Restaurants in Four Corners

Born in the Lebanese city of Tripoli before moving to Canada in the '80s, Frank Ishraki was raised on the traditional cultures and flavors of his homeland. Ishraki dedicated himself to sharing the classic, healthy flavors of Lebanese cuisine, first in Canada, then at his family of restaurants around Orlando. The Metro West, Semoran, and Haines City locations resemble convenient, quick-service shawarma stops complete with chicken, lamb, and beef loaded on rotating spits to cook evenly and slowly hypnotize diners. Guests can enjoy meats wrapped in pita or served on a platter with tabbouleh and hummus or go vegetarian with rice-stuffed grape leaves and fried falafel. At Lake Buena Vista, a friendly wait staff presents platefuls of elegant Lebanese feasts and housemade desserts complemented by white, red, and sparkling wines or puffs from hookah pipes.

Since departing from his native Bombay, Uday Kadam's culinary career has taken him through 17 countries, 38 states, and a handful of major U.S. cities before finally leading him to Orlando. There, he opened Passage to India as a means to return the favor, transporting the rich heritage of his homeland's cuisine to the United States for the enjoyment of a new audience. The menu immerses diners in the flavors of North Indian cuisine. Servers act as willing tour guides and actively make suggestions for diners unfamiliar with the dishes or menus in general. The extensive menu boasts two categories of dishes: tandoori specialties build around one of four meats roasted in a clay oven, and basmati grains cushion a quartet of rice specialties. Though the meals are traditional, they are not inflexible—the staff can specially prepare entrees with Halal meats or to comply with vegan, vegetarian, or Jain vegetarian diets.

Not every pizza place has a Wall of Fame, let alone a Wall of Shame. Pizza Xtreme, however, entreats customers with a dare that echoes its name: eat all 7 pounds of a one-topping, jumbo pie with the help of just one friend, and you've won the 28" Challenge. The rules demand that you get it all down in less than an hour, though, and as the Wall of Shame and pile of half-eaten pies testifies, this is no easy feat.

The kitchen team accommodates the more gastronomically reserved by making single servings of hand-tossed pizza, which it decorates with toppings such as italian sausage, grilled chicken, smoked gouda, and crumbled eggs. Chefs also bake specialty pies and non-pizza goodness, such as calzones, cube-shaped tomatoes, customizable pasta dishes, and oven-baked ciabatta sandwiches such as the pesto-strewn turkey artichoke. Pizza Xtreme’s staff also pours out a selection of wine and beer to complement the food.

CiCi’s Pizza combines the variety of a buffet with the thrill of bottomless pizza. Each pie is crafted with dough made from scratch daily and then slathered with homemade marinara and showered with toppings ranging from traditional pepperoni and Italian-style sausage to creative combinations including buffalo chicken and mac 'n' cheese. The buffet is stocked with a plethora of fresh pastas, as well as signature salads with the option to put tossing talents to the test at the salad bar. After they've feasted on savory options, diners can revisit the buffet for dessert including freshly baked brownies, slices of apple pizza, and cinnamon rolls drizzled with icing—or they can eat dessert first, thereby tearing an irreparable hole in the space-time continuum.

In 1948, Charles McMillan opened the doors to the home he had built of wood and stone, offering visitors plates of fine, country-style cooking under the name Red Wing Restaurant. Today, this one-time rural residence retains its quaint charm with taxidermied décor—a plethora of birds and animals striking eternal poses against a backdrop of vertical wood paneling. Behind this façade, skilled chefs country-fry steaks they've cut by hand or prepare meals from whatever wild game their favorite hunter might have brought them

In 2009 in Iceland, an established restaurateur and financier joined forces, opening up Saffran with a focus on healthy European, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern menu items. With three successful locations under their belt, the duo expanded their venture overseas, opening a location in Orlando. Their restaurant is “a fast-food concept with food that rivals some restaurants that have a wait staff,” states Orlando Sentinel food editor Heather McPherson.

The kitchen team cooks chicken burgers, tandoori beef, and Safflats (akin to pizzas) without using white flour or MSG, and the housemade marinades contain no additives or preservatives. Most ingredients in the kitchen are culled from local producers, and nothing is prepared with a deep fryer. In the dining room, dark-wooden accents inform the decor, and an oversized picture of a waterfall symbolizes the bold plunge of the scientist who first united two hydrogen molecules with one oxygen molecule, making possible the marinades Saffran prepares today.