The restaurant occupies an old house, built circa 1921, across the street from the Modernism Museum in the quaint downtown. In partnership with the museum and Main Street Leasing, which is listed as the “presenter” of the museum, 1921 becomes part of the artistic complex that also includes the museum’s shop (every museum has to have a shop), which shares an adjoining patio with the restaurant.

The restaurant recently moved to a better, more visible location. But it left some of its creativity and artisanalism behind. The food is good but safe.

There’s no reason for us to get into a discussion of preconceived notions for restaurants in this part of town. Let’s just say that a disappointing number of businesses seem to ascribe to the theory that they don’t really need to try very hard to impress customers because, being in a tourist-dominated area, a new wave of customers comes in every week. It’s unfortunate, but it happens.

Happily, I did not get that feeling from Ataj. The place was fresh, clean and comfortable, and the staff were all welcoming.

Formerly known as J.R.’s attic Door, this Winter Garden wine and music spot is now owned by the folks from Chef’s Table at the Edgewater and the Tasting Room, which means they’ve also added a food element. Good food, too. The gumbo is as good as any you’ll find in New Orelans.

It turns out that it is at the Bohemian Hotel Celebration, a sister hotel (or maybe it’s a brother; I always have trouble determining the sex of lodging) to the Grand Bohemian in downtown Orlando. Of course the restaurant there is called the Boheme, and you find it by walking through the bar and under the piano rotunda to the ornately designed dining room.

Step inside the front door of the Celebration hotel and you’re in the lobby, and, apparently, also in the dining room. A bar is off the the side and there are several tables with glasses and flatware, the sort of setting that I, as a trained observer, immediately recognize as places to eat.

The sausage was really quite good, and if it were available as an entree I would have gladly made it my main course. The texture was surprisingly smooth, almost like a boudin, and there were several nice spice notes. It seems to me that making sausage is one of the best uses for gator meat, which can be a little tough.

Best seating is outside at the lakefront patio.

Just a small mom-and-pop sushi place with good (if not traditionally authentic) sushi. Nigirizushi is expertly prepared. Be sure to try the Dr. Phillips roll (note: does not contain Dr. Phillips).
 

Bosphorus is a delightful restaurant with stylized Turkish classics.
My favorite from the list of entrees was the hunkar begendi, or sultan’s delight, a classic Ottoman dish. It featured hunks of seasoned beef sauteed with onions and tomatoes in the center of the plate surrounded by a moat of creamy-textured puree of smoked eggplant.
The etli guvec was good too. It was a meat casserole with cubes of lamb mixed with green beans, eggplant,zucchini, potatoes, okra, carrots, bell peppers and tomatoes. It all blended into a wonderful, richly seasoned stew that was served over rice.
The desserts are worth sampling. Winner of the 2007 Foodie Award for Best Middle Eastern.

Braccia is small but has a certain charm in its glassed in wine cabinet, floor to ceiling blackboards and distressed wood tabletops. The charm does not extend to the Astroturflike greenery that has been applied in freeform to one of the brick walls; that’s just odd. Pizza, thin-crusted and well-topped, is good, but so are the pasta dishes.

A new location for the popular SoDo grilled chicken restaurant, the Avalon Park Brazas also serves traditional Peruvian dishes.