Blue Bird Bake Shop- 5 Stars

Cozy and sweet, Blue Bird Bake Shop is the place I love to go for a treat! Located in Audubon Park, it is a place I hope you will also soon call a favorite.

Cupcakes, scones, brownies, cakes, cookies, ice cream sandwiches, coffee...whatever you're craving, Blue Bird has you covered. What to try first, what to come back later for? It is definitely a hard decision. But, no matter what you choose, you will be completely satisfied! My stomach has always left happy.

The few times I have visited so far, Blue Bird has exceeded my expectations. To start, the customer service has always been great. You are greeted the moment you walk in the door with a smile and a welcome that is genuinely sincere. The staff who work here thoroughly enjoy their job. First time, no problem! Just mention it, they love to tell you about the sweets and coffee they have to offer. Customer service will never disappoint you here!

Marsh Nutter and Tuxedo Cupcakes

Their sweets are just as great as their customer service. I have been twice so far and have loved everything I have tried. My favorite cupcakes so far are the Red Velvet and the Marsh Nutter. Red Velvet is always there, but the Marsh Nutter is one of their specials. Check the top shelf for their daily specials. Get them when you see them, because they are only offered for a short time (sometimes just that day). I am so glad I went last week and got to try the Marsh Nutter; it is by far one of the best cupcakes I have had.

Want something different or a Cup of Joe to go with your cupcake? No problem. They have several different varieties of muffins, scones and cookies. Looking for a Banana Chocolate Chip or a Strawberry Streusel muffin? Or maybe a Lemon Cherry or Mocha Chocolate Chip scone? Maybe you would like a Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake cookie? It all looks amazing. I think you will be happy.

Now onto that Cup of Joe. Their coffee is called Top Hat. It is 100% Organic and Rainforest Alliance-certified. The beans are grown in the highlands in Nicaragua just for their store. They have Dark, Light, and Decaf, or if you'd prefer a specialty drink, they have that too. I am definitely going to get a cup on my next visit!

If your mouth is not watering for a taste of Blue Bird yet, then check out their website (http://bluebirdbakeshop.com/) or stop on in. I am confident that you will not walk out empty handed.

Visit Blue Bird Bake Shop and give yourself, friends, or family a sweet treat! 

(Don't forget to mention Local Girl Eats sent you to try their sweets.)

Cafe 906 - 5 Stars

Looking for a new place to try? Cafe 906 is the place to go! Authentic, charming, and delicious; I have not been disappointed yet.

What to eat, what to try? It is definitely hard to choose once you step in the door! They offer many different choices from crepes, omelettes, croissants, quiches, eclairs to lunch choices like soup, salads, and sandwiches. Want a good cup of Joe to accompany your breakfast or sweet? They have great coffee...or mimosas. 

             Croque Madame                 Eclair with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc

Service is also great. The owners and staff have always been friendly and helpful when it comes to deciding on new things. They have even offered to do Gluten Free choices again, once a month, for people like my mom who have Celiac Disease. 

And best of all, you cannot beat the view! Outside seating offers a great view of Lake Baldwin. When the weather is right, outside is the place to sit!

Cafe 906 is a great place for breakfast, lunch, dessert, or brunch...to stop in alone, pick up to go, or enjoy with friends or family. Located in downtown Baldwin Park, it will quickly become a favorite, just give it a try. Don't forget to mention Local Girl sent you! Bon Appetite!

      Paris Crepe                                          Almond Croissants

For more information or for updates check out their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cafe-906/253770161327543

The Smiling Bison- 5 Stars

The Smiling Bison​ is a great place located in Baldwin Park off Bennett Rd. If you are looking for a good burger, I'd say try here. Their burgers are delicious!

My first visit was a couple months ago, in January. I went with some friends, after a run, to celebrate a birthday. The place was busy and parking was difficult, but to me that is a good thing. Busy means it is a good place. After walking in, I noticed right away I was going to like the place. They had a live Jazz band playing and the ambiance was casual. Definitely a place to go with friends or even on a date.

Bison Burger with fries

The food. I decided since it was my first time, and that they are known for them, I should try a Bison Burger. I was definitely pleased. It is hard for me to find a place that cooks a burger the way I ordered, and they did. The burger was cooked perfectly! The bread, Texas Toast, is a favorite of mine. It makes the burger taste even better. Imagine a group of people who are chatting, having a good time. Then the food comes out, and everyone is quiet. That's how good the burgers are. We all were definitely enjoying them!

Along with the burgers, they have many other options as far as food goes. Don't want a burger, no problem. They also have a roast beef, smoked chicken sausage, or crispy fish roll sandwich. Prefer a salad, pizza, ravioli, ribeye, or a small plate (like meatballs), they have that too. There are many choices when it comes to dinner. Don't forget dessert, they have a few that sound delicious. I am looking forward to trying the Mascarpone Brownie next time I go.

On Sundays they have brunch from 11 am to 3 pm. For brunch they offer anywhere from fish & grits, banana bread french toast, biscuts & gravy, to a breakfast burrito, basic breakfast, or brunch poutine. I have not been for brunch yet, but the menu looks really good.

Drinks? There are many choices of beer and wine to choose from. Happy hour? Every weekday from 5:30-7 pm. Special events/music? They have a calendar on their website: http://thesmilingbison.com/.
Check it out to see what's happening each month.

Great food, good time, & definitely a hidden gem, The Smiling Bison is a place I will visit again! And it should be a place you visit soon and frequently. Let them know Local Girl sent ya and recommends the Bison Burger.

Don't forget to try the pickles! They are so good, I bought a jar to go.

RusTeak Restaurant and Wine Bar- 3.5/4 Stars

New restaurant, great location, and delicious food! RusTeak is a much needed and great addition to College Park. I have been waiting for something awesome to come and help bring College Park back to being a good place to go for food; RusTeak is doing just that.

While driving around and running errands for Christmas gifts (2014), my family and I got hungry. Being in College Park and knowing how my mom and sister in law love good food like me, I recommended RusTeak. I had heard from a few friends I needed to try it, so I decided this was a great time. I was excited when my mom parked and agreed to try it. We arrived at about 11:30 am, so it was not that busy yet for a Saturday. Parking lot was also pretty much empty, except for a few cars. I was happy because I was hungry! 

Truffle Fries and Sweet Potato Tater Tots

We all walked in and were immediately greeted by a hostess. She was very friendly. The tables and setup are really nice inside. It is also really clean, which is always a must if I am going to eat there. After we sat at the table, I decided to go check out the bathroom. It was also nice and clean inside. Clean bathrooms are important. As my mom says, "If they don't keep their bathrooms clean, then how do you think the kitchen probably looks?" Great to remember when going to a restaurant for the first time!

Food, food, food...the menu had so many mouth watering options. We decided to start with Sweet Potato Tots and Truffle Fries. Great decision! My sister in law and I couldn't stop eating the fries. The seasoning they use is unique and flavorful. My mom and niece loved the sweet potato tots! They were good; I could definitely taste that they were made from a real sweet potato. 

When it was time to order my entree, I had a hard time deciding. It was nice to see creative menu options; I love new and creative ideas. For example, instead of regular hamburgers, they have venison burgers. Looking for tacos? How about Duck Confit Tacos...sounds delicious! Their salads are also tasty. The Southern Gent has grilled chicken, egg, maple pepper bacon, cucumber, tomato, Gouda, roasted corn, edamame, mixed greens, and their honey mustard seed dressing. The Southern Gent according to my mom and sister in law is amazing! It definitely looked amazing! I decided to get the Blackened Mahi and Pear Sandwich. It was great! It tasted fresh out of a kitchen and the pear slices definitely were not from a can. It was better than I expected, I loved it!

Blackened Mahi and Pear Sandwich

A great experience was definitely had by all 4 of us! The staff and food were great! The waiters were very helpful with the menu and any questions we had. The only question they did not answer was about the different seasonings on the truffle fries. Chefs don't give away their delicious secrets! It was fun to try and figure out the ingredients and seasoning. They also have a gluten free menu, which was awesome because my mom has Celiac Disease. This made RusTeak even better to me.

Edamame is delicious

Update: I recently have gone back several times since my first visit. The truffle fries are still one of my favorite items on their menu; I love that they are a staple. They also have Daily Chef Specials that offer unique dishes (most of the time they are fish, but not always). Their fish entrees are usually pretty good, however, I have had a couple rough experiences lately. I ordered the special on my friend's birthday and it was delicious. But that same night my friend ordered a regular entree including fish and it was not as flavorful as it normally is. She was not impressed with the place and it saddened me because it was her first visit. The second time was after that. I went to dinner with my family and again chose to get one of the chef's specials. This time it was a different fish and included different side items. The meal was overall not anything I would order again. I couldn't finish the fish because it was just too salty. Sometimes chef's are a little too heavy on the salt; this was one of those times. The truffle fries are still really good and I recently tried and was very happy with their Edamame appetizer. To sum it all up, my update is to tell you it was a favorite of mine when I first started going, however, it has now moved down on my list. I really hope they work out some of their kinks that are starting to show because College Park needs a good place.

RusTeak is located in College Park, FL off Edgewater Drive and are open Monday- Saturday 11 am - 11pm. They also have another location in Ocoee, FL. For more information and for a look at their menu (it changes monthly), you can visit their website at: http://www.rusteakwinebar.com/.

Salads are always good! Pictured: House and Southern Gent. Honey Citrus dressing is the way to go!

OLV in SODO - 3 Stars (due to lack of consistent schedule)

OLV is a really great place to eat, drink, and be merry! I love this place for brunch or dinner. If you have never been to OLV, then you are definitely missing out! I have been many times and keep going back for more.

So to begin... here is my OLV journey. I first went probably about a little less than a year ago. A friend of mine invited me to join him. My first thought was what is this place? With it being in the SODO area I was kind of shocked I had never been or heard of it before. I trusted my friend's opinion of course. I really liked it. I went for dinner and just really enjoyed the place. It was quiet and clean inside. They also have several wines to choose from to add to your dinner (Yum!). I had a flatbread (don't remember which one due to it being so long ago) and definitely remember liking it a lot. I also had a glass of wine...a delicious white wine. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful. Overall, my first experience was really good. I went home telling people about OLV and then got responses like, yeah it's a really great place and their brunch is amazing! How was I out of the loop being such a foodie?

Delicious assortment at brunch

I decided I needed to go back to try out their "amazing" brunch (my cousin's response after my first visit). I went with a Meetup group of girls. We were a party of about 10 people and our table was outside. For us being such a big party, the staff was very nice and helpful. Brunch is amazing! So many choices for food and mimosa juices. I was so excited about being able to choose the juice I wanted to make my mimosa with. The even better part is it is all you can drink mimosas (or champagne if you just prefer champagne). Yum! Then I even found out I could order stuffed french toast...yum again! I was definitely pleased with brunch and so was my palate with all the delicious flavors I enjoyed. After that I haven't stopped going for brunch and you won't either once you try it!

The next couple of times I went, I again enjoyed the different choices of juices. A couple juices I have used are orange juice, cranberry, peach, and pear, but of course there are many other choices as well. I have even gotten creative the last few times and mixed a couple juices together to make my mimosas. I also noticed that they change the french toast. How often I don't know, but it is nice to try the different kinds of stuffed french toast. I have had strawberry cream cheese, pumpkin spice (or maybe it was pumpkin cream cheese), and regular cream cheese stuffed french toast. I always get the french toast because it is a fav of mine. And when you go to OLV it isn't about trying to be healthy so I indulge.

Great outside seating!

Each time I have gone, the service has been really good and the staff has been really nice and helpful. The last couple of times I have gone, I realized I could ask for strawberries even though they didn't have them out on the buffet table. I was definitely pleased that they accommodated my love for strawberries since I'm not a melon, pineapple, or cantaloupe fan (the fruit they've had out the last few times). All in all, OLV is a great place and a great deal for the price!

A couple neat and important things you should know before you go to brunch are... 1) Call and make a reservation for brunch before you decide to go (a day before is good for a small group) because it is a busy place on Sundays. 2) They have a live DJ there for brunch on Sundays and it can get loud outside with the speakers and music, but you can request a table inside or away from the speakers. 3) It is a popular place and can get pretty crowded on Sundays. 4) You should definitely go with an empty stomach and big appetite. AND 5) Enjoy yourself and the mimosa bar!  If you want to check out their menus or find more information about OLV before you go, I have included the website below. They also have other specials throughout the week that you can check out on their website. So...get a friend, boyfriend, husband, girlfriend, family, or a group together and experience OLV!

Website: http://olvcafe.com/

*Update: OLV is currently not open at the same times/days they used to be. I have tried to go once on the weekend and it wasn't open. Their website says they are open certain times and they aren't. You need to call them before you go to see if they are open! I unfortunately do not go anymore due to their inconsistent schedule. Once they can get everything worked out, I might go back. What they are going through is sad because they definitely had a good thing going a while ago.

A couple brunch pictures:

Strawberry Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast and...

Another picture of the choices on the buffet table

 

The Yummy Juice/Mimosa Bar!

Don Jefe's Tequila Parlor- Half a Star

Walk on by and go to Ceviche or Urban Flats...bad experience, poor service, and not the best food. To rate this place, I'd give it half a star just because my tacos were decent, but that's all they were...decent.

When my cousin, friend and I got there we were excited for our night out together. We walked in and were seated. It seemed kind of busy and happening. The waitress came over and took our drink orders. I am not a big tequila fan (I know tequila parlor) so I asked about the sangria. They had a special sangria called the Blood Sangria and two other sangrias listed. I asked the waitress what the difference was between the other two and she said the wine. I asked if one is sweeter or more bitter...no answer. I was left dumbfounded. Seriously you should know if you work there. We also ordered appetizers...their house guacamole and fried plantains. I am not a guacamole fan, but my friend and cousin liked it. I ate the fried plantains...disappointed! They were supposed to have some sweet sauce and the waitress didn't tell us they had run out. She told us later when we asked, "Wasn't there supposed to be something else with them?" She replied, oh yeah but we ran out, sorry. At this point, not happy.

Later we ordered our entrees. I got the fsh tacos, which was mahi. I was looking forward to it, being that mahi is one of my favorite fish. The menu had stuff listed under it and so I asked the waitress what was actually on the taco, not on the side. She replied with some cabbage stuff and sauce that's good. Another example of not knowing the menu. When my tacos arrived, I was not happy, but I'm not a big complainer. They had cabbage, onions, peppers, tomatoes, and yes the sauce. The sauce is actually good, but I don't like peppers, onions, or tomatoes and therefore had to take it all off. Never did the waitress say sorry or comment about me taking it off in front of her. I have been to other places and they have apologized or offered to remake it, not here. At this point I was just completely disappointed and wanted to tell the waitress learn your menu.

And to make things worse, my cousin and friend didn't get to order another drink for at least 10 minutes because she didn't come back. Her reason was she had a huge party and they all were seperate checks. Not a good excuse. Then when we all got our checks, I noticed my drink was actually not the correct sangria. That made sense as to why I didn't like it. I didn't finish it because it just wasn't that good.

So to wrap everything up...I will not go there again. I definitely say go somewhere else, don't waste your money or taste buds.

Lido's Italian Restaurant - 4 Stars

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...

  

  

Salad and breadsticks (much better than a certain place)

Chicken Picante and Chicken Cacciatore

Getting to know local girl...

Hi, I am Jessica. This is my blog, I'm new, and this is my passion...finding local/independent places with great food. I have lived in FL all my life. I grew up in Orlando (O-Town), went to Jacksonville for college, then moved back to Orlando after graduating and teaching for 2 years. I am a First Grade teacher, 10 years of teaching now (updated 2015). Love my job, love my kids, teaching is a passion!

Another passion is eating! I love to enjoy good food, whether it's alone, with family, or with friends. My passion is to support local places to support the local economy. I like to find new places that are independently owned, and then tell others about them to promote them.

I am also an avid gym girl! I love to work out. I love the gym, running, hiking, bike riding, anything to be active. I also like to eat healthy. I try to watch what I eat throughout the week, but then let loose a few nights and on the weekends. I do have to admit, I give into Ben & Jerry's quite frequently!

Follow me to enjoy some amazing local food and help me support the local economy!