Locations in West Orlando

Sam's Music Bar Bistro is an upscale sports bar and steakhouse located in Metro West. The bar is open daily with excellent pub style food available, with lunch served on Fridays and Saturdays. Pool tables, darts and juke box create a great pub atmosphere with live entertainment, karaoke and poker nights. The adjoining steakouse offers Certified Angus steaks and a great choice of salads, pastas and fish. Come enjoy our great food, award-winning steaks and cocktails served by Orlando's hottest bartenders.

Some images naturally evoke romance – not the Harlequin variety, but a more decadent version made up of long, luscious nights of freedom and beauty, love and passion. For me, this fantasy is colored in a tropical patina that conjures Havana in the 1950s, something the Samba Room also effects. OK, so you're not exactly sitting oceanfront at a deco hotel sipping mojitos: You know you're in a suburban strip mall that sidles up to a sinkhole. But you don't really care because you're having fun, eating good food, and the atmosphere is convivial and very romantic.

Samba Room's change of ownership back in 2003, from Carlson Restaurant Group (TGI Fridays) to E-Brands Restaurants, has done it justice. E-Brands has a careful hand in the kitchen and a wonderful way of creating ambience.

"Would you like to sit inside," the smiley hostess asked, "or out by the lake?"

Inside was festive and enticing with loud Latin music and brightly colored Diego Rivera-esque murals. Airy white curtains, so gossamer that every draft becomes a tropical breeze, bring life to the darkest corners. But it was a beautiful night, so we chose to dine outside by the lake. We sat, sipping cocktails beneath white rattan paddle fans, and peered inside at larger parties crowded around tables, talking loudly, laughing, engaged in each others' company under russet-orange lights. This is what you call casual elegance.

We started with an order of Samba ceviche ($8.95), which mixed market-fresh fish, shrimp, red onions and colorful peppers in a lime marinade. Pleasantly tangy, the dish swelled with flavor, balancing acidity and salinity. My mouth never puckered with displeasure. The roasted hominy on the side added satisfying texture to the delicious dish.

The empanada sampler ($7.95) consisted of both sweet corn and pork varieties. Surprisingly, we liked the nontraditional sweet corn because it had fuller flavor and more filling. Both of the delicious sauces served with the empanadas were delicate fusions. Listed as "sofrito" (annatto-infused lard with vegetable garniture) and "aji amarillo" (a lemony capsicum from Latin America), they were modern streaks of emulsified flavor, distant cousins to the traditional varieties, running down an edge of the plate.

For my main course, I tried Spanish paella ($25.50). Tiny red strands of saffron spattered the mound of rice laced with calamari, shrimp, white fish, chicken and some of the biggest mussels I've ever seen. The deep, earthy, subtle perfume of saffron followed the dish out of the open kitchen into the air. Half of a Maine lobster was the crown jewel of the dish.

My partner got the pork barbacoa ($18.95), marinated and roasted in banana leaves. Unwrapping the leaves, he found a tender piece of pork nestled under a blanket of sweet, citrusy barbecue sauce.

We were intrigued by the shiitake mushrooms al ajillo ($3.95) that spectacularly showcased traditional Asian mushrooms in Latin garlic sauce.

I was about to burst when the espresso tres leches ($6) and guava cheesecake ($6) were delivered. I ate half of the excellent Kahlua-spiked tres leches before switching plates for a bite or two of the zesty cheesecake. The server brought café con leche ($4.50) to end our meal, and we sat looking over the still Florida water, slowly sipping the creamy, sweet coffee.

"We should plan a trip to Cuba," I said, as we walked under industrial fluorescents across the vast suburban parking lot.

I’ve heard many from Mother India pooh-pooh the cuisine of their West Indian brethren for being derivative and inappropriately spiced – a fairly harsh indictment, given that Indo-Caribbean cuisine, particularly of the Trinidadian and Guyanese variety, distinguishes itself by its intensity. The catalyst is turmeric, the pungent yellow spice used liberally in West Indian curries (and less so in dishes from the Indian subcontinent) resulting in a distinct and arguably more flavorful sauce. When that amber-hued curry is ladled into a doughy roti then folded, it makes for one of the most fulfilling meals you could possibly have, and Shakera’s, a hole-in-the-wall joint in the heart of Orlando’s Carib community, serves up rotis that are just plain exquisite.

Opened in 1992, the restaurant is situated on the bustling northwest corner of Silver Star and Pine Hills roads, and has never been much to look at, inside or out. The dining space is outfitted with furniture that looks like it was lifted from a doctor’s waiting room, with pearlescent Dollar Store vases providing an extra dose of gaudiness to the plastic floral-patterned tablecloths. But what this roti shop lacks in fine accoutrements, it more than makes up for in its kitchen. Windies staples like poulourie (split-pea fritters) and doubles (curried chickpeas stuffed between two fried poori flatbreads) are given the Guyanese treatment, but the curries are best served inside a piping hot roti.

Channa roti ($4.75), for example, bursts with spiced chickpeas and potatoes. Asking for it prepared with X-rated Scotch bonnet pepper sauce prevents you from having to unfold the roti. The enormous boneless chicken version ($5.80) was even saucier, the flavor of turmeric rising above the folds. Rotis can be enjoyed with everything from goat to conch, but a word of caution: Eat your wrap with a fork and
knife; grabbing it with digits will leave a mess on your hands.

Oxtail curry ($6) is more runny than thick, and thanks to a little caramelized sugar and cinnamon essence, slightly sweeter than its Jamaican counterpart. It’s just as enjoyable to chew the oh-so-tender meat off the bony rounds as it is to tear off a piece of basupshut – a thick, buttery flatbread resembling a “busted-
up shirt” – and dip it in the curry.

They were all out of duck curry, so I opted for stewed snapper ($11) instead, which was actually fried first, then stewed in a zesty tomato sauce. The meaty fish was served whole, with head detached. Take your time eating it, as you’re sure to get a bone in every bite. Accompanying sides of rice and red beans cooked in a salty, spicy broth were both outstanding.

Unfortunately, the lone dessert I sampled was not. The dense coconut pastry roll ($1.10) was too dry. Besides, after incendiary meals, I’m always partial to downing a refreshing bottle of Ting, a grapefruit soda that acts as a palliative.

If any eatery typifies the notion that the best food is found in the dumpiest of places, Shakera’s is it. And if you don’t believe me, one look at the line of devoted customers queuing up for the hot roti should do it.

It seems like just a few years ago, there were only one or two Indian restaurants in town. Now there are several, though most cater to tourists by locating themselves on International Drive.

And there, in a strip-mall, is Shamiana, where on a recent Sunday afternoon I found the decor pleasant and unpretentious, with paddle fans, hanging plants and tapestries (although our table was a little grimy).

I began with sweet lassi ($2), a creamy beverage made of blended mango and yogurt. I've tried lots of versions of this Indian specialty, but this was by far the best I've had anywhere. We split our puri appetizer ($2), a puffed piece of whole wheat bread, lightly fried and served with a sweet chickpea sauce for dipping. Also accompanying the puri was a tasty chutney and a cucumber, tomato and onion salad. All were delicious.

My companion ordered the chicken korma ($4.95), which was superb, although a bit richer than what we're used to. This version was prepared with a mild, creamy almond sauce with raisins and spices and served on jasmine rice.

In an effort to be different, I asked for the lamb sheik kabab ($5.95) but was offered a polite apology (they were out of lamb) and a suggestion to try the chicken tikka masala ($4.95) instead. My disappointment ended as soon as the dish arrived. It featured tender chunks of chicken baked in a tandoori oven, then stirred into a smoky tomato sauce with onions, peppers and herbs.

Both main dishes were served thali-style on large steel platters with an eye-popping variety of side dishes, breads and dipping sauces. (Shamiana's thali platters are excellent lunchtime bargains, with prices varying a couple of bucks depending on whether you want chicken or the pricier shrimp and lamb dishes.) We liked the pappadam (lentil crackers) and the naan (plain bread -- excellent for dipping). However, we were underwhelmed by the "dal of the day" -- in this case, a bland, mushy lentil mixture -- as well as the saffron-colored, uninspiring potatoes. The rice pudding was a welcome, cooling treat after all the spicy food -- with just enough nutmeg to make it interesting.

And even though we ate a heck of a lot of food, our bill without tip was just $19. Clearly, Shamiana isn't trying to keep up with the neighbors.

Rotis are huge and come in seven or eight types here – chana (curried chickpeas) is a basic favorite, but goat, duck and oxtail are all stellar – all of which can be topped with flaming Scotch bonnet hot sauce, then folded up in a thin soft naan-like bread. If your appetite isn't gigantic, try a couple of doubles (like curry tacos on soft thick bread) and a spinach fritter ladled with sweet tamarind sauce. Like its Queens, NY, sister restaurant, there's also a menu of West Indies-influenced Chinese food (what, you thought Americans were the only ones making chop suey their own?).

When you think "New York pizza," there's a particular expectation: a wood-fired oven, sweaty men toting pizza peels, crude language and fast service. Slice of New York on Dr. Phillips Boulevard meets some, if not all, of these expectations. The room looks like one of those bare-bones places in midtown that New Yorkers dive into on their walk to the subway. Except Slice of New York is too clean and traffic outside is not bustling with pedestrians, but just another parking lot.

On my first trip to Slice, there were almost as many people hanging out behind the counter as in the dining room, all of them with thick Long Island brogues. As I walked up to the counter, I noticed a man who looked like my Uncle Jimmy gesticulating as he explained the specials. A pretty blonde sat placidly behind the register and took my order as Uncle Jimmy expounded on the virtues of marinara. It turns out the blonde, the only non-New Yorker in this enclave of Long Islanders, was our waitress, and she was not only syrupy-sweet but Ÿber-attentive.

Pizza was the only thing on my agenda. Rumor had told me they make their dough from scratch and hand-toss it into a hot brick-stone oven: all true. The dough was deliciously crisp with a chewy mouth feel, but it needed more salt and longer fermentation to bring out the depths of flavor. The sauce was scant, but spurred an hour-long chat about the virtues of a perfect slice – a conversational habit my husband and I picked up while living in New York. We both agreed the sauce needed more body but the oregano made it decent. An abundance of quality mozzarella graced the top. A plethora of standard toppings are available, but we're purists and almost always order pepperoni ($10.75 small); not to be missed, however, is the Margarita ($10.95 small) with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil.

We couldn't help but order what were called "cowardly limbs from Buffalo" ($6.25 small), otherwise known as hot wings. Apparently, Uncle Jimmy explained, A Slice of New York needed a catchy way of selling their wings. It worked. Had I not spotted the wacky name, I would have skipped this fine specimen of poultry appendages covered in pungent, tangy heat.

The salads, at first, looked like throw-togethers, but the dressings are homemade. We tried the house ($2.50), a toss of lettuce, black olives, pepperoncini, red onion, tomato and cucumbers. The veggies were fresh, but what really made the difference was the Italian dressing, full of dried herbs. Caesar salad ($5.50) had a creamy dressing, with a balance of garlic, a hint of anchovy and lemon.

One dish that disappointed me was chicken piccata ($10.95). The chicken was nicely pounded into scaloppini and cooked well, while the sauce was loaded with fresh lemon, butter and capers with a touch of wine that the chef dramatically flambéed. My problem was that it came on a tangle of pasta with flaccid red onions and canned artichokes. I would have preferred this dish if they let the chicken stand alone, leaving all else for the side.

A meatball sub ($6), however, was satisfying. They make their meatballs fresh daily according to a family recipe. Well-seasoned ground beef (and perhaps a bit of pork), these meatballs are the size of fists and only three fit on each sandwich. A bit of marinara and cheese is sprinkled over the top, and the whole thing is toasted. Good pizzeria fare.

A Slice of New York is owned and operated by mother and son Jane Calfayan and Graig Cleary. This is Calfayan's third venture in the area; the first opened in 1998 in the UCF area. On a Disney vacation, she noticed a dearth of the Italian pizzerias so prevalent in her Long Island home, so she decided to fill the gap. I wouldn't say she quite accomplished that goal, but she did create an adequate neighborhood pizzeria.

The Sloppy Taco Palace features Bucky and Big Tim behind the bar. Enjoy the urban cantina atmosphere and avoid the hustle and traffic from the outside.