It's Time to Wine Down - Urban Flats

Urban Flats on Sand Lake Road is a wonderful new addition to the traditional upscale dining in the Dr. Phillips area.  Not your average restaurant, Urban Flats has an attitude, and a bar crowd to follow. 

The location rocks, in Via Dellagio, overlooking the road in a way that makes you forget that you are looking at a street.  Inside is huge, with tall ceilings and floor to ceiling glass seemingly everywhere.  The light is just right, with fancy low-lit drop lights surrounding the inside bar. 

Wednesday is the night to visit.  Wine Down Wednesday is what Urban Flats is famous for, and the night I went did not disappoint.  From 5 - 8 pm and $20, you can drink yourself silly and snack on appetizers and flatbreads. 

The crowd was extensive and well dressed.  With a dj posing under a large piece of art, it felt, well, Urban.  Great tunes and wine flowing ever so easily, was it a haze that I saw inside or the wooziness of the unlimited wine.  Let's just note this:  getting close to the food was hard, so I forgot about it. Oooops.

If you do get a change to eat at Urban Flats, the flatbreads are great, and try the Hummus Sampler.  It is so yummy, with two types of hummus and an olive tapanade.  I had a Cesaer Salad Flatbread, which was great! Having not been to an Urban Flats in a few years, and several bad food experiences at the downtown location, I was incredibly suprised.  This is some great food!

Most of the Wine Down crowd is inside, but if you check out the exterior bar area, it's a little quieter and still has a nice crowd.  With tables scattered around and a gorgeous wrap-around granite bar area, it's more comfortable outside than in.  Imagining a hot night with upscale rhythms playing, I can already see the summer social scene.  This is not your average happy hour, this is a whole new twist on an old rite of passage. 

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Urban-Flats-Flatbread-and-Wine-Co/154030353727?ref=ts

Downtown Orlando Farmer's Market

Downtown Orlando Farmer's Market

Every Sunday local farmers and vendors come together to offer their products for sale in Lake Eola Park.  Enjoy great food vendors, photography, jewelry, and local farmers selling fresh organic vegetables, homemade pastas, and more.  The veggies are the best part - you can by in small amounts and feel good about supporting local farmers.  Not to mention, they are delicious!  Starting at 10 a.m., don't bother to eat first because there are food vendors selling everything from Jamaican Jerk Patties to Arepas to

fresh popped kettle corn.  It's all very yummy and a great way to spend a Sunday morning.

Le Cafe de Paris

Le Cafe de Paris is a quaint little bistro on Dr. Phillips Boulevard and is owned by Claude and Chantal from Metz, France. Charming, friendly, and comfortable, you will always feel like family when you visit Claude and Chantal at their mom and pop Parisian cafe. It almost feels like they are welcoming you into their own home, as Chantal runs around, both manning the register and cooking all of the dishes. You can tell by speaking with her that she loves this restaurant. Her heavy French accent and pronunciation is what really drives home the feeling that you have stepped outside of Orlando and landed in a small cafe in a French town. "Bonjour!" she exclaims as you walk in the door, and instantly I feel cultured. I have visions of baguettes and brie and rich red wine and somehow paint a picture of me strolling the streets of Paris. But don't get confused, there is nothing extravagant or outlandish about Le Cafe de Paris. It is a small hole in the wall, with a few interior tables and some sidewalk seating. It is the family charm that makes this place a great lunch spot. There are many women sitting together, catching up over a pressed sandwich and talking. One sitting alone reading and sipping an espresso. And all the while Claude is wandering around smiling, making sure that you are doing ok.


The food is simple and delicious. I personally am obsessed with Brie, so the Parisian sandwich is my absolute favorite. It is simple, and amazing. Brie, tomatoes, and butter all melted together on Panini-style bread. I choose a double espresso and head out the sidewalk seating to enjoy the beautiful sunshine. All the while I am wishing I could tell everyone how great and peaceful this afternoon is.


There are select menu items, all of which look great. I have tried a few, and am anxious to try more. Daily baked goods like croissants, baguettes, quiches, soup du jour, and special entrées to delight yourself. This is a place that you will have to show up, because there is no website or online info, so head on in. If you do, be sure to say bonjour and bon appétit.

UnHappy Hour - Big Fin Seafood Kitchen

Big Fin Seafood Kitchen - it was, well, just ok.  Located in Dr. Phillips, Big Fin a newer restaurant in the Villa Dellagio Plaza.  Nestled in next door to Flemings and Cantina Laredo, I really believed that this was going to be a great place to go. Let me be clear, we were only there for Happy Hour.  Dinner not included...

Inside is nice, with checkered red and white table cloths and big crabby signs, but it's the Bar-a-Cuda bar that I attended during a Friday night Happy Hour.  Don't get me wrong, the outside bar area is enticing, and as always the views of the Dr. Phillips sunsets were great.  Armed with my team of girlfriends and fellow Happy Hour goers, we were ready for some wine specials and seafood appetizers.  The only problem was that there weren't any seats and the clientele was a bit snotty.  Seriously, this is Happy Hour people. Let's have some wine and relax!

After negotiating a table, we ordered some appetizers from the 5 for a Fin menu.  We were enticed by the Popcorn Shrimp, Spicy Tuna Roll and Crispy Calamari.  Our waiter was unique.  I am trying to be as nice as possible about his unprofessional behavior.  We had started with a tab at the bar, but since we couldn't sit and no one was very polite, we snagged a table.  Our waiter was kind enough to tell me that it was my problem and not an issue for him at all that I already started a tab.  I would just have two tabs. Great.

His hospitality went downhill from here.  Maybe I would have found my experience to have had a greater value if it wasn't for him, but nothing seemed to be cutting it.  Our appetizers were ok.  Expecting full size appetizers that had merely been discounted for the specials menu, I can assure you that is not what we got.  This was the opposite of super sized, this was child sized portions.  I understand that a $5 menu at a higher end restaurant is low, but I wanted to eat more than a bite of each item. 

I guess if I had known the portions would be so small, I would have opened up my pocket to splurge on an actual meal.  But I thought we were going to be given a deal. I was so wrong.

I dare not make judgement on how the food might be, as I never really tried anything.  The dining menu looks great, and if you are interested in trying all different kinds of seafood, I would suggest trying it.  They seem to have everything from Oysters to Sushi to lobster. 

In the end, I hope to go back sometime with only the intention to drop some serious cash on a (hopefully) really nice dinner.  But as for Happy Hour, I might be sailing in another direction.

http://bigfinseafood.com/index.html

Rat Pack Meets Sex & The City

"Rat Pack Meets Sex & The City..."

That's how the Executive Chef explained this divine restaurant to me when I asked about Ocean Prime in Dr. Phillips. These few words and I was hooked - I had to try this exclusive experience.

And into my life walks the Blu Lounge...

To say that I was not disappointed would be an understatement. The location is prime...no pun intended. Nestled into the newer section of "restaurant row" with surround hot spots like J Alexander and Bar Louie, even the outside looks enticing.

The lounge area is very open, lots of floor-to-ceiling glass and blue lighting accenting the soulful mood: my first thought is...South Beach. It's calm, hip, dignified, and sassy. The clientele is high end and everyone is seemingly well dressed and accomplished. I have fallen in love at first sight.

Ocean Prime is known for their signature drink Berries and Bubbles. It is amazing. Delicious. Smokin'...seriously. With Belvedere Citrus Vodka, marinated blackberries, house made sour, and Domaine Chandon Brut - it's not just the bubbly that is creating the frenzy, there is actually dry ice used it this exotic concoction. At $14 a pop, you might want to try this specialty at happy hour (Prime Hour). It's worth the drive to experience it.

Prime Hour is the Ocean's way of creating a twist to your regular Happy Hour. It is the way to try the appetizers without having to wait for special occasions or only visit occasionally. Check out the Prime Hour menu for more info. And be sure to try the fondue.

All in all, this is my favorite spot yet. The atmosphere is different, the drinks are cool, and the crowd is upscale. Two thumbs up.

Oh yeah, and the drinks are smokin'.

Spice Steakhouse - Downtown Orlando

I really don't know where to begin about Spice Steakhouse on Lake Eola. First of all, their website doesn't tell you anything. They have great specials, including Happy Hour Monday through Friday from 3-7pm and again from 9pm to close. Do they tell you that? Nope. I happened to be walking around Lake Eola and noticed a small sign out front. I have dined there before, for brunch or lunch, but always aspired to be apart of the bar crowd. Little did I know - they do not have a bar crowd.

So there we are, a happening Friday night and the girls are there. We are waiting for a table so we belly up to the bar for a full price bev - since we got there early. There is literally no one else there at the bar. The tables, however, are full. Full of couples having a quiet dinner for two. Note: couples don't talk to G.N.O. participants. It's like being a traitor to your kind. You stick with your "couple". Booohooo.

The wine was good - the brie and tuna wontons were even better. Unique, tasty, just enough. The Baked Brie en Croute came with great fruits (strawberries, blueberries, apples) and a strawberry dip. Creamy and delightful. The Tuna Wonton's were seared tuna on a fried wonton.

The tiki torches and low lighting gave you the feeling of a vacation away somewhere exotic. There was a low humm of chatting in the background and the beautiful people were dining - in away that us normal people don't understand. We watch. We pretend we get it. We really don't.

Overall, if you want to have a great meal with your honey, this is your place. Just don't go for Girls Night Out. Consider yourself warned.

A New Year's Resolution Gone Viral

Businesses in Orlando - please send me an answer! WHY DON'T YOU HAVE A WEBSITE? Or, if you have a website - WHY DON'T YOU GIVE YOUR CUSTOMERS SOME INFORMATION ON YOUR WEBSITE? This is where this two fold hobby for 2010 began for me. (I'm going to vent and scream and rant and rave and praise here...).

First, I decided to make 2010 a great year, and my resolution is to eat out more. I know, I know, most people try to lose weight or get married - not me! I want to strengthen my friendships and meet new people all while trying all the places I either have never been, or want to go back to. Ta Da! A resolution was born. Now lets put it into action...

So I start the planning phase - who has specials, when are they, what kind of events do they have, and lets get started. Wrong...

Half the places didn't have a website. WHAT?!!!!!!!!!!!! The other half had out of date and uninformative sites. WHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY? Were they hiding under a rock? Did they not remember that the whole world is tuning in and this is a cheap/free way to reach LOTS of people? Somehow they have missed the memo. Whoa.

So here I am - lost and looking for a plan. Wanting information - not sure how to get it. Now I have it all figured out. I am going to give it to you. Every week I will be going to new places and writing about my adventure, and also posting great specials and info about the area.

So here it is - the good, the bad, and the ugly. Hope to see you all out there along the way. =)

Got Kissed at Yellow Dog Eats

The owners name is Fish. That should be your first indication that this is not your regular run of the mill lunch spot. Located in the Windermere/Gotha area of west Orange County, Yellow Dog Eats does not disappoint. It has the "I just discovered an awesome secret" feeling to it, even from the outside. Located in what appears to be an old house, Yellow Dog is funky from the start. Old Florida streets and hanging moss trees, crazy signs and homemade hot sauces (something about a "fire butt"), you are greeted by the man himself, Fish Morgan. He tells you all about the menu - even mentions that "dude, my friend caught the mahi yesterday, it's awesome."

With wraps, salads and pulled pork BBQ, the menu is different and cool. Names are unique, such as Are You a Chicken? Salad to the Buffalo Soldier wrap, it is fun to order. I had an organic beer, because who doesn't enjoy a weird beer for a unique lunch?

We ate outside (with fellow friend and foodie Molly), with millions of signs and an eclectic variety of diners. Shortly into our meal, Fish himself came outside to announce to all the regulars that we had a couple of F.N.G's. To my surprise, he was talking about us, and we were the "Freaking new girls". And then it happened. He KISSED me on the cheek with a big hug to welcome me to his restaurant. Can't say that ever happened to me at Chili's!

There's something to be said about a small town restaurant with a personality. The food was good, made with a lot of love. The atmosphere rocks and the little store inside has all the little things you would want - home made hot sauce, wine, cool extras.

I suggest checking out their website, because unlike the mainstream places around Orlando, Fish actually tells you everything you need to know on his. http://www.yellowdogeats.com/

Definitely a place to check out. You might even get kissed!