The Taste of Yucatán: Unique niche cuisine and a must try for anyone in Orlando

Finally, a change from the regular humdrum and onto a new and never-tried cuisine in Orlando. Taste of Yucatán just opened three weeks ago. It's located not far from the busy intersection of Semoran and Curry Ford. How often do you try an establishment that specializes in regional Mexican cuisine? Unless you are shopping at a local mexican store with a side kitchen serving hot food, the answer is probably not that often.

The building is rather unassuming. To be honest, it used to be a Church's Chicken property before it traded hands. When we arrived, the parking lot had but a few cars and I have to say, I was a little concerned this was not what I had hoped for. 

My reservations about this place melted away as soon as we entered. The restaurant was clean, well lit, minimally decorated, and the ordering counter had 3 flat screens that effectively (and efficiently) described the ordering process while giving ample visual examples of their dishes from one slide to next. To top it off, we had the owner, Joal Rodriguez, take our order with a big smile. His willingness to help make our experience as best as it could get really impressed me as he truly went out of his way to make sure we were satisfied while placing our order.

The process is simple- choose a 'presentation' (taco, quesadilla, bowl, etc.) and the 'filling' that would reside on or in your presentation (mayan-style pork, cheese, chorizo, poblano peppers, etc.). There are appetizers as well... and get this, nothing on the menu is more than $7 per order. Talk about a deal. 

We ordered quite a bit- some panuchos (a Yucatán specialty made by deep-frying a corn tortilla stuffed with refried beans), some tamales, some quesadillas, freshly made guacamole, and a mexican tamarind-flavored soda.

I have to say, everything- and I mean everything- was delicious. Granted, I'm not a connoisseur of Yucatec cuisine or culture, but it's that feeling you get regardless of expertise when you know something has been made with care, consideration, quality, and love. 

I loved the papas con chorizo filling (potatoes and spicy sausage) on my panucho. Contrary to expectation, I didn't see chorizo bits in the mashed potato mixture- rather, the chorizo was completely incorporated into the potatoes to give it an orange-brown hue which permeated that classic spicy sausage taste evenly. 

The vaporsitos (beef tamales scented with wrapped banana leaves) were a little bit on the denser side (I like my tamales soft and very moist) and they had a cake-like consistency. The flavor was milder than what I had expected, but after adding some freshly made salsa verde and homemade spicy sauce of ground chile de árbol in oil, that too disappeared down my throat.

For all you pork lovers, the Cochinita Pibil quesadilla was very good. If I had a second stomach, I would have ordered another one of these. The flour tortillas were pillowy soft and the pulled pork was succulent and mildly spiced while enrobed in a gorgeous thick brown sauce. Add some fresh cilantro, minced onions, and a couple wedges of lime from the condiment area on the counter, and you'll make quick work of this divine dish in minutes.

The guacamole was exceedingly fresh and come in a 5oz container. For something that would cost $8-$10 easily at a fine dining Mexican restaurant, The Taste of Yucatán serves this delicious made-to-order appetizer for a meager $4.50 with a side of tortillas and free unlimited toppings (crema, salsas, pico de gallo, lime wedges, etc.). 

IN A NUTSHELL: Go to this place before the crowds rush in and change it's dynamic. That's because everything is made in-house and it is highly evident that they take great pride in their Yucatec background.  So, if the place gets busy, food wait times may become longer. This is a great place for a quick office meal during the work week if you want to surprise your co-workers by breaking the routine of the usual franchise restaurants. This restaurant offers a cheap bite for any curious foodie that wants to explore their palate without breaking the bank. I highly recommend this place at this time as I'm digging the owners enthusiasm to bring a little bit of the Yucatán to Orlando. I wish this restaurant great success as I was delightfully surprised how good the food, service, and the bill were.

Cochinita quesadilla, Papas con chorizo panucho, and tamales

Made-to-order guacamole with chips. I drizzled the crema and added on the condiments later. The owners special hot sauce (chile de árbol in oil) is on the top right corner of the basket.

An hot and crispy empanada. More panuchos (this time with sautéed poblanos and corn, and another with  Yucatán-style pulled pork). Barbacoa quesadilla (only $3.50).

Tamarind soda. Try it. It's made with 100% real sugar.

Outpost Neighborhood Kitchen: Above average with good service

Outpost has been in College Park for over a year and a half now. Somehow, I just managed to get there this week. Why haven't I been to this place sooner? 

The layout of the dining room is small but cozy. There are rustic details throughout the space which teeters on shabby chic and vintage. Either way, it wasn't over the top and the small tchotchkes here and there weren't overt distractions from the feel and vibe of the place.

I ordered the Vanderbilt Salad ($13) and a Moscow Mule ($11) and both were pretty good. The salad was very lightly tossed in dressing so I asked for more and the server was happy to oblige. Kale, spinach, pineapple, BBQ chicken, and avocado... topped with a cilantro vinaigrette. Mm, so good. And the portion size was not on the skimpy side. I took some leftovers to-go.

My only suggestion is that if you visit, try to beat any large parties ahead of you. Due to real estate prices skyrocketing in this neighborhood of Orlando, I can see why the loin's share of the space was designed for the customer- only to have a smaller kitchen pressured to churn out consistent, quality food to parties of 6 or more that need to be fed at the same time. 

The service was very good and a few of the servers came over and apologized for the delay in food while they served the 13-top in the center of the room. I appreciated that and I wanted to validate their efforts as it made my patience for my meal increase as well. 

Outpost has an amazing and creative menu ranging from burgers, salads, real southern-style sides, and imaginative apps. Plus a full bar. It's a charming spot and I do recommend this restaurant when you aren't in a rush to get fed and head out. 

IN A NUTSHELL: Go during the off-peak hours. Good ambiance with good service and a killer Moscow Mule await you. I can see a wide variety of clientele liking this spot- from the gluten-intolerant to the paleo-heads that just want to inhale a burger or two. Outpost says that they make everything from scratch. Though, I suspect there is a canned tomato component to their ketchup, I'll give them credit for aspiring to be a restaurant that prides on personal recipes without premade shortcuts.

Ole Times Country Buffet- Surprisingly good food, meh on the ambiance

Walking into this place, I immediately knew I was walking into a relaxed Southern atmosphere. The walls where covered with a shade of yellow wood panels festooned with random memorabilia crap that someone found a space and decided to hammer a nail to hang it. Some call in ole country chic, I call it beyond tacky and quite frankly, a useless distraction.

You have to go through a double-laned cash register channel before you get to the buffet. Sardonically, it reminded me of how pigs are probably queued before they pay they meet their maker. The entrance winds into a narrow hallway that wraps around the parameter of the restaurant and opens up in the middle of the restaurant to- tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and honey for sale (all at pretty reasonable prices).

I could tell by this sales structure that they either a) may have been overwhelmed by large crowds b) may have experienced people that didn't pay on their way out c) needed to figure out a way so that a hostess doesn't have the headache to find you a table or d) all of the above. I think there could have been a smoother, classier way to handle this but it did bring about a burning question- if the food is purportedly good, why relegate customers to this?

It was rush hour and I had to forage for a table before food. I had to mark my territory with an empty plate before heading to the buffet. It was every man for himself. It's funny when you're the paying customer and you have to fend for things. After being initiated into all things Ole Times, I sat down to eat. The food was surprisingly tasty. And that's the only reason why this restaurant made it on to my blog. Everything seemed to have been freshly readied and maintained. There was a cold buffet bar with salads, dressings, and toppings as well as a long warm buffet island with fried chicken, various kinds of prepared beans, fried catfish (on the bone and filleted), smoked sausage, smoked ribs, and bbq pulled chicken among other things.

Let me tell you about the vegetables- they were simply prepared but yet so flavorful. I couldn't help but notice smoked ham hocks bobbing in most of them. Though some many find it revulsing, I actually liked that they didn't shy away from where their flavor profiles were hailing. I enjoyed the collard greens and the stewed cabbage- both of which were not cooked to death but were soft enough for nuanced texture while still imparting their juicy earthiness. The mashed potatoes were perfectly fluffy and salted. All in all, the first plate really rejuvenated the lunch experience. What can I say?When food is good, you stop griping and you start paying attention to what's in front of you.

The fried catfish fillets were so perfectly done. A perfect cornmeal coating gave the right amount of crunch before my teeth sunk into some of the moistest fish meat that I have had in years. Matter of fact as soon as I had it, my mouth screamed for more even though I wasn't particularly hungry. This was the only item that I went back for seconds. Speaking of fried, you probably are wondering by now how the fried chicken was. Yes, I'll admit it- I'm a fried chicken snob. But this restaurant's was quite good. It doesn't take the first place prize of the most amazing crispy skin of my dreams, but the meat was moist and the batter-to-meat ratio was nearly exact to what I always look for. And speaking of chicken the Smoked Chicken and BBQ Pulled Chicken were really good. The smoked chicken had a great rub with a very evident smoke ring that showed the penetration of the flavors into the meat that only happen skillfully. The meat was moist when I broke into it and the skin had a good char that made the palate happy. I loved the BBQ Pulled Chicken rendition- it was sweet with an addictive meat-to-sauce proportion. 

The smoked sausage needed some added dimension. It was too Plain Jane and unlike the fried catfish, I did want this meat to have been elevated somehow with added spices during it's preparation. On the other hand, the ribs were dry but spiced well. The smoke muted and married the ingredients almost too well and I couldn't discern if cumin, paprika, or sugar were the leading ingredients for the rub. I could have preferred some more heat on the ribs but looking around the dinning room, I think the rub mix was neutral enough for everyone to enjoy. Similarly, the Mac-N-Cheese was okay and probably more for the kids who lust for it's cheese sauce than for adults who want a bright cheddar flavor to come through. However, the spaghetti and meat sauce was very tasty and delicious. It had been a while since I had last tried this classic dish so it was a welcomed surprise to see it on their buffet.



What I understood from this experience is that this restaurant understands good southern food. Southern food tastes best with few ingredients but cooked with a higher skill set so the flavors speak for what home cookers cannot pull of. I also enjoyed the service here. The server was friendly and the employees replenishing the buffet line were more than helpful when some standard questions were thrown at them. I even was brazen enough to ask the attendant about the spices that were smothered on the smoked chicken and he offered to bring the chef out to describe his preparation for me. The attendant went on to say that each cook has their own particular vegetable that they like to prepare in a certain way- which means, if you go there, you may not get the exact product that I got. Yes, in a way, that's job security. But in another way, the freedom that the chain gives for the cooks to pour their love into their signature side dishes can only benefit the customer by ensuring a quality product is presented.Ole Times has been in business for over 8 years now. They have several outlets in South Georgia including sister restaurant chains by the names of Mama June's and Smok'n Pig.

Additionally, there are some quirks to this place- they have a separate counter for fried pork skins, a soft-serve machine (if this is by popular demand, tell those people to go somewhere else), and pies for dessert that are pre-sliced into tiny slivers and then served on styrofoam plates (while everything else is not).

IN A NUTSHELL: For less than $9 per person for lunch, I can see why there was a crowd. The food is good. I just wish they would explore different options of corralling the masses while still retaining it's casual dining experience. Regardless, it's worth the awkward pay-up-front-Golden-Corral experience because some of the food was indeed yummy. You don't want to take someone here for a first date- it's way to casual for that. But you do want to take your long time partner when food in the fridge is running low and you need a low cost, but delicious restaurant to go to. Do try the fried catfish, smoked chicken, and BBQ pulled chicken. I realize that with the masses, price is king. But I do want Ole Times Country Buffet to understand that they have a better food product than most in their league- and that deserves a higher platform for in my book.

TJ's Seafood Shack- good food with good company always makes a good experience!

I'm so glad I gave this place a shot when I went with some longtime friends. The birthday girl is a huge seafood lover and I didn't want to take her to a Red Lobster. I wanted her to try something different, something unique, something small-business minded… this something ended up being this wonderful place called TJ’s seafood shack!

I called ahead to make reservations only to find out that they are very low-key and relaxed which was perfect for the company and ambience that I was looking for. Matter of fact, the decor at this place has upside down buckets as lampshades. It’s not like the cookie cutter feel that you get when you walk in from one restaurant to the next. I believe the owners were trying to create an ambience that is very reminiscent of some mom and pop fish shacks that you would see along the Florida coast. It had a good warm and welcoming vibe.

That being said, we all know that there is no substitute for good food! It was especially important for me this time as I was taking a special friend for her birthday lunch- and she is a self-described picky seafood connoisseur. Her food cannot be too greasy nor too dry, neither raw nor too overly cooked, and neither heavily battered nor too simple looking. Basically, you can say that I was taking Goldilocks to lunch and she wanted her porridge juuuuuust right.

For appetizers, we ordered Sweet Platains ($3.75), Sweet Potato Fries with Honey Mustard ($4.99), and TJ's signature Smoked Mahi Fish Dip ($4.99). The appetizers really kicked off the lunch experience beautifully. The sweet fries weren't greasy at all which received rave reviews from the entire table. One of my friends commented on how beautifully the smoked Mahi fish that was done- delicately balanced with not too much cream cheese and just the right amount of sweet cornichons. The dip fish was so finely minced that you could actually use it as a perfect substitute for cream cheese on bagels (think of it as an clever riff on lox and bagels).

I particularly liked the sweet plantains, however- tender, perfectly brown and crispy on the outside, without the trailing grease slick that most people are accustomed to with plantains.

For the main course we had a Haddock Platter ($9.95), a variation of the three gator tacos ($10.50) where each taco was different, the Salmon platter ($9.50), and TJ's Seafood Shack's signature Po Boy Sandwich ($8.75). While ordering, we heard that the gumbo ($3.99) was made in-house and from scratch everyday. So, we ordered some of that as well! As they say in New Orleans, ‘laissez le bon temps rouler!' (let the good times roll).

The Haddock platter showcased how and why this place takes it's fresh fish seriously- a long, well-proportioned fillet (they buy their fish whole) which was coated with the right amount of pecans and breading. The fish was light and flaky and not overcooked. Just perfect. It's always good when restaurant knows not too coat the star with too much blah blah blah and let the protein do all the talking- if you know what I mean.

The Shrimp Po Boy was good but nothing to write home about. I have to confess, I've had quite a few Shrimp Po Boys in my lifetime and this ranked in the middle of the pack. That being said, the shrimp were perfectly cooked, the batter on the shrimp was crispy just like you would expect, and the remoulade sauce had all the right notes for the chorus. Additionally, it was at a very reasonable price point. What more could you ask?

The favorite entrée on the table was the combination tacos- a Salmon taco, a Gator taco, and another fish taco (which I gave away to share with the birthday girl- who, might I add, was very happy with her food). The salmon was well done but not dry- good blackening seasoning which reminded me of Cajun seasonings (garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, and thyme). The crumbled bacon was a good topping option not because well, bacon is a gift from the gods, but because it actually lifted the taco to another textural stratosphere. I only wished the bacon bits were served sizzling hot.

I really found myself digging at the beans and rice- the bean gravy was not too soupy and not too thick and the rice was cooked without any spices. The creamy cilantro sauce that topped it gave the side dish an extra zing. The sauce was in-house (as most of their stuff is) and you can find it in many of their dishes where it's a good ‘as needed’ option for binding, flavor, and textural nuances.

My favorite dish, however, was the humble looking gumbo- hands down! Delicately spiced, probably simmered for hours, non-slimy okra marrying with tomatoes and other vegetables topped with a generous scoop of plain white rice. You can't go wrong with this dish. Matter fact, I might just come back for a big ol’ bowl of this delicious gumbo whenever I'm feeling the blues.  There's few things in this world that make a man happy than good soul food done right. I really could taste the love in this side item.

IN A NUTSHELL: Good restaurant with a laid-back attitude (they serve food with plasticware). A wonderful find in Orlando where fresh fish joints are desperately needed to expand local tastebuds. This is a family run business- and they take great pride in their product by continually improving on it. They have two locations towards the east side of Orlando. If you like fish and want to stay away from the chains, you’ve got to give TJ's seafood shack a try! Tell them Goldilocks sent you ;)

The Garlic at New Smyrna beach

This place is great.... perhaps a little pricey for the average dinner but good for an above average evening. Although, it lacks the ambience of a fine dining establishment. It has all the hallmarks of a restaurant that started out smaller and began to add more to its facility which is evident in its labyrinthine layout. The dining tables for a party of two are uncomfortably small and it gave me the distinct feeling that a maximum number of tables were being crammed into a room just to seat the maximum number of guests to get the maximum revenue for the night. This is something I'm not particularly fond of- an adjacent table merely 1 foot away from your own party of 2.

 

However, the food was good and more than vindicating for the restaurant. The pork osso bucco  was particularly delicious and is highly recommend. It even stored well in the fridge as take out for 5 days after to slowly graze on.

 

We didnt order appetizers as the crusty loaves of bread and whole cloves of soft, roasted garlic really started the dinner off to a great note.

 

They have a fully stocked bar and have an excellent wine selection. Again, something that you would love with great food.

 

Service was brisk and pleasant on our small table (still cant get over the feeling of being packed-in like sardines). And overall, the experience was good.

 

Im not sure how to peg this restaurant... its pricey for a casual night but still too informal for a high-end one. And I've been on both sides of the river to know the difference, per say. Menu and prices below with some food pics. Dessert was good but not the best. I'd stick to the main courses if I were you as their menu selections have something deliciously prepared for anyone and everyone (including vegetarians). I'll be back for more another time.