Orlando Restaurants & Bars

[bqknight]

16 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

I’m assuming that’s Jax. It was awfully generic so even though I’m less than a block away, I only went once. I still miss Cityfish (or for that matter, CCM’s to go meatloaf!)

CityFish was good. I enjoyed Baoery too. 

What's people's opinions on what would work there? Something with a good brunch? Is that what keeps SoCo alive?

Also - sorry if already posted but it looks like Foxtail is looking to move into the space next to Taco Bell downtown. 

https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2020/02/18/foxtail-coffee-brews-up-2nd-downtown-location.html

[popsiclebrandon]

I was thinking about that yesterday and no clue what can work there. Really its just too big to work so it would need to be split to work. That whole stretch is dead and it probably would take a chain with name recognition.

[bqknight]

2 hours ago, popsiclebrandon said:

I was thinking about that yesterday and no clue what can work there. Really its just too big to work so it would need to be split to work. That whole stretch is dead and it probably would take a chain with name recognition.

Jinya looks like it's doing quite well for itself. SoCo does well for itself. That Starbucks is quite packed. 

[popsiclebrandon]

25 minutes ago, bqknight said:

Jinya looks like it's doing quite well for itself. SoCo does well for itself. That Starbucks is quite packed. 

None on Central. Its dead til the corner and the garage exit pattern doesn't help that.

[dcluley98]

Motorworks Brewing submitted plans for  their takeover of OCB spot on Orange and Jefferson  - 131 North Orange Avenue (former Fiat and  bank and . . . ) Motorworks is a fantastic Florida Micro Brewer based out of my hometown area in Bradenton, FL where they have been very successful with their Brew-pub and Beer Garden. For the downtown Orlando space, the are  applying for a liquor license as well and stated they will have a full-service kitchen and hand-roasted coffee. Proposed menu items include flatbreads, pizzas, sandwiches, salads, and bagels.  They proposed hours from 7 AM to 11  PM Sunday -Thursday and 7 AM to Midnight Fri/Sat, with the kitchen open late until 10 PM.   Total front of house indoor dining/bar area will be approximately  1200 SF.  This is directly across the street from the other Third and Urban 150 North Orange Avenue they are renovating (Currently AECOM Building) that we have discussed previously. 

They are also proposing an outdoor Back Deck/Beer Garden patio area of  476 SF open on the back side of the building where the roll-up doors are located under  the  oak tree off Jefferson: 

 

[AmIReal]

Scott J like Elize as much as I do...

https://www.scottjosephorlando.com/reviews/56-french/5089-elize

 

[JFW657]

Just reported on the teevee nooooze that The Parliament House has been sold for $300k.

Doesn't seem like much for a place that size.

[spenser1058]

4 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

Just reported on the teevee nooooze that The Parliament House has been sold for $300k.

Seems low - they must have still been in debt up to their eyeballs.

Yup, a foreclosure judgment:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-bz-parliament-house-sold-20200228-jesg26andraihje4mkasolfqs4-story.html?outputType=amp

From the Sentinel 

Edited February 28, 2020 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

Here’s the contest @sunshine has been waiting all year for -Scott J’s Best Taco Foodster Award!

https://www.scottjosephorlando.com/foodster-awards/current-nominees/5091-nominations-open-for-2020-best-tacos-foodster-award

Vote today!

[AmIReal]

On 2/28/2020 at 6:15 PM, JFW657 said:

Just reported on the teevee nooooze that The Parliament House has been sold for $300k.

Doesn't seem like much for a place that size.

As follow up to that, looks like Parliament will continue... for now.

https://www.thedailycity.com/post/parliament-house-property-sold

[spenser1058]

Scott J looks at how social distancing and other precautions taken in light of COVID-19 are affecting the local restaurant industry:

https://www.scottjosephorlando.com/news/5103-i-m-not-afraid-to-dine-but

[AmIReal]

City of Orlando bans sale of alcohol for on site consumption

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/coronavirus/os-ne-coronavirus-florida-update-tuesday-march-17-20200317-ghvpkfxq6bepbgv4x3ect7gje4-story.html

 

And the Governor shuts down all bars and night clubs

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/coronavirus/os-ne-health-coronavirus-florida-desantis-bars-20200317-pxlyqnu2kvdwdn4jtv6lpnl26q-story.html

[AmIReal]

Update.

The City has adopted the guidelines issued by the Governor.

That means restaurants can sell alcohol. However, they must limit capacity to 50%, all parties must be separated by 6 feet, no parties of 10 or more and bars and night clubs are closed for 30 days.

 

[bqknight]

Per Bungalower: Chela has closed. They were going to close at the end of the month anyway (which was reported by OBJ)  but have moved it up due to COVID-19.

[spenser1058]

It makes sense that not much sticks in that cold, bland building other than Chase, Corona and the theater.

Did I mention that the Woolworth’s and McCrory’s luncheonettes each had better than 50 year runs? Of course, they were much more user-friendly with a comfortable, welcoming feel instead of the sterile boxes there now.

[nite owℓ]

8 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

It makes sense that not much sticks in that cold, bland building other than Chase, Corona and the theater.

Did I mention that the Woolworth’s and McCrory’s luncheonettes each had better than 50 year runs? Of course, they were much more user-friendly with a comfortable, welcoming feel instead of the sterile boxes there now.

I'm sure the high rent has something to do with it. Urban Flats did a great job at keeping that space and plaza activated... I think only a chain restaurant can survive in that space. Something affordable that serves all demographics, at least cover lunch-dinner crowds, but must also serve beer/wine/alcohol: Chipotle or TooJays, etc. I'd love to see the South Tower ground floor turned into a Cheesecake factory, but maybe that's wishful thinking.

[spenser1058]

This won’t help - the governor has ordered Florida restaurants to close their dining rooms for the rest of the COVID-19 emergency:

https://www.news-journalonline.com/news/20200319/coronavirus-desantis-bans-sit-down-dining-at-restaurants

From the News-Journal

[AmIReal]

5 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

It makes sense that not much sticks in that cold, bland building other than Chase, Corona and the theater.

Did I mention that the Woolworth’s and McCrory’s luncheonettes each had better than 50 year runs? Of course, they were much more user-friendly with a comfortable, welcoming feel instead of the sterile boxes there now.

I find it hard to tell if you're serious or just trolling...

[spenser1058]

Put another way, the  restaurant in the dime store building across the street we did keep, Kres, continues as an Orlando favorite. It seems a sense of history is a valuable commodity. 

Meanwhile, we have results from Scott J’s Foodster Award for Best Taco 2020:

https://www.scottjosephorlando.com/foodster-awards/past-winners/5113-best-tacos-foodster-award-2020

The winner is... Mx Taco. Congratulations!

[nite owℓ]

Quite a few restaurants are offering delivery, takeout and curbside pickup. For anyone going stir-crazy and craving local fare (but a little wary due to potential COVID-19 cross-contamination), the OS has a list of frequently asked questions to assuage your concerns: Can coronavirus spread through delivery? And other COVID-19 food questions answered

My general rule of thumb is to make the effort to reheat To-Go orders (either in the microwave or in the oven) to kill off any pathogens that may have been transferred onto my food, because quite frankly, people tend to have poor handling techniques despite receiving OTJ training. One peeve of mine is when they don a single pair of gloves and proceed to touch any and everything under the sun just prior to preparing my food. I'm always watching kitchen staff and observing the overall cleanliness of the premises so if I see anything sketchy, I'm out of there.

[JFW657]

Of course, the little corona bugs would probably be more likely to  be crawling all over the outside of the containers than in the food itself.

Plus, I'm not sure you'd be as likely to contract the virus by ingesting it into your stomach as you would by allowing it to enter through your nasal membranes and eyes.

Therefore, if you're getting food delivered, you should probably wear rubber gloves when accepting the order.

Next, either spray the unopened containers down with aerosol disinfectant prior to opening it, or immediately transfer the food to another dish before taking all the containers and the bag outside, dousing them with gasoline and setting them on fire!!!!

If your food gets a little bit of the disinfectant spray in it,  just chalk it up to life in the corona era.

[nite owℓ]

1 hour ago, JFW657 said:

Of course, the little corona bugs would probably be more likely to  be crawling all over the outside of the containers than in the food itself.

Plus, I'm not sure you'd be as likely to contract the virus by ingesting it into your stomach as you would by allowing it to enter through your nasal membranes and eyes.

Therefore, if you're getting food delivered, you should probably wear rubber gloves when accepting the order.

Next, either spray the unopened containers down with aerosol disinfectant prior to opening it, or immediately transfer the food to another dish before taking all the containers and the bag outside, dousing them with gasoline and setting them on fire!!!!

If your food gets a little bit of the disinfectant spray in it,  just chalk it up to life in the corona era.

Cross contamination bro... Sally coughs into her hand, wipes her hand onto her apron and then answers the phone to receive my To-Go order. Sally dons "magical gloves" and begins preparing my order when she is again interrupted by the business phone. She answers the phone with her gloved hand, touches a pen, pad, countertop etc and records the next order. She hangs up the phone and continues to finish my order without changing gloves. She picks up a knife, swipes both sides onto her apron that she contaminated earlier and cuts my sandwich in half. Her cell phone beeps - it's Sally's bff sending her a funny meme. She touches her phone with gloved hands, brushes the hair out of her face, swipes right, replies, and slides her phone back into her pocket. She then picks up my sandwich without changing gloves, places it into the To-Go box. She grabs a cup to fill my drink order with her gloved index finger grasping the inside of the rim and fills my drink. But at least she was sure to leave the paper covering the tip on my straw before plunging it into the drink

For me, it's not just about the coronavirus, it's also about staph, e coli, Salmonella etc, etc, etc. Now throw COVID-19 into the mix lol. No thanks. I'm heating up my food regardless. And it's not just limited to restaurants w/proper food handling - think about why hospital acquired infections are so prevalent and let that sink in.

[JFW657]

41 minutes ago, nite owℓ said:

Cross contamination bro... Sally coughs into her hand, wipes her hand onto her apron and then answers the phone to receive my To-Go order. Sally dons "magical gloves" and begins preparing my order when she is again interrupted by the business phone. She answers the phone with her gloved hand, touches a pen, pad, countertop etc and records the next order. She hangs up the phone and continues to finish my order without changing gloves. She picks up a knife, swipes both sides onto her apron that she contaminated earlier and cuts my sandwich in half. Her cell phone beeps - it's Sally's bff sending her a funny meme. She touches her phone with gloved hands, brushes the hair out of her face, swipes right, replies, and slides her phone back into her pocket. She then picks up my sandwich without changing gloves, places it into the To-Go box. She grabs a cup to fill my drink order with her gloved index finger grasping the inside of the rim and fills my drink. But at least she was sure to leave the paper covering the tip on my straw before plunging it into the drink

For me, it's not just about the coronavirus, it's also about staph, e coli, Salmonella etc, etc, etc. Now throw COVID-19 into the mix lol. No thanks. I'm heating up my food regardless. And it's not just limited to restaurants w/proper food handling - think about why hospital acquired infections are so prevalent and let that sink in.

That's a very plausible scenario and all, but my point was that ingesting an airborne virus bacteria via food is less likely to make one sick than inhaling it or causing/allowing it to enter your body through the skin or membrane.

From the CDC website:

Quote

 

Transmission refers to the way germs are moved to the susceptible person.

Germs don’t move themselves. Germs depend on people, the environment, and/or medical equipment to move in healthcare settings.

There are a few general ways that germs travel in healthcare settings – through contact (i.e., touching), sprays and splashes, inhalation, and sharps injuries (i.e., when someone is accidentally stuck with a used needle or sharp instrument).

• Contact moves germs by touch (example: MRSA or VRE). For example, healthcare provider hands become contaminated by touching germs present on medical equipment or high touch surfaces and then carry the germs on their hands and spread to a susceptible person when proper hand hygiene is not performed before touching the susceptible person.

• Sprays and splashes occur when an infected person coughs or sneezes, creating droplets which carry germs short distances (within approximately 6 feet). These germs can land on a susceptible person’s eyes, nose, or mouth and can cause infection (example: pertussis or meningitis).

• Close range inhalation occurs when a droplet containing germs is small enough to breathe in but not durable over distance.

• Inhalation occurs when germs are aerosolized in tiny particles that survive on air currents over great distances and time and reach a susceptible person. Airborne transmission can occur when infected patients cough, talk, or sneeze germs into the air (example: TB or measles), or when germs are aerosolized by medical equipment or by dust from a construction zone (example: Nontuberculous mycobacteria or aspergillus).

• Sharps injuries can lead to infections (example: HIV, HBV, HCV) when bloodborne pathogens enter a person through a skin puncture by a used needle or sharp instrument.

 

 

https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/spread/index.html

As for the other food borne bacteria or pathogens you mentioned, I long ago accepted that germs and bacteria are just part of the world we live in and totally avoiding them is just not possible. I see these news reports about restaurants failing inspections over issues like employees not changing gloves every time they touch something, and I get the impression that in order to meet the kinds of standards people set nowadays, restaurant workers would have to spend so much time changing gloves and disinfecting surfaces, no food would ever get prepared or served.

Not being a germaphobe, I don't spend much time worrying about whether or not someone changed and threw half a dozen pairs of gloves in the trash while making my lunch order. I'm actually much more concerned with how much rubber and plastic trash is being needlessly created and materials are wasted than whether or not I get a few extra microbes on my sandwich.     

[nite owℓ]

21 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

That's a very plausible scenario and all, but my point was that ingesting an airborne virus bacteria via food is less likely to make one sick than inhaling it or causing/allowing it to enter your body through the skin or membrane.

From the CDC website:

 

https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/spread/index.html

As for the other food borne bacteria or pathogens you mentioned, I long ago accepted that germs and bacteria are just part of the world we live in and totally avoiding them is just not possible. I see these news reports about restaurants failing inspections over issues like employees not changing gloves every time they touch something, and I get the impression that in order to meet the kinds of standards people set nowadays, restaurant workers would have to spend so much time changing gloves and disinfecting surfaces, no food would ever get prepared or served.

Not being a germaphobe, I don't spend much time worrying about whether or not someone changed and threw half a dozen pairs of gloves in the trash while making my lunch order. I'm actually much more concerned with how much rubber and plastic trash is being needlessly created and materials are wasted than whether or not I get a few extra microbes on my sandwich.     

I hear ya, but there is still potential for infection after touching the same contaminated packaging/materials once you receive your order and then subconsciously touching your eyes or rubbing your nose etc afterwards. Which is why I said it's not just limited to food prep. Touch contamination is a huge mode of transmission whether it be a virus or bacteria which is why they explicitly advise to avoid touching things in public whenever possible and cleaning crews are sanitizing high traffic touch areas during this outbreak.

You're right, single-use waste is not doing our environment any favors. I'm actually okay w/maintaining short clipped clean fingernails and regular handwashing, but again that's expecting a lot from certain people. Instead of changing gloves repeatedly that is why people need to stick to one task. Chipotle makes a huge effort to have separate staff dedicated to perform separate tasks. The break down occurs when people don't understand how the process works.

[JFW657]

11 minutes ago, nite owℓ said:

I hear ya, but there is still potential for infection after touching the same contaminated packaging/materials once you receive your order and then subconsciously touching your eyes or rubbing your nose etc afterwards. Which is why I said it's not just limited to food prep. Touch contamination is a huge mode of transmission whether it be a virus or bacteria which is why they explicitly advise to avoid touching things in public whenever possible and cleaning crews are sanitizing high traffic touch areas during this outbreak.

You're right, single-use waste is not doing our environment any favors. I'm actually okay w/maintaining short clipped clean fingernails and regular handwashing, but again that's expecting a lot from certain people. Instead of changing gloves repeatedly that is why people need to stick to one task. Chipotle makes a huge effort to have separate staff dedicated to perform separate tasks. The break down occurs when people don't understand how the process works.

You are 100% correct, sir.

And that is exactly the same point I made in the first line of my first response to you.  

We are on the same page here.