Unique Dining Experiences in Orlando?

[kugelette]

Can anyone recommend some fun and unique dining experiences in Orlando that AREN'T at Disney?

 

[Andtototoo]

Tutu Tango.

It is a tapas restaurant that features various forms of entertainment depending on the day/time. In any case, the food is absolutely fantastic.

 

[anniemae]

Melting Pot. Have not been to one in a very long time, but I remember it as being lots of fun. The bread and cheese course and dessert course are amazing.

 

[aaarcher86]

There's a Medieval Times there. We haven't been to that one, but the one in SC is a lot of fun!

 

[kimmar067]

....well, it's not necessarily 'unique' per se`, but we love going to Fishbones on Sand Lake Road [not too far from US/IoA]...here's a link:

http://www.fishbonesrestaurants.com/

 

[bookgirl]

We ate at Columbia in Celebration. It has over a 100 year old history in Florida and is still owned by the original family. A blend of Cuban and Spanish (tapas, unique house salad, real Cuban bread, seafood, pork, chicken etc) not an event place but really nice atmosphere and good food. Not cheap but cheaper than some of the Disney TS. I think with tax I spent around $75 for three Adults and I think we may have had two beers on that ticket. Easy to get too and in a really cute area with some nice walking areas and a pond. We mostly liked it because it was not something we could easily find back home. We were staying at Town Center so right by Hollywood Studios and it was maybe 15 minutes from our condo.

Here's what I wrote about it when I got back.

Asking on the Orlando Area board/threads I was trying to find a restaurant that did local fish, my step dad adores fish, but would also work for non fish eaters like mom and me. (I am not allergic to fish/seafood I just don’t like it and neither does my mom).

Some locals pointed me in the direction of Columbia in Celebration. (about 15 minutes from our offsite resort in Kissimee) It's a Spanish/Cuban mix that is mid range in price and served a great casual meal in a very atmospheric location and theme.

http://www.columbiarestaurant.com/celebration.asp

This was a great experience. They have a huge menu and they do have a separate GF menu (I am actually allergic to wheat not gluten).

http://www.columbiarestaurant.com/gluten_free.asp


I had the pork.

Roast Pork “A la Cubana”

Generous slices of roast pork with a delicious
marinade. Served like back home in Cuba with
black beans, white rice, yucca and platanos.

This was really good. Tender pork, and perfect fluffy rice and the beans were also tender without being mushy. The marinade/sauce was really heavy on the garlic but good. The Yucca also had rosted garlic on it. (this was a new thing for me) Not sure I liked it, but didn’t hate it. Texture of a potato but a little more fiberous, but the garlic did overpower the rather bland base taste. Plantains I had once before and they were much like I remember, sweet and soft with an almost nutty flavor. I’m not sure how these are usually prepared but the waiter kept telling me they were safe. It may have been lost in translation but I think he was either trying to tell me they didn’t coat it in wheat or that it was fried on it’s own.


I also had a few bites of my mom’s 1905 Salad. I was trying my best to avoid the cheese, but I can tolerate small amounts of dairy with out breaking out. The salad was a good basic salad (the dressing was a little oily for my taste but still good). The ham and Spanish olives in it were excellent.

1905 Salad

The Columbia’s legendary salad
tossed at your table. Crisp Iceberg
lettuce with julienne of baked ham,
natural Swiss cheese, tomato, olives,
grated Romano cheese and our famous
garlic dressing. The award-winning salad
won honors from USA Today as “One of 10 Great Places
to Make a Meal Out of a Salad.” The signature salad,
named for the year the restaurant was founded in Tampa’s
Latin district of Ybor City, was inspired by immigrants to
the Cigar City: Romano cheese from the Sicilians and the
famous garlic dressing used by Cubans to marinate fresh
roast pork, plus Florida tomatoes, iceberg lettuce*, julienne
of baked ham and Swiss cheese. In the 40s, Tony Noriega,
who ventured to New York City during the Depression to
find work, added a “secret ingredient,” Worcestershire
sauce, to the recipe.

My mom had the small (in reality it was a really big) 1905 and a Tapas plate of pork spare ribs with onions. She also had a side of the “Good” rice. That’s a rice made with sautéed onions. She said it was wonderful.

My step dad had a special menu item that was not listed which was an Atlantic Salmon with olive and tomato relish, yellow rice and peas. He said it was okay, which for him means it tasted good but he didn’t like all the olives, it was covered in olives.

They both also had the Cuban bread which they both loved.

We skipped dessert, we were all full and we actually prefer ‘dessert’ later, not right after the meal. He ate all his, my mom and I took leftovers back to the room and had them the next day.

 

[arminnie]

We love Johnnie's Hideaway which is in the Crossroads shopping center. It's part of the same group that owns Fishbones. We really liked Columbia too. My DH and I announced our marriage at the Columbia restaurant in Tampa during the Republican Convention in 2012.

We like crab and usually go to Joe's Crab shack which of course is a chain. Last trip we went to Nancy's Tasty Crabs on Kirkman road - a bit of a trip and it is NOT fancy at all. Literally a hole in the wall to order and a couple of self serve tables to sit at, but the crab was fabulous.

We are going to try High Tide Harry's next trip as we've gotten rave reviews from Orlando locals.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

We ate at Columbia in Celebration. It has over a 100 year old history in Florida and is still owned by the original family. A blend of Cuban and Spanish (tapas, unique house salad, real Cuban bread, seafood, pork, chicken etc) not an event place but really nice atmosphere and good food. Not cheap but cheaper than some of the Disney TS. I think with tax I spent around $75 for three Adults and I think we may have had two beers on that ticket. Easy to get too and in a really cute area with some nice walking areas and a pond. We mostly liked it because it was not something we could easily find back home. We were staying at Town Center so right by Hollywood Studios and it was maybe 15 minutes from our condo.

Here's what I wrote about it when I got back.

Asking on the Orlando Area board/threads I was trying to find a restaurant that did local fish, my step dad adores fish, but would also work for non fish eaters like mom and me. (I am not allergic to fish/seafood I just don’t like it and neither does my mom).

Some locals pointed me in the direction of Columbia in Celebration. (about 15 minutes from our offsite resort in Kissimee) It's a Spanish/Cuban mix that is mid range in price and served a great casual meal in a very atmospheric location and theme.

http://www.columbiarestaurant.com/celebration.asp

This was a great experience. They have a huge menu and they do have a separate GF menu (I am actually allergic to wheat not gluten).

http://www.columbiarestaurant.com/gluten_free.asp


I had the pork.

Roast Pork “A la Cubana”

Generous slices of roast pork with a delicious
marinade. Served like back home in Cuba with
black beans, white rice, yucca and platanos.

This was really good. Tender pork, and perfect fluffy rice and the beans were also tender without being mushy. The marinade/sauce was really heavy on the garlic but good. The Yucca also had rosted garlic on it. (this was a new thing for me) Not sure I liked it, but didn’t hate it. Texture of a potato but a little more fiberous, but the garlic did overpower the rather bland base taste. Plantains I had once before and they were much like I remember, sweet and soft with an almost nutty flavor. I’m not sure how these are usually prepared but the waiter kept telling me they were safe. It may have been lost in translation but I think he was either trying to tell me they didn’t coat it in wheat or that it was fried on it’s own.


I also had a few bites of my mom’s 1905 Salad. I was trying my best to avoid the cheese, but I can tolerate small amounts of dairy with out breaking out. The salad was a good basic salad (the dressing was a little oily for my taste but still good). The ham and Spanish olives in it were excellent.

1905 Salad

The Columbia’s legendary salad
tossed at your table. Crisp Iceberg
lettuce with julienne of baked ham,
natural Swiss cheese, tomato, olives,
grated Romano cheese and our famous
garlic dressing. The award-winning salad
won honors from USA Today as “One of 10 Great Places
to Make a Meal Out of a Salad.” The signature salad,
named for the year the restaurant was founded in Tampa’s
Latin district of Ybor City, was inspired by immigrants to
the Cigar City: Romano cheese from the Sicilians and the
famous garlic dressing used by Cubans to marinate fresh
roast pork, plus Florida tomatoes, iceberg lettuce*, julienne
of baked ham and Swiss cheese. In the 40s, Tony Noriega,
who ventured to New York City during the Depression to
find work, added a “secret ingredient,” Worcestershire
sauce, to the recipe.

My mom had the small (in reality it was a really big) 1905 and a Tapas plate of pork spare ribs with onions. She also had a side of the “Good” rice. That’s a rice made with sautéed onions. She said it was wonderful.

My step dad had a special menu item that was not listed which was an Atlantic Salmon with olive and tomato relish, yellow rice and peas. He said it was okay, which for him means it tasted good but he didn’t like all the olives, it was covered in olives.

They both also had the Cuban bread which they both loved.

We skipped dessert, we were all full and we actually prefer ‘dessert’ later, not right after the meal. He ate all his, my mom and I took leftovers back to the room and had them the next day.

I dream of their salad. Sometimes I make my own version at home. I have their bottled dressing that my mom got me

 

[CyndiLooWho]

Last summer hubby and I went to Cuba Libre. It's a restaurant / rum bar / dancing locale (after 10pm). The food was great, the service was friendly and knowledgeable, and we really enjoyed it. We didn't stay for the music and dancing, but it sounded like fun. They have a sampler dinner that covers 4 appetizers, 4 desserts, 3 entrees and 3 sides that was stellar.