Villages Gourmet Dining - Opinions?

[Peazoup]

Hello out there. I'm looking for input on special places for dinner. Now that we're "in season", I'll be having several guests come and go and would like to take them to extra special restuarants. Being that I'm a fairly newcomer to TV, I've only so far tried the restaurants in the squares. Could I get some recommendations on really nice places to take guests? I've heard that a couple of the country club restaurants are good. Which ones? Others?
Thanks

[billethkid]

There are some very nice establishments in the small towns around and near TV.
If you open the circle to 25 miles even more available.

BTK

[l2ridehd]

Try Pieces Rising in Mount Dora. Nice setting, good food, good wine list. Not gourmet but good. Also the town is a nice place to walk around for an afternoon before dinner. Burns, think that's the name, in Tampa that's a really good steak house with an excellent wine list.

In the Villages, nothing is close to gourmet and wine lists are VERY basic. Lopez is good, Glenview is decent, Havana was good, have not tried since new management, but that is for food only. I guess there must be something nice in Ocala but I have not found it yet.

I would think there would be a business opportunity in The Villages for a high end place with an extensive wine list. Most people like to go to a really nice place at least a couple times a year and there is nothing close to that I have found with in the reservation.

[aln]

The closest thing to gourmet in TV is Lopez and that's probably a bit of a stretch.
Just for general eating good food, drink & service, I like Cane Garden CC. Their lobster bisque is very very good.

Then if I want good eats Ocala has lots to offer.
White linen: FELIX'S just a little north of downtown.
HORSE & HOUNDS is NW of town about 10 miles
MARK'S PRIME STEAKHOUSE is right downtown on the square

Not 'linen' but very good is HARRY'S SEAFOOD BAR & GRILL on the square

Then, don't forget the Brazilian steakhouse IPANEMA for the usual experience.

l2ridehd also mentioned Mt Dora..... YES, several good restaurants there.

[Skip]

My opinion: The only good and unbiased source for recommendations on dining establishments in and around here is the The Villages Gourmet Club's Restaurant Review Website. They list over 300 restaurants within a two hour's drive, most of them are no further than Ocala however. It's been up for over 3 years now, I think. I tried submitting a review but it was rejected because you have to be a dues paying member of the club. (That's a good thing!) That said, I still use the website to find new and unusual locations and steer clear of the dirty/unfriendly/tasteless ones. The reviews are "right on", IMHO.

See for yourself:
The Villages Gourmet Club (http://thevillagesgourmetclub.home.comcast.net/)

And... there's a whole forum for restaurant discussions right on TOTV.

Skip :clap2: