Orlando Vic's Profile
Saturday in St. Augustine -- 1 day only
First, have you seen this link and reviewed these recommendations?
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/571304?tag=sidebar%3brelated_boards_small
Also, see:
http://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/st-augustine-restaurant.cfm
Give us a little more detail. How do you define "killer, unique"? What is your budget?
Anything especially good on the ride from Jacksonville to Gainesville?
Emiliano's Cafe in Gainesville http://www.emilianoscafe.com/index.html comes to mind, although I haven't been there in years.
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Emiliano's Cafe
7 SE 1st Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601
Food Shops & Seafood in St. Augustine
Very good low end restaurants where you can be sloppy:
O'Steens
(Perhaps the best shrimp in town. ZERO ambiance, no reservations, reasonable prices)
http://tinyurl.com/2qtxgd
Barnacle Bill's
(Very good shrimp, reasonable prices, family atmosphere)
http://www.barnaclebillsonline.com/
St. Augustine, FL Restaurants
spartan_dawg, this is too late for your trip, but some future travelers may be interested.
Here are my restaurant recommendations, based solely on my personal preferences... and 18+ years of enjoying their cuisine:
Collage http://www.collagestaug.com/ is possibly the best restaurant in town and special occasion quality. Check out their tripadvisor reviews: http://tinyurl.com/mjjxol
Old City House http://www.oldcityhouse.com/
Outstanding breakfasts and dinners. Located just steps away from the Casa Monica.
The Raintree http://www.raintreerestaurant.com/
The Reef
The food is very good, particularly the seafood, and the ocean views are even better. Be sure to arrive before sunset (or for Sunday brunch) for best views. Request a window table when making your reservation.
Saltwater Cowboys
(My personal favorite for ambiance and value combined)
Gypsy Cab Co.
Creekside Dinery http://www.creeksidedinery.com/rest.html
Le Pavillion
Honorable mention
O'Steens
(Perhaps the best shrimp in town. ZERO ambiance, no reservations, reasonable prices)
http://tinyurl.com/2qtxgd
Barnacle Bill's
(Very good shrimp, reasonable prices, family atmosphere)
http://www.barnaclebillsonline.com/
You'll notice that I did not mention the Columbia restaurant. IMO, their food is good, but not as good as any of the other restaurants I have mentioned.
Also, it is somewhat of a tourist trap and one of about 6-8 other Columbia's around the state. This may qualify them as a chain restaurant. I know a lot of people eat there, but the other restaurants I have given you are all better.
For Lunch: Café Alcazar (25 Granada St, Saint Augustine, FL 32084-4387) is a true hidden gem…and is definitely off the main tourist path. It is a small restaurant located in what was once the deep end of the world's largest indoor swimming pool, now the Lightener Museum building. The food is quite good (I love their curried chicken salad.) and the atmosphere is absolutely unique and very conducive to conversation. They don't take reservations and only serve lunch. If you have trouble finding them, you can phone them at 904-824-7813. Check out their Trip Advisor reviews: .
Foodie Fare from New Smyrna to St. Augustine
Looking for a romantic restaurant? If, by "romantic", you mean small, warm and intimate with superb yet unpretentious service and an imaginative and eclectic menu, then I have the perfect choice for you. It is not only a "special occasion" restaurant, it is "Valentines Day" quality and more. The restaurant is Collage in St. Augustine . We first tried Collage in mid-December of 2008. My wife had a house salad of fresh baby greens with orange balsamic vinaigrette, while I started with a tomato & basil soup. She had fresh black grouper, lightly coated in a parmesan, pecan & brown sugar crust then baked, finished with a buerre blanc. I had the duck breast with scallops, pan-seared crispy, thinly sliced and finished with a raspberry and shallot redux, a fried vidalia onion nest and two large scallops" poached in apple cider. It is strictly a special occasion restaurant...and pricey, but the portions are very generous and the quality was superb! That particular evening was not a true special occasion for us, but Collage made it so!
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Collage Restaurant
60 Hypolita St, Saint Augustine, FL 32084
St augustine Fl
Here are my restaurant recommendations, based solely on my personal preferences... and 18 years of enjoying their cuisine:
Old City House http://www.oldcityhouse.com/
Outstanding breakfasts and dinners. Located just steps away from the Casa Monica.
The Raintree http://www.raintreerestaurant.com/
Collage
http://www.collagestaug.com/
60 Hypolita St., St. Augustine, FL, 32082
Phone: 904/829-0055
Probably the best restaurant in St. Augustine, bar none!
The Reef
The food is very good, particularly the seafood, and the ocean views are even better. Be sure to arrive before sunset (or for Sunday brunch) for best views. Request a window table when making your reservation.
Saltwater Cowboys
(My personal favorite for ambiance and value combined)
Gypsy Cab Co.
Creekside Dinery http://www.creeksidedinery.com/rest.html
Le Pavillion
Honorable mention
O'Steens
(Perhaps the best shrimp in town. ZERO ambiance, no reservations, reasonable prices)
http://tinyurl.com/2qtxgd
Barnacle Bill's
(Very good shrimp, reasonable prices, family atmosphere)
http://www.barnaclebillsonline.com/
You'll notice that I did not mention the Columbia restaurant. IMO, their food is good, but not as good as any of the other restaurants I have mentioned.
Also, it is somewhat of a tourist trap and one of about 6-8 other Columbia's around the state. This may qualify them as a chain restaurant. I know a lot of people eat there, but the other restaurants I have given you are all better.
For Lunch: Café Alcazar (25 Granada St, Saint Augustine, FL 32084-4387) is a true hidden gem…and is definitely off the main tourist path. It is a small restaurant located in what was once the deep end of the world's largest indoor swimming pool, now the Lightener Museum building. The food is quite good (I love their curried chicken salad.) and the atmosphere is absolutely unique and very conducive to conversation. They don't take reservations and only serve lunch. If you have trouble finding them, you can phone them at 904-824-7813. Check out their Trip Advisor reviews: .
After you finish your meal, be sure to walk across the street and visit Old St. Augustine Village
Cuban food in Orlando?
Don Pepe's Habana Grill . One of the better Cuban Restaurants in the entire Central Florida area.
Help in Orlando
Unfortunately, both Harvey's Bistro & Manuel's on the 28th have closed - victims of the poor economy.
St. Augustine Report
trevorlinc, you and I are 100% in agreement about Columbia and Collage. Columbia is an overrated tourist trap that serves fairly good, but not great food. Why so many people (tourists) rave about it is beyond me. Collage, on the other hand, is a superb restaurant. We went there several weeks ago and were so impressed with the ambiance, service and wonderfully creative menu. It is strictly a "special occasion" restaurant, but I know we'll be back.
St. Augustine ?
Collage has been open a little more than two years. We went there for the first time about 3 weeks ago and I was impressed with everything there.
My wife had a house salad of fresh baby greens with orange balsamic vinaigrette, while I started with a tomato & basil soup. She had fresh black grouper, lightly coated in a parmesan, pecan & brown sugar crust then baked, finished with a buerre blanc. I had the duck breast with scallops, pan-seared crispy, thinly sliced and finished with a raspberry and shallot redux, a fried vidalia onion nest and two large scallops" poached in apple cider. It is strictly a special occasion restaurant...and pricey, but the portions are very generous and the quality was superb!
I-95 Road Trip
I agree. O'Steens probably has the best shrimp in town. Don't be fooled by its appearance and ambiance (i.e. NONE). It is very good shrimp!
lunch in st augustine
For Lunch: Café Alcazar (25 Granada St, Saint Augustine, FL 32084-4387) is a true hidden gem…and is definitely off the main tourist path. It is a small restaurant located in what was once the deep end of the world's largest indoor swimming pool, now the Lightener Museum building. The food is quite good (I love their curried chicken salad.) and the atmosphere is absolutely unique and very conducive to conversation. They don't take reservations and only serve lunch. If you have trouble finding them, you can phone them at 904-824-7813. Check out their Trip Advisor reviews: .
Date TONIGHT!! Italian near downtown Orlando??
Scott-
How nice to see you are still around!
I can't tell you how much my wife and I relied on and appreciated your Orlando Sentinel restaurant recommendations the past 20+ years. I am glad to hear about your FLog and have bookmarked it for future (and frequent) reference
To the other posters, Scott Joseph was the OUTSTANDING restaurant critic for the Orlando Sentinel and had a lot of credibility with those who read his columns and appreciate good food. If he says a restaurant is good, you can rely on his judgement 100%.
Altamonte Springs - Seafood
Sorry this is two days late, but Straubs Sea Food is a good choice. They also participate in the Restaurant.com program so you can save some money there.
There is also a good Bonefish Grill in nearby Longwood.
Need St. Augustine advice
This may be too late for you as one month has passed since you posted your request.
For "value oriented" and "funky" restaurants, try Mango Mango's on A1A in St. Augustine Beach. It may look like a typical beach restaurant, but the food is surprisingly good and creative.
Foodie bound for St. Augustine
chriscinfl is right on the money about good ribs at Saltwater Cowboys. I have been dining there for 17 years, and they have truly excellent ribs. When I am there, I usually order the chicken & ribs combo with upgrade to house salad & 2 sides.
I also agree with mardy about the Columbia. Their food is good, definitely not great, and you can do much better if you venture outside the historic area. Why so many people are enamored with it, I don't know. It is a chain (albeit a small chain) and not the strongest one in the organization.
Also agree with cathi50 regarding Gypsy Cab Co. Brunch there is an excellent value considering food quality and price. I have never had a bad dinner there either.
Steakhouses outside Disney World
I concur with the Del Friscos recommendation. I have been there twice and each time was WONDERFUL. It would be about a 30-mile drive north on I-4 to Fairbanks and then west a few blocks.
Closer to WDW, the California Grill in the Contemporary Hotel is very good and gets excellent reviews from everybody. I am sure they would have a good steak. If you want to consider going, call now for reservations. They are very, very popular.
Any hidden gems in Longwood/Winter Springs/Sanford?
Here is a true hidden gem: Yen Yen in Winter Springs. Read the review of the Orlando Sentinel's restaurant critic, Scott Joseph . It is every good as good as he says, and hard to find.
Short stay in Longwood, need recommendations.
Hi again Deb-
Hope your trip to FLL went well.
There are some good suggestions here. I'll only comment on the ones I have actually been to before. My comments are therefore based on first hand experience.
Seasons 52 and Journeys are superb, although less is probably known about journeys.
Read what Scott Joseph, Orlando Sentinel's restaurant critic has to say about each . Reservations are a good idea, but then I've never dined at Seasons 52 at 5:30. They were certainly needed the other 3 times we have gone there. This is a VERY popular restaurant. Each is probably what I'd call a "special occasion" restaurant.
Habana Grill is one of our favorites. It is in Altamonte Springs, near the intersection of SR 436 & SR 434. It's hard to beat for value and quality.
Straubs Seafood on SR 436 just east of I-4 is always a good choice, and they have an excellent early bird menu. They are also open for lunch. Just be sure to call ahead for dinner reservations, as the early bird dinners are very popular. There is also a bonus worth mentioning. Straubs is a participating restaurant in www.restaurant.com's program. You can "buy" a $25 certificate for $10, but this is reduced to $5 if you use the current (until April 20) discount code: "TASTE".
Happy dining, and let us (and Fodors) know how it all worked out.
-Vic
Help in Orlando
Cracker Barrel is also a chain! Good home cooking, but not haute cuisine.
St. Augustine Report
andy-
I think St. Augustine will be very grateful that you are back in Tampa, hijacking trolleys, shooting bottle rockets, throwing bottles and breaking into cemeteries and all the other things you do for "fun".
St. Augustine - help, please
It's O'Steens! Don't be fooled by their appearance. Their shrimp is among the best in town. O'Steens is best known to locals.
Where to eat in St. Augustine?
Sweet Polly-
We have owned a condo in St. Augustine for 17 years and enjoy the many fine restaurants in the area. Thanks for your review of the Tasting Room. I have been aware of it for some time but have never tried it yet, Now I must!
IMO, Columbia is good, but not great. There are too many other choices available, particularly if one is a first time visitor to the city. My favorites (in no particular order) include The Raintree, Creekside Dinery (but not their sister restaurant Fiddlers Green) Old City House, Gypsy Cab Co., Saltwater Cowboys, The Reef, Le Pavillion and Cafe Alcazar (for lunch only). Barnacle Bill's and O'Steens are always good for shrimp, although very casual, particularly O'Steens.
Recommendation for Sunday Night (3-30) in Orlando
I think Seasons 52 fits your requirements exactly!
It is (more than) good, upscale, and smart-casual, but very popular with locals in the know. Be sure to call for reservations rather than just show up and try to wait. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.
Mongolian Barbecue in Orlando?
Fast forward to 2008. There is a small, but growing chain of Mongolian BBQs with one in Altamonte Springs. It is called BD's Mongolian BBQ and is located at the corner of SR 434 and West Town Parkway in Altamonte Springs. A good landmark is the Wal-Mart directly across the street to the north.
Best Breakfast in Orlando
Although my response is three years too late, I'd like to share the info for the benefit of future diners seeking a good breakfast at a non-chain restaurant.
Clarkies, on South Orange Avenue, a few blocks south of Michigan, has good food at very reasonable prices. It is not fancy, however. Breakfast is served all day. Oh yes, they have been in business since 1959. II think that says something noteworthy about them
Best Cuban in Orlando - Where is Bob Mervine
Agree with everything good said about Don Pepe's in Altamonte Springs. Truly tasty food at prices that won't break the bank.
Ditto for Black Bean Deli. Orlando Sentinel's restaurant critic calls Black Bean Deli the best Cuban restaurant in Orlando. Just keep in mind that it is a take out restaurant only. That does not detract anything from the food quality which is very good. Just don't go expecting a sit-down dinner.
Steak in the City; a must-try in Altamonte Springs!
Just a quick update on Steak in the City. They have since closed. I suspect that this was partly due to a so-so review by the Orlando Sentinel's restaurant critic, Scott Joseph.
