F&D Kitchen & Bar

There aren’t enough wonderful things to say about this restaurant. Me and 3 of my closest girlfriends go out to dinner once a month trying a new restaurant each month. I had heard wonderful things about this place and we were so excited to try it. We all live somewhere different in central Florida. I came all the way from Clermont and it was worth the drive!
Our experience started making a reservation online through open table. Easy to do. Lets start with the décor. It’s unique and modern but still feels like home. They thought of every detail to give it a modern gastropub vibe including the stools, the chandeliers, and the local Florida tropical plants. A feast for the eyes.
We showed up about 45 minutes early and took advantage of the amazing happy hour specials at the bar. We dove right into the appetizers including the deviled eggs, seared rock shrimp and then the UNFORGETTABLE fried green tomatoes. All of the food came out on time and tasted delicious. The tomatoes were so good that we ordered two more plates. Just stunning presentation and the flavor combinations were flawless.
Onto the cocktails! Our group tried the French 75, Lavender Blue and the Dark & Stormy. All made perfectly and hit the spot. The bar staff made great recommendations based upon what we said we like on both food and drinks. Then we made our way to the table to continue this wonderful dining experience.
Our server was wonderful! Funny and smart, brought great energy to the dining experience. We started with the pork belly to share. It just melts in your mouth. We ordered a bottle of the Stackhouse Red Wine to be served with dinner. The timing of every step of the meal was just right, not feeling like we were rushed at all but not left waiting at any point.
Our group all ordered something different including the chicken sliders, the steak frites, the sea scallops and my dish, the the beef short rib. Oh, that short rib! It was nothing short of amazing. The meat just melted in my mouth and the root vegetable mash was seasonally perfect. I couldn’t even finish the meal and it tasted just as good the next day for lunch.
The manager stopped by the table to see how everything was. We said it couldn’t have been better and looked forward to going back. I’ve told at least 100 people about this place, many of whom have gone and had the same experience. Kudos to this wonderful new local restaurant in a sea of chain restaurants out there. I can’t wait to watch this place grow!

arrived just after 830 pm on a Wed. The weather was great outside so we requested to be seated outside. We were confronted with «well i dont know if outside is open anymore so inside or bar» i asked IS outside close «yeah im pretty sure he just got cut» ummmm ok if the restaurant has 2 tables inside i figure why not accommodate a waiter to help us on a gorgeous night.
As soon as we were seated inside the empty restaurant (aside from the bar) i noticed something on the menu that caught my eye. Octopus Confit. I went for it! one part of me says damn the texture on this octopus is absolutely perfect. SUper soft, cut with your fork tender. Its not easy to find octopus like this. That was the silver lining. The octopus itself was extremely gritty. I felt with every bite i was slipped in a teaspoon of sand. Only the tip didnt have that sand type texture. Not just gritty but you can hear the crunching of it. Was it dropped on the floor before grilling or just not washed properly before? I questioned the waitress if the cous cous type grains on the bottom of the octopus should have been hot or cold. The waitress kinda dodged the question waiting for me to tell her what tempeture i had it at. it was coldish going on room temperature. I asked because i felt it was under cooked. The consistency was harder than i imagined it should be. We also ordered some fried Green tomatoes for an appetizer. This was damn good. The red sauce on top tasted like tomato purée mixed with cinnamon apple sauce. Great combo there. I highly approve of that plate.
On to Din Din
We were offered for the special a grouper placed upon some type of corn/​grit whipped cheese mixed in with Chili oil. My interest was peaked on that alone. Not being a fan of grouper (many times its not and just never worth the price IMO) i asked if i could order a side of that base with a meal. Well they didn’t accommodate again. Ok fair enough i understand that more so than rejected our outside seating request. Ordered the Wedge Salad. Man was this also disappointing. The lettuce was extremely bitter. It had chunks of Publix White Chedder Cheese in it. The corn was absent when listed, i see i wasn’t the only person that had it missing. Peeped through Unilocal pics and the wedge there is also missing the corn. When in a venue as you gotta try the fries imma rite? When i see these craft type places open i beg for the ketchup to be homemade. There is such a difference between High Fructose corn syrup Heinz and freshly pureed tomato blended with spices. The ketchup was Heinz :(the fries were basic. The seasoning on the fries was good however the quality of them is comparable to McDonalds. Ordered one more thing the Brussel Sprouts. They were much less bitter than the Wedge Salad. They were just ok. I failed to see any bacon in it. There was plenty of raisins. All in all the food doesnt match the caliber of the décor. I feel like i’ve been tricked. Would not recommend seeing as there are so many more viable options just a 10 minute drive down I-​4.

Literally white girl obsessed with this place. If you love pinterest, pottery barn, pier 1 décor. you would fan girl all over the inside of this place. You walk in and theres a gorgeous HUGE chandelier greeting you with huge family tables perfect for group gatherings.
We sat outside, even though it was a little chilly and sat next to a heating lamp in the back. We were here for probably 3 hours because we enjoyed ourselves so much.
I tried a few different martinis. All excellent. We shared appetizers. The cheese board they offer was out of this world The different kinds of things offered on the board all complimented eachother really well. I believe it changes from week to week
Even though im usually a shop local/​dine local gal, this place has exceeded my expectations for chains.

What a surprise finding this amazing place. So happy they are as good as the reviews said.
I took someone special here for a date. I usually don’t like trying someplace new on someone that means this much to me, but after reading the reviews I decided to give it a try. Thank god I did.
After hearing about her mothers smoked fish dip (never have had it) I decided to try it here. So glad I did. The plating was very appealing and the taste of everything held its ground with each other. Huge chucks of smoked fish with little «binding.» It came with pickled onions, toasted bread and huge slices of fresh cucumber. Very light tastes that complimented each other.
Next we decided to try the muscles and after two bites we both said we need bread to dunk into the amazing broth at the bottom of the bowl. The muscles were fresh and eaten up quickly
We also had a rock shrimp Mac n Cheese that arrived at the same time. The shrimp were cooked perfectly, the amount of cheese was just enough to give a kick without overpowering the taste of the shrimp. I even used some of the broth from the muscles to mix with the mac for another surprising taste combination.
Next was the braised pork belly. One bite and we both got very quiet. Those flavors left us speachless. That was not what we were expecting and loved every second of eating it. We were definitely happy at this point on gambling on a new (to us) restaurant.
Then the cookies and milk came out. First sip of the milk you can taste a hint of burbon. How have I never thought of pairing the two together. Whomever thought of this not only needs an award but maybe a day of the year set aside to their greatness. The cookies were crispy on the outside, soft and gooey on the inside. Then BACON on top. Yep, you read that right. Bacon, burbon, milk and cookies.
I actually enjoyed how quiet it was (sunday 7pm ish) because my date and I could talk without having to shout. She has lived in the area for quite some time and didn’t even know the restaurant was there. Not sure if they need more advertising or how new the place is, but we thank god a place with this level of food is walking distance.
To the owner, chef, and wait staff… Thank you. That was one of the best dining experiences I have had in a long time. (I travel for work and eat at far too many restaurants)

Preface to how I ventured to F&D Kitchen:
A new friend finds my being a Unilocal Elite fascinating, so it is now his mission to study my reviews and only take me somewhere that neither of us have yet been. Lol. Different, but very cool and thoughtful. So far his picks have been great but tonight I decided to turn the tables and pick the place; somewhere I’ve been wanting to go and that I was fairly certain he hadn’t been. (He doesn’t Unilocal — yet — so I didn’t have the luxury of cheating like he did!)
Fast forward to tonight:
I’ve been wanting to check out F&D since before they opened, but since I don’t live in Lake Mary and they weren’t initially open for lunch, I hadn’t had the opportunity to try it in the first several months of opening. Until now…
I’m kicking myself for not taking pictures (of anything) but this place is so cute! A rustic chic kind of ambiance. Wood light fixtures next to fancy chandeliers. Mismatching chairs and different sized and shaped tables. Very, very cool and comfortable.
It was hard to decide what to order because everything sounded incredible. I’d have been happy ordering a few appetizers instead of an entrée, but I opted against that this time. I had the grouper and my friend had the salmon.
His salmon was okay. Not over the top amazing but pretty good. I’d give it a ⁷⁄₁₀. It was a relatively small filet and came with a salad of greens with a champagne dressing and sliced oranges. Again, nothing spectacular, but good overall.
I had the grouper which came with a cream corn purée and farro pilaf. First, I have to admit that had no idea what farro was. (If you don’t know either, it’s kind of like a barley, or thick/​heavy brown rice.) The grouper was cooked perfectly. It had a nice crust on the outside and was tender and flaky inside. It was seasoned perfectly. The corn and farro were also both incredibly delicious. I’d have a hard time not ordering this every time.
I wanted to try the milk and cookies dessert and I’m glad he humored me. The milk has bourbon added in and the cookies were white chocolate with crumpled bacon on top. They were fresh out of the oven (or so it seemed, anyways); warm and gooey. Both the milk and cookies were great on their own, but it was 10 times better dipping the cookie into the milk, as intended. Delicious!
I love that there is a farm to table place outside of Winter Park, on the north side of town. I also love that they’ve started serving lunch (yayyyy!!!) so I will most definitely be back soon!

3.5 stars? I would if I could. Recent stop to F&D was for lunch, the lunch menu offers sandwiches in addition to the small plates, shareables, salads and mains. I ordered the rock shrimp roll, which was tasty and filled with a nice portion of rock shrimp salad. The tender rock shrimp was mixed with avocado chunks, finely sliced celery, red onions and dressed with a light citrus herb mayo dressing. Topped with a slice of ripe tomato & crisp lettuce on a buttered and toasted brioche bun, with a choice of coleslaw or fries. Good choice, nice lunch option.
The other item I considered ordering was the Blackened Fish Tacos, which a friend ordered. When it arrived, we were surprised by a very tiny portion of fish, which was not blackened as described. Bummer all around, we would pass on the tacos the future. The bean salad that came as a side, was reported to be delicious, though. Service was fine and we were able to get in and out quickly during lunch, which was nice.

I wish I could give more than 5 stars! Everythig from the service, atmosphere food and drinks was delicious! Ate almost half the menu and enjoyed everything! So glad I found this gem! They have made a new regular! Can’t wait to try more. I suggest fried green tomatoes, short ribs & milk & cookies for dessert. The Mac and cheese and sliders were fabulous too! Can’t wait to come back!