The 2023 Dining Awards: Readers’ Choice Part 1
Take a look at all the winners in Part 1.
Principal Photography by Roberto Gonzalez
PRATO | WINTER PARK
Best Restaurant: Readers’ Choice
Since 2011, Prato has been providing the chic, Park Ave crowd with wood fired pizzas and their untraditional take on traditional Italian food. “We take some good Italian dishes and apply a more modern cooking technique,” said operating partner Tim Noelke. Their spaghettini is infused with whole grain mustard. Their meatballs are mammoth but eat surprisingly light because the chefs show restraint when it comes to filler ingredients, like breadcrumbs and egg. In 2022, when the Michelin man came to town, he was quick to add Prato to his coveted guidebook. “It’s been truly amazing to be a leader in the food scene but also learn from our peers as we’ve seen this scene grow,” said Noelke. He credits consistency and staying true to the original vision as keys to Prato’s longevity. Although ingredients are switched out with the seasons, and new menus are printed daily, a lot of the dishes on offer have been there since day one. But, most important, Noelke said, is cultivating a culture in which the guest experience comes above all else. prato-wp.com
Photo sourced via Instagram: @pratowp
CHARLIE’S BAKERY | CURRY FORD WEST
Best Bakery: Readers’ Choice
Charlie’s Bakery is a Florida institution. Longtime Charlie’s Bakery owner Gary Hawks celebrated 50 years of his family’s popular sweets shop in October of 2021—then promptly retired. Orlando entrepreneur Tricia Hage had a dream to sell her homemade ice cream. With the stars perfectly aligned, Hage bought the bakery and renamed it Charlie’s Bakery & Creamery. Charlie’s still features many of the original bakery items plus sixteen flavors of Hage’s homemade ice cream. “I love that I bought an existing business that was 50 years old and such a staple in the community, but I also want to feel like it has my footprint on it,” Hage says. “I’m the future of Charlie’s, so I want to pay attention to existing customers but also incorporate the younger generation.” charliesbakery.com
Photo sourced via Instagram: @charliesbakeryandcreamery
ISAN ZAAP THAI CAFÉ | ORLANDO (NEAR MILLENIA)
Best Bib Gourmand: Readers’ Choice
Owners Fin Patsawee and Fah Ponprapa bring dishes from their native Isan region of northeast Thailand served with some trademark “zaap,” or spice. Located in a strip mall fronting Millenia Boulevard, the restaurant looks at first like counter service, but a full-service experience—authentic in every way—awaits its guests. You’ll find common Asian favorites like pad Thai or red curry in addition to Isan dishes such as Som Tom, a papaya salad, and deep-fried Isan Sausage, which have become customer favorites. Regional dishes are prepared with the exact ingredients found in their homeland, Patsawee says, setting their restaurant apart among local Thai venues. “We would like our customers to taste the real Thai food—to experience the popular dishes that are not common in the U.S.,” she adds. Ponprapa sees Isan Zaap only getting better with time. “Striving for food quality is an ongoing process that requires passion, dedication and willingness to learn and improve. These are the reasons we are constantly training our chefs and staff.” isanzaaporlando.com
THE GLASS KNIFE | WINTER PARK
Best Doughnuts: Readers’ Choice
Steve Brown and Lance Koenig, owners of The Glass Knife, are avid travelers with a fondness for France. “Paris is one of our favorite cities in the world,” Koenig said. In addition to his keenness for all-things-French, Brown has also courted a lifelong love affair with baking. In 2017, he and Koenig decided to combine these two passions and start a business. “We wanted to bring an elevated dessert concept to the city,” Koenig said. While The Glass Knife specializes in French pastry, our readers are also quite fond of their donuts. Although you won’t find donuts in most Parisian patisseries, Koenig felt obligated, running a bakery in America, to offer the beloved treat. “Donuts are the most fantastic and efficient food vessel. Everybody loves a donut,” Koenig said. At The Glass Knife, they handcraft their donuts out of brioche dough, which is proofed for 24-hours. They offer eight varieties, including Blackberry Cobbler. It’s filled with house-made blackberry compote and topped with crumbly streusel and white chocolate. Or there’s the PB&J, which is stuffed with layers of peanut butter cream and tangy raspberry jam. If you want to sample our reader’s choice for favorite donuts, you must get up early, or pre-order the night before. They go on sale at 8am and are usually gobbled up in a few short hours. theglassknife.com
KURA SUSHI | O-TOWN WEST
Best Family Friendly: Readers’ Choice
Sushi, check! Conveyor belt, check! A gamified dining experience, check! A dancing robot who brings your drinks? check! Kura Sushi checks all these boxes and more. This conveyor belt sushi chain set up their first Central Florida location in the brand-new O-Town West development, just North of Lake Buena Vista and the hubbub that is Disney Springs and the outlets. Every seat in Kura offers diners the chance to select from dozens of options, right from the conveyor belt! Most dishes are $4 or less, so you can try something new without making a huge investment. A secondary conveyor belt brings more custom dishes to your table (think ramen, chicken karaage, and Taiyaki ice cream). Every plate you finish earns points, and enough points will get you a prize! Reserve your spot in advance to avoid a wait. kurasushi.com
BLACKBIRD COMICS AND COFFEEHOUSE | MAITLAND
Best Kept Secret: Readers’ Choice
Need to decompress? Check your baggage at the door as you enter Blackbird Comics and Coffeehouse on Horatio Avenue in Maitland. Grab your newest favorite specialty caffeinated concoction, and park yourself in a comfy chair or at the community table, where you’re likely to meet new friends. Leave room for the signature sandwich—the Black Phillip—which provides the perfect melange of salty, sweet and gooey. But Blackbird, opened in 2018, is not just about the drinks or food. It’s a vibe, co-owner Candice Craig says. “There’s a feeling when you’re in the shop that you are welcome and that you can relax and exhale and just hang out and be yourself,” the former reading teacher says. She and her husband, David, have worked “to create an environment that should be a home away from home.” Chill while perusing comic books, manga, prose and poetry. Sign up for one of four monthly book clubs. Shop for eclectic gifts. Lounge while listening to your favorite vinyl or cassette. Rent a board game to play in-store or take home. And be ready for surprises. Blackbird—named among the top five comic book shops in the world for two years—offers plenty. theblackbirdroost.com
MRS. POTATO | ORLANDO
Best Latin Food: Readers’ Choice
Owner Rafaela Cabede and her charming Brazilian staff serve up what looks like the largest portion of hash browns you’ve ever seen. It is in fact a rosti, a plate-sized, UFO-shaped Swiss delicacy called a batata Suíça in Brazil. Mrs. Potato doesn’t sell only spuds, but the majority of the menu features baked, fried and shredded taters. Topped and stuffed with Brazilian beef jerky, pulled chicken, acres of melted cheese and Catupiry (katoo- peer-ee, a brand of soft cheese called requeijão that was an obsession in the host country of the recent Olympics), each dish seems large enough to share with your party. But it’s easy to get selfish with a meal this good. mrspotato.net
