I’m going to Orlando next week (arrive Sunday the 13th, leaving Saturday the 19th) for a little training seminar and I was wondering if any of the locals had suggestions of things to do in the evening. My hotel’s on a strip of hotels on Westwood Blvd near International Drive. Having been to Orlando only once in recent years, I’m pretty sure this means I’m not close to anything that isn’t a tourist trap. None the less, does anyone know a place where a person can have a nice cup of coffee or a quiet pint?
Better yet, any cool local events coming? Music, lectures, anything is fair game.
Or perhaps we could set up a mini-dope for dinner one night. It doesn’t matter to me.
I don’t know the I-Drive area at all, except you’re close to hundreds of restaurants, most of them touristy. As for quiet pints, you’d have to drive a little bit to get to a nice Irish pub called Fiddler’s Green, located in swanky Winter Park. Very cool place, with a full Irish menu. Tatame is a funky Winter Park bar that specializes in sake and boba tea, with live jazz and cool decor. I just checked, and there aren’t really any noteworthy shows coming up at the Social (downtown live music club) or the House of Blues (at Downtown Disney, closer to you) that week.
One of my favorite bars in town, Club Swank, is made up like a 1930s speakeasy. On November 18th, one of our very own Straight Dopers, velvetjones, is performing there with her jazz combo, the Julie Lyon Quartet. I’ve seen them live, and they’re great, and she is very nice in person. Here’s the Club Swank calendar on their website, with a link to velvetjones’ band’s site: http://www.clubswankorlando.com/calendar.html .
If you like Vietnamese food, Orlando has a large Vietnamese neighborhood located around Colonial Drive and Mills Avenue (easy to get to via I-4), with lots of restaurants and Asian shops and grocery stores. It’s a neat place to browse around and buy exotic gifts and snacks. If you’re coming from Nashville, you probably have decent access to good barbecue in Memphis (the best I’ve EVER had), but you can get very decent barbecue at any Sonny’s or Bubbaloo’s location around town.
What are you into, as far as food, music, etc.? Maybe I can make other suggestions better-suited for your interests.
Thanks for the plug ** Big Bad Voodoo Lou**! I hope I see you there on the 18th. It’s not just a gig, it’s my birthday party too!
I second the recomendation for Fiddler’s Green on Fairbanks. It’s awesome. My husband and I had a gig there for a while. The food is good. The staff is friendly and it’s got a rustic charm inside you just can’t beat.
Tatame too, good sushi, nice place. Heck if you’re going to venture as far as Winter Park check out some of the other places on Park Avenue, 310 Park South has excellent food as does Park Plaza Gardens though they can be a little pricey.
On international drive if you go to the south end to the Mercado shopping village you will find Cricketers Arms which is a nice bar/pub with live music most nights of the week.
Wow, VelvetJones, how did I not know you had a jazz ensemble? Mrs Shibb and I loves us some good jazz? Do you ever play out in the direction of Tampa?
I’m not that up on Orlando, although I have stayed in that area a couple of times. My folks were out there in the last couple of weeks and apparently had a fantastic meal at Emeril’s, which is, I believe, in the front part of Universal before you get to the park. They said it wasn’t cheesy at all, the food was great, the service was impeccable, the price was semi-reasonable (you could spend more) and the restaurant was beautiful. They really enjoyed it and they eat out a lot. For sushi in that area they recommend Ran-getsu.
My last trip we had a nice meal and a very good time at a place called Timpano’s. The food was decent and they had a swing band which played after the last serving of the evening (about 10 pm). The band was fun but the best part was watching a couple of fantastic swing dancers. Check the website or give them a call as the live entertainment varies.
Hmm…well, my experience with Asian food is not broad. I enjoy sushi and some Chinese. I’m more fond of small pubs (or a spread out pub), preferably with microbrewed beer. I love tasting new beers so I try to include that in my experience in a new place.
When it comes to live music I love the blues. I try to hit a club every time I go to Chicago so I can catch that. I dig live jazz too. Hell, I can listen to live anything but country and rap.
I find your suggestion of an Irish pub quite tempting. I’ll look it up. I’m getting ready for work, so I can discuss more in-depth with you later if you want. Thanks, Lou.
I’m going to give this one teensy bump and leave it alone. Anybody else have a suggestion for me? What’s been posted already is most helpful. Thanks, guys.
There’s many restaurants on Sand Lake Road, so much it’s called Restaurant Row. If you want a Chinese buffet you can’t go wrong with Bill Wong’s, on the corner of I-Drive and Kirkman.
One more spot to mention: Stadust, located at 1842 E Winter Park Rd. A very bohemian (hipsterrific) establishment, they are simply the best video rental store I’ve ever been to, with a colossal selection of movies, specializing in indie, foreign, cult, and classic cinema. You’re only in town for a week, but I mention this because they also feature a wide variety of bottled beers and ales to enjoy at their tables or while browsing, and coffee and tea as well. Since you mentioned liking to try new beers, this is a very cool place to do so. They don’t have a take-away license, though, so you’d have to drink anything you wanted while you were there… which doesn’t make it the most reasonable alternative for an out-of-town visitor. But I just thought I’d throw it out there anyway.
Orlando’s best trendy, college student-friendly independent record store, Park Avenue CDs, recently moved across the street from Stardust, and there is an ABC Liquor Store right there too. That little area is one-stop shopping for the best in film, music, alcohol, and young women (or men, for those who are into that) with funky glasses and ironic statements on their T-shirts.
