A Night on The Town

I left Windsor Hills around 5 o’clock for Pleasure Island and arrived a quick 10 minutes later.  I found a parking spot very easily which I was pleasantly surprised about – I had no game plan for Pleasure Island and simply walked around aimlessly until I found a restaurant that looked interesting. 

After about 20 minutes of walking, I found an authentic Italian looking restaurant called Portobello’s Yacht Club and decided I would try it out.  I had an excellent dinner at Portobello’s – the chicken parmesan was fantastic and they carried my favorite wine, so all in all, great experience.  After dinner I decided to check out the nightlife I had heard so much about. 

There are a variety of different themed bars and clubs in Pleasure Island – the first I visited being 8 Trax.  8 Trax is a 70’s and 80’s dance club that plays all the retro favorites including the Bee Gees, Donna Summer and the Village People.  I spent all of my time while at 8 Trax people-watching and laughing at the tourists busting a move on the dance floor and letting loose on their vacations.  Very amusing for me!

After, spending a few hours exploring Pleasure Island I decided to jump ship and head to Universal’s City Walk – an area similar to Pleasure Island that has dining, nightlife and entertainment.  The main reason why I decided to do this was because I knew Jimmy Buffett owned a restaurant in City Walk called Magaritaville.

I am a huge Buffett fan so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to check out Margaritaville.  Margaritaville is the ultimate tropical paradise – there are several different bars within the restaurant including a tiki bar and, my personal favorite, the Volcano Bar which has a giant exploding margarita!  The outdoor dining area, The Porch of Indecision, is a place where guests can sing along to Buffett tunes and enjoy a relaxing meal with friends.  As the evening turns to night, the restaurant transitions into a nightclub where live bands perform each night of the week.  I sat outside and drank, you guessed it, margaritas and listened to a cover band attempt to replicate Buffett classics. 

I could have easily continued my night and ventured in and out of the dozens of other bars City Walk has to offer, but it was getting late and I decided to call it a night.  I had a blast checking out the nightlife at Pleasure Island and City Walk and was incredibly impressed with the variety and amount of entertainment in each respective area.  There is literally something for everyone.  I arrived back at my Orlando vacation home a little after midnight and immediately turned in for the night.  I needed my rest as I planned to conquer Disney World the next day!

Jordan

Tommy Bahamas Cafe

Before I get started, let me take a minute to introduce myself.  My name is Robyn Bouchard and I am the Vice President of Global Resort Homes were we manage and represent the best of Orlando Vacation Rentals.  Living in Orlando, we are always looking for new dining ideas so we decided to have a night out at Pointe Orlando.  With the great, relaxed atmosphere of Tommy Bahamas, we decided to have dinner there.

We had been to Tommy Bahamas a few times for an appetizer and a glass of wine before going to the movies, but this would be the first time we sat at a table and had a full dinner.  And after dining there for the first time, I can confidently say it will NOT be the last time we sit down for a full dinner at Tommy Bahamas.  That is right, the same Tommy Bahama that makes shirts, has a restaurant and believe it or not, unbelievable food! 

We invited our friends from the UK we hadn’t seen in awhile to join us for dinner. Our server, Nichole, and the entire staff along with the atmosphere was fantastic.  The times we had been before, we had sat in the bar area and were always extremely impressed by the service.  Dinner was NO exception!  Nichole was incredible and went over and above with everything.  All 4 of us really enjoyed our dinners - the steak and fish entrees were unbelievably tasty!  I strongly suggest, trying the tuna tower and goat cheese appetizers – those alone are worth the trip to Tommy Bahamas!
 
After dinner we headed upstairs to BB Kings Blues club.  I am not exactly sure why they call it a blues bar because if you go expecting to hear some blues you will be VERY disappointed.  However, the band (Motown and a Bit of Rock) was surprisingly talented and over all it was an enjoyable and fun show and venue.  BB Kings Blues Club is a good place to dance and have a drink, but certainly not the place to go hear blues (unless of course it was just a Saturday night thing).
 
Tommy Bahama Cafe is open for lunch and dinner.  It is a great place to just hang out and enjoy the relaxing surroundings accompanied with great food, drinks and service.  So while you are vacationing and staying in one of Global Resorts Orlando Vacation Homes, be sure to set aside a night to dine at Tommy Bahamas Café!

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