f you walked through Peperoncino’s front door and took too many steps you’d find yourself back outside through the little restaurant’s back door.

But what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in charm and, more important, the food. In the realm of Italian restaurants in Central Florida, few offer the sort of authentic experience that Peperoncino does. If you’re sitting in a spot that allows a view of the Dellagio’s central plaza, you might think you’re on a piazza looking at one of the fountains of Rome.

And don’t expect the food to bring you back to reality. It is expertly crafted from recipes cooked in the kitchens of the chef/owner Barbara Alfano’s grandmothers and is lovingly replicated here. Every bite is a veritable travelogue.

East Orlando has a new upscale-casual restaurants from the same team that brought you downtown’s Delaney’s Tavern. Pine & Oak, a “modern American tavern,” is in the newly renovated clubhouse at Rio Pinar golf course, which was once, apparently, the area’s premier golf club where links legends played before Bay Hill and other courses appeared. The new owners of the club want to restore some of that cache by reinvigorating the facilities and creating a new, open-to-the-public restaurant.

From the folks at Luma on Park, Prato is an Italian concept that features a wood-burning pizza oven and pizzaiola station in the dining room. Pizzas are good, though the thin crusts tend to char easily if not watched closely. Pasta is made fresh in-house, and most pasta dishes are available in half portions, a dandy idea.
Prato’s decor is rustic and casual. This is currently the hottest restaurant in town, and can be quite crowded. Expect waits, even for bar seating.

It wants to be thought of as an inland contemporary fish camp, but there isn’t anything campy about it. But the seafood is good, so there’s that.

From the owners of Osprey Tavern and Seito Sushi in Baldwin Park, this Citrus replacement makes ample use of the patio space, but the inside is just as nice. Stick with the basic Mexican offerings.

A winner of the Best Indian Foodster Award for Independent Restaurants, Saffron is part of the group that includes Madras Cafe, the all vegetarian and vegan restaurant, and the estimable Mynt in Winter Park’s Hannibal Square neighborhood.

This is a new concept from the folks at Shula’s Steak House, the high end eatery that bears the name of the legendary Miami Dolphins coach. He’s legendary for the number of wins he led his team to. That number is 347. so that explains two-thirds of the restaurant’s name.
The Grill part is meant to set it apart from the upper crust steakhouse, although a few steaks are available on the menu here, as well.
But there are other items, too, including crab cakes (before the Dolphins Shula coached the Baltimore Colts, so he’s particular about his crab cakes), seared ahi tuna, sandwiches and other fare. Honestly, the least of the things I sampled during my visit was the steak, which was a bit overcooked.
The atmosphere is an upscale sports bar, with requisite televisions and casual seating arrangements.

A third location for the popular independently-owned Indian restaurant.

Charming spot in the burgeoning Sanford downtown district. Chef Nat Russell puts a creative twist on well-known dishes, such as adding a sous-vide egg to Shrimp & Grits.

Umi has a pleasant vibe. The menu features not only the expected sushi selections but also kitchen foods that include robata grilled meats and a couple of ramen soups.

Everything is delicious and prettily presented, to boot.