Local Girl Eats: Lido's Italian Restaurant

A hole in the wall with good food...Lido's is a place I have been going to for years. It has been around since 1970 and the prices are not too bad. Since I've been going, the inside has not changed much. It is kind of nice to go in and see that some things/places have not given into the unnecessary changes of the outside world.

Lido's is a little Italian restaurant off Orange Ave in Orlando. When you get there, you may think it is really little on the inside...but it is actually cozy and nice. The tables are not very far from each other, but far enough away that people near you cannot hear your conversation (unless they are quiet and tuning in on purpose). The music is soft, therefore, helping it to not get too loud. Many restaurants play their music too loud which then makes people talk louder. Or they have such a big place that so many people are talking, which in turn makes it loud inside. Then you just have a really noisy place. With Lido's being smaller and more of a local spot, it is a nice place to go when you are on a date, want to have a nice, quiet meal, or just want to be away from the loud crowds. Parking can be a problem during their busy times, but it is worth it.

Cute little set up

Tonight I decided that I wanted to go back since it has been a while...so I dragged my mom and dad with me (they like it too, it's just not good for my mom who has Celiac Disease). Parking was actually not too bad tonight, but we did go for an earlier dinner, at 6:30. When I got there it was nice to see the cozy, soft atmosphere had not changed. They still had the red and white tablecloths, plants, and candles on the tables. It also was not too dark, but definitely not full lighting...just enough to make it feel inviting and romantic (if you're on a date). When I am inside, I tend to forget about what is going on outside, even with being that close to the busy Orange Ave.

So onto the food. Tonight I actually decided to try something new! I usually get the manicotti or chicken alfredo because they are two of my favorite meals. Their manicotti and chicken alfredo are really good. I like the taste of Lido's alfredo better than Olive Garden's because it tastes more homemade. Tonight I went with Chicken Picante...breast of chicken sautéed in a delicate white wine and lemon butter sauce with a side of pasta. I was very pleased! The chicken was so tender that when I was cutting it, it fell apart before I could finish cutting the piece. The sauce was delicious. The wine gave it a sort of bitter taste with the lemon and butter making it a little sweet too. It honestly is a great idea for a sauce...I could never come up with the right mix of butter, white wine, and lemon to make it taste that good. The side of pasta was angel hair pasta in marinara sauce. I love their red sauce; it's sweet with just a hint of spicy. I was very happy with my decision to try something new!

My dad went with the chicken cacciatore...which is chicken with some veggies (peppers, mushrooms) in their marinara sauce. I may have forgotten a few ingredients in it, sorry. He said it was good, although he likes his friend's wife's chicken cacciatore better (she's Italian and makes it a different way). Overall he was pleased...he ate it all. My mom ate some salad and had a breast of chicken on the side (she cannot eat Italian because of the gluten in it).

With our meals we also got salad and breadsticks (they come with the meal). They come out before the entrees. I love their breadsticks because they aren't too greasy. To me they are just right. :) The salad is good as well, however, my mom and I were disappointed that it didn't have pasta in it tonight. When we used to go, they used to put spiral pasta in their salad...made it different in a nice way. But, I think that it may be something you have to ask for now...don't know.

Tonight was a nice night. We had a nice meal in a clean and cozy place. The server was not great tonight, however, I have had better service before. Lido's is a place people go back to because of the atmosphere and food. It is definitely a place I would recommend everyone try at least twice because if you are used to and a huge fan of Olive Garden or other chain Italian restaurants you might not understand it the first time. Go back a second time and you might just forget about Olive Garden like me. I will continue to go back and dine at Lido's because it is a good little, local Italian Restaurant and I'm all about supporting the independent places!

A couple pictures to make your mouth water...