The 2023 Dining Awards: Brendan’s Picks Part 2
Now that you've read Part 1, it's on to Part 2 of the Orlando Dining Award winner breakouts.
Principal Photography by Roberto Gonzalez
BOMBAY STREET KITCHEN | ORLANDO
Best Indian Food: Brendan’s Choice
You can tell a lot about a restaurant by how the kitchen runs and the Michelin Bib Gourmand-awarded kitchen at Bombay Street Kitchen hums like a bee hive. Everything has its place and everyone knows their function. I got to go behind the line when filming my streaming show, “Restaurants on the Radar” on Hearst’s Very Local channel, and I just kept thinking it looked like a spaceship. Chef/Owner Amit Kumar learned his love of cooking from his grandmother in northern India before heading to the Culinary School of New Delhi. He approaches spice and food as medicine and serves up beautiful, complex, traditional Indian dishes that are as fragrant as they are delicious. And while you may be tempted to stick with tandoor or curry, be sure to try their fish, which I haven’t been able to stop thinking about since the first time I had it in 2021. bombaykitchenorlando.com
WAVE ASIAN BISTRO AND SUSHI | MOUNT DORA
Best Restaurant for Instagram: Brendan’s Choice
While I don’t necessarily think you should go to a restaurant simply because you want to post about it on social media, I’d be a liar if I told you that I don’t do that almost every day. Sometimes the result is an unexpected lesson in style over substance, but I think in the case of Wave Asian Bistro and Sushi you get both in spades. The menu features dishes that are designed to be shared with friends and family, and they’re so pretty, that you should be shocked into sitting back and staring at them for a few minutes before shoveling them into your face. Plates of colorful sushi donuts, sushi tacos, and even sushi hot dogs will have you forgetting that you’re sitting in what looks like a random office building off the main drag of Mount Dora, and thinking you’re at a theme park restaurant or cruise ship wedding. The fish is fresh and vibrant and the dishes are joyful celebrations of food that will have you smiling with each bite. waveasianbistro.com
Courtesy of Wave Asian Bistro and Sushi
OTTO’S HIGH DIVE | MILK DISTRICT
Best Late-Night Eats: Brendan’s Choice
Milk District newcomer and Michelin Bib Gourmand-recognized Cuban restaurant and rum bar Otto’s High Dive is one of the best additions to the Orlando foodie scene in years. The beautiful interior is a nod to old-school Florida and Cuban vibes and the kitchen turns out bold, solid dishes like charred octopus and coffee-rubbed pork belly. The media noche sandwich with slow-roasted pork is a must-have as well as the kingfish crudo and oyster plates. They’re open till midnight Tuesday to Saturday if you need to carb up before heading home, and if you bring some hungry friends, you should definitely consider the Abundancia platter of ropa vieja, rice and beans, Cuban bread, pastelitos, and a seafood tower to share.
ottoshd.com
ZIGGIE’S PIZZA | IVANHOE VILLAGE
Best Pizza: Brendan’s Choice
There are some things I don’t like to talk about at parties, including religion and politics, but one of the most contentious is pizza. If you’re from New York nothing will ever be as good as the pizza you grew up with. Your cup is full. I get it. But if you’re asking me where I like to go in Orlando to get a slice, I have some clear front runners, the leader of the pack being Ziggie’s in Ivanhoe Village. The crust is flexible but strong and so flavorful you never leave any behind on your plate. The toppings are fresh and vibrant, both to look at and on your tongue. And they happen to be the perfect size where you’ll be sated after polishing one off by yourself, but not too embarrassed to do it in public. The fact that they’re located in the same building as Thirsty Topher, is also a bonus. My go-to is the Ziggie’s Stardust with smoked slab bacon, roasted mushrooms, red onion, truffle oil, and green goddess dressing. ziggiespizza.com
Courtesy of Ziggie’s Pizza
DEADWORDS BREWING | MILK DISTRICT
Best Brewery: Brendan’s Choice
Orlando has a strong beer game and local breweries are bringing home medals so frequently lately, it’s hard to really choose a favorite. That being said, some breweries are definitely better than others, and at the head of the pack, you’ll find Deadwords Brewing on Orange Blossom Trail. The name is in honor of a 4,000-year-old beer recipe called the “Hymn to Ninnkasi,” the Sumerian Goddess of Beer, and is believed to be the first beer recipe. The brewery is a nod to civilizations that have come and gone and the dead languages they once spoke, but that beer has persisted thousands of years later. The taproom is a beautiful temple to Ninkasi in its own right, with moody lighting and bespoke, hand-made furniture. The kitchen turns out some tasty pizzas and wings too. The beer is innovative and tasty and makes Deadwords a must-visit for any local beer lover. Honorable mentions must be made to the veteran-owned Tactical Brewing for their “strategically chaotic beer” selections and delicious new NA selection “Hop Tonic” (and yes, I host bingo there every Tuesday, but that’s because I love them so much); Ravenous Pig Brewing for their beautiful outdoor beer garden and small-batch craft beers led by the adorable Larry Foor; Ivanhoe Park Brewing with their hit Boxcar Variety Pack and Bungalow Belgian Witbier; Crooked Can’s Florida Sunshine Lager; the new moonshine on tap at RockPit Brewing; and literally everything coming out of Sideward Brewing in the Milk District. deadwords.com
THE BOATHOUSE | DISNEY SPRINGS
Best Theme Park Restaurant: Brendan’s Choice
If you’re jonesing for a waterfront dining experience only 30 minutes away, head on over to Disney Springs and make your way to The Boathouse. Seating can be tough to get at peak hours but you can grab a quick drink at Wine Bar George while you’re waiting, which is worth it if you sit out on the sprawling dock behind the restaurant. If you squint and turn your back to Rainforest Cafe you can even convince yourself you’re in New Smyrna Beach. They make a mean steak but get some lobster to keep with the theme if that’s your bag. theboathouseorlando.com
HUNGRY PANTS | SODO DISTRICT
Best Veggie-Forward Eats: Brendan’s Choice
Some people still think vegetables are just there to be pushed around on your plate and hidden in your mashed potatoes, but some people are ready to finally experiment with ruffage and try something new. And possibly green. Hungry Pants makes food for the “plant-curious,” or people who want more balance in their diets and become omnivores instead of just carnivores. Their food is an exercise in wholeness and emphasizes flavor and health. Shiitake bacon replaces pig products and black rice replaces that microwaveable crud you keep getting at 7-Eleven. The Buddha Bowl with brown rice and quinoa, chickpeas, sauteed kale, seasonal squash, pickled purple cabbage, and green goddess dressing is a classic, but try the turkey reuben if you still need some meat – though you can always sub it out for tempeh instead if you’re feeling frisky. eathungrypants.com
Photo by Samuel Miller
STASIO’S ITALIAN DELI & MARKET | MILK DISTRICT
Best Sandwiches: Brendan’s Choice
If the constant buzz of activity at this Milk District hot spot isn’t enough to convince you, Stasio’s Italian Deli is the place to be. The family-owned deli/market is the kind of space that means more to locals than just a spot to grab some meatballs on the way home, it’s a community hub, a keystone to the neighborhood. Maria and Louie and their adult kids run the place like I imagine they run their homes, with joy and open hearts. Their food is solid, dependable, and lifts you up, just like a good friend, and they’re some of the hardest workers in Orlando. The bread is fresh, the coffee is hot, and the sandwiches are, in my opinion, the best in town. Don’t sleep on their breakfast sandwiches either – they have Taylor’s ham. instagram.com/stasiositaliandeli
THE MONROE | CREATIVE VILLAGE
Best Vibe: Brendan’s Choice
Good Salt Restaurant Group knows how to design a space you want to eat in. From the hand-painted floor at Reyes Mezcaleria to the contemporary coastal vibes of The Osprey in Baldwin Park, owners Jason and Sue Chin have no hangups in creating beautiful spaces. The Monroe in Parramore’s Creative Village seems to have upped the ante for the local duo though, with gorgeous nooks and crannies that scream out to be photographed by photographers and Instagrammers alike. The name is a tribute to a local Black physician, Dr. William Monroe Wells, who is best known for his role in building the Well’s Built Hotel in 1926, which also had an adjoined casino and served as a safe space for travelers and performers of color during Segregation. He played host to figures like Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Charles, and you can’t help but imagine them saddling up at the gorgeous bar at the heart of the restaurant and ordering a pastrami corn dog or a crispy chicken sandwich. Don’t forget they have one of the best coffee bars in town too and they’re open for lunch. themonroeorlando.com
