Orlando Restaurants & Bars

[spenser1058]

More COVID-19 closures, now including Pharmacy on Restaurant Row and the Citrus Club high atop downtown:

https://www.scottjosephorlando.com/news/5278-pharmacy-latest-to-close-due-to-infected-staff
 

From Scott J

[popsiclebrandon]

There are going to be a lot more. I know of 1 that I'm shocked hasn't closed with staff testing positive. Feels wrong of them to pretend it didn't happen but I guess we'll see what they do today/tomorrow.

[bqknight]

Don't know if already posted but there's a sign for a new Sushi place where Shari was. 

 

Mason Jar Provisions has also soft opened. Menu looks good, though a tad expensive. I love Southern food, so I'll give it a go. 

[spenser1058]

8 minutes ago, bqknight said:

Don't know if already posted but there's a sign for a new Sushi place where Shari was. 

 

Mason Jar Provisions has also soft opened. Menu looks good, though a tad expensive. I love Southern food, so I'll give it a go. 

If you like southern/soul food, Nikki’s Place on Carter St in Parramore is awesome.

[spenser1058]

As Mickey D’s gears back up post-pandemic, don’t be looking for all-day breakfast or salads to return. The goal is “blazing hot” service and the way to achieve that is streamlining the menu. As for me, I’m sticking with the gay iHOP for breakfast and BEEFY for lunch so it makes no never mind to me.

https://www.eatthis.com/mcdonalds-may-cut-all-day-breakfast/
 

From Eat This I 

[orlandoguy]

According to their FB page & email correspondence that went out to their customers, Jason’s Deli has closed their East Colonial location after 14 years. The Sodo location remains open.

[spenser1058]

20 minutes ago, orlandoguy said:

According to their FB page & email correspondence that went out to their customers, Jason’s Deli has closed their East Colonial location after 14 years. The Sodo location remains open.

I’ve never been a fan of Jason’s (once you’ve been to Ronnie’s it’s hard for any other deli to compare), but I belonged to an online group that used to do lunch every couple of weeks and it was a favorite with many of them. So, it will seem odd that it won’t be there any longer. Frankly, I wish they’d level that entire strip center (it dates to the Earl ‘60’s) and just let Target expand into food. Of course, if they do that, it probably reduces the likelihood of a small format store downtown near UCF/VD, so never mind.

[AmIReal]

A new place to clog your arteries and lighten your wallet has finally opened on Park Ave. Hopefully all the rats have left the building during the 2 year delay.

https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2020/06/22/bovine-steakhouse-opens-on-park-avenue-in-winter-park-after-more-than-two-years

[spenser1058]

2 minutes ago, AmIReal said:

A new place to clog your arteries and lighten your wallet has finally opened on Park Ave. Hopefully all the rats have left the building during the 2 year delay.

https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2020/06/22/bovine-steakhouse-opens-on-park-avenue-in-winter-park-after-more-than-two-years

PPG was a Winter Park legend for a couple of decades. It will be interesting to see how the replacement fills the bill. They appear to be quite different but then fine dining is not at all like it was in the ‘80’s these days except for a few top-end holdouts.

[popsiclebrandon]

6 hours ago, AmIReal said:

A new place to clog your arteries and lighten your wallet has finally opened on Park Ave. Hopefully all the rats have left the building during the 2 year delay.

https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2020/06/22/bovine-steakhouse-opens-on-park-avenue-in-winter-park-after-more-than-two-years

What a time to open!

Guess the rumors I keep hearing about 310 being done are probably not true if they are still growing.

[AmIReal]

9 hours ago, popsiclebrandon said:

What a time to open!

Guess the rumors I keep hearing about 310 being done are probably not true if they are still growing.

I don't see how 310 hangs on. Maybe I've just never gone at the right time, but I never see much of a crowd there.

[popsiclebrandon]

2 hours ago, AmIReal said:

I don't see how 310 hangs on. Maybe I've just never gone at the right time, but I never see much of a crowd there.

The one downtown always feels like a sad hotel/airport bar.

[orlandoguy]

For years we tried to make a go of it with the 310 on Central ... but it just smacks of mediocrity in most every single way. I think I last ate there 3 or 4 years ago. So many better options in that area.

[spenser1058]

56 minutes ago, orlandoguy said:

For years we tried to make a go of it with the 310 on Central ... but it just smacks of mediocrity in most every single way. I think I last ate there 3 or 4 years ago. So many better options in that area.

It seems like each time I go to Maxine’s, they more and more become my go-to spot. 
They worked around COVID and so far are handling distancing OK. Because of Maxine, I’m missing Dexter’s a lot less than I thought I would.

[orlandoguy]

It seems like each time I go to Maxine’s, they more and more become my go-to spot. 
They worked around COVID and so far are handling distancing OK. Because of Maxine, I’m missing Dexter’s a lot less than I thought I would.

Give a little love to The Strand on Mills. Their takeout game is on point and their servers are some of the best in the business (you might also recognize a few of their faces - behind their masks, that is). I’m getting takeout only about once a week these days, but usually it’s The Strand. [emoji1786]

[AmIReal]

14 hours ago, orlandoguy said:

Give a little love to The Strand on Mills. Their takeout game is on point and their servers are some of the best in the business (you might also recognize a few of their faces - behind their masks, that is). I’m getting takeout only about once a week these days, but usually it’s The Strand.

Absolutely the best!!! The two chefs there are totally unheralded, but are on par with the better known ones in WP.

[jack]

15 hours ago, orlandoguy said:

Give a little love to The Strand on Mills. Their takeout game is on point and their servers are some of the best in the business (you might also recognize a few of their faces - behind their masks, that is). I’m getting takeout only about once a week these days, but usually it’s The Strand.

Never been but based on these comments, I will order takeout this week. 

[AndyPok1]

Its a place I always consider but opt for elsewhere.  Guess I'll join the crowd.

[smileguy]

23 hours ago, orlandoguy said:

Give a little love to The Strand on Mills. Their takeout game is on point and their servers are some of the best in the business (you might also recognize a few of their faces - behind their masks, that is). I’m getting takeout only about once a week these days, but usually it’s The Strand.

Most of the farm-to-table movement has faded around here, but The Strand is one of the few places in town where just about everything is still locally sourced. Good enough of a reason to add it to your list!

[AmIReal]

1 hour ago, smileguy said:

Most of the farm-to-table movement has faded around here, but The Strand is one of the few places in town where just about everything is still locally sourced. Good enough of a reason to add it to your list!

Also still doing that farm to table thingy:

Elize (was Rusty Spoon) although he will reach on sourcing stuff he likes from EU (the chef is from the Netherlands)

Ravenous Pig

Orlando Meats

Prato, Luma, Luke's

Swine & Sons

I'm assuming Chefs Table, K, Smiling Bison and Soco still do but I can't confirm those

But you're right, that movement has lost steam.

[orlandoguy]

Wahlburgers has ground to a halt.

“Wahlburgers closing downtown location”

https://bungalower.com/2020/06/25/wahlburgers-closing-downtown-location/

[orlandouprise]

DT Food scene seems to be coming down in flames lately while Mills 50 is on the upswing. Sad to see this happening in DT. Seems like years of one step forward, ten steps back...

Edited June 25, 2020 by orlandouprise

[AmIReal]

And Mary's closed albeit temporarily due to employee testing positive for COVID.

https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2020/06/25/downtown-orlando-hamburger-marys-closes-temporarily-after-employee-tests-positive-for-covid-19?utm_source=featurefollow&utm_medium=home&utm_campaign=hpfeatures&utm_content=HomeTopFeature

Graffiti, whatever they called the taco place at the corner that was Kasa, Ceviche, Wahlbuger, Mary's (for now). Can't say I'll miss any of the food at those places, but I am sorry for the loss of restaurants/ businesses downtown. 

Elize is still really good, but not your normal fare for the downtown residents and really needs the business people to return to survive. I assume Kres is still going though I haven't been since all this weirdness started.  Artisan's seems on life support. 

Sad times.

Edited June 26, 2020 by AmIReal

[popsiclebrandon]

4 hours ago, orlandoguy said:

Wahlburgers has ground to a halt.

“Wahlburgers closing downtown location”

https://bungalower.com/2020/06/25/wahlburgers-closing-downtown-location/

They've been planning to close for a year or two so this was always coming.

The rest of downtown is struggling. I think anything near Orange is dead because people think of bars first there. Stubborn Mule packs them in (way more than they should right now) every night and so do a few others in the Eola area.

People get scared dealing with parking and don't want to pay for it so its not too surprising.

[bqknight]

On 6/23/2020 at 8:33 AM, AmIReal said:

I don't see how 310 hangs on. Maybe I've just never gone at the right time, but I never see much of a crowd there.

...and it's....gross. The food tastes straight out of a microwave IMO.