I thought I had made a discovery of a new and wonderful Cuban cafe. Turns out that Los Autenticos has been around for a long time – it’s just new to me. But still wonderful nonetheless. Very small place with big-flavored food. Be sure to have a cup of the chicken soup, and then move on to the roast pork or maybe a Cuban sandwich.

The menu is brief, a small list of sandwiches and salads that stretch the perimeter of the Mediterranean from Greece to Italy. But in addition to the seven or so sandwiches, there were, on my visit, some other specials available, shown to me by the affable server at the counter. These included a delicious looking spanakopita and vegetarian stuffed grape leaves.
I settled on a gyro from the main menu and the grape leaves from the specials. The gyro, which features the mysterious blending of beef and lamb into a single meat that nature did not intend (but which is pretty tasty), was an ample portion, served on a doughy, warm pita. It had tomatoes and onion and a tzatziki sauce that was thicker than usual. Too many tzatzikis are runny and messy. I liked this one.
The grape leaves were big and plump, not like the Tiparello-sized dolmades that most places serve. They were filled with rice and pinenuts. Nice as a vegetarian option, but I missed the meat.
The staff were all friendly and welcoming. Orders are placed at the counter and workers call out names as orders are ready. If they’re not too busy, they’ll bring it to your table. The small dining area has windows on three sides and the little wall space that exists has the predictable Greek framed pictures. All tasteful enough.

People would keep coming back to this cramped little eatery even if the food weren’t as good as it is (and it’s wonderful). That’s because the owner makes everyone feel so welcome, often calling out, “Welcome, my brother,” to those entering. He also makes sure that no one leaves without being thanked. I wish more restaurant owners would stop by here to see how customer service should be.
Gyros and shawarmas and falafels are the mainstay. All are ample and delicious.

A simple little Thai place on Lee Road with good traditional dishes. Note, however, that because it’s next door to a school you can’t enjoy your pad Thai with a Singha.

A small potatoria. In south Orlando in the vicinity of Metro West. True to the name, the restaurant serves mainly potatoes, supplemented by a variety of meats, cheeses or combinations thereof. You can get them in the form of a boring, dull baked potato, or you can have the rosti type, which the website touts as “the original Brazilian style.”

NaraDeva says it strives for authenticity in its rendition of Thai dishes. That may be, but I wish they’d also strive for a little more consistency in the quality. A Thai red barbecue pork dish was marred by an oversalty taste. And what’s up with the sticky floor?

Back after a fire forced it to close, Nikki’s is as good as always. Good food served by people who make you feel like family.

Additional location: Mall at Millenia, 4200 Conroy Road, Orlando; 407-345-2888. I don’t know why I included this restaurant under the Chinese listings – the food is about as far away from authentic Chinese as you can get. But, for some, this is what they want in a Chinese restaurant. And they can have it.Still, there are some tasty things to be had. For appetizers the salt & pepper shrimp were a treat. The shrimp, lightly breaded and coated with salt and pepper, are meant to be eaten shell, tail and all. It’s an unusual textural experience, but it’s one you should try. The “soothing lettuce wraps,” available with chicken or vegetables only, were good too. Here the meat or vegetables were stir-fried with a light sauce and served with whole leaves of iceberg lettuce. To eat, you simply spoon some of the food onto the lettuce and roll it up. Red sauced wontons featured shrimp and pork steamed inside rather doughy wonton skins. They were sticky and much less pleasant than the other appetizers. My favorite entree was Chang’s spicy chicken, a version of the popular General Tso’s chicken found in many Chinese restaurant. The chunks of chicken breast were lightly breaded and stir-fried with a sweet sauce made spicy with pepper flakes. The spicing was just right – it wasn’t too wimpy, and yet it didn’t obliterate the tastebuds.

Mainly a takeout restaurant (there’s one table in the hallway) with very good – and inexpensive – southern dishes.

Pretty good pizza that can stand up to some New York City shops.