Television was and is a big part of Hollywood, and its popularity led to the advent of TV dinners. The original concept of this full-service restaurant called for meals to be served in TV dinner trays, but planners worried that some people might not take the food seriously. Instead, patrons sit at plastic-laminate tables while sitcom- styled “moms” serve such fare as meatloaf and chicken pot pie.  Accompanying the classic cuisine are clips of classic comedies on black-and-white TV sets. Each little kitschy kitchenette has its own television playing scenes from The Honeymooners, Make Room for Daddy, I Love Lucy, Topper and other favorites. The sitcom skits replay every 20 minutes or so, which seems appropriate for reruns. Food is better than your basic Swanson’s.

It will be interesting to see if Darden keeps backing this Islands concept, which for some reason has never quite caught on with the dining public. For the most part, the food is good  and the restaurants are attractive and lively, often with entertainment. And they’re a favorite outdoor dining destination for locals.

As for the food, my companion out-ordered me with tortilla soup and a ropa Joe sandwich. The soup had layer upon layer of textures and tastes, with pliant avocado cubes, chicken and strips of tortillas.

The sandwich was, as the name might suggest, a version of the classic ropa vieja specialty of shredded beef served on a Cuban roll. Lots of well-seasoned meat, some cheese, peppers and onions livened it up.

For my starter course, I chose a special of ahi tuna ceviche, which featured tiny cubes of tuna dressed with citrus juices served atop a platform supported by watercress. The watercress was more annoying than helpful. It was wadded onto the plate in long stems, and every time I tried to fork a little watercress with some tuna, a long vine would trail behind.

For my entree, I had another special of triple tail, which sounds a lot more exotic than it is. Triple tail is a mild white fish, emphasis on the mild. In fact, it had no discernable flavor, although it was unquestionably fresh. But it was served on top of a bed of mashed sweet potatoes that were overly sweet. My rule of thumb is that the side dish should never have more flavor than the main dish.

It’s Oktoberfest year round, although anyone who has been to the real deal in Munich won’t have any trouble confusing the celebration here with the beer tents of Bavaria. Then again, you’re not likely to have underage drinkers throwing up on your shoes at Epcot, so it balances out. The food is served on a buffet here and includes your basic bratwursts, red cabbage, spaetzle and such. It’s kept tidy, and while nothing is extraordinary about the quality, the food is mostly palatable.

Technically, this is a buffet, but it’s like no other buffet you’re likely to encounter. For one thing, the food is all wonderfully prepared. The food, which features a variety of meats, fish and vegetarian items based on African dishes, is adventurous in scope with brilliant flavors. And instead of steam tables most of the food is served on state-of-the-art (if all-you-can-eat technology can be called art) surfaces that allow the foods to be served in pots, pans and other vessels while still keeping them hot.

Boston’s Fish House and I both made our Orlando debuts in the same year, 1988. The restaurant opened in February and I rode in to town in May. We didn’t meet each other until that November, but it was instant love, at least for me.

Originally one of the tenants of Church Street Station, Brick & Fire cut its losses and moved from the historical confines of that downtown entertainment complex to a location on South Orange Avenue whose only history is as a Moe’s Southwestern food chain and a Pizza Hut joint. Better pizzas are coming out of chef Mark Dollard’s ovens, and the place is often filled with neighbors and workers from the nearby medical complex and their families. The wine list here isn’t stellar, but it’s cheap. Note: there is a second location at 1410 Semoran Blvd., Casselberry; phone 321-332-6430.

Forrest Gump, in the movie of the same name, quotes his mother as saying that life was like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get. The movie, you see, takes place in a time before candy companies started putting maps to their assortments on the inside lid.Still, Mother Gump was wise in her way. So I can’t help but think that if she were to visit Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., a chain restaurant new to Universal’s CityWalk, her reaction might be: “Sometimes life is like a carton of frozen shrimp, you know exactly what you’re gonna get.”There’s little to recommend here, and it shouldn’t surprise anyone to learn that the menu is dominated by what Bubba called “the fruit of the sea.” It isn’t quite as extensive as detailed in the movie when Bubba, in a memorable sequence, lists every possible way to cook and serve shrimp. “You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey’s uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp Creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There’s pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. That- that’s about it.”He didn’t mention Lt. Dan’s drunken shrimp, which had andouille sausage in what was supposed to be a spicy bourbon sauce. It was more sweet than spicy, and there was nary a hint of boozy flavor.One of my guests had the “dumb luck” coconut shrimp, which had a nice jacket of breading and was deep-fried just right and delightfully ungreasy. They were served with a dipping sauce that was supposed to be a marmalade but which was undistinguishable. There were also fries that tasted as though they had been made quite some time before they were served.

Additional location: Florida Mall, 8001 S. Oragne Blossom Trail, Orlando; 407-859-7844. This national chain was recently purchased by Orlando resident (and Planet Hollywood founder) Robert Earl, who is remaking the restaurant into a fun place for the family to dine. The menu has undergone a redo as well, with an eye toward freshness. For example, all sauces are made daily at each location. That’s pretty impressive.Portions are humongous, so have a little and save the rest for your next three meals.

Cafe Tu Tu Tango is at its best as a celebration destination. You’ll have more fun – and the food just might taste better – if you go with a big group. Order a table full of tapas and share. Be careful: The cost can really add up fast.The Cajun chicken egg rolls ($6.25) were a favorite, with blackened chicken rolled inside a wonton skin with corn and cheese. Red onions and a touch of cilantro added just the right flavor notes.The duck and mixed greens salad ($7.25) was one I had enjoyed six years ago, and it was still good on my recent visit. It featured shredded duck meat served on flatbread atop mesclun greens drizzled with balsamic vinegar.Tu Tu’s setting is a Spanish artist’s garret, Spanish, I suppose, because for the Mediterranean slant of the menu. Every inch of wall space is occupied by paintings, drawings, sculptures and oddities, all of which are for sale. Should you purchase one, another will be slapped up in its place in no time flat because there are artists in residence dappling, scribbling and shaping new works of art right before your very eyes. According to literature distributed by the restaurant, it isn’t uncommon for a guest to sit down and see an artist staring at a blank canvas. But by the time dessert is finished the artist is signing his or her name to a finished piece. Some of the art looks as though it was completed that fast, but having the artists working there among the diners is part of the fun.

After more than a dozen years at the top, literally and figuratively, California Grill is still one the Central Florida’s best restaurants. Much of the concept of California Grill has not changed over the years, and the menu still features, as it has for much of the time, flatbreads and sushi as well as more traditional appetizers. The menu supposedly changes daily, though with three weeks separating my two most recent visits, I noticed most of the changes were in the wording and ranking of ingredients rather than completely different entries.

Service is impeccable and exemplary of the best that Disney can offer. The wine list focuses, as it should, on California and other American cuvees.

The pork tenderloin remains a favorite, but the filet mignon is a contender for best entrée. Sushi from master chef Yoshi is a treat.

Of course the best feature remains the view through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Seven Seas Lagoon and the Magic Kingdom. And at the appropriate hour the lights dim slightly and the music that accompanies the Magic Kingdom’s fireworks display plays in the restaurant. It’s one of the best shows in town.