Orlando Restaurants & Bars

[Jaybee]

Is anyone going to the "Taste of Mills 50" this weekend. $10 gets you in to this food festival in Vimi at the Cameo Theatre (the "Cruises Only" building). See www.mills50.org for info.

[bulldogger]

I'm thinking about going. I have to cover part of the Florida Film Festival that night, but I think I will be able to squeeze in both. Not completely related, something that's really getting me is that I the Sarasota Film Festival moved its schedule up a couple weeks this year and coincides with the FFF. I can usually go to both, but now I have to split time or not go to Sarasota.

[FLheat]

im so sad at the news i got today, my favorite froyo place, 'Cefiore' is going outta biz, last day is this coming friday march 6th

they roughly made it to a year of business, and there was a potential one going up in thornton park, but now everything is going away

if anyone is interested a club i am involved in is going to do an aftermeet there and give the place some last business, wednesday around 9pm

I read in the Orlando Sentinel Business news that Cefiore is reopening under new ownership, one for the local Quizno's franchise owners bought it.

[FLheat]

Relax Cafe on Lake Eola is getting to be one of my favorite spots. They have been doing a lot of cool things including live music, but they also have a projection screen and have been showing movies on Thursday nights including Twilight and Milk the past few weeks. Drink prices are low and good food as well. We spent a half of a day out there Saturday under the canopy of the oak trees and light breeze--just beautiful!

[surina777]

I read in the Orlando Sentinel Business news that Cefiore is reopening under new ownership, one for the local Quizno's franchise owners bought it.

it is back open under the quiznos 2 doors away from there....glad its back

[bulldogger]

Relax Cafe on Lake Eola is getting to be one of my favorite spots. They have been doing a lot of cool things including live music, but they also have a projection screen and have been showing movies on Thursday nights including Twilight and Milk the past few weeks. Drink prices are low and good food as well. We spent a half of a day out there Saturday under the canopy of the oak trees and light breeze--just beautiful!

This is the cafe by the swan boats, right?

[FLheat]

This is the cafe by the swan boats, right?

Correct

[tennis32801]

Anyone else went to Black Olive's grand opening last night? Great event, free food and drinks til 8pm. The decor inside is nice. But I've heard that entrees are around $40 and martinis were $15? Not in this economy. I hope they make it tho.

[surina777]

went to boston's fish house in winter park, i know it is a local favorite, and perhaps we went on a bad night, but i felt like they overcooked everything... more about it on my blog (see sig)

[slapdash09]

beluga's in wpv is closed ... today there was a $28,000 tax notice posted on the doors. all of the furniture is gone, too.

[tennis32801]

beluga's in wpv is closed ... today there was a $28,000 tax notice posted on the doors. all of the furniture is gone, too.

How will they now capture the cougars?

[orlandouprise]

Headed up to Winter Garden yesterday to find th European Cafe, but turns out it is gone. However, I stumbled across this cafe called Sweet Traditions. it's a French place but not fancy or expensive. the desert counter is HUGE, and very dangerously tempting. Their Onion Soup was great - not the beef bullion based salty stuff but really authentic oniony soup.

I've been to Sweet Traditions a few times, I like it...deserts are awesome.

[bulldogger]

Graffiti Junktion in Thornton Park is great. I had chicken wings as an appetizer. They were really good wings. I usually don't care for batter or anything applied to wings prior to frying, but their's worked. Burger was cooked as ordered and full of flavor. Service was exceptional for a burger joint. One downfall. I ordered a Guinness and it came in a can. I still paid full price for it. If you don't have Guinness on tap, don't say you have it. It was a tad overpriced, too. Overall, it was a good experience, though.

[slapdash09]

http://www.virginolivemarket.com/

this is the newest restaurant to open up at 801 n orange ave on the other side of shin sushi where the coffee shop was. virgin olive market is pretty tasty if anyone's up this way.

[surina777]

http://www.virginolivemarket.com/

this is the newest restaurant to open up at 801 n orange ave on the other side of shin sushi where the coffee shop was. virgin olive market is pretty tasty if anyone's up this way.

tried to go there last sunday, but they were closed... wanted to try it out as their former location was near an auto shop my friends own behind them, but they closed and moved before we could check it out! sad to see that it isnt convenient to us anymore, glad that it reopened up!

[Jaybee]

FYI: There's a rumor the Orlando Brewery and Brick and Fire are planning on a new joint venture in the old Albertsons building at Orange and Michigan. Details to follow soon, I imagine.

[orlandouprise]

what restaurants are still open around DT to wow the LA social elite who will be descending on our little town for the finals? I just saw bothe Sanctuary restaurants are closed.

[VistaLakes01]

what restaurants are still open around DT to wow the LA social elite who will be descending on our little town for the finals? I just saw bothe Sanctuary restaurants are closed.

It really sucks that The Beacon closed at the the Sanctuary, that's really devastating to me since we were getting so much restaurant and bar action in the Thornton Park/SoEo area. Does anyone know if it was lack of business or the reason the restuarant closed. I heard a couple new ones were opening downtown buth I don't remember what or where they are downtown. I hope the cinema cafe survives. If St. Pete can support a downtown movie complex, then Orlando should have a strong chance. I'm sure many restuaurants have closed on the Westside in LA, down Santa Monica Blvd, Melrose , etc. but there are so many it's not as noticable I'm sure. They have a crappy economy in CA also because of the mortgage crises out there also, I believe they have a higher unemployment rate than us, can you believe Orlando is at 10.2%?! Tampa Metro is a little worse at 10.5%. I think the Florida metro with the best economy right now is Jacksonville with Orlando in 2nd place. We'll judt have to suck it up. The Tijauana Flats, and Hue and the restuarants in Thornton Park and the CBD and Orlando is supposedly famous for its homade oriental noodle houses in Colonial Town and College Park, and maybe some of them will venture into Winter Park and Maitland. I'm we have plenty in the downtown vacinity but we'll probably get an attitude on our nightlife from the SoCal crowd anyway. After all, there Metro is like 4 times larger than ours. Is the Clubhouse sportsbr still open in the Solaire area? Anthing else new downtown that I can't think of?

[solaricfission]

It really sucks that The Beacon closed at the the Sanctuary, that's really devastating to me since we were getting so much restaurant and bar action in the Thornton Park/SoEo area. Does anyone know if it was lack of business or the reason the restaurant closed. I heard a couple new ones were opening downtown but I don't remember what or where they are downtown. I hope the cinema cafe survives. If St. Pete can support a downtown movie complex, then Orlando should have a strong chance. I'm sure many restaurants have closed on the Westside in LA, down Santa Monica Blvd, Melrose , etc. but there are so many it's not as noticeable I'm sure. They have a crappy economy in CA also because of the mortgage crises out there also, I believe they have a higher unemployment rate than us, can you believe Orlando is at 10.2%?! Tampa Metro is a little worse at 10.5%. I think the Florida metro with the best economy right now is Jacksonville with Orlando in 2nd place. We'll just have to suck it up. The Tijauana Flats, and Hue and the restaurants in Thornton Park and the CBD and Orlando is supposedly famous for its homemade oriental noodle houses in Colonial Town and College Park, and maybe some of them will venture into Winter Park and Maitland. I'm we have plenty in the downtown vicinity but we'll probably get an attitude on our nightlife from the SoCal crowd anyway. After all, there Metro is like 4 times larger than ours. Is the Clubhouse sports bar still open in the Solaire area? Anything else new downtown that I can't think of?

Beacon hasn't closed they are still open, Graze and Sanctuary Dinner closed. Some would say because of the rude service other would say from a huge charity event when time came to pay the check bounced who knows. The two restaurants across the street at 101 are supposed to be open for July 4!

Edited June 2, 2009 by solaricfission

[VistaLakes01]

Beacon hasn't closed they are still open, Graze and Sanctuary Dinner closed. Some would say because of the rude service other would say from a huge charity event when time came to pay the check bounced who knows. The two restaurants across the street at 101 are supposed to be open for July 4!

Good! I thought I heard the Beacon on the news, at least those restaurants are opening at 101. Thanks!

[slapdash09]

yahoo! a new tenant in the wpv!

Press 101 Sandwich and Wine Bar is expanding to Winter Park. The Dr. Phillips-based restaurant signed a deal last month to open its second location in a 3,000-square-foot space in Winter Park Village. The new space will include the Starbucks that closed in 2008 as well as Uberbot, which closed earlier this year, said Paul Rutledge, executive vice president of Columbus, Ohio-based landlord Casto Lifestyle Properties...

[VistaLakes01]

FYI: There's a rumor the Orlando Brewery and Brick and Fire are planning on a new joint venture in the old Albertsons building at Orange and Michigan. Details to follow soon, I imagine.

SINCE Old Albertson will probably eventually close their remaining stores, maybe Dave & Busters could open i n whatever locations are left. Albertsons gave a 225

[bulldogger]

Does anyone know anything about Between The Buns? That's the hot dog stand that had been at the corner of Ferncreek and Colonial. I've heard rumors that it is gone.

[jack]

It is on Orange and Jefferson or Orange and Robinson. One of the two intersections. At least it was last week.

[spenser1058]

From Scott Joseph:

"The flog learned this evening that the Beacon, the stylish, South Beachy lounge with surprisingly creative food has closed. It follows its neighboring businesses that anchored the ground floor spaces of the Sanctuary condominiums. Both Graze and Sanctuary Diner closed last month."

Makes you wonder how the new place across the street will fare. I must admit that I live just a couple of blocks away and, after initial visits to each, found I liked Dexter's, Wildside and CityFish better. Somehow or other the "Sanctuary 3" seemed to be trying too hard to be something they weren't, imho. Oh well, hope Pesca does better.

UPDATE: OBJ is reporting that they'll be back with a new "casual" format (read:cheaper), and timed to the opening of their new places across the street. I have to wonder just how many places to eat we really need down here. Perhaps it is going to take the city to coordinate with someone (it's not an accident that it was Simon who lured both H&M stores to the market) to work on retail, the sadly missing part of the downtown pie at this point. Of course, if our new theatre operator is any indication, may God help us.

Edited June 15, 2009 by spenser1058