Talk of The Villages Florida - View Single Post - Restaurant Diversity in The Bubble
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Old 08-12-2022, 03:46 PM
OrangeBlossomBaby OrangeBlossomBaby is offline
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There is very little in the way of actual diversity with regards to variety of ethnic food options in the Villages. You can have any of over a dozen kinds of burgers at more than that many restaurants. The Mexican restaurants are all American-Mexican joints such as you would see in "Mexican" chains nationwide, with very few exceptions (Ay Jalisco is one such exception). There is no falafel or Syrian joint within miles, and the only pita you'll find in any restaurant is the fluffy greek style pita.

Taki's idea of greek salad is SHREDDED lettuce, with SHREDDED dry feta, italian pepperoncini, and two kalamata olives with an overabundance of red wine vinegar that makes it almost inedible. They put peppers and grilled onions on their MEATBALL SUBS for crying out loud. There's nothing greek about that. And they use the same meat sauce for EVERYTHING that has red sauce on it.

There are a few pizzerias that a self-respecting New Yorker would consider edible, but none that truly inspire a pizza connoisseur.

Since we are far from any coast, all seafood comes in frozen. You won't find a poutine truck, and most Villagers idea of a cheese curd comes from a "Cottage Cheese" container.

The primary demographic of the Villages, as far as I can tell, wants steak, or tilapia, or other common American foods, want their Mexican food prepared in the traditional American style, think flatbread pizza is pizza, thinks pita bread is fluffy and soft and not suitable to stuff with anything, and so on. Their idea of "good food" is Version #499 of "chicken alfredo" at the more expensive National chain restaurant. It's what the Villagers want, that's what sells, and so that's what will pay the rent in the Villages.

If you want more ethnic foods, you need to go to areas where there are more ethnic people.