If you want to enjoy a bite to eat, Dexter’s is a great choice for any meal, but their brunch is unique and is perfect to enjoy with a date or a group of close friends….especially because of their various flavors of $2.50 Mimosas. What’s not to like about munching and drinking Mimosas?

Plus at brunch, you can eat more because it is taking the place of breakfast and lunch…a great excuse to indulge with a dish that would be called dessert at any other meal… If you prefer a salad, no worries, Dexter’s always has their full menu available.

Dexters is a local favorite, and there are three locations throughout the city, including: Thornton Park (near Downtown), Winter Park, and Lake Mary.

Check out Brunch at Dexter’s and sit back, sip on a Mimosa, and try a bite of a Ham and Swiss on French Toast… not a bad way to start the day.

The summer sky starts to turn pink as I walk with friends and a new puppy along the streets of Thornton Park. As we approach our dog friendly venue, we see other people meeting in front giving hugs and talking with smiles. I feel slightly under-dressed as I see girls in cute dresses and high heels lean over to pet our companion, the new puppy. I then realize there are others in jeans and that that is what Wildside is about. Feeling comfortable in your style,having fun, and eating good food.

We took a table outside and our waitress came to us right away ready to take our order. This was my first time here, so I needed some time to check out the menu. A few of us eventually decided to share a pitcher of Sangria and a couple others had glasses of wine. The puppy was laying under the table, enjoying ripping up a dropped paper napkin.

Soon after we ordered, a few more girls came up to us to see the puppy and one brought a toddler. The toddler tried to run under the table to grab the puppy and we all laughed in the comfortable and active atmosphere Wildside is known for. While waiting for our food, my friend sitting next to me informed me she celebrated her birthday here last year. After sipping on my Sangria with good friends and enjoying the warm summer evening outside, I can see why.

Wildside is now a Thornton Park favorite of mine and I know I will enjoy many more barbequed meals, pitchers of Sangria, and great times with friends in the future.

Delicious fresh ingredients, pick what you want and what you don’t want, made to order, and incredibly quick. Mmmm. Designer Greens makes getting a fabulous salad quick, delicious, and easy. You can pick from a couple of premade items on the menu or you can make your own. I have done both and have loved the results. The chicken breast is hot, the lettuce is fresh, there is a huge assortment of dressings depending on what you like. You can’t go wrong.

I love Designer Greens. It is one of my favorite lunch spots. I live 30 minutes away from it and I still drive all the way out there to meet people – it is that good. When you enter the restaurant, you see a menu upfront with all the menu items (they also have sandwiches. I am sure they are delish, but I love their salads so much I never venture away) and you either pick a preselected option or you build your own. I love to build my own. Some avacado, some feta cheese, sprouts, mixed greens, hot chicken on top and the greek feta dressing, yummm. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. I have tried other types of dressings too, of course (Loooove the gorgonzola, the honey mustard, and the honey poppy seed… ok you get it. They are all good.)

The prices are not bad either. I usually get the half salad and that is plenty to fill me up for lunch. If I was going for dinner I would probably try a half and half (and maybe finally try one of their delicious looking paninis) or I would go for a full sized salad. The half sized build your own salads are only $4.99 (if you add meat or extra toppings, it is more) and a full is only $6.99. Not bad for a delicious and fresh salad.

As of right now, there are only two Designer Greens and one is in Gainesville… so if you live in the Orlando area, the Designer Greens in Waterford is the only one we have. I hope they build more of them. If you like Panera, Crispers, and expecially if you like a tasty and healthy salad, you will LOVE Designer Greens.

I first heard of Sweet! By Good Golly Miss Holly at a conference last year. Miss Holly herself was there by a massive stand of cupcakes, (I don’t think they were real) but it was definitely eye catching. I met her and she told me about her new store in Waterford Lakes. I was dying to try it. Who wouldn’t be dying to try a gourmet cupcake shop. Mmmmm.

Well, I was lucky enough to finally try it on my birthday last year and I was hooked! Decadent gourmet cupcakes of all types of flavors. My favorite was the Cookies and Cream. Yum! I haven’t had anything else like it. The atmosphere at Sweet! By Good Golly Miss Holly is also fun. They have red booths and chairs, free wifi, and outdoor seating!

If you aren’t into cupcakes or you are looking for a healthier option, Sweet! By Good Golly Miss Holly also has tart and healthy frozen yogurt. If you are like me, and you want to try them all the cupcakes go on Mondays! On Mondays they have “Mini Taster Packs” and “Mini Dozen Boxes” that you can fill with an assortment of mini cupcakes of the flavors available.

If you want to order custom cupcakes, you can do that too! Sweet! By Good Golly Miss Holly has a blog where they post pictures of the weddings and events they make cupcakes for, and they are beautiful. I am sure they are delicious too! Such a unique touch for an even to have a customized cupcake display.

Orlando Buzz Tip:
Sweet! By Good Golly Miss Holly has Orlando Magic cupcakes right now since the Magic made the NBA Finals!

There is one Orlando hot spot that you can always count on for a delicious breakfast, brunch, and lunch. People are always waiting to come in but somehow your wait is never longer than 15 minutes. Either way they have free coffee and water in the waiting area for you to enjoy while you wait. First Watch is always worth the wait.

Located in several different areas of Central Florida, First Watch is a great place to eat in the early part of the day.It is only open from 7am to 2:30pm, so it is not a place where you can have breakfast for dinner…although I would probably eat there for dinner if it were open. The menu has a delicious assortment of options from the less healthy options like their delicious pancakes and crepes to their incredibly healthy selection from “The Healthy Side” section of the brunch menu – it would be hard to find something you won’t love.

I love their fresh fruit crepes. They are sweet but not too sweet and they are pretty healthy. Plus they come with a fresh (and often warm) homemade muffin. Yum. All the salads and sandwiches are made from fresh ingredients and they are absolutely delicious. If you go on their website, they have pictures of the entrees… those are not misleading, that is really what each meal looks like. Amazing.

I frequently dine in the Maitland First Watch location, only because it is the one that is closest to where I live. However all of the First Watch restaurants are the same. Another excellent bonus of First Watch? It is inexpensive. Normally I go there with a friend and we leave not spending more than $13 or so… total. Not bad for a delicious meal made of fresh ingredients.

It does not matter if you are vegan, vegetarian, pescetarian, or if you are a meat lover -  Ethos Vegan Kitchen is absolutely delicious. The dining set up is simple, you go to the counter to order your food, and if you are eating in, they will bring it to your table. Easy, quick, and delicious.

As a meat lover, vegan restaurants make me nervous. I originally tried Ethos Vegan Kitchen because a friend of mine’s artwork were being displayed (that is another thing if you are an artist, you can arrange to have your art displayed) and I wanted to support her. I am so thankful I did. The ingredients tasted fresh and the food was delicious. I was pleasantly surprised. They even serve vegan beer, wine, and baked goods!

To make things more exciting, Ethos Vegan Kitchen has special events happening on certain days that are announced through their News section. One example is Beer and Pizza night with $3 drafts (vegan of course) which is actually happening tonight. Another example is Sunday Brunch with acoustic/Jazz music on the patio. Fun!

I think if I ate at Ethos Vegan Kitchen for every meal I could be vegan – check it out!

I have never been to Thailand, but I love Thai food…at least what I’ve had at the local Orlando Thai Restaurants, and there are a LOT of great ones. But I tend to go to Sea Thai more than the others.

Sea Thai Restaurant is located across from the Fashion Square Mall on Colonial Avenue, and from the outside it does not look like much…It is always easy to park, but when you walk inside you are greeted and welcomed like you are part of the family.

It is a tiny restaurant with delicate decor and tropical flowers that normally sit in the center of the table. The high ceilings prevent too much background noise making it easy for you to enjoy your company.

I love to start out with Vegetable Spring Rolls which are lightly fried and served hot and delicious. It is a small serving that you could share with one other, but if you have more than two I would recommend more than one order.

Depending on the kind of mood you’re in their hot tea is delish but their Thai Iced Tea is fabulous for anyone who has a sweet tooth. They serve a couple different types of beer and wine as well.

I have never tried a dish of theirs without loving it. All of the sides are even good! The vegetables are fresh, the Jasmine Rice is excellent – you can’t go wrong. Pretty much all of their dishes come with the option of spicing them up…and they are not kidding. I can handle most spicy things… but I never venture past medium at Sea Thai. I love it though. No matter if I get the Phad Thai, Praram Dish, or any of the Curry Dishes – I love spicing it up a bit to get that extra kick. (If you are not a spicy fan, the dishes are also delicious and flavorful on their own.)

Orlando Buzz Tip:
Try a spicy dish with a Thai Iced Tea…Excellent Combination. Want dessert? I highly recommend the Thai Donuts and Ice Cream (I’m trying the Tempura Cheesecake next time and I’ll let you know if it is not tasty… but I doubt it.)

A warm breeze blows by as you are sitting outside enjoying a hookah and then a Belly Dancer performs by your table. Your waiter brings out some Hummus with Meat (my fave) and Fatayer (spinach pie) and you are in a little piece of Mediterranean paradise.  

Cedars is known for their Lebanese cuisine. Everything is good….of course if you normally don’t like pork and you order pork then you probably still won’t like it… 

I went and sat outside with a group of friends for hours one evening enjoying the Lebanese food, relaxing atmosphere and the beautiful weather. The waiters come to chat with you and they are always relaxed. They never try to rush you out. 

The prices are not cheap but the tasty dishes come in large quantities to share and the quality is high. 

If you want to get away from the rush of life and enjoy delicious food in a relaxing atmosphere – Cedars is the place for you. 

Orlando Buzz Tips: 

On a budget but want to try Cedars? Come with friends and skip entrees. Just order an appetizer for each person and share! The appetizers are priced between $5 to $9 which is more affordable and they are delicious. 

Want to have some fun afterwards? On Friday nights the close by Samba Room has Salsa dance lessons starting at 9:30pm.

If you’re adventurous or a timid sushi lover, you will find what you desire at Ichiban Sushi. Especially from the Ichiban Sushi Happy Hour daily from 5 to 7pm. The Happy Hour Menu has a variety of Sushi pieces, rolls, Tempura, and drink specials. 

For those who fear the raw fish, there is Tempura chicken, shrimp, and vegetables. The Happy Hour menu also has a variety of sushi rolls that do not have raw fish including the vegetarian options (cucumber and avocado rolls) along with the Downtown Roll, KFC Roll, Shrimp Tempura Roll, and the California roll. I love the KFC roll for only $5. It has Fried chicken, cucumber, and spicy mayo. Sounds weird especially for sushi, but it is GOOD.  

For the more adventurous sushi eaters, the Happy Hour Menu has Nigiri (One Piece) and Sashimi (Two Pieces) sushi ranging from $2 to $3. There is also a huge variety or rolls ranging from $3, for the more simple options like the salmon roll, to $5, for the more complex and tasty Dynamite Roll. 

There are even Sake specials. I’m still a little Sake shy (although it is growing on me) so I went for the Saketini for only $3. That night the featured flavor was Mango and WOW! It is a delish combo of Sake, fruit juice, and vodka. More of a fan of the brew? Kirin Ichiban is also only $3 and is a nice lighter beer imported from Japan. And of course if you are a Sake fan, the Ichiban Happy Hour serves Sake from $3 to $5. 

Not a bad night when you can have two sushi rolls/pieces and two drinks for under $20 including gratuity and taxes. Check out Ichiban Sushi in downtown Orlando between 5 and 7pm daily for their special Happy Hour menu. You won’t be disappointed.

Spend an early weekend afternoon munching on Italian delights, sipping a Bellini, and enjoying the early spring Florida sun while dining outdoors. I call this a little piece of Venice in Florida.

Brio Tuscan Grille serves their brunch until 3:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays and if the day is right, sitting outside on their patio can be a heavenly experience. If the day is not, the inside of the Brio’s restaurant is decorated like you are dining in a century old classic Italian restaurant. Brio has a special brunch menu and my favorite dish is the Frittata al Forno  which has a strange sounding description (straight from the menu): “Layered with eggs, angel hair, crisp bacon, onions,spinach, artichoke, Fontina cheese and Parmesan cream.” However this dish is a rich and delicious combination of unique flavors that helps make the Brunch experience at Brio remarkable.

Brio Tuscan Grille has two locations in Orlando, one in the Mall at Millenia and one at Winter Park Village.