chef's table at the edgewater

one of central florida's top restaurants. the chef's table at the edgewater hotel is an unlikely star in the central florida dining scene. certainly one of the top five restaurants, and perhaps second only to the infinitely more expensive victoria and albert's at disney's grand floridian, the chef's table is tucked away in historic winter garden, a few miles north of the theme parks. it's an intimate place, with only a half dozen tables (although an expansion is in the works that will offer small plates in a more casual setting).

the chef's table offers the most personal dining experience i've yet to encounter. chef kevin visits every table to explain (in mouthwatering detail) how each dish is prepared. it's no surprise the food is so good, as kevin worked at both victoria and albert's and emeril's commander's palace.

kevin's wife and business partner is laurie, who is a very talented sommelier. she is perhaps the most talented wine matching expert i've encountered, and the wine pairing dinner is an absolute steal.

after a leisurely dinner you can often catch a stage show in the historic garden theatre across the street.

this restaurant has swept the local dining awards several times, winning for best chef's table, best wine pairings, most romantic, and several other categories. it's good for intimate couples dining, business dinners, and vacationing foodies alike. highly recommended.


-----30 sep, 2010-----

brilliant wine pairings. this is a cozy little restaurant with food about ten times better than one would expect, rivaling some of the top restaurants in florida. kevin tarter is a truly gifted chef, who personally selects his foods, so when you get, for example, a steak, it will be incredibly tender; and his sauces are as good as i've had. what really sets them apart, though, is the wine pairing flights that are designed to match the various courses of the prix fixe menu. co-owner laurie tarter is brilliant at matching flavors of foods and wines, and her suggestions are always both surprising and delightful. i rate this restaurant second only to the wildly more expensive victoria & albert's for central florida dining.

fabulous!. love love love your cute restaurant with its amazing service and delicious food! the wine pairings are wonderful!

not to be missed. this was such a surprise, we went here with a gift certificate and left with it being one of my top restaurant experiences of all time. food was on par with any 5 star restaurant i've been to in the big cities, and the value is unbelievable. i honestly felt guilty that i only paid $50 for such a top notch meal with so much attention to detail and quality ingredients. the owners truly made it a special experience as well. we will be back whenever we are in town!!

the best!!. had one of my most memorable meals ever! chef kevin came to our table and described the different dishes and even how the dishes were conceived. the location is beautiful , the wine pairs perfect! most important the food was amazing! i would recommend it to anyone. a great dining experience.

well i never. the food was horrible. it all tasted freezer burned. i got the over all sense that all the ingredients were purchased at restaurant depot. the chef came over to my table to explain the menu which at first i thought was a nice touch but than he wouldn't leave. telling me and my wife about this and that. i was there to have a romantic dinner with my wife not have some chef as the third wheel. i also had the mushroom tort which on the menu said had wild mushrooms in it as far as i know button mushrooms are not considered wild mush rooms. my wife had the tuna which in all our years of dining out we have never had such a bad piece of tuna as this piece was. and for desert i believe i saw bread pudding on the menu i'm sorry but for a $50 plate and wanting to call your self fine dining i don't think so. back to the matter at hand i had the berries served on a biscuit on which was hard as a rock and sub par vanilla ice cream. now grand marnier is one of my favorite cognacs and those berries were definitely sauteed in it. it tasted more like triple sec. in my opinion don't eat here your $50 would be better spent else where especially in the economy.

like eating at the chef's home. eating at this fantastic restaurant is like eating at kevin and laurie's home if they were hosting a small dinner party. as we were seated kevin came over to welcome us and tell us about the menu and offering to accommodate specific food likes and dislikes. we ended up ordering three appetizers- a delicious salad with green goddess dressing, an indulgent and savory mushroom and cheese tart, and a salmon, asparagus and artichoke plate. all delicious through the last bite- and quite generous portions, too. the wine pairing was also a good match. dinner was osso bucco with cheddar grits (worth forgetting about your diet), and shrimp etouffe. again, large portions. the shrimp were perfectly cooked and they clearly use high-quality ingredients. dessert was a bread putting that was good but not something i would order again. the restaurant warrants a trip- and return visits. it is cozy, romantic, very well run and one of the best meals you'll get in central florida.

wonderful restaurant!. my wife and i dined at the chef's table for the first time on march 5, 2011. it was a great experience which we will repeat often. food and service were not only excellent, but personalized - kevin, owner and chef, visited us often to explain menu items and to chat. laurie, co-owner and kevin's spouse, poured the wine pairings and likewise visited often. in addition to great food and service, the restaurant is lovely and seating is limited - it was refreshing to actually carry on a conversation with my wife during dinner without having to overcome the noise of a crowd.

we look forward to their saturday afternoon tea in two weeks, as well as another visit for dinner in the not-too-distant future.

wonderful food and service. my wife and i recently had the pleasure of dining at the chef's table at edgewater. it was fantastic. we have recently relocated from montclair, nj to the orlando area and were concerned that we would miss many of our favorite restaurants in nyc and surrounding area. we were struck by the intimacy and the quality of both the food and the wine pairings at chef's table. the room seats 14 - the chef presents the menu and talks openly about each offering. he likes to cook with local produce and his choices and presentation are delightful. we found the portions to be a bit too big, but the american cuisine choices with a bit of southern flair were excellent. the wine pairings were spot on and didn't feel undervalued like i have had at many other restaurants. my wife and i will go back again and again to this find - quiet, and reasonably priced for such high quality - it is always great to support local chefs and produce.

wow what a night... in tampa on vacation visiting an old friend. we drove out for a 6:30 reservation at the perfect afternoon early evening time in florida that is soo beautiful. i have never been to winter grden before but what a cute little town with this funny old hotel. the meal at chefs table was like nothing i have ever had. every course every dish.my friend and i of course each ordered differently in each category so we could try 6 items plus we bumped up to the cheese course as well. let me tell you there was not a morself of anything left. the portions were quite big but the food was so good there was no way i was gonna leave anything on my plate.the wife owner lori really knows her wine and if there is a more engaging and talented chef that isnt on t.v. i dont know who it is. cudos kevin ..all in all from the really nice drive over to the fantastic meal and polished service this was the highlight of my florida trip. i have told everyone i know in tampa to make the drive..its well worth it..on another note i really appreciated having a grown ups only dinner. nothing worse than spending big money and having to listen to parents shush their little ones the whole night.there is a time and a place for children.

great food & atmosphere for an amazing day. we had our 2nd wedding anniversary at the chef's table. we started with their saturday tea. what a lovely meal for a great price! we stayed at the edgewater hotel for another amazing addition to our celebratory weekend. (btw you get 10% off the hotel with a receipt from the restaurant) we then headed back to the chef's table for dinner. we started with the cheese platter, which was amazing. i started with the mushroom torte and my husband had the shrimp soup. both were amazing! i then had a huge beef short rib with asparagus and mash potatoes! my husband had a large serving of lamb and loved it. we were so full, but couldn't stop eating dessert. i had the banana bread pudding and my husband had the spiced creme brulee. everything was amazing (the food, the service, the atmosphere!) my husband did the wine pairing and not only was it great, but what a deal!!! we plan on returning very soon for another great meal!

just what greater is missing...found. my wife and i wanted to do something local and special for our anniversary. not wanting to deal with the tourist corridor we booked a room at the historic edgewater hotel and had afternoon tea and dinner at the chef's table downstairs. amazing.

tea was excellent, with a phenomenal selection of finger sandwiches, desserts, and scones that were to die for (and i'm not a huge scone fan).

dinner was in a league of its own. recommended by the owner's wife and functional head server, the shrimp chowder was incredible. the broth had hints of lobster and a subtle sweetness, a more than fair portion of shrimp was in the bowl, and cayenne pepper added a subtle but meaningful spice. my wife's mushroom and cheese torte was also excellent and could've been a main course. don't miss the cheese plate either, each cheese paired perfectly with an accompaniment. our main courses were also delectable. my wife's braised beef short rib was served boneless, trimmed of fat, and created leftovers due to the portion (would've for anyone!). my rack of lamb (4 ribs) was also perfectly cooked and the mint (not jelly) accent was expertly done. we were full by the time dessert came, but finished it anyway; bananas fosters and fall spice creme brulet.

in a nutshell, this is the kind of small, local, detail minding, affordable fine dining that orlando can be criticized for missing - granted it's a quick drive to winter garden. the personal service from the owners made us feel welcome, appreciated, and as if the value of the chef's table's prixe fix only menu was well beyond the actual price. this place is a must for those who appreciate food!

wonderful. perfection!!! thats all i can say, can't wait to go back

crime in prime time. warning: eating at this restaurant will lead to life of crime. you will be caught and sentenced for life - to compare other meals to this one. eventually when the long arm of the law catches up to you and should you have one meal to eat before execution, you should choose this restaurant and this chef.
kevin's signature mushroom and gruyere torte is literally to die for.
the lamb chops are well worth facing a firing squad for. the accompanying vegetables make brussels sprouts , sprout wings and become a willing accomplice, making you want to go on the lamb for the sexy veggies alone. they have sweet, crunchy velvety texture that is sinful.
the peach upside down cake with sunflower seed brittle will make you squirm like in an electric chair.
pair the meal with cheese plate and no matter what your crime (of passion) you will receive a generous pardon before the evening is out.

excellent selection. lovely ambiance, very intimate, great food.

food fit for a king (brian) and a queen (deb). our first experience dining at the chef's table was on our 7th anniversary. it was more than we expected - the ambiance was exquisite, the food a culinary delight, and the owners, chef kevin and laurie were delightfully hospitable.

first course: creamy corn and lobster bisque: my husband wanted second and third helpings. he wouldn't share but just a small bite. it was our anniversary, so i bit my tongue though "scrooge" was somewhere in my frontal lobe. so glad it didn't come forth from my tongue to ruin the celebratory mood, but since it was a special occasion i forgave him by the end of the night.
i had mushroom and gruyere torte with shallot cream. it was very good, creamy and intense with layered mushrooms intertwined with thin pastry. delightful.
main course: lamb rack, roasted w/sweet potato, corn, and bacon hash. my husband the australian loved this, it was done to perfection, med. rare with a generous serve of 4 cutlets. i had the seared scallops and shrimp, with lemon and asparagus risotto, equally good and the risotto was cooked perfectly.
dessert: (husband said best on the menu) berries grand marnier saute, ricotta pastry and whipped cream. this utterly delicious dessert was paired with zonin baccarosa, which made the it even more scrumptious. it was a slightly fizzy wine/champagne with a hint of berry which made it an excellent accompaniment. i had the caramelized peach and candied pecan upside down cake with ice cream, which was to die for! the wine pairings would have delighted the most critical connoisseur and both of us felt that each wine selected was with great care. overall, our first dining experience was very enjoyable and we both look forward to another great experience dining at the chef's table in winter garden for my birthday.