Christini’s Ristorante Italiano, is by far the best upscale Italian restaurant in the greater Orlando area. In fact, I am not sure I know of a better Italian restaurant anywhere in the South. If price is no object, Christini’s has to be your first and only choice. The service is the best anywhere. Not just good, but really GREAT! The attention not only to every need, but to every detail is not equaled. The Food: the food preparation is several notches above the others and presented with great visual appeal, served on Christini’s custom made china. Now the Décor: It is very traditional Italian fine dining décor with original Italian art, dark wood, fine upholstery/ tapestry on the chairs and booths, and tastefully, dimly lit. The total experience is first class, FiveStar, from start to finish. Here is a nice touch; every lady receives a fresh red rose as a parting gift. There are also strolling musicians appearing table side throughout the evening and not just your every day musicians, but one who happens to be a professional touring concert pianist as well. We like to think Christini’s is so special we reserve our visits for special occasions. However, I would like to point out we create special occasions just to dine at Christini’s more often.

From what I have just described you may get the idea Christini’s might be too fancy for you, too snotty, too formal. Well, formal it is, but Christini’s could not be more engaging, inviting, and welcoming. I am not just talking about the waiters but everyone from the wine steward to the matre’ d. They treat you like a king, and everyone, regardless of who you are, is made to feel extremely special. No infants or toddlers are invited. It’s not that they don’t love young children; they certainly do, just not in their restaurant for a lovely dining experience. There is a lengthy photo gallery of famous celebrities, dignitaries and captains of industry from all over the world that regularly visit Christini’s. Because these celeb’s frequent Christini’s does not make it a great restaurant: it is Christini’s menu and ambiance that draws them back to continue the wonderful experience.

To complement the total experience, Christini’s has received the Best Award of Excellence by Wine Spectator for one of the finest wine lists in the world. Christini’s not only has a large Italian wine list as many other countries are represented as well.

Christini’s Ristorante Italiano is a one and only since 1984. Chris Christini and his daughters Elli and Caty oversee every facet of the operation seven nights a week from 6 PM until midnight except holidays.
 
Please trust MrFiveStar on this one. If you don’t enjoy Christini’s there must be something wrong with you, because there is nothing wrong with Christini’s whatsoever!  My dining choice was the Osso Bucco, which was an epicurean delight, fork tender, moist, and falling off the bone. The menu features a vast array of Italian delicacies as well as daily featured menu choices based of the freshest of ingredients. Fresh seafood is flown in daily. Please click here to view the current Christini’s outstanding menu.  Click here for reservations.      Pictured here,James Mannn matre'd, MrFiveStar Ron Crider
                                                                                                                                              Chris Christini tells us,

"With more than 45 years of distinctive culinary experience, I am convinced that success comes down to this: One restaurant, in one location, serving the highest quality cuisine, the best service, and a friendly atmosphere in which to enjoy it ..... this is a lesson learned during my career with some of the most prestigious hotels and restaurants in the world." "My whole purpose is to make Christini’s your favorite dining destination in Central Florida." The experience of opening 19 restaurants and hotels has earned him significant recognition in the restaurant business. In 1984, Mr. Christini created his privately owned venture, Christini's Ristorante Italiano, where he personally oversees all aspects of operation with his daughters Elli and Caty. Christini's impeccable reputation has drawn celebrities and dignitaries from all over the world. "It is my pleasure to present to you the culmination of a lifelong dream."  - Buon Appetito

How is it possible to keep passengers trapped in an aircraft on the tarmac at an airport for numerous hours? Most recently there was the Virgin Atlantic flight from London to Newark, diverted to Hartford's Bradley International Airport due to bad weather at Newark. The passengers were trapped for nearly 4 hours on board the aircraft because no one could figure out how to clear these passengers through Customs since the flight was not expected at Bradley.

Where was the Contingency Plan? What? NO Contingency Plan? Who's in charge here? Don't Airports and Airlines have emergency personnel standing by (perhaps not on duty) that can be called in for events like this? WHY NOT? Suppose passengers became ill as a result of bad food. Would they have to wait 4 hours after landing to find the Customs Agent? No, I am not suggesting additional payrolls for the airports and airlines. Just designate existing personnel to be on call like doctors at hospitals for events like this.

Look folks! This is a no brainer. Unload the passengers, heard them into a secure room where there are rest rooms and water can be brought in until the proper Customs Officers can show up. If this is a Customs issue, let's get it fixed. This is not the first time and it won't be the last time a situation like this will take place.

People have been dreaming about video calling for decades. iPhone 4 makes it a reality. With the tap of a button, you can wave hello to your kids, share a smile from across the globe, or watch your best friend laugh at your stories — iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 over Wi-Fi. No other phone makes staying in touch this much fun.

Thanks to the Retina display, everything you see and do on iPhone 4 looks amazing. Text in books, web pages, and email is crisp at any size. Images in movies and photos are stunning at almost any angle. That’s because the Retina display’s pixel density is so high, your eye is unable to distinguish individual pixels.

Now you can run your favorite third-party apps — and switch between them instantly — without slowing down the performance of the foreground app or draining the battery unnecessarily.* This smarter approach to multitasking is available only on iPhone.

Because your iPhone goes with you everywhere, you’re always ready to capture every moment. And with iPhone 4, you can do it in stunning high definition. Its advanced backside illumination sensor delivers great-looking video in both bright and low-light settings. And in dark environments, you can brighten the scene with the built-in LED light.

By the way for those of us who have the older IPhones remember you can download the new OS4 operating system at no charge. This gives you better battery life as well as faster picture taking and folders for your Apps. Obviously you will want and get the new thinner, larger screen with the IPhone4. Click here to go the the Apple website.

For you serious “Foodies” here is the Restaurant list for you for 2010. Remember, only serious “Foodies” may go here! The S.Pellegrino World's Best Restaurants 2010. So, where do you think the BEST restaurant in the world is? France, Spain, Italy, the US? How about this? Copenhagen Denmark! And the winner this year is Restaurant Noma.
 
For those in the know, Rene’s colossal achievement of winning the World’s Best Restaurant Award in such a short space of time is no surprise. But just look at the legends he has leapfrogged and you cannot help but think something truly significant is taking place at Rene’s Copenhagen restaurant. Noma is a homage to soil and sea, a reminder of the source of our food. Take his starter of crunchy baby carrots from the fertile Lammefjorden region of Denmark, served with edible “soil” made from malt, hazelnuts and beer, with a cream herb emulsion beneath – you are literally eating the earth! Great restaurants are a blend of sophisticated cooking, imaginative ideas and respect for ingredients. Noma is more than this. It’s a experience that reminds you why some restaurants deserve to be revered, and why we created this list.