Well, Tropical Storm Debby almost put a damper on our monthly ritual of visiting the Windermere Food Truck rally, but the powers that be rescheduled the event instead of canceling it!  Hooray!

As I had a birthday party to attend, I didn't try too much; however, I had to try something from the truck that I share a name with!  Melissa's Chicken and Waffles!

Deciding on a menu item was difficult, especially with a S'Mores Waffle on the menu (Nutella and Marshmallow Fluff!)  As this was dinner time though, I opted to go for the classic Chicken and Waffles.  The chicken was juicy and seasoned well, and the waffle was pretty stereotypical waffle.  My biggest complaint is that the plasticware was not strong enough to cut through the waffle! 

The first time I learned about Food Trucks was on one of the Food Network competition shows.  I don't remember too much, but I remember that two trucks were battling to see who had the best Bahn Mi.  I had no idea what a Bahn Mi was at the time, but I sure was intrigued!  Well, June 29th, 2012 is a date for the books, because I finally got to try one, and it was well worth the wait!

I was a little worried when I saw that the order taker was a child.  Granted, it is Summer Break, and lots of kids try to earn an extra buck or two, especially when your family owns a business, but it did make me raise an eyebrow.  My worry was eased, as this girl was so courteous, polite, and welcoming, I truly considered ordering more just so that I could talk to her longer, weird, right?

Anyway, back to the food.  I had an option of chicken, pork, or tofu, and I'd like to try them all, but I started with chicken.

When I later described the sandwich to my brother (a food truck expert in Miami) and my mom (a lover of Vietnamese cuisine), they seemed to think that it wasn't TOO traditional, but having nothing to compare it to, I thought this was AWESOME.  For a hot summer day in Central Florida, this was SO refreshing.  The chicken was warm, but the cold veggies were so crisp and cool, this was truly a treat. 

A few Saturday nights ago, Peter and I tried a tapas restaurant on Restaurant Row called Le Rouge.  As my Orlando readers probably know, Restaurant Row is a pretty happening place, so it was a little disturbing to walk in at 7 p.m.and be the only table seated. 

Even though it was eerily quiet, the decor was welcoming and trendy. 

Our hostess was also our server, and appeared to be the only Front of House employee.  With us being the only table, one would think that our service would have been impeccable, but our glasses were not refilled in a tiemly manner. 

The tapas menu was fairly priced, which did not make us feel guilty for odering multiple items to sample. 

The cheese plate allowed you to pick three meats and/or cheeses, and was served with a spread of crackers, berries, spicy almonds, and olives. 

We also shared the Crab and Cheese dip, which was flavorful, but not stellar.  I've definitely had better elsewhere.

Peter raved about the escargot; however, I did not try any!  A.) Peter gobbled them up almost as quickly as our server placed them on the table, and B.) They were mixed with mushrooms.  I don't do mushrooms.

Peter's filet (he said it was okay)

Pretty presentation, but that salmon was DRY!  The best thing about the entire meal; however, was the risotto.  Peter kept trying to sneak bites of it when I wasn't looking!

Lastly, we had the fresh mozzerella and tomato flatbread.  Just a few days prior, I had sampled the new flatbreads at Pinocchio's Village Haus at the Magic Kingdom, a quick service restaurant, and I'm sad to report that the fast food flatbread at the Magic Kingdom was tremendously better than this one.  The crust reminded me of a Boboli crust, one that had been precooked, and then topped with toppings and rebaked.  It was not flavorful at all. 

So will we be back?  They had a really nice private room in the back, those seem few and far between, so perhaps if we had a group outing, but for a good tapas experience, I'd recommend Cafe Tu Tu Tango's or the Tasting Room at the Chef's Table in downtown Winter Garden!

The hostess greeted our party with a tip of her fidora, and ushered our party of five to a comfortable table beneath Sinatra's Women.

Steven, our server, came to the table quickly and offered helpful tips about the menu. Everything is made to order (wth the exception of the one pound lasagna), and substitutions are encouraged, they truly want their Guests to be happy with what they order.  Impressive, right?  In fact, my Grandpa could not decide between the Linguini and Clams or the Veal Parmigiana.  When my Grandpa asked Steven for his advice, Steven suggested half orders of each.  What restaurant does that?

For $2.99 you can add a house salad to your entree, and for $4.99 you can add a Fresh Mozzerella and Tomato Salad. . .guess which one I did?

Caprese salad is one of my favorites, and they hit it spot on!  Even my Grandma, the Queen of Produce, commented on how fresh the tomatoes were! 

As this is a steakhouse, Peter ordered their signature Delmonico Steak.

My veal probably falls into the Best Veal Parm I've ever had category. 

Our group is not one that orders dessert out at restaurants, but they had a cappucino ice cream pie.  My Grandma's weakness.  We shared.

Coffee ice cream atop an Oreo crust doused with hot fudge?  Delicious.

Peter also ordered a dessert, a hazelnut cheesecake with raspberry drizzle. 

All in all, this was an excellent restaurant.  There were five of us, and on our way home, we tried to think of one negative thing, one piece of constructive criticism. . .and we couldn't think of a one!  The food, the service, the decor - it was just a win all around.  We will DEFINITELY be back.

Alright, so I'm a little behind with this, as food trucks have been in for awhile; however, Windermere just started a once a month Food Truck Bazaar.  Now that I've been to two of these events, I've sampled quite a few of the trucks,and have snapped enough photos for a full review!

Is that not the prettiest hot dog you've ever seen?  This tropical dog came from the Kona Dog truck (apparently they have a restaurant on I-Drive as well).  You start off by ordering the type of dog you want: Beef, Spicy Sausage, or Veggie Dog, and then you have the option of adding a Hula Sauce (Garlic Lemon, Jalapeño, or Hot Chili Pepper), Fruit Sauce (Coconut, Pineapple, Banana, or Mango), and a Mustard(Pineapple, Mango, Spicy Brown, Yellow).  As I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm not a huge fan of spicy things - so I went with a pretty basic dog: 1/4 pound premium beef, Garlic Lemon Sauce, and Coconut Fruit Sauce (I left off the mustard).  When I told my friends about my dog, they seemed pretty grossed out, but this was DELICIOUS!  Think of that sweet and salty flavor you get from eating pineapple with ham, and that is the vibe that these dogs carry.  The bread was probably my favorite part about this experience, as the bun is made from Hawaiian Sweet Rolls.  This is a food truck must.

Big Wheel Provisions specializes in fresh and local food, and their Hummus Fries caught my eyes.  The fries were hot and well seasoned, and the hummus was refreshing, the only down side is that they were difficult to eat, and the fries became soggy very quickly.

The absolute best food truck item I have had thus far is the Pupusa, a Salvadorian tortilla stuffed with chicken, cheese, and beans.  This was absolutely delicious, and only $5!  How this truck had the shortest line is absolutely beyond me!

Somehow I managed to lose the photo of my French Onion Grilled Cheese sandwich from the Tree House Truck, though my photo of the truck artwork is still here!  Technology!  Anyway, it sounds delicious, right?  I love French Onion Soup and I love Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, but this was just unnecessary, and well, not good.  Orders were taken quickly; however, the food came out very slowly.  Waiting in line in 90+ degree weather with no shade was not pleasant, and it came out burnt.  The lady in front of me sent her food back three times to be fixed, but I didn't feel like arguing or waiting any longer than necessary.

There are still more trucks for me to try, so I will hopefully get a chance to check out a few of the other Food Truck events around town (or at least head back to the Windermere Round Up at the end June).

My husband, Peter, is the Stage Manager for the Music Man at the Garden Theatre, so my father-in-law and sister-in-law came up today to see the show.  The theatre is located on Plant Street in historic Winter Garden, home to a number of Mom and Pop restaurants that range from Thai to BBQ.  Peter mentioned that a new restaurant opened, so we decided to give it a try after the show.

As Peter had been there with the theatre gang, he took the lead and ordered us two appetizers, the Spicy Feta Dip and the Hummus of the Day (today's special was Roasted Red Pepper).

The word spicy usually turns me off; however, this feta dip was outstanding.  The spice was there, but it was not overpowering, and didn't leave me crying for water.  The grilled pita was still warm and seasoned just perfectly, a wonderful pairing for both of these dips.

We were a hungry bunch, so I ordered a cup of the tomato bisque.  Watch out Earl of Sandwich, this tomato bisque might just be my new favorite in town.  

Our waitress was very enthusiastic about tonight's special, the Shrimp Mac and Cheese.  The blend of cheeses combined with the flavorful shrimp made for quite the meal.  Next time I plan on ordering their ravioli in vodka sauce (the chef handmakes the pasta each morning, and apparently it runs out quickly).

While I didn't snap a picture of it, my father-in-law ordered the Crepe Suzette for dessert, and graciously let us each steal a bite.  Delightful.  I felt as though sunshine exploded on my tongue, the light orange flavor was not too overpowering, almost like a creamsicle drenched crepe.  Delightful.

The only awkward piece of the meal was the guitarist who went from table to table.  The restaurant had a very Mediterranean like feel to it, and yet the guitarist walked around like he lost the rest of a Mariachi band.  We couldn't tell if he was Mexican or Italian, and when he came to our table we learned he was a 76 year old classically trained Opera Singer from Puerto Rico who studied music in Italy.  

Regardless of the strange entertainment choice, we will certainly be back.

7600 Dr Phillips Blvd
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 352-6766

Anatolia is located in between Pinkberry and Einstein's, two places I frequent - and usually one right after the other, which means that I pass this location a lot.  Every time I walk by, the bubbly bread catches my eye. . .

This restaurant was an all around win!  Great service, great food, and everyone in our party agreed we'd come back!  

While it was a little bit pricey, the portions were large, and I was able to make two additional meals out of my moussaka!  

Where:

7600 Dr Phillips Blvd Ste 66
Orlando, FL 32819
Neighborhood: Dr. Phillips

Innovative, creative, and fresh sushi rolls is the name of the game here!  Everything I've had the opportunity to sample has been absolutely delicious; however, now that I've found a favorite (the sweet 16 roll), I find it difficult to try anything else!  The Japanese Guacamole is an interesting but delightful appetizer, and the garlic edamame is sure to delight. 

Where:

3708 Town Center Blvd
Orlando, FL 32837

A few years ago, my brother took me to a place called Snoballs in South Florida, and after just one spoonful, I was hooked!  The problem?  There wasn't a spot like it in Orlando!  Well, that void has now been filled, as Seprock's Snow in Hunter's Creek offeres a plethora of flavors and an incredible homemade sweetened condensed milk topping.  

Some of the flavors keep you guessing, for example Shrek and Barbie, but the owner is very helpful in explaining these nondescript flavors!  I ended up with an "all-the-way" Wedding Cake (filled with soft serve, creamy vanilla ice cream and topped with sweetened condensed milk).  Absolutely delicious, and I can't wait to go back!