For starters- I must share with you all the most delightful Easter menu. My mother-in-law is an extraordinary cook and particularly excels at Italian cooking (it helps that her family’s Italian!). Anyway- this year’s Easter menu …

Starters

Duck Purses (mini pastry “bags” filled with duck and onion confit)

Tomato Tart – tomato and goat cheese in a pastry crust

Nonna’s famous olive tapenade- a perfectly balanced mix of black olives, parmesan, fresh garlic, and a magic touch (it’s served at every one of her party’s- thank goodness.)

Bruschetta Margherita

First Course

Cannelli Bean Soup “Shooters” (a recipe that I believe was borrowed from Giada? So much flavor in a tiny little shot- excellent way to kick off a great meal.)

Second Course

Lasagna Bolognese (homemade lasagna noodles made this classic dish something extra-special)

Third Course

Veal Rollatini (with Prosciutto and Provolone) and Roasted Vegetable Tart

This meal, surrounded by close family and my (luckily!) well-behaved and very patient toddler (this was a long meal to sit through quietly- I must give the kid his props! =) – was one of the best Easter dinners I’ve ever enjoyed!

Thank you, Nonna!

I hope the Spring has gotten off to a great start for all of you, too.

Happy Eating,

Connie

So, a serious sushi lover- I was excited to visit and see for myself. To give some background- I have a favorite sushi place of all time- it is in Delray Beach and it is called Kyoto. You will not find fresher fish, more creative rolls, more attentive service- all in an exciting, urbane atmosphere. It is my benchmark for measuring all other places I try.

Amura was great. I had the crystal bubba roll and a sushi sampler platter plus the house salad. The ginger dressing might be the best ginger dressing I’ve ever had. The sampler platter was merely okay- the toro was stringy and tough, the salmon a bit slimy. That was a bit disappointing because I always like to try a basic dish, like a tuna roll- it makes for a good benchmark to overall quality. But, I also tried the crystal Bubba roll and it was DELICIOUS- rice paper with crab and shrimp, finely shredded veggies and an orange flavored sauce. I will definitely be back and ready to try some more- plus I’d like to try some of their teppanyaki dishes and the downtown location, too. Amura was no Kyoto- but at least on par with our local Fuji Sushi (and definitely some more creative rolls).

As for the service- my hostess was lukewarm at best but I wouldn’t say it was a problem. Our waitress was fantastic. She was very pleasant, plus, I was dining with a fairly picky eater and she was very helpful in describing ingredients in dishes, suggesting alternatives, etc.

All in all a very good sushi option in the Orlando area- I’m looking forward to returning and I’ll post any follow-up that I have!

Happy Eating,

Connie

(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, 2008) 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

I also love to talk about food and restaurant experiences. I’m the go-to girl whenever someone is planning a trip to my town or any place I’ve ever visited or lived. I’d love to share my thoughts with all of you, too- and I welcome your feedback. I couldn’t do what I do without all of the countless blogs and restaurant review sites out there. I depend on the user comments to get a real idea about what I might find at any given restaurant and make my plans accordingly (so much to eat- so little time!).

I’m starting this blog because “home” is Orlando, Florida (for nearly 2 years now- though I’ve been a seriously frequent visitor for over a decade). Orlando is an amazing and vibrant city with a great restaurant scene- and yet I’m constantly amazed when I read newspaper reviews, best-of award lists, or even “foodie” blogs and reports and I feel as though they are missing some of the true dining treasures this town has to offer.

So, I’ll be writing and sharing reviews of my favorite places in Orlando (including the “Magic Kingdom”- since no Orlando food review is complete without this advice!). But I’ll also share random musings, recipes, and reviews of cities visited (out of state and country, too).

Mostly, I’m looking forward to your comments and feedback. I’ve come to depend on user reviews and feedback to make my travel plans and I look forward to cultivating a community of like minded eaters to share with!

Enjoy!

Connie

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