Foodie family headed to Orlando - recs most appreciated!

[betmar98]

We'll be in Orlando for three days in June. We're a family of foodies and the kids are adventurous eaters, used to all sorts of ethnic foods and spice levels. Happy to do to down and dirty ethnic, seafood, American, anything - just not super fancy as kids are in tow. Any recs most appreciated, and we'll return the favor if you're headed to Houston or other parts of TX! :-)

[MouseChow]

Another great option is Boma in Animal Kingdom Lodge. It's a buffet so not fancy and great for families. The options are a range of African, Indian, and Middle Eastern flavors, and the SA wine selection is very cool. And I'd second Cafe Tu
Tu Tango. Fun atmosphere and a great variety of small plates.

Mousechow.blogspot.com

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Cafe Tu Tu Tango
8625 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819

[betmar98]

Just want to thank you all for these great recommendations. And in all seriousness, should you find yourself headed to Houston, I'll share lots of great places in return. Thanks again!!

[hmp2z]

We just tried Hawkers out on Mills Ave, and it was great! Definitely good for adventurous eaters, as it's tapas style dining, themed after Southeastern Asian street fare. Reasonably priced, good quality food - we wrote up a full review with photos:
http://hpandaw.wordpress.com/2011/05/...

Cheers!
Heather W

[Big Bad Voodoo Lou]

I liked Hawkers a lot too. Here's my review from two months ago:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/777443

It sounds like a terrific choice for betmar98's family, except it's a schlep from their hotel. Still, it might be worth it!

[betmar98]

Hey all - just wanted to thank you so much for the recommendations in Orlando. We went to Boma, which we would never had tried but for the tip here -- we'd normally fear a Disney restaurant -- and everyone really enjoyed it. Not stellar in every respect but loads of fun and a lot of things were great. We also went to Nile Ethiopian and it was terrific! The best Ethiopian I've had outside of my favorite, Meskerem in D.C. Thanks to all of you for responding! BTW, if of interest, we had some great meals elsewhere in FL -- Miami, the Keys, Tampa, etc. -- and I can share those if you like.

[MouseChow]

I'm so glad you liked it! Thank you for reporting back!

www.MouseChow.com

[askdrtodd]

MouseChow- I like the concept of your blog. If you keep at it I think you'll do really well!

[MouseChow]

Thank you for the encouragement!

[Sandwich_Sister]

I do too! You should also plan to cover epcots food and wine festival this year in addition to the regular restaurants.

[MouseChow]

Thanks, Sandwich_Sister! I was there in 2010 but didn't take any food pics as I hadn't yet decided to blog. I'm hoping to make it down for a weekend this fall and will definitely write! Now if I could only find a way to quit my day job, I might find time to write more than once a month! In the meantime, I know I can count on the Orlando 'hounds to fill in the gaps. :)

www.MouseChow.com

[YosemiteSam]

Where are you staying? Will you have a car? Ages of the kids?

[betmar98]

Sorry - staying at Hilton Disney (near Downtown Disney), will have a car, and kids are 9-11. They eat everything from Bosnian to Malaysian, so don't hold back! :-)

[Big Bad Voodoo Lou]

Definitely hit up Nile Ethiopian Restaurant on International Drive. If you have adventurous, foodie kids that age, they'll love the exotic flavors, shared platters, and fun of eating with their hands. http://www.nile07.com/

If you're willing to drive, Orlando has a great selection of Vietnamese restaurants near downtown... but from what I understand, so does Houston. Little Saigon is our favorite, though: http://www.littlesaigonrestaurant.com/

And while Texas is famous for barbecue, you can get the best barbecue in Orlando (and probably in Florida) at Four Rivers Smokehouse: http://www.4rsmokehouse.com/

I know you can get pizza just about anywhere, but I love the unique, thin, crispy pizza at Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza. They also have amazing chicken wings and spicy, vinegary spareribs that are unlike any other ribs I've ever had. There's a location not too far from you, on Sand Lake Road and Turkey Lake, just off I-4: http://anthonyscoalfiredpizza.com/

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Little Saigon Restaurant
1106 E Colonial Dr, Orlando, FL 32803

[YosemiteSam]

Yes yes yes to Nile and Vietnamese (we all have our favs, I like Lac Viet and Pho 88).

Think about adding in Cafe Tu Tu Tango. Also, depending on what you have locally, you will get great ethnic options at the following: Lebanese (Cedar's), Turkish (Anatolia), Indian (Memories of India), and Japanese (Hanamizuki). The best restaurants in town that are also kid acceptable (if you have well-behaved kids) are Ravenous Pig, La Luce, and California Grill. While I love Luma, Chef's Table and K - i don't think they're good options even for well-behaved kids. If you can get out for lunch also check out Yellow Dog Eats or Pio Pio.

Finally, I am going to recommend something fun that is food-related but not recommended for the food. Taverna Opa can be a great fun time if you like a pseudo-Greek party atmosphere.

Check out the menus for the above online and see if any match your needs - and please report back so we can improve our recommendations on this board.

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Cafe Tu Tu Tango
8625 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819

Yellow Dog Eats
1236 Hempel Ave, Gotha, FL 34734

California Grill
Disneys Contemporary Resort, Orlando, FL 32830

Pio Pio Restaurant
5752 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819

Chef's Table
99 W Plant St, Winter Garden, FL 34787