Category Archives: Full Service

August 21, 2012 · 6:26 pm

310 Lakeside

We have another wedding to-do item checked off the list! We have found our rehearsal dinner location! I’m really lucky because Kevin took the lead on this project and did all the research on available menus and pricing. The staff at 310 Lakeside couldn’t have been easier to work with.

They are owned by the same company as 310 South on Park Avenue in Winter Park, which I had been to a few times before. This location is right on Lake Eola in downtown Orlando and is a go-to location for power lunches. Their interior is very elegant, and they have a back room for private events. Their prices were very reasonable compared to other restaurants, and they didn’t try to nickel and dime us every step of the way. They were extremely flexible and easy to work with.

Last weekend, Kevin and I met up with his family to grab some lunch and to make the final decision about the location. We started out with bruscetta for the table, Kevin’s sister’s favorite.

I really liked their spin on bruscetta. Everything was sweet from the balsamic, and they also incorporated onions and chopped black olives. The bread soaked up all the juice from the toppings.

I ordered their salmon burger with a side salad.

I ordered it thinking it would be on the lighter side, but it was very hearty and very delicious. The salty bacon accompanied the salmon perfectly.

Also ordered at the table were a couple burgers and a hot Italian sandwich.

Of course 310 Lakeside’s lunch menu isn’t exactly the same as their catering menu, but I have a pretty good feeling the food will be delicious. They said their pastry chef can pretty much prepare anything we’d like for dinner, which started getting my imagination jogging.

I’m so excited to have another big item checked off our list. I know our rehearsal dinner is just a preview of the wedding, but it’s such a heart-warming feeling to think about your closest friends and family together in one room.

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Filed under Downtown Orlando, Full Service, Lunch, Wedding

August 24, 2011 · 8:53 pm

Paco’s

Have you entered my stainless steel straws giveaway yet? You have until Tuesday!

Tonight my good friend, Megan, and I met up for a girl’s dinner at Paco’s in Winter Park. Her husband travels a lot, and Kevin’s been working a ton, so we decided to grab dinner together. I’ve always heard that Paco’s is a great hole-in-the-wall Mexican joint, but the service can be really bad.

I’m pretty sure Paco’s is a house on the side of the road turned into a restaurant, but it’s really cute and quaint on the inside.

Our service turned out to be great. Everyone was really nice and welcoming when we walked in, and our waitress was very sweet and efficient.

The menu consists of your typical Mexican fare from tacos to burritos to enchiladas.

I ordered a combination dinner, which came with a taco, two enchiladas, rice and beans. It was a lot of food for about $12. All of their prices were really reasonable.

enchiladas

tacos

I really liked that the tacos come in your choice of hard or soft, and the soft tacos come in either flour or corn tortillas. I love corn tortillas. I opted for a corn tortilla filled with beef. For my enchiladas, I got one with beef and one with cheese.

The ground beef in both my taco and enchilada were under-seasoned. It tasted like normal ground beef without anything added. The real star of the plate was the rice. It was light, fluffy and really well seasoned.

On my next order, I think I’ll try a different filler since I wasn’t thrilled with the ground beef, but you really can’t beat the prices. Plus, all the chips and salsa you can eat doesn’t hurt.

What is your favorite Mexican food dish? I know it’s not traditional, but I love taco salads! Maybe I’ll try that next time I’m at Paco’s…

12 Comments

Filed under Full Service, Mexican, Winter Park

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August 4, 2011 · 7:54 pm

Downtown PourHouse

Two days out to lunch in a row makes me a happy lady. The company was definitely the best part of my meal. I met up with my friends Katie and Sharon at Downtown PourHouse. I had never been before, but I heard it’s a great place for drinks. We weren’t able to indulge in drinks, but there was something specific I did want to try: their lobster grilled cheese sandwich.

I’ve heard people talk about it, and even though my brain told me to try to eat healthy, my tummy was telling me we had to try it.

grilled cheese

Holy grease fire. So obviously I knew I wasn’t going to be ordering the lightest thing on the menu, but I wasn’t expecting to be able to see such copious amounts of grease just hanging out on my plate. It was unsettling.

The grilled cheese definitely did not live up to the hype, which I’m bummed about. First of all, the havarti cheese wasn’t melted at all, which I thought was a key component of a grilled cheese. As you can see in the photo, it was basically just a slice of warm cheese between two hamburger buns. The bread wasn’t even toasted or pressed, which I also feel is a key element of grilled cheese. In my mind, I pictured the cheese melting all around the lobster chunks on slightly buttery, crispy bread. The lobster was also a little dried out.

The fries, however, were good and definitely the star of the plate.

Sharon ordered the lobster mac and cheese, and her dish was extremely greasy as well. I’m not sure where all the grease came from or what caused it to just sit in our dishes.

mac and cheese

Clearly Sharon and I misordered because Katie really enjoyed the “Roadrunner” salad, which has buffalo chicken and lots of fun veggies.

buffalo chicken salad

It definitely looked like the most delicious of our dishes.

The rest of the afternoon I chugged cups of water to offset the grease in my belly. I’m pretty sure I was sweating grease at the gym after work.

I’ve always heard positive things about PourHouse, so I’m willing to give it another chance, but I may stick with the greens next time. If anyone knows where I can get a good lobster grilled cheese in Orlando, let me know! That’s not too random of a request, right?

Anyway, check out what I got as a gift at work today!

gift card

If you read my post yesterday, you’ll find this ironic. Looks like I just have an excuse to return to Urban Flats.

Have you ever had a bad experience with a meal or product that everyone else seems to love? I really don’t like Laughing Cow cheese, and I know a lot of people swear by it for a healthier cheese alternative. It just never sits right with me.

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Filed under Downtown Orlando, Full Service

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August 3, 2011 · 8:40 pm

Lunch break at Urban Flats

My boss is out of town this week on a much-deserved vacation, and we’re down a headcount, so I am all by myself at work, and it’s been pretty hectic. Luckily, I love being busy at work because it makes the time fly so much faster, but it’s nice to take a mental break every once in awhile.

Today my midday break involved lunch with my work buddy Paula at Urban Flats downtown. It was great to catch up and chow down.

Paula ordered a salad, which looked delicious. It had goat cheese (a favorite of both of ours we discovered) and bacon.

salad

I ordered the mahi fish tacos. The fish was blackened and wrapped in whole wheat tortillas with pickled cabbage and came with salsa and creamy avocado sauce on the side. The fish seasoning had a spicy bite, which was cooled down by the cabbage. I really enjoyed them, and accompanied by a side salad, it was just the right amount of food.

fish tacos

It was the perfect excuse to get away from my desk.

How is your workweek going? Busy? Quiet? Which do you prefer? At least we’re more than halfway to the weekend!

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Filed under American, Downtown Orlando, Full Service

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July 2, 2011 · 10:09 am

The Ravenous Pig

The highlight of my eats this week had to be lunch at The Ravenous Pig with my two friends Katie and Sharon. It was a great escape from work with great company and, of course, great food. I had only been for dinner before, but I really enjoyed the lunch atmosphere. It is not as crowded, and the menu was still decadent.

The Ravenous Pig is a gastropub in Winter Park, which means that they feature traditional pub fare but with a more upscale twist. They have recently been featured in New York Time’s “36 Hours in Orlando” feature and the two owners and chefs, married couple James and Julie Petrakis, were 2011 James Beard semifinalist for the southern region. These accolades make getting a dinner reservation very difficult, but it’s worth it.

We started out our lunch with their Lake Meadow Deviled Eggs.

They had a great mustardy bite, which was balanced by the bits of bacon sprinkled on top. These are not your typical pot luck deviled eggs. They were wonderful, creamy and elegant.

I ordered the lamb pita, which came with a choice of salad or fries, of which I opted for fries.

The pita was thick but airy and filled with various vegetables in a cumin yogurt sauce. The lamb patties within the pita were flavorful and contained hidden pistachios, which added a great crunch. It was fantastic.

Also ordered at our table were the lobster tacos and grilled cheese, which both looked amazing.

I left lunch incredibly full. All of their food was very rich making me wish I could have spent the rest of the afternoon lounging, but alas, I headed back to the office to finish out my day. I can’t wait for my next trip to “The Pig.”

What do you think of the “gastropub” concept popping up everywhere?

4 Comments

Filed under Full Service, Gatropub, Winter Park

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