FOOD&DRINK RECOMMENDED EATING Graffiti Junktion Multiple Orlando-area locations. graffitijunktion.com L-D daily. Graffiti Junktion specializes in burgers. Items like the Iron City Burger (topped with a fried egg and Canadian bacon among more traditional toppings like American cheese and onions) are complemented by daily happy hour specials and themed nights throughout the week. $-$$ %Greens & Grille 4104 Millenia Blvd. #114, Orlando 407-770-1407 greensandgrille.com L-D daily. Voted Best Salads by our readers in the 2020 Dining Awards, this popular spot in a strip center next to the Mall at Millenia offers an abundance of signature salads, from the Summer Sweets (Romaine, spring mix, cucumbers, slices apples, orange segments, candied almonds and dried cranberries) to The Fall (spring mix, sweet peas, grilled onions, diced beets, roasted potatoes and goat cheese). You can also “make your own.’’ There's a wide selections of sammies available too. $ %Hillstone 215 S. Orlando Ave., Winter Park 407-740-4005. hillstone.com L-D daily. Grilling is king here, whether the choice is steak, fish, chops or chicken. The hardwood-grilled trout, pork ribs and cheeseburger are standouts—as is the setting along the shores of Lake Killarney, which puts Hillstone at or near the top among readers nearly every year in the categories of Outdoor Dining and View, as well as Power Lunch. $$-$$$$ Ẃ Keke’s Breakfast Café Multiple Orlando-area locations. kekes.com B-L daily. This Orlando-based chain has more than a dozen local outlets offering a wide selection of pancakes (enormous), waffles, French toast, omelets, egg combos and more. $ %Maxine’s on Shine 337 N. Shine Ave., Orlando 407-674-6841. maxinesonshine.com L Fri.-Sun.; D Tue.-Sun.; BR Sun. This casual bistro is full of quirky charm, with a menu ranging from bar snacks to full entrees emphasizing seafood. Outdoor seating, live music, an interesting wine list and the presence of delightful proprietors add up to everything you should expect from a local restaurant. Winner of the 2020 Readers’ Choice for Brunch. $$-$$$. Ẃ Orlando Meats 728 Virginia Drive, Orlando 407598-0700. orlandomeats.com B-L Tue.-Sat.; BR Sun. It’s a hands-on full-service butcher shop but a great place for breakfast and lunch as well. Not wasting anything, Orlando Meats’ potato chips are fried in beef tallow. The beef, meatloaf and burgers are roasted, baked or ground on premises. Highlights include the Hercules Mulligan sandwich (roast pork, pickled onion, greens, avocado, char siu mayo) and the Equipmunk (pork belly, fried banana, peanut butter dulce, chocolate chip waffle). $-$$ The Ravenous Pig 565 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park 407-628-2333. theravenouspig.com L-D daily. Chefs Julie and James Petrakis, both Orlando-area natives who trained at the Culinary Institute of America, showcase the “gastropub” phenomenon with an ever-changing menu. Recent offerings have included pimento drop biscuits, lamb ribs, beer mussels, a handleld grouper sandwich with pickle slaw and roasted tomatoes, rabbit cannelloni, and truffle fried chicken with mac and cheese. $$$ Ẃ RusTeak 2625 Edgewater Drive, Orlando 407-5401100 rusteakwinebar.com L-D Mon.-Sat. This popular College Park gathering place boasts a prodigious range of offerings, from steaks and flatbreads to tasty burgers and salads. RusTeak has a sizable wine list and a wide variety of craft cocktails. $$-$$$. Ẃ
Seasons 52 Plaza Venezia, 7700 Sand Lake Road, Dr. Phillips 407-354-5212; 463 E. Altamonte Drive, Altamonte Springs 407-767-1252. seasons52.com L-D daily. Like the food it serves, this Darden upscale chain remains as fresh as the day it opened. Most dishes are under 595 calories, and what flavorful calories they are: from the caramelized sea scallops with mascarpone risotto and roasted asparagus, to the woodgrilled pork tenderloin with polenta and French green beans. The wine list is just as impressive. $$$ Ẃ Se7en Bites 617 N. Primrose Drive, Orlando 407-2030727. se7enbites.com B-L Tue.-Sun. Baker and pie maker Trina Gregory-Propst likes to push the limits of food as you know it, and her neighborhood breakfast and lunch destination packs in the patrons. Se7en Bites’ creations include hand-made moonpies, cupcakes, luscious biscuits and gravy, statuesque cakes and a chicken pot pie with a perfect crust. The salted caramel chocolate pecan pie is a thing of beauty. $ Shakers American Café 1308 Edgewater Drive, Orlando 407-422-3534 shakerscafe.com B-L daily. This enduring College Park eatery offers plenty of breakfast fare favorites, from standard eggs and sausage to gravy and biscuits. But the real treat is to check out the specials on the chalkboard. They could include a chorizo and goat cheese omelet, beef short rib hash, or cinnamon roll pancakes. For lunch, Shakers (so named because of its collection of salt and pepper shakers) offers a variety of items, including Reubens, burgers and “Mom’s Meatloaf.” $ The Smiling Bison 107 N. Magnolia Ave., Sanford 407-915-6086. thesmilingbison.com D daily. A highlight here is the house smoked meat and cheese board, with bison ribeye, turkey breast, honey ham, dill havarti, cheddar curds. gouda, strawberry jam, mustard bbq, pickled veggies and cheddar bacon fat biscuit. Also making menu appearances: mango wings, bison nachos, fettucine meatballs, and a different burger each week. $$-$$$. %Swine & Sons Provisions 669 N. Orange Ave., Winter Park 407-636-7601. swineandsons.com L-D Tue.-Sun. Lexie and Rhys Gawlak, 2020 inductees into Orlando magazine's Dining Hall of Fame, are the proprietors of this grocery-eatery, providing house-made sausages, terrines and bacon, along with sandwiches like the Southern Cuban (with candied collards) and hot chicken. A variety of smash burgers are also on the menu. $-$$ The Tap Room at Dubsdread 549 W. Par Street, Orlando 407-650-0100. taproomatdubsdread. com L-D daily. BR Sun. Nestled within the picturesque Dubsdread Golf Course, The Tap Room offers casual, yet sophisticated, American fare. Fresh fish, hand-cut steaks, pastas and the award-winning Tap Room Classic Cheeseburger are some of the College Park restaurant’s best menu items. You can dine inside or out on the veranda, which offers views of the golf course. $$-$$$ Ẃ
ASIAN %Hawkers Asian Street Fare 1103 N. Mills Ave., Orlando 407-237-0606; 9100 Conroy Windermere Road, Windermere 407-583-6334. eathawkers. com L-D daily. Winner of the dining critic's Empire Building Award for 2020. Chefs specializing in cuisines from Vietnam, China, Malaysia and Hong Kong put a modern twist on family recipes to create tasty fare like basil fried rice, coconut curry stew, Korean twice fried wings, chicken dumplings and pad thai. Hawkers originated in Orlando but now has seven locations in five states, with plans for further expansion. $-$$
154 | ORLANDOMAGAZINE.COM | DECEMBER 2020 | FOOD & DRINK
Kai Asian Street Fare 1555 S.R. 436, Suite 1171, Winter Park 407-831-3430 kaistreetfare.com L-D Tue.-Sun. “Food is supposed to be fun,’’ says coowner Quan Van, and he makes it so at this strip mall spot, adding flavorful twists to dishes. They include coating wide, wok-fried chow fun noodles in a Vietnamese sauce with squid, beef and shrimp; or topping crispy fries with Korean bulgogi beef, kimchi and spicy mayo. The signature chicken wings offer a crispy exterior draped in soy garlic, spicy Korean gochujang or whiskey soy. $ King Bao 710 N. Mills Ave., Orlando 407-237-0013; 11768 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando 407-914-2544. king-bao.com L-D daily. King Bao presents a variety of rolls, ranging from light and pillowy to sturdy and chew-worthy, holding treats like pork belly, shrimp and kimchi fried chicken. Fascinating combinations like Fiji apple salsa on the Glen Rhee Korean short rib, or shallot, pepper and ginger relish on tofu “Veganville” handhelds emphasize the well-thought-out flavors. $ Mamak 1231 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando 407-2704688. mamakasianorlando.com L-D daily. Mamak brings the flavors of Malaysia to Orlando. A must-try is the wonton with hot sauce, consisting of steamed chicken and shrimp dumplings coated in peanut sauce, chili oil and sesame seeds. Other winners: pasembur, a sweet potato gravy served on crispy tofu; and gwa bao, a soft steamed bun filled with duck or pork. $-$$ Morimoto Asia Disney Springs Marketplace, Lake Buena Vista 407-939-6686. patinagroupcom/ morimoto-asia L-D daily. Morimoto Asia, a towering presence at the phoenix that is Disney Springs, is an ultra-hip vision of pan-Asian delights created from the mind of Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. Its quirky takes on Chinese, Japanese and Korean dishes enhance a substantial sushi menu that can sometimes be acquired directly from the hands of the Iron Chef himself. Don’t miss the Peking Duck and the Singapore laksa, which adds rice noodles and chicken meatballs to spicy curry and coconut soup. $$$ Ẃ Noodles and Rice 3891 Avalon Park East Blvd., Orlando 321-270-8888. noodlesandricecafe.com L-D daily except closed Tuesdays. The menu at Noodles and Rice is extensive, and this spot gets just about everything right. Try the hot pots, Korean seafood pancakes, BBQ pork lo mein, pad thai, the house ramen, or the magnificent Thai basil fried rice. $-$$ Poke Hana 1225A E. Colonial Drive, Orlando 407 601-0283. poke-hana.com L-D daily Amid the vast wave of new poke restaurants, this homegrown spot brings a level of quality seldom seen in fast food. There’s good, sushi-quality rice, fish brought in daily (with sourcing information posted), and interesting non-tuna items (tuna is poke of choice) like kimchee octopus, Hawaiian-roll sliders, poke nachos and house-made crispy rice taco shells that stick in your teeth—but you still love them. Fast, friendly, and very good. $$ Sushi Lola’s 2902 Corrine Drive, Orlando 407898-5652. sushilolas.com L-D Mon.-Sat. At this Audubon Park café, Korean chefs in the back kitchen create oven-based offerings while sushi masters assemble intricate rolls at the bar out front. The most popular offering, the Playboy Roll, features tuna, avocado and tempura shrimp, adorned with fish roe and roasted rice crackers. For a Korean dish, try the bulgogi bibimbap—marinated beef and rice. $-$$$