We, the food-conscious, restaurant-going public of Orlando, fancy ourselves a sophisticated lot, don’t we? Coming off a banner year for restaurant quality (and quantity), we just can’t seem to get enough. We want more hip independent restos; more gastronomic bombast from Disney; more doughnuts, izakayas, poke bowls and veg-forward entrees. We expect a painterly technique in plating; artistry in interior design; and service devoid of eye-rolls. We can revel equally in scenes both run-down and soigné, but we demand excellence on the plate. We might be trend laggards vis-à-vis the rest of the world, but we’ve become discerning gastronomes in this local Restaurant Golden Age. So what’s in the cards for 2017? If this list of new restaurant openings is any indication, more glitz and, we hope, more brilliance. — Faiyaz Kara
