La Provence Artisanal French Bakery & Cafe, South Beach, FL

 

La Provence Artisanal French Bakery & Cafe on Urbanspoon

 

Food: ☆☆☆

Service: ☆

Ambiance: ☆☆

Cost: $$

Dishes not to miss: Breakfast sandwiches, pastries

 

La Provence  is a great breakfast spot right in the midst of South Beach, FL. You will always find a long line at their counter for it’s readymade bakery items such as pastries and cakes. It also serves a decent breakfast featuring sandwiches, quiches, and eggs in many styles.
 
La Provence boasts as being an authentic French bakery – I don’t know how fine the food is but the attitude is certainly French! Customer service and politeness is not on their to-do list for sure!

However, for the offerings it has, that hardly makes a difference. La Provence offers an awesome break from the beach, for a quick bite and a good cup of coffee at an affordable price point.

 

Here is some of what we ate:

 

Breakfast Sandwich

 

Eggs Benedict

 

Croque-Madame

 

Fresh Fruit Tart

 

Royal Chocolate Cake

Share
Restaurant Information


* Restaurant Name
La Provence
* Overall
★★★☆☆
* Neighborhood / Cuisine
French
* Street Address
1629 Collins Avenue , Miami Beach, FL 33139
* Phone
(305) 538-2406
Share

The Delano Hotel, South Beach, FL: Food

 

 

 

Food: ☆☆ ½

Service: ☆☆☆ 

Ambiance: ☆☆☆ ☆ 

Cost: $$$

Dishes not to miss: Eggs Benedict, Fried Spicy Shrimp

 

South Beach, Miami, is the ultimate party destination. In choosing where to stay, I would highly recommend the Delano Hotel, a gorgeous boutique hotel in South Beach, Miami. Continue reading

Share

Lario’s on the Beach, South Beach, FL

 

 

Larios on the Beach on Urbanspoon

 

Food: ☆ ½

Service: ☆☆

Ambiance: ☆☆

Cost: $$

Dishes not to miss: Cuban sandwich

 

All foodies…beware of dinning on Ocean Drive in South Beach, Miami!

I didn’t listen…. I figured with all the hype about Lario’s being Gloria Estefan’s Cuban eatery – how bad could it possibly be.

It was really really bad!! This place is a classic tourist trap!

 

Lario’s is a great place to hang out at to knock back a few drinks and swing your hips to the booming Latin beats as the place turns into a makeshift salsa club. But if its good eats you are looking then this is not the place for you.

At Lario’s……the rhythm is gonna get you…not the food!!

 

Here is some of what we ate:

 

Enchilada De Camaron shrimp cuban criolla

Sándwich Cubano

Pescado A La Plancha

Frijoles Negros with Maduros (fried sweet plantains with cup of black beans)

 

Share
Restaurant Information


* Restaurant Name
Larios On The Beach
* Overall
★★☆☆☆
* Neighborhood / Cuisine
Cuban
* Street Address
1300 Ocean Dr , Miami Beach, FL 33139
* Phone
(305) 532-9577
Share

Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, Miami, FL


 
Michael's Genuine Food & Drink on Urbanspoon

 

Food: ☆☆☆☆ 1/2

Service: ☆☆☆☆☆

Ambiance: ☆☆☆

Cost: $$$

Dishes not to miss: Pan Onion fried chips, Heirloom tomato salad with burrata, Tangerine creamsicle pot de creme
 

Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink is possibly one of the best food experiences Miami has to offer. Set in the funky Design District, Chef/Owner Michael Schwartz has created a casual bistro, which is an ode to “Genuine Food & Drink”.

Michael Schwartz is a leader in the farm to table movement and was recently awarded the prestigious 2010 James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: South.

Schwartz’s passion for the freshest, finest ingredients is evident in the truly superb fare he has to offer. Each dish is composed in honor of every component that has been utilized. The results are just divine.

I love that there are no pretensions here. People come here to enjoy simple New American, ingredient-driven cuisine at really affordable prices and I’m all about that!

 

Here is some of what we ate:

 

THICK CUT POTATO CHIPS WITH PAN FRIED ONION DIP

 

LOCAL HEIRLOOM TOMATO SALAD WITH BURRATA

 

SHITAKE MUSHROOM WITH CAVE AGED GRUYERE PIZZA

 

PAN ROASTED POULET ROUGE CHICKEN WITH WOOD ROASTED ASPARAGUS

 

FRESH CHOPPED SALAD WITH GRILLED SWORDFISH

 

CHOCOLATE CREMOSO

 

TANGERINE CREAMSICLE POT de CRÈME

Share
Restaurant Information


* Restaurant Name
Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink
* Overall
★★★☆☆
* Neighborhood / Cuisine
American New / American Traditional
* Street Address
130 Northeast 40th Street , Miami, FL 33137
* Phone
(305) 573-5550
Share

Casa Tua, South Beach, FL

 

Casa Tua on Urbanspoon

 

Food: ☆☆ ½

Service: ☆☆

Ambiance: ☆☆☆☆

Cost: $$$$

Dishes not to miss: Seared Lamb Chops

 

Casa Tua, is a delightful Italian-style eatery in the heart of South Beach, which is set in a gorgeous Mediterranean-style house/ hotel. This restaurant flows through various parts of the house, where each area is decorated with intimate elegance. We dined in the charming outdoor garden area.
 
Casa Tua lived up to my expectations in its ambience and charm but disappointed when it came to service and food. Most of the dishes just failed to impress. The seared lamb chops was the one dish that really stood out but the rest of the food fell rather flat. The service was rather unimpressive too. At a place like this, you expect to be indulged in every way – no such luck here.

For the price point and the hype, I really think Casa Tua was unsuccessful at reaching its true potentiality.

Here is some of what we ate:

 

SEARED LAMB CHOP

 

RICOTTA CAVATELLI


 

TAGLIOLINI WITH MAINE LOBSTER WHITE ASPARAGUS SAUCE


 

WARM CHOCOLATE MELTDOWN


 

ROSEMARY CRÈME BRULEE


 

VANILLA PANNA COTTA

 

 

Share
Restaurant Information


* Restaurant Name
Casa Tua
* Overall
★★★☆☆
* Neighborhood / Cuisine
Italian
* Street Address
1700 James Ave , Miami Beach, FL 33139
* Phone
(305) 673-1010
Share

THE POLYNESIAN AT DISNEY WORLD, Orlando, Florida


The Polynesian is Disney’s island style resort where little adventures lurk in every nook and cranny. The landscapes of this hotel are rather impressive with a volcano style pool, the jungle atmosphere and a little beach to lounge around in.

The lobby is a flurry of activity where you might find a group of residents doing the hula to island beats or others just enjoying the gorgeous waterfall and greenery that adorns this space.

The Polynesian offers a few choices for dinning and thought we missed the popular “Luau” dinner we did have breakfast at the following spots. The food is very average but the wonderful servers more than make up for that.

 

Continue reading

Share

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS – SEUSS LANDING, Orlando, Florida

 

 

 

SEUSS LANDING
1000 Universal Studios Plaza
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 363-8000

 

Hats off to universal for truly capturing the spirit of Dr Seuss. This cheery land is beyond adorable.

You really feel like you have stepped into anyone of the crazy worlds that he created.

Characters like the Cat in the Hat, the Grinch and Thing 1 and thing 2 are all around doing cute little shows.




Continue reading

Share

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal: Food, Orlando, Florida

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
8504 Universal Blvd
Orlando, FL 32819



With two kids who are obsessed with Harry Potter, we had to hit the brand new Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal this past summer. It was a wonder for the kids to see one of their favorite stories come to life. They have done a great job of Hogwarts but I found everything was made a little too small – I think they grossly underestimated the popularity of this world. In any case here are some of the food spots we hit whilst at Harry Potter world.


Continue reading

Share

Boma at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, Orlando, Florida



Boma - Flavors of Africa on Urbanspoon

Continue reading

Share

Animal Kingdom – Food, Orlando, Florida

  

This might just be my favorite Disney theme park. Animal Kingdom has been fashioned with utmost care. Its Disney brilliance a its best.

They truly have managed to recreate an authentic, nostalgic  feeling of Asia and Africa, right here the USA.

I really enjoyed soaking up the great attention to details that every little tea stand and food stall has been done with.

Here are some of my favorites ( more about the aesthetics than the food).


Continue reading

Share

EPCOT: FOOD, Orlando, Florida



Epcot is my lifeline when it comes to food.With all the countries represented in the World Showcase, you have to figure there are some decent meals to be had.

I always try and schedule Epcot towards the middle of our trip because by that time I’m really hankering for anything ethnic. For me spice is quintessential to my survival. When I reach Epcot, the very first thing I do is head to Mexico to the indoor market place to buy me some kicking habanero sauce. This stuff is seriously potent – I mean a 9 on the Richter scale of heat. Once I’m armed with this sauce – any bad meal can be turned into passable as long as it is doused in this heavenly hot sauce!

My favorite Epcot World Showcase food spots are the Tangerine Café in Morocco, Yakitori House in Japan and a semi decent meal at San Angel Inn. The very worst are in the UK – The Fish and Chips place and Lotus Blossom Café in China ( it really is despicable food). France offers a nice little dessert stop off at its Patisserie and China has a nice little tea stand which offers some interesting teas to cool you off.

 

Here are some of the restaurant I tried:

 

SAN ANGEL INN

San Angel Inn on Urbanspoon

  

 

TANGERINE CAFÉ

 




YAKITORI HOUSE

 


Yakitori House on Urbanspoon

 

NINE DRAGONS

 Nine Dragons Restaurant on Urbanspoon

 

LOTUS BLOSSOM CAFÉ

Lotus Blossom Café on Urbanspoon

 

 

TUTTO ITALIA RISTORANTE

Tutto Italia Ristorante on Urbanspoon

San Angel Inn Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Tangierine Café Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Share

1900 PARK FARE AT THE GRAND FLORIDIAN AT DISNEY WORLD, Orlando, Florida

 

 


 
1900 Park Fare on Urbanspoon
 

Continue reading

Share

NARCOOSSEES AT THE GRAND FLORIDIAN AT DISNEY WORLD, Orlando, Florida

 

Narcoossee's on Urbanspoon

Narcoossees is the extremely popular seafood restaurant at the Grand Floridian. The setting is very charming as it overlooks the lagoon and is a great spot to watch the fireworks at Magic Kingdom from. One can also catch the night-lights show on the lagoon.

Narcoossees is one of the fine dinning restaurants that the Grand Floridian offers. The price points are high and in my opinion the food does not live up to the hype. The scallops was the best dish of the night and their desserts were pretty good but other than that nothing impressed me. Next time, I’d save my Disney dollars and spend them elsewhere

Here is some of what we ate:

 

 

Crab Cakes

 

Crab Salad

 

 

Steamed Whole Maine Lobster

 

Scallops

 

Crab-Crusted Mahi Mahi

 

Grilled Filet Mignon

 

 

Warm Chocolate-Almond Gateau

 

 

Strawberry Shortcake 

Share
Restaurant Information


* Restaurant Name
Narcoossee’s
* Overall
★★★☆☆
* Neighborhood / Cuisine
American New / American Traditional
* Street Address
4401 Grand Floridian , Orlando, FL 32830
* Phone
(407) 939-3463
Share
Share

THE GRAND FLORIDIAN CAFE AT THE GRAND FLORIDIAN AT DISNEY WORLD, Orlando, Florida

 

Grand Floridian Cafe on Urbanspoon

The Grand Floridian Café is a casual café, which offers a nice relaxed setting for those who would like to have more leisurely, sit down meals.

The food is reasonably good – a shade better than Gasparilla Grill. I would recommend trying the Lobster Eggs Benedict for breakfast.

The service is a little slow but the servers are very charming and friendly. They spend a good amount of time chatting you up which is a quintessential part of the phenomenal Disney service. So if you are in a hurry to hit the theme parks and don’t want to dwell on your meals, the Grand Floridian Café may not be an ideal choice.

 

Here is some of what we ate:

 

PANCAKES


STEAK AND EGGS



 

LOBSTER EGGS BENEDICT

 

 

TWO EGGS WITH BACON AND HOME FRIES

 
Share
Restaurant Information


* Restaurant Name
Grand Floridian Café
* Overall
★★★☆☆
* Neighborhood / Cuisine
American Traditional
* Street Address
4401 Grand Floridian Way , Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
* Phone
(407) 824-3000
Share
Share

GASPARILLA GRILL & GAMES AT THE GRAND FLORIDIAN AT DISNEY WORLD, Orlando, Florida

 

Gasparilla Grill and Games on Urbanspoon
 


Gasparilla Grill is the essential, informal, hang out spot for any family with young kids. It’s a casual cafeteria style; self serve café, which offers a reasonable range of quick foods

The offerings at Gasparilla Grill are superior to the regular hot dog and chicken nugget menu that you get at most kid friendly restaurants. They have a nice selection of hot foods served at each meal and a fresh sandwich bar. They also have a host of cold foods that include sushi, wraps and salads.

Gasparilla Grill is a great option for those who want to eat quickly and get to the theme parks on time.

 

Here is some of what we ate:


 

BREAKFAST PLATTER

PANCAKES



HAMBURGER



FLORIDIAN TURKEY CLUB



 

LASAGNA


Share
Restaurant Information


* Restaurant Name
Gasparilla Grill and Games
* Overall
★★☆☆☆
* Neighborhood / Cuisine
American Traditional
* Street Address
4401 Floridian Way , Orlando, FL 32830
* Phone
(407) 824-3000
Share
Share

THE GRAND FLORIDIAN AT DISNEY WORLD, Orlando, Florida



The Grand Floridian is the grandest of resorts within Disney World. The old world, elegant charm it exudes is unmatched.

The lobby is my favorite spot to hang out in where you can sit and soak in the enchanting ambiance. It’s not unusual to find Cinderella and Prince Charming taking a whimsical stroll through the hotel lobby whispering sweet nothing to each other.

  

 

In my opinion, the Grand Floridian offers some of the better food choices within the theme parks and neighboring hotels. They have plenty of restaurants to choose from which cover a good range of price points and sophistication.

 

Here are a few that we tried:


 

GASPRILLA GRILL & GAMES



THE GRAND FLORIDIAN CAFE




NARCOOSSEES



1900 PARK FARE


Share

MAGIC KINGDOM – CINDERELLA’S ROYAL TABLE BREAKFAST AT DISNEY WORLD, Orlando, Florida

 

Food:

Service: ☆☆

Ambiance: ☆☆☆

Cost: $$$

 

Cinderella's Royal Table on Urbanspoon

Getting a seat at Cinderella’s Royal Table is one of the toughest ticket in town!

You really do have to book a few months in advance to get a seat at this table.

I guess in Disney terms – it is the ultimate destination – dinning at the Cinderella’s castle. The room has a lot of old world charm – you really do feel like you are dinning at the castle (which in fact you are!). After all it is all about location, location, location!

 

The food is possibly the worst breakfast I have had at any of these dinning experiences but no one (other than me) goes there for the food. With Cinderella and her barrage of princess friends who keep showing up to entertain their tiny guests, one stays distracted enough from what is going in the mouth.

Do call a few weeks ahead and make reservation at 1-407-WDW-DINE or book online, as last minute reservations can be difficult.


Here is some of what we ate:


Bacon, eggs and french toast


Share

Magic Kingdom – Food, Orlando, Florida

Do not go to Magic Kingdom expecting cuisine. There is none!

Most of the restaurants at Magic offer the standard theme park fare.Here are a few of the restaurants that we visited whilst on our trip.

I liked Pecos Bill’s Tall Tale Inn in Frontier land – mostly because they have an amazing fixing’s bar. You could create an entire meal for yourself just off of their fixings bar. I really enjoyed making myself many rounds of yummy salads.

Columbia harbor house was another place that served pretty decent food. Their sandwiches were pretty good and they served a good fried shrimp basket.

Tony’s Town Square is very popular but in my opinion might be some of the worst Italian I have eaten recently but I guess its important to remember that with all the fun things to do, who really has time to care too much about the food? (other than me!!)

Here is some of what we ate:

 

Continue reading

Share