Basic Vietnamese fare. Fewer choices than in some other pho-eries, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Like most of the other Vietnamese restaurants in the area, Pho Vinh’s menu is larger than you would think it would need to be. With over 180 items, the menu is a lot to take in and, well, digest. I knew I wanted soup when I visited, so instead of wading through the various pho, metaphorically speaking, I zeroed in on the section of the menu labeled “House Soups Specials.” How can you go wrong there?I selected the bun mang vit, or what is more commonly referred to as ol’ number 72. It was a beef-based soup with slender rice vermicelli noodles, the meat of a duck leg (sans bones) and miniature planks of bamboo shoots. Accompanying the soup were stacks of crunchy bean sprouts and fresh, green basil, plus some slices of jalapeno for heat and limes for tartness. A good, filling soup — especially nice on cold days.
The decor is pleasant, bright and tidy. Service was friendly and welcoming.

The concept here it that you direct each aspect of the pizza-making process, beginning with the type of crust you’d like, the variety of sauce, cheese choice, and the myriad of toppings. A staffer assembles your pie at your whim and tosses it into a glass-front oven for baking. Pies are pretty good. Also serves a variety of salads and pasta dishes.

Santiago’s Bodega has opened in the space formerly occupied by Logan’s Bistro on Virginia Drive in Orlando. Actually the place takes more than the Logan’s space. It has incorporated the storefront next door and has produced a new brick porch/patio in front. For all its newness, Santiago’s has a well-worn look that makes it immediately likable and comfortable.

This is a tapas restaurant. Although Santiago’s is new in Orlando, this is a second location for a restaurant in Key West. So the concept isn’t new and neither is the menu. Still, the restaurant was struggling the night I visited as hordes of curious diners descended on the place and overwhelmed the staff.

Mistakes were made, most of them accountable to the vagaries of a new operation, new location and a staff unfamiliar and shell-shocked. Those things can be ironed out.

My main complaint was the cost. My check came to over $68 for five tapas and one glass of wine. (We had two other glasses of wine but the server said they were on the house because of some problems at the beginning of the meal; otherwise the check would have been over $90.) That isn’t a tremendous amount of money for a night out, but the cost-to-quality-to-quantity ratio is way out of whack.

Update: I stopped back in to revisit Santiago’s Bodega recently and had a much more enjoyable experience than when I first reviewed it shortly after it opened last summer. The staff all seemed more comfortable — and were certainly more welcoming and appreciative — and the size of the tapas were more agreeable, too. It still isn’t the cheapest meal in town, but the quality is certainly apparent.

The full name is Spencer’s for Steaks & Chops, but that’s a bit limiting. Spencer’s is a terrific all-around restaurant. Be sure to try the crab cakes and fried poached egg appetizers. Steaks are first rate, but so is the double-cut lamb chop and king salmon (served under a glass dome filled with smoke). Although Spencer’s is located inside a hotel next to the Convention Center, this is a restaurant worthy of local attention. The decor is upscale casual, and a meal here is a relaxing evening.

Lola’s is a simple place. There’s nothing fancy about it, which unfortunately extends to its sushi rolls. I ordered two: a spicy tuna and a yellowtail. They were presented wanly on a white plate. Even the pickled ginger, usually a pinkish hue, offered no color as Lola’s is a pale yellow. Part of the allure of sushi is the preparation and presentation.

Taco Rio occupies one side of a small, neighborhood market in Winter Park’s Olympia Heights. Despite first, and, OK, second impressions, it is kempt, and the people operating the counter-service eatery are friendly and welcoming.

Finally, a good restaurant at Dubsdread. It’s Sam Snead’slike (the owners here were involved in developing the Sam Snead’s Tavern concept)  with an emphasis on simple foods.
The pot roast and filet mignon are standouts, and if you get the Buffalo shrimp, ask the kitchen to make them spicy. And the Tap Room burger is superb.
The rustic dining room is fronted by a wraparound porch that overlooks the Dubsdread Golf Course. It’s a lovely spot to enjoy Sunday brunch, and as luck would have it, the Tap Room serves an excellent one.

If you hear people call Taste of Chengdu the hottest restaurant in town, you should probably know that they may not be referring to its popularity, though popular it certainly is.

It’s also serving some of the hottest, as in spiciest, food you’re likely to find in Central Florida.