8625 International Drive

Orlando, Florida 32819

Phone: 407-248-2222

www.cafetututango.com

If you are in Orlando, this is a great place to go with the kids for an eclectic, casual  atmosphere with great food and artwork. It is near the Disney Parks and the Convention Center. It is open every day for lunch and dinner.  There is an open kitchen, vibrant colored walls, and artwork on display from local artists in the area. The artwork is all for sale. There is also spontaneous entertainment from singers, dancers, and performers. The restaurant was started in 1991 by three friends coming from Barcelona. The wanted to bring the creativity and magic with them back here. The service is warm and friendly and attentive. Great location for parties or special events. Prices range from $3 to $12 per item, depending on what you order. There are other locations in Georgia and California.

There are diverse creative small appetizer dishes from their menu that are made fresh daily. Groups of people will share several dishes together for a great culinary experience. There are also many types of beer and wine served with their specialty fruit blended sangrias.

My husband and I enjoyed eating at Cafe Tu Tu Tango last weekend with my son, his wife, and my grandson.  My grandson had a delicious cheese pizza from the kids menu. The rest of us ordered various appetizer dishes to share. I had a spinach salad that was prepared fresh. We also a Sesame Seared Tuna dish,  Mediterranean Spinach Dip, Langostino Mac and Cheese, Argentinaean Style Orange Chimmimchurri Steak, and the Black Bean Soup. Everything was presented well and very fresh and tasty. We topped it all with sharing a delicious Brownie Sundae dessert. Needless to say, we were all very full and satisfied after this meal.

We look forward to eating at Cafe Tu Tu Tango again soon so we can try the other dishes. It is a fun place to dine and try various dishes.

There was live music on the Saturday afternoon when we visited.

Our table was on the covered patio.  We started with freshly baked bread,  Maine lobster bisque,  and lobster and crab cakes. The lobster bisque had a nice consistency and contained a lobster-crab fritter.  The lobster and crab cakes were served with a tropical fruit salsa, mango chipolte aioli.

For the main dish we enjoyed the Yellowtail Snapper which was a pan seared in a lemon-caper sauce and served with Florida Gulf shrimp, fresh asparagus, portobello mushrooms, and Yukon gold mashed potatoes.  The fish and shrimp were very fresh and tasty.  The asparagus spears were large and had a good flavor.

The freshly-brewed ice tea was very refreshing. Service was excellent and very attentive.

For desert, we enjoyed chocolate mouse and key-lime pie.  The pie was in a round shape and superb.  The chocolate mouse had a thin layer of chocolate cake at the bottom which gave it extra flavor.  The espresso and cappuccino were very good.

Other offerings include a variety of sandwiches, appetizers, salads, entrees and desserts. There is a full bar including tropical drinks.  The sandwiches we saw were large enough to be shared.

Menus with prices can be viewed on their website.

Hours of  Operation:

Breakfast Daily: 6:30-11:00 am, till 12:00 pm on weekends
Lunch Daily: 11:00 am-5:00 pm
Dinner: Sunday-Thursday 5:00-10:00 pm and Friday-Saturday 5:00-11:00 pm

Tiki Bar:  Sunday-Thursday 10:00am-12:00am and Friday-Saturday 10:00am-1:00am

Website:  latitudesonthebeach.com

Location and Contact Information:

2501 North Ocean Drive
Hollywood, FL 33019

Phone: 954-924-2202 x7040

T REX Cafe Restaurant

Downtown Disney

Marketplace – 1676 E. Buena Vista Drive

Orlando, FL 32830

(407) 828-TREX (8739) for reservations

Going to Disney Village in Downtown Disney is a treat in itself. There are attractions, shops, movies, and dining choices all throughout the area. In the marketplace area is T Rex Cafe Restaurant.  T-REX Café is a dinosaur-themed family eatery serving lunch and dinner amid prehistoric creatures, fun displays and merchandise in Downtown Disney area. T-Rex has a Build-A-Dino Workshop by Build-A-Bear. T-Rex is part of the Premium, Platinum and Wine and Dine Packages. Stare into the eyes of a dangerous Tyrannosaurus Rex or size up a stegosaurus or triceratops living in a prehistoric landscape of geysers and jungle-like greenery. They are open daily for lunch and dinner and take all major credit cards.

There is a separate children’s menu complete with a coloring book and crayons upon arrival. There are pre-historic exhibits that move and make sounds at different times while dining there. There is a huge fish aqaurium in the front behind the bar. When my husband and I arrived with my grandson on a Friday afternoon, there was a line to get seated, but it moved quickly and efficiently. The lunch menu had much to choose from with moderate pricing. There are dishes that are good for large and smaller appetites. I shared a gigantosaures burger and waffle fries with my husband and my grandson ordered the children’s cheese pizza.  We all loved our food. It was hot, fresh, and tasty. There were many waitresses going back and forth. Our waitress was very friendly and made us feel comfortable. She answered our questions and served us effectively and promptly.

It was fun having entertainment and interaction while we were eating good food. Looking forward to going there again and trying one of their dinner dishes.

http://flavorsofitaly.com

1933 N. University Drive

Coral Springs, FL 33071

This Italian restaurant recently relocated from one area of Coral Springs to another spot, however, they did not update their website as of yet.  Their old address and phone number are still listed on their current website.  The old phone number is disconnected.  Their new location is where Mambo Jambo used to be. The outside has nice tables set up and you can hear music playing as you walk in. They advertise live entertainment in the bar lounge on Friday nights.  Reservations for dinner are suggested.

I was there with my girlfriends last week on Thursday night and was surprised at how quiet the restaurant was at dinner time during season.  We had a round table for eight of us.  Their  menu items are made with the finest ingredients and are made to order.  The menu was extensive so there was a lot to choose from. The prices are moderate to expensive as everything is ala carte.  We had had a gourmet salad before our main course.  Some had wine before.  There was plenty of bread and marinara sauce to share.  Some of us had the eggplant and zucchini lasagna as our main dish. It was highly recommended and it was delicious!  The portions were nice.  Others had salmon and some had chicken parmagiana. Everyone enjoyed their food and the presentation.  Then a few had coffee after the meal. We did not order dessert as the one recommended was not being served that evening. That was disappointing.

Our only valid complaint was with the service. It took awhile to get our food and then there was a misunderstanding about making separate checks and taking a advertising discount coupon of theirs with the meals. We had to call the manager and she did not stand by what she had said previously.  We would have appreciated her being honest with us. As it turned out, we all got separate checks and a few of us got the discount for our meals.

I don’t know if we would go back there so fast again. Being that the food was so good, one might wander why they were not busier for dinner. Perhaps one too many did not get served properly or in a reasonable amount of time.

3111 N. University Drive
Coral Springs, Fl. 33065
PH: 954 510-7400

http://www.payzins.com

Payzins is a place that you feel comfortable whether you are with one person or among a large group of friends.  They have 14 restaurant locations in South Florida sine the 1980′s.  Think about being entertained with music while you are eating a delicious meal and being able to dance the night away in the same venue. It is also a great place to come for a drink, listen to music and dance without having dinner as well.

I was there last week with my seven other friends for Girls Nite Out. The food is prepared fresh everyday from scratch recipes and there are always specials available.  On a Thursday night it was crowded for dinner, appealing to all ages.  We started off with rolls and some had red wine and others had white wine.  A couple of us ordered the Macadama Nut Crusted Tilapia that came with soup or salad and two side dishes.  Someone else had the Island Skirt Steak and another person had the Broiled Salmon.  The Macadama Nut Crusted Tilapia was delicious.  Some of my friends complained that their dishes were not warm enough. They were replaced.  The salads and soups came out quickly after ordering, but the main meal did not.

The service was very slow, but the food and the portions were good.  The prices are reasonable.  I would probably come back again and try their lunch menu sometime.

Abby Firstenberg-Merker

239 South Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard

Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33316

spaziofl.com

Spazio is located right on Ft. Lauderdale beach on the corner of Las Olas and A1A. There is a bar and seating inside as well as open space and seating outside facing the beach. Executive chef Michael Smith has created an Italian/Mediterranean menu with a wide variety of items in all courses. An added touch is the outdoor entertainment of live music. They have a full liquor bar. Their prices range from inexpensive to moderate. Spazio is conveniently open for breakfast, lunch and dinner from 8a.m. through midnight daily and accepts most major credit cards.

My husband and I ate at Spazio recently on a Saturday night and really enjoyed ourselves. We sat outside and listened to the music and watched the many people going by. It was busy while we were there.  We ordered the individual pizza and their 2 for 1 frozen drinks and were pleasantly surprised. The drinks and food portions were generous. The pizza was delicious and thin crusted like we prefer. Our service was friendly and prompt and we are looking forward to coming back again soon to enjoy one of their regular meals. I would highly recommend anyone who hasn’t been there yet to experience it. Spazio is also a great place for relatives and friends visiting the area. Great food, great entertainment, great location, and great service.