White Wolf Cafe & Bar recently marked its 32nd year and is now firmly enshrined as an Orlando Classic.

Located in the Ivanhoe District, which in 1991, the year White Wolf opened, was more commonly known as Antique Row because of the abundance of antique shops along that stretch of Orange Avenue. In fact, White Wolf Cafe started out as an antique shop that added a coffee shop-like nook in one corner. The corner began to expand and take over the shop. Pretty soon, the owners, Michael and Anne Marie Hennessey, were out of the antiques business and full-time restaurateurs.

For those who don’t know the provenance of the name, there actually was a white wolf that roamed the store. Well, technically Casper was a German shepherd, but I’m sure he’d argue that his lineage linked back to canis lupus. He had full run of the antique store, and for a time, the restaurant as well – decades before there would be legislation allowing dogs on outdoor patios. He was a well-behaved and friendly dog, and all the customers wanted to pet him, which saved on napkins.

Having just returned from Spain, I thought this would be a good time to tell you about Spanish River Grill, the New Smyrna restaurant and wine bar owned by Henry Salgado, who is also the chef, and his wife, Michele.

Of course, this isn’t the first time I’ve reviewed Spanish River Grill, though technically it is.

Let me explain.

There has been much online chatter about the price of the hot dog served at Primrose Lanes, a new “restaurant and bowling club” in the Milk District. But there’s been nary a natter about the cost of the crab cake fritters appetizer, which I contend is even more outrageous. But I’ll come back to both in a moment.

Primrose Lanes is the culmination of a multiyear project by Team Market Group (Mathers Social Gathering, The Wellborn) to renovate the former Colonial Lanes, a conventional mid-century bowling facility, into a hip and happening latter-day entertainment and dining facility. 

Vinicius Turci and Nathalia Kalil, the husband and wife owners of Turci Pasta in College Park, have opened Turci Panino in the former China in College Park space next door.

With Turci Panino, they’re bringing the same high quality they feature in the full service restaurant to this quick-serve sandwichery.

The experts who design restaurants will tell you that each one has – or should have – its own personality. You should know the restaurant’s gender, favorite color, clothing style and preferred music. These things will dictate the decor and ambience and other aspects of the design.

I doubt that there’s a better local example of this theory than Maxine’s on Shine. Everything about the place seems to be a personification of the very woman it’s named for, Maxine Earhart. It’s bold, eclectic, fun. It’s a surprise find, a lone business among the bungalows of the Colonialtown South neighborhood.

It’s undoubtedly the atmosphere that appeals most to its many loyal fans. Based on my recent visit, it isn’t likely the modest food or the laughable service. 

The back of a staffer’s t-shirt at Toojay’s – the only t-shirt that didn’t have “Oy Vey” on it – read, “Is this where Harry met Sally?”

The short answer is no, it isn’t.

That’s also the long answer.

But then there are few places like Katz’s Deli, the Lower East Side restaurant where a memorable scene from the 1989 movie “When Harry Met Sally…” was filmed. (And for the record, Harry and Sally did not meet at Katz’s, either, but let’s not get picky.)

The staff of JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek does not do things halfway. I knew that already from previous visits to the upscale resort and its restaurants, but it was reinforced at the recent Scott Joseph’s Dinner Party (formerly Supper Club), our first vertically progressive dinner.

The dinner was nearly a year in planning, involving three of the hotel’s dining venues, as well as a portable station set up for the reception, and it took precision timing designed so that we could enjoy the food and service while still moving things along with the goal of having us to the final stop – the rooftop lounge illume – in time to watch the fireworks at Epcot.

Not only did the evening go off hitchless, the JWOBC team exceeded expectations with stellar service, exceptional food and a few surprises, including a gift bag at the end of the evening. 

My heart sank a bit as I approached the counter of Thai Super Bowl, a street-food-style restaurant inside the Lotte Market on West Colonial Drive. I got there ahead of the published closing time of 7:30 p.m., but there was already a sign on the counter that read, “Sorry, we’re closed.”

The woman behind the register must have noticed my crestfallen expression and maybe was moved by the tear developing in the corner of my eye. She slowly reached for the sign and slipped it back under the counter. Yay, I could order.

The first time I visited Papa Lozzi Italia, a little over two years ago, the restaurant scene was just starting to find its new footing. So was I. After an extended period of doing reviews mostly on takeout food, inside dining was beginning to be less fraught.

In those days, restaurants were putting plexiglass dividers between tables to help people feel more comfortable and separated. Papa Lozzi was the first one I saw that hadn’t just slap-dashed in place. Someone here took the time to notch them so that they looked like they were part of the original design.

The About Us section of Black Magic Pizza’s website reads, “At Black Magic Pizza our mission is to provide quality hand tossed New-Neapolitan pizzas in a unique space that is accepting to all.” 

The space is certainly different – it’s in the corner of Whiskey Lou’s Lounge in the Milk District –  though the “Stop! Do not enter” sign on the door refutes the claim of acceptance. But that door is only for employees. Customers are welcome at walkup window. However, shortly before 5:30 p.m. on a recent Sunday, anyone show stepped up there was greeted by another sign: Completely Sold Out! (It closes at 6 p.m. on Sundays, so it wasn’t as if they ran out of food too early.)