Julie’s Waterfront

Account written by Sarah

Julie’s Waterfront was an easy choice for us because we both like seafood and we both love lakes…seafood restaurant on a lake?  Yes please! 

Julie’s was a little bit of a drive for us, but the end result was worth it!  We sat on the back patio and enjoyed the gorgeous view of the lake.  We had great service, and the only real downside was the bugs (*Florida…Summer*). 

 

 

 

 

Jake ordered a steak and salmon combo:

 

 

And I ordered mahi mahi and shrimp:

   

The food was pretty good, but I’m not the most impartial judge (growing up, we always had fresh fish, as in swimming Saturday, eaten Sunday, since my mom and I would go spear fishing).  In the end, it was a lot of food and we left with plenty of left overs, but mostly, we enjoyed the views!

  

Ratings: 

He Said:  Nice lake!

She Said: Pretty scenery

Ambiance:4.5/5 

Taste: 3.5/5 

Price: $$-$$$ (right in between)

Healthy Options: 3/5 

Revisit:  Probably not

Relax Grill

Seasons 52

Source: Google Images

Account written by Sarah

Seasons 52 is a favorite in our house!  Jake moves back to Orlando, go to Seasons.  I get into my PhD program, go to Seasons.  If my ‘rents are in town, oh you know we’re going to Seasons!  We love it!

Everytime we go, I get the same thing: Filet Mignon.  They do it well, and I love knowing I can have a large portion of steak and mashed potatoes that’s not laden with unnecessary fat and calories.  I also always get the Pecan Pie (pronounced like you’re peeing in a can, not like you’re pe-tting a con-man…just saying) shot glass dessert.  Jake’s order fluctuates.  Sometimes we get a Flatbread, and once we ordered the Buffalo Chili…which was awesome! But seriously, for a nice dinner out, good wine, amazing dessert, and a relaxed atmosphere with friends, you can’t go wrong with Seasons 52.

Ratings: 

He Said:  The only bad thing is the wait.

She Said: Personal favorite…I love it!

Ambiance: 5/5 

Taste: 5/5 

Price: $$$-$$$$ 

Healthy Options: 5/5 

Revisit: A resounding YES!

Spice

Thai House

Garibaldi’s

Source: Google Images-Orlando Sentinel

Account written by Sarah

As much as I love sushi, Jake LOVES Mexican food.  So after driving by Garibaldi’s dozens of times, Jake finally picked it for date night.  The night we went, it had just finished raining (and it was summer in Florida), so aside from the muggy-ness, the outside patio had a great, relaxing atmosphere. 

Garibaldi’s serves pretty good beers, and although we weren’t there at the time, it looked like they have some pretty good happy hour specials.  We both got the 3 item combo (only $8.25!!) and got a variety of items such as Chiles Rellenos, Enchiladas, and Burritos.  The food was standard Mexican food…cheesy, greasy, and delicious.  The test of any Mexican restaurant, though, is there refried beans, and Garibaldi’s passed the test!  All in all, a good dining experience!

Ratings: 

He Said:  Good food, would be fun for happy hour with some buddies.

She Said: Good, cheap Mexican food…love the patio!

Ambiance:4/5 

Taste: 3.5/5 

Price: $$ 

Healthy Options: 2/5 

Revisit:  Maybe

Fuji Sushi

Source: Google Images

Account written by Sarah

Jake is not a fan of Asian food…he just doesn’t like it.  So when date night came around and I was craving sushi, I had to take him somewhere that I know is good!  I’ve actually been to Fuji about a million times.  I used to live in a townhouse just across the street, so me and my college roomies would go to sushi there about once every other week…and for good reason!  The sushi is amazing! 

Some rolls that I always get are: the UCF, the New Zealand, the Spicy Tuna, the Caterpillar, the Spider, and (my favorite) the Popeye (fried sweet potato, spinach, and cream cheese…don’t ask why, it just works! And a little tip, if you order this, get a side of ginger dressing for dipping instead of soy sauce).  One thing that I really like about Fuji is that you can get all of the sushi made with brown rice.  There is a $1 up charge, but the sushi is really affordable, so to me, it’s worth it.

Now I’m not gonna lie and say that the food here is so unbelievable that it converted Jake and now he loves all Asian food…that didn’t happen!  He’s still not a fan, but he loves me, so whenever I crave it, I know he’ll head to Fuji with me

Ratings: 

He Said:  Pretty good for Asian food.

She Said: My favorite sushi in Orlando

Ambiance: 3/5 

Taste: 4/5 

Price: $$ 

Healthy Options: 5/5 

Revisit: Yes

Ceviche

Source: Google Images

Account written by Sarah

Ceviche is one of my favorite restaurants!  So, of course, when Jake asked me where I wanted to go for my birthday, I immediately picked Ceviche, especially since it’s conveniently located in downtown Orlando and we could walk to the bars after dinner. 

To start, our entire table ordered a round of drinks, and it had to be the white sangria for me!  Their sangria is so good!  Since we were with groups of couples, each couple ordered their own tapas (but there was, of course, bites exchanged across the table!)  Jake and I ordered:

A large plate of the Patatas Bravas (OMGMYFAVORITE!  Love these…I can’t go to Ceviche without ordering these!), the Chorizo y Pimientos (best dish of the night), the Huevos Rellenos (Jake loves deviled eggs), and the Calamari Rellenos (the sauce was great for bread dipping, but otherwise…meh).  Oh, and there was chocolate birthday cake:

Ratings: 

He Said:  Obscenely loud, but fun with good food.

She Said: Ceviche food baby = a good night!

Ambiance: 3/5  (just because of noise)

Taste: 4.5/5  (but the potatoes are a 6!)

Price: $$$$ (with drinks and dessert) 

Healthy Options: 4/5  (they do have amazing salads)

Revisit: Duh…Yes!

Catfish Place

Source: http://www.mycatfishplace.com/My_Catfish_Place/Welcome.html

Account written by Sarah

The Catfish Place was about a 30 minute drive for us, but with the recommendation of many of our friends, we decided to give it a shot.  When we got there, I fell in love with a stray kitten that was on the front steps of the restaurant (I later fed it Baskin Robbins and tried to take it home with us…but Jake said no, haha).  Once seated, we had to wait quite a while before we finally received menus from our waitress.  We scanned the menu and proceeded to order the blackened salmon (for him) and the crab claw cluster dinner (for me).  The prices were very reasonable.

Our experience at Catfish Place was just ok.  The food was decent, the prices were reasonable, and the food was mediocre.  Jake and I don’t really eat fried food, but I think if we did we might have enjoyed our meals more since fried fish seems to be their specialty.

Ratings: 

He Said:  Failed to meet up to the hype.

She Said: Good price for crab claws.

Ambiance: 2/5 

Taste: 3/5 

Price: $$ 

Healthy Options: 2/5 

Revisit: No