Notable Closings
Cafe Madrid — After 28 years, this Cuban/Spanish restaurant closed just one week after I reviewed it (it was a positive review, I swear).
Carmel Kitchen Wine Bar — Charming wine-centric restaurant just couldn’t get a foothold in the area.
Peppino’s Organic Italian Kitchen — F&D Woodfired Italian Kitchen took over this space after its months-long run.
Winnie’s Oriental Garden — It never seemed to have macadamia nuts in its Macadamia Nut Shrimp dish (walnuts were usually substituted) but that didn’t keep it from having a healthy 23 year run before owner Winnie Leung decided to retire.
Mai Bistro — Another Vietnamese quick-serve with excellent food. It closed after just a few months in operation.
Tommy Bahama Cafe — The food was never as good as the clothing in the retail store next door; both closed at Pointe Orlando.
Wally’s Mills Avenue Liquors — Not a restaurant, but Orlando’s unofficial favorite dive bar caused a panic when it abruptly closed this year.
Bauern-Stube German Restaurant — For 30 years, most of them from a Pizza Hut hut on South Orange Avenue, this over-decorated restaurant had been serving brats and bratens for better or for wurst.
El Bodegon — Charming tapas restaurant across the breezeway from Rocco’s Italian left us this year.
Oblivion Taproom — This burgerie was on our list of closed restaurants last year, too, but someone reopened it. Then closed it again.
Emeril’s Orlando — Emeril Lagasse’s Tchoup Chop closed the year before. Now this, the original Orlando Emeril outpost, went out with a whimper, not a bam.
Ferg’s Depot — It was obvious from the start that this was meant to be a drinking place, not an eating place. Locals didn’t embrace it for either.
Kokino’s — An upscale tapas concept that never found its niche (or its clientele).