What’s available for the Lo-Carb folks in O-town? I go back to the low-carb life every now and again to combat the 5-10 dine-out pounds. For those unfamiliar with the plan, the “SouthBeachDiet” This last time, I made it easier on myself by dining out enough to keep my low-carb eating easy and entertaining!
(Warning: you’re not going to discover any radically exciting restaurants on this list. The criteria here is easy, quick, relatively cheap and just some great dishes worth trying, and exciting enough to keep you motivated the first two weeks on the South Beach plan!)
Here goes: If you have a taste for…
1) Tacos and Enchiladas... try the Mexican Salad at Tijuana Flats (a local Orlando-born chain; Location visited: Avalon Park. My last visit, 3/13/08. Number of Visits: too many to count). Call it consistency or call it boring, nearly every item at Tijuana Flats is available with the same list of toppings for you to choose from (source cream, onion, jalapeno, black olives, tomatoes, lettuce, etc. ). The salad base is lettuce tomato and guacamole. You choose the dressing. You choose the protein. My “special recipe”? Mexi Salad- hold the guac, sour cream, & jalapenos- two dressings, please (ranch and salsa mixed!) - and either chicken or beef (the steak can be dry, the new pulled pork was tasty but the fat blob ,see comment below, that unfortunately topped my salad passing as meat kind of soured me on the whole thing). If you are on the first two weeks of South Beach, do NOT eat the shell or the chips served on the side! For less than $10 and a mere five minute wait- this salad packs a ton of flavor for a low-carb option.
2) Sushi … there are great menu options at my local Fuji Sushi (a local Orlando-born chain, I go to the Waterford Lakes location, have not tried the original Winter Park location; Times visited: More than I can count. Consistency: They’ve been up and down but as of last visit, 3/12/08, service and food were fine). My favorites: The house salad with ginger dressing is always a good start (I suspect there might be some sugar in the dressing so I ask them to use a light hand with the dressing or serve it on the side, just in case). The norutomaki ($6.50) is my favorite choice. It’s cucumber rolled with salmon, flying fish, cream cheese, avocado, crab, & scallions. I also love their Tuna Tataki. Honorable Mention: Beef Negimaki (scallion wrapped in beef with a dipping sauce), 6.95 is tasty (if a bit dry sometimes?)- plus, when on South Beach, there is nothing like a plate of beef to make me feel deprived and remind me I’m not eating carbs. That’s why I love the Norutomaki so much- it’s a sushi roll and you don’t even notice the lack of rice! If I was more adventurous (especially with the veggies) there are at least a dozen other items on the menu that work on this diet- give ‘em a try and report back please! Oh- one caution- once I started back on carbs, I tried the sushi rolls subbing the sushi rice for brown rice… Yuck. The brown rice is not seasoned, so my tuna roll was a gummy little ball of unsalted sticky brown rice and tuna- pretty flavorless. The lesson- if you feel like a sushi roll, then eat a sushi roll and get over the darn carb thing!
3) A steak dinner… Outback steakhouse wins this prize for the carb-friendly, flavor packed side-dishes. I’m a meat-eater so I love the filet and the sirloin here. They do a medium steak to perfection at my local Outback (Chain restaurant, I go to the Waterford Lakes location on Lake Underhill, Times visited: More than I can count. Last Visit: 1st week of March, 200 
However, I have to say that I tasted their chicken breast recently when I ordered it for my 15-month old. It was delicious. “Plain chicken breast”? The words that come to mind for me are dry, flavorless, low fat, punishment. But, Outback’s is marinated in their special seasoning- moist, delicious flavor. Shocking. Anyway, I would actually consider it on a next visit for myself. Order your protein and you get to sides. They have the South Beach standards- steamed broccoli or mixed vegetables (I pick one of these as my first side). Then, as my second, I go for their blue cheese pecan chopped salad. I love this salad. On the first 2 weeks of South Beach, you have to request the pecans and rice crisps be left off the salad. I know- those sugared pecans kind of make the whole thing. But, trust me- it is still pretty delicious without them.
4) Mediterranean … The Mediterranean salad at CPK . Usually, I would take issue with this type of dish because it has SO MUCH going on. However, when you are on a restricted diet, this type of flavor and texture punch is just what you need to get through. This salad (I order the half-size, it’s enough-trust me) is a hummus base, topped with traditional salad, kalamata olives, sundried tomato, a lemon vinaigrette, tzatziki sauce, feta cheese, and (remember to nix the) pita crisps on the side. (Chain Restaurant, Locations & times visited: More than I can count, Most recent visit: 3/12/08 for lunch at the Waterford Lakes location)
Good luck and remember - no diet is worth sacrificing delicious food!
Best,
C
