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Dining Out in
Orlando: From Budget to Fine Dining
By Mark Whichard
One of the
pleasures of any vacation is trying out the cuisine of a
particular locality. If Orlando is your vacation destination
then you will have a wide choice of restaurants to choose
from. It would never be possible to give a complete survey
of the dining possibilities in Orlando or any city in only
one article but here is a sampling of low budget and high
budget restaurants that have proven popular with visitors to
Orlando.
Since I am
writing this during a time of economic recession let me
start with the low budget restaurants. These are places
where you can get a good meal but not dent your wallet too
much.
Bubbalou's Bodacious Bar-B-Cue
Ribs are the main dish
here, and this restaurant has been voted as Central
Florida’s best barbecue restaurant by readers of the
Orlando Sentinel. The food is cooked on an open pit and
there is more than just spare ribs on the menu. You can also
get barbecued chicken, lamb and smoked turkey. Beware of the
special hot sauce that is served here, it is really hot! You
can find this barbecue restaurant at: 5818 Conroy Rd.,
Orlando, FL 32819
Thai
Thani
The food here is not
native to Central Florida, but it is authentic Thai food
served up in an atmosphere that will transport you to
Thailand. If you are already a fan of Thai food then you
will want to dine at this restaurant, and if you would like
to try out Thai food to see what it is all about, then this
is a great place to do it.
Hard Rock
Cafe Orlando
If you have been to the other Hard Rock Cafes around the
world then you will know what to expect here, reasonably
priced food in a rock ‘n’ roll themed environment.
Orlando’s Hard Rock Café is located in the Universal Studios
CityWalk area and it is the biggest café of this worldwide
chain and also has the largest collection of rock
memorabilia in the entire chain. If you like munching on a
hamburger and gazing at an original guitar from one of your
rock heroes, then be sure to visit Orlando’s Hard Rock
Café.
Now let’s look at
some of the higher-end restaurants that are popular with
local residents and visitors alike.
Hemingways
As long as you
are in Florida then you might as well get into the magic of
one of Key West’s most famous residents, the writer Ernest
Hemingway. Hemingway’s is decorated with the rods and reels,
stuffed trophy fish and nautical trinkets of the writer who
gave us the classic “The Old Man and the Sea.” The cuisine
is regional and includes coconut shrimp and paella. A
typical meal will cost you about $40. The restaurant is
located at Lake Buena Vista 1 Grand Cypress Blvd
California
Grill
If you want to go
to a restaurant voted as Orlando’s most popular, then this
is the place for you. You can find it on the 15th
floor of Disney’s Contemporary Resort. The cuisine is
supervised by a famous chef, Cliffor Pleau, who is
constantly at work creating new dishes. In addition to fine
dining you also get a bird’s eye view of the entire Disney
theme park. The attire is strictly informal and you can dine
in your shorts and Disney tee shirts. The price of a typical
meal is $40.
Christini’s
As long as we are
talking about high-end dining let’s finish with a restaurant
where the prices are high even by expense-account
standards. This restaurant is known for elaborate meals and
its huge wine list. The dining takes place in an extremely
romantic setting with musicians strolling about. You will
think that you having a night out in Italy. If you want to
impress someone and can afford to spend around $50 for a
meal, then head on out to South Orlando 7600 Dr. Phillips
Blvd.
Take note of
these restaurants and give them a try when you visit
Orlando, choosing according to the ones that best fit your
taste and your budget.
Mark Whichard is an Orlando tourism
expert and writes frequently about attractions in and around
Orlando. He is the proprietor of Quality Orlando Villa
Rentals and you can get great deals on
Orlando Vacation Homes at this
website
http://www.qualityvillarentals.com
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