New lackluster gastropub Stir can’t cause one
Stir Restaurant & Bar is the latest gastropub to bring American cuisine to 1409 N. Orange Ave. in Orlando’s Ivanhoe Village neighborhood, the former home of Nova Scratch Kitchen. If you can’t tell by that sentence, very little stirred me about my meal at the restaurant.
What I would try a second time
The six hours put in to braising the short ribs ($23) showed with the meat’s fork tenderness. It was richly flavored with the JDub’s Cowbell Porter it was cooked in. I wish the tenderness extended to the side of diced seasonal vegetables — carrots, potatoes and parsnips — which were inconsistently cooked. The mashed potatoes needed a touch more seasoning for perfection.
What I didn’t like
The Bokey ($12), a fried chicken sandwich, looked impressive until I cut it in half. A thin serving of chicken thigh was overwhelmed with breading. Even the buttermilk dressing couldn’t mask the disparity.
What I would put on Instagram
Can you ever go wrong with meat and potatoes? Maybe if the potatoes need some extra salt — but you can’t tell that from a photo. The short ribs have been added to my Instagram account.
Other eats
Eat the pork puff pastry ($8) quickly if you choose it for your appetizer. The flaky pastry surrounding the tender pulled pork cheeks inside starts to disintegrate into the pool of au jus underneath. The rubbery rings of fried buffalo calamari ($11) have more staying power, but they’re also covered in an unappealing breading with buffalo sauce on the side.
The double-smoked fish dip ($11) proved to be the winner of the appetizers, with nice chunks of trout to spread onto crostini.
Moving on to the entrees, Stir’s namesake burger ($13) was your standard lineup of lettuce and pickles. I can offer it no more praise or censure than that. Same goes for the prime rib dip ($14) with tasty au jus on the side.
How I was treated
Both of our servers were welcoming and attentive without being intrusive. They knew the menu well.
My next visit
Brunch may get me back out to Stir, especially for a seat on its patio facing Lake Ivanhoe.
For bar-hoppers
Stir’s draft beer list is small, but the restaurant does have a good mix of bottled craft and macro brews. A little more than a handful signature cocktails are available along with four times that amount of wines.
For those with special diets
Vegetarians and vegans will be limited to salads and a few appetizers.