| Shopping
Want
a place to shop? More than 200
shopping centers and eight major
malls deliver the goods throughout
the region, which ranks in the
top 10 percent of all metro
areas in total retail sales.
And if you don’t think
people love to shop in town,
consider this total: $25 billion.
That’s what people spend
in one year locally in retail
sales.
Of the
major malls, the Mall of Millenia
is the newest—and fanciest.
The mall features such big names
as Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s.
You won’t find either
store anyplace else in town.
The mall, which contains 1.2
million square feet, is located
south of downtown Orlando off
Interstate 4.
The
area’s largest mall, at
1.6 million square feet, is
The Florida Mall. There, more
than 250 stores await, including
Parisian and Saks Fifth Avenue.
Next in line, in order of size,
are Altamonte Mall, Seminole
Towne Center, West Oaks Mall,
Orlando Fashion Square and Oviedo
Marketplace. They offer leading
names such as Burdines, Dilllards,
JC Penney and Sears, along with
numerous specialty shops.
Still
can’t find what you’re
looking for? Try the stores
located right in your neighborhood
or maybe off the beaten path.
Of course, part of the fun of
shopping is searching around
at what you might find.
Dining
The names
Latin Quarter, Bongo’s
Cuban Café, Columbia
and Samba Room might mean nothing
to you now. Just make one visit
to these Latin-oriented establishments,
however, and your feelings
will change. The same goes
for Roy’s, Orlando Palm
and Black Finn Grill.
Those are
among the many places across
town that are synonymous with
dining out. In other words,
they are special and prove just
how good the restaurants really
are in metro Orlando.
At the Latin Quarter, located at Universal CityWalk, the restaurant’s mission
is to be “the embassy of all 21 Latin American Nations, cuisine, art and
entertainment.” The interior has an Aztec feel, the live music nightly
is infectious and the cuisine is called Nuevo Latino. It’s a restaurant
and nightclub rolled into one. Nuevo Latino is an interpretation of traditional
Latin dishes of yesterday, with the contemporary touch of today.
Similarly, Bongo’s also
is a restaurant/ nightclub.
The building’s Old Havana
architecture is dominated by
a massive pineapple-shaped
adobe structure that fills
the skyline of Down-town Disney.
Once inside, a dazzling mosaic
of hand-painted murals evokes
the Cuba of the 1940s and 1950s.
There are two floors of indoor
and outdoor dining areas. The
restaurant, owned by Gloria
and Emilio Estefan, features
the refreshing taste of the
Caribbean.
The Columbia,
with several locations in Florida,
is one of the state’s
oldest restaurants. The Columbia
is located in Celebration,
making it especially convenient
for residents of Kissimmee
and south Orlando. Celebrating
nearly 100 years, the Columbia
has earned acclaim for its
old-world charm and consistently
outstanding Spanish cuisine.
In addition to traditional
family recipes, menu items
include fresh Gulf seafood
and specialty beef dishes
At the Samba
Room—a Cuban Bar and
Latin Cafe, it doesn't
take long to feel the rhythm.
It’s hits you right at
the door—a combination
of Afro-Cuban jazz and Brazilian sounds. Fresh ingredients, such as sofrito,
annato, garlic, laurel, peppers and mojo, create an intriguing and spicy mix
of flavors. The cuisine is sort of an updated combination of traditional Latin
American foods, with fresh seafood and grilled meats as the predominant fare.
Meanwhile, for options without
a Latin beat, try Roy’s.
Consider this a trip to Hawaii,
if only for a couple hours
of dinner and without leaving
town. This is Euro-Asian cuisine
at its finest. What does Euro-Asian
mean? Find out by trying the
crispy Thai Stuffed Chicken
with a fruit chutney and macadamia
curry sauce or the Miso-Seared
Butterfish with Chinese five-spice
butter sauce.
The Orlando
Palm doesn't take itself too
seriously. The walls throughout
this spacious restaurant are festooned with caricatures of local patrons and
national celebrities. The prime-aged steaks and jumbo lobsters, however, are
anything but frivolous. Not surprisingly, the Palm is popular throughout the
nation. This one is located at the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal.
The Black
Finn Grill is a place just
for seafood lovers. The seafood
arrives each day, with quantity
and kind dictating the daily
menu changes. Veal, lamb, chicken
and beef also are served. On
Thursdays through Saturdays,
the Back Room comes alive with
music that ranges from jazz
to dance.
Those are
only a small taste of the restaurants
in town. The menu of other choices
is long and equally appetizing.
Sports
You can either
watch or you can play. Either
way, when it comes to sports,
metro Orlando will keep you
busy. For those
who enjoy their own recreational
fun, the region contains a
wealth of sports facilities
in virtually any pursuit.
Sports range from softball
and soccer to fishing and,
of course, golf. After all,
the many professional golfers
who live here have to practice
their craft somewhere. And
if you think your golf game
is really up to par, try your
luck at Orange County National.
There, two top-notch public
courses played host to the
2003 PGA Tour Qualifying School.
For those who
want to watch others play, metro
Orlando offers NBA basketball,
Major League spring training,
professional golf, big-time
college football, and even indoor
professional football.
The NBA basketball
comes courtesy of the Orlando
Magic, led by superstar Tracy
McGrady. The Atlanta Braves
hold spring training at Disney,
while the Houston Astros prepare
in Kissimmee. Two PGA Tour events
and one LPGA event are held
in town. The University of Central
Florida Golden Knights is a
rising team in college football,
and Orlando is the site of two
bowl games. Plus, the Orlando
Predators play a zany form of
pro football—indoors on
a shortened field. It’s
part football/part concert but
all fun.
So the choice
is yours: Watch or play.
Culture
A fund-raising
group called United Arts of
Central Florida sets the stage
for how area residents are entertained
culturally. Under United Arts,
funding is generated for more
than 30 groups, including the
Bach Festival Society, Civic
Theatre of Central Florida,
Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando
Opera Company, Southern Ballet
Theatre, Orlando Science Center,
Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra
and Orlando-UCF Shakespeare
Festival. For the most part,
those groups comprise the core
of arts in metro Orlando.
In addition, several special
community events bring residents
together for celebrations.
A
wide range of community organizations,
including church groups and
the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce,
complement those community
events.
Nightlife
What to put
a little night in your life?
For starters, theme parks aren’t
just for tourists. The major
attractions have their own “mini-downtowns,”
designed to lure residents with
restaurants, dance clubs, performance
venues and shops. In this case,
the themes are “nightlife.”
At the Walt
Disney World Resort, the Downtown
Disney compound covers more
than 120 acres and includes
three distinct areas: Pleasure
Island, the Downtown Disney
Marketplace and Downtown Disney
West Side. Pleasure Island features
a world-famous mix of dance
clubs and concert halls; the
Marketplace is an open-air mall
with all the glitz and glamour
one would expect from Disney;
while the West Side houses the
world-renowned Cirque du Soleil
and a 24-screen movie theater.
Universal’s
answer to Downtown Disney is
Universal CityWalk. The 30-acre
complex flanks the entrances
to Universal Orlando’s
two main attractions, Universal
Studios and Islands of Adventure.
Dominated by Orlando’s
Hard Rock Cafe, CityWalk offers
an extraordinary variety of
shopping, dining and nightlife
experiences. From dinner at
Emeril’s to soulful jazz
at the Motown Cafe, CityWalk
has been known to keep revelers
busy all day. CityWalk also
features an ultra-modern movie
theater, and a steady stream
of outdoor live entertainment
and activities that stretch
long into the night.
Then there’s
downtown Orlando—the real
downtown. With high-end restaurants
like The Boheme Restaurant and
Manuel’s on the 28th,
downtown Orlando is a luxury
diner’s dream come true.
The city center also features
a variety of smaller dining
spots, in addition to dance
clubs, pubs and live-entertainment
venues.
Also, of course,
the region has many neighborhood
gathering places, including
restaurant/clubs that boast
a distinct Latin beat.
Among those latin establishments
are Rancho La Monserrate, Club
Campestre las Brisas, Coco
Bongo’s and Mirage Café Restaurant.
Each place features live music.
Vacation
Land
Orlando isn't
called the Vacation Capital
of the World for nothing. There
are many places to go to act
just like a tourist. Only,
these places are around town,
right here in your own backyard.
At the Walt
Disney World Resort, there are
four theme parks filled with
famous Disney adventures: the
Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM
Studios and Disney’s Animal
Kingdom.
Universal
Orlando includes the Universal
Studios and Islands of Adventure
theme parks, along with the
CityWalk entertainment complex.
SeaWorld contains
200 acres of shows, thrill rides,
animal attractions and, most
recently, animal encounters.
Plus, you can visit other
attractions, which offer plenty
of both entertainment and education.
Among those theme-park alternatives
are the Central Florida Zoo,
Discovery Cove, Gatorland,
Harry P. Leu Gardens, the Orange
County Regional History Center,
the Orlando Museum of Art,
the Orlando Science Center,
Medieval Times and Arabian
Nights. For example, Arabian
Nights has a new Latin-themed
skit as part of its dinner
show, where Latin music and
dance are featured. Meanwhile,
the Pirate’s Dinner Adventure,
which is a staged on a full-sized
authentic replica of an 18thCentury
Spanish galleon, has Latin-inspired
show scenes to spice up the
popular entertainment.
Latin Restaurants
While there are many restaurants
in metro Orlando that appeal
to Hispanics, Hispanic-owned
dining spots offer a special
flavor. And they have a special
bond with the latin community.
Here are several notable Hispanic-owned
restaurants:
Arepas de
la Finca Colombiana: (407)
933-8390
Arepas Exito:
(407) 240-4848
Arepas Y More
Cafe: (407) 894-5262
Aztecas
Restaurant: (407) 933-8155
Bananaz Cafe: (407) 841-7111
Beto’s
Mexican Food ( Casselberry):
(407) 834-0882
Beto’s
Mexican Food (Orlando): (407)
858-9097
Bongo's Cuban Cafe
( Lake Buena Vista): (407)
828-0999
Bongo's Cuban Cafe
( Orlando): (407) 816-7450
Brazilian
Pavilion Restaurant: (407)
850-0295
Cafe Aragon: (407)
671-2222
Cafe Latino: (407)
851-2393
Cafe Madrid: (407)
281-9491
Cafeteria Latina: (407)
277-9240
Camila’s Restaurant:
(407) 354-2507
Casa de las Empanadas:
(407) 812-9697
Casa Mañana
Haystax: (352) 589-0510
Coco
Bongos: (407) 859-7225
Crazy
Grill Barbecue Meat, Rotisserie
and Churrascaria: (407) 354-4404
Cuban
Cafe: (407) 856-0580
Don Pepe's
Cuban Cafe: (407) 682-6834
Donna
Donni Restaurant, The: (407)
354-4880
El Angel Mexican Restaurant:
(407) 944-3535
El Bohio Cafe:
(407) 282-1723
El Cerro Grande:
(407) 852-1166
El Faro: (407)
895-0115
El Flamboyan: (407)
857-8008
El Jibarito: (407)
389-0845
El Jinete Mexican:
(407) 812-5884
El-Junqueño:
(407) 273-1820
El Palacio Restaurant:
(407) 240-0961
El Potro Mexican
Restaurant ( Winter Park):
(407) 975-9132
El Potro Mexican
Restaurant (Apopka): (407)
886-4934
El Rancho Latino: (407)
396-5455
El Tipico Restaurant:
(407) 857-1046
Gloria's Cafe:
(321) 235-0089
Habaneros Mexican
Restaurant: (407) 869-1700
Havana's
Cafe: (407) 846-6771
Havana
#2 Restaurant: (407) 426-7625
La
Carreta Bakery & Deli:
(407) 348-3285
La Estancia:
(407) 343-0409
La Hacienda
Restaurant: (407) 447-0707
La Herradura: (407) 852-0588
Macarena Mexican Grill: (407)
834-5002
Mambo's Cafe of Central
Florida: (407) 855-3245
Maria
Bonita Authentic Mexican Restaurant:
(407) 282-1411
Maria's Mexican
Restaurant: (407) 933-1123
Medina's
Grocery and Restaurant: (407)
894-9294
Mexicali Rose: (407)
812-1996
Mi Tierra Restaurant:
(407) 889-8898
Mi Viejo San
Juan: (407) 382-6579
Mirage
Café Restaurant:
(407) 351-6311
Moe’s Southwest
Grill (Orlando): (407) 264-9903
Moe’s
Southwest Grill ( Winter Park):
(407) 629-4500
Mr. Mofongo:
(407) 482-0150
Numero Uno Restaurant:
(407) 841-3840
Oh Que Bueno:
(407) 935-9192
Paco's: (407)
629-0149
Rincon Criollo: (407)
872-1128
Rolando’s Cuban
Restaurant: (407) 767-9677
Sebastian
Cafe Restaurant: (407) 344-0003
Taza
Restaurant: (407) 857-9111
Tropical
Restaurant: (407) 540-1336
Yaya’s
Cuban Cafe & Bakery:
(407) 275-7555
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