It would seem that the place to be on a Friday night if you live in the area of Chickasaw Trail and Lake Underhill Road is Don Julio’s Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Bar. At least it seemed that way the Friday evening my companion and I stopped in. The restaurant in the aptly named Rio Pina Plaza was jumping like veritable frijoles saltarines.

It was so crowded that people waiting for tables were standing around on the sidewalk outside the strip plaza storefront. The only seats available, the young woman at the host stand told us, were at either of the bars, the tequila bar in the title or the ceviche bar on the other side of the room.

That suited us just fine because it was the ceviche bar that drew my attention to this particular D. Julio’s over the one in Lake Mary or the other location in Waterford Lakes.

It’s big and modern and offers so much more than sushi, although the sushi is some of the best of what it does, especially the deftly executed nigirizushi. Dragonfly also features robata grilling, a popular cooking method in Japan but still fairly uncommon in the U.S. A robata grill uses special charcoal that heats to one thousand degrees (oh, how I wish I could do that on my Weber). The intense heat sears the skewered meats that are leaned against it, which results in tender, juicy bites. We tried the chicken, and it was impressively tender. We also tried the braised short ribs, served with pickled carrots, shiitake and tamago. They weren’t the most tender short ribs I’ve had — and a bit difficult to pick apart with chopsticks — but the flavor was very nice.

This latest addition to the Darden collection of premium brands is sometimes said to be the seafood equivalent of that company’s Capital Grille steakhouses. But that’s not exactly right because Eddie V’s, which does indeed to excellent seafood, also does a pretty good steak. In fact, Eddie V’s serves prime beef while Capital Grille serves USDA choice. The atmosphere is elegant, like an old-timey Manhattan supper club. It’s pricy, though, so be prepared to pay dearly for the quality.

As in Thomas Alva. This Disney Springs newcomer’s setting is an old power plant (not really, but, you know, Disney) and the decor features moving pictures, phonographic music and other inventions. Food is as American as light bulbs. But tastier.

This is more of a bar with food than a restaurant that serves a good drink. But it has a terrific outdoor space (larger and more comfortable than the indoor area) that is drawing a college-aged crowd on balmy nights.t’s mostly noshables, and there isn’t anything over $13 — in fact, most items are under $10. The menu, which was developed by the chef at Kres, although the two restaurants are owned by different entities, features soups and salads; flatbreads (to compete with Urban Flats, I suppose); pastas for the people who must have their carbs; and sliders and folds, the former being tiny burgers and the latter being wrap sandwiches. I chose the choice burger, which got me three of the little gut bombs, as we used to call the White Castle sliders. They were dense patties on Lilliputian sized buns, served with shredded lettuce, tomatoes and a small sweet pickle. The burgers were topped with cheese and they were pretty good.

A recent addition to the area’s only art movie house, Eden is an outdoor venue next to the theater. The menu is an odd mix but features some Austrian specialties. If you’re up for a splurge, ask for a shot of pre-Prohibition bourbon.

This gem truly is hidden away, below the entrance to Maria & Enzo’s and behind the Edison (both sister restaurants). It’s a quiet respite that also serves excellent food.

F&D, the food and drink restaurant group, has opened its second, or maybe third, Mexican/Tex-Mex brand, F&D Cantina, in Thornton Park. The restaurant moved in to the space that was Jax Thornton Park since 2017. Prior to that in was Baoery and more famously Cityfish. It began its life, in the early 2000s, as Central City Market when the mixed-use building was new.

Firebirds is a Charlotte, North Carolina, based chain started in 2000 by Dennis L. Thompson, who co-founded Lone Star Steakhouse and Saloon. There are 34 locations (over two million dollars in bar inventory!); the Orlando restaurant is the company’s first in Florida.

The menu features little creativity yet tries to offer something for everyone. You’ve got your steaks, chicken dishes, various fish, burgers, meatloaf, five salads, distinguished from four others designated “Firebirds Signature Salads.” (The “Soups of the Day” section has eight selections, so figure that one out.) Most everything I tasted was just fine, though nothing rose to a level of wonderful.

Divey seafood spot near Orlando International Airport.