A second location for the wildly popular Winter Park barbecuerie. This one has better parking and indoor (read: air-conditioned) seating. But the barbecue is the same — excellent. Lines are just about as long here, too, but with two cash registers it moves a bit faster. Try the brisket, a house speciality, or the ribs. The baked cheese grits are pretty tasty.

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.

The atmosphere at Big Easy is casual to the point of having a diner feel. The kitchen is open (you could easily see a row of stools there) and there are more windows than wall space for decorations, it seems. The bare-topped tables are a royal purple. Of course, some of the best food in New Orleans can be found in uber casual spaces.
But nothing I tasted at Big Easy had me longing to return. The gumbo was a more watery version, which is how many Louisianans prefer it — less thickening in the roux. But it also didn’t have much characteristic flavor.
Neither did the jambalaya, which was also overly dry. Estelle’s crawfish etouffe (no, no idea who Estelle is) looked the way it is supposed to, more of a brown gravy. But it was just bland. Both entrees were served with cornbread that had a texture similar to pound cake, smooth rather than crumbly.

Owners Kevin and Laurie Tarter were ahead of the Winter Garden renaissance when they opened their intimate restaurant in the historic Edgewater Hotel there in May of 2008. Eleven years later, the West Orange County hamlet is a hopping with good restaurants and evening entertainment. And the Tarters have expanded their domain with the addition of the Tasting Room, which occupies a space in front of the Chef’s Table’s dining room, and, earlier this year, the acquisition of the Attic Door.

But the Chef’s Table remains the jewel, a leisurely evening of three courses, with wine pairings if you like, served by a friendly and attentive staff.

A second location for this popular Winter Park restaurant with award-winning burgers.

Market to Table, a new restaurant that took over the AlFresco space in the Roper Building in Winter Garden, started in an actual market.

From a booth in Plant Street Market, Ryan Freelove sold stocks, soups and other products for home cooks before opening the restaurant last year. Don’t assume, as I did, that Market to Table is just another way of saying farm to table. Freelove freely admits that he sources some ingredients from more conventional means, including major distributors. (Though not exclusively; indeed some items come from as close as a rooftop garden.)

But that does not diminish the overall high quality of the food served here.

Pammie’s Sammies is a rockin’ little sandwich shop a half block off of Plant Street. The rockin’ part (more classic than hard) comes from the musical theme of the decor and overall ambience. The walls are decorated with guitars and band posters mixed among such eclectic miscellanea as wooden chairs nailed upside-down to the ceiling, a bank of unconnected beer taps (also upside down), and sundry works of local art.

From the couple who brought you the wonderful Chef’s Table at the Edgewater, this space – just in the next room – offers a more tapas-like menu with a New Orleans glint. Grilled pork belly, fried chicken livers, boudain balls are all good choices. Service is first-rate.

Three Birds is an attractive eatery in the heart of Winter Garden’s downtown district. Its corner location allows for lots of window light and the interior is rustic exposed brick, hardwood floors and touches of foliage, including vines that hang from the walls behind the counter and the video monitors that display the menu. (Interesting side note: Despite its name, Three Birds does not seem to have a Twitter account.)