SLATE Orlando Restaurant Review

SLATE Restaurant should be on your short list to visit when you are in Orlando, FL. Take one evening off from Disney and Universal to check out their relaxing atmosphere and mouthwatering cuisine.

A couple of weeks ago, Mr. Flavor Mosaic and I had the opportunity to visit Orlando, Florida for the Food Wine Conference. We flew in a day early in order to meet some of our good blogging friends for dinner. We have gotten to know each other well chatting online over the years and this was going to be my first time to meet them in person. You may be familiar with them and their blogs. They are Renee with Renee’s Kitchen Adventures, Sarah with The Chef Next Door, and Shelby with Grumpy’s Honeybunch.

When I was planning our trip I contacted Cory with Visit Orlando and told her we were staying at the Rosen Shingle Creek, and we would like to meet at a restaurant for dinner with 8 people, and she had several suggestions.  She recommended SLATE Orlando Restaurant, in the Dr. Phillips neighborhood, because it is a farm-to-table Modern American restaurant with a wood-grilled cuisine with a Southern influence and a warm and inviting atmosphere.

When you walk in Slate, it has a warm and inviting dining room that combines an open kitchen, bar and dining room with a beautiful mix of rustic and modern elements.

One of the coolest things they had was this gorgeous copper wood-burning oven. I could have sat at the bar there and watched that fire in the oven and be happy. I could see where this would be a great place to meet friends for drinks and a light bite, or to stop by for dinner if you are dining solo because they have plenty of bar seating.

If you want a more intimate setting while waiting for dinner, take a seat in front of this beautiful fireplace.

Now on to the food, which is the real star of the restaurant. I recommend trying the Charcuterie & Cheese to start to allow everyone to try small bites of the various meats and cheeses. We had prosciutto, goat cheese, and chicken liver mousse. It is a great way to start a meal or to nibble on while having drinks. It reminded me of when I visited Paris and enjoyed a glass of wine and Charcuterie & Cheese board at a sidewalk cafe after work.

One of the fun things about going with a group is that everyone can order something different and then we can share the plates. We ordered several appetizers, including this Burrata with Waterkist farms tomatoes, cucumber, olive oil croutons and greek oregano. It was both beautiful and delicious!

While everything was wonderful, my favorite appetizer was the Fried Green Tomatoes with buttermilk dressing. They were hot and crisp on the outside and soft on the inside and oh so flavorful.

Everyone at the table raved about the Sweet and Sour Calamari with the Calabrian Chili Sauce and told me I must try it. This is where I have to make a confession. I am a certified Calamari hater. I’m sorry. It is something I never liked before. However, after much convincing by the others at the table, I tried it. And the verdict?  It was the best Calamari I have every tried. It was actually pretty good. So if you like Calamari, you will really LOVE Slate’s Calamari.

Even their bread is outstanding. Slate is a restaurant that pays attention to the details!

Moving on to the main course, I had the Filet Mignon. It is definitely not your typical filet mignon. This is served on a bed of sliced fingerling potatoes, spinach, mushrooms and fennel sofrito, which made a lovely presentation and complimented the steak well. The best part of this dish was the thick, juicy, tender filet mignon. Each bite melted in my mouth. It was heavenly.

Cory with Visit Orlando had this amazing Scallops dinner.

Justin ordered the GEMELLI, which is a slow braised pork, with spinach, parmesan, roasted shallots, and basil cream. This looks and sounds so wonderful that I want to try this next time.

Shelby ordered the Key Lime Sorbet, of which I got to try a bite. It was delightfully light, sweet and tart, and ended being my favorite dessert.

This Peach Bourbon Tres Leches Cake with hand-picked peaches, a rhubarb compote, and fresh cream was another winning dessert!

Everything from the ambiance of the restaurant to the professionalism of the staff to the quality of the menu items made for a perfect experience to share with good friends.

I shared a sampling of the menu items here, so be sure to check out the reviews by Grumpy’s Honeybunch, Renee’s Kitchen Adventures, and The Chef Next Door to see which dishes were their favorites!

Of course, check out the website for Slate Orlando. Be aware that their menu changes and they have outstanding dishes that are not listed on the website. So be sure to ask about their specials.

I want to thank Cory at Visit Orlando for making this wonderful dining experience possible. If you are planning a trip to Orlando be sure to check out the Visit Orlando website first!

Thanks to Cory of Visit Orlando for providing a complimentary meal for us in order to write this review.  All opinions are 100% my own.