Restaurant Reviews | Orlando Weekly

Restaurant Reviews

Crocante Restaurant in Colonialtown has the meats, and their rotisserie porchetta is the most drool-worthy

Spit take

By Faiyaz Kara

Feb 1, 2023

Those quick to admonish others for playing with their food have clearly never indulged in Yamuel Bigio's "Kan Kan" porchetta ($34). This boneless round of loin and belly rotisseried for six hours inside Crocante Restaurant's East Colonial Drive kitchen yields an outer ring so shellacked, so crackling, so ... crocante, that one can't help but pick up a knife and fork and play the thing like Tito Puente on the timbales...

Crocante Restaurant in Colonialtown has the meats, and their rotisserie porchetta is the most drool-worthy

Taco Kat in downtown Orlando gets your tongue with Sonoran-style tacos and more

Puss ’n booze

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Our critic's picks.

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Not fancy, but fully satisfying

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Juju in Colonialtown embodies the essence of izakaya dining

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Edoboy and its Mills 50 standing-only sushi bar is less novelty and all quality

Upright sushi den's brigade

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At Doshi in Winter Park, Korean classics receive modern makeovers

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Gimmick more

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Dispensary Directory

MedMen Orlando University Blvd.

11551 University Blvd.

Trulieve Orlando

4544 N. Orange Blossom Trail

I-Drive/Universal

Sanctuary Medicinals Orlando

5381 International Drive

Exhale CBD Apothecary

403 Sanford Ave.

Medical Cannabis Orlando

10244 E. Colonial Drive, Unit 114

VidaCann

1700 N. Semoran Blvd., #160

Trulieve Orlando Colonial

11291 E. Colonial Drive

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Food + Drink Slideshows

Orlando’s hottest new restaurants, according to Yelp

The foodies have spoken. Here's a list of the newest and hottest restaurants and cocktail bars now open in Orlando, according to…

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The Moderne
4.5 out of 5 stars, 40 reviews
1241 E. Colonial Drive
”It has a beautiful design with how the bar is set up and is made to look like a 1930s style place. They nailed the look and the patio makes for a great ambiance for bigger groups. You won't be disappointed when coming here.” — Michael H.
Photo via The Moderne/Instagram

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Kunefe, Istanbul Grill

The cheese-filled, phyllo-threaded, pistachio-topped pastry is an absolute favorite of mine, and the version served here is unexpectedly devoid of the syrup that typically pools around the base, making for a significantly lighter, and less cloying, capper to a meal.

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No. 1: Kaya618 N. Thornton Ave.
This latecomer by Kadence founding partner Lordfer Lalicon and Jamilyn Bailey was the most hotly anticipated restaurant opening of the year, and just a month into Kaya’s existence, it’s lived up to the hype. From the unfeigned hospitality and memento-steeped interior to the seafood- and veg-forward tasting menu and staunch focus on sustainability and local sourcing, the restaurant is an intimate reflection of the path Lalicon and Bailey have taken as first- and second-generation Americans. The techniques and flavor combinations Lalicon employs in five “waves” of dishes, be they raw (kombu-cured flounder from Ponce Inlet with chili salad and coconut kinilaw foam) or cooked (Seminole squash simmered in coconut milk, garlic, ginger and bagoong), firmly establish the 37-year-old as one of the city’s finest chefs.

All the Orlando restaurants that closed in 2022

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Mediterranean Blue
After 20 years serving gyros to rabidly devoted fans, this shop called it a day. You can find a "Mediterranean Blue" slice at John & John's Pizza Shop in tribute.

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