Neighborhood gems
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Peruvian Delights at El Inka Grill
When it comes to strip malls, The Marketplace at Dr. Phillips is one of the Orlando’s best. Alongside big brand anchors like HomeGoods and Publix, you’ll find multiple beauty outlets (Ulta, two nail salons and a day spa), practical tenants (dry cleaner, pool supply store, etc.) and even a small community theater. The Marketplace is also home to a stunning variety of restaurants, from Italian fine dining and Korean barbecue to tacos and ramen. As you work your way through the many options here, El Inka Grill is worthy of a visit. As soon as my husband Steve and I were seated, I could hear fluent Spanish being spoken at most…
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A New Dining Adventure
Strip malls and fine dining don’t always go together. As a New York City native, I associated malls with chain restaurants, anticipating this and little else in Orlando when I moved here a few years ago. Of course, being the U.S. theme park capital, Orlando has more than its fair share of chain outposts. In my neighborhood alone within a five-mile radius are four steakhouses (Del Frisco’s, Eddie V’s, Mortons, et al), just as many cookie cutter Italian joints (including the ever ubiquitous Olive Garden) and a few old-school names I had forgotten about (hello again, Friendly’s). It didn’t take long to discover that, much like the city itself, there…
