Orlando, known in the past for its theme parks, is becoming a food capitol, according to various reports.
“I’d put Orlando up there with anything you’d find in New York,” said Scott Joseph, who has been a food critic for the past 15 years and now operates his own web site.
When Walt Disney World opened in the early 1970s, the area was best known for its chain restaurants and tasteless theme park fare.
“But they eventually started to allow their restaurants autonomy, and things immediately started to get better,” Joseph said. He maintains that Disney led the improved food movement that was later adopted by various hotels and non-chain eateries.
Famed chef Emeril Lagasse in recent years opened Tchou Chop at theLoew’s Royal pacific, to cite one example.
There are now more than 4,000 restaurants in Central Florida.
And Sand Lake Road, which is a common tourist destination, has become a hot spot for gourmet restaurants.
By David Wilkening
