Cuisine:

• American
• Southern

Highland Manor Description:
Longtime Orlandoans will remember Highland Manor as Townsend's Plantation, then Captain & the Cowboy, but chefs John Mooney and Scott Barton are bringing a whole new vibe to the historic McBride House. The interior has been restored to its Victorian splendor, with a cozy bar and expansive dining room with wraparound porch on the back. The food shines, thanks to the chef's attention to sourcing: local honey, strawberries, goat cheese, corn and heirloom tomatoes; country hams from Kentucky and Tennessee; artisanal grains from South Carolina; quail from a farm in Mississippi; Florida seafood. Starters include the pan-fried jumbo lump crab cakes, and the Southern country ham platter with four neat piles of artisanal ham and a side of pimento cheese spread that's enough for four to share. Entrées range from gin-and-tonic salmon with thin slices of grilled cauliflower and lime butter to a grilled flat iron steak with Great Hill blue cheese and mashed potatoes, and crunchy buttermilk fried quail with braised greens. But the crispy soft shell crab wins the top prize, served with tart slices of grapefruit, crunchy fennel, hazelnuts and a splash of tomato vinaigrette. Pastry chef Nicole Potter is in charge of sweet endings, with modern interpretations of classic Southern desserts such as strawberry fried pies and buttermilk panna cotta, warm chocolate mudslide cake with creamsicle gelato and bittersweet ganache, and a sandwich of homemade graham crackers with banana ice cream. The wine list is a work in progress, but there are plenty of good choices to pair with the Southern-inspired cuisine. For a relaxing evening, Highland Manor is worth the trip to Apopka.


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