I ate at these place (on or off Park Ave) yesterday.
Nopa Grill - I could sense that this place would blow by looking at the menu. If the Greeks yell Opa when they are happy, then Nopa should be the opposite. Or we could go with - they have an "a" where an "e" should have gone. This place is what happens when someone finally visits the big city and comes back with pretensions. Unfortunately (for them), this isn't Geneva (Florida), it's Winter Park.You can't recreate what you barely have been exposed to. Everything they do is simply not up to snuff. The menu is simplistic, boring, directionless and ridiculously over priced. They want $13 for a hamburger! They have a thing called a Nopa roll at $5. I figured it was some kind of snack. Maybe a sushi item or an Asian wrap? Nope -ah. It was just a piece of bread. I suffered through (for you) a $10 Boston Fried Cod sandwich with french fries. It was the cheapest thing on the menu. They delivered two, mass market brand, frozen pieces of freezer burned cod on a bun. You know how I know they are McFood? I have some in my freezer. AND fresh fish (or even packaged, unbreaded, frozen fish) doesn't have rounded off corners. I just saw a program on Irish cooking where they were extolling the flakiness and flavor of haddock and cod. Lies! Outrageous lies! Those fish are the worst. There is a reason fast food places use them. Back to Nope-ah. The bun was ok and the fish was fried correctly. I don't blame the kitchen. I blame the (mis) management. The fries were good. Too much mixed seasoning. The place is tacky. It's next to that raw food place on Morse. They say Nopa stands for Not On Park Avenue. If only we could make it a sixteen lane highway. They have every type of cheap, cloned bric a brac as decoration. They offer wine on one wall like it's a retail shop. They sell that wine at restaurant mark ups +. They had that terrible Quantum Leap Riesling, that they (QL) have the audacity to sell for $14, for $30 and some $9 wine for $30+. The art on the wall is all mass production. They have a dining room that seat about forty. All on raised chairs. There were two others there at lunch. The menu is mostly flatbreads and burgers. There would be no real reason to go here IF the pricing was in line. With the pricing out of line, I suggest you avoid it. It's been open a few months.
Le Macaron - This place is on Park (about the middle) next to Paris Bistro. They said they have been there for three years. They serve gelato, macaroons, pastries, coffee, and chocolates. All looked nice. I'm not a macaroon guy and don't understand the fad. At least they seem to have been near the forefront of the revival. They bake all the items in Sarasota and have other shops around Florida. I had a lavender (or was it violet) gelato (kids size) for $3.and a Madeleine for under $2. The gelato was good. The Madeleine was a little dense. Either the dough was under cooked or it was poorly mixed or they have have a recipe that incorporates pureed nuts. The place is small. I don't recall seating. You have to walk into an alcove and past some koi ponds to find them. They have one glassed in area for the pastry on the left and a glassed in freezer on the right for the gelato. Not bad.
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