for raw beef in the bowl (I only filled the bowl about 1/4 way), then rotini noodles, baby corn (the only vegetable I was able to get him to add), and then I chose his sauces for the black bowl. He was a bit upset by this as he told me that he did not want ANY SAUCE. I convinced him though and chose a ladle of soy sauce and one of teriyaki. He got into it then and asked I add the sweet & sour sauce as well. Sure! He liked going up with his bowl and watching his food get made. He also really liked the tortillas and ended up eating two of those completely plain along with about half of his actual food.

BB started off with a bowl of clam chowder, then came back up for a full bowl of salad and veggies on the salad bar, and then decided he was ready for a stir-fry bowl. Grandpa ended up helping to choose everything so he told me he was not really sure what he got. But he liked it and said he would like to come back. Grandpa liked his as well but couldn't remember exactly what he put in his either. He was not too happy with the concept as a whole. His thinking was that if he came up with something that he really liked, he wouldn't be able to replicate it next time he came. Plus, he was having a hard time deciding what to put in his bowl. He probably would have preferred a few more recipe cards. Grandma made one of the "holiday special" duck dishes, Citrus Duck, that she found on a recipe card and really liked it, although it was a little sweet. Her only comment was that she would have never known it was duck as it tasted a lot like chicken.

My second time at the restaurant, I decided to try for a more Thai-like dish. I got chicken, noodles (I would have preferred more of a glass noodle as opposed to the pasta-like noodle available), and then added mushrooms, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, cilantro, and brocolli. I loaded the black bowl with just the Thai peanut sauce and added shredded coconut and chopped peanuts. Again, it came out good! I could definitely taste the coconut, due to the coconut milk in the actual sauce and the coconut I added.

Due to the food items available, you definitely don't have to stick with Asian. There were barbecue, burgundy wine, and marinara sauces, plus the pastas, so you could probably come up with some Italian, American, or Mexican dishes as well.

For dessert, we tried the mud pie ($5.99), which was plenty big enough to share with the whole table. It was a huge slice of coffee ice cream pie topped with a thick chocolate fudge sauce and with oreo cookie pieces mixed in with the ice cream. Yummy! Also I got the chocolate mousse ($1.99), which the server said was "tiny" but was actually a nice size -- plenty enough for two. It was very light, not too rich at all.
They also have a nice website at http://www.gomongo.com/ where you can create your own recipes in advance and then print them out and take them with you. If you are watching calories, etc, the website will tell you the nutritional information of what you are choosing (I'm sure it's not exactly the same as what you are going to get, but it's probably close.)

Restaurant Review - BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse, 4151 Conroy Road, Orlando, FL

2009-04-11T23:03:00.001-04:00

Across from the Mall of Millenia is BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse, where the biggest problem you will have is figuring out what to choose from the extensive menu. Besides the microbrew choices, there are burgers, pastas, pizzas, and other specialty entrees.

The restaurant interior is spacious, with light and dark wood floors, large booths, and classic touches such as chandeliers and ornate picture frames. We were seated at one of the oversized booths for dinner with children’s menus for the kids and a book-like menu for the adults. The menu is so extensive that you really need to have an idea of what kind of food you want when you dine here. Do you want a burger or a Chicago-style pizza? A salad or a pasta dish? A sandwich, a stuffed potato, or maybe one of the other entrees? Oh, and don’t forget about the entire microbrew menu.

To buy us some time to peruse the menu, I ordered the Avocado Egg Rolls ($8.95) as an appetizer for the table. These were amazing. Besides being beautifully presented, the crispy egg rolls were filled with large chunks of avocado, cream cheese, sundried tomatoes and other spices, plus a tamarind dipping sauce. The avocado and cream cheese melt together and provide a great flavor combination while the various spices gave some kick. Grandma, Grandpa, BB and I dug in. LB wouldn't touch it because of the "green" stuff inside. It was so good, I might come back and make it my meal one day.

From the kids menu, both of my boys decided to get the two mini burgers ($4.95 including drink), BB choosing his with all the toppings and LB asking for nothing on the bun but the burger. Other choices on the children’s menu are spaghetti, deep dish pizza, grilled cheese, chicken tenders, and mac-n-cheese, all for $4.95. They both gobbled up their burgers. I loved the happy face potatoes that came with the kids’ meals which are like French fries but are round and indented with a smile and two eyes.

Grandpa ordered a sample of the Berry Burst Cider ($1.95 for a 5 oz. taster), and the Chili Cheese Angus Burger ($9.25), with a Wedge Salad ($2.75 with an entrée). The cider was light and very fruity and didn't taste like beer as I thought it would. If you are not sure if you will like some of the beers, BJ’s also offers microbrew taster sets where you can try several of the beers in 5 oz servings. The Wedge Salad was a hunk of lettuce as you would expect but with big crumbles of bleu cheese in the dressing as well as a sprinkling of chopped tomatoes and onions as well. The burger was served open-faced and was completely covered with chili, cheese, and thin-sliced onion rings. Grandpa, who is normally a healthy eater, could not finish the meal but declared it delicious.

I ordered the Parmesan Crusted Chicken ($10.95), a pair of flattened chicken breasts, coated with Panko breadcrumbs and fried, with sides of white cheddar mashed potatoes and broccoli. The chicken had a crispy parmesan cheese crust and was topped with a buttery white wine sauce. I couldn’t get enough of the sauce and dipped every piece of chicken in it and some of the broccoli as well.

Grandma had the BJ’s Favorite deep dish pizza, the mini-size ($9.50). This is a supreme pizza with meatballs, pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, black olives, onions and topped with chopped tomatoes. She was glad she asked for the mini as it was loaded with toppings and was a generous serving. The crust was surprising light and crispy and not too greasy.

For dessert, we tried the Pizookie, a cookie baked in a mini deep20dish and topped with ice cream. No one could agree on if we should get the chocolate chunk cookie with vanilla ice cream or the triple chocolate cookie with chocolate ice cream. Our server helped us out by offering to do a half and half Pizookie for us. When the dessert came, it was just as our server said it would be, chocolate chip cookie with one scoop of vanilla ice cream on one side of the dish and a triple chocolate cookie with chocolate ice cream and a piece of Ghirardelli chocolate on the other. The dessert was very rich with the soft cookie and the melting ice cream on top and we polished it off.

I would definitely return to BJ’s as there are certainly some more dishes I want to try on the menu, including some microbrews as well. If you go at lunchtime during the week, there are some nice lunch specials for $6-$8, most including a salad.

Website: http://www.bjsrestaurants.com/

Help! I need a Brunch place for Easter and Mother's Day!

2009-03-24T14:09:00.006-04:00

I always have this dilemma this time of year. Where can my whole family go for brunch for Easter (coming up April 12) or Mother's Day (coming up May 10) that the kids will like, the adults will like, and it won't be outrageously expensive? A couple of years ago, we all went to the Gospel Brunch at House of Blues Orlando and loved it. However, I always like to try new things. So, I'm asking you, my readers, to recommend a place for a family-friendly Easter or Mother's Day brunch. Just click below on the comments link and tell me all about it! Thanks!

Restaurant Review - Outta Control Magic Comedy Dinner Show (inside WonderWorks), 9067 International Drive, Orlando, FL

2009-01-30T14:25:00.002-05:00

Inside the WonderWorks attraction on International Drive is the Outta Control Magic Comedy Dinner Show. Having tried most of the dinner shows in the area, I was intrigued by this offering because of the relatively low price ($24.95 per adult, and $16.95 per kids and seniors), and because it offered all-you-can-eat pizza, which is my kids’ favorite meal. Plus, my kids like magic shows so we decided to give it a try.

There are two shows each night at 6 pm and 8 pm. The woman on the phone suggested I arrive at WonderWorks by 5:30 pm at the latest for the 6 pm show, as there are no assigned seats and the first in line get the best seats at the front of the stage.

WonderWorks is located right next door to The Pointe shopping area on I-Drive so we parked in the parking garage there. I didn't find out until I got inside WonderWorks that they do not validate parking at The Pointe garage so factor in another $3 or so for parking. We arrived at the Will Call window at 5:15 pm, picked up our tickets, and found there were already several people in line in front of us. As Tom Petty says, "the waiting is the hardest part", especially with two active boys like mine. The doors to the show didn’t open until 6 pm sharp so we had 45 minutes to try and distract the boys while we were waiting. As the doors opened, hosts took each group separately to sit at long family-style tables set perpendicular to the stage, so you will be seated directly next to another group as each table holds about 18 people. We were lucky and were seated at the first table, in the middle. Already on the table was popcorn in upside down magician's hats so the boys dug in. A server came around asking for our drink orders. Choices are Pepsi soda products, along with fruit punch, or beer and wine, all unlimited. I ordered a white wine while BB had Sierra Mist and LB had just water (he doesn't like soda). As we received our drinks, servers began coming out with big bowls of salad, just a regular iceberg blend, with bottles of creamy Italian dressing. Again, this is family style, so we waited while the group in front of us scooped out some salad and then they passed it to us. By now, the show area was almost full and it was getting close to the 6:30 pm show time.

As the show was starting, servers came out with the pizzas and placed them down approximately one pie per every six people. The six-slice pizzas were half pepperoni and half cheese and were pretty decent with a crispy crust and melted cheese. The servers checked back periodically throughout the show to refill drinks and bring more pizzas. BB ate a couple of pepperoni slices and then started on a cheese slice. LB had one cheese slice and was done as I think he ate too much of the popcorn.

The show magician is Tony Brent and I have to say his entire act was just amazing. We didn't really know what to expect and I was even thinking it might be magic that the kids would enjoy but that I would think was a little cheesy. It was incredible all the way. The tricks were outstanding and something that everyone could enjoy. The whole hour-long show included a lot of audience interaction, as well as comedy, card tricks, optical illusions, and all set to an 80's soundtrack. Who wouldn't love that?

Right towards the end of the show, the servers came out with slices of chocolate cake, the kind like those square chocolate cakes you find in your grocer's freezer. You know the ones -- slightly cool cake interior with thick fudgy frosting. My kids and I thought it was great but several of the other folks around us passed on dessert. Oh well, more for us!

As the show ended, it was time to tip the servers so don't forget to bring cash with you to do so. All in all, this was a fantastic show, truly all ages family entertainment, and all-you-can-eat pizza and popcorn, too. What's not to like?

Find out more at: Outta Control Magic Comedy Show

Quick Bites - Grow an Avocado Plant, Courtesy of Chevy's Fresh Mex

2009-01-14T10:32:00.000-05:00

To prove that they use real avocados in the preparation of their guacamole, Chevy's Fresh Mex restaurants have started a promotion that offers the pit of the avocado to guests to "grow their own". The pit comes in a bag with instructions on how to start growing the avocado plant by placing toothpicks in it and suspending it in a water glass. My kids were very excited by this so we took home a bag and tried it. They watched as the roots and stem started to break out of the pit and we followed the instructions to prune the stem back when it was high enough. Once it was

big enough, we transferred it to a pot and it is now sitting outside our front door and growing very well. So next time you are at Chevy's, don't forget to stop by the entrance and grab a pit in a bag.

Restaurant Review - Hagan O'Reilly's Irish Pub, 16112 Marsh Rd, Winter Garden, FL

2009-01-02T08:49:00.002-05:00

I guess Winter Garden must be emerging as some sort of urban hotspot now. There is the new Winter Garden Village and now, Winter Garden's very own Irish Pub - Hagan O'Reilly's, at the intersection of 545 and Stoneybrook West Parkway/Hartwood Marsh Rd. The space is beautifully and fully decorated with an intricately carved indoor wood bar, a large outdoor patio with it's own bar, a main dining area with a large map of Ireland painted on the ceiling, small rooms with their own themes such as Cassidy's Cottage with stonework and a fireplace hearth, and then stained glass windows all along the front. We sat in the main dining room which is bright with small 4-person wood tables and an alcove for live Irish entertainment. Although it is a pub, kids are invited to come until 10 pm and they even have a kids menu.

There are lots of drink options on the menu (naturally since it is a pub) including many Irish and English draft beers and bottled beers, plus American beers as well as combinations such as Half & Half, Gold & Tan, plus wines and whiskeys, and full bar, too! I chose an Irish Harp on draft one time and then a glass of riesling the next time I went.

For an appetizer, we got the beef bits ($9.95) which was tender pieces of beef stewed in an ale gravy with carmelized onions and served with two pieces of bread to sop up the flavorful sauce. Not sure the portion was worth the $10 price but it was very tasty. Next time I tried the Boxty potato pancakes ($7.95)... yum! Three large potato pancakes mixed with bits of corned beef and topped with a savory, but not too spicy, horseradish cream sauce. It was definitely delicious and I've ordered it as my appetizer every time since then.

Speaking of bread, we received a bread basket with three types of bread - a pretzel bread, a sourdough dill, and a popover style that had a sweet outer crust. All were delish and were served with cold butter. When I just went again recently, though, they had changed to a brown bread loaf with honey butter instead of the rolls.

Kids menu was well done with picky eater options such as buttered pasta, chicken fingers, or grilled cheese (all $4.50), but also a Jr. Shephard's Pie ($5.95) and Jr. Fish & Chips ($4.95).

I got the Dingle Bay Salmon ($18.95) which was a wonderful dish with dill leaves and a light butter sauce on top of the perfectly cooked salmon and then Champ (mashed potatoes with green onions) and wilted spinach. Grandma got the Fish & Chips ($12.95), which was three large fish pieces and a generous portion of chips (fries). Grandpa got Hagan's Grilled Stuffed Pork Chop ($15.95) which was stuffed with a very strong bleu cheese filling and came with seasonal veggies and mashed potatoes. I thought it was too strong but he ate every bite - he loves bleu cheese. On another visit, I got Egan's Irish Stew ($11.95) consisting of a hearty beef stew with vegetables and topped with a bonus - a small lamb chop!

LB ordered the buttered pasta (his favorite) and we had to ask for shredded parmesan cheese on the side. He did pretty well but I don't think he was used to the thinner angel hair, preferring spaghetti or larger pastas. BB ordered the Junior Shepherd's Pie, which was served in a small ramekin and topped with an artful dollop of mashed potatoes. I tried some of his and it was good, lots of seasoned ground beef with carrots and peas. I might have to get the adult size on an upcoming visit.

For dessert, we had the Nutty Irishman coffee ($6) with Bailey's Irish Cream, Frangelica and chocolate sauce topped with freshly whipped cream. All of the Irish Coffees (and there are about 6 six of them) are $6 and come with various additives such as Irish Whiskey, or Bailey's Caramel, or Peppermint. On another visit, I got the Leprechaun's Coffee with Bushmill's whiskey and it was a little too much whiskey tasting for me. I'll stick with the Nutty Irishman. We got the Baily's Pot O'Cream dessert ($5.95)which said it was a custard with the "scent" of Bailey's Irish Cream. It must have been a very light scent because it just tasted like vanilla pudding and that's it. Kind of like a vanilla creme brulee but without the carmelized sugar on top. Better dessert choices, that I had on subsequent visits are Uncle Patrick's Bread Pudding ($5.95) with a whiskey caramel sauce -- can still taste the overall bread taste without the whole piece being a big mush, which I like. And Princess Ashleigh's chocolate cake ($5.95) is just incredible, especially if you are a chocoholic. In fact, the menu doesn't do it justice, calling it just a chocolate layer cake. It is not. It is more like a fudge-based hunk of pure rich chocolate served with fresh whipped cream. I'll definitely be getting that one again. I got the kids the scoop of ice cream ($1.95) which was a large scoop with, again, the fresh whipped cream. LB liked his vanilla but mostly ate the whipped cream while BB ate his chocolate ice cream.

There is live music every night except on Sundays and Mondays. There is a bar area inside and a separate bar outside that has live music on two nights of the week. The inside live music is Irish folk music, at least it was the four times I've been there. It was also a different musician each time -- I didn't know there were that many Irish singers in Central Florida!

When you finally step outside of Hagan O'Reilly's, you really don't feel like you are in Winter Garden anymore, but feel like you just travelled across an ocean and had a nice Irish meal and great entertainment.

Find out more here: Hagan O'Reilly's

Restaurant Review - T-Rex restaurant, Downtown Disney, 1676 East Buena Vista Drive, Lake Buena Vista, FL

2008-12-22T21:27:00.016-05:00

Rising up from what was once a parking lot at Downtown Disney is the new towering T-Rex restaurant, brought to you by Landry's, the same folks who brought you Rainforest Cafe. And, in a way, it is like a Rainforest Cafe, loud, colorful, and exciting, except with animatronic dinosaurs instead of rainforest pals. No need to worry if your kids are usually loud as no one will notice. But do take care with very young children as they might be frightened by the noise, large, moving dinosaurs, and the lights darkening for the meteor showers, which happen every 15 minutes.

If you go on an off time, like we did on our two visits (between 3 - 4:30 pm), you can generally walk right in with little wait. However, during the lunch or dinner hours, you will probably have to wait for your name to be called (the "Smith Expedition of four is now ready!") and then wait in line to be seated. This can take over an hour during very busy tourist times.

There are several different seating areas: The Ice Cave that is covered with "ice" and "snow" and changes colors during the meteor showers but mostly stays blue. The Kitchen of Fire area features woolly mammoths and pterodactyls, and the namesake rotisserie over fire. The Fern Forest, which is towards the back of the restaurant and is a little quieter (compared to the rest of the restaurant), has most of the herbivore dinosaurs and lots of greenery. And, the Coral Reef area is topped by a huge octopus flailing its tentacles over the bar with enormous “floating” prehistoric sea creatures, and a few real sea creatures in an aquarium.

I found that the only thing really unique about most of the food items on the menu was the name. So, you had Brachiosaurus Bruschetta which is really just bruschetta, and Asteroid French Onion Soup which is really just French onion soup. And frankly, I found the prices to be about twice what I would have normally paid for well, everything. For example, my pot of (Asteroid) French Onion Soup was very good but I would have preferred to pay $3.50 or so for it, not the $6.99 that I did pay. So, I have to conclude that it is like a dinner show... besides the food, you are also paying for the "entertainment" and atmosphere. If you go into it thinking that, you should be okay.

What with the roaring dinosaurs and meteor showers, it can be hard to hear your server depending on what area you are seated in. The menu is large with fun alcoholic (some with cotton candy no less) and non-alcoholic drinks in souvenir glasses, like the Discovery Blast slushie ($4.99), served in a large bone-shaped cup. The kid’s menu has a lot of activities, if they are bored by the multitude of things moving and roaring around them.

One of my friends got the Colosso Nachos for $13.99. It was a humongous heap of tri-color chips with beef, beans, pico de gallo, sour cream, and a velveeta-like cheese sauce. She liked it, but couldn't finish it and took the rest home. Her husband got the Fire-Roasted Rotisserie Chicken ($19.99), a half-chicken with two sides. He thought it was “fine” but was expecting more for the price. I got the Tribal Tacos ($16.99), fried fish tacos with black beans and wild rice. The taste of the fish was good, not too overly fishy, and the avocado cream sauce added a lot of flavor. I would have preferred the corn tortillas to be heated up a bit as they were a bit stiff. Plus, I could have done without so much red cabbage filler. My mother had the tacos on our second trip and she thought the pico de gallo was a bit too spicy for her tastes and agreed about the tortillas. My father ordered the Mega-Mes-O-Bones half-rack ribs ($21.99) with waffle fries and cinnamon apples. He really liked the ribs but wasn’t that impressed with the side dishes. On our second trip, I started with the Asteroid French Onion Soup ($6.99) which is served in a cute metal bucket with a very savory slice of garlic toast. The soup was served hot, and was very cheesy with lots of onions and I really enjoyed it. My entrée was the Triassic Tuna appetizer ($11.99) consisting of three crispy squares of fried wonton topped with small chunks of ahi tuna, mango, and avocado, and topped with a wasabi aioli. The tuna was nice and fresh and the wasabi sauce added a nice kick without being too spicy. It was very good, but very pricey for what I got.

The kid’s menu runs from $6.99 - $7.99 with drinks $1.99 extra. Pasta and pizza items come with a cheese toast slice while the mini-corn dogs, quarter chicken, mini-cheeseburger, popcorn shrimp, and dinosaur chicken nuggets come with a choice of side dish – either carrot sticks, chips, baked beans, cinnamon apples, Jell-o, mashed potatoes, or a whole, unpeeled banana. My older son ordered Cosmo’s Cheesy Macaroni and ate the whole thing, including the cheese toast. My younger son got Sly’s Slider – the mini-cheeseburger -- with a banana. He ate about half of both. Both boys loved the atmosphere and we had to walk around the entire restaurant with them while waiting for the food so they could see all of the dinosaurs and take pictures.

We didn't have room for dessert (plus my wallet was cringing) either time we went but they do have the signature Chocolate Extinction ($14.99) that looked huge and could probably feed a whole tableful of people. In the several that we saw carried past our table, it looked like four large pieces of chocolate cake, with vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, and a sweeping fog covering the plate (courtesy of dry ice in a sealed container) to give it some prehistoric atmosphere.

Part of the experience of T-Rex is the gift shop, dino dig site (that's free!), and the Build-a-Dino store where kids can make dinosaur friends just like at their sister Build-a-Bear stores. I probably won't go back unless we have guests in town and they are big dinosaur fans.

Find out more here: T-Rex Cafe

Quick Bites - Lobsters meet The Claw

2008-12-11T14:12:00.006-05:00

If you thought the life of a captive lobster was bad before, check out this "game" at High Tide Harry's seafood restaurant. For just $2 per try, you can try to capture your own (captive) dinner! If you are good at those claw games, you could probably end up with a cheap lobster dinner. Kind of tricky though, because these "prizes" move.