The splashy, celebrity chef-driven restaurant openings of yesteryear were enjoyable indulgences, no doubt, but in 2017, the pendulum swung. This year marked a return to restraint. It was a year for the neighborhood eatery, the mom-and-pop joint, the cheap eat. Street food, if you’ll pardon the pun, made significant inroads (halal cart fare! poké! dumplings!) as did a couple of sandwich joints – AJ’s Press and Bad As’s Sandwiches – both of which make some of the best sammies you’ll have anywhere. The Polite Pig and Paddlefish brought a modicum of buzz down Disney way, but we’ll wait to see what the Edison, Maria and Enzo’s, and the much-delayed Wine Bar George bring to the Springs next year.

What else can we expect in 2018? Vegan and veg-forward cuisine seem to be about as sure a bet as more tales of transgressions in the workplace; smaller restaurants appear poised to serve cocktails, thanks to newly relaxed liquor regulations; and food halls will continue to pique our interest with their constant flirtations. Personally, I’d like to see more rolled ice cream, more nouveau Indian, and a Peruvian restaurant that’ll serve a proper rocoto relleno with alpaca. Until then, I’ll just savor this list of 2017’s best restaurants. I hope you will too. -Faiyaz Kara

1. Kadence 1809 E. Winter Park Road, kadenceorlando.com The all-black, signage-free facade of this nine-seat Japanese restaurant screams big-city cool, but it’s the talents of the trio behind the operation – Mark Berdin, Lordfer Lalicon and Jennifer Bañagale – that give Kadence its personality. Their superlative multicourse omakase dinners employing only the finest of seasonal fish (many from Tsukiji) cater to sushi purists and traditionalists, and the lasting memory of the unique experience makes it worth the hefty amount you’ll drop. Photo via Kadence – Orlando/Facebook
2. Reyes Mezcaleria 821 N. Orange Ave., 407-868-9007, reyesmex.com Reyes broadens our sightlines of a cuisine suffering from tunnel vision in this city. Standard, everyday Tex-Mex fare this is not, and we wouldn’t expect anything less from a restaurant run by Jason Chin and wife Sue. “Because Orlando has matured as a food city, we can offer dishes and an overall style of cuisine that’s historically different than what people are used to seeing,” Chin says. A bite of the duck breast with mole negro, roasted chayote and poblano is proof positive. And if a pairing of mezcal with chapulines (crispy fried grasshoppers) seems a bit too adventurous, too bad. The Chins don’t care much for staid offerings – they’re out to expand our perceptions of Mexican food and drink. Photo via Reyes Mezcaleria/Facebook
3. Shiraz Market 185 S. Ronald Reagan Blvd., Longwood, 407-951-8084, facebook.com/Internationalfreshmarket We desperately need more Persian restaurants in town (IMHO) and, thanks to owner Nas Rajabi and family, Shiraz Market helps fill a portion of the dull, not-so-fragrant void. From inside the market’s cramped kitchen come gorgeously charred beef and chicken kebabs and, on any given day, such Iranian staples as ghormeh sabzi (beef stew with herbs), khoresht gheymeh bademjan (eggplant stew) and fesenjan (chicken stew). The fat tubs of house-made bastani (pistachio ice cream) and faloodeh (iced rosewater noodles) available for purchase are just a bonus. Photo via Shiraz Market/Facebook
4. Hunger Street Tacos 2103 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park, 321-444-6270, hungerstreettacos.com Owners Joe and David Creech took a liking to Mexican cuisine as the children of missionaries in Guadalajara, Mexico, but their mission took a decidedly gourmet street-taco turn in their adult years, and Winter Park was the beneficiary. The taquería covered in eye-catching murals by Oaxacan art collective Lapiztola is hard to miss, but you’ll be pining for it long after your first taste of soft-shelled wonders such as the panko-breaded fried avocado and the protein-filled “El Mañanero,” comprising seared brisket, chorizo, refried beans and scrambled egg. Really, there’s nothing not to like here. Photo via Hunger Street Tacos/Facebook
5. BBB Tofu House 5140 W. Colonial Drive, 407-723-8299 Owner Tony Teng fashions, arguably, the finest soondubu in the city, and a sexier broth you never will see: reddened, fiery and rippling with the fumes of gochugalu (chili powder) and gochujang (chili paste). The house version gurgles with shrimp, clams, squid and pillowy cubes of extra-soft organic tofu, but other equally gratifying renditions are also offered. Korean staples like bibimbap, pajeon and galbi aren’t mere afterthoughts either, but the soup here rules! Sure, other area Korean restaurants serve it, but BBB Tofu House makes it their raison d’etre. Photo by Joey Roulette
Honorable Mention: El Buda 116 W. Church St., 407-203-8171, facebook.com/ElBudaRest Chef Roberto Treviño’s Latin-Asian fusion joint was a late arrival, but our sincere hope is that El Buda stays for good. It’ll be tough going in a space that hasn’t exactly been kind to restaurants, but if anyone can make a go of it, it’s Treviño. The man has some serious kitchen cred, and two of his fusion creations – pork and sweet plantain dumplings and the duck breast with honey-miso potatoes – have become instant classics in my book. Photo by Faiyaz Kara
Other notable openings AJ’s Press 182 W State Road 434, Suite 1008, Longwood, 407-790-7020, ajspresslongwood.com Photo via AJ’s Press “Tasty Eats” Longwood/Facebook
Other notable openings Bad As’s Sandwich 207 N. Primrose Drive, 407-757-7191, badasssandwiches.com Photo via Bad A’s Sandwich/Facebook
Other notable openings Orlando Meats 728 Virginia Drive, 407-598-0700, orlandomeats.com Photo via Orlando Meats/Facebook
Other notable openings Millenia 106 4104 Millenia Blvd, Suite 106, 407-439-0463, facebook.com/106millennia Photo via Millenia 106/Facebook
Other notable openings Luke’s Kitchen and Bar 640 S. Orlando Ave., Maitland, 407-674-2400, eatatlukes.com Photo via Luke’s Kitchen and Bar/Facebook
Other notable openings Gaviota Seafood and Fine Peruvian Cuisine 100 South Eola Drive #104, 407-428-4682, gaviotarestaurant.com Photo via Gaviota Seafood & Fine Peruvian Cuisine/Facebook
Other notable openings Valkyrie Doughnuts 12226 Corporate Blvd., Suite 160, valkyriedoughnuts.com Photo via Valkyrie Doughnuts/Facebook
Other notable openings New General 155 E. New England Ave., Winter Park, 321-972-2819, newgeneral.us Photo via New General/Facebook
Other notable openings The Glass Knife 276 S. Orlando Ave., Winter Park, 407-500-2253, theglassknife.com Photo via The Glass Knife/Facebook
Other notable openings Orange County Brewers 131 N. Orange Ave., 407-914-2831, theocbrewers.com Photo via Orange County Brewers/Facebook
Other notable openings Pizzeria Roberti 2751 S. Chickasaw Trail, Suite 107, 407-634-0041, pizzeriaroberti.com Photo via Pizzeria Roberti/Facebook
Other notable openings Paddlefish 1670 Buena Vista Drive, Lake Buena Vista, 407-934-2628, paddlefishrestaurant.com Photo via Paddlefish/Facebook
Other notable openings Reel Fish Coastal Kitchen + Bar 1234 N. Orange. Ave., Winter Park, 407-543-3474, reelfishcoastal.com Photo via Reel Fish Coastal Kitchen & Bar/Facebook
Other notable openings Muddy Waters 101 S. Eola Drive, 407-843-9676, muddywaters-orlando.com Photo via Muddy Waters/Facebook
Other notable openings Turkish Bar & Grill 260 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, 407-869-5555, turkishbarandgrill.com Photo via Turkish Bar & Grill/Facebook
Other notable openings Joyful Garden Seafoods Restaurant 5210 West Colonial Drive #136, 407-270-8810, joyful-garden.business.site Photo via Joyful Garden Seafoods Restaurant/Facebook
Other notable openings Peter’s Kitchen China Bistro 3922 E. Colonial Drive, 407-895-8174 Photo via Faiyaz Kara