Bananas: A Modern American Diner

I recently stopped in to Bananas diner in the Mills 50 (East Colonial) area of Orlando and was thrilled with the place!

They are billed as, Bananas: A Modern American Diner, a name which most definitely fits given the traditional diner feel of red and black decor on everything from the ceiling tiles to the  booths and tables,  mixed with the modern element of red vinyl quilted kitchen doors and a curtain lined stage complete with a live dj mixing techno tunes.

When I walked in, the feel was very warm and inviting and my eye immediately caught a large dessert case on my right, bursting with a selection of cheesecakes, moist red velvet cake, gooey german chocolate cake and a variety of other mouth watering delights!

My friend and I were greeted cheerily and seated immediately at an end booth.  All of the other booths were filled, but the restaurant still had plenty of table seating  and hightop bar seating available.

We were given menus and had a hard time choosing a beverage, given the variety of choices.  Handspun Milkshakes with names like Death by Chocolate, Peanut Butter Jelly Time and Strawberry Fields Forever were hard to stay away from as we also considered their selection of Naked Juices,  Coke products, Red Bull and finally settled on a mango iced tea.

The food items were even more eclectic and included Funky Monkey Fried Goat Cheese, rolled in crusted almonds and served with sun dried tomato jam and french bread, Country Fried Steak, the Inside Out Burger which  on this day was called the Pizza Inside Out Burger and included mozzarella and pepperoni stuffed inside of the burger instead of on top.  With 16 other burgers to choose from as well a full breakfast menu,  that is available at all hours, we again found ourselves gawking.

I ordered the Funky Monkey Burger with a side of onion rings and could only finish half of the burger as the portions were huge. The burger was outstanding and the beer batter on the onion rings was so thick and full of flavor they were almost like eating hush puppies.

As a final surprise, along with our check our server brought us the complementary banana flavored cotton candy which was delicious!

I'm not sure what I liked the most, the food, the entertaining atmosphere or the prospect that after a night out, there is somewhere other than a Denny's to go to.

Bananas is open from 9 am until midnight Mon-Thurs and 24 hours on Fridays and Saturdays so if you happen to be craving onion rings or a breakfast pizza at 2 am stop by for some good eats, music and fun!

For more information go to www.bananasdiner.com

                                                             

Shipyard Emporium A Taste of Maine in Winter Park

Winter Park has a history steeped in New England traditions, given that, where else in the Orlando area would you expect to see a live Maine lobster dinner for $18.95?

Welcome to Shipyard Emporium, Winter Park's newest hot spot!

  Shipyard Emporium, the brain child of Shipyard Brewing Company headquartered in Portland Maine, is the first of the company's brew pubs to open in Florida and if the crowds are any indication of it's success, then it looks like they are off to a great start.

Situated in a prime location on Fairbanks between New York Avenue and Park Avenue, they are sure to benefit not only from commuters and locals driving by, but also from the abundance of foot traffic that Park Ave and Rollins College are famous for.

I first heard about the place from a friend checking in on Foursquare.  Being from New England and familiar with the Shipyard brand I was thrilled with the prospect of a little piece of Maine in the Orlando area and knew that I had to venture there for dinner.

Expecting a restaurant, I was amazed to find inside the airy two story, open concept facility, a store with freshly made Maine dips, salsas and sauces, Moxie, a variety of smaller breweries bottled craft beer (Shipyard also acts as a distributor), Shipyard brand merchandise, tees, towels, magnets and bags and their very own Capt'n Eli's line of soda pop which comes in a variety of flavors and is made with real cane sugar.  Looking beyond the racks of goods, was the deli area with a line of deli cases packed with a variety of salami, cheeses, marinated artichokes, hummus and a goodies case featuring miniature cupcakes baked by The Bees Knees Sweet Treats, a local company.

Behind the counter were several shelves stocked with freshly baked loaves of bread for sale to the general public, and just when I thought I had seen it all, the test kitchen unfolded in front of me.  An open area with cabinets, wine racks an oven and a stove top built into a beautiful slab of blue/grey granite countertop complete with seating. This area is for special events such as the upcoming Beer vs. Wine Dinner and is also available for booking.

I was on my way to the brew pub area when I met the General Manager, Allison Stevens.  She took a few minutes to introduce herself and explain a little bit about the Shipyard Emporium and it's many facets. She took me on a brief tour and talked enthusiastically about a few of the events they would be scheduling from Bicycle Tours to Wine and Food pairings, Live Maine Mondays and The Mug Club.

 I hadn't eaten a thing and already I loved this place!  I left Allison to peruse the menu in the brew pub and order a flight of beer.  The four beers I chose were Shipyard Fuggles IPA, Pugsley's Imperial Porter, Menage a Palm and Shipyard Light.  The Fuggles IPA was well hopped and crisp. The Imperial Porter was swirling with flavor; hints of chocolate, caramel, vanilla and perhaps bourbon.  The Menage a Palm 3 oat stout was very smooth, lightly hopped and had a clean finish with a hint of chocolate. The Shipyard Light was slightly effervescent and refreshing with pretty full body for a light ale.  To pair with the flight I ordered the Dips and Sauces Try All Three which included White Bean Hummus, Tzatziki and Buffalo Chicken Dip served with croustades. Everything was delicious, but the Buffalo Chicken Dip was outstanding.  The service was very good with our server gladly making recommendations and helping with beer selection.

All in all, I had a wonderful first experience at Shipyard Emporium and have returned at least 7 times with friends. Though the parking is limited, they do have free valet service in the evenings which helps tremendously.

If you are looking for a piece of Maine in Winter Park, a bakery, a deli or a clean brew pub that is always serving up something new, I would give Shipyard Emporium a try.

Click here for a listing of Shipyard Emporium Events.  Click here to follow Shipyard Emporium on Twitter.  Click here to follow Shipyard Emporium on Facebook.  Click to follow Shipyard Brewing Blog.