Latest Zagat ratings update; Cress tops the Orlando list

You voted (or did you?), Zagat listened, and the 2015 ratings are out. Based on food, decor, service and cost, the 30-point scale has typically been a dedicated diner-out’s benchmark for setting quality above buzz, with only the most longevitous restaurants making the list.

This year, Cress Restaurant in DeLand, chef Hari Pulapaka’s farm-to-table (plus a few French and Indian flourishes) restaurant that is so worth making the 45-minute schlep, tops the list with a total score of 29. 

Beyond that, though, the selections are a bit of a head-scratcher and mixed bag. Temples of fine dining like Victoria & Alberts and Norman’s are right up there with classic Orlando favorites like Lee & Rick’s Oyster Bar (which, notably, and adorably, scored a 12 on decor and still somehow managed a 28 overall score) and Viet Garden, and alongside chain meat-fest Texas de Brazil (whaaaa?).

Are locals really heading down to the Animal Kingdom lodge to sup at Jiko, A Cooking Place, all that often? Apparently. It scored a 28, placing sixth on the list with straight 28s in all categories.

At any rate, if you want to see the whole list and feast your eyes on its randomness, here it is. 

This article appears in Aug 5-11, 2015.