Eat Like a Rabbit

PF Chang's, namely this location, is where Paul and I had our first date. That being said, it's kinda special to us. I can even remember what we ate that night. However, we have since been educated about excellent choices at the restaurant and generally select other items. Firstly, the broccoli and tofu in a chili sauce is generally one of the preferred dishes because I am a sucker for broccoli.

Too dark for pictures.

I was invited to a dinner by a drug rep. The speaker as he stood up said he couldn't believe the turnout. He said the restaurant must be good. The 60-ish number of medical professionals laughed. A waiter came around asking our orders. There were three options, but being a vegetarian, I didn't catch what they were. I simply requested a vegetarian plate. Some time later, a waiter came by with salads and atop mine (just like all the others) was a nice strip of crispy bacon. By this point, the lecture had started and I quietly whispered a request for a bacon-less salad. The waiter very kindly obliged, but failed to remove the offensive salad. I suppose if I had thought about it, I would have just passed it down to the next individual. Instead, I shoved it toward the center of the table and out of my line of sight.

On occasion, we find opportunity to eat at IKEA. Generally, a sale draws us in, and we arrange to have friends go with us. The activity is so much more fun with another couple. When IKEA Orlando opened, we were still newlyweds, and we took along fellow newlyweds, Tim and Magally Putt. We enjoyed a variety of vegetarian dishes. Magally, also enjoyed the Swedish meatballs, which are not vegetarian.

This could very likely be my favorite restaurant in all of Orlando. It sits on Central right next to Lake Eola and has a very special place in my heart because it is where we had dinner with my parents and Garrett Nudd after Paul tricked me into a photo shoot/wedding proposal. The food is consistently fabulous, and the staff is always kind, smiling, and fun.

This has got to be one of our favorite restaurants in Orlando. The format is "family-style." Dishes are served from the middle of the table. It's a good thing we visit with other vegetarians. The restaurant is very good about special-request orders, including vegan and gluten-free.

This is another restaurant my parents especially love. My grandmother wanted to go their two days in a row. In fact, the guacamole and salsa have to be very high on the excellent meter. Both are made fresh daily, which means sometimes the salsa is so hot I cry, but it's so good, I just can't stop! I remember once my father and I went together. Normally he likes hot things.

We visited this recently opened restaurant attached to the Altamonte Springs Mall on recommendation of our good friends, The Wooleys. We enjoy having friends who think of us every time they eat out. I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the restaurant. The tables built in the immediate bar area where in a circle and had very good acoustics. The staff was polite and food was delivered speedily.

This Italian dessert and coffee spot is attached to a fabulous Italian restaurant, Cafe Epicure. The restaurant has tried to stay authentic with all signs in Italian (but with English translations) and even an imported cooler that reads the inside temperature in Celsius.

Being big fans of Italy, we have been interested in trying this dessert "shack," Jeremiah's Italian Ice, a stand-alone walk-up-to-the-counter building in front of a strip mall. I could not believe the number of patrons. There were three teenage girls working in the stand, and they were all kept busy. They were polite and worked hard. We had heard from friends that it was good. We just were rarely on that side of town. We just happened to be there around dinner time that day. Perfect dessert stop.

This was the first time we took Paul's parents, sister and brother-in-law to Ethos. I decided to try the pesto pasta with vegetables and pumpkin seeds. Paul chose the Pecan Encrusted Eggplant served with a side of mashed potatoes and gravy and asparagus. The eggplant was drizzled with a berry sauce. Both meals were served hot and appealing to the eyes.

One Sunday afternoon we met visiting family at this pizzeria by Disney. For a restaurant in a touristy hot-spot, I would rate it as acceptable. The service was very good for our large crowd and the kids all seemed to eat well.

My cousins Wayna and Rusty always share meals when they eat out. Paul and I have adopted that trick, too. We either get a salad and an entree and split both or we'll get two entrees and each eat through half; then switch plates. Sharing gives you more variety, keeps you from bringing food home that is likely not good the next day anyway, and is often cheaper.

Not much surprise, here. The food was awesome. I have to say I liked my wrap better than Paul's black bean burger, but I'm sure it's just cause black beans aren't my favorite. I do love sprouts and although the menu said sprouts came on the sandwich, I was unlucky to visit on a day when they were out of sprouts. But don't complain yet. These people pride themselves on freshness. So, who am I to complain about not getting sprouts when it's better than getting nasty sprouts?

Photograph not necessary.

Let's just say I'm really glad I wasn't footing the bill for this adventure. A drug company wanted to host a Happy Hour, and I casually mentioned that Citrus was a new and popular restaurant. I hope they don't hold it against me.

Firstly, there was only one vegetarian appetizer available, Grilled Vegetable Flatbread. The bottom was actually greasy! The purpose of having flatbread is to have a less greasy pizza. There were supposed to be grilled squash and zucchini, and possibly peppers, on it. Found the peppers. There might have been one 2 mm x 2 mm cube of the squash and zucchini on each square of flatbread. I felt the dish was totally without flavor and had little eye appeal.

Wagamama's moto is "positive eating + positive living". "Positive" explains our opinion about the restaurant. Paul was able to eat at Wagamama with some coworkers while he finished out his week of meetings. He brought back the following report:

Wagamama is fairly new to the United States. Paul has been to the one in London. His previous experiences have been good as well.

I recommend eating at a newly opened restaurant with a market attached. Half of the space is a classy, eclectic restaurant, while the other half is an upscale market for wines and cheeses.

The first course was a salad of mixed baby greens, golden raisins, artichoke hearts and unsalted pistachios topped with a feta-honey-yogurt dressing. Naturally, the dressing was quite sweet, but matched the mixture of the flavors quite well. Fairly monochromatic, the salad was large enough for two, and Katie (the waitress) had kindly divided it into separate square-shaped bowls for sharing.