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Top 200 Restaurants - Central
Straub's Seafood
512 E. Altamonte Springs Drive 407/831-2250
5101 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando 407/273-9330
Chef-proprietor Rob Straub is the painstaking professional who takes all the extra steps necessary to ensure his two kitchens are regularly supplied with fresh fish -- the whole fish for filleting by his crew, be it New England scrod or Florida black grouper. Steaks are also noteworthy. Dinner: $$
Maison & Jardin
430 Wymore Road 407/862-4410
Handsomely landscaped country manse of great class with formal service to match and a menu with such standbys as filet mignon, rack of lamb, veal chop and seasonal game as well as an excellent wine cellar. Sunday brunch in season and dinner: $$$
COCOA BEACH
Bernard's Surf
2 S. Atlantic Ave. 407/783-2401
Now into its second half-century of success serving fresh seafood off its own boats, with an adjacent raw bar as casual as its spinoff on the docks of Port Canaveral. Order the catch of the day, some rock shrimp or those super succulent Calico scallops. Lunch and dinner: $
The Mango Tree
118 N. Atlantic Ave. 407/799-0513
One of the most lushly landscaped restaurant settings in the state, an enchanted garden, with more magic coming from the kitchen where the accent is on New World Cuisine. Pasta is particularly easy to recommend as are the desserts. Dinner: $$
COCOA VILLAGE
Cafe Margaux
220 Brevard Ave. 407/639-8343
Pamela and Alexander Litras are the happy owners of this little gem, polishing it to perfection and serving such surprises as coriander-roasted breast of pheasant bedded down on buckwheat blinis with red cabbage slaw, cumin-braised beef filet with pancetta-pomerol sauce and tarragon-seared sea scallops, complemented by fine wines. Lunch and dinner: $$
DELEON SPRINGS
Karling's Inn
4640 N. U.S. 17 904/985-5535
The hour drive from Orlando delivers you to another world, something in the Old Country, a cozy home where the kitchen cooks up a storm of old-fashioned flavor, be it one of the sensational schnitzels, fillets of fresh trout, roast chicken or duck. Save space for the key lime-spiked baked Alaska. Dinner: $$
LONGWOOD
Enzo's On The Lake
1130 S. Hwy. 17-92 407/834-9872
For 19 years, this lakefront Spanish-Mediterranean cottage with its fine wines and solicitous service has been building a loyal following with its tender veal creations, peerless pasta and carefully handled seafood. Lunch and Dinner: $$
MELBOURNE
Conchy Joe's Seafood
1477 Pineapple Ave., Eau Galllie Causeway 407/253-3132
Frederic Ayers is the main man here, as he is at another Joe's in Jensen Beach (3945 N. Indian River Drive; 407/334-1131), bringing breezes from the Bahamas with good conch, dirty rice and fresh fillets of fish. Lunch and dinner: $$
NEW SMYRNA BEACH
Norwood's Seafood Restaurant
400 2nd Ave. 904/428-4621
Seafood is only one of the specialties in this landmark rustic rambler. Others are the wine list, the wine shop, the mail-order business, the fact that it's the very model of a good value for the money discovery.
Lunch and dinner: $
ORLANDO
Chatham's Place
7575 Dr. Phillips Blvd. 407/345-2992
The staff is all smiles in this family-run refuge from all the theme park hoopla, and they serve great black (not the lesser gag or red) grouper, sautéed and slathered with pecan butter, and they do a super job on shrimp. Lunch and dinner: $$$
Christini's Ristoranate Italiano
7600 Dr. Phillips Blvd. 407/345-8770
There can't be a restaurant award that over-achieving proprietor Christini has not received and does not have displayed on his walls, and you'll give your own after working through the extensive, classic menu, with good wines, served by a very professional staff. Dinner: $$$
Dux
The Peabody
9801 International Drive 407/352-4000
You'll go quackers over this stunningly attractive enclave of elegance with fine offerings from the world's cuisines -- everything but duck -- presented with a good deal of fuss and finery by a fine formal staff. Dinner: $$$
La Coquina
Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort,
Lake Buena Vista 407/239-1234
Hyatt pulls out all the stops at this flagship which has the best of Sunday groaning board buffets, a well-supervised staff working in a romantic lakefront room complete with piano and a menu that breaks new ground in the New Florida sweepstakes.
Sunday brunch and dinner: $$$$
Le Coq au Vin
4800 South Orange Ave. 407/851-6980
You'll be transported to the French provinces by Louis and Magadalena Perrotte, he whisking out back and she pleasing the happy guests with great élan serving the namesake chicken in wine, braised rabbit, rack of lamb with rosemary-freckled potatoes and bronzed grouper. Lunch and dinner: $$
Le Provence Bistro Francais
50 E. Pine St. 407/843-1320
Two-story space with upfront lounge and Lyon native chef Laurent Carillon out back in command of a menu bristling with almond-crusted snapper in a fine red pepper sauce, Florida lobster on a bed of risotto, roasted veal chop and special crème br?lée.
Dinner: $$
Manuel's on the 28th
Barnett Bank Building
390 N. Orange Ave. 407/246-6580
The name honors the father of super-restaurateur Manuel Garcia who brought us all the peerless Pebbles group, and it's a capstone creation with impeccable service and a menu that defines what much of Contemporary World Cuisine is all about. Excellent wines. Dinner: $$$$
Nicole St. Pierre
1300 S. Orlando Ave, Maitland 407/647-7575
George and Monique Vogelbacher moved into this distinctive old house after their Cordon Bleu burned down in Winter Park, and they're performing the same superlative Swiss services, front room and back, with great breads and good wines.
Lunch and dinner: $$$
Parramore House Cafe
625 Main St., Windermere 407/876-5666
New American Cuisine as interpreted by chef-owner Peirce Bingham who salutes his fresh catch of the night with three citrus sauces, his salmon with blueberry boosted peach brandy and his New Zealand lamb with New Zealand kiwi. Lunch and dinner: $$
Pebbles
2516 Aloma Ave., Winter Park 407/678-7001
17 W. Church St., Orlando 407/839-0892
2110 W. S.R.434, Longwood 407/774-7111
12551 S.R. 535, Lake Buena Vista 407/827-1111
Marvelous Manuel Garcia, a marathon runner on the side, masterminded this mini-chain, a fine-value-for-the-money clump of cafes where the friendly professionalism of the wait staff is emphasized, the wine list is select and the kitchen creates a bounty of boredom-breakers. Lunch and dinner: $$
Sergio's Fine Italian Cuisine
355 N. Orange Ave. 407/428-6162
Sergio is none other than ma?tre d'Arunas Subatis and Swiss-born chef Fred Nater, partners in one of the best Italian grande ristorantes in the land. Chicken, veal and seafood are given special treatments and the wine list is a wonder. Lunch and dinner: $$$
ORMOND BEACH
La Crepe En Haut
142 E. Granada Blvd. 904/673-1999
There's far more than Breton pancakes in this gem and at night the pancakes are strictly for dessert, served after entrees of filet mignon, shrimp and scallops or the signature fritata crabcake.
Lunch and dinner: $$
SATELLITE BEACH
The Dove Restaurant
1790 Hwy. A1A 407/777-5817
This bird is really an eagle, flying high in the Italian sky, pointing the way to excellent pastabilities, very good shrimp creations and a zuppa de pesce assemblage of seafood that's sensational. Very friendly service and good wines.
Lunch and dinner: $$
TITUSVILLE
Dixie Crossroads
1475 Garden St. 407/268-5000
The long lines usually stacked up here tell you something. Here's a terrific value for the money hideaway that's serving superlative rock shrimp, good grouper and fried mullet in the most honest of settings.
Lunch and dinner: $
WALT DISNEY WORLD
California Grill
Contemporary Resort 407/824-1576
Penthouse panorama of Magic Kingdom is as dramatic as what's being prepared in the delightful display kitchen where top Disney toques bring the West Coast to the East using California imports and California culinary breakthroughs for a shifting menu accompanied by California wines. Dinner: $$
Victoria & Albert's
Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
407/939-3463
With superior everything, a changed-daily menu, chef's table for those who want to watch Mickey's master chefs in action and great wine list, this is the most expensive Disney World restaurant on any campus. And worth every penny!
Dinner: $$$$
WINTER PARK
Maison Des Crepes
348 Park Ave. N. 407/647-4469
An always-fresh surprise tucked into the avenue's hidden garden and featuring fine salads, excellent spinach soufflé, good seafood and soups and, of course, a tempting array of crepes filled with sweets and savories.
Lunch and dinner: $$
Park Plaza Gardens
319 S. Park Ave. 407/645-2475
Neatly landscaped, glassed-in courtyard with courteous service and a menu bristling with Dijon-zapped rack of lamb, pork chops splashed with Calvados and horseradish-coated salmon with good garlic kissed mashed potatoes.
Lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch: $$$
Business Beat - Week of May 10th
