Reviews of Orlando Restaurants
Oct 23rd, 2004, 05:50 AM
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Reviews of Orlando Restaurants
Greetings! Just returned from Orlando which I visited without kids. (My husband attended a conference, and I tagged along to visit with friends.) Thought I'd review five restaurants that were "new" to me, and one old favorite.
The Old HICKORY Steakhouse at the Gaylord Palms - excellent, but pricey. My husband ordered their signature steak brought in from Kansas City. A giant, delicious NY strip, served a la carte for $44. Other entrees included various cuts of meat, salmon, and a chicken dish from mid-thirties to fifty bucks, but you have to order your starch, veggie, salad, etc separately. They also have an exquisite cheese plate on their menu.
NORMAN's at the Ritz - wonderful food, lousy service. The atmosphere was great and child-free. The food seemed of high quality and very tasty with a Cuban/Latino influence. Our table ordered three fish dishes and a pork tenderloin. However, the servers were overly-attentive to the point of aggressive. And even at that, couldn't seem to accommodate one severe allergy at the table. Also, we had accepted two bottles of water for the table (one sparkling, one natural) at $8 per bottle. They left them beside the table in a champagne bucket, and different waiters constantly filled our glasses to the brim after two sips, even though we requested they stop. After we inspected the bill, we found they had opened two more bottles of water without asking us, thereby upping our WATER charge to $32+. Total bill for four people: $320, including tax and tip, but including only two appetizers, two desserts, two glasses of wine, four entrees, and lots of water.
FULTON's - the old Empress Lilly between Pleasure Island and Disney Village is now a casual crab house. Lots of screaming kids here, but we were given a wonderful table in a relatively "adult" section. Everything was "good," and although our service was slow, it was very accommodating yet unobtrusive. Entrees were appx $25 each, and we spent a record low of $90 total as were were heading over to Pleasure Island for the night.
CANADA (dinner) and NORWAY (lunch) at Epcot - both were about as good as they could be for a park full-service restaurant, but in both, the service was torturously s-l-o-w. Lunch in Norway - a BUFFET - lasted over an hour; dinner in Canada took THREE hours. (Good thing we weren't there to see the parks, and were without kids!)
Norway is the place to eat if you are doing Atkins: mostly fish and cheese. There is a flat price of $16 for adults, and $8 for kids, and it's all you can eat of cold buffet and hot dishes cooked to order. They had a great kids meal selection (grilled cheese, meatballs, hotdog, etc), all of which came with grapes and goldfish crackers (and the cold buffet). And some really awesome "home cooking" entrees for adults. You order as many hot dishes off the menu as you'd like; it's truly "all you can eat."
Canada is a steakhouse, and a good one. Everything tasted fine, but I ended up with an episode of food poisoning about six hours later. I don't know the total bill, as we were "treated," but individual entrees ranged from appx $25-$35.
Our final, and favorite, was HEMMINGWAY's at the Grand Cypress Hyatt. Total bill for two was $140 for two entrees, one appetizer, one dessert, two cocktails, and two glasses of wine, two coffees. I got the giant prawns in coconut beer batter, and my husband the paella. Both were absolutely delicious, and yet, the portions so large we were unable to finish. The service was superb, and the atmosphere delightful.
All in all, we ate extremely well, managed to put on a few extra "vacation" pounds, and enjoyed trying "new" Orlando restaurants. Hope these reviews will help someone deciding on a dining experience in the near future.
The Old HICKORY Steakhouse at the Gaylord Palms - excellent, but pricey. My husband ordered their signature steak brought in from Kansas City. A giant, delicious NY strip, served a la carte for $44. Other entrees included various cuts of meat, salmon, and a chicken dish from mid-thirties to fifty bucks, but you have to order your starch, veggie, salad, etc separately. They also have an exquisite cheese plate on their menu.
NORMAN's at the Ritz - wonderful food, lousy service. The atmosphere was great and child-free. The food seemed of high quality and very tasty with a Cuban/Latino influence. Our table ordered three fish dishes and a pork tenderloin. However, the servers were overly-attentive to the point of aggressive. And even at that, couldn't seem to accommodate one severe allergy at the table. Also, we had accepted two bottles of water for the table (one sparkling, one natural) at $8 per bottle. They left them beside the table in a champagne bucket, and different waiters constantly filled our glasses to the brim after two sips, even though we requested they stop. After we inspected the bill, we found they had opened two more bottles of water without asking us, thereby upping our WATER charge to $32+. Total bill for four people: $320, including tax and tip, but including only two appetizers, two desserts, two glasses of wine, four entrees, and lots of water.
FULTON's - the old Empress Lilly between Pleasure Island and Disney Village is now a casual crab house. Lots of screaming kids here, but we were given a wonderful table in a relatively "adult" section. Everything was "good," and although our service was slow, it was very accommodating yet unobtrusive. Entrees were appx $25 each, and we spent a record low of $90 total as were were heading over to Pleasure Island for the night.
CANADA (dinner) and NORWAY (lunch) at Epcot - both were about as good as they could be for a park full-service restaurant, but in both, the service was torturously s-l-o-w. Lunch in Norway - a BUFFET - lasted over an hour; dinner in Canada took THREE hours. (Good thing we weren't there to see the parks, and were without kids!)
Norway is the place to eat if you are doing Atkins: mostly fish and cheese. There is a flat price of $16 for adults, and $8 for kids, and it's all you can eat of cold buffet and hot dishes cooked to order. They had a great kids meal selection (grilled cheese, meatballs, hotdog, etc), all of which came with grapes and goldfish crackers (and the cold buffet). And some really awesome "home cooking" entrees for adults. You order as many hot dishes off the menu as you'd like; it's truly "all you can eat."
Canada is a steakhouse, and a good one. Everything tasted fine, but I ended up with an episode of food poisoning about six hours later. I don't know the total bill, as we were "treated," but individual entrees ranged from appx $25-$35.
Our final, and favorite, was HEMMINGWAY's at the Grand Cypress Hyatt. Total bill for two was $140 for two entrees, one appetizer, one dessert, two cocktails, and two glasses of wine, two coffees. I got the giant prawns in coconut beer batter, and my husband the paella. Both were absolutely delicious, and yet, the portions so large we were unable to finish. The service was superb, and the atmosphere delightful.
All in all, we ate extremely well, managed to put on a few extra "vacation" pounds, and enjoyed trying "new" Orlando restaurants. Hope these reviews will help someone deciding on a dining experience in the near future.
Oct 23rd, 2004, 06:07 AM
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Hemingway's has long been my favorite for a good, casuale (non-stuffy) dinner in Orlando. And besides the dinner I love wandering the resort grounds afterwards - very romantic (I can never resist the rope bridge).
Oct 23rd, 2004, 10:15 AM
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Amazing about Norman's. I had a review almost a year ago that had basically the same complaint about the modified French service. (Maitre D, headwaiter and waiters).
Here is what I said:
essage: Norman?s at Ritz Carlton, Grande Lakes, Orlando
This restaurant is drop dead gorgeous. The main dining room is domed with a center table surrounded by wine cabinets. The lighting is even and luminous at a low level that is conducive to conversation and romance. The service is modified French style. The headwaiter (a lovely woman on loan from Maisonette in Ohio) was warm and welcoming but a little too attentive for our tastes. It seemed we were approached at every bite asking how each mouthful tasted. The service was spot on and not fawning however.
Norman's had two menus: a 5 course tasting menu and a 3 course prix fixe menu. We went with the latter which at $55 seemed quite reasonable especially contrasting with the Thanksgiving fiasco at Citricos.
My husband ordered Yuca Stuffed Crispy Shrimp with Sour Orange Mojo,
Torn Greens and Habanero Tartar Salsa which was two large shrimp served on a mesclun base. Very good but not earth-shatteringly so. I had a cold seafood salad that was watery and surprisingly bland. I am hard pressed to describe this 10 days later.
My entree was Lapsang Souchong Tea and Shallot Stuffed Grilled Salmon Spiral with a Confit of New Potatoes, Steamed Spinach, Lemon Butter Sauce "Mer Noir"
I enjoyed this entree but it was a little rare for my taste, especially as it was stuffed. The stuffing did not properly heat in order for the kitchen to serve it rare. Odd, I thought, and the spinach added nothing other than color.
My husband had "Mongolian" Barbequed Marinated and Grilled Veal Chop with
Grilled Chinese Eggplant and Thai Fried Rice. This was very delicious and the best thing we tried all night.
Desserts were also surprisingly dull: Tres Leches, Passion Fruit and Pineapple with Meringue Glacé and Cinnamon Ice and
Panqueques de Manzana" Apple Stuffed Crêpes with Dulce de Leche, Créme Frâiche Sorbet.
Wine list was not as exciting as I expected.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34460775
Here is what I said:
essage: Norman?s at Ritz Carlton, Grande Lakes, Orlando
This restaurant is drop dead gorgeous. The main dining room is domed with a center table surrounded by wine cabinets. The lighting is even and luminous at a low level that is conducive to conversation and romance. The service is modified French style. The headwaiter (a lovely woman on loan from Maisonette in Ohio) was warm and welcoming but a little too attentive for our tastes. It seemed we were approached at every bite asking how each mouthful tasted. The service was spot on and not fawning however.
Norman's had two menus: a 5 course tasting menu and a 3 course prix fixe menu. We went with the latter which at $55 seemed quite reasonable especially contrasting with the Thanksgiving fiasco at Citricos.
My husband ordered Yuca Stuffed Crispy Shrimp with Sour Orange Mojo,
Torn Greens and Habanero Tartar Salsa which was two large shrimp served on a mesclun base. Very good but not earth-shatteringly so. I had a cold seafood salad that was watery and surprisingly bland. I am hard pressed to describe this 10 days later.
My entree was Lapsang Souchong Tea and Shallot Stuffed Grilled Salmon Spiral with a Confit of New Potatoes, Steamed Spinach, Lemon Butter Sauce "Mer Noir"
I enjoyed this entree but it was a little rare for my taste, especially as it was stuffed. The stuffing did not properly heat in order for the kitchen to serve it rare. Odd, I thought, and the spinach added nothing other than color.
My husband had "Mongolian" Barbequed Marinated and Grilled Veal Chop with
Grilled Chinese Eggplant and Thai Fried Rice. This was very delicious and the best thing we tried all night.
Desserts were also surprisingly dull: Tres Leches, Passion Fruit and Pineapple with Meringue Glacé and Cinnamon Ice and
Panqueques de Manzana" Apple Stuffed Crêpes with Dulce de Leche, Créme Frâiche Sorbet.
Wine list was not as exciting as I expected.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34460775
Oct 26th, 2004, 10:15 AM
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Wow, Lil, that's interesting. I wish I had seen your review before we decided to go there! What are your favorite Florida restaurants? I'm thinking of Xmas gift certs for my friend in Orlando, and my brother and SIL in Margate (NW of FTL). Thanks in advance, Ms. Foodie!
Also, I wanted to mention that the Gaylord has a lovely breakfast buffet at their VILLA FLORA. The cost is $16 for adults, and includes "all you eat" of coffee, juice, hot and cold buffet, and cooked to order eggs/omelets. Plus afterwards, you can stroll through the atrium and take in the cool design.
Also, I wanted to mention that the Gaylord has a lovely breakfast buffet at their VILLA FLORA. The cost is $16 for adults, and includes "all you eat" of coffee, juice, hot and cold buffet, and cooked to order eggs/omelets. Plus afterwards, you can stroll through the atrium and take in the cool design.
