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 Tips: It was amazing to all of us just how similar Orlando was to Branson. Take away a lane on each side of the road, the turning lanes and all of the tattoo parlors and you would be in the tourist trap that is Branson. Who is it that goes to Disney World and gets so worked up they just have to get a tattoo?
Fine Dining:
Emerils- Universal City Walk: 8 out of 10 Stars
This was located on the City Walk outside Universal Studios in Orlando. It is very expensive, but very good. The service and meal presentation is extraordinary, the wine list was extensive and the restaurant is very attractive. We noticed there was an Emerils located at the Royal Pacific Resort. It had an Asian theme to it, so the menu was very different to the one on the City Walk; however, the entrees were between maybe $5 - $10 less expensive. The décor at the Royal Pacific Resort was less traditional, much more modern with an Asian influence. Make sure to get a bowl of gumbo for the table to share, it is very rich (and only on the menu at the City Walk).
The Columbia: 9 out of 10 Stars
Get a mojito, get two. They are served with a whole sugar cane and they are the best I have ever had. I actually did not know whether to put this restaurant under fine or casual dining. When you walk into some of the dining rooms of this restaurant you would definitely think you were in a fine dining establishment, but the prices lead you to believe otherwise. This restaurant is located in Tampa in a beautiful historic building. At night there is Flamenco dancing in main dining room if you would like to try something different (it is a bit noisy and they turn the lights off so you can’t see what you’re eating). The entrees that we tried while we were there ranged from steak, seafood and authentic Latin American cuisine and they were all wonderful. The service was very professional. We all thought that for the quality of food and service we received, this meal was under priced.
Casual Dining:
Fish Bones: 6 out of 10 Stars
This typical suburban seafood restaurant is located right in Orlando off of I Drive. The service was fine, not horrible, not wonderful; the waiter was not overly friendly. We all shared the appetizer medley mainly because it had gator bites on it. The gator bites were chewy and cold, but the calamari and crab dip were both very good. The entrée’s were all okay. Price here is moderate.
Great Western Buffet: 5 out of 10 Stars
This ranks up there as one of the oddest restaurant experiences of my life. It starts out normal enough. We wanted breakfast, we wanted something inexpensive, and there are only about one hundred fifty different buffet options to choose from off of I Drive. The four of us decide on one, I don’t know how we pick this one, must have been the snappy name. We go in and pay, sit down and wait for our waitress, who comes over and gets our drinks and tells us how the buffet works. And how cute was it that our waitress had a British accent. We all go up to the buffet, which for $3.99 really was quite good and had a lot to choose from. We come back to the table and start eating. I had to ask my table mates, had they noticed the pork and beans? I thought it was a very strange thing to have on the breakfast buffet amongst the eggs, sausage, bacon, etc. They too had noticed, furthermore, all of the fellow diners were foreign, mainly British. It was like we had walked into Little Britain right there in Orlando. Our waitress was extremely helpful, Jason loves White Castle, and we do not have them in Kansas anymore. Ben and Jason heard that Krystals were a lot like White Castle, so we asked the waitress if she knew where one was. She actually got on her cell phone and called someone to ask where one was, and then gave us directions. After we got home we found out the Brits like to have beans and toast for breakfast, thank goodness we separated from them.
Fast Food:
Krystals: 2 out of 10 Stars
If you are a fan of White Castle (I am not, but Jason is) do not be tricked by eating at Krystals. The food lacks flavor, has a gross consistency and a funky smell, so in other words, completely sub par. The floors were sticky and the staff was unfriendly. The burgers are still tiny though.
Chick-Fil-A: 5 out of 10 Stars
I ate at the Chick-Fil-A at the airport, so, I am not 100% sure going to a store would not have been a better experience. Sometimes airport food is not the best. The sandwich and fries (waffle cut) were both very fresh though. I have heard a lot of good thing about Chick-Fil-A so my hopes were a little high. The menu consists of chicken every way, fries, and some salads. I will definitely give it another try at a regular location in hopes that it will be better.
Local Attractions:
Orlando Premium Outlets: 7 out of 10 Stars
If you like outlet stores than you are going to like these. Just to name a few of the stores that are in this complex: Anne Klein, DKNY, Armani, Polo, Versace, Max Mara, Fendi, and Kenneth Cole and there were tons more. I personally have never been to a Versace or Armani outlet, it was pretty interesting. The only downfall of the mall is the food court, there is not much to choose from that is very appetizing or healthy, and the whole mall is uncovered, so for those Florida showers, either bring an umbrella, or be prepared to get wet.
Pirates Cove: 6 out of 10 Stars
This is a very attractive mini golf course. We went to the one located right on I drive. There was not a lot of shade, and not enough places to sit down on the course if you were waiting behind another group. But the landscaping was very lush, the theming was well done, and the course was kept up. The course was challenging for all ages, and was a good waste of an hour or so. It was a little expensive for miniature golf, I thought. I think the course was $10 per adult.
Ferry Boat- Universal City Walk: 8 out of 10 Stars
For the lack of the anything better to do and our adventurous spirit, after our dinner at Emerils we decided to jump on the City Walk ferry boat and check out some of the resorts. I would highly recommended on doing this if you are not staying at one of the Universal resorts. We had a ton of fun, it might have been because we had a little to drink at dinner, and it was a beautiful evening. The boat runs until 2:00 am and runs between all the resorts and has a stop at the City Walk entrance. It was such a nice relaxing ride, and fun to go and look at the big resorts. We wandered around each one, inside and out, then got back on the ferry and took it back. Better yet, it’s free!
Clearwater, FL: 7 out 10 Stars
We drove to Clearwater the day we went to Busch Gardens in Tampa. On Mapquest it said it should only take 30 minutes or so. Well, not at rush hour. The bridge to get to Clearwater is a two laner each way and at rush hour backs up for miles. The traffic made the trip take more like a hour and half, and we did not notice when we got on the bridge we needed gas so that added a bit of excitement not knowing whether or not we would make it across the bridge without running out of gas. Once we got to the beach though it was all worth it. The sun was just about ready to go down and was glistening on the sand. We had just minutes to run out there to take a few pictures in front of the ocean as the sun went down. Sarah and I went ahead and took off our shoes and walked around in the water for awhile. We were there not even an hour, but if you’re that close to the ocean, you have to go see it. And you know what I say, if you are in front of a body of water, you must get in it.
Channelside Shopping District: 7 out of 10 stars
615 Channelside Drive
After we visited the aquarium, we wandered into this area looking for a place to have lunch. When we were there in the fall of 2005, it seemed to be still in development. We had lunch at Bennigans, and the best part of that was the vantage point it gave us on the “channel” where cruise ships and yachts drop anchor. The shops and restaurants are arranged in a large circle around a courtyard so it feels very isolated from the traffic out on the street. The stores are all specialty shops, ranging from coffee to cigars to wine. There are several upscale eateries and a few cheaper options. There is also a movie theatre, bars and clubs. We had a lot of fun at Splitsville, a bowling alley / pool hall with a sleek retro atmosphere. They serve bar and grill type food and have a well stocked bar. This area felt pretty touristy and I’m sure they really attract a lot of crowds on the weekends. During the week, we thought it was a nice place to take a break and cool off from the Florida heat.
The Florida Aquarium: 6 out of 10 stars
701 Channelside Drive
This aquarium is fittingly on the waterfront in downtown Tampa. Admission was about $15 for adults, $13 for children in fall of 2005 when we visited. My husband is a total fish-head so we’ve seen a lot of aquariums. It’s not the best one we’ve seen, but it had everything you would expect to see in a “sea-side” city aquarium. It is very kid-friendly with several “touch tanks” where you can touch sea creatures such as stingrays, corals, and starfish. There are also several presentations by the museum staff during the day that are really geared towards kids. Probably the most kid friendly part is the outdoor water spray ground where big and little kids can cool off and play. This also gives you a nice view of the bay and all the ships.
The SS American Victory, a WWII military cargo ship is docked right next to the aquarium. There are guided tours of the ship throughout the day. We were short on time so we didn’t make it to this attraction, but we will put it on our list for our next trip to Tampa.
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