The 2023 Dining Awards: Brendan’s Picks Part 1
We are thrilled to have Brendan O'Connor make his selections for the best of the best in food & drink in Orlando.
Principal Photography by Roberto Gonzalez
PRATO | WINTER PARK
Best Restaurant: Brendan’s Choice
The team at Park Lights Hospitality really get food. They know how to source it, prep it, serve it, and hype it up. With hit properties like Prato Winter Park and Luke’s Kitchen and Bar in their belts, that shouldn’t come as a surprise either. Led by the accomplished Chef Brandon McGlamery, the two properties have cemented themselves as top-tier restaurants that could compete with any nationally recognized dining room, but they don’t have to. They stand on their own and everyone loves them. But if you’re asking me for my favorite, I’ll have to say Prato. Not just for its simple presentation of Italian classics, but because of the overall atmosphere and vibe. The staff is always top-notch, the food is fantastic, and it’s located in the perfect spot on Park Avenue to have a glass of wine and people-watch. Stick with the pizza if you’re afraid of new things or maybe branch out and go for the mustard spaghettini cacio e pepe or squid ink mafaldine for something more chefy. prato-wp.com
TORI TORI | MILLS 50
Best Bar Food: Brendan’s Choice
Since it opened, Tori Tori has been repeating the mantra that they are in fact a bar and not a restaurant. Inspired by traditional kushiyaki neighborhood pubs in Japan where the food is affordable, the drinks are cold, and you sit back with friends after a long day at work. That being said, it looks nothing like a neighborhood pub, and rather stands apart as one of the more titillating architectural treasures in Orlando, with high farmhouse ceilings and sleek mirrors and tilework reminiscent of a 70s hotel bar. The kitchen cooks decadent melt-in-your-mouth chunks of chicken skin and oysters with salt. The prices aren’t that bad either so don’t let all the cool young models hanging out in the dining room scare you off, you belong here and you deserve good things. Don’t settle for frozen bar pizzas when you could be having organic, free-range chicken heart on a stick. toritoripub.com
SMOKE & DONUTS MILK DISTRICT
Best Barbecue: Brendan’s Choice
At the risk of getting in a fistfight with Orlando magazine readers, I’m gonna go out on a Hickory limb here and say you’d be hard-pressed to find better barbecue than what Smoke and Donuts is serving up. Owned by Culinary Institute grad Ian Russell and his amazing wife Juliana Peña, the popcorn shop turned award-winning restaurant is cranking out some of the most decadent brisket I’ve had in years. And yes, just like the name suggests, you can get that meat served on a donut, but you don’t have to. Their smoked turkey reuben is a strong contender for best sandwich too, but in an effort to keep people in their lanes, they’ll just have to settle for my vote for Best Barbecue. smokeanddonuts.com
THE STRAND | MILLS 50 DISTRICT
Best Casual Restaurant: Brendan’s Choice
Alda and Joe Rees love good food. And it shows. The Strand in Mills 50 has a bit of a nostalgic diner vibe, but the menu is forward-thinking and fresh, just like the seasonal ingredients they curate for their dishes. Everything is made from scratch and you’ll find a new favorite every time you visit. The non-fussy nature of the dishes makes you think of that one friend growing up who had an amazing chef for a mom, and you’d find excuses to go and visit as much as possible to avoid another supper of burned Kraft dinner. The buttermilk chicken is always a sure bet, but try the fish, you won’t be sorry. strandorlando.com
GIDEON’S BAKEHOUSE | AUDUBON PARK DISTRICT
Best Desserts: Brendan’s Choice
Steve Lewis looks like he should be playing guitar at Will’s Pub. He has long, thick, wavy hair that cascades down to his shoulders and an overall vibe of non-hurried purpose. That chill drive for perfection is what opened doors for him to take his Gideon’s Bakehouse concept from a simple stall at East End Market to arguably one of the most popular cookie shops in the nation. People line up for hours at his Disney Springs location to load up on his massive Texas belt buckle-sized cookie lumps and to experience his highly curated shopping experience that could double as a movie set for the next Wednesday season on Netflix. If you prefer your cookies crispy and dry like your mom’s hair, these aren’t for you. But if you’re the kind of person to lick the mixing bowl, you’re welcome. gideonsbakehouse.com
Courtesy of Gideon’s Bakehouse
FOREIGNER RESTAURANT | AUDUBON PARK DISTRICT
Best Chef’s Table: Brendan’s Choice
Chef Bruno Fonseca’s Foreigner Restaurant may be new to Audubon Park, but it’s been years in the making. Launched as a pop-up series that took over everything from warehouses to loading docks, Foreigner has grown into a sexy destination that would be equally at home in a European seaside town full of yacht owners and people who wear ascots on purpose and not just to look fun on Derby Day. His team features some amazing up-and-coming chefs that we should all be paying attention to as well, and I’m always excited to see what they’re cooking in their post-war shopping center on Corrine Drive. Saddle up at the table and trust that Chef Fonseca is going to take you on a food journey that will leave you booking a return reservation the minute the after-dinner coffee hits the table. foreignerrestaurant.com
STICKY RICE | MILLS 50 DISTRICT
Best Cheap Eats: Brendan’s Choice
Sticky Rice is the first, and maybe only, restaurant in the Orlando area serving authentic and delicious Lao street food. It’s modeled after hawkers from the streets of Laos serving quick and easy fare like squid on a stick, papaya salad, laab rice bowls, yellow curry chicken, and coconut ramen, all served with sides of sticky rice. Special note on the ramen, Chef Kevin Phanhvilay, who spent time as a monk, won the 2018 Ramen Rumble competition in Baldwin Park and knows his way around a kitchen. The best part of Sticky Rice is you can order one of everything on the menu and not break the bank. stickywithit.com
RED PANDA NOODLE | FOOD TRUCK
Best Food Truck: Brendan’s Choice
Orlando loves noods. The crew at Red Panda Noodle burst onto the scene in 2022 following the closure of Orlando Meats in Winter Park. The chef duo behind the concept, Seth Parker and Eliot Hillis are some of the biggest food nerds in the local game here in Central Florida and would happily talk your ear off about fermentation if you give them the chance. Their dishes are unapologetic celebrations of their ever-growing skill sets and are full of flavor and innovation. Just keep in mind, that if they say it’s spicy, they really mean it. redpandanoodle.com
CHRISTO’S CAFÉ | COLLEGE PARK
Best Greasy Spoon : Brendan’s Choice
You can tell by my waistline that I’m no stranger to breakfast potatoes.
I love a good Sunday morning spent with never-ending coffee served tableside and a tasty omelet with buttered rye bread and you can’t tell me that there’s anything better than that after a week of eating fancy around town. Sometimes you need a good meal, some adequate service, and a roomful of grumpy old people talking to their grits. That being said, the service at Christo’s Cafe in College Park is always dependable and their coffee is always hot. Plus you’re likely to bump into some local notables there too if you time your breakfast right. Ask about their specials and don’t forget to order a side of chili with your omelet to turn it up to 11.
facebook.com/christoscafeorlando
SAMPAGUITA | MILLS 50 DISTRICT
Best Ice Cream : Brendan’s Choice
Life is too short for vanilla ice cream. Sampaguita, an offshoot brand from Greenery Creamery’s classically trained opera singer-owner Marie Mercado, embraces all of the colors, flavors, and whimsy we’ve been missing in modern-day America and exposes us to a beautiful, tasty rainbow of life. Named after the national flower of the Philippines, Sampaguita serves up a menu of desserts using lesser-known fruits and veggies (at least in America) like ube, pandan, and jackfruit, in both vegan and dairy options. The results are creamy and decadent desserts that are almost too beautiful to eat, at least until you have your first bite.
sampaguitausa.com
