Orlando Scene TV

I often complain there is not much Indian food in my neighborhood, but there are lots of great Indian places. Some are vegetarian only, some aren’t, some are Americanized, some are less so, but they’re all pretty great.

There’s almost a Vegetarian Indian District in the OBT/Florida Mall area, topped off with an Indian grocery in the same area. I have yet to try them all, but I’ve heard it’s certainly worth checking out. Two bonus reviews for you too, one by I-Drive and Kirkman and the other in East Orlando near UCF.

Indian Food

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1. Woodlands Indian Cuisine

I often go for a sampler, about $16, which features small bowls of different sauces, soups and even a dessert, along with a bit of rice, some flat bread and a few appetizers – including a veggie and potato Somosa, yum! The other popular choice for us are called Dosas, which are giant pancakes/crepes with some filling, normally potato, rolled inside. They always bring a pitcher of water to the table, and be ready for some spicy food. You can request different levels of heat for some dishes.

I first heard about Woodlands from some vegetarian/vegan friends of mine. I have been seeking out veggie places lately, because it lets me know I have a city that is tolerant of different lifestyles, and it proves I don’t have to move somewhere else to get access to other cultures. This restaurant is not decorated very lavishly, unless you count the lemon and chili peppers hanging by the front door. Right off of north OBT, easy to get to, and always good service, and a staff who is used to helping us Americans figure out what we should order.

2. Udipi Café

Head here for the lunch buffet. Completely worth your time. They even have a dish on the buffet that resembles “Sloppy Joe”, but it’s made with some meat substitute, and still served on a plain hamburger bun. Every buffet comes with a giant Dosa pancake/crepe filled with potato and vegetable – delicious. The food is all vegetarian. (hint: Udipi is a region of India that is known for vegetarian food) Would definitely come here again, despite the fact that it’s almost up in Longwood, which is not close to my home. Hopefully I’ll have a good excuse to go again soon!

3. Khasiyat Indian Restaurant

The interior (and exterior) is not all that interesting, but they do have a a few things going for them. The service was pretty delightful. We saw a large family who must have been visiting the theme parks, and made the trip all the way out to this neighborhood for a taste of home. I’m also going to assume they might have been vegetarian, which can be a challenge at the local theme parks, unless you like salad. After having been to a few other vegetarian places in town, Khasiyat held few surprises, but they did sport a television with music videos and other Bollywood gems.

Infusion Tea (1600 Edgewater Dr) is a cafe and restaurant in the College Park section of Orlando. Ryan buys some tea – Cinnamon Ginger Spice, and he also checks out some of the products available at the Cottage Industry Cooperative store inside the store, where 19 local artists sell their products. There are gifts, stationery, baby clothes, pet toys, jewelery, ceramics, clothing, and wedding invitations from Amy Morelli’s 2ucollection.

There is also an Infusion Tea inside the Urban Think! bookstore in Thornton Park.

More videos coming out every week on Miro and iTunes. If you’d like to get involved by suggesting an event or venue for us to highlight, get in touch with us at OrlandoScene.TV – thanks for watching.

In this episode Becky talks to the owner of a College Park original, Taste. Tracy explains the Small Plate format and highlights her favorite dishes. After a look at some art as part of Doug Rhodehamel’s Fungus of the Stars, Becky got to sample some of Taste’s cuisine. Taste is located at 717 Smith St in College Park, just off Edgewater Dr.

As far as food and drink go, Taste has something for everyone – spanning several cuisines and providing for all appetites, I’d bet you you can take even the most particular person and get them to grumble a bit less. The food overall is aimed at someone who appreciates paying for quality ingredients, bringing the average bill to somewhere between $20 and $30 per person. Remember that you’re meant to share, like Tapas. There are 3 seating areas (4 if you count the stage) and the bar, including a few tables outside for those cool spring and fall evenings where you can’t help but sit outside.

We’ve been hearing good things about Taste on local radio and through word of mouth for a number of years now; one can’t mention the restaurant/venue/gallery without thinking “Fish Tacos”. Recently, we noticed a large number of events taking place or relocating to this hip College Park location, and we knew we needed to get a video out ASAP to help people looking for more info on the web get an idea of what they can expect at Taste.

Some of these events include the charity auction we mentioned in the show, Monday night comedy with Absent-Minded Improv (look for an upcoming video featuring AMI), Tuesday Hookah Night, Wednesday night acid jazz with the Absinthe Trio, and live music on the weekends with promotions by Will Walker of Will’s Pub. A new development is a Thursday night open Mic called Preacher Bill Presents.

More videos coming out every week on iTunes. If you’d like to get involved by suggesting an event or venue for us to highlight, get in touch with us at OrlandoScene.TV – thanks for watching.